Spiritual journey in the world of Islam for peace, brotherhood, tolerance, respect and love for all man kind.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
80 % Quran Words
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
List of Muslims
This page is an incomplete list of prominent and famous (or infamous) people who are Muslims - followers of Islam. This page is a list of people identified as Muslims, particularly by themselves. This page does not differentiate between Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, or any other subcategory. It also does not take into account whether those listed acknowledge their Muslim identity or origins. This list takes a wide definition of a Muslim by including most individuals who might be in some way identified as Muslim, but acknowledges that more restrictive definitions may be applied by the reader. For information on Islam and Muslims in various parts of the world, please see Islam by country.
Traditional Theologians and Philosophers
* The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be up on him
* Abu Muslim
* Al-Dinawari
* Al-Farabi
* Al-Ghazali
* Al-Kindi
* Al-Tirmidhi
* Ibn Sina
* Ibn Taymiya
* Razi
* Wasil ibn Ata
See: List of Shia Imams
* Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib Al-Mortaza
* Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Mojtaba
* Imam Hussein ibn Ali Sayyed-Al-Shohada
* Imam Ali ibn Husayn Zainol Abidin
* Imam Mohammad ibn Ali Bagher
* Imam Jafar ibn Mohammad Al-Sadiq
* Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kazem
* Imam Ali ibn Musa Al-Reza
* Imam Mohammad ibn Ali Al-Taghi
* Imam Ali ibn Mohammad Al-Hadi
* Imam Hasan ibn Ali Al-Askari
* Imam Mohammad ibn Hasan Al-Mahdi
Main Sunni Theologians and Philosophers after the Prophet
* Imam Abu Hanifa
* Imam Hanbal
* Imam Shafi
* Malik Ibn Anas
* Al-Bukhari
* Al-Muslim
Other Theologians and Philosophers
* Ahmed Deedat
* Al-Baitar
* Al-Battani
* Al-Biruni
* Al-Buzjani
* Al-Farabi
* Al-Farghani
* Al-Ghazali
* Al-Idrisi
* Al-Khayyam
* Al-Khwarizmi
* Al-Kindi
* Al-Masu'di
* Al-Mawardi
* Al-Nafis
* Ali Bin Rabban
* Ali Shariati
* Alija Ali Izetbegovic
* Bilal Philips
* Fatima Mernissi
* Fazlur Rahman
* Hamid Enyat
* Hamza Yusuf
* Harun Yahya
* Hassan al Banna
* Hazrat Inayat Khan
* Ibn al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
* Ibn Khaldun
* Ibn Hazm
* Ibn Qurra
* Idries Shah
* Ismail Al-Faruqi
* Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi
* Khaled Abou Al-Fadl
* Leila Ahmed
* M. Umar Chapra
* Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas
* Merryl Wyn Davies
* Munawar Ahmad Anees
* Nasim Butt
* Nasiruddin Albani
* Nasreddin
* Nuh Ha Mim Keller
* Rene Guenon
* Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi
* Seyyed Hossein Nasr
* Siraj Wahaj
* Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
* Syed Nawad Haider Naqwi
* Yusuf Estes
* Ziauddin Sardar
Historiographers, political scientists, and sociologists
* Al-Masudi
* Amin Maalouf
* Hammudah Abdalati
* Ibn al-Tiqtaqa
* Ibn Hisham
* Ibn Ishaq
* Ibn Kathir
* Ibn Khaldoun
* Ibn Khallikan
* Rashid al-Din
* Sayyid Qutb
* Tabari
* Usamah ibn Munqidh
Historical Figures
Early historic personalities
* Prophet Muhammad
* Abu Bakr - caliph
* Umar ibn al-Khattab - caliph
* Uthman ibn Affan - caliph
* Ali ibn Abi Talib - caliph (or the first Imam for Shia Muslims)
* Fatima Zahra
* Hasan bin Ali grandson of Muhammad
* Husayn bin Ali grandson of Muhammad
* Maaz bin jabal
* Muawiyah I
* Bilal ibn Rabah
Military Leaders and Figures
* Abdel Kadir
* Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef
* Imam Shamil
* Khalid bin Walid
* Khair ad Din (Barbarossa)
* Lt-Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi
* Muhammad Ahmad
* Muhammad bin Qasim
* Musa bin Nusair
* Nadir Shah
* Nur ad-Din
* Piri Reis
* Qutaibah bin Muslim
* Saladin
* Sher Shah
* Tahir ibn Husayn
* Tariq ibn-Ziyad
* Amir Timur ibn Tarag'ay
* Tipu Sultan
* Zengi
Muslim dynasties
* Abbadid
* Abbasid
* Aceh
* Aghlabid
* Almohad
* Almoravides
* Ayyubid dynasty
* Banu Isam
* Banu Salih
* Brunei
* Buwayhid
* Fatimid
* Ghaznavid Empire
* Hashemite
* House of Saud (Saudis)
* Khwarezmid Empire
* Mameluk dynasty
* Mughal Empire
* New Mataram
* Ottoman Empire
* Pahlavi dynasty
* Pasai
* Pattani Kingdom
* Rustamid
* Safavids
* Saffarid dynasty
* Samanid
* Seljuk Turks
* Sultanate of Johor
* Sultanate of Malacca
* Sultanate of Rum [Rüm]
* Sultanate of Sulu
* Tahirid dynasty
* Umayyad
Politicians
* Abd ar-Rahman Al-Haydari Al-Kaylani
* Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi
* Abdelaziz Bouteflika
* Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim
* Abdul Kalam
* Abdul Karim Qassim
* Abdullah I of Jordan
* Abdullah II of Jordan
* Abdullah, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
* Abdurrahman Wahid
* Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
* Ahmadou Ahidjo
* Ahmed Qurei
* Ahmed Sekou Toure [Ahmed Sékou Touré]
* Ahmet Necdet Sezer
* Ali Hassan Mwinyi
* Ali Khamenei
* Alija Ali Izetbegovic
* Anwar Sadat
* Ayub Khan
* Badar
* Badshah Khan
* Benazir Bhutto
* Fahd of Saudi Arabia
* Faisal of Saudi Arabia
* Habib Bourguiba
* Hamad bin Khalifa
* Hamid Karzai
* Hassan al Banna
* Hosni Mubarak
* Hussein of Jordan
* Iajuddin Ahmed
* Ibn Saud
* Idi Amin
* Islam Karimov
* Jean-Bedel Bokassa [Jean-Bédel Bokassa]
* Juma Khan
* Khaleda Zia
* Mahatir Mohammad
* Mahmoud Abbas
* Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
* Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
* Megawati
* Moammar Ghadafi
* Mohammad Khatami
* Mohammad Rabbani
* Mohammed Bahr Al-Uloum
* Mohammed Omar
* Mohammed Qalamuddin
* Mohammed VI of Morocco
* Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola
* Moulvi Ibrahim
* Muhammad Ali Jinnah
* Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
* Omar Bongo
* Omar Hasan Ahmad Al-Bashir
* Pervez Musharraf
* Qaboos of Oman
* Qari Ahmadullah
* Qusay Hussein (al-Majid)
* Recep Tayyip Erdogan
* Ruhollah Khomeini
* Saddam Hussein (al-Majid)
* Samory Toure [Samory Touré]
* Sani Abacha
* Sukarno
* Uday Hussein (al-Majid)
* Yahya Jammeh
* Yahya Khan
* Yasser Arafat
* Zafarullah Khan Jamali
* Zalmay Khalilzad
* Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan
* Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
The Various Arts
Writers and Poets
* Abas ala'kad
* Abdul Rahman Munif
* Abu Nuwas
* Abu Tammam
* Akbar S. Ahmed
* Al-Hallaj
* Hafiz
* Hakim Bey
* Hassan al Banna
* Ibn Arabi
* Ilona Yusuf
* Irshad Manji
* Jeffrey Lang
* Kabir
* Marmaduke Pickthall
* Martin Lings
* Michael Wolfe
* Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
* Muhammad Iqbal
* Murad Wilfred Hofmann
* Naim Frasheri [Naim Frashëri]
* Nizami
* Omar Khayyam
* Rashid Ahmed
* Ruqayyah Waris Maqsood
* Rumi
* Sa'adi
* Suleyman Ahmad
* Yahiya Emerick
* Yusuf al-Khal
* Yusuf Balasagun
Entertainers
* Moustapha Akkad
* Abbas Kiarostami
* Adewale Ayuba
* Afef Jnifen
* Ali Shaheed Muhammad
* Art Blakey
* Ashok Masti (Pakistani singer)
* Azhar Usman
* Brother Ali
* Dave Chappelle
* Dawud Wharnsby Ali
* Dilara
* Dolores "LaLa" Brooks
* El-Hadji
* Erdogan Atalay
* Everlast
* Freeway
* Islamic Force
* Ismail Merchant
* Idris Muhammad (Leo Morris)
