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Doesn’t Marriage Decrease Our Spirituality?

May 8, 2016/in Consultation, home, Lifestyle /by amin edrisi

In Islam, contrary to Christianity, marriage and sex are not antipathetic to the love for and worship of God. Instead of an obstacle, marriage is regarded as an asset in acquiring spiritual perfection.

The Prophet (S) said, “One who marries has already guarded half of his religion, therefore he should fear Allah (SwT) for the other half.” A person who can fulfill his sexual urges lawfully is less distracted in the spiritual journey. Love for women and faith are inter-related.

In one hadith, Umar bin Zayd quotes Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) that, “I do not think that a person’s faith can increase positively unless his love for women has increased.”

The same Imam (as) said, “Whenever a person’s love for women increases, his faith increases in quality.” He also said, “Whosoever’s love for us increases, his love for women must also increase.”

The Prophet (S) said, “If anyone likes to meet Allah (SwT) in purity, then he should meet Him with a wife.”

A woman came to the Prophet’s (S) house and her strong perfume soon filled the house. When the Prophet (S) inquired about the visitor, the woman said that she had tried everything to attract her husband but in vain; he does not leave his meditation to pay any attention to her.

The Prophet (S) told her to inform her husband about the reward of sexual intercourse which he described as follows: “When a man approaches his wife, he is guarded by two angels and [at that moment in Allah’s views] he is like a warrior fighting for the cause of Allah (SwT). When he has intercourse with her, his sins fell like the leaves of the tree [in fall season]. When he performs the major ablution, he is cleansed from sins.”

These quotations from the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet (S) and the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (as) show that the Islamic view on sex and marriage is in complete harmony with human nature. It can easily be concluded that in the Islamic sexual morality:

(a) marriage and sex is highly recommended and it is in no way associated with evil, guilt or sin;

(b) monasticism and celibacy is unacceptable;

(c) marriage is considered a helping factor in attaining spiritual perfection. It prevents the Muslims from getting into sins and also enhances the value of their acts of worship.

These teachings neutralize the need for a sexual revolution in a Muslim society. Since there is no sexual suppression, the question of a sexual revolution does not arise.

Source: Marriage & Morals In Islam written by Hujjatul Islam Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi

What happened on the day of Mab’ath?

May 4, 2016/in Events and Occasions, home, Prophecy /by amin edrisi

Certainly (the Almighty) has conferred a benefit upon the faithful when he appointed among them a prophet from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although they were surely in manifest error before that.
(The holy Quran, 3:164)

What happened on the day of Mab’ath?

over a millennium and four centuries ago, the Archangel, Gabriel, descended by God’s command on Mount Noor on the outskirts of the then obscure town of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula with the following divine message to the 40-year old person popularly known as as-Sadeq or the Truthful, and al-Amin or the Trustworthy:

Read in the Name of your Lord Who Created; Created man from a clot; Read and your Lord is Most Honourable; Who taught (to write) with the pen; Taught man what he knew not?
(The holy Quran, 96:1-5)

The moment Archangel Gabriel brought these ayahs to the person whose light was the first thing created by God Almighty, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), as calm and confident as ever, recited them as if he knew it more perfectly than the conveyor of the message. What transpired on the 27^th of Rajab at Cave Hera, exactly 1447 lunar years ago, was that glorious moment which would change the destiny of the world. This was the start of the gradual revelation for the next 23 years of the holy Qur’an, which remains till this day as the Immortal Miracle of Islam.

Did the Holy Prophet profess any religion before his prophetic mission?

May 4, 2016/in home, Prophecy /by amin edrisi

For quite some time the question of the religion of the Holy Prophet before his appointment to the prophetic mission has been a matter of discussion between the Shi’ah and Sunni scholars. They have raised the following issues and given reply to each one of them:

1. Did the Holy Prophet profess any religion before his appointment to the prophetic mission?

2. Supposing that he was the follower of a religion, was it his own religion?

3. If he was the follower of any other religion was that religion revealed to him independently and he followed it independently or he was reckoned to be one of the followers of that religion?

