50 good thoughts.

1. It is not what you do for your juniors/subordinates/children that are important. It is what you teach them to do for them selves.
2. The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people.
3. A successful man is he who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him! Learn to accept criticism proactively and with grace.
4. Your success is determined by what you are willing to sacrifice for it.
5. No one will manufacture a lock without a key. Similarly the God does not give problems without solutions. Only we should have patience and courage to find them.

On Hijab (Covering Head and Face)

This issue has been sensationalized in the media, especially in some secular countries like France and Turkey which seek to make illegal the wearing of the Muslim headscarf or face veil in public places. We will not delve into all the details of the issue but, given the information above and some additional information below, we will let the readers judge for themselves whether or not the modest clothing and covering of the beauty and adornments of women, mandated in Islamic scriptures, is only for her own honor and protection, or not.

Allah (The Almighty) says:

(O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (and/or veils) over their bodies. That is better that they should be known so as not to be annoyed and molested. Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

[33:59]

This verse clearly states that the reason the woman is obligated to cover herself is to distinguish her to be identified as a respectable Muslim lady, to avoid the annoying glances and glares of the men. As we all know, provocative clothing urges some men to make advances, and expose women to molestation. This may be encouraged and marketed in some societies, but not among the respectable faithful Muslims.

All protective measures should be taken to guard women from excess temptation, which are explained in Islamic jurisprudence. Some of them are related to the women's attire like loose fitting body wrapping, head covering, and according to the authentic interpretations of the scriptures of the Qur'an and Sunnah, the face veil.

Allah (The Almighty) also said:

(And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornment (and beauty), except that which appears thereof (ordinarily) and to draw their coverings over their chests and not display their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers, their brothers sons, their sisters sons, their women, that which their right hands possess (their slaves) or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stomp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornments. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.)

[24:31]

This verse indicates those males who are categorized as "mahram," as mentioned above, and designates that men and women should lower their gazes in modesty, which is the best self-protection from natural temptations and mutual attractions that occur between the opposite sexes.

And Allah (The Almighty) says, indicating the provocative manners with which the women of pre-Islamic era used to walk about, and calling the believers to appropriate behavior and repentance:

(And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and establish regular prayers and give obligatory charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove impurity from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet), and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember(O you the members of the Prophet's family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of Allah and Wisdom (i.e. Prophet's Sunnah ). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things. Verily, the Muslims men and women, the believing men and women, the obedient men and women, the truthful men and women, the patient men and women, the humble men and women, the charitable men and women, the fasting men and the women, the chaste men and women, and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues; Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise). It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a clear error.)

[33:33-6]

We can see that Islamic regulations, although similar to many other cultures where modest dress and behavior is concerned, are yet unique to the highest standards of the Muslim identity of chastity, righteousness, and moral uprightness. Islam protects and safeguards the individuals and the society from awkward situations of unnecessary intermingling between marriageable males and females leading to natural temptations. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said in an authentic tradition:

"Verily for every religion there is a characteristic, and the characteristic of Islam is Haya`a (modesty, shyness, bashfulness)."

Women in the Pre-Islamic Societies and Civilizations

Women suffered great injustices in the pagan Arab society and were exposed to diverse kinds of humiliation prior to the mission of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him). They were treated like material property to be disposed of at the whim of the male guardian. They were not entitled to inherit from their parents or husbands. Arabs believed inheritance should only be granted to those who had martial abilities, like being able to ride a horse, fight, gain war booties and help protect the tribe and clan territory.

Since women in the pagan Arab society did not generally have these qualities, they were themselves inherited like any moveable commodity after the death of an indebted husband. If the deceased husband had adult sons from other marriages, the oldest son amongst them had the right to add her to his household, just as a son inherits other chattels of his deceased father. She was unable to leave the house of her stepson unless she paid a ransom. As a general practice, men had the freedom to acquire as many wives as they desired with no set limits. There was no system of law and justice that would forbid a man from committing any injustice towards his wives. Women had no right to choose, or even consent to being chosen as a partner for marriage; they were simply given away. Women were forbidden to remarry if a husband divorced them.

