~Amahautie~

2003-09-03T12:06:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATION

Time is like a river - it flows by and doesn't
return.
-- Chinese Proverb

Time is a sort of river of passing events, and
strong is its current; no sooner is a thing
brought to sight than it is swept by and another
takes its place, and this too will be swept away.
-- Marcus Aurelius

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
-- Native American Proverb

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men
of old; seek what they sought.
-- Matsuo Basho

You never get over being a child, long as you have
a mother to go to.
-- Sarah Orne Jewett

It would be a very big book that contained all the
maybes uttered in a day.
-- French Proverb

These things are good in little measure and evil
in large: yeast, salt and hesitation.
-- The Talmud

Where you will sit when you are old shows where
you stood in youth.
-- Yoruba Proverb

Old age takes away from us what we have inherited
and gives us what we have earned.
-- Gerald Brenan

2003-09-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[7] If We had sent unto thee a written (message)
on parchment,(a) so that they could touch it with
their hands, the unbelievers would have been sure
to say: "This is nothing but obvious magic!"(b)
[8] They say: "Why is not an angel sent down to
him?" If we did send down an angel, the matter
would be settled at once, and no respite would be
granted them.(c) [9] If We had made it an angel,
We should have sent him as a man, and We should
certainly have caused them confusion in a matter
which they have already covered with confusion.(d)
[10] Mocked were (many) apostles before thee; but
their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that
they mocked.(e) - Qur'an Surah 32:2-3

(a) Qirtas, in the Prophet's life, could only
mean "parchment", which was commonly used as
writing materials in Western Asia from the 2nd
century B.C. The word was derived from the Greek,
Charles (Cf. Latin "Charta"). Paper, as we know
it, made from rags, was first used by the Arabs
after the conquest of Samarqand in 751 A.C. The
Chinese had used it by the 2nd century B.C. The
Arabs introduced it into Europe; it was used in
Greece in the 11th and 12th century, and in Spain
through Sicily in the 12th century. The Papyrus,
made from an Egyptian reed, was used in Egypt as
early as 2500 B.C. It gave place in Egypt in the
10th century.

(b) The materialist want to see actual physical
material things before them, but if such a thing
came from as unusual source or expressed things
they cannot understand, they give it some name
like magic or superstition, or whatever name is in
fashion, and they are not helped at all in
attaining faith because their "hearts are
diseased" (2:10).

(c) Also see 2:210. An angel is a heavenly being,
a manifestation of Allah's glory, invisible to men
who live gross material lives. Such men are given
plenty of respite in which to turn repentance to
Allah and make themselves worthy of His Light. But
if their prayers to see an angel were granted, it
would do them no good, for they would be destroyed
as darkness is destroyed by light.

(d) Supposing as angel should appear to their
grosser sense, he could only do it in human form.
In that case their present confused notions about
spiritual life would be still more confounded.
They would say; "We wanted to see an angel, and we
have only seen a man!"

(e) "The scoffers were mocked by the thing that
they mocked" would express epigrammatically part
of the sense, but not the whole. "Hemmed in"
implies that the logic of events turned the tables
and as a man might be besieged and surrounded by
an enemy in war, and would be forced to surrender,
so these mockers will find that events would
justify Truth, not them. The mockers of Jesus -
where were they when Titus destroyed Jerusalem?
The mockers who drove Muhammad from Mecca - what
was their plight when Muhammad came back in
triumph and they sued for mercy - and he gave it
to them! According to the Latin proverb, "Great is
Truth, and must prevail."

2003-09-03T12:05:00.002-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Abu Huraira: I said: "O Allah's Apostle!
Who will be the luckiest person, who will gain
your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?"
Allah's Apostle said: O Abu Huraira! "I have
thought that none will ask me about it before you
as I know your longing for the (learning of)
Hadiths. The luckiest person who will have my
intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be
the one who said sincerely from the bottom of his
heart "None has the right to be worshipped but
Allah." And 'Umar bin 'Abdul 'Aziz wrote to Abu
Bakr bin Hazm, "Look for the knowledge of Hadith
and get it written, as I am afraid that religious
knowledge will vanish and the religious learned
men will pass away (die). Do not accept anything
save the Hadiths of the Prophet. Circulate
knowledge and teach the ignorant, for knowledge
does not vanish except when it is kept secretly
(to oneself)." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3,
Number 98

Narrated 'Abdullah: When the following Verse was
revealed: "It is those who believe and confuse not
their belief with wrong (worshipping others
besides Allah.)" (6:83), the companions of Allah's
Apostle asked, "Who is amongst us who had not done
injustice (wrong)?" Allah revealed: "No doubt,
joining others in worship with Allah is a great
injustice (wrong) indeed." (31.13) Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 1, Book 2, Number 31

Narrated Al-Bara 'bin 'Azib: The Prophet said to
me, "Whenever you go to bed perform ablution like
that for the prayer, lie or your right side and
say, "Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu
amri ilaika, wa alja'tu Zahri ilaika raghbatan wa
rahbatan ilaika. La Malja' wa la manja minka illa
ilaika. Allahumma amantu bikitabika-l-ladhi
anzalta wa bina-biyika-l ladhi arsalta" (O Allah!
I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to
You and depend upon You for Your Blessings both
with hope and fear of You. There is no fleeing
from You, and there is no place of protection and
safety except with You O Allah! I believe in Your
Book (the Qur'an) which You have revealed and in
Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent). Then
if you die on that very night, you will die with
faith (i.e. or the religion of Islam). Let the
aforesaid words be your last utterance (before
sleep)." I repeated it before the Prophet and when
I reached "Allahumma amantu bikitabika-l-ladhi
anzalta (O Allah I believe in Your Book which You
have revealed)." I said, "Wa-rasulika (and your
Apostle)." The Prophet said, "No, (but say):
'Wanabiyika-l-ladhi arsalta (Your Prophet whom You
have sent), instead." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1,
Book 4, Number 247

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) said: Ask me (about matters pertaining to
religion), but they (the Companions of the Holy
Prophet) were too much overawed out of profound
respect for him to ask him (anything). In the
meanwhile a man came there, and sat near his knees
and said: Messenger of Allah, what al-lslam is?
-to which he (the Holy Prophet) replied: You must
not associate anything with Allah, and establish
prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the
fasts) of Ramadan. He said: You (have) told the
truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what
al-Iman (the faith) is? He (the Holy Prophet)
said: That you affirm your faith in Allah, His
angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and
that you believe in Resurrection and that you
believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its
entirety, He (the inquirer) said: You (have) told
the truth. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah,
what al-Ihsan is? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet)
said: (Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allah as if
you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not,
verily He is seeing you. He (the inquirer) said:
You (have) told the truth. He (the inquirer) said:
When there would be the hour (of Doom)? (Upon
this) he (the HolyProphet said: The one who is
being asked about it is no better informed than
the inquirer himself. I, however, narrate some of
its signs (and these are): when you see a slave
(woman) giving birth to her master - that is one
of the signs of (Doom) ; when you see barefooted,
naked, deaf and dumb (ignorant and foolish
persons) as the rulers of the earth - that is one
of the signs of the Doom. And when you see the
shepherds of black camels exult in buildings -
that is one of the signs of Doom. The (Doom) is
one of the five things (wrapped) in the unseen. No
one knows them except Allah. Then (the Holy
Prophet) recited (the folowing verse):" Verily
Allah! with Him alone is the knowledge of the hour
and He it is Who sends down the rain and knows
that which is in the wombs and no person knows
whatsoever he shall earn on morrow and a person
knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily
Allah is Knowing, Aware. He (the narrator, Abu
Huraira) said: Then the person stood up an (made
his way). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: Bring him back to me. He was
searched for, but they (the Companions of the Holy
Prophet) could not find him. The Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) thereupon said: He
was Gabriel and he wanted to teach you (things
pertaining to religion) when you did not ask (them
yourselves). Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0006:

2003-09-03T12:05:00.001-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa
salaam) heard a man supplicating;

Allahumma, inni 'as'aluka bi innaka 'anta Allahu
laa 'ilaha 'ila antal 'ahadus samad althee lam
yalid wa lam yulad wa lam yakul lahu kufwan ahad.

"Oh Allah, I ask You, as You are Allah, there is
no other god except You, the Only, the Eternal
Refuge, who begets not nor is begotten, nor is
there any comparable unto Him"

He said, "I swear by Him in whose hand is my soul,
that this man has appealed to Allah by His
greatest name, which if He is called by it, He
responds and if He is petitioned by it He gives".

Reported by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah -
hasan
Book: "The Muslim's Supplication Throughout the
Day and Night"
by: Siddiqah Sharafuddeen

2003-09-03T12:05:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: Whe Our Fathers Irritate Us ::

An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his
house along with his son who had received a high
education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of
the house. The father asked the son: What is this?
The son replied: It is a crow. After a little
while the father again asked the son: What is
this? The son said: It is a crow.

After a few minutes the father asked his son the
third time: What is this? The son said: Father, I
have just now told you that this is a crow. After
a little while the old father again asked his son
the fourth time: what is this? By this time some
statement of irritation was felt in the son's tone
when he rebuffed his father: Father! It is a crow,
a crow. A little after the father again asked his
son: What is this? This time the son replied to
his father with a vein of temper. Father: You are
always repeating the same question, although I
have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are
you not able to understand this?

The father went to his room and came back with an
old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read
what was written. What the son read were the
following words written in the diary:

'Today my little son was sitting with me in the
courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me
twenty-five times what it was and I told him
twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not
at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for
my innocent child.'

The father then explained to his son the
difference between a father's and a son's
attitude. While you were a little child you asked
me this question twenty-five times and I felt no
irritation in replying to the question twenty-five
times and when today I asked you the same question
only five times, you felt irritated, annoyed and
impatient with me.

Surah Al Isra (The Night Journey) also known as
Surah Bani-Israil (The Children of Israel)
17:23-24

Thy Lord hath decreed That ye worship none but
Him, And that ye be kind To parents. Whether one
Or both of them attain Old age in thy life, Say
not to them a word Of contempt, nor repel them,
But address them In terms of honour.

And, out of kindness, Lower them to the wing Of
humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them Thy
Mercy even as they Cherished me in childhood."

2003-09-03T12:04:00.001-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

al-Nar - Hell: literally, 'The Fire'.
This commonest of all names for Hell appears many
times in the Qur'an where Hell is always described
in very physical terms. The eternity of Hell,
especially for wicked Muslims, has been questioned
by some theologians who have pointed to verses in
the Qur'an and the Hadith literature to support
their views.

Jahannam - Gehenna.
This is one of the seven ranks of Hell. The word
has connotations in Arabic of 'depth' and is very
commonly used in the Qur'an to designate Hell,
appearing 77 times. Tradition consigned
unrepentant wicked Muslims to this layer of Hell
to suffer for a while until their eventual
transfer to paradise. When no longer needed
Jahannam will be obliterated.

2003-09-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

:: Bedtime Prayers ::
By: Ellen Bailey. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

When I was a child and it came the bedtime hour
I would kneel by my bed and say my nightly prayers
I would shut my eyes and ask for a lot of foolish
things;
Like a new bicycle or a new wagon or a toy train

I prayed for new clothes; those that were in style
I prayed for good grades so my parents would smile
I prayed only for me and no one else
I left it to others to pray for themselves

The youthful things I prayed for came to pass
But I learned they were things that did not last
I look back now and see that I was vain
To pray only for me while others were in pain

Now that I am older my prayers have changed
I no longer ask God for material things
I pray for strength to make it through the day
I pray for courage to keep my fears at bay

I pray for people with lonely souls
I pray for the hungry and the cold
I pray for little orphans without homes
I pray for those who are shut-in and all alone

I pray that tensions in the world will ease
I pray that we will find everlasting peace
And each night before I go to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep

2003-09-03T12:03:00.001-04:00

Want a Great Way to Teach your Kids Compassion?

Then use object lessons. For instance, have your
family only drink water for a couple weeks and use
the money you'd normally spend for soda or tea and
send it to a non-profit organization that helps
people in the Third World dig fresh water wells.
Or deliberately buy generic clothes instead of
name brand ones and send the savings to help
clothe orphans. Using visual examples of
compassion will really make its teaching stay with
your children.

2003-09-03T12:03:00.000-04:00

:: The Demands of Qur'an ::

The Quraan makes five demands of every Muslim. Put
in a simple language, these demands are as
follows:

A Muslim is required:

1. To believe in the Quraan;
2. To read it;
3. To understand it;
4. To act upon its teachings; and
5. To convey its message and teachings to
others.

2003-08-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

salaam boggers. whats up.. im crazy busy w. classes now.. well i can prolly post more now actually ..lol.. so yeye.. good luck w/ everything.. wsalaam

2003-08-25T16:12:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATION

It is easy to be brave from a distance.
-- Native American Proverb

Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn't
have to do it.
-- Weller's Law

Life is a candle before the wind.
-- Japanese Proverb

You only live once. But if you work it right,
once is enough.
-- Fred Allen

In time of war the devil makes more room in hell.
-- German Proverb

There was never a good war or a bad peace.
-- Benjamin Franklin

A silent mouth is sweet to hear.
-- Irish Proverb

He has the gift of quiet.
-- John Le Carre

A child's tear rends the heavens.
-- Yiddish Proverb

What's done to children, they will do to society.
-- Dr. Karl Menninger

2003-08-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[2] (This is) the Revelation of the Book in which
there is no doubt,(a) - from the Lord of the
Worlds. [3] Or(b) do they say, "He has forged it"?
Nay, it is the Truth from thy Lord, that thou
mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has
come before thee: in order that they may receive
guidance.(c) - Qur'an Surah 32:2-3

(a) By the time of the Holy Prophet the earlier
Books of Revelation had been corrupted by human
ignorance or selfishness or fraud, or
misinterpreted altogether. There were sects
violently disputing with each other as to their
true meaning. Suck doubts had to be set at rest
and they were set at rest by the revelation of the
Holy Qur'an. This Qur'anic inspiration came
directly from Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and
did not consist merely of human conjecture or a
reconstructed philosophy, in which there is always
room fro doubt or dispute. Also refer to 2:2.

(b) The force of "or" (am in Arabic) is that the
only alternative to the acceptance of the Book as
a divine revelation is the supposition that it was
a forgery by the Holy Prophet. But this
supposition is absurd on the face of it because
(1) the Quraysh, his critics, knew him to be an
honest and truthful man; (2) he was unlettered,
and such a Book would have been beyond his powers
as a simple unlettered Arab, unless Allah inspired
it; and (3) there was a definite reason for its
coming as it did, because the Arabs had received
no Messenger before him and Allah has sent
Messengers to every nation.

(c) The Arabs very much needed guidance for
themselves, and the advent of a World Prophet
through them was what might have been expected in
view of the past course of Allah's revelations.

2003-08-25T16:11:00.002-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated 'Aisha: (the mother of the faithful
believers) The commencement of the Divine
Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of
good dreams which came true like bright day light,
and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon
him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of
Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone)
continuously for many days before his desire to
see his family. He used to take with him the
journey food for the stay and then come back to
(his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise
again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him
while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came
to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied,
"I do not know how to read.

The Prophet added, "The angel caught me
(forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could
not bear it any more. He then released me and
again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not
know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again
and pressed me a second time till I could not bear
it any more. He then released me and again asked
me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how
to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he
caught me for the third time and pressed me, and
then released me and said, 'Read in the name of
your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has
created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is
the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then
Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and
with his heart beating severely. Then he went to
Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover
me!" They covered him till his fear was over and
after that he told her everything that had
happened and said, "I fear that something may
happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah,
Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good
relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor
and the destitute, serve your guests generously
and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."

Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa
bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during
the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used
to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would
write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah
wished him to write. He was an old man and had
lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen
to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa
asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's
Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa
said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets
(angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I
wish I were young and could live up to the time
when your people would turn you out." Allah's
Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa
replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man)
who came with something similar to what you have
brought was treated with hostility; and if I
should remain alive till the day when you will be
turned out then I would support you strongly." But
after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine
Inspiration was also paused for a while.

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari while
talking about the period of pause in revelation
reporting the speech of the Prophet "While I was
walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the
sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had
visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair
between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him
and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in
blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following
Holy Verses (of Quran):

'O you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!'
Arise and warn (the people against Allah's
Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.'
(74.1-5) After this the revelation started coming
strongly, frequently and regularly."

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3

2003-08-25T16:11:00.001-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Sometimes during i'tidal (when raising up from the
position of ruku) the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu alayhi wa salaam), would also
sometimes say:

"Allahumma rabbana lakal hamd mil'as samaawati wa
mil'al ard, wa mil'a ma bainahuma, wa mil'a ma
sh'ita min shaiin b'ad"

"O Allah, our Lord, unto You is praise filling the
heavens and filling the earth, and what is between
them and whatever You should will beyond
that..." , Aameen.

[Sahih Muslim]

2003-08-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: Mom, You Owe me $14.75 ::

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen
one evening while she was fixing supper, and he
handed her a piece of paper that he had been
writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an
apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

* For cutting the grass: $5.00
* For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
* For going to the store for you: $0.50
* Babysitting my kid brother while you went
shopping: $0.25
* Taking out the garbage: $1.00
* For getting a good report card: $5.00
* For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00
* Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, the
boy could see the memories flashing through her
mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper
he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

* For 9 months I carried you while you were
growing inside me: No Charge.
* For all the nights that I've sat up with you,
doctored and prayed for you: No Charge.
* For all the trying times, and all the tears
that you've caused through the years: No
Charge.
* For all the nights that were filled with
dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead:
No Charge.
* For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping
your nose: No Charge,
* Son. When you add it up, the cost of my love
is: No Charge.