4. If he acted on that religion independently or as a follower, to which of the former Prophets did that religion belong?

These are the four questions which come across in various books of Seerah (the Prophet’s biography), history, and interpretation. However, is it necessary that we should give definite replies to these questions? Is it basically necessary that we should study various books on history, exegesis and the Holy Prophet’s biography and collect the requisite answers?
We feel that discussion of these particular points is not at all necessary. Rather what is important is that we should conclusively prove that before his appointment to the prophetic mission the Holy Prophet believed in and worshipped only Allah the One, and was pious and chaste.

This can be proved by the following two methods:
Firstly by studying his forty years of life preceding his appointment to the prophetic mission, and secondly by examining what has been said on the subject by the leaders of Islam.

1 To sum up his forty years of life, it was a life of modesty and chastity, honesty and truthfulness, uprightness and righteousness, goodness and kindness to the oppressed and the needy and contempt toward the idols and the idol-worshippers. So much so that once, When he performed a journey to Syria in connection with trade and the other party, to a transaction, swore by idols he said: “The most obnoxious things which always arouse my wrath are these very ‘Lat’ and ‘Manat’ by which you are swearing”.
Besides this, he prayed continuously in the cave of Hira during the month of Ramadan and performed Haj time and again, for as the sixth Imam says, he (the Holy Prophet) performed Haj secretly ten times and according to another narration twenty times. And, as we know, all Haj ceremonies are the performance of rites to which Prophet Ibrahim invited people and wished that by this means those who believe in Allah, the One should assemble at one particular place during a fixed period.
Similarly, the Prophet always remembered Allah while taking his meals and refrained from eating meat of the animals which had been slaughtered in an unlawful manner, and was very much disturbed to see obscene scenes, wine-drinking and gambling; so much so that at times, he sought asylum in the mountains and returned home when a part of the night had passed. Now what demands our consideration is this:
Is it possible to doubt the faith of a man who has passed his life in the manner stated above and who does not possess even the smallest weak point from the very beginning of his life, and who passes a part of his life in hills and in secluded places to meditate upon the beautiful phenomena of the world. We consider an ordinary man to be pious, dutiful and righteous if we observe one tenth of these qualities in him, what to speak of the Holy Prophet?

2 The second method of finding out the real position, is the study of numerous documents and narratives which have reached us from the leaders of Islam. One of them is the discourse of Imam Ali, the chief of the monotheists, in ‘Khutbah-i Qasi’ah’:
“From the time the Holy Prophet had been weaned, the Almighty Allah had associated the most distinguished angel with him so that he might show him the path of magnanimity and goodness during day as well as night”

It all started in the Cave of Hira

May 4, 2016/in home, Prophecy /by amin edrisi

The Hira mountain is situated in the north of Makkah and one can reach its summit within half an hour. The surface at this mountain consists of slabs of black stone and no signs of life are found in it. In its northern point, there is a cave which can be approached by man after crossing the stones. Its height is about as much as the stature of a man. Sunlight penetrates into a part of this cave and its remaining part is always dark.
However. this very cave is a witness to such incidents about its close friend that even today people hasten to it with an ardent desire to hear about these incidents from its mute language and to reach its threshold, after undergoing many hardships, so as to enquire from it about the incident of ‘revelation’, as well as about a part of the life history of that great benefactor of mankind. And the cave also replies in its mute language:

“This is the place of worship by the honourable one of Quraish. Before he attained to the office of prophethood he spent many days and many nights in here. He had selected this spot, which was away from uproar, for the purpose of prayers and worship. He spent the entire month of Ramadan here, and at other times also he took asylum in this locality every now and then. So much so that his dear wife knew that as and when he did not come home he must be busy in prayers on the mountain of Hira. And when she sent people after him they found him meditating and praying at this place.”

Before Muhammad (pbuh) attained to the office of prophethood, he used to reflect much upon two matters:

1 He studied thoroughly the book of existence and observed the luminosity, power and craftsmanship of Allah in the features of every existing thing. By conducting deep study of the skies and the stars and prudently considering the creatures on earth he was approaching nearer to his target day after day.

2 He meditated upon the onerous responsibility which, he knew, he had to shoulder. With all the corruption and deterioration of the human society in that time, he did not consider its reformation to be something impossible. However, the enforcement of reformatory programme, too, was not devoid of difficulties and hardship. Hence, he observed the tumultuous life of the Makkans and the voluptuousness of Quraysh and reflected upon the ways and means of their reformation.
He wondered at the people worshipping the lifeless and ineffective idols and showing humility before them and signs of discomfort appeared on his face. However, as he had not been ordained to mention the realities, he refrained from pointing them out to those people.

What Are the Effects of Music on the Youth? (1)

April 25, 2016/in home, Lifestyle, Youth /by amin edrisi

Nowadays, people are getting more and more involved in Music and for them, it has become a part of their daily life. Their mind has become so saddled with tension, and the tempo of life is so fast that they seem to accept high blood pressure and nervous breakdown as the unavoidable side effects of modern civilization.

It is a pity that they do not pause to think about the adverse effects of music on their physical and mental health.I have endeavored to present in this text the scientific and spiritual points of view on music and dance, etc.

What is Music?

Music, according to the New National Dictionary, means “Art of combining sounds or sequences of notes into harmonious patterns pleasing to the ear and satisfying to the emotions; melody”. According to the Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, this combining of sounds is “for reproduction by the voice or various kinds of musical instruments in rhythmic, melodious and harmonious form so as to express thought or feeling and affect the emotion;” and the word is also used for the “sound so produced,” and for ‘written or printed score of musical compositions.” Not so technically, it is also used for “pleasant sound, e.g., song of a bird, murmur of a stream, cry of hounds.”

In Islam music is called Ghina, and in Shia Sha’riah is counted as one of the ‘great sins’. At first, it may seem unrealistic to ban every “pleasant sound”; but there is no need to be alarmed. The Sha’riah has defined ‘Ghina’ in a different way. In Islam, vocal music means: “Prolongation and vibration of sound with variation of the pitch to such an extent that people may say that ‘he/she is singing’.”

It is evident from the above definition that the Sha’riah does not forbid ‘pleasant sounds’; but if someone recites anything with prolongation of sound and variation of pitch so much so that a common man thinks that he/she is singing, then and only then it will be ‘Ghina’ and sin.

And it makes no difference whether the thing recited was the Qur’an, religious poem or love song.

Origin of Music

No doubt music is one of the most ancient methods of merrymaking and enjoyment, of expressing feelings and emotions. It is called ‘international language’, because it encompasses the whole world and does not know any geographical or political boundary.

Let us find out what is the reason for its worldwide prevalence. We have it on the authority of Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.s) that when Hadhrat Adam (a.s) died, his infamous son Cain (Qabil) and Satan were very happy. Both gathered at a place and invented some musical instruments to celebrate the death of Hadhrat Adam (a.s). And in the words of Imam (a.s), all such musical things which people now use for merrymaking have originated from that.

So, religion and anthropology both agree that music is a very ancient thing and therefore it’s no wonder that it has spread widely with the spread of the human race. But how dare a sensible ‘child of Adam’ especially if he is a Muslim “enjoy” music, which is an invention of Satan and Cain, the rebellious and disloyal son of Adam ?

Here one may ask: But what is the harm in music? Why has it been forbidden in Islam?

The answer is that music does have harmful effects on nervous system and is the cause of many ailments including ulcer, diabetes and madness. It creates imbalance in human faculties, retards spiritual development, and lowers the ethical values.

Written by A. H. Sheriff

Why is Choosing a Good Name for the Child so Important?

April 24, 2016/in home, Infants and Teenagers, Lifestyle /by amin edrisi

One of the prime responsibilities of the parents is the selection of a name for the new-born child. They should not treat this important thing as a triviality. Individuals and families are recognized with their names. If the name is affable the person will be well received by the people.

Persons with unpleasant sounding names will not get good attention from others and sometimes even they might ridicule them. The persons who are given improper names will be victims of inferiority complex. Therefore Islam requires the parents to exercise care in selecting good names for their children.

