USELESS MATTERS

The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah, and of seeking closeness to Him.
Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure.

A heart that is separated from the love, desire and intimacy with Allah:

1. How is it possible for the da`wah carrier to be empty of love for Allah (swt)?

2. How can a sign (`alamah) of love of Allah be to avoid following his commands? A sign of love is obedience.[10]

3. He/she must be constantly infused and invigorated by the love of Allah – prepared to offer his/her life for Him.[11]

4. His/her heart must be developed and nourished by remembering[12] and contemplating on the attributes and extreme love, mercy and benevolence[13] Allah has for His creatures and how He helps and intervenes in protecting those struggling in His path.

5. Allah desires a reciprocal intimacy with His servants and a da`wah carrier must burn with desire for this.

6. Should our hearts be buried in the love of things (cars, clothes, gadgets…), objects, wealth, the benefits of the dunya, etc. or should it be enveloped in the love and longing of Allah and His Messenger (saw)?

7. Should love of the dunya eclipse our love for Allah?

Quranic Comments !!!

Music In Islam

Alsalam aliekom wa rahmatouAllah;

Today I’m going to open one of sensitive topics spreads in Ummah wither Music is Haram or Halal, should I listen to the Nasheeds with Musical instruments or not ? for briefly, clearly , Mind to Mind and Heart to Heart chit chat lets begin

BismAllaher rahmaner rahim 

Musical instruments are: the use of music, either alone or with lyrics does not violate the law and displeasing Allah •swt•

Scholars did not differ on Singing Itself, because the Prophet •pbuh• heard little girls were singing during days of Eid in Aisha’a house… but they spotted the light of using the Musical Instruments itself as subject

Importance of this subject comes from the presence of musical instruments in our lives:

In most transportation we hear music

In most shops and business centers we hear music

In most restaurants we hear music

What is the ruling? What is the disagreement? What should we do when there is differences in opinions?

Syrian regime draws battle lines as rebels advance

 A Free Syrian Army fighter runs to take cover from snipers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's Al-Amiriya district November 26, 2012. Picture taken November 26, 2012.

BEIRUT: President Bashar al-Assad is increasingly relying on militiamen and members of the Alawite community to defend his regime as rebels advance in Syria's north and east and inevitably towards a final showdown in Damascus, analysts say.

As the conflict becomes more drawn out, greater numbers of recruits from a massive pool of Sunni Muslims -- 70 percent of the country's population -- are joining the insurgency, which enjoys backing from Turkey and Gulf countries.

At the same time, the army is facing difficulties in attracting new recruits, says Aram Nerguizian, visiting fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"The regime is ... working to better organise Alawite and other militias, like the shabiha, into more capable forces," Nerguizian told AFP.

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Smoking gun

Smoking gun

By Syed Nazakat/Malegaon &New Delhi

Approver alleges that ATS officers asked him to implicate innocent people in Malegaon blasts, allowing real bombers to strike elsewhere. Abrar Ahmad, the sole approver in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blasts case, was released in 2011, after five years in jail. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, his first since then, he tells a damning story of the shadowy investigation, allurement and intimidation. Excerpts:

What Every Muslim Should Know About Christmas?

Al-Hamdulillah, All praise be to Allah alone, for making us Muslims and bestowing us the Deen of Islam to distinguish right and wrong. The holiday season is upon us again, and the ugly head of Satan is rising again to inspire people to indulge in innovation and shirk.

What proceeds is an analytical view of Christmas and appropriate Muslim conduct during the Christmas season.

Any belief system or ritual (Christmas or otherwise) in any religion should satisfy each of the following criteria to be labeled as authentic:

1. It should have its evidence from the scriptures or from the authentic sayings of the Messenger.
2. The Messenger himself and his companions should practice and propagate it.
3. The Scripture or the Messenger’s sayings in which this belief system is present should be preserved from alterations or perishment.

Does Christmas have Biblical Evidence?

The word ‘Christmas’ is not even present in the entire Bible. The Bible has closed lips on the entire feast of Christmas with one exception, the decoration of tree. Fortunately, for the Christians, the Bible does has a word or two to say on the decoration of the Christmas tree, but unfortunately for them, their own Bible criticizes the use of decorating tree:

“The customs of the people are worthless, they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel, they adore it with silver and gold, they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter” (Jeremiah 10:3,4).

Pre-Christian pagans superstitiously believed that the evergreen tree has special power of protection. In fact, the use of Christmas tree began in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, France and from there it spread to Germany, Britain and then to the U.S. “Tree worship was a common feature of religion among the Teutonic and Scandinavian peoples of northern Europe before their conversion to Christianity…German settlers brought the Christmas tree custom to the American colonies in the 17th century. By the 19th century its use was quite widespread”. (Compton’s Encyclopedia, 1998 Edition)
Was Jesus Born on Dec. 25th?

Neither the date 25th Dec. nor any other date on Jesus’ birth is mentioned in the Bible. Not until the year 530 C.E., that a monk, Dionysus Exigus, fixed the date of the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25th. “He wrongly dated the birth of Christ according to the Roman system (i.e., 754 years after the founding of Rome) as Dec. 25, 753″. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 ed.) This date was chosen perhaps in keeping with the holidays already indoctrinated into pagans.

Roman pagans celebrated Dec. 25th as the birth of their ‘god’ of light, Mithra. “In the 2nd century A..D., it (Mithraism) was more general in the Roman Empire than Christianity, to which it bore many similarities” (The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 1995 ed.)

“The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains uncertain, but most probably the reason is that early Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the “birthday of the unconquered sun” (natalis solis invicti); this festival celebrated the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky”. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 Ed.)

Other pagan ‘gods’ born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules, the son of Zeus (Greeks) Bacchus, god of wind, (Romans),Adenis god of Greeks Freyr the Greek-Roman god.
What about Santa Claus?

Once again the word ‘Santa Claus’ appears no where in the bible. However Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) was a real person, bishop, who was born 300 years after Jesus (pbuh). According to legend he was extremely kind and went out at night to distribute presents to the needy. After his death on the 6th of Dec., school boys in Europe celebrated a feast day every year on the anniversary of his death. Queen Victoria later changed the celebration date from Dec. 6th to Dec. 24th eve.

Thus Christmas is an innovation (bidah) in their religion, associating it with Santa Claus, and changing the original date of death anniversary of Saint Nicholas are further deviations.
Did Jesus or his companions celebrated Christmas?

Of course not. If Jesus meant his ‘Ummah’ to celebrate Christmas, he would have practiced it himself and enjoined it on his followers. Even the ‘supposed pseudo-companions’ of Jesus (and not the companions of Jesus mentioned in the Quran who called themselves as Muslims) mentioned in the bible made many innovations in their religion, but celebrating Christmas was not their endeavor.

“In fact, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century” (Grolier’s Encyclopedia).

Even if Christianity passed the above two test, they still have to prove that their Bible have remained unaltered since its revelation. A whole separate article could be written on this topic.

We’ll mention three brief points, insha Allah. (1) Bible, unlike our Quran, was not written down during Jesus’ lifetime and no evidence of it ever being memorized. (2) The oldest bible (Codex Siniticas) in possession of Christendom is only from the 4th century C.E. (3) verses are missing or added as to the Bible throughout the centuries. Compare different Bible versions (eg. compare the King James Version with Revised Standard Version. For verse: 1 John 5:7, this verse is missing in Revised Standard Version published in 1952).

How unfortunate and pitiful: parts of the original Bible has been lost. Part surviving has been corrupted and the corrupted parts has been misinterpreted.
How should Muslims React to Christmas?

Being the custodians of Truth and the ‘Best Ummah created for mankind” and “witnesses unto Mankind”, we Muslims just can’t stay still as the society around us is entrapped by Satan. Enjoining good and forbidding evil should be our theme.

The foremost thing to realize is that Christmas is a big innovation which is leading a big part of humanity to shirk (associating partners with God). Christianity has transgressed the limits set by Allah; therefore showing happiness and joy on Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Good Friday is like shaking hands with Satan and telling him to carry on the good work.

Remember Allah commandment to us in the Quran:

“Help you one another in virtue and righteousness, but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah, verily Allah is severe in punishment”. (The Holy Quran, 5:2)

Therefore, a Muslim can’t enjoin in any aspect of Christmas in the disguise that Jesus is our Prophet too, we are just honoring him by celebrating Christmas. We should recognize the bidah of Christmas and the Prophet’s warning that all bidah should be rejected. Therefore, accepting Christmas invitations, attending Christmas parties, buying small plastic Christmas trees to please the kids (some Muslims actually do) should be avoided.

By greeting Christians with ‘merry Christmas’ we are legitimizing Christmas, by driving out on Christmas eve to witness the decoration of houses, we are appreciating bidah with our eyes, by placing our kids on the laps of Santa in the malls we are handing them in the hands of a fiend, by closing our Islamic Schools or shops during Christmas we are giving it our silent approval, by selling Christmas items in our shops, we are strengthening the pillars of Kufr.

By purchasing for children books with Christmas themes (‘The Night before Christmas’), by watching Christmas movies and by giving holidays to our regular Islamic schools or weekend schools, we are passing them a misguided message.

Indeed Islam came to tear down the pillars of kufr and replace them with the pillars of Islam. Armed with facts on Christmas and eloquent words of Islam, the door of Dawah to the Christians should be wisely open.

When the Christians see us restraining from observing Christmas, they will curiously ask us for the reason. This opportunity should be used by each single Muslim to discuss Islam and invite non-Muslims to Islam.

It is highly recommended for all Muslims to carry brochures on Islam with them to pass on to non-Muslim classmates, co-workers, neighbors etc. after discussing Islam.

The Month of Muharram and Its First Ten Days

Muslim reported from Abu Hurayra (ALLAH be pleased with him), that the Prophet (pbuh) said , “The best of fasts after the month of Ramadan are in the Month of ALLAH, which you call Muharram. And the best of prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.” [Sahih Muslim, 1163]

The Prophet (pbuh) used to fast this day (Ashura i-e 10th of Muharram) even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Sahih Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)]

It has been reported in both Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (r.a), that, “When the Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) reached Medina, he found the Jews fasting the Day of `Ashura’, so he asked them, ‘What is this day you are fasting?’ They said, ‘This is a tremendous day. ALLAH saved Musa and his people on this day and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted it out of thanks, so we fast it too.’ The Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) said, ‘And we are more deserving of Musa than you are.’ So he fasted this day, and ordered that it be fasted.”[Sahih Bukhari (2004) and Muslim (1130)]

It has been reported in the Sahih of Imam Muslim, also from Ibn Abbas (r.a) that, “When the Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) fasted the Day of `Ashura’ and ordered his companions to fast it, they said, ‘O Messenger of ALLAH! This is a day that the Jews and Christians venerate.’ So the Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) said, ‘When next year comes – if ALLAH wills – we will fast the Ninth [of Muharram with it].’ But the next year did not come before the Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) passed away.” [Sahih Muslim (1134), Abu Dawud (2445)]

And it is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (r.a), from Ibn Abbas (r.a) that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Fast the Day of `Ashura’ and be different from the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it.” [Ahmad]

Sultan Abdul Hamid II

Contributed by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, PhD

Sultan Abdul Hamid II inherited an empire that was bankrupt. Beginning with the Crimean War (1853-1856), the Ottoman debt mounted steadily. The burden of keeping a large standing army and modernizing it in the face of perpetual foreign threats required continued borrowing, so that by 1878 the public debt stood at more than 13.5 billion kurush. The cost of servicing this enormous debt was more than 1.4 billion kurush, a sum equal to 70% of all revenues. The heavy debt burden cast a long shadow on all aspects of the Sultan’s reign, including international relations, education, agriculture and political reform.

A militarily and economically weak Ottoman Empire was the object of European imperial ambitions. Russia had emerged as a major Eurasian power, having swallowed up the Turkoman territories of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Russian Czar desired open access to the warm waters of the Mediterranean to become a player in the great game of world domination. But the Ottoman Empire, sitting astride a wide arc extending from the Adriatic Sea to the borders of Persia, blocked this access. To achieve his aims and pressure the Ottomans into giving him concessions, the Czar used a combination of direct military threats and indirect pressure through his Serbian and Bulgar surrogates. France, after occupying Algeria, had her eyes on Morocco and Tunisia. The Italians wanted Libya. The empire of Austria-Hungary sought Bosnia-Herzegovina. The interests of Great Britain lay in Egypt and in the control of access routes to her Indian Empire. Only Germany, which had emerged as the dominant power on the continent under Bismarck, preferred the status quo. But she too was willing to sacrifice Ottoman territorial integrity to preserve her interests. Realizing that a war between Russia and Austria-Hungary over their competing ambitions in the Balkans would force him to take sides and shatter his domination of continental Europe, the Kaiser of Germany engineered an alliance between himself, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary and the Czar of Russia. This alliance was called the League of Three Emperors.

