BACKBITING - الغيبة

Neither spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely you would loathe it. Fear Allah. Indeed, Allah relents and is Merciful. [Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12]


Say you're sitting at a coffee shop. Sipping your hot cup of coffee with your friends / cousins / mom / aunties / grandma. Sitting back on that comfortable chair and maybe staring at that last piece of brownie on the coffee shop's display shelf, until you hear......  

"Ish! Just look at that woman. Apa lah pakai seluar pendek macam tu. Dah la melayu, sah la orang Islam. Takkan husband dia tak suruh tukar baju sebelum keluar rumah kot?"

"Haa yang ni pulak pesyen pakai tudung tapi pakai t-shirt pendek and jeans ketat. Baik tak payah pakai tudung kalau macam tu."

"Laaa family ni pulak satu macam. Mak dia bertudung litup tapi anak dia bagi pakai baju plunging neckline and jeans ketat. Tegur la anak tu kalau ye pun."

and the conversations can continue this way until you feel like leaving your hot coffee on the table and taking off, leaving these people to continue multiplying their sins until they finish their coffee.

Do you know the definition of 'Ghibah'?- I'll tell you.

Ghibah linguistically means a truthful statement that is said in the person's absence and he would dislike to have that said about him/her. By the shar'i definition, it's called "BACKBITING"

Abu Hurayrah (ra) said that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Do you know what is backbiting?" The Companions said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." Thereupon the Prophet said, "Backbiting is to talk about your brother in a manner which he does not like." 

Backbiting is the only thoughtless utter of a few words, light on the tongue but weighty in sin. It could lead a person to the Hellfire. Please note that women are likely to fall into ghibah. Yes, it is scary but it's a fact and it's true. When we see a scenario like the above, where you're nicely sitting in a coffee shop letting your eyes wander around to observe your surroundings, please please please also remember that Allah is watching you. What you say might displease Him and as a result, the angels on your left are jotting down your sins effortlessly. It could be that those women are dressed inappropriately, but know that they might be better than you (in ibadah) and only Allah Knows what it is. One may question, "yeah right, if they're better than me in ibadah than they would know not to dress that way" - This is pure arrogance and ignorance.

I am not saying that it is okay for them to dress the way they do but please also consider the possibilities of them dressing that way :

1. Maybe it was her first day wearing the hijab and she was still trying to get used to it. 
2. Perhaps she never had a proper Islamic upbringing and no one in her family wears hijab except for her. 
3. It could be that none of her Muslim friends ever made da'wah to her about the etiquette of wearing the hijab.
4. For all you know, she really wanted to wear the hijab properly but she's got an abusive husband who tells her not to. She could be in the process of getting a divorce and you don't even know it.
5. She's not a Muslim! but she loves seeing people in hijab and she's secretly wrapping her head in it just to know what it feels like being a Muslim. Maybe someone made da'wah to her and she's fallen in love with Islam. 

I could list down hundreds of possibilities that could lead to legitimate justifications.

If we truly call ourselves Muslims, we should know that our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم warned us about the severity of backbiting.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Sometimes a person says something that displeases Allah through which he is raised in rank; and sometimes a person says something which displeases Allah so it takes him to Hell." [Sahih Bukhari] 

What are the consequences of backbiting?

It is likely that the person who back-bit another will be punished by being ordered, on the day of judgment, to eat from the flesh of the dead bodies of those whom he backbit, as they will be made to appear to him as such.

Neither spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely you would loathe it. Fear Allah. Indeed, Allah relents and is Merciful. [Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12]

dan janganlah kamu mengintip atau mencari-cari kesalahan dan keaiban orang; dan janganlah setengah kamu mengumpat setengahnya yang lain. Adakah seseorang dari kamu suka memakan daging saudaranya yang telah mati? (Jika demikian keadaan mengumpat) maka sudah tentu kamu jijik kepadanya. (Oleh itu, patuhilah larangan-larangan yang tersebut) dan bertaqwalah kamu kepada Allah; sesungguhnya Allah Penerima taubat, lagi Maha mengasihani. [Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12]


