There must be a public inquiry into 7/7

Mr. Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation comments:

"As the inquests into the victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks begins, the Ramadhan Foundation once again calls for politicians to agree to a fullpublic inquiry into the evil terrorism that struck London. I pay tribute to the victims and their families for their strength during these difficult years but now we owe them the answers to their questions.

We condemn the decision not to award the victim's families legal aid, thisdecision beggars belief, the corrupt MPs get legal aid but these brave families are refused, we ask the Ministry of Justice to have some compassion.

We learn from the inquest that the Metropolitan Police were slow to react tothe attacks and maybe the attacks could have been avoided if security services had reacted as they knew of at least two bombers, this in itself proves the need for action.

We urge political parties to agree to a full public inquiry after the general election and urge the British people to lobby their candidates in this election, the victims and their families deserve better.

END

Notes for editors

1. The Ramadhan Foundation is a leading Muslim organisation in the UK thatis working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue for all communities.

2. Based in Greater Manchester and working to also establish the platformfor human unity amongst our communities in the UK.

3. Mohammad Shafiq is the Chief Executive of the Foundation, aged 30and actively campaigning to provide a more positive image of Islam
and Muslims


Mr. Mohammed Shafiq
Chief Executive
Ramadhan Foundation

07989 764624 or 07814 835912
mohammed.shafiq@ramadhanfoundation.com
www.ramadhanfoundation.com

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FARDS OF GHUSHL

According to the Hanafi Madhhab [1] there are three fards in a ghushl:

1 - To wash the entire mouth very well. Drinking a mouthful of water will do, yet some (savants) said that it would be makruh [2].
2 - To wash the nostrils. A ghusl will not be accepted if one does not wash under any dried mucus in the nostrils or under any chewed pieces of bread in the mouth. According to the Hanbali Madhhab madmada (rinsing mouth) and istinshaq (washing nostrils) are fard [3] both in ablution and in ghusl.
3 - To wash every part of the body. It is fard to wash every spot on the body if there is no haraj (difficulty) in wetting it.

GLOSSARY

[1] madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.
[2] makruh: (act, thing) improper, disliked and abstained by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam); makruh tahrima: prohibited with much stress.
[3] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-kerim. Fard (or fard) means (any behaviour or thought or belief which is) obligatory. Islam’s open commandments are called fard (pl. faraid).

PROHIBITIONS IN PERFORMING AN ABLUTION

There are twelve prohibitions in performing an ablution. Doing them is either haram [1] or makruh [2]; they are as follows:

1 - When relieving oneself or urinating in the toilet or out-doors, one should not turn one’s front or back towards the qibla [3].
2 - It is haram (prohibited) to open one’s private parts near someone in order to make taharat.
3 - One should not make taharat with one’s right hand.
4 - When there is no water, it is makruh to make taharat (to clean oneself) with food products, manure, bones, animals’ food, coal, someone else’s property, a piece of flowerpot or tile, reeds, leaves, a piece of cloth or paper.
5 - One must not spit or throw mucus into the pool where one makes an ablution.
6 - One should not wash one’s limbs of ablution much more or less than the prescribed limit, nor wash them more or less than three times.
7 - One must not wipe one’s limbs of ablution with the same cloth used for taharat.
8 - While washing the face, one must not splash the water on one’s face, but pour it from the upper forehead downwards.
9 - One must not blow on or over the surface of the water.
10 - One must not close one’s mouth and eyes tightly. If even a tiny part of the outward part of the lips or the eyelids is left dry, the ablution will not be acceptable.
11 - One must not expell mucus from one’s nose with one’s right hand.
12 - One must not make masah on one’s head, ears or neck more than once after moistening the hands each time.

GLOSSARY

[1] Haram: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta’ala.
[2] makruh: (act, thing) improper, disliked and abstained by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam); makruh tahrima: prohibited with much stress.
[3] qibla: direction towards the Ka’ba. The direction turned towards during worshipping (in Islam, toward the Ka’ba).

THE SWEETEST BLESSING

Hadrat [1] Imam-i Rabbani says in the 29th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat: Hamd be to Allahu ta’ala and salam (greeting) to those slaves of His whom He has chosen and loved! My Dear Sir. The coming of disasters may be unpleasant outwardly, but it is expected that they will be blessings. The world’s most valuable stock is (collected from) sorrows and afflictions. The most delicious food on the world’s meal table is (made up of) problems and calamities. These sweet blessings are covered with bitter medicine. Therefore, calamities and disasters are showered on the beloved ones.

Those who are fortunate and wise see the sweets placed in them. They chew the bitter covers on them as if they were sweet. They take flavour from the bitter. Why shouldn’t they, since everything coming from the Beloved will be sweet. Those who are sick do not feel their taste. The heart’s sickness means its having fallen in love with somebody other than He. The fortunate ones take so much flavour from the troubles coming from the Beloved One that they do not taste the same flavour in His favours. Though both are coming from the Beloved One, the lover’s nafs [2] does not get a share from the hardships. But His favours are wished by the nafs, too.

May it do good to those who get the blessing!

GLOSSARY

[1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.
[2] nafs: a force in man which wants him to harm himself religiously; an-nafs al-ammara. A negative force within man prompting him to do evil. (Nafs-i ammara). Nafs is ammara by creation, that is, it always wishes evil and harmful deeds to be done. It is reluctant to obey the Shari’at. The nafs of a man who obeys the Shari’at and makes progress in the way of tasawwuf becomes mutmainna. It wishes to obey the Shari’at.

CONTENTMENT AND CONSENT

To be content with one’s present state means to thank and praise Allahu ta’ala. Not envying anyone who is higher in rank, richer, more beautiful or more powerful, and simply being satisfied with one’s state brings great peace to the heart. And more than this, such a person is the beloved of Allahu ta’ala. The reason for his being the beloved is due to his being pleased and content with what Allahu ta’ala has given him. Hence, Allahu ta’ala is content with him. Contentment is an inexhaustible treasure. A discontented rich man is lower than a contented poor man. This is because this rich man’s heart is not at peace. On the contrary, since the poor man’s heart is at peace, he will live as if he possesses a treasure. Contentment means to be satisfied with everything coming from Allahu ta’ala. One must be content even if a disaster comes from Allahu ta’ala; one must never complain to anybody. But not all people will be able to do this. Those who can are indeed great because this would mean that they have the patience and endurance which is particular to prophets ‘alaihissalam’. The more a person believes in Allahu ta’ala’s greatness, the greater will be the person’s level of patience and endurance. It is a virtue that should be envied without malice.

HOW IS A GHUSL PERFORMED?

To perform a ghusl as prescribed in the sunnat
[1], we must first wash both of our hands and private parts even if they may be clean. Then, if there is any najasat
[2] on our body, we must wash it away. Then we must perform a complete ablution. While washing our face we must intend to perform a ghusl. If water will not accumulate under our feet, we must wash our feet, too. Then we must pour water on our entire body three times. To do this, we must pour it on our head three times first, then on our right shoulder three times and then on the left shoulder three times. Each time the part on which we pour water must become completely wet. We must also rub it gently during the first pouring. In a ghusl, it is permissible to pour the water on one limb so as to make it flow onto another limb, which, in this case, will be cleaned, too. For in a ghusl the whole body is counted as one limb. If in performing an ablution the water poured on one limb moistens another limb, the second limb will not be considered to have been washed. When a ghusl is completed it is makruh to perform an ablution again.

GLOSSARY

[1] Sunnat: i) (when used alone) The Shari’at; ii) (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. iii) (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet.
[2] Najasat: i) any kind of dirt, filth, that prevents one from performing namaz. ii) religiously impure thing.

FARDS OF ABLUTION

There are four fards of ablution in the Hanafi Madhhab

[1]: To wash the face once; to wash the two arms together with the elbows once; to apply masah on one-fourth of the head, that is, to rub a wet hand softly on it; to wash the feet, together with the ankle-bones on both sides once. [According to the Shafi’i and Maliki madhhabs niyyat (intention) and tartib (order) are fard. In Shafi’i one should intend while washing the face. The ablution will not become sahih (valid) if one intends before the water touches the face.] It is fard to wash the beard on the face and chin. Washing the hanging part of the beard is fard in three madhhabs.

GLOSSARY
[1] madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.

SUNNATS OF ABLUTION

There are eighteen sunnats

[1] in an ablution:1 - To recite the Basmala

[2] before entering the washroom and when beginning to make an ablution.2 - To wash the hands including the wrists three times. 3 - To rinse the mouth three times by using new water each time. This is called madmada.4 - To wash both nostrils three times, taking fresh water each time. This is called istinshaq. 5 - It is sunnat, not fard

[3], to wet the invisible parts of the skin under the eyebrows, the beard and the moustache. It is fard to wash their exterior surfaces. If the hairs are scarce and the skin can be seen, it will be fard to wet and wash the skin. 6 - To wet the section under the two eyebrows when washing the face. 7 - To apply masah (rubbing) on the hanging part of the beard. 8 - To comb (takhlil) the hanging part of the beard with the wetted fingers of the right hand. The face is from the upper edge of the forehead to the end of the chin, and from one to the other front borders of the ears. 9 - To rub and clean the teeth with something. 10 - To apply masah on the whole head once. 11 - To apply masah (to wipe) both ears once. It is fard to wash the parts between the ear and the cheek. 12 - To apply masah on the neck once with three adjacent fingers of both hands. 13 - To wash (takhlil) between the fingers and the toes. For washing between toes, the little finger of the left hand is inserted between the toes from under them in succession, beginning with the little toe of the right foot and, after finishing with the right foot, carrying on with the big toe of the left foot. 14 - To wash every limb three times which is to be washed. At each washing every part of the limb must be moistened. It is sunnat not to pour water three times but to wash it completely three times.15 - To intend through the heart when beginning to wash the face. 16 - Tartib. In other words, to wash the two hands, the mouth, the nostrils, the face, the arms, then to apply masah on the head, on the ears, on the neck, and then to wash the feet successively, and not to change this order. Tartib is fard in the Shafi’i Madh-hab.17 - Dalk, to rub the limbs washed. Dalk and muwalat are fard in the Maliki Madhhab. 18 - Muwalat, to wash the limbs one right after another quickly.

GLOSSARY
[1] Sunnat: i) (when used alone) The Shari’at; ii) (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. iii) (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet.

[2] Basmala: the phrase “Bismi’illahi ‘r-rahmani ‘r-rahim” (In the Name of Allahu ta’ala the Compassionate, the Merciful).

[3] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-kerim. Fard (or fard) means (any behaviour or thought or belief which is) obligatory. Islam’s open commandments are called fard (pl. faraid).

TAHARAT FROM HADAS

There are two kinds of taharat from hadas:

1 - Performance of an ablution by a person who does not have an ablution.

2 - Performance of a ghusl by a person who does not have a ghusl.

Wudu means ablution; tawaddi means to perform an ablution; ghasl means to wash something; ightisal means to perform a ghusl ablution, and ghusl means the ablution of ghusl (in Arabic). He who does not have an ablution is called muhdis. He who does not have a ghusl ablution is called junub. It is written in the book Halabi-yi saghir: “There are fards [1], sunnats [2], adabs [3], and forbidden things in an wudu (ablution). If a person performs salat without an ablution though he does not have a good excuse for doing so and though he knows that he does not have an ablution, he becomes a disbeliever. He who loses his ablution while performing salat, performs the salam (saying "Assalam-u alaikum wa rahmat-ullah" in finishing the prayer) to one side right away and stops his salat. Re-making an ablution before the prescribed time period is over, he begins the salat again. ” In Maliki madhhab [4], his salat will not be nullified and he will become owner of an excuse in that moment.
GLOSSARY
[1] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-kerim. Fard (or fard) means (any behaviour or thought or belief which is) obligatory. Islam’s open commandments are called fard (pl. faraid).

[2] sunna: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada (there is thawab if done, but no sin if omitted, yet it causes sin if continually omitted and disbelief if disliked; the Sunna; i) (with fard) all the sunnas as a whole; ii) (with the Book or Qur’an al-kerim) the Hadith ash-sharif; iii) (alone) fiqh, Islam.

[3] Adab: there is a special adab in doing everything. The adab of doing something means to follow the conditions necessary for doing it in the best way.

[4] madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.

Faith groups speak with one voice against far-right ahead of General Election

22 April 2010

With racism and hatred manifesting itself so starkly recently in the form of anti-Muslim hatred, Islamophobia and xenephobia, the Muslim Council of Britain today voiced its support for the following pledge:

“With the approach of the General Election we are all too aware of those political forces who would seek to divide our country by promoting ideologies of racism and prejudice. We are immensely proud of the fundamentally British characteristics of equality, respect and fairness and of British society’s uncompromising rejection of the demonisation of any group, whether religious, ethnic or otherwise.

We therefore urge every British citizen to use their vote to support any party of their choice which stands opposed to the destructive politics of hatred, to vote for freedom not fear, partnerships not prejudice, and hope not hate.”

This pledge is pertinent now when there is a very real prospect that far-right parties – emboldened by their hatred of Muslims and others – may make significant electoral gains at the General Elections.

The pledge unites organisations from across all of British society, including a range of faith-based and minority community bodies. It brings together people of diverse religious affiliations and political persuasions to deliver a clear message to those that seek to divide and cause conflict between people because of their religion, culture or ethnicity: we are united in our opposition to the politics of hate.

[END]

Notes to editors:

1. The Muslim Council of Britain is The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.

2. In addition to the MCB, the growing list of signatories are: Aliph Aleph UK, Assembly of Masorti Synagogues, Board of Deputies of British Jews, British ORT, Christian Muslim Forum, Church of England, Churches Together in England, City Circle, City Hindus Network, City Sikhs Network, Coexistence Trust, Community Security Trust, Resource - The Jewish Employment Advice Centre, , Faith Matters, Federation of Poles of Great Britain, Federation of Student Islamic Societies, Federation of Synagogues, Friends, Families and Travellers, Hindu Academy Holocaust Educational Trust, Hope Not Hate, Institute of Jainology, Jain Samaj Europe, , JAMI, Jewish Action & Training Jewish Council for Racial Equality, Jewish Blind and Disabled, Jewish Care, Jewish Community Housing, Jewish Leadership Council Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade,Joseph Interfaith Foundation , Kick It Out, League of Jewish Women, Leo Baeck College Liberal Judaism, London Jewish Forum, Maccabi, Methodist Church, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, Movement for Reform Judaism, Muslim Council of Britain , Muslim Safety Forum, Office of Chief Rabbi, , Operation Black Vote, Sikh Human Rights Group, Sikhs in England, Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation, St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace & Reconciliation, Three Faiths Forum, UJIA, Union of Jewish Students, United Synagogue, World Jewish Relief, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe

3. For further information and British Muslims and the General Election, visit www.muslimvote.org.uk

4. Media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Media Office on 0845 26 26 786 or 07956 353 738. Email: media@mcb.org.uk.

5. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Office at The Muslim Council of Britain, PO Box 57330, London E1 2WJ. Tel: 0845 26 26 786 Fax: 0207 247 7079
6. This press release and other MCB publications and information are available on the MCB website at www.mcb.org.uk

Hadrat Mahdi will come

Question: There are people who say that Mahdi is a superstition. What answer should we give them?

