FAQs about Islam

FAQs about Islam

1. What is Islam?
Ans: Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority has nothing to do with the extremely grave events, which have come to be associated with their faith.

2. What does Islam mean?
Ans: The Arabic word Islam simply means 'submission', and derives from a word meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. 'Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad (peace be upon him) rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.

3. How do we know Islam is the truth?
Ans: 1- It is the only religion that holds Allah as One, Unique, and Perfect.
2- It is the only religion that believes in the sole worship of Allah, not Jesus, not an idol, and not an angel, only Allah.
3- The Quran does not contain contradictions.
4- The Quran contains scientific facts, which are 1300 years ahead of their time. The Quran, while revealed 1400 years ago contains scientific facts, which are only now being discovered. It is not in contradiction to science.
5- Allah has challenged the world to produce the like of the Quran. And He says they won't be able to.
6- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the most influential man in history. In the book "The 100 most influential men in History", written by non-Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was #1. Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was #3. It should be noted that even the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was a prophet sent by Allah. Would Allah allow a false prophet to be so successful? No. Even the Bible refers to this in Deuteronomy 18:19. A false prophet would die!!! Yet Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not die till he completely conveyed, and taught Allah's religion.
7- He had many prophecies, and all of his prophecies have come true, or are still coming true.

4. Why does Islam often seem strange?
Ans: Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari'a, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important

5. Do Islam and Christianity have different origins?
Ans: Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three prophets are directly descended from his sons-Muhammad (peace be upon him) from the eldest, Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus, from Isaac. Abraham established the settlement, which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Kabah towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.

6. Who are Muslims?
Ans: One billion people form a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe, from the southern Philippines to Nigeria, are united by their common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the Arab world; the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are also to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe.

7. What do Muslims believe?
Ans: Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God in the Angels created by Him, in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist and Jesus, (peace be upon them). But God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through Gabriel.

8. Who is Allah?
Ans: It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."


9. Does Allah look like us?
Ans: No, Allah is perfect. He is not like any of His creations. He has told us that He has hands, eyes, a face, and feet, but all of these attributes are befitting to His might and glory. A Muslim does not say a single thing about Allah other than what Allah says about Himself. Allah is Perfect and Unique.

10. What does it mean to believe in Allah?
Ans: To believe in Allah means to believe in total perfection, and uniqueness.
It means to believe in His prophets because they are His, and He sent them. We can not pick and choose. A Muslim must believe in all the prophets of Allah.
It means to believe in the Angles! We must love them all. We cannot hate an Angel say, for example, Michael to whom rain and the vegetation of the Earth are attributed or Gabriel to whom revelation (bringing down the scriptures to the prophets) is attributed.
It means to believe in Allah's predestination of good and bad.
It means to believe in the last day: The day of Judgment.

11. Can we see Allah?
Ans: Allah is not like the sun. Anyone can see the sun. But Allah is the most beautiful. Nothing is as beautiful as Allah. Actually looking at Allah is the greatest pleasure of the people in Paradise. This pleasure Allah does not give anyone but the believers.

12. Does Allah see us?
Ans: Allah sees us and knows everything about us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. There is not a leaf on a tree that blows away, or stays in its place except that He knows it. There is not a dry spot, nor a wet spot, nor a grain in the depths of the earth except that Allah knows it.

13. Does Allah answer my prayers?
Ans: We know that Allah answers all the prayers of the believers. This can be in 4 ways:
1- Getting what we ask for!
2- Getting something as good or better!
3- Being spared something bad that would have happened otherwise.
4- Being rewarded on the day of Judgment with a much greater reward than what we were asking for on earth.

14. When does Allah not answer our prayers?
Ans: 1- When it is bad for us!
2- When we ask, but not from our heart!
3- When we say: I asked and asked and He did not answer.
4- When we eat or drink unlawful food i.e. pork, wear unlawful clothes or use or posses property that was earned either through interest from the bank or that was stolen.

15. What can I ask of Allah?
Ans: Any thing, but don't ask Him to do things like make you a prophet because He has already said that there will be no more prophets. You can ask Allah for guidance, meaning you can ask Him to show you the correct religion.

16. Who is Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
Ans: Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah in the year 571 A.D., at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth and his mother shortly afterwards, so he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraish. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity so much that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the Mountain of Light near Makkah.

17. How did Muhammad (peace be upon him) become a prophet and a messenger of God?
Ans: At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad (peace be upon him) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Quran.
As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth that God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijrah, 'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet (peace be upon him) died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as Far East as China.

18. What is the Quran?
Ans: The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was memorized by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and then dictated to his companions, and written down by scribes, who crosschecked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 Surahs, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) fourteen centuries ago.

19. What is the Quran about?
Ans: The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time, it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.

20. Are there any other sacred sources?
Ans: Yes, the Sunnah, the practice and example of the Prophet (peace be upon him), is the second authority for Muslims. A Hadith is a reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, did, or approved. Belief in the Sunnah is part of the Islamic faith.
Examples of the Prophet's sayings
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others.'
'None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.'
'Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger.'
(From the Hadith collections of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Baihaqi.)

21. Who is Jesus to us?
Ans: Jesus (peace be upon him) is a true prophet, sent by Allah like Moses, Abraham, Lot, Noah, Jonah, Joseph, etc (peace be upon them).

22. Who were the parents of Jesus (peace be upon him)?
Ans: Jesus is the son of Virgin Mary and Allah created Jesus.

23. Can Jesus (peace be upon him), or Muhammad (peace be upon him) be worshipped?
Ans: No, Allah does not accept that a prophet, a person, an angel, a cow, a stone, or anything be worshipped in place of Him or even along with Him. Worship must be to Allah, the Creator of them.

24. Is Allah the same as what Christians call "the father"?
Ans: Allah is the Creator, who Jesus (peace be upon him) worshipped. He is the Creator who spoke to Moses and split the sea for Moses and his followers. That is Allah. But Allah tells us: "Say Allah is one, He is Perfect, He has never begotten, nor was He begot, and there is no one equal to Him."

25. Is there a trinity in Islam?
Ans: No. Allah is one and perfect.

26. Can anyone become a Muslim?
Ans: Yes anyone can. There are two declarations, which are necessary:
1- To bear witness that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah.
2- To bear witness that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.
This makes a person Muslim. But it should be said in Arabic. Next a person takes a shower and s/he is a Muslim.
Then what?
After a person becomes Muslim s/he is taught about prayers, fasting, alms to the poor, and pilgrimage. These are the pillars of Islam.
Then what?
Muslims are brothers and sisters. A Muslim should love for his brother or sister what s/he loves for him/herself. Allah's wealth does not run out and Allah can provide for us all. We pray for each other, and love each other, and love for our brothers and sisters what we love for ourselves.

27. What about someone who has never heard of Islam?
Ans: Allah is the most just. It is inconceivable to perceive of anyone acting with more beneficence than Allah. Allah is the most just and in the Quran He said: "We will not punish without sending someone to warn you". The "We" here is the majestic we used in Arabic. So if a person never heard about Islam, and was never warned clearly, Allah would have a special test for that person that He knows is equal to the chance that person would have had on earth.

28. When is the Day of Judgment?
Ans: Only Allah knows.

29. Are there signs for the day of Judgment?
Ans: Plenty, plenty, plenty. Many have already occurred.
To name a few:
*Objects will begin to talk.
*There will be much killing. The killer won't know why he killed, and the person that was killed won't know why he was killed.
*The Antichrist will come.
*Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary will return.
*Gog and Magog will be set free.
The sun will rise from the west (after this sign there can be no more repentance).

30. What is it that keeps us from entering Heaven?
Ans: Worship of anyone other than Allah is the greatest sin. It is called shirk, and this is not forgiven except through repentance.

31. What about non-Muslims do; they go to heaven?
Ans: Allah only accepts Islam. He says in the Quran: "Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam it won't be accepted of him, and he will be one of the losers in the hereafter". I would rather lose anywhere, but not lose in the hereafter. This is because hellfire is eternal. It never ends and we never die when we go there, if we go there.

32. Do we believe that Allah created the heavens and earth in 6 days?
Ans: Yes, we do.

33. Do we have free will?
Ans: Yes, of course. Allah does not punish us for something we did not do on our own. But at the same time, our will is not inspired of Allah's will. We cannot do anything if Allah does not allow it. In other words nothing goes on in Allah's kingdom without His will.

34. Did Allah create evil?
Ans: Yes, Allah created the good and the bad. Whatever bad happens to us is due to our sins. We sin and Allah pardons much of what we do; however, when something bad happens to us it is our fault, and we are to blame. Bad things that happen to a person are a chance for that person to reflect and ask: "Why is this happening to me?" A chance for a person to return from his sin and obey and worship Allah.

35. Who are my best friends?
Ans: Your best friends are the ones that care where you go after you are dead. This is how the prophets acted. They cared that we go to heaven, even if it meant some hardship on earth.

36. Who is my worst enemy?
Ans: That would be the devils, whether they are human devils (evil people), or Jinn devils (like Iblis). The Arabic word for a devil is Shaytan (similar to Satan). Satan wants us all to go to hell. He wants us to be bad on earth. Whether we get rich or do lots of wrong things that we appear to enjoy, he does not care that, but he wants to make sure we don't go to heaven.

37. Do bad things happen to the believers (good people)?
Ans: Yes, they do. But they appear bad to the believers because they are things people don't like. Who likes breaking a leg? However, when a bad thing happens to a believer this believer is patient. He praises Allah in all circumstances. He knows Allah does not decree something unless it is for his own good.

38. Why is the family so important to Muslims?
Ans: The family is the foundation of Islamic society. The peace and security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued, and seen as essential for the spiritual growth of its members. A harmonious social order is created by the existence of extended families; children are treasured, and rarely leave home until the time they marry.

