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How to Achieve Humbleness in Your Heart?

2012-02-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

How to Achieve Humbleness in Your Heart?

Humbleness is the opposite of arrogance, and is an attitude and behavior that Allah and His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) have commanded us to have. It is also a great tool used to spread Islam to others.

The best way to achieve humbleness in the heart is contained in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him), who prescribed many methods to teach his companions how to be humble. We ask Allah to help us all become humble and stay firm on that path. Following are some of the methods and ways of achieving humbleness:

Extending As-Salam (Saying As-Salamu Alaykum, Peace be Unto You)

Abdullah ibn 'Amer said that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him), "Which part of Islam is the best?" He said, "To feed the food (to the poor), and to extend As Salam to those whom you know and whom you do not know." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Therefore, extending As-Salam to the old, young, rich, poor, noble, common folk, stranger and relative, will open one's heart to achieve humbleness and will shut the door closed for arrogance and tyranny.

Concerning the permissibility of men greeting women with salaam and women greeting men, it is only permitted when there is no fear of Fitnah.

The Muslim woman who fears Allah must do her duty towards Allah, and not speak to non-Mahram men in ways that may raise their hopes or tempt them. If she needs to go to a shop or a place where there are men, she should be modest and cover herself, and follow Islamic etiquette. If she speaks to men, she should speak in an honorable manner in which there is no Fitnah and nothing dubious.

Muslims Should Hate That People Stand Up For Them

Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan once entered a house where Abdullah ibn Az-Zubayr and Abdullah ibn 'Amer were sitting. Abdullah ibn 'Amer stood up while Ibn Az-Zubayr did not. Mu'awiyah said, "O ibn 'Amer! Sit down, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) say, 'Let those who like for people to stand up for them take their seats in the Fire.'" [At-Tirmidthi]

This Hadith prohibits the Muslim to like that people stand up for him when he meets with or passes by them. Furthermore, this Hadith teaches Muslims to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, for Mu'awiyah criticized Abdullah ibn 'Amer for standing up for him.

Sitting Wherever One Finds Space

Jabir bin Samurah said, "When we used to come to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him), we would sit wherever we find space." Also, Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, what translated means, "One of you must not remove a man from his place and sit in it. However, (those already sitting should) make space and spread up (leaving adequate space for newcomers)." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Also, Ibn Umar used to avoid the place which a man vacated to make space for him. Therefore, one should sit wherever he finds space, whether in the center of the audience or not. Also, those who accept it that first-comers have the right to the best seats, because all Muslims whether rich or poor are equal, will achieve humbleness in their hearts and deed, Allah willing.

Prohibiting The Muslim From Claiming Purity For Himself

Allah said, what translated means,

So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him. [Noble Quran 53:32]

Mohammad ibn 'Amr ibn A'ta' said that he named his daughter Barrah (the righteous one). However, Zaynab bint Abi Salamah said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited using this name when she was called "Barrah." He said, "Do not ascribe purity to yourselves. Allah knows the righteous ones among you." The companions asked, "What should we call her?" He said, "Zaynab." [Muslim]

Prohibiting Praising People in Their Presence

Abu Musa said, "The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man praising another man and saying good words about him while he was present with them. He said, 'You have destroyed or broke the back of the man!'" [Al- Bukhari & Muslim]

Also, Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakrah said that a man was once mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him). Another man said good words of praise about him. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) then said, what translated means, "Woe unto you! You have beheaded your friend. If one of you has to praise, let him say, 'I think this and that' (about the praised man), if he thinks that he deserves it, 'And his reckoning is with Allah,' and let him not ascribe purity (to anyone)." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Also, Ibrahim At-Taymi said that his father said, "We were sitting in the presence of Umar when a man praised another man to his face. Umar said, 'You 'Aqartahu (crippled him), may Allah do the same to you.'" Furthermore, Abu Ma'mar said that a man stood up and praised one of the leaders, then Al-Miqdad started throwing sand in his face, and saying, "The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to throw sand in the faces of the praisers." [Muslim, At-Tirmidthi, Abu Dawud & ibn Majah]

From these Hadiths and stories, we conclude that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praising others, especially while they can hear their praise. This is because such praise may encourage the praised persons to overestimate themselves, especially if they were people of position or wealth. Also, such praise may lead the praised person to be arrogant, which may lead to laziness and a lower number of good deeds, for one will depend on what he heard of praise and ignore acquiring more good deeds.

Khadejah Jones

PRACTICE TEST

2011-10-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

Text 1

. Ronan Keating’s 3^rd solo album is a chance for the public to see the real Ronan. He was a member of the successful Irish boy band Boyzone and since going solo has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide. His latest album ‘Turn It On’ shows the new Ronan. His voice is deeper and he sounds more mature and self assured. The new album contains a lot of catchy tunes which will get you singing along.

The new Ronan is ‘Ronan the Songwriter’. He has co-written 12 of the songs on the album.The first song really shows you what the new Ronan can do. It is the title of the songs on the album and called ‘Turn It On’. The upbeat, catchy music is a great start to the album. The album has a natural pace and covers all tempos.’Back In The Day’ is another upbeat song and has a strong melody that will be buzzing round your head for ages. Other highlights include ‘Let Her Down Easy’, an old song from Terence Trent Derby and ‘Last Thing on My Mind’ which features vocals from LeAnn Rimes. One of the slower, more personal songs is “This is Your Song.” Ronan wrote this himself as a tribute to his mum who died of cancer. It is a song from the heart.

“Turn It On” is a compelling mixture of rock tunes and slow ballads which are fused together by one of the finest vocalist of our time .Ronan Keating, with his rich voice, has the ability to make all these songs come to life. Great songs, great voice, great album.

(KGRE, teachers’kit)

1. What kind of music does Ronan Keating play mostly?

Slowbeat and march
Upbeat and strong melody
Slow and monotonous melody
Upbeat and slow melody
Slowbeat and all tempos

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

a. Ronan Keating himself

b. Ronan Keating’s music album

c. The new album of Ronan Keating

d. The latest album of Ronan Keating

e. Ronan Keating’s career in singing

3. What song did he dedicate to his beloved mother?

Turn It On
Back In the Day
Last Thing on My Mind
Let Her Down Easy
This is Your Song

4. How many albums has Ronan launched, based on the text above?

a. One ( 1 )

b. Two ( 2 )

c. Three ( 3 )

d. Four ( 4 )

e. Five ( 5 )

5. “ His voice is deeper and he sounds more mature and self-assured, the underlined word/phrase means :

a. Confident

b. Concrete

c. Confidential

d. Consequence

e. Convey

Text 2

New Species Found in Papua Eden

An international team of scientists says it has found a “lost world” in the Indonesian jungle that is the home to dozens of new animals and plant species. “It’s as close to the Garden of Eden as you’re going to find on Earth,” said Bruce Beehler, co-leader of the group.

The group of Indonesian, American and Australian researchers trekked through an area in the mist - shrouded Foja Mountainns of north-western Papua. After being dropped off by helicopter, the researchers spent nearly a month in the area, detailing the wildlife and plantlife from the lower hills to near the summit of the Foja range, which reaches more than 2,000m in elevation.

The team found four new species of butterflies, twenty new species of frogs, and a whole series of remarkable plants including five new palms and a giant rhododendron flower. The survey also found a honeyeater bird that was previously unknown to science and the first new bird species discovered on the island of New Guinea since 1939.They also found the breeding grounds of a “lost” bird of paradise. The six-wired bird of paradise was first seen in the late 19^th century but hadn’t been found again since. The team also took the first photographs of the golden fronted bowerbird displaying its plunge. The team also recorded a golden mantled tree kangaroo, which was not known to be in this area and is near extinction in other areas. “It’s beautiful, untouched, unpopulated forest, there is no evidence of human impact or presence”said Dr. Beehler,.

6. What is the purpose of the text above?

To inform us (the readers) that the researchers found the new jungle in Indonesia
To survey the new species of animals and plants in the jungle in Indonesia
To find the lost world in Indonesian jungle
To inform the discovery of new species of animals and plants in Indonesian jungle
To find the lost species of animals and plants in the jungle of Indonesia

7. The main idea of paragraph 1 is …….

A group of international scientists found the new land

b. A group of international scientists found the unpopulated area

c. A group of international scientists found the new species of animals and plants

Indonesia

is the jungle of new species of animals and dead plants

e. The jungle is close to the Garden of Eden on earth

8. The scientists found the following new species, except :

4 new species of butterflies and honeyeater bird
20 new species of frogs and a giant rhododendron flower
A honeyeater bird and 5 new species of palm
20 species of frogs and the 2 species of giant flower
4 new species of butterflies and 5 new species of palms

9. How did the scientists reach the target area?

By trekking the footsteps of new species
By taking a chopper
By taking a bus
By driving a car
By climbing the mountain

10. When the scientists took the photograph the golden fronted bowerbird displaying its plunge.

The underlined words mean….

Sleeping on the twig
flying here and there
showing its beauty
eating honey
biting wombs

Text 3

Whales are the largest animal on earth. Bigger than elephants, they may grow 95 feet long, and weight 150 tons. A baby blue whale, just born, can be 23 feet long and weigh 3 tons.

Although whales live in the oceans and can swim like fish, they are not fish. They are mammals, like cows and elephant. Unlike fish, they bear young alive not as eggs. Their babies live on their mother’s milk. They breathe through their lungs and hold their breathe when they go under water. If they cannot come to the surface to breathe fresh air, they will be drown. They are warm blooded. Fish, however, lay eggs,breathe oxygen in the water and are cold blooded.

Whales live in all the oceans. In the winter some of them go to warm waters to breed and in the summer most of them go to cold waters to feed. There are two kinds of whales, whales with teeth (toothed whales) and whale without teeth (baleen whales). The toothed whales eat fish and squid, which they can catch with their teeth, although they swallow their food without chewing it. The Baleen whales eat plankton (small sea animals and plants). When they find plankton, they open their mouth and swim into the plankton. When they close their mouth, they squeeze out the water and swallow the plankton.

Whales have few enemies. Only human beings and the whale killers attack whales. And whales do not seem to fight among themselves. They usually live from 20 to 30 years.

11. A suitable title for the text above is ….

a. Large animal on earth

b. Difference between whales and elephants

c. Whales, the biggest animal on the earth

d. Similarity between fish and whales

e. The life of whales in the oceans

12. Which of the following is TRUE about whales?

a. Whales are generally 95 feet long and weigh 150 kilos

b. Big animals living in the ocean tend to be their enemies

c. Like fish, whales can live in all kinds of waters

d. Their life span is usually longer than human beings.

e. A new baby whale may weigh one fiftieth of its mother

13. The difference between whales and fish is that whales …..

a. do not have to come to the surface to get fresh air

b. deliver their young like elephants do

c. will die if they can not get any oxygen in the water

d. are mammals that are cold-blooded

e. can easily breathe when they are under water

14. Whales occasionally live in warm waters ….

a. to get more food

b. for reproduction

c. to avoid winter

d. for fresh air

e. to feed their babies

15. From the text, we may conclude that ….

a. A whale can eat both squid and plankton

b. Toothed whales chew their food before swallowing it

c. The two types of whale live indifferent waters

d. Baleen whales swallow the water containing plankton

e. Each type of whale eats a specific kind of food

Text 4

There are three separate sources of hazard in the process of supplying energy by nuclear power.

The radioactive material must travel from its place of manufacture to the power station. Although the power station themselves are solidly built, the container used the transport of the materials are not. There are normally only two methods of transport available, namely road and rail. Unfortunately, both of these involve close contact with the general public, since the routes are sure to pass near, or even though, heavily populated areas.

Next, there is the problem of waste. All nuclear power station produce waste that in most cases will remain radioactive for thousands of years. It is impossible to make these wastes non radioactive, and so they must be stored in one of the inconvenient ways that scientists have invented. For example they may be buried under the ground, or dropped into abandoned mines, or sunk in the sea. However, these methods do not solve the problem, since an earthquake could easily crack the containers open.

Finally, there is the problem of accidental exposure due to leak or an explosion at the power station. As with the other two hazards, this is not very likely, so that it does not provide a serious objection to the nuclear program. Nevertheless, it can happen.

Separately, these three types of risks are not great cause for concern. On the whole through, the probability of disaster is still high.

16. The whole text tells us about ….

a. The danger of transporting radioactive materials

b. The way to make radioactive wastes not dangerous for people

c. The potentials dangers in supplying energy by nuclear power

d. The accident caused by nuclear power station.

e. People’s objections to the establishment of nuclear power station

17. What makes the transport of radioactive materials dangerous for people’s lives?

a. The road

b. The container

c. The rail

d. The power station

e. The heavily populated areas

18. Which of the following statement is TRUE about radioactive wastes?

a. There will be no more danger when radioactive waste are buried underground

b. There is no chance of saving people’s lives from radioactive wastes

c. Radioactive wastes become non radioactive when they are sunk in the sea.

d. Only earthquakes can change radioactive wastes into non radioactive wastes

e. Natural disaster may cause very serious leaks in buried containers of radioactive wastes

19. In spite of the problem which are likely to occur in supplying energy by nuclear power, the

Writer thinks that ….

a. people will strongly object to it

b. the probability of disaster is high

c. hazard should be rigidly controlled

d. it’s worth conducting nuclear programs

e. there is a great cause for concern

20. We may conclude from the third paragraph that the problem of accidental exposure is caused

by…..

a. human error

b. an earthquake

c. radioactive waste

d. hazards

e. bad design of the nuclear station

Text. 5

Why Is the World’s Population So Unevenly Distributed ?

Population distribution refers to the way in which people are spread out over a land area. The world’s population is not evenly spread out. Why do you think this is so? There are two main factors that influence population distribution; a) the physical condition of the place and b) the level of technology of the people. This refers to knowledge, skills and tools that the people have.

People tend to settle in areas where the soil is fertile and the climate is not too harsh. That is why river deltas, such as Nile Delta in

Egypt

, are densely populated. There are fewer people living in hilly areas with harsh climate because the extreme physical conditions make living and farming very difficult.

However, it is not impossible for people to survive under unfavorable living conditions. With improvements in technology, places which were previously thought to be unsuitable for people can become suitable. For example, an area with dry and hot area, such as Arizona, can be made more comfortable by having buildings fitted with air-conditioners. Farming may be difficult in a place without fertile land and adequate rainfall, but if the people earn their living by other means and not agriculture, the place will still be populated.

(taken from; ‘Listen To Me’)

21. After reading the text above, what is the main information in it?

a. The world’s population is not evenly distributed

b. The world’s population is evenly populated

c. It is impossible to survive under unfavorable living condition

d. People tend to settle in unevenly populated area

e. Technology is able to change the suitable condition

22. Paragraph 3 tells us about

a. The impossibility to live in unfavorable areas

b. Technology has improved in many places

c. Farming is impossible in fertile land

d. The possibility to live in unfavorable areas

e. The place will still be populated if it is arid

23. How do people in Arizona survive to live in unpleasant areas?

a. by making big ponds

b. by creating windmills

c. by installing air-conditioners

d. by building dams

e. by generating hydro plant

24. These are the factors that influence population distribution, except ;

a. the physical condition

b. the level of the technology of the people

c. the knowledge of the people

d. the size of height of people

e. the tools or instruments that people use

25. The Nile Delta in Egypt is densely populated area.

The antonym of the underlined word/s is

a. rare

b. seldom

c. lately

d. slump

e. scarcely

Text. 6

PATTY THE MILKMAID

Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a pail on her head. As she went along she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk. “I will buy some fowls from Farmer Brown,” said she, “And they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the Parson’s wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs, I’ll buy myself a new dimity frock and a chip hat; and when I go to market, won’t all the young men come up and speak to me ! Polly Shaw will be that jealous; but I don’t care. I shall just look at her and toss my head like this.” As she spoke she tossed her head back, the pail fell off it and all the milk was split. So she had to go home and tell her mother what had occurred.

“Ah, my child,” said the mother, “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”

26. What is Patty’s job?

a. milking cow

b. selling milk

c. making cakes

d. carrying pail

e. calculating eggs

27. The climax of the text is, when…..

a. Patty went to the market to sell the milk

b. Patty was imagining her future

c. Patty fell her pail off

d. Patty went home in tears

e. Patty fell in love with young men

28. Who are the characters in the story above ?

a. Patty and the Milkmaid

b. Patty and Farmer Brown

c. Patty and the Parson’s wife

d. Patty and Polly Shaw

e. Patty and the mother

29. Why was the milk split?

a. as Patty walked carelessly

b. because Patty move her head upwards

c. since she was jealous with Polly Shaw

d. she fell and twisted her ankle

e. because she was in a hurry

30. ‘Patty the Milkmaid was going to the market carrying her milk in a pail on her head”.

The underlined word means ....

a. pale

b. bucket

c. box

d. glass

e. pan

Text. 7

SHOULD EXAMINATIONS BE ABOLISHED?

Many people say that examinations should be abolished because they are not the best measure of students’ capabilities. These people believe that students can study on their own and do better without the nagging worry and pressure exerted by examinations.

Yet, there are persuasive reasons to show that examinations should not be abolished. It is insufficient that teachers assign homework and correct it. Because this is not done under supervision, they can not be sure that it is really the work of the students themselves. Moreover, homework is not a test of student’s ability; homework is more a method of merely keeping him occupied.

Nowadays, in the hunt for jobs, students need to produce some evidence of their capabilities. Prospective employers like to see copies of examination results; this is the only way a student’s qualifications can be judged. This attitude greatly encourages the use of examinations, if not making them a necessity.

31. What information do we get from the text ?

a. People’s attitudes toward the examinations

b. Students’ disagreement against examinations

c. The examination’s measurement is abolished

d. The persuasive ways to maintain the examinations

e. The teachers’ roles to motivate the students

32. What is the main idea of paragraph 2 ?

a. The reasons to maintain the examinations

b. The teachers’ roles in supervising the students

c. Homework is not a test of a student’s ability

d. Homework is method of keeping students busy

e. The insufficient teachers in school

33. How to judge the student’s qualifications?

a. checking his attitudes

b. referring to his diploma

c. concerning his behavior

d. trekking his activities

e. producing his capabilities

34. Why do some people disagree to abolish examination?

a. because exam’s results is the only proof of student’s capabilities

b. since nobody trust the students nowadays

c. as a regulation in the country

d. because homework can be done without teacher’s supervision

e. for the sake of efficiency

35. People say that examination should be abolished. What does the underlined mean?

a. be banned

b. be forbidden

c. be regarded

d. be applied

e. be discarded

Text 1

(KGRE, teachers’kit)

1. What kind of music does Ronan Keating play mostly?

Slowbeat and march
Upbeat and strong melody
Slow and monotonous melody
Upbeat and slow melody
Slowbeat and all tempos

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

a. Ronan Keating himself

b. Ronan Keating’s music album

c. The new album of Ronan Keating

d. The latest album of Ronan Keating

e. Ronan Keating’s career in singing

3. What song did he dedicate to his beloved mother?

Turn It On
Back In the Day
Last Thing on My Mind
Let Her Down Easy
This is Your Song

4. How many albums has Ronan launched, based on the text above?

a. One ( 1 )

b. Two ( 2 )

c. Three ( 3 )

d. Four ( 4 )

e. Five ( 5 )

5. “ His voice is deeper and he sounds more mature and self-assured, the underlined word/phrase means :

a. Confident

b. Concrete

c. Confidential

d. Consequence

e. Convey

Text 2

New Species Found in Papua Eden

6. What is the purpose of the text above?

To inform us (the readers) that the researchers found the new jungle in Indonesia
To survey the new species of animals and plants in the jungle in Indonesia
To find the lost world in Indonesian jungle
To inform the discovery of new species of animals and plants in Indonesian jungle
To find the lost species of animals and plants in the jungle of Indonesia

7. The main idea of paragraph 1 is …….

A group of international scientists found the new land

b. A group of international scientists found the unpopulated area

c. A group of international scientists found the new species of animals and plants

Indonesia

is the jungle of new species of animals and dead plants

e. The jungle is close to the Garden of Eden on earth

8. The scientists found the following new species, except :

4 new species of butterflies and honeyeater bird
20 new species of frogs and a giant rhododendron flower
A honeyeater bird and 5 new species of palm
20 species of frogs and the 2 species of giant flower
4 new species of butterflies and 5 new species of palms

9. How did the scientists reach the target area?

By trekking the footsteps of new species
By taking a chopper
By taking a bus
By driving a car
By climbing the mountain

10. When the scientists took the photograph the golden fronted bowerbird displaying its plunge.

The underlined words mean….

Sleeping on the twig
flying here and there
showing its beauty
eating honey
biting wombs

Text 3

Whales are the largest animal on earth. Bigger than elephants, they may grow 95 feet long, and weight 150 tons. A baby blue whale, just born, can be 23 feet long and weigh 3 tons.

Whales have few enemies. Only human beings and the whale killers attack whales. And whales do not seem to fight among themselves. They usually live from 20 to 30 years.

11. A suitable title for the text above is ….

a. Large animal on earth

b. Difference between whales and elephants

c. Whales, the biggest animal on the earth

d. Similarity between fish and whales

e. The life of whales in the oceans

12. Which of the following is TRUE about whales?

a. Whales are generally 95 feet long and weigh 150 kilos

b. Big animals living in the ocean tend to be their enemies

c. Like fish, whales can live in all kinds of waters

d. Their life span is usually longer than human beings.

e. A new baby whale may weigh one fiftieth of its mother

13. The difference between whales and fish is that whales …..

a. do not have to come to the surface to get fresh air

b. deliver their young like elephants do

c. will die if they can not get any oxygen in the water

d. are mammals that are cold-blooded

e. can easily breathe when they are under water

14. Whales occasionally live in warm waters ….

a. to get more food

b. for reproduction

c. to avoid winter

d. for fresh air

e. to feed their babies

15. From the text, we may conclude that ….

a. A whale can eat both squid and plankton

b. Toothed whales chew their food before swallowing it

c. The two types of whale live indifferent waters

d. Baleen whales swallow the water containing plankton

e. Each type of whale eats a specific kind of food

Text 4

There are three separate sources of hazard in the process of supplying energy by nuclear power.

Separately, these three types of risks are not great cause for concern. On the whole through, the probability of disaster is still high.

