Tag: terrorism

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Current Affairs articles

Dear Friend,

https://news.sky.com/story/new-zealand-mosque-shootings-suspected-killer-is-fascist-who-had-contact-with-breivik-11666136
Beautifully written by a Chinese Convert sister. (It is written to the killer who attacked Muslims in New Zealand)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

download
(I) Appreciate that you made the effort to find out the timing of our noon prayer.
Appreciate that you learnt more about our religion to know that Fridays are the days the men go to the Mosques for their congregational prayers.
But I guess there were some things you, rather, unfortunately, didn’t get to learn.

Perhaps you didn’t know that what you did made them Martyrs.

new-zealand-attack-5.jpg
A Muslim Martyr bearing witness to the Shahadah at the time of death
And how you have single-handedly raised the statuses of our brothers and sisters in the eyes of their beloved Creator with your actions. And how, through your actions, they will be raised as the most righteous and pious of Muslims.
Perhaps you didn’t know that doing what you did, at the time and place you chose, it actually meant that the last words that escaped their lips were probably words of remembrance and praise of Allah. Which is a noble end many Muslims could only dream of.
And perhaps you didn’t know, but what you did would almost guarantee them paradise. new-zealand-attack-7.jpg
Appreciate that you showed the world how Muslims welcome, with open arms, even people like yourself into our Mosques, which is our second home.
Appreciate you for showing that our mosques have no locks or gates, and are unguarded because everyone and anyone is welcome to be with us.
Appreciate you for allowing the world to see the powerful image of a man you injured, lying on back on the stretcher with his index finger raised high, as a declaration of his faith and complete trust in Allah.
Appreciate how you brought the Churches and communities together to stand with us Muslims.
Appreciate that you made countless New Zealanders come out of their homes to visit the mosques nearest to them with flowers with beautiful messages of peace and love.
You have broken many many hearts and you have made the world weep. You have left a huge void.
But what you also have done have brought us closer together. And it has strengthened our faith and resolve.
In the coming weeks, more people will turn up in the Mosques, a place you hate so much, fortified by the strength in their faith, and inspired by their fallen brothers and sisters.
In the coming weeks, more non-Muslims will turn up at the gates of mosques with fresh flowers and beautifully handwritten notes. They may not have known where the mosques in their area were. But now, they do. All because of you.
You may have achieved your aim of intended destruction, but I guess you failed to incite hatred, fear and despair in all of us.
And while I understand that it may have been your objective, I hate to say that after all of that elaborate planning, and the perverse and wretched efforts on your part, you still failed to drive a divide among the Muslims and non-Muslims in the world.
For that, I can’t say that I’m sorry.
(A Radiant Muslim)
Shaykh Zahir Mahmood on the attacks – MOTIVATIONAL!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm8HCeAMoZE
Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The Value of Humanity in Islām


14th Jumadal Akhirah 1437 AH ~ Wednesday 23rd March 2016

Please see below an editorial that the respected Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh wrote shortly after the Paris Attacks in November 2015.

 

By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Following atrocities committed in the name of Islām, such as those in Paris, once again misconceptions regarding Islām and Muslims make the headlines and infuse tensions in our society. I believe all of us are duty-bound to contribute to efforts that clear these misconceptions and misunderstandings and share the true nature of this beautiful religion.

The value of life

In light of Islām’s teachings of mercy and tolerance, it is impossible that oppression or the taking of innocent life is permitted in any circumstance. The life of every human, Muslim and non-Muslim, is equally precious and sacred. The value of life is captured in the following verse of the Glorious Qur’ān:

…whoever kills a person not in retaliation for a person killed, nor (as a punishment) for spreading disorder on the earth, is as if he has killed the whole of humankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole of humankind… (5:32)

As Muslims, we value human life irrespective of geography, race and gender. We do not distinguish between the poor and the wealthy, women from men, the less able from the able bodied, as a life is a life, hence sacred and precious. Therefore, a loss of life in any corner of the world is a cause of grief and sorrow for every true Muslim.

During such moments we pray to Allāh ta‘ālā, the Creator, that He grants everyone guidance and fills this world with peace and security. For those who have suffered loss of life, may Allāh ta‘ālā grant them patience and courage. If families have lost their breadwinner, may Allāh ta‘ālā safeguard them from want and poverty. May Allāhta‘ālā grant relief to all from oppression and give every human the good fortune to live in peace and prosperity.

When the hearts and minds of humans become corrupt, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, then they no longer remain human. In their eyes, the worth of a human life becomes devalued and no thought is given to who is being killed, how many are killed and how the lives of innocent people, children, the elderly and women are destroyed. There is total contempt for humanity.

