Pearls of Wisdom
A Mother's Advice to Her Daughter
From Jamharah Khutah al-'Arab, 1/145
Zawaj.com Editor's Note: The speech that forms the main content of this article is over 1400 years old, from the pre-Islamic period. The advice in the article is certainly out of date and one-sided, but there is much wisdom here if you look it as mutual advice for how the husband and wife should treat each other. So both partners should serve one another, please one another, protect one another, etc.
Abd al-Malik (Radiyallaahu 'anhaa) said: "When ‘Awf ibn Muhallim al-Shaybani, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Arab nobility during the jahiliyyah, married his daughter Umm Iyas to al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Kindi, as she was made ready to be taken to the groom, her mother, Umamah came into her room to advise her and said:
"O my daughter, if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice because of good manners and noble descent, then it would have been unnecessary for you, because you posses these qualities, but it will serve as a reminder to those who are forgetful, and will help those who are wise.
"O my daughter, if a woman were able to do without a husband by virtue of her father's wealth and her need for her father, then you of all people would be most able to do without a husband, but women were created for men just as men were created for them.
"O my daughter, you are about to leave the home in which you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to a place you do not know, to a companion to whom you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he will become like a servant to you.
"Take from me ten qualities, which will be a provision and a reminder for you:
"The first and second of them are: be content in his company, and listen to and obey him, for contentment brings peace of mind, and listening to and obeying one's husband pleases Allah.
"The third and fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from you. Kohl is the best kind of beautification to be
found, and water is better than the rarest perfume.
"The fifth and sixth of them are: prepare his food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing his sleep will make him angry.
"The seventh and eight of them are: take care of his servants (or employees) and children, and take care of his wealth, for taking care of his wealth shows that you appreciate him, and taking care of his children and servants shows good management.
"The ninth and tenth of them are: never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and if you disobey him, his heart will be
filled with hatred towards you.
"Be careful, O my daughter, of showing joy in front of him when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of him when he is happy, because the former shows a lack of judgment whilst the latter will make him unhappy.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
35 Gift Ideas for a Muslim Woman
35 Gift Ideas for a Muslim Woman
By Wael Abdelgawad
Can't decide what to get your wife for Eid, or your anniversary, or her birthday?
Why is gift-giving so hard for men? Maybe it's a part of the mystery that women represent to us. We don't always understand how they think, or what moves them.
When it comes to gift-giving, at least, here's a big hint for you: listen.
Are you waiting for the hint? No, that was the hint. Listen.
Women will tell you what they want, if you pay attention. Next time you're passing a shop window and she says, "Oh, look at those shoes, those are lovely," make a note of it. Next time you're watching a travel show and she says, "Wouldn't it wonderful to see Niagara Falls someday?", pay attention. Women drop hints like this all the time. And when I say make a note of it, I mean literally. Keep a small notebook in a private place, and every time she drops a little hint, write it down. That way you'll never be short of gift ideas.
If youre the average Ahmed who can't be bothered with all that, and now you find yourself in a bind, here are some gift ideas that most women would love. I'll start off with the ones that cost nothign at all (or very little), and move on to ideas that will require you to break out the wallet:
A picnic. Plan it well, with good food, a comfortable blanket, and some books or games to pass the time as you relax in the shade.
Make a card. Don't just buy a Hallmark card. Make your own, draw a flower on it, and write something loving and heartfelt. It will only take you a couple of hours, no longer than it would to shop for something, and she will keep it forever, I guarantee it.
Take your wife someplace that has meaning for the two of you, like the first place you met, or the first house you lived in. Alternatively, take her to her childhood home or playground and let her share with you her reminiscences and memories.
Write her a poem. Take your time and try to write something sincere and personal.
Bake your wife a batch of chocolate chip cookies. This is a much nicer than just buying chocolate, and is an especially sweet gesture if you don't know much about cooking and have to work at it. Just make sure the cookies are edible!
Do you know how to cook? Cook her dinner, or bake a pie or cake, or some special sweet from your culture.
A nice dress or skirt, hijab scarf, a classy overcoat or jacket. Shukr Online has some beautiful clothing, like this linen tunic suit in the photo.
Take her shoe shopping. Women always love shoes! And I don't mean sneakers, but dress shoes. Women are notoriously choosy about their shoes, however, so don't try to pick out a pair on your own unless you know your wife's tastes and size very well.
A new purse or handbag. This is a rather personal choice for a woman, so make sure you retain the receipt so she can exchange it for something more to her liking.
A nice belt. Some women like belts and handbags even more than clothing, and love to have belts in various colors to complement their outfits.
Jewelry. It doesn't have to be terribly expensive. I once got my wife (ex-wife now) a turquoise necklace for $100 or so. Oh yes, she loved it (the divorce was over something else entirely, lol). I recently read an article on a stone called tanzanite. It's beautiful, natural, and not too pricey.
A new Quran with a wooden Quran stand, and handmade dhikr prayer beads for tasbeeha.
An Islamic artwork of some kind. I don't mean a framed poster of the Ka'bah (nothing wrong with that, I have one on my own wall, but it doesn't have that personal touch). I'm thinking more on the lines of a hand-painted canvas, calligraphy, engraved copperplate, engraved brass lamp, a mother-of-pearl plate or Islamic silver plate, etc. These can be hard to find in your locality but can sometimes be ordered online. The beautiful painting above depicts an old Arab home. It was painted by Abdallah Masad and is available at ArabArtGallery.com.
A personalized photo locket. This would be a small metal locket on a chain, perhaps in a heart shape, with a personalized engraving on the outside, and a small photo inside.
Dinner at a nice restaurant. Someplace you would not go every day. It's always good to support Muslim-owned restaurants and Muslim businesses in general, if you have any in your area.
A beautiful flower vase, with fresh flowers in it.
A potted plant. Not something ordinary in a plastic pot, but something unusual like a bonsai, or a beautiful orchid, in an attractive ceramic planter.
A decorative photo frame with a photo of the two of you.
Is she a collector? If there's any type of art or craft that she likes or collects, get her one. Does she collect coins, stamps, glass figurines, home decorations with chickens on them (I'm not making that up)? Get her one.
A weekend trip somewhere. Even if you're not ready to go right now, make the reservations or by the tickets and let her know.
A new watch.
A pair of women's designer sunglasses.
If she likes gadgets, how about a new mobile phone, a Bluetooth mobile phone earpiece, a slim digital camera to fit in her purse, or even a laptop computer?
If she's into fitness, how about a new yoga mat, a bicycle, hiking shoes, tennis racket, etc? But only if she's already into it! Otherwise she'll take it as a hint that she's overweight :-)
If she's a working woman, how about a new briefcase? This tells her that you value and respect her work.
A set of natural bath products like soap, shampoo, bubble bath. Please try to buy cruelty-free products (not tested on animals).
Perfume oils. It helps if you know what she likes. If you don't, check what she's already got. Smell them and get to know the scents so you can pick something similar. But honestly, every husband should know his wife's favorite perfume.
A tea set, meaning tea pot, tea cups, and a collection of herbal teas.
A scented massage oil along with three handmade coupons saying, "Good for one massage on demand from your loving husband."
A gourmet basket with some of her favorite food treats, such as chocolates, cheeses, strawberries, or whatever you know to be her favorite tastes.
