Re: Bismillah [IslamCity] Mistakes made when visiting the Prophet's Mosque
Assalaamalaikum I would like to ask one question. I am attending a Tajweed class. Most of the reciters after tilawat say 'SadaqaAllahul Azim. Our teacher said that according to Sunnah it is not specified and she thinks it is a kind of bidah. I heard this since my childhood, kindly explain if it is a bidah or sunnah. JazakaAllah Abida Rahmani And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to supply it with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of Allah would not come to an end; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. (Luqman S:31-V:27) --- On Sun, 11/30/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Bismillah [IslamCity] Mistakes made when visiting the Prophet's Mosque To: eGroup For Muslims Around The World islamcity@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, November 30, 2008, 10:04 PM Question # 36647: Mistakes made when visiting the Prophet’s Mosque Question: What are the mistakes that people make when visiting the Prophet’s Mosque?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The mistakes that some pilgrims make when visiting the Prophet’s Mosque are of several types: -1- Some pilgrims believe that visiting the Prophet’s Mosque is something that has to do with Hajj, and that Hajj is not valid without it. Some of the ignorant even think that it is more essential than Hajj. This is a false belief, because there is no connection between going for Hajj and visiting the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Hajj is complete without it, and it is complete without Hajj, but since ancient times people have made the visit to the Prophet’s Mosque part of the journey to Hajj, because it is difficult to travel twice. But it is not more essential than Hajj, because Hajj is one of the pillars and basic principles of Islam, which is not the case with visiting the Prophet’s Mosque. We do not know of any scholar who said that it is obligatory to visit the Prophet’s Mosque or the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to the report which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes for Hajj and does not visit me has snubbed me,” these are words that are falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and go against the well known teachings of Islam. If it were true then visiting his grave would be one of the most obligatory of duties. -2- Some visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque circumambulate the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and touch the grille and walls of the room. They may even kiss them and lay their cheeks against them. All of these are reprehensible innovations, for circumambulation (tawaaf) around anything other than the Ka’bah is a forbidden innovation (bid’ah). The same applies to touching, kissing or pressing one’s cheeks against the walls; such actions are prescribed only in the right areas of the Ka’bah. Worshipping Allaah by doing such actions at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will only take a person further away from Allaah. -3- Some visitors touch the mihrab, minbar and walls of the mosque to seek blessings. All of that is bid’ah. -4- This is the most serious mistake: Some visitors pray to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to relieve distress or to grant them something they desire. This is major shirk which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, and Allaah and His Messenger do not approve of this. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah” [al-Jinn 72:18] “And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation) . Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Ghaafir 40:60] “Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path’” [al-Jinn 72:21] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) denounced a man who said “Whatever Allaah and you will.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Are you making me a rival with Allaah? What Allaah alone wills.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah 2118. So what about one who calls upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to relieve his distress and to bring him benefits, when he is the one to whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): ‘I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself except as Allaah wills’” [al-A’raaf 7:188] “Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path’” [al-Jinn 72:21] So the believer should put his hopes in his Creator Who has the power to fulfil
Bismillah [IslamCity] Obamalogy
Black is beautiful , while White is careful. Let us suppose that Obama is black, so what does a colour has to do with politics ?? Let us suppose that Obama is a Democrat, so what does it help when Democrat is written with a capital-D ?? Let us not rejoice that Obama was born-Muslim , so what does it help when see that Anwar El Saddat was born also a Muslim ?? and the Shah too !! Let us not forget that ,Obama is only half-black and a Democrat with a big D which is not necessarily a small d. So Obama would be now : a half-black-member-of-the-Democratic-party who has won the elections thanks to 453 Million-Dollars which he now has to pay back in favours to his donors , during the next 4 years That will be 30,75 Millions each year which is, 85.417 Dollars each day which are 3.560 each hour provided Obama does not sleep. (otherwise ,it will be, 7.280 per hour) It will be more relevant to us , to find out , who the donors were ?? what do they want for that money ?? and what have they bought for 453 millions ?? Eng . Moustafa Roosenbloom a Pessimist-Obamologue 02.12.08
Bismillah [IslamCity] Thought for the day
As Salaamu Alaikum
Wisdom
You are a wise soul who unlocks the mysteries of life by beginning with the
self.
Anonymous
PoEtEsS
Prayer is the stepping stone of rewards and success when my life has its
trials and my eyes has its tears…Zohra Moosa (Deaf Poet)
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
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Bismillah [IslamCity] Polish Jew gave his life defining, fighting genocide
Salam, What an interesting story. This man coined the word Genocide. Who would better to know about genocide than a Jew suffered at the hands of Hitler. Though I also wonder what would he have thought of the Palestine-Israeli conflict had he been alive. Maqsud Polish Jew gave his life defining, fighting genocide * Story Highlights * When Hitler exterminated Europe's Jews, the word genocide did not exist * It was created by a Polish Jew whose family perished in the Holocaust * Raphael Lemkin combined the Greek genos for race with the Latin -cide for killing * He went on to fight for the U.N. treaty making genocide a crime By Jennifer Hyde CNN Producer (CNN) -- Paris, 1948. In the shadow of the Holocaust, the fledgling United Nations meets to adopt one of its first human rights treaties. Applause shakes the room, cameras flash -- and at the center, a single, tired, unassuming man: Raphael Lemkin. It was, at last, a victory for a tireless crusader who had fought for his entire life against genocide -- and coined the term that describes the world's most heinous crime. This new official world made a solemn pledge to preserve the life of the peoples and races of mankind, Lemkin later wrote. Sixty years ago this month, the U.N. voted unanimously to adopt the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was ambitious, serious, far-reaching -- and largely the result of Lemkin's lifetime of effort. Watch more about the impact of the Genocide Convention » A Pole and a Jew, Lemkin had watched in horror as Hitler nearly succeeded in his plan to exterminate the Jews. Six million Jews -- including 40 members of Lemkin's family -- died at the hands of the Nazis. Today, we call what happened at Auschwitz and the other death camps genocide. But at the time, there was no name for the Nazis' crimes. The word genocide did not exist. In 1944, Lemkin wrote a book about the Nazis. In it, he combined the Greek genos for race with the Latin -cide for killing: Genocide. Lemkin had named the crime he spent a lifetime trying to prevent. Watch more about the importance of the word » As a child in Poland, Lemkin was inspired by the stories his mother told him at the fireside -- stories of history and heroism, of suffering and struggle. As a Jew he witnessed cruelty and persecution firsthand: from the bribes his parents were forced to pay, to a pogrom that killed dozens nearby. From his mother, and from his circumstance, Lemkin developed early a strong desire to better the world and protect the innocent and the weak. The appeal for the protection of the innocent from destruction set a chain reaction in my mind, Lemkin later wrote. It followed me all my life. As a teen, Lemkin learned through news accounts that the Turkish government was slaughtering its Christian Armenian citizens. The government claimed it was putting down an Armenian revolt. Over 8 years they killed a million Armenian men, women and children in massacres and forced marches. To this day, Turkey denies a genocide took place. Few of the perpetrators ever faced justice. I was shocked, Lemkin wrote. Why is a man punished when he kills another man? Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of a single individual? Lemkin didn't have an answer to the question. But, as a young man, he devised a bold plan. He would write an international law that would punish -- and prevent -- racial mass murder. By October 1933, Lemkin was an influential Warsaw lawyer, well-connected and versed in international law. At the same time, Hitler was gathering power. Lemkin knew it was time to act. He crafted his proposal making the destruction of national, racial and religious groups an international crime and sent it to an influential international conference. But his legal remedy found little support, even as anti-Semitism was becoming Germany's national policy. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Lemkin knew his worst fears were about to be realized. Hitler had already promulgated ... his blueprint for destruction, Lemkin wrote. Many people thought he was bragging, but I believed that he would carry out his program. Lemkin fled Warsaw with only a shaving kit and summer coat. He survived months in the forest, traveling furtively, dodging falling bombs and fighting for the Polish resistance. He managed to reach his parents one last time -- only to say goodbye. Do not talk of our leaving this warm home. We will have to suffer, but we will survive somehow, Lemkin said his parents told him. When their eyes became sad with understanding, I laughed away our agonizing thoughts, but I felt I would never see them again. It was like going to their funerals while they were still alive. Reluctantly, Lemkin left his family to their fate and became one of the lucky few to reach the United States, where a friend arranged a job at Duke Law School. Though now safe,
Re: Bismillah [IslamCity] New Muslim Request
www.islamway.net
Bismillah [IslamCity] Thought for the day
As Salaamu Alaikum
You are a jewel of happiness who sparkles with the wisdom of knowing that all
will be well.
