News Kashmir Magazine

          YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS LIMITED TO THIS WORLD ONLY

Dr Suhaib Ashraf Bhat
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)The best among you are those who bring greatest benefits to many others. Charity preached by every religion of the world, is a way of bringing justice to society. And justice is the essence of religion, Islam has therefore made charity that is Zakah, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith; it has been made into an institution in order to give in permanence and regularity. You know that charity, is the Third Pillar of Islam, a major teaching. Being charitable and providing for the needy are important features of the Muslim character. Why is charity so important?The existence of countless starving, poor, hungry and destitute Muslims and non-Muslims in the world points to the need for this essential teaching to be put into practice. Affluent Muslims may not realize how their wealth could strengthen whole communities. Giving charity correctly is crucial to both the well-being of the needy as well as the ultimate happiness of the wealthy. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasized this principle repeatedly.
The one who does not pay zakaah either believes that it is obligatory or he does not. If he does not believe that it is obligatory, then he is a kaafir according to the consensus of the Muslims, because he is denying something that no Muslim has any excuse for not knowing. If he believes that it is obligatory but he does not pay it because he is stingy, then he is not a kaafir according to the majority of scholars, but some of the scholars are of the view that he is a kaafir. Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (2/228): Whoever denies it out of ignorance, and he is ignorant of it because he is new in Islam or because he grew up in a remote area far from the cities, should be informed that it is obligatory and should not be regarded as a kaafir, because he is excused. But if he is a Muslim who grew up in a Muslim land where there are a lot of scholars, then he is an apostate to whom the rulings on apostates apply: he should be asked to repent three times; if he repents, all well and good, otherwise he is to be executed, because the evidence that zakaah is obligatory is clearly stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah, and it can hardly be unknown by someone in his situation. If he denies it, that can only be because he is denying the Qur’aan and Sunnah and does not believe in them. If he withholds it although he believes it is obligatory, and the ruler is able to take it from him, then he should take it and punish him (ta’zeer), but he should not take any more than the zakaah that is due, according to the view of the majority of scholars, including Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and their companions. Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh and Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: He should take it and half of his wealth. … But if the one who is withholding zakaah is beyond the ruler’s reach, he should fight him, because the Sahaabah (may Allah swt be pleased with them) fought those who withheld it. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: If they withhold from me a rope that they used to give to the Messenger of Allaah Myhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) (in zakaah), I will fight them for it. End quote. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said concerning zakaah: It is obligatory according to the consensus of the Muslims. Whoever denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, unless he is new in Islam or grew up in a remote area far from knowledge and scholars, in which case he is excused, but he should be told. If after he is told about it he still denies it, then he is a kaafir and an apostate. As for the one who withholds it out of stinginess and carelessness, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars.  Some of them said that he is a kaafir, and this was one of the two views narrated from Imam Ahmad. Others said that he is not a kaafir, and this is the correct opinion, but he has committed a major sin. The evidence that he is not a kaafir is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) mentioned the punishment of the one who withholds zakaah on gold and silver, then he said: “until judgement has been passed among all people, then he will be shown his path, either to Paradise or to Hell.” If it is possible that he may be shown his path to Paradise, then he is not a kaafir, because the kaafir cannot be shown his path to Paradise. But the one who withholds it out of stinginess or carelessness is committing a great sin which Allah swt mentions in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah swt has bestowed on them of His Bounty (wealth) think that it is good for them (and so they do not pay the obligatory Zakaah). Nay, it will be worse for them; the things which they covetously withheld, shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection.  And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is WellAcquainted with all that you do” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:180]“And those who hoard up gold and silver (AlKanz: the money, the Zakaah of which has not been paid) and spend them not in the way of Allah swt, announce unto them a painful torment. On the Day when that (AlKanz: money, gold and silver, the Zakaah of which has not been paid) will be heated in the fire of Hell and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, (and it will be said unto them:) ‘This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard’” [al-Tawbah 9:34, 35]End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (918/14). Those who are careless about paying zakaah should be advised and reminded of how important it is, and should be told of the texts which warn against being stingy in paying it. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah said: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5073; Muslim, 993. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)On the day when all other shade will be gone, Allah swt will shade and shelter those who give charity and care for the poor. The Muslim’s sacrifice in this life will be their protection on the Day of Judgment.
Suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com

RISING CASES OF DIVORCE 

DR SUHAIB ASHRAF BHAT Love is a decision to be committed to another person. It is far more than a fleeting emotion as portrayed on television, the big screen, and romance novels. Feelings come and go, but a true decision to be committed lasts forever—and that is what defines healthy marriages.
What you have to do is treat your spouse kindly. Part of kind treatment is listening properly to what they are saying and responding properly. Being right is not limited to men; it may be your wife’s view that is correct and her suggestions and advice may be good. What is preventing you from letting her express her views and discussing them with her in a friendly manner? 
Marriage is a decision to be committed through the ups and the downs, the good and the bad. When things are going well, commitment is easy. But true love is displayed by remaining committed even through the trials of life. Honesty and trust become the foundation for everything in a successful marriage. But unlike most of the other essentials on this list, trust takes time. You can become selfless, committed, or patient in a moment, but trust always takes time. Trust is only built after weeks, months, and years of being, who you say you are and doing what you say you’ll do. It takes time, so start now—and if you need to rebuild trust in your relationship, you’ll need to work even harder. Although it will never show up on any survey, more marriages are broken up by selfishness than any other reason. Surveys blame it on finances, lack of commitment, infidelity, or incompatibility, but the root cause for most of these reasons is selfishness. A selfish person is committed only to himself or herself, shows little patience, and never learns how to be a successful spouse. Give your hopes, dreams, and life to your partner. And begin to live life together.
This is a simple call to value our marriages, treat them with great care, and invest in them daily.
Remember how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) listened to the advice of his wife Umm Salamah (may Allah swt be pleased with her) and adopted it in a matter of great importance. That was during the well-known Treaty of al-Hudaybiyah, when she suggested to him that he should go out and not speak to anyone among his Companions until he had slaughtered his hadiy (sacrificial animal) and shaved his head. Our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) did as his wife (may Allah swt be pleased with her) suggested and there was a great deal of good in that. So listen to her.
Remember that the consequences of this attitude towards your wife may backfire on you; she may refuse to give you any advice so long as you do not accept what she offers you and is forced to agree with you even if you are wrong. Thus you will be depriving yourself of a great deal of good and beneficial advice. It suffices us to say to you: This attitude, in which you insist on your opinion, do not admit your mistakes and do not acknowledge that your wife could be right is the very essence of arrogance, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) defined it. 
A good relationship between the spouses means that each of them should pay attention to the feelings of the other and they should try to make one another happy. It also means paying attention to the spouse’s circumstances and relationship with those who have right over him or her, so as to help him fulfil those rights, such as the rights of parents, relatives, neighbours and so on. The basis for all of that is understanding, love and compassion. 
Our Lord, the All-Knowing, All-Aware, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah swt ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient, and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of the happiness in the Hereafter i.e. Paradise and in this world of a high moral character)”
[Fussilat 41:34-35]. 
As-Sa‘di said in Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan (p. 749):
Then Allah swt enjoins showing a special type of kindness that will have a great impact, which is treating kindly the one who mistreats you. Allah swt says, “Repel (the evil) with one which is better” i.e., if  someone mistreats you, especially if he has significant rights over you, such as relatives, friends and so on, in word or deed, then respond in a way that is better. If he severs ties with you, uphold ties with him; if he wrongs you, forgive him; if he talks about you behind your back or in your presence, do not respond in kind – rather forgive him and speak to him gently; if he shuns you and does not speak to you, then speak to him kindly and greet him with salaam. If you respond to mistreatment with kindness you will attain great benefits.
“then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend” i.e., as if he is near and dear
“But none is granted it” i.e., no one is granted this praiseworthy quality “except those who are patient” in putting up with what they dislike and respond to it in the way that Allah swt likes, for people are naturally inclined to respond to bad treatment with more bad treatment, and not to forgive it. So, how about responding with kind treatment. If a person is patient, obeys the command of his Lord, is aware of the great reward, and knows that responding to bad treatment in kind will not benefit him in any way and will only make the enmity stronger, whereas treating him kindly will not lower his esteem and that in fact the one who is humble for the sake of Allah swt, He will raise him in status — then it will be easy for him and he will find joy in doing that.
“and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter i.e. Paradise, and in this world of a high moral character)” because it is one of the attributes of the elite among mankind, by means of which a person attains high status in this world and in the Hereafter, which is the greatest of noble characteristics.

Islamic teaching describes several guidelines that will lead to having a peaceful and sound atmosphere in the home, including the following:
Choosing a good wife.Making the home a place of remembrance of Allah swt.Establishing the laws of Allah swt in the home.Teaching the members of the household about Islamic faith and manners.Continually reciting Soorat al-Baqarah in the home to drive away the Shaytaan from the home.Not allowing anyone into the home whose religious commitment is not good.Keeping family secrets.
We all have weaknesses and relationships always reveal these faults quicker than anything else on earth. An essential building block of a healthy marriage is the ability to admit that you are not perfect, that you will make mistakes, and that you will need forgiveness. Holding an attitude of superiority over your partner will bring about resentment and will prevent your relationship from moving forward.
It is not the attribute of the wise and mature man to insist when he is in the wrong that his wife should be the one to apologise. Rather he is the one who should hasten to admit his mistake, apologise for it and ask his wife to forgive him. And her duty is to apologize to her husband if she is the one who is in the wrong. It is in this way that married life takes a correct course and lasting love and compassion are strengthened between the spouses. 
Abu’d-Darda’ (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said to his wife: “If you see me angry, try to calm me down, and if I see you angry I shall try to calm you down, otherwise we cannot live together.”  
May Allah swt bless you all and make your married life full of blessings. Aameen.

TAKING ONE’S LIFE 

Syed Mustafa Ahmad
Taking one’s life, is not in the hands of a person, because his or her life is not his or her own, but it is a gift from Allah. Yes, it is a fact that God has made  us thinking human beings, but it doesn’t mean that a man is going to trespass all the limitations set by Him. Life becomes a burden, when people go against the divine rules and begin to live in their own-made illusionary worlds. In this way,  like in case of Robert Lee  Frost, who found himself at the two crossroads, however, we find ourselves at many crossroads, that make our life gloomy and there seems no light at the end of the tunnel.       Since time immemorial, the main aim of the mortal life has been comfort or happiness. For the sake of comfort, many comforts are sacrificed. Reaching the present situation and its demands, materialistic love has become the necessary aim of life. Politics, economics, society, morality, religion, etc., are subordinate to money. One who fails in earning or getting this, by hook or crook, is considered as a failure. Being a failure, he or she has no option but to end his or life because for living, he has no money to survive. In the following lines, we will try to understand that how can a person abstain from taking his or her life.       The first is understand yourselves. Our marvellous bodies don’t only have the need for material things. Instead, it needs something best and long lasting. If we look closely at ourselves, there are cent per cent chances that we will come across a reality that makes material things the secondary priority, while contentment and peace occupy the top most position. This is the first way to abstain from taking one’s life.       The second is the nature of lifetime. It is temporary in nature. Those things that are temporary in nature, should not be loved at the cost of permanent things. When the world is for a lesser time, why should a person go on loving it forever. It is the silliest thing to be done. A sane person never does these things, but ponder over things and never think of taking his or her life, for the sake of little comfort. However, it does not mean that there should be no comfort at all. Subsistence things are necessary.       The third is imitation. Stop imitating those who believe that this world is the only place to live. After death, whether a person is cremated or buried, it means nothing. They indulge in every kind of merrymaking and don’t think of anything else. However, in our case, we have under a scrutiny. We can never escape from the watchful eyes. So, ours case is totally different. If we follow them, we will surely fall in the depths of despair and taking our lives, will remain an only solution for us.        The fourth and last is relationships. We are the product of relationships. It is God, who is above all these things, but we have no escape. Almost all human beings and animals descend from one generation to another. In this scheme of things, every human being and animal are related to each other in their own domains. Moreover, we all have emotions. Mother is the source of emotions. If her son or daughter commits suicide, it means that her emotions are hurt badly and in this way, there are chances that after taking her or his life, it may not find peace again. Like Ibrahim Zauq said that if a person doesn’t get peace after death, where he or she will go.       In short, as said by Socrates that contentment is the biggest wealth. A man must try his best to remain content. Earn money that is enough for him and his family’s needs. Craving for more and more, will make his life hellish and at the end of the day, there will be only path that is the path of hurting himself. 

