Ten Major Signs of the Last Day - Has One Just Occurred

LAST DAY MEANS LAST AGE

The term ‘Last Day’ in reality stands for the ‘Last Age’, or the age which would culminate in the end of history—when the true Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary (not son of God), would return to rule the world from Jerusalem with justice and ‘eternal’ rule. It would be ‘eternal’ in the sense that history would end with that event. Life on earth beyond that event, and after Jesus dies a human death and is buried next to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon them both) in Madinah, would not qualify as history. This would be so since the modern secular rope would have reached its predictable end in total godlessness, and with such a consequent collapse of morals, and of moral consciousness, that people would forget their human status and “would engage in sexual intercourse in public like donkeys”. Already it is quite clear (particularly at the time of Trinidad’s Carnival) that we are quite close to the fulfillment of that ominous prophecy made by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

So much so then, for the spurious claims of the one-eyed Judeo-Christian western civilization and its ‘colored house slaves’ around the world. They claim that mankind is witnessing unprecedented progress, that the present is the best of all ages, that the world keeps on growing better and better, and that modern western civilization has rendered all previous civilizations, including Islam, moribund and obsolete!

So much so, then, for the local one-eyed ‘house slave’ here in my native island of Trinidad who insists that Muslims must remain a part of ‘mainstream society’ -even when that mainstream is heading for the hell-fire.

When a ship is sinking and you cannot prevent it from sinking, you have to get off that ship, and urge others as well to do so. The ship of the world is now sinking! The evidence is all around us as plainly visible as daylight! But those who are blind cannot see that the ship is sinking. They use their checkbooks, or the barrels of their guns, to impose themselves around the world as leaders. The blind then lead the blind until all are lost and will be drowned like the people of Noah (peace be upon him).

Prophet Muhammad prophesied many more signs of the Last Day other than public ‘donkey sex’. Most of these are known as the ‘minor’ signs. Let us describe some of them (randomly selected) before we turn to the ten ‘major’ signs in which we venture to include the major underwater earthquake and resultant Tsunami in South East Asia that occurred in late December 2004.

MINOR SIGNS
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) prophesied of the Last Age that:

• “People would follow a way of life other than mine, and give guidance other than mine”…“I fear for my people only the leaders who lead men astray”…“Before the Last Hour there will be great liars, so beware of them”…“When the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, and the most worthless member of a community becomes its leader, and a man is respected through fear of the evil he may do, and leadership is given to people who are unworthy of it, expect the Last Hour”. All of these warnings have already been dramatically and ominously fulfilled. Around the world today, with but few exceptions, and even here in my native Caribbean island of Trinidad, people, including Muslims, now have the worst leaders. This ominous sign of the Last Day has come to pass, yet there are so many who do not, or cannot see, and they blindly rush as dumb cattle to endorse or to follow such leaders for personal gain, or fear, or due to sheer ignorance; • “Women would arrange their hair to look like the hump of a camel”, and this sign has already occurred, we see it everyday;
• “Women would dress like men”, and we already see them today with trousers, jacket and, perhaps, a tie; and “women would be dressed and yet be naked”, and this prophecy, also, is now fulfilled. When women parade in public “dressed, yet naked”, as they do today, and when Muslims cannot prevent such, they should then seek to flee from such mainstream society rather than to remain a part of it until the women are fully naked and “donkey-like” sexual intercourse is on public display. If they foolishly choose to remain a part of such corrupt and decadent society then they or their children would eventually be ruined by such a society.

• “Men would dress like women”, and already this sign also has come to pass. Almost no one can tell that ‘she’, the so-called ‘crossdresser’, is really a man;

• Homosexuality (and lesbianism) would become commonplace, and that is now happening before our very eyes. Social acceptance and legal protection for this abominable sexual perversion is gaining ground. Indeed those who hold fast to the divine prohibition of such sexual perversion are now demonized as a people who suffer from a disease called ‘homophobia’;

• Children born outside of marriage would become commonplace, in fact marriage itself now seems destined to become obsolete;

• Fornication and adultery would become commonplace, that, also, appears to have already been fulfilled in a modern world in which virginity and marital fidelity are becoming old-fashioned;

• Disproportion in balance of men and women to such an extent that “one man would have to maintain (not marry) fifty women”, that is yet to occur but could be linked to the impact on male sperm production of such things as environmental pollution and genetically modified food;

• Universal consumption of alcoholic beverages, this “mother of all evils” has already become a horrendous plague in which no one is safe from the drunk driver; the unborn baby drinks when his mother drinks and suffers unimaginably for such; people, including Prime Ministers, drink and become drunk, and then behave in public like asses;

• “Religious knowledge would disappear”, since the rightly-guided scholars of Islam are demonized, marginalized, “banned”, or declared to be “great security risks”. Only those scholars who can skillfully skip and dance to the tunes of those who control power are allowed the unfettered freedom to preach a sanitized cosmetic version of Islam acceptable to the godless rulers of the world. Institutions of Islamic learning are forced to submit to the control of those waging war on Islam. If they do not submit, they are shut down. Foreign students are prohibited from studying Islam in certain so-called Islamic Republics;

• “Time would move swiftly—a year passing like a month—a month like a week—a week like a day” etc., and already the perception of swiftly moving time is a universal experience;

• Such prevalence of random killing, murder and violence that “a killer would not know why he is killing and the one who is killed would not know why he is being killed”, and “every age is followed by one which would be worse”—already around the world senseless random killing has arrived and is constantly escalating;

• “Nothing would remain of Islam but the name, and nothing would remain of the Qur’an but the traces (of its writing) (i.e., the Qur’an would not be studied, no one would follow its guidance, it would be recited mechanically etc.); the Masajid (mosques) would be grand structures but would be devoid of guidance; and the Ulama (religious scholars of Islam who represent such people) would be the worst people beneath the sky. From them would emerge Fitnah (trials) and they would be the centers of Fitnah (since they betray Islam)” — there are many distinguished scholars of Islam who declare that this prophesy, also, has today found fulfillment. The evidence of such is overwhelming. The Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate) has been long destroyed, Zakat is no longer collected and distributed by the state, money itself is now corrupted, the universal Shirk of the modern state has corrupted all of mankind, Riba is universally prevalent, the Hajj would probably soon be abandoned;

• Universal consumption of Riba (i.e, money lent on interest, and transactions which ‘rip off’ people through deception in business, etc.) Around the world today Riba in modern banking and insurance, as well as in the monetary system, has already taken total control over the market and over economic life. There are some minor signs which have been couched inenigmatic language such as,

• “A slave woman would give birth to her mistress”, made possible through a combination of Riba and the modern feminist revolution, and; • “Naked barefooted shepherds would vie with one another in the construction of high-rise buildings”. This is already being fulfilled when wealth is wasted in grandiose and expensive public relations construction projects commissioned by people who hanker for visible symbols of status in a modern world which recognizes the rich as a ‘somebody’ and the poor as a ‘nobody’ (see story of the rich man and the poor man in Surah al-Kahf of the Qur’an).

