|
CRITICAL
QUESTIONS.
1)
Is Islam a complete way of life?
2)
Paradise on earth
3)
Muslim seeking American nationality
4)
Mixing with opposite sex
5)
Friendship with girls : boyfriend
6)
Friendship with Non-believers
7)
Donations from Non-Muslims
8)
Charity to Non Muslims
9)
Islamic projects through Jewish or Christian
missionary
10)
Muslims in Non Muslims army war with Muslims
11)
Visiting Christians sick
12)
Going in churches
13)
Musical songs and lyrics
14)
Music listening and watching TV
15) Sleeping
naked
16)
Are TV and internet forbidden in Islam?
17) Attitude
towards Tazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah
18)
Why some Muslims call westerners " Great Satan"
19)
Shaking hands with opposite sex
20)
Why some people die of hungry?
21)
Converting to Islam, is it necessary to be circumcised?
22)
Saying specific people are going to paradise or hell?
23)
Big bang and creation?
24) Where
does evil, hatred and injustice come from?
TOP
1. IS ISLAM A COMPLETE WAY OF LIFE?
Question:
Name of Questioner:
Javid-United States Date:
07/Dec/2004
You always say that Islam is a “complete way
of life”. I understand that a religion is a creed or a belief, related to your
very personal life. How can it be a “complete way” of life? Please explain,
thank you.
Answer :
Name of Counselor: Dalia
Salaheldin
Islam is not a religion in the common,
distorted meaning of the word, confining its scope only to the private
life of man. By saying that it is a complete way of life, we mean that it
caters for all the fields of human existence. In fact, Islam provides
guidance for all walks of life – individual and social, material and
moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and
international.
The Quran enjoins Man to enter the fold
of Islam without any reservation and to follow God’s guidance in all
fields of life. As a matter of fact, it was an unfortunate day when the
scope of religion was confined to the private life of man, while its
social and cultural role was reduced to naught. No other factor has,
perhaps, been more important in causing the decline of religion in the
modern age than its retreat into the realm of the private life.
Western thinking is that religion is
totally isolated from state affairs. Islam totally denounces this concept
that religion has nothing to do with state affairs. Islam base that its
objectives are purification of the soul and the reform and reconstruction
of the society. It means that we should always bear in mind that even
running state affairs, we are just the nominee of Allah on earth to run
the governance as per guidelines given by Quran and
Sunna.
The Quran says :
“We verily sent Our
messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the scripture and the
balance [i.e. the authority to establish justice], that mankind may observe
justice and the right measure….”
(Al-Hadid 57:25)
“….The command is for
none but Allah; He has commanded that you obey none but Him; that is the right
path….”
(Hud 12:40)
“(Muslims are) those
who if We give them power in the land, establish (the system of) salat
(prayers and worship) and zakat (poor due) and enjoin virtue and forbid vice
and evil….”
(Al-Hajj 22:41)
Quran says that our stay in world is a
test for going to heaven or hell on the Day of Judgment. When this is the
case we should be spending our twenty four hours of life as guided by
Allah. It is not correct that we spend totally one or two hour a day in
worshipping and remaining all hours in disobedience or without any
guidance.
“Did ye think that ye
would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His
Cause) and remained steadfast?”
(Aael Imraan 3:142)
Fighting hard include all types of
hardships which may one encounter in discharging one’s duty in obeying
Allah. So if you live as per guidelines of Allah and prophet, you may be
successful in getting Heaven, otherwise getting Hell, you don’t have to
work hard. Remember we have to die, and then there won’t be come back (as
people will desire to be good on Day of Judgment). Allah says:
"Everyone shall taste
death. And only on the Day of Resurrection will you be paid your wages in
full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he
indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of
deception (a deceiving thing)”
(Aale-Imran 3:185)
So we should spend our life, as per
guidelines of Allah and prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) also said:
“Everyone of you is a
keeper or a guardian and will be questioned about the well-being of the people
of the State. Every man is a guardian to his family and will be answerable
about every member of it. Every woman is a guardian to the family of her
husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And every servant is a
guardian to his master and will be questioned about the property of his
master.”
Thus, even a cursory study of the teachings
of Islam shows that it is an all-embracing way of life and does not leave out
any field of human existence to become a playground for satanic forces.
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from:
http://www.islamqa.com/
TOP
2.
PARADISE ON EARTH
Question :
In the west, specially USA people think that their country is
already paradise of this world, that’s why people from all over third
world like to enter it. Being good people, no problem for them to enter
God’s heaven, if it exists. Would you agree with this?
Answer :
This world may be heaven for someone and Hell for others. Islamic thinking
is that the life of this world is very short and only for test, and actual
life is hereafter. But western people behavior and deeds show that this
world, and our present life is the final and they will not be questioned
for their deeds. Allah says : “And
they say: There is nothing but our life of this world, and we shall not be
raised”.
(Al-Anam 6:29)
It was narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I
looked into Paradise and I saw that the majority of its people were the
poor. And I looked into Hell and I saw that the majority of its people are
women.” So
being a wealthy and living a luxurious life here is not guarantee that you
will get heaven without any test. God says about this world :
“And this world's
life is naught but a play and an idle sport and certainly the abode of the
hereafter is better for those who guard (against evil); do you not then
understand?”
(Al-Anam 6:32)
Before commenting on
question, let us discuss why we came to this world. God created Adam by His
hands and then breathed His soul in him. After that all angles and jinns
living in heaven at that time were ordered to prostrate to him. Satan a jin,
did not obeyed because he felt it as insult to prostrate to a being which,
according to his thought is inferior to him as per creating material. On
disobedience when he was admonished, then he vowed that he will revenge by
this human and will try its best to cast its offspring into Hell. When Allah
saw Adam feeling lonely, then He got Eve created. Both were allowed to reside
in heaven and enjoy everything and eat everything except one fruit of a
particular tree.
Satan started his mission.
At that time the only disobedience to Allah was to both of them was, to eat
the fruit which Allah has forbidden. Satan finally succeeded, to incite both
of them to eat that fruit. Thus satan did what he promised, by getting them to
eat that fruit which Allah had forbidden (for the test of human being
obedience).
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Satan caused them both to stumble, and thus
brought them out of what they had been in (heaven)...."
(Al-Baqrah 2:36)
Allah became angry with
both of them, but forgave them when they repented, He forgave them, but as
human was basically created to inhabit on earth, so He sent them along with
Satan to earth. However He told Adam and his wife to tell their offspring
that, although humans are being sent to earth, still they can come to heaven
for ever, if they heeded and obliged His commands which will be coming through
His messengers.
So Allah has created
humans and Jinns to worship and obey his orders, which will later result
either permanent inhabitation in Heaven or in Hell. If we obeyed we will be in
Heaven again and if disobeyed then our permanent abode will be in Hell.
So we all humans are on earth for test of obedience. As Allah says in
Quran :
“And I (Allah)
created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”
[Al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
Now the purpose of this
worldly life is that we should win back Allah’s pleasure by worshipping and
obeying all His commands. Allah has not created this universe for just play,
but has created for the test and reward to one who obey Him. Allah says :
“We created not the
heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play”.
(Al-Anbiya’ 21:16)
On the Day of Judgment,
when we will be there to face trial, God will say to disobedients:(Then it will be said): O
ye who disbelieve! Make no excuses for yourselves this day. Ye are only being
paid for what ye used to do" (Al-Tahreem 66: 7).
Entry to worldly heavenGod has blessed USA, it is
good, but remember Allah tests humans by both ways. Some, by giving all human
wanted luxuries and others by depriving them. This is the example Allah has
given in many places in Quran and then telling us that that nations were
destroyed due to their disobedience. So having all luxuries of this world are
test for them.People from third world
like to enter this so called “Earthly Heaven” that is USA, and for that a USA
visa is required. And you just see what is required for this visa.1)
History of education, employment.2)
History of parents, countries visited.3) Affiliation to any
charitable or terrorist organization or country decaled as terrorist. Money
given to such organization.4)
Criminal record and arrests.5) Had any specialized
skills or training, including firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological, or
chemical etc etc. 6)
Violation of US Visa terms.
These are only some of the
requirement for USA visa, then how about the problems and terms for
citizenship of USA. Think how
difficult is to enter in USA. Even nothing wrong is found in the application
form and interview, still consulate refuses visa by saying that “we are not
convinced that you will come back, as you don’t have strong ties with your
home land”.
Entry to God’s heaven
Now think about your entry
in God’s heaven. Is that will be easier than entry in US? Is that you will
enter Heaven without any test and interview? Won’t you will be asked about the
God who created you, and the messengers whom He sent, the Books He revealed,
and your deeds history which should be as per His Guidelines given through His
prophets. God says in Quran :
“They are losers
indeed who reject the meeting of Allah; until when the hour comes upon them
all of a sudden they shall say: O our grief for our neglecting it! and they
shall bear their burdens on their backs; now surely evil is that which they
bear”.
(Al-Anam 6:31)
Logic says God’s heaven
entry visa must be much much harder than getting visa for so called earthly
heaven. Is that we will go to heaven with false imagination that somebody else
will escort us to heaven, (without getting questioned about our past life)? If
we say “Yes” then it is nothing but a “wishful thinking”. Will it be so easy
that believing on particular prophet (as son of God) and on his Crucifiction
will be their visa and nothing more will be checked and interviewed. If so
then, It means entry in heaven is much much easy than entry in USA. What a
wishful and foolish thinking?
“He who created Death
and life, that He may try which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted
in Might, Oft-Forgiving”
[Al-Mulk 67:2]
Every government has rules
to govern the citizens. Even if you break traffic rules, you may be getting
penalty of money, suspension of license or Jail. If you kill somebody, you
must be hanged and for any other lesser crime you must be punished accordingly
as per laws of the state.
How you expect that God
will let you for ever to be in Heaven without getting you accounted for the
deeds, which you did in this world. How is possible that Hitler who killed six
millions jews will not be asked as he believed on Jesus (PBUH). Or president
Bush and Prime minister Blairs who are responsible for destroying Iraq and
Afghanistan and killing about a million people. If God does not get accounted
these people then He is not a just God, and nobody wants an unjust God.
Of course deeds will be
evaluated which should be as per His commands which he sent at different times
through His prophets. When USA does not allow anybody entry to USA so easy
then how God will make your entry easier than that. Over here you may frame
lies and make forged documents, and you may get visa because visa officer has
not fool proof means to verify how much your documents are wrong and how much
you are lying. However on the Day of Judgment you can’t do all that. All your
deeds are being recorded by angles and will be produced to you when you start
to lie. Be sure when USA wants history of our past, same way Allah will not
ask you to produce but will give it in your hands to read yourself, before you
are interviewed. Even if you lied your limbs will be speaking to God, what is
truth, if. God says in Quran :
“And the Book (of
Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great
terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us!
what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account
thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one
will thy Lord treat with injustice”.