ANSWER
In the books Alamat-i Mahdi by Ibn Hajar-i Makki, Al-Burhan by Imam-i Suyuti, and Mukhtasar-i Tadhkira-i Qurtubi by Imam-i Sharani, nearly 200 signs of Mahdi are written. Saying “superstition” concerning Mahdi is infidelity to knowledge and a presage of Doomsday. Some of the pertinent hadith-i sharifs are as follows:
(Before Doomsday, Allahu ta’ala will create one of my descendants, whose name and father’s name will be the same as those of mine. The earth, which will have been filled with cruelty before him, will be filled with justice during his time.) [Tirmidhi, Ibn Asakir]
(There will be a cloud just above Mahdi’s head. An angel from the cloud will say, “This is Mahdi. Follow what he says.”) [Abu Nu’aym]
(Doomsday will not come until a person from my ahl-i bait rules over the world. He has a broad forehead and an aquiline nose. When the earth is filled with cruelty, he will fill it with justice. He will reign for seven years.) [Muslim]
(The Ashab-i Kahf [Companions of the Cave] will be Mahdi’s assistants, and ‘Isa will descend from the sky during his time. As ‘Isa fights the Dajjal, Mahdi will be with him) [Imam-i Suyuti]
(Four persons took possession of the earth. Two of them were Believers, namely, Dhulqarnain and Sulaiman. The other two were disbelievers, namely, Namrud [Nimrod] and Buhtunnassar [Nebuchadnezzar]. Fifthly, the earth will be owned by one of my descendants.) [Imam-i Suyuti]
(Join those who will come from the direction of Khorasan with black flags. Among them will be Mahdi, Allah’s caliph.) [Hakim, Imam-i Ahmad, Daylami]
(How can an Ummah perish when it begins with me, ends with ‘Isa, son of Maryam, and has Mahdi, who is from my ahl-i bait, in the middle of it?) [Hakim, Ibn Asakir]
(A group of people coming forth from the East will help Mahdi.) [Ibn Maja, Tabarani]
(When Mahdi appears, Allahu ta’ala will shower His mercy on him.) [Imam-i Ahmad, Hakim]
(Mahdi is from my progeny. He will fill the earth with truth and justice.) [Abu Dawud]
(Mahdi will not come forth until the earth is covered by disbelief.) [Maktubat-i Rabbani, Vol. II, Letter 68]
(When Mahdi comes, there will be abundance. My Ummah will live in comfort.) [Ibn Abi Shayba]
(Mahdi is from ahl-i bait. Allahu ta’ala will make him mature within a single night.) [Ibn Maja, Imam-i Ahmad]
(He who disbelieves the coming of the Dajjal or Mahdi becomes a kâfir [non-Muslim].) [Fawaid-il Ahbar, Shar’is-Siyar]
(Mahdi is from Quraish and from my ahl-i bait.) [Imam-i Ahmad, Bawardi]
(Mahdi will be from my descendants.) [Ibn Maja]
(Mahdi will be from the offspring of Fatimah.) [Abu Dawud, Hakim]
(Mahdi will be from the descendants of my uncle Abbas.) [Ibn Asakir, Dara Qutni]
(O Abbas! A young man from your descendants will fill the earth with justice. He will perform salat with ‘Isa.) [Hatib, Ibn Asakir, Dara Qutni]
[There is no contradiction between these statements. Hadrat Abdulqadir-i Ghaylani, for example, was a sayyid on his mother’s side and a sharif on his father’s side. As for Hadrat Mahdi, if a young man who is a lineal descendant of Hadrat Fatima marries a woman who is a lineal descendant of Hadrat Abbas, Hadrat Mahdi, in such a case, will be a descendant of both ancestors.]
Hadrat Ali stated, pointing to his son Hasan, “A man from the offspring of this son of mine will appear. He will fill the earth with justice” (Abu Dawud).
No person who has reason and faith can reject these hadith-i sharifs reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja, Tirmidhi, whose hadith collections are together called Kutub-i Sitta, and by other hadith scholars and the explanations given by Ahl as-Sunna scholars. It is contrary to our religion to give them a different meaning. If everybody attempted to interpret each Islamic rule in a different way, there would be no such thing as religion.
Hadrat Imam-i A’zam stated:
“We believe [without giving them a figurative sense] that Gog and Magog’s emerging, the sun’s rising in the west, Hadrat ‘Isa’s descent from the sky, the coming of the Dajjal, and all other signs before Doomsday will take place in due course in exactly the same way as they were stated in hadith-i sharifs” [Fiqh-i akbar].

Google reveals UK's censorship and snooping demands

Google is making search censorship requests from governments public, and the UK is one of the most demanding out there.
By Nicole Kobie, 21 Apr 2010 at 11:03

The UK is one of the most demanding countries when it comes to censoring Google search results and asking for data, the web giant has revealed.

Google has started to publish the number of requests it receives from countries, noting the number of data requests and removal requests they make - and approve.

"We already try to be as transparent as legally possible with respect to requests. Whenever we can, we notify users about requests that may affect them personally," explained Google's chief legal officer David Drummond, in a blog post.

"If we remove content in search results, we display a message to users," he added. "The numbers we are sharing today take this transparency a step further and reflect the total number of requests we have received broken down by jurisdiction."
UK demands

According to the mapped data, which is from the second half of last year, the UK made 1,116 data requests from the web giant, ranking it third after Brazil and the US.
The UK also had 59 requests to remove access to bits from Google's empire, ranking it sixth, with three-quarters approved by the web giant.

The majority, some 43 requests, were against YouTube, while court orders were taken out to take down eight web searches, one group and one image search.

Brazil topped both rankings, with 3,663 data requests and 291 removal requests. The US was second for data requests with 3,580 and fourth for removal requests with 123, including 63 on YouTube. (See below for the rankings.)

More detail?

Google has so far just released the basic numbers, and hasn't revealed topics the requests pertained to, but said it would "fine-tune the types of data we display".

Drummond said that while Google "cannot yet provide more detail about our compliance with user data requests in a useful way, we intend to do so in the future."

The tool also doesn't include every country around the world, missing out Africa and much of the Middle East, as well as China - despite Google's ongoing spat with the country.

"Chinese officials consider censorship demands as state secrets, so we cannot disclose that information at this time," Google noted, to explain why Chinese stats weren't included.

Top countries for removal requests

Brazil - 291
Germany - 188
India - 142
US - 123
South Korea - 64
UK - 59
Italy - 57
Argentina - 42
Spain - 42
Australia - 17
Canada - 16

(The rest listed had fewer than 10 requests.)

Top countries for data requests

Brazil - 3,663
US - 3,580
UK - 1,166
India - 1,061
France - 846
Italy - 550
Germany - 458
Spain - 324
Australia - 155
Argentina - 98

TAWAKKUL OF A PERSON WHO WORKS

Imam-i Ghazali says in his book Kimya-i Sa'adat:

The tawakkul of a person who works is not to depend on his capital. And its symptom is that when he loses his capital his heart does not feel worried, or give up hope of his sustenance. For, a person who relies on Allahu ta'ala knows that He will send his sustenance from places he does not expect at all. If He does not send him sustenance, he will think that this is better for him. It is not easy to acquire such tawakkul. All your property has been stolen, or you have undergone a great catastrophe, and your heart still does not change; this is not something everybody can do. Those who have such tawakkul are very few, but they are not nonexistent. Attaining such tawakkul requires the heart's complete and positive belief in the endlessness of Allah's blessing, compassion and favouring, and in that His power is in the greatest perfection. One must think that He sends sustenance to many people though they do not have any capital, while, on the other hand, many fortunes cause perdition. One must as well know that it is good for oneself if one loses one's own capital. Rasulullah 'sallallahu alaihi wa sallam' stated, "A person spends the night thinking of the things he is going to do the next day. But that things will bring calamity upon him. Allahu ta'ala, pitying this slave of His, does not let him do it. And he, in his turn, becomes sorry because he is not able to do it. Thinking, 'Why hasn't this business of mine been accomplished? Who doesn't let me do it? Who on earth is imposing this enmity upon me?' and he begins to think ill of his friends. However, Allahu ta'ala, having mercy upon him, has protected him against calamity." For this reason Hadrat [1] 'Umar 'radiyallahu anh' said, "If I become poor, needy tomorrow, I will never feel sorry. I will never think of getting rich, for I do not know which is better for me."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GLOSSARY

[1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.

