According to Quran & Sunnah
Allah Almighty tells about the source of lying inside the brain of humans, fourteen hundred years ago. Allah tells us how He will deal with the liars, the lying sinful liars, in surah Al Alaq. (chpater 96).
"Allah will grab him by the (naseyah) [frontal lobe of the brain], the lying sinful (naseyah).
How could anyone have imagined 1,400 years ago, the frontal lobe of the brain was the source of lying, agression and transgression? Yet, this is decribed in Quran as the exact location inside of the human mind for these horrible characteristics.
We can say, without doubt that, lying is one of the most evil characteristics, of which all religions and systems of ethics warn against and which man's innate common sense (Fitrah) agrees that it is wrong. Any who possess normal chivalry and sound reason would be obliged to same the same.
Truthfulness is one of the pillars on which the moral survival of the world depends. It is the foundation of praiseworthy characteristics, the foundation of prophethood, the result of taqwah. Were it not for truthfulness, the rulings of all divinely-revealed laws would collapse. Acquiring the characteristic of lying is akin to shedding one's humanity, because speaking is an exclusively human trait.
(Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah, Muhammad al-Khaadimi, 3/183)
Our purely monotheistic Shari'ah warns against lying in the Quran and Sunnah, and there is consensus that it is haram. The liar will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.
According to Shari'ah, lying is not permitted except in specific cases which do not lead to loss of rights, bloodshed or slander of people’s honor, etc., but which concern saving lives, reconciling between people, or creating love between husband and wife.
There is a never a day or a moment when Shari'ah permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he wants based on lies. One of the things that have become widespread among the common people is the so called “April Fool’s Day”, where they claim that the first day of the fourth solar month is a day when lying is permitted without being subject to any shari'ah guidelines.
Many bad things may result from this, some of which we will mention below.
The prohibition of lying.
1. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“It is only those who believe not in the Ayah (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars."
[al-Nahl 16:105]
Ibn Kathir said:
“Then Allah tells us that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allah, the kafirs and heretics who are known amongst the people for telling lies, tell lies about Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the most truthful of people, the most righteous, the most perfect in knowledge, action, faith and certain belief. He was known amongst his people for his truthfulness; none of them doubted that, to such an extent that he was known amongst them as ‘al-Ameen (the trustworthy) Muhammad.’
So, when Heraclius, the ruler of Rome, asked Abu Sufyan about the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), one of the things he asked was, ‘Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said?’ He said, ‘No.’ Heraclius said: ‘If he refrained from telling lies about people he would not go and tell lies about Allah’
(Tafseer Ibn Kathir, 2/588)
2. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 33; Muslim, 59)
al-Nawawi said:
“What the commentators and most of the scholars said – which is correct – is that this means that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has these characteristics resembles the hypocrites in this sense."
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), ‘He is a pure hypocrite’ mean that he strongly resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics.
Some of the scholars said: this is concerning one in whom these characteristics predominate; one in whom these characteristics rarely appear is not included in this. This is the favored view concerning the meaning of this hadeeth. Imam Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this meaning from the scholars and said: ‘The meaning of this according to the scholars is hypocrisy in one's actions.’”
(Sharh Muslim, 2/46-47)
The most evil kinds of lies are:
1. Lies told about Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
This is the most serious kind of lie, and the one who does this is subject to a severe warning. Some of the scholars said that the one who does this is to be denounced as a kafir.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah will never be successful’”
[Yunus 10:69]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 106).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell.”
(narrated by al-Bukhari, 110; Muslim, 3).
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“… ‘Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell’, i.e., let him take his place in Hell where he will abide and settle; it is not like a manzil or camp where he stays for a while and then moves on.”
(Tareeq al-Hijratayn, p. 169)
Lying also includes lies told about or to other people, such as
2. Lying in buying and selling.
It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three to whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and He will not look at them or praise them, and they will have a painful torment.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeated this three times. Abu Dharr said: “May they be doomed and lost, who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “The one who lets his garment hang below his ankles, the one who reminds others of his favors, and the one who disposes of his goods by swearing a false oath.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 106)
It was narrated that Hakim ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of canceling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1973; Muslim, 532)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymeeyah said:
“Allah has enjoined truthfulness and honesty, and He has forbidden lies and concealment with regard to matters which should be known and revealed to people, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of canceling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’ And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety’
[al-Ma'idah 5:8].”
(Minhaj al-Sunnah, 1/16)
3. The prohibition on lying about visions and dreams
This refers to when some of them claim to have seen such and such in a dream, but they are not telling the truth, then in the morning he starts to tell the people something that he did not see.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells of a dream that he did not see will be commanded [on the Day of Resurrection] to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it. Whoever eavesdrops on people’s conversation when they dislike that – or they try to get away from him - will have molten copper poured in his ears in the Day of Resurrection. And whoever makes an image will be punished and will be told to breathe life into it, and he will not be able to do so.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6635)
Al-Manawi said:
“ ‘to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it’ – because tying one to the other is not possible ordinarily. He will be punished until he does that, and he will never be able to do it. It is as if he is saying that he will be enjoined to do something that he can never do, and is being punished for it. This is a metaphor for continuous punishment… The reason why barley (sha’eer) is mentioned specifically is because dreams are connected to feelings (shu’oor); the words sha’eer (barley) and shu’oor (feelings) come from the same root in Arabic.
The punishment for that is so severe – even though lies when awake may cause more damage, because they may involve testimony that may lead to execution or a hadd punishment – because lying about a dream is a lie about Allah, may He be exalted, for dreams are a part of Prophethood, so they come from Him, and lying about the Creator is worse than lying about created beings.
(Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/99)
4. The prohibition of speaking about everything that one hears
It was narrated that Hafsa ibn ‘Aasim said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘It is sufficient lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.’”
(Narrated by Muslim, 5)
With regard to the meanings of the hadeeth and reports on this topic, they discourage speaking about everything that one hears. For usually a person will hear both true things and lies, so if he were to speak of everything that he hears, he would be lying, by telling of something that did not happen. We have stated above the view of the people of truth: that lying means telling of something in a manner other than the way it happened. It is not conditional upon it being done deliberately, but its being done deliberately is a condition of it being a sin. And Allah knows best.”
(Sharh Muslim, 1/75)
5. Lying in jest
Some people think that it is permissible to tell lies if it is in jest. This is the excuse that they use for telling lies on April 1st or on other days. This is wrong. There is no basis for this in the pure Shari'ah. Lying is haram. whether the one who does it is joking or is serious.
Lying in jest is haram. just like other kinds of lies.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.’”
(narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 12/391)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 8/89, and classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jami, 2494)
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you joke with us.’ He said, ‘But I only speak the truth.’”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1990)
Abu ‘Eesa said: this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth.
A similar hadeeth was narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat (8/305) and classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 9/17
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Laylaa said: the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “What are you laughing at?” They said, “Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5004; Ahmad, 22555 – this version narrated by Ahmad).
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 7658)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Yazeed from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 7658)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Yazeed from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “None of you should take the belongings of his brother, whether in jest or otherwise. Whoever has taken the stick of his brother, let him return it.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5003; al-Tirmidhi, 2160 in brief)
The hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 7578
6. Lying when playing with children
We must beware of lying when playing with children, because that will be written down (in the record of deeds of) the one who that. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned against doing that. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said, ‘Come here, and I will give you (something).’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘What do you want to give him?’ She said, ‘I will give him a date.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘If you had not given him something, you would have been lying.’”
And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever says to a child, ‘Come here and take this,’ then does not give him something, this is counted as a lie.’”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4991)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-‘Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 1319.
7. Lying to make people laugh
It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him.’”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990).
The punishment for lying:
The liar is warned of destructive punishment in this world, and humiliating punishment in the Hereafter. These include:
1. Hypocrisy in the heart.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies
[al-Tawbah 9:77]
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “You may know the hypocrite by three things: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.”. He said: “Recite this ayah (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And of them are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying): “If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakaah and voluntary charity in Allah's Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous.”
Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakaah or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse.
So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies
[al-Tawbah 9:75-77].”
(Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 6/125)
2. Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Truthfulness is righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evildoing, and evildoing leads to Hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written as a liar.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5743; Muslim, 2607)
al-San’aani said:
This hadeeth indicates that whoever continues to speak the truth, it will become a feature of his, and whoever deliberately tells lies and persists in it, it will become a feature of his. This is the same as any other good or evil characteristic, if a person persists in it, it becomes a feature of his.
