Posted by: Abu Hafsat - 08-30-2013, 08:53 PM - Forum: Islam
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Assalam alaykum,
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that he heard the Apostle of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, saying:--
"None of you shall be saved by his works". A man said, "Not even yourself, O Messenger of Allah?". He said,
"Not even myself, unless Allah covers me with a Mercy from Him. But strive to be right". [sahih Muslim]
This Noble Hadithrestates the Orthodox Islamic position, to the effect that no one deserves recompense or Paradise (Jannah) for his or her acts of Obedience. On the other hand, some may quote Qur'anic Verses, as in the words of Allah, Most High, such as:--
"Enter Paradise for that which you have done". (Qur'an-16:32) and
"That is Paradise, which you have been bestowed for what you did before". (7:43) and similar verses that indicate that paradise is entered by virtue of works. These verses do not contradict the above Hadith. Rather, they indicate that entering Paradise is because of good works....good deeds...but Divinely given success (Tawfiq) to do the works, and being guided to have sincerity in the works, and their acceptability are the Mercy of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful, and His Favour.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Governments sought information on over 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of 2013 and the No.1 social network complied with most requests, the firm said in its first report on the scale of data inquiries it gets from countries around the world.
The report follows allegations by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that practically every major Internet company - including Facebook, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp - routinely hands over troves of data on potentially millions of users to national intelligence agencies.
Facebook has more than 1 billion users worldwide.
U.S. law enforcement authorities were by far the most active in mining Facebook, seeking information on about 20,000 to 21,000 users between January and June. That represents a slight rise from the six months between June and December 2012, when U.S. agencies requested information on roughly 18,000 to 19,000 Facebook accounts, according to figures previously released by the company.
Facebook has at least partially complied to about 80 percent of those requests, the company acknowledged on Tuesday.
Authorities in other countries with large Facebook user bases, including India, the United Kingdom and Germany, also requested information on thousands of users.
Facebook, which disclosed the figures in its first "Global Government Requests Report," said it individually scrutinized every information request and required governments to meet a "very high legal bar" to receive user data.
Although the full scope of the National Security Agency's electronic data collection programs remains unclear, Facebook has vigorously contested claims that it allows the U.S. government unfettered access to secretly gather information on a significant fraction of its users.
Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch said in the Tuesday report that Facebook hoped to contribute to the "ongoing debate about the proper standards for government requests for user information in official investigations."
"We fight many of these requests, pushing back when we find legal deficiencies and narrowing the scope of overly broad or vague requests," Stretch said. "When we are required to comply with a particular request, we frequently share only basic user information, such as name."
Facebook said it would begin to publish information on data requests on a regular basis. Google and Twitter, among other companies, have periodically released similar information for several years.
Facebook's report included secret information requests within the U.S. authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Patriot Act. U.S. companies are ordinarily prohibited from acknowledging the existence of data requests made under those statutes. Facebook negotiated with the U.S. government in June to begin publishing the total number of data requests it receives without specifying how many are related to law enforcement investigations as opposed to intelligence-gathering efforts.
Posted by: Abu Hafsat - 08-27-2013, 09:39 PM - Forum: Islam
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Assalam alaikum,
Being the commands, prohibitions, sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Noble Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the Sunnah should be our lives. The Sunnah, for us Muslims, must be the guiding beacon in conducting our everyday life. Find hereby attached some 100 Sunnah Acts for your perusal. Examine them and see which ones are already in your regular list of practices and which ones you will henceforth resolve to be putting to practice immediately. These acts of the Sunnah are meant to enrich our lives...embrace them accordingly; you will be glad you did.
At the orders of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, President of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais opened the temporary mataf bridge for disabled and elderly worshippers on Thursday.
Al-Sudais said that he was opening the bridge experimentally and the operational opening would take place today.
He said the 12-meter-wide and 13-meter-high bridge can accommodate 1,700 wheelchairs in one hour.
