The concept of Adoption in Islam

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself was raised by His grandfather and his paternal uncle after He was orphaned as a young child. Later, Prophet (PBUH) also became an adoptive father Himself. The concept of Adoption exists in religion Islam but remember one thing that according to Shariah there is no legal concept of adoption in Islam. If we study it in details then it is prohibited for a person to legally adopt a son or a daughter of whom he is not the biological father. According to the Holy Quran, one cannot become a person’s real son or daughter simply by virtue of a declaration. Allah Almighty says in the Noble Quran: “…And He [i.e., Allah] has not made your claimed [i.e., adopted] sons your [true] sons. That is [merely] your saying by your mouths, but Allah says the truth, and He guides to the [right] way. Call them [i.e., the adopted children] by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, they are your brothers in religion…” (Quran, 33: 4-5)

The Islamic form of “adoption” is called kafala comes from the root word meaning “to feed”, its literal meaning is sponsorship. Kafala is also known as legal fostering is the promise to undertake without payment the sustenance, education, and protection of a petty, in the same way as a father would do for his son or daughter.

Nature of Adoption in Islam

The guardian and child relationship has specific rules under Islamic laws, which provides the relationship somehow different than adoption in other cultures. In other cultures, adoptive children become virtually identical to birth children in the eyes of the law. In Islamic culture, it describes more of a foster-parent relationship. Some of the rules in Islam related to this relationship are discussed below:

• An adopted child retains his or her own biological family name and does not change his or her name to match that of the adoptive family.
• An adopted child inherits from his or her biological parents, not from the adoptive parents.
• Members of the adoptive family are not the blood relatives of the adopted child so they are “not Mehram” to him or her.
• So, members of the adoptive family would be permissible as possible marriage partners, and rules of modesty exist between the grown child and adoptive family members as they are “not Mehram” for them.
• Adoptive parents serve merely as trustees for property given to the child by his/her biological family.

Adoption is not helpful to family solidarity and overall harmony and peace, which are necessary for social stability. A completely different form of adoption, which is not prohibited by Islam, is when a man brings home an orphan and wants to raise, educate, and treat him as his own child. A kind of adoption in which he protects, feeds, clothes, teaches, and loves the child as his own without associating the child to himself, nor does he give him or her the rights which the Shariah reserves for his biological children.

It should be made clear as to who the child’s real parents are so that people may call the child by his/her original name, ensuring that the child is well aware of his/her true background or family. Allah Almighty mentions in the Quran “…and Allah has not made your adopted sons your real sons. That is your saying with your mouth. But Allah says the truth. And he guides to the (right) way. Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah. But if you know not their father’s (names, call them) your brothers in faith Islam and freed slaves.”(Quran, 33: 4-5)

In nutshell, adopting a child is a huge responsibility. Adopted children deserve more attention than your real children. If a person adhered to all the above-mentioned conditions, then he/she is worthy of great reward and if conditions are not fulfilled, then the adoptee will be deserving of great punishment in Hereafter. As far as the legal aspects of adoption are concerned in Islam, adoption has no negative consequence in the life of a Muslim.

Qibla Travels Ltd offers:

Qibla Travel Ltd offers a wide range of exciting Umrah Packages for Muslim brothers and sisters residing in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and all over the UK. The comfort of our clients is our top priority. If you are planning for Hajj and Umrah this year, then contact us at for further details ***020 8558 4848***

source: quranreading.com/blog

Can i take the loan to perform Hajj?

Hajj is one of the five pilgrims of Islam forming the base of the religion. Being the fifth pillar of Islam, the Ibadah has a lot of religious significance and performing it brings great virtue to a person. Hajj is mandatory to every Muslim who is physical, mentally and financially stabled and those who despite their health in these three genres skip the obligatory Ibadah have to encounter the wrath of Almighty Allah at the Day of Judgment.

