Cutting your Nails

From the album:
"Wall Photos" by Light of Islam

Sunnah of cutting nails:





Assalato wassalamo alaika Ya Rasool Allah Wa ala alika wa ashabika Ya Habeeb
Allah Annas RadiAllaho Ta’ala Anho relates that the Messenger (SAW) said,



“Do not let forty days elapse without trimming the moustache and pairing the
nails”. (Hadeeth taken from Muslim)



Meaning that we should cut our nails within forty days.



It has been stated that the consequence of keeping long nails are:


Madina 1- There will be no blessings in your wealth.

Madina 2- You will become
poor.


Madina 3- Illness will plague you.


Madina 4- Almighty Allah and His Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam will be
displeased with you.


Madina 5- The devil sits on long nails.



The Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam
would cut his nails every fifteen days.

The Sunnah way of cutting the nails is as follows: Start with the right hand.
Index finger, fore finger, ring finger and little finger. Then move onto the
left hand. This time start with the little finger first, then ring finger, fore
finger, index finger the thumb and lastly the thumb of the right hand. (repeat)
(ask if the process is understood if not repeat a 3rd time) It is recommended
to wash the hands after cutting the nails.





The Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam showed the following order when
clipping his blessed toe nails: Again start with the right foot. Small toe
first and proceed until the big toe. Then move onto the left foot. This time
you start with the big toe and conclude with the small toe. (repeat) (ask if
the process is understood if not repeat a 3rd time)





Nowadays it is common to see sisters with nail polish or fake nails on.







It is NOT permissible by Shari’ah (Islamic law) to do this. Most of the nail
varnishes are made from unlawful ingredients. If you apply nail polish a
coating is formed on top of your nails. This prevents water from penetrating
fully into your nails whilst performing ablution or ghusl.





Ablution and ghusl are incomplete and any acts of worship carried out are not
accepted. If your ablution and ghusl are not accepted you are counted as impure
and the angels do not enter that house where there is a impure person.





However, the same acceptable effect can be created on your nails by applying
henna. This is a recommended act.



As stated in a Hadeeth taken from Abu Dawood: Hadhrat Aisha RadiAllaho Ta’ala
Anha narrates, “A women made a sign from behind a curtain to indicate that she
had a letter for the Apostle of Allah Azzawajal.







The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam closed his hand saying, “I do not know
this is a man’s or a woman’s hand”. She said, “No, a woman”.





He Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam said, “If you were a woman, you would make a
difference to your nails. Meaning with henna”. A lot of sisters, without
realising bit their nails. This should not be done as it is disliked and a
predisposition to infectious diseases. For example if one has big nails more
then likely that under the nails there will be germs and bacteria. When the
nails are bitten the germs are transferred into the mouth and down the gut and
into the stomach. Many sisters tend to bit their nails because they can’t be
bothered cutting them or because they have a habit of doing do.





This habit can be broken if sisters made the intention to cut their nails
because it is Sunnah to do so n insha Allah Azzawajal they will gain reward.
Besides this there are many other benefits of cutting your nails:







The Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam has said, “He who cuts his nails on
Friday will be in Allah Azzawajal’s protection for the following week.





He who cuts his nails on a Saturday will be spared from illness and he who cuts
his nails on Sunday will have poverty taken away from him”. (Part of a
narration taken from Durre Mukhtar)





It is better not to cut the nails on Wednesdays, as there are Hadeeth for and
against. Imaam Thawi said: paring nails on Wednesday can cause leprosy. To
recap- Nails should be cut within 40 days.





It is Sunnah to cut our nails every 15 days. Nails should not be bitten For
hand nails start with the right hand index finger and finish with the right
hand thumb. For the feet start with the small toe on the right foot and finish
with the small toe on the left foot.





After cutting the nails bury them all. We are all made from the soil, thus we
should be put back to the earth.







May Allah Azzawajal give us all the ability to act upon what has been said
today and give us the ability to teach others the Sunnah way of clipping the
nails. Ameen bi ja hin Nabiyyal ameen Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam. Assalato
wassalamo alaikum Ya Nabi Allah Wa ala alika wa ashabika Ya Noor Allah

CIA Report

“Radical Islam will have a
significant global impact…
rallying disparate ethnic and
national groups and perhaps even
creating an authority that
transcends national boundaries.”

Radical Islam.

Most of the regions that
will experience gains in religious
“activists” also have youth bulges, which
experts have correlated with high
numbers of radical adherents, including
Muslim extremists.11

• Youth bulges are expected to be
especially acute in most Middle
10 Philip Jenkins, consultations with the National
Intelligence Council, August 4, 2004.
11 We define Muslim extremists as a subset of Islamic
activists. They are committed to restructuring political
society in accordance with their vision of Islamic law
and are willing to use violence.
Eastern and West African countries
until at least 2005-2010, and the
effects will linger long after.

• In the Middle East, radical Islam’s
increasing hold reflects the political
and economic alienation of many
young Muslims from their
unresponsive and unrepresentative
governments and related failure of
many predominantly Muslim states to
reap significant economic gains from
globalization.


The spread of radical Islam will have a
significant global impact leading to 2020,
rallying disparate ethnic and national
groups and perhaps even creating an
authority that transcends national
boundaries. Part of the appeal of radical
Islam involves its call for a return by
Muslims to earlier roots when Islamic
civilization was at the forefront of global
change. The collective feelings of
alienation and estrangement which
radical Islam draws upon are unlikely to
dissipate until the Muslim world again
appears to be more fully integrated into
the world economy.


Radical Islam will continue to appeal to
many Muslim migrants who are attracted
to the more prosperous West for
employment opportunities but do not feel
at home in what they perceive as an alien
culture.

Only Khilafah

 
 
 
 

