Allah has made man the first creature:

Dear brother, first of all it is said that who knows himself, knows Allah. O man, who are you? Do you believe you are the first creature that Allah made? Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, said a wonderful saying, "Angels were made from mind without desire, animals were made from desire without mind, and man was made from both (desire and mind)." There is a mind and there are desires, "If his mind rises above his desire, he will become above angels, and if his desire rises above his mind, he will become below the animals level."

"Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messenger Muhammad including all obligations ordered by Islam] and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. "

[Surat Al-Baiyyinah: 7]

Hence, Allah made you the first creature ever, "If his mind rises above his desire, he will become above angels, and if his desire rises above his mind, he will become below the animals level." The lowest creature ever is the one who has gone astray and turned away from Allah, so his desire rises above his mind. You are either above angels or below the lowest creature.

The worldly life is the abode of mission and labor:

Dear brother, man is the first creature and the proof can be noticed in the following ayah,

" Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). "

[Surat Al-Ahzab: 72]

Man bore the trust. What is this trust? It is his own self between his shoulders. He has to train it to obey Allah, to know Him and to know His Method. Therefore, if his mind rises above his desire, he will become above angels You are commissioned since you are in the abode of commissioning, but after death you will be in the abode of honor. Now you are in the abode of labor, while after death you will be in the abode of hope. You are in the abode of hard working and you will be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection.

Relief and hardship are Divine medicines:

Since Allah is merciful to us, He gives us some of His Graces in the worldly life to encourage us. Yet, sometimes He tests us by hardship. Relief and hardships are Divine medicines; sometimes Allah encourages you, and sometimes He punishes you. However, the accurate reward and punishment will be on the Day of Resurrection. You are the first creature," Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, "These are the words of Allah, the Creator of heavens and earth. They said, "The Noble Qur’an is a spoken universe, the universe is a silent Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, is a walking Qur'an. "Man is absolutely the most honored creature for Allah,

"Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad)] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers). "

[Surat Maryam: 96]

The most intimate relationship between two parties is love. If man goes astray from Allah’s Path, he will become the lowest creature in the whole universe.

The Divine Method matches the Islamic Monotheism:

What Man was created to do? In other words, what was he programmed to do? To love perfection. What tortures man? He is tortured when there is something missing in him. Here is the proof:

"So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allah Alone) "

[Surat Ar-Rum: 30]

To set your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism is:

"Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind."

[Surat Ar-Rum: 30]

The Divine Method matches the Islamic Monotheism. If you pour some plaster into a plastic form of a map, you will get a map that matches this form 100% when the plaster dries.

You have to be pretty sure that your monotheism and characteristics match Allah's Method. This match is one of the reasons that makes you happy when you reconcile with Allah. You feel happy because you reconcile with your monotheism; you are programmed to be honest, so you will never lie, and you are programmed to be just, so you will never be unjust. No one can describe the happiness someone feels when he repents to Allah unless this person himself has had the same experience.

If your eyes had seen our beauty which sh3er
had seen, you would not have left us.
If your ears had heard our eloquent speech,
you would have stopped being astonished and run for us.
If you had tested our love,
you would have excused those who died for it.
If our breeze had passed you by, you would have
blamed the stranger and yearning to be with us.
Those who claim that our love can be gained easily,
We tell them that they are ignorant.
It is easy to forget about love by refusing it,
but it is very hard to abandon us.

The happiest man is the one who reconciles with Allah Most High:

Dear brother, when you reconcile with Allah and taste the sweetness of being close to Allah, no one will be happier than you except those who are more pious than you. Only then will you realize that you are not working according to Allah's Way. Who are you with? You are with the Most Strong, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Merciful and the Wise. When the believer reconciles with Allah, he will derive some of Allah’s Attributes; the believer is honest, faithful, chaste, merciful and just. These are the characteristics of the believer. When our Master Ja’far went to the Najashi, he asked him to talk about Islam. Our Master Ja'far said,

"Your Majesty, the King, we were ignorant people. We worshipped the idols. We ate dead animals. We did bad actions and abandoned our relatives. We mistreated our neighbors. "

[Related by Ibn Khazeemah through Ja’far bin abi Taleb]

There are people who lived in the period of more ignorance. Allah said about them,

"And do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance "

[Surat Al-Ahzab: 33]

There are two phases of ignorance; the first phase of ignorance and the second phase of it. Perhaps we are witnessing the second phase nowadays.

The People of Ad were punished because of their transgression:

That is why Allah says,

"Did you (O Muhammad) not see (thought) how your Lord dealt with 'Ad (people)?7. Who were very tall like lofty pillars, 8. The like of which were not created in the land?"

[Surat Al-Fajr: 6-8]

Allah described Ad people, their civilization, achievements and works: The like of which were not created in the land. They were well known for their architectural civilization, Allah says,

"Do you build high palaces on every high place, while you do not live in them?"

[Surat Ash-Shu’ara’: 128]

Also they were famous for their industrial civilization,

"And do you get for yourselves palaces (fine buildings) as if you will live therein for ever."

[Surat Ash-Shu’ara’: 129]

Moreover, they were pioneer in science,

"Though they were intelligent."

[Surat Al-Ankabut: 38]

Oddly enough, no one was superior to them except Allah. Let me give you the proof; whenever Allah mentions the punishment of some people, He reminds them of those who were stronger than them. The case is different with Ad people; notice that when Allah punished them, He said,

"See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)!"

[Suirat Fussilat: 15]

Only Allah is Superior to Ad people. What did they do? Allah says,

"Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands (in the disobedience of Allah)."

[Surat Al-Fajr: 11]

Their transgression went beyond their country to include other countries. Sometimes you may see powerful countries that would leave their trace in all countries,

"Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands (in the disobedience of Allah). 12. And made therein much mischief. 13. So your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. 14. Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them). "

[Surat Al-Fajr: 11-14 ]

So they were given an architectural civilization:

"Do you build high palaces on every high place, while you do not live in them?"

[Surat Ash-Shu’ara’: 128]

And a military one:

"And when you seize, seize you as tyrants?"

[Surat Ash-Shu’ara’: 130]

An architectural, a military and a scientific civilization, "Though they were intelligent." Also, they were given an industrial civilization.

They were expert in many fields, but what did they do? "Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands (in the disobedience of Allah). 12. And made therein much mischief. 13. So your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. 14. Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them). "

What is the meaning of Allah's saying?

"And that it is He (Allah) Who destroyed the former 'Ad (people), "

[Surat An-Najm: 50]

It means that there are the latter Ad people. I was in a country that is very far, and it is the most powerful country nowadays. When I came back to Damascus, someone asked me, "Where have you been?" I replied to him, "I have been to the latter Ad."

There are two types of people:

There are seven billion people all over the world, and at the top of mankind hierarchy there are two types of people; the powerful and the prophets. The powerful own the heads of people, while the prophets own their hearts. There is a big difference between the two types. As I said, the powerful own the heads of people, so people live for them and their interests, whereas the prophets live for people. The powerful are praised when they are present, the prophets, on the other hand, are praised when they are absent. People either follow the powerful or the prophets. Ask yourself, whom do you follow? A police man who has a notebook for fines, whom does he follow? Of course he follows the powerful. The believer, who is merciful, patient, and just is one of the Prophet's followers. Thus, strive to be one the Prophet’s followers.

The subjection of heavens and earth to mankind:

Dear brother, the crucial point is that you are the first creature and you are the most honorable one,

"And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference."

[Surat Al-Isr’a:70]

Allah has offered the trust to you and you bore it in this mortal life. Thus,

"And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth"

[Surat Al-Jathiyah: 13]

Everything in this world has been subjected to you, so logically speaking who is more honorable to Allah? Is it the subjected or the subjected to? Definitely the subjected to. Allah has honored you, so He has subjected to you… "all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth"

I once rejected strongly the race of young camels which was taking place in the Gulf countries. In many cases the camels die in the race, because people reversed the rules of the race making the contestants subjected to the young camels. This race has recently been canceled

The whole universe has been subjected to you, but this subjection is for you to be knowledgeable and honored. This is what can be deduced from the Prophet’s saying, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, when he saw a crescent,

"A crescent of goodness and orientation."

[Related to Abu Dawood though Mursel Qutadah. ]

Believe it or not; everything you put an eye on, has been subjected to you; the moon, the sun, the milky road, the galaxies, kazars, the mountains, the level lands, the rivers, the lakes, the seas, the birds and the fish, "all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth" All these creatures,

"They (i.e. the angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (to do so)."

[Surat Al-Anbiyah: 20 ]

"And all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise."

[Surat Al-Isr’a:44]

Everything whatsoever "glorifies His Praise."

"But you understand not their glorification."

[Surat Al-Isr’a:44]

Thus, man is the first honored creature, whom Allah subjected to him all that are in the heavens and earth. How could he be oblivious and all these things, which have been subjected to him, glorify Allah’s Praise? Listen to the proof: "But you understand not their glorification."

Death is the most major event in everyone's life:

Dear brother, let me tell you something serious; when you finish reading a trivial book of one thousand and eight hundred pages, you will yawn and fall asleep. However, the book which revolves around a serious subject will not let you sleep because you will realize after reading it that you are in a big trouble,

"Do you then wonder at this recital (the Qur'an)? 60. And you laugh at it and weep not,"

[Surat An-Najm: 59-60]

You are created to die, so death is the most dangerous event in your life. Unfortunately, people who keep thinking about death are rare.

Once I wanted to visit Australia, so I checked the internet to know the temperature there. It was 6/2 while in Damascus it was 45. I am used to such temperature in Damascus, so when I went there I wore light clothes on the first day. It was very cold in the Masjed, so some people brought me a coat. You see how the One’s imagination is different than reality
When you suffer from a heart attack, the doctor tells you that it is a serious one but you will recover insha Allah. A cardiac doctor told me that a patient, who suffered from a serious cardiac infarction, asked him how many years he could live. The doctor answered him that he might live for four months, but the patient died the very next day out of fear , "Do you then wonder at this recital (the Qur'an)?" Dear brother, death is an inevitable reality.

Once upon a time, one of the richest people in Egypt died and he had a son who heard that the most difficult day for those who died was the first day. It is mentioned in tradition that Allah talks to the dead saying: "O my servant they left you alone, and they buried you under the ground and went. They will be of no use for you even if they stay with you. All of them have gone but Me and I Am the only Alive Who never dies." It seems that the son heard this Hadith so he was afraid after his father’s death. One day he met an impoverished man who was wearing a gunny bag, for he had no clothes to wear. The son asked that man to sleep with his father in the grave on the first day. The poor man agreed, so made a hole in the grave to be able to breathe.

This story is a metaphorical one of course. While the poor man was in the grave, the two angels came One of them asked the other, "I wonder how it comes that there are two in here." The poor man heard them so he started to shiver out of fear. The other angel said, "He is alive. Let us start with him." They sat him down and started to ask him few questions saying, "Where did you get the robe from?" He answered, "I got it from the orchard." Then they asked him, "How did you get to the orchard?" He replied, "I don't know." Because of this answer they punished him severely. When he got out of the grave he said to the children of the deceased, "May Allah help your dad."

I know a person whose son was a friend of mine. He was a very rich man who had billions . I went to his funeral and when they opened the grave to put him into, they found it full of sewage water; black dirty water. Before they put the father into it, they asked the son if they could do so, and he said yes they could. I was not able to eat for a week, because of what I saw inside that grave. That man had a house worth billions and he lived a very luxurious life.

Let me tell you something about a friend of mine. I once had a free class at school so I sat with the manager. He started to tell me about his projects for the future, and I was listening to him. He said, "I got the permission to travel to Algeria (his salary will be high there). I will stay there for five years. I will not come back to Damascus during that period, so I will spend one summer in England, and another one in France then in Italy and finally in Spain. After that, I will come back to my country to open a shop for presents and oriental things. My children will be grown up then, so I can go to the shop in the afternoons." I sat with him for about fifty minutes listening to his problems, feelings and ambitions. Well I flattered him while he was talking, then went to my class at the end of that meeting. He talked about his future projects and what he will do for the next twenty years in one hour. I got home in the afternoon, then I went to another secondary school for evening classes. After I finished my classes, I got out of the school and I saw his obituary while I was walking down the street on the same day. Can you believe that? He died on the same day that he talked about his projects for the next twenty years,

"O my servant they left you alone, and they buried you under the ground and went. They will be of no use for you even if they stay with you. All of them have gone but Me and I Am the only Alive Who never dies."

