People have evidence of the existence of God, and the wisdom behind His creation

A non muslim friend of mine asked how i will prove existence of god and why has he given us life,and with what purpose. my answer did not satisfy him ,plese tell me what i should tell him?

Praise be to Allaah.  

My dear Muslim brother, your efforts to call people to Allaah and explain the reality of Allaah’s existence make us very happy. Finding out about Allaah is in tune with the sound fitrah (natural inclinations of man) and with sound reasoning. How many there are who, once the truth becomes clear to them, they hasten to submit to Allaah (enter Islam). If each one of us was to do his duty towards his religion, a great deal of good would be achieved. So we congratulate you, our brother, for undertaking the mission of the Prophets and Messengers, and we give you the glad tidings of the great reward which you are promised, as your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If Allaah were to guide one man at your hands, that would be better for you than red camels.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/134; Muslim, 4/1872). “Red camels” are the best kind of camels.

Secondly:

With regard to proof of the existence of Allaah, it is obvious to anyone who ponders the matter, and there is no need for a lengthy discussion. When we ponder the matter, we find out that it is divided into three categories: instinctive evidence, tangible evidence and shar’i evidence. We will explain that to you further, in sha Allaah.

1 – Instinctive evidence:

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

The instinctive evidence that God exists is the strongest of all evidence for those who are not led astray by the devils. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion (of pure Islamic Monotheism) Haneef (worship none but Allaah Alone). Allaah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allaah’s Islamic Monotheism) with which He has created mankind” [al-Room 30:30]

Man’s sound nature (fitrah) testifies to the existence of God and man cannot turn away from that unless the devils mislead him; whoever is misled by the devils may not recognize this evidence.”

(From Sharh al-Safaareeniyyah)

Every person feels inside himself that he has a Lord and Creator, and he feels that he is in need of Him; if some major calamity befalls him he turns his hands, eyes and heart towards the heavens, seeking help from his Lord.

2 – Tangible evidence:

This refers to the things that exist in this universe; we see around us things that exist, such as trees, rocks, mankind, the earth, the heavens, seas, rivers…

If it is asked: these things are so many – who created them and is taking care of them?

The answer is that if these things came into being by accident, spontaneously and with no cause, then there is no one who knows how they were created, and that is one possibility. But there is another possibility, which is that these things created themselves and are taking care of themselves. And there is a third possibility, which is that there is Someone Who created them. When we look at these three possibilities, we find that the first and the second are impossible. If we reject the first and the second, then the third must be the one which is correct, which is that these things have a Creator who created them, and that Creator is Allaah. This is what is stated in the Qur’aan, where Allaah says:

“Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators?

Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm Belief” [al-Toor 52:35]

Moreover, when were these mighty things created? For all these years, who is it that has decreed that they should remain in this world and has granted them the means of abiding?

The answer is, it is Allaah who has given to each thing that which is suited to it and will guarantee its survival. Do you not see the beautiful green plants; when Allaah cuts off their water supply, can they live? No, rather they become dry stalks. If you ponder all things you will find that they are dependent upon Allaah. Were it not for Allaah, nothing would remain.

And Allaah has created everything to do that for which it is suited. So camels, for example, are for riding. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners.

And We have subdued them unto them so that some of them they have for riding and some they eat” [Yaa-Seen 36:71-72]

 Look at the camel and how Allaah has created it strong, with a strong back, so that it can be used for riding and it is able to endure harsh conditions which other animals cannot bear.

 If you look at other creatures you will find that they are suited to the purposes for which they were created. Glory be to Allaah.

 Examples of tangible evidence include the following:

 When calamities befall people this points to the existence of the Creator, for example, when they call upon Allaah and Allaah responds to their prayer; this points to the existence of Allaah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed for rain, he said, ‘Allaahumma aghithnaa, Allaahumma aghithnaa (O Allaah, send us rain, O Allaah, send us rain).’ Then a cloud came and it started to rain before he had even come down from the minbar. This points to the existence of the Creator.” (Sharh al-Safaareeniyyah).

 3 – Shar’i evidence:

 All divinely-revealed laws point to existence of Allaah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

 “All the divinely-revealed laws point to the existence of the Creator and to the perfect nature of His knowledge, wisdom and mercy, because these laws must have been prescribed by someone, and that Lawgiver is Allaah.” (From Sharh al-Safaareeniyyah).

 With regard to your question: why did Allaah create us?

 The answer is: so that we would worship Him, thank Him and remember Him, and do that which He has commanded us. You know that among mankind there are kaafirs and there are Muslims. This is because Allaah wants to test His slaves as to whether they will worship Him or worship others. That is after Allaah has showed the way to everyone. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed” [al-Mulk 67:2]

 “And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

 We ask Allaah to enable us and you to do that which He loves and is pleased with, and to do more da’wah and work for the sake of His religion. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.

He is suffering from waswaas (insinuating whispers) of the Shaytaan about the Essence of Allaah

A man is experiencing waswaas (insinuating whispers) from the Shaytaan having to do with Allaah, and he is very afraid of that.

Praise be to Allaah.

The questioner has mentioned this problem and is afraid of its consequences. I say to him, Rejoice, for its consequences cannot be anything but good. By means of this waswaas, the Shaytaan tries to gain control over the believers and shake the sound belief in their hearts, and make them suffer psychological and intellectual anxiety that will affect the purity of their faith and their life, if they are believers.

This is not the first or the last time that the believers are exposed to this. It will continue so long as there is any believer in this world. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) also faced this problem. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, ‘We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Are you really suffering from that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’” (Narrated by Muslim).  

It was narrated in al-Saheehayn, also from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Shaytaan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created such and such? Who created such and such?’ until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?!’ If that happens to any of you, let him seek refuge with Allaah and put a stop to these thoughts.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “I think thoughts to myself, which I would rather  be burnt to a cinder than speak of them.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Praise be to Allaah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytaan’s] plots to mere whispers.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Kitaab al-Eemaan: “The believer may suffer from the whispers of the Shaytaan insinuating thoughts of kufr, which may make him feel distressed. The Sahaabah said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, some of us think thoughts which we would rather fall from heaven to earth than speak of them.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’ According to one report, ‘… thoughts which are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Praise be to Allaah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytaan’s] plots to mere whispers,’ meaning that the fact that these whispers come, but they are so greatly disliked, and they are pushed away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith. This is like the mujaahid to whom the enemy comes, but he resists him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty jihaad… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted worshippers experience waswaas and doubts which others do not face, because they (the others) are not following the way prescribed by Allaah, rather they are following their own whims and desires and neglecting to remember their Lord. This is what the Shaytaan wants, in contrast to those who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by seeking knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy and seeks to prevent them from drawing closer to Allaah.” (p. 147 of the Indian edition)

I say to this questioner, if you are faced with this waswaas from the Shaytaan, then fight it and resist it. Know that it can never harm you when you fulfil the duty of fighting and resisting it, and you refuse to be controlled by it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaah will forgive my ummah for any insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.” (Agreed upon).

If it is said to you, Do you believe the insinuating whispers you experience? Do you think that they are true? Do you really think that Allaah is like what this waswaas says? You would say, “It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allaah)! This is a great lie” [al-Noor 24:16 – interpretation of the meaning]. You would denounce that in your heart and with your tongue, and be the one who objects to it the most, for it is only whispers and thoughts that cross your mind. It is a trap set by the Shaytaan, who flows through the son of Adam like blood flows, to make you doomed and to confuse you about your religion.

Hence you will find that the Shaytan does not cast doubts or suspicions into your heart about trivial matters. For example, you may hear of the existence of great cities filled with people and buildings in the east and the west, but it would never cross your mind some day to doubt that they exist or to criticize them and say that they are in ruins and unfit for habitation, or that they are uninhabited, and so on. The Shaytaan has nothing to gain by making people doubt about these cities. But he does have a lot to gain by corrupting the believer’s faith, so he strives with his cavalry and his infantry to extinguish the light of knowledge and guidance in his heart and to make him fall into the darkness of doubt and confusion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us of the appropriate remedy for that, which is to seek refuge with Allaah and put a  stop to it. If a person puts a stop to that and continues to worship Allaah, seeking and hoping for (the reward) which is with Allaah, that will stop by Allaah’s leave. So turn away from all the thoughts of this kind that cross your mind. You are worshipping Allaah, calling upon Him and glorifying Him, and  if you were to hear anyone ascribing to Allaah the things that are whispered to you (waswaas), you would probably kill him if you could. So the things that are whispered to you are neither real nor true, they are merely imagination and whispers which have no basis.

Our advice may be summed up as follows:

1.                           Seek refuge with Allaah and give up these thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded.

2.                           Remember Allaah and control yourself and do not continue to think of these whispers.

3.                           Occupy yourself with worship and doing good deeds, in obedience to the command of Allaah and seeking to please Him. When you devote yourself completely and seriously to worship, you will forget about these whispers, in sha Allaah.

4.                           Frequently seek refuge with Allaah and make du’aa’ to free you from these whispers.

I ask Allaah to keep you safe and sound, and protect you from all evils,

A Christian is asking why God created mankind

According to the Qur'aan and/or Islamic traditions, why did God create mankind?

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah created the jinn and mankind to worship Him alone, to obey His commands and heed His prohibitions. Allaah says [in the Qur’aan] (interpretation of the meaning):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

i.e., to believe in His Oneness and to devote their worship to Him alone, to the exclusion of all others. One of the conditions of worship being correct is belief in His Messenger [Muhammad] (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and following his example, for he is the example to be followed, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow [al-Ahzaab 33:21]

Conditions of Laa ilaaha illa-Allaah

Can you please explain the conditions of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (knowledge, certainty, etc), and tell us the rulings on one who does not attain them and one who is ignorant of the meaning of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah?

Praise be to Allaah.

The conditions of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. Shaykh Haafiz al-Hukmi said in his poem Sullam al-Wusool :

“Knowledge, certainty, submission and following. So listen to what I say.

Truthfulness, sincerity and love. May Allaah help you to do that which He loves.”

 The first condition is knowledge, in the sense of negating what is negated in the Shahaadah and affirming what is affirmed therein – as opposed to being ignorant of that.

 Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

 “So know (O Muhammad) that Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah)…” [Muhammad 47:19]

 “except for those who bear witness to the truth knowingly” –  i.e., that there is no god except Allaah (laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) – “and they know” – in their hearts the meaning of the words that they utter with their lips. [al-Zukhruf 43:86]

 It is narrated in al-Saheeh from ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies knowing that there is no god except Allaah will enter Paradise.”

 The second condition is certainty, in the sense that the one who says these words is absolutely certain of their meaning. Faith is not sufficient unless it is based on certain knowledge with no element of speculation, let alone doubt. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Only those are the believers who have believed in Allaah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allaah. Those! They are the truthful”[al-Hujuraat 49:15]

The sincerity of their faith in Allaah and His Messenger is conditional upon there being no element of doubt therein, As for the doubter, he is one of the hypocrites. In al-Saheeh it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, for no person meets Allaah with these two, not doubting in them, but he will enter Paradise.’” According to another report: “No person meets Allaah with these two, not doubting in them, and is denied Paradise.”

And it was also narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a lengthy hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent him and said, “Whoever you meet behind this wall who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah, believing in it with certainty in his heart, then give him the glad tidings of Paradise.”

Thus we see that a person’s entering Paradise for saying these words is conditional upon his believing in them with certainty in his heart, with no element of doubt. If this condition is not met the target is not met.

The third condition is acceptance and submission to what these words imply, both in one's heart as well as verbally. Allaah has told us the stories of those who came before, who were saved by their acceptance of these words from the punishment of those who had rejected them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “(It will be said to the angels): ‘Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions (from the devils) and what they used to worship,

Instead of Allaah, and lead them on to the way of flaming Fire (Hell);

But stop them, verily, they are to be questioned.

What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another (as you used to do in the world)?’

Nay, but that Day they shall surrender.

And they will turn to one another and question one another.

They will say: ‘It was you who used to come to us from the right side (i.e., from the right side of one of us and beautify for us every evil, enjoin on us polytheism, and stop us from the truth, i.e. Islamic Monotheism and from every good deed).’

They will reply: ‘Nay, you yourselves were not believers.

And we had no authority over you. Nay! But you were Taaghoon (transgressing) people (polytheists, and disbelievers).

So now the Word of our Lord has been justified against us, that we shall certainly (have to) taste (the torment).

So we led you astray because we were ourselves astray.’

Then verily, that Day, they will (all) share in the torment.

Certainly, that is how We deal with Al‑Mujrimoon (polytheists, sinners, disbelievers, criminals, the disobedient to Allaah).

Truly, when it was said to them: Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right “to be worshipped but Allaah),” they puffed themselves up with pride (i.e. denied it).

And (they) said: ‘Are we going to abandon our aalihah (gods) for the sake of a mad poet?’”[al-Saffaat 37:22-36]

 So Allaah has made the reason and cause of their punishment their arrogant refusal to say Laa ilaah ill-Allaah, and their disbelief in the one who brought this message, so that they did not negate what this word negates and they did not affirm what it affirms, rather they said, arrogantly denouncing:

 “ ‘Has he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah (God — Allaah). Verily, this is a curious thing!’

And the leaders among them went about (saying): ‘Go on, and remain constant to your aalihah (gods)! Verily, this is a thing designed (against you)!’”[Saad 38:5]

So Allaah showed them to be liars and threw their words back at them through the words of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nay! he (Muhammad) has come with the truth (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism and this Qur’aan) and he confirms the Messengers (before him who brought Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism)”[al-Saffaat 37:37]

 Then He said concerning those who accept it (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Save the chosen slaves of Allaah (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism).

For them there will be a known provision (in Paradise),

Fruits; and they shall be honoured,

In the Gardens of Delight (Paradise)”[al-Saffaat 37:40-43]

In al-Saheeh it is narrated from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The guidance and knowledge with which Allaah has sent me is like abundant rain which falls on the land. Some of the land absorbs the water and brings forth much grass and vegetation. And some of (the rain) falls on another part of the land which is like a smooth plain and does not hold the water, so no vegetation grows. That is the likeness of the one who understands the religion of Allaah and benefits from that with which Allaah has sent me, so he learns and acts, and the likeness of the one who pays no heed and does not accept the guidance of Allaah with which I have been sent.

The fourth condition is following that which is indicated, as opposed to not following it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah, while he is a Muhsin (good‑doer, i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allaah’s sake), then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold” – i.e., Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah – “And to Allaah return all matters for decision”[Luqmaan 31:22]

What is meant by “submitting one’s face” is following, when one is also a doer of good and a believer in Tawheed. Whoever does not submit his face to Allaah and is not a doer of good has not grasped the most trustworthy handhold. This is what is meant by the following aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you (O Muhammad). To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done…”[Luqmaan 31:23]

According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “none of you truly believes until his desire is in accordance with that which I have brought.” This is the ultimate meaning of following.

The fifth condition is truthfulness, as opposed to lying. This means that one says it (Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) sincerely from the heart, with harmony between what is in the heart and what is said on the lips. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested.

And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allaah knows all that before putting them to test)”[al-‘Ankaboot 29:2-3]

And He said concerning the hypocrites who spoke these words falsely (interpretation of the meaning):

“And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: ‘We believe in Allaah and the Last Day,’ while in fact they believe not.

They (think to) deceive Allaah and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!

In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allaah has increased their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies” [al-Baqarah 2:8-10]

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “there is no one who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sincerely from the heart, but Allaah will make him forbidden for the Fire.”

The sixth condition is sincerity, which means that actions are free from any element of shirk. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only [al-Zumar 39:3]

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Allaah Alone I worship by doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake only’”[al-Zumar 39:14]

 In al-Saheeh it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most deserving of my intercession are those who say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah sincerely from the heart or from the soul.”

 The seventh condition is love for this word and for what it implies and indicates, and love for the people who act upon it and adhere to its conditions and hate whoever or whatever goes against it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah”[al-Baqarah 2:165]

 Allaah tells us that those who believe love Allaah more, because they do not associate anything with Him in that love, as is done by those among the mushrikeen who claim to love Him but who also take others as rivals to Him whom they love as they love Him.

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him that his son, his father and all of mankind.”

The kuffaar ask who created Allaah

I tell non-muslims that Allah created everything in this universe. They say to me who created Allah ? How can Allah have been there since the beginning ?
How can i answer them ?

Praise be to Allaah.

This question which the Kuffaar have asked you is inherently false and self-contradictory. If we were to say – for the sake of argument – that someone created Allaah, then they would ask you, Who created the creator of the creator? Then, who created the creator of the creator of the creator?! And so on, ad infinitum. This is irrational and impossible.

All of creation goes back to the Creator Who created all things. No one created Him; He created everything other than Himself. This is what makes sense and is logical. This creator is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.

With regard to what our religion tells us, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us about this question, where it comes from, and how to respond to it.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “People will keep on asking question until someone will say, ‘Allaah created the universe, but who created Allaah?’ Whoever encounters anything like that, let him say, ‘Amantu Billaah (I believe in Allaah).’”

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Shaytaan will come to one of you and say, ‘Who created the heaven? Who created the earth?’ He will say, ‘Allaah’” – then he mentioned something similar (to the previous report), and added, “And His Messengers.” [i.e., amantu Billaah wa Rusulihi = I believe in Allaah and His Messengers]

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Shaytaan will come to one of you and say, ‘Who created such and such?’ until he says to him, ‘Who created your Lord?’ When it reaches that stage, let him seek refuge with Allaah [say A’oodhu Billaahi min ash-shaytaan ir-rajeem = I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan] and stop thinking about it.”

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Shaytaan will come to a person and say, ‘Who created such and such…’” and he narrated the whole report. (Imaam Muslim, 134).

In these ahaadeeth we see:

Where this question comes from – from the Shaytaan;

How to deal with it, which is:

to stop pursuing these thoughts and these tricks of the Shaytaan

to say, “I believe in Allaah and His Messengers”

to seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan.

It was also reported that one should spit drily three times to one’s left, and recite Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad.

(See "Problems and Solutions" in the Shaykh’s Books section of this website).

3. With regard to the prior existence of Allaah, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us about this, for example:

He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O Allaah, You are the First and there is nothing before You; O Allaah, You are the Last and there is nothing after You.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2713)

He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah existed when there was nothing apart from Him.” According to another report: “There was nothing before Him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari; the first report 3020; the second report 6982).

This is in addition to what is stated in the aayaat of the Qur’aan. The believer believes without a doubt, the kaafir denies and the munaafiq doubts. We ask Allaah to grant us sincere and certain faith with no doubts. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Who do Muslims worship?

Who do Islams worship?

Praise be to Allaah.

Before answering, we would like to express our appreciation for your interest, at such a young age, in the religion of Islam. May Allaah open the door for you to find much blessing through your asking this question, and decree for you guidance such as you have never thought of. Allaah [the Arabic name for the One True God – Translator] says in the Qur’aan [the Holy Book of Islam] (interpretation of the meaning):

“This is the Guidance of Allaah with which He guides whomsoever He will of His slaves…” [al-An’aam 6:88]

“And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam…” [al-An’aam 6:125]

With regard to this important question – who do the Muslims worship? – the answer is to be found in the Holy Qur’aan, which is the Scripture of Islam, and in the words of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who received Revelation from his Lord.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“In the name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists), the Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful, the Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e., the Day of Resurrection). You (Alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and every thing).” [al-Faatihah 1:1-5]

“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allaah), Who has created you and those before you so that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious).” [al-Baqarah 2:21]

“Such is Allaah, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things.”[al-An’aam 6:102]

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.” [al-Isra’ 17:23]

Muslim worship Allaah [the One True God] whom all the Prophets worshipped. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya’qoob [Jacob]? When he said unto his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We shall worship your God, the God of your fathers, Ibraaheem [Abraham], Ismaa’eel [Ishmael] and Is-haaq [Isaac], One God, and to Him we submit (in Islam).” [al-Baqarah 2:133]

The Muslims worship Allaah and call others who follow different religions to worship Allaah Alone, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say [O Muhammad]: ‘O People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians]: come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allaah, and we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allaah.’ Then, if they turn away, say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64]

It is Allaah Alone Whom Nooh [Noah] (peace be upon him) called his people to worship, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Indeed, We sent Nooh [Noah] to his people and he said: ‘O my people! Worship Allaah! You have no other god but Him. Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day!.’” [al-A’raaf 7:59]

It is Allaah Alone whom the Messiah [Jesus] (peace be upon him) called people to worship, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Surely they have disbelieved who say: ‘Allaah is the Messiah [Jesus] son of Maryam [Mary].’ But the Messiah said: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.’ Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers.” [al-Maa’idah 5:73]

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O ‘Eesa [Jesus], son of Maryam [Mary]! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allaah?’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours. You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.

Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me to say: “Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things.’”[al-Maa’idah 5:116-117]

When Allaah spoke to His Prophet Moosa [Moses] (peace be upon him), He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, I am Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me, and perform al-Salaah [prayer] for My Remembrance.”[Ta-Ha 20:14]

Allaah commanded His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say [O Muhammad]: ‘O mankind! If you are in doubt as to my religion (Islam), then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship, besides Allaah. But I worship Allaah Who causes you to die, I am commanded to be one of the believers.” [Yoonus 10:104]

It is Him Alone, with no partner or associate, Whom the angels worship and do not worship anyone or anything besides Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth. And those who are near Him (i.e., the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship).”[al-Anbiya’ 21:19]

Everything that is worshipped instead of Allaah can neither bring benefit nor cause harm, it can neither create nor provide. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad, to mankind); ‘How do you worship besides Allaah something which has no power either to harm or to benefit you? But it is Allaah Who is the All-Hearer, All-Knower.’” [al-Maa’idah 5:76]

“You worship besides Allaah only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allaah have no power to give you provision, so seek your provision from Allaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back.” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:17]

 Having explained this, we must complete the topic by asking: why should we worship Allaah Alone with no partner or associate? The answer is as follows:

Firstly: because there is nothing and nobody else in the universe that deserves to be worshipped, for Allaah is the Creator and Sustainer, Who has created the universe out of nothing and has bestowed so many blessings upon us. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So glorify Allaah, when you come up to the evening [i.e., offer the Maghrib (sunset) and ‘Isha’ (night) prayers], and when you enter the morning [I.e., offer the Fajr (morning) prayers].

And His is all the praise and thanks in the heavens and the earth, and (glorify Him) in the afternoon [i.e., offer ‘Asr (mid-afternoon) prayer] and when you come up to the time when the day begins to decline [i.e., offer the Zuhr (mid-day) prayer].

He brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living. And He revives the earth after its death, and thus shall you be brought out (resurrected).

And among His Signs is this, that He created you (Adam) from dust, and then [Hawwa (Eve) from Adam’s rib, then his offspring from the semen, and], - behold you are human beings scattered!

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.

And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Verily in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge.

And among His Signs is the sleep that you take by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who listen.

And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, by way of fear and hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand.

And among His Signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His Command, then afterwards when He will call you by single call, behold, you will come out from the earth (ie.e, from your graves, for reckoning and recompense).

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him.

And He it is Who originates the creation, then will repeat it (after it has perished), and this is easier for Him. His is the highest description (i.e., none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”[al-Room 30: 17-27]

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Is not He (better than your gods) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any god with Allaah? Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!

Is not he (better than you gods) Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas (of salt and sweet water). Is there any god with Allaah? Nay, but most of them know not.

Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when He calls Him, and Who removes the evil, generations after generations. Is there any god with Allaah? Little is it that you remember!

Is not He (better than your gods) Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy (rain)? Is there any god with Allaah? High Exalted be Allaah above all that they associate as partners (to Him)!

Is not He (better than your so-called gods) Who originates creation, and shall thereafter repeat it, and Who provides for you from heaven and earth? Is there any god with Allaah? Say: ‘bring forth your proofs, if you are truthful’

Say: ‘None on the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.’”

[al-Naml 27:60-65]

So is there anyone or anything besides Allaah that deserves to be worshipped?

Secondly: Allaah did not create us except to worship Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).”[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

Thirdly: No one will be saved on the Day of Resurrection except those who used to worship Allaah truly and sincerely. After death Allaah will resurrect His slaves and call them to account, rewarding or punishing them according to their deeds. No one will be saved on that day except for those who used to worship Allaah Alone. The rest will be gathered into a Hell, a terrible fate! The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), was asked by his Companions: “Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” He told them:

“Do you doubt that you can see the sun and the moon when the sky is clear?” We [his Companions] said, “No.” He said, “Then you should not doubt that you will see your Lord on that Day, you will see Him as you see them (the sun and moon).” Then he said, “A caller will call out, ‘Let every people go to that which they used to worship.’ So the worshippers of the cross will go with their cross, the worshippers of idols will go with their idols and the worshippers of every god will go with their gods, until there will be left those who used to worship Allaah, whether they were righteous or otherwise, and a few of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians]. Then Hell will be brought and shown to them as if it is a mirage. It will be said to the Jews, ‘What did you used to worship?’ They will say, ‘We used to worship ‘Uzayr, the son of God.’ It will be said, ‘You have lied. Allaah does not have a wife or son. What do you want?’ They will say, ‘We want something to drink.’ It will be said to them, ‘Drink!’ and they will fall into Hell. Then it will be said to the Christians, ‘What did you used to worship?’ They will say, ‘We used to worship the Messiah, the son of God.’ It will be said, ‘You have lied. Allaah does not have a wife or son. What do you want?’ They will say, ‘We want something to drink.’ It will be said to them, ‘Drink!’ and they will fall into Hell. Then there will be left those who used to worship Allaah, whether they were righteous or otherwise. It will be said to them, ‘What are you waiting for? All the people have gone.’ They will say, ‘We have separated from them and we need Him more today. We heard a caller saying that every people should follow that which they used to worship, so we are waiting for our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Al-Jabbaar [the Compeller, i.e., Allaah] will come…’ And He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘You are our Lord,’ but none will speak to Him except the Prophets… then every believer will prostrate to Him.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 6886). These believers are the people of Paradise on whom shall be no fear neither shall they grieve, and they will dwell therein for ever.

We hope that this matter has now become clear. In conclusion we can say nothing except that which Allaah has said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes stray, then he goes astray to his own loss…” [al-Isra’ 17:15]

Peace be upon him who follows the guidance.

Disturbed by waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan) and evil thoughts

When I do Salah or intend to do good deeds I often get very evil thoughts in my mind. When I concentrate in Salah, and try to focus on the meaning of the words, evil thoughts enter my mind, which make evil suggestions about everything including Allah. I feel very frustrated and angry about this. I know that none forgives sins except Allah alone, but because of my thoughts I feel that there is nothing worse than to have evil thoughts about Allah. After Salah I ask Allah's forgiveness, but feel very bad because I want to stop these evil thoughts, but I can't stop them. These thoughts spoil my enjoyment of Salah, and also make me feel as though I am doomed. Please advise me.

Praise be to Allaah.  

Evil whispers during prayer and at other times come from the Shaytaan, who is keen to misguide the Muslim and deprive him of good and keep it far away from him. One of the Sahaabah complained to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about waswaas during prayer, and he said: “The Shaytaan comes between me and my prayers and my recitation, confusing me therein.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “That is a devil called Khanzab. If he affects you seek refuge in Allah from him and spit drily to your left three times.” He [the Sahaabi] said, I did that and Allaah took him away from me.

(Narrated by Muslim, 2203)

Proper focus (khushoo’) is the essence of prayer. Prayer without proper focus is like a body without a soul. The following are two of the things that help one to develop the proper focus:

1 – Striving to think about what you are saying and doing, pondering the meanings of the Qur’aan, dhikr and du’aa’s that you are reciting; bearing in mind that you are conversing with Allaah as if you can see Him. For when the worshipper stands to pray, he is speaking to his Lord, and ihsaan means worshipping Allaah as if you are seeing Him, and knowing that even though you cannot see Him, He sees you. Every time a person experiences the sweetness of prayer, he will be more inclined to do it. [?]. This depends of the strength of one's faith – and there are many means of strengthening one’s faith. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Of the things of your world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my joy is in prayer.” According to another hadeeth he said, “Let us relax, O Bilal, with prayer,” and he did not say, Give us a break from it.

2 – Striving to ward off the things that may distract you during prayer, namely thinking about things that are irrelevant or distracting. Waswaas affects each person differently, because waswaas has to do with a person’s level of doubts and desires and the degree to which a person is attached to other things or is fearing other things.

(From Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 22/605)

With regard to what you say about the waswaas reaching such a great level that you have begun to experience waswaas that makes you think about Allaah in ways that are not appropriate, these are evil whispers from the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower”

[Fussilat 41:36]

Some of the Sahaabah complained about the waswaas that was bothering [?] them. Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, ‘We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Are you really having such thoughts?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’” (Narrated by Muslim).   (Narrated by Muslim, 132 from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).

Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadeeth: “The Prophet’s words, ‘That is a clear sign of faith’ means, the fact that think of this waswaas as something terrible is a clear sign of faith, for if you dare not utter it and you are so afraid of it and of speaking of it, let alone believing it, this is the sign of one who has achieved perfect faith and who is free of doubt.”

And it was said that what it means is that the Shaytaan only whispers to those whom he despairs of tempting, because he is unable to tempt them. As for the kaafir, he can approach him in any manner he wants and is not restricted to waswaas, rather he can play with him however he wants. Based on this, what the hadeeth means is that the cause of waswaas is pure faith, or that waswaas is a sign of pure faith. See also question no. 12315  

The fact that you hate that and your heart recoils from it is a clear sign of faith. Waswaas happens to everyone who turns to Allaah by reciting dhikr etc. It is inevitable, but you have to be steadfast and patient, and persevere with your dhikr and prayer, and not give up, because in this way you will ward off the plot of the Shaytaan. “Ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan” [al-Nisa’ 4:76 – interpretation of the meaning]. Every time a person wants to turn to Allaah, waswaas brings other matters to mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit: every time a person wants to move towards Allaah, he wants to block the way. Hence when it was said to one of the salaf that the Jews and Christians say, “We do not experience waswaas,” he said, “They are speaking the truth, for what would the Shaytaan do with a house in ruins?”

(From Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 22/608).

The remedy:

1 – If you feel that you are being affected by this waswaas, say, “Aamantu Billaahi wa Rasoolihi (I believe in Allaah and His Messenger).” It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Shaytaan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created you?’ And he says ‘Allaah.’ Then the Shaytaan says, ‘Who created Allaah?’ If that happens to any one of you, let him say, Aamantu Billaahi wa Rusulihi (I believe in Allaah and His Messenger). Then that will go away from him.”

(Narrated by Ahmad, 25671; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 116).

2 – Try to stop thinking about that as much as possible, and keep busy with things that will distract you from it.

Finally we advise you to keep on turning to Allaah in all situations, and to ask Him for help, and to beseech Him, and to ask Him to make you steadfast until death, and to cause you to die doing righteous deeds… And Allaah knows best.

Ruling on saying “We are the children of Allaah”

What is the rulling on, when a Muslim say "We believe we are all children of Allah" Basing it on the weak Hadeeth (All creations are sustained by Allah). Please provide details of the ruling.

Praise be to Allaah.  

The hadeeth mentioned was narrated by al-Bazzaar and Abu Ya’la from Anas, and says, “All of mankind are the dependents of Allaah, and the most beloved of them to Allaah are those who are most helpful to their dependents.” This is a very weak (da’eef jiddan) hadeeth as al-Albaani said in Da’eef al-Jaami’, hadeeth no. 2946.

Any Muslim who says, “We believe that we are all the children of Allaah” should be asked to explain what he means before any judgement is made concerning him.

1 – If what he means by being children is the metaphorical meaning, which is that people are dependent upon Allaah, and he is using this word for a purpose allowed in sharee’ah, such as refuting the Christians who say that the Messiah is the son of God, then there is nothing wrong with that if he uses it only with Christians in order to show that their belief is false, but he should not use it with others lest that generate confusion and misunderstanding. That is because one of the means of showing the Christians’ beliefs concerning ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) to be false is to use the same expressions as are mentioned in their holy Book (the Bible) to prove that others were described as “sons of God” as well as ‘Eesa, which clearly indicates that what is meant by being a son of God in the texts of the Gospels is not “sonship” in the literal sense, which St. Paul claimed for Jesus in order to lead them astray from belief in Divine Oneness (Tawheed). St. Paul based his argument on the confusion that may arise from the use of the words “father” and “son”. Some of the Bible texts that may used to refute their argument are as follows:

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said of those who believed in him:

“They are like the angels. They are God’s children since they are children of the resurrection.”

[Luke 20:36]

And in the Book of Isaiah:

“Bring back My sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth”

[Isaiah 43:6]

And this is what was said describing God as the Father, as it is narrated in the Gospel of Matthew that the Messiah said to his students:

“If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

[Matthew 6:1]

In the Gospel of Luke:

“When you pray say, ‘Our Father, Who art in heaven…’”

[Luke 11:2]

In the Gospel of John:

“I am returning to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.”

[John 20:17]

The Christians do not say that the angels, the Children of Israel and the Disciples were sons of God in a literal sense, or that God was their father in a literal sense, rather they interpret that in a metaphorical sense, i.e., that He is a father to them in the sense of blessing them, being kind to them, protecting them and taking care of them, and they are His children in the sense that they worship Him, need Him and are dependent upon Him.

This demonstrates the falseness of their understanding of ‘Eesa being the son of God, basing their argument on some texts that say that he is the son of God.

2 – If he means that all people are children of Allaah just as ‘Eesa is the son of Allaah, in the sense of the Christian belief, then this is kufr (disbelief) that is worse than the kufr of the Christians.

3 – If he means that we are all children of Allaah or dependent upon Him, with no difference between Muslims and kaafirs, and he means that the Jews, Christians and idol-worshippers are not kaafirs, then this is riddah or apostasy from Islam, because whoever doubts that the Jews and Christians are kaafirs or approves of their religions is a kaafir, according to scholarly consensus.

4 – If he means thereby to justify using the word “brother” for Jews and Christians, because we are all the children of Allaah, this is false, because there is no brotherhood between the believers and the disbelievers. The hadeeth (which some may interpret as meaning that all men are brothers) has been proven to be not saheeh. Even if it was saheeh, it could not be interpreted in this fashion.

We must beware of using confusing words which may cause a person to fall into something haraam or make people think badly of him, especially words which have to do with the Oneness of Allaah (Tawheed) and His Uniqueness in His names and attributes. For the rights of Allaah take precedence and must be taken care of, and we must avoid anything that may violate them, especially when those words are used by the Jews and Allaah quotes them in the Qur’aan in the context of condemnation.

“And (both) the Jews and the Christians say: ‘We are the children of Allaah and His loved ones.’ Say: ‘Why then does He punish you for your sins?’ Nay, you are but human beings of those He has created…”

[al-Maa’idah 5:18 – interpretation of the meaning]

  And Allaah knows best.

The Qur’aan was revealed by Allaah, not created

Can you recommend a book in english that explains what it really means that the Qu'ran is not a creation ; and what we should believe in as Muslims?

Praise be to Allaah.

What we Muslims are obliged to believe is that which has come to us from Allaah, and that which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us. Allaah has told us that He speaks, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And who is truer in statement than Allaah?[al-Nisaa’ 4:87]

“and whose words can be truer than those of Allaah?

[al-Nisaa’ 4:122]

These two aayahs offer proof that Allaah speaks, and that His words are true, and there is no kind of lie in them at all.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)!…’”

[al-Maa’idah 5:116]

This aayah shows that Allaah speaks, and that His speech can be heard, so His speech has sound. And His speech includes words and phrases. The evidence that the speech of Allaah is composed of letters is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):  

“O Moosa (Moses)!

Verily, I am your Lord!”[Ta-Ha 20:11]

because these words are composed of letters, and they are part of the speech of Allaah. And the evidence that the speech of Allaah has sound is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning]:

“And We called him from the right side of the Mount, and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him [Moosa (Moses)].

[Maryam 19:52]

Calling and talking can only happen with sound.

See Sharh Lam’ah al-I’tiqaad by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 73

Hence the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that Allaah speaks in a real sense, when and as and with whatever He wills, with letters and sound, but this does not resemble the voices of created beings. The evidence that it does not resemble the voices of created beings is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”[al-Shoora 42:11]

So it is known from the outset that this is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah believe that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, and among the evidence for this belief is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if anyone of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah) seeks your protection then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allaah”

[al-Tawbah 9:6]

what is meant here is the Qur’aan, by scholarly consensus. The fact that Allaah mentions kalaam (speech, word) in idaafah (genitive or possessive construction) with Himself  indicates that the Qur’aan is His Word.

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah which was revealed, not created; it began from Him and will return to Him.  

The evidence that it is revealed is as follows (interpretation of the meanings):

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan”

[al-Baqarah 2:185]

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree)”[al-Qadr 97:1]

“And (it is) a Qur’aan which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages”[al-Israa’ 17:106]

“And when We change a Verse (of the Qur’aan) in place of another — and Allaah knows best what He sends down — they (the disbelievers) say: ‘You (O Muhammad) are but a Muftari! (forger, liar).’ Nay, but most of them know not.

Say (O Muhammad) Ruh‑ul‑Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought it (the Qur’aan) down from your Lord with truth, that it may make firm and strengthen (the Faith of) those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings to those who have submitted (to Allaah as Muslims).

And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: ‘It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad).’ The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’aan) is a clear Arabic tongue[al-Nahl 16:101-103]

- the One Who changes a verse in place of another is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.

The evidence that the Qur’aan is not created is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“Surely, His is the creation and commandment”[al-A’raaf 7:54]

So Allaah describes creation as one thing and commandment as another. The conjunction implies that the second thing mentioned is different, and the Qur’aan is part of the commandment because of the evidence of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh (a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Qur’aan) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will”

[al-Shoora 42:52]

If the Qur’aan is part of the command or commandment, which is different from creation, therefore it is not created, because if it were created, this division of categories would not be correct. This is the evidence from the Qur’aan.

The rational evidence is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, and words cannot exist in and of themselves so that they would have a distinct and separate identity.  If they did exist separately and distinct from Allaah, then we would say that they are created, but words are an attribute of the speaker. If they are an attribute of the speaker and they are spoken by Allaah, then they are not created, because the attributes of Allaah are not created.

Sharh  al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/418-426-441  

We must believe this and be certain of it. We should not change the meanings of the verses of Allaah, for they clearly indicate that the Qur’aan is a revelation from Allaah. Hence Imaam al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Qur’aan is the word of Allaah which came from Him in the form of speech, without any need for us to know how. He sent it down to His Messenger by Revelation, the believers believe that it is true and they are certain that it is indeed the word of Allaah and that it is not created like the words of human beings. Whoever hears it and claims that it is the words of human beings is a kaafir, who is condemned and warned of Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

‘I will cast him into Hell fire’ [al-Muddaththir 74:26].

Since Allaah threatened with Hell the one who said, ‘This is nothing but the word of a human being’ [al-Muddaththir 74:26 – interpretation of the meaning], we know and are certain that it is the word of the Creator of mankind, and it does not resemble the speech of human beings.”  Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, 179

Is the supplication, “O Allah, show us a bad day for them” regarded as reviling or inveighing against time?

Is the supplication, “O Allah, show us a bad day for them” regarded as reviling or inveighing against time?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

This supplication is not narrated in any report and we did not find it in any of the books of Sunnah.

Secondly:

There is nothing wrong with using these words in supplication and it is not regarded as inveighing against time. What is meant is describing the day as very difficult and stressful. This is like the words of Loot (peace be upon him): “This is a distressful day” [Hood 11:77]. It is also like the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We sent against them a furious wind of harsh voice on a day of evil omen and continuous calamity”

[al-Qamar 54:19]

“So We sent upon them a furious wind in days of evil omen (for them)…”

[Fussilat 41:16]

and there are other similar verses which describe or speak of hardship and distress but are not intended to inveigh against the day or criticise it. There is a difference between merely telling and intending to criticise, revile and undermine.

Moreover, describing the day as “bad” does not mean that it is bad for everyone; rather what is meant is that it is only bad for them because of what they go through – by the decree or the power of Allah – of punishment and vengeance.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

No doubt the days on which Allah sent His punishment against His enemies and the enemies of His Messengers were days of evil omen for them, because the evil omen befell them, even though these were the days that were good for His believing close friends. So they were days of bad fortune for the disbelievers and days of good fortune for the believers. This is like the Day of Resurrection; it will be hard for the disbelievers and a day of evil omen for them, but it will be easy for the believers and a day of joy for them. Mujaahid said: “Days of evil omen” mean bad fortune… With regard to good and bad fortune, good fortune is connected to good deeds that are pleasing to the Lord, and bad fortune is connected to deeds that go against what the Messengers brought. One day may be a day of good fortune for some people and a day of bad fortune for others, as the day of Badr was a day of good fortune for the believers and a day of bad fortune for the disbelievers. End quote. Miftaah Dar al-Sa‘aadah, 2/194

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Inveighing  against time is of three types:

1.

Where it is just a statement without expressing discontent. This is permissible. For example one might say, “The heat (or cold) today is unbearable” and the like. That is because actions are judged by intentions and such words are merely a statement. Another example is the words of Loot (peace be upon him): “This is a distressful day” [Hood 11:77].

2.

Inveighing against time as if it is the cause, such as believing when inveighing against time that time is what changes things or decides what is good and bad. This is major shirk because it is a belief that there is another creator with Allah, because this is attributing events to something other than Allah. Everyone who believes that there is another creator with Allah is a disbeliever, just as the one who believes that there is another god with Allah who is deserving of worship is a disbeliever.

3.

Inveighing against time not because of any belief that it is the cause; rather he believes that Allah is the cause, but he inveighs against time because it is within the framework of time that these disliked things take place. This is haraam, even though it does not go as far as shirk, and it is foolish thinking and misguidance in religious terms, because in fact his inveighing against time reflects on Allah, may He be glorified. That is because Allah, may He be exalted, is the One Who is in control of time and Who decides what happens in it of good or bad. So time is not the cause and this inveighing against it does not constitute kufr, because he is not inveighing against Allah, may He be exalted, directly.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa al-Shaykh  Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 10/823

And Allah knows best.

Who moved the Ka’bah to where it is now?

Who moved the kab'ah to where it is now?

Praise be to Allaah.
The Ka’bah was not in one place and then moved, rather it was built in the place where it is now, and it has not been moved from that time. The scholars differed as to who built the Ka’bah. It was said that it was the angels, or Adam (peace be upon him), or Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) – the latter is the correct view.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) and (his son) Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’”

[al-Baqarah 2:127]

It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, which mosque was built first on earth?” He said, “Al-Masjid al-Haraam.” I said, “Then which?” He said, “Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.” I asked, “How much time was between them?” He said, “Forty years. So wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, then pray.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3186; Muslim, 520.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

The Holy Ka’bah is the qiblah of the Muslims towards which they face in every prayer, in obedience to the command of Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction”

[al-Baqarah 2:144]

It is also the place where they perform the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah, by circumambulating it, in obedience to the command of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“and circumambulate the Ancient House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah)”

[al-Hajj 22:29]

And in obedience to what Allaah has prescribed on the lips of His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

It was built by Ibraaheem al-Khaleel and his son Ismaa’eel (peace be upon them both) as Allaah tells us (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) and (his son) Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’”

[al-Baqarah 2:127]

And it has been renovated several times since then.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 6/310

And Allaah knows best.

She is blind and she has no one to protect her and help her. Can she keep a dog that is trained for that purpose?

There is a sister of yours in Islam who is American and became Muslim more than a year ago, after she suffered beatings from her husband which caused her to lose some movement and to lose her sight. Allaah made this incident the cause of this woman entering Islam. The problem is that this woman needs care and help 24 hours a day. She got in touch with the imam of the nearest mosque and he helped her, by sending one of the sisters to look after her. But this sister cannot carry on because of personal reasons. Hence she has asked for help from the state social services. They told her that they cannot give her a person to look after her, but they can give her a dog that is trained to help the handicapped and blind. 
This woman is asking and says: I know that having a dog in the house is forbidden in Islam, but you do not know how much help it can give me. It could take me out to the supermarket and help me with my needs inside the house, etc. 
The question now is: 
This woman is in need of this kind of dog. It is permissible for her to keep it in the house because of necessity?.

Praise be to Allaah.

We ask Allaah to make our sister steadfast in Islam, and to heal her and decree reward for her for her patience. 

Keeping dogs is basically haraam – as is well known – but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a concession with regard to keeping dogs if it is for guarding the fields, herding livestock or hunting. 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever keeps a dog, a qiraat will be deducted from his reward every day, except a dog for guarding the fields or herding livestock.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2197) and Muslim (1575). 

It was also narrated from him (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding livestock, hunting or guarding the fields, a qiraat will be deducted from his reward every day.” Narrated by Muslim (1575). 

Is it permissible to keep a dog for purposes other than those mentioned above? 

The answer is: yes. 

Imam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

There was a difference of opinion with regard to whether it is permissible to keep dogs for purposes other than these three, such as guarding houses and roads. The most correct view is that it is permissible, by analogy with these three, based on the reason that is to be understood from the hadeeth, which is necessity. End quote. 

Sharh Muslim (10/236) 

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

In my view, the meaning of this hadeeth also includes keeping dogs if there is a purpose in doing so and for warding off harm, if a person needs that. End quote.

 Al-Tamheed (14/219) 

For this woman to keep a trained dog – when there is no one who can help her, take care of her and protect her – is more essential than guarding fields and livestock. 

Shaykh Yoosuf ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi said, quoting from one of the scholars: 

There is no doubt that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission for keeping hunting dogs, according to numerous ahaadeeth, and he said that the reward of the one who keeps a dog for hunting is not reduced. In other ahaadeeth he gave permission for keeping dogs for herding livestock, dogs for herding sheep and dogs for guarding the fields. Thus it is known that the reason for allowing this is people’s interests, and the ruling is based on the reasons for and against. If there is an interest to be served, then it is permissible (to keep a dog). Some interests may be more important and greater than that of farming, and some interests may be equal to those mentioned by the Lawgiver. There is no doubt that fruits are equivalent to crops in the fields, and cattle are equivalent to sheep, and chickens and geese – (as a dog is needed) in order to keep the fox away from them – are equivalent to sheep too. Undoubtedly the fear of thieves attacking a person, and keeping a dog to warn against them and wake one up is even more important than that. Islam seeks to protect interests and ward off harm. End quote. 

Al-Ighraab fi Ahkaam al-Kilaab (p. 106, 107). 

Based on this, there is nothing wrong with this woman keeping this trained dog until Allaah provides her with a way out, such as her living with a Muslim family who can take care of her for the sake of Allaah, or her marrying a Muslim man who may seek reward with Allaah for looking after her. 

And Allaah knows best.

His problems with his maternal uncle caused him to fail his exam; can he ask him for compensation?

I am a 24 year old doctor. My problem started five years ago with my maternal uncle (45) when I was 19 years old. He used to come to our house every day and spend a few hours there without permission or asking permission (for two years in a row), in order to spend his free time there. There were problems and arguments between my father and my mother, and he was the cause of the unrest in the family. Every time I said to my mother “Why don’t we kick him out?” she would say, “That is not permissible.” My anger got so bad that I did not take my exams that year, and I failed that year, in protest at my uncle’s behaviour in our house. My uncle has gone, but the psychological problems and memories of not taking the exam that day are still with me. Every time I see my uncle on various occasions I feel very angry. 
My question is: 
What do you advise me to do? Can I ask for financial compensation from my uncle – even if it is only a little –for the psychological problems that I suffered so that we could restore the relationship between us, especially since I do not want to sever the ties of kinship? What is the Islamic position on this?.

Praise be to Allaah.

We advise you to forget what happened in the past between you and your uncle. We think that you have given the matter more attention than it deserves. Your uncle’s entering the house without asking permission is not permissible for him, even if he is entering the house of his sister. Seeking permission is obligatory in his case, and your father’s approval of your uncle visiting his house is what matters. He agreed to that, as is suggested by the fact that he continued to visit him for such a long time. The fact that you did not take the exam that year and you failed is something for which you must bear responsibility. Most Muslim families have their problems, and the wise man is the one who knows how to deal with these problems and tries to solve the problems or reduce them. We do not think that your giving up your studying for the exam served any purpose, and you must bear responsibility for that. You should not keep on thinking about what is past, for that will cause psychological problems for yourself and your family. Forget about it and get on with your work; seek the help of Allaah and uphold the ties of kinship and give advice to those who are erring. Do not pay any attention to what the shaytaan makes attractive to you, namely the idea of bringing a case against your uncle and taking financial compensation from him. In addition to the fact that this case may fail in court, it will cause more rifts in your family, and we would not like you to be the cause of that. Mercy should prevail over anger and the desire for revenge. We ask Allaah to open your heart and to bring you and your family together in goodness. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

His wife’s family stipulated that he has to become rich before they will send his wife and children back to him

I am suffering from many problems with my wife’s family. I married their daughter thinking that they were religiously committed, then I found out that they adhere to customs and traditions (rather than religion). They took my wife from me by force and I am have no power or status in this world, there is no power and no strength except with Allaah. She gave birth in their house and now they do not want to send my daughter or my wife back to me unless I become very rich. Please note that they have given my wife the choice between going with me and they will be angry with her, or staying with them until I become rich. My wife knows that I am in the right and they are in the wrong, but they are following their ways. What should I do according to Islam?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The wife has no right to go out of her husband’s house without his permission, and her family have no right to help her or encourage her to do that, because her leaving and not returning constitute disobedience towards her husband and rebellion against him which makes her guilty of nashooz (wilful defiance). 

Their taking their daughter away is another act of wrongdoing, and their stipulating that you must become very rich before they will return your wife to you is wrongdoing upon wrongdoing. They have no right to do any such thing. When they accepted the marriage and the marriage contract was done and the husband paid the mahr, they were obliged to hand the wife over to the husband, so how about when she was with him and had borne him a child! 

You do not say anything about your financial situation, and whether you have enough to spend on your wife or not. Are you hard up or do you have enough to spend on yourself and your family?  

The majority of scholars are of the view that the husband’s inability to spend on his wife is sufficient grounds for separating them, if the wife requests that. But if she accepts it and does not ask for separation, then no one has the right to separate them. See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (5/254 and 29/58). 

Secondly: 

You should take the following steps to get your wife back: 

1-     Reconcile between yourself and Allaah, may He be exalted, so that you can reconcile between yourself and other people.

2-     Ask Allaah to divert harm from you, and to suffice you against the evil of all evildoers.

3-     Try to reach an understanding with your wife’s family and find out what their attitude really is. They may have other reasons apart from the issue of wealth.

4-     Appoint religiously committed and righteous people to intervene and advise them, and explain to them the seriousness of their wrongdoing and aggression.

5-     Refer the matter to the courts, to have your wife and daughter returned to you. 

We ask Allaah to make things easy for you and to help you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. 

And Allaah knows best.

His mother makes false accusations against his wife

I was wondering if you could please explain to me about making the parents upset(the one where its haram to even say ouff to them). The reason I am asking this is, because I have been married for several and I have a couple of kids. But my mother always complains about my wife and they don't get along. She even calls me and tells me that my wife is evil. She say my wife disrespects even though she doesn't. She also says my wife does and says that my wife say she did not do or say. She does not live with us anymore, but still say my wife is disrespectful. I don't think my wife has really done anything wrong, but I am very upset that they can't get along. My wife stay away from my family, because she is afraid that they will accuse her of something she has not done. That makes my mother more angry because she says my wife doesn't care about her. What should I do in this situation so not to make my parents angry, but at the same time my wife hasn't done anything. She tells me that it is haram for me not to saying anything when they accuse her of thing she hasn't done, is this true? Please advise me of what to do in this situation. And is it haram for my mother to tell me to pick between them?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Your problem is one of the issues that arise in married life, and it is an ancient and complex problem, so much so that among the Arabs it has become the proverbial example of people who have to deal with one another and cannot do without one another, and between whom there is ongoing enmity; they say “The mother-in-law is too concerned about the daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law is too suspicious of the mother-in-law.” Al-hamaah (usually translated as “mother-in-law”) is the husband’s sister or mother, and the “daughter-in-law” is the man’s wife. What this means is that if the daughter-in-law hears anything, she will say, “This is what my mother-in-law is doing to me!” [See: al-Mustaqsa fi’l-Amthaal by al-Zamakhshari (1/77)]. So in fact each of the two parties is watching out and taking a defensive stance. 

In relationships such as these, many factors and influences are interwoven, each of which must be paid attention to and understood, then we should try to find a way to deal with them so that we can get the best results. 

Perhaps you understand that jealousy – which Allaah has created in man – is one of these main factors, especially between your mother and your wife, because your mother, who has been with you for many years, looking after you and taking care of you, is going to feel that you no longer belong only to her; indeed she will feel that her share of you is no longer enough to fulfil her rights over you, and that the division of your attention between her and your wife is not fair. Your wife gets love, compassion and care, and all the mother gets is your showing patience, with difficulty, for her troubles, and your giving her what she needs with reluctance and resentment. This applies if the son gives her her rights, so how about if he is disobedient and denies her her rights? In that case there will be problems. 

Jealousy makes a person blind and deaf, and it soon destroys any happiness and tranquillity that the family might have. It is at its strongest when we do not handle it properly and do not try to tame it. 

I have started by highlighting these fasts so that you may understand two important things: 

1 – So that you may understand the real reason why your mother is treating your wife in this manner, and so that you may appreciate her excuse for doing so, which is that she may not have any control over her feelings, because women are very weak in the face of such feelings, and they cannot hide them despite their best efforts to show contentment and acceptance. If you understand your mother’s excuse, this will put your mind at rest and soothe your  feelings towards her, and you will become certain that honouring, obeying and loving her are obligatory for you, and you should not doubt that for a single moment, no matter how bad the problem that is caused by jealousy gets. 

2 – You should realize that it is only with love that you change the situation between your mother and your wife The mother needs more reassurance that her son loves her and that his love, respect and kind treatment of her have not changed. Indeed, you have to try to increase these feelings by repeatedly visiting her, giving her gifts and trying to make her happy with kind words and fulfilling her wishes. Then she will begin to calm down and her jealousy will diminish, and gradually the problems that she has caused will begin to ease off. 

If your mother is quick to accuse your wife and the mother of your children unfairly, as seems to us to be the case, then we will address the situation by addressing you and your wife first, because this in fact is the easier of the two sides to deal with. 

We say to your wife: Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allaah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend”

[Fussilat 41:34]. 

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Charity does not decrease wealth. No one forgives, but Allaah increases him in honour, and no one humbles himself before Allaah but Allaah raises him in status.” Narrated by Muslim (2588)

According to another hadeeth: “No one is wronged and bears it with patience but Allaah will increase him in honour.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2325) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. 

How many problems can be solved if the wife trains herself to adopt this attitude, seeking to attain Allaah’s pleasure and to avoid problems for her husband and to give him peace of mind at home? 

She should try to regard her mother-in-law as being like her own mother, and put up with her anger and forgive her bad treatment, especially if they live separately. This will reduce problems and confrontation, to a large extent. 

How many problems will be reduced, and even ended, by Allaah’s leave, if the wife can seek suitable opportunities to give nice gifts to your mother, even if there are some hard feelings between them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Give gifts to one another, you will love one another.” Narrated by Abu Ya’la and classed as hasan by al-Albaani. 

With regard to yourself, you have to open your heart to honouring and loving your mother a great deal, whilst also loving your wife and being happy with her. If you succeed, that is the beginning of the solution, but if you fail, the suffering will continue and increase. This matter needs you to be patient and to learn, for man is able to learn how to show feelings of friendship and love just as he is able to learn any other skill in this life. 

In all of that, it is essential that you adhere to the guidelines that have been set out by Islam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour”

[al-Isra’ 17:23] 

“But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do”

[Luqmaan 31:15] 

Think about how the shirk and kufr of the parents – which are the worst of sins – should not prevent the son from behaving kindly with them, so how about if there are some problems with your wife? 

The most important of these guidelines that Islam has set out is protecting your wife’s rights and respecting her feelings and wishes, and not being unfair to her or wronging her in order to fulfil your mother’s rights. You should not obey your mother if she tells you to leave your wife, and it is not permissible for you to believe what she accuses your wife of falsely, especially if your wife is of good character and religiously committed. She is a trust (amaanah) that has been given to you, so you have to protect this trust. 

If we had the opportunity to speak to your mother, we would say to her: 

Dear mother, you have carried and borne your son, you have raised him with a great deal of selflessness and effort on your part, so do not spoil your kindness to your son by making his life difficult. Treat this wife whom your son has chosen for himself and through whom Allaah has given him children, like your own daughter. Think about how you would like your daughter to be treated by her husband and family, and treat her in that way. Strive to be kind as our Lord has commanded us (interpretation of the meaning): “and do good. Truly, Allaah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers)” [al-Baqarah 2:195]. 

If you are unable to be kind, then at least be fair. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“and be equitable. Verily, Allaah loves those who are the equitable”

[al-Hujuraat 49:9]. 

Beware of wrongdoing. It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Wrongdoing will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection.” Agreed upon. 

Some of the rulings on this topic have been discussed in detail in the answer to question no. 7653 and 44932 and 47040. 

We ask Allaah to set your affairs straight and to reconcile between you, and to bless us and you with a good life in this world and in the Hereafter. 

And Allaah knows best.