Ahead of Iraq Deployment, 37 Korean Troops Convert To Islam
"I became a Muslim because I felt Islam was more humanistic and peaceful than other religions. And if you can religiously connect with the locals, I think it could be a big help in carrying out our peace reconstruction mission." So said on Friday those Korean soldiers who converted to Islam ahead of their late July deployment to the Kurdish city of Irbil in northern Iraq.
At noon Friday, 37 members of the Iraq-bound "Zaitun Unit," including Lieutenant Son Hyeon-ju of the Special Forces 11th Brigade, made their way to a mosque in Hannam-dong, Seoul and held a conversion ceremony.
The soldiers, who cleansed their entire bodies in accordance with Islamic tradition, made their conversion during the Friday group prayers at the mosque, with the assistance of the "imam," or prayer leader.
With the exception of the imam, all the Muslims and the Korean soldiers stood in a straight line to symbolize how all are equal before God and took a profession on faith.
They had memorized the Arabic confession, " Ashadu an La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah," which means, "I testify that there is no god but God (Arabic: Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
Moreover, as the faithful face the "Kaaba," the Islamic holy place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, all Muslims confirm that they are brothers.
For those Korean soldiers who entered the Islamic faith, recent chances provided by the Zaitun Unit to come into contact with Islam proved decisive.
Taking into consideration the fact that most of the inhabitants of Irbil are Muslims, the unit sent its unreligious members to the Hannam-dong mosque so that they could come to understand Islam. Some of those who participated in the program were entranced by Islam and decided to convert.
A unit official said the soldiers were inspired by how important religious homogeneity was considered in the Muslim World; if you share religion, you are treated not as a foreigner, but as a local, and Muslims do not attack Muslim women even in war.
Zaitun Unit Corporal Paek Seong-uk (22) of the Army's 11th Division said, "I majored in Arabic in college and upon coming across the Quran, I had much interest in Islam, and I made up my mind to become a Muslim during this religious experience period [provided by the Zaitun Unit]."
He expressed his aspirations. "If we are sent to Iraq, I want to participate in religious ceremonies with the locals so that they can feel brotherly love and convince them that the Korean troops are not an army of occupation but a force deployed to provide humanitarian support."
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/h...0405280041.html
Monday, May 31, 2004
Sunday, May 30, 2004
5 Important Qualities of"Aayatul Qursi"
1) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI AT THE TIME OF LEAVING
HOUSE BECAUSE 70000 ANGELS PROTECT PERSON FROM
LEFT, RIGHT, FRONT AND BACK AND IF A PERSON
DIES BEFORE RETURNING HE WILL GET 70 MARTYRS
REWARD.
2) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI 40 TIMES EVERY DAY AT
THE TIME OF SUNSET, PERSON WILL GET REWARD OF
40 HAJJ.
3) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY NIGHT AT BED, THIS
CREATES ONE ANGEL WHO WILL GUARD THE PERSON
TILL MORNING
4) RECITE AAYATULQURSI EVERY TIME AFTER DOING
ABLUTION (WUZU) THIS WILL RAISE PERSON 40 TIMES
IN RANK FROM EACH WORD.
5) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY TIME AFTER RETURNING
HOME BECAUSE IT KEEPS AWAY POVERTY.
1) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI AT THE TIME OF LEAVING
HOUSE BECAUSE 70000 ANGELS PROTECT PERSON FROM
LEFT, RIGHT, FRONT AND BACK AND IF A PERSON
DIES BEFORE RETURNING HE WILL GET 70 MARTYRS
REWARD.
2) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI 40 TIMES EVERY DAY AT
THE TIME OF SUNSET, PERSON WILL GET REWARD OF
40 HAJJ.
3) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY NIGHT AT BED, THIS
CREATES ONE ANGEL WHO WILL GUARD THE PERSON
TILL MORNING
4) RECITE AAYATULQURSI EVERY TIME AFTER DOING
ABLUTION (WUZU) THIS WILL RAISE PERSON 40 TIMES
IN RANK FROM EACH WORD.
5) RECITE AAYATUL QURSI EVERY TIME AFTER RETURNING
HOME BECAUSE IT KEEPS AWAY POVERTY.
Sufism- the Great Mystical Masterpiece
Tazin Abdullah
My early introduction to 'Sufism' was through a magazine that called the movement, "The Human Face of Islam". Intrigued by this rather peculiar statement, I searched for more on the topic. To my surprise, I discovered that a 795-year Persian Sufi, Maulana Jalal-al-Din Rumi, is now counted amongst the best-selling poets in the United States. A bigger surprise, however, was yet to come. It turned out that Madonna and Deepak Chopra feature prominently on the list of international celebrities who read and openly celebrate Maulana Rumi!
This movement, commonly described as the "mystical dimension of Islam" or the "Path to Allah", seems to have created tremendous admiration in an otherwise hostile Western world.
What, then, is this phenomenon known as Sufism?
The term 'Sufism' (tasawwuf, in Arabic) developed in the fifteenth century and is derived from the Arabic word suf, meaning wool. The word was initially used to speak of Muslim ascetics who wore clothes made of the coarse wool to signify their detachment from the material world. It is also suggested that the term originates from the safa (purity) or from the suffah, the 'People of the Bench' who were engaged in discourses during the time of the Prophet Muhammad .
Seekers on the Sufi path endeavour to bring themselves closer to God by purifying their hearts and improving their inner selves. The aim of Sufism is to take worship beyond mere mechanical observance of the Islamic Shari'ah. It searches for the spiritual meanings behind the Law and the inner meaning of life itself.
When the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) returned to Medina from the victories of Mecca and Hunayn, he said, "We have returned from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad." His companions asked, "What is the Greater Jihad, O Messenger of God?" He answered, "The war against the soul ."
"The soul of fallen man is divided against itself," writes Martin Lings . The lower soul, given to worldly desires constantly battles against its better part, the conscience. The Greater Jihad is the battle between the higher self and the lower self and it is what Sufism focuses on.
Assistant Professor of Arabic Studies at the American University of Cairo, Dr. Joseph Lumbard says, "Sufism is not really some kind of esoteric secret thing.
Sufism is simply the sciences and methodologies for the purification of the heart which have arisen within the context of Islam."
From the earliest history of Islam, Sufism gradually developed to take on an organisational form. Pious individuals formed groups or 'brotherhoods' known as turuq (plural of tariqah, which means 'path') . Each tariqah would be headed by a Sheikh or a spiritual guide and consist of devotees who saw the Sheikh as a true teacher on the path to God. In the course of time, different turuq developed, each having its own teachings and instructions for purifying the heart .
One is compelled to ask, then, what is it that Madonna finds so appealing in Sufism? In a CD recording with Deepak Chopra, she reads out English translations of Maulana Rumi's poetry. In Madonna's readings, Rumi is immersed in a peculiarly New Age flavour. His poetry speaks of drunkenness, intoxication and irate love. While that may seem to explain Madonna's association with Rumi, Dr. Joseph Lumbard calls these New Age trends cacophonous distortions of Sufism.
Being 'drunk' or 'intoxicated' with love in Rumi's poetry are metaphorical allusions to the spiritual ecstasy in being close to God. The 'beloved' that Rumi speaks of is God. The 'marriage' that Rumi is obsessed with is the ultimate Union with God.
Dr. Lumbard says, "People can claim anything, but there is no justification in claiming to be a Sufi without being a Muslim."
Many Muslims, however, allege that the Sufi allusion to Unity with God is un-Islamic. As Islam is based on the idea of a transcendental God, Sufism is accused of attempting to undermine the gap between being man and God.
That, M. Alamgir, Bengali translator of the Kitab Al-Hikam, argues is a serious misconstruction of the aim of Sufism. He explains: "The man who says, "I am the servant of God", asserts that two exist--one himself and the other God. To say, "I am God", on the other hand, means a total annihilation of the self and the realisation of only one Reality--Allah.
"In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah describes His true servant, "I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks "
There are, however, the activities of some people claiming to be Sufis that Alamgir recommends to be wary of. "Anytime you see someone bypassing or attempting to bypass Shari'an in the name of Sufism, you know something is amiss."
Some Sufis in modern times have claimed that they no longer need to pray or fast, having experienced spiritual ecstasy. Dr. Lumbard counters this claim, saying, "There is never a point one will reach in this world when they are beyond the practices of the religion. Basically, God tells us, through different revelations and different religions, how to behave in the formal realm to attain purification. This is the consequence of having a body and being on a brief sojourn through the realm of formal existents."
Rumi, whose spiritual teachings have Muslim and non-Muslim followers around the world, was a traditional Islamic jurist who later became a Sufi. According to Dr. Lumbard, "Rumi does indeed illuminate the shortcomings of those who see the Law as the beginning and end of religion. But his call is not to leave the practices of the law, it is to practice all of one's religion with a pure heart, with true sincerity and with love."
"The reality of Sufism, which is the purification of the heart, in any other name, has always existed. If there were no Sufism, there would be no Islam. Sometimes I like to call Sufism the 'Ihsani tradition', so as to avoid all the well rehearsed objections of the modern era," says Dr. Lumbard.
Alamgir agrees, "To understand Sufism, one must remember the hadith about Ihsan."
The Prophet, when questioned by the Archangel Gabriel, about Ihsan, replied:
"It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you.?
Shahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 1.47 (narrated by Abu Huraira)
http://www.thedailystar.net/magazin...05/religion.htm
__________________
Radiate love, care, kindness and affection to all creeds and kinds of people, even your enemies, for remember, ye Muslims, you are worshippers of the Most Loving, the Most Caring and the Most Benificient, Allah (SWT) and followers of the best and kindest man of all, Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)! May all our behaviours be reflective of followers of the final and most complete religion, Islam, and may our character be reflective of two of the Almighty's magnificent creations, the dazzling sparkle and radiance of the Sun and the grand and mystical beauty of the Moon!
The Peace of God is the most magnificent and beautiful thing there is; feel the cool breeze of the winds enlightening your very soul, the velvet beauty of the sun breaking through the clouds at dawn, the beautiful flowers all around you, it is God's love staring back
Highly recommended articles:
My beautiful journey towards Islam
Tazin Abdullah
My early introduction to 'Sufism' was through a magazine that called the movement, "The Human Face of Islam". Intrigued by this rather peculiar statement, I searched for more on the topic. To my surprise, I discovered that a 795-year Persian Sufi, Maulana Jalal-al-Din Rumi, is now counted amongst the best-selling poets in the United States. A bigger surprise, however, was yet to come. It turned out that Madonna and Deepak Chopra feature prominently on the list of international celebrities who read and openly celebrate Maulana Rumi!
This movement, commonly described as the "mystical dimension of Islam" or the "Path to Allah", seems to have created tremendous admiration in an otherwise hostile Western world.
What, then, is this phenomenon known as Sufism?
The term 'Sufism' (tasawwuf, in Arabic) developed in the fifteenth century and is derived from the Arabic word suf, meaning wool. The word was initially used to speak of Muslim ascetics who wore clothes made of the coarse wool to signify their detachment from the material world. It is also suggested that the term originates from the safa (purity) or from the suffah, the 'People of the Bench' who were engaged in discourses during the time of the Prophet Muhammad .
Seekers on the Sufi path endeavour to bring themselves closer to God by purifying their hearts and improving their inner selves. The aim of Sufism is to take worship beyond mere mechanical observance of the Islamic Shari'ah. It searches for the spiritual meanings behind the Law and the inner meaning of life itself.
When the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) returned to Medina from the victories of Mecca and Hunayn, he said, "We have returned from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad." His companions asked, "What is the Greater Jihad, O Messenger of God?" He answered, "The war against the soul ."
"The soul of fallen man is divided against itself," writes Martin Lings . The lower soul, given to worldly desires constantly battles against its better part, the conscience. The Greater Jihad is the battle between the higher self and the lower self and it is what Sufism focuses on.
Assistant Professor of Arabic Studies at the American University of Cairo, Dr. Joseph Lumbard says, "Sufism is not really some kind of esoteric secret thing.
Sufism is simply the sciences and methodologies for the purification of the heart which have arisen within the context of Islam."
From the earliest history of Islam, Sufism gradually developed to take on an organisational form. Pious individuals formed groups or 'brotherhoods' known as turuq (plural of tariqah, which means 'path') . Each tariqah would be headed by a Sheikh or a spiritual guide and consist of devotees who saw the Sheikh as a true teacher on the path to God. In the course of time, different turuq developed, each having its own teachings and instructions for purifying the heart .
One is compelled to ask, then, what is it that Madonna finds so appealing in Sufism? In a CD recording with Deepak Chopra, she reads out English translations of Maulana Rumi's poetry. In Madonna's readings, Rumi is immersed in a peculiarly New Age flavour. His poetry speaks of drunkenness, intoxication and irate love. While that may seem to explain Madonna's association with Rumi, Dr. Joseph Lumbard calls these New Age trends cacophonous distortions of Sufism.
Being 'drunk' or 'intoxicated' with love in Rumi's poetry are metaphorical allusions to the spiritual ecstasy in being close to God. The 'beloved' that Rumi speaks of is God. The 'marriage' that Rumi is obsessed with is the ultimate Union with God.
Dr. Lumbard says, "People can claim anything, but there is no justification in claiming to be a Sufi without being a Muslim."
Many Muslims, however, allege that the Sufi allusion to Unity with God is un-Islamic. As Islam is based on the idea of a transcendental God, Sufism is accused of attempting to undermine the gap between being man and God.
That, M. Alamgir, Bengali translator of the Kitab Al-Hikam, argues is a serious misconstruction of the aim of Sufism. He explains: "The man who says, "I am the servant of God", asserts that two exist--one himself and the other God. To say, "I am God", on the other hand, means a total annihilation of the self and the realisation of only one Reality--Allah.
"In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah describes His true servant, "I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks "
There are, however, the activities of some people claiming to be Sufis that Alamgir recommends to be wary of. "Anytime you see someone bypassing or attempting to bypass Shari'an in the name of Sufism, you know something is amiss."
Some Sufis in modern times have claimed that they no longer need to pray or fast, having experienced spiritual ecstasy. Dr. Lumbard counters this claim, saying, "There is never a point one will reach in this world when they are beyond the practices of the religion. Basically, God tells us, through different revelations and different religions, how to behave in the formal realm to attain purification. This is the consequence of having a body and being on a brief sojourn through the realm of formal existents."
Rumi, whose spiritual teachings have Muslim and non-Muslim followers around the world, was a traditional Islamic jurist who later became a Sufi. According to Dr. Lumbard, "Rumi does indeed illuminate the shortcomings of those who see the Law as the beginning and end of religion. But his call is not to leave the practices of the law, it is to practice all of one's religion with a pure heart, with true sincerity and with love."
"The reality of Sufism, which is the purification of the heart, in any other name, has always existed. If there were no Sufism, there would be no Islam. Sometimes I like to call Sufism the 'Ihsani tradition', so as to avoid all the well rehearsed objections of the modern era," says Dr. Lumbard.
Alamgir agrees, "To understand Sufism, one must remember the hadith about Ihsan."
The Prophet, when questioned by the Archangel Gabriel, about Ihsan, replied:
"It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you.?
Shahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 1.47 (narrated by Abu Huraira)
http://www.thedailystar.net/magazin...05/religion.htm
__________________
Radiate love, care, kindness and affection to all creeds and kinds of people, even your enemies, for remember, ye Muslims, you are worshippers of the Most Loving, the Most Caring and the Most Benificient, Allah (SWT) and followers of the best and kindest man of all, Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)! May all our behaviours be reflective of followers of the final and most complete religion, Islam, and may our character be reflective of two of the Almighty's magnificent creations, the dazzling sparkle and radiance of the Sun and the grand and mystical beauty of the Moon!
The Peace of God is the most magnificent and beautiful thing there is; feel the cool breeze of the winds enlightening your very soul, the velvet beauty of the sun breaking through the clouds at dawn, the beautiful flowers all around you, it is God's love staring back
Highly recommended articles:
My beautiful journey towards Islam
Why do Jews fight us?
"The modern Jew is the product of the Talmud...""Babylonian Talmud", published by the Boston Talmud Society, p. XII
This is what is written in their "holy" book, the Talmut.
"The Jews are called human beings, but the non-Jews are not humans. They are beasts." Talmud: Baba mezia, 114b
"The Akum (non-Jew) is like a dog. Yes, the scripture teaches to honor the the dog more than the non-Jew." Ereget Raschi Erod. 22 30
"Even though God created the non-Jew they are still animals in human form. It is not becoming for a Jew to be served by an animal. Therfore he will be served by animals in human form." Midrasch Talpioth, p. 255, Warsaw 1855
"A pregnant non-Jew is no better than a pregnant animal." Coschen hamischpat 405
"The souls of non-Jews come from impure sprits and are called pigs." Jalkut Rubeni gadol 12b
"Although the non-Jew has the same body structure as the Jew, they compare with the Jew like a monkey to a human." Schene luchoth haberith, p. 250 b
"If you eat with a Gentile, it is the same as eating with a dog." Tosapoth, Jebamoth 94b
"If a Jew has a non-Jewish servant or maid who dies, one should not express sympathy to the Jew. You should tell the Jew: "God will replace 'your loss', just as if one of his oxen or asses had died". Jore dea 377, 1
"Sexual intercourse between Gentiles is like intercourse between animals." Talmud Sanhedrin 74b
"It is permitted to take the body and the life of a Gentile." Sepher ikkarim III c 25
"It is the law to kill anyone who denies the Torah. The Christians belong to the denying ones of the Torah." Coschen hamischpat 425 Hagah 425. 5
"A heretic Gentile you may kill outright with your own hands." Talmud, Abodah Zara, 4b
"Every Jew, who spills the blood of the godless (non-Jews), is doing the same as making a sacrifice to God." Talmud: Bammidber raba c 21 & Jalkut 772
"The modern Jew is the product of the Talmud...""Babylonian Talmud", published by the Boston Talmud Society, p. XII
This is what is written in their "holy" book, the Talmut.
"The Jews are called human beings, but the non-Jews are not humans. They are beasts." Talmud: Baba mezia, 114b
"The Akum (non-Jew) is like a dog. Yes, the scripture teaches to honor the the dog more than the non-Jew." Ereget Raschi Erod. 22 30
"Even though God created the non-Jew they are still animals in human form. It is not becoming for a Jew to be served by an animal. Therfore he will be served by animals in human form." Midrasch Talpioth, p. 255, Warsaw 1855
"A pregnant non-Jew is no better than a pregnant animal." Coschen hamischpat 405
"The souls of non-Jews come from impure sprits and are called pigs." Jalkut Rubeni gadol 12b
"Although the non-Jew has the same body structure as the Jew, they compare with the Jew like a monkey to a human." Schene luchoth haberith, p. 250 b
"If you eat with a Gentile, it is the same as eating with a dog." Tosapoth, Jebamoth 94b
"If a Jew has a non-Jewish servant or maid who dies, one should not express sympathy to the Jew. You should tell the Jew: "God will replace 'your loss', just as if one of his oxen or asses had died". Jore dea 377, 1
"Sexual intercourse between Gentiles is like intercourse between animals." Talmud Sanhedrin 74b
"It is permitted to take the body and the life of a Gentile." Sepher ikkarim III c 25
"It is the law to kill anyone who denies the Torah. The Christians belong to the denying ones of the Torah." Coschen hamischpat 425 Hagah 425. 5
"A heretic Gentile you may kill outright with your own hands." Talmud, Abodah Zara, 4b
"Every Jew, who spills the blood of the godless (non-Jews), is doing the same as making a sacrifice to God." Talmud: Bammidber raba c 21 & Jalkut 772
Thursday, May 27, 2004
At the bottom of a spam E-mail
When I consider life, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, people favor this deceit.
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.
Husbands are like fires. They go out when unattended.
God has marvelous ways of taking our worst tragedies and turning them into His most glorious triumphs.
[Three classes of people]: Those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.
The winning team has a dedication. It will have a core of veteran players who set the standards. They will not accept defeat.
When we are out of sympathy with the young, then I think our work in this world is over.
The worst enemy of truth and freedom in our society is the compact majority. Yes, the damned, compact, liberal majority.
Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.
I love men, not for what unites them, but for what divides them, and I want to know most of all what gnaws at their hearts.
Friendship is an arrangement by which we undertake to exchange small favors for big ones.
He who is not busy being born is busy dying.
Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.
Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil.
You reach a point where you say you're not going to do juveniles any longer.
An unimaginative person can neither be reverent or kind.
Whatever is beautiful is beautiful by necessity.
No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in a storm.
The world of men is dreaming, it has gone mad in its sleep, and a snake is strangling it, but it can't wake up.
The lie is a condition of life.
I have never felt salvation in nature. I love cities above all.
You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least other people's idea of that mold.
Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain.
Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is to little.
We're going to see a lot more young people entering entrepreneurial ventures.
Ninety percent of this game is half mental.
Let us not be ashamed to speak what we shame not to think.
A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.
Happiness is not so much in having or sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
There is no achievement without goals.
To learn to read is to light a fire every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.
I used to trouble about what life was for -- now being alive seems sufficient reason.
We cannot be contented because we are happy, and we cannot be happy because we are contented.
Refuse the evil, and choose the good. [Isaiah 7:15]
There can be no liberty that isn't earned.
The graveyards are full of indispensable men.
If what happens does not make us richer, we must welcome it if it makes us wiser.
It's not the situation. It's your reaction to the situation.
"Hhhhhmmmmmmmmm"
When I consider life, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, people favor this deceit.
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.
Husbands are like fires. They go out when unattended.
God has marvelous ways of taking our worst tragedies and turning them into His most glorious triumphs.
[Three classes of people]: Those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.
The winning team has a dedication. It will have a core of veteran players who set the standards. They will not accept defeat.
When we are out of sympathy with the young, then I think our work in this world is over.
The worst enemy of truth and freedom in our society is the compact majority. Yes, the damned, compact, liberal majority.
Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.
I love men, not for what unites them, but for what divides them, and I want to know most of all what gnaws at their hearts.
Friendship is an arrangement by which we undertake to exchange small favors for big ones.
He who is not busy being born is busy dying.
Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.
Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil.
You reach a point where you say you're not going to do juveniles any longer.
An unimaginative person can neither be reverent or kind.
Whatever is beautiful is beautiful by necessity.
No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in a storm.
The world of men is dreaming, it has gone mad in its sleep, and a snake is strangling it, but it can't wake up.
The lie is a condition of life.
I have never felt salvation in nature. I love cities above all.
You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least other people's idea of that mold.
Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain.
Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is to little.
We're going to see a lot more young people entering entrepreneurial ventures.
Ninety percent of this game is half mental.
Let us not be ashamed to speak what we shame not to think.
A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.
Happiness is not so much in having or sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
There is no achievement without goals.
To learn to read is to light a fire every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.
I used to trouble about what life was for -- now being alive seems sufficient reason.
We cannot be contented because we are happy, and we cannot be happy because we are contented.
Refuse the evil, and choose the good. [Isaiah 7:15]
There can be no liberty that isn't earned.
The graveyards are full of indispensable men.
If what happens does not make us richer, we must welcome it if it makes us wiser.
It's not the situation. It's your reaction to the situation.
"Hhhhhmmmmmmmmm"
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
EVER WONDER WHY?
Why a Jew can grow his beard in order to practice his faith
But when Muslim does the same, he is an extremist and terrorist!
Why a nun can be covered from head to toe in order to devote herself to God
But when Muslimah does the same she oppressed
When a western women stays at home to look after her house and kids she is respected because of sacrificing herself and doing good for the household?
But when a Muslim woman does so by her will, they say, "she needs to be liberated"!
Any girl can go to university wearing what she wills and have her rights and freedom?
But when Muslimah wears a Hijab they prevent her from entering her university!
When a child dedicates himself to a subject he has potential.
But when he dedicates himself to Islam he is hopeless!
When a Christian or a Jew kills someone religion is not mentioned, but when Muslim is charged with a crime, it is Islam that goes to trial!
When someone sacrfices himself to keep others alive, he is noble and all respect him.
But when a Palestinian does that to save his son from being killed, his brother's arm being broken, his mother being raped, his home being destroyed, and his mosque being violated -- He gets the title of a terrorist! Why? Because he is a Muslim!
When there is a trouble we accept any solution? If the solution lies in Islam, we refuse to take a look at it.
When someone drives a perfect car in a bad way no one blames the car.
But when any Muslim makes a mistake or treats people in a bad manner - people say "Islam is the reason"!
Without looking to the tradition of Islam, people believe what the newspapers say.
But question what the Quran says!
Why a Jew can grow his beard in order to practice his faith
But when Muslim does the same, he is an extremist and terrorist!
Why a nun can be covered from head to toe in order to devote herself to God
But when Muslimah does the same she oppressed
When a western women stays at home to look after her house and kids she is respected because of sacrificing herself and doing good for the household?
But when a Muslim woman does so by her will, they say, "she needs to be liberated"!
Any girl can go to university wearing what she wills and have her rights and freedom?
But when Muslimah wears a Hijab they prevent her from entering her university!
When a child dedicates himself to a subject he has potential.
But when he dedicates himself to Islam he is hopeless!
When a Christian or a Jew kills someone religion is not mentioned, but when Muslim is charged with a crime, it is Islam that goes to trial!
When someone sacrfices himself to keep others alive, he is noble and all respect him.
But when a Palestinian does that to save his son from being killed, his brother's arm being broken, his mother being raped, his home being destroyed, and his mosque being violated -- He gets the title of a terrorist! Why? Because he is a Muslim!
When there is a trouble we accept any solution? If the solution lies in Islam, we refuse to take a look at it.
When someone drives a perfect car in a bad way no one blames the car.
But when any Muslim makes a mistake or treats people in a bad manner - people say "Islam is the reason"!
Without looking to the tradition of Islam, people believe what the newspapers say.
But question what the Quran says!
THE MOTHER OF ALL TERRORISTS
For those of you who want facts and figures and have the intellect to judge 'good' from 'evil' and the courage to know and say out the truth....for the rest should delete this mail NOW!
Ever since the United States Army massacred 300 Lakotas in 1890, American forces have intervened elsewhere around the globe 100 times. Indeed the United States has sent troops abroad or militarily struck other countries' territory 216 times since independence from Britain. Since 1945 the United States has intervened in more than 20 countries throughout the world.
Since World War II, the United States actually dropped bombs on 23 countries. These include: China 1945-46,Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53, Guatemala 1954,Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960, Congo1964, Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Vietnam 1961-73,Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala 1967-69, Grenada 1983,Lebanon 1984, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1980s, Nicaragua1980s, Panama 1989, Iraq 1991-1999, Sudan 1998,Afghanistan 1998, and Yugoslavia 1999.
Post World War II, the United States has also assisted in over 20 different coups throughout the world, and the CIA was responsible for half a dozen assassinations of political heads of state.
The following is a comprehensive summary of the imperialist strategy of the United States over the span of the past century:
Argentina - 1890 - Troops sent to Buenos Aires to protect business interests.
Chile - 1891 - Marines sent to Chile and clashed with nationalist rebels.
Haiti - 1891 - American troops suppress a revolt by Black workers on United States-claimed Navassa Island.
Hawaii - 1893 - Navy sent to Hawaii to overthrow the independent kingdom - Hawaii annexed by the United States.
Nicaragua - 1894 - Troops occupied Bluefields, a city on the Caribbean Sea, for a month.
China - 1894-95 - Navy, Army, and Marines landed during the Sino-Japanese War.
Korea - 1894-96 - Troops kept in Seoul during the war.
Panama - 1895 - Army, Navy, and Marines landed in the port city of Corinto.
China - 1894-1900 - Troops occupied China during the Boxer Rebellion.
Philippines - 1898-1910 - Navy and Army troops landed after the Philippines fell during the Spanish-American War; 600,000 Filipinos were killed.
Cuba - 1898-1902 - Troops seized Cuba in the Spanish-American War; the United States still maintains troops at Guantanamo Bay today.
Puerto Rico - 1898 - present - Troops seized Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War and still occupy Puerto Rico today.
Nicaragua - 1898 - Marines landed at the port of San Juan del Sur.
Samoa - 1899 - Troops landed as a result over the battle for succession to the throne.
Panama - 1901-14 - Navy supported the revolution when Panama claimed independence from Colombia. American troops have occupied the Canal Zone since 1901 when construction for the canal began.
Honduras - 1903 - Marines landed to intervene during a revolution.
Dominican Rep 1903-04 - Troops landed to protect American interests during a revolution.
Korea - 1904-05 - Marines landed during the Russo-Japanese War.
Cuba - 1906-09 - Troops landed during an election.
Nicaragua - 1907 - Troops landed and a protectorate was set up.
Honduras - 1907 - Marines landed during Honduras' war with Nicaragua.
Panama - 1908 - Marines sent in during Panama's election.
Nicaragua - 1910 - Marines landed for a second time in Bluefields and Corinto.
Honduras - 1911 - Troops sent in to protect American interests during Honduras' civil war.
China - 1911-41 - Navy and troops sent to China during continuous flare-ups.
Cuba - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American interests in Havana.
Panama - 1912 - Marines landed during Panama's election.
Honduras - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American interests.
Nicaragua - 1912-33 - Troops occupied Nicaragua and fought guerrillas during its 20-year civil war. Mexico - 1913 - Navy evacuated Americans during revolution.
Dominican Rep 1914 - Navy fought with rebels over Santo Domingo
Mexico - 1914-18 - Navy and troops sent in to intervene against nationalists.
Haiti - 1914-34 - Troops occupied Haiti after a revolution and occupied Haiti for 19 years.
Dominican Rep 1916-24 - Marines occupied the Dominican Republic for eight years.
Cuba - 1917-33 - Troops landed and occupied Cuba for 16 years; Cuba became an economic protectorate.
World War I - 1917-18 - Navy and Army sent to Europe to fight the Axis powers.
Russia - 1918-22 - Navy and troops sent to eastern Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution; Army made five landings.
Honduras - 1919 - Marines sent during Honduras' national elections
Guatemala - 1920 - Troops occupied Guatemala for two weeks during a union strike.
Turkey - 1922 - Troops fought nationalists in Smyrna.
China - 1922-27 - Navy and Army troops deployed during a nationalist revolt.
Honduras - 1924-25 - Troops landed twice during a national election.
Panama - 1925 - Troops sent in to put down a general strike.
China - 1927-34 - Marines sent in and stationed for seven years throughout China.
El Salvador - 1932 - Naval warships deployed during the FMLN revolt under Marti.
World War II - 1941-45 - Military fought the Axis powers: Japan, Germany, and Italy.
Yugoslavia - 1946 - Navy deployed off the coast of Yugoslavia in response to the downing of an American plane.
Uruguay - 1947 - Bombers deployed as a show of military force.
Greece - 1947-49 - United States operations insured a victory for the far right in national "elections."
Germany - 1948 - Military deployed in response to the Berlin blockade; the Berlin airlift lasts 444 days.
Philippines - 1948-54 - The CIA directed a civil war against the Filipino Huk revolt.
Puerto Rico - 1950 - Military helped crush an independence rebellion in Ponce.
Korean War - 1951-53 - Military sent in during the war.
Iran - 1953 - The CIA orchestrated the overthrow of democratically elected Mossadegh and restored the Shah to power.
Vietnam - 1954 - The United States offered weapons to the French in the battle against Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh.
Guatemala - 1954 - The CIA overthrew the democratically elected Arbenz and placed Colonel Armas in power.
Egypt - 1956 - Marines deployed to evacuate foreigners after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.
Lebanon - 1958 - Navy supported an Army occupation of Lebanon during its civil war.
Panama - 1958 - Troops landed after Panamanians demonstrations threatened the Canal Zone.
Vietnam - 1950s-75 - Vietnam War.
Cuba - 1961 - The CIA-directed Bay of Pigs invasions failed to overthrow the Castro government.
Cuba - 1962 - The Navy quarantines Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Laos - 1962 - Military occupied Laos during its civil war against the Pathet Lao guerrillas.
Panama - 1964 - Troops sent in and Panamanians shot while protesting the United States presence in the Canal Zone.
Indonesia - 1965 - The CIA orchestrated a military coup.
Dominican Rep- 1965-66 - Troops deployed during a national election.
Guatemala - 1966-67 - Green Berets sent in.
Cambodia - 1969-75 - Military sent in after theVietnam War expanded into Cambodia.
Oman - 1970 - Marines landed to direct a possible invasion into Iran.
Laos - 1971-75 - Americans carpet-bomb the countryside during Laos' civil war.
Chile - 1973 - The CIA orchestrated a coup, killing President Allende who had been popularly elected. The CIA helped to establish a military regime under General Pinochet.
Cambodia - 1975 - Twenty-eight Americans killed in an effort to retrieve the crew of the Mayaquez, which had been seized.
Angola - 1976-92 - The CIA backed South African rebels fighting against Marxist Angola.
Iran - 1980 - Americans aborted a rescue attempt to liberate 52 hostages seized in the Teheran embassy.
Libya - 1981 - American fighters shoot down two Libyan fighters.
El Salvador - 1981-92 - The CIA, troops, and advisers aid in El Salvador's war against the FMLN.
Nicaragua - 1981-90 - The CIA and NSC directed the Contra War against the Sandinistas.
Lebanon - 1982-84 - Marines occupied Beirut during Lebanon's civil war; 241 were killed in the American barracks and
Reagan "redeployed" the troops to the Mediterranean. Honduras - 1983-89 - Troops sent in to build bases near the Honduran border.
Grenada - 1983-84 - American invasion overthrew the Maurice Bishop government.
Iran - 1984 - American fighters shot down two Iranian planes over the Persian Gulf.
Libya - 1986 - American fighters hit targets in and around the capital city of Tripoli.
Bolivia - 1986 - The Army assisted government troops on raids of cocaine areas.
Iran - 1987-88 - The United States intervened on the side of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.
Libya - 1989 - Navy shot down two more Libyan jets.
Virgin Islands - 1989 - Troops landed during unrest among Virgin Island peoples.
Philippines - 1989 - Air Force provided air cover for government during coup.
Panama - 1989-90 - 27,000 Americans landed in overthrow of President Noriega; over 2,000 Panama civilians were killed.
Liberia - 1990 - Troops entered Liberia to evacuate foreigners during civil war.
Saudi Arabia - 1990-91 - American troops sent to Saudi Arabia, which was a staging area in the war against Iraq.
Kuwait - 1991 - Troops sent into Kuwait to turn back Saddam Hussein.
Somalia - 1992-94 - Troops occupied Somalia during civil war.
Bosnia - 1993-95 - Air Force jets bombed "no-fly zone" during civil war in Yugoslavia.
Haiti - 1994-96 - American troops and Navy provided a blockade against Haiti's military government. The CIA restored Aristide to power.
Zaire - 1996-97 - Marines sent into Rwanda Hutus' refugee camps in the area where the Congo revolution began.
Albania - 1997 - Troops deployed during evacuation of foreigners.
Sudan - 1998 - American missiles destroyed a pharmaceutical complex where alleged nerve gas components were manufactured.
Afghanistan - 1998 - Missiles launched towards alleged Afghan terrorist training camps
Yugoslavia - 1999 - Bombings and missile attacks carried out by the United States in conjunction with NATO in the 11 week war against Milosevic.
Iraq - 1998-2001 - Missiles launched into Baghdad and other large Iraq cities for four days. American jets enforced "no-fly zone" and continued to hit Iraqi targets since December 1998.
