Group Presentation Topics:

1. AlQuran waSunnah Islamic Courtyard of Learning Group Presentation Topics: • The Nature of Ones Intention • The Sin of Shirk • The Sin of Murder • The Dangers of Taking Sins Lightly * By sisterFatima and sisterQamar *

2. Topic One: The Nature of Ones Intention’s To perform any act of worship two conditions must be fulfilled: (1) It must be done only for the sake of Allah (2) It must be done the way Allah has legislated The nature of our intentions determines whether Allah accepts our acts of worship.

3. The Importance of Ones Intention It has been narrated that the Prophet of Allah sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said: “Actions are but by intentions and there is for every person only that which he intended. So he whose migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to attain some worldly goal or to take a woman in marriage, then his migration was for that which he migrated.” (Hadith Bukhaari and Muslim) “Whoever does a good deed in order to show off, Allah will expose his intentions on the day of Resurrection (before the people).” (Hadith Bukhaari)

4. “Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.” (Surah An-Nisaa 4:145) Allah's Messenger (Allah sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said: "The first of people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought forward and Allah will make him recount his blessings and he will do so. Then Allah will ask: 'What did you do for these blessings?' He will say: 'I fought on your behalf until I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'you have lied. You fought so that the people would call you brave. Allah will command that he be dragged on his face and thrown into the hell fire… Another will be a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought forward and Allah will make him recount his blessings and he will do so. Then Allah will ask: 'What did you do for these blessings?' He will say: 'I acquired knowledge and imparted it and I recited the Qur’an for your sake.' Allah will say: 'you have lied. You acquired knowledge so people would call you a knowledgeable man and you recited the Qur’an so that people would call you a good reciter. Indeed they called you these things.' Then he will be summoned and dragged on his face until he is cast into Hell… Another will be a man whom Allah had enriched with all manner of wealth. He will be brought forward and Allah will make him recount his blessings and he will do so. Then Allah will ask: 'What did you do for these blessings?' He will say: 'I spent money for your sake on every cause in which you wish money to be spent.' Allah will say: 'You are lying. You did this so that people would call you generous, and indeed they called you that.' Then he will be summoned and dragged on his face until he is cast into Hell." (Hadith Muslim)

5. "And they have been commanded to worship only Allah, being sincere towards Him in their deen and true.” (Surah Al-Bayyina 98 : 5) “And if they stand for prayer, they do so lazily to be seen of men and they do not remember Allah except a little.” (Surah An-Nisa 4 : 142)

6. How can we sincerely worship Allah only to gain His Pleasure and His Love? Related by Abu Hurairah may Allah be pleased with him, who said the Messenger of Allah sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said, Allah said: "I am in no need of partners. Whoever does a deed for the sake of others as well as me, I leave his deed for those others."(Hadith Muslim and Ibn Majah) To seek knowledge of our deen and know what our purpose on earth is. “And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51 : 56)

7. Good intentions do not change the nature of a forbidden action. Allah has clearly made the halaal and haraam known to us: “What is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear, but between them are certain doubtful things which many people do not recognize. He, who guards against doubtful things, keeps his religion and honour blameless. But he who falls into doubtful things, falls into what is unlawful, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals around a preserve will soon pasture them into it”. (Hadith Bukhaari and Muslim) Example: To make dhikr of Allah in unison, ones intention may be to remember Allah, but it is doing so in a way Allah has NOT LEGISLATED, and therefore will be REJECTED BY ALLAH.

8. Topic Two: The Sin of Shirk Narrated by Abu Huraira may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Prophet sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said: "Avoid the seven fatal sins." The people enquire, "O Allah's Apostle! What are they? "He said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice magic, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (interest), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to slander chaste believing women.”   (Hadith Bukhaari and Muslim) All sins minor or major are acts of disobedience to Allah, and the believer does not distinguish between them.

9. What is shirk? • Shirk is associating partners with Allah, it is the most serious of all sins • The complete opposite to Tawheed – believing & worshipping Allah in His oneness • To assign partners equal to and above Allah • Allah will not forgive the one who commits shirk and dies without repenting for it • Narrated by Abu Bakr may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allaah sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said: • “Shall I not tell you of the most serious of the major sins?” (he said this) three times. We said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allaah!” He replied, “Associating anything in worship with Allaah . . .”(Hadith Bukhaari) • “Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.”(Surah An-Nisaa 4 : 48) • "... Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode…”(Surah Al-Maaida 5 : 72)

