| Ruler Of Bahrain Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Involvement With/Ties To Terrorists And Osama Bin Laden | for everyone |
| Bahrain to Rebuild Demolished Shia Mosques After Obama Criticism | for everyone |
| WILADAT MUBARAK OF OUR DEAR FATEMA-az-ZEHRA (S.A.) | for everyone |
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| PICTURES ON FACEBOOK ?SISTERS YOU CAN ONLY DECIDE FOR YOURSELF - TO DO OR NOT DO !!! | for everyone |
SISTERS YOU CAN ONLY DECIDE FOR YOURSELF -
TO DO OR NOT DO !!!
Ever seen a Hijabi posting her most beautiful pictures on Facebook? I have. And it's completely beyond my understanding. Before everyone concludes I'm an extremist of some sort, I'll admit that I'm on Facebook too, and at some point, I have also posted my pictures up. But that's when I discovered that several months of Facebook usage still does not empower most of us with the ability to conquer the privacy settings on our profiles, if they were ever of any use to start with.
Sure, we all want to show our friends how drop dead gorgeous we were looking at some party we went to. We also want to prove to our non-Hijabi friends how we resemble those supermodels on TV when we dress up for the "Halal prom". We also want to amaze our non-Muslim female friends with the awesome hairstyles and colors under our Hijab. In all honesty, we just want to have some fun and share our exciting Kodak moments with our friends, right?
I once spoke to a fellow Hijabi about posting pictures of herself without Hijab on Facebook, MSN, and other online social networking services. She said, "I know that there will always be the possibility of non-mahrams seeing my pictures while my friends are looking at them, but it's their responsibility to take care of my Hijab, I trust them. I guess I'm just one of those girls who don't like thinking outside the box."
Pure intentions aside, since when has there been the Islamic exception of trusting others with our Hijab? And what does thinking outside the box have to do with anything? If others were trustworthy enough to take care of our Hijab, then I'd never have come across those online photos of posing Hijabis featuring the religious leader's wife without Hijab in the background.
Fortunately, 50 percent of Hijabis are wise enough to avoid posting non-Hijabi pictures on such public websites. But the number of Hijabis who make their profile pictures (which can usually be accessed by the entire Facebook network) a picture of themselves is simply overwhelming. Of course, it is technically "permissible" for non-mahrams to see us while we are in Hijab, but the majority of Hijabis are so dolled up in their display pictures that it seems as though someone forced a headscarf on the winner of America's Next Top Model.
Of course, sisters are not alone when it comes to the competition of who looks the hottest in their Facebook display picture. The brothers have been quick to catch on. Posing with their Versace sunglasses and slick t-shirts (if they are wearing one at all), down to the core of the matter, it has become a game of impressing anyone and everyone, as long as you're on Facebook.
But the photo album disease is also spreading far and wide with the adults too! The number of parents who are posting pictures of their children is absolutely terrifying. It's understandable that parents want to show off their beautiful children to their friends; however, it goes without saying that many of these parents are not exactly quite tech-savvy and not too proficient when it comes to privacy settings, thereby often leaving their children's pictures publicly accessible by any and all weirdos.
Furthermore, according to a report by the BBC, a team of researchers from Cambridge University analyzed sixteen social networking websites and discovered that some sites, including Facebook, stored photos of users and allowed them to be viewed by others, even after the user deleted them. They did this by uploading pictures and noting down the image URLs. "When checked 30 days later, these links continued to work for seven of the sites, even though a typical user might think the photos had been removed," the researchers found. Despite all the privacy settings and limitations we may try and implement to our Facebook and other online profiles, more likely than not there will always be a loophole in the system, a fact that many of us are quite oblivious to.
Another classic example of privacy settings gone wrong is adding an application or taking certain quizzes on Facebook, which give the creator access to our entire profile, including all our private photos and the "public link" on our albums, which gives anyone who has this link complete access to all our "hidden" pictures.
While there are multiple benefits of having pictures on Facebook, including "so my friends know it's me who is adding them" and "my relatives overseas want to see what I look like", it's quite a risky business. Accessible from Google, the entire process of having our pictures downloaded and saved on someone's computer takes only a few seconds. It is very possible that a Hijabi sister's cute profile picture of her having a good time with friends might very well end up in the hands of an overzealous matchmaker in the community and ogled over by dozens of boys around the globe, and vice versa.
The essence of Hijab is simple: to conceal as much as possible and only display our beauty when absolutely necessary. If Facebook profile pictures were an absolutely necessary place for Muslims girls, boys, and adults to post their most stunning and attractive pictures for the whole world to see, then I guess I've been slow to jump on the bandwagon.
courtesy: Zara sayed
| RESPECT AND OBEDIENCE TO OUR SCHOLARS AND MARAJA TAQLEED IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR ANY FOLLOWER OF THE IMAM | for everyone |
It is incumbent upon us to respect the scholars who guide people towards the Imam, and theMaraja Taqleed (Religious Authorities) who are his general representatives during his occultation.
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) relates the following concerning the status of scholars in Islam: "The scholar is like one who has a candle through which he provides light to others. Hence to all those he provides light, pray for him. In the same way, through his candle of knowledge, a scholar removes the darkness of ignorance and perplexity." Regarding our Maraja Taqleed, Imam Mahdi himself has said: "As far as newly occurring circumstances are concerned, you should turn (for guidance) to the narrators of our hadiths, for they are my proof over you just as I am Allah's proof over them." (Ihtijaj Al-Tabrasi, vol. 2, p. 260) For this and many other reasons, respect and obedience to our scholars and Maraja Taqleed is absolutely necessary for any follower of the Imam.
We must pray to God to help us remember our Imam constantly; we must strive to avoid sins that distract us and take us away from his path. In many supplications we read: "O Allah! Forgive us those of our sins that cause the descent of misfortune (and wretchedness)." In Shaikh al-Saduq'sKamaluddin, he mentions that we must always recite the following supplication: "O Allah, do not erase the remembrance of the Imam from our hearts."
| TO STRENGTHEN OUR ALLEGIANCE TO THE IMAM -E-ZAMANA (A.T.F.S.) | for everyone |
Actively waiting for the Imam should be our goal, which can be facilitated and achieved through prayers, supplications and Qur'an recitation. Below are a few acts of worship we can perform that may bring us closer to God and strengthen our allegiance to the Imam:
- Recite Du'a Ahad for 40 Days Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) has stated: "Whoever recites this du'a for forty days after morning prayers will be amongst the helpers of the 12th Imam. Should he/she die before the reappearance of the Imam, Allah will raise him/her from the grave in order for the reciter of this du'a to present him/herself to the Imam."
- Recite 50 verses of the Holy Qur'an daily and gift the reward to Imam Mahdi. This act is highly recommended by Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani as a means of strengthening our connection with our Imam.
- Sending Blessings on the Prophet: Sayyid Ibn Tawus writes in Jamal al-Usboo, "Among the duties of Thursday, it is recommended to send blessings on the Holy Prophet a thousand times, and it is recommended that one should say: 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and hasten their reappearance. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and hasten their reappearance. And destroy their enemies, from the Jinns and humans; from the first and the last.'" There are countless supplications that one can recite to pray for and hasten the advent of the Imam.
| DO NOT SIT AT A PLACE WHERE AN IMAM IS BEING CRITICIZED OR A BELIEVER IS BEING DEGRADED | for everyone |
At the most basic level, we should dissociate from those who ridicule, minimize, and deny the presence of Imam Mahdi. We must obey Allah and the Imam and refrain from attending gatherings where Islamic laws are being transgressed upon, social Hijab and ethics is ignored, and the remembrance of the Prophet and his family is forgotten.
The Imam himself tells us "One who believes in Allah and the Judgment Day does not sit at a place where an Imam is being criticized or a believer is being degraded." (Usool Kafi, vol. 2, p. 377)
Our Imam has warned us about the severity of the consequences of the destructive gatherings we attend and support. Allah mentions the following verses in this regard:
"And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allah out of ignorance" (6:108) and "And when you see those who enter into false discourses about Our communications, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse" (6:68).
Regarding these verses, Imam Mahdi explains, "There are three types of gatherings that Allah hates and sends His chastisement to their participants, so you should never attend these gatherings: The first is a gathering in which one decides to lie about his verdicts, the second is in which the remembrance of the enemies is refreshed and our remembrance is forgotten and the third is a gathering in which there is refusal to follow us, while you know that such a thing is there in that gathering." (Usool Kafi, vol. 2, p. 377)
| DUBAI / ABU DHABI FOG CAR ACCIDENTS | for everyone |
| ALLAH PARDONS THOSE WHO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS AND FOREBERANCE | for everyone |
The first category of forgiveness is that when a person notices a fault or shortcoming, he forgives for the sake of Allah or humanity.
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الجَْهِلِين
Keep to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. (Sura al-’Araf, 7: 199)
The Holy Book exhorts Muslims to adopt the habit of forgiveness and leniency. They should enjoin the inhabitants of their homes to be kind and merciful with others. Therefore, the first stage of this attitude is that when one notices a wrongdoing or fault in anyone, he forgives him.
The second stage is higher than the one mentioned above. The Quran wants us to attain a status where we can see no wrong. A person at this stage perceives no fault in his wife or other members of the family, so there is no question of forgiving them. This is called 'forbearance and forgiveness'.
The Holy Quran expects Muslims and human beings to cultivate the trait of forgiveness.If one notices a defect in anyone, he should forgive the person as if he is not aware of the fault! The Holy Quran asks Muslims: Don’t you want Allah to forgive you on the day of Judgement? Allah pardons those who practice forgiveness and forbearance. He forgives them in this world itself. On the Day of Judgement, Allah will not expose the faults of those who turn a blind eye to the faults of others.
Some persons will enter the Heaven without giving any account of their deeds. Their attitude of forbearance and forgiveness is the cause of their smooth entry into the Heaven. Some persons will have to account for their deeds, and then they will be forgiven so that they can enter Heaven. But some people will not give an account at all.
Thus the Quran states that if you want to be pardoned on the day of Judgement, you too should pardon others in this world. At home, one should be a person who forgives and forgets others’ faults. If you do not want to be questioned about your deeds on the Day of Judgement, then don’t rebuke anyone when you notice his faults and failings. The husband should forgive and forget the wife’s mistakes; the wife should have the same attitude with her husband.
The verses of Sura Al-Furqan, 25, the Holy Quran describes the qualities of a mu’min, and says that pious souls behave in such a way with the evil, ignorant and foolish persons as if they were totally unaware of their faults.
When a man enters his house and finds it untidy, the children are not clean, the wife has not bothered to freshen herself, because he is a good man, he overlooks these things. He forgives and turns a blind eye to these things. A husband ill-treats his wife, and behaves irresponsibly but she forgives him and turns a blind eye to his failures. She is patient and bears with him. It is these qualities that have been described at the end of Sura Al-Furqan, 25, but in different words.
These verses should be taken to mean that Mu’minin should practice forgiveness, and overlook shortcomings in others, in the same way they would overlook it if their one year old were to slap them in the face.
According to the Quran, a mu'min should reach this stage. If he expects Allah to forgive him, and desires to enter Heaven without having to give an account for his deeds, he should have the qualities of forbearance and forgivenessin himself. The verse bears witness to the fact that one who doesn’t forgive, and answers evil with evil, cannot expect Allah to forgive him on the day of Judgement. Thus the second stage is to forget the evil done to him. But the Quran does not stop here. It expects more, especially from the people associated with the pulpit and the prayer niche, and those who are proud to be Shias. This is the third stage of forbearance and forgiveness.The Holy Quran says:
ْ وَ يَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَة
…..and they repel evil with good….. (Sura al Qasas, 28: 54)
This means that when someone wrongs you, you should do good to them. In fact this verse has been repeated in the Holy Quran at several places. When a person tries to harm you, do good to him. The Prophet of Islam (s)has said that be (particularly) good to a person who has been bad to you. In Sura Yusufwe have been exhorted to cultivate this trait.
This interpretation is drawn from the Sura al Qasasthat says “if someone wrongs you, do good to him!” The first thing that the Prophet did was to enter the Kaaba, purify it by asking Imam Ali (a.s.)to demolish the 360 idols housed within the Kaaba. Then he came to the door of the Kaaba, which exists even today, and sat near it. The people assembled around him, and Dua-e-Wahdat was recited. Masjid al Haramwas full of people. Who were these people? These were the people who used to stone the Prophet (s).These were the people who had injured his forehead.These were the people who had fought nearly 74 small and big battles with the Prophet (s)and his small band of devoted companions. While the Prophet (s) was reciting the Dua-e-Wahdat, these people were shaking like leaves, because they were expecting the Prophet to order Imam Ali (a.s.) to slay them any minute.
When the prayer was over, the Prophet (s) turned towards them and asked, “Tell me! How should I deal with you?” Abu Sufian, Hinda and their like spoke out, “O Prophet of Allah! You may punish us the way you wish to! You can kill us and cut us into pieces!” At this juncture the Prophet (s) said, “Let the past remain in the past. I have forgiven all of you! May Allah forgive you too!” When these people declared their faith, the Prophet accepted it although he knew that some people like Abu Sufian and Hinda were incapable of accepting the faith. The Prophet (s) knew very well that they had not really accepted faith, they were only paying lip-service; still he accepted their proclamation. Even before entering Makkaa, the Prophet (s) had gone to the extent of declaring Abu Sufian’s house as the place of security: Anyone taking refuge in Abu Sufian's house would not be touched. Abu Sufian wanted a position, he was a chief of Makka, and hence the Prophet (s) gave him such a position.
When the Prophet (s) entered Makka, one of his men went around the city, with a standard in his hand, shouting that this was the day of battle and that they had come to take revenge against the enemies! When the Prophet (s) learnt about this, he was very angry and ordered Hadhrat Ali (a.s.) to go and take away the standard from the hands of the person and proclaim in the streets of Makka that today is the Day of Blessing, today is the Day of Kindness.This was the character of our Prophet (s) and his Holy Descendants (a.s.)!
The Holy Quran wants us to be forbearing. It says that if someone harms us, we should forget it, and strive to do good to him! The Prophet (s)used to say that a good neighbour is not the one who is good to his neighbours – this is the duty of every Muslim. A good neighbour is one who bears with patience the ill treatment meted out to him by his neighbours!
An elderly person was ill. When his neighbour came to visit him, he found the old man lying on a moist floor. Half the walls were also moist. The visitor found that the moisture was seeping into his neighbour’s house from the wall adjoining his own house. The neighbour was much perturbed and told the old man, “Why didn’t you tell me. I could have made you comfortable and got rid of all this moisture seeping through your walls”. The old man said, “I didn’t inform you because it would have inconvenienced you!” Islam requires people to have such an attitude towards others in their neighborhoods! It expects the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law to be more affectionate and loving than this, rather Islam expects “Repelling evil with good” from them.
True happiness doesn't come from wearing good clothes and jewellery! Neither do these things dispel sadness, nor do these create eternal love! It is this verse which dispels sadness and creates happiness. Write this verse and hang it in the house where the husband, the wife and the children can see it. Gradually, they will learn to forgive.
Shame on the wife who is misbehaves with her husband because he got angry with her. It is also a matter of shame for the husband who fights with his wife because she misbehaved with him.
In the view of the Quran a good wife and a good husband is one who follows “Repelling evil with good!”If someone treats them badly, they repay them with kindness and mercy. If a fight erupts between a husband and wife, they hasten to make peace. The Prophet of Islam (s)told a woman, “If ever there is a fight between you and your husband, it is your duty to make up with him!” The woman said, “Even if he is cruel?Even if he is at fault?”
The Prophet (s)replied emphatically, "Yes! You must take the first initiative because you are a woman! A woman has to be the epitome of love for her husband! She should totally shun any ill feelings!” In a nutshell, if there is seventy percent compatibility in our families, we can make it a hundred percent with the adoption of the attitude of forbearance and forgiveness!
In the view of the Holy Quran the environment at home should be one "for attaining peace in it". May Allah make our homes the abodes of peace!
| A PERSON WHO INSULTS ANY OF MY 'WALI', WAGES A WAR AGAINST ME.... | for everyone |
Another thing that destroys love is hurting people with ones talk. The retribution for such acts is so much that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq has said that Allah says:
"A person who insults any of my ‘wali’, wages a war against Me.”
Everyone knows the consequences one has to face in this world as well as the Hereafter for waging a war against Allah.
If a husband praises the looks of a stranger woman in front of his wife and a wife praises the handsomeness of a stranger man in the presence of her husband, then there is no chance of virtue prevailing in that house.
The Prophet of Islam (s)says that if a woman says to her husband that she has not found anything good in his house, then all her good deeds will become null and void. Similarly if a husband tells his wife that he has found no good in her, his good deeds too will become null and void.
We must take care that we don’t insult or ridicule anyone. The wives must exercise special care that they don’t talk against their husbands in front of others. Similarly men should not talk ill of their wives in front of others, because these acts invite great punishments. Injury through words is of two types. Some injuries heal quickly. This means that someone does strike a blow through his tongue, but it does not injure the heart much. Now this assumes the form of a scorpion, which goes with that person to his grave, and troubles him for some time. Then this punishment is withdrawn. However, if the injury inflicted by the tongue is deeper, it assumes the form of such a scorpion that will not only trouble him till the Day of Judgment, but also keep stinging him in Hell.