* Ahmad Jamal (Fritz Jones}
* John Coltrane
* Khaled
* Mos Def
* Mousse T
* M-Team
* Napoleon (rapper)
* Native Deen
* Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
* Omar Sharif
* Q-Tip
* Richard Thompson
* Salif Keita
* Umm Kalthoum
* Walid Taoufic
* Youssou N'dour
* Youssef Chahine
* Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
Artists
* Ismail Acar
* Ismail Gulgee
Scientists, Philosophers, and Mathematicians
* Abdus Salam, physics
* Abraham bar Hiyya Ha-Nasi
* Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi
* Abu Al-Qasim, medicine
* Abu Musa Jabir Ibn_Hayyan, (Geber) chemistry
* Abu Nasr Mansur, mathematics
* Ahmed H. Zewail, chemistry
* Ahmad ibn Yusuf, mathematics
* Al Battani, astronomer
* Al-Jazari, engineering
* Al-Jawhari, mathematics
* Al-Khwarizmi, mathematics
* Al-Kindi, mathematics
* Alhazen, mathematics
* Averroes, medicine
* Avicenna, medicine
* Biruni, mathematics
* Farabi, chemist and philosopher
* Lotfi Askar Zadeh, father of fuzzy logic
* Rashad Khalifa, biochemist
* Mahmoud Hessaby, engineering
* Muhammad al-Idrisi, geography and cartography.
* Nasir_al-Din_Tusi, scientist, philosopher
* Omar Khayyam, poet, mathematician, and astronomer
* Rhazes, medicine, chemist and physicist
* Thabit ibn Qurra, Astronomy, mathematics and Medicine
* Ulugh Beg, astronomer, mathematician
Business Figures
* Ayhan Hakimoglu, armaments
* Bijan, high-end men's clothing
* Farooq Kathwari, furniture
* Kenan Sahin, software engineer, wealthiest Muslim American
* Nemir Kirdar, venture capital
* Mansoor Ijaz, investment management
* Rashid A. Chaudhry, personal care products
* Safi Qureshey, computers
* Yusef Haroon, consulting and managerial services
Sport Figures
* Abbas Suan
* Ahmad Rashad
* Ali Daei
* Ali Karimi
* Amir Khan
* Az-Zahir Hakim
* Chris Eubank
* Dwight Muhammad Qawi
* Eddie Mustapha Muhammad
* Hakan Sukur [Hakan Sükür]
* Hakeem Olajuwon
* Hasim Rahman
* Hassiba Boulmerka
* Hedo Turkoglu
* Hicham El Guerrouj
* Hossein Reza Zadeh
* Imran Khan
* Isma'il Muhammad
* Ismail Essam
* Jahangir Khan
* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
* Karim Garcia
* Khalid Khannouchi
* Laila Ali
* Larry Johnson
* Nazr Mohammed
* Mahmoud Abdur-Rauf
* Matthew Saad Muhammad
* Mehdi Mahdavikia
* Mehmet Okur
* Mehmet Scholl
* Mohammed Azharuddin
* Muhammad Ali
* Muhsin Muhammad
* Mustafa Hamsho
* Naseem Hamed
* Nicolas Anelka
* Nwankwo Kanu
* Rasheed Wallace
* Saleem Rashid
* Samir Trabelsi
* Shaquille O'Neal
* Shareef Abdur-Rahim
* Tariq Abdul-Wahad
* Walid Badir
* Youssef Rossi
* Zinedine Zidane
* Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Other
* Adel Smith
* Abdul Aziz ibn Myatt (David Myatt)
* Abdul Haq
* Ahmed Urabi
* Alexander Russell Webb
* Ali Shariati
* Aminah Assilmi
* Ayman al-Zawahiri
* Hamza Piccardo
* Ibn Battuta
* John Walker Lindh aka Suleyman al-Faris
* Jose Padilla aka Abdullah al-Muhajir
* Maher Arar
* Malcolm X
* Muhammad Abd al Wahhab
* Osama bin Laden
* Rashad Khalifa
* Shirin Ebadi first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
* Torquato Cardilli (Italian ambassador)
* Zahra Kazemi
* Zheng He
Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslims; viewed 6 July 2005)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Miracles of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW)
Almighty Allah says, "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder." (An-Najm: 1)
Imam al-Bukhari reported on the authority of `Abdullah who said: "The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts. The Prophet said, “Witness, witness (this miracle)."
