TATA CARA PERKAWINAN DALAM ISLAM

Oleh sbb ramai ada beberapa orang sahabat2 saya akan melangsungkan perkahwinan tidak lama lagi..sukalah saya memetik beberapa perkara berkenaan dgn perkahwinan..

Islam telah memberikan konsep yang jelas tentang tatacara perkawinan berlandaskan Al-Qur'an dan Sunnah yangShahih(sesuai dengan pemahaman para Salafus Shalih -peny),secara singkat penulis sebutkan dan jelaskan seperlunya :

1. Khitbah (Peminangan) Seorang muslim yang akanmengawini seorang muslimah hendaknya ia meminangterlebih dahulu, karena dimungkinkan ia sedangdipinang oleh orang lain, dalam hal ini Islam melarangseorang muslim meminang wanita yang sedang dipinangoleh orang lain (Muttafaq 'alaihi).
Dalam khitbah disunnahkan melihat wajah yang akan dipinang.

Hadits Shahih Riwayat Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidzi No.1093 dan Darimi).

2. Aqad Nikah Dalam aqad nikah ada beberapa syarat dankewajiban yang harus dipenuhi :
a. Adanya suka sama suka dari kedua calon mempelai.
b. Adanya Ijab Qabul.
c. Adanya Mahar.
d. Adanya Wali.
e. Adanya Saksi-saksi.

Dan menurut sunnah sebelum aqad nikah diadakan khutbahterlebih dahulu yang dinamakan Khutbatun Nikah atauKhutbatul Hajat.

3. Walimah Walimatul 'urusy hukumnya wajib dandiusahakan sesederhana mungkin dan dalam walimahhendaknya diundang orang-orang miskin. Rasulullahshallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda tentangmengundang orang-orang kaya saja berarti makanan itu sejelek-jelek makanan.

Sabda Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

"Artinya : Makanan paling buruk adalah makanan dalamwalimah yang hanya mengundang orang-orang kaya sajauntuk makan, sedangkan orang-orang miskin tidak diundang.

Barangsiapa yang tidak menghadiri undangan walimah,maka ia durhaka kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya".

(Hadits Shahih Riwayat Muslim 4:154 dan Baihaqi 7:262dari Abu Hurairah).

Sebagai catatan penting hendaknya yang diundang ituorang-orang shalih, baik kaya maupun miskin, karenaada sabda Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam :"Artinya : Janganlah kamu bergaul melainkan dengan orang-orang mukmin dan jangan makan makananmu melainkan orang-orang yang taqwa".
(Hadist Shahih Riwayat Abu Dawud, Tirmidzi, Hakim4:128 dan Ahmad 3:38 dari Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri).

http://fauzynm.nurhidayah.com/Nasihat/Nasihat14/nasihat14.html

Misai dan Janggut

Dalil atau hadis Nabi tentang simpan janggut

Ya ikhwani,
Semoga sama-samalah kita beramal dengannya walaupun tampak remeh tapi sangat bermakna . Walau apapun ianya tidak mendatangkan mudarat dan kerugian malah jika bertujuan ikhlas , membolehkan pahala.

Hadis #1
Aisyah rah meriwayatkan bahawa Rasulullah saw bersabda,
"Sepuluh perkara adalah fitrah yang mana mengerat misai dan menumbuhkan janggut itu disebutkan" (dari Abu Daud)

Hadis #2
Dari Abu Hurairah, Rasulullah bersabda,
" Di antara fitrah Islam ialah mengerat misai dan memanjangkan janggut kerana sesungguhnya orang-orang Majusi memanjangkan misai mereka dan mengerat janggut, berbezalah kamu daripada mereka dengan mengerat misai kamu dan memanjangkan janggut-janggut kamu" (Ibnu Hibban)

Hadis #3
Di dalam sebuah hadis yang di petik dari "Musannaf Ibn Abi Sayiban" di beritakan seorang Majusi yang telah mencukur janggutnya dan mempunyai misai yang panjang datang kepada Rasulullah saw. Tatkala melihatkan ini
Rasulullah saw bersabda.
" Di dalam agama kami, kami diperintahkan mengerat misai dan memanjangkan janggut"

Hadis #4
Zaid Ibni Habib ra meriwayatkan bahawa Rasulullah saw tidak tertahan lagi melihat dua orang utusan yang datang daripada istana Maharaja Kisra kerana mereka telah mencukuri janggut-janggut mereka. Baginda memberitahu kepada mereka;
"Binasalah ! Siapakah yang menyuruh kamu supaya menjadikan wajahmu seperti ini?" mereka menjawab,
" Tuan kami, Maharaja Kisra memerintahkan kami"
Rasulullah saw bersabda,
" Tetapi daku telah diperintahkan oleh Tuhanku Allah supaya memanjangkan janggut dan mengerat misai."

Dan banyak lagi dalil tentang pentingnya menyimpan janggut.... sekarang mari kita lihat apa kata ulamak-ulamak muktabar...

Syaikul Islam Ibn Taimiyah telah menyatakan bahawa mencukur janggut adalah haram. (kitab Al Qasim)
Imam Qurtubi menyatakan,
" pencukuran janggut, mencabut keluar semua rambut janggut itu dan mengerat pendek semuanya tidak dibenarkan"
Imam Muhammad Ibn Hazam telah memetik pendapat ijmak para ulamak bahawa mengerat misai dan memanjangkan janggut adalah fardhu
Selanjutnya Ibn Taimiyah menyenaraikan kesemua hadis-hadis yang memerintahkan kita menentangi yahudi dan nasrani dari segi bentuk luar, kemudian mengulasinya
" Syariat mengkhendaki kita menentangi mereka , dan meniru secara luaran akan menimbulkan cinta dan persahabatan terhadap mereka, sepertimana cinta kerohanian memberi kesan kepada kecenderungan dan kelakuan zahir. Ini adalah perkara-prakara yang telah disaksikan dan dialami"

Di dalam kitab "Tamheed" yang merupakan ulasan bagi "Muwataa" di sebut,
" Bahawa mencukuri janggut adalah haram, hanya orang yang melakukan ini adalah pondan"

Saidina Umar ra dan Ibn Abi Lailah ra, yang menjadi Qadhi Madinah telah menolak persaksian orang yang mencabut kesemua rambut janggutnya.

Insyallah semoga dalil-dalil ini cukup untuk kita ambil iktibar. Walaupun perkara membela janggut nampaknya "kecil"atau "mudah" tetapi ia membawa begitu besar pengertian.

Upaya Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam Dalam Menjaga Kemurnian Tauhid Dan Menutup Segala Jalan Menuju Syirik

Maha Suci Allah yang telah menjalankan hambaNya (Muhammad) pada malam hari dari Masjidilharam (di Mekah) ke Masjid Al-Aqsa (di Palestin), yang Kami berkati sekelilingnya, untuk memperlihatkan kepadanya tanda-tanda (kekuasaan dan kebesaran) Kami. Sesungguhnya Allah jualah Yang Maha Mendengar, lagi Maha Mengetahui. [Al-Isra'a Ayat 1]

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Upaya Nabi Shallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam Dalam Menjaga Kemurnian Tauhid Dan Menutup Segala Jalan Menuju Syirik

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Syaikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab 'Abdullah bin Asy-Syikhkhir menuturkan: "Tatkala aku ikut pergi bersama suatu delegasi Bani 'Amir menemui Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, kami berkata: "Engkau adalah sayyid (tuan) kita." Maka beliau bersabda: "Sayyid yang sebenarnya adalah Allah Tabaraka wa Ta'ala." Lalu kami berkata: "Dan engkau adalah yang paling mulia dan paling agung kebaikannya di antara kita." Beliaupun bersabda: "Ucapkanlah semua atau sebagian kata-kata yang wajar bagi kamu sekalian dan janganlah terseret oleh syaitan." (HR Abu Dawud dengan sanad jayyid).

Diriwayatkan dari Anas Radhiyallahu 'anhu, ia menuturkan bahwa ada orang-orang berkata: "Ya Rasulullah; wahai orang yang paling baik di antara kita dan putera orang yang paling baik di antara kita; wahai tuan kita dan putera tuan kita!" Maka, ketika itu, bersabdalah beliau: "Saudara-saudara sekalian! Ucapkanlah kata-kata yang wajar saja bagi kamu sekalian dan janganlah sekali-kali kamu sekalian terbujuk oleh syaitan. Aku adalah Muhammad, hamba Allah dan utusan-Nya. Aku tidak senang kamu sekalian mengangkatku melebihi kedudukanku yang telah diberikan kepadaku oleh Allah 'Azza wa Jalla." (HR An-Nasa'i dengan sanad jayyid)

Kandungan tulisan ini: Peringatan kepada para sahabat agar tidak bersikap berlebihan terhadap beliau. Bab ini menunjukkan bahwa tauhid tidak akan sempurna dan murni, kecuali dengan menghindarkan diri dari setiap ucapan yang menjurus kepada perlakuan yang berlebihan terhadap seorang makhluk, karena dikhawatirkan akan menyeret ke dalam syirik. Orang yang dikatakan kepadanya: "Engkau adalah sayyid (tuan) kita", seyogyanya menjawab: "Sayyid yang sebenarnya adalah Allah Tabaraka wa Ta'ala." Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam memperingatkan kepada para sahabat agar tidak terseret dan terbujuk oleh syetan, padahal mereka tidak mengatakan kecuali yang sebenarnya. Rasulullah Shallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam bersabda: "Aku tidak senang kamu sekalian mengangkatku melebihi kedudukan (yang sebenarnya) yang telah diberikan kepadaku oleh Allah 'Azza wa Jalla".

Dikutip dari buku: "Kitab Tauhid" karya Syaikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab.

Penerbit: Jabatan Kerjasama Da'wah dan Bimbingan Islam, Riyadh 1418 H.

Semoga bermanfaat. Allahu A’lam.

A Brief Study of the World’s Fastest Growing Religion

ISLAM
THE WAY OF SUBMISSION TO ALLAH
A Brief Study of the World’s Fastest Growing Religion
By Rev. Richard A. Bolland

Islam used to be a non-factor in our nation. But since the rise of tensions between Middle Eastern powers, the holding of American hostages for 444 days in Tehran, Iran, the rise of Shia Islam, and its fostering of worldwide terrorism, the introduction of Islam on a scale not previously experienced in this nation, it has indeed become a factor in the religious mosaic of our world. Additionally, with the bombing of the U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon; the wanton death and destruction of two of our African embassies; and finally the terribly violence of the destruction of the Word Trade Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and the crashing of an American Airlines jet (apparently intended as a flying bomb for either the White House or the U.S. Capital building), Islam has captured our undivided attention. What do Muslim’s believe? What divisions exist within Islam? What drives some of them to such terrible acts of violence? Let us take a brief look at this major religion and see what it is all about and the challenges it brings to Christianity.

I. SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A. Islam is the only major religion established after Christianity which claims to be superior to Christianity.

1. The name "Islam" is Arabic for "submission" or "to enter into peace"; therefore, a Muslim is one who makes his peace with God and man.

a. Peace with God implies complete submission to Allah’s will, and peace with man is not only to refrain from evil or injury to another but also to do good to him.

b. A follower of Islam, therefore, is a doer of good to others who receives from the Lord his reward for his submission.

2. The "holy book" of Islam is the Koran or Qur’an.

a. This is God’s revelation to his last and greatest Prophet, Mohammed.

b. All other of the prophets of Islam are inferior to Mohammed.

c. Islam recognizes six major prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed.

B. The two major doctrines of Islam:

1. The Unity of God.

2. The unity or brotherhood of the human race.

C. Islam’s view of its place in the world’s religions:

1. Islam sees itself not only as the last great religion, but also as all-inclusive of all other religions which came before it.

a. Islam requires its followers to believe that all the great religions of the world which preceded it, were revealed by God.

b. The Qur’an says:

"We believe in Allah and (in) that which has been revealed to us, (in) that which was revealed to Abraham and Ismael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them." (2:136)

2. Therefore, a Muslim believes not only in the Prophet Mohammed but in all other prophets as well.

a. A Jew, therefore, believes only in the prophets of Israel; a Christian believes in Jesus Christ and, in a lesser degree, in the prophets of Israel; a Buddhist in Buddha; a Zoroastrian in Zoroaster; a Hindue in the prophets who appeared in India; a Confucian in Confucius; but a Muslim believe in all these and in Muhammad also, the last of the prophets.

b. Islam, therefore, is seen as an all-comprehensive religion within which are included all the religions of the world; and similarly, its sacred Book, the Holy Qur’an, is spoken of as a combination of all the sacred scriptures of the world:

"Pure pages, wherein are all right books." (98:2-3)

3. There is one additional aspect of Islam in relation to the other religions of the world.

a. In addition to being the last and all-inclusive religion, it is the perfect expression of the Divine will.

"This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion." (5:3)

b. Jesus is said to allude to this idea when He says:

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (Jn. 16:12-13)

4. Therefore, it is the great mission of Islam to bring about peace in the world by establishing a brotherhood of all the religions, to bring together all the religious truths contained in the previous religions, to correct their errors and sift the true from the false, to preach the eternal verities which had not been preached before on account of the special circumstances of any race or society in the early stages of its development and, last of all, to meet all the moral and spiritual requirements of an ever-advancing humanity.

BarakAllahu Feek;
W'ssalaamu'alaikum W Rahmatullahi W barakatuhu
Ur~Br0th3r~in~Islam
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimz_paradise/

pinggan untuk ayah

SEORANG lelaki tua yang baru kematian isteri tinggal bersama anaknya, Arwan dan menantu perempuannya, Rina, serta anak pasangan itu, Viva yang baru berusia enam tahun. Keadaan lelaki tua itu agak uzur, jari-jemarinya sentiasa menggeletar dan pandangan pula semakin hari semakin kabur.
Malam pertama berpindah ke rumah anaknya, mereka makan malam bersama. Lelaki tua merasa kurang selesa menikmati hidangan di meja makan. Dia merasa amat canggung menggunakan sudu dan garpu.Selama ini dia gemar bersila, tapi di rumah anaknya dia tiada pilihan. Cukup sukar dirasakannya, sehingga makanan bersepah tanpa dapat dikawal. Bukan dia tidak merasa malu berkeadaan begitu di depan anak menantu, tetapi dia gagal menahannya. Lantaran kerap benar dijeling menantu, seleranya patah. Dan tatkala dia mencapai gelas minuman, pegangannya terlucut.
Prannnnngggggg ... !! Bertaburan kaca di lantai. Lelaki tua serba salah. Dia bangun,cuba mengutip serpihan gelas itu, tapi Arwan melarangnya. Rina masam mencuka. Viva pula kesian melihat datuknya, tapi dia hanya melihat, kemudian makan semula.
"Esok ayah tak boleh makan bersama kita," Viva mendengar ibunya berkata pada ayah, sebaik datuk menghilangkan diri ke dalam bilik. Arwan hanya membisu. Namun sempat anak kecil itu merenung tajam ke dalam mata Arwan.
Sebagai memenuhi tuntutan Rina, Arwan membeli sebuah meja kecil yang rendah, lalu diletakkan di suatu sudut bilik makan. Di situlah ayahnya menikmati hidangan bersendirian, sambil anak menantu makan di meja berhampiran. Viva pula dihalang apabila dia merengek mahu makan bersama datuknya.
Air mata lelaki tua meleleh mengenang nasibnya diperlakukan begitu. Ketika itu dia teringat kampung halaman yang ditinggalkan. Dia terkenang arwah isterinya. Lalu perlahan-lahan dia berbisik: "Miah... buruk benar layanan anak kita pada abang." Sejak itu, lelaki tua merasa tidak selesa tinggal di situ. Hari-hari dia diherdik kerana menumpahkan sisa makanan.
Dia diperlakukan seperti hamba. Pernah dia terfikir untuk lari dari situ, tetapi mengenangkan cucunya, dia menahan diri. Dia tidak mahu melukakan hati cucunya. Biarlah dia menahan diri dikelar dan dicalar anak menantu.
Suatu malam, Viva terperanjat melihat datuknya makan menggunakan pinggan kayu, begitu juga gelas minuman yang diperbuat daripada buluh. Dia cuba mengingat-ingat, di manakah dia pernah melihat pinggan seperti itu. "Oh! Ya..." bisiknya. Viva teringat, semasa berkunjung ke rumah sahabat papanya dia melihat tuan rumah itu memberi makan kucing-kucing mereka menggunakan pinggan yang sama.
"Taklah pecah lagi, kalau tak, nanti habis pinggan mangkuk mama," kata Rina apabila anaknya bertanya.
Masa terus berlalu. Walaupun makanan berselerak setiap kali waktu makan, tiada lagi pinggan atau gelas yang pecah. ApabilaViva merenung datuknya yang sedang menyuap makanan, kedua-duanya hanya berbalas senyum.
Seminggu kemudian, sewaktu pulang dari bekerja, Arwan dan Rina terperanjat melihat anak mereka sedang bermain dengan kepingan-kepingan kayu. Viva seperti sedang membuat sesuatu. Ada penukul, gergaji dan pisau di sisinya.
"Eh, apa sayang buat ni? Berbahaya main benda-benda ni," kata Arwan menegur manja anaknya. Diasedikit hairan bagaimana anaknya dapat mengeluarkan peralatan itu, sedang ia disimpan di dalam stor.
"Nak buat pinggan, mangkuk dan gelas untuk ayah dan emak. Bila Viva besar nanti, taklah susah cari.Kesian ayah, terpaksa ke bandar beli pinggan atuk," kata Viva.Gamam mendengar jawapan anaknya, Arwan terkedu. Perasaan Rina terusik. Kelopak mata kedua-duanya bergenang. Jawapan Viva menusuk, seluruh tangkai jantung dirasa seperti dihiris sembilu. Mereka benar-benar rasa bersalah!
Malam itu Arwan memimpin tangan ayahnya ke meja makan. Rina menyenduk nasi dan menuang minuman ke dalam gelas. Nasi yang tumpah tidak dihiraukan. Viva beberapa kali memandang ibunya, kemudian ayah dan akhir sekali wajah datuknya. Dia tidak bertanya, cuma tersenyum selalu bagi menyatakan rasa seronok duduk bersebelahan datuknya di meja makan. Lelaki tua itu juga tidak tahu kenapa anak menantunya tiba-tiba berubah.
Esok Viva buang pinggan kayu tu, nak buat apa?" kata Viva pada ayahnya selepas makan.Arwan hanya mengangguk, tetapi dadanya terus sebak. huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu
Hargailah kasih sayang
" Jangan kita melukakan hati kedua ibu bapa kita, percayalah anak-anak kita akan melakukan perkara yang sama pada kita dikemudian hari kelak......"Sayangilah mereka seperti mana mereka menyayangi kita.....Sekadar utk renungan kita bersama...
-credit to faiz-

Petua Khusyuk Dalam Sembahyang

Petua Khusyuk Dalam Sembahyang

Sebenarnya khusyuk dalam Solat adalah sangat-sangat dituntut seperti Firman Allah s.w.t yang bermaksud “Telah berjayalah orang-orang yang beriman iaitu orang-orang yang khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya”[Surah Al-Mukminun : ayat 1-2]. Firman-Nya lagi Peliharalah segala sembahyangmu dan peliharalah sembahyang utama (Asar, Subuh) dan berdirilah untuk Allah (melalui solatmu) dengan khusyuk" [Surah Al-Baqarah : ayat 238] dan ketahuilah, solat adalah ibadah utama yang akan dihisab terlebih dahulu di akhirat oleh Allah SWT, berbanding dengan amalan-amalan yang lain. Sekiranya solat seseorang itu dalam keadaan sempurna, maka barulah dihitung pula amalan yang lain.Firman Allah lagi yang bermaksud : "Maka kecelakaanlah bagi orang-orang solat, (iaitu) orang-orang yang lalai dari solatnya." [Surah Al-Ma'un : ayat 4-5]

Rasulullah SAW bersabda yang bermaksud "Berapa banyak orang yang mendirikan solat, tetapi yang di perolehi hanya penat dan letih, kerana mereka itu lalai dalam sembahyangnya." Nabi s.a.w bersabda lagi yang bermaksud : "Tidak ada habuan bagi seseorang hamba dalam sembahyangnya kecuali sekadar mana yang ia ingat." Hadis lain dari Rasulullah s.a.w. "Aku selalu mengingati mati dalam sembahyang" . serta "Apabila kamu sembahyang anggaplah sembahyang ini sembahyang perpisahan". Yang dikatakan khusyuk itu ialah hati sentiasa hidup, untuk mengekalkan sembahyang yang khusyuk, amalan berikut perlulah diamalkan dan diperhatikan oleh setiap orang yang mengerjakan sembahyang:

1. Menjaga makanan, minuman, pakaian, tempat tinggal dan lain-lain supaya datang dari punca yang halal tanpa syubhah.

2. Agar pemikiran tidak liar, sebelum solat lintaskan kematian seakan-akan amat hampir dengan kita serta solat tersebut merupakan sholat terakhir dan perlulah dijadikan yang terbaik.

3. Mendirikan sembahyang di awal waktu supaya tidak gopoh apakala masa hampir luput.

4. Membaca dengan baik (Khusnul Qori'ah), berusaha untuk memahami, mengerti bacaan dalam solat termasuk ayat Al-Quran yang dibacakan itu terutama sekali Al Fatihah, gerakan dan maknanya (Tafakhum). Ini kerana bacaan-bacaan dalam solat mengandungi banyak makna yang halus yang patut dimengertikan oleh orang yang melaksanakannya.

5. Rukun-rukun solat dilakukan secara tertib. Berusaha konsentrasi (Khudunul Kolbih), menyedari bahawa Allah memperhatikan sembahyang itu.

6. Rasa Malu (Haya') perasaan malu terhadap Allah s.w.t., rasa takut (Khauf) kepada kekuasaan Allah.

7. Berharap serta yakin (Optimis) Allah menerima solat dan amal kita.

8. Hati diajak hadir/ikut, kehadiran hati dalam solat iaitu mengosongkan hati dari segala urusan yang boleh mengganggu dan yang tidak berkaitan dengan solat.

9. Membesarkan Allah dalam solat, merasakan kehebatan Allah dalam solat.

10. Menggunakan sejadah yang tidak terlalu banyak gambar yang akan menghayalkan pemikiran.

11. Mendirikan sembahyang secara berjemaah.

12. Mengambil wuduk dengan sempurna.

13. Mengurangkan pergerakan anggota-anggota seperti tangan, kaki dan juga Mata ditumpukan kepada tempat sujud dan ketika tahayat melihat anak jari.

14. Azan dan iqamat terlebih dahulu walaupun mendirikan sembahyang bersendirian ataupun sekurang-kurangnya iqamat sahaja.

15. Ditegah bersembahyang dengan pakaian yang ada gambar, berwarna warni, bertulis, lukisan dan lain-lain kerana ia juga membuat orang lain hilang kekhusyukan ketika berjemaah.

Walau apapun syarat khusyu’ yang paling utama ialah kemantapan iman dalam diri terhadap Allah SWT. Oleh sebab itu, berusahalah untuk mengenali Allah dan memperteguhkan keimanan kepadaNya. Sebenarnya, khusyuk di dalam sembahyang bermula dari khusyuk di luar sembahyang. Kalau di luar sembahyang hati tidak khusyuk dengan Allah, memang payah untuk khusyuk di dalam sembahyang.

Imam Al-Ghazali menyatakan bahawa orang yang tidak khusyuk solatnya adalah dikira sia-sia belaka, kerana tujuan solat itu selain untuk mengingati Allah SWT, ia juga berfungsi sebagai alat pencegah dari perbuatan keji dan mungkar.

Apabila lalai ketika menunaikan solat bererti orang tersebut tidak akan berasa gerun ketika melakukan perkara keji dan mungkar. Menurutnya lagi bahawa solat itu merupakan munjat" (berdialog dan berbisik) seorang hamba terhadap Tuhannya.

Sayidina Ali k.w. boleh khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya hingga waktu orang mencabut panah di betisnya, dia tidak terasa apa-apa. Sayidina Umar Al Khattab pernah berkata, "Khusyuk itu bukan tundukkan kepala, tapi khusyuk itu dalam hati."

Kesimpulannya orang-orang yang takut kepada penciptaNya dan menyedari ia hanyalah hamba akan patuh apasaja yang diperintahkan dan disampaikan oleh rasul serta akan khusyuk mendapat nikmat solat seperti firman Allah yang bermaksud: "Jadikanlah Sabar dan Solat sebagai penolongmu. Dan sesungguhnya yang demikian itu sungguh berat, kecuali bagi orang-orang yang khusyuk. (Yakni) orang-orang yang meyakini, bahawa mereka akan menemui Tuhannya dan bahawa mereka akan kembali kepadaNya" [Surah Al-Baqarah : ayat 45-46].

An American Prisoner's Journey to Islam

Physically Confined but Spiritually Free:
An American Prisoner's Journey to Islam

By An-Najee Jones

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

You hear many times about men entering prison and accepting the religion of Islam. Some say that it is a unique phenomenon particular to the black inmate population, male as well as female. The truth of the matter is that many prisoners of diverse backgrounds make the reversion to Islam. My story is only one of many. It is written not to draw attention to myself; rather, it is written as a testimony to what faith in Allah can do to a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I pray that my story inspires others to study the signs of the Creator so that they may recognize the Truth and live in accordance with it.

I was first introduced to Islam in 1984. At that time, I was only a boy of 11 years and did not understand what exactly I was hearing. I was told that Muslims pray to only one God and do not eat pork. I was also told that Islam is a religion truly for the black race and that any other race could never really be Muslim. All of this was strange to me. I was raised in a Baptist family and was taught that the only way that I could be saved was to believe in Jesus while also recognizing that the only way that I could talk to God was by praying to Jesus. I was told that I was a sinful person by nature and that the only way that I could be purified was through the “blood of Christ.” These contradictory philosophies only served to confuse my young mind even more. So in response to this mental onslaught, I chose to ignore both.

During my teenage years I attended neither church, mosque, nor any other type of religious institution. Instead, I devoted myself to preparing for my worldly future: I dedicated myself to my country. I entered the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) program at my high school and excelled. I was told that there was no greater calling than to stand up and fight for one’s country. To this ideal, I put forth all of my efforts. It was also during this time that I started to fall prey to street life. I soon gained a reputation as a tough guy, and while it earned me a lot of respect from others on the streets, it also led to my downfall.

On August 26, 1990 I was arrested and charged with “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon” as well as “accessory to murder.” Being highly publicized, my case sent shockwaves through the community. Most of my co-defendants were good students who were expected to succeed in whatever they chose to do. Thus, many people were baffled as to how all of this happened. In September of that year, our charges were upgraded to “organized crime conspiracy to commit murder” and “organized crime murder.” I was then placed in solitary confinement because I was considered a threat to the security of the institution. In April 1991, I was formally sentenced to 20 years in prison for the part I played in those crimes. I would like to think that I was a man at that time; but in reality, I was still a boy trying to act like a man. And so in this self-deluded state, I was thrust into an environment that I was totally unprepared to deal with.

On July 21, 1991, I arrived at my first unit of assignment, the Clemens Unit in Brazoria, Texas. This unit was nicknamed the “Burning Hell.” My first cell partner called himself Mac-T. He attempted to lay down the rules of the cell immediately: 1- take off your shoes before entering the cell, 2- clean the floor before you leave the cell, and 3- no noise when he is praying. Thinking that I was tough, I really did not try to listen to what he was saying. So needless to say, we did not stay in the cell together longer than a day. Only in later years did I learn that he was a Muslim. Soon after that, I started to assimilate into the prison culture: fighting, stealing, gangbanging, and getting drunk at every chance. Anything to try to forget my wasted life and shattered dreams. I left Clemens in December of 1991 so that I could attend college at the Hughes Unit in Gatesville, Texas. My journey was just beginning.

Upon my arrival at the Hughes Unit, I immediately recognized the complete difference in the environment. Where as in Clemens everyone was about the same age as me, in this new unit most people were 15 to 20 years older than I was. My reputation preceded me to Hughes, so I was forced to live up to it. A few of the older men saw what I was doing and tried to warn me that this was not the way to do my time. Nonetheless, the cycle that I had started in Clemens came back in full swing. I fought a lot, drank a lot, and did everything I could do to break the rules of an establishment that I saw as corrupt.

In 1993 when my father died, my life spiraled completely out of control. In my eyes, I had nothing to live for – my one source of stability was gone. It was during this time that I met three brothers who would have a huge impact on my life. One was named Yaqub, another Kareem, and the other Wadi. These were three of the most disciplined people I had ever met. They were devout Muslims whose sole purpose in life was to please God. Often times, they would invite me to the Islamic services, but with my gangster persona and corrupted mentality, I would decline and go on about my mischief. By this time, I considered myself an atheist. The only thing I worshipped was power; the only thing I believed in was myself. It was in that state that I was to meet a young man who would inspire me to return to the one thing that had been missing from my life for years: God.



It was 1995, and I was working in the kitchen as a diet cook. My job was to ensure that the food was up to dietary standards and that each person on the approved list received their tray during mealtime. My assistant was a young man named Haywood. He was a Muslim and went by the name Mustafa. We were good friends and would talk about everything: politics, education, and even religion. And so one day, while he was studying, I asked him what he was reading. He replied, "This does not have anything to do with drinking or killing – you wouldn’t be interested.” I bothered him until he finally let me see what it was that he was studying: he was teaching himself Arabic. When he asked if I knew what it was and I said yes, he didn’t believe me. I told him that I had seen it when I was introduced to Islam in 1984. I told him that I could even learn it if he taught me the letters. He said, "NO WAY!" so I tried to bet him that I could learn it, but he told me that Muslims do not gamble.



I resolved to learn Arabic just to prove to him that I could. He taught me the letters and around 20 minutes later, I had them memorized. The feeling of accomplishment was incredible! When he saw that I had committed them to memory, he gave me a short list of words to learn, thinking that I could do nothing with it. I really do not blame him for feeling that way – I know that I would have felt the same way about me. After learning the word list, I needed another way to study Arabic. Little did I know that my next decision would change my life forever.

On a whim (or perhaps by inspiration), I decided to ask a Muslim named Faheem for a copy of the Qur'an, Islam’s sacred Book, to aid me in my study of the Arabic language. He gave me one saying, "God-willing, you will become a Muslim." I did not think so but I thanked him anyway. My next step was to start trying to read the Arabic in the Qur'an.

As I was reading, some of the injunctions and stories in the scripture caught my attention. They touched me in a way that is hard to describe, and after a few months of studying, I told Faheem that I was thinking about becoming a Muslim. He encouraged me and gave me a lot of advice. In my studies, I reflected upon the actions of Yaqub, Wadi, and Kareem. These were three brothers who had endured the brutality and hopelessness of prison life for decades and still held their heads up high with the knowledge that all things are in the hands of Allah. No matter what man tried to do to them, they maintained their faith in the doctrine that there is no might or power except the Power of the One True God, Allah. And so it was, with these thoughts in my head, that I continued my journey.

The final piece fell in place on a Friday night. The next morning I was supposed to pick up a package of illegal contraband that I had been waiting for. As I sat in my housing area that night, I decided that I would read from the Qur'an. As I opened the Book, the words of a particular verse jumped out at me: Surah 3, verse 103, which reads, "¼and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it, thus does Allah make clear to you His communications that you may follow the right way." These words shook my very soul such that I decided not to go to my meeting the next morning. The next day, I found out that the person who I was supposed to meet had been apprehended. I was so taken aback by this that I did something that I had not done since my youth: I prayed. I prayed for forgiveness of my sins and bad conduct; I prayed for guidance and mercy from the God I had turned my back on. I decided then and there that I wanted to dedicate my life to doing good and pleasing God.

When I took this good news to Faheem, he sat me down and asked me if I was resolved on my decision. When I told him yes, he began to educate me on the basic beliefs and teachings of Islam. When other Muslims saw this, some encouraged me while others, familiar with my ways, told the brothers that they were wasting their time. I would not be denied, however. As I learned the Prayer, a whole new world opened up to me that I had never seen before. In this world was peace, contentment, and most importantly, a sense of completeness. The lessons that I was learning about Tawheed (Unity and Oneness of God) touched my soul. By the Grace of Allah, and with the help of the Muslims that were in the cellblock with me, I learned very quickly.

I was ready to take my Shahadah (public declaration of faith), but I still had one piece of unfinished business: I needed to disassociate myself from my gang. By that time, I had a lot of rank and influence in my organization so I thought that there would be no problem with me walking away. I thought wrong. They say that with knowledge comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes accountability. As such, people wanted me to be held accountable for my actions, so they came up with a plan to take me out. I had decided to call a meeting of the other leaders of my organization to let them know what it was that I was doing and why. I owed no one an explanation, but I wanted to be up front with them in order to make a clean break. I was oblivious to their plotting against me, thus I naively went to the recreation yard to meet them. Allah says in the Qur'an in Surah 3, verse 55: "And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners."

During the meeting, certain inmates who were trying to get rank within the organization proposed that I should be beaten and/or killed. This was all discussed while I was present! I was outraged but not shocked. Many people in prison look at Islam like it is just another gang. Thus, to the spiritually-blinded eyes of many of my former gang mates, I was changing my loyalty from one gang to another. There was one man, however, who understood the difference. His name was Willie, an he was as wild as they come. Thus, imagine my shock when he said the following words: "How can we even sit here talking about doing something to this brother just because he wants to give his life to God." He went on to remind the members of the meeting about all of the things that I had done to help many of my fellow gang members. In the end, they recognized the truth of his words and decided to leave me unharmed.

Years later, some of the same brothers would embrace Islam in much the same way that I did. Allah touches the hearts of men in ways that we do not perceive. It is only later that we comprehend and recognize the wonderful plan of the Creator. The next night, I declared my Shahadah in front of all of the community that was present at the Islamic teaching service. I can not express the feelings of love and joy that I felt when I publicly declared my belief. While I had been saying my Shahadah in my ritual prayer for weeks, it was not the same. It felt like a massive burden had been lifted off of my back. For the first time in my life, I was truly free. It was like I had been born again – returned to the natural state of my early childhood. This was a new beginning. I had little idea of where my journey was taking me, but I was nevertheless glad to be going.

The next few months were spent in intense studying. I wanted to learn everything at my disposal about Islam. My studies were aided by four brothers who helped me greatly: Faheem, Shafiyq, Malk`ilm, and Ismaiyl Shareef, a.k.a. "The Minister." These four were instrumental to my intellectual and spiritual growth as a Muslim, and I thank Allah every day that He allowed me to cross paths with them. Malk`ilm and Shareef were concerned with studying Arabic. Shafiyq was into hadeeth (Prophetic traditions), and he never passed up the chance to share something with me. Faheem was my partner, my confidant, and my biggest supporter.

I started using an Arabic/English dictionary to understand the Arabic text of the Qur'an. I had been misled and duped by the translators of the Bible my whole life, so I was highly skeptical of someone else’s translation of the Holy Qur'an. My goal became to not only read and write Arabic, but also to be able to understand and translate the Book on my own. I had no instructor, but I did have determination, faith in Allah’s Power, and a will to succeed. I would spend up to 10 hours a day learning the words of Surah 2. As I familiarized myself with the words, I would commit the verses to memory. It was a hard and long process that definitely took its toll on me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I would often pray to Allah to lighten the load of my intensive studies. I did this until I came across the verse in which Allah tells the believers that He has imposed no difficulty upon them in their religion (22:78). This greatly lifted my spirits and gave me the strength to carry on. So, within six months after taking my Shahadah, I was teaching the beginning Arabic class. Al-Hamdu lillah li dhalik (Praise be to Allah for that).

As I became more spiritually aware, I began to see the value of true Islamic knowledge. It is reported in a Tradition: "Seek knowledge even as far as China." Thus, my immediate task became to acquire all of the Islamic knowledge that I could obtain through my limited resources. I started studying the books of Hadeeth. I became familiar with the different authors of the major canonical books of Traditions. Next, I sought out a deeper and better understanding of the fundamentals of faith. I strove to recognize the spiritual meanings of the physical acts of worship that we perform everyday. I also turned my attention to the science of Qur'anic exegesis. I studied the works of Ibn Kathir and Jafar As-Saddiq in order to get a richer understanding of the different schools.

I next turned my attention to Islamic history, while trying not to confine myself to a particular author or school of thought. I read the works of Ibn Atheer, Muhammad Hykal, al-Ameen al-Amilee, and Ameer Ali. The more that I learned about the "Golden Age" of Islamic history, the more my faith in the future of humanity grew. Allah the, the Most High, tells us in His Book that we must reflect on the generations that passed away before us. By studying the actions of the Ummah (Islamic nation) of the past, we see what sincerity of faith and dependence on Allah can accomplish. Similarly, I recognized what disunity can do to the Ummah. Petty hatreds and grudges can destroy the oneness of the Muslims. With this knowledge, I then sought to inspire others to open their minds to the Truth and to embrace Islam wholeheartedly, without any reservations.

Soon after, I was asked to start giving lectures at our teaching services. I tried to stay away from frivolous topics and discussions so as to give a clear and correct view of Islam. My objective was to establish the basics and stay away from the different ideologies and fractionalization. Once I began to speak, Allah opened up for me many doors of knowledge and understanding. I still continued to focus on perfecting my knowledge of the Arabic language and the Islamic sciences.

In July 1999, I was transferred to the Beto Unit in Palestine, Texas to attend another college. As I settled in, I began to teach Arabic once again but this time at the advanced level. The regional Islamic Chaplain, Imam Abdullah Rasheed, asked me to participate in handling the Islamic affairs, so I was appointed to the Majlis Al-Shura (decision-making council) and acted in that capacity for two years. The experience and knowledge that I gained working under Imam Rasheed and his successor, Imam Omar Rakeeb, helped me to grow not only mentally, but it also made me aware of my moral duty as a Muslim.

On June 17, 2003, I was released from prison after almost 13 years of incarceration. While some say that my time in prison was a waste of life and potential, I look back on it as a blessing from a Most Merciful God. I used to ask myself, "What would have happened if I had never come to prison?" This was something that bothered me all of the time until I read in Surah 64, verse 11: "No affliction comes about but by Allah's permission; and whoever believes in Allah, He guides aright his heart; and Allah is Cognizant of all things." This helped me to understand that my going to prison was only a trial from Allah. It helped me to recognize my error and amend my life. And while I missed out on a portion of the life of this world, in sha' Allah (God willing) I gained a much greater portion of the Hereafter.

Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine Jackson

In a starling Interview, Jermaine Jackson, brother of world-famous star Michael Jackson, tells how he embraced Islam.

Islam is a religion, which transcends all petty prejudices of color, race and territorial boundaries. That is why the followers of other religions, with a nearsighted vision, have a sense of overflowing pride and relief when they embrace Islam. Deserting the religion of one?s forefathers is one of the most difficult decisions, but the golden principles and the virtues of broadmindedness of Islam have persuaded mankind to adopt it as a way of life.

Now, therefore, Islam has emerged as the greatest religion of the world. Jermaine Jackson, brother of world-famous Michael Jackson is one of those men who have left the religion of their forefathers and made Islam the inseparable part of their life. From Jermaine Jackson, he has re-named as Muhammad Abdul-Aziz. He lives in one of the luxurious palaces in the outskirts of Los Angeles (USA). The palace of Abdul-Aziz is surrounded by beautiful gardens. This is the place where he and his sisters compose their musical notes. This remains under surveillance of more than 15 security vans round the clock. This area which is known as ?Falis? in Los Angeles is considered one of the most expensive areas the world over London based Arabic "al-Mujallah" has recently published an interview of Jermaine Jackson for the first time since he became Muslim. In this interview, he has expressed his passionate love for Islam. Let us see how he responded to various questions: -

When and How did you start your journey towards Islam?

It was way back in 1989 when I, along with my sister, conducted a tour to some of the countries of Middle East. During our stay in Bahrain, we were accorded warm welcome. There I happened to meet some children and had a light chitchat with them. I put certain questions to them and they flung at me their innocent queries. During the course of this interaction, they inquired about my religion. I told them, "I am a Christian." I asked them, as to what was their religion? A wave of serenity took over them. They replied in one voice ? Islam. Their enthusiastic answer really shook me from within. Then they started telling me about Islam. They were giving me information, much in piece with their age. The pitch of their voice would reveal that they were highly proud of Islam. This is how I paced toward Islam.

A very short interaction with a group of children ultimately led me to have long discourses about Islam with Muslim scholars. A great ripple had taken place in my thought. I made failing attempt to console myself that nothing had happened but I could not conceal this fact any longer from myself that at heart I had converted to Islam. This I disclosed first to my family friend, Qunber Ali. The same Qunber Ali managed to take me to Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. Till that time, I did not know much about Islam. From there, in the company of a Saudi family, I proceeded for Mecca for the performance of "Umrah". There I made public for the first time that I had become Muslim.

What were your feelings after you proclaimed that you were a Muslim?

Having embraced Islam, I felt as if I were born again. I found in Islam the answers to those queries which I had failed to find in Christianity. Particularly, it was only Islam that provided satisfactory answer to the question relating to the birth of Christ. For the first time I was convinced about the religion itself. I pray my family members might appreciate these facts. My family is the follower of that cult of Christianity, which is known as AVENDANCE of JEHOVA (Jehova's Witness). According to its creeds, only 144,000 men would finally qualify to enter into paradise. ?How comes, It remained always a perplexing creed for me. I was surprised to know that Bible was compiled by so many men, particularly about a volume scripted by King James. I wondered if a man compiles a directory and then ascribes it to God, but he does not fully comply with these directions. During my stay in Saudi Arabia I have had the opportunity to buy a cassette released by the erstwhile British pop-singer and the present Muslim preacher, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). I learnt a lot from this as well.

What happened when you got back to the US after embracing Islam?

When I returned to USA, American media orchestrated heinous propaganda against Islam and the Muslims. The gossips were let loose on me which really disturbed my peace of mind. The Hollywood was hell-bent upon maligning the Muslims. They were being projected as terrorists. There are many things where there is consensus between Christianity and Islam, and Quran presents Holy Christ as a virtuous Prophet. Then, I wondered, why Christian America levels baseless allegations against Muslims?

This made me gloomy. I made up my mind that I would do my best to dispel the wrong image of Muslims, portrayed by the American media. I had not the slightest idea that American media would not digest the news of my accepting Islam and raise such a great hue and cry. It was virtually acting against all its tall and much-publicized claims about the freedom of _expression and the freedom of conscience. So the hypocrisy of American society came to surface and lay uncovered before me. Islam unknotted many complications for me. As a matter of fact, I came to think of myself as a complete human being, in the literal sense of the word. After becoming Muslim, I felt a tremendous change in me. I discarded all thing prohibited in Islam. This made things difficult for my family too. In short, the Jackson family tumbled altogether. Threatening letters poured in, which further intensified the worries of my family.

What sort of threats?

Well, they would tell me that I had nurtured the animosity of American society and culture, by entering into the laps of Islam, you have deprived yourself of the right to live with others. WE would make life unbearable for you in America so on, so forth. But I confess that my family is broadminded. We have held all religions in esteem. Our parents have trained and groomed us in that way. Therefore, I may say that the Jackson family enjoys friendly relation with people belonging to almost all religions. This is the result of that training that I am being tolerated by them so far.

What was the reaction of your brother Michael Jackson?

On my way back to America, I brought a number of books from Saudi Arabia. Michael Jackson asked me himself for some of these books for study. Before this, his opinion was influenced by the propaganda of American media against Islam and the Muslims. He was not inimical towards Islam, but he was not favorably disposed towards Muslims either. But after reading these books, he would keep mum and not say anything against Muslims. I think perhaps this is the impact of the study of Islam that he diverted his business interests towards Muslim traders. Now, he has equal shares with the Saudi billionaire prince Waleed bin Talal, in his multi-national company.

It was said earlier that Michael Jackson was against Muslims, then there are rumors that he had become Muslim. What is the real story?

I testify this fact, at least there is nothing in my knowledge that Michael Jackson ever said anything derogatory against Muslims. His songs, too, give message of love for others. We have learnt from our parents to love others. Only those who have their own ax to grind hurl allegations on him. When there can be a nasty uproar against me when I became Muslim, why can it not be so against Michael Jackson. But, so far, media has not subjected him to scathing criticism, although he is threatened for his getting somewhat closer to Islam. But who knows what would it look like when Michael Jackson embraces Islam.

What are the views of the rest of the members of your family about you?

When I returned to America, my mother had already heard the news of my conversion to Islam. My mother is a religious and civilized woman. When I reached home, she put forth only one question, "you have taken this decision all of a sudden, or is it the outcome of some deep and long thinking behind it?" "I have decided after a lot of thinking about it," I replied, let me say we are known as a religious family. Whatever we possess, is due to the blessing of God. Then why we should not be grateful to Him? This is why we actively participate in the charity institutions. We dispatched medicines to the poor African countries through special aircraft. During Bosnian war, our aircraft were engaged in supplying aids to the affectees. We are sensitive to such things because we have witnessed abject poverty. We used to live in a house which was hardly a few square meters capacious.

Did you ever discuss about Islam with your sister pop star Janet Jackson?

Like other members of my family, my sudden conversion to Islam was a great surprise for her. In the beginning, she was worried. She has stashed into her head only one thing that Muslims are polygamous, they do have as much as four wives. When I explained this permission granted by Islam with reference to the state of the present American society, she was satisfied. This is fact that promiscuity and infidelity is very common in the western society. In spite of the fact that they are married, western men enjoy extramarital relations with a number of women. This has caused devastating moral decay in that society. Islam safeguards the social fabric from this destruction.

As per Islamic teachings, if a man is emotionally attracted towards a woman, he should honorably give this relation a legal shape otherwise he must be contented with only one wife. On the other hand, Islam has laid down so much conditions for second marriage that I do not think that an ordinary Muslim can afford to meet these conditions financially. There is hardly one percent Muslims in the Islamic world who have more than one wife. To my view, the women in an Islamic society is just like a well-protected flower which is safe from the stray penetrating looks of the viewers. Whereas western society is devoid of the vision to appreciate this wisdom and philosophy.

What are your spontaneous feelings when you look at the Muslim society?

For the larger interest of humanity, Islamic society presents the safest place on this planet. For instance, take the example of women. American women are clad in their out-fit in such a manner that gives temptation to the male for harassment. But this is unthinkable in an Islamic society. Besides, the prevalent sins and vices have disfigured the moral fabric of western society. I believe if there is any place left where the humanity is still visible, it can not be anywhere else than in an Islamic society. Time would come when the world would be obliged to accept this reality.

