Passion Islam December 08

CALLING ALL YOUNG MUSLIMS Want to get involved in activities and change the way people think, then this is the opportunity for you, we are looking for young muslims to be part of a group which will contribute and deliver various projects.

Interested call us on 07506 466385 or email us on info@passionislam.com

Hajj Mubarak Issue: 09

December 2008

3 Million Pilgrims perform Hajj 2008

Over 3 million pilgrims were performing Hajj, with prayers converged in a valley just outside the holy city of Makkah at the beginning of the fiveday hajj pilgrimage.

Pilgrims from around 100 countries

inside this month issue

left Makkah after completing circling the sacred Kaaba stone structure inside the Grand Mosque, which Muslims all over the world face during their five daily prayers.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of

Citizenship classes starts

Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim with the financial means must perform it at least once.

Photo shows Hajj in action2008 www.passionislam.com

Get our British troops out of Afghanistan

‘End of Israel siege of Gaza’

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I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

the Passion

Passion Islam

I December 2008

Lets start by being Muslims

All across so many countries poverty lies and families are starving to death, they don’t have time to argue or have resentment to others that then makes me wonder and make me ashamed that when so much is going on and still people are reluctant to come to terms with the over jealous, proud and somewhat attitude towards making things better with others.

Sometimes I wonder does people who live around us and who we work with always want to hinder you its like a game which they want to play and try to win at all counts, have a pleasure in seeing someone else going through pain and distress but still prays the salaat and listens to

talks by prominent scholars on the subject of togetherness, unity and backbiting, being a good neighbour and how all this still goes unheard either they are listening to someone else or not listening at all but for sure they are not listening to the talk being delivered as if they were then I guess some parts of the talk would have had some kind of effect on the individual’s.

It’s time to remember that this is our temporary aboard and maybe people have forgotten but one day everyone will have to leave this world and answer for all the things that we have done every heart we have broke every backbite we have told and every

bad deeds we had done, May Allah SWT forgive us all for the disgusting, shameful humans we are.

As Mahatma Gandhi said: Islam is the greatest religion in the world but Muslims are the worst people.

Guest Editor - Imam Ibrahim, Batley

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Passion Islam, PO Box 159, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 1AD tel: 07506 466 385 or email: info@passionislam.com - www.passionislam.com

New citizenship classes starts across UK Masajids Around 30 madrassahs in East and West London, Bristol, Bradford, Kirklees, Leicester, Oldham and Rochdale are piloting the new materials.

New citizenship lessons challenging the notion that there is any conflict between being a good Muslim and a good citizen are starting to be taught in after school madrassahs or mosque supplementary schools across the country as part of efforts to emphasise shared values.

Around 30 madrassahs in East and West London, Bristol, Bradford/ Kirklees, Leicester and Oldham/ Rochdale are piloting the new materials. Through class discussion, role play and written exercises, the children aged 7-14 are learning through Islamic tradition, the importance of tolerance and respect, how to be better neighbours, the importance of volunteering and how to play an active part in their schools and communities.

This follows a package of measures announced In July by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears responding to calls from Muslim communities to support the promotion of citizenship and shared values and to stop Islamic theology being distorted by those who seek to divide communities.

Taught alongside or through traditional lessons on the Qur’an and supported by quotes from the Hadith (Islamic scripture) the lessons draw out the compatibility of Islam with wider shared values. Using enquiry and research children will examine a wide range of topics including: Equality the importance of individuality and how Islam encourages acceptance of all differences, including respect for other faiths and the different groups

within Islam and wider discussion on contemporary topics such as the role of men and women in society.

Resolving conflict - how Islam teaches patience and kindness and how conflicts should be resolved in a peaceful manner.

Volunteering - group role-play on the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings on volunteering and charity and how these virtues relate to day-to-day life.

Identity - an examination of the multi-faith nature of the UK and how multi-faith communities have existed historically such as Andulucian Spain where under Muslim control all religions were protected; and Democracy - the importance on getting involved in decision making that affects the running of your school by joining the school council.

This Magazine contains Ayaat of the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (SAW), please ensure you handle it with respect & care - Sukran

No evidence of radicalism Passion Islam

I December 2008

British Universities are not hotbeds of Islamic radicalism as alleged by the government, according to a new study published.

The study carried out by Cambridge University found little evidence of any threat. Most Muslim students expressed more concerned about human rights, particularly in Islamic countries.

Young Muslims were described as being better integrated into British society than their parents, with a stronger sense of national identity.

They were said to be more like to join Amnesty International than al-Qaeda.

The findings come after the British government issued new controversial guidelines to universities earlier this year to monitor Muslim students and Islamic organisations on campuses.

But the study suggested that fears of campuses being used as breeding grounds for extremism were exaggerated. Instead restriction on the expression of religious identity was seen as an abuse of human rights.

“The findings show that the young Muslims best-equipped to lead radical opposition to western society are also among the least inclined to

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do so,” said June Edmunds, from the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Development Studies.

“Although a minority have extreme political views, most are concerned about human rights and social democracy,” Edmunds said.

“The UK in particular now hosts a new generation of Muslims who are more confident of their national identity and more politically- engaged than their parents,” she said.

Although Muslim students in the West are often regarded as prime targets for extremists seeking young, impressionable and educated recruits, many were found to have “a stronger sense of civic responsibility and British identity than their elders.”

Most were members of student Islamic organisations, but these tended to be without international links. Their most commonly-listed favourite websites were BBC News and the online editions of The Guardian and The Independent, rather than religious sites.

Few of the participants in the study were members of political parties, but the vast majority voted and many had attended anti-war rallies.

When asked in interviews to

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prioritise a list of issues, human rights was consistently placed at the top.

“My Muslim identity is what gives me these human concerns,” one respondent was quoted saying.

The report suggests that many young Muslims feel alienated by western governments’ efforts to support anti-democratic regimes which oppose Political Islam, and by their own governments’ apparent breaches of human rights.

Interviewees also cited the wearing of the hijab as a human rights issue and that attempts to ban it were perceived as “incompatible with western and in particular British commitment to freedom of speech and multicultural practices, and a European commitment to values of freedom, choice and individuality.”

“If there is a conflict here, it is between the UK government’s promotion of multiculturalism at home and its acquiescence with authoritarian opponents of political Islam abroad,” Edmunds said.

The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and is the first part of a major project about young Muslims in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

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British architects to change the face of Makkah

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Two of Britain’s most sought-after architects are at the heart of a multibillion-pound redevelopment of Makkah.

Lord Foster of Thames Bank and Zaha Hadid are among an elite group of architects and engineers who will provide ideas for an ambitious and highly sensitive construction project in Makkah.

Part of the redevelopment is thought to include a new building near the Haram mosque that will be capable of holding 3 million pilgrims.

The confidential plans, reported in The Architects’ Journal, are believed to be endorsed by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia.

Modern Makkah, with its branches of Top Shop and Starbucks, is all but unrecognisable from the city that predated the foundation of the Saudi kingdom in 1932. Conservationists claim that hundreds of historic buildings have been levelled to make way for high-rise hotels and apartment 297x210_COMBINED_PASION ISLAM_3304_english.ai 14/05/2008 18:16:14

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blocks.

A report by the Saudi British Bank, one of the kingdom’s biggest lenders, estimated earlier this year that £15 billion will be invested by foreign and Saudi companies in construction and infrastructure in Makkah by 2012.

Homes and hills are to be flattened and in their place about 130 skyscrapers are planned, including the Abraj Al Bait Towers, which is to be one of the world’s biggest buildings.

At the centre of the development will be the redesign of the mosque and its surrounding area. King Abdullah is understood to have recruited 18 leading architects, engineers and construction firms to “establish a new architectural vision” for the 356,800 square metre complex.

According to The Architects’ Journal the project is likely to be phased, with the initial stage increasing the capacity of the mosque from 900,000 to 1.5 million. Once the scheme is completed capacity for the

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I December 2008

district should be 3 million.

The proposals have been split into two. Foster & Partners, which is headed by Lord Foster, is one of ten practices that will look at a range of alternatives for the northern expansion of the Haram mosque. Ms Hadid has been given the key job of coming up with ideas for the mosque itself, as well as “revisiting the whole area of the central district”.

A source close to the project told The Architects’ Journal: “The main objective of the design studies is to enrich our discourse on how we should address the future architecture of the Haram.”

Lord Foster, 73, and Ms Hadid, 58, are both former winners of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s equivalent of a Nobel prize.Lord Foster’s masterpieces include “the Gherkin” in London and Beijing airport. Ms Hadid is working on the Aquatic Centre for the London Olympics. Neither would comment on the plans.

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MPs join calls to pull British troops out of Afghanistan

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I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

Four British parliamentarians last month joined human rights lawyers, military families, journalists and peace activists in calling for the withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan.

Their call came after the ‘Stop the War Coalition’, the UK’s largest peace network group, held a series of protest rallies across Britain to mark the seventh anniversary of what it described as the ‘so-called liberation of Afghanistan by the US and its allies’.

“Seven years after the supposed liberation of Afghanistan, there is now conclusive evidence that the NATO occupation is a disaster,” three MPs and a peer said.

“Civilian death toll is mounting.

The level of violence is higher than at any time since the invasion in 2001,” they warned in a joint letter to the Guardian.

The UN has reported that, under occupation, life expectancy in

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Afghanistan has fallen to 43 years and one in five children die before they reach their fifth birthday. The country is now fourth from bottom of the UN’s

league table of development.

Mounting violence has caused a new refugee crisis and, according to Acbar, the umbrella group of Afghan

I December 2008

NGOs, it is making the delivery of aid to the majority of the country impossible. The NGOs warn of a real danger that thousands will starve this winter.

The letter, signed by Labor peer Lord Ahmed, Respect Party leader George Galloway, Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd and Labor MP Jeremy Corbyn, said that the ‘end of the Bush era should be a moment to reassess our foreign policy’.

They pointed out that a recent BBC poll found that 68 percent of the British public now believe the troops should leave Afghanistan within a year, while 125 British soldiers have already lost their lives in a war that is ‘unwinnable’.

“We urge (Prime Minister) Gordon Brown to recognize the facts, respect public opinion and order the withdrawal of British troops,” the parliamentarians said.

I December 2008

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UK seeking more spy recruits from ethnic minorities

Passion Islam

Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence agency has launched a new drive to recruit more spies from the country’s 10 percent ethnic minority communities.

Head of recruitment at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) said that the agency needed more black and Asian spies to cope with changing threats to British security.

After the Cold War, MI6 needed to be ‘more flexible, more adaptable’ in facing different threats, requiring more people from diverse backgrounds, the head of recruitment, identified only as ‘John’, told the Guardian newspaper.

The foreign intelligence agency started to recruit spies, including from minority communities, openly for the first time through its website two years ago.

The Guardian quoted its source saying that 10 percent of its latest intake of high flyers -- people who will be trained to gather secret intelligence and recruit and run agents abroad - were from ethnic minorities, and about 35 percent female.

LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

But the aim was to get more, he said, quoting that the proportion of women in top jobs in the domestic Security Service, MI5, has been running at about 50 percent.

Previously the agency used to recruit by putting a ‘talent spotter

network at certain universities’ - a euphemism used primarily in reference to Oxford and Cambridge.

But more recently, it has been placing advertisements in the media, including newspapers that were aimed at an ethnic minority readership.

Islamic Societies raise £330,000 for Charity The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) in the UK and Eire today announced that Islamic Societies raised £330,000 for Charity Week 2008.

Qasim Rafiq, spokesman for FOSIS, said, “We are delighted to announce that Islamic Societies across the UK and Ireland have raised a phenomenal £330,000 for Charity Week 2008, proceeds of which will go towards orphans worldwide. This student-led initiative

, unique in its format, was setup in 2004 in conjunction with Islamic Relief, bringing together students from across university campuses to raise awareness and money for a charitable cause. Since then, Charity Week has proved to be a huge success, uniting students from different races, backgrounds and religions and has continually surpassed the previous year’s total.”

He further added, “This clearly demonstrates that despite the pressure

and undue criticism experienced following the tragedies of 9/11 and 7/7, Islamic Societies continue to provide excellent opportunities, skills and experiences and are an integral component of student life in university. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the students and Islamic Societies that took part in this initiative and we hope that Charity Week 2009 will see a further increase in the total amount raised”

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I December 2008

‘Muslim should be allowed to pray in Catholic schools’

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Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in every Roman Catholic school, church leaders have said.

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales also want facilities in schools for Islamic pre-prayer washing rituals.

But the bishops - who acknowledge 30 per cent of pupils at their schools hold a non-Christian faith - want to answer critics who say religious schools show division.

The recommendations were made in a document, Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion.

‘If practicable, a room (or rooms) might be made available for the use of pupils and staff from other faiths for prayer,’ the bishops said.

‘Existing toilet facilities might be adapted to accommodate individual ritual cleansing which is sometimes part of religious lifestyle and worship.

‘If such space is not available on a permanent or regular basis, extra efforts might be made to address such need for major religious festivals.’

The Islamic cleansing ritual, called ‘Wudhu’, is carried out by Muslims before they pray.

Islam teaches that Muslims are unfit for prayer if they have not performed

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Wudhu after breaking wind or using the toilet.

Wudhu involves washing the face, hands, arms and feet three times each, gargling the mouth three times

and washing the neck and inside the nose and ears.

Catholic schools would need to install bidets, foot spas and hoses to facilitate such extensive cleansing rituals, Muslims say.

Daphne McLeod, a former Catholic head teacher from south London, said it would be ‘terribly expensive’ for the country’s 2,300 Catholic primary and secondary schools to provide ritual

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cleansing facilities.

She said: ‘If Muslim parents choose a Catholic school then they accept that it is going to be a Catholic school and there will not be facilities for ritual cleansing and prayer rooms.

‘They do their ritual cleansing before they go to a mosque, but they are not going to a mosque. ‘I don’t think the bishops should go looking for problems. Where will it stop?’

