Monday 20 December 2010

Making life harder for ourselves.

Asalamu Alaikum.

Been a long time since I last blogged; to be honest I didn't really know WHAT to write about.

If I haven't already mentioned it, I am not a scholar - in fact I am just merely a student who voices her opinion about different topics.

Recently, I've debated with people after they've asked questions about certain things which are non-Islamic, and why we don't do them. However, unfortunately they were not willing to listen to what was being said. And though I had said that Islam was completed before the death of the Prophet pbuh, they were still questioning. It reminded me of the Qur'anic Ayah in which Allah says:
"O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you." Surah Al Maaidah 5:101

We should not question what has already been made clear to us, Allah has even told us so in the Qur'an. Another point, is that we shouldn't ask questions when we do not have the intention of gaining knowledge but rather have the intention to argue. Islam is a simple and beautiful religion, yet we make it so difficult for ourselves.

Those of us who wish to gain more knowledge and ask questions, should be open towards the information and views given to us. However, we should not be so open that we make ourselves vulnerable to believing what is clearly wrong, such as innovations or straight out denying facts.

It is also upsetting that many who ask questions, not only do they not listen but they also start labelling others as certain "sects" - one of the main labels being Wahabbi. What is a Wahabbi exactly? From what I have gathered, people who are labelled as Wahabbis don't follow any innovations and try to stick to the Sunnah as it was revealed and adhered to by the Prophet pbuh and his companions. But it seems to me that most people forget the Hadith in which the Prophet pbuh says that the "sect" who will be the most righteous will have those who follow the Qur'an and Sunnah properly, like he and his sahaabah had done.

Nevertheless, there are still so many innovations. So many things which have no place in Islam. One particular event is celebrated a lot in South Asia, which is the birthdate of the Prophet pbuh. They call it Eid Milaad un Nabi. However, again people seem to forget that we had been told about our two Eid's by the Prophet pbuh. Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha. Yet so many Muslims put more effort into innovated festivals rather than the ones which were given and told to us by Allah and His messenger pbuh.
Instead people prefer to celebrate events which are Bidd'ah. Not only do they innovate, but they also celebrate events from non-Muslim societies and beliefs such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mothers Day, Fathers day, Valentines Day and birthdays.

We should respect and care for our family members and close ones as much as we can, all year round. We shouldn't designate days for them. Also, we should thank and pray to Allah each day, at least 5 times a day - after each Salaah.

We should all try and educate ourselves as much as possible in Islam. And I have even come across excuses such as we don't understand Arabic yet we read the Qur'an, how can we learn anything? What I would like to ask them is, who or what is stopping them from understanding the Qur'an and Hadiths? The only thing stopping them from learning is laziness and lack of willpower. Those who can, should learn Arabic and those who cannot can get translated versions of the Qur'an and Hadith with tafseer.

And let's not forget the "seasonal Muslims." They will pray and read the Qur'an during certain times of the year; the most common being Ramadan. If they can pray Salaah and recite the Qur'an during Ramadan, why can't they do the same throughout the entire year? With Salaah, many people find it difficult and are put off because one, they need to pray 5 times a day and secondly, they think they need to pray all the Sunnah and Nafl rakah's too. Those who have just begun to pray more consistently should just concentrate on praying the Fardh rakahs first. Once their daily routine is set for praying all 5 salaah's, they can start praying extra rakahs.
Praying isn't the only problem. Many women are under the wrong understanding that Allah only watches them when the Adhaan is being said, or there is a du'a being said (at events such as weddings). They throw a scarf on their head until it is over, and then take it off. I personally find this quite funny and disappointing at the same time. Allah is watching us all the time, we need to fear His punishment. Allah is forgiving, and we are rewarded for the smallest good deeds we do. Subhan'Allah, even if we think of doing a good deed but for some reason aren't able to carry it out, we will be rewarded for it. However, if we think of doing a bad deed, it will only be seen as a sin if we carry through with it.

It seriously isn't that hard. Those who want to learn, will. And they will not make excuses. Acting in these ways is only breaking up the Ummah further, we need to work together, learn together to improve the chances of becoming succesful in this world and the Hereafter.


May Allah give us the strength and faith to become better Muslims. Ameen.