Islam and Industrial development

Whilst the Western world has managed to achieve phenomenal development since the industrial revolution the Muslim world on the other hand lags far behind. The Muslim world is represented by an underdeveloped infrastructure, poverty, unemployment and nothing in the way of technological development. At the same time the Muslim world possesses some of the worlds largest reserves of key mineral resources. The Muslim world single handedly possesses 74% of the world’s oil reserves - the world’s most important commodity.The economies of the Muslim world are characterised by imports rather than exports, in some of the most basic commodities, Pakistan imports food staples although it produces over $30 billion in agricultural products annually. The Middle East, though rich in oil, imports large amounts of refined products every year due to its lack of oil refineries.
Many Muslim nations are characterised with economies geared around single commodities therefore lacking the diversification that would lead to a wide skills base. The oil rich Middle East and the mineral rich African nations are characterised with such economies.
The Muslim world has attempted export led growth strategies with disastrous consequences. The concentration on exports through single commodities has led to most of the population remaining unemployed and in poverty.
Muslim history and industrial development
Contrast this with Islamic economic history which is steeped in industrial development. The dominance of the desert and scant water resources in the Middle East led to many agricultural developments. The early industrial use of tidal power, wind power and petroleum led to the earliest large factory complexes (tiraz).# Water came to be an important commodity due to the climatic conditions and this created the motive to make the best use of the few rivers and streams that straddled the Middle East.
Muslim engineers perfected the use of watermills and invented horizontal-wheeled and vertical-wheeled water mills. This led to the emergence of a variety of industrial mills including gristmills, hullers, paper mills, sawmills, shipmills, stamp mills, steel mills, sugar mills, tide mills, and windmills. By the 11th century, every province throughout the Islamic world had these industrial mills in operation, from al-Andalus and North Africa to the Middle East and Central Asia.
Muslim engineer’s perfected water turbines and made an earth shattering break through in the 12th century. Al-Jazari through his works managed to invent the crankshaft, and created rotary motion through the use of rods and cylinders. He was the first to incorporate it into a machine. The British Empire used this understanding and utilized steam and then coal to drive pistons and then eventually to generate rotary (motion) to move machines. This eventually led to the development of automobiles due primarily to the development of the combustion engine; this is where the burning of fuel in an engine acts on the pistons causing the movement of the solid parts, eventually moving the automobile.
As many lands came under the fold of the Islamic civilisation, urbanisation led to a number of developments. The Arabian desert had scant water springs making most of the region uninhabitable; this was overcome by Muslim engineers developing canals from the Euphrates and Tigris. The swamps around Baghdad were drained, freeing the city of Malaria. Muslim engineers perfected the waterwheel and constructed elaborate underground water channels called qanats. This led to the development of advanced domestic water systems with sewers, public baths, drinking fountains, piped drinking water supplies and widespread private and public toilets and bathing facilities.
Such advances made it possible for many industrial tasks that were previously driven by manual labour in the ancient Islamic world to be mechanized and be driven by machines instead. This shows Islam is not at odds with science as presented by some. Historically Islam was the catalyst that drove Muslim interest in science.
Islam and the motivation for industrial development
Allah (swt) very clearly outlined the aims of the Khilafah state. Internally Allah (swt) obliged the implementation of the Shari’ah rules of Islam, whilst externally dawah and the propagation of Islam is the aim. Islam obliged the Ameer to take care of the affairs of the Ummah as he would be held accountable.
“Each one of you is a Shepard and will be held accountable for his flock.” (Bukhari)
Throughout numerous ayah’s of the Qur’an Allah (swt) obliged the Ummah to propagate Islam to the wider world, take mankind from the darkness to the light while in other verses Allah (swt) characterised the Muslim Ummah as the best Ummah due to having such characteristics.
“This is a book which we have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darkness into the light by the permission of their Lord - to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy” [14:1]
The propagation of Islam is achieved through projecting an image of strength globally, so that those who have designs on the Ummah should consider the existence of its deterrent force so powerful as to render success in an attack too doubtful to be worthwhile. Also Allah (swt) mentioned in the Qur’an.
“And prepare for them power, and tether your horses so you may strike fear into the heart of the enemy those who are visible to you and those that are not visible…” [TMQ Al Anfal: 60].
All of this makes it essential for the Khilafah to field an advanced military and have a strong manufacturing base which not only acts as a deterrent but generates economic activity.
Industrialisation and economic growth
The Industrial revolution is considered by historians as a major turning point in global history, rapid change at the time to almost every aspect of European society was influenced in some way by the industrial revolution. Industry on its own became an important pillar of economic life. Until the mid 1700’s industry was limited to manual labour in factories. Then the British Empire began using steam to drive pistons up and down and then eventually to generate rotary (motion) to move machines, which sparked the industrial revolution, as mechanical factories started to gradually replace the manual ones. Production increased twenty fold and the mechanised factory became one of the pillars of economic life.
Industrialisation allowed previously labour intensive tasks to be replaced by machines that could mass produce at a rapid rate compared to manual labourer. The need to fuel industry led to the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. The need to transport coal from the mining fields to refining plants led to the development of railways. The development of railways eventually led to the development of the combustion engine. In this way the European landscape changed from being driven by agriculture to manufacturing, the aristocracy found their influence wane and replaced by the merchants and industrialists.
Whilst the initial development and rise of Europe was driven by the industrial revolution, today the consumption driven models of economic growth dominate the economic scene and have proven to be unsustainable. The consumption driven economies of the Western world driven by debt and the need to live and spend beyond ones means has created a situation where the economic crash has become the normal state of affairs. Since the first depression of the 1870’s Western economies have experienced the regular crash, depression, recession, bust and disaster. The Western world has moved away from industrial led development and is today driven by large service sectors - which itself are dominated by finance. The global credit crunch crisis has proven to all that capitalist economic growth is unsustainable.
An industrial vision for the Muslim world
Industrial development has 3 common characteristics and some geographic specific characteristics.
1. To industrialise, raw materials and minerals are necessary. It is primarily heavy industry that will convert minerals into useful materials. The need to refine, coke and extract the right minerals from crude oil, coal and iron leads to the development of refineries and heavy industries.
2. The refineries, complexes and plants are then needed that convert raw materials into steel and cement as well as materials that will be turned into finished products.
3. Technical knowledge is then needed with regards to the processes to achieve this. For this the Western world invests billions into research and development to ensure they remain on the cutting edge of technological development.
There is a fourth issue and most probably the most important that allows all of the above to occur - namely the motive. Industrialisation requires the masses to contribute extensively to the process, it needs to be funded and may require great sacrifice to kick start the process. Colonialism and superiority is what drove the British Empire to industrialise, whilst civil war and independence led to US industrialisation, whilst the aims of communism allowed the Soviet Union to become a super power.
The Muslim world attempted socialism in the 1950’s, aside from a few large projects the Islamic world remained where it was prior to the experiment. The export led strategies of South East Asia were attempted in Indonesia, the Sub Continent and many of the African nations and further indebted these nations causing much misery and poverty. Today the Muslim economies are largely commodity and service based without hardly any established industry. We see that whilst the Western Capitalist world has predominantly service based economies, this was achieved after the establishment of an industrial base.
The Muslim world today does not lack the mineral resources necessary to industrialise, in fact the Muslim world has been blessed with large reserves of some of the world’s most important minerals. The Muslim world today possesses 74% of the worlds oil reserves, more than the rest of the world combined, it pumps out 42% of the worlds oil, has 54% of the worlds natural gas reserves, pumps 30% of the worlds gas and possesses the worlds largest oil and gas field.
The Muslim lands in no way lack the raw materials necessary to industrialise. Across the Muslim world there has been some industrial development however the lack of a comprehensive direction for the Muslim economies has resulted in very little in the way of industrial development relative to the raw materials.
Today the path to industrialise is not monopolized by the West, in the last 100 years a number of nations have been able to industrialise very rapidly due to the blueprint to industrialise being available for all. It took Britain nearly 100 years to industrialise, it took Germany and the US nearly 60 years to industrialise. It took Japan nearly 50 years, whilst today China has managed to industrialise in less than 30 years, India is still industrialising.
The Islamic world can very easily catch up with the technological developments of the developed world by making better use of the resources present in the Islamic lands. Any lack of technical knowledge can be overcome by purchasing the technology from abroad rather than waiting years to attain the technical expertise.
The Islamic model of economic development creates a stable economy and economic growth as Islamic economic development is built upon the real economy through the production of goods and services. By removing the role of dubious financial asset markets in the economy, there remains the real economy where trade, investment, salaries and wealth is generated and circulated. This creates the much needed stability absent in free market economies as speculation has been effectively removed.
The importance of industrial development
The capitalist models of industrial development via the exploitation of comparative advantage, export led growth and consumption driven economies have all been shown to be unsustainable, They have been discredited and are in decline.
The development of industry is critical for a number of reasons. A manufacturing industry is critical for ones global standing as it deters any foreign aggressor who may have designs on a nation. For this reason all of the world’s powers developed military industries in order to achieve such aims. A nations defence capabilities also give global power projection capabilities. Military industries are also important because they are at the heart of technological innovation. Common items such as the internet, the Teflon non-stick frying pan, plasma TV, Radio, personal computers and aeroplanes were all developed from military industries.
Hence having an industrial base allows a nation to have an independent economy as it is able to produce most of its key goods, it also stimulates the economy and economic activity. Having an industrially driven economy does not mean having a closed economy, however industrial development allows for independent domestic development.
Industrial development provides a strong foundation for wealth creation and has a number of much wider impacts absent with other models. Industrial development:
Allows for the development of national infrastructure, the need for roads, transport and big projects such as the creation of dams creates employment and stimulates other developments such as the construction of housing and offices, retail complexes and railways, trams, motorways and canals.
Industrial development stimulates wealth creation. Each stage of industry, mining, refining, manufacturing and sales adds value and creates wealth for the economy.
Industrial development allows for the creation of consumer industries. Technology from heavy industry generally trickles down to industries which are considered the lower end of the industrial ladder such as textiles, plastics and food production. The creation of such sectors means more jobs are created.
Industrial development allows for the development of military industries which are at the cutting edge of technological development. An industrial base allows for the mass production of arms, missiles, ships and weapons of mass destruction,. thereby creating a strong deterrent for any nation that has designs on domination of another nation. Military industries also require a large labour force.
Industrial development allows a nation to become self sufficient whereby wealth is generated domestically with little or no reliance from abroad. It also means jobs generally are not lost as jobs will always be created as goods are all made domestically.
Industrial development allows for the export of goods which bring in additional revenue for any state.
Industrial development fundamentally leads to scientific and technological development as engineers, scientists and specialists look for better, and more efficient ways to refine, extract and manufacture goods.
Conclusions
Islam has very clearly laid out the path the Islamic world needs to tread. It made the dawah - propagation of Islam the basis of the Islamic foreign policy. The Muslim world needs to abandon models of development advocated by the West who themselves never developed upon such models. The Muslim world has all the resources necessary and a large population to achieve such aims. Whilst the American century is coming to the end, the 21st century may very likely be a new Islamic century inshallah.

Islam and Finance

Global finance today dominates the world economy. Western economies are characterised with financial sectors which generate billions for the economy. Stock Markets, multinationals, companies raising billions, initial public offerings (IPO) and so on, all symbolise the apparent success of Capitalism. Finance is important in any economy for two fundamental reasons:1. Whatever is produced in any economy can only be brought and sold through the use of money.
2. Society is looking to increase its wealth through investing, the financial sector exists today primarily to bring those with money, and those who need it together.
Finance: Past and present
Capitalism has dominated the financial scene for over 300 hundred years, the initial development of the stock markets took place in Europe to fund expeditions to Latin America, where merchants went to gain riches. Most of the developments in finance have taken place in the post WW2 era.
The purpose of finance is to bring those with money and those that need it together in the market place. The first time the worlds largest economies got together to discuss global finance was at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944, this was the first attempt at unifying the terms of global finance. There were two important outcomes from the conference:
The pegging of the worlds currencies to the dollar which in turn was pegged to Gold and the blueprint to remove all barriers to finance so financial transactions could take place freely. Financial dealings increased twenty fold and reached astronomical proportions. When the US abandoned the dollar peg to Gold, this brought even more money into the financial markets. The explosion in finance meant more and more money was being invested in the financial markets, the need to keep pace with such a development required ever more money to fund such investments and with the absence of a peg to Gold this period witnessed an astronomical rise in the printing of money.
The deregulation drive during the Thatcher-Reagan era brought even more participants into the financial markets including individual investors looking for riches. This also saw the development of the derivative markets in the 1990’s where money was speculated on the movement in the shares of companies, currencies and interest rates. For the first time traders were allowed to speculate in a commodity without actually buying or selling the actual commodity.
Over a period of 300 hundred years the emergence of fiat currencies (i.e. currency without an intrinsic value), the role of compound interest and the development of limited liability company structures have shaped western finance.
Such developments have also been the sole reason why the West has come to be characterised with regular financial crises. The developments in finance since WW2 brought to an end industrial dominance and created duel economies. This is because the financial sector moved away from raising finance to fund business start-ups and projects to speculating on company share prices and the movement of currencies. In this way trading in the financial sector ceased to be about purchasing currency or buying shares in the hope of receiving a dividend to purchasing financial commodities in the hope they could be sold for a higher price.
Due to this it became possible for a company to be in financial difficulties but have a rising share price, or as was seen during the dot.com bubble, new start-up’s witnessed astronomical rises in their share prices even though they were forecasted not to make a profit for 20 years.
The financial sector dominated by the financial markets actually does not produce anything real. Speculators trade in shares, bonds, and currencies that move around from trader to trader, in the hope that slight price changes will yield profits. This process has led to speculation reaching levels unheralded in history, it also means the price of commodities could be moving in the complete opposite direction to the supply and demand situation of a commodity. A good example of this was the rise in oil prices in 2008. Oil prices in less than a year reached $150 a barrel. Throughout history Oil prices rarely went above $35 a barrel, this huge surge in price completely contradicted the fundamentals. No new oil fields were discovered, no new technology was invented that could extract or refine oil quicker. Mark Lewis from Energy Market Consultants explained at the time in a BBC interview “We really don’t know what the fundamentals are doing at any point in time; the markets are looking for signals from the fundamentals. Some of them are irrelevant, some of them are wrong, some of them are meaningless, but they affect prices nevertheless.” Sean Cronin, editor of Argus Global Markets explained at the time “When the New York oil price broke through $100 a barrel for the first time at the start of 2008, one of the factors cited as being behind it was the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan on 27 December 2007, that didn’t strike us as making any sense at the time.”
       
The financial economy that doesn’t produce anything has become so sophisticated that various products have been created which allow an investment in a paper with no real asset represented. This side of the economy is valued more then the real economy, the size of the worldwide bond market is estimated at $45 trillion. The size of the world’s stock markets is estimated at $51 trillion. The world derivatives market has been estimated at $1000 trillion, more then 60 times the size of the US economy and 24 times the size of the entire world economy.
Disaster Capitalism
Western theories on finance have dominated the discipline of economics for over a century. Economic textbooks argue the ‘time value of money’ theory which states that the value of money (the quantity of goods that can be bought) is falling hence a mechanism is needed to fill the difference. Hence £100 will purchase a fixed amount of goods today, however a year later £100 will not get you the same amount of goods, interest rates in theory are equal to the difference. The ability to invest in investment products and financial markets allows one to hedge his/her wealth.
The fundamental problem with such Capitalist theory is that on many issues there is a wide discrepancy between theory and practice. Interest rates in today’s global economy in no way represent the change in the value of money. Interest rates in many economies across the world outstrip prices changes enormously. Such views of money have in fact created an economy which is not real. The global financial economy has turned into one big casino where traders bet on what will happen in the real economy.
Islam and the Financial Economy

The Islamic economy is built upon the real economy this is where the process of production of tangible goods and services, Islam has designated a role for finance in the economy - due to Islam’s focus on the real economy which is the wealth creating aspect of any economy finance in Islam is not an end in itself as there is no interest (Riba). Wealth in Islam is created through each stage of industry i.e. mining, refining, manufacturing and sales’ All of this adds value at each stage and creates wealth for the economy
“That is because they say: “Trading is only like Riba,” whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba” [Surah al-Baqarah]
Finance in Islam is intrinsically tied to the real economy and is not an industry in itself. Due to this finance takes a shape in an Islamic economy very different to what is seen in Capitalist economies.
1. Money in Islam was designated by Prophet Muhammed (saw) as representative money, this
is where the notes and coins in the economy are representing a commodity. Through the actions of Prophet Muhammed (saw) in terms of collating tax, penalties and prices in the economy, money represents gold and silver. By restricting the legal tender to such metals inflation is contained as any increase in the supply of money requires additional metal, in this way the Islamic economy has restricted the central government from freely printing currency (paper money must be 100% backed by gold or silver). This brings the much needed stability to money which in turn brings stability to the overall economy.
2. The Bait-ul Mal - the central treasury plays a key role in an Islamic economy. It regulates Money supply by monitoring production and ensuring sufficient currency exists in the economy so that trade and transactions can take place. The role of the state has been clearly defined in the Islamic texts. It has been designated with the responsibility of ensuring the circulation of wealth and supervising the public properties.
3. The removal of interest has a huge impact in the economy. For many it is difficult to envisage economic life outside the capitalist framework which relies so much on interest. The absence of interest actually allows for more wealth creation. To appreciate this we need to understand the role played by interest in investment decisions. This is because the challenge all people face is one of investment. Simply put, people will only invest their money if the rate of return of a business venture measured against the risk of the venture is offset by the interest that can be gained from leaving the money in a bank account to accrue interest. Thus, if the risk of the rate of return on an investment is less than the rate of interest, then one would leave their wealth in a bank account rather then actually invest it. Hence the incentive would be to save the money rather then to use (invest) it. Interest in other words restricts investment and hence is an impediment to the distribution of wealth. By removing interest from the economy it incentivises wealth circulation in the economy through investing in real goods and business ventures. This brings added stability as all participants participate in the same sphere - the real economy.
4. Any individual wanting to begin a business venture needs finance. One could wait for years to accumulate the necessary profits to expand or start a new business or borrow the money today. For this purpose banks were created. Islam has permitted the creation of banks and views them as institutions that aid wealth circulation. This is because banks collect the population’s deposits and then invest the money across the economy in new business ventures. In this way banks become like venture capital bodies who invest in real business. With the absence of speculative financial markets banks only have one sphere to invest customer wealth, the real economy. The absence of interest in the Islamic banking industry as well as speculative and dubious financial markets is the discerning line between modern banks and Islamic banking. This means Islamic banks can only make money from investing wealth across the economy in projects and new start ups, the impact on the wider economy is huge as banks will stimulate the economy through such acts. Modern banking wealth finds its way primarily into the financial markets creating a speculative bubble if investments do not materialise.
5. Although Islam is built upon the real economy and the financial sector is based upon providing finance for the real economy, Islam has allowed a few purely financial transactions. Islam has permitted currency exchange as this was a common practice amongst the people of Mecca and Madina and Muhammed (saw) did not object to it. Islam permitted some forward contracts - this is where payment is taken before the actual delivery of goods or before the final transfer of ownership of the goods. However the items that can be sold before ownership is undertaken must be of a defined nature where they can be counted, measured or weighed, this is due to what is established in the hadith of ibn Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever pays in advance in dates, let him pay in advance for a known price and a known weight for a known period.” And in another narration of ibn Abbas who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever pays in advance in something then (it should be) in a known measure and a known weight for a known period” (narrated by Al-Bukhari). Islam has categorically prohibited purely financial transactions where one lends money in the hope of receiving more in repayment. All trade and transactions are linked to the real economy as they are built upon construction, manufacture, services, or the production of goods and so on.
6. The Islamic company structure also complements an economy without interest. This is because Islamic law does not allow companies to operate on the basis of limited liability, which allows one to only have a financial stake in a company which is restricted to the amount invested. In the event of bankruptcy a shareholder would only lose the initial capital of the company no matter how large the debts. The key feature in an Islamic company is all shareholders are responsible for company debts in proportion to their investment, rather than just their monetary amount. Islamic company shareholders also partake in the running of the business not merely just remain a shareholder in the hope that share prices rise. Stock markets exist primarily to cater for such investors, who do not directly participate in running or management of the company.
7. Whilst the Capitalist finance industry offers investors an array of products and many opportunities, it also brings much harm to the wider economy. This is because such debt based products are betting on the future and reliant upon a certain outcome, when this doesn’t occur the inevitable bust occurs. The Global, credit crunch was built upon future real estate prices continuing to rise, when this was not forthcoming it brought the global economy down, as many had invested in debt based products which themselves were dependent on rising house prices.
8. Western theorists have always argued that an economy without interest removes the incentive to invest. They argue there would be no investment unless there was a guaranteed rate of return. The Islamic economy however is dynamic enough to encourage investment without the need for interest. The prohibition of hoarding wealth has been addressed directly by Allah (swt), the Islamic creed has forbidden the hoarding of wealth. Hence spending is seen as an act of worship alongside the fulfilment of ones needs. At the same time the Islamic economy has designated a 2.5% tax (Zakat) on any wealth held for a year above a fixed threshold. Hence holding onto wealth aside from being rebuked by the Islamic texts faces taxation at the of the Islamic tax year - all this gives citizens in the Islamic economy the incentive to spend and invest, stimulating the economy.