An attractive or artsy candle set, the kind they have in gift shops.
A subscription to a magazine for Muslim women, such as Aziza Magazine.
I'm hesitant to suggest this one because some women take it the wrong way or think it's unromantic, but something for the kitchen. A new kitchen appliance like a top-quality food processor, a set of quality cookware, etc. This is best for a woman who enjoys cooking.
In the same vein as #34, a set of Egyptian cotton towels for the bathrooms. These are wonderfully soft, but again it might be perceived as unromantic, so watch out. Caveat emptor!
An iPod that you have pre-loaded with Quran recitation by her favorite reciter, some of her favorite nasheeds, some good radio shows, etc. This is a wonderful gift for a woman who commutes, or who spends time every day on a treadmill, or even just to listen to while working or doing chores. This gift will take some money and some time to put together, but will give her hours of pleasure.
What NOT to get a Muslim woman as a gift:
Anything for cleaning the house, such as a vacuum cleaner, broom, mop, etc. This is like telling her that you see her only as a maid. Those things should be part of the normal household expenses, not gifts.
Groceries. True, if you don't normally do it then the gesture is nice, but it's too prosaic.
A sexy nightie. Not that this is un-Islamic, but it just seems a little tacky to me. It's like it's more for you than for her, if you get my meaning.
Anything that is really about you more than her, like a CD of your favorite band, a game box, a flat screen TV, etc. If you think that you might end up using it more than her, then chuck it and keep looking.
A "cool Muslim star and crescent cigarette lighter". Yes, I actually saw this on a website listed under "Muslim gifts."
Remember, pay attention and listen, and you'll never be short of gift ideas in the future.
By Wael Abdelgawad
Can't decide what to get your wife for Eid, or your anniversary, or her birthday?
Why is gift-giving so hard for men? Maybe it's a part of the mystery that women represent to us. We don't always understand how they think, or what moves them.
When it comes to gift-giving, at least, here's a big hint for you: listen.
Are you waiting for the hint? No, that was the hint. Listen.
Women will tell you what they want, if you pay attention. Next time you're passing a shop window and she says, "Oh, look at those shoes, those are lovely," make a note of it. Next time you're watching a travel show and she says, "Wouldn't it wonderful to see Niagara Falls someday?", pay attention. Women drop hints like this all the time. And when I say make a note of it, I mean literally. Keep a small notebook in a private place, and every time she drops a little hint, write it down. That way you'll never be short of gift ideas.
If youre the average Ahmed who can't be bothered with all that, and now you find yourself in a bind, here are some gift ideas that most women would love. I'll start off with the ones that cost nothign at all (or very little), and move on to ideas that will require you to break out the wallet:
A picnic. Plan it well, with good food, a comfortable blanket, and some books or games to pass the time as you relax in the shade.
Make a card. Don't just buy a Hallmark card. Make your own, draw a flower on it, and write something loving and heartfelt. It will only take you a couple of hours, no longer than it would to shop for something, and she will keep it forever, I guarantee it.
Take your wife someplace that has meaning for the two of you, like the first place you met, or the first house you lived in. Alternatively, take her to her childhood home or playground and let her share with you her reminiscences and memories.
Write her a poem. Take your time and try to write something sincere and personal.
Bake your wife a batch of chocolate chip cookies. This is a much nicer than just buying chocolate, and is an especially sweet gesture if you don't know much about cooking and have to work at it. Just make sure the cookies are edible!
Do you know how to cook? Cook her dinner, or bake a pie or cake, or some special sweet from your culture.
A nice dress or skirt, hijab scarf, a classy overcoat or jacket. Shukr Online has some beautiful clothing, like this linen tunic suit in the photo.
Take her shoe shopping. Women always love shoes! And I don't mean sneakers, but dress shoes. Women are notoriously choosy about their shoes, however, so don't try to pick out a pair on your own unless you know your wife's tastes and size very well.
A new purse or handbag. This is a rather personal choice for a woman, so make sure you retain the receipt so she can exchange it for something more to her liking.
A nice belt. Some women like belts and handbags even more than clothing, and love to have belts in various colors to complement their outfits.
Jewelry. It doesn't have to be terribly expensive. I once got my wife (ex-wife now) a turquoise necklace for $100 or so. Oh yes, she loved it (the divorce was over something else entirely, lol). I recently read an article on a stone called tanzanite. It's beautiful, natural, and not too pricey.
A new Quran with a wooden Quran stand, and handmade dhikr prayer beads for tasbeeha.
An Islamic artwork of some kind. I don't mean a framed poster of the Ka'bah (nothing wrong with that, I have one on my own wall, but it doesn't have that personal touch). I'm thinking more on the lines of a hand-painted canvas, calligraphy, engraved copperplate, engraved brass lamp, a mother-of-pearl plate or Islamic silver plate, etc. These can be hard to find in your locality but can sometimes be ordered online. The beautiful painting above depicts an old Arab home. It was painted by Abdallah Masad and is available at ArabArtGallery.com.
A personalized photo locket. This would be a small metal locket on a chain, perhaps in a heart shape, with a personalized engraving on the outside, and a small photo inside.
Dinner at a nice restaurant. Someplace you would not go every day. It's always good to support Muslim-owned restaurants and Muslim businesses in general, if you have any in your area.
A beautiful flower vase, with fresh flowers in it.
A potted plant. Not something ordinary in a plastic pot, but something unusual like a bonsai, or a beautiful orchid, in an attractive ceramic planter.
A decorative photo frame with a photo of the two of you.
Is she a collector? If there's any type of art or craft that she likes or collects, get her one. Does she collect coins, stamps, glass figurines, home decorations with chickens on them (I'm not making that up)? Get her one.
A weekend trip somewhere. Even if you're not ready to go right now, make the reservations or by the tickets and let her know.
A new watch.
A pair of women's designer sunglasses.
If she likes gadgets, how about a new mobile phone, a Bluetooth mobile phone earpiece, a slim digital camera to fit in her purse, or even a laptop computer?
If she's into fitness, how about a new yoga mat, a bicycle, hiking shoes, tennis racket, etc? But only if she's already into it! Otherwise she'll take it as a hint that she's overweight :-)
If she's a working woman, how about a new briefcase? This tells her that you value and respect her work.
A set of natural bath products like soap, shampoo, bubble bath. Please try to buy cruelty-free products (not tested on animals).
Perfume oils. It helps if you know what she likes. If you don't, check what she's already got. Smell them and get to know the scents so you can pick something similar. But honestly, every husband should know his wife's favorite perfume.
A tea set, meaning tea pot, tea cups, and a collection of herbal teas.
A scented massage oil along with three handmade coupons saying, "Good for one massage on demand from your loving husband."
A gourmet basket with some of her favorite food treats, such as chocolates, cheeses, strawberries, or whatever you know to be her favorite tastes.
An attractive or artsy candle set, the kind they have in gift shops.
A subscription to a magazine for Muslim women, such as Aziza Magazine.
I'm hesitant to suggest this one because some women take it the wrong way or think it's unromantic, but something for the kitchen. A new kitchen appliance like a top-quality food processor, a set of quality cookware, etc. This is best for a woman who enjoys cooking.
In the same vein as #34, a set of Egyptian cotton towels for the bathrooms. These are wonderfully soft, but again it might be perceived as unromantic, so watch out. Caveat emptor!
An iPod that you have pre-loaded with Quran recitation by her favorite reciter, some of her favorite nasheeds, some good radio shows, etc. This is a wonderful gift for a woman who commutes, or who spends time every day on a treadmill, or even just to listen to while working or doing chores. This gift will take some money and some time to put together, but will give her hours of pleasure.
What NOT to get a Muslim woman as a gift:
Anything for cleaning the house, such as a vacuum cleaner, broom, mop, etc. This is like telling her that you see her only as a maid. Those things should be part of the normal household expenses, not gifts.
Groceries. True, if you don't normally do it then the gesture is nice, but it's too prosaic.
A sexy nightie. Not that this is un-Islamic, but it just seems a little tacky to me. It's like it's more for you than for her, if you get my meaning.
Anything that is really about you more than her, like a CD of your favorite band, a game box, a flat screen TV, etc. If you think that you might end up using it more than her, then chuck it and keep looking.
A "cool Muslim star and crescent cigarette lighter". Yes, I actually saw this on a website listed under "Muslim gifts."
Remember, pay attention and listen, and you'll never be short of gift ideas in the future.
The Birth of a Human Being
The Birth of a Human Being
Based on the works of Harun Yahya
Many diverse subjects are mentioned in the Qur'an in the course of inviting people to believe. Sometimes the heavens, sometimes animals, and sometimes plants are shown as evidence to man by God. In many of the verses, people are called upon to turn their attention to their own creation. They are often reminded how man came into the world, which stages he has passed through, and what his essence is:
"It is We Who have created you. Why, then, do you not accept the truth? Have you ever considered that (seed) which you emit? Is it you who create it? Or are We the Creator?"
(The Qur'an, 56:57-59)
The creation of man, and the miraculous aspect of this, is stressed in many other verses. Some items of information within these verses are so detailed that it is impossible for anyone living in the 7th century to have known them. Some of these are as follows:
Man is not created from the entire semen, but only a very small portion of it (sperm).
It is the male that determines the sex of the baby.
The human embryo adheres to the mother's uterus like a leech.
The embryo develops in three dark regions in the uterus.
People living when the Qur'an was revealed, to be sure, knew that the basic substance of birth was related to the semen of the male emitted during sexual intercourse. And the fact that the baby was born after a nine-month period was obviously an observable event not calling for any further investigation. However, the items of information just quoted were far above the level of learning of the people living at that time. These were verified by 20th century science.
Now, let us go over them one by one.
A Drop of Semen
During sexual intercourse, 250 million sperms are emitted from the male at a time. The sperms undertake an arduous journey in the mother's body until they make it to the ovum. Only a thousand out of 250 million sperms succeed in reaching the ovum. At the end of this five-minute race, the ovum, half the size of a grain of salt, will let only one of the sperms in. That is, the essence of man is not the whole semen, but only a small part of it. This is explained in the Qur'an:
"Does man reckon he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)? Was he not once a drop of ejected semen?"
(The Qur'an, 75:36-37)
As we have seen, the Qur'an informs us that man is made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it. That the particular emphasis in this statement announces a fact only discovered by modern science is evidence that the statement is divine in origin.
In the picture to the left, we see semen ejected into the uterus. Only very few sperms out of 250 million sperms emitted from the male can make it to the ovum. The sperm that will fertilise the egg is the only one out of a thousand sperms that have managed to survive. The fact that man is made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it, is related in the Qur'an with the expression, "a drop of ejected semen".
The Mixture in the Semen
The fluid called semen, which contains the sperms, does not consist of sperms alone. On the contrary, it is made up of a mixture of different fluids. These fluids have different functions, such as containing the sugar necessary for providing energy for the sperms, neutralising the acids at the entrance of the uterus, and creating a slippery environment for the easy movement of the sperms.
Interestingly enough, when semen is mentioned in the Qur'an, this fact, which was discovered by modern science, is also referred to, and semen is defined as a mixed fluid:
"We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing."
(The Qur'an, 76:2)
In another verse, semen is again referred to as a mixture, and it is stressed that man is created from the "extract" of this mixture:
"He who has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of discarded fluid."
(The Qur'an, 32:7-8)
The Arabic word "sulala", translated as "extract", means the essential or best part of something. By either implication, it means "part of a whole". This shows that the Qur'an is the word of a Will that knows the creation of man down to its slightest detail. This Will is God, the Creator of man.
The Sex of the Baby
Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. Or at least, it was believed that the sex was determined by the male and female cells together. But we are given different information in the Qur'an, where it is stated that masculinity or femininity is created out of "a drop of sperm which has been ejected".
"He has created both sexes, male and female from a drop of semen which has been ejected."
(The Qur'an, 53:45-46)
In the Qur'an, it is said that masculinity or femininity are created out of "a drop of semen which has been ejected". However, until fairly recently, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. Science only discovered this information given in the Qur'an in the 20th century. This and many other similar details about the creation of man were stated in the Qur'an centuries ago.
The developing disciplines of genetics and molecular biology have scientifically validated the accuracy of this information given by the Qur'an. It is now understood that sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male, and that the female has no role in this process.
The Y chromosome carries characteristics of masculinity, while the X chromosome carries those of femininity. In the mother's egg, there is only the X chromosome, which determines female characteristics. In the semen from the father, there are sperms that includes either X or Y chromosomes. Therefore, the sex of the baby depends on whether the sperm fertilising the egg contains an X or Y chromosome. In other words, as stated in the verse, the factor determining the sex of the baby is the semen, which comes from the father. This knowledge, which could not have been known at the time when the Qur'an was revealed, is evidence to the fact that the Qur'an is the word of God.
Chromosomes are the main elements in determining sex. Two of the 46 chromosomes that determine the structure of a human being are identified as the sex chromosomes. These two chromosomes are called "XY" in males, and "XX" in females, because the shapes of the chromosomes resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries the genes that code for masculinity, while the X chromosome carries the genes that code for femininity.
The formation of a new human being begins with the cross combination of one of these chromosomes, which exist in males and females in pairs. In females, both components of the sex cell, which divides into two during ovulation, carry X chromosomes. The sex cell of a male, on the other hand, produces two different kinds of sperm, one that contains X chromosomes and the other Y chromosomes. If an X chromosome from the female unites with a sperm that contains an X chromosome, then the baby is female. If it unites with the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the baby is male.
In other words, a baby's sex is determined by which chromosome from the male unites with the female's ovum.
None of this was known until the discovery of genetics in the 20th century. Indeed, in many cultures, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the female's body. That was why women were blamed when they gave birth to girls.
Thirteen centuries before human genes were discovered, however, the Qur'an revealed information that denies this superstition, and referred to the origin of sex lying not with women, but with the semen coming from men.
The Clot Clinging to the Uterus
If we keep on examining the facts announced to us in the Qur'an about the formation of human beings, we again encounter some very important scientific miracles.
When the sperm of the male unites with the ovum of the female, the essence of the baby to be born is formed. This single cell, known as a "zygote" in biology, will instantly start to reproduce by dividing, and eventually become a "piece of flesh" called an embryo. This of course can only be seen by human beings with the aid of a microscope.
