Chapter 4
Various branches of knowledge
41869: A communist atheist is claiming that fasting
is harmful
Question:
I live in Russia where I am studying. Most of
our professors are communists who do not believe in
the existence of the Creator. One of them said to us:
"How can this God of yours command you not to eat and
drink during the day when this is damaging to the health?"
How do you advise us to respond to this communist, may
Allaah humiliate him?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting _ as well as being basically an act of worship
that is prescribed in Islam and an obligation enjoined
by Allaah, is also one of the most beneficial of remedies
and most effective means of strengthening one's body.
This is according to the testimony of non-Muslim doctors,
let alone Muslim ones.
Fasting plays an effective role in treating
psychological problems and strengthening the will-power of the
fasting person, softening his feelings, and making him love
to do good and keep away from argumentative and
hostile tendencies; it also increases his spiritual feelings. So
it strengthens his personality and makes him more able
to bear problems and burdens. Undoubtedly this is
reflected positively in a person's health.
This is one aspect. From another angle, fasting also
plays a role in treating many physical disorders, such as
diseases of the digestive system like gastritis, irritable
bowel syndrome, liver diseases and indigestion, as well
as treating obesity, hardening of the arteries, high
blood pressure, angina, asthma, etc.
The Swiss doctor Barcellus wrote:
The benefit of hunger as a remedy is many times
better than using medicines. Doctor Helb used to forbid
his patients to eat for several days, then he would offer
them light meals. In general, fasting plays a role in
destroying the worn-out tissues at the time of hunger, then
rebuilds them when food is ingested. This is the reason why
some scientists, including Pashutin, regard fasting as a
means of restoring youth.
Tom Burns of the Columbia School of Journalism says:
I regard fasting as an experience which is deeply
spiritual more than physical. Despite the fact that I started to
fast with the aim of losing excess weight, I realized that
fasting is very beneficial for the mind. It helps me to see
with greater clarity and to develop new thoughts and to
focus my feelings. Within only a few days of starting my fast
in the spa I began to feel that I was passing through a
very spiritual experience.
Of course fasting may be harmful and extremely
difficult for some people in certain situations; Allaah has
exempted them from fasting _ such as those who are sick and
those who are traveling.
Moreover the benefits of fasting come when one
adheres to the etiquette of fasting, such as delaying
suhoor, hastening to break the fast, not being extravagant in
the manner or amount of food eaten, and avoiding
being extravagant in serving a large variety of foods.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says: Most religions
enjoin fasting and it it is something that people used to do
even at times other than religious occasions; some
individuals fast in response to human nature.
In the twentieth century a number of books appeared
in America and Europe which spoke of the medical
benefits of fasting. There was Treating sickness by
fasting by Shelton; Medical Fasting: The Ideal Nutritional
System by Alan Coutt; Fasting, the Elixir of
Life by Enrique Tanner; Return to a Healthy Life through Medical
Fasting by Watzener.
Fasting is of great benefit in treating some diseases of
the heart, because 10% of the blood that the heart pumps
to the body goes to the digestive system during the
digestive process; this amount is reduced during fasting, when
the digestive process does not occur during the day.
This means that the heart works less and can rest more.
Fasting is also used to treat skin diseases, because if
the amount of water in the blood is reduced, the amount
of water in the skin is also reduced.
It increases the skin's impermeability and resistance
to bacterial disease.
It reduces the extent of skin diseases that can spread
over a large area of the body such as psoriasis.
It reduces allergies and other skin problems.
Fasting reduces toxic secretions in the intestines
and reduces the fermentation that can lead to ulcers.
These are some of the health benefits of fasting,
from which you may understand that what that
communist atheist says has no sound basis.
Moreover we fast in obedience to the command of
Allaah Who has enjoined us to fast, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting)
is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those
before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious"
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
If Allaah commanded us to kill ourselves we would do
it in order to please our Lord, but we believe with
certainty of faith that He would never command us to do
anything but that which is in our best interests in this world and
in the Hereafter.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
26855: The book Durrat al-Naasiheen
Question:
There is a book called Durrat al-Naasiheen, which is
about preaching and teaching, by one of the scholars of the
ninth Hijri century whose name is `Uthmaan ibn Hasan
ibn Ahmad al-Khawbari. I read the following in this
book: "It was narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad from
his father from his grandfather that he said: `Allaah
looked at a jewel and it turned red; then He looked at it a
second time and it melted and trembled out of fear of its
Lord; then He looked at it a third time and it turned to
water; then He looked at it a fourth time and half of it
became solid; from half of it the Throne was created and from
the other half water. Then He left it as it was and from
that time it has continued to tremble and will continue to
do so until the Day of Resurrection."
And it was narrated from `Ali (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that those who carry the Throne are four
angels whose feet touch the rock that is beneath the seventh
earth the distance of five hundred years' travel. Please
explain to us.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This book is not reliable. It includes fabricated
(mawdoo') and weak (da'eef) ahaadeeth that cannot be relied on
_ including these two hadeeths. There is no basis for
these hadeeth, rather they are fabricated ahaadeeth that
are falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). So we should not rely on this
book or similar books which include both good and bad,
and contain fabricated and weak ahaadeeth. The scholars
have worked hard to protect the ahaadeeth of the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
they have explained which are sound and which are not.
So the believer should rely on the good and useful
books such as al-Saheehayn, the four books of
al-Sunan, Muntaqa'l-Akhbaar by Ibn Taymiyah,
Riyadh al-Saaliheen by al-Nawawi, Buloogh
al-Maraam by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar, `Umdat
al-Hadeeth by al-Haafiz `Abd al-Ghaniy ibn `Abd al-Waahid al-Maqdisi, and
other similar useful books that are regarded as reliable by
the scholars. Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah
li'l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/406 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
22051: Ruling on studying western theories that go
against sharee'ah
Question:
I am a university student. All of my studies are
western theories that go against Islam. What is your
opinion, knowing that I intend to refute these theories and
benefit the Muslim ummah during my studies and after
I graduate?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this question, and
replied as follows:
I say that this is undoubtedly jihad for the sake of
Allaah, for a person to study these theories that go against
Islam in order to refute them from a standpoint of knowledge.
Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said to Mu'aadh, when he sent him to Yemen, "I
am sending you to some people from among the People
of the Book." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab
al-Zakaah, 1395; Muslim, Kitaab
al-Eemaan, 29). He told him about them so that he would be prepared to deal with
them. Similarly, the scholars who studied these matters,
such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, who studied
various branches of knowledge and philosophical issues and
the like so that he could refute their proponents.
If you are studying these matters in order to refute
them, and you are confident that you are able to refute
them without being affected by them, because you
worship Allaah much and fear Him, then I hope in sha Allaah
that this will be good for you and of benefit to the
Muslims. But if you cannot refute them in a rational manner or
with proof, do not follow this route. Similarly if you are
not completely certain and deeply convinced, then I
advise you to leave these matters alone, for they are
dangerous. No one should expose himself to problems when there
is the fear that he is not able to tackle them properly.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 132 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
22044: Learning English for the purpose of da'wah
Question:
What is your view on a seeker of knowledge
learning English, especially if he wants to use it for da'wah
and calling others to Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this question.
He replied as follows.
Our view on learning English is that it is a means and it
is a bad menans if the aim is bad. But the one thing that
we must avoid is using it instead of Arabic. That is
not permitted. We have heard some foolish people
speaking English instead of Arabic, and some of the foolish
people who are dazzled by the west, whom I regard as
lackeys (of the west), teaching their children to use the
greetings of the non-Muslims, and teaching them to say
"bye-bye" when departing, and so on.
Because using this language instead of Arabic, which
is the language of the Qur'aan and the noblest of
languages, is haraam. It was narrated that the salaf forbade
speaking in the tongues of the non-Arabs.
With regard to using it as a means of da'wah, there is
no doubt that this is obligatory sometimes. I did not learn
it and I wish that I had learned it. On some occasions I
have found forced to use an interpreter who could not
fully express what I wanted to say.
I will tell you a story of something that happened to
me in the mosque of Jeddah airport, with some men from
the Islamic Awareness organization. After Fajr prayer,
we were speaking about the Tijaani sect and how it is a
false sect that that apostatized from Islam. I started to say
what I knew about them, then a man came and asked me
for permission to interpret my words into Hausa. I gave
him permission, and he started to interpret. Then a man
came rushing in and said, "This man who is interpreting
for you is praising the Tijaaniyyah." I was astonished and
I said, "Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi
raaji'oon (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return)." If
I had known this language I would not have needed
these cheaters. The point is that knowing the language of
the people whom you are addressing is undoubtedly
important so that you can convey the information to them.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with the
language of his people, in order that he might make (the
Message) clear for them" [Ibraaheem
14:4]
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 143) (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
10489: Ruling on learning worldly sciences and
the manufacture of military hardware
Question:
What is the ruling on learning worldly sciences and
the manufacture of military hardware? Is this obligatory
on the Muslims? Will the Muslim who learns them be rewarded?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to science (apart from the sciences
of sharee'ah), i.e., extracting metals and
minerals, agricultural science and all beneficial sciences, it may
be obligatory to learn of them that which the Muslims
need, and it is fard kifaayah. The ruler should enjoin that
which the Muslims need, and help the specialists in that field
to achieve that, i.e., by helping them to do that which
will benefit the Muslims and strengthen them against
their enemies. A person's deeds will be rewarded according
to his intentions. It will be counted as an act of worship
to Allaah if his intention is correct and sincere. If he does
it without any intention it will be counted among
permissible deed, I mean permissible kinds of
manufacturing, extracting minerals, agriculture, etc…
All of these are essential matters, but if they are
done with the proper intention they may also be acts of
worship. If there is no such intention then they may be
permissible things. They may be fard kifaayah in some cases,
if necessity calls for that. The ruler has to demand that
of whoever is qualified to do it, because they are
essential matters and there is a need for that. They differ
according to intention and according to need.
From al-`Ilm wa Akhlaaq Ahlihi, p. 15, by Shaykh
`Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him) (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
20110: What is the ruling on Arabs learning English?
Question:
What is the ruling on learning English nowadays?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Learning it is a means. If there is a need for it as a
means of calling people to Allaah, then learning it may
be obligatory. If there is no need to learn it, then do not
occupy your time with that or let it distract you from things
which are more important and more beneficial. People vary
with regard to how much they need to learn English.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) commanded Ibn Thaabit to learn the language of the
Jews. Zayd ibn Thaabit said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me
to learn the language and writing of the Jews for him.
He said, `By Allaah, I do not trust a Jew to write my
letters for me.' So I learned it, and no more than half a
month passed by before I had mastered it. I used to write it
for him if he wanted a letter written, and I would read it
for him if a letter was sent to him." (Narrated by Abu
Dawood, Kitaab al-`Ilm, Baab Riwaayat Ahl
al-Kitaab; Imaam Ahmad, part 5, p. 186; al-Haakim,
al-Mustadrak, part 1, p. 75 _ he said it is a saheeh hadeeth, and
al-Dhahabi agreed with him).
Learning English is one of the means which, if you
need it you may learn it, and if you do not need it then do
not waste your time with it.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 120 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
1887: Islamic view of space exploration
Question:
As-salam-alaikum
With all this talk of space exploration and "whether
there is life" outside our beautiful planet, what does the
Quran have to say about alien beings? Furthermore, should
we discover life on another planet, how should we react
to this new discovery? This may sound as a strange
question, but the thought is in my belief an interesting one,
which brings into question science that does not always
work side by side with any religion. Salams.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Islam does not prevent man from attempting to
explore space and the wonders it contains, or from looking at
the dominion of Allaah and what He has created in
heaven and earth, as He has commanded us to do in His
Book. But we should pay attention to two things:
We should weigh the time, effort and money spent
on this purpose against the benefits which we expect to
gain from it.
Man should first learn how to walk and behave on
earth before he tries to go into space.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
1513: Doctor's Knowledge of the Fetus
Question:
Is the doctors' knowledge of the fetus in the
uterus complete?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam Abu `Abdullaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa`eel al-Bukhaari reported, in al-Jaami` al-Saheeh, which is
the soundest book after the Qur'aan:
"Ibraaheem ibn al-Mundhir told me that Ma`n told us
that Maalik told me, from `Abdullaah ibn Deenaar from
Ibn `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that
the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah
be upon Him) said: `The keys of the Unknown are five,
which no-one knows except Allaah: no-one knows what
will happen tomorrow except Allaah; no-one knows what
is in the wombs except Allaah; no-one knows when it
will rain except Allaah; no-one knows in which land he
will die; and no-one knows when the Hour will begin
except Allaah." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Tafseer
al-Qur'aan, hadeeth no. 4328).
He also reported it with the wording: "The keys of
the Unseen are five: `Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is
the knowledge of the Hour, He send down the rain, and
knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what
he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what
land he will die. Verily Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware
(of things)' [Luqmaan 31:34]." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari,
Kitaab Tafseer al-Qur'aan, Baab (wa `indahu mafaatih
al-ghaybi laa ya`lamu illaa huwa), hadeeth no.
4261).
Allaah is the only One Who has knowledge of the
Unseen, as He says (Interpretation of the meaning) :
"Say: `None in the heavens and the earth knows
the Unseen except Allaah . . ." [al-Naml 27:65] The
Unseen referred to in this aayah is the same as that described
in Soorat Luqmaan (see quote in preceding
paragraph).
There is no doubt whatsoever that this hadeeth is
saheeh. What has confused the questioner is the fact that
doctors are able to know the gender of the foetus via x-rays
and ultrasound scans, but we should note that this
knowledge is vague and incomplete. They may make mistakes,
as has happened on numerous occasions. Moreover, they
can only perform these scans etc. after a certain number
of weeks of pregnancy have passed, and not before. Even
if they know whether the foetus is male or female, they
do not know whether it will be miscarried or carried to
term, whether it will be born alive or dead. They do not
know the precise length of time that it will stay in its
mother's womb. They have nothing but conjecture
and uncertainties. They do not know how long this
person will live, how he will behave or what his provision
will be, or whether he will be of the people of Paradise or
the people of Hell. Knowledge of what is in the wombs
is not merely a matter of knowing whether the foetus is
male or female; it is broader than that, and no-one can know
it all except Allaah, as He says (Interpretation of
the meaning):
"Allaah knows what every female bears, and by how
much the wombs fall short or exceed. Everything with Him
is in (due) proportion." [al-Ra`d 13:8]
In his Tafseer of this aayah, Ibn Katheer, may Allaah
have mercy on him, said: "Allaah is telling us here of
His complete knowledge: nothing is hidden from Him
and He knows fully what the females of every species
carry in their wombs. He says (Interpretation of the
meaning): `(He) knows that which is in the
wombs,' i.e., He knows whether it is male or female, good or bad, destined
for Paradise or doomed to Hell, whether its life will be
long or short. Similarly He says (Interpretation of the
meaning): `He knows you well when He created you from the
earth, and when you were foetuses in your mothers'
wombs' [al-Najm 53:32] In the two Saheehs there is a report
from Ibn Mas`ood, who said: `The Messenger of Allah
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "The way
that each of you is created is that he is gathered in
your mother's womb for forty days and then for a similar
length of time as a blood-clot and then for a similar length
of time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent and
he breathes the spirit into him and is charged with
four commands: to write down his provision, his
life-span, his actions, and whether he will be wretched or
happy."' According to another hadeeth, the angel says: `O
Lord, male or female? Wretched or happy? How much provision? How long a life span? and he writes that.'"
Al-`Awfi said, from Ibn `Abbaas: "`and by how much
the wombs fall short" refers to miscarriage, and `or
exceed' means how how far beyond the normal time the
pregnancy will last before a child is born, because some women
carry a child for ten months and some for nine months;
the length of pregnancy varies from woman to woman.
This is what is referred to here. Al-Dahhaak said, from
Ibn `Abbaas, that this phrase referred to pregnancies
longer or shorter than nine months."
Every Muslim must believe in what the Prophet
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) has told us, and
not doubt a single word of it, because what the Prophet
says is wahy (revelation) revealed to him by Allaah:
"By the star when it goes down, your companion
(i.e., Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.
Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an
Inspiration [wahy] that is inspired." [al-Najm 53:1-4]
Whoever doubts what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings
of Allaah be upon Him) said or doubts that it is wahy is
a kaafir who has left Islam.
The Muslim must believe that what the Prophet
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said is
absolutely true. This is shown in the hadeeth of `Abdullaah
ibn `Amar, who said: "I used to write down everything that
I heard from the Messenger of Allaah (Peace &
Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), because I wanted to
memorize it. Quraysh told me not to do that and said: `Are
you writing everything down that you hear? The
Messenger of Allaah is only a man who may speak when he is
angry or happy.' So I stopped writing things down, and
I mentioned this to the Messenger of Allaah (Peace
& Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). He pointed to
his mouth and said: `Write; by the One in Whose hand is
my soul, nothing comes out of it (my mouth) but the truth.'"
(Reported by Abu Dawud, may Allaah have mercy
on him, in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-`Ilm, hadeeth no. 3161,
see also Saheeh al-Jaami`, no. 1196).
We ask Allah to protect us from the whispers of
Shaytaan and to give us strength of faith. May Allaah bless
our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
820: Benefits of the Internet in spreading knowledge
Question:
Assalammualaikum
I would like to know, from your point of view, does
the Internet bring any benefits to the Islamic society in
terms of spreading information to the user???
Thank You.
Answer:
All Praises Are Due to Allah.
The answer to your question is in what you see and not
in what you hear. I don't think the issue needs to
be addressed; however, your question must be regarding
the negative and unlawful things found on the Internet,
and not the positive aspects as they are clearly evident.
There are in fact many down sides in the Internet, which
contain great evil and this is what pushes one to think of
the necessary ways to fix the ills on the Internet. It is
the obligation of the experts from amongst the Muslims
to work on this issue.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
487: Scientific achievements of Islam
Question:
What were the Scientific Achievements of Islam?
Please tell me the answer as soon as possible!
Answer:
The greatest achievement of Islam is that it has freed
man from the worship of other beings and delivered him
to the worship of the creator of all beings. As a
religious text, the Qur'aan is not a record of inventions
or discoveries in this life, but rather a revealed book
that helps in the replenishment, enlightenment and solace
of humanity. Through it, man can help in the
development and civilization of this earth, and through it man
can ponder the signs of Allaah's creation.
Accordingly, Muslims have concentrated on the study
of this universe and made great strides in the fields
of medicine, astronomy, mathematics, physics, etc.
However, the specifics of these contributions are not the area
of concentration for Muslim scholars, and there are
perhaps better sources than this forum to explain the role
of Muslim scientists, such as books written for this
specific purpose. One can always refer to books written by
fair-minded non-Muslims about the achievements of
al-Khawarizmi in mathematics, Ibn Haytham in physics,
al-Idrisi in geography,and Ibn Nafees in the
circulatory system.etc.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
 |
|
PAGES: 164
(6 in x 9 in)
ISBN: 1861793081 |
| Click: HERE to Download the book and get two other FREE books | |  | and Get immediate access to the
full volume and the
FREE Bonuses Listed Below |
|
