On Sunday the 26th December at 8am local time, deep below the Indian Ocean, Allah (swt) -by His divine decree -ordered the seabed to violently shake. And by His (swt) command the shaking of the earth set in motion mighty waves to roar across the sea at speeds of up to 500kmph and heights of 10s of metres until the surging tides slammed into coastal towns and cities across the continent. The waves hit India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Siri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and several countries on the East coast of Africa causing a colossus of destruction and demolition.


Tens of thousands of lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes and left vulnerable to disease and hunger.


Indeed, it is Allah (swt) alone who is the one who instructs the earth and the sea as He wishes, and it is He alone who takes life, and it is He alone who provides for his creation. The magnitude of this event should serve as a reminder to all those who witness it – that Allah (swt) is the almighty and all-powerful and the only one worthy of worship.


And by the grace of Allah (swt), Muslims and non-Muslims all over the world have been humbled by the forces that easily overwhelmed man. Many have been reminded of man’s dependence on his creator and how he exists only by Allah’s (swt) leave and His mercy.


At the same time we witness those who continue to surpass in their arrogance and their evil. Western powers have wasted no time in making great speeches of grief and concern and grand announcements of how they will rapidly make great strides to assist the disaster stricken people of the Asian earthquake.


However, it is important that some greatly significant facts/quotes are considered when viewing this ‘Hollywood’ display of humanity by Western governments.


Human disaster is not a new phenomenon –It is estimated that one third of all human deaths –some 18 million people a year (majority women and children) are due to poverty related causes such as starvation, diarrhoea, pneumonia etc which could be treated quite cheaply and easily.


The UN’s 2003 Human Development Report has demonstrated that the era of globalisation has accompanied such levels of poverty with a widening inequality gap, where the richest 5% of the world’s people receive 114 times the income of the poorest 5%.


The global capitalists system and concentrated the wealth in a few hands with nearly half the world’s population living on less than US$2 a day consuming a mere 1.25% of the world’s global product.


In 1998, the IMF, the World Bank and other international agencies loaned Indonesia (one of the victims of the earthquake) more than US$50 billion. But with the bailout came stringent restrictions. The IMF-imposed austerity measures which exacerbated the crisis. Between 1997 and 1998, according to the World Bank, the number of Indonesians living in poverty had doubled.


Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs speaking at the World Bank, Washington stated: “The IMF starts with the truth that budget deficits should remain small in order to preserve macroeconomic stability. Then it demands budget austerity of impoverished countries to the point where those countries can't even keep their people alive. In addition, the IMF has repeatedly insisted on debt servicing that exceeds the combined spending of the health and education ministries.”


A senior aid official in a meeting on development cooperation in Addis Ababa in February 2004 commented. “Donors are playing a dangerous game. You come with inadequate amounts that are highly conditioned and fundamentally unreliable, then you insist on negotiating as though you are a valuable partner, then you are surprised that these governments don't trust you”


Conclusion


It is sickening to see the Western governments, particularly the US and the UK who have from their own initiative created a humanitarian disaster of greater proportions in Iraq, suddenly make great claims that they want to help the disaster stricken in the world.


Over the last few decades Western governments have shaped the global capitalist system to ensure that the world’s wealth concentrates in their own hands, and have used tools such as the world bank and IMF to consolidate poverty and famine in the poorest countries.


The countries affected by the aftermarth of this earthquake have long prior to this been suffering great poverty and famine and have therefore been unable to effectively respond to such a disaster. However as opposed to rushing to their aid when witnessing their permanent stare of poverty, it was the West who drove them to famine by means of the global capitalist system and using tools such as the IMF and world bank.


Therefore when Western governments rush to help disaster stricken countries – it is little more than hypocrital lip service – as the cause for the permanaent humanitarian disaster in the thrid world is the West itself.


Only a complete upheaval of the global capitalist system and independence from the West will lead the third world to an alleviation from their continual situation of poverty and suffering.


by Asif Dawood

Assalamu aleikum,


What is Islam? - a few letters and words to start with...