The Holy Prophet has said:

“It is the responsibility of every father to choose a good name for his child.”

“The children have three rights over their fathers. The first is that they are given good names. Secondly, they are provided good education; and lastly, they help them to select good spouses.”

Imam Musa al-Kadhim said:

‘The first good that a father does to his child is that he selects a worthy name for him.”

On the other hand the name of a person has a lot of social significance too. It is his name, which gets recognition to a person that he belongs to a respectable family. If the parents have high regard for a well-known poet, they may name their child after him. If the parents are fond of high learning they may select the name of a reputed scholar.

The highly religious parents name their children after the prophets, the Imams and other religious personalities. If the parents desire their children to struggle in the cause of the faith, they name them after Muhammad, ‘Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Abul Fadhl, Abbas, Hamza, Jaffar, Abu Dharr, Ammar, Saeed etc.

If the parents are enamored of any sport they like to name their children after renowned players of that sport. Similarly if the parents appreciate the art of any musician, they may prefer to name their child after that person.

When the nature of the parents is tyrannical, they take pride in naming the child after historical personalities like Alexander, Changes, Timor etc. It is noticed that while naming the child the parents generally associate themselves with certain groups and people of the past this will have a definite impact on the nature and thinking of the child when he grows up.

The Holy Prophet has said:

“Keep good names, because on the Day of Judgment you will be called by these names only. It will be proclaimed, ‘so-and-so son of so-and-so Rise and get associated with your light, So-and-so, son of so-and-so Arise that there is no light for you that can guide you!’”

One person said to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, “We name our children after your name and the names of your revered ancestors. Is this beneficial for us. ”The Imam replies, “Yes By Allah’s faith anything else than love for the pious and hate towards the profane!”

For the propagation of their beliefs people derive benefit from every opportunity to project the names of the important personalities. They go to the extent of naming the towns, streets and other landmarks after important personalities. A responsible and devoted Muslim too takes every opportunity to perpetuate the names of the great personalities of Islam and one of such acts is to name his children after them.

Yes Hasan, Husayn, Abul Fadhl, ‘Ali Akbar, Hur, Qasim, Hamza, Ja’far, Abu Dharr, Ammar are amongst the names which enliven the spirit to remember the valiant acts of the great persons and encourage the coming generations to groom themselves on those models. When a person is named after the Holy Prophets like Ibrahim, Musa, Isa or Muhammad he is bound to have a feeling that he must try to be as righteous a person as he can. When a person is named after the friends and devotees of the Holy ahl al bait like Salman, Abu Dharr, Maithum and Ammar he will realize the significance of the deeds of those great men. An intelligent Muslim will not give the names of tyrants and enemies of Islam to his children.

Imam Baqir says:

”Beware of the Satan when he hears that someone is called as Muhammad and ‘Ali, he melts in such a way as the lead melts and when he hears that someone is named after one of our enemies he is overwhelmed with happiness.”

The Prophet of Islam said:

“Whoever gets four sons, and he has not named even one after me has been cruel on me.”

Imam Muhammad Baqir said:

“The peerless names are the names of the Prophets.”

The Holy Prophet attached so much importance to names that if he did not like the name of any companion or a place, he would immediately change the name. He changed the name of Abd al Shams to Abd al Wahab. He named Abd al Uzza ( the slave of Uzza the idol) to Abd Allah. Abd al Haris (the tiger) to Abd ar Rahman and Abd al Ka’aba to Abd Allah.

Source: “Principles of Upbringing Children” written by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini

40 Points a Muslim Parent Should Never Forget

April 17, 2016/in home, Infants and Teenagers, Lifestyle /by amin edrisi

Give gifts to your daughter(s) first.
Play with your children.

Do not hit your child when they cry.

Kiss your child.

By saying Salām to your child, build their sense of personality and character.

Do not ridicule the actions of your child, nor call them silly.

Do not order or forbid your child too much, as this emboldens them and leads to rebellious behavior when older.

Build your children’s characters by respecting them.

Keep your promises.

For the sexual training of children, the parents must first teach their children not to enter their bedroom without asking permission.

Spoiling a child creates weakness, and a lack of will and determination.

Nothing silences the sense of self-trust in a child more than forcing him to do things they may not have the capability of doing.

Pray for your children, both during pregnancy and afterwards.

Reminders and requests should be given with gentleness and softness so as not to create a barrier between parents and child.

If your child is respected, he/she is less likely to rebel against the rules of the house.

A good role model is someone who adjusts their children’s desires wisely and with the correct techniques.

Foster the faith of your child.

Stay away from wrist-grabbing and bossy behavior with children.

One of the duties of parents is to foster the innate nature of telling the truth in children.

Do not use fear as a method of raising your child, as this causes damage to their personality and leads to psychological problems

Cuddling and kissing a child is one of their soul-foods, and it is necessary that enough of this is given to them.

Parents have a responsibility to make their children understand the indecency of sin and create an aversion for people who partake in this, and likewise, to reproach the bad and encourage the child’s good actions.

The beds of children of 6 years and above should be separated from each other, even if they are both daughters or both sons.

As well as the natural characteristics that the child inherits from his or he parents, the environment and Nurture of the child have a profound effect.

There should be a difference in the order and expectations of the behavior of a child inside the home, and out; At home, allow the child to play freely.

Always bear the unexpected behavior of your child to a limit and do not always take the mistakes of your child to be unforgivable, so that you are not always compelled to punish.

When instructing your child, don’t mention the names of other children constantly, or compare them with others.

Stories are a useful and important method of encouraging good qualities and characteristics, and discouraging bad ones, such as the rights of friends, faith, etc.

The mischievousness of your child in the early years is a sign of increased intelligence in the older years, so you shouldn’t be too worried or punish it too much.

Make your children perform Ŝalāt from 7 years, and fast from 9 years, either half day or more or less, depending on their abilities.

Do not be quick to accuse your children of lying because until 5 years, real lying or lying out of self-interest is rare.

Do not condemn a child who has tired you with their questions, as this weakens their sense of curiosity.

Try not to quarrel, especially in front of the child, as this troubles them greatly and affects their personality.

Children have a particular fear of the word death, especially death of their mother or father; Therefore, where it is not necessary, don’t speak constantly of your death, or the like.

Find out about your child’s talents and develop these as much as possible.

In terms of verbal aspects, do not over-saturate your child so that they go on the wrong path, nor under do it, as both these methods are dangerous.

The single most important cause of the happiness of the child is the kindness of the parents.

It is important that the parents give freedom and independence to their children according to their capabilities, so that they develop their initiative, innate independence and self-trust.

Raising your child properly is one of the responsibilities of a parent, and lack of attention to this responsibility is a cause of reproach of the Imāms.

Teach your children the Qur`an.

Source: “From Marriage to Parenthood The Heavenly Path” Written by Abbas and Shahin Merali

How do I lead an active life?

April 13, 2016/in home, Lifestyle, Youth /by amin edrisi

Question: Where does tiredness of the body come from? Most of the time I feel sluggish and I do not know how to restore my vigor and energy. Would you please guide me to a solution?

The answer: Tiredness of body, inactiveness, and feeling weak are results of two factors:

The first is a bodily factor. It includes insufficient or intermittent sleeping, anemia, little or big proportion of iron in the blood, influenza, and others. A doctor can treat these conditions and the recovery is from Allah the Almighty.

The second is a psychological factor. It includes many things such as fear of future, worry, shocks of divorce, traffic accidents, big financial losses, being insulted before others, thinking of previous failures, and thinking of high ambition while worrying about one’s actual inability. All these psychological troubles cause physical exhaustion and fatigue and the cure is to submit to Allah and His fate in the cases where man has no power or choice.

As for the mistakes of man himself, the cure is obtained by repenting and asking Allah for pardon and forgiveness.

It would be better for one to give people’s rights back to them so that his conscience becomes relieved; besides that, he must organize his time according to the religious obligations and activities of life.

Here, I draw your attention to an important point: if you want to know the cause of your fatigue, whether it is physical or psychological, see if it disappears or lessens after sleeping or if it continues. If the first case holds, most often the cause of your fatigue is physical, and if it is the second, most often the cause is psychological. If man watches himself well, he will know from what he suffers, whether physical or psychological troubles.

source:For a Better Future

How do I ask forgiveness for my sins?

April 13, 2016/in home, Lifestyle, Youth /by amin edrisi

Question: I am a young man. I have been involved in a great sin. Feeling sin on the one hand and my weak determination before my lust on the other hand have made me desperate of the forgiveness of Allah, and I feel that I will definitely be in Hell. At the same time, I fear that I am not right in this opinion. Would you please guide me to the right solution?

The answer: Confess your sin before Allah and pray to Him to help you with a real repentance! You do not need to ask for forgiveness with a difficult language or eloquent words. Speak easily and spontaneously and say what is inside your heart in any way you can, for Allah knows what is in one’s heart even before it comes to his tongue.

Know well that despairing of the forgiveness of Allah is a sin even greater than the sin you were originally involved in, because despair opens the door wider before you to commit all sins and it is this that will get you into Hell and not your first sin! Therefore, Islam has considered despairing of Allah’s mercy as the greatest of sins. It is this that Satan, the first enemy of man, wants for you on the Day of Resurrection.

O young man, fill your heart with a big hope of getting the forgiveness of Allah and try determinedly not to commit the sin again! When you commit a sin, you should hasten immediately to Allah and ask Him to forgive you. You should never cut your relation with Allah in any case. If you go east or west, you shall not find a god like your Lord, Whom you disobey but He, although able to punish you at once, grants you a respite and says that He loves those who ask Him for forgiveness, loves the repentant, and loves those who purify themselves. Besides, He loves to reward you with His Paradise if you turn to Him sincerely.

O young man, whatever you may have done to disobey Allah, you are still not a polytheist. Allah has made incumbent on Himself to forgive everything other than polytheism. Let the Satan not delay you in seeking forgiveness and make you lose the opportunity, for you do not know when you shall die. You may die at the moment of your procrastination and then you will have wasted the opportunity and lost the eternal happiness.

When you decide to return to Allah, do not forget that the crux of repentance is feeling regretful for what you have committed, determining to give up that sin forever, giving the dues of people back to them, and offering the missed obligations as much as possible! Abide by this sincerely and you will find that the pleasure of lawful things is sweeter than the pleasure of unlawful things.

Author(s):

Abdul Adheem al-Muhtadi al-Bahrani

How can I make use of my age and youth?

April 13, 2016/in home, Lifestyle, Youth /by amin edrisi

Question: How can I make use of my age and youth? When I see the others (old people) who did nothing worthwhile in life and wasted, during their youth, their times in nonsensical and absurd things that did not provide them with a good future, I become more determined and tell myself “I do not want to be like them”. But I do not know what to do or how I should begin and what the causes of failure are. Please show me the way!

The answer: There are three main factors that waste one’s time, age, and good opportunities, and consequently they throw man into the afterlife empty-handed save with regret.

The first factor is the individual himself through:

1. living nervously

2. being busy with trivial and unnecessary things

3. living irregularly without organizing his times and works

4. procrastination and laziness

5. curiosity and interfering in others’ affairs

6. having poor information about the necessary issues of life

7. loneliness and little association with the society

8. hesitation and not being determined in taking decisions

9. not planning for the future

The second factor is the individual and the others around him through:

1. long idle meetings

2. guests that come with no appointment

3. speaking on the telephone for a long time on trivial and unimportant matters

4. unreasonable requests of others

5. associating with aimless persons

6. amusement programs, especially sitting for hours to watch TV serials and cinema movies

The third factor is accidents, like:

1. illness

2. traffic accidents

3. losing things such as money, books, and other things

Dear brother, you should be aware of these things that deprive you of your time and ease, and you should not engage in these behaviors. On the other hand, you should read the life histories of the great and successful people. You will learn how to make use of your time, how to build your life and future, and then you will make your family and other people proud of you. The thing more important than all that is that you will please Allah and He will please you when you will meet Him lonely and then He will grant you the eternal bliss. This is the right way and all else is loss and torment.