She adheres to the Sunnah and is being accused of being a fanatic, and she wants advice

I was a born muslim but other than praying i was ignorant of all the things now by the blessings of allah my eyes have open and i have started acting according to quraan and sunnah to my best ability but now i have lost all my friends who ar muslims too i had before they ar not very religious they dont much abt religion andi and my husband have become two aliens in my whole country my friends have stopped calling me too my father and my mother in law and sister in laws call us wahabees and my cousins too and mymother told that she doesnt have much time she doesnt care as long as all her children ar good and prayingmost poeple make fun of my hijaab too and its very sad i mean i live in a small island in indian ocean and everyone is muslims my country is rep of maldives i am very alone and sad here can u tell me what i should do i feel so lonely and alone and its very painfull when u lose everyfriend u have can u please give me a good advice on how i should act in this situation i have tried alot to tell my family too about sunnah and all the answer i got was u have lost ur religon u ar a whabee so its wahabees way .

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

We ask Allaah to relieve your distress and make things easy for you, and to help you to obey Him and worship Him properly. Remember that the alienation that you are feeling is a good sign for you, The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being something strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.” Narrated by Muslim (145).

The word tooba (translated here as “glad tidings”) has many meanings, such as goodness and honour, a great tree in Paradise, joy and happiness, and many other meanings, all of which may apply here.

Al-Sindi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Strange” means because its followers are small in numbers. The basic meaning of ghareeb (stranger) is one who is far from his home.

“And will revert to being something strange” means that few will adhere to it and help others to do so, even if the Muslims are many.

“to the strangers” means those who follow its commands.

“Tooba” is derived from the word tayyib (good), and it is interpreted as referring to Paradise or to a great tree that grows there.

This indicates that supporting Islam and obeying its commands may require the one who does that to leave his homeland and be patient in bearing the hardships of being away from his homeland, as was the case when it first began.

Sharh Sunan Ibn Majaah (hadeeth no 3986.

Secondly:

You have the best example in the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He brought light to his people, but they insisted on remaining in the darkness of kufr and ignorance. They accused him of being a sorcerer, soothsayer or madman, but he was patient in calling them, and he did not get fed up of repeating his call, using different methods of calling individuals and groups, calling in secret and in the open, until he attained great success. Similarly, daa’iyahs who came after him called the kuffaar to Islam, and called sinners to obedience, and called innovators to the Sunnah. Many of them experienced hardship, distress and difficulties, but that did not stop them from persisting in da’wah. Were it not for that, Islam would not have reached your country, the Maldives!

Think about these examples, and do what they did, and be patient as they were patient, so that you may attain the pleasure of Allaah. What you hear of mockery and being called “Wahhabis” was said by those who came before them, and the fools still repeat it with regard to those who promote the Sunnah, but that does not harm them or make them stop conveying the religion of Allaah.

Thirdly:

In addition to being patient in calling people, we advise you to select wise people among other women and your relatives to convey the religion of Allaah to them and remind them of the truths of Islam, for if people are happy to belong to Islam, that does not prevent them from following the Sunnah, but there may be other obstacles that are preventing them from coming to the path of truth, such as misguided scholars and proponents of bid’ah, or specious arguments and whims and desires, and so on. It may also be due to the fact that we are failing to convey the truth of Islam to them, or we do not have wise ways of conveying it.

You have to be gentle and patient, and select the wisest people, and address them politely. Use different means such as audio tapes, video lectures and books, and you may see some good results.

Fourthly:

Strive to make your house the focal point of this da’wah. Start with your husband and children, so that this will become a house of blessing for all people. Remember that our mother Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid was the first one of this ummah to become Muslim, and she was the first one to support the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in conveying the message and calling her daughters to Islam. Her house was the first house to become Muslim, and from it the call of goodness spread to all corners of the earth, so be like her and follow her example.

In the answer to question no. 9380 you will find more advice and suggestions, which we hope you will read. There is no need to repeat them here.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Changing an evil is something that does concern a Muslim, it is not one of the things that do not concern him

there is a hadith,whoever sees a wrong must stop it by hand,etc and another:leave alone what does not concern you.would you clarify what to stop and what to leave alone.if i c someone doing immoral things in Saudi Arabia,like dating,etc.do i go and tell them not to while i know they probably wont listen,or do i just report it to some authority?

