Fulfilling the Trusts/Amânah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Islamic Manners: Fulfilling the Trusts/Amânah



by Brother Abû Rumaysah

Allâh, Exalted is He says,

"Allâh commands you to return the things you hold on trust to their owners"

"If you leave things on trust with one another the one who is trusted must deliver up his trust."

"You who have faith! Do not betray Allâh and His Messenger and do not knowingly betray your trusts."

"It is the believers who are successful, …., those who honour their trusts and their contracts…such people are the inheritors, who will inherit Firdaws, remaining in it timelessly, forever."

"We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains but they refused to take it on and shrank from it. But man took it on, he is indeed wrongdoing and ignorant."

The trust ( amânah) referred to in this last verse, the verse of Sûrah al-Aĥzâb, refers to the fulfilment of the laws that Allâh has revealed. These laws have been referred to as a trust to stress the fact that the undertaking of obeying Allâh was something freely taken on by man, without any coercion, and that he now has a duty of discharging that trust.[1] Ibn `Abbâs said that 'the Trust' referred to the obligations.[ 2 ] As such the meaning of fulfilling trusts is general to discharging our duties to Allâh, the Muslims, and His creation. [3]



al-Kafawî said, 'Everything that Allâh has obligated upon His servants is an amânah, such as: ŝalâh, zakât, ŝiyâm, and repaying debts. The most stressed for of amânah is those things another entrusts one with, and the most stressed form of these is another's secrets.' [4]



Amânah is the mannerism of the Prophets and Messengers. In Sûrah ash-Shu`arâ ´ Allâh, Exalted is He, informs us that Nûĥ, Hûd, Ŝaliĥ, Lûţ and Shu`ayb all said, "I am to you a trustworthy Messenger." The Messenger of Allâh (SAW) was known amongst his people, both before and after his being entrusted with the Message, as al-Amîn (the Trustworthy One). al-Miswarah bin Makhramah said, 'I asked Abû Jahl, my uncle, "Uncle, did you ever accuse Muĥammad of lying before he came with his message?" her replied, "Son of my sister, by Allâh, while he was yet young, Muĥammad would be called al-Amîn (the Trustworthy One) by us. Even when his hair started turning white, he would still not lie." I asked, "Uncle of mine, so why don’t you follow him?" He replied, "Son of my sister, we and Banû Hâshim were always competing with each other for nobility, they fed people and so we did too, they gave others drink and so we did too, they granted protection and so we did too. We've kept pace with each other like two race-horses, then they said, 'A Prophet has arisen from us', how could we possibly compete in this?" ' [5]



There are numerous aĥâdîth stressing the importance of amânah, amongst which are:



1. Bukhârî and Muslim record on the authority of Abû Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies; when he makes an oath he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust." The version of Muslim has the additional wording, "Even if he fasts, prays and thinks that he is a Muslim."



2. Aĥmad [#12384] records that Anas that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"There is no faith for the one who has no amânah and no religion for the one who does not keep his promises."



A similar wording is recorded by al-Bayhaqî [#5256] on the authority of Thawbân that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"There is no faith for the one who has no amânah and there is no prayer for the one who is not in wudû´."



al-Munâwî, may Allâh have mercy upon him said,



'Amânah is the core of faith and its position is that of the heart to the body. Amânah is to be found in seven limbs: the eyes, ears, tongue, hand, foot, stomach, and the private parts. Whoever leaves off fulfilling the amânah of any of these limbs, his faith will be sullied, and whoever leaves off the amânah of all of them, he will leave the circle of faith.' [6]



It is in this light that `Umar would say,



'The one who has no amânah is devoid of religion.' [7]



The Salaf would look to a person's amânah and truthfulness as a indication of his religiosity rather than his prayer and fasting. Ibn `Umar would say,



'Do not look to the prayer of anyone, nor his fasting, but look to the truthfulness of his speech when he talks, his fulfilment of trusts when he is entrusted, and his scrupulousness when he is given a position of responsibility. ‘[ 8]



3. al-Ĥakîm at-Tirmidhî records on the authority of Zayd bin Thâbit that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"The first thing to be lifted from this nation will be trust (amânah), and the last thing to remain of their religion will be the prayer, and it is possible that one praying have no lot with Allâh, Exalted is He."



at-Ţabarânî records on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"The first thing you will lose of your religion is amânah. There is no religion for the one who has no amânah and no amânah for the one who does not keep his promises, and keeping promises well is from faith."



4. Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-Imân [#5252] records on the authority of Abû Hurayrah (RA) that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"Discharge the trust to those who entrust you and do not act treacherously to those who act so with you."



5. Ibn Ĥibbân records on the authority of `Ubâdah bin as-Ŝâmit that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"Guarantee me six and I will guarantee you Paradise: be truthful when you speak; fulfil your promises; carry out what you are entrusted with; safeguard your private parts; lower your gaze; and restrain your hands."



Fudayl bin `Ayâd said,



'The foundation of faith in our view, after the testification of Tawĥîd and after attesting that the Prophet (SAW) conveyed the message and after the performance of the obligations, is: being truthful in speech; preserving the trusts; leaving off treachery; fulfilling promises; joining the ties of kinship; and giving sincere advice to all the Muslims.' [9]



6. at-Tirmidhî records on the authority of Abû Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe. The believer is one to whom the people would entrust their blood and property."



7. at-Tirmidhî records on the authority of Jâbir bin `Abdullâh that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"When a person speaks, then turns [left and right], that speech becomes an amânah."



Meaning that his speech has the ruling of an amânah and as such it is not permissible to spread it and broadcast it. Ibn Raslân said,



'This is because his looking around serves to alert the person he is speaking to that he fears that another may hear what he is saying and that these words are for the listener only.'



al-`Alqamî said,



'Meaning that when someone says something to you and then goes away, his speech becomes an amânah and it is not permissible for you to spread it.'



Hence he understands the turning mentioned in the ĥadîth to mean going away but the first possibility is the obvious one. [10]The generality of this ĥadîth finds specificity in the ĥadîth of Jâbir recorded by Abû Dâwûd that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said,



"Gatherings are an amânah except for three: those for the purpose of shedding blood unlawfully; or committing fornication; or acquiring property unjustly." [11]



And we are taught that the lack of amânah would be the feature of later times,



8. Bukhârî and Muslim record on the authority of Hudhayfah bin al-Yamân (RA) said, 'The Messenger of Allâh (SAW) narrated two ĥadîth to us, one of which I have seen and the other I am still awaiting: he narrated to us,



"Trust (amânah) descended into the core of the hearts of men, then the Qur´ân was revealed and they learnt [it from] the Qur´ân and they learnt [it from] the Sunnah."



Then he narrated to us about the removal of trust,



"A man will sleep for a time and trust would be taken from his heart, leaving behind it only a faint trace. Then he would sleep for a time and trust would be taken from his heart leaving behind it the impression of a small blister, as if one of you rolled a ember on his foot which then blisters leaving behind it a swelling that is empty."



Then he took a pebble and rolled it on his foot and said,



"So people would awake and trade with each other and hardly any of them will discharge their trusts to the point that it will be said, 'In such-a-such a tribe there is a trustworthy person' and it will be said about a person, 'How prudent he is! How perspicuous he is! How intelligent he is!' and there is not in his heart even the weight of a mustard seed of faith."



A time has passed me wherein I cared not with whom I traded: if he was a Muslim, his religion would cause him to return the trust; and if he was a Christian or a Jew, his master would cause him to return the trust. As for now, I only trade with such-and-such a person from amongst you.'



_______________________________



1 al-âlûsî, Rûĥ al-Ma`ânī [22/370]



2 al-Qurţubî [14/162]



3 ibn`Uthaymîn, Sharĥ Riyâd as-Ŝaliĥîn [1/732]



4 al-Kafawî, al-Kulliyât [p. 176]



5 Reported by Yûnus bin Bukair, al-Maghâzî and quoted from him by adh-Dhahabī, as-Sîrah.



6 al-Munâwî, Fayd al-Qadîr [6/495]



7 Bayhaqî [#5279]



8 Bayhaqî [#5278]



9 Bayhaqî [#5260]



10 al-`Azimabâdî, `Awn al-Ma`bûd [13/216]



11 ‘Ali al-Qârî, Mirqât [8/500]



Source

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]

Love one another for the sake of Allah(SWT)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Love one another for the sake of Allah (SWT)

“There are three things, that whoever attains, will find the sweetness of faith: If Allah and his messenger are dearer to him than anyone else; if he loves a person solely for the sake of Allah; and if he would hate to return to disbelief (kufr) after Allah has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate to be thrown into fire." [Bukhari & Muslim]



Our love for each other for the sake of Allah implies a willingness to sacrifice our needs for the sake of our fellow Muslims’ needs in a manner that far outweighs normal sacrifice for the sake of friendship. This pure love is crucial to maintaining Muslims’ faith, if Muslims don’t have strong relations with each other, their faith will automatically decrease.

Loving for the sake of Allah means to love Allah and to show loyalty to Him by following His Shariah. It means to love all that is good and permissible in the Quran and Sunnah. This type of love requires one to defend Allahs deen and to preserve it. It is to love those who are obedient to Allah and to defend and assist them. These are the party of Allah.



Support one another

“The relationship between believers is like a wall, parts of which support other parts.”[Muslim]



A Muslim should not forsake or abandon his brother, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “There should be no breaking off of ties, no turning away from one another, no hating one another. Be brothers, as Allah has commanded you.” [Muslim]



Loved by Allah(SWT)

It is mentioned in a hadith Qudsi “My love is incumbent upon those who love one another for my sake, those who exchange visits for my sake, those who sit with one another for my sake, and those who put themselves in the service of one another for my sake”. It is the loyalty of those who love one another not for worldly benefits but only in the cause of Allah. Those are the the ones for whom Allah's love is incumbent. [Malik]

Shaded by Allah (SWT)

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Prophet (SAW) said, "Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Thrown on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): `I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].



Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Exalted, will say: `Where are those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory? Today I shall shelter them in My Shade when there will be no shade except Mine"[Muslim]

Seated on pulpits of light

Mu`adh (bin Jabal) (RA) reported: Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: `For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs". [Tirmidhi]

On one occasion the Prophet(SAW) finished the prayer and turned toward the people and said, "O people, listen and understand. Allah has slaves who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but both the prophets and martyrs envy them for their closeness to Allah." A bedouin stepped forward, pointed to the Messenger of Allah and said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about these people." The Prophet was pleased with the bedouin's request and said, "They are from various peoples and tribes who have no ties of relationship between them. They love each other purely for the sake of Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will present them pulpits of light for them to sit on. Their faces will be light and their clothes will be light. The people will be scared on the Day of Resurrection, but they will not be scared. They are the friends of Allah who will not have any fear upon them nor will they grieve. [Ahmad and Abu Ya'la with a hassan chain]

Acts of love for one another

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Prophet (SAW) said, "A man set out to visit a brother (in Faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him, "Where do you intend to go?'' He said, "I intend to visit my brother in this town". The angel said, "Have you done any favour to him?'' He said, "No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious.'' Thereupon the angel said, "I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake)". [Muslim]

“If a man loves his brother in faith, he should tell him that he loves him.”[Abu Dawud]



Anas bin Malik (RA) reported: A man was with the Prophet (SAW) when another man passed by and the former said: "O Messenger of Allah! I love this man (for Allah's sake)". Messenger of Allah (SAW) asked, "Have you informed him?'' He said, "No". Messenger of Allah (SAW) then said, "Tell him (that you love him)". So he went up to the man and said to him, "I love you for the sake of Allah;'' and the other replied, "May Allah, for Whose sake you love me, love you.'' [Abu Dawud].

Source: LutonMuslims.co.uk

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]

Our Provisions for striving to achieve Allah's Pleasure

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim




In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Our Provisions for striving to achieve Allah's Pleasure

Our Provisions

Every traveler needs some provisions for his journey. The longer the way, the more arduous and greater the sacrifices required to complete it and the more provisions he requires.

What then of someone traveling towards Allah and the Hereafter? Someone who will end his journey either in Paradise or the Hell-Fire? What could we say of a traveller who starts his journey with trials and tribulations in this world, spending the remainder of his journey in a state of dust in his grave, only to end up between the Hands of his Lord? What provisions does such a person need to take with him? What kind of provisions will benefit and help him on his journey? And what provisions will take him to a place of safety and save him from what he fears and strives hard to avoid? Does he need wealth and children or prestige and power? By Allah, he needs none of these as provisions on the way towards Allah and the Hereafter. Indeed, such worldly means will be of no avail to him on the Day of Judgement, as Allah (SAW) says (which means) ,

"But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, 'O, would that I had not been given my record! Nor known what my reckoning was! O, would that [death] had made an end [of me]! My wealth has been of no avail to me. My power has perished from me. "[1]

"O Mankind! Keep your duty to your Lord and fear a Day when the parent will not be of any avail to the child, nor will the child at all be of any avail to the parent. "[2]

"But when there comes as-Saakh-khah (the Day of Resurrection's second blowing of the Trumpet), on that day a man will flee from his brother, and [from] mother and his father, and [from] his wife and his children. Every man among them that day will have concern enough to make him indifferent [to others]. "[3]

None of these provisions will avail us except that of Taqwa (fear of Allah),

"And take a provision [with you] for the journey; but the best provision is Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.)” [4]

Knowledge is also our provision,

"It is only those have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah. "[5]

Certainty is also our provision,

"And we made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they persevered with patience and used to believe with certainty in Our Signs."[6]

Putting trust in Allah is also our provision,

"And whoever puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is Allah for him."[7]

Gratitude is also our provision,

"Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful [to Him] and you believe [in Him]?"[8]

Patience is also our provision,

"Allah is with those who patiently persevere. "[9]

Zuhd is also our provision,

Eschew the world and Allah will love you, and eschew what people possess and the people will love you. "[10]]

Preferring the Hereafter is also one of our provisions,

"And whoso desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for, and he is a believer - these are the ones whose striving shall find favour [with Allah].[11]

Such are the provisions which are useful and suitable for our journey to Allah and the Hereafter. They are the right provisions which assist us to carry out the legal obligations that Allah has commanded us to fulfil in this life, avoid the prohibited and patiently endure hardships and afflictions. They are the right provisions that help defeat our enemies, achieve the means of material strength and help in inviting assistance from Allah. They are also the right provisions which assist in forming the distinctive Muslim personality; indeed, they are the proof of the correct formation of such a personality. Today we face all the forces of kufr and inequity while we are in possession of so little in terms of number and means. Our enemies have at their disposal virtually all the means of material might. Also, while we barely find a safe place in which to take refuge, our enemies dominate the world and stand united against Islam,

"Verily, adh-Dhalimoon (the polytheists, wrongdoers, etc.) are awliyyaa' (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another. "[12]

So what is left for us?

“But Allah is the Wali (Helper, Protector, etc.) of the is righteous" [13]

Indeed, He is the best protector and helper .

"For Allah is Best and the Most Abiding. "[14]

We have been commanded to make ready against our enemies all we can of power. But whatever preparations we make will, for the most part, be insignificant compared to those of our enemies. So how can we prevail?

In fact, we can prevail because they do not possess the same provisions as we have. Our provisions will be the instrument that bridges the wide gulf in capability between us and them, and provide us with ultimate victory.

We stand, despite our meager capabilities and our small number, armed with piety that will safeguard us against minor sins, let alone major ones, and will encourage us to perform voluntary acts of worship after the performance of the obligatory ones. The Prophet (SAW) says,

"Allah the Almighty has said, 'Whoever shows enmity to a walil (friend) of Mine, I shall be at war with Him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts of worship so that I love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me of refuge, I would surely grant him it.' "[15]

We also stand in the face of our enemies, armed with knowledge which will prevent us from going astray and enable us to worship our Lord in the manner most pleasing to Him. We stand assured of Allah's assistance and support for this religion. Certainty prompts us to put our trust in Allah, so that if we are afflicted by a calamity along the way, we endure it with a patience fair to see, and if good befalls us, we express our gratitude to Allah in a way suited to Him, the Giver and Bestower, Exalted is He. We sell our lives in exchange for the Hereafter, loving death as our enemies love life. How could we possibly be defeated after all this?.

---

1 Surah Al-Haaqqah (69), Ayat 25-28.

2 Surah Luqman (31), Ayah 33.

3 Surah 'Abasa (80), Ayat 33-37.

4 Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Ayah 197.

5 Surah Faatir (35), Ayah 28.

6 Surah As-Sajdah (32), Ayah 24.

7 Surah At-Talaq (65), Ayah 2.

8 Surah An-Nisa (4), Ayah 147.

9 Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Ayah 153

10 Ibn Maajah.

11 Surah Al-'Israa, Ayah 19.

12 Surah Al-Jaathiya (45), Ayah 19.

13 Ibid.

14 Surah Ta-Ha (20), Ayah 73.

15 Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Hurairah.

Extracted from "In Pursuit of Allah's Pleasure" published by Al Firdous Publications, Distrubuted by Message of Islam

Source: Islaam.net

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

Hadith: Green birds....

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim





In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said:

When your brethren were smitten at the battle of Uhud, Allah put their spirits in the crops of green birds which go down to the rivers of Paradise, eat its fruit and nestle in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. Then when they experienced the sweetness of their food, drink and rest, they asked: Who will tell our brethren about us that we are alive in Paradise provided with provision, in order that they might not be disinterested in jihad and recoil in war? Allah Most High said: I shall tell them about you; so Allah sent down; "And do not consider those who have been killed in Allah's path." till the end of the verse.


(Abu Dawud Book #14, Hadith #2514)




It has been narrated on the authority of Masruq Who said: We asked 'Abdullah about the Qur'anic verse: "Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.." (iii. 169). He said: We asked the meaning of the verse (from the Holy Prophet) who said: The souls, of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise from wherever they like and then nestle in these chandeliers. Once their Lord cast a glance at them and said: Do ye want anything? They said: What more shall we desire? We eat the fruit of Paradise from wherever we like. Their Lord asked them the same question thrice. When they saw that they will continue to be asked and not left (without answering the question). they said: O Lord, we wish that Thou mayest return our souls to our bodies so that we may be slain in Thy way once again. When He (Allah) saw that they had no need, they were left (to their joy in heaven).

(Sahih Muslim Book #020, Hadith #4651)

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:





"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:


Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,


Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."


[Ahmad]

Schools allowed to ban face veils

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Schools allowed to ban face veils

Teachers need to be able to see pupils' faces, the DfES says

Schools will be able to ban pupils from wearing full-face veils on security, safety or learning grounds under new uniforms guidance issued by ministers.

It says efforts must be made to accommodate religious clothing, but stresses the importance of teachers and pupils being able to make eye contact.

It comes after a girl failed in a legal bid to overturn her school's niqab ban.

Islamic groups have been divided in their response - some "shocked" and others welcoming the guidance.

Headteachers' leaders have applauded the decision, saying that it would provide "clarity" and "reassurance" for schools.

It's not right that schools should have to be arguing this out case by case Head teacher Veil court case school Why Muslims wear the veil Do we need to see a face?

The issue of religious dress has become an increasingly complicated one for schools in recent years, with a handful of high profile court cases over the right to wear a full veil.

A court victory by a Buckinghamshire school (which cannot be named for legal reasons) has prompted the updated guidance.

The school argued the veil made communication between teachers and pupils difficult and thus hampered learning.

Teachers needed to be able to tell if a pupil was enthusiastic, paying attention or even distressed but full-face veils prevented this, it said.

This position was upheld by the High Court - which refused to grant a judicial review - and is expected to form a key part of the guidance.

'Consult parents'

The guidance says schools need to be able to identify individual pupils in order to maintain good order and spot intruders.

Schools Minister Jim Knight says "learning must take precedence"

"If a pupil's face is obscured for any reason the teacher may not be able to judge their engagement with learning or secure their participation in discussions and practical activities," it adds.

Schools minister Jim Knight said: "Schools should consult parents and the wider community when setting uniform policy.

"And while they should make every effort to accommodate social, religious or medical requirements of individual pupils, the needs of safety, security and effective learning in the school must always take precedence."

The head teacher of the Buckinghamshire school, who also cannot be named, said it would be very useful to have some clear guidance from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

"It's not right that schools should have to be arguing this out case by case," she told the BBC News website.

"Obviously there's a trade-off between schools retaining autonomy over school uniform decisions, on the other hand we will have some very clear guidance from the DfES within which to work."

'Dismayed'

There were divided responses from the Muslim community.

The chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Massoud Shadjareh, said he was "dismayed" by the DfES guidance.

The guidance has divided opinion within the Muslim community

"Successive ministers dealing with education issues have failed to give proper guidance when requested by human rights campaigners about schools' obligations regarding religious dress, including the head scarf.

"To now proceed to issue guidance against Muslim communities is simply shocking," he said.

But the Muslim Council of Britain's education spokesman, Tahir Alam, said that the new guidance did not "alter the position very much" and said "the vast majority of schools are able to solve these issues locally".

Dr Tag Hargey of the Muslim Education Centre welcomed the guidance.

"When you conceal the face, that actually not only dehumanises the person involved, but also creates a chasm, a gap, a bridge of non-understanding between communities and I think the sooner we can get rid of this veil, this face veiling, this face masking in Muslim societies across Britain, so much the better."

'Equality issue'

Ayshah Ishmael, a teacher at a Muslim girls' school in Preston who wears the niqab away from the classroom, told the BBC wearing the veil promoted equality.

She said: "You're judged for who you are and not what you are, so I think there are two arguments to the whole equality issue."

The DfES said it was not ordering or advising head teachers to ban the veil, simply confirming that they have the ability to do so if they wish, so long as they carry out proper consultation.

Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary Dr John Dunford said he was pleased the government is supporting school leaders in upholding school uniforms.

"Repeated and blatant breaches of uniform policy undermine the school ethos," he added.

||BBC NEWS||

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]

Tafsir: Surah Muminoon 57-60

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيةِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّشْفِقُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِـَايَـتِ رَبَّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ]

[وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَآ ءاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَجِعُونَ - أُوْلَـئِكَ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَـبِقُونَ ]

(57. Verily, those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;)

(58. And those who believe in the Ayat of their Lord;)

(59. And those who join not anyone as partners with their Lord;)

(60. And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to return to their Lord.)

(61. It is these who hasten in the good deeds, and they are foremost in them.)

Description of the People of Good Deeds

[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيةِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّشْفِقُونَ ]

(Verily, those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;) means, even though they have reached the level of Ihsan and have faith and do righteous deeds, they are still in awe of Allah and fear Him and His hidden plans for them, as Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer combines Ihsan with awe, while the disbelievers combine evil deeds with a sense of security.'

'

[وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِـَايَـتِ رَبَّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ]

(And those who believe in the Ayat of their Lord;) means, they believe in His universal and legislative signs, as Allah says about Maryam, peace be upon her:

[وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَـتِ رَبَّهَا وَكُتُبِهِ]

(and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Lord, and His Scriptures) [66:12], meaning that she believed that whatever existed was by the will and decree of Allah, and that whatever Allah decreed, if it was a command, it would be something that He liked and accepted; if it was a prohibition, it would be something that He disliked and rejected; and if it was good, it would be true. This is like the Ayah:

[وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ ]

(And those who join not anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord;) meaning, they do not worship anyone or anything else besides Him, but they worship Him Alone and know that there is no god except Allah Alone, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who does not take a wife or have any offspring, and there is none comparable or equal unto Him.

[وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَآ ءاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَجِعُونَ ]

(And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to return to their Lord.) means, they give in charity, fearing that it may not be accepted from them because of some shortcoming or failure to meet the required conditions of giving. This has to do with fear and taking precautions, as Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah: I said: "O Messenger of Allah,

[وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَآ ءاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ]

(And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear...) Are these the ones who steal and commit Zina and drink alcohol while fearing Allah'' The Messenger of Allah replied:

«لَا، يَا بِنْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ يَا بِنْتَ الصِّدِّيقِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي وَيَصُومُ وَيَتَصَدَّقُ وَهُوَ يَخَافُ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَل»

(No, O daughter of Abu Bakr. O daughter of As-Siddiq, the one who prays, fast and gives in charity, fearing Allah.) This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded something similar in which the Prophet said:

«لَا يَا بِنْتَ الصِّدِّيقِ، وَلَكِنَّهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُصَلُّونَ وَيَصُومُونَ وَيَتَصَدَّقُونَ وَهُمْ يَخَافُونَ أَلَّا يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ:

[أُوْلَـئِكَ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ]»

(No, O daughter of As-Siddiq, they are the ones who pray and fast and give in charity while fearing that it will not be accepted from them, (It is these who hasten in the good deeds.)) This is also how Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi and Al-Hasan Al-Basri interpreted this Ayah.

Source: Tafsir.com

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]

Video: "Wake Up!"

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.

( سورة الحديد , Al-Hadid, Chapter #57, Verse #20)

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:



"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]