39. What about food?
Ans: Although much simpler than the dietary law followed by Jews and the early Christians, the code which Muslims observe forbids the consumption of pig meat or any kind of intoxicating drink. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that 'your body has rights over you', and the consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy lifestyle are seen as religious obligations. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and well-being; for after certainty, no one is given any gift better than health!'

40. What is the Kabah?
Ans: The Kabah is the place of worship, which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established by Adam. God commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go there today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to Abraham's summons.

41. Who are amongst the people that must fast in the blessed month of Ramadan and those that are not obliged to fast in this month?
Ans: Those who must fast: All mature and sane Muslims, male and female. Those who are exempted: The sick, the travelers, too old to fast, women in child birth, women with periods, pregnant women whose health is endangered, breast feeding women whose health is endangered.

42. What facts about the month of Ramadan have been related by Hadith in regards to what takes place related to heaven and hell?
Ans: The gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are shut.

43. What is one of the Sunnahs when a Muslim, for a valid reason cannot keep fast?
Ans: Not to eat in the presence of a fasting person. Repay it by fasting the number of days missed after Ramadan or give kafaarah equal to the amount of one Sadaqa tul Fitr in charity to the poor for each day missed.

44. What connection does the Holy Quran and the blessed month of Ramadan have that makes the month very important and sacred?
Ans: The Holy Quran was revealed in Ramadan.

45. It is said that the odor of a fasting Muslim is more fragrant to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala than what?
Ans: Musk.

46. Is it a requirement to enter Masjid Haram from the Baab as-Salaam entrance?
Ans: There is no such requirement. You can enter from any of the many gates.

47. Can I smoke when I'm in Ihram?
Ans: Try to give up this habit for the good of your health and the well-being of your family. Many chain smokers have returned from the Hajj as non-smokers for good. Alhamdulillah.

48. When I stone the Jamaraat, is it necessary to hit the target?
Ans: It is acceptable if the stone falls into the circle without hitting the target.

49. Can I perform Hajj every year?
Ans: Performing the Hajj ONCE is compulsory for Muslims who are financially and physically able to do so. There is no rule prohibiting anyone from performing the Hajj more than once. If you plan to perform it yearly, you are obviously financially well endowed. You should consider the following:
A: There are numerous things you can do to walk in the way of Allah. Consider contributing your Hajj trip funds to uplift downtrodden Muslims.
B: With nearly 3 million people converging in The Holy Land to perform the Hajj, the Saudi authorities have understandably imposed Hajj quotas. Have a heart for those waiting in line to perform the Hajj for the first time. Allow a reasonable time gap before going to perform the Hajj again.


50. Is it a must for a wife to seek her husband's permission to perform the obligatory Hajj?
Ans: Yes. A husband is strongly advised not to object as his wife is seeking permission to perform a duty commanded by The Almighty. Obedience to the command of The Almighty supercedes everything else, including a husband's objection.

51. What is the ruling on aborting a pregnancy in the early months (1-3) before the soul is breathed into the fetus?
Ans: 1- It is not permissible to abort a pregnancy at any stage unless there is a legitimate reason, and within very precise limits.
2- If the pregnancy is in the first stage, which is a period of forty days, and aborting it serves a legitimate purpose or will ward off harm, then it is permissible to abort it. But aborting it at this stage for fear of the difficulty of raising children or of being unable to bear the costs of maintaining and educating them, or for fear for their future or because the couple feel that they have enough children – this is not permissible.
3- It is not permissible to abort a pregnancy when it is an ‘alaqah (clot) or mudghah (chewed lump of flesh) (which are the second and third periods of forty days each) until a trustworthy medical committee has decided that continuing the pregnancy poses a threat to the mother’s wellbeing, in that there is the fear that she will die if the pregnancy continues. It is permissible to abort it once all means of warding off that danger have been exhausted.
4- After the third stage, and after four months have passed, it is not permissible to abort the pregnancy unless a group of trustworthy medical specialists decide that keeping the fetus in his mother’s womb will cause her death, and that should only be done after all means of keeping the fetus alive have been exhausted. A concession is made allowing abortion in this case so as to ward off the greater of two evils and to serve the greater of two interests.

Rights In Islam

Table Of Contents
The Rights Of Husband
The Rights of Parents
The wet-nurse
The Rights of Muslims
Rights of the Neighbour
Rights of the Travelling Companion
Rights of the Weak and Old
Rights of Human beings
Rights of Animals
The Virtues and Rights of Marriage
Glossary

Rights Of Husband
Allah Ta‘âlâ has given great rights to the husband and has attached a lot of virtue to him. Pleasing the husband and keeping him happy is a great act of ‘ibâdah and displeasing him or keeping him unhappy is a major sin.
1. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The woman who offers her five times salât, fasts in the month of Ramadân, protects her honour and respect, and obeys her husband has the choice of entering jannah from whichever door she wishes to enter from." This means that from the eight doors of jannah she can enter through whichever door she wishes without even having to knock on that door.
2. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The woman who passes away in such a state that her husband is pleased with her will enter jannah."
3. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Were I to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded the woman to prostrate to her husband. If the husband orders his wife to carry the boulders of one mountain to the next mountain, and the boulders of the next mountain to a third mountain, she will have to do this."
4. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When the husband calls his wife, she should go immediately to him even if she is busy at her stove." In other words, no matter how important a task she may be busy with, she should leave it and go to him.
5. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When a man calls his wife to engage in sexual intercourse with him and she does not go and because of this he sleeps away angrily, the angels continue cursing this woman till the morning."
6. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When a woman troubles or displeases her husband in this world, the hûr of jannah that has been set aside for him says : "May Allah curse you! Do not trouble him. He is your guest for a few days. Soon he will leave you and come to me."
7. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "There are three types of people whose salât is not accepted, nor is any other good act of theirs accepted. One is a slave who runs away from his master. The second is a woman whose husband is displeased with her. The third is a person who is in a state of intoxication."
8. A person asked : "Who is the best woman?" Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied : "The best woman is one who pleases her husband when he looks at her, when he asks her to do something she obeys him, and she does not do anything that may displease him with regard to his wealth and honour."
One of the rights of the husband is that the wife should not keep any optional fasts nor offer any optional salât in his presence without his permission. Among the rights of the husband is that she should not remain in an untidy, dishevelled state. Instead, she should always remain clean and beautiful for her husband. In fact, if she remains untidy and dishevelled despite her husband ordering her to remain clean, he has the right of beating her (lightly) in order that she may obey him. Another right of the husband is that she should not leave the house without his permission irrespective of whether it be the house of a friend, relative or anyone else.
The Rights of Parents
1. You should not cause them any harm even if they commit any excesses.
2. Respect and honour them in your speech and dealings with them.
3. Obey them in permissible acts.
4. If they are in need of money, assist them even if they are kâfirs.
5. The following rights are due to parents after their death :
(a) Continue making du‘âs of forgiveness and mercy for them. Continue sending rewards to them in the form of optional acts of worship and charity on their behalf.
(b) Meet their friends and relatives in a friendly way and also assist them wherever possible.
(c) If you have the finances, fulfil their unpaid debts and the permissible bequests that they have made.
(d) When they pass away, abstain from crying and wailing aloud or else their souls will be troubled.
6. According to the Sharî‘ah, the rights of the paternal and maternal grandparents are similar to those of the parents and they should be regarded as such.
7. Similarly, the rights of the maternal and paternal uncles and aunts are similar to those of the parents. This has been deduced from certain ‘Ahâdîth. (Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The maternal aunt has the status of one’s mother." - Tirmidhî)
The wet-nurse
Meet her with respect. If she is in need of money and you are able to help her, then help her.
The Step-mother
Since she is an associate of your father, and we have been commanded to be kind and friendly to our parents' associates, the step-mother, therefore, also has certain rights over you as mentioned previously.
The elder brother
In the light of the Hadith, the elder brother is similar to one's father. From this we can deduce that the younger brother is similar to one's children. Based on this, they will have rights similar to those of parents and children. The elder sister and the younger sister should also be treated in the same manner.
Relatives
If any of your blood relatives is in need and is unable to earn, help him out with his expenses according to your financial position. Go and meet them occasionally. Do not cut-off relations with them. In fact, even if they cause you harm, it will be best for you to exercise patience.
The In-laws
In the Quran, Allah Ta'âlâ has mentioned the in-laws together with one's lineage. We learn from this that the father-in-law, mother-in-law, wife's brother, sister's husband, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, the previous children of the wife, the previous children of the husband - all of these have certain rights. Therefore, you have to be more considerate to them as opposed to others.


