Islam Glows

"People should think about how they would feel if they left behind young, vulnerable children and were afraid someone might treat them unfairly. So they should fear Allah and always speak fairly and justly." Surah 4 verse 9.

*GIRLS' SAFETY INITIATIVE*

There is a growing trend of insecurity all over, but the most worrisome is the situation of the girl child. This is because the girl child is the most vulnerable of the human species. It is therefore very important that we do all we can, to protect her.

Every little girl you see out there is a prospective wife, and a future mother. So, inside that little body resides the future of humanity. Let us make the world safer for her, it is also for us all.

When you look at a little girl, what you see is the purity and beauty of innocence, but criminals see *s*x appeal*. That is very strange, but that is why they are criminals.

Let's take note of the following safety precautions for the girl, against s*xual abuse, the most worrisome aspect of the insecurity.

1. *Do not let your girl child get too familiar with male neighbours, workers or lesson teachers*.

2. *Discourage her visit to male apartments alone. This includes running errands that entail entering their room*.

3. *Also, be careful how you release your girl to go and visit her 'friends' and 'classmates'.*
Criminals know how to set traps.

4. *Let her not be fond of receiving, or requesting for gifts from people especially males*. It is by this that a trap is arranged.

5. *As much as possible, avoid leaving your girl child alone at home*.

6. *Regularly chat with your girl child. This is when you tell her not to allow and ask her of any touching of her private part by any male*. Both are of paramount importance.

7. *Notice the change of mood of your girl, or the way she walks. Has she been withdrawing? Is she afraid?*
Rapists threaten children, should they tell anybody what happened to them.

8. *Tell your children there is no room for secrets with Dad, Mum, or siblings.* Evil grows in secrecy.

9. *On a regular basis, examine your girl's private part to see any possible tampering.*
*Also check her pant to see any blood stains.*

10. *In place of pants, a pair of shorts is s

A guy attended a wedding. After the wedding the reception was a gathering of 30 people. He sat at the front seat.

Then a lady started sharing food.She started from the back and unfortunately, it didn't reach those at the front.

When her friends started sharing drinks they started from the front but unfortunately, he has already changed to the back Again the drink didn't reach him.

He was so furious and he stood up to take his leave but then he saw three ladies each with a big bowl. This he tried to be wise by seating in the middle. To his uttermost surprise, one of the ladies started sharing from the front.... and the second started from the back. It was turkey meat. When it got to the middle where he was seated it got finished again.

Feeling so frustrated, he bent his head, not looking at any face...... but then the third lady tapped him and stretched her bowl that he should pick.... he stretched his hand.... Guess what was in the bowl??? Toothpick.

LESSON
Wait on the Lord and he will locate you wherever you are. Don't change your faith/belief.
God knows your seat!!!
Don't try to be smart and miss your blessings… God knows where you are and definitely his divine blessing will not pass you.

Celebrating The Birthday of Our Beloved Prophet.

Why some people accept and some unaccept the celebration of the prophet (s.a.w )? What is your opinion?

Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in the Qur’aan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death. Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace). He said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.’”
Reported by al-Bukhaari.

What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: “That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.” (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa’i and Abu Dawood).

Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Was it reported that ‘Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or ‘Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that ‘Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

To be continued, inshaa Allah.

Salamul Lahi Alaykum...

S*X BEFORE MARRIAGE 04

But when we devoid man and woman’s relationship of those everlasting meanings and lower it to fulfillment of temporary physical needs and infatuations…are we really doing ourselves any justice? There is a notion among some people that premarital relations are necessary so that the couples get to ‘know and test’ one another. But this is really a delusion and it is degrading and humiliating. There is no way one will know what will happen in the future, no matter how long they ‘test drive’ their partners. Only Allah The Knower of the future and the unseen know that. And if couples are united for His Sake and with His Guidance, then He will be The One who descends peace, mercy, love and tranquility upon them– at the end, He is The Owner of Peace, Love and Mercy.
The idea of “let me try her/him first and if I didn’t feel that he/she is perfect enough for me or I don’t feel like I want to continue in this relationship, then I’ll easily ditch him/her. No worries. No strings attached,” this – if anything- is selfishness and lack of responsibility.
We are not going to have ‘perfect’ partners. But we choose people based on values of true faith, righteousness, responsibility, good reputation and initial attraction… and then we commit and ask the Creator to bless and ease and aid both partners on their path and place between them His eternal bond, His mercy, affection and tranquility.
Al Hassan Al Basri, one of the most renowned theologians and scholars of Islam, said: “marry your daughter to one with sound religion (knowledge of Allah and the deen), so if he loved her, he’ll honor her and if he ever disliked her, he will not commit injustice against her.”
These are the basis upon which we choose partners.

S*X BEFORE MARRIAGE 03
But the first scenario for many people seem easier…
Fulfilling physical needs is easy; any creature can do
that — even those who are below us in rank and are not gifted with intellect or ability to purify and discipline their beings and desires.
It’s easy to submit to the basic physical needs. But what Allah and Islam are calling us for is to elevate above the physical and explore meanings that are much deeper, richer and more everlasting than that.
Marriage in Islam is more than fulfilment of physical
urges. It is peace, mercy and tranquillity to the
heart, mind and soul. It is meant to be a journey of intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical growth and elevation.
It is considered an act of worship! It follows the path that the Creator has revealed to His Messengers to teach humanity.
It is a completion of one’s faith. Faith in marriage is a language and a deep bond between the couple. Those who are connected through their love for their Creator, their gratitude towards Him, their desire for His Closeness, their pursuit of
His Knowledge….. All of this creates a major
common ground brought into the relationship between
the partners. It’s like they bring an eternal bond
that connects them with their Eternal Creator, and
they hope and pray to remain connected for eternity in the afterlife.
This is what’s meant to go on between believing
partners. When we pray for partners, we ask for
someone who could help us get closer to our Creator,
help us learn more about Him, fall more in love with Him and be persistent on our journey towards Him.
The bond between spouses is beautifully described in the Qur’an by Allah who says about spouses:“[…] They are your garment and you are their garment”, “ […] They are clothing for you and
you are clothing for them” (Qur’an 2: 187).
Meaning they’re so close to you, they cover you,
they fulfill your every need and you fulfill them…
Even more significantly, marriage is described in the
Qur’an as a sign of the Creator:“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in
them; and He placed between you affection and
mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought” (Qur’an 30: 21)
A sign leads to a destination. He said that this relationship is one of His signs. This is because when we experience mercy, we get reminded that Allah’s Name/Attribute is The Most Merciful, The Source of
Mercy… any mercy we experience is a fraction of His Infinite Mercy. This helps us long for Him. When we experience deep affection (or wud in Arabic), we remember that His Name is Al Wadud, The Source of Ultimate Pure Affection. When we love our partners, we also fall deeply in love and gratitude to The One Who created them. A husband and wife smiling at each other is an act of worship that is rewarded by Him. There are so many experiences we go through and they are a reflection of His Presence, His Names and His Gifts…

S*X BEFORE MARRIAGE 2
Or
That a woman’s body, feelings and needs are
sanctified and guarded by The Creator Himself; if
someone wishes to enjoy her, then he has to testify before Allah and witnesses and provide a contract stating that he will be responsible for providing her with her financial needs, emotional needs, physical needs and legal rights. And if any harm or injustice is
inflicted on her by him, then he will be held
accountable for it before The Creator on The Day of Judgment…

Which scenario better dignifies and protects women?

Is the first scenario really liberating, or is it
humiliating and degrading to the woman’s body, feelings, needs and rights?

Is the second scenario really old fashioned and
oppressive, or is it dignifying and elevating?
If you contemplate this issue with open mind and
heart, you’ll realize that Allah doesn’t want for
the woman to be abused, s*xualized or made easily
available, cheap or accessible to men to use as they please. And Allah doesn’t want for the man to be a slave of his desires and commit injustices against himself or others on account of his lusts and physical
urges.

That’s not real love and that’s not honorable or
elevating type of relationships for human beings.
Allah says:“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for
them of the good things and preferred them over
much of what We have created, with [definite]
preference.” (Qur’an 17: 70)

Allah specifically honored us above other creations.

S*X BEFORE MARRIAGE 1

The dignity of human beings and especially the dignity of women is something that is utterly valued and highly sanctified in Islam.

A woman’s womb in Arabic ‘rahm’ is extracted from the name of Allah Himself‘ArRahman' (The
Most Merciful). This is a sign of elevation and
closeness the woman has with The Creator Himself,
The King of kings, the Giver of Life. Allah chose
women to be the carriers of life into existence and
this is an honorable position.

Wherever she is, the woman must be taken care of, protected and honored. If she is in her dad’s house, then raising her and spending on her is an act of worship for him that he’ll be rewarded for by Allah.

If she is in her husband’s house, then spending on
her and treating her kindly and gently are acts of
worship for him that he’ll be rewarded for by Allah.
This is all in the most authentic narrations of this religion.

When Islam came, it empowered women with rights and dignity, something that was abused in their time. And that’s not in pre-Islam time only … it seems to be in our time today as well!

One manifestation of this is the idea of girlfriends/ boyfriends and having premarital relations. Some think that this is liberating for women, and they blame Islam/Muslims for being uptight or oppressive.

But let’s think about this together. Honestly and objectively, which is a more dignified scenario:

That a woman gives her body, emotions, time and
care freely to someone who can enjoy all that and
leave her whenever he wants without owing her
anything or committing to her in anyway or giving her any rights…

Or

NO! NO! NOT YET! NOT YET!

Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the son of the great Imam, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, narrates a story of his father coming close to death. Shortly before passing away, the venerable scholar grew ill and at one point seemed on the threshold of death. His family gathered around him and began to pray. More people came as they heard of his state. All the people around him were evoking the name of Allah saying: "There is no God but Allah." His son sat by his head urging his weakened father to repeat the creed. Yet to his son's dismay, Imam Ibn Hanbal said with strength: "No! No!" His son pressed him to say La ilah illah'Llah. But he kept saying: "No...not yet, not yet."

When Imam Ahmad came back to his senses, his son asked him about his statement.

Imam Ahmad replied: "Shaytan came to me to try and lead me astray and I told him: No! No! Then he came again and said: "Ahmad! You are free [meaning, I have lost you]." To this, I replied: No...not yet, not yet."

As Imam Ahmad taught us, none of us is free from the assault of Shaytan until the Angel of Death finally takes our soul. And we must fight him until the uttermost end.

Source: Al-Jumuah, Vol. 24, Issue 04, Page 35