Ruling on a man plucking hair from his forehead and between the eyebrows
What is the ruling on a man removing excessive hair from his face with a thread? Whether it is on the beard, between the eyebrows or on the forehead?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a man to remove anything from his beard because of the many ahaadeeth which enjoin leaving it alone and letting it grow. The definition of the beard is that which grows on the jawbones, cheeks and chin. See the answer to question no. 69749.
As for hair other than that, such as the hair that grows on the forehead and between the eyebrows, there is nothing wrong with removing it according to some scholars.
Others are of the view that it is not allowed, especially if it is removed by plucking, with a thread or otherwise.
The reason for the difference of opinion is the difference of opinion about the meaning of the word namas (plucking) which is mentioned in the hadeeth which curses the one who does that. Some of them interpreted it as specific to the eyebrows and some interpreted it as including all facial hair. Namas is haraam for both men and women, because it is changing the creation of Allaah, and there is no difference between men and women in this case.
The first view – which is that namas applies only to the eyebrows – was held by a number of scholars, and the scholars of the Standing Committee issued fatwas on that basis. They stated that it is permissible to remove facial hair apart from the beard and eyebrows, and we have quoted their fatwa in the answer to question no. 1173 and 21400.
The second view – which is that namas refers to removal all of facial hair – was held by many scholars and was favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), who said it is not allowed for men to pluck hair from their faces.
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked): What is the ruling on plucking grey hairs from the hair and beard?
He replied:
With regard to the beard or facial hair it is haraam, because this is namas. Namas means plucking the facial hair, of which the beard is a part, and it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the woman who plucks facial hair and the woman who has that done. We say to this man: if you were to look for every hair that has turned white and pluck it out, you would have no beard left. So leave what Allaah has created as He created it and do not pluck anything.
But if it refers to plucking hair from the head, it does not reach the level of being haraam, because that is not namas. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (11/123).
It seems – and Allaah knows best – that namas refers specifically to removing hair from the eyebrows. Based on that there is nothing wrong with a man removing hair from his face other than the beard and eyebrows.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Moments & Movements towards the Straight Path
Moments & Movements For Reforming Society-why ME as a professional should Grieve about moral degradation in society ? a FAQ to me………… an unknown brother send me this Jazaka'Allahu Khairan,which represents my feelings somewhere-aNYONE WHO HAS SENT THIS PLEASE CONTACT ME--TO ATTRIBUTE IT TO YOU.
"O you who believe! watch out for your own selves (i.e. your deeds). When you are on the right path, those who go astray cannot harm you" (Al-Maaidah 105)
Humankind may progress to any limit and it may reach the highest peak of glory in every sphere of life, yet there will be some who will go wrong and become involved in godlessness but if a person is firm and steadfast in his own Iman the wrong belief of others will bring him no harm as revealed by the meaning attached to the above Ayah of the Quran. When Obscenity, vulgarity, immorality, bribery and corruption are order of the day. Use of drugs are going on without any check.To eliminate all kinds of vices from the world and to promote good is the responsibility of every Muslim. Prophet(saw)said clearly that when people see something evil and do not seek to change it, Allah will send down punishment for all of them.Allah, the Almighty , says: "You are the best Ummah who have been created to show the right path to the people. You command for doing good and forbid from doing evil, and you have faith in Allah.
In the Hadith of al-Khudree (RA) it is stated "In other words, when anyone of you sees the commission of evil, he should use his hands to change (prevent) it; and if he has not the power to do this, he should use his tongue and if he has not the power to do this, he should use his heart, and this last represents the weakest degree of Iman. So, just as this last is the weakest degree of Iman, the first is the most complete form of Dawa and the most complete kind of Iman". (Muslim) . the first is the most complete form of Dawa and the most complete kind of Iman". (Muslim) Even clearer is the Hadith of Ibn Masood (Radiallaho Anho)
in an an epoch of evil and error, and epoch that witnesses the birth of people who step aside from the path laid down by their Nabi. Their actions are at variance with their proclamation their activities are not warranted by the law. So whosoever arises in defense of Truth and Law, and opposes the miscreants with his hands is a true believer, he who cannot do this but uses his tongue, he is a believer too and he who cannot do even this but uses his heart is also a believer but lower than this there is no degree of faith". (Muslim).
People of fame as well as the common man, the learned and the uneducated all alike, have become indifferent or even lost hope of the improvement of society. They all seem to have accepted the fate, that is is difficult, rather impossible these days for Muslims to make any progress to regain their lost glory. Whenever any scheme for improvement and correction is presented to anyone, the usual reaction is how can the Muslims progress in the circumstances when they have neither a state of their own nor any power to rule, neither wealth nor any financial standing nor army and equipment of war nor any influence? They lack even in physical strength, mutual agreement and unity of purpose. Even the religious people seem to have decided by themselves that, it being the fourteenth century Hijri and the people having drifted so far away from the Nazi's teachings, the downfall of Islam and the Muslims is inevitable. The maintain that, in these circumstances, it will be useless to make any effort towards the betterment of Muslims
There can be no doubt that the act of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is that solid pillar of Islam on which each and every article of faith rests. It is for this very mission that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) deputed all the Anbiya. If, unfortunately, it is ignored or forgotten and its methods and practices are given up. conscience, which is the capital wealth of man, will decline and worsen, inactivates and dullness of mind will prevail. The highway to sin and highhandedness will be opened up and inhumanity will spread in the whole world. All achievements of man will become dangerous and even harmful. Human relationship will break down. Civilization will be ruined. Mankind will be reduced to utter moral poverty. But, the clear realization of all this will come only on the day of Qiyamah, when all of mankind will be on trial before Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and be called upon to account for each and every action. Alas! Alas! the fear has come true, that which was feared is before our eyes.
We generally believe that the act of Tabligh is the sole and special responsibility of the Ulama,that too in our valley full of misconceptions,deviations,innovations, even when the related orders of the Quran are clear and fully apply to each and every living Muslim. The actions and the hard work of the Sahabah of the Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam) and all those distinguished Muslims who immediately followed them, bear definite testimony to the view that each and every Muslim is responsible for Tabligh.Tabigh necessarily doesn’t essentially mean put a big “dastaar” keep long beard , short trouser, and go over mihrab of mosque.
To give the responsibility of Tabligh (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil) solely to the ranks of Ulama and not to ourselves is a sign of great ignorance on our part. The duty of the Ulama is to state the truth and to point out the right path. To enforce righteousness among the people and to keep the people moving on the right path is the responsibility of all other Muslims. The following Hadith is a clear warning for this. Lo! All of you are trustees and shall be questioned on the day of Qiyamah in respect of your trust. So the king is a head unto his subjects and shall be questioned in respect of them, the husband is a head unto his wife and household and shall be questioned in respect of them, the wife is a head unto her husband's house and the children and shall be questioned in respect of them all, the slave is a watchman unto his master's effects and shall be questioned in respect of those. So you are all trustees and you shall be questioned in respect of those entrusted to you (Bukhari/Muslim) and similarly, in another place, a yet clearer account is given Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said Deen is well wishing. The Sahabah enquire Well wishing towards whom? He said Towards Allah, His Rasul, the leaders of Muslims and Muslims. (Muslim)
"O you who believe! watch out for your own selves (i.e. your deeds). When you are on the right path, those who go astray cannot harm you" (Al-Maaidah 105)
Humankind may progress to any limit and it may reach the highest peak of glory in every sphere of life, yet there will be some who will go wrong and become involved in godlessness but if a person is firm and steadfast in his own Iman the wrong belief of others will bring him no harm as revealed by the meaning attached to the above Ayah of the Quran. When Obscenity, vulgarity, immorality, bribery and corruption are order of the day. Use of drugs are going on without any check.To eliminate all kinds of vices from the world and to promote good is the responsibility of every Muslim. Prophet(saw)said clearly that when people see something evil and do not seek to change it, Allah will send down punishment for all of them.Allah, the Almighty , says: "You are the best Ummah who have been created to show the right path to the people. You command for doing good and forbid from doing evil, and you have faith in Allah.