16. The whole text tells us about ….

a. The danger of transporting radioactive materials

b. The way to make radioactive wastes not dangerous for people

c. The potentials dangers in supplying energy by nuclear power

d. The accident caused by nuclear power station.

e. People’s objections to the establishment of nuclear power station

17. What makes the transport of radioactive materials dangerous for people’s lives?

a. The road

b. The container

c. The rail

d. The power station

e. The heavily populated areas

18. Which of the following statement is TRUE about radioactive wastes?

a. There will be no more danger when radioactive waste are buried underground

b. There is no chance of saving people’s lives from radioactive wastes

c. Radioactive wastes become non radioactive when they are sunk in the sea.

d. Only earthquakes can change radioactive wastes into non radioactive wastes

e. Natural disaster may cause very serious leaks in buried containers of radioactive wastes

19. In spite of the problem which are likely to occur in supplying energy by nuclear power, the

Writer thinks that ….

a. people will strongly object to it

b. the probability of disaster is high

c. hazard should be rigidly controlled

d. it’s worth conducting nuclear programs

e. there is a great cause for concern

20. We may conclude from the third paragraph that the problem of accidental exposure is caused

by…..

a. human error

b. an earthquake

c. radioactive waste

d. hazards

e. bad design of the nuclear station

Text. 5

Why Is the World’s Population So Unevenly Distributed ?

People tend to settle in areas where the soil is fertile and the climate is not too harsh. That is why river deltas, such as Nile Delta in

Egypt

, are densely populated. There are fewer people living in hilly areas with harsh climate because the extreme physical conditions make living and farming very difficult.

(taken from; ‘Listen To Me’)

21. After reading the text above, what is the main information in it?

a. The world’s population is not evenly distributed

b. The world’s population is evenly populated

c. It is impossible to survive under unfavorable living condition

d. People tend to settle in unevenly populated area

e. Technology is able to change the suitable condition

22. Paragraph 3 tells us about

a. The impossibility to live in unfavorable areas

b. Technology has improved in many places

c. Farming is impossible in fertile land

d. The possibility to live in unfavorable areas

e. The place will still be populated if it is arid

23. How do people in Arizona survive to live in unpleasant areas?

a. by making big ponds

b. by creating windmills

c. by installing air-conditioners

d. by building dams

e. by generating hydro plant

24. These are the factors that influence population distribution, except ;

a. the physical condition

b. the level of the technology of the people

c. the knowledge of the people

d. the size of height of people

e. the tools or instruments that people use

25. The Nile Delta in Egypt is densely populated area.

The antonym of the underlined word/s is

a. rare

b. seldom

c. lately

d. slump

e. scarcely

Text. 6

PATTY THE MILKMAID

“Ah, my child,” said the mother, “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”

26. What is Patty’s job?

a. milking cow

b. selling milk

c. making cakes

d. carrying pail

e. calculating eggs

27. The climax of the text is, when…..

a. Patty went to the market to sell the milk

b. Patty was imagining her future

c. Patty fell her pail off

d. Patty went home in tears

e. Patty fell in love with young men

28. Who are the characters in the story above ?

a. Patty and the Milkmaid

b. Patty and Farmer Brown

c. Patty and the Parson’s wife

d. Patty and Polly Shaw

e. Patty and the mother

29. Why was the milk split?

a. as Patty walked carelessly

b. because Patty move her head upwards

c. since she was jealous with Polly Shaw

d. she fell and twisted her ankle

e. because she was in a hurry

30. ‘Patty the Milkmaid was going to the market carrying her milk in a pail on her head”.

The underlined word means ....

a. pale

b. bucket

c. box

d. glass

e. pan

Text. 7

SHOULD EXAMINATIONS BE ABOLISHED?

31. What information do we get from the text ?

a. People’s attitudes toward the examinations

b. Students’ disagreement against examinations

c. The examination’s measurement is abolished

d. The persuasive ways to maintain the examinations

e. The teachers’ roles to motivate the students

32. What is the main idea of paragraph 2 ?

a. The reasons to maintain the examinations

b. The teachers’ roles in supervising the students

c. Homework is not a test of a student’s ability

d. Homework is method of keeping students busy

e. The insufficient teachers in school

33. How to judge the student’s qualifications?

a. checking his attitudes

b. referring to his diploma

c. concerning his behavior

d. trekking his activities

e. producing his capabilities

34. Why do some people disagree to abolish examination?

a. because exam’s results is the only proof of student’s capabilities

b. since nobody trust the students nowadays

c. as a regulation in the country

d. because homework can be done without teacher’s supervision

e. for the sake of efficiency

35. People say that examination should be abolished. What does the underlined mean?

a. be banned

b. be forbidden

c. be regarded

d. be applied

e. be discarded

Text 1

(KGRE, teachers’kit)

1. What kind of music does Ronan Keating play mostly?

Slowbeat and march
Upbeat and strong melody
Slow and monotonous melody
Upbeat and slow melody
Slowbeat and all tempos

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

a. Ronan Keating himself

b. Ronan Keating’s music album

c. The new album of Ronan Keating

d. The latest album of Ronan Keating

e. Ronan Keating’s career in singing

3. What song did he dedicate to his beloved mother?

Turn It On
Back In the Day
Last Thing on My Mind
Let Her Down Easy
This is Your Song

4. How many albums has Ronan launched, based on the text above?

a. One ( 1 )

b. Two ( 2 )

c. Three ( 3 )

d. Four ( 4 )

e. Five ( 5 )

5. “ His voice is deeper and he sounds more mature and self-assured, the underlined word/phrase means :

a. Confident

b. Concrete

c. Confidential

d. Consequence

e. Convey

Text 2

New Species Found in Papua Eden

6. What is the purpose of the text above?

To inform us (the readers) that the researchers found the new jungle in Indonesia
To survey the new species of animals and plants in the jungle in Indonesia
To find the lost world in Indonesian jungle
To inform the discovery of new species of animals and plants in Indonesian jungle
To find the lost species of animals and plants in the jungle of Indonesia

7. The main idea of paragraph 1 is …….

A group of international scientists found the new land

b. A group of international scientists found the unpopulated area

c. A group of international scientists found the new species of animals and plants

Indonesia

is the jungle of new species of animals and dead plants

e. The jungle is close to the Garden of Eden on earth

8. The scientists found the following new species, except :

4 new species of butterflies and honeyeater bird
20 new species of frogs and a giant rhododendron flower
A honeyeater bird and 5 new species of palm
20 species of frogs and the 2 species of giant flower
4 new species of butterflies and 5 new species of palms

9. How did the scientists reach the target area?

By trekking the footsteps of new species
By taking a chopper
By taking a bus
By driving a car
By climbing the mountain

10. When the scientists took the photograph the golden fronted bowerbird displaying its plunge.

The underlined words mean….

Sleeping on the twig
flying here and there
showing its beauty
eating honey
biting wombs

Text 3

Whales are the largest animal on earth. Bigger than elephants, they may grow 95 feet long, and weight 150 tons. A baby blue whale, just born, can be 23 feet long and weigh 3 tons.

Whales have few enemies. Only human beings and the whale killers attack whales. And whales do not seem to fight among themselves. They usually live from 20 to 30 years.

11. A suitable title for the text above is ….

a. Large animal on earth

b. Difference between whales and elephants

c. Whales, the biggest animal on the earth

d. Similarity between fish and whales

e. The life of whales in the oceans

12. Which of the following is TRUE about whales?

a. Whales are generally 95 feet long and weigh 150 kilos

b. Big animals living in the ocean tend to be their enemies

c. Like fish, whales can live in all kinds of waters

d. Their life span is usually longer than human beings.

e. A new baby whale may weigh one fiftieth of its mother

13. The difference between whales and fish is that whales …..

a. do not have to come to the surface to get fresh air

b. deliver their young like elephants do

c. will die if they can not get any oxygen in the water

d. are mammals that are cold-blooded

e. can easily breathe when they are under water

14. Whales occasionally live in warm waters ….

a. to get more food

b. for reproduction

c. to avoid winter

d. for fresh air

e. to feed their babies

15. From the text, we may conclude that ….

a. A whale can eat both squid and plankton

b. Toothed whales chew their food before swallowing it

c. The two types of whale live indifferent waters

d. Baleen whales swallow the water containing plankton

e. Each type of whale eats a specific kind of food

Text 4

There are three separate sources of hazard in the process of supplying energy by nuclear power.

Separately, these three types of risks are not great cause for concern. On the whole through, the probability of disaster is still high.

16. The whole text tells us about ….

a. The danger of transporting radioactive materials

b. The way to make radioactive wastes not dangerous for people

c. The potentials dangers in supplying energy by nuclear power

d. The accident caused by nuclear power station.

e. People’s objections to the establishment of nuclear power station

17. What makes the transport of radioactive materials dangerous for people’s lives?

a. The road

b. The container

c. The rail

d. The power station

e. The heavily populated areas

18. Which of the following statement is TRUE about radioactive wastes?

a. There will be no more danger when radioactive waste are buried underground

b. There is no chance of saving people’s lives from radioactive wastes

c. Radioactive wastes become non radioactive when they are sunk in the sea.

d. Only earthquakes can change radioactive wastes into non radioactive wastes

e. Natural disaster may cause very serious leaks in buried containers of radioactive wastes

19. In spite of the problem which are likely to occur in supplying energy by nuclear power, the

Writer thinks that ….

a. people will strongly object to it

b. the probability of disaster is high

c. hazard should be rigidly controlled

d. it’s worth conducting nuclear programs

e. there is a great cause for concern

20. We may conclude from the third paragraph that the problem of accidental exposure is caused

by…..

a. human error

b. an earthquake

c. radioactive waste

d. hazards

e. bad design of the nuclear station

Text. 5

Why Is the World’s Population So Unevenly Distributed ?

People tend to settle in areas where the soil is fertile and the climate is not too harsh. That is why river deltas, such as Nile Delta in

Egypt

, are densely populated. There are fewer people living in hilly areas with harsh climate because the extreme physical conditions make living and farming very difficult.

(taken from; ‘Listen To Me’)

21. After reading the text above, what is the main information in it?

a. The world’s population is not evenly distributed

b. The world’s population is evenly populated

c. It is impossible to survive under unfavorable living condition

d. People tend to settle in unevenly populated area

e. Technology is able to change the suitable condition

22. Paragraph 3 tells us about

a. The impossibility to live in unfavorable areas

b. Technology has improved in many places

c. Farming is impossible in fertile land

d. The possibility to live in unfavorable areas

e. The place will still be populated if it is arid

23. How do people in Arizona survive to live in unpleasant areas?

a. by making big ponds

b. by creating windmills

c. by installing air-conditioners

d. by building dams

e. by generating hydro plant

24. These are the factors that influence population distribution, except ;

a. the physical condition

b. the level of the technology of the people

c. the knowledge of the people

d. the size of height of people

e. the tools or instruments that people use

25. The Nile Delta in Egypt is densely populated area.

The antonym of the underlined word/s is

a. rare

b. seldom

c. lately

d. slump

e. scarcely

Text. 6

PATTY THE MILKMAID

“Ah, my child,” said the mother, “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”

26. What is Patty’s job?

a. milking cow

b. selling milk

c. making cakes

d. carrying pail

e. calculating eggs

27. The climax of the text is, when…..

a. Patty went to the market to sell the milk

b. Patty was imagining her future

c. Patty fell her pail off

d. Patty went home in tears

e. Patty fell in love with young men

28. Who are the characters in the story above ?

a. Patty and the Milkmaid

b. Patty and Farmer Brown

c. Patty and the Parson’s wife

d. Patty and Polly Shaw

e. Patty and the mother

29. Why was the milk split?

a. as Patty walked carelessly

b. because Patty move her head upwards

c. since she was jealous with Polly Shaw

d. she fell and twisted her ankle

e. because she was in a hurry

30. ‘Patty the Milkmaid was going to the market carrying her milk in a pail on her head”.

The underlined word means ....

a. pale

b. bucket

c. box

d. glass

e. pan

Text. 7

SHOULD EXAMINATIONS BE ABOLISHED?

31. What information do we get from the text ?

a. People’s attitudes toward the examinations

b. Students’ disagreement against examinations

c. The examination’s measurement is abolished

d. The persuasive ways to maintain the examinations

e. The teachers’ roles to motivate the students

32. What is the main idea of paragraph 2 ?

a. The reasons to maintain the examinations

b. The teachers’ roles in supervising the students

c. Homework is not a test of a student’s ability

d. Homework is method of keeping students busy

e. The insufficient teachers in school

33. How to judge the student’s qualifications?

a. checking his attitudes

b. referring to his diploma

c. concerning his behavior

d. trekking his activities

e. producing his capabilities

34. Why do some people disagree to abolish examination?

a. because exam’s results is the only proof of student’s capabilities

b. since nobody trust the students nowadays

c. as a regulation in the country

d. because homework can be done without teacher’s supervision

e. for the sake of efficiency

35. People say that examination should be abolished. What does the underlined mean?

a. be banned

b. be forbidden

c. be regarded

d. be applied

e. be discarded

Join Local Earn Global

2011-02-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Corporate Profile

We are now embracing our seventh year, and much has been accomplished, but the journey is just beginning, and we face new challenges every day.

Starting in 2008, the global credit crisis and resulting market turmoil took a toil on every sector of the economy, and every industry and Company. It made all of us take a long, intense look at how we manage our businesses—and what improvements are required to chart a successful course in the near and far future.

An intense focus on operational excellence targets improvements in every aspect of our business. It is also pivotal to observe that Uptrend2u™ is a Company with a longstanding commitment to excellence and social responsibility. By joining forces, we see a window to strengthen and build on those shared values.

We know our industry is in the public eye as never before. One of the biggest challenges we face is sustainability. Uptrend2u™ continues to invest in new technologies, developing new products and getting actively involved in new market strategies to solidify our goals and intent.

We recognise there are many areas where we can target improvements on past performances; none of this will come easily and it will require collective action. In that context, I ask you to persevere and have faith that these improvements will happen. Together, we have the opportunity to take this changing world of ours and make it a better one.

Last but not least, a reminder to everyone: - All successful people, men and women, are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.

Thank you, and remember that those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work, and to their lives, will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future

Business Concept

Uptrend2u™ : The Business of Success
Ever thought of owning your very own international business? Earning an income even while you sleep? Or sharing a profitable venture with your friends and family from anywhere in the world?

Uptrend2u™ can help you do just that, and so much more! Combining the pervasive influence of the Internet with the exponential power of Network Marketing, the Uptrend2u™ Marketing System is one of the most effective e-commerce marketing systems available today, and offers our members the best chance of earning big, realistic and residual incomes.

This breakthrough business concept has helped transform the lives of individuals from all walks of life regardless of background, culture, age, educational level or beliefs. And when you join us at Uptrend2u™, we will show you how to build an effective, income-generating e-commerce business that will bring you unlimited potential for personal growth.

But this opportunity is not just for you. Our philosophy of "Share and Share Alike" means that we also empower you to share this incredible concept with your friends and family, thus providing them a unique opportunity to improve their lifestyles and achieve their dreams. Thus Uptrend2u™ functions not just as an e-commerce business, but also as a powerful platform for building, enhancing and maintaining positive relationships with your loved ones.

So to take your first step towards building a profitable e-commerce business, and a better world, come join us at Uptrend2u™ today!


U		UNBELIEVEABLE
U		Envied by others for its forward-thinking and innovative business plans.

P		PATIENCE
P		Patience is a virtue – the golden element towards establishing a thriving business empire.

T		TRUSTWORTHY
T		Integrity – we deliver exactly what was promised.

R		REPLICATE
R		A straightforward yet formidable marketing plan utilising the replication process.

E		EFFECTIVE
E		Is an effective, results-oriented Company fuelled by its entrepreneurs' desire to excel.

N		NETWORKING
N		Amiable Company where networking with similarly-driven individuals is deemed pivotal.

D		DESIRE
D		Assists and guides to nurture its entrepreneurs who all possess the same ambition - to succeed!

2		TWO / TO
2		A play on words - 2 signifies partnership & trust.

U		UNITY
U		Uptrend2u™ is united, heart and soul, with all our partners; working towards one common goal.

Mission & Vision

		MISSION
		To better people's lives by giving them a trustworthy e- commerce networking platform that provides an unmatched compensation plan.

VISION
To become the No.1 trustworthy e-commerce company in the ASEAN Region for the international market by 2009.

Restoring & Maintaining Intimacy in Marriage

2011-01-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

Restoring & Maintaining Intimacy in Marriage

Couples can return to the state of intimacy from conflict, if, and only if, they stop hurting each other and return to meeting each other's emotional needs again.

What is intimacy?

Intimacy is closeness to each other. In an intimate state, spouses communicate smoothly, rush to do whatever it takes to make each other happy, and avoid what might upset or annoy the other. Couples can achieve this state only through meeting each other's psychological, emotional and physical needs.

Reviving and maintaining intimacy: Mainstream-counseling perspective

From Dr. Harley's research and experience in trying to save marriages through counseling, he concluded that couples negotiate from one of three states of mind, each having its own unique negotiating rules and its own unique emotional reactions. He called these states of mind, 'intimacy', 'conflict' and 'withdrawal'.

Couples can return to the state of intimacy from conflict, if, and only if, they stop hurting each other and return to meeting each other's emotional needs again. The first and most important concept that Dr. Harley produced to help couples understand the rise and fall of romantic love is "the Love Bank Account". In his study of what it takes to build love bank accounts, he learned that habits were much more important to consider than isolated instances of behavior. Habits that deposit love units build very large love bank balances because they are repeated over and over almost effortlessly. Isolated behaviors, on the other hand, usually do not affect the love bank much. Similarly, habits that withdraw love units tend to destroy love bank balances because they are also repeated almost effortlessly. In marriage, one of the most destructive behaviors is an angry outburst, where one spouse intentionally tries to hurt the other one, causing massive love bank withdrawals.

As a starting point to build the love bank balance, Dr. Harley encourages spouses to get into the habit of doing whatever it takes to make each other happy (deposit love units), and avoid habits that make each other unhappy (withdraw love units). Through his counseling experience, he proved the success of his approach in saving marriages and restoring intimacy. As soon as he realized that a large love bank balance triggered the feeling of love, he tried to discover what spouses could do for each other that would make the largest love bank deposits. "What could your spouse do for you that would make you the happiest?" He asked each couple that he counseled, and then he compiled the answers he had in a set of audiotapes that teaches what a husband needs from his wife and what a wife needs from her husband.

Reviving and maintaining intimacy: Islamic perspective

As committed Muslims who believe that the Islamic message is the absolute final truth that provides the cure for every ailment and grants the ultimate happiness in both this life and eternal life, we weigh any information or research findings with the message of Islam to accept what is compatible and reject what contradicts any of Islam's teachings. Dr. Harley's recommendations in the twenty first century were not any different from what Allah Almighty, and his Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us fourteen hundred years ago.

Marriage unites the souls

The Quran emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in the most beautiful metaphor for intimacy. Allah says (what means):

"...They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them..." [Noble Quran 2:187]

Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each other's chastity, and cover each other's faults. The garment gives comfort, grace and beauty to the body; so does a husband find comfort in his wife's company and she in his.

The Quran has given the comprehensive description of intimacy in marriage, and considered it one of His Signs. Allah says (what means):

"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought." [Noble Quran 30: 21]

Islamic tips to restore and maintain intimacy in marriage

Islam gave us detailed instructions that identify rights, responsibilities and characters of both husband and wife to build their relationship on mutual love, respect, and mercy. Here are the most important tips that lead to a successful and happy marriage.

Faith: Common faith binds the couple strongly. Since Islam is a way of life, it becomes an integral part of a Muslim's life. Couples with strong faith will share the same values and the frame of reference and communicate smoothly and effectively. Faith plays an essential role in developing a loving relationship.

Couples who work on strengthening their faith, for example by performing the Prayer, reading Quran, and seeking Islamic knowledge together, become closer. They love and please Allah through loving and pleasing each other. The commitment couples make to Allah are excellent facilitators for enhancing their family's spiritual development and commitment to Allah and His Religion.

Forgiving: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions may Allah be pleased with them: "Do you wish that Allah should forgive you?" They said, 'of course, O Prophet of Allah.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) responded: 'Then forgive each other.'"

One of the main components of a happy marriage is forgiveness. It is a challenge not to blame and to move past an incident when one hurts the other. This can only happen if we are not too proud to ask for forgiveness and we are not too stingy to forgive.

Friendship: A relationship based on friendship is more able to withstand outside pressures. We mean the friendship that is based on honor, trust, respect, acceptance and care for each other, in spite of our differences.

Feelings: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that Allah forgives all sins if we repent but not those we have committed against others, i.e., hurt their feelings unless the person we have hurt forgives first. Couples must be very careful not to hurt the feelings of each other and if they inadvertently do, they should apologize as soon as possible. Since one does not know when someone they love will leave this world, is it not better to make amends when we have the time?

Openness: Marital relationship is where the partners must feel safe to speak their mind honestly with due consideration to the other's feeling, without compromising their own views. When the communication is not sincere it hinders the development of closeness and deep understanding of each other's inner self.

Flattering: Paving compliments and indulging in honest flattery is a very inexpensive way to win your spouses heart. Everyone likes to be appreciated and noticed. So being scant with compliments is actually depriving one of being appreciated in return.

Unconditional giving: The heart does not put conditions or make stipulations. It gives without expecting anything in return, but such selfless giving is always rewarded tenfold.

Fallibility: When couples start to demand the impossible they must remind themselves that only Allah is Perfect.

Khadejah Jones

Explanation of the Hadith

2010-10-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

Explanation of the Hadith

On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:

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

Background

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

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

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

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

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

'Ilm (Knowledge) - as Allah commands:

"Say: This is my path, I do call to Allah upon clear knowledge." [Noble Quran 12:108]

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

Hikmah (Wisdom) which means saying or doing the right thing in the right way at the right time to the right person, as prescribed by Allah in His statement:

"Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful admonition." [Noble Quran 16:125]

Ibn Taymiyah wrote: Enjoin the good in a good way and do not forbid the evil in an evil way.

Hilm (Forbearance) and Rifq (Gentleness) - especially in the face of opposition from the people. As Allah said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):

"And by the Mercy of Allah you were able to deal gently with them. If you had been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from you. [Noble Quran 3:159]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: Indeed gentleness does not enter into anything except it beautifies it, nor is it removed from anything except that it makes it ugly [Reported by Imam Muslim].

Sabr (Patience) - since the people whom the Caller opposes in enjoining good and forbidding evil, may be stubborn to his call and may even try to harm him.

Ibn Taymiyah says in al-Istiqamah, concerning the call to the good and away from the evil: Knowledge must precede it, gentleness must accompany it and patience must follow it. Sheikh al-Humaid, the teacher of Sheikh Ibn Baz, said, in an explanation of Surah al-'Asr that Allah makes an oath that mankind will be in a state of deficiency, except with four conditions, which are:

- Iman,
- Good actions,
- Encouraging each other to the truth which means enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and
- Encouraging each other to patience, which is required after enjoining good and forbidding evil. Furthermore each person will have a level of deficiency in accordance with the level of lack of any of these four.

Tawadu' (Humility) - since the people will not heed if the Caller is arrogant or he seeks to put himself above others.

Qudwah (Good example) - for the Caller himself becomes a model to the people to whom he calls, doing those things which he enjoins and leaving those things which he forbids. Allah says:

"O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do. It is a most hateful thing to Allah that you say that which you do not do. [Noble Quran 6:2-3]

Husnul-Istima' (Good listening) - which is that the Caller is attentive to the needs and feelings and also the complaints of the people whom he calls.

Shaja'ah (Courage) - which does not refer to strength of the body; rather it is the strength of the heart, together with knowledge - this differentiates between true courage and mere recklessness.

Karam (Generosity).

Lessons

Scholars say that before using the hand, we should start with advice, warning the people of the consequence of evil and encouraging and motivating them to good actions. When this method has been fully utilized and there is no change in the people, only then is it permissible to use the hand.

Imam ash-Shatibi says that the Caller must predict the consequences of what he says or do, whether by hand or by tongue.

If it is very likely that, as a result of attempting to change the evil, the Caller himself or another person will be harmed, then changing the situation is no longer obligatory upon him. Here harm does not refer to insults or curses, but to physical injury such as being beaten or killed. Harm can also mean that a bad reputation is spread concerning the Caller. Ibn Qudamah also includes financial loss, whether immediate or later, to such an amount which the Caller cannot afford.

People differ in their ability to change things; in general, when someone is higher in his rank or authority, then there is more responsibility on him to remove the evil.

Principles of Inkarul-Munkar (Forbidding what is evil)

1. Prioritize the evil, thus beginning with the higher priority before the lower.

2. Tadarruj (Being gradual). Note the gradual method by which Allah made the drinking of wine forbidden: Firstly, by saying that there were benefits in it and harm in it but the harm outweighed the benefits; secondly, by forbidding the people to approach the prayer in a drunken state; and finally, by an outright prohibition. This step-by-step method does not imply that wine was not forbidden in the early stages, but it is a methodology from which we can benefit.

3. Do not look for people's faults. Qadi Abu Ya'la has noted an exception to this principle, which occurs when there are clues or information that an evil is taking place or is about to take place. Thus one may be able to prevent an evil, such as a murder or rape, from taking place by following up on information.

4. Establish that the evil is indeed taking place.

5. Choose a suitable time to forbid the evil.

- The Caller should not delay until the evil has finished.

- The Caller should exploit situations in which the people are more likely to respond to his call, for example when Yusuf (peace and blessings be upon him), spoke to his companions in the prison about Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) when they had been troubled by their dreams. Ibn Mas'ud said concerning this:

"Verily the heart has moments of yearning and responsiveness. And moments of indifference and turning away. So snatch it at the time of yearning and response And leave it at the time of indifference and turning away."

6. Speak in private, as Imam ash-Shafi wrote:

"Come to me with your advice when I am alone. And do not advise me in the crowd because advice amongst the people is a scolding. And I do not like to hear it aloud. Then if you disobey me and do not heed my words. Do not feel sad when you are not followed."

7. Do not instigate or provoke the people, but use a good argument, as Allah says:

"Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful admonition, and argue with them with ways that are best." [Noble Quran 16:125]

Imam Ghazali wrote: Don't convey the truth in a challenging manner.

8. Show forgiveness and kindness towards the people, and not to be affected by worry or anger in case the people show a negative response to the advice.

9. If a difference of opinion arose as a result of Ijtihad, then the Caller who holds one opinion should not forbid the other opinion.

10. Weighing the principles of benefits and harms, as Ibn Taymiyah wrote in al-Amar: If enjoining the good and forbidding the evil would result in a greater evil, then it is Haram to do it. Enjoining the good should not lead to a better deed being left out and forbidding the evil should not lead to a greater evil taking place.

Ibn Rajab states that in enjoining the good and discouraging the evil the conductor is motivated by different reasons:

- It could be by hope in Allah's great reward for doing it.

- It could be by fearing Allah's punishment for renouncing this obligation.

- It could be by getting annoyed by seeing violations to what Allah has prescribed.

- It could be due to being faithful to the community members who indulge in evil and by being kind and merciful to them by making the effort to save them from being subject to Allah's anger, displeasure and punishment in this life and in the Hereafter.

- It could be by glorifying Allah and Loving Him much, for He deserves to be obeyed, remembered, and thanked.

Observing the last two motives alone can make burden of conducting this obligation a light, favorable one and will empower the conductor with enough potential belittle any difficulty or hardship he may encounter thereof.

Conclusion

The last portion of the Hadith clearly states that the least a Muslim can do in the case of witnessing an evil act is to change it by his/her heart. This means that he/she should dislike the evil he/she comes across. This is an action of the heart, such as saying: "O Allah, there is nothing that I can do to change this bad situation that You dislike and disapprove except that I hate it to take place. I do not agree to it. O Allah forgive me, guide me and save my heart to be influenced by it."

Unless this action of the heart is practiced, the heart of the believer who witnesses that evil will be subject to be influenced by that evil. A dark spot will be placed in that heart (as stated in another Hadith related by al-Bukhari).

With the repetition of such negative attitudes, the heart will be subject to more dark spots placed in it until it is concealed and no longer appreciates what is good and no longer dislikes what is bad or evil. This means that the Muslim who does not practice the lowest level of forbidding the evil, will be subject to turn into being an evil doer him/herself.

Khadejah Jones

In Tests and Trials there are Lesson

2010-10-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

Tests and trials contain many lessons.

The first lesson

From the benefit of tests and trials is the influence it has on one's Tawhid (worship of Allah), Iman (faith) and Tawakkul - reliance upon Allah. It makes you examine the reality that man is a weak creation without any power or strength, except in your Lord. Therefore you resort to Him and depend on Him. Thereupon arrogance, false pride and negligence will be removed and you will come to know that you are really poor and in need of your Creator, the Almighty, the Most Perfect, and so you resort to Him.

The second lesson

Tests unravel the reality of this life. It is clarified to be a temporal stay for enjoyment, and the perfect life is the one which follows, wherein there is no toil, worry, fatigue or disease. Allah stated this in Surah al-Ankabut, verse 64.

And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter - that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew. [Noble Quran 29:64]

Even with this amusement and play there is also toil and fatigue. This is the reality of this life - one day life is smiling at you, and the other day it is turning its back on you. This is the nature of life, but man forgets that. The trials and tests come and they serve to remind man of the nature of this life and that he should not become attached to it.

The third lesson

The tests and trials remind the person of the favors bestowed upon him by Allah. It is also a reminder that this life is transitional.

The fourth lesson

We are reminded to avoid being in a state of joy such that we feel arrogance and likewise to avoid a state of sadness and grief such that one feels despair. Allah states this in Surah al-Hadid, verses 22-23:

No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfouz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not grieve at the things over that you fail to get, nor rejoice over that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not every prideful boaster. [Noble Quran 57:22-23]

The fifth lesson

Trials and tests remind the person of his shortcomings and diseases (of the heart and actions) so that he can take preventive measures against them. Allah says in Surah an-Nisa' verse79:

Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. And We have sent you (O Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah is Sufficient as a Witness. [Noble Quran 4:79]

And Allah says in Surah as-Shura, verse 30:

And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much. [Noble Quran 42:30]

There is a chance for repentance before the greater torment occurs. Allah says in Surah as-Sajdah, verse 21:

And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e. disasters, calamities) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and) return (i.e. accept Islam). [Noble Quran 32:21]

This lesser torment is in this life which is full of calamities, disasters and hardships.

The sixth lesson

Tests and trials serve as great teaching processes through which one learns patience. We cannot be firm upon truth and obedience except with patience; and we cannot stay away from falsehood and disobedience except with patience and perseverance. We cannot walk the paths of this life except with patience regarding the pre-ordinance of Allah. The outcome is Jannat al-Qulb war-Ridwan - the endless bliss in Paradise and the Pleasure of Allah. Allah says in Surah Fussilat, verse 35:

But none is granted it except those who are patient - and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise, and of a high moral character) in this world. [Noble Quran 41:35]

By Dr. Saleh as-Saleh

Loving for the sake of Allah

2010-08-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

Loving for the sake of Allah
Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi

Many Hadith describe the status of two people who love one another for the sake of Allah and describe the high position in Paradise which He has promised them and the great honour which He will bestow upon them on the Day when mankind is resurrected to meet the Rabb of the Worlds: Among them is the Hadith which describes the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:

"...a just leader; a youth who grows up worshipping Allah; a man who is deeply attached to the mosque; two men who love one another for the sake of Allah meeting for His sake and parting for His sake; a man who is called by a beautiful woman and says, I fear Allah; a man who gives charity in secret such that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing; and a man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes fill with tears." [Bukhari and Muslim]

The two who love one another for the sake of Allah are clearly shown to be among those whom Allah will shelter with His shade and upon whom He will shower His mercy and kindness. What a great honour! It is enough honour for those who love one another for the sake of Allah that their Almighty Rabb will greet them on the Day of Resurrection and say to them:

"Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the Day when there is no shade but Mine." [Muslim]

Such is the magnificent honour and tremendous reward that will be bestowed upon those who truly loved one another for the sake of Allah on that awesome Day.

Love for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of anything else in this life which is filled with greed, desires and interests, is very difficult, and none can attain it except the one who is pure of heart, for whom this world is as nothing compared to the pleasure of Allah. It is not surprising that Allah should give them a status and blessing which is commensurate with their position in this world, above whose concerns they have risen. We find proof of this in the Hadith of Mu'adth who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Allah said: 'Those who love one another for My glory, will have Minbars of light, and the Prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a Hasan Sahih Hadith]

Allah gives to those who love one another for His sake a gift which is even greater than this status and blessing: that is His precious love which is very difficult to attain. This is proven by the Hadith of Abu Hurairah in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"A man went to visit a brother of his in another village. Allah sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where do you intend to go?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any favor (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No. I just love him for the sake of Allah.' The angel told him, I am a messenger to you from Allah sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother for His sake."' [Muslim]

What a great love, that raises a man to a position where Allah loves him and is pleased with him!

The teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) goes even further and states that the better of two brothers who love one another for the sake of Allah is the one who loves his brother more.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"No two men love one another, but the better of them is the one whose love for his brother is greater."

Islam goes even further in spreading love in the rightly guided Muslim society by telling the Muslim that if he loves his brother, he should tell him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him." [Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a Sahih Hadith]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) understood the impact of this strong, pure love in building societies and nations, so he never let any occasion pass without advocating this love and commanding the Muslims to announce their love for one another, in order to open hearts and spread love and purity among the ranks of the Ummah.

Anas said that a man was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when another man passed by. The first man said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I truly love this man." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, "Have you let him know that?" He said, "No." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell him." He caught up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of Allah," and the man said, "May Allah love you who loves me for His sake." [Reported by Abu Dawud, with a Sahih Isnad]

Mu'adth began to spread this pure love among the Muslims throughout the Muslim lands, telling them what he had heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the great reward that Allah had prepared for those who loved one another for His sake, and about His great love for them. In al-Muwatta', Imam Malik gives a report with a Sahih Isnad from Abu Idris al-Khulani who said:

"I entered the mosque of Damascus, where I saw a young man who had a bright smile, and I saw the people gathered around him. When they disagreed on some matter, they referred it to him, and accepted his opinion. I asked who he was, and they told me, 'This is Mu'adth ibn Jabal." Early the next day, I went to the mosque but I found that he had arrived even earlier than I. He was praying, so I waited until he had finished, then I approached him from in front, greeted him and said, 'By Allah I love you.' He said, 'For the sake of Allah?' I said, 'For the sake of Allah'. He repeated his question, 'For the sake of Allah?' and I said, 'For the sake of Allah.' So he took hold of my collar and pulled me towards him and said, 'I have good news for you. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah Almighty says: 'My love is granted to those who love one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and who spend on one another for My sake.'"' [Reported by Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad]

The Deen (Religion) of Islam

2010-07-08T20:59:00.001-07:00

The Deen (Religion) of Islam
Sheikh Muhammad Salih Ibn al-Uthaymeen

Sharh Usul Al-Iman (pages 4-7)

The Deen (religion) of Islam: It is the way of life that Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him with. By it, Allah terminated the validity of all other religions, perfected this religion for His worshippers, completed His favor upon them and has chosen only this religion for them - no other religion will be accepted by Him from anyone. Allah - the Most High - said:

"Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you. Rather he is the Messenger of Allah and the Khatam (last and final) of the Prophets." [Noble Quran 33:40].

"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Noble Quran 5:3]

"Indeed the religion with Allah is Islam." [Noble Quran 3:19]

"Whosoever seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Noble Quran 3:85]

And Allah - the Most High - obligated all of mankind to take Islam as their religion. So Allah said, whilst addressing His Messenger peace and blessings be upon him:

"Say: O Mankind! Indeed I have been sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah; to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped except Him; it is He who gives life and cause death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger - the Prophet who can neither read nor write - who believes in Allah and His Words. So follow the Messenger of Allah so that you may be rightly-guided." [Noble Quran 7:158]

And in Sahih Muslim (1/93), from Abu Hurairah that Allah's Messenger peace be upon him said: "By Him in whose Hand is the life of Muhammad! There is no one from this nation, be he a Jew or a Christian, who hears of me and dies whilst not having Iman (faith) in what I have been sent with, except that he will be one of the companions of the Hellfire."

And Iman (faith) in the Prophet implies: affirming that which he was sent with, along with acceptance of it and submission to it. Without these two matters, mere affirmation is not sufficient. This is why even though Abu Talib (the Prophet's uncle) affirmed what was sent to the Prophet peace be upon him and that Islam was the best of religions, yet he did not accept his message nor submit to it; and thus he did not have Iman in the Prophet peace be upon him.

The religion of Islam contains all that was beneficial from the previous religions. It is suitable for implementation in any age, any where and by any nation. Allah - the Most High - said, whilst addressing His Messenger peace be upon him:

"And We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it, testifying to the truth contained therein whilst exposing the falsehood that has been added therein." [Noble Quran 5:48]

That Islam is suitable for implementation in any age, any where and by any nation does not mean that it becomes submissive to nations - being altered and changed by them - as some people falsely think. But rather it means that whenever it is truly adhered to then it brings benefit and goodness to that nation, as well as reforming and correcting it - in whatever age or place.

The religion of Islam is the religion of truth. It is the way of life that Allah - the Most High - guaranteed His help and victory to those who truly adhere to it, and that He would make it dominant over all other religions. Allah - the Most High - said:

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that it may prevail over all other religions, even if the pagans detest it." [Noble Quran 9:33]

And Allah - the Most High - said:

"Allah has promised to those amongst you who truly have Iman (true faith and belief) and act in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, that He will grant them ruler ship upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them, and that He will establish their Religion for them and grant them the authority to practice their Religion which He chose and ordered them with. And He will certainly change their situation to one of security, after their fear. Providing that they worship and obey Me, not associating anything else in worship with Me. Then, whoever rejects this favor by disobedience to their Lord - then they are the rebellious transgressors." [Noble Quran 24:55]

The religion of Islam is a complete religion comprising both 'Aqidah (beliefs) and Shari'ah (laws).

It commands them with taw heed (to single out Allah alone for worship) and prohibits them from shirk (associating partners with Allah, in that which is particular to Him).
It commands them with being truthful and prohibits them from lying.
It commands them with 'Adl (justice) and prohibits them from injustice and oppression.
It commands them with fulfilling trusts and prohibits them from acting treacherously.
It commands them keeping promises and prohibits them from breaking them.
It commands them with kindness and good treatment of parents and prohibits them from disobedience to them in that which is not sinful.
It commands them with joining the ties of relations and prohibits them from severing them.
It commands them with good treatment of neighbors and prohibits the causing of harm to them.

In short, Islam orders alls that is good, from manners and morals, and prohibits all that is evil from it. Likewise, it orders all actions which are righteous and good and prohibits all actions that are evil and harmful. Allah - the Most High - said:

"Indeed Allah enjoins upon you justice, kindness and the giving of good to relatives and near ones. And He prohibits you from all shameful and evil deeds, oppression and transgression. Thus He admonishes you, that you may take heed and be reminded." [Noble Quran 16:90]

Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team

Characteristics of A Wali of Allah

2010-07-08T20:57:00.001-07:00

[This article is adapted from his Book "Criterion between the Allies of Allah and the allies of the Devil"]
From As-Sunnah Bimonthly Islamic Newsletter

The word 'Awlia' singular 'Wali' comes from the root word of Wilayah. Wilayah is the opposite of enmity (Adawah). The Wali is therefore the one who is close.

Allah has explained in His Book, and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that He has Awlia among the people and that Shaytan also has his Awlia. The Quran mentions the allies of Allah.

"Indeed there is no fear upon the Awlia of Allah, nor shall they grieve; those who believe and used to fear Allah much. For them are glad tidings in this life and the Hereafter..." [Noble Quran 10:62]

"Allah is the protector (ally) of those who believe, He takes them out of darkness into light." [Noble Quran 2:257]

The allies of devil have also been mentioned in the Quran: "...As for those who disbelieve, their allies are the Taghut who take them out of the light and into the darkness. Those are the people of fire, and they will be in it forever." [Noble Quran 2:257]

"We have made the devils allies of those who do not believe; those who commit outrages and then say: "We found our predecessors on this (tradition)" Surely they have taken the devils as allies instead of Allah, and they think that they are on guidance" [Noble Quran 7:27-28]

After knowing that there are among people allies of the Merciful and the allies of the devil, it becomes very important to differentiate between these groups by means of the criterion, as described by Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as follows:

The First and Foremost Condition of an Ally of Allah - Taqwa and Belief in Allah

No slave can be an ally of Allah, unless he has the characteristics of faith and pious practices, since Allah has made faith and piety a pre-condition for His Wilayah. He said: "Indeed there is no fear upon the Awlia of Allah, nor shall they grieve, those who believe and used to fear Allah much (i.e. have Taqwa - piety). For them are glad tidings in this life and the Hereafter..." [Noble Quran 10:62]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Allah, the Exalted said: "Whoever takes a Wali (loyal slave) of Mine as an enemy, I will wage war on him; and My slave will not perform any act with which he draws closer to Me, more beloved to Me then when he fulfills what I have ordained on him; and My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him, and when I love him, I will be his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his legs with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him; and if he seeks refuge with Me, I will grant him refuge." [Sahih Bukhari]

From this narration and the above-mentioned Quranic verse, we know that the Awlia of Allah are those who believe in Allah and give Him their full loyalty Thus, they love all that Allah loves, hate what Allah hates, are pleased with what Allah is pleased with, despise what Allah despises, they enjoin what Allah enjoins, forbid that what He forbids, give to those whom Allah loves for them to be given, and withhold from those whom Allah loves not to receive, since Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the best handhold of faith to be love and hate for the sake of Allah: "The most dependable handhold on faith is: love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah." [At-Tirmidhi]

"Whoever loves for Allah, hates for Allah, gives for Allah, and withholds for Allah, has sought the completion of his faith." [Abu Dawud]

Belief (Iman) of necessity entails belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His Prophets, and the Last Day:

"Say: We believe in Allah and in that which has been sent to us and in that which was sent to Ibrahim, and Isma'il and Ishaq and Ya'qub, and the tribes and that which was given to Musa and Isa and that which was given to the Prophets form their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them, and we submit to Allah. And so, if they believe in that which you believe, they have achieved guidance, but if they turn away, they are surely in rebellion. Allah will suffice you against them and He is the all-hearing, the all-knowing." [Noble Quran 2:136-137]

"The Prophet has believed in that which is sent to him from his Lord as have the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His books and His Messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His messengers, and they say:

"We hear and we obey. (We seek)Your forgiveness, our Lord to You is the return (of all). Allah does not burden any soul beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned." [Noble Quran 2:285-286]

"This is a book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those who are pious. Those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them. Those who believe in that which was sent down to you and that which was sent down to those before you, and certainly of faith in the existence of the Hereafter. Such are on a true guidance from their Lord, and such are the successful." [Noble Quran 2:1-5]

Thus, a necessary component of faith (Iman) is to believe that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the seal of the prophets, and there is no prophet after him, and that Allah sent him to all of the two possessors of free will: humans and Jinns. From the moment he was made a prophet, Allah made him the criterion between His allies and His enemies, none are the allies of Allah except one who believes in Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and in that with which he was sent, and follows it openly and in secret. Whoever claims love of Allah and alliance with Allah but does not follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not one of the allies of Allah. He is one of the allies of Shaytan.

Allah said:

"Say (O Mohammad) If you truly love Allah, then follow me so that Allah loves you." [Noble Quran 3:31]

Allah made it clear in the verse that Allah loves whoever follows the Prophet, and whoever claims the love of Allah, but does not follow the Prophet, is not from the allies of Allah. Al-Hasan al-Basri said about this verse: "A group of people claimed to love Allah, so He sent down this verse as a test for them."

And secondly to believe in all that which he (Prophet) was sent with. Anyone who does not believe in it is not a believer, much less a pious ally of (Wali) of Allah. Whoever believes in part of what he brought and rejects part is a Kafir, and not a believer:

"Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Prophets and seek to differentiate between Allah and His prophets, and they say: "We believe in some and we reject some" Such are true disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. As for those who believe in Allah and His prophets, and sought not to differentiate between any of them. We shall give them their rewards. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful." [Noble Quran 4:150-152]

Whatever stage the person reaches in terms of asceticism, devotion, and knowledge, but without belief in the entire message brought by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), it can never make him a believer, nor an ally of Allah. Allah said: "Whoever turns away from the reminder of the Merciful, we will assign to him a devil, who will be a partner to him." [Noble Quran 43:36]

The reminder is the reminder with which He sent His Messenger such as the Quran. So, whoever does not believe in the Quran, and all the information contained therein, has turned away from it, and so is assigned a Shaytan. He turns himself as blind from the Book of Allah and Allah will turn him blind on the Day of Judgment:

"And whoever turns away form my reminder will have an oppressive, restricted life, and We will resurrect him on the Day of Qiyamah: blind. He will say: "Oh my Lord! Why have you resurrected my blind, while I used to see?" (Allah) will say: "Just as My verses came to you and you forgot them, today you are forgotten." [Noble Quran 20:124-126]

This verse clearly shows that 'my reminder' here is the same thing as 'my verses' which Allah sent down. Thus, even if someone mentions Allah (which is known as 'Dhikr' in Arabic) constantly, day and night, with devotion, but at the same time is not a follower of Allah's Dhikr (Quran) which He sent down to His prophet, he would be one of the allies of Shaytan, even if he were to fly through the air, or walk on water.

Faith also includes - belief that Prophet is the intermediary between Allah and His creation for the purpose of delivering His orders and forbiddance, His promises and threats, and the definition of Halal and the Haram. The Halal is that which Allah and His Messenger have declared Halal, and the Haram is what Allah and His Messenger have ordained, because Allah commands the believers to obey him:

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger and make not vain your deeds." [Noble Quran 47:33]

"He who obeys the Messenger had obeyed Allah" [Noble Quran 4:80]

He also says: "Whatsoever the Messenger gives you take it and whatsoever he forbids you refrain from it."

Thus, whoever believes that any Wali has a way to Allah without following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a Kafir, and is an ally of the devil.

Actions of The Allies of Allah

The allies of Allah are of two levels: forerunners those who brought near - and those of the right hand who act in moderation. Allah, the Exalted says reminding the Day of Judgment:

"And you (all) will be in three kinds (i.e. separate groups). So those on the Right Hand and Who will be those of the Right Hand? And those on the Left Hand and who will be those on the Left Hand? And those foremost will be foremost in Paradise. They will be those nearest to Allah." [Noble Quran 56:8-12]

And again Allah says in the end of the same Surah:

"Then, if the dying person be of the Muqarrabun (those brought near to Allah.) (There is for him) rest and provision, and a Garden of delights (Paradise). And if he be of those on the Right Hand. Then there is safety and peace for those on the Right Hand. But if he be of the denying then for him is entertainment with boiling water. And burning in Hell-Fire." [Noble Quran 56:88-94]

And the actions of these two groups are mentioned in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):

"Allah says: "Whoever takes a Wali (loyal slave) of Mine an enemy, I will wage war on him; and My slave will not perform any act with which he draws closer to Me, more beloved to Me then when he fulfills what I have ordained on him; and My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him, and when I love him, I will be his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his legs with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him; and if he seeks refuge with Me, I will grant him refuge." [Sahih Bukhari]

Consequently, the righteous - those of the Right Hand are those who seek to come close to Allah with obligatory actions: they do that which Allah has ordered them to do, and avoid that which Allah has forbidden them, and do not demand of themselves the doing of the commendable but less than obligatory (i.e. Mandub), or the avoiding of some of the disliked of the allowed (i.e. Makruh)

As for the forerunners those brought near, they sought to come close to Allah with extra efforts after the obligatory. They did the obligatory and the commendable, and avoided the forbidden and the non-recommended. When they sought to come close to Him with everything within their ability of that which they love, Allah's love for them became complete, as Allah says:

"...My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him..." [Sahih Bukhari]

The Allies of Allah Have No Special Appearance

The allies of Allah have no special appearance with which they differ form other people. They have no special dress from other than just being permissible. Rather, they are to be found in all categories of the nation of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). However, the Quran and the Sunnah show clearly that the best people in the sight of Allah is the one with the most of Taqwa (pious practice):

"O people, we have created you from a male and a female and made you in peoples and tribes that you may know each other. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the greatest in righteous practice." [Noble Quran 49:13]

Abu Hurairah narrates in a Sahih Hadith: "The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which people are the best? He said: "Those greatest in Taqwa (righteous practice)"... [Bukhari and Muslim]

Allies of Allah Are Not Ma'sum (Protected) From Mistakes

It is not a condition for an ally of Allah that he be free of (protected from) mistakes and errors. It is quite possible that some knowledge of the Shari'ah may be hidden from him, just as it is possible for him to be confused about some issues in Islam But, he may not necessarily because of this, leave the ranks of allies of Allah, since Allah has overlooked and forgiven for this Ummah error, acts of forgetting, and things done under compulsion:

"There is no burden upon you for that in which you were mistaken, rather that which you have done with the full determination of the heart." [Noble Quran 33:5]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a ruler exerts himself to arrive at the correct ruling, and is correct, he gets two rewards and when he exerts himself but is mistaken, he gets one reward." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Since, it is possible for any ally of Allah to make a mistake. It can never be obligatory upon the people to believe in everything any one of them says, except that in the case that one of them is a prophet. Rather, it is obligatory for him to measure all of that up to the criterion of that which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. If it is in agreement therewith then he can accept it, but if it is in disagreement then he must reject it, and if he cannot be sure whether it is in accordance with the Prophet's message or at variance with it, he must refrain from believing it or applying it.

The second Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), regarding whom Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In previous nations there were individuals who were addressed (with the truth). If there are such people in my nation, Umar is the one of them." [Bukhari and Muslim]

"Verily, Allah has put the truth on the tongue of Umar and in his heart." [At- Tirmidhi (Hasan)]

But, Umar always did that which was obligatory upon him: i.e. - to measure things that occurred to him against that with which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. He never said: "I am Muhaddath, I receive inspiration and visions, and so you should accept that which I say and not oppose me therein."

Heart is an intuitions and not protected from falling into errors, and so one needs always to measure them against that which has been brought by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the protected from falling into error. And the early scholars of Islam have unanimously agreed that the opinions of any man can be accepted and rejected i.e. they are open to questions except for the statements of the Prophet.

The point we are making here is an issue of complete consensus of the allies of Allah:

It is obligatory upon the allies of Allah to hold tight to the criterion; the Quran and the Sunnah, and no one of them is Ma'sum; i.e. protected against falling into errors, such that it is permissible to him or to his followers to follow that which comes to his heart without subjecting it to the test of the Quran and the Sunnah. Whoever does not accept this is in no way or shape or form among the allies of Allah, whom Allah has ordered us to emulate. Such a person is either 'Kafir' or is engaged in extreme and excessive foolishness and ignorance.

Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team

2010-07-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

SETTING PRIORITIES

We often feel like we want to do so much to please ALLAH but end up getting nothing done. So here is a much needed Reminder on this matter:

One problem many of us face is that we want to do so much at once, and thus become overwhelmed in our thoughts trying to establish exactly what we should be doing and what our obligations are at a given point in time. This leads us to focus on what we can't accomplish more so than what we can accomplish. This can be well and good, and as Ibn al-Jawzi said, a person can be rewarded for his intentions more than for his actions. However, the point of intending is to be productive and extract something physical from that intention.

Part of being productive is to have a methodical approach as to when to focus on what. For example, if your worship and intentions for specific efforts are organized and you properly place your focus where and when it should be, you'll find yourself accomplishing much more as a Muslim, no matter if you're a scholar who teaches, a caller to Allah who motivates, or a general worshipper who simply wants to get closer to your Lord.

Without wanting to get into immense detail, I thought it sufficient to present a few words to illustrate this that Ibn al-Qayyim had written in 'Madarij as-Salikin' (1/188):

Quote:"...They say that the best worship is to do what will please the Lord at every time in accordance with what that particular time calls for.

So,

The best acts of worship during the time of Jihad is Jihad, even if this leads to abandoning certain rituals such as night prayer, fasting, etc. In fact, this applies even if you are to not pray a complete obligatory prayer as you would in times of safety and calm.

And the best thing to do when you have a guest, for example, is to see to his rights as a guest and to preoccupy yourself with that instead of the recommended rituals you would usually engage in at the time.

Such is also the case in fulfilling the rights of your wife and family.

The best thing to do during the early morning hours is to be preoccupied with prayer, Quran, supplication, remembrance of Allah, and asking His Forgiveness.

The best thing to do when teaching a student or ignorant person is to completely turn your attention towards teaching him.

The best thing to do during the call to prayer is to leave whatever rituals you are engaged in and to occupy yourself with repeating after the one making the call.

The best thing to do during the five prayers is to try your best in carrying them out in the best possible manner and to rush to perform them right away, and to go out to the mosque even if it is far is better.

The best thing to do when someone needs help physically or financially is to busy yourself with helping that person, relieving his distress, and to place this as a priority over your private worship that you'd usually be engaged in.

The best thing to do when reciting the Quran is to have your heart and mind present in order to reflect over and understand it as if Allah is personally addressing you with it. So, to have your heart present to understand and reflect over it and to have the zeal to implement its commands is greater than the attentiveness of the heart of one who has received a message from the ruler to that message.

The best thing to do when standing at 'Arafah is to exert yourself in being humble before Allah, supplicating, and remembering Him instead of fasting.

The best thing to do during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah is to increase in worship, especially saying 'Allahu Akbar,' 'La ilaha illa Allah,' and 'al-Hamdu Lillah.' This is better here than the Jihad that is not an individual obligation.

The best thing to do during the last ten nights of Ramadan is to stay in the mosque and to seclude yourself in it without mixing with others and being distracted by them. This is to the point that it is better than teaching them and practicing the Quran with them according to many of the scholars.

The best thing to do when you have a brother who is sick or dying is to visit him, attend his funeral, and to prefer this over your private worship or social activities.

And the best thing to do when a disaster befalls you or people hurt you is to fulfill the obligation of having patience while continuing to interact with them and not running from them, since the believer who mixes with people and is patient despite their harm to him is better than the believer who doesn't mix with them and isn't harmed by them.

And the best thing you can interact with them in is whatever is good, and this is better than to seclude yourself from them in such a case. As for bad things, it is better to seclude yourself from them in such a case. However, if you know that mixing with in this case will help remove or reduce the bad, it is better to mix with them than to abandon them.

So, the best thing to do in every time and situation is whatever will please Allah at that particular time and situation and to focus on the foremost obligation at that particular time and whatever it necessitates and requires..."

So, while Ibn al-Qayyim's words above mention specific actions, you hopefully get the point. The attitude he is promoting here is to focus on what's in front of you and needs to be done then and there, as this is the best way to please Allah in that particular situation. If you employ this attitude in your day to day activities in general and your service to Allah and Islam in particular, you'll find that you'll get much more out of yourself.

Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team

Raising Children

2010-07-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

Raising Children

Providing children with Islamic education and raising them up as good practicing Muslims are essential duties of parenthood. Rightfully fulfilling these duties will lead to the Pleasure of Allah and good for the parents and the child in this life and the Hereafter. However, ignoring these duties would lead to the destruction of the child's Hereafter and the Wrath of Allah will befall the parents for not protecting their child from the traps of Shaytan and allowing him to choose the path of destruction.

Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock, a man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock; a woman is the shepherd in the house of her husband and is responsible for her flock, the servant is the shepherd of his master's wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock." [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Allah says in the Quran:

"O you who believe! Save yourselves and your family from a fire whose Fuel are men and stones." [Noble Quran 66:6]

One of the ways of protecting your children from the Fire is to let him memorize the Words of Allah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"If the Quran is gathered in a body (i.e. a person), Allah will not burn him with the Fire." [al-Baihaqi, Authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani]

"Teaching the children the Quran is a fundamental from the fundamentals of Islam. By it the child will grow upon the Fit rah (natural Islamic monotheism) and the lights of wisdom will rush to their hearts before the desires are able to settle in them and darken them with the cloudiness of disobedience and misguidance," said al-Hafidth as-Suyooti.

This is because the child from the early age will be protected from the temptations of the world and whispers of the Shaytan, he will live and grow up among the gathering of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) where tranquility and the mercy of Allah of descends, and as a result Allah will preserve his Fit rah (natural inclination of Islamic Monotheism)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"No people gather in a house of the houses of Allah (i.e. Masjid) reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that the tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him (the lofty gathering of Angels)." [Sahih Muslim]

Your child will be given a position in Paradise according to the number of verses he memorizes from the Book of Allah, it will be said to him on the Day of Judgment as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"'Read, ascend and recite with slow, rhythmic chanting just as you used to recite in the worldly life. For verily, your position (in Paradise) will be at the place of the last verse that you recite." [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]

Every time your child goes to the Masjid to learn the Quran he will have the reward of a perfect Hajj. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Whoever goes to the Masjid in the morning having no intention except to learn something good or teach it he will have the reward like the person who performs Hajj." [At-Tabari. Authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Dharr,

"O Abu Dharr! That you set out in the morning and learn one verse from the Book of Allah is better for you than if you prayed one hundred Rak'ahs (units of prayer)." [Ibn Majah]

The Quran will intercede for your child on the Day of Judgment, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Recite the Quran for verily it will come on the Day of Judgment as an intercessor for those who recited it." [Sahih Muslim]

Your child will be given to wear garments and a crown of honor on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"The Quran will come on the Day of Judgment and say, 'Oh Lord! Adorn him.' So the person will be made to wear the crown of honor. Then it (the Quran) will say, 'Oh Lord! Increase him.' So the person will be made to wear the garment of honor. Then it will say, 'Oh Lord! Be pleased with him.' So Allah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said, 'Recite and ascend.' And the person will receive an extra good deeds for every verse (that he recites of the Quran.)" [Sahih at-Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Whoever recites the Quran, learns it and acts upon it will be given a crown of light to wear on the Day of Judgment and its light will be like the light of the sun." [Sahih al-Hakim]

So, why not encourage our children to memorize the Quran and make them one of the best individuals of this Ummah. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it." [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Allah, the Exalted, has also promised abundant rewards for those parents who guide their children to memorize the Quran. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Whoever recites the Quran, learns it and acts according to it will be given a crown of light to wear on the Day of Judgment whose light will be like the sun. His parents will be clothed in two garments that did not exist in this worldly life. So they will say, 'What has caused us to be clothed (in these garments)?' It will be said, 'Your child taking hold of (i.e. memorizing) the Quran has caused this.'" [Al-Hakim graded it authentic]

When the parents leave a righteous child behind them, the child will be a source of reward and blessing for them after their death, for Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end, except for three cases; the charity of continuous blessings, beneficial knowledge which he leaves behind and a righteous child who prays for him." [Sahih Muslim]

The parents will also receive equal amount of reward that the child receives by memorizing or reciting the Quran, for the parents guide him to this good act and instill in his heart the love for Islam, and the love for the Book of Allah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Whoever guides to something good is like the one who does it." [Sahih Muslim] and:

"Whoever invites to guidance will receive the reward like the rewards of those who follow him and that will not diminish anything from their rewards..." [Sahih Muslim]

The parents should also send those children who are intelligent and bright to learn the Quran and Islamic education. It should not be that only those children who when are unsuccessful in worldly studies are sent to Madras as for religious studies. The parents should realize the importance of Islamic education for their children and raising well-educated Muslims who would in the future work for the Cause of Islam.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"The example of guidance and knowledge with which, Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil, absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rainwater and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge), which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophet) and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)" [Sahih al-Bukhari v.1 no.79]

Those parents who give the excuse that their child is weak or does not have good memory or 'he is not gifted', should know that Allah has said in the Quran:

"And indeed we have made the Quran easy to remember." [Noble Quran 54:17]

And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Whoever treads on a path in search of Islamic knowledge, Allah will ease the way to Paradise for him. The Angels will lower their wings, pleased with this seeker of knowledge, and everyone in the heavens and on earth will ask forgiveness for the knowledgeable person, even the fish in the deepest of waters will ask for his forgiveness." [Sahih Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi (2835)]

It is not mandatory for your child to memorize the complete Quran. If he is not able to memorize the complete Quran then know that only attending daily circle for memorization will suffice your child for it will accustom him to frequent the places of worship rather than visiting evil gatherings. Your child will find good companions which will protect him from deviating and adopting evil habits and practices. Allah says:

"And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord, morning and afternoon, seeking His Face and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose hearts We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lust and whose affairs (deeds) have been lost." [Noble Quran 18:28]

Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team

Sincerity and Adherence to the Guidance of the Prophet

2010-07-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

The People Divide into Four Categories with respect to Sincerity and Adherence to the Guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

This was taken from lessons conducted on the book 'al-Qawl-ul- Mufid Fee Adillatit-Tawhid' [Beneficial Speech in Establishing the Evidences of Tawhid] written by one of the major scholars of the Sunnah in Yemen, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab al-Wasabi.

Al-Qisam al-Awwal (The First Category):

Those who have gathered between Ikhlas (sincerity) and Mutaba'ah (following the guidance of the Prophet).

So their actions, all of them, are for Allah, and all of their statements are for Allah and their giving and their forgiving is for Allah, and their love is for Allah and their hatred is for Allah, and their actions, both in the apparent and the hidden, are for the face of Allah alone.

They do not want by this from the people a recompense or thankfulness, and nor do they seek a high position with them, and they do not seek praise and position in their heart, and they are not fleeing from their rebuke. Verily, they see the people [who are alive] in the position of the people of the grave, those who do not control for them harm or benefit, or life or death, or resurrection. So actions for the people, and seeking a position with them, and hoping in harm or benefit from them [i.e. the general people], is not from them [i.e. these category of people]. Verily, it is from those who are ignorant of the situation and ignorant of their Lord. And whoever knows the people and puts them in their proper places, and knows Allah, is sincere in his actions and his statements and his giving and his forgiving and his love and his hatred. So no one does actions and deeds for the creation other than Allah except that he is ignorant of Allah and ignorant of the creation. For verily, the one who knows Allah and knows the people prefers actions and deeds for Allah over actions and deeds for the people.

And like this their actions, all of them, and their worship is in agreement with the command of Allah, and with what He loves and what He is Pleased with. And Allah does not accept from the people any action except this. And Allah has tested His servants with life and death, so He said:

"Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed." [Noble Quran 67:2]

And He has made that which is upon the earth as a beauty for them upon the earth so that He may test them which of them are best in actions and deeds. al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyyad said: A beautiful action (al-'Amal al-Hasan) is that which is sincere (Akhlasuh) and that which is correct (Aswabuh).

They said: Oh Aba 'Ali, what is sincere and what is correct? He said: Verily, if the action is sincere (Khalis) but it is not correct (Sawab): it is not accepted (Lam Yuqbal), and if it is correct but it is not sincere: it is not accepted, until it is sincere and correct. And a sincere [action] is: that which is for Allah and a correct [action] is: that which is upon the Sunnah.

And this is mentioned in His statement:

"So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord." [Noble Quran 18:110]

And in His Most High statement:

"And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism); and he is a Muhsin (a good-doer). And follows the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) Hanifah (Islamic Monotheism - to worship none but Allah Alone)." [Noble Quran 4:125]

So Allah does not accept from the actions except that which is done sincerely seeking His Face, and that which is in agreement with His Order, and other than this is not accepted, rather it is repelled back on the person who does it at a time when he is in most need of it, and it is turned into scattered ashes.

And in as-Sahihayn [i.e. al-Bukhari and Muslim] from the narration of 'A'ishah who narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:

"Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected".

And in the narration from Muslim: "Whoever does a deed that is not ordered by us will have it rejected."

So every action that is not in agreement [with the Sunnah], then it does not increase its doer except in distance away from Allah, for verily Allah Most High is only worshipped with what He has ordered to be worshipped with, not with opinions and desires.

Al-Qisam ath-Thani (The Second Category):

Those who have no sincerity and have no adherence to the Sunnah, so their actions and deeds are not in agreement with the legislation, and they are not sincere to the One who is worshipped.

They are like the ones who beautify themselves to the people, showing-off to them with that which Allah has not decreed and that which the Messenger has not informed the people of. And they are the evilest of creation (Shirarul-Khalq).

And they are the most disliked and the most hated of people to Allah Exulted He Be, and they have the biggest portion of His statement:

"Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment." [Noble Quran 3:188]

They are happy with what they do from innovation (Bid'ah) and misguidance (Dalalah) and association (Shirk), and they love that they be praised as they are the followers of the Sunnah and the people of sincerity - and they are not from the people of the Sunnah or sincerity (Ahlus-Sunnati wal-Ikhlas).

This category of people are numerous, from the people who have gone astray from the ones who are alienated from the people of knowledge ('Ilm), and poverty (Faqr), and worship ('Ibadah), from the Straight Path (Siratul-Mustaqim).

For verily they do actions of innovation and misguidance to show-off and to be heard-off, and they love to be praised for that which they have not done from the following of the Sunnah, and possessing sincerity and knowledge. So they are the people of hatred and misguidance (Ahlul-Ghadabi wad-Dalal).

Al-Qisam ath-Thalith (The Third Category):

The one who is sincere in his actions and deeds, but his actions and deeds are not in agreement with the order of Allah.

And they are like the ignorant worshippers and the ones who are from the path of abstinence (Zuhud) and poverty (Faqr).

And they are the ones who worship Allah with other than what He has decreed and legislated, and they believe that their worship is bringing them close to Allah.

And they believe that listening to clapping and whistling is bringing them close to Allah, and being isolated and leaving off the Jama'ah [i.e. the Friday prayer] and the Jama'ah [i.e. the mandatory prayers] is also being close to Allah, and continuing the fast until the night is also being close to Allah, and fasting the two holidays (Siyam al-'Idayn) of al-Islam is also a way of being close to Allah.

And they try to get close to Allah with actions of innovation (Bid'ah) and disobedience (Ma'asi).

So the sincerity of a person in this state does not benefit him because these actions that he does are from the actions of innovation. And the actions of the innovator are not accepted, and the proof being in the Hadith of Umm-ul-Mu'minin 'A'ishah raised to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

"Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected." [Agreed upon; i.e. reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Al-Qisam ar-Rabi' (The Fourth Category):

The one whose actions are in accordance with the Sunnah, but they are for the sake of other than Allah.

Such as obedience of the ones who show-off, and like the ones who fight to show-off, and because of great pride and great courageousness. And he does the Hajj so that it may be said that he has performed the Hajj.

And he reads the Quran so that it may be said that he reads the Quran.

And the actions of these people, from the apparent they seem righteous, but they are not righteous since they are performed for other than the sake of Allah, so they are not accepted. Allah said:

"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)." [Noble Quran 98:5]

So they have not been ordered except that they worship Allah with that which He has legislated and with sincerity to Him in all their worship.

And the people of sincerity and adherence (Ahlul-Ikhlas wal-Mutabi'ah), they are the people of:

"You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). [Noble Quran 1:5]

End of excerpt from the book Madarij as-Salikin of al-'Allamah Ibnul-Qayyim (1/95-97).

Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team

Welcome To My Blog

2008-07-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

Before you come further into my blog, I'd say that, bridging up communication is one of the ways in strengthening the community. I enjoy sharing ideas with people particularly related to education and moral value. Therefore I devote my self in education by being a teacher. I currently work as an English teacher at SMA N 9 Banda Aceh.

To improve my professionalism I continue my study which is also related to teaching, that is in Teaching English to Speaker of Other Language (TESOL) at Flinders University of South Australia. Hopefully, it will be one breakthrough for me to improve the quality of education, at my school in particular or in Aceh in general.

Through this blog, I cordially invite you all to post any comments, share ideas and information as well as other things that can bridge up our friendship.