VISITING AN ILL PERSON

Sayyid Abdulhakim bin Mustafa Arwasi 'rahmatullahi aleyh' says in his booklet Safar-i-akhirat: Visitors to an ill person must not stay very long. Even if they are people loved by the ill person, they must leave early. If an ill person asks, they must stay a little longer and, asking for permission after a while, they must leave if he does not ask them to stay. It is not right not to let anyone enter a seriously ill person's room. Pious people must enter the room and stay there long enough to say the Sura [1] Ikhlas once, even if the ill person does not want them to. You should not deprive the ill person with the excuse that the doctor said that no one must see him or talk to him. Pious people must enter his room and recite the Sura Yasin-i-sherif. It would be useful even to say it secretly. People with an ill person must not say exciting things that may worsen his illness; they must not tell stories or start conversations on such topics as newspapers, property, trade, politics and governments. The person on his deathbed must eat what is halal [2]. As far as possible, he must eat things prepared after saying the Basmala [3] and other prayers by vigilant-hearted people who have ablution. People with an ill person must tell religious tales and quote the words of the Awliya [4], of savants, and of pious sages. They must elevate his love for these people. Talking about the Awliya-i-kiram 'rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajma'in' causes Allah's compassion. When the symptoms of death are seen, children, people who are junub [5], and menstruating women must not be allowed into his room. Great care must be taken not to leave any pictures in the room, nor even in the house. Some savants or pious sages must be with him and try to get him to say the Kalima-i-tawhid (saying "La ilaaha illallah") without forcing him. He must not be oppressed to say it; those who are with him must say it loud enough to let him hear, but he must not be annoyed. If he says it once he need not be coached to say it again. If he says other things, he must be reminded to say the Kalima-i-tawhid once more. That is, his last word must be the Kalima-i-tawhid. It is sunna [6] for those who are with him to have him say, "la ilaha illallah," once without forcing him. It is preferrable for those who will remind him to say the Kalima-i-tawhid not to be his adversaries or inheritors. If no others are available his inheritors can do it.

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GLOSSARY

[1] sura(t): a Qur'anic chapter [a chapter of the Qur'an]. [2] halal: (act, thing) permitted in Islam. [3] Basmala: the phrase "Bismi'illahi 'r-rahmani 'r-rahim" (In the Name of Allahu ta'ala the Compassionate, the Merciful). [4] Awliya: (pl. of Wali) a person loved by Allahu ta'ala. [5] Junub: i) a person who needs a ghusl ablution. What causes a person to become junub is prescribed by Islam. Ii) state of a Muslim needing ablution of his whole body (needing a ghusl). [6] sunna: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta'ala, done and liked by the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) as an 'ibada (there is thawab if done, but no sin if omitted, yet it causes sin if continually omitted and disbelief if disliked; the Sunna; i) (with fard) all the sunnas as a whole; ii) (with the Book or Qur'an al-kerim) the Hadith ash-sharif; iii) (alone) fiqh, Islam.

MCB Responds to Shocking News That Replica Mosques are Being Used as Army Firing Targets

8 April 2010 The Muslim Council of Britain was shocked and saddened to learn of replica mosques being used as Army firing targets in Catterick. Allowing the places of worship to be used in this manner sends out all the wrong signals on so many levels. The MCB raised the issue with the Ministry of Defence in the past and is now raising once again to seek clarification. Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said "Over many months mosques in this country have been at the forefront of anti-Muslim hate campaigns, vandalism and even arson attacks. This totally unacceptable and worrying practice of using replica mosques as firing targets plays into the very hands of those on the far-right who take aim at mosques. The Army must go beyond simply apologising and acknowledging that this insensitive practice must now stop. They have worked hard to highlight the contribution of Muslims in our armed forces. We hope swift action is taken to safeguard this good work and ensure cohesion". (END) Notes to Editors: The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools. Media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Media Office on 0845 26 26 786 or 07956 353 738. Email: media@mcb.org.uk. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Office at The Muslim Council of Britain, PO Box 57330, London E1 2WJ. Email: admin@mcb.org.uk Tel: 0845 26 26 786 Fax: 0207 247 7079 This press release and other MCB publications and information are available on the MCB website at www.mcb.org.uk