And then there are minor signs which have not as yet occurred such as:

• “The Last Hour would not come until there issues from the land of the Hejaz (which is in Saudi Arabia) a fire which will illuminate the backs of the camels in Busra”. But for the exchange of Basra for Hejaz, this prophecy perhaps, anticipates a nuclear attack in or around Iran which would formally launch Israel into the club of nuclear powers. So many of these minor Signs of the Last Day, and so many more not here mentioned, have already occurred, that we can now turn to the major Signs with a clear recognition that we are already living in that Last Age.

MAJOR SIGNS
Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Ghifari, the companion of the Prophet, said,

“Allah’s Messenger came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He asked: What are you discussing? (The Companions) replied: We are discussing (the subject of) the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs. And (in this connection) he made a mention of the ‘smoke’, ‘Dajjal’, the ‘beast’, the ‘rising of the sun from the west’, the ‘descent of Jesus son of Mary’, ‘Gog and Magog’, ‘sinkings of the earth in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia’ at the end of which ‘fire would burn forth from Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly’ (i.e., the place where mankind will be assembled for judgment).”
(Sahih Muslim)

Here, then, are the ten major Signs of the Last Day as prophesied by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him):

• Dajjal — the false Messiah or Anti-Christ,
• Gog and Magog,
• Smoke,
• The beast of the earth or land (most likely the holy land),
• The sun would rise from the west,
• Three sinkings of the earth
• one in the east
• One in the west
• and One in Arabia,
• A fire would come out of Yemen and would drive people to their place of assembly (for judgement),
• The son of Mary would descend. Although these signs were not given by the blessed Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah Most High be upon him) in their chronological order of occurrence I have made an effort to put them in that order, with the ones that have not as yet occurred at the bottom of the list. How did I arrive at the above order? We know from the prophecies of the blessed Prophet that the third major ‘sinking of the earth’, i.e., the one that would occur in Arabia, would swallow an army that would be heading south to Makkah. That army would be on its way to attack Imam al-Mahdi, the descendent of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). It was prophesied that he would restore the Islamic Caliphate (or Islamic model of a state) in the Arabian peninsula. It is after that sign has occurred (i.e., the third major earthquake) that the son of Mary would descend from the sky with his hands resting on the wings of two angels, and would kill Dajjal the False Messiah or Anti-Christ. The Qur’an itself has described Jesus (i.e., the return of Jesus) as the ‘ilm (which here means the very key to the subject) of the Last Hour:

“And he (i.e., Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow Me: this is a Straight Way.”
(Qur’an, Zukhruf, 43:61)

It follows that his return must come chronologically at the end of the list. We also know that the ‘fire’ from Yemen would follow the third earthquake. And so now that it appears that the major earthquake in the East has occurred, we await four more major signs that still remain to occur. When did the first six ‘major’ signs occur?

DAJJAL
I have argued in my book, ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an – An Islamic View of the Destiny of Jerusalem’, that Dajjal the False Messiah or Antichrist was released into the world in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). He has already completed the first stage of his mission that lasted for “a day like a year”, and is about to complete the second stage that lasts for “a day like a month”. The third and last stage of his mission (of impersonation of the true Messiah) that would last for just “a day like a week” would, I believe, commence when Israel replaces USA as the ruling state of the world. And that would occur when Israel wages a big war that would result in dramatic territorial expansion “from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates”. Israel would then seize control of the Suez Canal and all the oil of the Arabian Gulf.

By the end of that third stage, Dajjal the false Messiah or Antichrist would have been born into the world of Jewish parents, would have risen to become ruler of Israel and, hence, would have completed his mission to rule the world from Jerusalem. And Allah Knows best!

An entire chapter of the book is devoted to explaining the subject of Dajjal. I am now writing a quartet of books on Surah al-Kahf of the Qur’an, and one of the four books would be entirely devoted to a comprehensive explanation of the subject of Dajjal, the false Messiah or Anti-Christ in Islam Insha Allah.

GOG AND MAGOG
I have also argued in my book that Gog and Magog were released into the world in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). The Qur’an itself has made mention (Qur’an, al-Anbiyah, 21:94-5) of a ‘town’ which was destroyed by Allah Most High, and the people of the town expelled, and then banned from returning to reclaim their town until Gog and Magog were not only released but, also, had spread out (around the world) in all directions.

“But there is a ban on a town which We have destroyed: that they (the people of the town) shall not return (to reclaim that town as their own); until Gog and Magog are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly spread out in every direction (replicating themselves amongst all the peoples of the world).”
(Qur’an, al-Anbiyah, 21:95-96)

I identified that ‘town’ to be Jerusalem. And since the Jews have already returned to Jerusalem to reclaim it as their own, it follows that Gog and Magog, like Dajjal, are also close to the end of their mission. And Allah Knows best!

Another entire chapter of ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ is devoted to explaining the subject of Gog and Magog. In addition, the fourth of the quartet of books on Surah al-Kahf will be devoted to a comprehensive explanation of this subject Insha Allah.

DUKHAN (SMOKE)
This appears to be totality of environmental pollution (not just smog and haze) that is already wreaking havoc on the earth itself and is bringing about global warming with the consequent impact of earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding etc. The modern industrial economy that Dajjal has authored, appears to be the greatest culprit of environmental pollution in the world today. In other words, we have been tricked into causing Dukhan (smoke) which in turn spawns global warming and eventual climatic disaster. And Allah Knows best! However, it is important that we note that there are several Ahadith in Sahih Bukhari that declare the sign of Dukhan (smoke) already appeared in the lifetime of the blessed Prophet.

D’ABBATUL ARD (THE BEAST OF THE LAND OR EARTH)
I have argued in ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ that the beast of the earth’ is, in fact, the imposter State of Israel that now occupies the Holy Land. The learned Shaikh, Safar al-Hawali, holds the view that the ‘beast’ is the Zionist Movement. And Allah Knows best!

