Wa-alaykum As-salamu wa-Rahmatullah Wa-Barakatuh

Thanks a lot, dear questioner, for your important question which reflects your pure soul and nature.

 The important hadiths for this question are as follows: 

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Never does a Muslim plants a tree except that he has the reward of charity for him, for what is eaten out of that is charity; what is stolen out of that, what the beasts eat out of that, what the birds eat out of that is charity for him. (In short) none incurs a loss to him but it becomes a charity on his part. (Muslim)

• The Prophet said: “No Muslim plants a plant or sows a crop, then a person, or a bird, or an animal eats from it, except that it will be charity for him." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Allah knows best about how this might apply to potted houseplants which are merely kept in the home for decoration and household purposes. Houseplants do not provide the types of general benefit mentioned in the hadith as being the reasons for the reward. The hadith describes the reward for planting a tree to be that of charity. The hadith goes on to describe the charity as being realized through the food the tree provides for humans and animals. 

We might extend the meaning of the hadith by analogy to other benefits that plants provide to people, animals and the environment. For instance, trees provide shade along the road and contribute to the beauty of the urban environment. These are important benefits that are enjoyed by the public. Likewise, trees provide habitation and shelter for birds and many other animals. 

However, similar benefits to the public that can be likened to charity are not really seen in the houseplants a person keeps at home for beatification, fresh air, and other purely personal reasons. Therefore, we cannot easily extend the hadith’s meaning to such plants. 

However, we cannot rule out a reward for taking care of such plants. If the houseplant dies through no fault or negligence of the owner, then there is, of course, no sin upon the owner for its death. 

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Source:  www.islamtoday.com

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Dear Martha,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, the famous American preacher, Sheikh Yusuf Estes, states:

Allah tells us "Allah is capable of doing anything He Wills to do." It should be noted in Islam we understand Allah never Wills to do anything that would make Him no longer be Allah.

That is to say, He would never die as this would mean He is no longer "The Eternally Alive" (one of His characteristics mentioned in the Quran).

Therefore, He can make a rock (or anything else for that matter) so large or heavy - nothing in the entire universe can move it.

As regards Allah "moving" it, He is not in the universe and He does not resemble His creation.

Therefore, Allah is never subject to the Laws of the Creation because He is both the Creator and the Law Giver.

Whenever He wants anything done, He merely says "Kun! Fayakun!" (Be! And so it will be!)

Speaking about Himself, Allah says: The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says "BE!" - and it is. (Al-Baqarah 2:117)

She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allah (God) creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "BE!" and it is. (Aal Imran 3:47)

Verily, the likeness of Jesus before Allah (God) is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "BE!" - and he was. (Aal-Imran 3:59)

It is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in truth, and on the Day of Resurrection He will say: "BE!", - and it shall become. His Word is the truth. His will be the dominion on the Day when the trumpet will be blown. All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the All-Wise, Well-Aware (of all things). (Al-Anam 6:73)

Verily! Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "BE!" and it is. (An-Nahl 3:40)

It befits not Allah (in His Majesty) that He should beget a son. Glorified and Exalted is He. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "BE!" and it is. (Maryam 19:35)

Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "BE!" and it is! (Ya-Seen 36:82)

He it is Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: "BE!" and it is. (Ghafir 40:68)

Creation as we see from these verses, is not a difficult thing for God at all. He merely gives a Command and everything comes about according to His Will.

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

Source: Allah: Frequently Asked Questions by Chaplain Yusuf Estes.

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Dear Najid,

Thank you for your important question which indicates your vigilant search for the truth.

In response to your question, the Fatwa Department Research Committee, chaired by Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhab At-Turayri, said:

Al-Dhahabi (a great Muslim historian and scholar) mentioned in Siyar Alam an-Nubala that An-Najashi conferred with the priests in his country. He knew that they would disagree with him, so he wrote his creed on a sheet of paper – “This is what An-Najashi believes: There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is His servant and Messenger and Jesus is His servant and Messenger” and hid the piece of paper next to his chest. In the conference, he asked the priests: “What do you say about Jesus?” They said: “He is the son of God.”

An-Najashi, having heard their decisive answer, raised his hand to his chest where he had hid the sheet of paper and said: “I believe this is what Jesus was sent with.” Of course, when he said this, he was referring to what he had written on the sheet of paper.

From this account, we can see that the Christians of Abyssinia believed that Jesus was the son of God. We can also see that An-Najashi rejected this false teaching after he heard the Message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We also know that he had readily accepted Islam when he heard about it.

We know of no evidence indicating to us An-Najashi’s personal religious convictions before he heard the message of Islam, and we cannot speculate about what was in his heart before that time.

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Source: Excerpted with modifications from www.islamtoday.net

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Dear Alonzo,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, the famous American preacher, Sheikh Yusuf Estes, states:

Both the Bible and the Quran tell us God has always existed and there never was a time He did not exit. As such, He is the Eternal, without beginning and without end. He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us, He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:

A) The First - (Al-Awal)

B) The Last - (Al Akhir)

C) The Eternal and the One who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)

D) He is not a man and He has no progeny or offspring.

E) He is not what He creates nor is He compared to it. He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained the devil would come to a person and ask them questions about creation; "Who created this or that?" to which the reply would be; "Allah" until he would ask; "Who created Allah?"

At this stage, Prophet Muhammad advised us to drop this train of thought. Obviously, God - the real God, must be eternal and not have to be created.

The Quran tells us:

Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (There is no god to worship except Him), the Ever Living, the Sustainer and Protector of all that exists. He doesn't get tired and He doesn't sleep. Everything in the universe belongs to Him. Who then, could intercede between Him and his creatures without His Permission? He Knows everything about them and they have no knowledge except as He wills. His kursi (stool or chair) extends over the entire universe and He never grows weary of guarding and preserving it. He is Most Hight, the Most Great. (Al-Baqarah 2:255) This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.

This verse truly presents the comprehensive representation of God in a way without trying to define Him by comparing Him to His creation, but rather as being the Absolute in all of His Attributes and Characteristics.

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

Source: Allah: Frequently Asked Questions by Chaplain Yusuf Estes.  

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Salam dear questioner,

Thank you for your question. May Allah help you in these pressing conditions! Actually living in a country with non-Muslim majorities involves great religious dangers that one has to exert constant efforts to be able to come up with them. Below are some of the recommendations given by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid in this concern:

In order to preserve the structure of the Muslim family in the non-Muslim countries, we need to meet a number of conditions and requirements, both within the home and outside it:

Within the home:

• • It is essential for parents to uphold the habit of praying regularly in the mosque with their children; if there is no mosque nearby, then they should pray in congregation at home.
  • They have to read Quran and listen to its recitation daily.
  • They should eat meals together.
  • They should speak in the language of the Quran as much as they can.
  • They should uphold the good manners prescribed by Allah for families and in social settings; these include those that are to be found in Surat An-Nur.
  • They should not let themselves or their children watch immoral and corrupt movies and shows.
  • Their children have to sleep at home and should stay home as much as possible, to protect them from the influences of the bad environment outside.
  • They should avoid sending their children to universities far from home where they would have to stay in university accommodation, otherwise we will lose our children, who will be assimilated into the non-Muslim society.
  • We have to be careful to eat only halal (lawful) food and the parents should avoid using all kinds of haram (unlawful) things such as cigarettes, marijuana and other things which are widely available in non-Muslim countries.

Outside the home:

• • They should send our children to Islamic schools from kindergarten to the end of secondary school (high school).
  • They should also send them to the mosque as much as possible, to pray Jumu`ah (Friday prayers) and other prayers in congregation, and to attend lectures, and the Quran and religious knowledge circles.
  • They should establish educational and sporting activities for children and youth in places that are supervised by Muslims.
  • Organizing educational camps where all members of the family can go.
  • Fathers and mothers should strive to go to the Sacred Places to perform the rituals of `Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage)and the obligation of Hajj (pilgrimage), accompanied by their children.
  • Training children to speak about Islam in simple language which adults and children, Muslim and non-Muslim, can understand.
  • Training children to memorize Quran and sending some of them – if possible – to a Muslim Arab country so that they can gain an understanding of the religion, then come back to be da`iyahs (callers to Islam) who are equipped with knowledge of Islam and the language of the Quran.
  • Training some of our sons to give Jumu`ah Khutbahs (Friday sermons), and to lead the Muslims in prayer, so that they will become leaders of the Muslim community.
  • Encouraging the youth to marry early so as to protect their religious and worldly interests.
  • They have to encourage them to marry Muslim girls from families who are known for their religious commitment and good attitudes.
  • Not attending parties where there is dancing, music and singing, or joining in celebrations of immorality.

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Source: www.islamqa.info

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