"I feel overwhelmed..."

Question: Shaykh, can you please advise me? I listen to so much and read quite a bit and I feel overwhelmed. I simply want to live a peaceful life, but in such a way that I please Allah and am ready to meet Him at any time. What do you recommend?

Answer: First and foremost, let us remember that we do have a primary purpose in this life; to worship Allah. That means, we have to live our lives in a manner that Allah accepts and He has to be at the forefront of our minds at all times. Live to please Allah, not yourself nor those around you. Perhaps we can give a few quick tips or guidelines:

1. Know that Allah is your Creator and He is Ever-Watchful over you. You and I have to answer to Him. He is One and He is unique. He controls absolutely everything and He is All-Powerful; our allegiance is first and foremost to Him. His legislation and laws are significant and matter; all other laws are worthless if they conflict with His laws. If they are in agreement, then they are His law to begin with. He deserves our complete and utter obedience.

2. Never, ever miss a single compulsory (fard) prayer at its prescribed time, there is absolutely no negotiation on this matter. If you are lax with salah, whether that means not praying all five in the day or praying, but delaying some to a time other than that legislated, then know you are on a path leading to destruction. The only way back is to repent and truly establish the salah. Without salah, there is no moving forward. This is what connects us with Allah and keeps us focused on our purpose of life.

Question on cremation & pledge of allegiance......

Question:

Today at work a co-worker asked me if cremation was haraam, I told her yes, and she asked why but I wasn't able to tell her why. If you can let me know why cremation is haraam in Islam. Also, this is regarding the pledge of allegiance, why is it not allowed in Islam and please explain so I can explain it to a non-Muslim.

Answer:

Two reasons why we Muslims do not burn the dead:

1] Allah has given us clear guidelines on how to bury our dead; what we do not do, what we have to do, and what is permitted to do. And the teachings of Islam includes treating the dead with respect in a way that will fit the dead person. We wash him, cleanse him, and put a white shroud around him, then we offer a funeral prayer (janazah) and pray forgiveness for him. Allah does not include cremation as a part of it. Thus we do not do this nor are we permitted to do so.

2] Allah says:

     وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا

And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference. [al-Isra 17:70]

Station of Toma'aninah (tranquillity)...

Toma'aninah is tranquillity. Allah says:

"Those who believe and whose hearts find toma'aninah in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find toma'aninah." [13:28]

"O you the one with toma'aninah! Come back to your Lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter you, then among My honored slaves, and enter My Paradise." [89:27-30]

Toma'aninah is the satisfaction of the heart with circumstances without any sense of anxiety or restlessness. It was mentioned in one narration that: "Truthfulness is a cause of toma'aninah and lying is a cause of suspicion and doubt." This suggests that one who hears the truth will have toma'aninah and satisfaction within his heart as a result, whereas lying causes disturbance and doubt within the heart. This meaning is also seen in the hadith which states: "Righteousness is what the heart has toma'aninah with." This shows that the heart feels satisfied with truth and has no anxiety or sense of unease because of it.

There are two opinions regarding the meaning of remembrance of Allah in the aforementioned verse. The first opinion holds that the remembrance is of the servant to his Lord. This remembrance causes toma'aninah to settle within the heart. Should the heart become anxious or disturbed, then the servant will have no means for attaining toma'aninah except through the remembrance of Allah. The second opinion holds that the meaning of this remembrance is the Qur'an, and this is the more sound. It is His Remembrance that he revealed to His Messenger. The hearts of the believers will have toma'aninah as a result of it. For the heart will not have trust or toma'aninah except by faith and certainty. There are no means of attaining faith and certainty except through the Qur'an. The toma'aninah of the heart is due to its firm faith. The heart's anxiety and disturbance are a result of its doubts and uncertainty. The Qur'an is the means to attain certainty and firmness in faith, and to remove doubts. That is why the hearts of the believers cannot have tranquillity except through the Qur'an. It is impossible for anyone who doesn't study the Qur'an, or deeply understand it, to have a benefit from it and its guidance. The benefit from the Qur'an, will not be sound unless one's heart perceives the reflections of His Lord's Names and Attributes, in His Laws within himself and in everything around him within this universe. The same two opinions are also applied to the meaning for the remembrance of Allah, as stated in the following verse:

"And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of ar-Rahman, We appoint for him a shaytan to be an intimate companion to him." [43:36]

Using food for cosmetic purposes...?

Allah has created man in the best shape and form; He says:

"He Created the heavens and earth in truth and Formed you and perfected your forms; and to Him is the (final) destination." [64:3]

"Who Created you, Proportioned you, and Balanced you?" [82:7]

Allah created everything in the universe to suit the nature of man as well as to be in harmony with the way Allah assembled him. Allah made everything on earth able to meet the needs of man that vary and differ according to time and place.

Hence, man lives in an environment and climate suitable for him. Allah says: "Do you not see that Allah Has Made subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply Bestowed upon you His favors, (both) apparent and unapparent?" [31:20]

One of the most important aspects of this life is food, which helps man survive and obtain various benefits. It is the source of energy and growth for the body and it resists diseases that weaken it. It was proven through medicine and experimentation conducted throughout the course of time that some kinds of food increase beauty and adornment and help to remove defects that may afflict the body and affect its beauty, or hide it.

There are two aspects of types of food that are involved in beauty: