Q and A
Reading novels: Is it permissible to read novels and watch television?
Answer: Alas, we read the kuffar novels and watch television programs which are filled with tales of adultery and infidelity. Does the descriptions and scenes of partying and consuming a “drink” by John and Jane, the boastful phrases tossed by Peter and Paul with pride and smugness, the expressions of jealousy and malice spewed by Sandy and Andy…do they not affect our morals and character? Sooner or later, we start imitating them and behaving like them since our hearts created from dust has the imprints of all the evils. These kuffaar written novels and television shows and videos are born from the womb of Kufr and Shirk. They find their roots in authors whose hearts are filled with the darkness of adultery, alcohol, music and dance. Their hearts are watered from the reservoir of the sewage flowing forth from minds filled with Kufr and Shirk. They do not contain a single word of Allah, a single word of His Rasul (Salallahu alaihi wasallam), a single word of the torments of the qabr or the horrors of the Aakhirah. Every word read, every scene viewed, distances the heart from Allah. The heart is the Residence of Al-lah Ta’ala, greater than even the Holy Kaaba. What a waste of time is television and reading novels not!
Cancer: I have cancer. I am filled with fear. Please give me some advice.
Answer: Indeed, the word cancer itself strikes fear and dread in the heart of those who are healthy and well. No one really can understand what really goes through the mind of a person who has been diagnosed with this deadly disease. We can hear what he says but we cannot fully appreciate the impact of his words. For his is a narrow World, close to termination. O the unspoken ambitions and the unannounced aspirations stored in the mind, O the unfulfilled plans and the unrealized hopes cherished in the hearts…all of it turned into ash and cinders by the flames of destiny beyond the control of power and wealth and medicine. All of mankind stand defeated with heavy hearts and drooping shoulders. For a non-Muslim the burden of death is twice, nay many, many more times, for he has no Aakhirah in front of him. His Jannah was the unrestricted joys of the Dunya (World) in which he immersed himself – sports and amusement he lived for; adultery and wealth he was prepared to die for. As he lived in darkness, oblivious to his Creator – so he dies in darkness, oblivious of the horrors waiting him. By Allah, compare the cases of a Muslim who has cancer and a non-Muslim and we shall find the power of Imaan consoling the Muslim, immaterial of his sins and hideous past. “It’s all in Allah hands” – Muslims not only say; they believe firmly. “I will only live how long I have been destined to” – Muslims not only declare; they affirm with dignity. “Whatever Allah Wills” – Muslims not only murmur; they claim with grace. They are the ones who have surrendered their souls to Allah before their souls are called back to Allah. They spend their last days with a tasbeeh close by. When they cannot stand and perform Salaah, they sit and do so. When they cannot sit and do so, they lie down even as the pain wrecks their fragile bod-ies. Such devotion! Such Love! Such Mu’mineen! Such Muslimeen! Such Establishers of Salaah! Allahu-Akbar! The Malaa-ikah in the skies hymn their praises and make Du’a for forgiveness of these souls who are being purified due to the sickness they experience. Allah, in His own infinite wisdom wishes to escalate the status of such sick people. They are selected by Allah in order that they be cleansed here in the World before coming to the Hereafter. Spend your time remembering Allah. Train the heart to ache for Him. In Hadith it is mentioned that He who loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him even more.
Benefiting from a Sheikh: I am Bay’t to a Sheikh. However, I do not seem to benefit much from him. What could the reason be?
Answer: We assume your Sheikh is an uprighteous Sheikh. We assume he abstains from Biad’ah and does not as a habit indulge in Fisq and Fujoor. We also assume that he gives regular discourses and Naseehat. If we are correct in all our assumptions, then your misfortune for not benefiting from your Sheikh is due to one of the following reasons:
1) Your intention is incorrect. Some people take Bayt for Taawizes, others for Barkat and yet others for merely to be seen with a Sheikh.
2) You are involved in a spiritual sickness called “gud rai”. This means that you prefer your opinions to that of your Sheikhs in matters of your Islaah. Moulana Maseehullah Rahmatullahi alayh, an Imaam of Tasawwuf, states that “Gud Rai is poison to those who aspire for Allah’s Friendship”
3) You have hurt the heart of your Sheikh with some indiscretion. Moulana Thanvi Rahmatullahi alayh has stated that even if one’s Sheikh was in-volved in Bid’ah, he should be respected as at one time he was considered to be the medium for the immense wealth of Ta-allauq ma-Allah.
4) You lack adab (respect) for your Sheikh. ’Ibne Arabi has said that in this path respect and display of love for the Sheikh is everything.
5) Last but not least, you do not inform the Sheikh of your shortcomings and conceal your sicknesses from him. How can you ever benefit from him?
Addicted to porn I am addicted to pornography. This is causing havoc in my marriage. I just cant seem to control myself. My wife wants to leave me now. What Thikr can I do?
Answer: Your rooh needs a cure to remedy the sick-ness of Shahwat. Hadhrat Maseehullah Rahmat-ullahi alayh stated that Thikr is for adorning the rooh, not curing the rooh. It’s like a sick person who requests vitamins instead of medication. The vita-mins will not substitute the medication. If you are serious to rid yourself of the sickness of Shahwat (unrestrained desires), then try the following medi-cation: Promise yourself that you will keep five fasts if you indulge in pornography ever again. The Nafs despises hunger and cannot tolerate star-vation. A solid dose of hunger and promises of more such bitter medication will, Insha-Allah, weak-en its power. As for your wife threatening to leave you, what did you expect? A bouquet of flowers for your Khiyaanat? More than eighty percent of mar-riages are breaking down due to husbands cheating their wives with the eyes. You seem to forget that she is Muslimah and not a cheap prostitute. The One who turned her heart away from you has the Power to turn it towards you. Make sincere Taubah to Allah The Forgiver and you will find His Assistance.
E-mail containing jokes of the Holy Qur’aan Please comment on the following e-mail which are doing the rounds.
Wife to husband: Have I ever come in your dreams?
Husband: Never
Wife: Why not!
Husband: Because I read Ayat Al Kursi before going to bed
Answer: These types of e-mails are a mockery of the Holy Qur’aan. The verses of the Holy Qur’an cannot be used for the sake of amusement and jokes. The Verse of The Throne is Great and Glori-ous and a Powerful Verse meant for protection. The Shayaateen fear this verse and become powerless when it is recited. Could the initiator of this e-mail not find anything else to amuse himself with? Sure-ly, if he does not make Taubah the Qur’aan Sharief will lay a case against him on the Day of Qiyamah.
Sports: I love sports to such an extent that I even miss my Salaah. When my favourite teams play, I cannot sleep in peace or even eat in peace. My mind is continuously absorbed with who is going to win. When my team looses, I feel sad. Please advice how I can reform myself.
Answer: From your question it is clear that your heart is besotted with love — a very unholy love. This heart has been created by Allah Ta’ala for His Love. In one Hadith it is mentioned that nothing can contain Allah Ta’ala except the heart of a Muslim. Sadly, such a holy and sacred abode which is meant for The Creator and His Remembrance have now been furnished with cricket scores and soccer balls been furnished with cricket scores, soccer logs etc. The truth is that our heart is more engrossed with the Thikr of the players than Allah, Most High. Our hearts are restless with fear of their failure. We panic and are restless to the extent that some cannot even sit in peace in the toilet when The Match is on. What a sick heart! What a tragedy of the cele-bration of life, Imaan and Islam.
The heart is sick and if it is not cured now this sickness will cause it to die a slow, brutal and miserable death. Slowly but surely the heart will be unable to see right from wrong. Thereafter it will justify the wrongs and criticise what is right. Then comes the death knell when it will promote and propagate the wrong and thwart the right. The heart is meant for Allah’s Thikr and Dyaan (Thoughts). For this it needs space…lots of space, not for the Makhluq but for the Khaliq. It needs space to visualize the Divine Presence of Allah and His Qudrat. One Allah, one life, one heart which is the “Kaaba” within a Muslim. It is where Allah resides. Let’s make up our minds whether we wish our hearts to be “Mandirs” with idols of sport or a Kaaba for Allah’s pleasure.
Ref: Sharia Vol, no8