These **100** instances of American military intervention did not include times when the United States:
(1) deployed military police overseas;
(2) mobilized the National Guard;
(3) sent Navy ships off the coast of numerous countries as a show of strength;
(4) sent additional troops to areas where Americans were already stationed;
(5) carried out covert actions where American forces were not under the direct rule of an American command;
(6) used small hostage rescue units;
(7) used American pilots to fly foreign planes;
(8) carried out military training and advisory programs which did not involve direct combat.
U. S. Government Assassination Plots
Following is a list of prominent foreign leaders whose assassination (or planning for same) the United States has been involved in since the end of Second World War. The list does not include several assassinations in various parts of the world carried out by anti-Castro Cubans employed by CIA and headquartered in the United States:
LIST A: NON MUSLIMS
1949 - KIm Koo, Korean opposition leader
1950's - CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of numerous political figures in West Germany
1955 - Jose' Antonio Remon, President of Panama
1950's Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of China, several attempts on his life
1951 - Kim Il Sung, Premiere of North Korea
1950s (mid) - Claro M. Recto, Philippines opposition leader
1955 - Jawar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister of India
1959 and 1963 - Norodom Sihanouk, leader of Cambodia
1950s-70s - Jose Figueres, President of Costa Rica, two attempts on his life
1961 - Francois "Papa Doc"Duvalier, leader of Haiti
1961 - Patrice Lumumba , Prime Minister of Congo (Zaire)
1961 - Gen. Rafael Trujillo, leader of Dominican Republic
1963 - Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam
1960s - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba, more than 15 attempts on his life
1960s - Raul Castro, high official in government of Cuba
1965 - Francisco Caamanao, Dominican Republic opposition leader
1965 - Pierre Ngendandumwe, Prime Minister of Burundi
1965-6 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France
1967 - Che Guevara, Cuban leader
1970 - Salvadore Allende, President of Chile
1970 - General Rene Schneider, Commander-in-Chief of Army, Chile
1970s and 1981 - Gen. Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama
1972 - General Manuel Noriega, Chief of Panama Intelligence
1975 - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire
1976 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica
1983 - Miguel d'Escoto, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua
1984 - The nine commandantes of the Sandanista National Directorate
1980's - Dr Gerald Bull, Canadian Ballistics Scientist assassinated by Mossad in Belgium.
Partial List of Muslim Leaders Assassinated or Attempted Assassinations
1950's Sukarno, President of Indonesia
1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt
1960 Brigadier General, Abdul Karim Kassem, Leader of Iraq
1980-86 Muammar Qaddafi, Leader of Libya, several plots and attempts upon his life
1982 Ayatullah Khomeini, Leader of Iran
1983 General Ahmed Dlimi, Moroccan army Commander
1985 Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadllallah, Lebanese Shiite Leader (80 people killed in that attempt)
1991 Saddam Hussein, Leader of Iraq Reference: Blum, William, "KILLING HOPE -
U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II," Appendix III U.S. Government Assassination Plots, page 453, Common Courage Press, Monroe, Maine 1995. ISBN 1-56751-052-3
Very likely Victims:
April 4, 1979 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Leader of Pakistan, for pursuing making of Nuclear Bomb.
August, 1988. General Ziaul Haq, Military Leader of Pakistan.
1995 - Murtaza Bhutto, Son of ZUlfiqar Ali Bhutto, Anti-American would-be Leader - Pakistan.
March 25, 1975 - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia through his Nephew, Saudi Arabia for imposing 1973 Oil Embargo.
August 24, 1999. Mullah Mohammad Omar, in Kandhar, Afghanistan.
"List of Known Assassination Plots"
1950's Sukarno, President of Indonesia
1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President
2001 Since early this year more than 40 Palestinian leaders assassinated through surrogate Israel with the help of CIA.
"Are they who plan ill-deeds then secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them, or that the doom will not come on them whence they know not ?"[an-Nahl 16:45]
Prophet Muhammad (saw), said: "The Muslim Ummah is a unique ummah among the whole of mankind: Their LAND is one, their WAR is one, their PEACE is one, their HONOR is one and their TRUST is one"(Imam ahmed) Remember there is NO Life or Dignity without Islam!!!
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SHARING THE PROFITS OF CRIME: WHY THE US FEELS SUCH AN AFFINITY WITH THE ZIONISTS
By Yusuf al-Khabbaz
The Jews are pillaging Palestine, and the world is looking away. A few feeble-minded declarations and toothless resolutions notwithstanding, no one with the capability to say or do anything of substance seems to care. The people in the streets are loudly voicing their concern, but the silence in the halls of power is deafening. With a few exceptions, the Muslim regimes and media are looking to the West for assistance, for recognition of the plight of Palestine. Many are wondering why it is that the civilized Western world, with its much-vaunted love of peace and justice, is looking the other way. Why is it that "the world’s only superpower" seems powerless to act?
The problem is that these are all myths. The Western world loves neither peace nor justice, and it has a peculiar brand of civilization that has normalized its own crimes. For the West to condemn Israel the West must condemn itself, since Israel is the West, in somewhat concentrated form, but just as murderous, racist and virulent. Israel is too close to the standard Western colonial model of invasion, occupation and subjugation for the Western world to take any sort of action. Individuals may do otherwise, but political and economic powers are indifferent.
Americans claim to lead the world today; that they are the "world’s only superpower." America has also been the staunchest supporter of Israel since its inception in the mid-20th century. A quick look at America’s history explains its complicity. European settlers with a Biblical ideology, amazingly close to present-day Zionism, invaded the Americas and destroyed the indigenous civilizations that had prospered there for centuries or millennia. New Americans paid no attention to the rights of local people, who were wantonly slaughtered and driven from their lands, or who died en masse of the diseases brought from Europe to the Northern American continent by the Europeans.
But that is only one crime of the new Americans. Beside being built on the graves of millions of Native peoples in the eastern and central part of the continent, America was built on the backs of millions of Africans, kidnapped and worked to death in the new world to build and benefit the white man’s paradise. This dual crime of genocide and enslavement was soon supplemented by a third, the systematic depopulation of what was once greater Mexico, the area now known as the southwestern United States, of its original inhabitants. The American colonial machine soon occupied all of what is now called the United States, and legalised and normalized the fruits of its crimes.
Similar crimes were also committed elsewhere. The Spanish and Portuguese laid waste Central and South America and parts of Africa, in the name of a racist brand of Christianity fueled by the Church and a Crusader mentality. The French, Dutch, Belgians and Italians in particular invaded and occupied large areas of Africa and Southeast Asia, initiating colonial wars that took the lives of millions, all in the name of modern Western civilization. The British colonized half the planet, perfecting the practice of indirect rule, which, in combination with the usual slaughter and pillage, proved a lasting method of global subjugation that in many ways survives today.
The formerly colonised regimes of the ‘third world’ are also largely silent about the crimes of the Jews in Palestine. This is because America and Europe have bribed and intimidated these regimes into silence. Economic sanctions, or their opposite in the form of subsidies, keep some of them from speaking, in a bizarre protection-racket funded by the IMF, the World Bank and other transnational economic organisations. The few states that speak out in favor of the Palestinian cause, such as South Africa and Lebanon, have been or will soon be attacked, either militarily or economically; others have been targeted in America’s newest "war on terror."
The Western world is living on the profits of its crimes, which are laid bare for all to see today by the Jews and their atrocious brutality in Palestine. The tortures, executions, internments and terrorism being perpetrated by the Jews today are no more than what America, Britain, France and other Western powers have done in their own past. Now they are "civilized" (ie. sophisticated, suave, and expert at blurring and confusing long-agreed and long-accepted human and ethical consensuses), and engage in polite and subtle conversations about peace and justice, but none of this would be possible without the crimes upon which Western civilization has been built. Where is the court to prosecute the perpetrators and perpetuators of this sordid legacy? There is no such court, because the entire modern legal system was effectively set up by these same criminals, so the judges, juries and executioners are all criminals too,or at least benefit from those crimes.
One difference in the Jewish version of the Western colonial model is that its brutality is broadcast on television via various satellite networks. The US has tried hard to shut down these networks, but many still operate and even the Western media, hopelessly biased, are forced to show some of the reality to maintain their faltering ‘objectivity’. But the blood and brutality on today’s television screens are shadows of the centuries of atrocities committed by the Western powers in their own formative stages. Such images are not an aberration; they are the norm in a centuries-long colonial drive.
It is foolish to expect anything else from the so-called civilized world today, which is being forced to look into an ugly mirror of its own terror, to gaze hatefully upon itself, and upon what it has wrought on the world. Israel is a lesson in colonial desperation. The former colonial powers cannot be called upon for guidance until they are willing to face their own legacies. Until then they will act like America, walking out of international forums such as the United Nations conference on racism in South Africa, proving their arrogance to the world by not facing up to their actions, preferring to continue to live on the profits of their crimes.
For those of you who want facts and figures and have the intellect to judge 'good' from 'evil' and the courage to know and say out the truth....for the rest should delete this mail NOW!
Ever since the United States Army massacred 300 Lakotas in 1890, American forces have intervened elsewhere around the globe 100 times. Indeed the United States has sent troops abroad or militarily struck other countries' territory 216 times since independence from Britain. Since 1945 the United States has intervened in more than 20 countries throughout the world.
Since World War II, the United States actually dropped bombs on 23 countries. These include: China 1945-46,Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53, Guatemala 1954,Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960, Congo1964, Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Vietnam 1961-73,Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala 1967-69, Grenada 1983,Lebanon 1984, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1980s, Nicaragua1980s, Panama 1989, Iraq 1991-1999, Sudan 1998,Afghanistan 1998, and Yugoslavia 1999.
Post World War II, the United States has also assisted in over 20 different coups throughout the world, and the CIA was responsible for half a dozen assassinations of political heads of state.
The following is a comprehensive summary of the imperialist strategy of the United States over the span of the past century:
Argentina - 1890 - Troops sent to Buenos Aires to protect business interests.
Chile - 1891 - Marines sent to Chile and clashed with nationalist rebels.
Haiti - 1891 - American troops suppress a revolt by Black workers on United States-claimed Navassa Island.
Hawaii - 1893 - Navy sent to Hawaii to overthrow the independent kingdom - Hawaii annexed by the United States.
Nicaragua - 1894 - Troops occupied Bluefields, a city on the Caribbean Sea, for a month.
China - 1894-95 - Navy, Army, and Marines landed during the Sino-Japanese War.
Korea - 1894-96 - Troops kept in Seoul during the war.
Panama - 1895 - Army, Navy, and Marines landed in the port city of Corinto.
China - 1894-1900 - Troops occupied China during the Boxer Rebellion.
Philippines - 1898-1910 - Navy and Army troops landed after the Philippines fell during the Spanish-American War; 600,000 Filipinos were killed.
Cuba - 1898-1902 - Troops seized Cuba in the Spanish-American War; the United States still maintains troops at Guantanamo Bay today.
Puerto Rico - 1898 - present - Troops seized Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War and still occupy Puerto Rico today.
Nicaragua - 1898 - Marines landed at the port of San Juan del Sur.
Samoa - 1899 - Troops landed as a result over the battle for succession to the throne.
Panama - 1901-14 - Navy supported the revolution when Panama claimed independence from Colombia. American troops have occupied the Canal Zone since 1901 when construction for the canal began.
Honduras - 1903 - Marines landed to intervene during a revolution.
Dominican Rep 1903-04 - Troops landed to protect American interests during a revolution.
Korea - 1904-05 - Marines landed during the Russo-Japanese War.
Cuba - 1906-09 - Troops landed during an election.
Nicaragua - 1907 - Troops landed and a protectorate was set up.
Honduras - 1907 - Marines landed during Honduras' war with Nicaragua.
Panama - 1908 - Marines sent in during Panama's election.
Nicaragua - 1910 - Marines landed for a second time in Bluefields and Corinto.
Honduras - 1911 - Troops sent in to protect American interests during Honduras' civil war.
China - 1911-41 - Navy and troops sent to China during continuous flare-ups.
Cuba - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American interests in Havana.
Panama - 1912 - Marines landed during Panama's election.
Honduras - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American interests.
Nicaragua - 1912-33 - Troops occupied Nicaragua and fought guerrillas during its 20-year civil war. Mexico - 1913 - Navy evacuated Americans during revolution.
Dominican Rep 1914 - Navy fought with rebels over Santo Domingo
Mexico - 1914-18 - Navy and troops sent in to intervene against nationalists.
Haiti - 1914-34 - Troops occupied Haiti after a revolution and occupied Haiti for 19 years.
Dominican Rep 1916-24 - Marines occupied the Dominican Republic for eight years.
Cuba - 1917-33 - Troops landed and occupied Cuba for 16 years; Cuba became an economic protectorate.
World War I - 1917-18 - Navy and Army sent to Europe to fight the Axis powers.
Russia - 1918-22 - Navy and troops sent to eastern Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution; Army made five landings.
Honduras - 1919 - Marines sent during Honduras' national elections
Guatemala - 1920 - Troops occupied Guatemala for two weeks during a union strike.
Turkey - 1922 - Troops fought nationalists in Smyrna.
China - 1922-27 - Navy and Army troops deployed during a nationalist revolt.
Honduras - 1924-25 - Troops landed twice during a national election.
Panama - 1925 - Troops sent in to put down a general strike.
China - 1927-34 - Marines sent in and stationed for seven years throughout China.
El Salvador - 1932 - Naval warships deployed during the FMLN revolt under Marti.
World War II - 1941-45 - Military fought the Axis powers: Japan, Germany, and Italy.
Yugoslavia - 1946 - Navy deployed off the coast of Yugoslavia in response to the downing of an American plane.
Uruguay - 1947 - Bombers deployed as a show of military force.
Greece - 1947-49 - United States operations insured a victory for the far right in national "elections."
Germany - 1948 - Military deployed in response to the Berlin blockade; the Berlin airlift lasts 444 days.
Philippines - 1948-54 - The CIA directed a civil war against the Filipino Huk revolt.
Puerto Rico - 1950 - Military helped crush an independence rebellion in Ponce.
Korean War - 1951-53 - Military sent in during the war.
Iran - 1953 - The CIA orchestrated the overthrow of democratically elected Mossadegh and restored the Shah to power.
Vietnam - 1954 - The United States offered weapons to the French in the battle against Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh.
Guatemala - 1954 - The CIA overthrew the democratically elected Arbenz and placed Colonel Armas in power.
Egypt - 1956 - Marines deployed to evacuate foreigners after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.
Lebanon - 1958 - Navy supported an Army occupation of Lebanon during its civil war.
Panama - 1958 - Troops landed after Panamanians demonstrations threatened the Canal Zone.
Vietnam - 1950s-75 - Vietnam War.
Cuba - 1961 - The CIA-directed Bay of Pigs invasions failed to overthrow the Castro government.
Cuba - 1962 - The Navy quarantines Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Laos - 1962 - Military occupied Laos during its civil war against the Pathet Lao guerrillas.
Panama - 1964 - Troops sent in and Panamanians shot while protesting the United States presence in the Canal Zone.
Indonesia - 1965 - The CIA orchestrated a military coup.
Dominican Rep- 1965-66 - Troops deployed during a national election.
Guatemala - 1966-67 - Green Berets sent in.
Cambodia - 1969-75 - Military sent in after theVietnam War expanded into Cambodia.
Oman - 1970 - Marines landed to direct a possible invasion into Iran.
Laos - 1971-75 - Americans carpet-bomb the countryside during Laos' civil war.
Chile - 1973 - The CIA orchestrated a coup, killing President Allende who had been popularly elected. The CIA helped to establish a military regime under General Pinochet.
Cambodia - 1975 - Twenty-eight Americans killed in an effort to retrieve the crew of the Mayaquez, which had been seized.
Angola - 1976-92 - The CIA backed South African rebels fighting against Marxist Angola.
Iran - 1980 - Americans aborted a rescue attempt to liberate 52 hostages seized in the Teheran embassy.
Libya - 1981 - American fighters shoot down two Libyan fighters.
El Salvador - 1981-92 - The CIA, troops, and advisers aid in El Salvador's war against the FMLN.
Nicaragua - 1981-90 - The CIA and NSC directed the Contra War against the Sandinistas.
Lebanon - 1982-84 - Marines occupied Beirut during Lebanon's civil war; 241 were killed in the American barracks and
Reagan "redeployed" the troops to the Mediterranean. Honduras - 1983-89 - Troops sent in to build bases near the Honduran border.
Grenada - 1983-84 - American invasion overthrew the Maurice Bishop government.
Iran - 1984 - American fighters shot down two Iranian planes over the Persian Gulf.
Libya - 1986 - American fighters hit targets in and around the capital city of Tripoli.
Bolivia - 1986 - The Army assisted government troops on raids of cocaine areas.
Iran - 1987-88 - The United States intervened on the side of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.
Libya - 1989 - Navy shot down two more Libyan jets.
Virgin Islands - 1989 - Troops landed during unrest among Virgin Island peoples.
Philippines - 1989 - Air Force provided air cover for government during coup.
Panama - 1989-90 - 27,000 Americans landed in overthrow of President Noriega; over 2,000 Panama civilians were killed.
Liberia - 1990 - Troops entered Liberia to evacuate foreigners during civil war.
Saudi Arabia - 1990-91 - American troops sent to Saudi Arabia, which was a staging area in the war against Iraq.
Kuwait - 1991 - Troops sent into Kuwait to turn back Saddam Hussein.
Somalia - 1992-94 - Troops occupied Somalia during civil war.
Bosnia - 1993-95 - Air Force jets bombed "no-fly zone" during civil war in Yugoslavia.
Haiti - 1994-96 - American troops and Navy provided a blockade against Haiti's military government. The CIA restored Aristide to power.
Zaire - 1996-97 - Marines sent into Rwanda Hutus' refugee camps in the area where the Congo revolution began.
Albania - 1997 - Troops deployed during evacuation of foreigners.
Sudan - 1998 - American missiles destroyed a pharmaceutical complex where alleged nerve gas components were manufactured.
Afghanistan - 1998 - Missiles launched towards alleged Afghan terrorist training camps
Yugoslavia - 1999 - Bombings and missile attacks carried out by the United States in conjunction with NATO in the 11 week war against Milosevic.
Iraq - 1998-2001 - Missiles launched into Baghdad and other large Iraq cities for four days. American jets enforced "no-fly zone" and continued to hit Iraqi targets since December 1998.
These **100** instances of American military intervention did not include times when the United States:
(1) deployed military police overseas;
(2) mobilized the National Guard;
(3) sent Navy ships off the coast of numerous countries as a show of strength;
(4) sent additional troops to areas where Americans were already stationed;
(5) carried out covert actions where American forces were not under the direct rule of an American command;
(6) used small hostage rescue units;
(7) used American pilots to fly foreign planes;
(8) carried out military training and advisory programs which did not involve direct combat.
U. S. Government Assassination Plots
Following is a list of prominent foreign leaders whose assassination (or planning for same) the United States has been involved in since the end of Second World War. The list does not include several assassinations in various parts of the world carried out by anti-Castro Cubans employed by CIA and headquartered in the United States:
LIST A: NON MUSLIMS
1949 - KIm Koo, Korean opposition leader
1950's - CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of numerous political figures in West Germany
1955 - Jose' Antonio Remon, President of Panama
1950's Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of China, several attempts on his life
1951 - Kim Il Sung, Premiere of North Korea
1950s (mid) - Claro M. Recto, Philippines opposition leader
1955 - Jawar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister of India
1959 and 1963 - Norodom Sihanouk, leader of Cambodia
1950s-70s - Jose Figueres, President of Costa Rica, two attempts on his life
1961 - Francois "Papa Doc"Duvalier, leader of Haiti
1961 - Patrice Lumumba , Prime Minister of Congo (Zaire)
1961 - Gen. Rafael Trujillo, leader of Dominican Republic
1963 - Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam
1960s - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba, more than 15 attempts on his life
1960s - Raul Castro, high official in government of Cuba
1965 - Francisco Caamanao, Dominican Republic opposition leader
1965 - Pierre Ngendandumwe, Prime Minister of Burundi
1965-6 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France
1967 - Che Guevara, Cuban leader
1970 - Salvadore Allende, President of Chile
1970 - General Rene Schneider, Commander-in-Chief of Army, Chile
1970s and 1981 - Gen. Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama
1972 - General Manuel Noriega, Chief of Panama Intelligence
1975 - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire
1976 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica
1983 - Miguel d'Escoto, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua
1984 - The nine commandantes of the Sandanista National Directorate
1980's - Dr Gerald Bull, Canadian Ballistics Scientist assassinated by Mossad in Belgium.
Partial List of Muslim Leaders Assassinated or Attempted Assassinations
1950's Sukarno, President of Indonesia
1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt
1960 Brigadier General, Abdul Karim Kassem, Leader of Iraq
1980-86 Muammar Qaddafi, Leader of Libya, several plots and attempts upon his life
1982 Ayatullah Khomeini, Leader of Iran
1983 General Ahmed Dlimi, Moroccan army Commander
1985 Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadllallah, Lebanese Shiite Leader (80 people killed in that attempt)
1991 Saddam Hussein, Leader of Iraq Reference: Blum, William, "KILLING HOPE -
U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II," Appendix III U.S. Government Assassination Plots, page 453, Common Courage Press, Monroe, Maine 1995. ISBN 1-56751-052-3
Very likely Victims:
April 4, 1979 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Leader of Pakistan, for pursuing making of Nuclear Bomb.
August, 1988. General Ziaul Haq, Military Leader of Pakistan.
1995 - Murtaza Bhutto, Son of ZUlfiqar Ali Bhutto, Anti-American would-be Leader - Pakistan.
March 25, 1975 - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia through his Nephew, Saudi Arabia for imposing 1973 Oil Embargo.
August 24, 1999. Mullah Mohammad Omar, in Kandhar, Afghanistan.
"List of Known Assassination Plots"
1950's Sukarno, President of Indonesia
1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President
2001 Since early this year more than 40 Palestinian leaders assassinated through surrogate Israel with the help of CIA.
"Are they who plan ill-deeds then secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them, or that the doom will not come on them whence they know not ?"[an-Nahl 16:45]
Prophet Muhammad (saw), said: "The Muslim Ummah is a unique ummah among the whole of mankind: Their LAND is one, their WAR is one, their PEACE is one, their HONOR is one and their TRUST is one"(Imam ahmed) Remember there is NO Life or Dignity without Islam!!!
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
SHARING THE PROFITS OF CRIME: WHY THE US FEELS SUCH AN AFFINITY WITH THE ZIONISTS
By Yusuf al-Khabbaz
The Jews are pillaging Palestine, and the world is looking away. A few feeble-minded declarations and toothless resolutions notwithstanding, no one with the capability to say or do anything of substance seems to care. The people in the streets are loudly voicing their concern, but the silence in the halls of power is deafening. With a few exceptions, the Muslim regimes and media are looking to the West for assistance, for recognition of the plight of Palestine. Many are wondering why it is that the civilized Western world, with its much-vaunted love of peace and justice, is looking the other way. Why is it that "the world’s only superpower" seems powerless to act?
The problem is that these are all myths. The Western world loves neither peace nor justice, and it has a peculiar brand of civilization that has normalized its own crimes. For the West to condemn Israel the West must condemn itself, since Israel is the West, in somewhat concentrated form, but just as murderous, racist and virulent. Israel is too close to the standard Western colonial model of invasion, occupation and subjugation for the Western world to take any sort of action. Individuals may do otherwise, but political and economic powers are indifferent.
Americans claim to lead the world today; that they are the "world’s only superpower." America has also been the staunchest supporter of Israel since its inception in the mid-20th century. A quick look at America’s history explains its complicity. European settlers with a Biblical ideology, amazingly close to present-day Zionism, invaded the Americas and destroyed the indigenous civilizations that had prospered there for centuries or millennia. New Americans paid no attention to the rights of local people, who were wantonly slaughtered and driven from their lands, or who died en masse of the diseases brought from Europe to the Northern American continent by the Europeans.
But that is only one crime of the new Americans. Beside being built on the graves of millions of Native peoples in the eastern and central part of the continent, America was built on the backs of millions of Africans, kidnapped and worked to death in the new world to build and benefit the white man’s paradise. This dual crime of genocide and enslavement was soon supplemented by a third, the systematic depopulation of what was once greater Mexico, the area now known as the southwestern United States, of its original inhabitants. The American colonial machine soon occupied all of what is now called the United States, and legalised and normalized the fruits of its crimes.
Similar crimes were also committed elsewhere. The Spanish and Portuguese laid waste Central and South America and parts of Africa, in the name of a racist brand of Christianity fueled by the Church and a Crusader mentality. The French, Dutch, Belgians and Italians in particular invaded and occupied large areas of Africa and Southeast Asia, initiating colonial wars that took the lives of millions, all in the name of modern Western civilization. The British colonized half the planet, perfecting the practice of indirect rule, which, in combination with the usual slaughter and pillage, proved a lasting method of global subjugation that in many ways survives today.
The formerly colonised regimes of the ‘third world’ are also largely silent about the crimes of the Jews in Palestine. This is because America and Europe have bribed and intimidated these regimes into silence. Economic sanctions, or their opposite in the form of subsidies, keep some of them from speaking, in a bizarre protection-racket funded by the IMF, the World Bank and other transnational economic organisations. The few states that speak out in favor of the Palestinian cause, such as South Africa and Lebanon, have been or will soon be attacked, either militarily or economically; others have been targeted in America’s newest "war on terror."
The Western world is living on the profits of its crimes, which are laid bare for all to see today by the Jews and their atrocious brutality in Palestine. The tortures, executions, internments and terrorism being perpetrated by the Jews today are no more than what America, Britain, France and other Western powers have done in their own past. Now they are "civilized" (ie. sophisticated, suave, and expert at blurring and confusing long-agreed and long-accepted human and ethical consensuses), and engage in polite and subtle conversations about peace and justice, but none of this would be possible without the crimes upon which Western civilization has been built. Where is the court to prosecute the perpetrators and perpetuators of this sordid legacy? There is no such court, because the entire modern legal system was effectively set up by these same criminals, so the judges, juries and executioners are all criminals too,or at least benefit from those crimes.
One difference in the Jewish version of the Western colonial model is that its brutality is broadcast on television via various satellite networks. The US has tried hard to shut down these networks, but many still operate and even the Western media, hopelessly biased, are forced to show some of the reality to maintain their faltering ‘objectivity’. But the blood and brutality on today’s television screens are shadows of the centuries of atrocities committed by the Western powers in their own formative stages. Such images are not an aberration; they are the norm in a centuries-long colonial drive.
It is foolish to expect anything else from the so-called civilized world today, which is being forced to look into an ugly mirror of its own terror, to gaze hatefully upon itself, and upon what it has wrought on the world. Israel is a lesson in colonial desperation. The former colonial powers cannot be called upon for guidance until they are willing to face their own legacies. Until then they will act like America, walking out of international forums such as the United Nations conference on racism in South Africa, proving their arrogance to the world by not facing up to their actions, preferring to continue to live on the profits of their crimes.
With Mohammed(PBUH)in Migration
No wonder that Apostle Mohammed (pbuh) caused all this revolutions in all aspects of life in such a short period of time, since he settled down in El-Madina "Yathereb". The following are the most significant elements of these revolutionary changes:
In the Political Life:
Apostle Mohammed (pbuh), worked from the very first moment on making democracy (shura) the basis of his government and the base of the society structure. Despite of the fact that the revelation Angel was always beside him, he was practicing democracy in all aspects of life, in peace and in war. That way, Apostle Mohammed fought the tendencies of singular despotism, and secured the society against autocratic and abnormalities.
So that, all people became partners in making opinions and developing the society and other aspects of life. Apostle Mohammed trained his companions on this great method, they all graduated at the school of democracy, showing the whole world until this minute (with all this civilization), with a life example how real democracy is supposed to be.
In the Religious and Spiritual Life:
The importance of the Mosques appeared in El-Madina, as a place for worshipping, head-quarter for government, school for cultural sciences, assembly for democracy, and the starting point of armies. The first activity for Mohammed in El-Madina was building a Mosque, to indicate it's importance in the new society, he intended to establish.
It is narrated that Mohammed build his Mosque in El-Madina where his she-camel landed, after he paid the price of the land to the two orphans who owned it. The simplicity was the main style in the building and furnishing this Mosque. Trees and palm trees used to grow in this area, and the Apostle commanded to cut off the plants, remove the graves of the non-believers, pave the land, and the Mosque was headed at Bayet Al-Maqudas.
The walls of this Mosque was build from adobe, Mohammed helped in building it and carried the adobes. This simple Mosque, was the place were the leaders of the world were raised up, and it made the Muslims be Imams in religion and in life. From this Mosque, international civilization was originated, and armies were sent to the cores of paganism. Belal rehearsed the Islam call for prayer in all it's corners, and Mohammed educated his companions in it, fruitful education, and useful knowledge.
The Apostle took care of the Mosques in Islam, indicating the honorable position of the Mosques in the new life as shown previously, and to it's great value in the civilization of the Qur'an. It connects people with their Lord and the link the poorest of them with the richest, the strongest with weakest, and the white with the black, in order to purify their souls, and direct their longings to Allah (swt).
In the Social Life:
Since the Arrival of Mohammed (pbuh) to Al-Madina, the signs of the social changes he caused became evident there to be moved to the rest of the world later. The feelings of the people were all tied up with faith, and melted in the atmosphere of the Mosque. Mohammed caused the coalescence of the different elements in El-Madina under the banner of Allah, and fanaticism disappeared.
In this society, values like freedom and honorable work became evident. People used to trade and they were challenging the Jewish. They also worked in agriculture in the lands of the Christians. Al-Madina became economically flourished. Another noble value became evident in al-Madina, which is the equality concept – since no favor for Arabs over Persians, except for devoutness and good deeds, and that All of us are from Adam, and Adam is from earth. Science was appreciated in this society as it should be, in studying the Qur'an, and applying it's rules in life, and struggling for the sake of Allah.
In the Militarism Organization:
The Apostle Mohammed (pbuh), since the very first moment of his residence in Al-Madina cared for establishing a well-trained army, with more combating capabilities than the enemies'. All the companions joined the army, and everyone was a solider for Allah. The Militarism Organization studies can find them the highest caliper elements, for that faith has shaped their lives into a strict army's style.
Verses in the Qur'an were reveled to persuade for fighting, and meeting the enemy, and became a militarism constitution containing the highest and noblest instructions and principles. Apostle Mohammed used to send missions to learn the different crafts that are needed by the army from everywhere. It was narrated by the son of Asa'ad when he was talking about the delegation of Thaquif, that 'Ourwa Ebn Mas'oud and Ghilan Ebn Muslima, did not attend the siege of El-Ta'ief, for they were travelling to Gharash (In Jordan or in Yemen) to learn some crafts.
In the Ethical Life:
In the new society, some great noble values were rootaged, and adopted by the people in their bahavior in their lives. All them values originated from strong believe and faith. The Qur'an elaborated on describing these values. The ethics of the Jahiliah (Pre-Islam), were the motto of the society.
Islam came to fold over the mat of the Pre-Islam, and pleated the habits of quandering, imprudence, non-based proud, gambling, drinking wines, killing new-born girls, and showing transcendence with money and power. These habits were replaced by morals of the Qur'an, such as modesty, honesty, faithfulness, generosity and mercifulness. These morals were applied in peace and in war, and were never abandoned in any time. They applied these principles in whatever they hated and whatever they loved, with themselves, with their neighbors, with enemies, and with friends.
After this talk about the migration of the Apostle to El-Madina, we can show now some of the learned lessons, and settle these values in our souls, to be guides for us on the way of victory Inshaa Allah.
First: Justice has to win eventually no matter how much time it takes, and how less support it receives, and in-Justice will be defeated, no matter how bold and strong it becomes, and no matter how much supportive powers it has.
Second: Victory always come with patience, the prophet Mohammed (pbuh), never rushed or stopped calling for right path, and never lost hope even in the times he had helpers or supporters.
Third: Justice does not prove itself, the supporters of justice must be working to defend it and protect their rights. Believers must be willing to sacrifice their souls, family, and money to defend their causes.
Fourth: The concrete and the spiritual preparation for victory are equally important. The prophet arranged for this migration, decided the path, planned with intelligent knowledge and liberated mind for the elements and objectives of the migration. He employed human resources of high caliper in the right positions, and kept the plan in secret, and take advantage of the surprise effect, and did not leave a gap for the enemy to pass through. After all the concrete preparation is complete, he refuge to Allah for the moral and spiritual support. When the preparation and support meat together under the mercy of Allah, victory take place in accordance.
Fifth: So many names twinkle on the banner of the migration of the prophet. Most of them are youth as young roses in the gardens of hard work and brilliance. Some of them are:
Ali Ebn Abi-Taleb: sleeping in the bed of the prophet in the night of the migration, wrapping with his blanket, showing a very brave example.
Abel Allah Ebn Abi-Bakr: monitoring the movement of the enemy, and acting as intelligent agencies in these days.
Asmaa' That Al-Nitaquien: holding provisions from Meccah to the cave (where the prophet and his companion were hiding), in middle of the mania of the non-believers searching for Mohammed (pbuh) to kill him.
Amer Ebn Fuhaira: the modest shepherd presenting meat and milk to the two companions of the cave, and erasing their traces on the road with his cheeps.
Abdel Allah Ebn Oriquat: the guide who was hired by the prophet (pbuh). He was a non-believer, but he was experienced with the roads. The prophet hired him for a few Derhams, and he was aware that Quraish had appointed 100 she-camel for whoever turn over Mohammed (pbuh). He had Arabian characters of the loyalty, honesty, and faithfulness.
This event proves the co-operation between Muslims and non-Muslims in important and dangerous aspects, as long as we can make sure of their side. We can see that youth plays here the main roles. Will our youth these days follow these examples, males or females?
These valuable principles were established by the migration of the Apostle of Allah Mohammed (pbuh) from Quraish his beloved city, where he was abused to El-Madina. So many lessons we can learn to help us in our current struggle, such as truthfulness, patience, endurance, strength, and faith. These lessons direct us and set our objectives, which are: free our land, achieve victory in every aspect, establish the Islamic strong Nation, and help in building the divine society where the balance of justice is adjusted, voice of conscience is raised, add to the value of humanity, and protect the edifice of veracity.
No wonder that Apostle Mohammed (pbuh) caused all this revolutions in all aspects of life in such a short period of time, since he settled down in El-Madina "Yathereb". The following are the most significant elements of these revolutionary changes:
In the Political Life:
Apostle Mohammed (pbuh), worked from the very first moment on making democracy (shura) the basis of his government and the base of the society structure. Despite of the fact that the revelation Angel was always beside him, he was practicing democracy in all aspects of life, in peace and in war. That way, Apostle Mohammed fought the tendencies of singular despotism, and secured the society against autocratic and abnormalities.
So that, all people became partners in making opinions and developing the society and other aspects of life. Apostle Mohammed trained his companions on this great method, they all graduated at the school of democracy, showing the whole world until this minute (with all this civilization), with a life example how real democracy is supposed to be.
In the Religious and Spiritual Life:
The importance of the Mosques appeared in El-Madina, as a place for worshipping, head-quarter for government, school for cultural sciences, assembly for democracy, and the starting point of armies. The first activity for Mohammed in El-Madina was building a Mosque, to indicate it's importance in the new society, he intended to establish.
It is narrated that Mohammed build his Mosque in El-Madina where his she-camel landed, after he paid the price of the land to the two orphans who owned it. The simplicity was the main style in the building and furnishing this Mosque. Trees and palm trees used to grow in this area, and the Apostle commanded to cut off the plants, remove the graves of the non-believers, pave the land, and the Mosque was headed at Bayet Al-Maqudas.
The walls of this Mosque was build from adobe, Mohammed helped in building it and carried the adobes. This simple Mosque, was the place were the leaders of the world were raised up, and it made the Muslims be Imams in religion and in life. From this Mosque, international civilization was originated, and armies were sent to the cores of paganism. Belal rehearsed the Islam call for prayer in all it's corners, and Mohammed educated his companions in it, fruitful education, and useful knowledge.
The Apostle took care of the Mosques in Islam, indicating the honorable position of the Mosques in the new life as shown previously, and to it's great value in the civilization of the Qur'an. It connects people with their Lord and the link the poorest of them with the richest, the strongest with weakest, and the white with the black, in order to purify their souls, and direct their longings to Allah (swt).
In the Social Life:
Since the Arrival of Mohammed (pbuh) to Al-Madina, the signs of the social changes he caused became evident there to be moved to the rest of the world later. The feelings of the people were all tied up with faith, and melted in the atmosphere of the Mosque. Mohammed caused the coalescence of the different elements in El-Madina under the banner of Allah, and fanaticism disappeared.
In this society, values like freedom and honorable work became evident. People used to trade and they were challenging the Jewish. They also worked in agriculture in the lands of the Christians. Al-Madina became economically flourished. Another noble value became evident in al-Madina, which is the equality concept – since no favor for Arabs over Persians, except for devoutness and good deeds, and that All of us are from Adam, and Adam is from earth. Science was appreciated in this society as it should be, in studying the Qur'an, and applying it's rules in life, and struggling for the sake of Allah.
In the Militarism Organization:
The Apostle Mohammed (pbuh), since the very first moment of his residence in Al-Madina cared for establishing a well-trained army, with more combating capabilities than the enemies'. All the companions joined the army, and everyone was a solider for Allah. The Militarism Organization studies can find them the highest caliper elements, for that faith has shaped their lives into a strict army's style.
Verses in the Qur'an were reveled to persuade for fighting, and meeting the enemy, and became a militarism constitution containing the highest and noblest instructions and principles. Apostle Mohammed used to send missions to learn the different crafts that are needed by the army from everywhere. It was narrated by the son of Asa'ad when he was talking about the delegation of Thaquif, that 'Ourwa Ebn Mas'oud and Ghilan Ebn Muslima, did not attend the siege of El-Ta'ief, for they were travelling to Gharash (In Jordan or in Yemen) to learn some crafts.
In the Ethical Life:
In the new society, some great noble values were rootaged, and adopted by the people in their bahavior in their lives. All them values originated from strong believe and faith. The Qur'an elaborated on describing these values. The ethics of the Jahiliah (Pre-Islam), were the motto of the society.
Islam came to fold over the mat of the Pre-Islam, and pleated the habits of quandering, imprudence, non-based proud, gambling, drinking wines, killing new-born girls, and showing transcendence with money and power. These habits were replaced by morals of the Qur'an, such as modesty, honesty, faithfulness, generosity and mercifulness. These morals were applied in peace and in war, and were never abandoned in any time. They applied these principles in whatever they hated and whatever they loved, with themselves, with their neighbors, with enemies, and with friends.
After this talk about the migration of the Apostle to El-Madina, we can show now some of the learned lessons, and settle these values in our souls, to be guides for us on the way of victory Inshaa Allah.
First: Justice has to win eventually no matter how much time it takes, and how less support it receives, and in-Justice will be defeated, no matter how bold and strong it becomes, and no matter how much supportive powers it has.
Second: Victory always come with patience, the prophet Mohammed (pbuh), never rushed or stopped calling for right path, and never lost hope even in the times he had helpers or supporters.
Third: Justice does not prove itself, the supporters of justice must be working to defend it and protect their rights. Believers must be willing to sacrifice their souls, family, and money to defend their causes.
Fourth: The concrete and the spiritual preparation for victory are equally important. The prophet arranged for this migration, decided the path, planned with intelligent knowledge and liberated mind for the elements and objectives of the migration. He employed human resources of high caliper in the right positions, and kept the plan in secret, and take advantage of the surprise effect, and did not leave a gap for the enemy to pass through. After all the concrete preparation is complete, he refuge to Allah for the moral and spiritual support. When the preparation and support meat together under the mercy of Allah, victory take place in accordance.
Fifth: So many names twinkle on the banner of the migration of the prophet. Most of them are youth as young roses in the gardens of hard work and brilliance. Some of them are:
Ali Ebn Abi-Taleb: sleeping in the bed of the prophet in the night of the migration, wrapping with his blanket, showing a very brave example.
Abel Allah Ebn Abi-Bakr: monitoring the movement of the enemy, and acting as intelligent agencies in these days.
Asmaa' That Al-Nitaquien: holding provisions from Meccah to the cave (where the prophet and his companion were hiding), in middle of the mania of the non-believers searching for Mohammed (pbuh) to kill him.
Amer Ebn Fuhaira: the modest shepherd presenting meat and milk to the two companions of the cave, and erasing their traces on the road with his cheeps.
Abdel Allah Ebn Oriquat: the guide who was hired by the prophet (pbuh). He was a non-believer, but he was experienced with the roads. The prophet hired him for a few Derhams, and he was aware that Quraish had appointed 100 she-camel for whoever turn over Mohammed (pbuh). He had Arabian characters of the loyalty, honesty, and faithfulness.
This event proves the co-operation between Muslims and non-Muslims in important and dangerous aspects, as long as we can make sure of their side. We can see that youth plays here the main roles. Will our youth these days follow these examples, males or females?
These valuable principles were established by the migration of the Apostle of Allah Mohammed (pbuh) from Quraish his beloved city, where he was abused to El-Madina. So many lessons we can learn to help us in our current struggle, such as truthfulness, patience, endurance, strength, and faith. These lessons direct us and set our objectives, which are: free our land, achieve victory in every aspect, establish the Islamic strong Nation, and help in building the divine society where the balance of justice is adjusted, voice of conscience is raised, add to the value of humanity, and protect the edifice of veracity.
Age ain't nothing but a number
From the age of One it had already begun.
My life, my story, and no knowledge of how to yet use my tongue.
The honor of Islam was bestowed upon me,
To worship my Lord as was His decree.
At the tender age if Eight
So begun my twist of fate,
Because it was here that Shaytan opened up his gate,
To all kinds of disobedience and hate.
For even though I learnt how to pray,
I didn't know I'd have to do it five times a day.
I was so ignorant to what my life had in store,
And never thought that Islam had to be at its core.
When I was Eleven
I was told about heaven,
But they would have been better off telling me this
When I was aged 7,
Because now I was getting ready for Secondary School,
Dreaming of new friends and playing pool.
And even though I was given a hint about hell,
On deaf ears those words ultimately fell,
Instead ignorance prevailed And started to dwell.
At sweet Sixteen
All hope was lost for my deen,
But wait,
I was just an average day teen;
Wanting girls and using status as a tool,
Astaghfirullah,
I was such an immature fool!
It was at this age that peer pressure was so strong,
I didn't know to which group of people
I wanted to belong,
Islam seemed a far cry from the "in" crowd,
In reality I was blatantly arrogant and proud.
By the age of Twenty One
I was no longer their favoured son,
Answering back and challenging my mum.
It was this that started my Islamic decline,
As I indulged in haram and
Completely wasted my time.
Seconds became minutes
Which turned to hours and then days,
But I still ignored the dawah
And refused to come out of my phase.
I had the truth wavered in my face,
But I ran away from it with haste,
Avoiding the mosque at all cost,
But it was only me that was at a loss.
Because now I'm old and unable to walk
And my speech has become incomprehensible talk
My family have forsaken me and given up hope,
And my grandchildren laugh at me
And think I am a joke.
So the only advice I can give,
Is recommended that you live the life you live.
But remember death
Is the eventful slumber,
So fulfill your duties to your Lord
Or life will take you under,
And then you'll hear Allah's thunder.
Be warned young Muslims
AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER!
From the age of One it had already begun.
My life, my story, and no knowledge of how to yet use my tongue.
The honor of Islam was bestowed upon me,
To worship my Lord as was His decree.
At the tender age if Eight
So begun my twist of fate,
Because it was here that Shaytan opened up his gate,
To all kinds of disobedience and hate.
For even though I learnt how to pray,
I didn't know I'd have to do it five times a day.
I was so ignorant to what my life had in store,
And never thought that Islam had to be at its core.
When I was Eleven
I was told about heaven,
But they would have been better off telling me this
When I was aged 7,
Because now I was getting ready for Secondary School,
Dreaming of new friends and playing pool.
And even though I was given a hint about hell,
On deaf ears those words ultimately fell,
Instead ignorance prevailed And started to dwell.
At sweet Sixteen
All hope was lost for my deen,
But wait,
I was just an average day teen;
Wanting girls and using status as a tool,
Astaghfirullah,
I was such an immature fool!
It was at this age that peer pressure was so strong,
I didn't know to which group of people
I wanted to belong,
Islam seemed a far cry from the "in" crowd,
In reality I was blatantly arrogant and proud.
By the age of Twenty One
I was no longer their favoured son,
Answering back and challenging my mum.
It was this that started my Islamic decline,
As I indulged in haram and
Completely wasted my time.
Seconds became minutes
Which turned to hours and then days,
But I still ignored the dawah
And refused to come out of my phase.
I had the truth wavered in my face,
But I ran away from it with haste,
Avoiding the mosque at all cost,
But it was only me that was at a loss.
Because now I'm old and unable to walk
And my speech has become incomprehensible talk
My family have forsaken me and given up hope,
And my grandchildren laugh at me
And think I am a joke.
So the only advice I can give,
Is recommended that you live the life you live.
But remember death
Is the eventful slumber,
So fulfill your duties to your Lord
Or life will take you under,
And then you'll hear Allah's thunder.
Be warned young Muslims
AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER!
Muslim Schools: A View From Inside
by Yahya Emerick
“Most parents send their kids here for reasons other than Islam,” lamented the principal of a large Muslim school. “A lot of our students have older brothers and sisters who have gone out of control. They smoke, use drugs, sleep around and disobey their parents.”
I knew from my own experience that what he was saying was true. In my first year of teaching I had the chance to meet the families of many of my students in the Muslim school. What I saw shocked me. The older siblings were completely and thoroughly non-Muslim in their behavior and demeanor. One girl had an older brother with an arm full of tattoos! The girl, who had seven older siblings that went through an urban public school told me that her parents were sending her to the Muslim school because they wanted “at least one good one.”
On another occasion, I happened to be standing in the school office talking to the secretary when a middle-aged, Indo-Pak couple came in with their teenage daughter. She was wearing tight jeans, no Hijab and a lot of make-up. Her face (and the words of her parents) said it all: she’s been around. Her parents, as it turned out, wanted to enroll her in the Muslim school because they didn’t want her to become “Christian.” Oh... the parents also mentioned that she had a boyfriend and that they didn’t want her to “get into trouble.” She was enrolled in the ninth grade and therefore would be in my Islamic Studies class. As it happened, she didn’t know how to pray, she never made Wudu in her life and she knew nothing of Islamic teachings. She was, for all practical purposes, a non-Muslim with a Muslim sounding name.
Do you see a pattern emerging here? After having been involved with Muslim education for the last seven years as a teacher in Sunday schools, summer schools and full-time Muslim schools, I have had the chance to observe the immigrant Muslim community very closely. I wish I could say the indigenous Muslim community, but the immigrants have not seen fit to spread Islam to native-born Americans. But that’s another story.
The idea behind Muslim education is simple: our children identify with those around them so they should be schooled with other Muslim children in an environment that is friendly to Islam. The theory goes that when they graduate they will be practicing and believing Muslims, ready to take their rightful place in society. This goal should be the first and foremost priority of every Muslim in the world. After all, what’s more important: being rich in this life but losing your soul to eternal punishment, or somehow getting by in this life and gaining Paradise in the next? In my voluminous experience, most Muslim families have chosen the first option. Muslim families are, by and large, more concerned with their child being rich than with them going to Paradise after this short life is over. The depth of this statement is sickening when I consider all the wealthy families I’ve seen who practice little to no Islam but go crazy if their child gets lower than a 95 percent on any test. Their child could be cursing, smoking, dating, fighting, cheating or whatever, but all that really matters is that the kid’s going to get into medical school.
So why have Muslims here and there opened Muslim schools? They usually provide a different level of education than most public schools and they’re sometimes not operated in a standard manner. (Remember, I’m speaking as an insider.) The answer is simple, the families are losing their children. Not losing them away from Islam, necessarily, because Islam is the first thing most families will do away with. It’s much worse.
The children are rejecting the ethnic culture of their parents and adopting the American culture they experience everyday. The mother and father want their child to be like them: eating kabobs, wearing a shalwar or jilbab, speaking Urdu or Arabic and identifying with the customs and ways of the old country with respect to marriage, family structure and social interaction. Who cares that the kid’s not praying or wearing Hijab, they’re not Pakistani or Indian or Arab anymore! Horrors! Of course, a few, a very few, families want to send their children to a Muslim school so the children will be staunch believers. Such families know what the most important ingredient in a person’s life is. Sure, their children will grow up to become doctors or engineers or whatever, but the main priority in the household is that whatever they do, they will do it as practicing Muslims. But such families are not the majority in a Muslim school project.
The vast majority of students who come to Islamic schools are from families where Islam is either not practiced or is mixed in with cultural ways and never fully explained to the children. By the time the parents notice their children have different values from them it’s too late. The children are thoroughly “Americanized” (whatever that means) and love pizza, Power Rangers, video games and alternative music. They date, disrespect their elders and dabble in alcohol or whatever. Perhaps the older siblings are so completely corrupted that the parents want that “one good one.”
Do you know how many parents have come to me in the last seven years begging me to “save their child?” One man enrolled his three children in my summer school and they were so wild and unruly that the teachers asked me to remove them, and they were all under nine years old! These monsters were cursing, throwing things and fighting with all the other children around them with no regard to any manners or respect.
When I called the mother to take them home she came in a mini-skirt and Mercedes. The father called me and when I told him that our small summer school program couldn’t handle this type of serious discipline problem, he sobbed that his wife, who was a non-Muslim, was turning his children into “Christians.” I suggested to him that he should spend more time with the children but he brushed that idea aside saying that he owned three businesses and was always away from home. He wanted the summer school to teach his kids the “Moslem religion.” Hey, we all dig our own graves and decide what really matters.
So what about the schools themselves? A typical Muslim school is started by a group of concerned parents who quickly attract big-name players who are eager to soothe their consciences over their haram business dealings. These doctors, businessmen, engineers and other professionals develop a project outline and raise funds. Usually they have to go outside to Arabia or other foreign sources for the bulk of the money because local donors are a bit scarce. (Abu Bakr donated all he had when the cause of Allah needed it. I’ve seen millionaires give less than a thousand dollars at fundraising dinners. Then they intone that being wealthy is allowed in Islam. But not if you’re not willing to part with the money when the cause needs it!) After the school is built, the original concerned parents are muscled out of the Board of Directors and the qualifying criteria for a seat on the board becomes tied to the size of a person’s bank account. (Don’t disagree with this statement because you know it’s true.) Then the school advertises for teachers and a principal.
The starting salary that the school is willing to pay is somewhere below the poverty level. Of course they could pay competitive wages but who wants to sell their Mercedes Benz or mansion just to augment the salary of a poor Muslim teacher?
There are two types of people who work in a Muslim school: those who care and are willing to sacrifice for the cause and then those who can’t find a job anywhere else. There are no exceptions to this rule. In my experience, the usual ratio between those who care and those who can’t find a better job is about three to ten. For every ten teachers, three will care about Islam and the other seven just happen to be biding their time until a better job opens up.
Many teachers are unqualified to teach according to local public school standards and most don’t know how to relate to American-raised children. In all my years of teaching I have only seen perhaps twenty out of a hundred Muslim teachers who knew how to teach kids. The rest would either bore the kids with lectures, yell and curse at them or stand mute in the class as the kids took over. (I guess the same holds true for public schools in inner cities.)
The administration of the school usually fares no better. Most schools are run in the drab, third-world methodology where one man dominates like a lord in his castle. No one is important but he, and nepotism and favoritism are rampant. If you’re just off the plane from the old country and you’re so and so’s cousin or aunt or brother-in-law, you’ve got a job. If you’re a true believer in Allah, behave as a sincere Muslim and love kids, you’re likely to feel like a misfit in this type of environment.
So with all these difficulties in Muslims schools, again, why are they popping up all over? Many parents look at the schools as the savior of their children after the children have embraced “American” values. But is this the way to establish Islam here? Reacting when it’s too late? Our communities are not even communities to begin with. For most Muslims, they are the only Muslims on their street or in their neighborhood.
The term “community” is used but how can we say “our local Muslim community” when all there is are scattered families here and there who happen to drive to the Masjid for dinner parties once a month? That’s the first level of danger. We’re isolated from each other and interact with non-Muslims most of the time. The second danger is that some of our Masajid are being operated by people who would be considered hypocrites in the Madinah of the Prophet’s time. They have haram earnings, they look for fame and status and they feel nostalgic surrounded by people of the same ethnic group as they. The Masajid are ethnic clubs by and large! Those of you who have accepted Islam know what I’m talking about! Therefore, our masajid are dead structures with next to no meaningful da’wah or community support being conducted.
The third problem then, becomes our children. Out of the six million or whatever Muslims that our foolish pollsters claim to be here in North America, perhaps only half a million fit the definition of a Muslim according to the Qur’an and Sunnah. Many of the second and third generation kids are gone. That leaves only a few hundred thousand Muslims who will take over when the older generation dies off.