A is for Allah



Lord of the Universe, who is One,


He made the earth, stars, and sun


He made angels to worship and pray,


He made man from a dab of clay


B is for Bilal



Bilal is that tall, brave African man,


Islam freed him and gave him iman


Calling the Muslims to come and pray,


Was his duty each night and day


C is for Children



Black, white, red, yellow, and brown,


Better than the jewels in a crown


Laughing or crying, short or tall,


Allah loves children, one and all


D is for Du'a



Remembering Allah all nights and days,


By giving Him our thanks and praise


Thank Allah with "Al Hamdulillah"


And praise Him with "Subhanallah


E is for Earth



With its mountains, rivers, and seas,


Animals, birds, fruits, and trees


They all declare Allah's Might,


Following His laws, wills, and light


F is for Faith



That which the Muslims call Iman,


Is in the heart of the believing man


Will come from his lip and hand,


Love for Allah pouring out like sand


G is for Gabriel



An angel created by Allah from light,


His duty is to serve Allah all day and night


To Prophet Muhammad (S) he did appear,


To bring mankind the Holy Qur'an so dear


H is for Heaven/Paradise



Allah's garden of joy, peace, and love,


The home for Muslim's souls above


The path to this heavenly place


Is faith in Allah's guidance and grace


I is for Islam



A way of life for all of who,


Give to Allah the praise that is due


We worship and pray five times a day,


Because we know it is the best way


J is for Jesus



Peace be upon him, 'Isa, the son of Maryam,


To his people Allah's word did he carry


By Allah's help he made the sick well,


So people would believe what he had to tell


K is for Ka'bah



First house of Allah in Makkah was made,


By Ibrahim and Isma'il the stones were laid


Millions of believers from every race,


Come for Hajj tot his extra special place


L is for Life



A precious gift from Allah to you,


Don't waste it, he knows what you do


Don't chase pleasure or forget Allah,


No matter how little, say "Al-Hamdulillah


M is for Muhammad



Peace be upon him, Abdullah's son,


From Allah's enemies he did not run


Of all the Prophets he was the last,


Islam his message which we hold fast


N is for Nuh



Peace be upon him, a Prophet who was very good,


Allah told him to build an ark, fast as he could


Take pairs of animals and the believers-all,


The flood was coming and the waves would be tall!


O is for Obedience



It is the duty of each Muslim to obey,


The Qur'an and the Sunnah all the way


Go for Hajj, give Zakah, fast, and pray,


And to your parents do not say, "Nay!"


P is for Prayer



It is the cornerstone of Muslim life,


And the devil it cuts like a knife


Prayer five times a day is a must,


In Allah you should put your trust


Q is for Qur'an



A blessing and guide for all of mankind,


In it Allah's message you will find


Of all His messages it is the last,


Perfect for present, future, and past


R is for Ramadan



For Muslims this blessed month of fasting,


Is to celebrate Allah's love everlasting


All day, no food, nor drink, nor evil deeds,


Pray and read Qur'an, to heaven this leads


S is for Surah



One hundred and fourteen in the Qur'an,


Read them and trust in Al-Rahman,


Do you know ten of them that you can say?


Knowing them will help you pray


T is for Tawheed



La ilaaha illallah, Allah is the only one,


There is no partner with Him, nor son


Allah is the answer to all that we need,


Watch your heart and tongue, He knows every deed


U is for Ummah



The Muslim community which Muhammad (S) found,


The brotherhood of Islam made it sound


Allah's laws in the Qur'an and Sunnah,


Are to help everyone in the Ummah


V is for Victory



It is the help from Allah to you,


His guidance in everything you do


Work and prayer a Muslim does need,


To celebrate Allah's victory, indeed!


W is for Wudu'



We must keep our minds and bodies clean,


Because by Allah we are always seen


Whenever you hear the call of athan,


Prepare and come pray as soon as you can


X is for "Seen" *



X is not easy for us to rhyme,


So we'll not waste much of your time


In higher math X is hard to find,


But Allah's path is clear even to the blind


(* the Arabic letter "seen" stands for the unknown)


Y is for Yunus



Peace be upon him, a good man in a wicked town,


He ran to the sea and a whale gobbled him down


By the mercy of Allah he was saved to tell,


His people to become good and obey Allah well


Z is for Zero-sin



It is the way we each begin,


Free from wordly sin


So, don't let yourself forget,


Keep out of the devil's threat


source: muslimtents.com

The link tells you a lot of way to help your Muslim brothers and sisters in occupied Palestine by stoping the flow of money to Zionist butchers.


http://www.mylinkspage.com/israel.html

Assalamu aleikum,


Found some beautiful poems that I want to share with you.


ISLAM



Islam is a way of life, try it


Islam is a gift, accept it.


Islam is a journey, complete it


Islam is a struggle, fight for it.


Islam is an opportunity, take it.


Islam is not for sinners, overcome it.


Islam is not a game, don't play with it.


Islam is not a mystery, behold it.


Islam is not a for rewards, behold it.


Islam is not for the dead, live it.


Islam is a promise, fulfill it


Islam is a duty, perform it.


Islam is a treasure (the prayer), pray it.


Islam is a beautiful way of life, see it.


Islam has a message for you , hear it.


Islam is love, love it.


ALLAH KNOWS BEST



Allah knows what's best for us


so why should we complain.


We always want the sunshine


But allah knows there must be a rain


we always want the laughter and the merriment of cheer


but our hearts will lose their tenderness if we never shed a tear


allah tests us often with sufferings and with sorrows


he tests us not to punish us


but to help us meet tomorrow


for growing trees are strengthened


if they will stand the storm and sharp cut of the chisel gave the marble grace and form.


allah tests us often and for every pin he gives us


provided we're patient is followed by rich gain.


so whenever we are down and whenever we feel that everything is going wrong


it is just allah's way to make our spirit strong.


THE QURAN



A book that is full of answers


A book that makes you cry,


A book that makes you notice how much harder you can try


A book that makes you realize what true love really is


A book that gives you direction for all of life's tough biz


A book that gives you hope that someone somewhere is watching over you


A book that helps you out through all the times you're blue


A book that was revealed to our beloved prophet over a period of 23 years


once you put faith into this book you can handle worldly fears


A gift sent down from heaven


A treasure from above


Written proof tat shows us how blessed we are with allah's love.


BE THANKFUL



Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,


if you did what would there be to look forward to?


Be thankful when you don't know something,


for it gives you the opportunity to learn.


Be thankful for the difficult times, during those you grow.


Be thankful for your limitations,


because they give you opportunities for improvement


Be thankful for each new challenge,


because it will build your strength and character.


Be thankful for your mistakes,


they will teach you valuable lessons.


Be thankful when you're tired and weary,


because it means you've made a difference.


It is easy to be thankful for the good things,


a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.


Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.


Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

Dear All


Man is a moral being, free to choose either good or evil, right or wrong. The basic questions are: what is good? what is evil? why good is good? why evil is evil?, These questions are the topic of ETHICS where Laws according to which OUGHT to happen are discussed. In this way ETHICS relates more to feelings than to the concrete world and incorporates instinctive behavior; within the purview of Mechanistic Theory of Life. The scale of values helps to determine which of the two goods is the higher and which the lower. Reason tells only about relative values. Ethics cannot even give a definite answer to the question as to whether there are absolute values and if so, how they can be known. It tends to define values in subjective terms, only in relation to the particular experiencing individual. It amounts to a tacit denial of an objective system of values, valid for all men at all times. Islam involves belief in objective, absolute values as moral standard. These values are given in the Holy Quran – the only source of our knowledge of the highest values on which the character development is based.