The embryo, however, does not spend its developmental period in a void. It clings to the uterus just like roots that are firmly fixed to the earth by their tendrils. Through this bond, the embryo can obtain the substances essential to its development from the mother's body.(16)
Here, at this point, a very significant miracle of the Qur'an is revealed. While referring to the embryo developing in the mother's womb, God uses the word "alaq" in the Qur'an:
"Recite: In the name of your Lord Who created man from alaq. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous."
(The Qur'an, 96:1-3)
In the first phase of its development, the baby in the mother's womb is in the form of a zygote, which clings to the uterus in order to take nourishment from the mother's blood. In the picture to the left is a zygote, which looks like a piece of flesh. This formation, which has been discovered by modern embryology, was miraculously stated in the Qur'an 14 centuries ago with the word "alaq", which means "a thing that clings to some place" and is used to describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood.
The meaning of the word "alaq" in Arabic is "a thing that clings to some place". The word is literally used to describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood.
Certainly, the use of such an appropriate word for the embryo developing in the mother's womb, proves once again that the Qur'an is a revelation from God, the Lord of all the Worlds.
The wrapping of muscles over the bones
Another important aspect of the information given in the verses of the Qur'an is the developmental stages of a human being in the mother's womb. It is stated in the verses that in the mother's womb, the bones develop first, and then the muscles form which wrap around them.
"(We) then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators!"
(The Qur'an, 23:14)
Embryology is the branch of science that studies the development of the embryo in the mother's womb. Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the same time. For this reason, for a long time, some people claimed that these verses conflicted with science. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new technological developments has revealed that the revelation of the Qur'an is word for word correct.
These observations at the microscopic level showed that the development inside the mother's womb takes place in just the way it is described in the verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then muscular cells that are selected from amongst the tissue around the bones come together and wrap around the bones.
The bones of the baby completing its development in the mother's womb are clothed with flesh during one particular stage.
This event is described in a scientific publication titled Developing Human in the following words:
During the seventh week, the skeleton begins to spread throughout the body and the bones take their familiar shapes. At the end of the seventh week and during the eighth week the muscles take their positions around the bone forms.(17)
Many stages of a baby's development in the mother's womb are related in the Qur'an. As described in verse 14 of Sura Muminun, the cartilage of the embryo in the mother's womb ossifies first. Then these bones are covered with muscle cells. God describes this development with the verse: "(We then) formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh"
In short, man's developmental stages as described in the Qur'an are in perfect harmony with the findings of modern embryology.
Three Stages of the Baby in the Womb
In the Qur'an, it is related that man is created in a three-stage process in the mother's womb.
"... He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. That is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what has made you deviate?"
(The Qur'an, 39:6)
As will be understood, it is pointed out in this verse that a human being is created in the mother's womb in three distinct stages. Indeed, modern biology has revealed that the baby's embryological development takes place in three distinct regions in the mother's womb. Today, in all the embryology textbooks studied in faculties of medicine, this subject is taken as an element of basic knowledge. For instance in Basic Human Embryology, a fundamental reference text in the field of embryology, this fact is stated as follows: "The life in the uterus has three stages: pre-embryonic; first two and a half weeks, embryonic; until the end of the eight week, and fetal; from the eight week to labor."(18)
These phases refer to the different developmental stages of a baby. In brief, the main characteristics of these developmental stages are as follows:
1. Pre-embryonic stage
In this first phase, the zygote grows by division, and when it becomes a cell cluster, it buries itself in the wall of the uterus. While they continue growing, the cells organise themselves in three layers.
2. Embryonic Stage
The second phase lasts for five and a half weeks, during which the baby is called an "embryo". In this stage, the basic organs and systems of the body start to appear from the cell layers.
3. Fetal stage
From this stage on, the embryo is called a "foetus". This phase begins at the eighth week of gestation and lasts until the moment of birth. The distinctive characteristic of this stage is that the foetus looks just like a human being, with its face, hands and feet. Although it is only 3 cm. long initially, all of its organs have become apparent. This phase lasts for about 30 weeks, and development continues until the week of delivery.
In the verse 6 of Sura Zumar, it is pointed out that man is created in the mother's womb in three distinct stages. Indeed, modern embryology has revealed that the baby's embryological development takes place in three distinct regions in the mother's womb.
Information on the development in the mother's womb became available only after observations with modern devices. Yet, just like many other scientific facts, these pieces of information are imparted in the verses of the Qur'an in a miraculous way. The fact that such detailed and accurate information was given in the Qur'an at a time when people had scarce information on medical matters is clear evidence that the Qur'an is not the word of man, but the word of God.
Footnotes:
16- Moore, Keith L., E. Marshall Johnson, T. V. N. Persaud, Gerald C. Goeringer, Abdul-Majeed A. Zindani, and Mustafa A. Ahmed, 1992, Human Development as Described in the Qur'an and Sunnah, Makkah, Commission on Scientific Signs of the Qur'an and Sunnah, p. 36
17- Moore, Developing Human, 6. edition,1998.
18- Williams P., Basic Human Embryology, 3. edition, 1984, p. 64.
Based on the works of Harun Yahya
Many diverse subjects are mentioned in the Qur'an in the course of inviting people to believe. Sometimes the heavens, sometimes animals, and sometimes plants are shown as evidence to man by God. In many of the verses, people are called upon to turn their attention to their own creation. They are often reminded how man came into the world, which stages he has passed through, and what his essence is:
"It is We Who have created you. Why, then, do you not accept the truth? Have you ever considered that (seed) which you emit? Is it you who create it? Or are We the Creator?"
(The Qur'an, 56:57-59)
The creation of man, and the miraculous aspect of this, is stressed in many other verses. Some items of information within these verses are so detailed that it is impossible for anyone living in the 7th century to have known them. Some of these are as follows:
Man is not created from the entire semen, but only a very small portion of it (sperm).
It is the male that determines the sex of the baby.
The human embryo adheres to the mother's uterus like a leech.
The embryo develops in three dark regions in the uterus.
People living when the Qur'an was revealed, to be sure, knew that the basic substance of birth was related to the semen of the male emitted during sexual intercourse. And the fact that the baby was born after a nine-month period was obviously an observable event not calling for any further investigation. However, the items of information just quoted were far above the level of learning of the people living at that time. These were verified by 20th century science.
Now, let us go over them one by one.
A Drop of Semen
During sexual intercourse, 250 million sperms are emitted from the male at a time. The sperms undertake an arduous journey in the mother's body until they make it to the ovum. Only a thousand out of 250 million sperms succeed in reaching the ovum. At the end of this five-minute race, the ovum, half the size of a grain of salt, will let only one of the sperms in. That is, the essence of man is not the whole semen, but only a small part of it. This is explained in the Qur'an:
"Does man reckon he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)? Was he not once a drop of ejected semen?"
(The Qur'an, 75:36-37)
As we have seen, the Qur'an informs us that man is made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it. That the particular emphasis in this statement announces a fact only discovered by modern science is evidence that the statement is divine in origin.
In the picture to the left, we see semen ejected into the uterus. Only very few sperms out of 250 million sperms emitted from the male can make it to the ovum. The sperm that will fertilise the egg is the only one out of a thousand sperms that have managed to survive. The fact that man is made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it, is related in the Qur'an with the expression, "a drop of ejected semen".
