Feb 2, 2012
When Allah makes something prohibited He does so with our well-being in mind and not because He wants to inflict on us undue hardship. Allah has neither permitted anything except what is pure nor has He prohibited anything except what is impure. That which Allah has prohibited is both unnecessary and dispensable. In addition, when something is prohibited Allah provides alternatives which are better and which give greater ease and comfort to human beings.
This point has been explained by the Islamic scholar Ibn al-Qayyim:
Allah has prohibited seeking omens by drawing lots but has provided the alternative of istikhara (Islam teaches that if the Muslim faces a problem he should consult with others and seek guidance fAllah. The meaning ofistikhara is to ask guidance from Allah in making a choice between two conflicting decisions. For this there is a salat and a du’a (supplication) which is a supplication for seeking Allah’s guidance.
He has prohibited usury but has encouraged profitable trade. He has prohibited gambling but has permitted betting on forms of competition which are useful for their (the Muslims) religious striving, such as horse or camel racing and competing in marksmanship.
He has prohibited (to men) the wearing of silk but has given them the choice of other materials such as wool, linen, and cotton.
He has prohibited adultery and fornication but has encouraged lawful marriage. He has prohibited intoxicating drinks in order that they may enjoy other delicious drinks which are wholesome for the body and mind. And He has prohibited unclean food but provides alternative wholesome food.
(Rawdah al-Muhibbeen, p. 10, and A’alam al-Muwaqq’in, vol. 2, p.111.)
Thus we can say with confidence that when Allah prohibits a few things, there is a much wider range of more wholesome alternatives which are good for us. With this in mind we should seek to avoid that which inflicts harm on us and be satisfied with what Allah has made permissible.
Which brings us to the topic of drugs. The Arabic word khamr signifies any alcoholic drink which causes intoxication. The prohbition of consuming any alcoholic drink is clearly stated in the Quran and there is no controversy regarding this opinion. The Quran clearly says, “O you who believe! Truly, intoxicants and gambling and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan’s doing: avoid it in order that you may be successful. Assuredly Satan desires to sow enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from salat. Will you not then desist?” (5:93-94)
As you can see from the wording of these verses the reason for this prohbibtion is due to the destructive nature of alcoholic drink. But many people make the mistaken assumption that drugs are not specifically mentioned in the Quran and since Allah is silent on this issue therefore drugs are permissible.
But one may ask the question, why was alcoholic drink prohibited in the first place and what affect does it have on one’s mind?
The answer to this question is found in the above Quranic verses. Under the influence of alcoholic drink people lose the ability to think correctly and commit all kinds of actions for which they are later sorry.
In addition, the Prophet has stated that “Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is haram.” (Reported by Muslim) Which means that anything which intoxicates the mind is forbidden and since drugs fall into that category they are also forbidden. Umar bin Khattab, the second Khalifah, declared from the pulpit of the Prophet, “Khamr is that which befogs the mind.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim) There should be no ambiguity or doubts regarding this question. Any substance which has the effect of befogging or clouding the mind, impairing its faculties of thought, perception, and discernment is prohibited in Islam.
But if we were to stop there it would be ending on a negative note. As stated at the beginning, when Allah prohibits something He does so for our own good and provides us something even better as a replacement. Allah says in the Quran, “And do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you” (4:29), and “And do not be cast into ruin by your own hands….” (2:195). Furthermore, the Prophet said, “Do not harm yourself or others” (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah), which is what one does when they consume illicit drugs.
But can you see, dear Muslim, that in all of these statements of prohibition Allah only wants what us best for us and to protect us from harm? The Quran states that, “Allah wants ease for you and not hardship” (Al-Baqarah 2:185) so it is an act of mercy when He warns us to stay away from that which will do us harm.
May Allah help us to be satisfied with what He has made permissible and avoid that which He has forbidden.
Part 2 of this article will discuss “Temptation and Drugs.”
By: Yahya Abdul Rahman
Jan 26, 2012
This is the story of the giant ship engine that failed. The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine. Then, they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, from top to bottom.
Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man searched into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. & instantly, the engine lurched into life & got started.
He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for £10,000. “What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!”So they wrote the old man a note saying “Please send us an itemised bill.”The man sent a bill that read:
- Tapping with a hammer …..£2.00
- Knowing where to hammer..£9,998.00
- Total £10,000
An old quote:“My worry for you is not that you fail to succeed, but that you succeed in the wrong thing.”
An example that springs to mind which I have heard from our scholars is that people strive to do a lot of good a’maal but fail to refrain from committing sins, and they explained this point by using the example of a petrol tank with a hole in the bottom, we keep on filling it with petrol, little realising our loss of fuel from the hole in the tank.
Moral of The Story: Effort itself is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life,‘Makes all the difference’. So often we see people striving, working and making effort tirelessly, often for years only for them to later on realise that they were all misplaced and how they wish they had spent the time and effort on something more fruitful.
May Allah give us the ability to reflect, learn and act on the above.
by Abdurrahman Basher
Jan 25, 2012
We’re excited to invite you to our monthly social gathering at As-Salam Mosque (Downtown Montreal). Do not hesitate to attend. Two full hours of joy and excitement.
This month, the theme is “Spread the Peace“. Find a new friend, Greet with love and ask Allah to grant you both the paradise.
Date: Saturday January 28th, 2012
Time: 4.45 pm (Please do not miss the congregation prayers)
Address: As-Salam Mosque, 1232 Stanley Street (Metro Peel)
Jan 9, 2012
Settling in a foreign country is very difficult. Muslim Immigrants (or visible minorities in General) in Quebec, or even in the rest of Canada, know this just too well, getting a house, stable employment and above all, a learning facility or a school for their children can all become challenging at first.
Home schooling is done under familiar environment and as such it accelerates the child’s learning experience unlike in the conventional schooling system (whether private or public) where the environment is a bit crowded. New comers’ children may take time to familiarize with their new environment.
Home schooling provides the child with the chance to learn what they can at the time they feel most comfortable. Their parents will know better how to interact with them, and this makes learning a continuous process and less tiring unlike in the standard schooling system where the child is expected to be in class for a certain period of time, this way the child’s concentration level is lowered making them lose interest in learning at such an early age. Private schools are much better for new comers than public schools in general. Yet, there is no statistical proof as to which one is better for visible minorities or for Muslims.
The education level in Canada’s private school might seem quite challenging for immigrants who just got into the country. The challenge is not related to the quality of teaching. A lot of parents come from overseas with higher quality teaching. However, the educational system in Quebec has a pace that is different from other foreign home countries. It’s therefore wise that the child should learn at home for a while so s/he can move smoothly from one environment to the other. This way the child will gain the conviction they need and improve their learning abilities within a short period of time.
For Muslim students who were born and raised here, the challenge is different. Their parents might not like the standard schooling system because it exposes the young students to a different value system that is not quite matching with the preferred value system at home. Hence, home schooling looks more attractive for this category.
Schooling at home goes beyond the preset curriculum that the public school follows (or even the private school). Therefore, students from visible minorities are able to explore other interests like music, arts and other hobbies of interest that may eventually become a good career for them later in life. Home schooling is an all holistic program that ensures that the child’s learning needs are fully met.
Finally, it should be noted that this is not a conclusive call to get on the boat of home schooling. This is just a quick exploration on whether home schooling is another alternative for Muslims in Quebec. There is a need for a rigorous study to check whether this schooling mode will effectively and efficiency offer our children the learning excellence they need.
May you please comment and share your point of view about this schooling mode.