Armed with adequate knowledge of values, we can, if we want, give and act in full accord with the immutable moral order of the universe. The knowledge does not only consist in merely the recognition of a value as a value but involves a just estimate of the degree of worth possessed by it also, so that it may be compared with other values. Confronted with a situation where we are called upon to choose between two values, we can then promptly choose the higher and sacrifice the lower value for the sake of the higher. Character is strengthened by our voluntary sacrifice of a lower value to secure a higher one. When a man has to choose, for example, between life and money, he does not hesitate to throw away money and save his life. Here instinct backs his choice; but the same man may be forced to choose between life and honour. It is a cruel choice and the man may not reconcile himself to the loss of either of the two extremely precious things. Choosing the higher and sacrificing the lower value is the character development . National reconstruction and character development are intrinsically linked with Values Education whether these be through democratic values, through our system of education and curriculum at all levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. According to the Holy Quran, the five principles, are the five fundamental facts which one has to accept in order to become a Momin:


1.      100 % believe in - Eiman in Allah Almighty


2.      Believe in - Eiman in the law of Mukafat (law of Requital) and the life hereafter


3.      Believe in - Eiman in Malaika, the heavenly forces


4.      Believe in - Eiman in the revealed Books


5.      Believe in - Eiman on Messengers of Allah Almighty


Where-as;


*   To have Eiman in Allah Almighty means to have conviction in His existence, to trust His every word, to depend/trust the laws given by Him and declare that one would obey those laws.


* To have Eiman in the law of Mukafat means to have firm conviction in that law: the natural consequences of actions, and to have faith in the continuity of life after death.


*  To have Eiman in the existence of Malaika means to believe that all the heavenly forces are in operation in the universe to bring into reality the tasks/programs given to them by Allah Almighty and to have faith that all the heavenly forces have bowed before man or have been ordered to come within his reach, or man has been made capable of conquering them after doing research.


* To have Eiman in Anbiya / Messengers means that man’s intellect alone cannot safely reach the destination – this guidance has been provided in Wahi / revelation, through the chosen people called Anbiya and whatever the Creator and Sustainer of this universe wished to be given for the enrichment and growth of human personality were communicated in its most perfect form and for the very last time through Rasool Allah Muhammad peace be upon him.


Regards


Nawaz


www.parvez-video.com

Bismillah


as salam alykom dear brothers and sisters in Islam


For a week I was trying to find a hadeeth in which the Messenger said what means that at time when people are busy with wrong celebrations, drinking, dancing, committing sins, at that time when a Muslim takes a side, detaches from all that, keeps himself/herself busy with Quran and prayer shall be rewarded much.


BUt could not find the hadeeth. but at least we know we should go against what the Mushrekeen are doing. So brothers and sisters, spend the night praying and reading Quran, dont even watch TV or a movie just to confirm that we are going against what they are doing.


Let us all tonight remember Allah more, resort to Allah more, and take His sheild against the temptations around specially at this night.


let us be among a group who remembers Allah when He is at most Forgotten

The Muslims entered Sind, India, in 711 C.E., the same year they entered Spain. Their entry in India was prompted by an attempt to free the civilian Muslim hostages whose ship was taken by sea pirates in the territory of Raja Dahir, King of Sind. After diplomatic attempts failed, Hajjaj bin Yusuf, the Umayyad governor in Baghdad, dispatched a 17-year-old commander by the name Muhammad bin Qasim with a small army. Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir at what is now Hyderabad in Pakistan. In pursuing the remnant of Dahir's army and his son’s supporters (Indian kings), Muhammad bin Qasim fought at Nirun, Rawar, Bahrore, Brahmanabad, Aror, Dipalpur and Multan. By 713 C.E., he established his control in Sind and parts of Punjab up to the borders of Kashmir. A major part of what is now Pakistan came under Muslim control in 713 C.E. and remained so throughout the centuries until some years after the fall of the Mughal Empire in 1857.


Muhammad bin Qasim’s treatment of the Indian population was so just that when he was called back to Baghdad the civilians were greatly disheartened and gave him farewell in tears. There was a Muslim community in Malabar, southwest India as early as 618 C.E. as a result of King Chakrawati Farmas accepting Islam at the hands of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Muslim presence as rulers in India dates from 711 C.E. Since then, different Muslim rulers (Turks of Central Asia, Afghans, and the descendants of the Mongol - the Mughals) entered India, primarily fought their fellow Muslim rulers, and established their rule under various dynastic names. By the eleventh century, the Muslims had established their capital at Delhi, which remained the principal seat of power until the last ruler of Mughal Dynasty, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was deposed in 1857 by the British. A few British visitors were given permission by Akbar to stay in Eastern India more than two centuries before. The British abused that privilege, and within a few decades the British began to collaborate with Rajas and Nawabs in military expeditions against the Mughals and Muslim rulers of the east, southeast and south India. After two centuries of fighting, the British succeeded in abolishing the Mughal rule in 1857.