The Mixture in the Semen
The fluid called semen, which contains the sperms, does not consist of sperms alone. On the contrary, it is made up of a mixture of different fluids. These fluids have different functions, such as containing the sugar necessary for providing energy for the sperms, neutralising the acids at the entrance of the uterus, and creating a slippery environment for the easy movement of the sperms.
Interestingly enough, when semen is mentioned in the Qur'an, this fact, which was discovered by modern science, is also referred to, and semen is defined as a mixed fluid:
"We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing."
(The Qur'an, 76:2)
In another verse, semen is again referred to as a mixture, and it is stressed that man is created from the "extract" of this mixture:
"He who has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of discarded fluid."
(The Qur'an, 32:7-8)
The Arabic word "sulala", translated as "extract", means the essential or best part of something. By either implication, it means "part of a whole". This shows that the Qur'an is the word of a Will that knows the creation of man down to its slightest detail. This Will is God, the Creator of man.
The Sex of the Baby
Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. Or at least, it was believed that the sex was determined by the male and female cells together. But we are given different information in the Qur'an, where it is stated that masculinity or femininity is created out of "a drop of sperm which has been ejected".
"He has created both sexes, male and female from a drop of semen which has been ejected."
(The Qur'an, 53:45-46)
In the Qur'an, it is said that masculinity or femininity are created out of "a drop of semen which has been ejected". However, until fairly recently, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. Science only discovered this information given in the Qur'an in the 20th century. This and many other similar details about the creation of man were stated in the Qur'an centuries ago.
The developing disciplines of genetics and molecular biology have scientifically validated the accuracy of this information given by the Qur'an. It is now understood that sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male, and that the female has no role in this process.
The Y chromosome carries characteristics of masculinity, while the X chromosome carries those of femininity. In the mother's egg, there is only the X chromosome, which determines female characteristics. In the semen from the father, there are sperms that includes either X or Y chromosomes. Therefore, the sex of the baby depends on whether the sperm fertilising the egg contains an X or Y chromosome. In other words, as stated in the verse, the factor determining the sex of the baby is the semen, which comes from the father. This knowledge, which could not have been known at the time when the Qur'an was revealed, is evidence to the fact that the Qur'an is the word of God.
Chromosomes are the main elements in determining sex. Two of the 46 chromosomes that determine the structure of a human being are identified as the sex chromosomes. These two chromosomes are called "XY" in males, and "XX" in females, because the shapes of the chromosomes resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries the genes that code for masculinity, while the X chromosome carries the genes that code for femininity.
The formation of a new human being begins with the cross combination of one of these chromosomes, which exist in males and females in pairs. In females, both components of the sex cell, which divides into two during ovulation, carry X chromosomes. The sex cell of a male, on the other hand, produces two different kinds of sperm, one that contains X chromosomes and the other Y chromosomes. If an X chromosome from the female unites with a sperm that contains an X chromosome, then the baby is female. If it unites with the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the baby is male.
In other words, a baby's sex is determined by which chromosome from the male unites with the female's ovum.
None of this was known until the discovery of genetics in the 20th century. Indeed, in many cultures, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the female's body. That was why women were blamed when they gave birth to girls.
Thirteen centuries before human genes were discovered, however, the Qur'an revealed information that denies this superstition, and referred to the origin of sex lying not with women, but with the semen coming from men.
The Clot Clinging to the Uterus
If we keep on examining the facts announced to us in the Qur'an about the formation of human beings, we again encounter some very important scientific miracles.
When the sperm of the male unites with the ovum of the female, the essence of the baby to be born is formed. This single cell, known as a "zygote" in biology, will instantly start to reproduce by dividing, and eventually become a "piece of flesh" called an embryo. This of course can only be seen by human beings with the aid of a microscope.
The embryo, however, does not spend its developmental period in a void. It clings to the uterus just like roots that are firmly fixed to the earth by their tendrils. Through this bond, the embryo can obtain the substances essential to its development from the mother's body.(16)
Here, at this point, a very significant miracle of the Qur'an is revealed. While referring to the embryo developing in the mother's womb, God uses the word "alaq" in the Qur'an:
"Recite: In the name of your Lord Who created man from alaq. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous."
(The Qur'an, 96:1-3)
In the first phase of its development, the baby in the mother's womb is in the form of a zygote, which clings to the uterus in order to take nourishment from the mother's blood. In the picture to the left is a zygote, which looks like a piece of flesh. This formation, which has been discovered by modern embryology, was miraculously stated in the Qur'an 14 centuries ago with the word "alaq", which means "a thing that clings to some place" and is used to describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood.
The meaning of the word "alaq" in Arabic is "a thing that clings to some place". The word is literally used to describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood.
Certainly, the use of such an appropriate word for the embryo developing in the mother's womb, proves once again that the Qur'an is a revelation from God, the Lord of all the Worlds.
The wrapping of muscles over the bones
Another important aspect of the information given in the verses of the Qur'an is the developmental stages of a human being in the mother's womb. It is stated in the verses that in the mother's womb, the bones develop first, and then the muscles form which wrap around them.
"(We) then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators!"
(The Qur'an, 23:14)
Embryology is the branch of science that studies the development of the embryo in the mother's womb. Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the same time. For this reason, for a long time, some people claimed that these verses conflicted with science. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new technological developments has revealed that the revelation of the Qur'an is word for word correct.
These observations at the microscopic level showed that the development inside the mother's womb takes place in just the way it is described in the verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then muscular cells that are selected from amongst the tissue around the bones come together and wrap around the bones.
The bones of the baby completing its development in the mother's womb are clothed with flesh during one particular stage.
This event is described in a scientific publication titled Developing Human in the following words:
During the seventh week, the skeleton begins to spread throughout the body and the bones take their familiar shapes. At the end of the seventh week and during the eighth week the muscles take their positions around the bone forms.(17)
Many stages of a baby's development in the mother's womb are related in the Qur'an. As described in verse 14 of Sura Muminun, the cartilage of the embryo in the mother's womb ossifies first. Then these bones are covered with muscle cells. God describes this development with the verse: "(We then) formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh"
In short, man's developmental stages as described in the Qur'an are in perfect harmony with the findings of modern embryology.
Three Stages of the Baby in the Womb
In the Qur'an, it is related that man is created in a three-stage process in the mother's womb.
"... He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. That is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what has made you deviate?"
(The Qur'an, 39:6)
As will be understood, it is pointed out in this verse that a human being is created in the mother's womb in three distinct stages. Indeed, modern biology has revealed that the baby's embryological development takes place in three distinct regions in the mother's womb. Today, in all the embryology textbooks studied in faculties of medicine, this subject is taken as an element of basic knowledge. For instance in Basic Human Embryology, a fundamental reference text in the field of embryology, this fact is stated as follows: "The life in the uterus has three stages: pre-embryonic; first two and a half weeks, embryonic; until the end of the eight week, and fetal; from the eight week to labor."(18)
These phases refer to the different developmental stages of a baby. In brief, the main characteristics of these developmental stages are as follows:
1. Pre-embryonic stage
In this first phase, the zygote grows by division, and when it becomes a cell cluster, it buries itself in the wall of the uterus. While they continue growing, the cells organise themselves in three layers.
2. Embryonic Stage
The second phase lasts for five and a half weeks, during which the baby is called an "embryo". In this stage, the basic organs and systems of the body start to appear from the cell layers.
3. Fetal stage
From this stage on, the embryo is called a "foetus". This phase begins at the eighth week of gestation and lasts until the moment of birth. The distinctive characteristic of this stage is that the foetus looks just like a human being, with its face, hands and feet. Although it is only 3 cm. long initially, all of its organs have become apparent. This phase lasts for about 30 weeks, and development continues until the week of delivery.
In the verse 6 of Sura Zumar, it is pointed out that man is created in the mother's womb in three distinct stages. Indeed, modern embryology has revealed that the baby's embryological development takes place in three distinct regions in the mother's womb.
Information on the development in the mother's womb became available only after observations with modern devices. Yet, just like many other scientific facts, these pieces of information are imparted in the verses of the Qur'an in a miraculous way. The fact that such detailed and accurate information was given in the Qur'an at a time when people had scarce information on medical matters is clear evidence that the Qur'an is not the word of man, but the word of God.
Footnotes:
16- Moore, Keith L., E. Marshall Johnson, T. V. N. Persaud, Gerald C. Goeringer, Abdul-Majeed A. Zindani, and Mustafa A. Ahmed, 1992, Human Development as Described in the Qur'an and Sunnah, Makkah, Commission on Scientific Signs of the Qur'an and Sunnah, p. 36
17- Moore, Developing Human, 6. edition,1998.
18- Williams P., Basic Human Embryology, 3. edition, 1984, p. 64.
Istikhara: The Guidance Prayer
Istikhara: The Guidance Prayer
Question Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Reprinted from SunniPath.com
Question: Several people I know are confused on the topic of salat ul- Istikhara. Is it meant to be prayed several days in a row until a decision is made, or only once? Is it meant to be prayed after one has pretty much made up their mind, or when someone hasn't really figured out what to do? Are their various valid opinions?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum,
When one is not clear about the result of the istikhara, the fuqaha mention that it is recommend to repeat it, up to seven times if necessary (usually done on separate occasions). [cf: Radd al-Muhtar]
Getting a Dream?
It is not necessary that you get a dream or even a "feeling." Rather, the istikhara is a prayer that Allah guide you towards that which is best (khayr) for you. If you do the prayer of guidance (istikhara) with the proper manners, the most important of which is to truly consign the matter to Allah and suspend your own inclinations, then Allah will make events unfold in the direction that is the best for your worldly and next-worldly affairs.
In general, when it is not possible to perform the istikhara prayer itself (such as when one is out on the road, or in one's menstrual period), it is recommended to simply read the dua itself. [Radd al-Muhtar]
The istikhara prayer may be made for a specific matter or be made for a general seeking of all that is best. Some scholars, including Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`rani and Ibn `Arafah before him saw this kind of (specific) istikhara prayer as being superior.
Others, including Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi, recommended performing a general istikhara prayer for all that is good every day, ideally at the time of the Duha prayer (after sunrise).
Before Istikhara Prayer
Imam al-Nawawi mentioned that before the istikhara prayer, one should seek advice (istishara) from those whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern one is confident.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and others mentioned that one of the benefits of this is to further distance oneself from the desires of one's own egotistic inclinations.
Opening the Prayer
It is recommended to open the dua of istikhara [below], with praise of Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), and to close it in this manner, too.
Like other duas, it is recommended that one face the qibla. It is disliked to 'hasten' in seeking the answer to one's istikhara, just like other duas, because the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Your prayers are answered, unless you hasten, saying, 'I prayed, but no answer came.'"
One should be pleased with what Allah chooses for one, and not seek to follow one's whims after the answer to one's supplication becomes clear.
Question Two:
There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage.... [ .... ] my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?
Answer:
This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhhiyya, Kuwait], but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.
In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself...
Salat al-Istikhara
CONCERNING THE RITUAL PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE IN CHOOSING THE BEST OPTION [SALAT AL-ISTIKHARA], AND THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION [DU'A'] APPROPRIATE TO IT.
According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said:
"Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi 'l-amr], just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter [Sura] from the Qur'an.:
"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:
'"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.
(Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub):
O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.
(Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h):
If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"
(wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin)."
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The South African Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal collected this:
The Etiquette of Du'รข
These etiquettes are narrated in the Hadith. For reasons of brevity, only the following summary and reference of each Hadith is mentioned instead of the entire Hadith.
To abstain from haraam food, clothing and earnings. (Muslim : Tirmidhi)
To make Duaa with sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but Allah Ta'aala will fulfill his objectives. (Haakim)
One should perform a good deed prior to making the Duaa & he should mention this during the course of the Duaa. For e.g. He should say, O Allah! I had performed so & so deed solely for Your pleasure. O Allah! accept my Duaa due to the barkat of that deed. (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud).
To make Duaa whilst one is paak & clean. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Ibn Hibbaan, Mustadrak).
To make wudhu before the Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
To face the Qiblah (All six major hadith collections)
To sit as in the Tashahhud position (Abu Awanah)
To praise Allah Ta'aala at the beginning as well as at the end of Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
To convey Durood upon Rasulullah (pbuh) at the beginning as well as the end. (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
To spread out both the hands. (Tirmidhi, Mustadrak)
To raise both the hands up to the shoulders (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
To sit with humility and respect. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
To mention ones helplessness and dependence. (Tirmidhi)
To abstain from raising the eyes towards the sky whilst making Duaa (Muslim)
To mention the Asmaal-Husnaa (the names of Allah Ta'aala ) and the sublime qualities of Allah Ta'aala. (Ibn Hibbaan and Mustadrak)
To abstain from ceremonies rhyming of the Duaa phrases (Bukhari)
To abstain from saying the Duaa in a "sing-song" tone if the Duaa is in a poetic form (Hisn)
To make the Duaa in a soft voice (All six major hadith collections on the authority if Abu Musa)
To utter the Duaa phrases transcribed from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam because Rasulullah Didn't leave out a single need of the Deen nor of the dunya whilst teaching us how to make Duaa (Abu Dawud/Nasai)
To make a Duaa that encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the dunya. (Abu Dawud)
To make Duaa in favour of oneself first, thereafter ones parents and to include the other Muslims in the Duaa as well (Muslims)
If the Imam is making Duaa, he should not make Duaa for himself only but he should Include all the congregants in the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Abu Dawud (R.A.) Narrates that Rasulullah Said that the Imam who makes Duaa for himself only, has betrayed the people." In other words, the Imam should not Make a Duaa that is restricted to him alone. For e.g. He should not say, "O Allah! cure my son." or "O Allah! Return my lost item." etc. but he should make a Duaa that includes all the congregation for e.g. He may say "O Allah! Forgive us and have mercy upon us."
To make Duaa with firm conviction (for e.g. he should not say: "O Allah! If you wish fulfil so and so task of mine." (All six major hadith collections)
To make Duaa with enthusiasm & yearning. (Ibn Hibbn & Abu Awana).
As far as possible endeavour to bring about a "presence of heart and mind" and cherish a high hope of the Duaa being accepted. (Haakim)
To make Duaa repeatedly. (Bukhari, Muslim)
This repetition should be at least thrice (Abu Dawud)
Note One may repeat the Duaa thrice in one sitting or he may repeat it on three different occasions. The "repetition of the Duaa" can be interpreted in both ways."
