Art

Cordova Mosque is one of the finest monuments of Muslim art in Europe. Its architect and masons were local talent, who introduced a number of novelties. The Muslims excelled at mosaic, inlay, fretwork and applique work of all types. Marvellous doors, pulpits, and ceilings are decorated in many of the ancient mosques all over the Muslim world with a lacelike design of mosaic, carved invory and wood and plaster, and fitted pieces of carved wood interlocking with each other with consummate artistry. Chased and engraved wood and ivory are everywhere. Thus the Altar of the Church of Saint Isidore Hispalensis (archbishop of Seville in the first years of the 7th century AD) like the carved ivory jewel-case made for Queen Isabella in the 11^th century and the carved ivory box now in the Church at Bayeux of the 12th century (obviously some Crusader's loot from the East) inlaid with silver in chased gold, are examples of that art which was the glory of Eastern lands. All this delicate and minute handiwork was carried out with the crudest and roughest of tools, itself a further tribute to the skill and artistry of the makers.

Jewel-studded boxes and cases and caskets are to be seen in many places, though the best are on view in the museums of Damascus and Cairo. Well said Sa'adi: "An Eastern artist may take 40 years to make one porcelain vase: the West turns out 100 a day, all like: the comparative worth of the two products can be easily reckoned!"

The Muslims were also past masters of the art of carved and coloured plaster work, in a style which still subsists though modern technologies are, alas, rendering the skill rarer all the time. Tenth century examples, some with enamelled work also, are to be found in Andalusia. The Alhambra has 13th century masterpieces of this work. The glitter like the later Italian Majolica. The famous Alhambra flower-vase, 1.5 metres high, is unique in this line.

Mathematics

Baron Carra de Vaux, author of the chapter on "Astronomy and Mathematics" in "The Legacy of Islam" (OUP 1931 pp. 376-398), points out that the word "algebra" is a Latinisation of the Arabic term Al-jabr (= "i.e. of complicated numbers to a simpler language of symbols)., thereby revealing the debt the world owes to the Arabs for this invention. Furthermore the numerals that are used are "Arabic numerals" not merely in name but also in fact. Above all Arabs' realisation of the value of the Hindu symbol for zero laid the foundation of all our modern computerised technology. The word "zero", like its cousin "cipher" are both attempts at transliterating the Arabic "sefr", in order to convoy into Europethe reality and the meaning of that word in Arabic.

De Vaux writes: "By using ciphers the Arabs became the founders of the arithmetic of everyday life; they mada algebra an exact science and developed it considerably; they laid the foundations of analytical geometry; they were indisputably the founders of plane and spherical trigonometry. The astrolabe (safeeha) was invented by the Arab Al-Zarqali (Arzachel) who lived in Spain AD 1029-1087. The word "algorism" is a latinisation of the name of his home province Al-Khwarizmi. The Arabs kept alive the higher intellectual life and the study of science in a period when the Christian West was fighting desperately with barbarism".

This is not the place to go further into Muslim achievements in mathimatics and astronomy. Suffice it to refer once again to the Jalali calendar of Omar Khayyam, with its formulae for exact calculation of the timing of the earth's orbits round the sun, to which reference has been made earlier.

Chemistry

Jaber ibn Haiyan, disciple of the sixth Imam Ja'afar-i-Sadeq, became known world-wide as "the Father of Chemistry" and of Arab alchemy. His influence on western chemistry and alchemy was profound and long-lasting. Some hundred of his works survive. Of him the late Sayyid Hebbat-ud-Din Shahristani of Kadhemain, once Iraq's Minister of Education, writes: "I have seen some 50 ancient MSS of works of Jaber all dedicated to his master Imam Ja'afar. More than 500 of his works have been put into print and are for the most part to be found among the treasures of the National libraries of Paris and Berlin, while the savants of Europe nickname him affectionately 'Wisdom's Professor' and attribute to him the discovery of 19 of the elements with their specific weights, etc. Jaber says all can be traced back to simple basic particle composed of a charge of lightning (electricity) and fire, the atom, or smallest indivisible unit of matter, very close to modern atomic science.