But Majid Khatme, a Muslim who sent his children to a London Catholic school, said he was delighted by the gesture. ‘It is very kind of the bishops if they give this facility for Muslims to pray,’ he said.

‘I would love to send a letter of thanks to the bishops, really. If they do this all Muslims in Britain will be thankful to the Catholic Church to have facilities to pray. It is very, very encouraging.’

The recommendations have been approved by Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham and the favourite to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor as Catholic primate.

But it would be up to governing bodies of each school to decide whether to act on the guidance.

‘End of Israel “ siege of Gaza’ Passion Islam

I December 2008

A UK-based Palestinian academic questioned why Israel had suddenly reinvaded Gaza in the first week of November to end five months of unprecedented peace produced by the hudna or truce agreed with Hamas.

“Despite the continuation of the siege that denied the population of Gaza much of what other people around the world may consider life necessities, men, women and children could walk the streets of the Strip without fear,” Azzam Tamimi said.

“On the other side of the divide, Israel saw tourism flourish,” said Tamimi, the director of the Londonbased Institute of Islamic Political Thought.

In an article for the Guardian newspaper, he challenged why Israel suddenly decided to invade Gaza when ordering its army to again under the pretext of acting against perceived threats on November 4, leading to a series of incursions since.

“Why did Israeli politicians feel the need to end the peace despite the benefits reaped? Though they blamed Hamas for starting the violence, not a single rocket had been fired from the inception of the hudna to the raid on Gaza,” the academic asked.

“The Israeli military escalation has been accompanied by a further tightening of the siege of Gaza in

what can only be seen as another attempt to press the population to turn on Hamas,” he said.

Tamimi said such tactics have been tried before, but like targeted killings and the two-and-a-half year old siege to collective punish the Palestinians, the strategy has “backfired” and only strengthen the popularity of Hamas.

As a media adviser to Hamas, he said that the Islamic movement has made its position clear is willing to abide by the hudna if Israel shows a similar commitment.

“It would be in the interest of both parties to renew the truce, which is expected to expire next month.

However, it should this time put an end to the siege,” Tamimi said.

He also said that a prisonerexchange deal before the year end would be a great boost for peace and stability, with Hamas asking for the release of 1,000 of its captive men, plus all the women and children, and the parliamentarians and ministers kidnapped out of more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.

“Hamas is not asking for much.

Israeli decision-makers should take seriously the warning by Hamas leaders that should Israel opt to go to war they are fully prepared to engage it; instead, they should grasp a chance to build peace,” the adviser said.

LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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If you guarantee me six things on your part I shall guarantee you Paradise : Speak the truth when you talk, keep a promise when you make it, when you are trusted with something fulfill your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze (in modesty), and restrain your hands from injustice.

Al Tirmidhi

”

I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS

I December 2008

Israel using food, medicines as weapons, says UK charity

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Leading British charity, Christian Aid, accused the Israeli regime of collectively punishing innocent civilians by withholding and controlling food and medicine to Gaza.

For almost one and a half years, 1.5 million Palestinians have endured collective punishment as a result of Israel’s inhumane siege of Gaza.

“With the recent upsurge in violence it is Palestinian and Israeli civilians who will pay the price of failure and silence, and lose hope itself,” Christian Aid’s middle-eastern advocacy officer William Bell said.

Despite repeated calls from the international community, Gaza has remained closed to food and medicine, while the situation has again further deteriorated in recent weeks.

UNRWA, the agency responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees, announced that it had run out of food to distribute.

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Christian news service, Ekklesia reported that with 80 percent of the population dependent upon food aid, the situation is critical but that the crossings into Gaza, the only points of entry for people and goods, remain tightly closed.

“There is a huge concern for November food supplies. UNRWA only works with registered refugees, but what about non-refugees?” it quoted a Christian Aid partner saying in Khan Younis.

Costa Dabbagh, from Near East Council of Churches, which also works with the British charity, warned that simply letting food into Gaza was “not enough.”

“We are fed and kept alive without dignity and the international

community should be blamed for it.

We are not given hope,” Dabbagh said.

Despite an agreement on cessation of violence since June 2008, Gazans were kept isolated from the world and continue to live in abject poverty.

Although getting food supplies into Gaza is a vital first step, Christian Aid said it believed steps must be taken to resolve the political crisis before people will see a real change in their lives.

New law to clamp down on forced marriages introduced Britain introduced a new law bolstering rules against forced marriages, after Foreign Secretary David Miliband highlighted a case in Pakistan ahead of a visit to the south Asian country.

The new law allows courts to stop forced marriages and provide protection to those who have been married against their will.

It also gives judges the power to require individuals to reveal the whereabouts of people thought to be at risk of being forced into marriage, stop potential victims from being taken abroad, and seize passports.

According to Britain’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) 85% of all victims are women and a third of victims under the age of 18.

Distinct from mutually-accepted arranged marriages, forced marriages have led to suicides and “honour killing” murders in Britain, shocking a nation widely deemed to have successfully

absorbed immigrant cultures. In a newspaper article, Miliband said Britain was taking a tougher stand against forced marriage, describing the practice as “a stain on those who carry it out, those who condone it and also those who ignore it.”

He recounted the tale of British diplomats rescuing a 15-year-old girl from a village near Mirpur in northern Pakistan, where she was being held prisoner and beaten by her father to get her to agree to marriage.

So far this year, the FMU has handled more than 1,500 reports of forced marriage and diplomats across the world have helped more than 400 people facing possible forced marriage or being made to sponsor an immigration visa after marriage has taken place, Miliband said.

Under the new laws, those who do not comply with court orders related to forced marriage – which can be

sought by a victim, a friend or the police – could face jail.

“This new law is a powerful tool that will help ensure that no-one is forced into marriage against their will and those already in such marriages will receive protection,” junior justice minister Bridget Prentice said.

“Our policies reinforce that hope and send a clear message that we are committed to providing support and help to victims and that violence of any kind will not be tolerated.”

A spokeswoman for the justice ministry acknowledged that while the “primary purpose of the act is preventative” the same protection will be made available to women already forced into marriage.

“Where a forced marriage has taken place, they (the courts) would also be able to make orders to protect the victim and help remove them from that situation,” she said. – AFP

I December 2008

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Muslims welcome UK plans to extend equality to cover religion

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The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) welcomed new government proposals to extend equalities provision on services to cover religion.

“We are delighted that the government has at last listened to the argument we have made for years,” said MCB secretary general Abdul Bari.

“The proposal requires the support of all fair minded people as it is based

on the requirements of treating all equally and fairly,” Bari said.

Plans for a new Equality Bill aimed to significantly s t r e n g t h e n and streamline discrimination legislation were announced in the Queen’s speech on Wednesday, outlining the government’s programme at the reopening of parliament.

The MCB, Britain’s largest network of Muslim organisation, said it welcomed the decision to include the extension of the positive duty on public authorities for the provision of goods, facilities and services on grounds of religion.

“The proposal is a manifestation of government’s recognition of disparity in current laws in this regard

- an issue that the MCB has for long campaigned,” it said.

Bari announced that the umbrella group was ready to work with the government and all other agencies “to make this long overdue change a success.”

“This change in law will bring about real difference in the lives of people who, without this change, were left on the margins and often excluded as to their needs in the provision of goods, facilities and services,” he said.

Public bodies already have a duty to consider how their spending decisions, employment practices, and service delivery can affect people according to their race, disability, or gender.

But provisions under the new Equality Bill will replace this with what the government said was a “new streamlined and strengthened Equality Duty, which will be extended to cover sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, and religion or belief.”

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I December 2008

WORLD NEWS

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Top German lawmaker urges Muslims to be more politically active

Vice President of the German Parliament, Wolfgang Thierse called on Muslims in Germany to display a greater political engagement.

In a meeting with a group of Muslim clerics in Berlin, Thierse pointed out that political activism of German Muslims is well behind those of other Germans, especially those who have a migrant background.

The Social Democrat legislator stressed it was up to Muslims to prove that Islam and democracy are indeed very well compatible.

Thierse’s latest remarks notwithstanding, German Islam experts have stated that the German society is still gripped by Islamophobia which is hindering the chances of Muslims to progress.

“There is still a lot of fear of Islam in German society. It’s partially an impediment in the advancement of Muslims in Germany,” the chairwoman of Germany’s Muslim Academy, Hamideh Mohagheghi told recently IRNA in Berlin.

Mohagheghi stressed there was a still a ‘long way ahead’ to achieve a full social integration of Germany’s 3.5 million Muslims.

There are 3.5 million Muslims

living in Germany of which 2.5 million are Turks. Most of Muslims reside in what used to be traditional working class cities like Cologne, Hamburg, Duisburg, Essen, Berlin, Frankfurt and Mannheim.

Islam has become one of the fastest growing religions in Germany, as some 4,000 Germans converted to Islam between July 2004 and June 2005 which is four times as many as in

the prior space of time.

Some 14,352 out of 3.5 million Muslims in the country are of Germanorigin, according to figures released by the Islam-Archive Central Institute.

Faced with daily verbal abuse and racial discrimination, Germany’s Muslim community is also battling with educational problems for their children and a chronic lack of job opportunity.

More than 20,000 Covering of the Russian Pilgrims Kaaba handed over to perform Hajj More than 20,000 Russian Muslims are planning to perform Hajj this year.

In a statement to Novosti news agency, a Russian official said that 14,000 of the Russian pilgrims will travel by air, while 6, 000 will travel by land.

The Russian official noted that the number of the Russian pilgrims who will arrive in the Kingdom by air this year is more than two folds of the number of those who will travel by land.

The President-General for the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussayn handed the covering of the Kaaba to the Chief caretakers of the Kaaba, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shebi. On the first day of the hijri lunar month Thul-Hijja, the delivery of the new external cladding takes place to be installed on the Kaaba in the ninth day of the month instead of the current covering that had been granted a special factory since the era of the late founder King Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The total cost of Kaaba

covering is 20 million Saudi riyals (USD 5.3 million) and made of natural silk which is cast on black. It is 14 meters high, decorated around the top with a 95centimeter-width belt.

Under the belt, there are Quranic verses written within the framework of their respective separate divisions that exist in the form of jellyfish.

The covering of the Kaaba consists of five pieces of clothing covering every piece of it. The fifth piece curtain is placed on the door of the Kaaba, and such pieces are interconnected.

Grand Mosque Imam Urges Muslim Unity

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I December 2008

Delivering his sermon to a gathering of more than one and a half million Haj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque, the imam, Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, said, “This is the sacred place and time to settle disputes that have caused the Ummah untold miseries. We should not disunite. One of our major problems is the issue of Palestine. Our Palestinian brothers are suffering due to injustice and Israeli siege and also because of infighting and division among themselves.”

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The imam welcomed the pilgrims to the Holy City of Makkah and called their pilgrimage a journey of repentance and piety. He urged them to keep away from sinful deeds. “The safety and security of the pilgrims is in the hands of Allah. The sanctity and inviolability of the Two Holy Mosques cannot be marred by crises or extremist activities,” he said.

The khatib at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, Shaikh Salah Al Budair, in his sermon said that Allah

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forgives all sins of pilgrims who repent genuinely because they come from far off places with the sole aim of winning the mercy of the Allah Almighty. “They are cleaned of all past sins,” he added. “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘A virtuous Haj pilgrim has no reward but Paradise,’” Al Budair said. He urged the pilgrims to behave kindly, help and cooperate during the pilgrimage. He asked them not to push or jostle at crowded places and not to quarrel with anyone.

Obama urged to act against all ‘war on terror’ practices

Amnesty International has welcomed President- elect Barack Obama confirming that he intends to close Guantanamo concentration camp as an “important a step in the right direction” but urged him to go further in ending ‘war on terror’ practices.

The new president should “seize the initiative after taking office in January and to prioritize ending all internationally unlawful detention and interrogation practices by the USA,” said Rob Freer, Amnesty International’s researcher on the USA. “We urge President-elect Obama to turn his words into action within the first 100 days of his presidency and demonstrate his commitment to meeting the US’s international obligations,” Freer said.

These included “signing an

executive order prohibiting torture and other ill-treatment, as defined under international law,” he said.

The London-based human rights group said it was also calling on the President-elect to set up an independent commission of inquiry into all aspects of the US’s detention and interrogation practices in the

“war on terror”, and to ensure full accountability for human rights violations committed in that context.

The call comes after Obama said in an interview on Sunday that he will take “early action” on closing the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay and ensuring that the USA does not resort to torture.

US church lets Muslim pray

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A church in the north-central US state of Wisconsin is hosting Muslim worshippers to perform prayers twice a day, The Faith Presbyterian Church in Franklin city in southern Wisconsin has allowed Muslims to perform prayers five days a week.

Since last week Muslims have gathered at the Church’s Sunday school space to perform the Fajr (Dawn) and `Isha` (night) prayers.

The Islamic Center of Milwaukee pays a nominal rental fee to cover church expenses. The move was taken as there are no close mosques for Muslims to perform their prayers.

The prayers can be performed anywhere, at home, outside, at the airport, said Isa Sadlon, the Executive Director of the Islamic Center of

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Milwaukee. But many Muslims prefer to pray with others, and five daily trips to the mosque can be burdensome, he said.

The prayer sites, Sadlon said, allow them to meet their obligations closer to home or work.

There are 150 Muslim families in Franklin city. Muslims pray five times a day at the appointed times: Fajr (dawn), Zhuhr (noon), `Asr (midafternoon), Maghrib (sunset) and `Isha’ (night). Prayer is one of the most important obligations of Islam, being one of the five pillars of Islam.

Allowing Muslims to pray at the church drew a mixed reaction from church members.

“I think we’re doing this, not because of what they believe, but

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because of what we believe,” said Pastor Rev. Deb Bergeson-Graham.

She said the church decision drew an overwhelming support from parishioners, adding that the move is in line with the Christian teachings.

But the decision was objected by some church members. “I told him, ‘I’m sorry you feel this way, and I hope you continue to worship with us,’ “ said one older member.

Sadlon, the Islamic Center Executive Director, was not surprised.