(Al -kahf 18:49)
So your entry to heaven
will be on deeds and faith only. These will not only be checked and cross
examined with you for justice but you will yourself confirm all that. So, if
due to heavy weight of bad deeds, you are sent to Hell then you will say, as
God has said in His book:
“And could you see
when they are made to stand before the fire, then they shall say: Would that
we were sent back, and we would not reject the communications of our Lord and
we would be of the believers”
(Al-Anam 6:27)
You will be finding no way
out, and will request God, to let you go back, and this time you will be the
best in deeds.
“Nay, what they
concealed before shall become manifest to them; and if they were sent back,
they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely
they are liars”.
(Al-Anam 6:28)
Some people don’t believe
that they will be raised on the Day of Judgment and there is no such thing as
punishment. However they will see another life and also God there, and trial
is being conducted. God says about
this situation to prophet :
“And could you see when
they are made to stand before their Lord. He will say: Is not this the truth?
They will say: Yea! by our Lord. He will say: Taste then the chastisement
because you disbelieved“ (Al-Anam 6:30)
They would like to ransom
to get rid of punishment but Allah says :
“As for those who
disbelieve, lo! if all that is in the earth were theirs, and as much again
therewith, to ransom them from the doom on the Day of Resurrection, it would
not be accepted from them. Theirs will be a painful doom”
(Al-Maeda 5:36)
Allah, who is owner and
sustainer of universe and this world also has made some laws for humans being
to follow. So if someone does not follow them, then he will be punished on the
Day of Judgement. Being rich and living a luxurious life in this world will
become a burden on them as they have to give more account than poors.
“Let not the
Unbelievers think that our respite to them is good for themselves: We grant
them respite that they may grow in their iniquity: But they will have a
shameful punishment”.
(Aale-Imran 3:178)
Day of Judgment
Now let us examine, what
Allah speaks about the Day of Judgment .
On that day, we can not
escape ourselves by hiding or being forgotten by Allah.
“There is none in the
heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a slave.
(93)
Verily, He knows each
one of them, and has counted them a full counting.
(94) And everyone of them will come to Him
alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or
defender)” [Maryam 19:93-95]
“And We shall set up
Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with
unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will
bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account”
[Al-Anbiya’ 21:47]
Some requirement of entry to Heaven
Allah has given some
guidelines for passing whole of the life in this world. He sent messengers and
books how to run daily affairs and how He to be worshipped. The guidelines are
through books and prophets. However we have now to believe last prophet and
Last Testament (Quran). About Quran, Allah says :
“This is the Book; in
it is sure guidance, without doubt, to those who fear Allah;
(2)
Who believe in the
Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for
them;
(3)
And who believe in
the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts)
have the assurance of the Hereafter.
(4)
They are on (true)
guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper”
(Al-Baqarah 2:2-5)
We must believe on one
God, Allah, His all messengers, His all books. However with last messenger and
last testament, there is no escape but to accept what is said in Quran and
what prophet Mohammad (peae be upon him) has said. Our purpose must always be
to go back to heaven, and be ready to give account on Judgment Day.
“Every soul
shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgement shall you be
paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted
to the Garden will have attained the object (of life): for the life of this
world is but goods and chattels of deception.”
[Aale-Imran 3:185]
First and foremost
requirement is that one should believe and worship only one God without
associating any partner with Him. He warns us about this thinking which is
called “Shirk” in Arabic.
In the Qur'an God says: "Surely Allah does
not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is
besides that to whomsoever He pleases; …"
[An-Nisa4:
48]
So to go back to heaven,
We have to believe by heart on the following.
1. Belief that Allah is
the only God and He has no coexistent partner.
2.
Belief on All Prophets
3.
Belief on All Books revealed to these prophets
4.
Belief on Angels
5.
Belief on Day of Judgment (and Heaven and Hell)
6.
Belief on Fate (All Good and Bad is decreed from Allah)
Now after believing on one
God which as per last testament (Quran), has named Himself as Allah,
and last prophet Mohammad (PBUH), one have to offer prayers 5 times a
day, fast in the month of Ramadan, pay Zakat (charity if applicable) and
perform Hajj (if applicable). In addition to that one has to pass life as per
guidelines given in Quran and sunna (prophet rulings).
If one is successful in
living a life as per above, then he/she must expect that with good record of
his/her deeds, they may succeed in visa interview to enter heaven.
Sinful Behaviour
There is very little or no
conception of sin in present western society, thus developed a thinking that
they are not sinning at all, or even if it is, still they will be forgiven.
Very strange logic, why then they want to punish robber, killer, rapist, or
terrorist, as for them it is not a sin and they get benefit and taste from it,
and society has no right to blame them. So when a sin becomes part of life and
nobody objects it, then people think it is not a sin and continue practice it.
I will advise these
western thinking people, that remember every as you have laws for proclaiming
particular action a crime, same way Allah has its own laws for passing your
life. Every moment of life, either you are sinning or doing a rewarding job.
Think what you are doing, is it a sin as per scriptures or not?
Drinking (liquor),
gambling, enjoying illegal sex, oppressing, degrading other humans, lying,
deceiving, eating haram etc etc are sins. If you are involved in them, then be
sure you are sinning and your sins are being recorded minute by minute.
Christians believe that they are already forgiven because Christ as Son of God
sacrificed himself, for their sins, is just a “Wishful Belief”.
In fact Jesus (PBUH) never offered such sacrifice, but wished to be
saved, and Allah saved him by raising him to heaven alive. Your thinking that
somebody may get you visa of heaven without your deeds accounted, is a wishful
thinking, but also suppose that you may not get this visa as easily as you
wish.
Try to avoid and obey what
God has commanded. World life, good or bad is temporary, and the life of
hereafter is permanent. You have to decide about your deeds.
TOP
3. MUSLIM SEEKING FOREIGN NATIONALITY
Question:
What is the ruling on
taking American or any foreign country nationality for a Muslim who has come
to this country fleeing from oppression in his homeland, where he has lost his
identity papers and has lost all hope of going back to his country? May Allah
reward you with good?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
In order to answer this
question, we must explain two things.
1 – Whether settling in a
kaafir country is permissible
2 – Establishing whether
there is a need to take the nationality.
With regard to the first
matter, settling in a kaafir country is not permissible unless the following
conditions are met:
1 - There should be a
legitimate need for settling in their country, which cannot be met in the
Muslim lands, such as trade, da’wah, officially representing a Muslim country,
or seeking knowledge that is not available in a Muslim country either because
it does not exist there, or what is available is not of good quality. Or there
should be fear of death, prison or torture, not mere harassment, for oneself
or for one’s family and children, or fear for one’s wealth.
2 - Settling there should
be regarded as temporary, not permanent. It is not permissible to have the
intention of staying there permanently; rather one should have the idea that
it is temporary, because settling there permanently means that one has
migrated (made hijrah) from the land of Islam to the land of kufr. This
clearly goes against the ruling of sharee’ah that it is obligatory to migrate
from the land of kufr to the land of Islam. Having the intention of staying
there temporarily means that when the need to stay in the kaafir country no
longer applies, one will get up and leave.
3 - The kaafir country in
which one wants to settle should be one which is at peace with the Muslims,
not one which is at war with them. Otherwise it is not permissible to settle
there. A country is regarded as being at war with the Muslims if it is hostile
towards the Muslims.
4 - There should be
religious freedom in the kaafir country, so that the Muslim will be able to
practice his religion openly.
5 - He should be able to
learn the laws of Islam in that country; if it is difficult for him to do so
then it is not permissible for him to settle there because that implies that
he is turning away from learning the religion of Allah.
6 - He should think it
most likely that he will be able to protect and maintain his religious
commitment, and that of his family and children, otherwise it is not
permissible for him to settle there, because preserving one’s religious
commitment takes precedence over preserving one’s self, one’s wealth and one’s
family. Whoever meets this condition – and how difficult it is to meet it – is
permitted to settle in the land of the kuffaar, otherwise that is forbidden to
him, because of the texts which clearly forbid settling there and enjoin
migrating from such lands, as is well known, and because of the great danger
which that poses to religion and morals, which no one can deny except one who
is arrogant.
Secondly:
There should be a legitimate need for taking
the nationality, such as the benefits for which the Muslim has settled in the
kaafir country being dependent upon his taking the nationality. Otherwise that
is not permissible for him, because taking the nationality is an obvious
manifestation of befriending the kuffaar, and because it involves speaking
words which it is not permissible to believe in or adhere to, such as
approving of kufr or man-made laws.
Moreover, taking the
nationality may lead to staying in the kaafir land permanently, which is not
permissible, as stated above. Having established these two points, I hope that
Allah will forgive the Muslims who settle in kaafir lands for the great danger
that they have exposed themselves to, because either he is forced to settle
there and necessity makes permissible that which is ordinarily forbidden, or
to serve an interest which outweighs the harms. And Allah knows best.
TOP
4.
MIXING WITH OPPOSITE SEX
Question:
Can two adult Muslims of
the opposite sex and not related hangout together if they are not doing
anything immoral or impure?
Answer:
Islam teaches us that a
male and female can build up a good relationship founded on marriage. All
those stories of media and movies are not helpful to make a person comply with
the teachings of Islam.
"In Islam, it is not a sin
if you feel a special affinity or inclination towards a certain individual
since human beings have no control on such natural inclinations. We are,
however, definitely responsible and accountable if we get carried away by such
feelings and take specific actions or steps that might be deemed as haram
(forbidden).
As far as male and female
interaction is concerned, Islam dictates strict rules: It forbids all forms of
'dating' and isolating oneself with a member of the opposite sex, as well
indiscriminate mingling and mixing.
Allah says in chapter
2-The Cow (Al-Baqarah), verse 208:
"O ye who
believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the
evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy."
(Al-Baqarah 2:208)
Allah Almighty says in the
Qur'an:
"O people,
We have created you from a male and a female and made you into groups and
tribes so that you may know each other. Indeed the noblest of you in the sight
of Allah are the most righteous among you." (Al-Hujurat 49: 13)
So this hanging out should
not become the footstep of Satan. Remember, one day you will appear before
Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of
righteousness.
TOP
5.
FRIENDSHIP WITH GIRLS : BOY FRIEND
Question:
I was wondering are Muslim
girls allowed to have boy friends?
Answer :
Muslims should have good
relations with all people, both males and females. At school, at work, in your
neighborhood, etc., you should be kind and courteous to everyone. However, it
is not allowed in Islam to take a non-mahram person or persons of the opposite
gender as a very close friend. This kind of friendship often leads to haram.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a
senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto,
Ontario, Canada, states:
"It is common knowledge
that in Islam, fornication and adultery are grave sins and committing either
bears serious consequences in this world and the Hereafter.
However, what is not so
well known is that while declaring fornication and adultery as haram
(forbidden), Islam does not merely forbid the actual acts, but it also
declares as forbidden each and every circumstance or way that leads to
fornication and adultery.
Allah says,
“Do not come near fornication, for it is
indeed lewdness and an evil life-style.”
(Al-Isra' 17:32)
Explaining this, the
Prophet said, “The fornication of the eyes is staring,
the fornication of the ears is listening, the fornication of the tongue is
talking, the fornication of the hands is holding, the fornication of the feet
is walking, the fornication of the heart/mind is craving and lusting, and
finally, the private parts confirm or negate it.” He also said, “Staring is
one of the arrows of Satan.” In another report, he said, “You are allowed to
have the first accidental look (which is unintentional), but do not continue
to stare.”
The laws of Islam are from
Allah, our Creator, who knows our weaknesses as well as our strengths better
than we can ever do. Women, by nature, desire to be looked at, adored and
cherished, while man is inclined to look at women. Allah, the Almighty
therefore, warns us against our own natures, which may lead us astray if we do
not exercise caution and take the necessary safeguards.
Thus, Allah, the Almighty
said,
“Say to the
believing men to lower their gazes and guard their chastity…
(30)
And say to the believing women to lower
their gazes and guard their chastity and not to display their charms in
public.” (An-Nur 24:30-31)
Having friendship with
members of the opposite gender may lead to staring, lustful thoughts,
flirtatious behavior and seduction. Although it may not always be the case,
there is no way to tell when it could happen and when it would not happen.
That is why it is forbidden to mingle and mix freely with members of the
opposite sex and to develop friendships with them. It is all part of zina
(fornication), which Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
strongly ordered us to abstain from.
Allah, the Almighty has
given us laws in order to guard us against the evils that are inherent in our
own souls. One recent study conducted about male-female interaction in the
workplace concluded that one in every three women had been sexually involved
with a co-worker or boss. If this is the case in a professional, business-like
environment, then the potential for illicit relations in more casual
circumstances has much greater potential. Thus, Allah, the Almighty has been
most gracious by not only forbidding fornication and adultery, but also by
closing all the doors that lead to them."
It stands to reason that
having a girlfriend is not the manner of a Muslim. It is forbidden for a male
Muslim to have a girlfriend, as it is forbidden for a female Muslim to have a
boyfriend.
Tackling this point in
details, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of
North America (ISNA) states:
Muslims should have good
relations with all people, males as well as females, at school, at work, in
your neighborhood etc. You should be kind and courteous to everyone. However,
it is not allowed in Islam to take a non-mahram person or persons of the
opposite gender as a very close friend. Such friendship often leads to haram.
In the Qur’an, Allah mentioned that good men and women are those who marry, do
not have fornicating relationships and do not have "paramours" or Akhdan see
An-Nisaa’: 25, Al-Ma'idah: 5).
Akhdan are "sweethearts"
or for a man a "mistress" and for a woman a "lover". The Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, is reported to have stated that
“whenever two strangers of the opposite gender are alone with each other,
Satan becomes the third one between them.” (Tirmidhi)”
So it is not allowed for a
Muslim boy to have a girlfriend or for a Muslim girl to have a boyfriend.
Howsoever pure your intentions may be, the danger is that it will lead you to
sin. Or at least you will be alone with each other and spend more time
together.
Thus, you should be
friendly with your classmates, boys and girls both; but do not take a girl as
your intimate friend. Of course, homosexuality is also forbidden in Islam. So
do not take a boy either as your intimate friend in the "gay sense" of the
word.
If your friend, not
girlfriend, is interested in Islam, by all means help her to become Muslim.
Give her the Islamic books and ask her to attend Islamic meetings and
lectures. Let her accept Islam by her own will. Do not force her or put any
pressure on her to become Muslim. May Allah bless you and keep you on the
right path.
Shedding more light on
this, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti, member of the
North American Fiqh Council, states:
A friendship with the
opposite sex is not allowed in Islam. It used to be of the Jahiliyyah
(pre-Islamic era) style of life. A friendship of the two sexes can never be
safe or sex-free. I agree that in some exceptional cases, it could be
innocent. But, a law is usually amended for social regulations. There is no
law to be customized for a certain person or few people.
The Qur'an and Sunnah
guidance for the sexes dealing with each other has a main major issue for
which Islam has set principles and rules to govern. It is the desire and lust.
The Qur'an prohibits anything that motivates one's heart in a seductive way
towards the other. The Qur'an tells a woman when she speaks to a man to speak
in a way that doesn't show any interest in him lest he should feel seduced to
build up an unhealthy relationship. If there is a possibility in any kind of
action that it could lead by some percentage into catastrophe, no one will
ever take that risk. I can say what you call friendship could have some
percentage of leading into haram. How would you go to that risk whereas if a
doctor says to you an operation of a certain organ could lead you into death?
You would say I don't want to risk my life, but I will take the pain.
Firstly, this is a deen
but not a man's opinion. Lastly, if you take it, you certainly will be on the
safe side. If you want to follow reason, reason has a lot of defects and
sometimes we cannot draw the line to know who is sane and who is insane.
Sometimes you cannot know which is which.
TOP
6. FRIENDSHIP WITH NON-BELIEVERS
Question:
Could you please explain
the Qur'anic verse which instructs Muslims in these words:
"Take not unbelievers as your friends, and if you
do so you are among them."
In our present world, most Muslims have some sort of dealings with
non-Muslims, and that approaches friendship in the majority of cases,
especially in countries where the Muslims are in minority. What is their
position in the light of this Qur'anic injunction?
Answer:
There is some confusion in
the understanding of the Qur'anic verse, which has come about from the
translation of the term 'waliy' which is rendered in the translation you have
quoted as "friend". In fact the term "friend" is inadequate as a translation
of the Arabic term. The term "friend" occurs in the Qur'an in verse 61 of
Surah 24, entitled, Light. Had Allah meant that we must not take unbelievers
as friends, in the strict meaning of friendship, He would have used this
particular term, sadeeq, but He has chosen to use a different term which has
much wider connotations. Translators of the Qur'an have found difficulty in
rendering the meaning of the term waliy as it occurs in the verse you have
quoted and similar verses.
It should be noted that in
Islamic terminology, the same word is used for the person who acts for a woman
in her marriage, giving the commitment to marry her away to her prospective
husband. When the suitor accepts that commitment, the marriage is made. Such a
person is normally her father, if he is alive and sane. If not, then her
grandfather, brother, uncle, or even her adult son may act for her. In such a
situation, we normally translate the term waliy as "guardian".
As for the situation of
dealing with unbelievers, translators of the Qur'an have tried to come to
grips with this term by using in their translations words such as "allies,
protectors, helpers, bosom friends, etc." One translator uses both "friends
and allies" to denote the meaning. Without wishing to comment on these
translations, I can say that perhaps the word "ally" is closer to the meaning
of the Arabic term. What Allah forbids in our relations with non-believers is
the forging of alliances which have far reaching commitments that may take
precedence over the implementation of certain provisions of our law.
With the difference in
meaning explained, there is no question that friendship on social basis with
unbelievers is acceptable, provided that these individuals are not actively
hostile to Islam or to Muslims. A clear reference to this in the Qur'an is
found in verses 8 and 9 of surah 60, entitled The Examined One. These can be
rendered in translation as follows :
"As for such
(of the unbelievers) as do not fight against you on account of your faith, and
neither drive you forth from your homelands, Allah does not forbid you to show
them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity. Indeed, Allah loves
those who act equitably.
(8)
Allah only forbids you to choose for your allies those that fight against you
because of your faith, and drive you forth from your homelands, or aid others
in driving you forth. Those of you who choose such people for their allies are
truly wrongdoers."
(Al-Mumtahina”
(60:8-9)
Perhaps it is important to
explain that the phrase
"Allah does not forbid you"
which occurs in the first of these two verses does not merely mean an absence
of prohibition. It implies in this context, as commentators on the Qur'an
explain, a positive encouragement to act towards them with kindness and
equity.
There are numerous Hadiths
which encourage Muslims to be kind to other religious communities, especially
those who constitute minorities in the Muslim state. The strong emphasis
placed on the need to behave towards them in this way has been heeded by
Muslims throughout the ages. Minorities in the Muslim state have always
enjoyed a fair and kind treatment by the Muslim majority. On the personal
level, there is nothing to stop any Muslim from forging a friendship with
non-Muslims who harbor no ill intentions against Islam or its followers.
TOP
7.
DONATIONS FROM NON-MUSLIMS TO USE IN ISLAMIC CAUSE
Question:
Can Muslims accept
donations from non-Muslims to use in Islamic Cause?
Answer:
Imaam al-Bukhaari (may
Allah have mercy on him) gave one of the chapters in his Saheeh the title of
“Baab qabool al-hadiyah min al-mushrikeen (Chapter on accepting gifts from the
polytheists),” under which heading he listed a number of ahaadeeth indicating
that this is permitted.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar
commented: “On this topic, Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ayyaad
ibn Himar [??] who said:
“I gave the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a gift of a she-camel. He
asked me, “Have you become Muslim?” I said, “No.” He said, “I have been
forbidden to accept the gifts of the mushrikeen.”
Then al-Haafiz (may Allah
have mercy on him) quoted some of the comments made by the scholars to
reconcile the texts which indicate that such gifts should be refused with
those which indicate that they should be accepted.
(The scholars said that)
gifts should be refused when the intention behind them is to win the Muslim
over (by softening his heart towards them), and they should be accepted when
by doing so there is the hope of befriending that person and opening his heart
to Islam.
There is nothing wrong
with accepting unsolicited gifts and donations from non-Muslims, and it is
permissible to spend them on Islamic projects and in other ways.
But asking for donations
from non-Muslims carries several risks, such as being humiliated in front of
them or being controlled by them.
If there is no danger of
such things happening, there is nothing wrong with asking. When he was still
in Makkah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to ask
for help for the sake of da’wah, without any humiliation involved, from some
of the mushrikeen, such as his uncle Abu Taalib and others. There is no
humiliation involved in putting out charity boxes or circulating flyers giving
account numbers for donations, and so on. And Allah knows best.
TOP
8.
CHARITY TO NON MUSLIMS
Question:
Is it permissible to give
charity to non-Muslims if they are in urgent need? Will the person who gives
such charity be rewarded?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
It is permissible to give
charity to non-Muslims and this action will be rewarded, if they are in need
of it, but they should not be given the obligatory charity, i.e. zakaat,
unless they are those whose hearts are to be softened (i.e., they are close to
embracing Islam). It is a condition for giving charity to non-Muslims that
they should not be involved in fighting the Muslims or driving them from their
homes, because charity in such cases would be seen as helping them to wage war
against the Muslims. (Fataawa Mutanawwi’ah by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 521).
Allah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“Allah does
not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you
on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah
loves those who deal with equity. (8)
It is only as regards those who fought against you
on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to
drive you out, that Allah forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will
befriend them, then such are the zaalimoon (wrong-doers – those who disobey
Allah.)” [Al-Mumtahinah 60:8-9].
Muslims should seek first
and foremost to give their charity to their Muslim brothers who are in need,
and there are plenty of them. And Allah knows best.
TOP
9.
ISLAMIC PROJECTS THROUGH JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY
Question:
What is the Islamic ruling
on doing Islamic projects through Jewish or Christian missionary groups?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to
hand over Islamic works such as those mentioned to kaafir workers, because
they cannot be trusted and we cannot be sure that they are sincere. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning);
“Indeed
there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem (Abraham) and those
with him, when they said to their people: ‘Verily, we are free from you and
whatever you worship besides Allah, we have rejected you, and there has
started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in
Allah Alone’”
[Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]
“The
believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends,
protectors) of one another...”
[At-Tawbah 9:71]
“And those
who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you (Muslims of the whole
world collectively) do not do so [i.e. become united], there will be Fitnah
(wars, battles, polytheism) and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief
and corruption (appearance of polytheism)”
[Al-Anfaal 8:73]
The Council of Major
Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued a statement that it is
forbidden to delegate the building of mosques to non-Muslims, because of the
evidence (daleel) and reasons referred to above.
TOP
10.
MUSLIMS IN NON MUSLIMS ARMY WAR WITH MUSLIMS
Question:
I work in the army of a
non-Muslim state, and there are wars between them and the Muslims. What is the
ruling if they send me with a division of this army to wage war against the
Muslims? As a Muslim, my feelings are that I never want to fight against
Muslims in any war. What should I do?
What is the ruling if I go…?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
If you are sent to wage
war against the Muslims, then it is not permissible for you to take part at
all. Helping the kaafirs against the Muslims is a form of major kufr which
puts one beyond the pale of Islam. Allah says concerning one who supports the
mushrikeen (interpretation of the meaning):
“....And if
any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’, i.e., friends), then surely, he is
one of them....”
[Al-Maa’idah 5:51]
With regard to how you may
get out of this situation, and what excuse you can give to get out of this
dilemma if it happens, we ask Allah to help you, and we suggest that you
consult some Muslims who have relevant knowledge or experience.
We want to emphasize to
you the necessity of finding other employment and of leaving service in the
army of the kaafirs, because that implies helping them, strengthening them and
increasing the numbers of their fighters and supporters – unless your work can
bring some benefits to the Muslims, such as giving information and secrets of
the kaafirs to the Muslims so as to help the Muslims, or if your work is
purely da’wah, such as giving khutbahs and leading prayers for the Muslims in
the kaafir army whilst also advising them to avoid any work that will
strengthen the kaafirs. We ask Allah to keep you safe from temptation and to
give you a good end in this world and in the Hereafter.
TOP
11.
VISITING CHRISTIANS SICK
Question:
It sometimes happens that
one of the Christians with us at work or school gets sick. Is it permissible
to visit him, and what is the ruling on visiting a sick kaafir?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
It is permissible to visit
him with the intention of calling him to Islam and telling about Islam.
This is the moderate approach to the matter, because it is not right to
disallow that altogether, as there is no evidence to that effect. The only
option is to say that it is permissible to visit him in order to tell him
about Islam, or if there is the hope that he will embrace Islam.
It was narrated in Saheeh
al-Bukhaari via Hammaad ibn Zayd from Thaabit from Anas (may Allah be pleased
with him), who said, “There was a Jewish boy who used
to serve the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He fell sick,
and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to visit him.
He sat at his head and said to him, ‘Embrace Islam.’ (The boy) looked towards
his father, who was with him. (His father) said, ‘Obey Abu’l-Qaasim (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him).’ So he embraced Islam, and the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out saying, ‘Praise be to Allah Who
has saved him from the Fire.’”
We learn a number of
things from this hadeeth:
1. The good attitude of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
2. His eagerness to guide
people.
3. That if a Jew dies
following Judaism he is a kaafir who will abide forever in Hell. There is no
dispute on this point from any of the scholars. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in
Whose hand is my soul, no one of this nation, Jew or Christian, hears of me
then dies not believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be
one of the people of Hell.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from the
hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).
4. It is OK to visit a Jew
if there is the hope of achieving some interest thereby. Abu Dawood (may Allah
have mercy on him) said: “I heard Imaam Ahmad being asked about visiting a Jew
or a Christian (if he fell sick). He said, if he wants to call him to Islam,
then yes (he should do that).
“It
is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah’s
forgiveness for the Mushrikoon, even though they be of kin…”
[At-Tawbah 9:113].
This hadeeth indicates
that one may visit a sick kaafir relative, if there is the hope that he may
embrace Islam. Al-Fadl ibn Ziyaad said: I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal being asked
about a Muslim man visiting one of the mushrikeen who was sick. He said: If he
thinks that if he visits him whilst he is sick and tells him about Islam, that
he may accept it, then let him visit him, as did Prophet (peace and peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him).
TOP
12. GOING
IN CHURCHES
Question:
I promised my colleague to
go to church just for exploratory purpose, but now I don’t like. Should I
honour my promise?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible for you to go to
the church, because this implies respecting and venerating it, and exposes you
to developing a liking for Shirk and its followers. You can break this promise
and explain this ruling to the kaafir so that he will understand why the
Muslim broke such promise. And Allah knows best.
TOP
13.
MUSICAL SONGS AND LYRICS
Question:
I am considering joining
some friends of mine and form a musical band, a rock band. I intend to write
the Lyrics myself and I am going to make sure none of which will include
something considered haram (sexual or mocking to any religion). I intend to
write tales and stories. I would like to know if this is considered haram. And
if so, what difference is it from poetry. Thanks.
Answer:
Instead of joining a
musical rock band, I advise you to join an Islamic college to learn and teach
the deen. As to the field of Music, it is known that several musical
instruments are Haram. I want to tell you this Hadith:
'' A man came to Prophet Muhammad (s) and asked if he could be a
singer/musician with the condition that he would not say anything Haram?
Prophet (s) said: No! The man said I do not know another profession. The
Prophet (s) said: if you do (sing) again, I shall punish you, and make you a
lesson for others.'' Therefore, my dear brother, Muslims are in need of
scholars and scientists not musicians! As to the difference poetry does not
contain music.
TOP
14.
MUSIC LISTENING AND WATCHING TV
Question:
Dear Imam I want to know
if listing to music & watching TV Harram?
Answer:
Regarding your question,
indeed, the issue of Music has been an issue of debate and disagreement
between Muslim scholars. Since the question has been very popular, we may be
doing a long feature about the subject to clarify it and deal with it in more
depth. Since we are still under pressure for the number of questions, we will
give you a brief answer.
The way we see it is that
Islamic Law allows the listening to music under certain guidelines and
conditions:
First, it shouldn't be the
type that is loud, violent, and tough such as Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, etc....
If, on the other hand, it is calm and allows time for relaxation and
contemplation, then it is permissible.
Second, it should not have
any parts that excite, arouse sexual feelings, or any other behavior such as
suicide or violence. In that way, soft music such as classical music is
permissible. Also, as in any activity, it should never take away from any
prescribed worshipping activities such as prayers. It is important here to
note that Islamic Law requires a person to read and listen to the Quran to
appreciate it, understand it, and reflect on the signs Allah Almighty has
revealed. This can be done early in the morning, late at night, or at any time
of the day.
What was said about music
is different, because music should be listened to under guidelines, and as a
mean of occasional relaxation. It should not be at the expense of the Quran or
any other Islamic activity.
Music is an issue that has
been hotly debated by scholars of the past and the present. While many of them
have been generally inclined to condemn all forms of music, with the singular
exception of ad-duff (tambourine) in weddings, quite a few of them have taken
a more positive approach of considering only music containing sensual, pagan,
or unethical themes or subliminal messages as being categorically forbidden.
The latter view seems to
be more consistent with the general nature of Islam, which is undoubtedly a
complete way of life that caters to all of the genuine human instincts and
needs within permissible limits. Thus, to say that all music is forbidden in
Islam does not seem to agree with the balanced approach of Islam to issues of
human life and experience.
Traditions often cited by
the first group scholars to justify condemnation of all musical instruments
and music, according to some scholars, are considered as either spurious, or
phrased in such way solely because of their associations with drinking,
dancing, and sensuality.
While everyone agrees that
all forms of music that contain pagan, sensual themes, or subliminal messages
are clearly forbidden, the latter group of scholars considers all forms of
music free of such themes and messages as permissible.
As a matter of fact, we
know from the authentic traditions that the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, not only allowed music in the weddings but also listened to girls
singing: While listening to girls singing on such an occasion, he interrupted
them only once when they sang the following verse, "In our midst is a prophet
who knows what will happen tomorrow"; whence, the Prophet, peace be upon him,
told them, "Cut this sentence out, and continue
singing what you have been singing earlier."
There is nothing in the
sources to indicate that the above permission is limited to the occasion of
wedding, as some people tend to think.
It is upon the Muslim to
safeguard his time (involving himself) in that which will benefit him in his
life and the Hereafter because he is responsible for his time which he spends:
How did he spend it? And in a
hadeeth, a man will be asked about his life and in what he spent it,
(at-Tirmidhee).
Watching of the television
programs involve anything that is forbidden then watching them is haraam; such
as overt and beautiful women etc. and serials which convey bad thoughts far
from religion and good manners. Also, like serials which include shameless
(actions and speech) which badly affects good manners. So these types of
programs are not permissible to watch.
TOP
15.
SLEEPING NAKED
Question:
Is there any prohibition
on sleeping without clothes on, even if one is with one’s wife? Please note
that I do not mean during intercourse, rather I mean when going to sleep.
Answer: Praise be to
Allah.
The ‘awrah must be covered
in all circumstances except when necessary, such as when bathing, having
intercourse, relieving oneself, etc. But when there is no reason, the ‘awrah
must be covered, because of the report narrated by
Bahz ibn Hakeem from his father, from his grandfather, who said: “O Messenger
of Allah, what should we do about our ‘awrahs?” He said, “Guard you ‘awrah
except from your wives and those whom your right hand possesses (concubines).”
He asked, “What about when a man is with another man?” He said, “If you can
manage not to let anyone see it, then do that.” He asked, “What if one of us
is alone?’ He said, “Allah is more deserving that you should feel shy before
Him.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2769, and others).
Based on the above, it is
not permissible for you to sleep with no clothes on that would cover your
‘awrah, whether you are sleeping with or without your wife. Rather it is
permissible for you to uncover your ‘awrah only at times of necessity. And
Allah knows best.
TOP
16.
ARE TV AND INTERNET FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM?
Question:
Are TV and Internet
forbidden in Islam?
Answer:
The issue of T.V.
Internet, newspapers, radio, books, videos, and other methods of acquiring
knowledge are for information, entertainment which may be bad and good. They
are all means and tools, and not a goal. It is what people make out of them
that make these tools good or bad. If people spend time on them to learn about
religion, to discuss educational topics, to do research, then the way they are
being used is totally acceptable and is even encouraged because it saves time
and money.
If, on the other hands,
people waste their time for no purposes, spending hours and hours, missing
their prayers or praying at the latest time, then they become forbidden. TV
and internet are now being used for much seeing bad than good. So they are
just as knife, you can use it for good or bad.
Thank you for asking and
God knows best.
TOP
17.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS YAZEED IBN MU’AAWIYAH
Question :
I heard of this person
Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah. I heard that he once a caliph of the Muslims and he was a
drunken sadistic person, who was not really a Muslim. Is this true? Please
tell me his story. Thank you and may Allah bless you.
Answer : Praise be to
Allah.
His name was Yazeed ibn
Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan ibn Harb ibn Umayaah al-Umawi al-Dimashqi.
Al-Dhahabi said: he was
the commander of that army during the campaign against Constantinople, among
which were people such as Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari. Yazeed was appointed by his
father as his heir, so he took power after his father died in Rajab 60 AH at
the age of thirty-three, but his reign lasted for less than four years.
Yazeed is one of those
whom we neither curse nor love. There are others like him among the khaleefahs
of the two states (Umawi/Umayyad and ‘Abbaasi/Abbasid) and the governors of
various regions, indeed there were some among them who were worse than him.
But the issue in the case of Yazeed is that he was came to power forty-nine
years after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him); it was still close to the time of the Prophet and some of the Sahaabah
were still alive such as Ibn ‘Umar who was more entitled to the position than
him or his father or his grandfather.
His reign began with the
killing of the martyr al-Husayn and it ended with the battle of al-Harrah, so
the people hated him and he was not blessed with a long life. There were many
revolts against him after al-Husayn, such as the people of Madeenah who
revolted for the sake of Allah , and Ibn al-Zubayr.
(Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’,
part 4, p. 38)
Shaykh al-Islam described
people’s attitudes towards Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah, and said:
The people differed
concerning Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan, splitting into three groups,
two extreme and one moderate.
One of the two extremes
said that he was a kaafir and a munaafiq, that he strove to kill the grandson
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to spite the
Messenger of Allah and to take
revenge on him, and to avenge his grandfather ‘Utbah, his grandfather’s
brother Shaybah and his maternal uncle al-Waleed ibn ‘Utbah and others who
were killed by the companions of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him), by ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib and others on the day of Badr and
in other battles – and things of that nature. To have such a view is easy for
the Raafidis who regard Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan as kaafirs, so it is much
easier for them to regard Yazeed as a kaafir.
The second extreme group
think that he was a righteous man and a just leader, that he was one of the
Sahaabah who were born during the time of the Prophet and were carried and
blessed by him. Some of them give him a higher status than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar,
and some of them regard him as a prophet. Both views are obviously false to
one who has the least common sense and who has any knowledge of the lives and
times of the earliest Muslims. This view is not attributable to any of the
scholars who are known for following the Sunnah or to any intelligent person
who has reason and experience.
The third view is that he
was one of the kings of the Muslims, who did good deeds and bad deeds. He was
not born until the caliphate of ‘Uthmaan. He was not a kaafir but it was
because of him that the killing of al-Husayn happened, and he did what he did
to the people Yazeed: according to what I have heard he is neither to be of
al-Harrah. He was not a Sahaabi, nor was he one of the righteous friends of
Allah. This is the view of most of the people of reason and knowledge and of
Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah.
Then they divided into
three groups, one which cursed him, one which loved him and one which neither
cursed him nor loved him. This is what was reported from Imaam Ahmad, and this
is the view of the fair-minded among his companions and others among the
Muslims. Saalih ibn Ahmad said: I said to my father, some people say that they
love Yazeed. He said, O my son, does anyone love Yazeed who believes in Allah
and the Last Day? I said, O my father, why do you not curse him? He
said, O my son, when did you ever see your father curse anybody?
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi
said, when he was asked about cursed nor to be loved. He said, I also heard
that our grandfather Abu ‘Abd-Allah
ibn Taymiyah was asked about Yazeed and he said: we do not deny his
good qualities or exaggerate about them. This is the fairest opinion.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh
al-Islam, part 4, p. 481-484
Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid
Excerpted, with some
modifications, from:http://islamqa.com/
TOP
18.
WHY SOME MUSLIMS CALL WESTERNERS "GREAT SATAN"
Question :
Why do some Muslims call
Americans and Westerners "Great Satan"?
Answer
: Praise be to Allah.
Without being
inappropriate to Americans and Westerners but most of them lack morals and do
all kinds of sexual sinnings such as sex without marriage and sodomy which are
reasons that GOD Almighty had drowned the people of Lot and Noah in the past
for. Nude beaches, bikinis
(exposing 99% of the woman's body), living together without marriage
(boyfriend and girlfriend), porn business, oral sex, mixing genders in grade
and high schools to promote sexuality among teenage kids are all indications
of a satanic and sexually open society.
In Jerry Springer Show
here in the US (one of the most popular shows that discuss social issues in
the country), on Monday 6/11/2001, the show's title for that day was "I am
sleeping with my son". From among
the people that were brought on for that day, some sons and their mothers are
even planning on having babies!
The fathers were in great shock.
If it's ok in Christianity
to have sex before marriage, ok to live with someone without marriage (like
boyfriend or girlfriend), ok to have anal sex with the same gender or the
other gender, ok for the brother to sleep with his sister, ok for people to
expose most of their bodies (by wearing bikinis for instance), ok to spread
wickedness among society, then:
WHAT'S NOT OK TO DO
THEN????!!!! AND WHY DID GOD DROWN TO DEATH THE PEOPLE OF LOTT AND NOAH THEN?
DIDN'T THEY DO THE SAME EXACT THING AS THE CHRISTIANS ARE DOING TODAY FROM
SODOMY, AND ILLEGAL SEX WITHOUT MARRIAGE??!!
What else beside "Satanic
Societies", or "Great Satan" would you call the West?
Excerpted, with some
modifications, from: www.answering-christianity.com/
TOP
19.
SHAKING HANDS WITH OPPOSITE SEX"
Question :
Please give detailed
answer on the ruling on a man shaking hands with a woman, and the views of the
four imams and the majority of scholars on that.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
For a man to shake hands
with a non-mahram woman (one to whom he cannot get married) is haraam and is
not permitted at all.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for
a man who believes in Allah and His Messenger to put his hand in the hand of a
women who is not permissible for him or who is not one of his mahrams. Whoever
does that has wronged himself (i.e., sinned).
Among the evidence for
this is the hadeeth of Ma’qal ibn Yassaar (may Allah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said: ‘If one of you were to be struck in the head with an
iron needle, it would be better for him than if he were to touch a woman he is
not allowed to.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5045).
There is no doubt that for
a man to touch a non-mahram woman is one of the causes of fitnah (turmoil,
temptation), provocation of desire and committing haraam deeds. No one should
say that their intention is sound or their heart is clean, because the one who
was the purest of heart and the most chaste of all, the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never touched a non-mahram woman,
even when accepting bay’ah (oath of allegiance) from women.
He did not hold their
hands when accepting their bay’ah, as he did with men; their bay’ah was by
words only, as was reported by his wife ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her).
She said that
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would test
the believing women who emigrated to him with the aayah
“O Prophet!
When believing women come to you to give you the bay’ah (pledge), that they
will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal,
that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill
their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging
falsehood (i.e., by making illegal children belong to their husbands), and
that they will not disobey you in any ma’ruf (Islamic monotheism and all that
which Islam ordains), then accept their bay’ah and ask Allah to forgive them.
Verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Al-Mumtahinah 60:12) ‘Aa’ishah said: “So whoever of
the believing women agreed to these conditions, the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) would say to her: ‘I have accepted your
bay’ah by words” (Muslim)
This hadeeth alone is
sufficient to deter and to instill the obedience required of us by Allah,
because it implies that touching women may lead to temptation and immorality.
It was narrated
from ‘Urwah that ‘Aa’ishah told him about the women’s oath of allegiance: “The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never touched
any woman with his hand. He would explain to the woman what the oath of
allegiance implied, and when she accepted, he would say ‘Go, for you have
given your oath of allegiance.’”
(Narrated by Muslim)
It was narrated that
Umaymah the daughter of Raqeeqah said: The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I do not shake
hands with women.” Narrated
by al-Nasaa’I , Ibn Maajah, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami’, 2513.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to
shake hands even with a barrier in between, such as shaking hands from beneath
a garment and the like. The hadeeth that was narrated allowing that is da’eef
(weak).
It was narrated from Ma’qal ibn Yassaar that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) used to shake hands with women from beneath a garment.”
Narrated by
al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 2855.
Al-Haythami said:
This was narrated by
al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and al-Awsat. Its isnaad includes ‘Ataab ibn Harb,
who is da’eef (weak). Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 6/39.
Wali al-Deen al-‘Iraaqi
said:
The words of ‘Aa’ishah,
“He used to accept the women’s oath of allegiance by
words only” mean that he did so without taking their hands or shaking
hands with them. This indicates that the bay’ah of men was accepted by taking
their hands and shaking hands with them, as well as by words, and this is how
it was. What ‘Aa’ishah mentioned was the custom.
Some of the mufassireen
mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called
for a vessel of water and dipped his hand in it, then the women dipped their
hands in it. And some of them said that he did not shake hands with them from
behind a barrier and had a Qatari cloak over his hand. And it was said that
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) shook hands with them on his behalf.
None of these reports are sound, especially the last one, How could ‘Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) have done something that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), who was ma’soom (infallible), would not do?
Tarh al-Tathreeb, 7/45
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah
have mercy on him) said:
The most correct view is
that this (i.e., shaking hands with women from behind a barrier) is not
allowed at all, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth, according to
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
“I do not shake hands with women;”
and so as to ward off the means
that may lead to evil.
(Adapted from Hashiyat
Majmoo’at Rasaa’il fi’l-Hijaab wa’l-Sufoor, p. 69)
The same ruling applies to
shaking hands with old women; this is also haraam because of the general
meaning of the texts on this issue. The reports that say it is permissible are
da’eef (weak).
Al-Zayla’i said:
“As for the report that
‘Abu Bakr used to shake hands with old women, it is also ghareeb.”
(Nasab al-Raayah, 4/240)
Ibn Hajar said: I cannot
find this hadeeth. (al-Diraayah fi
Takhreej Ahaadeeth al-Hidaayah, 2/225)
Thirdly:
With regard to the views
of the four imams, they are as follows:
1 – The Hanafi madhhab:
Ibn Nujaym said:
It is not permissible for
a man to touch a woman’s face or hands even if there is no risk of desire
because it is haraam in principle and there is no necessity that would allow
it.
(Al-Bahr al-Raa’iq, 8/219)
2 – The Maaliki madhhab:
Muhammad ibn Ahmad
(‘Ulaysh) said:
It is not permissible for
a man to touch the face or hand of a non-mahram woman, and it is not
permissible for him to put his hand on hers without a barrier. ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) never accepted a woman’s oath of
allegiance by shaking hands with her; rather he (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) used to accept their oath of allegiance by words only.”
According to another report, “His hand never touched the hand of a woman,
rather he would accept their oath of allegiance by words only.”
(Manh al-Jaleel Sharh
Mukhtasar Khaleel, 1/223)
3 – The Shaafa’i madhhab:
Al-Nawawi said:
It is not permissible to
touch a woman in any way.
Al-Majmoo’, 4/515.
Wali al-Deen al-‘Iraaqi
said:
This indicates that the
hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not touch
the hand of any woman apart from his wives and concubines, whether in the case
of accepting the oath of allegiance or in other cases. If he did not do that
despite the fact that he was infallible and beyond suspicion, then it is even
more essential that others heed this prohibition. It appears from the texts
that he refrained from doing that because it was haraam for him to do so.
The fuqaha’ among our
companions and others said that it is haraam to touch a non-mahram woman even
if that is not touching parts of her body that are not ‘awrah, such as her
face. But they differed with regard to looking when there is no desire and no
fear of fitnah. The prohibition on touching is stronger than the prohibition
on looking, and it is haraam when there is no necessity that would allow it.
If it is the case of necessity, e.g. medical treatment, removing a tooth or
treating the eyes, etc., if there is no woman who can do that, then it is
permissible for a non-mahram to do that because it is the case of necessity.
(Tarh al-Tathreeb, 7/45, 46)
4 – The Hanbali madhhab
Ibn Muflih said:
Abu ‘Abd-Allah – i.e.,
Imam Ahmad – was asked about a man who shakes hands with a woman. He said, No,
and was emphatic that it is haraam. I said, Should he shake hands with her
from beneath his garment? He said, No.
Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen also
favoured the view that it is prohibited, and gave the reason that touching is
more serious than looking.
(AlAdaab al-Shar’iyyah, 2/257)
And Allah knows best.
Excerpted, with some
modifications, from:
http://islamqa.com/en/
TOP
20:
WHY SOME PEOPLE DIE OF HUNGRY?
Question:
If Every Person’s
Sustenance has been Decreed, then why are some (found to be) Hungry?
Answer:
Verse 6 of Surat Hud says:
وَ مَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي
الأَرضِ إِلاَّ وَ عَلـى اللٌّهِ رِزْقُـهَا
“And no
(moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah
…..”.
(Al-Hud 11:6)
In view of the above
verse, the question that comes to mind is: Why it is that in today's world and
all throughout history there are some, who have died and continue to die of
hunger? Have their livelihoods not been secured and safeguarded?
The answer to this
questions demands attention towards the following points:
Firstly:
Securing sustenance does not mean that it should be made ready for a person
and sent to his house or a morsel prepared and put into his mouth; rather, it
means that the groundwork has been prepared, but man's effort is a condition
for transforming them into actuality. Even Maryam (s.a.), in that severe state
of labour in that lonely desert wherein Allah (s.w.t.) ordained her sustenance
to become manifest in the form of dates upon the date-palm, was ordered to
move and addressed as follows:
وَ هُزِّي إِلَيکِ بِجِذْعِ
النَّخلَةِ…
“And shake
towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates.”
(Maryam 19:25)
Secondly:
If, in the past and the present, men have usurped the rights of others and
have taken their livelihoods from them unjustly, this does not prove that
Allah (s.w.t.) has not secured their livelihoods. In other words, in addition
to the issue of effort and striving, the existence of social justice is also a
condition for a just distribution of sustenance.
And if it were to be said:
Why does not Allah (s.w.t.) prevent the injustices perpetrated by the unjust
ones? We state that the life of man is based on the freedom of will so that
all are tested and examined, and not on force and compulsion - for in such a
case the development and perfection (of man) would not take place.
Thirdly:
In this very earth there exist numerous sources that can provide nutrition to
mankind, but which need to be discovered and put to use. However, if man
exhibits negligence in this regard, he is the one to be blamed.
We ought not to forget
that some areas of Africa, the inhabitants of which die of hunger today, are
amongst the most enriched regions of the world. However, destructive factors,
which were mentioned above, have brought them to this miserable state of
theirs.
Excerpted with slight
modifications from:
http://www.al-islam.org/
TOP
21:
CONVERTING TO ISLAM, IS IT
NECESSARY TO BE CIRCUMCISED?
Jewish, Christian and
pagan Arabs in Arabia, before Muhammad (PBUH), all practiced circumcision,
because Abraham was circumcised when he was 80, and Ishmael was circumcised
when he was 13. And so it continued regardless of the advent of Islam,
revelation of Quran on Muhammad (PBUH).
Muslims traditions declare
Muhammad (PBUH) was born without a foreskin, and so many of his companions
chose to have theirs sexual organ foreskin (partially) removed to symbolize
their commitment to Muhammad’s place in the prophetic succession.
Because while a few of his
followers had themselves circumcised upon their conversion to Islam,
(apparently not all of them did) which is why both the Hanafi and Maliki
Schools (which comprise the vast majority of Muslims world-wide) don’t
consider it obligatory, but highly recommended. However, that recommendation
is made to adults, not children, who are mandatory required to be circumcised
at infant age.
If grown up male is not in
a position to tolerate or bear the pain of circumcision, or there is fear of
harm being inflicted on him, then circumcision can be (and should be) avoided.
Circumcision order is not
mandatory for elders converts, but it is desired that Muslim should be
circumcised. if it does not harm him, he can do it any later time, by a
surgeon who’s experience and skill is trustable.
If it would cause you
harm, then you don’t have to do it, and that will not make any slight rewards
of your deeds in Islam, In Shaa'a Allah (Allah Willing)…
However, it should be
remembered here, that he who opts not to be circumcised should regularly clean
the area underneath the foreskin of his sex organ because, in Islam
cleanliness of the body is obligatory for performing prayers.
Also on one hand, we have
the order of not exposing your Aura in front of other people except in dire
situations, but on the other hand, we have this great salient feature of
Islam. Some of the contemporary scholars have said that in this situation
circumcision should be carried out for two reasons:
a) Circumcision is a form
of treatment, and the Fuqaha have given a dispensation in exposing the Awra
for treatment and medication.
b) The Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him & give him peace) is reported to have said:
“Whoever accepts Islam should have his circumcision
performed” (Talkhisal-Habir).
In the light of the above
narration, the scholars have said that if there is no fear of harm and the
adult male is able to bear circumcision, then it should be carried out.
3) The third situation is
where the grown up male is not in a position to tolerate or bear the pain of
circumcision, or there is fear of harm being inflicted on him, then
circumcision can be (and should be) avoided.
Islam is a religion of
mercy and orders only that which is within the capacity and capability of an
individual. It never commands that which is beyond ones capacity.
And Allah knows the best.
TOP
22:
SAYING SPECIFIC PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PARADISE OR HELL?
Question:
I have heard in certain
lectures given by the shaikhs here in America who consider themselves Salafee,
say things like this:
“My mother is a kafira and
I know, she is going to hell”
Saying that they know for
sure that a certain person is going to hell.
Is this permissible in
Islam? Can we say that a certain person is going to Jahannam because of their
religion?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
According to Ahl al-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa’ah, the basic principle is that the issue of who will go to
Paradise and who will go to Hell is the matter of ‘aqeedah based on what is
said in the Quran and Sunnah, and
there is no room for reasoning or ijtihaad in this matter.
If the Quran or Sunnah
says that a specific person will be in Paradise or Hell, we bear witness to
that. At the same time we hope that those who believe on one God (Allah) do
good deeds (as per sunnah) will go to Paradise with the blessing of Allah. but
fear that those who do excessive bad deeds will go to Hell (if Allah does not
forgive his sins), but Allah knows best how people will end up.
The issue of saying who
will go to Paradise or Hell may be divided into two categories:
General statements, which
have to do with people’s qualities, such as saying, “Whoever associates
anything with Allah in an act of major shirk is a kaafir who is beyond the
pale of Islam, and will be in Hell.”
Similarly we say that
whoever fasts Ramadaan with faith and in the hope of receiving reward will be
forgiven his previous and future sins, and that an acceptable Hajj has no
other reward but Paradise. There are many such statements in the Quran
and saheeh Sunnah.
If a person asks, “Will
the one who calls on anything other than Allah and seeks the help of anyone
but Allah be in Paradise or Hell?”
We would say that he is a
kaafir who will be in Hell, if he is shown clear evidence that he is wrong but
he stills persists and dies believing that.
If it were said, Whoever
does Hajj then does not commit any obscene or immoral act, and dies after his
Hajj, for example, what will his fate be?
We would say that he is in
Paradise. Or the person whose last words in this life are Laa ilaaha ill-Allah
will be in Paradise, and so on.
All of this has to do with
people’s qualities and does not apply to any specific, named person.
Specific statements
referring to people by name, stating that a particular person will be in
Paradise or in Hell. This is not permissible except in cases where Allah or
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have informed us of
it.
Whoever Allah or His
Messenger have mentioned by name and stated that they will be in Paradise are
definitely among the people of Paradise, such as the ten who were given the
good news of Paradise (al-‘asharah al-mubashsharah), foremost among whom are
the four Khulafa’, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali, may Allah be
pleased with them.
Those who the Quran
and Sunnah mention by name and state that they will be in Hell are
definitely among the people of Hell, such as Abu Lahab and his wife, Abu
Taalib, ‘Amr ibn Lahiy, and others.
We don’t know whose end
will be in what state. There may be, whom we think may go to Heaven, has done
some sin before death, may go to hell and one who was suppose to go hell may
before death do a deed which make him to go Heaven. In this respect
we know a hadith story about a pre Islamic man who had killed 100
people but before death he repented and was going to a town for practicing
good deeds and died on his way, and Allah’s mercy took on him and he became
dweller of Heaven.
So we must not confirm for
anybody for heaven or hell, as we know not what was his last, and whether
Allah blessed him or not.
We ask Allah to make us
among the people of Paradise by His Grace and Mercy. May Allah bless our
Prophet Muhammad.
Excerpted, with some
modifications, from: http://islamqa
TOP
23:
BIG BANG AND CREATION?
Question:
Why do we not say that the
Big Bang came before everything else? I know an atheist that asked me if the
universe was created by a god then who created him, or if Your god was there
at first, then I can say that the big bang was there at first.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
If you say that the Big
Bang came before everything else, this means that you have not studied the
theory of the Big Bang itself, and you are contradicting its meaning and basic
idea, because this theory affirms that, if it is proven that the universe is
constantly expanding, that must mean that in the past it was close together,
and this being close together means that gravitational force and compactness
between its parts was so great that there was no space between them, (near the
beginning) the pressure was so intense that all the matter that forms the
universe was the size of an atom, then (further back in time, to the point of
the beginning) the size was infinitely small and was nothing. This implies
that at that point there was no time or space, because matter itself did not
exist.
Therefore when this
universe began – when its age was less than a billionth part of a second –
which was approximately fifteen billion years ago, as the proponents of this
theory say – the size of its matter was very close to zero. Then this
pressurized matter exploded and scattered its particles in the form of rays,
then it began to cool down, and our universe was gradually formed from it.
Hence this theory is called the Big Bang. …
This is the view of
Stephen Hawking, whom some people called the Newton of the modern era, when he
said: “The greatest misunderstanding of the Big Bang is to say that it started
with a mass of matter somewhere in outer space. Matter is not the only thing
that was created during the Big Bang; rather time and space were also created.
Therefore in the same sense that we say place has a beginning, we also say
that time has a beginning.” [The Universe, Bozlo, p. 46]
He also says: “This means
that the very beginning of the universe was chosen with great care, if the
theory of the hot Big Bang was correct from the beginning of time. It is very
difficult to explain why the universe began in this particular way, unless we
say concerning that that there was indeed a Creator who wanted to create
beings like ourselves” [A Brief History of Time, Hawking, p. 127]. See:
al-Feeziya’ wa Wujood al-Khaaliq (p. 87-96).
This question is obviously
flawed, because the Big Bang cannot – rationally – have come before
everything, unless you believe that this Big Bang was the Necessary Existent,
that has all attributes of perfection, but that description refers to Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, if this is what you mean, then we accept from
you this claim that the Big Bang came before everything, and we will agree
with you that the universe was created by a Creator Who is eternal.
But when the question
demands that we regard as equal the Creator Who is the Necessary Existent Who
is possessed of all attributes of perfection and the Big Bang which is an
incident that came into being after not having existed at all, then the
argument is flawed on two counts:
1. Because it describes
the Big Bang as something that had no beginning, but at the same time it is
regarded as an incident that came into being after not having existed at all,
and this is self-contradictory, because that which existed from eternity (and
had no beginning) cannot be an incident.
2. Because it describes
the Big Bang as being eternal (having no beginning), and does not pay
attention to the prerequisites of a thing being eternal, the most important of
which is that it must necessarily exist and possess the attributes of
perfection, and that refers to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. Anyone
who describes the universe as having existed from eternity falls into this
contradiction. What he should have done is refer (the matter of creation) to
something other than this created universe, and that is Allah, the Creator,
may He be glorified and exalted.
As for the Muslim, he does
not fall into this contradiction, because he will tell you that the Creator
existed from eternity and He was and there was nothing before Him, because He
is the Necessary Existent, and with Him the chain of all created beings ends.
When the Muslim describes Him as being before all things, that is because He
cannot be compared with created beings, possibilities or incidents; rather He
is greater than that.
As for the atheist who
affirmed that this universe came into being after not having existed, he is
trying to explain it by referring to the Big Bang, which in itself is of the
same nature as the universe, with regard to it coming under the heading of
possibilities or incidents, then he ascribed to it the attribute of existing
from eternity, but this is not possible at all.
We believe that it is easy
for the human mind to believe in the idea that the universe is created,
whereas it is difficult for it to believe in a universe that existed from
eternity and had no beginning, when he sees at the same time all the signs
that show that it is not eternal as it is clearly and obviously subject to
constant alterations and changes.
As for the concept of the Creator
existing from eternity, that is something easy for man to believe, because of
a simple and straightforward reason, which is that the Creator is not of the
same nature as the created being, which means rejecting all the rules of
comparison and analogy that humans use and try to apply to the Creator, may He
be glorified and exalted. In that case the explanation (that there is a
Creator Who existed from eternity) makes perfect sense. Although the Creator
is unseen, the believer believes in Him because He the Necessary Existent who
is the Knower of the unseen world.
As for the one who
believes that the universe is an incident or created thing that existed before
everything, he believes in something that is impossible from a rational point
of view. Undoubtedly believing in the Creator is much easier than believing in
a created thing that existed from eternity.
In other words, we may ask
this atheist, is the Big Bang a possibility or a necessity?
If he says that it is a
possibility, then that which is possible could not have existed from eternity.
If he says that it is a
necessity, then he has affirmed the existence of that which necessarily exists
from eternity and has no creator. In that case he has affirmed the idea that
there is a divine being. The matter is as simple as that.
Here we will give some
simple examples for that.
If you see some important
decision, that could change the course of the company, being made in some
large company, and then people differed concerning the source of this
decision, there are two possibilities:
1. Either a group of
employees, all of whom held positions at the same level, and none of them has
more authority than another, and every time one is asked to make a decision he
defers it to his colleague because he has no authority to make a decision, so
the matter kept going in this sequence until the decision was made as a result
of this sequence;
2.
or an employee of a higher rank, who has absolute authority and has no
colleague at an equal position in the company, so that the matter could be
passed between him and that person, took this audacious decision, so that it
was done after not having being done.
Then which possibility is
more reasonable and which do you feel more at ease with?
Undoubtedly it is the
second possibility, even though you may not know about this highest-ranking
employee who is the one who made the decision – how he was appointed and who
gave him this authority – but you find this to be something acceptable,
because of the difference in rank and position between this employee and the
other, ordinary employees. That was sufficient for you as an explanation of
how major decisions are made in this company.
However, if you continue
in the sequence (mentioned in the first scenario) and say that this employee
ordered that employee, ad infinitum in the realm of lower level employees,
that will not be convincing at all as an explanation of the matter, unless you
explain the way the decision was made by referring it to one who is in a
leading position, who does not need to be appointed by anyone else or wait for
the decision of anyone else.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
is the One Who is the first and only decision-maker with regard to the
creation of this universe and bringing it into existence; He is the One Who
does not ask for permission from anyone else. Quran says:
“He cannot
be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs)”
(Al-Anbiya’ 21:23)
For He is the Creator, Who
is different from created beings. Then (after concluding that there is a
Creator) you have to attribute to this Creator, may He be glorified and
exalted, that which is hidden from you of absolute perfect attributes, such as
existence from eternity, because you are speaking about a very significant
matter that has nothing to do with anything ordinary; rather it has to do with
something beyond human capability and beyond that with which humans are
familiar, namely the creation of this universe from nothing.
So it is more appropriate
that you should refer (the creation of the universe) to a Creator Who is the
Necessary Existent, First and Last, rather than referring it to any created
being and attributing to it existence from eternity to eternity.
In other words, we say
that referring the issue of creation to a Creator who is eternal and has no
beginning is the inevitable conclusion of the process of thinking about the
cause of this universe and how it came about, because alternative
explanations, which say that the universe is eternal (and had no beginning) or
that it created itself, or that things came into existence by themselves after
having been nothing, are clearly false, as is obvious to anyone who examines
these ideas.
Therefore he has no
choice, as he will be compelled by his rational thinking, and also by his
common sense, to believe in another cause, far beyond that with which we are
familiar and that we know, that cannot have a beginning, or it cannot be that
anyone created Him, and that is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
If, after this conclusion,
you again ask: then who created Allah? This means that you did not understand
the different stages of examining and thinking mentioned above, and you have
not understood how those who believe in Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, reached that conclusion; you want to take the debate back to square
one.
Dr Ja‘far Shaykh Idrees
(may Allah preserve him) said – answering the specious argument of Hume which
says that if the universe needed a cause, then God also needs a cause:
I never thought that a
thinker – whether he was a believer or a nonbeliever – could seriously ask
this question: who created God? When he knows what this word (God) signifies.
But it seems that some
prominent Western physicists take this question seriously and in fact regard
it as one of the main flaws in the view that there is a Creator. We see
Hawking also saying about God: who created Him?
The answer to this
question, which these philosophers, scientists and many others think is a
dilemma, is very easy:
If the opponent (in an
argument) accepts that the universe, which is an incident or created thing,
must have a cause that is not an incident, then if he accepts that this cause
is not an incident – i.e. it is eternal – which is called God, then his
question about the Creator or cause of God has no meaning at all, for it is a
question on the part of one who does not understand what he is saying; it is a
question that contains a very weird contradiction, because the cause by
necessity precedes the effect, and that which is eternal, by necessity is not
preceded by anything. So how can it have a cause?
For someone to say “Who
created God?” is the equivalent of saying: “What preceded the thing before
which there was nothing?” Or “what comes after the thing after which there is
nothing?” Does such a question even make sense?
If you tell a man that
So-and-so came first in a race, is it acceptable for him to say: Fine, but who
came before him? Similarly in this case proof is established that God is the
First and there is nothing before Him, so how can it be said “what was the
cause of Him?” or “who created Him?”
However, Davies and
Pareau, and others who followed them in imitating Hume, give the impression
that those who base their evidence for the existence of the Creator on the
existence of the universe have decided on the basis of pure whims and desires
that the universe requires a cause to bring it into existence.
Then they foolishly
decided that God does not need this cause, hence they claimed that we cannot
stop at the universe (so there must be something beyond it). But when they got
to God, they stopped with Him and did not go any further. There is no
difference – according to their claim – between stopping here or stopping
there.
From both of them, and
from others, this is a sign of confusion because they overlooked the huge
difference between the nature of the universe, which is an incident or created
thing, and the nature of the Creator, Who is eternal.
End quote from al-Feeziya’
wa Wujood al-Khaaliq (120-124).
We will quote here a
fictional debate that was written by one of those who specialize in debating
with atheists, which will highlight the reality of this confusion into which
the questioner has fallen.
The atheist said: Your
stating that Allah is the Creator of all things is a statement that could be
undermined by asking: So who is it that created Allah?
The Muslim said: No, it
does not undermine it, because we say that if there is any being that has the
attribute of creation (being able to create), yet at the same time there is
someone who created him, then he is like his creation: he is also a created
being. And any maker who could be described as such yet at the same time there
is someone who made him, is also made, like the things that he makes.
Does this statement imply
that it is not possible to have a supreme Creator outside of this circle, who
has no creator or maker, and no one is equal to Him, and He is the origin and
initiator of all things?
Not at all; rather this
Creator is the Necessary Existent, who must exist on a rational basis, because
he is the end of that chain, which reason cannot accept but that it must end
with Him. We are talking about the Creator who is not a created being, who is
completely outside this system, so He is not subject to the rules of the
system, and cannot be compared to any (hypothetical) “creator/created being”,
because He is the one who ordained the rules in this universe, and initiated
(those rules) on the basis of His power and creation in the first place.
So the created thing
cannot create itself; rather it must have been created by something else and
this chain must inevitably, according to rational thinking, end with the first
initiator, the first creator, who was not created by anything and is not part
of that chain and does not form one link in it at all. Rather he is the one
who created the entire chain and everything in it; so He is not part of it and
is not limited by its limits or subject to its law. Such is Allah, the
All-Knowing Creator.
The atheist said: If He is
not subject to its laws, and we cannot perceive Him with our senses, then how
can we be expected to imagine Him in our minds and believe in Him in our
hearts?
The Muslim said: Reason is
able to perceive the concept, but not the nature or reality, and the
difference between them is an essential difference for any rational person.
I understand on the basis
of reason the possibility of the existence of billions upon billions of stars
in the galaxies of this vast universe, but can my reason understand how that
is or imagine it? Could I imagine the ratio of my size to the size of the
earth alone, let alone that which is far bigger of the stars and planets
around us? Not at all! I know of the existence of the soul in bodies which, if
it is removed the living man dies, and my reason confirms the necessity of its
existence and its essence as a concept and idea, but could my reason imagine
anything about its nature and essence, or could I measure it or estimate it
mathematically? Not at all!
In Quran, Allah says about
Himself:
“He is the
First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of
all things”
(Al-Hadid 57:3)
This is the difference
between a concept that reason rejects and does not accept in the first place,
and a concept that reason does not reject, but it cannot compare its
description to anything that is conceivable or visible, with regard to its
nature and essence. So people’s minds would not be able to imagine that
concept, yet they affirm the soundness of the concept, and the possibility –
or necessity – of its existence.
So if you think of the
Christian belief in the Trinity, for example, you will see this subtle
difference, for they believe in something with regard to the divine essence
that is impossible, from a rational point of view, to exist as an idea or
concept.
It is not rationally
possible for three to be one or one to be three. This is what makes you
atheists able to prove the utter falseness of their Trinity.
But when you come to
examine the belief of monotheist Muslims in their Lord, you will have no
reason to criticize their belief in the essence and attributes of their Lord.
You have no criticism except that you cannot comprehend this Lord and you
cannot compare Him to something that you do comprehend and understand. It is
as if you are concluding that it is impossible for Him to exist according to
rational thinking, as is the case with the Trinity! They say that it is a “too
easy” answer to the problem, as if the simplicity of the monotheistic belief
in the unseen is something for which they should be condemned and is an
indication that it is false. They say that there is no existing being that
cannot be subject to the laws of the universe. It is as if you travelled
beyond this universe and saw that there was nothing beyond it, so nothing
could exist except something that is like what you are subject to in this
universe.
The difference between us
and you is that we accept what is indicated by every breath in our own bodies,
and by everything, small or great, in this precise and well-made universe
around us, so we do not attribute its existence except to a Creator Who is
greater than it and outside of it, Whose essence and attributes cannot be
compared to anything in it. As for you, because of your corrupt way of
reasoning and understanding, you insisted on denying the Creator completely
and rejecting any possibility of His existence, and you insisted on putting
something created and insignificant in His place, such as genes, for no other
reason except that you would be able to comprehend its essence. It is as if
your minds – which if they were able to understand the language of monkeys,
you would have heard them criticising your minds and way of thinking – will
not accept anything except that of which it can imagine the nature and essence
by means of comparing it to something similar or equal.
So tell me, O atheist,
don’t you believe that this universe has a limit at which it stops? Is that
not so?
The atheist said: Yes
indeed.
The Muslim said: Great!
Even though that of which they have calculated the diameter is the visible
universe, and not the entire universe, and they have even suggested that it is
still expanding.
But this is not my
concern. My question to you is: do you have anything in this world to which
you could compare the limit of the universe at which it ends?
In other words: have you
seen in this world that which will help you to understand how that limit,
within which is the matter of the universe, could be, and after it there is
something that you do not know and cannot imagine, and you cannot but accept
the fact that it exists there, whatever that thing may be?
The atheist thought for a
while, then said: No doubt beyond this universe there is empty space and
infinite nothingness.
The Muslim said: Surely
you are lying! Do you know why?
The atheist said: Why?
The Muslim said: Because
the one who bases certain knowledge on the phrase “no doubt”, basing his
certainty on an assumption for which he has no rational or physical evidence,
is a liar.
Whatever the case, what I
mean is that there is something beyond this universe and outside of it, and
you cannot imagine the nature of it, no matter what it is, even though you
affirm, on a rational basis, that there is a possibility that something exists
(beyond the universe), and that the nature of that thing, by necessity, is
different from what is within the universe. Otherwise it would not be possible
to say – from a linguistic point of view – that this is the boundary at which
the universe ends. Is that not so?
The atheist did not
answer.
The Muslim said: So why do
you insist that the mere fact that you are unable to imagine the essence of
God – which we believe is sublime and above the heavens and all that exists,
and His attributes cannot be denied on the basis of reason and cannot be
compared to any of His creation – is evidence that He cannot exist?
End quote from
Islamweb.net on the following link:
Because of the importance
of your question, we will quote to you another debate with an atheist:
Shaykh Muhammad
al-Ghazaali (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book Qadhaa’if al-Haqq
(p. 197-203):
I had a lengthy discussion
with an atheist in which I controlled myself and tried to be patient, until he
disclosed all the specious arguments that he had up his sleeve, so that I
could defeat with clear arguments and evidence what he uttered of specious
arguments.
He said: If Allah created
the universe, then who created Allah.
I said to him: It is as
if, by asking this question or raising this objection, you are affirming that
everything must have a Creator.
He said: Let us avoid
getting into a vicious circle; just answer my question.
I said to him: There is no
need for waffle. You think that this universe has no creator, which means that
He existed by Himself without any need for someone to bring Him into
existence, so why do you accept the view that this universe existed by itself
for eternity, yet you find it strange that religious people say that the
existence of God, Who created this universe, has no beginning?
It is the same concept, so
how come you believe yourself when you confirm this concept (of existing from
eternity, with regard to the universe), but you reject the view of others when
they affirm the same concept (with regard to God having no beginning). If you
think that to believe in a God Who has no creator is a myth, then a universe
that has no creator is also a myth, according to the logic that you are
following!
He said: We are living in
this universe and we can feel its existence, so we cannot deny it!
I said to him: Who asked
you to deny the existence of the universe?
When we travel in a car or
ship or plane that is zooming along with us in a very terrifying way, our
question is not whether the car exists; rather our question is: is it
travelling by itself or does it have a driver or pilot who has experience?
Therefore let us go back
to your first question, which is to be thrown back at you. Both of us accept
that there is a being that exists and there is no way to deny it. You claim
that it has no beginning as far as matter is concerned, and I think that it
has no beginning with regard to its creator.
If you want to poke fun at
a being that has no beginning, then poke fun at yourself first, before you
poke fun at religious people.
He said: Do you mean that
the rational assumption is the same for both groups?
I said: I am going along
with you for arguments sake, only to expose to you the flawed and false
arguments on which atheism is based. As for the rational assumption, it is not
the same for believers and disbelievers.
Imagine that you and I are
looking at a standing building. After thorough examination, I can conclude
that an engineer must have built it, but you think that some lumber, metal,
stone and paint took up the appropriate positions to prepare this building for
people to live in, all by themselves.
The difference between our
views is like this: if I see a satellite orbiting in space, and you tell me
that it went into orbit by itself, without any supervision or control, and I
tell you that it was launched by rational people who are controlling and
supervising it, these rational assumptions are not the same.
In my case, my assumption is the
ultimate truth that cannot be denied, whereas your assumption is falsehood
that is undoubtedly false. All the atheists of the current era are very
skilled in insulting us believers and saying all manner of bad things about
us, at the time when they describe themselves as being smart, progressive and
brilliant. We are living on an earth that is comfortable and fit for living,
beneath a star filled sky, and we possess reason and intellect by means of
which we can research and judge, and with this reasoning and intellect we
contemplate, reach conclusions, discuss and believe. Quran says:
“Behold! in
the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and
the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of
mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which
He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that
He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds
which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here)
indeed are Signs for a people that are wise”
(Al-Baqarah 2:164)
TOP
24.
WHERE DOES EVIL, HATRED AND INJUSTICE COME FROM?
Question:
Is God Pure, Good, Loving
and Fair? If so, then where does evil, hatred and injustice come from?
Answer:
Allah tells us He is Pure,
Loving, and absolutely Just in every respect. He says He is the Best of
Judges. He also tells us the life we are in here is a test. He has created
everything existing and He created whatever happens as well. There is nothing
in this existence except what He has created. He also says in the Quran He
created evil (although He is not evil). He is using this as one of the many
tests for us.
Consider people who do so
much evil in the earth and then live to a ripe old age in the splendor and
wealth of their ill-gotten gains and die without ever being taken to task for
their deeds. Where is the justice or fairness in this? Allah provides a clear
answer for us in Quran as to what is in store for these most evil of people:
“A brief enjoyment in
this world! - and then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them
taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve [in Allah, belie
His Messengers, deny and challenge His proofs, signs, verses, etc.]
(Younus 10:70)
“That Day mankind
will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds.
(6)
So whoever does good equal to the weight of an
atom, shall see it. (7)
And whoever
does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it”
(Az-Zalzala 99:6-8)
“Do men think that
they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be
tested?
(2)
We did test those before them, and Allah will
certainly know those who are true from those who are false
(3)
Do those who
practice evil think that they will get the better of Us? Evil is their
judgment”
(Al-‘Ankaboot 29:2-4)
"Those who believe
and work righteous deeds,- from them shall We blot out all evil (that may be)
in them, and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds”
(Al-‘Ankaboot 29:7)
Reward and punishment are
definitely a part of the Next Life on a very permanent basis. Those who suffer
in this life and seemly have nothing to show for all their hard works, good
deeds and sacrifices and maintaining the faith can look forward to a far
greater reward in a place where these things will not be temporary but rather
they will be for eternity.
Those who corrupt,
violate, injure and do evil and destruction seem to escape any justice here,
yet in the Next Life they too will see the fruits of their labors, and
certainly they will be paid according to what they have done as well.
As regards oppression, this is something
Allah forbids for Himself to do to anyone and He hates it when anyone
oppresses someone else. He does have absolute power over everything. He allows
sickness, disease, death and even oppression so we can all be tested in what
we do.
Excerpted with
slight modifications from: www.godallah.com/
TOP
|