Conclusions
The Islamic economy is intrinsically tied to the real economy, this means wealth is created at each stage of the production line, be it mining, refining, manufacturing, marketing or sales. Each of these sectors will need companies and finance to contribute towards the economy and it is here Islamic finance plays a role. Due to finance being tied to the real economy participants engage only in the real economy which creates stability as there is no way for national income to leave the economy - as such a parallel economy does not exist. The aim of the Islamic economy is to remove barriers to wealth circulation, Islam achieved this through the removal of the barriers that act as obstacles such as interest, speculative financial markets, income based taxation and fiat currency. Boom and bust will not exist in an Islamic economy as the Islamic economy is about ensuring wealth continually changes hands so all can profit from it, the aim of the Islamic economy is not perpetual economic growth, which has proven to be mission impossible.

Teen crisis is Societal crisis

On the 1st September, the NSPCC released a new condemning survey spelling out the reality of teenage relationships in the UK. The survey explored the lives of 13-17 year olds where alarmingly 1 in 6 teenage girls felt pressured to sleep with their boyfriends and 1 in 16 had been raped. Violence is also an increasing factor in the lives of the young girls as one quarter said they had been slapped, punched or beaten by their boyfriends.
Unsurprisingly three quarters of girls found their experiences harmful. Sadly this is just one aspect of the prolific teenage dating scene. Sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s) which affect fertility and even life expectancy have only increased, despite government initiatives. STI’s have increased by a whopping 58% between 2003 and 2007 amongst under-16s. Additionally the much debated issue of teenage pregnancies is rarely out of the news, recently punctuated by the 13 year old boy who fathered a child with his 15 year old girl friend. Over the years the government has ploughed millions of pounds into numerous initiatives to curb the rise of these problems. Blame is put down to numerous issues, Pat Troop, chief executive of the Health Protection Agency cited mediums like television programmes as a source of influence since they encouraged unsafe sex. To curb these and other influences the call from bodies like the NSPCC and the government is to increase sexual education. In a bid to catch them as young as possible the controversial SRE lessons has been working its way into UK schools. These lessons are aimed at teaching children as young as 5 a range of issues from different ‘kinds’ of relationships to the names of intimate body parts.
In trying to protect the youths right to choice the government initiatives are aimed at helping them make an informed decision whilst providing them with facilities like sexual health clinics to allow them to do what they wish as long as its ‘safe’. Despite many attempts the government continues to fail to make any major dent in these problems. The recent £250 million Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was deemed “absolutely disastrous” by David Paton, a professor at Nottingham University Business school at a meeting with government officials. It is clear that the strategy to solve and cater to the results of a certain kind of behaviour has failed and will continue to fail. Despite the government’s best efforts it is clear that the problem is not a lack of knowledge amongst teenagers, since no matter how much money, education and facilities are offered, the quality of teenagers lives are getting increasingly worse. One aspect of the lives of youth which is never under discussion is what really drives them to ignore education or even common sense and to act in a potentially harmful way. The values these teenagers learn from society is to live life in any way they want, to think only of themselves and their enjoyment in their daily decisions.
The idea of personal freedom means that regardless of abundant education and publicity rigorously depicting the horrors of their actions, the individual is still free to do as they wish regardless of how it affects them and the society they live in. A lack of accountability accompanies this value leading to irresponsible behaviour, leading to insecure relationships, the spreading of STI’s and babies being born to children.
Problems relating to teenagers are the tip of the western secular society’s iceberg. However instead of considering their own issues, the western governments, politicians, and media have taken it upon themselves to be saviours of Muslims, calling for us to change (or rather distort) our deen and to come to the “light” of their values of freedom. Last month, UK minister Jim Fitzpatrick accused the segregation of men and women at Islamic weddings as a sign of increasing radicalisation amongst Muslims in Britain.
This August, Sayeda Versi, the Conservative Party representative for Community Cohesion attacked the issue of polygamy in the Muslim community in the UK.
As the ummah of the Prophet (saw) who have been ordered to protect our deen at all times and spread the dawah of Islam we should not allow these attacks to shame us into the changing and reforming of our deen. We need to make the carriers of backward ideas such as “freedom” think first about their values and way of life and present Islam as having real solutions for the misery sown within societies by the Western liberal system.

DOES ISLAM ENSLAVE THE WOMAN?

Mr. Sarkozy says that the burqa or niqab makes the woman a slave to the man. No-one is arguing that Mr. Sarkozy doesn’t know a thing or two about “Female enslavement” – he is after all married to Carla Bruni – a former nude model. However, Muslim women do not need lessons in how to dress from the husband of a woman who earnt her fame from showing the world how to undress. Nor do we need lessons in female enslavement from the leaders of any secular liberal state where the enslavement of women is legal under the law, with the existence of brothels, pornography, and lap-dancing clubs – all under the premise of liberty, of sexual freedom – women who serve no other purpose but to service the desires of men.

Some argue that freedom in the West brings the dignity of women. If so, what dignity has it brought the 1 in 4 women who are victims of domestic violence in the UK; what respect did it bring to the 2 women killed each week in Britain by their partners or husband; what dignity has it brought to the 28 million women battered by their husband or partner in the US – the Land of freedom where a woman is beaten every 9 seconds and where battery is the single major cause of injury to women between the ages of 15-44 – more than car accidents, mugging, and rape combined.

If freedom has brought dignity to the woman, then why have 1 in 20 women been raped in the UK; and why is a woman sexually assaulted every 2 and ½ minutes in the US according to the US justice department? What has freedom brought to the 1000’s of women who face sexual harassment in the workplace in Western societies – 50% of women in the UK according to an Equal opportunity commission report in 2000.

So when people say that the woman in Islam is not free to dress how she likes – I say Yes, you’re right, we are not free, we dress according to the Commands of Our Creator – hijab, jilbab, the One who gave us life, the One to whom we will return, the One to Whom we will forever be grateful? He (swt) says, “… let them draw their head-coverings (khumur) over their necks and bosoms (juyub).” [An-Nur 31]

“When a young girl begins to menstruate, it is not correct that anything should be seen of her except her face and hands up to the wrist.” (Hadith Reported by Abu Dawud) “Oh Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (Jalabeeb) all over their bodies.” [Al-Ahzab:59]

We embrace a religion, Islam, that says a man is not free to view a woman as he likes, nor use the woman to sell a product – no amount of money in the world will let you buy the respect of the woman.Why? Because in Islam her honour, her respect is priceless.

The Prophet (saw) said, “The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman.”

As Muslim women, we embrace a dress that says – we refuse to be an ornament for public display.A dress that says – we demand to be respected as a woman for what we can give to society rather than what fulfillment we can give to men. This is the liberation that Islam and this dress brings to the woman.

