Prayer Concessions For People With Valid Excuses

 

Islam is a religion of ease and mercy. Allah, the Exalted, says:

Allah wants ease for you, not hardship. (Quran 2:185)

Prayer remains an obligation on every Muslim in any situation. It should not be abandoned under any circumstances, including illness, travel, or fear.

Prayer establishes the connection between a person and their Creator and must never be interrupted or severed, but instead performed in a lightened form when there is an Islamically acceptable excuse.

1- Travelers

• The Islamic Law permits those traveling for approximately eighty kilometers or more to shorten the four-Rak’ah prayers to two (called Qasr) and to combine two prayers (called Jam‘) at the due time of either of them in order to eliminate hardship and facilitate matters for the travelers.

• Concession of shortening prayers during travels:

It grants permission for travelers to offer the four-Rak’ah prayers as two Rak`ahs only (namely, the Dhuhr, the `Asr, and the `Isha’). There is no shortening of the Fajr or the Maghrib Prayers.

• Concession of Combining Two Prayers:

It grants permission for travelers to offer two consecutive prayers, namely, the Dhuhr Prayer with the `Asr Prayer, and the Maghrib Prayer with the `Isha’ Prayer during the time of the earlier or later one, as appropriate for the circumstances of the individual involved.

In clearer words, to bring the `Asr forward and pray it with the Dhuhr (called early combination) or delay the Dhuhr and pray it with the `Asr (called late combination). The same procedure applies to combining the Maghrib and the `Isha. The Fajr Prayer cannot be combined with any other prayer. It must be prayed on time.

• To avail themselves of the concessions of traveling, travelers must leave the built-up area of their city or village. Most scholars also stipulate that the journey must be for a lawful purpose.

• Traveling is the only legitimate reason for shortening prayers; it is not allowed in situations other than traveling. As for combining prayers, the reasons permitting it include necessity and valid excuses. This makes it possible when needed.

Accordingly, combining prayers is permissible for travelers, and also for resident people (non-travelers) when it is too difficult for them to offer each prayer on time.

For example, someone who is sick, someone who is feeling threatened or afraid (with regards to personal safety, property, or honor), or someone who is busy with a task that cannot be interrupted, such as a student taking an exam or a doctor carrying out a surgery.

This is on the condition that combining prayers must not become a habit, regularly performed, and is limited to the difficult or inconvenient situation that faces the person.

2- Sick People

Conscious, sane patients should pray as their condition allows and should never abandon Prayer. No sane Muslim who has attained puberty shall be exempt from offering Prayer, except in the particular case of a menstruating or postpartum woman.

During that period, a woman is excused from the obligation of prayer until the bleeding stops and she becomes purified. Because of Allah’s Mercy and Kindness towards women, she does not have to make up the prayers she misses during that time.

• The tolerant Islamic Law has eased the duty of prayer for sick people by allowing them to pray according to their condition and physical state. Allah, the Majestic and Glorious, says:

Allah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. (Quran 2:286)

• Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih Book of Hadith that Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said to `Imran ibn Husayn:

Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; and if you cannot, then lying on your side.

Al-Nasa’i added in his reported version of the hadith:

If you cannot, then lying on your back. Allah does not burden any soul beyond its scope.

• Sick people should pray as their condition allows. If they cannot stand, they can pray while sitting. If they cannot sit, they can pray while lying on their side, preferably the right side, and facing towards the Qiblah. They should bow and prostrate using gestures. If lying on their side is difficult for them, they may pray while lying on their back with their feet facing towards the Qiblah.

• A sick person who can stand, but cannot bow or prostrate, is not excused from the obligation of standing. They should pray in a standing position and make a head gesture for bowing (by lowering their head or bending their back a little), then take a sitting position and make a head gesture for prostration.

• A sick person who cannot bow and prostrate should perform these prayer postures with gestures of the head only, making the gesture for prostration more inclined or lower than that for bowing.

• A sick person who can only prostrate should bow and make a gesture for prostration.

• If it is too difficult for the sick person to offer each prayer at its due time, they can combine the Dhuhr Prayer with the `Asr Prayer, and the Maghrib Prayer with `Isha’ Prayer at the time of the earlier or later one, according to what best fits their circumstances and ability. - aboutislam.net

At That Moment I Took Off the Hijab! Part One

 

My understanding of Islam and my encounter with hijab (the Islamic dress code for women) are perhaps much different from others.

While many people first learn about hijab in various ways when they embrace Islam after being guided to the right path, I, however, have been a Muslim all my life. Also, hijab was never something new to me as I had been brought up in a Muslim family and more or less a Muslim society in Malaysia.

Being raised in such a beautiful tropical country where the light of Islam have been shining ever since Arab traders first came to the land and captured the hearts of its people with their beautiful Islamic preaching, even before the first Portuguese man arrived to conquer the nation, I can say that most Muslims around me, no matter how ignorant, have had some sort of emotional attachment to Islam.

This went back along the historical route to the Muslim Sultans who were ruling some parts of the land and the many Islamic laws they introduced. However, when the Portuguese, Dutch and British occupied the land, our ancestors were killed, enslaved, forced to accept completely alien life styles and value systems, and finally many were deprived of the guidance and harmony that Islam had brought to them.

Avoiding Tensions in My Early Years

Spending my early years of education at a private Islamic elementary school, many Islamic concepts were at tips of my fingers. I knew by heart almost all what was there in the Islamic subject syllabus and even started memorizing few chapters of the Qur’an since I was young.

Several years later I decided to move to a public school where non-Muslims and Muslims freely mixed. There, I had two best friends, a Christian catholic and a Hindu. We were good friends. However, never did any of us bring up the subject of religion for fear of being insensitive and disrespectful to each other.

It was also here that I began to develop a sense of inferiority as a Muslim due to my lack of adequate knowledge and deep understanding of Islam. Veiled and pious students were perceived as ‘backward’ and ‘less intelligent’ among the students and sometimes even among the teachers. Even though I had two best friends who were very kind and supportive, I tried as much as possible to avoid questions about Islam.

My perception of Islam was rather poor. This was because of the mentality and atmosphere of the society I was living in.

Despite the multi-racial and multi-religious nature of Malaysia, many of us were falsely led to believe that religion was something personal and that no one should talk openly about it, otherwise tension would occur.

Also, within the Muslim community itself, superstitious beliefs, racial obsession and conservative tendencies which had nothing to do with Islam were rampant. These altogether gave me the impression that Islam and my adherence to it should be nothing more than merely practicing daily rituals.

Having left the hijab, my feelings were mixed. I felt free to some extent, and that I was no longer restricted to anything but on the other hand, continuous guilt overwhelmed me.

I saw Islam only in masjid (mosque), on the prayer carpets, and in some other deeds like charity and listening to Islamic talks. Other than these, I did not see much of Islam in my surroundings.

During these times of confusion and intellectual destitution, I wore hijab, but honestly, it was mere blind obedience. The cultural sentiment supporting ‘a decent way of dressing’ was strong in our society so most girls feared being criticized. Some, however, rebelled and took a totally opposite approach. I could say that even up to 70% of my Muslim friends wore hijab; probably less than half were doing it with proper Islamic understanding. And I, unfortunately, was simply following the crowd.

Obsessions… Taking Off the Veil!

After completing my elementary school education (with excellent results and I was the best student! How I wish I had pride in Islam and my hijab at that time!), I was offered a place in an elite boarding school. I became excited as I saw a bright future awaiting there. The school was one of the best in Malaysia, and only students with excellent academic achievements were offered places. I eagerly accepted the offer, not knowing what was ahead of me…

My early years in the elite school were full of educational activities, fun, prestige and pride. My obsession and thirst for knowledge were fully satisfied, and I began mixing with Muslim students from different backgrounds, mostly rich and so-called ‘modern’.

Without realizing, I was brought into a world of material obsession, false pride, counterfeit self-esteem and arrogance. Conscience almost had no place in the ‘elite’ society and religious inclinations were considered taboo, outlawed and sometimes even became the laughingstock. Hijab was silently seen as ‘second-class’ and a sign of lowliness.

Peer pressure was immense and I did everything possible to fit in with the society and its trends. I knew I had to act ‘modern’ and ‘elite’ to be accepted, although deep inside, I could feel that there was something wrong with the way things were going.

Finally, I decided that my hijab was not so important anymore and I gradually took it off, though on certain occasions I tried to wear it.

Having left the hijab, my feelings were mixed. I felt free to some extent, and that I was no longer restricted to anything but on the other hand, continuous guilt overwhelmed me.

Without the hijab, I began to feel vulnerable, unprotected and undignified, despite the fact that I was doing so well to fit in, and I was highly accepted by my friends.

Again and again, I pushed the feelings of guilt away from my mind as I tried to believe that I was simply going through a new phase in life, and that I would eventually get used to life without hijab.

… To be continued.

First published: May 2014

-aboutislam.net

WHY PORK IS FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM (PART 2 OF 2): IS PORK UNCLEAN?

 

In Part 1 we discussed the primary reason for Muslims abstaining from eating pork and pork products, and that is, that God has forbidden it.  As the Creator of humankind and all that exists, God knows what is good for us, and He has sent guidance enabling us to make wise decisions.  Just as a computer would not work properly if it were incorrectly programmed, a human being is not able to function if he is not nourished correctly.  Islam is a holistic religion that recognises the interconnectedness of spiritual, emotional, and physical health.  What a person eats and drinks has a direct bearing on their overall health and well-being.

Virologists have long been aware that the pig is an ideal breeding ground for influenza, so it is no surprise that the latest threat, swine flu, originated in pigs.  Microbiologist and immunology expert, Dr Graham Burgess[1]  says, “Viruses that would normally grow in the chicken can potentially grow in the pig and ones that grow in humans will potentially grow in pigs.  So we consider the pig a great mixing pot for viruses and this is where it can play a real role in generating new viruses".

The pig is known to harbour parasites as well as bacteria and viruses.  Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.  Infection occurs when the tapeworm larvae enter the body and form cysticerci (cysts).  When cysticerci are found in the brain, the condition is called neurocysticercosis.  This tapeworm in pigs is found worldwide but is most problematic in poor and developing countries were pigs are allowed to roam freely and often eat human faeces.  This infection can occur even in modern developed countries but the CDC reports that it is very rare in Muslim countries where eating pork is forbidden.[2]

Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella.  Infection occurs most commonly in certain wild carnivorous (meat-eating) animals but it may also occur in domestic pigs.  The CDC warns that if a human eats meat containing infective Trichinella cysts, the acid in the stomach dissolves the hard covering of the cyst and releases the worms.

The worms pass into the small intestine and, in 1-2 days, become mature.  After mating, adult females lay eggs.  These eggs develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries, and are transported to muscles.  Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst (become enclosed in a capsule).  This infection occurs when these encysted worms are consumed in meat.  The number of cases of trichinellosis throughout the world has steadily decreased due to an awareness of the dangers of eating raw and undercooked pork products and legislation prohibiting feeding raw meat garbage to pigs.[3]

Pigs are omnivores, which means they consume both plants and animals.  Pigs will scavenge and eat any type of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs.  Pigs have very few sweat glands so therefore they are unable to completely rid their bodies of toxins.  New evidence indicates that farming practices are leading directly to the spread of human bacterial infections.

Pigs often live in the small spaces and fetid conditions that exist in many modern factory farms and studies are revealing that pigs frequently harbour antibiotic resistant staph bacteria.  This drug resistant bacterium is now entering our food supply and recent investigations in the United States of America indicate that 49% of pigs and 45% of pig workers now harbour these bacteria responsible for killing more then 18,000 people in the US every year.[4]

“He has forbidden you only dead animals, and blood, and the flesh of swine...” (Quran 2:173)

“For that surely is impure” (Quran 6:145)

Muslims refrain from eating pork and pork products because God has forbidden it.  However a little investigation into the anatomy and lifestyle of the pig reveals that it is certainly an unclean animal.  Those interested in consuming healthy, natural, and pure foods would do well to abstain from pork and pork products. -islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]James Cook University, Queensland Australia.  (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/27/2554021.htm)

[2](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/cysticercosis/factsht_cysticercosis.htm)

[3](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/trichinosis/factsht_trichinosis.htm)

[4](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sick-farms-infected-food) &

(http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-drug-resistant-mrsa-in-pigs)

WHY PORK IS FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM (PART 1 OF 2): OBEYING THE LAWS OF GOD

 

Islam is a holistic way of life, taking into account physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being, each a separate but overlapping part of the structure of a human being.  God created us with a purpose; to worship Him, (Quran 51:56) but He did not abandon us to a world of instability and insecurity.  He gave us a book of guidance, the Quran, and the example of Prophets and Messengers to explain that trusting in God was the way for us to achieve success in this life and in the hereafter.