When the boy finished reading what his mother had
written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he
looked straight at his mother and said,

"Mom, I sure do love you".

And then he took the pen and in great big letters
he wrote: "PAID IN FULL"

2003-08-25T16:09:00.001-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Tanzil -
Revelation, i.e. of the Qur'an.

Tanzih -
Considering or declaring God to be above and
beyond anthropomorphic elements or description.
Tanzih stresses the remote and transcendent aspect
of God, while its opposite, tashbih, emphasizes,
sometimes overmuch in the view of some Islamic
theologians, the immanent aspect of God. These two
Qur'anic concepts are neatly summarized in the
Qur'anic assertion, on the one hand, that God has
no like and, on the other, the statement that God
is nearer to man than his own jugular vein.

Tashbih -
Anthropomorphism, describing God in human terms.
The whole problem of how God should be described
and the nature of His attributes precipitated much
debate in medieval Islam.

2003-08-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

:: As The Day Ends ::
By: Ellen Bailey. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

As the day ends and the sun goes down
And the sun sheds its last rays of light
I think to myself as I look around,
"Have I spent my day living right?"

As the day ends and the sun goes down
I thank the Lord for this day I have owned
And as the night steals in without a sound
I feel His presence and know I am not alone

As the day ends and the sun goes down
I count my many shares and blessings
And recall what's right can be found
In His wonderful teachings and lessons

2003-08-13T18:51:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

The very thing one likes, one does well.
-- Japanese Proverb

The winds and waves are always on the side of the
ablest navigators.
-- Edward Gibbon

The stars make no noise.
-- Irish Proverb

Unknowingly, we plow the dust of stars, blown
about us by the wind, and drink the universe in a
glass of rain.
-- Ihab Hassan

It usually rains where it's already wet.
-- German Proverb

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you
gotta put up with the rain.
-- Dolly Parton

The difference between adults and children is that
adults don't ask questions.
-- American Proverb

Children are not things to be molded,
but are people to be unfolded.
-- Jess Lair

Help thy brother's boat across, and lo! thine own
has reached the shore.
-- Hindu Proverb

It is one of the beautiful compensations of this
life that no one can sincerely try to help another
without helping himself.
-- Charles Dudley Warner

2003-08-13T18:50:00.001-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

103] Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose
most in respect of their deeds?(a) - [104] "Those
whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while
they thought that they were acquiring good by
their works?"(b) [105] They are those who deny the
Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having
to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their
works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give
them any weight.(c) [106] That is their reward,
Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My
Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.(d) -
Qur'an Surah 18:103-106

(a) That is; those who prided themselves on their
works in this life and now find that those works
are of no avail. Their loss is all the greater
because they had a misplaced confidence in their
own deeds or in the assistance of false
"protectors". Allah is the only Protector: no one
else's protection is of any use.

(b) Many people have such a smug sense of
self-righteousness that while they go on doing
wrong, they think that they are acquiring merit.
So, in charity, all elements that make for outward
show or selfishness (as to get some worldly
advantage) nullify the deed of charity. In the
same way, hypocrites sometimes affect to be
surprised that their declared effort for
somebody's good is not appreciated, when they are
really seeking some hidden gain or false glory for
themselves. The sincere are only those who believe
in their spiritual responsibility and act in
Allah's sight.

(c) What weight can be attached to works behind
which the motives are not pure or are positively
evil? They are either wasted or count against
those who seek to pass them off as meritorious!

(d) False motives, pretense, deception and
hypocrisy flourish because people do not take the
higher life seriously. In effect they treat it as
a jest. Signs and Messengers are sent as a special
and personal Mercy from Allah, and for such things
the first person singular is used as in this
verse, even when it involves a sudden transition
from the first person plural as in the last verse.

2003-08-13T18:50:00.000-04:00

2003-08-13T18:49:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "Abusing a
Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is
Kufr (disbelief)." Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit:
"Allah's Apostle went out to inform the people
about the (date of the) night of decree (Al-Qadr)
but there happened a quarrel between two Muslim
men. The Prophet said, "I came out to inform you
about (the date of) the night of Al-Qadr, but as
so and so and so and so quarrelled, its knowledge
was taken away (I forgot it) and maybe it was
better for you. Now look for it in the 7th, the
9th and the 5th (of the last 10 nights of the
month of Ramadan)." Sahih Bukari, Volume 1, Book
2, Number 46

Narrated Ibn Abi Nu'm: A person asked 'Abdullah
bin 'Umar whether a Muslim could kill flies. I
heard him saying (in reply). "The people of Iraq
are asking about the killing of flies while they
themselves murdered the son of the daughter of
Allah's Apostle . The Prophet said, They (i.e.
Hasan and Husain) are my two sweet basils in this
world." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 57, Number
96

Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin 'Adi bin Al-Khiyar: That
Al-Miqdad bin 'Amr Al-Kindi, who was an ally of
Bani Zuhra and one of those who fought the battle
of Badr together with Allah's Apostle told him
that he said to Allah's Apostle, "Suppose I met
one of the infidels and we fought, and he struck
one of my hands with his sword and cut it off and
then took refuge in a tree and said, "I surrender
to Allah (i.e. I have become a Muslim),' could I
kill him, O Allah's Apostle, after he had said
this?" Allah's Apostle said, "You should not kill
him." Al-Miqdad said, "O Allah's Apostle! But he
had cut off one of my two hands, and then he had
uttered those words?" Allah's Apostle replied,
"You should not kill him, for if you kill him, he
would be in your position where you had been
before killing him, and you would be in his
position where he had been before uttering those
words." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number
354

Narrated Abu Dhar: That he heard the Prophet
saying, "If somebody accuses another of Fusuq (by
calling him 'Fasiq' i.e. a wicked person) or
accuses him of Kufr, such an accusation will
revert to him (i.e. the accuser) if his companion
(the accused) is innocent." Sahih Bukhari, Volume
8, Book 73, Number 71

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: I heard the Prophet saying,
"Do not revert to disbelief after me by striking
(cutting) the necks of one another." Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 198

Narrated Uthman ibn Affan: AbuUmamah ibn Sahl
said: We were with Uthman when he was besieged in
the house. There was an entrance to the house. He
who entered it heard the speech of those who were
in the Bilat. Uthman then entered it. He came out
to us, looking pale. He said: They are threatening
to kill me now. We said: Allah will be sufficient
for you against them, Commander of the Faithful!
He asked: Why kill me? I heard the Apostle of
Allah (peace be upon him) say: It is not lawful to
kill a man who is a Muslim except for one of the
three reasons: Kufr (disbelief) after accepting
Islam, fornication after marriage, or wrongfully
killing someone, for which he may be killed. I
swear by Allah, I have not committed fornication
before or after the coming of Islam, nor did I
ever want another religion for me instead of my
religion since Allah gave guidance to me, nor have
I killed anyone. So for what reason do you want to
kill me? Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 39, Number

2003-08-13T18:47:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (radiallahu anhu)
the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa salaam) said:

'Allahumma ‘alimal-ghaibi wash-shahadati
fatiras-samawati wal-ard, Rabba kulli shai’in wa
malikahu ashhadu an la ilah illa Anta, A’udhu bika
min sharri nafsi wa min sharrish shaitaini wa
shirkihi, wa an aqtarifa ‘ala nafsi su’an, aw
ajurrahu ila Muslim

"Oh Allah, Knower of the unseen and the evident,
Inventor of the heavens and the earth, Lord of all
and its Possessor, I bear witness that there is no
GOD but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of
my soul and from the evil of Satan and his
helpers. I seek refuge in You from bringing evil
upon my soul and from harming any Muslim", Aameen

[Reported by At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]

2003-08-13T18:46:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on
a small, uninhabited island.

He prayed feverishly for Allah to rescue him, and
every day he scanned the horizon for help, but
none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little
hut out of driftwood to protect him from the
elements and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he
arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the
smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had
happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with
grief and anger.

"Allah, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by
the sound of a ship that was approaching the
island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man
of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they
replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are
going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because
Allah is at work in our lives, even in the midst
of pain and suffering.

Remember, next time your little hut is burning to
the ground -- it just may be a smoke signal that
summons The Grace of Allah.

2003-08-13T18:45:00.001-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

'Ulama' - [sing. 'alim] -
Religious scholars, jurists (loosely), learned
men, imams, judges, Ayatullahs and similar people.
The 'ulama' were, and are, often referred to as if
they formed a coherent professional monolithic
group of intellectuals and academics. While there
were, and are, such groups, the 'group ethic'
should not be overstressed. The 'ulama' were often
regarded as custodians or 'orthodoxy'. The Arabic
word should never be translated as 'clergy' of
which there are none in Islam.

2003-08-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

:: My Master ::
By: M. Fethullah Gulen
Source: : fethullahgulen.org

My eyes long for You, my heart watches your path,
If I could reach Your presence once, autumn would
turn into spring...

If my head could touch your feet, if my teardrops
could cascade,
If I could cry "You...You," all obstacles would
melt away...

Your village’s pink color can never be matched,
The faces that come with sin leave purified.

Those who come attain to light, each become a joy,
Mercy rains everywhere, the blind remain
destitute.

From your soil and earth and sacred trail
Daylight flows to the dark worlds...

Exhausted, whatever I say to You, Your praise does
not fall to me;
I said I’ll say something, but words did not
suffice.

From Your profound compassion, from Your vast
spiritual power,
Turn and incline towards me; my spirit yearns for
your favor!

2003-07-29T00:03:00.000-04:00

salaam.. sorri everyone for SUch a long wait for the update... i have been just sleepy n tired and working .. so i never got the chance.. but anyway.. i hope everyones summers went well...mine was awsommme in pakiland... it was a cool trip as alwayz.. umm okay n skools start up.. soon.. till then ill try to blog or GOLB regularyl... take care , peace

2003-07-28T23:54:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

The mouth is the cause of calamity.
-- Japanese Proverb

Were there no fools, there would be no wise men.
-- German Proverb

Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them
the rest of us could not succeed.
-- Mark Twain

You never plough a field by turning it over in
your mind.
-- Irish Proverb

Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater
privilege, than the raising of the next
generation.
-- C. Everett Koop, MD

A man is judged by his deeds, not by his words.
-- Russian Proverb

2003-07-28T23:52:00.000-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[22] Is one whose heart God has opened to
Islam,(a) so that he has received Enlightenment
from God, (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe
to those whose hearts are hardened against
celebrating(b) the praises of God! they are
manifestly wandering (in err or)! - Qur'an
Surah 39:22

(a) Those who listen to Allah's Message find at
each stage Allah's Grace helping them more and
more to expand their spiritual understanding and
to receive Allah's Light, so that they travel
farther and farther to their goal in the Path of
Truth and Righteousness. They are not to be
compared to those who shut out Allah's Light from
their hearts. See next note.

(b) Just as there is spiritual progress for those
who seek Allah, so there is more and more
spiritual retrogression for those who close their
hearts to Allah. Their hearts get hardened and
they allow less and less Allah's Grace to
penetrate within. But it is obvious that they
flounder on the Way and cannot walk with the firm
steps of those assured Faith.

2003-07-28T23:51:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Ibn Abbas: Regarding His (Allah's)
Statement:-- 'Move not your tongue concerning (the
Qur'an) to make haste therewith.' (75.16) And
whenever Gabriel descended to Allah's Apostle with
the Divine Inspiration, Allah's Apostle used to
move his tongue and lips, and that used to be hard
for him, and one could easily recognize that he
was being inspired Divinely. So Allah revealed the
Verse which occurs in the Surah starting with "I
do swear by the Day of Resurrection.' (75.1) i.e.
'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to
make haste then with. It is for Us to collect it
(in your mind) (O Muhammad) an give you the
ability to recite it 'by heart.' (75.16-17) which
means: It is for us to collect it (in your mind)
and give you the ability to recite it by heart.
And when We have recited it to you (O Muhammad)
through Gabriel then follow you its recital.
(75.18) means: 'When We reveal it (the Qur'an) to
you, Listen to it.' for then: It is for Us to
explain it and make it clear to you' (75.19) i.e.
It is up to Us to explain it through your tongue.
So, when Gabriel came to him, Allah's Apostle
would listen to him attentively, and as soon as
Gabriel left, he would recite the Revelations, as
Allah had promised him. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6,
Book 61, Number 564

Malik related to me from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn
Alqama from his father from Bilal ibn al-Harith
al-Muzani that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, "A man speaks
what is pleasing to Allah and he does not suspect
that it will have the result that it does, and
Allah will write for him His good pleasure for it
until the day when he meets Him. And a man speaks
what excites the wrath of Allah and he does not
suspect that it will have the result that it does,
and Allah will write His wrath for him for it
until the day when he meets Him." Malik's Muwatta,
Book 56, Number 56.2.5

Malik related to me that he heard that Isa ibn
Maryam used to say, "Do not speak much without the
mention of Allah for you will harden your hearts.
A hard heart is far from Allah, but you do not
know. Do not look at the wrong actions of people
as if you were lords. Look at your wrong actions
as if you were slaves. Some people are afflicted
by wrong action and some people are protected from
it. Be merciful to the people of affliction and
praise Allah for His protection." Malik's Muwatta,
Book 56, NUmber 56.3.8

2003-07-28T23:49:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Allahumma 'inni 'asaluka nafsan mutma'innatan
tu-minu biliqa'ika, watarda biqada'ika, wataqn'a
bi'ata'ik.

"O Allah, I ask Thee for a calm soul which
believes in the Meeting with Thee, approves what
Thou hast decreed and is contented with what Thou
hast given", A'ameen.

Hasbunallahu wa n'imal wakil
Allah is sufficient for us and he is the best
disposer of affairs.

[Du'a's by Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

2003-07-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

al-Ba'th -
The term generally has two distinct meanings, the
first being 'resurrection' and the second being
'sending'. (1) Pre-Islamic Arabia believed that
the souls of the dead lived on in some shadowy
existence beyond the grave but there was no
resurrection of the body. The Qur'an, however,
later taught that there would, in fact, be a
resurrection of both the body and the soul on the
Day of Judgment. The pagan Arabs did not believe
in this. Many Islamic scholars believe, however,
contrary to the teachings of the Qur'an, that it
is only the souls that will be resurrected on the
Day of Judgment. The Qur'an has many references
and detailed descriptions of the Day of Judgment
or Resurrection (Yawm al-Ba'th or Yawm al-Qiyama).
(2) the word ba'th has the additional technical
theological sense of indicating the sending out of
prophets by God.

al-Hisab -
Literally, 'Reckoning'. The Day of Judgement is
called in Arabic 'The Day of Reckoning' (Yawm
al-Hisab), among other names (see verse 27 of
Surat Ghafir). The Qur'an gives a considerable
amount of detail about the Day of Judgement: in
particular, two styles of judgement, with scales
and with books, are mentioned. See, for example,
verses 8 and 9 of Surat al-A'raf and verses 7-12
of Surat al-Inshiqaq.

2003-07-28T23:38:00.000-04:00

:: I am Always With You ::
By: Allison Chambers Coxsey, © 1996

My Friend,
I Am Always with You
When true friendship
binds two individuals together,
that bond can never be broken.

For in times of confusion,
I will be there to listen to you.

In times of sadness,
I will be there to console you.

In times of anger,
I will be there to talk with you.

Even when miles separate us,
my friend,
when you are confused,
when you are sad,
when you are angry - - -
search your heart ...
and I will be there

2003-07-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

Ten Things We Waste

1. -- Our Knowledge --
Wasted by not taking action with it.

2. -- Our Actions --
Wasted by committing them without sincerity.

3. -- Our Wealth --
Wasted by using on things that will not bring
us ajr (reward from Allah). We waste our
money, our status, our authority, on things
which have no benefit in this life or in the
akhirah (hereafter).

4. -- Our Hearts --
Wasted because they are empty from the love of
Allah (swt) and his Messenger (sallallahu
'alahi wasallam), and a feeling of peace and
contentment. In it's place, our hearts are
filled with something or someone else.

5. -- Our Bodies --
Wasted because we don't use them in ibadah
(worship) and service of Allah.

6. -- Our Love --
Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards
Allah, but towards something/someone else.

7. -- Our Time --
Wasted, not used properly, to compensate for
that which has passed, by doing what is
righteous to make up for past deeds.

8. -- Our Intellect --
Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that
are detremental to society and the individual,
not in contemplation or reflection.

9. -- Our Service --
Wasted in service of someone who will not
bring us closer to Allah, moreover something
that will benefit us in dunya.

10. -- Our Dhikr (Remembrence of Allah) --
Wasted, because it does not effect us or our
hearts.

