The Muslim Link ~ October 17, 2008 by The Muslim Link

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Don’t forget to fast 6 days in Shawwal

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(ends Oct 29 0r Oct 30!)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever observes the Ramadan fast and follows it with six days of fast in Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted Dahr (the whole year).” (Bukhari)

Muharram . Safar . Rabi’ al-awwal . Rabi’ al-thani . Jumada Al-awwal . Jumada al-akhir . Rajab . Sha’aban . Ramadan . 17 SHAWWAL . Dhu al-Qi’dah . Dhu al-Hijjah . 1429 A.H. FRIDAY, October 17, 2008

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MUSLIM POLITICOS CONVENE AT BLACK CAUCUS EVENT

Thousands Roll, Coast Into Six Flags for Muslim Family Day

PG 4

But event marred for some by alleged harassment by security ofﬁcer By Arif Kabir

OCTOBER DECLARED ISLAMIC HERITAGE MONTH IN DC

Muslim Link Contributing Writer

PG 9 Photo by Aamer Khan

Superman. Batman. Joker. The names inspire a nostalgic feeling for m a n y. F o r s o m e , i t reminds them of the old days when everyone used to read comics. Others remember the many movies throughout the years that were coined under those names. For most Muslims however,

it has taken on a new meaning. On Saturday, October 4, 2008, local chapters of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and WhyIslam hosted a “Muslim Family Day” event held at Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland. The >> Thousands Pg 12

Muslims See Greed, Interest at Turning An Ear to Deaf Muslims Gallaudet Iftar seeks to help integrate deaf Muslims Root of Money Mayhem Financial Market Crisis Pose Challenges, But Area Muslims Are Finding Success in Weathering Storm

into broader community By Tasneem Abu-Ali Muslim Link Contributing Writer

By Talib I. Karim Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Washington, DC – Over the past weeks, U.S. and world financial markets have taken a beating, coming close to collapse. Some analysts peg the cause for this current market turmoil on the burst of the housing bubble --- the artificially inflated prices of homes created by complex, risky, and compounded interest based mortgages and other financing products.

With the problems faced particularly by banks, homeowners and businesses have found their access

to credit cut off, virtually overnight. While area >> Mayhem Pg 16

Not many Muslims come in contact with the deaf community at their local mosque. That is because there are very few mosques who provide interpretation services for the deaf, discouraging them from attending services. However, the deaf Muslim community in the Washington metropolitan area is becoming more vocal about their needs. Dar Al Hijrah has been providing interpretation services for the deaf community for about a

year now, and at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf, students recently congregated at an iftar and are starting a Muslim Student Association on campus. I m a m Ya h y a H e n d i , the Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University, spoke at the iftar, boosting the students’ motivation for their lives. He compared the qualities of a deaf person to a person who is fasting, saying that fasting required power of will, self-liberation, and patience. He said that in some Muslim societies, a disability meant that the person should

“sit back and die.” He asked the deaf attendees to not “let your disability determine you are marginalized. You are not marginalized,” and told them to liberate themselves from their fears and explore the beauty of God, the universe, and humanity. Some deaf students who are nonmuslim also attended the event, and like the rest of the American populace had questions about Islamic extremism. Hendi replied that extremism was not unique to Islam, and counted the factors that led to

>> Deaf Muslims Pg 014

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

YOUNG FASTERS NOTE: Our “Young Fasters” congratulation page featuring hundreds of children in the community who fasted some or all of this past Ramadan is not in this issue but will come out next issue insha’Allah, October 31, 2008. We regret the change. A database problem caused the delay. If you would like to recognize your children and have not done so already, send an email to ofﬁce@muslimlinkpaper.com with your child’s fullname, age, city and state of residence, number of fasts completed, and a picture (optional). Make sure to provide all the requested information. You may also call us at 301-9821020 and provide the information.

INDEX

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 17, 2008

Community News

Islam

Opinion & Editorials

CORRECTION:

In our story “DC Institute Seeks to Raise Bar for Islamic Schools” (September 26, 2008 issue of the Muslim Link) we printed a picture on page 11 with an incorrect photo credit. The photo was not taken by Muslim Link staff, rather it was provided by the Washington Academic Leadership Institute (WALI). We regret the error.

703 556 6626 Fax: 703 556 6628 www.wanilaw.com wani@wanilaw.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

Community News Creating links through mutual understanding and cooperation

CCMO Gathers Muslims to Give in Ramadan By: Farkhunda Ali Muslim Link Staff Writer Reﬂecting on various Ayahs of the Quran which asks Muslims to give in charity, this Ramadan brought together many Muslims in the DC-Baltimore Area to give Zakat ul Fitra at time of Eid at a larger scale. The Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations (CCMO) Social Service Network lead the distribution of 250 bags of boxed food, toys for children, and clothing to 250 families in DC and Maryland. These Eid bags were given during the last three days of Ramadan at various distribution sites in the DC-Baltimore Area. During Ramadan, community members were asked to give their monetary donations, clothes, food, and toys as part of Zakat ul Fitra to be distributed among families in need in the DC Area. Islamic centers and organizations have contributed to charity giving projects for many years. Area Muslims said they wanted to come together and give together. CCMO gathered the community’s Zakat and then allocated it to the families that are in need of assistance in the greater DC-Baltimore Area. Although several Muslims were carrying out their own charity projects specific to requirements of their own communities, the CCMO brought everyone together and distributed Eid gifts and Zakat ul Fitra in an organized manner, according to volunteers. While donations came from DC, MD, and VA, the Zakat was distributed in the District

of Columbia, and Maryland. According to Asma Hanif, chairperson of the CCMO Social Service Network, FAITH Social Services, Dar Al Hijrah, and All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) were the main organizations delivering Eid gifts and food to Virginian families. “It was nice to get women involved in charity. I thought maybe four or five women would come and help me from my study halaqah, but the response was overwhelming. We had thirty women working together to gather the food and gifts, package them into boxes, wrap gifts, and deliver the items to Baltimore,” said Gihan El-Gindy, executive director of TransCultural Educational Center (TEC) in Mclean, Virginia. TEC delivered several boxes of food and Eid gifts to Muslimat Al-Nisaa, one of the distribution sites in Maryland. El-Gindy said she previously worked with other Masajid and social service organizations in Virginia. This year, she wanted to expand and reach other Muslims of the DC Metro-Greater Baltimore Area. The family specific Eid bags consisted of perishable and non-perishable foods, clothes and toys according to the sizes and wishes of the children in the families, and other small items. “We made the bags family specific-based on the requests made by families on what they need,” said Hanif. The last ten days of Ramadan required a great

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Masjid Al-Islam volunteers bring supplies and food items provided by Islamic Relief and the CCMO into the masjid for distribution to the neighborhood needy and homeless. (Photo courtesy of Muslimat An-Nisaa) deal of energy from these volunteers who not only stayed up during the nights for taraweeh prayers, but also packaged gift boxes during the day.

Network is to bring together Muslim organizations and professionals in the DC Area to share ideas and collaborate on projects for the advancement of families in need.

“My children love to take part in giving. Why should I have three outﬁts and my sister in Islam does not have any? We packed gifts together as a family and helped to deliver them to families,” said Jamila Breiannas, resident of Baltimore, and member of Masjid Mumineen. Breiannas is a mother of six. She believes this charity project helps her instill the foundation of giving into her children.

Several Islamic centers and organizations are CCMO members. The social service network consists of an estimated two dozen non-proﬁt and profit Muslim owned businesses and organizations.

The objective of the CCMO Social Service

>> Giving Pg 9

This Eid project motivated Muslims to donate

Muslim Politicos Convene at Black Caucus Event By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer The Congressional Black Caucus Convention, an annual event in Washington DC each fall, was held on September 24 - 27, 2008 at the Washington Convention Center. It was founded in 1969 by African American members of the House of Representatives to help positively inﬂuence issues signiﬁcant to the African American community. Among

those that founded the organization were Shirley Chisholm, Louis Stokes and William Clay. At the 2008 convention, the Congressional Black Caucus recognized the importance of Muslim issues to the African American Community. A small room provided for

>>Caucus Pg 8

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

VA Candidates Debate, Court Muslim Vote

Discussions include economy, civil rights, foreign policy, and Islamic Saudi Academy By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer Candidate Night has become an annual event at Dar Al-Noor Mosque in Woodbridge, VA. Last Saturday night, October 11, 2008, Democratic Congressional candidate, Gerard Connolly and Green Independent candidate, Joseph Oddo attended. The Republican Candidate, Keith Fimian, who had a previous engagement, came in the last half hour and gave a brief speech covering his general position. Also in attendance were Nihad Awad, of CAIR, Asma Hanif, from CCMO, Dr Hassan Ibrahim of MPAC and Saﬁya Ghori, an attorney at MPAC who served as moderator for the evening, which was very refreshing. Also in attendance were Marty Nole and Mike

May, Prince William County Supervisors. “As Chairman of Fairfax County I have a passion for local government. As the Federal government is becoming increasingly dysfunctional, I see local government as becoming more important… I am troubled by this government’s disregard for international law and I believe the war in Iraq is based on deception… Power in America for new ethnic groups is through the vote. Coming together and getting out the vote is inﬂuence. Let the civic participation of the candidates speak. Each year, I attend between 400 to 600 community events.” stated Mr. Connolly. In regard to FBI limitations, Mr. Connolly stated that after 9/11 there were discussions with the police regarding Muslims and

When asked about Guantanamo Bay, Mr. Connolly commented, “9/11 was an attack on our country and we have a right to protect ourselves. But torture and violating human rights is not an American principle.”