The coming of the Mahdi is one of the major signs of Judgement Day. Unlike the minor signs his appearance will signal that the Final Hour is near and that believers must ensure that they are ready to endure its trials and tribulations (fitan).The Mahdi will come at a time when Muslims will have become disunited and where tyranny and corruption will have prevailed.The situation will be so bad that a person would wish he was not born or that if someone died he would wish that it was him.
The story of al-Mahdi, as recounted in the sunnah, is a story of hope where the struggle between Haqq and Baatil results in the believers gaining victory over the disbelievers, where the earth is filled with peace and justice due to the just rule of al-Mahdi. It is narrated by Abu Said al-Khudri (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) said: “At the end of the time of my ummah,the Mahdi will appear. Allah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great.” (Reported by al-Haakim in his Mustadrak, 4/557-558).The story of mahdi is one that encourages the believers to work for the unity of Muslims and the justice of Islam via the establishment of the Khilafah and the application of the Shariah as the believer knows that one day the whole world will be enlightened by the light of Islam and falsehood shall vanish. But until that day comes he must take encouragement from the bashaarat (glad tidings) of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) and strive and work for Islam following the Sunnah of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam).
So it is sad to hear sometimes that some find in the story of Mahdi an excuse and justification for inaction, taking the fatalistic view that we as an Ummah cannot, and even should not, do anything about the corrupt situation until the Mahdi appears at the end of time and establishes the Khilafah. Clearly, this is not the message the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) took when they heard the story directly from the lips of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam). They heard this story and they took its lessons and they worked tirelessly, first in Makkah in order to establish dar al-Islam and then after its establishment in Madinah to consolidate and extend the influence of the Islamic state.After the death of al-Mustafa (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) the Sahabah appointed Khulafah who extended the authority of Islam even further until the light of Islam had spread to a large part of the world. So how can it be that the coming of the Mahdi has become an excuse for the resignation to the corrupt reality? Indeed, if we analyse the authentic reports about the coming of Mahdi from both a prophetic and legal point of view we can conclude the following:
The Khilafah will not be established by the Mahdi but he will be a Khaleefah coming after the death of the Khaleefah before him. In other words the Khilafah will have been established by the Muslims before the coming of the Mahdi.This can clearly be seen in the hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) said: “Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come flying forth to Mecca. Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and give bay’ah to him between the Rukn and the Maqam. An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina. When the people see that, the God fearing people of Syria and the best people of Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. Then there will arise a man of Quraysh whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expedition of Kalb. Disappointed will be the one who does not receive the booty of Kalb. He will divide the property, and will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace be upon him) and establish Islam on Earth. He will remain seven years…” (Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Awsat.According to Ibn Hajar in his Majma’ az-Zawaid the transmitters in at-Tabarani’s narration are sound and authentic.)
Notice the above hadith states that disputes will take place at the death of the Khaleefah and consequently a man will come forth who after being given bay’ah as the khaleefah will declare himself to be the Mahdi. So clearly Mahdi will not establish the Khilafah Rashidah that will return as foretold in the ahadith, and as well he will not be the first Khaleefah after the destruction of the Khilafah and nor will he be the last Khaleefah. Rather, he will be a just Khaleefah who will establish the justice of Islam on earth.This is from the perspective of the account of the story as prophesised by the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam).
From a shar’I or legal perspective the hadith which detail the emergence of the Mahdi do not establish any Shariah rules for the reality of Muslims of today, as they relate to a different situation when the Khilafah exists.A Hukm Shar’i or divine rule comes for a manaat (reality to which the hukm pertains) which requires a ruling, which is our current reality and not the end of time which will be signaled by the major signs of the day of judgment.A hukm shar’i essentially is a request to do an action or refrain from it whether by way of obligation (wujoob), prohibition (tahreem), encouragement (nadb) or discouragement (karaaha).Although the hadiths about the Mahdi do not request the obligation to establish the Khilafah, as they are largely ikhbari (informative) in nature and as the Khilafah will already exist when the Mahdi comes (which is why we say this reality is inapplicable), but they certainly do NOT say it is not obligatory to work for a Khilafah when it does not exist. Indeed the Shariah rules established at the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) are applicable till the end of time as long as they pertain to the reality for which they came. So not only must the Muslims abide by them, so must the Mahdi and so did ‘Isa (Alaihi as salam) who came not as a Prophet but as a follower of the Shariah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam). So if the coming of a great Prophet like Isa (as), after the prophethood of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam), cannot suspend the rules of the Shariah, how can the coming of the Mahdi suspend them?
As for the hukm shar’i on what to do when the Khilafah does not exist, as we see in our situation today, we need to refer to the following hadith of the Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wassalam) as it addressed that very manaat (reality): “Whosoever dies without a bay’ah on his neck dies the death of Jahiliyyah.” (Reported by Muslim in his Sahih).This hadith clarifies by its implied meaning (mafhum) that it is not permitted for a Muslim to live without the presence of a Khaleefah as it censures the one who dies without his presence. Consequently, it becomes obligatory on the Muslim to work for the presence of a Khaleefah who will rule justly and work to remove, through only da’wah and political struggle, the Ruwaibidah that are our current despicable rulers.This is our reality today and the work to establish the Khilafah is the vital issue that the Muslims cannot neglect.
Whilst the coming of the Mahdi is an important subject in the books of hadith, it is almost as though some have taken the subject as a “get-out” clause to not work for the return of the Khilafah and the giving of bayah to the next Khaleefah.As though the mere mention of Khilafah in the time of Mahdi in some way excuses Muslims from their obligation of removing the corrupt regimes of today.Yes, there will be a Khilafah again inSh’Allah, but will we all be of the ummah that lived in darkness and did nothing to change that situation? And wait for Allah (SWT) to bring a people that loved him and He (SWT) loved.
“O you who believe! If you ever abandon your faith, Allah will in time bring forth (instead of you) people whom he loves and who love Him – humble towards the believers, strong towards all who deny truth: [people] who strive hard in Allah’s cause, and do not fear to be censured by anyone who might censure them” [5:54]

Blogspot: Hizb ut-Tahrir: Constitution Will Lose (Homegrown Terrorism) by IPT

Blogspot: Hizb ut-Tahrir: Constitution Will Lose (Homegrown Terrorism) by IPT

HADITH :The Ruler who does not rule justly will be in chains on the Day of Judgement

The Ruler who does not rule justly will be in chains on the Day of Judgement ما من أحد يؤمر على عشرة فصاعدا لا يقسط فيهم إلا جاء يوم القيامة في الأصفاد و الأغلال No one who is placed in leadership over 10 or more, then does not act justly between them, except that on the Day of Judgement he is brought in shackles and chains (Hakim) Commentary a. The hadith is general for anyone in a position of leadership, whether someone appointed as a leader with limited responsibility, or a governor, or the Imam of all the Muslims. b. To be brought forward on the Day of Judgement in chains and shackles is to be brought forward in the same position as the disbelievers and hypocrites who are likewise chained and shackled on the Day that each will be accounted for their actions. c. The meaning to act justly is to act according to the Quran and Sunnah, and correlates to the various

Are you brave enough to think about Death?

How many people think about the reality of death? Most people hold the idea that they will for a very long time-maybe 20, 30 or 40 years more to live. 

 Each one of us is busy planning and organizing our lives with the view that we will live for a very long time. If we are young we are busy with our friends enjoying ourselves and

seeking more enjoyment and fun. The rest of our time is filled studying, going to coaching centers and doing various courses.

 If we are older our whole life is consumed in applying for jobs or working day and night.

What Is The Role Of The Muslim Woman In Carrying The Islamic Message?

In Principle, the Sharia'a duties are for both men and women alike, and there is no difference between them in terms of duties, except where the Sharia'a texts have listed these differences. Whenever the phrase of "Ya Ayyuhal Latheena Aamanou" i.e "O you who believe" is mentioned, this refers to males and females alike, hence there is no need for the Phrase "O you female believers". The principle in the Arabic language is that whenever the address is to the male, this means that it also includes the female; whereas whenever the address is to the female, this does not include the male as well, but rather confined to the female. Therefore, phrases found in the Holy Qur'an such as: T.M.Q. "O you who believe...", "O you people...." , "And do not kill the soul...." , "And who would say something better than he who calls to Allah, performs the good deed..." , And obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you...", "And establish prayer and
perform Zakat...", or phrases from the Ahadith of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) such as: "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim...", "He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say something good or keep silent.", "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.", "Spread the Salam amongst yourselves.." etc.., all these phrases have come in Arabic in the masculine form, but they also include the feminine form as well, and there is a general agreement about this. There are certain rules specific to men, where conjunctions have been mentioned that they do not include women, and also rules specific to women, where conjunctions have been mentioned to indicate that they do not include men. Men are protectors and maintainers of women. Men pay the dowry and the alimony, and they hold the tie of divorce. Men do not have to wait a period of time (Iddat) after death or divorce, while women do. The "Awrah" of the woman is different to that of the man. The testimony of the woman is different to that of a man. the woman would have to stop praying and fasting, while the man would not. A man's share of inheritance is different to that of a woman etc... We go back to the question, which is the role of the Muslim woman in carrying the Da'awa of Islam. Truly the carrying of the Da'awa is not just the one single action in order for us to search for one single Sharia'a rule for it, nor is it one single matter (Mas'alah), but rather a large group of actions, hence the carrying of the Da'awa has many Sharia'a rules attached to it, and we are about to mention some of these Inshallah. 1- the Iman (belief) and the adherence to Halal and Haram are obligatory upon women as they are obligatory upon men. 2- Seeking knowledge about the Shari'a rules related to the woman's actions is an obligation upon her, and for the man it is an obligation upon him in relation to his actions. 3- Enjoining Ma'aruf and forbidding Munkar is a duty upon woman as it is a duty upon men, each according to their own capabilities. 4- Bringing the rulers to account is part of the enjoinment of Ma'aruf and the forbidding of the Munkar. It is compulsory upon men and women alike. 5- The teaching of the rules of Islam to the Muslims, and the struggle against the concepts of Kufr (disbelief) and misguidance are obligatory actions upon men and women alike. 6- Working towards the establishment of the Islamic state and the return of the Khilafa to the rule by what Allah has revealed, these are actions which must be undertaken by men and women alike. 7- The establishment of a group or a party which works towards the return of the Khilafa, which enjoins Ma'aruf and forbids Munkar and to participate in the activities of such a group would be a duty of sufficiency (Fardhu Kifaya) upon men and women alike. We have gathered that all these matters listed above have been listed in Sharia'a texts which include both men and women in their address. In addition to these general rules in which men and women are equally obligated, we have found within these general matters a host of cases which would be specific to men, to the exclusion of women. some of these cases are: 1- It is forbidden for a woman to leave her home without the permission of her guardian, whether the guardian happened to be the father, the brother, the husband or the uncle, etc.. This would restrict her activity and her mobility. 2- A woman is forbidden from going to private places where strange men are present, if she is not accompanied by a husband or a "Mahram" (unmarriageable relative). This would also restrict her activity and her mobility. 3- If a woman joins a party, and the party leader ordered her to perform an action, and her guardian ordered her to perform another action, she must in this case obey the order of her guardian, as long as he does not order her to perform an action that is decisively sinful, or known to him to be sinful. More generally, we know that the obedience of the Amir is obligatory within the boundaries of his Imara (leadership), whether he happened to be an army chief, or a ruler, or Amir of a journey or a party leader. We know as well that the obedience of the father and the obedience of the husband is obligatory, all this in other than any disobedience to Allah (SWT), hence if the obedience of the father or the husband were to clash with the obedience of the Amir, which one should the woman prioritise? In such case she should obey her father or her husband, because the Sharia'a texts have explicitly been firm about this matter, i.e. this obedience more than the obedience of the Amir. The most important issue when carrying the Islamic Da'awa would be to abide by its rules. The adherence of the person, man or woman, to the rules of Islam would be in itself a Da'awa to Islam. When the woman's dress is according to the Sharia'a, and when her behaviour within her family, her friends and her relatives, and when her moral conduct is islamic, and when she scorns the foreign customs and foreign aspects and when she prides herself amongst her acquaintances with Islam, the Islamic thoughts and the Islamic rules, when these qualities become embodied in her personality and reflected in her actions, she would become a Da'awa carrier. The righteous example would therefore be the first basis in the Da'awa especially for the Muslim woman. May Allah's Peace and Mercy be upon our master Mohammed, his family and Sahaba.

Age of Disorder

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Age of Disorder

Age of Disorder: The effects of communism, nationalism and capitalism in the 20th Century and the remedy.

The world is led to believe by the so-called civilised Western nations to fear the return of Islam as a way of life. Offering nothing but darkness, backwardness and poverty; barbaric and intolerant the Khilafah state we are told when it is re-established will be the embodiment of all these characteristics, incapable in the modern era of providing any intellectual leadership for mankind.

Yet it is the 20th Century, a period which saw the absence of the Khilafah, and which has been dominated by secular ideologies and not Islam, that has entered the history books as the darkest, bloodiest and most intolerant ever witnessed.

This documentary explores the effects of the false and incorrect ideologies of capitalism and communism and the shallow and inhumane bond of nationalism. The misery, pain and suffering they were responsible for. So that it can be understood these ideas and not Islam have posed the greatest threats to mankind and if left unchallenged will continue to plunge the world into further turmoil and chaos.

Married life in Islam

ِﻢ ﻴ ِﺣ ﱠﺮ ﻟ ا ِﻦﻤْﺣﱠﺮﻟا ِﷲ ا ِﻢ ْﺴ ِﺑ
Married life in Islam
Family life plays a very important role in the life of the Muslim community
as a whole. The family unit comes into being when a man and woman
decide to get married. Islam recognises man and his instinct and provides
answers to the questions that arise as a result of his instincts. How should
the furthering of the human race take place? How should the innate
attraction between men and women and the need for companionship, love
and affection be satisfied? In Islam, marriage is the primary relationship by
which many of these issues are addressed. 

Attack on marriage within the Muslim community 

After the September 11th attacks in America, Muslims have borne the brunt

of a military attack on Afghanistan as well as an impending attack on Iraq.

There has also been an intensification of the intellectual attack on the
values, concepts and the sharee’ah rules of Islam. Islamic marriage is one of
the institutions that have been attacked intellectually. Ann Cryer, a British
Labour MP, attacked the practice of Muslims in Britain marrying Muslims
from the Islamic lands. She said; "It just happens that the Bangladeshi and
the Pakistani community are Muslims and they happen to be the people
who persist in the practice of bringing in husbands and wives from the
subcontinent. The Sikhs and Hindus are doing extremely well both
academically and economically and I think that it is due to the fact they
don't pursue this practice. It would be better if they selected the partners for
their children from the sort of home-grown variety of Muslim Asians - that's
what I would prefer to see." (BBC Online, 13/06/02) 

 Some may see this as a well- intentioned observation, however closer
scrutiny reveals many hidden dangers in her statement. She tries pushing the
idea of “home grown” ie British Muslims being different from Muslims from
the Islamic lands. This is part of an attempt to divide the Muslims in Britain
from the global Islamic ummah. Islam says that all Muslims are part of one
ummah without differentiation. So Muslims can marry other Muslims
regardless of race, or nationality. If Muslims want to marry Muslims brought
up in Britain, fine. If they want to marry Muslims from back home, that is
also fine. Marrying people from the Islamic lands is one way Muslims here
can maintain a link with those lands. Why has this politician focused on the
Muslim community? When a non-Muslim from London marries a non-
Muslim from Asia, Ann Cryer and others see it as an interesting cultural
exchange, not a source of economic and academic backwardness. David
Blunkett, the British Home Secretary also recently called on immigrants “…
to learn to speak English and adopt ‘British norms,’” including the norms
regarding marriage. Also, recent discussion in the media about forced
marriages has only focused on Muslim marriages, often portraying all
Muslim marriages as ones in which all women are oppressed. 

Having portrayed Muslims marriages as problematic and leading to the
abuse of women, the same western politicians, journalists and
commentators have also offered us their solutions in order for us to leave
the Islamic values for western values. These are some of the manifestations
of the intellectual attack on marriage amongst Muslims. 

How the West regulates relations between men and women 

What are the norms the capitalist West invites us to adopt? Looking at
Britain or any other western society, you do not have to go far to see the
state of relations between men and women. The relationship is generally
reduced to one where the focus is on sex and enjoyment. The evaluation of
partners comes down to how ‘sexy’ he\she is. The demand for sexual
gratification is a constant and absorbing pursuit. Coupled with this is their
belief that variety is indeed the spice of life, so whilst with one girlfriend or
wife, they are always on the look out for other partners with whom they
hope to have better sex and enjoyment. So people have countless affairs, and multiple sexual partners. Indeed, tabloid newspapers provide a daily
diet of the latest man\woman found cheating on a partner, whether these
are politicians, celebrities or common people. Bill Clinton and Monica
Lewinsky, John Major and Edwina Currie are classic examples of this from
both sides of the Atlantic. For many westerners, adultery is not a matter to
be ashamed off. 