Anonymous
PoEtEsS
Prayer is the stepping stone of rewards and success when my life has its
trials and my eyes has its tears…Zohra Moosa (Deaf Poet)
***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--
Recommended:
http://www.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
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Bismillah [IslamCity] Traditional Halaqa Banbury - Winter 2008
Traditional Halaqa Banbury - Winter 2008 Ash-Shifa Trust is pleased to present the Traditional Halaqa, an intensive course which brings Muslims in the west into contact with scholars who are living vessels of wisdom. The Traditional Halaqa is a short course for students of all levels. The course aims to teach the central elements of the faith. Teachers Shaykh Samir al-Nass Shaykh Afifi al-Akiti Ustaz Thaqib Hussain Ustaz Tanveer Hussain Curriculum Aqeeda Fiqh Tafseer Hadith Terminology 40 Hadith Qudsi Seerah Stories of the Prophets Tajweed Akhlaq The 5 Pillars Dawah Community Leadership Young People Guide to Islam The Self, Family Community Dawah to the Wider Community Keeping Relations with Scholars and Righteous People Open Question Answer Sessions – Evenings Venue Banbury Madni Masjid Merton Street Banbury OX16 4RP Date 21st December – 28th December 2008 Course Contribution £110 Residential (includes accommodation, meals, course materials) £45 Non-residential (includes meals, course materials) All welcome Student Information Pack (PDF) Daily Timetable (PDF) Click here to register for the Halaqa Official Sponsor ISLAMIC HELP (www.islamichelp.org.uk) Contact T 07984162001 E [EMAIL PROTECTED] W www.traditionalhalaqa.org
Bismillah [IslamCity] RE: Sister in need (deceptive email request)
--- On Fri, 10/3/08, zaakirayero [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: zaakirayero Subject: Sister In Need To: newmuslim Date: Friday, October 3, 2008, 6:34 PM Asaalamu Alykum All, My name is Sis Zaakira and I am currently 7 months pregnant with my 6th child. My spouse is no longer in our lives and we have no contact with him. I am reaching out for help for my children and I. We have no money and I have made several attempt to reach Masjids here in my area with only being able to leave a message. I've applied for Family Assistance but with that you have to play the waiting game. If anyone out there know what we can do or have any suggestions please let me know. Sis Zaakir Inshallah I pray that Allah (SWT) forgives you for these lies. Please do not lie to obtain Zakaat by the means of greed, lies, and self-pity. Your spouse has been in your lives for as long as he was allowed. You had a way of contacting him over the years but did not do so because you his identity illegally to to profit as a ghost employee. After the actions were found and you and your then boyfriend found out and became broke he bailed and you then allowed your rightful husband the right to send you money to assist you and his step-kids. You also used some of that money to have an operation performed to untie your tubes and then the 5th child was born from another man. Do not use my brothers and sisters to pay for your haraam deeds. Zakaat is used for the poor and needy not non-believers and greedy. Those who you befriend are the same as you. If you associate with non-believers then you are the same. You can call yourseld a Muslim name and take Shahada but if your souls and intent is not pure, Allah knows. Allah has a place for you and those as of you. I can not judge you but in the last days you will receive your reward. Please do not lie to these brothers and sisters because they can truly help true islamic families that really need their assistance. Ameen.