We pray that Allāh ta‘ālā grant those involved in killing innocent people, whether they be individuals, groups or governments, the essence of humanity and the ability to recognise the value of human life.

Developing a proper understanding of Islām

Following the tragic events in Paris, there is a significant focus on Islām and Muslims. At this juncture I would urge my fellow citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims, to learn the teachings of Islām from practising Muslims with knowledge; not from the media. Those in the mainstream media, have not studied Islām in the correct manner and therefore do not appreciate the sciences of Islām and the relationship between them. Many times they comment on verses of the Qur’ān and Ahādīth which are out of context, as they are unaware of the method of how to interpret them and as a result reach incorrect conclusions and cause confusion. It is unfortunate that non-Muslims and ill-informed Muslims also express views based on their own interpretation, without the appropriate requisite knowledge. This has led to the distortion of Islām resulting in the misconceptions we see today amongst the general public, with regards to Islām and its teachings.

I therefore urge all Muslims to study and embrace the teachings of Islām and live their lives according to it. We need to deepen our understanding of the true essence of Islām by benefitting from reliable ‘Ulamā and reading authentic literature. This will enable us to spread the correct message to others and explain the true qualities, attributes and characteristics of Islām. We must also ensure our individual mistakes do not tarnish and distort the image of Islām and Muslims. We must all study Islām to the extent that we are able to present and explain, without any hesitation, the Islāmic point of view regarding topics that are commonly misunderstood by non-Muslims.

Bringing a change

We also need to bring a positive change in our lives by wholeheartedly turning to Allāh ta‘ālā and repenting sincerely from the disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā. Not only have we neglected our Dīn on a personal level, we have also not shared its beauty with others; a major negligence on our part. In our current circumstances Tawbah and Istighfār will be extremely beneficial, as it is stated in a hadīth:

Whosoever holds fast to Istighfār, Allāh will make for him a way out from every difficulty and will grant him relief from every anxiety and will grant him sustenance from where he expects not. (Abū Dāwūd)

Let us refrain from every act of disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā and become firm on our belief and worship. It is only when we become the personification of Islām through our dealings (mu‘āmalāt), social conduct (mu‘āsharat) and good character (husn akhlāq), that the true merciful and tolerant character of Islām will be observed and appreciated by all.

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us all the tawfīq. Āmīn.

© Riyādul Jannah (Vol. 24 No. 12, Dec 2015)

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Categories
Current Affairs articles

6 Words You Should Know Before Talking About Islam

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aseal-tineh/6-words-you-should-know-talking-about-islam_b_9134012.html

02/02/2016 11:39 am ET | Updated Feb 02, 2016

JACKOF VIA GETTY IMAGES

A lot of the suspicion surrounding Islam comes from a lack of knowledge or understanding of a religion that is still foreign to many people, despite its 1.6 billion followers. Often this lack of knowledge results in the public cooptation of important aspects of the faith.

Words like jihad and shariah have become synonymous with things like terrorism, violence and radicalism, resulting in Muslims being unable to freely use or express these important tenets of their faith.

To help clarify some common misconceptions about one of the world’s largest religions, here is a page from my Muslim dictionary.

Islam
/es-lam/
Is-lam
noun
: peace that comes from submission

Islam derives from the Arabic root consonants s-l-m, which means submission.Islam is also derived from the root word salaam, meaning peace. Islam is thus the submission of oneself to God through which the highest form of peace is attained. Assalaamu alaykum, a common Muslim greeting, is translated from Arabic to be “Peace be upon you.”

Muslim
/muss-lim/
Mus-lim
noun
: one who has submitted

The word Muslim in Arabic is also derived from the same root consonants as Islam, s-l-m. A Muslim is one who has submitted or surrendered; in this religious context, a Muslim is one who has voluntarily submitted to God’s will or God’s decree to achieve peace.

Allah
/uh-luh/
Al-lah
noun
: The God

The word Allah can be broken down into two parts. The al is a prefix definite article that translates to the. The second part luh simply translates to God. Therefore, Allah refers to The God. This is an important clarification to make because Allah is not a God Muslims believe in that is inherently antithetical to other groups’ beliefs; rather, Allah just refers to The God. From an Islamic viewpoint, this is the same God that the other Abrahamic faiths believe in. For example, Christian Arabs would also refer to God as Allah.

Jihad
/jee-had/
ji-had
noun
: a spiritual self struggle

Jihad is derived from the Arabic root word juhud, which means effort. Jihad is thus generally the process of exerting effort and can be applied to nonreligious actions. In the religious context, however, jihad does not mean waging a holy war or engaging in violence. Rather, the greatest form of jihad is an individual’s struggle with the self — the heart, the soul. A Muslim exerts effort in daily life activities — such as pursuing an education or a career — to do and achieve good for the personal process of self-improvement so as to achieve internal peace and closeness with Allah.

Shariah
/sha-ree-a/
sha-ri-ah
noun
: legal reasoning; law

Shariah derives from the root shara’a and refers to a pathway or a path that leads to water. Shariah refers to the pathway upon which the believers should tread so as to reach this source of water i.e. the righteous way of life. The shariah is derived from Quranic revelation, the Prophet Muhammad’s sunnah (Peace be upon him) or his traditions and sayings, and other sources of law and legal reasoning.


Madrasah
/med-ruh-suh/
mad-ra-sah
noun
: a school

The word madrasah derives from the root consonants d-r-s, meaning to learn or to study. Derived from this root, madrasah literally translates into a place where one goes to learn or study. A madrasah, though it can be, is not necessarily exclusively for religious studies; for example, a high school Muslim American student in the United States would refer to her public high school as a madrasah.

The implications of this false use of rhetoric is neither trivial nor inconsequential; rather, it has serious implications for the millions of Muslim Americans living in the United States. This false rhetoric — used by everyone from the 2016 presidential frontrunners to our next door neighbors — contributes to the increasingly unwelcoming and hostile environment and promotes dangerous Islamophobic sentiment.

The use of jihadists to refer to terrorists and Islamism to terrorism is detrimental to American Muslims’ ability to freely and confidently practice and express faith. Reversing the seemingly continuous stream of hatred directed towards Muslims requires fostering a deeper understanding of Islam among Americans, and so I offer to you a page from my Muslim dictionary.

 

30 Rabiul Akhar 1437

Categories
Shaykh Saleem Dhorat

The Value of Humanity in Islām

By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

Following atrocities committed in the name of Islām, such as those in Paris, once again misconceptions regarding Islām and Muslims make the headlines and infuse tensions in our society. I believe all of us are duty-bound to contribute to efforts that clear these misconceptions and misunderstandings and share the true nature of this beautiful religion.

The value of life

In light of Islām’s teachings of mercy and tolerance, it is impossible that oppression or the taking of innocent life is permitted in any circumstance. The life of every human, Muslim and non-Muslim, is equally precious and sacred. The value of life is captured in the following verse of the Glorious Qur’ān:

…whoever kills a person not in retaliation for a person killed, nor (as a punishment) for spreading disorder on the earth, is as if he has killed the whole of humankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole of humankind… (5:32)

As Muslims, we value human life irrespective of geography, race and gender. We do not distinguish between the poor and the wealthy, women from men, the less able from the able bodied, as a life is a life, hence sacred and precious. Therefore, a loss of life in any corner of the world is a cause of grief and sorrow for every true Muslim.

During such moments we pray to Allāh ta‘ālā, the Creator, that He grants everyone guidance and fills this world with peace and security. For those who have suffered loss of life, may Allāh ta‘ālā grant them patience and courage. If families have lost their breadwinner, may Allāh ta‘ālā safeguard them from want and poverty. May Allāhta‘ālā grant relief to all from oppression and give every human the good fortune to live in peace and prosperity.

When the hearts and minds of humans become corrupt, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, then they no longer remain human. In their eyes, the worth of a human life becomes devalued and no thought is given to who is being killed, how many are killed and how the lives of innocent people, children, the elderly and women are destroyed. There is total contempt for humanity.

We pray that Allāh ta‘ālā grant those involved in killing innocent people, whether they be individuals, groups or governments, the essence of humanity and the ability to recognise the value of human life.

Developing a proper understanding of Islām

Following the tragic events in Paris, there is a significant focus on Islām and Muslims. At this juncture I would urge my fellow citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims, to learn the teachings of Islām from practising Muslims with knowledge; not from the media. Those in the mainstream media, have not studied Islām in the correct manner and therefore do not appreciate the sciences of Islām and the relationship between them. Many times they comment on verses of the Qur’ān and Ahādīth which are out of context, as they are unaware of the method of how to interpret them and as a result reach incorrect conclusions and cause confusion. It is unfortunate that non-Muslims and ill-informed Muslims also express views based on their own interpretation, without the appropriate requisite knowledge. This has led to the distortion of Islām resulting in the misconceptions we see today amongst the general public, with regards to Islām and its teachings.

I therefore urge all Muslims to study and embrace the teachings of Islām and live their lives according to it. We need to deepen our understanding of the true essence of Islām by benefitting from reliable ‘Ulamā and reading authentic literature. This will enable us to spread the correct message to others and explain the true qualities, attributes and characteristics of Islām. We must also ensure our individual mistakes do not tarnish and distort the image of Islām and Muslims. We must all study Islām to the extent that we are able to present and explain, without any hesitation, the Islāmic point of view regarding topics that are commonly misunderstood by non-Muslims.

Bringing a change

We also need to bring a positive change in our lives by wholeheartedly turning to Allāh ta‘ālā and repenting sincerely from the disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā. Not only have we neglected our Dīn on a personal level, we have also not shared its beauty with others; a major negligence on our part. In our current circumstances Tawbah and Istighfār will be extremely beneficial, as it is stated in a hadīth:

Whosoever holds fast to Istighfār, Allāh will make for him a way out from every difficulty and will grant him relief from every anxiety and will grant him sustenance from where he expects not. (Abū Dāwūd)

Let us refrain from every act of disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā and become firm on our belief and worship. It is only when we become the personification of Islām through our dealings (mu‘āmalāt), social conduct (mu‘āsharat) and good character (husn akhlāq), that the true merciful and tolerant character of Islām will be observed and appreciated by all.

May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us all the tawfīq. Āmīn.

Categories
Poems

Don’t condemn in others, what we condone in ourselves

So you think ISIS is a crisis?

Okay! Let’s just take Bashar and BB and put them behind us,

And oh, what about those demons inside us?!

We invade and destroy Iraq, like act like don’t mind us!

You wanna flip out when ISIS carries out crimes in the name of God,

But what about the drones and bombs that we drop a lot on villages,

We received images of children in little bits and pieces,

In the name of freedom and peace,

It’s mind boggling… how we condemn in others what we condone in ourselves

If you wana stop the violence, you can’t make exceptions,

If you wana stop the violence, then stop selling weapons,

Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheons,

Instigate by funding speakers, sending instant hates so they can profit,

If you wana stop it then stop them,

No more solutions involving ‘lets just bomb them’,

We can’t kill and kill and kill and think that it helps,

We can’t condemn in others what we condone in ourselves.

Yes I’m Muslim, yes I’m biased,

Based on the fact I know people overseas that are lifeless,

Cause rockets and shells are part of the climate,

Instead of clouds and shade,

The sky buzzes loud with drones and rain of hell fire leaving pain,

And the stain of blood on clothes and scattered bones,

Every single drone rocket fires a couple more points on the Down Jones,

I’m just hoping what I say can help, we can’t condemn in others what we condone in ourselves.

Look, I’m not saying this is your fault,

But I am saying maybe YOU should apologise,

Especially since ‘supposedly’ it is my fault,

The latest assault on the lives of husbands and wives that took place on the other side of the planet,

Somehow it’s connected to me even though I didn’t plan it,

If we Muslims have to apologise for the four letter word that’s p**sing off the world,

Then you have to apologise,

For the ones who colonise to occupy and terrorise,

And apologise for the lies fed that led to the thousands that died,

And Iraq, for so-called weapons of mass destruction that you couldn’t find,

Do we have a deal?

I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable, that’s just cognitive dissonance,

Yes I look different, I’m the son of an immigrant, you and I both!

What a coincidence… isn’t it odd how we condemn in others what we condone in ourselves.

The first thing you need to comprehend is that war is profitable,

So let’s pretend, isn’t it possible that we aren’t at war for defence,

But for dollars and cents,

And differences are exploited, and all of these fence in the media are leading ya,

To a fight you never wanted,

Does any of that make sense?

Now don’t tell me I am defending ISIS, cause they killed thousands more Muslims than western journalists,

The more we ignore this fact the worse it gets,

Where was the shot when Bashar dropped barrel bombs on civilians in Syria,

Where was the constant media and why are they feeding ya,

Their fake concern for civilians now?

Bashar killed 200,000 before ISIS came to town.

Why do we chose which evil is necessary to fight?

Why do we only march for Christians and Whites, but not the Black or Brown, the Muslim Arab or Kurd?

Some blood is as cheap as dirt!

We can’t condemn in others what we condone in ourselves.

Why are we so mad that ISIS is killing?

Didn’t Israel just slaughter 500 children last summer?

Why is that not chilling?

Why are we willing?

Why are we okay to pay dollar and shilling, for the slaughter of mothers and daughters,

But, we can’t stand to see men in ninja outfits chopping off heads.

What’s the difference between a plane and a blade if both lead people dead?

What’s the difference between killing your support and killing your against?

My point is that all life is sacred,

So stop with all the hatred,

Cos blood is still blood,

No matter how you try and paint it.

We can’t condemn in others what we condone in ourselves.