speak2mahtab

reality of shabe barat

2009-07-31T06:19:00.001-07:00

Reality of ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’

The Reality of ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’

Introduction

The purpose of our creation is nothing but the worship of Allâh, as Allâh says:

And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). [Al Qur’ân 51:56]

Moreover, the Muslim’s worship will not be accepted unless it meets two basic conditions:

a – Sincerity of intention towards Allâh, which means that the person’s worship should be devoted to Allâh Alone and his intention in all his words and deeds, both outward and inward, is to seek the pleasure of Allâh and none other. Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him) [Al Qur’ân 98:5]

b – It should be in accordance with the sharee’ah which Allâh has prescribed, and he should not worship Allâh in any other way. That is achieved by following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and what he brought, and shunning anything that goes against it, and not inventing any new form of worship that has not been narrated in sound reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Obligation of following the Sunnah

Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

Say (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh, then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)): "Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him))." But if they turn away, then Allâh does not like the disbelievers. [Al Qur’ân 3:31-32]

O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. [Al Qur’ân 4:59]

He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), has indeed obeyed Allâh [Al Qur’ân 4:80]

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. [Al Qur’ân 4:65]

And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). And fear Allâh; verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. [Al Qur’ân 59:7]

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he has indeed strayed into a plain error. [Al Qur’ân 33:36]

The above mentioned âyahs and other similar ones make it abundantly clear that Allâh has made it obligatory on us to obey His Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Allâh mentions the disbelief of those who reject the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or give precedence to the words of their scholars and the laws and customs of their forefathers over the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

In Islam, the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Messenger of Allâh, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islâmic jurisprudence, the first being the Qur’ân. Both sources are indispensable; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them. The Arabic word hadeeth (pl. ahaadeeth) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical. A hadeeth stands for 'what was transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings or tacit approval. In other words, the Sunnah has been recorded and preserved in the authentic hadeeth literature.

Completeness and Perfection of the Deen

By Allâh's blessing and mercy, Islâm contains the complete and perfect guidance for humanity. Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. [Al Qur’ân 5:3]

Islâm did not neglect any information needed by people to achieve happiness and avoid harm, in all matters - small or large. It informs them of all that would save them from the Fire and let them into the Gardens in the Hereafter. The completeness of Islâm obviously means that it cannot be completed further. Believing otherwise would imply one or more of the following dangerous conclusions:

That Allâh was not truthful in declaring this completeness.
That Allâh has forgotten or missed some details needed to complete the Deen.
That Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has neglected or forgotten to convey some matters needed to complete the Deen.

Needless to add, all of the above conclusions lead a person to disbelief and take him out of the pale of Islâm. This explains why Islâm warns strongly against introducing bid`ahs into the Deen.

Concept of Bid’ah

Bid’ah is the opposite of Sunnah; according to sharee’ah, the definition of bid’ah is ‘worshipping Allâh in ways that Allâh has not prescribed’ i.e., ‘worshipping Allâh in ways that are not those of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)’ So everyone who worships Allâh in a manner that Allâh has not prescribed or in a manner that is not in accordance with the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), is an innovator, whether that innovated worship has to do with the Names and Attributes of Allâh, or to do with His rulings and laws. And there is no such thing in Islam as bid’ah hasanah (good innovation).

In the sahih ahaadeeth it is proven that the Messenger of Allâh warned against bid’ah (innovation) and stated clearly that it is misguidance, so as to show the ummah how serious the matter is and put them off it. For example, it is narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allâh be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari: Book 3, Volume 49, Hadeeth 861; Sahih Muslim: Book 18, Hadeeth 4266]

Jaabir (may Allâh be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allâh (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his khutbah on Friday: “The best of speech is the Book of Allâh and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The worst of matters are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray.” [Sahih Muslim: Book 4, Hadeeth 1885]. an-Nasaa’i added with a jayyid isnaad: “and every going astray will be in the Fire.”

Festivals and Celebrations in Islâm

Islâm allows its adherents to celebrate festivals but, like all other aspects of the Deen, festivals too, can only be legislated by Allâh and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Anas (may Allâh be pleased with him) reported that upon arriving in al-Madeenah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) found its people celebrating two dayswhose significance was held over from the Jaahiliyyah^. The Prophet .said: When I came upon you, you had two days that you continued to celebrate from the Jaahiliyyah; indeed Allâh has substituted them for you with what is better: the day of sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) and the day of breaking the fast (Eid al-Fitr). [Sunan Abu Dawood: Book 3, Hadeeth 1130]

The Month of Shabaan

Shabaan is the eighth month of the Islâmic calendar. It falls between the months of Rajab and Ramadaan. Allâh's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend most part of Shabaan by fasting. Aa'ishah (may Allâh be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and he would not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allâh fasting for an entire month except in Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Shabaan.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari: Book 3, Volume 31, Hadeeth 190]. When Allâh's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, why he fasted so abundantly in the month of Shabaan, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: '(Shabaan) is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadaan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.” [an-Nisa'ee, see Sahih al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, p. 425] This and other ahaadeeth of Allâh’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encourage performing good deeds when people are likely to become negligent of Allâh’s remembrance and worship, like remembering Allâh in the market place, where people get busy in their dealings and in times of difficulty. The virtue and superiority of worshiping Allâh when people tend to become negligent of Allâh’s remembrance is because worship at such times is more difficult than worshiping Allâh when everybody is engaged in the worship.