Hajj is the ritual that can only be performed by your own Halal money and is not permissible to be delivered at a loan in Sharia. Allah Almighty makes the regulation clear by descending the following verse on the last Messenger of His SWT, Prophet Muhammad SAWW:

“And Hajj to the house of Allah (holy Kabah) is a duty that mankind owes to the Almighty, for those who are endowed to undertake the voyage.” (Surah Al- Imran)

Not all of the people are able to reach to the holy land of Kabah and one of the main reasons is financial issues. Hajj is a pretty expensive journey that requires a handsome amount of money. In primeval times, people used to travel towards Makkah on camels and had months and months spent on traveling. With the advancement of technology and time, the transportation and circumstances changed but the issue of being full- pocketed remains the same. Today, traveling is a matter of hours and a few clicks but a good amount is required to be there in your dreamland.

More than 1.6 million Muslim from all across the world come and visit the holy Kabah in the month of ZilHajj to perform Hajj. If someone has a longed desire to visit the holy house of Almighty then he must make sure that the jaunt of Hajj is performed by his own money that has come from reliable and authentic resources. If a person is unable to perform Hajj because he cannot afford the expenses of the trip then such person has a leniency to be excused by the Almighty. Following the utmost desire to perform Hajj and taking the loan is not an appreciated piece of work by the Almighty Allah. Hajj that is delivered by taking the loan from someone will not be accepted by Allah.

The loan is taking money from someone without interest (the taker has to return the same amount of money that was taken). If a person has taken a loan from someone and die then he will be not forgotten by the Allah for the amount he has taken only if the giver will forgive him for the sake of Almighty. Removing debt of a parent is not essential for the children but if he or she can do that then it will bring great virtue and fortune to the one.

If a person is endowed to perform Hajj then he must not delay it. Hazrat Ibn e Abbas RA narrated that Prophet Muhammad SAWW said;

“Whoever anticipates delivering Hajj (the major Pilgrimage) then h or she should make haste.”

Taking the loan and performing Hajj is not only a practice disliked by Allah Almighty but also by the Messenger of Allah. The man has come to encounter many obstacles in his or her life and one of the major of them is the financial problems. There will a lot of the times when you need money so urgently that you have no other option but borrowing it from someone else. Taking loan in such cases is not a sin or a wrongdoing and it is completely fine to give or take loans while in need. But the performance of Hajj is a different matter; a matter full of piousness and firm belief.

Taking a loan is not an issue until you intend to give it back to the owner. Taking the loan and not returning it on purpose is a sinful gesture not appreciated by the Sharia. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abi Awfa RA narrated that once he asked Prophet Muhammad SAWW bout a person who has not performed Hajj; “Should he not get a loan to perform the Pilgrimage?” Prophet Muhammad SAWW replied: “No”. The following small incident makes the idea of taking loan clear.

If a person has taken money for his personal working and does not return it back then also he will not be endowed to perform Hajj. Not only loaner who takes debt for Hajj purpose is not allowed to perform Hajj but also the one who has taken money for some other work.

If we look at the merits and demerits of it then it is purely for the sake and convenience of a Muslim. Islam is the religion that backbones the idea of convenience the most. If a person takes the loan to perform Hajj and then be not able to return it back then his life will be in the chaos that ill disturbs his daily peace. In some cases, the situation becomes worse. To avoid such conditions, the commands of the Almighty are there and being a Muslim it is obligatory to follow the path that is set by the Sunnah and Sharia because that is the path which is the most righteous for a person that will lead him to a prosperous life here and after.

If you are planning for performing Hajj or Umrah this year, then contact us for the best Hajj and Umrah package. Qibla Travels Ltd is one of the leading Hajj and Umrah travel agency company in the UK. We have the huge range of packages for Hajj and Umrah.

source: travelforumrah.co.uk

Tourism programs for visitors to enjoy sightseeing in Madinah

Many visitors enjoy sightseeing when in Madinah, it being rich with mosques and Islamic sites. Those who enjoy photography at historical sites also find the place interesting.

Many visitors enjoy sightseeing when in Madinah, it being rich with mosques and Islamic sites that act as a reminiscence of the time of Prophet Muhammad.

This type of tourism witnesses a surge during the seasons on Hajj and Umrah, which accordingly brings more income and creates more job opportunities for temporary sellers of food and gifts.

Those who enjoy photography at historical sites also find the place interesting.
A lot of tourism companies boost their sightseeing programs to these religious sites, granting visitors a more organized, informative trip to these areas, with tour guides would explain the incidents that took place at every site.

Transport becomes easier using cars and buses provided by these companies.
The online registration for visiting historic sites makes the tourist’s trip even more convenient, as it takes in consideration the number of people planning to visit the sites, and provides the best time to for the visitor to go on the trip.

It also provides several sightseeing programs with a variety of prices and places to choose from.

If you are planning for Hajj or Umrah this year, then you are in right place. Qibla Travels Ltd is one of the leading Hajj and Umrah travel agency in the UK. We have the huge range of Hajj packages and Umrah Packages. Call us for further details: ***020 8558 4848***

source: arabnews.com

Wisdom Behind the Legislation of Hajj

Hajj is one of the great pillars of Islam. Allah Almighty has made it obligatory on the Muslims who are able to find a way to do it, saying:

(وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا, وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ)

{And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves—then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.} [Quran 3: 97]

People have continued to perform the Hajj since Ibrahim (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, raised the foundations of the House and called on people to come to it, as Allah ordered him until our present time, and it will not stop as long as there are believers on earth. When Allah Almighty will seize the souls of the believers to leave only the evil persons, who will witness the final Hour, the delegations of Hajj to the Sacred House will stop, as will be explained later.

Many pearls of wisdom are behind the legislation of Hajj, we can summarize them into the following:

Firstly: Teaching the Muslim to honor the signs of Allah.

Secondly: Achieving compassion and love among the Muslims. Despite the differences in language, color, and nationality, all Muslims gather in one place, supplicate only one God, and circumambulate only one House. This contributes to uniting their goals and purposes, and then the Muslims become like one person. The Prophet (May peace and blessing be upon him) said: "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the organs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Muslim]

The hajj reflects the aspects of the Muslims' strength and unity and unveils their sharia.

Third: Following the example of Ibrahim and his son, Isma‘eel (Ishmael), May Allah exalt their mention, as well as the practice of Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessing be upon him) and recalling these memories and actions.

Fourth: Declaring the Islamic monotheism with which Allah sent His messengers, may Allah exalt their mention, and manifesting it through words and deeds.

Throughout all the rituals and actions of the Hajj, one confirms the oneness of Allah and performs them with the sole intention of obeying Allah and of following the example of the Prophet (May peace and blessing be upon him). He walks and stops according to the command of Allah, shaves his hair, and slaughters his hady (sacrificial animal for the Hajj) where Allah commands him. In doing so, he follows the example of the Prophet (May peace and blessing be upon him).

O Allah, provide for us so we can perform Hajj to Your House and grant us success to do what You love and what brings Your satisfaction. The end of our supplication is to praise Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

If you are planning for Hajj this year, then contact us at ***020 8558 4848***. Qibla Travels Ltd is one of the leading Hajj and Umrah Travel Agency company in the UK. We have the huge range of Hajj and Umrah Packages at the cheap price.

source: islamicstudies.islammessage.com

What is Mehr in Marriage? | According to Islam and Quran

Marriage has special importance in Islam. Marriage is a legal contract between two parties. In Islam marriage being an obligatory act is so important that it is declared to be one half of Muslim’s faith. We can say that Marriage is Half Deen of Muslims. It is narrated by Anas that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.”

When marriage vows are recited then husband gives his wife a gift which is known as “Haq Mehr”. In religion Islam, there are some basic components that have to be fulfilled without them marriage is not completed. One of those components is “Mehr” which is the amount of wealth that the husband pays to his wife.

Allah Almighty called it “freedah” in the Quran and commanded Muslim men to pay it happily to their wives. So it’s obligatory on every man who is going to get married to pay “Mehr in Marriage” to his wife. It is the legal right of the wife. It can be in cash or any other kind of property. The amount is variable not fixed and should be agreed to by both parties. No one is excluded from this as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also paid “Mehr” to His wives. In Holy Quran, Allah Almighty said in these words: “O Prophet, We have made permissible for you the wives whose dower you have paid….” (Quran, 33:50)

The Mehr is the sole property of the wife and neither parents nor any other relatives have any right over it. Hence, in the light of the Quran and Hadith, it can carefully be said that the Mehr is the amount of wealth that a Muslim man must pay in order to be able to start to, and continue to, enjoy a Muslim woman’s private parts in the way approved by Allah Almighty i.e. through halal married relations.