Wasalaam.

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Hijaab.

Asalamu Alaikum.

It's been a very long time since I last posted anything. I hope everyone is well Insh'Allah.

Hijaab is a very much discussed topic. What is Hijaab?

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons..." (An-Nur 24:31)

So, Hijaab is the veiling and "covering-up" of a woman. Take a scenario, this is a pretty common scenario used by Muslims trying explain the purpose of Hijaab: Two girls in a public place, say the town centre. One is wearing western clothing (short fitted top, low-cut, skinny jeans, or a short skirt and make-up), and the other girl doing Hijaab (head-scarf, loose fitted abaya/long dress, full sleeves, no make-up); which one will guys look at more? And with the wrong intention, such as looking at them in a flirtatious way.... Obviously the one who is wearing revealing clothes right? Why would anyone want to flirt with or think about raping a dull-looking, and covered up woman?

Hijaab is to protect the women, it shows their modesty and chastity.

My family come from Pakistan, I am a British-born Pakistani. I would like to concentrate on the actions and clothing of the women of Pakistan. I know this is not a political blog, or about Pakistan, but I feel very strongly about this, especially as my home country is Pakistan...

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The nation doesn't exactly live up to its' name does it? All you see on the news is more deaths, more attacks, more political problems. There's another side to all this too, the women of Pakistan want more freedom, but for what? To become more Westernised. They think the way forward is to wear revealing clothes, otherwise they will be seen as backwards and they will not gain any fame in the world of showbiz. I see programmes and websites showing fashion shows from Pakistan, and all I see are women revealing more and more of their body each time. It started off with sleeveless, then moved onto strapless, low-cut from both sides, showing the back and stomach, showing more of the bosom, showing legs.. the list goes on. This is not the the costume you would expect to be worn in an Islamic Republic.

Living in England, it is upsetting to see Muslims not dressing according to the Islamic dress-code, but it's not so surprising either. They want to adapt to the culture of this society... but this isn't the culture in Pakistan, why are they wanting to follow this culture? Pakistan has many different costumes, beautiful costumes, and they fit in with the Islamic dress-code, they are not revealing. But the current generation are forgetting and side-lining all these clothes. They think wearing tight fitted clothing, transparent clothing, revealing clothing is the only way to "fit in" with the Western culture and to gain fame. When I go to Pakistan and I see women dressing in revealing clothes, it's much more upsetting than seeing the women in England doing the same.

Hijaab is the universal costume for Muslim women. And wearing Hijaab with the correct Niyyah (intention) will also result in women behaving like they should. You watch documentaries, other TV shows, and secret videos on the internet, of clubs in Pakistan. The women of Pakistan think it's perfectly fine to go to a club, wearing immodest clothes, free-mixing with men, drinking alcohol and dancing. They say that Pakistan is just as modern as the rest of the world, why should they be held back by the Burqah, why do they have to be modest?

I'll tell you why they have to be modest, so they can become role models for other Muslim women around the world, so they can gain more respect than they ever dreamed of, and most importantly, gain the love and rewards from Allah swt.

Pakistan was made for Muslims, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (may Allah reward him with Paradise ameen), fought hard to make a separate nation for Muslims, so that they could follow Islam more freely and properly. But all his effort has gone down the drain, and this, unfortunately, is mainly caused by the female population of Pakistan. They are abusing their freedom rights, they are insulting the whole purpose of Pakistan, they are insulting and degrading the Muslims by acting - I can think of no nicer word - disgustingly. They behave and dress immodestly.

Instead of increasing their knowledge of Islam, they are getting further and further away from it. The little knowledge they have of Islam has not been properly explained to them, and they have not tried understanding it properly either. Islam has given women more rights and respect than any other religion, than any other culture, but still they think that Islam is backwards, it does not fit in with the modern day culture. They have been blinded by the western and non-Muslim ideology. Islam is the religion which fits in with any day and age, it is a complete way of life. Unfortunately, the women of Pakistan have not been educated enough, and are not willing to be educated about Islam, if they knew how perfect Islam was, they would know that they would be awarded with so much more respect whilst being a modest Muslim working woman.