The blending of colouring matters, dyeing, extraction of minerals and metals, steelmaking, tanning, were amongst industrial techniques of which the Muslims were early masters. They produced Nitric Acid, Sulphoric acid, Nitro-glycerin, Hydrochloric Acid, Potassium, Aqua Ammonia, Sal Ammoniac, Silver Nitrate, Sulphoric Chloride, Potassium Nitrate, Alcohol, Alkali (both still known by their Arabic names), Orpiment (yellow tri-sulphide of arsenic; arsenic is derived from the Persian zar = gold, adjective zarnee = golden, Arabised with article "al" to "al-zernee" pronounced "azzernee" and so taken into Greek where was turned to the recognizable word "arsenikon" which means "masculine" since the gold colour was supposed to link it with the sun, a musculine diety!): and finally - though this does not close the list we might cite - Borax, also an Arabic word - Booraq. Further, the arts of distilling, evaporation, sublimation, and the use of Sodium, Carbon, Potassium Carbonate, Chloride, and Ammonium were common under the Abbasid Caliphate.

Geography

The Arabian Nights' tales of Sindbad the Sailor, and of his voyages to China, Japan, and the Spice Islands of Indonesia, give quite enough evidence of the brilliance of Arabic commercial shipping and the knowledge of meteorology and geography which was at their disposal. Small wonder that the Faith spread through them from Morocco to Mindanao.

But, besides the SE Asian seas, arabic sailors penetrated far down the East coast of Africa, and also up the rivers which are channels from the Black Sea into the distant interior of Russia. The Safarname (Travel journal) of Suleiman, a sea-captain of Seraf, the port on the Persian Gulf recently excavated by Dr. David Stronach of the British Institute of Persian Studies, was published at the end of the 9th century AD with accounts of his voyages to India and China. It was translated into Latin, as giving some of the earliest first-hand knowledge of China which ever reached Europe.

The geographer Ibn Hauqal (floruit circa AD 975) wrote in his preface: "I have written the latitude and longitude of the places of this earth, of all its countries, with their boundaries, and the dominions of Islam, with acareful map of each section on which I have marked numerous places, e.g. the cities, the kasbahs, the rivers, the lakes, the crops, the types of agriculture, the roads, the distances between place and place, the goods for commerce and everything else in the science of geography which can be useful to sovereigns and their ministers and interesting to all people in general.

Abu-Reihan al-Biruni, Ibn Batuta and Abu'l-Haussan are amongst other names in the history of the science of geography whose worldwide travels were accompanied by meticulous observation and painstaking notes, which are amongst the proudest achievements of science in our world to this day.

Industry

The Abbasid Caliph Haroun-al-Rashid sent Charlemagne in Aix from Baghdad a present of a clock made by his horologists which struck a bell on the hour very hour, to the great wonder and delight of the whole court of the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

The massacre and expulsion of the Muslims of Andalusia by the Christians carried with it the clousure of many of the great factories that has existed under Islamic rule, and the standstill of progress that had been made in science, crafts, arts, agriculture, and other products of civilization. Towns began to fall into ruin because of the lack of skilled masons. Madrid dropped from 400,000 to 200,000 inhabitants: Seville, which had possessed 1,600 factories under the Muslims, lost all but 300, and the 130,000 workers formerly employed had no more jobs, while the census of Philip IV showed a fall of 75% in population figures.

It was the Muslims also who brought about the substitution of cotton-wove paper for the old parchments; and it was this invention which formed the basis for Europe's later invention of printing, using an old Chinese technique, and so for the vast uprush of learning which came with the Renaissance. More, since monks were starved for parchment on which to write their religious works, they were tending more and more to scrape off priceless ancient scientific texts from old parchments and to use them again as palimpsets. The introduction of paper put a stop to this disastrous practice in time to save quite a number of texts which would have otherwise been lost for ever, as, alas, too many were.

A paper manuscript of the year AD 1009 was found in the Escorial library, and claims to be the oldest hand-written book on paper still in existence. Silk-wove paper, of course, was a Chinese invention, since silk was native to China though rare in Europe; and the Musulman genius lay in seeing the possibility of substituting cotton for silk, and so giving Europe a plentiful supply of a practicable material for the reproduction of books by the monkish scribes.

Philip Hitti writes in his "History of the Arabs" that the art of road-making was so well developed in Islamic lands that Cordova had miles of paved road lit from the houses on each side at night so that people walked in safety; while in London or Paris anyone who ventured out on a rainy night sank up to his ankles in mud - and did so for seven centuries after Cordova was paved! Oxford men then held that bathing was an idolatrous practice; while Cordovan students revelled in luxurious public hammams!

