al-Andalus was Not a Failure!

1492 AD the year of Spanish Inquisition
1492 AD Christopher Columbus discovered America.

Is there any relationship between these two events? It is a historical fact that wherever Islam was introduced, it established itself with the locals. Islam is native to distant lands such as Indonesia, Tajikistan, Senegal, Bosnia, etc. There is not a single example that depicts Islam losing its ground after establishing itself in a land. However, al-Andalus is cited as the exception - the biggest blunder in Muslim history. After 600 years of Islam or Muslim presence, the Iberian Peninsula boasts the largest number of mosques that were converted into museums and churches. The Muslim Spain was the very first "West" in Europe. But despite all the negatives, I believe al-Andalus was NOT a Failure - it was the beginning of the greatest success.
Here's the reason why:

al-Andalus was Not a Failure! (click for audio) Eid Message 10 Dhul Hijjah, 1427 (((10 min.)))

Need Your Help!

Salam Alaikum Brothers/Sisters,

It is that time of the year when everybody is getting ready to celebrate the... (drum roll please!) ...

EID... right? (who said the New Year?) ..istaghfirullah!

I will be giving Eid Khutba and thought that I could use a little ... YELP!!!

No, I mean help as in suggestions/contributions from you.
What should an Eid khutba be about? There are plenty of topics that come to my mind. But I may overlook things that might be really important to You. So instead of calling people, I decided to ask people who visit this blog to suggest what Eid Khutba should be about. Hey, it's your chance to chime in - please do so!

True Freedom

Dr. M. Iqbal, the famous poet of the East once gave a short formula for true freedom. He mentioned that there is only one act that truly embodies freedom from the bondsmanship of others and one's ego. He summarized this true freedom in one word. However, that act requires utmost humility and the ability to say "My Lord is the Most High". Surely, true freedom lies in the simple act of a
sajdah (prostration).

Where is Jinnah?

Three Principles of Leadership
Iman, Itihad, tanzeem
Faith, Unity, and Organization
December 25, 1876 - 1948
The more I think about Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the more I am convinced that he was a man of extraordinary insight. He united the Muslims in India and gave them a vision. He led them to their goal of independence. He united the religious, the secularist (not to be confused with modern Anti-Islamist) and everyone in between on a single platform - to be free under the banner of La ilaha illAllah. He was a man of courage and character. Although he was trained as a lawyer and grew up in London, he was a champion of Islamic cause and therefore he returned to Indian to lead the Muslims in India. He detoured India urging local Muslims to sink their differences and unite under the banner of Islam. He reminded the Muslims in India that they were a distinct nation and should lead their lives in accordance with this reality: "We are a nation with our own distinctive culture and civilization, language and literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calendar, history and tradition, aptitudes and ambitions; in short, we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation".
In this modern-secularworld, let us remind ourselves that We are Muslims; we have a great legacy and a promising future. We have a distinct outlook on life. Our philosophy transcends the physical and material world. We are neither slaves to the creation nor our desires. We are the carriers of the divine message. We are the ones who proclaim that everything in our lives is God-centric. We are different.
"To God we belong, and to God we shall return".
Post your comments Below

Farewell, he said...

**The Last Public Speech ** New Brunswick Islamic Center, December 22, 2006
The farewell khutba of the Prophet (s). This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat.

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived... Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action. Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born.
Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly.
Be my witness oh Allah that I have conveyed your message to your people."

Love trouble...

God does not like ... Allahu la yuhibbu...
In Qur'an the word hub (love) or its derivitives are used many times. Now why am I taking about the concept of love? Well! listening to the Koran, it hit me that God always uses "Allahu la yuhibbu..." that God does not like such and such act. Why doesn't He says: God hates (yabghadu) such and such or hates so and so. The antonym for hub (love) is bughd/karh (hate). Why doesn't He affirms that He hates rather 'does not like' or 'does not love'. He uses both words bughd/karh (hate/dislike) and their derivitives to describe humans relationship with others but not God's relationship with them. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I grew from this (hub) love trouble.
The short answer I believe is that God does not hate anyone. He only despises evil actions. For example, wallahu la yuhibbu kulla mukhtalin fakhur - God does not love any vainglorious boaster. God is too exalted to hate. He is full of mercy and wisdom. For this reason, He didn't show hatred for people but rather for their sinful actions. In the entire Koran one cannot find the statement that God hates so and so. For this reason, He wants us not to carry hate, but rather to call others with true love of God.
Your comments below:

"jhuk janay do"

jhuk janay do

Let me bow down to You





dil jo diya - the heart that I gave
tujhay khuda - to you, my Lord
tu he mera - For only You are mine
ay rahbar khuda - O Guardian Lord
parwana tera - This moth of yours
main jalta kahan - could not be burnt in fire
tarapta raha - Yet, I kept struggling
bina tera tarasta raha - without you, I kept seeking
dur na raho - Don't stay afar
'ishq main jal janay do - Set me ablaze in your love

bas jhuk janay do (in Urdu) - just let me bow down to you

download juz 30 * short suras

Koran Juz 30
Short Surahs

Surah al-'Alaq

Recited By Faraz Khan

Download Juz 29

Koran - Juz 29 Recited by Faraz Khan

(to download right-click and 'save as')
track 1 - Surah al-Mulk
track 2 - Surah al-Qalam
track 3 - Surah al-Haaqah
track 4 - Surah al-Ma'arij
track 5 - Surah Nuh
track 6 - Surah al-Jin
track 7 - Surah al-Muzzammil
track 8 - Surah al-Muddathir
track 9 - Surah al-Qiyamah
track 9a - Surah al-Insan
track 9b - Surah al-Mursalat

The Philanthropist in You

The war on hunger, diseases, and illiteracy is attracting more wealthy individuals (being optimistic). This article suggested few hard facts about individual earnings in last thirty years, 'Rich have grown significantly richer'. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Zell Kravinsky, all have given their share to support a noble cause. Hopefully, we could push others to get rid of the change in their pockets.
What Should a Billionaire Give – and What Should You?
Times, Dec. 17, 2006

Peter Singer
"For more than 30 years, I’ve been reading, writing and teaching about the ethical issue posed by the juxtaposition, on our planet, of great abundance and life-threatening poverty. Yet it was not until, in preparing this article, I calculated how much America’s Top 10 percent of income earners actually make that I fully understood how easy it would be for the world’s rich to eliminate, or virtually eliminate, global poverty. (It has actually become much easier over the last 30 years, as the rich have grown significantly richer.) I found the result astonishing. I double-checked the figures and asked a research assistant to check them as well. But they were right. Measured against our capacity, the Millennium Development Goals are indecently, shockingly modest. If we fail to achieve them — as on present indications we well might — we have no excuses. The target we should be setting for ourselves is not halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, and without enough to eat, but ensuring that no one, or virtually no one, needs to live in such degrading conditions. That is a worthy goal, and it is well within our reach"... click here.

Auf Wiedersehen - till we meet again!

To all the Muslims who are leaving for Haj, May God accept it and make the trip easy for you. The Prophet (s) said to Omar on his way to the pilgrimage "O Brother, do not forget us in your dua" (Riyadas Saliheen).

Hudud Ordinance in Pakistan

Interview with Taqi Usmani on the new"Women Protection Bill" (Urdu)
Hudud Ordinance in Pakistan. Interview of Ex-Cheif Justice Shariat Court, Mohammad Taqi Usmani by Dr. Shahid Masood. "Women Protection Bill" is anything but protection for women. New amendment in Hudud Ordinance aka 'Women Protection Bill' is not only against the Qur'an & Sunna but against common sense.
The word Sharia' or Islamic law has become a scarecrow for many individuals. Whether in Pakistan or outside, the Hudud Law is one of the most misunderstood ordinance due to propaganda and politicization of the debate. So what happened before the introduction of Hudud Law in Pakistan, or what will happen afterwards? According to the ex-chief justice, those who committed major crimes (pre-Hudud Ord.) went unpunished and this is what he expects in the future unless the Hudud Ordinance was implemented.
In order to protect women, Mufti Taqi had asked that the following unIslamic deeds be deemed crimes and be made liable for punishment. He recommended the following amendments to the ordinance which were rejected by the government.
1) Refusing women their inheritance shares (mirath)
2) Marrying women to the Koran - To keep a woman and her wealth, male relatives would say that she's married to the Koran.
3) giving women three divorces at once - 3 talaqs in a single instance makes a woman forbidden forever.
4) exchange marriages in a family "wata sata". Two male members from different families would exchange women in marriage (often forced marriages).
5) forcing marriage on a woman against her will.
So in the absence of Hudud Ordinance whose interests are we really protecting?

