Religion & Spiritual

There are many things that have been prohibited in the Qur'än and Sunnah. Every Muslim is commanded to learn his deen (religion) in general and these prohibitions in particular. The Qur'än and Sunnah commands are definitely for virtues and their prohibitions are surely malicious deeds that a Muslim should avoid in his everyday life. Alläh and His Messenger have prohibited everything that contains any sort of harm or evil. These prohibitions vary in their degree of evil. They are either haram (un-allowed) or makrooh (abominable) sins, which are also un-allowed even if their degree of evil is less than that of the haram ones; and a true Muslim should avoid both. This valuable book of Al-Munajjid, like his previous book (Muharramät), is a good approach toward understanding these prohibitions of Islam and seeking the ways to avoid them.

Prophet Muhammad, Blessings and Peace be upon him, was born into a pagan society in which every conceivable vice was practised and very few virtues existed. As he grew up, he watched with disgust the great drama of evil around him. He witnessed how the human soul was suppressed, how man was oppressing and exploiting the poor, the have-nots, the orphans, the women and the weak members of society, and how the strong enslaved the poor. Through ignorance,error, superstition and outright perversity, man was debauched by evil. Tyranny reigned supreme. Man was drunk with arrogance, religious formalism and luxury.

Some Muslims who are either ignorant or of weak faith still commit many acts which Allah never allowed. Ignorance is not an excuse for doing Muharramät, hence is the importance of such books which deal in detail with many Muharramät that should be consciously learnt and consequently never committed. The author, Sheikh al-Munajjid, has dealt with matters such as calling for help from sheikhs, saints and things other than Allah; worshipping the dead and circumambulating their graves; invoking prophets, using magic and fortune-telling and believing in astrologists and planets, etc. As such, this book of prohibitions in beliefs and worship acts is a must to almost every Muslim, if he/she is really practicing Islam and wants to be safe and free of great sins.

Tafseer Soorah Hujurât is worth reading for any serious and sincere reader of the Qur'an. The meaning and history of the science of tafseer contained in the book's introduction add to its readability. As Bilal explains in the foreword, the core of the tafseer and the introduction to the science of tafseer were originally prepared for a course in tafseer which he taught during the Imam's Training Course held by Daar al-Ifta in Trinidad in September 1981. The present tafseer is an edited and revised version of the course material.

Muhammad the last Messenger of Allah was sent with the last and everlasting divine message for the mankind as a whole for all times to come. The message covers all aspects of human life and the Prophet was the perfect role model. He was the living example for the people fashioning their lives according to divine guidance. The husband-wife relationship is one of the most important aspects of human life. The Prophet set the glaring example in this field as well. Any Muslim, desirous of attaining pleasure of Allah, should follow his footsteps. This booklet provides a detailed account of the behaviour of the last Messenger with his wives. It guides the reader how to behave properly with his beloved wife.

There was a time when the notion of Hadith rejection was inconceivable. Sad to say, it is now becoming a widespread phenomenon inNecessity of the Hadith in Islam many countries. The educated and the ignorant, veteran Muslims and reverts, the middle class as well as the elite are falling prey to the misleading ideas projected by the Hadith rejecters through books and other forms of publication. The Internet has, unfortunately, given them a new and effective platform. Emad Hamdeh has taken up the task of replying to these Hadith rejecters with sound and convincing arguments. The Necessity of the Hadith in Islam not only explains the need for the Hadith and the Sunnah at all times, but also presents and refutes the main arguments put forward by Hadith rejecters. Furthermore, Hamdeh has profiled the top few Hadith rejecters and summarised their ideas. This is a well-researched, well-referenced and comprehensive work, which provides useful information to those seeking more knowledge on the subject. It will also sufficiently answer many different questions which come to mind after reading some of the arguments of the Hadith rejecters. Muslims today need to read works such as these to ensure that they are not misled, especially through the Internet. About the author Emad Hamdeh did his B.A. in World History from William Paterson University. He has also achieved an M.A. in Islamic Studies and a graduate certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy from the Hartford Seminary in the US. Hamdeh is currently a PhD candidate at Hartford Seminary.