<b>MURDER:</b> Every day four women die in this country as a result of domestic violence, the euphemism for murders and assaults by husbands and boyfriends. That's approximately 1,400 women a year, according to the FBI. The number of women who have been murdered by their intimate partners is greater than the number of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.


<b>BATTERING:</b> Although only 572,000 reports of assault by intimates are officially reported to federal officials each year, the most conservative estimates indicate two to four million women of all races and classes are battered each year. At least 170,000 of those violent incidents are serious enough to require hospitalization, emergency room care or a doctor's attention.


<b>SEXUAL ASSAULT:</b> Every year approximately 132,000 women report that they have been victims of rape or attempted rape, and more than half of them knew their attackers. It's estimated that two to six times that many women are raped, but do not report it. Every year 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by their current or former male partners, some more than once.


<b>THE TARGETS:</b> Women are 10 times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate. Young women, women who are separated, divorced or single, low- income women and African-American women are disproportionately victims of assault and rape. Domestic violence rates are five times higher among families below poverty levels, and severe spouse abuse is twice as likely to be committed by unemployed men as by those working full time.


<b>IMPACT ON CHILDREN:</b> Violent juvenile offenders are four times more likely to have grown up in homes where they saw violence. Children who have witnessed violence at home are also five times more likely to commit or suffer violence when they become adults.


<b>IMPACT ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES:</b> Women who are battered have more than twice the health care needs and costs than those who are never battered. Approximately 17 percent of pregnant women report having been battered, and the results include miscarriages, stillbirths and a two to four times greater likelihood of bearing a low birth weight baby. Abused women are disproportionately represented among the homeless and suicide victims. Victims of domestic violence are being denied insurance in some states because they are considered to have a "pre-existing condition."


(Source - "Violence Against Women: A National Crime Victimization Survey Report")

FROM THE BOOK CALLED "Quick Grasp Of Faith"


http://www.harunyahya.com/quick01.php


QUESTİON 1


How do we realize the existence of Allah?


The plants, animals, seas, mountains, and people we see when we look around, and everything else in the micro universe - living or non-living - which we cannot see, are all obvious evidence of a superior wisdom which has brought them into being. Similarly, the equilibrium, order, and perfect creation present in the entire universe also prove the existence of a supreme possessor of knowledge who has designed them perfectly. The possessor of this wisdom and knowledge is Allah.


We realize the existence of Allah from the perfect systemsHe created and the awesome qualities of living or non-living entities. This perfection is highlighted in the Qur'an:


He created the seven heavens one above the other. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your eyes will become dazzled and exhausted! (Surat al-Mulk: 3-4)


QUESTİON 2


How do we know Allah?


It is again the perfect creation throughout the universe that introduces to us the supreme power of Allah. However, Allah has principally introduced Himself to us in the Qur'an, which He has sent down to people as a guide to right living. In the Qur'an, all the supreme qualities of Allah, His wisdom, knowledge, compassion, mercy, justice, omnipresence, His seeing and hearing everything, His being the sole owner and sole God of the Heavens, the Earth and all that lies between and His being the sole sovereign of the kingdom are conveyed to us.


He is Allah - there is no god but Him. He is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the Compassionate and Most Merciful. He is Allah - there is no god but Him. He is the King, the Most Pure, the Perfect Giver of Peace, the Trustworthy, the Safeguarder, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. May Allah be exalted above all they associate with Him. He is Allah - the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr: 22-24)


QUESTİON 3


What is the purpose of our creation?


Allah tells us the purpose for our creation as follows:


I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 56)


As stated in this verse, the purpose of man's existence on Earth is his being just a servant of Allah, worshipping Him and gaining His approval. Man is tested on this subject as long as he is on this Earth.


QUESTİON 4


Why are we tested?


Allah tests people in the world to distinguish the ones who believe in Him from those who don't, and to determine which of the believers are best in their behaviour. Therefore, it is not enough for an individual to say "I believe". As long as one lives, his faith and devotion to Allah, his perseverance in religion, in short, his steadfastness in being a servant of Allah are tested in specially created conditions and environments. Allah states this truth in the following verse:


He created death and life to test which of you acquitted himself best. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)


QUESTİON 5


How are we to be servant of Allah?


To be a servant of Allah means leading one's whole life for the purpose of gaining Allah's pleasure and approval. It means trying to carry out all actions in the best possible manner so as to gain Allah's approval, fearing Allah alone and orienting all one's ideas, words, and deeds to this purpose. Allah has brought it to our attention in the Qur'an that being a servant to Him covers the whole life of the individual:


Say: 'My salat (prayers) and my devotions, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds.' (Surat al-An'am: 162)


QUESTİON 6


Why is religion necessary?


What a man who believes in the existence of Allah has to do first, is learn the orders of his Creator and the things that will please Him, Who gave him a soul when he was nothing, made him live, eat, and drink, and gave him health. Then he has to spend his whole life abiding by Allah’s orders and seeking Allah’s approval. It is religion that shows us the morals, behaviour, and way of life of which Allah will approve. Allah has made it clear in the Qur’an that people who abide by religion will be on the true path, whereas others will go astray.


He whose breast is opened to Islam is therefore illuminated by his Lord. Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah! Such people are clearly misguided. (Surat az-Zumar: 22)


QUESTİON 7


How does one live one’s religion (deen)?


People who believe in Allah, and who humbly obey Him, organize their lives in accordance with Allah’s recommendations in the Qur’an. He who lives the religion leads his life, complying with the right things his conscience inspires in him and abandoning everything bad that his self, the negative voice within him, orders. Allah states in the Qur’an that He created men with the predisposition to live their religion:


Therefore, stand firm in your devotion to the true Faith, the upright Faith which Allah created for man to embrace. There is no changing Allah’s creation. That is the true Faith, although most people may not know it. (Surat ar-Rum: 30)


QUESTİON 8


How can there be morals without religion?


In societies where there is no religion, people become predisposed to commit all kinds of immoral acts. For instance, a religious person would never take a bribe, gamble, feel envy, or lie because he would know that he would have to account for these actions in the hereafter. Yet, an irreligious person is prone to doing all these things. It is not enough for a man to say, “I am an atheist but I don’t take bribes”, or “I am an atheist but I don’t gamble”, because a man who does not fear Allah and who does not believe that he is going to give an account of himself in the hereafter may do any one of these things when the situation or conditions change. A person who says, “I am an atheist but I do not commit fornication” may do so at some place where fornication is considered normal. Or a person who says that he does not take bribes may say, “My son is sick and about to die, therefore I have to take the bribe”, if he has no fear of Allah. In a state of irreligiousness, even theft may be considered legitimate under certain conditions. For instance, people of no religion may not consider taking towels or decorative accessories from hotels and recreation centres as stealing to their own way of understanding.


However, a religious person does not display such immorality, because he fears Allah and does not forget that Allah knows his intentions as well as his thoughts. He acts sincerely and avoids sin.


A person who is distant from religion may say “I am an atheist but I am forgiving. I feel neither vengeance nor hate,” but one day some untoward event may cause him to lose his self-control and display the most unexpected behaviour. He may attempt to kill or injure someone, because the morality he adopts is one that changes according to the environment and conditions of the place in which he lives.


Yet, one who believes in Allah and in the hereafter never deviates from his good morals, whatever the conditions or the environment may be. His morality is not “variable” but immutable. Allah refers to the superior morals of religious people in His verses:


Those who keep faith with Allah and do not break their agreement; those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined and are afraid of their Lord and fear an evil Reckoning; those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and attend to their salat (regular prayer) and give alms from what We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will attain the Ultimate Abode (Surat ar-Ra’d: 20-22)


QUESTİON 9


What would happen to the social system without religion?


In an environment without religion, the first concept to be eliminated is that of the family. Values such as loyalty, fidelity, allegiance, love, and respect, which sustain the family, are totally abandoned. It must be remembered that the family is the foundation of society and if the family collapses, so does society. Even the state and the nation have no reason to exist, since all moral values that underpin the state and the nation have been obliterated.


Furthermore, in irreligious societies, there is no reason left for anyone to feel respect, love or compassion for anyone else. This leads to social anarchy. The rich hate the poor, the poor hate the rich. Anger develops against those who are handicapped or needy. Or aggression towards different nations rises. The workers become aggressive towards their employers and the employers towards their workers, fathers turn against their sons and the sons against their fathers.


The reason for continuous bloodshed and the “third page news” in the newspapers is irreligion. On these pages, every day, we see news coverage about people who heedlessly kill each other for very insignificant causes.


However, a man who knows that he is going to be accountable in the hereafter cannot point a gun at somebody else’s head and shoot him. He knows that Allah has forbidden men to commit crimes, and his fear of Allah ensures that he will avoid divine retribution.