What is your candid opinion about the American media?

American media is suffering from self-contradictions. Take the example of Hollywood. The status of an artist is measured here keeping in view the model of his car, the standard of this restaurant that he visits, etc. This is the media that raises someone from the dust to the skies. They do not consider the artist as a human being. But I have met so many artists in the Middle East. They have no misplaced arrogance in them.

Just look at the CNN, they do that much exaggeration about some news that it appears that nothing else has happened except that event in the world. The news of fire in the forests of Florida was given such a wide coverage as it gave the impression that the whole globe has caught fire. In fact, it was a small area, which was affected by that fire.

I was in Africa, when the bomb-blast took place in Oklahoma City. The Media, without any proof, started hinting at the involvement of Muslims in that blast. Later on the Saboteur turned out to be a CHRISTIAN!!! We may term this attitude of American media as its willful ignorance.

Can you maintain a Linkage between your Islamic personality and the culture of your family?

Why not? This linkage can be kept up for the achievement of good things.

After becoming Muslim, did you ever happen to see Muhammad Ali?

Muhammad Ali is our family friend. I have met him a number of times, after embracing Islam. He has provided useful guidance about Islam.

Have you visited Shah Faisal mosque in Los Angeles city?

Yes, of course! This is a beautiful mosque. I am myself interested to construct a similar mosque in ?Falise? area because there is no mosques in this area and the Muslim community is not resourceful enough purchase a piece of land for a mosque in such a posh area. God willing, I would do it.

Who is ignorant of the services of Saudi Arabia for the glorious cause of Islam? No doubt it has leisurely financed the projects for mosques. But this American media even does not spare Saudi Arabia; it spreads quite strange news about this country. When I first visited Saudi Arabia, I had the impression that there would be muddy housed and a very poor communication network. But when I reached there, to my great surprise, I found it culturally the most beautiful country of the world.

Who has influenced you, so far as Islam is concerned?

Many persons have impressed me. But the fact is that first I turn to the Holy Quran, therefore I do not run a risk of getting strayed on the way. However, there are many Islamic scholars that one can be duly proud of. God willing, I plan to go to Saudi Arabia with my family to perform, ?Umrah?.

Your wife and children are Muslims too?

I have seven sons and two daughter who, like me, are fully Islamic-oriented. My wife is still studying Islam. She insists on going over to Saudi Arabia. I trust InshaAllah, she would sooner join Islam. May God Almighty give us the courage and perseverance to remain on this true religion, Islam. (Ameen)

Source: Unknown.

Zulhijah simpan rahsia tiga kemuliaan

Sumber dr berita harian online-Oleh Engku Ahmad Zaki Engku Alwi

ZULHIJAH ialah bulan terakhir dalam kalendar Islam dan termasuk antara empat bulan haram yang dinyatakan Allah di dalam al-Quran. Kehadiran Zulhijah amat dinantikan umat Islam, terutama yang sudah bersedia untuk menyahut seruan Ilahi melaksanakan ibadat haji. Zulhijah juga menyaksikan tiga kemuliaan yang sewajarnya menjadi renungan dan pengajaran bagi Muslim. Ketiga-tiga kemuliaan itu ialah kemuliaan waktu, tempat dan musim haji.

Kemuliaan waktu ialah kerana kita berada pada bulan haji iaitu bulan haram yang setiap detik amat berharga di sisi Allah. Detik keemasan yang terhampar sepanjang Zulhijah adalah antara waktu yang paling afdal beribadat untuk mendekatkan diri ke hadrat Allah. Pada bulan mulia ini, ada satu hari yang dikatakan paling afdal di sisi Allah selain Jumaat iaitu hari Arafah. Ia bersempena amalan berwukuf di Padang Arafah yang menjadi satu daripada rukun bagi umat Islam yang menunaikan haji di tanah suci.

Bagi umat Islam yang tidak mengerjakan haji, mereka dianjurkan berpuasa, berzikir dan melakukan amalan sunat lain pada hari berkenaan seperti sabda Rasulullah yang bermaksud: “Berpuasa pada hari Arafah dinilai di sisi Allah sebagai penghapus dosa bagi setahun yang sebelumnya dan selepasnya.” (Hadis riwayat Muslim)Kemuncak daripada itu, hari Arafah ialah satu hari Allah membebaskan sesiapa yang menghadiri Padang Arafah dan memuliakan hari itu daripada api neraka.

Oleh kerana itu, keesokannya adalah hari kesyukuran dan perayaan bagi umat bagi menzahirkan kesyukuran ke hadrat Allah Taala. Kemuliaan tempat pula kerana jemaah yang melaksanakan ibadat haji kini berada di tanah suci iaitu Makkah dan Madinah. Sejak dunia mengenal peradaban, Baitullah sudah berdiri tegak sebagai benteng akidah yang kukuh yang tidak mudah digugah, apatah lagi dihapuskan. Sebaliknya segala propaganda dan perancangan musuh Islam sentiasa gagal dan tidak kesampaian. Makkah dengan Baitullahnya diangkat sebagai simbol keimanan dan akidah.

Pusat penyebaran akidah dan markas dakwah Islam yang pada asalnya dibangunkan di gurun tandus dan kering kontang akhirnya berupaya mengubah perjalanan sejarah, menghancurkan kepercayaan keberhalaan, merobohkan masyarakat jahiliah dan menggugat sendi peradaban dunia ketika itu sehingga Makkah menjadi pusat pancaran Islam yang menyinari kegelapan dunia. Oleh itu, jemaah haji atau umrah wajib memelihara kesucian tempat mulia ini dengan mentaati perintah dan larangan Ilahi serta peraturan pihak berkuasa di sana. Allah memberi peringatan terhadap sesiapa yang cuba melakukan kerosakan secara zalim di Masjidil Haram, melalui firman-Nya yang bermaksud: “Dan sesiapa yang berazam melakukan di situ sebarang perbuatan yang dilarang dengan cara yang zalim, Kami akan merasakannya azab yang tidak terperi sakitnya.” (Surah al-Hajj, ayat 25)

Manakala kemuliaan musim ialah kerana Zulhijjah adalah bulan yang terkandung di dalamnya amalan yang besar ganjarannya di sisi Allah iaitu haji. Ibadat ini mempunyai banyak pengertian suci terutama dalam mengeratkan jalinan hubungan antara Allah sebagai khaliq dan pencipta kepada alam semesta dan manusia sebagai makhluk dan ciptaan-Nya yang menghuni alam sebagai khalifah-Nya. Allah menyediakan ganjaran yang besar bagi Muslim yang mengerjakan umrah dan haji pada bulan ini.

Sabda Rasulullah saw yang bermaksud: “Daripada satu umrah kepada umrah yang berikutnya adalah penghapus semua kesalahan dan dosa yang berlaku antara keduanya. Haji mabrur (yang dilakukan dengan ikhlas dan sempurna) tidak ada ganjarannya yang setimpal melainkan syurga.” (Hadis riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)Kemuliaan musim haji tidak dapat dinilai kebesaran, kelebihan dan keistimewaannya kerana di dalamnya banyak manfaat sekali gus menjadi saat indah dan keemasan yang dilalui jemaah dengan penuh keinsafan dan keikhlasan demi meraih keredaan Ilahi dan kebahagiaan abadi di akhirat kelak. Segala hikmah dan pengajaran yang terhimpun pada musim haji sewajarnya dimanfaatkan oleh setiap jemaah bermula daripada kesatuan umat Islam yang datang dari pelbagai bangsa dan negara, mempereratkan hubungan ukhwah dan menghapuskan segala perpecahan atau persengketaan meskipun negara mereka berjauhan, berlainan bahasa dan warna kulit.

Umat Islam di tanah suci disatukan akidah, tempat dan musim yang penuh rahmat Ilahi kepada Muslim yang bertakwa. Dari tempat suci di mana turun wahyu dan terbitnya risalah Islam ini, akan terpancar akidah tauhid yang mapan, ikatan ukhuwah yang kukuh, risalah perdamaian yang konkrit. Melalui pertemuan dan perhimpunan bersejarah sesama Muslim di tempat dan waktu yang sangat mulia, segala masalah, krisis yang dihadapi umat Islam dapat diatasi selain menemui titik penyelesaian dan permuafakatan yang jitu dalam menghadapi arus globalisasi yang tidak banyak memberi erti dan manfaat berbanding kemuliaan musim haji yang tersingkap di dalamnya makna yang luhur. Perlu diinsafi bahawa Islam menjadi risalah yang sungguh agung dan amanah yang cukup besar.

Oleh itu, umat Islam dewasa ini sangat memerlukan kesatuan dan perpaduan yang utuh dalam menghadapi ancaman dan cabaran pasca modenisme di bawah naungan satu panji, bersandar pada satu kiblat, maka warna kulit, bahasa, tempat tinggal, semuanya akan terikat menjadi satu syiar Islam. Hanya di bawah naungan panji Islam dengan suluhan wahyu al-Quran dan sunnah Rasulullah, umat Islam dapat bangkit berperanan sebagai umat terbaik dan contoh kepada sekalian alam. Demikianlah kemuliaan yang terhampar sepanjang Zulhijah yang wajib diambil iktibar bukan saja oleh setiap jemaah haji, bahkan umat Islam di luar sempadan Tanah Suci untuk mengambil inisiatif dan mengorak langkah menjana akidah tauhid yang ampuh dan menjalin ikatan ukhuwah yang utuh dalam usaha menobatkan kembali kecemerlangan umat Islam dalam pelbagai aspek kehidupan sejagat.

The phenomenon of cheating

Question :

The phenomenon of cheating is widespread in society. What is the attitude of Islam towards this phenomenon?

Answer :

In the Qur’aan, Allaah has condemned cheating and the people who do it, and has warned them of bad consequences. This may be understood from the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“Woe to Al‑Mutaffifoon (those who give less in measure and weight).

Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure,

And when they have to give by measure or weight to (other) men, give less than due”

[al-Mutaffifeen 83:1]

This is a severe warning to those who cheat (by giving less) in weights and measures, so how about those who steal, embezzle and withhold from the people the things that are their due? These are more deserving of the warning than those who cheat in weights and measures.

The Prophet of Allaah Shu’ayb warned his people against reducing the value of people’s property and cheating in weights and measures, as Allaah has told us in the Qur’aan.

Similarly the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cautioned us against cheating and issued a warning to the one who does this. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by a pile of food and put his hand into it, and his fingers touched something wet. He said, “What is this, O seller of the food?” The man said, “It got rained on, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said, “Why did you not put it (the wet part) on top of the pile so that the people could see it? He who deceives does not belong to me.” According to other reports, “He who deceives us is not one of us,” or, “He is not one of us who deceives us.” (Narrated by Muslim).

The wording of the version narrated by al-Nawawi, “he is not one of us”, is sufficient warning against cheating and sufficient deterrent against indulging in this heinous sin.

We need desperately to instill this message in our hearts so that we might stir the conscience and be aware that Allaah is watching all that we do, without the need for any human supervisor.

The way we deal with this phenomenon and other destructive phenomena that exist in society should not be like a patient who has a problem in his appendix and needs surgery, but instead they heat up a poultice for him and put it on that spot to relieve the pain… for then the patient will die before they even think of calling the doctor.

Here we will examine the phenomenon of cheating, now that you know the warnings that apply to it.

Definition of cheating:

Al-Mannaawi said: Cheating is that which mixes bad with good.

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: the forbidden type of cheating is when the owner of the goods knows something which, if the would-be purchaser knew about it, he would not pay that amount of money for it.

Al-Kafawi said: cheating causes blackness of the heart and frowning on the face, hence this word (ghish = cheating or deceit) is also used (in Arabic) to refer to hatred or enmity.

Where cheating takes place:

The one who thinks about what happens in real life will find that many people engage in some form of cheating in all areas of their lives. Examples of that include:

1 – Cheating in buying and selling:

How often this happens nowadays in the marketplaces of the Muslims! It may take the form of concealing faults in goods or other ways such as deceiving people about the quality of a product, or its components, quantity, weight, essential features or source.

These are some of the ways in which that cheating is manifested:

1- Some fruit-sellers put a lot of leaves or papers in the bottom of the basket of fruit, then they put the best fruit at the top. In this manner they deceive the purchaser and cheat him by making him think that the basket is full from top to bottom, and that all the fruit is of the same quality as that which he sees on the top.

2- Some of them get food oil and mix it with perfume, with the larger proportion being of oil. Then they put it in glass bottles, and this substance smells like perfume, and they sell it for a low price.

3- Some traders buy a product in a very light wrapper, then they put it in a much thicker wrapper, maybe five times thicker. Then they sell the wrapper and its contents, weighing the whole lot and charging for both the wrapper and the contents.

4- Some traders do some light mending on clothes, then they sell them without explaining that they have been mended, rather they swear by Allaah that they are new – may they perish!

5- Some of them may wear a garment until it loses its value, then they shorten it and put some starch in it, to make people think that it is new, and they sell it as if it is new.

6- Some perfume-sellers put some products, such as saffron, near water so that they may absorb the moisture, thus increasing the weight by approximately one-third.

7- Some vendors and shopkeepers make their stores very dark by using coloured lights, so that rough products will look smooth and ugly ones will look beautiful. The Shaytaan makes their evil deeds attractive to them.

8- Some goldsmiths mix gold with copper and the like, then they sell it as if it is pure gold.

9- Some of them buy clean second-hand gold, then they offer it for sale at the price of new without telling the purchaser that it is second-hand.

10-Some vendors at car auctions put thick oil in the car engine so that the purchaser will think that it is in good condition.

11-Some of them turn back the odometer, if it shows that the car has traveled a great distance, to trick the purchaser into thinking that the car has only been used a little.

12-Some of them, if they have a car that they want to sell and they know that it has a hidden fault, will say to the one who wants to buy it, “Try this car if you want to buy it,” without telling him anything about it. By Allaah, this is cheating and deceit.

13-Some of them describe many faults in the car which are not real, with the intention of concealing the real faults of the vehicle behind these imaginary faults.

Even worse than that is when they do not mention the faults until after the sale has been made and the deposit paid, and the purchaser is not able to inspect the car and is not allowed to do so.

14-Some of them, if they have a car that they want to sell, will praise it and swear by Allaah that it is good, and they will fabricate reasons why they want to sell it, but Allaah knows all secrets and that which is yet more hidden.

15-Some of them agree with their friends to increase the price so that someone else will take it. This is the najsh (artificial inflation of prices) which the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade.

16-Another kind of cheating in selling is when butchers inflate the animal carcass that they want to sell so that the purchaser will think that it is all meat.

17-Some vendors at sheep auctions and places where chickens are sold feed the animals salt [to make them drink more and thus look fatter], so that the purchaser will think that they are fat when they are not.

18-Some owners of cattle etc. tie up the teats of milking-animals a few days before selling them so that this will look like milk when it is not.

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I leave it for you to add more examples of cheating in buying and selling that may cross your mind. May Allaah protect you, if you are a seller or a buyer, from cheating or doing any of the things described above.

2 – Cheating in matters of marriage

These are some of the ways in which this cheating is manifested:

1- Some fathers may offer a man who comes to marry one of his daughters his youngest daughter who is still a virgin, then on the wedding night he finds out that he has been given the older, previously-married daughter. Some men can find no escape and no way out from such a marriage.

2- Some fathers and guardians of women show the suitor the daughter who is beautiful, then on the wedding night he finds out that he has been given a different daughter who is ugly, but he has no choice but to accept the situation.

3- Some fathers may conceal some sickness or fault that may be present in the daughter, not telling the suitor so that he may have a clear picture. Then when he goes in unto her on the wedding night he discovers the sickness or fault.

4- Some fathers and guardians of women, if the suitor asks to see the woman – which is permissible so long as the conditions stipulated in Islam are met – give him permission to do so after they fill her face will all kinds of colours and dyes, i.e. “make-up”, so that she will appear beautiful to him, but if he looked at her without that mask of make-up he would not be pleased with her. Is this not cheating which leads to great corruption of the rights of both husband and wife?

5- Some guardians marry off the female under their care without making the effort to find out about the suitor and how religiously committed he is or what his attitude is like. This is a kind of cheating and wrongdoing against the wife.

6- Another kind of cheating in marriage is when the suitor pretends to have what he does not, to make it appear that he is a man of status and that he owns a lot of real estate and cars. He may even go to the extent of hiring a luxury car, spending hundreds of riyals, to give the impression that he owns it, when in fact he does not own anything.

7- Another kind of cheating is when some people praise the suitor before the people whose daughter he wishes to marry, speaking of him in the highest terms and describing him as one who prays and is righteous, even though this suitor does not even know the way to the mosque.

Enough of this cheating and deception which destroys homes and breaks up families!

8- A form of cheating done by some women – especially those who are older – is when they file their teeth to create nice-looking gaps between them, thus making an older woman look young, so that the suitor will think that she is young, then when he marries her he discovers that she is very old. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the women who file their teeth for the purpose of beauty and alter the creation of Allaah.

3 – Cheating in naseehah (sincere advice)

The whole point of giving advice is to help a person meet his worldly objectives or his religious objectives. One of the mutual rights of brotherhood among the believers is to be sincere towards one another, and the hypocrites are cheats.

The believer is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees some fault in him he should correct it. Sincerity means refraining from harming the Muslims, teaching them about matters of their religion of which they are unaware, and helping them to adhere to it in word and in deed, covering their faults, filling their gaps, warding off harm from them, bringing things that will benefit them, enjoining what is good upon them and forbidding what is evil in a kind and sincere manner, showing compassion towards them, respecting their elders, being merciful towards their young, giving them good advice and choosing the appropriate time for doing so, loving for them what one loves for oneself of goodness and hating for them what one hates for oneself of disliked things.

Al-Haafiz Abu’l-Qaasim al-Tabaraani narrated with his isnaad that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him) commanded his freed slave to buy a horse for him. So he bought him a horse for three hundred dirhams, and he brought the horse and its owner to him so that he could pay him the money. Jareer said to the owner of the horse – look at this sincerity – “Your horse is worth more than three hundred dirhams. Will you sell it for four hundred dirhams?” He said, “Yes, O Abu ‘Abd-Allaah.”

He said, “Your horse is worth more than four hundred dirhams. Will you sell it for five hundred dirhams?” He kept increasing it by one hundred each time, with the owner agreeing and Jareer saying, “Your horse is worth more than that,” until he reached eight hundred, for which price he bought it. And he said concerning that, “I gave my oath of allegiance (bay’ah) to the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that I would be sincere towards every Muslim.”