(2) Food Multiplication:
Jabir reported: My father had died in debt. So I came to the Prophet and said, "My father (died) leaving unpaid debts, and I have nothing except the yield of his date palms; and their yield for many years will not cover his debts. So please come with me, so that the creditors may not misbehave with me." The Prophet went round one of the heaps of dates and invoked (Allah), and then did the same with another heap and sat on it and said, "Measure (for them)." He paid them their rights and what remained was as much as had been paid to them.
(3) Water Multiplication:
`Abdullah reported: We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Messenger on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Messenger, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him). (Reported by al-Bukhari)
(4) Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree:
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Ibn `Umar who said: The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a date-palm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its crying).
(5) The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem and Ascent to the Heavens:
The opening verse of surat al-Isra' relates the miracle of the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem. Regarding the Statement of Allah, "And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We made you see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the people." (Al-Isra': 60) Ibn `Abbas added: "The sights which Allah's Messenger was shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Bayt-ul-Maqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) were actual sights, (not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an is the tree of Zaqqum (itself)." (Reported by al-Bukhari)
There are also many other miracles that were performed by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) or happened to him. What we mentioned here are merely examples.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
PROPHETS [PBUH] WASIATH TO ALI (RAZ)
(1) Refrain from sleeping between Subah and Ishraq; Asr and Maghrib; Maghrib and Isha
(2) Avoid sitting with stingy people
(3) Don't sleep between people who sit
(4) Don't eat and drink with your left hand
(5) Don't eat those food you have taken out between your teeth
(6) Don't break your knuckles
(7) Don't look at the mirror in the night
(8) Don't look at the sky while in salaath
(9) Don't spit in the toilet
(10)Don't clean your teeth with charcoal
(11)Sit and wear your trousers
(12)Don't break tough things with your teeth
(13)Don't blow on your food when it's hot
(14)Don't look for faults of others
(15)Don't talk between iqamath and azan
(16)Don't speak in the toilet
(17)Don't speak tales about your friends
(18)Don't antagonize your friends
(19)Don't look behind frequently while walking
(20)Don't stamp your feet while walking
(21)Don't be suspicious about your friends
(22)Don't speak lies at anytime
(23)Don't smell and eat
(24)Speak clearly so others can understand
(25)Avoid travelling alone
(26)Don't decide on your own but consult others who know
(27)Don't be proud of yourself
(28)Don't be sad about your food
(29)Don't boast
(30)Don't chase the beggars
(31)Treat your guests well with good heart
(32)Be patient when in poverty
(33)Assist a good cause
(34)Think of your faults and repent
(35)Do good to those who do bad to you
(36)Be satisfied with what you have
(37)Don't sleep too much- it will cause forgetfulness
(38)Repent at least 100 times a day
(39)Don't eat in darkness
(40 )Don't eat mouthful
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Benefits of Honey From Islamic Point OF View
At the individual level, honey bees have not one but three types of colony members: queens, drones and workers, each with their own specialisations and place in honey bee society. The queen reigns over the nest, surrounded by attendants and fed the rich food she requires to perform her few but crucial tasks in the colony. The queen produces powerful pheromones, chemical signals to recipient workers which control many of their behaviours and provide part of the 'social glue' which holds honey bee life together. A highly organised social structure exists within the colony and elaborate 'dances' are used to communicate the location of food sources.
The products of the hive are important to the modern agricultural system. Not only do honey bees provide us with honey, wax, propolis, royal jelly and pollen but they also pollinate a good portion of our crops, including such diverse agricultural plants as fruit trees, oilseeds, small berries and forage crops.
Honey is a remarkable viscous liquid, prepared by the bees from the nectars of various plants. It has occupied a prominent place in traditional medicines throughout world history. The ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds and diseases of the gut. When the Children of Israel were in Egypt or journeying through the desert, their promised goal was a 'land flowing with milk and honey'.
Both the holy Qur'an and Hadith refer to honey as a healer of disease.
'And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees and in (men's) habitations..... there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for mankind. Verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought'.
(Translation of Quran 16:68-69)
In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
'Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur'an is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Qur'an and honey.'
(Bukhari)
The reader may be surprised to learn that the above quotation from the Qur'an is mentioned in a well known encyclopedia on honey (reference 3).
In recent years, scientific support is beginning to emerge confirming the beneficial effects of honey on certain medical and surgical conditions. These effects may be summarised as follows:
Antibacterial and antifungal properties
These properties of honey are well established. Undiluted honey inhibits the growth of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, certain gut pathogens and fungi such as Candida albicans. At a concentration of 30-50%, honey has been shown to be superior to certain conventional antibiotics in treating urinary tract infections. The exact mechanism of the anti-microbial effect of honey remains obscure. Low pH, osmotic disruption of pathogens and the
presence of bactericidal substances, collectively called inhibine may all play a part.
Anti-diarrhoeal properties
At a concentration of 40%, honey has a bactericidal effect on various gut bacteria known to cause diarrhoea and dysentery such as Salmonella, Shigella, enteropathogenic E. coli and Vibrio cholera. In one study, honey given with oral rehydration fluid was shown to reduce the duration of bacterial diarrhoea in infants and children.
Wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties
Honey is of value in treating burns, infected surgical wounds and decubitus ulcers. Honey is very viscous, enabling it to absorb water from surrounding inflamed tissue. For example, a study in West Africa showed that skin grafting, surgical debridement and even amputation were avoided when local application of honey to wound promoted healing, whereas conventional treatment failed.
In another study, wound healing was accelerated by application of honey in women who had undergone radical vulvectomy for vulval cancer. Also, it has been suggested that honey may be useful in the treatment of chronic, foul smelling ulcers seen in leprosy.
Anti-tussive and expectorant properties
These anti-cough properties of honey are related to its capacity to dilute bronchial secretions and improve the function of the bronchial epithelium.
Nutritional properties
Uncontaminated honey is a healthy, easily digestible, natural and energy rich food. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, enzymes and vitamins. One tablespoon of honey provides 60 calories and contains 11g of carbohydrates, 1mg of calcium, 0.2mg of iron, 0.lmg of vitamin B and 1mg of vitamin C.
Honey is widely available in most communities but its medical potential remains grossly underutilised. Its mode of action remains incompletely understood and the healing properties of honey in other clinical and laboratory situations requires further evaluation. The miraculous beneficial properties of honey, so beautifully ex-pressed in the holy Qur'an and Sunnah 14 centuries ago expose the reluctance of modern science to accept and exploit this 'traditional remedy'.
Selected References:
1. Ali A.T.M.M. (1989) The Pharmacological Characterization and the Scientific Basis of the Hidden Miracles of Honey; Saudi Medical Journal 10(3):177-179
2. Zumla A. and Lulat A. (1989) Honey- a remedy rediscovered; J Royal Soc Med 82:384-385
3. Crane E. (1975) Honey: a comprehensive survey;London, Heineman
4. Winston M.L. (1987) The Biology of the Honey Bee;London, Harvard University Press
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Join in the Celebration
Let us join in this celebration by remembering Allah, praising Him, and extolling His glory. Allah possesses the most sublime names and attributes, all of which are intrinsically linked with the religious and everyday aspects of a believer's life. This is why knowledge of Allah's names and attributes is the greatest and purest of all forms of knowledge.
We should endeavor to make ourselves more aware of Allah by becoming better acquainted with His noble names and attributes, and by increasing our awareness of how those attributes relate to our lives.
We encounter, on a daily basis, stories of various kinds, from news reports to novels to epic adventures. Some of us even center our lives on our favorite television programs, following them day after day. Most of these stories are imaginary and serve no purpose other than to provide fleeting entertainment. Nevertheless, our fixation on them is undeniable, because we crave the variety of experiences they provide.
So how is it when we focus our awareness on Allah and His greatness which we cannot describe in words, which transcends human cognition, and which not even our imaginations can begin to grasp?
As believers in Allah, we can appropriate something of that magnificence, just enough to illuminate the way ahead. This is the faith that resides in our hearts and expels the surrounding darkness. In our troubled times rife with injustice, tragedy, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles Muslims and non-Muslims alike are faced with more insecurity and uncertainty than ever before.
We really need to have Allah in our lives, and to be in touch with His names and attributes. We must turn to Him with love and awe, and purify our hearts with God-consciousness and a commitment to draw near to Him.
