Let,s revive the sunnah

 
REVIVING THE SUNNAH ( Hadith )
:Prophet Muhammed ( Peace be upon him) said :

" Whoever revives my sunnah at a time when my ummah ( nation ) goes corrupt will have the reward of a 100 martyrs ." His companions ( May Allah be pleased with them ) asked:
Our martyrs or their martyrs ? He said ( PBUH)," Your martyrs."

So why don't we all revive some of his sunnah PBUH and get the reward of those who died for the sake of Allah the Almighty, such as Hamza Ibn Abd El Motalleb or Jaafar Ibn Abi Taleb ( May Allah be pleased with them) or many others.

Anyway, here are three of them:

** Al Sayeda Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her ) said: Each time the Prophet (PBUH) went to bed, he would bring his palms together and recite surat " AL Ikhlas , Al Falaq, and An-nas " with his hands closed over his mouth . He would then blow in his palms and pass his hands over his body and he would do this three times.

** The Prophet ( PBUH ) always slept on his right side .

**The Prophet (PBUH) never slept before performing " witr " prayer.

I hope we can all do this tonight and please think of more and share,

berdakwah satu kewajipan

Dakwah adalah satu wasilah atau kaedah yang Allah SubhanahuwaTaala tentukan dalam menyampaikan ajaranNya kepada umat manusia. Dakwah secara umumnya ialah menyeru, mengajak, memujuk, mentarbiyah, mendidik, melatih serta memimpin orang yang diseru supaya mengakui kebenaran risalah Allah subhanahuwataala yang dibawa oleh pesuruhNya iaitu Rasulullah Saw. Menurut pendapat Almarhum Abdul Aziz bin Bazz, bekas mufti kerajaan Arab Saudi, berdakwah hukumnya fardhu ain keatas setiap orang Islam. Ini bersesuaian dengan pengistiharan keimanan yang mengambil bentuk pengakuan untuk menjadi saksi atas ketuhanan Allah dan kerasulan Muhammad (SAW).

Di dalam Al-Quran, Surah Yusuf ayat 108 Allah berfirman :-
Katakanlah (Wahai Muhammad) “Ini dia jalan aku. Aku menyeru kepada Allah berdasarkan bukti-bukti yang nyata. Aku dan mereka-mereka yang mengikut aku…..”.

Berdasarkan ayat ini amatlah jelas bahawa Allah mentakrifkan “mereka-mereka yang mengikut Rasulullah” sebagai mereka-mereka yang mengikut jalan yang sama, iaitu jalan “menyeru kepada Allah berdasarkan bukti-bukti yang nyata”.

Dan di dalam ayat yang begitu ringkas dijelaskan juga matlamat disebalik usaha dakwah ini iaitu menyeru kepada Allah dalam arti kata kepada kepercayaan dan ketaatan kepadaNya. Kepercayaan dan keyakinan bahawa tiada yang berkuasa selain Allah yang Maha Bijaksana dan Maha Mengetahui, yang tiada sekutu kepadaNya. Kepercayaan bahawa Allah Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang dan syariatNya adalah Rahmat kepada manusia dan seluruh alam. Kepercayaan bahawa tiada yang layak diberi ketaatan, dipuja dan diberi pengabdian melainkan Allah.

Dan dakwah ini mampu manusia mengenal kebenarannya apabila didedahkan bukti-bukti yang nyata seperti yang terkandung di dalam Al-Quran. Bukti-bukti yang membawa manusia melihat kepada ayat-ayat Allah yang terdampar luas dan nyata di dalam alam ini sendiri. Di mana alam yang mengelilingi manusia adalah merupakan hujjah terkuat akan kewujudan pencipta yang Maha Bijaksana dan Maha Penyayang, ia itu Allah.

Ketaatan kepada Allah menuntut umat Islam mencorakkan hidup mereka berdasarkan petunjuk dari Allah dan contoh yang dipaparkan oleh RasulNya. Baginda s.a.w telah memberitahu umatnya bahawa Allah subhanahu wataala telah menggariskan segala bentuk amalan yang membawa kepada ketaatan dan pengabdian yang akan mendapat balasan syurga, demikian juga sebaliknya. Allah subhanahu wataala memberitahu manusia tentang amalan mungkar dan keji yang menyebabkan kepada kemurkaanNya.

Penyebaran ajaran Islam yang syumul dan sempurna telah berjaya dilakukan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w melalui usaha dakwah. Firman Allah subhanahu wataala:
“Pada hari ini orang kafir telah putus asa ( untuk memesongkan kamu ) daripada agama kamu. Sebab itu janganlah kamu takut dan gentar kepada mereka, sebaliknya hendaklah kamu takut dan gentar kepadaKU. Pada hari ini AKU telah sempurnakan bagi kamu agama kamu, AKU telah cukupkan nikmatKU kepada kamu dan AKU telah redha Islam itu menjadi agama kamu” (Al-Maidah 3)

Tugas melaksanakan dakwah adalah menjadi kewajipan kepada setiap individu Muslim. Ianya menjadi sangat penting bagi tujuan memelihara kesucian dan kemuliaan ajaran Islam terus berkembang untuk seluruh umat. Allah Subhanahu waTaala telah menggariskan dengan jelas dalam Al-Quran tentang kaedah berdakwah supaya ia mudah dilakukan oleh setiap orang.

Firman Allah Subhanahu waTaala dalam surah An- Nahl ayat 125 :
“Serulah ke jalan Tuhanmu (wahai Muhammad) dengan hikmah (kebijaksanaan) dan nasihat pengajaran yang baik dan berbahaslah dengan mereka dengan cara yang terbaik. Sesungguhnya Tuhanmu DIAlah jua yang lebih mengetahui akan orang yang sesat daripada jalanNya dan DIAlah jua yang lebih mengetahui akan orang yang mendapat hidayah”

Dalam ayat tersebut perlu diperhatikan dan difahami dengan baik iaitu tiga strategi utama dalam melakukan tugasan berdakwah iaitu:

1. “Bil hikmah”. Ini memerlukan seseorang pendakwah memiliki kebijaksanaan dan berhikmah didalam menyampaikan dakwah. Seruan ini menghendaki supaya pendakwah mempunyai ilmu dari ajaran Islam yang kukuh. Kebijaksanaan adalah amat penting agar kewajipan menunaikan dakwah dapat dilaksanakan dan diterima dengan baik oleh kumpulan sasar dan terkesan dalam mengubah kehidupan seseorang kearah kebaikan untuk dirinya dan masyarakat.

Di antara hikmah dakwah adalah pesanan Rasulullah mengikut sebuah hadis:-
“Berbicara dengan manusia mengikut kemampuan akal mereka.” (Al-Hadith)

2. “Mauizatil hasanah”. Nasihat serta memberi pengajaran yang baik adalah merupakan ramuan penting kepada para pendakwah dalam menyampaikan risalah Allah Subhanahu wata’ala. Nasihat dan pengajaran yang baik, yang berkesan di jiwa dengan mendalam dan akal yang waras mampu membangkitkan kesedaran yang berkekalan dan dihayati pula dalam amalan kehidupan seharian. Mempelbagaikan kaedah memberi ’nasihat dan pengajaran’ melalui aktiviti seperti ziarah, khidmat kaunseling, memberi hadiah, khidmat masyarakat, bergotong-royong, amalan kebajikan melalui contoh keperibadian yang baik dan lain-lain adalah digalakkan. Kaedah memberi nasihat dan pengajaran boleh mengubah pemikiran dan kesedaran jiwa yang keras menjadi lembut, nafsu yang buas dapat dijinakkan dan hati yang degil akan patuh kepada perintah Allah Subhanahu wataala.

