“Waste no time debating what a good Muslim should be. Be one!” By Muhammad Alshareef http://www.islamfortoday.com/differences.htm Imam Malik one day entered the Masjid after Asr. Towards the front of Masjid An-Nabawee he drew closer and sat down. Rasul Allah had commanded that anyone who enters the Masjid should not sit until he first prays 2 rakas as a salutation of the Masjid. Imam Malik was of the opinion however that Rasul Allah’s forbiddance of praying after Asr took precedence and so he would teach his students to not pray the tahiyyatul Masjid if they entered between the Asr and Maghrib
Read MoreBy Jamal Arif http://iviews.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IV9906-510 Iviews. June 11, 1999.Article Ref: IV9906-510 The mere mention of South America can conjure up visions of tall spires and stately steeples bedecking the enchanting and somewhat mysterious landscape of the continent. A common bond of Catholicism runs through the skein of South American countries that have emerged over the last century. It is no wonder then that one might typically perceive this region as a “baptized continent,” devoid of any significant Islamic influence or presence. And even if the observer were to recognize the survival of some smattering of Islamic communities today, the palpable perception
Read MoreBy Betty Hasan Amin November 4, 2002 This article originally appeared in Azizah magazine.http://www.azizahmagazine.comhttp://newswatch.sfsu.edu/journal/winter2002/110402muslim2.html Locking my electric wheelchair into place behind the steering wheel of my specially-equipped van, I took a deep breath. I was beginning the journey of a lifetime — hajj! I knew that hajj would be a life-altering event. I also knew that, while hajj can be a struggle for an able-bodied person, it would be even more of a challenge for me, a paraplegic in a wheelchair with complex medical needs. Paralyzed by a fall as a 17-year-old high school senior, through determination I managed to
Read MoreBy Juan Cole History News NetworkOctober 7, 2002http://hnn.us/articles/1018.html Jerry Falwell, the fundamentalist televangelist, has said, “I think Muhammad was a terrorist.” On CBS’s Sixty Minutes, the reverend contrasted Moses and Jesus as men of peace with Muhammad, whom he saw as warlike. News of the slur ricocheted through the Muslim world, and crowds rioted in Kashmir, raising questions as to whether Falwell himself is exactly promoting love and peace. Falwell’s comments are problematic for many reasons, not least with regard to historical accuracy. Muhammad forbade murder and the killing of innocents, and never used terror as a weapon in his
Read MoreThe Prophet’s Night Journey From Makkah To The Farthest Mosque In Jerusalem, And Ascent To The HeavensSardar, Ziauddin. “MUHAMMAD: Aspects of His Biography.” Excerpt.The Islamic Foundation: Leicester, UK. 1982.http://islamicbookstore.com/b3799.html On the night of the twenty-seventh Rajab, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in a deep sleep in a house in Makkah when (Gabriel) woke him up. With the archangel was Al-Buraq: an animal unique in creation. It resembled lightning in swiftness and lustre, was of clear white colour, medium in size, smaller than a mule and taller than an ass, and so quick in movement that it put its feet
Read MoreBy Sharrifa Carlo http://www.islamzine.com/carlo/carlo3.html Since our creation, humans have pondered the existencial mysteries of life. The same questions have plagued us throughout the centuries, “From where did I come?, Why am I here?, What is expected of me?, Where do I go fom Here? and Is this all there is?” Some of us spend a lifetime pursuing the answers to these questions, others of us seem to be content to accept the answers provided by our individual cultures and religions, and some of us even consciously decide to ignore the basic instinct to find the answers. Muslims have a strong
Read Moreby Ghadah Ali Gutierrez At the age of 23, my husband decided to head to America to look for work. He entered America as a “mojado,” an illegal alien. In a country where grinding poverty is a fact of life and the chance to improve one’s lot is slim, the only alternative is to seek work in “el norte” – the United States. In Mexico, he earned only about $10 per week at a factory. This did not go far towards supporting his elderly parents. Life in Mexico is difficult. This may sound like a simplistic statement, but the reality
Read MorePor Juan Galván El año pasado, mientras buscaba artículos, envié diez preguntas a diez Musulmanes Latinos. Después de leer las respuestas que me enviaron me di cuenta que muchos Musulmanes se podrían beneficiar de tan valuable información. Al mismo tiempo, decidí escribir un articulo que comprendiera dichas respuestas. Algunos Musulmanes Latinos se podrían identificar con algunas respuestas. Por cuestiones de privacidad y seguridad he incluido solo los nombres o nombres Musulmanes para dichos participantes. En algunos casos he editado algunas respuestas por cuestiones de claridad y gramática. Espero que usted, como lector, encuentre algún beneficio en alguna de las siguientes