This hadeeth indicates how serious the matter of telling the truth is, and that it may lead a person to Paradise, and it indicates how ugly lying is and how it may lead a person to Hell. This is in addition to the consequences in this world, for the one who tells the truth will have his words accepted by people, and his testimony will be accepted by judges and he will be liked for what he says, whereas for the liar the opposite will be the case.
Subul al-Salaam, 2/687
3. His testimony will be rejected
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
[The reason why the testimony of the liar is rejected]
The strongest reason why testimonies, Fatwas and reports may be rejected is lying, because it corrupts the very essence of the testimony, Fatwa or report. It is like the testimony of a blind man concerning sighting the new moon, or the testimony of a deaf man concerning having heard the admission of someone. The lying tongue is like some faculty that is no longer working, indeed it is even worse than that, for the most evil thing a man may possess is a lying tongue.
A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95
4. Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah (i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners) their faces will be black" [al-Zumar 39:60]
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Hence on the Day of Resurrection Allah will make blackened faces the sign of the one who told lies about Him and His Messenger. Lying has a great effect in blackening the face and covering it with a mask of shame which every truthful person will be able to see. The feature of the liar is clearly visible in the face, and everyone who has the eyes to see can see it. But Allah will bless the truthful person with dignity and respect, so whoever sees him will respect him and love him, and He will give the liar humiliation and shame, so whoever sees him will loathe him and despise him. And Allah is the Source of strength.
A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95
5. The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head
It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… so we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an
iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, 'Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!' (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5745)
The comments of the Salaf on lying:
1. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “A man may speak the truth and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for evil the size of a needle. Or a man may tell lies and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for truth the size of a needle.
2. And it was narrated that he said: “It is not correct to tell lies whether in jest or in seriousness,” then ‘Abd-Allaah recited the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Fear Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)”
[al-Tawbah 9:119]
3. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq said: “Beware of lying, for it has nothing to do with faith.”
4. It was narrated that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas said: “The believer may acquire all sorts of characteristics except treachery and lying.”
5. It was narrated that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “True faith is not achieved until one gives up lying in jest.”
(Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 5/235, 236)
Permissible kinds of lies
Lying is permissible in three cases: war; reconciling between two disputing parties; and a husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of love and harmony.
It was narrated from Umm Kalthum Bint ‘Uqbah that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “He is not a liar who reconciles between people and narrates something good or says something good.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2546; Muslim, 2605)
It was narrated that Asma’ Bint Yazeed said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘It is not permissible to tell lies except in three (cases): when a man speaks to his wife in a way to please her; lying in war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.’”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1939)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 7723
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
OUTCRY OVER Swiss Minaret Ban
GENEVA – A Swiss ban on building new minarets is prompting dismay and anger across the world, amid warnings the ban reflects the deep-seated anti-Muslim feelings in the West.
"My first reaction is one of surprise and disappointment," Babacar Ba, the Geneva ambassador of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), told Swissinfo on Monday, November 30.
"It is a bad answer to a bad question. I fear that this kind of thing is simply a gift to extremism and intolerance."
Swiss voters approved Sunday by 57.5 percent a far-right initiative to ban the construction of new minarets in the country.
"It's very regrettable,” Maskuri Abdillah, the head of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s biggest Muslim group, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Obviously this is a narrow-minded way of thinking about Muslims."
The Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's biggest party -- had forced a referendum under Swiss regulations to ban the minarets after collecting 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters.
The SVP claims minarets are a symbol of Shari`ah and are thus incompatible with the Swiss legal system.
Abdillah, whose group has 40 million members in the world's biggest Muslim country, said the ban reflects the anti-Muslim feelings in Switzerland.
“They don't want to see a Muslim presence in their country and this intense dislike has made them intolerant."
Islam is the second religion in Switzerland after Christianity, with Muslims estimated at nearly 400,000.
There are nearly 160 mosques and prayer rooms in Switzerland, mainly in disused factories and warehouses.
Only four of them have minarets, none of them used to raise the Azan, the call to prayer, which is banned.
Islamophobes
World Muslims said that the ban signals the deep-seated Islamophobia in the West.
"This result should draw our attention to the reality of the hidden fears which have been underestimated by decision makers," said the Egyptian Mufti.
"We think that priority should be given to meeting the challenge of building societies capable of integrating diversity and difference... and we are ready to give every support to such an effort."
The OIC called for vigilance against the growing Islamophobia in the West.
"I think we must be very vigilant in the face of the upsurge of Islamophobia," said Ba.
"This vote is an open door to the dangerous process of calling fundamental freedoms into question."
Jaber al-Alawani, a Muslim thinker and director of the Cordoba Institute in the United States, agrees.
"Islamophobia is widespread in Europe, all the more so because rightwing extremists see it as a kind of defence of European identity, which they haven't so far quite been able to define."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for intervention to protect Muslim right to worship.
"I also urge you to use the opportunity presented by your prime-time address to repudiate the decision of Swiss voters to deny Muslims in that nation the same religious rights granted to citizens of other faiths,” CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in an open letter to US President Barack Obama.
“Our nation's silence on this flagrant denial of religious freedom would send a very negative message throughout the Muslim world, which must improve its own record on religious rights."
Calm Urged
Muslim leaders, however, called for calm and measured reaction to the Swiss minaret ban.
"The main thing is to keep calm and to realise how much work still needs to be done to defend basic freedoms,” Ba said.
“I think we must do this by ... taking a constructive part in the debate on all issues which cause fear and concern, and to try to bring people together in order to confront extremism wherever it comes from."
Egypt’s Mufti also called for calm.
"It is really important not to exploit this result wrongly for political ends, but to regard it as a call to build cooperation and harmony between our different religions and societies, in a new spirit."
Misfer al-Kahtani, a Muslim Saudi thinker, urged Muslim minorities in the West to work to view the bright image of their faith.
"The real challenge is for the Muslim community to accept the decision by Swiss society ... and work to change the clichés adopted by those who called for the ban on minarets, by showing a good example and applying the ideas and values of Muslim civilisation."
"My first reaction is one of surprise and disappointment," Babacar Ba, the Geneva ambassador of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), told Swissinfo on Monday, November 30.
"It is a bad answer to a bad question. I fear that this kind of thing is simply a gift to extremism and intolerance."
Swiss voters approved Sunday by 57.5 percent a far-right initiative to ban the construction of new minarets in the country.
"It's very regrettable,” Maskuri Abdillah, the head of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s biggest Muslim group, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Obviously this is a narrow-minded way of thinking about Muslims."
The Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's biggest party -- had forced a referendum under Swiss regulations to ban the minarets after collecting 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters.
The SVP claims minarets are a symbol of Shari`ah and are thus incompatible with the Swiss legal system.
Abdillah, whose group has 40 million members in the world's biggest Muslim country, said the ban reflects the anti-Muslim feelings in Switzerland.
“They don't want to see a Muslim presence in their country and this intense dislike has made them intolerant."
Islam is the second religion in Switzerland after Christianity, with Muslims estimated at nearly 400,000.
There are nearly 160 mosques and prayer rooms in Switzerland, mainly in disused factories and warehouses.
Only four of them have minarets, none of them used to raise the Azan, the call to prayer, which is banned.
Islamophobes
World Muslims said that the ban signals the deep-seated Islamophobia in the West.
"This result should draw our attention to the reality of the hidden fears which have been underestimated by decision makers," said the Egyptian Mufti.
"We think that priority should be given to meeting the challenge of building societies capable of integrating diversity and difference... and we are ready to give every support to such an effort."
The OIC called for vigilance against the growing Islamophobia in the West.
"I think we must be very vigilant in the face of the upsurge of Islamophobia," said Ba.
"This vote is an open door to the dangerous process of calling fundamental freedoms into question."
Jaber al-Alawani, a Muslim thinker and director of the Cordoba Institute in the United States, agrees.
"Islamophobia is widespread in Europe, all the more so because rightwing extremists see it as a kind of defence of European identity, which they haven't so far quite been able to define."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for intervention to protect Muslim right to worship.
"I also urge you to use the opportunity presented by your prime-time address to repudiate the decision of Swiss voters to deny Muslims in that nation the same religious rights granted to citizens of other faiths,” CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in an open letter to US President Barack Obama.
“Our nation's silence on this flagrant denial of religious freedom would send a very negative message throughout the Muslim world, which must improve its own record on religious rights."
Calm Urged
Muslim leaders, however, called for calm and measured reaction to the Swiss minaret ban.
"The main thing is to keep calm and to realise how much work still needs to be done to defend basic freedoms,” Ba said.