It upsets me dearly, seeing Pakistani women wearing immodest clothes and then behaving immodestly. Do they really think they will be rewarded with Jannah after these acts? Nobody is sure if they will be rewarded with Jannah, I myself am a sinner. I pray Salah 5 times a day, I do Hijaab, I recite Qur'an, but I am not clean from sins, Allah knows best.

However, back to the topic. Hijaab is important, it is compulsory for Muslim women to do it, Allah has ordered us to do Hijaab in the Qur'an. But sadly, the women from my country are not doing this. They think it restricts them. But little do they know, the Hijaab protects them, gives them respect, and freedom. If they realise the importance of the Hijaab, and start wearing modest clothing, it will reflect on their behaviour, which will in turn refllect on the amount of respect they will get from others, and not forgetting the rewards from Allah swt.

If they realised that all this immodest behaviour is the most probable cause for the devestating earthquake, a punishment from Allah swt for all the wrong doings, then they would change their way of life. I hope and sincerely pray that Allah guides the people, especially the women, of Pakistan towards the Right Path, and makes the nation of Pakistan fulfil the purpose of it becoming an independent Islamic republic, and showers Pakistan with His blessings, ameen.


Walaikum Salam.

Tuesday 7 July 2009

Sunni + Shia = One Ummah. Part 7

Asalam u Alaikum, hope everyone is doing well Insh'Allah.

Sorry if this seems like I'm dragging the topic of the Caliphate on forever, but it is a sensitive topic in my opinion.

I was going through Islamic channels on the TV earlier and I came across Hidayat TV. Their topic was the birth of Ali r.a. and a man phoned up and claimed that if Ali r.a. is not included in the Shahadah during the Adhan then the Salah is not valid. I was shocked at this. Why would the Salah not be valid? And why do we need to include Ali r.a. in the Adhan? The Shahadah is claiming that you believe in no God but Allah and Muhammad P.B.U.H is His messenger. When the first people accepted Islam they said this, they did not include Ali r.a. in the Shahadah - why would they? We all believe that he was a great companion of our dear Prophet P.B.U.H and was a part of his family, we respect him. But some people take this respect to an entirely new level! I am not attacking the Shia sect and have no intention of doing so by any means, but I am merely stating the facts and my opinions. Whenever I've read or watched something by the Shia's I've always come across them talking about Ali r.a. or Hussain r.a. - I've very, very rarely seen or read anything where they are talking about the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H! After Allah comes the Prophet, the other Prophets and Messengers (Peace be upon them all) and then come their companions. And as I have already said in a previous post, many people from both sects do not respect some of the companions and this is not right - a true Muslim respects Allah, respects His Prophets and Messengers P.B.U.T. and all their companions; no exceptions. Respect them but within limits. Do not go over the limits by directly or indirectly giving them a higher status than they deserve.

But going back to what I was saying, I've heard much more about Ali and Hussain r.a. from some Shia's than I have of the Prophet P.B.U.H himself and this has really confused me. Surely, the Prophet P.B.U.H as a person and his lifetime hold more importance? We all like learning about the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their lives, but then some Shia innovate and go over the limits when talking about Ali r.a. or Hussain r.a. Whilst I was watching Hidayat TV, another person called up on the show and said that Ali r.a. killed someone and then brought him back to life and asked that person what he thinks of him, and he replied that Ali is god- Naudhubillah! Shirk at its highest. I am not saying all Shia think this, but the person who phoned up obviously believed this. How can people say such things?! Naudhubillah, Astaghfirullah.

I have said before, and I will say again, do not cross the limits. Ali r.a. was a great man, a great companion of the Prophet P.B.U.H, he deserves respect but to a certain extent. Innovating, giving him a higher status, committing shirk is not the way forward and it is certainly not the way to be rewarded with Jannah. Some Shia repeatedly say Ya Ali Madad - how is he going to help them? Is he going to come and help people individually? No. Is he alive among us that they call upon him? No. Why do and say such things? Why lead yourself astray so easily? Why ignore the solid facts and follow innovations? Why make rewards from Allah after death, harder for you to achieve? Why make it harder for others? Think. Just think. That's all I ask. Do not think in the state of mind of whichever sect you belong to, think as someone who needs to learn the truth, do not hold anything against the other sects. Follow what is true, do your own research, read the translation and tafseer of the Qur'an by Ibn Kathir, read the Sahih Hadith -not the weak ones! - and you will easily know where you had gone wrong and where you were right.