Pharmacology

[Pharmacology, as many other branches of sciences, is considered by Europeans to be an entirely new scientific field. In this respect, they feel, like ancient tribes, that the world is limited to the horisons of their territory. One must realize that this knowledge has mainly originated from the Middle East as well as from China].

[In Europe, until recently,] there was a surprising reluctance to apply anything resembling scientific principles to therapeutics. Even Robert Boyle, who laid the scientific foundations of chemistry in the middle of the seventeenth century, was content, when dealing with therapeutics (A Collection of Choice Remedies, 1692), to describe and recommend a hotch-potch of messes consisting of worms, dung, urine and the moss from a dead man's skull.

Gustave le Bon writes: "Besides the use of cold water to treat typhoid cases - a treatment later abandoned, though Europe is taking this Muslim invention up again in modern times after a lapse of centuries - Muslims invented the art of mixing chemical medicaments in pills and solutions, many of which are in use to this day, though some of them are claimed as wholly new inventions of our present century by chemists unaware of their distinguished history. Islam had dispensaries which filled prescriptions for patients gratis, and in part of countries where no hospitals were reachable, physicians paid regular visits with all the tools of their trade to look after public health."

Georgi Zeidan writes: "Modern European pharmacologists who have studied the history of their profession find that Muslim doctors launched many of the modern beneficial specifics centuries ago, made a science of pharmacology and compound cures, and set up the first pharmacies on the modern model. So that Baghdad alone had 60 chemists shops dispencing prescriptions regularly at the charges of Caliph. Evidence of these facts can be seen in the names given in Europe to quite a number of medicines and herbs which betray their Arabic, Indian or Persian origin." Such are 'alcohol', 'alkaner', 'apricot', 'arsenic', to quote some 'a's alone.

Hospitals

Georgi Zeidan writes: "Within two centuries of the death of the Prophet, Mecca, Medina and and other great Muslim cities all had hospitals, while the Abbasid governors and their ministers competed each for his own region to have the best such institution for the care of the sick. Baghdad alone had four important hospitals. By three centuries after the hijra the governor Adhud-ud-Dowleh Deylamy had founded the Adhudi Hospital with 24 specialists, each master of his own particular field, a hospital which soon earned the reputation of excelling all hospitals throughout Islam, though in the course of time it too was surpassed.

The order and arrangement of Islamic hospitals was such that no distinctions of race, religion or occupation were recognised, but cure was administered with meticulous care to any patient. Separate wards were allotted for patients of specific diseases. These were teaching hospitals where the students learned theory and observed practice. In addition, There were travelling hospitals which carried doctors and their gear by camel or mule to every district. Sultan Mahmoud the Seljuk travelled with a hospital which required 40 camels for its transport."

Dr. Gustave le Bon writes: "Muslim hospitals went in for preventive medicine and the preservation of health as much as if not more than for the cure of the already diseased. They were well-aired and had plenty of running water. Muhammad bin Zachariah Razi (Razes) was ordered by the Sultan to seek out the healthiest place in the Baghdad neighbourhood for the construction of a new hospital. He visited every section of the town and its environs, and hung up a piece of meat which he left while he looked into infectious diseases in the neighbourhood and studied climatic conditions, particularly the state of the water. He balanced all these various experimental tests and finally found them all to indicate that the place where the portion of meat was the last to putrefy and develop infectious bacteria was the spot on which to build. These hospitals had large common wards and also private wards for individuals. Pupils were trained in diagnosis and brought obserrvation and experience to the perfecting of their studies. There were also special mental hospitals, and pharmacies which dispensed prescriptions gratis."

Marc Kapp writes: "Cairo had a huge hospital with playing fountains and flower-decked gardens and 40 large courtyards. Every unfortunate patient was kindly received, and after his cure sent home with five gold coins. While Cordoba, besides its 600 mosques and 900 hammams, had 50 hospitals."

Medical Science

Dr. Meyerhof writes in "The Legacy of Islam" (P.132): "Muslim doctors laughed at the Crusaders' medical attendants for their clumsy and elementary efforts. The Europeans had not the advantage of the books of Avicenna, Jaber, Hassan bin Haytham, Rhazes. However, they finally had them translated into Latin. These translations exist still, without the translators' names. In the 16th century the books of Averroes (Inb Rushd) and avicenna (Ibn Sina) were put out in Latin translation in Italy and used as the basis of instruction in the Italian and French universities."

On page 116 of the same work he writes that after Rhazes' death the works of Avicenna (AD 980-1037) were taken up. His influence on thought and philosophy and general science was profound, and his medical works (based on the works of Galen which he had found in the Samarqand library in Arabic translation) had a sensational outrech.

Other scientists followed - Abu'l-Qais of Andalusia; Ibn-Zahr of Andalusia; Abbas the Irani; Ali ibn-Rezvan of Egypt; Ibn Butlan of Baghdad; Abu Mansur Muwaffaq of Herat; Ibbn Wafeed of Spain; Masooya o Baghdad; Ali-ibn-Esau of Baghdad; Ammar of Mosul; Ibn-Rushd (Averroes) of Andalusia; whose works were translated into Latin were used in European universities. Europe knew nothing of the cholera bacterium when Islam entered Spain, and the people there regarded the disease as a punishment sent from heaven to exact the penalty of the sins: but Muslim physicians had already proved that even the public plague was a contagious disease and nothing else.

Dr. Meyerhof writes of Avicenna's book "The Canon" that it is a masterpiece of medical science which proved its vworth by being printed in a series of 16 editions in the closing years of the 15th century AD, 15 Latin and one Arabic. In the 16th century more than a score of further editions were published, because of its value as a scientific work. Its use continued throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, so that it became the most widely known of all medical treatises. It is still consulted in medical schools.

Will Durant writes that Mohammad ibn Zachariah Razi (Rhazes) was one of Islam's most progress physicians, author of 200 treatises and books well worth studying today: in particular his

1. "Smallpox and Measles" (published in Latin and other European tounges in 40 editions between 1497 and 1866), and

2. "The Great Encyclopedia" 20 volumes mostly unobtainable nowadays: five volumes were devoted to optics; translated into Latin AD 1279; printed in five editions in 1542 alone; known as the most authoritative work on the eye and its ailments and treatment for centuries; one of the nine basic works on which Paris University composed its medical course in 1394 AD.

Surgery made similar progress in the hands of Islamic practitioners, who even used anaesthetics, though theses are assumed to be of modern origin. They employed a henbane base.

Among Rhazes' innovations was the use of cold water to treat persistent fever, of dry-cupping for apoplexy, of mercury ointment and animal gut for wound sutures, and many others.

Further information on Islamic medicine can be sought from the many books on the subject. The diagnosis of tuberculosis from the fingernails, the cure of jundice, the use of cold water to prevent haemorrage, the crushing of stones in bladder and kidney to facilitate their removal, and surgery for hernia are among advances too numerous to mention in detail. The greatest of the Islamic surgeons was Abu'l Qasem of Andalusia, affectionately called Abu'l-Qays, and sometimes Abu'l-Qasees, flourit 11th century AD, inventor of very many surgical instruments and author of books to describe them and their uses -books translated and printed in innumerable editions in Latin and used all over Europe, the last such edition being in 1816.

TRUE LOVE OF THE PROPHET (SAAW) ACCORDING TO THE BOOK AND THE SUNNAH.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Indeed, all praises are due to Allah.  We praise Him, seek
His Aid, and beg for His Forgiveness.  We seek refuge in
Allah from the evil in ourselves and from the evil outcomes
of our deeds.  Whomsoever, Allah, Ta 'Ala, guides, no one
and nothing can take that person astray.  Whomsoever,
Allah, Ta 'Ala, takes astray, no one or nothing can guide
that person.  I bear witness that there is nothing worthy
of worship except Allah who is alone without any
associates.  I bear witness that Muhammad ibnu 'Abd Allah
(SAAW) is Allah's 'Abd (slave) and Messenger.  To proceed:

Allah has commanded in the Qur'an (what means):  "O you who
believe!  Have Taqwah (true fear of Allah) according to His
right and die not except that you are a Muslim.  O
Mankind!  Have Taqwah of your Lord.  The One Who created
you from a single soul and from him He created his mate and
from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah
through Whom you demand your mutual rights and do not cut
off the ties of kinship; surely Allah is ever a Raqeeb
(All-Watcher) over you.  O you who believe!  Have Taqwah of
Allah and always speak the truth.  He will direct you to do
righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins.  And
whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAAW) he has
indeed achieved a great achievement."

Verily, the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best
guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ibnu 'Abd Allah
(SAAW).  The worst of all affairs in this Diyn are
innovations.  Every innovation is a Bid'ah and every Bid'ah
is a going astray and every going astray is in the Hell
Fire.

DEVELOPING TRUE LOVE FOR ALLAH'S MESSENGER (SAAW):

Having the proper love for Allah's Messenger (SAAW) is a
must for any Muslim who is striving to please his/her Lord
and who seeks his/her Lord's Forgiveness.  Learning how to
properly apply this love for the last Nabee (SAAW) is to
properly implement the testimony: wa ash hadu ana
Muhammadan rusulu Allah (SAAW).  Indeed, one cannot just
say he/she loves the Prophet (SAAW) while his/her actions
and 'Aqeedah are fundamentaly against what the Prophet
(SAAW) brought (i.e. the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah).
Hence, the first step in the process of developing this
love is to acknowledge that the Prophet (SAAW) has a claim
over the believers.

Allah has said in the Qur'an (what means):  "The Prophet
(SAAW) is closer to the believers than their ownselves..."
[Al-Ahzab: 6].

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (Rahimullah), one of the great
scholars of this Ummah, relates that this Ayah means the
Prophet (SAAW) has a "higher claim" on the believers than
they have on themselves.  This claim involves two important
matters:

1.  WE CONSIDER ALLAH'S MESSENGER (SAAW) TO BE DEARER THAN
ONE'S OWN SELF.

This is so because this claim is based on love.  One has
the most claim to oneself for one loves oneself more than
anything.  Thus, a person knows what types of foods,
clothing, etc. he/she likes to eat, drink, etc. more than
all others.  However, when it comes to Islam, we know that
Allah knows us better than we know ourselves; thus, we
submit to Him and His Orders.  We it comes to the Prophet
(SAAW), we are to love him more than our own selves; thus,
we too put his commandments above our own opinions, logic,
etc.

Once this true love is established, compliance, obedience,
satisfication with his (SAAW) jugdements, and other matters
related to true love will follow.  This is confirmed in the
following authentic Haadith found in Sahih Al-Bukhari:

Narrated 'Abd Allah bin Hisham: 'We were with the Prophet
(SAAW) and he was holding the hand of 'Umar ibnu Al-Khattab
(RAA).  'Umar said to him, "O Allah's Messenger (SAAW)!
You are dearer to me than everything except my ownself."
Allah's Messenger (SAAW) said: "No, by Him in Whose Hand my
soul is, (you will not have complete Faith) untill I am
dearer to you than your ownself."  Then 'Umar (RAA) said:
"However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my
ownself."  He (SAAW) then said: "Now, O 'Umar, (now you are
a believer)."

LESSONS FROM THIS HAADITH:

A.  The Negation and Affirmation:

The Prophet (SAAW) negates (i.e. rejects, denies) that a
person can have complete Imaan with his statement, "No, by
Him in Whose Hand my soul is...".  Thus, the affirmation,
or condition of having complete Imaan, follows: "...until I
am dearer to you than your ownself...".  Therefore, the
Muslim will never attain true Imaan unless he/she considers
the Prophet (SAAW) to be dearer to him/her than everything
including one's ownself.

B.  Character of the Sahabah:

Upon hearing that true Imaan can only be achieved through
loving the Messenger (SAAW) more than everything, including
one's self, 'Umar (RAA) quickly complied with the
commandment of the Prophet (SAAW).  The Sahabah wasted no
time in doing those acts which were pleasing to Allah and
His Messeger (SAAW).

2.  SECOND IMPORTANT MATTER:

The Messenger (SAAW) has more rule over an individual than
that individual has over his/herself.  This means that a
person only does those actions which are in accordance with
the Book of Allah and the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger
(SAAW).

