Islam Stories: The patient Old Man

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.― Who say: when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return." They are those on whom (descend) blessings from their Lord and Mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance. (Al-Baqara, 155-157)

No calamity, even if it were the prick of a thorn, shall be unreciprocated. That has a reward, too. This hadith shed light on this truth:

Abu Hurairah narrates: “Whenever a Muslim is afflicted with a hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or depression – even a thorn’s prick, Allah expiates his sins because of it.” (Bukhari, Marda,1;Muslim, One, 52).

There are many hadiths about patience. The hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad is enough for understanding the subject.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said; “The decision/judgment of Allah for believers makes me considerably happy as follows; a believer praises and thanks Allah if something good happens to him, and praises Allah and shows endurance if he is smitten by affliction. The believer is rewarded for everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife's mouth” (Ahmad b. Hanbal, 1/173).

This hadith shows that a Muslim’s life is always full of profits. He/she shows endurance at the time of troubles and in return he gets reward; he thanks when in comfort and gets reward again. How happy are believers who spend their lives in the way of truth!

Any trouble that befalls of a Muslim is definitely a benefaction: It either deletes his/her past sins or prevents any upcoming troubles or calamities. It is either a notice or a warning or a test for increasing his/her spiritual rank further.

Hamza Yusuf talks about Lust and Desire

Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?