Someone saw a pious old person in a dream. When asked about his condition, the old person said that he was very comfortable, he owned gardens, had palaces and Hoorul Ein;the angels visited him and he had many servants to work for him. His only problem was that a scorpion bit his foot every morning. When asked why he was continuously suffering this bite, he said that during his life he had hurt someone with his talk and had not bothered to apologize. He said that he had assumed it to be a trivial matter and so had not repented (tauba) for it. By not repenting, he had let the scorpion remain alive. The water of repentance (tauba) can clean everything and can repel every danger. Unfortunately, some people actually feel relieved after having insulted someone. Some people say that they will feel at ease only when they have given a thorough verbal thrashing to those with whom they have some differences! What they are actually saying is that they will not be at ease until they have produced a hoard of scorpions which will keep biting them from the first day in the grave to the Day of Reckoning.
Women can hurt people with their tongue-lashing as if it is done with a sword. Then she says: now I am at peace but she is mistaken. She is not at peace, because she is unaware of the type of snake her action has formed. These snakes and scorpions can only be seen by those people who have the insight to do so; they see these through the eyes of the heart. That snake has entwined itself around their necks.
Do they not see it? But they will see it before going to the grave when Izraeel comes to take away their spirits. At that moment, according to the Holy Quran, their vision will become very sharp. Then the wife and the husband will see the verbal injuries they have inflicted on the other, in the form of a black snake which will have wrapped itself around their necks. This black snake will go with them to their graves and keep biting them till Qiyamah. Then they will know how dangerous it is to inflict verbal injuries on others.
The husbands and wives should take care to abstain from tongue-lashing. They should not belittle each other, particularly in comparison with others. These acts strike such a blow to love, that sometimes love turns into hate. Kindness turns into hard-heartedness. Then life becomes a burden and the home appears desolate like the grave. I appeal to all the ladies and men to control their tongues and save themselves from such troubles.
The Prophet (s)once asked his companion about the strongest aspect of the Iman(Faith).What is the thing that can earn deliverancefor a person? One person said, “OProphet of Allah (s)!It is salah (prayer)!” Some said it is fasting, others said it is charity, fighting in the way of Allah, and so on. Everyone tried to mention something or other. The Prophet (s)said, “Everyone is right in his own way! But the thing that is very important for the deliverance of a person is that a person befriends his Muslim brothers for the sake of Allah and is the enemy of the enemies of Islam, for the sake of Allah! He should befriend his wife not for any carnal reasons but for the sake of Allah, because she is a Muslimah! If he befriends her only for his carnal satisfaction, it is not a sign of his masculinity, because then he is no different from an animal!
Carnal satisfaction is a small benefit among the benefits of marriage. But a man should love his wife because she is a Muslimah. The wife should love her husband because he is a Muslim, she should be proud that he is a Muslim. In the same way, the husband should be proud that his wife is a Muslimah, recites salah and fasts,
Muhammad ibn Hakimsays that he was seated with Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.)when an old person, with bent shoulders and a staff in his hand came there and first greeted the Imam (a.s.)and then greeted every person present individually. Then he told to the Imam (a.s.), “O Son of the Prophet (s)! I am desirous of sitting near you!” The Imam (a.s.)replied, “You may sit!” The person sat down and said:
“O Son of the Prophet! I accept what you have declared legitimate as legitimate; and the things that you term as forbidden, I consider them forbidden! I consider your friends as my friends not because they are my relatives, but only on account of their being your friends. I consider your enemies as my enemies. Am I among those who will get deliverance?" Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.)was very pleased and said, “Definitely! I was once seated with my father, Imam Sajjad (a.s.)when a person came to him and talked the same way as you have done today. Imam al-Sajjad (a.s.) told him, ‘May your heart always remain happy! At the time of your death the Prophet (s), Hadhrat Amir al Mu’minin (a.s.), Hadhrat Fatima Zahra (a.s.) and Hasnain (a.s.) will be there. Then your thirst will be quenched with the water from the pool of Kauthar. You will be in the company of these Five Infallible persons!” Muhammad ibn Hakim further says that when Imam Muhammad Baqir narrated this, the old person started crying with joy and said, “O Son of the Prophet! Kindly relate the tradition once again!” The Imam (a.s.) acceded to the person’s request. Thereafter the old man became restless and fell unconscious. The Imam (a.s.) revived him. After regaining consciousness the person touched the body of the Imam (a.s.) as a mark of respect.
The Prophet of Islam (s)used to milk the sheep, sweep the floor of his house and make bread. We will be truly respected men when we extend a helping hand to our wives with their chores at home. Similarly the ladies must take care of the husbands’ comfort when they return home after a long day’s toil to earn the livelihood for the family in the highly competitive environment. Earning a livelihood and dealing with all kinds of people in the workplaces is not easy. When he comes home in the evening, he needs rest, he needs a peaceful place. Your offensive language, stern talk, and unethical behavior will not provide him with the rest he needs. The wife should desire for her husband what she desires for herself. If the husband becomes irritable, the wife should respond with a smile.
When a husband returns home and finds that his wife is not dressed in the apparel of his choice, he should not express his displeasure. If the wife is short-tempered, despite the tiredness after the day’s toil, the husband should enter the house with a smile to soothe her disturbed nerves. You should desire for her what you desire for yourself, and you should not desire for her what you do not desire for yourself. Inshallah, Allah’s blessings will be upon you in this world and in the Hereafter.
| A GOOD MUSLIM AND A DECENT PERSON NEVER BEATS ANYONE-IMAM JAF'AR -as-SADIQ (A.S.) | for everyone |
يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيرٍْ محُّْضَرًا وَ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَ بَيْنَهُ أَمَدَا بَعِيدًا
On the day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil (every soul) will long that there might be a mighty space of distance between it and that( evil) (Sura Ali- Imran, 3: 30)
This means that all the good deeds that you do during your lifetime will accompany you on the Day of Reckoning and your bad deeds will accompany you too, but they will have such terrifying forms, that the person will be ashamed.