Bismillah [IslamCity] antislam: Hate Crimes at UC Berkeley
Hate Crimes at UC Berkeley Statement from the Arab-American and Muslim Community of the San Francisco Bay Area on Hate Crimes at UC Berkeley On Thursday November 13th, 2008, three Palestinian students were attacked near a Zionist supremacist concert labeled Israeli Liberation Week at the University of California , Berkeley . Two young Palestinian-American women and one man, all students, entered a building near the event, and unfurled two Palestinian flags off of a balcony overlooking the concert. Shortly after they displayed the flags, members of the right-wing supremacist groups Tikvah and the Zionist Freedom Alliance (ZFA) entered the building, climbed the stairs to the second floor, isolated the Palestinian students on the balcony, and then proceeded to assault them. Witnesses identified the assailants as three members of the Zionist Freedom Alliance, including one current student, one alumnus, and one performer for the ZFA event. During the attacks, anti-Arab racial epithets were used repeatedly. Despite numerous accounts indicating that the students were attacked by outside members, the police and administration treated the assaulted students as suspects. The incompetence of the UC Berkeley administration and severe mishandling of the situation by the police department further exacerbated the hate crime, which took place on the heels of the 60th anniversary of Zionism's displacement of the Palestinian people. Though it was the responsibility of the university to protect its students from hate crimes, protect the freedom of speech of its members, and to work diligently against an atmosphere of hate and supremacy, the university failed these tasks, and did not take precautions to protect the attacked students. Instead, in a statement to the campus community, it drew parity between the segregator and the segregated, the attackers and the attacked. Rather than counteract rising anti-Arab sentiment in the United States and on UC campuses, the administration has either exacerbated those sentiments or stood idly by, its role proving to be an abomination in this matter. It has taken no significant steps to protect the rest of the Arab and Palestinian student population, or to apprehend or restrain the attackers. Moreover, Palestinian students have been questioned as if they were suspects in the matter, and members of the administration have told them that they should have known better than to exercise their free speech rights by holding a flag. Worse, the Chancellor's letter to the campus community took five days to reach the student body, and it barely addressed the incidents, providing no support for the attacked students' rights to freely challenge hate speech, or to attend campus without fear of being victimized by hate crime, let alone their rights to be safe from physical attack on campus. The administration's failure to learn from decades of racist history is astounding, and yet these are the educators of the next generation. The Palestinian people have just commemorated 60 years of forceful displacement. In 1948 two-thirds of the indigenous population was forced out at gunpoint during the military occupation of Palestine and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel. Palestinians were denied reentry and labeled as an indigenous and demographic threat to the colonial and ethnic supremacist nature of the State of Israel. Over 500 villages and towns were erased and many massacres were committed by the then Zionist militias of the Haganah and the Irgun and later the Israeli army. In a speech given June 15, 1969 former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Maier said, There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed. Menahim Begin, another former prime minister said, [The Palestinians are] beasts walking on two legs. Israeli prime minister in 1988 Yitzhak Shamir said, The Palestinians would be crushed like grasshoppers ... heads smashed against the boulders and walls. Unfortunately, as this incident shows, Zionist hatred and violence has followed Palestinians to wherever they live in the world. Universities are supposed to be places of intellectual engagement; places where opposing opinions, views, rationalizations and justifications may be voiced without fear of censorship, intimidation, or threat of violence. Cal 's most important marketing gimmick is its history of the free speech movement; it is the free speech campus, after all. It is the place where Mario Savio stood up and rallied students to empower themselves and one another by raising their voices in declaration of their right to express their views. But let us remember that these events during Savio's time were the result of censorship by the administration, not a spontaneous enlightenment that drove students to begin suddenly expressing their opinions. Today, it is the university's implicit support of war policies and tacit nod and wink to hate speech that
Bismillah [IslamCity] The father of monotheism By Sirajuddin Aziz Friday Feature Courtesy:http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/05/ed.htm#5
December 05, 2008 Friday Zilhaj 6, 1429 The father of monotheism By Sirajuddin Aziz NAMRUD ruled over Babylon with absolute might and power, the pelf of which drove him to command people to worship him as their lord. His astrologer, however, predicted his downfall at the hands of a commoner from among his subjects, who would not only challenge his authority but also rise as a formidable tide against idolatry. Thus ignorant of the ways of Allah, a frenzied Namrud embarked on an unnatural strategy of separating all men and women in his kingdom, to ensure that no such child was ever conceived. Azar’s wife retreated to the loneliness of the Babylonian hills and it was there that Abraham (Hazrat Ibrahim A.S.) was born in a cave. His sustenance descended from Allah and 13 years later he returned to the city and took apprenticeship with the master sculptor, his own father, Azar. “They said, build him a furnace and throw him into the blazing fire!” (39:97) Abraham was cast into the fire for defying idol worship, but the flames cooled by divine order. “We said O fire! Be then cool and means of safety for Abraham.” (21:69) “This failing they then sought a stratagem against him.” (39:98). Interpreting the verse, (39:97-98), Allama Yousuf Ali says, “The argument of Abraham was so strong that it could not be met with a counter-argument. In such cases evil resorts to violence and to plotting. Here there were both, violence consisted of throwing him into a blazing furnace. But by the mercy of Allah, the fire did not harm him so they resorted to plotting. But even the plotting was a boomerang that recoiled on their hands.” Other than Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hazrat Ibrahim is the only other prophet whose Sunnat is enjoined upon Muslims. This is indeed a unique honour. Not surprisingly then Hazrat Ibrahim is the father of the doctrine of monotheism and was mentioned to Hazrat Muhammad in the early Makkan Sura Al-Nahl: “Abraham was an exemplar, obedient to Allah, upright (Hanif)…..” “Then we revealed to thee: follow the faith (millat) of Abraham, the upright one (Hanif) and he was not of the polytheists.” (16:120-123) The legacy that Abraham left for his progeny was monotheism. His unflinching faith in Allah is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqr, verse 131: “Behold! His Lord said to him: Bow, (thy will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the universe.” Hazrat Ibrahim made a moving supplication to Allah: “O! My Lord bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous; grant me an honourable tongue of truth, among the latest generations.” (19:83-84). Haj, a pillar of Islam, is indeed the manifestation of the acceptance of Hazrat Ibrahim’s prayers. Haj and all its rites are a continuum of Abrahamic traditions. “And then we assigned to Abraham the place of the House, saying , do not set up aught with me, and purify My House for those who make the circuit, and who stand up to pray and who bow and prostrate themselves. And proclaim among men, the Haj…” (22:26-27) History suggests that the concept of Haj existed even before Abraham but the Haj in its true spirit evolved from the authority of Abraham. He was divinely ordained to rebuild the Kaaba and purge it of idols and institute Haj. In Sura Al-Baqra, from Ayat 196 to 203, the various rites of Haj are described for the pilgrims to complete. The principal rites are: (i) wearing of the ahram from certain fixed points on all roads leading to Makkah. As soon as the ahram is donned by a pilgrim, the prohibitive conditions come into force; (i) the pilgrim is committed to the worship of Allah and must refrain from all worldly attractions; (ii) circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba seven times, typifying activity by kissing the Hajr al-Aswad; (iii) a short prayer at the station of Hazrat Ibrahim (2:215) and then running between Mounts Safa and Marwa (2:158) remembering the patience and perseverance of Hazrat Hajra; (iv) listening to the great sermon of Haj. (v) visit to the valley of Mina and the hill of Arafat, where all pilgrims stand on their feet from noon to sunset and invoke blessings of the Almighty; (vi) on the 10th day of Zilhaj, Eid day, sacrifice of animals is performed in the valley of Mina. The purpose of Haj is to attain spiritual loftiness. “...and make a provision with you for the journey. But the best of provisions is the right conduct….” (2:197). Pilgrims are expected to be self-sufficient and not resort to begging or chasing after worldly riches while at Haj. ABDUL WAHID OSMAN BELAL
Bismillah [IslamCity] The Muslim upholds the ties of kinship according to the teachings of Islam
