Benazir Bhutto…Daughter of East

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Benazir Bhutto…Daughter of East
By Aamir Latif, Islam Online Correspondent

Benazir's two governments were sacked on corruption charges. KARACHI — Benazir Bhutto remains one of the most recognizable women politicians in the world, having served twice as prime minister of nuclear-capable Asian Muslim heavyweight Pakistan. Born in 1953 in Larkana district of Sindh, Benazir was educated at Harvard's Radcliffe College in the US and at the University of Oxford in England.
She excelled in studies as well as other activities, including debating competitions. Benazir was the first Asian woman to be elected president of the Oxford Union. Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as "daughter of east", a refreshing mix of traditional eastern customs with a modern touch.

An otherwise westernized Benazir started wearing Dupatta (a sheet used to cover the head) on the advice of her senior advisors on her return in 1986. They told her the traditional male-dominated eastern society would not accept a westernized woman to rule. Otherwise, her close friends say that Benazir normally wears hip-hugging jeans and tight shirts at personal gatherings. The two-time premier returned to Pakistan on Thursday, October 18, after eight years of self-exile. The homecoming was secured by a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf, a military chief who assumed power in a 1990 bloodless coup.

Political Career After finishing her education, Benazir returned to Pakistan in June 1977, planning a career in the foreign service. But only two weeks later, military officers led by General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrew her father Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a bloodless coup. Benazir was imprisoned just before her father's execution in 1979 and spent most of her five-year jail term in solitary confinement. She describes the hellish conditions in her wall-less cage in her book "Daughter of East." "The summer heat turned my cell into an oven. My skin split and peeled, coming off my hands in sheets. Boils erupted on my face. My hair, which had always been thick, began to come out by the handful. Insects crept into the cell like invading armies. Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, stinging flies, bees and bugs came up through the cracks in the floor and through the open bars from the courtyard. Big black ants, cockroaches, seething clumps of little red ants and spiders. I tried pulling the sheet over my head at night to hide from their bites, pushing it back when it got too hot to breathe." Benazir went into exile in the name of medical treatment in 1984. She became the first democratically elected female leader of a Muslim nation in 1988 following the death of General Zia-ul-Haq in a plane crash, the details of which remain sketchy to date. She has twice been prime minister of Pakistan, first from 1988 to 1990 and then from 1993 to 1996. Both governments were sacked by presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari respectively, on charges of corruption, misuse of authority and extra judicial killings. During both her stints in power, the role of her husband, Asif Zardari, was highly controversial. He was known as "Mr ten percent." He played a prominent role in both her administrations, and has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from state coffers and stashing them in secret accounts throughout Europe. Many argue that Benazir's downfall was accelerated by the greed of her husband. In April 1999, a court convicted the couple of receiving kickbacks worth millions of dollars for awarding a contract to two Swiss firms during Benazir's 1993-96 tenure. She left for self-imposed exile in London and Dubai with her three children before being joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004. Until an amnesty given to her under the recent power-sharing deal with Musharraf, Benazir faced corruption charges in at least five cases. The dropping of corruption charges clears the way for her to return to stand in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for January.

Bhuttos Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are one of the world's most famous political dynasties. Benazir's father, Zulfikar, was the first democratically elected prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s. Her grandfather, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, was prime minister of Sindh state before partition during British era. Her brother Murtaza, who had fled to then-communist Afghanistan after his father's fall, was killed in a fake police encounter a step away from his residence on September 20, 1996, while she was in office. None of the culprits has yet been brought to justice. Her second brother Shahnawaz was found dead in mysterious circumstances in 1985 in his Paris apartment. Benazir gained credibility from her father's high profile, even though she was initially a reluctant convert to politics. Despite being out of power since 1996, she remains one of the most recognizable women politicians in the world. Benazir has been a regular visitor to Western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.
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Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Last Minutes

Last Journey

Jingle Bells ?

Jingle Bells ?
By Hala Salah

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Are you a new Muslim trying to survive Christmas ? Are you feeling lonely, cooping yourself up in your room on Christmas Eve? Ignoring all the carols being sung outside your door? Or maybe you’re taking a stroll around the block trying not to notice all the Christmas trees, colored lights, and Santas that stare you in the face.

If all these trials of ignoring Christmas prove a complete failure (which they probably will), why not relax and think deeply whether Islam really prevents Muslims from enjoying their family gatherings?

Well, the answer is no, it is neither righteous nor pious in Islam to exclude your family from your life. On the contrary, it is forbidden to neglect your family and break ties with your relatives. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The severer of the tie of kinship will not get into Paradise” (Sahih Muslim).

You Are Not Alone
The Quran stresses the importance of family rights by placing it immediately after mention of a person’s testifying to Allah’s oneness (the first pillar of Islam). Allah says what means:
(Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near) (An-Nisaa’ 4:36)

Being a Muslim does not mean that you have to live in your own little world, isolating yourself from those around you, and feeling that you have become a stranger to everyone you love and care for. This matter was also a worry during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Asma’ the daughter of Abu Bakr As-Siddiqe once asked the Prophet concerning her relationship with her non-Muslim mother, who was hoping for her daughter’s favor. The Prophet answered that yes, she should keep good relations with her (Al-Bukhari). Then Allah revealed the verse that means :
(Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice.) (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)

Be Careful
Of course, socializing with your family does not mean you can join them in singing carols, drinking alcohol, and eating pork. Islam allows you to share the cheerful spirit of the family gathering, strictly according to Islamic teachings, just as you would on any other day. You are not actually celebrating Christmas or relating to the event in any way, but you are only there for the sake of keeping steady and strong relations with your family.

The Prophet clearly disapproved on finding the Muslims of Madinah celebrating two pre-Islamic holidays. He told them that Allah had given them two better holidays, which were `Eid Al-Fitr and `Eid Al-Adha (An-Nasa’i and Abu Dawud).

In fact, Christmas is not the day on which Prophet Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) was born at all. December 25 was originally the god Mithra’s birthday in the Roman pagan cult, which is in no sense related to Prophet Jesus.

Muslim parents must make it clear to their children that they cannot participate in celebrating Christmas, even while visiting their non-Muslim relatives. But parents should teach their children that Muslims have holidays on which they can have fun, put up decorations, and get gifts. This is to help the children relate to Islam and correct the misconception that Islam is all about worship and no fun. On the contrary, having fun in Islam is in itself an act of worship, provided that a person does it with the right intention and according to the teachings of Islam.

Everything Has Changed
At first, it may be difficult for your family to accept that you have taken up a new religion and they may give you a hard time, but as a Muslim you should be tolerant and set a good example that reflects the true Islamic morals. This is why Allah stresses that Muslims should never deal harshly with their parents, even if they are non-Muslims who may try to turn him away from Islam. In one verse Allah says what means:
(We have enjoined on man kindness to parents; but if they strive to make thee join with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Unto Me is your return and I shall tell you what ye used to do.) (Al-`Ankabut 29:8)

During the lifetime of the Prophet a man was also put in this situation, so he went to the Prophet and said, “Allah’s Messenger, I have relatives with whom I try to have close relationship, but they sever (this relation). I treat them well, but they treat me ill. I am sweet to them, but they are harsh towards me.” Upon this the Prophet said, “If it is so as you say, then you in fact throw hot ashes (upon their faces) and there would always remain with you on behalf of Allah (an Angel to support you) who would keep you dominant over them so long as you adhere to this (path of righteousness)” (Sahih Muslim).

So you see, surviving Christmas is not so hard or depressing after all. It just needs some steadfastness and patience if any smart comments are made about you, a lot of love for your family so they know that Islam brings out the best in you, and plenty of faith in Allah that He will safely guide you through the holiday season and reward you for anything you have taken upon yourself for the sake of His obedience.

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Hala Salah has a bachelor's degree in tourism and hotels from Helwan University and has attended an English da`wah course in Al-Azhar University. You may reach her at IntroducingIslam@islamonline.net

{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }

Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA

m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Women Scholars of Hadith Part-I

Women Scholars of Hadith

Part-I
By Dr Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi
Excerpted with some modifications from: http://www.studyislam.com/
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History records few scholarly enterprises, at least before modern times, in which women have played an important and active role side by side with men. The science of Hadith forms an outstanding exception in this respect. Islam, as a religion which (unlike Christianity) refused to attribute gender to the Godhead,1 and never appointed a male priestly elite to serve as an intermediary between creature and Creator, started life with the assurance that while men and women are equipped by nature for complementary rather than identical roles, no spiritual superiority inheres in the masculine principle.2 As a result, the Muslim community was happy to entrust matters of equal worth in God’s sight to both men and women. Only this can explain why, uniquely among the classical Western religions, Islam produced a large number of outstanding female scholars, on whose testimony and sound judgment much of the edifice of Islam depends.

In the Early Days of Islam

Since Islam’s earliest days, women took a prominent part in the preservation and cultivation of Hadith, and this function continued down the centuries. At every period in Muslim history, there lived numerous eminent women scholars of Hadith, treated by their brethren with reverence and respect. Entries on very large numbers of them are to be found in the biographical dictionaries. During the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), many women were not only the instance for the evolution of many hadiths, but were also their transmitters to their sisters and brothers in faith.3 After the Prophet’s death, many women Companions, particularly his wives, were looked upon as vital custodians of knowledge, and were approached for instruction by the other Companions, to whom they readily dispensed the rich store which they had gathered in the Prophet’s company. The names of Hafsah, Umm Habibah, Maymunah, Umm Salamah, and `A’ishah, are familiar to every student of Hadith as being among its earliest and most distinguished transmitters.4 In particular, `A’ishah is one of the most important figures in the whole history of Hadith literature—not only as one of the earliest reporters of the largest number of Hadith, but also as one of their most careful interpreters.

In the Period of the Successors

In the period of the Successors, too, women held important positions as scholars of Hadith. Hafsah, the daughter of Ibn Sirin,5 Umm Ad-Darda’ the Younger (d. AH 81/700 CE), and `Amrah bint `Abdur-Rahman, are only a few of the key women scholars of Hadith of this period. Umm Ad-Darda’ was held by Iyas ibn Mu`awiyah, an important scholar of Hadith of the time and a judge of undisputed ability and merit, to be superior to all the other Hadith scholars of the period, including the celebrated masters of Hadith like Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Ibn Sirin.6 `Amrah was considered a great authority on traditions related by `A’ishah. Among her students, Abu Bakr ibn Hazm, the celebrated judge of Madinah, was ordered by the caliph `Umar ibn `Abdul-`Aziz to write down all the traditions known on her authority.7

After them, `Abidah Al-Madaniyyah, `Abdah bint Bishr, Umm `Umar Ath-Thaqafiyyah, Zaynab the granddaughter of `Ali ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abbas, Nafisah bint Al-Hasan ibn Ziyad, Khadijah Umm Muhammad, `Abdah bint `Abdur-Rahman, and many other women excelled in delivering public lectures on Hadith. These devout women came from the most diverse backgrounds, indicating that neither class nor gender were obstacles to rising through the ranks of Islamic scholarship. For example, `Abidah, who started life as a slave owned by Muhammad ibn Yazid, learned a large number of hadiths with the teachers in Madinah. She was given by her master to Habib Dahhun, the great Hadith scholar of Spain, when he visited the holy city Jerusalem on his way to the Hajj. Dahhun was so impressed by her learning that he freed her, married her, and brought her to Andalusia. It is said that she related 10,000 hadiths on the authority of her Madinan teachers.8

Zaynab bint Sulayman (d. AH 142/759 CE), by contrast, was princess by birth. Her father was a cousin of As-Saffah, the founder of the Abbasid dynasty, and had been a governor of Basrah, Oman, and Bahrain during the caliphate of Al-Mansur.9 Zaynab, who received a fine education, acquired a mastery of Hadith, gained a reputation as one of the most distinguished women scholars of Hadith of the time, and counted many important men among her pupils.10

The Compilation of Hadith
This partnership of women with men in the cultivation of the Prophetic Tradition continued in the period when the great anthologies of Hadith were compiled. A survey of the texts reveals that all the important compilers of Hadith from the earliest period received many of them from women teachers: every major collection gives the names of many women as the immediate authorities of the author. And when these works had been compiled, the women scholars themselves mastered them and delivered lectures to large classes of pupils, to whom they would issue their own ijazah (permission to transmit hadiths or a book of Hadith).
In the fourth century we find Fatimah bint `Abdur-Rahman (d. AH 312/924 CE), known as As-Sufiyyah on account of her great piety; Fatimah, granddaughter of Abu Dawud of Sunan fame; Amat Al-Wahid (d. AH 377/987 CE), the daughter of distinguished jurist Al-Muhamili; Umm Al-Fath Amat As-Salam (d. AH 390/999 CE), the daughter of the judge Abu Bakr Ahmad (d. AH 350/961 CE); Jumu`ah bint Ahmad, and many other women, whose classes were always attended by reverential audiences.11

The Islamic tradition of female Hadith scholarship continued in the fifth and sixth centuries after Hijrah. Fatimah bint Al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Ad-Daqqaq Al-Qushayri, was celebrated not only for her piety and her mastery of calligraphy, but also for her knowledge of Hadith and the quality of the isnads (chains of narrators) she knew.12 Even more distinguished was Karimah Al-Marwaziyyah (d. AH 463/1070 CE), who was considered the best authority on the Sahih of Al-Bukhari in her own time. Abu Dharr of Herat, one of the leading scholars of the period, attached such great importance to her authority that he advised his students to study the Sahih under no one else because of the quality of her scholarship. She thus figures as a central point in the transmission of this seminal text of Islam.13 As a matter of fact, writes Goldziher, “her name occurs with extraordinary frequency of the ijazas for narrating the text of this book.”14 Among her students were Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi15 and Al-Humaydi (AH 428/1036 CE–AH 488/1095 CE).16

Aside from Karimah, a number of other women scholars of Hadith occupy an eminent place in the history of the transmission of the text of the Sahih.17 Among these, one might mention in particular Fatimah bint Muhammad (d. AH 539/1144 CE; Shahdah “the Writer” (d. AH 574/1178 CE), and Sitt Al-Wuzara bint `Umar (d. AH 716/1316 CE).18 Fatimah narrated the book on the authority of the great scholar of Hadith Sa`id Al-`Aiyar; she received from the Hadith specialists the proud title of musnidat Asfahan (the great Hadith authority of Asfahan).

Shahdah was a famous calligrapher and a scholar of great repute; the biographers describe her as “the calligrapher, the great authority on Hadith, and the pride of womanhood.” Her great-grandfather had been a dealer in needles, and thus acquired the sobriquet “Al-Ibri” (needle-seller) . But her father, Abu Nasr (d. AH 506/1112 CE) had acquired a passion for Hadith and managed to study it with several masters of the subject.19 In obedience to the Sunnah (the Prophet’s way and teachings), he gave his daughter a sound academic education, ensuring that she studied under many Hadith scholars of accepted reputation.
She married `Ali ibn Muhammad, an important figure with some literary interests, who later became a boon companion of the caliph Al-Muqtadi, and founded a college and a Sufi lodge, which he endowed most generously. His wife, however, was better known: She gained her reputation in the field of Hadith scholarship, and was noted for the quality of her isnads.20 Her lectures on Sahih Al-Bukhari and other Hadith collections were attended by large crowds of students; and on account of her great reputation, some people even falsely claimed to have been her disciples.21

Also known as an authority on Al-Bukhari was Sitt Al-Wuzara, who, besides her acclaimed mastery of Islamic law, was known as the musnidah (the great Hadith authority) of her time, and delivered lectures on the Sahih and other works in Damascus and Egypt.22 Classes on the Sahih were likewise given by Umm Al-Khayr Amatil-Khaliq (AH 811/1408 CE–AH 911/1505 CE), who is regarded as the last great Hadith scholar of the Hijaz.23 Still another authority on Al-Bukhari was `A’ishah bint `Abdul-Hadi.24

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1- Maura O’Neill, Women Speaking, Women Listening (Maryknoll, 1990CE), 31: “Muslims do not use a masculine God as either a conscious or unconscious tool in the construction of gender roles.”
2- For a general overview of the question of women’s status in Islam, see M. Boisers, L’Humanisme de l’Islam (3rd ed., Paris, 1985), 104–10.
3- Al-Khatib, Sunnah, 53–4, 69–70.
4- See above, 18, 21.
5- Ibn Sa`d, VIII, 355.
6- Suyuti, Tadrib, 215.
7- Ibn Sa`d, VIII, 353.
8- Maqqari, Nafh, II, 96.
9- Wustenfeld, Genealogische Tabellen, 403.
10- Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi, Tarikh Baghdad, XIV, 434f.
11- Ibid., XIV, 441-44.
12- Ibn Al-`Imad, Shadharat Adh-Dhahah fi Akhbar man Dhahah (Cairo, AH 1351), V, 48; Ibn Khallikan, no. 413.
13- Maqqari, Nafh, I, 876; cited in Goldziher, Muslim Studies, II, 366.
14- Goldziher, Muslim Studies, II, 366. “It is in fact very common in the ijazah of the transmission of the Bukhari text to find as middle member of the long chain the name of Karimah Al-Marwaziyyah” (ibid.).
15- Yaqut, Mu`jam Al-Udaba’, I, 247.
16- COPL, V/i, 98f.
17- Goldziher, Muslim Studies, II, 366.
18- Ibn Al-`Imad, IV, 123. Sitt Al-Wuzara’ was also an eminent jurist. She was once invited to Cairo to give her fatwa on a subject that had perplexed the jurists there.
19- Ibn Al-Athir, Al-Kamil (Cairo, AH 1301), X, 346.
20- Ibn Khallikan, no. 295.
21- Goldziher, Muslim Studies, II, 367.
22- Ibn Al-`Imad, VI. 40.
23- Ibid., VIII, 14.
24- Ibn Salim, Al-Imdad (Hyderabad, AH 1327), 36.

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Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Offering Sacrifice

Offering Sacrifice: Things to Avoid
By Sheikh Abd Al-`Azeez Ibn Baz

Former Mufti of Saudi Arabia

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If anyone wants to offer a sacrifice and the month of Dhul-Hijjah has begun, either because the new moon has been sighted or because thirty days of Dhul-Qi`dah have passed, then it is haram (unlawful) for him to remove anything of his hair or nails or skin until he has slaughtered the sacrifice, because of the hadith of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah – according to another version, When the ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah) begin – and any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain (from cutting) his hair and nails” (Reported by Ahmad and Muslim). According to another version, “…let him not remove anything from his hair and nails until he has offered the sacrifice.” And according to yet another version, “…he should not touch his hair or skin.”

If he forms the intention to offer the sacrifice during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, then he should refrain from that from the moment he forms that intention, and there is no sin on him for anything he may have done before forming the intention.

The reason for this prohibition is that when the person who wants to offer the sacrifice joins the pilgrims in some of the rituals of Hajj— namely drawing closer to Allah by slaughtering the sacrifice—he also joins him in some of the features of ihram, namely refraining from cutting his hair, etc.

This ruling applies only to the one who is going to slaughter the sacrifice. It does not apply to the one on whose behalf a sacrifice is offered, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice…” He did not say, “… is going to have a sacrifice offered on his behalf.” And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the members of his household, and it is not narrated that he told them to refrain from that (cutting their hair and nails, etc).
Based on this, it is permissible for the family of the person who is going to offer the sacrifice to remove their hair, nails, and skin during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

If the person who wants to offer the sacrifice does remove anything from his hair, nails, or skin, then he has to repent to Allah and not do it again, but he does not have to offer any expiation, and that does not prevent him from offering the sacrifice as some of the common people think. If he does any of those things out of forgetfulness or ignorance, or some hair falls unintentionally, then there is no sin on him. If he needs to remove it then he may do so, and there is no blame on him, such as if a nail breaks and it annoys him, so he cuts it, or if a hair gets in his eye and he removes it, or he needs to cut his hair in order to treat a wound and the like."

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Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA

m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Model for Sacrifice

Ibrahim and Isma`il: Model for Sacrifice
By Dr. Munir El-Kassem

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Hajj and `Eid Al-Adha take us back in history to the time of a 97-year-old man being asked to take the life of a 13–year-old boy. Who is that man? And who is that boy? And who is the one who is making this request? If we know who the three points in this equation are, we would have a better perspective on life and on what life is all about.

The man who was asked at 97 years of age to take the life of a 13-year-old boy is none other than the close friend of Allah, the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the father of the prophets and messengers. And the 13-year-old boy whose life Ibrahim was asked to take is none other than his own son. Ibrahim had waited for 83 years to see him walk around him, touch him, and give him the pleasure of being a father. All of us know what that means; all of us know what it really means for your son or daughter to come and show his or her love that he or she possesses for you.

But when the boy reached the age when he was able to run and play around his father, Ibrahim went to him and said, “My darling son, I saw in my dream that I was sacrificing you.” We all know that the dreams of prophets and messengers are forms of revelation from Allah Almighty. So it was the truth.

Now, who was the one who made that request? It was none other than Allah. The One Who created life had asked Ibrahim to take the life of his son away. And we know that His decree was that Isma`il’s life would not be taken away, but it was a lesson for humanity to understand what life is all about.

Allah wanted Ibrahim to teach humanity a lesson. Thus, brothers and sisters, we have to understand this lesson and reflect upon it. There are two things in life that Allah Almighty made beautiful in this life. These two things are mentioned in the Qur’an more than once:
(Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world.) (Al-Kahf 18:46)
That is it! Wealth and children make life beautiful. Look what happened! Allah Almighty chose one individual to sacrifice one of these two things, and He did not ask any other human being to do the same. One individual was enough to sacrifice one of these two things, and that is his child, and He asked all of us to sacrifice the second one, wealth, so that by seeing how one man was able to do something which we cannot, we are able to sacrifice the second of the ornaments of life. Because Ibrahim passed the test, Allah Almighty called him an ummah (one man equal to a whole nation, a whole ummah).

One individual became an ummah. Why? Because Ibrahim passed the test of a whole ummah. He was asked to sacrifice one of the two things that are ornaments of life, and all of us have been asked to sacrifice the second. So because of that, he indeed, is an ummah in the same way that we are an ummah. He truly deserves that title:
(Lo! Abraham was an ummah, obedient to Allah.) (An-Nahl 16:120)
This is the spirit of `Eid Al-Adha. We have to sacrifice, brothers and sisters, when we are called upon to sacrifice what we really like to keep:
(Ye will not attain unto Birr (piety and perfect goodness) until ye spend of that which ye love.) (Aal `Imran 3:92)
If you have a lot of money and you take a thousand dollars and give it, this would not be birr. Birr is to have two dollars and to give one of the dollars away although you need the two dollars and would like to keep them for essentials. This is a sacrifice. Sacrifice is to do something that is difficult to do. This is sacrifice. It is not a sacrifice to do an easy thing and then to appear at the surface as if you did a lot. No, only Allah Almighty knows what sacrifice is all about. So, brothers and sisters, after we finish this salah, let’s go and consider what we really need to sacrifice. Each one of us has an Isma`il in his or her life that needs to be sacrificed—each one of us!

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* Based on a Friday Sermon delivered by Dr. Munir El-Kassem on January 21, 2005 at the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario, Ontario, Canada.

** Dr. Munir El-Kassem is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada. Since his arrival in Canada from Beirut in 1976, Dr. El-Kassem has been actively involved in Islamic da`wah. He has also participated in interfaith dialogue and appeared on numerous radio and TV programs. He hosts a weekly radio show, Islamic Perspectives, on 1290 CJBK. He is also the author of many Islamic books, and is a visiting imam at a number of Islamic centers across Ontario, Canada. He is also the Muslim chaplain at the University of Western Ontario.

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Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA

m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

The Virtues of Dhul-Hijjah

The Virtues of Dhul-Hijjah
By Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Dec. 21, 2005

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We are now approaching the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the month of Hajj. This is the month upon which Allah has bestowed the days of `Arafah, `Eid Al-Adha, and the Days of Tashreeq, which are the three days following `Eid. This is a special month, a month in which we are encouraged to double our efforts in performing our acts of worship and our good deeds.

If we have missed the opportunity to increase our worship during the last Ramadan, or if we have missed the opportunity to fast the six days of Shawwal, then let it be known, that right now, spread in front of us, is a golden opportunity. An opportunity to be closer to Allah. An opportunity to increase our worship.

This golden opportunity is the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Let us grab this opportunity before it leaves us. Let us do more dhikr, more Prayer, and more fasting. Let us recite Al-Qur’an more. Allah says in Surat Al-Fajr: [And by the ten nights] (Al-Fajr 89:2).

According to most scholars, the 10 days mentioned in that verse refer to the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah mentions it and swears by it in that verse because of its virtues. This is strengthened by the hadith:
“There are no days during which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than these (ten) days.” He was then asked, “Not even jihad in the path of Allah?” He replied, “Not even jihad in the path of Allah, except for a person who goes out with his self and his wealth, and comes back with nothing.” (Al-Bukhari and others)
So let us increase our `ibadah in these virtuous days, which come but once a year— an opportunity that is better than any offer on earth. If we look around, sometimes we would see a petrol station offering a 15 percent discount. We would then see cars snaking out of that petrol station. Everyone is trying to grab that offer of just 15 percent discount.

These 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah offer a much better offer—an offer that has its rewards waiting for us in the Hereafter, the day when nothing will be of value except those who had prepared for it. A day which Allah describes in the Qur’an as [the day when wealth and children will be of no use, except those who come with clean hearts] (Ash-Shu`ara’ 26:88–89).

In a previous sermon we touched upon the need to have proper resolutions and how to achieve them. Let us put into practice what we have heard. Let us all make this resolution to double our efforts in worshiping Allah in these virtuous days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Let us not wait till we get home to make that resolution. Let us do it now! And when we get home, or to office, let us jot down those resolutions on paper so that we may not forget them. If we want to do more sunnah prayers, write it down, and be specific on the type of prayers. If we want to fast on these days, jot down on our calendar or organizer which days will we fast. If we want to pray the Tahajjud Prayers, write it down. And set our alarm clock to ring at least half an hour before Fajr Prayer so that we may have time to do at least do three rak`ahs of Witr Prayer. If we want to lessen the sins of our tongue, put in on paper that we will be quieter and only say those things that are necessary. And as a return, we will say more dhikr and istighfar silently. If we want to read the Qur’an more, jot it down on our organizer and calendar, the amount we will read each day. Is it half a page? A full page? Or more than that? Write it down.
And remember this: Failure to plan is planning to fail.

~ END ~

*Based on a Friday Sermon, January 13, 2005/Dhul-Hijjah 3, 1425.
Courtesy of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }

Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA

m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

First ten days of Dhul-Hijjah

Any Plan for the 1st Third of Dhul-Hijjah?

Among the great seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah has favored over other days. It was narrated from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people present asked : "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said: "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out by himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything." (al-Bukhari)

Besides fasting the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, I personally know some brothers who make at least 10,000 supplications on the Day of `Arafah. I know others who make less supplications but give out a lot of charity.

What righteous deeds are you going to do to gain this great reward? How are you going to invest these ten blissful days? Share with us your plans!

May Allah grant us sincerity and help us in making many good deeds, Amen.

Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA

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m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Fundamentals Of Happy Marriage

Fundamentals Of A Happy Marriage

"Must Have's" of Every Relationship
By Shahina Siddiqui

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Faith The most basic and essential attribute of a Muslim marriage is the common faith that binds the couple. Since Islam is a way of life and not just a religion confined to weekly worship it becomes an integral part of a Muslim's life. The religious frame of reference shared by the couple creates an ease of communication and a sharing of values that is not possible in an interfaith marriage. It is highly recommended that faith play an important role in developing a loving relationship. For example: As the Prophet Muhammad said that when a husband feeds his wife, he gets a reward for this act and Allah increases the bond of love between them. So when we love each other for the sake of Allah (SWT) we actually increase our faith. Forbearance Sabr is the most useful tool to have in managing a healthy lifestyle. Being patient and forbearing puts us in a proactive frame of mind it brings us closer to Allah (SWT) through tawakul and reliance. We develop an inner mechanism that empowers us to handle life's difficult moments. As Allah states in surat Al-Asr "Surely by time humans are at loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and counsel each other to the truth and counsel each other to patience [sabr]." Friendship With Your Spouse This aspect of marriage has three components. The first is to develop a friendship with our spouses. The relationship based on friendship is more able to withstand outside pressures. We honor, trust, respect, accept and care for our friends, in spite of our differences. These are the aspects of friendship we should bring to our marriages. Unfortunately one highly inappropriate aspect that people think of bringing to their marriage is the buddy scenario. Shariah has placed the husband in a leadership role within his family and this requires a certain decorum, which cannot be maintained if the spouses consider each other as pals. This should not be taken to mean that husband is a dictator, but a shepherd who is responsible to and for his flock. This is a position of grave responsibility and places an enormous burden on the husband. Furthermore, the children need to see their parents as friends, but not as pals as this encourages disrespect.

Friendship With In-Laws
The second aspect of friendship is to have friendly relations with in-laws. When couples compete as to whose parents are more important it becomes a constant source of grief. Much valuable time is wasted trying to convince one another of whose parents are most desirable. It is better if we accept that our spouses will not fall in love with our parents overnight just because we want them to. As long as they maintain relationships that are cordial and based on mutual respect, we should not force the issue.

Couple Friends
The third aspect of friendship is our circle of friends. It is ok to have individual friends of the same gender but couples must also make an effort to have family friends so that they can socialize together. If there is friction being caused by a certain friendship it must not be pursued at the expense of the marriage. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) advised us to choose God-fearing people as friends, since we tend to follow their way. Friends should be a source of joy and not mischief.

Fun
Couples that do not laugh together have to work on sharing some fun times. The Prophet was known to play with his wives. A simple walk in the park can add much spark to the relationship. Taking up a sport together or watching appropriate funny movies is another way of sharing a laugh.

Financial Plan
One of the most common points of contention in marriages is money. Experts tell us that 80% of marital conflicts are about money. It is therefore highly recommended that the couple put serious time and effort in developing a financial management plan that is mutually agreeable and is reviewed every six months or so. Preparing a budget together is also a helpful and wise way to handling household finances. It should be remembered that the wife's money in Islam is hers to do with as she pleases and therefore should not be considered family income unless she chooses to contribute it to the family.

Respect For Family
Parenting can be a stressful experience if the parents are not well informed. This in turn can put extra pressure on the marriage. Sometimes couples are naive about the changes that come in lifestyle. This can cause depression in some cases, and resentment and misunderstanding in others. One golden rule that must always be the guide is "family comes first." Whenever there is evidence that the family is not happy or not our first priority, it is time to assemble at the kitchen table and discuss the situation with open hearts and open minds.
Couples who have elderly parents have an added responsibility to take care of them; this can also be very stressful if the couple is not prepared. A care plan must be worked out with respective siblings and parents as to who will be the primary care giver and what type of support network they will have. In case of mental incompetence a power of attorney must be in place. The making of a will is essential.

Freedom
Marriage in Islam is a partnership and not bondage or slavery. To consider the wife as one's property is alien to the Islamic concept of husband and wife. The team spirit is enhanced and not curtailed when members of the team are free to be themselves. Freedom in the common western sense is to be free to do as one pleases, or even to be selfish. But what is meant by allowing freedom to one's spouse is to be considerate of her needs and to recognize her limitations.

Plan For The Future
Smart couples plan for their future together. They work on their financial and retirement plans. They make wills and discuss these plans with their children. This provides peace of mind and secures the relationship.

Fulfillment
To be all one can be to one's spouse is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. To be in love means to give one's all. The heart does not put conditions or make stipulations; it gives without expecting anything in return, but such selfless giving is always rewarded ten-fold.
~ END ~
Shahina Siddiqui is a board member of the Islamic Social Services Association (United States and Canada). She is active with social services planning and delivery in the Islamic Center of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.
{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan, Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Gratitude Through Worship

Show Your Gratitude Through Worship
By Amin Ahsan Islahi

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One of the fundamental components of a person's relationship with Allah is worship. As one's heart is filled with gratitude to one's benefactor, one expresses indebtedness, humility, and surrender to him. This is a natural response, observed even in domestic animals and pets. They express gratitude by gesture or look, but human beings are required to express gratitude in a much more pronounced manner. It is an ordinary experience that a person owing a debt of gratitude to another expresses these feelings in appropriate manners and speech. Those failing to thank their benefactors are generally regarded as at least uncouth or ill-natured. It is part of the human nature to hold one's benefactor in esteem. Given this, we can see what gratitude we owe to our true Benefactor, Allah, Who is the source of all favors and blessings. We owe our very existence to Him. His favors are not ephemeral, but eternal. One should reflect gratitude to Allah by way of surrendering humbly and fully to Him. In doing so, one acts in a natural way and will be blessed with tranquility and spiritual contentment. However, those overwhelmed by neglect or ignorance fail to give thanks to their Creator and Benefactor. They even fail to think of Him or do so only in a passing and cursory manner. The gratitude we owe to Allah is manifested in our worship. It is expressed both verbally and by gesture and body movement. Worship embodies outwardly our gratitude to our Benefactor. One's whole being is involved in the act of worship. Each body part contributes in its own way, and one's mental and spiritual faculties are also actively involved. One whole being takes part in paying homage to the Creator, because it is incumbent upon to involve also all those means and ways by which one meets their worldly needs.

There is no need of weighty arguments to illustrate that the worship of Allah manifests our gratitude to our real, true Benefactor. This appears clearly in the opening surah of the Qur'an, Al-Fatihah. The surah is woven around the theme of gratitude and it forms an essential part of prayer in Islam. It emerges from studying this surah that one's gratitude in response to Allah's lordship, mercy, and compassion prompts one to exclaim
(We worship You alone) (Al-Fatihah 1:5).
It is also evident from other Qur'anic verses that worship is synonymous with the expression of gratitude to Allah. For example, (Worship Allah and be among His grateful servants) (Az-Zumar 39:66). Elsewhere, one is directed to worship and thank Him: (So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him) (Al-`Ankabut 29:17). It is reported about Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stood for so long in his Night Vigil Prayer that his feet would swell up.

Take the following hadith as illustrative: The Prophet's wife `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, I asked, "Messenger of Allah, why do you exert yourself so much while all your sins have been forgiven?" To this he replied, "`A'ishah, should I not be a grateful servant of Allah?" (Muslim).

Worship is prompted by one's feeling of gratitude to Allah. Allah's commands are not meant to put us through any inconvenience. Rather, Allah has prescribed certain forms for expressing our gratitude, and these forms are approved by Him. These accrue numerous blessings to us.

In terms of its essence, true worship is characterized by genuine and overflowing gratitude to Allah. By worshiping Allah, one discharges obligations toward the Creator, Master, Benefactor, and Lord. One does not do so for the sake of benefiting in any way the Creator and Master but rather earns blessings for oneself and makes oneself worthy of more rewards. It is clear from several Qur'anic verses that Allah is to be worshiped because He is the Creator, Master, Sustainer, and Lord.

Our worship does not profit Him in any way, and our refusal to worship Him does not harm Him in the least. However, unbelievers refusing to worship Him are liable to fall more deeply into error and are more likely to follow the path of Satan rather than the straight way prescribed by Allah.

~ END ~
* * Excerpted with some modifications from Tazkiyah: The Islamic Path of Self-Development. Courtesy of The Islamic Foundation.

Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904-1997) was one of the leading scholars of the Indian subcontinent. He compiled a 9-volume commentary on the Qur’an and authored a number of books. His eloquent speeches and writings on da`wah (calling people to Islam), Islamic state, and many other topics have inspired generations of young Muslims.
{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan, Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com

Discovering Hijab

Discovering Hijab
By Amatullah Abdullah

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I have always felt a sense of fondness for my teenaged niece Sharfaa. She is 15 now, but I remember the day she was born because it was her birth that first made me an aunty! Al-hamdu lillah, many more nieces and nephews have followed, but Sharfaa remains special to me. I was just 11 when she was born, so the age gap isn't that huge.

When Sharfaa was just three months old, her mother (my cousin) left for the United States . I felt miserable after they left and I really missed my little niece. Al-hamdu lillah, my cousin made a point of returning to India to visit us annually, so every year we eagerly anticipate their visit. Of course, the main reason we look forward to seeing them is because we missed them so badly, but in India , there is also the notion that children raised in the Western world tend to forget their own culture and values. I know it must sound strange, but thanks to overdosing on Hollywood , many of us believe that the West really is as it is depicted in the movies. We feel that a yearly visit will ensure that Sharfaa keep in touch with her culture and values.
When my niece reached puberty, the concern became greater than ever. Everybody wished that my cousin would return to India and felt fearful that Sharfaa would be molded into the Western way of life and, accordingly, grow distant from Islam, astaghfirullah. But to the contrary, I find teenagers here in India are often more Westernized than Muslim teenagers growing up in the Western world.

For example, the hijab! It is a word we use a lot, but many people in India don't really understand the true meaning of this word. I know that I certainly didn't when I was a teenager. Even though I was a Muslim, I was ignorant about Islam. I knew that a Muslim woman should be covered, but I was unclear about exactly what I should cover and what can show. I used to wrap my hair with a see-through dupata (shawl) and thus considered myself to be following an Islamic dress code. I used to wear short-sleeved dresses under the opinion that arms aren't attractive anyway! I would ask sisters who told me to cover them, "What's wrong in showing them?" Sometimes I'd wear dresses that hugged my body, but wondered what the big deal was — after all, I was fully covered. There were few among my relatives who really followed the Islamic dress code, so my dressing didn't seem un-Islamic and I didn't feel particularly conscious of it. But this was before I explored Islam and pondered over the Truth.

I remember one occasion when my Indian-American niece was visiting. She was just 9 years old, and I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. My other cousins found my style of dressing to be "cool," but Sharfaa made her feelings plain: "Why are you wearing a shirt like that? It isn't Islamic!" My cheeks turned red. I was dumbfounded and I just didn't know what answer to give. At this point I was already starting to move closer to Islam and had gained some knowledge about hijab, so I knew I couldn't dismiss her questions in the way I might have before. However, I didn't yet have the courage or strength to wear hijab — but I did change my shirt!

A Religion of Choice
This year when Sharfaa came to India , she was wearing hijab. I was so proud to see her like that! She told me all about her experiences of wearing hijab in America . "I am the only female in my school with hijab," she explained showing me her school photograph. She has had the courage that neither I nor many other teenagers in India have.
When she was asked whether she was forced to wear hijab, she explained, "In Islam, we can't convert [people], but only convey the message. I chose this by myself! Nobody forced me to wear this." She was right. Islam is all about conveying and not converting. We can just convey the message, but we can never force anything on anyone. Each soul is responsible for their actions and noboy is going to answer Allah Most High for us.
One day when I asked Sharfaa how her friends reacted, she said her non-Muslim friends completely understand that this is her belief and in fact respect and support her in wearing the hijab. She told me of one of her experiences with a schoolmate at Halloween. "Everybody wore a costume that day as it was Halloween. I was on my way to meet my friends and one boy suddenly appeared from nowhere and said 'Nice costume!' I laughed and told him that this is not a costume, but my way of dressing! Instead of me being embarrassed, he was embarrassed and said 'Sorry.'"
I am proud of her courage. I think she is really a brave girl and full of self-respect. She proved to my family that they were wrong when they assumed that growing up in America would make her adopt the customs of Hollywood . In fact, Sharfaa found girls in India of her age to be more attracted to that way of life than she was.
Discovery and Impediments
As for me, I only really awakened after I discovered Islam, and it was then that the beauty of the hijab became clear to me. I tried to cover myself fully according to the rules laid down in the Shari `ah. At first a few people laughed at me. Can you believe that? Muslim women making fun of the Islamic dress code! I heard comments like these:
· "You're overdoing things."
· "You're young and should try to dress like the girls of your age."
· "You can dress like this when you're old."
· "I wouldn't allow my girls to wear this!"
They made such a big deal out of my hijab, but despite all of those remarks, I was and am determined to stand firm in abiding by the Shari`ah rulings on hijab.
Now people are used to seeing me like this. They have stopped passing judgment. I feel so happy and proud walking around in my hijab, showing that I am a Muslimah! A Muslimah in hijab is doing silent da`wah. Without even having to open her mouth, she portrays Islam through her hijab. Seeing a Muslim in hijab, people get curious and then they ask questions about it, which gives her an opportunity to convey the message of Islam. She does not force them to listen; instead, she attracts them to Islam.
[And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms.] (An-Nur 24:31)

~ END ~

Amatullah Abdullah is a freelance writer who resides in Chennai, India. Her essays have been published in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and is working on her master's degree. Amatullah is a staff writer for One Ummah and is on the editorial staff of IQRA Newspaper. She is also an active member of the Islamic Writers Alliance and the Muslim Writers Society. She can be reached at amatullah110@yahoo.com.
{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com