In the Hadith of al-Khudree (RA) it is stated "In other words, when anyone of you sees the commission of evil, he should use his hands to change (prevent) it; and if he has not the power to do this, he should use his tongue and if he has not the power to do this, he should use his heart, and this last represents the weakest degree of Iman. So, just as this last is the weakest degree of Iman, the first is the most complete form of Dawa and the most complete kind of Iman". (Muslim) . the first is the most complete form of Dawa and the most complete kind of Iman". (Muslim) Even clearer is the Hadith of Ibn Masood (Radiallaho Anho)
in an an epoch of evil and error, and epoch that witnesses the birth of people who step aside from the path laid down by their Nabi. Their actions are at variance with their proclamation their activities are not warranted by the law. So whosoever arises in defense of Truth and Law, and opposes the miscreants with his hands is a true believer, he who cannot do this but uses his tongue, he is a believer too and he who cannot do even this but uses his heart is also a believer but lower than this there is no degree of faith". (Muslim).
People of fame as well as the common man, the learned and the uneducated all alike, have become indifferent or even lost hope of the improvement of society. They all seem to have accepted the fate, that is is difficult, rather impossible these days for Muslims to make any progress to regain their lost glory. Whenever any scheme for improvement and correction is presented to anyone, the usual reaction is how can the Muslims progress in the circumstances when they have neither a state of their own nor any power to rule, neither wealth nor any financial standing nor army and equipment of war nor any influence? They lack even in physical strength, mutual agreement and unity of purpose. Even the religious people seem to have decided by themselves that, it being the fourteenth century Hijri and the people having drifted so far away from the Nazi's teachings, the downfall of Islam and the Muslims is inevitable. The maintain that, in these circumstances, it will be useless to make any effort towards the betterment of Muslims
There can be no doubt that the act of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is that solid pillar of Islam on which each and every article of faith rests. It is for this very mission that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) deputed all the Anbiya. If, unfortunately, it is ignored or forgotten and its methods and practices are given up. conscience, which is the capital wealth of man, will decline and worsen, inactivates and dullness of mind will prevail. The highway to sin and highhandedness will be opened up and inhumanity will spread in the whole world. All achievements of man will become dangerous and even harmful. Human relationship will break down. Civilization will be ruined. Mankind will be reduced to utter moral poverty. But, the clear realization of all this will come only on the day of Qiyamah, when all of mankind will be on trial before Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and be called upon to account for each and every action. Alas! Alas! the fear has come true, that which was feared is before our eyes.
We generally believe that the act of Tabligh is the sole and special responsibility of the Ulama,that too in our valley full of misconceptions,deviations,innovations, even when the related orders of the Quran are clear and fully apply to each and every living Muslim. The actions and the hard work of the Sahabah of the Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi wassallam) and all those distinguished Muslims who immediately followed them, bear definite testimony to the view that each and every Muslim is responsible for Tabligh.Tabigh necessarily doesn’t essentially mean put a big “dastaar” keep long beard , short trouser, and go over mihrab of mosque.
To give the responsibility of Tabligh (enjoining the good and forbidding the evil) solely to the ranks of Ulama and not to ourselves is a sign of great ignorance on our part. The duty of the Ulama is to state the truth and to point out the right path. To enforce righteousness among the people and to keep the people moving on the right path is the responsibility of all other Muslims. The following Hadith is a clear warning for this. Lo! All of you are trustees and shall be questioned on the day of Qiyamah in respect of your trust. So the king is a head unto his subjects and shall be questioned in respect of them, the husband is a head unto his wife and household and shall be questioned in respect of them, the wife is a head unto her husband's house and the children and shall be questioned in respect of them all, the slave is a watchman unto his master's effects and shall be questioned in respect of those. So you are all trustees and you shall be questioned in respect of those entrusted to you (Bukhari/Muslim) and similarly, in another place, a yet clearer account is given Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said Deen is well wishing. The Sahabah enquire Well wishing towards whom? He said Towards Allah, His Rasul, the leaders of Muslims and Muslims. (Muslim)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
MOON CONFUSION why we can,t have a Unified World Islamic Calendar,
MOON CONFUSION
Let’s have a Unified World Islamic Calendar, writes Faiz Fazili
Out of all the symbols that Muslims could have chosen to symbolize the unity of community, it is indeed ironic that they chose the appearance of Hilal (crescent) which for many signifies the greatest manifestation of division amongst Muslims. Some intentionally provocative questions are: Why are the Islamic dates in such a mess? Which convention should Muslims use to determine the beginning and ending of Islamic months? Why Muslims can’t have a unified World Islamic calendar?
Like so many other years, Muslims once again were confused as to when to celebrate the Eid. The Prophet (PBUH) had fixed the date for Eidul-fitr on the first of Shawwal. Eid ul Fitr was actually observed on three days. Can the First of Shawwal 1429H be 30th September (UAE and Saudi Arabia); 1st October (Egypt, Pakistan) and 2nd October 2008 (India) .Yes, it’s that time of the Islamic festivals again when Muslims frantically call each other, asking: “What did the TV announce?”, “Did they see the moon yet?”, “Has moon been sighted….where ,” and the single most effective question that seals the fate of one’s own fast, “What are YOU going to do?”
“It is extremely unfortunate, not to say utterly-embarrassing, that the Muslim people, who led the world for a millennium in every scientific discipline, developed the scientific method itself and taught science and rationality to the West, are still in a state of chaos over a relatively simple matter of science and Shari’ah, i.e. the lunar calendar.”, says Dr Hasan, a Planetarium Lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Our common sense demands that the prayer times in USA and Saudi Arabia must be different in the earth which is a globe; America has night when India has day. So the times must be different everywhere. In an age when we can measure the properties of sub-atomic particles of moon sighting on the 29th of each month. No Muslim disputes that a crescent (Hilal) determines the beginning of an Islamic month. The Islamic Law states if one person (two for Eid) sees the new moon moon/crescent i.e. the visible new moon, then begin the new month. This is the Sunnah and this is practiced by the mass majority of Muslims all over the world and has been the practice since 1400 years, from when The Prophet (PBUH) himself established the new month in this way. Allah the exalted commands: “So he who from amongst you should witness
the month should fast it” (Qur’an 2;185).The term witnessed is used meaning we must sight the moon. This convention is universally applicable and accessible at all times to all Muslims throughout the world. From the Fiqhi standpoint, one may begin the Islamic month on “local” sighting (Ikhtilaf al-Matali-when each locality is to insure that they cite the moon themselves and decide according to that the beginning of month) or Ittihad al-Matale’ based on sighting anywhere in the Muslim World (the case when crescent is sighted in one Islamic locality, then all localities are to follow it, so long as they share part of night). Although different, both of these positions are valid Islamic Fiqhi positions. Muslims scholars have adopted different juristic positions as astronomically some data are definitive and conclusive (i.e. the time of birth of the Crescent (new moon) and timing of rise of set of moon and sun), but determining the visibility of the Crescent is not as definitive or conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors, including the available recordings around the world. Even though scholars have stated that the judge (Mufti/Qazi) does have legal jurisdiction when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept and or to deny claims of moon sighting.
