Signs of Allah’s love for His slaves and the efforts for its achievement...

Imam Nawawi

Chapter 47
From Riyadh ul Saleheen

Allah, the Exalted, says:

“Say (O Muhammad (pbuh) to mankind): `If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e., accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”’ (3:31)

“O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islam), Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.” (5:54)

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported: Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Allah, the Exalted, has said:

`I will declare war against him who treats with hostility a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love him, (so much so that) I become his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me something, I will surely give him, and if he seeks My Protection (refuge), I will surely protect him”.
[Al-Bukhari]

Why Sufyan Would Urinate Blood..?

Here are some compiled bits that can help us overcome fear of people and encourage us to speak the truth when it needs to be said in light of the words of the Messenger (pbuh) in ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah’ (168): “A man should not let his intimidation by people prevent him from speaking the truth if he knows it, witnesses it, or hears it.” 

Fadlullah al-Jilani said in ‘Fadlillah as-Samad fi Tawdih al-Adab al-Mufrad’ (2/45):
“If it is said that the one who has haya’ is shy to speak the truth, causing him to leave off commanding the good and forbidding the bad, and that his haya’ leads him to shortcomings in fulfilling some obligations, as is normally the case, I say that this is not true haya’. Rather, it is incompetence and weakness and subjugation, and it is referred to as haya’ simply by way of likeness and simile. True haya’ is only when the thing he has haya’ of doing is truly bad, and there is no consideration for what the people consider to be bad when it is in fact something good or vice versa…And it is established that the Prophet had more haya’ than a virgin in the innermost portion of her home, and he is an example for us in this. With this, there was nothing to prevent his anger if the limits of Allah were violated.”

Al-Albani mentioned in ‘Adab az-Zifaf’ (p. 129) that Salim bin ‘Abdillah got married and invited people to the wedding, and Abu Ayyub was one of those invited. They had covered the walls of their home with green rugs. Abu Ayyub came and looked around to see the house’s walls covered in green sheets and said: “O ‘Abdullah! You cover the walls with rugs?” Salim’s father replied: “The women have overpowered us, Abu Ayyub!” So, Abu Ayyub said: “You were the last person who I feared would be overpowered by women! I will not eat from your food or enter your homes!” And he left.

(This is because many scholars considered it disliked or even prohibited to cover walls with rugs, considering it to be a form of extravagance.)

Time Limit for the ‘Isha’ Prayer

The Prophet (saws) said: "The time of the Dhuhr prayer is when the sun passes the meridian and a man's shadow is of the same length as his height. It lasts until the time of the `Asr prayer. The time of the `Asr prayer is as long as the sun has not become yellow (during its setting). The time of the Maghrib prayer is as long as the twilight has not disappeared. The time of the `Ishaa prayer is up to midnight. And the time of the Fajr prayer is from the appearance of dawn as long as the sun has not risen (but when the sun rises abstain from prayer; for it rises between the two horns of Shaytaan)" [Sahih Muslim]

Narated By Abu Al-Minhal : Abu Barza said, "The Prophet used to offer the Fajr (prayer) when one could recognize the person sitting by him (after the prayer) and he used to recite between 60 to 100 Ayat (verses) of the Qur'an. He used to offer the Zuhr prayer as soon as the sun declined (at noon) and the 'Asr at a time when a man might go and return from the farthest place in Medina and find the sun still hot. (The sub-narrator forgot what was said about the Maghrib). He did not mind delaying the 'Isha prayer to one third of the night or the middle of the night. " [Sahih Bukhari]

Based on the above Hadith, one should pray `Isha before midnight, however midnight does not mean 12am, as Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahUllah) said that the night is from when the sun sets till the start of Fajr.
So for example if Maghrib is at 5pm and Fajr is at 5am. The night is 12 hours, now we divide that in 2, which is 6 hours, so we can delay`Isha until 11pm (5pm + 6 hours).
Or an example which we can relate to more... say Maghrib is at 9pm, and Fajr is at 3am. The night is 6 hours, and half of that would be 3 hours. So we can pray `Isha until 12am.

Consumerism AND Islam !!!

Consumerism is at its peak. On one side there’s so much of poverty that even basic amenities are not available to some. On the other side there’s excess of everything. People get fed up with eating the same kind of food so they go to different restaurants. Many shop until they drop and come home loaded down with things they don’t really need. What do people do with so many things?

Consider dresses— the common excuse is, “How can I wear the same dress again and again? The dress worn in one party is seen by all my friends. I don’t want to repeat it at the next party.” The same goes for jewelry: “How can I wear the same set again and again?” People collect personal items from footwear, goggles, handbags, accessories, etc. to furniture, curtains, cushions, and artifacts.  For some, cellphones and other electronic gadgets have to be changed whenever there’s a new one on the market! A lady who had only two children had such a huge collection of glassware, cutlery, crockery, and dinner sets that her house overflowed. When asked why she purchased so much, her reply was, “How can I serve my guests the same dinner set every time? After all, variety is the spice of life.” With this excuse, people indulge in overspending and accumulating. Shopping has never been easier; even in the luxury of one’s home, one can shop online and swipe the card to pay. Unfortunately this disease has spread to Muslims too. If you’re a shopaholic, how do you stop? 

Remember the Qur’anic Verse

All of us want to achieve the pleasure of Allah (swt). In Surah Al A’raf (ayah no.31) Allah (swt) says he dislikes some people. Who are they? 

"O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not extravagant. Indeed, He likes not those who commit extravagance."

Do you want to earn His displeasure?  Definitely not! Then, always remember this ayah!  Just this one verse is enough to keep us away from extravagance. And remind your friends and relatives about this verse when you see them overspending on unnecessary items.

Our Stance Towards the Differences Amongst the Scholars...

 

By Shaykh Muhammad Saalih Al-Uthaymeen

"Differences of Opinion Amongst the Scholars - Their Causes and Our Position Towards Them !"

As I mentioned in the beginning, due to the many forms of media: audio, visual and written material and due to the differences amongst the scholars or those who speak across this media, the general masses have become dubious, and question: "Who do we follow?"

'The gazelles have gathered in great numbers around Khirash to the extent that Khirash no longer knows which to hunt.' [An Arabic proverb applied to a person overcome by too many affairs, each one of equal priority and thus, he is unsure which to begin with and which to defer. The origin of this proverb traces back to a hunter of gazelles known as Khirash. On one particular day, they gathered around him in great numbers whereby he became confused on how to confront the situation and which gazelle to hunt; upon that he uttered these words portraying the situation. It's relevance here is due to the presence of a number of opinions on one single issue causing confusion for the layman in need of a judgment]

I say therefore, our stance towards this differing, and I mean the differing between the scholars who are well trusted for their knowledge and religion, not those who have been classified as being upon knowledge but are not in fact from the people of knowledge. As we do not regard the likes of such as scholars, nor do we hold that their statements are to be known and recorded like the statements of the people of knowledge.

But who we mean, are the scholars who are well known for their sincere advise to the ummah, for their Islaam and knowledge; our stance towards them is from two angles.

The station of Fear...

BY: Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah (rahimahUllah)

 

From among the stations of worshipping Allah and seeking His help is the station of fear.

Fear is one of the most important stations on the path and most beneficial for the heart. Fear is an obligation upon everyone, Allah said, “So fear them not, and fear Me alone, if you are believers.” [3:175] (The actual word used for fear in this verse is ‘khawf.’) Another verse says, “And Me alone you all should fear,” [2:40] the actual word being a derivative of ‘rahba.’ And, “So do not fear people, but fear Me,” [5:44] the actual word in Arabic being ‘khashya.’ Different connotations of these various terms in Arabic for fear will be discussed shortly.

Allah has praised those who possess the attribute of fear saying, “And such (are the believers) who are humbled by the fear of their Lord…” [23:57]

Fear (of Allah’s displeasure or punishment) is not only for grave sinners, but also for the pious, observant believers, as in the following hadeeth: Aisha said, “O Messenger of Allah, is the verse “And those who dispense their charity while their hearts fear that to their Lord they must return” [23:60] referring to someone who commits fornication, drinks alcohol and steals and still fear Allah? The Prophet (pbuh) said, “No, O daughter of as-Siddiq, but it refers to one who fasts, perform salah and gives charity, and fears that it may not be accepted from him.” (Tirmithi) Al-Hasan, commenting on this, said, “By Allah, they (the Companions) obeyed Him and strove hard in it, yet they feared it might be rejected. A believer combines righteousness with fear in his heart, while a hypocrite combines evil with impunity.”

Status of the Sahabah in Islam

Meaning - Sahabee (plural: Sahabah) Anyone who saw the Messenger of Allah (saws), while in the state of Imaan and breathe his last while in the state of Muslim is known as a Sahabee - the Companion of Prophet Muhammad (saws).

The Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Messenger (saws) clearly mention the lofty position of the Sahabah - The first ones to accept Islam and to believe in the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (saws).

They were the ones, who accepted enmity against their tribes and families and endured their tyranny and oppression, left their homelands and migrated to Madinah, all for the sake of practicing and spreading the religion of Allah. They fought along with the Prophet (saws), against the Kuffar, with their wealth and lives. They are the ones, whom Allah chose to place the responsibility of preserving the religion of Islam for the coming generations and it is through them that the Religion is preserved; they are the Best of generation, as Prophet (saws) said: "The best of my nation is my generation then those who follow them and then those who follow them." [Saheeh Bukhari]

Allah, the All-Wise and Knowledgeable extolled their virtues in His Book saying: "Rather, the Prophet and those who believe with him fought with their property and their lives for these are all good things, they are the successful ones and Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever and that is the great success" [9:88-89]

They are the best example for us after our noble Prophet (saws), he (saws) symbolized them as a protection for the Muslim Ummah.

And Allah, the Exalted has praised those who follow them in faith, He described them saying: "And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun and Ansar and all those who followed them exactly (in faith). Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him and Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever and that is the great success." [9:100]

How Tafseer is Performed..?

By Shaykh ul-Islâm ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullâh
From 'An Introduction to the Principles of Tafsîr' 

If you ask what is the best method of tafsîr, the answer is that the best way is to explain the Qur'ân through the Qur'ân. For, what the Qur'ân alludes to at one place is explained at the other, and what it says in brief on one occasion is elaborated upon at the other. But if this does not help you, you should turn to the Sunnah, because the Sunnah explains and elucidates the Qur'ân. Imâm Abû 'Abdullâh Muhammad Ibn Idrîs ash-Shâfi'î has said: "All that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has said is what he has derived from the Qur'ân." Allâh has said:

We have sent down to you the book in truth that you may judge between me, as Allâh guides you; so do not be an advocate for those who betray their trust. [al-Qur'ân 4:105]

We have sent down to you the message that you may explain clearly to people what has been sent to them, and that they think over it. [al-Qur'ân 16:44]

We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe. [al-Qur'ân 16:64] 

This is why the Prophet (saws) said: Know that I have been given the Qur'ân and something like it. [Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. IV 131; Abû Dâwûd, Sunan, Sunnah, 5] 

Namely the Sunnah. In fact, the Sunnah, too has been given to him through wahy as the Qur'ân, except that it has not been recited to him as the Qur'ân. Imâm ash-Shâfi'î and other scholars have advanced a number of arguments in support of this point; but this is not the place to quote them. [For discussion see ash-Shâfi`î, ar-Risâlah] 

In order to understand the Qur'ân, you should first look to the Qur'ân itself. If that does not help, then turn to the Sunnah. 

The Polytheism AND Disbelief of the Christians!

Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam. Say: 'Who then has the least power against Allah, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of Mayam, his mother and all those who are on the earth together?' And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah is able to do all thing. And the Jews and the Christians say: 'We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.' Say: 'Why then does He punish you for your sins?' Nay, you are but human beings of those He has created, He forgives whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heaven and the earth and all that is between them; and to Him is the return (of all). O People of Scriptures! Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series) of Messengers, lest you say: 'There came to us not bringer of glad tidings and no warner. But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah is able to do all things. [Soorah al-Maidah (5): 17-18]

Allah states that the Christians are disbelievers because they exaggerate in the position of Isa (as) until they elevate him above the rank that Allah gave him.

