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As-Salaam alaikum, "THERE IS FOR YOU IN THE ENVOY OF ALLAH AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE (Uswa)".. (33:21) This ayat/verse in Surat Ahzab of the Holy Qur'an forms the basis of the very first Muslims setting their heart on finding out about the behavior of the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. They made efforts to find out from him or those close to him, to acquaint themselves with even the minutest details of his tastes, his preferences, and his ways of reacting in any given circumstance. Deprived of the physical presence of the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, the succeeding generations of Muslims down to our time today, did everything possible to conserve the memory of his Sunnah, his custom, by collecting together the hadiths. These are testimonies going back as far back as the first generation of Muslims, which rescued the sayings and actions of the Prophet or of his companions, and they were gathered into a vast corpus of which six books are reputed to be canonical. These are :- (1) Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Muhammad ibn Isma'ila (Al-Bukhari d. 875) (2) Sahih Muslim, compiled by Muslim ibn al-Hajj (d. 875) (3) Sunan Abu Dawud, compiled by Abu Dawud al-Sijjistani (d.889) (4) Ibn Majah (d. 887) (5) Sunan Tirmidhi, compiled by Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)and (6) Al-Nisa'i, compiled by Ibn Shu'ayb Al-Nisa'i (d. 915) Subject and issues covered in the above 6 authenticated books of hadith include actual rituals (the Ibaadat), social behavior (the mu'amalat) and everyday actions - - eating, drinking, sleeping etc This way, the Prophetic Sunnah is preserved for Muslims to observe it today in accordance with the above qouted ayat (33:21) and in compliance with ayat 31 in Surat Al-i-Imran : "Say: if you love Allah, follow me (ittabi'uni), Allah will love you" . (3:31).. as following the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam is the only means of access to the highest spiritual realisation.

As-Salaam alaikum, Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, once came forth to meet a group of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them. He said, "What has caused you to congragate here?". They replied : "We have congragated here to remember Allah Ta'ala and to praise Him for guiding us to Islam and blessing us with it. He said : By Allah! Is this the only reason for your gathering? They replied : By Allah! This is the only reason for our gathering. He said : I had not made you swear an oath because I disbelieve you but Jibril came to me and informed me that Allah Ta'ala is boasting about you before the angels. "(Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nisa'i and Ahmad). Mulla Ali Qari, may Allah be Merciful to him, explains that Allah boasts about these people despite having worldly engagements, natural desires, temptations and the Shaytan trying to mislead them, they do not neglect and turn away from Allah's Remembrance... on the other hand angels who are also always engaged in Zikr, are not faced with any of these obstacles.

Imam Jafar Saqed, may Allah be pleased with him, said:- "Allah kept 3 things secret in 3 things: His Pleasure in Divine services, so don't neglect anything of the Divine service.. perhaps there lies His pleasure therein. (2) His wrath in sins,so don't neglect a trifling thing, as there may be His wrath therein. (3) His friendship among His servants. So don't disregard any of them, as he may be Wali.. a friend of Allah. He added another thing - His hidden answer in invocation. So don't give up invocation (Du'a).. often a reply may come therein. " And Abu Hassan Shadhili, may Allah be pleased with him, also says: " Zikr, the basis of which is righteous works, and the fruit of which is illumination is one of the ways to be on course toward Allah Ta'ala... (so) is Love, as the Sheikh observes.. as love is the basis of which is dislike of the world and its people, and the fruit of which is Union with the Beloved. " And Abu Najib-Suhrawardi, may Allah Merciful to him, says that :" Silence is praiseworthy because it is a cover for the ignorant and adornment for the intelligent ".