Do not corrupt the earth after it has been purged of evil. Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. Allah’s mercy is within reach of the righteous. (Surat al-A’raf: 56)


The cause for suicides being so common is also irreligion. One who commits suicide in fact commits murder. For instance, someone who attempts to commit suicide because his girl friend has left him should ask himself these questions: Would he think of committing suicide for that girl, if she became disabled, or became old, or if her face had been badly burned? Of course, he would not; he overvalues her in his mind when he sees her as elegant and healthy and he ascribes her as a partner to Allah, thinking her to be more important than Allah, the hereafter, and religion. He risks dying for her.


But someone who is guided by the Qur’an would never do such a thing. He would not even give it a moment of thought. A believer lives only for Allah’s approval and exercises patience in the face of all the difficulties and problems Allah afflicts him within this world. And he does not forget that he is going to be rewarded for his patience both in this world and the hereafter many times over.


Stealing too is very common in irreligious societies. A man who steals does not think of how much trouble he causes to the person he steals from. He takes ten years of his victim’s earnings in a single night and doesn’t worry about how much he will suffer. As he inflicts pain on the other person, he may also feel pangs of conscience. But if he does not, this is an even worse state of affairs. It means that the thief has become hardened to committing all kinds of immoral acts.


In irreligious societies, values like hospitality, making sacrifices for each other, solidarity, and generosity totally disappear. First of all, people do not value each other as the human beings they are, because they see each other as beings that have evolved from monkeys. No one wants to welcome, serve, honour or offer nice things to anyone he thinks has evolved from an ape. People sharing this thought do not value each other. Nobody thinks about the health, welfare, or comfort of others. They do not worry about anybody getting hurt nor do they try to prevent such a thing. For instance, in hospitals people who are about to die are left lying on stretchers for indefinite periods; nobody cares about them. Or the owner of a restaurant operating under extremely dirty, unhealthy conditions does not worry about the harm he may inflict on the health of the people who eat there. He only cares about the money he is making. These are a few examples that show up in our daily lives. Here, the main logic is that people are good to each other only if they can expect some profit in return. By the moral standards of the Qur’an, however, people value each other as servants of Allah. They do not expect anything in return for a favour; on the contrary, they try to gain Allah’s approval by continuously doing good deeds, and compete with each other in doing good.


QUESTİON 10


Which material and spiritual benefits does observance of the morals of the Qur’an bring to society?


We have to note that religion, as referred to here, is a moral way of life, pleasing to Allah and chosen by Him as being most appropriate to the nature of all mankind. It is a way of life which is free of all kinds of superstitions and myths, and is totally under the guidance of the Qur’an.


Religion creates a profoundly, spiritual, peaceful, and secure atmosphere of morality. The chaos of anarchy that causes great damage to the state and the nation definitely ends because for fear of Allah, people avoid unruliness and causing mischief. Also, people with moral values stand up for their state and nation and do not stop short of any kind of sacrifice. Such people always work for the welfare and security of their country.


In a society where the morals of the Qur’an are practiced, people are extremely respectful towards each other and everyone tries to ensure the comfort and security of one another because solidarity, unity, and cooperation are very important according to the tenets of Islam. Everyone has to put the comfort and interest of others before himself. The following is an example of the morality of believers:


Those who were already settled in Madinah, and had adopted the Faith, before they came, loved1 those who came to them for refuge and entertained no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but gave them preference over themselves even if they themselves were needy. It is the people who are safeguarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al-Hashr: 9)


In an environment where people go in fear of Allah, everyone works for the welfare of society. No one acts extravagantly; everyone cooperates and works in solidarity watching out for the interests of the other. The result is a rich society with a high level of welfare.


In such a society, moral richness as well as material richness prevails. The state of chaos where all kinds of rebellious attitudes are displayed totally disappears. Everyone behaves with restraint and every problem is solved in a logical manner. All issues are resolved calmly. Life is always lived in a peaceful atmosphere.


QUESTİON 11


What are the benefits which observance of the morals of the Qur’an brings to the family?


The morality of the Qur’an requires respect for the mother and the father. Allah says in the Qur’an:


We have enjoined man to be good to his parents, for his mother bore him with much pain and the period of his weaning took two years: ‘Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me shall all things return. (Surah Luqman: 14)


In a home where the morals of the Qur’an are practiced there are no fights, quarrels or conflicts. A highly respectful attitude is displayed towards the mother, the father, and the other family members. Everyone lives in a happy and joyful environment.


QUESTİON 12


What are the benefits which observance of the morals of the Qur’an brings to the state system?


Allah refers in the Qur’an to obedience as a positive attribute. One who has the morals of the Qur’an would be entirely obedient and respectful towards his state. In Islamic societies, everybody works for the welfare of the state and the nation, never rebelling against the state but giving it, on the contrary, spiritual and material support.