The Ideal Muslim: Characteristics of the Ideal Muslim According to the Qur’an and the Sunnah The IDEAL MUSLIM The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Man as Defined in the Qur'an and Sunnah By Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hashimi Translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab and Revised by Ibrahim M. Kunna and Abu Aya Sulaiman Abdus-Sabur Copyright and published by the International Islâmic Publishing House (IIPH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1999. The Ideal Muslim is a man of the highest moral character. In his relationship with his Rabb, himself, family, parents, relatives, friends and the community at large, he has a most excellent example in the prophet of Islam (pbuh). His idealism is further strengthened by the characters of the first generations of Muslims who excelled in all the various fields of human endeavor. He is reassured by the teachings of Islam that he also can reach these noble heights by working to improve his character daily. Chapter 6: The Muslim and His Relatives (Arham) The Muslim upholds the ties of kinship according to the teachings of Islam The true Muslim upholds the ties of kinship and does not let his worldly concerns, wealth, wife or children distract him from keeping in touch with his relatives, honoring them and helping them. In doing so, he is following Islamic teaching, which regulates these relationships and ranks them in order of priority and degree of closeness, starting with the mother, then moving on to the father, then other relatives, from the most closely-related to others who are more distantly related. A man came to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He (s.a.w.s.) said, “Your mother, your mother, your mother, then your father, then those who are most closely related to you.” (Bukhari and Muslim) The Muslim earns two rewards when he treats his relatives with kindness and respect: one reward for maintaining the relationship, and another reward for giving charity. This gives him a greater incentive to give to his relatives, if they are in need. By doing so, he will earn two rewards from Allah (S.W.T.), and will also win the affection of his relatives. This is what the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) encouraged Muslims to do, in the hadith narrated by Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah, the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (r.a.), who said: “The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: ‘O women, give in charity even if it is some of your jewelry.’ She said, I went back to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud and told him, ‘You are a man of little wealth, and the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has commanded us to give charity, so go and ask him whether it is permissible for me to give you charity. If it is, I will do so; if not, I will give charity to someone else.’ ‘Abdullah said, ‘No, you go and ask.’ So I went, and I found a woman of the Ansar at the Prophet’s door, who also had the same question. We felt too shy to go in, out of respect, so Bilal came out and we asked him, ‘Go and tell the Messenger of Allah that there are two women at the door asking you: Is it permissible for them to give sadaqah to their husbands and the orphans in their care? But do not tell him who we are.’ So Bilal went in and conveyed this message to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), who asked, ‘Who are they?’ Bilal said, ‘One of the women of the Ansar, and Zaynab.’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked, ‘Which Zaynab is it?’ Bilal said, ‘The wife of Abdullah.’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, ‘They will have two rewards, the reward for upholding the relationship, and the reward for giving charity.’” (Bukhari and Muslim) The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to reaffirm the priority given to kind treatment of relatives at every opportunity. When the ayah: “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give “freely” of that which you love…” (Qur’an 3:92) was revealed, Abu Talhah went to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah (S.W.T.) says: “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love.” The most beloved of my properties is Bayraha’ (a date orchard), which I now give up as Sadaqah to Allah (S.W.T.), hoping to store up reward with Him. O Messenger of Allah, dispose of it as you will.” The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: “Bravo! You have got the best deal for your property. I have heard what you said, and I think that you should divide it among your relatives.” Abu Talhah said, “I will do so, O Messenger of Allah.” He divided it among his relatives and (paternal) cousins. (Bukhari and Muslim) The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) looked far back into history and evoked ties of kinship going back centuries, when he enjoined good treatment of the people of Egypt, as is recorded in the hadith narrated by Muslim: “You will conquer Egypt, so when you conquer it, treat its people well, for they have protection (dhimmah) and the ties of kinship (rahm).” Or he said: “... protection and the relationship by marriage