  THE CRISIS IS REAL
Suhaib Ashraf Bhat

The Westerners occupied the pinnacle of the global economy, and they said: “Who is stronger than us?” so Allah swt brought them down from their financial fortresses and citadels, and instilled fear in their hearts and exposed the falseness of their claims.
Coronavirus (COVID-19), a virus that grew stealthily has become one of the deadliest viruses that is killing people worldwide. This virus took birth in Wuhan city of China and since then have travelled across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Coronavirus as a pandemic. It has become a mass scare and is leading to the deaths of thousands of people in almost every country. 
World economy is seeing its greatest fall ever. Corona virus has largely impacted the growth of almost every country and is responsible for the slump in GDP worldwide. Like other countries, India is also impacted by this virus. Almost every industry sector has seen a fall in their sales and revenue. Due to this outbreak, almost 80% of Indian companies has witnessed cash flow difficulty and over 50% of companies are facing operations issues. As per Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) 53% of companies are impacted by COVID-19. Slow economic activity is resulting in cash flow problems eventually impacting repayments, interest, taxes, etc. The consequences of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak are unprecedented and felt around the world. The world of work is being profoundly affected by the pandemic. In addition to the threat to public health, the economic and social disruption threatens the long-term livelihoods and wellbeing of millions. The pandemic is heavily affecting labour markets, economies and enterprises, including global supply chains, leading to widespread business disruptions.COVID-19 has also shown how governance failures may involve inaction or over-zealous action by ill-prepared authorities scrambling to maintain or regain stability. Both ends of the spectrum undermine trust and cooperation among citizens and countries. Centralized control measures may seem necessary to stop or delay the spread of the virus, and compensate for weak individual and community resilience, but may also cause harm. Where a stringent policy response is deemed necessary, business will inevitably be impacted, with both near-term effects and less-expected longer-run consequences.Unemployment is skyrocketing, while policymakers across countries race to implement fiscal and monetary measures to alleviate the financial burden on citizens and shore up economies under severe strain. The underlying cause of the economic slowdown is a global pandemic. The spread, and thus the economic impact of the virus, are highly unpredictable. But it affects people in all countries, states and localities to some degree. The pandemic also hurts almost all industries, turning the health care challenge into an economic one. Most of the economic disruptions affect the demand side. People can no longer go to work and often lose their jobs and incomes as businesses shutter their operations. Businesses are holding off on investments amid the growing uncertainty. And, exports will inevitably falter as other countries are taking similar actions to slow the spread of the virus. There will be some limited supply side effects. Businesses will fail as they lack customers and cash to sustain them for extended periods of time. Small and medium sized businesses, especially in low-margin industries, are ones most acutely hit by the economic fallout. Any economic intervention needs to primarily focus on boosting the demand side of the economy. This means replacing incomes, especially among lower-income and middle-income families. It is obvious to everyone that the financial crisis is shaking the entire world, East and West. It is a serious event that is giving the politicians, decision makers, prominent thinkers and economist’s sleepless nights. It is a huge calamity that is very complex and has many implications, which explains the great turmoil being experienced by economists and politicians, and it also explains why so much is being written about it, analysing it from different points of view. They are in a state of great confusion, and some of them have started to blame one another for what has happened. 
This crisis requires some explanation in order to highlight some important aspects that have to do with it.
The crisis is real:It has led to the collapse of major banks and financial institutions; international stock markets have declined, trillions of dollars have evaporated, billions have disappeared from the financial markets, many countries in the world have hit rock bottom, millions have lost their wealth, be it in the form of shares, savings or investments; the investments of the American people in the stock markets have lost $4 trillion. This crisis has become like a tsunami, striking the economies of many countries. 
“The roof fell down upon them”:
Economy and money are the main foundation of Western society, and when they were content with that and forsook the laws of Allah swt, “Allah swt struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive” [al-Nahl 16:26]. 
What we are seeing today of large scale destruction is about to utterly destroy them. The economic structure that they boast about and think will protect them has become the cause of their turmoil and decline. The calamity has come to them from above and from below. They thought that their financial system was perfect but from that system has come that which they never expected. “and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive”. 
“Say (to them), ‘It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds)’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:165]
Just as calamities and disasters have known, tangible causes, they also have spiritual causes. The fact that there are tangible causes does not contradict the fact that there are spiritual causes too. 
Oppression, transgression, sin, disobedience to Allah swt and denying the rights of others are all causes of calamities befalling people at both individual and group levels, and even at the global level on occasion, as we are seeing in this crisis which involves calamities one after another. 
“Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah swt) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds)”
[al-Room 30:41] 
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much”
[al-Shoora 42:30]
In the saheeh hadeeth it says: “When zina (fornication, adultery) and riba (usury, interest) appear in a town, then they have brought the punishment of Allah swt upon themselves.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (679). 
What has befallen the people is not a problem from heaven; rather it is a calamity that has befallen them because of their sin and what their own hands have wrought.  
Allah swt gives respite but does not forget:
He gave them respite whilst they were dealing in riba and consuming it doubled and multiplied (cf. Aal ‘Imraan 3:130) and waging war against Him for so many years, until He punished them with shortness of crops and destruction, as He did with Pharaoh and his people before: “And indeed We punished the people of Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) with years of drought and shortness of fruits (crops), that they might remember (take heed)” [al-A’raaf 7:130]. 
The Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Allah swt gives respite to the wrongdoer until, when He seizes him, He will not let him off.” Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning): “Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful (and) severe” [Hood 11:102]. Agreed upon. 
No one should think that Allah swt in His exaltedness, might and power is leaving these people to wrong others and rebel (disobey Allah swt) in the earth wrongfully ( Yoonus 10:23), disbelieving in Him and committing every major sin, then He will not send down His wrath and punishment. 
The destiny of falsehood is to weaken and diminish: No matter how high it rises, there will come a day when it will inevitably be brought low. This is one of the laws of Allah swt that never changes. “It is Allah swt’s promise that nothing rises in this world but He will bring it down.” Al-Bukhaari, 2872.

May Allah swt make things easy for us.  Aameen The writer can be reached at  suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com