Muslims were a minority when they ruled major parts of India for nearly a thousand years. They were well liked generally as rulers for their justice, social and cultural values, respect for freedom to practice religion as prescribed by the religion of various communities, freedom of speech, legal system in accordance with the dictates and established norms of each religious community, public works and for establishing educational institutions. In their days as rulers, the Muslims constituted about twenty percent of India's population. Today, Indian Muslims constitute about fifteen percent of India's population, about 150 million, and they are the second largest Muslim community in the world.


The region now part of Pakistan and many other parts of India were predominantly Muslim. After the British takeover in 1857, many of these areas remained under loose control of Muslims. When the British decided to withdraw from India without a clear direction for the future of Muslims (former rulers), a political solution was reached for some of the Muslim majority areas. This resulted in the division of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947.


Among the famous Muslims scientists, historians and travelers who visited and lived, though briefly, in India were Al-Biruni, Al-Masu'di, and Ibn Battuta. Their writings illuminate us with the Indian society and culture. Al-Biruni stayed in India for twenty years. Ibn Battuta, an Andalusian who was born in Morocco, served as a Magistrate of Delhi (1334-1341) during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Tughluk. It is conceivable that Ibn Battuta’s description of Muslim India inspired Ferdinand and Isabella who had taken over the last Muslim kingdom of Granada, Spain in 1492. That same year Columbus received the permission in the Alhambra palace (of Granada) and made his famous voyage bound for India in search of gold and spice but he landed in the Americas.

Dear Brothers, I am grateful to be here writing in this forum. I sometimes take passages from or harunyahya's books for your information.


True believers remain grateful to God even under harshest conditions. Someone looking from outside may see the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy. However, believers, who are able to perceive the good aspect of every event and situation, see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test people with fear, hunger and loss of wealth or life. In such a situation, believers rejoice and feel grateful, hoping that God will reward them with the gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness they displayed in this test. They know that God does not impose on anyone more than he can bear. The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to patience and gratitude. Therefore, it is an obvious attribute of believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and God promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the life of this world and in the hereafter.


<b> </b>


And when your Lord announced: "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe."' (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

Allah indicates the purpose of man in the following verse:


<b>That which is on earth We have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them – as to which of them are best in conduct. (Surat al-Kahf: 7)</b>


In doing so, Allah expects man to remain His devoted servant all through his life. In other words, the world is a place where those who fear Allah and those who are ungrateful to Allah are distinguished from each other. The good and the evil, the perfect and the flawed are side by side in this "setting". Man is being tested in many ways. In the end, the believers will be separated from the disbelievers and attain the Paradise. In the Qur'an it is described thus: We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 2-3)


In order to have an understanding of the essence of this test, one needs to have a deep understanding of one's Creator whose existence and attributes are revealed in everything that exists. He is the Creator, the Possessor of infinite power, knowledge, and wisdom. He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Bestower of Forms. To Him belong the most beautiful names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, declare His glory: and He is the Exalted in might, the Wise. (Surat al-Hashr: 24)


Allah created man from clay, endowed him with many features, and bestowed many favors upon him. Nobody acquires the traits of seeing, hearing, walking or breathing by himself. Moreover, these complex systems were placed in his body in the womb before he was born and when he was without any ability to perceive the outer world.


Given all these traits, what is expected of man is to be a servant of Allah. However, as Allah makes clear in the Qur'an, the majority of people are "wrongdoers" and "ungrateful" to their Creator, for they refuse submission to Allah. They suppose that life is long and that they possess the individual strength to survive.