In the pre-Islamic era of Arabia, fathers commonly became extremely angry and disgraced with the birth of a female child into their family. Some considered it an evil omen. Allah, the Exalted, describes the father's reception of the news about the birth of a daughter:

(When the news of (the birth of) a female is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil (and shame) of that which he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor, or bury her in the dirt? Certainly, evil is their decision...)

[16:59]

Women were not even able to practice some of the most natural of rights. For instance eating certain types of foods was allowed only for males. Allah, the Exalted, records this in the Glorious Qur'an:

(And they say: What is in the bellies of such cattle (whether milk or fetus) is for the male alone, and forbidden from our females, however, if it was born dead, then all have shares therein...)

[6:139]

The hatred of female babies prompted Arabs to bury them alive. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur'an with reference to the Day of Requital:

(And when the female buried alive shall be questioned: for what sin was she killed?)

[81:8-9]

Some fathers used to bury their female children alive if the child was leprous, lame or with birth defect. Allah (The Almighty) states in the Glorious Qur'an:

(And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.)

[17:31]

The one honor afforded to women during the pre-Islamic era was the protection of her person, family and tribe, and the revenge against any who humiliated or dishonored her, but even this was more for male pride, dignity and tribal honor than a concern for the female gender.

This situation of women in the Arab society led Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph of the Muslims (may Allah exalt their mention) to say, as reported by Muslim:

"By Allah, we didn't use to think that women had anything until Allah revealed about them what He revealed in the Qur'an, and distributed to them what He distributed..."

Sex Determination In Mankind As Inimitably Cited By The Qur'an

For ages past, people thought that the female ovum was responsible for determining the sex of the foetus. Throughout the Middle Ages until the later decades of the eighteenth century,

several diversified concepts on this subject originated based on unfounded speculations. The most fundamental belief was that all life initially came from the ovaries of the female, producing the egg. This belief was prevalent among all nations, the educated and illiterate fractions of the population.

Appraisal of current scientific knowledge indicates that human reproduction is established by a series of sequential processes which mankind shares with other mammalian organisms. The starting point of these developmental processes is the fertilization of the ovum which has detached itself from the female ovary. This fertilization is done by the male sperm (the spermatozoon). Two major processes take place before fertilization is established, namely, oogenesis in the females, and spermatogenesis in the male.

The gonadal tissues of both the human male and female, similar to somatic tissues carry 23 pairs of chromosomes. The dividing cell of somatic tissues undergo division by a process of mitosis to produce two daughter cells carrying exactly the same number of 23 pairs of chromosomes. The cells of gonadal tissues of both male and female divide by a process of meiosis (reduction division) to produce two daughter cells carrying only half the number of chromosomes of the mother stem cell, namely 23 single chromosomes. The processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis in the male and female respectively result in the production of male and female gametes each with 23 single chromosomes. After fertilization of the female gamete (ovum) by the male gamete (sperm), a fertilized zygote will result carrying 23 pairs of chromosomes, 23 single from the male sperm, and 23 single from the female ovum. The fertilized zygote will carry all the primordial characteristics of genetic code script transmitted from both male and female parents, including the character of sex determination.

The constitution of the female gonadal stem cell before division carries 22 pairs of chromosomes plus 1 pair of sex chromosomes designated as an (XX) female character. After meitotic division, the resulting female gametes (ovum) as an ultimate result of oogenesis will always each contain 22 single autosomes plus 1 (X) sex chromosome, forming a total of 23 single chromosomes, (22 + X). On the other hand, the constitution of the male gonadal stem cell before division carries 22 pairs of autosomes plus 1 pair of sex chromosomes designated as an (XY) male character. After meiotic division, the resulting male gametes (sperms) as an ultimate result of spermatogenesis which contain either 22 single autosomes plus 1(X) sex chromosome, (22+X), or 22 single autosomes plus 1 (Y) sex chromosome, (22+Y).