Also, two of the sahabah once criticised a man who had been punished for committing adultery. The Prophet, when he passed by the carcass of a donkey, said, "Where are those two? Get down and eat from the flesh of this donkey!" They said : "O Prophet of Allah! Who would eat this?" He replied, "What the two of you have recently done by defaming the honour of your brother is far worse than eating from this."
[Abu Dawood]

Look how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم defended the honour of a person who was punished for committing adultery and said that backbiting him was worse than eating from the flesh of the dead donkey! If this is the case, how about backbiting people who have not committed such a major sin? What about backbiting scholars or people who call to, or fight for, Islam?

Think about it.


Why do people backbite?

1. Weakness of faith and lack of piety make a person likely to speak thoughtlessly and carelessly and transgress against other when she speaks. 
2. To vent her anger against the one who she is backbiting by mentioning his faults and bad qualities.
3. To fit in : the backbiter wishes to join her companions in their backbiting, she wants to be part of their conversation. In other words : peer pressure.
4. Personal dislike : the backbiter is having bad thoughts about the one who she is backbiting.
5. For self-purification (absolving oneself of these traits and vices) : the backbiter wishes to absolve herself of any bad qualities and tries to attribute them to someone else. She mentions them in bad light so people think that she himself does not have those qualities. 
6. To honour and elevate oneself : She tries to raise her own self by mentioning the faults of others.
7. Jealousy and Envy : such that when people praise someone, the back-biter gets jealous and this leads her to mention that person's faults. 
8. Mocking,joking and belittling others.

This piece of advice is also for those of you who talk about another person's weakness on blogs, websites, chats, facebook etc. If you want to advice a sister or a brother on something, go directly to them and advice them in a gentle manner. This is called being a Muslim. If you think you're doing them a favour by beating around the bush and announcing their weakness on social sites (even if you don't mention their names) hoping that they will 'come to their senses' and repent to God, then you're wrong. You are the one who should repent to God for committing such a sin. Do not misuse social sites as a platform for your backbiting business to gain popularity and a few comments from your fellow friends, it's not worth the punishment in the Hereafter. As Muslims, we have adab (manners) and as a follower of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, we have a duty to fulfill and that is by adhering to his Sunnah. Backbiting is no small matter, it is a major sin. May Allah grant us adab in calling people to Islam and grant us the correct understanding of the Deen, ameen.

The Prophet (saw) said, "One of the greatest major sins is to stretch out one's tongue without right against the honour of a Muslim." [Abu Dawood] 

*Credits to Al-Kauthar's Heart Therapy Purification of the Soul. Eye-opening course.

TIME IS GOLD

The mission is to live up to the picture. Mission starts umm.. now.

So I have just discovered 'something' about myself last night while staring into space, freezing myself in the nook of my room - I actually have very little 'me' time.

Like any normal person, I have a 9-6 job working 5 days a week. However, due to my 'busy' lifestyle, I make it a point to mark my activities in my phone calendar. I'm obviously phone dependent, my brain memory stopped functioning in the year 2000 since I had my first cell phone. So yesterday I was flipping through my calendar and as I was browsing the past months, I noticed that I have attended SO MANY appointments, special talks and meetings. Let me list them down for you.

January   : Fresh year, so I only had 1 activity throughout the entire month.
February : 17 activities out of 28 days 
March     : 20 activities out of 31 days
April       : 17 activities out of 30 days
May       : 16 activities out of 31 days

waaa banyak nya.

I am not complaining, no no no. I just need time to sit back, relax and enjoy having some 'me' time. Yes I'm a self proclaimed duracell bunny and I can go on without resting for days, even batteries need to recharge! So I checked myself again, Alhamdulillah those hectic schedule was mostly put to beneficial use. May Allah forgive me if some didn't.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

4 years ago when I joined the advertising industry, I don't remember having 3 meals a day. I worked as a line producer in a production company for a year and a half producing TV commercials and that was one tough job. I wasn't trained in the army but that job almost made me feel like I was in a military camp. I remember shooting a TVC for HSBC Singapore, the preparation for that ad was only 3 weeks. We had a small team who literally did everything. Our job title didn't mean much at that point because when the 11th hour strikes, you just need to get up on your own two feet and get it done yourself. We had a tough time looking for the main talent, there weren't that many pan-Asians in KL and our clients were really fussy (I don't blame them). I personally held casting for over 400 talents within the span of a week and a half and edited the casting videos myself. Editing videos can be very tedious, you need to use your creativity in finding the right 'act'. Only Allah knows the level of stress I had at the time, I couldn't be bothered with anything else but only to get the job done. Then comes the shoot day, I didn't sleep for 3 days on set and came late on the 4th day of shoot. Crew call was 6am and I came at 10.30am - Dah macam zombie.

The feeling of liberation when the shoot ended was indescribable. The moment the assistant director shouted "IT'S A WRAP", I almost raised my hands saying "MERDEKA" just like Tuanku Abdul Rahman in 1957. I miss the production industry, working behind the set, producing a TVC, getting involved in every single detail of the ad but I sure won't go back to that lifestyle - Pengsan.

That was just one shoot. I went through more than one within the span of one and a half years. The things you see on TV are all based on hard work and it's not a glamorous job. Nothing glamorous about not having enough sleep and untimely meals. Plus, I don't even watch TV (except for cooking channels).  

Then I was offered a position in an International advertising agency. Wah the joy!! The first thing that came to mind? "I GET TO BE THE CLIENT ON SET! WOOHOO"

That 'woohoo' was short lived. I later found out (the hard way) that being in a big advertising agency wasn't going to buy me ticket-to-freedom-of-going-home-early-after-work. I handled a really tough account (client) for 2 years but I gained much knowledge from it as well, Alhamdulillah. Nothing is easy in life, everything we go through are really lessons for us to learn and we should take it as a stepping stone to improve ourselves better. I love advertising, no really I do. It challenges the intellect and advertising people are in constant need of new ideas. There is no such thing as 'recycling ideas'. Your client would probably throw her shoes in your mouth for recycled ideas.

Back from strolling down memory lane.

I'm still in advertising. heh. BUT I am using my time more wisely now. I actually spend a lot of time attending various talks, mixing with wonderful sisters and reading to insha'Allah gain more knowledge. I try to read even if I'm exhausted coming home from work everyday, mentally I am tired but the enthusiasm of learning the religion of Allah is always jumping. It's amazing how our mind works, really. You know you're tired after looking at the computer screen for 9 hours and you just wanna drop dead on your bed the moment you step in the house. Somehow that just doesn't happen (ok sometimes it does. There were days when I literally pass out till the next morning). There is this sense of attachment to the religion that makes me feel obligated to go to class, open up a book, listen to a short lecture on youtube or at least read 'something inspirational' from some authentic Islamic website. As a result, I always go to bed with a satisfying feeling! Allahu Akbar! Chats over drinks at the kopitiam has never been this good too, isn't it amazing to be able to speak about Islam with your posse knowing that they too are seeking ways to please Allah? Waah friends like these are gems to have and I do love them sincerely for the sake of Allah.  

So all those whopping crazy jammed packed activities were satisfying after all. I am very grateful for all His blessings. Grateful to be alive and grateful to be given the chance to do all these that could insha Allah please my Creator.

Please include me in your du'a.. May Allah grant us steadfastness in learning His beautiful religion.




 

AWESOME MUSLIM

I came across this cute cute blog.  If only I was creative enough to come up with something like this.

http://www.owhsomuslim.com

DO NOT DESTROY YOUR HEART WITH YOUR OWN HANDS

There is no God but You, glory to You, verily I was among the wrongdoers

(Qur'an 21:87)

Avoid everything that wastes time, such as looking at immoral magazines, indecent pictures, bad ideas, heretical books of immoral stories. You should seek out that which is beneficial and useful, such as Islamic magazines, beneficial books and articles that will benefit a person both in this world and the Hereafter. Some book and magazines instill doubts in the heart and lead one astray. This is the effect of the decadent culture that has been imported to us from the world of disbelief and has spread throughout the Muslim world.

Remember that with Allah are the keys of the unseen, and He, The Almighty, All-Merciful, is the One who brings relief from worry and distress. So turn to Him and call upon Him, and always repeat this du'a. 

"Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hammi wal-hazan wa a'udhu bika min al-'ajzi wal-kasal wa a'udhu bika min al-bukhli wal-jubn wa a'udhu bika min ghalbat ad-dayn wa qahr ar-rijal 

"(O Allah, I seek refuge with You from distress and grief, and I seek refuge with You from incapacity and laziness, and I seek refuge with You from miserliness and cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by men)."

If you repeat this often and ponder its meaning, Allah, the Almighty, All-Gracious, will grant you a way out of your distress and worry, by His Leave.


"Plant a tasbih (saying Subhan Allah) in a second, an idea in a minute, and a deed in an hour,"



Pearls of wisdom 
You can be the happiest woman in the world 




*How many times do we catch ourselves reading, hearing and doing nonsense? Move your eyes away from those entertainment videos that will not benefit you in this life and the Hereafter. Let your ears, eyes and limbs do good only to please Allah عز و جل; for it will speak for you on the day of Resurrection. May Allah protect us.

A SUCCESSFUL MUSLIM HOME

I attended a lecture by Shaykh Younus Kathrada last Saturday. Such an eye opening lecture, Masha Allah.

Our journey in life is to gain (Islamic) knowledge till we're 6 feet under and so I've decided to share this knowledge with you. Actually, I can't help but to share it with you because Allah Knows this is exactly what you need to raise your family according to the Qur'an and Sunnah.

The shaykh explained on how success is not measured by dollars and cents. In the world we live in today, parents play an important role in raising their children and shaping their mentality. In most cases today, success is often affiliated with the dunya where parents would go out of their way to send their children to the best schools and tell them to study hard to become a successful person when they grow up. While there is absolutely nothing wrong by doing this because as parents it is only natural  to want to have the best for their children, Muslim parents often neglect to balance the dunya with the akhirah.

Shaykh Younus stressed that education is very important and the society needs Muslim doctors, engineers and architects. There is nothing wrong with educating your child into becoming these noble professions as the contribution to the society is invaluable. However, how many do we see of Muslim parents who stress Islam as much as they stress about the dunya? Hailing from Canada where there is only one masjid in the entire town, Shaykh Younus told us that he sees fathers bringing their sons as young as 4 years old to the masjid for fajr prayer while here in a Muslim country like Malaysia, he only sees old people in the masjids be it during fajr, zuhr, 'asr, maghrib or 'isya. A beautiful example was given by the shaykh about Imam As-Shafie and how his mother would walk with him to the masjid for fajr, send him to pray with the men while she waited outside until his son was finished, Subhan Allah!

This got me thinking.

When I was young, in fact when all of us were young (since I would assume we were raised somewhat within the same wavelength), our family (be it uncles, aunties, grandmas, grandpas) would consistently and perpetually remind us to study hard to be successful and never to leave solah. Well as a child, I did get the rotan if I get lazy for solah and I'm sure all my cousins experienced the same thing but our 'Islamic education' was nothing more than solah, mengaji and sometimes we are dragged to tazkirah at some ustaz's house. Okay we might experience differences in this but this was my upbringing. Don't get me wrong here, I love my upbringing and I am not complaining but I am just showing an example on how this could be improved with how we will raise our children one day, Insha' Allah.

Now back to the lecture.

The definition of success (for Muslims) should be taken directly from the Qur'an and Hadith(s). Do not be deluded by the success of wealth for this means nothing on yaumul qiyamah. One of the many hadith(s) that was read during the lecture was 'the bankrupt one' :

Abu Hurayra (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم once asked his companions: “Do you know who is the bankrupt one?”

The companions replied: “A bankrupt person amongst us is the one who neither has a dirham nor any possessions.”

The Prophet  صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Rather, the bankrupt person from my Ummah is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with a good record of Salah (Prayers), Sawm (Fasts) and Zakah (Obligatory Charity) but he would have offended a person, slandered another, unlawfully consumed the wealth of another person, murdered someone and hit someone. Each one of these people would be given some of the wrong-doer’s good deeds. If his good deeds fall short of settling the account, then their sins will be taken from their account and entered into the wrong-doer’s account and he would be thrown in the Hell Fire. 

[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith Number 6251] 


There is a very important message for all of us in this hadith. Neither should we hurt, insult, and/or curse a person nor should we spread false words to damage someone’s reputation, Also, we must never unjustly consume the wealth of a person and must never indulge in any violent act with our brethren for we can see from the above hadith that these actions could render us bankrupt regardless of how punctual we might have been with our obligatory duties enjoined upon us by Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Hence we should be extremely careful with our words and actions as we will be held responsible for every deed on the Day of Judgment. On that day nobody would come for anybody’s rescue.

It is true that some people might get on our nerves, but instead of offending, cursing, slandering and/or beating, forgive them and teach them what is right in the most beautiful of ways. Be patient and polite with them. This way not only will you bring about a good change in the person who made you angry, but they will also realize their mistake and rectify it. Moreover your place in their hearts will also elevate, Insha' Allah. We all know how our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم treated everyone, regardless of how rudely they behaved with him صلى الله عليه وسلم.

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. [Surah Al-'Aĥzāb, Ayah 21]

May Allah, the Merciful make us not among the bankrupt ones on the Day of Judgment, Ameen! 


Sheikh Younus advised not to be envious of people who have the dunya in their hands, for this is not 'success'. If we are a righteous individual, Allah will cause us to live a good life as compared to those who turn away from His Guidance, they will lead a miserable life.

Muslim parents should surround their children with beautiful words and adab (manners) in the household, children should not be learning what to say before and after they eat from a book but rather from the very tongues of their parents.. A Muslim home should be furnished with dhikrullah (remembrance of Allah) so that their children will grow up saying "Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Laa ilaha ilallah" and are in constant remembrance of Allah. Different from what we see today, kids as young as 2 years old are taught by the television, May Allah protect us.

I would like to remind all of you reading this as well as myself that rizq (sustenance) is from Allah, He is Ar-Razzaq (the Provider). He provides to the believers and disbelievers, He is Ar-Rahman (Compassionate), He is Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing) and He is Al-Samee' (The All-Hearing). If your intention is to raise your family for the sake of Allah following the commanded way by adhering to the Qur'an and Sunnah, then be rest assured that your family will be blessed by the Almighty. There is no better destination than jannah and there is no better feeling than tasting the sweetness of imaan.



 

YOU HAVE A HUGE WEALTH OF BLESSINGS

Verily with every difficulty there is relief

(Qur'an 94:6)

My sister, verily with every difficulty there is ease (Qur'an 94:6); after night comes the day. The clouds of worry will be blown away, the darkness of distress will be dispelled, and calamities will come to an end, by Allah's leave. Remember that you will be rewarded, and if you are a mother, your children will be great support and help for Islam, if you bring them up properly. They will make du'a for you when they prostrate and at the end of the night, just before dawn. It is a great blessing if you are a compassionate and kind mother. It is sufficient and honour and pride for you to remember that the mother of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم gave mankind a great leader, the noble Messenger.

You have the potential to be a da'iyah (caller to Islam) Calling other women to the path of Allah with kind words, good exhortation and wisdom, arguing in a manner that is better, debating and guiding others by means of your good behaviour and setting an example. A woman may achieve, by means of her conduct and righteous deeds, things that cannot be achieved by means of khutbahs (religious sermons), lectures and lessons. How often has a woman gone to live in a neighbourhood, and people started to talk about her religious commitment, modesty, hijab (Islamic dress) and good attitude, her kindness to her neighbours and her obedience to her husband, so she became a good example to others, that was spoken by all.

"Soon the flowers will bloom, grief will depart and happiness will prevail."



Pearls of wisdom 
You can be the happiest woman in the world 

ONE DAY IN A YEAR

Celebrating Mother’s Day is an innovated matter which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not do. It is also an imitation of the kuffaar from whom we have been commanded to differ. Hence it is not permissible to celebrate it or to obey one's mother in that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no obedience if it involves sin; obedience is only in that which is right and proper.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7257; Muslim, 1840.

The mother is entitled to respect and honour, and upholding of the ties of kinship throughout her life, so what is the point of singling out a particular day to honour her?

Moreover, this innovation has come to us from societies in which disobedience towards parents is widespread, in which mothers and fathers can find no refuge except old people’s homes, where they are left alone and no one visit them, and they spend their time in pain and sorrow. So they think that honouring their mothers for one day will erase the sin of their disobedience towards her during the rest of the year. 

But we Muslims have been commanded to honour our parents and uphold the ties of kinship, and we have been forbidden to disobey our parents. In our religion mothers have been given something which has not been given to them in any other religion; the mother’s rights take precedence over those of the father, as al-Bukhaari (5514) and Muslim (4621) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.” 

Honouring one's mother does not come to an end even when she dies, for she is honoured in life and in death. That is done by offering the funeral prayer for her, praying for forgiveness for her, carrying out her last wishes and honouring her family and friends. 

Let us adhere to this great religion and follow its etiquettes and rulings, for in it is sufficient guidance and mercy.

Shaykh ‘Ali Mahfouz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining how this celebration (Mother’s Day) is an imitation of the kuffaar: 

Explaining the seriousness of celebrating festivals other than the Islamic Eids, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that some peoples or groups in his ummah would follow the People of the Book in some of their rituals and traditions, as is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “They will follow the ways of those who came before them, handspan by handspan, cubit by cubit, until even if they entered a lizard’s hole they will follow them.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said: “Who else?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim… 

Love of imitation, even if it is something that exists in people’s hearts, is forbidden in sharee’ah if the one who is being imitated differs from us in his beliefs and thinking, especially is what is being imitated is religious beliefs or acts of worship, or it is a ritual or tradition. When the Muslims became weak in this time, their imitation of their enemies became more widespread and many western traditions and customs became widespread, whether that has to do with consumer goods or attitudes and behaviour. One of these customs is the celebration of Mother’s Day. End quote. 

Shaykh Muhamamd ibn Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about celebrating Mother’s Day and he replied: 

All celebrations which differ from the Eids prescribed in Islam are innovated festivals which were not known at the time of the righteous salaf, and may also have come from the non-Muslims, in which case as well as being an innovation (bid’ah) they are also an imitation of the enemies of Allaah. The festivals which are prescribed in Islam are well known to the Muslims: they are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the weekly “Eid” of Jumu’ah. There is no other festival in Islam apart from these three. All the festivals that have been invented apart from these are to be rejected because they are innovations and are false according to the laws of Allaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected,” i.e., it will be thrown back at him and will not be accepted by Allaah. According to another version: “Whoever does any deed that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” 

Once this is clear, then it is not permissible to show any of the signs of festivity on the celebration mentioned in the question, namely Mother’s Day. It is not permissible to show joy and happiness, or to offer gifts, and so on. 

The Muslim should feel proud of his religion and adhere to the limits set by Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in this religion, which Allaah has chosen for His slaves, and he should not add anything or take anything away. What the Muslim should also do is to not to follow every new idea that comes along, rather his character should be in accordance with the sharee’ah of Allaah so that he will be a leader and example, not a follower, because the sharee’ah of Allaah – praise be to Allaah – is complete in all ways as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”  
[al-Maa'idah 5:3] 

A mother’s right is greater than having just one day in the year to be honoured, rather the mother’s right over her children is that they should take care of her and obey her, so long as it does not involve disobedience towards Allaah, at all times and in all places. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/301

Shaykh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid

islamqa.com

Allah Knows Best

Ya Allah.. forgive our sins and make us the people of paradise.

How sweet is this speech to the ears and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife.

Please remember me in du'a brothers & sisters...