The Home and Women

While men are the physically stronger sex, the woman's biological make-up has made her excel as the homemaker. She alone can be impregnated, carry and deliver the child, and then suckle the baby. Her gentle, caring and self-sacrificing temperament is best suited to bringing up children and looking after the home. To say that she should also earn a living is an unacceptable injustice and implies that everything she does for her home and children is worthless and needs to be supplemented by an outside cover. A woman already has to play in society a great and noble role as mother of a new generation, a role for which no man can claim the honors. It is because of her supreme role as mother that she is entitled to three times the devotion given to the father from the children.

The roles of men and women in the Qur�aan are dealt as:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend from their means. Therefore, the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard." (V. 4:34)

This Divine injunction describes the man as Qawwam (maintainer) and the woman as Qanitah (obedient) and Hafizatun lil-Ghaib (preserver of the secret). The Verse gives two reasons as to why men are described as maintainers. Firstly, because "Allah has made the one of them to excel the other," which means that He has excelled men to be physically stronger and more inclined to have a career outside the home. The history of mankind has always shown that men, from the most primitive to the most technologically minded, have assumed the role of providing food, maintaining law and order in the community, waging war against enemies, and going on expeditions in search of new lands, adventure, food and even hidden treasure. The women have primarily stayed at home to provide a stable environment for the children.

The second reason is that "they spend from their means." It is the man's duty to provide financially for his family, and it is also the man who is required to give a dower to his wife at the time of their marriage. In the castle of his home, the husband is the ruler and the wife is his pillar of support. As in any establishment, there can only be one ruler; a car with two drivers, a country with two kings or an army with two generals would all be in utter chaos and disarray. The husband has thus been put in charge of his home, but this is a responsibility and not a privilege.

Both Sexes have Rights over each other:

The different roles of the sexes means that never is one sex burdened with all the duties while the other enjoys all the privileges. Instead they both have individual duties and privileges. The Qur�aan says in this regard:

"And they (women) have rights similar over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (V. 2:228)

Biologically Men and Women are two different sexes but complementary to each other

One may well ask that if there is such a complete and comprehensive spiritual equality between the two sexes, why is this identical treatment not found in other rights, duties and privileges. Muslims and especially non-Muslims question why men go out to work while women are encouraged to stay at home, why women have to wear the Hijab (veil), why a brother receives a larger share of inheritance than his sister, why a man can be a ruler but a woman can not, etc., and they then conclude that Islam treats women as inferior beings.

Laws can never be discussed without being explained first, so we must first consider the fundamental Islamic ethos that men and women are two different yet complementary sexes. It is an established medical fact that men and women have different biological compositions and temperaments. Allah the All-Mighty created and knows this biological difference better than we do, and has thus assigned to men and women the roles that each excels in due to its nature. 

Neither gender is inferior or superior to the other; instead they complement each other like the two halves of a whole. In everyday life we see that society consists of many different kinds of people, all of whom play their particular roles to keep society intact. The farmer and the doctor make different contributions to the society, but both are equally important. Each excels in his own field, and each provides a service for the other. Similarly, men and women are different sexes and play vital roles in their own areas of excellence.

Worth of Women in Islam

The Prophet's narrations speak of women with praise and respect. He once said:

"The world and all things in it are precious, and the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman." (Ahmad and Muslim)

He also said:

"Shall I not inform you about the best treasure a man can have? It is a virtuous woman who pleases him when he looks at her, who obeys him when he commands her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her."

The Prophet said:

"Made beloved to me from your world are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer." (Ahmad and An-Nasa 'i)

The Purpose of Creation of Men and Women

The Muslim accepts that the main purpose behind the creation of jinn and mankind was that they should worship Allah, struggle against the forces of Satan and live their life according to Allah' s Commandments in order to achieve eternal bliss in Paradise.

"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and men except they should worship Me (Alone)." (V. 51:56)

Also Allah said:

"Nay! But worship Allah, and be among the grateful." (V. 39:66)

At another place He said:

"Say (O Muhammad !): 'Verily, I am commanded to worship Allah by obeying Him and doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake only." (V. 39: 11)

Equality of Men and Women as regards Religious Obligations and Retribution

In this spiritual regard, Islam makes no distinction between men and women. Both have a soul, both were created for the same purpose in life, both have a duty to fulfill their religious obligations, both will be judged by the All Mighty, and both will be rewarded or punished according to their individual actions. Whenever the Qur�aan mentions those fortunate beings who will enter the Gardens of Bliss because of their piety and good deeds, it mentions men and women together.

Conditions of Hajj

1- Islam: Faith is the first requirement and without it the prescribed deeds are not valid or accepted as acts of worship. As we have seen previously, there is a strong relation between Hajj and its rituals with the religion of Ibraheem (A), which is the religion of Tawheed.

2- Sanity: Anyone who is not sane-minded - somebody who is proven to be is mentally ill - is not held responsible for his, or her, actions. The Prophet (S) said,

"There are three kinds of people who are not held responsible for their actions: The sleeping person until he wakes up, the child until he reaches the age of puberty, and the mentally ill until he becomes sane." [Related by the Five and ad-Daarimi]

3- Puberty: As understood from the above hadith.

4- Ability: It was explained by the Messenger of Allah (S) as the transportation and the provision during the journey. Today, Hajj is done through special arrangements and requirements. Anyone who can fulfill those requirements and can afford to pay for his journey without begging others or taking loans should go for Hajj.

"Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey"

Who are the Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj?

The Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj

During the reign of Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) people will live an extremely peaceful life filled with prosperity and abundance. Then the wall which imprisons Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj will break and they will surge forth in large numbers.

"But when Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj are let loose and they rush headlong down every hill" (Quran 21:97)

Who are the Ya'jooj and Majooj?

Zul Qarnain (A.S.) who was a pious and just Ruler travelled to many lands and conquered them, establishing justice and the Law of Allah therein. Allah Ta'ala provided him with all forms and material strength through which he was able to carry out his conquests and missions.

He once carried out a mission in three directions, the far west, the far east, and then in a northerly direction. It was here that he came across a tribe of people who complained to him about the tribes of Ya'jooj and Majooj which inhabited the land behind two huge mountains and often emerged from behind these mountains to perpetrate acts of anarchy and plunder among them. They requested Zul Qarnain (A.S.) to erect a barrier between themselves and the tribes of Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj so that they could be saved from their atrocities. With the material strength at his disposal, Zul Qarnain (A.S.) enlisted their physical labor and set about erecting a high wall between the two mountains. The height of the wall or its exact length is unknown. What is known is that the height of this wall reaches that of the summit of both mountains. It is made with blocks or sheets of iron, which is further strengthened by molten lead. In this manner Ya'jooj and Majooj are unable to scale the wall, or cross it, except when it is the will of Allah.

Who is the evil Dajjal (the "anti-Christ")?

Note: Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam) has exhorted the regular recital of Suratul Kahf which will most certainly save one from the Evils of Dajjal.

Hadhrat Imraan bin Husain (R.A.) relates that, "I heard Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying: "Since the birth of Adam (A.S.) till the advent of Qiyamah there is no fitnah (evil, test) much greater that of Dajjal."

Hadhrat Huzaifah (R.A.) says, Dajjal will be blind in his left eye. He will have very thick hair on his body and he will also have his own type of Jannat (Heaven) and Jahannam (Hell) with him: Although his Jannat will appear as Jannat, in reality it will be Jahannam and likewise though his Jahannam will appear to be Jahannam, in reality it will be Jannat.

(Hadith: Muslim)

Imraan bin Husain (R.A.) says Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Those who hear about Dajjal should stay far from him. By Allah! A person will approach him thinking him to be a Believer, but on seeing his amazing feats he will become his follower."

Ubadah bin Saamit (R.A.) once said, "I have explained Dajjal to you but I fear that you might not have understood. Maseeh Dajjal will be short, and his legs will be crooked. The hair on his head will be extremely twisted. He will have one eye (with which he can see, and this is the protruding eye about which other ahadeeth inform us) while his other eye will be totally flat. It will neither be deep (in its socket) nor protruding.

Imam Mahdi (Descendent of Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

Who Is Imam Mahdi?

Note: Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Hadhrat Isa (Jesus) Alayhis Salaam. They are two different persons, and both will come during the last days. According to Hadeeth, Imam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will appear during Imam Mahdi's lifetime. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will be able to kill Dajjal (the "anti-Christ").

The term "MAHDI" is a title meaning "The Guided one".

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny does not rule over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name." (Tirmidhi)

Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initally was filled with oppression." (Abu Dawood)

His Features

Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Al Mahdi will be from my progeny. His forehead will be broad and his nose will be high. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years."