Hassan Al Banna

Early life

Banna was born in 1906 in Mahmoudiyah, Egypt (north-west of Cairo in the Nile delta).^[1]His father, Sheikh Ahmad 'Abd al-Rahman al-Banna al-Sa'ati, was a local imam (prayer leader) and masjid teacher of the Hanbali rite. His brother is Gamal al-Banna. He was educated at Dar Al-Uloum school in Cairo.^[2] He wrote and collaborated on books onMuslim traditions, and also had a shop where he repaired watches and sold gramophones. Though Sheikh Ahmad al-Banna and his wife owned some property, they were not wealthy and struggled to make ends meet, particularly after they moved to Cairo in 1924. Like many others, they found that Islamic learning and piety were no longer as highly valued in the capital, and that craftsmanship could not compete with large-scale industry.

When Hasan al-Banna was twelve years old, he became involved in a Sufi order, and became a fully initiated member in 1922. At the age of thirteen, he participated in demonstrations during the revolution of 1919 against British rule.

The Muslim Brothers

It was to spread this message that Al-Banna launched the society of the Muslim Brothers in March 1928. At first, the society was only one of the numerous small Islamic associations that existed at the time. Similar to those that Al-Banna himself had joined since he was 12, these associations aimed to promote personal piety and engaged in charitable activities. By the late 1930s, it had established branches in every Egyptian province.

A decade later, it had 500,000 active members and as many sympathizers in Egypt alone, while its appeal was now felt in several other countries as well. The society's growth was particularly pronounced after Al-Banna relocated its headquarters to Cairo in 1932. The single most important factor that made this dramatic expansion possible was the organizational and ideological leadership provided by Al-Banna.

In Ismaïlia, he preached in the mosque, and even in coffee houses, which were then a novelty and were generally viewed as morally suspect. At first, some of his views on relatively minor points of Islamic practice led to strong disagreements with the local religious élite, and he adopted the policy of avoiding religious controversies.

He was appalled by the many conspicuous signs of foreign military and economic domination in Isma'iliyya: the British military camps, the public utilities owned by foreign interests, and the luxurious residences of the foreign employees of the Suez Canal Company, next to the squalid dwellings of the Egyptian workers.

Political Activity

He endeavored to bring about the changes he hoped for through institution-building, relentless activism at the grassroots level, and a reliance on mass communication. He proceeded to build a complex mass movement that featured sophisticated governance structures; sections in charge of furthering the society's values among peasants, workers, and professionals; units entrusted with key functions, including propagation of the message, liaison with the Islamic world, and press and translation; and specialized committees for finances and legal affairs.

In anchoring this organization into Egyptian society, Al-Banna relied on pre-existing social networks, in particular those built around mosques, Islamic welfare associations, and neighborhood groups. This weaving of traditional ties into a distinctively modern structure was at the root of his success. Directly attached to the brotherhood, and feeding its expansion, were numerous businesses, clinics, and schools. In addition, members were affiliated to the movement through a series of cells, revealingly called usar (families. singular:usrah).

The material, social and psychological support thus provided were instrumental to the movement's ability to generate enormous loyalty among its members and to attract new recruits. The services and organizational structure around which the society was built were intended to enable individuals to reintegrate into a distinctly Islamic setting, shaped by the society's own principles.

Rooted in Islam, Al-Banna's message tackled issues including colonialism, public health, educational policy, natural resourcesmanagement,social inequalities, Arab nationalism, the weakness of the Islamic world on the international scene, and the growing conflict in Palestine. By emphasizing concerns that appealed to a variety of constituencies, Al-Banna was able to recruit from among a cross-section of Egyptian society — though modern-educated civil servants, office employees, and professionals remained dominant among the organization's activists and decisionmakers. Al-Banna was also active in resisting British rule in Egypt.

Between 1948 and 1949, shortly after the society sent volunteers to fight against Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the conflict between the monarchy and the society reached its climax. Concerned with the increasing assertiveness and popularity of the brotherhood, as well as with rumors that it was plotting a coup, Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nukrashi Pasha disbanded it in December 1948. The organization's assets were impounded and scores of its members sent to jail. Following Pasha's assassination, Al-Banna promptly released a statement condemning the assassination, stating that terror is not an acceptable way in Islam.

On February 12, 1949 in Cairo, Al-Banna was at the Jamiyyah al-Shubban al-Muslimeen headquarters with his brother in-law Abdul Karim Mansur to negotiate with Minister Zaki Ali Basha who represented the government side. Minister Zaki Ali Basha never arrived. By 5 p.m., Al-Banna and his brother-in-law decided to leave. As they stood waiting for a taxi, they were shot by two men. He eventually died from his wounds.

In honor of his death in 1949, he was often referred to as "As-Shaheed Imam Hassan Al-Banna" (Martyr Imam Hassan Al-Banna).

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi

Bediuzzaman's Life

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was born in 1877 in eastern Turkey and died in 1960 in Urfa in Turkey. Readers may refer to his biography for details of his long and exemplary life, which spanned the last decades of the Ottoman Empire, its collapse after the First World War and the setting up of the Republic, then the twenty-five years of Republican Peoples' Party rule, well-known for the measures taken against Islam, followed by the ten years of Democrat rule, when conditions eased a little for Bediuzzaman.

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Communal violence breaks in Faizabad district, curfew imposed

Five cities in the affected, curfew imposed in Faizabad city after violence breaks during immersion of Durga idols

Virendra Nath Bhatt 

Lucknow

Communal violence broke out simultaneously in five towns of the Faizabad district including the district headquarter Faizabad city on Wednesday 24 October evening when the procession for immersion of Durga idols in river Saryu was being taken out on the last day of Durga puja.

Rudauli, Bhadrsa, Sohawal and Harringtonganj towns have also been affected. About two dozen shops at the heart of Faizabad city were burnt and some people have also suffered injuries.

Iran has drone pictures of Israeli bases, prominent lawmaker says

Image from a video released by the Israeli Defense Forces shows the recent downing of a drone. (Photo: AP)

Iran has images of sensitive Israeli military bases taken by a drone that was launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and downed by Israel earlier this month, a senior Iranian lawmaker claimed on Monday in the latest boast from Tehran about purported advances in the capabilities of its unmanned aircraft.

The announcement gave no details about the photos -- other than calling the Israeli bases “forbidden sites” -- but it suggested Iranian drones have the ability to transmit data while in flight. It also appeared aimed at warning Israel about the options for retaliation for any possible strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
A prominent lawmaker, Ismaeil Kowsari, also was quoted as saying that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah possesses more sophisticated Iranian-made drones than the one that was downed, including some that could carry weapons. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.
“These drones transmit the pictures online,” Kowsari he told the semiofficial Mehr news agency. “The pictures of forbidden sites taken and transmitted by this drone are now in our possession.”
The lawmaker, who heads the parliament's defense committee, said Hezbollah is “definitely” equipped with more sophisticated drones, but gave no further details.
Hezbollah “won't announce it as long as it doesn't see the need to do so ... That's why we say we will respond to Israel inside [its] territory, should it take any action against us,” said Kowsari, a former commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guard.
Iran has claimed that Iranian-made surveillance drones have made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years. Israel has rejected the account.
Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahid also claimed on Sunday that Tehran has drones far more advanced than the Ayub unmanned aircraft launched by Hezbollah, saying it was not the “latest Iranian technology, definitely.” He did not elaborate.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has said the Ayub drone was manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon.
Iran routinely announces technological breakthroughs in its defense program. Last month it claimed to have started producing a long-range missile-carrying drone with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles).
The Shahed-129, or Witness-129, covers much of the Middle East including Israel and nearly doubles the range of previous drones produced by Iranian technicians, who have often relied on reverse engineering military hardware with the country under Western embargo.
But it's unclear whether the new drone contains any elements of an unmanned CIA aircraft that went down in eastern Iran last year. Iran said it has recovered data from the RQ-170 Sentinel and claimed it was building its own replica.

Russian ship with 700 tons of gold ore missing

A vessel with a nine-person crew and 700 tons of gold ore onboard has gone missing in stormy seas off Russia's Pacific Coast.

The ship sent a distress call on Sunday as it was sailing from the coastal town of Neran to Feklistov Island in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The vessel, hired by mining company Polymetal, was carrying 700 tons of gold ore from one deposit to another where it was to be processed. Gold ore is the material from which gold is extracted and contains only a small percentage of the precious metal.
Polymetal's spokesman on Monday would not estimate the value of the cargo.

New York streets flooded as Sandy slams into eastern US

Sandy, one of the biggest storms to hit the United States, pounded the east coast on Tuesday, flooding large parts of New York City, bringing transport to a halt and interrupting the presidential campaign.

More than 5.5 million people were left without electrical power by the storm, which crashed ashore late on Monday near the gambling resort of Atlantic City, New Jersey. More than one million people across a dozen states were ordered to evacuate.

Shallow 6.3 quake off west Canada coast

30 October 2012 / REUTERS, SYDNEY

A shallow earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck off British Columbia province on Canada's west coast, the US Geological Survey said, the second powerful earthquake in the region in two days.

The quake, at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), was centred about 245 km (150 miles) southwest of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and struck at about 10.29 p.m. on Monday (0249 GMT Tuesday), the USGS said.
The quake was not expected to generate a tsunami, the USGS's Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement.
A tsunami warning was issued for Hawaii after a magnitude 7.7 quake hit off the coast of British Columbia late on Saturday.
That tsunami advisory was cancelled early on Sunday after smaller than anticipated waves reached the US island group in the Pacific without causing any major damage.
Thousands of people in Hawaii had fled to higher ground before the warning was cancelled

Republic Day celebrations held amid controversy

Clashes between Turkish police and protesters who insisted on holding a banned rally cast a shadow over the Republic Day celebrations held on Monday.

For the first time, Republic Day, which marks the foundation of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923, was celebrated at two separate events in Ankara, clearly indicating the  divide between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and opposition groups, including main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) as well as some minor leftist parties.

Official celebrations went ahead as planned in the Turkish capital, while the rally, organized by the opposition groups but banned by the Ankara Governor's Office citing security reasons, saw some tense moments between protestors and the riot police.   

The Month Of Zul-Hijjah

 Twelfth and last month of the Islamic Calendar.
Meaning: The month of "Hajj" (Pilgrimage).  This is the last sacred month in which fighting was forbidden.
Blessings: 
The fifth pillar of Islam "Hajj" is performed in this sacred month.  The first ten days of Zul-Hijjah are the most virtuous days in this whole month, Hajj is performed amongst these ten days.
Hadhrat Abu Haraira (R.A) reports from the Holy Prophet  : "Amongst all days there are none better to engage in sole worship of Allah than in the ten days of Zul-Hijjah,  To observe a fast on any of these days is equivalent to fasting throughout the year, to actively engage in prayer and worship throughout any of these nights holds such rewarding values leveling with "night of power" (Laylatul-Qadr) "Tirmizi"
It has been stated in the Holy Qur'an, "By the dawn; By the ten nights (ie. the first ten days of the month of Zul-Hijjah), and by the even and the odd (of all the creations of Allah) and by night when it departs.  There is indeed in them (the above oaths) sufficient proofs for men of understanding.  (and that they should avoid all kinds of sins and disbelief)"
Hadhrat Abi Qataadah (R.A) reports in a part narration from the Holy Prophet  concerning the fast observed on the day of Arafaat: "I have full confidence in Allah for the one who observes a fast on the day of Arafaat that his previous year's sins and the proceeding year's sins are forgiven."

(Muslim)

Events: 
1. The Prophet  performed the farewell Hajj and gave the historic sermon known as the "Farewell Sermon"
2. Egypt was conquered by the army sent by Hadhart Umar (R.A.)
3. Uthmaan (R.A.) was appointed the third Caliph
4. "Bay'ate-Aqabah"5. Hadhrat Fatimah (R.A.) was married in this holy month to the fourth Caliph Hadhrat Ali (R.A.)

colonization of muslim mind

People that refuse to surrender can never be enslaved . slavery is the first and foremost a state of mind. Steve biko, the anti-apartheid stuggler paid with his life but he became importalised in the mind of refusing to surrender. He had said,”the greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor id the mind of the oppressed”. In battle, psychological defeat precedes physical factors cannot reverse the tide . the opposite is equally true : those who refuse to surrender regardless of their sisadvantage in material terms can never be defeated. Thus we know that while the afghans are no match for the firepower of the Americans and their allies, they have been able to force the Americans to admit there is no military solution to the problem in Afghanisthan . the America are now talking about a negotiate settlement. The same is true in londan unlike the Arabian regimes and their well-stocked armies, Hizbullah has refused to surrender to the Zionists. The result is clear. The Zionists have been defeated not once but twice in the last decade. The same scenario is beginning to emerge in Palestine where Hamas has refused to accept Zionist supremacy regardless of the odds.