The Holy Quran says, on that Day these persons will utter, “How I wish there was a great distance between me and my foul deeds!” Therefore, a Muslim has to take care to control his angry outbursts and abusive language.
Among the maxims of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s) there is one that he has specifically said about the Shias.He said,
“O Shias! Be upright in your morals! Your behavior should prompt others to say in appreciation that you are the followers of Imam Sadiq (a.s.)!It is not befitting for a lady to use abusive language against her children and the husband or others. Similarly a teacher should always speak softly in the class. Corporal punishment and beating is such a sin that the Prophet (s)used to announce from the pulpit that if a person slaps his wife, he will go to the Hell with shame on the Day of Judgement!The caretaker of Hell (Malike Jahannum)will be ordered to slap the person 70 times with Hellfire! A good Muslim and a decent person never beats anyone. And if there is a woman who beats her husband, then she deserves to be called a witch and not a wife!
| IN THE EYES OF ALLAH, THE FOUNDATION OF MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCE IN ISLAM IS THE MOST LIKEABLE | for everyone |
The Holy Quran says:
وَ مِنْ ءَايَتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكمُ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَجًا لِّتَسْكُنُواْ إِلَيْهَا وَ جَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَ رَحْمَة
And of His signs is this: He created for you helpmates from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy…… (Sura ar-Rum, 30: 21)
The Holy Quran says that among the signs of Allah in this world, one of the signs is that He has created woman for man, so that they can join together to establish a family. They also provide comfort to each other. To help the formation and growth of the family Allah has endowed the instinct of love and affection to human beings. As you know, for every foundation there will be the Need of cement and concrete. No building can be constructed only with stone and steel. With stone and steel the correct quantities of sand and cement have to be used to provide the right binding quality to the structure. The matrimonial foundation too has similar requirements. A tradition of the Prophet (s)in which he has said:
“In the eyes of Allah, the foundation of matrimonial alliance in Islam is the most likeable." (Wasailus Shia, Vol 14, page 43)
The sand and cement to bind this foundation are the instincts of love and affection between man and wife. If there is no concrete in the foundation of a building it will be weak, similarly if there is no love among the inhabitants of a house it will be desolate.
Two things require our consideration in this connection. The first is to find out what is the thing that is harmful to the formation and growth of the family. The second thing is the consideration of the factors that promote love and affection in marital lives of people.
| Celebration of marriage should revolve around pleasing Allah, not Shaitan | for everyone |
Celebrating marriage is great, but the focus, naturally, should be on the marriage, before it is on the celebration! In other words, this sanctified relationship between husband and wife, under the umbrella of the Merciful Allah's law, should be the core of any marriage celebration.
The whole point of having a legal marriage is that it is blessed by Allah. It would be foolish to commit acts which displease Allah in celebration of such a marriage. Let's put it this way: if a husband and wife were truly sincere about having a sacred bond in the eyes of Allah, they would not start off their marriage on the wrong foot – by intentionally violating Allah's commands.
The acts which Allah has forbidden are definitely harmful, either physically, metaphysically, or both – for the individual, others, or both. Usually, when there are Haram acts associated with weddings, Muslims, even the "not-so-religious" ones, can notice the negative effects.
As for the forbidden music and/or dancing, one obvious negative effect is that, for the most part, people who actively participate in such acts neglect the remembrance of Allah, which in turn leads to vile consequences on the self and others. Many a time, the person committing the forbidden act is too neglectful of Allah's remembrance to even notice the ill in his/her action. There are numerous other Haram practices which can be criticized, but the bottom line is that a celebration of marriage should revolve around pleasing Allah, not Shaitan.
A sincere believer must first realize that Allah has said, "…and whoever is careful (of his/her duty to Allah), He will make for him/her an outlet" (65:2). The guidelines which Allah has relayed to us through His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) have been clearly stated in the books of our Religious Authorities.
Whether it's the music, the attire, or the atmosphere, the answer can be found by referring to the books of jurisprudence and applying the appropriate ruling to each individual situation. Any celebration scenario that falls within the guidelines is perfectly fine.
But, why not ask this question: How did the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) celebrate marriages?
To answer this important question, here is an excerpt from A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims by Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy:
"On the last day of Zilqa'ad (the 11th month), Muhammad Mustafa, the Apostle of God, invited the Muhajireen and the Ansar, to attend a banquet, on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter. He was going to be their host. When all the guests arrived, and were seated, he obtained, once again, the formal consent of his daughter for her marriage with Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).
"Muhammad Mustafa praised Allah and thanked Him for all His mercies. He then read the sermon of marriage; declared Ali and Fatima husband and wife, and invoked the blessings of Allah upon both of them. All the guests congratulated the Apostle on this most auspicious occasion. After this ceremony, the guests feasted upon lamb meat, bread, date fruit and milk.
"A few days later, i.e., in Zilhajj (the 12th month), Fatima Zahra had to bid farewell to her parental home, so she could go to the house of her husband. Her father assisted her in riding his she-camel. Medina rang with the shouts of Allah-o-Akbar. Salman the Persian held the reins of the she-camel and walked in front of it, as he recited Qur'an. The Apostle of God walked on one side of the she-camel, and Hamza, the Lion of God, on the other. All the young cavaliers of Bani Hashim rode as escorts of the bride, with gleaming swords held high. Behind them were the Muhajir and Ansar women, and behind them came the Muhajireen and the Ansar themselves.
They were reciting hymns from Al-Qur'an al-Majid to the glory of God. The recitation of hymns was punctuated from time to time by thunderous shouts of Allah-o-Akbar.