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

There is no contradiction between what is proven in sharee’ah, whether between one aayah and another, between one hadeeth and another, or between aayahs and ahaadeeth. All of it is Revelation (wahy) from Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Had it been from other than Allaah, they would surely, have found therein many a contradiction”

[al-Nisa’ 4:82]

If there appears to be a contradiction, that is in our own minds and because of our misunderstanding, not in the texts themselves. Hence the scholars took the care to explain the texts in which there may appear to be a contradiction and to dispel any confusion that may have arisen in some people’s minds concerning some texts. With regard to the question, there is no contradiction – praise be to Allaah – between the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart [by hating it and feeling that it is wrong] – and that is the weakest of faith” (Narrated by Muslim, 49), and his words, “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him” (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2317, classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Jawaab al-Kaafi, p. 112)

It is not possible under any circumstances that Islam would oblige the person who sees an evil action to change it, then at the same time tell him that it is better not to denounce it.

The circumstances in which the first hadeeth applies are different from those in which the second hadeeth applies.

This is similar to what some people understood from the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves. If you follow the (right) guidance [and enjoin what is right (Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)] no hurt can come to you from those who are in error”
[al-Maa’idah 5:105]

But Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) guided them to the correct understanding, and the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) explained that.

It was narrated that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “O people, you recite this verse (interpretation of the meaning):

‘O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves. If you follow the (right) guidance [and enjoin what is right (Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)] no hurt can come to you from those who are in error’
[al-Maa’idah 5:105]

I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘When the people see an oppressor but they do not try to stop him, soon Allaah will cause all of them to suffer punishment because of him.’”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2168; Abu Dawood, 4338; Ibn Maajah, 4005).

This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan, 1/540.

Shaykh al-Islam said concerning what we learn from the verse “Take care of your ownselves…”:

“… Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil in the manner prescribed in Islam, based on knowledge, kindness, patience, good intentions and doing it in the proper manner, is included in the phrase “Take care of your ownselves…” and in the phrase “If you follow the (right) guidance”.

These five things are what may be learned from the aayah, for the one who is commanded to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.

There is also another meaning which is that a person should focus on his own interests by seeking knowledge and acting upon it, and not worry about that which does not concern him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” Especially being too curious about that of which a person has no need to know about another person’s religious commitment or worldly affairs, and especially if he is speaking because of hasad (destructive envy) or competing in leadership.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 14/482

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The believer has to fear Allaah with regard to His slaves and it is not his responsibility to guide them. This is the meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

‘O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves. If you follow the (right) guidance [and enjoin what is right (Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)] no hurt can come to you from those who are in error’
[al-Maa’idah 5:105]

Calling others to guidance means doing what is obligatory. If the Muslim does his duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and does his other duties as well, then the misguidance of those who have gone astray will not harm him. That may be achieved sometimes by the heart, sometimes by the tongue and sometimes by the hand. In the case of the heart, this is obligatory in all circumstances because doing it will not cause any harm. Whoever does not even do that is not a believer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘And that is the weakest of faith.’”

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 28/126-128)

So it is known that denouncing evil is one of the things that concern the Muslim, and he must denounce it as much as he is able and in accordance with the interests of sharee’ah. That which does not concern him cannot be something that is waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (encouraged).

There follow the comments of the scholars on the interpretation of the hadeeth, “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.”

(a)     Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

The Muslim is commanded either to speak good or to keep silent. If he turns away from the silence that is enjoined upon him and speaks in a unnecessary manner that is not good, then this is counted against him. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” If a person indulges in something that does not concern him, that detracts from his being a good Muslim.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 7/49, 50

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

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) summed up all of piety in one sentence, when he said: “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” This includes not speaking about, looking at, listening to, striking a blow, walking towards or thinking about anything for no purpose, and keeping away from all outward and inward actions that have to do with things that do not concern you. This sentence is sufficient concerning piety.

(c)     Ibraaheem ibn Adham said:

Piety means leaving alone all doubtful things and leaving alone that which does not concern you means leaving alone all that is superfluous.

In al-Tirmidhi there is a marfoo’ report according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O Abu Hurayrah, be pious and you will be the most devoted of people (to Allaah).”

Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 2/21

(d)    Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:

This means giving up haraam things, doubtful things, makrooh things, and excessive permissible things that are unnecessary, because all of these things do not concern the Muslim if his Islam is perfect and he has attained the level of ihsaan. The most important aspect of leaving alone that which does not concern you is guarding your tongue against idle speech.

Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, 1/309-310

(e)     al-Zarqaani said:

Some of them said that what comes under the heading of leaving alone that which does not concern you is learning branches of knowledge that are not important and ignoring those that are more important, such as one who neglects to acquire knowledge that is in his own interests and occupies himself with learning something that does not benefit anyone else, such as philosophical debate, and says as an excuse, ‘My intention is to benefit people.’ If he were sincere he would have started by learning the type of knowledge that would help him to be guided and cleanse himself of all blameworthy characteristics such as destructive envy (hasad), showing off, arrogance, self-admiration, rivalry with one's peers, trying to put people down and other characteristics and actions that may doom a person to Hell.

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: this hadeeth is an example of concise speech which includes many noble meanings in a few words, and it is one of the things that were said by no one before him.

Sharh al-Zarqaani, 4/317

(f)      al-Mubaarakfoori said:

Al-Qaari said – concerning the meaning of leaving alone that which does not concern him – this means that which is not his business and which it does not befit him to say, do, look at or think about. And he said: what is meant by that which does not concern him is that which he has no need of and is not essential to his spiritual or worldly affairs, and will not help him to earn the pleasure of his Lord, because he is able to live without it, and he can put his affairs straight without it. This includes all superfluous deeds and words.

Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 6/500

Secondly:

With regard to what is to be denounced: this includes every reprehensible action which Islam stated is abhorrent and which leads to bad consequences for the one who does it, such as zina (adultery), riba (usury, interest), looking at haraam things, listening to haraam things, shaving the beard, allowing one's garment to hang below the ankles, severing the ties of kinship, introducing innovations into the religion, and so on.

It is not necessary to be in a position of authority in order to change evil actions by one's hand, or to be a scholar in order to change them by one's tongue, rather it is sufficient to be able to change them provided that that does not result in a greater evil than the one that you are denouncing. It is sufficient for you to know that this is evil according to sharee’ah, so you denounce it by speaking out.

With regard to changing evil actions by one's heart. This means hating this evil thing in your heart and leaving the place where it is happening.

With regard to your question about seeing some evil things and wondering whether you should denounce the people who are doing them or inform the authorities, our answer is that it depends on the action in question and on who is doing it. If you see an evil action on the part of someone that you cannot leave him and go and tell the authorities about it, then you have to denounce him straightaway, because it may be too late otherwise.

But if the evil action is major and serious, and you cannot denounce it on your own, then you have to inform the authorities.

The point is that evil must be removed, whether by your hand or the hand of someone else. If that is not possible then it must be done by your tongue (by your speaking out), and you should not worry whether they listen to you or turn away from you; all you have to do is convey the message. Allaah may sow the seeds of guidance in the heart of one of them because of your words, but the Shaytaan may also suggest to you that you should forget about denouncing them on the basis that they will not listen to you – so beware of that.

 And Allaah knows best.

He drinks alcohol on the basis that he is free to do whatever he wants

I am a converted Muslim, my husband had been asked several times by his brother to have a drink with him and his friends. I couldn't confront him for the first time 'cause I don't want him to get upset. Until one day, I did asked him why he drinks (beer or whisky). His reason was,
1. I am the man of the house, I'll drink whenever I want;
2. I cannot say "NO" to my brother;
3. I need to socialize with them for connection and job promotion purposes (since the group he went with have higher positions where his working);
4. As long as I know to control myself even if I'm drinking and I am not doing anything bad. I couldn't imagine a Muslim man giving me this reasons. Please give me your opinion on this matter.

