The Barrier between Rivers and seas

Allah (SWT) says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25: 53)

Man from olden times has seen the rivers flow into the sea and noticed that the river water gradually loses its distinctive color and taste as it goes deeper into the sea. He has concluded that the river gradually mixes with seawater; otherwise the river would change into a freshwater sea expanding day by day till it would overwhelm the original sea.

With the advances of science and its endeavor to explore the mysteries of the Universe man started investigating the way a sea meets with a river, and studied samples of water from the area where a river meets a sea. He studied the levels of salinity, and measured temperatures and density, and collected specimens of living organisms and classified them determining the places of their existence and studying their abilities to live in river and marine environments.

Three type of water at Estuary

After surveying a large number of estuaries, scholars discovered unknown secrets, and researchers found out that waters are of three types:

1. Water of rivers that is very fresh.

2. Seawater that is very salty.

3. Water of the estuary that is a mixture of salt and fresh water. The estuary is an area separating the river from the sea and moves between them under the influence of tides and the flooding or recession of the river. The closer to the sea the greater its salinity in it; the closer to the river the fresher its water.

Three types of water at Estuary

Around the estuary there is an aquatic barrier that preserves its distinctive properties even if the river is flowing into the sea in the form of a waterfall.

In spit of the forces of tides and floods and recessions that are regarded as very strong factors of mixing, no direct meeting occurs between the water of the river and that of the sea because the barrier surrounding the estuary always separates them. But the water of the river mixes with seawater slowly through the partition represented by the water of the estuary and the water barrier surrounding it.

The three water masses (the water of the river, seawater and the water of the estuary) differ with respect to the degree of salinity. The researchers that classified the organisms living in them discovered the following:

a. Most of the creatures living in the sea, river, or estuary cannot live in an environment other than their own habitat: otherwise, they would die. But a few species, such as salmons and eels, can live in all three habitats and can adapt to every environment.

b. By classifying the three environments where living organisms live, the estuary is regarded as an area of confinement for most of the organisms living in it, for such organisms cannot live save in the aquatic medium the degree of salinity of which suites their osmotic pressure, and they would die if they came out of the habitat that is suitable for them, i.e., the estuary.

Meanwhile, the estuary is a forbidden area for most of the living organisms that live in the sea or the river, for these organisms die if they enter it due to the difference in the osmotic pressure also.

Allah (SWT) has created this wonderful aquatic system to keep these meeting aquatic masses apart and preserve their distinctive properties so that rivers keep their freshness and all aquatic organisms find the suitable environments for their living. If the naked eye cannot see this partition with which Allah (SWT) preserves the estuary, satellites today have provided us with wonderful images showing us the boundaries of the three aquatic masses that get clearer with the increase of the difference in the temperature of the water and the materials it carries.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of the Rio de la Plata estuary (Argentina), with input of river water from the Uruguay and Parana rivers notably visible.

Although freshwater mixes with seawater, there are limits at the two ends of the limited area that impose constrictions on what enters it or comes out of it. This exactly describes the estuary. The Holy Qur’an describes the area where the three aquatic masses meet very precisely and concisely showing the relationship between the three aquatic masses and the organisms living in them.

Allah (SWT) says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25: 53)

Satellite image of an Estuary

Linguistic meanings and the sayings of the commentators:

The word “maraja” has two obvious meanings:

First: mixing

Allah (SWT) says: “But they deny the truth when it comes to them, so they are in a confused (mixed up) state (amrin marij).” (Quran 50: 5) In Lisan al-‘Arab (amrin marij: i.e., mixed up) Al-Asfahani said in al-Mufradat: (the original meaning of “Marj” is “mixing up”) Al-Zabidi said: (Allah “maraja” the two seas, the fresh and the salt, means He mixed them up till they met.) Al-Zajjaj said: “maraja” means He mixed up the salt sea with the fresh sea.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said: (And it is Allah Who mixed up the two seas and thus “amraja” one with the other and let it flow into it.) The basic sense of “marj” is “mixing up”, as in the Saying of Allah: “In amrin marij”, i.e. mixed up.

Ibn ‘Abbas is reported to have said about the Saying of Allah (He maraja the two seas): It means He cast one on the other. Mujahid said: He let one flow on the other. Al-Dhahhak agreed with Ibn ‘Abbas. This meaning is supported by a group of commentators, such as al-Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan, al-Alusi, al-Khazin, al-Razi, al-Shawkani and al-Shanqiti.

Second: Going to and fro and turbulence (restlessness)

In Mu’jam Maqayis al-Lugha, Ibn Faris said: (The consonants m, r and j together make up a basic unit expressing the idea of going to and fro and turbulence.) He said: “the ring maraja around the finger” means “it became loose.” The same sense applies to all the uses of the word, such as (The trusts and pledges of the people marajat) meaning: They were upset and mixed up.The same meaning is mentioned in al-Sihah by al-Jawhari and in Lisan al-‘Arab.The same is said by al-Zabidi and al-Asfahani.

(The two seas: This is ‘adhbun furat (very fresh) and this is milhun ‘ujaj (very salt))

The fresh sea is the river, The Holy Qur.an describes it with two properties: “‘adhb” and “furat”, which collectively mean that the water of this sea (i.e., the river) is very fresh as implied by the word “furat”. This description excludes the water of the estuary which can be described as ‘adhb (fresh) but cannot be said to be “furat”.

The very salt water is the water of the seas. The Holy Qur’an describes it with two properties: “milh” and “’ujaj”. ‘Ujaj means very salt, thus excluding the water of the estuary, for it is a mixture of salt and fresh water and cannot be described as milhun ‘ujaj (very salt).

Thus with these four properties we can demarcate the following three masses of water:

1. (This is)‘adhbun furat (very fresh water): the water of the river,

2. (This is) milhun ‘ujaj (very salt water): seawater, and

3. (and placed between them barzakhan and hijran mahjura): Barzakh is the aquatic barrier surrounding the estuary.

What about the hijran mahjura?

Hijr or hajr means “prohibition and restriction”. The mind is described as “hijr” because it prevents one from doing what ought not to be done. Allah (SWT) says: “There is indeed in them (oaths mentioned above) sufficient proofs for men of hijr (understanding).” (Quran 89: 5) A fool is usually prohibited by the judge from disposing of his wealth, for it is in hijr or hajr, the latter being preferable. In a hadith narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i and Ahmad Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said to a Bedouin: “You have “tahajjarta” (restricted) what is wide or spacious.”

Ibn Manzur said: “You have ‘tahajjarta” what is wide” means “You have restricted what Allah has made spacious and kept it for yourself exclusively.”We can understand here that the living organisms in the estuary live in confinement and are not allowed to come out of it.

This area is also described as mahjurah (i.e., prohibited). From this expression we may imply another meaning apart from the first; namely, the other organisms are not allowed to enter it either. Therefore, it is hijr (prison) for the organisms living in it, and admittance to it is not permissible for those living outside it. The meaning of the verse is then: He placed between the sea and the river an aquatic partition, i.e., the aquatic barrier surrounding the estuary, and made the water between the river and the sea a place of confinement for its living organisms and forbidden for the organisms living outside it in the sea or the river.

The Estuary region has its own organisms

See how human knowledge fails to grasp the details of what the Holy Qur’an has stated. Some of the commentators mention that the barrier is land (as barrier of earth). Some others declared their inability to specify and describe it and said that it was a partition that could not be seen by anybody. All this shows us that the knowledge given to Muhammad (peace upon him) included what could not be perceived by the human mind at the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and during several centuries following it.

In the Qur’anic Verse: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river],” (Quran 25: 53) the Qur’anic text does not describe the water as ‘adhb (fresh) but it modifies this characteristic with the modifier “furat” to intensify the freshness of the water; otherwise, the reader may wrongly think that the estuary is included in this description, for it is characterized by some freshness. Thus describing the water of the sea referred to as very fresh excludes the estuary from this description and keeps it for the river as such, by saying: “This is very fresh (‘adhbun furat).” Likewise, the Qur’anic text excludes the estuary from the zone of the very salt sea through modifying the adjective “salt” with the modifier “‘ujaj” to intensify the salinity of the seawater, lest one should claim that the estuary also has salinity and thus it is part of the salt sea. By adding the word “‘ujaj” the Qur’anic text excludes the estuary from this description, which is kept for the sea as such. Consequently we have three distinct zones or areas: a very salt sea, a very fresh sea (river) and the estuary that is a mixture of fresh and salt water.

Now see how people of great talent were unable, several centuries after the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, to understand such subtle facts and mysteries and how science finally came to reveal them. Allah (SWT) tells the Truth when He says: “Say: ‘Praise be to Allah.” He will show you His Signs and you will recognize them.” (Quran 27: 93)

See how the intended meaning has been settled at last after the commentators were uncertain about it for a long time. Allah (SWT) says: “For every news there is a reality and you shall come to know.” (Quran 6: 67) Allah (SWT) also says: “And you shall certainly know the truth of it after a while.” (Quran 38: 88)

Who informed the Prophet?

Then who informed the illiterate Prophet, who lived in an illiterate nation in a desert environment where there was no river or an estuary, of these subtle secrets concerning the aquatic masses of various structures: very fresh, very salt and a barrier and an area of confinement in-between, and that hajr means the area into which organisms living in the other two aquatic areas are not admitted.

How long did this take man to discover? How many minute instruments and modern equipment has he used to find out these facts, which the illiterate Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned 14 hundred years ago very precisely and concisely?

Look into the fine difference that distinguishes between the meeting of two salt seas and that between a salt sea and a fresh one. You will see that in the first case there is no zone of confinement because the osmotic difference in the two seas is not great, which allows the living organisms in the two seas to transfer from one sea to the other. In the case of the meeting of the salt sea and the fresh one (the river), there must be an estuary where the water is a mixture that is neither very salt nor very fresh, which results in great differences in the osmolity and consequently makes the estuary a zone of confinement for the organisms living in it preventing them from moving into the sea or the river. This also prohibits the organisms living in the sea or the river from entering the estuary. See how the Holy Qur’an expresses these facts clearly, nicely and concisely. In describing the meeting of the two salt seas it says: “He has let free (MARAJA) the two sees meeting together. Between them is a barrier that they do not transgress” in describing the meeting between the salt water and the fresh water, it says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.”

Whence, then, did this knowledge come to Muhammad (peace be upon him) other than from Allah, Who knows everything?

---

Sources:

• Where the Rivers Meet the Sea (The transition from salt to fresh water is turbulent, vulnerable, and incredibly bountiful)
• http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science-focus/ocean-color/black_water.shtml
• http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary

The Barrier between Rivers and seas

Allah (SWT) says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25: 53)

Man from olden times has seen the rivers flow into the sea and noticed that the river water gradually loses its distinctive color and taste as it goes deeper into the sea. He has concluded that the river gradually mixes with seawater; otherwise the river would change into a freshwater sea expanding day by day till it would overwhelm the original sea.

With the advances of science and its endeavor to explore the mysteries of the Universe man started investigating the way a sea meets with a river, and studied samples of water from the area where a river meets a sea. He studied the levels of salinity, and measured temperatures and density, and collected specimens of living organisms and classified them determining the places of their existence and studying their abilities to live in river and marine environments.

Three type of water at Estuary

After surveying a large number of estuaries, scholars discovered unknown secrets, and researchers found out that waters are of three types:

1. Water of rivers that is very fresh.

2. Seawater that is very salty.

3. Water of the estuary that is a mixture of salt and fresh water. The estuary is an area separating the river from the sea and moves between them under the influence of tides and the flooding or recession of the river. The closer to the sea the greater its salinity in it; the closer to the river the fresher its water.

Three types of water at Estuary

Around the estuary there is an aquatic barrier that preserves its distinctive properties even if the river is flowing into the sea in the form of a waterfall.

In spit of the forces of tides and floods and recessions that are regarded as very strong factors of mixing, no direct meeting occurs between the water of the river and that of the sea because the barrier surrounding the estuary always separates them. But the water of the river mixes with seawater slowly through the partition represented by the water of the estuary and the water barrier surrounding it.

The three water masses (the water of the river, seawater and the water of the estuary) differ with respect to the degree of salinity. The researchers that classified the organisms living in them discovered the following:

a. Most of the creatures living in the sea, river, or estuary cannot live in an environment other than their own habitat: otherwise, they would die. But a few species, such as salmons and eels, can live in all three habitats and can adapt to every environment.

b. By classifying the three environments where living organisms live, the estuary is regarded as an area of confinement for most of the organisms living in it, for such organisms cannot live save in the aquatic medium the degree of salinity of which suites their osmotic pressure, and they would die if they came out of the habitat that is suitable for them, i.e., the estuary.

Meanwhile, the estuary is a forbidden area for most of the living organisms that live in the sea or the river, for these organisms die if they enter it due to the difference in the osmotic pressure also.

Allah (SWT) has created this wonderful aquatic system to keep these meeting aquatic masses apart and preserve their distinctive properties so that rivers keep their freshness and all aquatic organisms find the suitable environments for their living. If the naked eye cannot see this partition with which Allah (SWT) preserves the estuary, satellites today have provided us with wonderful images showing us the boundaries of the three aquatic masses that get clearer with the increase of the difference in the temperature of the water and the materials it carries.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of the Rio de la Plata estuary (Argentina), with input of river water from the Uruguay and Parana rivers notably visible.

Although freshwater mixes with seawater, there are limits at the two ends of the limited area that impose constrictions on what enters it or comes out of it. This exactly describes the estuary. The Holy Qur’an describes the area where the three aquatic masses meet very precisely and concisely showing the relationship between the three aquatic masses and the organisms living in them.

Allah (SWT) says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25: 53)

Satellite image of an Estuary

Linguistic meanings and the sayings of the commentators:

The word “maraja” has two obvious meanings:

First: mixing

Allah (SWT) says: “But they deny the truth when it comes to them, so they are in a confused (mixed up) state (amrin marij).” (Quran 50: 5) In Lisan al-‘Arab (amrin marij: i.e., mixed up) Al-Asfahani said in al-Mufradat: (the original meaning of “Marj” is “mixing up”) Al-Zabidi said: (Allah “maraja” the two seas, the fresh and the salt, means He mixed them up till they met.) Al-Zajjaj said: “maraja” means He mixed up the salt sea with the fresh sea.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said: (And it is Allah Who mixed up the two seas and thus “amraja” one with the other and let it flow into it.) The basic sense of “marj” is “mixing up”, as in the Saying of Allah: “In amrin marij”, i.e. mixed up.

Ibn ‘Abbas is reported to have said about the Saying of Allah (He maraja the two seas): It means He cast one on the other. Mujahid said: He let one flow on the other. Al-Dhahhak agreed with Ibn ‘Abbas. This meaning is supported by a group of commentators, such as al-Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan, al-Alusi, al-Khazin, al-Razi, al-Shawkani and al-Shanqiti.

Second: Going to and fro and turbulence (restlessness)

In Mu’jam Maqayis al-Lugha, Ibn Faris said: (The consonants m, r and j together make up a basic unit expressing the idea of going to and fro and turbulence.) He said: “the ring maraja around the finger” means “it became loose.” The same sense applies to all the uses of the word, such as (The trusts and pledges of the people marajat) meaning: They were upset and mixed up.The same meaning is mentioned in al-Sihah by al-Jawhari and in Lisan al-‘Arab.The same is said by al-Zabidi and al-Asfahani.

(The two seas: This is ‘adhbun furat (very fresh) and this is milhun ‘ujaj (very salt))

The fresh sea is the river, The Holy Qur.an describes it with two properties: “‘adhb” and “furat”, which collectively mean that the water of this sea (i.e., the river) is very fresh as implied by the word “furat”. This description excludes the water of the estuary which can be described as ‘adhb (fresh) but cannot be said to be “furat”.

The very salt water is the water of the seas. The Holy Qur’an describes it with two properties: “milh” and “’ujaj”. ‘Ujaj means very salt, thus excluding the water of the estuary, for it is a mixture of salt and fresh water and cannot be described as milhun ‘ujaj (very salt).

Thus with these four properties we can demarcate the following three masses of water:

1. (This is)‘adhbun furat (very fresh water): the water of the river,

2. (This is) milhun ‘ujaj (very salt water): seawater, and

3. (and placed between them barzakhan and hijran mahjura): Barzakh is the aquatic barrier surrounding the estuary.

What about the hijran mahjura?

Hijr or hajr means “prohibition and restriction”. The mind is described as “hijr” because it prevents one from doing what ought not to be done. Allah (SWT) says: “There is indeed in them (oaths mentioned above) sufficient proofs for men of hijr (understanding).” (Quran 89: 5) A fool is usually prohibited by the judge from disposing of his wealth, for it is in hijr or hajr, the latter being preferable. In a hadith narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i and Ahmad Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said to a Bedouin: “You have “tahajjarta” (restricted) what is wide or spacious.”

Ibn Manzur said: “You have ‘tahajjarta” what is wide” means “You have restricted what Allah has made spacious and kept it for yourself exclusively.”We can understand here that the living organisms in the estuary live in confinement and are not allowed to come out of it.

This area is also described as mahjurah (i.e., prohibited). From this expression we may imply another meaning apart from the first; namely, the other organisms are not allowed to enter it either. Therefore, it is hijr (prison) for the organisms living in it, and admittance to it is not permissible for those living outside it. The meaning of the verse is then: He placed between the sea and the river an aquatic partition, i.e., the aquatic barrier surrounding the estuary, and made the water between the river and the sea a place of confinement for its living organisms and forbidden for the organisms living outside it in the sea or the river.

The Estuary region has its own organisms

See how human knowledge fails to grasp the details of what the Holy Qur’an has stated. Some of the commentators mention that the barrier is land (as barrier of earth). Some others declared their inability to specify and describe it and said that it was a partition that could not be seen by anybody. All this shows us that the knowledge given to Muhammad (peace upon him) included what could not be perceived by the human mind at the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and during several centuries following it.

