ummtaalib

The love of Allah Give yourself a moment; think about the person who you love the most, the person that you are most attached and close to. Think about it for a moment. Now think about that person giving you something, some sort of a gift. Now think about another person; maybe a stranger, someone you do not know that well. Now I want you to imagine that person giving you a gift, maybe a bouquet of roses, something which is very special. Now imagine that the person you love the most gives you just a simple gift, like a pen. But this is someone who you love dearly so even though it is something very small it still appears very precious to you because the person who gave it is very dear to you. Whereas the bouquet of roses looks more fancy and beautiful from the outside but because the giver is not much special to you the gift itself is not special. When the giver is special to you and the giver is more beloved then whatever he gives, than the gift is loved and cherished no matter what it is. Now how does that apply to Allah? When Allah is beloved to us, than anything that comes from Him is loved. Whatever Allah gives and whatever He takes we accept because it’s from Him. That should be the conscience even if it’s something that does not appear good on the outside. It is because I love the giver which is why I accept the gift no matter what it is. So you see how this is an example of the true love of Allah. The most exalted, the most beneficial kind of love is most certainly the love of the One who created the love. Allah created the heart and the heart was created solely for one reason, and that is to love Allah with all our hearts. Our main purpose of existence is to worship our lord with love and obedience. It is when we accept the gift of our beloved, a simple prostration of His command becomes the center of our life. We are reminded of Him every time we make Sujood. And the gift is forever precious and rewarding even though we may not see it as such. idealwoman

Financial and Moral Responsibilities of the Household Allah, the Exalted, stated in the Glorious Qur'an: (Men are protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend to support them from their means.) [4:34] This verse emphasizes that the financial and moral responsibilities of a household is the husband's responsibility. The natural, physical and social qualities of men demand that they take charge of these responsibilities since they are of the stronger gender and physically fit to work being free from the burden of menses, pregnancy, nursing and early childrearing. The man is the "guardian" of his own household - a shepherd of his flock in the idiom mentioned earlier - and he will be asked and accounted about all his responsibilities. Women by their natural constituency are the weaker sex, built biologically, emotionally and socially for their role as child bearer and homemaker. They are more endowed with intuition and emotional intelligence. This is their natural feminine role that is fully honored and protected. Due to the pains and burdens of menses, pregnancy, delivery, nursing, and continual child-care, women often require various periods of confinement for rest, and they are not required to take on additional financial and vocational responsibilities for the sustenance and maintenance of the household. All these concerns affect the mental state of a woman and will be reflected in her life, attitude and behavior. This is a natural state prescribed in many civilizations, but often with many injustices, as mentioned earlier. 'Abbas Mahmoud al-'Akkad, the well-known Egyptian writer, notes: "Women have a very special emotional make-up that does not resemble the emotional make-up of man. The companionship of a little infant or child requires a lot of similarity and resemblance between the child's mentality and his companion, the mother. She has to understand what he wants, what he needs and how he thinks and feels. Therefore, to fulfill this requirement, a woman is much more responsive to emotions. This makes it difficult for a woman, when compared with man, to be firm, fierce and determined when needed." Dr. Alex Liberelle, a Nobel Prize winner, says while illustrating the natural organic differences between man and woman: "Matters that differentiate between man and woman are not limited to sexual organs, the presence of the womb and pregnancy. These matters are also not limited to the difference of teaching methods of man and woman. In fact, these differences are of basic nature. The tissues of the body in both male and female are different. The chemistry of the bodies is also different in both. Certain glands excrete certain secretions that are only suitable for a specific gender. The woman is completely different from man in terms of the chemical material secreted from the ovary inside the woman's body." Those who call for complete equality between men and women disregard basic facts and essential differences. Advocates of women's equal rights demand the same type of education to be given to both male and female, and same type of jobs, tasks, responsibilities, positions to be offered, etc. This absurdity neglects woman's nature and essential physical, mental, emotional, and social traits. Every cell of the body of a woman has a feminine quality, nursed by female hormones, just as a man has his distinct qualities and hormones. Are they blind when they wish to be equal? They don't see that each organ of every man and woman are unique in and of themselves, and different from each other. The male and female central nervous systems function in exact precision to help their respective roles in human life. We must accept natural laws and movements as they are, without attempting to change them to seek unnatural obstruction or interference with them. For their own benefit, both men and women should build upon their natural talents and gifts, and never deviate into imitating those of the other sex, which only leads to abuse of themselves and others. Another factor is that it is a well-established fact that the bone structure and muscles of men are naturally heavier and more powerful than those of women. Men can perform more laborious and manual jobs, while women are not physically able to show comparable physical endurance. This is another proof that men are naturally equipped and qualified to assume the role of leadership over financial and vocational responsibilities of the household in consultation with their best second-halves (their wives), which is also a general rule in Islam, as mentioned previously. WOMAN IN THE SHADE OF ISLAM