The Christian Sects: Said Ibn Batriq, the Patriarch of Alexandria and a famous Christian scholar, mentioned in the year four hundred after the Hijrah that a Christian Council convened during the reign of Constantine, who build the city that bears his name. In this Council, the Christians came up with what they called, 'the Great Trust.' There were more than two thousand patriarchs in this Council, and they were in such disarray that they divided into many sects, where some sects had twenty, fifty or hundred members, etc. When the king saw that there were more than three hundred Patriarchs who had the same idea, he agreed with them and adopted their creed. Constantine gave his support to this sect for which as an honor, churches were built and doctrines were taught to young children, who were baptized on their creed, and books were written about it. Meanwhile, the kind oppressed all other sects. Another Council produced the sect known as the Jacobites, while the Nestorians were formed in a third Council. These three sects agreed that Isa (as) was divine, but disputed regarding the manner in which Isa's (as) divinity was related to his humanity; were they in unity or did Allah incarnate in Isa! Thus as a result, some Christians believe that Isa (as)?  is one in the trinity, while other claim he is the son of Allah. [See Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

Traps of Iblees !!!

By: Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (rahimahUllah)

It is not possible to encompass one of Iblees’ evils, let alone all of them. Since Iblees’ evil is of six types, Iblees remains behind the son of Adam until he gets him to do one or more of these six evils.

1) The first Evil is the Evil of Kufr and Shirk and enmity to Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). If he gains this from the son of Adam, his moaning is eased, and he rests from his ordeal with this man. Further, this is the first thing Iblees wants from the worshipper (al-’Abd). If Iblees gains this, he makes this person part of his army, one of his soldiers, and he appoints him as a deputy or agent against other human beings. Then, this person becomes one of the deputies or callers of Iblees.

2) If he despairs of enticing him with the first evil, and if this person is one of those for whom it was written that he would be a Muslim in his mother’s womb, Iblees tries:

The second class of evil. THIS IS BID’AH (innovation). Iblees loves Bid’ah more than debauchery and disobedience because the harm of Bid’ah is in the essence of the religion. Moreover, it is an unrepeatable sin and is against the call of the messengers and is a call to a message different from the one conveyed by Ar-Rasool. Bid’ah is a gate to Kufr and Shirk. Therefore, if Iblees gains the performance of Bid’ah from a person and makes him one of the people of Bid’ah, he also becomes one of his agents and a caller of his.

The Crusades Continue !!!

What were the Crusades? 
The Crusades were fought during the middle ages by the Catholic Church in western Europe against heretics or in other words, Muslims because their belief differed from that of the official church. The first Crusades was launched by Pope Orban the second in 1095. This was the longest and largest Crusade of the Christian church and lasted for over 200 years, It was fought in the Middle East against Muslims and Islam. The apparent aim was to take the holy land of Palestine which was revered by Christians and was a place of pilgrimage for them. The Pope claimed that the land was controlled by Infidels', which is what they called the Muslims. But the more implicit political agenda was to militarily attack the ever expanding Islamic State, due to fear and horror that Islam may eventually enter Europe. It had already reached the gates of Vienna and France, so the Church inevitably felt threatened. 

Crusade Fever

During the Middle Ages Europe was a feudal society controlled by the monarchy, clergy and 'knights'. The church in Europe at this time had the upmost authority, the Pope being the head of the church had the most power and therefore he had political interest in society. The Crusades where part of the church's wish to expand its empire. At the time of his call to destroy Islam in the Middle East, the Pope realized that the church's political interests could be furthered as the Byzantine Empire (controlled by the Greek Orthodox Church) was requesting help against the Muslims, from Rome. If the Crusades where fought and won, it would mean geographical expansion of political power and authority for the Church. 

The whole of Europe was gripped by "Crusade Fever ". The military venture was seen as a confrontation between the truth of Christianity against the supposedly demonic and ignorant face of Islam which had been painted by the church. This propaganda Included attacking the authenticity of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (saws), who were both tagged imposters, sorcery, satanic, evil, and pagan. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (saws) was considered sexually promiscuous and lewd, an alcoholic, gambler and pimp. From this wretched fabrication, the church concluded that all Muslims were despotic and evil, to the extent where not only did they resemble beasts in their behavior, but also in their looks. So ridiculous were all these allegations, yet they were unquestioned and lapped up by the people, and added to the justification of attacking the Muslim world. These essentially became the roots of the long and continuing attack on Islam by the west, especially from its development into Orientalism. Years later, when the Crusades were subject of huge romanticisation, Chateaulri and would write about how the Crusades were the glorious Christian attempt to liberate the Muslims from the only thing they knew which is force.

Explanation of the Hadith: He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya...

By Shaikh Nathim Sultan, From Qawaid wa-Fawaaid min al-Arbaeen an-Nawawi

"He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya (this earthly life) for a believer, Allah will relieve a hardship of the Day of Resurrection for him; he who makes it easy for an indebted person, Allah will make it easy for him in the Dunya and the Hereafter; he who covers a Muslim (his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in the Dunya and the Hereafter; Allah will be in the slave 's need, as long as the slave is in his (believing) brother's need…" [Saheeh Muslim]
 

The Virtue of Relieving Hardships For Other Muslims
The Prophet (saws) said above: "He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya for a believer, Allah will relieve a hardship of the Day of Resurrection for him."

Relieving a hardship involves removing it or lessening its impact. The Kurbah (meaning the hardship or the disaster) is the severe difficulty that causes sadness and depression for those whom the Kurbah befalls, "Verily, We have created man in toil." [al-Balad (90):4] Ibn Jarir said that the "toil" mentioned in this Ayah, entails suffering the various difficult matters and hardships.

In this life, mankind suffers various types and forms of hardships, that which will cause sorrow and depression, especially when such hardships and trials befall and touch people's bodies, property, offspring or religion. When such difficulties befall a certain Muslim, his Muslim brethren are obliged to rush to his aid and to defuse this hardship, so that his pain will subside, as much as can be.

Furthermore, a Muslim may fall victim to injustice, as Al-Mutanabbi (a famous Arab poet) has said, "Injustice is a human trait. Hence, if you can find an honorable person, there is a hope he will not commit injustice". In this case, the Muslim brethren are obliged to remove this injustice that has befallen their brother (or sister) in Islam, as much as they can. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Aid your (Muslim) brother when he is unjust, or when suffering from injustice." He was asked, "What about when he is unjust, how can I aid him?" He said, "You prevent or forbid him from committing injustice, for this constitutes giving aid to him." [Bukhari]

Requirements of the Islamic Call (Da'wah)...

When we study the life of the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and the way he delivered the Islamic da'wah we can conclude the following points concerning the method, requirements, demands, styles and means: 

1) Delivering the Islamic da'wah demands frankness and courage, strength and thought, and a confrontation with all that contradicts the Islamic idea and method, in order to disclose its falsehood – irrespective of the situation or consequences.

2) Delivering the Islamic da'wah also demands absolute sovereignty for the Islamic ideology, regardless of whether the public agree or disagree, or whether they will accept it or not and whether it accords or not to the people's customs.

3) The deliverer of da'wah, i.e. the daa'ie, does not flatter or coax the people.

4) The daa'ie is not courteous to the authorities, cares not for the people's customs and traditions, and does not give any attention to whether the people will accept him or not.

5) The daa'ie adheres only to the ideology, announcing the ideology alone, with no regard given to anything except the ideology (i.e. Islam). The followers of other ideologies are not asked to adhere to their ideologies; rather, followers are invited, as a matter of compulsion, to embrace the ideology of Islam.

6) The da'wah requires that there be no other ideology and that the sovereignty be for Islam alone. Allah (SWT) says: "It is He Who has sent His Messenger [SAW] with guidance and the religion of truth [Islam], to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikoon [polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah] hate [it]." ( at-Tawbah, 9:33)

Aspects of increasing Imaan!

By Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahUllah) 

Increasing the Iman which Allah commands us to have, and which is a trait of His believing worshipers, can be achieved through different means. 