.  A Muslim spends his or her life endeavouring to please God by worshipping Him and obeying His laws, or rules.  One of those rules is that the eating pork, or pork products is forbidden.

At first, one might wonder what harm could come from pork, a product eaten in many parts of the world, and the fact that pork contains parasites and diseases harmful to man may spring to mind as a justifiable reason for abstaining.  However, when analysing why Muslims are forbidden to eat pork, this becomes a secondary reason.  Muslims simply do not eat pork or pork products because God has prohibited it.

“He has forbidden you only dead animals, and blood, and the swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than God.” (Quran 2:173)

Sometimes we may never know or understand why God has ordained some things and prohibited others.  In the case of pork, no specific reason for the prohibition is given except in Quran 6: 145 when God says, in reference to the flesh of swine (pig), “for that surely is impure”.  A Muslim submits to God’s commands willingly, without needing to know the reason behind the divine rule.  Moreover, God has expressly stated that a believer hears the words of his Lord and obeys them.

“‘We hear and we obey.’  And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).” (Quran 24:51)

“When God and His Messenger have decreed a matter, they (the believers) should not have any option in their decision.  And whoever disobeys God and His Messenger; he has indeed strayed into a plain error.” (Quran 33:36)

A believer understands that God is the Most Wise and the Most Just; therefore, His rules are designed to benefit us in our daily needs, be they physical, emotional, or spiritual.  The Creator knows the best way for His creation to live in this world and prepare for the next.  It is not permissible for a Muslim to consume pork under any circumstances except in cases of dire necessity, such as, if a person’s life depends on eating it.  In cases of dire necessity, prohibited things are permitted.

God allows us to enjoy all the good lawful things and forbids us to partake of those things that may be harmful to our beliefs, health, well being, or morals.[1]  Consequently, Muslims are acutely aware of the dangers of eating things that are forbidden and therefore make concerted efforts to seek out permissible food, even if it involves extra effort or expense.

If a believer consumes pork unknowingly or by mistake, there is no sin of him or her.  God does not punish anyone for lack of knowledge, nor for unintentional mistakes or forgetfulness.  However if a believer is certain, or thinks that any pork, or pork products may be in his food, drinks  or medicines then it is not permissible for him or her to consume it.  If he has doubts then he must make an effort to inquire about the ingredients or ask for details.[2]  Nowadays knowledge about ingredients and the manufacturing process is readily available and the prohibition applies whether there is a small amount of pork or pork products, or a large amount.

The scholars of Islam differ over the issue of whether or not changing the form of the impurity (in this case pork products) lifts the prohibition.  The Islamic Organisation for Medical Sciences is of the opinion that changing the form (for example, food, and medicine additives) so that it becomes something different, does lift the prohibition.  However, there is no doubt and no difference of opinion that it is forbidden to consume meat derived from the pig, including ham and bacon.

The recent outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and North America led some countries to slaughter pigs en masse however there is ample scientific evidence to suggest that pigs harbour parasites that are harmful to humans and the pig has long been considered the ideal breeding ground for influenza. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]At Tabarani (classified as authentic by Sheikh  al Albanee).

[2]Scholars of the Standing Committee for issuing Fatwas (Islamic rulings) Saudi Arabia.

I Converted to Islam in Dubai – This is My Story

 

I was looking for something, but I couldn’t find it for so many years.

So I was confused.

I felt out of place with my friends because for my friends it was always “Ah, it is weekend, we need to party. Let’s open the first bottle of beer, and let’s get dressed.”

While I thought “Why?”

And then all of a sudden, the world had changed.

A Job Offer in Dubai

I used to travel a lot, and then it was that I turned 30 when I said “Oh, I have to settle now.”