Praise be to Allaah Who has guided you to Islam; we ask Him to make you steadfast in Islam and to complete His blessing upon you.
Undoubtedly alcohol is haraam and is a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al‑Ansaab [stone altars for sacrifices to idols, jinn, etc], and Al‑Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As‑Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?”

[al-Maa'idah 5:90-91]

It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed ten people in connection with alcohol: the one who presses [the grapes, etc], the one for whom that is done, the one who drinks it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who consumes its price, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1259; Ibn Maajah, 3381. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, no. 1041).

It is not permissible for your husband to speak in this manner. This is not the response of a Muslim who must accept as forbidden that which Allaah has forbidden. It is not permissible for him to put obedience to his brother above obedience to Allaah, or to anger Allaah by pleasing his brother. If he adheres to the commands of Allaah, Allaah will protect him from his brother, but if he angers Allaah by giving precedence to pleasing his brother, Allaah will leave him to his brother. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever pleases Allaah by angering the people, Allaah will be sufficient for him. But whoever angers Allaah by pleasing the people, Allaah will leave him to the people.”

(Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 1/115; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2311)

He can tell everyone – not just his brother – “No, this action is haraam.”

Socializing with them for work purposes does not justify drinking alcohol. His saying that he is not doing anything wrong is very strange indeed. What does he call his drinking? Can we expect that his socializing with his brother and his friends does not involve anything other than alcohol? It is well known that such people will have women with them, and they will listen to music and ignore the prayers. All of these are major sins.

You have to persist in advising him, keep on doing so and do not get tired of it. Look for someone whose advice will have an effect on him.

Make a lot of du’aa’ asking that he be guided. We ask Allaah to guide us all to that which He loves and which pleases Him.

 And Allaah knows best.

She has friends who are openly committing sin – should she continue to be friends with them?

What should one do when with muslims who are sinnning openly, and you have corrected them several times? Should you continue to be in their company? For example, women who are not wearing a correct hijab or go out with kohl

Praise be to Allaah.
It is one of the blessings of Allaah that such questions as this are raised, which indicates the extent of the concern that the questioner feels for her religion and her desire to pursue the means of remaining steadfast in it, one of which is avoiding keeping company with people who commit sin. We ask Allaah to make us and her steadfast in adhering to his religion. This question may be answered in the following points:

1 – Openly committing sin is one of the causes of a person being deprived of the forgiveness of Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against this when he said: “All of my ummah may be forgiven except for those who commit sin openly.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 60696). This is a great sin, and we ask Allaah to save us from it.

If a person sits with people who sin, either of the following two scenarios must apply:

Either he sits with him at the time when that person is committing the sin.

In this case it is not permissible for him to sit with him so long as he is still sinning, unless he is able to put a stop to it by advising him or in some other way. If the evil action is stopped then it is permissible for him to sit with him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’aan) that when you hear the Verses of Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them” [al-Nisa’ 4:140]

But if the person does not stop committing the sin, then he must leave the gathering, but it is better to explain to (the sinner) the reason for leaving, if that will have an effect on him and prompt him to give up the evil action.

The second scenario is when the person is not committing sin at that moment, in which case it is permissible to sit with him and there is no sin in that.

 2 – You ask whether you should stop being friends with them, or not.

 The answer is:

 If the sister is confident that she will not be led astray because of them and she thinks that some good can come of being friends with them, in the sense that she can continue to advise them and tell them what is good for them, then in that case continuing to be friends with them is better. We ask Allaah to give her strength and support.

 But if she thinks that they may have an influence on her if she mixes with them a lot and gets used to what they are doing, then she should not sit with them and she should give up her friendship with them, in order to protect her religious commitment, especially if she has already advised them several times and they have not responded.

 Then if she thinks that she can look for others whom she can try to advise, she will be rewarded for that.

 And Allaah knows best.

