Is It Haram to Tell Your Parents about Your Sins?

If you have committed a sin in secret, your repentance is also to be done secretly. You are not to disclose what Allah has concealed or covered for you, as the rule is that a sin that is committed secretly is also repented from secretly, while a sin that is committed publicly must be repented from publicly.

You are, therefore, urged to hasten to return to the Lord, crying and begging for His forgiveness.

Remember that in order for your repentance to be acceptable, you must remove yourself from the circumstances that led you to sin in the first place.

In addition to cutting off your relations with the person immediately, you must show true contrition and remorse for the sin you have committed and resolve never to return to it again.

Also, it is important that you surround yourself with pious people and occupy yourself with good works.

Telling your parents about your sin is not a prerequisite for Allah to grant you forgiveness as Allah says,

{Say: O My servants who have wronged against their own souls! Do not despair of Allah’s mercy! For Allah forgives all sins; for He is indeed Forgiving, Compassionate. Turn to Your Lord repentantly, and submit to Him, before the torment overtakes you when you shall not be helped.} (Az-Zummar 39:53-54)

In the above verse, we are told to repent by sincerely returning to Allah and submitting to His will, which means to obey His laws. It is, therefore, sufficient for you to do this. So never think about repeating your sin, and remain steadfast while keeping yourself occupied with good works. May Allah accept your repentance and help us all to remain steadfast, Ameen.

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Is Islam a Harsh Religion?

 

 Greeting of Islam, the greeting of “peace”, as taught by The Most Merciful Lord who said:

“[…] greet one another with the greeting of peace prescribed by Allah blessed and pure. Thus Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may grow in understanding.” (Quran 24: 61)

Is Islam a Harsh Religion?

You’re asking whether Islam is “a harsh religion”. Islam is the religion where the Lord & Creator, Allah Almighty says:

“When the believers in Our revelations come to you, say, “Peace be upon you! Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy. Whoever among you commits evil ignorantly ˹or recklessly˺ then repents afterward and mends their ways, then Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”(Quran 6:54)

Islam is the religion where the Creator Allah Almighty starts His Book by introducing Himself saying:

“In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah—Lord of all the worlds, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,” (Quran 1: 1-3)

So the Truth is: Allah is the Source & Creator of Mercy who sent His Final Prophet, Muhammad, as a mercy to the worlds with a revelation that teaches people purification and mercy.

And here is a brief analysis of that.

Allah: The Lord & Creator of Mercy 

Allah Almighty created the universe out of nothing. He is the Creator of the physical world and the Creator of the souls and noble meanings in the universe. The meanings of Mercy, Compassion, Gentleness, Affection did not exist before or beyond Allah.

These are His Names & Attributes, and He instilled them into the world in the hearts of His creations and instructed people to grow in those meanings.

See the below hadiths (Prophetic sayings) for example:

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said:

“Allah is Gentle and loves gentleness, and He grants reward for it that He does not grant for harshness.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“Shall I not tell you whom the Hellfire is forbidden to touch? It is forbidden to touch a man who is always accessible, having polite and tender nature.” [At- Tirmidhii].

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As: The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in heaven will show mercy to you.” [Sunan Abi Dawud]

What types of hearts does Allah love? The most compassionate and tender ones.

Abu ‘Inabah reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said,

“Verily, Allah has vessels among the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous servants. The most beloved of them to him are the softest and most tender of them.” [Al Albani. Strong chain of narration]

The Mercy of the Final Messenger of Allah: Muhammad

So, Allah is The Incomparably Merciful, and He sent His Messenger out of mercy. Allah Almighty who created Prophet Muhammad said about Him:

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Quran 21: 107)

We have sound narrations that Prophet Muhammad was most gentle and most merciful towards all those around him. His wives reported that in his life and after his death, his servants reported that, his companions reported that and even his honest enemies reported that he was gentle, merciful, and noble.

He taught men in detail to take care of the women in their lives, taught parents to take care of their children, taught leaders to take care of their people, and taught every member of the community their full rights and obligations as revealed by the Creator.

Anyone who studies adequately, comprehensively, and objectively the biography of the Prophet from credible non-orientalist and non-Islamophobic sources will see this clearer than daylight.

The Ease & Mercy of Islam

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said,

“Make things easy and do not make them difficult, cheer the people up by conveying glad tidings to them and do not repulse (them).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

And Allah Almighty says:

“[…] Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship” (Quran: 2: 185)

And He said:

“Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.

And Allah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties], and mankind was created weak.” (Quran 4: 26-28)

The Essence of Teaching, Law & Order

Allah sent His Messenger to teach and purify people and societies. The standpoint of this is mercy and gentleness, but what if there are criminals, wrongdoers, and unjust people, how do we deal with that?

Mercy is still there, but there must be disciplinary actions, and the purpose of that is to protect the societies and deter people from further indulging in self and societal destruction. In any country or community, leaders enact laws to deter criminals from indulging in corruption and injustice.

Bear that in mind as you think of Islam as the last and final revelation sent to all mankind until the end of time. It is sent to people, not sent to angels. So, Allah Almighty revealed to His Messenger the teachings that help spread mercy and halt corruption and injustice by the right measures to each case.

If one has insufficient knowledge, he/she might look at a specific law, order, saying, or incident, glue them together while taking them out of their holistic context, and then come to a hasty flawed conclusion about Islam being “harsh”. This is a flaw in people’s process of learning, not a flaw in Islam. Islam is perfect and impeccable.

If Islam is not a Harsh Religion – Where Does The Claim of Harshness Come From?

It comes from people’s ignorance; whether those who question with ignorance or those who practice with ignorance. Lack of deep, comprehensive knowledge is what drives hastiness in judgment or harshness in practice.

But Islam is not a religion of ignorance, it is a religion of knowledge and sound judgment and reason. Only those who are objective, patient, and sincere will study adequately and find the truth and practice it as revealed and intended.

But those who don’t want to put the effort into finding the truth or those who want to practice the revelation according to their desires and inadequacies will end up falling into multiple forms of ugliness, not just harshness.

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony

Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

Why Pray or Make Du’aa’ If It’s Not Answered?

 

Let me clarify that Allah Almighty commands us in the Quran to supplicate (make du’aa’- the kind of prayer you are asking about) to Him:

If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to those who call Me, so let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided. (Quran 2:186)

This verse makes it clear that Allah is very close to us. He has knowledge of everything.

He knows our needs, feelings, thoughts, etc. He knows what we utter and what we conceal.

Allah is al-Mujeeb

As for Allah’s answering our supplication, we have to keep in mind that Allah Almighty promised to answer our prayers.

One of the beautiful names of Allah is al-Mujeeb (the one who answers our prayers).

So, we have to have firm belief in that divine name and attribute of Allah.

Allah, al-Mujeeb, responds to supplications in a number of ways:

1. Allah will respond to our supplications immediately
2. Allah will ward off some evil from us because of the supplication
3. Allah will make something good easy for us to attain because of it
4. Allah will save it with Him for us on the Day of Resurrection when we will be in the most need of it.

Why du’aa’ might not be answered

If there is a certain supplication that is not answered, it is because we have done something wrong.

For example, consuming unlawful food is a reason for our supplications to be rejected. One should repent to Allah and give up all sins.

Allah says in the Quran:

I said, “Ask forgiveness of your Lord: He is ever forgiving. He will send down abundant rain from the sky for you; He will give you wealth and sons; He will provide you with gardens and rivers.” (Quran 71:10-13)

If we ask Allah Almighty for something that is unlawful, such as breaking family ties, our supplication will not be answered.

The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said:

A person’s supplication will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties. (Muslim)

One’s supplication will not be answered if he hastens for it. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

The supplication of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, ‘I made supplication, but it was not answered’. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

One’s supplication will not be answered if he makes the answer conditional. For example, do not supplicate and say if Allah cures my illness, I will give to charity.

Make du’aa’ AND seek the means

We also have to remember that there is a difference between making dua to Allah and doing what is needed.

For example, to pass a test, you have to study hard and do all assignments. You have to seek the means and work within the system that Allah Almighty has created.

You cannot not say: I will pray to Allah to help me pass that test and therefore I do not have to study.

This is called tawakul not tawakkul. 

Tawakkul is to do your best and leave the result to Allah. 

Tawakul is to neglect the things needed from you and say that Allah will help you out.

Everyone must seek the means to get what they want. Allah expects us to seek the means within the patters that he has created. 

Why disbelievers get their needs and wants

As for those who get the things they need and want without making du’aa’, this is part of Allah’s wisdom.

When Allah wants to bring you closer to Him, He asks you to make du’aa’ to hear your voice and listen to your words, to draw you nearer to Him.

If one gets the things he wants without having faith in Allah Almighty, it is because these are worldly affairs.

In the Hereafter, those people will get nothing because they did not believe in Allah in the first place.

[…] There are some who pray, ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world,’ and they will have no share in the Hereafter. (Quran 2:201)

Answering the disbelievers’ supplication is part of His mercy which encompasses everything.

Your Prayer Will Be Answered… Eventually

Du’aa’ is a form of worship for which there is a great reward beyond even having the du’aa’ answered.

So, when you make du’aa’, you will feel closer to Allah, have your du’aa’ answered, and you are rewarded for making du’aa’.

To sum up, I highly advised you to act upon Allah’s command to make lots of du’aa’ to Him. Be sure that your du’aa’ will be answered.

If it is not answered in this world, it will be counted as rewards for you in the Hereafter when you will be in need of every single reward you can get, as we all will.

Be one of those who would say:

‘Our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’ (Quran 2:202)

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Mohsen Haredy

Dr. Mohsen Haredy holds a PhD in Hadith literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. He is the former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, and a contributing writer and counselor of Reading Islam. He graduated from Al-Azhar University and earned his MA in Hadith literature from Leiden University.

Can We Gift Quran to Non-Muslims?

 

May Allah grant you success in your endeavors to spread Islam. However, there is no harm or prohibition in distributing copies of the translation of the meaning of the Quran for the sake of dawah (calling people to Islam).

Furthermore, you should do your best to provide more copies of the Quran to those people who are interested to know about Islam.

As for giving Quran to non-Muslims, I would prefer not to do so unless there is a hope that he or she might benefit from it.

In other words, if this would lead him or her to convert to Islam, I see no harm to do so. This is based on the legal maxim which says ‘necessities render an unlawful deed a lawful one.’

Surely, you should not give it or distribute it to those people who might damage it or abuse it intentionally. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent messages to unbelievers and those messages contained many verses from the Quran.

In addition to that, for the sake of dawah, one should do his best to introduce this Glorious Book to unbelievers with the hope that they convert to Islam later.

Surely, the prohibition stated in the Quranic verses that mean, {And lo! That verily is a tremendous oath, if you but knew that (this) is indeed a noble Qur’an in a Book kept hidden which none touches save the purified.} (Al-Waqi`ah 56:76-79) does not mean non-Muslims but the devils, as a response to the accusation in the verse meaning, {The devils did not bring it down.} (Ash-Shu`araa’ 26:210)

Allah Almighty knows best.

- aboutislam.net

Piety – What Does It Mean?

Piety isn’t just an outward worshipping, for it goes much deeper than that. Allah (SWT) constantly tells us about piety. But what’s piety and how to be pious? In this video, we show you many ways that you can achieve piety! - aboutislam.net

Ma‘iyyat Allah as Stated in the Quran

 

The doctrine followed by Ahl-us-Sunnah w-al-Jama‘ah (adherents to the Sunnah and the Muslim mainstream) is to follow the righteous predecessors in relation to the Names and Attributes of Allah. This doctrine states that the Beautiful Names and Exalted Attributes of Allah, the Almighty, are those evidenced by His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet without any Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), Ta‘til (negation of the meaning or function of Allah's Attributes), Takyif (descriptive designation of Allah's Attributes), or Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation).