So I went back home and I was looking for a job and I couldn’t find a job. Nevertheless, I thought “OK, I’m going on vacation now, and I’m going to Dubai.”

I came here, and after two weeks I had a job offer. Mum and dad were really really scared. My parents, the same as myself, were all very prejudiced about a western woman going to an Arab country.

Of course everybody was like this because we used to hear stories and it was the end of 2001. And, you know, there was 9/11 and all these incidents that happened, and of course everybody was just expecting something bad.

I was raised with Muslims together. It started actually when my elder brother converted to Islam. The reason why he converted to Islam was that he married a Turkish Muslim woman.

So being his sister and wanting to protect him in his decision, of course we went to Islamic centers. Well, I did.

I went with him to Islamic centers and attended some sessions. I was reading some books with him together. But it was never really convincing for me to say “Oh, I will convert to Islam now.” It was just not convincing for me.

And then I’m coming to an Islamic country, and I experienced Muslims in a different way. All of a sudden I thought they are actually very nice. They treat you really with respect. I felt comfortable. In the beginning I mixed more with Europeans than I would have mixed with other nationalities, because I wanted to keep my comfort zone.

But then there was a point when I wanted to step out of my comfort zone because all of a sudden this zone was not comfortable any more.

Six months before I declared my Shahadah (testimony of faith), I started to wear Abayah. I loved the Abayah from the beginning, but I always avoided wearing it because I thought that’s an insult to the locals here, me the white one wearing this Abayah and everybody gets maybe offended or something like that.

Concerning my ex-husband, at that time still my husband, he got bugged because my marriage was anyway a horrible one. So slowly I really distanced myself from him. Back home, we used to discuss getting separated, and I was asking him all the time to move out, and he always said:

“No, you are my wife. I’m going to stay here, and I’ll move out when I decide. I’m the man and I decide.” And then I woke up in the morning and I thought:

“OK, so today I’ll become a Muslim”

So I had my shower, got dressed, and went to work, and I didn’t tell anybody. Nobody knew. And when I was done with my job, I went to a German sister who was already a Muslim for 7 years, and I declared my Shahadah.

When I came home- and I would just say Subhanallah and it was meant for me that day- I came back home and my husband still didn’t know that I converted  to Islam, and I didn’t want to tell him at that time because I was asking him every day during the last six months “When are you moving out?” and I thought today I will ask him again “So when are you moving out?” and then, Subhanallah, he said:

“Today, I will move out, I’m packing my clothes already.”

So that was a sign from Allah that I took the right decision.

Islam Made Me Stronger

Islam made me much stronger. And all of a sudden, I started to read more because I think everybody thinks when you are converting you just declare the Shahadah.

You read a little bit Quran and that’s about it and then you are a Muslim and this is not the way it is. I just think all these difficulties which I was facing just made me read more and more and get more knowledge about Islam. It was difficult year. All of a sudden, my friends turned into enemies. My life just went upside down.

At that time, one of my friends got really close to me. Her name is Kate and she really supported me a lot. I think she was the only one who really supported my decision to convert to Islam because most of the people were really shocked and were afraid and had their concerns. I know that Kate was always there and I could call her in the middle of the night if I need her, and I would thank Allah everyday for such a kind friend.

But Kate was not a Muslim at that time. She was confused. I remember that I went with her to a lunch together with my ex-husband, and this still sticks in my mind. I remember we were sitting in the car and it was a Friday and it was Friday prayer and we went through Ras al-Khour area, and we saw all those open cars, and thirty people were standing and holding themselves on that car going to the mosque for Friday prayer. We laughed so much about that because it was like a convoy.

So we laughed very much and we thought it is very dangerous going like this for a prayer.

Why would they risk their own safety and security just for a prayer?

And suddenly all the talk in that car was about religion, and I remember that she said:

“I’m not religious but if I have to choose what religion I would follow, I would choose Islam.”

And then all laughed at her, and we said:

“Why would you choose that? They are hypocrites.”