Fasting in Shabaan serves as training before Ramadaan. However, fasting the whole month of Shabaan is against the Sunnah of Allâh’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Abbas (may Allâh be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allâh (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadaan.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari: Book 3, Volume 31, Hadeeth 192]

Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan or ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’

Many people consider the fifteenth night of Shabaan to be a special night called “Shab-e-Bara’at” and associate this night with special characteristics and blessings. They believe that this is the night in which the Qur’ân was sent down and that the decrees are written on this night. They also believe that the dead visit their living relatives on this night. Based on such beliefs, this night is considered blessed and people spend it in various acts of worship such as offering nafil salaah, visiting graveyards and fasting on the following day. However, all of these beliefs are based on blind-following, and not on the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Here we will mention some of the false beliefs associated with this night and their refutation, insha’Allâh.

a – The Night on which the Qur’ân was sent down

Some people believe that the Qur’ân was revealed on the fifteenth night of Shabaan and commemorate this night as being blessed and they base their belief on the following saying of Allâh (interpretation of the meanings):

We sent it (this Qur'ân) down on a blessed night [Al Qur’ân 44:3]

While the above âyah does say that the night on which the Qur’ân was revealed was a blessed night, this âyah does not tell us as to which night it was. This information is given elsewhere in the Qur’ân. Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'ân) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree). [Al Qur’ân 97:1]

The month of Ramadaan in which was revealed the Qur'ân, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the Criterion (between right and wrong). [Al Qur’ân 2:185]

It is clear from the above two âyahs that the night on which the Qur’ân was sent down is the ‘Night of Al-Qadr’ which is in the month of Ramadaan, and not Shabaan. So, it is this ‘Night of Al-Qadr’ that Allâh refers to as ‘a blessed night’ in Surah 44, Ayah 3. Hence, the belief that the fifteenth night of Shabaan is the night on which the Qur’ân was sent down is false and baseless.

b – The Night on which the Decrees are sent down

To believe that decrees are written on any particular night of our lifetime is erroneous because Allâh wrote the decrees of everything even before He created them. Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees – Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz). [Al Qur’ân 54:49]

Yes, the Decrees are sent down on particular nights but this night is the ‘Night of Al-Qadr’ as Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allâh in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months). Therein descend the angels and the Rûh [Jibrâîl (Gabriel)] by Allâh's Permission with all Decrees, [Al Qur’ân 97:2-4]

Hence, the belief that the Decrees are either written or sent down on the fifteenth night of Shabaan, i.e., ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’ is false and baseless.

c – When does Allâh descend to the lowest heaven?

Some people claim that Allâh descends to the lowest heaven on the fifteenth night of Shabaan to accept His slaves’ prayers and pleas. This belief, too, is wrong as indicated by the following hadeeth. Abu Huraira (may Allâh be pleased with him) reported Allâh's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as saying: Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him? [Sahih Muslim: Book 4, Hadeeth 1656]

It is evidently clear from the above hadeeth that Allâh descends to the lowest heaven in the last third part of every night. Hence, there is no special significance attached to the fifteenth night of Shabaan regarding this matter.

d – Do the souls of the dead visit their relatives?

Those who hold special significance for the fifteenth night of Shabaan and commemorate it as ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’ also hold the belief that the souls of their dead forefathers visit them on this night. Allâh and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have clearly defined to us the journey of the soul after death and the abode of both, the disbelieving souls and the righteous souls. This period between the death and the Hereafter is known as 'Barzakh'. Linguistically, 'Barzakh' means a veil, barrier or partition between two things. Once the soul enters the realm of Barzakh, there is no return for it back into the world as is clearly known from the Qur'ân and the ahaadeeth of Allâh's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Allâh says (interpretation of the meanings):

Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allâh), he says: "My Lord! Send me back, So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected. [Al Qur’ân 23:99-100].

This verse reveals the condition of the disbeliever upon death; when he faces the realities of the Hereafter, he wishes to return back to the world and mend his mistakes, in order to avert the punishment. But he is plainly refused and confined in the grave and punished for his sinful actions because he has entered the Barzakh. It is impossible for him to escape the strong Guardian Angels of Allâh and return back to this world.

The abode of the righteous soul is Paradise, the Messenger of Allâh (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The soul of a believer is a bird eating from the trees of Paradise until Allâh restores it to its body on the Day of Resurrection." [An-Nasa'ee, Ibn Majah and others; authenticated by al-Albanee Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah (p. 455, footnote: 1)]. It is unlikely that the righteous soul, who is surrounded by the bounties of Allâh, would leave the blessings of Allâh and come to the world.

Allâh's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No servant who has good in store for him with Allâh and dies ever wants to return to the Earth - even if he were to have the whole world and everything that is in it - except for the martyr. That is due to what he sees in the nobility of martyrdom. Verily, he would like to return back to the Earth, in order to be martyred another time." [Sahih Sunan at-Tirmidhee: Hadeeth 1341)]

But as the Messenger of Allâh (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) informed, even the martyr is refused the permission to return, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The souls of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise wherever they like and then nestle in these chandeliers. Once, their Lord cast a glance at them and said: "Do you want anything?" They said: "What more can we desire? We eat the fruit of Paradise wherever we like." Their Lord asked them the same question thrice. When they saw that they would be continued to be asked and not left (without answering the question), they said: "O Lord, we wish that You may return our souls to our bodies so that we may be slain in Your cause once again. When He (Allâh) saw that they had no need, they were left (to their joy in Heaven)." [Sahih Muslim: 4651]

These and many other proofs from the Qur'ân and the Sunnah deny the concept of the soul's return, and thus there remains no doubt that souls of the dead do not return back to the world. Hence, the belief that the souls of our ancestors return to this world to visit our homes on ‘Shab-e-Bara’at’ is false and baseless.