An Encounter With a Jinn (Genie) In Egypt

In my Blogum (a hybrid blog-column) posted Jan 8, 2010, it was revealed that I recently had an encounter with a Jinn in Egypt. In Arabic, male Jinn are called 'jinni' and females 'jinniya.' They are earthbound spirits who may fall into the same category as the faeries of European lore as they live in this world (right here) as opposed to the transpersonal forces that reside in the spirit world (over there.) In the Holy Ku'ran (Koran), the great prophet Mohammed himself reveals that the Jinn are real, that they are formed of holy fire (energy) and that they are normally invisible, but capable of becoming visible at their pleasure. He proclaims that they are moral, but that they can also be mischievous, even troublesome, to those who cannot control them. This Jinn was encountered in a shrine at the great mortuary temple of Medinat Habu near the Valley of the Kings. After my initial encounter in the temple on Dec. 7, 2009, I returned to the shrine through my shamanic journeywork on Dec. 8 where the Jinn and I then had a most unusual conversation. Let me say in advance that this dialogue did not occur in English nor in Arabic but rather in the non-verbal communication modality that I conceive of as 'think-feeling.' My job, as always, is to translate and reconstruct the entirety of the contact after the fact from blocks of information that I can recall and transcribe into written notes. As a prelude, allow me to offer that during the second encounter, the jinni manifested itself first as two disembodied eyeballs. and since this didn't deter me, it then carefully chose to reveal itself as a smoky humanoid form that flickered at the edges, shifting back and forth from one vague shape to another in pastel hues of orange, yellows and greens, with deeper core areas of more brilliant light as its mood shifted in response to our dialogue. But if its etheric form was somewhat diffuse, its voice was quite distinct, allowing me to share what follows with confidence. After identifying myself and what my intentions were for being there (in my journeywork), I revealed that I had been there the day before (and the Jinn remembered this,) that I had been in contact with Jinn before in Ethiopia in 1995 and 1996, and in Egypt in 2003. I mention this because upon learning that I had had contact with the Jinn before, the jinni became most respectful, even helpful. Knowing that the Jinn can be mischievous, I tricked it into telling me its name, and after that I was the one in control and the Jinn could not lie to me. I say this for those of you among my readers who know the Jinn and how tricky dealing with them can be Initially the Jinn revealed that it had originally come from a place in the western desert (the name of this place meant nothing to me, nor could I later find it on a map,) and that it had attached itself to an early traveler through that region who had eventually come to Egypt. When I asked 'when?' the jinni didn't seem to understand the question. When its human 'host' had died, the jinni had decided to remain near the river Nile and had taken up residence in different places, most recently in this shrine once the temple had been released from the grip of the desert sands that had covered most of it in the interim. When I asked how long it had been there, once again it didn't seem to understand the question. (My note: The Jinn's confusion about time is in alignment with my understanding that it is only when we are embodied in physical form that we are subject to and immersed within 'Time.' When we are in spirit between lives, we are then in the 'timeless.' And since Jinn are without physical form, they are in fact in the realm of timeless in which all time is 'now.') Has the conversation that follows been influenced by my own current interests and interpretations? Undoubtably, as I am a scholar and I do a lot of reading, yet the interwoven information that follows is compelling to say the least, even heretical at times. So here it is for your consideration, recorded shortly after it occurred. THE CONVERSATION (taken from my written notes) I began by asking the jinni if there was anything it wanted. a good beginning. In the pregnant silence that followed my question, an image of the carved granite altar in front of the shrine came up in my mind. In response, the Jinn's field brightened considerably as though a pulse of energy surged through its light. and hesitantly, almost shyly, an answer came. 'Honey!' As I digested this request, my impressions of the Jinn that was before me were somewhat like being observed by a cat waiting to be fed. There was that same unwavering, expectant intensity. In response, I used my creative imagination, a function of my egoic mental soul, to create a small bowl of honey as a thoughtform. I held it is my hands for long moments (in the hands of my dream-body, of course, for I was 'there' in my shamanic visioning.) I had the Jinn's complete attention. As I slowly extended my dream arms to place the dream bowl of honey on the altar, I said: 'I will give you this honey if you will tell me your name.' Any resistance in the Jinn was gone. As it took the honey and drank it gratefully, the jinni's name appeared in my mind. Then. satisfied, the jinni turned its attention fully toward me. Was there an energetic smile? Perhaps. J(inn): You humans are creators. We, the Jinn, cannot create but we can mimic. we can imitate. and we can affect potential outcomes, but we cannot create. (There was a long thoughtful pause and then:) J: Few can perceive us anymore and fewer still can bind us to their will. Now that I have told you my name great one (offered respect to me,) you can ask me to serve you, and I will. HW: I have been called by other Jinn 'El Kobbet'-the binder. And what qualities and abilities do you possess that might be of service to me? (The Jinn flickered thoughtfully, then answered.) J: I can protect you from enemies and I can inflict curses and misfortune on those who oppose you. HW: I am constrained in my practice from inflicting harm on anyone for any reason. (Still, I thought, this genie might come in handy if a real bad guy came along or someone threatened me of my family with harm.) J: .Or with ill will. (I had momentarily forgotten that the mental channel was an open one.) HW: How about healing work? (The Jinn's field dimmed in intensity. His answer was startling.) J: Who can say what is written on another person's soul? We cannot purposefully influence their destiny without tampering with their agreement. HW: Agreement with who.? J: With the higher organizing intelligences... HW: Are the Jinn below them in the spiritual hierarchy? J: Oh yes. Some of the younger Jinn occasionally misbehave. The watchers approach them then and encourage them in more appropriate forms of expression. HW: Who are the watchers? J: The ones among the higher intelligences responsible for this world. We are not allowed to interfere with humans on their path although there are some who do, as well as those who function as adversaries. (I thought about some of my recent reading and asked: HW: Are those the ones that the Gnostikoi called the archons? (I used the Greek term for the Gnostics.) J: Oh. so you know about them. (The Jinn's field brightened reflecting excitement.) The archons are not true spirits. They are mind beings, mental entities many of who were created by humans as thought-forms. Many of these function as attachments. as mental parasites. HW: How do they do that? J: They feed on the energy. on the attention paid to them by humans. This includes the energy generated by human belief systems. But they are not true spirits and they will cease to exist if nobody pays attention to them any more. The ones you call 'the archons' are those that we call 'the deceivers,' and like us they are not creative. But they can mimic and they can take on forms in response to human belief systems. (I thought about this at some length, then asked.) HW: Are they the ones we call the aliens or extraterrestrials? (The Jinn didn't appear to understand the question so I explained. Its response was more than interesting.) J: The deceivers can take on many forms, drawing from the belief systems of humans. and. there are also visitors who come here from other places. HW: From other worlds? J: Yes. HW: Who are they and why do they come here? J: They are 'others' and they come here as visitors. HW: Why do they abduct humans and perform experiments on them? J: They don't. That is the deceivers who do that. HW: The deceivers? Why do they do that? J: Humans are greater than the deceivers. The deceivers that you have called the archons wish to become more like humans. They cannot create. They can only imitate and the only power that they have is derived from humans. Humans have power. and the deceivers want that power. HW: Why don't the watchers, as you call them, inhibit the archons, the deceivers, from interfering with humans? J: The deceivers are not spirits. They live in the human mind, so the watchers cannot affect them. (I considered this at some length, then asked some more questions.) HW: How long will you remain in this shrine? (Again, the Jinn didn't appear to understand the question, so I rephrased it.) J: This is my place. HW: If I travel in my spirit form, in my dream-body to this place, will I find you here? J: Yes. HW: Why do you remain here instead of going someplace else? J: This is my place. HW: Some years ago I met a jinniya in the desert to the south of this place. She was of service to me in an interesting way. Do you know her? J: Yes. All the Jinn know each other. HW: Can you tell me her name? J: No. HW: Can you convey my greetings to her as well as my respect? J: Yes. but you can do that yourself if you have connection with her. HW: I have not felt the connection for many years. J: Time is 'not' in the world of spirit. All time is now. HW: Do the Jinn exist elsewhere in the world, beyond the deserts of Egypt and the Middle east? J: Yes. HW: What are they called. J: I do not know. We are the Jinn. earthbound spirits. We live where we wish. HW: Where did the Jinn come from? J: The Jinn are manifestations of great spiritual force that the Gnostikoi called the Sophia. Everything that exists on this world exists as manifestations of the Sophia. HW: Who or what is the Sophia? J: She is the soul of this world. HW: Does she have a physical aspect? J: Yes. This world is her physical aspect. HW: Where did Sophia come from? J: She came from the center of. (The Jinn used a strange term to me. In asking for clarification, I was given to understand that the Sophia came from the core of our galaxy.) HW: Is the Sophia a goddess? J: I don't know. She emerged from the (strange term) as a river of conscious light. She dreams and all that she dreams comes into manifestation. That means that she is an (unrecognizable term). (I changed tactics.) HW: Do the Jinn have souls? J: Yes. Everything that exists has a soul. HW: Are there greater Jinn and lesser Jinn? J: Yes. HW: Are you a greater Jinn? J: No. HW: Are you a lesser Jinn? J: No. (I didn't know if the jinni was simply being modest or whether it didn't understand the question, so I asked this: 'Who are the lesser Jinn?') J: They are units of ensouled energy that are growing in their awareness. HW: Where do they originate? J: From the Sophia. She emanates and they are products of her dreaming. HW: Are they orbs? (The Jinn didn't understand 'orbs' so I elaborated about those spheres of light picked up by the flash of digital cameras. I also disclosed how our photographs taken in the great Egyptian temples at night often revealed masses of orbs while photos taken away from the sites revealed few or none. This was the Jinn's response.) J: These 'orbs' are units of ensouled light in the process of growing and becoming more. They approach you because they are curious about you. they are drawn toward human thoughts and emotions. HW: Are they Jinn? J: They are Jinn in becoming. HW: Are the Jinn responsible for the crop circles? (Again, it didn't understand the question. When I explained, it still didn't know. but it did offer and opinion.) J: Perhaps these signs are created by the higher organizing intelligences. HW: Why would they do that? J: To get your attention. HW: Why would they want to do that? J: I do not know. Maybe to reveal their presence and their awareness of you and your deeds. or misdeeds. (We seemed to be coming to the end of our conversation, so I asked a few more questions.) HW: Were humans created by God? J: No. Humans are manifestations of the Sophia. HW: Creations of the Sophia? J: No. The Sophia does not create. She emanates and she does so through her dreaming. Humans create. HW: So are human souls emanations of Sophia's dreaming? J: No. Your souls are sourced by the Originator. It is your body that is human with its raw powerful emotions. Your soul is simply a soul. It is spirit in nature and it is not human. HW: Is the Judeo-Christian-Islamic father god (Yahweh-Jehovah-Allah) the Originator? J: No. HW: Is it the creator? J: No. HW: Who or what is Yahweh-Jehovah-Allah? J: He is the arch deceiver. You might call him the lord archon after the terminology of the Gnostikoi. (I thought about this for several moments, then.) HW: Who and what is the lord archon? J: He is the arch mind parasite who has been serving as humanity's adversary and who has been operating against humans from his beginnings. (I digested this for more long moments. From my readings I would learn that this insight is in alignment with information recorded by the Gnostics in the Nag Hammadi Library found in the desert near Dendara in Egypt-scrolls that date from the 4th Century.) HW: You mean that he is not the creator as so many humans believe and claim? J: Yes. The arch deceiver cannot create anything although he claims that he can. He is an archon. He can only mimic. HW: Why is he so powerful and why have all three of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) revered him? J: They were all of them deceived by the lord archon. He is the arch deceiver and he derives his power from those he has deceived-from those who believe that he is the creator. that he is the Originator. But he is not. HW: So he is not the Originator? J: That is correct. He is the lord archon. HW: Are the archons-the deceivers-evil? J: No. HW: Do they operate in the negative polarity? (This took some explaining.) J: Yes. They encourage humans to go wrong in their behavior. HW: Why do they do this? J: That is their nature. They are deceivers. HW: And what then is the source of evil? J: Humans. The archons influence humans to err in their behavior until they reach that point where they can no longer self correct. At that point, humans create evil because that is their nature. They are creators and they have been influenced by the deceivers. They are still being influenced by the deceivers. HW: So evil did not exist until humans created it? J: That is correct. HW: And is the Lord Archon is evil? J: No. He is the arch deceiver who has operated against humanity as the adversary since his beginning. HW: Is this why so many religious wars have been fought in the name of religion? Is this why millions of women were killed by the Church in the Middle Ages during the Great Witch Hunts? J: Yes. The Judeo-Christian-Islamic god is the lord archon. It was his influence that manifested itself in humans with twisted minds to manifest great acts of evil. He is still doing that. HW: You mean that he still has the power to do that again? J: The Lord archon has no power of his own. He is not a creator. He is an archon. Humans are creators and what they create is up to them. He influences them to go into what you call the negative polarity because that is his nature. HW: So the choice is ultimately ours? J: That is correct. Humans can create evil or they can create its opposite. HW: Is that how we deal with the problem of evil? J: I do not know. That is your responsibility as humans. In my opinion, humans created evil now they must un-create it. HW: How do we do that? J: By creating evil's opposite. And by changing your thoughts. The archons live in your thoughts. They are what you would call psychic vampires who feed on the energy of your thoughts and emotions. Yet humans will always have the power that comes with choice for humans are creators, but if humans allow the archons to influence them in your thinking, you humans will choose wrongly. The deceivers take delight in violence and warfare, greed and deception, competition and denial, corruption and mendacity. They encourage humans to take refuge in what you have called the negative polarity. I like this term. HW: Did we create the gods? J: That is correct. HW: Who or what is the Originator? J: No one knows. That is the Great Mystery. HW: Where is the Originator? J: Everywhere. HW: So it is the creator? J: No. The Originator emanates. It does not purposefully create. Humans do that. HW: Can we interact with the Originator? Does it listen to our prayers? J: No. It simply exists. It emanates for that is its nature. HW: So the Originator is not a God? J: No. It is the Originator. (I asked a few last questions.) HW: Is there a personal god who listens to our prayers, works in mysterious ways, and so forth and so on.? J: Yes. That personal god is your own soul. the immortal part of your self who does not die. You humans have created it on your long journey across eternity. Unlike the archons, your individual soul aspect is a true spirit and resides always in the spirit world. It is part of the dreaming and as such, it dreams. always. HW: And whose dream does it dream? J: Its own. HW: So when we pray to god almighty, we are actually praying to ourself? J: That is correct. You are praying to your soul-self, your higher self, your god self. This is how the real gods come into being. You ensouled humans are all in the process of becoming god-selves. And when you dream, this experience is actually your higher-soul's dream. HW: Do the Jinn have god-selves? J: We are god-selves. We are spirits. And we have free will. It was at this point that this extraordinary conversation came to a close. *** I might add a reading reference for those who want more information about the true origins of Christianity, the Gnostics, and their perceptions of the archons, and especially the lord archon whose name 2000 years ago was Yaldebayoth.