There are three main groups: 1.Those who ‘blindly’ follow Saudi Arabia, 2.Those who follow the concept of the birth of the new moon and 3.Those who follow the concept of the sighting, visibility of the new moon. Those who follow the Saudi / Egyptian dates are unwilling to accept that the Saudi dates cannot be based on a ‘sighted’ moon there, though they cannot see the same moon in North America 8-11 hours later. Most people who call for a global sighting do not understand moon phases. People in the Western hemisphere can usually see the moon first. And since it is already the NEXT day in the Middle East, then it is impossible to start. If the Muslims in the Polynesian Islands see the moon first, will you be willing to accept it? How about if we see it in America? Do you think the Middle East will start when we see it? The answers are of course--NO.
During many Islamic conferences and seminars, Muslim scholars and astronomers have tried to redress this issue and problems associated with sighting the crescent and possibility of a unified World Islamic calendar. Due to lack of agreement on unified global moon sighting authority, this system cannot be adopted yet, but it can be adopted if there is an authority who will take on this task to gather such information and compile it. Astronomical calculations are not to be simply discarded, just as they cannot be simply imposed either. They may be used – as an ancillary - to facilitate moon sighting but not as an obligation on any community. It cannot be made a primary convention since a primary convention must be universally accessible for all Muslims who wish to begin and end their fast. By doing this, we will leave what is universal accessible to all .Lastly, we ourselves should know why scholars decide to follow moon sighting instead of universal Muslim calendar. Once we are educated enough, then we can at least ask the decision makers why they are not willing to compromise so that we can all celebrate Eid on the same day in Muslim community. Unity itself is a dimension of Faith. The first obligation after Imān is Knowledge
Let’s have a Unified World Islamic Calendar, writes Faiz Fazili
Out of all the symbols that Muslims could have chosen to symbolize the unity of community, it is indeed ironic that they chose the appearance of Hilal (crescent) which for many signifies the greatest manifestation of division amongst Muslims. Some intentionally provocative questions are: Why are the Islamic dates in such a mess? Which convention should Muslims use to determine the beginning and ending of Islamic months? Why Muslims can’t have a unified World Islamic calendar?
Like so many other years, Muslims once again were confused as to when to celebrate the Eid. The Prophet (PBUH) had fixed the date for Eidul-fitr on the first of Shawwal. Eid ul Fitr was actually observed on three days. Can the First of Shawwal 1429H be 30th September (UAE and Saudi Arabia); 1st October (Egypt, Pakistan) and 2nd October 2008 (India) .Yes, it’s that time of the Islamic festivals again when Muslims frantically call each other, asking: “What did the TV announce?”, “Did they see the moon yet?”, “Has moon been sighted….where ,” and the single most effective question that seals the fate of one’s own fast, “What are YOU going to do?”
“It is extremely unfortunate, not to say utterly-embarrassing, that the Muslim people, who led the world for a millennium in every scientific discipline, developed the scientific method itself and taught science and rationality to the West, are still in a state of chaos over a relatively simple matter of science and Shari’ah, i.e. the lunar calendar.”, says Dr Hasan, a Planetarium Lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Our common sense demands that the prayer times in USA and Saudi Arabia must be different in the earth which is a globe; America has night when India has day. So the times must be different everywhere. In an age when we can measure the properties of sub-atomic particles of moon sighting on the 29th of each month. No Muslim disputes that a crescent (Hilal) determines the beginning of an Islamic month. The Islamic Law states if one person (two for Eid) sees the new moon moon/crescent i.e. the visible new moon, then begin the new month. This is the Sunnah and this is practiced by the mass majority of Muslims all over the world and has been the practice since 1400 years, from when The Prophet (PBUH) himself established the new month in this way. Allah the exalted commands: “So he who from amongst you should witness
the month should fast it” (Qur’an 2;185).The term witnessed is used meaning we must sight the moon. This convention is universally applicable and accessible at all times to all Muslims throughout the world. From the Fiqhi standpoint, one may begin the Islamic month on “local” sighting (Ikhtilaf al-Matali-when each locality is to insure that they cite the moon themselves and decide according to that the beginning of month) or Ittihad al-Matale’ based on sighting anywhere in the Muslim World (the case when crescent is sighted in one Islamic locality, then all localities are to follow it, so long as they share part of night). Although different, both of these positions are valid Islamic Fiqhi positions. Muslims scholars have adopted different juristic positions as astronomically some data are definitive and conclusive (i.e. the time of birth of the Crescent (new moon) and timing of rise of set of moon and sun), but determining the visibility of the Crescent is not as definitive or conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors, including the available recordings around the world. Even though scholars have stated that the judge (Mufti/Qazi) does have legal jurisdiction when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept and or to deny claims of moon sighting.
There are three main groups: 1.Those who ‘blindly’ follow Saudi Arabia, 2.Those who follow the concept of the birth of the new moon and 3.Those who follow the concept of the sighting, visibility of the new moon. Those who follow the Saudi / Egyptian dates are unwilling to accept that the Saudi dates cannot be based on a ‘sighted’ moon there, though they cannot see the same moon in North America 8-11 hours later. Most people who call for a global sighting do not understand moon phases. People in the Western hemisphere can usually see the moon first. And since it is already the NEXT day in the Middle East, then it is impossible to start. If the Muslims in the Polynesian Islands see the moon first, will you be willing to accept it? How about if we see it in America? Do you think the Middle East will start when we see it? The answers are of course--NO.
During many Islamic conferences and seminars, Muslim scholars and astronomers have tried to redress this issue and problems associated with sighting the crescent and possibility of a unified World Islamic calendar. Due to lack of agreement on unified global moon sighting authority, this system cannot be adopted yet, but it can be adopted if there is an authority who will take on this task to gather such information and compile it. Astronomical calculations are not to be simply discarded, just as they cannot be simply imposed either. They may be used – as an ancillary - to facilitate moon sighting but not as an obligation on any community. It cannot be made a primary convention since a primary convention must be universally accessible for all Muslims who wish to begin and end their fast. By doing this, we will leave what is universal accessible to all .Lastly, we ourselves should know why scholars decide to follow moon sighting instead of universal Muslim calendar. Once we are educated enough, then we can at least ask the decision makers why they are not willing to compromise so that we can all celebrate Eid on the same day in Muslim community. Unity itself is a dimension of Faith. The first obligation after Imān is Knowledge
MOON CONFUSION Let’s have a Unified World Islamic Calendar
MOON CONFUSION
Let’s have a Unified World Islamic Calendar, writes Faiz Fazili
Out of all the symbols that Muslims could have chosen to symbolize the unity of community, it is indeed ironic that they chose the appearance of Hilal (crescent) which for many signifies the greatest manifestation of division amongst Muslims. Some intentionally provocative questions are: Why are the Islamic dates in such a mess? Which convention should Muslims use to determine the beginning and ending of Islamic months? Why Muslims can’t have a unified World Islamic calendar?
Like so many other years, Muslims once again were confused as to when to celebrate the Eid. The Prophet (PBUH) had fixed the date for Eidul-fitr on the first of Shawwal. Eid ul Fitr was actually observed on three days. Can the First of Shawwal 1429H be 30th September (UAE and Saudi Arabia); 1st October (Egypt, Pakistan) and 2nd October 2008 (India) .Yes, it’s that time of the Islamic festivals again when Muslims frantically call each other, asking: “What did the TV announce?”, “Did they see the moon yet?”, “Has moon been sighted….where ,” and the single most effective question that seals the fate of one’s own fast, “What are YOU going to do?”
