...to become People of Allah

ISCJ Khutba:
What will it take for us to become People of Allah (((audio)))
Based on Tafsir Surah al-Fatiha
Islamic Society of Central Jersey
By Faraz Khan

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Eid Message ::: "Smash these Idols"

Eid Khutba: Smash these Idols! (((audio)))
By Faraz Khan
West Trenton Fire Company
Trenton, New Jersey
photo: Trenton Makes Bridge
"Neither their meat, nor their blood of your sacrifice reaches God, but what reaches Him is your devotion to Him (taqwa). Koran, Haj:37
It took me a few days to upload this khutba but I thought that it was an important message and I wanted to share with others. Eid ul-Adha reminds us about sacrifice. Great works are only accomplished by great sacrifices. Surely, this is what we find in the life of Prophet Abraham.

I enjoyed Eid in the beautiful city of Trenton, once the capital of the United States and during the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Trenton was the turning point of George Washington's military campaign. In 1900s, the industrial city adopted the slogan, "Trenton Makes - The World Takes".

I believe Trenton has the potential to be a thriving dawah center. Why? Because the people of this City are thirsty. They have been neglected but they are here to support and put their energy into beneficial work. I have always felt that cities are the center of dawah. Look at New York City and Philly. There is so much going on there. However, we need to get rid of negative factors that tie us and weigh down on us. There are spiritual diseases, disunity, lack of direction, blame game, mike grabbing, court cases, etc. There are many problems. However, the solution is one, and only one - that we need to focus on Allah.

Allah is sufficient and He is the best of Protectors.

Eid Mubarak!

Salam alaikum:

Eid Greetings to everyone. alhamdo lillah, it's a great blessing to be a Muslim. I hope all of you reading this are enjoying your days and nights as we just finished the finals and study sessions. I was talking to some students to hold a program on New Year's eve - Eid Lights.

I wanted to have the youth, H.S. and college students, to come together and spend the entire night at the masjid, preferrably ISCJ. What will they do?

"Conquer the world!" :)

Well! I think we have to capitalize on these holidays. We (mosques/MSAs) have to organize events on these holidays. When we do not facilitate and step forward, other social ills fill this vacuum. You might be thinking ummm...

"astaghfirullah! vrotherrr, do u want uz to celebrate the new year? .. huh!... "

This is the deal. Either we sit around and complain or we get up and put things together. We must step forward and call the community to Allah. Let us utilize our time in the best manner.
For this reason, I thought that it would be great to have an Eid Program by calling youth to perform and take lead in poetry/comedy/skits/quiz shows/food/...

What do you think? Will you support? or go on "vacation" when the call is made.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah...

This Eid...

Qurbani: Where's the sacrifice in my life?

Pilgrims, do not forget the sinners

Your love has left me enthralled

with gratitude and patience, I hope to win it all

my Dear, I have left them all

to find solace in your remembrance,

Ya Allah, I answered your call

Kean Univ. to host a program on ...

M i s c o n c e p t i o n s a b o u t M u s l i m s

Guest Speaker:
Faraz Khan

Misconceptions about Muslims
Kean MSA invite you...

Islamic Creed and Common Misconceptions

When: Wed, Dec 12, 2007
Where: UC room 337a
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Funded by Student Organization of Kean University
Dinner will be served

MSA East Zone Conference 2008

New Jersey's Muslim Students Associations (NJ MSA) will be hosting the Muslim Student Association East Zone Conference in 2008. The three day Conference will be held at Princeton University and will be an epoch making event. Preparations are on the way as the student leaders are discussing topics of interest, food, speakers, newsmedia, etc.

East Zone USA includes the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virgin Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The MSA Guiding Principles

• Sincerity is the foundation of our existence.
  Knowledge precedes our actions.
  Humility guides our conduct.
  Truthfulness is the mark of our speech.
  Moderation is the compass of our journey.
  Tolerance is the banner of our outreach.
  Forgiveness precedes our reconciliatory efforts.
  Patience is the hallmark of our planning.
  Gratitude binds our hearts together.

A Common Word ...cont.

Pope invites senior Muslims to Vatican meeting

VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI has invited senior Muslim figures, who signed an appeal for greater dialogue between religions, to a meeting at the Vatican, in a letter released Thursday.

The pope praised the "positive spirit" behind the October 11 message signed by 138 top Muslims from around the world and sent to Christian leaders, said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in the letter sent in Pope Benedict's name.

The pope wanted to meet a representative group of the signatories at the Vatican, he added in the letter sent to Jordan's Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, head of the Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman.

"The Pope has asked me to convey his gratitude to Your Royal Highness and to all who signed the letter," Bertone wrote.

"He also wishes to express his deep appreciation for this gesture, for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace in the world.

"Without ignoring or downplaying our differences as Christians and Muslims, we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally to him and to obey his sacred will."

The Muslims' message, which has since been signed by other personalities underlines, that both the Koran and the Bible are calling for the love of God and mankind.

The pope's reply said that Benedict "was particularly impressed by the attention given (by the Muslims) to the twofold commandment to love God and one's neighbour."

It recalled the pope's statement in August 2005 soon after he took office that "we must not yield to the negative pressures in our midst, but must affirm the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace.

"The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of fundamental moral values."

"Such common ground allows us to base dialogue on effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the younger generation," the letter went on.

"The Pope is confident that, once this is achieved, it will be possible to cooperate in a productive way in the areas of culture and society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society and throughout the world."

Bertone said that with a view to encouraging the "praiseworthy initiative" from the Muslim leaders, "His Holiness would be most willing to receive Your Royal Highness and a restricted group of signatories of the open letter, chosen by you.

"At the same time, a working meeting could be organized between your delegation and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, with the cooperation of some specialized Pontifical Institutes (such as the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Pontifical Gregorian University)."

The precise details of these meetings could be decided later, should this proposal prove acceptable, the letter said.

The initiative was launched a year after Benedict's controversial Regensburg lecture during a visit to Germany, which was seen by some as a political point about Islam and violence and by others as a simple lesson in theology meant to inspire reflection.

The address to academics entitled "Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections" explored the historical and philosophical differences between Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between violence and faith.

His remarks sparked outrage in the Muslim world where they were seen as linking Islam with violence.

Cardinals who had gathered around the pope last week for a special meeting said that the Muslims' letter was "an encouraging sign" for dialogue.

Italian Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica which is close to the Vatican on Thursday saw a "fundamental convergence between Christians and Muslims" in "Never before has such a thing happened in the history of relations between Muslims and Christians," Christian W. Troll, who contributed the comment to the magazine, wrote.