May Allah guide us all Insh'Allah. Ameen.

Walaikum Salam.

Tuesday 30 June 2009

Sunni + Shia = One Ummah. Part 6.

Asalam u Alaikum, hope everyone is in good health Insh'Allah.

I think, a lot of us have by now, realised the increasing arguments over Sahih Hadith and the most trustworthy translation and explanation or tafseer of them and the Qur'an. Sects within the two major sects (Sunni and Shia) at times completey reject the hadiths in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, or they do not believe all the Hadiths to be authentic.

Allah had given certain people the right to compile these authentic Hadiths together, such as Bukhari, Abu Dawood and Muslim. There are other Hadith books such as Tirmidhi, but the Hadiths which are not 100% reliable or authentic have written with them this fact. But some people choose to deny the authenticated ones and go for the weak ones - why? The likes of Bukhari, Abu Dawood and Muslim have made gaining knowledge for us so much easier by compiling the Sahih Hadith together in their own individual collections. They had gone under rigourous and critical examination to ensure that the Hadiths in these collections were authentic and not by any means weak. Yet some people still choose to opt for those written or compiled by people who lived much after Bukhari, Abu Dawood and Muslim, and those which were compiled much after the lives of these people run a very big risk of being extremely weak and false. They are much more likely to be weak Hadiths, and with some Shia compilations, they hadn't even gone under half as much examination as the ones with Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Muslim and the likes. It's not only with some Shia compilations, but with some Sunni ones too. If someone sees that a Hadith is shown to be weak, or they sense confusion or something wrong, then Allah has given them the brain to go and research more extensively. They can go to the extensive Sahih collections or they can go to the Qur'an to find out about a matter.

However, even with the Qur'an, Naudhubillah, many people dispute over which translation and tafseer is most trustworthy. Many people have written translations and tafseer's for the Qur'an, however they have also interpreted some Ayahs wrong, they havee not used authentic Hadiths and incidents to back up their interpretations, thus making their versions less trustworthy. However, people choose to use their interpretations, through something which I call brain-washing; they have been told over and over again by those who have given themselves a high status such as an Imam, that this is the proper translation and tafseer of the Qur'an and no matter how weird they may find some of the interpretations, they will blindly believe it. Ibn Kathir and Shah Waliullah and his family were the blessed ones who had translated, interpreted and used Sahih Hadiths and incidents to compile their tafseer's. They had worked day and night for a very long period of time translating the Qur'an and writing the tafseer to make it easier for the future generation of Muslims to understand the Qur'an properly.

People need to wake themselves up, they need to read the translations and compilations formed by those who were given this great right by Allah. We need to realise that there were countless people who converted to Islam but with the goal of creating divisions and disputes among the Ummah. Many people unfortunately fell into their traps, thus creating further divisions and different interpretations of the Qur'an and the Hadith. They believed those people and their lies, they changed their own views and made their families and friends change their views. They did not choose to go back to the authentic Hadith and the Qur'an but weakened towards the weak Hadith and interpretations and false sayings from Jews who became Muslim to create problems in the Ummah.

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H, the Caliphs had the responsibility of spreading Islam whilst holding the Ummah together. But as they moved further outwards towards Persia, the divisions started occurring. New-converts wanted to break apart this strong Ummah, and so they did. Sects started forming within the two major divisions being Sunni and Shia and then the Sufi sect also formed, claiming they are the more spiritual ones. The Prophet P.B.U.H did not belong to any sect, his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not belong to any sect, why should we?

May Allah guide us to the Straight Path and decrease the divisions and disputes within this Ummah. Ameen.

Walaikum Salam. :)

Thursday 25 June 2009

Sunni + Shia = One Ummah. Part 5

Asalam u Alaikum.

I hope everyone is in good health Insh'Allah.

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I have no intention of offending anyone. I am no Scholar, but I have a great interest in Islam, and I feel that everyone needs to know the simplicity of this great Deen, Insh'Allah.