10. How did Shirk Evolve? " Mankind was one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings..." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 213) Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said: That Allah said: "I created all my servants upon the true Religion (upon Tawheed, free from Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them astray from their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I had made lawful for them, and they commanded them to associate in worship with Me, that which I had sent down no authority." (Hadith Muslim and Ahmad)

11. Afew Different Types of Shirk : To supplicate to anyone/thing other than Allah "And supplicate not to any other than Allah, that which can neither profit nor harm you, but if you do so, then certainly you will be from among the transgressors."(Surah Yunus 10 : 106) Shirk in Love – to love someone or something more than they love Allah Shirk in Fear – to fear someone or something more than they fear Allah "Have fear of Me alone.”(Surah Al Baqarah 2 : 40) "It is only Shaytaan who suggests to you the fear of his awliyaa` [supporters and friends]. Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are of the Believers"(Surah Al Imran 3 : 175)

12. Our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu’alayhi wasallam said: Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it away from the people, but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves no learned person, people will turn to ignorant leaders; then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and will lead the people astray. (Hadith Muslim). “Blind Following” = Shirk • To take an Islamic verdict that goes against Allah and His Messenger sallallahu’alayhi wasallam is SHIRK • To make what Allah has made Halaal : Haraam to make what Allah has made Haraam : Halaal is SHIRK

13. The Punishment for Shirk iseternity in… “…If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant your request to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them...”(Surah Fatir 35 : 13-15) “Certainly! You (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely), you will enter it. Had these idols been gods, they would not have entered there (Hell), and all of them will abide therein.”(Surah Al-Anbiya 21 : 98-99)

14. Topic Three: The Sin of Murder “And those who invoke not any other god along with Allaah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit adultery – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace…” (Surah Al-Furqaan 25 : 68-70) “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein and the Wrath and the Curse of Allaah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him”. (Surah An-Nisaa 4 : 93) “…If any one kills a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind…” (Surah Al-Maidah 5 : 32) Allah is our Creator, He is the giver of life and he alone has the right to end it.

15. Murder and its Consequences • In Islaam capital punishment is allowed for the following just causes: • Apostasy – when one chooses to leave Islaam as their religion • Adultery – to have illegal sexual intercourse with a married person • Highway robbery – when one goes around spreading mischief in the land • Murder – to kill a life of another with no just cause • For the one who commits murder they have violated the rights of 3: • The rights of Allah • The rights of his victim • The rights of his victims family THE MURDERER MUST PAY RESTITUTION TO ALL THREE Restitution owed to Allah: 1.Stop the sin 2. Feel bad for the sin 3. Be determined never to go back 4. Re-pay the rights of others you violated Restitution owed to the victims family: 1. Qisaas – An equal punishment of death 2. Diyah –Blood money as compensation 3. To forgive him Restitution owed to the victim murdered: This can not be compensated in this world – but will be dealt with in the hereafter. If the murder was sincere Allah will pardon him, if not he will be made to re-pay the victim on the day of Judgement.

16. Murder and its Consequences cont.. Narated by Ibn Abbas who said: That the prophet s.a.w said: “The law of equal punishment (Qisaas) was prescribed for the children of Israel, but the law of blood money (Diyah) was not ordained for them. So Allah said to this Nation (i.e. the muslims): “O you who believe! Al-Qisas (equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness…” (Surah Al Baqarah : verse 178) (Hadith Bukhari)

17. Suicide = MURDERwith NO exceptions Do not kill yourselves, for Allah is compassionate towards you. Whoever does so, in transgression and wrongfully, We shall roast in a fire, and that is an easy matter for Allah. (Surah An-Nisaa 4 : 29-30)

18. Topic Four: The Dangers of Taking Sins Lightly Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You do things which in your eyes are less significant than a hair, but at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), we used to count them as things that could destroy a man.” (Bukhaari) The Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said: “The (scribe) on the left hand raises his pen (i.e., delays writing) for six hours [this may refer to six hours of 60 minutes as measured by astronomers, or it may refer to short periods of time during the day or night] before he records the sinful deed of a Muslim. If he regrets it and seeks Allah's forgiveness, the deed is not recorded; otherwise it is recorded as one deed.” (Al-Tabarani) “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance…”(Surah At-Tahrîm66 : 8) Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The believer regards his sin as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he fears may fall on him, whereas the sinner regards his sin as if a fly lands on his nose and he swipes it away.” (Bukhaari)

19. “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists).”(Surah Al-Fatihah 1 : 2) Jazaak’Allahu Khair Our sister Layla . . . & all the users @ adly.Net May Allah accept from us all - ameen