-aboutislam.net

THE PAGAN ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS

 

Dictionary.com defines Christmas as the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.  It goes on to explain that Christmas time or the Christmas season extends from the December 24th to January 6th known in the liturgical (or church) calendar Twelfth Night or the Epiphany.  The word Christmas, which is said to have originated before 1150 CE, comes from the Middle English cristmasse or in old English, the Mass of Christ.

The definition and the word origin give Christmas strong religious connotations.  It is such a central part of the church calendar that one could be forgiven for thinking that even the apostles celebrated the birth of Jesus.  However, that is not the case.  In the early years, in the first two centuries, during the establishment of Christianity, Easter was the main celebration and the birth of Jesus was not celebrated.  It was not until the fourth century (300CE) that church leadership decided to make the birth of Jesus a holiday, or cause for celebration. 

The actual birthdate of Jesus is unknown.  Many people have asserted that it was probably in March or early spring because the Bible tells us that when Jesus was born the shepherds were watching their flocks by night.  "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." (Luke2:8) Shepherds are certainly not abiding in the fields with their sheep during the long cold winters.  However, there is no real definitive evidence for this and Jesus’ date of birth is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, nor is the celebration of birthdays in general.  Historically, it is more likely that the people would have celebrated a death rather than a birth, thus we have the Christian Easter celebration.

Early Christian traveler and chronologist Sextus Julius Africanis was the first person to identify December 25th as the date of Jesus’ birth and it became uniformly accepted.  However, December 25th was also around the time of the winter solstice; midwinter, the shortest day of the year.  As Christianity was beginning to be widely accepted, the most popular celebration in the Roman, and thus pagan, world was Saturnalia, the festival honoring the Roman god of agriculture Saturn.  It was sometimes celebrated as early as December 17th and at times lasted for three to seven days.  However, December 25th became the date of the celebration known as solis invicti nati (day of the birth of the unconquered sun).  It was a popular holiday celebrating the winter solstice and incorporating even older rites from the midwinter festivals.

History.com tells us that work and business came to a halt.  Schools and courts of law closed, and the normal social patterns were suspended.  People decorated their homes with wreaths and other greenery.  Slaves did not have to work during Saturnalia, were allowed to participate in the festivities, and sometimes sat at the head of the table while their masters served them.  Saturnalia was a time of gambling, singing, playing music, feasting, socializing and giving each other gifts.

There are two reasons that have been suggested as to why the early church leaders choose December 25th as the day of Christmas.  One is that Christianity was for some time an outlawed sect, thus celebrating Christ’s birth during Saturnalia allowed them to draw less attention to themselves.  The other and the one considered more likely, is that church leaders chose December 25th as a way to increase the popularity of the new Christian celebration.  For quite some time pagan rites and Christianity existed together, sometimes overlapping, and the incorporation of pagan rituals into Christmas rites was inevitable.  Thus, by the end of the fourth century many Saturnalia rituals (giving gifts, singing, lighting candles, feasting) had become part of Christmas and they are still visible today.

By the Middle Ages Christianity had, for the most part replaced paganism and Christmas had become a religious celebration beginning with the celebrations of Christ’s Mass and followed up by revelry and mayhem similar to the Mardi Gras celebrations today or the Saturnalia festivals.  In some parts of the Christian world, Christmas had become a secular holiday characterized by fun with family and friends.  While the Catholic Church gradually came to embrace Christmas and its pagan rituals, the Protestant Reformation did not.  Christmas was actually banned in some parts of the world.  In Boston Massachusetts in 1659 those demonstrating "Christmas spirit" were fined 5 shillings.

Christmas is celebrated differently in different parts of the world; however, most celebrations contain elements of paganism.  The Christmas tree is a 17th-century German invention that is derived from the pagan practice of bringing greenery indoors.  The ornaments hung on the Christmas trees have their origins in Saturnalia when the Romans hung ornaments outside on trees.  They typically represented either Saturn or beloved deities and idols.  Early Germanic tribes decorated trees with fruit and candles in honor of Odin.  The fruitcake is a big Christmas tradition, but its origin is actually in Ancient Egypt.  It is said that that the Egyptians placed cakes made of fermented fruit and honey on the tombs of their deceased loved ones.  While Christians say that the red berries of the Holly bush represent the blood of Jesus Christ, in pre-Christian cultures Holly was known as the plant that would drive off evil spirits. 

While the Dutch are credited with bringing Santa (Sinter Klaus) to New York City in the 17th century, the current depiction is based in images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast in 1863, that were in turn based on the illustrations in The Night before Christmas published in 1823.  The image was further defined in a Coca-Cola company advertisement in 1931.  Although Santa Claus as we know him today is a product of some very clever 19th century marketing, characters like Santa have existed for centuries.  For example, the belief that Santa enters the house through the chimney developed from an Old Norse legend.  They believed that the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck into the home.

The Christmas celebrations continue to change.  It some places in the Christian world it is little more than a family get together or an occasion to give and receive gifts.  In other places, such as some countries in Asia, marketing Christmas is so successful that people incorporate it into their lives having little or no understanding of either its pagan or Christian origins.  Even taking Jesus out of the celebration does little to separate Christmas from its pagan origins.  This is happening in the Muslim world too. 

There is no harm in putting up a tree and hanging ornaments many say.  However, the harm comes from the forgetting.  Muslims and Christians alike forget that the Roman god Saturn and the Norse god Odin feature heavily in Christmas celebrations.  Forgetting the origins of Christmas could be likened to what happened when the people of Noah forgot why they built statues that then became idols.  That time ended very badly for those who forgot. - islamreligion.com

5 Reasons Why Life is So Beautiful

 

Allah created life with many beneficial features for us. So we must never forget that Allah created life and gave it to us as a gift. We must thank Allah for everything in our lives.

1. Love

Even a barren, desert place can become beautiful with the presence of love. Many people would argue that life cannot be truly beautiful in the absence of love and that by loving, we help to fulfill our purpose on earth.

Love is something that all people can experience, regardless of their age, location or socioeconomic background. This arguably makes it one of the most beautiful aspects of life, because it is free and open to all and this in itself is something beautiful.

2. People in Our Lives

Allah blessed us with friends, family and other loved ones and these people enrich our lives with their uniqueness and their support. So do strangers that we meet along the way.

Life is even more beautiful when it is shared with those that we love, and this experience of sharing and caring with others is a beautiful in its own right.

3. Fulfilling Our Goals

Allah blessed us all with talents, and we all have things that we are passionate about. One of the things that can make life especially beautiful is pursuing those dreams and following our passions while being mindful and seeking the pleasure of Allah. By so doing, we get the sense that our lives are worthwhile. This makes life much more beautiful. This is because for many people, true beauty is linked to a sense of purposefulness, and particularly with having a good purpose in life.

4. Being Alive is a Privilege

Allah blessed us with life. When you think about all of the odds that you’ve overcome in life, you will see that these helped your personal growth and development.

Just being alive is a privilege. There are many species out there in the universe. But the most advanced of all species created by Allah is the human being. That makes you very special, just by virtue of your existence – and every other human being is also equally special too. For this very reason thank Allah for the life you live, you could have been a whole lot of other possible creatures.

5. The Ability to Make a Change

We should all try to leave the world a better place than we found it. This is another one of the beauties of life – that we can use the time that we have to improve the world for other people and to make life even more beautiful in the process. We can all agree that doing good deeds by pleasing Allah is a beautiful thing – and something that is beautiful results in beauty as well.

Source: http://musliminc.com.

CONSIDERATION FOR NEIGHBOURS

 

Prophet Muhammad, may God shower him with His praises, is a man loved by all Muslims.  He is honoured and respected by countless others and considered influential in both religious and secular matters.  Mahatma Ghandi described him as scrupulous about pledges, intense in his devotion to his friends and followers, intrepid, fearless, and with absolute trust in God and in his own mission.  Muslims all around the world consider him the example to follow in their worship of God and in their dealings with others.

The religion of Islam, as taught to us by Prophet Muhammad, urges kind and considerate treatment towards our neighbours.  They deserve our respect and good treatment regardless of their religion, race or colour.  In a saying narrated by Aisha[1], a wife of Prophet Muhammad, it is reported that the angel Gabriel insisted that Prophet Muhammad understand the importance of the good treatment of neighbours.  Prophet Muhammad said that at one stage he thought the angel Gabriel would bestow inheritance rights on neighbours; such was his insistence on their kind and fair treatment.