Therefore, three critical conditions must be fulfilled in
order for a deed to be accepted:

a.  One must confess his/her belief in Islam (i.e. one must
be a Muslim).  b.  One must have Ikhlaas of the Niyah (i.e.
purity of the intention).  c.  One must do that deed in
accordance with the Book of Allah and the authentic Sunnah
of His Messenger (SAAW).

If one of these conditions are not meet, that person's deed
will not benefit him/her in the least.  Of course, absence
of knowledge is always an exception (eg. a person may make
Wudhu but does not know the specific parts of the body that
are to be washed; thus, he/she washes those parts which
he/she thinks to be significant.  His/her Wudhu was not
done in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah; however,
he/she did not know the way to make Wudhu according to the
Book and the Sunnah; hence, their Wudhu would be accepted
for a and b were fulfilled, wa Allahu 'alam).  These are
the conditions which the Salaaf As-Salih (Pious
Predecessors) understood with regards to the acceptance and
rejection of a deed.

Another implications of the testimony: Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah (SAAW).

BELIEF THAT HE (SAAW) WAS SENT TO ALL OF MANKIND AND THE
JINN

Verily, Allah, azza wa jall, has said in the Qur'an (what
means):  "Say (O Muhammad SAAW): O mankind!  Verily, I am
sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah - to Whom belongs
the dominion of the Heavens and the Earth.  La illaha illa
Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He).  It is
He Who gives life and causes death.  So believe in Allah
and His Messenger (SAAW), the Prophet who can neither read
nor write, who believes in Allah and His Words, and follow
him so that you may be guided." [Al-A'raf: 158].

The prophet (SAAW) said (what means):  "And the Prophets
were formerly sent to their people only, whereas I have
been sent to all mankind."  [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Therefore, recognizing that he (SAAW) was sent as a mercy
to all of mankind will, Inshallah, help kindle the proper
love for him which will be manifested through obedience to
his rulings.

FINALITY OF HIS PROPHETHOOD

Indeed, there is no Messenger/Prophet after Muhammd ibnu
'Abd Allah (SAAW) as Allah, Ta 'Ala, says in His Book (what
means):

"Muhammad (SAAW) is not the father of any man among you,
but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the last (end) of the
Prophets.  Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything."
[Al-Ahzab: 40].

The Prophet (SAAW) has said (what means):  "And the line of
the Prophets is closed with me."  [Muslim].

Believing that Muhammad (SAAW) is the final Messenger of
Allah confirms Allah's statement (what means):  "...This
day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed my
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion..." [Al-Ma'idah:3 (in part)].  Thus, if Islam were
not a complete way of life, then this religion would need
to be constantly updated.  In order to update this
religion, there would have to be another Prophet after
Muhammad (SAAW).  However, this is not so as Allah
completed this Diyn and it can never be changed from its
true form.

the ruling of mariage

What is the status of marriage in the Shari'a? Is it obligatory or merely allowed? Some of the Hanafi scholars have broken this question down into different cases:
If a person feels certain that he will commit something forbidden if he does not marry and he has the financial ability to marry, then marriage is in his case fardh (the highest level of the obligatory in Hanafi terminology).
If a person has the ability to marry and treat his wife properly and fears (strong probability) that he will engage in unlawful acts if he doesn't, then marriage in his case is wajib (obligatory).
If a person does not have the financial or physical means to marry or feels certain that he will not treat his wife properly then marriage in his case is haram (forbidden).
If a person has the means to marry, but feels strongly that he will not treat his wife properly, marriage in his case is makrooh (disliked).
If a person has the means to marry and has no fear of mistreating his wife or of committing the unlawful if he doesn't marry, then marriage in his case is mustahabb (preferred).
This last opinion is widely regarded as the "default" (al-asl) ruling in this question i.e., marriage, generally speaking is the preferred but not obligatory way and only becomes obligatory, forbidden, etc. in the exceptional cases.
Since the man is normally the one who goes looking for a spouse and proposes to her family, etc., these discussions normally focus on him. Every point in the above discussion, however, applies to women equally as it does to men.
The opinion that marriage is - overall - preferred (mustahabb) seems to be the strongest opinion. Ibn Uthaimeen further points out that if a person desires to be married, it becomes even more important. He said: "Marriage in the case of desire for such is preferred over superogatory acts of worship, due to the many good results and praiseworthy effects it has."
Also, it is clear that there is a collective obligation (fardh kifaya) on the Ummah as a whole to promote, defend and facilitate the institution of marriage. If marriage suffers from neglect or, for example, unreasonably high dowries which force people to postpone marriage too long, it is a collective obligation on the Ummah to come to its aid and to ensure that as many people as possible live within the context of a marriage. Also, if a the Muslims come to have too many single women because of the abandonment of polygamy, it become a collective obligation on the Muslims to address and correct this situation. This is all clearly based on the command of Allah in the verse previously cited which starts out:

