IslamicEDU

You cannot achieve anything meaningful and significant without setting a fundamental objective in sight. In fact, it is the fundamental objective that motivates and drives a person to achieve any target one sets. This is also a fact that fundamental objectives of different societies of world differ significantly from each other, giving them a unique identity and a unique place in world.

For example, Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, according to the wisdom of his times regarded the following three elements as the objectives:

Similarly, being Muslims, we should know what elements are treated as primary objectives from Islamic perspective. They include:

Total submission to Allah Almighty leading to His utter love, respect and adoration:

According to Islam, Allah is the ultimate creator of the universe. In fact, everything present in universe is meant to teach man about the supremacy of Allah Almighty, accounting to complete submission to Allah’s will in the most loving manner.

In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful We have always sent messages (of guidance) as a mercy from your Lord. He alone is the One who hears all and knows all, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if only you were firm believers. There is no deity other than Him; He gives life and deals death. He is your Lord and the Lord of your earliest ancestors. Yet they remain in doubt, playing about. (Smoke; Al-Dukhan; 44: 5-10)

Understanding oneself as well as the universe:

Allah Almighty has awarded humanity with what all other species and beings lack in the degree and essence, i.e. intelligence and the power of decision. This is because Allah (SWT) wants humans to contemplate on their own being and creation, as well as that of the whole universe. Consider the following verses of Quran for better understanding:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the benefit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth — (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:164)

Following Islamic values:

This also serves to be one of the major objectives from Islamic perspectives. Since Islam not only preaches religious beliefs and practices, but also awards a complete code of life, following Islamic values for living life, for Muslims serves as one of the major objectives of an Islamic society.

For that, Quran education and Sunnah (the life patterns of Muhammad PBUH) serve as the best sources, as told to us by none other than Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“I am leaving you two things and you will never go astray as long as you cling to them — they are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.” [Reported by Al- Haakim - Sahih].

Conclusion

Islam is the only path that leads to Allah Almighty, as communicated by The Mightiest Himself

Aal-e-Imran [3:19] the Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His will): nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.

Therefore, the best way is to live your life in a manner that pleases the Ultimate Creator, i.e. Allah Almighty. May Allah (SWT) endow to us the will and strength to achieve these objectives.

Life is one of the most precious gifts one can ever demand from the Mighty Lord of the universe, i.e. Allah Almighty; Who not only created human beings, but every single particle constituting the whole wide universe we can see and think of.

Especially blessed are the ones who have been honored with the chance of living life as a Muslim, following the principles of life laid by Allah (SWT) Himself, communicated to us through a scripture as exalted as Quran. However, erroneousness of human nature compels many human beings to go astray and follow a lifestyle that not only creates many problems for them in this life, but the life hereafter.

This article describes some of the ways and habits every Muslim should avoid in order to live a life of peace and prosperity, also guaranteeing the accord of Allah Almighty in the eternal world.

Stay away from the company of ill-intentioned people

This is very important. As mentioned earlier, human nature is prone to getting astray easily. In fact, that is why Allah Almighty had been blessing humanity with constant guidance in form of more than one hundred and twenty four thousand messengers who devoted their lives in guiding humanity out of abyss of ignorance. That is why wise people insist that the company a person keeps counts a lot in determining the way one would live their life. Rogue and ill-intentioned people around you serve to inspire and compel you for bad things, leading you away from Quran education and Sunnah principles, as also mentioned in the following verse:

“… real wish is to see that you become a disbeliever, as they have disbelieved, so that you may become exactly like them. So you should not take friends from their ranks unless they immigrate in the way of God…” (Qur’an; 4:89)

Stop looking for help from anyone other than Allah

Being a Muslim, one of the basic requirements is to consider none other than Allah to be the ultimate source of power and strength, seeking help only from Him. However, it is quite unfortunate and disturbing when people resort to sources other than Allah Almighty as their help. Allah (SWT) loves every human being more than anyone else ever could, and listens to the please and prayers of those who resort to Him with full faith. Consider the following verse to get a better understanding on this:

If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided.
(Surat al-Baqara: 186)

Stop being ungrateful

Allah (SWT) says in Quran:

It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures: Therein is fruit and date-palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates): Also corn with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder and sweet-smelling plants. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? (Al Rahman 55; verses 10-13)

Conclusion

It is really up to us how happily we want to live our lives. We can either be the cry-babies, whining, crying, and complaining for the little bit of what we do not have; or be the thankful and grateful beings, expressing our gratitude for countless bounties bestowed to us by Allah Almighty.

One of the major questions asked by most of the Muslims residing in West is that, shaking hands with a non-mehram woman is permissible or not?

The ‘woman’ in the question includes both Muslim and Non-Muslim women. Though the Eastern countries provide far less places and chances, where non-mehram men and woman can shake hands with each other, on contrary survival is not possible without doing so in the western world. Moreover, shaking hands with a non-mehram woman is regarded as a sin in Islam.

“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than that he should touch a woman who is not permissible for him”

This Hadeeth shows the extreme disliking of the act of shaking hands or touching a non-mahram woman. Touching a non-mahram woman is a grievous sin, and receiving a fatal stroke of iron pin on head is better than committing this sin.

The Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is in direct compliance with the message of Quran. Therefore, there is not a single chance that Prophet (PBUH) would do what is against the Quran. Umaymah the daughter of Raqeeqah narrates that:

‘The Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “I do not shake hands with women”

This is the clear message of Holy Prophet (PBUH) in case you seek answer to your question of shaking hands with non-mehram women. No reply could be as clear as the reply in the above hadeeth.

Now if Prophet (PBUH) did not shake hands with any women, then the next question that arises in mind is, how did he take the bay’ah (pledge) of all the women?

The custom with men was that, Prophet (PBUH) would take the hand of the other person in his hand and then take his pledge of Tauheed and pronounce him a Muslim. However, in case of women, Prophet (PBUH) adopted a different strategy, which did not require physical touch of any sort. As narrated by Aa’isha (May Allah be Pleased with Her):

“He used to accept the women’s oath of allegiance by words only”

Meaning that he did not apply the same custom of taking pledge of men on the women, there was no handshake and no physical contact.

You will find different tafseers of Mufassareen, where they would mention that during the pledge, the Prophet (PBUH) would ask for a vessel of water, and would dip his hands in to it, and then the women would do the same to complete the pledge. Some of the mufassareeen  say that, the Prophet (PBUH) shake hands with woman, with a Qatari Cloak in his hand, and some say that Umar (May Allah be Pleased with Him), would do the hand shake with women on his behalf.

All of these tafaseer are untrue and unauthentic, especially the last one. If you learn Quran, you will know that Prophet (PBUH) was Masoom (infallible), and if the Infallible Prophet (PBUH) could not shake hand with women, then how could Umar (Allah be pleased with him) do so.

Islam is a religion of understanding, so in case of necessity where a woman does not have any other woman to help her, like in medical treatment, removing of tooth, or any eye procedure, then a non-mahram can touch a woman and it would not be considered a sin. Because the act was performed in dire necessity, and there was no other option.

In a nutshell, shaking hands or touching a non-mahram is extremely prohibited in Islam, with no leverage whatsoever. You can only have physical contact with a non-mahram, if he or she is in a medical treatment, and don’t have the option of being taken care by the same gender.