"When We decree to destroy a city, We command (i.e. We give unfettered freedom) to its affluent people. Then they indulge in immorality in the city. The Command (of Destruction) is then demand decreed o­n it (the city/town/land). Then We (suddenly and swiftly) utterly destroy it (the city/town)."  (Qur’aan,Surah Al-Israa’, aayat 16)

"Then We saved him (Nabi Loot) and his entire family, except o­ne old woman (his kaafirah wife) who lagged behind among those who had remained. Then We utterly destroyed the others (the entire city with its people). We showered down o­n them (showers of stone). Indeed, evil was the shower for those who had been warned (before of this impending punish- punishment)."   (Qur’aan, Surah Shu’raa, aayats 171, 172, 173)

"And they conspired a plot, and We to plotted whilst they remained unaware. Now look, what was the ultimate consequence of their plot. Verily, We utterly destroyed them and their entire nation destroyed" (Qur’aan, Surah An-Naml, aayats 50 and 51)

"Everything (the inhabitants, their building, their animals and their entire cities) was utterly devastated (by the hurricane of punishment) by the command of its (the hurricane’s) Rabb. Then in the morning nothing was seen (of the o­nce flourishing nation of Aad with their beautiful palaces) except their dwellings (lying prostrate in ruins). In this way do We punish a transgressing nation." (Qur’aan, Surah Al-Ahqaaf, aayat 25)

"What, have you become confidant in the notion that We shall dant (not) cause you to be swallowed by the earth right by the seashore or He may send down o­n you a shower of stones? Then you will find no helper." (Qur’aan, Surah Bani Israaeel, aayat 68)

"And, the horrible (liver-shattering) Scream seized the perverted transgressors (the nation of Hood), and by the morning they were lying prostrate (devastated and dead in their houses as if they had never dwelt there." (Qur’aan, Surah Hood, aayats 67 & 68)

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

"At that time (of evil and immorality) await the red-hot scorching wind, earthquakes, swallowing of people by the earth, disfiguration of the faces of people and showers of stones from the skies…" (Mishkaat)

"Verily, if We desire, We can cause the earth to swallow them or We can drop o­n them a fragment from the sky." (Qur’aan, Surah Sabaa’, aayat 9)

"Have those who (always) plan evil become confident that We shall not cause them to be swallowed by the earth or that there will come to them a Punishment from a direction of which they do not have the faintest idea.? Or He (Allah) may seize them in their strutting about (the land). Indeed they cannot render (Allah) helpless."  (Qur’aan, Surah An-Nahl, aayats 45 & 46)

"….And, everyone (i.e. every community of perverted transgressors) We had seized o­n account of their sins. From among them were those o­n whom We rained down stones; among them were those whom the Mighty Scream destroyed; among them were those whom We caused to be swallowed by the earth, and among them were those whom We had drowned. And Allah did not wrong them (in any way). But, they had oppressed their own souls."(Qur’an, Surah Ankabut, Aayat 40)

LITERALLY, THE WORDS tahaarat and nazaafat, are synonymously used to convey purity or cleanliness. In the Shar’i concept, these terms have different and more subtle meanings than mere physical cleanliness.

A modern non-Muslim ‘gentleman’, for example, with a clean-shaven face, sporting an immaculate suit and tie, reeking of all the roll-ons and sprays and wearing polished shoes, will be regarded as ‘clean’ by worldly standards. But according to Islam he is filthy inspite of his external appearance of cleanliness. His ceremonial impurity or his state of hadth and janaabat renders him Islamically unclean and impure.

In contrast a Muslim wearing old, patched garments which have been washed, is Islamically clean (Taahir) since his body and his garments are ceremonially pure. Neither is his body in the state of hadth or janaabat nor are his garments najis (contaminated with impurities such as urine, faeces, blood, and the like) as the garments of non-Muslims always are. The perpetual uncleanliness (najaasat) of non-Muslim garments, be it the clothing of any Mr. President or of his royal highness, is due to the fact, that he does not utilize water for istinja. In fact, there is no concept of Istinja among them. Their garments are perpetually tainted with traces, if not with blobs, of the heaviest impurities known to man. Hence, the issues of Tahaarat and Nazaafat, leave alone Lataafat, are not applicable to non-Muslims.

ELABORATING o­n THE meaning of true obedience to the husband and observance of purdah, Hadhrat Maulana Masihullaah (rahmatullah alayhh) said:

Our mothers and sisters should listen attentively to the following episode which transpired during the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

A Sahaabi o­nce went o­n a journey of Jihad. When departing from home he instructed his wife to remain indoors, and never to set foot outside in his absence. That was the age of true purdah and virtue. It was not like today that we see husband and wife walking hand-in —hand in public, making a crude exhibition of themselves.

Our wise elders would usually say: "Once you have allowed the feet of your wife to leave the threshold of the home, you will no longer be able to confine her to the sanctuary of the home. In fact you will frequently find her out of the home."