Islam is the complete code of life, by which all the financial responsibilities are laid on the man in marriage. But the Mehr is a token installment and a commitment which the man shows regarding his responsibility towards his wife. Allah says in the Noble Quran: “And give unto the women, (whom ye marry) free gift of their marriage portions…” (Quran, An-Nisa’: 4)

Mehr only belongs to the wife.

Mehr only belongs to the wife and it is to be given to her. It is not the property of her parents or her guardian. If a husband dies without paying Mehr to his wife, it will be an exceptional debt to him and it must be paid before the distribution of his inheritance among his inheritors. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said about the value of Mehr: “Go and look for something, even if it is a ring of iron.” (Bukhari)

The man has to pay to the divorced woman an amount which was decided at the time of Nikah that is “Mehr”. In Quran Allah Almighty said: “And if you decided to divorce a wife in order to take another, do not take away anything of what you might have given the first one, even if you had given her a great amount of gold. Would you take it back by slandering her and committing a manifest offense? (Quran, 4:20)

In short, we can say that “Mehr” is totally for the woman and it is for her security. Nobody can demand the Mehr from a woman, not even her parents, siblings or guardian. Islam has commanded the Mehr obligatory in marriage. May Allah give us chance to live our lives according to Islamic and Quranic teachings. Ameen!

Qibla Travels Ltd offers Hajj packages all-inclusive.

If you are planning for Hajj, then you are in the right place. Qibla Travels Ltd is one of the leading and trustworthy Hajj and Umrah travel agency company in the UK. Please contact us without any hesitation and book your Hajj packages 2018 for the journey of life. Call Us for Details: ***020 8558 4848***

Source: quranreading.com

Benefits, and Importance of Hajj in Islam.

Hajj is a journey towards ALLAH which tends to change everything in your life. Pilgrimage to the house is a duty of Muslims towards ALLAH. It is obligated for the Muslims to complete the Hajj for ALLAH. An important proviso for Hajj being obligatory on everyone is his financial fitness. 

Performing Hajj in 2018 has become very easy as far as a financial concern. Because of the availability of hundreds and thousands of travel agents, Hajj is able to get extremely budget 5-star hajj package (2 Weeks) 2018. This is the period you should freely complete all the rituals and ziarat with us. The importance of Hajj in Islam is that it is the fifth pillar of faith and it is a symbol of unity amongst Muslims. So if you are planning this year for Hajj, Qibla Travels Ltd offering you Luxury Hajj packages (2 Weeks) 2018.

Unity among Muslims

The blessings of Hajj from ALLAH are countless for the Muslims. During the season of Hajj, Muslims comes from all over the world and gathered at Haram. Muslims gathered in the house of his creatures irrespective of cast, color, creed, language, rich, poor, and culture. There’s no difference of the peoples in the house of ALLAH. The best part is that Hajis from around world interact with each other and know the current situation of their Muslims brother living in different regions.

Perform Hajj at an early age.

Life is too short now so you should perform your duty early in your life, nobody knows the actual time of his death. No matter how much you avoid it, death is a truth of life. Young stage of life is actually the time when peoples have everything in life like health, the finances, and the most important of all the will that he can do anything. Peoples mostly often neglect the opportunities in order to make a successful future and want to achieve high degrees. 

A notion is also common among peoples that there is life available to us and hajj will perform late. But the reality is different than this. Life to too short and the peoples do not know it will end. Also, there is no guarantee of your health and your wealth to perform your duty later in life. The best time for performing your duty is while young and energetic. So book your Hajj packages with us.

Hajj package from Qibla Travels Ltd.

Qibla Travels Ltd is the name of trust in the entire UK. We are known for our highly competitive, budget and 5-star hajj packages 2018. We offer a different of categories and cheapest packages for hajj are comprised keeping in mind the residents of UK. Our company has a network of branches around major cities in the UK include Manchester, Birmingham, and London. We are offering you affordable 5-star hajj packages (2 weeks) 2018. Qibla Travels Ltd is your ultimate solution house. Choose your perfect one hajj package with us.

source: alhijaztours.com

Cheap Umrah Packages 2018

At Qibla Travels, we bring value to our customers by offering the finest and luxurious Umrah travel experiences with our customized four-star Umrah packages.

Departure Months: January, February, March, April

7 Nights Umrah Packages

Makkah: 4*Dar Al Eiman Grand Hotel, 3 nights
Madinah: 4* Al Eiman Qebla Hotel, 4 nights

Cost per person based on Quadruple occupancy:	£435
Cost per person based on Triple occupancy:	£470
Cost per person based on Double occupancy:	£595

10 Nights Umrah Packages

Makkah: 4*Dar Al Eiman Grand Hotel, 5 nights
Madinah: 4* Al Eiman Qebla Hotel, 5 nights

Cost per person based on Quadruple occupancy:	£500
Cost per person based on Triple occupancy:	£550
Cost per person based on Double occupancy:	£705

14 Nights Umrah Packages

Makkah: 4*Dar Al Eiman Grand Hotel, 7 nights
Madinah: 4* Al Eiman Qebla Hotel, 7 nights

Cost per person based on Quadruple occupancy:	£575
Cost per person based on Triple occupancy:	£645
Cost per person based on Double occupancy:	£840

Note – All above-mentioned packages include the following:

Acquisition of Visas
Meet & Assist at Jeddah Airport
Ziarats in Makkah & Madinah
Full transfers: Jeddah-Makkah-Madina-Jeddah

NOTE: Airline tickets are not included in the above packages.

For further details please contact us at 02085584848 / 02032080000

Best Age To Perform Umrah

Umrah is the Non-obligatory pilgrimage having a great virtue. Muslims from all across the world always desire to perform Umrah and Hajj because the utmost wish to see the holy Kabah and feeling the cool breeze of the Makkah city is something that can be said an intrinsic dream of a Muslim that moves with him all along his life.

Only a high spirit to perform Umrah is not enough for the completion of it but also a Muslim who is going to perform Umrah must be aware of how to perform it. Performing it wrong or not delivering the rituals in a proper manner will despite bringing virtue will may be a source of the Non-acceptance by the Almighty. To avoid such issues, it is eminent to perform Umrah accurately.

Many of us think about the appropriate age to perform Umrah. Some of us are sided towards the old age because it is the age of pondering and wisdom and a person gets mature enough to reflect back on his past wrongdoings. While some of us consider the young age to be the most appropriate for the holy ritual as it is the age full of zealous and encouragement.

Also, youth is the time that comes only once in his life in which a person’s physical as well as its psychological condition accompanied him to carried our any task especially when the goal of a person is to perform Umrah because it is an Ibadah that requires a lot of physical effort and long lasting stamina.

But as far as my opinion is concerned, I think the middle age is perfect for performing Umrah. I do have reasons to support my thoughts;
Healthy is wealthy:

The very first and I think the most eminent one is the health of a person that matters the most in such rituals. Umrah is a massive gathering having millions of people around you. You obviously have to move a lot here and there to make your space among such a huge crowd. If you are not healthy and cannot maintain your physical condition there, then you will not be able to deliver your rituals in a way they should be delivered. But if you belong to the middle age, then you will be aware enough of the medical condition of yours.
Hot is a not:

The weather of the Arab land is highly hot and the sun always remains at the top of your head. Sunstrokes or unconsciousness are two of the main health problems that pilgrims have to face while performing Umrah. People pertaining to too old or too young age are not able to co-operate with the weather. Sometimes get fatigued and become unable to proceed with the Umrah rituals in a proper manner. Middle-aged people are not too old so their physical condition is good enough to catch up with the climate.
The better understanding of religion:

It is the age when people are well aware of what to do and what to not. They become old enough to ponder their good and wrongdoings but also feel a bit relaxed. Because they know that they have time to make it right what was done wrong. They also have more knowledge about Islam and Islamic aspects than the young people can pay more attention.

Usually, the issue that comes with young people is that they did not have experienced. Much about life in their lives so they do not have an idea how to make the wrong right. Moreover, they have a bit lacking knowledge about religion and cannot pay attention. With that much dedication that a middle-aged person is able to pay.

However, we must say that all of the ages are good to perform the holy ritual. You will only be able to place your foot on the holy land. When you will be honored to be a guest of the Almighty at His SWT place.

source: travelforumrah.co.uk