--> Everything in our life experience as human beings everything in our surroundings, from inanimate objects to living things to the stars in the heavens are manifestations of Allah's greatness and of His infinite capability. In this way, all of creation participates in a grand celebration of Allah's praises. The heavens and Earth, the stars and the firmaments, the flora and fauna: everything glorifies Allah and testifies to the divinity and suzerainty which are His alone.
"The seven heavens and the Earth and all they contain glorify Him, and there is not a thing but extols His glory; but you do not understand how they glorify Him." [Sûrah al-Isrâ': 44]
Let us join in this celebration by remembering Allah, praising Him, and extolling His glory. Allah possesses the most sublime names and attributes, all of which are intrinsically linked with the religious and everyday aspects of a believer's life. This is why knowledge of Allah's names and attributes is the greatest and purest of all forms of knowledge.
We should endeavor to make ourselves more aware of Allah by becoming better acquainted with His noble names and attributes, and by increasing our awareness of how those attributes relate to our lives.
We encounter, on a daily basis, stories of various kinds, from news reports to novels to epic adventures. Some of us even center our lives on our favorite television programs, following them day after day. Most of these stories are imaginary and serve no purpose other than to provide fleeting entertainment. Nevertheless, our fixation on them is undeniable, because we crave the variety of experiences they provide.
So how is it when we focus our awareness on Allah and His greatness which we cannot describe in words, which transcends human cognition, and which not even our imaginations can begin to grasp?
As believers in Allah, we can appropriate something of that magnificence, just enough to illuminate the way ahead. This is the faith that resides in our hearts and expels the surrounding darkness. In our troubled times rife with injustice, tragedy, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles Muslims and non-Muslims alike are faced with more insecurity and uncertainty than ever before.
We really need to have Allah in our lives, and to be in touch with His names and attributes. We must turn to Him with love and awe, and purify our hearts with God-consciousness and a commitment to draw near to Him.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Father
When I was 4 Yrs Old : "My father is THE BEST
When I was 6 Yrs Old: "My father seems to know everyone
When I was 10 Yrs Old:" My father is excellent but he is short tempered
When I was 12 Yrs Old: "My father was nice when I was little
When I was 14 Yrs Old: "My father started being too sensitive
When I was 16 Yrs Old : "My father can't keep up with modern times
When I was 18 Yrs Old : "My father is getting less tolerant as the days pass
by
When I was 20 Yrs Old :" It is too hard to forgive my father, how could my
Mum stand him all these years
When I was 25 Yrs Old :" My father seems to be objecting to everything I do
When I was 30 Yrs Old: "It's very difficult to be in agreement with my
father, I wonder if my Grandfather was troubled by my father when he was a
youth
When I was 40 Yrs Old: "My father brought me up with a lot of discipline, I
must do the same
When I was 45 Yrs Old: "I am puzzled, how did my father manage to raise all
of us
When I was 50 Yrs Old : "It's rather difficult to control my kids, how much
did my father suffer for the sake of upbringing and protecting us
When I was 55 Yrs Old:" My father was far looking and had wide plans for us,
he was gentle and outstanding.
When I became 60 Yrs Old: "My father is THE BEST
Note that it took 56 Yrs to complete the cycle and return to the starting
point " "My father is THE BEST "
Let's be good to our parents before it's too late and pray to Allaah that
our own children will treat us even better than the way we treated our
parents
Allah(SWT) says: "Your lord has decreed that you worship non but him and
show kindness to parents. If one or both reach old age with you then do not
say uff! To them nor repulse them, but speak graciously to them" {Surah
Al-Isra: Ayah 23}
O our lord, forgive me and my parents and believers on the day when the
reckoning shall come to pass. {Surah Ibrahim: Ayah 41}
O my Lord, have mercy on them (parents) just as they nourished me when I was
small.{Surah Bani Irail: Ayah 24
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (RA) (1058 - 1128 C.E.)
After a few years, however, he gave up his academic pursuits and worldly interests and became a wandering ascetic. This was a process (period) of mystical transformation. Later, he resumed his teaching duties, but again left these. An era of solitary life, devoted to contemplation and writing then ensued, which led to the authorship of a number of everlasting books. He died in 1128 C.E. at Baghdad.
Al-Ghazali made major contributions in religion, philosophy and Sufism. A number of Muslim philosophers had been following and developing several viewpoints of Greek philosophy, including the Neoplatonic philosophy, and this was leading to conflict with several Islamic teachings. On the other hand, the movement of sufism was assuming such excessive proportions as to avoid observance of obligatory prayers and duties of Islam. Based on his unquestionable scholarship and personal mystical experience, Ghazali sought to rectify these trends, both in philosophy and sufism.
