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Many reports by different companions of the Prophet, peace on him, speak of their initial feelings

toward him, stating that they adopted a hostile attitude toward him before they even met him. They also

say how such feelings evaporated on meeting him, and how their hate was replaced by a far more

genuine feeling of love. When we examine such reports, we find that the Prophet, peace on him, did not do

anything of personal nature to bring about such a change. Invariably, he would simply speak naturally,

with genuine feeling, stating his mission clearly and truthfully, without mincing words. People would

always recognize his truthfulness and his honesty. This is what attracted people to him, and they would

soon realize that the message he advocated was the message of the truth.

An unnamed man from Baladawiyyah narrates the story of his grandfather’s first meeting with

the Prophet, peace on him, as he himself reported it. He states that he went to Madinah where he stopped at

the valley, which he did not name. Most probably it was either Bathan or Al Aqeeq, which were the

nearest valleys where market days were held. “I saw two men negotiating the sale of a single female

goat. The buyer said to the seller: ‘Be good to me in this transaction.’ I thought to myself that this was

probably the Hashemite man who has led people astray. As I looked at him I saw a handsome man with

a broad forehead, small nose and this eyebrows, and from just below his neck down to his navel

stretched a thin black line of hair. He was wearing two old garments. As he approached us he greeted

us saying, ‘Assalamo Alaikum’, and we replied. He then spoke to the buyer who said to him:

‘Messenger of God! Tell him to make me a good transaction.’

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“He stretched his hand as if in apology, and said: ‘you own your property. I hope to meet God

on the Day of Resurrection and none of you having a claim against me that I might have wronged him

with anything in his money, in himself or his honor. And that I would not have taken anything from

anyone except in accordance with what is right. May God bless anyone who is easy in his buying and

selling, easy in taking and giving, easy in settling his debts and in demanding settlement.’ He then left,

and I thought that I needed to make sure of the man because his words were good. I followed him and

called him by his name, Muhammad. He turned with all his body (which was his habit), and asked what

did I want. I asked him: ‘Are you the one who led people astray, caused them to perish and turned them

away from what their forefathers worshipped?’ He said: ‘That is God.’ I asked him about his message,

and he said: ‘I call on God’s servants to turn to God.’ When I asked him what he said, he answered:

‘Declare that you believe that there is no deity other than God, and that I am God’s Messenger. You

should believe in what God has revealed to me, and disbelieve in Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (the main two idols

the Arabs worshipped), attend regularly to your prayer and pay your Zakah.’ I asked him what was Zakah

and he said: ‘That the rich among us should give our poor.’ I said to him: ‘This is a fine message that

you advocate.’

“’There was no living person on the face of the earth more hateful to me than him, but now he

was dearer to me than my children, my father and all people. I said to him: ‘Now I know.’ He said to

me: ‘Then you know.’ As I answered in the affirmative, he said: ‘Would you bear witness that there is

no deity other than God, and that I am God’s Messenger, and would you believe in what has been

revealed to me?’ I said: ‘Yes.’

“I then said: ‘Messenger of God! I frequent a water spring, which attracts many people, and I

will call on them to believe in what you said to me. I hope that they will follow you.’ He said: ‘Yes,

do.’ All people who used to frequent that water spring, men and women, accepted Islam. The Prophet,

peace on him, then wiped his head.”

We note that the man started with an extremely negative view of the Prophet, peace on him, and

Islam. He had a good look at the Prophet, peace on him, and noted that his outfit was that of a poor person.

The Prophet’s talk, however, was impressive as he expressed his strong hope that he would never take

anything from anyone except in accordance with what was right. He was not offended when it was put

to him that he caused trouble among his people by advocating a message that aimed to change their

religion. He put the principles of Islam clearly and called on people to accept it. This is the way to win

people’s hearts and minds.

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The Prophet, peace on him, always visited those who were ill, to inquire after their health. But he also

took the opportunity to invite them to believe. He did so knowing that an ill person accepts more

readily believing that only God grants recovery. Anas ibn Malik reports that the Prophet, peace on him,

visited a man from the Najjar clan of the Ansar who was ill. The Prophet, peace on him, said to him:

“Maternal uncle! Say: “There is no deity other than God.’” The man asked him whether he was a

paternal or maternal uncle, and the Prophet, peace on him, confirmed that he was a maternal uncle. This is

due to the fact that the Prophet was related to that clan through his mother. The Prophet, peace on him, again

told him to declare his belief in the One God. The man asked him whether it was good for him to do so,

and the Prophet, peace on him, confirmed that. We are not told whether the man believed or not, but we

know that the Prophet, peace on him, took the opportunity of the visit to call on him to become a Muslim.

He did the same with a Jewish youth that used to serve him. When the youth fell ill, the

Prophet, peace on him, went to visit him and sat close to him, near his head. He then said to him: ‘Accept the

faith of Islam.’ The youth looked at his father who was present and his father said to him: ‘Obey Abu

Al Qasim.’ The boy did that and declared that he was a Muslim. When the Prophet, peace on him, left, he

praised God for having saved the youth from hell. This authentic Hadith related by Ahmad, shows that

the Prophet, peace on him, did not seek to do things in a roundabout way. He spoke to the youth in front of

his father. The father realized that the Prophet, peace on him, only wanted what was good for his son, and he

told him to obey God’s Messenger.

Not only so, but the Prophet, peace on him, did his best to make people who were hostile to Islam

accept his message. Ahmad relates to Hadith, which mentions that, the Prophet, peace on him, said to a man:

“Become a Muslim and you will be safe.” The man said: “I find myself unwilling to do so.” The

Prophet, peace on him, said: “Even though you are unwilling.” Here we see the Prophet, peace on him, undeterred

from advocating his message even though his interlocutor clearly says that he does not want to respond.

But we should say that the Prophet, peace on him, did not threaten the man when he said to him that he

would be safe if he became a Muslim. He only meant that he would be safe from God’s punishment in

the Hereafter. He also said to him that even if he were reluctant at the beginning, by accepting Islam

even verbally, he would be in a better position to judge it clearly.

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OUR H

ISTORY

Abu Tariq Hijazi Imam Malik was oneof the most

respected scholars of Fiqh also known as

‘Imam Darul Hijrah’. His great grandfather

Abi Aamer, who was from Yemen, embraced

Islam in 02AH and migrated to Madinah. He

participated in all the battles alongside the

Holy Prophet, peace on him, except the Battle of

Badr. Malik was born near Madinah in 93AH.

He received his education in Madinah and

contacted about 900 scholars for collecting

Hadiths. He acquired a great amount of

knowledge from the desciples of the

companions of the Prophet, peace on him. He

mastered the science of Hadith at the age of

17 and began to issue Farwa after 70

scholars confirmed his eligibility for the

purpose. He collected over 100,000 Hadiths

written by his hand.

Imam Abu Hanifa met Imam Malik

and recognized his shcolarship. Imam Shafie

was a desciple of Imam Malik.

Imam Malik was the first to compile

an authentic book of Hadith named “Al-

Mawatta.” It contained 1,720 Hadiths. The

book was approved by 70 scholars and thus

called Muwatta (The Approved). Many

commentaries have been written on the

book. Imam Shafie, who was one of Malik’s

students for nine years, said: “Imam Malik is

like a star among scholars.” Imam Malik

memorized the Qur’an in his youth and

studied under famous scholars like Hisham

ibn Urwah, Ibn Shihab Al Zuhri and Imam

Jafar Al Sadiq, the descendant of the Holy

Prophet, peace on him.

He served and protected the science

of Hadith for over 70 years in Madinah and

expired at the age of 87. He was so attached

to the city of the Holy Prophet that he

performed Haj only once and never went

outside the city. His jurisprudence was later

developed into the Maliki School of

Thought, which was promoted in Morocco,

Ageria and Spain. Imam Malik compiled Al-

Muwatta in the course of 40 years, having

started with 10,000 narrations until he

reduced them to their present number.

Imam Bukhari said that the most authentic

chain of transmission of Hadith is called

Silsalat Al Zahabi (Golden Chain), which has

only three links – “Malik from Nafi from Ibn

Umar and then from the Holy Prophet.”

There are 80 narrations with this

chain in this book, Imam Shafie regarded Al-

Muwatta as the most authentic book on

earth after the Holy Qur’an. Imam Malik was

very strong in defending Shariah and did not

care for the likings of the ruling class.

Madinah governor during Abbasid

Caliphate arrested and flogged him publicly

for issuing a Farwa against ruling Caliph

Mansur. When the caliph came to know

about it, he dismissed the governor and

apologized to Imam Malik. He also sent

3,000 dinars and invited Imam Malik to live

IMAM MALIK

a great scholar of Hadith

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in Baghdad but he refused the offer saying

that he preferred to live in the city of the

Holy Prophet, peace on him.

Imam Malik also issued a Fatwa

against the will of Caliph Haroon Rashid for

which he was severely punished. But once,

when the caliph came to Madinah he asked

him to teach Hadith to his princes. But Imam

replied that the wealth of knowledge does

not go to the doors of others. Haroon Rashid

was wise enough, he came with his princes

to the gathering of Imam Malik and

attended his lecture like others. Haroon

Rashid had suggested that Imam Malik’s

book, Al-Muwatta, should be put in the Holy

Ka’aba and all Muslims be told to follow it in

all matters of jurisprudence. But Imam Malik

refused, saying “Refrain from this as the

companions of the Prophet, peace on him,

themselves held opposing views on

subsidiary issues.”

Imam Malik’s daughter Fatima had

memorized Al-Muwatta. Imam Malik fell ill

and died on 14th of Rabiul Awwal 179AH.

Emir of Madinah Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad

ibn Ibraheem led his funeral prayers. He was

buried in Jannatul Baqee.

It is reported that the Holy Prophet

had said: “Very soon will people beat the

flanks of camels in search of knowledge, and

they shall find no one more knowledgeable

than the knowledgeable scholar of

Madinah.” (Sunan Al Thirmidhi) Scholars consider that

the scholar referred to was Malik ibn Anas

(May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all)

{Omayyad Mosque – Damascus}

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We have mentioned at many ocasions that the

Prophet, peace on him, never go angry for anything personal.

No matter what unbelievers said about him, leveling any

false accusations aginst him, he would always control himself, showing no sign of overreaction.

Indeed, he kept his cool in all situations. However, if some violation of the limits God has ordered to be

observed occurred, the Prophet, peace on him, could be very angry, and his anger showed in his face.

The contrast between the two situations is clear. If the matter were personal, he would tolerate it

without difficulty. His self-control ensured that he would never overreact. He was certain that even his

worst enemies realized that he always told the truth. But he could not tolerate that what God has

ordered should be deliberately violated. His anger in such situations was visible, but he still expressed

himself in decent language, never allowing himself to utter a word that was unworthy of a messenger

delivering God’s message to mankind. We have several reports of situations that made him angry, and

we will look at these.

Zayed Ibn Thabit reports: “The Prophet, peace on him, chose a place where he went

out at night to pray. Some men saw him doing that and they prayed with him.

They came every night to do that. One night, the Prophet, peace on him, did not come

out to join them. They started to make some noises, like little coughs, and then

they raised their voices, and even threw pebbles at his door. He came out to them

angry and said: “Look you people! You continued doing what you did until I

thought it might be made obligatory for you. Pray in your own home, becuase the

best prayer a person can offer is that he offers at home, except for obligatory

prayers.” [Al Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Al Nisaee]

What angered the Prophet, peace on him, in this incident is that his companions tried every means to

get him to come out to lead them in night prayer, which is not an obligatory one. Some of them resorted

to impolite means, first raising their voices and then throwing some pebbles at his door. We need to

remember that some of the Prophet’s companions were uncultivated Bedouins who lacked polite

manners, until Islam gave them the best manners people could have. They were insisting on doing a

voluntary worship in a particular way. This is wrong becuase it imposes a duty where there is none.

Hence, the Prophet, peace on him, told them that he feared that this night prayer would become obligatory to

them. And if it were made obligatory, it would have applied to all generations of Muslims. Thus, their

action would have committed them and others to more than what God wished to assign to them as

worship duty.

The Prophet, peace on him, also told them to pray at home, saying that this is the best prayer, except

for obligatory prayer that is much better offered with the congregation in the mosque. Offering

voluntary prayer at home is better for several reasons. The first is that prayer gives light to the place

where it is offered. If obligatory prayer is offered at the mosque with the congregation, then the proper

Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah on him}

Things That Made

the Prophet

Angry

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way to ensure that the light of prayer and worship spreads in our homes is to offer then Sunnah and

voluntary prayer at home.

Another very important reason is that when voluntary prayer is offered at home, it is more

sincere. This is not to say that when offered in the mosque it is not sincere, but there is certainly no

element of show off when we offer voluntary prayer in the privacy of our own homes. We may

mention here the incident when one person testified to the fine character of another person in

front of Omar, the second caliph. Omar asked him the basis of his knowledge, mentioning three

ways of knowing a person well. These are being his next-door neighbor, traveling with him or

having regular financial dealings. When the man answered in the negative to all three, Omar said

to him: “Perhaps you are speaking highly of him because you might have seen him in the mosque

reading the Qur’an?” When the man answered this question in the affirmative, Omar said to

him: “You may go now. You do not really know the man.” So, it is easy to gain a reputation of piety

when one offers voluntary worship in the mosque. Hence, the Prophet, peace on him, tells us that the best

such prayer is that which is offered at home. A further reason is that one provides a good example for

one’s children and other family members to follow. It will encourage them to offer voluntary prayers,

which strengthens their faith and increases their reward.

The Prophet, peace on him, might get angry at something said or done by one of his

companions, which suggests the violation of God’s law. Zayd Ibn Khalid reports: “A man asked

the Prophet, peace on him, about what one might find in the street, without knowing

its owner. What to do with it. The Prophet, peace on him, said to him” ‘Publicize it for a

year, and then made sure to know its description and spend it. Should its owner

come up, give it back to him.’ The man said: ‘What about a lost sheep?’ The

Prophet, peace on him, said: ‘It belongs to you, your brother or the wolf.’ The man

further asked: ‘What about a lost camel?’ The Prophet’s face was reddened with

anger at this question, then he said to the man: ‘What do you want with it? It has

its own hoofs and drink until its owner finds it.’” [al Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al Tirmithi, Ibn Majah]

The Hadith gives details of the rulings concerning lost articles or animals and what to do with

them. However, it tells us that the Prophet, peace on him, was angry when asked about a lost camel. There is

a good reason for his anger. The first thing the Hadith tells is that if one picks up a lost article, he

should publicize the fact for a year, so that if the owner come back looking for it, he would know where

to find it. After a year the person who found it may sell it and spend its price, either using the price

himself or giving it to charity, but he continues to be responsible for it. If the owner turns up after a

year, the one who found it must give him the price he sold it for, unless he had given it away to charity

and the owner agrees to his action. If he does not agree, he has to refund it to him. He will certainly

earn the reward of his charity.

If it is a sheep or a similar animal that cannot defend itself, or is bound to fall prey to beasts,

then one can slaughter it for food, or look after it, or sell it. If the owner turns up, he compensates him

or give it back. But if it is a camel or a similar animal, such as a horse, then there is little danger that it

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would come to much harm. It should be left alone until its owner finds it. The Prophet’s anger was due

to the implied suggestion in the question that the one who finds a camel could do with it what is done

with a sheep. This is an attitude of a person keen on taking an easy gain. The Prophet, peace on him, points

out to the man that a lost camel is unlikely to harm it or to be in an danger. It can tolerate being without

water for a long time. It is better left alone.

Unfortunately, the last few years have seen

a steady attack on the character of our Holy

Prophet Muhammad, peace on him. These attacks

are emanating from media, clergy,

columnists and others. False and baseless

accusations have been leveled for which no

proof has ever been provided. Shameless

cartoons have been published, insulting

articles written and derogatory

presentations made. This slanderous and

despicable campaign is being justified in the

name of freedom of speech and expression!

The people who are guilty of this gross

indecency, have not even bothered to

examine as to what many outstanding and

renowned European, American and other

(religious and non-religious) scholars have said

about the Holy Prophet, peace on him. It must be

noted that several of these people are not

favorably disposed toward Holy Prophet,

peace on him, or Islam. They are biased and

prejudiced yet they had to admit that the

Holy Prophet, peace on him, was an exemplary

person. He was a loving, kind,

compassionate, thoughtful, considerate,

honest, forgiving and just husband, father,

grandfather, friend, legislator, army general,

administrator and ruler.

Let us look at some of the comments:

“Head of the state as well as the

church, he {Muhammad} was a

Caesar and Pope without the Pope

Pretensions, and Caesar without a

standing army, without a body

guard, without a palace, without a

fixed revenue.

If ever a man had the right to rule by

a right divine, it was Muhammad for

he had all the power without the

instruments and without its

supports.” [An American Protestant Episcopal Bishop, Reverend Benjamin Bosworth

Smith (1784-1884), ‘In Mohammed and Mohammedanism’, 1996, Atlantic

Publishers and Distributors, Pvt. Ltd.]

“I find in his character such diverse

and manifold qualities impossible to

find in another man whose biography

Holy Prophet Muhammad {Peace and Blessings of Allah on him}

In the Eyes of Non-Muslim Scholars MS (KHI), PhD, DIHom (UK), MPH (MI USA)

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has been preserved by history. He is a

king having a whole country under

his control, but never claiming

mastery even on his own self, ever

taking pride in his being the serf of

God.” [American Astrophysicist, Dr. Michael H. Hart (b. 1932), in The 100, A

Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, 1978, Hart Publishing

Company, New York]

“If the object of religion be the

inculcation of morals, the diminution

of evil, the promotion of human

happiness, the expansion of human

intellect, if the performance of good

works will avail in the great day

when mankind shall be summoned to

its final reckoning it is neither

irreverent nor unreasonable to admit

that Muhammad was indeed an

Apostle of God.” [Famous historian/author, Samuel P. Scott (1830-1919), in History of Moorish

Empire in Europe, 1904, Lippincott, London]

“I became more than ever convinced

that it was not the sword that won a

place for Islam in those days in the

scheme of life. It was the rigid

simplicity, the utter self-effacement

of the prophet, the scrupulous regard

for his pledges to his friends and

followers, the intrepidity, his

fearlessness, his absolute trust in God

and his own mission, these, and not

the sword carried everything before

them and surmounted every

trouble.” [Indian leader/freedom fighter, Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi, 1869-1948,

in ‘Young India’, quoted in ‘The Light, Lahore’, September 16, 1924]

“I believe if a man like him were to

assume the dictatorship of the

modern world, he would succeed in

solving its problems in a way that

would bring much needed peace and

happiness.

I have studied him – the man and in

my opinion is far from being anti-

Christ. He must be called the savior of

Humanity.

I have prophesied about the faith of

Mohammed that it would be

acceptable to Europe tomorrow as it

is beginning to be acceptable to the

Europe of today.” [Irish play writer/Literary Critic and Co-Founder of London School of Economics,

George Barnard Shaw, 1856-1950, in ‘The Genuine Islam’, 1936, London]

“He was the most faithful protector

of those he protected, the sweetest

and most agreeable in conversation.

Those who saw him were suddenly

filled with reverence; those who

came near him loved him; they who

described him would say, ‘I have

never seen like his either before or

after.’ He was of great taciturnity,

but when he spoke it was with

emphasis and deliberation, and no

one could forget what he said.” [British Orientalist and Archeologist, Stanley Lane Poole, 1854-1931, in ‘Table

Talk of the Prophet’, Republished 2002, Fredonia Books]

“Mohammed brought an end to idol

worship. He preached monotheism

and infinite mercy of God, human

brotherhood, care of orphans,

emancipation of slaves, forbidding of

wine – No religion achieved as much

success as Islam did.” [Scottish Orientalist and Colonial Administrator, Sir William Muir, 1819-1905,

in ‘Life of Mahomet’, 1878, London]

“Like almost every major prophet

before him, Muhammad fought shy of

serving as the transmitter of God’s

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word, sensing his own inadequacy.