“We don’t take it personally,” said Sadlon, who was raised Catholic but reverted to Islam about 20 years ago. Sometimes your worst enemy becomes your best friend. But it takes time.” www.passionislam.com

Muslims die in Mumbai Attacks In the greatest irony of the Mumbai attacks, more than 40 Muslims, at the present count, died in acts of terror carried out in the name of their religion. At least 183 people died in the attacks.

One survivor was Hussain Rizvi, 20, a front desk executive at the Taj hotel who hid himself in a small second-floor pantry at 10 pm on Wednesday. He emerged dehydrated 42 hours later on Friday, narrowly escaping death at the hands of men who proclaimed they were fighting for the cause of Indian Muslims.

Hussain’s father, Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, stood outside the Taj for hours, watching grenades and gunfire rip apart the hotel in which his son was captive. Though Hussain’s smses provided intermittent relief, the maulana could only pray helplessly.

“There is no justification (for this),”

said the maulana. “All of India should stand up to fight against terrorism.

I don’t consider these terrorists Muslims.”

The sentiment is echoed by other Muslims in Mumbai, aghast that the attacks were committed in the name of jihad. Fashion designer-artist Nahid Merchant, 49, a Muslim who prays five times a day and attends weekly workshops that discuss Islam as a way of life, said, “These terrorists are the worst enemies of Muslims. I hang my head in shame when the terrorists compare their victory to that of the historic Battle of Badar, which was fought to save Islam.”

“They say they are taking revenge for what happened in Gujarat, but two wrongs can never make a right,”Merchant added.

Mohammed Naeem, 30, a fruit seller in Bandra, equally angry, said, “Because of them, my business has gone down by more than half.

Everyone is scared to come out. Both Hindus and Muslims are suffering because of their actions.”

Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, general secretary, All India Ulema Council (Sunni), said Muslim clerics were condemning the terrorists through the media and through sermons in mosques across the city.

“We doubt that these terrorists are Muslims, because jihad does not mean perpetrating violence,” he said.

A Muslim woman, who did not wish to be named, conducts workshops for followers to build faith and lead their lives as devoted Muslims. “In Islam, we greet each other by saying ‘Assalaamu’ Alaykum’, which means ‘Peace be unto you’. These acts have nothing to do with our religion. They have been committed by human machine guns that are evil beyond imagination,” she said. www.passionislam.com

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Hazrat Aisha (R.A.)

The life of Hazrat Aisha (RadhiyallahuAnha) is proof that a woman can be far more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is also proof that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a source of pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.

In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she came under the loving care and attention of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-AlayhiWasallam) himself. As his wife and close companion she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has acquired.

Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha) was born as a Muslim. She says: “When I got to the age of understanding my parents were already Muslims.” From this is it clear that not even a brink of Kufr was shadowed upon her.

Hazrat Aisha (RadhiyallahuAnha) became the Holy Prophet’s (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) wife in Makkah when she was in the sixth

year of her life but her wedding did not take place until the second year after the Hijrah when she was about nine or ten. About her wedding, she related that: “Shortly before she was to leave her parent’s house, she slipped out into the courtyard to play with a passing friend. I was playing on a see-saw and my long streaming hair was dishevelled.” She further says: “They came and took me from my play and made me ready.”

Marriage to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) did not change her playful ways. Her young friends came to visit her regularly in her own apartment. Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha) had her life to the Prophet (Sallallahu-AlayhiWasallam).

Once the Prophet (SallallahuAlayhi-Wasallam) went somewhere at night. When Hazrat Aisha’s (Radhiyallahu-Anha) eyes opened she did not find the Prophet (SallallahuAlayhi-Wasallam) present, so she was very disturbed. She started searching

for him in the darkness. Finally her hand touched the foot of the Prophet (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam), who was in prostration, and she was very relieved.

The bulk of her vast treasure of knowledge was obtained while she was quite young. There are 2210 traditions narrated from her.

Hazrat Aisha’s (RadhiyallahuAnha) students were approximately 200, out of which were: Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Abu Musa Ashari, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas and Hazrat Abdullah ibn Zubair (RadhiyallahuAnhum).

When the Holy Prophet (SallallahuAlayhi-Wasallam) was on his death bed, he had his head on Hazrat Aisha’s (Radhiyallahu-Anha) lap. At the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) death she was only eighteen years old.

May Almighty Allah make the women of today act upon the life of Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha).Darul-Uloom Bury

Please can I have one more chance?

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proving the oneness of Allah, but you rejected each sign, one after another. How is Allah going to give you another chance? Chances were given in the world. You continued sinning but were not punished; now you must face punishment for those unpunished sins committed. Then, the book (of deeds) is given to you in your left hand. You may have passed all the exams in school, but you now have failed the most important one, Life.

The Qur’an states: “And We have fastened every mans deeds to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open.” “(It will be said to him): “Read your book.” (Surah 17, Verses 13,14)

There you are standing before Allah Taa’la, the whole of mankind in anticipation. Hell to your left and Paradise your right. From the first man until the last, everybody is present.

What is to be of them on this Day? Not a word is spoken. Everybody is naked but unusually today, no one actually cares about anybody else.

There’s only one question running through everyone’s mind, what will be their eternal abode?

The Qur’an states: “And they will be set before your Lord in (lines as) rows, (and Allah will say): “Now indeed you have come to us as We created you first. Nay, but you thought that We had appointed no meeting for you (with us).” (Surah 18, Verse 48) You stand there very frightened.

As a Muslim, you hardly prayed your Salaah. In Ramadhan, you didn’t feel like keeping fasts. Zakaat was never on your mind. Even though you had enough money for Hajj, a trip to the Caribbean always seemed much

more appealing.

You look down and wish that this silence continues forever and ever.

Then suddenly, very unexpectedly, your name is called. Abdullah! Son of Adam, your heart begins to beat faster and faster. You are now trembling.

Your turn has now come.

It is time for the truth; did you live in this world as a true believer? Did you believe in the oneness of Allah and follow the teachings of our Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam?

If so, then there is no doubt that Paradise is your eternal abode, but for those who ascribed partners with Allah and neglected the teachings of our Holy Prophet , then, Hell is their only dwelling. There will be no injustice on this day.

Slowly, tears begin to role down your face. Even before you receive the book of deeds, you know you have no chance. You had so many chances to revive yourself in the world, but you continued to commit sins, one after another. Many signs were brought before you clearly

Allah Taa’la states: “And the Book (ones record) will be placed (in the right hand for a believer in the Oneness of Allah, and in the left hand for a disbeliever in the oneness of Allah), and you will see the ‘Mujrimun (sinners), fearful of that which is (recorded) therein. They will say: Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!” And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and Your Lord treats no one with injustice.”

(Surah 18, Verse 49) You bend down on your knees and beg for mercy. “Please Allah! Only one more chance, only one more chance! You open the Book which had been placed in your left hand.

You are shaking as you open the book knowing full well that it has recorded every single deed and every sin. You know full well that no injustice has been done by Allah.