In philosophy, Al-Ghazali upheld the approach of mathematics and exact sciences as essentially correct. However, he adopted the techniques of Aristotelian logic and the Neoplatonic procedures and employed these very tools to lay bare the flaws and lacunas of the then prevalent Neoplatonic philosophy and to diminish the negative influences of Aristotelianism and excessive rationalism. In contrast to some of the Muslim philosophers, e.g., Farabi he portrayed the inability of reason to comprehend the absolute and the infinite. Reason could not transcend the finite and was limited to the observation of the relative. Also, several Muslim philosophers had held that the universe was finite in space but infinite in time. Ghazali argued that an infinite time was related to an infinite space. With his clarity of thought and force of argument, he was able to create a balance between religion and reason, and identified their respective spheres as being the infinite and the finite, respectively.
In religion, particularly mysticism, he cleansed the approach of sufism of its excesses and reestablished the authority of the orthodox religion. Yet, he stressed the importance of genuine sufism, which he maintained was the path to attain the absolute truth.
Al-Ghazali was a prolific writer. His immortal books include Tuhafat al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), Ihya al-'Ulum al-Islamia (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), "The Beginning of Guidance and his Autobiography," "Deliverance from Error." Some of his works were translated into European languages in the Middle Ages. He also wrote a summary of astronomy.
Al-Ghazali's influence was deep and everlasting. He is one of the greatest theologians of Islam. His theological doctrines penetrated Europe, influenced Jewish and Christian Scholasticism and several of his arguments seem to have been adopted by St. Thomas Aquinas in order to similarly reestablish the authority of orthodox Christian religion in the West. So forceful was his argument in the favor of religion that he was accused of damaging the cause of philosophy and, in the Muslim Spain, Ibn Rushd wrote a rejoinder to his Tuhafut.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Islamic News
Azhar Imam orders niqab off, wants ban
CAIRO – The head of Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni world, has ordered a school girl to remove her niqab during a visit to an Al-Azhar school, saying he would seek an official ban for the face veil in schools, Al-Masri Al-Youm newspaper reported on Monday, October 5.
“Why are you wearing the niqab while sitting in the class with your female colleagues?” Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi asked the 8th grader.
The young girl was shocked with the question coming from the country’s top scholar.
A teacher intervened to explain.
“She takes off her niqab inside the class, but she only put it on when you and your entourage came in.”
But Sheikh Tantawi was not satisfied and insisted that the young girl takes off the face cover.
“The niqab is a tradition and has nothing to do with Islam.”
After the girl complied he insisted she should not wear it any more.
“I tell you again that the niqab has nothing to do with Islam and it is only a mere custom. I understand the religion better than you and your parents.”
Most Muslim women in Egypt wear the hijab, which is an obligatory code of dress in Islam, but an increase in women putting on the niqab has apparently alarmed the government.
The ministry of religious endowments has recently distributed booklets in mosques against the practice.
The majority of Muslim scholars believe that a woman is not obliged to cover her face or hands.
They believe that it is up to every woman to decide whether to take on the face-cover or not.
- Ban
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar imam vowed to issue a ban against the face-veil in all schools linked to Al-Azhar.
“I intend to issue a regulation to ban the niqab in Al-Azhar schools,” he said.
“No student or teacher will be allowed into the school wearing the niqab.”
Established in 359 AH (971 CE), Al-Azhar mosque drew scholars from across the Muslim world and grew into a university, predating similar developments at Oxford University in London by more than a century.
Al-Azhar, which means the "most flourishing and resplendent," was named after Fatima Al-Zahraa, daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The first courses at Al-Azhar were given in 975 CE and the first college was built 13 years later.
Al-Azhar first admitted women students in 1961, albeit in separate classes.
Also in 1961, subjects in engineering and medicine were added to classes on Shari`ah, the Noble Qur’an and the intricacies of Arabic language.
Sheikh Tantawi’s remarks coincided with those of Higher Education Minister Hani Hilal who has banned the face-veil in student hostels.
“Face-veiled students are free to do what they want outside the hostels but there is no room for the niqab inside the women-only hostels,” he said earlier this week.
Many students demonstrated against the minister’s statements and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights plans to take him to court.