And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. (Holy Qur'an 24:32)

Women in islam

There are widespread erroneous misconception about the status of women in Islam (Submission.) This misconception was augmented by some newsmedia that made little effort to correct their understanding before broadcasting their views on this matter. Adding to this misconception are the regrettable practices in most so called "Islamic" countries or societies where myths, traditions and innovations have won over the true Islamic (Quranic) teachings and where women are traditionally subdued and oppressed. Those who already hate Islam use some words to describe it in a such a way that even some muslims find themseves in state of criticising islamic culture.
example:Muslim women cannot have job outside their home;This is not true.The social structure in the East where Islam (Submission) prevails encourages the woman to make her house her first priority but there is no prohibition whatsoever on women having to work and earn their living.The Muslim (submitter) woman has been given the privilege to earn money, the right to own property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she pleases. She can hold a job or run her own business and no one has any claim on her earnings including her husband.But this doesnt mean that once a girl got married she can just decide to go to work.what i am trying to say is that once there is no need for her to work, she has whatever she needs,the husband is earning enough money for both, then that time she should take care of the house.
If i say this many people understand that i am saying that she should be a slave as many think. no, of course not.mariage doesnt mean that a wife is going to be a slave of her husband. but husband has certain rights to her as she also has right on him.like cooking food for the husband taking care of the things in the house these r for the wife. And the food , clothes , house materials all those things are husband's responsabilities.
cooking or other house work doesnt mean that they are only for wife , when husband is there he can help her as they are like one person.so they have to take care of each other. Islam encourage working together as it icrease barakat for them and blessing from Allah the Almighty.
Like anything a Muslim does, marriage should only be undertaken after gaining an understanding of all that Allah has prescribed in terms of rights and obligations as well as gaining an understanding of the wisdom behind this institution. Nearly all peoples and all societies practice marriage in some form, just as they practice business (buying and selling). Umar ibn Al-Khattab used to expel people from the marketplace in Madina who were not knowledgeable of the fiqh of buying and selling. Likewise, a Muslim should not engage in something as important as marriage without having understanding of the purpose of marriage in Islam as well as a comprehensive understanding of the rights and obligations which it brings about.

On of the most important purposes of marriage is to continue and increase the population of the Muslims. Clearly, this goal could be achieved without marriage, but when actions are undertaken in disobedience to Allah, they do not receive the blessing of Allah and the whole society is corrupted. The Prophet (sas) said:
"Ankihoo fa inniy mukaathirun bikum al umam yaum al-Qiyama""Marry, for I will outnumber the other nations by you on Qiyama." (Ibn Majah - Sahih)
It should be stressed that the goal is not simply to produce any child that will live in the next generation. It is to produce righteous children who will be obedient to Allah and who will be a source of reward for their parents after they die. The Prophet (sas) will NOT be boasting before the other nations on the day of Qiyama with children of Muslim parents who left the path of Islam. Thus it is the responsibility of Muslim parents to seek the means of giving their children the training and education they need not just to grow, but to succeed as Muslims worshipping and obeying Allah. This obligation may include migration (hijrah), establishing of Muslim communities and schools and other obligations. As the scholars have said in another principle of fiqh:
"Maa laa yutimmu al-wajibu illa bihi fa huwa wajib.""That without which an obligation cannot be fulfilled is itself obligatory."