Eighteen year old Canadian Muslimah  Sumayyah Hussein explains.  (Followed by discussion points for young people.) I am sitting in my first-period class impatiently waiting for the teacher to stop babbling about monomials and polynomials. When the bell rings, a girl approaches, her face forming a question mark. She wonders if it's okay to ask a "personal" question... "Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?" It's not the first time this has happened and it is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed. One of the major misconceptions about the hijab (covering of the body except the face and hands) is that young women are forced to wear it by their parents or by male family members. Sumayya Syed, 16, says that what parents or men want have nothing to do with it. In fact, she astounds people who ask by saying that every woman should have this form of liberation. Syed maintains that when a woman is covered, men cannot judge her by her appearance but are forced to evaluate her by her personality, character, and morals. "I tell them that the hijab is not a responsibility, it's a right given to me by my Creator who knows us best. It's a benefit to me, so why not? It's something every woman should strive to get and should want." The young woman admits to being surprised that many people wonder if she wears the hijab everywhere (at home, when sleeping, in the shower). The truth is that Muslim women only cover themselves in front of men who are not direct relatives (brothers, fathers, and uncles) to prevent indecent acts or thoughts. Another young woman who wears the hijab, Zeinab Moallim, 18, maintains that some people assume that all Muslims who wear the traditional dress are immigrants who don't know English and perceive them as "weirdos". "I remember in my class when I answer questions, some students look at me like I'm kind of dumb and I can't answer (them)," she says. "So usually I answer, just to let them know I can do things." All of the young women interviewed agreed that the advantages of wearing the hijab are many. According to Rema Zawi, 16, "You feel modest...and you feel like you're covered up. You have more self-respect. You have more confidence in yourself that you don't need to care about (how) you look." Syed emphasizes that a major plus is that people actually evaluate her on who she is and not on her beauty or clothing. "It keeps me protected from the fashion industry. The hijab liberates you from the media, brainwashing you into, Buy this, buy that, you're supposed to look like this," she says. "It allows me to be who I am. I don't have to worry about being popular through buying things that are 'cool'." Hana Tariq, 15, who just recently began wearing the hijab, agrees with Syed's view and says that the hijab lets you know who your real friends are. "People who are friends with you because of the way you look aren't real friends. And people who judge you by your personality are true friends, because people can change looks but they don't really change personalities." The young women said the hijab provides them with an identity. They don't have to tell people they are Muslims. It shows. However, there are drawbacks. Mariam Hussein, 18, was in a store minding her own business, when an old woman came up to her and proclaimed loudly, "Go back to your country!" It was a difficult situation because the young woman considers Canada her home. Responses to the hijab vary widely. Zawi is one of the few Muslim girls in her school who wears the traditional Muslim garb. She says some students treat her differently by looking at her in strange ways or vandalizing her property. However, she also finds that other students have questions for her regarding the hijab. "I find that it's so hard for them to ask because they're really shy, so I confront them. I tell them, If you want to know anything, just talk to me." One young woman's first year at Silverthorn Collegiate was especially difficult. A counsellor was looking at her English marks from previous report cards, and said she found them "impressive". But then she made a comment that hurt. "Well, it's obvious you don't need ESL," she said. The counsellor made the assumption that since the young woman wore the hijab, she had just emigrated and needed to take English as a Second Language. Syed, who attends a school with a fairly large Muslim population, says the people she knows treat her with dignity and the comments she gets from friends and classmates are generally not disrespectful. "Most people in my life respect me with my hijab: they don't swear around me, they don't crack bad jokes," she says. Some people may think that the more a woman covers, the less freedom she has. But, according to Muslim tradition, it is actually the opposite. The less she wears, the more she is degraded and the more she is put in the line of fire of male criticism. Syed is astonished at the behaviour of some women who claim to want "freedom". She can't understand how going topless, for example, represents equality. "People have to understand that we (males and females) are not equal in body image but we should be equal in rights, in justice. Taking off your shirt will not make you equal to a man; it'll make you lower. Why? Because the woman's body is created differently." Amani Elkassabany, 30, who is not presently wearing the hijab, has a different view. She applauds those who wear the hijab (especially those who wear it for God and with good intentions), but feels that it is not necessary to wear the hijab to gain respect. "Just because a woman covers, doesn't mean she is automatically entitled to respect, or has already proven the worth of her mind. Respect must be earned regardless of one's appearance and it is not earned through a dress code alone." Elkassabany sees advantages to wearing the hijab, but thinks that having internal modesty is more important than external modesty. "This external covering is really just a reflection of an inner commitment to dedicate oneself to the worship of the Creator," she comments. She is also concerned about the restraints wearing the hijab implies, restraints that are exclusive to women. "Both men and women are required to dedicate themselves to God, but it is only women who are expected to demonstrate this dedication outwardly in the form of hijab," she says. "This expectation on the part of [women] is what I find difficult to accept." Whether the hijab constrains or liberates women is an ongoing debate. However, statistics reveal that in Western society, women and men are perceived very differently. One study, done at the University of California, found that media photographs emphasize the faces of men but the bodies of women. In the average picture of a woman, less than half the photo (45%) was devoted to the woman's face. In the pictures of men, nearly two-thirds (65%) of the photograph featured the man's face. The same article reports the results of an experiment conducted with a group of 40 male and 40 female college students. These students were told that a study of freehand drawing styles was under way and were assigned to draw either a man or a woman, capturing "the character of a real person." It was observed that the men drawn had very distinct features, with close attention paid to facial details. However, the images drawn of the women were mostly of the body, with the faces vague or even featureless. Perhaps, as women de-emphasize their bodies, this severe imbalance will be at least partially rectified. Meanwhile, Islam provides a solution to this problem - one which dignifies and honours all women.

50 signs of judgement day

50 Signs of the Day of Judgment From the Words of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) Dr. Suhaib Hasan

From a lecture at Cambridge University

Islamic Society, Shawwal 1420 / January 2000.

The Signs are listed in roughly chronological order, although the order is not necessarily precise, especially for those in the future.

This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, cassettes etc. which discuss these in greater detail. May Allah enable us to recognise and heed the Signs, and strengthen us in the times of tribulation.

"Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its Signs have already come!" (Al-Qur’an, Surah Muhammad)

Past

1. Splitting of the Moon.

2. Death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3. A form of death which will kill thousands of Muslims. (Understood to refer to the plague of Amwas during the

caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.)

4. A major fighting in Madinah (understood to refer to the battle of al-Harrah during the caliphate of Yazid, 63 AH).

5. The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.

6. The Muslim conquest of Constantinople.

7. Two large groups of Muslims will fight in war.

8. A war between the Muslims and a reddish people with small eyes, wearing sandals made of hair (understood to refer to

the Mongol Tatar invasion of the Islamic lands.)

