A1SaudiArabia.com

Preachers display musical instruments during a lecture given by the Cooperative Office of Call and Guidance, a body under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, in Balqaran, Asir, on Saturday. The awareness lecture was part of events held by the First Summer Youth Forum. – Okaz photo

MAKKAH – The growth and spread of Islam to every nook and corner of the world could almost be witnessed in the Umrah-cum-knowledge trip of not less than 75 men and women from America. The group, with several converts to Islam, made pilgrimage to the Two Holy Mosques between July 16-Aug. 3.

Senior scholars of Saudi Arabia, including the Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz Aal-Sheikh, gave lectures and taught the aspiring learners various sciences of Islam. All seminars were translated bit-by-bit for the American audience.

Read More

WE all are vulnerable to sins. Allahs Messenger (peace be upon him) instructed us – in addition to repentance – to keep sins secret. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “My entire nation is safe, except Al-Mujahirin (those who boast of their sins). Among the Mujaharah is that a man commits an (evil) act, and wakes up in the morning while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret, he says: O fulan! Last night I did this and that. He goes to sleep while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret but he wakes up in the morning and uncovers what Allah has kept a secret!” (Al-Bukhari)

Similarly, if one becomes aware of someone elses sin, he should keep it a secret. Allahs Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “He, who covers a Muslim (meaning his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in this world and the hereafter.” (Sahih Muslim)

Read More

JEDDAH – Dr. Ali Abbas Al-Hakami, a member of the Board of Senior Ulema, has said that exercise for women is not only permissible but a necessity according to Shariah.

“It is permissible for women to exercise if the intention is to maintain good health, become more active and prevent obesity, and it is a necessity according to Shariah, as exercise as a means of maintaining physical health is one of the necessities called for by Shariah,” Al-Hakami told Okaz newspaper.

Al-Hakamis comments come in the light of recent controversy surrounding the issue of all-female sports clubs, which the Shoura Council recommended be set up some time ago.

Read More

A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar’s house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, “My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit.”

He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, “Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it.”

Much humbled by Maalik’s manners and words, the thief said, “Yes, that is a generous offer indeed.”

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, “O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?”

Maalik said, “Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now.”

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik’s house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, “Leave now and be good.”

But instead of leaving, the thief said, “Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?”

“Stay as long as you wish,” said Maalik.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, “O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life.”

Maalik said, “Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah.”

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, “Have you found your treasure yet?”

He said, “My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved.”

[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

1- Avoid Things that Allah has forbidden, including the great sins as well as continually performing the lesser sins, and perform what Allah orders us to perform:

Read More

He remembered his grandmother’ s warning about praying on time:

 ‘My son, you shouldn’t leave prayer to this late time’. His grandmother’ s
 age was 70 but, whenever she heard the Adhan, she got up like an arrow and
 performed Salah.
 He, however could never win over his ego to get up and pray. Whatever he
 did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it quickly
 to get it in on time.
 Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes
 left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul
 Maghrib.
 While making Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was
 embarrassed by how he had prayed. His grandmother prayed with such
 tranquillity and peace.
 He began making Dua and went down to make Sajdah and stayed like that for
 a while. He had been at work all day and was tired, very tired. He awoke
 abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting.
 He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every
 direction he looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking
 around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with
 their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and apprehension filled
 him as he realized where he was. His heart was about to burst.

 It was the Day of Judgment.

Read More

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

 

Read More

Read More

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and …..

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God good then? Hmm?
Student is silent.

Prof: You can’t answer, can you?
Let’s start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From…God.. .

Prof: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Now the student said can I ask something to you Professor.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student: You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light… But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )

Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir… The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive. .