4 – Cheating in positions of authority

It was narrated that Ma’qal ibn Yassaar al-Muzani (may Allaah be pleased with him) said during his final illness: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘There is no person whom Allaah has put in a position of authority and he dies on the day he dies cheating those under his authority, but Allaah will forbid Paradise for him.’” This was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim; this version was narrated by Muslim. According to one of the two versions narrated by al-Bukhaari: “There is no Muslim whom Allaah places in a position of authority over people and he is not sincere towards them, but he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

This is a stern warning which includes everyone whom Allaah has placed in a position of authority, whether great or small, starting from the individuals of a royal family. Everyone must be sincere towards those who are under their authority, and not cheat or deceive them.

So an employee must be sincere in his work and do it in the manner required by sharee’ah, without cheating or deceiving anyone, and without delaying work for people. He should realize that he will stand before Allaah and that Allaah has only given him this job so that he can be sincere towards the Muslims.

Similarly a father must be sincere towards his children and not neglect their upbringing, rather he must do all that he can to save himself and his children from a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are appointed angels stern and severe (cf. al-Tahreem 66:6).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “How many people have caused misery to their own children, the apples of their eyes, in this world and in the Hereafter, by neglecting them, not disciplining them, encouraging them to follow their whims and desires, thinking that they were honouring them when they were in fact humiliating them, that they were being merciful to them when in fact they were wronging them. They have not benefited from having a child, and they have made the child lose his share in this world and in the Hereafter. If you think about the corruption of children you will see that in most cases it is because of the parents.”

(Tuhfat al-Mawlood, p. 146)

5 – Cheating in exams

How many ways and means of cheating there are among the students! The reason for that is the lack of any religious deterrent, weakness of faith, and the lack of any sense that Allaah is always watching.

Our Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever cheats us is not one of us.’ This includes cheating in dealing with others and cheating in exams, including English-language exams. It is not permissible for students to cheat in exams in any subject, because of the general meaning of this hadeeth and other similar reports. And Allaah is the Source of strength.”

These are some of the ways in which cheating is manifested, and there are others, for this is just a drop in the ocean,

“so that those who were to be destroyed (for their rejecting the Faith) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live (i.e. believers) might live after a clear evidence”

[al-An’aam 8:42 – interpretation of the meaning]

To everyone who has committed some form of cheating, whether it is mentioned here or not, we say: fear Allaah and remember that the Knower of the Unseen is always watching you. Remember His punishment and torment:

“Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them)”

[al-Fajr 89:14]

Realize that this world is transient and that the Reckoning will examine the smallest details; righteous deeds benefit one's children while bad deeds adversely affect them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And let those (executors and guardians) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own, if they had left weak offspring behind. So let them fear Allaah and speak right words”

[al-Nisa’ 4:9]

Whoever ponders the meaning of this aayah will fear the bad effects that evil deeds may have on his children and will refrain from them lest something like this happen to them.

And it should be noted that cheating is very harmful, which may be explained as follows:

The harmful effects of cheating include:

1- Cheating is a way that leads to Hell.

2- It is indicative of the mean and evil nature of a person. No one does this except one who is ignoble and does not care about his soul, so he causes it to indulge in that which will cause its doom and destruction.

3- It alienates one from Allaah and from other people.

4- It causes one’s du’aa’s not to be accepted.

5- It causes one to be deprived of barakah (blessing) in one's wealth and one's life.

6- It is indicative of a lack of faith.

7- It is the reason that leads to being overpowered by the oppressors and kaafirs. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: “Because of these evil actions – i.e., cheating – that are committed by traders, workers and craftsmen, Allaah caused the oppressors to gain power over them and take their wealth and violate the sanctity of their women. Indeed, He enabled the kuffaar to gain power over them, so they took them prisoner and enslaved them, and made them taste all kinds of torment and humiliation.

Cases where the kuffaar gained power over the Muslims, taking them prisoner and confiscating their property, taking their wealth and women, have happened a great deal in recent times, because of evil deeds that traders and others have committed, cheating in many different ways, because of the enormity of these crimes, deceit and trickery by means of which they took the wealth of the Muslims in any way they could, and did not feel that Allaah is always watching them.

Tauhid (Allah's Oneness)

The word tauhid means to make or to conceive as or hold to be one. Tauhid of Allah means both the oneness and the uniqueness of Allah Most High. Stated briefly, tauhid means attributing/ascribing/dedicating all attributes, beliefs and forms of worship to Allah and allowing none of these to be toward other than Allah, Most High.

In this way, tauhid combines the two fundamentals of rejection and assertion. When we say laa ilaha (there is no deity…), we reject all aspects of deity from all others except Allah Most High. Thus, Allah shares His attributes with no one, he alone creates and commands and He alone defines how He is to be worshipped and legislates the laws which govern our lives. When we say illa Allah (…except Allah), we affirm all of the things just mentioned to Allah Most High.

For ease of understanding, the study of Tauhid is divided into three areas:

Tauhid Ar-Ruboobiya. The exclusive uniqueness of Allah as omnipotent Lord. The one and the only one fully capable and in command in His creation. Stated another way: this form of tauhid pertains to the actions of Allah Most High.

Tauhid Al-Uloohiya. The exclusiveness uniqueness of Allah as deity. Allah is the only valid object of worship and no portion of any form of worship may be directed to other than Allah. Stated another way: this form of tauhid pertains to our actions.

Tauhid Al-Asmaa’ wa As-Sifaat. The exclusiveness uniqueness of Allah with regard to His names and attributes as He told us in the Qur’an or commanded his Prophet (sas) to tell us in the hadith. Stated another way: this form of tahuid pertains to complete acceptance of Allah’a attributes and names as they have been given to us.

These three categories are not from the revelation (Qur’an and Sunnah) as such. They were developed by the early scholars of this Ummah for ease of study and understanding. They carry weight because of the specific evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah for each point, not in and of themselves. In fact, this is not the only possible categorization and two other ‘types’ of tauhid are sometimes mentioned:

Tauhid Al-Ittibaa. The exclusiveness of following. Allah, the One has ordered us to take the Prophet (sas) as our guide and our example. Thus to give any other priority in following over the Prophet (sas) is to go against Allah and to divide our belief.

Tauhid Al-Haakimiya. The exclusiveness of Allah in legislation. Since Allah is the Supreme Lawgiver, part of our worship of Allah is to always accept His legislation on all matters and never to give the legislation of any other precedence over the legislation of Allah. Since Allah is our deity, there is no conceptual difference between turning away from bowing to Allah and bowing to others and turning away from Allah’s perfect laws and implementing the laws of others instead.

Once you understand how the two principles of rejection and assertion apply to the three (or four, or five) categories of Tauhid just described, you have a basic understanding of the framework of this field of knowledge into which to place specifics of its study.

First: Tauhid At-Ruboobiya
(The Oneness of Allah as Omnipotent Lord)

This is the oneness and uniqueness of Allah with regard to His actions. We believe that Allah alone can create and He is omnipotent and in full control of all things. He alone creates life and brings death. He alone provides our sustenance and sends us messengers. Allah said about His creating:

{Allah is the creator of all things and He is in charge over all things.} Az-Zumar: 62

Allah mentioned his ‘order’, that He alone is in control and in command of all things in two verses (Aal-Imraan: 152-154). The specific mention is in the following sentense in verse 154:

{…they say is there anything for us in this affair? Say: the command belongs entirely to Allah…}

In another verse, Allah combines the two concepts:

{…Verily, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.} Al-A’raaf: 54

The meaning is that everything is created except for Allah and His attributes and that everything is under His command. Nothing happens except by His command, nothing can impede His command and nothing happens which was not commanded by Allah. Allah is the sovereign and has no partner or companion in His dominion.

When Pharaoh, who claimed himself to be lord but actually knew better in his heart, challenged Musa and Harun as to the identity of the lord they claimed, Musa answered:

{He said: "Our Lord is the one who gave all things their form and then directed them.} Taha: 50

Complete understanding of Tauhid Ar-Ruboobiya is not sufficient to avoid Shirk.
Actually, it is rare in human history that any group advocated the rejection of this kind of tauhid. It is mainly cited as something obvious and used as evidence for the other aspects of tauhid. It is the nature of mankind to know and except his creator. Read Sura Ibrahim, verses 8 and 9 for a description of the call of all of the messengers and the behavior of most of the people in the face of it. At the beginning of verse 9, Allah quotes them as saying:

{Their messengers said: "Is there any doubt about Allah, the creator of the heavens and the earth?!"}

Even Pharaoh who, like Farakhan after him, claimed that Allah was a man walking on the earth (himself), knew in his heart that his Creator was the One and Only Allah Most High. Allah quotes Musa as saying to him:

{He said: "You know that these signs have only been sent by the Lord of the heavens and the earth…"} Al-Israa: 102

Also, Allah said about Pharaoh and his people:

{They opposed it, though they were certain of its truth, out of oppression and arrogance.} An-Naml: 14

Even the pagans of Makka, to whom the Qur’an was first sent, accepted the Lordship of Allah Most High and understood Tauhid Ar-Ruboobiya. After mentioning some of the disputes of these people with the Prophet (sas), Allah says about them:

{And if you were to ask them who created the heavens and the earth and put the sun and the moon in submission, they will say: "Allah." So how, then, are they misled?}
Al-Ankaboot: 63

After several verses talking about the realities which all who disbelieve in Allah will face on Qiyama, Allah says to them:

{Say: Who provides your sustenance from the heavens and from the earth and who owns hearing and sight and who brings the living from the dead and the dead from the living and who arranges all affairs? They will surely say: "Allah." Why, then, don’t you beware?} Yunus: 31