A stranger

Rand Diab

“A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Yusuf, five years my senior, was my example. Samya, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play ‘big brother’ and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors– Mom taught me to love Allah, and Dad taught me to how to obey Him. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it.

He knew about the past and seemed to understand the present. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Yusuf and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several famous people.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up– while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places– go to her room, read the Qur’an.

I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house– not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm.. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn’t permit alcohol in his home – not even for cooking.

But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.

He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.

As I look back, I believe it was Allah’s Mercy that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents’ den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name you ask?

We called him TV.

A Day in a Faster’s Life

Do you want to protect yourself from the thirst of 50,000 years on the Day of Judgment? When you fast one day in Ramadan, this means you fast 14 hours = 50,000 seconds.

Do you imagine that these 50,000 seconds protect you from the thirst of 50,000 years on the Day of Judgment? (This means that one second in Ramadan equals an entire year of the years of thirst and head on Judgment day!)

Dear brothers and sisters, half of Ramadan has already gone, once missed..it cannot be recovered. It is enough that you missed many Ramadans in your life. If you fell once, rise up and do not despair. Let this Ramadan be as if it were the last in your life. So, whet your resolution and start Ramadan projects with us as much as possible:

PROJECT (1):  How to be a multi-millionaire in 30 days?

-Do you know that the good deeds of reciting the whole Qur’an on regular days = 3.3 million good deeds deeds (it means that it cancels 3.3 million bad deeds).

Then, what about the recitation of the whole Qur’an in Ramadan? Here are hundreds of millions of good deeds in your hands. Would you let them go? Then you shall regret every single good deed you lost on the Day of Judgment? Recitation of the whole Qur’an will make you balance more than that of millionaires and billionaires!! Subhan Allah

PROJECT (2): Ramadan has changed me – Taraweeh, preparation project

Taraweeh is: the restful night prayer in Ramadan.

Prepare the part of Qur’an to be recited at night during the taraweeh prayer. Read it after afternoon prayer with deliberation and reflection and you will realize the profound difference in your concentration at taraweeh prayer.  (In this way, you will achieve two recitations of the whole Qur’an: the one at taraweeh and the one after afternoon prayer).

If possible, read the interpretation of that part or listen to a cassette on the same topic. Then you would achieve a rare recitation of the whole Qur’an: Study recitation. You can then say that there is a real change in Ramadan. Do not say that this is difficult; always remember that you’re doing this for Allah.

PROJECT (3): Lost Treasure

Many people waste their time after Iftar although that if you read just one part of the Qur’an you will recite the whole Qur’an during the month. What prevents you from doing that? Is it a comic program? Or an interview with an artist?

PROJECT (4): What are you waiting for? (Repentance Knights)

Promise Allah ( the Almighty) in Ramadan to repent every day from a certain sin and never perpetrate it again. On the first day, give up smoking, on the second give up forbidden mingling with other gender; on the third, stop listening to forbidden songs; on the fifth, clean your mobile and hard disk from anything that can cause Allah’s wrath, etc. (To do this, you should avoid anything forbidden in the two monitors during Ramadan: Internet and TV)

However, because Ramadan have passed quickly, if you still didn’t repent, it’s your chance now before it ends.

Repent, its your time! It’s your time to erase your sins, to get closer to Allah, to do more for your after life than this life. Don’t waste those days… those days that will pass quickly and we never know if we will live until next Ramadan.

Happy Ramadan ‘09

To All people around the world..

Assalamu alaikum, “peace be upon you.”

For those who are non-Muslims, peace be upon you all. 

For those who are Muslims,  Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah make you and your family in best health and iman so you can perform recommended Ramadan’s prayers perfectly.

Do Muslims worship God or Allah?

One of the biggest misconceptions about Islam concerns the name “Allah.” Some people believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians, Jews and others, and some missionary organizations distribute literature in English in which they say such things as: “Allah is the God of the Muslims” and ” Muhammad told people to believe in the God, Allah.” They thus imply and reinforce the idea that “Allah” is some sort of false deity.

This is totally incorrect because “Allah” is the same word that Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use for God. If you pick up an Arabic Bible, you will find the word “Allah” wherever “God” is used in English. “Allah” is also the proper name of God. Therefore, Muslims use the name “Allah” even when they speak other languages.

“Allah” is a special word. It indicates the only entity in existence who truly possess the qualities of divinity and lordship, the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and earth. It is the name of the only being worthy of worship, the one upon whom all creation is dependant at every moment. This name belongs to God alone and no one else.

“Allah” is the only word in the Arabic language equivalent to “God” with a capital “G.” It is also a unique word grammatically since it cannot be made plural or given a masculine or feminine gender. This is consistent with the Islamic concept of God. In English and other languages the word “God” can be used in various forms such as “gods” or “goddess,” all with different connotations and meanings. The only difference between “god” (meaning a false god or any object of worship) and “God” (meaning the one true God) is a capital “G.” Thus, a more accurate translation of “Allah” might be “the one and only true God.”

But there is another important point, which is that Islam is particularly concerned with the correct concept of God. Someone can have an erroneous concept of Him whether he uses the name “Allah” or the word “God.” Followers of previous religions gradually deviated from the original pure belief in God due to the fact that their scriptures were not adequately protected from loss and alteration. None of these are still available for study in their original form or language.

But this is not true of the last divinely revealed message the Qur’an. Hence, the accurate concept of God can be found therein.

Overall, Our God is everyones God. He is “one” for all human beings. One God for Muslims, Christians, Jews and everyone else. One God that created the universe and created us. We all worship ”Allah”/ “God”. 

“In the name of Allah, The most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Say, Allah is One, Allah The Everlasting, The Eternal,
He has not given birth and was not born,
And no one is comparable to Him.” Qur’an, Surah Ikhlas (S: 112)

Compiled by Saheeh International

She was killed because of her veil

A veiled Egyptian mother was stabbed to death because she wore the hijab (veil). The killing raises fears about the rising tide of anti-Muslim feelings in Europe.

In a Dresden park, Marwa took her 3-year old son to play. A German man, probably piqued by her headscarf, insulted her and called her a “terrorist”. Witnesses that were near Marwa heard the German man and filed a case against him in German courts. When she won the case and the court fined him 750 Euros for having abusing her, he appealed against the verdict.

As Marwa stood in court on July 1st, 2009, to give evidence, the 28-year old man took out a knife and stabbed her 18 times. Present were her son and her husband, who ran to rescue her. But the assailant stabbed her husband 3 times. A German security officer in court shot the husband in the leg probably mistaking him for the assailant. The husband, who was scheduled to defend his Ph. D. thesis in genetic engineering in a couple of weeks, lapsed into a coma and was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries to the stomach and liver.

The criminal has been stabbing her for 8 minutes infront of her 3 year old child, without any intervention from court security and when they started to take an action they shot her husband. Marwa’s husband is now hospitalized and not even aware that his beloved wife has passed away.

May Allah be with you Ameen.

Now the important part is, Why aren’t the European reporters and newspapers talking about this story? Why is it all from Egyptian reporters and newspapers? This did not happen in Egypt. It happened in Germany in a German Court, in front of German police and a German judge.what kind of world are we living in? Should we always be shown as terrorists, with first page headlines saying “Muslim extremists”? Yet, a story like this is never reported in any western media. 

suppose that this crime signed by a Muslim against a non-Muslim
what were the world reaction be?

 Are we terrorists now?

Obama reaches out to the Muslim world

Thank You Mr. Obama for this great speech and May Allah make this world a more peaceful place!!

(CNN) — President Obama delivered his long-awaited and wide-ranging speech Thursday on American and Muslim relations, offering a hand of friendship to Islam and addressing an array of quandaries and conflicts dividing the two cultures.

At Egypt’s Cairo University, Obama quoted from the Quran as he expounded on Islam’s glories and rights, the legitimate rights of Israel and the Palestinians, Iranian nuclear aspirations, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, women’s rights, Muslim hijab, economic development, and religious rights and democracy in the Muslim world.

“I know there are many — Muslim and non-Muslim — who question whether we can forge this new beginning,” Obama said, emphasizing that “it is easier to start wars than to end them. It is easier to blame others than to look inward, to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share.”