The Rights of Muslims
1. Overlook the faults of a Muslim.
2. When he cries, have mercy on him.
3. Conceal his shortcomings.
4. Accept his excuses.
5. Remove his difficulties.
6. Always be good to him.
7. Gaining his love is an accomplishment.
8. Fulfil his promises.
9. When he falls ill, visit him.
10. When he passes away, make du‘â for him.
11. Accept his invitation.
12. Accept his gifts.
13. When he shows kindness to you, show kindness to him in return.
14. Be grateful for his favours upon you.
15. Help and assist him at the time of need.
16. Safeguard his family and children.
17. Assist him in his work.
18. Listen to his advice.
19. Accept his intercession.
20. Do not make him feel despondent over his ambitions.
21. When he sneezes and says "Alhamdulillâh", say "Yarhamukallah" in reply.
22. If you find a lost item of his, return it to him.
23. Reply to his greeting.
24. When you converse with him, speak with humility and in a good manner.
25. Be kind and friendly to him.
26. When he takes an oath with regard to you, confident that you will fulfil it, then you must fulfil it. (For example, Zayd takes an oath that ‘Amr never goes to the bazaar and he is confident that ‘Amr will fulfil this oath of his, then ‘Amr must ensure that he does not act contrary to it.)
27. If anyone oppresses him, go to his assistance. If he oppresses someone, prevent him.
28. Be friendly to him and do not antagonize him.
29. Do not disgrace him.
30. Whatever you like for yourself, like for him as well.
31. When you meet him, make salâm to him. If a man shakes the hand of a man, and a woman shakes the hand of a woman, it will be even better.
32. If a quarrel takes place between the two of you, do not cut-off speaking to him for more than three days.
33. Do not have evil thoughts of him.
34. Do not be jealous of him nor should you hate him.
35. Direct him towards good deeds and stop him from evil deeds.
36. Have mercy on the young and respect the elderly.
37. If there is a conflict between two Muslims, try and reconcile them.
38. Do not speak ill of him.
39. Do not cause him any loss; neither in his wealth nor in his honour.
40. If he is sitting, do not make him get up and take his place.
Rights of the Neighbour
1. Deal with him in a nice and friendly manner.
2. Protect the honour of his wife and children.
3. Occasionally you should send gifts to his house. Especially if he is poor. In such a case you should definitely send some food to him.
4. Do not cause him any harm. Do not quarrel with him over trivial matters.
Rights of the Travelling Companion
1. Just as a person has a neighbour at home, he also has a neighbour when travelling. That is, a travelling companion with whom you embark on a journey or coincidentally joins you during the course of the journey. The rights of such a person are similar to those of a neighbour.
2. His rights can be summed up as follows : give preference to his comfort over your own comfort. Some people display a lot of selfishness with regard to other travellers when travelling by train or other modes of public transportation. This is a very evil habit.
Rights of the Weak and Old
Those people who are in need, such as orphans, widows, the weak, the poor, the sick, the cripple, travellers, beggars, etc. have additional rights. They are :
1. You should help them financially.
2. You should undertake their tasks with your own hands and legs.
3. You should console and comfort them.
4. You should not refuse to fulfil their needs and wants.
Rights of Human beings
1. Do not cause financial or physical harm to innocent people.
2. Do not argue with anyone without any valid Shar'î reason.
3. If you find someone in problem, in poverty, or sick, help him, feed him, treat his sickness.
4. When meting out punishment, do not transgress the limits in the different methods of punishment that have been laid down in the Sharî‘ah.

Rights of Animals
1. Do not encage an animal which you will not be taking any benefit from. Removing nestlings from their nests, causing harm to their parents, etc. is a sign of extreme mercilessness.
2. An animal that is suitable for consumption should not be killed merely for amusement.
3. You should make proper arrangements with regard to food, drink, providing rest, and taking care for the animal that you utilise for your work. Do not impose any work on it that is beyond its capacity, nor should you beat it more than necessary.
4. The animal that is to be slaughtered or killed on account of it being harmful should be slaughtered or killed quickly. Do not cause it any agitation. Do not take its life after having starved it.
Additional points
If there is any shortcoming in fulfilling the rights of a person, fulfil that which can be fulfilled or else, ask for forgiveness. For example, you are still owing someone some money or you cheated someone, etc. (In such a case you should try and pay the debt, but if you cannot do so, then seek forgiveness from the person). As for the right which can only be forgiven, seek forgiveness for it, e.g. you spoke ill of a person or beat him (In such a case, it is obvious that you cannot pay him anything. Instead, you will have to seek his forgiveness).
If, due to some reason, you cannot fulfil their rights nor can you seek their forgiveness, then you should continue making du‘â for these people. It is possible that on the day of judgement Allah Ta'âlâ will try and influence them to forgive you. However, later if you are in a position to fulfil their rights or seek their forgiveness, then do not hesitate in doing so.
As for the rights that are due to you and there is a hope of their being fulfilled, then be lenient when asking for them. As for those where there is no hope of their being fulfilled or, they are such that they cannot be fulfilled, such as ghîbah, then although there is the hope of your receiving rewards in return for them on the day of judgement, however, more reward has been mentioned with regard to forgiving them in this world. It will be much better if you forgive them completely or absolve them completely. This is especially when the person earnestly seeks forgiveness from you.
The Virtues and Rights of Marriage
1. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that this world has been created to be utilised and that of all the things that are utilised in this world, there is nothing better than a pious woman. In other words, if a person is fortunate enough to get a pious wife, it will be a great blessing. It is also a mercy from Allah Ta'âlâ that she is actually a comfort for the husband and a means for his success in this world and in the hereafter. A person enjoys comfort from such a woman for his worldly needs and she also assists him in fulfilling his religious duties.
2. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Marriage is my way and my sunnah." "The one who does not act upon my sunnah is not of me." That is, there is no relationship between him and me. This is actually a warning and a threat to the one who does not practice on the sunnah and a mention of Rasûlullâh's sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam anger on such a person. It is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious in this regard. Furthermore, how can a Muslim bear to have Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam displeased with him for even a moment. May Allah Ta'âlâ grant us death before that day comes when a Muslim is able to bear the displeasure of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Marry so that I can be proud (of your numbers) on the day of judgement over the other nations." In other words, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam likes his ’ummah to be in large numbers and more than the other nations. If this happens, his ’ummah will be carrying out more good deeds, and in so doing he will receive more rewards and gain closer proximity to Allah Ta'âlâ. This is because whoever from his ’ummah does good deeds, does so through his teachings. Therefore, the more people who act on his teachings, the more reward he will receive for conveying those teachings. We also learn from this that whenever and however possible, we should undertake to carry out those tasks and actions that will take us closer to Allah Ta'âlâ, and that we should not display any laziness in this regard.
It is mentioned in a Hadîth that on the day of judgement the people will be standing in 120 lines. Out of these, 40 lines of people will be from the other nations while 80 lines of people will be from the ’ummah of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Glory be to Allah! How beloved Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is to Him.
The one who is able to (fulfil the rights of a wife) should marry. As for the one who does not have sufficient wealth (to fulfil the rights of a wife), he should fast. That is, he should fast so that there will be a decrease in his desires. Fasting is actually a means of curbing his desires. If a person does not have a very dire need for women, and instead has an average need, and he is able to pay for her basic necessities, then nikâh is sunnat-e-mu’akkadah for such a person. As for the person who has a very urgent need, nikâh will be fard upon him. This is because there is a fear that he will commit adultery and thereby get the sin of committing a harâm act. If a person has a very urgent need but is financially incapable of maintaining a wife, then such a person must fast abundantly. Later, when he has sufficient funds to maintain a wife, he must get married.
3. It is mentioned in a Hadith that children are the flowers of jannah. This means that the amount of joy and happiness one will experience on seeing the flowers of paradise, that same amount of joy and happiness is experienced when he looks at his children. And we know fully well that children can only be obtained through marriage.
4. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that when the status of a person is increased in jannah, he asks out of wonder : "How did I receive all this?" (That is, "How did I receive such a high status when I hadn't carried out so many good deeds to deserve such a status?") It will be said to this person that this high status is on account of your children asking for forgiveness on your behalf. In other words, your children had asked for forgiveness on your behalf. In return for that, you have been accorded this status.
5. It is mentioned that the child who is born out of a miscarriage (i.e. it is born before the due date) will "fight"(wrangle) with its Creator when its parents are entered into jahannam. In other words, this child will go to extremes in interceding on behalf of its parents and will ask Allah Ta'âlâ to remove its parents from jahannam. Through His bounty, Allah Ta'ala will accept the intercession of this child and He will be soft and lenient towards it. It will be said to this child : "O siqt (which means, miscarried foetus) who is quarrelling with its Lord! Enter your parents into jannah." So this child will draw its parents out of jahannam with its navel cord and enter both of them into jannah. We learn from this, that children of this sort, who are actually a by-product of marriage, will also be of help in the hereafter.
6. It is mentioned in a Hadith that when the husband and wife look at each other (with love), Allah Ta'âlâ looks at both of them with mercy.
7. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah Ta'âlâ has taken it upon Himself (i.e. out of His mercy, He as taken the responsibility) of helping the person who gets married in order to attain purity from that which Allah has made harâm. In other words, the person who marries in order to save himself from adultery with the intention of obeying Allah Ta'âlâ, Allah will help and assist him in his expenses and other affairs.
8. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that two rak‘ats of salât performed by a married person is better than 82 rak‘ats performed by an unmarried person. In another Hadith, 70 rak‘ats have been mentioned instead of 82 rak‘ats. It is possible that this means that 70 rak‘ats are written in favour of the person who fulfils the necessary rights of his wife and family, and that 82 rak‘ats are in favour of the person who apart from fulfilling their necessary rights, serves them more with his life, wealth and good habits.
9. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that it is a major sin for a person to be neglectful with regard to those whom he is responsible for (and to have shortcomings in fulfilling their needs).
10. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "I have not left behind any test and tribulation on men more harmful than women." In other words, of all the things that are harmful for men, women are the most harmful. This is because, out of his love for a woman, a man loses all his senses, so much so that he does not even take the commands and orders of Allah Ta'âlâ into consideration. Therefore, a person must not fall in love with a woman in such a way that he has to act contrary to the Sharî‘ah. For example, her demands for her food and clothing are more than what the husband can afford. In such circumstances, never accept any bribes in order to supplement your present income. Instead, give her from the halâl earnings which Allah Ta'âlâ has blessed you with. You should continue teaching your womenfolk and inculcate respect and good manners in them. Do not allow them to become impudent and disrespectful. The intellect of women is deficient, it is therefore incumbent to take special measures in reforming them.
11. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should not propose to a girl when your fellow Muslim brother has already proposed to her until he gets married or gives up this proposal. In other words, when a person has sent a proposal to a particular family and there is a likelihood of their replying in the affirmative, another person should not send a proposal to that same family. However, if they reject this first person, or he himself changes his mind, or they are not too happy with him and are still hesitant in giving a reply, it will be permissible for another person to send a proposal for the same girl.
The same rule applies to the transactions of buying and selling. That is, if a person is busy buying or selling something, then as long as they do not separate or abandon the transaction, another person should not enter into their transaction and should not offer a price above or below that which has been already offered when there is an indication that they are about to come to an agreement. Understand this well, and know that a kâfir is also included in this rule.
12. It is mentioned in a Hadith that a woman is either married because of her Dîn, her wealth or her beauty. Choose the one with Dîn, may your hands become dusty. In other words, a man may prefer a woman who is religiously inclined. While another may prefer one who is wealthy. While yet another may prefer one who is beautiful. However, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that one should choose a religiously inclined woman and that it is preferable to marry such a woman. However, if the circumstances are such that a woman is very pious but at the same time she is so ugly that one's nature does not find her acceptable and there is a fear that if he marries such a woman there will be no mutual understanding between them, and that he will be neglectful in fulfilling her rights, then in such a case he should not marry such a woman. "May your hands become dusty" is an Arabic mode of expression which is used on different occasions. In this context, it is meant to create a yearning and a desire for a pious woman.
13. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that the best wife is one whose mahr is very simple. That is, it is very easy for the man to fulfil her mahr. These days, there is the habit of specifying a very high mahr. People should abstain from this.
14. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should look for a good place for your sperms because a woman gives birth to children that resemble her brothers and sisters. In other words, marry a woman who comes from a pious and noble family because the children generally resemble the maternal relations. Although the father also has some influence over the child's resemblance, we learn from this Hadîth that the mother's influence is greater. If the wife is from a disreputable and irreligious family, the children who will be born will be similar to that family. But if this is not so, then the children who will be born will be pious and religious.
15. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that the greatest right that a woman has to fulfil is to her husband, and that the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. In other words, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam the woman has a very great right to fulfil to her husband, so much so that the husband's rights supersede the rights of her parents. As for the man, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. We learn from this that the right of the mother supersedes that of the father.
16. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that if anyone of you wishes to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife, he should recite the following du‘â :
The virtue of this du‘â is that if a child is conceived through this intercourse, shaytân will not be able to harm this child in any way.
17. There is a lengthy Hadîth in which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam addressed ‘Abdur Rahmân bin ‘Auf radiyallâhu ‘anhu asking him to have a walîmah even if it is with one sheep. In other words, even if you possess very little, you should spend. It is preferable to have the walîmah after engaging in sexual intercourse with one's bride. However, many ‘ulamâ have permitted it immediately after the nikâh as well. It is mustahab to have a walîmah.
Glossary
Explanation of Islamic Terms
‘Âlim : One who has attained a considerable amount of Islamic knowledge. He could also be referred to as an Islamic scholar.
Barakah : Literally means "blessings". It refers to the experiencing of abundance in things which are apparently insignificant or little, both in value and amount.
Bid'ah : Literally means "innovation". In Islam it refers to introducing new things into religion which have no basis in the Quran or Sunnah, and in addition to this, to regard these new things as acts of ‘ibâdah. A bid'ah is a major sin in Islam.
Du‘â ul-maghfirah : Supplicating to Allah Ta'âlâ and asking Him for His forgiveness.
’Îlâ’ : Annulment of a marriage after the husband's sworn testimony to have refrained from sexual intercourse with his wife for a period of at least four months. For further details, refer to the chapter on ’îlâ’.
Fard : Literally means "compulsory". In Islam it refers to those acts and things which are compulsory on a Muslim. Abandoning or abstaining from a fard act is a major sin. Rejecting a fard act amounts to kufr.
Fatwâ : A formal legal opinion or verdict in Islamic law.
Ghayr mahram : Refers to all those persons with whom marriage is permissible. Based on this, it is incumbent to observe purdah with all ghayr mahrams.
Ghîbah : Slander or backbiting.
Hayd : Monthly periods or menstruation experienced by a woman.
Hajj : Literally means "pilgrimage". In Islam it refers to the annual pilgrimage to Makkah.
Halâl : That which is lawful or permissible in Islam.
Harâm : That which is unlawful or prohibited in Islam.
Hûr : Refers to the large-eyed women of jannah, promised to the believers.
‘Ibâdah : Literally means "worship". In Islam it refers to all those acts of worship which one renders to Allah Ta'âlâ.
‘Iddah : A period of waiting during which a woman may not remarry after being widowed or divorced. For further details, refer to the chapter on ‘iddah.
Ihrâm : Two pieces of unstitched cloth donned by the person performing hajj or ‘umrah.
Jahannam : Hell.
Jamâ'ah : A group, party, community.
Jannah : Paradise.
Kâfir : Literally means "a disbeliever". In Islam it refers to one who rejects Allah and does not believe in Muhammad sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam as the final messenger of Allah.
Kaffârah : Literally means "penance, atonement, expiation". In Islamic law it refers to redemption from the omission of certain religious duties by a material donation or a ritual act. For further details, refer to the chapter on kaffârah.
Khula' : Divorce at the instance of the wife who must pay a compensation. For further details, refer to the chapter on khula'.
Kuffâr : Plural of kâfir.
Li'ân : Sworn allegation of adultery committed by either husband or wife. For further details, refer to the chapter on li'ân.
Madrasah : Literally means "a school". Also used to refer to a religious school.
Maghrib : Literally means "evening or sunset". Also refers to the time of sunset and the salât that is offered thereafter.
Mahr : Dower or bridal money.
Mahram : Refers to the person with whom marriage is not permissible and with whom strict purdah is not incumbent.
Mahrul mithl : The dower or bridal money that is equal to or similar than that which was given to a girl's paternal grandmothers. For further details, refer to the chapter on mahrul mithl.
Masâ'il : Plural of mas'ala.
Mas'ala : Literally means "an issue, problem or question". In Islamic jurisprudence, it refers to a rule or regulation.
Mustahab : Literally means "preferable or desirable". Refers to that act which was carried out by Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam or the Sahâbah occasionally. Carrying out these actions entails reward and leaving them out does not entail punishment.
Nafl : Optional.
Nadhr : A vow or solemn pledge.
Nifâs : Refers to the flowing of blood after child-birth.
Nikâh : Marriage.
Purdah : An Urdu word meaning "seclusion". It is an equivalent of the Arabic word "hijâb". Refers to the seclusion of women from strangers. There are different stages of purdah, the highest of which is that the woman should not come out of her home except for a valid Islamic reason.
Qadâ’ : Literally means "carrying out or fulfilling". In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to fulfilling or completing those duties that one may have missed out due to some reason or the other.
Qadiani : A heretical sect which regards Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani as a prophet of Allah. Qadianis are regarded as disbelievers.
Qiblah : The direction in which one faces when offering salât.
Qurbâni : Literally means "sacrifice". In Islam it refers to the sacrificing of animals solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta'âlâ on the day of ‘îd ul-ad'hâ and the two days following it.
Rahmah : Mercy.
Ramadân : The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is regarded as the most sacred month.
Salâm : Literally means "peace".
Sharî‘ah : The Islamic Law.
Shaytân : Satan or the devil.
Shî‘ah : A heretical sect found primarily in Iran.
Sunnat-e-
Mu'akkadah : Refers to those actions which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam carried out continuously. It is a sin to leave out such a sunnah without any valid excuse.
Sunni : Refers to those who belong to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamâ'ah. This term is generally used as an opposite to Shî‘ah.
Surmah : Antimony. A black powdery substance that is applied to the eyes. It is sunnah to apply surmah.
Talâq : Divorce.
Talâq-e-
kinâyah : A divorce that is issued in vague terms without clearly uttering the words of talâq.
Talâq-e-sarîh : A divorce that is issued in clear terms without leaving any vagueness or doubt.
Talâqul bâ'in : A divorce which causes the annulment of the marriage. If a person wishes to retain his wife to whom he had issued a talâqul bâ'in, he will have to remarry her, i.e. their nikâh will have to be re-performed.
Talâqul
mughallazah : A divorce which not only causes the annulment of the marriage, but if the couple wish to remarry, the woman will have to marry another person first, when he divorces her or passes away, only then can she remarry her first husband.
Talâqur raj'î : A revocable divorce.
For further details with regard to all the above forms of talâq, refer to the relevant chapters.
‘Ulamâ : Plural of ‘âlim.
’Ummah : Literally means "community or nation". Here it refers to the Muslim community and nation.
Wâjib : Literally means "obligatory". In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to that act which has not been established by an absolute proof. Leaving out a wajib without any valid reason makes one a fâsiq and entails punishment.
Wali : In the context of marriage or divorce, it refers to the legal guardian of a minor.
Walîmah : Refers to the feast that is organized after a marriage. It usually takes place after the bride and bride groom have spent a night together.
Wudû’ : Literally means "purity or cleanliness". In Islamic terminology it refers to the act of washing oneself before offering salât.
Zihâr : Likening one's wife to one's mother. It is a form of divorce. For further details, refer to the chapter on zihâr.

Rights In Islam

Table Of Contents
The Rights Of Husband
The Rights of Parents
The wet-nurse
The Rights of Muslims
Rights of the Neighbour
Rights of the Travelling Companion
Rights of the Weak and Old
Rights of Human beings
Rights of Animals
The Virtues and Rights of Marriage
Glossary

Rights Of Husband
Allah Ta‘âlâ has given great rights to the husband and has attached a lot of virtue to him. Pleasing the husband and keeping him happy is a great act of ‘ibâdah and displeasing him or keeping him unhappy is a major sin.
1. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The woman who offers her five times salât, fasts in the month of Ramadân, protects her honour and respect, and obeys her husband has the choice of entering jannah from whichever door she wishes to enter from." This means that from the eight doors of jannah she can enter through whichever door she wishes without even having to knock on that door.
2. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The woman who passes away in such a state that her husband is pleased with her will enter jannah."
3. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Were I to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded the woman to prostrate to her husband. If the husband orders his wife to carry the boulders of one mountain to the next mountain, and the boulders of the next mountain to a third mountain, she will have to do this."
4. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When the husband calls his wife, she should go immediately to him even if she is busy at her stove." In other words, no matter how important a task she may be busy with, she should leave it and go to him.
5. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When a man calls his wife to engage in sexual intercourse with him and she does not go and because of this he sleeps away angrily, the angels continue cursing this woman till the morning."
6. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "When a woman troubles or displeases her husband in this world, the hûr of jannah that has been set aside for him says : "May Allah curse you! Do not trouble him. He is your guest for a few days. Soon he will leave you and come to me."
7. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "There are three types of people whose salât is not accepted, nor is any other good act of theirs accepted. One is a slave who runs away from his master. The second is a woman whose husband is displeased with her. The third is a person who is in a state of intoxication."
8. A person asked : "Who is the best woman?" Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied : "The best woman is one who pleases her husband when he looks at her, when he asks her to do something she obeys him, and she does not do anything that may displease him with regard to his wealth and honour."
One of the rights of the husband is that the wife should not keep any optional fasts nor offer any optional salât in his presence without his permission. Among the rights of the husband is that she should not remain in an untidy, dishevelled state. Instead, she should always remain clean and beautiful for her husband. In fact, if she remains untidy and dishevelled despite her husband ordering her to remain clean, he has the right of beating her (lightly) in order that she may obey him. Another right of the husband is that she should not leave the house without his permission irrespective of whether it be the house of a friend, relative or anyone else.
The Rights of Parents
1. You should not cause them any harm even if they commit any excesses.
2. Respect and honour them in your speech and dealings with them.
3. Obey them in permissible acts.
4. If they are in need of money, assist them even if they are kâfirs.
5. The following rights are due to parents after their death :
(a) Continue making du‘âs of forgiveness and mercy for them. Continue sending rewards to them in the form of optional acts of worship and charity on their behalf.
(b) Meet their friends and relatives in a friendly way and also assist them wherever possible.
(c) If you have the finances, fulfil their unpaid debts and the permissible bequests that they have made.
(d) When they pass away, abstain from crying and wailing aloud or else their souls will be troubled.
6. According to the Sharî‘ah, the rights of the paternal and maternal grandparents are similar to those of the parents and they should be regarded as such.
7. Similarly, the rights of the maternal and paternal uncles and aunts are similar to those of the parents. This has been deduced from certain ‘Ahâdîth. (Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "The maternal aunt has the status of one’s mother." - Tirmidhî)
The wet-nurse
Meet her with respect. If she is in need of money and you are able to help her, then help her.
The Step-mother
Since she is an associate of your father, and we have been commanded to be kind and friendly to our parents' associates, the step-mother, therefore, also has certain rights over you as mentioned previously.
The elder brother
In the light of the Hadith, the elder brother is similar to one's father. From this we can deduce that the younger brother is similar to one's children. Based on this, they will have rights similar to those of parents and children. The elder sister and the younger sister should also be treated in the same manner.
Relatives
If any of your blood relatives is in need and is unable to earn, help him out with his expenses according to your financial position. Go and meet them occasionally. Do not cut-off relations with them. In fact, even if they cause you harm, it will be best for you to exercise patience.
The In-laws
In the Quran, Allah Ta'âlâ has mentioned the in-laws together with one's lineage. We learn from this that the father-in-law, mother-in-law, wife's brother, sister's husband, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, the previous children of the wife, the previous children of the husband - all of these have certain rights. Therefore, you have to be more considerate to them as opposed to others.


The Rights of Muslims
1. Overlook the faults of a Muslim.
2. When he cries, have mercy on him.
3. Conceal his shortcomings.
4. Accept his excuses.
5. Remove his difficulties.
6. Always be good to him.
7. Gaining his love is an accomplishment.
8. Fulfil his promises.
9. When he falls ill, visit him.
10. When he passes away, make du‘â for him.
11. Accept his invitation.
12. Accept his gifts.
13. When he shows kindness to you, show kindness to him in return.
14. Be grateful for his favours upon you.
15. Help and assist him at the time of need.
16. Safeguard his family and children.
17. Assist him in his work.
18. Listen to his advice.
19. Accept his intercession.
20. Do not make him feel despondent over his ambitions.
21. When he sneezes and says "Alhamdulillâh", say "Yarhamukallah" in reply.
22. If you find a lost item of his, return it to him.
23. Reply to his greeting.
24. When you converse with him, speak with humility and in a good manner.
25. Be kind and friendly to him.
26. When he takes an oath with regard to you, confident that you will fulfil it, then you must fulfil it. (For example, Zayd takes an oath that ‘Amr never goes to the bazaar and he is confident that ‘Amr will fulfil this oath of his, then ‘Amr must ensure that he does not act contrary to it.)
27. If anyone oppresses him, go to his assistance. If he oppresses someone, prevent him.
28. Be friendly to him and do not antagonize him.
29. Do not disgrace him.
30. Whatever you like for yourself, like for him as well.
31. When you meet him, make salâm to him. If a man shakes the hand of a man, and a woman shakes the hand of a woman, it will be even better.
32. If a quarrel takes place between the two of you, do not cut-off speaking to him for more than three days.
33. Do not have evil thoughts of him.
34. Do not be jealous of him nor should you hate him.
35. Direct him towards good deeds and stop him from evil deeds.
36. Have mercy on the young and respect the elderly.
37. If there is a conflict between two Muslims, try and reconcile them.
38. Do not speak ill of him.
39. Do not cause him any loss; neither in his wealth nor in his honour.
40. If he is sitting, do not make him get up and take his place.
Rights of the Neighbour
1. Deal with him in a nice and friendly manner.
2. Protect the honour of his wife and children.
3. Occasionally you should send gifts to his house. Especially if he is poor. In such a case you should definitely send some food to him.
4. Do not cause him any harm. Do not quarrel with him over trivial matters.
Rights of the Travelling Companion
1. Just as a person has a neighbour at home, he also has a neighbour when travelling. That is, a travelling companion with whom you embark on a journey or coincidentally joins you during the course of the journey. The rights of such a person are similar to those of a neighbour.
2. His rights can be summed up as follows : give preference to his comfort over your own comfort. Some people display a lot of selfishness with regard to other travellers when travelling by train or other modes of public transportation. This is a very evil habit.
Rights of the Weak and Old
Those people who are in need, such as orphans, widows, the weak, the poor, the sick, the cripple, travellers, beggars, etc. have additional rights. They are :
1. You should help them financially.
2. You should undertake their tasks with your own hands and legs.
3. You should console and comfort them.
4. You should not refuse to fulfil their needs and wants.
Rights of Human beings
1. Do not cause financial or physical harm to innocent people.
2. Do not argue with anyone without any valid Shar'î reason.
3. If you find someone in problem, in poverty, or sick, help him, feed him, treat his sickness.
4. When meting out punishment, do not transgress the limits in the different methods of punishment that have been laid down in the Sharî‘ah.