Regarding the recession, Mr. Oddo stated, “One out of every four dollars goes to defense. If we had the money from Iraq, we would have plenty of money to for our communities.” sensitivity training. Police were instructed not to violate people’s civil liberties. Several visits to local mosques were made. “We don’t want folks to be fearful of living here.” Mr. Oddo stated, “The Patriot Act, except for maybe 3 things, should be scrapped because it overreaches.” Regarding the recession, Mr. Oddo stated, “One out of every four dollars goes to defense. If we had the money from Iraq, we would have plenty of money to for our communities. We need to advance solar energy, wind, geothermal energy and we would see jobs develop out of that and we would have a better economy.” Mr. Connolly stated that we need to ﬁrst, “stabilize and support our banks. Once that is done, we need to regulate.” In regard to the environment, Mr. Connolly

stated that as Chairman of Fairfax County, he “implemented all green certiﬁed buildings only, new water drainage diversion, hybrid vehicles including plug-in hybrids. And we are working on expanding the tree canopy.” Mr. Oddo stated, “Rail is the number one environmental issue for the Green party. The Green party supported the beltway line extension, but what did we get? More toll roads. That’s where the money and inﬂuence is, that’s how legislation works in our government and we need to change that.” “Immigration is not just an enforcement issue. I hear stories where it takes years to get a loved one from another country. Try

>>Candidates Pg 15

Fast-a-Thon: Moran Invites Muslims for Feel Hunger, Feed Change Trade Opportunities By Mehreen Rasheed Muslim Link Contributing Writer Muslim students brought Ramadan traditions of fasting and charity to College Park on Monday, September 22, 2008 at their annual Fast-a-Thon. The MSA’s largest dawah event of the year, Fast-a-Thon offered Maryland students an opportunity to fast for a day. They would then donate the money saved from food to this year’s charity, So Others May Eat (SOME), at a culminating fast-breaking event that evening in the Grand Ballroom of the Stamp Student Union. Emcee Nurideen Bashir welcomed the guests and commenced the evening, which began with the recitation of the Qur’an by Omar Sabir, followed by a short speech by Maggie Kainu, the Associate Director of Development for SOME. SOME, Kainu outlined, was formed in 1970 with the purpose of helping the poor and homeless of Washington, DC. In addition to meeting immediate needs by serving food, clothing and health care, they also offer affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and other services aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty. Kainu urged others to donate and volunteer.

After conducting a brief audience-interactive transition, Bashir introduced Dr. Zayd Abdul Karim, a coach, motivation speaker and author of three personal development books. Dr. Abdul Karim spoke on the importance of fasting and giving in the month of Ramadan. In the audience that evening, was Provost Nariman Farvardin and Director of Student Activities Dr. Marsha Guenzler-Stevens, who both greeted the audience at the insistence of MSA chaplain, Tarif Shraim. After Iftar, Maghrib prayer and dinner, Shraim offered the closing remarks, drawing the evening to a close. Fast-a-Thon 2008 has generally received positive feedback from Muslims-MSA members as well as guests and non-Muslims alike. Some newcomers offered to return to next year’s Fast-a-Thon, which they deemed

>>Fast-a-thon Pg 6

By Amalitta Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer “When goods and services cross borders, armies don’t.” stated Congressman Jim Moran, a democrat from Virginia, who cochaired a trade summit on Wednesday, October 8th, at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Arlington, Virginia. The outreach representative for Congressman Moran’s ofﬁce, expressed disappointment for the poor turnout at the trade summit. There were only about 30 attendees. Muslims were among the groups that were invited. Congressman Moran is particularly interested in international trade because of his involvement with the Sovereign Wealth Funds Task Force. Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) are investment funds from wealthy countries with surplus wealth – mostly in the oil rich Middle East.

Foreign countries invest in other countries in order to stabilize their economies and protect their wealth for the future. In the recent past there has arisen a concern about foreign investment into the United States and the countries from which the investments come. Congressman Moran has been ﬁghting this rising fear and has been promoting international trade agreements. Congressman Moran was one of the earliest opponents to the war in Iraq and has fought to maintain a sane perspective on S o v e r e i g n We a l t h Funds. His taskforce was established in an attempt to educate legislatures and business investors as to the importance of the stability of these investment funds. Scott stated, “Sovereign Wealth Funds are estimated

>>Opportunities Pg 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

Food, Friendship Flows Across Borders at ICM Intl Festival By Hytham Younis Muslim Link Contributing Writer

The Islamic Center of Maryland held its annual International Food Festival on Saturday, October 11. The festival was arranged by the ICM Board of Trustees and the organizer was Brother Ahsun Dasti. On a beautiful, warm and sunny day there were over four hundred people in attendance. The back lot of the ICM was brimming with Muslims who gathered to enjoy the foods offered from several countries, as well as the bazaar - which was attended by a large number of people marketing a variety of goods. Of course, there were children in abundance playing cricket or football or basketball. Everyone in attendance seemed to be having a joyous time. The Icm hosts the Food Festival as a way of bringing Muslim families in the area together for a pleasant afternoon of socializing. They also open the program for non-Muslims who may attend as a form of calling people to Islam. Of the food stands there were offerings of native treats from Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan, Palestine, The Sudan, India, Morrocco and The United States. Aizat Oladapo, who hails from West Africa, commented: “We started late but everyone enjoyed the plantains & humus; the kids made the watermelon disappear!” Next to her

stood Lubna Malik, an ICM longtimer, avid volunteer and Sunday School Assist Principal and lightheartedly laughed, “Pakistan Zindabad! Alhamdulillah, it is a beautiful day! We need our dedicated volunteers to not be so shy and step forth earlier next year so that we can build on the wonderful success of today!” Hussein Afeefy, who lives only down the street, was looking for the driver who had incorrectly parked his car but stopped by to say that he had made the kosharie for the Egyptian booth. “Wonderful weather alhamdulillah! I ﬁnished all the food in the Bangladeshi booth – I always go there because the food is not too spicey. “The Koshari was delicious,” witnessed Sr. Khadija Khan, another long time ICM member and participant! At the Ethopian table “manned” by Sr. Momina Ibrahim and Zaitoon Talasa, things moved at a fast pace. “Do you have more tea?” asked the brother. “My wife took mine!” Sr. Momina was more than happy to pour him some more coffee as others partook of lentins and enjira. Jenan Heshmat: a regular at ICM, MCPS Cafeteria Manager was delighted to say, “the food is delicious, all different kinds…I saw all my friends.” For Sr. Khadija Ali, Clarksuburg resident and AVON representative, sales were good but more so, “it’s just an opportunity to see lots of Muslims after Ramadhan…we’re a family and it’s a blessing to see them all.”

Opposite Queen Sheba, set up Khandahar Treasures which featured hand embroidered fabric and clothing manufactured by women in Afghanistan. “ All proceeds will go directly to the organization that services 500 plus women in Afghanistan,” explained Sr. Nadia Aman, 32, while she folded a shawl. “It’s been in existence for 7 years and took it’s origin in Baltimore.” This very worthy effort to help the women of Afghanistan should be supported by all. Their website address is: www. handahartreasures.com.

Of the vendors present there were offerings

Drinkable: The Color Purple As country tables cleaned up the last remains of food and trash, from the West African table, Sr. Sutura Bello, herself from Nigeria, walked towards the festival goers offering Surrell drink, deep purple in color, sweet and sharp to taste. She was also kind enough to give Muslim Link readers the recipe, an exclusive! It is especially poignant as many of the sisters

of a wide variety of items; from scented oils to clothing goods, artwork and jewelry to shoes. Queen Sheba from Queen Sheba Village, an online boutique featuring West African women’s apparel now in business for one year, sales were moving a bit slow but not for the lack of variety; she was surrounded by print fabric, household wood carved decorative items, clothing, etc.

know Sr. Sutura and bittersweet at this meeting as Sr. Sutura will be returning to Nigeria at the end of this month. Who will be serving us Sorrell at next year’s festival with such hospitality and thoughtfulness? 1 bag of sorrell (can be found at any carribean/african store) 1 teaspoon of whole cloves

Besides food, the ICM International Festival featured information displays for countries around the Muslim world. Photo by the author.

3 tablespoons of roughly chopped ginger 2 small cans of pineapple juice (back home we use the peel of the pineapple instead of throwing it away, it has juice and ﬂavor in it) lots of sugar/honey to taste - this drink is really tart won’t taste good without the sugar. half a gallon/more of water

peel if using in a large pot. Pour water over it to cover leaves and bring to a boil then take off heat and leave over night for ﬂavors to marinate. I don’t boil it I put it in a bowl and pour boiling water over it and let it steep overnight. Pour sugar into a small pot and put twice the amount of water as sugar. It doesn’t need to boil just to dissolve.

To prepare: Put sorrell,cloves,ginger and pineapple

When you are ready to drink get a fine sieve and strain the

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continued >> Fast-a-thon from pg 05

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worth the hunger. One Muslim simply enjoyed seeing the MSA active, reaching out to the campus community. The event has garnered larger attention as well. The MSA’s efforts in distributing ﬂiers, sidewalk chalking, sending emails, running a dawah table, etc. in the prior weeks to spread the word were not in vain. There were and estimated 430 people present, with a total of approximately $2000 raised in charity.

sorrell juice. Add pineapple juice and sugar to taste. Juice will be concentrated pour over ice/ dilute with water to achieve your desired level of sweetness before drinking. Important - don’t throw sorrell leaves away just pour another kettle of boiling water over it and it will make another batch. You can do this until the leaves stop rendering the deep color.

“The turnout was really good.” says advertising committee head Mariam Khan. “The Washington Post picked up the story.” The Post followed a non-Muslim through a day of fasting and posted the video-story to their website,http://www.washingtonpost. com. Sumayyah Taufique served as this year’s Event Coordinator. This article originally appeared in the University of Maryland College Park MSA Newsletter. It was edited by the author. -TML

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

For Area Muslims, Halloween Mostly Unmasked By Tasneem Abu-Ali Muslim Link Contributing Writer A survey of Muslim families in the area showed that Muslims hold varied attitudes toward Halloween. Some refuse to participate altogether. Others don’t let their children participate but agree to give out candy to trick-or-treaters. And still others look at Halloween as divorced from its pagan roots, and choose to celebrate it as just fun for the kids. Asked what their position was toward Halloween, The Council on American Islamic Relations encouraged parents to take pride in Muslim holidays. Ibrahim Hooper, the National Communications Director at CAIR, said “Muslim children have their own holidays- Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, and its important for Muslim parents to emphasize those holidays for their children.” Imam Shaker Elsayed from Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, said that Muslim celebrations are celebrations of values. In Eid Al-Fitr, Muslims celebrate the values of patience, piety, and self-restriction that they attained in Ramadan. During Eid Al-Adha, Muslims celebrate sacrifice, commitment, and submission attained by prophet Ibrahim when he agreed to sacriﬁce his son at God’s command. His advice for parents is to make these two eids the happiest days of the year for children so that they do not feel left out during other

holidays that do not have their roots in Islamic values. As for passing out treats, he does not see a problem with it as to not leave the impression with children that their Muslim neighbors are mean-spirited. However, some Muslim families have a “lights off” policy and choose to turn their lights off after sunset so as to not attract trick or treaters. Hana Abu Sharkh, mother of 12 year old Hamza, says she does not give out candy, but buys candy for her children who go to public school and have to endure conversations about the bounty that their peers collected during the night of Halloween. There are many misconceptions about the historical origins of Halloween amongst Muslims. For example, many Muslims have the idea that Halloween is a celebration of the devil. Asked whether he would celebrate Halloween, Muhammed Abu Ali, 10 years old, replied, “its haram because it’s the Shaitan’s birthday.” In fact, Halloween has its roots in the Samhain festivals celebrated by the Gaels in Ireland in the second century B.C. The Gaels believed that dead spirits were allowed to roam the earth on that day. Costumes were worn and sacrifices were made for the pagan gods to ward off the dead. The prohibition against Halloween in Islamic jurisprudence stems from the fact that it is a

Upcoming Events In Your Area The Realm of Knowledge’s Manners Matter Program Saturday, October 18, 2008

In this two-day two-day special event, students will be taught the fundamentals of conventional and Islamic etiquette. They will be required to practice what they have learned at a catered luncheon. A special gift will be given upon completion of the workshop. Ages: 8-13 (Max: 24 students) Cost: $30.00 Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD October 18, 10AM-2PM and October 25, 11AM-2PM ...Zenab Butt, The Realm of Knowledge zenab@therok.org

Al-Huda School Fall Fest Saturday, October 18, 2008

As-Salamu Alaikum Al Huda School presents... Fall Fest Saturday, October 18th from 11am-5pm at Al Huda School FREE ADMISSION Come out and enjoy a day full of Rides, Bazaar, Food, and Lots of Fun for the Whole Family!! Come and support Al Huda School as the proceeds go to beneﬁt Al Huda School. Place: Al-Huda School 5301 Edgewood Rd College Park, MD 20740 VENDORS ARE WELCOME! If you are interested, please call 301-982-2061 or visit www. darussalaam.org Volunteers ar ... Al-Huda School anisar@duscommunity.org

AAMA Fund Raisinsg Dinner Sunday, October 19, 2008

Please join us for a fund raising dinner On Sunday, October 19, 2008 6:00 p.m. At Thomas Edison High School 5801 Franconia Road Alexandria, Virginia 22310 Guest Speaker: Imam Siraj Wahhaj APPEAL for donations to purchase additional 80 acres of land (at the price of $540,000) for the ONLY Muslim cemetery in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area You did it before, and we need your full support again! *May Almighty Allah reward you for all your efforts* Please send your ...For more information, please call: 703-360-6282 703-908-0684 240-602-6587 Sikander.Javed@alexandriava.gov, mbaig@sysusa.com

Al-Madina - Foundation of the Deen Seminar Saturday, October 25, 2008

In today’s day and age, all of us have become overwhelmed by all the complexities of life; school… work… family… and literally anything we can think of. We just feel like there is no time left for deen… in fact, many of us have become so overwhelmed that we tend to rush through our ﬁve daily prayers just so we don’t fall behind. It feels as though we have shifted our efforts and attention of our life solely to this world. But what about the hereafter? How did the great and pious Muslim ...info@almadinainstitute.org

>>Halloween Pg 15

A Day of Islamic Relief, Dignity in Baltimore By Zakia Amin Muslim Link Contributing Writer On September 27, 2008, a cold rain drenched the streets of West Baltimore. But it did not dampen the spirits of the over 100 Muslim volunteers for the third annual Day of Dignity. The heavy rain also did not stop the steady ﬂow of neighborhood residents who stood patiently in line to receive a hot meal, blankets, clothing and toiletries. Over 700 clients were served at Masjid Ul-Haqq in Baltimore at the event that was jointly sponsored by Islamic Relief, the Islamic Community School, Masjid Ul-Haqq, Masjid As-Saffat, and Muslim Social Services Agency (MSSA). In addition to supplies, Kieta Iriarte ensured that the working poor and homeless received free health screenings for high blood pressure and diabetes, two conditions that plague the community, This year Day of Dignity was hosted in twenty cities across the United States, from California to Massachusetts. This event truly showed the spirit of Ramadan as Muslims from several masajid come together to make it a success. The students from the Islamic Community School (ICS) packed all of the bags over

several days in preparation for the greatly anticipated event. On the day of the event the youth group from ISB helped to distribute the bags, and the local MSA members from several universities helped the ICS students serve the food. The delicious meal that warmed the stomachs and spirits of those who stood in the rain was prepared under the supervision of Ruwaydah Amin, teacher at the ICS. Many of the clients served attend each year. One man who has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure said, “You remember me? I come every year. Last year you saved my life when you sent me to the hospital.” With the rising cost of energy, the blankets were especially appreciated; so much that they ran out before the other supplies. When some of the bags were delivered to the homeless who live on the street, those who received two blankets gave one to those who received none. Supplies were donated by Islamic Relief, The Mormons, Whole Foods and CVS, Comcast, and the Baltimore City Office of Promotions and the Arts. “This year was the best yet,” said Imam Hassan A.Amin, Executive Director of Muslim Social Services Agency, who was

this year’s coordinator. “Several of the workers thought that the rain would hamper our efforts, but I assured them that the need was great and the people would come, rain or shine.” The writer is affiliated with Muslim Social Services Agency.

Baltimore Muslim volunteers serve the needy in their community on the Islamic Relief Worldwide sponsored ‘Day of Dignity’. Photo courtesy of Zakia

8 continued >> Giving from pg 4

Jummah prayer was packed. Organizers were pleased to see such a turnout and indicated that next time they would ask for larger accommodations. Additionally, a small meeting room was set for a “braintrust”, which is a discussion panel of a topic with a group of experts and occasionally audience input. That room also was ﬁlled to capacity and many people stood along the back and side walls for two hours. The topic was “The Role of Muslim Participation in the Political Process”.

COMMUNITY NEWS members upset, stated, “People really don’t know what a Muslim is and what Islam is. And they want to know. There are 1 billion Muslims in the world and no single answer… The Muslims have a public relations problem and the Muslim community does a bad job at advertising themselves… Many Muslims don’t differentiate between integration and assimilation. Muslims don’t seem to see the difference, and they fear assimilation… Yet, the campaign against Muslims is very powerful. If you notice, McCain always says “Muslim” before the word “terrorist”… Obama, was forced into stating he was not a Muslim… Muslims don’t engage in national efforts and campaigns enough. It is time to hire a big PR ﬁrm and start a campaign… The Quran states, “Let there be no compulsion in

“If you notice, McCain always says ‘Muslim’ before the word ‘terrorist’… Obama, was forced into stating he was not a Muslim… Muslims don’t engage in national efforts and campaigns enough. It is time to hire a big PR ﬁrm and start a campaign…”

The Jummah khutbah was lead by Imam Yusuf Saleem of Masjid Mohammed in DC. The khutbah was geared toward recognition that Ramadan is a month of puriﬁcation followed by rebirth and renewal. Imam Saleem explained that in Ramadan we struggle to get closer to Allah and to overcome our weaknesses. “The only way to manage life is by governing and managing our spiritual selves. And, Eid is the rejoicing of our souls.”

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

religion.” Most people would be shocked to know that about Islam.”

Following Jummah Prayer was the panel discussion. The panelists consisted of Congressman Keith Ellison, Dawud Walid, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sally Quinn (journalist who writes the column called “On Faith” for Newsweek and The Washington Post), Congressman Andre Carson, Saeed Syeed of ISNA, Imam Mahdi Bray of MAS and Khurrum Wahid , a Muslim civil rights attorney and activist.

The only other non-Muslim on the panel -- the Reverend Jesse Jackson -- also made statements that the audience felt were outdated and incorrect about the Muslim community. Nonetheless, there were many signiﬁcant comments that were insightful. In regard to concrete solutions for the future, Reverend Jackson stated, “There are not enough Muslims to have voted into [Congress] [Representatives] Carson and Ellison. It is their ability to cross-over from their community with their integrity that has lead to the success they have today. There is a difference between integration and assimilation… Hitler, the invasion of Iraq, the shooting at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School were not lead by Muslims. This shows the signiﬁcance of building coalitions. Don’t withdraw from the civil rights movement and expect religious rights protection!”

Each panelist lent a different view to the issue being discussed. For example, Ms. Quinn, whose comments made some audience

Mr. Khurrum Wahid commented on the significant interfaith successes he has experienced in his efforts. “We have been

Congressman Keith Ellison address a packed room of Muslim and non-Muslim attendees gathered to discuss Muslim involvement in politics. Seated to his right are the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Dawud Walid of CAIR. Photo by the author. successful in stopping ethnic proﬁling of police asking for citizenship papers. In February and March of 2003 we had an Interfaith Call for Peace in Iraq protest. There were attorneys in the protest and video cameras. We went to court and had 300 cases dismissed based on the evidence collected. We were able to defeat the gambling initiative in Maryland. Additionally, the Muslim vote helped sway the congressional balance.” Additionally, he commented, “Faith is grounded in morality, which naturally leads to human and civil rights. The overly demonized in our society take on a less than human persona. For the last ﬁfty years that has been the African American community. Now it is focused on the Muslim

is an obsession with money, not religion. Washington overseers get direct pay from the banks. This is a corrupt system and we need regulations on the banking system.” The loan collapses were loans that Reverend Jackson termed “race exploitation. These loans were targeted, steered and exploited” to the poor. “Vote for protection of the law. That’s what this vote is. Don’t let us be divided by the names of our religions”. Imam Mahdi Bray, MAS Freedom Executive Director and a long time civil rights activist, stated his personal challenge is, “driving while black and ﬂying while Muslim. Our faith needs to be a faith in action. This means good deeds

In noting the divide in the American Muslim community, Saeed Syeed of ISNA stated, “We need to bridge suburban Islam with urban Islam.”

community. The government is trying to turn civil rights violations into national security concerns.” Saeed Syeed , Director of the ISNA DC office on interfaith issues, stated that the “ISNA interfaith office opened in DC with over a million dollars in grants and 200 religious organization affiliations. This is a testament to the urgency of the matter…” in noting the divide in the American Muslim community, Saeed Syeed stated, “We need to bridge suburban Islam with urban Islam.” Congressman Andre Carson, who was raised Baptist and later converted to Islam, stated, “Public Service is the common thread of all religions. “ He went on to quote Jesus from the bible, “He who wishes to be chief among you, let him first be a servant.” Reverend Jesse Jackson stated, “Law is the common thread of all religions. The three wise men, they were probably Hindus. Jesus was saved by them.” Reverend Jackson’s concerns were more with the financial challenges we are facing, “Our banks are collapsing. There

and constancy. 83 % (of the American public) believe we are headed in the wrong direction. We are unable to sponsor healthcare, respond to the poor and elderly in Katrina, but we can pay for smart bombs for stupid missions in Iraq. The common theme of the Torah, the Bible and the Quran is Justice!” Congressman Ellison, who mainly moderated the discussion panel, and had to leave early with Congressman Carson to go vote, stated, “African Americans have not really stepped up to the civil rights issues in the Muslim Community.” Imam Walid pointed out that, “One-third of the Muslims in the United States are African American. Muslims need an intra-faith dialogue. There is a divide in the Muslim community. A signiﬁcant percentage of the African American Muslim community has cut itself off from the African American civil rights movement and the mainstream United States community for the pursuit of classical Islamic study.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

October Declared Islamic Heritage Month in DC Amir Muhammad continues efforts to preserve Early America’s Islamic history By A Contributing Writer As Muslims geared up for their Eid Al-Fitr celebrations, Mayor Adrian Fenty of the District of Colombia issued a proclamation honoring and promoting October as America’s Islamic Heritage Month, stating that Islamic Heritage Month is a time to share America’s Islamic history, cultural diversity, and contributions of Muslims and Muslim Americans throughout the District of Columbia and the nation. As October is a month in which the United States celebrates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, it is also a month where many Americans are discovering that Muslims from West Africa had an early presence in the Americas’ before Columbus. October is also a month when Ibrahim Abdur Rahman, known as the Prince Among Slaves was set free in 1828. In addition, the month of October is the birth month for Imam Jamil El-Amin, and the father and son team of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. They all had an impact on Islam and Muslims in the United States and around the world. On Wednesday October 8th a group of six Muslims from Austria met with Amir Muhammad, curator of Collections & Stories of American Muslims at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum to learn about the history of Muslims in America. The U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria sponsored a citizen exchange program for six members of the ofﬁcial Muslim Youth organization of Austria who participated in the Muslim Citizen Dialogue program 2008. This organization was created by Muslim youth to promote the integration of Muslims into Austrian society with mutual respect and understanding. It is associated with the Islamic Faith Community, the ofﬁcial representational body for Muslims in Austria. It is also supported by, the Austrian Ministry for Health, Family and Youth. The purpose of this visit is to further understanding about continued >> Giving from pg 4

collectively, gather and pack items. They said they found “pleasure” in delivering these items to their destinations. Donations were made by Islamic Relief, TEC, Islamic Society of Germantown (ISG), Prince George’s Muslim Association (PGMA), Masjid As-Salaam, Muslimat Al-Nisaa, Darus-Salaam, Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA), and community members made this project a success.

Muslim life in the U. S. The six participants represent different ethnic Muslim backgrounds (i.e. Turkish, Bosnian, and Arab) and come from all parts of Austria. The delegation will travel to Washington, Philadelphia, and Seattle for discussions on political, social and educational issues affecting young Muslims in the U.S. They are interested in programs that help to promote self-image and Muslim values along with integration in a Western society. They hope to meet with USG officials at the national and local levels, as well as with private sector organizations dealing with integration and issues surrounding Muslim life. Program Participants: Mr. Farid Hafez, Mr. Bruce Huston, English Language Officer, and Mr. Peter Wansch, Mr. Mocevic Nedzad, Ms. Saime ‫ﺽ‬zturk, Mr. Adnan Baghajati, and Ms. Lajali Abuzahra. The participants stated that they were inspired and impressed with the book the autobiography of Malcolm X. Other guests included the famous AfricanAmerican Dr. Patricia Bath who became the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical invention. Several years of research led to four patents for instruments for removal of cataracts. One of the instruments she developed, the laserphacoprobe, uses a directed laser beam that breaks up cataracts. Another invention was the instrument used for ablating and removing cataracts. In 1999 she developed the pulsed ultrasound method for emulsifying and removing lenses afflicted with cataracts. Continuing with the celebration of America’s Islamic Heritage on Friday October 10, Collections & Stories of American Muslims, America’s Islamic Heritage Museum held it’s first annual fundraiser to help their annual programming, with a twelve state tour in 2009 of the exhibit “Forgotten Roots: Muslims in Early America,” and “The Untold Story; Muslims of the Early 20th Centuries;” and for the purchase and rehab of a permanent site for America’s Islamic Heritage Museum.

Three years ago, CCMO gave 25 Eid baskets in the community. Last year, they were able to give 50. With the collaboration of community members, they reached several families who had been asking for assistance from before Ramadan this year. Most families picked up their Eid Bags at the distribution sites. In addition, CCMO Social Service Network members visited the homes to deliver the Zakat to those who are unable to travel. “I think we should give more throughout the year. This Eid distribution is actually and extension of what we did all summer long,” said Bahiyah Ali, member of Masjid Al Islam in Southeast, Washington, DC, also a distribution site.

Amir Muhammad’s mission is to make sure proof of Islam and Muslims in Early America is preserved. He is in the process of establishing a dedicated Museum in DC on Islamic History. (Internet photo).

COMMUNITY NEWS

Muslim Graveyard Expansion Needed The All Muslim Association of America (AMAA) – a non-proﬁt corporation running out of Alexandria, Virginia, established a dedicated Muslim cemetery in Stafford, Virginia in 1996. Since then, a group of volunteer workers have been helping the Muslim community bury their loved ones with respect and dignity on the dedicated land/

continued >> Eid Mubarak II from pg 13

respond to questions that attendees had jotted down on index cards during dinner. One of the questions dealt with ways to stop extremism – the Imam’s response was so compelling that I have been thinking of it for days. He started with a nonverbal response – fanning his face with his hands as to indicate what a hot question this was, matching his facial expression to his gestures. At this point, I realized that he was trying to connect directly with the deaf members of the audience – since he had waited until the interpreters had ﬁnished interpreting the question before he began to gesture. Only after he had established

The existing 7.5 acres of the graveyard is now approaching capacity due to the fast growth in the Muslim community, alhumdulillah. Land adjacent to the cemetery was on sale, taken by the bank. AMAA received a good deal and contracted to buy an additional 80 acres of land for $540,000. Right now, the group has $240,000, and are holding a fundraising event on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. At Thomas

a (non-verbal) exchange with the audience, did he begin to speak. Now, I have watched hundreds of hours of hearing speakers having their English words interpreted into ASL. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen a (non-signing) hearing speaker - one with no experience with the deaf community - communicate directly to deaf audience members. I was impressed. And then he began to speak his response, the contents of which impressed me still more. Imam Hendi began by boldly stating that extremism in any form was dangerous – whether religious extremism or political extremism, whether Jewish extremism or Christian extremism or Islamic extremism. He spoke of the incompatibility of reconciling the notion of a God of mercy and love with the rigidity of extremism, and concluded by

Edison High School (5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. Imam Siraj Wahhaj will be the guest speaker. AMAA is requesting all Muslims in the community to join hands for this noble cause. All donations are tax-deductible. May Almighty Allah reward the supporters for their good deeds! J a z a k u m - A l l a h - K h a i r , --All Muslim Association of America, Inc.

remarking that “forgiveness does not work well with extremism.” It was a powerful response to a challenging question – and I just wish that I had been able to capture more of it in my notes. I did later find this link (written earlier this year), which provides more detail about his position. As the evening came to a close, the Imam began the call to prayer, first chanting the words in Arabic, and then repeating the English translation for the interpreters, who then translated into ASL. He remarked that this was the first time he had ever done the call to prayer in English, though one would never know it by the ease in which he moved between chanting in Arabic and speaking (not chanting) the English translation. Shortly after the call to prayer, the Muslims in the room gathered for closing prayers led by the imam, kneeling on the cloth spread on the

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

If you would like the Muslim Link to be available at your establishment give us a call. 301.982.1020 ﬂoor in lieu of prayer rugs, and prostrating in the direction of Mecca. Others in the room watched in respectful silence. I’d like to end my post by thanking the many people who made the Eid al-Fitr event such a success and especially for extending such a warm welcome to all who attended, including non-Muslims. I think all of us came away with a better understanding of the Islamic religion and of the needs of the deaf Muslim community, at Gallaudet and beyond. Disclaimer: Although Teresa Blankmeyer Burke has many institutional and other affiliations, the contents of this blog represent Teresa’s personal views only, and are not associated with any of her professional afﬁliations. Source: the blog site DeafDC.com

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

12 continued >> Thousands from pg 14

amusement park featured many thrilling rides such as Mind Eraser, Tower of Doom, Joker’s Jinx, Batwing, and Superman. This year, the park was opened two hours early exclusively for Muslim families. Organizers also reserved a large private picnic area for the whole day. For the last few years, the Six Flags Muslim Day events occurred in areas with large concentrations of Muslims like Chicago and New Jersey. This year, ICNA decided to create “the largest Muslim event in 2008” and held the Muslim Day in 7 different locations including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, Dallas, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. All of the locations had their Muslim Day events either on the day of Eid or the week after, with the exception of Chicago because they were expecting cold weather in the month of October. The Washington DC Muslim Day event was a ﬁrst, and organizers were keen on getting as many metro area Muslims out as possible. “We have been working on this project intensively for more than five months contacting various Masajid and local organizations and trying our best to get the word out,” said Sarfarz Ameen, head coordinator for the event. “We didn’t see many tickets sold in the ﬁrst few weeks and we started getting worried that we would not be able to reach our goal of selling three thousand tickets. Alhamdulillah, ticket sales really went up in the days right before the event and we were able to get more than 7000 Muslims to attend the event.” As this was the first year, the organizers were only able to get two hours exclusively for Muslims. Many Muslims felt a bit disappointed about this, though others saw it as an opportunity for Dawah. Mahfuzur Rahman, one of the attendees of the event commented, “I felt really great seeing so many Muslims in the park and seeing the reactions of the nonMuslim attendees towards us. From the look in their eyes, I could see that they never saw this many Muslims together and they looked surprised seeing Muslims having fun and enjoying themselves because they normally view us as an isolated community. For them to see just how united our community can be and the fact that we can have fun just like anybody else sends a big message across to them. This event really instilled a sense of pride for me as a Muslim.” At the private picnic area, the place was packed with Muslims of all ages. A prayer area had almost non-stop congregations throughout the day. On another side, there was a playground where little kids were running around and playing. The most prominent part of the picnic area however, was the central pavilion, where local halal restaurants like Kafé Kabob, Nash Subs, Kabob on Wheels, RJ Café, and Silver Spoon doled out their delicacies. The atmosphere was lively, as there were Muslims everywhere enjoying their time with their family and friends. Adnan Zaber, a 10 year-old from College Park, MD, said, “My favorite part of coming

COMMUNITY NEWS to this event was that I got to go on all the rides with my friends. Before, I used to feel lonely coming to Six Flags, but this time I had a lot of fun because I had more than 10 friends with me!” Some Muslims in this community not only enjoyed the Muslim Day event in Washington DC, but also ones that were held in the other locations across the East Coast. Aurangzeb Nisar, a resident of College Park, has family that lives in New Jersey and for this Eid he drove up to spend it with them. As the Muslim Day event in New Jersey was coincidentally happening on Eid, he went to Six Flags to celebrate his Eid. He says, “Alhamdulillah, this year’s Muslim Day Event was awesome! The Eid Khateeb for this year was Yasir Qadhi and since they were only three lines of attendees in the morning, we got his ‘full effect’. His Khutbah was mainly focused on the fact that in reality, we are a minority and as a result, we need to be active in both Muslim and Non-Muslim communities. This year, I enjoyed the Muslim Day event much more because the lines were shorter and the Six Flags employees were very professional and courteous towards us.”

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

CALL FOR WITNESSES The two brothers who were harassed, pushed and handcuffed on Saturday October 6th at Six Flags and their daughters, are requesting all witnesses who have seen part, or all of the incident to contact their attorney. All parties who have witnessed the incident, know others who might have witnessed the incident, or who passed by the brothers as they were being escorted by the Six Flags security personnel are kindly invited to contact Mr. Bilal at 410.744.4313 or via email at melvinbilal@yahoo.com. For ICNA, this was one of the most successful years ever as there were more than 54,000 Muslims nationwide that had come to one of the Six Flags Muslim Day locations. While the Washington DC location had more than 7000 attendees, Chicago had 4000 attendees, Dallas had 8000 attendees, Atlanta had 3000 attendees, New England had 2000, and New Jersey had a whooping 20,000 attendees. For its ﬁrst year in the Washington DC area, the results were very successful in terms of attendance and organization. The question however arises now; how will it fare next year? One organizer commented, “Insha’

Allah, we plan to improve many things such as the catering, easing the trafﬁc congestion, and we are currently in talks with the Six Flags administration to see if we can get the whole day for Muslims”. An incident involving a Six Flags security officer and two Muslim men marred an otherwise enjoyable day for many Eid goers. Several witnesses said two brothers were harassed, inappropriately handcuffed and manhandled by security ofﬁcers. Legal action is pending. Witnesses are urged to come forward by emailing the attorney for the men at melvinbilal@yahoo.com.

Scenes from the October 4, 2008 Muslim Family Day at Six Flags in Maryland. All pictures by Aamer Khan.

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008 continued >> Opportunities from pg 5

to be worth about 3 trillion dollars and are anticipated to grow to about 12 or 13 trillion in the next ten years. They are vital to the global economy. .. Recently they bailed out Citicorp. With all the investments they have in the United States, they can’t afford for our economy to collapse or their investments will collapse.” Mathias Sonn, Economic Minister for the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany echoed Congressman Moran’s sentiments when he stated, “Promoting free trade is best for everyone. Instead of national economies we develop into global economies. The United States and Germany have well balanced investments in each other which support similar amounts of jobs in each others’ countries.” The trade summit was held as an educational experience for business people interested in expanding their businesses abroad, with a particular focus on the Middle East. Hussein Al-Mahmoud, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain, spoke about the open atmosphere in his country to foreign investments. Mr. Al-Mahmoud pointed out that Bahrain is the “hub of the Gulf Region with a potential market of over 440 million people. Bahrain now offers 100 % foreign owned business opportunities, free hold properties, and a 10% tax only on rental properties.” Among the speakers were also Mike Jones, Washington Representative for the Middle East Council of American Chamber of Commerce

continued >> Eid Mubarak from pg 14

Muslim. There are Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs. In fact, many of the early immigrants to the USA from Lebanon and Syria (at that time under the Ottoman Empire) were Christian Arabs. And there are Muslims of almost every nationality - in fact, one of my closest friends while I was in graduate school was a Muslim of German-Irish descent who hailed from Iowa. But I digress… After entering Ole Jim and climbing the steps to the gathering space on the second ﬂoor, I was greeted by two lovely young women who were handing out programs for the evening. Both deaf Muslims and Gallaudet University students, one from Somalia and the other from the DC metro area. Ole Jim was ﬁlled with deaf Muslims (some were students and staff from Gallaudet and others happened to live nearby), hearing Muslims (some of whom were members of the media) and non-Muslims (deaf and hearing), mostly from Gallaudet University, who were curious and/or wanted to offer their support to these members of the deaf community. Light shining through the windows of Ole Jim indicated the position of the sun – there

COMMUNITY NEWS (MECACC), Jeffrey Jones, President of the American Business Association of Bahrain, (MECACC) and David Cantrell, President of the American Business Association of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (MECACC). They spoke encouraging attendees to invest in the Middle East and in particular the Gulf countries and attested to the safety in the region. “I take my family every summer to Saudi Arabia. My family loves it. My daughter

business owners expand with conﬁdence and information into foreign markets… And, this extends to the smallest of businesses.” The Commonwealth of Virginia also offers these types of services. The U. S. Chamber of Commerce has a national education program called TradeRoots, which is devoted to educating people about the importance of international trade to

Additionally, George Mason University has several departments involved in the promotion of foreign expansion of U. S. businesses. The International Business Development Program helps partner U. S. loves to go shopping there.” stated Jeffery Jones “… After 9/11 I would get calls form business people asking what it was like over there. ‘I bet there’s a terrorist behind every tree!’ Yeh, but the good news is we have no trees here, its all desert.” But perhaps what was most impressive was the amount of support business owners have to expand their businesses overseas. The Department of Commerce and the Commonwealth of Virginia have offices devoted to the expansion of businesses to foreign countries. Holly Vineyard, from the International Trade Administration, part of the Department of Commerce stated, “We have free trade agreements with several Gulf countries like Oman and Bahrain. We have Country Specialists that are familiar with the markets and policies of different countries and will work as counselors to help

would be no food or drink served until the sun had set and darkness set in. The mistress of ceremonies, a member of DMSA, did a fabulous job of introducing the president of the DMSA and the president of Global Deaf Muslim, who each said a few words about their respective organizations and welcomed the crowd who had gathered for this celebration. Soon afterwards, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University and featured speaker of the evening Imam Yahya Hendi appeared. At ﬁrst I did not even know that the imam had arrived, since he was clothed in western attire, which I was not expecting. During his introduction, his broad smile transcended the language barrier – although he knows Arabic and English, he does not know ASL. He greeted the crowd warmly, quickly putting them at ease with a joke about DC trafﬁc that made everyone laugh, and then smoothly proceeded into opening prayer. Having never attended Islamic services at a mosque (or anywhere else), I did not know what to expect. So I reverted back to what I call my “hard of hearing mode”, depending on my powers of observation to do the right thing by watching and following and listening (i.e. cranking up my hearing aid volume as high as possible). Yet unlike my experiences in other places of worship, where much depends on knowing when to stand and sit, calisthenics were not a critical part of the opening prayer

local communities. There is also a U. S. government agency called The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). It provides ﬁnancing and political risk insurance to U.S. businesses in foreign markets and long-term investment funds to expand foreign market potential. It also promotes adherence to international standards of environment, workers rights and human rights. Additionally, George Mason University has several departments involved in the promotion of foreign expansion of U. S. businesses. The International Business Development Program helps partner U. S. businesses with foreign companies interested in the U.S. market with the goal of increased trade and investment. George Mason University also has a Procurement Technical Assistance program which is part of the School for Public Policy. This program provides

before the imam’s talk. Imam Hendi spoke about many things, but the primary message I came aware with was the desire for peace – in many forms. He mentioned the challenges of Ramadan, where one’s bodily desires of hunger and thirst during the days of fasting are overruled by one’s mind and faith, and the skill of self-discipline that one practices during Ramadan. He also spoke of compassion, calling upon people to exercise compassion for one another, and he also spoke of social justice, economic equity, and community. In addition, he raised a subject very dear to my heart, the duty of us to consider our impact on the planet, which he referred to as a “fundamentalist environmentalist” position. In this case, fundamental did not refer to a particular way of practicing religion, but the foundational importance of human dependence on the planet earth, and our duty to care for it. As someone who teaches environmental ethics, I was especially glad to see the imam express this message and to watch the crowd’s positive response to his words about this issue. As the Imam wrapped up his remarks, the sunlight illuminating the stained glass

13 counseling to businesses that are interested in procuring government contracts. They provide classes and counseling for businesses in developing a marketing strategy, registering in various databases and ﬁlling out required government forms. The Mentor-Protégé Program at George Mason provides third party development assistance to major DoD (Department of Defense) contracts and their small disadvantaged business, women owned small business, service disabled veteran owned business, and HUBzone business partners. And, if all this is not enough, there is the Export –Import Bank. This conservative bank offers ﬁnancing to companies interested in exporting or doing business in another country. This bank requires that businesses be operating successfully for one year. This bank boasts a failure of 2% of their loans. Kristine Wood, Director of Business Development at Ex-Im Bank, stated, “We are a lender of last resort. We do a stable steady business in all economic climates… We make a lot of money on our investments and we do not cost the taxpayers anything. We have only about 400 employees, but we have a 400+ billion dollar business. .. All our biggest deals in the last three years have been in the Gulf.” Ali Elsher and his partner Mike, Muslim businessmen looking to expand their business into strategic oil reserves, commented that they were not aware of all the support businesses have available to them for foreign expansion. They also stated, “In the Middle East, business is all about relationships. One of the best things we got out of the summit was contacts in the various chamber of commerces in the Middle east.”

windows of Ole Jim became dimmer and dimmer. Once he finished speaking, it was time to break the fast! Buffet tables were laden with food and beverages, and the mood in the room quickly shifted from somber reflection to festive. Women and children were asked to line up first at the buffet. Yet, I hung back, hesitating to line up, mainly because I was not fasting and I knew that the Muslims in the room who had been fasting all day were hungrier than I. After several men kindly gestured for me to take my place in line, including one who appeared to be of Arab heritage, I did so, figuring that to dismiss their gracious hospitality would be disrespectful. (Also, having grown up with a strong sense of Arab hospitality – I knew better than to decline this last offer!) The food was a delicious mix of mostly Middle Eastern and American dishes – it brought me right back to the holiday buffet tables of my childhood, right down to the baklawa. People congregated at tables, sharing introductions and stories – it was a lovely gathering. During dessert, people listened to Imam Hendi

>>Eid Mubarak II Pg 10

COMMUNITY NEWS

14 continued >> Deaf Muslims from pg 1

the deaf community approached Imam Shaker Elsayed at the Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, saying they wanted to worship at the mosque. The imam provided an interpreter, and the deaf community now convenes for worship in the library of the mosque every Friday and has earned new converts to Islam.

it, including ignorance and poverty. He said that all Muslims should stand ﬁrmly against extremism in their communities.

The Vice President of the MSA at Gallaudet is a convert who came to Islam just two months ago. Brianne Weber, 24 years old, says she attended the Dar Al-Hijrah Friday sermons for about year and felt that the mosque understood and accommodated deaf culture. She grew up Christian, and was forced to go to church, but as a deaf person she would sit back and stare at the ceiling. People would say to her, “you’re deaf, just attend the sermon, and you will go to heaven.” Weber asserts, “Deaf people can think, can make decisions right and wrong, and are responsible for their own choices.”

Nadira Rasheed, the mother of 35 year old Khadima Rasheed, who is deaf, says the biggest challenge for her daughter growing up was communication. Islamic concepts were hard to learn from the local mosque due to a lack of interpretation services and the dispersion of the deaf community, which resulted in a sense of isolation. Her daughter would also face peer pressure from deaf peers who were nonmuslim, questioning her religious practices such as fasting and donning the hijab, which resulted in her daughter becoming less practicing. Rasheed says that some deaf Muslims even end up leaving the faith and joining other communities who can provide the communication services and welcoming environment that they need.

She started the MSA with Badr Alumari, an international student from Saudi Arabia. It is the third time students have tried to resuscitate the MSA at Gallaudet. In the past, they have suffered from low attendance and low support for their activities. This time they made sure to learn from their mistakes

However, things are starting to slowly change for the deaf Muslim community in the local area. In March of this year, some members of

Eid Mubarak!

Gallaudet University. Just in case you are not familiar with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, this is the three day celebration that occurs at the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting during daylight hours.

By Teresa Blankmeyer Burke Sat 27 Sep 2008 Last Thursday night I had the honor of attending an Eid al-Fitr celebration hosted by Global Deaf Muslim and the Deaf Muslim Student Association (DMSA) at

Although I spent part of my childhood in an Arab-American community where Arabic was spoken and cultural norms from the

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

People would say to her, “you’re deaf, just attend the sermon, and you will go to heaven.” Weber asserts, “Deaf people can think, can make decisions right and wrong, and are responsible for their own choices.” and to get support from school officials to provide interpreters for the event, as well as support from other organizations such as the student government body and the Global Deaf Muslims Association. They plan to expand their activities to include a fastathon for next year, as well as religious workshops and booths. With the help of the office of International Programs, they have also opened a prayer room on campus. Badr Alumari, President of the MSA, says that back home in Saudi Arabia, there was a deaf club he attended and many services for deaf people, such as group umrahs and hajj, education in hadeeth and Quran, and trips and excursions throughout Saudi Arabia. He says that in fact a person who is deaf “hears with his eyes and communicates with his hands,” so it can be thought of as being more skillful old country were observed (including the importance of education), I was not really familiar with Islam. Sure, I knew about the Eids and Ramadan and the five pillars of Islam, but for the most part it was academic, not practical, knowledge.

than a person who is not deaf. He said attitudes in the United States were not as educated as those in Saudi Arabia. Faculty were also present at the event. Teresa Burke, professor of philosophy, was there because her department was leading an interfaith dialogue on religion, and she wanted to meet with deaf Muslim students and be supportive of their activities. Burke, who herself is hard of hearing, says one of her favorite professors in graduate school was Muslim. At the time she was attending the University of New Mexico, which unlike Gallaudet, is not especially geared for deaf students. When she told the professor she was hard of hearing, he showed up the next class with his beard and mustache shaved off, making it easier to lip read his lectures.

Well, contrary to what many Americans believe, the descriptive terms Arab and Muslim are not synonymous. Not all Muslims are Arab. And not all Arabs are

Why didn’t I know more? After all, wasn’t my family part Arab-American?

>>Eid Mubarak Pg 13

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The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008 continued >> Candidates from pg 5

adopting from another country. We need to address the system as a whole… Immigration has been good to America. Think of Einstein and Carnegie. I know of many who complain about the H1 visas that allow highly skilled people to come and work in the U. S. There are just too few of them.” stated Mr. Connolly. Mr. Oddo agreed and commented, “We have a broken immigration system. I believe in more immigration, not less. The brightest and the best people have come as immigrants. There should be no ﬁnger pointing at any group. I have heard some ridiculous ideas such as building walls along our southern border. I don’t understand where such thinking comes from.” When asked about Guantanamo Bay, Mr. Connolly commented, “9/11 was an attack on our country and we have a right to protect ourselves. But torture and violating human rights is not an American principle.” Mr. Oddo went further by stating, “Our policy is an ambitious militaristic one. This country has done things that it should be ashamed of. Follow the money: munitions contracts, fuel and oil industry and lobbies. Why do we have to have war as our foreign

policy?” In regards to relations with Israel and the Middle East, Mr. Oddo stated that the two state system needs to be agreed on and we need to move forward, “Lets not worry about where our embassy is, we need a solution.” Mr. Connolly stated, “When bush took office he made it clear that he was not interested in dealing with the Middle East Peace Agreements unless there was a highly likely situation that would be agreed upon. Therefore, he broke with the Clinton engagement in the peace process. Since that withdrawal we have a break in the Palestinian leadership with Hamas and we have a shadow government in Lebanon lead by Hezbollah. We need a peace process.” For many local Muslims, the local Islamic school, Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA), is a test case of what may happen to other Islamic institutions in the future. When the support of its new campus was posed to the candidates, Mr. Connolly stated, “We have had a lease with them since 1988. The accusations were unsubstantiated. ISA teaches Arabic to soldiers on Fort Belvior!” Mr. Oddo commented that, “Freedom of religion is a basic American right. Why are we asking ISA why they are building a new school? We don’t ask the

Catholics why they are opening a new school.” On the issue of extending rail to Dulles, Mr. Connolly expressed the opinion that, “This is our most important transportation issue. That corridor reaches out to very dynamic communities. We can’t change the congestion, but we must be able to offer transportation options.” Mr. Oddo was very pleased by Mr. Connolly’s comments and added, “This is how Independents win. Through their political participation and educating the public on certain issues, our issues become recognized and adopted by other parties. When asked about bringing home our troops, Mr. Oddo stated “Congress has been giving a blank check to the administration. Congress is the one that has the power to declare war. –Let’s declare peace. Isn’t it interesting that we only go to where there are resources” Mr. Connolly responded, “Saddam is not our business and our government was naïve. But it will be harder to leave Iraq then it was to go into Iraq. For the sake of its stability we need to phase out step by step. Both candidates were asked their opinions on the economic situation and the Wall Street bailout. Mr. Oddo suggested that the banks reﬁnance mortgages at a ﬁxed 3%

15 rate in order to stabilize the market. “It is better to have 3% than to lose money. In essence the banks are buying down the interest rates. What happened on Wall Street is crazy- it is Wall Street welfare! It has no place in a capitalist society.” Mr. Connolly continued in a similar vein but with some reservations. “People are looking at their retirement funds and find that they are worth 3050% less than what they were three weeks ago. We need to stabilize the economy and some people need to go to jail. We have had an almost complete collapse of the credit system in the United States. The 700 thousand dollar blank check that was given to the bailout by the government was not ideal but was probably necessary.” Mr. Oddo, on the other hand, did not agree that the bailout was necessary. “I would have voted “no”. The money should go to paying home mortgages, developing solar energy, and a civilian work corps.” Mr. Connolly suggested that jobs are still being creating in the Northern Virginia but at a slower rate than usual. Mr. Oddo stated, “Stop defense contract waste and we will have money and jobs. But that is just here and not in the rest of the country and we need to deal with the rest of the country too. Why don’t we have more solar research and development? Is it because Exxon

continued >> Halloween from pg 7

pagan, or polytheistic festival. Ghadir Al-Khateeb, mother of 10 year old Faris, says she used to take her son trick or treating, but without the costume. However, as he got older and learned more about his religion from his Islamic school, they started staying at home on the night of Halloween. But others see Halloween as a cultural, rather than religious event. Asked what

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doesn’t own the sun?” It was at this point in the evening, just before ﬁnal statements were to be made, that Mr. Keith Fimian entered the community room. He apologized for coming late. He explained that he had a long standing previous engagement and that he thought this event would last longer. He promised to make himself available for as long as necessary to talk to people who had questions or comments. When he did speak he stated, “Our government is borrowing at a rate that can not be sustained. Just to give you an idea of the situation, the average family is in debt by about $450.000 dollars. They average American home is worth $212,00 dollars. Many of those people on Wall Street should be in jail and some senators and congressman should be indicted for their negligence and lack of responsibility.” Mr. Fimian explained that as a trained accountant and a business owner, he never thought of himself as a politician, but he felt “Because of the fiscal irresponsibility of the government today, it is business people, with a sense of the economic consequences for their actions, that need to get involved and get the economy under control. If we do not do so, the country will not belong to our children.”

he thought about celebrating Halloween, Ahmed Rehab replied, “nothing wrong with innocent fun,” as long as kids knew that it was not a religious celebration, but simply an occasion with neighbors and friends. This year, ADAMS is holding a “fun night” on the night of Halloween with entertainment such as balloon artist, a martial arts performance, and food. ADAMS says this is not a “Muslim Halloween” but an event they host every year that happens to be around the time of Halloween, and is a good alternative to parents concerned for their children’s safety during trick or treating. Imam Muhammed Magid said that

Dr. Ali Al-Timimi Case Update Assalamu alaikum: Inshallah you had a nice Ramadan and Eid holiday with your families. I would like to let you know that there is a hearing on Dr. Ali Al-Timimi’s behalf on October 23, 2008 Inshaallah. As the lawyer stated there will be two classiﬁed motions to address and Judge Brinkema

will have to will have to decide whether she is going to order serious relief in the case. The hearing will be closed to the public. Please spread this news and make dua. Assalamu’alykum. Sister Ziyana Al-Rawahi

16 continued >> ENDING ii from pg 19

Prophet (SAW) said: “If Allah intends good for His servant, He makes use of him.” The companions asked: “How does He make use of him?” He responded: “He assists and directs him to a righteous act before his death.” [Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Hakim] The signs of a good ending: 1. Stating the Shahadah at the time of death. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever’s last words are “La Ilaha Illa Allah” has entered Jannah.” [Abu Dawud and Hakim] 2. To die sweating from the forehead. The Prophet (SAW) said: “The death of a believer occurs with sweat from the f o r e h e a d . ” [ Ti r m i d h i a n d A h m a d ]

continued >> Mayhem from pg 1 Muslims are also affected by the economic downturn, many are faring better than their non Muslim neighbors. “I admit, things were so alluring so you wanted to take a byte,” said Anwar Saleem of Washington, D.C. However, Saleem, in large part, resisted the temptation to make major forays into the ﬁnancing market. “I had one piece of property that I consolidated. When the property was worth $1.2 million, I did not go beyond what I paid [rather than reﬁnancing the property at the appraised amount], which helped me,” adds Saleem. Despite the downturn in the economy, Saleem still sees growth. “As the executive director for a business district in D.C., we are still opening businesses despite the downturn. Over the past year, we are averaging 1-2 new businesses opening up a month.” However, the success of inner-city businesses may be a direct result of the weakened economy. “[Business] people are opening up businesses in residential areas because people want to spend money near where they live, because they don’t want to spend money on gas,” according to Saleem. The pinch in the pocket books of banks is also hitting the pocket books of Muslim stayat-home moms. Fatimah Woolfok has seen how these recent tough economic times have created a real challenge for Muslim parents. Woolfolk and her husband have a family of eight. They live off a single income, her husband’s, which has largely been unaffected by the current economic crisis. However, her friends have not been so blessed. “I know people who have had to pulled their children out of Islamic school because of the economic situation,” said Woolfolk. “As a result, a lot of people are home-schooling or relocating,” Woolfolk adds. Maryland-based contracting company owner

COMMUNITY NEWS

3. Dying on the night of Jumu’ah (Thursday night) or the day of Jumu’ah. The Prophet (SAW) said: “No Muslim dies on the night of Jumu’ah or the day of Jumu’ah except that Allah saves him from the Fitnah of t h e g r a v e . ” [ Ti r m i d h i a n d A h m a d ] 4. Dying upon a righteous action. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever says “La Ilaha Illa Allah” seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah, whoever fasts a single day seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah, and whoever spends in charity seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah.” [Ahmad] 5. Attaining martyrdom on the battleﬁeld ﬁghting in the Path of Allah, or attaining it as a result of a plague, a stomach illness, or drowning. All this is mentioned in the Hadeeth where the Prophet (SAW) asked the companions: “Who is considered to be a

Ummar Hussain has also felt the pressure of the tight ﬁnancial market. While he did not speak of being overly-leveraged by un-Islamic ﬁnancing, he noted the loss of businesses caused by the credit crunch.

martyr among you?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, the one who dies in the path of Allah he is the martyr.” He said: “That would make the martyrs of my Ummah few.” They said: “Then who O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Whoever is killed in the Path of Allah then he is a martyr, whoever dies in the Path of Allah then he is a martyr, whoever dies due to a plague then he is a martyr, whoever dies as a result of the stomach then he is a martyr, and the one who drowns is a martyr.” [Muslim] These are some of the signs that signal to a good ending to one’s life as deduced from various Ahadeeth. It must be noted however, that the occurance of any one of these signs does not necessitate that the person will enter Jannah, just as the non-occurance of any one of these signs does not necessitate that the person is not righteous and will end up in the Hell-Fire, because all of this is from the knowledge of the unseen which is with Allah alone. Rather, Jannah is hoped for the righteous who dies in such state, and

economic scholars. Writer Liaquat Ali Khan points out on his blog, IslamicLawBlog, “The Quran prohibits al-Maysir or speculative risk, warning the faithful to avoid games of chance in which the probability of loss in is much higher than the probability of gain (2:219).

Woolfolk and her husband are also looking seriously at moving into a Muslim farming community. “I’ve always had my eye on farming. Anything that you can do to make you more independent and less dependent on this economic system, I think that’s a good idea,”

“Basically, 75% of all my work is residential,” Hussain points out. According to Hussain, the lack of credit has meant people cannot afford to buy homes that need major repairs nor can they get money to make improvements to their homes through reﬁnancing loans.

Short-selling, a device that has received signiﬁcant scrutiny, is an example of this type of risky business. Khan explains “Some investment strategies rampant in the markets are not only morally corrupt but socially harmful. Short sellers, for example, make money when companies collapse and close.

“The economic system is designed to keep the rich richer, and the poor poorer. In time, a corrupt economic system, will eat itself up. What you have to find is a way to correct this,” Saleem notes. When asked about who or what’s to blame for the current economic crises, Saleem points the finger directly at human excess, more specifically “greed.” For example, Saleem explains that “If you buy a house, over ten years, you would have only paid $15,000 on the principal. That means that somebody is making a whole lot of money [as much as 85% of your monthly payments].” In Saleem’s opinion, “Such a large tax for loaning people money should be criminal. You’re paying triple for your property.” Saleem’s common-sense understanding of the harmful effect of riba is supported by Muslim

Turning the conventional logic of investment on its head, short sellers wish companies to crash rather than prosper for they make most money when companies go bankrupt, workers and employees lose jobs, and pension funds evaporate through declining company stock.” While such criticism appears to make sense, it’s largely absent from the mainstream media. The ﬂaws of interest-based ﬁnancing have also not been much of a focus of leading economists nor of lawmakers. Ironically, both Muslim Congressmen are members of the House Financial Services Committee,

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008 the Hell-Fire is feared for the non-righteous. The means of achieving a good ending: 1. Adhering to the obedience and Taqwa of Allah, refraining from all sins, and hastening to repentance of those sins that one commits. 2. Begging Allah to cause one t o d i e u p o n I m a n a n d Ta q w a . 3. Working hard to reform one’s self, both the inner and the outer, for it is from the Sunnah of Allah that He grants Tawfeeq of following the truth to the one who seeks it, keeping him ﬁrm upon it, and ending his life upon it. The writer is a student at the University of Medina. Source: http://m-kamil-ahmad. blogspot.com/

which is the congressional body charged with setting banking policy and that which recently approved the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street banking firms. As far advice for weathering the storm, there is a division of opinion on “Halal Street.” For Fatimah Woolkfolk it comes down to spending wisely and finding alternative ways of living. “With just a one-income household, we are trying to be flexible and find ways to save money…Thus we’re focusing on saving more and budgeting better.” Woolfolk and her husband are also looking seriously at moving into a Muslim farming community. “I’ve always had my eye on farming. Anything that you can do to make you more independent and less dependent on this economic system, I think that’s a good idea,” says Woolfolk. Umar Hussain is keeping his eye on setting up checks and balances in his company and scaling back on some things, including his staff. In addition, “I’m keeping the lines of communications open to regular clients who I’ve done work for in the past and I’m moving more aggressively to the commercial side of the [contracting] business. Anwar Saleem believes that a system-wide adjustment is needed to serve as the arch in this economic flood. “The economic system is designed to keep the rich richer, and the poor poorer. In time, a corrupt economic system, will eat itself up. What you have to find is a way to correct this,” Saleem notes. “To me all the market is doing is correcting itself. Correcting itself from over-valued property, correcting itself from excessively high retail prices, really correcting itself from greed,” suggests Saleem. As the word about the harms of riba begin to spread on Main Street, over time, Muslims may find themselves joined by their neighbors in choosing “Halal Street” over Wall Street.

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

Islam

ISLAM

The way of life given to us by our Creator and practiced by our Messenger Sallallahu ‘alyhi wa sallam

Security Deposits & Islamic Law By Sheikh Hânî al-Jubayr presiding judge - Mecca Courthouse A security deposit is money paid in advance of a transaction to protect a seller or renter against damage or non-payment. A security deposit is paid by a purchaser in advance of a sale or by a lessee before renting a property or an item. The security deposit protects the interests of the seller or leaser from substantial loss in the event that the purchaser or lessee defaults on the contract and in cases where the lessee causes undue damage to the property under lease. A security deposit differs from an advance payment in that it remains the property of the purchaser or lessee, whereas an

advance payment is transferred to the possession of the seller or leaser. In today’s commercial environment, security deposits are generally deemed as being a indispensable for most major purchases. They are usually required for sale and rental contracts involving real estate. Likewise, we ﬁnd them commonly required for the purchase of automobiles and other expensive items. Though some scholars of the past have expressed reservations about security deposits, the more prevalent and correct view is that they pose no problem from a standpoint of Islamic Law. Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah are among the scholars who uphold the validity of security deposits. Ibn al-Qayyim writes [Ighâthah al-Lahfân (2/53)]:

It is permissible for the item being sold to be held in security until payment is made. This is the most correct of the two opinions expressed in the Hanbalî school of thought. Alternatively, it is permissible to have a security deposit in the form of a debt which is advanced by someone other than the seller and which is not counted as part of the purchase price. This deposit can be in the form of some other property or of the currency of the purchase price. It is to be kept by the seller until the purchase price is paid. Indeed, it is better for the deposit to be of the currency of the purchase price, since if the seller can withhold it as a part of the purchase price without a deposit, then it is certainly suitable as a security deposit. He also writes [I`lâm al-Muwaqqi`în (4/28): Scholars agree that it is permissible to make it a condition of sale for the buyer

to give some other item over as security. What, then, is the problem of using the purchase price itself as a security deposit? …Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal explicitly stated that it is permissible to make a security deposit of the purchase price a condition of sale. This permissibility is in accordance with the general principles and objectives of Islamic Law. Recent Hanbalî scholars, including Ibn Sa`dî and al-`Uthaymîn concur with this ruling. It makes no difference whether the bill of sale transfers the title to the buyer with the security deposit duly recorded upon it, or title is retained by the seller until payment is made. And Allah knows best.

ISLAM

The Good and Evil Ending By Muhammad Kamil Ahmad The end of an individual’s life in this Dunya is something of great significance, as it depicts what will become of that individual in the life to come. The good ending signals a life of bliss in the hereafter, whereas the evil ending points to a life of misery in the life to come. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Indeed the actions are but depicted by their endings.” [Bukhari] It was due to this reason that the righteous from among the slaves of Allah would prepare themselves for their final moments, constantly performing righteous actions, humbling themselves to Allah, and persistantly asking Allah to keep them firm upon His deen till they meet Him, thereby fulfilling the command of Allah: “O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.” [Aal ‘Imran 3:102] Sufyan ath-Thawri used to weep and say: “I fear that I will be stripped of Iman at the time of death.”

And Malik ibn Dinar used to stand all night grasping his beard saying: “My Lord, surely You already know the dweller of Jannah from the dweller of the Hell-Fire, so which of the two places is the dwelling of Malik?” These are examples of the state of fear that the Salaf would be in, fearing departure from this Dunya on an evil note, even though they are the last ones to be worrying about punishment in the hereafter due to their strong Iman, Taqwa, and knowledge. It was as a result of their state of humility before Allah that made them like this, considering themselves minute in front of Allah, knowing that their affairs are completly in the hands of Allah, granting guidance to whom He wills and striping it from whom He wills. The Prophet (SAW) said: “The hearts of the children of Adam are all between two of the ﬁngers of ar-Rahman, He directs them as He wills.” Then he said: “O Director of hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.” [Muslim] One may argue that if the ending is all that matters in determining my life in the herafter, then I can live life how I

please fulﬁlling my lusts and desires outside the bounds of Islam, then towards the end of my life I start performing righteous actions and refrain from sins so that I die on a good note. In response to this, we must realize that the way one spends his life goes hand in hand with the way in which his life ends. Thus, the one who spends his life full of ritghteousness his ending will be a good one by the permission of Allah. As for the one who spends his life full of evil and disobedience his ending will be based upon that, for Allah says: “And your Lord does injustice to no one.” [Al-Kahf 18:49] Secondly, this argument is baseless since not a single soul knows when it will leave this world. So how would it be possible to become righteous at the end when the end is not even known? We ask Allah to make the best of our actions our final ones, the best of our moments our last ones, and the best of our days the Day in which we meet Him.

The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008 The Evil Ending

he didn’t say it and died upon that.

The meaning of an evil or bad ending is that when a servant is about to die he turns away from his Lord, neglecting that which Allah has made obligatory upon him, and instead turning to that which brings about the wrath and anger of Allah. The repentance of those who die in such state is not accepted by Allah, as He says:

Ibn al-Qayyim also mentions that there was a man who was known for his passion for music and singing, so when death approached him it was said to him: “say La Ilaha Illa Allah,” instead of which he began hallucinating with music singing: “taatana, tantanaa,” until death overtook him without him saying the Kalimah of Tawhid.

“But repentance is not accepted of those who continue to do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “Indeed, I have repented now,” or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.” [Nisaa’ 4:18]

Adh-Dhahabi mentions that there was a man who would sit with drinkers, so when death approached him an individual came to him requesting him to say the Shahadah, so he said to him: “drink and give me to drink.” Then he died.

The signs of an evil ending: 1. Abstaining and refusing to state the Shahadah at the time of death. 2. Speaking about sins and evil deeds at the time of death. 3. Showing love and attachment to sins and evil deeds at the time of death. Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that it was said to an individual who was approaching death: “say La Ilaha Illa Allah,” so he said: “it is of no beneﬁt to me as I don’t recall that I have ever prayed a single Salah.” And so

Adh-Dhahabi also mentions that a man who was known to play chess approached the time of death, so it was said to him: “say La Ilaha Illa Allah,” to which he replied: “checkmate,” and then died. Then Adh-Dhahabi commented saying: “What prevailed over his tongue was that which he became accustomed to during his life of playing games, so in place of the Kalimah of Tawhid he said: checkmate.” The means that lead to an evil ending:

>> ENDING Pg 19

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The Muslim Link, October 17, 2008

EDITORS DESK Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager : Jann McClary News Desk: Umm ‘Abdullah (Events) Distribution: Elwaleed Elshowya Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Lensay Abadula Amina Ali Farkhunda Ali Fasiha Khan Farha Marfani Rashad Mulla Maryam bint DawudMussallihullah Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other Friday on a Bi-Weekly Schedule and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam. The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML. This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others The Muslim Link 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: 240-209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at ads@muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2008

OPINION AND EDITORIALS

Bigotry & Islamophobia Under the Disguise of “Freedom of Speech” By Sadia Ali Aden The heartrending reality of bigotry and Islamophobia in today’s American environment is overwhelming. The Islamophobes use the media as a propaganda tool to poison the minds of the American people under the disguise of “freedom of speech.” This was evident when Mr. Glen Sheller, editor of The Columbus Dispatch newspaper’s editorial page, defended the Dispatch’s distribution of the fear mongering DVD “Obsession,” which was intended to instill fear in the hearts and minds of the unsuspecting American people. While we should relish and strive to beneﬁt from our freedom of expression without fear or favor, we should also be mindful that the way we use our “freedom of speech” speaks volumes about us. The gate keepers of public forums should remain neutral moderators and not compromise their ability to objectively protect the principles of this American value. Once reason is overshadowed, and objectivity diluted with hate, positive public discourse becomes more elusive. Writer Abukar Arman warns us in an article titled “DVD’s makers used newspapers to spread hatred,” published in The Columbus Dispatch: “Gone are the days when the perpetrators of hate would march with banners that explicitly express their negative views of other groups. Today, hate messages and propaganda often are camouflaged as talkradio punditry, political speeches and infomercials.” Attesting to his legitimate concern was the campaign, in continued >> ENDING from pg 18

1. To devote one’s self to the Dunya, becoming attached to it, and investing it it by Haram means. 2. To refrain from remaining steadfast upon the Deen and turning away from guidance. 3. To persist upon sinning and becoming accustomed to it.

September of this year (during the sacred month of Ramadan), to distribute 28 million copies of the Obsession DVD as a free insert into 70 newspapers in a number of key battle-ground states. There is a fine line between the healthy use of freedom of speech, and employing such “freedom” to advance bigotry and Islamophobia. The Media has become an effective tool for prolonging the psychological terrorization of the American people. American citizens must be vigilant in not allowing hate mongering interest groups, such as the producers of this DVD, to subvert such values as liberty, peace, and justice for all. I am strongly opposed to newspaper editors, like Mr. Sheller, allowing themselves to be used to advance the agenda of hate mongering Islamophobes. As a mother who must carefully shelter her child from dangers lurking in the dark,

Ibn Kathir says: “The sins, wrongdoings, and Shahawat (lustful desires) desert a person at the time of death, along with the desertion of Shaitan of him. So desertion along with weak Iman combine against him, and so he falls to an evil ending, Allah says: “And ever is Shaitan, to man, a deserter.” [Furqan 25:29] So the one who wishes to be saved from such an evil ending, it would be worthwhile for him to beware of becoming attached to any type of sin, for

I also feel the need to protect our cherished Constitutional principles, and the hard earned image of the better of the “two Americas.” I fully understand the pain and anxiety caused by these hate mongering, Islamophobic groups who try to cloak their agendas under the umbrella of “freedom of speech”. They are far more detrimental to the health and welfare of America than meets the eye. The promulgation of hatred and bigotry does not lead to positive public discourse. A case in point is the statement that I received from an American (Caucasian) woman who shared Mr. Sheller’s interpretation of “freedom of speech.” She said to me, “With that scarf on your head, you are a disgrace to every American women.” Surprised and saddened, I responded, “This

him to keep his heart and tongue busy with the remembrance of Allah, and for him to obey Allah wherever he may be, all just for that one moment that if he was to be deserted in he would live an eternal life of misery. “Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the ﬁrm word, in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.” [Ibrahim 14:27]

is ironic, because I am a proud American woman and I am far from being disgraced.” In such an atmosphere that fosters so much pain and fear, a more healthy journalism – one that is balanced and fair - must be exerted. I support freedom of speech, but not at the expense of truth and justice! I realize that to achieve such a task takes dedication, perseverance and true integrity. May Mr. Sheller, and others who share his views in defense of the “Obsession” DVD, learn this lesson before it’s too late. ------------------------------------Sadia Ali Aden is a peace activist and a writer whose work has appeared in various publications. She lives in the Washington DC area.

The

Good

Ending

The meaning of a good ended is that when a servant is about to die he is granted Tawfeeq from Allah to refrain from everything that angers Him, hastening to His repentance, and rushing to perform various acts of obedience and good deeds. In the Hadeeth of Anas bin Malik (RA), the

>> ENDING ii Pg 16