With help from a brother on these boards, as well as Jewish website that near stunned me with its information I have realized my fault in whole and completeness but do not know where to go from here.  I fear returning to the masjid as I know many of them know that I had left

I don't know if I should just type shahada or what I should do....

I – Huynh Phu Dat author owner of judgeislam.com ,campaigner of Islam and Global Scale of Balance Campaign want to challenge Admin , mod , members of this forum :

The question from this Campaign is : Use Scale of Balance , can Admin , mod , members of this forum make Huynh Phu Dat think Islam is a
balanced religion for men , women ? , Allah , sharia is balanced …..( I will show Admin , mod , members here a clip 7 minutes 10 sec if all of you accept this )

Do admin , mod , members of this forum accept this challenge ?

If all of you accept , we will bet : If Admin , mod , members here can make Huynh Phu Dat think Islam is balanced for men and women , Allah , sharia is balanced , Huynh Phu Dat will  stop this Islam and Global Scale of Balance campaign , remove judgeislam.com from internet .

If Admin , mod , members here can’t make Huynh Phu Dat think Islam , Allah , sharia is balanced , so Admin , mod , members here will close this forum , this forum will not appear on internet anymore and admin , mod , members of this forum will never create any website about Islam .

Why do we have to bet , because this is a Serious Challenge . Do Admin , mod , Muslims here accept this Challenge ?

 

Well, in reality, I see my whole life leading me to the moment I became a Muslim.  50 years to be exact.  My whole life I spent observing people and things and I always asked questions, why this, why that.  My mother would say that I drove her crazy with questions.  From that early age, things just did not make sense to me.  I believed in God, never had a doubt my whole life, but when Jesus (PBUH) was added into the equation as I was raised Catholic, it totally did not make sense that there were three in one.  So I spent a bulk of my life trying to resolve that issue.  So I lived my life searching, going from one Christian religion to the nest, looking for some sort of sense.  In addition I found many Christians to be a bit racist in the time I was growing up.  Between the clergy and the congregation, I felt like a visitor in the Church, not a member.  It was sort of like they had pity on us because they thought we were poor creatures by the color of our skin.  And the fact that Jesus (PBUH) and Mary were like blonde hair blue eyed, sort of put me off and then there came the time of the black Jesus in my community, that still did not work for me because I know that there were many people in the world and why would God look like one race.  So much confusion.  

Then I grew up and went off to University and began my life, still searching and living like there was no accountability on the outside, but still struggling with the concept of God that I knew existed and who protected me and looked after me.  So it became quite like a double life.  Then I ended up in Egypt with my mother about 20 years ago and we were in a souq when I first heard the adhan call.  It was immeadiately stunned by the beauty of it, but more stunned when merchants stopped what they were doing to pray.  What a concept!  My heart yearned for that but I still thought about Jesus (PBUH) and when I returned from Egypt, I put it on the back burner, but that feeling of awe and yearning never left me.

Then last year a sibling dies and when I got the news, I said, 'Jesus' and Christians are known to do in times of extreme distress, but there was a voice in the back of my head that went, 'Why are you calling on him?'  As simple as that, really.  I had a friend who was Muslim,  and they helped me during this difficult time and supported me.  They were going to Umrah and they sent me pictures and I was so moved by all the different kinds of people and that Allah (swt) had no image, He is other than us and we are his created creatures.  After my whole life of observing this made so much sense.  Everything started to make sense.  They gave me some videos to watch and an Islamic History book and were very gentle and did not push and I found my way to the truth of this religion and 3 months after I had the thought about Jesus(PBUH) I became a Muslim and have not looked back, only ahead.

I love being a Muslim, it suits me to the utmost and what I have been looking for all my life.  I know what I am, I know my purpose in life is to worship Allah (swt) do good deeds and that this world is just a test, a diversion and that we all will return to Allah (swt),  It makes so much sense after observing and asking why my whole life.  Islam was the answer for me.

This conversion will be Inshallah about the book of the Imam Abdessalam Yassine "Day and Night Schedule of the Believer ".

This book is good guidance for every Muslim (sisters and brothers) look for the balance between usually life time (sleeping, eating,

studying ,working , social relationship) and worship God - Exalted be He- in order to achieve the God blessing and the happiness

in our life.