"This heavenly cavalcade made a circuit of the Great Mosque of Medina, and then halted at its destination – the house of the bridegroom – Ali ibn Abi Talib. Muhammad Mustafa aided his daughter in alighting from the she-camel. He held her hand, and symbolically placed it in the hand of her husband, and then, standing at the threshold of the house, said the following prayer:
"'O Allah! I commend Fatima and Ali, Thy humble slaves, to Thy protection. Be Thou their Protector. Bless them. Be pleased with them, and bestow Thy boundless grace, mercy, and Thy best rewards upon them. Make their marriage fruitful, and make both of them steadfast in Thy love, and Thy service.'"
Sometimes, many of us who don't know any better seem to get caught up in the culturally idealized form of celebration, inadvertently trampling over Islamic principles in the process of having "fun".
Then again, there are other times when some Muslims are totally aware of the fact that they are committingHaram acts, and yet are willing to disobey their Lord in exchange for a few hours of limited pleasure.
But hold on a second, is there no other way to have "fun"? Is there no other way to enjoy a celebration than to stomp over the guidelines of our beloved Master and Creator?
Celebration of marriage should revolve around pleasing Allah, not Shaitan.
| Au'dhu Billahi Min ash-Shaitan Ar-Rajeem (I seek Allah's protection from the accursed Satan) | for everyone |
Man wishes to access the presence of Allah, but Satan tries his best to prevent him from achieving this end. He puts so many hurdles and obstacles in the way of men that it becomes impossible to reach the desired destination. The one and only way of rule out this risk is to seek Allah's protection against Satan. This is done by saying the words Au'dhu Billahi Min ash-Shaitan Ar-Rajeem. (I seek Allah's protection from the accursed Satan.) But it is necessary that one should seek this protection from the depths of one's heart. That is true Isti'adha!
To highlight the importance of Isti'adha, Allah says in the Holy Book, "When you commence reciting the Qur'an, seek protection from Allah against the accursed Satan." Similarly, Allah has told the Holy Prophet, "Say, O Prophet! 'O Allah! I seek your protection from the fears of the satans and their dominance on my heart and spirit.'"
When our Holy Prophet is advised to seek protection from Satan, don't we need to protect ourselves?
Isti'adha Before Commencing Prayers: When we offer prayers to Allah, we should seek protection from Him against Satan, who is always bent on misguiding and taking us astray from the Right Path. At the very least, Satan tries to make the person proud or deceitful about prayers.
The ablution should be performed only after doing Isti'adha. You must have noticed that many times the same ablution becomes the Satan's area of operation. He puts many lurking fears or temptations in the mind of the person that make his entire prayer null and void.
During a prayer, it is recommended that after saying the Takbirat al-Ahram ("Allah Akbar"), one should say theIsti'adha in a low tone. The Qur'anic exegetes are of opinion that the Isti'adha in this situation has to be in a low tone because it will be like the person wishing to keep himself hidden and at the same time escape from the evil tricks of the enemy (the Satan)!
Isti'adha in Permissible Acts: In permissible (Mubah) or day-to-day affairs like eating food, drinking water, wearing clothes, while going out of one's house, and even while going to the washroom, Isti'adha is recommended. For example, at the time of wearing clothes, one should say: "O Allah, keep my private parts hidden, and save them from the interference of Satan."
As Martyr Dastghaib Shirazi reminds us, let us not underestimate our enemy Satan! Let us not be under the illusion that only repeating the words "Au'dhu Billahi Min ash-Shaitan Ar-Rajeem" is sufficient. Remember! Unless you understand the purpose of these words and mold your actions as per the commandments of Allah, the Isti'adha will not be of any utility.
| AVOID LAZINESS AND DISCONTENT, FOR SURELY THEY ARE KEYS TO ALL VICES | for everyone |
Among Shaitan's favorite lures is laziness; he enjoys it whenever we delay our activities or – better yet – when we don't even perform them at all.
Sometimes it really is not our fault when we delay things; we may truly be having an extremely busy day and cannot do everything on time. Another important factor is our health – we may be lacking in energy to get up and get our work done. However, when it becomes a habit to not do things when they're supposed to be done, the cause for delay is no longer busyness – it's laziness! We leave stuff for later, Shaitan gets more opportunities to present obstacles, and our excuses pile up.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) has said, "Avoid laziness and discontent, for surely they are the keys to all vices." (Bihar al-Anwar)
Put simply, laziness only brings us trouble and embarrassment. Laziness leads us to either not performing our tasks, or doing them at the last-minute, in a rush, and in a way that reflects a messy personality.
The lures of Kasal are everywhere – but don't worry, it is not an invincible habit! Science and, more importantly, the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) have given us a couple of guidelines to keep organized and lead balanced lives – here are a few adjustments for the daily routine which can begin to help kick the habit of Kasal.
A method to keep laziness at bay is to follow a moderation guideline from the Prophet which splits our diet into thirds: rather than overburdening the stomach, keep one portion for air, one for water, and one for food. When we overeat or under-eat, we feel tired and leave our work pending. Also, by eating in moderation and by eating healthy foods as opposed to gorging on junk, the body has more energy to get up and do work.
As with eating, sleeping in moderation is yet another way to battle laziness. According to Medical News Today and Healthy Ontario among many other scientific publications, the amount of sleep we get determines the type of day that will follow. The results of their studies show that sleeping for more than 7-8 hours can cause laziness. This definitely fulfills Shaitan's desire, particularly during the time for Fajr prayers!
Both those recommendations about sleep and food help create a balanced lifestyle, generally because too much rest and too much junk food can have negative consequences. Likewise, little rest and little nutrition also lead to tiredness, which is another cause of laziness. If both of the moderation recommendations are followed properly, one can be on the way to getting healthy and organized.
Of course, during holidays it makes sense to ease up on work and to rest, although we should still make proper use of our time. Allah has given us the time of this world to prepare for the next, and we should fulfill that role throughout life.
Everything which we have to do in this world is possible, or else Allah would never have assigned us those tasks. We have infallible role models in the form of the Ahlul Bayt, and they have provided us with the guidelines we need. We can overcome the habit of Kasal, because Allah is the Just and All-Merciful, and as He says in the Holy Qur'an (2:286), "[Allah] does not place a burden on a soul more than it can bear."