In the Qur’anic Verse: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river],” (Quran 25: 53) the Qur’anic text does not describe the water as ‘adhb (fresh) but it modifies this characteristic with the modifier “furat” to intensify the freshness of the water; otherwise, the reader may wrongly think that the estuary is included in this description, for it is characterized by some freshness. Thus describing the water of the sea referred to as very fresh excludes the estuary from this description and keeps it for the river as such, by saying: “This is very fresh (‘adhbun furat).” Likewise, the Qur’anic text excludes the estuary from the zone of the very salt sea through modifying the adjective “salt” with the modifier “‘ujaj” to intensify the salinity of the seawater, lest one should claim that the estuary also has salinity and thus it is part of the salt sea. By adding the word “‘ujaj” the Qur’anic text excludes the estuary from this description, which is kept for the sea as such. Consequently we have three distinct zones or areas: a very salt sea, a very fresh sea (river) and the estuary that is a mixture of fresh and salt water.

Now see how people of great talent were unable, several centuries after the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, to understand such subtle facts and mysteries and how science finally came to reveal them. Allah (SWT) tells the Truth when He says: “Say: ‘Praise be to Allah.” He will show you His Signs and you will recognize them.” (Quran 27: 93)

See how the intended meaning has been settled at last after the commentators were uncertain about it for a long time. Allah (SWT) says: “For every news there is a reality and you shall come to know.” (Quran 6: 67) Allah (SWT) also says: “And you shall certainly know the truth of it after a while.” (Quran 38: 88)

Who informed the Prophet?

Then who informed the illiterate Prophet, who lived in an illiterate nation in a desert environment where there was no river or an estuary, of these subtle secrets concerning the aquatic masses of various structures: very fresh, very salt and a barrier and an area of confinement in-between, and that hajr means the area into which organisms living in the other two aquatic areas are not admitted.

How long did this take man to discover? How many minute instruments and modern equipment has he used to find out these facts, which the illiterate Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned 14 hundred years ago very precisely and concisely?

Look into the fine difference that distinguishes between the meeting of two salt seas and that between a salt sea and a fresh one. You will see that in the first case there is no zone of confinement because the osmotic difference in the two seas is not great, which allows the living organisms in the two seas to transfer from one sea to the other. In the case of the meeting of the salt sea and the fresh one (the river), there must be an estuary where the water is a mixture that is neither very salt nor very fresh, which results in great differences in the osmolity and consequently makes the estuary a zone of confinement for the organisms living in it preventing them from moving into the sea or the river. This also prohibits the organisms living in the sea or the river from entering the estuary. See how the Holy Qur’an expresses these facts clearly, nicely and concisely. In describing the meeting of the two salt seas it says: “He has let free (MARAJA) the two sees meeting together. Between them is a barrier that they do not transgress” in describing the meeting between the salt water and the fresh water, it says: “It is He Who has mixed up (maraja) the two seas, this (one) very fresh [river], and this (other one) very salt, and has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.”

Whence, then, did this knowledge come to Muhammad (peace be upon him) other than from Allah, Who knows everything?

---

Sources:

• Where the Rivers Meet the Sea (The transition from salt to fresh water is turbulent, vulnerable, and incredibly bountiful)
• http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science-focus/ocean-color/black_water.shtml
• http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary

Diet In Islam

The Greatest Gift - The Human Body

Diet plays a very important role in the daily life of a believer. There are many verses in the Noble Qur’ân which draw man's attention towards him self and which invite him to carefully study his body and soul and the nature of their mutual relationship. By doing so, one will firstly find in it strong evidence of the existence of Allah and that Allah has not created mankind and all other beings of this world without any purpose as mentioned in the Noble Qur’ân:

“Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose.” (3:191)

The Importance of Healthiness

It is therefore necessary to ensure that the physical body is kept healthy so that the soul and spirit may also remain healthy thus in turn aiding the believer in the service of both his spiritual and material attainment. Diet therefore, plays an important role for this purpose. For this reason Islam has prohibited certain food due to their ill effects and permitted all other pure, good and clean food products. Allah Ta’ala says in the Noble Qur’ân:

"O’ Believers! Eat of the good and pure (lawful) that.We have provided you with and be grateful to Allah, if you truly worship Him." (2:172)

Muslims in general are advised to eat good and pure things and not to indulge in impure, bad and harmful things thus following their open enemy Shaitaan:

"O People! Eat of what is lawful and good on the Earth and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitaan, for he is your open enemy."(2:168)

In the verses previously mentioned the general principle with regard to permissible food has been stated. The Noble Qur’ân further goes on to specify the types of food prohibited in the following verse:

"He (Allah) has only forbidden you (from eating) dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that (animal) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked." (2:173, 16:115)

The four items that have been mentioned in the above verse are absolutely forbidden in Islam for reasons best known to Allah. However, through research, some of them such as carrion, blood and swine flesh have proved to be hazardous to human health. Whilst swine flesh is harmful to moral health and food over which the name of any other than Allah has been invoked is harmful to spiritual health.

Other prohibited items have also been mentioned in different chapters of the Holy Qur’ân. In Surah al-Ma’idah the following have also been mentioned along with the four previously mentioned. There are those animals which have been killed by strangling, or a violent blow, a headlong fall, being gored to death and those which have been partially eaten by a wild animal and not slaughtered before death, also those which have been sacrificed on the name of idols.

Alcohol and Islam

Alcohol is also prohibited in Islam, as its harms have been proven greater than its benefits. This has also been stated by Allah in the Noble Qur’ân in Surah al-Baqarah. Other physical, moral, social and spiritual evils of intoxicants have been mentioned in many verses of the Holy Qur’ân and blessed traditions of the Holy Prophet . Many of these ill effects can also be easily noticed in our societies.

A Balanced Diet - Prescribed in the Qur’ân

The Qur’ân has not restricted itself in merely mentioning the permissible and impermissible food but goes to the extent of giving useful tips regarding a balanced diet, a diet which contains most if not all the useful ingredients required for the growth, strengthening and repairing of the human body. These ingredients include animal protein, fat, calcium, iron, salts, etc. The most balanced diets consist of meat, fish, fresh milk, cheese and fruit. Both direct and indirect references have been made regarding the aforementioned. The reference regarding the importance of meat protein in the human diet is given in the following verse:

"And the cattle, He has created them for you, in them there is warmth (clothing) and numerous benefits, and of them you eat."(16:5)

In this verse special reference has been given to the importance of eating despite having said, “…numerous benefits…”. Reference regarding other types of meat has also been given such as the meat of fowls in the following verse:

"And the flesh of fowls that they desire." (56:21)

Fish has always been considered as a food of very high protein and is very important for human consumption. Allah says:

"And from them both (fresh and salt water) you eat fresh tender meat (fish)." (35:12)

The usefulness of fresh milk is stressed in these words:

"And verily in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretion and blood, pure milk, palatable to the drinkers." (16:66)

The benefits of fruits as good nourishment can be understood from this verse:

"And from the fruits of date palms and grapes, you desire strong drink and a goodly provision." (16:67)

Similarly there are verses which cover the whole range of fruits, salads, and vegetables which also play an important role in a nutritious, balanced diet:

"It is He who sends down rain from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date palm and its spate come clusters of dates hanging low and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits when then begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof." (6:99)

Islam, being a complete religion, also teaches and advises the believer as to what the best method of eating is. The believers are advised to be moderate in every aspect of life. Direct reference has been made in the Noble Qur’ân regarding moderation in eating and drinking.

"And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste in extravagance." (7:31)

Moderation - The Teachings of the Prophet

The Best of Teachers and the Mercy of the Worlds is reported to have clarified the meaning and limit of moderation in a tradition in which he is reported to have said that one’s worst weakness is one’s belly. If you must eat make sure you fill one third of your stomach with food, one third with water and leave one third for air i.e. leave it empty.

In another narration, the reason for moderation has been clearly stated. The Prophet is reported to have said:

"The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition, they return diseased.

In short, believers are advised to always take care of their stomachs and refrain from foods and practices that might pollute the stomach with various diseases. In order to do so the Prophet is reported to have advised believers to always stop eating before their stomachs are completely full i.e. stop eating when the urge to eat more is still present.

Conclusion - The Etiquette's of Eating and Drinking

Islam teaches us many other etiquette's of eating and drinking. The Prophet made a point of developing remarkably clean and healthy eating habits among his followers. He asked the companions to wash their hands before and after, to start eating with the praise of Allah, to eat using the right hand, not to eat until they really felt hungry, not to eat and drink excessively. Finally, by praising and thanking Allah for the food and drink, for making it easy to swallow and for producing an exit for it.

From all that has been mentioned, the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet and hygiene can be understood in the light of the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Islam has stressed on the importance of these things right from the start unlike health authorities etc., which have just recently begun to stress its importance. This could be counted as just another gem that manifests the perfection of Islam.

The importance of having a nap

Sleeping is one of God's Miracles, but why did our Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) tell us to take a nap during day? Is there any scientific reason for that?….

Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) told us to take a midday nap as he Said: "Nap as Satans do not nap." Narrated by El-Tabarany.

A new scientific research has proved that napping during work reduces the possibilities of having serious heart problems that may be deadly.

Midday napping in office benefits heart and reduces exhaustion and stress since working is the main cause of exhaustion, researchers said.

Sleeping during day is necessary for man as sleeping at night isn't enough. Not only that, but it may be harmful if it continued for a long period of time, researchers said in an other research.

That's why doctors advise people to wake up at night and do some activities and not to sleep for along time as it harms the heart.

Therefore, let's contemplate the holy Verse that tells us about the miracle of sleeping at day and night. Allah says in the Quran:

" And of HIS Signs is your sleep by night, and by day, your seeking of HIS bounty. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who would listen."(Quran 30:23).

For Women Are Rights over Men Similar to Those of Men over Women

THERE is absolutely no difference in Islam between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both of them are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Holy Qur'aan says: "And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women." (2:226).


The Holy Qur'aan, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression 'believing men and women' to emphasise the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: "For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward." (33:35)

This clearly contradicts the claim of the Christian Fathers that women do not possess souls and that they will exist as sexless beings in the next life. The Holy Qur'aan says that women have souls in exactly the same way as men and will enter Paradise if they do good. The Holy Book says: "Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight." (43:70). And: "Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life." (16:97)

The Holy Qur'aan admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: "O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them, except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary, live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good." (4:19)

Teachings of the Noble Qur'aan were revolutionary as regard to the fact that before the advent of Islam, the pagan Arabs used to bury their daughters alive, forced women to dance naked in the vicinity of the holy Ka'aba during their annual fairs, and treat them as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure, possessing no right or position whatsoever.

Unlike other religions, which considered women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness and men as being possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as being of the same essence created from a single soul.

The Holy Qur'aan declares: "O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you." (4:1)

Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said: "Women are the twin halves of men." The Holy Qur'aan emphasises the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: "They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them." (2:187)

Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each other's chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wife's company and she in his. "The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them."

Islam does not consider woman "an instrument of the Devil", but rather the Holy Qur'aan calls her "Muhsana" -- a fortress against Satan -- because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) considered marriage as a most virtuous act. He said: "When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion." He enjoined matrimony on the Muslims by saying: "Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (ie is not my follower)."

The Holy Qur'aan says: "And among His signs is this, that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect." (30:21)

Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: "The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman." He once told the future caliph, Umar: "Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her."

On other occasions, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said: "The best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith." And again: "The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the commodities of the world is a virtuous wife."

Before the advent of Islam, women were often treated worse than animals. The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) wanted to put a stop to all cruelties to women. He preached kindness towards them. He told the Muslims: "Fear Allah in respect of women." And: "The best of you are they who behave best to their wives." And: "A Muslim must not hate his wife, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good." And: "The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is."

Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe waasallam) was most emphatic in enjoining upon the Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous sermon on the Mount of Mercy (Jabal-e-Rahmat) at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions who had gathered there for the Farewell Pilgrimage.

In it, he ordered to those who were present and through them all those Muslims who were to come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: "Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means."

In Islam, a woman is a completely independent personality. She can make any contract or bequest in her own name. She is entitled to inherit in her position as mother, as wife, as sister and as daughter. She has perfect liberty to choose her husband. The pagan society of pre-Islamic Arabia had an irrational prejudice against their female children whom they used to bury alive.

The Messenger of Allah (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) was totally opposed to this practice. He showed them that supporting their female children would act as a screen for them against the fire of Hell: It is narrated by the Prophet's wife, 'A'isha, that a woman entered her house with two of her daughters. She asked for charity but 'A'isha could not find anything except a date, which was given to her. The woman divided it between her two daughters and did not eat any herself. Then she got up and left.

When the Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) came to the house, 'A'isha told him about what had happened and he declared that when the woman was brought to account (on the Day of Judgment) about her two daughters they would act as a screen for her from the fires of Hell. The worst calamity for a woman is when her husband passes away and, as a widow, the responsibility of maintaining the children falls upon her. In the Eastern World, where a woman does not always go out to earn her living, the problems of widowhood are indescribable.

Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) upheld the cause of widows. Most of his wives were widows. In an age when widows were rarely permitted to remarry, the Prophet encouraged his followers to marry them. He was always ready to help widows and exhorted his followers to do the same. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said: "One who makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day." Woman as mother commands great respect in Islam.

The Noble Qur'aan speaks of the rights of the mother in a number of verses. It enjoins Muslims to show respect to their mothers and serve them well even if they are still unbelievers. The Prophet states emphatically that the rights of the mother are paramount.

Abu Hurairah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then who?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then who?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then who?" He replied, "Your father."

In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) advised a believer not to join the war against the Quraish in defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his mother would be a cause of his salvation.

Mu'awiyah, the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah came to the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) and said to the Messenger of Allah: "I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah) and I have come to seek your advice." He said, "Then remain in your mother's service, because Paradise is under her feet."

The Prophet's followers accepted his teachings and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no longer considered women as mere chattels, but as an integral part of society. For the first time, women were given the right to have a share in inheritance.

In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service during the wars, which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim Ummah. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs.

Hadhrat Aisha (Radhi Allaho anha) reported that Hadhrat Saudah (Radhi Allaho anha) went out one night. Hadhrat Umar saw her and recognized her and said, "By God, O Saudah, why do you not hide yourself from us?" She went back to the Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) and told him about it while he was having supper in her room, and he said, "It is permitted by Allah for you to go out for your needs."

The predominant idea in the teachings of Islam with regard to men and women is that a husband and wife should be full-fledged partners in making their home a happy and prosperous place, that they should be loyal and faithful to one another, and genuinely interested in each other's welfare and the welfare of their children. A woman is expected to exercise a humanizing influence over her husband and to soften the sternness inherent in his nature. A man is enjoined to educate the women in his care so that they cultivate the qualities in which they, by their very nature, excel.

These aspects were much emphasised by the Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam). He exhorted men to marry women of piety and women to be faithful to their husbands and kind to their children. He said: "Among my followers the best of men are those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for everything, save what is a transgression of Allah's laws."

Once Mu'awiyah asked the Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), "What are the rights that a wife has over her husband?" The Prophet replied, " Feed her when you take your food, give her clothes to wear when you wear clothes, refrain from giving her a slap on the face or abusing her, and do not separate from your wife, except within the house." Once a woman came to the Prophet with a complaint against her husband. He told her: "There is no woman who removes something to replace it in its proper place, with a view to tidying her husband's house, but that Allah sets it down as a virtue for her. Nor is there a man who walks with his wife hand-in-hand, but that Allah sets it down as a virtue for him; and if he puts his arm round her shoulder in love, his virtue is increased tenfold."

Once he was heard praising the women of the tribe of Quraish, "...because they are the kindest to their children while they are infants and because they keep a careful watch over the belongings of their husbands." The Shari'ah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The main distinction it makes between them is in the physical realm based on the equitable principle of fair division of labour. It allots the more strenuous work to the man and makes him responsible for the maintenance of the family. It allots the work of managing the home and the upbringing and training of children to the woman, work which has the greatest importance in the task of building a healthy and prosperous society. (Iqra)

There are certain things forbidden by Allah Ta’ala and are explicitly explained in the Quran. Among such forbidden acts is the act of black magic and sorcery. ‘Black magic’ may include amulets, talismans, potions, charms, spells, exorcism, witchcraft, oracles, palmistry, fortune telling etc. The forbidding of such things or acts in Islam is for the betterment of mankind.

In the light of the above definition, Islam considers magic to be an act of blasphemy. Thus, the Holy Quran say: “Suleiman (Solomon) did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved teaching men magic” (2:102)

Black magic is an undeniable fact as it is mentioned on many occasions in the Holy Quran and Sunnah. However, its practice is denounced in Islam and makes one’s prayer unacceptable for forty days, and believing in what the magician or sorcerer says considers one to be a disbeliever as well.

Islam forbids black magic (sihr) and many Quran verses and Hadith have strongly condemned this as a sinful act. For instance Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says: “Whoever blows on knots practices magic, and whoever practices magic is a mushrik (polytheist).” (At-Tabarani)

The word “sihr” has been mentioned almost 60 times in the Quran, explaining how the non-believers attributed the miracles of Allah’s prophets with black magic. These verses have been stated to clear that Allah’s messengers can never be like the worldly magicians.

Black magic basically involves the worship of Satan and evil spirits to gain demonic powers and harm the innocent people of Allah. Worshipping anything other than The Allah is considered “kufr” in Islam and thus these magicians are practicing the art of Infidelity (kufr) which is totally prohibited in Islam. The basic motive of black magic practitioners is to harm and mislead others by delusion, which is again outside the boundaries of Islam. One more thing observed in black magicians is that they start believing the world is in their hands and they can do whatever they want, forgetting that the supreme creator of the entire living and non living things is alone Allah. They even exploit innocent people into believing the same. In order to prevent the human generation from falling into the offence of “shirk”, Allah has forbidden black magic and sorcery. Allah says in the Quran:

“And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, “Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.” Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it anyone except with Allah’s permission, and they learned what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who bought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls, had they but known this.” (Al-Baqarah: 102)

In order to relieve a person from the clutches of black magic, reciting certain Quran verses can have a tremendous impact. Quran, the one Book among many, has been sent as a cure and mercy for its followers and for those who seek this Holy book for healing purposes. Recitation of Surah Al-Falak, Surah Al-Naas, and the above mentioned verses of Surah Al-baqarah can be helpful in dispelling the effects of black magic.

Although no one has the power to harm or protect us except Allah, yet every Muslim should empower them through practicing Islam, reading the Qur’an, offering Prayers and following Allah’s commands. If you want to read Quran and learn the basic principles of Islamic