Firman Allah Subhanahu waTaala dalam surah طه ayat 43-44 :
“Pergilah kamu berdua ( Musa dan Harun ) kepada firaun, sesungguhnya ia telah melampaui batas. Berbicaralah kepadanya, dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut, semoga dia beringat atau takut ( kepada Allah dan insaf )”

3. “Jaadilhum billati hiya ahsan” atau berbahas dengan cara yang terbaik. Para pendakwah hendaklah mampu juga menggunakan kaedah bermujadalah atau berbahas dengan cara yang terbaik. Dalam hal ini Islam mengiktiraf peranan akal manusia dalam mengenal kebenaran apabila ianya dibentangkan didepannya. Matlamat dakwah adalah untuk menyatakan kebenaran hakiki dan membuktikan kepalsuan fahaman yang bercanggah dengan Islam. Melalui perbahasan yang tenang dan baik, manusia boleh disedarkan akan kebenaran dan kepalsuan dan melalui itu beriman kepada Allah.

Sebahagian masyarakat manusia hari ini nyata telah hilang pedoman dan panduan dalam kehidupan mereka. Ajaran yang membawa kepada kebenaran diketepikan begitu sahaja. Bahkan usaha untuk membawa manusia ke jalan yang benar akan di tuduh dengan pelbagai tohmahan dan kecemuhan, semuanya terjadi kerana manusia terlalu mengagungkan dan mengutamakan nafsu dan kepentingan dunia bagi menyelesaikan masalah kehidupan. Berbagai gejala dan perbuatan mungkar yang nyata menjurus kepada kehidupan jahiliah dalam bentuk moden, pemikiran yang bertuhankan keberhalaan dan kebendaan, yang membawa kepada perilaku haiwan yang bertubuh manusia.

Suasana kegawatan dan keruntuhan akhlak umat manusia yang parah dan sukar dicari penawarnya melainkan dengan hanya kembali kepada mengamalkan ajaran Islam yang suci. Ajaran agama Islam pula perlu disebarkan dengan berdakwah. Tugas ini tentunya menghendaki setiap orang melibatkan diri dengan kerja dakwah mengikuti kapasiti serta kemampuan yang ada. Ianya perlu dilakukan secara berterusan dan istiqomah walaupun sedikit. Mulakan dan jadikan amalan berdakwah dalam keluarga, kemudian kepada masyarakat dalam qoriah, dalam organisasi tempat bekerja, melalui media elektronik dan media massa, laman web dan internet, agar ajaran Islam terus tersebar dan menjadi wahana untuk umat manusia menghayatinya.

Marilah sama-sama kita menjadikan tugas berdakwah sebagai tugas harian yang dilakukan untuk kebaikan kita bersama dan bagi membina ummah yang hidup berlandaskan ajaran Islam yang sebenarnya.
Surah At-taubah ayat 71 :
“Dan orang yang beriman, lelaki dan perempuan, setengahnya menjadi penolong bagi setengahnya yang lain, mereka menyuruh berbuat kebaikan, dan melarang daripada berbuat kejahatan dan mereka mendirikan solat dan menunaikan zakat, serta taat kepada Allah dan RasulNya, mereka itu akan diberi rahmat oleh Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Perkasa, lagi Maha Bijaksana”

WaLlahu 'Alam

=) wahai karkun2 di seluruh alam.. marilah sambut takaza ummat.. pengorbanan kite sume diperlukn.. pergilah ke setiap ceruk dunie.. kte akn lihat manusia kehausan & ketandusan agama.. sape yg nk ajak diorang kalo bkn kte.. org sumer risau kalo jiran kte kne timpa musibah, e.g: kebakaran.. apakah musibah yg lebih dahsyat pabile manusia yg bergelar muslim meniggalkn agama, x mengamalkn agama, apath lagi nk menympaikn agama..x sah la risau @ hairan pasal non-muslim yg kutuk kte.. sbb nye semmgnye jelas yg kte sendiri yg menconteng arang diatas name islam yg suci.. sanggupkh kte melihat anak2 yg kte sayangi akn menigglkn agama & mengikuti arus dunia yg megasyikkn? bak kate 'nabil' ;" kte pikirlah same2".. moga Allah ampuni kte sume.. laa ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzolimiin.. ameen

kemunduran umat dan penyelesaiannya

Assalamualaikum W.R.T.

Usaha dakwah dan tarbiah Rasulullah saw selama 23 tahun telah melahirkan kelompok masyarakat yang menuju ke puncak kemajuan sehingga sejarah dunia tidak dapat lagi mendatangkan contoh yang seperti dengan mereka.

Ketika itu, umat Islam adalah pemilik tunggal kemuliaan, keagungan, kegemilangan, kebesaran dan kekuatan.

Sebaliknya kini, perangai dan budi pekerti umat tidak dapat dibanggakan lagi. Umat berada dalam keadaan lemah tanpa harta, tanpa ketinggian dan kemuliaan, tidak ada lagi perasaan persaudaraan dan kemesraan.

Sebenarnya, kita semua termasuk diri saya sendiri telah terlupa ataupun tak sedar yang kemuliaan umat Islam sebagai umat adalh di dalam mengajak amar-bil-ma’ruf dan nahi-‘amil-mungkar. Tugas ini adalah tanggungjawab setiap orang Islam dalam semua keadaan.

Ada yang berkata usaha ini sangat susah. Memang pun susah kerana para nabi dan rasul tidak pernah duduk diam ketika berdakwah.

firman Allah s.w.t :
“Dan orang-orang yang berusaha dengan bersungguh-sungguh kerana memenuhi kehendak agama Kami, sesungguhnya Kami akan memimpin mereka ke jalan-jalan Kami (yang menjadikan mereka bergembira serta beroleh keredaan); dan sesungguhnya (pertolongan dan bantuan) Allah adalah berserta orang-orang yang berusaha membaiki amalannya.” (Al-Ankabut:69)
Mencari iman dan takwa adalah tugas utama. Tanpa iman dan takwa, jihad tidak akan lahir. Justeru, penyelesaian kepada kemunduran umat Islam ialah melihat kembali misi kehidupan mereka di dunia ini.

“Dan (ingatlah) Aku tidak menciptakan jin dan manusia melainkan untuk mereka menyembah dan beribadat kepadaKu.” (Adz-Zariyat:56)


Wallahua'lam

Allah Is Enough For Me ~ Zain Bikha

(the story of Prophet Yusuf)
When he was thrown in the well
or locked in the dungeon
betrayed by his own flesh and blood
convicted of what he did not
handsome Yusuf sighed
Allah is enough for me!
Taken in as a slave
made to work night and day
resisting all temptation
Allah is enough for me!
Until the king had a dream
Many hard years had gone by
patience and repentance
Allah is enough for me!
Till...the fortunate day
there he sees his father
in the land of content
Allah is enough for me!
Handsome Yusuf cried
Allah is enough for me!
Every night brings a new day
Allah alleviates all pain
Everything has its end
Allah is enough for me!
Everything has its end
Allah is enough for me!
Allah is enough for me!

Women and Their Status In Islam

History is silent as to whether there was any distinction in status between the male and the female sexes during the beginnings of human civilization. In later days no doubt the female sex was regarded as inferior to the male and the idea of inferiority developed to such an extent that the male sex not only claimed a complete superiority over the female sex, but further arrogated to itself the right to utilise and employ the female sex as it liked.

Surveying the history of the world on this point we find that in pre-Christian Europe and Greece, which was the centre of light and learning for a long time and which provided philosophical and scientific inspiration to the Europe of later days, regarded woman as something definitely inferior to man. She was a subservient creature who had come into existence solely for the purpose of breeding citizens for the state and soldiers for the army. Their great dramatist Euripedes puts into the mouth of Medea the remark. "Women are impotent for good, but clever contrivers of all evils," Such degrading conceptions led to a moral.degeneration which ultimately ruined the Greek society. The names of virtuous women says Professor Lecky, scarcely appear in Greek history." (History of European Morals, Vol:ll p. 307).

Conditions in Europe did not irnprove with the advent of Christianity. "Of the woman came the beginning of sin and the wickedness of man and through her we all die. " Consequently, Paul, the premier saint of Christendom, proclaimed: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence, for Adam was first formed than Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in transgression." Other early Fathers were even more uncharitable and denounced women as "the lance of the demon," "the gate of the Devil," "the road of iniquity." "the sting of the scorpion," a daughter of falsehood, the sentinel of Hell," "the enemy of peace" and "of the wild beast, the most dangerous." Nay, they went still further. The Greek Orthodox Church denied that woman had a soul and at the Council of Macon, a Bishop vehemently asserted that a woman did not belong to the human species. (Westermarck, p.663) A council held at Auxierre prohibited women [from receiving] the Eucharist [with their bare] hands [or] to [go] near the altar during the celebration of the Mass on the ground that she was an "unclean thing". "I may define man," says Principal Donaldson (Woman, pp. 181, 182), "to be a male human being and woman to be a female human being . . . Now what the early Christains did was to strike the 'male' out of the definition of man and 'human being' out of the definition of woman. Man was [a] human being made for the highest and noblest purpose; woman was a female made to serve only. She was on earth to influence the heart of man with every evil passion. She was a fire[storm] continually striving to get alongside the male man-of-war to blow him up into pieces."

In the Asian cradles of civilization [women were] no better off. Hinduism, which is the oldest among the present day religions of the world, laid it down: 'In childhood a female must be subjected to her father, in youth to her husband, when her husband is dead, to her sons; a woman must never be independent'. (Manu, V 140). "The legislator Man", says the celebrated Hindu scholar, Sir R. G. Bhandarkar,"is equally hard on women. It must be acknowledged that the estimate of the old Aryan of womanly nature is not flattering to them generally. They are debarred from reading the Vedas; any religious rite in which they alone are concerned is directed to be performed without Vedic Mantras. Even the Bhagavad Gita gives expression to the general belief that it is only a sinful soul that is born as woman, Vaisya or Sudra". (Collected Works, p. 46 1).

In Buddhism, says the Buddhist scholar, May Oung, "the idea of wedlock and its attendant worldly life, is opposed to the ultimate and the annihilation of Desire, the striving for which must necessarily involve celibacy." (Buddhist Law, Par. 1, p. 2). In Buddhist ideology, therefore, according to the historian Westermarck,"Woman are, of all the snares which the temper has spread for men, the most dangerous; in women are embodied all the powers of infatuation which blind the mind of the world."

In pre-lslamic Arabia, the general conception of womanhood was of such a degraded type that her very existence was considered ignominious for the family. Female infanticide was consequently practiced on a wide scale. Those women, however, who escaped early death were allowed to live only on sufferance. For, an Arab woman "had no rights; she could not inherit property; her person formed part of the inheritance which came to the heir of her husband, and he was entitled to marry her against her will. Hence sprung up the impious marriages of their sons with their stepmothers and others of an even worse character. . ." "Polygamy was universal and quite unrestricted; equally so was divorce at least as far as man was concerned; (Mohammed and Mohammedanism; Bosworth Smith; p 82)

Such was the condition of the female sex in the world when Mohammed (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the Saviour of womanhood, stood up in Arabia and, through the Divine Revelation of the Lord of the Universe Who created both the male and the female and Who loves them equally, preached to the world that :
# females were just like males
# have equal rights
# have equal honour
# equal status in life
They were on no account to be treated as the property of the males. They have the right of ownership of property in the same way that males have, though, no doubt under the principle of the division, the female sex has some specialised duties to perform in life, just as the male sex has its own duties.

There are three stages through which womenfolk will pass in life: (a) daughter (b) wife, and (c) mother.

(a) DAUGHTER

Islam denounces in unequivocal terms the pre-Islamic inhumane custom of female infanticide and commands people to love and cherish their daughters even more than their sons.

The Holy Qur'an says that on the Day of Judgment, the female infant who was buried alive will be questioned: "For what crime wast thou murdered?" [Qur'an 81:8,9] Thus before the Almighty, the victim herself will be able to give evidence against those who killed an innocent creature of Allah simply for the sake of satisfying their vanity.

Allah again commands humanity:

"Kill not your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, to kill them is a great sin. [Qur'an 17:31]

Fatimah was the youngest daughter of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). In dealing with her, he set an example of fatherly love which is a model for mankind. "Fatimah," he would say, "is a part of my being; whosoever annoys her annoys me" (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, XLIV:S)

He also emphasized preferential treatment towards the female sex and said "When you bring anything for your children for distribution, begin with the girls first because the girls love their parents more than the boys."

(b) WIFE

Marriage in Islamic law is really a contract just like other civil contracts between two parties. As far as the conditions of the contract are concerned, both the parties, the man and the woman, stand upon the same level. Each party has certain rights and duties. Islam commands justice to be observed in every contract, and so in the contract of marriage too justice should be observed.

The Holy Quran says:

"The women have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable." [Qur'an 2:228]

No doubt, under the principle of the distribution of labour, work should be divided between the pair. The womenfolk have naturally to take care of their offspring until they grow up. They have to engage themselves in bringing them up and so are not in a position to pay attention to securing their means of livelihood. The men, therefore, have been made responsible for maintaining the family, including the wife, and have been given the duty of securing all the requirments of the home. Thus we might say that in a Muslim home, the husband is supposed to work as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the wife as the Minister of the Interior.

The Holy Prophet is reported to have said : "A woman is the queen of her house." The Holy Quran describes the position of the wife in a beautiful verse, "He created for you mates from among yourselves that you might find solace in them and he ordained between you love and mercy," [Qur'an 30:21]

The Prophet said: "The most perfect of believers in faith is the best of them in morals and the best of you are those who are kindest to your wives." In his famous Address at the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet again laid stress on the good treatment on womenfolk. He said: "O my people, you have certain rights over your wives and so have your wives over you .... they are Allah's trust in your hand. See that you treat them with all kindness."

Before this saviour of the female sex preached his Message, there was no limit for the males in respect of the number of their wives. Islam really imposed a limit and allowed plurality of marriage with the idea of abolishing adultery. Polygamy is permitted in place of illegal intercourse in cases where it becomes difficult or rather impossible ill the interest of social health to restrict marriage to strict monogamy. There are two definite occasions in the lives of human beings when polygamy becomes necessary. For example, if the marriage proves fruitless, the husband can, in most cases, be kept on the path of virtue and uprightness only by allowing a second marriage. Again, when there is a surplus of women, as happens after men have died in wars, human society can be saved from corruption and also extinction by the permission of marrying more than one wife.

The Holy Quran restricts the number of wives to four and also orders complete equality and justice between them:

"And if you fear that you will not deal fairly towards the orphans, marry of the women who seem good to you, two or three or four, and if you fear that you cannot do justice between them , then (marry) only one." [Qur'an 4:3]

The conditions of the marriage contract are to be settled by the parties of the marriage. If, on the one hand according to the Islamic teaching, the husbands are entitled to have the right of divorce, the wives are also entitled to the right of fixing their dowry and niaintainence as they like, and they may also take the authority of separating themselves from their husbands when they find it necessary to do so. If agreement at a time of marriage is made with complete consideration, the parties stand practically at the same level and there remains no possibility for the womenfolk to suffer.

Islam enjoins justice, equity and straightforwardness. Therefore if those who claim to be Muslims do not observe Islamic principles, then it is their fault and Islam can on no account be accused for that. If today people misuse the permission for polygamy and try to hide their lustftil actions under the cloak of Islamic legality, it is their fault and they deserve the most severe punishment at the Court of the All-Knowing Allah who knows what is in their hearts.

(c) MOTHER

As mothers, the status of women has been raised by Islam to such an extent that nothing higher is conceivable.

The Holy Quran says:

Your Lord has commanded that you shall worship none but Him and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion and say: O my Lord bestow on them compassion even as they cherished me in my childhood.[Qur'an 17 23-24]

It is reported that when the Prophet was questioned by a disciple as to who after God and his Prophet should be revered most, the Prophet said "Your mother." When questioned "Who, after the mother?" The Prophet said "Your mother." He was again asked "And, then, who after the mother? " He again replied: "Your mother". The man put the question for the fourth time and the Prophet then answered: "Your father." This Tradition shows that the position of the mother in the eyes of her sons and daughters should be three times higher than that of the father.

It is reported that once a disciple came to the Prophet and said "O Prophet Of Allah, on a hot day in the desert of Arabia, in the sunny noon when the stones and sands were burning like fire, my mother and I were travelling by foot without any shoes. I carried my mother on my shoulders so that she may not suffer the pain of walking bare-footed on the hot sands and stones. Could I pay the reward of the pains she had to bear in bringing me up?" The Prophet replied:"No, not even a fraction of the pain she suffered at the time you were born."

In Islam the best action of worship is the performance of Pilgrimage to Mecca, i.e., the Hajj, and the reward to a person who performs the Hajj properly is that all his past sins are pardoned and he receives a high rank in the estimation of Allah. But in expressing the dignity of the mother, the Holy Prophet said: "One who looks at the face of his mother with sentiments of reverence and love once, is rewarded as if he had performed the Pilgrimage." The people asked him, what if he looked twice, to which he replied: "It is as if he had performed two Pilgrimages, and thrice, as if he had performed three Pilgrimages and so on.

In this respect, the Prophet himself set a model for the world. Once Halimah, the lady who nursed him in his childhood came to see him. The Prophet was sitting with his disciples. As soon as he saw her, he stood up with reverence and spread his mantle on the floor and requested his foster-mother to take her seat there.

It is quite evident from the above that the respect which a mother receives from her children in Islam is the highest to which no other wordly relationship can aspire.

The doors of spiritual elevation are open to woman in the same way as they are open to men. They are commanded to educate themselves in the same way as the men, and if they attain a high position in learning, then even the men are expected to learn and benefit from their knowledge and wisdom. It is reported that after the Prophet's death, his disciples used to visit Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet, and seek knowledge from her. Islamic history is resplendent with a long list of the names of the ladies who received the highest honour in society, the highest degree in learning and the highest qualifications in different branches of human activity. It was through the influence of other societies, which were not Muslim, that the idea of the inferiority of the female sex already existing in those societies spread to the uneducated class among the Muslims, who knew very little about the teachings of Islam. If they had known the teachings of lslam, they would have known that in Islam the female sex deserves the same position, the same respect and the same diginity as the members of the male sex who, in their turn, are not allowed to degrade and insult them and make them their tools. To touch them with a bad intent is considered a sin and even to glance at them with a bad motives is counted as adultery in Islam. That is why in the Holy Quran men are commanded :

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them." [Qur'an 24:30]

The ladies too have been commanded in similar terms:

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and their ornaments except what (must ordinarly) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or small children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden embellishment." [Qur'an 24:31]

There is an important point in this connection which might be elucidated here with advantage. Every human being is endowed with a mind, and the more the mental faculty is trained, the more willpower is increased. The training of this faculty is done through the exercise of concentration. The student of hypnotism forms an idea and concentrates upon it to such an extent that for a certain moment, he forgets other things. Through this training he achieves a strong power which sometimes enables him to make other persons his objects and influence them with an idea in his mind. For instance, he forms an idea that X is having a headache. He makes X object, and within a few minutes, X feels that he has a headache. Similarly, if he wants to attract Y towards himself, Y is attracted because the hypnotist's willpower influences that of Y. This willpower varies in its strength from man to man just as we say, regarding an engine, that it has ten, twenty or a hundred horse power, similarly we say of a hypnotist that he possesses ten, twenty or a hundred men's willpower.

Now it is clear that a human being can influence other human beings through willpower, and can create in his object, ideas which conform to those existing in his own mind. So, when a male casts a lustful glance at a female, his passions will arise, sexual thoughts will come to his mind, and if he possesses any willpower, the same ideas will be automatically produced in the mind of a female. And if hundreds of such masculine eyes fall upon that lady with the same motives and ideas behind them, she is bound to be affected by the poisonous radiations of the sexual thoughts injected into her brain through the influence of the willpower of the males, though she herself may be absolutely pure in heart and blotless in character. In a society which allows promiscuous intermingling of sexes, the atmosphere must necessarily remain charged with what might be called "sexual thought-waves" of which the consequences for womanhood can be nothing else but disastrous.

The importance of a woman in society cannot be over-estimated. She is the mother of humanity. She brings up the child in her womb for nine months, feeds him at her breast for at least two years and is mainly responsible for his training at least up to the age of six or seven.

It is a well known fact of medical science that mentality of the mother affects the mentality of her children just as, or even more than, her physical qualities influence their physical build. Islam, therefore, commands women to keep themselves away from places where there may be the slightest chance of their being infuenced by an evil force or evil idea so that their chastity and purity may be preserved and the mentality of their offspring may be safe from corruption. This is why Allah says in the Holy Quran,

"O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women; if you fear Allah, be not soft in speech lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire; and speak a speech that is just. And stay quietly in your houses and do not make a dazzling display like that of the former times of ignorance; and establish regular prayer, and give regular charity and obey Allah and His Apostle. Allah only desires to remove all abomination from you, O people of the household, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying."[Qur'an 33:32,33]

"There is no blame on them (the women) (if they appear unveiled) before their fathers, nor their sons, nor their brothers, nor their brothers' sons, nor their sisters' sons, nor their own women, nor of what their right hand's possess. And fear Allah; surely Allah is a witness of all things," [Qur'an 33:55] "

"O Prophet tell your wives and your daughters and the believing women that they cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad). This will be more proper, that they should be known as such and not molested. And Allah is oft-Forgiving and most-Merciful." [Qur'an 33:59]

Examples of the way in which the above commandments were interpreted by the Prophet can be seen in the Prophet's beloved daughter Fatimah, and his beloved wives, Khadijah and Ayesha. Nowhere do we find any evidence that the Prophet's wives or his daughters were ever seen with an open face and an open head in front of strangers save at the time of performing acts of worship like prayer or pilgrimage. In the requirements of prayer it is laid down that the body of the woman must be entirely covered except her face and hands. There is also an express injuction in the hadith that no woman should put on a veil during the pilgrimage. In the prayer and pilgrimage, men are strictly forbidden from gazing at the faces of the womenfolk and they have been warned to remember that the female servants of Allah are in the presence of their Creator.

Thus with respect to their position in life, their inherent rights as human beings and their relations with Allah men and women are on an equal plane in Islam. This was the teaching of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And this too is the verdict of the Holy Quran for Allah says,

"Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female. You are members, one of another."[Qur'an 3:195]

Certainty and Trust in Allah

Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)
by Imam Nawawi

7. Chapter: Certainty and Trust in Allah

Allah Almighty says, "When the Believers saw the Confederates, they said, 'This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us. Allah and His Messenger told us the truth.' It only increased them in faith and in submission." (33:22)

The Almighty says, "Those to whom people said: 'The people great army have gathered against you, so fear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said: 'Allah is enough for us and the best of Guardians.' So they returned with blessings and bounty from Allah and no evil touched them. They pursued the pleasure of Allah. Allah's favour is indeed immense." (3:173-174)

The Almighty says, "Put your trust in the Living who does not, die" (25:58) and the Almighty says, "So let the believers put their trust in Allah," (W14:14; H14:11)

and the Almighty says, "Then when you have reached a firm decision, put your trust in Allah." (3:159) The verses commanding trust are numerous and well-known.

The Almighty says, "Whoever puts his trust in Prophet He will be enough for him." (65:3)

The Almighty says, "The believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith is increased when His Signs are mentioned to them, and who put their trust in their Lord." (8:2)

74. Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'All the nations were shown to me and I saw a Prophet with a small group, and a Prophet with one or two men, and a Prophet with no one at all. Then an enormous mass was shown to me and I thought that they were my community. I was told, "This is Musa and his community, but look to the furthest horizon," and there was an enormous mass. It was said to me, "This is your community. Among them are seventy thousand who will enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment."' Then he got up and entered his house and the people discussed concerning those who would enter the Garden without reckoning or punishment. Some of them said, 'Perhaps it is those who were with the Messenger of Allah,' while others said, 'Perhaps it is those who are born in Islam and do not associate anything with Allah,' and they mentioned various things. The Messenger of Allah came out to them and said, 'What are you discussing?' They told him and he said, 'They are those who do not make charms or ask others for charms, and do not seek omens. They trust in their Lord.' 'Ukkasha ibn Muhsin stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, 'You are one of them.' Then another man stood up and said, 'Ask Allah to make me one of them.' He said, "'Ukkasha beat you to it.'" [Agreed upon]

75. Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, "O Allah, I submit to you and I believe in you and I have relied on you and I turn to you and I have argued by you. I seek refuge with Your might, there is no god other than You, from Your misguiding me. You are the Living who does not die while jinn and men will all die." [Agreed upon. This is the version in Muslim.]

76. Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Allah is enough for us and the best Guardian.' Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said this when he was thrown into the Fire and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said it when they said, 'The people great army have gathered against you, so fear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said: 'Allah is enough for us and the best of Guardians.' "'" (3:173) [al-Bukhari]

In one variant from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, he said, "The last words of Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before he was thrown into the Fire were, 'Allah is enough for me and the best Guardian.'"

77. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "People will enter the Garden whose hearts are like the hearts of birds." [Muslim]

It is said that this means trusting, and it is said that it means their hearts are tender.

78. Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that he went on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the direction of Najd. When the Messenger of Allah returned, he returned with him. Midday overtook them in a valley with a lot of large thorn-trees in it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted and the people split up to seek the shade of the trees. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted under a tree and hung his sword on it. We went to sleep and then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called out to us. There was a bedouin with him and he said, 'This one unsheathed my sword against me while I was asleep. I woke up and he had it unsheathed in his hand and he said, "Who will protect you from me?" I said, "Allah" three times.' He did not punish him, but sat up." [Agreed upon]

In one variant, Jabir said, "We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Dhat ar-Riqa'. Then we reached a shady tree and left it for the Messenger of Allah. One of the idolworshippers came while the sword of the Messenger of Allah was hanging from the tree and he unsheathed it and said, 'Do you fear me?' He said, 'No.' He said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Allah.'"

In the version of Abu Bakr al-Isma'ili in his Sahih, "He said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Allah.'" He said, "The sword fell from his hand and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took the sword and said, 'Who will protect you from me?' He said, 'Be the best seizer.' He said, 'Will you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'No, but I will make a pact with you that I will not fight you nor be with a people who fight you.' So he let him go on his way. He went to his companions and said, 'I have come to you from the best of people.'"

79. 'Umar said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full." [at-Tirmidhi]

80. Abu 'Umara al-Bara' ibn 'Azib reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O so-and-so! When you retire to your bed, say, 'O Allah, I submit myself to You and I have turned my face to You. I have entrusted my affair to You and taken shelter with You out of desire for You and fear of You. There is no shelter nor rescue from You except with You. I have believed in Your Book which You sent down and Your Prophet whom You sent.' If you die during the night, you will die in natural submission, and if you are still alive in the morning, your morning will be good." [Agreed upon]

In a variant in the two Sahih collections, al-Bara' said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'When you go to your bed, do wudu' as you would for the prayer and then lie on your right side and say..." He mentioned the same words and then said, "Make it the last thing you say."

81. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "When we were in the Cave and the idolaters were looking for us, I could see their feet and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if one of them were to look under his feet, he would see us.' He said, 'Abu Bakr, what do you think of two people of whom Allah is the third?'" [Agreed upon]

82. Umm al-Mu'minin, Umm Salama, whose name was Hind bint Abi Umayya Hudhayfa al-Makhzumiyya reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say when he left his house, "In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from misguiding others or being misguided, or slipping or making others slip, or wronging others or being wronged, or being ignorant or being made ignorant.'" [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and others. This is the version of Abu Dawud]

83. Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever says, i.e. when he leaves his house, 'In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah and there is no power nor strength except by Allah' will be told, 'You have been guided, spared and protected,' and Shaytan will be kept far from him." [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and others]

Abu Dawud added, "He, i.e. Shaytan, says to another shaytan, 'How can you get at a man who has been guided, spared and protected?'"

84. Anas said, "There were two brothers in the time of the Prophet. One of them used to come to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the other one worked for a living. The one who worked complained about his brother to the Messenger of Allah and he said, 'It might well be that you have your provision on account of him." [Muslim]

United States; Land of Halal Food?

Assalamualaikum W.R.T.
nahmaduhu wa nusolli 'ala Rosulihil Kariim..

my respected brothers and sisters, especially who are living in United States of America.

as we all know, HALAL foods are not that hard to be found in United States. there are a bunch of Stores that sells Halal beef and chicken meat. however, when we go to stores, we don't just buy halal chicken or beef. we'll buy other stuff such as ice cream, yogurt, milk, cookies, fruits, crackers, and etc.

Because of this, many muslims think and believe that the stuff that they buy at the stores, other than non halal chicken, beef, or pork, are 100% surely Halal. Of course, having the yaqeen that the food is halal is very important. however, it won't work for foods that has been investigated by Muslim Consumer Group and found that the foods contain Haram stuff.

as a believer, i am reminding myself as well that we have to investigate and look for the 100% certified halal foods only.

so, this article, which was given by my friend, would help u guys as a guideline to get only halal-stuff that we ingest every single day into our stomach in our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. wallahua'lam

ALCOHOL AND FERMENTED FOOD PRODUCTS:

Alcohol is widely used as a carrier in many food flavors. Alcohol in food flavors will mostly evaporate if it is used as a solvent in food flavors for baked products or heat treated products. Some Islamic scholars do not consider a food product Halal even if it is made with all Halal ingredients but food flavor in which ethyl alcohol was used as a solvent. But other Islamic scholars recommend food products made with all Halal ingredients even if food flavors containing ethyl alcohol as a solvent.
You have to contact your Islamic scholars about their advise.
Muslim Consumer Group will not assign Halal status to food products which are even made with all ingredients but where ethyl alcohol was used in food flavors as a solvent.

MAJOR TYPE OF FERMENTED MILK PRODUCTS:

Type Nature Of Fermentation
Kefir Acid and Alcohol
Koumiss Acid and Alcohol
Yogurt Medium Acid
Cultured Buttermilk Low Acid
Cultured Cream Low Acid
Leben & Dahi Medium Acid
Cheese Acid, Diacetyle, Propionic Acid & CO2
Pickles from cucumber and sauerkraut from cabbage are made by salting (brining). No alcohol is produced during the processing of these products. However, when flavors are added, those flavors may or may not contain alcohol as a carrier.
NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES:
Most of non alcoholic beverages are made from alcoholic beverages where alcohol is separated by use of cones or other method but they contain leftover alcohol, the flavor and color of the alcoholic beverages. A wine or alcoholic beverage consists of 6-12% alcohol, water, flavors obtained through fermentation process, colors. Every single component of wine or alcoholic beverages are Haram, so if they present in a non alcoholic beverages then the non alcoholic beverages became Haram too.
Food Flavors
The food flavor of a food substance is the combined sensation of the taste and odor as perceived by the eater or drinker of that substance. The food flavorings are available to the food industry producer as solids, liquids, and paste. The food flavoring is man made and they are compounded from natural and/or synthetic aromatic substances which may or not be found in nature. Flavors may be a mixture of any flavors or flavoring ingredients such as
• Process Flavors,
• Hydrolysates,
• Fat Flavors,
• Autolysates,
• Enzyme Modified Flavor with addition of carriers,
• antioxidants,
• solvents and
• flavor enhancers.

The impact of natural flavors on Halal food products can be best described in McDonald's French Fries and Hash Browns. The raw French fries and hash brown are made with Natural flavor as indicated on their ingredients list. But no body know except the suppliers and McDonald that the natural flavor is made of Non-Zabiha beef extract.

Muslims should be very care full of following flavors in meat cheese related products such as meat Loaf seasoning, gravies and process cheese products
1. Meat, Savory Flavors and Extracts:
The McDonald raw French fries and Hash Brown are made with a food flavor containing Non-Zabiha beef extract.
2. Dairy Flavors containing animal enzymes.
3. Alcohol as an ingredient and Carrier in flavors

CHEESES AND ITS HALAL STATUS:

The following things have to be Halal in order for a cheese to be considered Halal:
1. Ingredients used to make the Mother Starter Culture growth Media ((if whey used, it has to be made from non animal rennet, Lactose is also from non animal rennet, yeast extract has to be from baker's yeast).
2. Ingredients used to make the Bulk Starter Culture growth Media ((if whey used, it has to be made from non animal rennet, Lactose is also from non animal rennet, yeast extract has to be from baker's yeast).
3. Starter Bacterial culture are Halal if they obtained from milk source and not from meat source, usually in practice they obtained from milk.
4. Milk Coagulating Enzyme, such as Microbial rennet used to coagulate milk or Rennet obtained from Zabiha slaughtered calves
5. Fat Hydrolyzing Enzyme, such as Microbial Lipases
6. Dairy ingredients such as Non Fat dry milk solid or cream or dry milk added
7. Artificial color such as artificial blue or green color is added to neutralize natural yellow color in curd for Asiago or Blue cheese
8. Media to grow mold Penicillium roquefortti providing blue color in blue cheese
9. Harmless plant based enzyme is added for curing or flavor development and growth media for biological curing agent used on the surface of Brick cheese
10. Flavoring, hydrolyzed lactose, whey for cold packed cheese food, gelatin(if it is used then it is not Halal) is allowed in cream cheese but most manufacturer use gums instead of gelatin

Cultured lipolyzed Cream is considered Halal if the culture media, which is used to grow cultures is made from Halal ingredients. The use of microbial Lipase enzyme is the second requirement for cultured lipolyzed cream to be considered Halal.
Cultured Lipolyzed Cream is made with use of cultures and Lipase enzyme.
Lipase enzyme is used to split milk fat into free fatty acids eventually leading to methyl ketones, lactones and other volatile compounds for flavor.
Gelatin is a derived water soluble protein made by controlled hydrolytic conversion of collagen, the protein constituent of white fibrous connective tissue from animals.

Gelatin is obtained from one of the following:
• Beef bones and calf skin (Gelatin type B) or
• Skin, hide splits and trimming of pork (Gelatin type A)
• Gelatin is also obtained from fish. The fish gelatin is started coming to markets in 1993

(Muslim Consumer Group reported in one of Chicago Muslim news paper in 1993). It is expensive than pork and beef and also provide little unpleasant smell to the food products.

Fish gelatin is used in Procter & Gamble's Sunny Delight fruit drinks. It is combined with Beta carotene a plant based color as a processing aid ingredient (not reported under the ingredients list) to help disperse the Beta carotene in liquid system. Fish gelatin was also used by Saputo Cheese Company under Stella, Frigo, Lorraine and Dragone brands for low fat and reduced fat cheeses. The Fish gelatin meets the Islamic dietary requirements and is considered as a Halal ingredient.

Majority of Muslims do not purchase food products containing gelatin but a minority of Muslims consume food products made from Non-Zabiha beef gelatin. If these products are not under kosher certification, the manufacturer can change the source of gelatin from Non-Zabiha to pork.
There is a big confusion about Kosher Gelatin which is now used very extensively in yogurts, sour Cream, Cottage cheese and Ice Cream.

There are four type of kosher gelatin in the food products but none of them meet the Islamic dietary requirements and considered NOT Halal.

Different kosher certifying organizations have different beliefs.
For example kosher organization with symbols
• OU, CRC, V, Kof K do not consider pork gelatin as a kosher gelatin.
• K, KO accept pork gelatin as a kosher product.
So the statements such as "Gelatin is considered Kosher regardless of its source of origin", which appears in many Halal foods books is not true.

1. Gelatin in Jell-o Gelatin products is made from pork and considered kosher by a Rabbi who certify these products with a kosher symbol K. These products are Haram (NOT HALAL).
2. Kosher gelatin is also obtained from non kosher slaughtered cattle bones and skin in China, which is certified by a Rabbi in Florida. This gelatin is used in majority of Dannon Yogurts( Dannon’s Premium Low Fat Plain, Premium Non Fat Plain and Natural Plain with UD kosher symbol do not contain any gelatin and considered as Halal products) and other brand of yogurts.
3. Kosher gelatin is also made from pork source and listed as kosher gelatin in some products with kosher symbol KO. These products are Haram (NOT HALAL).
4. The Union of Orthodex Jewish Congregation of America certifies a Kosher gelatin, which is made from cattle. These cattle are slaughtered according Jewish laws by a Sochet (A Rabbi). This kosher gelatin is used in Entenmann’s Frosted Toaster Pastries with kosher symbol UD. Many Islamic Scholars do not accept kosher meat as the meat of Ahle-Kitab because Sochet (Rabbi) do not announce the name of Allah and other prayers on each animals.
Only fish gelatin and gelatin made from the bones and skins of Halal animals slaughtered according to Islamic Sharia is considered Halal.
5. Kosher Symbols: Allah says in Quran
"This day are (all) things are good and pure made lawful unto you. The Food of the people of the books is lawful to you and yours is lawful unto them" (Surah 5, Ayat 5).
If an authentic and genuine non meat kosher certified food products bearing kosher symbols such as OU, K. CRC, V, Kuf K, KVH, COR and Parve meet the Islamic dietary requirements, then those products are considered Halal.
However if they contain gelatin, kosher gelatin, wine, alcohol, L-cysteine from human hair, wine vinegar, rum flavor, beer batter then they are considered to be NOT Halal food products.
For example if a food product contains gelatin or Kosher gelatin and also bears kosher symbol, then it will not be considered Halal.
We do not recommend Kosher meat for Muslims because they do not announce Allah’s name on each animal. Majority of Muslims do not consider it Halal. Besides, the Zabiha meat is accessible to Muslims in USA and Canada.

PLEASE DONOT USE THE KOSHER CERTIFIED FOOD PRODUCTS IF THEY CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS:

1) Gelatin (2) Kosher Gelatin (3) L-Cysteine made from human hair (4) Wine (5) Liquor (6) Beer batter (7) Rum flavor (8) Ethyl Alcohol as a main ingredient appears on the ingredient list (9) Cochineal or Carmine, a red color from insects (10) Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce (11) Yeast Extract or Autolyzed Yeast made from brewer?s yeast, a by product of beer making (12) Torula Yeast grown on alcohol (13) Nucleotides (building block of nucleic acid) are obtained from yeast cells grown on alcohol, used in Infant Milk formulas to help babies build a good immune, digestive system and decreased incident of diarrhea (14) Vanilla Extract (15) Wine Vinegar (16) Ethyl alcohol is used as a solvent in natural and artificial flavors (17) Confectionary Glaze made with alcohol.
i. Gelatin (Jell -o Gelatin products)
ii. Kosher Gelatin (from cow not slaughtered according Jewish slaughtering methods such as kosher gelatin in Dannon yogurts)
iii. Kosher Gelatin (from cows slaughtered according to Jewish method of slaughtered in which they pronounce name of Allah on the first cow and last cow, no pronouncement of Allah’s name between first and last cows such as kosher gelatin in Entenmann’s Frosted Toaster Pastries)
iv. Wine (Grey Poupon Mustard)

v. Alcohol
vi. Alcohol in Flavor ( Some Islamic scholars accept it as Halal and some do not, please consult your Islamic scholar)
vii. L-Cysteine from human Hair
Cochineal (Insect red color, all insect except gross hopper are Haram according to Hanafi fiqha)
viii. Naturally Brewed Soya Sauce (Soya sauce made with wheat and soy is Haram because the production of alcohol in its production and retention of 1-2% alcohol in soya sauce, Soya sauce made with water, Salt, Hydrolyzed vegetable Protein, Corn Syrup and Sodium Benzoate is Halal, it is also called All purpose Soya sauce)

ix. Brewer’s Yeast Extract ( some Islamic scholars accept it as Halal and some considered it mushbooh because it is by-product of beer making, please consult with your Islamic scholar)
x. Beta Carotene (made with gelatin, if fish gelatin or vegetable oil is used then it is Halal)
Lipolyzed Butterfat:
The use of microbial Lipase enzyme is the requirement for lipolyzed butterfat to be considered Halal. Lipolyzed butterfat is made by use of Lipase enzyme to break butter fat to provide flavor.
L-Cysteine is a non essential amino acid used in bakery products as dough conditioner. It helps keep the dough from shrinking in case of pizza crust and pita breads. It is also used in bagels. It also reduced mixing time. L-Cysteine is made from either
 human hair,
 chicken feathers and
 synthetic material.

L-Cysteine from Halal synthetic material is Halal certified by Majelis Ulema of Indonesia and sale by Ajinomoto USA. BagelEz is a dough conditioner from Caravan Company of New Jersey. They used Halal certified L-Cysteine.
According to Islamic Scholars the L-Cysteine made from human hairs is considered as a Haram product.

YEAST EXTRACT OR AUTOLYZED YEAST

Yeast is a single celled plant that has been useful to mankind since pre-historic times. There are numerous applications of yeast in the food industry
1. Baker’s Yeast: Halal
The role of baker yeast in baking industry is to leaven bread and related products. Baker’s Yeast is a Halal yeast.
2. Brewer’s Yeast:
This type of yeast is used in fermenting sugar in malt to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide in beer making.
3. Wine Yeast:
This yeast is used in making wine.
4. Alcohol Yeast :
Yeast is used in production of alcohol.
5. Torula Yeast:
Torula Yeast grows on sulfite waste and sulfite liquors. It is also grown on sugar cane. Torula yeast now a days is not grown on sulphite liquor containing alcohol. Based on informat from yeast manufacturer in March 2009, Torula yeast is only grown on Molasses and Corn. Now the Torula yeast is Halal.
6. Autolyzed Yeast Extracts or Yeast Extracts:
Autolyzed yeast extracts are available as a powder derived from Baker’s Yeast or Brewer’s Yeast. After brewing the beer, the brewer yeast is separated from the beer and subjected to self digestion, the hydrolysis of yeast cell protein by the proteolytic enzymes indigenous to yeast cell.
7. Brewer’s yeast extracts are used in only cheese crackers or cheeses because of its harsh or bitter taste.
8. Baker's Yeast Extract or Baker's Yeast Autolyzed Yeast or Extract are used to provide meaty falvor in soups, meat products, gravies, snacks. It is used in flavors and also vitamins.
9. The Islamic Scholars have different opinions regarding the brewer’s yeast extracts. Some considered it Halal, some say, it is Mukrooh and some advise not to consume foods containing brewer’s yeast extract. Our Islamic scholar considered it Halal if the alcohol penetrated inside the yeast cell and changed to new thing. There is no literature available to indicate that alcohol inside yeast react and changed to a new thing. This is the reason we do not consider yeast extract from beer making as a Halal ingredient.

Vinegar

Vinegar has been known for centuries. It is simply a dilute solution of water and acetic acid that contains coloring and flavoring agents in very small quantities from source of raw material. A typical distilled vinegar contains 95% of water and rest is acetic acid , minor constituents.
It is made by two successive microbial processes,
o first being an alcoholic fermentation effected by yeasts and the
o second an oxidation of alcohol by Acetobacter, a genus of aerobic bacteria.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation states that the unmodified name vinegar apply only to the product derived from apples and that this product contain not less than 4 g of acetic acid in 100 ml of vinegar.

Vinegar also contains small quantities of ash, sugars, phosphoric acid, alcohol, and
glycerol. Vinegar is made by two process;
1. The packed generator; and
2. Submerged fermentation system.

Air is used in both process.

Fermentation :
The fermentation of sugar into alcohol (ethanol) and which comprises the first step in manufacturing of vinegar using the yeast Saccharomyces sp, which proceeds as follow:
C6H12O6 -------> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 (sugar source) (Ethyl Alcohol) (Carbon Dioxide)
The second fermentation step requires the microorganism acetobacter (Bacterium aceti) and oxygen as indicated below:
2C2H5OH + 2O2 ---------> 2CH3COOH + 2H2O (Ethyl Alcohol) (Oxygen) (Acetic Acid) (Water)
FYI
Malt vinegar is used extensively in Britain, and wine vinegar in continental Europe.
Distilled white vinegar and cider vinegar is preferred in USA and Canada.
Types of Vinegar:
There are six type vinegar is used throughout the world.
1. Distilled White or Grain or Spirit Vinegar: It is produced from the natural fermentation of dilute alcohol to vinegar. The vinegar is filtered and contains Natural mellow aroma.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar: It is produced from unprocessed apple juice and vinegar retains its natural amber color and fruity flavor.
3. Wine Vinegar: Wine vinegar is produced from Burgandy wine and other wines.It retains a ruby color and wine like flavor. It is used in Oil-Vinegar Dressing and gourmet cooking and condiments.
4. Corn (Maize) sugar Vinegar: This type of vinegar is produced from corn sugar. Sugar is first converted to alcohol then alcohol is converted to acetic acid and water. It is also a amber color vinegar.
5. Malt Vinegar: Malt vinegar is produced from the fermentation of malt to alcohol and then it is converted to vinegar.
6. Specialty Vinegar such as Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is produced in Modena Italy from white and sugary Trebbiano grapes with special labor intensive method to special flavor and aroma There is possibility of left over wine in this vinegar.
Halal Status of vinegar:

There is a different of opinion among Hanafi and Shafi fiqa schools regarding vinegar.

There is also different of opinion among Islamic Scholars regarding wine vinegar. Since there is possibility of wine being not 100% converted to acetic acid and water. There is left over wine in the wine vinegar, we consider wine vinegar not a Halal vinegar. We recommend distilled white vinegar because it is made from dilute alcohol. Please consult your sheik or Imam on this topic.

VITAMINS FORTIFIED MILK:

Milk from buffalo, camel, cow and goat is Halal by itself however milk in the US and Canada from cows and goats must be fortified with vitamins A and D by law. California is the only state where milk can be sold without vitamin fortification. In 1994, the Muslim Consumer Group brought the following facts about vitamins fortification of milk.

a. What are the source of Vitamins A and D:
Vitamin A for milk fortification is produced commercially by reacting calcium carbonate with water and then esterified with palmitic acid (source can be from a plant or an animal or a synthetic).
Vitamin D3 is produced from sheep's wool lanolin (Halal).

b. Presence of an emulsifier in Vitamin Mixes:
A fat based emulsifier Polysorbate 80 is added to the vitamin mix for milk fortification s as a processing aid ingredient to help vitamins to be mix and distributed evenly with milk so that it is satisfy the law requirement of a specific amount of vitamins per quart of milk. This emulsifier is not mentioned on the ingredient declaration on the milk containers because it is considered a processing aid. This emulsifier should not be from pork fat. It has to be from plant fat such as soy bean.

c. This vitamins mixture must be certified as Halal or kosher because there is no FDA regulations about the source of vitamins and the emulsifier for vitamin mix. If a manufacturer wishes to use an emulsifier and vitamins from pork source, there is no law to prevent it.

d. Now almost every dairy in USA is using Kosher certified vitamin mix, so the milk in USA and Canada is Halal.

e. Composition of Vitamin mix for milk fortification:
Vitamin mix for milk fortification is made of Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Water, Polysorbate 80 (an emulsifier), Propylene Glycol (to prevent freezing) and Sodium Benzoate as preservative. These ingredients other than Vitamin A and Vitamin D3 will not appear on the ingredients list of milk on its bottle because they considered as processing aid ingredients.

f. VITAMIN MIX MANUFACTURERS:
Tastemaker, Bungi Foods, Vitamins Inc., Danisco-Grindsted are the major suppliers for the vitamin mix (BASF and Roche vitamins are main suppliers of vitamin A & D) to the milk industry. These companies have kosher certified vitamin mixes. The vitamin mixes from above companies are consider Halal.
Vanilla
Vanilla is the most world prized flavor. It is obtained from the beans of a tropical vine of genus vanilla. The beans at harvest do not have the characteristic vanilla fragrance but requires curing processes to obtain the vanilla fragrance.
All curing methods involve four basic phases:
1. Wilting or killing of the beans that stops the natural respiratory metabolism and vegetative life of the pod.
2. Sweating the wilted beans which involves a fairly rapid dehydration and slow fermentation. The characteristic flavor compounds develops here during which sugars, phenols, vanillin compound are developed by enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction.
3. Drying of sweated beans at very slowly at a lower temperature to 20-25% moisture.
4. Conditioning of the dried beans in closed boxes for a few months where they finish the development of their characteristic fragrance.
Vanilla Standards: Vanilla extract is the only flavoring material with a US FDA standard of identity. It is included in the code of Federal Regulation (21CFR-169).
Vanilla Extraction and Ice Cream Standard: Vanilla standards was developed and promulgated concurrent and in close relation with Ice Cream Standard(21-CFR-135.110).
The labeling of Ice Cream is dependent on the type of flavoring used.
• Category I (21CFR-135):
Vanilla Ice Cream contains only pure vanilla components and no artificial flavors.
• Category II (21CFR-135):
Vanilla ice cream can be flavored with up toone ounce of synthetic vanillin per unit of vanilla extract. This is a natural and artificial product and labeled vanilla flavored Ice cream.
• Category III (21CFR-135):
Ice cream contains predominantly or exclusively an artificial vanilla flavoring that includes primary synthetic vanillin. This product must be labeled Artificially flavored or Artificial vanilla.

VANILLA PRODUCTS:

1. Vanilla Beans: Vanilla beans are identified as the properly cured and dried fruit-pods of Vanilla planifolia in vanilla standard 21-CFR-169.3. Vanilla Extracts and Vanilla Powders: The reminder of the standard is involved with describing in general terms how the extract is made and what other ingredients can be used. It also defines other products related to pure vanilla extract (what constitutes them and how they can be labeled).
2. Vanilla extract (extracted with alcohol).
3. Vanilla flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
4. Concentrated vanilla flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
5. Vanilla powder (no alcohol is used)
6. Vanilla-Vanillin extract (extracted with alcohol)
7. Vanilla-Vanillin flavoring (extracted with alcohol)
8. Vanilla-Vanillin powder (Vanillin may be obtained with or without alcohol)
The more significant statement in the standard, which should be noted, require that the finished extract have no less than 35% ethyl alcohol and contains no less than one unit of vanilla bean per gallon. There is no animal derived ingredients are used in the above products.

VANILLA WITHOUT ALCOHOL:
1. New Methods of Extractions: Modern methods of extraction are used such as supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and reverse osmosis for concentration. These methods produce useful products for industrial flavoring but they either fail to fit the regulatory requirements (alcohol extraction) for standard products, but they are expensive. These specialized products differ in solubility, flavor profile, and appearance but add to the list of natural vanilla flavoring available to food and beverages manufacturers.
2. Vanilla beans: Pure Vanilla beans (21CFR-169.3) are available for both food manufacturers for processed foods and common consumers for home bake products (McCormik brand of pure vanilla beans are available in supermarkets).
3. Vanilla Flavor: A vanilla flavor may be in fact being non-alcoholic but it has to be outside of standard of identity.
4. Vanilla Powder: This is a standard vanilla product (21CFR-169.179). Vanilla powder is a mixture of ground vanilla beans or vanilla oleoresin or both with one or more of the following optional blending ingredients (a) Sugars, (b) dextrose, (c) Lactose, (d) Food Starch, (e) dried corn syrup, (f) Gum acacia. Vanilla sugar is different from vanilla powder with sugar. Vanilla Sugar is made with sugar and vanilla extract and considered as Haram ingredient because of alcohol.
5. Vanilla-Vanillin Powder: This is the same, as vanilla powder but contains not more than one ounce of added vanillin. This is also a standard product (21CFR-169.182). But this product is Halal only if added vanillin is obtained from vanilla bean without alcohol.

Vanillin
Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) a pleasant smelling aromatic compound occurs naturally in vanilla bean and also obtained from as by-product of pulp and paper industry by the oxidative break down of lignin. It may also be prepared by synthesis.

LIGNIN VANILLIN VANILLA BEAN VANILLIN
(vanilla bean flavor component)
C8H8O3 Molecular weight: 152.16
HALAL STATUS OF VANILLIN:
Artificial or synthetic vanillin do not contain alcohol and it is also Halal or Kosher certified. It is a Halal ingredient.
Artificial or synthetic vanillin is made with all Halal ingredients and Halal process without alcohol. Lignin which used to make the artificial vanillin is plant products which is Halal by nature. Only methane is used as a solvent which is a Halal solvent.
HOW TO IDENTIFY HALAL VANILLA AND ARTIFICIAL VANILLIN IN A FOOD PRODUCT:

There are three steps, a Muslim can used to identify the Halal Vanilla and artificial vanillin in a food product.
Step Number 1: Read the ingredients list on the food package. If you find a vanilla extract under the ingredients statement, this means the vanilla is extracted with alcohol and alcohol containing vanilla extract is added to the products. Vanilla Extract is a Haram ingredient. Stop here, do not use the product.
Step Number 2: If the ingredient statement does not indicate the presence of vanilla extract but indicate the presence of vanilla flavor or Natural flavor or Natural and Artificial Flavor, look for kosher symbol, if you find kosher symbol, this indicates that no animal derived ingredients are used in vanilla flavor or Natural & Artificial flavor.
This does not mean the product is Halal. Use of alcohol in vanilla flavor or Natural and Artificial flavor has to be investigated.
Step Number 3: Contact the food manufacturer to find out whether alcohol is used as the carrier or solvent in the vanilla flavor or Natural and Artificial flavor, if not, then consume the product.
If alcohol is used as a solvent, then do not consume the product.
ICE CREAM PRODUCTS WITHOUT VANILLA OR FLAVORS:
Some Ice Cream manufacturer used rework ice cream products with flavors containing alcohol in an Ice Cream product, which do not have any flavor, or vanilla at all as indicated by the ingredient list. Good Humor Company is using this practice for their Breyer brand of Ice Cream. It is possible others do not use this practice.
ISLAMIC SCHOLARS' VIEW ON THIS TOPIC:
Some Islamic Scholars considered a food product Not Halal if it is made with flavor containing alcohol as a solvent. But the others considered it Halal because they said the small or large quantity of the product does not intoxicate a person. Please consult your Sheik or Imam on this topic.