ISLAM
Islam strictly prohibits homosexuality
M Budree Hashim
As a person practicing Islam and accepting all Prophets/Messengers
from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad (May Peace be upon them) as
Prophets of the Almighty God, it shocked and perturbed to the ever
widening Catholic Church abuse scandal and now countries have legalized
or being legalize same sex union marriages.
It is encouraging that the church must act decisively against
pedophile priests says His Holiness Pope Francis but disheartening his
country Argentina which has legalized gay marriages. It is hoped His
Holiness Pope Francis will not only ban pedophile priests but the people
activate on same sex marriages and countries legalizing gay marriages
should be told of the severe punishment.
Same sex union marriage is disturbing and concerning to the faithful
of all religions and is now practiced in several countries including
Canada, Spain, Argentina and France has legalized gay marriages. At
present in USA gay marriages is allowed in nice States, while 12 states
recognize ‘civilian unions’ or ‘domestic partnerships’ which grant the
same benefits without full legal rights.
Meanwhile hopes among gay right activists that the US Supreme Court
would make a sweeping ruling in favor of same sex union. The Barack
Obama administration and the President had backed same sex marriages are
eagerly awaiting the Supreme Court ruling. Similarly in New Zealand same
sex union issues are in the country’s Parliament to decide. Are Supreme
Courts, Parliaments and political leaders more powerful than the
revelations of Almighty God in the Holy Books?
Brazil with its 123 million Catholics has become the third and
largest Latin American country to give a de facto – a green light to
same sex union. Uruguay’s move came after Argentina approved gay
marriages. Same sex marriages have been permitted.
Now coming to religion, God Almighty sent 124,000 Prophets/Messengers
to the universe and God revealed books to Prophet Moses – the Holy
Torah, to Prophet David – the Holy Psalms, to Prophet Jesus – the Holy
Evangelical and to Prophet Mohammed – the Holy Quran in their respective
languages (May Peace be upon them).
I wish to quote the Holy Evangelical and the Holy Quran to prove that
the activists and others knowing the gravity of same sex partners are
silently committing unspeakable sin.
The Noble Evangelical
More in detail in the Holy Evangelical revealed to Prophet Jesus in
his language, Aramaic, as the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet
Muhammad in his language Arabic.
The story of the destruction is told in the 19th chapter of Genesis.
“Two angels in the shape of handsome young men came to Prophet Lot in
the evening and became his guests by night. The inhabitants of Sodom in
their lust for unnatural crime invaded Lot’s house but were repulsed. In
the morning, the angels warned Lot to escape with his family. Then the
Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord,
out of heaven and he overthrew these cities and all the plains and all
the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew on the ground. But his
wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt.”
(Genesis XIX 24-26)
Now coming to the Noble Quran
“We also (sent) Lut “For ye practice your lusts
He said to his people On men in preference
“Do you commit lewdness” To women: ye are indeed
Such as no people A people transgressing
In creation (ever) committed Beyond bounds” 7.81
Before you?” 7.80
“And his people gave “But we saved him
No answer but this And his family, except
They said “Drive them out His wife: she was
Of our city; these are indeed men who want Of those who lagged behind
To be clean and pure” 7.82 And we rained down on them 7.83
“A shower (of brimstone)
Then see what was the end
Of those who indulged
In sin and crime 7.84
(Surathul Al-A’raf. 7.80 to 7.84)
It is interesting to note that the wife of Prophet Lot shows she knew
the wrong doings of males and she was punished. Similarly all present
including the highest to the lowest would be punished for the wrong and
unspeakable sin.
Similar verses are also in the Holy Torah and Holy Psalms are silent
and if no protests shown, God will punish not only the homosexual and
lesbians but also who support, encourage, silently inactive and
watching. The faithful religious communities should think of the past of
what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah will be to us. Oh, Lord of the
universe saves us.
These two verses from the Holy Evangelical and the Holy Quran besides
similar verses from the Holy Torah and Holy Psalms are more than enough
for religious dignitaries and religious citizens not to be silent like
Prophets Lut’s Wife and face severe punishment.
A gay activist has stated that the Bible is silent and is not against
same sex union. The Bible (Gospel) was written by more than 25 saints
(human beings) and not only the four saints Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.
There is a gospel of Barnabas which is now available but banned to
Christians.
The Bible narrates the life of Prophet Jesus Christ, his miracles and
his sayings, similar to the Muslims ‘Hadiths’ narrating the life,
miracles and sayings of Prophet Muhammad narrated by many Imams. The
Bible and Hadiths were written by human beings but the Holy Torah, Holy
Psalms, Holy Evangelical and the Holy Quran were revealed by God
Almighty. We cannot quote the “Bible” or the ‘Hadiths’ seriously.
We are perturbed that the Church of England diocese asks for gay
friendly bishops. This comes amidst growing tensions within the church
over its attitude to gay worshippers and clergy. The decision had caused
anger among traditionalists including senior African bishop describing
the move as a “grave departure from the Church doctrine”
It is a warning to Roman Catholics, Anglicans and other Christians
for not accepting the verses in Genesis XIX 24-26 in the Holy
Evangelical revealed to Prophet Jesus Christ seriously or otherwise.
Now I wish to repeat the Holy Quran:
“But we saved him
And his family, except
His wife: she was
Of those who lagged behind
And we rained down on them” 7.83
“A shower (of brimstone)
Then see what the end was
Of those who indulged
In sin and crime 7.84
(Surathul Al-A’raf. 7.80 to 7.84)
A similar punishment to the homosexuals, lesbians, group activists and
the countries favoring and accepting this Unspeakable Sin
Eighteen ways to make your parents feel great
Junaid Tahir
The parents nowadays are quite worried about the behavioral changes
in their children due to several socio-economical reasons. The gap
between parents and the youths, increasing day by day due to which the
family bonding is getting weaker and weaker. We, the youth, want liberty
in every deed we do. We want our parents not to disturb us in what-ever
we do in what-so-ever manner. We have forgotten the amount of time our
parents have invested in for our brought up. We have forgotten the
countless efforts and sacrifices by our parents throughout our lives.
 Starting from our birth they have taken care of our food (22 years *
365 days * 3 times = 24000 times!), our clothes (daily washing, ironing,
new purchasing), our education (daily home works, uniform,
school/tuition fee), religious and moral teaching every day (The Real
Great Job), computer and toys purchasing and God knows how many other
countless efforts they have put in to make us a complete human being to
survive in this world. Indeed, all those efforts cannot be covered in
this article but the overall emphasis is that its our moral and
religious ‘mandatory responsibility’ to take care of them now.
Below are some small acts of kindness which I request you to consider
to show your affection with them and to take care of them:
1. Give them enough money so that they don't have to ask you.
2. Share funny and entertaining things with them to make them laugh
or smile.
3. Don't speak loudly. Speak slowly, nicely and softly.
4. Do not walk in front of them in market or anywhere. They might
walk slow being old; stay behind them. Give them respect.
5. Ask for small tasks again and again. For example, “Abou Jee, do
you need water? Should i bring tea for you? Are you hungry, baba” etc
6. Closely monitor their health. Visit doctor if required. Have them
thoroughly checked time to time.
7. Take care of their medicines. Set reminders on your phone for
their medicines and serve them on time.
8. Take them to the mosque. Walk slowly. Follow their pace.
9. Take them to the park for walk. If not possible daily, then take
them on weekend.
10. Do not call them by their name. Call them with respect.
11. Open the door for them with respect.
12. Adapt yourself according to their schedule not vise-versa.
13. Do shopping for them (buy their clothes, shoes, small items like
tooth paste). Buy your mother a nice coffee cup. Take them to market and
buy them according to their likings. Buy your parents some nice books;
usually people love to read books in old age.
14. When you come back home, visit them first in their room.
15. Respect their social circle and let them enjoy with their
friends.
16. In case of conflict on any issue, try to follow them as much as
possible. Remember, they have been sacrificing their money and time in
raising you for years and years. It’s time to pay back. They have been
showing all the patience during your childhood. It’s time for you to be
patient.
17. Keep them with you instead of sending them to old houses etc.
This will be a big act of ignorance if you do.
