Why should one love Allah (SWT)?

According to Islam, one (1) reason for loving God, as said before lies in the fact that God is the most precious, absolute perfection and eternal beauty, that a man can ever conceive and therefore, man out of his nature that aspires to values, beauty and perfection loves God.

The second (2) reason for loving God, men by nature love whoever does good to them, and they appreciate such favour and benevolence, as Imam Ali (as), said: "Generosity and magnanimity enslave men."

Now, as God is the source of all being, of all generosity and benevolence, man, by virtue of his nature, loves God. Prophet Muhammad (saw), said: "Love Allah (SWT) because He has done good to you and He has bestowed favours upon you."

A believer who has started his spiritual journey towards God first comes to recognize God's blessings upon him in providing him with lots of supports and helps that enabled him to act. Having continued his journey and been equipped with a mystical view of the world, he will realize that every good thing, indeed, comes from God himself. We read in the Noble Qur'an: "Whatever benefit comes to you (O man!), it is from God, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself" (Surah An-Nisa, 4:79)

Aside from the fact that one who loves God is loved by Him (5:54), a real love for God prompts one to perform the best of deeds. Reason and nature dictate that if someone really loves God, he would act in a manner that is pleasing to God. In this regard, the Noble Qur'an says:

Say: "If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins," and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah Al-E-Imran, 3:31)

This ayah indicates the interrelation between love, as an inner state, and emulating Prophet Muhammad (saw), which is an outward action. Moreover, it implies that no one may neglect his religious obligations under the pretext of love for God. Love for Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Do You Want Allah (SWT) to Love You? Then develop the following qualities!

Allah loves Muhsineen (Good Doers) [2:195, 3:134, 3:148, 5:13, 5:93]
Allah loves Tawwabeen (Those who turn to rightfulness) [2:222]
Allah loves Mutahhareen (Those who keep their bodies free from filth) [2:222, 9:108]
Allah loves Muttaqeen (Those who guard themselves against evil) [3:76, 9:4, 9:7]
Allah loves Sabireen (Being Patient) [3:146]
Allah loves Mutawakkileen (Those who put their trust in Allah) [3:159]
Allah loves Muqsiteen (Those who act equitably and justly) [5:42, 49:9, 60:8]

It is noteworthy that although one of the things attributed to Allah (SWT) in Islam is the wrath (Ghadab), its application is much more limited compared to His mercifulness and love for His creatures. Indeed, His wrath is only for those who deliberately disbelieve or commit evil actions. Remember Allah (SWT) is also just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors.

Wrath or anger is also out of His love and mercy. If His love or mercy did not exist He would not care at all. It is like a father who becomes angry with his son when he does something wrong, because he has care and concern for his son and his entire family, because he wants his son to correct his behaviour and set a lesson for other children not to copy that wrong act.

A rational and intelligent love is the one that involves the good and interest of whole mankind and not a limited number of people. One can do many things to bring good to individuals or groups which bring evil to society or mankind as a whole. For example, if a Judge releases a guilty criminal he might have done something good to that person, but a great harm has been inflicted upon the society and the ideal of justice. One should not let his affections hide the truth. If our beloved child needs injection or operation we should not let our love and passions for him to prevent us from doing so. This is exactly how wrath (Ghadab) of Allah (SWT) acts out of care and concern.

Love the Sole Purpose of our Creation

There is a famous divine saying (Hadith Qudsi) which can probably be found in all books written about the goal of creation in Islam. According to this Hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says: "I was a hidden treasure; I loved to be known. Hence I created the world so that I would be known."

Allah (SWT) has created the world out of love. Thus, a question arises: why did Allah (SWT) love to be known? Certainly, Allah (SWT) has no desire for fame. The purpose behind His love to be known is understandable by considering the fact that Allah (SWT) who is the Wise, the Compassionate and the Merciful creates the universe and particularly human beings to give them the maximum grace and perfection that they have the capacity for receiving. Of course, the perfection of any kind of being is decided by the degree of its similarity or closeness to Allah (SWT), and the most important factors in this are love of Allah (SWT), and prior to that knowledge of Allah (SWT), since there can be no love without knowing the beloved.

It is narrated in another Hadith Qudsi that when God loves someone, He becomes his ears, his eyes, his tongue, and his hands: "When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds; if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him."

Similarly the way man has physical needs in life which he strives and struggles to fulfill, the soul too has needs that must be satisfied. These spiritual needs and urges have been placed by the hands of the creator in the depths of the creation's soul. Man has a natural inclination to find love and love in any form towards any object has no valid reality except when it is for the sake of Allah (SWT). All love directly or indirectly in some way, shape, or form is a man's hope to be in reach of the ultimate perfection, which can be nobody but Allah (SWT) - the Almighty.

God's love for the world in general and human beings in particular is unanimously believed and emphasized by all Muslims. Indeed, one of the God's names is al-Wadud, He who loves. Some non Muslims allege that God in Islam is very strict and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Noble Qur'an begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate."

In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) we are told that, "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

Is organ donation permissible?

Question:
Is organ donation permissible?
Answer:

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

The issue of organ transplant has been a matter of great debate and dispute among the great contemporary scholars from around the globe. It has been discussed in various fiqh seminars, and many short and detailed works have be compiled on the subject.

The majority of the Indo/Pak scholars are of the view that organ transplant is not permissible, while, the Arab scholars and some scholars of the Indian subcontinent give its permission under certain conditions, (details of these conditions will be mentioned further along). No body has given a general unconditional permission for the transplantation of organs.

It must be remarked here that this issue is contemporary and obviously it is impossible for us to find express rulings concerning it in the classical works. As such, the views of the contemporary scholars are based upon the general and broad guidelines of Shariah. It is obvious that this will result in difference of opinion, thus no one opinion should be condemned, as the intention of all the scholars is to please Allah, and live a life that is in accordance with Shariah.

1) The view of impermissibility

As mentioned earlier, the majority of the Indo/Pak scholars hold the view that organ transplantation can not be deemed permissible due to the harms and ill effects of it overcoming the potential benefits

There view is based on the following grounds:

a) The first and foremost is that Allah Almighty has honoured the human.

Allah Most High says:

�And verily we have honoured the children of Adam� (Surah al-Isra, V.70).

As such, it is a well established principle of Shariah that all the organs of a human body, whether one is a Muslim or a non-Muslim, are sacred and must not be tampered with. To take benefit from any part of a human is unlawful (haram).

Allah Almighty made humans the best of creations and created everything for their benefit. Allah Most High Says:

�It is He, who has created for you all things that are on earth.� (Surah al-Baqarah, 2.29).

Thus, it is permissible for a human to take benefit from every creation of Allah which includes animals (under certain conditions), plants and inanimate things. As such, it would be unreasonable to place humans in the same category of the above things by giving permission to use parts and derive benefit out of their body that necessitates cutting, chopping and amputating parts of the body. This is certainly unreasonable and unlawful on a human body.

A very famous Hadith prevents the usage of human parts. Sayyida Asma bint Abi Bakr (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: �Allah�s curse is on a woman who wears false hair (of humans) or arranges it for others�. (Sahih Muslim, no. 2122).

Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) writes in the explanation of this Hadith:

�If human hair is used, then it is unlawful by consensus, whether it�s the hair of a man or woman, because of the general narrations that prohibit this. And also, it is unlawful to take benefit from the hair and all other organs of a human body due to its sanctity. The hair of a human along with all his body parts must be buried�. (Commentary of Sahih Muslim by Nawawi, p. 1600).

The Jurists (fuqaha) have stated that in the case of extreme necessity and when there is no alternative available, even unlawful things, such as pork and alcohol, become permissible. However, even in such a situation, consuming or deriving benefit from a human body still remains unlawful.

It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya:

�If a person feared death due to hunger and another person said to him: �Cut my hand and consume it� or he said: �Cut a part of me and eat it�, it will be unlawful for him to do so. Similarly, it is impermissible for a desperate person to cut part of his own self and eat it�. (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/310).

Allama Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) explains:

�Because the flesh of a human remains unlawful even in forceful situations�. (Radd al-Muhtar, 5/215)

Imam Ibn Nujaym (Allah have mercy on him) states:

�It is impermissible for the one who is dying out of hunger to consume the food of another person who is also dying out of hunger; neither will be permissible to consume any part of the other person�s body�. (al-Ashbah wa al-Naza�ir, p. 124).

The Fuqaha have also stated that if one was compelled by force to kill another human, it will not be permissible, even if his own life was in danger. (See: al-Kasani, Bada�i al-Sana�i, 7/177 & Ibn Qudama, al-Mugni, 9/331).

Imam al-Marghinani (Allah have mercy on him) states regarding the sanctity of a human:

�It is unlawful to sell the hair of a human, as it is (unlawful) to take benefit out of it, for a human is honoured and sacred, and it is not permissible to disgrace any part of a human�s body�. (al-Hidaya 4.39)

A human body is sacred even after his/her death. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said:

�Breaking the bone of a dead person is similar (in sin) to breaking the bone of a living person�. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Ibn Majah & Musnad Ahmad).

The great Hanafi jurist and Hadith Imam, Abu Ja�far al-Tahawi (Allah have mercy on him) writes in the explanation of this Hadith:

�The Hadith shows that the bone of a dead person has the same sanctity and honour as the bone of living person�. (Mushkil al-Athar).

In another Hadith it is stated:

�Harming a believer after his death is similar to harming him in his life�. (Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba).

Also, the books of classical scholars are full with examples indicating the impermissibility of deriving benefit out of a human body due to it being honoured.

In conclusion, the human body, dead or alive has great significance. It is honoured and sacred, and because of the sanctity that is attached to it, it will be unlawful to tamper with it, cut parts of it or dishonour it in any way.

b) The cutting of and tampering with a human body amounts to mutilation and deformation of a divinely created body (muthla), which has clearly been prohibited in Shariah.

Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to encourage giving in charity and prevent Muthla�. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2/206)

In another Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: �Abstain from Muthla�. (Sahih Muslim, 2/82).

This is also supported by the verse of the Qur�an, where Allah Allah Almighty mentions the words of Shaytan, when he said:

�I will mislead them and I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah� (4: 119).

To deface the fair nature created by Allah, both physically and spiritually, is what Shaytan likes and orders to practise.

As far as the permissibility of blood transfusion in cases of need is concerned (See below, for the ruling on blood transfusion and donation, which was posted earlier), it does not necessitate the cutting of human parts or any surgical procedures on the body, rather it is drawn and transfused by means of injection, thus it is akin to human milk that is extracted without any surgical procedures.

c) The human body and parts are not in our ownership in that we may fiddle with them as we desire. It is a trust (amanah) that has been given to us by Allah Almighty. As such, it will be impermissible for one to sell, give or donate any organs of his body. Islam has forbidden suicide for the same reason. There are many texts of the Qur�an and Sunnah that clearly determine this. Thus, it will be unlawful for one to give his organs to another.

d) It is unlawful for an individual to inflict harm upon himself or others. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: �It is unlawful to inflict harm upon your self and others, (la dharar wa la dhirar)�. (Mustadrak of al-Hakim)

The famous principle states:

�Harm can not be removed by a similar harm� (meaning, in order to remove harm from another individual, it is impermissible for one to harm himself)�. (Ibn Najaym, al-Ashbah, P. 123).

Therefore, it will be impermissible for a living person to donate part of his body due to it being harmful for him.

e) The principle of Islamic jurisprudence states: �When the evidences of prohibition conflict with the evidences of permissibility, preference is given to prohibition�. (Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Naza�ir).

In view of the above and other evidences, according to this group of scholars, it is unlawful to transplant organs, whether it be of a living person or a dead body, and whether there is a need or otherwise. In other words, there is no permissibility whatsoever for the transplantation or donation of organs.

2) The view of permissibility

According to almost all of the major Arab scholars and also some contemporary Indo/Pak scholars, the transplantation and donation of human-organs would be permissible subject to certain conditions (which will be mentioned later). This view is based on the following grounds:

a) The famous principles (qawa�id) of Islamic Jurisprudence based on the teachings of the Qur�an and Sunnah permit the use of unlawful things in cases of extreme need and necessity. In case of Necessity, certain prohibitions are waived, as when the life of a person is threatened the prohibition of eating carrion or drinking wine is suspended. Allah Most High says:

�He (Allah) has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name has been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then he is guiltless. For Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful�. (Surah al-Baqarah, v. 173).

The Qur�an also permits the utterance of disbelief (kufr) in order to save your life. Allah Most High says:

�Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief, except under compulsion whilst his heart remaining firm in faith�� (Surah al-Nahl, V. 106).

The principle of Fiqh, based on the above Qur�anic guidelines, states:

�Necessity makes prohibition lawful� (See: Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Naza�ir, P. 85 ).

According to Imam Shafi�i (Allah have mercy on him), it is permissible for a person dying out of hunger to consume the meat of another human. (See: Ibn Qudama, al-Mugni, 9/335).

Therefore, in cases of need and necessity, impure, unlawful and Haram things become permissible. When a person�s life is in danger and he is in dire need for transplantation, he is in such a situation, thus the transplantation of organs will be permissible.

b) With regards to the aspect of human sanctity, there are two things that need to be taken into consideration.

Firstly, it is true that a human body, whether dead or alive, is honoured and respected, but does the modern procedure violate this sanctity? Islam ordered us to honour a human body but did not prescribe any fixed methods for it. Disgracing a human body may change from one time to another and from one place to another.

Thus, it could be said that the current procedure of organ transplantation is not considered dishonouring a human body. The surgery is performed in the most respectable way and it is not considered to be disrespectful. This is the reason why many highly respected people of the community regard donating of organs as a mark of merit, and they are not looked down upon.

Secondly, there are cases where Shariah overlooks the sanctity that is attributed to the body, such as in the case of saving another human.

It is stated in Tuhfat al-Fuqaha:

�If a pregnant woman died and the child in her stomach is still alive, her stomach will be cut open in order to take the child out, for in there is saving the live of a human, thus the sanctity of a human body will be overlooked�. (Samarqandi, Tuhfat al-Fuqaha, 4/261 & Badai�i al-Sana�i).

This is also based on the juristic principle:

�If one is confronted with two evils, one should choose the lesser of the two� (al-Ashbah wa al-Naza�ir).

c) As for a human not owning his body is concerned, Islam permits a human in certain situations to utilize his body. It is similar to the wealth which Allah Almighty has given a human, and he is permitted to utilize it (in a correct manner) and give it as a gift.

If an individual is drowning or is in the midst of a burning flame, it is totally permissible to go and save him. Similarly, it will be permissible to donate your organ in order to save the life of a fellow human being.

d) Almost all of the scholars give permission for the transfusion and donation of blood in cases of need and necessity (see below), then why is there a difference in the issue of organ transplant. The surgical procedure of transplantation ensures that one does not go thorough unnecessary mutilation of his body. It is similar to surgical treatment that is carried out on a living person for medication purposes.

In view of the above (according to this group of scholars), it will be permissible to transplant and donate organs in order to save another person�s life. However, this is subject to certain terms and conditions.

The international Islamic fiqh academy (Majma� al-Fiqh al-Islami) which consists of a number of major scholars from around the globe researched this issue in February 1988, and after extensive research, issued the following verdicts:

Note, that the resolutions of the Islamic fiqh academy have been published in Arabic and translated in a number of languages. Below is the original Arabic text and its translation in English:



الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسل
أما بعد

فإن مجلس مجمع الفقه الإسلامي المنعقد في دورة مؤتمره الرابع بجدة في المملكة العربية السعودية من 18-23 جمادى الآخرة 1408هـ،الموافق 6-11 فبراير 1988م بعد اطلاعه على الأبحاث الفقهية والطبية الواردة إلى المجمع بخصوص موضوع "انتفاع الإنسان بأعضاء جسم إنسان آخر حيًا أو ميتًا" .
وفي ضوء المناقشات التي وجهت الأنظار إلى أن هذا الموضوع أمر واقع فرضه التقدم العلمي والطبي، وظهرت نتائجه الإيجابية المفيدة والمشوبة في كثير من الأحيان بالأضرار النفسية والاجتماعية الناجمة عن ممارسته دون الضوابط والقيود الشرعية التي تصان بها كرامة الإنسان، ومع مراعاة مقاصد الشريعة الإسلامية الكفيلة بتحقيق كل ما هو خير ومصلحة غالبة للفرد والجماعة، والداعية إلى التعاون والتراحم والإيثار.
وبعد حصر هذا الموضوع في النقاط التي يتحرر فيها محل البحث وتنضبط تقسيماته وصوره وحالاته التي يختلف الحكم تبعًا لها.
قرر ما يلي: من حيث الأحكام الشرعية: أولاً: يجوز نقل العضو من مكان من جسم الإنسان إلى مكان آخر من جسمه، مع مراعاة التأكد من أن النفع المتوقع من هذه العملية أرجح من الضرر المترتب عليها، وبشرط أن يكون ذلك لإيجاد عضو مفقود أو لإعادة شكله أو وظيفته المعهودة له، أو لإصلاح عيب أو إزالة دمامة تسبب للشخص أذى نفسيًا أو عضويًا.
ثانيًا: يجوز نقل العضو من جسم إنسان إلى جسم إنسان آخر، إن كان هذا العضو يتجدد تلقائيًا، كالدم والجلد، ويراعى في ذلك اشتراط كون الباذل كامل الأهلية، وتحقق الشروط الشرعية المعتبرة.
ثالثًا: تجوز الاستفادة من جزء من العضو الذي استؤصل من الجسم لعلة مرضية لشخص آخر، كأخذ قرنية العين لإنسان ما عند استئصال العين لعلة مرضية.
رابعًا: يحرم نقل عضو تتوقف عليه الحياة كالقلب من إنسان حي إلى إنسان آخر.
خامسًا: يحرم نقل عضو من إنسان حي يعطل زواله وظيفة أساسية في حياته وإن لم تتوقف سلامة أصل الحياة عليها كنقل قرنية العينين كلتيهما، أما إن كان النقل يعطل جزءًا من وظيفة أساسية فهو محل بحث ونظر كما يأتي في الفقرة الثامنة.
سادسًا: يجوز نقل عضو من ميت إلى حي تتوقف حياته على ذلك العضو، أو تتوقف سلامة وظيفة أساسية فيه على ذلك. بشرط أن يأذن الميت أو ورثته بعد موته، أو بشرط موافقة ولي المسلمين إن كان المتوفى مجهول الهوية أو لا ورثة له.
سابعًا: وينبغي ملاحظة أن الاتفاق على جواز نقل العضو في الحالات التي تم بيانها، مشروط بأن لا يتم ذلك بوساطة بيع العضو. إذ لا يجوز إخضاع أعضاء الإنسان للبيع بحال ما.
أما بذل المال من المستفيد، ابتغاء الحصول على العضو المطلوب عند الضرورة أو مكافأة وتكريمًا، فمحل اجتهاد ونظر.
ثامنًا: كل ما عدا الحالات والصور المذكورة، مما يدخل في أصل الموضوع، فهو محل بحث ونظر، ويجب طرحه للدراسة والبحث في دورة قادمة، على ضوء المعطيات الطبية والأحكام الشرعية.
والله أعلم.

Shariah Rulings

1) It is permitted to transplant or graft an organ from one place of a person�s body to another, so long as one is careful to ascertain that the benefits of this operation outweigh any harm that may result from it, and on the condition that this is done to replace something that has been lost, or to restore its appearance or regular function, or to correct some fault or disfigurement which is causing physical or psychological distress.

2) It is permitted to transplant an organ from one person�s body to another, if it is an organ that can regenerate itself, such as skin and blood, provided that the donor is mature and fully understands what he is doing, and that all the other relevant shariah conditions are met.

3) It is permitted to use part of an organ that has been removed from the body because of illness to benefit another person, such as using the cornea of an eye removed because of illness.

4) It is unlawful (haram) to transplant or use an organ on which life depends, such as taking a heart from a living person to transplant into another person.

5) It is unlawful (haram) to take an organ from a living person when doing so could impair an essential and vital function in his body, even though his life itself may not be under threat, such as removing the corneas of both eyes. However, removing organs which will lead to only partial impairment is a matter which is still under scholarly discussion, as is mentioned in resolution 8.

6) It is permitted to transplant an organ from a dead person to a living person when his life depends on receiving that organ, or when vital functions of his body are otherwise impaired, on the condition that permission is given either by the person before his death or by his heirs, or by the leader of the Muslims in cases where the dead person�s identity is unknown or he has no heirs.

7) Care should be taken to ensure that in all of the above situations where transplantation is permitted, no buying or selling of organs is involved. It is not permitted to trade in human organs under any circumstance. However, the question of whether the beneficiary may spend money to obtain an organ he needs, or to show his appreciation, is a matter which is still under the research of the scholars.

8) Anything other than the scenarios described above is still subject to scholarly debate, and requires further detailed research in the light of medical research and shariah rulings. And Allah knows best. (See: Qararat wa tawsiyat majma� al-fiqh al-Islami, P. 59-60).

The Islamic Fiqh academy of India also discussed this issue, and one of their members who is recognised as a renowned scholar Shaykh Ubaid Allah al-As�adi (Allah preserve him) compiled a very extensive article. The following are summarized points of some of the conditions mentioned in his article (that have not been mentioned in the above resolutions):

1) There should be no other reasonable alternative available in the view of experienced medical experts

2) All efforts should be made to avoid transplanting of a non-Muslim�s organ into a Muslim and vice versa. If this is not possible, only then the organ of a non-Muslim may be used.

3) Only the organs of a dead person should be used. However, if that is not possible, then only will it be permissible to use the organ of a living person.

In conclusion, the above are the two viewpoints of the contemporary scholars with regards to organ transplant and donation. The stance of some scholars, however, is that they abstain from issuing any verdict altogether on this issue.

My respected teacher, Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani is one of those who are reluctant to voice their opinion. In a writing of his which I have (and I have also heard this from him verbally), he states:

�After the compilation of the book �Islam�s ruling on organ transplantation� (by his esteemed father, the grand Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, in which he strongly emphasised the impermissibility of organ transplantation, and which was also endorsed by Shaykh Taqi, m), I read the various arguments in favour of organ transplantation, thus it has left me hesitant and uncertain in this matter. As such, I now abstain from issuing any verdict.�

Therefore, one may follow any of the above two viewpoints, as they are both from great scholars of Islam. If one acts on the view of permissibility, then it would be advisable, as a precautionary measure, to seek forgiveness from Allah (istigfar) and donate something in charity.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, UK

"Telling the Truth"

Telling the truth is a very good habit. If you always speak the truth, you can save yourself from a lot of trouble! Here is a story of a man who did a lot of bad things, but his promise to tell the truth saved him.

Once a man came to the Prophet Muhammad (SalAllahu Alayhi WaSallam) and said, "Oh prophet of Allah, I have many bad habits. Which one of them should I give up first?" The prophet said, "Give up telling lies first and always speak the truth." The man promised to do so and went home.

At night the man was about to go out to steal. Before setting out, he thought for a moment about the promise he made with the prophet. "If tomorrow the prophet asks me where have I been, what shall I say? Shall I say that I went out stealing? No, I cannot say that. But nor can I lie. If I tell the truth, everyone will start hating me and call me a thief. I would be punished for stealing."

So the man decided not to steal that night, and gave up this bad habit.

Next day, he felt like drinking wine, when he was about to do so, he said to himself, "What shall I say to the prophet if he asks me what did I do during the day? I cannot tell a lie, and if I speak the truth people will hate me, because a Muslim is not allowed to drink wine." And so he gave up the idea of drinking wine.

In this way, whenever the man thought of doing something bad, he remembered his promise to tell the truth at all times. One by one, he gave up all his bad habits and became a good Muslim and a very good person.

If you always speak the truth, you can be a good person, a good Muslim whom Allah likes and favors. If Allah - our Creator - is pleased with us, He will reward us with HEAVEN, which is a place of happiness and joy.

MAKE A PROMISE: I SHALL ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH.




"Words and Actions Should Be the Same"


There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not understand this, and demanded sweets all the time.

The boy's father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy's father had an idea. He decided to take the boy to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time.

The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, "O great saint, could you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?" The great man was in difficulty, because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy man told the father to bring his son back after one month.

During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returned after a month, the holy man said to the boy "My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which your father cannot afford to give you?"

From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.

The boy's father asked the saint, "Why did you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to you a month ago?" The saint replied, "How could I ask a boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the last month I gave up eating sweets."

A person's example is much more powerful than just his words. When we ask someone to do something, we must do it ourselves also. We should not ask others to do what we do not do ourselves.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ACTIONS AND YOUR WORDS ARE THE SAME.

Hatred in Islam, Diseases of the Soul, Islam and Hate, Human Vices, Moral Virtues and Vices

Hatred is an emotion of intense revulsion, distaste, enmity, or antipathy for a person, thing, or phenomenon, generally attributed to a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy the hated object. Hatred is also among the most common emotions that human's experience. It can be based on fear of an object or past negative consequences of dealing with that object. Hatred is often described as the opposite of love or friendship. Often the verb "to hate" is used casually to describe things one merely dislikes, such as a particular style of architecture, a certain climate, one's job, some particular food, or people who claim to hate something when they in fact merely dislike it. "Hatred" is also used to describe feelings of prejudice, bigotry or condemnation against a person, or a group of people, such as racism, and intense religious or political prejudice. The term hate crime is used to designate crimes committed out of hatred in this sense. Religion Islam has been accused unjustly of being a religion of hate by those who never made a true effort to understand even the basic teachings of Islam. We all know that ignorance is the worst enemy of the truth, and Allah (SWT) asked us to learn the truth as there is nothing after the truth except falsehood. This then is Allah, your true Lord; and what is there after the truth but error; how are you then turned back? Noble Qur'an (10:32) Let us present the simple truth about Islam and the Noble Qur'an that proves that Islam is not a religion of hate but rather a religion of love, tolerance, understanding, and social justice. Many people are not aware that Islam is the religion of Prophet Abraham, not the religion of Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Abraham, being the founder of Islam, with all its beautiful and peaceful teachings and rituals, passed his religion to all the prophets who came after him, including all the Israeli prophets, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus and Prophet Muhammad. Those attacking Islam, out of ignorance, or deliberately, are attacking Prophet Abraham who is their prophet as much as the prophet of the Muslims. Noble Qur'an explains clearly this fact, And strive hard in (the way of) Allah, (such) a striving a is due to Him; He has chosen you and has not laid upon you an hardship in religion; the faith of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims before and in this, that the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people... Noble Qur'an (22:78) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. Most surely the nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe and Allah is the guardian of the believers. Noble Qur'an (3:67-68) Then We revealed to you (O Muhammad): Follow the faith of Abraham, the upright one, and he was not of the polytheists. Noble Qur'an (16:123) In that simple sense, how can Islam which is the religion of Abraham promote hate when it is the same religion passed down to the Jews and Christians before reaching Muslims? How can the Jews and Christians claim different standard when we are talking about the same religion with different names but all go back to Abraham. Noble Qur'an, the final Testament, made a special mention of the relationship that controls the social and daily life with other people including but not limited to Jews and Christians. In it Noble Qur'an urges the Muslims to be loving, caring, friendly, patient, tolerant, advocates of freedom, democracy, and social justice. Islam never advocated hate or promoted it. People, who promote hate, do so on their own terms and misunderstanding. By doing so they do not represent Islam or the teachings of Islam in the scripture. We need to remember that hate is a man made crime that we should not blame on any religion. Any claim of hate in a religion is no more than man made innovation that has nothing to do with God or His scripture. Planting hate only produces hate. Planting love, will produce love. Our God is Almighty, all loving.

Hatred in Islam, Diseases of the Soul, Islam and Hate, Human Vices, Hatred (Nafrat)

In the time of a caliph, a rich man bought a slave whom he treated, from the beginning, like a gentleman, giving him the best of food and clothes, and money exactly like his own child or even more lavishly. But the slave noticed that his master always felt uneasy. Eventually the rich man made up his mind to set him free and provide him with some capital. One night as they were sitting together, the master said: "Do you know why I have treated you so well?" The slave asked the reason. The master said: "I have one request to make which if you fulfill, you would enjoy all I have given and will give you! But if you refuse, I will be discontented with you." The slave said: "I will obey whatever you ask. You are my benefactor who has given me my life." The master said: "You must promise me in good faith to do it, for I am afraid you may refuse it." The slave said: "I promise to do what you want." The master said: "My proposal is that you must behead me at a specific time and place." The slave exclaimed: "What? How can I do that?" The master said: "That is what I desire." The slave said: "That is impossible." The master said: "I have got your promise. You must do it." One midnight, he awakened the slave and gave him a sharp knife and a bag full of money and climbed up a neighbor's roof, and told the slave to behead him there and then go wherever he liked. The slave asked the reason for such an act. The rich man answered: "I hate this one man and prefer death to seeing his face. We have been rivals but he, my neighbor has gone ahead of me and excels me in everything, and I am burning with hatred. I desire my neighbor to be jailed for this fake murder and this idea is a relief to me. Everyone knows him to be my rival, and so my neighbor will be condemned to death for this act." The slave said: You seem to be a foolish man and deserve this death." So he beheaded the rich man and ran away, His rival neighbor was consequently arrested and imprisoned, but no one believed that he would have killed his rival on his own roof. It had become a mystery. At last, the slave felt a prick of conscience, went to the authorities and confessed the truth. When they understood the matter, they freed both the slave and the neighbor. This is a fact that Hate is a disease of the soul. The Noble Qur'an says in Chapter "The Sun" (Shams 91:9-10). "He will indeed be successful who purifies it, and he will indeed fail who corrupts it." Thus, the first proposal of the Noble Qur'an is purification of the self from ailments, complexes, ignorance, deviations and metamorphoses. You could have heard that in the past there were people who, because of excess of sins, were cursed by the Prophets of their time and were thus metamorphosed, that is, they were transformed into animals such as a monkey, a wolf, a bear etc. Someone said: "We had made a pilgrimage to Makkah along with Imam Sajjad (as) and when we looked down at the Desert of Arafat it was full of Hajis (pilgrims). There were so many of them that year. The Imam Sajjad said: "There is much uproar, but few are true Hajis (pilgrims)." The man says: "I don't know how Imam Sajjad gave me the insight, but when Imam Sajjad asked me to look down again, I saw a desert full of animals, like that in a zoo, among whom a few human beings were moving about." The Imam Sajjad told him how things looked to those who had a clear sight and were concerned with the inward concept of things.

Prejudice and Islam, Muslims and Racism, Asabiyyah is a Disease of the Soul

So you think you are superior to others because you belong to a different ethnic group, or you speak a different language, or you are from a different country or you belong to a specific family, group, clan or race. And you will support others on the basis of their language, ethnicity, relationship, origin.even though they do injustice, commit crimes, in the name of tribalism, racism, nationalism or any other ism, other than their moral superiority, good qualities or for justice. And you will not help or support other human beings because they do not belong to 'your' group, country, clan, race, family. Even though they are oppressed, denied their rights, they deserve to be supported, they are on truth. Are you aware that this type of fanatic behavior is known as Asabiyyah or Prejudice? Do you know what Islam says about Asabiyyah or Prejudice? The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Whosoever possesses in his heart Asabiyyah even to the extent of a mustard seed, God will raise him on the Day of Resurrection with the (pagan) Bedouins of the Jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era)." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Whosoever practices Asabiyyah (against someone), Allah (SWT) shall wrap around him a fold of Fire." Imam Ali (as) said: "Almighty Allah (SWT) will punish six groups of people for six kinds of sins: .He will punish the Arabs for Asabiyyah..." The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "One who calls towards Asabiyyah is not from us, one who fights for Asabiyyah is not from us and the one who dies on Asabiyyah is not from us." The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Best among you is the person who defends his tribe till they do not commit a sin." Imam Ali (as) said: "If it becomes unavoidable for you to be among those who practice Asabiyyah, then do Asabiyyah to uphold the truth and support of the oppressed." Imam Ali (as) said: "The one whose deeds lower him, his family background or ancestry cannot elevate him." Thus, remember that the superiority is only on the basis of pure intentions and sincere and lofty deeds. Asabiyyah is a dangerous condition for an individual and the society. It is an evil trait, inspired by satanic forces. One must ponder seriously about its consequences in this world and hereafter. A true believer annihilates his own will in the Will of his Lord. He is free from all traces of ignorant Asabiyyah's and thick and dark curtains of blind Asabiyyah's would not obstruct his vision. When called to deliver justice and utter the word of truth, he puts a firm foot on the head of all associations and ties, sacrificing all ties of kinship and customary affinities at the altar of the aims and orders of his Lord. He supports truth and justice under all circumstances. So if you love or hate someone, or support or are against a group of individuals or a nation, think wisely for a while, what has motivated you for it. If it is other than promoting truth and justice or help of oppressed or preventing aggression and tyranny, than give up your support of the people you are associated with. It will be certainly difficult for you to take a bold step and give up love, friendship, and affinity of your relatives, friends and colleagues. But your decision to give up blind Asabiyyah will not only save you from the fire of hell, but also motivate others to do the same.

Dua: Supplication and Invocation in Islam, Supplication Meaning, Supplication Definition

Dua is an Arabic term which means to 'call out' or to 'summon' or to 'invoke' and in the Islamic terminology, it means a humble prayer by a modest person to a superior. Muslims use this term and call out to Allah (SWT), and Muslims regard this as one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam.

Supplication definition and meaning in Islam: Supplication is petitioning Allah (SWT) for fulfillment of ones legitimate desires. It is therefore necessary that the supplicant should be conversant with the meaning of the prayer and the etiquette of reciting the prayer. He must recite the supplication with dedication of heart and his attitude should be equally submissive if not more than what he adopts for asking a favor from a fellow human being.

The Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) has said: "Shall I introduce to you a weapon which will protect you both from the evils of enemies and increase your sustenance? They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. The Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) replied: Call your Lord day and night, for "Dua" is the weapon of a believer."

Imam Ali (as) says: "Dua" is the shield of a believer. If you keep on knocking the door of Divine Mercy, it will be opened to you."

Imam Sadiq (as) says: "Dua is more forceful than a sword."

Imam Musa Kazim (as) says: "Dua reverts both what has been destined and what has not been destined."

Supplications in Islam, Supplication Prayer, Supplication in Noble Qur'an and Hadith

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way. Noble Qur'an (2:186)

And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" Noble Qur'an (40:60)

In this Holy verse, Allah (SWT) considers Dua as prayers, that is to say, if someone speaks to his Lord, he has performed prayer and those who do not pray are considered as unbelievers.

Say: My Lord would not care for you were it not for your prayer; Noble Qur'an (25:77)

Imam Ali (as) says: "Allah (SWT) doesn't answer the prayer of a person whose prayer doesn't come from his heart." Therefore, one should pray from the depths of his heart and should have a conviction that Allah (SWT) will fulfill his wish.

Imam Sadiq (as) says: when a person wants Allah (SWT) to help him in times of difficulty, he must make it a habit to supplicate to Allah (SWT) before any such difficulty arises. He should not present himself to Allah (SWT) as a total stranger when he needs help.

Imam Sadiq (as) says: the creature nearest to Allah (SWT) is one who, while prostrating in prayer, cries and if he has lost hope of his prayer getting answered he should raise his hands towards the Heaven as if importuning Allah (SWT) for granting his wish.

When God grants your prayers ...

Yes, it is wonderful when you pray fervently for something and you get it! It is a very nice feeling to be sure that even if no one else does, there is one being who never fails to listen to you and grants you whatever you want. Wait, there is a catch here. God does give you what you want but very rarely does He give when you want it and in the way you want it.

For instance, highest scores in an examination are got but best friend has got alienated in the process; you get to buy the beautiful dress you were eyeing from many days and find that it doesn't suit you at all but suits your sister perfectly; lot of wealth and fame is earned but when the parents are no longer there or are not capable of accompanying the child to his celebratory parties; the perfect house with the garden gets readied but the children want to go abroad and settle there ... You get the trend.

The Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) has said, 'Desire is the root cause of all evil'. Hence you think 'Let me not desire for anything. I will accept whatever God gives me'. But ... hasn't Allah (SWT) said, 'Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)' Doesn't that mean that unless you ask, you won't get anything? As the saying goes, unless the baby cries, the mother doesn't feed it. So should the baby cry or keep quiet? Probably the answer could be that the baby should cry when it feels hungry and keep quiet after it is given something, no matter whether it is milk or water or watery milk.

Stress in Islam, Stress Management Techniques, Stress Relief Strategies, Stress in Children

Muslims can deal with prolonged stress better when they understand where it comes from. Stress, doctors say, usually stress comes from fear of the unknown, the future, and death. However, Allah (SWT) has already provided us with prevention against those fears. "And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient" (Noble Qur'an, 2:155). The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, "Your most ardent enemy is your evil self which resides within your body. If this soul is not checked, it will lead to unusual stress." (Bukhari) Furthermore, since Muslims are told in the Noble Qur'an that humans are on this earth only as passengers, we should not have this fear of loss. A Muslim's destiny is predetermined, so worrying about it is fruitless. We only have "limited free will" to believe in Allah (SWT) or not, or to chose good deeds or bad ones. Rejecting faith in Allah (SWT), though, is against nature and a sign of disease. "In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie" (Noble Qur'an, 2:10). Having no one to turn to during a crisis, the non-believer can become violent or turn to alcohol.

An Islamic perspective: Cursing (08) Islam and Cursing, Abusive Language

Cursing is also another factor that corrupts the tongue. Whoever curses others is pushing them away from the circle of Allah's Mercy. This issue has been referred to in several verses of Noble Qur'an. Allah (SWT) has cursed many and has deprived them of his Mercy. An important case is that of Satan: "And My curse shall be on thee till the Day of Judgment." [Sura Sad 38:78] Those who conceal the truth are also damned in Noble Qur'an: "Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down, and the Guidance, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, - on them shall be Allah's curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse."[Sura Baqarah 2:159] Those who lie were also damned as in the following verse of Noble Qur'an: "If anyone disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee, say: "Come! Let us gather together, - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" [Sura Al-E-Imran 3:61] Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Imam Ali (as) cursed several people. Imam Ali (as) has been narrated to have quoted on the authority of Prophet Muhammad (saw): There are seven groups of people who were cursed by Allah (SWT) and His Prophet Muhammad (saw): 1- Those that change the Divine Book 2- Those who deny divine decrees 3- Those that change the Prophet's traditions 4- Those who allow to my family what Allah (SWT) has forbidden 5- Those who use their power and rule to belittle one whom Allah (SWT) has honored, and those who use their power and rule to honor one whom Allah (SWT) has debased 6- Those that make lawful what Allah (SWT) has forbidden 7 - Those those are haughty in worshipping Allah (SWT) Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "A believer shall not curse others." It is even forbidden to curse animals in Islam. Overall, we can conclude that cursing men, animals and objects is forbidden, except for some instances of the infidels, the hypocrites and those who have usurped the rights of Imam Ali (as) and his descendants. 09 - Lustful Songs The next factor that corrupts the tongue is listening or singing to lustful songs. Consider the following verses of Noble Qur'an: "Such (is the Pilgrimage): whoever honors the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the Sight of his Lord. Lawful to you (for food in Pilgrimage) are cattle, except those mentioned to you (as exception): but shun the abomination of idols, and shun the word that is false." [Sura Al- Hajj 22:30] "Those who witness no falsehood, and, if they pass by futility, they pass by it with honorable (avoidance)." [Sura Al-Furqan 25:72] The Arabic expressions that are translated into "shun the word that is false" and "witness no falsehood" in the above verses of Noble Qur'an have been interpreted by Shuham and Ibn Abi Amir and Abi Basir (in Kafi) and others as implying lustful songs. However, there are two groups of traditions regarding poetry. Religious poetry is considered to be good in one group of traditions. Other traditions consider lustful poetry to be bad

An Islamic perspective: Arguing (04) Islam and Arguing, Offensive Insulting

Arguing and teasing are factors that will corrupt the tongue. Islam has ordered us not to argue since it is blameworthy. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Do not argue with, tease, or break the promise you have made to your brethren." Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "You cannot attain full faith unless you quit verbal arguments even if you are right." Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "Whoever knows he is right but quits arguing shall be given a residence in a high heavenly place. Whoever knows that he is wrong and quits arguing shall be given a residence in a low heavenly place." 5 Simple Tricks to Help You Win Any Argument We all get into arguments from time to time. But how do you deal with those people who consistently want to fight and act like they are always right? Contradicting them just feeds their desire for conflict and will frustrate and cause strife. Here are five alternative methods for dealing with this type of difficult person. 1. Smile: Deflect the anger. Ask questions designed to get the other person to think about why he or she is upset. It's very difficult to argue with someone who is smiling and conversing without resistance. 2. Let them think your point of view is their own: To do this requires some subtlety but is very powerful against extremely stubborn people who will never admit they are wrong. The trick is to ask questions designed to manipulate the person into arriving at your conclusion "on their own." 3. Admit your mistakes: If you did something wrong or made a mistake, just be humble and admit it. This sound like you're conceding defeat, but actually this wins immediately since it takes the combative person completely off guard. One of two things usually happens next: either the other person will feel bad for even bringing up the issue and will suddenly be very helpful, or they won't know how to respond immediately which gives you the opportunity to say something leading the conversation into a more productive direction. 4. Shut up: This is an especially strong technique when you know you're right and you suspect the other person knows it but isn't ready to admit it. Let the person fumble and squirm around while you just listen. "One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say." ~ Will Durant 5. Do Not Attack: Whatever you do, do not attack the other person. Sure, you might know the exact thing to say to hit 'em where it hurts. You might be cold and calculating with your logic and reduce the argument (and the person's self-esteem) to dust. Or you could follow the techniques above and come away from the argument with an ally instead of a foe. Your choice. 05 - Verbal Abuse Verbal abuse or expression of animosity to get one's right or property is another factor that corrupts the tongue. Abu Hurairah quoted on the authority of Prophet Muhammad (saw): "Whoever expresses animosity without true knowledge shall remain subject to Allah's wrath until he dies." Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "There are rooms in Heaven which are transparent. Allah (SWT) has prepared them for those who feed the hungry ones, use nice words in their speech and avoid bad talk and verbal abuse." Thus, Prophet Muhammad (saw) instructs all Muslims to be polite in speech, and not to use bad or obscene language. Muslims are instructed to attract other people's love and friendship by using good words. 06 - Excessive Eloquence The Blessed Fatima Zahra (sa) quoted on the authority of her noble father, Prophet Muhammad (saw): "The most wicked people in my nation are those who are feeding off divine blessings by eating various dishes and wearing colorful clothing, but speak using an excessively eloquent language." We can realize that we should not overburden ourselves by using excessively eloquent language when talking with others. Rather we should try to use nice words and expressions to express important topics. 07 - Swearing Swearing is considered bad in Islam. It is one of the factors that corrupt the tongue. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Avoid swearing since Allah (SWT) does not like swearing and those who are used to swearing." In another tradition we read that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Heaven is forbidden to whoever is used to swearing. He cannot enter it." Swearing is one of the very bad characteristics. Whoever gets used to swearing should try to treat himself. Swearing is defined to be the expression of vulgar things. One who swears is trying to hurt the other person, and hurting others is certainly forbidden. It may be the result of associating with bad people who use obscene language. This has also been declared to be bad in Islam. An Arab went to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and said: "Please give me some advice." Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "I advise you to fear Allah (SWT). If someone blames you for what is in you, do not blame him for what you know that may lie in him. Thus, he will suffer from the ill consequences of his deeds and you will prosper from your good deeds. Also never swear at any of Allah's creatures." The man took the Prophet's advice and never swore at anyone. We learn from this tradition that we should never use our knowledge of other people's weaknesses to harm their honor. Ayaz ibn Samar told Prophet Muhammad (saw): "O' Prophet of Allah (SWT)! A relative of mine who is lower than me in rank swears at me. Should I swear at him in defense?" Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Whenever two people swear at each other they are like two Satan's that are helping each other."

An Islamic perspective: Triple Filter Test Mind Your Own Business

During the Abbasid period, one of the scholars in Baghdad, the capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great scholar and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?" "Hold on a minute," the scholar replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." "Triple filter?" "That's right," the scholar continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..." "All right," said the scholar. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?" "No, on the contrary..." "So," the scholar continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?" "No, not really..." "Well," concluded the scholar, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" Allah (SWT) the Exalted said in Noble Qur'an: "O' ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it. But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." [Sura Hujurat 49:12]

An Islamic perspective: What corrupts the Tongue?

Researchers in ethics say that there is a cause of corruption for everything. The tongue is not an exception to this. Many things will corrupt it. Nearly sixteen causes have been cited for the corruption of the tongue. 01 - Talking in vain or useless Talking in vain will only waste our time and is one of the causes of corruption of the tongue. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "One of the signs of goodness of a Muslim man's submission to Allah (SWT) is avoiding vain talk." Ibn Abbas (RadhiAllahu Anhu) said: Achieving the following five matters is more beneficial than owning the best types of horses: (1) - Not involving yourselves in conversations that do not concern you, as there is no guarantee that you would not sin therein. (2) - Not talking about things that do concern you, until you find the proper time; as a person may talk about a matter that does concern them but at the wrong time and therefore produce a bad consequence. (3) - Not arguing with a wise or a foolish person, as the wise person would desert you and the foolish person would humiliate you. (4) - Mentioning your brother, in his absence, with things with which you would wish him to mention you with in your absence and forgiving him for that which you would wish him to forgive you for. (5) - Performing the actions of one who is certain that he would be rewarded for the good and punished for the bad that he does. It is a fact that the majority of those who take the lead in vain talk during sinful gatherings talk so much that one who listens to them comes to realize that they themselves are not aware of what they are saying and that there is no thought process behind their words. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "No servants of Allah's (SWT) belief will be correct until his heart is corrected, and his heart will never be corrected until his tongue is." The first phase of achieving this correctness is for a person to give up that which does not concern them and not to involve themselves in things that they were not asked about. Islam has dispraised frivolities and idle talk as they are immaterial and evil. In fact, the more a person stays away from them, the higher their rank becomes with Allah (SWT). Conversely, the more a person indulges in them, the more their punishment will be with Allah (SWT).

Islam and Greed: Islamic Sayings on Greed (What is Greed?)

Greed is the excess fondness of money and fortune. It is one of the bad manners that draw to various evils and sins. Greed is selfish excessive or uncontrolled desire for possession or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others. Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "Know with certainty that you cannot achieve your desire and cannot exceed your destined life. You are on the track of those before you. Therefore, be humble in seeking and moderate in earning because often seeking leads to deprivation. Every seeker of livelihood does not get it, nor is everyone who is moderate in seeking deprived." Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "A greedy man will always find himself in the shackles of humility." Amir al-Muminin (as) said: "Greed is the key to trouble and carries man to hardship. It causes him to commit sin." Imam Hasan Mujtaba (as) said: "The annihilation of people lies in three things: Arrogance, Greed and Envy. Arrogance causes destruction of the religion and because of it Shaitan (Satan) was cursed, and Greed is the enemy of one's soul, and because of it Adam was expelled from Paradise, and Envy is the guide to wickedness, and because of it Qabil (Cain) killed Habil (Abel) - the two sons of Prophet Adam (as)." Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) said: "In his love for the world, the greedy is like the silkworm: the more it wraps in its cocoon, the less it has of escaping from it, until it dies of grief." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "If son of Adam were to possess two valleys of gold and silver, he would long for a third. Son of Adam, your stomach is but an ocean or a valley that cannot be filled in with anything except dust." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "The destruction that the fondness of fortune leaves on a man is more effective than the deed of two ravenous wolves that attack a shepherd less herd, one from the front and the other from the back. The Muslim's honor, however, lies in his religiosity."

Is Lying ever justified? Why Islam always encourages telling the truth?

There are no absolute justifications in Islam and the Prophet has asked us to tell the truth even under the harshest circumstances of oppression. However, one may choose not to tell the truth in the following situations: a). He is under oppression and there is danger of losing his life if he told the truth. Shaikh Saadi narrates a story, "A cruel king ordered an innocent man from village present in his court to be killed because of his lack of manners. Hearing this, the villager started to curse the king in his native language. The king asked the prime minister, who understood that villager's language, to tell him what that villager was saying. The wise minister, instead of telling the truth, told the king this villager is sorry for his conduct, praising his greatness and asking for his mercy. The king was affected and he spared the life of that innocent villager." Shaikh Saadi calls this a "lie with wisdom." b). To promote mutual relationship between spouse, i.e., if wife asks you, "Am I beautiful?" or "Do you love me?" there is nothing wrong with saying "Yes," even if this is not the case. While these types of lying are tolerated, it is crucial not to step over the bounds of what is and is not acceptable. For instance, if a wife asks her husband if he is having an affair and the husband lies and says that he isn't (when he is) to make her 'happy' is not a permissible lie. This scenario is not what the above hadith permits. This is a deceptive lie which the husband is engaging in to serve his own agenda. c). this also applies during war. If a prisoner is captured by the enemy and perhaps asked how many soldiers are with his army, he can lie about the number in order to protect his own fighters. d). While making peace between two quarreling parties, instead of igniting them against each other, i.e., "He said such and such bad thing about you," just say, "He says such and such good thing about you." Tradition: He is not a liar who tries to bring peace between two people by trying to tell the truth. e). to make unbelievers realize the truth as described in Surah al-Anbiya (21:62-65) When Prophet Abraham (pbuh) broke all the idols except the biggest one, the unbelievers entered the temple. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) hid and put his ax in the hand of the chief idol. They asked, "Who broke our gods?" Prophet Abraham (pbuh) said, "Ask the chief idol, he has the ax." They said, "Don't you know he can't speak or do anything?" Prophet Abraham (pbuh) said, "That's what I have been telling you, so worship Allah (SWT), rather than these stones that cannot harm or profit you." Lies often roll off the human tongue just as fast as the moths are attracted to an open flame. The consequences of both are sometimes equally flammable. Being truthful is an endearing quality that we all would be blessed to attain in our lifetime and is a commodity that is becoming more and more scarce in this present world as the hands of time relentlessly spin round and round.

Islam and Lying: Why Islam always encourages telling the truth?

There are as many advantages for truthfulness as there are disadvantages for lying. Truthfulness is one of the most beautiful traits and lying one of the ugliest. The tongue translates man's external feelings to the outside. Therefore, if lying stems from envy and or enmity, it is one of the most dangerous sign of anger. If it stems from stinginess or habit, it is from the effects of burning lusts of man. If a man's tongue becomes poisoned with lying and its filth appears on him, its effects are like the effects of the autumn wind on the leaves of trees. Lying extinguishes the light of man's existence and lights the fire of treachery in him. It also has an amazing reaction in terminating the ties of unity and harmony between and spreading hypocrisy. As per the saying of Prophet Mohamed (pbuh): "The three signs of a hypocrite are: lying, betraying trust and going back on his word (not fulfilling a promise)." Therefore hypocrites are liars, because they lie to themselves. Noble Qur'an says about them: "In their heart, there is a disease and Allah increases their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they lie." (2:10) "When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that you are most surely Allah's Messenger; and Allah knows that you are most surely His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars." (63:1) For people with evil intentions lying is an open door for them to reach their selfish goals by concealing the facts behind their magical words and capturing innocent people with their poisonous lies. Liars have no time for them to think or reflect. They rarely consider the possible conclusions, claiming that 'no one will ever discover their secrets'. In their words we find many mistakes and contradictions. Liars will eternally become covered with shame, failure and disgrace. Therefore, it is true to say that 'liars have bad memories'. Islam and reason command that if a Muslim's soul, honor or essential belongings are endangered, it is his obligation to defend them by any means possible, including lying. Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) said: "Lying is not permitted except in three cases: a man speaking to his wife to make her happy; lying in times of war; and lying in order to reconcile between people." (Tirmidhi) Necessary lying has its limitations. It must stop on the border of necessity. Nevertheless, we should not ignore the fact that lying is a great evil, and that if some harm is removed by lying (when permitted) it is with the view of countering the greater evil with the lesser one.

An Islamic perspective: Joking Around (10)

Joking around is considered to be bad in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Avoid arguing with your brethren and abstain from excessive joking around."

Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "I tell jokes, but never excessively tell jokes and never say what is not right."

Prophet Muhammad's (saw) Jokes:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) told some nice jokes. As an example, consider the following. One day an old lady went to see Prophet Muhammad (saw). Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "An old lady does not go to Heaven." The old lady started to cry. Then Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "On that day you will not be old. You will be young." Allah (SWT) said the following in Noble Qur'an: "We have created (their Companions) of special creation, and made them virgin - pure (and undefiled)." [Sura Al-Waqiah 56:35-36]

Imam Ali (as) said: "Jokes that make you laugh will take away the intellect and make you look bad."

Imam Sajjad's (as) views on Clowns:

A clown once pulled off Imam Sajjad's (as) cloak. Imam Sajjad (as) did not say anything. The people followed the clown and took back the cloak. They brought it back and put it on Imam Sajjad's (as) shoulder. Imam Sajjad (as) asked: "Who did that?" The people said: "It was a clown who makes the people laugh." Then Imam Sajjad (as) said: "Tell him that there is a day for Allah (SWT) in which those who waste their life and make others laugh will not gain anything but loss."

11 - Making Fun of others:

Scholars in ethics have considered making fun of people as one of the factors that corrupt the tongue. Allah (SWT) said in the following verse of Noble Qur'an: "O' ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong." [Sura Al-Hujraat 49:11]

The first principle referred to in this verse is respecting the Muslims. Muslims should respect each other in social encounters. Materialists have a different world outlook than Muslims. Materialists respect one for his physical beauty and financial stability, but Muslims respect man's moral values. In the above verse, making fun of others is forbidden. Men are unaware of each other's inner thoughts and feelings. It may be that an ugly man has a very beautiful character. He might be made fun of for his looks, but if others knew him well they would never make fun of him. That is why it is not allowed to make fun of anyone and it is forbidden to make fun of the crippled.