2003-06-16T18:26:00.000-04:00

stole a quiz frm Kchica
ur more thanwelcome to steal it frm me:)

2003-06-16T18:25:00.000-04:00

your eyes show love

which eye are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2003-06-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

salaam this awsome email frm Mlaiha S. i got...so i decided to post it up:)

2003-06-16T18:04:00.000-04:00

Forwarding a well-written, worth reading piece...
>
>
>
>A Benedictine Sister of Erie, Sister Joan is a best-selling author
>
>and well- known international lecturer. She is founder and executive
>
>director of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for
>
>Contemporary Spirituality , and past
>
>president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and
>
>the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Sister Joan has been
>
>recognized by universities and national organizations for her work
>
>for justice, peace and equality for women in the Church and society.
>
>She is an active member of the International Peace Council.
>
>
>
>Published on Thursday, May 29, 2003 by the National Catholic
>
>Reporter
>
>
>
>Is There Anything Left That Matters?
>
>
>
>by Joan Chittister, OSB
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>This is what I don't understand: All of a sudden nothing seems to matter.
>
>
>
>First, they said they wanted Bin Laden "dead or alive." But they
>
>didn't get him. So now they tell us that it doesn't matter. Our
>
>mission is greater than one man.
>
>
>
>Then they said they wanted Saddam Hussein, "dead or alive." He's
>
>apparently alive but we haven't got him yet, either. However,
>
>President Bush told reporters recently, "It doesn't matter. Our
>
>mission is greater than one man."
>
>
>
>Finally, they told us that we were invading Iraq to destroy their
>
>weapons of mass destruction. Now they say those weapons probably
>
>don't exist. Maybe never existed. Apparently that doesn't matter
>
>either.
>
>
>
>Except that it does matter.
>
>
>
>I know we're not supposed to say that. I know it's called "unpatriotic."
>
>
>
>But it's also called honesty. And dishonesty matters.
>
>
>
>It matters that the infrastructure of a foreign nation that couldn't
>
>defend itself against us has been destroyed on the grounds that it
>
>was a military threat to the world.
>
>
>
>It matters that it was destroyed by us under a new doctrine of
>
>"pre-emptive war" when there was apparently nothing worth pre-empting.
>
>
>
>It surely matters to the families here whose sons went to war to
>
>make the world safe from weapons of mass destruction and will never
>
>come home.
>
>
>
>It matters to families in the United States whose life support
>
>programs were ended, whose medical insurance ran out, whose food
>
>stamps were cut off, whose day care programs were eliminated so we
>
>could spend the money on sending an army to do what did not need to
>
>be done.
>
>
>
>It matters to the Iraqi girl whose face was burned by a lamp that
>
>toppled over as a result of a U.S. bombing run.
>
>
>
>It matters to Ali, the Iraqi boy who lost his family - and both his
>
>arms - in a U.S. air attack.
>
>
>
>It matters to the people in Baghdad whose water supply is now fetid,
>
>whose electricity is gone, whose streets are unsafe, whose 158
>
>government ministries' buildings and all their records have been
>
>destroyed, whose cultural heritage and social system has been looted
>
>and whose cities teem with anti-American protests.
>
>
>
>It matters that the people we say we "liberated" do not feel
>
>liberated in the midst of the lawlessness, destruction and wholesale
>
>social suffering that so-called liberation created.
>
>
>
>It matters to the United Nations whose integrity was impugned, whose
>
>authority was denied, whose inspection teams are even now still
>
>being overlooked in the process of technical evaluation and
>
>disarmament.
>
>
>
>It matters to the reputation of the United States in the eyes of the
>
>world, both now and for decades to come, perhaps.
>
>
>
>And surely it matters to the integrity of this nation whether or not
>
>its intelligence gathering agencies have any real intelligence or
>
>not before we launch a military armada on its say-so.
>
>
>
>And it should matter whether or not our government is either
>
>incompetent and didn't know what they were doing or were dishonest
>
>and refused to say. The unspoken truth is that either as a people we
>
>were misled, or we were lied to, about the real reason for this war.
>
>Either we made a huge - and unforgivable - mistake, an arrogant or
>
>ignorant mistake, or we are swaggering around the world like a blind
>
>giant, flailing in all directions while the rest of the world
>
>watches in horror or in ridicule.
>
>
>
>If Bill Clinton's definition of "is" matters, surely this matters.
>
>If a president's sex life matters, surely a president's use of
>
>global force against some of the weakest people in the world
>
>matters. If a president's word in a court of law about a private
>
>indiscretion matters, surely a president's word to the community of
>
>nations and the security of millions of people matters.
>
>
>
>And if not, why not? If not, surely there is something as wrong with
>
>us as citizens, as thinkers, as Christians as there must be with
>
>some facet of the government. If wars that the public says are wrong
>
>yesterday - as over 70% of U.S. citizens did before the attack on
>
>Iraq - suddenly become "right" the minute the first bombs drop, what
>
>kind of national morality is that?
>
>
>
>Of what are we really capable as a nation if the considered judgment
>
>of politicians and people around the world means nothing to us as a
>
>people?
>
>
>
>What is the depth of the American soul if we can allow destruction
>
>to be done in our name and the name of "liberation" and never even
>
>demand an accounting of its costs, both personal and public, when it
>
>is over?
>
>
>
>We like to take comfort in the notion that people make a distinction
>
>between our government and ourselves. We like to say that the people
>
>of the world love Americans, they simply mistrust our government.
>
>But excoriating a distant and anonymous "government" for wreaking
>
>rubble on a nation in pretense of good requires very little of
>
>either character or intelligence.
>
>
>
>What may count most, however, is that we may well be the ones
>
>Proverbs warns when it reminds us: "Kings take pleasure in honest
>
>lips; they value the one who speaks the truth." The point is clear:
>
>If the people speak and the king doesn't listen, there is something
>
>wrong with the king. If the king acts precipitously and the people
>
>say nothing, something is wrong with the people.
>
>
>
>It may be time for us to realize that in a country that prides
>
>itself on being democratic, we are our government. And the rest of
>
>the world is figuring that out very quickly.
>
>
>
>From where I stand, that matters.
>
>
>
>A Benedictine Sister of Erie, Sister Joan is a best-selling author
>
>and well- known international lecturer. She is founder and executive
>
>director of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for
>
>Contemporary Spirituality , and past
>
>president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and
>
>the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Sister Joan has been
>
>recognized by universities and national organizations for her work
>
>for justice, peace and equality for women in the Church and society.
>
>She is an active member of the International Peace Council.

2003-06-15T16:55:00.000-04:00

salaam... sorri no update goin tp paki land:) see ya when i get backk.. :)

2003-06-09T16:25:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

A sunrise is God's way of telling the world to
lighten up.
-- Roadside Church Sign

There's no thief like a bad book.
-- Italian Proverb

Some books are to be tasted, others to be
swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
-- Francis Bacon

A baby is an angel whose wings decrease as his
legs increase.
-- French Proverb

Perhaps parents would enjoy their children more if
they stopped to realize that the film of childhood
can never be run through for a second showing.
-- Evelyn Nown

A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of
contentment.
-- American Proverb

That they may have a little peace, even the best
dogs are compelled to snarl occasionally.
-- William Feather

2003-06-09T16:24:00.001-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION
[38] We did send messengers before thee, and
appointed for them wives and children:(a)(b) and
it was never the part of a messengers to bring a
Sign except as Allah permitted(c) (or commanded).
For each period is a Book (revealed).(d) [39]
Allah doth blot out or confirm what He pleaseth:
With Him is the Mother of the Book.(e) - Qur'an
Surah 13:38-39

(a) All of the Prophets of whom we have detailed
knowledge, except one, had wives and children. The
exception was Jesus, the son of Mary. But his life
was incomplete: his ministry barely three years;
his mission was limited; and he was not called
upon to deal with the many-sided problems that
arise in a highly organized society or State. We
pay equal respect to him, because he was Allah's
Messenger: but that is not to say that his Message
covers the same universal ground as that of Al
Mustafa. There is no reproach for a normal human
being if he lives a normal human life; there is
glory if he beautifies it and sets a nobler
example of virtue than other men, as did Al
Mustafa.

(b) Also, let us not forget, that based upon last
weeks Qur'anic Inspiration, wherein we discussed
the return of Jesus to Earth to defeat the
anti-Christ and lead the world to Islam
(submission to Allah), that he may in deed have
his wife and children "appointed" for him by Allah
in the second coming where he is suppose to be
here for a period of about 40-years. Only then
will he have completed his total mission as
envisioned by the Divine Creator.

(c) No Prophet performed any miracle or showed
forth any "Signs" except as Allah willed. Allah's
will (Mashiyyah) is an All-Wise, universal Plan,
which is not formed for the benefit of one tribe
or millah or of one age or country (see the
following verse #39). The greatest Miracle in
history was and is the Qur'an. We can apprehend
its beauty and grandeur today as much as did the
people of Al Mustafa's day - even more, as our
collective knowledge of nature and of Allah's
creation has increased.

(d) Kitab: Yusuf Ali translated "a Book
(revealed)"; but it can also mean "a Law Decreed"
or "A Decree established". Ultimately the meaning
is the same; for each age, according to Allah's
wisdom, His Message is renewed.

(e) Umm al Kitab: Mother of the Book: the
original foundation of all revelation; the essence
of Allah's Will and Law (also refer to 3:7 as
well).

2003-06-09T16:24:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Abu Huraira: A man came to the Prophet.
The Prophet sent a messenger to his wives (to
bring something for that man to eat) but they said
that they had nothing except water. Then Allah's
Apostle said, "Who will take this (person) or
entertain him as a guest?" An Ansar man said, "I."
So he took him to his wife and said to her,
"Entertain generously the guest of Allah's Apostle
" She said, "We have got nothing except the meals
of my children." He said, "Prepare your meal,
light your lamp and let your children sleep if
they ask for supper." So she prepared her meal,
lighted her lamp and made her children sleep, and
then stood up pretending to mend her lamp, but she
put it off. Then both of them pretended to be
eating, but they really went to bed hungry. In the
morning the Ansari went to Allah's Apostle who
said, "Tonight Allah laughed or wondered at your
action." Then Allah revealed: "But give them
(emigrants) preference over themselves even though
they were in need of that And whosoever is saved
from the covetousness Such are they who will be
successful." (59.9) Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book
58, Number 142

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab
that he was asked about the suckling of an older
person. He said, ''Urwa ibn az-Zubayr informed me
that Abu Hudhayfa ibn Utba ibn Rabia, one of the
companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, who was present at
Badr, adopted Salim (who is called Salim, the
mawla of Abu Hudhayfa) as the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, adopted
Zayd ibn Haritha. He thought of him as his son,
and Abu Hudhayfa married him to his brother's
sister, Fatima bint al-Walid ibn Utba ibn Rabia,
who was at that time among the first emigrants.
She was one of the best unmarried women of the
Quraysh. When Allah the Exalted sent down in His
Book what He sent down about Zayd ibn Haritha,
'Call them after their true fathers. That is more
equitable in the sight of Allah. If you do not
know who their fathers were then they are your
brothers in the deen and your mawali,' (Sura 33
ayat 5) people in this position were traced back
to their fathers. When the father was not known,
they were traced to their mawla.

"Sahla bint Suhayl who was the wife of Abu
Hudhayfa, and one of the tribe of Amr ibn Luayy,
came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger of
Allah! We think of Salim as a son and he comes in
to see me while I am uncovered. We only have one
room, so what do you think about the situation?'
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, 'Give him five drinks of
your milk and he will be mahram by it.' She then
saw him as a foster son. A'isha umm al-muminin
took that as a precedent for whatever men she
wanted to be able to come to see her. She ordered
her sister, Umm Kulthum bint Abi Bakr as-Siddiq
and the daughters of her brother to give milk to
whichever men she wanted to be able to come in to
see her. The rest of the wives of the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, refused to
let anyone come in to them by such nursing. They
said, 'No! By Allah! We think that what the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, ordered Sahla bint Suhayl to do was
only an indulgence concerning the nursing of Salim
alone. No! By Allah! No one will come in upon us
by such nursing!'

"This is what the wives of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, thought about the
suckling of an older person." Malik's Muwatta,
Book 30.2.12

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: When
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was
commanded to give option to his wives, he started
it from me saying: I am going to mention to you a
matter which you should not (decide) in haste
until you have consulted your parents. She said
that he already knew that my parents would never
allow me to seek separation from him She said:
Then he said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
said: Prophet, say to thy wives: If you desire
this world's life and its adornment, then come, I
will give you a provision and allow you to depart
a goodly departing; and if you desire Allah and
His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, then
Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you
a great reward She is reported to have said: About
what should I consult my parents, for I desire
Allah and His Messenger and the abode of the
Hereafter? She ('A'isha) said: Then all the wives
of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did
as I had done. Sahih Muslim, Book 009, Number 3498

2003-06-09T16:23:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Allaahu laa ilaaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyoom, laa
ta'khuthuhu sinatun wa laa nawm, lahu maa fis
samaawaati wa maa filardh, man thal lathee
yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi ithnihi, ya'lamu maa
baina aideehim wa maa khalfahum. wa laa yuheetoona
bishay'im min 'ilmihi illa bimaa shaa'a, wasi'a
kursiyyuhus samaa waati wal ardh, wa laa ya'ooduhu
hifdhuhumaa, wa Huwal 'Aliyyul 'Adheem.

(Allah! There is no God but He, the Ever Living,
the One Who sustains and protects all that exists.
Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him
belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is
on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with
Him except with His permission? He knows what
happens to them in this world, and what will
happen to hem in the Hereafter. And they will
never encompass anything of His knowledge except
that which He wills. His Throne extends over the
heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in
guarding and preserving them. And he is the Most
High, the Most Great.)

Whoever reads this when he lies down to sleep will
have a guardian from Allah remain with him and
Satan will not be able to come near him until he
rises in the morning. Al-Bukhari

Taken from Fortress of the Muslim Invocation From
the Qur'an and Sunnah pages 113-117

2003-06-09T07:55:00.001-04:00

:: A Bus Driver Converts to Islam ::

Several years ago an Imam moved to London, United
Kingdom. He often took the bus from his home to
the downtown area. Some weeks after he arrived, he
had occasion to ride the same bus. When he sat
down, he discovered that the driver had
accidentally given him a twenty pence (a.k.a
'tuppence') too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to
himself, you better give the twenty pence back. It
would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, "Oh,
forget it, it's only tuppence. Who would worry
about this little amount? Anyway the bus company
already gets too much fare; they will never miss
it. Accept it as a gift from Allah (swt) and keep
quiet."

When his stop came, the Imam paused momentarily at
the door, then he handed the twenty pence back to
the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much
change". The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't
you the new Imam in this area? I have been
thinking lately about going to worship at your
Mosque. I just wanted to see what you would do, if
I gave you too much change."

When the Imam stepped off the bus, his knees
became weak and soft, he literally grabbed the
nearest light pole, and held on for support, and
looked up to the heavens and cried: "Oh Allah, I
almost sold You and Islam for twenty pence!"

2003-06-09T07:55:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Adab -
Word with a wide variety of meanings ranging from
'culture' and 'good manners' to 'belles-letters'.
The basic Arabic root indicates the possession of
refinement or good habits bequeathed down the
ages. One of the most notable exponents of adab in
its sense of belles-letters was al-Jahiz.

al-Jahiz, Abu 'Uthman 'Amr b. Bahr - (160/776-255/868-9) -
One of the most distinguished and prolific
medieval Arabic writers and, in particular, a
major exponent of the adab genre. From an Islamic
religious point of view, al-Jahiz is of special
interest because of his Mu'tazila writings and
interests. he was called al-Jahiz, meaning 'the
Goggle-eyed', because of an eye infection.

2003-06-09T07:54:00.000-04:00

:: The Message ::
By: Mamoon Syed
Source: Courtesy of IDN

Here ye! here ye! From far and near
The one they called the Prophet Muhammed was here
To deliver a message to everyone everywhere
So listen up party people because this you should
hear.

This is a story from a far away atmosphere,
That you will find very clear.
so listen up everybody, because
with this we should take care.

We go back in time, over 1400 years,
To a city called Makkah, where moral values no-one
bears.
But there was one man who was honest and humble
And with other people he would never rumble.

One day at the age of 40,
He retrieved to a cave with serenity.
Angel Gabriel came upon him there
and filled our beloved Prophet with fear

But from that day forth, Rasull started to
preach,
The orders of Allah to all people he had to
teach.
There is no god but Allah he stated
After that he begun to be hated.

But the Rasull was persistent and didn't care.
Because in his heart was room for only one FEAR.
The FEAR of Allah, Glorified and Most High,
Never out of tiredness would he sigh.

But soon later people started to believe,
Khadija, Ali..the numbers wouldn't seize.
What great hardships they all endured
Hunger, abuse and victims to the kafir's sword

But what great faith and taqwa they had,
To be Muslims they were blessed and glad.
Omar, Abu Bakr, Othman, Bilal and the list goes on
and on
May Allah be pleased with all that they have done.

Proud they were to be servants of their Creator..
Proud they were to wear hijab or a gallabeya.
They didn't care what the kafirs said
Whether they laughed, abused, or didn't give them
their daily bread.

'Cause they knew of the day that was to come,
When all would return to their Lord, and know they
had won.
They'de see their accounts in their right hand...
And with the Rasull they would stand.

The kafirs will be damned to hell FOREVER
And the believers in Paradise...FOREVER.
Now I ask all you, and mostly myself..
Is this life worth it with its deceptive Wealth???

A day will come promises Allah Ta'ala,
Where the Mu'min will talk to the kafir with
laughter.
"What do you want now?" they will ask,
"money, gold, or another chance?"

The reply that will come is scary but true..
A DROP OF WATER they will ask from
YOU.........(inshallah)
So brothers and sisters in Islam
Let's unify and keep other from HARAM..