“I think we must do this by ... taking a constructive part in the debate on all issues which cause fear and concern, and to try to bring people together in order to confront extremism wherever it comes from."
Egypt’s Mufti also called for calm.
"It is really important not to exploit this result wrongly for political ends, but to regard it as a call to build cooperation and harmony between our different religions and societies, in a new spirit."
Misfer al-Kahtani, a Muslim Saudi thinker, urged Muslim minorities in the West to work to view the bright image of their faith.
"The real challenge is for the Muslim community to accept the decision by Swiss society ... and work to change the clichés adopted by those who called for the ban on minarets, by showing a good example and applying the ideas and values of Muslim civilisation."
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Prophet Mohammad PBUH & Racism
1. Prophet's response to racist comments:
A man once visited the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:
"If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people doing here?"
The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:
"O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is One. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab." (As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125)
2. Statement of the universal brotherhood in the last Sermon:
O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwa). Listen to me. Did I convey this to you properly? People responded, Yes. O messenger of God, The Prophet then said, then each one of you who is there must convey this to everyone not present. (Excerpt from the Prophet's Last Sermon as in Baihiqi)
3. Don't take pride in ancestry:
The Prophet said: Let people stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
4. Looking down upon other people will stop you from entering the Jannah:
The Prophet said: Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an atom shall not enter Paradise. A man inquired about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and fine shoes, and he answered: God is beautiful and likes beauty. Then he explained pride means rejecting the truth because of self-esteem and looking down on other people (Muslim).
5. The Prophet condemnation of Arab racial pride:
There are many hadiths, which repeatedly strike on the Arab pride of jahiliyyah. Arabs before Islam used to look down upon others specially blacks. The Prophet repeatedly contrasted the believing Africans versus non-believing Arab nobles.
A man once visited the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:
"If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people doing here?"
The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:
"O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is One. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab." (As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125)
2. Statement of the universal brotherhood in the last Sermon:
O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwa). Listen to me. Did I convey this to you properly? People responded, Yes. O messenger of God, The Prophet then said, then each one of you who is there must convey this to everyone not present. (Excerpt from the Prophet's Last Sermon as in Baihiqi)
3. Don't take pride in ancestry:
The Prophet said: Let people stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
4. Looking down upon other people will stop you from entering the Jannah:
The Prophet said: Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an atom shall not enter Paradise. A man inquired about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and fine shoes, and he answered: God is beautiful and likes beauty. Then he explained pride means rejecting the truth because of self-esteem and looking down on other people (Muslim).
5. The Prophet condemnation of Arab racial pride:
There are many hadiths, which repeatedly strike on the Arab pride of jahiliyyah. Arabs before Islam used to look down upon others specially blacks. The Prophet repeatedly contrasted the believing Africans versus non-believing Arab nobles.
The Prophet said: You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian slave whose head looked like a raisin (Bukhari).
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Health Guidelines from Qur'an And Sunnah
The Qur'an is not a book of medicine or of health sciences, but in it there are hints which lead to guidelines in health and diseases. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) has been sent as an example to mankind so his traditions in matters of health and personal hygiene are also a guide for his followers.
We start our discussion with the following verse: "Everything good that happens to you (O Man) is from God, everything bad that happens to you is from your own actions". (Qur'an 4:79).
The human body can be compared to some degree with a machine created by man. The fascinating tape recorder has many mechanical and electronic parts but life does not come to it till an electrical current is passed through.
Similarly, in the components of the human body there are the anatomic parts and fluids but also the spirit (the soul). As the care of a machine requires keeping it clean, giving it some rest, and passing electricity of proper voltage, and using it carefully and wisely, so are there requirements for the body and of the body as a whole.
Before we come to the physical care of human body, let us talk about the spiritual care. The spiritual care involves the acts of worship. The problem is that Iman (faith) cannot be translated into belief, nor Salaat into prayer, Nor Wudu into washing hands, face and feet nor; Sawm into fasting nor Zakat into charity nor Hajj into pilgrimage to Mecca.
A. Iman:
Belief in God is the first and foremost important need for spiritual stability. Belief in God includes belief in His attributes, His angels, His books, the Day of Judgment, the Heaven and Hell and belief that - all good and bad is within His reach.
Imam Rumi has called faith being superior to prayers. In illness, according to Imam Ghazali, the awareness of God increases and man becomes closer to God by realizing his own weakness.
Without true belief, neither our prayer, nor charity, nor fasting nor pilgrimage will be accepted. The essence of belief is to rid ourselves of all false gods around us, or within us, and to worship no one except God alone.
B. Salat: There are three health aspects of Salat:
I. Wudu: Washing all the exposed areas of the body, hand, feet, face, mouth, nostrils etc. 5 times a day is a healthy preventive procedure. Hand washing is being emphasized more and more in hospitals now in order to prevent the spread of germs. However, non-Muslims did not know that handwashing is so important - it has been ordered in Qur'an (5:7) 1400 years ago. And for complete cleanliness bathing is advised (4:43).
2. Recitation of Qur'an:
This has a healing effect on the body, mind and heart. These healing effects are due to the effect of sound (echo) and the meaning. The letter Alif resounds unto the echoes to heart and the letter YA resounds unto echoes to the pineal gland in the brain.
The movements in Salat are mild, uniform, and involve all muscles and joints. The caloric output is desired to keep the energy balance.
C. Zakat (Charity):
The word itself means purification and growth. Here it is meant to imply the purification of legitimately earned wealth. Many of our crimes are committed with money or for the love of money, and in the love of money one becomes violent in behavior. "And he is violent in his love of wealth" (Qur'an 100:8).
In Islam the ownership of wealth belongs to God. We are the disposers of that trust. Therefore, this concept establishes peace at heart and our behavior in the loss of money or unusual gain. In either way, we thank God.
D. Sawm:
The Islamic fasting: Islamic fasting is prescribed as way training of our mind and body in self-restraints. "O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you can learn self-restraint." (Qur'an 2:183).
Therefore, during the period of fast one may not only get rid of nibbling food, coffee, smoking but also of anger and excessive sexual passion. In fact, the fast not only gives rest to the stomach but also stabilizes the secretion of hormones which control our behavior.
E. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah):
The moral is Prophet lbrahim 's submission and absolute surrender to God's will, the opportunity for repentance, and the social and political gathering of the Ummah depicting brotherhood and equality.
However, this can be used for programming and testing us for physical endurance, a requirement for all able men and women. The long walks, the heat, the sun, the thirst, the physical exercise, etc. is to remind us of the Day of Judgment.
We should perform Hajj when we are young and physically well rather than wait for old age. We should keep ourselves in good shape before and after the Hajj. After describing the pillars of faith as a basis for the spiritual health, let us talk about the maintenance of the physical structure in which the spirit resides.
(A) Nutrition:
Allah loves His creations so much that He is concerned even with what we eat and put in our body.
Our muscles, bones, lungs, liver, brain and secretions are made from the raw product we feed it. If we provide the factory with junk raw products, the factory will not produce tough bones, strong muscles, good pump (heart) and clean pipes (vessels). "O mankind: Eat of what is lawful and good on earth" (Qur'an 2: 168).
Forbidden to us are dead meat, blood and flesh of swine (see Qur'an 5:3) and intoxicants (Qur'an 5:91, 92, and 2:219).
The blood and meat of the dead could be full of germs and other harmful elements like antibodies. Pork meat is high in cholesterol, salt and may have worms, and alcohol and other intoxicants that cloud our inhibition and interfere with our normal capacity of judging good and bad.
Therefore, a person under the influence of alcohol may want to take off his dress, engage in unlawful sexual acts, become violent and abusive without even knowing what he is doing. On medical damages due to alcohol, whole books have been written.
The second component in nutrition (after permission of the lawful and probation of the unlawful) is the moderation in the lawful.
Obesity is a major American tragedy, a form of malnutrition, affecting millions of people, of all age. Ninety-nine percent of obesity is due to overeating. Allah advises as to be moderate in quantity. "But waste not by excess for God loves not the wasters" (Qur'an 7:31).
Certain types of food i.e. fruits are especially emphasized in Qur'an (36:57, 43:73, 16:67) "And from the fruits of date palm and grapes you get wholesome drink and nutrition: Behold in this is a sign for those who are wise" (Qur'an 16:67).
Fruits are low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and fiber and sugar is fructose and not sucrose. In a recent study by Dr. Anderson fructose has been shown to cause no rise in blood sugar and even lowers the high blood sugar of diabetics. Honey is fructose.
