Farihin's Blog

New muslims celebrating Chinese New Year

2012-01-18T23:50:00.001-08:00

This article is meant for new Chinese muslim reverts.

1. When a person accepts islam, he truly believes that is the only way of life (religion) accepted by Allah and that all other ways of life is not accepted by Allah and thus its practitioners will end up in the fire for eternity, without end.

2. Chinese New Year is NOT a cultural celebration but a religious one because it involves the Chinese gods, many unseen beliefs and rituals. Just check Wikipedia and you'll find it.

3. One of these rituals is the reunion dinner. Yes, it's a tradition that is connected to the kufr religious belief system of the Chinese.

4. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the last and final messenger of Allah has said something about celebrations. He said for the muslims, there are only 2 eids or celebration (meaning eidulfitr and eiduladha). This indirectly means that muslims should not have or add into Islam any other celebration.

5. Allah commands the believers in Qur'an to come to islam completely. Meaning be fully muslims and start changing your lives into islamic lives. NOT add into your lives parts from the previous religions that Allah has rejected and condemn to hellfire.

6. There are people and there are people. For those who say that they can attend the reunion dinner and then don't participate in other ceremonial hogwash, I say this: if you know your soup has pork balls in it, would you take out the porkballs and continue drinking the soup?

7. I see everything about Chinese New Year is haram except meeting with relatives who may visit once in a blue moon. So to show that we are muslims and to not 'celebrate' Chinese New Year, visit them after their dinner for a few minutes and then leave so that they can see that you've come not to celebrate but to visit relatives as you do not wine and dine with them on that particular day. Why do this? Coz the prophet had always advised us to be different from kuffar.

8. The Christians and the pagan arabs did come to Muhammad (pbuh) to ask for recognition of their gods by asking him to worship them for 1 year and Allah revealed a whole surah to answer the pagans and the Christians. It's surah kaafirun. In it, Allah uses the word 'worship' to describe even acknowledgement of false gods and that would include celebrating something from any other religion. Read the tafsir, asbabul nuzul, etc. When you celebrate something from another religion, you are acknowledging that religion and are involved in its worship. Simple as that. Would you sit even for a moment in a car that is headed straight off a cliff?

9. Let's not add a culture to islam anything simply because we have an attachment to it, rather we should change ourselves to suit islam. We have to face Allah soon, so don't let the Book of Allah and the sunnah of rasulullah be neglected in our lives and then we stand without an answer in front of Allah?

10. This isn't extreme, this is the right way. Extreme is not following the way set by Allah, extreme heat.

Sorry I didn't give much references, I expect you to Google up these things and do your own research becoz they are easy to find.

Arrahnu Islamic Pawn System

2011-12-09T10:30:00.001-08:00

Well we've been believing that Arrahnu (or others known as Arrahn) and those similar to it were Islamic and an alternative for us Muslims as compared to the conventional pawn broker system. I too was fooled by the so called Islamic names and method that use to run their business. But alas, it's all an illusion.

But first let's address what happens at any Arrahnu pawn shop. You go in with your RM 1000 worth gold, and upon verification, they can loan you up to 70% of the total value, meaning RM 700.

Now here's where it gets tricky. Say you take the full loan offered that is RM 700. They'll charge something called a holding fee, better known as 'upah simpan'. It's a fee charged to you for providing your gold as a collateral for the loan. So for your RM 700 loan, you are charged 1% holding fee from the loan amount, meaning here in our case RM 7 per month.

Here's the catch. You can also opt to take the minimum of RM 100 instead of the full RM 700. Say we do this, the holding fee is calculated as 1% of RM 100, which is RM 1 per month.

A holding fee is supposed to be based on the item being held, regardless of how much the loan is given. After all, it's called a holding fee. Why does it correlate with the amount loaned? Like a car park, they don't charge more or less based on the car, because it's just a place to park the car. Parking is normally by hours or per entry, not based on the car price. But for loans, the lender is not supposed to make any form of profit in any way even though he calls it by another name. This is haram in Islam, please check up the abundantly available ahadeeth of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) online regarding riba and lending money.

Secondly, I'm sure keeping your collateral with the lenders is more in their interest rather than yours because of the guarantee that they get from it. This means that they can sell off your gold and recover the bad debt if you cannot pay within the stipulated time period. So it's clearly a benefit for them, so why are you paying them to hold something that benefits them. To understand this, let's say you've got 100 grams of gold and there's fear of loosing it, so you seek someone to keep it safe. Due to your need for safety, it's in your interest to pay for the service that someone would offer to safekeep your gold. But in Arrahnu's case, it's in their interest to keep your gold as collateral for the loan therefore they should bear the cost of keeping it safe.

Imagine you took a RM 10,000 personal loan from the bank without providing any form of collateral, then this loan is very risky for the bank. But say you provided some collateral out of your own free will, your house grant. Should you pay them to keep your house grant safely or it goes without saying that they should hold it without any charges because it's in their interest to have such a collateral.

I hope I've made my point clear about Arrahnu the so called Islamic Pawn shops and that they aren't really Islamic and they are taking us Muslims for the ride of our lives straight into Jahanam.

So how to solve this issue? What should I do?
I recommend simply selling off the gold for cash or find someone who can give you an Islamic loan but does not profit from simply holding the collateral. It's as simple as that. :-)

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My unique perspective on Bidaah

2011-12-04T10:16:00.001-08:00

Salam semua. Just my 2 cents. Coming from a syiah-bahaiyyah background, Allah granted me a unique perspective on this. My background was syirik + Bidaah as bahaiyyah is an offshoot of an offshoot of syiah (which is also a deviated offshoot of Islam).

So my reversion to Islam meant getting my tauhid back on solid ground. The thing about Islam that is very good and not found in my previous religion was sunnah. Bahaiyyah did not have a sunnah to follow, so we had to make our own sunnah. So previously as a bahai, when I went to visit other communities, they had a different ways of conducting their gatherings. Some could use candles, others had songs, while others had chanting, etc. everyone had their own ideas and the thing missing was a sunnah.

After I became a Muslim, I realized that we muslims are united by the rich collection of sunnah for us to follow. Subhanallah, that is Islam. We needn't come up with new ways to do anything in religion, the road was paved, so to speak.

Then when I saw people doing things that I couldn't find textual basis for, I could immediately recognize it as something from my former religion. Innovations. Being in innovation for more than 2 decades of my life and straightening myself thru shahadah had given my the ability to smell it from a mile away. To me, of course innovations cannot never be properly justified even by the practitioners themselves, but in my mind I'll always keep saying to myself "I just came back (was saved) from the fire, I know it's in that direction, and you are headed that way although you don't see the destination yet". Of course this not an intellectual dalil based argument, but I'm glad that Allah had granted me this certainty on this subject, Alhamdulillah. La haula wa quwwata illa billah. I know this will not put to rest this debate, but I hope it helps someone Insyallah.

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To Hudud Or Not To Hudud

2011-10-08T06:21:00.001-07:00

Nik Aziz announced that PAS' intention to establish the Hudud law much to DAP's dismay. But to muslims who have fear of Allah, this comes as a comfort.

What its Hudud? Actually hudud is the small part of Islamic law that only deals with 4 or 5 types of transgressions like stealing, fornication, adultery, slander, apostasy, etc. It's punishment is meant to meted out harshly and in public too, to instill the sense of fear of dramatic social justice in other muslims.

Some have said that PAS' rhetoric of reviving the Hudud law is a just a gimmick as we near the general elections as PAS has fallen out of the good books with many sincere muslims after its announcement of going on the path of negara berkebajikan, effectively leaving those lovers if Islam in the lurch as to the establishment of an Islamic nation. But now it has somewhat redeemed itself only if it can push through the Hudud law without delays. For otherwise it will remain an unrealized pre election rhetoric.

Since the Hudud is only for muslims, then it should not bother DAP much. But it does, because clearly DAP is anti Islamic law. DAP wants to stop Islam at the level of namesake.

It is much hoped that the muslims in this country would unite and uphold Islam without the great corporate or non-Muslim Malaysia. Of course, the Islamic law mustn't be unjust to non-muslims. That way we can reduce crime rates effectively without spending too much on inefficient enforcement.

With that said, we as muslims must be active in drafting the Hudud law to cater for our current situation. Islam does allow it. I'm talking about matters of our times like intellectual, software or hardware piracy, does it come under the Hudud purview? Can video evidences be accepted as witness evidence? Coz watching the video effectively makes anyone a witness to the event. And what about rape and DNA? So to cry Hudud without adapting it to our times would be our greatest folly. This is really up for grabs even for the current government.

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Normalizing our Islam

2011-08-29T01:09:00.001-07:00

"why isn't she wearing hijab?" or "why do these people buy lottery while they are Muslims?"

These are the unconscious thoughts of the converts to Islam. Our new brothers and sisters sometimes think "why is it that I'm a new Muslim yet I can wear hijab but how come those old-timers still do not cover up, properly if not half way?"

Yes, our new brothers and sisters sometimes tend to have this unrealized self-righteousness that seem to place every other Muslim outside Islam.

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we are living in an age where Islamic societies have changed a lot.
We have lost a caliphate and also an Islamic army. We do not have any living role models of Islam today. Our religious understanding is tainted by secular and western decadent cultures and ideas that makes us Muslims frown upon some of the beloved prophet's sunnah (religious traditions). But worry not, Islamic renewal is upon us.

But do not get me wrong, the religion of Allah is complete and well intact. But our social application of Islam isn't exactly 'spot on', so to speak.

So here are some tips to normalize our Islam:
- do not be so quick to kick fellow Muslims out of the fold of Islam as the prophet has told us to be gentle with those who profess faith in Islam.

- do not treat those who perform bidaah (unauthorized innovations in religion) in Islam as disbelievers despite our love for sunnah and distaste for bidaah. Allow them their bidaah without joining them, but give advice where possible.

- God has sent a prophet who is kind to the believers and harsh to the disbelievers (who oppose Islam). So let us have Muslim solidarity and be more kind to our brothers and sisters in Islam, looking for excuses for them they seen out of line.

- the prophet has informed us that leaving prayer and worshiping other than Allah means leaving Islam. Many Muslims are involved in sins (unfortunately), but other minor and major sins do not make a Muslim a disbeliever. So please don't jump to say that a Muslim isn't one until he himself professes it.

- if we want to be harsh, Muslims should be harsh to non-Muslims who oppose or have hatred to Islam or Muslims. We are obligated by the quran to fight them in Jihad. But non-Muslims who aren't oppose to Islam, but rather friendly towards the religion, then we are their friends as well.

So on todays day and age, let us use the gauge ol of friendliness or enmity towards Islam to determine our friendliness and hatred towards them.

I hope this helps in setting aright our priorities in friends and foes. Muslims make mistakes but we have the true guidance from God that one day we can return to. So best not to mistake the inability of someone to follow the religion as deficiency in Islam, rather it's a deficiency of the practitioner.

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Not fasting in ramadan

2011-08-18T22:49:00.001-07:00

Normally people in the food industries care not to open their shops in the islamic holy month of ramadan, especially for lunch. Yeah, and why should they?

I heard even hospital canteens are closed for lunch and for the most part of the daytime.

It's my opinion that food shops should keep their doors open even during the day to cater for those not fasting. And I don't mean the disobedient type.

There are lots of people who are not required to fast according to islamic law. Namely the sick and the elderly, and especially those warded at hospitals.

The traveler is exempted as well. And those travelers who coincidentally visit their exempted sick relatives at the hospital shouldn't be put to task at finding food to eat, a basic necessity that should and must available at all times in a hospital.

And what about pregnant women and those breast feeding their children? God had exempted them as well.

And last but not least, those who do not believe in islam, the non-muslims. What if they have a craving for halal food.

So food operators should keep open their operation throughout day. The companions of muhamad, the last prophet of God, also used to serve food for other muslim travelers without grinding their teeth. So let's not be rigid in our understanding of religion that God had sent to humanity for it's wellbeing. Let's be more understanding and defend muslims who cannot fast instead of looking at them with a queer eye.

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The disciplinary month of ramadan

2011-08-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

The disciplinary month of ramadan is upon us. Disciplinary because muslims fast. They refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk through the whole month.

As humans we tend to slack in our faith sometimes like not praying on time, missing the prayers, etc. but when ramadan comes, it straightens us up.

Muslims get up early even before the call to morning prayer at the crack of dawn, which also means that they would pray on time and in congregation.

There's nothing like fasting in ramadan in any other religion. that's why islam is unique.

During fasting month, muslims are commanded to not just refrain from eating and drinking, but also those minor immoralities that unknowingly commit like backbiting, lustful gazes, not covering one's self properly and telling white lies.

Getting up early before the sun rises is a habit that all muslims should instill in themselves. So ramadan ensures that. Out is hoped that this discipline is carried on even after Ramadan ends. As the best part of the day for finding more business and completing pending tasks are in the early morning to the afternoon.

Happy fasting to all my muslim brothers and sisters. We pray that Allah will make the fasting easy for us and also help and aid oppressed muslims throughout world.

BERSIH and the state of Malaysia

2011-07-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today 62 NGOs marched under the banner of BERSIH 2.0. Yes, it sounds like an app upgrade from Adroid market, and yes it's supposed to be an upgrade of BERSIH 1.0, though I cannot remember when it was released (pun intended).

Being apolitical, here are some of my views on the political situation. Please bear in mind I take no sides except whatever is pro-islamic and pro-welfare.

I love PAS due to their islamic stance, but dislike DAP due to Karpal's anti-islamic rhetoric "over my dead body" when refering to PAS' plans to establish Islamic state. It's a mystery to me how PAS can team up with DAP. Some say PAS will establish the islamic state after BN is toppled, but no one can take that seriously. AS it is right now, PAS has exchanged their Islamic state chant for a milder welfare state. It's clear they are playing second fiddle to DAP. One wonders if DAP listens to PKR's Anwar Ibrahim or not.

Ever since the alleged church attacks (which were clearly CIA plots to start civil war), Anwar has not been protecting the muslim's interest and taking sides where it was detrimental to his pact with PAS and yet PAS so easily turns a blind eye to Anwar Ibrahim. I've seen how he talks about Islam when he's not in Malaysia, and I must say I do not trust the welfare of Islam if it was in his hands. Just look at Kg Buah Pala.

An economic analyst once said to me "Do you trust Anwar?" when I asked her about the MPs that were allegedly going to 'jump' into the opposition camp and bring Pakatan Rakyat to Putrajaya. Well, her analysis was precise.

Therefore, IMHO we Malaysian cannot trust Anwar Ibrahim as he would readily feed us to Zionist dogs like IMF and America in the truest sense. Well at least that's what he tried to do before Mahathir put him in ISA.

So we know that PKR is only fighting for one man's ego and greed to be the prime minister as he has yet to bring anything constructive to the current administration. And we know that DAP is the sister to PAP in Singapore, so you can expect that muslims and Malays may be oppressed like in Singapore. So Pakatan only has 1 party going for it and that is PAS.

The issue with PAS is that in Pakatan Rakyat, it readily relinquishes its voice to anti-islamic DAP just to beat current administration and I feel that should never be the case when one claims to represent Islam. So in Pakatan Rakyat, PAS that represents Islam has no voice now, how can we expect them to have a voice if Pakatan takes over Putrajaya. If that happens, Islam may not be the official religion of Malaysia anymore.

Unlike BN that has UMNO has the 'big brother' that other component parties adhere to. That is better in a sense that is provides a certain level of protection for Muslims and Malays in this country.

In Islam, under the Islamic state, non-muslims are to pay jizyah tax, so that Islam is always regarded as the official religion in the land and other religions should not rebel against it. With the current DEB introduced by BN way back when, somehow manifests the jizyah on non-muslims, but in a way that it does not offend anyone and is a win-win situation.

Furthermore, I feel that Najib administration has done a lot of good as well. Malaysia is still economically strong, we have investors coming in, we've eased a lot of beureucratic red-tapes for foreign investors, taking care of the welfare of the poor and ensuring peace. The government is doing their job.

The problem is with the the opposition's mentality of spotting the fleas on the elephant without admiring the elephant per se.

The oppositions mentality is to criticize and attack everything the current administration does. No doubt too there have been mistakes here and there with Badawi's and Najib's administration, but not everyone's perfect. At least it beats feeding your own country to the IMF.

As it is, the opposition will blame the government even if a bird 'craps' on their car, or there's a one pot hole on the road near their house and the happened to bump into it.

We have to change. Be more constructive. It doesn't matter who's administrating Malaysia, as long as they ensure peace and we citizen's can go about our business in an economically healthy country, then we should help that administration build this nation and not simply criticize all the time. Even if Pakatan Rakyat takes over Putrajaya, takes care of Muslim and Malay rights, and do not bring Islam down the level of 'any other' religion, and ensure peace in this land, then we should help them in nation building. But like I said, I seriously doubt Pakatan's commitment to Islam and its protection. If Pakatan wants good, then why a rally that only brings loss?

Where we stand

2011-02-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

I wrote in my facebook these words:

Malaysiakini kata pemuda majlis gabungan gereja2 malaysia nak saman ustazah Siti Nor Bahyah. (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/155766)

I say this: that I support the ustazah in her condemnation of valentine's day. Dare the CCM sue her, then we muslims stand behind her in support because this is our religion and we will die for it insyallah. And remember when we were strong with only 314 men during badr yet we won against almushrikeen.Ustazah Siti has my support both in words and action, and we will see how far the CCM comes.

Ya muslimeen, stand up for your sister who calls to good and let the kuffar know that don't mess with our religion, Al-Islam. They didn't sue other ustaz but they are picking on our sister, and this is the time to stand up. La'natullahi upon the enemies of Islam.

Allah says in Quran: Inna lazeena kaffaru min ahlilkitabi walmushrikeena fi narri jahanama kholideena feeha, ulaika humul sharrul baria
Verily the people of the book (Christians and Jews) and the Idol-worshippers are in the FIRE of JAHANAM forever eternity, and they are the worst of creation.

Go ahead, sue Allah then! But the Kuffar can never do that.

Again I say that this is a jihad for us muslims and that we stick together in condemning the kuffar who disrupt our religion. Allah is our Protector and what Siti Nor Bahyah is doing is jihad fisabilillah. If the church disowns Valentine's day, then why don't they condemn it? But now they are going after a woman? what cowards?!

I stand for the truth and I will be question on Yaumul Qiyamah, and I stand with the muslims and Ustazah Siti on this issue! Allahuakbar! Allahuakbar! Allahuakbar! I'm not living this life to please almushrikeen and almurtadeen, but my life, my death, my worship is for Allah and His religion and make no mistake when it comes to CRUNCH time which camp we will be in. This is the fitnah and we must decide where we stand. The Church forges lies against the Muslims and I know from first hand accounts what they preach in their churches and how they condemn the government and Islam in general.

She was quoted as saying "Maksiat, disko, 'couple-couple', bersunyi-sunyian, inilah tradisi bagi masyarakat yang beragama Kristian." Meaning vices, disco, couple-ing, being alone together without marriage relations, are the traditions/practices of a society that have Christianity as their religion (regardless whether practiced or not) (translation is mine). That is very true! If the church denies that then truly they are the hypocrites!

Bahai's are apostates

2011-02-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Bahai's are not kafirs or disbelievers, but I've come to understand that they are actually apostates from Islam. So we should deal with them as apostates. I took this article from http://www.islamicperspectives.com/Apostasy1.htm.Of course, I don't believe in the authors methodology, but his definition of apostasy is acceptable and that is about it.

Why are Bahai's apostates? Because they say the declaration of faith and then add that Husayn Ali (may Allah cast him in the heart of the Fire of Jahanam) is a prophet after the final prophet of Allah, Muhammad (solawatullah wasalamu alihi). Insyallah, we hope to post up further explanations about Baha'i Murtads on youtube soon.

WHAT IS APOSTASY?

Before discussing the question of punishment of apostasy, it is well to define what apostasy is.

A person commits apostasy (irtidad) or becomes an apostate (murtadd) if he describes himself a Muslim and then at a later time takes one of the following actions in a public way:

1) Converts to another religion, e.g. becomes a Christian or Buddhist or Baha`i etc.
2) Rejects a part of the Qur`an after recognizing it to be a part of the Qur`an.

3) In some cases when the whole ummah agrees that a certain interpretation of some Qur`anic verses or ahadith is unacceptable, then the person who holds such an interpretation may become an apostate by a decision of the ummah. For example, Ahmadis insist on being called Muslims and they indeed profess and practice much of Islam like most Sunni Muslims. But they believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadiyan in the British colonial India was a prophet and in order to prepare room for this belief they interpret khatm nubuwwah in a way different from the rest of the ummah.. The ummah has rejected their interpretation of khatm nubuwwah and Mirza’s claims for which this interpretation is devised. The ummah has also declared this group as non-Muslims and banned their entry into Makkah. Finally, the falsehood of Mirza’s claims has been proved by history[2]. Consequently, all converts from Islam to Ahmadism are apostates.

Normally, however, having an interpretation of a part of the Qur`an or Hadith different from the one held by other Muslims does not result in apostasy. For example, if the people who rejected Shari‘ah-based arbitration in Ontario would have said that the way rules of Shari‘ah are interpreted and applied is not faithful to the teachings of God and his Messenger and argued for more discussion about correcting the interpretation and the application before adopting Shari‘ah-based arbitration, they would not have committed apostasy. But they opposed Shari‘ah as such and for this reason they should be considered apostates.

An apostate is different from a hypocrite (munafiq). A hypocrite is a person who is outwardly willing to say/do what a Muslim says/does but in his heart has decided not to believe in Islam. An apostate, in contrast, is someone who openly and knowingly does or says something that makes him a non-Muslim after he had called himself a Muslim.

It also needs to be pointed out that we should distinguish apostasy from a state of kufr that many Muslims may privately pass through during the process of their growth towards the state of iman. In most Muslim families we have some members who express disbelief about the existence of God or about divine revelations or about the hereafter. Muslims have wisely and correctly tolerated such disbelief because they recognize that the way to iman is not always smooth and may pass through doubts and confusion (cf. Qur`an 6:76-79, 93:7). However, if a Muslim expresses his disbelief in the form of a declared position and insists on its truth publicly, then he will be considered an apostate.

Why Usana Network Marketing is Not Ethically Sound

2010-10-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

I was into Usana for about a year before I quit their program. First I lost the chance to become a platinum pace setter (a real cool status in usana), then I lost about 3000 points equivalent to maybe RM 1000. All due to time and my negligence of it.

You see, Usana its a time based thing. Every 4 weeks you must buy about RM 500 worth of their products (called Maintenance), and you get to keep your points and others' whom you get as well. if you did not perform this 'Maintenance', your points, i.e. hardwork, is flushed or dissappears, just like that!

So its a time based thing, not based on necessity.

There are a few places in which Usana's network marketing system clashes with Islamic Syariah or ethics.

Under Islamic code of business, transactions must be done with willingness and necessity. There is demand and supply on the basis of willingness, meaning there is no force to purchase something. In usana's case, one is forced to make a maintenance purchase based on time, and not necessity. And since Usana's sales are by credit cards, so they deduct the amount without your consent sometimes. So this is unethical.

And when you do not want them to deduct automatically from your credit card, there is a chance that the maintenance week might just lapse and your points are flushed. This also is not ethical.

When sales and purchases are forced on a time based cycle, not caring whether you've made the sales or not, then comes the threat of loss of points if not performed on time, then this amounts to absolute force upon the one who has already embarked on Usana's slavery cycle, and they cannot quit because of their investment into the system.

It is Islamically unsound and against the spirit and morals of what Islam teaches. As I said, it is a time based thing, and you make losses if you don't abide by their timing system.

These losses faced by someone is direct gain for someone else, namely the Usana company. This loss and gain game which directly impoverishes one party and directly benefitting another is called GAMBLING. Of course gambling is prohibited in Islam and is also socially unethical.

Usana runs on a system called the binary system, meaning that their type of network marketing has two legs, the left and right, they call it. One needs to recruit others under both this leg symmetrically is possible, then the points must add up symmetrically in order to change those points to cash. It is obvious enough for the uninitiated to quickly notice the amount of uncertainty one has to go through in order to get his investment back (ROI).

The amount of uncertainty or 'gharar' mentioned above is unacceptable and is also unethical in Islam. So what amount of gharar is acceptable in Islam? If one buys a product from a supplier then stores or keeps it in his premise, then offers to sell it at a marked up price because of the liabilities that he faces including the uncertainty of whether he will get a buyer or his product may expire or become outdated. These are the maximum amount uncertainty allowed in Islam. But in Usana, instead of focusing on selling, one focuses on 'recruiting' others to do the business. And this recruitment needs to be if possible symmetrical on both sides, which makes it really uncertain how long you would have to wait to see returns.

Furthermore, what entitles one to have a share in in the earnings of another's business. Let's say one has recruited a few people under him distributed equally, then what entitles him to acquire the points of those under him? Does he have a share in their business? Did he invest in their business?

It is islamically and socially ethical to share in profits of a business only if one has a share of it. Otherwise there is no justification of him taking any profits from any business. But someone joins as your 'downline' and he puts in all the money and work to sell the product that he purchases directly from the company, then how is it right for his upline to share in his efforts when there's no partnership in that business? This must be understood clearly and Islam is crystal on this matter, but some hearts are blinded to these simple facts.

Usana practices usury too, in Islam we call it riba. It is not the interest as what we know from the banks but rather the riba that find in the fraudalent paper currency. Why is paper currency considered as riba? Simply because the true value of the currency is held by someone else and not the currency itself. In other words, the value of paper currency is not intrinsic but based on governments, economies, confidence, etc. And since the paper currency is not backed by any real commodity, the government and banks create money out thin air by printing more of it and by using a mechanism known as Fractional Reserve Banking (which is forbidden in Islam by the way). And when the money supply is artificial increased, the value of the currency decreases and causes inflation. All this is caused by riba, because the value of the money is held not by the person, but by other parties like governments and banks. Likewise in Usana, the money that you were supposed to earn through the accumulation if points is held at bay by the Usana company and they alone determine whether you actually get it or loose it. When another party holds the value of your business and money, then that is riba and fraud. I hope this is clear, insyallah.

Above all this, from a religious sense, I noticed that throughout the Usana seminars and meetings, they elevate the product to the level of a god and focus on how it cures instead of crediting it to God Almighty. That is only my opinion. 'True health and true wealth' they say. But Allah indicates to us that true health and wealth and success is ONLY in Jannah, the paradise pepared for those who believe in the One True God (who has no father or son) and those who do righteous deeds.

As much as the Usana marketing system has so much against the ethics, I must say that the product itself has work wonders in many people close to me.

Why Usana Network Marketing is Not Ethically Sound

2010-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

So its a time based thing, not based on necessity.

There are a few places in which Usana's network marketing system clashes with Islamic Syariah or ethics.

And when you do not want them to deduct automatically from your credit card, there is a chance that the maintenance week might just lapse and your points are flushed. This also is not ethical.

It is Islamically unsound and against the spirit and morals of what Islam teaches. As I said, it is a time based thing, and you make losses if you don't abide by their timing system.

As much as the Usana marketing system has so much against the ethics, I must say that the product itself has work wonders in many people close to me.

New Trinity Theory?

2010-10-01T03:27:00.001-07:00

This website is attempting to re-explain the theory of trinity and failing miserably to do. Honestly it makes no sense to me.

The Koran is clear on this matter, but the author of this site says Father=God, Son=God, Holy Spirit=God, BUT Father is not Son is Not Holy Spirit is not Father.

This simply means that the trinity that this author is reinventing says that God is made of three distinct units which have no relation to each other. That's all. Previously I've heard that it was jumbled up, meaning F+S+HG is God without real separation. The only thing this author has done is make the separate entities, but still comprising God of 3 entities.

Allah says in the Koran, say that God is One and Only, meaning to say, not two or three, but one only, dependent on no one and everything dependent on Him, and He does not have a son nor a father and there is nothing even similar unto Him.

in reference to:

"When Christians say: (1) The Father is God; (2) The Son is God; and (3) The Holy Spirit is God we are identifying Who God is.When we say: (4) The Father is not the Son; (5) The Son is not the Holy Spirit; and (6) The Holy Spirit is not the Father we are distinguishing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
- Monotheism and the Trinity « Is the Qur’an the Word of God? (view on Google Sidewiki)

Betting - An Argument with a Doctor

2010-09-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

Sometime back I had an argument with a 'doctor' from the International Islamic University of Malaysia on whether Multi-Level Marketing, especially USANA, was islamically ethical to be involved in.

To my disappointment, the 'good' doctor whom I would not want to reveal his name had throughout the discussions, kept making halal gambling and riba. I was also disappointed with his lack of understanding about Riba and how he could have thought that Sheikh Tantawi was right. It just goes to show that we would always pick and choose the fatwas simply to make our interests halal without looking at the real issues.

Interestingly, although I was trying to push through the idea that MLM had elements of gambling, which many Ulama' have agreed upon, he simply gave me this answer: (I'm paraphrasing)

"In UIA we had a debate about gambling, whereby we argued that if a 10 football teams contributed to the prize money and in the end only one team won, is it gambling? Well, finally the verdict was that it wasn't gambling because there was an element of effort on the part of the team."

Of course, my response was, "If that is not gambling, then what is?"
I am appalled, even until today that a supposedly learned person could tell me this. Do I want this kind of person as my upline? DO I even want to be in that business where people can think gambling is halal?

In Islam, gambling is forbidden in the Quran and Sunnah. It is called maysir. The concept of gambling fundamentally means that one person's loss is directly another person's gain. Just ponder for a moment at what this 'doctor' had said about gambling above. If he was right, then let us have a game of chess, with each player contributing a certain amount as prize money and later that money would go to the victor. Doesn't that sound like gambling? Yes it is, and may Allah open our hearts to the simple truths of this world.

One of the signs that the views of this doctor is unacceptable to me is that he did not bring any hadith or quranic text to back his arguments. Whereas I have been throughout the discussion been giving proofs from the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Let us benefit from a chapter from the book Al Adab Al Mufrad of Imam Bukhari.

It should be clear that any form of multi-level marketing or network marketing has many elements of haram and therefore I feel that earnings in it is not blessed. That is my opinion. Allah is the best Judge as he had sent the Prophet Muhammad with truth and wisdom and a way of life that even encompasses business ethics.

Betting and similar pastimes

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari
by Imam Bukhari
Translated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley

DII. Betting and similar pastimes
08. Betting

1259. Ja'far ibn Abi'l-Mughira said, "Sa'id ibn Jubayr stayed with me and said tht Ibn 'Abbas related to me that he used to say, 'Where are those who play with gambling arrows for the slaughtered camel? They buy a camel with ten shares. Then they shuffle the arrows and it becomes nine shares and they continue until comes down to one share. The others lose their shares to the one share. That is gambling (arrow-shuffling).'"

1260. Ibn 'Umar said, "Arrow-shuffling is gambling."

609. Betting a cock

1261. Rabi'a ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Hadir ibn 'Abdullah reported tht two men wagered two cocks in the time of 'Umar. 'Umar ordered that the cock be killed and a man of the Ansar said to him, "Will you kill a something which glorifies Allah?" So 'Umar left it.

610. Someone who says to his companion, "Come, I'll make a bet with you"

1262. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If any of you makes an oath and swears in his oath by al-Lat and al-'Uzza should say, 'There is no god but Allah.' If any of you tells him companion, 'Come on, I will make a bet with you' should give sadaqa."

611. Betting a pigeon

1263. Husayn ibn Mus'ab reported that someone told Abu Hurayra, "We wager two pigeons and we do not want for there to be a third unwagered pigeon between them so that the unwagered pigeon might take the winnings." Abu Hurayra said, "That is how children behave. You are at the point where you should abandon that."

612. Doing the camel-chant for women's camels

1264. It is related tht al-Bara' ibn Malik used to do the camel-chant for the men and Anjasha used to do the camel-chant for the women. He had a good voice and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anjasha, be gentle when you drive the glass-vessels."

613. Singing

1265. Ibn 'Abbas said that the words of Allah in Luqman (35:6), "There are people who trade in distracting tales" mean "singing and things like it."

1266. Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Extend the greeting and you will be safe. The saw is evil."
Abu Mu'awiya (one of the transmitters) said, "The 'saw' is trivial pursuit.'"

1267. Salman al-Ilhani reported that Fadala ibn 'Ubayd was in a gathering. He heard that some people were playing backgammon. He got up in anger and forbade it in the strongest possible terms. Then he said, "Anyone who plays it in order to consume its winnings is like someone who eats pig meat and does wudu' with blood."

614. The person who does not greet backgammon players

1268. Al-Fadil ibn Muslim reported that his father said, "When 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, went out through the Bab al-Qasr, he saw some backgammon players. He took them and locked them up from morning to night. Some of them he only locked up for half the day. Those he locked up until night were those who used silver. Those he locked up for half the day were those who played it. He also commanded that they should not be greeted."

615. The wrong action of someone who plays backgammon

1269. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who plays backgammon has rebelled against Allah and His Messenger."

1270. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "Beware of these two marked cubes. They should be forcibly prohibited. They are part of gambling."

1271. Burayda reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Someone who plays backgammon is like a person who puts his hand in the meat and blood of a pig."

1272. Abu Musa reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who plays backgammon has rebelled against Allah and His Messenger."

616. Manners and removing those who play backgammon and the people of trivial pursuits (ahl al-batil)

1273. Nafi' related that if 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar found any of his family playing backgammon, he would beat them and break the board.

1274. 'Alqama ibn Abi 'Alqama reported from his mother that 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, heard that some people living in a room in her house had a backgammon game. She sent to them, saying, "If you do not remove it, I will evict you from my house." He censured them for playing that.

1275. Kulthum ibn Jabir said, "Ibn az-Zubayr addressed us and said, 'People of Makka, I have heard that there are men of Quraysh who play a game called backgammon. It is done with the left hand. Allah says, 'Wine and gambling.' (5:90) I swear by Allah that if anyone who plays it is brought before me, I will punish him in his hair and skin, and I will give his booty to the one who brings him to me."

1276. Ya'la ibn Murra reported that he heard Abu Hurayra speaking about someone who plays backgammon and bets on it, saying that he is like someone who eats pig meat and that the person who plays it without betting on it is like someone who washes his hands in pig's blood. The person who sits looking at it is like someone who looks at pig's meat.

1277. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As said, "Someone who plays dice for a bet is like a person who eats pig met. Someone who plays it without betting is like someone who washes his hands in pig's blood."

617. A believer is not harmed by the same stone twice

1278. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A believer is not hurt by the same stone twice."

618. Someone who shoots at night

1279. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who shoots at night is not one of us."
[Abu 'Abdullah [i.e. al-Bukhari] noted, "There is something doubtful in its isnad.]

1280. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who bears arms against us is not one of us."

1281. Same hadith as 1280, but from Abu Musa.

Silatur-Rahim

2010-09-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

Ties of Kinship

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari
by Imam Bukhari
Translated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley

II. Ties of Kinship

25. The Duty of maintaining ties of kinship

47. Kulayb ibn Manfa'a reported that his grandfather asked, "Messenger of Allah, towards whom should I be dutiful?" He replied, "Your mother, your father, your sister and your brother. Then your mawla (client) has the next right against you and then your relatives who are connected."

48. Abu Hurayra said, "When the following ayat was revealed ('Warn your near relatives' (26:214)), the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and called out, saying, 'Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu Manaf! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu Hashim! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu'l-Muttalib! Save yourselves from the Fire! Fatima, daughter of Muhammad! Save yourselves from the Fire! I do not have anything for you in respect to Allah except for the fact that you have ties of kinship.'"

26. Maintaining ties of kinship

49. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari told him that a bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was travelling. He asked, "Tell me what will bring me near to the Garden and keep me far from the Fire." He replied, "Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, perform the prayer, pay zakat, and maintain ties of kinship."

50. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty created creation. When He had finished it, ties of kinship rose up. Allah said, 'Stop!' They said, 'This is the place for anyone seeking refuge with You from being cut off' Allah said, 'Are you not content that I should maintain connections with the one who maintains connection with you and I should cut off the one who cuts you off?' It replied, 'Yes indeed, my Lord.' He said, 'You have that.'"
Then Abu Hurayra said, "If you wish, you can recite, 'Is it not likely that, if you did turn away, you would cause corruption in the earth and sever your ties of kinship?' (47:22)"

51. Ibn 'Abbas spoke about the ayat, "Give your relatives their due, and the very poor and travellersÉ" (17:26), and said, "He begins by commanding the most pressing of the obligatory dues and He directs us to the best action if we have any money. He says: 'Give your relatives their due, and the very poor and travellers.' He also teaches us what we can say if we have nothing. He says, 'But if you do turn away from them, seeking the mercy you hope for from your Lord, then speak to them with words that bring them ease' (17:28) in the form of an excellent promise. Things are as they are, but they might change if Allah wills. 'Do not keep your hand chained to your neck' and not give anything, 'but do not extend it either to its full extent' and give all you have, 'so that you sit there blamed' as those who come to you later and find you have nothing will blame you, 'and destitute.' (17:29)" He said, "The person to whom you have given everything has made you destitute."

27. The excellence of maintaining ties of kinship

52. Abu Hurayra said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger of Allah! I have relatives with whom I maintain ties while they cut me off. I am good to them while they are bad to me. They behave foolishly towards me while I am forbearing towards them.' The Prophet said, 'If things are as you said, it is as if you were putting hot ashes on them and you will not lack a supporter against them from Allah as long as you continue to do that.'"
53. 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, said, 'I am the Merciful (ar-Rahman). I have created ties of kinship and derives a name for it from My Name. If anyone maintains ties of kinship, I maintain connection with him, and I shall cut off anyone who cuts them off.'"

54. Abu'l-'Anbas said, "I visited 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr at al-Waht (some land of his in Ta'if). He said, 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, pointed his finger towards us and said, "Kinship (rahim) us derived from the All-Merciful (Rahman). When someone maintains the connections of ties of kinship, they maintain connection with him. If someone cuts them off, they cut him off. They will have an unfettered, eloquent tongue on the Day of Rising."'"

55. 'A'isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Kinship (rahim) is derived from Allah. If anyone maintains ties of kinship Allah maintains ties with him. If anyone cuts them off, Allah cuts him off."

28. Maintaining ties of kinship will prolong life

56. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who wants to have his provision expanded and his term of life prolonged should maintain ties of kinship."

57. Abu Hurayra heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Anyone who wants to have his provision expanded and his term of life lengthened should maintain ties of kinship."

29. Allah loves the one who maintains ties of kinship

58. Ibn 'Umar said, "If someone fears his Lord and maintains ties of kinship, his term of life will be prolonged, he will have abundant wealth and his people will love him."

59. Ibn 'Umar said, "If someone his Lord and maintains ties of kinship, his term of life will be prolonged, his wealth will be abundant and his family will love him."

30. Being dutiful to the closest relative and then the next closest

60. It is reported that al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah enjoins you to be dutiful to your mothers. Then He enjoins you to be dutiful to your mothers. Then He enjoins you to be dutiful to your fathers. Then He enjoins you to be dutiful to your next closest relative and then to your next closest relative."

61. Abu Ayyub Sulayman, the mawla of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, said, "Abu Hurayra came to us on a Thursday evening, the night before Jumu'a. He said, 'Every individual who severs ties of kinship is constricted when he leaves us. No one left until he had said that three times. Then a young man went to one of his paternal aunts with whom he had severed ties two years previously. He went to her and she asked him, 'Nephew! What has brought you?' He replied, 'I heard Abu Hurayra say such-and-such.' She said, 'Go back to him and ask him why he said that.' Abu Hurayra said, 'I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "The actions of the children of Adam are presented before Allah Almighty on Thursday evening, the night before Jumu'a. He does not accept the actions of someone who has severed ties of kinship."'"

62. Ibn 'Umar said, "Nothing that a man spends on himself and his family, anticipating a reward from Allah, will fail to be rewarded by Allah Almighty. He should begin with those whose support is his responsibility. If there is something left over, he should spend it on his next nearest relative and then the next nearest. If there is still something left over, he can give it away."

31. Mercy will not descend on people when there is someone among them who severs ties of kinship

63. 'Abdullah ibn 'Awfa reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Mercy does not descend on a people when there is someone among them who severs ties of kinship."

32. The wrong action of someone who severs ties of kinship

64. Jubayr ibn Mu'tim reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "The one who severs ties of kinship will not enter the Garden."

65. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Ties of kinship (rahim) is derived from the All-Merciful (ar-Rahman). They say. 'My Lord! I have been wronged! My Lord! I have been cut off! My Lord! I haveÉ! I have!' Allah answers them, 'Are you not content that I cut off the one who cuts you off and I maintain connections with the one who maintains connections with you?'"

66. Sa'id ibn Sam'an heard Abu Hurayra seeking refuge from the power of children and fools. Sa'id said, "Ibn Hasana al-Juhani told me that he asked Abu Hurayra, 'What is the token of that?' He replied, 'That he severs ties of kinship, obeys someone who is in error, and disobeys the correct guide.'"

33. The punishment of someone who cuts off ties of kinship in this world

67. Abu Bakra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is no wrong action which Allah is swifter to punish in this world – in addition to the punishment which He has stored up for the wrongdoer in the Next World – than cutting off ties of kinship and injustice."

34. The one who maintains ties of kinship is not the one who reciprocates

68. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who maintains ties of kinship is not the one who reciprocates. The one who maintains ties of kinship is the one who, when his relatives cut him off, maintains ties of kinship."

35. The excellence of someone who maintains relations with relatives who are unjust

69. Al-Bara' said, "A bedouin came and said, 'Prophet of Allah! Teach me an action which will enable me to enter the Garden.' He said, "The question is a broad one, even though you have asked it in only a few words. Free someone. Set a slave free.' He said, 'Are they not the same thing?' 'No,' he replied, 'Freeing someone is setting someone free yourself. Setting a slave free is to contribute to the price of setting him free. Lend an animal for milking which has a lot of milk and treat your relatives kindly. If you cannot do that, then command the good and forbid the bad. If you cannot do that, then restrain your tongue from everything except what is good."

36. Those who maintained ties of kinship in the Jahiliyya and then became Muslim

70. Hakim ibn Hizam said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Do you think that the acts of worship which I used to do in the time of the Jahiliyya – maintaining relations with relatives, setting slaves free and sadaqa – will bring me a reward?" Hakim said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you become Muslim, you keep the good actions you have already done."

37. Maintaining ties of kinship with the idolater and giving gifts

71. Ibn 'Umar said, "'Umar saw a silk robe for sale. He said, 'Messenger of Allah, would you buy this robe and wear it on Jumu'a and when delegations visit you?' He replied, 'Only a person who has no portion in the Next World could wear this.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was given some robes made of the same material. He sent one of the robes to 'Umar. 'Umar exclaimed, 'How can I wear it when you said what you said about it?' The Prophet replied, 'I did not give it to you so that you could wear it. You can sell it or give it to someone.' 'Umar sent it to one of his half-brothers by his mother who was still an idolater." (see 26)

38. Learn your lineages so that you can maintain ties of kinship

72. Jubayr ibn Mut'im said that he heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say on the minbar, "Learn your lineages so that you can maintain ties of kinship. By Allah, if there are some bad feelings between a man and his brother and he knows that there is kinship between him and that man, that will prevent him from breaking with him."

73. Ibn 'Abbas said, "Keep a record of your lines of descent so that you can maintain ties of kinship. He will not make his relatives distant when they are close relatives, even if they live far away. He will not consider them to be close relatives if they are distant ones, even if they live near to him. Every time of kinship will come on the Day of Rising in front of each individual and testify on his behalf that he has maintained that tie of kinship if he did indeed maintain it. It will testify against him that he cut if off if he cut it off."

Maksud Merdeka Yg Sebenarnya

2010-08-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sungguhpun nampaknya seperti negara kita merdeka, mana ada negara merdeka sepenuhnya di dunia ini? Walaupun dah lama merdeka tapi Malaysia masih lagi sebahagian dari UN yg sebenarnya masih menjajah kita. Boleh tak kita bangunkan teknologi nuklear atau memperkuatkan pertahanan kita tanpa bantahan dari orang lain? Memang tak boleh, dan kita semua tak boleh lari dari saling memerlukan antara satu sama lain. So sememangnya utk manusia tiada merdeka, dan merdeka yg sebenarnya hanyalah utk Tuhan yg Satu yg mencipta alam ini. Dia sahaja tidak memerlukan sesiapa dan Dia lah Assomad, Yg tidak memerlukan ciptaanNya (iaitu kita manusia) tetapi kita memerlukan Dia sentiasa.

Kita pun, dari aspek diri sendiri, perlukan suami atau isteri atau ibubapa. Dari aspek masyarakat, perlukan kerja, majikan, pekerja, pelanggan dan sebagainya. Dari aspek negara, perlukan negara lain dan tidak boleh buat tindakan luar batasan kerana ia akan memberi kesan pada ekonomi kita sendiri. Memandangkan setiap perbuatan kita tidak merdeka, bagaimana kita boleh katakan kita sudah merdeka? Pihak British telah maju sehingga tidak perlu menjajah kita melalui tenteranya, tetapi kini menjajah kita melalui UN, NATO, sistem perbankan fiat, brettonwoods, etc. Malaysia pun dah menandatangani perjanjian di UN supaya tidak akan mengutamakan Quran dan Sunnah dalam perlembagaan! Mana merdekanya??

Kita betul2 merdeka bila:

kita boleh utamakan Quran dan Sunnah sebagai No 1 dan 2 dalam perlembagaan dengan mengambil kira hak2 org bukan Islam.
kita bebas dari belenggu sistem kewangan fiat dan riba kita ini yang sentiasa jatuhkan kuasa pembelian kita.
tiada sistem kuasaan secara turun-menurun yg tidak boleh dipersoalkan.
tiada diskriminasi kaum dalam hal2 business spt saham.
adanya hukum hudud (utk org Islam shj) supaya org akan lebih takut melakukan bunuh dan buang bayi.

Jawapan bagi kita ialah Quran dan Sunnah, kerana ia menjaga kepentingan semua org, baik muslim atau tidak. Biarlah kita betul2 faham erti merdeka kerana kita masih belum mencapainya lagi. :-)

Converting to Islam

2010-04-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

How does one start converting to Islam? Do I have to leave my family and friends? How do go about converting to Islam?

Heres a tip: If you just want to convert to Islam, just go to any pejabat agama and look for the 'Unit Saudara Baru' and say the shahada.

But Islam is a religion one reverts to, not convert actually. As the Prophet Muhammad had told us that children are born with a in-built natural tendency towards Islam, but its their parents that make them a Jew, a Christian or a Magian. if you are thinking about embracing Islam, then you are just returning to you original religion that you were born with.

Also all the human being that would be born from Adam have already been brought to life once before this life and Allah had ask them 'who is your lord?' and they all answered 'Allah'. So this shows that we have taken a covenant or agreement that Allah is our Lord and Creator. We all acknowledged this once before and now we are just reaffirming it when we embrace Islam.

That's the reason why the Quran is called the 'reminder'. It reminds us of something that we knew but we may have forgotten. Even 'humans' in arabic 'insan' comes from a root word which means forget.

if there's anyone who would like to convert, please contact me Farihin Fong at 0126571463. i'll help out for those in KL area. Even if there's something that is hindering embracing Islam, its good to share with muslim friends. Hopefully they'll help out.

Digi Smart Plan - Suitable or not?

2010-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Digi smart plan. RM 68 per month, and u get free internet. But calls are calculated at RM 0.15/min and RM 0.10/sms. Is it worth it to change over from a Digi 50 + 58(data unlimited)=RM 108/mth?

The lady at Digi Helpline was honest enough to advise me to stick to my plan, coz its cheaper. Otherwise I'd be paying 68 + 70(average calls+sms)=138!

So I'm taking her advice for now. i guess that Digi Smart Plan is good for those who use internet but needn't call much, like students. its not suitable for business people. But Digi should come with a Digi 100 plan that will cater for free internet + calls, that would appeal to a lot of business people.

Qudos to Digi, though their network isn't the greatest, but its perhaps due to them not paying those bribes that some 'top' people may want. I don't know, I'm just guessing... ;-)

No certification? Disappointedwith JAIS over Dr Asri's arrest

2009-12-27T02:19:00.000-08:00

Assalamu alaykum,
Lately in the news, Dr Asri was in the limelight. Why did JAIS, headed by Hassan Ali, arrest Dr Asri and then claimed that he had no certification?

This is really a disappointing blow to PAS followers especially this kind of act that was sanctioned by Hassan Ali. Dr Asri has a PhD in Quran & Sunnah. He's the guy that other muftis should go to as reference.

I heard Dr. Hassan Ali's speech at Khairiyyah mosque one December 09 saturday and I have to say that was dismal. My impression of Dr Hassan Ali from being a prominent member of PAS and distinguished by his Phd came to an abrupt rock-bottom when I realized that he had no depth and dimension in his speech. But even then I brushed it aside thinking that I could be wrong. But when I saw the video where reporters were asking Hassan Ali to comment about Dr Asri's arrest and prosecution, I was appalled at his attitude towards a scholar like Dr Asri, reasserting that Dr Asri doesn't have qualifications to teach Islam.

This is my take on what's going on the background. Because as we know PAS leadership has almost always hailed from the 'sekolah pondok' mindset. As a matter of fact, PAS failed to implement hudud law 1993 in Terengganu and Kelantan. Failed in the sense of achieving public consent on the matter. Why? It was very much due to the 'sekolah pondok' mentality. They failed to implement Islamic law with wisdom. They lack scholarship for the modern era and especially the situation of our country, being multi-cultural and all.

I've spoken to many people and almost all regarded Nik Aziz as infallible, whether they agreed or not. This is the danger of blind following. Although Nik Aziz himself did not claim such a thing, but followers will exalt their leaders.

Other points about 'Sekolah pondok' is the fact that they seem to produce odd muslims believing in the unislamically unseen such as Spirits and Wali (a high station not attainable by anyone).

Those kampung folks seem to know more uncanny stories about Wali than scholars in the islamic world. Such a story that I've heard in the past week whilst calling people to the Quran and Sunnah was as follows:

One day a man was riding happily on his bike when suddenly it ran out of petrol. So a wali living nearby took a scoop of water from the padi field and poured it into the petrol tank of this poor man and amazingly it ran for 3 weeks without having to refill the tank at all.

When asked how come? They said that he was a Wali, a learned man who has mysteriously attained the height of Islamic knowledge from a mysterious source not known to us. This is the product of learning from those ustazs that learnt from 'Sekolah Pondok'. They make up stories like this and tell their students that such a level is really unattainable for normal muslims and thereby elevating themselves to gain respect and awe from the gullible community.

Although PAS had ruled Kelantan and Terengganu for sometime now, yet they failed to remove these misconceptions from their constituents, even if we did not regard their schools as the source of such misconceptions in the first place.

Whereas Dr Asri made efforts to dispel all of these hocus-pocus mambo jambo that these groups have added into Islam. Basically he is advocating muslims to return to the source of Islam, that is the Quran and Sunnah, and to abandon the useless additions that these schools have placed into Islam for their own personal gains. And that's why Dr Asri seems to be a threat to the orthodox muslims.

Listen to Dr Asri's talk and see how he brings Islam down the common man to understand. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Islam is easy so make it easy".

So the story that people like to tell about the Wali doing miracles should sound something like this instead:

A man found himself out of petrol and asked the help of pious believer who believed in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad and kept to the original understanding, constantly preserving his faith from all other useless additions. So perhaps the wali, being poor himself, just supplicated to Allah to help this man. And by Allah's will it was decreed that his bike would start again after some tinkering at the engine section and that allowed the stranded man to reach his home.

In this way, one's tawheed is firmly intact as the One who provided the solution was Allah and not Walis. But perhaps those who are pure and take care of their faith are heard more quickly if Allah wishes.

I hope new muslims are aware of these underlying issues and keep their iman intact and protect the sanctity of Islamic knowledge and be quick and stern to dispel myths and additions that people place in Islam for their personal interests.

Triple Divorce by way of SMS

2009-12-06T00:49:00.000-08:00

“If you do not leave your parents’ house, you will be divorced.” text Shamsudin Latif to his wife after having an argument whereby his wife left their home returning to her parents house in July 2003. Incidentally Judge Mohamed Fauzi Ismail, a Syariah Court Judge in Gombak, Selangor ruled that the divorce, or Talaq in Islamic terms, was valid. This of course ended an eighteen month old marriage.

But is it moral and ethical for SMS divorces? and mainly the 'Triple Divorce'? To answer the question, let's look briefly at how proper divorces are conducted in Islam.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The lawful thing which Allah hates most is divorce.”

Once the muslim man divorces his wife, he has a chance to take her back within 3 menstrual cycles or 'Iddah' of his wife. Meaning before the end of the 3rd mentrual cycle of his wife, he can take her back and annul the first 'Talaq'.

If the man wants to take back his wife after her 'Iddah' period, then he can do so by contracting a new marriage whereby he has to give dowry.

To protect to rights of the woman, Islam allows the man to take this course of action only three times, after which the woman becomes forbidden for him to remarry unless she becomes available again through another marriage and divorce to a different man.

Interestingly, a divorce uttered in anger by the husband is not considered binding as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There is no divorce and no freeing of slaves when it is done by force or in a state of intense anger”.

Can a man execute a triple divorce in his first attempt to 'Talaq' his wife?
There are differences of opinion, but the most correct opinion in line with the spirit of the Syariah is no. Though there is room in the Syariah to execute three divorces in the first attempt, but this can easily be abused by the masses.

According to the Sunnah, there were people who did triple pronouncement on the first divorce, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in anger "Is sport being made of the Book of Allah while I am (yet) among you?" As a result, a man stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I not kill him?" (Reported by an-Nasa'i). Though we cannot ascertain the authenticity of this hadith, but it can be considered acceptable due to other authentic ahadeeth which confirm that triple pronouncements of divorce at once was never accepted as triple divorces during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Caliphate of Abu Bakrin and two years of the Umar's Caliphate. But later on, the latter changed the ruling to accept triple divorces in the first attempt to deter people from even pronouncing 'Talaq' and to observe its seriousness.

Due to Umar's decision, Triple 'talaq' now has room in the Syariah, although it does not have consensus among the Ulama' of the past. An excerpt from islamonline.net says:

Other scholars including Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim are of the opinion that it should be counted as only one pronouncement of divorce. This is also reported by Ibn al-Munzir from `Ata', Tawus, Ibn Dinar. Ibn Mughith also reported this opinion of `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Mas`ud, `Abdur-Rahman ibn `Awf, Az-Zubayr from among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Eventhough Ahlul Sunnah wal Jamaah should always follow the consensus rather than the opinion of one Sohaba, the decision of Umar carries weight due to the Prophet informing muslims to follow the tradition of the 'Rightly Guided Caliphs'. Therefore the syariah makes room for Umar's decision, despite it not being the most correct, but it may become feasible in some cases.

Each divorce should take its proper rights and duration so that it is not abused. Take for example the situation in Tajikistan's crushing poverty where men would go to work abroad and just simply text "Talaq, talaq, talaq" to their wives back home, sowing confusion, heartbreak and destitution back home. They do this to escape the responsibility of their children, wife and parents after they find good work and perhaps wives in their new found country. This was reported by French News Agency (AFP) on 26th September 2009.

Consequently, to prevent such acts of abuse from the masses, we must follow the consensus of the Ulama' that triple divorces should be treated as once and only allow triple divorces on rare occasions where it may called for.

The proper way for a muslim man to divorce his wife is as follows in chronological order:

He must have the clear and precise intention of divorcing his wife,
He must be conscious of his decision (not drunk or in a fit of anger),
He must express the divorce (either verbally or written or through representation),
He must confirm his expression of divorce in the presence of a court or judge.

Other forms of divorces exists, but will not be discussed as they may not be relevant to our topic.

So where does SMS comes into play?
Under No. 3: Expressing the divorce. The Syariah Court Judge, Mohamed Fauzi, in the above divorce case, ruled that SMSes are regarded as valid documents similar to letters, if the sender verifies it.

Why must the divorce follow this chronological order?
Well first it must be understood that divorce is the only allowed act in Islam which is reprehensible to Allah. So enforcing a divorce should not come easy, rather it has to fulfill all the criteria above and after some counselling from the judge, and if it still does not work out, then the divorce would be enforced.

Why is intention important?
Say a man wrote a piece of paper to educate a friend about 'Talaq', so he writes the word Talaq three times, then someone comes and takes the paper to his wife, does it mean that the wife is divorced?

or

A man writes or says 'Talaq' with the intention to scare his wife into understanding the reality of a divorce, but has no intention of actually divorcing her. Would that count?

In both cases, no. Due to the fact he had no clear and present intention to do so. This is based on the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saying "Actions are based upon intention".

It is understood that the 'intention' must be a sober and conscious intention and not from a drunkard or semi-conscious state whereby the doer cannot recall what he did.

Why is SMS verification important?
Since the courts have accepted SMS 'Talaq' similar to letter document, so similarly it has to verified or attested to by the writer. This is to eliminate forgery and false accusations and reconfirm the intention of the husband.

SMS divorces are not affected unless verified and enforced by the Syariah Court Judge. As Syariah Court Judge, Abdul Hamid Othman, approved of SMS initiated divorces so long as the communication was “clear and unambiguous,” then it was “valid under [Syariah] law.”

Although thereafter, the Malaysian Government had reservations and opposition to SMS divorces as expressed by the Former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying "Of course, nowadays, we can even divorce our wives (using SMS). I'm not so keen on that. They say that it is perfectly legal and perfectly Islamic but I think if people want to divorce their wives, they should resort to a much more personal ..." and this view shared by former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. With mounting Government 's opposition to SMS divorces at the time, it finally simmered down when the Parliament Secretary declared the permissibility of SMS divorces saying tat they were “were valid under the Syariah.”. This was reported by the New Straits Times, Sept. 4, 2003.

So in essence the SMS divorces are recognized as a valid document to initiate a divorce proceeding. It will be up to the court's discretion whether to allow a triple divorce at once or not, based on the circumstances of the case.

Reference:

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/36761
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-76413662.html
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/20660
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_one_give_divorce_according_to_shariah_Muslim_law_by_sending_sms_to_his_wife
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/70460
http://www.zimbio.com/AFP+News/articles/G0_WpBhc1Yf/Tajik+migrants+divorce+SMS+causing+grief+home
http://www.zawaj.com/articles/talaq_scales2.html
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/72291
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Islamonline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543322
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/31778/
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503543664&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEAskTheScholar

Maybank: So far the OK bank

2009-10-28T06:37:00.001-07:00

So far this bank hasn't given much problems to its customers. Should be interesting to see who Maybank ticks off soon.... :-)

in reference to: Maybank2u.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

A point about masturbation

2009-09-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across something really interesting whilst going through the 'Tafseer' or explanation of Surah #70 known as Surat Ma'rij. Here's the interesting part:

This was taken from Ma'riful Quran and although the abovementioned hadith has a weakness but I recommend taking this hadith literally and seriously for those who may have this issue. IMHO, Weak hadith should be used to improve akhlaq or good character. Inshallah I hope this will help us in reducing sins.

Down at the heart of Islam

2009-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what is at the core of the Islamic Faith? The core means the pivot of that religion which all other acts depend on?

Its simply these words: "La ilaha illa llah, Muhammad rasulullah".
Yeah, that's it. And from this sentence, branches all the acts of worship and sciences of Islam.

But what does it mean, really?
Translated to something we can understand, it means:
"There is no one worthy to be worshipped except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

Islamically, this is called Tawhid, meaning the understanding of how Allah is the One and Only God. Any act of worship provisioned in Islam, such as prostrating, circumambulating and making something an object of supplication or prayer, must be directed towards Allah Almighty alone.

So in Islam, there can never be muslims doing the act of worship to another being, say another human being, or a tree or a stone. This is the opposite to the act of Tawhid, known as Shirik. Shirik means "giving a partner". So whoever prays to Allah and then supplements that prayer with a supplication to a grave-site or a stone or a tree, then he has made for himself a few gods that he prays to. And this act immediately invalidates the Tawhid of praying Allah Almighty alone, and thus invalidating one's Islam in the process.

So can someone say that he is a muslim without first declaring the idea of "There is no one worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah"?
Yes and No. In Islamic understanding, every child on this earth is born as a muslim in the beginning. If left alone without any intervention, he would practice Islam in the end. So if that child is taught another religion that involves Shirik (worshipping more than one God), then he has fallen out of the fold Islam automatically until he is guided back to it.

So yes, everyone is muslim in the beginning until shirik takes over the lifestyle of that person. Then he automatically falls out of the fold of Islam, though all this is 'registration and deregistration" is recorded invisibly.

Then when someone is guided to Islam, then he is guided back to his original faith, the one he was born with. So he will be "registered" again as a muslim, but this second registration requires the declaration of "La ilaha illa llah, muhammad rasulullah". Without this sentence, known as the Kalimah, one cannot go back to the original religion he was born with, that is Islam.

Why is this important? Because it entails a few obligation for the already muslim crowd, such answering the greeting of Salam. The muslim is obligated to answer. So if one casually says that he is a muslim, but makes it a habit not to answer the salam of another fellow muslim, his status is really questionable.

Also prayer is obligatory on a muslim. Since the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) gave us the idea that Salah or the obligatory ritualistic 5 times a day prayer is the yardstick of one's faith. Without the performance of the obligatory prayers, the muslim would quickly loose his muslimship.

Another main obligation is to NOT commit shirik. Because Allah has said in the Quran that any sin that brought in front of him on the day of reckoning, He may forgive. But not the sin of shirik, and He says He will never forgive that sin. And of course that sin also revokes the muslims membership in Islam, so to speak.

So as is evident, the citizenship in Islam is a serious and fragile thing. And likewise has to be taken seriously. But with all these 'burden' to bear, is it worth being a muslim at all?

That's an interesting question to ponder. And Allah swears by the fleetingness of time that the whole of mankind is in loss, except the ones who have faith, do the righteous & obligatory deeds, call people to the truth (of Allah) and call people to patiently persevere in the lifestyle of believing in One God, without making partners. (explanation of Surah Asr)

Yes, these are the criteria that God looks for when rewarding, but what's the reward? Its Jannah. Or paradise in our language. And Allah promises that if you have earned Jannah, there's nothing more to look forward to because of the perfect contentment it provides. Its a place where there's no more failure. Its the end of the line for us in our journey and our final resting place. No diseases, no death, no dismay, no deficiencies, no longings, no problems, etc. Its a place of perfect bliss.

So when people call themselves muslims casually, hopefully Allah guides them to become more serious muslims and understand the weight of their responsibilities and thereby grant them the ultimate success, Jannah.

Fatihah Anyone?

2008-08-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Assalamu alaykum.

Have you ever given the fatiha a second thought. Being human we sometimes tend to dream away when we're reciting. We consider the fatiha as a hyme, a tune maybe.

Being a student of arabic, i'd like to share some explanation of the meaning of the fatiha so that it gives us a sense of ernestness because we mean what we say out. This article is a beginners level understanding of Surah Al-Fatiha, so scholars have to go elsewhere, ;-).

Here we go, bismillahi rahmani Rahim:

1.Alhamdu lillahi robbil-alameen
Translation: All praises for the Lord of the worlds.
Analysis: Why is "worlds" in plural? because Allah is the lord of the world that we know and all the other unknown worlds, like Heaven, Hell, the world of the Jinns and etc..
If you think about it, even the Kuffars also praise Allah, but indirectly. When one praises the beauty of a tree, they're also praising its creator, that is Allah. So in reality all hamd (praises) belongs to Allah and will go back to him in the end. Also to stress here the key word 'all', because we can only praise Allah in all the known languages with all our might. But there are languages that we do not know, like how the plants and animals praise Allah. Think about it...

2. ArrahmaniRaheem
Translation: The Compassionate, the Merciful.
Analysis: Have you ever wondered whats the difference between rahman and raheem? Both come from the same root word rhm which means mercy. The books of tafseer say that the first word 'Arrahman' means that Allah is compassionate to all creatures, regardless of faith. He is compassionate because he gives even the Kuffars and the mu'min commonly shared things of the world like air to breath, food to eat, cars, house, family, etc.... 'Arraheem' means that Allah is specially merciful to the mu'min because He'll give them inshallah something that the Kuffar will never ever get, help and guidance in the Dunia, and Jannah in the hereafter.

3.Maliki Yaumi-deen

Translation: He is the Lord of the Day Judgement.

Analysis: Doesn't 'deen' mean 'religion'? Well yaum means day no doubt, but doesn't 'yaumideen' mean 'day of religion'. Because 'deen' also means 'debt'. So actually it reads 'day of counting debts'. Because for the mu'min, our good deeds are in debted to us, whose repayment will be on the Judgement day. By that token, the bad deeds of the Kuffar is also in-debted to them. So when repayment is metted out, it'll determine/judge their next destination, Jannah (Paradise) or Fire (Punishment).

4. Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nastain

Translation: To You only do we worship, and to You only we seek assistance.

Analysis: If you're a student of arabic, you might ask why isn't it "na'buduka wa nastainuka"? It also means "we worship you and we ask your assistance". But Allah's words are perfect and I'm gonna tell you why. Instead of saying "na'buduka" which means "we worship you", Allah puts His reference first in the sentence, because Allah should come first. So then it should read " Ka na'budu" right? Well, "Ka" here cannot stand on its own, so then "Iyya" has to be added so that the "Ka" can be at the front of the sentence, which makes the word "Iyyaka". Also it has made the reference exclusive, meaning " to You only". Subhanallah!

5. Ehdina Siratol Mustaqeem

Translation: Guide us on the straight way

Analysis: Its good to realize that word "Ehdi" actually has connections with the "hidaya" meaning guidance. Root word is h-d-y. So "Ehdy" is the commanding / demanding verb to "guide". You may be asking, how come we can command / demand Allah to guide? Well, with Allah, this is not the "demanding" that we know of but rather a form of invocation and prayer.

6. Siratol lazina anamta alaihim

Translation: The way of those your favour is upon them.

Analysis: This sentence is the explanation of the previous sentence "Guide us on the straight way". Here Allah is explaining further what is the straight way. Allah describes the straight way as "the same way that the people whom He has favoured / is pleased with". So who is Allah refering to in this ayah? None other than the Prophet (s.a.w.), the Sahabahs (r.a) and the two generations after them. Reference Quran 7:100.

7. Ghoir ilmagdubi alaihim wa la dholeen

Translation: Not the way of those who Your anger is upon them ang not those who are lost.

Analysis: The word "ghoir" means "not", example "ghoir mukkalid" means "not mukkalid". So "Ghoir ilmagdubi alaihim" means "not the ones that anger is upon them". By the way, who are these people whom Allah is angry with? Its the Jews. because they always plot to assasinate the prophets whom Allah sends, they break their covenant with Allah and they change whatever is in Allah's book. Who are the Dholeen? They are the lost people, Allah is refering to the Nasrani a.k.a Christians. And why does Allah call them Dholeen or lost? Because they are a people added to religion so many innovations or bidaah until they became lost. Imagine when Isa (a.s) used to "put his face on the ground" to pray, the Christians have innovated so many things until they don't even follow that simple sunnah. The scholars have said, "Every Biddah or innovation in the religion kills a sunnah" and our Prophet (s.a.w.) says in Khutbatal-Hajah "Kulla bidaatin dholalah, wa kulla dholalatin fi nar" meaning "every bidaah or innovation in religion is astray (lost) and everything astray is in the fire". So initially Isa (a.s) has taught them the right teachings of Allah, but with their adding and adding, they have finally lost salvation.

This last sentence also refers indiretly to those in the Ummah who follow the innovative ways of the Christians by saying that there is Bidaah Hasanah. Bidaah Hasanah will only lead the ummah in the footsteps of the Christians and just how lost they are. They have their books, but nothing of the sunnah within it is taken, rather they take the words of an ordinary man over the words of Jesus. Likewise in the Ummah today, many take the words and opinion of the scholards over the words of Allah and His prophet.

When you recite that last verse, you're asking Allah to keep you rooted in the Quran and Sunnah, that is the way of the Salaf (pious predecessors). even in the fatiha, it guides us to the salafiyah manhaj. I close with a reminder that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said to Fatimah Zahra (r.a.), "..am I not to you the best of the Salaf?" first calling himself by the name of Salaf.

Alhamdulillahi robbil alameen.

Tahukah anda mengenai Khubatul Hajah?

2008-08-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Mari kita kaji amaran yg diberi oleh Rasulullahi salallahu alaihi wasalam dalam Khutbatul Hajah. Mungkin ramai antara kita tak pernah dengar perkataan "Khutbatul Hajah" tapi kemungkinan besar kita pernah dengar teksnya seperti berikut:

إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره ، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا ، من يهده الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله ،

ياأيها الذين أمنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون

ياأيها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحده وخلق منها زوجها وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونساء واتقوا الله الذي تساءلون به والأرحام إن الله كان عليكم رقيبايا أ

أمــــا بـــعــــــــد :ـ

فإن أصدق الحديث كلام الله ، وخير الهدي هدي محمد ، وشر الأمور محدثاتها، وكل محدثة بدعة ، وكل بدعة ضلالة ،وكل ضلالة في النار

"...Verily the most truthful of speech is the speech of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (s.a.w), the worst matter is the newly invented things in the religion, and every newly invented thing in the religion is an innovation, and every innovation is astray and everything that is astray is in the Fire."

"... Sesungguhnya kata2 yg paling benar ialah Kalamullah (Quran), tunjuk-ajar / bimbingan yang paling baik ialah tunjuk-ajar Muhammad (s.a.w.), perkara yang paling jahat/teruk ialah ciptaan2 baru dalam agama, dan setiap ciptaan baru dalam agama adalah inovasi (Bidaah) dan setiap inovasi (Bidaah) adalah sesat dan setiap yang sesat berada di dalam Api Neraka."

Rujukan utk Khutbatul Hajah ini boleh didapati dalam Sahih Muslim(vol. 6 / pp.
153, 156-57), Abu Dawud dalam “Sunnan” (vol. 1 / p. 287) (no. 1097), An-Nasa’i dalam
“Al-Mujtaba” (vol. 3 / pp. 104-5), Al-Hākim dalam “Al-Mustadrak” (vol. 2 / pp. 182-3),
At-Tayalisi dalam “Al-Musnad” (no. 338), Al-Baihaqi dalam “As-Sunnan Al-Kubrā” (vol. 7
/ p. 146), (vol. 3 / p. 214) dan Ibn Mājah dalam “As-Sunnan” (vol. 1 / p. 585).

Yang penting saya kongsi ialah amaran bahawa semua 'ciptaan baru' dalam agama ialah inovasi dan semua inovasi adalah sesat. Persoalannya, ramai antara kita tak nampak ciptaan baru yang disebut Rasulullah (s.a.w.). Jadi saya senaraikan ciptaan2 baru atau inovasi yang sekarang ada tapi tidak ada pada zaman Rasulullah dan para ulama Salaf:

1. Membaca Yasin utk orang mati, (walaupun ada khilaf, tapi tidak dilakukan pada zaman nabi dan sahabah)

2. Membuat kenduri Tahlilan, (ini tak ada khliaf langsung, memang budaya masyrakat shj, tiada asal dalam Islam)

3. Sedekah Al-Fatiha utk orang yg mati, (ini terikut dgn budaya Christian)

4. Budaya mengaji Surah Yasin pada hari Khamis malam Jumaat,

5. Budaya sentuh belakang kepala dan lap muka setelah selesai solat,

6. Membaca 'Allahuma bariklana fima rozaktana...' sebelum makan,

7. Berzikir beramai-ramai dan secara kuat selepas solat,

8. Berdo'a ramai2 dan secara kuat selepas solat,

9. Membaca yasin atau ayat2 Quran atas kubur orang,

dan banyak lagi yg saya tak terfikir buat masa ini. Yang tersenarai di atas adalah perkara2 yang tidak dilakukan oleh para salaf, dan tidak terkandung dalam sunnah Rasulullah (s.a.w) tapi kita dapati perkara2 tersebut memang lumrah dikalangan masyarakat kita di Malaysia. Cuma hendak diingatkan kepada kawan2, walau macam mana pun mashyurnya atau lumrahnya suatu perbuatan tidak bermaksud ia adalah sunnah, atau boleh menjadi Sunnah. Ini kerana Sunnah telahpun ditentukan oleh perbuatan atau arahan Rasulullah (s.a.w.).

Lebih baik kita ikut pada Sunnah nabi dan jangan tambah2 kepadanya, kerana tidak ada apa2 yg kita boleh tambah kepada sunnah yang akan membawa kita lebih hampir ke Jannah (Syurga), kecuali ia telah diberitahu oleh Rasulullah kepada kita, dan tidak ada apa2 yang membawa kita ke api neraka kecuali nabi telah memberi amaran tentanngnya. (Maksud hadith dalam Musnad As-Shafie)

Lagipun dalam Sahih Muslim, Nabi bersabda: "Jika seseorang itu membuat sesuatu yang kami tidak menyuruhnya membuatnya, maka perbuatannya tidak diterima".

Dan dalam Sahih Bukhari, Nabi bersabda: "... dan kamu akan lihat perbezaan pendapat yang banyak, maka berPEGANGlah kepada Sunnahku dan sunnah Khalifah Ar-Rashidin selepasku, walaupun terpaksa menggigit menggunakan gigi (supaya tidak terlepas) sekalipun.

Inshallah, saya sarankan supaya kita buatlah apa dalam ibadah kita yang kita ketahui kesahihannya dan tinggal dulu apa yang kita rasa sangsi dan cuba dapatkan maklumat yang sahih tentangnya daripada ustaz-ustaz yang ilmunya merangkumi keempat-empat mazhab. Saya cuma nak katakan, kalau kita bertanya kepada ustaz2 yg biasa berceramah kat Masjid, kemungkinan besar mereka tidak mengetahui apa2 di luar mazhab mereka, padahal mazhab Syafie sahaja bukanlah Islam keseluruhannya. Sebenarnya saya ingin membuka minda tuan2 dan puan2 supaya tahu bahawa Islam itu memang luas dan untuk memahaminya, kita perlu kaji dari mana imam2 mujtahid mendapat sumber dan tengok sendiri daleel2 yang dikemukakan. Dan sesiapa yang tidak ingin berbuat demikian dan ingin 'taklid' kepada semua keputusan seorang imam mazhab, boleh juga berbuat demikian, cuma pencarian ilmu yang sebenar mungkin tidak kesampaian nanti.

Bagi diri saya, manhaj saya sama seperti Imam Shatibi dan Imam Malik, iaitu dalam ibadah, semua adalah haram kecuali apa yang diwahyukan kepada Nabi Muhammad (s.a.w) dan disyariatkan dalam Islam. Dan dalam muamalah (selain dari ibadah) semuanya halal sehingga diharamkan oleh syariat Islam.

Saya mengalu-alukan komen anda. Assalamu alaykum warahmutallahi wabarokatuhu.

Hadiah Tahun Baru Cina

2008-06-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Assalamu alaykum. Salam Ukhwah utk semua. Bila berfikir balik, kadang2 terasa seperti Allah nak kenalkan kami dan kerja2 da'wah kami kepada semua org. Dua hari sebelum Hari Raya Cina yg lepas, jurugambar daripada NSTP panggil kata nak masukkan cerita 'unik' keluarga saya dalam surat khabar. "Betul ke dia nih" saya pun tertanya diri sendiri. Hari sebelum Raya Cina, dia pun datang dan nak 'shoot' foto2 utk akhbarnya. "Yang pentingnya, niat saya hanya nak da'wah dan menunjukkan yg Islam ni tidak memecah-belahkan keluarga." saya berkata kpdnya.

Kami (Isteri saya, saya dan adik saya) memang sedia nak buat da'wah, cuma speciality kami, da'wah kami lebih kepada Bahasa Inggeris. So kalau ada yang inginkan keterangan lanjut mengenai Islam dalam Bahasa Inggeris, terutamanya orang Cina, India dan Barat, bolehlah hubungi kami:

012-2509479 (Adam Fong)
012-6571463 (Farihin Fong)

Cuma satu 'footnote', saya berharap agar artikel ini tidak disalah-faham. Saya TIDAK melawat ibubapa saya kerana turut merayakan Hari Raya Cina, tetapi cuma saya free hari tu dan ingin menjenguk dan menghormati mereka. Saya TIDAK sama sekali 'menyambut' Hari raya cina dengan mereka. Tetapi niat saya nak menunjukkan ibubapa saya yang Islam menggalakkan kita mengeratkan silaturahim.

"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." Noble Qur'ân 16:125

Better understanding of Usool-ul-Fiqh

2008-05-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

How do we derive an islamic verdict on everyday issues? What is the principle if understanding? By the way, that question can be translated as what is the usool of Fiqh. The more we understand the methodology at deriving at an understanding, the more we can apply it in our lives. Its just like if one memorizes that 5+3=8, then he'll know only that equation. But if he was to study how 5+3 became 8, then that new principle could be applied to a variety of situations and it does not need to confined to the just 3 numbers.

Today I am gonna be talking about my studies of the Sources of Usool Al-Fiqh, notes taken from Yasir Qadhi's Lecture.

SOURCES OF USUL FIQH

1.Quran
This is the primary source of law for muslims. Whatever is mentioned in it are to be taken as Haqiqi (its obvious meaning) until there's evidence of it being metaphorically specific to something else.

2.Sunnah
2.1 Statements of the prophet (Commands) – it applies to the whole ummah and not only the sahabah:
Example of the Hadith: Abdullah ibn Abbaas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw a gold ring on a man’s hand. He took it off and threw it aside, saying, “Would any of you take a burning coal and hold it in his hand?” When the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) had gone away, someone said to the man, “Take your ring and benefit from it (i.e., sell it).” He said, “No, by Allah, I will not take it after the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) has thrown it away.” (Muslim).
Example: Command to have clothes above the ankles.

2.2 Actions of the Prophets
2.2.1 Actions that the Quran commands him to do (just like any other muslim)
i.e Allah's command to fulfill the ties of kinship.
2.2.2 Elaborating / explaining upon the quran where it vague
i.e Solah, hajj
2.2.3 The rulings on the religion which was not found in the quran to show that it is allowed.
i.e. Sunnah Solah (not found in quran)
Ghusl (religious act not foundin the quran different from Wudu)
Stoning the adulteress
2.2.4 That which the prophet did as the worship of Allah but was special only for the prophet. These fiqh ruling only applies to the prophet (s.a.w):
Everything the prophet did then it is for all muslims except if there is somethings= to show exclusiveness to the prophet. There MUST explicit text that shows that it was for the prophet only, i.e Marrying more than four wives, no one can marry the prophet's wives after his death.
i.e the prophet could fast more than one day, the sahabah tried to imitate but he forbade them and said that it is only for him.
2.2.5 The things that prophet did as a human being. i.e eating, drinking, speaking arabic, to live in desert.
Is it sunnah for us to live in the desert or speak arabic? No because this is part of the prophet's actions as a human being. we do not base fiqhi ruling.
These actions do not bring us closer to Allah or base our religions, like living in the desert.
2.2.6 Actions he did not do (Sunnah Tarkiyah)
If the prophet left something than it makes it haram for us, i.e shaking women's hands. He left an act, and this shows that is also part of our religion. To leave something that was prohibited by Allah, i.e Zina.
2.2.7 Religious acts that the prophet could have done but he purposely did not do, so if we do it then it becomes bidaah. i.e azan before eid prayers, mawlid. This things are not specifically mentioned in the Quran & Sunnah, but he left it for a religious reason.
If we leave what he has left then we get reward, if we do something that he has left off then we'll be sinful.
cars and technology do not fall in the category, only religious acts.
Somethings the prophet left that was from a certain culture, time and place.
i.e. eating lizard, delicacy of the arabs. Not haram, coz 'My people do not eat this type of food'.

2.3 Silent Approval of the prophet
example of hadith of Jabir ibn Abdillah,they used to practise coetus interuptus, meaning ejaculating outside intercourse. the prophet was silent about it, so its allowed even though he did not specifically say its allowed.
the prophet saw or knows but did not disapprove.

Ahad Hadith – All the 4 imams accepted it but asharis don't. all mutawatir is not ahad and all ahad is not mutawatir.

3.Ijma' (Unanimous Consensus)
Definition: Allof the scholars of a certain time (not place) agree without any difference of opinion about a certain thing. Once that occurs it becomes part of our fiqh based upon hadith ' My ummah will never agree upon a misguidance'.
i.e. Ijma' inour time: Qadianis are not muslims

4.Qiyas (analogy)
Definition: Take a ruling that is found in the Quran and Sunnah and apply it to another situation that is not from the Quran & Sunnah because that situation has a commonality with what is found in the Quran & Sunnah. i.e
Principles
Initial Ruling (must exist or found in the Quran & Sunnah) like Alcohol. (Case 1)
The situation that is NOT found in Quran & Sunnah) like drugs. (Case 2)
Ruling on case 1 will be applied to case 2. Like Haram to case 1 is same for case 2.
The commonality.
How to identify commonality? majority of ulama' agreed to Qiyas (all four madhabs) but not the Dhahiris.
Qiyas cannot go against the Quran & Sunnah.

5.Custom & Cultures (Minor ruling of fiqh)
Comes into play when defining a certain, concept or contract.
like selling a car. if sold wihout a spare tyre, then the judge will judge based on what is meant in the customs and cultures of the time and area.

6.Statements of Sahabah

7.Maslaha Mursala (Benefit for entire community)
like Quran mushaf.

HOW THE RULINGS ARE GIVEN IN THE QURAN & SUNNAH
(Sentence pairs)

1.Am & Khas (General& Specific)
i.e Surah Asr, stealing, hajj.
used when two rulings in Q & S. it cannot contradict each other.
Am is a general group and khas is a specified group within that.

2.Mutlak & Mukayad (Unconditional & conditional)
Mutlak is unconditional, like a man, a slave, a woman.
Mukayad adds some conditions on it, like a tall man, or a pretty woman.
Difference between mutlak and am is am applies to everything on its subset, like a all souls shall taste of death. Mutlak only applies to one, like if you should do this and this then free a slave (any slave makes it unconditional).
'but if u kill a believer unintentionally, then you must free a BELIEVING slave' – this is conditional or mukayad.

3.Mantuq and mafhum (apparent & implied)
Mantuq means apparent or explicit.
Mafhum means opposite or implied meaning of the verse. i.e. dowry.
Mafhum is taken into Fiqh when it does not contradict the mantuq or the hadith.

4.Haqiqi and Majazi
Haqiqi means words used in its primary sense. everything in the arabic language is haqiqi except if there is prove that is majazi.
Majazi means words used in its metaphorical sense. there is no majazi in Allah's names and attributes, all of it are haqiqi. this is aqeedah of Sunna waljemaah.

Smoking is Haram!

2008-05-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Smoking and Health Effects

It is very well known that cigarette smoking is the most widespread example of drug dependence in the United States. A pamphlet released by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office entitled “Why People Smoke Cigarettes” calls cigarette smoking America’s worst drug addiction problem. It involves addiction to the drug nicotine in tobacco and possible other tobacco substances.

An authoritative British report (1) stated that tobacco smoking is a form of drug dependence different from but no less strong than that of other addictive drugs—the most stable and well-adjusted person will, if he smokes at all, almost inevitably become dependent on the habit.

An Australian government report of 1977 called Drug Problems in Australia - An Intoxicated Society (2), says, “It is important to recognize that smoking is a form of drug dependence, but one with especially insidious characteristics.”

Like many other drugs, the chemicals in cigarette affect the chemistry of the brain and nervous system and create dependence and lead to compulsive use.

More than 56 million Americans and multiple scores of millions more in other nations, including Islamic nations (3) are hooked on cigarettes in the same way as caffeine addicts are hooked on caffeine. A major reason why sales continue at high levels despite widespread public knowledge about the health hazards is the addictive nature of cigarettes.

Most people start smoking just to conform to peer or social pressures. They get a feeling of “grown up.” They find smoking (nicotine) at first acts as a stimulant. Later they find they need to smoke as a tranquilizer. These smokers develop a level of tolerance and bodily adjustment to nicotine. If this level of nicotine is not maintained in their blood, they will experience uncomfortable physical-psychological dependence problems. These uncomfortable feelings are classic drug withdrawal symptoms. Addictive drugs are psychoactive which create brain and nervous system dependence and lead to compulsive use. Abrupt discontinuation leads to physiological and psychological distress. The withdrawal symptoms are headache, stomach discomfort, nervousness, irritability, sweating, change in heart and blood pressure and lower excretion of some hormones affecting the nervous system (4).

The former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Coop, says, “Cigarette smoking is clearly identified as the chief preventable cause of death (340,000 deaths per year in U.S.A.). In our society it is a major factor in the development of many cases of cancer, heart trouble, chronic lung and respiratory diseases and other ailments. Smoking causes more illnesses and death than all the other drugs.”(5)

Smoking and Islam

In Islam cleanliness and hygiene are emphasized to the extent that it has been considered a part of Iman (faith). It is very well known that a smoker’s mouth is unclean and foul smelling “like a cigarette ash-tray.” Allah (SWT) says:

“And forbids them what is bad.” The Qur’an, Surah Al-’Araf, 7: 157

“0 ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Eschew such abominations that ye may prosper.”

Al Ma’idah, 5: 93

The word intoxicant has three meanings (6):

(1) To induce, especially the effect of ingested alcohol.

(2) To stimulate or excite.

(3) To poison.

Except the first meaning the latter two are very well valid and both applicable to nicotine and caffeine.

Smoking is nothing but a form of slow suicide. The Qur’an says:

“And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden…”

Surah, Al-Isra, 17: 33

“And make not your own hands contribute to your destruction.” Surah, Al-Baqara, 2: 195

“Nor kill or destroy yourselves for verily Allah hath been to you most Merciful.” Surah, An-Nisa, 4: 29

The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) has said:

“Nor be hurt or injure others.” It is scientifically proven that the exhaled smoke of the smoker is hazardous to non-smokers around him.

The amount of money a smoker spends on cigarette smoking in a period of 30 years is calculated to be Two Hundred Thousand Dollars or more. All this money is simply wasted (not including the money spent on smoker’s health care).

Allah (SWT) says:

“But squander not your wealth in the manner of a spend thrift, verily spendthrifts are brothers of evils.”

Surah, Al-Isra, 17: 26, 27

Body is polluted by smoking. Hence smokers cannot pray until they have cleansed themselves. According to the Qur’an:

“0 ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when you are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when you are polluted save when journeying upon the road, till you have bathed.”

Surah, An-Nisa, 4: 43

The Christians consider the human body to be a sacred trust given to man by God because it contains the spirit breathed into it by God. Even the Qur’an says

“So,when I have made him and have breathed unto him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him ” Surah, Al-Hijr, 15: 29.

Hence the physical body should not be polluted or injured or destroyed in any way by smoking or taking of alcohol or any type of habit-forming drugs.

The following is presented as evidence to prove the adverse effects on human body by tobacco smoke; figure 1 shows the chemical structure of Benzo (a) pyrene which is one of the most potent carcinogens known to man to be present in the tobacco smoke. Table I shows a list of tumor-initiating agents present in the particulate phase of tobacco smoke. Tables 2 to 5 present the mortality ratios for coronary artery disease, lung cancer, and other diseases. Table 6 shows the adverse effects of smoking by pregnant women on themselves, their fetuses, and their children.

C 0 N C L U S 1 0 N

For the foregoing reasons and for reasons considered elsewhere smoking is Haram or unlawful in Islam, hence smoking should be discouraged and finally banned in all Islamic countries.

All smoking Muslims should give up this unhealthy and un-Islamic activity. The best way to give it up is to stop all smoking completely. Tapering off on the amount one smokes does not work for most people. It is not easy to quit suddenly, but it is presently the most successful way. There are many ways and techniques available for a serious minded person to give up smoking, which cannot be discussed here. For the Muslims who sincerely practice Islam and who submit themselves to the Will of Allah, this should not be a difficult task.

REFERENCES

1. The Royal College of Physicians, Smoking, or Health, Third Report

1977, p.98.

2. Drug Problems in Australia: An Intoxicated Society? A Report from the Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia, 1977.

3.Taha A.: Smoking and Muslim Countries: The immediate and serious Threat. J I M A. 14: 50-52, 1982.

4. Jaffee JH, Drug Addiction and Drug Abuse (Ch.16), Clinical Characteristics: Nicotine. In: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Goodman LS and Gilman A (Editors), Macmillan Pub. Co. Inc., New York, 1975. P. 305.

5. The Health Consequences of Smoking. The Changing Cigarette - a Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, P.H.S., Rockville, Maryland, 1981, DHSS (PBS) 81 - 50156.

6. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1978, P. 686.

7. Yusuf Al Qaradawi, Al Halal Wal Haram. Cairo, 1960.

8. Smoking and health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service. P.H.S. Publication NO.1103 U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C. 1965.

Hijab - a proper understanding

2008-05-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

To learn about the hijab and understand properly its imports would indicate almost all malaysian women are no longer proper muslims nor do they understand what it means to cover up.

Glance all around KL and one would find the common muslim women wearing a body-hugging shirt and jeans, attired by the 'tudung' signalling their belonging to a seemingly 'Islamic' body of believers. Little do they take the time to understand what Allah and his Rasul has ordered regarding the Hijab. Do they not question the wearing of the 'tudung' when the shapes of the bodies are visible? What's the purpose of covering the head and then wear see-through clothes, and short-sleeves shirts? Isn't the uncovered hands part of their awrah? But they leave that exposed and cover their heads? Without proper learning, we'll soon see the day when some muslimah might wear a bikini and then wear a 'tudung', auzubillah. But what can you expect from a people who are 'led' mostly by ignorant artists and pomp?

Please read the following article and please call for change in your wives, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc... :

Hijaab is an Arabic word that describes the Muslim woman's entire dress code, which includes a veil and whatever else is needed to cover everything except the face and hands. It is adopted at puberty - an age when, according to Islam, people become accountable for their actions.

This essay will attempt to briefly enumerate the basic requirements regarding the Hijaab as stipulated by the Sharee’ah (Islamic Law). The term Hijaab includes not only dress and the covering of the body, but also the methods of behaviour that one has before members of the same and/or opposite sex, promoting privacy for females and prohibiting loose intermingling between males and females; it is, therefore, an encouragement of modesty, decency, and chastity.

The following requirements represent the ones agreed upon by the overwhelming majority of Islamic scholars and are all solidly backed by firm evidence taken from the Quran, the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions) and the practice of the Companions of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) .

1. The Extent of Covering

The dress worn in public must cover the entire body except what has been specifically excluded, based upon the following verse:

Allaah Says (what means): “And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not display their adornment [Zeenah] except only that which [ordinarily] appears thereof and to draw their headcovers [Khumur] over their chests and not display their adornment [i.e., beauty] except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their female slaves, their women [i.e., their sisters in Islam], or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O Believers, in order that you might succeed." [Quran 24:31]

The word Zeenah in the above verse literally means adornment, and includes both:

(a) That which Allaah has adorned (i.e., the woman’s natural and/or physical beauty), and,

*this in itself is a prohibition of muslim women from dancing and allowing their natural adornments (their bosoms and bodies) to shake and move in front of others.

(b) That with which they adorn themselves (i.e., jewellery, eye shadow, attractive clothing, hand dye, etc). The word 'Khumur' (pl. of 'Khimaar') refers to a cloth that covers the head (including the ears), hair, neck and bosom.

2. Thickness

The garment should be thick and opaque so as not to display the skin colour and form of the body beneath it. Delicate or transparent clothing does not constitute a proper covering. Imaam Al-Qurtubi may Allaah be pleased with him reported a narration from ‘Aa’ishah may Allaah be pleased with her that some women from the tribe of Banu Tameem came to see her wearing transparent clothing. ‘Aa’ishah may Allaah be pleased with her said to them: "If you are believing women, these are not the clothes of believing women.” He also reported that on another occasion, a bride came to see her wearing a sheer, transparent Khimaar, whereupon ‘Aa’ishah may Allaah be pleased with her remarked: “A woman who wears such clothing does not believe in Soorah An-Noor (i.e., the chapter in the Quran that contains the abovementioned verse regarding the Hijaab)." Moreover, the following Hadeeth makes this point graphically clear. Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "There will be among the last of my Ummah (Nation), scantily dressed women; they will wear their hair on top of their heads, like a camel’s hump. Curse them - for verily they are cursed."

3. Looseness

The clothing must hang loosely and not be so tight and fitting as to show the shape and size of the woman’s body. This obviously prohibits such things as skin-tight body suits and the like. The following Hadeeth proves this point clearly. Usaamah bin Zayd may Allaah be pleased with him said: The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) once gave me a gift of thick Coptic cloth that he had received as a gift from Dahiyyah Al-Kalbee, so I gave it to my wife. Afterwards, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) asked me: “Why haven't you worn the Coptic cloth? I replied: 'I gave it to my wife.' The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) then said: "Tell her to wear a thick gown under it (i.e., the Coptic garment) for I fear that it may describe the size of her limbs.” [Narrated by Ahmad, Al Bayhaqi & Al-Haakim]

*It is worthy to note that this hadith would mean that it is haram for a muslimah to wear anything that would reveal the size of her limbs, like jeans or pants.

4. Colour, Appearance and Demeanour

Allaah Says (what means): “O wives of the Prophet! You are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allaah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech." [Quran: 33:32]

The reason for the revelation of this verse was not due to the fear of distrust or misbehaviour on the part of the women, but rather to prevent them from speaking invitingly, walking seductively, or dressing revealingly so as to arouse sexual desire in the heart of lecherous and evil men. Seductive dressing and enticing speech are the characteristics of ill-intentioned women, not Muslims. Imaam Al-Qurtubi may Allaah have mercy upon him mentioned that Mujaahid may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "Women (before the advent of Islam) would walk about among men." Qataadah may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "The women (at that time) would wear an untied cloth on their heads, while provocatively toying with their necklaces, earrings, and other ornamental jewellery."

5. Difference from Men’s Clothing

The clothing of a Muslim woman must not resemble that of men. The following statement helps to explain this: Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him said: "The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes and the woman who wears men’s clothes." [Abu Daawood & Ibn Maajah]

6. Difference from the Clothing of Unbelievers

Her clothing must not resemble the clothing of the unbelievers. This is a general ruling of the Sharee’ah which encompasses not only dress but also matters such as manners, customs, religious practices and festivities, transactions, etc. Indeed, dissimilarity with unbelievers is a precedent that was established by the first generation of Muslims. ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr bin Al-’Aas sad: "The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) once saw me wearing two saffron coloured garments, so he said: “Indeed, these are clothes of 'Kuffaar' (unbelievers), so do not wear them.” [Muslim]

7. No Vain or Ostentatious Dressing

The woman’s dress must not be an expression of ostentation, vanity or a status symbol by being excessively showy or expensive, nor must it be excessively tattered so as to gain admiration and fame for being extremely humble. Ibn ‘Umar may Allaah be pleased with him reported that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Whoever dresses for ostentation in this world, Allaah will dress that person in a dress of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, and then set it on fire.” [Abu Daawood]

In summary, the women's clothing must cover the whole body except the hands and face, the Khumur (tudung) must cover their chest, must be thick cloth so as to not see the colour of their skin, must be loose so as to not expose the size of their limbs (like jeans does), must appear modest and of neutral colour so as to not attract, and must not resemble men's clothing (the Prophet has cursed this), and it must be different from the dressings of Kaafir women. Once the muslimah has fulfilled all of the above, then and only then can they hope for Allah good-pleasure, if not they are at risk of displeasing Allah and at risk at NOT attaining Jannah, astaghfiruallah.

The average muslim men is only responsible directly for the hijab of the closest females in his family i.e his sister, wife, mother, daughter, etc. Other women are the responsibility of other men. Wallahu a'lam.

Starbucks Haram??

2008-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

JAKIM Announcement -

Starbucks HARAM,ISO 9002 JABATAN IMEGRESAN HALIMAH BINTI HAMZAH PASUKAN PETUGAS PROGRAM MS ISO9002 JABATAN IMIGRESEN MALAYSIA Please note that all chocolate, vanilla and coffee drinks at Coffee Bean and Starbuck contains

E471 (Emulsifier 471), mono di-glycefideswhich is from animal origin (pork). Raspberry Frap uses cherries that has been dip n alcohol & the tiramisu contains RUM. Please pass this message to our muslim friends.

Call JAKIM 03 - 8886 4000 for more information. Thank you

After clicking the 'Send & Receive' button, i got this shocking mail. It seems Jakim has announced that Starbucks Coffee House uses an emulsifier originated from PORK!

"An emulsifier is a type of surfactant typically used to keep emulsion (mixtures of immiscible fluids) well dispersed. Emulsifiers typically have a hydrophobic (water-hating) and a hydrophilic (water-liking) end. The emulsifiers will surround an oil (or other immiscible molecule) and form a protective layer so that the oil molecules cannot "clump" together. This action helps keeps the dispersed phase in small droplets and preserves the emulsion."

The Raspberry frapuccino and tiramisu also contains alcohol. Its a good thing JAKIM has come to the rescue. One just wonders what the muslim staff of Starbucks Coffee are doing to ensure halal preparation of its food items. But then again, it doesn't matter to them as long as they get wages at the end of the month right? Wrong.

Should we muslims go to Starbucks Coffee in the first place? What is the islamic ruling on visiting Western restaurant such as KFC, McDonald's, Coffee Bean, etc? The correct islamic ruling on any of these food outlets is Halal, unless and until there's is evidence of haram or doubtful things. In this case Starbucks Coffee becomes haram for muslims. Even if they have cleaned up their act, we muslims may still cringe with disgust. What will remain is the blemished reputation of Starbucks Coffee among muslims. Wallahu a'lamu bithawab.

Why Blog? In the name of Allah

2008-05-22T02:08:00.000-07:00

Assalamu alaykum. Thanks for visiting my first ever blog. Its not my first presence on the internet though. I intend to transfer all of my collated articles on Islamic understanding and transfer them here so that people can give their comments too.

The general idea is to share the true Islamic message with everyone and clear some misconceptions and cultural pollution. I’m the type that always has something to say about Malaysian Islamic society and their own lack of understanding of the religion. Being a lover of Islam and its establishment, I sincerely hope that blog will be viewed more as educational curve for many of us.

May Allah guide on the Straight Way. Amin.

Farihin's Blog

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Arrahnu Islamic Pawn System

My unique perspective on Bidaah

To Hudud Or Not To Hudud

Normalizing our Islam

Not fasting in ramadan

The disciplinary month of ramadan

BERSIH and the state of Malaysia

Where we stand

Bahai's are apostates

Why Usana Network Marketing is Not Ethically Sound

Why Usana Network Marketing is Not Ethically Sound

New Trinity Theory?

Betting - An Argument with a Doctor

Betting and similar pastimes

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari by Imam BukhariTranslated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley

Silatur-Rahim

Ties of Kinship

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari by Imam BukhariTranslated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley

Maksud Merdeka Yg Sebenarnya

Converting to Islam

Digi Smart Plan - Suitable or not?

No certification? Disappointedwith JAIS over Dr Asri's arrest

Triple Divorce by way of SMS

Maybank: So far the OK bank

A point about masturbation

Down at the heart of Islam

Fatihah Anyone?

Tahukah anda mengenai Khubatul Hajah?

Hadiah Tahun Baru Cina

Better understanding of Usool-ul-Fiqh

Smoking is Haram!

Hijab - a proper understanding

Starbucks Haram??

Why Blog? In the name of Allah

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari
by Imam Bukhari
Translated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley

Al-Adab al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari
by Imam Bukhari
Translated by: Ustadha Aisha Bewley