Pearls beautiful manifestations of Allah’s design and creation are born and found in the depths of the ocean within the protection of an oyster shell. Many divers risk their lives to attain these jewels, their shine unmarred, hidden away from human touch & sight. They are lessons in nature for heedful eyes.
Have we ever wondered why pearls, the purest and whitest of natural jewels are not found floating on the surface of the ocean for all to see? Have we pondered why all beautiful things are hidden, the pomegranate seeds in their peel white coconut in a coarse shell, diamonds in a mine? And the most beautiful Being beyond our imaginations Allah Ta’ala .
Among his best creation, the human being, Allah chose this honour for a woman in order to preserve, protect and purify her beauty and to make it eternal in paradise.
However, in recent years this great honour bestowed on a woman is now being looked down upon. A symbol of dignity for centuries, it is now being called a symbol of humiliation and imprisonment . Above everything else people have gone to the extent of saying that this ordainment is not there in the Quran. So let us see what Islam says about veil (Purdah).
A number of words have been used in the Quran to explain the dress code and conduct expected of a Muslim woman. Hijab or “purdah” as we call it, is not only a covering or outer garb but also the kind of conduct and intention that should accompany it. Yet the presence of only a good intention is not sufficient without any action to verify that intention.
You can perhaps vouch about your own purity of thought (which is also disliked by Allah because no one can claim to be free from sin) but how can you vouch for the intentions of the hundreds of men you choose to walk amongst? Intention is important but not sufficient by itself for repeatedly Allah says:
“Those who believed and performed good actions.” Hence, actions must accompany intention and in the following ayahs, Allah Ta’ala has stated certain specific actions that He wishes us to do.
1- Surah An-Nur: 31
states: “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except that which is apparent and to draw their khumur over their juyub and not to reveal their adornment except to their husband’s fathers, or their sons or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex.”
The word ‘Khumur’(plural of khimar) is used for a head cover in Arabic. Alcohol is also called khamr because it overcomes or covers up the senses of a person. Before Islam, women would tuck this head dress behind their ears and throw its ends over their shoulders to leave their ears, necks and bosoms uncovered. So it was clearly ordained here to extend the head dress (or scarf or dupatta) over the bosoms so they serve their actual purpose of covering a woman’s attraction.
Then women are explicitly told about the people before whom they may reveal their adornment. It is vital to pause here and think, “What was the need of mentioning every mahram by name if there was going to be no difference in the woman’s attire before them and everyone else?” Not only the clothes but even the manner of walking should not be provocative or such that it draws attention to the women.
“And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Nur; 31)
We, on the contrary, act against these commands and then except Allah to forgive us.
Men and women have both being asked to lower or restrict stray glances, not because the face is uncovered or covered but also to avoid eye contact or avoid seeing any haram (unlawful) thing that can open the door to many vices.
Eyes are windows to the soul and betray many an emotion; therefore controlling their unbridled usage was one of the steps to prevent unlawful relationships. Purdah was another step in the same direction
We need to then think about how the shariah (Islamic law), which is full of wisdom, could command the covering of the head and bosom, the lowering of certain gazes and a dignified walk but allow the face to remain uncovered? The face is where the main attraction of a woman lies. It is on the beautification of her face that the woman spends thousands of rupees, the face that attracts men and the face that is used in advertisements to promote many products.
2-In Surah Al-Ahzab: 53
It is clearly stated that the wives of the Prophet SAW are not allowed to remarry and if male strangers have any important thing to ask for, they should do so from behind a partition. Allah says:
“That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.”
Hence certain actions are necessary to preserve the purity of the heart. Allah Ta’ala is our Creator and is closer to us than our jugular vein. He knows the thoughts that arise in us even before we can realize them. He knows better what precautions and rules to make to save humanity from disaster.
In spite of being Mothers of the faithful and role models for us, the wives of the Prophet SAW have been given strict rules of conduct and attire. If these pious ladies have been ordered thus, where should we place ourselves?
3-In Surah Al-Ahzab: 59,
Allah Ta’ala ordains “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their jilbabs (cloaks) all over themselves. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as to not be annoyed. And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
The word ‘jilbab’ refers to an outer garment to be worn over the khimar and clothes when going out of the house. Beyond the security of the house, this dress will hide a Muslim woman’s adornment (face, body, clothes and jewellery) and also act as a mark of distinction to prevent any wrong advances.
Here, it is not the face that is meant to be a mark of recognition for any individual because this meaning would be inconsistent with the context and meaning of the rest of the ayah. Rather it is this attire that will help a woman be recognized as a Muslim woman about whom no evil hopes can be harboured.
To say that this order was for the olden days when such a need for security existed is a farce because are we implying that the time of Prophet SAW was worse than the corrupt and crime-ridden society of today? Are women more secure from threats to their person and honour today, or are cases of rape and sexual harassment on the rise in all parts of the world? Has the human nature changed with time? The answers are clear.
The word ‘ala’ (upon) signifies that this cloak must be hung from above a person so as to cover the face, body and clothes and not hung from the shoulders, etc. The form and design of the jilbab is not mentioned but rather left up to the conditions of each country or climate.
The Quran cannot be completely understood without ahadith and we must see how the initial and foremost recipients of this Divine Message acted upon it. We see that the wives of the Prophet SAW and the sahabiat had no hesitation in covering their faces and bodies when such an order came from their Lord. Hadhrat Aisha RA relates in context to the incident of slander against her:
“I kept sitting there and dozed off. Meanwhile a man, Safwan bin Muattal Aslami came to the place and saw me sleeping. He recognized me immediately because he had seen me before the commandment for hijabcame. He recited ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raajioon’. So I woke up and covered my face with my jilbab. ” (Bukhari)
Hence, though the word ‘face’ or ‘naqab’ may not be mentioned in the Quran in context to hijab, but it is mentioned in ahadith (like the hadith about not wearing naqab during Hajj). The test may be to see who submits to Allah’s commands as well as the Messenger’s SAW Sunnah.
An exception to this rule is when a man wishes to see the woman he is going to marry. This is allowed and recommended and this special permission shows that it is not possible to see the woman otherwise.
Old women who have no desire or produce no desire for marriage in others have been allowed to shed their outer clothes, which proves that the wearing of jilbab is necessary for young, marriageable women. Even for the old, Allah says,
“But to refrain (not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them.” (An-Nur: 60)
As far as leaving the face uncovered during Hajj (or namaz) is concerned, this is not necessarily applicable for the rest of our life too. Acts of worship have special requirements that are not practiced otherwise. We do not wear the ihram (2 sheets of cloth) in our daily life, nor do we observe the various restrictions of ihram except on the occasion of Hajj, we do not abstain from food or intercourse everyday from dawn till dusk like we do in Ramadan. So how can we make an exceptional act like uncovering the face a rule for the rest of our life?
On the other hand the command to abstain from using naqab (sewn cloth for covering face) during Hajj proves the fact that it is necessary otherwise or there would have been no need to stop women from wearing it on Hajj. Infact it is not forbidden to cover the face with an unsewn cloth for women on Hajj. Hadhrat Aisha narrates, “Men on camels used to pass by us while we were with the Prophet SAW and in the state of ihram. We would cover our faces with our jilbabs when they passed by us and then uncover them again.” (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah).
This attire is not a hindrance but rather a blessing for the Muslim woman. If an entire nation can go around wearing masks to save themselves from catching the SARS disease, why can’t Muslim women do so to save themselves from other kinds of social ills? If a surgeon can perform the most delicate of tasks covered from head to toe, wearing a mask, why must a Muslim woman’s sight, hearing or breathing be obstructed by a cloth? Hijab is not a means of blackening the faces of women and reducing them to mere objects! Rather it is the culture of obscenity that is making women mere objects of attraction and a feast for the eyes.
Does keeping a pearl within a cover or a diamond in a safe place decrease its worth? Rather it increases it. It is when the woman’s outer appearance is hidden from public display that her inner qualities of intellect, wisdom and knowledge shine through.
Whenever the women of Jannah are mentioned in the Quran, their quality of being hidden and preserved is also mentioned which further enhances their beauty. They have been called Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified wives) and Lulu-el-Maknoon (Pearls kept hidden). Allah Ta’ala says:
“And beside them will be Qasirat-at-Tarf (ones with lowered, restrained eyes) with wide and beautiful eyes. (Delicate and pure) as if they were (hidden) eggs (well) preserved.” (As-Saffat: 48-49)
If we desire to be amongst these women in the gardens of Paradise, we will have to develop these qualities within ourselves from this world onwards to become one of the Hidden Pearls.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Tsunami Masjids Miracle Report :: Miracle of Allah
Assalam Alaykum Brother and Sister/Friends ,
I hope you all remember Tsunami … The killing Tsunami distroyed every thing,Almost more than 2 Lakh people Effected in India.
Infact all the countries situated around the Bay of Bengal were affected by the tsunami waves in the morning hours of 26 December 2004 (between 0900 – 1030 hrs IST). The killer waves were triggered by an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale that had an epicenter near the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia.
I have seen many videos,i think i have not seen a real big disaster than Tsunami.Indeed it hurts to see many peoples ded,many crying….but DEATH is something which everyone have to face.Our Creator takes us back in many ways…may be Tsunami was the way to take back those soals.All is the wish of Almighty.
After the Tsunami,there were few reports about the “Allah written of Tsunami wave and Mosque was saved in Tsunami….
Islam haters call this as some “accidental resemblance”.but not the Miracle of Allah swt.
You can view “Allah written on Tsunami wave” pictures here.
You can the Mosque Miracle pics here…
Every building washed away..everything except few Mosques…Yes,the same Tsunami which moved millions of TONs of SHIPs,hundered tons of Trains but was UNABLE to DISTROY the Mosque and One who was in Mosjid were saved by Tsunami…
But Islam haters who call this Miracle as “accidental resemblance” are also trying to proove it was fake…they show that many building were saved…but those building they r showing is far from ground zero of tsunami,at ground zero only Mosque was saved…
They also try to show to Mosque destroyed by natural disasters from other part of World.that these mosque were not saved,so the Almighty does not exist….but indeed they forget its WILL and wish of Allah swt,which mosque he want to save,which mosque he want to distroy.
This is a Report on Masjids saved in Tsunami….not 1 or not 2 not 3 but 27 Mosques were saved in Tsunami.You can also see the news agency report in video….
Allah swt said in Quran :
“We will show them Our signs in all the regions of the earth and in their own souls until they clearly see that this is the truth…” (Surah Fussilat 41:53)
I hope you all remember Tsunami … The killing Tsunami distroyed every thing,Almost more than 2 Lakh people Effected in India.
Infact all the countries situated around the Bay of Bengal were affected by the tsunami waves in the morning hours of 26 December 2004 (between 0900 – 1030 hrs IST). The killer waves were triggered by an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale that had an epicenter near the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia.
I have seen many videos,i think i have not seen a real big disaster than Tsunami.Indeed it hurts to see many peoples ded,many crying….but DEATH is something which everyone have to face.Our Creator takes us back in many ways…may be Tsunami was the way to take back those soals.All is the wish of Almighty.
After the Tsunami,there were few reports about the “Allah written of Tsunami wave and Mosque was saved in Tsunami….
Islam haters call this as some “accidental resemblance”.but not the Miracle of Allah swt.
You can view “Allah written on Tsunami wave” pictures here.
You can the Mosque Miracle pics here…
Every building washed away..everything except few Mosques…Yes,the same Tsunami which moved millions of TONs of SHIPs,hundered tons of Trains but was UNABLE to DISTROY the Mosque and One who was in Mosjid were saved by Tsunami…
But Islam haters who call this Miracle as “accidental resemblance” are also trying to proove it was fake…they show that many building were saved…but those building they r showing is far from ground zero of tsunami,at ground zero only Mosque was saved…
They also try to show to Mosque destroyed by natural disasters from other part of World.that these mosque were not saved,so the Almighty does not exist….but indeed they forget its WILL and wish of Allah swt,which mosque he want to save,which mosque he want to distroy.
This is a Report on Masjids saved in Tsunami….not 1 or not 2 not 3 but 27 Mosques were saved in Tsunami.You can also see the news agency report in video….
Allah swt said in Quran :
“We will show them Our signs in all the regions of the earth and in their own souls until they clearly see that this is the truth…” (Surah Fussilat 41:53)
Staying Up Late, A Disease of Modern Times
In The name of Allah,The Most Merciful,The Most gracious
Staying Up Late, A Disease of Modern Times
They roam the streets when everyone is asleep. Or they may hang out with friends all night at the local ‘hookah place’. Or if they have nothing to do, some of them may even ‘egg’ some poor unsuspecting person’s house….’just because’.
And if they are not ‘out there’, they are indoors, up until the wee hours of the morning, watching movies, listening to music, playing video games or chatting on the Internet, just because it’s ‘summer vacation’.
Yes, that’s right, brothers and sisters, that’s our youth during the summer.
And even when it is not summer, they stay up late even then. They think it is ‘cool’ to do so.
And, unfortunately, this ‘disease of late nights’ has become so widespread that we, as parents, don’t think much of it either. In fact, many of us adults are afflicted with this same disease ourselves. We come back from parties and dinners late at night and we let our kids do the same.
However what we don’t realize is….. that’s not how Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala intended the order of things. In fact, it is quite contrary to the natural rhythm which Allaah has created in the universe and in mankind. Allaah says:
“It is He who has appointed the night a covering for you and sleep for a rest. The day He has appointed for rising.” (Surah Furqaan: 47)
Thus, the night is created for rest and the day for work and for seeking provision. Yet we do the exact opposite. We are up at night and sleep late into the day, sometimes, up to or even beyond Dhuhr time, and waste much precious time. ‘Umar Radhi Allaahu Anhu used to punish people the people who did this and say: ‘You stay up for the first part of the night, then sleep for the last part of it?’”.
If we look at how the righteous before us spent their nights, we realize that they used their nights as a means to earning Jannah; praying, reciting the Qur’aan, crying and supplicating to Allaah. However, some of us Muslims, today take their nights as a means of entertainment and fun and even, aaoodhu billaah, a means of haraam and sin.
Actually, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) himself, did not like to stay up or even speak after Ishaa.
“The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to like to delay the ‘Ishaa’ prayer and he hated to sleep before it or talk after it”. (Bukhaari).
He also disapproved of staying up late and warned against it.
He (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Beware of staying up after people’s movements settle.”
Why did he do that? Because staying up late might cause many harms. Some of them are:
1. It may cause one to totally miss the Fajr prayer
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Between a man and kufr and shirk, there stands his giving up prayer.” (Muslim)
2. Even if you do wake up for Fajr, it is extremely hard to concentrate in the prayer or even know what one is saying.
3. Staying up late causes health problems, exhaustion, weakness, and loss of enthusiasm. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Staying up late is tiring and burdensome.” (Daarimi, Tabaraani, others)
4. It also leads to lack of responsibility and laziness, as it is extremely difficult to wake up early for school, job, etc. if you are up half the night. The person ends up sleeping late into the day, missing his work, and slacking in responsibility. Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said: There are two qualities that harden the heart: sleeping too much and eating too much.
5. We also miss out on the most blessed part of the day is the early morning. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam) said:
“The early morning has been blessed for my Ummah.”(Saheeh al-Jaami’). That’s why whenever the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam) sent out troops or an army, he would send them at the beginning of the day. But by sleeping late, we lose the blessings of this time and the profits we could have gained.
6. If we don’t sleep early, we can’t wake up in time for qiyaam ul-lail, a time for prayer, making dua and seeking forgiveness from Allaah, as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Our Lord descends every night to the heavens when there is only one third of the night remaining and says: Who is supplicating to me so that I can respond to him? Who is asking Me for something so that I can grant him that which he is asking for? Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I can forgive him”(Bukhaari, Muslim)
Is it befitting that we, as Muslims, miss this honorable and virtuous time and waste it either sleeping or following our desires?
7. Staying up late is also a major reason behind many of the moral crimes, community problems, car accidents, etc.
Exceptions to the rule:
The Ulama say that staying up late unnecessarily is nothing but a bad habit, unless it serves a purpose, such as praying and worshipping Allaah, seeking knowledge of Islaam, a person’s job, traveling, students preparing for exams, or other beneficial or permissible matters.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
“Staying up late is for one of three categories of people; those traveling, those praying the night prayers, or those on their wedding night.” (Abu Ya’laa).
What Islaam encourages us to do is to sleep early, preferably right after Ishaa, then wake up early in time for
our prayers (Fajr and Tahajjud, if possible) and then take advantage of the blessings of early morning for our work and provision. We are also encouraged to take a nap during the day, either before Dhuhr or after, if we are able to.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: “Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” (al-Tabaraani–Saheeh). Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Brothers and sisters, realize that staying up late is a diseased lifestyle that takes one away from the religion of Allaah and encourages the following of ones lusts and desires.
One should avoid it unless there is a legitimate reason for it. Not only should we keep our kids away from it, we ourselves need to break this bad habit and develop healthy lifestyles and wholesome ways.
May Allaah enable us to realize the harms and evils of staying up late. May He enable us to utilize our time in the most productive manner, that is most pleasing to Him.
Aameen.
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