The Three People of the Cave عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول انطلق ثلاثة نفر ممن كان قبلكم حتى آواهم المبيت إلى غار فدخلوه فانحدرت صخرة من الجبل فسدت عليهم الغار فقالوا إنه لا ينجيكم من هذه الصخرة إلا أن تدعوا الله بصالح أعمالكم فقال رجل منهم اللهم كان لي أبوان شيخان كبيران وكنت لا أغبق قبلهما أهلا ولا مالا فنأى بي في طلب شجر يوما فلم أرح عليهما حتى ناما فحلبت لهما غبوقهما فوجدتهما نائمين وكرهت أن أغبق قبلهما أهلا أو مالا فلبثت والقدح على يدي أنتظر استيقاظهما حتى برق الفجر- زاد بعض الرواة (والصبية يتضاغون عند قدميّ) فاستيقظا فشربا غبوقهما اللهم إن كنت فعلت ذلك ابتغاء وجهك ففرج عنا ما نحن فيه من هذه الصخرة فانفرجت شيئا لا يستطيعون الخروج قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال الآخر اللهم كانت لي ابنة عم كانت أحب الناس إلي فأردتها عن نفسها فامتنعت مني حتى ألمت بها سنة من السنين فجاءتني فأعطيتها عشرين ومائة دينار على أن تخلي بيني وبين نفسها ففعلت حتى إذا قدرت عليها قالت لا أحل لك أن تفض الخاتم إلا بحقه فتحرجت من الوقوع عليها فانصرفت عنها وهي أحب الناس إلي وتركت الذهب الذي أعطيتها اللهم إن كنت فعلت ابتغاء وجهك فافرج عنا ما نحن فيه فانفرجت الصخرة غير أنهم لا يستطيعون الخروج منها قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال الثالث اللهم (إني) استأجرت أجراء و أعطيتهم أجرهم غير رجل واحد ترك الذي له وذهب فثمرت أجره حتى كثرت منه الأموال فجاءني بعد حين فقال يا عبد الله أد إلي أجري فقلت له كل ما ترى من أجرك من الإبل والبقر والغنم والرقيق فقال يا عبد الله لا تستهزئ بي فقلت إني لا أستهزئ بك فأخذه كله فاستاقه فلم يترك منه شيئا اللهم فإن كنت فعلت ذلك ابتغاء وجهك فافرج عنا ما نحن فيه فانفرجت الصخرة فخرجوا يمشون (الترغيب و الترهيب 1/55) Hadhrat ibn Umar (Radhiyallahu Anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: There were three people from the nations before you, who were once travelling on a journey when they had taken shelter in a cave (due to being overtaken by a storm). Suddenly, a rock fell from the mountain and blocked the exit of the cave. One of them said: “The only way to gain freedom from this predicament is to beseech Allah Ta’ala via some virtuous deed that was committed.” Thereupon one of them supplicated, “O Allah, my parents were very old. I used to offer them milk at night before my children and the other members of the family. One day I travelled far in search of (grass for the animals) and only returned after my parent had gone to sleep. When I had milked the animals and brought the milk to them, they were already fast asleep. I did not wish to disturb them, nor did I wish to give any part of the milk to my children and other members of the family before I served my parents. Thus, with the vessel in my hand, I awaited their awakening till the time of dawn set in, while the children cried out of hunger at my feet. When my parents awoke, I first served them the milk (and then served my family and children). O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of this distress.” Thereupon, the rock moved a little but not enough to allow them to come out. Then the second man supplicated: “O Allah, I had a cousin whom I loved the most. I tried to seduce her but she always refused, until a time came when she was in great difficulty and was going through poverty. She approached me (for financial assistance and help) and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would allow me to have relations with her. She (initially) agreed, and when we were together and I was in privacy with her, she pleaded: ‘I don’t allow you to open the seal (i.e. to have relations with me) except in the lawful manner (i.e. it is only permissible for my husband)’. I thus moved away from her, despite the fact that I desired her most passionately; and I let her keep the money I had given her. O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of this distress.” Thereupon, the rock again moved a little but not enough to allow them to come out. Then the third person supplicated: “O Allah, I hired some laborers and paid them their dues, but one of them left without taking what was due to him. I invested it and it prospered greatly. After a while the labourer returned and said: ‘O servant of Allah, hand over to me my wages.’ I said to him: ‘All that you see is yours – camels, cattle, goats and slaves.’ He said: ‘O servant of Allah, do not joke with me.’ I assured him that I was not joking with him. So he took all of it leaving nothing behind. O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of our distress.” Ihyaaudden

Time for duas being acceptedQ: 1. What is the best authentic time for duas being accepted? 2. If fajar jamat is 5:35am then what is the last part of the night? A: 1. The Hadith explains that duas are accepted after the five daily fardh Salaah and at the latter portion of the night (i.e. the time of tahajjud). 2. The time before subah-saadiq enters. The word that appears in the Hadith for the last part of the night is Sahar i.e. the last sixth of the night. The Ulama explain that the night commences from after sunset till Subah Saadiq. If the entire time from sunset till subah saadiq is divided into six parts, then the last part is regarded as sahar. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. عن أبي أمامة قال : قيل لرسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أي الدعاء أسمع ؟ قال جوف الليل الآخر ودبر الصلوات المكتوبات (جامع الترمذي #3499) عن عائشة قالت كل الليل أوتر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وانتهى وتره إلى السحر (صحيح البخاري ‎996) والسحر قبيل الصبح وحكى الماوردي أنه السدس الأخير (فتح الباري 2/565) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Wife cutting her hair for her husband Q: My wife is in purdah and she wants to cut her hair in "layers". Is it permissible because I will be the only person seeing it? Will this be regarded as tashabuh bil kuffaar (emulating the kuffaar), because it is not for any fashion reason, rather only for me? A: It is not permissible for your wife to cut her hair nor is it permissible for you to command her to do so. If you command her to cut her hair, she must not obey you. It is impermissible for a wife to obey her husband in things that are prohibited in Shariat. If she obeys, both of you will be sinful in the court of Allah Ta'aala. وفيه قطعت شعر رأسها أثمت ولعنت زاد في البزازية وإن بإذن الزوج لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق ولذا يحرم على الرجل قطع لحيته والمعنى المؤثر التشبه بالرجال اه (الدر المختار 6/407) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Welcome to the forum. May Allah ta'ala reward you for asking. It gave us an opportunity to compile some information InshaAllah you will find answers here. We shall continue to search for more information on the subject. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to ask. We will try our best to provide answers from Scholars. If unsure please also contact Ulama of the ahlus sunnah at any of the contacts listed HERE

Marriage to an Agh Khani woman Question 1. Is it permissible for a sunni man to marry an aga khani (ismaili) woman? 2. And if not, then in what conditions one could marry her? I am in love with a ismaili girl for a long time and she is also agreed to believe in sunni practices but not agreed to accept it as her madhab. She needs to continue her practices after the marriage, but she promises that our children will not know anything abt ismailisim. Answer If the Agha Khani girl does not revert in belief and practise to the Ahlus sunnah Wal Jamaa, then it is not permissible to marry her. The agreement, ‘to believe in Sunni practices and not to accept it as her Madhab’. Furthermore, her need to continue Agha Khani practices does not constitute complete belief which is a requirement for the validity of the Nikah. and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai Source

From an Islamili (Aga Khani) to a Muslim Dear Brothers-Sisters As-Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu May I for the sake of Allah (swt), His Deen and the Muslim Ummaah, request you to please consider the following facts very carefully and decide on your responsibility before Allah (swt) in this matter. I am a revert to Islam. I was an Ismaili before - a follower of the Aga Khan. And I perceive an important Da'wah responsibility which the majority of Muslims are for some reason or other are ignoring. I am not getting you into petty sectarian issues, but a very important matter - please judge for yourself: 1. The Ismailis (followers of the Aga Khan) all professedly believe that the Qur'an was time bound and was not meant to be a Universal message for all times. They believe that their spiritual leader, Karim Aga Khan, is the "walking - talking Qur'an" and his "religious pronouncements", whatever they may be, are the "guidance" for the present times. The fundamental article of faith that there will not be any NEW revelations or "wahy" after the Qur'an, is being completely violated by the Ismailis. 2. The Aga Khan has officially Declared himself, before his followers, as the "Mazhar of Allah on earth". The word "mazhar" means "copy" or "manifest". Consequently, these Ismailis who call themselves Muslims do "sujood" before him. So even the primary axiomatic principle of Tawheed is being fundamentally and formally violated by them. 3. The Ismailis are not instructed to offer the Islamic Salaah, observe Saum or perform Hajj. They have replaced Salaah with certain shirk-infested Dua'as (thrice a day). They are told that their Hajj is a personal "Glimpse" (Deedaar) of Karim Aga Khan. 4. The Aga Khan and his appointees 'forgive the sins' of the followers on regular basis. Ismailis are misled into believing that they will not be questioned on the Day of Judgment for the sins that are already forgiven in their Jamatkhanas (community centers). Forgiving of sins is the exclusive prerogative and privilege of Allah (swt) alone. Qur'an 3:135. 5. Against this backdrop, most of the poor (spiritually poor) Ismailis who are not introduced to al-Furqan are confused and misguided. Hence, Ismailis are very easy prey to missionary efforts by various Christian groups and Baha'is. I have known a couple of young ex-Ismailis who are today preaching "Pauline Christianity" to Ismailis as evangelical missionaries. 6. Karim Aga Khan's own daughter Zahra having married a practising Christian has opened the gates for young Ismailis girls to follow the footsteps of a family member of their beloved Imam-e-Zaman. The parents of the Ismaili girls who wish to marry outside of Islam have no recourse but to let them go. 7. The Aga Khan has made Halaal for the Ismailis that which Allah has made Haraam for the humans. Taking of interest (usury) is not forbidden by the religious instruction classes run by the "Tariqaah" board of the Ismailis. As a matter of fact, the much publicized "Venture Capital" program (details on the website of FORBES Magazine - search under "Aga Khan"), of loaning funds on interest by the AKFED (Aga Khan Fund & Economic Development), has been a great success. Similar entrepreneurial projects are now being actively promoted and introduced to poor Muslims of Tajikistan and neighboring areas. 8. The Muslim Ummaah and the various Muslim leaders are not fully aware of these Un-Islamic acts and beliefs of this community of less than two million members, who claim to be the Ismaili Muslims. Surprisingly, their leader Aga Khan claims himself to be a spiritual leader of 15 million Muslims and a Direct Descendant of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). 9. Earlier, one did not have authentic books on Ismailism, but it is not so anymore. There are two authentic books as well as one comprehensive web site exposing the inner practices of the Ismailis and the Proclamations (Farmans) of the Aga Khans. Hence, now you have no "hujjah" argument or excuse left before Allah (swt) for not taking up the task of inviting the misguided "Ismaili Muslims" towards the Deen of Allah (swt) and not safeguarding them from committing unpardonable sin of Shirk. 10. The Aga Khan in collaboration with so many Western powers and aid, has set up the world-wide Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) which runs several institutions and service companies both in the profit and not for profit sectors. This network is very actively operating in Pakistan, India, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Bangladesh, and has now started concentrating its efforts in Tajikistan and the neighbouring areas where there is a concentration of Muslims who have not known or openly practised Islam for the decades. By taking up economical, social, educational and rural development efforts through NGOs (Non-Govt. Organizations) within the AKDN, the Ismailis and the Aga Khan have gained wide acceptance amongst these countries and masses. Hence this urgent appeal. 11. Now all these beneficiaries are "obliged and grateful" to the Aga Khan and his followers and his organizations for the much-needed schools, medical centers, hospitals, various projects and programmes. In this manner they are penetrating and infiltrating the support system - and one fine day, the Muslim Ummaah will wake up to the unexpected realization that they have a community of so called Muslims, practicing the Un-Islamic Tariqaah, in charge of all core and support activities. Each of these much-needed projects will have the photos of Aga Khan decorating the walls. In the name of Allah (swt) and Islam, kindly urge our Brothers and Sisters to do Da'wah to the Ismailis, who otherwise will, on the day of judgement, hold us responsible for not conveying the Revealed Truth to them. Dear Brother/Sister, you know much more on the subject than what little I have learnt since reverting to the Deen of Allah (swt). It hurts to see the misguided simple minded people die on SHIRK because we did not amply warn them before their deaths. I am aware of your stature as a religious leader of repute, respectability and acceptance among Muslim Masses, and hence have sought to put this appeal to you. I request you to seriously consider this request and initiate all steps that you consider Wajib and appropriate. To spread the "Truth" and eradicate "Tagoot" is a significant, major Sunnah of the prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). May I also request you to please forward this e-mail to at least five (if not all) of your Muslim friends and activists so that greater awareness of this issue is created, and this request reaches a wider audience. Please do so. JazakAllah." In case you wish to seek any further clarification please feel free to e-mail a message. I will Insh'allah respond. I apologize in advance, if this happens to be a repeat message. May Allah (swt) shower His Choicest Blessings on the entire Muslim Ummah. May Almighty Allah bless you and keep you in the service of Islam and Muslims. Aameen. Jazak'Allah and Was salaam, Yours in the Service of Islam, Akbarally Meherally central-mosque askimam.org

Question Are Agha Khani Ismaili Muslim? Answer (Fatwa: 1671/1671/M=1432) Agha Khani Ismaelis are out of the fold of Islam due to their kufriyah beliefs. In reply to a question regarding Agha Khani group Hadhrat Maulana Thanvi (رحمة الله عليه) has written a detailed fatwa, which is published in Jawahir al-Fiqh Vol. 1, under the title “Al Hukmul Haqqani Fil Hizbil Agha Khani”. [Jawahirul Fiqh 1/64] Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband

Nikah – An extremely Easy Ibaadat in Deen Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) mentioned: “I got two of my daughters and about seventeen of my children and grand children married. In every marriage Allah Ta‘ala blessed me with His grace to such an extent that one could not tell (on account of the simplicity) whether it was a nikaah or 2 rakaats of nafl salaah. Nikaah is an ‘ibaadat which unfortunately people have converted into a calamity. (Malfoozaate Hazrat Shaikh 1/93)

Statements of some Western thinkers on Polyginy The following are statements of some Western thinkers who demanded Polygyny and considered it the only solution for the problems they were confronted with in their societies. Gustav Le Bon, the well-known French thinker, says in his book Arabic Civilization: "Polygyny enables the society to reduce social crisis, prevents the mistress problem and cures the society from illegitimate children." Annie Besant, in her book on Indian Religions says: "I read in the Old Testament that the closest friend to Allah, whose heart acts upon the Will of Allah, was polygynous. Moreover, the New Testament did not forbid Polygyny except for priests or ministers of the church, who were required to keep and maintain one wife only. Old Indian religious books also permitted Polygyny. It is easy, however, to criticize others in their religious practices. And that is what made people accuse Islam and attack it for its permission of Polygyny. However, it is strange that Westerners are against the restricted and limited Polygyny of the Muslims, while they suffer from wide scale prostitution and promiscuity in their own societies. A close examining look at the Western society illustrates that only a few pure, chaste and honest men respect their clean marital relationships and honor their marriage to one single wife and have no other sexual relationship outside marriage. It is an incorrect and inaccurate statement, therefore, to describe a community as monogamous, in which the men maintain a single marriage, while they are indeed having mistresses, girl friends and other means of sexual relationship outside the marriage to their legal and lawful wife. If we were to be fair and just, we could see that Polygyny in Islam protects, honors, maintains and respects women in society. Polygyny is better than the Western prostitution that permits a man to have a mistress or a girl friend to fulfill his sexual desires with no respect to the feelings, emotions, needs and honor of the women. The man will disown that woman as soon as he gets his satisfaction. The man has no social commitment or obligation towards the mistress or the girl friend. She is only meant to fulfill his sexual needs of the moment and give him the company he needs temporarily. Even though some people declare both Polygyny and fornication or prostitution as bad and unacceptable, yet it is unfair for the non-Muslims to blame a Muslim for doing the same thing that he does while his society accepts and condones it." Jawad, a well-known English scholar, says: "The stiff British system which prevents Polygyny is an unfair and unacceptable system. It severely hurts approximately two million women who have become old maids. These women have lost their youth and were deprived of having children. Thus, these women were forced to throw away the moral values as one throws away the pit of a date." Mobenar, a member of the previous French Parliament noted: "There are two and a half million French girls now who cannot find a husband, if we assume that every French young man will marry only one woman. I frankly declare what I truly believe is that a woman will not enjoy a healthy life unless she becomes a mother. I believe that any law which passes a judgment that such a big number of the members of a society should live opposing, contradicting and neglecting to fulfill the natural laws of man on the Earth is but a cruel and savage law that contradicts the simplest meaning of justice and fairness." In 1959, the United Nations published a special publication stating: "This publication has proven, by numbers and statistics, that the entire world is now facing a growing problem of illegitimate children, as opposed to legitimate children. The number of illegitimate children has increased 60% in some countries. In Panama, for instance, the percentage of illegitimate births soared to 75% of the total number of births in the country. This means that three out of every four children are illegitimate, born outside of wedlock. The highest percentage of illegitimate births is stated to be in Latin America." At the same time, the publication proves and indicates that the number of illegitimate births in the Islamic world is almost nil (in comparison with other countries). The editor of the publication goes on to say that Islamic countries are protected against such social problems and disease due to the fact that the people practice Polygyny. WOMAN IN THE SHADE OF ISLAM,