Let's enjoin the good and sunnah in our lives.
So on yaum-al-qiyamat we can survive.
Let's stay away from those things that are
doubtful
Cause Allah's Mercy is much Bountiful

And make du'a for "maghfirat wa ajran azeema"
And ask Allah to guide us to "sirat al mustaqeema"

AMEEN

2003-05-26T15:53:00.000-04:00

salaaam!!! so i made it to the wedding porr sana couldnt.... i wish u could have cus i was board outta amy mind.. i didn t know many ppl there.. more were frm the bride n grrom ppl da!! the decorations were allhumdullilah sooo awsome!! so many roses and stuff every lil detail was awsome...... i wonder if sum of these bloggin ladies made it.. that would be wierd.. cus we saw each otehr but not really.. hehe. um okay.. soo im mad tired.. the wedding was two days long.. dholki on sat night and wedding on sunday night.. mashllah both were beautifully aranged.. may they have a happy life forvere (ameen) !!! hm,m im signing off see u guys late salaaama

2003-05-26T15:46:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.
-- Columbian Proverb

I do beseech you to direct your efforts more to
preparing youth for the path and less to preparing
the path for the youth.
-- Ben Lindsey

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.
-- African Proverb

Some people handle the truth carelessly;
Others never touch it at all.
-- Anonymous

They are not dead who live in the hearts they
leave behind.
-- Native American Proverb

==================================================

> QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

Last week we looked at ayat 1 through 3 now we
look further into Surah Ghafir with verses 4
through 6.

[4] None can dispute about the Signs of Allah(a)
but the unbelievers. Let not, then, their
strutting about(b) through the land deceive thee!
[5] But (there were people) before them, who
denied (the signs) - The People of Noah, and the
Confederates(c) (of evil) after them; and every
People plotted against their Prophet, to seize him
and disputed by means of vanities,(d) therewith to
condemn the Truth: but it was I that seized them!
And how (terrible) was My Requital! [6] Thus was
the Decree of thy Lord proved true against the
unbelievers;(e) that truly they are companions of
the Fire! - Qur'an Surah 40:4-6(d)

(a) Allah's knowledge and attributes are perfect
and everything around us proclaims this. We are
surrounded by His Signs. It is only want of Faith
that will make people dispute them.

(b) Also see 3:196 for the same language. Their
strutting about shows how little they can read the
Signs.

(c) See also 38:11-13 for more in this area. All
the hosts of wickedness collected together from
history will have no power against Allah's truth
or the Messenger of that Truth or Allah's Holy
Plan for all His creation.

(d) Whenever a great and vital Truth is
proclaimed and renewed, there are always shallow
minds that are ready to dispute about it! And what
petty and vain arguments they advance! They think
they can discredit or condemn the Truth in this
way, or render "of none effect" Allah's Plan. But
they are mistaken. If they seem to succeed for a
time, that is merely their trial. They may try to
plan and plot against Allah's men, but their plots
will fail in the long run. They will themselves be
caught in their own snares. And the, how terrible
will be their punishment!

(e) See also 13:32 for similar language.

2003-05-26T15:39:00.001-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: The Prophet was
carrying earth with us on the day of the battle of
Al-Ahzab (confederates) and I saw that the dust
was covering the whiteness of his abdomen, and he
(the Prophet ) was saying, "(O Allah) ! Without
You, we would not have been guided, nor would we
have given in charity, nor would we have prayed.
So (O Allah!) please send tranquility (Sakina)
upon us as they, (the chiefs of the enemy tribes)
have rebelled against us. And if they intend
affliction (i.e. want to frighten us and fight
against us) then we would not (flee but withstand
them). And the Prophet used to raise his voice
with it. (See Hadith No. 430 and 432, Vol. 5)
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 90, Number 342

Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that whenever Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) came back from
the battle or from expeditions or from Hajj or
Umra and as he reached the top of the hillock or
upon the elevated hard ground, he uttered Allah-o-
Akbar thrice, and then said: There is no god but
Allah. He is One, there is no partner with Him,
His is the sovereignty and His is the praise and
He is Potent over everything. (We are) returning,
repenting, worshipping, prostrating before our
Lord, and we praise Him Allah fulfilled His
promise and helped His servant, and routed the
confederates alone. Sahih Muslim, Book 007, Number
3116

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The
main source of disbelief is in the east. Pride and
arrogance are characteristics of the owners of
horses and camels, and those Bedouins who are busy
with their camels and pay no attention to
Religion; while modesty and gentleness are the
characteristics of the owners of sheep." Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 520

Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Umar and Abu Mas'ud: Allah's
Apostle pointed with his hand towards Yemen and
said, "True Belief is Yemenite yonder (i.e. the
Yemenite, had True Belief and embraced Islam
readily), but sternness and mercilessness are the
qualities of those who are busy with their camels
and pay no attention to the Religion where the two
sides of the head of Satan will appear. Such
qualities belong to the tribe of Rabi'a and
Mudar." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number
521

2003-05-26T15:39:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Allahumma, laka rak'atu, wa bika 'aamantu, wa laka
'aslamtu, wa 'alaika tawakkaltu. Anta Rabbi,
khasha'aa sam'ie wa basari, wa dami, wa lahmi, wa
mukhi, wa 'athami wa 'asabi lillahi, Rabbil
'aalameen.

"O Allah, to You I bend in ruku, in You I believe,
to You I submit and upon You I depend. You are my
Lord. My hearing, my sight, my blood, my flesh, my
brain, my bones and my nerves are subdued before
Allah, Lord of the Worlds", Aameen.

(Reported by Muslim & Abu Dawud

2003-05-26T15:38:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: Unknown on Earth and Well-Known in Heaven ::

Abu Huraira says (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) said: Allah Almighty loves from among
His creatures the purest, the unknown and the
innocent ones; those whose heads are not combed,
whose faces are dusty and whose stomachs are
empty; those who are not allowed to enter the
courts of the leaders and the kings; and are
rejected if they should ask the hand of wealthy
girls. If they are absent nobody would ask about
them and once they appear no one is pleased to see
them; when these people become sick no one visits
them and once they die none attend their funerals.

The Prophet was then asked: How can we meet one of
them O Messenger of Allah? He said: One such
person is Uways Al Qarani. The Companions asked:
And who is Uways Al Qarani? He said: A wide eyed
white person, broad shouldered, with a straight
built body. He always has his beard close to his
bosom, with his eyes fixed on the place of his
prostration, putting his right hand on his left
hand, reciting the Qur'an and weeping upon
himself. He has dirty clothes and no one cares for
him. He is unknown on earth but well known in
heaven. If he swears upon Allah, Allah will surely
fulfill his oath. Under his left shoulder he has a
white brilliant spot. On the Day of Judgement it
will be said to the slaves of Allah: Enter
Paradise, and Uways will be told: Stop here to
make intercession. Then Allah will make him
intercede in favour a large number of people,
equivalent to the tribes of Rabiah and Muddar. O
Umer and you Ali, if you should meet him ask him
to seek forgiveness of Allah for you; for Allah
will surely forgive you.

2003-05-26T15:38:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Jabr -
Compulsion, predestination, fate, determinism,
determination. This was a word of considerable
theological significance in the debates of
medieval Islam. (See Qadar)

Qadar -
Often translated as 'destiny', 'fate', 'divine
predestination', 'divine determination', qadar
specifically is the divine application of qada in
time, according to the most widespread
interpretations. (See Qada)

Qada -
Divine decree, divine judgement, divine will, the
function of God as Judge (Qadi). The word has a
variety of other senses in the Qur'an. (See Kasb)

Kasb or Iktisab -
Medieval theological doctrine of 'acquisition',
often associated with, but probably not invented
by, al-Ash'ari. According to this doctrine God
creates any action but man 'acquires' it. This was
a valiant attempt by medieval Islamic theologians
to solve an aged-old problem: how did one
reconcile, on the one hand, God's total
omnipotence and omniscience with, on the other,
man's free will and responsibility for his own
actions?

2003-05-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

:: It Feels so Wrong ::
By: LAYLA MAI

My hearts not in it,
It feels so wrong
To pretend and deny
What's going on.

Am I insane
Or are you asleep
Am I over reacting
When I sit and weep

This classroom
Is not my home
Where I'm confined
Not left to roam

What is it their hiding
Behind heavy books?
Why is it the end product
Isn't always as it looks?

Is this the "net"
'Lambs to the slaughter'
Where colourful dormitories
Invite sons and daughters?

Everyone is welcome
To expand the mind
But now I know
I was
Deaf and blind!

Who speaks of pain?
Who turns insane?
After all they knew
No longer remains?
Who is forced to feel the rain?

We're all equal they say,
So why the grade?
Everyone's an individual,
So why behind 'painted faces
Do they masquerade'?

2003-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

Conscience is the voice of the soul.
-- Polish Proverb

Shame arises from the fear of man; conscience from
the fear of God.
-- Samuel Johnson

He who doesn't look ahead remains behind.
-- Mexican American Proverb

Light tomorrow with today!
-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no
tears.
-- Native American Proverb

Grief shared is half grief; Joy shared is double
joy.
-- Honduran Proverb

May the Lord grant me a sword and no need to use
it.
-- Czech Proverb

One sword keeps another in the sheath.
-- George Herbert

A camel never sees its own hump.
-- African Proverb

It is difficult to see the picture when you are
inside the frame.
-- R.S. Trapp

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[1] Ha Mim.(a) [2] The Revelation of this Book is
from Allah, Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge(b)
- [3] Who forgiveth Sin, accepteth Repentance,(c)
is strict in Punishment, and hath a Long Reach (in
all things). There is no god but He: to Him is the
Final Goal. - Qur'an Surah 40:1-3(d)

(a) Surah 40 begins a series of seven surahs
(40-46) to which are affixed the abbreviated
letters Ha Mim. Chronologically they all belong to
the late Meccan period and immediately followed
surah 39 in time. As to the precise meaning of the
abbreviated letters Ha Mim no authoritative
explanation is available. If Mim here has a
significance similar to Mim in Alif, Lam, Mim it
means the End of Things, the Last Day, and all
these surahs direct our special attention to that
Ha, the emphatic guttural, in contrast with the
softer breathing of Alif, may mean to suggest that
the beginning is only for the End, the Present for
the Future, and to emphasize the eschatological
element in Faith. But this is mere conjecture and
should be taken for no more than it is worth.

(b) This verse is the same as 39:1, except for
the last words describing the attribute of Allah.
In surah 39:1, it was "Full of Wisdom", because
stress was laid on the wisdom of Allah's Plan in
ordering His World. In this surah the stress is
laid on Knowledge, before which shallow knowledge
of men is vain (40:83)

(c) Allah's knowledge is supreme and
all-reaching. But there are other attributes of
His which concern us even more intimately; e.g.,
He forgives sin and accepts our repentance when it
is sincere and results in our change of heart and
life: but He is also just and strict in punishment
and so no loophole will be left for evil except in
repentance. And further, all His attributes reach
to everything: His Mercy, as well as His Knowledge
and Justice; His Bounties as well as His
Punishments.

(d) This surah is called Ghafir (Forgiver, see
verse 3). It is also called "The Believer"
(Mu'min) from the story of the individual Believer
among the people of Pharaoh who declares his faith
and looks to the Future (verses 28-45). In surah
23, called The Believers (Mu'minun), the argument
was about the collective force of Faith and
Virtue. Here it is about the individual's witness
to Faith and Virtue and his triumph in the End.

2003-05-19T09:59:00.001-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir: I heard Allah's
Apostle saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are
evident but in between them there are doubtful
(suspicious) things and most of the people have no
knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself
from these suspicious things saves his religion
and his honor. And whoever indulges in these
suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes
(his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of
someone else and at any moment he is liable to get
in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima
and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal
(forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of
flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed)
the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt
the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49

Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, "The example
of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has
sent me is like abundant rain falling on the
earth, some of which was fertile soil that
absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation
and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of
it was hard and held the rain water and Allah
benefited the people with it and they utilized it
for drinking, making their animals drink from it
and for irrigation of the land for cultivation.
(And) a portion of it was barren which could
neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation
(then that land gave no benefits). The first is
the example of the person who comprehends Allah's
religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge)
which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophets
and learns and then teaches others. The last
example is that of a person who does not care for
it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed
through me (He is like that barren land.)" Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 79

Abu Huraira reported: One day the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) appeared before the
public that a man came to him and said: Prophet of
Allah, (tell me) what is Iman. Upon this he (the
Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith
in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His
Messengers and that you affirm your faith in the
Resurrection hereafter. He (again) said: Messenger
of Allah, (tell me) what does al-Islam signify. He
(the Holy Prophet) replied: Al-Islam signifies
that you worship Allah and do not associate
anything with Him and you establish obligatory
prayer and you pay the obligatory poor-rate
(Zakat) and you observe the fast of Ramadan. He
(the inquirer) again said: Messenger of Allah,
what does al-Ihsan imply? He (the Holy Prophet)
replied: That you worship Allah as if you are
seeing Him, and in case you fail to see Him, then
observe prayer (with this idea in your mind) that
(at least) He is seeing you. He (the inquirer )
again said: Messenger of Allah, when would there
be the hour (of Doom)? He (the Holy Prophet)
replied: The one who is asked about it is no
better informed than the inquirer. I, however,
narrate some of its signs (and these are): when
the slave-girl will give birth to he master, when
the naked, barefooted would become the chiefs of
the people - these are some of the signs of
(Doom). (Moreover) when the shepherds of the black
(camels) would exult themselves in buildings, this
is one of the signs of (Doom). (Doom) is one of
the five (happenings wrapped in the unseen) which
no one knows but Allah. Then he (the Messenger of
Allah) recited (the verse):" Verily Allah! with
Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it
is Who sends (down the rain) and knows that which
is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he
shall earn tomorrow, and a person knows not in
whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is
Knowing, Aware. He (the narrator, Abu Huraira)
said: Then the person turned back and went away.
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said: Bring that man back to me. They (the
Companions of the Holy Prophet present there) went
to bring him back, but they saw nothing there.
Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: he was
Gabriel, who came to teach the people their
religion. Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0004

Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Apostle of Allah (peace
be upon him) used to say: "O Allah, I seek refuge
in Thee from four things: Knowledge which does not
profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul
which has an insatiable appetite, and a
supplication which is not heard." Sunan Abu-Dawud,
Book 8, Number 1543

2003-05-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

:: What to say when waking up at night ::

It is reported of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi
wa salaam) that he said: "One who wakes up at
night and says:

Lã 'ilãha 'illa 'allãhu wahdahu la shareeka lahu,
lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa `ala kulli
shay'in qadeerun, 'al-hamdu lil-lahi, wa
subhãnallãhi, wa lã 'ilãha 'illa 'allãhu, wa
'allãhu 'akbaru, wa lã hawla wa lã quwwata 'illã
bil-lahi 'al-`alyyil-`atheemi

There is no 'ilãh except Allah, Alone, no
associate does He have, his is the Kingdom, to Him
is all praise, and He is very able to do every
thing. All praise be to Allah, Glory be Allah,
there is no 'ilãh except Allah, and Allah is
greater [than every thing]. There is neither
might, nor strength except by Allah The High The
Magnificent.

then says: 'Allãhumma 'ighfirlee
(O' my 'ilãh forgive me. )

or supplicates, he will be answered, then if he
makes ablution and prays his prayer would be
accepted".

Reporters:
To be found under Tahajjud in Saheeh al-Bukhãri.
The two words "'al-`alyyil-`atheemi" were not in
al-Bukhãri's wording, they were found with Ibn
Mãjah, and Ibn As-Sunni with sound ascription as
described by Sheikh Al-Albãni. Al-Albãni included
this hadeeth in The Authentic of Good Sayings as
#35.

Taken from the book:
Authentic Supplications of the Prophet

2003-05-19T09:58:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: A Funny Story of Three Men in New York City ::

Not long ago, three friends came to the New York
city. They decided to stay in a hotel during the
visit. It so happened that their room ended up
being on the 60th floor. The policy of the hotel
was that every night after 12:00 a.m. the
elevators are shut down for security reasons. So
on the next day, the three friends rented a car
and went out to explore the city. They enjoyed
movies, concerts, and other things throughout the
whole day. At one point, they remembered that they
have to get back to the hotel before 12 a.m. When
they arrived, it was beyond 12 a.m. at night. The
elevators were shut down. There was no other way
to get back to their room but to take the stairs
all the way to the 60th floor. All of a sudden,
one friend got an idea. He said "For the first 20
floors, I will tell jokes to keep us going. Then
another one of us could say wisdom stories for the
next 20 floors. Finally, we will cover the other
20 floors with sad stories." So, one of the
friends started with the jokes. With laughs and
joy, they reached the 20th floor. Now, another
friend started saying stories that are full of
wisdom. So, they learned a lot while reaching the
40th floor. Now, it was time for the sad stories.
So, the third friend started thus, "My first sad
story is that I left the key for the room in the
car."

Now, what is the point of this story? This story
resembles our life cycle. For the first 20 years
of our life, we spend time in joking and enjoying
whatever is out there. Then, after we reach 20, we
go into the work force, get married, have kids and
this is the time when we use our wisdom. Then, if
we reach 40, we finally see the white hairs and
begin to think that my life is coming to an end
and the sadness begins.

It's better that we start our life in the very
beginning by remembering death rather than
preparing for it at the end our life when very few
of us have the energy to obey Allah completely.

2003-05-19T09:57:00.002-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Wird - [pl. awrad] -
Time used for extra worship; or part of the Qur'an
recited at such a time; or a sufi litany
comprising Qur'anic excerpts recited many times,
as a kind of 'daily office' of various sufi
tariqas.

Dhikr or Zikr -
(in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic) - Literally,
'remembrance', 'recollection', 'mention'. In
tasawwuf the word has a technical sense of
'litany' in which the name of God, or formulae
like 'God is Most Great' (Allahu Akbar), are
repeated over and over again in either a high or
low voice, often linked to bodily movement or
breathing. The dhikir is often one of the most
important activities of the sufi and its central
place has analogies with that of the Divine Office
in Western Monasticism.

Hadra - Literally, 'presence'.
The word has acquired a technical meaning in
tasawwuf and come to indicate the dhikr recited
commonly, often on a Friday. This word hadra has
replaced the older term sama'.

Sama' - Literally, 'audition', 'hearing'.
The word has the technical sense in tasawwuf of a
mystical or spiritual concert.

2003-05-19T09:57:00.001-04:00

:: The Almighty ::
By: Amina Mofassir

All things brilliant and mirthful
that an eye sees but a tongue cannot say,
the glowing sun that brightens up the day,
In the slanting silvery moon's beams,
the twilight which softens the whole scenes.

Be it the joyous oceans or the billowy lake,
in the crystal dews of rain and the fluffy snowy
flakes
Things that are near and far,
I see Oh the mighty Allah,
the magnificence of Thee.

Among the radiant butterflies and the fragrant
flowers,
the singing nightingale and the mirthful bowers.

The tuft of peach blossomed trees,
that bend from side to side in the soft breeze.
The twinkling stars in the velvet of the sky,
in the clouds that float over mountains high.

From the trifling to the enormous things of
nature,
I see the depiction of the Mightiness of Thee my
Creator.

Oh Allah I bow down before Thy glorious throne,
the Mighty and the Ruler art Thee alone.
Thou art the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent
I put my trust in thee The Sustainer of all the
creations.
Guide me to the path of the righteous leading to
the real Fa'laah.
let my heart find rest in Thy remembrance , my
Allah!

2003-05-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

:: The Qur'an Publishing System ::

2003-05-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

:: Junk History ::
By: Mark Glenn

Next to “junk science,” which claims that the
earth is warming to the point that we will all be
burned to a crisp within just a few years, the one
thing that I hate most about the age in which we
live, an age that renders little to no critical
thinking as pertains important issues, is the area
of “junk history.” There are, more so today than
at any other time I think, a few things that
invariably pop up in discussions that demonstrate
how easy it is to sway a society’s thinking on a
given topic with just a few well placed and
misleading items repeated over and over again.

As someone who taught history for many years, I
cannot describe how irritating it is to hear that
Abraham Lincoln fought the “American Civil War” in
order to free the slaves, that FDR saved this
country from the Great Depression, that the first
amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the
right to publish pornography, and that “assault
weapons” have been the greatest source of crime
and violence in the US during the last century.
And yet, it is easy to see how well-intentioned
people, who have not yet grasped the extent to
which they have surrendered to media and
government types the ability to think for
themselves, can buy into these notions. They are
packaged very cleverly, with bits and pieces of
information that are verifiably true. And let’s
not forget to consider those mouthpieces doing the
convincing-very impressive. All kinds of advanced
degrees from this school or another, a book tour,
a radio or tv show, you name it.

Although a little late in the debate, nothing
exemplifies the topic of junk history better than
the made-for-mass consumption notions concerning
Islam and its relationship to the “Judeo-Christian
West”, and the fact that since September 11, we in
the US have been treated to a daily dose of
propaganda surrounding this topic that has
obviously led to momentous policies, in
particular, the perpetual war in the Middle East.

From the beginning that “they,” the architects and
authors of this junk history, decided that the
Muslims were going to take the fall for the events
on that day, (justly or not) we have been served a
buffet of lies surrounding the religion of Islam
and its history with the West. Not just out of
government mouthpieces, but virtually the entire
“conservative” talk show parade as well as almost
every big-name Christian evangelist. Their message
has been common and crude: The religion of Islam
teaches hatred for all other faiths, most notably
the Christian and Judaic. They point to history as
proof of this, citing the “fury” with which the
Muslims swept across the Mediterranean lands,
forcing the conversion of Christians and Jews at
the point of a sword. And now, these sirens
maintain, they are attempting it again.

This is a theme over which I am constantly
battling with the peoples in my circle. For the
purposes of posterity I must reveal here that I am
not a Muslim, but a conservative Catholic. By a
conservative Catholic, I hold to the notion that
there is only one faith, and therefore one would
assume that it would be in my interest, given
these leanings, to jump on that same religion
bashing bandwagon that many of my co-religionists
have. The problem is that it would be a lie for me
to maintain such a notion, as much as it would be
a lie for me to maintain that it is illegal to
possess a bible in public school, due to the
restraints placed on religion by the first
amendment, a notion, like those presently spewed
against Islam, that has been illicitly conceived
and perpetrated for the purposes of misinforming
the public in pursuit of another agenda.

According to the readings I have done, (and I have
done more than a few) the facts concerning the
Muslims are these.

1. Within the religion of Islam, Christians and
Jews are not considered “infidels” as we have
been led to believe. In fact, a cursory study
of the Quran will reveal that Christians and
Jews are referred to as “peoples of the book,”
since we are all monotheistic and trace our
roots back to Abraham. The term “infidels” is
reserved for pagans, or those who do not
believe in the One God.

2. Christians and Muslims were not “converted by
the sword” as is commonly taught and believed.
Christians and Jews were allowed to keep and
practice their religion within those areas
where the Muslims had gained hegemony. Indeed,
it was in the interest of the various Muslim
leaders and other secular authorities to keep
it this way, since non-Muslims were taxed at a
higher rate than Muslims. Obvious proof of this
tolerance exists today in the fact that in many
Islamic countries, including Iraq, Syria,
Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, there are millions
of Christians, and who knows how many churches.

3. The conquest of Islam was not a conquest of
religion, but, rather, was done in the same
vein as many of the Crusades, i.e., a conquest
initiated for the acquisition of territory and
political power. In fact, many of the Arabs
that fought within the Muslim armies in these
wars of conquest were Christians and Jews.

4. The conquest of lands that had been Christian
was not the blood-soaked struggle it has been
taught to have been. Due to dynastic infighting
within the Christian lands over who would rule,
as well as problems involving the incompetence,
high taxes and corruption within many of the
Christian governments, the Christian subjects
themselves many times welcomed the Muslim
invaders who promised them lower and fairer
taxes, more efficiency, and more stability.

5. Those particular passages of the Quran that
deal negatively with the Christian religion
deal specifically with the doctrine of the Holy
Trinity. It is due to the complete devotion to
monotheism that the Muslims view the idea of 3
persons to be contradictory and unacceptable.

These items are not difficult to find. Get
yourself a history book on the subject, and
irrespective of the religious affiliation of the
writer, (excepting those authors with the last
names of Falwell, Swaggert, Graham, Wolfowitz,
Perle, Limbaugh, Savage, or Sharon) the
information will be about the same.

There are other items for my Christian friends to
consider here as well.

- In many Muslim countries, it is illegal to
profane the name of Jesus or of his Blessed
Mother. Further, one should consider that in
several countries within the Christian West,
movies made depicting Jesus in a blasphemous way
have been shut down because of the public
outrage exhibited by, not the Christians, but
the Muslims.

- The Muslims believe in the Virgin Conception of
Christ and venerate his Blessed Mother more so
than do most Christians, particularly those of
the Protestant faiths.

- The Muslims believe in the miracles of Christ,
including his raising of the dead, and healing
the sick and blind.

- Mohammed, the founder of Islam, considered
Christians to be the greatest of friends to the
Muslims, for in his words, the Christians were
“free from pride, and had priests and monks
among them.”

There is enough evidence lying around that even
the most barely educated among us should be able
to see that this “Islamic hatred of everyone not
Islamic” is a sham. The mouthpieces who claim this
fail to consider (or reveal) many glaringly
obvious pieces of evidence. They would like us to
believe that there is something organic about
Islam that makes it seek to dominate the
“Judeo-Christian” West. So let’s just do a short
run of some evidence that reveals this as a
fallacy.

Firstly, there hasn’t been a war between the
Muslims and the West for many centuries. Even more
importantly, since it was in the US that the
attacks of 9/11 happened, consider this: From 1776
until September 11, 2001, there were roughly 10
major wars that involved the US and a foreign
power: The American War for Independence, The
Quasi War, The War of 1812, The Mexican War, The
Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam,
and the Gulf War.

Based on this short list, it looks to me like we
were fighting Christian nations, (excepting Iraq,
whom we attacked first,) and that we weren’t
attacked by the Muslims once. True, there was this
issue with pirates from Libya attacking American
ships after 1776, but it was an issue of piracy,
and not an attempt to forcibly convert the nascent
American nation to the religion of Mohammed.

Many would say to these things, “So what? The war
is over now, what good does it do us to hash over
all this now?“ To which I would say

1. You’re a fool if you think that it is all over.
It is just beginning, and

2. Even if it were all over, your reluctance to
learn the truth, truth that would have
prevented you and the rest of this nation from
being conned by a bunch of propagandists is
nothing more than an attempt to hide your
willful ignorance, as well as an attempt to
pretend that you had nothing to do with the
prosecution of an illegal and imperialist war
that has wrecked the lives of millions of
people today, as well as millions more
tomorrow.

So why do we hash over all this now?

Because what people believe leads to policies
being enacted, and when people believe lies, as in
the case of junk history, disastrous consequences
can occur. The fact that we have attacked another
nation that has not attacked us, destroyed its
government and infrastructure, laid waste to its
institutions, caused incalculable suffering to
innocent men, women, and children, and that one of
the pretenses offered in justifying this action
was this non-existent war between Islam and the
Christian West that began in the 7th century and
has gone on ever since should indicate to everyone
involved that there is great danger to be found in
believing junk history, although, in this case, it
would be better to categorize the current
propaganda not as junk history, but rather as just
plain garbage.

My advice to fellow Christians in the US would be
this: Turn off Peter Jennings, Falwell, Robertson,
Limbaugh, and Hannity, get yourself a few decent
history books, and try thinking for yourself for a
change.

2003-05-15T10:03:00.001-04:00

Break.. salaam

2003-05-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATION

Take only what you need and leave the land as you
found it.
-- Native American Proverb

We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to
walk lightly on the earth as other creatures do.
-- 1972 Only One Earth Conference

Choose your friends like your books, few but
choice.
-- American Proverb

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
-- Benjamin Franklin

For the concert of life, no one receives a
program.
-- Dutch Proverb

Choose thy love. Love thy choice.
-- German Proverb

Every theory of love, from Plato down, teaches
that each individual loves in the other sex what
he lacks in himself.
-- G. Stanley Hall

Do not confine your children to your own learning,
for they were born in another time.
-- Hebrew Proverb

Children are remarkable for their intelligence and
ardor, for their curiosity, their intolerance of
shams, the clarity and ruthlessness of their
vision.
-- Aldous Huxley

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[59] Say: Praise be to Allah, and Peace on His
Servants(a) whom He has chosen (for His Message).
(Who) is better? - Allah or the false gods they
associate (with Him)? [60] Or, who has created(b)
the Heavens and the Earth, and who sends you down
rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow
well-planted orchards full of beauty and delight:
it is not in your power to cause the growth(c) of
the trees in them. (Can there be another) god
besides Allah? Nay, they are a people who swerve
from justice. - Qur'an Surah 27:59-60

(a) Allah's revelation having been described as
Light, Guidance and Mercy, we ought all to be
grateful to Allah for vouchsafing His revelation.
We ought also to appreciate the services of
Allah's Messengers who are chosen to deliver His
Message: we ought to send salutations of Peace on
them, instead of plotting, as the wicked do, for
their removal or persecution or banishment or
death, for these Prophets of Allah undergo every
kind of hardship and forego every kind of
advantage or pleasure in life for serving mankind.
And Allah is truth and goodness, and all our
fancies of false worship are falsehoods and evils.
Shall we prefer falsehood and evil to truth and
goodness?

(b) The order, beauty and grandeur of the
universe are appealed to. They show unity of
design and purpose. How can unjust, ignorant,
heedless, false men think of a multiplicity of
gods, or of any god besides the One True God?

(c) To make a single seed germinate and grow into
a tree is beyond man's power. When it comes to a
great well-laid-out garden of beauty and delight,
no one would think it grew up of itself without a
gardener's consummate art. And the orchard is more
than the trees in it: there is design and beauty
in their arrangement; proper spaces have to be
left between them for the growth of their roots,
for the aeration of the soil beneath them, and for
the penetration of air and sunlight between their
branches. How can anyone then think of the
wonderful universe as a whole without thinking of
the far higher unity of deign, the evidence of the
One True Allah?

2003-05-15T10:02:00.002-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Said bin Al-Musaiyab: Bahira is a
she-camel whose milk is kept for the idols and
nobody is allowed to milk it; Sa'iba was the
she-camel which they used to set free for their
gods and nothing was allowed to be carried on it.
Abu Huraira said: Allah's Apostle said, "I saw
'Amr bin 'Amir Al-Khuzai (in a dream) dragging his
intestines in the Fire, and he was the first
person to establish the tradition of setting free
the animals (for the sake of their deities),"
Wasila is the she-camel which gives birth to a
she-camel as its first delivery, and then gives
birth to another she-camel as its second delivery.
People (in the Pre-lslamic periods of ignorance)
used to let that she camel loose for their idols
if it gave birth to two she-camels successively
without giving birth to a male camel in between.
'Ham' was the male camel which was used for
copulation. When it had finished the number of
copulations assigned for it, they would let it
loose for their idols and excuse it from burdens
so that nothing would be carried on it, and they
called it the 'Hami.' Abu Huraira said, "I heard
the Prophet saying so." Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6,
Book 60, Number 147

Narrated Said bin Jubair: 'AbdurRahman bin Abza
said, "Ask Ibn 'Abbas about these two Qur'anic
Verses: 'Nor kill such life as Allah has made
sacred, Except for just cause.' (25.168) "And
whoever kills a believer intentionally, his
recompense is Hell. (4.93) So I asked Ibn 'Abbas
who said, "When the Verse that is in
Sura-al-Furqan was revealed, the pagans of Mecca
said, 'But we have slain such life as Allah has
made sacred, and we have invoked other gods along
with Allah, and we have also committed
fornication.' So Allah revealed:-- 'Except those
who repent, believe, and do good-- (25.70) So this
Verse was concerned with those people. As for the
Verse in Surat-an-Nisa (4-93), it means that if a
man, after understanding Islam and its laws and
obligations, murders somebody, then his punishment
is to dwell in the (Hell) Fire forever." Then I
mentioned this to Mujahid who said, "Except the
one who regrets (one's crime) . " Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 194

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that
a delegation of Abdul Qais came to the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said:
Messenger of Allah, verily ours is a tribe of
Rabi'a and there stand between you and us the
unbelievers of Mudar and we find no freedom to
come to you except in the sacred month. Direct us
to an act which we should ourselves perform and
invite those who live beside us. Upon this the
Prophet remarked: I command you to do four things
and prohibit you against four acts. (The four
deeds which you are commanded to do are): Faith in
Allah, and then he explained it for them and said:
Testifying the fact. that there is no god but
Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,
performance of prayer, payment of Zakat, that you
pay Khums (one-fifth) of the booty fallen to your
lot, and I prohibit you to use round gourd, wine
jars, wooden pots or skins for wine. Khalaf b.
Hisham has made this addition in his narration:
Testifying the fact that there is no god but
Allah, and then he with his finger pointed out the
oneness of the Lord. Sahih Muslim, Book 001,
Number 0022

Jabir reported that he had heard with his ears the
Apostle (may peace be upon him) saying: Allah will
bring out people from the Fire and admit them into
Paradise. Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0368

Hammad b. Zaid, reported: I said to 'Amr b. Dinar:
Did you hear Jabir b. 'Abdullah narrating from the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) that
Allah would bring out people from the Fire through
intercession. He said: Yes. Sahih Muslim, Book
001, Number 0369

2003-05-15T10:02:00.001-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Allahumma, ya Lateef, ultuf binaa feemaa jarat
bihi al-Maqadir

"O Allah! The knower of all Subtleties, treat us
gently while manifesting Your Decree [in our
lives]", Aameen.

(Reported by at-Tirmidthi and Ibn Majah
Sunan of Ibn Majah)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BUY: Salat or Islamic Prayer Book at
Amazon.com by Sh. Muhammad Ashraf:
INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: The Mysterious Helping Hands ::

Iram, and her brother, Ahmed, were excited about
the upcoming days. It was Ramadan, a time to learn
appreciation for the things they had, and to think
of others who didn’t have as much.

They had both been saving their money all year
long. Iram, who was seven years old, sat on her
bed and dumped out her money jar. Coins ran all
over the blanket. “This is a lot of money. Momma
says we are supposed to help someone. She wants us
to think about how much we have and then think of
someone who doesn’t have very much, and do
something nice for them,” Iram said, gathering the
money into a pile. “Dump out your jar, Ahmed,” she
told her brother.

The coins came spilling out of his jar onto the
bed. “Wow! We can do a lot for someone with all
this money,” Ahmed said, smiling. “This is such a
special time of year. I’m glad we can help
others.”

“But we have to do it secretly, Ahmed, remember.
We have to pick someone and do something very nice
without them knowing it is from us. Who should we
pick?” Iram asked.

“Let’s pick our neighbors, Rashid, and Fatima. I
noticed that they had holes in their shoes,” Ahmed
said.

“That’s a good idea. We could buy some new shoes
for them. They aren’t as blessed as we are. We
have a lot of shoes, don’t we?” Iram asked with
appreciation.