He added that one more level will be opened later and it will be linked to the first floor of the Grand Mosque. The bridge will be used by disabled people until the completion of the expansion work, the sheikh added.
The expansion of the mataf started on Nov.15.
The expansion undertaken at the orders of King Abdullah with the aim of increasing the comfort and safety of pilgrims. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Haj and Umrah Studies prepared a study on how to implement the expansion project.
The study recommended using the available space and potential of the mataf to the maximum while maintaining the architectural features of the Grand Mosque using advanced technology.
After the completion of the mataf expansion work, its capacity will increase to 105,000 pilgrims per hour. The capacity fell to 22,000 pilgrims per hour during the expansion period from 48,000 pilgrims.
A Saudi spent all his savings and even borrowed money to have his illegal Bangladeshi guard treated for a brain tumor.
The worker, Mahboob, has been working for Abdullah Saad Al-Rouqi for seven years. He came for Umrah and overstayed at Huda Al-Sham village in Makkah region where Al-Rouqi gave him a job as a guard.
The disease was discovered during the period Al-Rouqi was completing procedures for the worker’s legalization following the King’s amnesty and before the extension to Nov. 3.
The worker fainted. He was transported to the hospital after Al-Rouqi arrived in Makkah following a visit to the Bangladeshi Embassy. There, he had the worker’s documents and passport issuance request approved.
The worker, who has been in the hospital for the last three months, required two operations to open blocked cerebrospinal-fluid pathways and remove most of the tumor.
“The two operations were performed and he needs to continue chemotherapy,” said Al-Rouqi, who is currently the worker’s legal but temporarily employer after the worker applied for a new passport at his embassy.
Al-Rouqi paid SR80,000, of which SR30,000 was his marriage loan and SR20,000 his savings. He borrowed the rest of the amount.
“I can’t afford the costs of hospitalization anymore,” he said. “I haven’t still completed the procedures for correcting his residency status. I have approached several government department to help to solve the situation and I’m also hoping to find someone to donate the cost of the man’s treatment in a specialist hospital as I have spent all the money I had.”
Posted by: Abu Hafsat - 07-22-2013, 09:32 PM - Forum: Ramadan
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Assalam alaikum,
Today we are almost halfway through Ramadan 2013...or 1434 A.H, when Muslims all over the world keep to fasting for one month...keeping away from food, drinks, sexual relations and all unlawful things from dawn to sunset. No doubt, Ramadan is a most blessed gift to us, Muslims, from our Lord and Nourisher, Allahu, Glorified and Exalted is He. We should do our level best to make the best out of this blessed period of Ramadan. Peruse/Study the piece of work hereby attached, published by Chicago Islamic Learning Foundation, and see/learn of how to make the best out of Ramadan, the Great blessing bestowed on Mankind. It is so interesting.....enjoy it.
Posted by: Abu Hafsat - 07-20-2013, 10:09 PM - Forum: Islam
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Salaam everyone,
On returning from Hudaibiyyah in late 6th Year A.H, the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, decided to send letters to Monarchs within and outside Arabia, calling them to Islam. Some believed, while others did not but the idea of embracing Islam and advent of a new Prophet preoccupied them all. Find hereby attached some of these Letters for your perusal and see how History was shaped, when the Letters were dispatched...
Posted by: Abu Hafsat - 07-20-2013, 09:54 PM - Forum: Islam
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Assalam alaikum,
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:--
" THE ONE WHO LOOKS AFTER A WIDOW OR A POOR PERSON IS LIKE
A MUJAHID (Warrior) WHO FIGHTS FOR ALLAH's CAUSE, OR LIKE HIM
WHO PERFORMS PRAYERS ALL THE NIGHT AND FASTS ALL THE DAY". [bukhari, Vol. 7 Book 64, No. 265]
In the Light of this Noble Hadith, we may as well resolve to be looking after a widow and/or a poor person in our neighbourhood, so as to reap the benefits of so doing accordingly....