THE SUN WOULD RISE FROM THE WEST
Those who interpret this sign literally assume that the order of nature would be reversed despite the Qur’anic declaration that there can be no change in Allah’s creation (of that natural order):

“So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the faith: (establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (can there be) in Allah’s creation: that is the standard religion: but most among mankind understand not.”
(Qur’an, al-Rum, 30:30)

They also do so despite the specific declaration of Prophet Abraham (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) that his Lord-God causes the sun to rise from the East. Abraham then proceeded to challenge the King to cause the sun to rise from the West if he possessed power greater than Allah’s:

Hast thou not turned thy vision to one who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had granted him power? Abraham said:

“My Lord is He Who giveth life and death.” He said: “I give life and death.” Said Abraham: “But it is Allah that causeth the sun to rise from the East do thou then cause it to rise from the West!” Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected Faith. Nor doth Allah give guidance to a people unjust.
(Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:258)

And so they wait for that western sunrise as an event that would literally occur, while ignoring the basic rule that no Hadith can contradict the Qur’an.

But this sign has provoked numerous other non-literal interpretations, all of which agree that it has already occurred. Our view is that the rising of the sun from the West symbolizes an upside– down world in which mankind is led by their noses to a way of life which would be the very opposite of that natural way ordained by Allah. Natural money, for example, so identified in the Qur’an, is derived from precious metals. When such money is in short supply in a market such as Madina’s, then a substitute in the form of commodities such as wheat, barley, dates, salt, etc., can temporarily take its place. Around the world today that natural money with intrinsic value has been displaced by artificial money with no intrinsic value and it is used as an instrument of oppression. That upside-down unnatural way of life has already been accepted by most of mankind. In this sense, therefore, the sun is already rising from the West. And Allah Knows best!

THREE SINKINGS OF THE EARTH
Many terrible earthquakes have already occurred in history. They have no relevance to our subject. We are concerned with three major ‘sinkings of the earth’ that would occur at a specific moment in history, i.e., they would occur at a time that would herald the return of Jesus, the Messiah, the son of Mary, and Messenger of Allah Most High. One would occur in the East, the second in the West, and the third in Arabia. When the third one takes place, the world of Islam would suddenly and dazzlingly reenter the affairs of the Arabian peninsular, as well as of the world, in the same revolutionary way that it did in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). This appears to be the meaning of the last of the major signs (prior to the return of Jesus) mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him), i.e., that a fire would come out of Yemen and drive people to their place of assembly (i.e., for judgment) which is Arafat in Arabia.

THE EARTHQUAKE IN THE EAST
I believe that the recent massive earthquake and resultant Tsunami in South East Asia which has claimed many more than 100,000 lives, is the earthquake of the East mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) in the ten major Signs of the Last Day. It could thus be the first of three such earthquakes heralding the return of Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). I came to this conclusion because of the following reasons:

Firstly, the prophecy of the blessed Prophet is that a ‘khasf’ would occur in the East, i.e., the earth sinks down or caves in. A ‘Tsunami’ is defined as a sea wave of local or distant origin that results from large-scale seafloor displacements associated with large earthquakes, major submarine slides, or exploding volcanic islands. When this recent displacement of the earth occurred under the sea, and consequently resulted in the massive Tsunami, it ensured that those who have maliciously concealed the Truth time and again in history could not conceal this major Sign of the Last Day. The magnitude of the event, i.e., the severity of the earthquake (9 on the Richter scale) and, more importantly, the massive damage already done and still unfolding, makes it absolutely unique for mankind today.

Secondly, I am impressed by the location of the event - it occurred in that East which is clearly east of Madinah.

Thirdly, and most important of all, I would like to direct attention to the time that it occurred. This was after the liberation of the Holy Land (1917), and return of the Jews to reclaim the Holy Land as their own (1918-1948). It was also after the restoration of a State of Israel in the Holy Land (1948) and the growth of Israel to become a superpower in the world (i.e., the present). Finally it occurred at precisely that time when Israel is about to wage her big war of massive territorial expansion after which Israel would replace USA as the ruling state in the world. Jesus cannot return until all these things have occurred. It has also occurred at that time when the prophecy of the Prophet concerning the abandonment of the Hajj seems about to be fulfilled. The Hajj would pose a gigantic security threat to the present Saudi ruling elite whenever Israel wages its big war and assumes rule over the world. And it has occurred at just that time when the US dollar has begun its perhaps irreversible decline that might culminate in its collapse. Such a collapse would also bring down all the paper-money in the world and electronic money, controlled by the Jewish-controlled banking system, would then control all the money in the money-system of the world.

This momentous Sign in the East that occurred at the end of December 2004 appears, therefore, to be a sign to mankind warning that dangerous change in the world will soon take place.

It appears to be the first of the three major earthquakes, or ‘sinkings of the earth’, as prophesied by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him), which would herald the return of the true Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah Most High. If we are correct, and Allah Knows best, then the world has to await only two more such major events before the son of Mary returns to liberate us from the oppressors who now rule the world.

THE SECOND EARTHQUAKE IN THE WEST
When a second massive earthquake (with a sinking down, caving in, or displacement of the earth) eventually occurs in the west, after the recent one in the east, that would further confirm the analysis presented in this essay. All that would then remain to occur for Jesus to descend from the clouds would be the third earthquake in Arabia that would swallow an entire army, and the fire that would come out of Yemen. We are so close to that event that we can already feel the heat of that fire. Although what appears to be the first of the three major earthquakes occurred underwater and resulted in the massive Tsunami in South East Asia, it is not necessary that the second that would occur in the west would be similar. After all, we know that the third and last major earthquake would have its epicenter on land just north of Makkah in Arabia. But it would seem that the mid-Atlantic (rather than the Pacific) may be the location of the major earthquake of the west that is to come. In case the second major earthqake occurs in the mid-Atlantic, the islands of the Caribbean and the eastern coast of USA and Canada as well as South America would be likely to be affected. It could also be a big earthquake in California along the fault.

