Uber busy lately!

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently, I've been uber busy lately and didn't have time.

First news is we have managed to organise an excellent and successful Masjid Open Day, 51 people coming to learn about Islam as well as one young woman who said her shahadah and was then welcomed into Islam by her sisters who were helping out in the sisters section.

The number one point of interest and dispute we have from non-Muslims when giving them Da'wah is that they say we oppress our women, now if we are going to argue back the easiest way of doing this is to get a sister to say it. I could argue 1000 times that I don't oppress my wife and never be believed, but my wife has to say it only once to be believed.

Unfortunately due to cultural jahil reasons, many Muslims DO forbid their women from going to the masjid, not even providing prayer and wudhu facilities for them, Shame on them for disobeying Rasoolullah (saws) who said "do not forbid the women from going to the masjid even though their houses are better for them." (Abu Dawud) And also, shame on them for giving such a bad impression of Islam and ammunition to those who will attack Islam any way they can.

The Scholars have clarified five reasons for men talking to women and visa versa,

1. Trade and Business - a man buying from a woman or a woman buying goods from her man. Yes it is better for women to get their menfolk to go to the shops for her, but if she cannot or has no husband or father to help her?

2. Medical help - if the injury is serious, not small and no female doctor of sufficient ability available then there is an allowance for the women to go to a male doctor, but should if possible to accompanied by a mahram and not exposing any more of the body than necessary.

3. Jihad - Yes the women of the past used to go in Jihad, to tend the wounded soldiers and even fighting, look at the stories of the women from the sahabah, many of them fought and killed the kuffar.

4. Teaching matters of the Deen - If the most qualified person in a given matter of the deen is a women than there is no harm of the man learning from her, as long as certain etiquette's are observed. But this allowance is for matters of the deen, not for other affairs as some people try to use it to allow mixed sex secular education.

5. Da'wah - Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil - If a woman sees an evil it is obligatory for her to forbid it if she can, and if she has an opportunity to enjoin the good then it is obligatory for her to do so. The sisters from Lal Masjid who were going around closing the brothels and bollywood music shops and beating those who refused were doing the right thing, and the sisters who talk to non-Muslims and tell them about Islam are doing the right thing.

Allah says in the Quran, that we are the best of nations because we invite to the good and forbid people from the evil. Elsewhere he says those who invite to the good and forbid the wrong, they are the ones who are successful. These verses are general, not particular to men and men should well remember that.

I hope that helps a little to dispel some peoples notions of it being allowed to stop women doing da'wah, which is what some men and women try to do.

Another matter of interest lately that has kept me busy and stopped me blogging is that I've finally got a job! I am sure any non-Muslim reading this will be upset thinking how dare this extremist preach to us when he doesn't even work?

But I have been looking hard and finally alhamdulillah I found a job, one major problem though being its in another city so not only do I have to work for 8 hours, but have 2 hours travelling time each end of that as well.

I must admit it is hard, as this means I don't see my wife and kids in the morning, and only get to see my son for a couple of hours in the evening when I come home. This is heartbreaking sometimes when I have had so long with him before but inshallah if i get the money I need I can get out of here sooner and look after him and my daughter better in the future by taking them from this filthy land to one better suited to Muslims.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah