~hedAyah~

If You Wish To Undertand True Islam...

2006-09-05T22:09:00.000Z

and would not like to believe the current scary picture of it as being popularised by the 'malicious media' then it'd be your worth reading the article. And even if not, you got nothing to lose...why not have a read? Remember, there is always two sides of a story.
salaam.

Bigotry and Ignorance of Islam

By Charley Reese

08/29/06 "Information Clearing House" -- -- President George Bush's ignorance of the Middle East and its people is well-known. So also is his habit of parroting words and sentences given to him by other people. He hit a new low when he referred to "Islamic fascists."

No two more opposite concepts are to be found. Fascism glorifies the nation-state; Islam is transnational. Fascism demands slavish devotion to a national leader; Muslims are far too independent-minded to be slavish followers of anybody. Virtually all the people Saddam Hussein murdered were people trying to overthrow him. Fascism is militaristic. Islam is not.

Mr. Bush, who has dubbed himself the "war president," has made a pathetic and absurd effort to picture himself as Winston Churchill facing off against evil. He is no Churchill. Most of the enemies he imagines, he has created himself.

The West faces no threat from Islam. Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world, but it really is a religion of peace. More importantly, it is a religion that concentrates on individual salvation. There is no Muslim pope, no College of Cardinals, no bishops, no priesthood. Any five Muslims anywhere in the world can start their own mosque. Imams are teachers and, like Protestant preachers or Jewish rabbis, can be fired by their congregation. The Shi'ite version is slightly more organized.

A fatwa is a statement issued by an imam, usually explanatory. It is similar to statements issued by the pope, with this important difference: No Muslim is bound by any fatwa. Muslims are free to pay attention to it or to ignore it.

Islam, like Christianity, is a universal religion that ignores nationality, race or color. To become a Muslim, one must profess belief in one God, acknowledge Muhammad as his prophet, recognize the Quran as the word of God, pray five times a day, provide for the poor and, if possible, make a trip to Mecca once in your lifetime. The God Muslims worship is the same God Christians and Jews worship.

To dispose of some of the slanderous misstatements being floated about, Islam forbids forced conversions. People would do well to read some history rather than rely on ignorant and malicious radio and TV talk-show hosts. The oldest Christian communities in the world are all in Muslim countries. There have always been Christian and Jewish communities in the Muslim world. Muslims are commanded to treat Christians and Jews as they would treat themselves. They revere Jesus as a prophet and highly respect the Virgin Mary. The disputes you see in the modern Middle East are not religious; they are all about secular matters, principally Israeli occupation of Arab lands.

The Arabs see Israel as the last European colonialist state imposed on them by the European powers. That's true, in fact.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad are concerned only with ending Israeli occupation of Palestine. Hezbollah is concerned with ending Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Al-Qaeda wants to overthrow the Persian Gulf governments and is at war with us because we are the principal backers and supporters of those governments. Al-Qaeda alone is most un-Islamic and has been so labeled by a majority of Muslims. It is a small group.

If you wish to understand Islam, turn off your TV and go to the library. Introduce yourself to some of America's 6 million Muslims. You'll find them to be very decent and patriotic people. There are some fanatics among Muslims, just as there are among Jews and Christians. Most of the New England states were originally populated by people fleeing Puritan rule in Massachusetts.

The way to combat the fanatics is to extend the hand of friendship to ordinary Muslims and to protest the slander and libel of Muslims and Islam, just as you should protest the slander and libel of Jews and other groups. Bigotry should have no place in our public dialogue, regardless of the target.

It's obvious that President Bush will never understand the world into which he was born, but most Americans have more open minds – except, of course, those who prefer to click their heels and salute when their Fuehrer of choice speaks.

PLAY YOUR PART RIGHT!

2006-02-11T05:18:00.000Z

I believe every one of us is keeping a watchful eye on the recent updates in the news media resulting from the Danish + other EU newspapers foolish cartoons/remarks about our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SWS). Not only they publicised them repeatedly, over these past few months clearly playing with people's feelings, but also even till today have refused to apologise, all in the name of free speech. A Free Speech that has been a sign-posted, selfish, world media attention seeking, disgraceful insult on all the Muslims of the World, if anything else. This is not acceptable by the greater wider community!

Today, this extremist free speech on such absolute terms held so dearly by European media has been widely felt as a direct attack on the Muslims freedom of practising their faith, further flaming ISLAMOPHOBIA among the masses, has not only left many Muslims feeling offended but also a lot of culturally sensitive, respectful non-Muslims felt outraged on such a clear abuse of the power of a cherished freedom of speech. Everybody knows that with freedom of speech comes responsibility.

Some Muslims have reacted, most likely out of built-up fear of rejection and in anger, used inappropriate methods e.g. flashing distasteful placards during peaceful protest marches. I would, however, ask our fellow Muslims to refrain from such acts in the future and try adapting themselves with good manners in every situation, no matter how under stressed and under pressure they may feel, because exceptional show of mercy and dealing with situations in the best of manner possible was indeed, the way of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SWS).

If not today, when will be that time for all the Muslims of the World to take up some responsibilities, get united and try as much as possible to participate in anything positive, to eradicate any misconception of Islam being embedded in the minds of our fellow human beings by today’s media? Remember, Muslims are not in minority when it comes to the Worlds Population! Let’s do something positive, try making a difference for the good of the World!

Indeed, sooner or later to ALLAH we will all return. May Allah have mercy on us, today and in the Hereafter. Ameen.

WHO WAS PROPHET MOHAMMAD (sws)?

2006-02-11T05:07:00.000Z

Quotations from Famous People on the Prophet Muhammad (SWS)

By Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq
In the quotations below, Western writers have used the word
Muhammadanism for Islam. The word Muhammadanism connotes worship of
Muhammad, an absolutely unworthy statement for any learned man to use.
Prophet Muhammad's mission was to propagate the worship of the One and
Only God (in Arabic Allah), the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
His mission was essentially the same as that of earlier Prophets of God.
In the historical context, many such terminologies about Muhammad,
Islam, and Muslims were borrowed from earlier European writings of the
Eleventh to the Nineteenth century, a time when ignorance and prejudice
prevailed. The quotations below attest to the facts.

Thomas Carlyle in 'Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History,'
1840
"The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round
this man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to ourselves only."

"A silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest. He was to
kindle the world, the world's Maker had ordered so."

A. S. Tritton in 'Islam,' 1951
The picture of the Muslim soldier advancing with a sword in one hand and
the Qur'an in the other is quite false.

De Lacy O'Leary in 'Islam at the Crossroads,' London, 1923.
History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims
sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon
conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that
historians have ever repeated.

Gibbon in 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' 1823
The good sense of Muhammad despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of
God submitted to the menial offices of the family; he kindled the fire;
swept the floor; milked the ewes; and mended with his own hands his
shoes and garments. Disdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he
observed without effort of vanity the abstemious diet of an Arab.

Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley in 'History of the Saracen Empire,'
London, 1870
"The greatest success of Mohammad's life was effected by sheer moral
force."

"It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that
deserves our wonder, the same pure and perfect impression which he
engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved after the revolutions of
twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes
of the Koran....The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation
of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the
senses and imagination of man. 'I believe in One God and Mahomet the
Apostle of God' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The
intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible
idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of
human virtue, and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of
his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion."

Lane-Poole in 'Speeches and Table Talk of the Prophet Muhammad'
He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest
and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly
filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who
described him would say, "I have never seen his like either before or
after." He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke it was with
emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said...

Annie Besant in 'The Life and Teachings of Mohammad,' Madras, 1932.
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the
great Prophet of Arabia, who knew how he taught and how he lived, to
feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great
messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say
many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel, whenever I
reread them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that
mighty Arabian teacher.

W.C. Taylor in 'The History of Muhammadanism and its Sects'
So great was his liberality to the poor that he often left his household
unprovided, nor did he content himself with relieving their wants, he
entered into conversation with them, and expressed a warm sympathy for
their sufferings. He was a firm friend and a faithful ally.

Reverend Bosworth Smith in 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism,' London, 1874.
"Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one;
but he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the
legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without
a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man ruled by a right
divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their
supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his
private life was in keeping with his public life."

"In Mohammadanism every thing is different here. Instead of the shadowy
and the mysterious, we have history....We know of the external history
of Muhammad....while for his internal history after his mission had been
proclaimed, we have a book absolutely unique in its origin, in its
preservation....on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever
been able to cast a serious doubt."

Edward Montet, 'La Propagande Chretienne et ses Adversaries Musulmans,'
Paris 1890. (Also in T.W. Arnold in 'The Preaching of Islam,' London
1913.)
"Islam is a religion that is essentially rationalistic in the widest
sense of this term considered etymologically and historically....the
teachings of the Prophet, the Qur'an has invariably kept its place as
the fundamental starting point, and the dogma of unity of God has always
been proclaimed therein with a grandeur a majesty, an invariable purity
and with a note of sure conviction, which it is hard to find surpassed
outside the pale of Islam....A creed so precise, so stripped of all
theological complexities and consequently so accessible to the ordinary
understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a
marvelous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."

Dr. Gustav Weil in 'History of the Islamic Peoples'
Muhammad was a shining example to his people. His character was pure and
stainless. His house, his dress, his food - they were characterized by a
rare simplicity. So unpretentious was he that he would receive from his
companions no special mark of reverence, nor would he accept any service
from his slave which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all
and at all times. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all.
Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious
care for the welfare of the community.

Alphonse de LaMartaine in 'Historie de la Turquie,' Paris, 1854.
"Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more
sublime aim, since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions
which had been imposed between man and his Creator, to render God unto
man and man unto God; to restore the rational and sacred idea of
divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of
idolatry, then existing. Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond
human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the
conception as well as in the execution of such a great design, no other
instrument than himself and no other aid except a handful of men living
in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man accomplished such a
huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two
centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned
over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God's name, Persia Khorasan,
Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known
continent of Northern Africa,
numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, and part of Gaul.

"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results
are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any
great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms,
laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than
material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man
moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but
millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than
that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the
beliefs and the souls.

"On the basis of a Book, every letter which has become law, he created a
spiritual nationality which blend together peoples of every tongue and
race. He has left the indelible characteristic of this Muslim
nationality the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and
Immaterial God. This avenging patriotism against the profanation of
Heaven formed the virtue of the followers of Muhammad; the conquest of
one-third the earth to the dogma was his miracle; or rather it was not
the miracle of man but that of reason.

"The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of the
fabulous theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon it's
utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols
and set on fire one-third of the world. His life, his meditations, his
heroic revelings against the superstitions of his country, and his
boldness in defying the furies of idolatry, his firmness in enduring
them for fifteen years in Mecca, his acceptance of the role of public
scorn and almost of being a victim of his fellow countrymen: all these
and finally, his flight his incessant preaching, his wars against odds,
his faith in his success and his superhuman security in misfortune, his
forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one
idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his
mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death;
all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave
him the power
to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold the unity of God and the
immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling
what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the
other starting an idea with words.

"Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer
of Rational beliefs.... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of
one spiritual empire that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which
human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man
greater than he?"

Mahatma Gandhi, statement published in 'Young India,'1924.
I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an
undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more
than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam
in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the
utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges,
his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his
fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These
and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every
obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet's biography),
I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.

Sir George Bernard Shaw in 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.
"If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe
within the next hundred years, it could be Islam."

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because
of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me
to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence
which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the
wonderful man and in my opinion for from being an anti-Christ, he must
be called the Savior of Humanity."

"I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the
modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that
would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied
about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of
tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today."

Michael Hart in 'The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons In
History,' New York, 1978.
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential
persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but
he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the
secular and religious level. ...It is probable that the relative
influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined
influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. ...It is this
unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel
entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in
human history.

Dr. William Draper in 'History of Intellectual Development of Europe'
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born in Mecca, in
Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence
upon the human race... To be the religious head of many empires, to
guide the daily life of one-third of the human race, may perhaps justify
the title of a Messenger of God.

J.W.H. Stab in 'Islam and its Founder'
Judged by the smallness of the means at his disposal, and the extent and
permanence of the work that he accomplished, his name in world's history
shines with a more specious lustre than that of the Prophet of Makkah.
To the impulse which he gave numberless dynasties have owed their
existence, fair cities and stately palaces and temples have arisen, and
wide provinces became obedient to the Faith. And beyond all this, his
words have governed the belief of generations, been accepted as their
rule of life, and their certain guide to the world to come. At a
thousand shrines the voices of the faithful invoke blessings on him,
whom they esteem the very Prophet of God, the seal of the Apostles....
Judged by the standards to human renown, the glory of what mortal can
compare with his?

Washington Irving in 'Life of Muhammad,' New York, 1920.
His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory as they would
have done had they been effected by selfish purposes. In the time of his
greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manner and
appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal
state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial
of respect was shown to him.

Arthur Glyn Leonard in 'Islam, Her Moral and Spiritual Values'
It was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the
Arabs through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them out
of the lethargy and low level of tribal stagnation up to the high
watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of
Muhammad's deism, the simplicity, the sobriety and purity it inculcated
the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral
and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true inspiration.

Charles Stuart Mills in 'History of Mohammadanism'
Deeply read in the volume of nature, though extremely ignorant of
letters, his mind could expand into controversy with the wisest of his
enemies or contract itself to the apprehension of meanest of his
disciples. His simple eloquence was rendered impressive by a manner of
mixed dignity and elegance, by the expression of a countenance where the
awfulness of his majesty was so well tempered by an amiable sweetness,
that it exerted emotions of veneration and love. He was gifted with that
authoritative air or genius which alike influences the learned and
commands the illiterate.

Philip K. Hitti in 'History of the Arabs'
Within a brief span of mortal life, Muhammad called forth of unpromising
material, a nation, never welded before; in a country that was hitherto
but a geographical expression he established a religion which in vast
areas suppressed Christianity and Judaism, and laid the basis of an
empire that was soon to embrace within its far flung boundaries the
fairest provinces the then civilized world.

Stanley Lane-Poole in 'Studies in a Mosque'
He was one of those happy few who have attained the supreme joy of
making one great truth their very life spring. He was the messenger of
One God, and never to his life's end did he forget who he was or the
message which was the marrow of his being. He brought his tidings to his
people with a grand dignity sprung from the consciousness of his high
office, together with a most sweet humility.

W. Montgomery Watt in 'Muhammad at Mecca,' Oxford, 1953.
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral
character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a
leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his
fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more
problems that it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history
is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.... Thus, not merely
must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty and integrity of purpose,
if we are to understand him at all; if we are to correct the errors we
have inherited from the past, we must not forget the conclusive proof is
a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility, and in a matter
such as this only to be attained with difficulty.

D. G. Hogarth in 'Arabia'
Serious or trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which
millions observe this day with conscious memory. No one regarded by any
section of the human race as Perfect Man has ever been imitated so
minutely. The conduct of the founder of Christianity has not governed
the ordinary life of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion
has left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim apostle.

Washington Irving 'Mahomet and His Successors'
He was sober and abstemious in his diet and a rigorous observer of
fasts. He indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation of a
petty mind; neither was his simplicity in dress affected but a result of
real disregard for distinction from so trivial a source.

In his private dealings he was just. He treated friends and strangers,
the rich and poor, the powerful and weak, with equity, and was beloved
by the common people for the affability with which he received them, and
listened to their complaints.

His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory, as they would
have done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the time of
his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manners and
appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting a
regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual
testimonials of respect were shown to him. If he aimed at a universal
dominion, it was the dominion of faith; as to the temporal rule which
grew up in his hands, as he used it without ostentation, so he took no
step to perpetuate it in his family.

James Michener in 'Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,' Reader's Digest,
May 1955, pp. 68-70.
"No other religion in history spread so rapidly as Islam. The West has
widely believed that this surge of religion was made possible by the
sword. But no modern scholar accepts this idea, and the Qur'an is
explicit in the support of the freedom of conscience."

"Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about A.D. 570
into an Arabian tribe that worshiped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was
always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy, the widow and the
orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a
successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a
wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer recognizing his
merit, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he
married her and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband."

"Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of
serving as the transmitter of God's word sensing his own inadequacy. But
the Angel commanded 'Read'. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to
read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would
soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God"."

"In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son
Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred and rumors of God 's personal
condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced,
'An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such
things to the death or birth of a human being'."

"At Muhammad's own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man
who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with
one of the noblest speeches in religious history: 'If there are any
among you who worshiped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you
Worshiped, He lives for ever'."

Lawrence E. Browne in 'The Prospects of Islam,' 1944
Incidentally these well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely
fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went,
forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword.

K. S. Ramakrishna Rao in 'Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam,' 1989
My problem to write this monograph is easier, because we are not
generally fed now on that (distorted) kind of history and much time need
not be sr worth the name. The principle of Islam that "there is no
compulsion in religion" is well known.

Jules Masserman in 'Who Were Histories Great Leaders?' in TIME Magazine,
July 15, 1974
Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammad, who combined all
the three functions. To a lesser degree Moses did the same.

(Copyright 1990, 1997, All Rights Reserved)

http://jews-for-allah.org/Why-Believe-in-Allah/What-non-Muslims-sayabout-Muhammad.htm#note

PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE

2005-10-12T21:22:00.000Z

In the early hours of Saturday morning, 8th Oct 05, Pakistan's northern areas were hit by the worst disaster of it's kind, a gaint earthquake measured 7.6 on richter scale. More than 50 villages in Pakistan are badly effected. The death toll has risen to more than 30,000 where a large percentage is that of children. There are reports of children still trapped in the rubble. The images, pictures and news footage show the horrendous reality and the vulnerability of the human race in the hands of Nature. It's simply heartbreaking!
All sort of relief efforts and aid are in the process of reaching the effected areas. However, bad weather, heavy rain and landslides have hampered the relief efforts to get to the victims on time. Desperation is evident in such scenarios.
People all over, are donating generously and many nations have come forward to help provide a much needed funding. Rescue operations are in place, however a lot more yet needed to be done.
These are the testing times. May Allah bestow His mercy upon our nation and on every one of us. Ameen.

Islam is peace

2005-08-18T13:00:00.000Z

Islam is here

( a cute lil poem by some cute lil girl..)

Islam is peace, Islam is ease,
Islam's not danger or disease.
Islam is love and prosperity.
Islam's not hatred or adversity.

Islam is salvation through repentence.
Islam has love for all in abundance.
Islam means no harm or affliction.
Islam implores you with affection.

Islam is neither maze nor craze.
Islam is giving Allah all praise.
Islam is acing through the race.
Islam will be on everyone's face.

Islam is worshipping only the Creator.
Islam's not mere numbers on a calculator.
Islam gives you power when you surrender.
Islam's not for a terrorist or a pretender.

Islam is patience and perseverance.
Islam eases your vengeance through tolerance.
Islam is life for all eternity.
Islam gives you respect, moreover dignity.

Islam is winning hearts through honesty
Islam is giving openly in charity
Islam makes you wholesome and trustworthy
Islam is in wealth as well as in poverty.

Islam is your shield against all evil.
Islam is for your soul's retrieval.
Islam not fundamentalism or fanaticism.
Islam's not nationalism or racism.

Wake up, people, Islam is here.
Islam is here, so have no fear.

Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?(13: Sura e Rehman)

Mighty Mini Tornado

2005-07-30T13:57:00.000Z

Thursday afternoon parts of Birmingham were hit by a 'mini' 4 minute tornado which caused much damage and put the city in a traffic jam. It's strong 130 mph winds left much houses with blown away roof tops and crashed window panes. Done much damage to lots of parked cars and uprooted many trees. Some people got seriously injured in the midst of it. City is under gradual recovery. While lots of business may have seen their worst insurance days, window repair men are doing great!

It was a day reminding us to do 'Astaghfirullah' in abundance. May Allah's mercy be with each of us, always. Ameen.

LONDON stands united after 7/7 bombings!

2005-07-15T13:07:00.000Z

At a recent rally in London, their slogans said it all!
"Stop the War, Stop Terrorism, Stop Racism"

Just like many, I'm deeply troubled by the loss of so many innocent lives, over and over again, be it in london or any where else in the world.

'May Allah give all of us strength to root out injustices and restore peace. Ameen.'

Beauty Tips - Essentials

2005-06-29T22:11:00.000Z

How to beautify one’s Seerah..
The essential idea of tahzeeb e akhlaq is to bring our natural faculties in a state of balance. The three basic faculties are anger, desires, and intelligence.

Anger:

When in equilibrium it results in valour, forbearance, steadfastness, the ability to restrain anger, and dignity. Excess will result in rashness, boastfulness, pride, inability to restrain anger, and vanity. A deficiency will result in cowardice, disgrace, and feeling of
inferiority.

Desires:

Equilibrium here results in chastity, generosity, haya (decency),
patience, and contentment. Its excess leads to greed and lust. The other extreme results in narrow-mindedness, and impotence, etc.

Intelligence:

Equilibrium here makes man wise, sharp-witted and one with great
insights. Excess here makes one deceptive, fraudulent and imposture. Its lack results in ignorance and stupidity with the consequence that such a person is quickly misled.

A person will be considered as having a beautiful seerah (character)
only when these faculties are in the state of balance and equilibrium.
Internal beauty varies with people just as external beauty does. The
possessor of the most beautiful seerah was Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The beauty of our seerah is based on its closeness to his seerah.

[Condensed from writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi]

“No mirror ever became iron again;
No bread ever became wheat;
No ripened grape ever became sour fruit.
Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse.
Become the light.” (Rumi)

I am what I think I am.

2005-06-01T23:56:00.000Z

I come across this beautifully written piece of wisdom thru some link http://www.zaadz.com/inspiration/as_a_man_thinketh.html
...it might be someone's way of looking at the truth of the matters.. well, it sure makes one think!

"God is your mirror in which you contemplate yourself and you are His mirror in which He contemplates his divine attributes". Ibn Arabi

As 'Prayer should be such that enables the Soul to realize its Divinity' as would suggest Ibn Sina, I'd pray and hope that Allah let me be what I think I am! (ameen)

Serenity

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought-evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought. As he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.
The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanor is strongly equable.
The strong calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold - yea, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money-seeking looks in comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm!
"How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. How few people we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!"
Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt. Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him.
Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this - in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep; wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power.
Say unto your heart, "Peace, be still!"

Excerpts from As a Man Thinketh
By James Allen

Finally found it!

2005-05-18T10:25:00.000Z

Nope i'm not talkin about that prov. license i lost a week ago (sob sob)...it is about these verse from one of my fav band, Black Eyed Peas, album which i gave a mention in one of my Oct 2003 posts, check it out...isn't it great!

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder;
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder;
Most of us only care about money makin';
Selfishness got us followin' in the wrong direction;
Wrong information always shown by the media;
Negative images is the main criteria;
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria;
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema;
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity;
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality;
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity;
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity;
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under;
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down;
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under;
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found;
Ask yourself...where is the love?

(Black Eyed Peas)

12 Rabi'ul Awwal

2005-04-21T22:49:00.000Z

It is this day when Allah took mercy on His creations and created from the purest of souls, a Being most worthy of our love and affection, whom we would look upto in deeds for a better life in this World and Hereafter. He is our beloved Prophet Mohamamd (sws) who was born for Al'Alameen...and not just for the Muslims.
Lets remind ourselves of his greatness, every day..and most of it today. Here are some of his quotes/hadith and his favours on humankind:

Some Words of Wisdom from Prophet Mohammad (sws)

"Whoever knows his own self knows his Lord, Allah the Creator".

"Acquire knowledge, it enables its professor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to heaven. It is our friend in the
desert, our company in solitude and companion when friendless. It guides us to happiness, it sustains us in misery, it is an ornament amongst friends and an armor against enemies."

. "What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured." (Bukhari)

. "Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith." (Muslim)
"Who is the most favored of Allah? He, from whom the greatest good comes to His creatures." (Bukhari)

"To overcome evil with good is good, to resist evil by evil is evil."

. "Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind." (Muslims & Bukhari)

"Conduct yourself in this world, as if you are here to stay forever; prepare for eternity as if you have to die tomorrow.",
(Bukhari)

•"The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended".

•"Everyone will find easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created".

AL-LAUH'UL-MAHFOOZ

2005-04-05T08:54:00.000Z

Al-Lauhul Mahfuz - the sacred Book of Fate
( Dr.Omar Lum )
Dreams and the Sacred Tablet

In the Sacred Tablet ( AlLauhul Mahfuz) Allah swt. has written all the events that will take place in the Universe from the beginning of time till the end of time. Some scholars refuse to speculate on the nature of the AlLauhul Mahfuz. Other scholars say that the Sacred Tablet has events that are predestined and fore-ordained engraved on it in a manner that nobody can see the writing with his/her own eyes.
Imam Ghazali gives the example of a Quran reciter who has memorised the Holy Quran .
The words of the Holy Quran are engraved in the reciters brain. Yet if you dissect the reciters brain you cannot find a single physical trace of the Quran. According to Imam Ghazali, the spiritual heart can be conceptualised as a clean, spotless mirror. Similarly, the Sacred Tablet (Al-Lauhul Mahfuz) can also be conceptualised as another spotless mirror.

Most people have a veil over their hearts due to imperfections in character resulting from diseases of the soul. Passions and temptations are screens between the two mirrors. Where there is no veil between the two mirrors it is possible with the permission of Allah swt. for the spiritual heart to get a reflection of part of the AlLauhul Mahfuz.
During sleep, all the input from the various senses are diminished considerably and hence, they do not exercise any adverse effect on the soul. Sleep keeps the brain free from being pre-occupied with the processing of all sensory input that normally bombards the brain during the waking hours. Instead of being totally inactive, the brain remains partially active during sleep.
( Students of the neurosciences can appreciate this better by noting that during wakefulness, ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) brain activity is at its maximum. During REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which takes place 90-120 minutes
after falling asleep, most ARAS activity is suppressed. However during REM sleep, cholinergic activity in the brain is as great as during wakefulness. Subjects
awakened from REM sleep are likely to report that they were having a visually detailed dream. By most measures the cerebral cortex is in an awake state during REM sleep! )

Prophets and friends of Allah swt. obviously are occasionally privileged to a glimpse of the AlLauhul Mahfuz with the permission of Allah s.w.t. as they do not have a veil over their hearts. Some individuals may have a partial lifting of the veil over the heart during sleep. Any partial lifting of the veil of the spiritual heart and the subsequent partial viewing of the Lauhul Mahfuz, with Allahs swt permission results in the importation of some sensory input to the spiritual heart. The brain attempts to understand the input to the spiritual heart by conceptualisation and perception. The brain then produces symbolic images that help us understand the sensory importation from the Lauhul Mahfuz. We call these dreams. The Prophet s.a.w. said that A true dream is one forty sixth part of prophethood. Satan can also interfere with dreams. For this reason, dreams of men other than pious men, cannot be believed. The Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. advised us to sleep with ablution (wudu) so that we can have internal purity which helps with the lifting
of the veil over the heart, and subsequently the brain is able to formulate dreams without adulteration by satan.

Dream interpretation is an art, which can be perfected with Allah swt. permission as we see in the perfect dream interpretations by the Prophet Yusuf a.s. (Joseph). William Dement, director of Stanford Universitys Centre for Sleep Disorders says that, Theres just too much of a relationship between dream content and important events in life to call dreams as random events. What we have said about dream vision is only a drop of water in the ocean. There is no limit to the miracle and wonders
in the world of dreams.

(This writing of this article was only made possible with the
translation into English of Imam Ghazalis Ihya by Sheikh Suleiman
Noureddine of Adelaide)

ARMY OF MAHDI (A.S)

2005-03-25T13:12:00.000Z

Adnan Oktar, who writes his books under the pen-name "Harun Yahya" was born in 1956 in Ankara, is an idealist person who devoted his entire life to share his views on the existence and unity of God and the graces of the Quranic morals with other people. He went through lots of hardships over his views, however, by Allah's grace, he's able to share his wisdom and truth with us, today.
Adnan Otkar'sThe famous Muslimtrue and generous efforts in the way of Islam is globally acknowledged, today, Alhamdolilah. In accordance with the verse, "Repel (Evil) with what is better" (Surah Fussilat: 34), Adnan Oktar always has a peaceful and tolerant approach to those who bear enmity against him. He underlines the fact that "The fate God creates is always perfect and there is goodness in all".

Here, I'd like you all to read something I found totally worth sharing...
salaam.

Interview with Harunyahya
The entire Islamic world is in any case the army of the Mahdi. However, this army is an army of love, not of bloodshed. Opposition to bloodshed, cruelty, violence and terror is the main attribute of the Mahdi. The Mahdi will cause religious moral values to prevail by means of knowledge, information and culture. As revealed in the hadiths and in the works of great Islamic scholars, the Mahdi will inflict a total intellectual defeat on atheist ideologies, will teach people the essence of the religion and religious moral values, and will wage a major intellectual struggle to turn people to faith and proper values. Our Lord will make the Mahdi and the great intellectual struggle he wages a means whereby the troubles of the end times are eliminated. This feature of the Mahdi is revealed in another hadith:

The most auspicious of the community of Muhammad AND YOUR PROTECTOR WHO WILL DO AWAY WITH YOUR TROUBLES ... IS THE MAHDI! (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 57)

In another hadith it is reported that corruption will come to an end by means of the Mahdi, to be replaced on earth by peace and security:

God WILL PUT AN END TO BLIND CORRUPTION BY MEANS OF HIM (the Mahdi). Everywhere will be made safe... (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 58)

According to the information in the hadiths, people suffering from troubles and poverty will seek refuge in the justice, compassion, love and generosity of the Mahdi. In one hadith it is stated that:

The community will SEEK REFUGE IN THE MAHDI as honey bees cluster around their sovereign. He will fill the world, that was once full of cruelty, with justice, and people will return to the golden age of Islam ... (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 11)

When the Mahdi causes Islamic moral values to prevail on earth, poverty, hunger, suffering and troubles will come to an end and bloodshed will stop, and people will attain the true happiness, peace and security for which they have longed for so long. This climate of love, peace and plenty, which the Mahdi will be instrumental in bringing about, is described thus in the hadiths.

Once the earth is full of cruelty and enmity, one of my line will emerge. He will fill the Earth with equity and justice, just as it was previously filled with oppression and tyranny. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 11)

Heaven will send down rain upon them in torrents, the earth will not withhold any of its plats, and wealth will be available to all. (At-Tabarani)

The younger ones wish they were grown-ups, while the adults wish they were younger... The good become even more good, and even the wicked ones are treated well. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 17)

As can clearly be seen from the information in the hadiths, the Mahdi will treat people with love and compassion, provide solutions to disagreements by peaceful means, and patiently call people to faith and proper moral values. The Mahdi's struggle against atheistic ideologies will be an intellectual one, in which he will be victorious, by the blessing of God, using very rational and wise methods. According to the hadiths, this great struggle of the Mahdi's will be waged in great calm, tranquility and order:

In this time, neither a man will be awoken from sleep, nor will a person's nose bleed. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 44.)

The Mahdi will follow the way of the Prophet. He will not wake up a sleeping person or shed blood. No Sunnah will fail to be brought to life, and no bid'at (innovation not sanctioned by the Qur'an) will fail to be eliminated ... (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji , Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 163)

As stated in the hadiths, Islamic moral values will prevail over all the world by means of the Mahdi. He will provide just solutions to tensions and disagreements that will be acceptable to all sides, and all problems will be resolved peacefully. The Mahdi will call people to the compassion, patience, goodness and beauty commanded by Islamic moral values and, in this as in all other matters, will represent a role model for people with his superior values and attitudes. This call of the Mahdi's to people is reported thus in the hadiths:

After performing the evening prayer, he (the Mahdi) will speak in the loudest voice: "O people! I remind you of God. I tell you what your place will be in the presence of God tomorrow, on the day of judgement. God has sent you much evidence and the prophets, He has revealed to you the Qur'an and commanded you to ascribe no partners to God but to maintain your obedience to God and His prophet. Reanimate what is given life by the Qur'an, forbid what is forbidden and assist and support the Mahdi. Because the world is about to experience ill and to come to an end. I call on you to labour with His book, to eliminate superstition and to reanimate the Sunnah'." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, pp. 55-56)

Our Prophet (pbuh) has given notice of the great change that will take place with the coming of the Mahdi:

The world filled with oppression and tyranny WILL OVERFLOW WITH JUSTICE AFTER HE (THE MAHDI) COMES. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 20.)

Again according to the hadiths, there will be no more enmity or hatred in the time of the Mahdi, and violence and terror will come to an end. Some of the hadiths on this subject read as follows:

Enmity and hatred between people will cease. Scorpions and snakes will not be poisonous, and even children will play with snakes without being bitten… Wolves will be among sheep like sheepdogs. THE WORLD WILL FILL WITH RELIGIOUS UNITY LIKE THE CUP FILLS WITH WATER. Nobody but God will be worshipped. NOTHING WILL BE LEFT OF WARFARE AND CONFLICT. (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Then the Earth will become safe so that LIONS MAY GRAZE WITH CAMELS; TIGERS WITH COWS, WOLVES WITH SHEEP; and so that children may play with snakes without being harmed. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)

As can be seen in the hadiths, in the time of the Mahdi there will be great brotherhood among peoples who are now in conflict, and peace, friendship and love will replace all forms of enmity. The moderate, contemporary, rational and civilised Islamic model that will form during the time of the Mahdi will illuminate the whole world.

All this information clearly reveals that the road to be taken by the Mahdi will lead to great cultural progress all over the world and turn people in the direction of Islamic moral values.

The Mahdi is actually here now, but is concealed. The reason for that concealment is to protect himself from political and other forms of attack by atheists, materialists and deniers.

In my view, the Prophet Jesus has also returned to earth, but he too is hidden. He is obliged to conceal himself because of the terrorist and political attacks he would be exposed to. However, he too will emerge in the very near future and together with the Mahdi will embark upon his intellectual struggle.

A blessed Ashura - 10th Muharram 1426 (19th Feb 2005)

2005-02-15T00:20:00.000Z

6 Muharram 1426 / 15 February 2005

Significance of fasting on the Day of Ashura’ i.e. the 10th day of Muharram, and the day before

Lets fast!

It is reported in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari and other authentic collections of Hadith that the Prophet -peace be upon him- and the Sahabah used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram while they were in Makkah (before the Hijrah).
It was a day on which people of Makkah used to change the covering (Kiswah or Ghilaf) of the Ka’bah. The Quraish also used to fast on this day. (al-Bukhari, Hadith 1489 and 1760). After the Hijrah when the Prophet -peace be upon him- came to Madinah, he found that the Jews of Madinah also used to observe this day with fasting. The Prophet asked them the reason of their fasting on this day. They said, “This is a blessed day. On this day Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy (in Egypt) and so Prophet Moses fasted on this day giving thanks to Allah.” The Prophet -peace be upon him- said, “'I have a nearer claim to Moses than you have'.” He fasted on that day and commanded Muslims to fast on this day. (al-Bukhari, Hadith 1865). In another report it is mentioned that Jews of Madinah used to celebrate this day as an Eid. The Prophet -peace be upon him- told the Sahabah to fast instead. (al-Bukhari, Hadith 1866).

Some say that, in order to distinguish it from the Jewish fast, Mohammed (pbuh) said, "Fast on the ninth and the tenth"; according to others, "Fast on Ashura, but fast also on the day before and the day after." Another tradition is that he did not want it celebrated in as joyous a manner as did the Jews, who were accustomed to deck out their wives with their finest jewelry and dresses.
But there were those who, according to the commentators to the Quran (sura ii. 46), connected the original celebration of Ashura with Noah, who was said to have landed on Mt. Judi on the tenth of Muharram and, out of thankfulness, to have fasted on that day (Baidawi, Comm. on Koran, i. 435; Zamahshari, "Al-Kashshaf," i. 614). Still others, according to traditions gathered by Al-Biruni, said that on this day God took compassion on Adam; Jesus was born; Moses was saved from Pharaoh, and Abraham from the fire of Nebuchadnezzar; Jacob regained his eyesight; Joseph was drawn out of the ditch; Solomon was invested with the royal power; the punishment was taken away from the people of Jonah; Job was freed from his plagues; the prayer of Zacharias was granted, and John was born to him (Al-Biruni, "Al-Athar al-Bahiyyah," ed. Sachau, p. 326).

There is a great reward in the ‘Ashura’ fast. There are many Ahadith that mention its blessings and virtues. It is good to fast on this day, although it is not obligatory.

To summarize we can say:

Ashura, (derived from hebrew word 'asor' meaning 'tenth' of Muharram) is a special day due to it's religious/islamic historical significance that makes it a blessed day.
‘Ashura’ fasting was an ancient tradition in Makkah.
It was also found among the Jews of Madinah
First the Prophet commanded the Sahabah to fast on this day
Later when Ramadan fasts became obligatory, ‘Ashura fast was made optional.
Now it is optional but it is recommended to fast on the 9th and 10th days of Muharram.

Ref: http://www.pakistanlink.com/ religion
http://www.jewishencyclopedia. com

'Humpty W. Dumpty sat on a wall...'

2005-02-02T01:41:00.000Z

2020 Vision

A CIA report predicts that American global dominance could end in 15 years.
By Fred Kaplan

Who will be the first politician brave enough to declare publicly that the United States is a declining power and that America's leaders must urgently discuss what to do about it? This prognosis of decline comes not (or not only) from leftist scribes rooting for imperialism's downfall, but from the National Intelligence Council—the "center of strategic thinking" inside the U.S. intelligence community.The NIC's conclusions are starkly presented in a new 119-page document,"Mapping the Global Future: Report of the National IntelligenceCouncil's 2020 Project." It is unclassified and available on the CIA's Web site. The report has received modest press attention the past couple weeks, mainly for its prediction that, in the year 2020, "political Islam" will still be "a potent force." Only a few stories or column shave taken note of its central conclusion: The likely emergence of China and India ... as new major global players—similar to the advent of a united Germany in the 19th century and a powerful United States in the early 20th century—will transform the geopolitical landscape with impacts potentially as dramatic as thosein the previous two centuries. In this new world, a mere 15 years away, the United States will remain"an important shaper of the international order"—probably the singlemost powerful country—but its "relative power position" will have"eroded." The new "arriviste powers"—not only China and India, but also Brazil, Indonesia, and perhaps others—will accelerate this erosion by pursuing "strategies designed to exclude or isolate the United States"in order to "force or cajole" us into playing by their rules.America's current foreign policy is encouraging this trend, the NIC concluded. "U.S. preoccupation with the war on terrorism is largely irrelevant to the security concerns of most Asians," the report states.The authors don't dismiss the importance of the terror war—far from it.But they do write that a "key question" for the future of America's power and influence is whether U.S. policy-makers "can offer Asian states an appealing vision of regional security and order that will rival and perhaps exceed that offered by China." If not, "U.S. disengagement from what matters to U.S. Asian allies would increase the likelihood that they will climb on Beijing's bandwagon and allow China to create its own regional security that excludes the United States."To the extent that these new powers seek others to emulate, they may look to the European Union, not the United States, as "a model of global and regional governance." This shift to a multipolar world "will not be painless," the report goes on, "and will hit the middle classes of the developed world in particular" with further outsourcing of jobs and outflow of capital investment. In short, the NIC's forecast involves not merely are calibration in the balance of world power, but also—as these things do—a loss of wealth, income, and, in every sense of the word, security.The trends should already be apparent to anyone who reads a newspaper.Not a day goes by without another story about how we're mortgaging our future to the central banks of China and Japan. The U.S. budget deficit,approaching a half-trillion dollars, is financed by their purchase ofTreasury notes. The U.S. trade deficit—much of it amassed by the purchase of Chinese-made goods—now exceeds $3 trillion. Meanwhile, China is displacing the United States all across Asia—in trade, investment,education, culture, and tourism. It's also cutting into the trade markets of Latin America. (China is now Chile's No. 1 export market andBrazil's No. 2 trade partner.) Asian engineering students who might once have gone to MIT or Cal Tech are now going to universities in Beijing. Meanwhile, as the European Union becomes a coherent entity, the dollar's value against the euro has fallen by one-third in the past two years(one-eighth just since September). As the dollar's rate of return declines, currency investors—including those who have been financing our deficit—begin to diversify their holdings. In China, Japan, Russia, and the Middle East, central bankers have been unloading dollars in favor of euros. The Bush policies that have deepened our debt have endangered the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency.What is the Bush administration doing to alter course or at least cushion the blow? It's hard to say. During Condoleezza Rice's confirmation hearings last week, Sen. Paul Sarbanes, D–Md., raised some questions about the nexus between international economics and political power. Rice referred him to the secretary of the treasury.The NIC issued the report a few weeks before Bush’s inaugural address, but it serves to dump still more cold water on the lofty fantasy of America delivering freedom to oppressed people everywhere. In Asia, the report states, "present and future leaders are agnostic on the issue of democracy and are more interested in developing what they perceive to be the most effective model of governance." If the president really wanted to spread freedom and democracy around the planet, he would (among otherthings) need to present America as that "model of governance"—to show the world, by its example, that free democracies are successful and worth emulating. Yet the NIC report paints a world where fewer and fewer people look to America as a model of anything. We can't sell freedom if we can't sell ourselves.