Prophet Muhammad’s mission was simply to convey the message of God, who clearly commanded the good treatment of neighbours in the Quran.

“Worship God and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet)...  Verily, God does not like such as are proud and boastful.” (Quran 4:36)

The men and women around Prophet Muhammad were constantly reminded of their obligations to God and to one another.  Prophet Muhammad was often heard to exhort them to do good needs and to remember their obligations.  He said, “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him not harm or annoy his neighbour…” He also reminded, not only for his companions but for all of us to follow, that a believer in God does not allow his brother or sister to go hungry or live in unfortunate conditions.  Today  in a time when old people die alone and forgotten, and when our neighbours both near and far go hungry whilst  we have food, we would do well to remember the examples set by our righteous predecessors.

Abu Dhar, one of the close companions, was told by Prophet Muhammad to add extra water to his broth in order to be able to offer some to his neighbours.[2]  Another companion, Abdullah ibn Amr once asked his servant after slaughtering a sheep, “Did you give some to our Jewish neighbour?”  A believer is encouraged to give gifts even if they are of little monetary value.  The true value of the gift is the generous spirit with which it is given.  The giving of gifts encourages friendship and mutual support.  When the Prophet’s wife Aisha asked him about what neighbours to send her gifts, he replied, “To the one whose door is closest to yours”[3].  Although the closest neighbours are the ones we should be mindful of in the first instance, Islam urges us to take care of all our neighbours.  It is a system that takes into consideration the needs and feelings of others in the greater community.

When one truly understands the teachings of Islam, he or she begins to see that if one member of a community suffers the whole community is in strife.  After family, neighbours are the people that we depend on the most in times of strife and calamity, and in times of need.  A bad relationship with neighbours can make life miserable.  It is important that people who share a neighbourhood be able to trust and rely on each other, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.  Neighbours must feel secure that both their honour and wealth are safe.  Prophet Muhammad described a good neighbour as one of the joys in a Muslim’s life, he said, “Among the things that bring happiness to a believer in this life are a righteous neighbour, a spacious house and a good steed”.[4]  A good neighbour is one who guarantees comfort, security and safety.  For this reason it is important that one who believes in obeying God does not spare any effort in being considerate of and generous to the neighbours.  Prophet Muhammad warned his companions against harming or upsetting the neighbours.

In a saying[5] that is as true today as it was 1500 years ago, Prophet Muhammad was asked about a certain woman who  prayed and fasted more than was obligatory upon her, and gave generously in charity, but unfortunately, she did not refrain from speaking harshly to her neighbours.  He described her as being one of the people of Hell who would be punished for this.  In the same saying, he was asked about another woman who fulfilled only her obligatory duties and gave very little in charity, however her neighbours were safe from her harsh tongue and she offended no one.  Prophet Muhammad described her as among the people of Paradise.  The religion of Islam places great emphasis on the solidarity of families, neighbourhoods and the wider community.

Islam continuously advises the believers to be kind and considerate of neighbours.  What happens however if one has a neighbour who behaves badly and does not show the respect inherent in the teachings of Islam?  A Muslim is patient and tolerant and does not bare a grudge.  A believer strives to mend the broken relationship through good morals and manners and a forgiving attitude in the hope that this will bring about great reward from God.  A believer patiently bares the annoyances as much as he or she is able.  If the situation becomes intolerable  to publicise the bad behaviour may be a last resort.

The Prophet Muhammad once advised a man to gather his belongings in the middle of the road as an indication that he could no longer live beside his neighbour.  The “bad neighbour” immediately apologised and begged his neighbour to return.[6]  Nobody likes their bad behaviour to be made public and this is especially true of a Muslim, whose religion requires that he have the highest moral standards.  Islam places great emphasis on the qualities of respect, tolerance and forgiveness, and these qualities shown to neighbours is a demonstration of the moral values and virtues inbuilt into the worship of the One True God. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[2]Saheeh Muslim

[3]Ibid.

[4]Reported with a Sahih isnad byal-Hakim.

[5]Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[6]Saheeh Al-Bukhari,Ibn Habban&Abu Dawood.