(B) Cleanliness:
Allah is pure and likes purity. He is clean and likes cleanliness. Therefore, cleanliness of body and mind is stressed in Qur'an (4:43). Miswak (brushing teeth) is not a new invention of last 200 years. This was stressed as part of our daily routine by Prophet Mohammed.
He also advised us on flossing (Takhlil) as is now being advised by all the dentist. In fact, he is known to have said that if it was not a hardship for Muslims, he would have advised using Miswak before each prayer i.e. five times a day.
Cleanliness of our mind is prerequisite for total cleanliness (body and mind).
(C) The Value of exercise in maintaining health
Though we do not find much in Qur'an about specific exercise, recommendation, the Prophet's life was full of recommendations.
He, himself used to walk at a fast pace, even race with his wife, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
Most importantly, he used to work with his hands whether at home, in the kitchen, or with his companions collecting wood for fire, fighting during wars etc.
It is a pity that Muslim men and women have become sedentary and, because of the excessive consumption of starches, obesity has crept into them. We should keep ourselves fit to go for Jihad and feel healthy in peacetime.
The State of disease
Many of the common chronic illnesses (i.e. coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer disease, obesity and depression) also have a common man-made etiology, that is rich food, too much food, too much salt, too much sugar, smoking, stress and alcoholism.
If we give up excessive salt, sugar and cholesterol from our diet, and do not drink and smoke, and stay active, it is possible that the pump (the heart) won't be rusted from inside.
What should a Muslim do when disease is confirmed?
A. Accept it as a will of God as Kaffara (expiation) for his sin, and ask him to remove the affliction. "And if God touches thee with affliction, none can remove it but He: if He touches thee with happiness He has power over all things." (Qur'an 6:17).
B. Many Muslims won't seek early medical attention, contrary to the Prophet's practice and teaching. In Christianity there is a sect believing in faith healing who have let their members die rather than go to the physician.
Usamah Bin Shareek (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: "I was with the Prophet and some Arabs came to him asking "O Messenger of Allah, do we take medicine for any disease." He said, "Yes, O you servants of Allah! Take medicine as Allah has not created a disease without creating a cure except for one. They asked which one, he replied old age'.
C. Increase your knowledge of health and disease, of medications and side effects. This knowledge is not the monopoly of doctors. You can have it and use it in preventing the illness, recognizing it early when symptoms appear, seeking early medical attention, then monitoring the course of the disease, implementing the treatment (i.e. knowledge of diet for diabetics) and recognizing side effects of the medicine.
In summary, our healthy bodies is a gift from God. We are the trustees. We should not misuse it, nor provide wrong raw products for the factory and we should keep superb maintenance of this delicate and sensitive machine, in order to enjoy it. It is the container of our soul.
We start our discussion with the following verse: "Everything good that happens to you (O Man) is from God, everything bad that happens to you is from your own actions". (Qur'an 4:79).
The human body can be compared to some degree with a machine created by man. The fascinating tape recorder has many mechanical and electronic parts but life does not come to it till an electrical current is passed through.
Similarly, in the components of the human body there are the anatomic parts and fluids but also the spirit (the soul). As the care of a machine requires keeping it clean, giving it some rest, and passing electricity of proper voltage, and using it carefully and wisely, so are there requirements for the body and of the body as a whole.
Before we come to the physical care of human body, let us talk about the spiritual care. The spiritual care involves the acts of worship. The problem is that Iman (faith) cannot be translated into belief, nor Salaat into prayer, Nor Wudu into washing hands, face and feet nor; Sawm into fasting nor Zakat into charity nor Hajj into pilgrimage to Mecca.
A. Iman:
Belief in God is the first and foremost important need for spiritual stability. Belief in God includes belief in His attributes, His angels, His books, the Day of Judgment, the Heaven and Hell and belief that - all good and bad is within His reach.
Imam Rumi has called faith being superior to prayers. In illness, according to Imam Ghazali, the awareness of God increases and man becomes closer to God by realizing his own weakness.
Without true belief, neither our prayer, nor charity, nor fasting nor pilgrimage will be accepted. The essence of belief is to rid ourselves of all false gods around us, or within us, and to worship no one except God alone.
B. Salat: There are three health aspects of Salat:
I. Wudu: Washing all the exposed areas of the body, hand, feet, face, mouth, nostrils etc. 5 times a day is a healthy preventive procedure. Hand washing is being emphasized more and more in hospitals now in order to prevent the spread of germs. However, non-Muslims did not know that handwashing is so important - it has been ordered in Qur'an (5:7) 1400 years ago. And for complete cleanliness bathing is advised (4:43).
2. Recitation of Qur'an:
This has a healing effect on the body, mind and heart. These healing effects are due to the effect of sound (echo) and the meaning. The letter Alif resounds unto the echoes to heart and the letter YA resounds unto echoes to the pineal gland in the brain.
The movements in Salat are mild, uniform, and involve all muscles and joints. The caloric output is desired to keep the energy balance.
C. Zakat (Charity):
The word itself means purification and growth. Here it is meant to imply the purification of legitimately earned wealth. Many of our crimes are committed with money or for the love of money, and in the love of money one becomes violent in behavior. "And he is violent in his love of wealth" (Qur'an 100:8).
In Islam the ownership of wealth belongs to God. We are the disposers of that trust. Therefore, this concept establishes peace at heart and our behavior in the loss of money or unusual gain. In either way, we thank God.
D. Sawm:
The Islamic fasting: Islamic fasting is prescribed as way training of our mind and body in self-restraints. "O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you can learn self-restraint." (Qur'an 2:183).
Therefore, during the period of fast one may not only get rid of nibbling food, coffee, smoking but also of anger and excessive sexual passion. In fact, the fast not only gives rest to the stomach but also stabilizes the secretion of hormones which control our behavior.
E. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah):
The moral is Prophet lbrahim 's submission and absolute surrender to God's will, the opportunity for repentance, and the social and political gathering of the Ummah depicting brotherhood and equality.
However, this can be used for programming and testing us for physical endurance, a requirement for all able men and women. The long walks, the heat, the sun, the thirst, the physical exercise, etc. is to remind us of the Day of Judgment.
We should perform Hajj when we are young and physically well rather than wait for old age. We should keep ourselves in good shape before and after the Hajj. After describing the pillars of faith as a basis for the spiritual health, let us talk about the maintenance of the physical structure in which the spirit resides.
(A) Nutrition:
Allah loves His creations so much that He is concerned even with what we eat and put in our body.
Our muscles, bones, lungs, liver, brain and secretions are made from the raw product we feed it. If we provide the factory with junk raw products, the factory will not produce tough bones, strong muscles, good pump (heart) and clean pipes (vessels). "O mankind: Eat of what is lawful and good on earth" (Qur'an 2: 168).
Forbidden to us are dead meat, blood and flesh of swine (see Qur'an 5:3) and intoxicants (Qur'an 5:91, 92, and 2:219).
The blood and meat of the dead could be full of germs and other harmful elements like antibodies. Pork meat is high in cholesterol, salt and may have worms, and alcohol and other intoxicants that cloud our inhibition and interfere with our normal capacity of judging good and bad.
Therefore, a person under the influence of alcohol may want to take off his dress, engage in unlawful sexual acts, become violent and abusive without even knowing what he is doing. On medical damages due to alcohol, whole books have been written.
The second component in nutrition (after permission of the lawful and probation of the unlawful) is the moderation in the lawful.
Obesity is a major American tragedy, a form of malnutrition, affecting millions of people, of all age. Ninety-nine percent of obesity is due to overeating. Allah advises as to be moderate in quantity. "But waste not by excess for God loves not the wasters" (Qur'an 7:31).
Certain types of food i.e. fruits are especially emphasized in Qur'an (36:57, 43:73, 16:67) "And from the fruits of date palm and grapes you get wholesome drink and nutrition: Behold in this is a sign for those who are wise" (Qur'an 16:67).
Fruits are low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and fiber and sugar is fructose and not sucrose. In a recent study by Dr. Anderson fructose has been shown to cause no rise in blood sugar and even lowers the high blood sugar of diabetics. Honey is fructose.
(B) Cleanliness:
Allah is pure and likes purity. He is clean and likes cleanliness. Therefore, cleanliness of body and mind is stressed in Qur'an (4:43). Miswak (brushing teeth) is not a new invention of last 200 years. This was stressed as part of our daily routine by Prophet Mohammed.
He also advised us on flossing (Takhlil) as is now being advised by all the dentist. In fact, he is known to have said that if it was not a hardship for Muslims, he would have advised using Miswak before each prayer i.e. five times a day.