Capitalism promotes the idea that people should be free to enter into any
type of relationships provided sex and enjoyment is attained. So casual
affairs, one night stands, cohabiting, same sex relationships as well as
marriage between men and women are all acceptable forms of
relationships. Inevitably people look for enjoyment without responsibilities.
Many men will desert the woman if she gets pregnant, because after they
have had their fun, the burden of rearing children is not on their agenda. 

As a consequence, thousands of children in the UK grow up only knowing
one of their parents. Many women are left emotionally hurt after being
dumped for a woman who wears a shorter skirt. Many men are
emotionally hurt when dumped for a man who is better looking. This
makes mutual distrust the norm between men and women, leading to the
breakdown in social relations in western capitalist societies that we are all
witnessing. 

When westerners attack the concept of marriage in Islam, we should remind
them of the chaos and corruption that has been created by western ideals of
freedom and sexual liberation. We must reject these capitalist ideals as they
contradict the sharee’ah rules that came to regulate man’s relationships. 

Islam is a deen that solves problems between men and women 

The fact is that men and women have a natural attraction for each other;
this is the nature that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'aala) created them with. In
this issue, like all other matters, Islam came to regulate this relationship and
provide rules for all of the issues that stem from it. 

 Allah says; 
ُمﺎَﻠْﺱِﺈْﻟا ِﻪﱠﻠﻟا َﺪ ْﻨ ِﻋ َﻦ ی ﱢﺪ ﻟ ا ﱠن ِإ
“The deen before Allah is Islam.” [TMQ Al-Nisa:19]
In Islam, marriage is the stipulated relationship within which the human
need for procreation is satisfied. We therefore need to clarify the exact
reality of marriage in Islam and the Islamic solutions to the many problems
that can occur in marital life. This ensures we protect ourselves from the
freedom-inspired solutions of the capitalist way of life. It also enables us to
reject the un-Islamic customs and traditions related to marriage within the
Muslim community which themselves lead to many family problems. 

What to look for when seeking a marriage partner 

With respect to marriage, finding a partner is the first issue we face. For
some Muslim brothers, the most important criterion when looking for a
wife is that she must be as beautiful as a supermodel. This is the effect of the
shallow western popular culture which places great emphasis on looks and
beauty. In the West (and in many Muslim countries) women in adverts are
beautiful, movie stars are beautiful, and women who are not so beautiful
are always being pushed to find ways to be beautiful. For some Muslim
sisters, the most important criterion is the partner’s wealth and status. So she
may reject a teacher or restaurant worker (who has taqwa) because he earns
less than £25,000 and is not a lawyer or a doctor. This is because society
places great emphasis on wealth and status. For some parents, the most
important criterion for a partner for their son or daughter is that he comes
from the same tribe or country. So some Pakistanis would refuse a Bengali,
some Bengalis would refuse a Pakistani, some Arabs would refuse Africans,
some Africans would refuse Arabs and some Mirpuris would refuse Jhelumis.
The ideas of nationalism and tribalism rear their ugly heads at these times
even though Islam made them haram. Parents who refuse prospective
partners on this un-Islamic basis cause immense corruption and frustration in
the lives of this noble ummah. More often each year we see young Muslim
men and women who are attracted to each other running away from home, or having haram relationships. Facing this form of oppression caused
them to stop trusting their parents and respecting their feelings, so they even
lost their respect for the Islamic rules about these issues. Such parents should
remember the warning of our Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam). Abu
Hatim al-Muzni (ra) narrated; 
 “When someone proposes for your daughter and his character and morals
are agreeable to you, then give to him in marriage. If you do not there will
be tribulation and immense corruption in the earth.”
Islam made clear what we should look for in a partner. Abu Hurayrah (ra)
reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) said; 
 “A woman is married for four things; her wealth, lineage, beauty and
Islamic character (deen). So gain success with the one who possesses a good
character (deen).” 

So the most important thing to look for in a partner is their Islamic
character, though that is not the only thing one can look for. After all,
which man will care for his wife properly except the one who has taqwa?
Which woman will raise pious Muslim children except the one who has
taqwa? We are allowed to seek beautiful women or men from good family
backgrounds who are wealthy, but the most important factor is their deen.
What a bonus it is if one finds a partner with good deen, wealth, lineage
and beauty? 

Married life in Islam 

Once a partner has been found and married life begins, the husband and
wife are faced with a whole new set of issues. What is each partner’s role
and what rights does each one have over the other? To answer these
questions, we need to look to the Prophet Muhammad (Sall’Allahu Alaihi
Wasallam) and how he resolved the issues that arose between him and his
wives. 

 Within a Muslim marriage, both partners should seek to create love,
affection and mercy as this leads to tranquility for both partners. 
Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'aala) said; 
ﺎَﻬْﻴَﻟِإ َﻦ ُﻜ ْﺴ َﻴ ِﻟ ﺎَﻬَﺟْوَز ﺎَﻬْﻨِﻡ َﻞ َﻌ َﺟ َو ٍة َﺪ ِﺣ ا َو ٍﺲْﻔ َﻥ ْﻦ ِﻡ ْﻢ ُﻜ َﻘ َﻠ َﺧ يِﺬﱠﻟا َﻮ ُه 
“It is He Who has created you from a single person, and He has created
from him his wife, in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with
her." [TMQ Al- Araf: 189] 
 ْﻢ ُﻜ َﻨ ْﻴ َﺑ َﻞ َﻌ َﺟ َو ﺎَﻬْﻴَﻟِإ ا ﻮ ُﻨ ُﻜ ْﺴ َﺘ ِﻟ ﺎ ًﺟ ا َو ْز َأ ْﻢ ُﻜ ِﺴ ُﻔ ْﻥ َأ ْﻦ ِﻡ ْﻢ ُﻜ َﻟ َﻖ َﻠ َﺧ ْن َأ ِﻪ ِﺗ ﺎ َی ﺁ ْﻦ ِﻡ َو
َنوُﺮﱠﻜَﻔَﺘَی ٍم ْﻮ َﻘ ِﻟ ٍت ﺎ َی ﺂ َﻟ َﻚ ِﻟ َذ ﻲِﻓ ﱠن ِإ ًﺔ َﻤ ْﺣ َر َو ًة ﱠد َﻮ َﻡ 
"And among his signs is this, that he created for you wives from among
yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and he has put between both
of you affection and mercy." [TMQ Ar- Rum: 21].

Rights of husbands and wives 

What are the rights due to the wife from the husband? What are the rights
due to the husband from the wife? Islam resolves this by stipulating the
rights of either partner. 
ٌﺔ َﺟ َر َد ﱠﻦ ِﻬ ْﻴ َﻠ َﻋ ِل ﺎ َﺟ ﱢﺮ ﻠ ِﻟ َو ِفوُﺮْﻌَﻤْﻟﺎِﺑ ﱠﻦ ِﻬ ْﻴ َﻠ َﻋ يِﺬﱠﻟا ُﻞ ْﺜ ِﻡ ﱠﻦ ُﻬ َﻟ َو 
"And they (women) have rights (over their husbands) similar (to those of
their husbands) over them, in reasonable terms." [TMQ Al- Baqarah: 228]
This means women have marital rights over men and men have rights over
women. That is why Ibn 'Abbas said; “Indeed I spruce myself up for my wife
and she adorns herself for me, and I love that I should redeem all the rights
I have over my wife, so that she should redeem all the rights she has over
me.” 
 Women have the financial right to maintenance from their husbands, but
they also have the right of good companionship and intimacy as 
Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'aala) has ordered; 
ِف و ُﺮ ْﻌ َﻤ ْﻟ ﺎ ِﺑ ﱠﻦ ُه و ُﺮ ِﺷ ﺎ َﻋ َو 
"And live with them honourably". [TMQ An- Nisa: 19]
On the other hand men have the right to be obeyed by their wives. Bukhari
reported that the Prophet said; 
 “It is not allowed for a woman to fast without the permission of her
husband whilst he is present, nor admit someone to his house without his
permission and whatever she spends of his wealth (on charitable purposes)
without his permission, half the reward will go to him.”
The man also has the right that she does not mix with those of whom he
does not approve. 

Part of the woman’s right to intimacy is that her husband should not frown
at her without reason, he must be cheerful when speaking to her and not
rude or harsh, nor should he show attraction to other women. 