To make Duaa earnestly and insistently. (Nasai, Hakim, Abu awanah)
To abstain from making Duaa of severing family ties or other sins. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)
Avoid making Duaas of pre-determined and fixed things (for e.g. woman should not make a duaa of being transformed into a man or a tall person shouldn't make Duaa thus: "O Allah! Make me short." etc) (Nasai).Don't Make Duaa for impossible things. (Bukhari)
Don't make a Duaa in which you ask Allah Ta'aala to confine His mercy to yourself only (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Ask only Allah Ta'aala alone for all your needs. Do not depend upon His creation. (Tirmidhi/Ibn Hibbaan)
The one making the Duaa as well as the person listening to it, both should say 'Aameen' at the end. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai)
Rub both hands over the face at the termination of the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan, Majah, Hakim)
Don't be impatient over the acceptance of Duaas. In other words, don't say: "I've made Duaa repeatedly but to no avail." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.
Question Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Reprinted from SunniPath.com
Question: Several people I know are confused on the topic of salat ul- Istikhara. Is it meant to be prayed several days in a row until a decision is made, or only once? Is it meant to be prayed after one has pretty much made up their mind, or when someone hasn't really figured out what to do? Are their various valid opinions?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum,
When one is not clear about the result of the istikhara, the fuqaha mention that it is recommend to repeat it, up to seven times if necessary (usually done on separate occasions). [cf: Radd al-Muhtar]
Getting a Dream?
It is not necessary that you get a dream or even a "feeling." Rather, the istikhara is a prayer that Allah guide you towards that which is best (khayr) for you. If you do the prayer of guidance (istikhara) with the proper manners, the most important of which is to truly consign the matter to Allah and suspend your own inclinations, then Allah will make events unfold in the direction that is the best for your worldly and next-worldly affairs.
In general, when it is not possible to perform the istikhara prayer itself (such as when one is out on the road, or in one's menstrual period), it is recommended to simply read the dua itself. [Radd al-Muhtar]
The istikhara prayer may be made for a specific matter or be made for a general seeking of all that is best. Some scholars, including Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`rani and Ibn `Arafah before him saw this kind of (specific) istikhara prayer as being superior.
Others, including Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi, recommended performing a general istikhara prayer for all that is good every day, ideally at the time of the Duha prayer (after sunrise).
Before Istikhara Prayer
Imam al-Nawawi mentioned that before the istikhara prayer, one should seek advice (istishara) from those whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern one is confident.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and others mentioned that one of the benefits of this is to further distance oneself from the desires of one's own egotistic inclinations.
Opening the Prayer
It is recommended to open the dua of istikhara [below], with praise of Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), and to close it in this manner, too.
Like other duas, it is recommended that one face the qibla. It is disliked to 'hasten' in seeking the answer to one's istikhara, just like other duas, because the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Your prayers are answered, unless you hasten, saying, 'I prayed, but no answer came.'"
One should be pleased with what Allah chooses for one, and not seek to follow one's whims after the answer to one's supplication becomes clear.
Question Two:
There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage.... [ .... ] my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?
Answer:
This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhhiyya, Kuwait], but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.
In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself...
Salat al-Istikhara
CONCERNING THE RITUAL PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE IN CHOOSING THE BEST OPTION [SALAT AL-ISTIKHARA], AND THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION [DU'A'] APPROPRIATE TO IT.
According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said:
"Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi 'l-amr], just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter [Sura] from the Qur'an.:
"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:
'"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.
(Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub):
O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.
(Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h):
If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"
(wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin)."
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The South African Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal collected this:
The Etiquette of Du'รข
These etiquettes are narrated in the Hadith. For reasons of brevity, only the following summary and reference of each Hadith is mentioned instead of the entire Hadith.
To abstain from haraam food, clothing and earnings. (Muslim : Tirmidhi)
To make Duaa with sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but Allah Ta'aala will fulfill his objectives. (Haakim)
One should perform a good deed prior to making the Duaa & he should mention this during the course of the Duaa. For e.g. He should say, O Allah! I had performed so & so deed solely for Your pleasure. O Allah! accept my Duaa due to the barkat of that deed. (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud).
To make Duaa whilst one is paak & clean. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Ibn Hibbaan, Mustadrak).
To make wudhu before the Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
To face the Qiblah (All six major hadith collections)
To sit as in the Tashahhud position (Abu Awanah)
To praise Allah Ta'aala at the beginning as well as at the end of Duaa (All six major hadith collections)
To convey Durood upon Rasulullah (pbuh) at the beginning as well as the end. (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
To spread out both the hands. (Tirmidhi, Mustadrak)
To raise both the hands up to the shoulders (Abu Dawud, Musnade-Ahmad)
To sit with humility and respect. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
To mention ones helplessness and dependence. (Tirmidhi)
To abstain from raising the eyes towards the sky whilst making Duaa (Muslim)
To mention the Asmaal-Husnaa (the names of Allah Ta'aala ) and the sublime qualities of Allah Ta'aala. (Ibn Hibbaan and Mustadrak)
To abstain from ceremonies rhyming of the Duaa phrases (Bukhari)
To abstain from saying the Duaa in a "sing-song" tone if the Duaa is in a poetic form (Hisn)
To make the Duaa in a soft voice (All six major hadith collections on the authority if Abu Musa)
To utter the Duaa phrases transcribed from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam because Rasulullah Didn't leave out a single need of the Deen nor of the dunya whilst teaching us how to make Duaa (Abu Dawud/Nasai)
To make a Duaa that encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the dunya. (Abu Dawud)
To make Duaa in favour of oneself first, thereafter ones parents and to include the other Muslims in the Duaa as well (Muslims)
If the Imam is making Duaa, he should not make Duaa for himself only but he should Include all the congregants in the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Abu Dawud (R.A.) Narrates that Rasulullah Said that the Imam who makes Duaa for himself only, has betrayed the people." In other words, the Imam should not Make a Duaa that is restricted to him alone. For e.g. He should not say, "O Allah! cure my son." or "O Allah! Return my lost item." etc. but he should make a Duaa that includes all the congregation for e.g. He may say "O Allah! Forgive us and have mercy upon us."
To make Duaa with firm conviction (for e.g. he should not say: "O Allah! If you wish fulfil so and so task of mine." (All six major hadith collections)
To make Duaa with enthusiasm & yearning. (Ibn Hibbn & Abu Awana).
As far as possible endeavour to bring about a "presence of heart and mind" and cherish a high hope of the Duaa being accepted. (Haakim)
To make Duaa repeatedly. (Bukhari, Muslim)
This repetition should be at least thrice (Abu Dawud)
Note One may repeat the Duaa thrice in one sitting or he may repeat it on three different occasions. The "repetition of the Duaa" can be interpreted in both ways."
To make Duaa earnestly and insistently. (Nasai, Hakim, Abu awanah)
To abstain from making Duaa of severing family ties or other sins. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)
Avoid making Duaas of pre-determined and fixed things (for e.g. woman should not make a duaa of being transformed into a man or a tall person shouldn't make Duaa thus: "O Allah! Make me short." etc) (Nasai).Don't Make Duaa for impossible things. (Bukhari)
Don't make a Duaa in which you ask Allah Ta'aala to confine His mercy to yourself only (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Ask only Allah Ta'aala alone for all your needs. Do not depend upon His creation. (Tirmidhi/Ibn Hibbaan)
The one making the Duaa as well as the person listening to it, both should say 'Aameen' at the end. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai)
Rub both hands over the face at the termination of the Duaa (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibbaan, Majah, Hakim)
Don't be impatient over the acceptance of Duaas. In other words, don't say: "I've made Duaa repeatedly but to no avail." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.