Islam is the religion of the fitrah - the religion which is consistent with the natural instincts and needs of mankind. It is not like the man-made (of modified) religions which set unnatural constraints on people whether self-inflicted prohibition of marriage (nuns and monks, etc.), prohibition of divorce or monogamy. Men are inclined toward women and women are inclined toward men. Marriage is the institution which fulfills this desire and channels it in ways pleasing to Allah Most High. Allah mentions this attraction:
{Zuyyina li an-naasi hubbu ash-shahawaati min an-nisaa'i wa al-baneen...}
{The love of the desires for women, sons, ... has been made attractive to people.} Aal-'Imraan:14
The Messenger of Allah himself made clear that the attraction between the sexes is something natural and not something to be denied or suppressed - only channelled in the ways pleasing to Allah Most High, saying:
"Hubbiba ilayya min dunyaakum an-nisaa'u wa at-teebu wa ju'ilat qurratu 'ainiy fiy as-salat.""Women and perfume have been made beloved to me of this world of yours and my peace of mind is in the prayer." (Ahmad & others - sahih)
The desire of men and women for each other is an urge which needs to be fulfilled. If it is left unfulfilled, it will be a source of discord and disruption in society. For this reason, the Prophet (sas) ordered all men who are capable of meeting the responsibilities of marriage to do it:
"Man kana minkum dhaa tawlin, falyatazawwaj fa innahu aghadhdh lilbasari wa ahsanu lilfarji wa man laa fa as-saumu lahu wijaa.""Whichever of you is capable should marry for it will aid him in lowering his gaze and guarding his body (from sin). As for the one who is not capable, fasting is his protection." (An-Nasaa'i - sahih)

In the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful

Indeed, all praises are due to Allah. We praise Him, seekHis Aid, and beg for His Forgiveness. We seek refuge inAllah from the evil in ourselves and from the evil outcomesof our deeds. Whomsoever, Allah, Ta 'Ala, guides, no oneand nothing can take that person astray. Whomsoever,Allah, Ta 'Ala, takes astray, no one or nothing can guidethat person. I bear witness that there is nothing worthyof worship except Allah who is alone without anyassociates. I bear witness that Muhammad ibnu 'Abd Allah(SAAW) is Allah's 'Abd (slave) and Messenger. To proceed:Allah has commanded in the Qur'an (what means): "O you whobelieve! Have Taqwah (true fear of Allah) according to Hisright and die not except that you are a Muslim. OMankind! Have Taqwah of your Lord. The One Who createdyou from a single soul and from him He created his mate andfrom them both He created many men and women and fear Allahthrough Whom you demand your mutual rights and do not cutoff the ties of kinship; surely Allah is ever a Raqeeb(All-Watcher) over you. O you who believe! Have Taqwah ofAllah and always speak the truth. He will direct you to dorighteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. Andwhosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAAW) he hasindeed achieved a great achievement."Verily, the best speech is the Book of Allah and the bestguidance is the guidance of Muhammad ibnu 'Abd Allah(SAAW). The worst of all affairs in this Diyn areinnovations. Every innovation is a Bid'ah and every Bid'ahis a going astray and every going astray is in the HellFire.

The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate.

"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.'' (35:28).

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A servant of God will remain standing on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his (time on earth) and how he used it; about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth and from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body and how he used it." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 148 .

Another Hadith of The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who treads a path in search of knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God…” - Riyadh us-Saleheen, 245 ,and without a doubt everyone who knows the truth special muslims would love to see his path to paradise made easy.

Here we talking about the day that a mother will not care about his daughter, father will not care about his son, when evry one will just need to get relesead himsel,only his soul except The Holy Prophet Muhammad(peace be up on Him).muslims we are giving days, months even years out our home in search of other knowledge. Example computer science, managment,ect... and we spend all our life in this till death. Its not bad to search other knowledge but there wont be a single benefit to know how to make an aeroplane when we dont know how to thank the one who gave us that knowledge.
And lets not forget that after death we will be asked about knowledge of our religion Islam. not how we learn how to repair computer or how to build a big and strong house.The knowledge the we aquire is the one helps us to get rizik so that we get power to worship Allah the almighty.

Most time we give out reasons that ohh there is no Madrassah near me or no one to teach me here but still if we really want to do it there is always prenty of apportunity.
ex: now a days people can make their business from home, while sitting in their room they can comunicate with people who are 1000 miles away from them. So if we can spend that time and money to aquire world knowledge why cant we spend it in aquiring knowledge that is going to help us here in this world and hereafter? everyone can learn, if you cant go to school thanks to Allah for the knowledge that He has given us, Learn though computer(online) you will be able to get knowledge from the best Ulama inshallah. Dont forget knowledge is the key to paradise.May Allah the almighty makes us understand. Ameen