That is why their purpose is to "make the most of their lives while they last". They forget death and the hereafter. They endeavor to enjoy life and to attain better living standards. Allah explains the attachment of these people to this life in the following verse:


<b>As to these, they love the fleeting life, and put away behind them a day (that will be) hard. (Surat al-Insan: 27) </b>


Disbelievers endeavor to taste all the pleasures of this life. Yet, as the verse implies, life passes very quickly. This is the crucial point that the majority of people fail to remember.


Countless examples of the perfection of the creation surround man all over the world: gorgeous landscapes, millions of different kinds of plants, the blue sky, clouds heavy with rain, or the human body – a perfect organism full of complex systems. These are all breathtaking examples of creation, reflection on which provides deep insight.


Allah calls upon man to reflect on this in the following verse:


<b>The likeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies: by its mingling arises the produce of the earth – which provides food for men and animals: (It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it: There reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before! Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect. (Surah Yunus: 24) </b>


In this verse, it is shown that everything on this earth deemed nice and beautiful will lose its beauty one day. Moreover, they will all disappear from the surface of this earth. This is a very important point to ponder since Allah informs us that He gives such examples "for those who think". As an intelligent being, what is expected from man is to think and to take lessons from events and finally to set rational objectives for his life. "Thought" and "comprehension" are the unique traits of man; without these traits man lacks his most distinctive features and becomes lower than the animals. Animals also lead lives which are similar in many respects to human lives: they breathe, breed, and, one day, die. Animals never think why and how they are born, or that they will die one day. It is very natural that they do not engage in an effort to comprehend the real objective of this life; they are not expected to think about the purpose of their creation or about the Creator.

Dear All


To Elaborate The Concept of Governance The following example will make this process clear:


The responsibility of the Nabi / Messenger, to whom Divine Guidance was revealed, was not only to communicate his revelation, but also to establish a system of governance encompassing socio-politico-economic order in the light of the Guidance. Our Rasool / Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him has established this system, guarantying thereby complete equality of all human beings. The pursuit of individual interests was replaced by the ideal of good of the humanity at large. Oppression and exploitation were uprooted; and justice and equity prevailed. The dependence of human upon human and the subjugation of one over another were brought to an end. Every individual was assured the proper satisfaction of his/her needs. In this way they led a full life of satisfaction, peace and harmony. They did not owe obedience to any person or power, or authority except the Divine Laws enshrined in the Quran. Briefly, that system completely put an end to the rule of human over human, in any form, and with it the evil of capitalism. This system was called Deen in the Quranic terminology. This System of Governance prevailed during the time of Muhammad peace be upon him and for sometime thereafter,but when the forces of exploitation began to raise their ugly heads again. They scored their first success with the establishment of kingship – Mulookiyyat – sustained by capitalism. To ensure their survival and consolidation, these forces availed themselves of the co-operation of man who appeared in the robes of piety and spoke in the name of Allah Almighty. They posed as the interpreters of Allah’s will and thus distorted principles, injunctions, values and tenets of Deen which no longer remained a living force in the society and were reduced to soul-less beliefs, lifeless dogmas and formal, mere, rituals divorced from reason, and realities of life. They framed rules and laws to suit the purpose of monarchy, and sought to keep the common human entangled in the labyrinth of these dogmas and rituals, and the exploiters – religious as well as temporal – were left free to maintain their stranglehold upon the defrauded masses. This was the metamorphosis of Deen into Mazhab or religion, which word – by the way – does not occur anywhere in the Quran. The Quran, the Book of Allah Almighty though remained intact but was never allowed to play any part in the practical life of the Muslims at least for the last 1200 years. 


Epilogue:


So the final analysis of the things is to be kept in mind for the System of Governance is Human body develops by what the individual concerned takes, while their personality develops by what they give. And for this purpose one is required to work hard, earn and produce as much as possible, keep what is basically and essentially necessary for their own upkeep, and hand over the rest to the System of the Governance for meeting out the necessities of others in need. And this entails a System of Education to develop such persons.


Regards


Nawaz


www.parvez-video.com