THE THIRD EARTHQUAKE IN ARABIA
Narrated Aisha: Allah’s Apostle said, “An army would invade the Ka’aba and when the invaders reach Al-Baida’, all the ground would sink and swallow the whole army.” I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! How would they sink into the ground while amongst them would be their markets (the people who worked in business and not invaders) and the people not belonging to them?” The Prophet replied, “All of those people would sink but they would be resurrected and judged according to their intentions.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari)

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu’minin: The Prophet said: “Disagreement will occur at the death of a Caliph and a man of the people of Madina would come flying forth to Makkah. Some of the people of Makkah would come to him, bring him out against his will, and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. An expeditionary force would then be sent against him from Syria but would be swallowed up in the desert between Makkah and Madina.”
(Sunan Abu Daud)

It is quite clear from the above prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) that the third earthquake would take place at the time of the advent of Imam al-Mahdi. But the Imam cannot emerge to liberate the Arabian heartland of Islam until Israel has become the ruling state in the world. And Allah knows best!

THE RETURN OF THE TRUE MESSIAH, JESUS, THE SON OF MARY
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) has spoken extensively and in minute details about the event of the return of Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). But that event is so rich and complex that it lies beyond the scope of this paper. However, my book, ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ has dealt with the subject in some detail, and it is to that book that I now refer the gentle reader.

ONE FINAL WORD
The destiny of Jerusalem is such as to give to Muslims the greatest confidence and hope that Truth will triumph over falsehood and oppression. ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ was written for precisely this purpose — i.e., to explain to Muslims the strange world in which we live today. It is a world in which the cause of Islam appears to be a lost cause. But having read the book the reader would know, if he or she had not already known it, that the reality is quite different. When they know for certain that it is the destiny of Jerusalem to give a spectacular validation of Islam’s claim to truth, Muslims should be able to summon the strength to resist the present war on Islam in which the godless world is making the greatest possible effort to destroy their faith in Allah Most High.

Jerusalem in the Quran

Jerusalem in the Qur’an is a great book that thrilled and delighted me in a number of ways. I am surprised that such a meticulously documented book had to wait for such a long time before seeing the light. It is now more than half a century since the Zionists began their appalling oppression and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people whose only offense is that they happened to live in a country considered by the Jews to be their promised Holy Land.

The Zionists have continuously referred to distorted scriptures from the Torah and other Biblical material to justify their atrocious behavior and to motivate the Jews to establish a State of Israel that extends from the Nile to the Euphrates with Jerusalem as its capital.

For example, David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, is quoted to have said, The Bible is our deed to the land of Israel. Muslim scholars, on the other hand, have largely failed in refuting Zionist claims from authenticated historical and religious sources and have also failed to accomplish their religious responsibility in clearly documenting this question from the Holy Qur’an and the Blessed Ahadith of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). As far as I know, whatever is written on this subject is rather superficial and emotionally tainted or simply stating facts in a cool manner.

May Allah Ta’ala reward Brother Imran Hosein for writing this scholarly document, which will indeed fill up this intellectual and religious gap and serve as an academic reference to Muslims in all parts of the world. As I write this introduction, this book that was published only this year is already being translated to Arabic and Bosnian. In a short time it will be rendered into other European languages and to all the other tongues of the Islamic world.

It must be reported however that the importance of writing a book about the Holy Land in the Qur’an have not escaped the vision of far-sighted and creative Muslim thinkers such as Dr. Kalim Siddiqui, Founder-President of the Muslim Institute for Research and Planning, and Professor (Shaheed) Ismail Al-Farouqi. I am surprised at the vision of the former scholar who asked Imran Hosein to write this book as early as 1974. He urged him saying that Jerusalem is the key to understanding the historical process of the Middle East and the world at large. Shaikh Imran successfully accomplished this task after 27years. Though seemingly late, but it has come at the right time in which the whole world is being shocked by Jenin and what happened in Sabra and Shatila.

Ismail Al-Faruqi actually put this issue in writing in his book, Islam and the Problem of Israel that the author referred to. He strongly stated that Israel poses a greater danger to Muslims than the Euro-Christian Crusades of the Middle Ages or the Euro-Colonialism of modern times. Israel, he wrote, is neither of these, but that it is both and more, much more. He therefore urged Arabs and Muslims not to accept the Jewish State as an integral part of the world nations of Asia and Africa. He also incited Muslim scholars to investigate this issue in depth. I am sure that if both of these great Muslim thinkers were alive, they would have acclaimed this classic book as what they have aspired for.

I am amazed by Imran’s style of writing. Though Jerusalem in the Qur’an, is a meticulously written thesis combining religious and historical documents with recent political events and penetrating interpretations from the Qur’an and Hadith, it runs like a story. Once you begin reading it, it is hard to stop. This is the general quality of a novel. The person would read it once and throw the book away - but not that of a serious thought-provoking dissertation like the book that Brother Shaikh Imran published. It is a reference that one needs to keep and reread whenever the subject is to be researched. I believe that this eloquence of the Shaikh must be the result of a natural gift that has interacted with his indefatigable work as a preacher and da’iyah and the Divine Blessings for his sincerity.

Finally, in spite of the seemingly depressing situation of the Muslims in general and the Palestinians in particular, reading the book would certainly give one a warm surge of optimism about our future; a bright light that shines at the end of our long dark tunnel of history. We are living at the end of time. This is the age in which the prophesies of the Holy Qur’an and the Blessed Hadith are unfolding right before our very eyes to prove to humanity the truthfulness of our faith.

Exactly as our Prophet told us, we have seen the barefooted-poor shepherds of sheep and goats in the Arab Peninsula competing with each other in building higher and higher skyscrapers. And we have witnessed the Muslims exploding in numbers but weakening in character and subdued by their love of this dunyah and their fear of death thus confirming the authenticated Hadith. And exactly as our Prophet told us, the strong enemies of Islam are now devouring our countries as though they were a hungry group invited to a large cauldron of food. And as Allah Ta’ala Himself told us in his Revealed Holy Qur’an, the Children of Israel, who had been scattered all over the earth during their Diaspora, have returned to the Holy Land. And as recorded in the Qur’an, they have indeed committed much corruption and have become powerful and elated with mighty arrogance.

Just as we have seen these incidents as though we were watching a horror movie, we will indeed see its imminent happy ending that was prophesized to us in the Qur’an and the Sayings of our Prophet. The Muslims will wake up from their slumber and the Jews will receive their promised Divine punishment. The Zionist State will be destroyed and whatever they have built will be raised to the ground.

The book gives a detailed beautifully written exposition of these episodes with brilliant interpretations from the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah. Though some may differ with him with respect to his interpretations of some of the Qur’anic Verses or the Blessed Prophetic sayings, no one would fail to appreciate his penetrative thought and his spiritual depth. I therefore recommend the book very much to scholars and laity.

Malik Badri
Dean,
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization,
Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia

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The Women of Islam in The House of Allah

There is no doubt whatsoever that this essay is going to provoke both positive and negative responses from readers. But our purpose in writing it is to provoke enlightened responses from our intelligent readers — responses that would dispel complacency over (what this writer perceives as) unfortunate instances of misguided tradition. Let us at the outset remind the Muslim reader of the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) concerning the Day of Judgment:

“Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

One day when the Messenger of Allah was sitting amongst us, he dozed off. He then raised his head, smiling. We asked: What makes you smile, Oh Messenger of Allah?
He said: A Surah has just been revealed to me, and then recited: ‘In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee al-Kawthar (fountain of abundance). Therefore turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off (from the good).’ Then he (the Holy Prophet) asked: Do you know what al-Kawthar is? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Holy Prophet said: It (Kawthar) is a fountain (spring or river) which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, has promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people will come to it on the Day of Resurrection, and cups there (for drinking) would be equal to the number of stars. A servant will be turned away from (among those gathered there). Upon this I shall say: My Lord, he is one of my people. He (the Lord) will say: You do not know that he created new things (in Islam) after you. Ibn Hujr made this addition in the Hadith: “ He (the Holy Prophet) was sitting amongst us in the mosque, and He (Allah) said: (You don’t know) what he innovated after you.”
(Sahih Muslim)

The implication of this Hadith is that those who change the religion that was left by Prophet Muhammad would pay a very bitter price for such misguided conduct. It should not be difficult for anyone to realize that the most dangerous place of all in which to effect any change in the religion of Islam as established by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) is in the House of Allah (Masjid).

Let us also recall another prophecy concerning the alarming extent to which Muslims would deviate from the original religion of Islam. The Prophet prophesied that Muslims could be divided into seventy-three sects and that in such an event all but one would enter into Hell:
“Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr: Allah’s Messenger said: There will befall my Ummah exactly (all those) evils which befell the people of Israel, so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother, there will be among my Ummah one who will do that, and if the people of Israel were fragmented into seventy-two sects my Ummah would be fragmented into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in Hell-Fire except one sect. They (the Companions) said: Allah’s Messenger, which is that? Whereupon he said: It is one to which I and my companions belong.” (Sunan Tirmidhi)

What should we do if we Muslims are to protect ourselves and our religion at that time of abandonment of the religion left by the blessed Prophet? He was very clear and precise in his response that we should hold fast to the Qur’an:

“Narrated Ali ibn Abi Talib: Al-Harith al-A’war: While passing through the Masjid I found the people engrossed in (prohibited) talk, so I went to Ali and told him. He asked if that was really so, and when I assured him that it was, he said: I heard Allah’s Messenger say, ‘Dissension will certainly come.’ I asked him what is the way out of it, to which he replied, “Allah’s Book is the way (out), for it contains information of what has happened before you, news of what will happen after you, and a decision regarding matters which occur among you. It is the distinguisher and is not jesting. If any overweening person abandons it Allah will break him, and if anyone seeks guidance elsewhere Allah will lead him astray. It is Allah’s strong cord, it is the wise reminder, it is the straight path, it is that by which the desires do not swerve nor the tongues become confused, and even the learned cannot grasp it completely. It does not become worn out by repetition and its wonders do not come to an end. It is that concerning which the Jinn did not hesitate to declare, when they heard it, We have heard a wonderful recital which guides to what is right, and we believe in it. He who utters it speaks the truth, he who acts according to it is rewarded, he who pronounces judgment according to it is just, and he who invites people to it guides to a straight path.’”
(Sunan Tirmidhi)

The Qur’an, in turn, has asked us to hold fast to the Sunnah (way) of the Prophet:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent model (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.
(Qur’an, al-Ahzab, 33:21)

And so, it is with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger that we must respond to all trials. And this brings us to the subject of “the greatest of all trials that mankind would experience from the time of Adam to the Last Day”, i.e., the fitnah (trials) of Dajjal the false Messiah or Anti-Christ. It was in connection with that attack of Dajjal that the Prophet warned that “the last people to come out to Dajjal would be women, and that a man would have to return to his home and tie down his wife, sister and daughter to protect them from being seduced by Dajjal.” It is clear that Prophet Muhammad anticipated, in the above prophecy, the modern feminist revolution that has deceptively misled and corrupted so many women in the modern age. We write this essay to warn that the feminist revolution will exploit to its advantage every mistake that Muslims make concerning their women. And we direct attention to one grave mistake that has already been made, and which is likely to explode in the face of this Ummah with devastating effect in the not-too-distant future as Dajjal moves to exploit that mistake to his advantage. What is that mistake?

A DANGEROUS MISTAKE FOR WHICH WE WILL PAY DEARLY

Prophet Muhammad warned his followers: “Do not prevent women from coming to the Masjid (for prayer)”. If Allah Most High, or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him), were to give an order, then Muslims have a religious obligation to submit to that order and to obey it. No one has the authority to cancel an order which has come from Allah or His Messenger. An order can be suspended in consequence of an abnormal situation having arisen (such as a suspension of the divine law of cutting of the hand of the thief in consequence of an abnormal situation created by drought and famine). But neither can an order be cancelled, nor can it be permanently suspended.

And yet, despite the clear orders of the Prophet concerning the rights of Muslim women in the house of Allah it is a quite common sight around the world of Islam today to witness Masajid (plural of Masjid) from which women have been permanently excluded. Such a flagrant violation of women’s rights is sure to provoke a bitter response from the feminist revolution. Indeed we are eventually likely to witness that revolution so exploiting this matter as to eventually succeed in having women give the Juma Khutbah (sermon) from the Mimbar (pulpit) of the Masjid. Already one such profoundly misguided woman has blindly led the way in a New York City church that was used as a Masjid, to open the gates for that evil destructive storm.

But the deprivation of Muslim women’s rights is not limited to their exclusion from the House of Allah. Even when they are allowed to come to the Masjid they are often not allowed to pray in the same space with the men. Rather, a separate space is allocated to them. This can even be in a separate building, an annex, an upstairs gallery, a basement, etc. And finally, when they are allowed to pray on the same floor with the men, two separate spaces are created through the imposition of a barrier (of bricks, wood, cloth etc.) which has the effect of creating two separate spaces for prayer – one for men and the other for women. Sometimes the separate space created for women is at the back of the men; but sometimes, and alarmingly so, it is at the side of the men. In addition to creating a separate space for women, the barrier also has the effect of reducing women to praying congregational prayers with their ears alone, and not their eyes. Women cannot see the congregation (Jama’ah) at prayer. They can only hear!