The first aspect in increasing Iman is through practicing ijmaal, total, observance and tafseel, detailed, observance of Allah’s commands, for it is the obligation of all mankind to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and of every community to commit itself to all that the Messenger (pbuh) has ordered. It is well known that what was obligatory at first differs from what was required after the revelation of the whole Qur’an. Hence, unlike one who does not know about Islam, he who knows the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and their meanings is obliged to have a detailed Iman. That is, if a man, inwardly as well as outwardly, believed in Allah and the Messenger (pbuh) and died before he knew the laws of religion, he would die as a believer. His obligation and what he did are different from the Iman of the one who knew the Islamic laws and who believed in them and worked to fulfill them. The Iman of such a person is more complete, in accordance with the obligatory and the actual deeds. Indeed, of what he performed in accordance with the obligation is of a more complete Iman and what he did is also considered more complete.

Allah says: “… This day I have perfected your religion for you …” (5:3). In this verse, the word “religion” refers to the legislation of commanded and forbidden actions, but does not mean that everybody is obliged to do what the whole community is ordered to do. It is recorded both in Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (pbuh) described women as diminished in intellect and religion. This diminution in intellect made the witness of two women equal in that of one man; the diminution in her religion is due to the fact that she does not pray and fast when she is menstruating. Indeed, this diminution is not a diminution of what she is commanded to do and so she will not be punished because of it. However, if someone is commanded to pray and fast and does so, his religion is complete compared to the one of diminished religion.

Etiquette of Giving Advice

Explanation of the Hadith:
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:

"When any one of you sees anything that is disapproved (of by Allah), let him change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his heart, though that is the weakest (kind of) faith." [Muslim]

Background:

The essence of the Islamic Dawah is enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, since whenever a person conveys the Message, he is enjoining good and forbidding evil.

Therefore, it is a mistake to consider these two as separate matters, since they are actually performed concurrently and are synonymous.

The main objective in fulfilling this obligation is to attain and maximize benefits, and to eliminate or minimize harm.

Qualities possessed by a Caller who enjoins the good and forbids the evil:

Ikhlas (Sincerity) - since enjoining the good and forbidding the evil becomes an action pleasing to Allah and accepted by Him only if it is done with sincerity for Him.

'Ilm (Knowledge) - as Allah commands:
"Say: This is my path, I do call to Allah upon clear knowledge." [Noble Quran 12:108]

This is an important condition since the Caller must know what matters are good, so he enjoins it, and what matters are evil, so he forbids it. In Ibn Taymiyah's al-Amar it is stated that it is necessary to possess the knowledge of good and evil and of the difference between them, and it is necessary to know the situation of the person being commanded or forbidden.

The truth behind the Veil

There is a growing Islamic movement today, in the Muslim Community; to revive the Muslims intellectually back to Islam as their source of guidance. This is marked by the number of sisters wearing the hijaab (veil). The hijaab has been the focus of western propaganda against Islam for centuries. It was labelled as "extremist", "fundamentalist" and "oppressive". However this is not the case in reality today, the veil is not usually forced on the woman she chooses to wear it herself. What comes as a shock to the western media is that so many young women are turning to Islam despite such negativity surrounding the matter. It was shown that 2 out of 3 reverts to Islam are young women aged between the ages 17-21. The figure is estimated at 20-30,000 over the last few years. The sad thing is that we find many women, Muslim by birth, claiming to believe in Islam, but making numerous excuses for not wearing the hijaab in fact some sisters go as far as forcefully stopping their own daughters from wearing the veil! Some "Muslim" women even deny that it is a religious duty!!!

The excuses number many, some say it does not matter what is on the outside, it only matters what is in the heart. Some say it is not practical for various reasons (work, education, etc.). There are other Muslims who are so affected by the western media that they themselves do the job for them by calling it extreme etc. And say that Islam promotes being moderate, in the middle, therefore the veil not necessary as it seems too radical. Some Muslim women are just worried what people in general will say about them wearing the hijaab. We as Muslims are looking for an answer to this issue. As we are Muslim and we believe in Allah, we should refer to Allah and consider what really matters to Him alone. At the end of the day, if we all had good thoughts inside our hearts to please Allah, but never actually put what is in our hearts into action, we would be of no value. In Islam you can have goodness in your heart, but if you do not put it into action then it is worthless, as actions are part of Eemaan. Goodness is not enough, what may be good to one person may not be good to another, so goodness in the heart is not only the issue, but what defines good and bad, how we rule our lives is:
"Those who do not rule by what Allah has revealed, they are the wrong-doers." (5: 45)