Tesco Diets news on MSN

Nutrition Team What are your plans for the bank holiday? Well, if the glorious weather would come back, we'll likely be heading outdoors for barbeques and picnics, perhaps even spending the weekend on the beach. While the Bank Holiday means an opportunity for eating more, the extra time on our hands also means we have the opportunity to get more active. Here are a few tips to keep your weight loss on track over the long weekend: 1. Stay focused You know what your target weight is. You know how many pounds you want to lose this week. You know why you want to lose the weight. And you know that it is possible. Stay focused to your goals, stick to the plan and your weight loss can stay firmly on track. 2. Plan what you are going to eat There's no point in deciding that you are having a stir-fry if you are going on a picnic for the afternoon. Make sure to plan foods that are appropriate to your activities - you can't bring your wok to the beach but you could bring sandwiches with low fat fillings, salads and crunchy vegetables, low fat dips, rice cakes or bread sticks and fresh fruit salad. These picnic foods are suitable for packing and travelling, satisfying and won't ruin your diet . 3. Watch your alcohol intake!(Muislims, should not need to worry on this one? or should they!!!! We're all likely to have a beer with our barbeque, or a glass of wine with dinner on a weekend away but don't go crazy! Alcohol adds calories. Remember, a pint of lager will set you back 130 calories, a measure of spirits 55 calories (that's before the mixer) and a glass of wine, 100 calories. 4. Choose your friends wisely The Bank Holiday will give you extra time to spend with friends and family. Harsh as it may seem, make a point of seeing the ones you know will support you in your effort to weight loss. If your mother will make you feel guilty for turning down the cake ("But it's your favourite, I made it especially for you."), plan your day so you spend meal times where healthy options don't mean hurt feelings. 5. Get physical! Gather a group of friends together or take yourself outside with the kids. Frisbee or volleyball (210 calorie per hour), football or rounders (400-500 cals per hour) will burn lots of calories without feeling like hard work! If you want to get the spring cleaning done, on the other hand, you'll be burning 250 calories per hour, 350 cals per hour if you take yourself into the garden and get digging! Or, if you want to party, dancing burns around 320 calories per hour! 6. Walk your way to weight loss Leisurely walking burns around 175 calories per hour, while you can burn over 350 cals per hour hiking. So walk around the zoo or shopping centre, take that forest trail or walk along the beach. The warmer weather and long evenings give you plenty of opportunities to walk the weight off. 7. Try something new Always wanted to try rollerblading, horse riding, water skiing? Whatever it is that you really want to do, get out there and just do it !

GRADES IN FOLLOWING RASULULLAH "SALL ALLAHU 'ALAIHI WA SALLAM" (PART 1)

There are seven grades in following Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The first one is to learn, believe and do the rules of Islam. All Muslims, savants, zahids and, abids following Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) are in this grade. Their nafs [1] haven't fully believed or surrendered to Allah. Allahu ta'ala, with His great pity, accepts only the belief in their hearts. The second grade, together with doing the commands, is to follow all the instructions and habits of Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and to purify the heart from evil inclinations. Those who walk on the path of tasawwuf [2] are in this grade. The third grade involves conforming oneself to all the states, spiritual pleasures, and things that come to the heart which occurred to Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). This grade is obtained in the rank which tasawwuf calls wilayat-i hassa. Here, the nafs, too, believes and obeys and all worships become real and perfect. The fourth level consists of being real and faultless in all auspicious deeds as well as in all acts of worship. This is peculiar to the great ones who are called 'Ulama-i Rasihin. These savants with perfect knowledge understand the deep meanings and denotations in the Qur'an and hadiths. Such were the Ashab [3] (radi Allahu ta'ala anhum ajma'in) of all the Prophets. The nafs of all of them believed and became obedient. Blessings of this sort falls to the lot of either those who advance in the way of tasawwuf and wilayat [4] or those who obey all the sunnats [5] and abstain from all the bid'ats [6]. Source:Turktakvim

GLOSSARY

[1] nafs: a force in man which wants him to harm himself religiously; an-nafs al-ammara. A negative force within man prompting him to do evil. (Nafs-i ammara). Nafs is ammara by creation, that is, it always wishes evil and harmful deeds to be done. It is reluctant to obey the Shari'at. The nafs of a man who obeys the Shari'at and makes progress in the way of tasawwuf becomes mutmainna. It wishes to obey the Shari'at. [2] Tasawwuf: (Islamic sufism as defined by Islam) knowledge and (after adapting oneself to fiqh) practice of the manners of the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) which strengthens iman, makes the practice of fiqh easy and provides one to attain ma'rifa; 'ilm at-tasawwuf. [See the book Maktubat by Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alaih)]. [3] As'hab-i kiram: (as-Sahabat al-kiram); the Companions of Rasulullah. [4] Wilayat: the grade reached by a Muslim who has managed the very hard job of adapting his every word, every action and every thought to the Shari'at. Such a person is called a Wali. [5] Sunnat: 1- (when used alone) The Shari'at; 2- (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. 3- (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet. [6] bid'at: (pl. bida') heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or 'ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings) ; heresy.