“The minister’s decision violates the principles of privacy, personal freedom and freedom of faith, which are guaranteed by the constitution.”Monday, October 5, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Eclipse: A Sign of Allah's Power
“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone's death but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. Whenever you see these eclipses invoke Allah, pray, exclaim, (Allah is Most Great) and give charity.”
'A'ishah (A.S.) narrated that, “There was a solar eclipse during the life-time of Allah's Messenger (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a lengthy recital during the prayer. Then bowed for a long while (made a long Ruku). He stood up again and performed another long recital of the Qur'an, but this time the period of standing (Qiyam) was shorter than the first one. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one (Ruku), then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second Rak'ah as he did in the first and then finished the prayer. By then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutbah (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah, he said:
“The sun and the moon are two signs from amongst Allah’s signs and they do not eclipse because of the death or life of anyone. Therefore, whenever you see an eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir (exclaim, Allah is Most Great), pray and give Sadaqah (charity).”
Explanation of the Hadith
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, which causes a total or partial solar eclipse. A total eclipse takes place in a limited zone on that part of the earth directly facing the sun, at which the sunlight dims to resemble bright moonlight within a few minutes. To the north and south of this band or zone, a partial eclipse takes place. The part of the sun , which eclipses keep getting smaller as we get away from the total eclipse band towards the direction of the two poles .
The Prophet (PBUH) says in this Hadith:
“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. the birth) of someone but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah.”
This means that they are two cosmic phenomena, which frequently occur, regardless of the death or life (i.e. birth) of anyone, contrary to what some people used to claim in the Arab Peninsula and other parts of the world. They used to relate the occurrence of these cosmic phenomena to the birth or death of a great person. The Prophet (PBUH) in this Hadith totally denies all of these superstitions, and assures that they are cosmic phenomena, which recur frequently.
Islam deals with ECLIPSE as cosmic phenomena |
Science has proven that the moon is followed by a conical shadow, called the umbra, as it blocks the sunrays. In its movement around the earth, the moon's conical shadow passes along with it. At the time of conjunction, which occurs once every lunar month, the moon falls exactly in the middle between the sun and the earth, thus blocking its light totally or partially. Nevertheless, in most of the lunar months, the moon's shadow does not reach the earth, while passing between it and the sun and in such case the sunlight is not blocked. Hence, no eclipse takes place. That is why total solar eclipses are very rare. Sometimes during a solar eclipse the moon falls in the middle between the earth and the sun, and the visible sun narrows to a thin crescent, and the corona appears. At the moment before totality, brilliant points of light, called Baily's beads, flash out.
When the total eclipse takes place, the sky becomes completely dark and the stars become visible in the middle of the day. So in a few minutes, broad daylight turns into what looks like the night, which causes a feeling of panic and depression, not only for human beings, but for all creatures. Birds shelter in their nests, and animals hide in their dens, or get into a state of cautious stillness.
As for the lunar eclipse, it takes place when the earth, being between the sun and the moon, casts a long, conical shadow, called the umbra, with an area of partial shadow called the penumbra around it. This is a phenomenon, which can be observed from all parts of the earth. In most months, the moon passes above or under the umbra, the conical shadow of the earth, and does not enter it. Thus, the lunar eclipse does not take place. During the solar eclipse, the solar energy that reaches the earth decreases and hence the temperature of the earth drops. However, during the lunar eclipse, the solar energy, which reaches the earth increases, causing the temperature of the earth to relatively increase for a few minutes. Since these phenomena are very accurately calculated, the earth is exposed to extreme dangers that only Allah knows how grave they are. That is why the Prophet (PBUH) asked Muslims to invoke Allah, the Almighty, praise Him, exclaim, “Allah is Most Great”, and glorify Him. Moreover, the Prophet asked Muslims to pray and pay charity, praying that Allah will protect the earth and its inhabitants from these dangers.
This is the reason why the Prophet (PBUH) said in other narrations of the same Hadith: “Rush to prayer” and in another narration he said:
“These signs sent by Allah do not occur because of the life or death of somebody, but Allah frightens His worshippers with them. So when you see anything thereof, rush to invoke Allah, pray to Him and ask for His forgiveness.”
One cannot help wondering how the Prophet (PBUH) could attain such accurate scientific facts, more than fourteen hundred years ago, at a time when people were up to their ears in superstitions and myths. It really is an explicit proof of the Prophet's Divine Message.
By: Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar