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Happy Valentines Day?

Ruling on Celebrating Valentine's Day
Question: In recent times, celebration of the Valentine Day has spread, particularly among female students. It is a Christian celebration, and it is (manifested) with fully red costumes, clothing and shoes, and exchange of
red roses. We hope that you make clear for us the ruling on celebrating this holiday, and what your guidance is to Muslims in matters such as these, may Allah preserve you and guard you.

Answer: In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Beneficent As-Salamu`alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh:

Celebrating the Valentine Day is not permissible because:

Firstly, it is an innovated holiday that has no basis in the Sharee`ah.
Secondly, it calls to love and passion.
Thirdly, it calls to keeping one's heart busy with nonsense matters which contradict the guidance of the righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them.

So it is not permissible that anything from the signs of that holiday takes place on that day, whether it relates to eating, drinking, clothing, giving gifts, or other than that.

It is incumbent upon the Muslim to be proud of his religion and that he does

not blindly follow every crier.

I ask Allah the Exalted that He protect Muslims from every trial, apparent and hidden, and that He give them protection and guidance.

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VALENTINE'S DAY

What is it and where did it come from?

St. Valentine's Day: Paganization of Christianity or Christianization of paganism?

Christians were aware of the Pagan roots of Valentine's Day. The way the Christians adopted St. Valentine's Day should be a lesson for Muslims. In fact, the failure to fully separate Valentine's Day from its pagan roots
explains why Islamic scholars and a number of Muslims avoid adopting traditions of non-Muslims, even though they could possibly be Islamicized.

The Arabic word Bida means adopting something new as a religious practice into Islam. Bida is a sin in Islam. Muslims should avoid things with unIslamic roots even though they may appear to be innocent.

The history of Valentine's Day serves as a powerful lesson for Muslims. St. Valentine became a Saint trying to resist free sex. Even though there was an attempt to Christianize it, today St. Valentine's day is gone back to its roots. No one even knows that the Church even tried to ban the St. Valentine's Day. Rather, most people think of romance, cupid and his arrow, which are vestiges of pagan Rome.   <continue...>


 

Milad un Nabi: Can we Celebrate the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad?

There is nothing in the Qur’aan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death. Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace).

He said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari). What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: “That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.” (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa’i and Abu Dawood).

Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Was it reported that ‘Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or ‘Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that ‘Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

Did any of the imaams – Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi’i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen – do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allaah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: “The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously).” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi). The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid’ah had become widespread.

Thus this celebration became a sign of one’s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?! What the Qur’aan tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Say: ‘Obey Allaah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers.” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31-32]   <continue...>
 

Maryam, Um Isa
(Mary, the Mother of Isa~Jesus(a.s.))

Maryam (Mary), the mother of Isa (Jesus), was a pious Muslim woman during the time of Prophet Zakariyya. She was Maryam daughter Imran from the family lineage of Dawud (David), the offspring of the Children of Israel. In the Quran there is a chapter named Maryam which talks about Maryam, her birth, her story, the birth of her son Prophet Isa (Jesus), and other things. Allah also mentioned the story of her mother's pregnancy with her in Surah Al Imran.

Maryam's mother, Hannah, conceived and delivered Maryam when she was an old woman, at an age when women usually can no longer have babies. With the birth of a son in mind, Hannah vowed that she would dedicate the child to the service of the Sacred House in Jerusalem, dedicate the child for worship, freed from all worldly affairs. Instead Almighty Allah blessed Hannah with a daughter. She named the girl "Maryam," which literally means "maidservant of Allah," and she asked Allah to protect Maryam and her offspring from evil. Maryam could not be devoted to temple service as her mother had intended, due to being a female, under the Mosaic Law at the time. However, as the new born was marked out for a special destiny to be the mother of the miracle-child, Prophet Isa, Allah had accepted her for His service.

The Holy Quran says:

(Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing."

Then when she delivered her [child Maryam (Mary)], she said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she delivered, - "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast." (Surah Al-Imran:35-36)  <continue...>

 

The Magic Number 786

""786" - Does it stand for 'Bismillahi Rahmaani Raheem'?

Answer...

786 is the numerical representation of "Bismillahirrahamaanirraheem" has no religious or Islaamic significance.



The numerals 786 or any other numerals in no way represent 'Bismillaah al-Rahmaan al-Raheem' or other Surahs of the noble Qur'ân and is not the Sunnah either.


CAN NUMBER 786 REPLACE THE HOLY NAME OF GOD ?

Allaah say in Qur'ân "Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'ân in order that you may understand" (12:2).

We are instructed to recite the Qur'an Majeed, as can be seen from the following verses: "And (it is) a Qur'ân which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages. (in 23 years)." (17:106); "....So RECITE as much of the Qur'ân as may be easy (for you),..." (73:20).

Now would one recite the Qur'an if it is reduced to numbers? As an example, we shall reduce the Surah Fatihah to numerical figures for the benefit of the reader.

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem............................................. 787
Al-humdolillaahir rubbuaalamin............................................... 632
Ar-Rahmaan-ur-Raheem....................................................... 618
Malikay yawm-midhdeen...................................................... 242
Eeyya ka Na' bo-du Wa eeyya ka nastha'een........................... 836
Ah'daynas-sira thalmustaqeem...........and in NO WAY sacred. It is a conspiracy against the Holy Book of Allaah.

This old game of numbers was practised by the ancient Egyptians, as did many other civilisations. Islaam came to ELIMINATE ALL such superstitions, mysteries and numerological mumbo-jumbo. However, Muslims are still enslaved to the number game, and think that 786 represents BISMILLAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM.

The innovation of writing '786' replacing 'Bismillaah al-Rahmaan al-Raheem' has been adopted for a long time and the majority of the Ummah is still indulged in it inadvertently. Apart from the common folk, the scholars also heed no attention towards it and to avoid disrespect to the Holy Words they use it in their letters and documents. They adopt it as 'correct' and 'better' way to invite Allaah's blessings and have also started replacing the Holy Words by this number on their houses, offices, buildings, etc. Unfortunately, this tendency is gradually gaining momentum. But, do we see this number instead of the Holy Words in the Holy Qur'ân? Or, can we write it there as well? can we remove 'Bismillaah al-Rahmaan al-Raheem' from the top of Surah al-Fatihah and replace it with the number 786? Obviously not.  <continue....>
 

Twelve Proofs that Muhammad is a True Prophet....

My brothers and sisters everywhere! With this essay, I am not singling out the adherents of Islam - to which I ascribe - but rather I am writing this essay to every man and woman throughout the whole world.

I ask Allah that He facilitates tat this essay reaches every ear, falls under the sight of every eye, and is understood by every heart...

Muhammad the son of `Abdullah is Allah's Prophet and the Final Messenger Sent by Allah to the Inhabitants of Earth.

My brothers and sisters everywhere! You should know that the Messenger, Muhammad the son of `Abdullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger in reality and truth. The evidences that show his veracity are abundant. None but an infidel, who out of arrogance alone, could deny these signs.


Among these proofs:
1. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained like that till his death. Among all his people, he was known as being truthful and trustworthy. Before receiving revelation, he had no prior knowledge of Religion or any previously sent Message. He remained like that for his first forty years. Revelation then came to Muhammad with the Koran that we now have between our hands. This Koran mentioned most of the accounts found in the previous scriptures, telling us about these events in the greatest detail as if he witnessed them. These accounts came precisely as they were found in the Torah sent down to Moses and in the Gospel sent down to Jesus. Neither the Jews or Christians were able to belie him regarding anything that he said.  <continue....>

Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.

1) The Testimony of Faith
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.”This saying means “There is no true god but God (Allah),*1 and Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam (as explained previously on this page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.

2) Prayer
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.

In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.}*2 Bilal was one of Muhammad (PBUH)’s companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.

Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.  <continue....>

The Hajj, Pilgrimage

This is an adapted translation of the article from Al Bayan magazine, “Hatta Yakoona Hajjuna Mabroora” by Faysal bin `Ali Al-Ba`dani.

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has assigned a great reward for Hajj mabroor, as evidenced by the saying of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, “…There is no reward for Hajj Mabroor except Paradise.” (1)

The meaning of birr (from which the word “mabroor” is derived) involves the following two:
1. Good behaviour towards people, fulfilling ones duties towards others and giving them their rights. In the hadeeth, “Al Birr is good behaviour.” (3) In the Musnad, from Jabir, marfoo` naration states, “They said: 'What makes Hajj mabroor, O Rasulullah – sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam?' He said, 'Providing food to people and spreading (the greeting of) salam'.” (4)

2. Doing much worship and the trait of taqwa, as opposed to sinfulness. Allah ta`ala says, “Do you order people towards al-birr (righteousness) while you forget (it) yourselves?” (2:44) Al-Qurtubi said, “Sayings mentioned in tafseer of this verse are close in meaning, that is, (birr is) performance of Hajj in which its rules are fulfilled and which is done in the most complete manner.”

Not everyone who makes Hajj will have his Hajj accepted. As Ibn `Umar, radhiallahu `anhu, said to Mujahid, when he said, "How many Hujjaj", "How few. Rather say, how many riders." (6) I will highlight here some matters that help one ensure that his or her Hajj will be accepted, in shaa' Allah.