9. A peace agreement between the Muslims and non-Muslims from the yellow race (Chinese, Mongols, etc.)

10. Thirty impostors (dajjal) will appear, each thinking he is a prophet.

Present?

11. Naked, destitute, barefoot shepherds will compete in building tall buildings.

12. The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress.

13. A trial (fitnah) which will enter every Arab household.

14. Knowledge will be taken away (by the death of people of knowledge), and ignorance will prevail.

15. Wine (intoxicants, alcohol) will be drunk in great quantities.

16. Illegal sexual intercourse will become widespread.

17. Earthquakes will increase.

18. Time will pass more quickly.

19. Tribulations (fitan) will prevail.

20. Bloodshed will increase.

21. A man will pass by the grave of another and wish he was in the latter’s place.

22. Trustworthiness will be lost, i.e. when authority is given to those who do not deserve it.

23. People will gather for prayer, but will be unable to find an imam to lead them.

Future

24. The number of men will decrease, whilst the number of women will increase, until for every man there are 50 women.

25. The Euphrates will reveal a treasure of gold, and many will die fighting over it, each one hoping to be the one who gains

the treasure.

26. The Romans (Europeans) will come to a place called A’maq or Wabiq, and an army of the best people will go forth from Madinah to face them.

27. The Muslim conquest of Rome.

28. The Mahdi (guided one) will appear, and be the Imam of the Muslims.

29. Jesus Christ will descend in Damascus, and pray behind the Mahdi.

30. Jesus will break the cross and kill the swine, i.e. destroy the false christianity.

31. The Antichrist (al-masih al-dajjal, the false christ) will appear, with all his tools of deception, and be an immense trial. He will be followed by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan (present-day Iran).

32. The appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog), and the associated tribulations.

33. The emergence of the Beast from the Earth, carrying the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon, who will speak to the people, telling them they did not believe with certainty in the Divine Signs.

34. A major war between the Muslims (including Jews and Christians who truly believe in Jesus after his return) led by the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews plus other non-Muslims led by the Antichrist.

35. Jesus will kill the Antichrist at the gate of Ludd (Lod in present-day Israel, site of an airport and a major Israeli military base).

36. A time of great peace and serenity during and after the remaining lifetime of Jesus.

37. Wealth will come so abundant that it will become difficult to find someone to accept charity.

38. Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers.

39. Society will then decay.

40. The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daws will again sway in circumambulation (tawaf) around the idol Dhul-Khulsah.

41. A great fire in the Hijaz, seen by the inhabitants of Busra.

42. Three major armies will sink into the earth: one in the east, one in the west, one in Arabia.

43. An Abyssinian leader with thin shins will destroy the Ka’bah.

44. The huge cloud of smoke.

45. The sun will rise from the west (its place of setting).

46. A gentle wind which will take the souls of the believers.

47. There is no-one left on the earth saying, "Allah, Allah" or "There is no god except Allah."

48. Eventually the Day of Judgment is established upon the worst of the people, who copulate like donkeys in public.

49. The blowing in the Trumpet by the Angel Israfil, upon which everyone will faint except as Allah wills.

50. The second blowing in the Trumpet, upon which everyone will be resurrected.

Frequently asked questions about Islam

WHO IS ALLAH?
 

Allaah is the name in Arabic for the "One God". Allaah is the Creator, Sustainer, Planner and Organizer. He is the only deity that has the right to be worshipped (i.e. praying, supplicating, fasting, etc.). In Islam, the belief in the One God cannot be separated from the acts of worshipping the One God. In other words, it is not enough to simply think you believe in the Oneness of the Creator but that belief must be affirmed by your statement and actions. Example, it would negate ones belief in the Oneness of the Creator if he directs his worship to a man (or any of the other created things).

 WHO WAS MUHAMMAD?

 Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger. He was born into the tribe of Quarish in the year 570 AD. His ancestry goes back to the Prophet Ishmael, the son of Prophet Abraham. His father died before his birth and his mother died before he was six. As a young man he was known as Al-Ameen (the trustworthy). He would retreat to a cave outside of Mecca where, he would ponder and reflect about the immoral practices and customs of the Pagan Arabs. He received revelation from the Creator at the age of 40 through the Angel Gabriel. Subsequently, the Revelations came over the period of 23 years and are collectively in the Qur’an.