WOMEN AND ISLAM
The Prophet Preached Equal Rights; Now the Task Is To Restore Them
By Benazir Bhutto
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
This article originally appeared in Asiaweek magazine, August 25, 1995
IN AN AGE WHEN no country, no system, no community gave women any rights, in a society where the birth of a baby girl was regarded as a curse, where women were considered chattel, Islam treated women as individuals. "Believers, men and women are mutual friends. They enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil," says the Koran (12:71). Long ago Islam gave women rights that modern nations have conceded grudgingly and only under pressure.
Since the Koran places great emphasis on human dignity and freedom, it is inconceivable that it would tolerate, much less advocate, any form of discrimination based on race, color or gender. In fact, because of its protective attitude toward all the downtrodden, the Koran appears to be weighted in many ways in favor of women. In terms of human rights, the Koran makes no distinction between men and women. The only criterion by which a person is to be judged is piety (Taqwa), which means "to desist from wrong-doing."
On coming of age, a woman under Islamic law is vested in all the rights which belong to her as an independent human being. She is entitled to a share in the inheritance of her parents. No one - not even her father - can force her to marry against her expressed consent. And a woman does not cease to be an individual after marriage. Muslim marriage is a civil act. Rights of the husband over the person of his wife are restricted by law and do not extend to her property, her dowry or her earnings. The marriage contract is drawn at the behest of the woman and she can add to it such conditions as she deems necessary to safeguard her interest - and they are legally binding on the husband.
Islam permits divorce, though it looks on it as a "necessary evil." In the case of a divorce, the wife retains all that the husband had bestowed on her in marriage and is also entitled to alimony. A woman can also seek a separation, though in this case she has to forego the dowry that her husband had conferred on her.
Polygamy was the natural consequence of the decimation of men in tribal wars, leaving scores of women without any support whatsoever. As such, it was permitted in Islam in a restricted form. However, there were conditions attached to it: "If you cannot treat them equitably, marry only one" (4:2). For the crimes of adultery and fornication, the same harsh punishment is prescribed for both men and women found guilty. Women enjoy equally the right to education. "Education is obligatory on both Muslim men and women, even if they have to go to China to seek it," is a popular saying of the Prophet.
In early Islam when the Muslims had to migrate, many women left their homes and took the road to Medina alone. They were present on the battlefield looking after the wounded and even took part in the fighting. Among the first martyrs for Islam was a woman, Sumiyya.
The egalitarian message of Islam and its insistence on the spiritual equality of men and women, however, was eroded as Muslim societies suffered moral and material decline. The process of transition from empire to monarchy and to diverse forms of authoritarianism, coupled with the contaminating influence of the ancient civilizations, which came under the sway of Islam, led to the revival of the patriarchal tradition with its accent on male domination. The struggle for freedom in various parts of the Muslim world brought women out of their homes. We, in Pakistan, actively participated in our freedom movement. But independence in itself was no solution to the social and political problems accumulated over a long time. No one knows this better than a Muslim woman struggling to disentangle herself from a veritable morass of traditions overlaid by a mass of legal quibbling to buttress the hold of vested interests.
Women are now assuming a more active role in Pakistan's society and economy. Continuing this trend is a key objective of my government. It is an important theme in our Social Action Program, which offers a concerted attack on the organically linked issues of poverty, female illiteracy, population-planning and rural health care.
The fact that at present three Muslim countries have female heads of government gives assurance that the problems of women in Islamic societies can be seriously addressed. We, as women leaders, regard it as our religious and political duty to lead the struggle to restore the women's dignity that has been divinely defined for us in the Holy Koran. May we succeed.
By Benazir Bhutto
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
This article originally appeared in Asiaweek magazine, August 25, 1995
IN AN AGE WHEN no country, no system, no community gave women any rights, in a society where the birth of a baby girl was regarded as a curse, where women were considered chattel, Islam treated women as individuals. "Believers, men and women are mutual friends. They enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil," says the Koran (12:71). Long ago Islam gave women rights that modern nations have conceded grudgingly and only under pressure.
Since the Koran places great emphasis on human dignity and freedom, it is inconceivable that it would tolerate, much less advocate, any form of discrimination based on race, color or gender. In fact, because of its protective attitude toward all the downtrodden, the Koran appears to be weighted in many ways in favor of women. In terms of human rights, the Koran makes no distinction between men and women. The only criterion by which a person is to be judged is piety (Taqwa), which means "to desist from wrong-doing."
On coming of age, a woman under Islamic law is vested in all the rights which belong to her as an independent human being. She is entitled to a share in the inheritance of her parents. No one - not even her father - can force her to marry against her expressed consent. And a woman does not cease to be an individual after marriage. Muslim marriage is a civil act. Rights of the husband over the person of his wife are restricted by law and do not extend to her property, her dowry or her earnings. The marriage contract is drawn at the behest of the woman and she can add to it such conditions as she deems necessary to safeguard her interest - and they are legally binding on the husband.
Islam permits divorce, though it looks on it as a "necessary evil." In the case of a divorce, the wife retains all that the husband had bestowed on her in marriage and is also entitled to alimony. A woman can also seek a separation, though in this case she has to forego the dowry that her husband had conferred on her.
Polygamy was the natural consequence of the decimation of men in tribal wars, leaving scores of women without any support whatsoever. As such, it was permitted in Islam in a restricted form. However, there were conditions attached to it: "If you cannot treat them equitably, marry only one" (4:2). For the crimes of adultery and fornication, the same harsh punishment is prescribed for both men and women found guilty. Women enjoy equally the right to education. "Education is obligatory on both Muslim men and women, even if they have to go to China to seek it," is a popular saying of the Prophet.
In early Islam when the Muslims had to migrate, many women left their homes and took the road to Medina alone. They were present on the battlefield looking after the wounded and even took part in the fighting. Among the first martyrs for Islam was a woman, Sumiyya.
The egalitarian message of Islam and its insistence on the spiritual equality of men and women, however, was eroded as Muslim societies suffered moral and material decline. The process of transition from empire to monarchy and to diverse forms of authoritarianism, coupled with the contaminating influence of the ancient civilizations, which came under the sway of Islam, led to the revival of the patriarchal tradition with its accent on male domination. The struggle for freedom in various parts of the Muslim world brought women out of their homes. We, in Pakistan, actively participated in our freedom movement. But independence in itself was no solution to the social and political problems accumulated over a long time. No one knows this better than a Muslim woman struggling to disentangle herself from a veritable morass of traditions overlaid by a mass of legal quibbling to buttress the hold of vested interests.
Women are now assuming a more active role in Pakistan's society and economy. Continuing this trend is a key objective of my government. It is an important theme in our Social Action Program, which offers a concerted attack on the organically linked issues of poverty, female illiteracy, population-planning and rural health care.
The fact that at present three Muslim countries have female heads of government gives assurance that the problems of women in Islamic societies can be seriously addressed. We, as women leaders, regard it as our religious and political duty to lead the struggle to restore the women's dignity that has been divinely defined for us in the Holy Koran. May we succeed.
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