Conclusion

All in all, we find that there is nothing mentioned in the Qur’ân and Sunnah about the fifteenth night of Shabaan having any special significance. Those who have instituted false beliefs in the masses regarding this night have no evidence to back up their claims. Rather, all the ahaadeeth that supposedly talk of the grandeur of this night are either mawdoo (fabricated) or daeef (weak). Hence, all special acts of worship performed on this night including, but not limited to, prayers, fasting and visiting graves are innovations in the Deen of Allâh that incur the Wrath of Allâh.

We, therefore, request the sincere Muslim to dissociate himself from all such innovated beliefs and practices that have no basis in the Qur’ân and Sunnah and sincerely strive in doing that which was taught by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), for that is the only way to attain Allâh’s Pleasure. And therein lies our success in this world and the next. And Our Final Call is – All praises are for the One and Only God and Creator, Allâh, who alone is worthy of devotion, complete submission and worship. We declare that there is no other deity or god besides Allâh. We also declare that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allâh.

Is Ram really for real?

2009-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Is the Ram of the Ramayan for real? Years after the Ramjanambhoomi controversy reached eruption point with the demolition of the Babri masjid, the 'reality ' of Ram is once again the cause of impassioned debate and mass agitations which disrupt public order. The source of contention is the Sethusamundram project which proposes to dredge an 83-km-long canal through the sea channel separating India and Sri Lanka, thereby facilitating shipping. However, the sangh parivar has contented that the dredging operations would destroy the 'Ram Setu', built by Ram to cross over into Lanka, which would deeply offend the sensibilities of millions of devotees. The Indian government has cited the Archeological Survey to plead in court that while the Ram legend is an integral part of Indic civilisation and literature, it is not based on 'historical records'. In short, Ram isn't for real.

But of course he isn't, Ram's devotees might well respond. Ram isn't real, he is much more; he's hyper-real. Hyper-reality could be described as that intangible supporting structure that adds significance to our everyday reality which can be weighed and measured and tallied on a balance sheet of profit and loss. Art is an example of hyper-reality (Hamlet never existed, but he's more 'real' than any person we will ever meet). The love of a mother willing to sacrifice her life for a child is another example of the power of hyper-reality. As is spiritual belief, in Ram, or Jesus, or Allah. Hyper-reality transforms existence into life.

Rubbish, realists would say. Life is about progress, not superstition and mumbo-jumbo. Trouble is, how 'real', or progressive, is progress? Environmentalists have joined forces with the parivar in opposing the Sethusamudram project which the greens fear will wreak ecological havoc.

Is environmentalism, often contrasted with progress, also mumbo-jumbo, along with religious belief? Is global warming as much a myth as Ram? Many proponents of progress might say so. Critics, on the other hand, would say it's becoming increasingly difficult to weigh the benefits of progress as against its costs. Not least because the standard kilogram, devised 118 years ago and hermetically sealed in Paris, is mysteriously losing weight. Not much, just 50 microns (which is about as much as the weight of a fingerprint) over the years. But still, the kg, a foundation stone of reality as distinct from fiction, myth or hyper-reality, is different from what it was, is changeable, whether it's because of proton decay or some other 'real' reason no one knows. So, does today's reality weigh (50 microns) less than yesterday's? A perplexing thought. As much so as thinking what would happen if Ram (or Hamlet) went on a diet. Can a myth shed weight like a real kilo can? Presumably not. In which case is the myth, or hyper-reality, more real, in the sense of being more constant, than reality?

Perhaps the real and the hyper-real are inextricable components of the same merry-go-round. As a modern scientist put it: "Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our percepts. What we perceive depends on what we look for. What we look for depends on what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality."

Sethusamudram or Ram Setu? Progress or belief? Take your pick. Only don't do so on the streets, inconveniencing your neighbour. Be it Ram, or anyone else.

2009-06-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

Repair Install

If XP is corrupted to the point where none of the previous solutions get it to boot,
you can do a Repair Install that might work as well as keep the current settings.
Make sure you have your valid WindowsXP key.
The whole process takes about half an hour depending on your computer
If you are being prompted for the administrator's password, you need to choose the 2nd repair option, not the first.

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD
2. At the second R=Repair option, press the R key
3. This will start the repair
4. Press F8 for I Agree at the Licensing Agreement
5. Press R when the directory where WindowsXP is installed is shown. Typically this is C:\WINDOWS
6. It will then check the C: drive and start copying files
7. It will automatically reboot when needed. Keep the CD in the drive.
8. You will then see the graphic part of the repair that is like during a normal install of XP (Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, Finalizing Installation)
9. When prompted, click on the Next button
10. When prompted, enter your XP key
11. Normally you will want to keep the same Workgroup or Domain name
12. The computer will reboot
13. Then you will have the same screens as a normal XP Install
14. Activate if you want (usually a good idea)
15. Register if you want (but not necessary)
16. Finish
17. At this point you should be able to log in with any existing accounts.

NTOSKRNL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Change to the drive that has the CD ROM.
5. CD i386
6. expand ntkrnlmp.ex_ C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe
7. If WindowsXP is installed in a different location, just make the necessary change to C:\Windows
8. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
5. Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. cd \windows\system32\config
6. Depending on which section was corrupted:
ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
7. Depending on which section was corrupted
copy \windows\repair\system
copy \windows\repair\software
8. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found

If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,

If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.

For NTFS:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

QUR'AN SPEAKS TO YOU

2009-06-27T03:07:00.000-07:00

Alluring Comforts

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The love of worldly desires, such as women and offspring, heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, horses of high mark, cattle and plantations, is made alluring to man. These are the comforts of this life. With Allah is the best of all goals.
(The House of Imran, “Aal Imran”: 3;14)

Commentary by Sayyid Qutb, Translated by A.A. Salahi & S.A. Shamsi.

This verse belongs to that part of the Qur’an which is concerned mainly with educating the Muslim community. It points out a number of subtle natural incentives which may cause people to deviate from the right path, unless they are properly controlled. In order to control them, one must always be on the alert, look up to more sublime horizons and aspire to those comforts which remain with Allah, for these are indeed far superior to worldly comforts.

Pursuing worldly pleasures and giving priority to personal desires and pleasures will no doubt distract a person’s mind and prevent him from reflecting on what fruits one is bound to reap or what lessons one can learn from the facts of life. People are thus drowned in easy, physical pleasures, unable to see what lies beyond: better and superior comforts. They are thus deprived of the enjoyment of looking beyond the cheap, physical pleasure, and the enjoyment of being preoccupied with the nobler concerns which fit with the great role of man on this earth and are worthy of a creature whom Allah has appointed as vicegerent in this great dominion, the earth.

Those physical pleasures and worldly comforts and incentives are, nevertheless, naturally infused in man by the Creator to fulfil for man the essential role of preserving the continuity of life. Hence, Islam does not approve of their suppression. It advocates that they should be regulated, moderated and brought under control. Islam wants man to be able to control these desires, not to be controlled by them. Islam promotes the feeling of the sublime in man and helps him look up to what is higher and superior.

Hence, the Qur’anic statement which is concerned with the education of the Muslim community mentions all these comforts and pleasures, but portrays alongside them a variety of physical and spiritual pleasures which are provided in the life to come for those who control their natural incentives in this life, maintaining their noble human standard, and do not allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the cheap, physical enjoyments of this world.

In a single verse, the Surah groups together the most enjoyed pleasures of this life: women, children, endless wealth, splendid horses, fertile land and cattle.

These are the total sum of worldly pleasures. Either by themselves or because of what they can provide for their owners of other pleasures. In the following verse, the pleasures of the hereafter are mentioned: Gardens beneath which rivers flow, spouses renowned for their chastity, and what is much more: Allah’s good pleasure. These are in store for anyone who looks beyond the pleasures of this world, maintains his good relationship with Allah in the manner portrayed by the two verses which follow in this passage: “ The love of worldly desires, such as women and offspring, heaped-up treasures of gold and sliver, horses of high mark, cattle and plantations, is made alluring to man. These are the comforts of this life. With Allah is the best of all goals. Say : shall I tell you of better things than these? For the God-fearing there are, with their Lord, gardens beneath which rivers flow where they shall dwell forever, and wives of perfect chastity, and Allah’s good pleasure. Allah is mindful of His servants, those who say: Our Lord, we have indeed accepted the faith. Forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the torments of the fire. They are the patient in adversity, true to their word, the devoted who spend in the cause of Allah, and those who pray for forgiveness at the time of dawn.” “The love of worldly desires.. is made alluring to man.” In the original Arabic text, the verb in this sentence is expressed in the passive voice which indicates that this love is part of their nature. Hence, this is a statement of fact. Man certainly loves to enjoy these pleasures. There is no need, then, either to deny that love or to denounce and condemn it. It is essential for human life so that it may continue and progress. But there is certainly another side which is also infused in human nature to balance that love and to guard man against being totally consumed by it to the extent that he loses the great effects of the spiritual element in his constitution. That aspect provides man with the ability to look up to the sublime and control his desires and fulfil them in a befitting and appropriate measure. He can thus achieve his fulfilment and aspire at the same time to elevate human life to the standard he can achieve through his spiritual nature and look forward to the life to come where he can enjoy Allah’s good pleasure. This ability can hold the worldly desires in check, purify them and keep them within safe limits so that the physical pleasure does not overwhelm the human soul and its aspirations. To turn to Allah and to fear Him show the way to the achievement of those aspirations.

The verse speaks of those worldly desires as being made alluring to man. There is no suggestion, implicit or explicit, that they are contemptible or that they should be treated as such. We are only called upon to understand their nature in order to place them in their appropriate place in our lives and not allow them to suppress what is superior to and nobler than them. We are indeed called upon to aspire to higher horizons after we have taken what is sufficient and necessary for us of those pleasures.

Islam is distinguished by its realistic approach to human nature and its attempt to elevate, not to suppress it. Those who speak nowadays about the harmful effects of the “suppression” of natural desires, or about the inferiority complexes which result from such suppression agree that the main reason for such complexes of inferiority is the suppression of natural desires, not their control. Suppression comes from the condemnation of natural desires or looking down on them with contempt. This places the individual under two types of pressure which pull in opposite directions. There is first the pressure of his feeling, formulated by social traditions or religion, that physical desires are contemptible and should not have existed in the first place. They are portrayed as sinful and evil. There is, on the other hand, the pressure of these desires themselves which cannot be overcome because they are deeply rooted in human nature, having an essential role in human life. Indeed, they have not been made part of human nature in vain. As this conflict rages within man, it gives rise to “inferiority complexes.” This is the opinion held by the scientists specialized in psychology. Assuming that their theory is correct, we still find that Islam has kept man safe from this conflict between the two parts of the human soul, the temptation of desire and pleasure and the aspirations to desire and pleasure and the aspirations to a nobler existence. It caters for the fulfilment of both, combining continuity with moderation.

Women of Paradise -I

2009-06-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

Women of Paradise -I : 'The Black Woman'
By Haled Abu Sail

Paradise is for believing men and women. We often hear speakers in Friday prayer or in admonitions talking about Paradise and all of us find our hearts, minds and thoughts tuned on to that ‘frequency’. However, majority of the speakers talk about Paradise as if it were a house for men only. Reality is not like that. Paradise is for the believing men and women. The only price for it is sound belief in Allah, love of Allah and His Messenger (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) and obedience to Allah and His Messenger salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam.

In what follows are the glad tidings given by the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) to some of the women among his companions.

Narrated ‘Aisha (radhiya Allahu anha): I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija (although) she died before he married me, for I often heard him mentioning her, and Allah had told him to give her the good tidings that she would have a palace of Qasab (i.e. pipes of precious stones and pearls in Paradise), and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would send her women-friends a good share of it. [Sahih al-Bukhari] Anas reports that the Messenger of Allah, (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘The best women of mankind are four: Mariam daughter of `Imraan, Assiya wife of Pharaoh, Khadija daughter of Khuwailid, and Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allah.’ [Bukhari and Muslim] Narrated Abu Hurairah: Jibriel (Gabriel) came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! This is Khadija coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (i.e. Allah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a Qasab (palace in Paradise) wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).’ [al-Bukhari]

Narrated ‘Ata bin Abi Rabah: Ibn ‘Abbas said to me, ‘Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This black woman came to the Prophet and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet said (to her), ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.’ [al-Bukhari]

The aforementioned ahadeeth clearly state the stature of some of the women given the glad tidings of Jannah (Paradise). What can the women of today do in order to achieve that pinnacle of success-Paradise?

To do so one MUST learn how these women lived, how they behaved, how they spoke, how they dressed, how they walked, etc. In this issue of al-Mu’minah we will try to learn from the black woman mentioned in the last Hadith, insha’Allah. The black woman is not even known by her name, or her exact whereabouts, rather she is known by her deeds, her faith, her modesty, her chastity, and for her being an inmate of Paradise. And, in the end, that is what matters most. When Abdullah Ibn Abbas (radhiya Allahu anhu) said ‘this black woman’, he did not mean to point at her race or to belittle her in any way. Indeed, he but meant to teach the people around him a great principle of Islam which is mentioned in the verse, [in the meaning of] : O people! We have created you from a man and a woman and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know each other, verily the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah are the most pious.

The same principle is mentioned in the Hadith: ‘Allah does not look at your pictures (shapes) and bodies but He looks at your hearts (and your deeds).’ [Muslim] She (the black woman) was physically sick, yet she sought cure in the du`a of the Messenger of Allah, (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam). She knew that the one who cures, ash-Shaafee, is Allah, and Allah would answer the du`a of His Messenger (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam). We conclude from that, that du`a heals all diseases, be they of the body or of the heart. When commenting on this Hadith, al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: ‘It is inferred from this hadith that the cure of diseases through du`a and supplication to Allah (wa al-iltijaa’ ilaa Allah) is the most successful way of healing, but this cannot be fulfilled unless two conditions are satisfied: pure intention and sincere trust in the effectiveness of the du`a, and righteousness and reliance on Allah.

The fact that the Prophet (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have (enter) Paradise’ is a proof for the virtue and reward of patience during sickness. In another Hadith, he, (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam), says: ‘Whenever a hardship affects the Muslim, he will be forgiven for it, even when he is pricked by a spike.’ [Muslim]

And in another Hadith, also narrated by Muslim, Ummu as-Sa’ib cursed fever, to which the Prophet (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told her: ‘Do not curse fever, for it takes away the sins like the blaze [fire] takes away the impurities of iron.’ The black woman preferred the suffering of this world, to get the eternal reward of Paradise! She suffered from sickness, yet her pain and discomfort did not force her to forego pleasing Allah! And no matter who one is, if one is in the path of Allah, one will encounter difficulties, because Paradise is surrounded by hardships. If things are easy and life is rosy, then one must check oneself; are we following the true Islam? Especially in this western environment it may be difficult for a young woman to wear the dress of modesty, the hijab (even though it is mandatory), not to talk to men and keep away from them (which is also mandatory), except when necessary.

All these may be difficult to achieve for some in the beginning, but when one overcomes oneself for the sake of Allah, then all the other obstacles become baseless. So, how to overcome oneself? By knowing Allah by His names and attributes; by loving and obeying Allah and His Messenger, (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) and then the help of Allah will come, insha’Allah. She (the black woman) preferred being patient, but could not tolerate that her honour, her modesty and her chastity be damaged or even touched, nor that any part of her body be uncovered, though she had no control over it. Indeed she was a real slave and servant of Allah; she was a faithful, a believer, a Muslimah, a righteous and pious woman, a truthful woman, and she was loyal to Allah and His Messenger (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam). Besides having these awe-inspiring qualities, she was also a wise and a great woman, as her memorable words rang ...: ‘... but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’

If words are to be written in Gold, these words should be written in gold ... Remember this simple equation:

Iman + Suffering + Patience = Paradise

It can also be inferred that the righteous Muslim woman inherently loves to be covered, loves modesty and chastity and hates revealing her body and her beauty. The black woman, (radhiya Allahu ‘anha) could sustain being so sick but could not bear to be uncovered in front of people.

The issue, one must understand, is not of black or white or Arab or non-Arab, rich or poor, noble [with lineage] or not, it is rather of a creed so deeply rooted in the hearts of Muslims like blood flows in the arteries and veins of people. They are those who are totally committed to Islam. Fourteen Hundred years of history showed that Muslim women could sustain hunger, poverty, sickness but could never sustain disobeying Allah. The wife would tell her husband when leaving for work: ‘Fear Allah in us, for we can sustain hunger and thirst but we cannot sustain Hell fire [i.e. do not acquire unlawful earning].’

Dear sisters, ask yourself what made Khadija (radhiya Allahu ‘anha) be greeted by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) and by Jibreel (alaihi as-Salaam). Ask yourself what made Khadija be rewarded a Palace in Jannah as no one can imagine. Reading the biography of Khadija and others like her in greatness, one would wish to be at their service; to carry their shoes, wash their clothes, to serve them in any possible way and get du‘a from them. It is sad that we just don’t know the great personalities of this Ummah. If only we strive to study the lives of the righteous that preceded us, we would find in them immense guidance for our existence, and if we know them and follow them we could be in the forefront of mankind ...

It is said, ‘Iman (faith) is not by hope, it is rather what occurs in the heart and is proved by the deeds [maa waqa`a fil qalbi wa saddaqahul-`amal].’ We leave you to think about this and pray to Allah to make us all among the dwellers of Paradise and to bestow upon us the faith and the patience that lead us to Paradise. And to bless the present Muslim Ummah with many women like the black woman, (radhiya Allahu `anha) (may Allah be pleased with her), who help us focus on the straight path ...

tips n tricks, windows

2009-06-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another Hacking Truths Manual. This time I have a collection of Tips and Tricks which no body normally knows, the secrets which Microsoft is afraid to tell the people, the information which you will seldom find all gathered up and arranged in a single file. To fully reap this Manual you need to have a basic understanding of the Windows Registry, as almost all the Tricks and Tips involve this file.

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Important Note: Before you read on, you need to keep one thing in mind. Whenever you make changes to the Windows Registry you need to Refresh it before the changes take place. Simply press F5 to refresh the registry and enable the changes. If this does not work Restart your system

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Exiting Windows the Cool and Quick Way

Normally it takes a hell lot of time just Shutting down Windows, you have to move your mouse to the Start Button, click on it, move it again over Shut Down, click, then move it over the necessary option and click, then move the cursor over the OK button and once again (you guessed it) click.This whole process can be shortened by creating shortcuts on the Desktop which will shut down Windows at the click of a button. Start by creating a new shortcut( right click and select New> Shortcut). Then in the command line box, type (without the quotes.)

'C:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec'

This Shortcut on clicking will restart Windows immediately without any Warning. To create a Shortcut to Restarting Windows, type the following in the Command Line box:

'c:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows'

This Shortcut on clicking will shut down Windows immediately without any Warning.

Ban Shutdowns : A trick to Play on Lamers

This is a neat trick you can play on that lamer that has a huge ego, in this section I teach you, how to disable the Shut Down option in the Shut Down Dialog Box. This trick involves editing the registry, so please make backups. Launch regedit.exe and go to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In the right pane look for the NoClose Key. If it is not already there then create it by right clicking in the right pane and selecting New > String Value.(Name it NoCloseKey ) Now once you see the NoCloseKey in the right pane, right click on it and select Modify. Then Type 1 in the Value Data Box.

Doing the above on a Win98 system disables the Shut Down option in the Shut Down Dialog Box. But on a Win95 machine if the value of NoCloseKey is set to 1 then click on the Start > Shut Down button displays the following error message:

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

You can enable the shut down option by changing the value of NoCloseKey to 0 or simply deleting the particular entry i.e. deleting NoCloseKey.

Instead of performing the above difficult to remember process, simply save the following with an extension of .reg and add it's contents to the registry by double clicking on it.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

"NoClose"="1"

Disabling Display of Drives in My Computer

This is yet another trick you can play on your geek friend. To disable the display of local or networked drives when you click My Computer go to :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Now in the right pane create a new DWORD item and name it NoDrives. Now modify it's value and set it to 3FFFFFF (Hexadecimal) Now press F5 to refresh. When you click on My Computer, no drives will be shown. To enable display of drives in My Computer, simply delete this DWORD item. It's .reg file is as follows:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

"NoDrives"=dword:03ffffff

Take Over the Screen Saver

*(Not Check) To activate and deactivate the screen saver whenever you want, goto the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ScreenSavers

Now add a new string value and name it Mouse Corners. Edit this new value to -Y-N. Press F5 to refresh the registry. Voila! Now you can activate your screensaver by simply placing the mouse cursor at the top right corner of the screen and if you take the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen, the screensaver will deactivate.

Pop a banner each time Windows Boots

To pop a banner which can contain any message you want to display just before a user is going to log on, go to the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinLogon

Now create a new string Value in the right pane named LegalNoticeCaption and enter the value that you want to see in the Menu Bar. Now create yet another new string value and name it: LegalNoticeText. Modify it and insert the message you want to display each time Windows boots. This can be effectively used to display the company's private policy each time the user logs on to his NT box. It's .reg file would be:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]

"LegalNoticeCaption"="Caption here."

Delete the Tips of the Day to save 5KB

Windows 95 had these tips of the day which appeared on a system running a newly installed Windows OS. These tips of the day are stored in the Windows Registry and consume 5K of space. For those of you who are really concerned about how much free space your hard disk has, I have the perfect trick.

To save 5K go to the following key in Regedit:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips

Now simply delete these tricks by selecting and pressing the DEL key.

Change the Default Locations

To change the default drive or path where Windows will look for it's installation files, go to the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath

Now you can edit as you wish.

Secure your Desktop Icons and Settings

You can save your desktop settings and secure it from your nerdy friend by playing with the registry. Simply launch the Registry Editor go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In the right pane create a new DWORD Value named NoSaveSettings and modify it's value to 1. Refresh and restart for the settings to get saved.

CLSID Folders Explained

Don't you just hate those stubborn stupid icons that refuse to leave the desktop, like the Network Neighborhood icon. I am sure you want to know how you can delete them. You may say, that is really simple, simply right click on the concerned icon and select Delete. Well not exactly, you see when you right click on these special folders( see entire list below)neither the rename nor the delete option does not appear. To delete these folders, there are two methods, the first one is using the System Policy Editor(Poledit in the Windows installation CD)and the second is using the Registry.

Understanding God

2009-06-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

Different types of Major Kufr (disbelief)

The Qur�an uses the word Kufr to denote people who cover up or hide realities. The Qur�an uses this word to identify those who denied Allah�s favours by not accepting His Dominion and Authority. Kufr thus is an antonym for Iman or disbelief in Allah and a Kafir is a non-believer. This type of Kufr is called AL-KUFRUL AKBAR or major kufr. There are many types of Al-Kufrul Akbar

1. Kufrul-�Inaad

Disbelief out of stubbornness. This applies to someone who knows the truth and admits to knowing the truth and admits to knowing it with his tongue, but refuses to accept it and refrains from making a declaration.

Allah(swt) says: Throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever [Surah Qaaf (50), Ayah 24]

2. Kufrul-Inkaar

Disbelief out of denial. This applies to someone who denies with both heart and tongue.

Allah(swt) says: They recognize the favours of Allah, yet they deny them. Most of them are disbelievers. [Surah Nahl(16), Ayah 83]

3. Kufrul-Kibr

Disbelief out of arrogance and pride. The disbelief by the devils (Iblis) is an example of this type of Kufr.

4. Kufrul-Juhood

Disbelief out of rejection. This applies to someone who acknowledges the truth in his heart, but rejects it with his tongue. This types of kufr is applicable to those who calls themselves Muslims but who reject any necessary and accepted norms of Islam such as Salaat and Zakat.

Allah (swt) says: They denied them (OUR SIGNS) even though their hearts believed in them , out of spite and arrogance. [Surah Naml(27), Ayah 14]

5. Kufrul-Nifaaq

Disbelief out of hypocrisy. This applies to someone who pretends to be a believer but conceals his disbelief. Such a person is called a MUNAFIQ or hypocrite. Allah( swt) says: Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell. You will find no one to help them. [Surah An Nisaa (4), Ayah 145]

6. Kufrul-Istihaal

Disbelief out of trying to make HARAM into HALAL. This applies to someone who accepts as lawful (Halal) that which Allah has made unlawful (Haram) like alcohol or adultery. Only Allah(swt) has the prerogative to make things Halal and Haram and those who seek to interfere with His right are like rivals to Him and therefore fall outside the boundries of faith.

7. Kufrul-Kurh

Disbelief out of detesting any of Allah�s (swt) commands. Allah(swt) says: Perdition (destruction) has been consigned to those who disbelieve and He will render their actions void. This is because they are averse to that which Allah has revealed so He has made their actions fruitless. [Surah Muhammad (47), Ayah 8-9]

8. Kufrul-Istihzaha

Disbelief due to mockery and derision. Allah (swt) says: Say: Was it at Allah, His signs and His apostles that you were mocking? Make no excuses. You have disbelieved after you have believed. [Surah Taubah (9), ayah 65-66]

9. Kufrul-I�raadh

Disbelief due to avoidance. This applies to those who turn away and avoid the truth. Allah(swt) says: And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of his Lord�s signs but then turns away from them. Then he forgets what he has sent forward (for the Day of Judgement) [Surah Kahf (18), Ayah 57]

10. Kufrul-Istibdaal

Disbelief because of trying to substitute Allah�s Laws. This could take the form of:
(a) Rejection of Allah�s law (Shari�ah) without denying it
(b) Denial of Allah�s law and therefore rejecting it, or
(c) Substituting Allah�s laws with man-made laws.

Allah (swt) says: Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed. [Surah Shuraa (42), Ayah 8]

Allah(swt) says: Say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely (that) is lawful and this is forbidden so as to invent a lie against Allah. Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah will never prosper. [Surah Nahl (16), Ayah 116]

The following information was excerpted from TAFSIR IBN KATHIR.

understanding god

2009-06-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

Concept of God in major Religions - : All Religions Ultimately Believe in Monotheism

All major religions that believe in the existence of God ultimately, on a higher level, believe in one supreme God. All religious scriptures actually speak about monotheism i.e. belief in only one true God.

People change scriptures for their benefit

By the passage of time most of the religious scriptures have been distorted and changed by people for their own benefits. The creed of many religions has thus been distorted from monotheism to pantheism or polytheism. The Holy Qur�an says:

�Then woe to those who write The Book with their own hands, And then say: �This is from Allah,� To traffic with it For a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands Do write, and for the gain They make thereby.� [Holy Qur�an 2:79]

Tawheed Definition and Categories

Islam believes in �Tawheed� which is not merely monotheism i.e. belief in one unique God, but much more. Tawheed literally means �unification� i.e. �asserting oneness� and is derived from the Arabic verb �Wahhada� which means to unite, unify or consolidate. Tawheed can be divided into 3 categories. (i) Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (ii) Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-sifaat (iii) Tawheed al-Ibaadah.

a. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship)

The first category is �Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah�. �Ruboobeeyah� is derived from the root verb �Rabb� meaning Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher.

Therefore �Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah� means maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe and all between it, without any need from it or for it.

b. Tawheed al-Asmaa was-sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah�s name and attributes)

The second category is �Tawheed al Asmaa was sifaat� which means maintaining the unity of Allah�s name and attributes. This category is divided into five aspects:

(i) Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet: Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings.

(ii) Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name al-Ghaadib (the Angry One), despite the fact that he has said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this name.

(iii) Allah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation, In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving him the attributes of those He has created. For instance in the Bible, God is portrayed as repenting for his bad thoughts in the same way as humans do when they realize their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tawheed. God does not repent and He does not commit any mistakes or errors.

The key principle when dealing with Allah�s attributes is given in the Holy Qur�an in Surah Ash-Shurah:

�There is nothing Whatever like unto Him, And He is the One that hears and sees (all things).� [Holy Qur�an 42:11]

Although hearing and seeing are human qualities, when attributed to the divine being they are without comparison in their perfection unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing.

(iv) Men should not be given any attribute of God: To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also against the principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to a person as one who has no beginning or end (eternal).

(v) Allah�s name cannot be given to his creatures: Some divine names in the indefinite form, like �Raoof� or �Raheem� are permissible names for men as Allah has used them for Prophets; but �Ar-Raoof� (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem (the most Merciful) can only be used if prefixed by �Abd� meaning �slave of� or �servant of�. i.e. �Abdur-Raoof� or �Abdur-Raheem�. [Holy Qur�an (42:11)]

c. Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship)

(i) Definition and meaning of Ibadaah:

Tawheed al-Ibaadah means maintaining the unity of worship or �Ibaadah�. Ibaadah is derived from Arabic word �Abd� meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadah means servitude and worship. Salaah is one of the highest forms of Ibaadah i.e. worship but is not the only form. People misunderstand that worship of Almighty God only means ritual prayers but the concept of worship in Islam includes total obedience, submission and servitude. Following the commandments of God and abstaining from things He has forbidden is Ibaadah (worship) and this worship is only due to Allah alone and to no one else.

(ii) All three categories to be followed simultaneously.

Only believing in the first two categories of Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. The Qur�an gives the examples of �Mushrikeens� (idolaters) of the Prophet�s time who confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur�an: Say: �Who is it that Sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that Has power over hearing And sight? And who Is it that brings out The living from the dead And the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs? They will soon say, �Allah�. Say, �Will you not then show piety (to Him)?� [Holy Qur�an 10:31] A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of the Holy Qur�an:�If thou ask them, Who Created them, they will certainly say, Allah: how Then are they deluded Away (from the Truth)?� [Holy Qur�an 43:87] The pagan Meccans knew that Allah was their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they were not Muslims because they also worshipped other gods besides Allah. Allah categorized them as �Kuffaars� (disbelievers) and �Mushrikeen� (idol worshippers and those who associate partners with God). �And most of them Believe not in Allah without associating (others As partners) with Him!� [Holy Qur�an 12:106]

Thus Tawheed al-Ibaadah i.e. maintaining the unity of worship is the most important aspect of Tawheed. He alone deserves worship and He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship.

Shirk

a. Definition:

The omission of any of the above mentioned categories of tawheed or deficiency in the fulfilment of any criteria of Tawheed is referred to as �shirk�.

Shirk literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry.

b. Shirk is the greatest sin

which Allah will never forgives. The Holy Qur�an describes the greatest sin in Surah Nisa: �Allah forgives not That partners should be set up With Him; but He forgives Anything else, to whom He pleases; to setup Partners with Allah Is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed� [Holy Qur�an 4:48] The same message is repeated in Surah Nisa: �Allah forgives not (The sin of) joining other gods With Him; but He forgives Whom He pleases other sins Than this: one who joins Other gods with Allah, Has strayed far, far away (From the Right).� [Holy Qur�an 4:116]

c. Shirk leads to hell fire

The Qur�an says in Surah Maidah: �They do blaspheme who say: �Allah is Christ the son Of Mary.� But said Christ: �O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord And your Lord�. Whoever Joins other gods with Allah -Allah will forbid him The Garden, and the Fire Will be his abode. There will For the wrongdoers Be no one to help.� [Holy Qur�an 5:72]

d. Worship and obedience to none but Allah:

The Qur�an mentions in Surah Al-Imran: Say: �O people Of the Book! Come To common terms As between us and you: That we worship None but Allah; That we associate No partners with Him; That we erect not, From among ourselves, Lords and patrons Other than Allah.� If then they turn back, Say ye: �Bear witness that we (at least) Are Muslims (bowing To Allah�s Will).� [Holy Qur�an 3:64]

Conclusion

The Holy Qur�an says: �Revile not ye Those whom they call upon Besides Allah, lest They out of spite Revile Allah In their ignorance.� [Holy Qur�an 6:108] �And if all the trees On earth were pens And the Ocean (were ink), With seven Oceans behind it To add to its (supply), Yet would not the Words Of Allah be exhausted (In the writing): for Allah Is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom.� [Holy Qur�an 31:27]

�O men! Here is A parable set forth! Listen to it! Those On whom, besides Allah, You call, cannot create (Even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch Away anything from them, They would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition And those whom they petition!� [Holy Qur�an 22:73] And all Praise be to Allah, the Lord, Creator, Cherisher and Sustainer of all the Worlds!