Imam Abu Da’ud (Rahimahullah) Adhering to the Sunnah

By Umm Khadija

Today, Muslims forgo a Sunnah because it is merely “just a Sunnah”, whereas the pious scholars used to adhere to anything they knew to be a Sunnah, because it was a Sunnah.  In other words, the excuse of something being a Sunnah was the reason for pious people to act upon it.  Imam Abu Da’ud as-Sijistani (d.275 A.H.) is the famous compiler of the Sunan, one of the six most authentic books of hadith.

See how important he regarded a Sunnah, and how strong his passion was to fulfill it.

The Niqab Saga Continues…

Saiful Islam

From the days of Jack Straw to the Shaykh Tantawi incident, much has been done by various quarters to exasperate the restriction on the freedom of women to… cover up.  Its “hot”, “steamy” and “raunchy” when women dress down and hence acceptable because it provides eye-candy for the male-elite, but that which any respectable woman with an inkling of modesty and honour would do which is to cover themselves and the media, nay, the political establishment come baring down on a minor section of the Muslim society.

The BBC article concerning the launch of the Saudi channel Awtan TV is a case in point.

Hasan al-Basri (Rahimahulla) and Pride/Vanity

Umm Khadija

Often the greatest sources of the downfall of mankind stems from his or her vanity and pride. From sisters comparing their clothing to scholars comparing their students and achievements, Shaytan’s most common trick is to delude a person into believing they are better than the others.  It is important that such pride be routed out of our hearts for as per the Hadith of the Prophet , a person with an atoms-worth of pride shall not enter Jannah.  The example below truly exemplifies how pride should be recognised and dealt with.

An incident occured with the student of the great Companion Ali (radhialla’anhu), the renowned ascetic, Imam Hasan al-Basri (Rahimahullah).

Is the Taliban Behind the Bombing in Pakistan?

By CoolnessofHind

In a world which places people in different groups separated by their own interests, the power of the public opinion plays a great role in discerning which of those interests supersedes the other.  Hence the Vietnam war took an about-turn when images of American soldiers marching along little children mostly naked, and where entire villages were destroyed filtered into the American public.  The US army was hated by its own people and a war came to an end.  The latter-day War on Terror, which many Muslims regard as Crusade on Muslims is a case in point.  Day in day out Muslims are maligned in the terror inducing linguistics of the malicious media machinery.  From 9/11, to July 7th, to terror raids which bubble up every now and then to maintain the momentum of the air of fear.

Muslims unfortunately take a sympathetic stance to the media, ignoring vital words of the Prophet on how we should treat news delivered to us concerning a Believer.  This will be covered in a separate, more detailed blog.

EID MUBARAK!!!

Assalamu Alaykum fellow readers and a hearty Eid Muburak to you all.

After  polishing ourselves nice and early and wearing the best of our clothes we head to the Masajid to pray Eid Salah.

In this above sentence we often fail to realise the many blessings Allah has bestowed upon us.  Comfortable warm beds, clean water for showering/bathing and drinking, wealth to buy new clothes, vehicles to transport us to our Masajid.  The more subtle but perhaps the more significant blessings include intact legs, arms, families for us to worship our Lord and be in the company of our loving families.  All these blessings are from Allah and we should thank Allah for what he has given.

However remember also that there are Muslims who, let alone basic amenties, do not even have water to drink.  Where as we can freely travel to our destination in the luxury of our vehicles, pregnant women rushing towards hospitals are stopped, harassed and huarranged by terrorists at checkpoint and are forced to give birth at these very checkpoints. There are Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, Burma, China and everywhere else who will not be able to enjoy their Eid with there families.  There will be children who are born and raised on the battlefield who will not know happiness and will not receive their Eid gifts from there elders.

They are our family; a part of the Ummah. Do not forget them. Remember them. Make Du’a for them.  This is the least we can do.

Eid Mubarak.

Saiful Islam

Facebook or Fitnahbook?

By Saiful Islam

Facebook has it benefits; networking with other fellow human beings, Muslims, and organisations and even prominent personalities are but to name a few.  However, as with any tool, depending on how you use it, its pretty dangerous for your Iman too. As my father used to say, a hammer can be used to put a nail into wood, but it can also be used to crack a skull.

Yes you lads and gals know what I’m talking about. Let’s not beat around the bush here.  Some of the pictures put up are well and truly shocking.  And lets breakdown the type of “shock” reactions.  The first group are those Muslim who are not all that apparently practicing. For them, posting pictures of themselves posing like some bollywood actor/actress is a norm.  Seriously, back in my day, these “actors” would get rinsed inside out for looking so… well, ridiculously artificial.  Guys, you seriously need to get your head out of the sand and wake up to reality.

Obambastic.

By Saiful Islam

You will notice that there was a blog under a similar title not very long ago.  At that time I speculated based upon the little information available, that Obama was Bush with a new elocution.  “The gung-ho approach of his predecessor has been replaced by the subtle initiations of his stylistic irony”, I said.

It was early hence the title had a question mark at the end.  Today’s post however has a more assertive full stop. And the reason is the incredibly insightful academic article below by respected Shaykh Riyadh Nadwi, director of Oxford Cross-Culture Research Institute and student of one of the greatest scholars and historians of this Ummah of the past century, Shaykh Abu ‘l Hasan Ali Nadwi (Rahimahullah).

“Andrew gets the interviews, Muhammed doesn’t”

By Abu Ameer (no not Ameer of ISSM!)

As a recent graduate who learnt virtually nothing of any use in his three years of study, who also happened to choke a couple of exams and end up with a third class degree, I was devastated when I stumbled upon this article.

“Andrew gets the interviews, Muhammed doesn’t”

There it was. In big bold letters – what I’d suspected all along; I was doomed.

According to research by the Department for Work and Pensions; for every nine applications sent by a white applicant, an equally good applicant with an ethnic minority name had to send 16 to obtain a positive response. Great. As if the graduate market isn’t tough enough my name means I’m almost 50% less likely to receive a positive response than my non-ethnic counterpart. Throw in a fist length beard (which never seems to look neat on the day of an interview) and a mosque hat and a not-all-that-confident young man has got problems.

“Trick or Treat” or Trick and Deciet?

Dr Sumayyah

Unfortunately Muslims often engage in events and activities which are incredibly detrimental to ones faith.  Halloween is one such example.

With the West’s obsession with everything demonic and magical (the “rituals” on MTV and children’s appetite for Harry Potter being but a couple of examples) it is not surprising that Halloween has its roots grounded in superstitious, paganistic beliefs which are totally and utterly alien to Islam.  Halloween is treated as a fun celebration, but in reality it is indeed a deception whose reality is far more darker than first thought.  Halloween originates from the pagan belief innovated by the Saxon and the Irish that the ghouls and ghosts roam about on the 31st of October.  They would regard them as supernatural powers controlling the process of nature.  However this is not all, as Halloween used to have a more sinister edge to it.  Shedding light upon the historical treatment of women in Britain,  which now parades itself as the liberator of the poor, imprisoned, Burka clad women across the world, Khalid Baig writes in his thought-provoking book,

Rise: Sons of the Ottomans

By CoolnessofHind

“We are speaking as the grandsons of Ottomans who treated your ancestors [Jews] as guests in this land [Turkey] when they were expelled from Europe“

Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Israel on the 2009/09 Gaza attack

For a very long time now, I have sat examining the shift in thought pattern and policy of the latter day Turks.  Having visited Turkey recently, I can say for sure, there is a strong popular support for the current ruling government and deep love for Islam and concern for the Ummah.  Of course, as ever they were the torch-bearers of the Muslim world for over five centuries.  With the likes of the legendary conqueror of Constantinople Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih being the stalwarts of justice, bravery intelligence and upholders of the flag of Islam, the sons of Othman Ghazi (the founder of the “Ottomans”) raised the head of the Muslim world high in the face of major disasters, such as the Crusades and the Tartar Mongol hoards.

After social degradation, militant secular enforcement and a loss of Islamic principles, it seems the “neo-Ottomans” again are showing the Arabs, and the rest of the Muslim world, how Allah is the only the Being to be feared; no longer do the Turks wear bangles.  The beginning of something big, has begun.