One thing has made me wonder for a long time, why do some people from the Shia sect 'over-do' their love and respect for Ali and Hussain r.a.? Yes, they were great companions of the Prophet P.B.U.H. Yes, they had fought for Islam. Yes, they were part of the Prophet's P.B.U.H family. Yes they were martyred in the name of Islam. But many, many, Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) had been martyred. And the likes of Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. and Uthman r.a. became part of the Prophet's P.B.U.H family through marriage (Aisha Siddiqua r.a. married the Prophet P.B.U.H and Uthman r.a. married two of his daughters.)

Some Shia's (not all), during the month of Muharram beat themselves, claiming that they want to become closer to Hussain r.a.by experiencing pain. Muslims have been told to not act like the Kuffaar. At the time of the Prophet P.B.U.H and way before his time, the Kuffaar used to beat themselves to show grief at the time of a death. The Greeks used to perform rituals, quite like the ones performed by some Shia. Women would gather in their own groups to weep or wail loudly and beat their chests. The Greeks used to believe in countless false gods; so is not right to say that this beating act is that of non-Muslims and that we as Muslims should not copy their acts?
The Shia who perform this act also claim that this is the way to show their love and respect for Hussain r.a. Why? Why is this the only way? Why does his death hold more importance than the death of the Prophet P.B.U.H himself? Why don't they beat themselves for the death of the Prophet P.B.U.H; shouldn't his death hold more significance? The Prophet P.B.U.H even said that no-one after him will experience as much illness as he is experiencing before his death. All the Prophets P.B.U.T, were two times more ill than a normal person. When they had a high temperature, it would equal to the temperature of two men who had a very high temperature.

They also bring out horses during Ashoo'ra; some Shia have said they do this because the horse on which Hussain r.a. was sitting, had run away when he fell off. Firstly, why are they respecting the horse when it ran away? The horse left Hussain r.a.; shouldn't they beat the horse rather than respecting it, kissing it, and with some people Naudhubillah, even going to the extent of asking the horse to bless their family with a child! Secondly, they used to go to battle on Camels, where did this horse come from? Thirdly, if there was a horse, where is that horse? There are countless horses in all countries and different parts of each country get out their own horse.

All this is sheer foolishness and ignorance. The Hindus respect false deities and hold special importance for animals, why are Muslims? Muslims must only turn to Allah for help. Muslims must follow the footsteps of the Prophet P.B.U.H. and the teachings of the Qur'an. This leads me to another point, some Shia use the incident of the Prophet Ya'qub a.s. weeping over the loss of his son as a means to weep and beat themselves. Did the Prophet Ya'qub a.s. beat himself? No! Did he have the same Sunnah as the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H? No! How can they compare such things? He had a completely different reason for weeping, until unfortunately he became blind. He was crying for his son -his own blood relation. The people who cry, wail and beat themselves over Hussain r.a. are not direct descendents of him; he lived over 1000 years ago! Islam is a complete way of life, we have been taught what to do and what not to do through the Qur'an and through the Sunnah and Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. In which part of the texts are we ordered to beat ourselves? In which part of the texts have we been ordered to hold Karbala as a "holy land"? Some Shia have innovated and made Karbala a holy land because of the battle against Yazid. No battle has been greater than that of the Battle at Badr! The battle in which the Prophet P.B.U.H had fought, the battle in which all the Sahabah were cleansed of all their sins, the battle in which Allah had said that even if the Sahabah make any mistakes after this battle, they will be forgiven. How can a battle in which the Prophet P.B.U.H was not involved in, be given such great importance? Some Shia also have a stone, or rock from Karbala on which they put their head when prostrating in prayer. If we were told to use any rock or stone, wouldn't we have been told by Allah and His Prophet P.B.U.H? And wouldn't the stones or rocks from Makkah, Madinah or Jerusalem hold more importance and significance than Karbala?
The Prophet P.B.U.H had said that everyone should pray the way he prayed. The way he prayed has been described through the Sahabah. Prayer also leads me to another point, some Shia do not fold their hands or arms when praying Salah. The have their hands by their sides. It is not only Shia, many Sunni sects also do this. This is not the way in which the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H offered his Salah! They use the example of Malik ibn Anas who did not fold his hands when praying Salah. He did not do so because he was badly injured! That was his excuse for not offering Salah with his hands folded; what is wrong with everyones hands now? Have they been tortured? Have they been injured? No, I don't think so. He physically could not pray Salah with his hands folded because of the pain; the ones who are going through no pain and still pray with their hands at their sides are doing wrong. They have no reason to be praying Salah like this. They should not use his example and give it a higher status than what the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H had said. Folding of the hands is not only following the Sunnah of the Prophet P.B.U.H, but it is also showing respect for Allah. It is keeping yourself contained, and tidy in a sense.