 WHAT ARE THE PILLARS OF ISLAM?

Islam has 5 Pillars.

1. (Iman) Belief that no deity is worthy of worship except Allaah and Muhammad is His Last Prophet and Messenger.
2. (Salat) Prayers, which are performed 5 times a day.
3. (Siyam) Fasting in the month of Ramadaan. Abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations with spouses from sunrise to sunset.
4. (Zakat) Charity is the requirement of 2.5% of a Muslims' saved earnings given to the poor once a year as purification of his wealth.
5. (Hajj) Pilgrimage is a journey to the Kab'ah in the sacred city of Mecca. Muslims are required to do this at least once in a lifetime if they are physically and financially able

Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?

The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

1.   In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

1.      Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.

2.      Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

3.      Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

4.      Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

5.      Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.

The prophet Muhammad (SAW): Eating manners

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) Manners in Eating


The Holy Nabi (SAS) ate whatever he got [and only halaal food was served to him]. To him, the best food was what all partook of. When the ma'ida (dining cloth) was spread, he used to say: In the Name of Allah, make it a gift to express gratefulness and that there might be gifts in Jannah (paradise). Whenever the Holy Nabi sat to eat, he used to sit as a praying man sits not placing one leg upon another and say: I am a mere servant, I eat as a servant eats. He used not to take any hot food and said: There is no barakat in it and Allah will not feed us with fire, so make this food cool. He used to eat whatever was presented to him with three fingers with the help of the fourth finger at times. Once a tiffin made of clarified butter, honey and wheat was presented to him. He ate it and said: How good it is. He used to eat bread, curry, dates, and salt. Of all the fresh fruits, the dearest to him were grapes, cucumber and water melon. He used to eat gourd with bread and sugar and sometimes with dates. His ordinary meal consisted of dates and water. Sometimes he mixed milk with dates. Meat was his most favorite curry. He said: Meat increases the power of hearing and is the king of foods in this world and the next. Had I prayed to my Rabb (Lord) for eating meat every day, he would have granted it. He used to eat cooked meat with gourd. He liked gourd and said: It is the fruit of a plant of my brother Yunus (AS). The Nabi said to me: "Ya A'isha, when you cook meat, mix therewith much water as it makes the broken hearted strong." He used to eat the meat of hunted birds but he did not himself hunt or follow game.

He used to eat bread with butter and like goats neck and thigh. He like gourd among curries, vinegar condiment, dried dates among dates. He prayed for three things and said: These have come from paradise and they are medicines for poison and insomnia. He liked among curries creepers of yellow flower and carrot. He disliked the meat of reservoir of urine. He did not eat several things of goat --genital organ, female organ, blood, urinal meat, goiter, gall-bladder, etc. He did not eat onion and garlic, nor condemned them. He used to eat what he liked and did not eat what he did not like. He did not like to eat the meat of lizard and cockroach, neither did he prohibit them to be eaten. He used to lick up his dish with his hand and said: Most barakah is in the remnants of food. He used to lick up his fingers after a meal so much so that they assumed reddish hue. He used not to cleanse his hands with towel 'till he licked up his fingers well and said: Nobody knows in which food there is barakah. When he finished his meal, he used to say: "O Allah, for Thee is all praise. You have given me food and drink and given me satisfaction. So praise to Thee without expiation and farewell and being nor free therefrom." He was accustomed to wipe his hand well and then wash his hands and mouth with excess water ant take the name of Allah each time. He used to drink water in slow degrees and not hastily in one breath. He used not to blow in the cup of water at the time of drinking and supply food to one by his side. Once he was given milk and honey mixed together but he refused to drink it saying: Two drinks at the same time and two curries at the same time; he said: I don't make them unlawful but I consider them bad for rendering accounts on the Resurrection day as they are additional things in this world. I like modesty and Allah raises up one who humbles himself for Allah. He lived in his house more bashful than an unmarried girl. He used not to order for preparation of any food and eat whatever was given to him and remain silent if not given.