A List of the Major Signs of Qiyamah

Auf bin Malik (R.A.) says: I came to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) while he was in his skin tent during the Tabuk expedition. He said to me, "Count six things before the advent of Qiyamah:

My death

The conquest of Jerusalem

Mass deaths amongst you people, just as when sheep die in large

numbers during an epidemic

Abundance of wealth to such an extent that if a person were to be

given a hundred Dinars he will still not be satisfied

General anarchy and bloodshed, that no Arab household will be spared

from it

Then a life of peace as a result of a peace agreement between you and the Banil Asfaar (Romans) which they will break and attack you with a force consisting of eighty flags and under each flag will be an army of twelve thousand men."

(Bukhari).

Signs Before the Major Signs (i.e. before the emergence of Imam Mahdi)

Christain Rule Will be dominant

ANOMALOUS INCIDENTS WILL OCCUR

Occurrence of red winds, disfiguration of faces (man to pig), and people being swallowed into the ground.

GENOCIDE

A man from Abu Sufyaan's progeny massacres descendents of Nabi (S.A.W) and rules over Syria and Egypt.

The Minor Signs of the Last Day

Qiyamah will come when...

Hadhrat Abu Musa Ash'ari (R.A.) narrates that Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alayhii Wassallam) said, "Qiyamah will come...

When it will be regarded as a shame to act on Quranic injunctions.

When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

When it will be hot in winter.

When the length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a matter of hours.

When orators and lecturers lie openly.

When people dispute over petty issues.

When women with children come displeased on account of them bearing offspring, and barren women remain happy on account of having no responsibility of offspring.

When oppression, jealousy, and greed become the order of the day.

When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.

When lies prevail over the truth.

When violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.

When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.

When legislation matters pertaining to Deen is handed over to the worst elements of the Ummat, and if people accept them and are satisfied with their findings, then such persons will not smell the fragrance of Jannat.

Did You Thank Allah for Your Eyesight?

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."

What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

"It is He, Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give." [surah Al-Mu'minun; 78]

Difference between Hajj Types

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The types of Hajj are as follows:

Tamattu`: At or before reaching the miqat (the place where one must enter ihram), the person enters into ihram for `Umrah only. He performs `Umrah first, then goes out of ihram until 8 Dhul-Hijjah, when he or she enters into ihram again for Hajj. This is the most common type for people from outside ofSaudiArabia.

Qiran: The person enters into ihram for both `Umrah and Hajj, and does not go out of ihram until the Day of Sacrifice (`Eid Al-Adha) at Mina. In this type of Hajj, the pilgrim has to stick to the restrictions of ihram for a longer period of time.

Ifrad: The person enters into ihram only for the Hajj and takes it off only on the Day of Sacrifice.

Fulfilling the Rights of Others Before Performing Hajj

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger.

Elaborating more on this, Dr. Husam al-Din Ibn Musa `Afana, professor of Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Quds University, Palestine, states:

Almighty Allah says: (And eat not up your property among yourselves in vanity, nor seek by it to gain the hearing of the judges that ye may knowingly devour a portion of the property of others wrongfully. ) (Al-Baqarah 2: 188) Almighty Allah also says: (O ye who believe! Fulfill your undertakings…) (Al-Ma’idah 5: 1) 

Tips to Maximize Hajj Benefits

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states,

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is the peak and culmination of the acts of worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever performs the rites of Hajj, while having refrained from acts of lewdness, obscenity and wrangling, will return home like a new born (i.e., free from all sins).” He (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, “A virtuous Hajj entails no other reward than Paradise.”

The question, however, remains: What is meant by a virtuous Hajj?

The answer is not hard to find when we closely peruse the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as well as the wise instructions of the scholars and imams.

The Best Type of Hajj

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The types of Hajj are as follows:

Tamattu`: At or before reaching the miqat, the person enters into Ihram for `Umrah only. He performs `Umrah first, then goes out of Ihram until 8 Dhul-Hijjah, when he enters into Ihram again for Hajj. This is the most common type for people from outside ofSaudiArabia.

Qiran: The person enters into Ihram for both `Umrah and Hajj, and does not go out of Ihram until the Day of Sacrifice (`Eid al-Ad-ha) at Mina. In this type of Hajj, one has to stick to the restrictions of Ihram for a longer period of time.

Ifrad: The person enters into Ihram only for the Hajj and takes it off only on the Day of Sacrifice.

Hajj A Universal Message for Peace

Inner Peace

Hajj rituals fill a Muslim’s heart with inner peace and tranquilly. Inner peace is one of the significant blessings and fruits of hajj. Various rituals of hajj purify one’s body and soul. Hajj is all about the remembrance of Allah (dhikr), repentance, du`aa’, seeking Allah’s forgiveness, devotion, and acquiring refined morals and values, which all lead to inner peace.

From the very beginning of the hajj trip, a Muslim declares “labayka Allahumma hajjan (O Allah, I wholeheartedly resolve to offer hajj only for Your Sake)”. When a pilgrim departs his homeland, he leaves his family and money in Allah’s Trust. This implants in one’s heart true reliance on Allah. When the pilgrim puts off his normal clothes and wears the clothes of iharm, he then remembers that one day he will leave this world with nothing, and that what counts are only good deeds. Throughout the hajj trip, a Muslim engages himself in much dhikr and reflection on Allah’s creation. This meaning is clear in the following Qur’anic verses on hajj and its rituals:

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Righteousness and Sin (part 2 of 2): Sin and Human Conscience

Description: Clinging to righteousness and avoiding sin is not just about worshipping One God without partner through conventional rituals. It goes far beyond that to one’s moral and mannerly behavior, taking heed of one’s conscience, and seeking with one’s heart. Part 2: Sin is what bothers the conscience and is shameful to the righteous heart.

In the second part of this narration, the Prophet mentioned another subtle aspect of sin, which is that sin is anything which bothers a righteous person’s conscience and which a person seeks to hide from others. An array of actions comes into a person’s mind once they hear these words.

God has inspired within each soul the ability, although limited, to recognize truth from falsehood.

“He inspired it (the soul) to know its sin and its piety.” (Quran 91:8)

As long as a person seeks righteousness, they will know when they have done something wrong through their conscience, even though they might find numerous ways to excuse themselves for what they are doing. They would never like anyone to come to know of that thing, for they are ashamed of it; their religion is enriched with shyness, shame and bashfulness. The Prophet said:

Righteousness and Sin (part 1 of 2): Righteousness is Good Character

Description: Clinging to righteousness and avoiding sin is not just about worshipping One God without partner through conventional rituals. It goes far beyond that to one’s moral and mannerly behavior, taking heed of one’s conscience, and seeking with one’s heart. Part 1: Righteousness defined by revelation and reason.

Pearls from His Sayings

An-Nawwas bin Sam’aan reported that Prophet Muhammad said:

“Righteousness is good character, and sin is whatever bothers you and you do not want people to know.” (Saheeh Muslim)

An-Nawwas bin Sam’aan is a famous companion of Prophet Muhammad. He belonged to the Arab tribe of Kallaab and settled in Syria after the death of the Prophet.

His report is collected by a scholar of hadeeth named Muslim bin Hajjaj, who was born in 817 CE in the city of Naishapur, in north-eastern Iran, and died there at the age of 58, in 875 CE. Muslim began studying the science of Prophetic hadeeth at the age of 15 and traveled to Iraq, Hijaz (Western Saudi Arabia), Syria, and Egypt to study under great hadeeth masters like al-Bukhari, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and others. He compiled a book containing some 9,200 hadeeths which is known as Saheeh Muslim. Muslim scholars consider it to be the most authentic compilation of Prophetic hadeeths after Saheeh al-Bukhari.

The Scientific Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad Saying

The seven layers of the earth which scientists have recently discovered was eluded to by Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago

A simple image of Earth and the interior layers. Windows to the Universe, at (http://www.windows.ucar.edu) at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan; ©2000-05 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is the second revealed source of Islam. Like the Quran, it contains scientific information unavailable 1400 years ago. From these miracles is the “seven” earths, mentioned by the Prophet in several of his sayings. From them are the following two:

Hadith 1

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Salamah that a dispute arose between him and some other people (about a piece of land). When he told Aisha (the Prophet’s wife) about it, she said, ‘O Abu Salamah! Avoid taking the land unjustly, for the Prophet said:

“Whoever usurps even one span of land of somebody, its depth through the seven earths will be collared to his neck.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, ‘Book of Oppression.’)

Hadith 2

Salim narrated on the authority of his father that the Prophet said:

“Whoever takes a piece of land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, ‘Book of Oppression.’)