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Name
Noora
-
Profession
Student
Question
Assalam Alykum,
My question is crucial though it may not be in the topic dealt with.I have a longtime problem that I hope you will help me solve inshaAllah.I am constantly in fear of many things: being alone,creatures especially centipede.Recently I saw a big centipede in my kitchen till now i am in fear,worry ,depression,which is really disturbing me.Can it be whispers of shaiytan or what is wrong with me?
I am a practising muslim alhamdullilah.
Answer
Dear Noora, please have my peaceful salams.
On the contrary, your question is right to the point. Coming out of the month of Ramadan, our fasting should have helped us all reached a better degree of piety as it is explained in the Noble Qur'an, when it says what means:
*{O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you possibly may be pious.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:183)
Please refer to my answers in relation to fasting and its effect on our souls in my previous live-dialogue:
Developing your degree of piety would definitely help you connect to God more. And, here would be the solution to your problem. Please, always stick to the following verse:
*{…in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort and inner peace}* (Ar-Ra`d 13:28)
So, what you really have to do to overcome your fear, is to keep on being a practicing Muslim but by keeping an eye on the goal of your worship. Keep your connection and remembrance of Allah high and alert. Keep Allah Himself in your heart and hang on to Him the moment you feel fear. Whenever you do feel fear, call to Allah, He is near, ask Him to respond to your prayers by giving you inner peace and comfort.
Name
James
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Profession
Question
What is the fruit of fasting?
Answer
Salams, James.
The fruit of fasting is taqwa. Taqwa is literary piety. This is what the Qur'an has stated clearly and directly. This was mentioned in Surat al-Baqarah, verse 183, when Allah said what means:
*{O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you possibly may be pious.}*
Taming one's body by repetitive daily hunger and timed permitted meals is but a training for us to be in more control of our selves and to establish a higher step on the path of taming one's soul.
Name
John
- Poland
Profession
Question
How to introduce Ramadan to my non-Muslim friends at school?
Answer
Peace to you John.
You can introduce Ramadan to your non-Muslim friends by more than one approach.
1- Most important of all is your manners and daily attitude with them while fasting. Be a decent pious fasting Muslim. Then, let them know you are fasting.
2- When you succeed here, try to explain to them the philosophy of fasting and how it is an exercise for our souls to help our self-control and to help us get higher on our path towards the Divine. Explain that the goal of fasting is to get us closer to the Creator and purer at our inner self.
3- You can approach them through a nice social attitude, by inviting them to iftar dinner, when you would have a better chance to chat and explain more about the topic.
4- After dinner, it would be wonderful if you would invite them to watch qiyam prayers (taraweeh or late night prayers). Explain to them the logic of our striving through the nights of Ramadan trying to purify our souls, seeking a closer step towards the Divine. Usually people, Muslims and non-Muslims love the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan's congregational prayers.
5- If you want a positive effect, make sure to keep up your supplications, to keep your intentions for God and maybe you can pray two rak`as asking God to help you with what you are doing.
Name
Rezla
- Bangladesh
Profession
Question
Asalamo alaykum,
One of my non-Muslim friends (who comes from a Buddhist background) fasted a day with me in Ramadan. She was very happy afterwards but I found that I did not know how to help her do anything spiritual beyond just abstaining from food and drink - especially since she was not Muslim... do you have any advice on these kinds of situations?
Answer
My dear Rezla, please have my salams.
First thing I can advise you is never to push someone into your religion. It is only when you feel that the person is in more need or if he or she is asking you directly or whenever you sense that the person is approaching out of his or her interest in your religion. Fasting a day of Ramadan might have been more than enough for a non-Muslim, whether a Buddhist or if she was following any other religion.
In case you sensed she was ready for more, the best thing you have done is to advise her with something very simple but very effective. That is: supplication.
Of course you know that the prayer of a fasting Muslim is accepted and responded to by Allah. This could have been your approach to teach her how to direct her heart towards her One and Only Creator. You could have simply told her that God has promised the fasting ones to accept their prayers and then you could have advised her to supplicate. The best supplication to advise in this case is to seek one's Creator and try to find Him. You could have told her:
"Set your heart towards the Divine. Submit to the Power that brought you to existence and ask humbly: 'God, if you are there, show me the way to you, lead me to you.' Repeat once and twice and thrice… all day long."
Rezla, don't be surprised at my answer. God has promised in the Qur'an to respond to the supplication of the one who supplicates. He did not specify if this supplicant has to be a Muslim! The Qur'anic verse states what means:
*{And when My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may led to the right way.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:186)
So, maybe her prayers would be accepted and this definitely would be your pleasure.
Name
Ali
-
Profession
Student
Question
AA. Firstly I would like to say thankyou to Islamonline, Mashallah you are all doing a good job and I enjoy reading and trying to follow the questions answered in your Fatwas and Dialogues.
My question is regarding eating McDonalds, Burger King and KFC in the UK. I read in US it is allowed because of the way they slaughter animals, how about in UK? I have heard the oil used to fish burgers in McDonalds is the same used for Ham and Beef, so does this definately mean it is haram?
Thank you.
Answer
Editor:
Wa alaikom as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu.
We would like to apologize for not answering your question as this page is not dedicated to these types of questions. Please re-submit your question to Ask the Scholar
Name
N
- Chad
Profession
Question
Why, you Muslims, are so weak in spirit after Ramdan?
Answer
Dear N,
We can never generalize! It is a fact that some people go down their curve after Ramadan. In Ramadan, people fast, pray and supplicate. They seek forgiveness and turn back to their Creator in repentance. During this short 30 days journey of self-cleansing, they promise God a lot of goodness from themselves.
When they promise so, then never intend to go down. They have all good intentions to keep their promises. And, here is the battle of the intelligent. After Ramadan basic donia and materialistic life is back, along with the devils which are chained in Ramadan. So, only the determined and the intelligent stay steadfast.
Some people do stay at high spirits after Ramadan. They stay close to the Divine and they keep their soul-cleansing process in function, day and night striving to get even closer. Not every body succeeds to do, little do, but they exist.
Name
Breathe
-
Profession
Question
Thank you for the session
During Ramadan I was able to do many good things. I felt much closer to Allah and more in contact with my spirtuality.
Now that Ramadan is over I feel I'm drifting away again. How can one hold on to all the good things learned in Ramadan?
Answer
Salams, Breathe.
Thank you for your useful question.
The best thing to do is to depend on two anchors. First thing is that you have to keep a daily schedule. You can even write down your daily plan and make sure to cross out your duties the moment you accomplish each. The second thing you need to depend on in order to continue is to keep practicing a sample of each worship, but without pushing yourself hard, i.e. promise yourself what you can really do and stick to it. Do not burden yourself with what you will not be able to fulfill on the long run.
Prophet Muhammad used to say that the most beloved deeds by Allah are those that are the most consistent, even if they were little.
So, what is important is continue what you do, not to start lots and lots of deeds and then not to be able to continue. For example, if you used to feed the poor or the fasting in Ramadan, you can adapt a new rule to your life that each month you would set aside a portion of your salary to feed the poor. You can do this once only each month or each week. It depends on how much you can afford in money, time and effort.
Another example, if you want to continue your qiyam (night prayers), make sure to stick to two raq`as each night. Don't promise God more than that at the beginning. Make it exactly before Dawn or even after `Ishaa' prayers. Do what you can afford, what is important is to continue.
This would also be the case in your fasting or your reading the Qur'an or any other good deed. Supplicate a lot and pray asking Allah to help you stay steadfast and inshaAllah He will. May God help you.