GRADES IN FOLLOWING RASULULLAH "SALL ALLAHU 'ALAIHI WA SALLAM" (PART 2)

Today, bid'ats [1] have invaded the whole world, and sunnats [2] have been lost; so much so that it is beyond possibility to recover the sunnats and adhere to them and to save oneself from this ocean of bid'ats. However, customs cannot build up the religion or the Shari'at [3], no matter how widely they have settled and spread or how beautiful they look. Things that are haram [4] or cause disbelief can never be halal [5] or jaiz (permitted), even if they are customarily done or used. [This means that to reach this grade it is obligatory today to advance on the way of tasawwuf [6]. In the early centuries of Islam it was easy to follow all the sunnat. There was no specific need for tasawwuf then.] The fifth grade is to adapt oneself to the perfect, high qualities peculiar to Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). These qualities cannot be obtained through knowledge or worshipping. They come only through Allah's blessing. In this grade are great Prophets (salawatullahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajma'in) and very few great ones of the ummat [7] of Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The sixth grade is to adapt oneself to the perfect qualities of mahbubiyyat and ma'shuqiyyat in Rasulullah (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). This is peculiar to those whom Allahu ta'ala loves very much; it cannot be obtained through blessings, muhabbat (love) is necessary. The seventh grade involves all the motes of a man's body adapting themselves to him. The follower is so similar to the one followed that a state of imitation no longer exists. He, too, as if like Rasulullah, takes everything from the same source. Source:Turktakvim

GLOSSARY

[1] bid'at: (pl. bida') heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or 'ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings) ; heresy. [2] Sunnat: 1- (when used alone) The Shari'at; 2- (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. 3- (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet. [3] Shari'at: (pl. of Shari'a) i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion. [4] Haram: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta'ala. [5] halal: (act, thing) permitted in Islam. [6] Tasawwuf: (Islamic sufism as defined by Islam) knowledge and (after adapting oneself to fiqh) practice of the manners of the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) which strengthens iman, makes the practice of fiqh easy and provides one to attain ma'rifa; 'ilm at-tasawwuf. [See the book Maktubat by Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alaih)]. [7] ummat: (pl. of umma) the community, body of believers, of a prophet.

WHAT DOES SUNNAT MEAN?

The term sunnat has three different meanings in our religion. When Book and Sunnat are said together, the Book means the Qur'an and the Sunnat means hadiths. When said Fard and Sunnat fard means Allah's commandments and sunnat means our Prophet's 'sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam' sunnats, that is, his commands. When the word Sunnat is used alone, it means the Shari'at, that is, all the rules of Islam. Books of fiqh [1] teach this fact. For example, it is written in Mukhtasar-i Quduri, "He who knows the Sunnat best will become the imam [2]. " When explaining this statement, the book Jawhara writes, "In this context Sunnat means the Shari'at. "

GLOSSARY [1] fiqh: knowledge dealing with what Muslims should do and should not do; actions, a'mal, 'ibadat. [2] imam: i) profound 'alim; founder of a madhhab; ii) leader in congregational salat; iii) caliph.

THINGS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO BE BELIEVED

Allahu ta'ala exists by His zat; His existence is of Himself. As He exists now, He has always been existing and will continue to exist. There cannot be nonexistence before or after His being. His existence is indispensable. That is, He is Wajib-ul-wujud (the Indispensable Being). There cannot be nonexistence at that rank. Allahu ta'ala is One. That is, He does not have a partner or a likeness. He does not have a partner in being Wajib-ul-wujud, in being worshipped or in being worthy of worship. For having a partner, Allahu ta'ala has to be insufficient, dependent, which are defects and faults. There cannot be deficiencies in wujub, and uluhiyyat. He is sufficient, independent. That is, He is by Himself. Then, there is no need for a partner or a likeness. And being unnecessary is a defect and is not compatible with wujub and uluhiyyat. As it can be seen, to think that He has a partner shows that each of the partners is insufficient. That is, to think that there is a partner exposes the fact that there cannot be a partner. That means to say that Allahu ta'ala does not have a partner. He is one. Allahu ta'ala has perfect Attributes that are not deficient. They are: hayat (to exist), 'ilm (to know), sam' (to hear), basar (to see), qudrat (to be omnipotent), irada (to will), kalam (to say) and tekwin (to create). These eight Attributes are called Sifat-i thubutiyya or Sifat-i haqiqiyya. These attributes of His are eternal. That is, they are not (of recent occurrence).

Wujub and uluhiyyat: 'Wujub' means 'being necessary.' It also means 'the being whose existence is indispensable.' Allahu ta'ala and his eight Attributes are in the grade of wujub. They are wajib. 'Uluhiyyat' means 'being worthy of being worshipped and entreated.' It is necessary to worship, entreat a being who creates man and keeps him in existence every moment and who creates everything which is necessary for man and who protects him against horror and who is powerful enough to do everything and who does not have a likeness, an assistant or any being powerful enough to oppose Him. This being is the grade of uluhiyyat.

THE GROUP TO BE SAVED FROM HELL

Hadrat [1] Imam-i Rabbani says in the 67th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat: O you valuable and fortunate man! Among the seventy-three groups, only (those people who are in) the Madhhab [2] of Ahl as-sunnat wa 'l-Jama'at [3] will be saved from Hell. Each Muslim has to learn the belief of Ahl as-sunnat and correct his iman [4] accordingly. The majority of the Muslims who have spread over the world for centuries have been in the Ahl as-sunnat Madhhab. Millions of books written by hundreds of thousands of Ahl as-sunnat savants who have come by have spread and promulgated Islam all over the world. He who wants to be saved from Hell has to find these correct books and correct his iman by reading them. It is a heart-killing poison to set the heart on those evil, corrupt creeds and beliefs disagreeing with the belief written in the books of the Ahl as-sunnat savants. It takes one to endless death, to eternal torment. If there is slackness in deeds and worships, it may be forgiven. But being slack in belief will never be forgiven. Allahu ta'ala declares: "I shall never forgive shirk, which is disbelief. I shall forgive all the other sins of those people whom I like." - All shirk (attributing a partner to Allahu ta'ala) is disbelief (kufr), but all disbelief is not shirk.

GLOSSARY [1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars. [2] madhhab: all of what a profound 'alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated. [3] Ahl as-Sunna (wa'l-Jama'a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali. [4] iman: faith, belief, beliefs of Islam; kalam, i'tiqad.

CONTENTMENT AND CONSENT

To be content with one's present state means to thank and praise Allahu ta'ala. Not envying anyone who is higher in rank, richer, more beautiful or more powerful, and simply being satisfied with one's state brings great peace to the heart. And more than this, such a person is the beloved of Allahu ta'ala. The reason for his being the beloved is due to his being pleased and content with what Allahu ta'ala has given him. Hence, Allahu ta'ala is content with him. Contentment is an inexhaustible treasure. A discontented rich man is lower than a contented poor man. This is because this rich man's heart is not at peace. On the contrary, since the poor man's heart is at peace, he will live as if he possesses a treasure. Contentment means to be satisfied with everything coming from Allahu ta'ala. One must be content even if a disaster comes from Allahu ta'ala; one must never complain to anybody. But not all people will be able to do this. Those who can are indeed great because this would mean that they have the patience and endurance which is particular to prophets 'alaihissalam'. The more a person believes in Allahu ta'ala's greatness, the greater will be the person's level of patience and endurance. It is a virtue that should be envied without malice.