Furthermore, the way some people act seems like they even hold Ali and Hussain r.a. on a higher status than the Prophet P.B.U.H - Naudhubillah! Do they forget that the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H went through extreme hardships, and that no-one, absolutely no-one can compare to him? After Allah is the Prophet P.B.U.H. and we must only follow the teachings of the Prophet P.B.U.H and Allah. Follow the good examples set by the Sahabah yes, but do not go to extremes on the basis of their martyrdom. They have done a lot for Islam, they will be rewarded with Jannah. It is saddening yes, that Hussain r.a. had been martyred extremely violently, but he is also blessed with Jannah which is the greatest reward of all. There is no point beating yourself over his martyrdom. Did the Sahabah, or even the Prophet P.B.U.H beat themselves when someone passed away or was martyred? No! They were upset at the deaths, however the happiness of them dying, fighting in the way of Islam and Allah overtook any sadness.

A true Muslim, is one who follows in the footsteps of the Prophet P.B.U.H and the examples from other Prophets P.B.U.T. along with the teachings of the Qur'an. The 73 sects have been and will be forming in and spreading out from Iraq as the Prophet P.B.U.H stated. But those who will enter Jannah will be the ones who have dear respect and love for all the Prophet's and Messengers P.B.U.T, for all their companions, and believe in the Oneness of Allah. Innovations are Haram. Simple as that.

May Allah guide us to the Straight Path and keep us safe from Shaitan. Ameen.

Walaikum Salam. :)

Friday 19 June 2009

Sunni + Shia = One Ummah. Part 4

Asalam u Alaikum.

I hope everyone is in good health Insh'Allah.

Carrying on from the topic of Caliphate, in a sense, it has for a long time confused me, how people don't respect Abu Bakr r.a., Umar r.a. and Uthman r.a. The first three Caliphs after the death of the Prophet P.B.U.H.

People argue that Ali r.a. was the first person to accept Islam, and use this as their first argument against Abu Bakr r.a. Do people not think about the fact that Ali r.a. was much younger than Abu Bakr r.a.? He was the first child to accept Islam yes, but Abu Bakr r.a. was the first man to accept Islam, Khadijah r.a. the first woman. Makes more sense doesn't it?

Aisha r.a. had a dream that the moon had come down to her three times, and each time it went away. She went to her father Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. and asked him to explain this dream to her, and he said that he will explain this dream to her when the time comes. When the Prophet P.B.U.H passed away and caused great grief amongst the Ummah, Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. then told Aisha r.a. about her dream. The first moon was the Prophet P.B.U.H who passed away, the second would be himself, Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. and the third Umar r.a. Thus, all three graves are in the same room; the room in which the Prophet P.B.U.H passed away - the house of Aisha r.a. Even with Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. and Umar r.a. graves being next to the Prophet's P.B.U.H, people do not give them the respect that they deserve, or they don't give them respect at all. I don't know about anyone else, but I for one, find this unacceptable. How can people not respect these two great men of Islam? Who were always willing to strive for Islam, always willing to die in the name of Islam and always willing to do anything to protect and keep the Prophet P.B.U.H happy. Umar r.a. was stabbed, he was a martyr of Islam, yet people still disagree. If they were such bad people as people make them out to be, would Allah have allowed them to be buried in the same room as the Prophet P.B.U.H? No, never! But they were nothing like how some, if not many, Sunni's and Shia's describe them as. They were worthy enough to be buried there, they were worthy enough to be the first and second Caliphs, and with the blessings of Allah, they will reside in Jannah.

