Saturday, December 08, 2007

Why is France so Worried about Religion?

HARUN YAHYA

France and some other countries were drawn into a controversy when two students were expelled from school for wearing a head scarf. France widened the ban and proposed a law forbidding the wearing of clothing and symbols openly expressive of religious identity. Besides head scarfs, this law also includes Christian crosses and Jewish yarmulkes. This law caused a wave of reaction. Muslim countries, the United Kingdom , the USA and Germany condemned the law and stressed that its enforcement would cause tension and entrenchment in France . They also asserted that the law was contrary to religious freedom and basic human rights. But, so far, these reactions have not led the French government to retract its decision.

We must not interpret what happened in France only as a ban on religious symbols; the French fear of religion and religous morality goes back a long time. Those who are aware of the development of social culture and church-state relations in France will know that these kinds of initiatives and the resulting controversies are well known in French society. Moreover, this fear is not limited only to Islam and Judaism; the memory of the murder of Catholics during the French Revolution has not yet been erased.

The present shape of church-state relations in France was forged by conflict, hatred, anger and slaughter. This struggle began in the eighteenth century against the Catholic Church with the purpose of diminishing the influence of the Church on society. We can say that during this period, society became distanced from spiritual and religious values and came under the influence of materialist philosophy.



The Age of Enlightenment:

How European Societies Distanced from Religious Values

That period in which materialist and evolutionist ideas gained widespread acceptance in European society, and influenced it in distancing itself from religion, is known as the Enlightenment. Surely, those who selected this word (that is those who characterized this change of ideas positively as a move into the light) were the leaders of this deviation. They described the earlier period as the "Dark Age" and blamed religion for it, claiming that Europe became enlightened when it was secularized and held religion at a distance. This biased and false perspective is still today one of the basic propaganda mechanisms of those who oppose religion.

It is true that Medieval Christianity was partially "dark" with superstitions and bigotry and most of these have been cleared in the post-Medieval age. In fact, the Enlightenment did not bring much positive results to the West either. The most important result of the Enlightenment, which occurred in France, was the French Revolution, that turned the country into a sea of blood. For most of the French intellectuals, the Enlightenment meant purging people's minds of every religious and spiritual value. Nearly all the thinkers who lived in eighteenth-century France shared this view. The French Revolution was built on this idea of Enlightenment that held sway in France; it was one of the modern world's most barbarous, merciless and savage revolutions. As soon as the Jacobins came to power after the Revolution, the first thing they did was to bring in the guillotine; thousands of people lost their heads just because they were accused of being rich or religious. One of the leaders of the Revolution by the name of Fouché (his nickname was the Butcher of Lyon) sent a committee headed by three individuals to Lyon to destroy the landed and religious aristocracy there. In a letter he sent to Robespierre, the leader of the Senate, Fouché wrote that the guillotine was operating too slowly and that he was not happy with the slow advance of the revolution. He wanted permission to do a mass cleansing. On the day he received the permission, thousands of people with their hands tied behind their back were mowed down mercilessly by the guns of the revolution.

Today Enlightenment influenced literature praises the French Revolution; however, the Revolution cost France much and contributed to social conflicts that were to last into the twenty-first century. The analysis of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment by the famous British thinker, Edmund Burke, is very telling. In his famous book, Reflections on the Revolution in France , published in 1790, he criticized both the idea of the Enlightenment and its fruit, the French Revolution; in his opinion, that movement destroyed the basic values that held society together, such as religion, morality and family structure, and paved the way towards terror and anarchy. Finally, he regarded the Enlightenment, as one interpreter put it, as a "destructive movement of the human intellect." 1

The leaders of this destructive movement were Masons. Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, and other anti-religious thinkers who prepared the way for the Revolution, were all Masons. The Masons were intimate with the Jacobins who were the leaders of the Revolution. This had led some historians to the opinion that it is difficult to distinguish between Jacobinism and Masonry in France of this period.

During the French Revolution, much hostility was evinced toward religion. Many clergymen were sent to the guillotine, churches were destroyed, and, moreover, there were those who wanted to eradicate Christianity totally and replace it with a deviant, pagan, symbolic religion called "the Religion of Reason." The leaders of the Revolution also became victims of this frenzy, every one of them finally losing their heads on the guillotine, to which they themselves had condemned so many people. Even today, many Frenchmen continue to question whether or not the revolution was a good thing.

The anti-religious sentiments of the French Revolution spread throughout Europe and, as a result, the nineteenth century became one of the boldest and most aggressive periods of anti-religious propaganda.




The Struggle Against Religion in France

The role played by Masons in the revolution was admitted by an "agent-provocateur" by the name of Count Cagliostro. Cagliostro was arrested by the Inquisition in 1789, and made some important admissions while under interrogation. He began by stating that Masons throughout Europe had been planning a chain of revolutions. He said that the main goal of the Masons was to destroy the Papacy or to take it over.

Masonry's mission in France did not stop with the revolution. The chaos that came as a result of the revolution was finally settled when Napoleon came to power. But, this stability did not last long; Napoleon's ambition to rule the whole of Europe only brought an end to his power. Afterwards, the conflict in France continued between the monarchists and the revolutionists. In 1830, 1848 and 1871, three more revolutions occurred. In 1848, the "Second Republic" was founded; in 1871 the "Third Republic" was established. In 1881, Catholicism ceased to be the official religion of France and in 1988 religious education was completely removed from the education system.

Masons were very active throughout this period of agitation. Their primary aim was to weaken the Church and its religious institutions, destroy the values of religion and the influence of its laws on society, and to abolish religious education. Masons regarded "anti-clericalism" as the center of their social and political activities.

The Catholic Encyclopedia provides important information about the anti-religious mission of the Grand Orient, as French Masonry was known:

From the official documents of French Masonry contained principally in the official "Bulletin" and "Compte-rendu" of the Grand Orient it has been proved that all the anti-clerical measures passed in the French Parliament were decreed beforehand in the Masonic lodges and executed under the direction of the Grand Orient, whose avowed aim is to control everything and everybody in France. "I said in the assembly of 1898," states the deputy Massé, the official orator of the Assembly of 1903, "that it is the supreme duty of Freemasonry to interfere each day more and more in political and profane struggles." "Success (in the anti-clerical combat) is in a large measure due to Freemasonry; for it is its spirit, its programme, its methods, that have triumphed." "If the Bloc has been established, this is owing to Freemasonry and to the discipline learned in the lodges"…"We need vigilance and above all mutual confidence, if we are to accomplish our work, as yet unfinished. This work, you know . . . the anti-clerical combat, is going on. The Republic must rid itself of the religious congregations, sweeping them off by a vigorous stroke. The system of half measures is everywhere dangerous; the adversary must be crushed with a single blow." 2

The Catholic Encyclopedia continues its account of French Masonry's struggle against religion :

In truth all the "anti-clerical" Masonic reforms carried out in France since 1877, such as the secularization of education, measures against private Christian schools and charitable establishments, the suppression of the religious orders and the spoliation of the Church, professedly culminate in an anti-Christian and irreligious reorganization of human society, not only in France but throughout the world. Thus French Freemasonry, as the standard-bearer of all Freemasonry, pretends to inaugurate the golden era of the Masonic universal republic, comprising in Masonic brotherhood all men and all nations. "The triumph of the Galilean," said the president of the Grand Orient, Senator Delpech, on 20 September, 1902 , "has lasted twenty centuries. But now he dies in his turn…. The Romish Church, founded on the Galilean myth, began to decay rapidly from the very day on which the Masonic Association was established" 3

By the "Galilean" the Masons mean Jesus, because according to the Gospel, Jesus was born in the Palestinian town of Galilee. Therefore, the Masons' hatred for the Church is an expression of their hatred for Jesus and all monotheistic religions. With the materialist, Darwinist and humanist culture they established in the nineteenth century, they believed that they had destroyed religion and restored Europe to its pre-Christian paganism.

When these words were uttered in 1902, a series of laws passed in France broadened the scope of religious opposition. Three thousand religious schools were closed and it was forbidden to give any religious education in schools. Many of the clergy were arrested, some were exiled and religious persons began to be regarded as second-class citizens. For this reason, in 1904, the Vatican broke all diplomatic relations with France but this did not change the country's attitude. It took the loss of the lives of hundreds of thousands of French men against the German army in the First World War before the country's arrogance was tamed and it again recognized the importance of spiritual values.

As The Catholic Encyclopedia maintains, the war against religion, from the French Revolution to the twentieth century, was carried out by "the anti-clerical measures passed in the French Parliament" which "were decreed beforehand in the Masonic lodges and executed under the direction of the Grand Orient." 4 This fact is clear from Masonic writings. For example, a quotation from a Turkish publication of "A Speech Made by Brother Gambetta on July 8 1875 in the Clémente Amitié Lodge" reads:

While the specter of reaction threatened France, and religious doctrine and backward ideas went on the offensive against modern social principles and laws, in the bosom of industrious, far-sighted organizations like Masonry devoted to the principles of brotherhood, we find the strength and consolation in the struggle against the extravagant claims of the Church, its ridiculous exaggerations and habitual excesses…we must be on guard and continue in the struggle. In order to establish the ideas of human order and progress, let us endure so that our shields cannot be broken through. 5

It will be noticed that Masonic literature consistently presents its own ideas as "far-sighted" while accusing religious people of being "backward." However, this is merely a play on words. The notion of "the specter of reaction," mentioned in the above quotation, is something that sincere religious people also oppose, but which Masons exploit to take aim at true religion in their attempt to alienate people from it. Moreover, it must again be emphasized that the materialist-humanist philosophy espoused by Masons is really a superstitious, backward system of ideas, a hold-over of the pagan civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

Therefore, the Masons' use of terms like "far-sightedness" and "backwardness" has no basis in reality. Indeed, it is unfounded because the conflict between Masons and religious people is nothing more than the perpetuation of the conflict between two ideas that have existed since the earliest ages of history. It is religion that proclaims the first of these ideas: that humanity was created by the will of God and that human beings are responsible to worship Him. This is the truth. The opposing idea, that human beings were not created but live vain and purposeless lives, is the one proposed by those who deny the existence of God. When correctly understood, it can be seen that their use of the superficial terms of "backwardness" and "far-sightedness" has no basis.

By making use of the idea of "progress," Masons seek to destroy religion. The "Catholic Encyclopedia" states:

The following are deemed the principal means [of freemasonry]:

(1) To destroy radically by open persecution of the Church or by a hypocritical fraudulent system of separation between State and Church, all social influence of the Church and of religion, insidiously called "clericalism," and, as far as possible, to destroy the Church and all true, i.e., superhuman religion, which is more than a vague cult of fatherland and of humanity;

(2) To secularize, by a likewise hypocritical fraudulent system of "unsectarianism," all public and private life and, above all, popular instruction and education. "Unsectarianism" as understood by the Grand Orient party is anti-Catholic and even anti-Christian, atheistic, positivistic, or agnostic sectarianism in the garb of unsectarianism. Freedom of thought and conscience of the children has to be developed systematically in the child at school and protected, as far as possible, against all disturbing influences, not only of the Church and priests, but also of the children's own parents, if necessary, even by means of moral and physical compulsion. The Grand Orient party considers it indispensable and an infallibly sure way to the final establishment of the universal social republic… 6

It can be seen that Masonry has put a program into effect, under the name of "the liberation of society," whose purpose is to eradicate religion, a program that is still being implemented. This must not be confused with a model that seeks to provide the opportunity for every citizen of whatever religious faith to practice his faith freely. Rather, the model envisioned by Masonry is one of mass brainwashing, designed to remove religion completely from society and the minds of individuals and, if necessary, to persecute its adherents.




RELIGIOUS MORALITY IS THE SOLUTION TO ALL DIFFICULTIES
THE BASIC PROBLEM IS THE ABSENCE OF RELIGION

France 's policy of eradicating religion began in the eighteenth century and has continued for three centuries; its result has been to turn the country into a nation that fears religion, religious morality and religious people. In the past few years, and as a result of this process, Muslims and various other members of religious organizations have been assaulted. However, this fear is groundless. Actually, it is not religion, but the absence of religion that should be feared. Religious morality brings peace, well-being, justice and tolerance to a society. In a society where the sense of religious morality is strong, there cannot possibly be violence, degeneration or fear. For this reason, France 's fear of religion is unnecessary. In societies where war, conflict, violence and injustice hold sway, there is no religious morality.

In a society far removed from religion, it is inevitable that most people will be selfish, unjust and be lacking in moral goodness. Only the values of religion assure moral perfection for societies and individuals. Those having faith in God conduct themselves responsibly, since they only live to attain the approval of God and know that they will give an account of all their deeds. Fearing God, they cautiously avoid wicked deeds, attitudes and behavior not praised by God. A society dominated by such people becomes one that does not experience social problems.

However, a disbelieving person, failing to recognize that he will ultimately be rewarded or punished for his deeds will set no limit to his evil acts. Despite avoiding certain socially unfavorable forms of behavior, many people do not hesitate to commit other evils when they are urged, encouraged or have an opportunity.

In societies where there is no religion, people become predisposed to commit all kinds of immoral acts. For instance, a religious person would never take a bribe, gamble, feel envy, or lie because he would know that he would have to account for these actions in the hereafter. Yet, someone with no religion is prone to doing all these things. It is not enough for one to say, “I'm not religious but I don't take bribes”, or “I'm not religious but I don't gamble”, because a man who does not fear God and who does not believe that he is going to give an account of himself in the hereafter may do any one of these things when the situation or conditions change. A person who says, “I'm not religious but I do not commit fornication” may do so at some place where fornication is considered normal. Or a person who says that he does not take bribes may say, “My son is sick and about to die, therefore I have to take the bribe”, if he has no fear of God.

However, a religious person does not display such immorality, because he fears God and does not forget that God knows his intentions as well as his thoughts.

A person who is distant from religion may say “I'm not religious but I'm forgiving. I feel neither vengeance nor hate,” but one day some untoward event may cause him to lose his self-control and display the most unexpected behaviour. He may attempt to kill or injure someone, because the morality he adopts is one that changes according to the environment and conditions of the place in which he lives.

Yet, one who believes in God and in the hereafter never deviates from his good morals, whatever the conditions or the environment may be. His morality is not “variable” but immutable. God refers to the superior morals of religious people in His verses:

Those who keep faith with God and do not break their agreement; those who join what God has commanded to be joined and are afraid of their Lord and fear an evil Reckoning; those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and attend to their regular prayer and give alms from what We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will attain the Ultimate Abode. (Qur'an, 13: 20-22)

In an environment without religion, the first concept to be eliminated is that of the family. Values such as loyalty, fidelity, allegiance, love, and respect, which sustain the family, are totally abandoned. It must be remembered that the family is the foundation of society and if the family collapses, so does society. Even the state has no reason to exist, since all moral values that underpin the state have been obliterated.

Furthermore, in irreligious societies, there is no reason left for anyone to feel respect, love or compassion for anyone else. This leads to social anarchy. The rich begrudge the poor, the poor begrudge the rich. Anger develops against those who are handicapped or needy. Or aggression towards different nations rises. The workers become aggressive towards their employers and the employers towards their workers, fathers turn against their sons and the sons against their fathers.

The reason for continuous bloodshed and the “third page news” in the newspapers is irreligion. On these pages, every day, we see news coverage about people who heedlessly kill each other for very insignificant causes.

However, a person who knows that he is going to be accountable in the hereafter cannot point a gun at somebody else's head and shoot him. He knows that God has forbidden men to commit crimes, and his fear of God ensures that he will avoid divine retribution. In the Qu'ran, God commands people to avoid corruption:

Do not corrupt the earth after it has been purged of evil. Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. God's mercy is within reach of the righteous. (Qur'an, 7: 56)

The existence of the values of religion brings the love felt for God. This love has an overwhelmingly positive and encouraging impact on all people. To earn the approval of God, believers comfort themselves in the most moral way, and love and respect one another. In general, mercy, tolerance and compassion pervade society.

Going in fear of God, people strictly avoid indulging in immoral or evil acts. In this way, every sort of evil which previously could not be prevented comes to an abrupt end. The spirit and warmth of religion fills the air.

In societies where religion does not penetrate, it is an accepted fact that people become rebellious and anarchistic and take up a position against their state. However, for one who lives by the values of religion, the imperatives of the state are paramount. If it is required, one will put his life into jeopardy for these values. For such a person, the interests of his state will always rank above his own interests. They stand up for spiritual values and do their best to defend them.

Under such favorable conditions, governing the state becomes reasonably simple. The country becomes a secure and prosperous place. Administrators of the country treat the citizens fairly and compassionately and thus unjust practices cease. In return, they are respected by the citizens. Such states surely lay their basis on an unshakeable foundation.

In the absence of Islamic morals, the father becomes the enemy of the son, and vice versa, brothers dispute, employers oppress their employees. Factories and firms stop operating due to anarchy and the wealthy exploit the labor of the poor. In business life, people try to cheat one another. Disorder, conflicts and anarchy become a way of life for the members of society. The reason for all this is that people have no fear of God. People having no fear of God feel free to commit injustice, and do not hesitate to resort to extremes of violence and cruelty—even murder. Furthermore, without feeling a pang of conscience, they dare to publicly express their lack of regret. On the contrary, one who is convinced that he could face eternal punishment in Hell would never commit such acts. The morality of the Qur'an renders all such untoward deeds impossible. Everything is handled easily, quietly and in the best manner. No judicial errors occur and, meanwhile, police stations and the law courts hardly find a case to deal with.

The peaceful and comfortable state of mind of people in all walks of life brings prosperity to society as a whole. Scientific research flourishes, hardly a day goes by without a new discovery or a technological breakthrough and the results are used for the good of all. Culture prospers and leaders promote public welfare. This prosperity owes its existence to the human mind being freed of pressure. Once one's mind is at ease, one develops better thinking ability and this state of mind enlarges the scope for reflection. The consequence is clear and unrestrained use of the intellect. Living by good standards of morality brings prosperity to people; they succeed in their business and commercial lives. Agriculture and industry flourish. In all fields of endeavor, there is true progress.

The solution is evident: to turn to God, the Creator of all beings, and to attain true happiness and tranquility by adhering to the religion God favors for us. God has informed us that salvation in this world is to turn to religion and has given the glad tidings that His sincere servants will not feel fear, provided that they are obedient to Him.

God has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will make them masters in the land as He had made their ancestors before them, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. Let them worship Me, not associating anything with Me. Any who are unbelievers after that are deviators." (Qur'an, 24: 55)

Therefore, for all the reasons we have given above, French society must look for a solution not in the absence of religion but in the practice of religious morality. The solution to the growing conflicts, increasing violence and economic inequality does not lie in the banishment of religion; quite the opposite: it must be sought in an effort to disseminate religious morality. When a nation fears God, acts according to its conscience and exhibits compassion, mercy and tolerance, there can be no doubt that it will easily uproot violence and degradation in its society.

1- Pocock, in; Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France , ed. J. G. A. Pocock, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1987, pp. 33-38.
2- Compterendu Gr. Or., 1903, Nourrisson, "Les Jacobins", 266-271; The Catholic Encyclopedia , "Masonry (Freemasonry)", New Advent, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm
3- The Catholic Encyclopedia , "Masonry (Freemasonry)," New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm)
4- The Catholic Encyclopedia , "Masonry (Freemasonry)," New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm#VIII)
5- Nur Safa Tekyeliban, "Taassuba Karsi Mucadele" (Struggle Against Bigotry): From the Speech of Brother Gambetta made on July 8, 1875 in Clémente Amitié Lodge," Dogus Kolu Yilligi: Ankara Dogus Mahfili Çalismalari (Dogus Branch Yearbook: Ankara Dogus Society Studies) , 1962, Kardes Press, Ankara, 1963, p. 19
6- The Catholic Encyclopedia , "Masonry (Freemasonry)," New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm)



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Instruction on Khuthubas

They receive instructions to preach about national holidays in their khutbahs – what should they do?

Question:
I am the imam in a mosque, and sometimes we receive instructions from the Ministry telling us to promote national holidays such as the holiday commemorating the conqueror, which will coincide with the date of the battle of Badr. We are ordered to speak about this occasion and the daa’iyahs are confused about these instructions. If they go ahead and do that, that will have a negative effect on their da’wah and make the people think badly of them and they will have doubts about what they are doing. Please note also that the department that is responsible for that will punish the imam who refuses to speak about national holidays.
My question is: How should we deal with such matters, especially on the occasions mentioned?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

There is nothing wrong with the khateeb speaking about the battle of Badr or Uhud, or any other battle, and describing what happened on such occasions at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This is not regarded as celebrating it or introducing a festival that is not prescribed in Islam, because it is simply reminding the people of that battle and, more importantly, deriving useful lessons from it.

Secondly:

With regard to national holidays, if the people celebrate them and take them as a kind of ‘Eid, then the khateeb should not take any part in that, and speaking about such occasions may be understood by the listener as meaning that he is joining in and supporting this innovation.

But if the Ministry will punish those who do not speak about these occasions, by preventing them from delivering khutbahs or other penalties, then the khateeb should weigh up the pros and cons, and decide whether the interests served by his remaining as a teacher, daa’iyah and guide will be outweighed by the negative consequences of a speech which may damage his reputation among the common folk, or not.

It seems that the wise khateeb can use these occasions in order to say something useful that will reinforce the ideas of the causes of victory and the factors that lead to defeat, the laws of Allaah with regard to the rise and fall of societies, and the concept of al-wala’ wa’l-bara’ (loyalty towards the believers and disavowal of the disbelievers), the necessity of turning back to Islam, and other important concepts which the people need to know.

In this way, the interests served by his speech will be many times greater than the negative consequences referred to. Islam seeks to bring and fulfil what is in people’s interests and to ward off and reduce harmful effects, by choosing the lesser of two evils, as is well known.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Ruling on travelling to visit

B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m

As Salaam o Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barkaatuh


Ruling on travelling to visit
the grave of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)





Question:


What is the ruling on travelling to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and others graves of awliya’ and righteous people and others?



Answer:



Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to travel with the intention of visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the grave of any other person, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:


“No one should travel for the purpose of visiting
(any masjid) except three:
Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (in Makkah),
This mosque of mine (in Madeenah)
and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsaa (in al-Quds/Jerusalem) .”



It is prescribed for the one who wants to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and who lives far from Madeenah to have the intention of travelling to visit al-Masjid al-Nabawi; that will include by implication visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the graves of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and the graves of the martyrs and people of al-Baqee’.


If he has the intention of visiting both (the mosque and the grave), this is permissible, because things may be permissible as part of something else which are not permissible on their own. But having the intention only to visit the grave and travelling for that purpose is not permissible.

Intending to visit the grave only is not permissible if it involves travelling. But if a person lives close by and does not need to travel, and his going to the grave is not regarded as “travel” or a “journey”, then it is OK, because visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the graves of his two companions without having to travel is Sunnah and is an act of worship.

The same applies to visiting the graves of the martyrs and of the people of al-Baqee’. Similarly, visiting the graves of Muslims in all places is Sunnah and is an act of worship, but without travelling for that purpose, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:


“Visit graves, for they will remind you of the Hereafter.”



(Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).




The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach his Sahaabah, when they visited graves, to say,


“Al-salaamu ‘alaykum ahl al-diyaar min al-mu’mineen wa’l-Muslimeen, wa innaa in shaa’ Allaah bikum laahiqoon, nas’al Allaaha lana wa lakum al-‘aafiyah"


(Peace be upon you, O believing and Muslim dwellers of this place. We will join you soon, if Allaah wills. We ask Allaah to keep us and you safe).”
(Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).


Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 336



---
Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni!

OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me
and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me!

(Aameen)

Please share this article with the maximum number of people u can, because...

Guiding one soul to knowledge and faith is a momentous achievement.
It is what will earn us great blessings... (Insha Allah)

With kind and humble regards,
Umme Safoora

Sunday, December 02, 2007

WOMEN’S RIGHTS – A COMPARISON

AMEERAH
Houston, TX USA



Women comprise a little more than half the population of the world. But their rights and honor have not always been respected by the civilized society. Only recently was ‘equal right’ given to women in the western society but on paper only, and not in practice. Women are used mostly for physical pleasures and promotion of business. In the name of progress, equal rights and women liberation, gradually and gradually, they have been dragged down from the lofty and most respectable position given by God, to the most disrespectful position of ‘object of pleasure and lust’. They have been made to discard their graceful and honorable robes for something that is sometimes almost non-existent. They have been humiliated and med to undress in public by the so called civilized man! In one pretext to another, they have been lured out from the protection of their homes to the open field, infested with hungry wolves, who start devouring them at the earliest opportunity and continue to do so until their charm and usefulness last.

Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions of the world, with a combined following of over two billion people. We shall now see the position women occupy in these religions.



Status of Women:



The Holy Bible says: “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The Holy Bible also says: “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” (I Corinthians 11:8-9).



The Holy Qur’an says: “And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them” (Quran 2:228). “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God had given the one more (strength) than the other” (Quran 4:34). Such a degree above is maintenance and protection of women by men, because of their physical and psychological makeup. From the legal standpoint it implies no superiority or advantage. Financial responsibility for the maintenance of his wife, children and needy relatives, especially women, rests on the men (Reference 5, Page 23)



The Holy Bible says: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church’ (I Corinthians 14:34-35) “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent’ (Timothy 2:12)



In Islam women can ask questions, even in the mosque. During the caliphate of Omar, a woman argued with him in the mosque, proved her point and caused him to declare in presence of the people: “The woman is right and Omar is wrong” (Reference 5, Page 24).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was employed by a woman named Khadijah.



In the Holy Bible God said to women after Eve gave the forbidden fruit to Adam: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing…. And he (husband) shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16).



In Islam the blame for eating from the forbidden tree is put on both Adam and Even. God later forgave them. “Then learn Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord turned towards him; for He is Oft-returning, Most Merciful’ (Quran 2:37) In one verse, in fact, Adam was specifically blamed for not being more careful (Quran 20:121).



Holy Bible says: “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head… For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn (shaved)” (I Corinthians 11:5-6).



Holy Quran does not order women’s head to be shaved for not wearing the head cover. It says: “they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty” (Quran 24:30-31). Punishment for disobedience will be in the after life.



Marriage:



In the Mosaic Law, the wife was bethrothed: “To betroth a wife to oneself meant simply to acquire possession of her by payment of the purchase money; the betrothed is a girl for whom the purchase money has been paid” (Encyclopedia Biblica 1902, Volume 3, Page 2942).



The consent of the girl was not necessary for the validation of the marriage: “The woman being man’s property, his right to divorce her follows as a matter of course.” In the Mosaic Law divorce was a privilege of the husband only (Encyclopedia Biblica, 11th Edition, Page 782).



In Islam, women cannot be forced to marry anyone without their consent: “You are forbidden to inherit women against their will” (Quran 4:19) The Quran orders husbands: “Live with them (wives) on a footing of kindness and equity (Quran 4:19).



Property Rights:



According to English common law: “all real property which a wife held at the time of marriage became a possession of the husband” (Encyclopedia America, Intl. Edition, Volume 29, Page 108). Married women’s Property Act of England was passed in 1870 (Reference 5, Page 8). France made women eligible to make a contract in 1938, however the wife was still required to secure her husband’s permission before she could dispose of her private property (Reference 5, Page 21).



The Islamic Law recognizes women’s right to her money, real estate, or other properties. She has full rights to buy, sell, mortgage or lease any or all her properties (Reference 5, Page 21). Women have the right to inheritance (Quran 4:7). Her share is hers and no one can make any claim on it (Reference 5, Page 22).



Status of Mother:



The Holy Bible says: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20). But the Bible also says: “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus sath unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her (Mother), woman what have I to do with thee?? Mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:3-4)



Islam considers kindness to parents next to worship of God: “your lord has decreed that you worship none save him, and that you be kind to your parents” (Quran 17:23).



Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said: “Paradise is at the feet of mothers”. (Nasai 25:6, Reference 4, Page 80)



Polygamy:



The Holy Bible did not prohibit polygamy. Many of the prophets in the Holy Bible were polygamous. Prophet David had 100 wives and Prophet Solomon had 700 wives. Later regulations fixed the number of wives at 18 for kings and 4 for an ordinary man (Dictionary of the Holy Bible, James Hasting, Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY, 1963, Page 624).



Although the churches do not allow polygamy now, most of the Christians are not monogamous. Because of the absence of this safety-valve mechanism, most of the surplus women in post-world-war Germany indulged in adultery and fornication.



In Islam polygamy is allowed, but under special circumstances and with strict conditions. That is why, almost all Muslims one meets are strictly monogamous. It is interesting to note that although polygamy is allowed in Islam, Muslims are, in general, strictly monogamous, whereas the Christians, although preach monogamy, openly indulge in polygamy!





Views of Canonized saints of Christianity:



“Woman is a daughter of falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of peace; through her Adam lost paradise.” (St. John Damascene, Reference 4, Page 79).

“Woman is the fountain of the arm of the Devil, her voice is the hissing of the serpent” (St. Anthony, Reference 4, Page 79)

“Woman has the poison of an asp, the malice of a dragon” (St. Gregory the Great, Reference 4, Page 79).



The status which women in Christian countries reached was not given by the Holy Bible. “It was achieved through long struggle and sacrifice on the part of women and when the society needed their contribution and work, more especially during the two world wars” (Reference 5, Page 26).





Special Status and Right of Women in Islam



Women are exempted from obligatory daily prayers during their monthly periods and forty days after childbirth. They do not have to observe the obligatory fasting during those periods, and during pregnancy and nursing of her baby if there is ANY threat to her health of her baby. But they will make up for the missed fasting days at a later date. Friday’s congregational prayer is mandatory for men but optional for women. (Reference 5, Pages 13-14).



Woman has the full right to her ‘Mahr’, a marriage gift, and such ownership does not transfer to her husband or father. The marriage gift symbolizes man’s respect, love and affection for the woman he is going to marry (Reference 5, Page 17). The Holy Quran says: “When you divorce a woman, do not take back anything that you have given her (however great it may be)” (Quran 4:20).

Islam emphasizes the importance of taking counsel and mutual agreement in family decisions:

“If they (husband and wife) decide … by mutual consent and (after) due consultation, there is no blame on them” (Quran 2:233).



Protection of women’s honor: The Holy Quran says: “And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes and reject their evidence even after” (Quran 24:4). When a wife is accused and no witness is presented, the witness of the women to defend her honor and chastity is greater than the witness of the male accuser (Quran 24:6-9).



The Holy Quran says: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard heir modesty; that will make for greater purity for them: … And say to the believing women that they should lower their gazes and guard their modesty, that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosom and not display their beauty except to their husband, their fathers … (Quran 24:30-31).



Both men and women have equal right to seek an end to an unsuccessful marriage. To protect them from hasty decision out of temporary emotional stress, certain steps and waiting periods are observed (Reference 5, Page 19)

Holy Bible forbids divorce (Luke 16:18)



Advise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “You have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you… do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.” (Prophet Muhammads (PBUH) Last Sermon)
“Best of you are those who are best with your wives ... it is the generous who is good to women, and it is the wicked who insults them” (Reference 5, Pages 18 and 21).


Under Islamic Law:

Women are far more secure financially: Women’s personal property does not get transferred to husband or father.
Her marriage gift is hers to keep, even if she divorces.
She bears no obligation to spend from her property on her family.
She bears no financial responsibility to maintain her children if the husband is alive.
If divorced, she may also get alimony from her ex-husband.
There is no law in Islam which forbids women to seek employment.






References:

Teachers Edition of the Holy Bible, 1955
Holy Bible Revised Standard Edition, 1980
The Holy Qur’an, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1988
Islam and Christianity, U. A. Samad, 1988
The Status of Woman in Islam, Dr. J. Badawi, 1972
Polygamy in Islamic Law, Dr. J. Badawi, 1976

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The Wives of the Prophet SAW (the mothers of the Believers [may Allah SWT be pleased with them]) Nov 11, '07 8:15 PM
for everyone

Question:
Can you pls tell me ,how many wives does our Propher(pbuh) had with names and exact prove like Hadith no. and book name with page no.There r lot of confusions .I ll be great full to u if u can help me out.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married the following women:
1 – Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (may Allaah be pleased with her)
She was the first of his wives. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her when he was twenty-five years old, and he did not take another wife until after she died. All his children were born from her, except Ibraaheem.
Al-Bukhaari entitled a chapter in his Saheeh: “The marriage of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Khadeejah (may Allaah be pleased with her), and her virtues,” in which he narrated a hadeeth from ‘Aa’ishah who said: “I never felt jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as I did of Khadeejah, although she died before he married me, because of what I heard him say about her.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3815.
2 – Sawdah bint Zam’ah ibn Qays
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her in the tenth year of his Prophethood. Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d, narrating from al-Waaqidi, 8/52-53; Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 3/149
3 – ‘Aa’ishah bint Abi Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with her)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her in Shawwaal of the tenth year of the Prophethood. Ibn Sa’d, 8/58-59. She herself said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married me when I was six years old, and consummated the marriage with me when I was nine.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3894; Muslim, 1422. Al-Bukhaari (5077) also narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (S) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not marry any virgin apart form her.
4 – Hafsah bint ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with her)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Hafsah’s husband Khunays ibn Hudhaafah, who was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and had been present at Badr, died in Madeenah. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: I met ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan and offered Hafsah to him in marriage. I said: If you wish, I will marry Hafsah bint ‘Umar to you. He said: I will think about it. Several nights passed, then he said: I think that I do not want to get married at this time. ‘Umar said: Then I met Abu Bakr and I said: If you wish, I will marry Hafsah bint ‘Umar to you. Abu Bakr kept quiet and did not give me any response. I was more upset about him than about ‘Uthmaan. Several nights passed, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) proposed to her and I married her to him. Then Abu Bakr met me and said: Perhaps you felt upset when you offered Hafsah in marriage to me and I did not reply? I said: Yes. He said: Nothing prevented me from responding to your offer but the fact that I knew that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had mentioned her, and I did not want to disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). If he had decided not to marry her, I would have accepted your offer.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4005.
5 – Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her in Ramadaan, thirty-one months after the Hijrah. Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d, 8/115
6 – Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
Muslim (918) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no person who is faced with a calamity and says Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon, Allaahumma ujurni fi museebati w'ukhluf li khayran minha (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return; O Allaah, reward me in this calamity and compensate me with something better than it) but Allaah will reward him in his calamity and will compensate him with something better than that.” She said: When Abu Salamah died, I said what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had commanded me, and Allaah compensated me with someone better than him: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
According to another report: when Abu Salamah died, I said: Who is better than Abu Salamah, the companion of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? But Allaah decreed that I should say it. Then I got married to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
7 – Juwayriyah bint al-Haarith (may Allaah be pleased with her)
She fell prisoner to the Muslims during the battle of Banu’l-Mustalaq, and she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to ask him to help her to manumit herself and buy her freedom. He offered to buy her freedom and marry her, and she accepted. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her and made her manumission her dowry. When the people came to know of that, they set free their own prisoners, so as to honour the in-laws of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). No woman brought a greater blessing to her people than she did. Narrated by Ibn Ishaaq with a hasan isnaad. Seerat Ibn Hishaam, 3/408-409.
8 – Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with her)
Concerning her Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“So when Zayd had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them)”
[al-Ahzaab 33:37]
She used to boast about this to the other wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), saying: “Your families arranged your marriages but Allaah arranged my marriage from above the seven heavens.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7420.
9 – Umm Habeebah bint Abi Sufyaan (may Allaah be pleased with her):
Abu Dawood (2107) narrated from ‘Urwah from Umm Habeebah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that she was married to ‘Ubayd-Allaah ibn Jahsh, who died in Abyssinia. Then the Negus married her to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and gave her a mahr of four thousand on his behalf, and sent her to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with Shurahbeel ibn Hasanah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
10- Maymoonah bint al-Haarith (may Allaah be pleased with her)
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married Maymoonah when he was in ihraam. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1832; Muslim, 1410.
The words “when he was in ihraam” are a mistake. In fact the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her after he exited ihraam following ‘Umrat al-Qada’.
See Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/113; Fath al-Baari, hadeeth no. 5114.
11 – Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab (may Allaah be pleased with her)
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set her free and married her after the battle of Khaybar. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 371.
These are the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with whom he consummated marriage. Two of them died during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), namely Khadeejah and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (may Allaah be pleased with them both). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left behind nine wives when he died; there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this matter.
See Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/105-114
It was said that Rayhaanah bint ‘Amr al-Nadariyyah (or al-Quraziyyah) was also one of his wives. She was taken prisoner during the battle of Bani Qurayzah, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) chose her for himself and married her, then he divorced her then took her back. Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d , narrating from al-Waaqidi, 8/130
And it was said that she was a concubine. This was regarded as more likely by Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad al-Ma’aad.
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Be in the World like a stranger... Nov 11, '07 8:04 PM
for everyone

Mu` meneen Brothers and Sisters, As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Gracious


Abdullah bin Umar (r.a.) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took hold of my shoulders and said,

" Be in the world like a stranger or a wayfarer."



Ibn Umar (r.a.) used to say: "When you survive till the evening, do not expect to live until the morning; and when you survive until the morning, do not expect to live until the evening; (do good deeds) when you are in good health before you fall sick, and (do good deeds) as long as you are alive before death strikes."

Sahih Al Bukhari Hadith 471 Chapter 55 Excellence of Ascetic life

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By all Means... MARRY! Nov 9, '07 3:28 PM
for everyone

I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.
That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.
David Bissonette

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
Sacha Guitry

After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.
Hemant Joshi

By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates

Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them.
Dumas

The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a woman want?
Sigmund Freud

I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.
Anonymous

"Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays."
Henny Youngman

"I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years."
Sam Kinison

"There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It's called marriage."
James Holt McGavran

"I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't."
Patrick Murray

Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming
1. Whenever you're wrong, admit it,
2. Whenever you're right, shut up.
Nash

The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once...
Anonymous

You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.
Henny Youngman

My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.
Rodney Dangerfield

A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.
Milton Berle



Marriage is the only war where one sleeps with the enemy.
Anonymous

A son asked his Dad how much it costs to get married. His Dad replied: I don't know son, I'm still paying.


A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Wife wanted". Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."
Anonymous

First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

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