Out of those kids, only perhaps two percent have any contact with a Muslim school where they can develop a sense of belonging to a community. What the immigrants fail completely to understand is that they grew up surrounded by Muslims so it’s much easier to feel like a Muslim, even if you don’t practice Islam very much. Our children are growing up with almost no Muslims around them and are therefore identifying themselves as non-Muslims!
Despite all the problems associated with a Muslim school, then, one fact remains. In my experience, it is the only place where you can give da’wah to the next generation and show them what it means to be a believer. I’ve seen problem after problem in the structure of Muslim schools, but at the same time, I’ve seen the awareness of Islam and Iman blossom in even the most lost of children.
I was telling a parent the other day that the only ones, by and large, who will be Muslims after us, are those who went to Muslim schools. He objected and said that the local Sunday school was providing all the Islamic education the kids needed. Well, I visited that Sunday School on numerous occasions and found the children to be more non-Muslim than the non-Muslims! The teachers were sincere but helpless, the children were noisy and disinterested and the principal ran from problem to problem like he was in a soccer game.
I just hope there will be a Muslim community twenty years from now when the old people, who grew up in Muslim countries, die off. In my experience, the only children who remain Muslim are those who had very strong Islamic tendencies in their family or those who went through Muslim schools. So while Muslim schools are not perfect, it’s the only way that many children will be saved from the Hell-fire. It would be nice if the Muslim community got serious about its schools and its future. In some places they are.
What about your neighborhood?
by Yahya Emerick
“Most parents send their kids here for reasons other than Islam,” lamented the principal of a large Muslim school. “A lot of our students have older brothers and sisters who have gone out of control. They smoke, use drugs, sleep around and disobey their parents.”
I knew from my own experience that what he was saying was true. In my first year of teaching I had the chance to meet the families of many of my students in the Muslim school. What I saw shocked me. The older siblings were completely and thoroughly non-Muslim in their behavior and demeanor. One girl had an older brother with an arm full of tattoos! The girl, who had seven older siblings that went through an urban public school told me that her parents were sending her to the Muslim school because they wanted “at least one good one.”
On another occasion, I happened to be standing in the school office talking to the secretary when a middle-aged, Indo-Pak couple came in with their teenage daughter. She was wearing tight jeans, no Hijab and a lot of make-up. Her face (and the words of her parents) said it all: she’s been around. Her parents, as it turned out, wanted to enroll her in the Muslim school because they didn’t want her to become “Christian.” Oh... the parents also mentioned that she had a boyfriend and that they didn’t want her to “get into trouble.” She was enrolled in the ninth grade and therefore would be in my Islamic Studies class. As it happened, she didn’t know how to pray, she never made Wudu in her life and she knew nothing of Islamic teachings. She was, for all practical purposes, a non-Muslim with a Muslim sounding name.
Do you see a pattern emerging here? After having been involved with Muslim education for the last seven years as a teacher in Sunday schools, summer schools and full-time Muslim schools, I have had the chance to observe the immigrant Muslim community very closely. I wish I could say the indigenous Muslim community, but the immigrants have not seen fit to spread Islam to native-born Americans. But that’s another story.
The idea behind Muslim education is simple: our children identify with those around them so they should be schooled with other Muslim children in an environment that is friendly to Islam. The theory goes that when they graduate they will be practicing and believing Muslims, ready to take their rightful place in society. This goal should be the first and foremost priority of every Muslim in the world. After all, what’s more important: being rich in this life but losing your soul to eternal punishment, or somehow getting by in this life and gaining Paradise in the next? In my voluminous experience, most Muslim families have chosen the first option. Muslim families are, by and large, more concerned with their child being rich than with them going to Paradise after this short life is over. The depth of this statement is sickening when I consider all the wealthy families I’ve seen who practice little to no Islam but go crazy if their child gets lower than a 95 percent on any test. Their child could be cursing, smoking, dating, fighting, cheating or whatever, but all that really matters is that the kid’s going to get into medical school.
So why have Muslims here and there opened Muslim schools? They usually provide a different level of education than most public schools and they’re sometimes not operated in a standard manner. (Remember, I’m speaking as an insider.) The answer is simple, the families are losing their children. Not losing them away from Islam, necessarily, because Islam is the first thing most families will do away with. It’s much worse.
The children are rejecting the ethnic culture of their parents and adopting the American culture they experience everyday. The mother and father want their child to be like them: eating kabobs, wearing a shalwar or jilbab, speaking Urdu or Arabic and identifying with the customs and ways of the old country with respect to marriage, family structure and social interaction. Who cares that the kid’s not praying or wearing Hijab, they’re not Pakistani or Indian or Arab anymore! Horrors! Of course, a few, a very few, families want to send their children to a Muslim school so the children will be staunch believers. Such families know what the most important ingredient in a person’s life is. Sure, their children will grow up to become doctors or engineers or whatever, but the main priority in the household is that whatever they do, they will do it as practicing Muslims. But such families are not the majority in a Muslim school project.
The vast majority of students who come to Islamic schools are from families where Islam is either not practiced or is mixed in with cultural ways and never fully explained to the children. By the time the parents notice their children have different values from them it’s too late. The children are thoroughly “Americanized” (whatever that means) and love pizza, Power Rangers, video games and alternative music. They date, disrespect their elders and dabble in alcohol or whatever. Perhaps the older siblings are so completely corrupted that the parents want that “one good one.”
Do you know how many parents have come to me in the last seven years begging me to “save their child?” One man enrolled his three children in my summer school and they were so wild and unruly that the teachers asked me to remove them, and they were all under nine years old! These monsters were cursing, throwing things and fighting with all the other children around them with no regard to any manners or respect.
When I called the mother to take them home she came in a mini-skirt and Mercedes. The father called me and when I told him that our small summer school program couldn’t handle this type of serious discipline problem, he sobbed that his wife, who was a non-Muslim, was turning his children into “Christians.” I suggested to him that he should spend more time with the children but he brushed that idea aside saying that he owned three businesses and was always away from home. He wanted the summer school to teach his kids the “Moslem religion.” Hey, we all dig our own graves and decide what really matters.
So what about the schools themselves? A typical Muslim school is started by a group of concerned parents who quickly attract big-name players who are eager to soothe their consciences over their haram business dealings. These doctors, businessmen, engineers and other professionals develop a project outline and raise funds. Usually they have to go outside to Arabia or other foreign sources for the bulk of the money because local donors are a bit scarce. (Abu Bakr donated all he had when the cause of Allah needed it. I’ve seen millionaires give less than a thousand dollars at fundraising dinners. Then they intone that being wealthy is allowed in Islam. But not if you’re not willing to part with the money when the cause needs it!) After the school is built, the original concerned parents are muscled out of the Board of Directors and the qualifying criteria for a seat on the board becomes tied to the size of a person’s bank account. (Don’t disagree with this statement because you know it’s true.) Then the school advertises for teachers and a principal.
The starting salary that the school is willing to pay is somewhere below the poverty level. Of course they could pay competitive wages but who wants to sell their Mercedes Benz or mansion just to augment the salary of a poor Muslim teacher?
There are two types of people who work in a Muslim school: those who care and are willing to sacrifice for the cause and then those who can’t find a job anywhere else. There are no exceptions to this rule. In my experience, the usual ratio between those who care and those who can’t find a better job is about three to ten. For every ten teachers, three will care about Islam and the other seven just happen to be biding their time until a better job opens up.
Many teachers are unqualified to teach according to local public school standards and most don’t know how to relate to American-raised children. In all my years of teaching I have only seen perhaps twenty out of a hundred Muslim teachers who knew how to teach kids. The rest would either bore the kids with lectures, yell and curse at them or stand mute in the class as the kids took over. (I guess the same holds true for public schools in inner cities.)
The administration of the school usually fares no better. Most schools are run in the drab, third-world methodology where one man dominates like a lord in his castle. No one is important but he, and nepotism and favoritism are rampant. If you’re just off the plane from the old country and you’re so and so’s cousin or aunt or brother-in-law, you’ve got a job. If you’re a true believer in Allah, behave as a sincere Muslim and love kids, you’re likely to feel like a misfit in this type of environment.
So with all these difficulties in Muslims schools, again, why are they popping up all over? Many parents look at the schools as the savior of their children after the children have embraced “American” values. But is this the way to establish Islam here? Reacting when it’s too late? Our communities are not even communities to begin with. For most Muslims, they are the only Muslims on their street or in their neighborhood.
The term “community” is used but how can we say “our local Muslim community” when all there is are scattered families here and there who happen to drive to the Masjid for dinner parties once a month? That’s the first level of danger. We’re isolated from each other and interact with non-Muslims most of the time. The second danger is that some of our Masajid are being operated by people who would be considered hypocrites in the Madinah of the Prophet’s time. They have haram earnings, they look for fame and status and they feel nostalgic surrounded by people of the same ethnic group as they. The Masajid are ethnic clubs by and large! Those of you who have accepted Islam know what I’m talking about! Therefore, our masajid are dead structures with next to no meaningful da’wah or community support being conducted.
The third problem then, becomes our children. Out of the six million or whatever Muslims that our foolish pollsters claim to be here in North America, perhaps only half a million fit the definition of a Muslim according to the Qur’an and Sunnah. Many of the second and third generation kids are gone. That leaves only a few hundred thousand Muslims who will take over when the older generation dies off.
Out of those kids, only perhaps two percent have any contact with a Muslim school where they can develop a sense of belonging to a community. What the immigrants fail completely to understand is that they grew up surrounded by Muslims so it’s much easier to feel like a Muslim, even if you don’t practice Islam very much. Our children are growing up with almost no Muslims around them and are therefore identifying themselves as non-Muslims!
Despite all the problems associated with a Muslim school, then, one fact remains. In my experience, it is the only place where you can give da’wah to the next generation and show them what it means to be a believer. I’ve seen problem after problem in the structure of Muslim schools, but at the same time, I’ve seen the awareness of Islam and Iman blossom in even the most lost of children.
I was telling a parent the other day that the only ones, by and large, who will be Muslims after us, are those who went to Muslim schools. He objected and said that the local Sunday school was providing all the Islamic education the kids needed. Well, I visited that Sunday School on numerous occasions and found the children to be more non-Muslim than the non-Muslims! The teachers were sincere but helpless, the children were noisy and disinterested and the principal ran from problem to problem like he was in a soccer game.
I just hope there will be a Muslim community twenty years from now when the old people, who grew up in Muslim countries, die off. In my experience, the only children who remain Muslim are those who had very strong Islamic tendencies in their family or those who went through Muslim schools. So while Muslim schools are not perfect, it’s the only way that many children will be saved from the Hell-fire. It would be nice if the Muslim community got serious about its schools and its future. In some places they are.
What about your neighborhood?
Adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon the Master of the Prophets and Messengers, and upon all his
family and companions.
The Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
teach the Sunnah to his companions in word and deed, and urged them to
follow it, as he said in his hadeeth: “Adhere to my Sunnah” and “Whoever
neglects my Sunnah does not belong to me.” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may
Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Prophet whom
Allaah sent to any nation before me, but he had disciples from among his
nation, and companions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed his commands.”
(Narrated by Muslim, no. 71).
Some aspects of the Sunnah are waajib (obligatory) and some are mustahabb
(encouraged). The Muslim should follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whether it is waajib or
mustahabb, as long as it is proven in sound reports. The Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) used to spread the Sunnah of the Prophet
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) among people and they
called people to follow it.
The proper number of Takbeeraat during prayer is Sunnah
‘Ikrimah said: I prayed behind an old man in Makkah (i.e., Zuhr) and he
said Takbeer twenty-two times. I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas that the man was a
fool. He said, “may your mother lose you! The Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was to say Takbeer five times
in each rak’ah, plus the Takbeer for ihraam and for standing up for the
third rak’ah. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 746).
Sitting muftarishan in prayer is Sunnah
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah narrated: I used to see ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) sitting with his legs crossed when he sat
(to recite Tashahhud during the prayer). I was a mere youngster, and I did
the same, but ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that. He said the
Sunnah is to put your right foot upright and to fold the left foot beneath
you [this is what is meant by Iftiraash or “sitting muftarishan” –
Translator]. I said to him, ‘You do not do that.’ He said, ‘My legs do not
let me [i.e., because of old age or sickness].’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
no. 784).
It is Sunnah for a traveller to shorten his prayers if he misses praying a
prescribed prayer with an imaam
Moosaa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas, how should I pray
if I am in Makkah and I do not pray with the imaam? He said, Two rak’ahs is
the Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). (Narrated by Muslim, no. 1111).
Hajj al-Tamattu’ is Sunnah
[Hajj al-Tamattu’: this is when the pilgrim enters ihraam for ‘Umrah only,
performs ‘Umra, finishes ihraam and then later enters a new ihraam for Hajj
– Translator].
Muhammad ibn al-Muthannaa and Ibn Bashshaar said, Muhammad ibn Ja’far told
us, Shu’bah told us: I heard Abu Jamrah al-Duba’i say: “I wanted to do Hajj
al-Tamattu’, and some people told me not to do that. I went to Ibn ‘Abbaas
and asked him about it, and he told me to do it. Then I went home and
slept, and someone came to me in my dream and said, An accepted ‘Umrah and
Hajj Mabroor [Hajj done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and accepted by Allaah]. I
came to Ibn ‘Abbaas and told him about what I had seen (in my dream) and he
said: Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, the Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Narrated by Muslim, 2183, and
by al-Bukhaari, no. 1465).
Praying two rak’ahs after each Tawaaf is Sunnah
Ismaa’eel ibn Umayyah said: I said to al-Zuhri that ‘Ataa’ was saying that
the prescribed prayer was sufficient and there was no need to do two rak’
ahs after Tawaaf. He said: The Sunnah is better. Abu’l-Qaasim never did
Tawaaf seven times around the Ka’bah but he prayed two Rak’ahs afterwards.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Baab salaa al-Nabi (saas) (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) li suboo’ihi rak’atayn.)
Keeping the khutbah short and hastening to stand at ‘Arafaah is Sunnah
Saalim said: ‘Abd al-Malik wrote to al-Hajjaaj telling him not to differ
from Ibn ‘Umar concerning the (rituals of) Hajj. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) came at noon on the Day of ‘Arafaah, and I was with him.
He called at the pavilion of al-Hajjaaj, who came out wearing a wrap dyed
with safflower. He said, “What is the matter, O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan?’ [Ibn
‘Umar] said, ‘Let us go, if you want to follow the Sunnah.’ [Al-Hajjaaj]
said, ‘Now?’ [Ibn ‘Umar] said, ‘Yes.’ Al-Hajjaaj said, ‘Wait for me, while
I pour water on my head, then I will come out.’ So Ibn ‘Umar waited until
al-Hajjaaj came out, then he walked between me and my father. I said, ‘If
you want to follow the Sunnah, keep the khutbah short and hasten to stand
at ‘Arafaah.’ He looked at ‘Abd-Allaah and when ‘Abd-Allaah noticed that,
he said, ‘he is telling the truth.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1550).
Going from Muzdalifah to Mina at daybreak is Sunnah
‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed said: “We went out with ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) to Makkah, then we came to Muzdalifah and prayed the
two prayers [Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’], each with its own Adhaan and Iqaamah,
and we ate dinner between the two prayers. Then he prayed Fajr when dawn
came and some were saying that dawn had come and others were saying that it
had not come. Then he waited until the day got brighter, then he said: if
the Ameer al-Mu’mineen [‘Uthmaan] moves on towards Mina now, he will be
following the Sunnah. I am not sure which came first, ‘Abd-Allaah’s comment
or ‘Uthmaan’s setting out for Mina. He kept reciting Talbiyah until he
reached Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and threw the stones on the Day of Sacrifice
(Yawm al-Nahr).” (al-Bukhaari, 1571).
Doing the prayer before the khutbah on Eid is Sunnah
Taariq ibn Shihaab said: the first person who put the khutbah before the
prayer on Eid was Marwaan. A man stood up and said to Marwaan, ‘You have
gone against the Sunnah.’ Abu Sa’eed said, ‘This man has done what he was
supposed to, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Whoever sees an evil action, let him
change it with his hand [by taking action], and if he cannot, then with his
tongue [by speaking out], and if he cannot, then with his heart [by feeling
that it is wrong], and that is the weakest of faith.”’ (Abu ‘Eesaa said: a
saheeh hasan hadeeth, 2098).
Sacrificing a camel whilst it is standing up and its left foreleg is tied
is Sunnah
Ziyaad ibn Jubayr said: I saw Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
come to a man who had made his camel sit down so he could slaughter it. He
said to him, ‘Make it stand up with its foreleg tied, for this is the
Sunnah of Muhammad (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1598).
When drinking, one should pass the vessel to one’s right
Anas ibn Maalik said: the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) came to our house and asked for something to drink.
We milked a ewe then added some water from this well of mine. We gave it to
the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and he drank. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were to his left, and a bedouin was to his
right. When the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) finished drinking, ‘Umar said, ‘here is Abu Bakr, O Messenger
of Allaah,’ pointing to him. But the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the cup to the bedouin, not to Abu
Bakr or ‘Umar. The Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, “Those who are on the right, those who are on the
right, those who are on the right.” Anas said, This is Sunnah, this is
Sunnah, this is Sunnah.
(Agreed upon; this version narrated by Muslim, 3785).
Dividing one’s time equally among co-wives is Sunnah
Anas said: It is part of the Sunnah, if a man marries a virgin after having
married a previously-married woman, he should spend seven nights with her,
then divide his time equally (among the co-wives). And if he marries a
previously-married woman after having married a virgin, he should spend
three nights with her, then divide his time equally…” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4813).
In cases of divorce the Sunnah should be followed
Chapter: the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “O Prophet,
when you divorce women, divorce them at their ‘Iddah (prescribed periods),
and count (accurately) their ‘Iddah (periods)…” [al-Talaaq 65:1]. We should
count the days and know how many days have passed at any given time. The
way of divorcing according to the Sunnah is to divorce a woman when she is
taahir (pure, i.e., not during her period or post-natal bleeding) and
without having had intercourse with her since she became taahir, and the
divorce should be witnessed by two witnesses. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari).
When departing this world
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the deceased
was placed in the grave [Abu Khaalid said on one occasion: when the
deceased was placed in the lahd (niche) of his grave], the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Bismillaah wa Billaahi
wa ‘ala millati Rasool-illaah (in the name of Allaah and by the help of
Allaah and on the religion of the Messenger of Allaah).” On another
occasion, he said: “Bismillaah wa Billaahi wa ‘ala Sunnati Rasool-illaah
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (in the name of Allaah
and by the help of Allaah and on the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).” (Abu ‘Eesa said: this
is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth with this isnaad. 967).
Seeking permission to enter three times is part of the Sunnah
Abu Sa’eed said: Abu Moosa sought permission to enter upon ‘Umar. He said,
Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter? ‘Umar said, That was once, then he kept
silent for a while. Abu Moosa again said, Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter?
‘Umar said, That was twice, then he kept silent for a while. Abu Moosa
again said, Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter? ‘Umar said, That was three
times. Then Abu Moosa went away. ‘Umar asked the doorkeeper, What happened?
The doorkeeper said, He went away. ‘Umar said, bring him back. When he came
back, ‘Umar said, What is this that you have done? Abu Moosa said, It is
the Sunnah. ‘Umar said: is it? Then he said, I did not know this… (Abu ‘
Eesa said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth, 2614)
Ibn ‘Abbaas recited al-Faatihah aloud during a Janaazah (funeral) prayer in
order to teach people the Sunnah
Talhah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Awf said: I prayed the Janaazah prayer behind
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), and he recited the Opening of
the Book (i.e., he recited al-Faatihah aloud). He said: (I did that) so
that they might learn that this is Sunnah. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1249)
The imaams denounced those who go against the Sunnah.
Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan that one of the scholars of the madhaahib
said: Salaat al-istisqaa’ (prayer for rain) should not be done, but they
should make du’aa’ and then leave, all of them. Abu ‘Eesa said: this is
against the Sunnah.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Saheeh:
Chapter on following the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him):
Ibn ‘Awn said: there are three things which I love for myself and my
brothers: this Sunnah, that they should learn about it and ask about it;
the Qur’aan, that they should seek to understand it and ask about it; and
that they should leave people alone unless it is for a good reason.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-I’tisaam bi’l-Kitaab wa’s-Sunnah).
Let those people fear Allaah who think of the Sunnah as unimportant and say
it is only the matter of externals and does not matter, and they go against
it deliberately, thinking that this proves how moderate and reasonable they
are, as they claim. They are doomed and lost, for the Sunnah of our Prophet
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is most dear to us.
Even if a particular aspect of the Sunnah is mustahhab (encouraged) rather
than waajib (obligatory), is there not a reward for us in following it? Do
we have so much hasanah that we do not need to seek more?
O my brothers and sisters, may Allaah have mercy on me and on you, strive
to follow every proven Sunnah that you learn from your Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and do not neglect it, for it
will benefit you on a Day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any
avail. Adhere to the Sunnah and teach it to your children. Revive it in the
midst of those who are unaware of it, so that you may be among the most
blessed of people through the intercession of Muhammad (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
O Allaah, help us to follow the Sunnah. Cause us to live in accordance to
the Sunnah and to die adhering to the Sunnah. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon the Master of the Prophets and Messengers, and upon all his
family and companions.
The Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
teach the Sunnah to his companions in word and deed, and urged them to
follow it, as he said in his hadeeth: “Adhere to my Sunnah” and “Whoever
neglects my Sunnah does not belong to me.” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may
Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Prophet whom
Allaah sent to any nation before me, but he had disciples from among his
nation, and companions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed his commands.”
(Narrated by Muslim, no. 71).
Some aspects of the Sunnah are waajib (obligatory) and some are mustahabb
(encouraged). The Muslim should follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whether it is waajib or
mustahabb, as long as it is proven in sound reports. The Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) used to spread the Sunnah of the Prophet
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) among people and they
called people to follow it.
The proper number of Takbeeraat during prayer is Sunnah
‘Ikrimah said: I prayed behind an old man in Makkah (i.e., Zuhr) and he
said Takbeer twenty-two times. I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas that the man was a
fool. He said, “may your mother lose you! The Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was to say Takbeer five times
in each rak’ah, plus the Takbeer for ihraam and for standing up for the
third rak’ah. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 746).
Sitting muftarishan in prayer is Sunnah
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah narrated: I used to see ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) sitting with his legs crossed when he sat
(to recite Tashahhud during the prayer). I was a mere youngster, and I did
the same, but ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that. He said the
Sunnah is to put your right foot upright and to fold the left foot beneath
you [this is what is meant by Iftiraash or “sitting muftarishan” –
Translator]. I said to him, ‘You do not do that.’ He said, ‘My legs do not
let me [i.e., because of old age or sickness].’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
no. 784).
It is Sunnah for a traveller to shorten his prayers if he misses praying a
prescribed prayer with an imaam
Moosaa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas, how should I pray
if I am in Makkah and I do not pray with the imaam? He said, Two rak’ahs is
the Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). (Narrated by Muslim, no. 1111).
Hajj al-Tamattu’ is Sunnah
[Hajj al-Tamattu’: this is when the pilgrim enters ihraam for ‘Umrah only,
performs ‘Umra, finishes ihraam and then later enters a new ihraam for Hajj
– Translator].
Muhammad ibn al-Muthannaa and Ibn Bashshaar said, Muhammad ibn Ja’far told
us, Shu’bah told us: I heard Abu Jamrah al-Duba’i say: “I wanted to do Hajj
al-Tamattu’, and some people told me not to do that. I went to Ibn ‘Abbaas
and asked him about it, and he told me to do it. Then I went home and
slept, and someone came to me in my dream and said, An accepted ‘Umrah and
Hajj Mabroor [Hajj done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and accepted by Allaah]. I
came to Ibn ‘Abbaas and told him about what I had seen (in my dream) and he
said: Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, the Sunnah of Abu’l-Qaasim (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Narrated by Muslim, 2183, and
by al-Bukhaari, no. 1465).
Praying two rak’ahs after each Tawaaf is Sunnah
Ismaa’eel ibn Umayyah said: I said to al-Zuhri that ‘Ataa’ was saying that
the prescribed prayer was sufficient and there was no need to do two rak’
ahs after Tawaaf. He said: The Sunnah is better. Abu’l-Qaasim never did
Tawaaf seven times around the Ka’bah but he prayed two Rak’ahs afterwards.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Baab salaa al-Nabi (saas) (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) li suboo’ihi rak’atayn.)
Keeping the khutbah short and hastening to stand at ‘Arafaah is Sunnah
Saalim said: ‘Abd al-Malik wrote to al-Hajjaaj telling him not to differ
from Ibn ‘Umar concerning the (rituals of) Hajj. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) came at noon on the Day of ‘Arafaah, and I was with him.
He called at the pavilion of al-Hajjaaj, who came out wearing a wrap dyed
with safflower. He said, “What is the matter, O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan?’ [Ibn
‘Umar] said, ‘Let us go, if you want to follow the Sunnah.’ [Al-Hajjaaj]
said, ‘Now?’ [Ibn ‘Umar] said, ‘Yes.’ Al-Hajjaaj said, ‘Wait for me, while
I pour water on my head, then I will come out.’ So Ibn ‘Umar waited until
al-Hajjaaj came out, then he walked between me and my father. I said, ‘If
you want to follow the Sunnah, keep the khutbah short and hasten to stand
at ‘Arafaah.’ He looked at ‘Abd-Allaah and when ‘Abd-Allaah noticed that,
he said, ‘he is telling the truth.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1550).
Going from Muzdalifah to Mina at daybreak is Sunnah
‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed said: “We went out with ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) to Makkah, then we came to Muzdalifah and prayed the
two prayers [Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’], each with its own Adhaan and Iqaamah,
and we ate dinner between the two prayers. Then he prayed Fajr when dawn
came and some were saying that dawn had come and others were saying that it
had not come. Then he waited until the day got brighter, then he said: if
the Ameer al-Mu’mineen [‘Uthmaan] moves on towards Mina now, he will be
following the Sunnah. I am not sure which came first, ‘Abd-Allaah’s comment
or ‘Uthmaan’s setting out for Mina. He kept reciting Talbiyah until he
reached Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and threw the stones on the Day of Sacrifice
(Yawm al-Nahr).” (al-Bukhaari, 1571).
Doing the prayer before the khutbah on Eid is Sunnah
Taariq ibn Shihaab said: the first person who put the khutbah before the
prayer on Eid was Marwaan. A man stood up and said to Marwaan, ‘You have
gone against the Sunnah.’ Abu Sa’eed said, ‘This man has done what he was
supposed to, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Whoever sees an evil action, let him
change it with his hand [by taking action], and if he cannot, then with his
tongue [by speaking out], and if he cannot, then with his heart [by feeling
that it is wrong], and that is the weakest of faith.”’ (Abu ‘Eesaa said: a
saheeh hasan hadeeth, 2098).
Sacrificing a camel whilst it is standing up and its left foreleg is tied
is Sunnah
Ziyaad ibn Jubayr said: I saw Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
come to a man who had made his camel sit down so he could slaughter it. He
said to him, ‘Make it stand up with its foreleg tied, for this is the
Sunnah of Muhammad (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1598).
When drinking, one should pass the vessel to one’s right
Anas ibn Maalik said: the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) came to our house and asked for something to drink.
We milked a ewe then added some water from this well of mine. We gave it to
the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and he drank. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were to his left, and a bedouin was to his
right. When the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) finished drinking, ‘Umar said, ‘here is Abu Bakr, O Messenger
of Allaah,’ pointing to him. But the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the cup to the bedouin, not to Abu
Bakr or ‘Umar. The Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, “Those who are on the right, those who are on the
right, those who are on the right.” Anas said, This is Sunnah, this is
Sunnah, this is Sunnah.
(Agreed upon; this version narrated by Muslim, 3785).
Dividing one’s time equally among co-wives is Sunnah
Anas said: It is part of the Sunnah, if a man marries a virgin after having
married a previously-married woman, he should spend seven nights with her,
then divide his time equally (among the co-wives). And if he marries a
previously-married woman after having married a virgin, he should spend
three nights with her, then divide his time equally…” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4813).
In cases of divorce the Sunnah should be followed
Chapter: the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “O Prophet,
when you divorce women, divorce them at their ‘Iddah (prescribed periods),
and count (accurately) their ‘Iddah (periods)…” [al-Talaaq 65:1]. We should
count the days and know how many days have passed at any given time. The
way of divorcing according to the Sunnah is to divorce a woman when she is
taahir (pure, i.e., not during her period or post-natal bleeding) and
without having had intercourse with her since she became taahir, and the
divorce should be witnessed by two witnesses. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari).
When departing this world
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the deceased
was placed in the grave [Abu Khaalid said on one occasion: when the
deceased was placed in the lahd (niche) of his grave], the Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Bismillaah wa Billaahi
wa ‘ala millati Rasool-illaah (in the name of Allaah and by the help of
Allaah and on the religion of the Messenger of Allaah).” On another
occasion, he said: “Bismillaah wa Billaahi wa ‘ala Sunnati Rasool-illaah
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (in the name of Allaah
and by the help of Allaah and on the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).” (Abu ‘Eesa said: this
is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth with this isnaad. 967).
Seeking permission to enter three times is part of the Sunnah
Abu Sa’eed said: Abu Moosa sought permission to enter upon ‘Umar. He said,
Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter? ‘Umar said, That was once, then he kept
silent for a while. Abu Moosa again said, Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter?
‘Umar said, That was twice, then he kept silent for a while. Abu Moosa
again said, Assalaamu ‘alaykum, may I enter? ‘Umar said, That was three
times. Then Abu Moosa went away. ‘Umar asked the doorkeeper, What happened?
The doorkeeper said, He went away. ‘Umar said, bring him back. When he came
back, ‘Umar said, What is this that you have done? Abu Moosa said, It is
the Sunnah. ‘Umar said: is it? Then he said, I did not know this… (Abu ‘
Eesa said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth, 2614)
Ibn ‘Abbaas recited al-Faatihah aloud during a Janaazah (funeral) prayer in
order to teach people the Sunnah
Talhah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Awf said: I prayed the Janaazah prayer behind
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), and he recited the Opening of
the Book (i.e., he recited al-Faatihah aloud). He said: (I did that) so
that they might learn that this is Sunnah. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1249)
The imaams denounced those who go against the Sunnah.
Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan that one of the scholars of the madhaahib
said: Salaat al-istisqaa’ (prayer for rain) should not be done, but they
should make du’aa’ and then leave, all of them. Abu ‘Eesa said: this is
against the Sunnah.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Saheeh:
Chapter on following the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him):
Ibn ‘Awn said: there are three things which I love for myself and my
brothers: this Sunnah, that they should learn about it and ask about it;
the Qur’aan, that they should seek to understand it and ask about it; and
that they should leave people alone unless it is for a good reason.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-I’tisaam bi’l-Kitaab wa’s-Sunnah).
Let those people fear Allaah who think of the Sunnah as unimportant and say
it is only the matter of externals and does not matter, and they go against
it deliberately, thinking that this proves how moderate and reasonable they
are, as they claim. They are doomed and lost, for the Sunnah of our Prophet
(saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is most dear to us.
Even if a particular aspect of the Sunnah is mustahhab (encouraged) rather
than waajib (obligatory), is there not a reward for us in following it? Do
we have so much hasanah that we do not need to seek more?
O my brothers and sisters, may Allaah have mercy on me and on you, strive
to follow every proven Sunnah that you learn from your Prophet (saas)
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and do not neglect it, for it
will benefit you on a Day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any
avail. Adhere to the Sunnah and teach it to your children. Revive it in the
midst of those who are unaware of it, so that you may be among the most
blessed of people through the intercession of Muhammad (saas) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
O Allaah, help us to follow the Sunnah. Cause us to live in accordance to
the Sunnah and to die adhering to the Sunnah. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
Muslims Contribution To Science
Lost of Christians left Christianity & the reason was clearly : It contradicts science ! What about Muslims ? Here you can read a breif information about Muslims & Science in the past ..
Astronomy :
Muslims have always had a special interest in astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital importance in the daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the beginning and the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the sun the Muslims calculate the times for prayer and fasting. It is also by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka'bah in Makkah, during prayer. The most precise solar calendar, superior to the Julian, is the Jilali, devised under the supervision of Umar Khayyam. The Qur'an contains many references to astronomy.
"The heavens and the earth were ordered rightly, and were made subservient to man, including the sun, the moon, the stars, and day and night. Every heavenly body moves in an orbit assigned to it by God and never digresses, making the universe an orderly cosmos whose life and existence, diminution and expansion, are totally determined by the Creator." [Qur'an 30:22]
These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early Muslim scholars to study the heavens. They integrated the earlier works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new synthesis. Ptolemy's Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was translated, studied and criticized. Many new stars were discovered, as we see in their Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the Toledan tables, which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs - another Arabic term. Other terms from Arabic are zenith, nadir, albedo, azimuth.
Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like the one built at Mugharah by Hulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, in Persia, and they invented instruments such as the quadrant and astrolabe, which led to advances not only in astronomy but in oceanic navigation, contributing to the European age of exploration.
Geography:
Muslim scholars paid great attention to geography. In fact, the Muslims' great concern for geography originated with their religion. The Qur'an encourages people to travel throughout the earth to see God's signs and patterns everywhere. Islam also requires each Muslim to have at least enough knowledge of geography to know the direction of the Qiblah (the position of the Ka'bah in Makkah) in order to pray five times a day. Muslims were also used to taking long journeys to conduct trade as well as to make the Hajj and spread their religion. The far-flung Islamic empire enabled scholar-explorers to compile large amounts of geographical and climatic information from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Among the most famous names in the field of geography, even in the West, are Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Batuta, renowned for their written accounts of their extensive explorations. In 1166, Al-Idrisi, the well-known Muslim scholar who served the Sicilian court, produced very accurate maps, including a world map with all the continents and their mountains, rivers and famous cities. Al-Muqdishi was the first geographer to produce accurate maps in color. It was, moreover, with the help of Muslim navigators and their inventions that Magellan was able to traverse the Cape of Good Hope, and Da Gama and Columbus had Muslim navigators on board their ships.
Humanity:
Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islam for every Muslim, man and woman. The main sources of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's traditions), encourage Muslims to seek knowledge and be scholars, since this is the best way for people to know Allah (God), to appreciate His wondrous creations and be thankful for them. Muslims were therefore eager to seek knowledge, both religious and secular, and within a few years of Muhammad's mission, a great civilization sprang up and flourished. The outcome is shown in the spread of Islamic universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis, and Al-Azhar in Cairo go back more than 1,000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the world. Indeed, they were the models for the first European universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg, and the Sorbonne. Even the familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar University.
Muslims made great advances in many different fields, such as geography, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, pharmacology, architecture, linguistics and astronomy. Algebra and the Arabic numerals were introduced to the world by Muslim scholars. The astrolabe, the quadrant, and other navigational devices and maps were developed by Muslim scholars and played an important role in world progress, most notably in Europe's age of exploration.
Muslim scholars studied the ancient civilations from Greece and Rome to China and India. The works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and scientists then added their own creative ideas, discoveries and inventions, and finally transmitted this new knowledge to Europe, leading directly to the Renaissance. Many scientific and medical treatises, having been translated into Latin, were standard text and reference books as late as the 17th and 18th centuries.
Mathematics:
It is interesting to note that Islam so strongly urges mankind to study and explore the universe. For example, the Holy Qur'an states:
"We (Allah) will show you (mankind) Our signs/patterns in the horizons/universe and in yourselves until you are convinced that the revelation is the truth." [Qur'an, 14:53]
This invitation to explore and search made Muslims interested in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and the other sciences, and they had a very clear and firm understanding of the correspondences among geometry, mathematics, and astronomy.
The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word "cipher" comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the decimal system - base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol to express an unknown quantity, i.e. variables like x.
The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi, invented the subject of algebra (al-Jabr), which was further developed by others, most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khawarizmi's work, in Latin translation, brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics to Europe, through Spain. The word "algorithm" is derived from his name.
Muslim mathematicians excelled also in geometry, as can be seen in their graphic arts, and it was the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also in the fields of natural history, even geology and mineralogy) who established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other Muslim mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.
Medicine:
In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it is created by Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or cure those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to "take medicines for your diseases", as people at that time were reluctant to do so. He also said: "God created no illness, but established for it a cure, except for old age. When the antidote is applied, the patient will recover with the permission of God."
This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to explore, develop, and apply empirical laws. Much attention was given to medicine and public health care. The first hospital was built in Baghdad in 706 AC. The Muslims also used camel caravans as mobile hospitals, which moved from place to place.
Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human cadavers to study anatomy and physiology and to help their students understand how the body functions. This empirical study enabled surgery to develop very quickly.
Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and scientist, (d. 932) was one of the greatest physicians in the world in the Middle Ages. He stressed empirical observation and clinical medicine and was unrivaled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a treatise on hygiene in hospitals. Khalaf Abul-Qasim Al-Zahrawi was a very famous surgeon in the eleventh century, known in Europe for his work, Concessio (Kitab al-Tasrif).
Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was perhaps the greatest physician until the modern era. His famous book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn Sina's work is still studied and built upon in the East.
Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as Ibn Sina's Kitab al-Shifa' (Book of Healing), and in public health. Every major city in the Islamic world had a number of excellent hospitals, some of them teaching hospitals, and many of them were specialized for particular diseases, including mental and emotional. The Ottomans were particularly noted for their building of hospitals and for the high level of hygiene practiced in them.
Definition:
The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur'an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur'an).
Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.
Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah; and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's decree, whether for good or ill.
There are other injunctions and commandments which concern virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygiene, interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance, civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with non-Muslims, and so much more.
Lost of Christians left Christianity & the reason was clearly : It contradicts science ! What about Muslims ? Here you can read a breif information about Muslims & Science in the past ..
Astronomy :
Muslims have always had a special interest in astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital importance in the daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the beginning and the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the sun the Muslims calculate the times for prayer and fasting. It is also by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka'bah in Makkah, during prayer. The most precise solar calendar, superior to the Julian, is the Jilali, devised under the supervision of Umar Khayyam. The Qur'an contains many references to astronomy.
"The heavens and the earth were ordered rightly, and were made subservient to man, including the sun, the moon, the stars, and day and night. Every heavenly body moves in an orbit assigned to it by God and never digresses, making the universe an orderly cosmos whose life and existence, diminution and expansion, are totally determined by the Creator." [Qur'an 30:22]
These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early Muslim scholars to study the heavens. They integrated the earlier works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new synthesis. Ptolemy's Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was translated, studied and criticized. Many new stars were discovered, as we see in their Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the Toledan tables, which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs - another Arabic term. Other terms from Arabic are zenith, nadir, albedo, azimuth.
Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like the one built at Mugharah by Hulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, in Persia, and they invented instruments such as the quadrant and astrolabe, which led to advances not only in astronomy but in oceanic navigation, contributing to the European age of exploration.
Geography:
Muslim scholars paid great attention to geography. In fact, the Muslims' great concern for geography originated with their religion. The Qur'an encourages people to travel throughout the earth to see God's signs and patterns everywhere. Islam also requires each Muslim to have at least enough knowledge of geography to know the direction of the Qiblah (the position of the Ka'bah in Makkah) in order to pray five times a day. Muslims were also used to taking long journeys to conduct trade as well as to make the Hajj and spread their religion. The far-flung Islamic empire enabled scholar-explorers to compile large amounts of geographical and climatic information from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Among the most famous names in the field of geography, even in the West, are Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Batuta, renowned for their written accounts of their extensive explorations. In 1166, Al-Idrisi, the well-known Muslim scholar who served the Sicilian court, produced very accurate maps, including a world map with all the continents and their mountains, rivers and famous cities. Al-Muqdishi was the first geographer to produce accurate maps in color. It was, moreover, with the help of Muslim navigators and their inventions that Magellan was able to traverse the Cape of Good Hope, and Da Gama and Columbus had Muslim navigators on board their ships.
Humanity:
Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islam for every Muslim, man and woman. The main sources of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's traditions), encourage Muslims to seek knowledge and be scholars, since this is the best way for people to know Allah (God), to appreciate His wondrous creations and be thankful for them. Muslims were therefore eager to seek knowledge, both religious and secular, and within a few years of Muhammad's mission, a great civilization sprang up and flourished. The outcome is shown in the spread of Islamic universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis, and Al-Azhar in Cairo go back more than 1,000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the world. Indeed, they were the models for the first European universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg, and the Sorbonne. Even the familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar University.
Muslims made great advances in many different fields, such as geography, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, pharmacology, architecture, linguistics and astronomy. Algebra and the Arabic numerals were introduced to the world by Muslim scholars. The astrolabe, the quadrant, and other navigational devices and maps were developed by Muslim scholars and played an important role in world progress, most notably in Europe's age of exploration.
Muslim scholars studied the ancient civilations from Greece and Rome to China and India. The works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and scientists then added their own creative ideas, discoveries and inventions, and finally transmitted this new knowledge to Europe, leading directly to the Renaissance. Many scientific and medical treatises, having been translated into Latin, were standard text and reference books as late as the 17th and 18th centuries.
Mathematics:
It is interesting to note that Islam so strongly urges mankind to study and explore the universe. For example, the Holy Qur'an states:
"We (Allah) will show you (mankind) Our signs/patterns in the horizons/universe and in yourselves until you are convinced that the revelation is the truth." [Qur'an, 14:53]
This invitation to explore and search made Muslims interested in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and the other sciences, and they had a very clear and firm understanding of the correspondences among geometry, mathematics, and astronomy.
The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word "cipher" comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the decimal system - base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol to express an unknown quantity, i.e. variables like x.
The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi, invented the subject of algebra (al-Jabr), which was further developed by others, most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khawarizmi's work, in Latin translation, brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics to Europe, through Spain. The word "algorithm" is derived from his name.
Muslim mathematicians excelled also in geometry, as can be seen in their graphic arts, and it was the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also in the fields of natural history, even geology and mineralogy) who established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other Muslim mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.
Medicine:
In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it is created by Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or cure those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to "take medicines for your diseases", as people at that time were reluctant to do so. He also said: "God created no illness, but established for it a cure, except for old age. When the antidote is applied, the patient will recover with the permission of God."
This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to explore, develop, and apply empirical laws. Much attention was given to medicine and public health care. The first hospital was built in Baghdad in 706 AC. The Muslims also used camel caravans as mobile hospitals, which moved from place to place.
Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human cadavers to study anatomy and physiology and to help their students understand how the body functions. This empirical study enabled surgery to develop very quickly.
Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and scientist, (d. 932) was one of the greatest physicians in the world in the Middle Ages. He stressed empirical observation and clinical medicine and was unrivaled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a treatise on hygiene in hospitals. Khalaf Abul-Qasim Al-Zahrawi was a very famous surgeon in the eleventh century, known in Europe for his work, Concessio (Kitab al-Tasrif).
Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was perhaps the greatest physician until the modern era. His famous book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn Sina's work is still studied and built upon in the East.
Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as Ibn Sina's Kitab al-Shifa' (Book of Healing), and in public health. Every major city in the Islamic world had a number of excellent hospitals, some of them teaching hospitals, and many of them were specialized for particular diseases, including mental and emotional. The Ottomans were particularly noted for their building of hospitals and for the high level of hygiene practiced in them.
Definition:
The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur'an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur'an).
Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.
Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah; and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's decree, whether for good or ill.
There are other injunctions and commandments which concern virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygiene, interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance, civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with non-Muslims, and so much more.
DRESS.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said that the best dress with which you can visit graveyards and offer prayers in the masjids is the white one. The coffin shrove are also of white cloth. Summarized version of the Traditions (Ahadees) of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) is given below,
The sleeves of the shirts of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) stretched up to the end to the wrists. The two edges of his Turban (Immah) were kept hanging between the two shoulders. He has asked to use turban (Imamah), it is the emblem of the angels and keep it down on the back. He said the difference between the Believers and Non-believers is that while we use Imamah on our caps (and they don't do so).
Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) said that the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) told her that if she desired to meet him in the Hereafter, she must be content with as little worldly assets as is necessary for a traveler while going on journey. Do not sit near above the wealthy people. Do not thing a clothing as old and unserviceable unless it has patches on it.
Once Hazrat Hafsah come to Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah pleased with them both) wearing a thin head covering. Hazrat Ayesha tore the thin head covering and her another head covering of thick cloth.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said that any one who puts on clothing for pomp and popularity, on the Day of Judgment Allah will wrap him in clothes of disgrace and dishonor. He has also said that any one who gives up wearing rich clothing out of humility and selflessness, on the Day of Judgment Allah will provide him the appeared of dignity and elevation. He has also said the if a person has enough means and resources his outward keeping and appearance must show glimpse of his being favoured by Allah in making him rich, wealthy and above petty wants.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said,
Silk and gola are permissible for woman of Muslim, while these are forbidden to menfolk.
Spreading the skin of he beasts is forbidden.
It is reported in the Hadees that once Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) put on new clothes and recited the following dua,
(TRANSLATION:- All praise is due to Allah Who clothed me which covers my shame and gives me beauty in my life).
He said `I have heard from the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) that any one who recites this dua on wearing ness clothes and give his old clothes in sadaqah, he will remain in the Protection and Peace of Allah in this life and after this, in the Hereafter.
He said, `any one who imitates the people of other nations he becomes like them and one of them. This Hadees all aspect of life and faith. In guides what people we should follow in respect of clothes (dress), habits and characters and whom we should avoid initiating or copying. To seek resemblance with unbelievers transgressors, lewd and debanchees is to debase and degrade oneself to the lowest state among the human beings. On the other hand to follow and endeavor to become one to those who are known for their piety, righteousness, love and sympathy for the down tradden is the very essence of life with enduring benefits not only in the world but also in the Hereafter. A Muslim must try to keep himself above and distinguished from a Non Muslim.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has cursed those women who wish to look and behave like men, by adopting the dress, the mannerism and general appearance of the menfolk. Similarly he has cursed those men who imitate women in all these respect.
It is said in the Hadees that the bed or cushion on which the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) used to sleep was made of leather in which the dry rind of he date was stuffed. So was his pillow.
PROBLEM:- The daily wear (dress) should be such (simple, and light) that hides the shame and protects from cold and heat in season. If by the Grace of Allah, there is enough to maintain the appearance especially in dress, it should be only with a view and by the way of Thanks giving to Allah and not to display the riches and extravagance. That leads to arrogance and pride and breeds contempt for the poor and the down trodden.
White dress id preferable which has also been praised in the Hadees. Black colour is also likeable. When the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) entered the Mecca Moazzam after conquest he had black turban (Emamat) over his head.
PROBLEM:- Pure silken clothes are forbidden for men. However cotton and silk mixed clothes may be worn but not as a habit. While silken clothes are permissible to women, whether the silk is artificial or real.
PROBLEM:- To stitch an amulet (Taweez) in pure silken piece of cloth is not allowed whether it hung with neck or tied on the arm.
PROBLEM:- To wear black clothes as a sign of mourning in the family where some one had died is not allowed.. Black badge as a sign of grief is also forbidden.
PROBLEM:- During Muharram form Ist to twelth wearing of clothes in black, green and red colour is not advisable. Black is the colour belonging to RAFZIS, Green is the way of Tazia Mourners and the Red is the sign of happiness of the KHARJIS.
PROBLEM:- Pajama is a sunnat dress as it cover the shame parts extensively. However it is reported that the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) did not put on pajama. He used to wear Tahband (long piece of cloth tied round the back above the abdomen).
PROBLEM:- Wearing leather coat (posteen) is permissible. Many scholars of Deen and Mashaikh (heads of spiritual sects have used posteen). Leather jacket may also be taken as a posteen. The animals which are forbidden, if their skins are tanned and dried their skins can also used for making posteen, as also as Musalla for offering prayers. However such a thing should be avoided, because after all the animal was a forbidden one and the emergent necessity for its use has not arisen. In Hades the skin of tiger while in riding has be forbidden.
PROBLEM:- Wearing of dress (shirt, pajama etc) should begin from the right side, which the shirt should be worn by putting the right hand in the sleeve, then the left sleeve. Similarly, while wearing pajama the right foot should first be used, then the left.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said that the best dress with which you can visit graveyards and offer prayers in the masjids is the white one. The coffin shrove are also of white cloth. Summarized version of the Traditions (Ahadees) of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) is given below,
The sleeves of the shirts of the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) stretched up to the end to the wrists. The two edges of his Turban (Immah) were kept hanging between the two shoulders. He has asked to use turban (Imamah), it is the emblem of the angels and keep it down on the back. He said the difference between the Believers and Non-believers is that while we use Imamah on our caps (and they don't do so).
Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) said that the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) told her that if she desired to meet him in the Hereafter, she must be content with as little worldly assets as is necessary for a traveler while going on journey. Do not sit near above the wealthy people. Do not thing a clothing as old and unserviceable unless it has patches on it.
Once Hazrat Hafsah come to Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah pleased with them both) wearing a thin head covering. Hazrat Ayesha tore the thin head covering and her another head covering of thick cloth.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said that any one who puts on clothing for pomp and popularity, on the Day of Judgment Allah will wrap him in clothes of disgrace and dishonor. He has also said that any one who gives up wearing rich clothing out of humility and selflessness, on the Day of Judgment Allah will provide him the appeared of dignity and elevation. He has also said the if a person has enough means and resources his outward keeping and appearance must show glimpse of his being favoured by Allah in making him rich, wealthy and above petty wants.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has said,
Silk and gola are permissible for woman of Muslim, while these are forbidden to menfolk.
Spreading the skin of he beasts is forbidden.
It is reported in the Hadees that once Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) put on new clothes and recited the following dua,
(TRANSLATION:- All praise is due to Allah Who clothed me which covers my shame and gives me beauty in my life).
He said `I have heard from the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) that any one who recites this dua on wearing ness clothes and give his old clothes in sadaqah, he will remain in the Protection and Peace of Allah in this life and after this, in the Hereafter.
He said, `any one who imitates the people of other nations he becomes like them and one of them. This Hadees all aspect of life and faith. In guides what people we should follow in respect of clothes (dress), habits and characters and whom we should avoid initiating or copying. To seek resemblance with unbelievers transgressors, lewd and debanchees is to debase and degrade oneself to the lowest state among the human beings. On the other hand to follow and endeavor to become one to those who are known for their piety, righteousness, love and sympathy for the down tradden is the very essence of life with enduring benefits not only in the world but also in the Hereafter. A Muslim must try to keep himself above and distinguished from a Non Muslim.
The Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) has cursed those women who wish to look and behave like men, by adopting the dress, the mannerism and general appearance of the menfolk. Similarly he has cursed those men who imitate women in all these respect.
It is said in the Hadees that the bed or cushion on which the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) used to sleep was made of leather in which the dry rind of he date was stuffed. So was his pillow.
PROBLEM:- The daily wear (dress) should be such (simple, and light) that hides the shame and protects from cold and heat in season. If by the Grace of Allah, there is enough to maintain the appearance especially in dress, it should be only with a view and by the way of Thanks giving to Allah and not to display the riches and extravagance. That leads to arrogance and pride and breeds contempt for the poor and the down trodden.
White dress id preferable which has also been praised in the Hadees. Black colour is also likeable. When the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) entered the Mecca Moazzam after conquest he had black turban (Emamat) over his head.
PROBLEM:- Pure silken clothes are forbidden for men. However cotton and silk mixed clothes may be worn but not as a habit. While silken clothes are permissible to women, whether the silk is artificial or real.
PROBLEM:- To stitch an amulet (Taweez) in pure silken piece of cloth is not allowed whether it hung with neck or tied on the arm.
PROBLEM:- To wear black clothes as a sign of mourning in the family where some one had died is not allowed.. Black badge as a sign of grief is also forbidden.
PROBLEM:- During Muharram form Ist to twelth wearing of clothes in black, green and red colour is not advisable. Black is the colour belonging to RAFZIS, Green is the way of Tazia Mourners and the Red is the sign of happiness of the KHARJIS.
PROBLEM:- Pajama is a sunnat dress as it cover the shame parts extensively. However it is reported that the Holy Prophet (Allah's grace and peace be upon him) did not put on pajama. He used to wear Tahband (long piece of cloth tied round the back above the abdomen).
PROBLEM:- Wearing leather coat (posteen) is permissible. Many scholars of Deen and Mashaikh (heads of spiritual sects have used posteen). Leather jacket may also be taken as a posteen. The animals which are forbidden, if their skins are tanned and dried their skins can also used for making posteen, as also as Musalla for offering prayers. However such a thing should be avoided, because after all the animal was a forbidden one and the emergent necessity for its use has not arisen. In Hades the skin of tiger while in riding has be forbidden.
PROBLEM:- Wearing of dress (shirt, pajama etc) should begin from the right side, which the shirt should be worn by putting the right hand in the sleeve, then the left sleeve. Similarly, while wearing pajama the right foot should first be used, then the left.
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