Bismillah [IslamCity] mumbai terror
Dear brothers/sisters For your reading pleasure, pasted below is my column which appeared in the Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) of Dec 4, 2008. Ameen Izzadeen Mumbai mayhem and the unseen hands of modern day spies However loathsome and abominable terrorism is in civilized society, it does not operate in a vacuum. While terrorism is a manifestation of individual or group frustration against what the perpetrator of terrorism sees as injustice, it is also a political tool in the hands of non-terrorist actors, namely the states, to achieve a political end. Not many analysts have studied this aspect of terrorism, though the topic state terrorism is extensively dealt with in the discipline of international relations. Some may insist that states do not participate directly or indirectly in acts carried out by mercenary terrorists or by state intelligence operatives. But in reality, it happens. It happens in Iraq. Remember the capture of two British SAS operatives clad in traditional Arab clothes in Basra in 2005 with explosives and remote control devices? Today's murky world of intelligence is a labyrinth of plots within plots. It is no longer the world of Ian Fleming who fascinated his readers with his legendary hero, James Bond. Today's spy has outgrown the days of the double agent. He is a multiple agent. There is also the zero agent, who does not know he or she is being manipulated and handled by one spy agency or another. Many of the so-called terrorists or terror groups with Islamic labels fit into this category. The knowledge the public has of the world of modern day spies is limited. They probably know that a state's intelligence arm, which acts as the eyes and ears of the state, executes intelligence and counterintelligence operations. But beyond this understanding, citizens in some cases, even presidents and prime ministers are in the dark as to what the state intelligence arm does. With their limited knowledge they cannot comprehend covert actions which involve highly secretive and conspiratorial operations designed to serve important but often unadmitted policy objectives. However, keen students of international politics see a secret motive behind every action of a state and every utterance of state leaders. Their cynicism has only increased since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. More than seven years have passed since the terror attack on the iconic symbol of US economic power the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, which signifies the US military power. But hundreds of questions still remain unanswered. The official 9/11 commission report, released in July 2004, also failed to answer them, prompting allegations of government complicity in the attacks. Those who slammed the report and raised doubts were not just those who, at the drop of a hat, would subscribe to a conspiracy theory. They were well respected public officials, professors, aviation professionals, architects and structural engineers. The full picture of the 9/11 did emerge only later, when the George W. Bush administration a pawn in the hands of the neoconservative cabal which has infiltrated the US intelligence agencies attacked Afghanistan and later Iraq. General Leonid Ivashov, who was the Chief of Staff of the Russian armed forces when the 9/11 attacks occurred, in an article posted on rense.com, says there's no such thing as international terrorism and that the September 11 attacks were the result of a set-up. What we are seeing is a manipulation by the big powers; this terrorism would not exist without them. He goes on to say that what analysts describe as International terrorism is a new weapon in today's type of war. And with the complicity of biased media, it becomes the manager of global processes, he adds. But many people do not view international terrorism through Ivashov's prism, though the 9/11 incidents teach an important lesson: An incident, especially a terror attack, should be viewed not merely by what is evident on the surface but also by the events that follow it and the extent to which a state benefits by achieving its national interest goals. It is in this context, a cynic would view last week's Mumbai terror attacks. Going by the evidence on the surface and the statements made by Indian officials, none can dispute that it was an attack carried out by ruthless terrorists. But events that are unfolding after the attacks show that the incident was more a conspiracy against Pakistan than India. Those who sent the terrorists to attack Mumbai targets, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel an iconic symbol of India's colonial past and a living monument to its growing capitalist power were not so naïve as not to know that their action would put Pakistan's head on the chopping block. The attack has, no doubt, pushed Pakistan further into the abyss, from which the new government of President Asif Ali Zardari is trying to come out after years of military rule, in spite of many