You open the book and every detail is inside. As soon as your eyes glance upon the first sin on the page you have opened, you begin to cry. You

I December 2008 close the book and start to regret. But this is no time to regret. Your chance has now gone. You shout once more, “ALLAH! CAN I HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE!!!??”

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The Qur’an states regarding the misguided: When those who were followed will disown those who were following and they will see the punishment and all ties with them will be cut and those people who were following will say if only there was a returning for us we would disown them just as they disowned us in this way Allah will show them their actions as a source of remorse against themselves and they will not be coming out of the fire of hell. (Surah 2, Verse 166-167) The heat of the fire of Hell is burning in your mind. How will you be punished? How long will you be punished for? Every time you wanted to do good in the world, Shaytaan took you away from the straight path and you were deceived very easily.

You can blame no one but yourself.

Allah Taa’la states: And Satan will say when the matter has been decided: “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of Truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you.

I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me.” (Surah 14, Verse 22)

How deceiving Shaytaan was?

How powerful were his whispers and how weak was your Imaan?

Whatever he whispered into your ears, you immediately followed him.

You disobeyed Allah and followed what you thought was the right path, but you were truly on the wrong path, treading upon the path that would lead you to inevitable destruction, the path that will lead you into Hell fire on this day. You thought arrogantly and lived as though you would live in the world forever. You ignored the fact that everybody to enter the world would eventually die one day and be judged.

Allah Taa’la states in the Qur’an: “Everyone is going to taste death.”

(Surah 21, Verse 33) Only seconds remain. The Hell fire is waiting. Your time has now come, but all you think of is that one more chance. With that one more chance, you would go back in the world and never commit another sin again.

Chances, many chances were only given in the world but now it’s too late.

You are thrown into the scorching fire.

My dear respected readers, do you want to end up like brother Abdullah?

Does his life sound familiar compared to yours? Is obeying Allah, Praying Salaah and pleasing Him not in our daily schedule? Here in this life is our only chance and time to change.

Remember, no chance will be given once you pass away. Repenting will

SPECIAL FEATURE I 19 be of no avail on that day. The Prophet mentions in one Hadith: “The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin.” (Ibn Majah) There is an extremely wretched place for those who disobey Allah and the Prophet . However, those who are pious and are on the Sirate-Mustaqeem (right path) will be the ones that will be triumphant on that day and these are the people that will earn a great reward. Allah Taa’la states in the Qur’an: “Verily, the Muttaqun (pious and righteous persons) who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained) will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers (Paradise).”

(Surah 54, Verse 54) From all the hard work that you do in this world dear readers, Allah Taa’la will never let that work go to waste.

Instead, gardens and rivers will be awaiting that person and the book of deeds will be placed in the believer’s right hand. As for those who do not believe, Allah Taa’la says: “The Day they will be dragged in the Fire on their faces (it will be said to them): “Taste you the touch of Hell.”

(Surah 54, Verse 48) May Allah Taa’la give us all the ability to avoid or discard the path of the Shaytaan and follow the right path shown by our Holy Prophet . Ameen www.passionislam.com

Stop Cutting

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All the great scholars of Islam unanimously agree on this issue that to grow a beard no less than the length of a fist is compulsory upon all Muslim men as it is a distinctive sign of Islam, and it is haram (forbidden) for a mature stable Muslim to shave his beard.

This verdict was reached on the grounds that there are numerous ahaadith where the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam is explicitly commanding the Muslims to grow a beard. In this respect a few ahaadith from Bukhari and Muslim are quoted below.

Translation: Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhu quotes the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam as saying, “Cut short the moustache and lengthen the beard.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Translation: Abu Huraira radiyallahu anhu quotes the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam as saying, “Shorten the moustache and

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lengthen the beard.” (Muslim) Translation: Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhu quotes the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam as saying, “Grow (lengthen) the beard.”

(Muslim) Translation: Yahya ibn Kathir says that, once a person from Ajam (external province) who had grown a moustache and shaved off the beard entered the mosque. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam asked him, “What motivated you to do this act? He replied that his Lord had ordered him to do so. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Allah has ordered me to shorten my moustache and lengthen my beard.” Besides these ahaadith, there are other ahaadith which support the necessity of growing the beard. Therefore, to shave, or trim one’s beard less than the length of a fist is haram (forbidden) and anyone contradicting this ruling will be

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committing a major sin and regarded as a fasiq (immoral person).

The above mentioned ruling applies to all Muslims as a general rule, as for an Imaam or a Hafiz it becomes all the more important to grow a beard as he will have to lead the prayers and the Imamat (leadership) of a person who shaves or trims his beard is makrooh-e-tahrimi (severely disliked), although the prayer behind such a person will be valid. It is stated in a hadith of Ibn Majah that (page 77), ‘Let not a sinful and immoral person lead in a prayer of a true believer.’ It is also stated in Raddul Mukhtar (page 560, vol. 1), ‘It is makrooh-e-tahrimi for a fasiq (immoral person) to lead the prayers. An Imaam is the best person in the community worthy of leading the people in their prayers, he should be pious and apparently free from sin and immorality.’ In a hadith of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam it is stated, “If you wish that

I December 2008 your prayers are accepted, than the most pious amongst should act as your Imaam, for he is a messenger between you and your Lord.”

It is apparent from these ahaadith that an Imaam must grow a beard in order to lead the prayers. According to all four schools of thought (Madhabs), it is compulsory upon a Muslim man to grow a beard and refrain from shaving it, or trimming it to less than the length of a fist. Given below are fatawas (religious verdicts) issued by the four Madhabs and it’s leading scholars on the issue of growing the beard.

Hanafi madhab: To trim the beard when it is less than a fist’s length, as done by some modern people and hermaphrodites is not permissible in the opinion of all the jurists. To shave the beard as done by unorthodox Jews, Hindus and others is also not permissible.

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(Durre Mukhtar) Maliki madhab: To shave the beard is haram and to trim it in such a manner that it changes one’s natural and normal facial features is also haram.

It is also quoted in Kitabul Ib’daa’, that without doubt the four Madhabs are agreed that the beard should be lengthened and that shaving it is haram.

Shafe’ee madhab: It is quoted in Al Ibaab’, that Imaam ibn Ar’rifaah says that Imaam Shafe’ee, in his book, Kitabul Umm, has categorically stated that shaving the beard is haram.

Al Azraiy says that the correct position in the Shafe’ee madhab is that to shave the beard without a valid medical reason is haram.

Similar verdict of prohibition has been issued by Zarakhshi, Baihaqi in his book, Shu’ab Al Iman, and by his teacher Qa’ffal Shashi in Muhasin As Shar’iyyah.

Hanbali madhab: It is narrated in Shar’hul Muntahaa’ and Shar’hul Manzoomatul Adaab, the most accepted view is that it is haram to shave the beard. Some Ulama like the author of ‘Insaf’, have categorically stated that it is haram. There is no report from anyone to the contrary.

Sheikhul Islam ibn Taymiyyah says, “Shaving the beard is haram.”

Ibn Hazm has narrated Ijma (consensus of the Muslims) regarding the obligation of trimming the moustache and keeping the beard,

he brings the following ahaadith in support of this Ijma: Translation: “Oppose the Mushrikeen polytheists), trim the moustache and lengthen the beard.”

(Muslim) Translation: “Whosoever does not trim his moustache, he is not from amongst us.” (Ahmed Tirmidhi and Nasai) The following are some fatawas given, issued by some prominent Muftis of the Arab world, in recent time regarding the necessity of keeping the beard.

Sheikh ibn Abdur Rahman Al Banna writes in Fathur Rabbani, “Shaving the beard is strictly haram.

This is the madhab of Hanbalis and Zahiriyyah. Sheikh Nasir Uddin Albani writes, “Due to the above references, it is wajib to lengthen the beard and to shave is haram.”

Sheikh Abu Bakr Al Jazari writes, “One should leave his beard until it fills his face, because the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has ordered, shorten your moustaches and lengthen your beards.”

We can conclude from what has been said that to keep a beard is compulsory and to trim it or shave it is haram.

Keeping the beard has been the practice of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, as it has also been the practice of the earlier Prophets before him.

When Musa alaihis salaam returned from his journey of Mount Tur and found the Israelites engrossed in idolatry, he became furious and in severe anger he pulled the beard of his deputy (and brother) Haroon alaihis salaam who said: Translation: “O son of my mother, seize me not by my beard nor my hair.”

In the books of ahaadith, numerous hadith describe the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam as having a copious beard.

Translation: Umm Ma’bad radiyallahu anhu says that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam had a copious beard.

At an age when moral and spiritual decline is at its peak, acting upon a single prophetic tradition could insure success in the hereafter. It is narrated in a hadith, Translation: “One who is steadfast upon my Sunnah at the decline of my Ummah, for him there is the reward of

SPECIAL FEATURE I 21 a hundred martyrs.”

One Maulana has said, “Within a body there is nothing which we can imitate the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam. Our hands, feet, chest, eyes, ears, nose etc. cannot imitate the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam. There is only one thing and that is the beard, in which we can imitate the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam. He had a full, dense beard. We should try to imitate him in this matter.

Acting upon the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam brings the pleasure of Allah and in turn great rewards in the hereafter.

Similarly, opposing the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam brings the displeasure of Allah. It is stated in a hadith, Translation: The messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam has cursed those men who imitate women and those women who imitate men.

The beard is a distinctive sign of a man and removing it is like imitating a woman and anyone who commits this crime earns himself the displeasure of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam and to displease the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam is to displease Allah. May Allah save us all from Allah’s displeasure and wrath.

Ameen.

Modern scientists and doctors have realised the benefits of keeping a beard.

One doctor writes, that by continually shaving, the veins of the sight are affected, resulting in failing eyesight. Another doctor writes that a lengthy beard stops harmful germs from reaching the throat and chest.

Another goes so far as to say, “If men shaved for seven generations, the men in the eighth generation will have no beards. This means that the sperm gets weaker in every generation, until in the eighth this quality is completely destroyed.”

Keeping the beard is the right of every individual. Therefore, even parents cannot order their children to shave the beard. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, Translation: “There is no obedience to any creation when the creator is being disobeyed.”

In such situations where children are forced to shave their beard by their parents, the children must oppose them, for there is no obedience to

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“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people” Martin Luther King, Jr

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anyone when the rules of Shari’ah are asked to be violated.

A Muslim should strive hard to imitate the blessed Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam in all aspects of their life.

There are numerous ahaadith in many books of hadith which describe the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam as having a full beard.

Given below are some ahaadith regarding this: Translation: Ali radiyallahu anhu narrates that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam was neither too tall nor too short. He had long hair and beard.

Translation: Bukhari and Abu Dawood narrate from Abu Ma’mar, who says, “We asked Khabbab radiyallahu anhu, did the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam recite the Qur’an in Zuhr and Asar prayers?”

He replied, “Yes.” We asked him how he knew this. He said, “From the movement of his beard.”

Translation: Muslim narrates from Jabir ibn Samura radiyallahu anhu, who says, “The front part of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam’s hair and beard had become grey.

When he used to apply oil, it was not apparent but when the hair was unkempt it use to become apparent.

The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam had a dense beard.”

Translation: At’a ibn Yasir radiyallahu anhu says, “The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam was in the mosque, when a man entered who’s hair and beard were unkempt. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam indicated towards him with his hand as though he was ordering him to adjust his hair and beard. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, ‘Is this not better than coming with unkempt hair like shaitan.’”

Translation: Aisha radiyallahu anha relates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Ten things are of nature in which shortening the moustache and growing a full beard are mentioned.”

Translation: Amongst the fitraat (Deen) of Islam is the cutting of the moustache and the lengthening of the beard, for surely the Majoos (Fire worshippers) lengthen their moustaches and cut their beards.

In these two hadith, it has been mentioned that the beard is the

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natural beauty of a man. To shave it is a unnatural act. Also, shaving the beard is imitating the Kuffar, which is forbidden in Islam.

Translation: Ibn Al Jawzy narrates in Al Wafa Bi Ahwal Al Mustafa from Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam had a full beard.

Translation: Tirmidhi narrates in his Shamaail from Abu Hala, who used to describe the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam. He says that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam had a copious beard.

Translation: Muslim narrates from Ibn Umar that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “Oppose the Mushrikeen (polytheists), shorten the moustache and lengthen the beard.”

In another hadith, the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam warns the Muslims not to imitate the Kuffar. It is stated in the hadith: Translation: The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, “One who imitates another nation, he is from amongst them.” This is a severe warning to those Muslims who wish to imitate the non Muslims in their dress and appearance.

Translation: Anas radiyallahu anhu narrates that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam, most of the time used to oil his hair and comb his beard.

The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam used to take care of his beard and hair. In one of the hadith that has been previously mentioned, the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam told a man to comb his hair and beard. He also given the similarity of a man who has unkempt hair and beard with the devil.

To conclude, the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam has emphatically commanded the Muslims to grow a beard. He also gave a severe warning to those who oppose this command, especially those people who openly oppose it.

In a hadith it is mentioned: Translation: “All the sinners of my Ummah are forgiven except those who commit sins openly.”

This is a warning to those people who openly shave their beards and have no shame in doing this act. May Allah give us all the ability to act upon the commands of the Shari’ah.

Darul Uloom, Bury

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Qurbani

A Sacrifice for us all

Virtues of Qurbāni •Qurbāni is a practice commanded by Allah: So turn in prayer towards your Lord and sacrifice (animals). (108:2) • There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbāni than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgement with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. (Tirmizi, Ibne Mājah) • Zayd Ibne Arqam radiyallahu anhu relates that the Companions radiyallahu anhum asked, “O Rasoolullah! What is Qurbāni?” He replied, “It is the sunnah of your father Ibraaheem alayhis salaam.” They asked again, “What benefit do we get from it?” He answered, “A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal).”

“And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, O Rasoolullah?” they asked. “A reward”, he said, “for every fibre of the wool.” (Ibne Mājah) • When a person slaughters a Qurbāni animal, he is forgiven at the fall of the first drop of blood, and verily, the animal shall be brought forward on the Day Of Judgement with its blood,

meat etc., and shall be increased in weight seventy times more than its own weight, and thereafter it will be placed on the scale of deeds. (Kanzul ‘Ummāl)

On whom is Qurbāni waajib?

• Qurbāni is waajib on every Muslim who is of sound mind, mature (who has reached the age of puberty), muqeem (i.e. he is not a Shar‘ee traveller) and possesses the amount of fifty two and half tolas of silver (612.36 grammes) or wealth equivalent to that value which is in excess of one’s aslee (basic) needs. It is not necessary that this amount be in one’s possession for a complete lunar year. It’s possession during the three days of Qurbāni will make Qurbāni obligatory. Qurbāni is not incumbent on a child or an insane person whether they own wealth equivalent to the amount above or not, nor is it waajib upon their guardians to perform it on their behalf. Similarly, it is not waajib on a Shar‘ee traveller.

Note: A Shar‘ee traveller is he who goes on a journey with an intention of travelling forty eight miles. He will be treated as a traveller as soon as he goes out of his town.

• It is highly virtuous for one on

whom Qurbāni is not waajib to offer sacrifice for the Pleasure of Allah.

He will be eligible for all the reward mentioned in the Ahaadeeth.

• During the days of Qurbāni, sadaqah and charity cannot compensate for Qurbāni nor fulfil the waajib. Qurbāni is a unique ibaadah.

Just as Zakaah cannot compensate for Hajj, or Sawm (Fasting) cannot compensate for Salaat, similarly charity cannot compensate for Qurbāni. However, if the days of Qurbāni had passed, and the Qurbāni was not offered due to not knowing, negligence or for some other valid reason, then it becomes waajib to give in sadaqah the price of Qurbāni animal or the animal itself to the poor.

• If a traveller returned home or a person acquired the required wealth on the 12th of Zul Hijjah before sunset, it will be waajib upon him to perform Qurbāni.

• A traveller who makes intention of staying at a certain place for fifteen days or more, no longer remains a traveller. He must offer Qurbāni if he possesses the prescribed amount.

Days of Qurbāni

I December 2008 • The days of Qurbāni are the tenth, eleventh and twelfth of Zul Hijjah. The first day is better than the second, and the second better than the last.

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Time for Qurbāni • In towns and cities where Jumu‘ah and ‘Eed are performed, Qurbāni is not permissible before the ‘Eed Salaat. If the Qurbāni has been offered before the ‘Eed Salaat, it will have to be repeated. Therefore, the time for Qurbāni commences after ‘Eed Salaat on 10th Zul Hijjah until before sunset of 12th Zul Hijjah.

• It is permissible, but not preferable to perform Qurbāni at night.

The Qurbāni animal • It is permissible to offer in sacrifice a goat or she-goat, sheep of all kinds, cow, bull, buffalo or camel.

• It is necessary that the goat is one (full) year old, whether male or female. A cow, bull or buffalo will have to be two years old, and a camel five years. Animals that are younger are not suitable for Qurbāni.

• A sheep (of any kind) not less than six months old, so strong and fat that it appears to be one year old will suffice for Qurbāni, otherwise it will have to be one (full) year old.

• A cow, bull, buffalo or camel will suffice for seven persons provided no one’s share is less than one seventh and the niyyah (intention) of all partners is to attain thawaab (for Qurbāni), and not merely to obtain meat.

• The Qurbāni of only one person can be performed from a goat, sheep or ram.

• If an animal seller says that the animal has reached the required age, and outwardly there is no sign to disprove it, then it is permissible to rely on his statement.

• Animals that are castrated can be used for Qurbāni. In fact this type of animal is preferable.

• The following cannot be used for Qurbāni: - Animals that are blind, one-eyed

or has lost one-third or more of its eyesight.

- Animals that have lost a third of the ear or the tail. Similarly, the animal which has no ear from its very birth.

- Animal whose horn has been broken off from the root.

- Animal which has one leg lame to the extent that it walks on three legs only and is unable to use the fourth leg.

- Animal so lean and thin that its bones have no marrow.

- Animal so weak that it cannot walk to the place of slaughtering on its own.

- Animal completely toothless or one that has lost most of its teeth.

• It is virtuous to purchase the animal for Qurbāni a few days prior to slaughtering and care must be taken in feeding and nursing it.

Masnoon method of sacrifice • It is more virtuous to slaughter the animal with one’s own hands. If one does not know how to slaughter, it is preferred that he remain present while someone else is sacrificing the animal. It is not necessary to make the niyyah (intention) of Qurbāni with the tongue, however it is necessary to say Bismillahi Allahu Akbar when slaughtering.

• Use a sharp knife and slaughter the animal quickly so that it does not suffer.

• Do not sharpen the knife in front of the animal • After slaughtering, do not skin the animal before it becomes completely cold.

• Do not slaughter one animal in the presence of another.

• It is mustahab (desirable) for one who intends to perform Qurbāni to refrain from cutting hair or clipping nails from 1st Zul Hijjah to 10th Zul Hijjah, (i.e. until after Qurbāni).

The Qurbāni meat and skin • It is permissible to eat the Qurbāni meat. It can also be distributed to relatives and friends whether wealthy

SPECIAL FEATURE I 25 or poor, Muslims or non-Muslims. It is better to divide it into three parts.

One for the family, one for relatives and friends and one for the poor and needy.

• The skin of the Qurbāni animal can be kept for personal use, e.g. using it as a prayer-mat, water bag etc.

• If the skin of the Qurbāni animal is sold, then it is waajib to give that amount in sadaqah to the poor (i.e. those who are eligible for Zakaah).

• It is not permissible to give meat, fat, etc. of the sacrificed animal to the butcher as his wages.

• The meat of the animal slaughtered by partners should be shared by weight and not by estimation.

• The rope, cover, etc. of the animal should be given away as sadaqah.

Qurbāni on behalf of the deceased If one has been favoured by Allah with wealth, then he should also perform Qurbāni on behalf of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, his Sahaabah, his Ummah, the Prophets and for his own living or deceased relatives, friends and teachers who have conveyed Deeni knowledge.

One should always remember and never overlook our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and perform Qurbāni on his behalf.

Aboo Talhah radiyallahu anhu has related that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam sacrificed one ram and while sacrificing the other he said, “This is on behalf of every one of my Ummah who believed in me and testified (to my prophethood).”

(Tabraani) It is a matter for deep thought and consideration that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam kept his Ummah in his mind while offering the sacrifice and it is deplorable for the Ummah not to remember him at the time of Qurbāni.

By Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah - IDA

I CORRESPONDENCE

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It looks like those artist have been at it again Sent in by Mohammed Batley

I December 2008

Sent in by Maz, Bristol

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I December 2008

Racism is man’s gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Ghandi

The Fisherman

CORRESPONDENCE

I 27

Sent in by Amy, Somerset An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, “Only a little while.”

The investment banker then asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

The fisherman said, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”

The investment banker then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life.”

The investment banker scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would

have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to the the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise.”

The fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the investment banker replied, “15 to 20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the fisherman.

The investment banker laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions?...Then what?”

The investment banker said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your family.”

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