It has been narrated from the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) that he
had a close relationship with his wives, he would play with them, be mild-
mannered toward them and have fun with them to the extent that he used
to race with 'A'isha (ra), the mother of the believers, and with that win her
love. She said; “Allah's Messenger (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) raced me
and I beat him, that was before I gained weight. Later I raced him when I
had put on some weight, so he beat me and said; “This was (in return) for
that (time when you had beaten me).” The Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi
Wasallam) after praying 'Isha would spend a short part of the evening
chatting with his wives before sleeping, thereby creating a friendly
atmosphere. So a husband should be a friend to his wife, and kind when he
requests something from her, to the extent that if he desires her he should
choose the best situation and condition suitable for her.  Ibn Majah reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) said; 
 “The best amongst you are the ones who are best to their wives.” 
Unfortunately, nowadays some men have adopted some non-Islamic
traditions with regards to the treatment of their wives. They believe that the
fact that they paid a dowry and that they earn money to maintain their wife
gives them the right to treat them harshly and rudely. They criticize their
wife over any little mistake instead of overlooking it. This leads to a married
life devoid of intimacy and affection, which contradicts what we learnt from
our Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam), who had a close relationship with
his wives. 

Husbands and wives must find time and ways to build and grow a close
relationship. They must find time to share their day’s experiences. For
example, on returning from work the husband should enquire about her
day. How did she cope with looking after the children that day? How did
she deal with the cleaning, cooking and all other tasks? What do they both
need to do in order to develop the Islamic understanding of their children?
How can he help with any of her tasks? Wives should also ensure that they
take an interest in the issues the husband is facing at work or elsewhere, as
she may be able to console or help him. The sharing of each other’s joys,
anxieties and problems leads to a cementing of the bonds of love between
husbands and wives. He should also compliment her often and dress smartly
to impress her. She should also keep herself attractive for him so their love
for each other is rekindled again and again. They should also make efforts
to strengthen each other’s Iman by praying tahajjud together, as well as
sharing Islamic articles and books that broaden their understanding of the
Islamic culture. 

Leadership has been granted to the husband 

Who should have the final say? Who is the leader in this relationship? Since
things may happen in married life that may disturb the order, Allah has
granted the leadership of the home to the husband over the wife, ie he has
been made a guardian over her.  He (Subhanahu Wa Ta'aala) said; 
ِء ﺎ َﺴ ﱢﻨ ﻟ ا ﻰَﻠَﻋ َن ﻮ ُﻡ ا ﱠﻮ َﻗ ُل ﺎ َﺟ ﱢﺮ ﻟ ا 
"Men are the protectors and guardians over women." [TMQ An- Nisa: 34]
Guardianship of the husband over the wife and his leadership of the house
does not mean being domineering or being its ruler such that no issue is
opposed. Rather the leadership of the husband over the house is the looking
after its affairs and administering it and there is no domination or
commanding in it. Therefore, the woman has the right to answer back to
her husband and debate with him and criticise what he says because they
are companions and not a commander and commanded, or a ruler and a
ruled. On the contrary they are two companions, one of whom possesses
leadership in terms of running the house and looking after its affairs. In his
house, the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) was likewise a
companion to his wives, not a domineering ruler over them, in spite of his
being the leader of the Islamic state and in spite of being a Prophet. 'Umar
ibn al-Khattab said in a Hadith reported by him; “By Allah, during the days
of Ignorance we ignored women until Allah the Exalted revealed about
them what He has revealed and gave them a share.” He said; “It so
happened that I was thinking about some matter when my wife said; 'I wish
that you had done so and so'. I said to her; “It does not concern you, and
you should not interfere in what I intend to do.” She said to me; 'How
strange is it that you, son of Khattab, do not like anyone to answer you
back, whereas your daughter answers back Allah's Messenger (Sall Allahu
Alaihi Wasallam) until he spends the day in vexation'. Umar said; “I took
hold of my cloak, then came out of my house until I visited Hafsa and said
to her; Oh daughter, (I heard) that you answer back to Allah's Messenger
(Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) until he spends the day in vexation.” Hafsa
said; 'By Allah, we do answer him back'. From this it becomes clear that the
meaning of the man's guardianship over the woman is that the command
should rest with him, but it should be a command borne out of
companionship and not domination and control. Thus she can answer back
to him and discuss with him. 

 The fact that Islam grants guardianship to the man over the woman is one
of the issues over which Muslims are often attacked. Westerners champion
the idea of total equality between men and women in every sense. Some
Muslims have been affected by this capitalist idea, so some so-called
modernists argue that obedience to the husband is an old-fashioned idea
that is not suitable for 2003. So we find that they either seek complete
sexual freedom with no regard to marriage, or end up in marriages where
the partners constantly quarrel over who has the final say in resolving issues. 

Roles of husbands and wives 

What tasks is a husband primarily responsible for? What tasks is a wife
primarily responsible for? This is another issue that can be a bone of
contention between husband and wife, especially in the west. The Western
definition of the roles men and women should have is forever changing. So
in the 40s and 50s, the woman was expected to be a housewife and rear
children, while the man would have a career at work. In the 80s and 90s
we then had the advent of the career woman who has the right to a full-
time career, just like the man. This has lead to many arguments over the
responsibility for rearing children. Some babies are left with nannies two
weeks after being born, hardly knowing the warmth of a mother, because
she has to return to work to further her career. In Islam, the roles of the
husband and wife are not defined, by men, or by women. The rules related
to this aspect of life come from Allah. Islam resolved this issue by stipulating
that any work that needs to be carried out inside the house the woman
must undertake, whatever the type of work. Any work that needs to be
carried out outside the house the man must undertake. This is due to what
has been narrated from the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) in the
story of 'Ali and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them); He (Sall Allahu
Alaihi Wasallam) imposed on his daughter Fatimah the duty of working in
the house and imposed on 'Ali whatever was outside the house in terms of
work. Allah's Messenger (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to order his
wives to serve him. He said; 
 “O ‘A’isha, bring us some water. Oh ‘A’isha bring us food to eat. O ‘A’isha
bring me the razor and sharpen it against a stone.”  It has been reported that Fatimah came to the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi
Wasallam) complaining to him about her difficulty in working a hand-mill,
and she asked if she could get a servant to save her from that. All of this
indicates that serving the husband in the house and looking after the house
is one of the obligations of the wife that she must undertake. However, the
performance of such work is subject to her ability. If there is a lot of work
to be done which would put her in hardship, then it is incumbent on the
husband to provide her a servant or any other form of help (e.g. a washing
machine) that will enable the work to get done, and she has the right to
demand this. However, if the work is not overwhelming and she is capable
of doing it, then the husband is not obliged to provide a servant. In this
case, she is required to undertake the work by herself as evidenced by what
the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam) imposed on his
daughter Fatimah in tending to the house. Both partners should fulfil their
responsibilities to each other, but this does not mean that the wife cannot
work outside the home, or that the husband should not help with
housework. 

Relation with in-laws 

How should a married couple relate to their in-laws? This is one of the
issues that sometimes cause problems in our community. Some mothers-in-
law have the idea that the daughter-in-law is like a slave who must serve the
mother-in-law as she sees fit. This is due to un-Islamic customs. Some wives
react to this by demanding to have nothing to do with their mother-in-law.
So although the newly married couple cannot afford their own
accommodation, the wife may insist that she cannot live with her in-laws
who may have ample space for them. Some married couples move far away
from both of their families, effectively breaking the relationship with them.
This type of individualism stems from Capitalism, which leads families to
live far apart and only call each other on Christmas day. All of these
standpoints are far from Islam. The responsibility of looking after the
parents rests primarily with their children, not their children’s wives.
However, Islam encourages co-operation within the extended family and
rewards the helping of other Muslims. So though the daughter in-law is not
a slave to the mother-in-law, she should help out the duties if she lives with her in-laws, the couple must do their best to keep good relations with both
sets of in-laws. The in-laws should also avoid interfering in every detail of
their children’s marriage as this often exacerbates any problems rather than
ending them. 

The attack on the Islamic view of marriage is part of the attempt to get
Muslims to leave the Islamic values and sharee’ah rules, adopting the
western concepts about personal relationships in their place. The capitalist
ideals of freedom and sexual liberation have resulted in nothing but misery
for millions throughout the world. Muslims must understand the Islamic
solutions to the issues that arise in marriages, so we have the Islamic
marriage and the tranquility it brings, whilst avoiding the misery caused by
Western ideals or non-Islamic traditions. 
Taji Mustafa