Islamic view on celebrating the Valentine’s Day

The Islamic view on celebrating the Valentine’s Day?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we invoke Allah Almighty to enlighten our hearts all to accept the truth and to grant us success both in this world and on the Day of Judgement, Amen.

First of all, we’d like to shed light on the origin of this festival, known as "Valentine Day" or "Festival of Love":

The Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, when paganism was the prevalent religion of the Romans more than seventeen centuries ago. In the pagan Roman concept, it was an expression of "spiritual love".

There were myths associated with this pagan festival of the Romans, which persisted with their Christian heirs. Among the most famous of these myths was the Roman belief that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was suckled one day by a she-wolf, which gave him strength and wisdom.

The Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with a big festival.

One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. Two strong and muscular youths would daub the blood of the dog and goat onto their bodies, then they would wash the blood away with milk. After that there would be a great parade, with these two youths at its head, which would go about the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.

The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival:

Saint Valentine is a name which is given to two of the ancient "martyrs" of the Christian Church. It was said that there were two of them, or that there was only one, who died in Rome as the result of the persecution of the Gothic leader Claudius, c. 296 CE. In 350 CE, a church was built in Rome on the site of the place where he died, to perpetuate his memory.

When the Romans embraced Christianity, they continued to celebrate the Feast of Love mentioned above, but they changed it from the pagan concept of "spiritual love" to another concept known as the "martyrs of love", represented by Saint Valentine who had advocated love and peace, for which cause he was martyred, according to their claims. It was also called the Feast of Lovers, and Saint Valentine was considered to be the patron saint of lovers.

One of their false beliefs connected with this festival was that the names of girls who had reached marriageable age would be written on small rolls of paper and placed in a dish on a table. Then the young men who wanted to get married would be called, and each of them would pick a piece of paper. He would put himself at the service of the girl whose name he had drawn for one year, so that they could find out about one another. Then they would get married, or they would repeat the same process again on the day of the festival in the following year.

The Christian clergy reacted against this tradition, which they considered to have a corrupting influence on the morals of young men and women. It was abolished in Italy, where it had been well-known, then it was revived in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when in some western countries there appeared shops which sold small books called “Valentine’s books”, which contained love poems, from which the one who wanted to send a greeting to his sweetheart could choose. They also contained suggestions for writing love letters.

The above quotation is excerpted, with slight modifications, from www.Islam-qa.com

As regards the Islamic stance on this festival, Dr. Su`ad Ibrahim Salih, professor of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) at Al-Azhar University, states the following:

Indeed, Islam is the religion of altruism, true love, and cooperation on that which is good and righteous. We implore Allah Almighty to gather us together under the umbrella of His All-encompassing Mercy, and to unite us together as one man. Allah Almighty says: (The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy.) (Al-Hujurat 49: 10)

Focusing more on the question in point, I can say that there are forms of expressing love that are religiously acceptable, while there are others that are not religiously acceptable. Among the forms of love that are religiously acceptable are those that include the love for Prophets and Messengers. It stands to reason that the love for Allah, and His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) should have the top priority over all other forms of love.

Islam does recognize happy occasions that bring people closer to one another, and add spice to their lives. However, Islam goes against blindly imitating the West regarding a special occasion such as Valentine’s Day. Hence, commemorating that special day known as the Valentine’s Day is an innovation or bid`ah that has no religious backing. Every innovation of that kind is rejected, as far as Islam is concerned. Islam requires all Muslims to love one another all over the whole year, and reducing the whole year to a single day is totally rejected.

Hence, we Muslims ought not to follow in the footsteps of such innovations and superstitions that are common in what is known as the Valentine’s Day. No doubt that there are many irreligious practices that occur on that day, and those practices are capable of dissuading people from the true meanings of love and altruism to the extent that the celebration is reduced to a moral decline.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503544946&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar

Islam and the west between strength and weakness .....

Looking at the calamities faced by the Muslims in all places, I want to know what is the difference between the Islamic way of life and the life of wealth, progress and strength in the west, and between the rulings on women in both societies. I am asking because I am sad about the situation of the Muslims in those countries.
Praise be to Allaah.  

Firstly: 

The disasters and calamities that are befalling the Muslims are only happening because they have forsaken the laws of Allaah regarding themselves, their societies and their nations. They do not support (the cause of) Allaah so how will He support them? 

When some of the Muslims disobeyed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Battle of Uhud, Allaah punished them with defeat, even though the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the senior Sahaabah were among them. So what about the Muslims nowadays when they are disobeying Allaah night and day and transgressing His sacred limits, except for those on whom Allaah has mercy? 

Secondly: 

Although the Muslims are living through disasters and calamities, and are suffering a great deal, what the west is facing in its societies and in their personal situations is even worse, with regard to faith, security and the family, especially in matters pertaining to women. 

If you look at recent statistics from western countries, you will see that they are more deserving of pity because of their situation. We will look at a few examples: 

65% of female workers are faced with sexual harassment in the work place in some European countries. 

18% of women in America have been raped or have been faced with attempted rape at some stage in their lives. 

More than half of the women who are raped are under the age of 17. 

Ihsaa’aat, Diraasaat, Arqaam, p. 140. 

According to a phone survey in Canada, covering 12,300 women throughout Canada between February and June 1993: 

Half of Canadian woman have been exposed to an incident of physical or sexual violence after the age of 16. 

45% were attacked by men who were known to them. 

23% of them were attacked by strangers. 

23% were attacked with weapons as the result of marital disputes. 

Ihsaa’aat, Diraasaat, Arqaam, p. 141 

In America: 

One million illegitimate children are born each year. 

12 million children are homeless and living in unhealthy circumstances. 

There are one million abortions each year in America. 

In Britain: 

25 million obscene phone calls were recorded in one year. 

40 million children are homeless in Latin America. 

The law in Sweden allows marriage of brothers and sisters. 

Ihsaa’aat, Diraasaat, Arqaam, p. 150. 

Thirdly: 

We appreciate your pride in Islam, and your protective jealousy concerning the Muslims. We ask Allaah to give us and you strength. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/33679/islam

Why do we read Quran, even if we can’t understand a single Arabic word?

Found on the interwebs.
Why do we read Quran, even if we can’t understand a single Arabic word???? This is a beautiful story.


An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur’an do?”
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just aganot trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try in.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!”
“So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.”

Th e boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
Son, that’s what happens when you read the Qur’an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives.”
 ..............................................
http://islamblog.org/

*_* Look for your heart in three places

The word "heart" is one of the most commonly used motifs, metaphors, and symbols in human history. It is a term whose definition is broad enough to include the fierceness of strength and courage as well as the tenderness and vulnerability of intense emotion. Traditional science, however, has downplayed the heart as merely a monotonously contracting muscle, while the brain is touted as both the center and originator of intelligence and feeling.

In spite of this, the tendency to ascribe psychological sensitivities to that constantly beating organ continues to haunt contemporary human thought. At the language level, the word "heart" remains a strong conveyer of emotion and meaning. If human beings are discouraged, they are disheartened; if stoic, heartless; if in the best state of energy and enthusiasm, hearty.

In the face of traditional science, why does the collective psyche of humanity continue to fixate upon this same intangible concept of the heart? Perhaps it is because, to this day, the stopping of the heartbeat signifies the coming of death. It might be ascribed to the way that the heart responds so readily to emotional signals, increasing or reducing pace in direct correlation to the human psychological state. Within human consciousness, the heart's meaning extends beyond that of a muscle; within Islam, the role of the heart cannot be understated.

The heart is mentioned repeatedly in the Qur'an. One of the mentioned du`a' (supplications) of Prophet Ibrahim, `alayhi salam (peace be upon him), beseeches to Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (the Exalted and Glorified): "Do not forsake me on the Day of Resurrection, a day where neither money nor children will benefit except whoever meets Allah with a sound heart" (26:87-89). Allah (swt) revealed this powerful supplication about the Day of Resurrection, for the judgment on the eternal fate of each soul is decided by Allah (swt) on that day, rendering a pure heart necessary for entering Paradise.

The Arabic term for the heart, qalb, has a very specific meaning. It refers to what defines the existence of the individual: one's personal center of faith. A most illustrious and beautiful chapter of the Qur'an, Surah Yaseen, is referred to as the heart of the Qur'an. According to the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu `alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings be upon him), the virtues of reciting this qalb, among others, include receiving benefits of the dunya (earthly life) and the removal of the dread of the akhirah (life after death).

Furthermore, worship of Allah (swt) is divided into four categories, two of which deal with the heart: its sayings and its actions. A true Mu'min (Believer) is said to possess a pure heart that is well-informed in the total belief of Allah (swt) and complete trust in Him-a heart that is true to its Maker (swt) in both its impulses and the carrying out of those impulses. The qalb was created to hold its Creator as its highest Authority, Love, and Loyalty. If the heart is dead, then spiritual (and, eventually, physical) problems would manifest themselves in the individual.

In purifying the heart, a Believer can rest assured that the best of examples is being followed: that of Prophet Muhammad (saws), the most virtuous of the creations of Allah (swt) and the most beloved to Allah (swt). Indeed, despite his perfection in the sight of Allah (swt), the Prophet's heart (saws) was not only cleansed by Angel Jibreel (Gabriel), but was also purified by his own strategies of worship.

One of the greatest interpreters of Shari`ah (Islamic law) of the fourteenth century, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, was greatly concerned with matters of the qalb. According to him, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ood, radi Allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the closest companions of the Prophet (saws), once presented a diagnostic by which a Believer may determine the state of the qalb. He said: 

"Look for your heart in three places: when listening to the Qur'an, when seeking knowledge (of Allah) and when in privacy. If you cannot find it in these places, then ask Allah (swt) to bless you with a heart, for indeed you have no heart."

A soul with no heart can not even begin to work on increasing its level of submission to its Lord-the very foundation of its purity. A vital conductor of faith must be found and awakened within every loyal slave of Allah (swt). The following exploration of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ood's (ra) mentioned places transcends the mind and body and deals with a site precious to all human beings.

Source: Alkalima - Heina Dadabhoy

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AK1102-4467

Leadership Of Egypt’s Ruling Party Resigns

By Sarah El Deeb

CAIRO – The top leadership body of Egypt’s ruling party resigned Saturday, including the president’s son, but the regime appeared to be digging in its heels, calculating that it can ride out street demonstrations and keep President Hosni Mubarak in office.
The ruling party leaders who resigned included the country’s most powerful political figures — and its most unpopular among many Egyptians. The move may have been aimed at convincing protesters in the streets that the regime is sincere in implementing democratic reforms they demand.
But State TV, announcing the resignations, still identified head of state Mubarak as president of the ruling party in a sign he would remain in authority. And Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said Saturday that stability was returning to the country, appearing confident that a deal on future reforms can be reached with the multiple opposition movements to defuse protests without the 82-year-old Mubarak necessarily leaving power immediately.
Protesters have refused to end their mass rallies in downtown Tahrir Square until Mubarak quits. Tens of thousands gathered Saturday in Tahrir, waving flags and chanting a day after some 100,000 massed there in an intensified demonstration labeled “the day of departure,” in hopes it would be the day Mubarak leaves.
Their unprecedented 12-day movement has entered a delicate new phase. Organizers fear that without the pressure of protesters on the street, Mubarak’s regime will enact only cosmetic reforms and try to preserve its grip on power. So they are reluctant to lift their demonstrations without the concrete gain of Mubarak’s ouster and a transition mechanism that guarantees a real move to democracy afterward.
Mubarak has insisted he will remain in his post until the end of his term in his autumn. In the meantime, the government has sought to draw opposition parties and the youth groups involved in the protests into immediate negotiations on constitutional reforms so presidential elections can be held in September to replace Mubarak.
Protest organizers, wary of a trap, have refused until Mubarak goes. A key question will be whether they can maintain enthusiasm and continue to rally large numbers. Some in Tahrir greeted the new concession of ruling party resignations with with scorn.
Wael Khalil, a 45-year-old activist, said it would “reinforce their (protersers’) resolve and increase their confidence because it shows that they are winning, and the regime is retreating inch by inch.”

For more information:...http://www.muslimworldtoday.com/egypt5.htm

The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt’s largest opposition.

(CAIRO) - Egyptians have taken to the streets demanding an end to the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak and protesting economic hardship and rampant corruption. Demonstrations in Tunisia brought down the regime of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, and this inspired tens of thousands of Egyptians to stage a countrywide "Day of Rage" that started on January 25. Ironically, the mass rallies were held on a public holiday honoring the country’s police force.

In central Cairo, protesters carrying banners denouncing Mubarak sang the national anthem, expressing their loyalty to their country. Mothers carried babies and young men waved placards with the word "Out". Demonstrators chanted "Freedom", knowing that most Egyptians live in dire poverty. The demonstration in central Cairo was peaceful until police fired water cannon and tear gas while demonstrators responded with rocks. Scuffles broke out in a few places. It is clear that the Egyptians have had enough and are no longer cowering under the oppression of Mubarak and co.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt ’s largest opposition, did not officially take part, but its members assembled alongside the general population all calling for reform. Organisers from the lawyers syndicate defended the right to protest saying the rallies constituted "a day of revolution against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment, marking the end of silence and submission."

For More information   http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january282011/egypt-mb.php