Cleanliness of our mind is prerequisite for total cleanliness (body and mind).
(C) The Value of exercise in maintaining health
Though we do not find much in Qur'an about specific exercise, recommendation, the Prophet's life was full of recommendations.
He, himself used to walk at a fast pace, even race with his wife, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
Most importantly, he used to work with his hands whether at home, in the kitchen, or with his companions collecting wood for fire, fighting during wars etc.
It is a pity that Muslim men and women have become sedentary and, because of the excessive consumption of starches, obesity has crept into them. We should keep ourselves fit to go for Jihad and feel healthy in peacetime.
The State of disease
Many of the common chronic illnesses (i.e. coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer disease, obesity and depression) also have a common man-made etiology, that is rich food, too much food, too much salt, too much sugar, smoking, stress and alcoholism.
If we give up excessive salt, sugar and cholesterol from our diet, and do not drink and smoke, and stay active, it is possible that the pump (the heart) won't be rusted from inside.
What should a Muslim do when disease is confirmed?
A. Accept it as a will of God as Kaffara (expiation) for his sin, and ask him to remove the affliction. "And if God touches thee with affliction, none can remove it but He: if He touches thee with happiness He has power over all things." (Qur'an 6:17).
B. Many Muslims won't seek early medical attention, contrary to the Prophet's practice and teaching. In Christianity there is a sect believing in faith healing who have let their members die rather than go to the physician.
Usamah Bin Shareek (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: "I was with the Prophet and some Arabs came to him asking "O Messenger of Allah, do we take medicine for any disease." He said, "Yes, O you servants of Allah! Take medicine as Allah has not created a disease without creating a cure except for one. They asked which one, he replied old age'.
C. Increase your knowledge of health and disease, of medications and side effects. This knowledge is not the monopoly of doctors. You can have it and use it in preventing the illness, recognizing it early when symptoms appear, seeking early medical attention, then monitoring the course of the disease, implementing the treatment (i.e. knowledge of diet for diabetics) and recognizing side effects of the medicine.
In summary, our healthy bodies is a gift from God. We are the trustees. We should not misuse it, nor provide wrong raw products for the factory and we should keep superb maintenance of this delicate and sensitive machine, in order to enjoy it. It is the container of our soul.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thats why I love...
Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad, peace be upon him, says in 'Young India':
"I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid ... Read more simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life."
"I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid ... Read more simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Muslim with 7 years old son commiting suicide
HIS wife was expecting him to buy biryani for lunch after he had fetched their son from school.
TRAGIC: Investigators looking at the father's body. --TNP PICTURES: FRANCIS LEE
Instead, the unexpected happened. Her husband, 35, and their only child, 7, fell to their deaths from the 24th floor of Block 287 in Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 at 1.55pm yesterday.
Witnesses said the boy, Faheem Mohamed Farook, fell first, followed by his father, Mr Mohamed Farook Ali Akbar.
Pooja Punniyamoorthy, 11, was changing out of her school uniform when she saw a figure falling from the upper levels of her housing block.
Moments later, the Primary 5 pupil saw another figure plunging.
Speaking to The New Paper outside her third-floor flat, Pooja said: 'At first, I thought the figures were black plastic bags that were thrown down.
'But I heard loud thuds and when I came out of my flat, I saw two bodies on the concrete ground.'
Mrs Alice Ng, 54, a housewife who lives on the eighth floor of Block 271, which faces Block 287, said: 'I was doing my laundry when I saw policemen talking to the man. The cops appeared to be trying to calm the man down.
'I thought a TV station was filming a show so I returned to my chore. Seconds later, I heard a loud thud and I realised it was a real tragedy.'
Others thought it was an object being thrown down, until they heard loud thuds.
It is believed that Mr Mohd Farook threw his son down before taking his own life.
Family friend Bakar Ismail, 62, who runs a butcher shop in the neighbourhood, told The New Paper that Mr Mohd Farook had taken leave from work yesterday to see his son's form teacher.
Mr Bakar said he heard from the wife that the son's teacher tore his shirt to punish him for quarrelling with a classmate.
He said: 'Her husband wanted to settle the matter with the teacher before going for prayers in the mosque.'
The boy is said to be studying in a government primary school in the area.
The family came here from India in 2000 and became permanent residents, said Mr Bakar.
He added that the wife is a homemaker and Mr Mohd Farook worked in a hospital lab.
'He told his wife not to cook lunch. He would buy biryani after prayers in the mosque.'
No answer
But at 2.30pm, when Mr Mohd Farook did not answer his handphone, she began panicking, said Mr Bakar.
She went round the neighbourhood shops looking for her husband and son. When she saw their bodies at the foot of Block 287, she broke down, said Mr Bakar.
'The police were already there and the bodies were covered with white sheets.
'She wanted to have a closer look at the bodies but the police stopped her.'
Another resident, Mr Mohd Sham, 56, a security officer, said: 'The wife shouted the names of her husband and son as she walked towards the scene.'
A police car then drove her to a station where she spent the rest of the day giving her statement.
The New Paper understands that the dead man's younger brother, who also works in Singapore, gave a police statement yesterday.
At 5.30pm, undertakers arrived to take the bodies away. Mr Bakar said Mr Mohd Farook had told his wife last week that he would transfer all his properties in India to her.
Madam Saminah, 52, a retired teacher who lives on the fifth floor in Block 287, said she heard a woman crying but did not think something was amiss.
She said: 'My daughter heard a thud while she was bathing. She then made her way to the community library.
'After she went downstairs, she called me, saying two persons fell to their deaths.'
The family was known in the neighbourhood.
A barber who asked to be known as Sam said Mr Mohd Farook was a happy-go-lucky man.
Sam, 52, said: 'I last saw him two weeks ago when he asked me to cut his hair.'
A police spokesman told The New Paper that father and son were pronounced dead by paramedics at 2.15pm.
Due to the economical crisis, alot of ppl are facing a lot of stress..with loans to pay and housing expenses and water and electricity expenses, these drive ppl to the edge. As a member of a society and a muslim, we MUST extend help to PPL who are in need of our help. We all have to answer to ALLAH(SWT) one day for all the deeds that we do.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
It takes years to know why Allah prohibits Pork. (proven)
" Forbidden to you for (food) are: dead meat,
blood and the flesh of the swine and that
which hath been invoked the name other than
Allah. " ( Holy Qur'an 5:4 )
Such prohibition is also found in the Bible:
" The pig also because it is a splitter of the
hoof but there is no cud. It is unclean for
you. None of their flesh must you eat and carcass
you must not touch. "
Deuteronomy 14:8 ( Bible)
Islam ( an Arabic word which means submission to the will
of the Almighty God) has laid down the foundation for the best
approach in keeping good health. In the Holy Qur'an (The Last
Testament ) God exhorts the believers to select the best food and
to stay away from any harmful food to maintain good health:
" Let him find out which is the best food
( to be had ) ... Eat of the best foods We
have provided for you . "
( Holy Qur'an 18:19;7:160 )
The main purpose of a True Religion must be to build an ideal
community in this world ; a religion that promotes moral,
political and economic well;social harmony and peace, as well as
good health of its believers or followers.
Health means the physical and mental well-being and freedom
from diseases and pain.There are several passages in the Bible,
articulating that because of sin ( a transgression of the law of
God) God afflicted human beings with maladies (Ps.103:3;Exodus
15:26 and Psalms 107:16-20).Islamic instructions and teachings
espousing health consciousness have scriptural and scientific
support
MEDICAL ASPECT OF THE PROHIBITION
Abstention from eating pork is a measure to safeguard
health.Of all the domestic animals, pig is the most
avaricious, eating anything including human excreta. It is the
cradle of harmful germs and parasites. Its meat is carrier of
diseases to man, thus making it unfit for human consumption.
CHARACTER OF PIG
All types of animals are lawful to be eaten whether those
living on land or in the water except those animals specifically
forbidden in the Holy Writings revealed by the Almighty Creator
and the sayings of the Prophet with clear and well defined
injunctions.
Pig belong to the forbidden animals, and not allowed to be
eaten by the believers. Pig eats almost anything dirty and they
are very lazy animals. It is the most avaricious of all domestic
animals. Amongst all animals, pig is the cradle of harmful germs.
It's meat serves as carrier of diseases to mankind. It is this
very reason that made it unfit for human consumption consumption.
DISEASES CAUSED BY PORK
The following lists show germs or parasites that are found
in pork and some diseases caused by them. Many of these
diseases are contagious while some are proven fatal.This proves
that the more science advances the more Islam is shown correct
as a religion of God.
PARASITIC DISEASES
a) TRICHINELLA SPIRATIS ( Trichina worms )
It is the most dangerous parasite to man ( Rheumatism and
muscular pain). The infected persons shown no symptoms, recover
very slowly some die, some reduced to permanent invalids. No one
is immune from this disease and there is no cure.
b) TAENIA SOLIUM ( Pork tape worm )
The worm causes malnourishment of the person leading
to anemia, diarrhea, extreme depression melancholia and
digestive disturbances. Cysticercosis means that larva enter
the blood stream then settle down in one or more of the vital
organs of the body, for example: brain, liver, lungs or spinal
cord. They grow and encapsulate, inducing pressure to the
system around, resulting in dangerous diseases (diarrhea,
digestive disorder, anemia, chronic invalidation).
c) ROUND WORMS
Examples: Ascaris, which may lead to digestive
disturbances, appendicitis, obstructive jaundice.
d) HOOK WORMS
Examples:Ancylostomiasis, which may lead to
anaemia, oedema, heart failure or retarded growth ( mental and
physical), tuberculosis, diarrhoea and typhoid.
e) SCHITOSOMA JAPONICUM
Bleeding, anemia and other syndromes. If ova are settled in the
brain or spinal cord, paralysis and death may occur.
f) PARAGOMINES WESTERMAINI
Infestation leading to bleeding of the lungs ( endenve haemoptysis)
g) PACIOLEPSIS BUSKI
Digestive disturbances leading to persistent diarrhea;
generalized oedema.
h) CLONORCHIS SINENSIS
chlonorchiasis-obstructive jaundice, liver enlargement.
i) METASTRONGYLUS APRI
Causes bronchitis, abscess of the lungs.
j) GIGANTHORINCHUS GIGAS
Cause anaemia and digestive disorders.
k) BALATITIDIUM COLI
Causes acute dysentery and general weakness.
BACTERIAL DISEASES
1. Tuberculosis
2. Fusiformis necrofurus: causing foot-rot which is very
difficult to heal.
3. Salmonella Cholera suis: causing cholera
4. Paratyphoid
5. Bruceellosis: Acute, sub acute and chronic. It may lead
to permanent disabilities.
6. Swine Erysipelas: causing Erypelas in man.
Viral Diseases
1. Small pox: is was a source of infection to man.
2. Japanese B-encepphalitis: It is the source of infection
3. Influenza, foot mouth disease, gas tro-enteritis of the
new born babies.
Protozoal Diseases :
Toxo plasma goundii- It is a very dangerous disease.
A new born baby of an infected woman may die within few days or weeks after delivery. But if he survives, he may develop blindness or deafness.In adult chronic exhaustive fever with enlarged liver and spleen may occur. Pneumonia, or
celebro- spinal meninggitis which may lead to death or madness.
The patient may become blind and deaf too.
Fats In Pigs:
Pork contains more fats than other meats.
Therefore, people who are fond of pork are more obese than
others. Cholesterol is higher in their blood thus making them
more prone to asthereosclerosis cardiovascular accidents and
sudden death.
Other Diseases :
Flesh of the pork is hard to digest and may lead to chronic digestive disturbances. Pimples, boils, cysts are common in pork eaters. These are some of the parasites and diseases found in pork and/ or the skin of pigs and certainly there are many more. There is still no means of killing these
parasites, in the tissues, neither has anyone found a method of
expelling them, even produced any specific treatment for the
diseases.
BIBLICAL ASPECT OF THE PROHIBITION
Old Testament
The Jews and the different christian sects and denominations
believe in the Old Testament. Adherents of other religions
alleged that the prohibition was already superseded by the New
Testament.This cogent argumentation is inconclusive. No one can
specifically point out that Jesus Christ (PBUH) lifted the
prohibition. On the contrary, he upheld it he declared:
" Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets: I have come not to abolish
them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17 RSV)
Jesus Christ (PBUH) was obviously referring to the existing
Law of his time , the Mosaic Law !- in which the Law prohibiting
pig as article of food is mentioned. ( Leviticus 11:7-11)
" As for any beast that is a splitter of the hoof
but is not a former of the cleft and not a chewer
of the cud, they are unclean for you. Everyone
touching them will be unclean. "
Leviticus 11:26
In addition, the book of Prophet Isaiah said:
" Who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret
places who eats swine's flesh and broth of
abominable things is in their vessels;... These
are a smoke in my nostrils,a fire that burns
all the day. " ( Isaiah 65:4,5b RSV)
The New Testament
Despite the Biblical injunction prohibiting pork as food,
still people of other religious persuations insist on finding
ways and reasons to justify their consumption of prohibited
animals arguing that said Biblical prohibition was already
superseded in the New Testament when in certainly, no one can
specifically point out that Jesus Christ (PBUH) indeed lifted the
prohibition. On the contrary, Jesus (PBUH) declared:
" Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets. I have come not to abolish but
to fulfill them. " ( Matthew 5:17 )
The fact is, we will find in Mark 5:1-20 that Jesus (PBUH)
even permitted the foul spirits (evil spirits) possessing a man
to enter into the herb of swine. Since the flesh of pig is
unlawful for the Jews, to eat and since it is considered
unclean, (Leviticus 11:7-8) consequently, the Jews are not to keep
or raise them. This Biblical account states that Jesus (PBUH)
punished the owners of the swine;destroyed their unlawful
livelihood and at the same time showed that pig is the habitat of
unclean spirits.
The only provision in the New Testament alluded to their
argument is in Act 10:10-16. Without reading the whole
context, one would be inclined to interpret it to mean that God
abrogated His previous command found on Deuteronomy 14:3-8. An
alleged apparition of Peter on Acts 10:11-16 is alleged to
supersede Deuteronomy 14:3-8, however, nowhere in the Bible is it
mentioned that Peter actually slaughtered and ate the unclean
animals he saw in his apparition. The correct interpretation of
this apparition was shown to him in Acts 10:25-28. Acts 10:11-16
therefore, carries an allegorical connotation,r eferring
explicitly to the Gentile nations or non-Jewish nations. Peter
was told not to call the Gentiles common and unclean because
God's mercy, blessing and forgiveness also encompasses the Non
Jews and life eternal also awaits the penitent.
In the Bible, Jesus(PBUH) likened to a dog and pig those
people whom after receiving divine teaching failed to profit from
them and abuses them for self-serving purposes:
" Do not give holy to dogs- they will only turn and
attack you. Do not throw your pearls in front of
pigs-they will only trample them underfoot. "
( Matthew 7:6 NEB)
The New Heavens And The New Earth
The book of Isaiah 66:1-24, is an oracle of the new
heavens and the new earth prepared for the believers. Within
the context, God condemns people's practices such as eating the
flesh of pigs, reptiles, and rats.
" Those who sanctify and purify themselves
to go into the gardens, following one in
the midst, eating swine's flesh and the
abomination and mice, shall come to an
end together says the LORD. "
(Isaiah 67:17 RSV)
Therefore, the prohibition on the eating of unclean
animals was not abrogated during t he New Testament times.God
will still punish the transgressors in the fire that will never
quench. This will occur during the new heavens and the new earth.
MUSLIMS FOLLOW THE DIVINE LAW
Last Testament's Verdict On Prohibition Of Pork
Islam means" submission to the will and command of God "
and a person who embraced this religion is called " Muslim "
which means " one who accepts and submits himself to the will of
God.A Muslim is obliged to be clean both spiritually, mentally
and physically. Abstention from eating flesh of swine is one of
the obligation a Muslim must observe to attain purity of the
soul and of the human nature. The believers in Islam, sincerely
believe in the Holy Qur'an as the Word of God, revealed to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which says:
" Allah has forbidden you only what dies of itself
and blood and the flesh of swine and that over
which any other name than that of Allah has been
invoked; but whoever is driven to (it), not
desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. " ( 16:115 )
We should bear in our mind that the abstention from eating
pork by the Muslims is based on hygienic grounds and of the
cultivation of purity of character. Pork is not poisonous as to
kill people right on the spot but latent. It will destroys
slowly. It is certainly not as nourishing as any other meat and
it causes prolonged sufferings. Pondering on the wisdom of this
saying: "Health is wealth " will lead you to better living and
prosperity. The last Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
" There are two blessing which many people lose:
health and the free time for doing good ...The
stronger believer (in health) is more blessed
and more beloved to Allah than the weak
believer. "
blood and the flesh of the swine and that
which hath been invoked the name other than
Allah. " ( Holy Qur'an 5:4 )
Such prohibition is also found in the Bible:
" The pig also because it is a splitter of the
hoof but there is no cud. It is unclean for
you. None of their flesh must you eat and carcass
you must not touch. "
Deuteronomy 14:8 ( Bible)
Islam ( an Arabic word which means submission to the will
of the Almighty God) has laid down the foundation for the best
approach in keeping good health. In the Holy Qur'an (The Last
Testament ) God exhorts the believers to select the best food and
to stay away from any harmful food to maintain good health:
" Let him find out which is the best food
( to be had ) ... Eat of the best foods We
have provided for you . "
( Holy Qur'an 18:19;7:160 )
The main purpose of a True Religion must be to build an ideal
community in this world ; a religion that promotes moral,
political and economic well;social harmony and peace, as well as
good health of its believers or followers.