Ma‘iyyat Allah (the Company of Allah) is one of Allah’s Attributes stated in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah and means that Allah is with us in a way that befits His Majesty. Allah, the Almighty, says: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42: 11] It is also stated and confirmed that Allah rises over His Throne in the manner that befits His Majesty.

The root of Ma‘yyiah in the linguistic sense is the noun “Ma‘a,” which means companionship, company, assembly, and gathering of two things. However, the word “Ma‘a” does not linguistically entail any mixing, mingling, or connection, as some people claimed, but it means companionship and company in the general sense. For example, the moon accompanies the traveler and other people while it is so high and distant and does not mix or mingle with them.

In addition, the word “Ma‘iyyah” indicates knowledge and may mean support, if the context indicates this meaning. Ibn Al-Jawzi  said, “The word ‘Ma‘a’ has five meanings: company, as stated in the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.} [Quran 48: 29]” Ibn ‘Ashour  said, “The word ‘Ma‘ahu’ means full companionship with obedience and support.”

This word may also indicate advocacy, as in the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {…when they were in the cave and he [i.e., Muhammad ()] said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’} [Quran 9: 40] As-Sa‘di  said, “This means by Allah’s help, advocacy, and support.” This word may also indicate knowledge, as stated in the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {…and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are.} [Quran 58: 7] As-Sa‘di  said: “This ‘Ma‘iyyah’ indicates knowledge and awareness, and ‘Inda (with), as stated in the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is [already] with you…} [Quran 2: 41] Ibn Kathir  and others said, “This is because the name of Muhammad,  is written in the Torah and the Bible.” The word ‘Ma‘a’ also means “on,” as stated in the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down on him—it is those who will be the successful.} [Quran 7: 157] Ash-Shawkani  said, “This verse means that they followed the Quran which was revealed to him when he was sent as a Prophet.”

Types of Ma‘iyyat Allah Stated in the Quran:

This word is mentioned in eighteen verses in the Quran, indicating that Allah is in the company of His Angels, the elite of His creation from among His Prophets, the Awliya’ (pious people), honest believers, and people in general. More than one scholar said that these Quranic texts indicate that Ma‘iyyat Allah has two meanings:

General Ma‘iyyah: This type of Ma‘iyyah indicates that Allah is with all His creation with His knowledge, i.e., His knowledge encompasses all His creation. He is aware of all His creation, witnesses them, and knows all about them. It is general because it includes all of Allah’s creation and is mentioned in many verses in the Quran, as the previous verse stated in Surah Al-Mujadilah.

Private Ma‘iyyah: It indicates awareness, advocacy, support, and granting of success, and is considered private because it is concerned with Allah’s Prophets and Awlia’ only. It is mentioned in the Quran in many verses, such as: {O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.} [Quran 2: 153] This means that Allah is with the patient, helping and granting them success and guidance.

The Impacts of Belief in this Ma‘iyyah:

Both types of Ma‘iyyah (general and private) have great impacts. The most important impacts of general Ma‘iyyah are as follows:

· Stirring in people’s souls a sense of awe at this Great Deity, Who knows the secrets and hidden matters.

· Hastening to obey Allah and abstain from acts of disobedience because Allah is fully Aware of His creation.

The impacts of belief in private Ma‘iyyah are as follows:

· Whoever is in the company of Allah will not be overcome by anyone or affected by anything, as he is connected with the source of power: Allah, the Predominant over His affairs, the Subjugator over His servants.

· The person who is in Ma‘iyyat Allah will not feel lonely because Allah is with him, putting him at ease, making him steadfast, and strengthening him.

· The person who is in Ma‘iyyat Allah will feel satisfied, reassured, and calm, as Prophet Mosa  said with full confidence and pride when he was surrounded by Pharaoh and his soldiers: {Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.} [Quran 26: 62]

After briefly clarifying the meaning of Ma‘iyyat Allah through the Quranic verses, it becomes clear to us that it is either general Ma‘iyyah, which encompasses all people and indicates knowledge, hearing, sight, awareness, ability, and dominance, although Allah is above His Throne, or private Ma‘iyyah with His elected servants, and this indicates advocacy, kindness, and support. - islamweb.net

How Do I Build a Relationship with Allah?

 

Some practical steps to help you build your relationship with Allah include:

Remember all the moments of mercy in your life. These are the moments in which Allah saved you from harm or in which you felt happy and at peace.

Maybe you fell ill and got better, or almost had a car accident, or just felt that life is not all that bad.

I call these moments of mercy because it is Allah’s mercy for us that make these happen. Learn to look for these moments in your daily life and in the lives of those around you.

As you remember each moment, say to yourself “al-hamdu lillah” (all praise to Allah) and “la illaha illa Allah” (there is no God but Allah).

Talk to Allah. Don’t just memorize any set du`aa’ (suplication). But open your heart and talk to Him.

Remember He is closer to you than anyone or anything in the world, and He loves you more than anyone, and He is even more merciful to you than even your own mother can be. Share your dreams, your fears, your happiness, and your pain with Him.

Only He can help you fulfill your dreams, allay your fears, bring you happiness, and ease your pain. Allah is the only confidant you can be sure will keep your secrets.

The Five Daily Prayers

Try extra hard to concentrate on your five daily prayers. Listen to what you are saying. When you start the prayer and you say “Allahu Akbar”, do you know what that means?

Allahu Akbar, or God is Greater, is such a beautiful phrase, and if you could feel its meaning, this can help you in many difficult situations.

If you are being treated unjustly by someone in your life, say Allahu Akbar, and know that God is Greater than this person and remember that God is the Most Just and that on the Day of judgment, God and not anyone else will be the judge.

If you are going through an emotionally painful experience, say “Allahu Akbar“, and know that God is Greater than this pain and He loves you. So when you start praying, you first say to all your worries and fears and pain, “Allahu Akbar”—God is greater than all these worries and fears and pain.

Concentrate on the meaning of the opening surah of the Quran, Al-Fatihah, in which you say that God is the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate, and is the God of all the worlds, and in which you ask this Merciful, Compassionate God to show you the straight path.

Above all, don’t rush through your prayers, but linger. These beautiful moments are special times in which you are standing before Allah, praising Him and asking Him for guidance. You are going through movements which Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us.

Imagine that the Prophet is the imam and that both of you are praying in front of God together. Remember that the nearest you can get to Allah in this world is during sujud (prostration), or when you prostrate your forehead to the ground.

Use those moments to open your heart to God and ask of Him what you will. Try to feel each moment during your prayers. But do not feel let down if you find yourself unable to concentrate 100 percent.

It is very difficult to do that, and it takes a lot of self-discipline and effort. It is normal to lose your concentration, and Allah will reward you the more effort you put in to make yourself concentrate.

Set Mini-Goals

Try to set mini-goals for yourself and take it one step at a time.

For example, you can set yourself the specific goal of contemplating the meaning of “Allahu Akbar” when you say it during your Prayers.

After you achieve that, try to concentrate on the meaning of Surat Al-Fatihah in addition to “Allahu Akbar”, and so on until you have reached a state of complete concentration.

Read the Quran. But don’t just read it without thought. Read it deliberately, and contemplate the meanings of the verses.

Especially read Surat Yusuf, which tells the story of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and Surat Ar-Rahman, which tells of Allah’s mercy.

Learn to say “a`udhu billahi min Ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem” (I take refuge in Allah from the evil devil) whenever you have an evil thought. Take refuge in Him who can save you from all evil. Get up and make wudu’ (ablution) and read some Quran or talk to Allah, or pray two rak`ahs for Allah.

Volunteer to help out in your local hospital or orphanage or mosque or Islamic center. 

You can also put some effort in learning tajweed, the rules of the recitation of the Quran.

Read a book on the lives of the prophets or the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

- aboutislam.net

About Marwa Elnaggar

Marwa Elnaggar is a freelance copyeditor, journalist, consultant, and writer.