“I have three pair. You have more. Let’s buy some
new shoes for them,” Ahmed said, smiling.

Iram and Ahmed found their momma. She was busy
washing some dates. She saw her children come into
the kitchen. “I’m going to make some baklawa for
tonight,” she said, knowing her family loved to
eat that. “Poppa is at the mosque, in prayer. When
he comes home, after the sun sets, we’ll have
some. In the meantime, you two look like you’ve
got something on your minds.”

“We want to help the poor. Ahmed and I have been
saving our money all year long and we want to help
Rashid and Fatima, our neighbors,” Iram began.

Ahmed, with excitement, interrupted, “We want to
buy them some shoes.”

Momma smiled at her beautiful children. She was so
proud of them.

“Aren’t you hungry, Momma?” Ahmed asked. He knew
she had not had anything to eat or drink since
dawn that morning.

“I’m a little bit, but that is good for me. Don’t
worry about me. When you’re older, you’ll
understand more and be able to fast too,” she
explained. “Would you like me to take you to the
store to buy the shoes?” she asked.

“Would you, Momma? Is that all right?” Iram
begged.

“Why of course. Let’s go,” she said.

They walked to the shoe store and went inside.
Iram picked out a pair of shoes for Fatima. Ahmed
picked out a pair for Rashid. They were both so
proud that they’d saved their money so they could
do this to help. Later, they went home and wrapped
the shoe boxes in plain brown paper. They waited
anxiously for night to come. It would be dark and
they could deliver their gifts.

The sun began to drop behind the horizon. A little
while later, Poppa came home. He and Momma had
some lentil soup, then tomato and cucumber
sandwiches. Momma called to her children, “Iram.
Ahmed. Come and have some baklawa, and some fresh
dates.” The children came running into the
kitchen. Momma cut them a big piece.

They gobbled it down quickly as they were anxious
to do their good deed. “Slow down, children,”
Poppa urged, laughing.

It was soon dark outside. Momma had the children
go and get the boxes they’d wrapped so carefully.
They put their coats on and walked quietly over to
Rashid and Fatima’s house. Momma whispered, “All
right, children. We must be very quiet and very
fast. Ahmed, you knock on the door and then run
over here, to this bush, where Iram and I will be
hiding. We’ll watch as they come and find their
gifts.”

Iram and Ahmed giggled with delight. Iram and
Momma hid, and Ahmed tiptoed up to the door. He
put both of the boxes down on the porch, and
knocked hard. Then he ran, and ran, and ran, as
fast as he could, to where Iram and Momma were.
“Shhh,” Momma whispered. “Someone opened the
door.”

They watched as Rashid and Fatima came out onto
the porch. “Look! There are presents for us.
Someone left them here,” Rashid cried out with
excitement. He and Fatima looked around. It was
very dark and they couldn’t see anyone. They
picked up the boxes and took them inside.

After a minute or two, waiting to make sure they
wouldn’t be seen, Momma, Ahmed, and Iram, snuck
quietly back to their house. Ahmed started
laughing. “Poppa! Poppa! We did it! We snuck up
and left the presents!”

Iram added, “They didn’t see us, Poppa. They don’t
know it was us.” She was laughing too.

Momma and Poppa stood back and looked at their
children. They were so proud of them. They knew
their children knew the real meaning of giving and
of sacrifice. The next morning, as Momma, Poppa,
Iram, and Ahmed went to their car to drive into
town, they saw Rashid and Fatima outside playing.
They were both wearing their brand new shoes.
Nobody said a thing. Iram and Ahmed just smiled.

2003-05-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Sabaeans -

At least three distinct groups have borne this
name in Middle Eastern history: (1) The pagan sect
which flourished in Harran, Northern Syria, whose
transcendent theology may be characterized as both
astral and Neoplatonic; (2) The inhabitants of the
Southern Arabian pre-Islamic kingdom of Saba'
(Sheba); (3) The Sabaeans (Sabi'un) of the Qur'an
mentioned in verse 62 of Suart al-Baqara, verse 17
of Suart al-Hajj and verse 69 of Surat al-Ma'ida.
This last group may originally have been the
Mandaeans of South Iraq. Some scholars maintain
that the Sabaeans of Harran cleverly tried to
identify themselves with the Sabaeans of the
Qur'an to give themselves some legitimacy as
'People of the Book' (Ahl al-Kitab).

2003-05-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

salaam goin on break.. summer's here.. not gunna die in front of a comp any more...so check back for updates iin later.. salaam

2003-05-06T09:18:00.002-04:00

Hiya!! its an update yo!!!:)

2003-05-06T09:18:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATION

No one knows the story of tomorrow's dawn.
-- African Proverb

With high hope for the future, no prediction is
ventured.
-- Abraham Lincoln

If you live in my heart, you live rent free.
-- Irish Proverb

They gave each other a smile with a future in it.
-- Ring Lardner

The Lord will drench you with His showers, but he
will dry you with His sun.
-- Czech Proverb

You can outdistance that which is running after
you but not what is running inside you.
-- Rwandan Proverb

We only become what we are by the radical and
deep-seeded refusal of that which others have made
of us.
-- Jean-Paul Sartre

Listen to what they say of others and you will
know what they say of you.
-- Cuban Proverb

What people say behind your back is your standing
in the community.
-- Edgar Watson Howe

2003-05-06T09:18:00.000-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[64] (The Angels say:)(a) "We descend not but by
command of thy Lord: to Him belongeth what is
before us, and what is behind us, and what is
between:(b) and thy Lord never doth forget." -
[65] "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and
all that is between them: so worship Him, and be
constant and patient in His worship: knowest thou
of any who is worthy of the same name as He?"(c)
- Qur'an Surah 19:64-65

(a) We are apt to be impatient of the evils as
see around us. We may give of our best service to
Allah and yet we see no results. In our human
short-sightedness we may complain within
ourselves. But we must not be impatient. The
angels of Grace come not haphazardly but by the
command of Allah according to His Universal Will
and Purpose. Allah does not forget. If things are
delayed it is in accordance with a wise providence
which cares for all. Our plain duty is to be
patient and constant in His service.

(b) A similar construct can be found in 2:255.
However, as Muhammad Asad points out in his
commentary of 2:255, the commentators give most
conflicting interpretations to this phrase. Thus,
for instance, Mujahid and 'Ata assume that "that
which is between their hands" means "that which
has happened to them in this world", while "that
which is behind them" is an allusion to "that
which will happen to them in the next world."
Ad-Dahhak and Al-Kalbi, on the other hand, assume
the exact opposite and say that "that which is
between their hands" refers to the next world,
"because they are going toward it", while "that
which is behind them" means this world, "because
they are leaving it behind" (Razi). Another
explanation is "that which took place before them
and that which will take place after them"
(Zamakhshari). Muhammad Asad says, "It would seem,
however, that in all these interpretations the
obvious meaning of the idiomatic expression ma
bayna yadayhi ("that which lies open between one's
hands) is lost sight of: namely, that which is
evident, or known, or perceivable; similarly, ma
khalfahu means that which is beyond one's ken or
perception. Since the whole tenor of the above
Qur'anic verse relates to Allah's omnipotence and
omniscience, the translation given by me (Asad)
seems to be most appropriate. As to who is right
or wrong I'll leave that for debate amongst the
scholars. What I am trying to do here is show that
even the great scholars are at odds when
discussing the in depth meaning of its substance
and we should relish these differences as they
enable us to see many facets of Allah's great
Message top mankind - His Holy Qur'an. Also, we
should not be divided by these differences to
point of violence of ridicule of others but accept
differences and debate with good manner and
thoughtful consideration.

(c) The more we taste of the truth and mystery of
life, the more do we realize that there is no one
to be mentioned in the same breath as Allah. He is
above all names. But when we think of His
beautiful qualities, and picture them to ourselves
by name which give us some ideas of Him, we can
search the whole wide world of our imagination and
we shall not find another to be compared with Him
in name or quality. He is the One: praise be to
Him!

2003-05-06T09:17:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Asma' bint Abu Bakr: I came to 'Aisha the
wife of the Prophet during the solar eclipse. The
people were standing and offering the prayer and
she was also praying. I asked her, "What is wrong
with the people?" She beckoned with her hand
towards the sky and said, "Subhan Allah." I asked
her, "Is there a sign?" She pointed out, "Yes." So
I, too, stood for the prayer till I fell
unconscious and later on I poured water on my
head. After the prayer, Allah's Apostle praised
and glorified Allah and said, "Just now I have
seen something which I never saw before at this
place of mine, including Paradise and Hell. I have
been inspired (and have understood) that you will
be put to trials in your graves and these trials
will be like the trials of Ad-Dajjal, or nearly
like it (the sub narrator is not sure of what
Asma' said). Angels will come to every one of you
and ask, 'What do you know about this man?' A
believer will reply, 'He is Muhammad, Allah's
Apostle , and he came to us with self-evident
truth and guidance. So we accepted his teaching,
believed and followed him.' Then the angels will
say to him to sleep in peace as they have come to
know that he was a believer. On the other hand a
hypocrite or a doubtful person will reply, 'I do
not know but heard the people saying something and
so I said the same.' " Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1,
Book 4, Number 184

Abu Huraira reported: One day the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) appeared before the
public that a man came to him and said: Prophet of
Allah, (tell me) what is Iman. Upon this he (the
Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith
in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His
Messengers and that you affirm your faith in the
Resurrection hereafter. He (again) said: Messenger
of Allah, (tell me) what does al-Islam signify. He
(the Holy Prophet) replied: Al-Islam signifies
that you worship Allah and do not associate
anything with Him and you establish obligatory
prayer and you pay the obligatory poor-rate
(Zakat) and you observe the fast of Ramadan. He
(the inquirer) again said: Messenger of Allah,
what does al-Ihsan imply? He (the Holy Prophet)
replied: That you worship Allah as if you are
seeing Him, and in case you fail to see Him, then
observe prayer (with this idea in your mind) that
(at least) He is seeing you. He (the inquirer )
again said: Messenger of Allah, when would there
be the hour (of Doom)? He (the Holy Prophet)
replied: The one who is asked about it is no
better informed than the inquirer. I, however,
narrate some of its signs (and these are): when
the slave-girl will give birth to he master, when
the naked, barefooted would become the chiefs of
the people - these are some of the signs of
(Doom). (Moreover) when the shepherds of the black
(camels) would exult themselves in buildings, this
is one of the signs of (Doom). (Doom) is one of
the five (happenings wrapped in the unseen) which
no one knows but Allah. Then he (the Messenger of
Allah) recited (the verse):" Verily Allah! with
Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it
is Who sends (down the rain) and knows that which
is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he
shall earn tomorrow, and a person knows not in
whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is
Knowing, Aware. He (the narrator, Abu Huraira)
said: Then the person turned back and went away.
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said: Bring that man back to me. They (the
Companions of the Holy Prophet present there) went
to bring him back, but they saw nothing there.
Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: he was
Gabriel, who came to teach the people their
religion. Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0004

Narrated Ubayy ibn Ka'b: The Apostle of Allah
(peace be upon him) led us in the dawn prayer one
day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said:
No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They
replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are
the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites.
If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings),
you would come to them, even though you had to
crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of
the angels, and if you knew the nature of its
excellence, you would race to join it. A man's
prayer said along with another is purer than his
prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is
purer than his prayer with one, but if there are
more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty,
the Majestic. Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 2, Number 0554

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad
from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, "The angels ask for blessings on each one of
you as long as he is in the place where he has
prayed and has not discharged anything. They say,
'Allah, forgive him. Allah have mercy on him.' "

Malik said, "I do not consider that his words,
'has not discharged anything' refer to anything
other than the discharges that break wudu."
Malik's Muwatta, Book 9, Number 9.18.54

2003-05-06T09:16:00.001-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

'Allahumma-j-'alna hadina muhtadin, gayra dallina
wala mudillin, silman li'awliya'ik, wa'adhuwwan
li-a'da'ik, nuhibbu bihubbika man
'ahabbak,wanu'adi bi'adawatika man halafak

Oh Allah, make us guides who are rightly guided,
neither strayed nor lead others astray, peaceful
towards Thy Friends and hostile towards Thy
enemies, love by Thy love those who love Thee, and
be at enmity, by Thine Enmity towards those who
disobey Thee", Aameen

On the Authority of Ibn 'Abbas (ra),Transmitted by
at-Tirmidthi
Book: The Supplication Which Received an Answer
Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah
Beirut-Lebanon

2003-05-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: Whose Promise is More Valuable ::

Once a Dervish went into a Masjid and sat there
with the intention of observing I'tikaaf. He had
no provision of food or drink with him.

The Imaam of the Masjid advised him that as a
destitute person, it was better for him not to
observe I'tikaaf; he should rather do some job to
earn his daily bread. The Dervish made no reply.
The Imaam again insisted that he should go and
earn his living, but he remained silent.

After the Imaam had repeatedly asked him to do so
for the third and the fourth time, the Dervish
said, "Beside the Masjid, there is a shop owned by
a Jew, who has promised to send me two loaves of
bread everyday."

The Imaam said, "If he has promised to provide you
food, it is well and good. Then you may observe
I'tikaaf."

The Dervish said in a reprimanding tone, "It would
be far better if you did not lead the prayers;
with such a weak faith in 'Tauheed', how can you
dare to lead the prayers? You have great reliance
on the promise made by an unbelieving Jew but you
put little trust in the promise made by Allah
Ta'ala to provide sustenance (to all living
things)."

2003-05-06T09:15:00.001-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Jabr -
Compulsion. predestination, fate, determinism,
determination. This was a word of considerable
theological significance in the debates of
medieval Islam. See Qadar below.

Qada -
Divine decree, divine judgement, divine will, the
function of God as Judge (See Qadi). The word has
a variety of other senses in the Qur'an.

Qadar -
Often translated as 'destiny', 'fate', 'divine
predestination', 'divine determination', qadar
specifically is the divine application of qada in
time, according to the most widespread
interpretations.

Qadi - [pl. qudat] -
Judge. Some people refused to become judges in
early and medieval Islam lest their judgements
lead them to condemnation in Hell fire. The
institution dates from the time of the Umayyads.

2003-05-06T09:15:00.000-04:00

:: The Touch of the Master's Hand ::
By: Joseph F. Girzone
Source: Over The Moon

T'was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
“What am I bidden, good folks” he cried,
“A dollar, a dollar,” then, “Two! Only two?
Two dollars and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three …” But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow:
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand twice,
And going, and gone,” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master's hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine;
A Game – and he travels on.
He is “going” once, and “going” twice,
He's “going” and almost “gone.”

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a Soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

2003-05-06T09:14:00.000-04:00

:: His Morning Program ::
Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, went to the
Masjid after the call of the Fajr Adhan. After the
prayer, he would sit with his companions and
converse with them, instructing them on various
aspects of Din. He would answer questions on
religious or personal matters. These early morning
gatherings were occasions for open discussion as
well, and were by no means limited to religion
alone. Stories of the past were recalled, and
poetry was recited. Charity, war booty, and land
tax was also distributed at this time.

Sometimes the companions related their dreams to
him. He interpreted their dreams and told them
their meanings. Once in a while, he would describe
his own dreams to the companions. His dreams were
always meaningful. They were the media through
which Allah showed him the events to come.

After Sunrise, Prophet of Allah prayed four or
eight Raka'at of the morning prayer (a voluntary
prayer). Then he went home to participate in the
household work.

Source:
"The Life of Perfection" - Abidullah Ghazi, p. 47

2003-04-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

Its over-FINALLY!

hmm no its not:-D i lied.. o well sooo how is everyone doing??? allhumdullilah im aight.. lifes aight not toooo bad.. finals around the corner.. had some already.. the rest are lingering!! Inshllah i might be goin to pakland this summer in JUne-ish.. anyone else goin? hehe umm so what else. i think im goin to read uyer blogz.. u guys have more of a life hen me:( hehe aight salaaamz

2003-04-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

INSPIRATION

The deepest waters make the least noise.
-- Guatemalan Proverb

All dreams spin out from the same web.
-- Native American Proverb

Perfection is attained by slow degrees; she
requires the hand of time.
-- Voltaire

Alcohol will preserve anything but a secret.
-- American Proverb

If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in
frankness.
-- Alexander Smith

If you can't bite, don't show your teeth.
-- Yiddish Proverb

Anger as soon as fed is dead - 'Tis starving makes
it fat.
-- Emily Dickinson

Who gossips to you will gossip of you.
-- Puerto Rican Proverb

Gossip is when you hear something you like about
someone you don't.
-- Earl Wilson

2003-04-28T12:13:00.001-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[24] O ye who believe! Follow not Satan's
footsteps: If any will follow the footsteps of
Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and
wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of
Allah on you, not one of you would ever(a) have
been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He
pleases:(b) and Allah is One Who hears and knows
(all things). - Qur'an Surah 24:21

(a) When you read the first 24 ayat of surah Al
Nur (24) take note of the constant refrain that
comes four times in these verses, "...were it not
for the grace and mercy of Allah...". Each time it
has a different application. (1) In 24:10, it was
in connection with the accusation of infidelity by
one of the spouses against the other: they were
both reminded of Allah's mercy and warned against
suspicion and untruth. (2) In 24:14, the believers
were told to be wary of false rumors lest they
should cause pain and division among themselves:
it is Allah's grace that keeps them united. (3) In
24:20, is an admonition for the future: there may
be conspiracies and snares laid by Evil against
simple people: it is Allah's grace that protects
them. (4) Here in 24:21, the general warning is
directed to the observation of purity in act and
in thought, concerning one's self and concerning
others: it is only Allah's grace that can keep
that purity spotless, for He hears prayers and
knows of all the snares that are spread in the
path of the good.

(b) Spotless purity in thought, word and deed
includes the disposition to put the best
construction on the motives of others, so that we
ascribe no evil motive to the seeming indiscretion
of virtuous people. Such a high standard can only
come by the grace of Allah, Who hears all prayers
and knows all the temptations to which human
nature is subject. His Will and Plan make both for
spiritual protection and spiritual peace, and we
must place ourselves trustingly in His hands.

2003-04-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, "The example
of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has
sent me is like abundant rain falling on the
earth, some of which was fertile soil that
absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation
and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of
it was hard and held the rain water and Allah
benefited the people with it and they utilized it
for drinking, making their animals drink from it
and for irrigation of the land for cultivation.
(And) a portion of it was barren which could
neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation
(then that land gave no benefits). The first is
the example of the person who comprehends Allah's
religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge)
which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophets
and learns and then teaches others. The last
example is that of a person who does not care for
it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed
through me (He is like that barren land.)" Sahih
Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 79

'Imran b. Husain reported: I was with the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) in a journey. We
travelled the whole of the night, and when it was
about to dawn, we got down for rest, and were
overpowered (by sleep) till the sun shone. Abu
Bakr was the first to awake amongst us. and we did
not awake the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon
him) from his sleep allowing him to wake up (of
his own accord). It was 'Umar who then woke up. He
stood by the side of the Apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) and recited takbir in a loud
voice till the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) woke up. When he lifted his head, he saw
that the sun had arisen; he then said: Proceed on.
He travelled along with us till the sun shone
brightly. He came down (from his camel) and led us
in the morning prayer. A person, however, remained
away from the people and did not say, prayer along
with us. After having completed the prayer, the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to
him: O, so and so, what prevented you from
observing prayer with us? He said: Apostle of
Allah! I was not in a state of purity. The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered
him arid lie performed Tayammum with dust and said
prayer. He then urged me to go ahead immediately
along with other riders to find out water, for we
felt very thirsty. We were traveling when we came
across a woman who was sitting (on a camel) with
her feet hanging over two leathern water bags. We
said to her: How far is water available? She,
said: Far, very far, very far. You cannot get
water. We (again) said: How much distance is there
between (the residence of) your family and water?
She said: It is a day and night journey. We said
to her: You go to the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him). She said: Who is the Messenger
of Allah? We somehow or the other managed to bring
her to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) and he asked about her, and she informed him
as she had informed us that she was a widow having
orphan children. He ordered that her camel should
be made to kneel down and he gargled in the
opening (of her leathern water-bag). The camel was
then raised up and we forty thirsty men drank
water till we were completely satiated, and we
filled up all leathern water-bags and water-skins
that we had with us and we washed our companions,
but we did not make any camel drink, and (the
leathern water-bags) were about to burst (on
account of excess of water). He then said: Bring
whatever you have with you. So we collected the
bits (of eatable things) and dates and packed them
up in a bundle, and said to her: Take it away.
This is meant for your children, and know that we
have not its any way done any loss to your water.
W hen she came to her family she said: I have met
the greatest magician amongst human beings, or he
is an apostle, as he claims to be, and she then
narrated what had happened and Allah guided aright
those people through that woman. She affirmed her
faith in Islam and so did the people embrace
Islam. Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1451

A'isha reported that two persons visited Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and both of them
talked about a thing, of which I am not aware, but
that annoyed him and he invoked curse upon both of
them and hurled malediction, and when they went
out I said: Allah's Messenger, the good would
reach everyone but it would not reach these two.
He said: Why so? I said: Because you have invoked
curse and hurled malediction upon both of them. He
said: Don't you know that I have made condition
with my Lord saying thus: O Allah, I am a human
being and that for a Muslim upon whom I invoke
curse or hurl malediction make it a source of
purity and reward. Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number
6285

2003-04-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

Upon going to bed the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu alayhi wa salaam) would say:

Allahumma rabbas samawati, wa rabbal 'ardhi, wa
rabbal 'arshil 'atheemi, rabbana wa rabba kulli
shay'in, faliqal-habbi wan-nawa, wa munazzil
'attawrati wal 'injeeli,

wal-furgani, 'a'outhu bika min sharri kulli thee
sharrin 'anta akhithun binasiyathihi, Allahumma
'antal-'awwalu falaysa qablaka shay'un, wa 'antal
'akhirAu falaysa ba'daka shay'un, wa 'anta
'ath-thahiru fa laysa fawqaka shay'un, wa
'antal-batinu falaysa doonaka shay'un, 'igdhi
'anna 'ad-dayna, wa 'aghnina min 'al-faqri

"Oh Allah, Lord of the Heavens, Lord of the Earth,
Lord of the Magnificent Throne, Our Lord, and The
Lord of everything, causer of seeds and
fruit-stones to germinate, down bringer of the
Tawraht, 'Injeel and Furqan, I seek refuge in You
from the evil of all having evil whom You shall be
taking by the forelock.

Oh Allah, You are The First, for there is nothing
before You; You are the last, for there is nothing
after You; You are The Outward [or Ascendant] for
there is nothing above You; and You are The Inner,
for nothing is beyond You. Consume for us our
debts and enrich us out of poverty." Ameen.

Reported by Muslims, Abu Dawud, and At-Tirmithi
Authentic Supplications of the Prophet
A Daar of Islamic Heritage Publication

2003-04-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

:: The Power of Friendship ::
Sent to me by a friend

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I
saw a kid from my class was walking home from
school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was
carrying all of his books. I thought to myself,
"Why would anyone bring home all his books on a
Friday? He must really be a nerd."

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a
football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon),
so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running
toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his
books out of his arms and tripping him so he
landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I
saw them land in the grass about ten feet from
him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness
in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him
and as he crawled around looking for his glasses,
and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his
glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They
really should get lives." He looked at me and
said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his
face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real
gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him
where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near
me, so I asked him why I had never seen him
before. He said he had gone to private school
before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school
kid before. We talked all the way home, and I
carried some of his books. He turned out to be a
pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play
a little football with my friends. He said yes. We
hung out all weekend and the more I got to know
Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought
the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the
huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said,
"Boy, you are gonna really build some serious
muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just
laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best
friends. When we were seniors, we began to think
about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I
was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be
friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for
business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him
all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare
a speech for graduation.

I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there
and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked
great. He was one of those guys that really found
himself during high school. He filled out and
actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates
than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy,
sometimes I was jealous.

Today was one of those days. I could see that he
was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on
the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be
great!" He looked at me with one of those looks
(the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he
said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat,
and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those
who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe
a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to
tell all of you that being a friend to someone is
the best gift you can give them. I am going to
tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he
told the story of the first day we met. He had
planned to kill himself over the weekend. He
talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his
Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying
his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from
doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this
handsome, popular boy told us all about his
weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling
that same grateful smile. Not until that moment
did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's
life. For better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact
one another in some way. Look for God in others.

2003-04-28T12:11:00.001-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

al-Dajjal -

The word derives from Syriac and means 'the Cheat'
or 'the Charlatan'. It is often translated to
signify an Islamic 'anti-Christ'. A huge amount of
tradition has grown up around this eschatological
figure. The bare bones of these indicate that he
will arrive on earth during the last days of which
he himself will be a major sign. He will preside
over forty years (or forty days) of injustice and
license, after which 'Isa will destroy him and the
entire world will convert to Islam. Al-Dajjal is
not mentioned by name in the Qur'an.

2003-04-28T12:11:00.000-04:00

:: The Children of Palestine ::
By: Mary B. Ayad
Dedicated to Abdel Karim - April 11, 2003

I am a silent witness.

I am a voice for those whose voice has been
silenced, deafened, drowned out and defeated.

I see what they see: horror, war, occupation,
bloodshed, trauma, fear, and terror, but they
cannot speak and if they do, who hears?

I see through the eyes of the innocent little
ones, whose vulnerability leaves them no
protection from the nightmares they experience,
both in their lived reality and those written on
their inner landscape.

I am a silent witness for children whose lives
should be peaceful and tranquil, filled with play
and days at school and time at home with their
parents.

Instead these children watch their futures
truncated both literally while hearing and
witnessing destruction, violence and death and
figuratively when the inkling that this is what
life is and their opportunities for further
education, work, peace, life and play may be
non-existent.

I am a silent witness for children who are one
third of the population, malnourished.

I am a silent witness for children who witness
violence, children who get shot walking home from
school, who have bullets ringing past their ears,
for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I am a silent witness for children whose nights
are plagued by nightmares, whose days are plagued
by hunger, death, violence, bloodshed and fear.

I am a silent witness for children who have no
where to go and no one to protect them against the
forces that destroy their lives, their families,
their health, their peace, their well-being, their
futures, their hopes and their dreams.

I am a silent witness for children who have
witnessed violence against their parents, children
who watch their parent’s homes and shops bulldozed
and razed to the ground, children who know their
parents cannot feed them, protect them or promise
them anything.

Where are the innocent joys of childhood in these
children’s lives?

Where is the safety and the peace, the tranquility
and the joy?

No child should suffer as the children of
Palestine suffer.

Note:
A world that is capable of standing by in silence
while the lives of innocent children on a mass
scale are cut down by a violent occupation that
does not bring forth peace or security is a world
that has lost its conscience and its humanity. It
is time to open our eyes and see the fate of the
children of Palestine and it is time to open our
ears and hear the silent screams of agony and
suffering of Palestine’s children.

2003-04-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

:: Never Forget That... ::

THAT THE ONLY GOD IS ALLAH…

He is Allah. There is no god but Him. Praise be to
Him in the world and the hereafter. Judgement
belongs to Him. You will be returned to Him.
(Surat al-Qasas:70)

Never Forget That...

- Our sole purpose in life is to serve Allah,
- Allah encompasses everything from East to West,
- Allah exercises absolute control over natural
events and He directs their whole affairs,
- Allah holds all people under His control,
including our mothers, fathers, classmates and
colleagues,
- Allah is the true protector and defender of man,
- It is only Allah Who can relieve us of all the
forms of difficulties we encounter,
- Allah knows the hidden truth of an event, the
details pertaining to it, and any other unknown
aspects about it,
- Allah knows the details of the deeds one has
done throughout one's lifetime,
- Allah possesses the power to do anything He
wishes,
- Allah knows all the subtle details pertaining to
all matters, that He benefits His servants who
fear Him,
- Allah protects those who take refuge in Him and
gives them relief,
- Allah desires to make things easier for us,
- Everything that happens to us occurs under His
control,
- It is Allah Who grants us all our blessings,
- Allah provides the provision of all living
things,
- Allah will expand the blessings for whom He
wills,
- We must engage in all deeds only to earn His
good pleasure,
- Allah will reward most abundantly those deeds
done to earn His good pleasure,
- Allah has taught us everything we know,
- Allah is the One Who has rightly guided us and
willed for us to become believers,
- Allah is exalted above any sort of fallibility
particular to human beings is in no means in
need of anything,
- Every living being on earth is in need of Him,
- Allah is infinitely conscientious,
- Allah knows everything, whether we keep to
ourselves or divulge it,
- Allah certainly helps those who help His
religion,
- Allah sees us no matter where we are or what we
are doing,
- Allah is infinitely just and does not wrong
anyone by so much as the smallest speck,
- Allah is the Originator of the heavens and
earth, and when He decides on something, He
merely says "Be!" and it is,
- Allah knows everything beyond our knowledge,
- No one can change what Allah wills for him and
no one can prevent something from happening, be
it good or bad, if Allah wills for him,
- To look at and reflect upon the Signs Allah
shows you within yourself and outside of you,
- Everything in the earth and in the heavens
glorifies His praises,
- Only Allah deserves to be glorified,
- Allah never forgets anything,
- Allah is always alive, that He never sleeps, nor
is in need of sleep,
- Allah heals the hearts of those who believe in
His support,
- Allah supports believers at every moment,
- Allah forgives and accepts repentance from His
servants,
- Allah does not punish wrongdoers immediately,
and that he grants time so that people can
repent and ask for forgiveness,
- Allah is Ever-Gentle with His servants,
- Allah wishes His faithful servants to attain
Paradise,
- Allah will reward those who show patience,
- Allah is the One Who gives us our soul and gives
health,
- Allah heals us when we are sick,
- Allah warns us constantly to help us attain true
faith and reminds us through various ways,
- Allah has given us love of faith and has made
disbelief, deviance and disobedience hateful to
us,
- Allah will bring forward a people whom He loves
and who love Him to replace those who renounce
the religion,
- Allah erases bad actions from true believers,
- Allah gives the power of discernment to judge
between right and wrong to those who have fear
of Allah,
- Allah is closer to us than anyone or anything,
- We need to pray to Allah that He keep us as His
friend till eternity.

THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN…

Satan is your enemy, so treat him as an enemy. He
summons his party so they will be among the people
of the Searing Blaze. (Surah Fatir: 6)

Never Forget That...

- Satan is our greatest enemy,
- Satan patiently waits to deceive people at every
moment,
- Satan will try to hinder you from being grateful
to your Lord by making you forget the blessings,
- Satan wants you to forget that there is good in
every situation and thereby hinder you from
putting your trust in Allah
- Satan will try to instil carelessness, laziness,
anger, heedlessness, selfishness and
forgetfulness in you,
- Satan wants to hinder you from your acts of
worship and conducting yourself responsibly
towards Allah,
- Satan has no influence whatsoever on true
believers,
- Seeking refuge in Allah when a deceptive
suggestion from Satan provokes you will bring
you relief
- Forgetfulness is Satan's greatest weapon
- Satan wants to hinder you from keeping your mind
occupied with Allah's remembrance,
- Arrogance and resisting truth are attributes of
the accursed Satan,
- Satan will try to fill you with false hopes,
- Satan never wants you to engage in deeds that
will please Allah and attain
- Satan's primary aim is to make you earn eternal
torment, as he himself will,
- Satan has no authority over people, but merely
calls on them.

TO REMEMBER ALLAH…

You who believe! Remember Allah much...
(Suratal-Ahzab: 41)

Never Forget…

- To keep your mind occupied with the remembrance
of Allah,
- To remember Allah when you are standing, sitting
and lying on your side,
- That nothing except the remembrance of Allah
removes our distress, the complications in our
affairs, and provides us relief of heart,
- That nothing (trade or commerce) should distract
us from the remembrance of Allah,
- That remembering Allah is the greatest,

THAT DEATH MAY COME UPON YOU AT ANY TIME…

Every self will taste death. We test you with both
good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned
to Us. (Surat al-Anbiya': 35)

Never Forget That…

- Everyone, including ourselves and our family
members will certainly die,
- The time of death is determined by our Lord,
- Everyone's death is predetermined and that no
one can put off that predetermined time when it
comes,
- At death, we will return to our Lord
- Our body will be of no value whatsoever once we
die,
- When placed in the earth the body will undergo a
rapid process of decay
- The repentance made at the moment of death may
not be accepted,
- All the forms of weakness we have in this world
are given us to remind death,
- Thinking about death will purify us of all false
ambitions,
- You must pray to Allah to take you as a Muslim
at your death.

2003-04-21T12:29:00.002-04:00

INSPIRATION

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
-- American Proverb

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There
can be no courage unless you're scared.
-- Eddie Rickenbacker

Those who wish to shine always find a song.
-- Swedish Proverb

Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action
the fruit behind it.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Arrogance is a kingdom without a crown.
-- American Proverb

The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between
lightning and the lightning bug.
-- Mark Twain

Danger past, God forgotten.
-- Scottish Proverb

Anyone who truly loves God travels securely.
-- Teresa of Avila

2003-04-21T12:29:00.001-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[96] What is with you must vanish: What is with
Allah will endure. And We will certainly bestow,
on those who patiently persevere, their reward
according to the best of their actions.(a) [97]
Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has
faith, verily, to him will We give a new life, and
life(b) that is good and pure, and We will bestow
on such their reward according to the best of
their actions.(c) - Qur'an Surah 16:96-97

(a) What comparisons can there possibly be
between spiritual Good, which will endure forever,
and any temporal advantage which you may snatch in
this world, which will fade and vanish in no time?
And then, Allah's generosity is unbounded. He
rewards you, not according to your merits, but
according to the very best of your actions.

(b) Faith, if sincere, means right conduct. When
these two confirm each other, Allah's grace
transforms our life. Instead of being troubled and
worried, we have peace and contentment. Instead of
being assailed at every turn by false alarms and
the assault of evil, we enjoy calm and attain
purity. The transformation is visible in this life
itself, but the "reward" in terms of the
Hereafter, will be far beyond our deserts.

(c) The same ending as in the previous verses
deepens the overall effect of bringing home the
message forcefully and beautifully. The argument
is completed and rounded off.

2003-04-21T12:29:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION
Narrated Alqama: I asked 'Aisha "Did Allah s
Apostle, use to choose some special days (for
fasting)?" She replied, "No, but he used to be
regular (constant) (in his service of
worshipping). Who amongst you can endure what
Allah's Apostle used to endure?" Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 3, Book 31, Number 208

It is narrated on the authority of Hudhaifa: We
were sitting in the company of Umar and he said:
Who amongst you has heard the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) talking about the turmoil?
Some people said: It is we who heard it. Upon this
be remarked: Perhaps by turmoil you presume the
unrest of man in regard to his household or
neighbour, they replied: Yes. He ('Umar) observed:
Such (an unrest) would be done away with by
prayer, fasting and charity. But who amongst you
has heard from the Apostle (may peace be upon him)
describing that turmoil which would come like the
wave of the ocean. Hudhaifa said: The people
hushed into silence, I replied: It is I. He
('Umar) said: Ye, well, your father was also very
pious. Hudhaifa said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be, upon him ) observing:
Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as
reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart
which is impregnated by them will have a black
mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them
will have a white mark put in it. The result is
that there will become two types of hearts: one
white like a white stone which will not be harmed
by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the
heavens and the earth endure; and the other black
and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset,
not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is
abominable, but being impregnated with passion.
Hudhaifa said: I narrated to him ('Umar): There is
between you and that (turmoil) a closed door, but
there is every likelihood of its being broken.
'Umar said: Would it be broken? You have, been
rendered fatherless. Had it been opened, it would
have been perhaps closed also. I said: No, it
would be broken, and I narrated to him: Verily
that door implies a person who would be killed or
die. There is no mistake in this hadith. Abu
Khalid narrated: I said to Sa'd, O Abu Malik, what
do you mean by the term" Aswad Murbadda"? He
replied: High degree of whiteness in blackness. I
said: What is meant by" Alkoozu Mujakhiyyan"? He
replied: A vessel turned upside down. Sahih
Muslim, Book 001, Number 0267

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that some people from
among the Ansar begged from the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) and he gave them. They
again begged him and he again gave them, till when
what was in his possession was exhausted he said:
Whatever good (riches, goods) I have, I will not
withhold it from you. He who refrains from begging
Allah safeguards him against want. and he who
seeks sufficiency, Allah would keep him in a state
of sufficiency, and he who shows endurance. Allah
would grant him power to endure, and none is
blessed with an endowment better and greater than
endurance. Sahih Muslim, Book 005, Number 2291

Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Verse:--'If there are
twenty steadfast amongst you (Muslims), they will
overcome two-hundred (non-Muslims).' was revealed,
it became hard on the Muslims when it became
compulsory that one Muslim ought not to flee (in
war) before ten (non-Muslims). So (Allah)
lightened the order by revealing: '(But) now Allah
has lightened your (task) for He knows that there
is weakness in you. So if there are of you
one-hundred steadfast, they will overcome
(two-hundred (non-Muslims).' (8.66) So when Allah
reduced the number of enemies which Muslims should
withstand, their patience and perseverance against
the enemy decreased as much as their task was
lightened for them. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book
60, Number 176

2003-04-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

'Allahumma 'inni 'as'aluka-t-tabata fil-'amri
wa'as'aluka 'azimata-r-rusdi, wa'as'aluka sukra
ni'matika wahusna 'ibadatika, wa'as'aluka lisanan
sadiqan, waqalban saliman, wa'a'udu bika min sarri
ma ta'lamu, wa'as'aluka min hayri ma ta'lamu, wa
'astagfiruka mimma ta'lamu, 'innaka 'anta
'allamu-l-guyub.

"O Allah, I ask Thee for steadfastness in carrying
out what I am commanded; I ask Thee for resolution
in following right guidance; I ask Thee to make me
grateful for Thy Favours and to enable me to
worship Thee acceptably. I ask Thee for a truthful
tongue and a sound heart. I seek refuge in Thee
from the evil of what Thou knowest, I ask Thee for
some of the good of what Thou knowest, and I ask
Thy Forgiveness of what Thou knowest, verily Thou
art the Knower of the Unseen", Aameen.

Reported at-Tirmidhi and Nasa'i
Book: The Supplication Which Receives an Answer
By: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah
Beirut-Lebanon

2003-04-21T12:26:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIEs

:: The Ruler and the Ruled ::

There have been many rightly-guided khalifs in the
past whose qualities were far more refined and
noble than those of today's kings, prime ministers
and presidents. They lived very simply and spent
very little on their own personal comfort. One of
these great khalifs was called Umar ibn
Abdul-Aziz. He followed the teachings of Islam
with sincerity and served the people whom he ruled
with humility.

One hot summer's night, Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz was
lying awake in bed, too hot to sleep, but cooled a
little at least by the fan with which a
maidservant was fanning him. Thanks to her efforts
he at last fell asleep. After a while, however,
she began to grow very tired and then finally she
too fell asleep, the fan slipping from her fingers
and falling to the floor.

The khalif awoke from his slumber, and seeing that
his maidservant had fallen asleep, he picked up
the fan and began to fan her gently. After a while
she woke up and was startled and dismayed to find
the khalif fanning her. She was meant to be
fanning him - what would happen to her now?

"Do not worry." Said Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz with a
smile, "you are just as much a human being as I
am. When I needed to sleep, you kept me cool, and
when you needed to sleep I kept you cool. What's
wrong with that?"

Story by Matina Wali Muhammad, found in the book
"True stories for Children"

What ever happened to this kind of compassion and
understanding amongst the rulers of today? Why
have the rulers of today, who profess belief in
Allah and supposedly follow His Teachings, become
cold, calculating and distant from their flock?
Islam need s to cultivate rulers with compassion
and a willingness to accept that their rule is for
the people and not the other way around.

2003-04-21T12:26:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

Shirk -
Meaning idolatry, polytheism and is the most
heinous sin condemned in the Qur'an. This Arabic
word literally means 'sharing', and man is
forbidden to share his worship of God with that of
any other creatures, or to ascribe partners to God
as sharers of His Divinity. The Qur'an tells us
that polytheism is the one sin that cannot and
will not be forgiven, because it denies God's very
existence (See verse 116 of Surat al-Nisa').
Ibrahim is presented as a pure monotheist who 'was
among the polytheists' (wa ma kana min
al-Mushrikin): see verse 67 of Surat Al 'Imran.

Mushrikun - [sing. mushrik] -
Polytheists. (See Shirk.)

2003-04-21T12:25:00.000-04:00

:: Imperialism ::
By: SoulAdvisor

Upon a trail of a darkened past.
The true light just began to glow.

The soldiers fell in their path.
Changing forever their envisioned goal.

The mighty have a future so clear.
Oppression and devastation became their throne.

The 'king's' mighty hand not opposed.
Submission a doorstep for their foe.

As a poor man, bridled with shame.
Treachery now seeking their ultimate doom.

Impressive power, hands drenched in blood.
Not clearly showing the intended goal.

The illusion of a liberating force.
All must yield as a puppet on strings.

Pleased with outcome of their might.
As graves lined prostrate before them all.

Voracity and supremacy the trophy won.
Challengers powerless as stricken with fright.

Power driven an addict to control.
The innocent's crime is only fear.

Illation adrenalin in their veins.
Iraq not their only goal?

2003-04-21T12:24:00.001-04:00

LINK OF THE WEEK

:: Muhammad.com::

2003-04-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

10 things every Muslim can do to make a difference
By: IslamiCity

#1 Sponsor an Orphan. Before anything else, there
are hungry children everywhere who have needs
right now. There are several reputable programs
that offer orphan sponsorship at very low monthly
cost. We know that we can afford to do it.
Supporting an orphan can make us close to the
Prophet in Paradise. Click here for Orphan
Sponsorship

#2 Go to the Mosque at least once a week for
Salat. Even if someone can not go to the local
Mosque for the Friday prayers because of their
job, then we can at least go for one Maghrib
(evening prayer) once a week or for Zuhr (noon
prayer) on the weekend. Whatever time is suitable
we can at least take timeout for this once a week
Ð with our family. This will help us and our
family make the Mosque a center for activity and
our children will develop ties to the community.
If we don't like the way the Mosque is operated,
we have an opportunity to make it better by
getting involved. If someone lives in a remote
area that does not have a Mosque, then pray
together at home with all the family members.

#3 Send your children to an Islamic School. If
your children go to public school, and there is no
Islamic school nearby, then make sure they either
get into some Sunday school program, or, if the
local Islamic Center doesn't run it right, then
pool together with some like-minded families and
run your own program at somebody's house every
Saturday or Sunday and conduct it the way you
think it should be done. This is the minimum
requirement for not losing our children to
materialism and other social ills.

#4 Buy at least one book, audio or video produced
by a Muslim company or author per month. Have you
ever wished that there were better items for you
and your family's pleasure? Unfortunately, there
is not enough support for writers and artists.
People who write or produce for the Muslim market
have a very difficult time sustaining them selves.
That must change if you want to see wonderful
products for ourselves and our children. Just buy
one product per month. Collectively, this can
encourage our creative and talented brothers and
sisters to do more. Visit IslamiCity Bazar.

#5 If you see new Muslims at the Islamic Center,
then become a host family to them. The convert
experience is basically one of isolation and
loneliness. You'd be surprised to know that most
converts are often ignored by the people in the
Islamic Centers. Beyond a few pleasantries and
handshakes, they are usually never made to feel
welcome or accepted. They are often cut off from
their non-Muslim friends and relatives so they are
doubly vulnerable. A new convert should be invited
into various people's home for dinner as often as
possible and especially on Islamic holidays. Get
together with others and make sure you all put the
new convert on your guest list for any sort of
gathering.

#6 Keep three extra Quran translations and some
literature in your home at all times. You never
know when you'll find someone interested who wants
to know more. Besides, our children may only
understand English. Encourage the children to read
the translation and discuss the Quran with them.
Quran and Quran study materials.

# 7 Invite your neighbors to your home for dinner.
Most of the time we are so involved with our
circle of friends, family and co-workers we forget
the people who are living right next to us. To be
good to your neighbor is an important example
shown to us by Prophet Muhammad. So invite your
neighbors to your house and get to know them and
let them know you.

#8 Make a big deal out of the family meal. The
concept of a family meal is a dying trend. The
dinner table is not only a place of sustenance and
family business but also a place for the teaching
and passing on of our values. Manners and rules
are subtly absorbed over the table. Family
mealtime should communicate and sustain ideals
that children will draw on throughout their lives.

#9 Establish an Islamic culture in the home. Make
sure you and your family have cultural-type items
in your home in abundance that are associated with
Islam or Islamic culture. Everyone in your home
should have prayer beads, prayer rugs, kufis,
Hijabs, (even if they're worn only for prayer),
gowns, posters, wall plaques, stickers,
logo-shirts, Islamic screen-savers on the
computer, and so on. You want to establish an
identity in your home.

#10 Be a good example. Face it: human beings learn
and form opinions primarily through modeling. In
fact, we can't avoid being an example and model to
our family, children, friends, co-workers,
neighbors and even strangers, whether good or bad.
Being a good example, then, is probably our most
important job.

2003-04-18T18:28:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATION

Adversity is the stuff that shows whether you are
what you thought you were.
-- American Proverb

Always a valley before a hill.
-- American Proverb

There is nothing as eloquent as a rattlesnake's
tail.
-- Navajo Proverb

Each generation will reap what the former
generation has sown.
-- Chinese Proverb

We will either find a way, or make one.
-- Hannibal

2003-04-18T18:28:00.000-04:00

QUR'ANIC INSPIRATION

[8] O ye who believe! Stand firmly for Allah, as
witnesses(a)(b) to fair dealing, and let not the
hatred of others to you make you swerve(c) to
wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is
next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is
well-acquainted with all that ye do. - Qur'an
Surah 5:8

(a) See also 4:135

(b) Justice is Allah's attribute and to stand
firm for justice is to be a witness to Allah, even
if it is detrimental to our interests (as we
conceive them) or the interests of those who are
near and dear to us. According to the Latin
saying; "Let justice be done though heaven should
fall." But Islamic justice is something higher
than the formal justice of Roman Law or any other
human law. It is even more penetrative than the
subtler justice in the speculations of the Greek
philosophers. It searches out the innermost
motives because we are to act as in the presence
of Allah, to whom all things, acts and motives are
known.

(c) To do justice and to act righteously in a
favorable or neutral atmosphere is meritorious
enough, but the real test comes when you have to
do justice to people who hate you or to whom you
have an aversion. But no less is required of you
by the higher moral law.

2003-04-18T18:27:00.000-04:00

HADITH INSPIRATION

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "You
see that the people are of different natures.
Those who were the best in the pre-Islamic period,
are also the best in Islam if they comprehend
religious knowledge. You see that the best amongst
the people in this respect (i.e. ambition of
ruling) are those who hate it most. And you see
that the worst among people is the double faced
(person) who appears to these with one face and to
the others with another face (i.e. a hypocrite)."
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 699

Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: The best of the actions is to love for the
sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah.
Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 40, Number 4582

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad
from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, "Beware of suspicion. Suspicion is the most
untrue speech. Do not spy and do not eavesdrop. Do
not compete with each other and do not envy each
other and do not hate each other and do not shun
each other. Be slaves of Allah, brothers." Malik's
Muwatta, Book 47, Number 47.4.15

It has been narrated on the authority of 'Auf b.
Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: The best of your rulers are those
whom you love and who love you, who invoke God's
blessings upon you and you invoke His blessings
upon them. And the worst of your rulers are those
whom you hate and who hate you and whom you curse
and who curse you. It was asked (by those
present): Shouldn't we overthrow them with the
help of the sword? He said: No, as long as they
establish prayer among you. If you then find
anything detestable in them. You should hate their
administration, but do not withdraw yourselves
from their obedience. Sahih Muslim, Book 020,
Number 4573

2003-04-18T18:26:00.000-04:00

DU'A OF THE WEEK

The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam said:

Allahumma, 'Aqn'ani bimaa razaqtani wa baarak li
fih, wakhlif 'alaiya kullu ghaabatan li bi khair.

"Oh Allah, make me satisfied with Your provision,
bless it for me and compensate me the good of what
I am missing", Aameen.

[Al Haakim and Ath-Thahabi declared it sahih on
the authority of Ibn Abbass ~ may Allah be pleased
with them both.]

From the Book: DUA':THE SHIELD OF A BELIEVER,
ARROWS OF LIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS
El Falah Staff Members,
Dar Al Manarah Publishing, El-Mansoura, Egypt

2003-04-18T18:25:00.001-04:00

INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORIES

Muhammad bin Ka‘b relates that there was a great
‘âlim and ‘âbid in the Banû Isrâ'îl. He loved his
wife very much. Co-incidentally, she passed away.
This person was so grieved by this that he locked
his door and abstained from meeting and conversing
with people.

A woman from the Banû Isrâ'îl heard about this so
she went to him. She informed those who were
guarding the entrance to his house that she wants
to ask him a mas'ala and that it can only be asked
directly to him. Saying this, she sat down
stubbornly by the door. The person was informed of
this and eventually permitted her to enter.

She said: "I want to ask you a mas'ala."

He replied: "Go ahead."

She said: "I have a neighbor from whom I borrowed
some jewelry. I am wearing it for quite some time
now. Thereafter she sent a person asking for her
jewelry. The question I want to ask you is that do
I have to give it back to her?"

The ‘âlim replied: "Yes, you have to give it back
to her."

The woman replied: "That jewelry was with me for a
very long time. How can I give it?"

The ‘âlim replied: "In such a case, you should
give it even more happily because it was out of
her kindness that she allowed you to use it for
such a long time."

When he said this, the woman replied: "May Allah
have mercy on you? Why, then, are you so sad?
Allah had loaned you something and when He wished,
He took it back. (Because) it belongs to Him."

Upon hearing this, the ‘âlim realized his mistake
and benefited tremendously from this conversation.

Lesson: Look at how this woman put some sense into
this man who was a great ‘âlim. You should also
bear this in mind when you have to encounter any
difficulty or calamity. You should also explain
this to others.

2003-04-18T18:25:00.000-04:00

ARABIC WORD KNOWLEDGE

al-Hawiya -
The Abyss or the Chasm. Considered to be
bottomless, this is one of the ranks or layers of
Hell but the word only appears once in the Qur'an,
in verse 9 of Surat al-Qari'a. Here Hell, called
Hawiya, is promised to the sinner whose good deeds
weigh lightly in the scales at the Judgement.

al-Hutama -
Literally, 'that which shatters, wrecks or
smashes'. Al-Hutama is one of the seven ranks of
Hell to which tradition later assigned the Jews.
The word occurs twice in the Qur'an, both times in
Surat al-Humaza. Here, in verse 6, it is precisely
defined as 'the kindled fire of God'.

2003-04-18T18:24:00.001-04:00

POEM OF THE WEEK

:: Women in Islam ::
By: Author Unknown

How do women fit into Islam? What is their fate?
This has been the subject of many a debate
‘for the believing men and women, is a great
reward’
this is from surah al azaab, the words of our Lord
it can be seen from reading the holy Qur'an
that a woman has some privilege over a man
praying is exempted during menstruation
here Islam gives women consideration
a woman after marriage becomes a wife
for nine long months she carries new life
during childbirth she is exempted to fast
Islam is against the burying of girls in the past
they can pray at the mosque or even at home
they may marry or divorce ,its their choice, their
own
after marriage she can retain her old maiden name
and is rewarded for treating all her offspring the
same
once they are married they should live pious lives
‘and the best men are those who are best to their
wives’
Islam shows equality my sisters and brothers
don’t forget paradise lies at the feet of your
mothers
women in the UK had property rights from 1938
this right was given by Islam, 14 centuries to
date
in the UK, women could vote from 1918
this was stated 1400 years ago in Islam our deen
women can work and lead a happily married life
but shouldn’t neglect her role as mother and wife
a woman for her child’s upbringing, deserves her
credit
Islam also gives a woman the right to inherit
a woman’s status in Islam, we should never neglect
in Islam they are favored and deserve their
respect

*~*Amahautie*~*

~Amahautie~