“It is extremely unfortunate, not to say utterly-embarrassing, that the Muslim people, who led the world for a millennium in every scientific discipline, developed the scientific method itself and taught science and rationality to the West, are still in a state of chaos over a relatively simple matter of science and Shari’ah, i.e. the lunar calendar.”, says Dr Hasan, a Planetarium Lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Our common sense demands that the prayer times in USA and Saudi Arabia must be different in the earth which is a globe; America has night when India has day. So the times must be different everywhere. In an age when we can measure the properties of sub-atomic particles of moon sighting on the 29th of each month. No Muslim disputes that a crescent (Hilal) determines the beginning of an Islamic month. The Islamic Law states if one person (two for Eid) sees the new moon moon/crescent i.e. the visible new moon, then begin the new month. This is the Sunnah and this is practiced by the mass majority of Muslims all over the world and has been the practice since 1400 years, from when The Prophet (PBUH) himself established the new month in this way. Allah the exalted commands: “So he who from amongst you should witness
the month should fast it” (Qur’an 2;185).The term witnessed is used meaning we must sight the moon. This convention is universally applicable and accessible at all times to all Muslims throughout the world. From the Fiqhi standpoint, one may begin the Islamic month on “local” sighting (Ikhtilaf al-Matali-when each locality is to insure that they cite the moon themselves and decide according to that the beginning of month) or Ittihad al-Matale’ based on sighting anywhere in the Muslim World (the case when crescent is sighted in one Islamic locality, then all localities are to follow it, so long as they share part of night). Although different, both of these positions are valid Islamic Fiqhi positions. Muslims scholars have adopted different juristic positions as astronomically some data are definitive and conclusive (i.e. the time of birth of the Crescent (new moon) and timing of rise of set of moon and sun), but determining the visibility of the Crescent is not as definitive or conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors, including the available recordings around the world. Even though scholars have stated that the judge (Mufti/Qazi) does have legal jurisdiction when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept and or to deny claims of moon sighting.
There are three main groups: 1.Those who ‘blindly’ follow Saudi Arabia, 2.Those who follow the concept of the birth of the new moon and 3.Those who follow the concept of the sighting, visibility of the new moon. Those who follow the Saudi / Egyptian dates are unwilling to accept that the Saudi dates cannot be based on a ‘sighted’ moon there, though they cannot see the same moon in North America 8-11 hours later. Most people who call for a global sighting do not understand moon phases. People in the Western hemisphere can usually see the moon first. And since it is already the NEXT day in the Middle East, then it is impossible to start. If the Muslims in the Polynesian Islands see the moon first, will you be willing to accept it? How about if we see it in America? Do you think the Middle East will start when we see it? The answers are of course--NO.
During many Islamic conferences and seminars, Muslim scholars and astronomers have tried to redress this issue and problems associated with sighting the crescent and possibility of a unified World Islamic calendar. Due to lack of agreement on unified global moon sighting authority, this system cannot be adopted yet, but it can be adopted if there is an authority who will take on this task to gather such information and compile it. Astronomical calculations are not to be simply discarded, just as they cannot be simply imposed either. They may be used – as an ancillary - to facilitate moon sighting but not as an obligation on any community. It cannot be made a primary convention since a primary convention must be universally accessible for all Muslims who wish to begin and end their fast. By doing this, we will leave what is universal accessible to all .Lastly, we ourselves should know why scholars decide to follow moon sighting instead of universal Muslim calendar. Once we are educated enough, then we can at least ask the decision makers why they are not willing to compromise so that we can all celebrate Eid on the same day in Muslim community. Unity itself is a dimension of Faith. The first obligation after Imān is Knowledge
Let’s have a Unified World Islamic Calendar, writes Faiz Fazili
Out of all the symbols that Muslims could have chosen to symbolize the unity of community, it is indeed ironic that they chose the appearance of Hilal (crescent) which for many signifies the greatest manifestation of division amongst Muslims. Some intentionally provocative questions are: Why are the Islamic dates in such a mess? Which convention should Muslims use to determine the beginning and ending of Islamic months? Why Muslims can’t have a unified World Islamic calendar?
Like so many other years, Muslims once again were confused as to when to celebrate the Eid. The Prophet (PBUH) had fixed the date for Eidul-fitr on the first of Shawwal. Eid ul Fitr was actually observed on three days. Can the First of Shawwal 1429H be 30th September (UAE and Saudi Arabia); 1st October (Egypt, Pakistan) and 2nd October 2008 (India) .Yes, it’s that time of the Islamic festivals again when Muslims frantically call each other, asking: “What did the TV announce?”, “Did they see the moon yet?”, “Has moon been sighted….where ,” and the single most effective question that seals the fate of one’s own fast, “What are YOU going to do?”
“It is extremely unfortunate, not to say utterly-embarrassing, that the Muslim people, who led the world for a millennium in every scientific discipline, developed the scientific method itself and taught science and rationality to the West, are still in a state of chaos over a relatively simple matter of science and Shari’ah, i.e. the lunar calendar.”, says Dr Hasan, a Planetarium Lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Our common sense demands that the prayer times in USA and Saudi Arabia must be different in the earth which is a globe; America has night when India has day. So the times must be different everywhere. In an age when we can measure the properties of sub-atomic particles of moon sighting on the 29th of each month. No Muslim disputes that a crescent (Hilal) determines the beginning of an Islamic month. The Islamic Law states if one person (two for Eid) sees the new moon moon/crescent i.e. the visible new moon, then begin the new month. This is the Sunnah and this is practiced by the mass majority of Muslims all over the world and has been the practice since 1400 years, from when The Prophet (PBUH) himself established the new month in this way. Allah the exalted commands: “So he who from amongst you should witness
the month should fast it” (Qur’an 2;185).The term witnessed is used meaning we must sight the moon. This convention is universally applicable and accessible at all times to all Muslims throughout the world. From the Fiqhi standpoint, one may begin the Islamic month on “local” sighting (Ikhtilaf al-Matali-when each locality is to insure that they cite the moon themselves and decide according to that the beginning of month) or Ittihad al-Matale’ based on sighting anywhere in the Muslim World (the case when crescent is sighted in one Islamic locality, then all localities are to follow it, so long as they share part of night). Although different, both of these positions are valid Islamic Fiqhi positions. Muslims scholars have adopted different juristic positions as astronomically some data are definitive and conclusive (i.e. the time of birth of the Crescent (new moon) and timing of rise of set of moon and sun), but determining the visibility of the Crescent is not as definitive or conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors, including the available recordings around the world. Even though scholars have stated that the judge (Mufti/Qazi) does have legal jurisdiction when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept and or to deny claims of moon sighting.
There are three main groups: 1.Those who ‘blindly’ follow Saudi Arabia, 2.Those who follow the concept of the birth of the new moon and 3.Those who follow the concept of the sighting, visibility of the new moon. Those who follow the Saudi / Egyptian dates are unwilling to accept that the Saudi dates cannot be based on a ‘sighted’ moon there, though they cannot see the same moon in North America 8-11 hours later. Most people who call for a global sighting do not understand moon phases. People in the Western hemisphere can usually see the moon first. And since it is already the NEXT day in the Middle East, then it is impossible to start. If the Muslims in the Polynesian Islands see the moon first, will you be willing to accept it? How about if we see it in America? Do you think the Middle East will start when we see it? The answers are of course--NO.
During many Islamic conferences and seminars, Muslim scholars and astronomers have tried to redress this issue and problems associated with sighting the crescent and possibility of a unified World Islamic calendar. Due to lack of agreement on unified global moon sighting authority, this system cannot be adopted yet, but it can be adopted if there is an authority who will take on this task to gather such information and compile it. Astronomical calculations are not to be simply discarded, just as they cannot be simply imposed either. They may be used – as an ancillary - to facilitate moon sighting but not as an obligation on any community. It cannot be made a primary convention since a primary convention must be universally accessible for all Muslims who wish to begin and end their fast. By doing this, we will leave what is universal accessible to all .Lastly, we ourselves should know why scholars decide to follow moon sighting instead of universal Muslim calendar. Once we are educated enough, then we can at least ask the decision makers why they are not willing to compromise so that we can all celebrate Eid on the same day in Muslim community. Unity itself is a dimension of Faith. The first obligation after Imān is Knowledge
Woman taking her husband’s surname after marriage
Woman taking her husband’s surname after marriage
i was just browsing this site and I came across ur answer to the question 2537 which deals with changing surnames of womens.. as u said it is haraam... can u plz gimme a refrence from quran on that or a hadith if possilbe..?
Praise be to Allaah.
It seems that what is meant in the question is a woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married. This is haraam and is not allowed in sharee’ah, because it is not permissible for anyone to claim to belong to anyone other than his or her father. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah…” [al-Ahzaab 33:5]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed the one who claims to belong to someone other than his father.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and others). And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
i was just browsing this site and I came across ur answer to the question 2537 which deals with changing surnames of womens.. as u said it is haraam... can u plz gimme a refrence from quran on that or a hadith if possilbe..?
Praise be to Allaah.
It seems that what is meant in the question is a woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married. This is haraam and is not allowed in sharee’ah, because it is not permissible for anyone to claim to belong to anyone other than his or her father. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah…” [al-Ahzaab 33:5]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed the one who claims to belong to someone other than his father.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and others). And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Islam And Alcoholism
Islam And Alcoholism- .
SAY NO TO ALCOHOL, now .Why not now ?WHEN, IF NOT THIS RAMAZAN? Then when ? definitely NOT BEFORE the SUN SETS ON YOU ,a humble request from dr fiaz fazili for spreading this message during this Ramazan.we can ban polythene successfully why not ,`` say no to alcohol .”joinme in this campaign. On face book
We can run successful ban polythene campaign; we can create huge awareness about shrinking of water bodies by save dal media blasters –y is that we do those thing sonly where we expect appreciation from ---society;govt;why we forget our religious duty --then why nor reap benefits in this life and lifeafter now during this blessed month to get rid of this menace which destroys many relations –husband wife, father with son;friend with friend ; officer with subordinate;WILL YOU JOIN ME IN this CAMPAIGN TO MAKE KASHMIR ALCOHOL FREE…………………………
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-In a true Islamic State, a person is not likely to ever reach the point of physical dependence on alcohol. Friends, family and neighbors will not just look away while a person destroys himself and his family. Muslims are supposed to be very involved in correcting wrongs that they see. Islam is a very community-oriented faith. There is no place for an individual to do what he wants to do, if it hurts others. And by hurting yourself through drinking, you inadvertently hurt others..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- “...The devil wants only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance and to turn you from remembering Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?" (5:90-91) These verses are the ones that declared total prohibition of alcohol to the Muslims. After this verse was revealed, the Muslim citizens of Madinah immediately began to spill their stocks of wine into the sand and streets; so that the wine ran through the streets of Madinah. Individuals, who up till that moment were enjoying guiltlessly a glass of wine, quickly emptied their cups on the ground and spit out the alcohol from their mouths. They rushed to make ablutions in order to purify themselves.
Muslim Values Make Alcohol Unnecessary
Islam instilled family values and gave security to the people. Thus, with Islam, there is no longer a "need" to drink in order to relieve unhappiness and stress by slipping into a fantasy world. One American convert to Islam, who used to drink before in her pre-Muslim days, comments, "I think that being Muslim has made me face up to a lot of things, which is painful, but by working them out I feel much less need to run away from my problems, and alcohol is basically the best way to run away from problems."
The fear of God helps Muslims keep away from not only alcohol, but all other evils prohibited by the Qur'an, such as adultery, abuse of wives and children, and gambling. Peer pressure (brotherhood) also helps Muslims abstain from these sins.
Attempts to abolish alcohol in America (during the Prohibition period) and drugs (the "War on Drugs") were not successful, because the factors that cause people in America to drink and use drugs have not been eliminated.
A practicing Muslim will not touch alcohol out of fear of God. Many drinkers will cease this activity during Ramadan. Sometimes, excessive drinkers find themselves so changed by the experience of Hajj (pilgrimage) that they never drink again.
In a true Islamic State, a person is not likely to ever reach the point of physical dependence on alcohol. Friends, family and neighbors will not just look away while a person destroys himself and his family. Muslims are supposed to be very involved in correcting wrongs that they see. Islam is a very community-oriented faith. There is no place for an individual to do what he wants to do, if it hurts others. And by hurting yourself through drinking, you inadvertently hurt others.
Too much guilt about drinking alcohol can make a person feel so bad that he or she drinks just to smother the guilt. To balance feelings of guilt, Muslims need to remember the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.
"And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins, --- and who can forgive sins except Allah? --- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done." (3:135)
Modern methods of curing alcoholics have not been very successful; many will regress to drinking again. Among the new methods of "treating" alcoholics is injecting the drinker with a drug like apomorphine, which makes the victim feel sick and vomit as soon as the drink is taken. This is done repeatedly over several weeks so that the drinker learns to associate drinking with nausea and vomiting. Temporary paralysis via scoline injection and electric shocks are other techniques Western doctors use to try to get heavy drinkers to quit.
Reference: Islam and Alcoholism by Alyssa, M.B.Badri and others.
The word “alcohol” is derived from the Arabic word al-kohl, which means fermented grains, fruits, or sugars that form an intoxicating beverage when fermented. Khamr is the word used in the Qur'an to imply a fermented beverage that intoxicates a person when drunk.
Although alcohol is forbidden in Islam, it is widely available in most Muslim states, even where it is legally outlawed like Somaliland and Somalia. In fact, Muslims are not immune to alcoholism or its trade at all. In ex-Somalia the dictatorial government even produced Alcoholic drinks in industrial scale and by state factories.
Having said this, Somalis drink less alcohol than most Muslim states. But lately an unacceptable feature is germinating with ferocity both at home and abroad. It is a phenomenon in which a number of families include alcohol to their household shopping list and with the knowledge of their children. Though this is specific to Diaspora community, entertaining openly in family living rooms with alcohol is an increasing feature at home and abroad. Strangely enough guests are entertained either alcohol or soft drink without embarrassment.
“It is a simple choice of taste, I don’t care if some one drinks alcohol, I don’t drink and I don’t cross my boundary”, a man stated in response to why he didn’t advise his friend on repercussion of alcohol in this world and after. If that attitude is not challenged and the duty of spreading virtue and stopping vice is uphold with force and unwavering intention, we shall fall on the hole that buried the norms and principles of other religions.
On the biological, medical and social problems I leave to the following article: Islam and Alcoholism as posted from www.islamweb.net. The article is copied on its authenticity and entirety without change in form and shape.
In these days, countries that allow alcohol are suffering from it and the number of alcoholics is increasing rapidly. In the U.S.A., for example, the number of alcoholics has increased from four million in the 1960s to ten million in the 1970s. In Britain, the number of alcoholics has increased from half a million to one million. In some European countries, the percentage of alcoholics is 8% of the population!
Alcoholic drinks are the only poison that is licensed in those countries. However, Islam took a clear attitude towards alcoholic drinks more than 1400 years ago. Islam prohibits such drinks. Any drink that causes drunkenness is prohibited in Islam regardless of the matter it is made from and regardless of the quantity.
According to Islam, if too much of a drink causes drunkenness, then any small quantity of this drink is prohibited, because all alcoholics start with small quantities, then they become the slaves of alcohol.
Islam does not only prohibit drinking alcoholic drinks, but also prohibits making them. Islam also prohibits carrying, selling, or buying such drinks. According to Islam, if something is prohibited, all means to it are also prohibited. The reason is that it is no use to forbid something and allow the means leading to it at the same time. If alcoholic drinks are prohibited, all means to them should be prohibited; Islam prohibits the making, transporting, importing exporting, buying, and selling and selling of such drinks.
However there are some illusions that many people falsely believe about alcohol. In this article we will try to discuss and refute them to show the wisdom of prohibiting alcohol in Islam. We will also prove that Islam does not prohibit a thing unless it is harmful and dangerous.
Illusions and Facts:
1- Alcohol and Appetite: It was believed that alcoholic drink function as appetizers, but this is against confirmed scientific facts. Alcoholic drinks function as appetizers for the first week or month only, and then soon the stomach and other parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Infections and ulcers begin to show up; vomiting starts; all appetite is lost.
2- Alcohol and False Warmth: It was also believed that alcoholic drinks cause warmth in the human body. But facts proved that it is only false warmth caused by the widening of outer blood vessels. But if the drunkard is exposed to cold weather, he loses all his warmth and energy and may die of cold thinking he is enjoying warmth.
3- Alcohol and the sexual drive: Alcoholic drinks increase the sexual desire and thus may lead the drunkard to commit strange crimes under the influence of alcohol because his brain cannot function normally and in this case social values are trespassed. However, continuous drinking of alcoholic drinks ends up with sexual impotency. This shows us the wisdom of prohibiting alcohol in Islam.
Alcohol and Health:
Alcoholic drinks, which are prohibited by Islam, have a destructive effect on the nervous system through the direct toxic effect. Besides, alcohol may lead to alcoholism with its psychological and mental troubles such as convulsions and hallucination. Further, alcohol leads to malnutrition caused by inflammations in the digestive system, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, and bad absorption in the digestive system. To add, some alcohols may cause complete blindness and heat failure owing to their severe toxicity.
An alcoholic becomes careless, selfish, easily provoked, and suspicious. He may suffer paranoia. He becomes sexually impotent. He is hated by his wife and children. He suffers from melancholy. He may end up committing suicide. An alcoholic may suffer from hallucinations: he may think he sees unreal ghosts or hear unreal voices or smell unreal scents.
Alcohol causes decay in the cells of the brain and the cortex. This may cause alcoholic psychosis and loss of memory. In this stage, an alcoholic loses the ability to distinguish the concrete from the abstract and the real from the unreal. He cannot even know the day or the place. An alcoholic loses the ability to calculate, to add or subtract the easiest numbers. An alcoholic cannot remember the most recent incidents in his life.
An alcoholic may become unable to stand up without losing his balance. When he walks, he staggers. When he speaks, he slurs. He may suffer from the clubbing and swelling of his fingers. A male alcoholic develops female qualities and female alcoholic develop male qualities such as the stoppage of menstruation and the complete loss of the sexual motive.
An alcoholic suffers continual nightmares, where he sees and hears terrible things. All his life becomes a series of delusions and hallucinations. He may faint and lose consciousness any time.
The body of an alcoholic soon loses resistance to microbes and thus becomes an easy prey to any microbe. He has troubles in the kidneys, albumin in the urine, fatal blood acidity, which may end tragically with heart failure.
An alcoholic does not usually care for buying food. If he buys food, he has no appetite to eat it. If he eats it, he vomits what he has eaten. If he does not vomit, his digestive system cannot function well or absorb well. Thus an alcoholic soon goes into malnutrition and lack of vitamins; especially vitamin B. further, this Vitamin B is consumed by alcohol in the process of oxidization.
As a result of the lack of Vitamin B and malnutrition, the alcoholic may suffer paralysis in the hands, feet, and legs. He may have infections in the brain. He may have decay in cortex cells, which leads to madness. He may have infection in eye nerves, which ends up with blindness. Alcohol is simply a poison.
A drunkard may fall down under the influence of wine. This fall may cause a brain shock, a brain pressure, and a breakage in the backbone, bone breakage, or bleedings.
The Digestive System:
The effect of alcohol is not limited to the nervous system. Alcohol destroys all the parts, passages, and organs of the digestive system as well.
1- The Alcoholic’s Tongue: The tongue of an alcoholic is covered with a dirty cover, where microbes grow and multiply. The tongue becomes infected and unusually red. Some alcoholics have white spots on their tongues and these spots are would be cancer growing on the tongue.
2- The Alcoholic’s Mouth: His mouth may develop some infections, which are severely painful. Further, some microbes get attached to the throat and cause a severe infection which makes swallowing and breathing extremely difficult.
3- The Alcoholic’s Stomach: The gastro scope shows that nay-small quantity of alcohol causes an inflammation in the inner membrane of the stomach. Some people believe that a little of alcohol has no harm, but this is scientifically not true. Further, as we know, all alcoholics started with small quantities, and then they found themselves chronic cases of alcoholism.
A person who drinks occasionally may become an alcoholic under the pressure of any psychological shock or emotional problem or social crisis. This shows us the wisdom of Allah: in Islam, all alcoholic drinks are prohibited no matter how small the quantity is.
Alcohol, if drunk repeatedly, causes stomach inflammations and the death of stomach cells. As a result, stomach acids decreases and results in bad digestion. Furthermore, many microbes pass without being destroyed by the acid, which is destroyed by alcohol itself. The decrease of the stomach acid leads to a decrease in vitamin B 12 and causes sever anemia. This chronic inflammation of the stomach is accompanied with paleness, fast pulse, and heart failure. Further, this stomach inflammation may develop into stomach cancer.
4- The Alcoholic’s Head: An alcoholic usually has a headache. So he takes a great deal of aspirin and its derivatives. Beside, the alcoholic usually smokes, and his case pushes him into a vicious circle of emotional anxiety. So, aspirin plus cigarettes plus anxiety plus the toxicity of alcohol itself cause a stomach ulcer to the alcoholic.
5- The Alcoholic’s Liver: A person who drinks alcoholic for ten years will most probably have problems in his liver. In the liver, the alcohol hits the nucleus of the cells there first. When the nuclei of the liver cells die, the cells die and cease to multiply. Besides, the liver fails to oxidize fats, which therefore gather in and around the liver. This gathering will end up with the complete failure of the liver.
Because of alcohol, the liver cannot transform carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fails to remove poisons from the body especially ammonia. This will cause the increase of the ratio of poisons in the blood. These poisons affect the activity of the brain and disturb the drunkard’s emotions, behavior, and mental abilities. An alcoholic person soon fails to write well; his handshakes; his breathing becomes difficult; his belly swells; his temperature rises.
Alcohol and the Brain Damage:
Alcohol hits the brain mercilessly. Firstly, it has direct destructive an aesthetic effect on the brain. Secondly, the brain is damaged by the lack of blood that reaches it owing to the hardening of blood vessels and heart failure. Thirdly, the brain suffers the anemia that accompanies alcoholism. If the brain is damaged, all problems begin to rise. Thus alcoholic drinks affect and damage all the systems of the body.
If a driver is drunker, he cannot control his speed or react to emergency cases. When a man is drunk, he cannot observe, judge, or react well. A drunken person loses much of his mental and physical efficiency, no matter how small the drunken quantity of wine is.
A person who has drunk alcohol loses some of his abilities and senses: he cannot see, taste, or smell as a normal person does. His comprehension ability and muscular balance fall off too. Research has shown that 50% of death cases in some countries are caused directly or indirectly by alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol Leading to More Alcohol:
Alcohol leads to more alcohol. It may easily push its drinker to the catastrophe of alcoholism, which is a fatal blow to both the mind and the body.