----------------------------------------

For each time there is an assigned work

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. God’s Blessing and Peace be upon His Prophet Muhammad, His Āl al-Bayt^[1], Companions, Brothers,^2] and Party^[3]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in faith, God—Exalted be He—says in Sūrat al-Mulk (Qur’an 67:2): ﴾ He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed.﴿
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

Between life and death there is a lifespan during which man should work righteousness and worship God. Since your lifetime is your capital, you should organize it and apportion it between the different duties and assignments so that none of them may overwhelm the other. For the most important thing is not to do whatever you wish whenever you wish. Rather, the most important thing is to do the right work at the right time.

Therefore, you should learn the acts of the heart, the tongue and the other organs that are requisite at a particular time, seek them and do your utmost to perform them in their specific time so that God may accept them. In his testament to ‘Umar bnu al-Khaṭṭāb when he nominated him as his successor, Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq said: “Know that God has commanded (from us) daytime acts that He does not accept at nighttime. And He has commanded from us nighttime acts that He does not accept in daytime.”
إِعْلَمْ أَنَّ لِلهِ عَمَلًا بِالنَّهَارِ لَا يَقْبَلُهُ بِالليْلِ، وَعَمَلًا بِالليْلِ لَا يَقْبَلُهُ بِالنَّهَارِ 

----------------------------------------

[1] :The Prophet’s Family [Āl al-Bayt] comprise namely his wives, the descendents of his grandsons, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusain, and those of his uncle al-’Abbās and his paternal cousins, ‘Ali, Ja’far and ‘Aquīl.

[2] : The Prophet’s Brothers—and Sisters as well—are the Prophets and Messengers who were sent before him along with their wives who believed in their Mission and their followers, men and women. They also include those men and women who believed in the Seal of the Prophets’ Mission without having met with him, that is, the members of his community who embraced Islam after his death.

[3] :TN: All Muslim men and women who serve Islam’s Cause and strive hard to unite the dismembered entity of the Muslim community worldwide.

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

The websites that speak ill of the religion of Allah and of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are no different from the gatherings where people say similar things that constitute kufr. In both cases it is haraam to stay in such gatherings and it is haraam to visit such websites, except for one who will object to what they do and is able to put a stop to these offences. If he is not able to do that, and those people carry on with what they are doing, then it is not permissible to remain in that gathering and it is not permissible to visit those websites.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’an) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaytaan (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.)”

[al-An‘aam 6:68]

“And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them”

[an-Nisa’ 4:140].

The scholars of Islam – in the past and at present – have warned ordinary Muslims against reading the books of those who promote innovation and misguidance, and against debating with heretics and atheists, except for those Muslims who have knowledge of Islam and of the beliefs and ideology of the person he is arguing against, lest the specious arguments of those who oppose Islam confuse the weak or ignorant person.

We have discussed this clearly in the answers to questions no. 126041, 92781 and 96231.

Secondly:

Based on the above, it is not permissible for one who is lacking in knowledge and insight to go to these websites and look at them; it is also not permissible for him to debate with those disbelievers and try to refute them, because he does not have strong insight, by which we mean correct and sound knowledge that will protect his belief and with which he can stand up to the enemies.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to his words – i.e., the words of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) in his will – (in which he says of one who is weak in faith): “Doubt will take root in his heart when he encounters the slightest specious argument”, that is because of his lack of knowledge and insight. This is unlike the one who has deep knowledge; even if specious arguments come to him like the waves of the sea, they cannot affect his certain faith or instil any doubt in his mind, because he is well versed in knowledge, so specious arguments do not faze him. Rather, if they come to him, he wards them off by means of his knowledge, and the specious arguments will be utterly defeated and crushed. Doubts can enter a person’s mind and prevent him from seeing the truth, but once he acquires deep knowledge, those doubts will not have any impact on him; rather his knowledge and certain faith will increase by refuting it and finding out how false it is. But if he does not have deep knowledge, he will develop doubts the first time he encounters any specious argument. So he should deal with these doubts, otherwise they will accumulate in his heart until they become very strong and control his thoughts.

End quote from Miftaah Dar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/140

Even the seeker of knowledge is not permitted to enter these chat rooms if he is not going to be allowed to speak the truth. If he knows that his argument against the disbelieving opponent will be erased, then he should not stay with them at all or take part in their gatherings or chat rooms, because his presence in places of misguidance will cause certain damage without achieving any good such as changing evil or speaking out against it and enjoining what is good.

Thirdly:

As it is not permissible for the ordinary Muslim, or even for the seeker of knowledge or scholar, to enter these websites if they will not be allowed to answer back, then what is the solution? The answer is that the solution is propagating sound beliefs in chat rooms and websites that allow the people of Islam to speak the word of truth they have, without erasing their words. The solution is to set up websites that collect specious arguments and refute them on the basis of knowledge, and to tell the Muslims to refer to these sites to learn about their religion and find out what the enemies of Islam have of ignorance and lies.

Fourthly:

Supporting Islam is obligatory for every Muslim according to what he is able to do, whether he is an ordinary Muslim or a scholar, male or female; he can do something to support Islam and support the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That includes the following:

1.

Increasing his knowledge of Islam, seeking knowledge and learning, so that he will be able to protect himself against the specious arguments of the enemies of Islam, and so that he can increase in certainty that he is following the clear truth.

2.

The Muslim should be obedient to his Lord, may He be exalted, and he should keep away from what He has forbidden. This is one of the greatest things that the Muslim can do to support his religion.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm”

[Muhammad 47:7].

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Those who have Muslim names but commit all kinds of sin then say “Allah will support us” are deceived, because they are not among the party of Allah who are promised His support, as is quite obvious.

What is meant by the believers’ support of Allah is their support of His religion and His Book, and their efforts and striving to make His word supreme and to establish His limits on earth, obeying His commands and avoiding what He has forbidden, and judging between His slaves in accordance with what He revealed to His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

End quote from Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 7/252

3.

He should play a part in spreading educational and da‘wah websites among Muslims and others, by making email lists that can be used for correspondence or by corresponding with friends he knows so that each one may play his role in spreading this goodness and knowledge among people.

4.

He can also support active Islamic websites and chat rooms on Paltalk. The Muslim should also support Islamic activists who are playing their role in supporting Islam.

5.

Enabling daa‘iyahs and seekers of knowledge to devote their time to calling people to the religion of Allah and teaching the Muslims the rulings of Islam. There is an urgent need to enable some of these people to devote their time to undertaking the mission of da‘wah and education.

And Allah is the source of strength.
 

Islam Q&A

http://islamqa.info/en/ref/143146
       

For the full article with footnotes see [url="http://forum.cordobaacademy.com/2013/06/01/shaykh-mohammed-daniel-responds-on-the-permissibil/0/"]original here.[/URL]

Despite not counting myself from amongst those that initially called for a boycott of the recent lecture conducted by Sister Yasmin Mogahed in England , I believe that those who did call for such are fully within their rights to ask for it.  They have exercised their scholarly prerogative, assessed the issue and made their decision on the proofs provided to them and for that they will earn the reward based on their Ijtihaad.

Presently, while people have been faffing around trying to defend the lecturer, the venue, the right for sisters to study, the organizers and many other things, they have failed to address the crucial points which I touched on in my generic article written a few months ago on the subject of 'young females addressing mixed audiences' It is even claimed that some scholars, 'giants' in fact, defended the lecturer through their Twitter and Facebook accounts and yet they did not present any credible scholarly response to the initial article.  
 

عنْ ابنِ عبَّاسٍ رَضِي اللهُ عَنْهُما، أنَّ رسولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قالَ: ((لَوْ يُعْطَى النَّاسُ بِدَعْواهُمْ، لاَدَّعَى رِجَالٌ أَمْوَالَ قَوْمٍ وَدِمَاءَهُمْ، لَكِنِ الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّعِي وَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْكَر

On the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi Allah anhu) that the Apostle of Allah said: "Were people to be given in accordance to their claims, men would [unjustly] claim the wealth and blood of others. However, the onus of proof is upon the claimant, and the taking of an oath is upon him who denies.

As many of us are aware, Islam has a set the highest principles to ensure fairness by which claims are to be made and disagreements are to be settled.  This principle assumes that the defendant's integrity is intact and they are free from any blame, however if a plaintiff should make a claim, the claim must not be accepted automatically, but the onus is upon them to substantiate these claims.

A wonderful example of this occurred while Sayyiduna Ali (radia Allah anho) was the Ameer al-Mumineen (Khalifah) and his armour was stolen by a Jewish subject.  The Jew cunningly knew the above principle so when Ali (radia Allah anhu) approached him the Jew immediately requested that they go and settle this with the Muslim judge.  When they reached the judge, Ali (radia Allah anhu) complained to the Chief Judge (Shurayh al-Qadi) that his armour was stolen by the Jew.  Shurayh al-Qadi turned to the Jew and asked him regarding the armour.  The Jew said, "This is my armour and it is in my hands" Shurayh then asked Ali (radia Allah anhu) to provide his proof or witnesses.  Ali (radia Allah anhu) provided two witnesses, his freed slave and his son.  As the testimony of the son in favour of his father is rejected, Ali (radia Allah anhu) was unable to prove his case and the armour was judged to be the Jews.  The Jew seeing that even the leader of all Muslims is judged against according to this principle immediately became Muslim.     

Consequently, it follows that this feeble slave of Allah must also provide the proofs for the reservations that I have regarding this issue, therefore allow me now to succinctly establish the proofs and ask the questions directly in the hope that we no longer continue to beat around the bush, but collectively reach the truth in this matter.  

I respectfully request that those who want to offer rulings on the permissibility of young female speakers lecturing mixed audiences should not rely on conjecture or non-academic Facebook and Twitter responses with snide remarks, rather they should make a decent academic effort to silence their critics with their proofs as has been the tradition in scholarly disagreement for hundreds of years.
 

THE CAUSES FOR DISAGREEMENT

FIRST CONTENTION
The use of make-up by females in front of non-Mahram males.

Action
Upon requesting over a dozen sisters,  to view numerous clips, it was unanimously agreed that Sister Yasmin can be seen clearly wearing make-up while standing in front of a mixed-gender audience and lecturing.

The proof
The sister without make-up
The sister with make-up

The questions
After informing women that it would be better for them to remain in their homes, but providing the dispensation that women may leave their homes, did Allah (SWT) not categorically forbid females from committing al-Tabaruj  in the Quran?

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
And abide quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance;

Did Allah also not offer a dispensation especially for the older women that they may neglect the wearing of the outer garment, and was this also not dependant on the fulfillment of a condition?
 

وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاء اللَّاتِي لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍ وَأَن يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage- there is no blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty: but it is best for them to be modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knows all things.

That condition was that they do not make a wanton display of their beauty.  This verse was for the elderly women, does it not follow then that young women -who do not have the dispensation of neglecting the outer garment- must also not make a wanton display of their beauty?  What more wanton a display can there be than a woman applying make-up to embellish her face?

Did Allah also not command that Muslims (male and female) to not commit any action that would draw us closer to Zina?  

وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاء سَبِيلاً
And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.

Did the Ulama not say that al-Tabaruj is one of the methods that lead to Zina because it seeks to magnetize the opposite gender which then opens a door leading to Zina?

SECOND CONTENTION
The female lecturer speaks softly, tells jokes and even laughs during her lectures.

The proof
There are many examples of this spread out through her lectures:  The following Youtube clip from 41:15-42:15

The question
Allah states in the Quran in Surah al-Ahzab:
 

إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا

"If you fear Allah then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should be moved to desire [you], but speak with appropriate speech."

So is laughing in front of men not more of a temptation for them and is this not a breach of the Haya that a lady should have in front of the opposite gender?

THIRD CONTENTION
The sister is clearly wearing dazzling eye-catching clothing that would attract the attention of people unnecessarily.

The proof
Again, numerous clips that show this colourful clothing- some are:



The question

How did the scholars interpret the following verses in particular the commandment for women not to reveal their adornment?
 

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُوْلِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاء وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And turn to Allāh in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.

Is it not true that scholars such as Imam al-Nawawi (RA) and Imam al-Dhababi (RA) as well as dozens of others have stated that the clothing that a woman wears when she leaves the confines of her home must not in itself attract unwanted attention by the designs and colours it bears?   Did Imam al-Dhahabi (RA) not state in his famous text entitled "al-Kaba'ir" (The Major Sins) the following:

"From the actions for which a woman invites curse is the wearing of perfume when leaving the house and the wearing of mixed-coloured clothing and … all of these are from al-Tabaruj and are severely despised by Allah and Allah despises this person in this world and in the hereafter."

Is there such a thing as zina of the eyes?  Would the eyes then not be more attracted to something or someone that stood out from the rest of the crowd by the glittery clothing they were wearing or have the scholars above been unreasonable in what they said?
 

عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الزِّنَا أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَزِنَا الْعَيْنِ النَّظَرُ وَزِنَا اللِّسَانِ الْمَنْطِقُ وَالنَّفْسُ تَمَنَّى وَتَشْتَهِي وَالْفَرْجُ يُصَدِّقُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ وَيُكَذِّبُهُ

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (radi Allah anhu) who said that that the Prophet (salalahu alayhi wasalam) stated: “Allah has decreed upon every son of Adam (alayhi salam) his share of zina which he will unavoidably commit. The zina of the eyes is gazing, the zina of the tongue is speaking, one may wish and desire and the private parts confirm or deny it.”

كل الحوادث مبداها من النظر ... ومعظم النار من مستصغر الشرر
والعين أصل عناها فتنة النظر ... والقلب كل أذاه الشغل بالفكر
كم نظرة نقشت في القلب صورة من ... راح الفؤاد بها في الأسر والحذر
والمرء ما دام ذا عين يقلبها ... في أعين العين موقوف على الخطر

FOURTH CONTENTION
A female lecturer traverses distances that exceed those permitted for a believing woman to travel when there is no urgent need for her to do so.

The proof
It is well known that the sister has been traveling throughout the USA and abroad well before she married and not in the company of a Mahram

The questions
Has it not been narrated in numerous authentic Ahadith that it is not permissible for a woman to travel without a Mahram.  Then on what grounds has it suddenly become permissible when there is no pressing urgency?

Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) the Messenger of Allah (salalahu alayhi wasalam) said: "It is unlawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day to travel the distance of one day and one night without a Mahram accompanying her." (al-Bukhari)

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the Messenger of Allah (salalahu alayhi wasalam) said: "A woman must not travel for three days except with a Mahram." (Agreed Upon)

Furthermore, we all know the dispensation that women have for visiting the Masajid in the Hadith of the Prophet (salalahu alayhi wasalam) however what did the scholars say about young women attending?  

FIFTH CONTENTION
The uncontrolled and unnecessary free-mixing of genders so that they sit next to or behind each other.

The proof
Again, this can be seen on many of the clips, here is just one
(at 8:30 in the clip)

The question
Is it permissible for men and women to mix freely within these gatherings sometimes wearing clothing and make-up that attracts the opposite gender and if not then why is the seating arrangement, entrance/exit the same for all when with a little effort, this can be stopped?

SIXTH CONTENTION

Scholars should all know the Fiqhi maxim:

درء المفاسد أولى من جلب المصالح

(Avoiding corrupting elements is preferred over achieving benefits)

The question
When weighing up all the Mafasid that are involved with Muslim females lecturing mixed audiences do you still feel that it should be permissible?  Yes, the Fiqhi maxim "Hardship brings with it a relaxing (Tayseer) of the rules" can be implemented for female medical doctors who need to learn gynecology etcetera, but has the Ummah reached such a low in its level of male scholarship that it now requires non-qualified sisters to lecture mixed audiences about Islam when it clearly contains numerous dubious issues and it would it not be better for us to steer away from these for that which is clear?

JUSTIFICATION FOR ABOVE QUESTIONS

While in the normal sphere of things, the previous questions may seem as an intrusion into the private life and choices of an individual, but in reality they are not.  When a person chooses to take to the limelight and specialize as an Islamic preacher/lecturer they clearly have a responsibility to at least outwardly live according to what they preach as they fill the role of an exemplar for the young, impressionable youth they seek to engage.  This principle in the Hadith Sciences is known as 'Adalah and it was stated clearly by Sayyiduna Umar (Radi Allah anhu) when he said:
 

إنَّ أُنَاسًا كانُوا يُؤخَذُونَ بالوحيِ في عهدِ رسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلمَ ، وإنَّ الوحيَ قد انقَطَعَ ، وإنَّمَا نأْخُذُكُم الآنَ بمَا ظهَرَ لنَا من أعمَالِكُمْ ، فمَنْ أظْهَرَ لنَا خيرًا أمِنَّاهُ وقَرَّبْنَاهُ ، وليسَ إلينَا مِن سَرِيرَتِهِ شيءٌ ، اللهُ يحَاسِبُهُ في سَرِيرَتِهِ ، ومَن أظهَرَ لنَا سوءًا لم نَأْمَنْهُ ولم نُصَدِّقْهُ ، وإنْ قالَ : إنَّ سَرِيرَتَهُ حسَنَةٌ .

“The people would be accepted [or rejected] based on revelation in the time of the Messenger of Allah, (salalahu alayhi wasalam), and revelation has ended. Now we can only accept [or reject] you by what is apparent to us from your actions. Thus whoever appears good to us, we trust him and draw him near, while we know nothing of his secrets- Allah will bring him to account regarding his secrets- and whoever appears evil to us, we will not trust him and we will not befriend him, even if [someone] said: ‘His secrets are good"

It has been noticed in numerous videos that the sister can clearly be seen welcoming questions from the audience and she attempts to answer them.   Simply being Arab is not a qualifier for a person to speak and pronounce Quran and Hadith correctly and it certainly does not ensure scholarship.   Based upon all the above and other points that I do not have time to go into now, is it really objectionable for people who wish to attend her lectures, and those with a responsibility towards their children, to not ascertain the credentials of the individual lecturing, in much the same way that a person would do if they were going to attend a professional skills workshop?

From the guidance that we find in the Sunnah is the narration of Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (radi Allah anhu) that is Marfu Hukman  in which he stated:
 

إِنَّكُمْ فِي زَمَانٍ: كَثِيرٌ فُقَهَاؤُهُ، قَلِيلٌ خُطَبَاؤُهُ، قَلِيلٌ سُؤَّالُهُ، كَثِيرٌ مُعْطُوهُ، الْعَمَلُ فِيهِ قَائِدٌ لِلْهَوَى. وَسَيَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ زَمَانٌ: قَلِيلٌ فُقَهَاؤُهُ، كَثِيرٌ خُطَبَاؤُهُ، كَثِيرٌ سُؤَّالُهُ، قَلِيلٌ مُعْطُوهُ"…

"Verily you live in times in which there are many scholars and few speakers.  Few people ask and there are many to give.  Actions are far more than the diversions. A time will come when there will be many speakers and few scholars. Many who ask and few who give…."

 
If you are able to provide proofs to defend one or all of the above questions then is it still not permissible for there to be a difference of opinion between scholars and students of knowledge or is that no longer something feasibly acceptable?
 

The Adab of Ikhtilaaf (The etiquette when difference of opinion occurs)

Whenever I write articles of any kind, I try to not only get across the Haq or truth in the matter as understood by me, but to also benefit the reader in other ways.  In this article, I feel that it would be useful for us to briefly touch on the point of Adab al-Ikhtilaaf.

There is no doubt, that difference of opinion has occurred in the past  and will continue to occur in the future, but should these differences of opinion lead us to the scare-tactics and slandering of our opponent as witnessed recently?

Well, let us look back at how the greatest people of this Ummah would differ? If we take a glimpse at the lives of the Sahabah, we find that there are scores of examples wherein the Sahabah would differ, but that they would not resort to such ill-behaviour:

Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu) differed with Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood (radi Allahu anhu) in more than 100 issues some of which were related to the application of Hadd and issues pertaining to Halaal and Haraam and yet that did not stop them from having the utmost respect for each other so much so that Umar (RA) said in reference to Ibn Mas'ood (RA): "[He is] the trove of Fiqh or Ilm that enriched the people of Qadisiyah."

Despite, the huge differences that the School of Hadith had with the School of Ra’y, when the great Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was buried, the great Muhaddith Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj said, "The complete Fiqh of Kufa has been buried with him; may Allah have mercy upon him and upon us." Despite, the scores of issues in which Imam al-Shafi'ee (RA) differs with Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), he said, "The people are the children of Imam Abu Hanifah in the affairs of Fiqh"

Much more can be said on this topic, but I feel the essence of what I want to say has been beautifully summarized in what Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) said:
 

وَأَمَّا الِاخْتِلَافُ فِي " الْأَحْكَامِ " فَأَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَنْضَبِطَ، وَلَوْ كَانَ كُلَّمَا اخْتَلَفَ مُسْلِمَانِ فِي شَيْءٍ تَهَاجَرَا لَمْ يَبْقَ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عِصْمَةٌ وَلَا أُخُوَّةٌ، وَلَقَدْ كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا سَيِّدَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَتَنَازَعَانِ فِي أَشْيَاءَ لَا يَقْصِدَانِ إلَّا الْخَيْرَ

“As for the difference in opinion that occurs in rulings (ahkaam) then they are more than can be agreed upon.  And if every time there is a difference of opinion between the Muslims they turn away from each other then there would not remain any unity or brotherhood.  Indeed the leaders of all Muslims, Abu Bakr and Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) differed with each other, but did not intend except goodness.”

Final Thought

It is clear from this and my previous article on the subject of young female speakers addressing mixed audiences that I am vehemently against this practice and do not see how comparisons can be drawn between the learned muhaddithaat of the past who maintained the Islamic standards required of them and roving motivational speakers of today.  If my fellow students of knowledge and our dear scholars are able to answer the contentions above and are satisfied that what they are doing is acceptable to the requirements of their deen and it does not affect their taqwa, then let us humbly disagree on this issue, but agree to meet each other with a smile and the greetings of peace for our brotherhood should not be compromised and our unity not be fragmented.

The lowliest creature of Allah
In need of his forgiveness,

Mohammed Daniel
Cordoba Academy

I am 17 years old and have been having problems with my penis for a while now. I think it started after I learned that it is obligatory to shave the private parts (and started shaving it, of course), because before that, I had never had problems with my urine. After I started shaving, I had this burning sensation on the tip of my penis all the time, and it felt like urine drops were coming out all the time, but when I checked, nothing had come out. This continued for a few weeks after shaving my second time I think, and when I shaved the next time, the same thing happened. But then, when I woke up for instance, my underwear was wet on the sides and it smelled gross, like semen, but I wasn't sure whether it was from sweat from the private parts of wet dream, but I was pretty sure it was not wet dream.

After thinking about urine all the time, doubts and all that, I think I finally found the solution by squeezing the remaining urine drops out of my urethra by using my fingers. It has worked since, until now, when I see precum all the time in my underwear. Because when I use the method, sometimes I am on the verge of releasing, but there is no way I want to do that again (I have stopped masturbating). But when I later see precum in my underwear, I believe it is because of this method. Yes, the urine drops have ceased, but now the another problem with precum has emerged. I had a wet dream last week, and after that it felt like no precum would come out, and I was using white underwear, so I'm not sure whether it was because I couldn't see it or not. But, now I am using grey thight briefs, and right now it's summer and really hot outside, so I sweat a lot in the private areas, and it smells from them, but I'm not sure whether it is semen or just sweat, and I also notice which looks like precum.

I don't get it, after doing better things and trying all my best to stop the impurities, new problems arise and I just can't cope with them any longer, 'cause I find it very hard to live this way, always worrying about it and whether I still have my wudu or not. What should I do? I desperately need help with this problem, brothers

On another forum (not a religious one, but about preparing for emergencies & natural disasters), we were discussing what religion we all are. Somebody randomly brought up Islam, and of course was spouting all that nonsense about "All they ever want to do is kill us, even if they seem good and friendly on the outside - never trust anybody who is Muslim, cuz they're secretly plotting against you".

I am not usually offended by people's individual opinions, but this one just had me seething. I then ranted to him about that he should not judge a whole group by the actions of a few extremists. That's like saying all Mormons are like Jeff Warrens and force-marry & rape young girls and practically use the women as slaves.   AURGH!!

So.... what should I do in the future? Should I mind my own business, or continue defending Muslims (and possibly be accused of being "allied"). I don't even care if I get banned from there, I thought that was extremely rude and ignorant. I know the media emphasizes the bad ones, but that doesn't mean a person needs to only take one side of the story and continue feeding the "wrong impression" of it!

Sigh.

A few months ago, I took my Shahada. Alhumdullilah I do believe, in my heart, that Allah is the one and only God, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him), was his final prophet. I took my Shahada as soon as I realized that my heart believes Islam is the key to a true, straight-path in life... However, I have not brought myself to be a practicing Muslim. I do not pray. I do not wear Hijab. 

I believe I should be doing these things, yet I have yet to begin PRACTICING despite becoming a Muslim. I feel as though I have failed completely. I feel as though I took my Shahada too quickly, without understanding the commitment I needed to make to Allah. I am ready to make that commitment now. I want to be a practicing Muslim. But I do not know what to do, or how to get rid of this guilt. I became a Muslim because I believe this is the correct path, yet I did not begin practicing the way I should have as soon as I took my Shahada. In fact, I took a few steps back. 

Is it possible to RE-TAKE my Shahada? I never took it with witnesses to begin with, I only took it by myself. How can I make up for this lost time? This is what I truly believe to be the correct way of life, and though I know I will not be able to wear hijab until I leave my parents' home, I could still become a good, practicing Muslimah in all other aspects. But how should I approach this? 

One part of this project consists of an online survey that is targeted toward Canadian Muslims. If some of you could fill out this survey, I would greatly appreciate it.

http://fluidsurveys.com/s/canadian-muslim-view-of-animals/

I have been reading this forum for a little while, and I am interested in what people have to say about this issue. What is your personal opinion about dogs and dog ownership? Do those of you living in “dog-centric” countries like Canada feel any “conflict?” Are there any legal issues that you feel need to be addressed (i.e. the presence of police dogs at airports and border crossings

etc.)?

For those Muslims who own dogs, I am interested in the ways in which you interact with the dog(s). For instance, is the dog kept outside, or in certain rooms? What practices do you engage in to maintain ritual purity? How do your Muslim friends or family react to this? If possible, if those

Canadian Muslim dog owners are willing, I would be interested in engaging in email correspondence about additional questions. Please email me at johanne_horsfall[at]carleton.ca if you wish to participate in a private and confidential “email interview.” However, you are welcome to write about it in this thread too.

I am very interested in hearing people’s opinions about this issue. While this study is focused on Canadian Muslims, those from other parts of the world are more than welcome to participate in this discussion. However, I would ask that only Canadians fill out the survey.

Your responses will be kept in the strictest confidence, and this project has been given clearance by the Carleton University Research Ethics Board. Feel free to contact me at johanne_horsfall[at]carleton.ca or the Carleton University Research Ethics Board at ethics[at]carleton.ca

Thank you for your time, I greatly appreciate it,

Johanne

When I originally took my Shahada, I had every intention of becoming a good Muslimah. I had every intention of doing all of my prayers. I had every intention of becoming a hijabi. I had EVERY intention in the world to be a good Muslimah... And I let lust take over me. 

I got a boyfriend. A very anti-islamic boyfriend. I loved him. I fell so hard for him. He turned me from my faith, and he did not truly love me. He used me. Not only did I have an anti-islamic boyfriend, but we had intercourse numerous times; and I truly believe that is the only reason he wanted me. I have no idea what to do at this point. We have broken up, and with that breakup I was finally clear-headed... And I realized, oh my God, I betrayed my faith in Allah for a human boy and for haram past-times and sin. 

I have no idea how to fix things now. My heart is still Muslim, but my actions have not been. I've been smoking (weed and tobacco), I had sex with my boyfriend, I... I just don't know where to start. I want to start over. I have no idea how. I need help. I need prayers. I don't know what to do. I just need advice. I want to be a good Muslimah but I don't know how to achieve that... Especially after all of these mistakes.  

Insha'Allah someone will be able to guide me.  

Don’t Apologize for Being a Muslim Woman! (Flash)   

Muslim woman does not need to be apologetic. On the contrary, she should be proud and happy of being a Muslim and a woman.

In Islam, there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship with Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur’an says:"And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women." [Noble Quran 2:228]

To be more precise, Islam has inherently and irrefutably honored woman and given her rights and respect.

Almighty Allah said in the Qur’an:“O mankind, indeed We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah, is the most God‑fearing among you.” [49:13]

He also said: "O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you." [4:1]

In his noble Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) further reiterates the prominent status that Islam gave women by saying: , "Women are the twin halves of men."







Visit this site for the FLASH version

2:3 "Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,"
2:32 "And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah , if you should be truthful."
2:35 & 36 "And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers." & "And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.""
etc. verses mentioning 'We' rather than just 'He' or 'Him' for Allah

Who is the "We" in this? Allah and the prophets and/or angels?
In my religion we are taught that Earth was made by God mostly, but Jesus and some angels and other prophets also helped to create it and prepare it for mankind to live on. Is this about the same thing for Muslims?