Health means the physical and mental well-being and freedom
from diseases and pain.There are several passages in the Bible,
articulating that because of sin ( a transgression of the law of
God) God afflicted human beings with maladies (Ps.103:3;Exodus
15:26 and Psalms 107:16-20).Islamic instructions and teachings
espousing health consciousness have scriptural and scientific
support
MEDICAL ASPECT OF THE PROHIBITION
Abstention from eating pork is a measure to safeguard
health.Of all the domestic animals, pig is the most
avaricious, eating anything including human excreta. It is the
cradle of harmful germs and parasites. Its meat is carrier of
diseases to man, thus making it unfit for human consumption.
CHARACTER OF PIG
All types of animals are lawful to be eaten whether those
living on land or in the water except those animals specifically
forbidden in the Holy Writings revealed by the Almighty Creator
and the sayings of the Prophet with clear and well defined
injunctions.
Pig belong to the forbidden animals, and not allowed to be
eaten by the believers. Pig eats almost anything dirty and they
are very lazy animals. It is the most avaricious of all domestic
animals. Amongst all animals, pig is the cradle of harmful germs.
It's meat serves as carrier of diseases to mankind. It is this
very reason that made it unfit for human consumption consumption.
DISEASES CAUSED BY PORK
The following lists show germs or parasites that are found
in pork and some diseases caused by them. Many of these
diseases are contagious while some are proven fatal.This proves
that the more science advances the more Islam is shown correct
as a religion of God.
PARASITIC DISEASES
a) TRICHINELLA SPIRATIS ( Trichina worms )
It is the most dangerous parasite to man ( Rheumatism and
muscular pain). The infected persons shown no symptoms, recover
very slowly some die, some reduced to permanent invalids. No one
is immune from this disease and there is no cure.
b) TAENIA SOLIUM ( Pork tape worm )
The worm causes malnourishment of the person leading
to anemia, diarrhea, extreme depression melancholia and
digestive disturbances. Cysticercosis means that larva enter
the blood stream then settle down in one or more of the vital
organs of the body, for example: brain, liver, lungs or spinal
cord. They grow and encapsulate, inducing pressure to the
system around, resulting in dangerous diseases (diarrhea,
digestive disorder, anemia, chronic invalidation).
c) ROUND WORMS
Examples: Ascaris, which may lead to digestive
disturbances, appendicitis, obstructive jaundice.
d) HOOK WORMS
Examples:Ancylostomiasis, which may lead to
anaemia, oedema, heart failure or retarded growth ( mental and
physical), tuberculosis, diarrhoea and typhoid.
e) SCHITOSOMA JAPONICUM
Bleeding, anemia and other syndromes. If ova are settled in the
brain or spinal cord, paralysis and death may occur.
f) PARAGOMINES WESTERMAINI
Infestation leading to bleeding of the lungs ( endenve haemoptysis)
g) PACIOLEPSIS BUSKI
Digestive disturbances leading to persistent diarrhea;
generalized oedema.
h) CLONORCHIS SINENSIS
chlonorchiasis-obstructive jaundice, liver enlargement.
i) METASTRONGYLUS APRI
Causes bronchitis, abscess of the lungs.
j) GIGANTHORINCHUS GIGAS
Cause anaemia and digestive disorders.
k) BALATITIDIUM COLI
Causes acute dysentery and general weakness.
BACTERIAL DISEASES
1. Tuberculosis
2. Fusiformis necrofurus: causing foot-rot which is very
difficult to heal.
3. Salmonella Cholera suis: causing cholera
4. Paratyphoid
5. Bruceellosis: Acute, sub acute and chronic. It may lead
to permanent disabilities.
6. Swine Erysipelas: causing Erypelas in man.
Viral Diseases
1. Small pox: is was a source of infection to man.
2. Japanese B-encepphalitis: It is the source of infection
3. Influenza, foot mouth disease, gas tro-enteritis of the
new born babies.
Protozoal Diseases :
Toxo plasma goundii- It is a very dangerous disease.
A new born baby of an infected woman may die within few days or weeks after delivery. But if he survives, he may develop blindness or deafness.In adult chronic exhaustive fever with enlarged liver and spleen may occur. Pneumonia, or
celebro- spinal meninggitis which may lead to death or madness.
The patient may become blind and deaf too.
Fats In Pigs:
Pork contains more fats than other meats.
Therefore, people who are fond of pork are more obese than
others. Cholesterol is higher in their blood thus making them
more prone to asthereosclerosis cardiovascular accidents and
sudden death.
Other Diseases :
Flesh of the pork is hard to digest and may lead to chronic digestive disturbances. Pimples, boils, cysts are common in pork eaters. These are some of the parasites and diseases found in pork and/ or the skin of pigs and certainly there are many more. There is still no means of killing these
parasites, in the tissues, neither has anyone found a method of
expelling them, even produced any specific treatment for the
diseases.
BIBLICAL ASPECT OF THE PROHIBITION
Old Testament
The Jews and the different christian sects and denominations
believe in the Old Testament. Adherents of other religions
alleged that the prohibition was already superseded by the New
Testament.This cogent argumentation is inconclusive. No one can
specifically point out that Jesus Christ (PBUH) lifted the
prohibition. On the contrary, he upheld it he declared:
" Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets: I have come not to abolish
them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17 RSV)
Jesus Christ (PBUH) was obviously referring to the existing
Law of his time , the Mosaic Law !- in which the Law prohibiting
pig as article of food is mentioned. ( Leviticus 11:7-11)
" As for any beast that is a splitter of the hoof
but is not a former of the cleft and not a chewer
of the cud, they are unclean for you. Everyone
touching them will be unclean. "
Leviticus 11:26
In addition, the book of Prophet Isaiah said:
" Who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret
places who eats swine's flesh and broth of
abominable things is in their vessels;... These
are a smoke in my nostrils,a fire that burns
all the day. " ( Isaiah 65:4,5b RSV)
The New Testament
Despite the Biblical injunction prohibiting pork as food,
still people of other religious persuations insist on finding
ways and reasons to justify their consumption of prohibited
animals arguing that said Biblical prohibition was already
superseded in the New Testament when in certainly, no one can
specifically point out that Jesus Christ (PBUH) indeed lifted the
prohibition. On the contrary, Jesus (PBUH) declared:
" Think not that I have come to abolish the law
and the prophets. I have come not to abolish but
to fulfill them. " ( Matthew 5:17 )
The fact is, we will find in Mark 5:1-20 that Jesus (PBUH)
even permitted the foul spirits (evil spirits) possessing a man
to enter into the herb of swine. Since the flesh of pig is
unlawful for the Jews, to eat and since it is considered
unclean, (Leviticus 11:7-8) consequently, the Jews are not to keep
or raise them. This Biblical account states that Jesus (PBUH)
punished the owners of the swine;destroyed their unlawful
livelihood and at the same time showed that pig is the habitat of
unclean spirits.
The only provision in the New Testament alluded to their
argument is in Act 10:10-16. Without reading the whole
context, one would be inclined to interpret it to mean that God
abrogated His previous command found on Deuteronomy 14:3-8. An
alleged apparition of Peter on Acts 10:11-16 is alleged to
supersede Deuteronomy 14:3-8, however, nowhere in the Bible is it
mentioned that Peter actually slaughtered and ate the unclean
animals he saw in his apparition. The correct interpretation of
this apparition was shown to him in Acts 10:25-28. Acts 10:11-16
therefore, carries an allegorical connotation,r eferring
explicitly to the Gentile nations or non-Jewish nations. Peter
was told not to call the Gentiles common and unclean because
God's mercy, blessing and forgiveness also encompasses the Non
Jews and life eternal also awaits the penitent.
In the Bible, Jesus(PBUH) likened to a dog and pig those
people whom after receiving divine teaching failed to profit from
them and abuses them for self-serving purposes:
" Do not give holy to dogs- they will only turn and
attack you. Do not throw your pearls in front of
pigs-they will only trample them underfoot. "
( Matthew 7:6 NEB)
The New Heavens And The New Earth
The book of Isaiah 66:1-24, is an oracle of the new
heavens and the new earth prepared for the believers. Within
the context, God condemns people's practices such as eating the
flesh of pigs, reptiles, and rats.
" Those who sanctify and purify themselves
to go into the gardens, following one in
the midst, eating swine's flesh and the
abomination and mice, shall come to an
end together says the LORD. "
(Isaiah 67:17 RSV)
Therefore, the prohibition on the eating of unclean
animals was not abrogated during t he New Testament times.God
will still punish the transgressors in the fire that will never
quench. This will occur during the new heavens and the new earth.
MUSLIMS FOLLOW THE DIVINE LAW
Last Testament's Verdict On Prohibition Of Pork
Islam means" submission to the will and command of God "
and a person who embraced this religion is called " Muslim "
which means " one who accepts and submits himself to the will of
God.A Muslim is obliged to be clean both spiritually, mentally
and physically. Abstention from eating flesh of swine is one of
the obligation a Muslim must observe to attain purity of the
soul and of the human nature. The believers in Islam, sincerely
believe in the Holy Qur'an as the Word of God, revealed to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which says:
" Allah has forbidden you only what dies of itself
and blood and the flesh of swine and that over
which any other name than that of Allah has been
invoked; but whoever is driven to (it), not
desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. " ( 16:115 )
We should bear in our mind that the abstention from eating
pork by the Muslims is based on hygienic grounds and of the
cultivation of purity of character. Pork is not poisonous as to
kill people right on the spot but latent. It will destroys
slowly. It is certainly not as nourishing as any other meat and
it causes prolonged sufferings. Pondering on the wisdom of this
saying: "Health is wealth " will lead you to better living and
prosperity. The last Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
" There are two blessing which many people lose:
health and the free time for doing good ...The
stronger believer (in health) is more blessed
and more beloved to Allah than the weak
believer. "
Saturday, April 11, 2009
SELECTIVE ABORTION CAUSES 32mln excess China males
AFP - Saturday, April 11
PARIS (AFP) - - Selective abortion in favour of males has left China with 32 million more boys than girls, creating an imbalance that will endure for decades, an investigation released on Friday warned.
The probe provides ammunition for those experts who predict China's obsession with a male heir will sow a bitter fruit as men facing a life of bachelorhood fight for a bride.
"Although some imaginative and extreme solutions have been suggested, nothing can be done now to prevent this imminent generation of excess men," says the paper, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
In most countries, males slightly outnumber females -- between 103 and 107 male births for every 100 female births.
But in China and other Asian countries, the sex ratio has widened sharply as the traditional preference for boys is reinforced by the availability of cheap ultrasound diagnostics and abortion.
This has enabled Chinese couples to use pregnancy termination to prevent a female birth, a practice that is officially condemned as well as illegal.
In China, an additional factor has been the "one-child" policy.
In general, parents who have a second child are liable to pay a fine and contribute disproportionately towards the child's education.
But in some provinces, a second child is permitted if the first is a girl or if parents are experiencing "hardship." And in a few others, couples are allowed a second child and sometimes a third, regardless of sex.
In the paper, Zhejiang university professors Wei Xing Zhu and Li Lu and Therese Hesketh of University College London found that in 2005 alone, China had more than 1.1 million excess male births.
Among Chinese aged below 20, the greatest gender imbalances were among one-to-four-year-olds, where there were 124 male to 100 female births, with 126 to 100 in rural areas, they found.
The gap was especially big in provinces where the one-child policy was strictly enforced and also in rural areas.
Jiangxi and Henan provinces had ratios of over 140 male births compared to female births in the 1-4 age group.
Among second births, the sex ratio was even higher, at 143 males to 100 female. It peaked at a massive 192 boys to 100 girls in Jiangsu province.
Only two provinces -- Tibet and Xinjiang, the most permissive in terms of the one-child policy -- had normal sex ratios.
"Sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males," the paper said. "(...) Enforcing the existing ban on sex selective abortion could lead to normalisation of ratios."
Other policy options are to loosen enforcement of the one-child policy so that couples can have a second child if the first child is a girl, it said.
The paper does not deal with the social consequences of the extraordinary imbalance, but suggests there are rays of light.
Since since 2000, the government has launched policies aimed at countering the imbalance, with a "care for girls" awareness campaign and reforms of inheritance laws, it says.
Partially as a result, the sex ratio of birth did not change between 2000 and 2005, and in many urban areas, the ratio for the first and usually only birth is now within normal limits.
The figures come from a mini-census in China in 2005, covering one percent of the population, that sought to rectify flaws in a 2000 census. A total of 4.764 million people under the age of 20 were included in the study.
In a commentary, Tao Liu and Xing-yi Zhang of Jilin University said preferences for sons in China were starting to erode with urbanisation and industrialisation.
Social systems, pensions and higher standards of living eased the son's traditional role of caring for his parents.
China could also follow the lead of South Korea, they said.
In 1992, South Korea had "an astounding" 229-to-100 gender imbalance in fourth births among couples, which prompted it to launch a public-awareness campaign combined with strictly enforced laws on gender selection.
By 2004, there were 110 male births to 100 females, compared with 116-100 in 1998.
PARIS (AFP) - - Selective abortion in favour of males has left China with 32 million more boys than girls, creating an imbalance that will endure for decades, an investigation released on Friday warned.
The probe provides ammunition for those experts who predict China's obsession with a male heir will sow a bitter fruit as men facing a life of bachelorhood fight for a bride.
"Although some imaginative and extreme solutions have been suggested, nothing can be done now to prevent this imminent generation of excess men," says the paper, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
In most countries, males slightly outnumber females -- between 103 and 107 male births for every 100 female births.
But in China and other Asian countries, the sex ratio has widened sharply as the traditional preference for boys is reinforced by the availability of cheap ultrasound diagnostics and abortion.
This has enabled Chinese couples to use pregnancy termination to prevent a female birth, a practice that is officially condemned as well as illegal.
In China, an additional factor has been the "one-child" policy.
In general, parents who have a second child are liable to pay a fine and contribute disproportionately towards the child's education.
But in some provinces, a second child is permitted if the first is a girl or if parents are experiencing "hardship." And in a few others, couples are allowed a second child and sometimes a third, regardless of sex.
In the paper, Zhejiang university professors Wei Xing Zhu and Li Lu and Therese Hesketh of University College London found that in 2005 alone, China had more than 1.1 million excess male births.
Among Chinese aged below 20, the greatest gender imbalances were among one-to-four-year-olds, where there were 124 male to 100 female births, with 126 to 100 in rural areas, they found.
The gap was especially big in provinces where the one-child policy was strictly enforced and also in rural areas.
Jiangxi and Henan provinces had ratios of over 140 male births compared to female births in the 1-4 age group.
Among second births, the sex ratio was even higher, at 143 males to 100 female. It peaked at a massive 192 boys to 100 girls in Jiangsu province.
Only two provinces -- Tibet and Xinjiang, the most permissive in terms of the one-child policy -- had normal sex ratios.
"Sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males," the paper said. "(...) Enforcing the existing ban on sex selective abortion could lead to normalisation of ratios."
Other policy options are to loosen enforcement of the one-child policy so that couples can have a second child if the first child is a girl, it said.
The paper does not deal with the social consequences of the extraordinary imbalance, but suggests there are rays of light.
Since since 2000, the government has launched policies aimed at countering the imbalance, with a "care for girls" awareness campaign and reforms of inheritance laws, it says.
Partially as a result, the sex ratio of birth did not change between 2000 and 2005, and in many urban areas, the ratio for the first and usually only birth is now within normal limits.
The figures come from a mini-census in China in 2005, covering one percent of the population, that sought to rectify flaws in a 2000 census. A total of 4.764 million people under the age of 20 were included in the study.
In a commentary, Tao Liu and Xing-yi Zhang of Jilin University said preferences for sons in China were starting to erode with urbanisation and industrialisation.
Social systems, pensions and higher standards of living eased the son's traditional role of caring for his parents.
China could also follow the lead of South Korea, they said.
In 1992, South Korea had "an astounding" 229-to-100 gender imbalance in fourth births among couples, which prompted it to launch a public-awareness campaign combined with strictly enforced laws on gender selection.
By 2004, there were 110 male births to 100 females, compared with 116-100 in 1998.
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