Read MoreThe sick husband was laying on his death bed. He had only hours to live, when he suddenly smelled tamales. He loved tamales more than anything else in the world (shirk-alert), especially his wife Chepa’s tamales which were known through out the land of Mexico as “Lo mejor de lo mejor.” The best of the best. With his last bit of energy and breath, the sick, weak husband pulled himself out of bed, across the floor, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Here, his wife was spreading the masa for a new batch of tamales. As the sick, weak
Read MoreBy Brenda Ortiz Ok, guys! I’ve been sitting here wallowing in my own self-pity all morning. What if my husband thinks I’m brainwashed because I accepted Islam? So what if my father-in-law finds it hysterical that I actually leave on my hijab after I leave the mosque? He practically pulled my mother-in-law out of the toilet to come and get a look at me. Anyway..I don’t care. I am Muslim! Maybe not perfect, but I am. I’m still struggling with how to tell my mom that I’m Muslim. As is typical in American culture, she has many misconceptions. If I
Read MoreBy Mustafa Shaheed Davis Think of true brotherhood as an ancient marvel, a remnant of the past, that exists in few places in the world today. Its an ostensibly lost tradition in “The age of the Self.” The “Survival of the fittest” mentality has spread like a virus to the farthest corners of the earth, thus undermining the natural human inclination towards brotherhood and harmony. To realize the beauty of true brotherhood, one must first remove this impurity (exaltation of the self) completely from the heart. The eradication of the ‘lower’ self is a process that takes strenuous endeavor, patience,
Read MoreFrom “Personality Development in Islam” by Shaykh Salman al-Oudah Islam did not come to obliterate the personalities of men and turn people into clones of one another, or to make them as if they were all cast from the same mold. Islam came to develop the unique and special characteristics of each individual Muslim so that they can be employed in the service of Islam. Islam does not seek to turn everyone into a scholar or to make everyone into soldier who brandishes his sword in Allah’s cause. Nor does it seek to turn everyone into devotees who pray all
Read MoreFATWA no.1Hijacking planes and kidnappingSource: Fatwa-Online.com From that which is known to everyone who has the slightest bit of common sense is that hijacking airplanes and kidnapping children and the like are extremely great crimes, the world over. Their evil effects are far and wide, as is the great harm and inconvenience caused to the innocent; the total effect of which none can comprehend except Allaah. Likewise, from that which is known is that these crimes are not specific to any particular country over and above another country, nor any specific group over and above another group, rather it encompasses
Read MoreBy Khadija Mohiuddin In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind Recent developments of Islam in Spain merit attention. Specifically, the revival of Islamic education in Al-Andalus is a unique phenomenon with far-reaching potential for Spanish speaking peoples worldwide. Post-1975 Spain Many are surprised to learn that it was not until 1975 in the twentieth century-463 years since the Inquisition-that the legalization of Islam in Spain took place. The delayed passage of this law finally permitted the Spanish citizen to formally declare his or her Islam to the public without any threat to his or her safety
Read MoreBy Caterina Barone Fitrah can be described as our innate moral sensibility. Allah, swt, has given us all this gift to guide us against falling into moral depravity. It is our fitrah that allows us to recognize the difference between what is right and wrong. It is what keeps us from succumbing to our base desires. So recognizing that we all have this feature, why is it that some of us fall victim to the whispers of Shaytan, and others are able to stay on the straight path? Is it at all reasonable to assume that when one declares his
Read MoreBy Juan Alvarado There is no doubt about it. As Muslims, we sometimes get the oddest comments and/or questions. Some are meant to be insulting. Others are earnest attempts at finding out the truth of Islam. I’d like to set the record straight with some of the more outrageous things I’ve heard only because it is a shame that people would believe such things. There are many other examples than the ones I’ve provided. A few years back, an older gentleman, an acquaintance of mine asked, “Do you worship a black god?” Looking back, it seems like a funny question
Read More1. Allah won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation. 2. Allah won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character or morals to obtain that salary. 3. Allah won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home. 4. Allah won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy. 5 Allah won’t ask about your social status, but will
Read MoreBy Khadijah Rivera Assalamu alaikum,Since I reverted to Al Islam, I have not gone to any musical events. Oh I still love music but just did not want to be among the crowds. A while ago my son invited me to see Richie Havens. For those of you who are too young, let me tell you who he is. Richie was the opening act to Woodstock, a gentle African American man who then and now stands for human rights and love among the Hippies. Good lovin’ brotherhood-not Hippie love. His music is pure soul, folk music style. A great guitarist
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