But the angel commanded ‘Read.’ So

far as we know, Muhammad was

unable to read or write, but he began

to dictate those inspired words

which soon revolutionized a large

segment of the earth, There is One

God.” [Famous American author of more than 40 works, James A. Michener, 1907-

1997, in ‘Islam, the Misunderstood Religion’, in Reader’s Digest 9U.S. Edition,

May 1955]

“It is impossible for anyone who

studies the life and character of the

great prophet of Arabia, who knows

how he taught and how he lived, to

feel anything but reverence for that

mighty prophet, one of the great

messengers of the Supreme. And

although in what I put to you I shall

say many things which may be

familiar to many, yet I myself feel

whenever I re-read them, a new way

of admiration, a new sense of

reverence for that mighty Arabian

teacher.” [British writer, orator, women’s rights activist, Annie Besant, 1847-1933, in

‘Mohammed’, 1932, Madras, India]

“He was decisive and wholehearted in

everything he did ... He inspired such

confidence that he was known as Al-

Ameen, the reliable one.” [British author, teacher, commentator, Karen Armstrong, b. 1944, in

‘Muhammad: A prophet of our Time’, 2006, Harper Collins, New York]

“His readiness to undergo

persecutions for his beliefs, the high

moral character of the men who

believed in him and looked up to him

as a leader and the greatness of his

ultimate achievement-all argue his

fundamental integrity. To suppose

Mohammed an imposter raises more

problems than it solves. Moreover,

none of the great figures of history is

so poorly appreciated in the West as

Mohammed.” [Scottish Historian/Professor, William Montgomery Watt, 1909-2006, in

‘Mohammed at Mecca’, 1953, Oxford]

“How one man single-handedly, could

weld warring tribes and Bedouins

into a most powerful civilized nation

in less than two decades? The word of

Mohammed is a voice direct from

nature’s own heart-all else is wind in

comparison. The lies that we have

heaped around this man are

disgraceful to ourselves only.” [British Historian, Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, in ‘Heroes and Heroes

Worship’, 1993, University of California Press]

The question is why the extremists do not

desist from spreading false propaganda

against the Holy Prophet, peace on him. The

answer in my mind is that it is first and

foremost based on lack of knowledge. It is

also the outcome of some people being

extremely bigoted with little tolerance of

the beliefs of others. They have never

attempted to find the truth. I am sure that if

they only studied the life of the Holy

Prophet, peace on him, in an unbiased way, they

will change their opinion about his noble

and glorious character. Indeed he was an

excellent exemplar and was sent by God as a

mercy for the universe.

In the end, let me say what happened when

the Holy Prophet, peace on him, sent letters to

some Heads of States including Heraclius

[610-641 AD], the Emperor of the Byzantine

Empire inviting him and others to Islam.

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Treasures Of

Paradise

Upon reading the letter, Heraclius said: “I

was certain that a prophet was coming, but

I did not know that he would be born in

Arabia. If I were to go there, I would

embrace Islam and wash the Prophet’s feet

with my own hands.” [Sahih Al Bukhari, Vol 1, Book 1, Number 6]

{Editor’s note: “The author is a former Associate Adjunct Professor, University of Calgary Medical School, Calgary, Alberta-Canada. He is currently

on the faculty of Benedictine University-Lisle, Chicago, IL. USA”}

Narrated by Abu Musa, Razi Allah Anhu: “While

we were with Allah’s Prophet, peace on him, in

a Holy Battle, we never went up a hill or

reached its peak or went down a valley

but RAISED our voices with Takbir.

Allah’s Messenger, peace on him, came

close to us and said, “O people! Don’t exert

yourselves, for you do not call a deaf or an absent one, but you call the

ALL-LISTENER, the ALL-SEER.” The Messenger, peace on him, then said: “O

‘Abdullah bin Qais!’ Shall I teach you a sentence which is from the

TREASURES OF PARADISE? (It is): LA HAULA WALA QUWATA ILLA

BILLAH.” (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).

Shalimar Gardens Lahore – Pakistan

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I visited home, Calgary – Canada, the second last weekend in August. It was rather a spontaneous trip and I had a few interesting moments I want to share with our readers. Arriving in Calgary, I found out an old family friend had passed away. Uncle Ubaid was one of the softest spoken people one can meet. His Salaat-al-Janazah was the first I’d ever attended. It was at the Islamic Centre of Calgary and we arrived a little late to catch the last half of the Jumah Khutbah. The Khutbah was particularly aimed at parents raising children in Canada. The imam spoke about parents who either don’t invest enough in religious education of their children and those who give up way too early. He made reference to those who (might) say that even Prophet Nuh had a son who was not convinced by his father, then “who are we compared to the Prophet?” The imam’s defense for this was “Prophet Nuh never gave up”. Come to think of it, that’s so true. We give up or even give in, way too early. We all need to build strength and as a parent I pray for all of us to have the blessings of Allah as we bring forth a new generation. As the prayers ended, we all approached the family to express our condolences. My heart sank as I hugged the widow. However, what shocked and offended me was that ... When asked if the body was still at the mosque, we were told by his niece that even his wife wasn’t allowed to see his face. She had to do quite the struggle to be allowed to view the face, of her husband she’d been married to for over 45 years. When dared the question as to “why not”, I was very audaciously told that it was due to the fact that he was no longer her ‘Mahram’. I felt her pain sting me; to deal with such ignorance at such a delicate time was deemed rather unnecessary. Standing there in the house of Allah, I felt fortunate and blessed to be one of the extremely few Ahmadies present at the time. I felt this was a case of even a higher ignorance than what one lady had displayed before the prayers had started. A lady there had walked out of the prayer hall declaring it as “Haram” for women to pray Salaat-al-Janazah. Better yet, she had said she knew this because she had performed Umrah and this was taught to her during her stay in Makkah. Although, no one to hold an authority to propagate Islam, I do hold the authority as a Muslim to clear ignorant claims regarding my religion. People, in general, form judgments, which is understandable as it is one of the traits of us wonderful creations of the Almighty. People who make acclamations using the name of the Almighty, is not understandable and not tolerated. I don’t necessarily believe in walking up to random individuals and converting them to follow the ‘Siraat al Mustaqeem’, but i do have full belief in speaking up against ignorance and

MY TASTE OF

SUMMER Siddiqa Sadiq - Montreal

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unawareness of Islam. That should be, and has been, our fundamental responsibility towards our Deen. We hold our silence so many times (let’s admit it) because when it comes to it and it’s time to say something we don’t want to be that “dull religious person”. For instance, the “nazar boncuk”, the blue eye, which the Turkish believe protects against the evil eye, has become hugely common in the recent years. It’s sad to see the amount of Muslims who guard it, hand it, keep it, wear it, or simply believe in it. It is however more pathetic to see people from our belief and Jama’at also use it. I even know someone first hand, who has a ‘Tasbeeh’ with each bead as a blue evil eye charm. If that’s not ironic, I don’t know what else you can call it. But it is at such time, our belief is tested upon us. It doesn’t make me a better Muslim by simply not using something creating shirk but by recognizing shirk and putting awareness of the danger of committing shirk.

4:48 Surely Allah forgives not that a partner should be set up with Him, and forgives all besides that to whom He pleases. And whoever sets up a partner with Allah, he devises indeed a great

sin.

4:36 And serve Allah, and associate naught with Him,

There simply is no room for shirk and not only that, but it is the biggest and only unforgiveable sin one can commit. I pray for all of us, may Allah help us fight off the biggest evil, shirk, and keep us in His guidance (Ameen). May Allah help us keep our children on the right path (Ameen). May Allah give us the awareness to spot ignorance and then provide us the wisdom to steer away from it (Ameen).