We got nothing to hide

Secular Islam Conference

The Intelligence Summit

an international forum for secularists of Islamic societies
St. Petersburg Hilton, St. Petersburg, Florida
March 4-5, 2007

Secularism -or the sacred cow of the West. Here is an insider's guide to the latest development in the War of ideologies. There are many "experts" on Islam (check out the roster: Irshad Manji, Ibn Warraq, etc.). God says in the Koran, "They plot and We plan, and God is the best of planners". The game plan is to bring together all the garbage in one place under the pretension of "intellectualism" and stink up the entire planet. Hey, somebody gotta do the dirty work, right!

"The purpose of the Secular Islam Summit is to bring together these thinkers and activists in an ongoing cross-cultural forum and clearinghouse to generate and share new practical strategies and disseminate these to the public and opinion-makers worldwide. Speakers include Mona Abousenna, Wajeha Al-Huwaider, Magdi Allam, Shaker al-Nabulsi, Nonie Darwish, Afshin Ellian, Tawfik Hamid, Nibras Kazimi, Fatemolla, Shahriar Kabir, Irshad Manji, Walid Phares, Amir Taheri, and Ibn Warraq". http://www.secularislam.org

Million Man March to Islam

coming soon... when we put our acts together

When the help of God and victory comes. And you see the people enter in the fold of Islam in crowds. Celebrate the praises of your Lord and ask for forgiveness. Surely, He is Most Forgiving. (Koran 110:1-3)

Islamic Thought

ALIM Winter Program

The History & Development of Islamic Thought
Friday, January 12th, 2007 through Monday January 15th, 2007

ALIM is a specialized institute. ALIM is not committed to making scholars of its students; rather it seeks to produce Islamically literate members of society that will have a positive effect on Muslim society as well as the society at large. Islamic Literacy goes well beyond the simple memorization or passive reception of texts. ALIM provides tools that allow a student to seek and process knowledge critically, with the proper balance of the Mind and Heart. These students will be able to engage scholars in a productive discourse that allows for mutual development and the true coming of an Islamic Renaissance.
Location:
New York University (NYU)
Washington Square Park
New York, NY 10011
Instructors:
Dr. Ali Sulaiman Ali
Dr. Muneer Fareed
Dr. Abdul-Hakim Jackson
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (Tentative)
Tuition: $125 Student, $150 Professional, $250 Couple (includes all meals, not lodging)
Registration: Click Here to Register Online!!

Appointed Time

"Do they not reflect within themselves: God did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but with truth, and (for) an appointed term? And most surely most of the people are deniers of the meeting of their Lord". (Koran 30:9)
From distant galaxies to the minute subatomic particles, everything in the heavens and the earth has one thing in common – an appointed time. Stars die off either in spectacular show of bright lights – supernovi or gradually fade away as cold stars. In Fall, leaves fall off the trees. Rocks are recycled and new rocks are constantly produced. Everything has a limited span. According to the cosmologists, our universe started some 14 billion years ago and it is still expanding. It is in the nature of creation to have limits. Everything in the universe has a beginning and an end. This should be a clear sign for the one who reflects – 'Nothing shall last except the Almighty God'.

It's time, Call the Azan!

Bismillah, I think Khalid Baig (read below) is just an amazing writer. If you have not read First Things First, do yourself a favor and get a hold of this book. I highly recommend it especially to all of my students.
"It is generally observed that in Muslim societies today people are neither punctual nor value time much. Their leisurely ways are in direct contrast to the world where the creed is that time is money. Islam does not promote this materialistic notion of the value of time which results in nobody having time for others. But it does teach the value of every moment of our life as providing the opportunity for earning the rewards in the hereafter. It does require us to be punctual and not to waste time. And it delivers. In the vast Muslim world there is one enterprise that is extraordinary in its punctuality and discipline. In the big cities or the remotest rural areas, the azan is called five times a day and the people gather for the congregational prayers at the proper times without fail. Neither excessive cold in the winter nights nor excruciating heat during sizzling summer days keeps them from their sacred duty. This enterprise has not been financed by governments or big businesses. When most people are in their warm beds in their unheated homes, there is a muezzin in every neighborhood who never fails to wake up and remind everyone, "Prayer is better than sleep." Here is a glimpse of the power of Islam. Can we imagine the situation when not just the muezzin and a small congregation, but the entire population becomes responsive to its duty? Can we imagine when their sense of responsibility goes beyond the prayers and covers all aspects of their life?..." (click here for more)
just call the azan!

The Best Model

Princeton Model United Nations Conference Dec. 7 -10
Photo: 2005 Model UN & NUI students in action.
High school students from all over New Jersey came together this weekend at the Princeton Model U.N. Conference to have a better understanding of global issues. Among these bright students were the best and the brightest, the cream of the crop, the one and only, my Noor-Ul-Iman students. They are smart, confident, and above all, adorned with great conduct. I am not making empty claims, I have taught these students for four years at Noor-Ul-Iman School. This Jumuah was a reunion of their old teacher Mr. Faraz. There were about 35 students and teachers from NUI High School who participated in this conference. I emphasized in the khutba that they should seek to develop solutions and not simply be content with a bumper sticker mentality "Islam is the Solution". They are a unique generation of Muslim students - intellectually and religiously equipped to respond to the modern challenges. They should serve God by serving humanity. I emphasized to them that Islam is the truth but we should not confuse our way of thinking or opinions as 'the truth from God'. We are human beings and we make mistakes just like anybody else - truth belongs only to God. I also emphasized that we should refrain from 'one size fits all' or a 'pill for all problems' approach. The world is intricately complex and we should put all of our energies together to first understand then resolve political, social, and environmental dilemmas. In the end, we must not forget the words of God about the best model i.e. "Surely in the example of the Messenger of God you have the best of role model for the one who hopes to meet God, believes in the last day, and remembers God much".

Post 17th CE - In search of al-Farabi!

"It is good to recall that three centuries ago, around the year 1660, two of the greatest monuments of modern history were erected, one in the West and one in the East; St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Between them, the two symbolize, perhaps better than words can describe, the comparative level of architectural technology, the comparative level of craftsmanship and the comparative level of affluence and sophistication the two cultures had attained at that epoch of history. But about the same time there was also created - and this time only in the West - a third monument, a monument still greater in its eventual import for humanity. This was Newton's Principia, published in 1687. Newton's work had no counterpart in the India of the Mughals [or the Muslim world]". Ideals and Realities by Abdus Salam, Pakistani nuclear physicist 1926-1996 (The Nobel Prize in Physics 1979).
*al-Farabi Abu Nasr al-Farabi (259-339 AH / 870-950 AD) is one of the foremost Islamic Philosopher /Scientist. was a great and unique individual. He was a scientist specializing in encyclopedias, who, over the course of his life, at the beginning of the Renaissance Era was granted the title of “The Second Master” after Aristotle. Al-Farabi contributed considerably to astronomy, logic, the musical theory, and mathematics along with sociology and ethics, medicine and psychology, philosophy and law. Al-Farabi: from History of Muslim Philosophy

Life on Cruise Control!

Mercedes S65 AMG: Big, fast - and pointless
Super-powered luxury car recipe takes out some of the cream, adds hot sauce.
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
December 4, 2006 PHOENIXVILLE, Penn. (CNNMoney.com) -- Some people, no matter how much they have, want to be sure they have more than everyone else.
If you're one of those people, the high-priced Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG is the car for you - though you may regret your obsession with rushing to the top. The Mercedes-Benz S-class, the basis for the S65, is a superb luxury automobile. It's big, roomy, smooth and quiet. Like all luxury cars these days, all the S-class models have more on-board computer technology than a nuclear submarine. You can see at night using infrared light and high-intensity headlights that turn to follow curves in the road... (click here for more)

Really, what's life all about?

This is how we celebrate religion in the West.

Lights, Music, Action: Try to Keep Up, Please

New York Times

By MARCELLE S. FISCHLER
Published: December 7, 2006

...“I spend all summer planning it out on my computer,” said Mr. DeLauro, 46, a funeral supply business manager who holds a Christmas-in-August barbecue every year to test his lights. He listens to Christmas songs all year long, programming the lights to flicker to the beats".

and this how we celebrate religion in the East...

Ziyafat for our grand sheikh.. mashAllah!

All for the sake of God!

Purple Bear!

Merci! thanks doc!

Barely a GrimacePelusa, a fourteen-year-old female polar bear, turned purple after veterinarians gave her a drug to treat a skin infection. Pelusa lives at Mendoza's Zoo, some 750 miles west of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vets said she should return to her normal white within a month (Tuesday, July 22, 2003) Time. Picture of the Week.July 19 - 25

on blogging

Nancy Flynn in Blog Rules points out few rules to keep in mind while writing a blog:
1. Think before you speak in public
2. Be discreet - be professional - be mindful of the future
3. Need therapy? Don't write a blog: seek counseling instead
4. Don't use your blog to let off steam
5. Watch your language
6. Don't blog anonymously: Stand behind your posted opinions (ahem!)
7. Do your H.W. before joining a blog mob
8. Don't comment unless you have something legitimate to add to the conversation
9. Be 100% honest
10. Keep an eye on spelling, grammar, and punctuation (my bad!)
11. Be gracious to readers and commenters (bravo! bravo!)
12. Develop a thick skin (don't take it personally)

The Pharoahs still causing trouble!

Egypt Moves to Empty a Village Near the Tombs of the Pharaohs
By REUTERS
Published: December 3, 2006
GURNA, Egypt, Dec. 2 (Reuters) — Bulldozers moved Saturday into an Egyptian village near the Valley of the Kings in pursuit of a long-delayed effort to allow archaeologists to begin studying a wealth of tombs in the area. Gurna is the village closest to the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamen and other pharaohs were buried. It lies on top of a vast necropolis where wealthy and powerful commoners built their painted tombs in the second millennium B.C.
The Egyptian government, with advice from architect and intellectual Hassan Fathi, tried to move them in 1948 by building the model village of New Gurna on the banks of the Nile, but most trickled back to their old homes.
On Saturday, the bulldozers picked away at four uninhabited mud- brick houses, apparently in an attempt to show that the government was serious this time...
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html

On Intellectuals

"Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding" (Koran 3:190).
Intellectuals are translators of events, new developments, and a specific field of knowledge. They critique the existing paradigms, identify the shortcomings, offer better solutions and communicate their message. They offer a vision for a better tomorrow. They think to articulate a vision for others. They are actively engaged with other minds to offer their intellectual expertise. They reflect on the ayat (signs) of God and delineate the path under this reflection.
Cogito ergo sum - I think therefore, I am

Description

Ali bin Abi Talib (r) described him (Prophet Muhammad): The messenger of God was neither excessively tall nor extremely short. He was of medium height among his friends. His hair not too curly nor was it too straight. It was both curly and wavy combined. His cheeks were not fleshy, chin was not small and forehead was not narrow. His face was fairly round. His mouth was white. He had black, large eyes, with long eyelashes. His limbs and shoulder joints were rather big. He had a fine line of little hair extending from his chest down to his navel, but the rest of his body was almost hairless. he had thick palms and thick fingers and toes.
While walking he lifted his feet off the ground as if he had been walking on a slope. When he turned, he turned completely. The Seal of Prophethood was between his shoulders. He is the Last of the Prophets, the most generous and the bravest of all. His speech was the most reliable. He was the keenest and the most attentive to people's trust, and was very careful to pay people's due in full. The Prophet (s)was the most gentle and the most polite companion, seeing him unexpectedly you would fear him and revere him. He who had acquaintance with him would like him. Whoever describes him (always) mentions: 'I have never seen such a person neither before nor after seeing him'" (Ibn Hisham & Tirmidhi)

Friday khutbas ...

Most Muslims complain about incoherent and politically incorrect Friday sermons at their local mosque or MSA. In most cases it seems that the setting of the story (khutba) is wrong altogether. As if, the speaker confused his audience for those who lived 1400 years ago. Perhaps, the speaker grabbed the wrong speech. It would be ludicrous to entertain a thought that a paleontology professor at a college delivered a lecture on Romeo and Juliet all by mistake. Some have understood that more word jargons are a means to deliver a TKO khutba - perhaps, there should be warning before the khutba "this may sound gibberish unless you have had several high doses in the past". This of course means you know how to entertain yourself while the speaker indulges in creating air vibration.

Sometimes I seriously wonder if the speaker lives among his people. There are so many perfect, blissful stories (Bollywood anyone?) that a person sinks deep into himself like a dark hole - unable to relate with a golden past when everybody levitated and rejoiced their good fortune with angels.
In all of this melodrama, the average Muslim is MIA (missing in action). This person is groping with his problems at home and at work; he retires back into himself, while the incoherent sound waves so artistically fused together by the dynamic speaker bounce off the ear-less walls and the sleeping heads.

My sincere advice: If you find yourself confused every Friday at your local mosque, do yourself a favor and drive few more miles further at a destination where you can benefit from the sermon.