Mama…

Nasheed by Sami Yusuf 
video & lyrics 

Blessed is your face
Blessed is your name
My beloved
Blessed is your smile
Which makes my soul want to fly
My beloved
All the nights
And all the times
That you cared for me
But I never realised it
And now its too late
Forgive me

Now Im alone filled with so much shame
For all the years I caused you pain
If only I could sleep in your arms again
Mother Im lost without you 

You were the sun that brightened my day
Now whos going to wipe my tears away
If only I knew what I know today
Mother Im lost without you 

Arabic part – English translation:

Mother… Mother… O my mother
How I long to see O mother
Your mother, Your mother, Your mother
Is the saying of your Prophet
In my heart, in my dreams
You are always with me mother

You went and left me
O light of my eyes
O comfort of my nights
You went and left me
Who, other than you, will embrace me?
Who, other than you, will cover me?
Who, other than you, will guard over me?
Your pardon mother, forgive me

May Allah forgive all of our mothers, make them stronger and give them happiness and ease in this life and in the next life in Jannah insha Allah.

May He help us to love them, and to be patient with them, and to be compassionate with them, to help them when they need it, when they ask for help or when they don’t, to be dutiful sons and daughters to them, and to love them unconditionally.

Get up and hug your mom right now. If you can’t, call her. If she has already passed away, make du’aa that Allah forgives her and forgives you insha Allah and unites both of you (and us) in Paradise, with all the mothers of the Ummah.

love her . . before its too late!

Graffiti for spreading da’wah

Aerosol artist Mohammed Ali has` a very unique graffiti style, his inspiration is Arabic script from the Holy Qur’an. His work merges Western graffiti style with Islamic calligraphy in a unique fusion. Ali uses the walls of Birmingham, his home town, as a public gallery to spread his message. Moreover, Ali was recently honoured in a ceremony recognising “unsung heroes” of the Muslim community in Britain.

Journey to Mecca

Journey to Mecca is an IMAX® dramatic and documentary feature that tells the amazing story of Ibn Battuta, the greatest explorer of the Old World, following his first pilgrimage between 1325 and 1326 from Tangier to Mecca.

His perilous journey resonates with adventure while presenting an unforgettable picture of Islamic civilization during the 14th century, culminating with Battuta’s first Hajj. The story is book-ended by a close-up look at the contemporary Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that draws three million Muslims from around the world.

Even though its a short film (45 minutes) but it was one of the most beautiful productions I ever saw. Sadly, this talented actor (Shams al-deen) died exactly after shooting the film and he didn’t have the opportunity to watch it. May Allah accept him in jannah Ameen.

IMAX® is known for its films that can take people to places they would otherwise never go, from Mt. Everest to the deep sea to outer space. The Hajj, the longest running congregation of humans annually on planet earth, is definitely a unique experience for the medium. For non- Muslims it is the closest they will ever come to witnessing this extraordinary event, and for Muslims it takes on an even deeper significance.

Trailer

“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest, and mutual respect.”
‘President Barak Obama”

Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi (Prophets birthday)

Today March 9th 2009, (12 Rabi-Al awal 1430) is Mawlid Al-Nabawi, (Prophet Muhammed’s ‘S.A.W’ birthday). Yet our country ‘Kuwait’ doesn’t have a holiday. For some reason its pushed till thursday, while all the other Muslim countries are celebrating this day by having a day off.

The Mawlid al-Nabi was first observed around the thirteenth century and was preceded by a month of celebration. The actual day of Muhammad’s birthday included a sermon, recitation of litanies, honoring of religious dignitaries, gift giving, and a feast. The festival spread throughout the Muslim world and is celebrated in many countries today. 

Speeches are given about the life of the Prophet in gatherings, and dinners are held. This occasion was not celebrated in the early times of Islam and is therefore unevenly celebrated today, with great and festive celebrations in many Muslim countries . Muslims everywhere celebrate this day with great rejoicing. This occasion is not for frivolity or pleasure seeking, but an event of inner joy and happiness. Assemblies and conferences are held throughout the Muslim world to narrate the stories of the Prophet’s birth, childhood, manhood, and his preaching, his character, his sufferings and his forgiveness for even his bitterest enemies, and about his leadership, his triumphs through Allah’s mercy over the hearts of men. 

Regret!

Once, a group of people were traveling on rocks at night a voice came from the sky that whosoever picks up the rocks will regret and whosoever doesn’t pick up the rocks will regret. Now, the people were confused. How can this be? Whether you pick up the rocks or not, you will regret!

Anyway,some people picked up the rocks and some didn’t. In the morning when they reached their homes, they saw that the rocks turned into Diamonds. Now, those people who didn’t pick up the rocks started regretting saying “If only we had picked up some rocks.” Those people who did pick some rocks also started regretting saying “Why didn’t we pick up more rocks?” Both sides ended up regretting.

Dear Muslims, this same incident will take place with us on the Day of Judgment. Those people who spent their time in useless things will start regretting by looking at those who achieved a great position in Paradise by spending their time in the way of Allah. Now, those who did achieve a position in Paradise will start regretting by looking at those who did more than them and are higher in status.

“ If we had only done more to please Allah…”

A Friend or Enemy?

He wanted me to burn in hell,
He wanted me to be among those who fell,
He wished to lead me astray,
From my Lords mercy he tried to keep me away.
Was he my friend or enemy?

It was because of him I was deprived,
He had deceived so many,
He kept coming at me until I died,
I still didn’t realize amidst all the agony,
Was he my friend or enemy?

He whispered evil to me every day & every night,
He defeated me without me even putting up a fight,
I didn’t even try,
I thought I can just ignore him and let him pass by,
Was he my friend or enemy?

This is why I was drowned in sins,
All along he was sitting back and laughing at me,
Then death hit me, now I can see,
But it’s too late,
There’s no going back to change my fate.

His task had reached its end,
This was his plan all along,
He wasn’t my friend,
I understood it all wrong,
He was the Devil, my arch enemy!

 

Gaza Bleeds; the World Shudders

The beginning of 2009, a new attack had started once again on .. GAZA.. Palestine..!! Another Holocoast is starting, a NEW GENOCIDE!!! Why all this?? is it a war against religions? or is it politics that we don’t understand?

If it was religion, then neither Musa (Moses), Essa’a (Jesus) and Mohammed agree with all this hate. Then which religion does agree? Where is the humanity?

Where is the salam? the peace!!! Did we forget that we are humans? Why all this? People’s hearts died… or are we the ones who died??

 

 

 

 

wake up .. WAKE UP.

************************************************

Here is a wave of protests that erupted across the world  against the attacks on Gaza. Millions of demonstrators have marched in cities across Europe, Asia, Middle East & America to demand a halt to Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip.

All people are one hand to stop all this death.  
lets wake up, and understand thats not life . .

 

 

Times Square – NEW YORK

Atlanta – U.S.A

D.C. – U.S.A

Florida – U.S.A 

Boston – U.S.A

Dallas-U.S.A

Hundreds of protesters came to Dealey Plaza to pray and to protest the recent attacks in Gaza. The event was organized by the Muslim Legal Fund of America. 

London- Britain

Muslims pray for Gaza along Embankment in London

Wales

Ireland

Amsterdam – Holland

Pic:The U.N is a joke

Translation: Israel is repeating the Holocaust with support from the Netherlands”.

 

A man and woman hold blood-smeared dolls during an anti-Israel demonstration in Amsterdam 

Turkey

Spain

Valleta-Malta

In the cold weather Muslims reflected in pool of rainwater as they prayed in Freedom Square, Valletta, before the peaceful protest against Israeli attacks

 

 

 

 

 

Athens

 

 

 

 

ROME – Italy

  

 

 

 

 

MILAN- Italy

Muslims all kneel down in prayer in front of Milan’s gothic cathedral as they protest Israel.

 

Paris – France

 

More than 20,000 protesters against Israel attacks on Gaza.

 

Australia
Taipei – Taiwan

Egypt
Israel TOO!!

Israeli Arabs wave Palestinian flags as they join a demonstration of tens of thousands of Israeli Arabs protesting against Israel’s military operation in Gaza in Northern Israel.

 

 

 

Also, Israeli Arabs held a protest march, Kuwaitis also took to the streets, a day after bigger Middle East rallies, and peaceful pro- and anti-Israel protests were held in New York.

Even with all these protests from all around the globe, the war is still going on! No one is listening to the suffering of these people.. to their pain.. to their screams! Until this MOMENT, as you are reading .. hundreds are getting killed.

 

 

Check the other countries that protested against the attack on Palestine: Jordan, Brazil, Ireland, Indonesia, Sudan, Denmark, Switerland, Nicaragua, India, Iran, Kenya, Libya, Venzuala, Argentina, Philippine, Russia, Nairobi, Pakistan, Japan!  

Lets be ONE hand, to stop this!

May ALLAH bring peace to the world

 

 

 

Are Muslims Terrorists?

When any kind of massive destruction or terror occurs at any part of the world fingers directly point to the Middle East, to Muslims and Islam.

In a large number of western countries, people think that Islam is a religion of terror and that Muslims are ordered to kill any non-Muslim human being! This being obviously wrong and its lack of knowledge, there’s nothing more unfair than attributing such actions to a religion, to a whole nation, to millions of humans around the world.

Making things worse, some people use the name of Islam for their own purposes and false beliefs. This with the awful picture that American and Western media introduce about Islam produces a huge misconception.

On the other hand, when a Christian guy commits a crime/massacre like in Oklahoma bombings (April 1995) his action is not stereotyped/attributed to his faith/religion.

Do you Remember Timothy McVeigh? The Oklahoma bombings?  who said to be with the Aryan Republican Army? They had to raise money to “commit terrorist acts against United States”.

In 19 April, 1995. A massive bomb was detenated in a underground car park beneath the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. It killed 168 people. and injured more than 500 others. He’s Christian and former military soldier. But this has no importance to the media and doesn’t mean anything, the guy is Christian so what? Now imagine if he was an Arab! Lets say Muslim!!! (Just to make it clear, NOT all Arabs are Muslim)!

  

As well as in Christianity, Islam allows fighting for self-defense of religion or homes. And also lays down strict laws of combat/war which include prohibitions against harminf civilians, crops and churchs. As Prophet Muhamed said : “Fight in the cause of Allah. Fight those who deny Allah; Do not be embittered. Do not be treacherous. Do not mutilate. Do not kill children or those (people) in convents.”

And Abu-Bakr’s (follower of prophet Muhamed) instructions for the Islamic army: “Do not betray or be treacherous or vindictive. Do not mutilate. Do not kill the children, the aged or the women. Do not cut or bum palm trees or fruitful trees. Don’t slay a sheep, a cow or camel except for your food. And you will come across people who confined themselves to worship in hermitages, leave them alone to what they devoted themselves for.”

How come a religion that prohibits cutting trees will order killing non-Muslim civilians?

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In some minds, there is the image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other conquering and forcibly converting people to Islam.

Freedom of religion is laid down in the Quran itself: “There is no compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right direction is distinctly clear from error.” (Qur’an 2:256)

I know that Americans will never forget/forgive what happened in September 11. I imagine myself as an American watching the scene of that plane hitting the tower and pictures of victims played on TV for days and days and linking ALL that to one word : ISLAM.

It’s just funny how when someone attacks the US it’s outright terrorism (By Muslims), but when the US attacks someone else it’s fighting for liberty and freedom?

Of course AL Qaeda/ AL Qaida has taken credit for the attacks. As I said, alot of actions were committed in the name of Islam but this is just not what God ordered Muslims to do. Islam is a religion of peace and mercy. The Qaeda is a minority from billions of Muslims around the world. As we all know, each religion has his good and bad people. We can’t judge a religion by others people bad actions. Yet, we need to read to believe what Islam really is rather than believing media, which is controlled by “politics” or high ranked individuals.

“If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things.” (Quran 8:61)

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The word “Jihad“ at its root means “Struggle,” but it’s lately been used more for its  “Holy war” definition( Which is not present anywhere in the Quran). Jihad has been around since the writing of the Qur’an, which occurred over a thousand years before America was even founded.There are two kinds of jihad. The other ‘jihad’ is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace. The root of the word “Islam” is “Salam” in Arabic which means Peace, and the meaning of the word is Submission to Allah (God).

Islam = Peace and love… NOT hate or terrorism!

Quran: (Surah Al-Mai’da : 5:16)

Islamic New Year: Al-Hijra

The ‘new year’ in Islam is marked in a way which perhaps no other nation or community marks their own ‘new year’. In fact most, if not all civilizations, take this as a time of happiness and joy in which the people party and celebrate, committing sins most of the time. Yet in Islam, the marking of the beginning of the new year is usually quiet, unlike New Year’s celebrations associated with other calendars. Muslims gather in mosques for special prayers and readings.

The Islamic New Year, is also Al-Hijra  which is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra). The holiday is also known simply as Muharram. On this day, people in Mosques might tell the story of the Hijra. Muslims also reflect on the passing of time and their own mortality.

Islam has a calendar based on the revolutions of the Moon. Thus, it is only 354 days long. Islamic New Year is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the first Islamic month. Compared to Western calendars, the Islamic year goes 11 days backwards every year.