The reasonable person is the one who put death into his consideration:

My brother, I will give you a piece of advice from your loving brother; take death into your consideration. There is an Hour when you will be asked about your wife. Why did you divorce her? One day you will be asked about your son, why did you not raise him according to the teachings of Islam? Your son went astray, so you are responsible for this,

"So, by your Lord (O Muhammad), We shall certainly call all of them to account. 93. For all that they used to do. "

[Surat Al-Hijr: 92-93]

We are going to be asked about every single word, gaze and even a whisper.

While I was in the plane a woman, who was very liberated , told me that she had two hairs of the Prophet, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, which she kept in her uncle’s house. I told her that they are useless. The god father of hypocrites, Abdullah bin abi Saloom asked for the T-shirt of the Prophet, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, and he gave it to him to wear it. This is not a hair of his, it is his T-shirt. However, when Abdullah bin abi Saloom died, the prophet said about him, "He will stay in hell for ever. He fell down there for seventy falls." Therefore, if a man wore the T-shirt of the Prophet, he would not benefit from it as long as he is not straight.

Do not be entrapped by illusions. Someone may say, "I have got the fatwa. " Who told you about it? If you had got such fatwa from the Prophet (PBUH) himself, you would not escape from Allah’s Punishment if you are not right. Listen to the proof:

"I am only human and I judge according to what I hear. Some of you may be more eloquent than sh3er in arguing their case, so if I render unto someone a piece of his brother's wealth, he should not take it for it would be as if I have rendered unto him a piece of hellfire. "

[Related to Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, An-Nisa’i and Malek through the mother of believers Um Salamah]

Death is the destiny of every alive creature:

"Do you then wonder at this recital (the Qur'an)? 60. And you laugh at it and weep not, "

I swear to Allah, I am not exaggerating when I say that it is a horrible thing when you are lowered into the grave. A man may have a wife, children, daughters, sons, sons in law, and daughters in law. He may have a house and a car. He is used to being invited to feasts, to parties and to meetings. He is used to eating delicious food. However, one day he will leave this palace to be carried to his grave. The hero is the one who keeps thinking about the hereafter. You may say it is early to think about that; I am still young. Death has no specific age; some people may die when they are young and sh3er may die when they are old. No one waits the other.
I know a teacher whose wife was suffering from dropsy, so he was waiting for her to die. During one year, her weight became one hundred and eighty kilos. She suffered the pains of that disease. The school keeper entered my office one day, I was the principle at that time, and he told me, "He died." I asked him, "Do you mean his wife died?" He said, "No, not her, it is him."

Dear brother, even those who live in very luxurious cities like Detroit will die just like us. Death makes us all the same. You may live in a developed country that has whatever you need, yet death will end your life there. Death ends your life whether you live in a developing country or a developed one. Death is a decisive matter,

Every creature dies except
Allah the Mighty and the Compeller

* * *

No matter how long the night is, a new day is coming.
No matter how long you live, your grave is waiting.

* * *

Every mother’s son no matter how healthy he is,
will be carried in his coffin.

When you carry this coffin to its grave,
remember that one day you will be carried.

* * *

Pleasure and happiness:

Dear brother, the scholars differentiated between pleasure and happiness. First of all pleasure is sensual while happiness is spiritual. To be pleased you need health, money and time. When you are young, you have good health and plenty of time, but you do not have enough money. After a few years, you will be able to have a project, a factory, a job, or a trade. You are in your forties, you will have money and health but you will not have time. As you get older, your children will be adults so they can continue your job. At this period of time, you will have a lot of money, but you will not have health. The true believer, who knows Allah, draws closer to Him, reconciles with Him and serves His servants, will always be happy. If the true believer has an ascending line graph of his deeds, this line will never stop ascending, and death will be included in it, whereas the nonbeliever’s line may ascend very fast to find himself falling down. Dear brother these points are very essential and decisive.
Man is destined to love his existence, safety, totality and maintenance of his existence. Excuse what I am going to say; do not love anyone, just love yourself and love your existence, because then you will keep yourself safe in the worldly life and the hereafter. You are a creature which means that you are created by a Great Creator, so you should follow His instructions for working and maintenance. When you love yourself and work on keeping yourself safe and happy, you will absolutely seek knowledge.

What is the deadly mistake of those who will be in hell? They do not listen to the Qur’an,

"And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!"

[Surat Al-Mulk: 10]

If you want to own the worldly life, seek knowledge, and if you want to own the hereafter, again seek knowledge. Also if you want to own them both, seek knowledge. Devote yourself totally to knowledge; otherwise you will not get it.

Whoever follows Allah’s guidance shall never go astray:

Dear brother, look at this cell phone in front of you. What does it need? It needs to be charged, but if you do not charge it then it will stop working. Similarly, the believer needs to be charged intellectually and spiritually. He needs a kind of charging that will nourish his mind and heart, as well as food to nourish his body. You have a mind to recognize things by, a heart to love sh3er with and a body for movement. All these needs can be satisfied by Allah’s Method. Allah charges you intectually; you know the reality of this universe, of life, of existence and its essence. You know where you were before you were born, where you are going after death and what is waiting for you. These are major facts; Listen to what Allah says about the believer,

"Then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery."

[Surat Ta-Ha: 123]

That means who follows Allah's Guidance his mind shall never go astray, and his ownself shall never fall into distress and misery,

"And whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve."

[Surat Al-Baqarah: 38]

Moreover, who follows Allah’s Guidance, will never feel sorry for the past, nor fear the future.

Those who apply Allah’s Method will be sound and safe:

Man applies Allah’s Method to be safe and happy. Let me tell this anecdote; a judge whose name is Shareeh met one of his good friends who asked him, "Tell me, how is your marital life at home?" He replied, "I have been happy for twenty years." His friend said, "How is that Shareeh" He said, "I got engaged to a good woman of a religious family. On the wedding day, I noticed that she is straight and moral, so I prayed to Allah thanking Him for this good wife. Allah answered my prayer for my wife was just like me in her prayer, gratitude and thanks giving. When all the family members and the relatives went, I came closer to her. Thus, she said, "Be patient Aba Umayyah," Then she delivered a speech saying, "O Aba Umyyah I’m a stranger, so I have no idea about the things you like and those which you do not. Just tell me what you like so I can do always, and what you do not so I can avoid. You know very well that there were many women who one of them could have been your wife. Likewise, there were many men who one of them could have been my husband. However, it is Allah’s Destiny that I am your wife now according to the Sunnah of Allah and His messenger, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him. Therefore, you should be pious when you treat me and apply the following ayah,

"After that, either you retain her on reasonable terms or release her with kindness."

[Surat Al-Baqarah: 229]

Then she sat down. You see how on their wedding day they delivered speeches!!! Shareeh said, "After that, I stood up and said, "You said words if you turn them to actions you will be rewarded and if you do not, then your words will turn against you. I like so and so and I hate so and so. If you find something good about me, talk about it, but if you notice bad habits, keep them concealed."

I know a woman from Damascus whose husband suffered from a mental disorder. Two years passed and she did not tell her family about his illness. She kept that a secret. The Noble Prophet, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him considers the believing woman is the one who keeps the secrets.

Shareeh asked his wife to talk about his good deeds and keep his bad ones a secret. Then his wife asked, "How many times would you like us to visit our parents?" He replied, "We will visit them from time to time, so they will not get bored from us." It is reported in the following Hadith,

"Visit your relatives from time to time, so they will love you more"

[Related to Ibn Haiyan through Aeysha, the mother of the believers]

Then Shareeh’s wife said, "How about the neighbors? whom would you like us to welcome into our home?" He said, "Those and those are good, but those and those are not." Shareeh went on saying, "Then a year passed, I went back home and I found my mother-in-law there." His mother-in-law asked him, "How did you find your wife?" He answered, "I swear to Allah she is a good wife." Then she said, "Aba Umayyah, men will never be harmed by a good woman, so you can discipline whomever you want." Shareeh said, "Then she turned to her daughter asking her to be a good wife and to obey me." He said, "I have never been in a bad mood except in one night, because of me being unfair."

A man asked his friend, "How is your farther-in-law" he replied, "He is alive." Then the same person asked, "And how is your mother-in-law?" His friend answered, "She is a snake."

Marital bliss is one the reasons of happiness:

Dear brother, one of the reasons of the marital bliss is the successful husband. He is the one who enters his home and brings happiness with him, but there is another kind of husband whom if they get out, their families will be happy because of their absence. Your heroism appears if you bring happiness with you whenever you get back home.

That is why the Prophet, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, was a smiling man. He said,

"Be generous to women for by Allah only a generous one would bestow his generosity on them and only a mean one would humiliate them. They outdo every generous one and they are outdone by the mean and I love being a generous defeated man rather than a victorious mean man"

[Ibn Asaker through Ali]

Your son is a continuation of your own self:

Dear brother, because I consider myself your loving brother I would like to give you a piece of advice. When I visited many countries abroad, I noticed that the major problem the Arabs are facing in the U.S.A, Europe and Australia is raising the children. Your son is a continuation of your own self, so his happiness and misery are yours.

I said a sentence in America when Clinton was president at that time. I keep repeating the following sentence, "If you were given the presidency of Clinton, the fortune of Unasis and the science of Einstein, you would be the wretched person as long as your son is not whom you would like him to be."

I cannot believe that there is someone whose son is miserable and he feels happy for that. Someone told me that his son has broken his heart. I asked him about the reason, and he replied, "Whenever I told him that do not do that, for it is impolite and do not do that, for it is prohibited he asked why this is prohibited and that is impolite."

That is the case if a father noticed that his son has gone astray and that he does not believe in any religion. I was once in Marlboro, I am not exaggerating if I tell you that the head of the community there cried in the airport. He told me, "Say to our brother in Damascus that the rubbish there is better than the heavens in Australia." I do not consider it a beautiful country although it is wonderful, clean, neat, and the law is above everyone. He told me that the son could deviate or be addicted to drugs . It is real scary
What I care about is raising your children. I challenge anyone who has lost his son, yet he feels happy. Your son is a continuation of your own, and he needs a lot of effort when you raise him. It is not enough to say that my children have eaten and written their homework. You have to know whether they pray or not, whether they have bad friends or a girlfriend at school. Such an issue is very dangerous.

I have traveled twenty thousand kilometers to arrive this country, and what I want you to do is to take care of your children. I keep repeating that no matter how high your position is, how big your fortune is, and how well- educated you are, you will be the most miserable man ever if your son cannot be whom you want him to be.

What I am telling you is extremely important. You should take care of your children, for they need you. You should give them more of your time to know their friends, where they are and where they go. Do not put the computer in their room; put it in the living room instead. They may watch horrible and immoral things in the internet and no one will notice that. Your son may have a C.D in his pocket that is about pornography. What is the use of praying then? Please forgive me; I know that I am breaking your hearts by referring to these facts, but I consider myself your loving brother. I want you to look after your children, because you will never be happy unless your son is a true believer and a comfort of the eye for you.

I was once in America, where the most known community for its education. I met Muslim brother in Detroit and most of them were doctors. They were very rich, have villas and very high salaries. One of them told me that I had seen nothing yet, for I had to meet their children. Dear brother, I met those children who have strange looks, and who challenge Islam by their cynical comments. I got back to Damascus and went to the institute where I teach. I looked at my students there, as if they were angels. They are committed, and shy. They are raised in Islamic homes where the father prays. Raising your son is not a trivial issue. On the contrary, it is a very crucial one.

Raising your children is the most important mission in your life:

I hope that you give your child two hours of your time daily. Sit with him, talk to him, listen to him and understand what he is saying. Make him your friend. It is said, "Play with your child the first seven years, raise him the next seven years and watch him the next seven years. " In other words, play with your child the first seven years in his life in order to love you, but from the age of seven to fourteen raise him; tell him about the prohibited things (what is haram) and the permissible ones (what is halal) showing him the evidences from Qur'an. Tell him that you are doing that for his own future, his position, his reputation and his marriage. Thus, play with him the first seven years and raise him the next seven; he can bear it when you hit him. You have to watch him the next seven years. After these years, he can be responsible for his own decisions. The most dangerous thing in this country is raising children, so you have to be very careful when you raise your children.

O Allah may you help us succeed and be straight. Now I am waiting for your questions.

Questions & answers:

Buying a usurious house:

Dear brother, the first question I was asked thousands of times in this country is about buying a usurious house. I tell you usury is one of the deadly sins, but Allah says,

"But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him"

[Surat Al-Baqarah: 173]

Only Allah and then you can estimate how necessary buying this usurious house is. Such an issue is out of question since usury is prohibited. There are many proofs which confirm that,

"And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger"

[Surat Al-Baqarah: 279]

Usury is prohibited and no scholar can give you a fatwa that it is not. The prophet, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, said, "Some of you may be more eloquent than sh3er in arguing their case." You can work overtime and buy your house cash; this is better for you. I cannot give a fatwa because this fatwa has harmful consequences.

Looking after your children is the most important mission:

Let me give you an example that does not need any elaboration; a man went to a club and saw a semi-naked woman he said, "I seek from Allah refuge," then he saw a second one and said, "I seek from Allah refuge," after that he looked at a third one and said, "I seek from Allah refuge." He looked at a forth one and repeated the same phrase. Then someone told him, "Why are you in here? Why did you come to this place?"

If you go to a place that will make you turn away from Allah, you have to leave it at once. I know a man who lives in the U.S.A told me that he lost his daughter. He is a well known doctor in Detroit whose eighteen- year- old daughter ran away with her Jewish friend. After seven days of her disappearance, she sent her father an email telling him that she ran away to live with her boyfriend in Texas.
He took several valium pills (sedative) with him (which require a prescription) and drove his car for three days till he got to her. When he arrived at her place, she greeted him and ooffered him a cup of tea. In her cup, he put a valium pill. He then put her in his car and drove, and after an hour, they stopped at a rest area. She entered the rest room, then after driving for a while tthey encountered a road block. The police stopped them, they took the girl and made him drive back alone. Apparently when she was in the rest room, she wrote on the mirror with her lip-stick that “ I’ve been kidnapped by my father and the car license plate is such,

I swear to Allah I know similar stories that may make mountains fall down. A Damascene doctor, who lives in America, told me that one day he entered his daughter’s room, and he found her with her boyfriend in bed. He could not believe his eyes, so he shouted at her out of anger. She called the police because of her father’s behavior. The police man told him that he was not civilized with his daughter and he asked him to undertake not to bother her again.

I listened to hundred of stories which are unbelievable, that is why I keep asking you to take care of your children; sons and daughters. Their happiness is yours,

"And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring,"

[Surat At-Tur: 21]

Some scholars said that they will be joined by the deeds of their offspring.

leaving the husband’s house for a long time without being divorced:

A woman left her husband's house for a year and a half, and she did not ask for divorce, what is the religious rule in her case?

Where did she go? She went to her parents’ house.

I swear to Allah that throughout this month only, I’ve noticed that the major problem in this country is divorce. It seems that law has given women more liberty than what they really deserve, so they have become rebellious .

Ibn Abbas said, "Someone commits a stupidity, then asked for my help saying O Ibn Abbas, O Ibn Abbas."

There are too many mistakes which are committed concerning marriage. Listen to this carefully; if the marriage is on the basis of obeying Allah, Allah will send His bliss upon the couple in their marital life. Yet, if it is on the basis of disobeying Allah, the Shaitan will do his best to break up this relation.

I was walking down one of the streets of Damascus when I met a shop keeper asking me to drink a cup of coffee with him. After entering his shop, he said, "A young man wants to marry my daughter. He is very handsome, has a factory, a car and a house in one of the best areas in Damascus." I said, "What are these conditions? He is a young man and has a factory, a house and a car!" Then he said, "But his religious beliefs are shaky." I told him, "What do you say when you finish reading an ayah in the Noble Qur’an?" He replied, "I say Allah the Almighty has uttered the truth Then I told him, "Listen to what Allah says,

"And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress, etc.)"

[Surat Al-Baqarah: 221]

I went on saying, "If you agree on this marriage then you do not believe in the ayah." His daughter got married to that young man. After seventeen days, the couple went to a summer resort in Bludan. They argued there then he kicked her and he left her there and returned to Damascus alone.

The most essential thing is that when you want to choose a husband for your daughter, he should be a believer. This man if he loves your daughter, he will honor her. If he does not love her, Allah forbid, he will not be unjust to her, because he knows his limits very well.

The religious rule of wearing a jacket made of the pig’s leather:

Someone asked, "As Muslims, is it allowed for us to wear a jacket made of pig’s leather?"
Did you not find any other jacket made of other kinds of leather? I mean there are a billion of jackets.

I was also asked about buying a house in installments. I swear to Allah the annihilation of the whole universe is easier to Allah than being pleased by Him then getting lost. You will never lose if you obey Allah, but you will never win if you disobey Him.

Is reciting Qur’an in consolation acceptable?

Someone asked whether reciting ayat from Qur’an on the third day of the consolation is acceptable or it is considered heresy.

When we listen to the Noble Qur’an, what happens? Nothing happens. I am not being an extremist; if someone reauthord some ayat in , what happened to him? Nothing happened. You can reauthor surat Ya-Sin to a dying person.

Women do not put on scarves in Paradise:

Do women put on scarves in Paradise? No, they do not. I assure you women do not put on scarves in Paradise.

Going out during period of waiting:

It is known that the divorced woman should stay at home for about four months. The same religious rule is applied to the widow . However, some women get out of their homes the very next day.

The period of waiting has its own religious rules, but during that period a woman can go out for something necessary ; to see a doctor for example.

The religious rule of getting rid of black magic:

What is the religious rule of getting rid of black magic?

I say no way,

"And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan) then seek refuge with Allah."

[Surat Al-A’raf: 200]

Allah tells you that He has given you a deadly weapon, which is to seek refuge with Him. This is the only solution, other than that is a quack. Those who practice black magic have disbelieved in Allah.

"If someone believed a soothsayer, he would be a disbeliever of what is revealed to Muhammad (may Allah have peace and blessings upon him.)"

[Abu Dawood, Ahmad and Al-Hakem through Abi Hureirah]

I cannot imagine that you would go to a magician who may tell you that you have to bring a black cock and a golden pound. This is blackmail , let alone that there could be a deviation and adultery.

The Sahra’ goes hand- in- hand with monotheism:

All mankind have the same nature whether they are Muslims or not. For instance, Bill Gate gave all his money as charity to the African countries. One’s nature is in the heart of every man even those who are not Muslims. It could be distorted by sins.

There is a major point; the transition-reason agreement is something inevitable, but Shar’a- monotheism agreement is one hundred percent. Once you repent, you will feel relieved,

"When a servant turns back to Allah, a caller calls those in the heavens and earth to congratulate him as he has reconciled with Allah. "

[Reported in the tradition]

You have a healthy monotheism because when you turn to Allah in repentance, you reconcile with Him.

The interpretation of the following Ayah:

What is the meaning of the ayah, "and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference"?

How is that? For instance, a frightened mechanic goes to a cardiologist thinking that he suffers from a heart attack, so he asks the doctor, "Am I suffering from anything serious?" In this situation the doctor is preferred above the patient. Let us say that the same doctor goes to the mechanic to have his car repaired, so he asked the mechanic about the engine. Now in this case the mechanic is superior to the doctor. Thus, you may be superior or inferior ; it depends on your profession and specialty.

Az-Zakat:

If someone has two houses in his town, should he pay zakat for them?

If the houses are to live in, then he should not pay zakat. However, if he bought those houses for trade then he should pay zakat. Such an issue has to do with his intention; if he has intended to live in these houses once he comes back from Australia to Lebanon, where these houses are, He does not have to pay zakat. Yet, if he wants to buy a house to make money from; this is trade.

The interpretation of the follwoing hadith:

Someone asked about the meaning of the following hadith:

"The best of you are those who are best to their families."

[Related to At-Termizi through the mother of the believers Aeysha]

You go out with a clean and ironed shirt , with a tie that fits the suit and shiny shoes. You may meet someone in the street, so you greet him and talk to him nicely. You have business with this man; therefore you are very kind to him, greet him, welcome him and walk to the door with him when he wants to leave. This kindness is a kind of complement that is necessary because of your business, whereas you will be someone totally different at home. You cannot hide what kind of person you are; a monster at home and an angel outside. The hadith is,

"The best of you are those who are best to their families, "

Where should your strenghth be noticed? Your patience? Your mercy? Your justice? All of them should be noticed at home. I tell you that the true moral person is the one at his home; the proof is the following,

"The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family."

Whereas You are always smiling, elegant, clean outside, for you have business with people and you make money out of this business by treating people nicely.

Conclusion:

May Allah bless you. I am thankful for your attendance. I make du’a for you that may Allah maintain your belief, family, health and money. May Allah show you guidance.