18. When starting the food, serve them first.
Perseverance, the key to success
Shaheen Nawaz
To many of us the word ‘success’ means something so huge and out of
reach that we lose hope even before trying to achieve it! But our
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave us the good news that success lies in doing
things, even small things, consistently.
In other words, it isn’t the quantity or size of our deeds but rather
their quality that determines whether we’re successful or not. And
quality requires consistency; when we keep on doing something over and
over again, we become more and more efficient at it.
What Stops Us From Being Consistent?
The main obstacles are:
1. Lack of faith, or having doubts about the goodness of an action.
This can be cured by acquiring knowledge and by seeking the company of
positive people.
2. Lack of focus as a result of being overcome by desires and other
distractions. This can be cured by identifying “slipping points” and
taking protective measures, e.g. eating sensibly and on time to avoid
the urge for constant nibbling, getting enough sleep to avoid the
fatigue trap, and exercising to prevent laziness.
3. Negative thinking, i.e. low self esteem, thinking of yourself as
being undeserving of success, fearing failure, being anxious about the
future, or regretting about the past. The most effective medicine to
heal the heart from all such pessimistic thoughts is to have a strong
and everlasting relationship with Allah (swt). Indeed, those who have
said, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remained on a right course— there
will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (Quran, 46:13)
The same advice is found in an authentic Hadith:Sufiyan bin Abdullah
said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah to tell me one thing about Islam
about which I will not need to ask anyone after you. So The Prophet
(SAW) said: ‘Say I believe in Allah and then be steadfast on it.’” (Sahih
Muslim: 38)
How to Persevere
Aim for the most true, most strong, most pure faith in Allah (swt) by
pondering His names and attributes, seeking his help, reading His words
with understanding, and pondering His signs in His creation.
Seek closeness to Allah (swt) through acts which He loves. Feel the
pleasure of faith as it enters your heart and makes it stronger with
every act of goodness which you do for His pleasure. Give up the things
that displease him.
Don’t give up! Yes we have to be steadfast in all the things that
benefit us. This is not a single dose treatment which you can take once
a month or once a week - it’s for life.
“Having Faith” is not simply the uttering of a few words; rather it
should be reflected in your acts of worship and also in your attitude
and behaviour towards people. A person who has faith in Allah can’t
harm others, nor can he make fun of neither them, nor back-bite them,
nor cheat them, nor look down on them, nor even have bad thoughts about
them!
So keep a constant check on that small but dangerous weapon called
‘the tongue.’ Because if used wisely, it can lead us to Jannah but if we
let it go out of control it can destroy all our chances of success.
Therefore success depends on the best use of our speech because this
will lead to a good and pure heart. And the purification of heart will
lead towards the strong and pure faith in Allah (swt) which will enable
us to remain consistent in our actions.
Placing trust in Allah
Tawakkul refers to putting your trust in Allah – to believe that He
alone can ward off the harms of this world, provide you blessings and
sustenance, and to ease your challenges. Tawakkul is also about
accepting the results that He decides regardless of how they may turn
out to be.
To understand the concept of Tawakkul, consider how tense and worried
you get at times about the challenges of this worldly life. Whether it's
you worrying about losing your job or sustenance, or general life
problems that you may come to face, Tawakkul is your belief and the
attitude that you have about putting your trust in Allah to take care of
all your affairs.
Allah (swt), says: And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient
is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily,
Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion. (Qur'an 65:3)
The Quran makes it clear that Tawakkul is not an option but rather a
requirement. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: Ó…and put your trust in
Allâh if you are believers indeed. (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5: 23)
He also says in the Quran:Ó….And in Allah let believers put their
Trust” [Surah Ibrahim 14:11]
Don't give up on Your Efforts
Tawakkul shouldn't be mistaken with giving up your efforts thinking
that somehow your challenges will get resolved. Rather striving and
working with the attitude that Allah will take care of your affairs and
will help you in getting through your trials is part of you having the
Tawakkul on Allah.
Some scholars have stated that “Tawakkul in reality does not deny
actually working and striving for provision, for Allah Almighty has
decreed that we should work and it is from His ways that he gives people
when they strive. In fact, Allah Almighty ordered us to both depend upon
Him and to work, to take the necessary steps needed to achieve our
goals, and so the act of striving for our sustenance is an act of
physical worship while trusting and depending upon Allah is faith in
Him.” (Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts (Fatawa Islamiyah,
Vol. 7, Pages 172-174)
Allah says:Ó…So seek provision from Allah and worship Him (alone).”
[Al-'Ankaboot 29: 17]
Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan stated about this verse, “Look for
sustenance and do not sit around in the masaajid claiming that you are
putting your trust in Allah. Do not sit in your homes and claim that
your daily sustenance will come to you.” This is wrong and a true
believer doesn't say such things.” (Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan
Haqeeqat-ut-Tawakkul (pg. 15-25))
This obviously applies to not just seeking provisions but in striving
to resolve other matters of our lives – just as long we remember and
believe that His will is a prerequisite for our matters to get resolved
and to accept what He ultimately decrees.
The scholars have also stated that, “other than our efforts that we
put in, a Muslim should also combine Tawakkul with other means, whether
they are acts of 'Ibadah (worship) like Du'a’ (supplication), Salah
(Prayer), Sadaqah (voluntary charity) or maintaining the ties of
kinship, or other material means which Allah has predestined.” (source: alifta.net Fatwa
no. 2798)
Source: Internet
To be continued
Why is the heart so lmportant in Islam?
What will save us on the Day of Judgment? Are we favored based on our
race or color? No. Then what is it? It is the place in our body which
Allah kept the location of the most valuable possession of a human
being: emaan (faith). It is your heart.
What favours you in the sight of Allaah is the state of your heart.
What will save you on the Day of Judgment is a sound heart.
 Let’s find out about the amazing position of the heart in Islam and
learn the secrets of a productive heart.
This is the week’s central ayah: So have they not traveled through
the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear?
For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts
which are within the breasts. (Quran, 22: 46)
The Significance of the Heart
In order to start moving in life you first need to have knowledge;
with that knowledge you can define if something is important or not.
Then it is up to you to make the move. The Prophet (PBUH) said about
your heart: Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be
sound, all the body is sound and which, if it be diseased, all of it is
diseased. Truly it is the heart. (al-Bukhaaree, Muslim)
Allah informed us in the Quran about the ‘heart’. For example, the
word people, mankind) is used 241 times, but the word ‘heart’ is used no
less than 137 times. What is the State of Your Heart?
The state of your heart will decide what you do with your knowledge.
Will you benefit from it by practicing it or not? For example, if you
hear an ayah of the Quran or a hadith, does it make you feel you want to
practice it straight away or does it not have much impact on you?
Whatever the answer is, it will tell you about the state of your heart.
Sins have an effect on your heart; they can cause your heart to be
sealed so that the light of knowledge doesn’t reach it anymore and the ayaat of
Allaah don’t affect you anymore. May Allah protect us from this.
There are many diseases we find in our hearts, like jealousy, envy,
greed, lust, and showing off. Our aim should be to strive to purify our
hearts and turn back to Allah with a sound heart. Once a wise man made
this dua: ‘O Allah purify my heart from anything but You.’
The Heart and the Mind
When you say the word ‘Think’, most of us point to our heads, right?
How many of us point to our hearts when we say ‘Think’, the Messenger of
Allaah said, “Taqwa is here,” and he pointed to his chest. [Muslim, at-Tirmidhi,
Ahmad]
One of the functions of the heart is understanding. Allah gave us a
heart to comprehend, to reflect, and to reason. That brings us back to
the central ayah: and have hearts by which to reason.
Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah said that many doctors and philosophers
have said that the mind is in the brain, so we think and understand with
our brains and not with our hearts. He then said that the centre is
actually the heart. Ibn Katheer said: The arrogant philosophers say that
the mind is in the brain. (Tafsir ibn Kathir vol 4 p.508)
To believe, to disbelieve, to understand, to comprehend, to have
tranquility, to feel confusion, to have tawakkul and to have khushoo’ are
all functions of your heart.
What do you do with your heart?
Now the question is what is your heart attached to? Is it attached to
your house, your money, your favorite TV show or to those special
moments you spend with the Quran and reading about the Prophet?
Allah says: when the only one who will be saved is the one who comes
before Allah with a heart devoted to Him. (Quran, 26:89)
To be continued
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