In the rest of the Muslim world, barring Islamic iran, the ruling elites have accepted defeat and humiliation as their permanent condition. Onc can find striking lessons of such behavior related to Bani Israel described in the noble Qur’an. In one case, bani Israel confirming their mental defeat, refused to enter a territory when prophet Musa(a) asked them to do so as commanded by Allah. prophet Dawud(a), on the other hand, refused to be intimidated by size of goliath and killed him.

The Muslim ruling elites display all the characteristics of the bani Israel of old. Their commitment to Allah is superficial, not sincere. While the Muslim world is endowed with great material resources, these are not utilized to improve the condition of the people. Instead, the elites have become accustomed to an easy lifestyle and are not prepared to face the hardships that come with stuggle for truth and justice. They feel more comfortable as slaves of the west than living a dignified existence as servants of Allah, the creator and master of the universe..

How did this situation arise?  Muslim did not always display such cowardice. In the early period of Islam, small number of Muslims repeatedly overwhelmed much larger enemy forces. Muslim did not do so through the superiority of weapons; what they lacked in swords and spears, they made up for in iman, secure un the knowledge that whether they survive in battle or fall fighting, they will be victorious. Such people can never be defeated…..

The mentality is the product of colonialism. While direct colonialism ended with the departure of European colonialists from Muslim lands, indirect colonialism has continued. People who assumed the reigns of power in the so-called independent Muslim societies were already mental slaves.

They had imbibed the values, culture and mannerism of the colonial masters. They adopted the mannerism of the colonial masters. They adopted the colonial master’s language and displayed the same contempt for ordinary people that the European colonialists did.

Even these may be considered minor compared to the mental slavery that is so pervasive in Muslim societies. The Muslim elite-and Pakistan is a typical example – cannot imagine life without the deathly embrace of Uncle Sam. The Pakistanis can be forgiven for such servile attitude because they do not have much wealth. How does one explain the slave mentality of the Saudis that have billions – nay trillions of dollar yet they behave as slaves of the Americans? If the Americans think jihad is bad, the Saudis immediately say “Amen”. If the Americans order removal Qur’anic passages from textbooks that condemn certain behavior, the Saudis immediately comply. They have bought into the propaganda that US is all powerful.

It is far easier to overcome physical colonization but much harder to surmount mental colonization. The mind itself must be willing to break out of such a state. A lion’s natural habitat is the jungle where it roams free. A lion in the circus, however, has accepted mental defeat. Even when let loose, it does not run away to return to the jungle. The Muslim elite behave kike circus lions jumping at the crack of the ring master’s whip. Nothing good can be accepted from such people; they are happy living in a cage to be fed dead meat.

The first step towards liberation is the process of liberating the Muslim mind.

By
The Student of the new college

Muhammad Ali’s advice to his daughters…

The following incident took place when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were not modest. Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:

When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.”

He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” Source: Taken from the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes — with Ibnu Hadi Jawas and Chulbulkhan Khan.

Husband & wife’s rights,responsibilities towards each other

The rights in marriage fall into 3 categories:

1- Mutual rights between the two spouses.
2- Husband’s rights.
3- Wife’s rights.

These rights translate into the following duties that the husband and wife owe to each other:

Duties that are mutual:

First Duty: To forgive each other’s small mistakes.

Second Duty: To provide emotional support in both happiness and sadness

Third Duty: To offer each other wholesome advice concerning obedience to Allah.

(These 3 duties are implied in Allah’s statement: “Live with them in kindness.”)

Training of the Heart: Three Radical Loves

The messengers and prophets he sent were great examples of how to manifest our love for Him. When the heart is ready to give up and the soul cannot be burdened with one more pain, remembering the Source of ourselves makes it easier, doable, and the seemingly impossible, possible.

Recently, I had the honor of training a group of emerging young Muslim leaders and I thought of three points that resonated for me whenever I have the opportunity of engaging with future, current and elder leaders of my community.

12 Foods Which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) liked And Their Benefit

1. Barley ( jau):
Good in fever, while use in a soup form.

2. Dates:
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) said that a house without dates has no food. It should also be eaten at the time of childbirth.

3. Figs:
It is a fruit from paradise and a cure for piles.

4. Grapes:
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) ) was very fond of grapes – it purifies the blood, provides vigour and health, strengthens the kidneys and clears the bowels.