Its author said in the introduction, "It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic."
Before you is a chapter from the great book "Al-Adhkaar" of the Imam and great scholar of the seventh century, Abu Zakariyyah Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi. The chapter is entitled "Hifdh-ul-Lisaan" or "Guarding the Tongue." The original source, "Al-Adhkaar," is one of the prize works of Imam an-Nawawi in which he compiles and discusses the texts related to what is recommended and forbidden from speech, focusing on al-adhkaar (words of remembrance) and al-ad'iyah (supplications). In the last part of the book, as he explains, Imam an-Nawawi devotes a chapter to what is forbidden and disliked from speech, such as backbiting, gossiping, and slander. So he brings the evidences from the Qur'aan and Sunnah on the obligation of guarding the tongue from evil speech. This great work was checked and verified by Shaikh Saleem ibn 'Eed al-Hilaali and printed in two volumes. In his verification, Shaikh Saleem provides a grading for each hadeeth as well as a discussion about the reason for the hadeeth's authenticity or weakness. Due to a desire to make the e-book a source of easy reading and benefit, the verification of hadeeths have been limited to just the grade that Shaikh Saleem al-Hilaali has provided and the references of the hadeeth sources they can be found in, while abridging his discussions of certain hadeeths in some places.
Author: Abu Zakaria Al-Nawawi
Translators: Abu Maryam Ismaeel Alarcon
Publisher: http://www.almanhaj.com - Almanhaj Website
A concise treatise discussing the ruling concerning music.
Publisher: http://www.islamqa.com - Islam : Question & Answer Website
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1289
The legality of music and singing in the Islamic shari'ah (the divinely-revealed law) is an issue which is hotly debated among individuals and scholars in Islamic societies of our present day. Arriving at the correct view requires unbiased, scholarly research of the available literature which must be supported by authentic, decisive proof. A considerable amount has been said and written both for and against this subject, and the proliferation of doubt and confusion necessitates another more critical, meticulous analysis and assessment of this whole matter, in order for one to come to a clear, decisive conclusion which leaves not the least bit of doubt in the mind of the reader.
Author: Abu Bilal Mustafa Al-Kandi
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Muhammad Pocket Guide is one of the most comprehensive and summarized pictorial books about the prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him). It provides a broad biography and summarized information about Muhammad such as his character and personal details. In addition, it provides a broad overview about his teachings and main events in his life. It is specially written for those who would like to get brief information about the founder of the Islamic religion and his teachings from Islamic authentic sources. It can be a useful tool to help understand the Islamic teachings, tradition and culture. Hence, it promotes understanding, tolerance, coexistence, and social harmony among people of different races, faiths and cultures.
Dr. Saleh As-Saleh said in the beginning of the book, "We hear nowadays a strange call by organized groups involving some Christians, Jews, and “Muslim” intellectuals calling for “wihdatul adyaan”. They claim that these three religions stand for the same belief that there is One God and should unite in their call for the implementation of great moral values. Some of those involved call for the establishment of centers containing churches, synagogues, and masaajid side by side, and printing the Qur’an, the Bible, and the Torah in one binding, etc. In the name of defending Islam against political and media distortions in the West, some organizations are compromising the basics of the Islamic creed through what is called “Bridging the Faiths.” This is a very dangerous call because it mixes the truth with falsehood and thus practically implies the elimination of the truth perfected in the deen of Islam. The Christians and Jews want the Muslims to be like them. That is why they support this deceptive call for “unity”.
Author: Dr. Saleh As-Saleh
Publisher: http://understand-islam.net - Understand Islam Website