Saving the Muslims from loyalty to the west in their journalistic writings

Dear Shaykh, this is a project which I have been thinking about for a while. It has to do with sending letters to journalists. I have divided journalists into three categories: those who are well-versed in deviant thought; those who are no more than an echo but do not really understand anything; and the ordinary kind who are not influenced by any ideology at all. The purpose of that is to guide those journalists who have gone astray. I have sent letters to a few of them, and I have had good and promising results, praise be to Allaah – especially from the women. This is by the grace of Allaah.
I need your advice. May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allaah.
May Allaah reward you with good for your efforts to support the religion of Allaah and to save these people from kufr, rebellion and sin. We suggest the following:

-         Remind them of their Islamic roots and make them feel nostalgic for their religion.

-         Remind them of Allaah and the Last Day. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned”

[al-Zukhruf 43:19]

-         Remind them of the seriousness of apostasy, and that the apostate does not deserve to live, according to the standards of sharee’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.”

-         Remind them of the foolishness of blindly imitating the west, and mention some of the bad things that happen in the west, quoting statistics, etc.

-         Remind them of the blessing of their ability to write, and that this ability must be used to obey Allaah and defend His religion, as Hassaan ibn Thaabit and others did.

-         Remind them of the seriousness of showing loyalty to the enemies of Allaah, and the stern warnings that have been narrated concerning that, and that adopting western thought and principles that go against Islam is a form of loyalty to the enemies of Allaah which puts one beyond the pale of Islam and constitutes apostasy.

Muslims and how others perceive them

what problems do muslims have because of how others perceive them?

Praise be to Allaah.

The Muslims have suffered persecution and harm because of how others perceive them and because of their adherence to their religion, but no matter how great the persecution, they cannot be humiliated in themselves or made to hate Islam, rather they bear that with patience for the sake of Allaah, seeking reward for that. Their Lord says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:139]

With regard to what some of the kaafirs do to the Muslims, it is for one of three reasons:

Either this kaafir is ignorant of Islam and its greatness, and of the fact that it is the true religion, so he tries to harm the Muslims because of that ignorance;

Or he knows that the Islamic religion is the true religion, but he harms the Muslims out of stubbornness and arrogance;

Or he knows of the superiority of Islam and the Muslims, but he does that because of envy towards Islam and its followers.

Yet despite that the Muslims believe that Islam is the religion of honour and pride, and the religion of high status in this world and in the Hereafter; whoever adheres to it, Allaah will raise his status, and whoever turns away from it harms no one but himself.

One of the things that Islam teaches us is to be proud and strong. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good.” (Narrated by Muslim, 4815).

Islam tells us that the older ones among us should show mercy towards the younger ones. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young ones and show respect to our old ones.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1842; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1565).

Islam commands us to be merciful and compassionate towards one another, and in contrast we are to be severe and harsh against the kaafirs. Allaah says, describing the Companions of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves”

[al-Fath 48:29 – interpretation of the meaning]

Our religion permits us (Muslim men) to marry Jewish or Christian women, but we are not permitted to marry our daughters to them (Jews or Christians), because the Jews and Christians are lower in status than us, and our women are higher in status than them, and one who is inferior cannot prevail over one who is superior. Islam should prevail, not be prevailed over. And we believe in their Prophets but they do not believe in our Prophet.

Our religion commands us to expel them from the Arabian Peninsula and not to let them remain there, because the Arabian Peninsula is the land of Revelation, so it is not permissible for it to be contaminated by the presence of unclean kaafirs. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Expel the mushrikeen (polytheists, pagans) from the Arabian Peninsula.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2932; Muslim, 3089).

Our religion forbids us to eat from the vessel of a Jew or a Christian unless we cannot find anything else. In that case it is permissible for us to eat from it on condition that we wash it thoroughly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, when he was asked about eating from the vessels of the People of the Book: “If you can find any other vessel, then do not eat from them; if you cannot find anything else, wash them and then eat from them.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5056; Muslim, 3567 – this version was narrated by him).

Our religion forbids us to imitate the dress of the kaafirs or to imitate the way they eat or any of their customs, because we are superior and the kaafirs are inferior, and the one who is superior should not imitate the one who is inferior. Indeed, our Prophet warned us that the one who imitates the kaafirs is going to meet the same fate as them in Hell, what a terrible fate! The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (narrated by Abu Dawood, 3512. Al-Albaani said concerning this hadeeth: (it is) hasan saheeh. See Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3401).