Laziness is not undefeatable – everything is a factor, that's why we have to work on aspects of our daily routine to help weaken the habit of Kasal. The first step is to make the choice to live a balanced and healthy life – that is, if we can conquer the sense of laziness and make ourselves implement the ideas in this article
| No need now for any Angiography or Bypass................ | for everyone |
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FIRST
Thanks & Regards? | ||||||
| "AND CERTAINLY WE RAISED IN EVERY NATION A MESSENGER SAYING: SERVE ALLAH AND SHUN THE SHAITAN | for everyone |
The Holy Qur'an talks of issues of guidance and misguidance among the different communities. We are told that because of some communities' aversion for guidance, they were led to misguidance and left in their state of inordinacy for further deviation. This is a situation in which man rejects the guidance of Allah and because of this rejection he is left with Accursed Satan as his companion, and the Accursed Satan leads him to further misguidance:
"O children of Adam! let not the Shaitan cause you to fall into affliction as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their evil inclinations, he surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you cannot see them; surely We have made the Shaitans to be the guardians of those who do not believe." (Holy Qur'an,7:27)
"Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide." (2:257)
"A part has He guided aright and (as for another) part, error is justly their due, surely they took the Shaitans for guardians beside Allah, and they think that they are followers of the right." (7:30)
When guidance is rejected, the Accursed Satan becomes the guardian who misleads to more misdeeds and deviation. Because the misled ones remain in illusion that they are on the right path, they do not seek true guidance and thus move further on the path of misguidance.
In sermon 17 in Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) describes the condition of the people who are ignorant and have shunned true knowledge and do not seek remedy: "Among all the people the most detested before Allah are two persons. One is he who is devoted to his self. So he is deviated from the true path and loves speaking about (foul) innovations and inviting towards wrong path. He is therefore a nuisance for those who are enamored of him, is himself misled from the guidance of those preceding him, misleads those who follow him in his life or after his death, carries the weight of others' sins and is entangled in his own misdeeds.
"The other man is he who has picked up ignorance. He moves among the ignorant, is senseless in the thick of mischief and is blind to the advantages of peace. Those resembling like men have named him scholar but he is not so. He goes out early morning to collect things whose deficiency is better than plenty, till when he has quenched his thirst from polluted water and acquired meaningless things.
"He is ignorant, wandering astray in ignorance and riding on carriages aimlessly moving in darkness. He did not try to find reality of knowledge. He scatters the traditions as the wind scatters the dry leaves."
The Way Out from Vicious Circles
The vicious circles can be broken by two kinds of forces: internal and external ones.
The internal factors lie within man himself. Misguidance, or any evil for that matter, is like a blind alley. After a certain level, one either perishes or returns back to the truth. The internal revolution is bound to happen. When one realizes his ailment and seeks medicine for it, the circle is broken. The change will happen only when man takes the initiative himself and seeks redressal for the evils he is suffering from: "...surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition..." (13:11)
In sermon 86, Imam Ali says: "O' creatures of Allah! the most beloved of Allah is he whom Allah has given power (to act) against his passions, so that his inner side is (submerged in) grief and the outer side is covered with fear. The lamp of guidance is burning in his heart." This requires a revolution of thoughts, a revolution of conscious, and a revolution of purity.
The external factors include the chain of Prophets (peace be upon them) and Imams (peace be upon them), and the prominent role of scholars. Allah established a system of guidance in addition to the internal one. This system is that of the Prophets and Imams:
"He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Mecca an Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error." (62:2)
"And certainly We raised in every nation a messenger saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan. So there were some of them whom Allah guided and there were others against whom error was due; therefore travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejecters." (16:36)
The guides sent by Allah break the circles of evil in a nation afflicted with various evils, and they lead the people on the path of salvation. Keeping this in mind, the role of righteous scholars and leaders becomes very significant too. During the occultation of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the leadership of the Ummah is supposed to be in the hands of scholars. At all levels, the righteous scholars work as caring and cautious parents for the community. They monitor the conditions of people carefully and take redressal actions wherever required. They help to break vicious circles.
| THE LAMP OF GUIDANCE BURNING IN THE HEART- BREAKS THE VICIOUS CIRCLE | for everyone |
The Holy Qur'an talks of issues of guidance and misguidance among the different communities. We are told that because of some communities' aversion for guidance, they were led to misguidance and left in their state of inordinacy for further deviation. This is a situation in which man rejects the guidance of Allah and because of this rejection he is left with Accursed Satan as his companion, and the Accursed Satan leads him to further misguidance:
"O children of Adam! let not the Shaitan cause you to fall into affliction as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their evil inclinations, he surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you cannot see them; surely We have made the Shaitans to be the guardians of those who do not believe." (Holy Qur'an,7:27)
"Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide." (2:257)
"A part has He guided aright and (as for another) part, error is justly their due, surely they took the Shaitans for guardians beside Allah, and they think that they are followers of the right." (7:30)
When guidance is rejected, the Accursed Satan becomes the guardian who misleads to more misdeeds and deviation. Because the misled ones remain in illusion that they are on the right path, they do not seek true guidance and thus move further on the path of misguidance.
In sermon 17 in Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) describes the condition of the people who are ignorant and have shunned true knowledge and do not seek remedy: "Among all the people the most detested before Allah are two persons. One is he who is devoted to his self. So he is deviated from the true path and loves speaking about (foul) innovations and inviting towards wrong path. He is therefore a nuisance for those who are enamored of him, is himself misled from the guidance of those preceding him, misleads those who follow him in his life or after his death, carries the weight of others' sins and is entangled in his own misdeeds.
"The other man is he who has picked up ignorance. He moves among the ignorant, is senseless in the thick of mischief and is blind to the advantages of peace. Those resembling like men have named him scholar but he is not so. He goes out early morning to collect things whose deficiency is better than plenty, till when he has quenched his thirst from polluted water and acquired meaningless things.
"He is ignorant, wandering astray in ignorance and riding on carriages aimlessly moving in darkness. He did not try to find reality of knowledge. He scatters the traditions as the wind scatters the dry leaves."
The Way Out from Vicious Circles
The vicious circles can be broken by two kinds of forces: internal and external ones.
The internal factors lie within man himself. Misguidance, or any evil for that matter, is like a blind alley. After a certain level, one either perishes or returns back to the truth. The internal revolution is bound to happen. When one realizes his ailment and seeks medicine for it, the circle is broken. The change will happen only when man takes the initiative himself and seeks redressal for the evils he is suffering from: "...surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition..." (13:11)
In sermon 86, Imam Ali says: "O' creatures of Allah! the most beloved of Allah is he whom Allah has given power (to act) against his passions, so that his inner side is (submerged in) grief and the outer side is covered with fear. The lamp of guidance is burning in his heart." This requires a revolution of thoughts, a revolution of conscious, and a revolution of purity.
The external factors include the chain of Prophets (peace be upon them) and Imams (peace be upon them), and the prominent role of scholars. Allah established a system of guidance in addition to the internal one. This system is that of the Prophets and Imams:
"He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Mecca an Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error." (62:2)
"And certainly We raised in every nation a messenger saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan. So there were some of them whom Allah guided and there were others against whom error was due; therefore travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejecters." (16:36)
The guides sent by Allah break the circles of evil in a nation afflicted with various evils, and they lead the people on the path of salvation. Keeping this in mind, the role of righteous scholars and leaders becomes very significant too. During the occultation of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the leadership of the Ummah is supposed to be in the hands of scholars. At all levels, the righteous scholars work as caring and cautious parents for the community. They monitor the conditions of people carefully and take redressal actions wherever required. They help to break vicious circles.
| Merits of Namaz e Shab | for everyone |
Imam Sadiq (as):
1.Secures Allah’s pleasure
2.Makes friendship with Angels
3.Is the Sunnat of the Prophets (as)
4.Provides the means to pursue knowledge
5.Constitutes the root of our faith
6.Keeps one physically fit
7.Drives Shaitan away
8.Protects one from enemies
9.Serves as a means of acceptance of one’s Duas & good deeds
10.Increases one’s livelihood
11.Intercedes with the Angel of Death
12.Lights up the grave
13.Provides comfortable bedding in the grave
14.Helps answering with ease the questioning of Munkar & Nakir in the grave
15.Gives companionship in the grave
16.Provides shelter on the Day of Judgment
17.Crowns one on the Day of Reckoning
18.Clothes one on the Day of Resurrection
19.Provides one with light on the Day of Judgment
20.Forms a barrier against the fire of Hell
21.Gets Allah’s pardon on the Day of Judgment
22.Increases the weight of good deeds on the scale
23.Helps one crossing the Bridge of Siraat without any difficulty
24.Forms the key to the Paradise.
1.Secures Allah’s pleasure
2.Makes friendship with Angels
3.Is the Sunnat of the Prophets (as)
4.Provides the means to pursue knowledge
5.Constitutes the root of our faith
6.Keeps one physically fit
7.Drives Shaitan away
8.Protects one from enemies
9.Serves as a means of acceptance of one’s Duas & good deeds
10.Increases one’s livelihood
11.Intercedes with the Angel of Death
12.Lights up the grave
13.Provides comfortable bedding in the grave
14.Helps answering with ease the questioning of Munkar & Nakir in the grave
15.Gives companionship in the grave
16.Provides shelter on the Day of Judgment
17.Crowns one on the Day of Reckoning
18.Clothes one on the Day of Resurrection
19.Provides one with light on the Day of Judgment
20.Forms a barrier against the fire of Hell
21.Gets Allah’s pardon on the Day of Judgment
22.Increases the weight of good deeds on the scale
23.Helps one crossing the Bridge of Siraat without any difficulty
24.Forms the key to the Paradise.
| Islam Times Exclusive: Blackwater founder Erik Prince building non-Muslim army for U.A.E. because “Muslims cannot be counted on to kill Muslims. “ | for everyone |
| Monday 16 May 2011 14:37 |
Blackwater founder Erik Prince building non-Muslim army for U.A.E. because “Muslims cannot be counted on to kill Muslims. “
Islam Times - The U.A.E. has hired the founder of Blackwater and former Navy Seal Erik Prince to build a mercenary army that can be used to put down any potential future domestic disturbances and external invasions...
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The New York Times broke the story and reported that the U.A.E. has paid Erik Prince’s new company Reflex Responses $529 million to form the 800-man battalion.
Blackwater once had an extensive agreement with the U.S. government to protect diplomats and other personnel in Iraq. The company became infamous when its employees opened fire at a busy Baghdad intersection, killing at least 14 people in what the Iraqi government condemned as a blood bath.
Blackwater later changed its name to Xe and Prince sold his shares in the company.
Xe has also been involved in CIA operations in Pakistan that have targeted people for kidnappings and assassinations.
U.S. officials who often voice concern about “human rights” for countries in the region that do not toe its line on the Zionist entity, expressed private approval of the deal. The U.S. government has not publicly objected to the deal. It apparently views preserving the stability of the oil rich sheikhdom as serving its interests and has no qualms about private contractors massacring yet more innocent Muslims.
The Economist reported that two former employees of Blackwater accused Prince of having a Christian supremacist view and encouraging his hired thugs to kill as many Iraqis as possible. Many of the men under his command used radio signals based on the Knights of the Templar, the warriors who fought the Crusaded. Mr. Prince's employees openly and regularly used derogatory and bigoted terms to describe Iraqis such as "ragheads" and "haajiis."
© Islam Times
Id : 72297
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 03:51
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