My father has two wives: explaining the role of polygamy in Islam I was recently asked to photograph a Ramadan etiquette session. The lecturer encouraged questions about Islam and one of the women asked about polygamy in Islam, which reminded me of a conversation I had with one of my Christian friends. Anna was intrigued to know about my family and lifestyle. Somewhere in the middle of those chats, I told her that my father has two wives and my mother is the second one. The shock on her face was indescribable. She paused for a few moments and asked me: “Does your mother have any rights?” I laughed at her reaction, because she thought we were deprived of our rights and lived under subjugation, the way women and Islam are often portrayed in the media. I explained that some men have multiple affairs, behind closed doors, outside of wedlock. But it is these same individuals who cannot accept a man having more than one wife. What have been the consequences of such illicit affairs? Too often these dalliances result in illegitimate children and the women are little more than sex objects. What happens to these children when they grow up? I know my lineage and I am not ashamed to say I have two mothers because the whole family and society know about my father’s marriage. I would be extremely ashamed of my parents if I came to this world as the result of a hidden relationship. My friend was curious about how my father managed to share his time with both wives. I explained that he provided both his wives with a house and tries his best to fulfil all their needs, which is the primary condition of polygamy. It is a huge responsibility. She continued to bombard me with questions on the subject, but finally posed the most thoughtful question: “Who does he favour?” I was stuck, because I do not know how my father feels toward his wives; I do not know what is in his heart. This is why Allah says in the Quran, Verse 129: “You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire.” This refers to the emotional side of polygamy – we have no control over our hearts. I have a lot of friends and appreciate them, but I have that one special friend, with whom I share all of my secrets and sorrows. I give this friend the title “best friend”, although I do cherish all my companions. Islam did not invent polygamy but only regulated it in favour of women. Islam puts a limit on the number of wives a Muslim man can have. It is not obligatory, only permissible, if the man can fulfil the criteria, which is to be just with his wives socially, economically and even emotionally. If not – and really, who can? – he must remain with one bride. The purpose of allowing this practice is not to support a man’s personal ego, but to solve a major social problem, such as in historical times of battle and war, when men’s deaths meant that scores of women were left widowed or orphaned. Polygamy is not exclusive to Islam but, unfortunately, Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is often singled out as a polygamist, which is rather surprising. The Bible and Torah speak of polygamy. Prophet Ibrahim and Jacob (Peace be upon them both) had more than one wife. And let’s not forget Prophet Solomon (Peace be upon him) who had more than 700 wives. Asmaa Al Hameli (The National)

Why is not Polyandry Permitted for Women?

Question Can a Muslim woman marry a non-Muslim man? Is it permissible and is there any leeway in Sharia for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man? Recently in the UK some Imams and so called ‘Islamic scholars’ have permitted interfaith marriages and claim it is permissible in Islam. Jazakallah. Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Ibn Sireen rahmatullahi alayh made a comprehensive and apt statement regarding authentic knowledge and its importance for a Muslim. He says: إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذونه Translation: “This ilm (knowledge) IS deen (religion) so watch who you obtain your knowledge from.” A persons actions are directed by his knowledge and understanding. If one has the correct understanding of Deen, his actions will follow in the correct direction. If his understanding is incorrect, his actions too will be incorrect. It is therefore important to search for reliable and authentic Ulama and seek knowledge from them. The sign of a true Alim is mentioned in the Quran: Allah the Almighty states: إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ (35:28) “Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge.” This means that for a person to be a true, reliable scholar of Deen, it is necessary that he have the fear and awareness of Allah the Almighty embedded in his heart. The knowledge and religious information one possesses is of no value without the consciousness and awareness of Allah Ta’ala. Amongst the various reasons for this, one is that a person who has the fear and awareness of Allah Ta’ala embedded in his heart, he will be honest and truthful when it comes to imparting his knowledge; he will not blur the lines between Haq and Batil (truth and falsehood) for his gain or another person’s gain. A person who fears Allah will not say anything about Shariah he does not know. He exercises extreme caution in issues of Shariah. The “Islamic scholars” you refer to in the question are not the type of scholars Allah refers to in the Quran. Being scholars does not mean they are Ulama with authority on Shariah. Such people should be vetted by Ulama of Haq to fall in the category of Ulama. Any true and reliable scholar would know that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man of any other faith.[ii] Allah Ta’ala has designed some laws different for men and women. Among them are polygamy and marriage to non-Muslims. Allah Ta’ala is our Creator and He knows what is best for a male and female. He knows the temperament and nature of both and accordingly designated laws that are best for them. We are the slaves of Allah Ta’ala and simply submit to the laws of Allah Ta’ala. The ‘scholars’ you refer to claim that the Quran has not prohibited Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. Moreover, if men are permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women (Ahlul Kitab) then why can’t women? Both substantiations lack academic merit. Any student having basic understanding of law would know that one is a rule and the other is an exception to the rule. The general rule is that Muslims (both male and female) are only permitted to wed people of the same faith (fellow Muslims). This ‘rule’ is based on the following verse of Surah Al-Baqarah; Allah the Almighty states: وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُوا وَلَعَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ (2:221) “Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allures you.” The exception to this rule is the verse in which Allah the Almighty permits men to marry the women of Ahlul Kitab (Christians and Jews) i.e.: وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ (5:5) “Lawful unto you in marriage are chaste women who are believers and chaste women among the Ahlul Kitab (people of the book).” In addition, in the same verse Allah the Almighty orders any Muslim man wishing to marry a kitaabi that he must hand over to her the mahr (dowry) that she is owed. “When you have given their due Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage)” (5:5) Mahr (dowry) is given to the wife from the husband; there is no difference of opinion in this matter and the jurists of the Ummah are unanimous on this fact. This clearly indicates and elucidates the fact that the permission granted in the abovementioned verse is restricted to Muslim men. In another place, when Allah Ta’ala is talking about the Muhaajiraat (women from Makkah who have accepted and migrated to Madinah) He states: فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ (60:10) “Do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them.” The prohibition; in this verse; of returning Muslim women to their former husbands is general, whether the husbands are from the Ahlul Kitab (people of the Book) or polytheists. Simply put, a Muslim woman cannot be with a non-Muslim husband. There has been consensus on this issue and this is the unanimous view of the scholars from the golden era of the Sahabah Radhi Allahu anhum. Imam Bukhari radhi Allahu anhu has dedicated a whole chapter to this situation in his canonical compilation of Ahadith; Sahih al Bukhari.[iii] And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Saanwal ibn Muhammad, Student Darul Iftaa UK Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb صحيح مسلم، ج1، ص14، دار إحياء التراث العربي [ii] وَلَا يَجُوزُ تَزَوُّجُ الْمُسْلِمَةِ من مُشْرِكٍ وَلَا كِتَابِيٍّ كَذَا في السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ ( الفتاوى الهندية، دار الفكر، ج1، ص 282) وَمِنْهَا إسْلَامُ الرَّجُلِ إذَا كَانَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ مُسْلِمَةً فَلَا يَجُوزُ إنْكَاحُ الْمُؤْمِنَةِ الْكَافِرَ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَلا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُوا} [البقرة: 221] وَلِأَنَّ فِي إنْكَاحِ الْمُؤْمِنَةِ الْكَافِرَ خَوْفَ وُقُوعِ الْمُؤْمِنَةِ فِي الْكُفْرِ (بدائع الصنائع، ج2، ص271، دار الكتب العلمية) [iii] بَابُ إِذَا أَسْلَمَتِ المُشْرِكَةُ أَوِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ تَحْتَ الذِّمِّيِّ أَوِ الحَرْبِيِّ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الوَارِثِ: عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: «إِذَا أَسْلَمَتِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ قَبْلَ زَوْجِهَا بِسَاعَةٍ حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ… (صحيح البخاري، ج7، ص49، دار طوق النجاة) Source

Masjid Al-Manaaratayn This is where the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam and Companions RA passed by the rotting carcass of a sheep. When the Companions RA held their noses, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam remarked, "The world is of less value to Allah than this sheep to its owner." The Masjid is on the way south from Madinah to the 'Aqeeq Valley (From "Memories of the Luminous City")

Masjid An-Nour (From "Memories of the Luminous City") (Click on picture to enlarge)

Many Christians & Jews don't know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers. Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad's, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu'ran, Muslims holy book. Why is the Qur'an a miracle ? 1- The Qu'ran is an untouchable book : After 1400 years, from the begining of Prophet Muhammad's, peace be upon him, message, the Qu'ran has not changed in any way, even as a matter of one charachter. Prooving this is very easy, since you can compare all the versions of the Qu'ran everywhere in the world and you will find them all the same. God ensured that this book would be saved from any changes attempted by human beings. God said in the Qur'an : " We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)" 2- The Qu'ran contains many scientific facts that have been discovered recently using computer systems and microscopes. Many scientists have attended conferences dealing with this subject and have themselves accepted Islam. These same scientists have said that it is not possible that Muhammad, peace be upon him, an illiterate man, who lived 1400 years ago, could have discovered such things on his own. God said in the Qur'an : "Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things" ( Quran 41:53 ) 3- The Qu'ran, which is in Arabic, was revealed to the people of the Arabian Gulf who invented the Arabic language. Through Muhammad, peace be upon him, Allah challenged the people who claimed that a human wrote it to emulate such a book. No one from the time of the Prophet till now could write a book that contained the many scientific facts, miracles and similar effects on people that the Qu'ran did and still does today. 4- The Qu'ran had not one Arabic grammar mistake, which was recognized by the disbelievers at the time of the Prophet, who were the founders of the Arabic language. These are a few examples of why Muslims believe in the Qur'an. Here are some verses from God to Muslims encouraging them to invite the People of the Book ( Jews and Christians to Islam ): God said : {Say: "O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?} (Quran 3:98) God tell Muslims to say : {..'We believe in that which had been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender} (Quran 29:46) islaaminfo

Zaitoon (Olive) is Cure for Seventy Diseases By: Dr. M.Laiq Ali Khan Zaitoon (Olive) the sign of peace and friendship in this world has its description in Holy Qur’an Allah Taala says: “By the fig and olive, And the mount of Sinai, And the city of security, We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, Then do we abase him (to be) the lowest of low, Except such as believe and do righteous deeds for they shall have a reward unfailing, What then, can after this, make you deny the last judgement, Is not Allah the wisest of judges” (The Fig, Surah 95) The plant of olive goes up to the height of 3 metres, leaves are bright green and very attractive and the fruits are of bright bluish or violet colour, possesses a metallic taste. It is known from old ages. During the excavation of ancient Egyptian graves, vessels full of olive oil were found with other articles. According to the scholars of Hadith, on subsidence of Toofan-E-Nooh, when water level came down, the first thing on the earth that was seen, was the olive plant. The plant is extensively found in Asia minor, Palestine, Roman territory, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, California in America, Mexico, Peru and South zone of Australia. Usually it is imported from Spain, Italy, France, Turkey and Greece. Though olive fruits are very nutritious it is not usually eaten due to its metallic taste. Rather pickles of its fruits are largely consumed in Europe. The fruits preserved in vinegar is imported from Greece and liked very much in Europe and in Arabian countries. Olive oil is a good preservative for other eatables too. Sardine and other fishes are tinned and preserved in olive oil. The smoke-less burning of olive oil is a peculiar feature, which produces a bright light. Holy Qur’an stresses the importance of Zaitoon on several occasions: (141-M-AlInaam-6), (99-K-AlInaam-6), (11-K-AlNahl-16), (AlNoor-35), (Moominoon). Hazrat Sayyed Al-Ansari narrates that the Prophet (Pbuh) said “Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (mubarak) tree.” (Tirmizi, Ibn Maja) Hazrat Alqama Bin Amir narrates that Prophet (Pbuh) said, “ There is olive oil for you, eat it, massage over your body, since it is effective in Heamorrhoids (Piles).” (Ibn Al-Jozi, Zanbi) Hazrat Aqba Bin Amir narrates that the Prophet (Pbuh) stated, “You have the olive oil from this Holy (mubarak) tree, treat yourself with this, since it cures the Anal fissure (Basoor).” Khalid Bin Saad narrates “I came to Madinah with Ghalib Bin Al Jabr. Ghalib became ill during the journey. Ibn Abi Ateeq came to see him and told a narration from Hazrat Aisha that the Prophet (Pbuh) told about the cure in Kalonji. We crushed a few seeds of Kalonji and mixed it with olive oil and dropped in both nostrils, after which Ghalib became healthy.” (Ibn Maja, Bukhari) Hazrath Abu Hurairah (t) narrates that the Prophet (Pbuh) stated, “ Eat the olive oil and apply it (locally), since there is cure for seventy diseases in it, one of them is Leprosy.” (Abu Naim) Hazrat Zaid Bin Arqam narrates “ We have been directed by the Prophet (Pbuh) that we should treat the Pleurisy with Qust-e-Behri (Qust Sheerin) and olive oil.” (Tirmizi, sanadeAhmed, Ibn Maja) Olive oil has a place in Govt Pharmacopoca of USA and Britain (British Pharmacopoca). Both of these countries have given prime importance to olive oil for the treatment of various ailments and have fixed standard parameters to evaluate its purity. It contains Palmatic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Steanic Acid, Myristic Acid and Glycerides. It is not dissolved in water but in Alcohol, Ether, Chloroform and Liquid Paraffin. The adulterant very often used in the olive are of the seeds of Tea Plant, Arachis oil in the market samples of olive oil. Sometimes Machine Gun oil and refined Mobile oil are also found. Olive oil is extracted from the ripened fruits. The unripe and over ripe fruits contain less amount of the oil. The fruits are processed three times. Successively, the first round oil is the best in quality, golden in colour, with a light fragrance and known as virgin oil. Some varieties of olive oil remained unchanged in its effectiveness for years together. It contains therapeutic potential even if it is a thousand years old. Despite the prime importance and holiness given by Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) no work has been done to find out its efficacy for the ailments other than the Haemorrhoids, Anal fissure, Skin diseases, pleurisy and leprosy, which are already described by the Prophet (Pbuh) , whereas the Prophet (Pbuh) himself says us that it contains cure for seventy diseases. According to Ibn Al-Qayyim the red coloured oil is better than blackish one. It is an exhilarant, glows up the facial complexion, provides prevention against poisons, regulates the digestive process, expels the intestinal parasites, makes the hair lustrous and minimises the ageing problems. The massage of olive oil with common salt over the gums is a remedy for several diseases of gums and teeth. The local application of olive oil or the water extracted from the crushed olive oil leaves is effective on boils, rashes and itching. The chronic ulcers and boils, which show difficult healing condition, are healed up with the use of olive oil locally. According to Zahbi it strengthens the hairs and body, hence could be used as a good tonic in old age problems and to delay the ageing process. It is also useful in sexual weakness. Combination of normal saline with olive oil is highly effective in burns cases. The decotion of olive leaves in water is effective against mouth and lips ulcers and allergic dermatitis also. The concentrated aquous extract of olive leaves and fruits is very effective against dental cavities and application of this solution shows very good effects on Leukoplaquea in mouth. This solution is applied with vinegar on Alopecia, grows the hair and removes the Alopecia. It is also stated that the local application of this extract removes the scars of small pox and boils. The powder of seeds mixed with butter is effective in brittle nails. The pickles prepared from olive fruits is a good appetizer and removes constipation. The smashed leaves are applied locally to check excessive perspiration. The water extracted from the leaves with honey is used as Ear drops and effective in various Ear ailments. The oil procured by burning of olive wood is effective against all fungal infection viz, Ringworm, T.versicolor etc. in addition to Eczema, Psoriasis, Dandruff and Alopecia. The local application of olive oil on scalp is highly effective against dandruff. It grows the hairs and checks, the loss of hair. The application of olive oil in eyes relieves the inflammation. The massage of olive oil over the body tones up the muscles and organs, it relieves muscular pains. Some physicians also advocate the massage of olive oil for epilepsy. It relieves the Sciatic and arthritis. The ointment prepared from olive oil are very good healing agents. It heals the sinus and fistula very quickly. 25ml of olive oil mixed with 250ml of barley water, if taken internally, is highly effective against chronic constipation. It is good Diuretic, hence is used in Ascites. It also removes the kidney stones. A conventional regimen is also available comprising of olive oil and other herbal drugs having potential against the Gall bladder stones. It is stated that this regimen dissolves and expels the Gall bladder stone. In view of the researchs carried out in USA and England, it is concluded that it is a good nourishing diet during the ailments of kidney, where nitrogen containing food/proteins in take is contra indicated. Since, the Prophet (Pbuh) stated that it is a good remedy for Anal fissure, hence for the same complaint patients were advised to take two spoonful of olive oil at bedtime and an ointment was applied on fissure locally at retiring and in morning, prepared from 8 spoonfuls of olive oil and 2 spoonfuls of ground henna leaves. This showed very good effects against the problem. It is a good tonic for hair and maintains the lustre. Its combination with other prescribed drugs of Tibb-al-Nabwi is a good remedy for Psoriasis and Eczema. The impressions of several doctors practising in middle east and North Africa reveal that no case was detected of Gastro Intestinal Carcinoma, among those who were used to consuming olive oil. Japanese doctors also endorse this fact and have the opinion that olive oil prevents the incidence of Carcinoma in G.I.T. The Prophet (Pbuh) stated that it is a good remedy for intestinal inflammations. Therefore it was used in the cases of G.I.T ulcers and found very much effective. It is also observed that no remedy equates the benefits of olive oil in hyper acidity and gas troubles. The Prophet (Pbuh) recommended the use of olive oil in Pleurisy. Keeping this in view olive oil was administered in various diseases of Respiratory tract and it was observed that the regular users of olive oil were least affected with common cold and coryzha and pneumonia. The clinical experiences of well qualified and highly established doctors in the profession who take a keen insight in Prophet’s medicine reveal that olive oil is a good supportive treatment in Tubercular infection of either sites. According to a narration of Kahlid Bin Saad in Ibn Maja, one spoonful of Kalonji was pulverised and mixed with 12 spoonful of olive oil. This suggestion was dropped into the nostrils morning and evening for the cases of chronic cold and epistaxis. The results were found highly positive. The above article was originally published in the magazine “Islamic Voice” in February 2000. eathalal.com

What an honour MashaAllah! Allah ta'ala grant acceptance and make it a means of attaining His pleasure, aameen. Jazaakallaahu khayran for the update and I too was able to download the PDF without any problems. The idea of one long downloadable PDF is great. InshaAllah I too need to make time to study this subject properly (though in the past i was put off by my weakness in maths when i first came across a couple of inheritance books)

Marrying non-Muslims. The Legal Ruling Question Could someone from amongst your group (Please) put together a reply that gives the reasons why our young women may not marry outside Islam and send it to the gentleman (also covering his question)? Please keep me in copy as I am interested in forwarding it to a young Muslim friend who is ‘marrying’ an Irish Catholic man who refuses to convert to Islam. ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Inter-marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims is something that has been clearly prohibited in the Qur’an and Sunnah, thus not permissible in any way. The only exception to this general rule is the marriage of Muslim men with Christian and Jewish girls, and that also with certain conditions. Allah Most High says: “Do not marry unbelieving women until they believe. A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though if she attracts you. And not marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe. A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though if he attracts you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire but Allah beckons by His grace to the garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His signs clear to mankind; that they may receive admonition.” (al-Baqarah, 221) The above verse of the Holy Qur’an along with many other statements of the Qur’an and Sunnah clearly mention the impermissibility of Muslims marrying non-Muslims. Therefore, a marriage between a Muslim and someone from another religion will not be lawful or even valid according to Islam. The exception, however, is mentioned in the following verse: “(Lawful unto you in marriage are chaste women who are believers and chaste women among the people of the book.” (al-Ma’idah, 5) Thus, it would be permissible, in principle, for Muslim men to marry women from the people of the book (ahl al-Kitab) namely Christian and Jewish girls. However, this is also subjected to certain conditions, as will be mentioned later. The reason behind this prohibition (of inter-marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims) is that, marital relationships demand mutual love, affection and intimacy, and without this, the purpose of marriage is left unfulfilled. If such close relationship of love and intimacy is established with a non-Muslim, it may emotionally incline a Muslim towards disbelief (kufr) or, at the least; abhorrence of Kufr and Shirk may not remain in the heart. Consequently, it may lead one to disbelief and eventually the fire of Hell. This is why Allah Almighty said towards the end of the verse of Surah al-Baqarah quoted above: “Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire, but Allah beckons by His grace to the garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His signs clear to mankind; that they may receive admonition.” ( 221) (See: Ma’arif al-Qur’an, 1/ 540) Therefore, the fear that a Muslim man or woman may well be affected with his/her partner’s religion, thus go on to a path that leads to the fire of hell, is the main cause for this prohibition. Hence, a Muslim woman will not be allowed whatsoever to marry anyone besides a Muslim man, and even if she did, the marriage will not be valid in Islam. Similarly, a Muslim man will not be allowed to marry any non-Muslim girl, such as a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or any other non-Muslim woman. However, it will be permissible for him to marry a Christian or a Jewish girl. This is explained in the following section. Marrying Christian and Jewish girls As stated previously, Islam has allowed Muslim men to marry women from the people of the book (ahl al-Kitab). This permission is explicitly mentioned in the verse of the Qur’an already quoted: “(Lawful unto you in marriage are chaste women who are believers and chaste women among the people of the book.” (al-Ma’idah, 5) However, there are certain points that need to be taken into consideration here: Firstly, the exception of Christian and Jewish girls is because the difference in belief between the people of the book and Muslims is relatively lesser and lighter as compared with other non-Muslims. They are all monotheistic religions and known as the Abrahamic faiths. The basic difference between Islam and the other two religions is the belief in the last Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). Therefore, the fear and danger of corruptibility is less as compared to marrying with women from other faiths, thus Islam gave this permission for Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish girls. A question may arise here, that if the difference between Muslims and people of the book is considered to be lighter as compared to other faiths, then why is it unlawful for Muslim girls to marry Christian and Jewish men? The answer to this question is that, women are somewhat weak and emotional by nature. Then, the husband has also been given a caretaking and controlling role over the wife. As such, it is very likely that the Muslim wife may fall prey and become impressed with her husband’s faith. The chances of the husband becoming affected by his wife’s faith are remote, thus the difference between the two situations is clear. Moreover, by marrying a Christian or a Jewish man, the status of the Muslim wife would be affected, for the wife normally takes the nationality and status given by her husband’s law. A Christian or a Jewish woman marrying a Muslim man would be expected eventually to accept Islam, while the possibility of a Muslim woman changing her faith to that of her husband is very likely. Therefore, only Muslim men were given this permission of marrying women from the people of the book. Secondly, women who are Christians and Jews merely by name, and do not really believe in any religion, like a large number of people in the west, cannot be termed as people of the book (ahl al-Kitab). They are atheist in reality and it will not be permissible for Muslim men to marry them. Therefore, one must first make sure that the woman is truly a believing Christian or Jew, and then consider contracting marriage with them. Thirdly, it should be remembered that the meaning of the permission of marrying Christian and Jewish women is simply that, if a marriage contract was performed with them, it would be valid according to Islam and the children born out of this wedlock will be considered legitimate. However, there are various narrations that establish its undesirability. A Muslim man is advised in the Hadith to select a life partner who fully observes the injunctions of Islam, so that she becomes a means of attaining piety. If that is the case, then marrying Christian and Jewish girls would be disliked. This is the reason why Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) prevented many such marriages in his lifetime because of what he had seen of the corruption that resulted in Iraq and Syria. (See: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Kitab al-Athar). Finally, this permission is only when one is confident that he himself or his children will not be affected by this marriage. In the early days, Muslims were duly equipped with adequate Islamic knowledge and an unshaken commitment towards their religion. As such, there was no risk of the husband being affected by his wife’s religion. Rather, the wife would see the glory of Islam, thus enter into the fold of Islam. Therefore, if a Muslim male is confident that marriage with a Christian or Jewish girl will have no affect on his and his children’s Islamic identity and commitment, then there is no bar against such marriages. However, if he is not so confident, he must avoid entering into such marriages. And Allah Knows Best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK Source

I think aishazanap is looking for gift giving traditions in different countries....the only ones i can think of are non Muslim traditions/customs at Christmas, birthdays, valentines etc.

Interfaith Marriages: Why can’t a Muslim Woman marry a non-Muslim Man? By Ebrahim Saifuddin People often ask the question that if Muslim men are allowed to marry non-Muslim women, why Muslim women are not allowed to marry non-Muslim men. Firstly it is important to point out that Muslim men are not allowed to marry any non-Muslim women. The only people with whom the Muslim man is allowed to marry are from the People of the Book i.e. those who have faith in the previous revelations informed by Allah (swt). “… (lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time, – when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).” – [Qur'an 5:5] Also from the Qur'anic Ayah it is important to note that lawful are not all the women among the People of the Book but only the chaste ones. Apart from these, a Muslim man is not allowed to marry any other woman. Hence the question asked by people should be rephrased into ‘why can’t a Muslim woman marry from among the People of the Book?’ Islam being a complete way of life gives us the minutest details of how to live our lives and the roles we have in society. Man by nature tends to be dominant and woman by nature tends to be compromising. This is a fact which cannot be denied. Some women might claim that they are more dominant in their marriage etc and hence it is not always true that men are dominant. Even if I do agree that there are some women who are more dominant as compared to their husbands, these still are rare cases. Like two in a thousand and thus a minority. Islam is a universal religion and thus needs to secure people at a global level and thus in certain issues its rulings are based on the majority rather than minority. One might ask here how Islam is securing the woman by its rulings on this matter. Primarily Islam teaches us to believe in all the prophets علیھم السلام that were sent by Allah(swt) to Mankind. Thus a Muslim by default believes in Jesus and Moses علیھما السلام. On the other hand, the Christian does not believe in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Jew does not believe in Muhammad ﷺ nor Jesus علیہ السلام as prophets of Allah(swt). This is a very important point because a Muslim man would by default respect the prophet which his non-Muslim wife believes in but a non-Muslim man would not believe or respect the prophet which his wife believes in. After the couple has children, the non-Muslim wife would teach their child to love and respect the prophet she believes in. The Muslim man would certainly not object if his child is being taught to love Jesus or Moses علیھما السلام. On the other hand the non-Muslim husband might object when his Muslim wife would teach their child about Islam. It is highly likely for the man to teach his children the religion he follows. A non-Muslim man with a Muslim wife would then teach their child to be a Christian or Jew. This would mean that the mother would have to be a witness to her child being led onto the wrong path. In such a situation the mother might retaliate by teaching her child the Islamic values and principles. This in turn would lead the relations between the spouses to turn sour. This could also lead to domestic violence. The United States is a country which is most vociferous regarding rights of individuals. In a survey carried out by The Commonwealth Fund in 1998 and it was seen that there was an estimated 960,000 cases of domestic violence. They stated that around one-third of the American women report being physically or sexually abused by their husbands or boyfriends. Moreover they add that around thirty percent of the American people claim that they know of a woman who was abused physically by her husband or boyfriend. These are the realities which one tends to overlook when they speak about Islam being unfair to the Muslim woman. Further the non-Muslim spouse could end up divorcing his wife, which would lead to trauma for the Muslim woman and the children. The non-Muslim husband would naturally not recognize Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to be a prophet of Allah(swt) and might object to the Islamic practices of his wife. He could object to the hijab which the wife would wear. He could want the wife to dress more ‘moderately’ especially when accompanying him to a party. Moreover he could ask the wife to sit with him while he consumes alcohol. The husband could want the wife to serve alcohol for him and a couple of friends after dinner. It is a huge sin in Islam for a person to have anything to do with alcohol. Moreover the husband could want to eat pork for lunch or dinner and could ask the wife to cook it for him. Again this is something not allowed for a Muslim to do and thus would cause trouble in the family. The husband could find it okay for him to drink where his wife is offering prayers. It could be okay for the husband to keep a pet dog inside the house. This is another thing which is not allowed by Islam but the non-Muslim husband might not understand it. As it can be seen, there can be a lot of issues which can arise between the marriage of a Muslim woman and non-Muslim man. It is also important to point out that the non-Muslim man could later on, either of himself or out of pressure from his family, compel the Muslim woman to accept the faith he follows. On the other hand, a Muslim man respects the People of the Book and is under strict instructions from Allah(swt) not to compel his wife to change her faith. Hence the rights of a non-Muslim wife are secure and protected in the house of a Muslim man whereas it is not necessarily the same in a vice versa situation. One might say that it could also be possible for a non-Muslim wife to disrespect the Muslim husband’s beliefs as well. What is interesting is that such a case is highly unlikely to occur because of the teachings present in the books of the People of the Book. The Bible tells us that when Eve committed the sin, the punishment she received from God was: To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” – [Genesis 3:16] Thus to the women of the People of the Book, their scripture teaches that their husband will rule over them and they are not to speak against them as the husbands are given this position by God. It should be noted here that such a concept does not exist in Islam and both Adam and Eve are blamed equally for the sin they committed. For details on that issue refer to my article “Original Sin or Original Forgiveness – What is the lesson?” Now let us further see what the religious scriptures, of the People of the Book, teach. They state that the wives are to submit to their husbands just as they submit to God. The wife is told to submit to their husbands just the way the church submits to Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. – [Ephesians 5:22-24] Another verse that is important to mention is as such: Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. – [1 Peter 3:1-2] As one can see that the women of the People of the Book are told to completely submit to their husbands regardless of whether the husband believes in the word or not. To them the husband has been given a position by God to rule over them. Thus it is highly unlikely for her to disrespect her husband. At the same time the non-Muslim man comes from the line of thought that they are in this world to rule over their wives and that their wives should submit to them like they would submit to God. Hence it is highly likely for there to be clashes between the marriages of non-Muslim men with Muslim women. However this would further give rise to another question which people could ask. They could say that Islam teaches the wife to be respectful towards her husband so then there should be no clash between a Muslim wife and her non-Muslim husband. This line of argument would hold to be true only if the husband was given a status above God in Islam. That is of course not the case and Islam asks for complete submission to Allah(swt) and then come other responsibilities. Islam stresses on Muslims to respect their parents yet Muslims are not supposed to follow their parents’ orders if they are contrary to the teachings of Islam. Similarly a Muslim woman is not to follow what her husband says if it is contrary to the teachings of Islam. Thus keeping all the factors in mind any Muslim woman would agree that she is better off marrying a Muslim man as opposed to a non-Muslim man. Allah(swt) has Absolute Wisdom and thus He has set laws which are only better for us. We, being humans, have limited wisdom which is negligible in front of Allah(swt) and thus at times we might not be able to comprehend the true reason why certain things are forbidden in Islam. Allah(swt) does know that many would not recognize that which is bad for us and thus He says in the Quran: But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not. – [Quran 2:216] In the end, it is important for us to realise that as we accept Allah(swt) as our Creator, we bring belief on to what He has decreed for us and accept that to be in our best interest. Thus we hear and we obey. The reasons which were stated in the article are not absolute but the wisdom of Allah(swt) is Absolute. Thus, hypothetically, if we are to say that all the reasons stated above are invalid today, still the ruling of Allah(swt) remains and we are to obey it.

PRIVACY WITH STRANGERS Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam said: “A person may not sit in privacy with a strange woman except that any of her Mahram (close family members whom she is not allowed to marry) be present with her.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

PURDAH EVEN FROM THE BLIND Hazrat Umme-Salma and Hazrat Maymoona (RA) were once in the presence of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhiw asallam when a blind Sahabi, Hazrat Abdullah bin Ummi-Maktoom (RA) came to him, upon which Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam instructed them to observe Purdah. They replied: “O Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam is he not blind?” (in other words, why should we make Purdah from a blind man?) Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam answered: “Are the two of you blind?” (Tirmidhi) N.B. Thus women are not allowed to look at strange men, even though they are within the purdah themselves. Where the Qur’aan Majeed prohibits men from gazing at women, in the very next verse women are also instructed to keep their gazes low from strange men. (Refer to Surah 24, Verse 31.) It is thus unlawful for them to look at any strange man. Many women are totally ignorant of this Mas’ala. Many are there who peep and stare away at strange men from the slits of their veils (Niqaab), thinking that none is looking at them, but remember Allah is Ever-Present, Ever-Watchful. EFFECTIVE REMEDIES FOR SPITITUAL MALADIES Arifbillah Hazrat Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb

BROTHER IN LAW IS MAUT (DEATH) Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam said: “Abstain from the company of strange women..” One Sahabi (RA) asked Nabi sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam regarding the brother-in-law (being in privacy with his sister-in-law, his brother’s wife). Nabi sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam replied; “The brother-in-law is (like) Maut,” (Bukhari,-Muslim) N.B. Included with the brother-in-law are his cousins, nephews and uncles as well as other close relatives of the husband. “Like Maut” means, just as a person flees and fears Maut, so too should he fear the privacy of such people with his wife. Allah forbid! The consequences of this can be terrible for the entire family, possibly for generations to come? EFFECTIVE REMEDIES FOR SPITITUAL MALADIES Arifbillah Hazrat Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb