Beliefs concerning angels and jinn

Beliefs concerning angels and jinn

After creating certain

creatures from light, Allah Ta'ala concealed them from our sight. These creatures are called angels. A lot of work has been given to them. They never do anything contrary to the orders of Allah Ta'ala. They continue doing whatever work they have been assigned to do. Among them, four angels are very famous. They are: Hadrat Jibra'eel alayhis salam, Hadrat Mika'eel alayhis salam, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salam, and Hadrat Izra'eel alayhis salam. Allah Ta'ala created certain creatures from fire. We cannot see them as well. They are called jinn. There are all types of jinn; both good and bad. They also have children. The most famous among them is the accursed Iblis, i.e. Shaytan.

Beliefs concerning Allah Ta'ala

Beliefs concerning Allah Ta'ala

1. In the beginning, the entire universe was non-existent. Through the creation of Allah, it came into existence.

2. Allah Ta’ala is One. He is not dependent on anyone. He has not given birth to anyone, nor was He begotten. He does not have any wife. There is no one equal to Him.

3. He has been since eternity and will remain till eternity.

4. There is nothing similar to Him. He is unique.

5. He is alive. He has power over everything. There is nothing that is beyond His knowledge. He sees and hears everything. He speaks, but His speech is not like ours. He does whatever He wishes and there is no one to s or reprimand Him. He alone is worthy of being worshipped. He has no partner. He is merciful to His servants. He is the lord. He is free of all blemishes. He is the one who saves His servants from all calamities. He is the possessor of honour and greatness. He is the creator of all things; nothing has created Him. He is the forgiver of sins. He is all-powerful. He gives in abundance. He is the one who gives sustenance. He decreases the sustenance of

whoever He wishes and increases the sustenance of whoever He wishes. He humiliates whoever He wishes and elevates whoever He wishes. He gives honour to whoever He wishes and disgraces whoever He wishes. He is just. He is extremely tolerant and forbearing. He values and rewards service and worship rendered to Him. He accepts duas (supplications). He is all-encompassing. He is the ruler over everyone and no one is a ruler over Him. No work of His is devoid of wisdom. He fulfils the needs of everyone. He is the one who created everyone and He is the one who will bring all back to life on the day of qiyâmah. He is the one who gives life and He causes death. Everyone knows Him through signs and attributes. No one can know the essence of His being. He accepts the repentance of the sinners. He punishes those who deserve punishment. He is

the one who gives guidance. Whatever happens in this universe occurs under His order. Without His order, even an atom cannot move. He does not sleep nor does He slumber. He

does not get weary of protecting the entire universe. He is the one who is keeping everything in control. He has all good and beautiful qualities. There is no bad or defective quality in Him, nor is there any blemish in Him.

6. All His qualities are from eternity and will remain till eternity. No quality of His can ever disappear.

7. He is free from the qualities of the creation. Wherever such qualities have been mentioned in the Qur'an or Hadith, we leave the meanings of them to Allah. He is the one who knows the reality of these things. We believe in these things without delving into them and have the conviction that whatever their meanings may be, they are correct. And this is the best way of looking at these things. Alternatively, we could give them some appropriate meaning with which we could get an understanding of them.

8. Whatever good or evil that takes place in the world, Allâh Ta'âla knows of it from eternity; and according to His knowledge He brings it into existence. This is what is meant by taqdir (pre-destination). There is a lot of mysterious wisdom in creating even evil things. Everyone is not aware of this wisdom.

9. Allah Ta'ala has given man an understanding and the power of choice with which he chooses

between good and evil. However, man does not have the power to bring anything into

existence of his own accord. Allâh Ta'âla is pleased with good deeds and displeased with evil deeds.

10. Allah Ta'ala has not ordered man to do anything which is beyond his power.

11. Allah Ta'ala is not bound by anything. Whatever mercy He shows is solely out of His kindness and virtue.

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Beliefs concerning the Prophets

Beliefs concerning the Prophets

1. Allah Ta'ala has sent down many prophets to guide mankind onto the right path. They are all free from sins. Their actual number is known to Allâh alone. In order to establish their truthfulness, Allâh caused new and difficult acts to happen through them which others cannot do. Such acts are called miracles (mu'jizât). The first prophet is âdam alayhis salâm and the last is Muhammad ﷺ. All the others came in between these two. Some of them are famous, such as: Nuh alayhis salâm, Ibrahim alayhis salâm, Is'hâq alayhis salâm, Ismail alayhis salâm, Yaqub alayhis salâm, Yusuf alayhis salâm, Daud alayhis salâm, Sulayman alayhis salâm, Ayyub alayhis salâm, Musa alayhis salâm, Harun alayhis salâm, Zakariyyah alayhis salâm, Yahya alayhis salâm, Isa alayhis salâm, Ilyas alayhis salâm, al-Yasa' alayhis salâm, Yunus alayhis salâm, Lut alayhis salâm, Idris alayhis salâm, Zul Kifl alayhis salâm, Salih alayhis salâm, Hud alayhis salâm, and Shuayb alayhis salâm.

2. Allah Ta’ala Ta'âla did not show the exact number of prophets to anyone. We should therefore have this belief that we have faith in all the prophets that Allâh sent down; those that we know of

and those that we do not know of as well.

3. The status of some prophets is higher than that of others. The highest status is that of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. No new prophet can come after him. He is

the prophet of all mankind and jinn right until the day of Qiyamat.

4. Allah Ta'ala took our Prophet ﷺ physically while he was awake, from Makkah to Baitul Maqdis, and from there to the seven heavens, and from there to wherever Allâh wanted. He then sent him back to Makkah. This journey is known as the Mi'raj.

Adhaab al-Qabr

Adhaab al-Qabr (Punishment Of The Grave)

According to the Aqaid (beliefs) of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah`, Adhaabul Qabr (punishment in the grave) is Haqq (true and established). (Sharhul Aqaid)

It (punishment of the grave) is proven from the Qur’an and Ahadith. Allah Ta’ala discusses the punishment given to Fir’awn. He says, ‘The fire is given to them in the morning and evening and on the Day of Judgment.’ The fire before the Day of Judgment refers to the punishment in the grave.

Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘When a person is buried and the people go away, two angels approach the deceased and ask three questions, a) Who is your lord? b) What is your religion? and c) Who is this person (meaning Rasulullah ﷺ)? A believer will answer all three questions and he will be honored with the clothing of Jannah. The window of Jannah will be opened for him and he will enjoy the sight of Jannah. On the contrary, a disbeliever will not be able to answer, and will express regret at not being able to answer the questions. Upon that, an angel who is blind and deaf is appointed to punish him. Blind so that the angel does not see the punishment and feel mercy and deaf so that the punishment is not heard. The hammer used to punish a disbeliever is so heavy that it can reduce a mountain to dust. The disbeliever screams with pain and every creation can hear him besides human and Jinns.’ (Mishkat)

Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘The grave is a garden of paradise or a pit of hell.’ (Ibid)

Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘It has been revealed to me that the trial in the grave is similar to the trial of Dajjaal.’ (Tirmidhi)

Rasulullah ﷺ said, ‘If you are made to listen to the punishment in the grave, you will stop burying your deceased.’ (Tirmidhi)

Rasulullah ﷺ advised, ‘Seek protection from the punishment of the grave.’ (Ibid)

Messenger of Allaah ﷺ ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “I have never seen any scene but the grave is more frightening than it.” (At-Tirmidhi)

In one Hadith, two reasons have been cited for the punishment in the grave:

a) Not exercising precaution from the splashes of urine drops,

b) Gossiping.

Ibn `Abbas (radiallahu anhuma) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by two graves and said, “Both of them (the persons in these graves) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a cardinal sin. But indeed they are great sins. One of them used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other one used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g., one goes to a person and tells him that so-and-so says about him such and such evil things).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The torment in the grave will vary according to the sins committed by the person in this world, whether he was a kaafir or a disobedient Muslim.

Sumurah bin Jundub (radiallahu anh) said: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) very often used to ask his Companions, “Has any one of you seen a dream?” So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah willed to relate. One day he (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Last night I had a vision in which two men (angels) came to me and woke me up and said to me, `Proceed!’ I set out with them and we came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man’s head, smashing it. When he struck him, the stone rolled away and he went after it to get it, and no sooner had he returned to this man, his head was healed and restored to its former condition. The thrower (of the rock) then did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, `Subhan-Allah! Who are these?’ They said: `Proceed, proceed.’ So we proceeded and came to a man lying in a prone position and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck), and similarly tear his nose from front to back, and his eyes from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did just as he has done with the first side. He had hardly completed that (second) side when the first returned to its normal state. I said to my two companions, `Subhan-Allah! Who are these?’ They said, `Proceed, proceed.’ So we proceeded and came across something like a Tannur (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread).” I (the narrator) think the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “In that oven there was much noise and voices.” The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) added, “We looked into it and found naked men and women, and behold, a flame of fire was reaching to them from underneath, and when it reached them they cried loudly. I asked, `Who are these?’ They said to me, `Proceed, proceed.’ And so we proceeded and came across a river.” I (the narrator) think he said, “– red like blood.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. Then again he (the former) returned to him (the latter), and every time the former returned, he opened his mouth, and the latter threw a stone into his mouth, (and so on) the performance was repeated. I asked my two companions, `Who are these?’ They replied, `Proceed, proceed.’ And we proceeded till we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw a man having! Beside him there was a fire, and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my two companions, `Who is this (man)?’ They said to me, `Proceed, proceed!’ So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colours. In the midst of the garden there was a very tall man, and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen! I said to my two companions, `Who is this?’ They replied, `Proceed, proceed.’ So we proceeded till we came to a majestic, huge garden, greater and better than any garden I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, `Ascend up’ and I ascended up.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “So we ascended till we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks, and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened; and we entered the city and found in it men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen! My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city), and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared, and they came in the best shape.” The Prophet (ﷺ) further added, “My two companions said to me: `This place is the `Adn Jannah, and that is your place.’ I raised up my sight, and behold, there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, `That palace is your place,’ I said to them, `May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it.’ They replied, `As for now, you will not enter it, but you shall enter it (one day).’ I said to them, `I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean which I have seen?’ They replied, `We will inform you: As for the first man you came upon, whose head was being smashed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur’an and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps, neglecting the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon, whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies that are spread all over the world. And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses. And the man who was given a stone to swallow is the eater of Ar-Riba (usury), and the bad-looking man whom you saw near the fire, kindling it and going around it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell, and the tall man you saw in the garden is (Prophet) Ibraheem (Abraham – alayhisallam), and the children around him are those who died upon Al-Fitrah (the Islamic Faith of Monotheism).”’ The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet (ﷺ ) , “O Messenger of Allah! What about the children of Al-Mushrikun (i.e., polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ)?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “And also the children of Al-Mushrikun.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added: “My two companions added, `The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were these people who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them’.”

Another narration of Al-Bukhari is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “One night two men came to me and took me to a blessed land.” (The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) told of the same incident as above) and said, “After a while of walking we came upon a pit like an oven, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom with fire raging in it. When the flames rose up (the people in it) also rose up till they were about to come out; and when the fire subsided they, too, would go down with it. In it were naked men and women.” (The remainder of the Hadith is the same as the above Hadith except that at the end of it, the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “We came upon a river of blood in the middle of which there was a man standing, and at the bank of the river there was a man with plenty of stones before him…” In this narration we also find: “They made me climb the tree and they made me enter an abode so beautiful the like of which I have never seen before. There (I saw) old men and youth.” In this narration we also find: “`The first house you entered was the abode of the believers in general, and the other house was the abode of the martyrs. I am Jibril (Gabriel – alayhisallam), and this is Mika’il (alayhisallam). Raise your head.’ I looked up and saw something like clouds. They said to me, `That is your abode.’ I said, `Shall I enter it?’ They said, `You have not completed your term of life yet. When you do, you will certainly enter it.”’ (Al-Bukhari)

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (rahmatullahi alaih) said: This indicates that some sinners will be punished in al-barzakh (the interval between death and the Day of Resurrection). (Fath al-Baari, 12/445)

It was the noble habit of Rasulullah ﷺ to make du’a in Salat for protection from the punishment of the grave. May Allah Ta’ala save us, our families and the entire Ummah from the trials of the Qabr.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.

THIS RAMADAAN, FAST WITH YOUR HEART

THIS RAMADAAN, FAST WITH YOUR HEART

📝 By Asma bint Shameem

Ramadaan is the month of the Qur'an, the month of Mercy, the month of Forgiveness, the month of making dua and Some of us will be fasting by staying away from food, drink and passion….but, alas, it will be just that and no more…..

Because they will not keep their hands from committing evil and their tongues from committing evil and their eyes and ears from committing evil.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari)

And the Prophet ﷺ also said:

“It may be that the fasting person gets nothing from his fast apart from hunger, and it may be that the one who prays qiyaam at night may get nothing from his qiyaam but a sleepless night." (Ibn Maajah)

And some of us will be fasting, not only staying away from food drink, etc., but also watching our ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet and keeping them away from sin. And this is definitely better than the first kind of fasting.

And then there is the third and best kind of fasting….the kind of fasting that Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala will be pleased with…..the kind of fasting we ALL should aim for and strive for….THAT IS THE FASTING OF THE HEART

The fasting of the heart is done by emptying it of all evil, all corruption.

It means getting rid, from our hearts, all forms of shirk, bid'ah, false beliefs, evil suggestions, filthy intentions and immoral thoughts.

In fact, the fasting heart is only filled with the love of Allah and the desire to please Him.

Its intention is pure, only for the sake of Allah, Rabb-ul Aalameen.

It corrects its Aqeedah and rejects all doubts and false forms of worship.

It stays away from greed, envy, rancor and pride.

It stays away from argumentation, gossip and gheebah.

It rejects stinginess and extravagance.

It places complete trust in Allah, full of patience and serenity.

It doesn't hold any grudges.

It readily forgives anyone and everyone, no matter how much harm or grief they caused it.

It is conscious of Allah throughout the day and night, doing its utmost to do good deeds and staying away from all that is haraam…..aware of every thought that crosses his mind, every word that he utters, every action that he commits, lest it be displeasing to the Almighty.

The fasting heart is generous and kind…..eager to give in the path of Allah, not only the obligatory Zakaah, but extra acts of charity, with the intention of pleasing Allah alone, hoping for a reward from Him.

Its day is spent in complete obedience to Allah and its night in humble prayer.

At the time of Iftaar, it is overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord, Almighty for providing him with such abundant food, such immense blessings..

When it recites the Qur'an, it is completely softened and totally overcome by the Power of the Words of the Almighty….understanding them, contemplating over them, determined to implement them in his life.

When the fasting heart stands in front of Allah, it stands with utmost humility, eyes downcast, trembling with modesty, submitting completely to His Will….

It spontaneously exclaims…..

Yaa Allah, I will no longer be a slave to MY whims and desires…. they don't count anymore …. my will is nothing. I submit to ONLY what YOU order me to do.

As it stands for prayer, it does so, full of love for the Almighty….full of awe and Khushoo'.…full of fear of His Wrath….and yet, full of hope for His Mercy.

As it listens to the recitation of the Qur'an in Taraweeh, tears overflow from it…. uncontrollable tears of repentance….tears of regret and remorse….for all its previous deeds….all its previous sins….all its previous mistakes.

It cries out…...

Yaa Allah, You are the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful……forgive me!

I regret all my prior mistakes! I repent to you and I return to you!

It vows to do its utmost best from now on…..It promises Allah to obey Him to the best of his ability, resolving to stay away from sin….determined to set his life aright.

O Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Are there any hearts out there that are willing to fast like that……???

The heart of the believer fasts during Ramadan and outside of Ramadan.

It is from the immense mercy of Allah upon us that He made us Muslims and believers and that He extended our lives till we reached this Ramadan.

It is reported that the Sahabah used to pray to Allah during the six months before Ramadan to extend their lives so that they can fast Ramadan, and in the 6 months after Ramadan they would ask Allah to accept their fasting of Ramadan.

So take this great opportunity that Allah, the Most Merciful has provided you with.

Make the most of it and don't let it pass you by.

So FAST THIS RAMADAAN WITH YOUR HEART.

Hijab is not a piece of cloth on your head

Hijab is not a piece of cloth on your head

by Asma Bint Shameem

Hijab is not a piece of cloth on your head. It’s a way of life.

Just because some of the sisters have their head covered, they think that the requirement of Hijaab is fulfilled. They don’t realize that wearing a Hijaab requires much more than just covering your head.

Actually, if you think about it, Hijaab is the way you talk…..the way you walk….the very way you carry yourself. In fact, Hijaab is an attitude in itself. Its a whole way of life.

Allah says (Qur'an Translation):

“And say to the believing women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty (zeenah) except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you believers, in order that you are successful.” (Surat-un-Nur: 31).

Here are some of the more common issues in light of this verse about the Hijaab.

Well, my head is covered. What more do you want?

If you look carefully at the ayah, it clearly states that the head covers (khumur) should be drawn over the neck slits (juyoob). Khumur is the plural of the Arabic word “khimar” which means a headcover. Juyoob is the plural of the Arabic word “jaiyb”, which refers to the neck slit (of the dress).

Yet, some sisters just cover their head with something, and think they are fulfilling the rights of Hijaab, although part of their hair or body is showing, or their whole neck and chest area are exposed. Actually, that was the way of the women of Jahilliyah.

Al-Qurtubi said: “Women in those days used to cover their heads with the khimar, throwing its ends upon their backs. This left the neck and the upper part of the chest bare, along with the ears. Then Allah commanded them to cover those parts with the khimar.”

So secure the scarf well around your face, covering your neck/chest area, and keep those half sleeves and capri pants for your Mahrams

Sorry.…tight jeans and short shirt just don’t cut it

You can’t wear tight jeans and a short shirt with a piece of cloth on your head and think this is Hijaab. Nor can you wear anything else that is tight, describing the shape of the body in any way, even if it is long. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“In later (generations) of my ummah there will be women who will be dressed but naked. On top of their heads (what looks) like camel humps. They will not enter into paradise or (even) get a smell of it.” (Muslim)

If it is see-through, its NOT Hijaab

You CANNOT use chiffon or other see through material to cover your hair and body. Everything should be covered and the color of the skin underneath should not be visible.

The Prophet ﷺ once received a thick garment as a gift. He gave it to Osamah b. Zayd, who in turn gave it to his wife. When asked by the Prophet why he did not wear it, Osamah indicated that he gave it to his wife.

The Prophet ﷺ then said to Osamah “ask her to use a “gholalah” under it (the garment) for I fear that it (the garment) may describe the size of her bones.” (Ahmad, Abi-Dawood)

(The word gholalah in Arabic means a thick fabric worn under the dress to prevent it from describing the shape of the body).

The Hijaab shouldn’t attract attention

The Hijaab shouldn’t attract attention

The dress should not be such that it attracts men’s attention to the woman’s beauty. Allaah clearly states “not to display their beauty (zeenah).” Yet, Subhaan Allaah, some Hijaabi sisters are dressed in such a way that they attract more attention to themselves than they would if they didn’t wear Hijaab!! How could such zeenah be concealed if the dress is designed in a way that it attracts men’s eyes to the woman? It beats the purpose of Hijaab.

Allah tells us:

“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance…” (al-Ahzaab:32)

What about make-up and perfume???

Wearing make up is also part of the zeenah that Allaah orders us NOT to display. So if your head and body are appropriately covered yet you are wearing bright red lipstick or dark eyeliner such that people confuse between you and a raccoon….uh sorry, that’s not Hijaab. And keep those nice fragrances for the home, between you and your husband. That’s part of Hijaab too, even if you are going to the Masjid. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.” (al-Nasaa’i, Tirmidhi: hasan by Albaani)

Tinkling Jewelry and Jingling bracelets

‘Loud’ and tinkling anything, be it jewelry, bracelets, clip-clopping shoes, little bells on clothes, you name it, if it jingles or makes noise, it is against the principles of Hijaab, because it attracts attention to the one wearing it. That is what is meant when Allaah orders us in the above verse…“not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments.”

No laughing, joking, or hanging out with non-Mahrams

Some sisters assume that since they are properly covered, its okay for them to sit around and talk, laugh, joke, etc. with the men, but that’s not right, even if he is ‘the Shaikh’.

Allah says (Qur'an Translation):

”. . . then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable manner.” (al-Ahzaab:32)

So talk to them when there is a specific need, and in a manner that is not necessarily rude, yet it is polite but firm.

Staring at the brothers or ‘checking them out’ is NOT Hijaab

Allah orders us to “lower your gaze” in the above verse. Why? Because a single ‘look’ can say more than a thousand words. So, even if you are properly covered, keep those eyes down, conduct yourself with ‘Hayaa’, and avoid ‘fitnah’.

‘Chatting’ on the internet/phone is not part of Hijaab, either

There is no such thing as “we’re just friends”. Talking to non-Mahrams is wrong even if it is through the internet or telephone. There are too many stories of illegal relationships, fornications, broken homes, extra-marital affairs and runaway brides to even mention. That is why in Islam anything that leads to haraam is also haraam.

Allah says (Qur'an Translation):

“Do not (even) come close to fornication, for it is an indecency, and its way is evil.” (Surah Israa:32)

Be careful, even in the way you walk

Remember, you are not a runway model displaying the latest fashion. Walk with modesty and hayaa and you will be respected. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“There are two types of the people of Hell that I have not seen yet….women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait…..” (Muslim).

Don’t shake hands with non-Mahrams. Its part of Hijaab

It is not permissible to shake hands with a non-Mahram, because the Prophet ﷺ said:

“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.” (at-Tabaraani saheeh by al-Albaani).

And no, it is not rude to refuse to shake hands with non-Muslims. Simply politely explain that its part of your religion and they are very understanding.

Stay away from the men’s areas

I see many sisters entering the Masjid from the men’s entrance, or standing idle in the hallways or where there is a chance of unnecessary mixing with the brothers. What for?

Don’t we have a separate entrance for ourselves? Why do you think Allah ordained the Hijaab in the first place? To avoid fitnah, by reducing temptation and separating the genders.

“The Prophet ﷺ said to the women on his way out of the mosque when he saw men and women mixing together on their way home: ‘Give way (i.e., walk to the sides) as it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle the road.’ Thereafter, women would walk so close to the wall that their dresses would get caught on it.” (Abu Dawood)

Hijaab is also to conceal your sister

Although some sisters wear the Hijaab themselves, they forget that they cannot talk about another sister and her beauty in front of their own husbands, brothers, etc. Remember, part of your Hijaab is to cover your sisters ‘awrah’ as well.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“No woman should mix with a woman and describe her to her husband so that it is as if he can see her.” (Muslim)