(Fred Kaplan writes the "War Stories" column for Slate. He can be reached at war_stories@hotmail.com )

Search for your 'Type' :

2004-10-29T20:13:00.000Z

Source: usrs.naseeb.com/oasis_asu Journal 67

What Qur'an says About 'Types of People'?

Of the people there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the LastDay;" but they do not (really) believe. [2:8]

There is the type of man whose speech about this world's life May dazzle thee, and he calls Allah to witness about what is in his heart; yet is he the most contentious of enemies. [2:204]

And yet among men there are such as dispute about Allah, withoutknowledge, and follow every evil one obstinate in rebellion! [22:3]

Then there are among men such as say, "We believe in Allah.; but whenthey suffer affliction in (the cause of) Allah, they treat men'soppression as if it were the Wrath of Allah. And if help comes (to thee)from thy Lord, they are sure to say, "We have (always) been with you!"Does not Allah know best all that is in the hearts of all creation?[29:10]

There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge: ifgood befalls them, they are, therewith, well content; but if a trialcomes to them, they turn on their faces: they lose both this world andthe Hereafter: that is loss for all to see! [22:11]

Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal(with Allah.: They love them as they should love Allah. But those ofFaith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteouscould see, behold, they would see the penalty: that to Allah belongs allpower, and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty. [2:165]

But there are, among men, those who purchase idle tales, withoutknowledge (or meaning), to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah andthrow ridicule (on the Path): for such there will be a HumiliatingPenalty. [31:6]

And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure ofAllah. And Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees. [2:207]

Happy Ramadhan - 2004!

POST WAR IRAQ ; Who would you blame..Bush or Saddam?

2004-10-13T16:37:00.000Z

I'm sure jus like me many of you must have been followin up the news regardin Postwar Iraq. Somethin i jus came across recently, thought i blog it..have a read if u like but isn't this qs worth a 1000 answer! :: baffled::

An e-mail from Baghdad

What follows is an email from Baghdad written by Wall Street
Journal correspondent Farnaz Fassihi describing the situation in Iraq as
far worse than anything we've read about in the mainstream press.

The email found its way to The New York Times editor Andrew
Rosenthal, who sent it to his wife, Mary Beth, who forwarded it to
friends - and from there it is now making the rounds on the Internet.

Fassihi's email follows: Being a foreign correspondent in Baghdad
these days is like being under virtual house-arrest. Forget about the
reasons that lured me to this job: a chance to see the world, explore
the exotic, meet new people in far-away lands, discover their ways and
tell stories that could make a difference.

Little by little, day-by-day, being based in Iraq has defied all
those reasons. I am house-bound. I leave when I have a very good reason
to and a scheduled interview.

I avoid going to people's homes and never walk in the streets,
can't speak English outside, can't say I'm an American, etc, etc. There
has been one too many close calls, including a car-bomb so near our
house that it blew out all the windows.

So now my most pressing concern every day is not to write a
kick-ass story but to stay alive and make sure our Iraqi employees stay
alive. In Baghdad I am a security personnel first, a reporter second.

Despite President Bush's rosy assessments, Iraq remains a
disaster. If under Saddam it was a "potential" threat, under the
Americans it has been transformed to an "imminent and active threat," a
foreign policy failure bound to haunt the US for decades to come.

Iraqis like to call this mess "the situation." By this they mean:
the Iraqi government doesn't control most Iraqi cities, there are
several car-bombs going off each day around the country, killing and
injuring scores of innocent people, etc. The situation basically means a
raging barbaric guerilla war.

The numbers are so shocking that the ministry of health has now
stopped disclosing them. Insurgents now attack Americans many times a
day. Young men openly place improvised explosive devices into the
ground.

For journalists the turning-point came with the wave of
kidnappings. Earlier we felt safe around Baghdad because foreigners were
being abducted on the roads and highways between towns, but now
kidnapping takes place at homes and victims are being beheaded.

The insurgency, we are told, is rampant and growing stronger, with
the various elements cooperating and coordinating. I went to an
emergency meeting for foreign correspondents with the military and
embassy to discuss the kidnappings.

We were sombrely told our fate would largely depend on where we
were in the kidnapping chain once it was determined we were missing.
Here is how it goes: criminal gangs grab you and sell you up to
Baathists in Fallujah, who will in turn sell you to Al Qaeda.

In turn, cash and weapons flow the other way from Al Qaeda to the
Baathist to the criminals. My friend Georges, the French journalist
snatched on the road to Najaf, has been missing for over a month with no
word on release or whether he is still alive.

As for reconstruction: first, it's so unsafe for foreigners to
operate that almost all projects have come to a halt. Oil dreams?
Insurgents disrupt oil flow routinely as a result of sabotage and oil
prices have hit record high of $49 a barrel.

I heard an educated Iraqi say if Saddam were allowed to run for
election, he would get the majority. This is truly sad. Then I went to
see an Iraqi scholar to talk to him about elections here.

He has been trying to educate the public on the importance of
voting. He said: "President Bush wanted to turn Iraq into a democracy
that would be an example for the Middle East. Forget about democracy,
forget about being a model for the region, we have to salvage Iraq
before all is lost."

Out of this World!

2004-10-04T21:22:00.000Z

One lazy aftrenoon, while enjoyin the full forty minutes of lunch to myself at work, i wandered into the kitchen to find this "The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1992)" on the fridge. Amused by its title, I quickly flicked through a few of its pages and what I read esp. at the end of the guide page left me in stitches...lets see if it amuses you..::)

How to leave the planet

1. Phone NASA. Their phone number is (731)483-3111, explain it is very important that you get away ASAP.
2. If they do not co-operate, phone any friend you may have in the White House –(202) 456-1414- to have a word on your behalf with the guys at NASA.
3. If you don’t have any friends at the White House, phone the Kremlin (ask the overseas operator for 0107-095-295-9051). They don’t have any friends there either (at least, none to speak of), bt they do seem to have a little influence, so you may as well try.
4. If that also fails, phone the Pope for guidance. His phone number is 011-39-6-6982, and I gather his switchboard is infallible.
5. If all these attempts fail, flag down a passing flying saucer and explain that it is vitally important you get away before your phone bill arrives.

Douglas Adam.
Los Angeles 1983
London 85.

Nevertheless, enjoy the links!

"He Who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another: no incongruity will you see in the creation of the Most Gracious. And turn your vision (upon it) once more: can you see any flaw? Yea, turn your vision (upon it) again and yet again: (and every time) your vision will fall back upon you, dazzled and truly defeated." (Surat al-Mulk, 3-4)

“Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Surely, they have no firm belief. Or are the treasures of your Lord with them, or have they control over them?" (The Qur’an, 52:35-37)

In a world of their own...

2004-09-24T11:48:00.000Z

Don't we all just love dolphins? They're adorable, lovable and cuddly.
Someone says somethin really nice about dolphins:

" I'd love to take a ride on one of those cute dolphins who could take me to the ocean and where I could see and talk to the purity and sanctity of water. Did you ever notice how pure water makes your image and you suddenly forget that you have done any wrongs or bad things? So, water is like pure and enchanting people who never let us realise that we are bad. They rather touch our souls in such a way that it purifies us or at least make our lives better. Falling in love with oneself is equally important, enthrilling and worth having after all we're all but creations of God and deserve to be loved."

Something more classic for you..Ameer Khusro's poetry sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in this Qawwali. I have been listening to it lately and it's very nice. Download the Qawwali titled Chaap Tilak. Some of its verses are:

Chaap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Prem bhatee ka madhva pilaikay
Matvali kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Gori gori bayyan, hari hari churiyan
Bayyan pakar dhar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Bal bal jaaon mein toray rang rajwa
Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye
Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay

What If

2004-09-21T22:25:00.000Z

I know..it's been a while since my last post.
well..hopefully i'll linger!
Some thoughts jus brush'd my mind..'what if?'
Once glancing up at the night sky
I smiled onto the shining stars
wished for one to fall down
just for me…may be one day

and what if it does..
I come across it
Realise not it’s worth
Think of it as any other earthly object
Move on…
How unworthy could I be?

Quran & Scientific Knowledge

2004-01-07T22:09:00.001Z

QUR'AN AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
AND
A BRIEF BACKGROUND TO THE HOLY QUR'AN

Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq
(Copyright 1990, 1996, All Rights Reserved)
Source: http://cyberistan.org/islamic/islam1.html

This page is useful for those Muslims as well as non-Muslims who wish to reflect upon select passages from the Holy Qur'an, clearly defining and referring to a variety of subjects on the space, time, planets, stars, anatomy, zoology, and other sciences. The manner and style of description are in the style of divine mercy so that it is comprehendible to all levels of people (the less educated and the well educated). Each can find a depth of the meaning to one's capability and comprehension and can benefit oneself and the humanity at large. In many places, the Qur'an uses such phrases as 'do they not think,' 'do they not ponder,' or 'reflect,' and asks the reader 'to enquire about certain statements to those who are knowledgeable.' The style of the Qur'an is to invite to reason and common sense. The more one researches on such statements the more deeper meaning one gets.
Qur'an
Allah
Islam
Muslim
Creation of Universe
Plan for Creation
Origin of Man
Pairs in Sexes
Water
Mountains
Time
Space and Time
Astronomy and Space Travel
Anatomy
Sea
Pharaoh
Jinn
References
Quran
The Qur'an was revealed in pure Arabic to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) over a period of twenty-three years ending in 632 A.D., the year he passed away. The first revelation was only five verses, the first five verses of Chapter 96. Among the very early revelations are Surah 73, 74, 80 and 97. The revelations were sent by Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala (SWT), the creator and sustainer of the universe, and transmitted to him by the Archangel Jibril (as) (Gabriel). The revelations he received were sometimes a few verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter. Some revelations came down in response to an inquiry by the nonbelievers. The ordering of the Qur'an is not the same as the revelations. Archangel Jibril (as) taught the ordering of Ayat and Surahs (refer to Surah 75) as he transmitted the revelations to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

The Qur'an speaks in the first person, i.e., Allah's commandments to its creation. The Qur'an also uses the royal "We" for Allah's commandments. The main theme of the Qur'an and all previous revelations has been the absolute oneness of Allah, the creator and sustainer of the universe, who is without partner(s). Allah (Glory be to Him) did not beget nor was He begotten. The Qur'anic verses address people in a variety of ways depending on the context. It says "O mankind" and "O people" in a general sense addressing to all people, and in other instances "O believers" for those who have already accepted the message of Qur'an.

The Qur'an is the direct Word of Allah and it does not contain a single alphabet from anyone, even Prophet Muhammad. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad are contained in separate compilations known as Hadith, and include his deeds, lifestyle, and decisions on a variety of issues. The Qur'an and Hadith form the foundation of daily life of a practicing Muslim. The Qur'an has not changed by even an alphabet since its revelation fourteen centuries ago. Allah (SWT) has promised in the Qur'an that He will preserve it to the end of time. It is also for this reason there is no need for any new prophet or revelation (guidance) to come to humankind. The Qur'an is read in Arabic with great emphasis on the accuracy of recitation, including the recognition of diacritical marks and places where one pauses momentarily or stops.

The Arabic word Surah is loosely translated as chapter and Ayah as verse for the English readers who are unfamiliar with Qura'nic concepts. The Ayah (plural Ayat) means a sign. Those who have read the meaning of the Qur'an thoroughly and have had time to reflect upon them appreciate the word ayah as it is truly a sign from Allah (SWT), the lord of the universe, the absolute, without any partners or associate. Allah is the personal name of God, the Lord of the universe, the owner of the day of judgement. The word Allah is not subject to gender (male or female, such as god or goddess) or plurality (such as gods or goddesses). This word is found in Semitic languages, spoken by Prophets (I'sa) Jesus and (Musa) Moses, peace be upon them both (as).

According to the Qur'an, Allah sent Numerous Nabi (prophets) and Rasool (messengers), i.e., those prophets who were also given revelations or books from Allah. Among them are many that are also mentioned in the old and new testaments, and others that are specifically mentioned in the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) came about six centuries after Prophet I'sa (Jesus) and was the last prophet of Allah. He is the seal of the Prophets. The words Islam and Muslim are defined in the Qur'an, and Allah (SWT) states in the Qur'an that the religion of all Prophets was Islam and called them Muslims. Specifically, Prophet Abraham, among others, is called a Muslim in the Qur'an. The word Islam means total submission (to the will and commandments of Allah). It is derived from the root word SLM and salam means peace (shalom in Hebrew). A Muslim is one who submits to the will and commandments of Allah. The Qur'an is sent for both humankind and Jinns.
ALLAH

SURAH 2, AYAT 255-56:
255: Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
256: There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

SURAH 112:
1 Say: He is Allah, the One!
2 Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
3 He begetteth not nor was begotten.
4 And there is none comparable unto Him.

SURAH 59, AYAT 22-24:
22: He is Allah, than whom there is no other God, the Knower of the invisible and the visible. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.
23: He is Allah, than whom there is no other God, the Sovereign Lord the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).
24: He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifieth Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

SURAH 64, AYAH 18:
18: Knower of the invisible and the visible, the Mighty, the Wise.

SURAH 17, AYAT 110-111:
110: Say (unto mankind): Cry unto Allah, or cry unto the Beneficent, unto whichsoever ye cry (it is the same). His are the most beautiful names. And thou (Muhammad), be not loud voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein, but follow a way between.
111: And say: Praise be to Allah, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and Who hath no partner in the Sovereignty, nor hath He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him.

SURAH 43, AYAT 84-85:
84: And He it is Who in the heaven is God, and in the earth God. He is the Wise, the knower.
85: And blessed be He unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Whom is knowledge of the Hour, and unto Whom ye will be returned.

SURAH AL-A'RAF (7), AYAT 179-181:
180: Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do.
181: And of those whom We created there is a nation who guide with the Truth and establish justice therewith.

SURAH 4, AYAT 171-172:
171: O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three". Cease! (it is) better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

172: The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favored angels. Whoso scorneth His service and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him;

SURAH 3, AYAH 84:
84: Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.

SURAH 24, AYAH 35:
35: Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light, Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is knower of all things.

SURAH 103, AL-ASR:
1: By the declining day,
2: Lo! man is in a state of loss,
3: Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

SURAH 1, AYAH 1:
1: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
2: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,

SURAH 21, AYAH 30:
30: Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe?

SURAH 22, AYAH 47:
47: And they will bid thee hasten on the Doom, and Allah faileth not His promise, but lo! a Day with Allah is as a thousand years of what ye reckon.

SURAH 70, AYAT 3-4:
3: From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
4: (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

SURAH 25, AYAH 59:
59: Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six Days, then He mounted the Throne. The Beneficent! Ask any one informed concerning Him!

SURAH 7, AYAT 54-56:
54: Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne. He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!
55: O mankind! Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loveth not aggressors.
56: Work not confusion in the earth after the fair ordering (thereof), and call on Him in fear and hope. Lo! the mercy of Allah is nigh unto the good.

SURAH 41, AYAT 9-12:
9: Say (O Muhammad, unto the idolaters): Disbelieve ye verily in Him Who created the earth in two Days, and ascribe ye unto Him rivals? He (and none else) is the Lord of the Worlds.

10: He placed therein firm hills rising above it, and blessed it and measured therein its sustenance in four Days, alike for (all) who ask;
11: Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient.
12: Then He ordained the seven heavens in two Days and inspired in each heaven its mandate; and we decked the nether heaven with lamps, and rendered it inviolable. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Knower.

SURAH 65, AYAH 12:
12: Allah it is who hath created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof. The commandment cometh down among them slowly, that ye may know that Allah is Able to do all things, and that Allah surroundeth all things in knowledge.

SURAH 36, AYAT 38-40:
38: And the sun runneth on unto a resting place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.
39: And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm leaf.
40: It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.

SURAH 25, AYAH 61:
61: Blessed be He Who hath placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and hath placed therein a great lamp and a moon giving light!

SURAH 21, AYAH 32:
32: And We have made the sky a roof withheld (from them). Yet they turn away from its portents.

SURAH 31, AYAH 10:
10: He hath created the heavens without supports that ye can see, and hath cast into the earth firm hills, so that it quake not with you; and He hath dispersed therein all kinds of beasts. And We send down water from the sky and We cause (plants) of every goodly kind to grow therein.

SURAH 51, AYAT 47-49:
47: We have built the heaven with might, and We it is who make the vast extent (thereof).
48: And the earth have We laid out, how gracious was the Spreader (thereof)!
49: And all things We have created by pairs, that haply ye may reflect.

SURAH 24, AYAT 44-45:
44: Allah causeth the revolution of the day and the night. Lo! herein is indeed a lesson for those who see.
45: Allah hath created every animal of water. Of them is (a kind) that goeth upon its belly and (a kind) that goeth upon two legs and (a kind) that goeth upon four. Allah createth what He will. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

SURAH 30, AYAT 8-9:
8: Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah created not the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, save with truth and for a destined end. But truly many of mankind are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord.
9: Have they not traveled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they dug the earth and built upon it more than these have built. Messengers of their own came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty). Surely Allah wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves.

ORIGIN OF MAN

SURAH 7, AYAT 189-190:
189: He it is who did create you from a single soul, and therefrom did make his mate that he might take rest in her. And when he covered her she bore a light burden, and she passed (unnoticed) with it, but when it became heavy they cried unto Allah, their Lord, saying: If thou givest unto us aright we shall be of the thankful.
190: But when He gave unto them aright, they ascribed unto Him partners in respect of that which He had given them. High is He exalted above all that they associate (with Him).
191: Attribute they as partners to Allah those who created naught, but are themselves created,

SURAH 2, AYAT 30-32:
30: And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: wilt Thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.
31: And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.
32: They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.

SURAH 15, AYAT 28-29:
28: And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered.
29: So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.

SURAH 35, AYAT 11-12:
11: Allah created you from dust, then from a little fluid, then He made you pairs (the male and female). No female beareth or bringeth forth save with His knowledge. And no one groweth old who groweth old, nor is aught lessened of his life, but it is recorded in a Book. Lo! that is easy for Allah.
12: And two seas are not alike: this, fresh, sweet, food to drink, this (other) bitter, salt. And from them both ye eat fresh meat and derive the ornament that ye wear. And thou seest the ship cleaving them with its prow that ye may seek of His bounty, and that haply ye may give thanks.

SURAH 23, AYAT 12-14:
12: Verily We created man from a product of wet earth;
13: Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging;
14: Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!

SURAH 86, AYAT 5-8:
5: So let man consider from what he is created.
6: He is created from a gushing fluid
7: That issued from between the loins and ribs.
8: Lo! He verily is Able to return him (unto life)

SURAH 64, AYAH 3:
3: He created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes, and unto Him is the journeying.

SURAH 23, AYAT 78-80:
78: He it is Who hath created for you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks give ye!
79: And He it is Who hath sown you broadcast in the earth, and unto Him ye will be gathered.
80: And He it is Who giveth life and causeth death, and His is the difference of night and day. Have ye then no sense?

SURAH 21, AYAH 7:
7: And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not?

SURAH 3, AYAH 33:
33: Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures.

SURAH 75, AYAT 36-39:
36: Thinketh man that he is to be left aimless?
37: Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth?
38: Then he became a clot; then (Allah) shaped and fashioned
39: And made of him a pair, the male and female.
40: Is not He (who doeth so) able to bring the dead to life?

PAIRS IN SEXES

SURAH 36, AYAH 36:
36: Glory be to Him Who created all the sexual pairs, of that which the earth groweth, and of themselves, and of that which they know not!

SURAH 42, AYAT 11-12:
11: The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.
12: His are the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlargeth providence for whom He will and straiteneth (it for whom He will). Lo! He is Knower of all things.

SURAH 55, AYAT 52-53:
52: Wherein is every kind of fruit in pairs.
53: Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?

SURAH 13, AYAH 3:
3 And He it is who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits be placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.

WATER

SURAH 24, AYAH 45:
45 Allah hath created every animal of water. Of them is (a kind) that goeth upon its belly and (a kind) that goeth upon two legs and (a kind) that goeth upon four. Allah createth what He will. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

SURAH 30, AYAH 48:
48 Allah is He who sendeth the winds so that they raise clouds, and spreadeth them along the sky as pleaseth Him, and causeth them to break and thou seest the rain downpouring from within them. And when He maketh it to fall on whom He will of His bondmen, lo! they rejoice;

SURAH 2, AYAH 22:
22 Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better).

SURAH 2, AYAH 164:
164 Lo! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sendeth down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and (in) the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth: are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for people who have sense.

SURAH 18, AYAH 46:
46 Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect of hope.

SURAH 23, AYAH 18:
18 And We send down from the sky water in measure, and We give it lodging in the earth, and lo! We are able to withdraw it.

SURAH 54, AYAH 12:
12 And caused the earth to gush forth springs, so that the waters met for a predestined purpose.

SURAH 67, AYAH 30:
30 Say: Have ye thought: If (all) your water were to disappear into the earth, who then could bring you gushing water?

SURAH 25, AYAT 47-48:
47 And He it is Who maketh night a covering for you, and sleep repose, and maketh day a resurrection.
48 And He it is Who sendeth the winds, glad tidings heralding His mercy, and We send down purifying water from the sky.

SURAH 35, AYAH 12:
12 And two seas are not alike: this, fresh, sweet, food to drink, this (other) bitter, salt. And from them both ye eat fresh meat and derive the ornament that ye wear. And thou seest the ship cleaving them with its prow that ye may seek of His bounty, and that haply ye may give thanks.

SURAH 6, AYAH 59:
59 And with Him are the keys of the invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record.

SURAH 45, AYAH 5:
5 And the difference of night and day and the provision that Allah sendeth down from the sky and thereby quickeneth the earth after her death, and the ordering of the winds, are portents for a people who have sense.

SPACE AND TIME

SURAH 22, AYAH 47:
47 And they will bid thee hasten on the Doom, and Allah faileth not His promise, but lo! a Day with Allah is as a thousand years of what ye reckon.

SURAH 70, AYAT 3-4:
3 From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
4 (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

SURAH 21, AYAT 30-33:
30 Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe?
31 And We have placed in the earth firm hills lest it quake with them, and We have placed therein ravines as roads that haply they may find their way.
32 And We have made the sky a roof withheld (from them). Yet they turn away from its portents.
33 And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit.

SURAH 55, AYAT 33-34:
33 O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.
34 Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?

SURAH 15, AYAH 44:
44 It hath seven gates, and each gate hath an appointed portion.

SURAH 23, AYAH 17:
17 And We have created above you seven paths, and We are never unmindful of creation.

SURAH 36, AYAT 36-44:
36 Glory be to Him Who created all the sexual pairs, of that which the earth groweth, and of themselves, and of that which they know not!
37 A token unto them is night. We strip it of the day, and lo! they are in darkness.
38 And the sun runneth on unto a resting place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.
39 And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm leaf.
40 It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.
41 And a token unto them is that We bear their offspring in the laden ship,
42 And have created for them of the like thereof whereon they ride.
43 And if We will, We drown them, and there is no help for them, neither can they be saved;
44 Unless by mercy from Us and as comfort for a while.

SURAH 6, AYAT 1-6:
1 Praise be to Allah, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath appointed darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve ascribe rivals unto their Lord.
2 He it is Who hath created you from clay, and hath decreed a term for you. A term is fixed with Him. Yet still ye doubt!
3 He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth. He knoweth both your secret and your utterance, and He knoweth what ye earn.
4 Never came there unto them a revelation of the revelations of Allah but they did turn away from it.
5 And they denied the truth when it came unto them. But there will come unto them the tidings of that which they used to deride.
6 See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth more firmly than We have established you, and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky, and made the rivers flow beneath them. Yet We destroyed them for their sins, and created after them another generation.

SURAH 29, AYAT 19-22:
19 See they not how Allah produceth creation, then reproduceth it? Lo! for Allah that is easy.
20 Say (O Muhammad): Travel in the land and see how He originated creation, then Allah bringeth forth the later growth. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
21 He punisheth whom He will and showeth mercy unto whom He will, and unto Him ye will be turned.
22 Ye cannot escape (from Him) in the earth or in the sky, and beside Allah there is for you no friend nor helper.

SURAH 30, AYAT 8-9:
8 Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah created not the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, save with truth and for a destined end. But truly many of mankind are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord.
9 Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? They were stronger than these in power, and they dug the earth and built upon it more than these have built. Messengers of their own came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty). Surely Allah wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves.

SURAH 15, AYAH 16:
16 And verily in the heaven We have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders.

SURAH AL-NAHL (16), AYAT 12-13:
12 And he hath constrained the night and the day and the sun and the moon to be of service unto you, and the stars are made subservient by His command. Lo! herein indeed are portents for people who have sense.
13 And whatsoever He hath created for you in the earth of divers hues, lo! therein is indeed a portent for people who take heed.

ASTRONOMY AND SPACE TRAVEL

SURAH 21, AYAH 33:
33 And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit.