In societies formed by Allah-fearing people, judicial cases would almost never come to court. Not even a thousandth of the legal infractions that take place in today’s societies would be experienced.


Governing the state becomes much easier. Since the state does not have to deal with cases of anarchy, terrorism, mischief, and murder, all the power of the state is focused on the development and enhancement of the country, on the domestic front and abroad, which results in a very powerful state.


QUESTİON 13


What are the benefits which observance of the morals of the Qur’an brings to art?


People who comply with the morals of the Qur’an value each other and try to make it possible for each other to live in an environment that is agreeable and aesthetically beautiful in every respect. Because of the longing felt for heaven, worldly means are fully utilized to create the most pleasant and cleanest of atmospheres, which address the eye, the ear, and all senses in the most beautiful way. Therefore, art and aesthetics develop in all their aspects.


Moreover, a religious person has a clean conscience. Thus there is no pressure on his mind and he can produce beautiful, unique and original works of art. Also, people working with the desire to please and present beautiful things to other religious people, act sincerely and vigorously.


QUESTİON 14


What are the benefits which observance of the morals of the Qur’an brings to the school system?


First of all, living the morals of the Qur’an brings maturity and wisdom to children and youngsters. The insensitive, uncaring behaviour prevalent among young people is not present in those who abide by the Qur’an. The result is a good-natured, obedient, open minded, self-sacrificing and productive generation. The dynamism, excitement, and aggression of youth are all directed towards good deeds. A considerable assiduity and intellectual power develop. In such an environment, students give great importance to their education not only to pass examinations or escape punishment, but to contribute to their state and nation.


Disciplinary incidents in schools become unheard of. A very peaceful, constructive, and productive educational environment is formed. Cooperation develops between teachers and students based on obedience, respect, and tolerance. Also, students become extremely respectful and obedient towards the state and the police. The student demonstrations that we often see today do not take place, because there is no necessity for them.


QUESTİON 15


What are the benefits which observance of the morals of the Qur’an brings to the work environment?


In societies where people lived by the morals of the Qur’an, there would be mutual understanding, cooperation, and justice in the work environment. Employers would care about the health of the employees and maintain the working environment at the most sanitary level. They would construct aesthetic and visually attractive work stations bearing in mind that employees would necessarily be working in the same environment over very long periods. They would pay them exactly what they deserve. They would not let any employee to be mistreated. They would keep themselves informed about the living conditions of the families of each employee. They would act conscientiously and ensure the protection of the employees. A situation where the powerful oppressed the weak would never develop. Also immoral behaviour like malicious gossiping, and attempts to prevent others being successful out of envy would never take place.


The relationship between the employees and the employer would be based not on self interest and cheating but on cooperation and trust. The employee would care about the interests of his company. He would not behave extravagantly, thinking, “The boss is paying for it anyway.” He would always do his best, and he would never be wronged because of his good morals, but would be protected by his boss.


QUESTİON 16


What is “ascribing a partner” to Allah, or idolatry?


Idolatry means considering a person or another being, or a concept as equal to or higher than Allah in terms of estimating, attributing significance, preference, and holding superior, and to act with this distorted point of view. Allah describes this situation as “associating with Allah any other God”. In other words, to claim that somebody or something else has any of the attributes of Allah means ascribing a partner to Allah. Allah has proclaimed in the Qur’an that idolatry will not be forgiven:


Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who serves gods other than Allah is guilty of a terrible crime. (Surat an-Nisa: 48)


QUESTİON 17


What is meant by “idolizing” something?


In conventional speech, “idolizing” only means worshipping certain things or beings. Yet, this concept has a much wider meaning and is not limited to past ages alone. In every age, there have been people who have ascribed partners to Allah, adopted other gods and worshipped idols or totem poles. It is not necessary for a person who idolizes something to say “this is a god, and I worship this” about the thing he idolizes, or to prostrate himself in front of it.


Idolatry is basically a person’s preference for something or someone over Allah. For instance, preferring someone’s approval to Allah’s approval, or fearing someone as one fears Allah or loving someone as one loves Allah can serve as some examples.


In the Qur’an, Allah states that the idols that people ascribe as partners to Allah will not be of any help to them.


Instead of Allah you worship only idols. You are inventing a lie. Those you worship besides Allah have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from Allah and worship Him and give thanks to Him. It is to Him that you will be returned.’ (Surat al-Ankabut: 17)


QUESTİON 18


How is one saved from idolatry?


First of all, one has to confirm from his heart that Allah is the only god, all power belongs to Him, and no being other than Him can possess any power to provide help or cause harm. A person who affirms these truths conclusively serves Allah alone and never ascribes partners to Him. Allah advised people that they must turn completely to Him to be saved from idolatry.


It is Him alone you call on and, if He wills, He will relieve your affliction; then you will forget what you associated with Him (your idols). (Surat al-An’am: 41)


The radical change experienced by a person who is freed from ascribing partners to Allah and turns to Allah, first occurs in his heart. The person who is saved from ascribing a partner to Allah gains a totally different point of view and mindset. He now leads his life which, until then, he had pursued under the sway of certain ideas and rules of ignorance, as well as his own wishes and obsessions, for Allah’s approval and pleasure alone.


QUESTİON 19


What does it mean to seek Allah’s approval on the highest plane?


What would you do if the place you lived in suffered a flood disaster? Would you climb to the top floor and wait to be saved, or would you climb floor by floor as the waters arose? While climbing to the roof, would you use the stairs or the elevator? Obviously, the wisest thing to do at such a moment would be to choose out of all the alternatives that would save you, the one which would yield the fastest result. Any other course would be quite out of the question. The person in this situation would be considered to have done his best by reaching the top floor in the elevator. This is “choosing the best course.”


The believer makes use of all his material and spiritual means, every hour and even every second of his life in accordance with the will of Allah. In doing so, if he is required to make a choice among certain alternatives, he draws on his wisdom and listens to his conscience, thus behaving in a way which would please Allah. This means that he acts in compliance with Allah’s approval at the highest level.


QUESTİON 20


What does having implicit faith mean?


Any individual would know without doubt that he would be burned if he stuck his hand into a fire. He would never have to think whether it was really going to get burned or not. This means that this person has the implicit belief that the fire is going to burn his hand. In the Qur’an, “implicit belief” is referred to as follows:


This (the Qur’an) is a clear insight for mankind, and guidance and a mercy for people who believe with certainty. (Surat al-Jathiyyah: 20)


“Having implicit faith” means believing in Allah’s existence and uniqueness, the day of resurrection, heaven and hell with absolute certainty, without any doubt, with full confidence as to their truth. It is like believing in the existence of the beings around one, whom one sees and talks to, and the intuitive knowledge demonstrated by the example of the fire given above. Faith built on believing with certainty develops in the individual a conscience which will prod him into spending every moment of his life acting in a way that will please Allah.


...............continues

The beautiful story of the night journey and the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


http://www.geocities.com/islamicmiracles..._of_al.htm

Personally, instead of being grateful to Allah for the precious health or whatever other gifts that He lent out to me – I get too cranky at the first whiff of an obstacle. Such has been the case with me the few times Allah put me to a simple test. Like most people I know the tendency is to dwell long on the painful episodes while the good life that are generally enjoyed are put out of sight.


Most humans instead of being grateful and happy with the merciful way Allah has treated them, they go out of their way to invite harm to themselves. It’s strange that the animal kingdom has more sense as you’ll never catch an animal in an act of discontent, disobedience or senseless violence while we humans walk this earth inflicting harm on others and on ourselves and get into all kinds of mischief ruining our health and the health of others and basically falling into all sorts of life threatening traps and harmful escapades.

Bismillah


as salam alykom


I received this on an email Sobhan Allah


I love you Dad...


Please no more tears... We will meet oneday... together in Islam.


My Daddy... Let's Jihad for Peace, Good Bye Dad... Allaah be with you always.


~*~


My dear, Allaah. How wonderful You are. You have blessed us immensely, yet we fail to thank You for these blessings. Despite this fact, You continue to bless us every day, in so many ways.


O Allaah, You are so Lovely. You guided us to the straight path and informed us of the deeds we should perform in order to enter Jannah. However, we are so imprudent that we neglect those deeds which will take us to Jannah.


O Allaah, How is my daddy? He is well isn’t he? You have admitted my daddy into Your Heavens, haven’t you?


O Allaah! My daddy abandoned everything and sacrificed his life to glorify Your Deen. He did not give priority to anything in this World; neither wealth, nor property; as a matter of fact, he forgot about everything else and just remembered that Islam should be superior on this Earth. O Allaah! It is for this reason that he used to tell us stories about Muhammad Qasim, about Mahmud Ghazanwi, about Tariq Bin Zayyad and of Khalid Bin Waleed. Eventually, he too, like them, raised arms against the enemy and continued to fight until the last drop of his blood had spilt from his body. O Allaah! Give my Salaam to my daddy and tell him that his little boy is absolutely fine. O Allah, please also tell him that his little boy will try the first fast of his life, during this Ramadhan.


Oh Allaah ! Tell my daddy not to be worried in our absence; the life of this world is very short. Mummy says that the life of this world will end suddenly, and then no mummy, daddy, brother, sister, son, or daughter will be of any use. However on that day the Shaheed will be able to intercede for seventy members of his family and lead them into Jannah (Paradise).


O Allaah! Tell my daddy that whenever mummy talks to me about him, she is very sorrowful, but she gives me a lot of courage. She weeps silently, but has never cried impatiently and uncontrollably. O Allaah! Tell my daddy not to get distressed. My mummy is very courageous. She earns a living by sewing clothes and washing dishes for people in our neighbourhood. She sends me to school during the day and to the mosque in the evening. At the mosque I learn the Qur’an from the Qari. My mummy has never complained to anyone. Instead, at night-time after finishing her work, she she tells me stories of bravery and courage, as my daddy used to, and says I must avenge the killing of my daddy.


O Allaah! Eid is near. The other children are going to buy new shoes with their daddys’. They have had new garments tailor-made and have bought Eid gifts to exchange with friends. Whenever I ask mummy to buy me some new shoes and clothes she does not answer me. She just remains silent and goes into the other room. Now I have stopped asking her. Maybe she has a good reason.


But Allaah! Tell my daddy not to worry. Even if I do not get new clothes, even if I do not get new shoes; so what? Eid is but a day, it will pass. Instead of passing the day playing, as children do and instead of going to the markets, I will spend it in the company of my mummy. Anyway, I am no longer a child. I have matured. My courage and resolve are very strong.


O Allaah! Tell my daddy that we are very happy. We do not lack anything. Just tell daddy to remember us; and Allaah, tell my daddy not to worry, as I no longer cry.


There is no-one who will lovingly tell me off, there is no-one to play fight with me, there is no-one who will pretend to be upset with me, but mummy tries to ensure that I am always happy.


When I hear of the childrens of Afghanistan,Iraq,Palestine,Ambon and checnya that their homes have been destroyed and their parents murdered by the oppressors, I forget about my own sorrows. I see their pictures in the newspapers; they sit despondently; some sit on the rubble of their houses, some sit forlorn on the dead bodies of their relatives. And that is why Allaah, I would like you to tell my daddy not to worry, because I am not sad.


wrote by a lil mujahid, Abdul Hameed Hamza.


(Translated by Umm Rawhiyah)


Sister Dina Istova


Moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MyIslam/

Just after the US Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, a call was placed to a newspaper in Cairo to claim responsibility.


Playing out a script well rehearsed in the Mideast for decades, the caller said he was from the Liberation Army of the Islaamic Sanctuaries, a previously unheard of group.


Even the journalist who took the call doubts it was genuine, and except for a threat received from Egypt's Islamic Jihad and published by the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat investigators have few clues yet, or even a sense that the bombings were the work of Mideast extremists.


State Dept.: 30,000 Threats a Year But the fact that terrorist attacks are often accompanied by multiple claims of responsibility points to the reason terror continues to be an attractive weapon for those who use it: Their message is heard around the world.


For more than half a century, most terrorists originated in the Mideast. Some did it for national redemption, others for revenge, and still others against a panoply of enemies real or imagined. Their tactics and targets have evolved as the world learns how to deal with them. In recent years, terrorism has generally declined, although the threat against Americans remains serious.


The US State Department says it receives 30,000 threats a year and takes every one seriously. The FBI database starting point for suspects is reported to include 200,000 individuals and 3,000 groups.


One of the precedents in the Middle East was set in British-run Palestine in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when the Zionist terrorist groups Irgun, Stern, and Haganah attacked British and Palestinian targets. The breakthrough came with the spectacular destruction in July 1946 less than two years before Israel was declared a state of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.


This was the impenetrable fortress, the British military and civilian headquarters, wrapped in steel doors and barbed wire and constantly guarded. When milk churns packed with high explosives in the basement sheared the building in two, the message was sent around the world that a new nation was about to be born.


Seed Sowed for Modern Terrorism.


Menachem Begin, who masterminded the King David attack, and later prime minister of Israel, described in his book The Revolt the thinking behind such acts of terrorists. There are times when everything in you cries out: your very self-respect as a human being lies in your resistance to evil, Mr. Begin wrote. Then, playing on Descartes words, he added: We fight, therefore we are.


But the creation of Israel left a losing side too. To the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dispossessed of their land in 1948, that event is still called al Nakbah, the Catastrophe. It sowed the seed for modern terrorism, and for future attempts at more and more spectacular attacks that seek to grab the worlds attention.


That lesson was learned in the late 1960s and 1970s by Palestinian guerrillas, who recognized the propaganda value of making their issue known through violence. First gathered in 1955 for cross-border attacks into Israel as fedayeen (those who sacrifice themselves), Palestinian guerrillas made their global breakthrough in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.


A handful of members of the Black September group so named after the brutal crushing and expulsion of Palestinian forces from Jordan by King Hussein in September 1970 broke into the Israeli team rooms and took Jewish athletes hostage.


King David Lesson Learned


After a drawn-out saga that included helicoptering to a waiting airplane, all but three of the guerrillas were killed along with all of the hostages. A Palestinian spokesman, quoted by British journalist David Hirst in his book The Gun and the Olive Branch (1977), claimed that A bomb in the White House, a mine in the Vatican ... could not have echoed through the consciousness of every man in the world like the operation of Munich.... It was like painting the name of Palestine on the top of a mountain that can be seen from the four corners of the earth.


The King David lesson had been learned and put into practice, and galvanized Palestinian warriors. The classic definition of Black September, as noted by Mr. Hirst, holds true of terrorists today, for whom it is more of a calling than a state of mind.


As one youth described terrorism in Mr. Hirsts book: It cannot be pinpointed, tracked down, or crushed. It has no name, no flag, no slogans, headquarters, or base. It requires only men who have the determination to fight and succeed and the courage to die.


Americans Become Targets


The 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran galvanized Islamic extremists, especially of the minority Shia sect scattered throughout the Islamic world, and in southern Lebanon, when Ayatollah Khomeini demanded the export of the revolution. The example was put forth: 52 Americans were taken hostage and held 444 days.


Americans became targets, and in 1983 the US Marines barracks in Beirut were bombed, leaving 241 dead. American troops soon pulled out. The bombers likely got what they wanted.


With the collapse of the Soviet Union at the turn of the decade, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and the subsequent Arab-Israeli peace process, many Middle East groups that had carried out terrorist attacks either disappeared or lay low.


But as the attacks against the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania attest, the King David lesson has not been forgotten. Who did the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania? Fingers point in many directions. High on the list of backers is multimillionaire Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, who lives in Afghanistan and earlier this year vowed to wage a Holy War against American military and civilian targets.


(Source: The Christian Science Monitor)

Bismillah


Peace


Look how Allah Is describing the consequence of what u simply said and tried to correct Anya and warning him against what he ascribed to u. Anya spoke as a Muslim man. Remember this is an Islamic board and we hold our beliefs highly for we are sure it is the truth. Just look at how the Quran which is the word of Allah is explaining how disastrous it is to ascribe a son to Allah. No matter how u explain it. Plus as far as I remember well I directly asked u on another thread who is Jesus to u is he the lord or son of Lord. U said he is all of that plus saviour, …ect. These set of Noble Ayah’s of Quran sums up all the options u made about Prophet Eassa salla Allah a`lyhee wa salla who simply has nothing to do with all of this, but rather he is totally free of any responsibility he never called people to worship him.


“They say: (God) Most Gracious has begotten a son!* Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!* At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth To split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,* At it the skies are ready to burst, That they should invoke a son for (God) Most Gracious.* For it is not consonant with the majesty of (God) Most Gracious that he should beget a son.” (Quran 19: 88-92)


“In blasphemy indeed are those that say that God is Christ the son of Mary. say: who then hath the least power against God, if his will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every one that is on the earth? for to God belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. he createth what he pleaseth. for God hath power over all things.” (Quran 5:17)


“They do blaspheme who say: God is Christ the son of Mary but said Christ: O children of Israel worship God, my lord and your lord whoever joins other gods with God, God will forbid him the garden, and the fire will be his abode. there will for the wrong doers be no one to help.* They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no God except one God. if they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.” (Quran 5: 72-73)


“They say: God hath begotten a son: glory be to him. nay, to him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to him” (Quran 2:116)


“Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle; many were the apostles that passed away before him. his mother was a woman of truth. they had both to eat their (daily) food. see who God doth make his signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth” (Quran 5:75)


“And behold God will say: O Jesus the son of Mary didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God? he will say: glory to thee never could I say what I had no right (to say). had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what is in thine. for thou knowest in full all that is hidden.* Never said I to them aught except what thou didst command me to say, to wit, worship God, my lord and your lord; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when thou didst take me up thou wast the watcher over them, and thou art a witness to all things.” (Quran 5:116-117)


“The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; he created him from dust, then said to him: Be: and he was.” (Quran 3:59)


I think now the situation is very clear to u.