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.

Islam is a divinely-revealed religion, which connects a believer to his Lord with no intermediary. So a person worships his Lord whenever he wants, and calls upon Him when he wants. He is connected to his Lord by ties of worship, by turning to Him and beseeching Him. He does not need the intercession of priests or rabbis. Rather he turns directly to Allaah, the One, the Subduer of all.

What you see nowadays of the humiliation of the Muslims and the domination of the Jews and Christians over them is the result of the Muslims’ negligence and failure to adhere to their religion, their failure to prepare for jihad for the sake of Allaah, and their love of this world which kills the love of Allaah and the Hereafter in their hearts. Hence you see that the blood of the Muslims  is shed and has become cheap, and their homes are destroyed and counted as worthless, and their lives are counted as cheap because of their weakness. Allaah indeed spoke the truth when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much”[al-Shoora 42:30]

So our humiliation and weakness are because of what we Muslims have done, not because of Islam. But when we come back to our religion, our glory and pride will come back to us.

And Allaah knows best.

Her brother is very audacious in committing sin – what should she do with him?

I have a brother who is younger than me, 20 years old. I know that he commits all the sins that Allaah has forbidden, and my father and mother are righteous but they cannot set him straight. I fear for him but every time I try to speak to him he reacts by telling me than he has no aim in life and he wants to die. He always says why should I set myself straight and for whom? What can I do for my only brother?.

Praise be to Allaah.
I ask Allaah to bless your brother with guidance and righteousness, and to bring him back to the straight path, and to help you to call him and guide him to what is good and to make that count in the balance of your good deeds.

You should note – may Allaah bless you – that there are a number of ways in which you can call your brother and guide him. These include the following:

Firstly: Pray sincerely for your brother to be guided and set aright, and have certain faith that Allaah will respond. Keep on praying for that, and know that Allaah will never let down the one who puts his hope in Him or refuse to answer the one who prays to Him with sincerity.

Secondly: Try to advise him sincerely, seeking to convince him rationally. Encourage him by telling him of the honour and great reward that Allaah has prepared, and warn him by telling him of the punishment and humiliation and severe torment that Allaah has prepared for the sinners. Tell him about the true nature of this life, and that Allaah has only created this universe – with its earth and heaven, seas and rivers, mountains and plains, lowlands and deserts, for you, O man. How can you, O weak creature, compare to these mighty creations which Allaah has subjugated for you, to make your life easier, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He it is Who created for you all that is on earth”

[al-Baqarah 2:29]

“He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection”

[al-Mulk 67:15]

“See you not (O men) that Allaah has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks) and hidden [i.e. one’s faith in Allaah (of Islamic Monotheism), knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter in Paradise]?”

[Luqmaan 31:20]

Indeed He has preferred you above all these earthly creations, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At‑Tayyibaat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment”

[al-Isra’ 17:70]

If you know this, O weak creature, and that Allaah has created all these great creations and subjugated them for your comfort in this life, then hasten to ask the logical question which occurs to every wise person: Why did Allaah create me then? Your Lord and Creator has clearly answered this question, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

So the purpose for which you have been created, O man, is this: To submit yourself truly and sincerely to Allaah, the One, the Only. This is the answer to your question: for whom should I set myself straight? You should set yourself straight for Allaah Who has created you and formed you, Who has given you life, strength and health, and all the blessings that you enjoy. They all come from Him alone, and if He so willed He could take them all away from you in the blink of an eye. Does He not deserve that you should your gratitude for these innumerable blessings by doing what He commands and avoiding what He has forbidden, which is the essence of the worship for which you were created. With regard to your saying why should I set myself straight, Allaah has stated the reason why He created death and life in this world. It is so that you may know the greater reality which, once a man knows it, he cannot have any peace of mind until he attains the pleasure of Allaah and meets Him in Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All‑Mighty, the Oft‑Forgiving”

[al-Mulk 67:2]

So you should understand this and understand that your Creator is testing you now, in this world, to see what you will do and to recompense you accordingly on the Day when you meet Him – if it is good then you will be rewarded and if it is bad then you will be punished – and you should understand that after death man will never be left neglected, rather he will be recompensed according to his deeds as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Does man think that he will be left neglected (without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord Allaah on him)?”

[al-Qiyaamah 75:36],  

Based on this, you will notice that Allaah often describes in His Book what He has prepared for His slaves who do good in this world, for in the Hereafter they will have with Him Paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth, in which there is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and it has not entered the heart of man. And He also often describes what He has prepared for those who do evil and neglect His rights over them; it is blazing Fire in which they will neither live nor die, in which He has prepared all kinds of humiliation and torment which would cause a child’s hair to turn white if he heard of them, let alone saw them with his own eyes. We ask Allaah to keep us and you safe from it.

After knowing all this, is it befitting for you to dare to go against His commands or to live for any purpose other than that for which you have been created? By Allaah the poet spoke the truth when he said:

If when we die we are abandoned, then death would be the end of every living thing

But when we die we will be resurrected and asked after that about everything.

Undoubtedly the anxiety and worry that you are feeling make you wish for death; that is because you have lost the sense of this noble, divinely-ordained goal. The greatest and most enjoyable thing in this universe is to be a true slave of Allaah. So beware of turning away from your Lord and becoming far away from Him, for you will return to Him even if you live a very long life, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord  with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, and you will meet (the results of your deeds which you did).”

[al-Inshiqaaq 84:6]

Beware lest you meet Him having turned away from Him, and the following words apply to you (interpretation of the meaning):

“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’aan nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.

125. He will say: ‘O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before).’

126. (Allaah) will say: ‘Like this: Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell‑fire, away from Allaah’s Mercy).’

127. And thus do We requite him who transgresses beyond bounds [i.e. commits the great sins and disobeys his Lord (Allaah) and believes not in His Messengers, and His revealed Books, like this Qur’aan], and believes not in the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord; and the torment of the Hereafter is far more severe and more lasting”

[Ta-Ha 20:124-127]

So hasten to repent sincerely, and you will find a Lord Who is generous and rejoices over His slave when he repents, and is pleased with him when he repents. Indeed He bestows such love and mercy upon him that has never crossed anyone’s mind. So what are you waiting for? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So flee to Allaah (from His Torment to His Mercy – Islamic Monotheism). Verily, I (Muhammad) am a plain warner to you from Him”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:50]

Once you have understood this, then note – may Allaah help you to do that which pleases Him – that this great blessing, salvation from that painful torment and success in this great test can only be attained by means of hard work and difficulty which requires patience, perseverance and longsuffering. But it is a hardship that will quickly pass and suffering that will soon end, to be followed by eternal bliss and everlasting pleasure. What is a little hardship and pain when compared with eternal delight and everlasting joy.

We ask Allaah to bless us all with His bounty and His Paradise…

In conclusion, I would like to leave you with these great verses from the Book of Allaah, which He revealed to His slave Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to be a healing for the hearts of the believers and a remedy for their ills, so read them and ponder their meaning, so that Allaah may make them a balm and a healing for the anxiety and distress that you are suffering.

Our Lord said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allaah (Alone),’ and then they stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!

31. ‘We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner‑selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask.

32. ‘An entertainment from (Allaah), the Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful’”

[Fussilat 41:30-32]

“Verily, those who say: ‘Our Lord is (only) Allaah,’ and thereafter stand firm (on the Islamic Faith of Monotheism), on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

14. Such shall be the dwellers of Paradise, abiding therein (forever) -a reward for what they used to do”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:13-14]

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All‑Aware of what you do.

19. And be not like those who forgot Allaah (i.e. became disobedient to Allaah), and He caused them to forget their ownselves (let them to forget to do righteous deeds). Those are the Faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).

20. Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful”

[al-Hashr 59:18-20]

And there are many other verses which explain this great truth clearly. So you must turn to the Book of Allaah, in which you will find all that is good, and keep away from everything that is bad and evil.

I ask Allaah to open your heart to goodness and to make you steadfast in adhering to it until you meet Him; and to keep evil away from you, for He is All-Hearing, Ever-Near. And Allaah knows best.