What kind of life will a person lead if he has infections, inflammations, ulcers, and cancers everywhere in his body? What kind of life is it when a person loses memory, appetite, mental abilities, and lives in hallucinations?
For all these reasons, scientists and governments now do their best to solve the problem of drunkenness and alcoholic drinks.
Islam did not wait for scientific research to prove the destructive effects of alcohol on human body and human mind. Once you believe in Allah, you accept and submit to His orders; all your problems are solved.
In Islam, the principle is simple, clear and logical: prevention is better than cure. Simply, in Islam, alcohol is not allowed and problems are not given the chance to occur.
Islam guides us to the right way. Allah gave us mind with which we have to choose and bear responsibility. Thanks to Allah, who guided us to the right path.
courtesy staff jazaalaallahu jhai islamweb
SAY NO TO ALCOHOL, now .Why not now ?WHEN, IF NOT THIS RAMAZAN? Then when ? definitely NOT BEFORE the SUN SETS ON YOU ,a humble request from dr fiaz fazili for spreading this message during this Ramazan.we can ban polythene successfully why not ,`` say no to alcohol .”joinme in this campaign. On face book
We can run successful ban polythene campaign; we can create huge awareness about shrinking of water bodies by save dal media blasters –y is that we do those thing sonly where we expect appreciation from ---society;govt;why we forget our religious duty --then why nor reap benefits in this life and lifeafter now during this blessed month to get rid of this menace which destroys many relations –husband wife, father with son;friend with friend ; officer with subordinate;WILL YOU JOIN ME IN this CAMPAIGN TO MAKE KASHMIR ALCOHOL FREE…………………………
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-In a true Islamic State, a person is not likely to ever reach the point of physical dependence on alcohol. Friends, family and neighbors will not just look away while a person destroys himself and his family. Muslims are supposed to be very involved in correcting wrongs that they see. Islam is a very community-oriented faith. There is no place for an individual to do what he wants to do, if it hurts others. And by hurting yourself through drinking, you inadvertently hurt others..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- “...The devil wants only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance and to turn you from remembering Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?" (5:90-91) These verses are the ones that declared total prohibition of alcohol to the Muslims. After this verse was revealed, the Muslim citizens of Madinah immediately began to spill their stocks of wine into the sand and streets; so that the wine ran through the streets of Madinah. Individuals, who up till that moment were enjoying guiltlessly a glass of wine, quickly emptied their cups on the ground and spit out the alcohol from their mouths. They rushed to make ablutions in order to purify themselves.
Muslim Values Make Alcohol Unnecessary
Islam instilled family values and gave security to the people. Thus, with Islam, there is no longer a "need" to drink in order to relieve unhappiness and stress by slipping into a fantasy world. One American convert to Islam, who used to drink before in her pre-Muslim days, comments, "I think that being Muslim has made me face up to a lot of things, which is painful, but by working them out I feel much less need to run away from my problems, and alcohol is basically the best way to run away from problems."
The fear of God helps Muslims keep away from not only alcohol, but all other evils prohibited by the Qur'an, such as adultery, abuse of wives and children, and gambling. Peer pressure (brotherhood) also helps Muslims abstain from these sins.
Attempts to abolish alcohol in America (during the Prohibition period) and drugs (the "War on Drugs") were not successful, because the factors that cause people in America to drink and use drugs have not been eliminated.
A practicing Muslim will not touch alcohol out of fear of God. Many drinkers will cease this activity during Ramadan. Sometimes, excessive drinkers find themselves so changed by the experience of Hajj (pilgrimage) that they never drink again.
In a true Islamic State, a person is not likely to ever reach the point of physical dependence on alcohol. Friends, family and neighbors will not just look away while a person destroys himself and his family. Muslims are supposed to be very involved in correcting wrongs that they see. Islam is a very community-oriented faith. There is no place for an individual to do what he wants to do, if it hurts others. And by hurting yourself through drinking, you inadvertently hurt others.
Too much guilt about drinking alcohol can make a person feel so bad that he or she drinks just to smother the guilt. To balance feelings of guilt, Muslims need to remember the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.
"And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins, --- and who can forgive sins except Allah? --- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done." (3:135)
Modern methods of curing alcoholics have not been very successful; many will regress to drinking again. Among the new methods of "treating" alcoholics is injecting the drinker with a drug like apomorphine, which makes the victim feel sick and vomit as soon as the drink is taken. This is done repeatedly over several weeks so that the drinker learns to associate drinking with nausea and vomiting. Temporary paralysis via scoline injection and electric shocks are other techniques Western doctors use to try to get heavy drinkers to quit.
Reference: Islam and Alcoholism by Alyssa, M.B.Badri and others.
The word “alcohol” is derived from the Arabic word al-kohl, which means fermented grains, fruits, or sugars that form an intoxicating beverage when fermented. Khamr is the word used in the Qur'an to imply a fermented beverage that intoxicates a person when drunk.
Although alcohol is forbidden in Islam, it is widely available in most Muslim states, even where it is legally outlawed like Somaliland and Somalia. In fact, Muslims are not immune to alcoholism or its trade at all. In ex-Somalia the dictatorial government even produced Alcoholic drinks in industrial scale and by state factories.
Having said this, Somalis drink less alcohol than most Muslim states. But lately an unacceptable feature is germinating with ferocity both at home and abroad. It is a phenomenon in which a number of families include alcohol to their household shopping list and with the knowledge of their children. Though this is specific to Diaspora community, entertaining openly in family living rooms with alcohol is an increasing feature at home and abroad. Strangely enough guests are entertained either alcohol or soft drink without embarrassment.
“It is a simple choice of taste, I don’t care if some one drinks alcohol, I don’t drink and I don’t cross my boundary”, a man stated in response to why he didn’t advise his friend on repercussion of alcohol in this world and after. If that attitude is not challenged and the duty of spreading virtue and stopping vice is uphold with force and unwavering intention, we shall fall on the hole that buried the norms and principles of other religions.
On the biological, medical and social problems I leave to the following article: Islam and Alcoholism as posted from www.islamweb.net. The article is copied on its authenticity and entirety without change in form and shape.
In these days, countries that allow alcohol are suffering from it and the number of alcoholics is increasing rapidly. In the U.S.A., for example, the number of alcoholics has increased from four million in the 1960s to ten million in the 1970s. In Britain, the number of alcoholics has increased from half a million to one million. In some European countries, the percentage of alcoholics is 8% of the population!
Alcoholic drinks are the only poison that is licensed in those countries. However, Islam took a clear attitude towards alcoholic drinks more than 1400 years ago. Islam prohibits such drinks. Any drink that causes drunkenness is prohibited in Islam regardless of the matter it is made from and regardless of the quantity.
According to Islam, if too much of a drink causes drunkenness, then any small quantity of this drink is prohibited, because all alcoholics start with small quantities, then they become the slaves of alcohol.
Islam does not only prohibit drinking alcoholic drinks, but also prohibits making them. Islam also prohibits carrying, selling, or buying such drinks. According to Islam, if something is prohibited, all means to it are also prohibited. The reason is that it is no use to forbid something and allow the means leading to it at the same time. If alcoholic drinks are prohibited, all means to them should be prohibited; Islam prohibits the making, transporting, importing exporting, buying, and selling and selling of such drinks.
However there are some illusions that many people falsely believe about alcohol. In this article we will try to discuss and refute them to show the wisdom of prohibiting alcohol in Islam. We will also prove that Islam does not prohibit a thing unless it is harmful and dangerous.
Illusions and Facts:
1- Alcohol and Appetite: It was believed that alcoholic drink function as appetizers, but this is against confirmed scientific facts. Alcoholic drinks function as appetizers for the first week or month only, and then soon the stomach and other parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Infections and ulcers begin to show up; vomiting starts; all appetite is lost.
2- Alcohol and False Warmth: It was also believed that alcoholic drinks cause warmth in the human body. But facts proved that it is only false warmth caused by the widening of outer blood vessels. But if the drunkard is exposed to cold weather, he loses all his warmth and energy and may die of cold thinking he is enjoying warmth.
3- Alcohol and the sexual drive: Alcoholic drinks increase the sexual desire and thus may lead the drunkard to commit strange crimes under the influence of alcohol because his brain cannot function normally and in this case social values are trespassed. However, continuous drinking of alcoholic drinks ends up with sexual impotency. This shows us the wisdom of prohibiting alcohol in Islam.
Alcohol and Health:
Alcoholic drinks, which are prohibited by Islam, have a destructive effect on the nervous system through the direct toxic effect. Besides, alcohol may lead to alcoholism with its psychological and mental troubles such as convulsions and hallucination. Further, alcohol leads to malnutrition caused by inflammations in the digestive system, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, and bad absorption in the digestive system. To add, some alcohols may cause complete blindness and heat failure owing to their severe toxicity.
An alcoholic becomes careless, selfish, easily provoked, and suspicious. He may suffer paranoia. He becomes sexually impotent. He is hated by his wife and children. He suffers from melancholy. He may end up committing suicide. An alcoholic may suffer from hallucinations: he may think he sees unreal ghosts or hear unreal voices or smell unreal scents.
Alcohol causes decay in the cells of the brain and the cortex. This may cause alcoholic psychosis and loss of memory. In this stage, an alcoholic loses the ability to distinguish the concrete from the abstract and the real from the unreal. He cannot even know the day or the place. An alcoholic loses the ability to calculate, to add or subtract the easiest numbers. An alcoholic cannot remember the most recent incidents in his life.
An alcoholic may become unable to stand up without losing his balance. When he walks, he staggers. When he speaks, he slurs. He may suffer from the clubbing and swelling of his fingers. A male alcoholic develops female qualities and female alcoholic develop male qualities such as the stoppage of menstruation and the complete loss of the sexual motive.
An alcoholic suffers continual nightmares, where he sees and hears terrible things. All his life becomes a series of delusions and hallucinations. He may faint and lose consciousness any time.
The body of an alcoholic soon loses resistance to microbes and thus becomes an easy prey to any microbe. He has troubles in the kidneys, albumin in the urine, fatal blood acidity, which may end tragically with heart failure.
An alcoholic does not usually care for buying food. If he buys food, he has no appetite to eat it. If he eats it, he vomits what he has eaten. If he does not vomit, his digestive system cannot function well or absorb well. Thus an alcoholic soon goes into malnutrition and lack of vitamins; especially vitamin B. further, this Vitamin B is consumed by alcohol in the process of oxidization.
As a result of the lack of Vitamin B and malnutrition, the alcoholic may suffer paralysis in the hands, feet, and legs. He may have infections in the brain. He may have decay in cortex cells, which leads to madness. He may have infection in eye nerves, which ends up with blindness. Alcohol is simply a poison.
A drunkard may fall down under the influence of wine. This fall may cause a brain shock, a brain pressure, and a breakage in the backbone, bone breakage, or bleedings.
The Digestive System:
The effect of alcohol is not limited to the nervous system. Alcohol destroys all the parts, passages, and organs of the digestive system as well.
1- The Alcoholic’s Tongue: The tongue of an alcoholic is covered with a dirty cover, where microbes grow and multiply. The tongue becomes infected and unusually red. Some alcoholics have white spots on their tongues and these spots are would be cancer growing on the tongue.
2- The Alcoholic’s Mouth: His mouth may develop some infections, which are severely painful. Further, some microbes get attached to the throat and cause a severe infection which makes swallowing and breathing extremely difficult.
3- The Alcoholic’s Stomach: The gastro scope shows that nay-small quantity of alcohol causes an inflammation in the inner membrane of the stomach. Some people believe that a little of alcohol has no harm, but this is scientifically not true. Further, as we know, all alcoholics started with small quantities, and then they found themselves chronic cases of alcoholism.
A person who drinks occasionally may become an alcoholic under the pressure of any psychological shock or emotional problem or social crisis. This shows us the wisdom of Allah: in Islam, all alcoholic drinks are prohibited no matter how small the quantity is.
Alcohol, if drunk repeatedly, causes stomach inflammations and the death of stomach cells. As a result, stomach acids decreases and results in bad digestion. Furthermore, many microbes pass without being destroyed by the acid, which is destroyed by alcohol itself. The decrease of the stomach acid leads to a decrease in vitamin B 12 and causes sever anemia. This chronic inflammation of the stomach is accompanied with paleness, fast pulse, and heart failure. Further, this stomach inflammation may develop into stomach cancer.
4- The Alcoholic’s Head: An alcoholic usually has a headache. So he takes a great deal of aspirin and its derivatives. Beside, the alcoholic usually smokes, and his case pushes him into a vicious circle of emotional anxiety. So, aspirin plus cigarettes plus anxiety plus the toxicity of alcohol itself cause a stomach ulcer to the alcoholic.
5- The Alcoholic’s Liver: A person who drinks alcoholic for ten years will most probably have problems in his liver. In the liver, the alcohol hits the nucleus of the cells there first. When the nuclei of the liver cells die, the cells die and cease to multiply. Besides, the liver fails to oxidize fats, which therefore gather in and around the liver. This gathering will end up with the complete failure of the liver.
Because of alcohol, the liver cannot transform carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fails to remove poisons from the body especially ammonia. This will cause the increase of the ratio of poisons in the blood. These poisons affect the activity of the brain and disturb the drunkard’s emotions, behavior, and mental abilities. An alcoholic person soon fails to write well; his handshakes; his breathing becomes difficult; his belly swells; his temperature rises.
Alcohol and the Brain Damage:
Alcohol hits the brain mercilessly. Firstly, it has direct destructive an aesthetic effect on the brain. Secondly, the brain is damaged by the lack of blood that reaches it owing to the hardening of blood vessels and heart failure. Thirdly, the brain suffers the anemia that accompanies alcoholism. If the brain is damaged, all problems begin to rise. Thus alcoholic drinks affect and damage all the systems of the body.
If a driver is drunker, he cannot control his speed or react to emergency cases. When a man is drunk, he cannot observe, judge, or react well. A drunken person loses much of his mental and physical efficiency, no matter how small the drunken quantity of wine is.
A person who has drunk alcohol loses some of his abilities and senses: he cannot see, taste, or smell as a normal person does. His comprehension ability and muscular balance fall off too. Research has shown that 50% of death cases in some countries are caused directly or indirectly by alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol Leading to More Alcohol:
Alcohol leads to more alcohol. It may easily push its drinker to the catastrophe of alcoholism, which is a fatal blow to both the mind and the body.
What kind of life will a person lead if he has infections, inflammations, ulcers, and cancers everywhere in his body? What kind of life is it when a person loses memory, appetite, mental abilities, and lives in hallucinations?
For all these reasons, scientists and governments now do their best to solve the problem of drunkenness and alcoholic drinks.
Islam did not wait for scientific research to prove the destructive effects of alcohol on human body and human mind. Once you believe in Allah, you accept and submit to His orders; all your problems are solved.
In Islam, the principle is simple, clear and logical: prevention is better than cure. Simply, in Islam, alcohol is not allowed and problems are not given the chance to occur.
Islam guides us to the right way. Allah gave us mind with which we have to choose and bear responsibility. Thanks to Allah, who guided us to the right path.
courtesy staff jazaalaallahu jhai islamweb
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