Bismillah


A help for new Muslims to be able to pray accordingly,


http://english.islamway.com/flashpage.php?...h=782&hight=438


Wasalam

Bismillah


Assalamu aleikum,


Found this translation on another forum and thought it could be of use.


As salamu aleiykum



when you meet a muslim


Translation: Peace be upon you


Waleiykum assalam



a muslim greets you


Translation:And peace be upon you


As salamu aleiykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh



formal and great greeting to a muslim


Translation:Peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you


Waleiykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh



a muslim greets you


Translation:And peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you


Hiyyak Allah



When greating someone after Salams


Translation:May Allah greet you


Bismillah arRahman arRahim



before making a beginning


Translation:In the name of Allah most Gracious most Merciful


Jazak Allah Khieran



for expression of thanks


Translation:May Allah reward you with blessings


BarakAllahu feekum or Allah baraka fiki
responding to someone’s thanks


Translation:May Allah bless you


Fi Amanullah



by way of saying good-bye


Translation:May Allah protect you


But it is a Gulf area dialect.


Subhaanallah



for praising something


Translation:Glory be to Allah


let me correct here:


IT is used when one is astonished about something


Insh a Allah



for expressing a desire to do something


Translation: If Allah wills


Astaghfirullah



repenting for sins before Allah


I beg Allah for forgiveness


Mash a Allah



for expressing appreciation of something good


As Allah has willed


Alhamdulillah



for showing gratitude to Allah after success or even after completing anything


Praise be to Allah


Aameen



the end of a Dua or prayer


Translation:May it be so


Salla Allahu a`lyhi wasallam



whenever say the name of Prophet Muhammad


Translation:Prayer and Peace be upon him (S.A.W.)


A`layehi assalatu wassalaam



whenever say the name of a prophet


Translation:prayer Peace be upon him (A.S.)


Radya Allah Anhu



whenever say name of male companion of the Prophet (Sahabi)


Translation:May Allah be pleased with him (R.A.)


Radya Allah Anha



whenever say name of female companion of the Prophet


Translation:May Allah be pleased with her (R.A.)


Radya Allah Anhum



Plural form of saying companions of the Prophet


May Allah be pleased with them (R.A.)


Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji'oon



this is uttered as an expression upon hearing the news of some loss or some one's death


Translation:To Allah we belong and to Him is our return


aathama allaho ajrakom



uttered to family of deseased


Translation: may allah make your ajer "reward" great


Shukr Allaho sayikum



uttered to people who attend aaza - when friends go to send condolenses upon death of a person


Translation: May Allah accept that your effort


La hawla wala quwata illah billah



during the time of troubles


Translation:There is no strength nor power except Allah


Source


www.thetruereligion.org

Bismillah,


The word WORSHIP may have a different meaning, regarding to who says it and act according to it. In Islam the ONLY ONE that is worshipped is Allah, SWT.


The Meaning of Worship


To understand why human beings need to worship God, one must first understand what is meant by the term ‘worship.’ The English term ‘worship’ comes from the Old English weorthscipe meaning ‘honor.’ Consequently, worship in the English language is defined as ‘the performance of devotional acts in honor of a deity.’6 According to this meaning, man is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifying Him. In the Qur’an, Allah says:


“Glorify the praises of your Lord.” The Qur'an 110:3


In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony with the rest of creation which naturally glorifies its Creator. Allah addresses this phenomenon in many chapters of the Qur’an. For example, in the Qur’an, Allah states:


“The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which does not glorify His praise. (The thunder is described as gloryfying Allah in 13:13, the day and night in 21:20 and the mountains in 38:18) However, you do not understand their glorification.” The Qur'an 17:44


However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation, worship is called ‘ibaadah, which is closely related to the noun ‘abd, meaning ‘a slave.’ A slave is one who is expected to do whatever his master wills. Consequently, worship, according to the final revelation, means ‘obedient submission to the will of God.’ This was the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to mankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Prophet Jesus (the Messiah or Jesus Christ), “None of those who call me ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. It should be noted that ‘will’ in this quote means ‘what God wants human beings to do’ and not ‘what God permits humans to do,’ because nothing happens in creation without the will (permission) of God. The ‘Will of God’ is contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God’s instructions regarding His glorification.


Source


The following from http://www.viewislam.com/belief/purpose3.htm.