Uthman r.a. was the third blessed Caliph of Islam after the death of the Prophet P.B.U.H. He was blessed enough to marry two of the Prophet's P.B.U.H daughters: Ruqqaya r.a. and Ummi Khulthoom r.a. (after Ruqqaya r.a. had passed away), thus he was called "The one with two lights." Uthman r.a. had copies made of the standard Qur'an which was compiled at the time of Abu Bakr Siddique r.a. - this was a great act of his as he sent these copies to all the provinces. And the Qur'an as we see it today, was compiled under the authority of Uthman r.a. - another great act of his. He was martyred whilst he was reciting the Qur'an. Yet people still do not respect him? The last few years of his reign as Caliph were however difficult and full of chaos, as this was mainly the time when people were starting to divide, and this was mainly due to groups such as that of Abdullah bin Sabah, who became Muslim with the sole intention of weakening the Muslim state and creating conspiracies. They were successful, and this has caused many divisions in the Ummah, which has unfortunately led to disrespect towards some of the greatest Sahabah.

Abu Bakr Siddique r.a., Umar r.a., Uthman r.a. and Ali r.a. were the four closest to the Prophet P.B.U.H. and people skip the first three, and only respect Ali r.a. and his offspring. People assume that those who respect Abu Bakr Siddique, Umar and Uthman r.a. do not respect Ali r.a. as much as they should. They do. Why wouldn't they? Each of them were brilliant in their own ways.

That's all I have to say in this blog. May Allah guide us all to the Right Path and bring us together . Ameen.

Walaikum Salam. :)

Tuesday 16 June 2009

Sunni + Shia = One Ummah. Part 3.

Asalam u Alaikum.

Hope everyone is doing well Insh'Allah.

Today I'd like to talk about the Caliphate. Why do many people argue over the Caliphate? Why do so many people still think, after 1430 years that Ali r.a. should have been the first Caliph after the Prophet P.B.U.H? Doesn't everything happen for a reason, doesn't Allah decide everything, doesn't every little thing happen with Allah's will? Then why all this arguing, why all these disagreements?

Many people take the incident in which the Prophet P.B.U.H had assigned Ali r.a. as a Caliph to look after the children, whilst they went on Jihad. Fatima r.a. was not very well herself, and so the Prophet P.B.U.H thought that it would be best if Ali r.a. stayed back and looked after his wife, and all the children, as well as keeping an eye out for all the other women. Ali r.a. did not want to stay back whilst the other Sahabah went on Jihad, and so he got hold of a camel and caught up with the army who were residing on the outskirts of Madinah. Ali r.a. then asked the Prophet P.B.U.H why he was made to stay behind, and the Prophet P.B.U.H replied to him saying: I have put you in charge of looking after your wife, children and the women. You are like a Caliph. Do you not remember how Musa a.s. appointed Haroon a.s. as a Caliph? How are you not happy with this great responsibility?

Out of all the Sahabah, the Prophet P.B.U.H chose Ali r.a. to stay back and look after all the children. Many people say that the Prophet P.B.U.H even assigned Ali r.a. as Caliph during his lifetime, so how could Abu Bakr r.a. be the first Caliph? Well, people forget that he was appointed with this responsibility only for this war. The Prophet P.B.U.H was still alive, how could he have been Caliph when the Prophet P.B.U.H was still alive? And Haroon a.s. was older than Musa a.s. - he even died during the Prophet Musa's a.s. lifetime. They were like Caliphs, they were given certain responsibilities by the Prophet's P.B.U.T.

The Caliphate and the order of the Caliphs was decided by Allah, how can people even dare to go against the decision of Allah? How can they even dare to disagree with what Allah decided?

The non-Muslims at the time of the Prophet P.B.U.H and after his death, up until today have been trying their best to separate the Muslims, to cause disagreements between the Muslims. They have lied, they have spread rumours, they have made Muslims believe things and innovate things which are not in Islam, which have not been taught by the Prophet P.B.U.H and which have not been said by Allah in the Qur'an. This has also led people to interperate the Qur'anic Ayah's in ways they shouldn't be interperated. They have twisted the translations and meanings of the Ayahs to suit their own purposes and innovative beliefs.

Islam is the simplest of religions, don't complicate it. For your own sake. For everyone's sake.

May Allah unite the Muslims and guide us all to the Straight Path. Ameen.

Walaikum Salam. :)