First: Sincerity and Following of the Sunnah
Sincerity to Allah and seeking His reward and pleasure alone. Allah says in the hadeeth qudsi, "Whoever does an action for other than me, I will leave him and his shirk." (7) The Prophet, sallallahu 1alayhi wa sallam, supplicated, "Allahumma hajjatan la riyaa'a feeha wa la sum`a" (O Allah, (enable me to make) hajj with no riya' (show-off in the sense of desire that others witness one's good acts) or sum`a (show-off related to desire that others hear about one's good acts) in it." (8)

Following of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, in all matters. He said, "Whoever does an action not in accordance with our matter (Deen), it will be rejected." (9) Also, “Take your rituals (from me), for I do not know whether I will perform Hajj after this one.” (10) The Sahaba, radhiallahu `anhum, comprehended this matter well. `Umar said when he kissed the black stone, "By Allah, I know that you are a stone, you neither bring harm nor benefit, and if I had not seen the Messenger of Allah - sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, kiss you, I would not have kissed you.” (11)   <continue..>

Proof of A God (Allah)

"Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay they have no firm belief." Quran [TMQ 52:35-36]

The Islamic Belief and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis. Therefore, Islam is neither a religion nor a set of values and rituals that arise from Blind Faith. Rather, Islam is an intellectual belief from which emanates a comprehensive system of life, be it for individuals or society. To understand the unique system that Islam offers necessitates the explanation of the Islamic belief i.e. the belief in God, Allah (swt) in Arabic, and the Word of God, the Qur’an.


Arguments For & Against God
Today if you mention God then you’ll probably get a negative reaction. It has become a trend to get on with like and not to bother to ask the question whether there is a God or not. In fact this question was not even asked much in the days of old, when

you simply had to believe in God or be persecuted. Therefore it is not surprising that people find it easy to believe that the existence of God is a myth, simply because they have never thought deeply about the idea.

It is because people continued to believe in God blindly, i.e. Blind Faith, rather than use ration, that science and its attempted explanations of universal phenomena was hailed as the ‘new God’.

But let us deal with both arguments - for and against the existence of a Creator - from a rational perspective. A common argument by many Christians and some other religions is that God is the God of many abstract attributes such as Love, Peace, Mercy which indeed are admirable qualities for human beings to aspire to. This characterisation of God is based on an implicit assumption that God can be likened to human beings thus the attempt to understand God in a human framework. Accordingly, we find in some societies, such as early Greek, that individual gods were used to represent single human attributes, and in other cultures gods have the quality to reproduce.

The question this begs is whether the essence of an unlimited Creator is understandable through a limited, imperfect human mind when God lies beyond our perception? Rational thought would dictate that if God exists then knowledge of God’s attributes can only come from Itself. Therefore, famine in the world leading to the deaths of millions would not deny the Justice, Mercy or Love of God as the Governor and Controller of the universe. This is the failure of Christianity and indeed all religions as their belief becomes a matter of Blind Faith. Consequently, they allow themselves to be plagued by rational contradictions which inevitably lead to intellectual refutation.

With regard to the opposing view proposed by scientific theories to disprove the existence of God. Are these arguments valid? To understand the validity of any proposed argument the premise should be examined. Science is concerned with the methodology of processes in the physical world i.e. it deals with ‘how’ and not ‘why’. Thus scientists are not concerned with why gravity exists but how gravity influences bodies to shape the universe.    <continue...>

Status of The Torah and Bible in Islam...

Belief in the Books implies four things:
1– Firm belief that all of them were revealed from Allaah, and that Allaah spoke them in a real sense. Some of them were heard from Him from behind a veil, without there being any intermediary from among the angels. Some were conveyed by an angelic Messenger to a human Messenger. Some were written by Allaah’s own Hand, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is not given to any human being that Allaah should speak to him unless (it be) by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise” [al-Shoora 42:51]

“and to Moosa (Moses) Allaah spoke directly” [al-Nisa’ 4:164]

And Allaah said concerning the Tawraat (Torah):

“And We wrote for him on the Tablets the lesson to be drawn from all things and the explanation for all things” [al-A’raaf 7:145]

2– The Books that Allaah has mentioned by name, we must believe in by name. These are the Books which Allaah has named in the Qur’aan, i.e., the Qur’aan, the Tawraat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Zaboor (Psalms), and the Scriptures of Ibraaheem and Moosa.

Those which Allaah has mentioned in general terms, we must believe in them in general terms, so we say concerning them what Allaah and His Messenger have commanded us to say:

“…say: “I believe in whatsoever Allaah has sent down of the Book [all the holy Books…]” [al-Shoora 42:15 – interpretation of the meaning]

3– Believing whatever is true of what they say, such as what is said in the Qur’aan, and whatever has not been altered or distorted in the previous Books.     <continue...>