SURAH 39, AYAH 5:
5 He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth. He maketh night to succeed day, and He maketh day to succeed night, and He constraineth the sun and the moon to give service, each running on for an appointed term. Is not He the Mighty, the Forgiver?

SURAH 21, AYAH 30:
30 Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe?

SURAH 55, AYAT 33-34:
33 O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.
34 Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?

ANATOMY

SURAH 96, AYAT 1-2:
1 Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth,
2 Createth man from something which clings.

SURAH 23, AYAH 14:
14 Then fashioned We the drop a thing that clings, then fashioned We the the thing which clings a chewed lump of flesh, then fashioned We the chewed flesh into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!

SURAH 22, AYAT 5-6:
5 O mankind! if ye are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then lo! We have created you from dust, then from a drop of seed, then from a clot, then from a little lump of flesh shapely and shapeless, that We may make (it) clean for you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed time, and afterward We bring you forth as infants, then (give you growth) that ye attain your full strength. And among you there is he who dieth (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the most abject time of life, so that, after knowledge, he knoweth naught. And thou (Muhammad) seest the earth barren, but when We send down water thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely kind (of growth).
6 That is because Allah, He is the Truth. Lo! He quickeneth the dead, and lo! He is Able to do all things;

SURAH 32, AYAH 9:
9 Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye!

SURAH 16, AYAH 66:rong>
66 And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, coming from the contents of intestines and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers.

PHARAOH

SURAH 10, AYAT 90-92:
90 And We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his hosts pursued them in rebellion and transgression, till, when the (fate of) drowning overtook him, he exclaimed: I believe that there is no God save Him in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender (unto Him).
91 What! Now! When hitherto thou hast rebelled and been of the wrong-doers?
92 But this day We save thee (Pharaoh) in thy body that thou mayest be a portent for those after thee. Lo! most of mankind are heedless of Our portents.

JINN

The Jinns are another creation of Allah, who were created from smokeless fire and existed before the creation of Adam (AS). They have their rules of conduct and have been given certain special capabilities; several passages about them appear in Surah Al-Jinn (Chapter 72, The Jinn). Like humans, they are given the choice of doing good or evil, to believe in Allah and to obey His commandments. It is for this reason, both mankind and Jinns will be accounted for on the judgement day.

SURAH AL-JINN (72), AYAT 1- 15:
1 Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! it is a marvellous Qur'an,
2 Which guideth unto righteousness, so we believe in it and we ascribe unto our Lord no partner.
3 And (we believe) that He--exalted be the glory of our Lord!--hath taken neither wife nor son,
4 And that the foolish one among us used to speak concerning Allah an atrocious lie.
5 And lo! we had supposed that humankind and jinn would not speak a lie concerning Allah--
6 And indeed (O Muhammad) individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn so that they increased them in revolt (against Allah);
7 And indeed they supposed, even as ye suppose, that Allah would not raise anyone (from the dead)
8 And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors.
9 And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listened now findeth a flame in wait for him;
10 And we know not whether harm is boded unto all who are in the earth, or whether their Lord intendeth guidance for them;
11 And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.
12 And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight.
13 And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression.
14 And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.
15 And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell.

SURAH AR-RAHMAN (55), AYAH 17:
14 He created man of clay like the potter's,
15 And the Jinn did He create of smokeless fire.
16 Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?

SURAH AL-HIJR (15), AYAT 26-34:
26 Verily We created man of potter's clay of black mud altered,
27 And the jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire.
28 And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered.
29 So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.
30 So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together
31 Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate.
32 He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate?
33 He said: Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered?
34 He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for verily thou art outcast.

SURAH AL-KAHF (18), AYAH 50:
50 And (remember) when We said unto the angels: Fall prostrate before Adam, and they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He was of the Jinn, so he rebelled against his Lord's command. Will ye choose him and his seed for your protecting friends instead of Me, when they are an enemy unto you? Calamitous is the exchange for evil doers!

SURAH AR-RAHMAN (55), AYAT 31-33:
31 We shall dispose of you, O ye two dependents (man and jinn).
32 Which is it, of the favors of your Lord, that ye deny?
33 O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth; then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.

SURAH AL-AN'AM(6), AYAT 128 AND 130-131:
128 In the day when He will gather them together (He will say): O ye assembly of the jinn! Many of humankind did ye seduce. And their adherents among humankind will say: Our Lord! We enjoyed one another, but now we have arrived at the appointed term which Thou appointedst for us. He will say: Fire is your home. Abide therein for ever, save him whom Allah willeth (to deliver). Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware.

130 O ye assembly of the jinn and humankind! Came there not unto you messengers of your own who recounted unto you My tokens and warned you of the meeting of this your Day? They will say: We testify against ourselves. And the life of the world beguiled them. And they testify against themselves that they were disbelievers.
131 This is because thy Lord destroyeth not the townships arbitrarily while their people are unconscious (of the wrong they do).

SURAH AZ-ZARIYAT (51), AYAH 56:
56 I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.

SURAH AL-ISRAA (17), AYAT 88-89:
88 Say: Verily, though mankind and the Jinn should assemble to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof though they were helpers one of another.
89 And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Qur'an all kinds of similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief.

SURAH AL-A'RAF (7), AYAH 179:
179 Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not, and having eyes wherewith they see not, and having ears wherewith they hear not. These are as the cattle nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful.

REFERENCES

"The Holy Qur'an," Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1934. (Latest Publisher: Amana Publications, Beltsville, MD, USA; Title: "The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an," 1992)

"The Meaning of the Glorious Koran," An Explanatory Translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, a Mentor Book Publication. (Also available as: "The Meaning of the Glorious Koran," by Marmaduke Pickthall, Dorset Press, N.Y.; Published by several publishers since 1930).

"The Bible, The Qur'an and Science (Le Bible, le Coran et la Science)," The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge, by Maurice Bucaille, English version published by North American Trust Publication, 1978.

Pickthall writes in his foreward of 1930: "... The Qur'an cannot be translated. ... The book is here rendered almost literally and every effort has been made to choose befitting language. But the result is not the Glorious Qur'an, that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy. It is only an attempt to present the meaning of the Qur'an-and peradventure something of the charm in English. It can never take the place of the Qur'an in Arabic, nor is it meant to do so. ..."

For the serious readers of the meaning of the Qur'an in English, it is recommended that it should be read along with a good commentary to comprehend the essential meaning and scope of verses. Either Yusuf Ali's or Maududi's commentaries are a good starting point. The former presents the meaning Ayah (verse) by Ayah with footnotes and includes a detailed index of the topics mentioned in the Qur'an, while the latter presents commentaries for each Surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.

NEED 4 COMPASSION

2004-01-07T21:30:00.000Z

(sorry, been busy..i'm actually, officially on a holidaY! goSh..i miss u guys!!!)

Here, i gota share some nicely written piece of compassion; a must read:

Compassion
by Shaykh Salman al-`Awdah
Moral Code of the Daa`iya
Translated by Muhammad Buneef

We are in need for a daai`ya who possesses a heart that is aflame with concern for the Muslims and the Islamic reality. A heart that is aflame with concern about the situation of the Ummah in both the east and the west, a heart that has compassion on his brothers and realizes the Speech of Allah Subhannahu,
"...firm against the kufaar, and compassionate with the believers..." (Surat al-Fath:29),
not like the Khawarij who killed the people of Iman and welcomed the idol worshipers. Surely the believer should be stern with the kufaar and merciful with the believers and realize within himself the statement of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam,
"The example of the believers in their friendly relations, their mercy and their compassion towards one another is like the whole body..." [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi all from the hadeeth of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari] and his statement,
"The believer to the believer is like a building, some [parts of it] support others." [Bukhari, Muslim both from the hadeeth of al-Nu'man bin Basheer.]

We are in need for the one who feels the pains of his Muslim brothers. When he hears of calamity that happens to his brother he will feel pain for them, even if they have some shortcomings and innovations.
Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Ridha used to feel pain for the Muslim's reality and the sorrow appeared in his face when a calamity afflicted one of the Muslims. He used to cheer when the matter was vice-versa to the point that his mother recognized this quality of his. When she saw him sad she asked him, "What's the matter with you my son, has someone passed away in China today?" She realized that the sorrow and joy of her son is related to the condition of the Muslims; he cheers to their cheerfulness and becomes sad with their sadness, and this is the true walaa' [loyalty] to the Muslims.

Compassion is that one should posses a heart which becomes affected by the Muslims' errors and deviations in the deen. He becomes sad upon the spread of sin and disobedience among them, a sadness that doesn't push him away from them but compels him to feel like a doctor among them who struggles to save them and if he is unsuccessful he tries to lessen the illness according to his capability. This compassion should push him also to be zealous concerning himself, his wife and his children so that he calls them to that which is good and forbids them from that which is prohibited and stops them from committing that which is displeasing to Allah . There are many duaat who speak about Islam but those who posses this true lively compassion are few. If compassion lives within the daa`iya's heart it will yield fruitful dawa, advice and participation in the Muslims' pains everywhere. But when the person looses compassion he becomes living for himself, his wife, his children, living to enjoy that which is around him, and he forgets the worries of the Muslims. At that time he abandons the truth of walaa' to the believers even if he speaks about the hadeeths which warn the Muslims of calamities. He becomes like a hired female mourner. There are many of those who are accustomed to a speech that they repeat on occasions... and who memorize statements that they hear and recite without feeling any zeal nor fervor towards the deen and it's people... so woe to this ummah... how needy it is for burning hearts!

Ramadhan Update

2003-11-09T22:33:00.000Z

TIME 2 check our clocks now..it'S HALF PASS'D RAMADHAN!!

"The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination..." (Surat al-Baqara: 185)

"And seek it with your heart, with your words, with your deeds. In
traversing your path through the Qur'an you must depend utterly and
exclusively upon Him. Not only should you be overwhelmed with this sense
of dependence, you must express it...." (Khuram Murad)

So, here I'm, to express...short & simply...
Quick guidance from Quran:

The Most Selfish One-Letter Word
"I"
Avoid It.
(Surah Al Kahf 18:34)

The Most Satisfying Two-Letter Word
"WE"
Use It.
(Surah Al An'am 6:71-72)

The Most Poisonous Three-Letter Word
"EGO"
Kill It.
(Surah Al Qasas 28:78)

The Most Used Four-Letter Word
"LOVE"
Value It.
(Surah Al Rum 30:21)

The Most Pleasing Five Letter Word
"SMILE"
Keep It.
(Surah Al Najm 53:43)

The Fastest Spreading Six-Letter Word
"RUMOUR"
Ignore It.
(Surah Al Hujurat 49:12)

The Hardest Working Seven Letter Word
"SUCCESS"
Achieve It.
(Surah Al Nur 24:37-38)

The Most Enviable Eight-Letter Word
"JEALOUSY"
Distance It.
(Surah Yusuf 12:8-9)

The Most Powerful Nine-Letter Word
"KNOWLEDGE"
Acquire It. (of Allah & the Holy Qu'ran)
(Surah Ya Sin 36:2 Surah Yusuf 12:2)

The Most Essential Ten-Letter Word
"CONFIDENCE"
Trust It. (Trust in Allah's Guidance)
(Surah Yunus 10: 9 & Surah Al Tawbah 9:51)

Ramadhan teach us patience; a tip on Patience & it's reward:

You love them but thet do not love you, (3/119)
If good befalls you, it grieves them and if evil overtakes you, they
rejoice. If you are patient, not the least harm will their cunning behavior do to you. Allah surrounds all they do. (3/120)

May Allah keep us on the path where his LOVE reside, & not wrath. amen.

Sehri in Ramadhan

2003-11-04T01:03:00.000Z

" A 'WAKE-ME-UP CALL'...esp 4 SEHRI!!! "

It only dawned to me the other day, at an iftaar party that how many a people were totally unaware of the importance/benefits of Sehri ..however, much emphasis, as always, was made on preparing a grand Iftaari!
IFTAARI, with its 'spoiled 4 choice' starters, ranging from chunky dates, along with pakora, samosas,pasties, channa (chick peas), dahi barra to a variety of chutnees and a huge bowl of Fruit Chaat..was to be followed by a full fledged Meal platter of Chicken Korma served with naans & fried rice. Yum yumm..i must say, everything, besides being home-cooked, was done to a good taste and was simply delicious. May Allah Reward the family for their generous efforts. Amen.
Well, one can't help but imagine the lady of the house who'd done all this preparation while fasting, not to mention looking after her young kids..had to lose sleep/rest as well as her Fard/farz Prayers! Ofcourse, managing such a lavish meal for 25+ people while keepin fast has it's own rewards, however, skippin ones Fard/farz Namaaz in doin so..is quite an unwanted characteristic. Inshallah, much importance would be made on keepin one's prayers regular, even if it means cuttin down on a few dishes from the iftaar menu, may be to level out the stress etc, that might come with it!
Here, let us bear in mind that 'Iftaari' or 'Sehri', should not be carried to such extremes that the'religious' activities and responsibilities are neglected, as a result of weakness of the body.

Yet, the dawning qs remains...
Isn't it true that after feasting ones stomach up with such a grand Iftaar - 'enough to last till the next day' granD, one wouldn't feel the need to get up for Sehri???
(ppl possessin a Giant's stomach who consume as much..durin iftaar, and yet have enough room to eat Sehri..are clear exceptions :| )

'Lets eat enough durin the nite time so we won't have to get up for sehri' is quite a common phrase that one may find existing among a certain class of people, in our community.

THis post is addressed esp for such a type who becoz of their ignorance..or laziness are losing on a much desired 'assal -e- thawaab', during this blessed month of Ramadhan.
There are many (mustahab) Ahaadith in which the virtues of "Sehri" are expounded and the rewards mentioned. Inshallah, after readin these, the understanding of the clear benefits of sehri will be more than enough for people, not to deprieve themselves of such great thawaab/rewards, from Allah.

Ibn Umar (Radhi Allaho anho) relates: Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:
'Verily Allah and His Malaa'ikah send Mercy upon those who eat 'Sehri' (sower-Suhoor)."

In another Ahadith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said:
'The difference between our fasting and that of the Ahlul-Kitaab (Jews and Christians) lies in our partaking of food at "Sehri" which they do not."

One Hadith says, in Sahih Bukhari:
"Eat 'Sehri' and strengthen yourself for the fast. And sleep in the afternoon (Siesta), so as to gain assistance in waking up in the latter portion of the night (for "Ibaadah")."

"This is a thing full of blessings, which Allah has granted you. Do not give it up."

In his commentary on "Sahih Bukhari", Ibne Hajar has mentioned various reasons for the blessedness of "Sehri":
• Because in it, the 'Sunnah' is followed.
• Through "Sehri", we differentiate ourselves from the ways of Ahlul-Kitaab, which we are at all times called upon to do.
• It provides strength for "Ibaadah".
• It promotes greater sincerity in "Ibaadah".
• It aids in elimination of bad temper, which normally comes about as result of hunger.
• 'Sehri' is the time when prayers are accepted.
• At the time of 'Sehri', one gets the opportunity to remember Allah, makes Dhikr and lifts up the hand to Him in prayer.

These are a few of the major reasons; there are many others as well.

How great is Allah's favour upon us that even the partaking of food before dawn for fasting is so greatly rewarded.

Autumn is Gold

2003-10-31T02:28:00.000Z

Let's hear my new anthem:
"Summer is hot ; Winter is Cold
Spring is grEEn; Autumn is GOLD! "

Usually, most of my early spring noons are spent, glancing out of my kitchen window into the back garden, while enjoyin a good cup of tea & admiring the works of nature. The newly sprung lilac blossoms, red rose bushes & some green shrubs, therby, are surely eye pleasing, stemed in their own individual color & beauty, looking so fresh and full of life!
Indeed, a thing of beauty is a joy forever...aLas,that forever only last till autumn is here!
OR may be autumn does bring with itself it's own beauty and a season for celebration, may be not as joyous as Springs, neverthless, a celebration??

Autumn is here & i can clearly see those lilacs & roses which once bloomed so beautifully are, somewhat in a process of losing their colors/individuality/identity, as if taking a life of a new dimension, all coming together under the same shades of yellowish crimson hues! Now, one can see the veins of the leaves as they're no longer sprung open up in the air but as if bowed down to Earth..in humility. They still look beautifully afirmed to the Oneness of Allah. Before the trees shed their leaves, they seem to be in a sort of a prayer mode, of thanking Allah who gave them life to cherish, and now when it's time to bid their farewells, they do it in a manner of such speakable unity - coming together as one; in the glorious shade of Autumn!

Though, Autumn may come to announce the coming of Winter, yet brings with itself such a warmth of feeling..which can even mellow the coldest of hearts:
If autumn doesn't come to pass, spring may never bring forth new liFe.
If autumn does not come to pass, there could not be much humility left..& one would never, fully & truley, be able to appreciate Our Creator, The One who is truley Great..Our Benevolent, Allah!

And, only AUTUMN can leave such treasureable thoughts in ones memory, which, to me, are...as precious as GOLD.

Enjoy while it lasts...salaam.

2003-10-29T02:41:00.000Z

"Conclusion to the previous post >>"

After explainin much elaborated significance of the Moon the rest.. b, c & d are as follows:

b- The 2 special Directors/Whisperers...as the believer's rightful source to reach her true destiny.

The whisperers/directors which accompanied the believer through out her journey were actually 'AL' KAT'ABAH - the recording angels.
They record whatever a person does or utters. They are at all times with the person, except when he goes to answer the call of nature, takes a bath etc. Every Muslim who is Mukal'laf (who is sane and have reached the age of puberty) has two Angels with him, the one is called RAQEEB and he records the good deeds and utterance of the person, and the other is called ATEED and he records the evil deeds and utterance of the person. These two Angels remain with the person as long as he lives, and when he dies they stand at his grave till the day of QIYAAMAH (Day of resurrection) , if he died with Imaan (Faith) they pray for his forgiveness till the day of QIYAAMAH, and if he died without Imaan (Faith), they curse him till the day of resurrection.

With reference to these two Angels Allah says in the Quran:

"HE UTTERS NO WORD BUT THERE ARE WITH HIM RAQEEB AND ATEED BUT VERILY OVER YOU ARE APPOINTED ANGELS, GUARDIANS, WHO ARE HONOURABLE WRITING DOWN YOUR DEEDS. THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ALL THAT YOU DO."

We, all very well know that our good and bad deeds are, mainly, goin to be the judge of where we will end up, in Hereafter. Whether our abode be much sought after paradise or much frowned upon hell...ya, baby, simply that's the deciding factor!! Now when we know, it shouldn't be so difficult, rite? Yet, still we can't care less! We have no understanding of who we really are..and Why we're here.. whichever path we are treadin, do we know where it's takin us? Is there a place destined for us or our deeds (becoz of our freewill usage option) shall ultimately lead us to either a blissful paradise or a much deserving hELL!!!
Things have always been obvious..it's jus that we wanna look the otherside of the obvious..coz we're really mess'd up!!!
Though, for believers it's all good news..that even though they might do bad stuff sometimes yet their good deeds, if done in abundance, eradicate and rule over their bad ones..hence leadin them to a much deservin destiny...which promises Allah's blessings. Indeed, Allah is the MOST FORGIVING.

c- Those 'super-STAR' like creatures who are devoted to carrying out (seemingly) good missions on Earth.

These 'superstar' like ppl who were busy in some good mission ( hard kickin evil's plans or somethin..) might be those environmently friendly guys, or ppl who go on strike campaign craving for justice etc etc, are sure doing a grand job. However, their place in this world compare to a believer's is like many stars twinklin around one moon. Just like the Moonlight that out-shines all the Stars, similarly a believer's place in Allah's Eyes out-shines all of those seemingly good workers, who are good human beings but fail to come into the category of true believers.

d- Those 'stanced on a fence' people who the believer witnessed while treading the path assigned for her.

Finally, we come to explainin a lil bit about 'stanced on fence' ppl, who are the examples of those ppl who in this life, find a cosy spot, feelin happy n all, forgeting that life's a journey..and not a resting place, become lost and fail to realise.. till it's too late.
May be believers come across such ppl, many times..but whatever the believers tell them they fail to comprehand, always engrossed in their own lil world..and never pay any attention.

May Allah give us strength, and guide us to become those who He Loves the Most. amen.

2003-10-26T13:56:00.000Z

"Let's get the interpretation of the dream, rigHt..and, let's praise Allah!"

To get to the true meaning of the whole dream i'd, first, like to explain the following:

a-The Significance of the Moon, as a favor from Allah (for the understanding of a believer), in the light of Quran & Sunnah.

b- The 2 special Directors/Whisperers...as the believer's rightful source to reach her true destiny.

c- Those 'super-STAR' like creatures who are devoted to carrying out (seemingly) good missions on Earth.

d- Those 'stanced on a fence' people who the believer witnessed while treading the path assigned for her.

note: anything else in the dream, i think, is quite self-explainatory. Neverthless, feel free to 'shout out' 4 any comments.

and...happY Ramadhan!

Today i will try to explain the first of the 4 and the rest will follow in my next post, inshallah.

Here is THE Significance of the Moon...in the light of Quran & Sunnah:

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates it's own light. Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However, this fact that 'the light of the moon is reflected light' was mentioned in the Quran 1400 years ago, in the following verse:

"Blessed is HE WHO made the constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light." [Al-Quran 25:61]

The Arabic word for the sun in the Quran is shams. It is reffered to as siraaj, which means a 'torch' or as wahhaaj which means a 'blazing lamp' or as diya which means a 'shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat & light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Quran as muneer which is a body that gives 'nur' i.e. light. Again, the Qur'anic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon which does not give off light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the QUR'AN, is the moon mentioned as 'siraaj', wahhaaj' or 'diya' or the sun as 'nur' or 'muneer'.This implies that the QUR'AN recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight. Consider the following verses related to the nature of light from the sun and the moon:

"It is HE who made the sun To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (Of beauty)." [AL-QUR'AN 10:5]

"See ye not How ALLAH has created The seven heavens One above another, And made the moon A light in their midst, and made the sun As a (Glorious) Lamp?" [AL-QUR'AN 71:15-16]

Look up again. Behold the Moon - the Beacon of the Night sky.
Much much smaller than the Sun. Much much nearer to us than the Sun. Yet placed in the sky so magically, that it appears to the eye, almost the equal size of the Sun.

Have you ever wondered whose Hands had placed the Moon there, perfectly positioned, neither suspended nor supported.

Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah!), the Master creator and the perfect in
Judgement. [al-Quran]

The moon itself, is a dark desolate place, giving out no light of its own. It merely reflects the light of the Glorious resplendent Sun. Facts that all of us surely know. Another fact remains ; Man is Allah's creation, created in His own image. From man emerges intelligence, beauty, strength and understanding, and other Glorious Resplendent Sifat of Allah.
Like the moon that merely reflects the Sun's glory, Man simply reflects Allah's greatness and Oneness. Not man's own abilities!
But Man then forgets!
Man believes that it is he who is intelligent, it is he who is rich..and beautiful. He forgets that the knowledge, the beauty and the wealth he's so proud of, actually belongs to The Al-Mighty Allah, only. Allah is to be praised, not Man himself! Man seeks praise & like Iblis, becomes arrogant and is cursed by Allah!

"Oh Man! Oh insan ( which means the forgetful one)!

Have you forgotten that without the Sun, there is no Moon to be seen in
the night sky? Have you forgotten that the Moon itself has no light?

It is the light of the Sun! Have you forgotten?

Without the gifts from Allah, nothing shines from you! There is no
goodness in you, only that given by Allah! Without the mercy of Allah,
you would be no better than an animal! [al-Quran]

Can we not see that the Moon shows the existence of the Sun, although we cannot see the Sun at night? Similarly, it is through Man that Allah shows us His greatness, although we cannot see Him in dunia.

Have you forgotten that the Moon itself has a dark side, that always faces away from earth? Have you been lost in pride and arrogance as you see the radiant light coming forth from your face that you fail to see your dark side and repent? Oh insan..

You, Oh Man, own nothing! You are but a proud, ungrateful beggar!! For all the greatness, power, wealth, glory, and knowledge belongs to Allah, and he has
placed a small portion in you to TEST YOU! Will you claim that the Light is yours?

Or will you say - "no, this light is from He who has showered me in His blessings, truly I am helpless, and it is Allah who is Truly Good and Great." [al-Quran]

We should not walk on this earth with pride. For we are but a borrower of Allah's gifts. As surely as the night ends, this worldly life will also end. And as the Moon sets, surely too Man will die.
And as surely as the sun will rise, judgement by Allah will come.

Shall we not then take heed?

Say "La ila ha illallah" with real understanding!

La (none) Ilaha (of the greatness and goodness and Godly gifts in me, belong to me) Illallah (except that they ALL belong to ALLAH and He alone).

And only then, we can become true believers.

Hence, in the light of Quran, we can say that the Full Moon with all it's light and glory which disperse the darkness away from the night Sky, can be used as an example of a true believer who with his/her blessed knowledge, beauty, riches etc, only from Allah, is a source of enlightment and truth for the dark, desolate & somewhat, lost world.

Glory be to Allah! This light is from He who has showered me in His Blessings, truly I am helpless, and it is Allah who is Truly Good and Great.

2003-10-23T23:51:00.000Z

" Yeah, I'm a belieVer.......dream On!"

Here, i'd be sharin with u, a dream i had.. a while ago.
what can i say, best things happen to me when i'm feelin displeasure, the most. ;)
I had gone thru a phase where i'd be question everythin..like, why am I here?Why am I soo far away from my loved ones? (yeah, u guys might be thinkin..is she in guatanomobaY?) Why do i find myself among ppl who'd, hurriedly, jump to conclusions about me, who'd misunderstand me, time n time again etc.
As one can tell (yeah, verry spoilt..hmm) moanin n groanin about ppl, each time things weren't to my likings...was my, not so favorite- neverthless still, a pastime! I jus didn't think i deserve to be around such ppl..and the worst part was that I was, ultimately, blaming Our Supreme Being, The Most Benevolent Allah, without whose Will nothing can really happen for all my happenings.
Obviously, totally oblivious of the mysterious ways of how Allah's Will works, which is always in our favor, whether we realise it or not.
'As he Loves us,70 times more than our real/biological parents.'(sahih hadith)

That night, i slept with a heavy heart & an equally miserable soul, fightin to see the light of Allah's justice...and this is what i see:

I find myself on a path leadin to light of pure clarity, as if on a journey to a no man's land. Yes, i'd be feelin excited instead my 'moanin mode' is still switched on. it doesn't take me long to realise that i'm not alone. I'm accomapanied by two special beings. All along the way, they are favorin me with their sweet words, whisperin encouragement to proceed.. and i can't help but act spoilt!
For instance, on our way they showed me some sort of clips of eternal bliss which appeared b4 me as flashes/animations of huge priceless paintings, of beautiful gardens. To which i'd comment: 'they are only paintings'...and we carried on. Then, suddenly, i froze to a halt on the sight of some ppl (whom i know in reality..n i'm not too fond of) who were enjoyin, gigglin away, stanced on some fence. I had to be dragged away.. by my whisperers as if i wasn't a real person n jus another 'madaam tuassad's creation..or somethin. Seeing my blank expression they said: 'keep moving (this is not ur stop)..(fret not) they are not nice..'

I was informed about the reason behind this seemingly endless journey. They were actually my directors to my true destination. After, taggin along many more dream miles, we finally reach a place, which i'd describe as a some sort of Hall of fame. There was some serious 'mission impossible' goin on & my Oh my..there were like some Charlie's angels surely at work!!!
I was a constant pain...askin them, 'which one am I?' (go On..have a laugh, u'r allowed..)
Suddenly, i was whisked away to a much secluded chamber and there flung open before me a huge Book of 'ultimate purpose of lifeforms destinies' and i was pointed at to a figure and were told that it's me. It took me some time to figure out what it was, and when i did, i was all smilin :) as it was the picture of a 'full moon'.
Though, not fully understanding the real significance of the dream nor the purpose behind my association with the 'full moon', i still woke up with happy thoughts, & with a feeling of serenity. I hurried to share it with my loved ones who were much taken by the dream, and felt happy for me.

The right intrepretation of the dream awaits you in my next reply. Inshallah, we all will have somethin to take n learn from it, for sure.
to be cont...

Fe'Aman'Allah.

2003-10-22T20:31:00.000Z

"How much forgiving are we....huh?"

I have been upto my neck with all sort of tit bits.. and whenever i'm tryin to concentrate to write down, esp about..when ramdhan is near..we got soo much to share, my thoughts keep swirling me away to a newly found fact that I AM NOT AS FORGIVING AS I THOUGHT I WAS!!
I live far away from my family & friends. Almost half of my living years have been spent in getting to know total strangers & making/meeting new friends..and families. They are all scattered around on this same big island...but we take time out of our busy schedule and try to be there for eachother..every once a while. I do miss my family a lot, and soon, inshallah, i'll be leaving for my nativeland, just for a long break...and goD, i'm lookin forward to that!

Sometimes, we find ourselves between such situations where one party is more on a receiving end..in term of getting hurt, then the other. It happens to all of us. It has happened to me...however, how do u deal with such stuff it keeps happening to you, from one particular person/party?? Once you ignore..you might overlook their certain attitudes saying to yourself, well nobody's perfect, and feel there'll be one day when they realise how they have wronged you and learn to deal with things differently, esp if they know how much it can hurt others. But that day never comes. And, as one should never try to fall into the category of:

And whoever does not want Allah to forgive him and show mercy to him and to conceal his fault on the Day of Judgement (that Allaah should forgive him) then let him continue to be hard hearted and proud of himself, thinking he is better than others and let him always look at the faults of other people and not to accept advice from others. Allaah will soon punish him with what he deserves.

..one should be aware not to cause anyone any distress. However, being patient will certainly win good rewards from Allah.

Whenever, i have shared such annoyance, about certain ppl, with my friends (btw these are real friends..and, ya..i'm lucky i've got some!) they always have got one to thing to say:
' Not everyone's as nice & generous as you are...however, to save yourself from such distress always distinguish real friends from mere acquaintances.'

This time around, I have taken up advice of real friends, and the so called loved ones whom i cared about so much so that i never forgot to wish best regards on every occassion possible etc & who, in turn, come to your town and spend a whole day n nite without making any physical effort to see you...are clearly being marked off as 'mere aquaintances', atleast i'm keeping up ties... and i think i have been forgiving enough!

Oh Allaah guide us the best of manners to which none can guide except you and turn away from us the evil characteristics. None can turn them away except you.

2003-10-21T23:55:00.000Z

"what've we made of this world?"

Wherever l go, I find
People in a confused state of mind.

Something is missing that should be there;
I think it’s love which seems quite rare.

There does exist love but not in it’s true sense.
That unceasing love for money making and for pence.

For money they live, for money they die.
For money they cheat, for money they lie.

Alas! where the love for humanity’s gone?
Without it we really cannot go on.

So let’s think over and find a way,
To pour in love and make world happy.

Let’s follow the principle of take and give
And make this world a place to live.

This was written by me in my late teens. I dug it out from a pile of 'lost wisdom found' pack ;)
nowadays, when there's heavy cr8p availablity for listening, someone like me would rather turn a deaf ear...even still, i was all ears to 'black eyed peas' where is the love? my, my..thats some tune!!
actually, it reminded me somewhat, vaguely, of my above accomplishment...
Do check it out..and post it's lyrics here.
It's gonna do wonderssss!

2003-10-21T18:05:00.000Z

i don't know how to add new stuff to it..? oops.

2003-10-21T14:59:00.000Z

We, the human beings occupy a unique place in the universe. By virtue of possessing a human body, man is part of the material world. Thus, he is as much subject to natural laws as is any other object in the universe. Birth, growth, decay, and death of the human body are natural processes and so are governed by the laws of nature. But man is also endowed with a self or ego which expresses itself as free will, and freedom of choice is inherent in the self. Since the self is a special gift given to mankind by God, it is not part of the material body of man. Although it uses the body as a vehicle for its expression, it is not bound by space and time and, therefore, not subject to any physical laws. Since the essence of self is freedom of choice, the Divine Will in the sphere of man performs this function as guidance and not control, and human beings are free to accept or reject His guidance. The Qur’an is very clear on this point:

"The Truth has come from Allah. Then whoever will, let him accept, and whoever will, let him reject." (18:29)

But this freedom of choice brings with it the responsibility of making that choice. No one can escape this responsibility and evade the results of his own actions. The Qur’an says:

"Verily, the grip of thy Rabb is severe." (85:12)

No one can bear the responsibility of someone else:

"Whoever accepts guidance, it is only for his own self, and whoever goes astray, does so to his own loss. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another." (17:15)

"Whoever commits wrong, commits it only against himself." (4:111)

"Every soul draws the consequences of its acts on none but itself. No bearer of burdens can bear the burdens of another." (6:164)

It is also important to note that the results of one’s actions cannot be wiped out or washed away. They are entered on the credit and debit side of the ledger kept by Him:

"And on every man We have fastened his record around his neck; and We will bring forth to him, on the day of judgement, a book which he will see wide open." (17:13)

We can easily see from this verse that sins cannot be washed away no matter how much one tries. The whole idea of washing sins away is contrary to the fundamental principle of the Qur’an—the law of requital and accountability. A negative deed (i.e., sin) can only be countered by a positive (i.e., righteous) deed.

"Verily, good deeds annul ill deeds." (11:114)

That is, sins can only be compensated by good deeds and not washed away by rituals. Remember the debit and credit sides of everyone’s ledger (as mentioned in the verse 17:13). So sins are entered on the debit side and can only be annulled by balancing them with good deeds on the credit side.

Excerpts taken from Dr.Mansoor Alam's explainaton on 'Insha'allah'.

more to be followed, soon...insha'Allah! ;)

2003-10-21T14:41:00.000Z

In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful

Ramadan Fever!!!
Author: Unknown

The heat is on! Once a year a dramatic change occurs in the Muslim community. Once a year Icky baby and the Sams becomes Iqbal and Sameera. Off come the baggy jeans, the Nike 180's and the Raiders cap. On come the yellow Shalwar Kameez (clothes most Pakistanis wear), the brylcreamed hairstyle which glues on that terribly uncool Towpee(cap) and in comes the miswak in the top pocket, making you look like something like "Karachi cops".

It's during this HOLY month of Ramadan that we ditch the daytime raves and the frequent visit to the library (and we don't mean for the reference section) and begin to act it out. Icky baby becomes temporarily religious.

It's a sort of spooky feeling. The Mosques are full and you feel good. Good cos' you've done your bit for the year. One by one you scratch the days from your Ramadan timetable that your dad brought back from the Mosque-and then-thank crunchie it's Eid. Eid Mubarak!

The Mosques again becomes museums for the old and for those deprived "ACHA BACHA"- a good baby. The crease-free shalwar kameez comes off and comes the baggy jeans, whilst the libraries reopen for "business as usual". Just 11 more months of "freedom" to go before the smelly breath season come back with vengeance.

Year after year it goes on, almost as a ritual. You know it's rough. Yet Allah(swt) is Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem as we are told by our parents (who probably also have gone through this). And anyway
religion is for the old men in the mosques- with smelly breaths, and beards that sweep the floor everytime they walk from one end of the mosque to the other.

Religion is for those "fundies"(fundamentalists) at school/college, the "weirdoes" who only talk to the opposite sex about the benefits
of the Khilafah ruling system or the fallacies of Western ideology such as Capitalism and Marxist Philosophy.(i.e.try saying that in one breath!).

The game

So you go around playing this game. It's like an endless spiral. You think you're a rebel or tough-yet you're just one of the pack- a zombie, conforming to master-plan, when you turn 40s you grow your
beard and take your seat in front row of the mosque, invest in a miswak, pack your bags for Hajj, and then everything is gonna be safe!- well no! It doesn't quite work like that. The million dollar question is will you ever turn 40? Game Over.

Suppose you die. Just suppose you snuff it before you turn 40? What then? It could severely damage that master-plan of yours. Alright, the chances may look slim yet the stakes are high. Nobody knows when he or she is going to die. Just suppose you're locked up in a room and there's no way out. Just suppose there's a time bomb- ticket away in this room. Now if this bomb has "6 days" on it you would probably turn "fundy" and spend all six days reading namaz(salah).

Just suppose the bomb had a "?" on it? What then? That's exactly how life is!!! A ticking- bomb with a "?" on it, you never know when it's gonna blow-up. Whereever you are, death will find you. Even if
you are in tower built up strong and high!" (Translation of the meaning of the Qu'ran) 30 days or a lifetime? And anyway, even if you do go along with
this "dodgy" game, don't you think your Creator will know your intention? Many people have sussed out Islam as a blind faith or an emotional/spiritual/spooky belief which leaves you a contemplating rationally about the meanings of life. Where did you come from? Why are we here? Or the question that puts a dampner on all raves, "
what's going to happen to us when we die?"

Islam asks us to answer these vital questions and come to a conclusion, the correct one. Islam doesn't rely on the dodgy culture we are brought up with either from our parents or from the Molvi-Saab (imam). Islam is far from being a "religion" as it is often coined in the media.

Islam is a complete system of life- with solutions to all our problems be it for Muslims or non-Muslims. Check out Islam for yourself and free yourself from this shallow zombie-like culture. Before your credits run out!

Word out!

Remember there is no Life or Dignity without Islam.

"O' you who believe answer the call of Allah(swt) and His Messenger to that which gives you Life." (8:24)

And Allah (subhanna wa ta'ala) knows best.

2003-10-21T14:16:00.000Z

It's not too mucha price (to have alook around..) for your soul's redemption!!!
salaam.

2003-10-21T14:08:00.000Z

The Al-Ambar Expedition

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) despatched towards the sea-shore an expedition of three hundred men, under the command of Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah (Radhiyal-laho anho) in 8 A.H. He gave them a bag full of dates for their rations. They had been hardly out for fifteen days when they ran short of rations.

In order to provide the contingent with food, Hadhrat Qais (Radhiyallaho anho) began buying three camels daily from his own men, to feed the Mujahideen, with a promise to pay on return to Madinah. The Amir seeing that the slaughter of camels would deprive the party of their only means of transport, prohibited him to do so.

He collected the dates that had been left with each person and stored them in a bag. He would issue one date to each man as his daily ration. When Hadhrat Jabir (Radhiyallaho anho) later on narrated this story to the people, one of his audience inquired:

"How did you manage to live upon one date only for the whole day?"

He replied:

"We longed even for that one date, when the whole stock was exhausted. We were on the verge of starvation. We moistened the dry tree-leaves with water and ate them."

When they reached this stage, Allah had mercy on them, for He always brings ease after every hardship, provided it is endured patiently. A big fish known as "Ambar" was thrown out of the sea for them. The fish was so big that they lived on it for eighteen days altogether.

They also filled their satchels with the remaining portion, which lasted them right up to Madinah. When the episode was narrated to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), he said:

"The fish was a provision arranged for you by Allah."

Difficulties and hardships are not uncommon in this world to the people of Allah; these are bound to come. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:

"The worst trials in this world are reserved for the Prophets, then for those who are next to them, and then for those who are best of the rest."

The trial of a person is proportionate to his position near Allah, and He bestows solace and comfort by His Grace and Mercy after each trial. Look how much our ancestors in Islam have suffered in the path of Allah. They had to live on leaves of trees, starve and shed their blood in the service of the true faith, which we now fail to preserve.

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2003-10-21T13:56:00.000Z

This is to tell the entire world population that the attacks on New york sept 11 2001 are condemned by muslims as much as the war on afghanistan or the war on Iraq is.

2003-10-21T13:44:00.000Z

Welcome to my weblog. Today, is your lucky day! ;)