As-Salaam alaikum, It is related that Jabir Ibn Abdullahi, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:- "O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, tell me of the first thing Allah created before all things. He said," O Jabir, the first thing Allah created was the light of your Prophet, from His light, and that light remained (literally turned) in the midst of His power for as long as He wished, and there was not, at that time, a Tablet or a Pen or an earth. And when Allah wished to create creation, He divided that Light into 4 parts and from the first made the Pen, from the second the Tablet, from the third the Throne, (and from the fourth everything else). " (Alusi: 'Ruh al-Ma' Ani 8:71). Interpretation on this Hadith may vary among scholars, but whatever the variation, we agreed that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, being a Mercy to all, is linked to the fact that he is the intermediary of the Divine outpouring over all contingencies - ie all created things without exception. Ibn al-Hajj al-Abdari (d. 736) cites Jabir Hadith in his book 'Al-Madkhal'.. citing it from Muhammad ibn Layth's book "Shifa al-Sudur' where he says: " The first thing Allah created is the light of Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, and that light came and prostrated before Allah. Allah divided it into 4 parts and created from the first the Throne, from the second the Pen, from the third the Tablet and then similarly He divided the fourth into parts and created the rest of the creation... "

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:- "THERE MAY BE A DISHEVELED, DUSTY PERSON WHO, IF HE SWEARS AN OATH BY ALLAH, ALLAH WILL FULFILL IT." (Sahih Muslim). Someone from a forest or desert may be smelly, dusty with greasy hair, and you look at such a person and think he is homeless, but the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam said : 'There could be someone like that, but if he asks Allah Ta'ala for anything, He will immediately respond to his prayer'. His Du'a is accepted like lightening! So, don't look at anyone with disgust... he might be coming to check you. Islam is purity, discipline and goodness. You may dress as beautifully as you want, but is your character good? Even where we may be good, we still need to improve..

As-Salaam alaikum, The 'Ulama tell us that fasting and sleeplessness are 2 ways through which one can tame and train himself/herself on the spiritual path. The first generation ascetics have often been described as qa'im al-lail, wa sa'im ad-dahr..' spending their nights upright in prayer and maintaing a perpetual fast by day.' The old Sufi saying that the 3 elements of Sufi conduct are "little food, little sleep, little talk (to which often loneliness, keeping way from men, was added) is still as valid as it was a thousand years ago. The ascetic who spends his nights at prayers, as recommended in the Qur'an, will have the time to enjoy blessed conversation with his Lord through prayers. And eating little is even more important than to avoid sleep. The Sufis would fast frequently if not constantly. Early Sufis praise hunger, which they see as something stored up in Treasure-houses with Allah Ta'ala, and He gives it to none but whom He particularly loves, as observed by Abu Nasr as-Sarraj. And as Jalaluddin Rumi says, just as the host "brings better food when the guest eats little, God brings better, ie, spiritual, food to those who fast." Just as recollection or Zikr is food of the gnostics, so is hunger food of the ascetics.

One Treatment For Ninety nine Diseases By Mohammad Rafique Etesame Abu Huraira RA narrates that the prophet Sallallahualaih iwasallam said, whoever reads la howla wala quwwata illa billa hil aliyyil azeem, it is a cure for 99 diseases and the most minor disease is stress. Read it at least 100x daily. (Bokhari, Muslim) The meaning of this phrase (there is no power and no strength except with Allah) is a person’s admission that he is unable to do anything without the help and support of Allaah. No matter how great his power, energy and strength may become, a person still cannot do anything without the help of Allaah Who is Above all of His creation, the Most Great, compared to Whom nothing else is great. Every strong person is weak when compared with Allaah. Every great person is insignificant and weak when compared with His Might. This sentence is uttered when some serious matter befalls a person that he cannot cope with, or there is something that it is very difficult for him to deal with. This hadith gives glad tidings of healing from ninety nine diseases to a faithful believer who recite this sacred kalema and the lowest of them is depression. Other diseases have not been mentioned but this is the reality that there are uncountable diseases in human body that cannot be traced. But when one recites laa howla wala quwwata illa billa hil aliyyil azeem, then he/she gets rid of these diseases. Abu Musa RA narrates the the prophet Sallallahualaih iwasallam said, whoever reads la howla wala quwwata illa billa hil aliyyil azeem x100 daily, will never be dependant on the creation of Allah. May Allah give us power to recite this holy phrase every day.

As-Salaam alaikum, In verse/ayat 28 of the 34th chapter of the Holy Qur'an, we have it stated where Allah Ta'ala says :- "AND WE HAVE NOT SENT YOU, BUT AS A UNIVERSAL (Messenger) TO ALL MEN (mankind) - GIVING THEM GLAD TIDINGS, AND WARNING THEM (against sin)" (34:28) This does not imply that all men.. all mankind should see him, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, for just as in the time of his physical presence, he sent Ali and Mu'adh to Yemen to transmit his call, likewise, he sent the Prophets and Messengers to their respective communities when he was a Prophet and Adam "was between water and clay". He therefore called all men to Allah. The Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, in a certain hadith said : "I will be the master of men on the Day of Resurrection.".. he did not say 'master of my (historical) community'... all the sons of Adam are the community of the Prophet and the Messengers of God are, from the first to the last, his substitutes and lieutenants... Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, The first chapter of the Holy Qur'an, Surat Al-Fatiha is known as the mother of the Book, Ummul Kitab, among its several names. It contains everything that is in the Holy Qur'an in condensed form. The great Sufi Master, al-Hassan al - Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, in explaining the Ummul Kitab, has said Allah Most High has revealed 104 Heavenly Books for the guidance of the creations. Among them were four-- the Torah, the Injeel (New Testament), the Psalms of David and the Criterion.. the Criterion is also one of the names of the Holy Qur'an. Allah Ta'ala condensed all of the knowledge of the details into the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an, the Fatiha. Anyone who knows the interpretations thereof will be like the one who has knowledge of all the Divine Books that have been revealed to humanity. Whoever reads Al-Fatiha (Ummul Kitab), it is like he has read the Torah, the New Testament, the Psalms of Dawud and the Criterion. With regards to the fact that Al Fatiha contains everything in the Holy Qur'an, the Ulama explained it this way :- (1) Regarding Divinity, it is the saying of Allah : "BISMILLAHI RAHMANI RAHEEM ALHAMDU LILLAHI RABBIL ALAMEEN- In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate, All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." This explains Divinity. (2) With respect to the Hereafter, it is in the saying of Allah :" MALIKI YAUMIDDEN-Master of the Day of Judgement ". (3) Regarding all the exoteric spiritual practices (the Law), this is in the saying of Allah :" IYAKA NA'ABUDU - it is You alone that we worship" and the inward of the self (the esoteric) is contained in "WA IYAKA NAS'TAIN- And it is You alone that we rely upon". (4) Regarding all the prophecies and guidance, it is in "IHDINA SIRADAL MUSTAQEEM." You have to know the way of the Prophets and Messengers. (5) As for the narratives and history and news of those who have gone before us, those who enter a state of bliss and those who have missed the way, it is : "SIRADAL LAZINA AN'AMTA ALAIHIM, GAIRUL MAGRUBI ALAIHIM, WALA LAALEEN- The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not the path of those who earn Your anger nor those who go astray."

As-Salaam alaikum, Al-Tirmidhi transmitted from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him: "Someone asked the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, 'When did you become the Prophet?" The Prophet said:- "I was a Prophet while Adam was still in the state between spirit and body." All Prophets became prophets after they were told they were to be a Prophet.. except for the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, who was always a Prophet. With the Prophets that came before him, it took a long time to prepare them for their Prophethood in this life. The Prophets of Allah are pre-ordained from eternity, and they are the best of creations. The covenant of the Prophets was taken from them in the Heavenly realm. 124,00 Prophets and Messengers all took this covenant as the warners of Allah and to inform the people of the coming of Muhammad :- "Behold! Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying : I give you a Book and Wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you, do you believe in him and render him help'. Allah said: Do you agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you? ' They said :' We agree '. He said:' Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses. "(3:81)

As-Salaam alaikum, In all intents and purposes, explication of Divine Intention of Revelation was among the functions of the Holy Qur'an assigned to the Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam. He, alaihi Salaat Wassalaam, functioned as the projection of the Divine Message embodied in the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, was/is the living commentary of the Holy Qur'an, inextricably related to the revelatory text. Without the Prophet the Qur'an was incomprehensible, just as without the Qur'an the Prophet was no Prophet at all... Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, "INNA RAHMATALLAHI QARIBUN MINAL-MUHSININ.. Truly, the Mercy of Allah is near those who do good" (7:56) Here, qaribun is not put in the feminine (qaribatun) although 'rahma' is feminine, because in reality that rahma is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam... as explained in the ayat "WAMA ARSALNAKA ILLA RAHMATAN LIL-ALAMIN.. And We did not send you (O Muhammad) except as a Mercy to the world's" (21:107) "Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy : therein (alone) let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard" (10:58) As Sayyadina Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The bounty of Allah is knowledge of Tawheed, and His Mercy is the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam.

As-Salaam alaikum, The Noble Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "That which is lawful is clear, and that which is forbidden is clear, and between them are doubtful matters about which many of the people have no knowledge. So whoever avoids doubtful matters saves his religion and his honor, and whoever falls into doubtful matters falls into what is forbidden. " (Sahih Bukhari) Note this well. Best Wishes.

As-Salaam alaikum, Sayyadina Abdullahi ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "I am the city of knowledge, Abu Bakr is its foundation, Umar is its wall, Usman is its roof and Ali is its portal (gate)". (Musnad - ul-Firdau, vol. 1 hadith No 105).

As-Salaam alaikum, Allahu Tabaraka Wa Ta'ala says:- "EVERY SOUL SHALL HAVE A TASTE OF DEATH" (3:185) But you/we have forgotten the day of your death and drank the goblet of some form of Satanic oblivion. You prefer to fulfill the rights of people ignoring the rights of your Lord. Keep in mind that Allah says : "WHOEVER IS BLIND (to the vision of Allah) HERE WILL REMAIN BLIND IN THE HEREAFTER AS WELL" (17:72) We should not disobey the Creator to obey creation...

As-Salaam alaikum, The solitary state of the obedient servant of Allah who thinks nothing but his Lord, transforms the servant's body in the state of humility. This is why in the Sallat (Islamic prayer), there is an action called Sujud, or prostration. Sayyadi Ibn Arabi, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote : "Dust and the earth are the roots of man's configuration, and this verifies his servant-hood and loneliness"(cited in Chittick, 1989, 317/Futuhat Makkiyyah) While preforming prayers, one Sujud to the earth, and recites, 'Subhana rabbi al-a' la wa bihamdihi' (Glory to Allah, the Exalted). With this action, man's body physically extends the geometry between the low (human) and the exalt (God)... where there is gratitude by the bower, and Compassion by the Giver. In Sujud, the more one humiliates and improvishes the solitary body, the nearer one is to Allah. According to Ibn Arabi, the lowly position of the Sujud is is a noble one when he wrote : "There is no state more noble than the state of prostration, since it is the state of attainment of the knowledge of the roots".

As-Salaam alaikum, He who seeks Allah Ta'ala must endeavor and be ready to wear the crown of sincerity on his/her head, band of Divine Presence on your waist and mount the horse of slave hood. Holding the reins of that horse, you will make that horse run in the field of love and reach the station of Transcendent Unity. Allah says: Proclaim! "He is Allah, who is the One" (112:1) Oh friend, A Seeker of Allah should nourish his inward with the water of Oneness and enlighten his soul with the Divine Light. The seeker of Allah should think of his existence as a system and should stay with Allah in all conditions like speech, action, movements, eating, drinking, sleeping or walking as Allah says : "WHEREVER YOU ARE, HE IS WITH YOU AND ALLAH MONITORS BEST WHAT YOU DO" (57:4) The seeker of Allah should keep himself engaged in the invocation of Allah perpetually, rather to the extent that he annihilates himself as Allah orders: "O BELIEVERS! KEEP REMEMBERING ALLAH ABUNDANTLY, AND GLORIFY HIM MORNING AND EVENING" (33:41/42).

Amidst the fiercest persecution and abuse that Muslims faced in the earliest Makkan period, the Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, would stand, without wavering, to convey to his followers Allah's promise of Islam spreading all over the world. Tamim ad-Dari, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said : "This matter will certainly reach every placed touched by the night and day. Allah will not leave a house of mud or (even) fur except that Allah will cause this religion to enter it, by which the honorable will be honored and the disgraceful will be disgraced. Allah will honor the hourable with Islam and He will disgrace the disgraceful with unbelief. "(Sunan Ahmad, No. 16,998, 23,865 and al-Haythami said these narrators are those of Sahih Bukhari, al-Hakim 8,326). The fact that this Prophetic prediction was made at a time when Muslims were a powerless handful, and Islam was expected to be buried in its cradle, is indeed miraculous... to predict that Islam would not just survive, but grow to strive globally, was at that point inconceivable. For us today, witnessing a quarter of the planet's population subscribing to Islam makes it clear that this was no presumption but another prophecy inspired by the Divine...

Since October 7, 2023, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated into one of the most devastating periods in the history of the region, with dire consequences for the civilian population in Gaza and the broader Palestinian territories. This escalation is not an isolated incident but rather part of a long-standing struggle that dates back to the mid-20th century. Historical Context The roots of the conflict can be traced to 1947, when the United Nations proposed a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. This plan was rejected by Arab leaders, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the establishment of the state of Israel. In the aftermath, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, an event they refer to as the Nakba, or "catastrophe." Since then, the region has witnessed repeated cycles of violence, territorial disputes, and a series of wars and uprisings. The Current Escalation Gaza, home to some 2.3 million people, bears little resemblance to what it was a year ago. Israeli attacks have reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble, erased centuries-old mosques and churches and destroyed vital agricultural lands. The scale of destruction in this small area of just 365sq km (141sq miles) is so immense that many residents cannot return home - and likely won't be able to for the foreseeable future. Humanitarian Impact The human cost of this recent conflict has been catastrophic: Casualties: As of now, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including a significant number of women and children. Hospitals in Gaza report that they are overwhelmed with the influx of injured civilians. In contrast, Israeli casualties have also been significant, including both military and civilian losses. Displacement: The violence has caused massive displacement within Gaza, with hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes in search of safety. Refugee camps are overcrowded, lacking essential supplies like food, water, and medical care. The Israeli military has repeatedly hit the camp of some 116,000 registered refugees, with United States-made 2,000-pound bombs, killing hundreds of people. These bombs are among the largest and most destructive and can leave craters with a diameter greater than 40 feet (12 metres). Infrastructure Damage: Critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and residential buildings, has been severely damaged or destroyed. This has resulted in widespread homelessness and has crippled access to essential services. The destruction of healthcare facilities is particularly alarming, as medical staff struggle to cope with the influx of patients and shortages of supplies. In the past year, Gaza's Government Media Office has recorded the complete destruction of at least 611 Masjids and the partial destruction of 214 Masjids due to Israeli attacks. Not far down the road from the Old City, in the heart of Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood, is the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). IUG, together with al-Azhar University, are the two top universities in the Gaza Strip, providing higher education to tens of thousands of students each year. While both universities have been targeted in previous wars, this latest war has left their campuses completely devastated. Of Gaza’s 12 universities, none is left standing. In Remal neighbourhood is al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in the Strip and one of the first hospitals to come under attack. On November 15, Israeli soldiers surrounded the medical complex where thousands of Palestinians were sheltering. Five months later in April, it came under a two-week siege that left the hospital in ruins and hundreds of people dead. Over the past year, at least 114 hospitals and clinics have been rendered inoperative, leaving many patients without access to essential medical services. In central Gaza, lies Deir el-Balah, one of Gaza's main agricultural hubs, known for its cultivation of oranges, olives and, notably, dates. Israel has killed at least 41,000 people and injured nearly 100,000 others in bombings, by destroying healthcare that could have saved them, and by starvation. More than half (60 percent) of Gaza's farmland - crucial for feeding Gaza’s population of which 96 percent is food insecure, has been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks. Utter Destruction In just one year of war, the landscape of Gaza has altered almost unrecognisably. Almost 60 percent of Gaza has been damaged or destroyed. An estimated 75,000 tonnes of explosives have been dropped on Gaza with experts predicting it could take years to clear the debris amounting to more than 42 million tonnes, which is also rife with unexploded bombs. What Should We Do? The greatest means to attaining victory is strong Iman and good deeds. Allah’s promise of victory is reserved for those whose Iman is firmly embedded. This is because when Iman becomes deeply rooted in the believer’s heart, one is willing to sacrifice his desires and his personal gains for the sake of Allah’s din. On the eve of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab radiyallahu anhu advised Sayyiduna Saʿd bin Abi Waqqaṣ radiyallahu anhuma and his army: “Fear your sins more than you fear the enemy as your sins are more dangerous to you than your enemy. We Muslims are only victorious over our enemy because their sins outnumber ours, not for any other reason. If our sins were equal to those of our enemy, then they would defeat us due to their superior numbers and resources.” How many of our own transgressions are contributing to the weakness and predicaments facing Muslims around the world? Let us not allow our sins and failure to observe the fundamentals of Islam correctly become a stumbling block for the progress of the Ummah. Pray every single fardh Salah on time. Perform Salah in jama-ah in the Masjid, including Fajr. Ensure that Zakah is discharged timeously and correctly. Do not disobey your parents. Do not harm your spouse or children. Do not look at Haram. Be honest in dealings and transactions. Make sincere repentance. May Almighty Allah alleviate the struggles our brothers and sisters are enduring, remove the hardship and pain they are experiencing, bring them complete ease and immediate victory and destroy the enemies of Islam with a humiliating and crushing defeat, Ameen. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Good marriages require patience, kindness, humility, sacrifice, empathy, love, understanding, forgiveness, and hard work. Following these basic principles should help any marriage to improve. The essence of them all can be summed up in one sentence: Always treat your spouse the way you would like to be treated. Amidst busy schedules and tasks on the parts of both women and men, Muslim husbands and wives tend to forget the real reasons behind marriage and likewise the rights of each other. Subsequently, they deprive themselves, their mates and their children of the happiness and tranquillity that is the bedrock of a successful family. This unbalanced vision towards a couple’s ideal relationship is bad enough to plunge the family into a situation laden with troubles and worries. 1) Negative Relationship between Husband & Wife Some Muslim spouses relate to each other like adversaries rather than life time partners. The husband assumes the position of dictator, and whatever he says is law. The wife on the other hand feels that she must squeeze everything she can out of her husband. Some wives do not express their gratitude to their husbands irrespective of how much the man may do for her. Instead they adopt an attitude of ‘never enough’ and make the husband feel like a failure if he does not provide every want and desire their extravagant lifestyles dictate. Some husbands speak very harshly to their wives, humiliate them, and even physically abuse them. Their wives have no voice or opinion in family matters. Moreover certain husbands become so cold and miserly that even the basic expenditure for the house is difficult to come by. 2) Nikah – A divine institution The Nikah bond has been divinely established for the welfare and upkeep of a healthy and progressive community. This divine prescription has been unjustly utilised as a vehicle to perpetrate oppression, deception, humiliation, and abuse. Allah Ta’ala describes marriage very differently in the Noble Quran: "And from his signs are, He created for you wives from among yourselves, so that you may live in tranquillity with them, and instilled love and mercy between your (hearts)…“ (30:21) 3) Head of the Home The position Islam has accorded to the man as the head of the home is a responsibility which will be accounted for, rather than a privilege which should be abused. We are taught to treat our wives well. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has reported to have said: "The person possessing the most perfect faith is one who has excellent behaviour, and the best among you are those who are best towards their wives”. (Mishkaat) 4) Be Partners in Decision Making Follow the principle of ‘Shura,” (consultation) and make decisions as a family. Implementing this Sunnah within the home increases harmony and love between family members. It will also assist in enhancing trust and loyalty between spouses and the children. 5) Abuse Abstain totally from every form of emotional, mental, or physical abuse to your spouse. 6) Watch Your Words Be very careful what you say when you are upset. The wounds afflicted to the heart of a person by words will never heal and remain a lifelong memory. Sometimes you will say things that you would never say when you were not angry. Apply the directives found in the Hadith for suppression of anger. 7) Work Together in the House Occasionally Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) occasionally assisted his wives with household chores. When Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not consider the housework trivial, how can we today obligate our wives to all the house work and much more? 8) Communication is Important Talk to each other, communicate, have a dialogue, but do it respectfully. Husbands and wives need to talk to each other. It is better to deal with problems early and honestly than to let them pile up until they explode. 9) Live Simply Do not envy or cast your gaze towards those spouses who seem to be living a more luxurious life than your family. Be pleased with what you have. The grass will always look greener on the other side. The wealthiest person is the one who has attained contentment of heart. To develop the quality of contentment, look at those people who have less than you, not those who have more. Repeatedly thank Allah Ta’ala for the many blessings in your life. 10) Admit Your Mistakes When you make a mistake, admit it. When your mate makes a mistake, excuse him or her easily. If possible, never sleep angry with each other. 11) Past Problems Everything that has happened is history. Repent for the past and live for the future. Do not focus discussion on the past unless it is something that will make both of you laugh. The Dua for a blissful marriage: Rabbana hab lana min azwaajinaa wa zurriyyatina qurrata a-ayun waj-alna lil muttaqeena imaama (O Allah! grant us such wives and offspring who will be a source of coolness for our eyes, and make us leaders of the Allah-Fearing). Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

ن معاذ قال: اوصاني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بعشر كلمات قال لا تشرك بالله شيئا وإن قتلت وحرقت ولا تعقن والديك وإن امراك ان تخرج من اهلك ومالك ولا تتركن صلاة مكتوبة متعمدا فإن من ترك صلاة مكتوبة متعمدا فقد برئت منه ذمة الله ولا تشربن خمرا فإنه راس كل فاحشة وإياك والمعصية فإن بالمعصية حل سخط الله عز وجل وإياك والفرار من الزحف وإن هلك الناس وإذا اصاب الناس موتان وانت فيهم فاثبت وانفق على عيالك من طولك ولا ترفع عنهم عصاك ادبا واخفهم في الله. رواه احمد Mu'adh said:God’s messenger recommended ten things to me saying, “Do not associate anything with God, even if you are killed and burnt on that account; do not be disobedient to your parents, even if they command you to quit your family and your property; For associating partners to Allah Almighty is a great sin that will not be forgiven at all, and about the disobedience of the parent the holy Quran reveals," for thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say 'Ugh' to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech Al-Isra (The Journey by Night) 17:23 do not deliberately neglect to observe a prescribed prayer, for he who deliberately neglects to observe a prescribed prayer will have God’s protection removed from him; do not drink wine, for it is the beginning of every abomination; avoid acts of disobedience, for on their account God’s wrath descends; for, most people say they are sick in trouble or any calamity, the reason is that they are disobedient of Allah, so, they should follow all of commands of Allah, beware of running away from the line of battle, even if the people perish: when people are smitten by death when you are among them, stay where you are ; spend on your children out of your means; do not refrain from using the rod in training them; and cause them to fear God.” May Allah Almighty give us taufeeq to ac t upon this hadith Amin. Ahmad transmitted this hadith.

Killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is the latest salvo in a decades-long battle By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 18 Sep 202418 Sep 2024 The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel – which have been exchanging fire across the border of Israel and Lebanon since the start of the war on Gaza last October – has descended into “war”, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr has reported from Beirut. Hezbollah confirmed that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had been killed in an Israeli air strike on residential buildings in Beirut, which Israel claimed were above Hezbollah’s headquarters, on the night of Friday, September 27. Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, and other Hezbollah commanders, were also killed in the massive air attack on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh on Friday, the Israeli military claimed. Continue here: The history of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel | Hezbollah News | Al Jazeera

The history of Jerusalem The history of Jerusalem is the history of a living city perhaps unlike that of any other in the world. History A capital question UN resolutions The old city of Jerusalem Al-Jazeera

In his Ihya Ulum-din, Imam Ghazali, may Allah be Merciful to him, said that Bayhaqi related on the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, that on coming back from one of his military campaigns, the Noble Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam said to his companions :- "You have come forth in the best way of coming forth, you have come from the smaller Jihad to the greater Jihad." They said : "And what is the greater Jihad?" He replied : "The (mujahadat) striving of Allah's servants against their idle desires".