Rights of Animals
1. Do not encage an animal which you will not be taking any benefit from. Removing nestlings from their nests, causing harm to their parents, etc. is a sign of extreme mercilessness.
2. An animal that is suitable for consumption should not be killed merely for amusement.
3. You should make proper arrangements with regard to food, drink, providing rest, and taking care for the animal that you utilise for your work. Do not impose any work on it that is beyond its capacity, nor should you beat it more than necessary.
4. The animal that is to be slaughtered or killed on account of it being harmful should be slaughtered or killed quickly. Do not cause it any agitation. Do not take its life after having starved it.
Additional points
If there is any shortcoming in fulfilling the rights of a person, fulfil that which can be fulfilled or else, ask for forgiveness. For example, you are still owing someone some money or you cheated someone, etc. (In such a case you should try and pay the debt, but if you cannot do so, then seek forgiveness from the person). As for the right which can only be forgiven, seek forgiveness for it, e.g. you spoke ill of a person or beat him (In such a case, it is obvious that you cannot pay him anything. Instead, you will have to seek his forgiveness).
If, due to some reason, you cannot fulfil their rights nor can you seek their forgiveness, then you should continue making du‘â for these people. It is possible that on the day of judgement Allah Ta'âlâ will try and influence them to forgive you. However, later if you are in a position to fulfil their rights or seek their forgiveness, then do not hesitate in doing so.
As for the rights that are due to you and there is a hope of their being fulfilled, then be lenient when asking for them. As for those where there is no hope of their being fulfilled or, they are such that they cannot be fulfilled, such as ghîbah, then although there is the hope of your receiving rewards in return for them on the day of judgement, however, more reward has been mentioned with regard to forgiving them in this world. It will be much better if you forgive them completely or absolve them completely. This is especially when the person earnestly seeks forgiveness from you.
The Virtues and Rights of Marriage
1. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that this world has been created to be utilised and that of all the things that are utilised in this world, there is nothing better than a pious woman. In other words, if a person is fortunate enough to get a pious wife, it will be a great blessing. It is also a mercy from Allah Ta'âlâ that she is actually a comfort for the husband and a means for his success in this world and in the hereafter. A person enjoys comfort from such a woman for his worldly needs and she also assists him in fulfilling his religious duties.
2. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Marriage is my way and my sunnah." "The one who does not act upon my sunnah is not of me." That is, there is no relationship between him and me. This is actually a warning and a threat to the one who does not practice on the sunnah and a mention of Rasûlullâh's sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam anger on such a person. It is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious in this regard. Furthermore, how can a Muslim bear to have Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam displeased with him for even a moment. May Allah Ta'âlâ grant us death before that day comes when a Muslim is able to bear the displeasure of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "Marry so that I can be proud (of your numbers) on the day of judgement over the other nations." In other words, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam likes his ’ummah to be in large numbers and more than the other nations. If this happens, his ’ummah will be carrying out more good deeds, and in so doing he will receive more rewards and gain closer proximity to Allah Ta'âlâ. This is because whoever from his ’ummah does good deeds, does so through his teachings. Therefore, the more people who act on his teachings, the more reward he will receive for conveying those teachings. We also learn from this that whenever and however possible, we should undertake to carry out those tasks and actions that will take us closer to Allah Ta'âlâ, and that we should not display any laziness in this regard.
It is mentioned in a Hadîth that on the day of judgement the people will be standing in 120 lines. Out of these, 40 lines of people will be from the other nations while 80 lines of people will be from the ’ummah of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Glory be to Allah! How beloved Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is to Him.
The one who is able to (fulfil the rights of a wife) should marry. As for the one who does not have sufficient wealth (to fulfil the rights of a wife), he should fast. That is, he should fast so that there will be a decrease in his desires. Fasting is actually a means of curbing his desires. If a person does not have a very dire need for women, and instead has an average need, and he is able to pay for her basic necessities, then nikâh is sunnat-e-mu’akkadah for such a person. As for the person who has a very urgent need, nikâh will be fard upon him. This is because there is a fear that he will commit adultery and thereby get the sin of committing a harâm act. If a person has a very urgent need but is financially incapable of maintaining a wife, then such a person must fast abundantly. Later, when he has sufficient funds to maintain a wife, he must get married.
3. It is mentioned in a Hadith that children are the flowers of jannah. This means that the amount of joy and happiness one will experience on seeing the flowers of paradise, that same amount of joy and happiness is experienced when he looks at his children. And we know fully well that children can only be obtained through marriage.
4. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that when the status of a person is increased in jannah, he asks out of wonder : "How did I receive all this?" (That is, "How did I receive such a high status when I hadn't carried out so many good deeds to deserve such a status?") It will be said to this person that this high status is on account of your children asking for forgiveness on your behalf. In other words, your children had asked for forgiveness on your behalf. In return for that, you have been accorded this status.
5. It is mentioned that the child who is born out of a miscarriage (i.e. it is born before the due date) will "fight"(wrangle) with its Creator when its parents are entered into jahannam. In other words, this child will go to extremes in interceding on behalf of its parents and will ask Allah Ta'âlâ to remove its parents from jahannam. Through His bounty, Allah Ta'ala will accept the intercession of this child and He will be soft and lenient towards it. It will be said to this child : "O siqt (which means, miscarried foetus) who is quarrelling with its Lord! Enter your parents into jannah." So this child will draw its parents out of jahannam with its navel cord and enter both of them into jannah. We learn from this, that children of this sort, who are actually a by-product of marriage, will also be of help in the hereafter.
6. It is mentioned in a Hadith that when the husband and wife look at each other (with love), Allah Ta'âlâ looks at both of them with mercy.
7. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah Ta'âlâ has taken it upon Himself (i.e. out of His mercy, He as taken the responsibility) of helping the person who gets married in order to attain purity from that which Allah has made harâm. In other words, the person who marries in order to save himself from adultery with the intention of obeying Allah Ta'âlâ, Allah will help and assist him in his expenses and other affairs.
8. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that two rak‘ats of salât performed by a married person is better than 82 rak‘ats performed by an unmarried person. In another Hadith, 70 rak‘ats have been mentioned instead of 82 rak‘ats. It is possible that this means that 70 rak‘ats are written in favour of the person who fulfils the necessary rights of his wife and family, and that 82 rak‘ats are in favour of the person who apart from fulfilling their necessary rights, serves them more with his life, wealth and good habits.
9. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that it is a major sin for a person to be neglectful with regard to those whom he is responsible for (and to have shortcomings in fulfilling their needs).
10. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said : "I have not left behind any test and tribulation on men more harmful than women." In other words, of all the things that are harmful for men, women are the most harmful. This is because, out of his love for a woman, a man loses all his senses, so much so that he does not even take the commands and orders of Allah Ta'âlâ into consideration. Therefore, a person must not fall in love with a woman in such a way that he has to act contrary to the Sharî‘ah. For example, her demands for her food and clothing are more than what the husband can afford. In such circumstances, never accept any bribes in order to supplement your present income. Instead, give her from the halâl earnings which Allah Ta'âlâ has blessed you with. You should continue teaching your womenfolk and inculcate respect and good manners in them. Do not allow them to become impudent and disrespectful. The intellect of women is deficient, it is therefore incumbent to take special measures in reforming them.
11. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should not propose to a girl when your fellow Muslim brother has already proposed to her until he gets married or gives up this proposal. In other words, when a person has sent a proposal to a particular family and there is a likelihood of their replying in the affirmative, another person should not send a proposal to that same family. However, if they reject this first person, or he himself changes his mind, or they are not too happy with him and are still hesitant in giving a reply, it will be permissible for another person to send a proposal for the same girl.
The same rule applies to the transactions of buying and selling. That is, if a person is busy buying or selling something, then as long as they do not separate or abandon the transaction, another person should not enter into their transaction and should not offer a price above or below that which has been already offered when there is an indication that they are about to come to an agreement. Understand this well, and know that a kâfir is also included in this rule.
12. It is mentioned in a Hadith that a woman is either married because of her Dîn, her wealth or her beauty. Choose the one with Dîn, may your hands become dusty. In other words, a man may prefer a woman who is religiously inclined. While another may prefer one who is wealthy. While yet another may prefer one who is beautiful. However, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that one should choose a religiously inclined woman and that it is preferable to marry such a woman. However, if the circumstances are such that a woman is very pious but at the same time she is so ugly that one's nature does not find her acceptable and there is a fear that if he marries such a woman there will be no mutual understanding between them, and that he will be neglectful in fulfilling her rights, then in such a case he should not marry such a woman. "May your hands become dusty" is an Arabic mode of expression which is used on different occasions. In this context, it is meant to create a yearning and a desire for a pious woman.
13. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that the best wife is one whose mahr is very simple. That is, it is very easy for the man to fulfil her mahr. These days, there is the habit of specifying a very high mahr. People should abstain from this.
14. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that you should look for a good place for your sperms because a woman gives birth to children that resemble her brothers and sisters. In other words, marry a woman who comes from a pious and noble family because the children generally resemble the maternal relations. Although the father also has some influence over the child's resemblance, we learn from this Hadîth that the mother's influence is greater. If the wife is from a disreputable and irreligious family, the children who will be born will be similar to that family. But if this is not so, then the children who will be born will be pious and religious.
15. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that the greatest right that a woman has to fulfil is to her husband, and that the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. In other words, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam the woman has a very great right to fulfil to her husband, so much so that the husband's rights supersede the rights of her parents. As for the man, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. We learn from this that the right of the mother supersedes that of the father.
16. It is mentioned in a Hadîth that if anyone of you wishes to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife, he should recite the following du‘â :
The virtue of this du‘â is that if a child is conceived through this intercourse, shaytân will not be able to harm this child in any way.
17. There is a lengthy Hadîth in which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam addressed ‘Abdur Rahmân bin ‘Auf radiyallâhu ‘anhu asking him to have a walîmah even if it is with one sheep. In other words, even if you possess very little, you should spend. It is preferable to have the walîmah after engaging in sexual intercourse with one's bride. However, many ‘ulamâ have permitted it immediately after the nikâh as well. It is mustahab to have a walîmah.
Glossary
Explanation of Islamic Terms
‘Âlim : One who has attained a considerable amount of Islamic knowledge. He could also be referred to as an Islamic scholar.
Barakah : Literally means "blessings". It refers to the experiencing of abundance in things which are apparently insignificant or little, both in value and amount.
Bid'ah : Literally means "innovation". In Islam it refers to introducing new things into religion which have no basis in the Quran or Sunnah, and in addition to this, to regard these new things as acts of ‘ibâdah. A bid'ah is a major sin in Islam.
Du‘â ul-maghfirah : Supplicating to Allah Ta'âlâ and asking Him for His forgiveness.
’Îlâ’ : Annulment of a marriage after the husband's sworn testimony to have refrained from sexual intercourse with his wife for a period of at least four months. For further details, refer to the chapter on ’îlâ’.
Fard : Literally means "compulsory". In Islam it refers to those acts and things which are compulsory on a Muslim. Abandoning or abstaining from a fard act is a major sin. Rejecting a fard act amounts to kufr.
Fatwâ : A formal legal opinion or verdict in Islamic law.
Ghayr mahram : Refers to all those persons with whom marriage is permissible. Based on this, it is incumbent to observe purdah with all ghayr mahrams.
Ghîbah : Slander or backbiting.
Hayd : Monthly periods or menstruation experienced by a woman.
Hajj : Literally means "pilgrimage". In Islam it refers to the annual pilgrimage to Makkah.
Halâl : That which is lawful or permissible in Islam.
Harâm : That which is unlawful or prohibited in Islam.
Hûr : Refers to the large-eyed women of jannah, promised to the believers.
‘Ibâdah : Literally means "worship". In Islam it refers to all those acts of worship which one renders to Allah Ta'âlâ.
‘Iddah : A period of waiting during which a woman may not remarry after being widowed or divorced. For further details, refer to the chapter on ‘iddah.
Ihrâm : Two pieces of unstitched cloth donned by the person performing hajj or ‘umrah.
Jahannam : Hell.
Jamâ'ah : A group, party, community.
Jannah : Paradise.
Kâfir : Literally means "a disbeliever". In Islam it refers to one who rejects Allah and does not believe in Muhammad sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam as the final messenger of Allah.
Kaffârah : Literally means "penance, atonement, expiation". In Islamic law it refers to redemption from the omission of certain religious duties by a material donation or a ritual act. For further details, refer to the chapter on kaffârah.
Khula' : Divorce at the instance of the wife who must pay a compensation. For further details, refer to the chapter on khula'.
Kuffâr : Plural of kâfir.
Li'ân : Sworn allegation of adultery committed by either husband or wife. For further details, refer to the chapter on li'ân.
Madrasah : Literally means "a school". Also used to refer to a religious school.
Maghrib : Literally means "evening or sunset". Also refers to the time of sunset and the salât that is offered thereafter.
Mahr : Dower or bridal money.
Mahram : Refers to the person with whom marriage is not permissible and with whom strict purdah is not incumbent.
Mahrul mithl : The dower or bridal money that is equal to or similar than that which was given to a girl's paternal grandmothers. For further details, refer to the chapter on mahrul mithl.
Masâ'il : Plural of mas'ala.
Mas'ala : Literally means "an issue, problem or question". In Islamic jurisprudence, it refers to a rule or regulation.
Mustahab : Literally means "preferable or desirable". Refers to that act which was carried out by Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam or the Sahâbah occasionally. Carrying out these actions entails reward and leaving them out does not entail punishment.
Nafl : Optional.
Nadhr : A vow or solemn pledge.
Nifâs : Refers to the flowing of blood after child-birth.
Nikâh : Marriage.
Purdah : An Urdu word meaning "seclusion". It is an equivalent of the Arabic word "hijâb". Refers to the seclusion of women from strangers. There are different stages of purdah, the highest of which is that the woman should not come out of her home except for a valid Islamic reason.
Qadâ’ : Literally means "carrying out or fulfilling". In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to fulfilling or completing those duties that one may have missed out due to some reason or the other.
Qadiani : A heretical sect which regards Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani as a prophet of Allah. Qadianis are regarded as disbelievers.
Qiblah : The direction in which one faces when offering salât.
Qurbâni : Literally means "sacrifice". In Islam it refers to the sacrificing of animals solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta'âlâ on the day of ‘îd ul-ad'hâ and the two days following it.
Rahmah : Mercy.
Ramadân : The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is regarded as the most sacred month.
Salâm : Literally means "peace".
Sharî‘ah : The Islamic Law.
Shaytân : Satan or the devil.
Shî‘ah : A heretical sect found primarily in Iran.
Sunnat-e-
Mu'akkadah : Refers to those actions which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam carried out continuously. It is a sin to leave out such a sunnah without any valid excuse.
Sunni : Refers to those who belong to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamâ'ah. This term is generally used as an opposite to Shî‘ah.
Surmah : Antimony. A black powdery substance that is applied to the eyes. It is sunnah to apply surmah.
Talâq : Divorce.
Talâq-e-
kinâyah : A divorce that is issued in vague terms without clearly uttering the words of talâq.
Talâq-e-sarîh : A divorce that is issued in clear terms without leaving any vagueness or doubt.
Talâqul bâ'in : A divorce which causes the annulment of the marriage. If a person wishes to retain his wife to whom he had issued a talâqul bâ'in, he will have to remarry her, i.e. their nikâh will have to be re-performed.
Talâqul
mughallazah : A divorce which not only causes the annulment of the marriage, but if the couple wish to remarry, the woman will have to marry another person first, when he divorces her or passes away, only then can she remarry her first husband.
Talâqur raj'î : A revocable divorce.
For further details with regard to all the above forms of talâq, refer to the relevant chapters.
‘Ulamâ : Plural of ‘âlim.
’Ummah : Literally means "community or nation". Here it refers to the Muslim community and nation.
Wâjib : Literally means "obligatory". In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to that act which has not been established by an absolute proof. Leaving out a wajib without any valid reason makes one a fâsiq and entails punishment.
Wali : In the context of marriage or divorce, it refers to the legal guardian of a minor.
Walîmah : Refers to the feast that is organized after a marriage. It usually takes place after the bride and bride groom have spent a night together.
Wudû’ : Literally means "purity or cleanliness". In Islamic terminology it refers to the act of washing oneself before offering salât.
Zihâr : Likening one's wife to one's mother. It is a form of divorce. For further details, refer to the chapter on zihâr.

Islamic Religious Institutes

Islamic Religious Institutes

The English media, after a silence of about one and a half year, have once again started their full onslaught against the Dini Madaris (Institutes of Islamic learning). The opponents of these institutes perhaps hope that the military government would carry out the work, which the civilian government could not accomplish. In Pakistan, they want to repeat what happened to the religious institutes in Turkey, Egypt and Algeria. Nawaz Sharif, who was affected by the plan of the enemies of Islam, also accused the Taliban of terrorism. Everyone knows that the Taliban were graduates of Dini Madaris. If the enemies of Islam think that they can convince the present military government of targeting the religious institutes, they are dearly mistaken because our army protects the beliefs and ideologies of the country just as it safeguards the borders. An example of the evil propaganda perpetrated against religious institutes I s the article by the well-known columnist. Ameenah jailani in the daily newspaper Dawn, 17 October 1999. She wrote that terrorism, sectarian killings and Madaris are all related to the Taliban. Someone has to confront them. Why did Nawaz Sharif take so long to tackle this ‘problem’? If this issue has been overlooked all this time, it does mot mean that it should be discarded now. According to a 1997 government survey, one hundred madras were giving military training to their students. Terrorists who are brainwashed are prepared every year from these institutes in different guises. Thousands of youth are made into terrorists and are sent to fight and be killed. This can be proved from the fact that in 1997, all the terrorists that were arrested by authorities for murder were ex-student of religious institutes. Each one of them knew the consequences of being arrested by all of them said that if they got another life, they would do the same thing as the reward for it was jannah. The above lines summarize what the article in Sawn had.
Response: - It is our responsibility to apprize the entire ummah of the reality so that this evil plan can be stifled. If drops of water continue dripping at one spot, they create a hole. The print media is a very powerful tool of propagation. We should not be negligent of this treacherous plot, but also to expose the positive aspects of religious institutes. The following facts need to be highlighted because the print media contains such incidents on a regular basis. (1)Till today, no incident of terrorism has ever occurred in any religious institutes. On the contrary, incidents of violence occur daily at college and university campuses. The members of armed student organizations kill one another mercilessly. They even go to the extent of killing professors, principals and their families. (2)No weapon was ever found in any religious institute whereas many weapons are recovered on a regular basis from colleges, universities and their hostels. (3)There has never been a fight between the students of one school of thought with those of another. Accusing the Madaris of acts of terrorism is merely an accusation without any truth behind the matter. On the contrary, this accusation has been proven against the students of universities and colleges who form student bodies. It is impossible to continue with the affairs of education without the deployment of the security forces and rangers at a respected institute lime the Karachi University. One will not find the students of Madaris wandering around aimlessly. They have not been found interfering with girls whereas this is a daily occurrence at colleges and universities. (4)The students of Dini Madaris have never been found with intoxicating substances like heroin, alcohol etc. This curse is spreading like wildfire among college and university students. The reason for this is the lack of moral and religious training. (5)The graduates of Dini Madaris have not been found involved in dealings of bribery and looting whereas the elite from the universities have not left a stone unturned in looting the country. Most of the ministers of previous governments have looted millions of rupees, how many have escaped and how many are imprisoned. However, not one religious leader has been arrested for such acts. The reason for this is that selfishness and egoism is taught at secular western establishments. On the contrary, serving humanity and sacrifice is taught at religious institutes. It is impossible to even think of looting the country for religious students. They would be prepared to sacrifice their valuable lives for their country. (6)The enemies of Islam present the participation of religious students in the jihad of Afghanistan and Kashmir as terrorism whereas this participation could not have occurred without the indication of the government. This is not terrorism but pure loyalty. Russia, the super power at the time, had reached Spin Bulduk on the border of Pakistan and the Russians drank wine and arrogantly exclaimed that now they were about to capture Pakistan. At the time, it was this loyal group of religious students that confronted the enemy and sacrificed their lives to save Pakistan. Where was the columnist of Dawn in this hour of need? (7)The students of Madaris respect the law, honors their elders and serve their parents. These traits are rarely found in the college and university students are turning towards the Madaris The Madaris do not have sufficient space to accommodate them whereas there are thousands of Madaris. (8)The most important point is that the word of Allah and the religion of Islam upon whose name this country was founded, is taught at religious institutes. Islam is the pivotal principle on which the constitution of this country is based. In colleges, beside a handful, most of the other organizations spread hatred and are based on language or provincial lines. They propagate openly to fragment the nation whereas the slogan at the time Pakistan was founded was La ilaha illallah. This country was established on the kalimah. Qaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had the flag of western Pakistan hoisted by Allamah Zafar Ahmad Uthmani while Allamah Zafar Ahmad Uthmani hoisted it in East Pakistan when Qaid Azam announced the independence of Pakistan. There are countless positive aspects of Dini Madaris. However, there has been much negligence in countering the propaganda against these institutes. This has resulted in wrong perceptions in the minds of the educated and ruling classes. All praises are due to Allah that our Dini Madaris have capabilities as well as means. If these institutes continue turning a blind eye to the adverse propaganda and the treacherous plots being hatched against them, it will have dire consequences. The students of Dini Madaris are always prepared to assist the armed forces to safeguard Pakistan. The example of this is the jihad of Kashmir. Thousands of students have been martyred. No columnist or editor of Dawn or any other newspaper for that matter has given his life. (9)The Dini Madaris have always combated terrorism. Only the lessons of brotherhood and mutual love are delivered at these institutes. Accordingly, students from every province of the country study at these institutes. They do not have partisanship with any province. On the contrary, students of other provinces are not tolerated in colleges and universities. Those who accuse the religious institutes of terrorism are unaware of the reality and lack understanding. Or they are the agents of a foreign agency. After death their eyes will open as to who the real terrorists were and who is successful in the world and the hereafter. Are the ones who follow Allah and His Messenger successful or those who adopt the ways of the Jews. (10) The poor student is fleeced at colleges and universities in the name of fees and funds. Their parents are also fleeced. However the students of Dini Madaris ate supported. Fees are overlooked while education, find and medical care at these institutes are free. One is honored and respected at religious institutes. One is given the garb of Iman here. Thousands of education students of colleges and universities go begging from door to door. They cannot find jobs. But you will not find one Qari or Hafiz or Alim doing nothing. Together with religious subjects, secular subjects are also taught at religious institutes. Education up to matric can be achieved together with the religious education. The opponents of Dini Madaris is will perish on earth because Islam and the religious institutes which are forts of Islam will remain till the Day of Judgment if Allah wills. This religion has come to survive till the Day of Judgment. They day these saints and religious ones perish, it will be the end of the world andQiyamah will take place. (11) Today the students of Dini Madaris and the religious public are called fundamentalists. This is also a creation of the west so that the world knows that fundamentalists are the legitimate offspring of their fathers. Their foundations are strong. The people of Europe regard the questioning about who their fathers are as abusive. In their passports, instead of their fathers, the name of their mothers are mentioned. No one knows his/her accrual farther. The lineage of fundamentalists is linked to the father. In their passport, the name of the father is inserted in the space of ‘son of’. religious people should be proud that even their enemies and invalid children which no modern school is prepared to accept. In fact, such children cannot even walk in front of such school because they cannot afford the fees. Such students are forced to turn towards the Madaris. There, the education, boarding, food, medical care and sleeping facilities are all for free. Glory to Allah who has created so many avenues for His Din. These children are thus cared for in the world while at the same time their hereafter is also prepared. In our Madaris, admission remains open for orphans and invalids throughout the year. Is there any modern school in the world that does this? The Cry of a Pious Child to his Father Listen to the plea of a child studying at a modern school.A child studying at a modern school, one day returned home and began pleading with his father as follows: O beloved father, why do you send me to this modern school? I do not like this school at all. Father: What is the reason? Son: Listen to my whole narrative. My Urdu teacher is a great poet but he drinks wine. He calls himself a Muslim. He also says that the Russian astronauts searched for Allah all over the sky but could not find Him. He does not fear the wrath of Allah at all. Father: La Houla wa la quwwata illa billah. Son: I still have more to narrate. The English teacher believes that Isa (E.I) is the son of Allah. He mocks Rasulullah Sallalaho Alaihi Wassallam. Must I tell you more? The science teacher says that we are the offspring of apes. He says that Darwin has proven this theory. Dad, are you the offspring of a monkey? The History teacher claims that the Muslim conquerors were plunderers and robbers, the drama teacher wants me to act the part of a drunkard. Beloved father, you desire that I become a doctor. Sometimes you wish that I become an engineer. Do you think that this will embellish my uture? But this is not the only future. There I one more future which will remain perpetually, namely the hereafter. Success in the hereafter requires one to be a Muslim by body and mind. You have to be concerned about that as well. You hould search for the antidote for the school. Every Muslim should ponder over the plea of this child. How can his environment be improved? Even in today’s times, those college and university students who have some contact with the Madaris and the saints have good religious inclinations. They are drowned in the love of Rasulullah Sallalaho Alaihi Wassallam from head to toe. May Allah grant us all correct understanding, Amin. (13) All praises are due to Allah that even in this era, the students of religious institutes number more than twenty thousand. There are seven thousand Madras affiliated toWafaqul Madaris (a national body). Approximately three hundred thousand students write the Wafaqul Madaris examinations. The remainders write there examinations in their own institutes. In this way, only the Deobandi school of thought students number in excess of nine hundred thousand. The Barelwi and Ahle Hadith students are excluded from this number. The total number of students (Of all schools of thought) is 1500,000. The graduates of the past twenty-five years number in the hundreds of thousands. May Allah allow these institutes to progress even further and protect them from all kinds of evils and dissension Amin. FORTUNE HAS DECREASED ANOTHER MOMENT IN ONE’S LIFE Another year has passed. The child has moved closer to youth while the youth have slipped a year closer to old age. Death and the grave have come a year closer to all: children, the youth and the elderly. Those alive and those who passed away have moved a year closed to Qiyamah and the day of Reckoning. One year has decreased from the opportunity of life granted t one. ‘Time has passed’ is an oft-quoted statement. Have you ever pondered what it really implies? And where does this time go to? The answer is not difficult for a Muslim. He has been told from the beginning that everything returns to Allah. every year, month, week, day, hour and minute return to Him and is stored in the unseen. when we call Qiyamat is a return of that time. Whatever time was spent in this world and which was stored in the unseen as a trust, will once again be brought out. The form of everything that happened in the past will be mirrored in the present. Are you prepared to face that time? Today you are partaking of the wealth of others unjustly. You are mocking the Din of Allah and you are happy about the sly plans that you make. You perpetrate sins in the company of all kinds of people. You are given respite to commit evil in the darkness of the night. You eat the wealth of the government in the daylight. You expose your oppression in the privacy of your home. You show off in front of people. All these acts of yours are being taken by the camera of time. What will be your condition when this register is opened and the whole scene is exposed before you? Reform because you have the opportunity to reform. Wake up for you have slept for too long. Cry for you have laughed for too long. Achieve for you have lost out for too long. If your past year has been spent in negligence, then take a lesson from it. Make a firm intention in the heart that if you are alive, you will not waste this year of your life. ‘O Allah, we have wronged ourselves. And if you do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be at a loss.’
(14) The claimants to human rights, the west and those Muslims who are educated and indoctrinated by them, accuse those Muslims who are connected to Deen, who uphold the precepts of Islam. Of failing in the department of fulfilling women’s rights. That they are responsible for the floundering and collapse of a sound social fiber. The fact of the matter is, the extent to which Islam bas afforded women rights, cannot even be dreamed of let alone be conceived by those who are irreligious. The west in their intoxication with lust, eroticism and sensuality have oppressed women to such an extent that they have even denuded them of their clothing while themselves donning immaculate three-piece suits. Women in the west have even been denuded of their sleeves. In place of trousers wherewith to cover their legs, they have been made to wear literally nothing but underwear. They desire that the Muslims too, become shameless and unprincipled like them. Islam has in reality kept women’s rights in mind to the ultimate degree. Muslim women in their homes are veritable rulers. Every individual within the family looks upon her with love, respect and honour. A woman, being someone’s mother, someone’s paternal aunt, someone’s maternal or grandmother paternal grandmother, is asked by all her male counterparts with great conviction, to pass her hand over their heads as a source of blessing, to make Dua, to supplicate on their behalf for they consider her supplication as worthy of quick acceptance in the court of Allah. They are complete rulers with in the home environment and are consulted whenever any major decision has to be taken. The husband goes out to earn while the wife spends. The cooking that she does is but because of the fact that she takes great relish in preparing sumptuous meals for her near and dear ones. Whereas in Europe and America, in every country indoctrinated by the west the condition of an aged woman merits great pity in that she is consigned to a poultry farm (old age home) and is visited on the occasion of Christmas and presented with a cake as a sign of well wishing by her children. This is the sum total of human rights in the west pertaining to ones own parents, to the mother who bore one with great difficulty and sacrificed her sleep nights on end to see to one’s comfort. It is well known that in a nudist colony people shed their clothes. By chance a pious person happened to stumble into such a nudist colony. All the inhabitants made a ruckus, an uproar saying, “a clothed fundamentalist has entered. Get rid of him. Drive him out of our colony.” The virtuous person replied, “It is impossible for me to remain in a place Like this. I beseech Allah alone to guide you. ”One among the nudists said to him, “Don’t you see, my child is afraid and has begun crying on seeing your bearded face?” The saintly person replied, “It is not because of my beard that the child is afraid. The fact of the matter is that up to now the child was under the impression that he has two mothers, considering the fact that both parents’ cheeks are smooth. It is for the first time that the child is seeing a father, a bearded man. It is but natural for a child to be more in awe of the father than the mother. Even in the jungle is this witnessed. When the lion stalks, all the other animals begin to run helter skelter. “ Allah Ta’ala has made the Muslims lions, in that the entire social environment is subject to treading in the footfalls of Allah’s beloved messenger Sallalaho Alaihi Wassallam and not to be effected by the habits and tendencies of the age we live in.” (15) The new government in Pakistan has initiated a fact finding mission to determine and identify those individuals who have looted the country and to return those monies to the state where it rightfully belongs. We pray that the government is successful in this endeavor. Pleasing it is to state that not a single pious, a single religiously inclined individual is involved therein while every other individual is perturbed at the impending implications. Each one of them is pondering what is to happen on the morrow? We beseech Allah Ta’ala to unfold the reality upon each of us as to the implications of being questioned on the Day of Judgment as well. Very detailed indeed, will be the questioning, the fact finding on the day. Where and how did one earn ones livelihood? Where and how did one spend it? Did one earn by permissible or impermissible means? Where and how did one utilize one’s youth. Did one perform one’ salaah? Did one keep all one’s fasts? Did one discharge one’s Zakaah? Did one perform one’s Haj? Did one participate in jihad? Every detail will one be questioned about in thorough detail. We beseech Allah Ta’ala to save us from such detailed questioning on the day of Qiyamah and grant us the Taufeeq to diligently prepare for that day. Remember well that this world will inevitably come to an end while the hereafter, wherein we will have to reside, is eternal. (16) Another point to bear in mind is the function and purpose, the actual object of the press and journalism as a whole. If one is to ponder deeply, the actual function and purpose of journalism and the press is to enhance and further the cause of humanitarianism, of altruism but on the contrary, it is the very vehicle whose work this was that is relegating it to oblivion and enhancing the base and vile side of humankind. All this is dome ion the name of sensationalism which in turn is motivated by the profit margin. Not news worthy, not worthy of bold print is it considered to mention those three individuals who through the goodness of their hearts decided to support some orphans, to get them married at their expense. If it is mentioned at all, it will occupy some obscure space on the middle pages. Yes! If on the contrary, three hoodlums were to set off with some poor woman, beat, bash and rape her, this comfortably finds itself mentioned in bold print and on the front page to boot. Every sordid detail will be furnished to further incite some sickly soul to further incite some sickly soul to follow suit. “Any government or person that oppose the establishment of Dini Madaris (religious institutes) is in fact, in conflict with Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala has announced in the Holy Quran that “we have revealed the Quran and we are its protectors.” Hence, whosoever plans to annihilate primary Madaris or higher centers of learning is in direct conflict with Allah Ta’ala. History bears testimony that all those who opposed religious institutions were totally destroyed. Therefore, any person or government tat sought felicity and perpetually should aid and assist religious institutions.”