How many times have you heard within your family, something along the lines of ‘he’s really good looking and fair’ or ‘she’s so fair’ with their eyes lit up? How many times have you heard something like ‘it’s all good but he’s quite dark’ with a tinge of sympathy or ‘I hate getting tanned!’ In a tone that’s a little bit uncomfortable? This is colourism. Colourism is a form of heavy discrimination within the same race, it’s internal, it’s a ‘within your own people’ problem… and boy, don’t we all know about it. I still struggle to believe that in 2022, it is STILL an issue, still, a thing that’s got to be spoken about and still an innate disease stirring in and amongst us.
When the British ruled India, discrimination based on skin colour was most visible. The white British foreigners were symbols of power, authority and wealth and thus, light skin served as a signal of high status across the country. Those individuals with a lighter skin colour enjoyed more privileges from the British, were considered to have a more affluent status and gained preference in education and employment and darker-skinned individuals were socially and economically disadvantaged, and this disease continued…
This dangerous phenomenon of colourism passed on, to the extent that huge, ‘forward-thinking’ corporate brands such as L’Oreal have had no qualms in putting up gigantic billboards across the busy roads of India advertising their skin-lightening products with famous celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra (who, ironically, likes to push herself as a humanitarian) being the face of such companies. So, is it really any wonder that the power of colourism has crept into our South Asian psyche so silently and so dangerously, that today in 21st century Britain, we are still so wrapped up about the colour shade of our own people.
In a Hadeeth, it is narrated: ‘We passed by Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) in Rabadha. Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) said, “I had a quarrel with one of my brethren whose mother was of foreign descent, so I vilified him as ‘you son of a black mother’. He went to complain about me to the Prophet ﷺ. When the Prophet ﷺ met me (one day), he said, ‘Abu Dharr, you are someone who still displays Jahiliyyah (ignorance).’ Now, this Hadeeth might be focused on racism rather than colourism but the concept is the same. Discriminating and belittling because of the colour of the skin was deemed as ‘someone who still displays ignorance’ by our Prophet ﷺ. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ was a forward-thinking man, he was progressive in his ideologies and so for him, this was incredibly backwards. He remarked to Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) that he ‘still’ displayed signs of ignorance so imagine if our Prophet ﷺ was to see that 1400 years later, we, the South Asian community, STILL have deeply entrenched traits of colourism within us. We still have marks of ignorance. We still haven’t progressed. We still think fair skin = excellence and dark skin = inferiority.
If we zoom in, we can observe that colourism has played a dark and ugly role in the field of matrimony. I use past tense, but a huge part of me says that should be corrected to the present tense and that colourism still rears its ugly head in marriages. It beggars disbelief when a mother refuses to accept a girl for her son because she’s ‘a bit on the dark side’. When asked for a potential spouse, ‘fair’ is a requirement. Yes, ‘fair’. They are flagrantly and unashamedly stating that a person with darker skin shade is not good enough for their family.
Colourism is heavily embedded throughout South Asian culture. The lack of melanin in your skin isn’t just used as a marking point of attractiveness, but the colour of your skin is frequently used to determine your self-worth. And this toxic rhetoric spills out of the household, out of our communities, and feeds into racism beyond our culture. If we don’t like dark-skinned Asians, we definitely don’t like the Black community – it’s an uncomfortable truth, isn’t it?
I’d like to think the tide is slowly turning. The international brand Unilever recently announced it would no longer use the word ‘fair’ in the name of its popular (in South Asian countries) skin-lightening cream Fair & Lovely. Johnson & Johnson has discontinued two skin care products that promote “fairness”. While, most recently, L’Oreal has stopped using the words “fair”, “fairness”, “light” and “lightening” on its products. So we have some progress. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Colourism is so deeply embedded in our communities from the top down and unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do. We actively need to hold conversations around it to stamp it out properly. It’s a mindset that needs to be changed and reformulated. We have to be more alert to the micro aggressions that have become a part of our daily dialect, especially amongst the older generations (‘she’s so dark’ ‘you need to scrub your tan off’, ‘I wish I was fairer’…) and be brave enough to challenge them.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
What a great reminder in these uncertain times, I have seen a few versions of this but this one was the best and it’s worth sharing and reminding all our families and friends.
The deceased Kuwaiti writer Abdullah JarAllah (RH) said:
I will not worry about my death nor be unduly concerned about my body for my Muslim brothers will do the needful. 1- يجردونني من ملابسي…They will disrobe me 2- يغسلونني…And wash me 3- يكفنونني …And enshroud me 4- يخرجونني من بيتي …And take me from my home 5- يذهبون بي لمسكني الجديد ( القبر ) …And they will carry me to my new abode (the grave) 6- وسيأتي الكثيرون لتشييع جنازتي…And many will come to participate in my Janaaza بل سيلغي الكثير منهم أعماله ومواعيده لأجل دفني …Many of them would have taken time off their jobs or cancelled appointments in order to attend my burial. وقد يكون الكثير منهم لم يفكر في نصيحتي يوما من الأيام …And most of them would not have reflected a day over my advice… 7- أشيائي سيتم التخلص منها …My belongings will be disposed of… مفاتيحي …my keys كتبي …my books حقيبتي …my briefcase أحذيتي …my shoes ملابسي وهكذا…my clothes and so on وإن كان أهلي موفقين فسوف يتصدقون بها لتنفعني … And if my family are amenable, they will donate it (my things) to benefit me.. تأكدوا بأن الدنيا لن تحزن علي…rest assured, the world would not mourn my passing ولن تتوقف حركة العالم …and the movement of the world wouldn’t stop واﻻقتصاد سيستمر …and trading will continue ووظيفتي سيأتي غيري ليقوم بها …and someone else will do my job وأموالي ستذهب حلالاً للورثة …and my wealth will be lawfully inherited by my heirs بينما أنا الذي سأحاسب عليها !!!whilst I will be taken to task for it: a little, or a lot, nothing unaccounted for القليل والكثير …النقير والقطمير … و إن أول ما موتي هو اسمي !!! The first thing I will lose upon death will be my name; that is why upon my death they will ask: “where is the body?” لذلك عندما اموت سيقولون عني أين ” الجثة “..؟ولن ينادوني باسمي ..!and they will not call me by my name وعندما يريدون الصلاة علي سيقولون احضروا “الجنازة” !!!When they want to perform the salat they will say: “bring the bier”, and they will not call me by my name! ولن ينادوني باسمي ..!وعندما يشرعون بدفني سيقولون قربوا الميت ولن يذكروا اسمي ..!And when they are ready to bury me, they will say “bring the deceased…” and they will not mention my name… لذلك لن يغرني نسبي ولا قبيلتي ولن يغرني منصبي ولا شهرتي …Due to this I will not be deceived by lineage, or my tribal affiliation and neither my status nor fame will beguile me… فما أتفه هذه الدنيا وما أعظم ما نحن مقبلون عليه …How insignificant this world is, compared to what we will face فيا ايها الحي الآن … اعلم ان الحزن عليك سيكون على ثلاثة أنواع:O, YOU WHO ARE ALIVE RIGHT NOW, KNOW THAT SORROW FOR YOU ARE OF 3 TYPES: 1- الناس الذين يعرفونك سطحياً سيقولون مسكينThose who really knew you, and they will say (miskeen) 2- أصدقاؤك سيحزنون ساعات أو أياماً ثم يعودون إلى حديثهم بل وضحكهم 2. Your friends who will remain sad for hours or days, then they will return to their discourses and entertainment 3- الحزن العميق في البيتسيحزن أهلك أسبوعا… أسبوعين شهرا… شهرين أو حتى سنةوبعدها سيضعونك في أرشيف الذكريات!!!3. Deep sorrow at home. Your family will be sad for a week or two, a month, two months or even a year after which you will be but a memory… انتهت قصتك بين الناسوبدأت قصتك الحقيقيه وهي الآخرة Your story ended amongst people, but your real story just began, and its the hereafter… لقد زال عنك: 1- الجمال …2- والمال …3- والصحة …4- والولد …5- فارقت الدور…والقصور6- والزوج …You have been divested of beauty, wealth, health, children, houses, castles and wife… ولم يبق معك الا عملكوبدأت الحياة الحقيقية And nothing remains with you except your deeds (that you used to do). And you have now begun the “real” life… والسؤال هنا :ماذا أعددت لقبرك وآخرتك من الآن ؟؟؟The question here is what have you PREPARED for your grave and your hereafter FROM NOW? هذه حقيقة تحتاج الى تأمل … This reality needs some deep reflection لذلك احرص على :so safeguard 1- الفرائض …the fard prayers and duties 2- النوافل …nafl/ voluntary works 3- صدقة السر …secret charity 4- عمل صالح …Good deeds 5- صلاة الليل…the tahajjud لعلك تنجو so that you may be saved ان ساعدت على تذكير الناس بهذه المقالة وانت حي الآنستجد أثر تذكيرك في ميزانك يوم القيامة بإذن الله…If you helped remind people through these utterances, while you are alive presently, if Allah wills, you will find the effect of your reminder in your scale of good deeds on the Day of Judgement. (وذكّر فإن الذكرى تنفعُ المؤمنين) And remind, most certainly, reminding is fruitful for the believers لماذا يختار الميت “الصدقة”لو رجع للدنيا why do you think the dead wish to perform charity if they return to the Earth? As Almighty has stated: “Oh my Lord if only you gave me a little respite, I would surely give in charity كما قال تعالى( رب لولا أخرتني إلى أجل قريب فأصدولم يقل : He didn’t say لأعتمر I’ll perform umrah او لأصلي Or so I could pray أو لأصوم Or so I could fast قال العلماء : ما ذكر الميت الصدقة إلا لعظيم ما رأى من اثرها بعد موتهThe ulema said that the dead mentioned charity due to what (s)he saw of its great effect after his / her death فأكثروا من الصدقة SO GIVE PLENTY CHARITY ومن افضل ما تتصدق به الآن 10 ثوان من وقتك لنشر هذا الكلام بنية النصحفالكلمة الطيبة صدقة.And the best of charity you could possibly do at this moment is to spend 10 seconds to forward this advice as a reminder; after all a good word is a charity💐.
1. “I pray my Salah and Manzil, then trust Allah. Nothing can harm me! Why would I need Ruqya?”
A simple answer for such people is that the Prophet PBUH also prayed Salah and read the Qur’an, rather the Qur’an was revealed upon him. Despite such noble piety, He PBUH was still affected by jinn/jadoo for six months and wasn’t aware (some scholars say even longer). Salah and Qur’an/Manzil are the best forms of protection, they do help, but a person can still be affected by nazar and jinn etc.
NB: We do not stop anyone from reading Manzil and general Qur’an as this does help immensely if someone casts evil eye on you despite your Salah and Qur’an it will only affect you 20%-30%, because you have a certain amount of protection.
2. “I went for Ruqya once it didn’t make a difference, black magic never really goes away.”
This is a statement we hear often because people have unrealistic expectations from Raqis. They want us to fix all their life problems, marriage, kids, work, house and maybe get us that fancy new car too?? And when those expectations are not met it leads to disappointment and frustration.
Secondly, Ruqya is never a one-time fix, this is the biggest mistake people make because most people need a few sessions.
Thirdly, patience is needed. It takes time for these things to heal. A person can have black magic for 10 years and expects it to go in a day or a week? Even medical doctors can’t cure cancer in a week.
You don’t change GPs every week, in a like manner don’t go to one Raqi today, another one next week, then try Taweez in India, by February you’re on Chinese herbal medicine and then back to anti-depressants. Stick to one method for at least 6 months, if it doesn’t work go to someone else, but do regular treatment.
3. “Ruqya is soo expensive and they tell you to drink Zamzam regularly also expensive, and buy Ajwa dates even more expensive! Ruqya is a rip-off!!”
Money means a lot to us all, we all value and love our money, but do we love our health? Mental and physical health… that’s what it boils down to. If you value your health, you will spend the money you spend all your life earning to save that health. But not everyone does, and nobody admits it.
Dear brother and dear sister, have you ever contemplated the amount of money you spend on takeaways/restaurants. The amount brothers spend on cigarettes and shisha. The amount sisters spend on make-up and handbags? Shoes? None of the above save your health! Cut down on these and save £20 for Zamzam/Ajwa… I’m not an accountant, but you can do the maths, we happily spend on futile things because shaytan loves to mislead us.
Ruqya is expensive and the reason is the nature of the field and the risks we take to do this job. It’s not easy and it’s not ABC, don’t compare us to a dentist or optician who opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm. Raqis have to do so many things in the background to protect themselves to treat you, it also affects their family and house. Not to mention the backlash from doing Ruqya which comes in many forms.
But we must apply the ‘common sense rule’. If someone is charging in the 100s, then Shariah says use your Aqal and run, as you run from a lion. Don’t get conned!
Look for those who have decent and reasonable prices, bearing in mind those who run from clinics have rent to pay (costs add up). I’m only explaining, not justifying.
Again, I will say, I rarely hear people complain about dentists and opticians who have high rates! Private health care rips your wallet, arm, and leg off…
4. “I’ve heard these guys are all bogus, they make stories up. And it’s all money-making!”
Nobody likes stereotypes. Nobody. But we all get angry and emotional at some point in our lives and blurt a few things hidden in our minds, because of our bad experiences. You are allowed to have bad experiences and even talk about them, just don’t generalise. The word ‘all’ is dangerous, especially when it’s due to the actions of a few individuals.
The police are meant to protect us and uphold the law, often they break the law. There are corrupt police officers, does that mean all coppers are bent? #LoD
Teachers are meant to educate our children in school and madrasah, many teachers abuse our children, physically and sexually. Do you still send your children to school or do you generalise?
Doctors are meant to save our lives, but many doctors have killed their patients. Have you stopped going to the hospital?
My point is every sector has a few rotten apples, but you can’t say that everyone is the same. You get genuine people in the world and corrupt people, we need to look for genuine Raqis.
I have never denied the fact that there are fake healers, even in the Taweez/Aamil world. Don’t look at social media and YouTube, everyone looks good on there! Sisters particularly need to be careful as these predators often target vulnerable women. Always go with a mahram and ask questions if you have doubts about their diagnosis, don’t be bamboozled.
5. “Isn’t there a Hadith to the nearest effect, 70,000 people will enter Jannah without accountability on Qiyamah. One group is those who don’t seek Ruqya.”
The Hadith is correct, but like with most Hadith they need interpretation and commentary, they shouldn’t be taken literally, otherwise, it can cause confusion (generally speaking not just for Ruqya). There are Hadith that the Prophet PBUH urinated standing up? Do we follow such Hadith?
The different meanings of the “one who did not seek ruqya.”
1. There are certain pious individuals who have 100% reliance on Allah SWT and they never turn to the creation for help, like the Prophets AS and the Sahabah RA and even in the general public we have the Saints of Allah, they shouldn’t seek Ruqya as it goes against their tawakkul.
2. They do not ask anyone for Ruqya until the affliction happens, some individuals who panic seek Ruqya before the affliction, this is incorrect.
3. They believe Allah cures not the Raqi, so their belief is correct.
4. They refrain from shirk in their Ruqya, like the Ruqya in pre-Islamic times.
5. They try Ruqya or treatment themselves first then seek it from others. Self-Ruqya is important, to learn and teach it to others.
These are the answers given by Shaykh Khalid Hibshi, KSA
6. “I believe my issues are mental health or even medical. I don’t need Ruqya, because I don’t believe in jinn/jadoo.”
An increasing issue, especially in Europe and the West, where Mental Health issues are accepted and Jinn/Jadoo issues are rejected, denied and marginalized. So where is the balance and correlation between them all? We, as Muslims should believe in Mental Health, it’s a growing reality. Our lifestyle, our diet, and the fast-moving technology are usually the causes.
As for believing in Ruqya and Jinn/Jadoo, be careful before you get your defense shield up. Ruqya is reciting verses of the Qur’an and the treatment is everything mentioned in the Hadith. There is a Surah in the Qur’an called ‘Surah Jinn’. The Prophet PBUH and many of the Sahabah RA were affected by Black Magic. To deny the above is a major sin, and we need to watch our words before we deny them haphazardly.
It is mainly men who deny these things and even some scholars are negative towards jinn/jadoo issues (wait for day 10 and the reality of Ulama/Imams).
To believe in one thing you don’t need to deny another, to believe in mental health (because you suffered) doesn’t mean you deny jinn/Jadoo. But I’ll be honest, I do feel mental health is overrated, everything is mental health nowadays! Especially with the millennial kids and millennial parents, they don’t believe in jinn/Jadoo as much. The reason is the secular society we live in, the NHS and Media promote Mental Health massively. Well, my answer is My Nabi and My Allah promote jinn/Jadoo issues far more, it is endorsed in the Qur’an and Hadith. We do believe in mental health but mental health doesn’t believe in us.
Many people suffering from jinn/jadoo will suffer mental health issues and vice versa, jinn/jadoo can be a contributing factor in mental health and medical issues. Ruqya has helped people who suffer from Anxiety, Depression, Severe Migraines, even in cases of Cancer Ruqya has helped. Some were given ‘all clear’ and others said Ruqya helped with (the pain of) Chemo. That doesn’t mean we deny medical issues, it just endorses what Allah SWT has said, “The Quran is Shifa.” If doctors and medical experts know everything and cure all, why are soo many people still suffering day and night pills after pills;
CT scan = Clear.
MRI = Clear.
X-ray = Clear.
But they are still in pain and agony? Please do explain.
7. “I’ve had soo much Ruqya done, been to a dozen Raqis. Why am I not getting better? Why doesn’t it go away?”
Some people don’t get better and don’t see major improvements, there are reasons for this: i) People don’t act upon the advice we give them. They don’t pray salah and manzil, let alone surah baqarah (which is long). Men don’t go to the masjid, sisters don’t want to cover up and wear hijab, how on earth will you get better? Apart from a miracle…
ii) Sihr/Jadoo can be repeated. Just like Covid-19, you can get it once and you can get it twice (some have had it thrice). You can also get jadoo again, because the people doing it repeat it. Hence, I say never give up Manzil and Surah Baqarah, keep drinking Ruqya water, and use olive oil regularly. Most people become complacent once they see signs of improvement.
iii) The one doing Black Magic is close to you. Nobody likes to hear that, but often true. I don’t suggest accusing people, but the worst cases for us are when the perpetrators of Sihr are family members. Hence they keep feeding you and you lose all spirituality and religiosity.
Food is the strongest source of Black Magic, they feed you by mixing it in your food (usually sweet things, cakes, biscuits, or tea). The food enters your body, flows through your blood, eventually, you are fully ‘jadoofied’. A man’s whole personality can change, good men/women can become bitter and evil, harsh and arrogant.
If you find the concept hard why a family member would do jadoo, father on his own son? Wife on her own husband? One word: control. Control is what everyone craves, but not everyone gets it. Black Magic will give you that control (temporarily), and hellfire (permanently).
8. “You treated my brother who got better instantly, but I am not seeing results despite praying manzil regularly and reading surah baqarah etc.”
Yaqeen and conviction is an important aspect of Islam, it makes all the difference in treatment (medical or spiritual). Even if you take a paracetamol your belief should be Allah SWT cures, not the tablet. If you come for Ruqya you need to believe Allah SWT cures, not the Raqi. The higher the level of Yaqeen the quicker the ilaaj.
Two people can come for Ruqya with different mind-sets and see different results. Many come to ‘test’ us and see if it works. Totally wrong mindset, such people need to stick to MOT testing and not test the words of Allah SWT. If you are cured, Allah SWT cured you and if you weren’t cured there is a deficiency somewhere.
One of the greatest things I have learnt from Ruqya is trust in Allah SWT, hope in Him, and being optimistic about Allah SWT in all situations. It’s a real test of your Imaan. “I am as my servants think of me” (Hadith Qudsi). Think good of Allah SWT and the results are amazing!
One of the best clips on Husne Dhann with Allah SWT for Arabic listeners.
A line from the clip, “One of the pious predecessors used to say, even if Allah SWT enters me into the Hellfire, I will still tell the people of Hell: I love Allah SWT!”
Subhan Allah! Despite being entered into Hell, to still say I love Allah (because He is fair) is real love and optimism. Allah grant us a share of it. Ameen.
9. “I have heard Raqis don’t like Aamils and people who do Taweez, is this true? Because they say all Taweez are shirk!”
There is a hadith that states ‘amulets/taweez are shirk’, but there is also a hadith (which nobody quotes) that states ‘Ruqya is shirk’. As always, Hadith need interpretation and commentary. The answer to both Hadith is that those amulets which contain the words of Shirk and associating partners with Allah SWT are Shirk. The same applies to Ruqya of jahiliyya/pre-Islam which contains Shirk is not allowed.
Taweez is a grey area though and we need to be careful what sort of taweez we use. If it is clear and legible, then good, if it is a Qur’an ayah you know, then okay. But if you don’t know what it says in the taweez, avoid it like the plague. Why risk it?
Many taweez have been opened to find hair and blood inside. Others had the names of Shaytan and pictures of Shaytan. Hence, we always promote Ruqya which is clear and Qur’anic, it makes sense. The method of treatment is found in the Sunnah. Why have cotton when you can have silk?
As for the hatred, Taweez vs. Ruqya, I have never been intimidated by anyone who does Taweez, Alhumdu Lillah. But I am not sure about the other way round. I have heard many Aamils who spread all sorts of rumours about Raqis, it’s like we are stepping on their toes! If what they do is “kosher” why do they panic when someone starts Ruqya?
Why the use of such adjectives like “dodgy mawlana” or “Magician molsab”? Carry on with what you do silently… but ruqya does damage for some of them, because their works are far, far from kosher. It is the work of Shaytan! Black magic comes from somewhere…
And often that somewhere are Peers and Mawlanas who sell Taweez containing shirk and black magic. People who do Black Magic don’t sit in a castle dressed in black with a cat and cauldron, that’s Harry Potter! In real life, they are our own scholars making millions of dollars. Be warned!
The truth is always bitter, but bitter medicine has always proven to cure faster than any other. And remember half these stories you get from Aamils are absolutely bogus, many claim to keep jinns for info, even that is questionable whether their jinns exist? But people love to hear their fascinating stories!
10. “I recently went to a counsellor with my husband, the counsellor is also an Alim. We talked about jinn/jadoo issues to which he replied, “shut that topic down, no such thing! 99% of these jinn/jadoo issues are just mental health!”
The best to the last… Ulama and jinn/jadoo issues! First and foremost, we need to understand scholars are scholars, not God! They study in Darul Uloom for 6/7 years to give them “training” in Qur’an/Hadith.
I choose my words carefully, ‘training’, they don’t qualify to know everything. Then they’re told to further their studies on their own or specialise in specific fields. But the majority don’t, many don’t even know Qur’an and Hadith properly let alone specialise in something, let alone know about Mental Health and Jinn/Jadoo issues. Just like this scholar mentioned above. When I put on my trench coat and glasses, I realised he also works in a school? Imagine how many people he is misleading because of his arrogance! You know I will always challenge these molvis… so I called him and gave a plethora of evidence, hadhrat jee put the phone down! I apologised for hurting his ego.
For years, I wondered and wandered through different avenues to work out why soo many Ulama are against Ruqya and negative towards jinn/jadoo issues.
Once I listened to a talk relating the story of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal RH, in his time someone came and said, “O Imam! Fulan ibn Fulan denies the issue of jinn!” Imam Ahmad RH: “This is the Shaytan talking on his tongue.” This meaning shaytan will target ulama/imams and misguide them, to mislead the masses, there is plenty of evidence for this. It is important for ulama to have protection against sihr/jinn.
We will always reach out to Ulama who are wrong and correct them, there is no harm. It is better than gheebat-ing, especially in a dars of hadith. That’s right, even senior scholars can be corrected. Recently, our intel told us a senior Shaykhul Hadith sat in a lesson of Bukhari blasting Ruqya and blasting me! What was my sin? Educating people on Black Magic and Ruqya.
Subhan Allah! It’s a shame ulama don’t have the courage to ring me or tell me to my face, especially when I’m not doing anything wrong… these are the elders we are told to respect since we were small. I wonder if they are elders or oldies?
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
Ali (Allah be pleased with him) once was asked: “How have you recognised your God?”
He (Allah be pleased with him) answered: “I recognised God through revoking the determinations and breaking the intentions. When I determined and I was prevented from achieving my determination, and when I intended and fate contradicted my intention, I realised that the Administrator was other than me.”
And so this uneventful year draws to a close and I find myself thinking how much history 2020 made. Be it the pandemic, racial tensions or presidential campaigns across the pond, 2020 has been one long rollercoaster.
Life is full of surprises and if anything, this year has shone a light on how amazingly resilient Allah has created us all. Just when we are about to put our feet up and become a little complacent with our routine in life, the setting suddenly changes and we’re forced to recompose, reshuffle the pieces and refocus the lens a little. And in the midst of this restructure, our unsteady walk exposes us, we trip, we fall and we fail…but we brush ourselves off and stand back up. A quote of JK Rowling comes to mind that ‘It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.’ This year has been a year of ‘falling’ for many of us but with the tradition of reflection (Muhasabah – account ourselves to ourselves) maybe we can transform the ‘falls’ into life-changing goals.
The biggest lesson that was manifested this year is that ‘Allah never tests a soul more than it can bear’ (Quran, 2:286). There are so many beautiful lessons to learn from this verse alone that could put this whole year into perspective for many of us. This world is a test and each and every one of us will be tested in various ways. A utopian society does not exist and 2020 has very clearly shown us that. Once we truly understand this, we can start to formulate that as Muslims, it is crucial we believe that Allah tests us to make us, not break us. When total fear ensued in March, Allah’s powerful promise in the Quran should have been our zen and reassurance amidst the chaos. Our goal for 2021 is to place our complete trust in Him SWT and His plan. He SWT doesn’t leave us, but we leave Him. He doesn’t move an inch away from us and is closer to us than our jugular vein.
As Ramadhan drew closer and it dawned on us that the Masajid would remain closed and Taraweeh Salah will have to be performed in the homes, a heart-breaking sadness cloaked us. Who will be leading? What will be prayed? How much Qur’an do we know? Will it even feel like Ramadhan? As these questions were being discussed in every household up and down the country, a new lesson was emanating. Alhamdulillah, many homes echoed with the confident recitations of their Huffadh but the hard truth is that there still remained a huge number of us who hadn’t prioritised reading and learning the Quran enough to be able to stand up and confidently take on the musalla. We were always so reliant on the Ulama and the Huffadh that we had become complacent with our own learning journey. This reminded me of how I will be alone in my grave, just me and my deeds – no Hafidh to fall back on, no Alim to rely on, no one. The closure of the Masajid and the emptiness that came with it threw us into frantic jeopardy but ‘A believer is never stung from the same hole twice’ (Hadith) and so Ramadhan 2020 taught us to never stop learning. Know 10 Surahs from Juz Amma? Make it your goal to learn another 10 this year. Learn Surah Yaseen. Learn Surah Mulk. Learn Surah Rahman. Never stop learning. Create an insatiable hunger for learning. When you get to the end of your life, you want to be able to tell yourself that I spent every year of my life learning something new from the Qur’an and didn’t stay stuck on ‘Madrasah Mode’ from my teenage years.
2020 brought out some of the ugliest faces yet the most soul-soothing actions. Whilst on the one hand racism hit another high, unity in the face of tragedy outshone. The pandemic may have thrust us into isolation but it brought a sense of togetherness that was not seen before. Communities came together, putting aside creed, caste and religion, to help the elderly, vulnerable, isolated with food packages, medicines, shopping and that’s just the tangible needs. Neighbours checked in on one another, more phone calls were made to friends and family, messages dropped in asking how we’re doing. Let’s make it our mission to continue this fulfilling deed. Send that text message, make that two-minute phone call, and don’t just call someone when you need them. Mother Teresa once said, ‘Loneliness is a terrible poverty’ and there are millions of people suffering from that lack of friendship. In these difficult times, make someone feel heard. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said, ‘You won’t be able to take care of everyone financially; instead, let your cheerful face and good manners take care of all of them’ (Musnad Bazzar).
Now we are at the suggestive, somewhat enticing, light at the end of the tunnel stage of the pandemic, we are tested once again. The vaccine is available and whatever side of the fence you sit on, remember that Allah is the Controller. Everything truly belongs to Him alone and he holds authority over everything and everyone. One Quran verse frequently came to mind at different times this year. Allah says, ‘لمن الملك اليوم، لله الواحد القهار ‘For whom is the dominion today? For Allah, the One, the Supreme’ (Quran, 40:16). Allah gives and Allah takes. Let’s not talk as if this year has been a year of just the revolutionising scientists against the evil virus, forgetting all along that Allah is the Master, the Withholder, and the Bestower of all things.
It has been a challenging year but for the intelligent believer, no challenge comes without changes. We may want to be quick to forget all that 2020 put on our plate but let’s remember the lessons it taught us and the goals it guided us to make.
Constantly ask Allah for ease
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
On Saturday, 19 January 2019, 10:43:43 GMT, imraan <admin@daruliftaa.net> wrote:
Question:
Salams Mawlana,
I would like to ask, as we live in England and Christmas is creeping up slowly, many Muslims decide to have a feast on Christmas day with the family. They specifically cook Turkey, imitating the non-Muslims.
They say it is the only day the family can get together (as Xmas day is a bank holiday). But I usually tell them Boxing Day is also a Bank HOliday, cook it on the 26th December?
Is cooking a Turkey on Xmas day permissible, in light of the Hadith, “Whoever imitates a nation is from them.”
Ismail, Blackburn
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Cooking turkey and eating it on Christmas Day is a custom of the Christians.[1]
King Henry VIII was the first English king to eat turkey on Christmas Day. The tradition of eating turkey at Christmas spread throughout England in the 17th century. It also became common to serve goose which remained the predominant roast until the Victorian era.[2]
In the 1900s, turkey became a popular Christmas dish where it became more accessible and affordable.[3]
The Fuqaha (jurists) have ruled that it is impermissible to offer gifts or perform another action that is conducted by the non-Muslims on their sacred days.[4] Consider the following warnings issued by the Fuqaha on such conduct:
Imam Qadhi Khan (rahimahullah) mentions:
وعن الإمام أبي جعفر الكبير رحمه الله تعالى: اذا عبد الرجل خمسين سنة، ثم جاء يوم النيروز وأهدى الى بعض المشركين بيضة يريد به تعظيم يوم النيروز فقد كفر بالله وحبط عمله[5]
“It is narrated from Imam Abu Ja’far Al Kabir (rahimahullah Ta’āla) that if a man worshipped Allah for fifty years, then on the day of Nayruz, he gifted an egg in respect of Nayruz, then he has disbelieved in Allah and all his (good) deeds have been lost.”
Nayruz (also known as Nowruz) is the Zoroastrian New Year’s day. It is celebrated by the Zoroastrians (followers of Zoroastrianism).[6]
It appears that there is nothing wrong in gifting an egg. However, such an act will be analysed in the context of the sacred day of the Zoroastrians. They exchange gifts on that day in reverence of that day. When a Muslim offers another a gift, it resembles the action of the Zoroastrians respecting that day, hence, it is impermissible.
Imam Burhan ad Deen al Bukhari (rahimahullah) has mentioned:
المسلم اذا أهدى يوم النيروز الى مسلم آخر شيئا ولم يرد به تعظيم اليوم ولكن جرى على ما اعتاده بعض الناس لا يكفر، ولكن ينبغي ان لا يفعل ذلك في ذلك اليوم خاصة، ويفعله قبله أو بعده كيلا يكون شبيها بأولئك القوم وقد قال النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام: (من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم)[7]
“If a Muslim gives a gift to another Muslim and he does not intend glorifying that day but it is the habit of some people, he will not have committed kufr. However, he should not do that on that specific day. He should do it before it or after it so as to not imitate those people for verily Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has said, “Whosoever imitates a group of people is amongst them.”
Shaikh Zadah Efindi (rahimahullah) mentions:
ويكفر بوضع قلنسوة المجوس على رأسه على الصحيح إلا لتخليص الأسير أو لضرورة دفع الحر والبرد عند البعض وقيل إن قصد به التشبيه يكفر[8]
“According the most correct opinion, that person has committed kufr if he wears the headwear of a Magian except, according to some, to free a prisoner of war or for a need (such as) to keep away the cold and heat. It has been said that if he intended imitation by it, then he has committed kufr.”
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is reported to have said:
[4] البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري، زين الدين بن إبراهيم المعروف بابن نجيم المصري (المتوفى: 970هـ)، دار الكتاب الإسلامي، القاهرة، مصر (5/ 133)
وبخروجه إلى نيروز المجوس والموافقة معهم فيما يفعلون في ذلك اليوم وبشرائه يوم النيروز شيئا لم يكن يشتريه قبل ذلك تعظيما للنيروز لا للأكل والشرب وبإهدائه ذلك اليوم للمشركين ولو بيضة تعظيما لذلك اليوم
حاشية رد المحتار على الدر المختار: شرح تنوير الأبصار، محمد أمين الشهير بابن عابدين (المتوفى: 1252هـ)، ايچ أيم سعيد كمبني، كراتشي، باكستان (6/ 755-754)
(والإعطاء باسم النيروز والمهرجان لا يجوز) أي الهدايا باسم هذين اليومين حرام (وإن قصد تعظيمه) كما يعظمه المشركون (يكفر) قال أبو حفص الكبير: لو أن رجلا عبد الله خمسين سنة ثم أهدى لمشرك يوم النيروز بيضة يريد تعظيم اليوم فقد كفر وحبط عمله اهـ ولو أهدى لمسلم ولم يرد تعظيم اليوم بل جرى على عادة الناس لا يكفر وينبغي أن يفعله قبله أو بعده نفيا للشبهة ولو شرى فيه ما لم يشتره قبل إن أراد تعظيمه كفر وإن أراد الأكل كالشرب والتنعيم لا يكفر زيلعي.
[5] فتاوى قاضيخان، فخر الدين ابو المحاسن حسن بن منصور المعروف بقاضيخان الأوزجندي (المتوفى: 592هـ)، دار الكتب العلمية (3/519)
وعن الإمام أبي جعفر الكبير رحمه الله تعالى: اذا عبد الرجل خمسين سنة، ثم جاء يوم النيروز وأهدى الى بعض المشركين بيضة يريد به تعظيم يوم اليروز فقد كفر بالله وحبط عمله
[7] المحيط البرهاني، برهان الدين محمود بت صدر الشريعة ابن مازة البخاري (المتوفى:616هـ )، ادارة القرآن والعلوم اسلامية، كراشي باكستان – المجلس العلمي، جوهانسبرغ، جنوبي أفريقية
9287- قال في الجامع الأصغر: رجل اشترى يوم النيروز شيئا لم يكن يشتريه قبل ذلك، ان أراد به تعظيم النيروز كما يظمه المشركون يكفر، وان أراد به الأكل والشرب والنعمة لم يكفر. 9288- قال صاحب الجامع الأصغر المسلم اذا أهدى يوم النيروز الى مسلم آخر شيئا ولم يرد به تعظيم اليوم ولكن جرى على ما اعتاده بعض الناس لا يكفر، ولكن ينبغي ان لا يفعل ذلك في ذلك اليوم خاصة، ويفعله قبله أو بعده كيلا يكون شبيها بأولئك القوم وقد قال النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام: (من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم).
[8] مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر ومعه الدر المنتقى في شرح الملتقى، الشيخ زاده المعروف بداماد أفندي (متوفى:1077هـ)، دار الكتب العلمية، بيروت، لبنان (2/ 513)
ويكفر بوضع قلنسوة المجوس على رأسه على الصحيح إلا لتخليص الأسير أو لضرورة دفع الحر والبرد عند البعض وقيل إن قصد به التشبيه يكفر
[9] سنن أبي داود ت الأرنؤوط، أبو داود سليمان بن الأشعث الأزدي السِّجِسْتاني (المتوفى: 275هـ)، دار الرسالة العالمية، بيروت، لبنان (6/ 144)
حدثنا عثمان بن أبي شيبة، حدثنا أبو النضر، حدثنا عبد الرحمن ابن ثابت، حدثنا حسان بن عطيه، عن أبي منيب الجرشي عن ابن عمر، قال: قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم -:، من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم”
مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، علي بن (سلطان) محمد أبو الحسن نور الدين الملا الهروي القاري (المتوفى: 1014هـ)، دار الفكر، بيروت، لبنان – الطبعة الأولى: 2002م (7/ 2782)
(وعنه) : أي عن ابن عمر (قال: قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – (من تشبه بقوم) : أي من شبه نفسه بالكفار مثلا في اللباس وغيره، أو بالفساق أو الفجار أو بأهل التصوف
But the magicians will never be successful.” (10:77)
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
This is an open letter of warning to those who practise Black Magic, be it in the form of White Magic, under the guise of Taweez or that which is sold by the soothsayers and fortune tellers. Whoever you are wherever you are, if you are a so-called practising Muslim or non-practising. It doesn’t matter how black and long your beard is, how thick your niqab or hijab is, how loose your abayah is. I don’t care about your social-standing, if you are a peer or mawlana, or imam. Wrong is wrong! Let me remind you where you will stand in the Hereafter…
“And verily, they knew that whoever traffics in magic has no share in the Hereafter.” (Al-Baqarah 2:102)
He also stated: “They believed in Jibt and Tāghoot.” (An-Nisā: 51)
And the “buying, purchasing” mentioned in the verse, Shaykh Salih Aal ash-Shaykh says in explanation of the verse,
والساحر اشترى من تعلم السحر اشترى، اشترى أي شيء؟ اشترى السحر بدل أي شيء؟ بدل توحيده، فالثمن التوحيد، الثمن هو الإيمان بالله وحده، والمثمن هو السحر
And the magician he has purchased the learning of magic, he has purchased, purchased what thing? He has purchased magic in place of what thing? In place of Tawhid, so the price is Tawhid, the price is faith in Allah alone, and the object (being bought) is magic… so it means the one who gave his religion as consideration (something of value) for that thing which he took, which is magic…
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Jibt is magic and Tāghoot is the Shaytān (the Devil).” (Bukhari)
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The tāghoots are the soothsayers upon who the devils descend [with false information]. And in every district, there is one [of these soothsayers].” (Tafsir ibn Kathir)
Sihr: A Major Sin in Islam
Abu Hurayrah said that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Keep away from the seven destructive sins.” They asked him: “What are they, O Allah’s Messenger?”
He replied: “Associating partners with Allah, magic, killing a person whom Allah has made impermissible to kill, consuming usury (interest), taking the wealth of the orphan, to turn away on the day of battle, to falsely accuse the chaste believing woman (or man) of fornication.”
I swear by Allah! Have your fun in this temporary world, control who you can control, even if that means your own sons and daughters and your own husbands. You happily watch the breaking of families; a son hate his own father, even abuse him. A daughter abuse her own mother, and eventually leave her. You thrive over the breaking of marriages, divorce after divorce. You are delighted by people losing their jobs, their families struggle to put food on the table, all because of you. You are shaytan personified! Wolves in sheep’s clothing! Hell-mates living on Earth! You ruin people’s lives and destroy their personality and cause them destruction. This is why Allah SWT said, you will not have a share in the Hereafter.
You only have one way out… to repent. Repent today and get yourself out of Shaytan’s web, all he wants from you is Kufr – for you to disbelieve and join him for a hot seat in Hell. If you were living in Muslim countries this is what would and should happen to you:
Jundub (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) narrated what is ascribed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “The punishment of the magician is that [the judge rules] he struck with the sword.” Reported by Tirmidhi
It is reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhāri from Bajālah Ibn ‘Abdah who said: “[The Caliph] Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) wrote: “Execute every male and female magician.” So we executed [upon his command] three magicians.”
It is reported authentically from the wife of the Prophet, Hafsah (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhā) that she commanded that a female servant of hers should be executed because she performed magic on Hafsah, so she was executed. Mālik in Al-Muwatta no. 14; Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Kubrā 8/136 no. 16941. Similar has been reported from Jundub (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) Bukhāri in At-Tāreekh Al-Kabeer 2/222.
Imām Ahmad (Allah have mercy upon him) stated: “This is reported from three Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.”
This is your final chance, stop what you are doing before your death comes and Izraeel takes your soul in the most painful and agonising manner. Think of your grave, your master Iblees will not help you there, nor will your filthy jinns. No magic will save you in the grave from the snakes and scorpions. On the day of Qiyamah, you will burn under the blazing sun, there will be nobody to shade you. If you die as a magician or a witch, Jahannam will be your final abode, you will suffer there forever as you made others suffer in this world… is it really worth it?
Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)
Listen to the Ruqya Daily at home, NOT when driving nor at work!
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed Ash-Shaitan does not enter the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited.” (Tirmidhi)
1) Know your audience and choose your style accordingly.
2) Read and practise! Read newspapers especially broadsheets, highlight words and remember them.
3) Listen and practise! Listen out for beautifully spoken English, find scholars online who speak well and use good terminology, write down the words they use and implement them into your own terminology.3) Use Apps such as Grammarly
4) Find your best ‘English’ person and ask them nicely to proofread and/or give feedback. Remember, this takes time so try not to become too reliant and learn from them so you can become confident yourself.
5) Use a dictionary NOT necessarily a thesaurus. It’s always cringingly obvious when someone has tried too hard; use sophisticated language but let it flow naturally. Like Orwell said, why use a long word when a short word will do.
6) Commas and apostrophes are cool. Teach yourself the rules regarding these.
7) Vary your sentence lengths so your writing sounds interesting/exciting/dramatic. Use conjunctions to create longer sentences but use short sentences too. A short sentence immediately after a long sentence always adds drama.
8) Keep it clean and simple. Don’t over complicate your writing in the attempt to impress. This will only discompose your reader and the main purpose of your writing will be lost.
9. Finally, start a blog. Writing will help you tremendously.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
This poem was written to highlight the ongoing racism and prejudice in America, after the killing of George Floyd. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity, we should all feel the pain of Black people in America and across the globe. The Holy Qur’an teaches us:
“…if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” [Al-Qur’an 5:32]
Such is the value of a single human life, that the Qur’an equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity. Thus, the Qur’an prohibits homicide in clear terms.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)