But Prophet Muhammad very clearly placed men and women in the Masjid to pray ‘in the same space’ with women behind the men, and gave men and women the right to pray with both their ears and their eyes. Consider the following:

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said: “The best row for the men (in the Masjid) is the first (row) and the worst or most dangerous is the last; and the best row for woman (in the Masjid) is the last, and the worst (or most dangerous) is the first.”
(Sahih Muslim)

It is quite clear from the above Hadith that men are supposed to first fill the front row in the Masjid, and then proceed after that to fill row after row in the direction away from the Mimbar (pulpit). If and when women choose to attend Salat in the Masjid, they are supposed to first fill the last row, and then proceed after that to fill row after row in the direction towards the Mimbar (pulpit). As the Masjid fills up the back row of men would draw closer and yet closer to the front row of women. And it is that close physical proximity of men and women, with no barriers in between them, which creates the situation that is pregnant with danger. Among the dangers described by the Prophet himself was that a man may not have enough cloth to cover his private parts when he prostrates. And so the Prophet ordered women to keep their heads down on the ground in prostration (Sijdah) until the men (in front of them) had a chance to sit up:

“Narrated Asma’ daughter of Abu Bakr: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: One of you who believes in Allah and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads (after prostration) lest they should see the private parts of men.”
(Sunan Abu Daud)

The inescapable implication of both the above Ahadith is that women prayed in the Prophet’s Masjid in the same space with the men, but behind them, and that they prayed with both their ears and eyes since a woman who raised her head too soon could see the private parts of the man in front of her (if he was not adequately clothed). This possibility also indicated that there was no barrier in the Prophet’s Masjid between men and women as would obstruct women’s vision. If women choose to perform their Salat at home, on the grounds that such is preferable, it still would not solve the problem faced by those women who choose to visit the Masjid for Salat, and are denied rights mentioned above. Indeed they are forced into such situations of prayer (such as praying at the side, rather than behind the men) in which their Salat would be in manifest conflict with the Sunnah and hence of dubious validity.

The remedy for the present situation in which women are deprived of their rights, even in the house of Allah, is quite evident. It is that Muslims must now insist that women be allowed to come to the Masjid; that they be allowed to pray in the same space with the men but behind them; and that they be allowed to pray with both eyes and ears, and hence with no barrier between men and woman as would obstruct women’s vision of the men in front of them. Nothing less than that can save Muslims from the grave charge of having changed the religion left by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) even in the Masjid itself! And nothing less than that can save Muslims from the evil feminist storm that is sure to sweep the world of Islam in the not-too-distant future, and sure to exploit this mistake of the Ummah to reap evil capital from it.

His Initiative (PBUH) to do whatever he commanded

The Prophet (PBUH) used to order people to do every good and to be the first one to do it. Also, he used to forbid evil and was the first one to keep away from it. The evidences that show that the Prophet (PBUH) hurried to carry out something that he had ordered his companions to do, or his initiative to avoid something, which he had forbidden his companions doing it are numerous. Among these evidences:

A) His participation (PBUH) in the establishment of the mosque and its influence on the companions: Al-Bukhari narrated that Anas reported: while the companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) were moving the rocks (to build the mosque), they repeated and the Prophet (PBUH) repeated with them:

O Allah! There is no life except that of the Hereafter

So, forgive Al-Anssar (the supporters) and the Immigrants

Thus, sometimes, the Prophet (PBUH) moved building materials with them, and at other times, he undertook building himself, while they exchanged it. The participation of the Prophet (PBUH) had an effect on the companions, which appeared in their saying:

If we sit, while the Prophet is working; this is indeed a misleading deed on our part.

Teachers are most in need, more than other people, to abide by this method in their actual life, as they set an example that is to be followed and their students imitate them. Thus, if they order their students to be truthful, they should be the fastest among people in enforcing it, whether inside the school or outside it. Also, if they order them to perform prayer collectively, they should be the first to do so, whether in the school's place of prayer or in the mosques.

b) When the Prophet (PBUH) wanted to prevent his companions from wearing gold rings, he (PBUH) started with himself, threw his ring away and told them that he would not wear a ring. Thus, the companions threw their rings away. Al-Bukhari – may Allah rest his soul – reported that Ibn-Omar had said: the Prophet (PBUH) wore a gold ring, so, people had gold rings, then, the Prophet (PBUH) said: ((I have had a gold ring)), he threw it away and said: ((I will never wear it)). So, people threw their rings away.

In this hadith (the Prophet's saying) the Prophet (PBUH) did not direct his command to his companions to take their rings off, rather, quickly, he took his own off, thus, the companions had nothing to do except throwing their rings away.

Fruits of the Prophetic Directions and Education to Youth

The prophetic methodology reached its goals and achieved its objectives in educating the young companions who, by such education, reached unprecedented achievements in various aspects, like learning, belief, propagation, Jihad, and all good deeds. I will demonstrate in brief some of their achievements in the following:

Mu'ath Bin Jabal, though he is a young man, will be the leader of scholars at the Day of Judgment as the Prophet – peace be upon him – said: ((Mu'ath Bin Jabal will be the leader of scholars at the Day of Judgment)).

They were the most knowing between people of the Holy Quran, its meanings and provisions. Abdullah Bin Mas'oud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I know every Sura of the Quran and the reason behind its being revealed … The Prophet, peace be upon him, recommended to learn Quran from the youth: ((Learn the recitation of the Qur'an from (any of these) four persons: 'Abdullah bin Masud, Salem the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Ubai bin Ka'b, and Mu'ath bin Jabal)) narrated by Al-Bukhari.

Abu Bakr Al-Siddique, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered Zaid Bin Thabet to compile the Quran. This indicates the important role of the youth.

The prophetic directions yielded a faithful generation loving Allah The Almighty and His Prophet, peace be upon him. On Khaibar conquest, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ((I will give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and His Prophet and loved by Allah and His Prophet. Allah will bestow victory upon him)). Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

The strong solid belief of the young companions was clear in confronting the torture of Quraish. The disbelievers forced Khabab Bin Al Art, may Allah be pleased with him, to lay on hot soil until his flesh melt. Mos'ab Bin Omair used to wear best clothes and eat the most delicious foods, but when he embraced Islam, they deprived him of all of that until he wore old patched clothes. He opted the hardships of life out of his love to Allah The Almighty and His Prophet, peace be upon him.

The young companions have sacrificed all precious things of life in the cause of Allah. When Quraish conspired against the Prophet, peace be upon him, Ali Bin Abi Taleb sacrificed his life to protect the Prophet, peace be upon him, by sleeping in place of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and was twenty three years old. In the battle of Uhud, Talha Bin Obaidullah stood in front of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to protect him and prevent arrows from reaching the Prophet, peace be upon him, until his hand was paralyzed.

The prophetic directions and education enhanced the strength of youth in confronting life and its desires. Omar Bin Al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, wanted to test Mu'ath Bin Jabal and Obaida Bin Al Jarah by money. He prepared two bags of money; each bag contains four hundred Dinars, and then told his servant: “take this money to Mu'ath and to Abi Obaida and wait little in their houses to see what they will do”. When Mu'ath, may Allah be pleased with him, received the money, he distributed all of it and left nothing to his family except two Dinars, and so did Abu Obaida. The servant returned back to Omar and told him about the issue. Hearing that, Omar was happy and said: “They are brothers, one from another”.

The young companions have applied their belief into good actions. For example, Ibn Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, was having a vessel of water from which he made ablution (Wudhoo') and prays as much as he could. Then he sleeps little and wake up again to make ablution and pray again, and he repeats this action four for five times at night.

Abu Talha had the greatest wealth of date-palms amongst the Ansar in Medina, and he prized above all his wealth his garden; “Bairuha'”, which was situated opposite the Masjed (of the Prophet). The Prophet, peace be upon him used to enter It and drink from its fresh water. When the following verse was revealed: {Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love} (Ali-Imran: 92). Hearing this verse, Abu Talha said: O Prophet of Allah, the most favorite thing in my properties is “Bairuha’” Farm and I hereby give it as alms in the cause of Allah and I wish the reward of Allah, you can dispose of it as Allah directs you. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ((Well done! This is (real) profitable property, this is (real) profitable property ….)). Narrated by Al Bukhari.

Such generation was brought up by the Prophet, peace be upon him; therefore, they were known of their good morals, noble manners and politeness, like the following:

a) Filial Piety and Good Manners Toward Parents:

Osama Bin Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, has bored a palm tree and extracted its pith and feed his mother. They told him: Why did you do that and you know that the palm tree is worth of one thousand Dirhams? He said: My mother requested it and I used to fulfill anything she requests as long as I can.

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, did not perform Hajj (Pilgrimage) until his mother died, out of his care to keep her company.

Mu'ath Bin Amr Bin Al-Jamouh was trying all efforts to make his father stop worshipping idols before death.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, witnessed that Jafar Bin Abi Taleb has great morals and manners by telling him: ((Your shape and morals are similar to mine)).

The prophetic directions established a brave generation sacrificing soul, money and all precious things of life for the sake of supporting monotheism and the religion of Islam. These youth companions achieved great championships and memorable stances. Here are brief examples in fighting for the cause of Allah and defending the Prophet peace be upon him:

1- Omair Bin Abi Waqqas, sixteen years old, went with the companions and the Prophet, peace be upon him, to Badr Battle and was trying to hide himself so that no one could see him and return him back (Because he is young and not yet qualified), but the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw him and wanted to return him back home because he is not qualified to be in a battle. Omair started crying (Out of sadness to return back). Seeing that, the Prophet, peace be upon him, sympathized with him and allowed him to fight. At the battle, Omair fought courageously and was killed becoming a martyr in this battle.

2- Al-Bukhari & Muslim narrated that Abdul Rahman Bin Auf Said: While I was fighting in the front line on the day (of the battle) of Badr, suddenly I looked behind and saw on my right and left two young boys. Then one of them asked me secretly so that his companion may not hear, "O Uncle! Show me Abu Jahl." I said, "O nephew! What will you do to him?" He said, "I have promised Allah that if I see him (i.e. Abu Jahl), I will either kill him or be killed before I kill him." Then the other said the same to me secretly so that his companion should not hear. I would not have been pleased to be in between two other men instead of them. Then I pointed at him (i.e. Abu Jahl). Both of them attacked him like two hawks till they knocked him down. Those two boys were the sons of 'Afra' (i.e. an Ansari woman).

3- In Uhud Battle, the Prophet, peace be upon him, returned back a group of youth who did not attain fifteen. The companions said that Rafe' (One of the youth) is a good bowman; so, the Prophet, peace be upon him, allowed him to fight. Hearing that, Samra Bin Jundob, a young man eager to attain martyrdom, said to the Prophet, peace be upon him: You have allowed him (i.e. Rafe') to fight and returned me although I can throw him down. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: (Here he is) (i.e. wrestle with him). Then both wrestled and Samra defeated Rafe' and the Prophet, peace be upon him, allowed Samra to fight.

4- Handhala Bin Amer was a bridegroom at the night of Uhud Battle. When he heard the call for Jihad, he went out quickly without making major ablution (Ablution after making love) and fought until he fell as a martyr. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw him he said to the companions: ((The Angles are washing your friend)); therefore, he was called then ((Ghessil Al-Mala'ekah i.e. the person washed by the Angles).

5- The prophetic directions enhanced the ambitions and hopes of youth who were trying all efforts to reach the pleasure of Allah The Almighty. Auf Bin Al-Hareth asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Badr Battle: O Prophet of Allah, what is the thing which makes Allah be pleased from His slave? He said: ((Facing enemy with a bare chest)). Hearing that, he took off his armor, threw it, took his sword and fought until death.

It is the prophetic education which makes this young man asks this strange question out of his care and keenness to achieve the pleasure of Allah in the battlefield.

This is the young generation educated and brought up by the Prophet, peace be upon him. They have followed the prophetic manners, realized the truth of this religion, believed in Allah as the One Lord, believed in Islam as a religion and believed in Muhammad, peace be upon him, as the Prophet of Allah. Their belief was strong and solid, and they have put it into practical manners in their private & general life, worship and transactions. They were keen to spread charity and good deeds worldwide.

Nowadays, we are in bad need for a generation believing in Allah The Almighty and following the manners of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to recover the sovereignty of this nation and this cannot be attained unless we take care of the generations and educate them according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Sunna.

Teaching through giving Examples:

Allah’s Messenger (PBUH), the first teacher, used to frequently give examples amidst his speeches and sayings because he knew of the capability of such examples in delivering and elucidating the intended meaning. Some Example of this:

a) Jabir bin Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) happened to walk through the bazar coming from the side of 'Aliya and the people were on both his sides. There he found a dead lamb with very short ears. He took hold of his ear and said:” Who amongst you would like to have this for a dirham? They said: We do not like to have it even for less than that as it is of no use to us. He said: Do you wish to have it (free of any cost)? They said: By Allah, even if it were alive (we would not have liked to possess that), for there is a defect in it as its ear is very short; now it is dead also. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: By Allah, this world is more insignificant in the eye of Allah as this dead lamb is in your eye”. In this hadith Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) had illustrated to his companions the insignificance and disgrace of this world by representing it as a dead lamb.

b) Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “One who holds (memorizes) Quran is like one who owns camels with tying ropes. If he holds the ropes fast he keeps his camels and if not, the camels will go.” Agreed Upon. (in this hadith Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) had represented the person who memorizes Quran as one who owns camels if he tied them with ropes he can get hold on them and if he let them loose it will be hard for him to catch them again).

c) Abi Mousa Al Ashari narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “"The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

d) Omar ibn Al-Khattab Narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “the example of one who gets back the charity he made is like a dog that swallows his own vomit.” (Muslim) (This hadith makes one repel getting back his charity or donation.).

e) Nu'man bin Bashir reported that Allah's Messenger said: “The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, and fellow-feeling is like the human body: when one limb is ailing, the whole body feels it, one part calling out the other with sleeplessness and fever."

This hadith incites Muslims to have mercy and support amongst each other and to act like one entity.

All the before mentioned Hadiths show the importance of using examples and that it is one of the most effective and successful methods of education and up-bringing of the young.

Ablution

"Perform your prayers in the same manner you had seen me doing." Therefore, here is the explanation for the Prophet's manner of prayer:

1. To perform completely the ablution adopting the method commanded by Allah in the Quran:

{ يأيها الذين امنوا إذا قمتم إلى الصلاة فاغسلوا وجوهكم و أيديكم إلى المرافق وامسحوا برؤوسكم و أرجلكم إلى الكعبين }

"O ye who believe, when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows, rub your heads (with water) and (wash) your feet to the ankles."(5:6)

The Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) said:

(لا تقبل صلاة بغير طهور )

"Prayer without ablution is invalid."

The Ease and Simplicity of Islam

Before I begin, I would like to make a disclaimer that this article deals with the actual laws of Islam, showing that Islam is a simple religion and not burdensome, this does not mean that life will be easy for a practicing Muslim as Allah has promised to test each and every one of us. So keep in mind that although Islam is easy to practice if you commit yourself, your level of commitment will be tested by Allah.

• There is a misunderstanding amongst many people that Islam is difficult and a burden to follow. Such people either have an incorrect understanding of Islam or do not realize how easy the rules of Islam are to follow. Let us look at the basic teachings of Islam and see how simple, natural and easy it is to practice Islam.
  
  The scholars of Islam have agreed that the general principle regarding things of this world is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise. So the burden of proof actually falls on those who say that anything is prohibited. This applies to all worldly things, as for religious deeds, the deed must be proven or it will be considered an innovation. Proof for this principle can be found in the following verses,
  
  
  “Allah wishes to make things easy for you, and not to make things difficult for you,” [Surah Baqarah 2:185] and “We did not place difficulty in this religion.” [Surah Hajj 22:78]



• Also the following Hadith is proof of this principle:
  
  
  “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but aim to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings and the nights.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari 1:2:38]
  
  In fact, Imam Bukhari has a chapter in his Saheeh Al-Bukhari called “The chapter of the religion being easy” and ample proof for this point can be found in that chapter.



• Firstly, the fact that everything worldly is permissible unless prohibited by sacred texts or deduction from them, is proof that Islam is not a difficult religion to follow, the amount of things that are permissible to do are far more than the obligations or prohibitions. Islam is not an ascetic religion that expects people to abandon the world and worship Allah all day in a cave, in fact, Islam prohibits such behaviour and encourages us to interact with society and live normal lives within the boundaries set by Allah, fulfilling our rights to Allah, to ourselves, and to the rest of creation.



• Islam has given rights to all creation; we are not to harm any human, animal, plant or even ourselves unjustly. We must stay away from all sources of vice and whatever leads to them and we must fulfill our basic obligations. If we do these things, we can enjoy the permissible things of this world like family, spousal relations, physical sports or whatever you enjoy as long as you do not break the rules of Islam.



• Islam is the natural religion; it appeals to our inner nature (Fitrah) and fulfills its basic needs without asking us to do anything unnatural. Try and find one ruling in the Quran and Sunnah that goes against human nature, you will not find it.



• Islam is not a burden and does not ask us to do anything that we are incapable of doing, we are not required to give up our personalities, social lives or money. We are not required to pray all night or fast every day, in fact such things are prohibited. Islam emphasizes that we live a balanced life fulfilling our obligations to Allah as well as our obligations towards people and even our own selves. Try and find one command or prohibition in Islam that is beyond human ability, there is no such ruling.



• One reason many people find Islam difficult to practice is because Satan beautifies evil deeds and makes good deeds look boring and difficult, thus we becomes lazy. Yet if one overcomes this obstacle he will find that the deeds emphasized by Islam bring true inner peace and are not too difficult, and he will begin to see the evils and wastage involved in committing sins. Take that first step and see for yourself.



• Islam obliges us to worship Allah only, pray five times a day, fast one month a year, give two and a half percent of our excess wealth in charity, make Hajj once in our lifetime if possible and in general to be good to the rest of creation, stay away from the prohibited matters and have good character. None of these things are beyond human capabilities or unnatural, there is nothing prohibited that is necessary in our lives, rather only that which is harmful to human life is prohibited.



• Another important point to remember is that Allah is Ar-Rahman (Most Merciful) and Al-Ghafoor (Most Forgiving) which means that if we try our best to practice Islam, and still fall into error due to our human nature and own weakness, the door to Allah’s forgiveness is always open for those who repent.



• The basics of Islam are simple to understand and practical to implement, making Islam a universal religion that can be practiced by anyone regardless of his or her intellectual or physical capabilities. It is this pure simplicity of Islam that makes it so universally appealing and it is one of the many reasons that so many people around the world from different backgrounds convert to Islam.