MCB Welcomes the CLG Select Committee Inquiry on Prevent

30 March 2010 Policymakers must look beyond security and terrorism when they deal with British Muslims The Muslim Council of Britain today welcomed the findings of the Communities & Local Government (CLG) Select Committee's inquiry into the Government's 'Preventing Violent Extremism' (PVE) programme which was published yesterday. The Committee's findings reflects the deep anxiety felt by Britain's Muslims as it has become the central policy tool for Government to engage with Muslim communities. In effect, Britain's Muslims are only seen through the prism of security. The committee's report has observed that previous Government policy "sought to engineer a moderate form of Islam", favouring some groups over others. As such, Government policy has become inadvertently sectarian. Britain's Muslim community is one of the most diverse communities on earth. It is the responsibility of government to facilitate that diversity, not to promote discord. We are glad this instructive lesson has been taken up by the current Communities Secretary, and we hope it is not lost on all those who are engaged with public policy and the Muslim community. We also welcome the Select Committee's acknowledgement of the allegations of "spying, intelligence gathering and surveillance" which strongly featured in the witness statements who had experience of the Prevent programme. Rightly or wrongly, this has been the lasting impression of Prevent amongst Muslim communities. Commenting on the report, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain said, "We support the report's findings and are relieved that it echoes our own concerns on the effectiveness of the Prevent programme and policy." He went on to say, "The CLG would do well to sincerely take on board the recommendations made in the report and rebuild the trust amongst the Muslim communities and other faiths, in order to further cement the notion of community cohesion." (END) NOTES TO EDITORS: 1. Read the Muslim Council of Britain's submission to the Committee: http://www.mcb.org.uk/downloads/MCB_Submission_Prevent.pdf 2. The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools. 3. Media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Media Office on 0845 26 26 786 or 07956 353 738. Email: media@mcb.org.uk. 4. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the MCB Office at The Muslim Council of Britain, PO Box 57330, London E1 2WJ. Email: admin@mcb.org.uk Tel: 0845 26 26 786 Fax: 0207 247 7079 5. This press release and other MCB publications and information are available on the MCB website at www.mcb.org.uk

THINGS TO BE OBSERVED

Hadrat [1] Muhammad Ma'sum says in the 14th letter of the first volume of his Maktubat: O my lucky, fortunate brother! Since you have been desiring to walk on the way of Allah's beloved slaves, you should observe the conditions and adabs [2] of the way! First of all, it is necessary to hold fast to the Sunnat-i saniyya [3] and avoid bid'ats [4]. For, these two are the essence of the way that makes one attain Allah's love. You should adapt your deeds, words and moral qualities to the words and books of those pious slaves who know and love Islam. You should be like the pious slaves and love them. Your sleeping, your eating, your talking should be temperate rather than excessive. You should strive to get up by the time of sahar [at the end of each night before imsak]. You should know it as a great chance to say istighfar (repentance), to weep, to beg Allahu ta'ala at such times. You should long to keep company with the pious. Do not forget the saying: "One's faith is like one's friend's faith!" Be it known that those who want the next world [endless bliss] should not be fond of mundane flavours. If you cannot cease from those flavours which are mubah (permitted), avoid, at least, the forbidden and dubious ones so that your salvation in the Hereafter may be hoped for. You should pay zakat [5] and fitra [6] willingly to the people prescribed by the Shari'at [7]. You should visit your relatives, or please their hearts by writing to them. You should observe the rights of your neighbours. You should be charitable to the poor, to those who want to borrow money. You should not spend your property, your money on anything prohibited by the Shari'at, nor should you waste it on anything permitted. When these are well cared for, your property will be protected against harm, and what is worldly will be for the Hereafter. And maybe they will no longer be called worldly. Source:Turktakvim -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLOSSARY [1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars. [2] Adab: there is a special adab in doing everything. The adab of doing something means to follow the conditions necessary for doing it in the best way. [3] sunna: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta'ala, done and liked by the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) as an 'ibada (there is thawab if done, but no sin if omitted, yet it causes sin if continually omitted and disbelief if disliked; the Sunna; i) (with fard) all the sunnas as a whole; ii) (with the Book or Qur'an al-kerim) the Hadith ash-sharif; iii) (alone) fiqh, Islam. [4] bid'at: (pl. bida') heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or 'ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings) ; heresy. [5] zakat: (fard duty of giving annually) certain amount of certain kinds of property to certain kinds of people, by which the remaining property becomes purified and blessed and the Muslim who gives it protects himself against being (called) a miser. See chapter 1 in Endless Bliss V. [6] fitra: alms (2 kg of wheat or silver of equal value) given after every Ramadan, the ninth month of Muslim calendar. [7] Shari'at: (pl. of Shari'a) i) rules and commandments as a whole of the religion. ii) religion.

HALAL AND HARAM

Everything was created by Allahu ta'ala. He is the owner of everything. Things which He has permitted us to use are halal, and things which He has forbidden are haram. For example, He has made it halal for a man to marry one of two (or more) sisters. He has made it haram to marry the second one, too. Haram means something which Allahu ta'ala, who is the owner, the possessor, has forbidden us to use. And halal means to untie the knot of prohibition. Something may be halal for someone while it is haram for someone else. A person who commits a haram in the world will be deprived of it in the next world. Those who use the things that are halal here will be blessed with the originals of these things there. For example, if a man wears silk, which is haram (for men) to wear in this world, he will be deprived of wearing silk in the next world. Silk is an attirement for Paradise. Then, it comes to mean that he cannot enter Paradise unless he is purified of this sin. And a person who does not enter Paradise will enter Hell. For, there is no place besides these two in the next world. Matters of the next world are not like earthly affairs in any respect. This world was created to be annihilated. And it will be annihilated. The next world was created to remain eternally and in such a manner as to be eternal. There is as much difference between this world and the next with respect to their matters and constitutions as there must be between something that will remain eternally and something else which will be annihilated soon. Only their names and descriptions are similar. For instance, the word Jannat (Paradise) means garden in the world, while in the next world it means the place which is called Jannat and where infinite blessings exist.

Do cigarettes contain traces of pig blood?

Smokers may be getting a lot more than they bargain for when lighting up - like inhaling traces of pig's blood. Pig hemoglobin is sometimes used in cigarette filters, according to recent Dutch research reported by The Daily Telegraph - a disclosure that is bound to upset many devout Muslims and Jews. Islamic and Jewish religious texts expressly forbid consumption of pork in any form, and vegetarians may find this hidden ingredient unpalatable as well. "It just puts into hard relief the problem that the tobacco industry is not required to declare the ingredients of cigarettes ... they say 'that's our business' and a trade secret," University of Sydney public health professor Simon Chapman told The Daily Telegraph. Chapman is a sociologist with a Ph.D. on the study of the signs, symbols, and significance of cigarette advertising as well as a book author. Though many tobacco companies now voluntarily provide ingredient lists on their website, the swine-derived blood protein is reportedly hidden within "processing aids ... that are not significantly present in, and do not functionally affect, the finished product," says Chapman. But cigarette formulas won't remain so secretive for much longer. In June, tobacco companies must furnish complete ingredient lists to the FDA, including any studies the companies have done on those ingredients. The FDA will then determine which ingredients could make cigarettes more harmful or addictive and could eventually ban certain ingredients. However, quick action is unlikely. "Tobacco products today are really the only human-consumed product that we don't know what's in them," Lawrence R. Deyton, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's new Center for Tobacco Products and a physician, told The Associated Press.