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Values of Civilization in Islam (Pioneers of Values)
Author : Dr. Fadi Rabab`ah
Date Added : 11-08-2022

Values of Civilization in Islam (Pioneers of Values)

 

When addressing values, it is imperative to refer to the pioneers who have called for these values and implemented them in their daily practices. A fair researcher of the history of civilizations, sociology, and education would arrive at the conclusion that these pioneers are the Prophets (PBUT) since all of them have called for and had the same values. In fact, values are common denominators where there is no contradiction between a value called for by a Prophet and another. Therefore, you wouldn`t have a Prophet calling for truthfulness and another calling for the opposite.

 

We could divide values into the following: Values pertaining to the intellect, reason, and belief, such as rejecting myths, abandoning the worship of idols and creatures. Values pertaining to the purification of the self, cleansing of the hearts, the senses and dealing with others, the universe, life, and all that exists.

In addition to calling for the greatest value, which is The Oneness of Allah and moving from worshipping the created to worshipping the creator, the pioneers, the Prophets, have called for comprehensive values and were characterized by them, even before they were sent with the Divine Message.

 

They are both a mercy and a blessing from Almighty Allah Who sent them to address people in their own language and guide them to the right thing in religious and worldly matters.

 

An example of these values is showing mercy to people, feeling sympathy for them, and dealing with them humbly, in addition to serving them, admonishing them, guiding them, and enjoining kindness and forbidding iniquity in a general sense that encompasses all values of kindness.

 

Moreover, Prophets did this for no wealth or reward in return. Almighty Allah Says (What means): "And O my people! I ask you for no wealth in return: my reward is from none but God: But I will not drive away (in contempt) those who believe: for verily they are to meet their Lord, and ye I see are the ignorant ones!" [Hud/29].

 

For example, Prophet Noah (PBUH) spent fifty years, day and night, calling his people to worship Allah. He, The Almighty Says (What means): "We (once) sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty: but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin." [Al-Ankabut/14]. Moreover, Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) called his people to abandon the worship of idols, planets, and stars. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of conduct, and well were We acquainted with him. Behold! he said to his father and his people: "What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?" They said: "We found our fathers worshipping them." He said: "Indeed ye have been in manifest error - ye and your fathers." [Al-Anbiyaa`/ 51-54].

 

Furthermore, Prophet Yousef (PBUH) curbed his desires and didn`t fall for the temptation of the wife of the King of Egypt, because the latter had put his trust in him. Allah Says (What means): "But she in whose house he was, sought to seduce him from his (true) self: she fastened the doors, and said: "Now come, thou (dear one)!" He said: "God forbid! truly (thy husband) is my lord! he made my sojourn agreeable! truly to no good come those who do wrong!" And (with passion) did she desire him, and he would have desired her, but that he saw the evidence of his Lord: thus (did We order) that We might turn away from him (all) evil and shameful deeds: for he was one of Our servants, sincere and purified. So they both raced each other to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back: they both found her lord near the door. She said: "What is the (fitting) punishment for one who formed an evil design against thy wife, but prison or a grievous chastisement?" He said: "It was she that sought to seduce me - from my (true) self." And one of her household saw (this) and bore witness, (thus):- "If it be that his shirt is rent from the front, then is her tale true, and he is a liar." [Al-Qasas/23-26].

 

This is the situation of all the Prophets (PBUT) for they have called people to get out of the darkness of ignorance and vice to the light of knowledge and righteousness. Later on, Prophet Mohammad came as the Seal of all Messengers. He was known among his people, before being sent with the Message of Islam,  as the truthful and the trusted and of noble human values; some of which are reflected by the words of `Khadija (May Allah Be Pleased with her): "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones." [Al-Bukhari].

 

Prophets (PBUT) are the pioneers of values and the role model that should be followed. Almighty Allah Says (What means): "Those were the (prophets) who received God’s guidance: Copy the guidance they received; Say: "No reward for this do I ask of you: This is no less than a message for the nations." [Al`Ana`am/90]. He also Says (What means): "Ye have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of God." [Al-Ahzab/21].

 

These values, embodied in the life and manners of the Prophets, suffice to raise the status of nations and be a measuring stick for the progress of human civilization. Indeed, nations prevail as long as they preserve their morals. If their morals are gone, they perish.

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the semi-circular structure attached to the Holy Kabah?

The semi-circular structure attached to the Holy Kabah is Hijr Al-Kabah (is a low wall originally part of the Kabah) and passing behind it is an obligation while making Tawaf because it is a part of the Holy Kabah. And Allah Knows Best.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on a woman who learns of her divorce or her husband's death after her *ʿiddah* has ended? And does the *ʿiddah* of a woman who abandoned mourning (*iḥdād*) for the whole period of the *ʿiddah*, or part of it, still end, even though she knew that abandoning it is forbidden?**

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The waiting period of a widow who is not pregnant is four months and ten days, based on the saying of Allah Almighty (which means): “And those of you who die and leave wives behind, they shall wait concerning themselves for four months and ten days” [al-Baqarah/234]. If she is pregnant, her ʿiddah ends with the delivery of her child. The ʿiddah is calculated by lunar months and begins from the date of death.
If her ʿiddah ends before she learns of her husband’s death, or of his divorcing her, she does not observe the ʿiddah upon learning of it, because her ʿiddah has already ended.
It is stated in al-Bayān fī Madhhab al-Imām al-Shāfiʿī (Vol.11/p.41), one of the books of the Shāfiʿī school: “If a man divorces his wife, or dies while he is absent from her, her ʿiddah is from the time of the divorce or from the time of death. If she does not know of the divorce or the death until her ʿiddah period has ended, then her ʿiddah has ended. If she learns of it before the end of the ʿiddah period, she completes her ʿiddah counting from the time of the divorce or death.”
As for a woman who abandoned mourning throughout the ʿiddah while knowing that it is forbidden, she is sinful, although her ʿiddah has nonetheless ended. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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