The sex determination of the foetus will depend on the type of male gamete (sperm) that will fertilize the female gamete (ovum). If fertilization takes place by a sperm carrying (22+X) chromosomes, the fertilized zygote will constitute (22+X) fro, female ovum plus (22+X) from male sperm to give (44+XX) chromosomes, i.e., 23 pairs, and the resulting foetus will be a female. On the other hand, if fertilization takes place by a sperm carrying (22+Y) chromosomes, the fertilized zygote will constitute (22+X) from female ovum, plus (22+Y) from male sperm to give (44+XY) chromosomes, i.e., 23 pairs, and the resulting foetus will be a male.

According to this precise scientific information, it is very evident that the genetic constitution of the male gamete (sperm) is the single dominant factor that determines the sex of the foetus after fertilization of the female ovum. These fundamental scientific facts have been indicated with exact inferences in the text of the Glorious Qur'an. The meanings of the Qur'anic ayat (verses) on the subject of sex determination revealed fourteen centuries ago provide evidence and proof to support current scientific knowledge on the subject of sex determination. Scientific knowledge provides explanations and understanding of the subtle infallible axiomatic meanings inherent in the words of the Glorious Revelation of the Qur'an.

Several ayat (verses) of the Qur'an emphasize the concept that mankind was fashioned as a pair of male and female from a small quantity of sperm. This precise understanding is given in the following text:

" Allah created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then He made you in pairs (11)" {Surah Fatir (The Originator Of Creation), XXXV}.

Also, a similar concept is given in the following text:

" Allah fashioned the two of a pair, the male and female, from a small quantity (of sperm) poured out (46)" {Surah Al-Najm (The Star), LIII}.

Another inference on the same subject of sex determination is given in:

" Was mankind not a small quantity of sperm poured out, then became something that clings, and was then fashioned in proportion, and made of it the male and female (39)" {Surah Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection), LXXV}.

The Glorious Qur'an denotes several times that the mankind (male and female) was fashioned from a small quantity (of sperm) poured out into a firm secure lodging; "Qarar Makeen" being the exact words used in the Arabic text of the Qur'anic verses 13 & 14 of the Surah Al-Mu'minoun (The Believers). These statements of the Qur'an in their intricate complex phrasing are allegoric in their designation of the pertinent established scientific facts on the subject of sex determination. Although modern science partly contributes to the understanding and interpretation of Qur'anic axiomatic quintessence in all avenues on knowledge, however, the words of the Glorious Qur'an will remain as the nascent primal fundamental genesis of all knowledge. Qur'anic statements will serve as the terms of reference in relation to which all scientific data are to be compared.

The current scientific concepts of sex determination of the human foetus indicate that the male gamete (sperm), that will successfully fertilized the female gamete (ovum), is the only factor that determines the sex of the foetus. The (X) chromosome carrying sperm will produce a female foetus, and the (Y) chromosome carrying sperm will produce a male foetus. This knowledge of Embryology explains, interprets, and conforms with the Qur'anic statements on the subject, which are clearly mentioned in several verses (ayat) of the Qur'anic text; the Divine Words of the Creator, the Transcendent Supreme Being.

The Words of the Glorious Qur'an as an expression of the Holy Revelation addressing the whole human race are certainly awarded the special rank of guarantee of authenticity. It presents scientific issues which appear today to challenge the most recent scientific discoveries. More than fourteen centuries before our present time, at a period when whimsical beliefs prevailed, the Divine Revelation of the Glorious Qur'an came with knowledge , the verses it contains express in precise truth issues that man has taken centuries to discover. The current knowledge of science is only the surface, and the reality of the Divine Truth inherent in the words of the Glorious Qur'an are a million fathoms deep… The more mankind advances of creation are revealed and understood, and the words of the Holy Qur'an will prove themselves as the seeds of all knowledge.

***

Dr. Karem S. Ghoneim

Professor of Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University