كل عام و الجميع بخير

السلام عليكم

من نعم الله علينا أن فرض علينا الصيام كركن من أركان الإسلام اللهم تقبل صيمنا

هل تتذكر أول رمضان صمته ؟؟

طبعا كلنا مررنا بعدة تجارب مع الصيام

بداية من التقليد , حتى الإمتحان الحقيق لنا ففرحنا بصيمنا لأول مرة

بالنسبه لي شخصيا لا أذكر متى صمت أول رمضان

و لكن أذكر مرة من المرات :-؛

أنني صمت يوما كاملا بالكمال و التمام إلا قبيل دقائق من الإفطار ........... و كنت جالس أمام المائدة أنتظر سماع مدفع الإفطار أو صوت المؤذن

و لكن ................ ؛

لم أتمالك نفسي من أن أتذوق بعض الطعام

و بديت في الأفطار قبل الجميع عن قصد و أذكر أني أكلت كنافه أو سمبوسة لا أتذكر بالضبط

كم هي هذه النفس ضعيفة أمام الشهوات

(( على فكرة لم يكن الصيام واجب علي في ذلك الوقت

و لكن كل ما أتذكر ذاك اليوم أحزن

و أقول يا ليتني كملت الصيام

تحياتي للجميع

و كل عام و أنتم بخير

و أكتبوا لنا ذكرياتكم مع رمضان و المواقف الطريفة التي حصلت لكم

Muslim College Life: Dating, Drinking and Deen

By Huma Ahmed

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Freedom. Young people live for the day when they can move out of the house and go to college and finally be free. Freedom from their parents, from restrictions on their lifestyle, from everyone telling them what to do. This is why in college you find a whole generation that does what they want. Life's short they say, let's enjoy ourselves while we can.

So it goes for Muslims. In college you find the most amazing things, Muslims who don't pray, Muslims who date, Muslims who attend MSA meetings but go out to parties and drink. Why is this happening? For one, when students go off to university they finally realize that what they believed in was blind. Religion becomes like Father Christmas, when they got old enough, they knew better than to believe in it. Most have little knowledge about Islam and have maybe memorized the right rituals to get by. Why believe something on faith, they ask. After all we cannot see heaven or hell. How do we know Islam is right anyway?

Islamic culture to them means marrying someone they never knew. It means arranged marriages and never hanging out or having fun. For girls Islamic culture has even less to offer. It would mean double standards or having to serve a husband the rest of her life.

The western alternative to this looks a lot more attractive. In western culture "love and romance" are supposedly everywhere. Everyone is out looking for love freely. Meeting someone, going out, seeking pleasure sounds a lot better. But what about the downside? For love at first sight, you need to have the right image, the right hair, and the right clothes. Girls have to aspire to be like the latest supermodels, they have to hold back age. Who's going out with whom, what are my friends thinking, what will happen if I don't get the right girl or guy, and what is my girlfriend or boyfriend thinking, all become important. Frustration, desperation, and unhappiness become the norm.

Imagine all the heartache youth would save if they followed the Islamic alternative. In true Islam, unlike culture, there is no gameplaying. If two people wish to be involved they are both straight with one another. Unlike what goes on today amongst some Muslims, they both meet each other and make a contract to marry. Women are treated with respect; there is no sexual bombardment like there is in western society. Sex in western culture is also often seen as a vice or a sin of the flesh. But even in religious Islam, sex is seen as natural. As long as it is in the right circumstances, when the two are committed to one another.

Drinking in college is also the norm unfortunately. If you don't drink or party you're seen as weird. Drinking is cool and a way for people to socialize, meet and have fun. The one who doesn't is less of a person and 'misses out'. Drinking and all the harms that come with it is cut off at the root in Islam. So many problems are avoided, accidents, pregnancy, violence and even rape for example. In college and in the world, success in life is not seen in terms of religion. It is seen as what other people think, one's careers, how much money they make. If you are religious you must have failed at life. But why do we have this separation? And this blindness in religion? The Quran tells us again and again not to have blind faith, not to follow the religion of our forefathers.

Yet, we as Muslims have stopped thinking. We may think about what our friends or other people will say, but we avoid thinking about the real issues. We spend so much time on the opposite sex, thinking about careers, money etc, but we forget to think about death and how much of this we will really be able to take with us? "Every soul shall have a taste of death and only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense...for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception" (Quran 3:185) Shouldn't we take the time to contemplate what will happen to us after we hit the grave? After all, what is the point of life if we are not accountable for our actions? If there is no creator, what is the point of being honest or good?

If we really look at our life we see that everything is indefinite, getting a job, even living until tomorrow. In fact we could die anytime, this is a definite, the _only_ dead certain thing in our life. Most of us believe we can make up for our actions later or we can be religious later. We are gambling. The chances of our dying today are little, but the stakes are high. Allah reminds us of the importance of this, "O you who believe, obey Allah as he should be obeyed, and die not except in a state of Islam" (Quran3: 102)

Each of us needs to decide. Is Islam right or not? Why don't we take the time, just once, once in our lives to find out if Islam is right? Is the Quran from God or not? We can't see God, but is there a maker to all this? We need to study nature, and the world. We only live once, if Islam is wrong then we should leave it, but if it's right we shouldn't go halfway. We shouldn't go to a club thinking we are only going to 'hang out and are not doing anything wrong' then feel guilty about it later. We shouldn't go on a date or drink, then feel guilty about it, worrying about hellfire. If Islam is right, we should follow it.

On the Day of Judgement it will be us alone who will be asked about our actions. If Islam is right and we are not following this deen completely, we are injuring our own soul, both in this life and the next. "Verily We have revealed the Book to thee in truth, for (instructing) mankind. He, then that receives guidance benefits his own soul: but he that strays injures his own soul..." Quran 39:41

This is the true definition of freedom. To learn about Islam and the world openly. To contemplate about life and death. And after learning the truth, obeying the word of God. "Those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the (Quran) is the truth from your Lord, and that they believe therein, and their hearts may be made humbly (open) to it..." Quran 22:54

Once students have this rock-solid intellectual belief in Islam, the corruptness and falseness of the people around them is clear. The beauty and wisdom of the Islamic way, the best alternative is clear. What other's do is of less importance. If others think they were weird to pray or weird to be honest, they would still pray and still be honest because they know their deen. The Prophet (SAW)'s famous hadith to 'seek knowledge even if it leads to china' or to 'seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave' is too often forgotten by students. Our Quran's are left on the top shelves, gathering dust. Sometimes the most it is read is when someone dies. How is this to help, when the guidance comes too late? The Quran is for the living. The path to understanding and following Islam comes from learning first.

How many of us are Muslim, yet have never read the Quran in our native language? How many of us are Muslim, yet have yet to open a book on hadith or Sunnah? How many of us defend Islam to non-Muslims, but do not follow it ourselves? May Allah forgive and lead us and all those lost to the straight path, inshaAllah. Ameen.

I have been discussing with other posters on the Non Muslim guest forum about the perception of oppression of women in Islam. Most people who responded to my questions regarding this matter were quick to defend the status of women in Islam but I remain unconvinced. Here is an excerpt from an article from the main web site;

<i> If at a particular time, a lady has no desire for sex with her husband, but he insists for it, what is her right of refusal in this context ? </i>

A5. If a husband expresses his desire for sexual intercourse with his wife, and <b>asks her to fulfill his need,</b> then she should fulfill her husband's desire, and <b>she has no right to refuse him or deprive him of his need</b> (unless of course if she is undergoing her monthly menstruation period or is down with illness.

The article goes on to say that it is all a woman's fault should the man stray from the marriage etc.

See the link

http://www.islamsms.com/en/modules.php...article&sid=309

Does this just not re enforce the perception of oppression on women ?

Are there any women muslims on here that would defend this position ?

First published on Thursday 16 October 2003:

Soft drinks upset Muslims

by Fiona Evans

Mosques are calling for stricter food labelling laws after learning alcohol contained in some soft drinks is not listed on labels.

Varieties of Ribena and Lucozade drinks made by GlaxoSmithKline use alcohol and its derivatives - banned for Muslims - as carrier agents for flavourings, vitamins or minerals.

But Government food regulations do not require manufacturers to reveal on a product's packaging if alcohol or animal products are contained in the flavourings in trace amounts.

Bradford Council For Mosques vice-president Ayub Laher said: "We should encourage manufacturers to tell people if these ingredients are in products. Even if alcohol is present in small amounts, we should be told. Under the Qur'an (Muslim holy book), selling, drinking or distributing alcohol are banned."

A shopkeeper binned his stock of Lucozade and Ribena as soon as he realised that what he had unwittingly been selling his Muslim customers was against their religion.

Basharat Rehman, who runs Haq's supermarket in Bradford's Legrams Lane, said: "Some Muslims will not even use aftershave because it contains alcohol. What really annoys me is that we can do nothing about this because it's legal."

Assistant manager Adil Khan said: "I frequently used to drink Lucozade and I am disgusted and disappointed with the Government for allowing this to go on."

British Soft Drinks Association spokes-man Richard Laming said: "Under the 1996 Food Labelling Regulations, manufacturers are not required to include the carrier of the flavour in the ingredients because any simple flavour could have up 50 ingredients.

"An ingredients list which had to include all of this would rapidly become confusing to the consumer. And all of these are in minute amounts."

http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/bradford__...news01.int.html

Crying in Front of Allah-It’s not impossible

When was the last time you cried? Not a few drops of salty water from your eyes, or the odd tear that slipped down your face while watching Muhammad, the Palestinian boy screaming in agony.

I’m talking about a flood of tears that won’t stop. Tears that stain your face. Tears that sting your face because they’ve been there so long, their bitter saltiness hurts your skin.

When was the last time you cried like a baby. Back when you, and all of us, were closer to our Fitra, our true nature.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that: In the last ten of Ramadan, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to tighten his waste belt (i.e, work hard or keep away from intimacy with his wives), pray all night, and wake up his family for the night prayers (Bukhari and Muslim).

Ramadan is coming to an end. That’s enough of a reason to cry. But what’s even more important is to take stock of ourselves before it ends and we cannot benefit from its blessings any further.

In particular, we should be looking for the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), which we are advised to seek in these last ten nights of Ramadan.

Aisha related that Rasulullah said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).

According to the Quran, the blessings of this one night are greater than the blessings of 1000 months (see Quran 97:3)! We can’t afford NOT to be crying in front of Allah, asking for all that we want in these last nights, seeking the Night of Power.

Crying happens when we remember how much Allah has blessed us with and how much we disobey Him. We can never repay Allah for everything we have, yet we still blatantly commit sins both big and small: whether it’s backbiting, taking and giving interest, treating our family badly, lying, doing good deeds to show off, cheating, etc.

Remembering this, and remembering Allah’s Mercy towards us should make us cry. Remembering how powerful He is, how He can destroy us and this world because of our disobedience, yet He chooses to have Mercy on us instead.

We should also remember how Allah puts us in difficulties and opens ways out of them for us, easing our burdens. Yet, we still disobey Him and take His Mercy for granted.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said he would rather shed two tears from the fear of Allah than give a thousand dinars in charity.

And the most telling example of a man who few would think would cry because of Allah is Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He was known for being strong, fearless, and uncompromising when it came to matters of faith. Yet, Abdullah ibn Isa said that Umar had two black streaks on his face because of constant weeping.

He feared Allah so much that he said ‘If someone announced from the heavens that everybody will enter Paradise except one person, I would fear that that person would be me.

And this is the man who the Prophet was pleased with when he died. Umar also died as a martyr. Umar was one of the strongest believers. Yet he cried and feared Allah.

We have no reason not to cry in what’s left of Ramadan. Let’s be more contemplative and pray for an awareness of and forgiveness for our sins, as well as softness in our hearts. If Umar the brave and pious did it, we have even more need and urgency to do it.

www.faizaneislam.org

Praying at Night in Ramadhan (Taraweeh) & the importance of The Night of Power

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 226:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying regarding Ramadan, "Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 227:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said, "Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate."

'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abd ul-Qariy said, "I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'What an excellent Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 228:

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle used to pray (at night) in Ramadan.

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 229:

Narrated 'Urwa:

That he was informed by 'Aisha, "Allah's Apostle went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed behind him. In the morning, the people spoke about it and then a large number of them gathered and prayed behind him (on the second night). In the next morning the people again talked about it and on the third night the mosque was full with a large number of people. Allah's Apostle came out and the people prayed behind him. On the fourth night the Mosque was overwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet came out (only) for the morning prayer. When the morning prayer was finished he recited Tashah-hud and (addressing the people) said, "Amma ba'du, your presence was not hidden from me but I was afraid lest the night prayer (Qiyam) should be enjoined on you and you might not be able to carry it on." So, Allah's Apostle died and the situation remained like that (i.e. people prayed individually). "

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 231:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 232:

Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

Some men amongst the companions of the Prophet were shown in their dreams that the night of Qadr was in the last seven nights of Ramadan. Allah's Apostle said, "It seems that all your dreams agree that (the Night of Qadr) is in the last seven nights, and whoever wants to search for it (i.e. the Night of Qadr) should search in the last seven (nights of Ramadan)."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 233:

Narrated Abu Salama:

I asked Abu Sa'id, and he was a friend of mine, (about the Night of Qadr) and he said, "We practiced Itikaf (seclusion in the mosque) in the middle third of the month of Ramadan with the Prophet . In the morning of the 20th of Ramadan, the Prophet came and addressed us and said, 'I was informed of (the date of the Night of Qadr) but I was caused to forget it; so search for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water (as a sign). So, whoever was in l'tikaf with me should return to it with me (for another 10-day's period)', and we returned. At that time there was no sign of clouds in the sky but suddenly a cloud came and it rained till rain-water started leaking through the roof of the mosque which was made of date-palm leaf stalks. Then the prayer was established and I saw Allah's Apostle prostrating in mud and water and I saw the traces of mud on his forehead."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 234:

Narrated 'Aisha:

Allah's Apostle said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 235:

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf (in the mosque) in the middle third of Ramadan and after passing the twenty nights he used to go back to his house on the 21st, and the people who were in Itikaf with him also used to go back to their houses. Once in Ramadan, in which he practiced Itikaf, he established the night prayers at the night in which he used to return home, and then he addressed the people and ordered them whatever Allah wished him to order and said, "I used to practice Itikaf for these ten days (i.e. the middle 113rd but now I intend to stay in Itikaf for the last ten days (of the month); so whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay at his place of seclusion. I have verily been shown (the date of) this Night (of Qadr) but I have forgotten it. So search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days (of this month). I also saw myself (in the dream) prostrating in mud and water." On the night of the 21st, the sky was covered with clouds and it rained, and the rain-water started leaking through the roof of the mosque at the praying place of the Prophet . I saw with my own eyes the Prophet at the completion of the morning prayer leaving with his face covered with mud and water.

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 236:

Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet said, "Look for (the Night of Qadr)."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 237:

Narrated 'Aisha:

Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan ,"

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 238:

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The Prophet said, "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan ,' on the night when nine or seven or five nights remain out of the last ten nights of Ramadan (i.e. 21, 23, 25, respectively)."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 239:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

Allah's Apostle said, "The Night of Qadr is in the last ten nights of the month (Ramadan), either on the first nine or in the last (remaining) seven nights (of Ramadan)." Ibn 'Abbas added, "Search for it on the twenty-fourth (of Ramadan)."

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 240:

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit:

The Prophet came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarreling with each other. So, the Prophet said, "I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarreling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan).

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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 241:

Narrated Aisha:

With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.

www.faizaneislam.org

What Can You Do In Ten Minutes?

Abdul Malik Al-Qasim

Adapted from, “Madha taf`al fi `ashara daqa’iq”

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "The best actions are continuous ones even if little..." [Muslim] After I looked at my own state and the state of those who waste their time, I wanted to encourage our souls to obey and worship Allah `azza wa jall by compiling a list of some well-known actions that Allah `azza wa jall has honored us with and prepared a great reward for those who do them. This list is also a reminder of better utilizing our time and seizing the opportunity of every hour and making use of it. My goal in compiling the list is not to point out the actions as much as to show the necessity of organizing and planning and preserving one's time by investing it in something good.

First of all, let us talk about time, with which many are heedless and wasteful, and which importance only few recognize.

Time is like wealth, it requires our attention and care in both spending and managing. While it is possible to gather and store wealth, and even add to it, time, however, is in no way like that. For every minute that passes can never come back even if you were to spend all the wealth of this world.

So since time is preordained to be a specific period that can not be brought forward or delayed and since the value of it depends on what it is spent on, it is obligatory upon every human being to preserve time, be it little or long. One should use it in the best possible way and not be heedless about it.

In order to preserve one's time, one must reflect on how and where to spend it. The best way to spend time is in obeying Allah ta`ala. One will never regret time spent in such acts of obedience. The only regret would be that if one were not to take yet more provisions in terms of good actions. So set your goal, O brother or sister, make your intention sincere, beginning with a desire to preserve your time and beware of wasting any minute of it.

My noble brother and sister,

I selected the time span of ten minutes (for performing particular righteous actions listed in this book) due to ease of application, so that one starts with them until he or she engages in good all the time, by Allah's grace. In these actions there is conformity with the saying of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, "The most beloved action to Allah is the most continuous, even if little." [Muslim]

Imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in relation to this hadeeth, "In it (the above hadeeth) is an exhortation to perform deeds regularly and continuously, and [an explanation] that a small deed done regularly is better than a great one that is interrupted. It is because by continuously doing a little of such actions as, [one’s] obedience, remembrance, awareness of Allah, sincerity and dedication to the Creator, subhanahu wa ta`ala, the outcome accumulates and it is multiplied exceeding what is greater but interrupted."

The Messenger, sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam, spoke the truth. My dear brother or sister, I will give you an example of the blessing of utilizing ten minutes in righteousness. Glorifying Allah subanahu wa ta`ala by saying "Subhan Allah" a hundred times daily means that one will do so 36,500 times in a year. So take account of your soul, my brother or sister. You can only glorify Allah this much in a year if you are regular in performing tasbeeh and if you make good use of your time.

Similarly, if one reads the Qur'an for ten minutes regularly, one can finish reading it in full every two months. Is this how you do it? Ask yourself, do you complete recitation of the full Qur'an outside of Ramadan? And do not limit, my dear brother or sister, these special ten minutes, devoted to obedience, to be performed only once a day. Perhaps you will find the time after the morning prayer, or after the sunrise, or after the noon prayer, or before sleep.

Likewise, if one manages to memorize only a single verse from the Book of Allah, `azza wa jall, every day, he or she will complete memorization the complete Qur'an in only eight years.

Most of the actions mentioned are performed with the tongue, so one is able to gain rewards at all times and in all situations. So whoever wants to strive in obedience to Allah, doors of good are open and one can make one's days and indeed all of one's life like the ten minutes. Abu Bakra, radhiallahu anhu, related that a person said: "O Messenger of Allah, which people are the best?" He said, "Whose life is long and his actions good." He said, "And what people are the worst?" He said, "Whose life is long and his actions bad." [Muslim]

This is an opportunity for you, dear brother or sister. Ten minutes in which one can taste the sweetness of regularity of performing righteous actions and which can be a step towards managing one's time, until all of one's life becomes beneficial. Ten minutes that are in agreement with the saying of Allah `azza wa jall, "And I have not created the Jinn or humans except to worship Me." [adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56]

Ibn ul-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "In conclusion, the servant, when he turns away from Allah and becomes preoccupied with sins (in this world), he loses days of his true life (in the hereafter). He will see the consequence of losing them the Day he says, "He will say, 'Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life [i.e. true, everlasting life in the Hereafter].'" [al-Fajr (89):24]”

Some actions that can be done in ten minutes:

The forenoon prayer

Recitation of the Quran

Salawat on the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

Praying Salat al-Janazah

Remembrance of Allah, `azza wa jall

Saying Subhan Allah, alhamdulillah and Laa ilaha ill Allah

Teaching children

Supplication

Taking account of oneself

Reading

Removal of others’ difficulties and fulfillment of their needs

Preserving ties of kinship

Listening to da`wah tapes

Visiting believers for Allah’s sake

Remembering Allah after the obligatory prayers

Making peace between people

Advising

Phoning relatives

Writing one’s will

Giving charity

Reading traditions of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

Contemplating

Mailing da`wah information

Feeding the poor

Praying Salat al-Istikharah

Taking care of orphans

Serving one’s family

Seeking knowledge

Ordering good

Making sajdah

Spreading Islamic knowledge

Calling to Allah

Giving Sadaqa jariyyah (charity that carries perpetual award)

Guiding and nurturing one’s children

Repeating after the mu’adhdhin

Performing the night prayer

The Excellence of Friday

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Abu Huraira reported the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as saying: ‘The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise, on it he was expelled from it. And the Last Hour will take place on no day other than Friday.’ The Holy Prophet also said on the occasion of Friday: ‘We who are the last shall be the first on the Day of resurrection, except that every Ummah (nation) was given the Book before us and we where given it after them. It was this day (Friday) which Allah prescribed for us and guided us to it and the people came after us with regard to it, the Jews observing the next day and the Christians they day following that.’ With regard to Friday, the Holy Prophet was also reported as saying: ‘There is no time on Friday at which no Muslim would stand, pray and beg Allah for what is good but He would give it to him’ and he pointed with his hand that (this time) is short and narrow. There is a good deal of difference of opinion among the scholars as to what exactly is that fortunate hour on Friday when the supplication would be granted. The best course is that this hour should be treated as hidden, and the whole day should be spent in supplication and glorification of Allah. It was the Holy Prophet’s practice to attach special significance and honour to Friday. Examples of this behaviour are numerous, however, the following could be cited: On that day, he recommenced reciting Soorah as-Sajdah (in fajr) [and al-Insaan] because it is inclusive of all affairs relevant to Friday; taking a bath, using perfume and miswak, going to Friday’s congregational prayer early, listening to the sermon, wearing one’s best clothes and remembering Allah all the time. When the Holy Prophet stood on the pulpit delivering Friday speech (sermon), his eyes would redden and his voice rise sharply with extreme anger. He, however, used to shorten the speech but prolong the prayer following it.

The City, The Girl, And The Little Rag Doll - Story From Bosnia

By Suleman Ahmer, Benevolence International

AlJumuah Magazine

Assalamualaikum,

I hope that this letter finds you in the best of heath and spirits. Here is a little story about a girl I had met in Bosnia.

Told for the first time through writing. So here it goes the story of;

The City, The Girl, And The Little Rag Doll:

The first time I came across her was in the first week of December, 1992 in the Bosnian town of Mostar. She had long black hair, hazel eyes and a smile that would light up her whole face. But something was not quite right and I soon realized that her eyes would refuse to laugh. They held on to the look of bewilderment, confusion and the fear of an uncertain future. After months of war, girls as young as Aida had started understanding the devastation, misery, and pain that wars so easily delivered. They called it 'raat' in Bosnian language. Sounding like the 'night' in my native Urdu. I wonder how two languages continents apart would have the same word depicting darkness. For Mostar and its sons and daughters such as Aida, the Balkan war meant exactly that - a never ending darkness.

Aida's father Edin Batlak was a young and aspiring architect before the war. Edoo, as he was called, had never had a chance of calling any city other than Mostar his home. "Look", he said as we took a walk on the East side of Mostar, "My grandfather built that masjid." As I looked up I found a small masjid with a gapping hole in the minaret, a victim of Serbian shelling. "Inshallah, we shall rebuild it after the war, with your organization's help." I nodded in agreement. But as we walked away staring into nothingness, we silently shared the conviction that peace was far, far away. It was the sons such as Edoo that the city of Mostar had called upon when it confronted the siege by the Serbs. Edoo, with advanced education and management experience, ended up as the chief of logistics of the Muslim quarter of Mostar. Before our friendship blossomed, it was in this position that I first met him. Abbas- a friend and partner in this effort- and I used to take turns taking supplies to Mostar. One would go while the other would stay in Krilo, a small Croatian fishing village on the coast of the Adriatic. Practicing the wisdom of not putting all the eggs in one basket, we avoided traveling together in the war-ravaged Croat-held part of Bosnia that extended all the way up to Mostar. As we would bring supplies to Mostar from Croatia, Edoo was the one who received them. It was Edoo whose regular messages and faxes alerted us to when the cooking oil supplies dwindled or when flour ran low. As Mostar warmed up to two of its guests who would show up with bits and pieces of help, Edoo happily filled the role of a perfect host, providing home-cooked food and putting us up for the nights. It was during one such dinners that he introduced us to his daughter, Aida.Aida could not understand the strange language that Abbas and I spoke. Her nine years of life had not awarded her the luxury of learning a foreign language. We, on the other hand, tried to get by in our broken Bosnian. Children are so expressive, and so was Aida. Soon we started understanding each other. The war in Bosnia had forced many of the Muslims to take a fresh look at their identity and religion. There was an eagerness, especially among the children, to learn about Islam. Aida wanted to learn Salat. She had started learning Fatiha. During every trip we would teach Aida a part of Salat with a promise of a small 'Poklon' (gift) in the next trip. The gift would be a bar of candy, a small rag doll or tits bits of that sort. The thought that among many in Mostar this winter is a small girl who eagerly awaits us would warm our hearts many times over.

The war dragged on to 1993 and the relations between the Muslims and the Bosnian-Croats deteriorated. Seeing the world stand by as the Muslims were being massacred and their land dismembered, the Croatian nationalists grew aggressive. They wanted a share too. Mostar, the most historic city of Herzegovina, was a prize. Mostar is divided into East and West by the river Neretva. The East side, also called the Stari Grad (old town), was predominantly Muslim whereas the West side, the Novi Grad (New Town), was mixed. The Serb front lines menacingly lay a few miles to the east of the city, effectively cutting off the Muslim side from the Muslim strongholds in central Bosnia and Sarajevo. West Mostar was linked up through Croat-held Bosnia to proper Croatia. Sandwiched between the Croats and the Serbs, East Mostar was always vulnerable and the Croats understood this. Later on they would use this weakness to the best of their advantage.

As our association with Mostar stretched from days into weeks and then months, the city and its Muslim dwellers endeared us to themselves. We loved them and yes, they loved us. As I walked the streets of Mostar, sometimes I had to remind myself that I am not Bosnian and that one day I would leave this area and go back to my old life - my lab in Nebraska where my Master's thesis awaited completion. Every passing day my bond with the town grew stronger, strengthened by numerous interwoven cords of memorable incidents and events. I remember one day as I hurried towards a town council meeting, I was stopped by some children who insisted that I accompany them. They took me to the center of the town where stood a school which had been converted into a refugee camp. The lower floor hosted offices of the Merhamet (a Bosnian relief agency), the office of the Mufti of Mostar and an assorted selection of rooms for emergency medical care. I was led through the dark and damp hallways to a room in the basement of the building where a group of young girls were practicing Islamic songs for an upcoming Islamic festival. On seeing a stranger walk in, they fell silent. I urged them to continue. As I departed after a few moments, I left behind a cassette recorder requesting them to record the songs.With every spin of the recorder spool, the songs and the memories were electronically preserved. It was to become a prized possession, a great companion for many months to come. On our long drives in Croatia and Bosnia, Abbas and I would play the tape and sing along in Bosnian; "O Allah, Bosnia bleeds today.And we suffer.But we have hope that you will deliver us.And we don't complain.We know you will be with us forever." During the recording a girl had burst into tears and before the tape could be shut off, her sobs had been recorded. Many times on coming to this section, we would gently cry ourselves. Those tears would cement our determination, helping us push away thoughts of giving up. How can we give up when children in Mostar are calling Allah and have their trust in Him (SWT)? Many months thus passed. Mustafa, Edoo's interpreter, would always smile when we would say good-bye. "You may not find us when you return. The Croats would not wait for long!" he would remark. "Never mind," we would reply, "we belong to this city now. If we go down, we go down together." "It is easier said than done, you know" he would say. And we would promise, "We have been with you through all these months, we would not desert you in the end."

In the early hours of May 18th, 1993 the Bosnian Croats struck. The attack was so vicious that the Muslims defenses on the West side quickly melted away. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Muslims were taken by surprise. Just a day ago the Croats had signed a no-aggression pact. Hundreds of Muslim men, women and children were forced to walk in front of the advancing Croat columns to dissuade the Muslim army from firing back. By the evening , the Muslim presence in West Mostar had blown away in the smothering fires that engulfed their homes, their belongings, their mosques, and their hopes. Hundreds, if not thousands, perished. The Muslim army was pushed into the East side where they stood their ground. The Croats were prevented from crossing the river. So started a nine-month siege of the Muslims which would later claim thousands more lives, inflicting pain and devastation of unimaginable proportions.

It was a typical day when the news came. We had delivered supplies to Mostar a couple of days ago and were preparing for the next trip. Never in my life had four words held so much devastation. "West Mostar has fallen." All borders leading up to Bosnia from Croatia were sealed. We frantically tried to find a way to get to Mostar, but to no avail. The memories of the town came flooding back. The faces, the long hours spent talking, the laughter, the walks in the old town, the mosques. And the voices of girls singing the Islamic songs and the words of Mustafa echoed, "You may not find us..." And then there was the sinking feeling of defeat and the heart-wrenching realization that we had failed Mostar in the final moments. Our promise of being with them till the end had been broken. With the fall of West Mostar, we later felt, a part of us had died.As details of the fall started filtering out, we started asking about the people we knew. Some had survived. Some were in concentration camps. Of some there was no news. What happened to Edoo? Did he make it? How was Aida?Then the story came out. Edoo and his family lived in the apartment complex whose lower floors were dedicated to the offices of the Muslim army. That complex was the first one to be targeted. A huge fire had erupted and had caught many of the families by surprise. Edoo and his wife had made it out, we were told. Aida had gotten trapped in the fire and later died due to burn injuries. I shudder with the thought of the painful last moments of the young Aida, trapped in the fire of a war she never fully understood, punished by the Balkan war for a crime that her enemies are still not ready to forgive her for - Islam!

It has been almost three years now. Had she lived, Aida would have been in her early teens. She would surely have completed learning her Salat. Some people say that they are fed up with Bosnia. Others say there is more to life than Bosnia. Some comment that I am hung up with all that went on. I wish they could have known that little girl and many, many others like her.Aida may not be with us today, but the struggle for which she died so young continues. Bosnia is alive today; so are many Aidas, and so are many lands such as Bosnia. The fact that we failed to keep our promises to Aida does not mean that we cannot make promises to others. For Aida, the help was too late, too little. It doesn't have to be likewise for others. The understanding that we are Muslims is a promise to all the Aidas and all the embattled Muslim lands in the world. A promise that we are with you. And that you shall never be deserted.

When I am down with despair and hopelessness seems to prevail, I thank Allah (SWT) for giving me such treasured memories. As I look back and see a little town with a little girl with a little rag doll, I know that I have reason to continue.

Roadmap to Paradise

Take Adam and Eve avenue until you come to the intersection of Habil (Abel) road, and Qabil (Cain) street; merge right on Habil (Abel) and continue for the next twenty miles till you come to Noah's Ferry.

Take the ferry to Safety Land, ignore the majority of other travel agencies’ directions, and arrive at Abraham's Super Highway also known as High way One God Only (1).

Follow Abraham but avoid the exit of Sodom and Gomorrah townships until you get to Moses lane but pass Gold and Greed bridges and take it to Jesus' Mercy road. Here you will encounter a lot of confusion, streets are not well marked, and many peddlers along the road are giving away maps with conflicting directions to travelers. The Romans have renamed Pagans’ path as Jesus' mercy road.

If you are not sure about the authenticity of Jesus' mercy road, review your map. See if Jesus' mercy path is a continuation of Abraham’s Super Highway. If it is a continuation you are fine, but still proceed with caution. If you have diverged, make a U-turn and go back to Abraham’s high way (1) and re-try again.

Continue on True Jesus' road, if you do not see the following signs along the path, you should stop and review your map again. Maps for this path have been tampered with, we recommend the Barnabas edition street map to get to the Unity of God congregation, Immaculate conception corner, and Love thy neighbor community center.

Avoid to show the Roman Traffic police your Barnabas street map, it is banned, they will confiscate it and you will be forced to use the only authorized official map - the Paul street map which was drawn to direct the motorists to Rome. For that reason there is a lot of lost traffic on this road. On the other hand True Jesus road is found on the Barnabas street map, but only few people have access to this map.

Keep on Jesus' Mercy road until you find Muhammad’s sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam Sunnah

Expressway. Stay on this expressway and do not be lured to rest areas along the expressway. Beware of the highway robbers, by insuring your vehicle with Dhikr security systems. All vehicles secured with Dhikr Security Systems will be protected from assaults by robbers (Satan).

Make sure that you have enough fuel. The highest grade fuel for this long and tiring trip is the Taqwa grade fuel. Make sure you demand this brand when you stop for refueling. Lighten the load on your vehicle, carry only the most important items for this trip: two meters of white cloth, good deeds and prayers of your kids is all you need. Excess weight is allowed only if it is more of the above. Other items will only slow you down or cause you to loose sight of where you are heading, and you risk losing the coverage of Dhikr Security systems, thereby becoming an easy target for the Robbers.

You need to check your vehicles safety features periodically by reading your vehicles manual - the Holy Quran. Your steering wheel must be calibrated by the Sunnah Calibration method, batteries must be charged with Iman, the engine needs to be tuned up with Ikhlas and your tires must be properly inflated with Ihsan. Most important of all, you must test the entire vehicle with the tawheed check list.

It does not matter if most parts of your vehicle are performing right, if a single part in your vehicle does not perform according to specifications of Tawheed (its conditions) your vehicle will break down and again the robbers will rob you of what is left. The overall performance of your vehicle depends on the performance of the weakest part in your vehicle, so routinely check these weak points, they may be detrimental to your trip.

There are many milestones on Muhammad’s road, and these milestones will assure you that you are on the right track. Do not worry that there are not any people on this road; just because you are alone on this road do not think that you are driving the wrong way on a one way street. Loving Allah more than anything else, loving the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and his companions, who supported him when he was oppressed, following all his teachings, responding with patience and acceptance to lack of worldly goods, hunger, loss of family members are but some of the milestones and glad tidings that you are on the right track.

Also this road will be paved with pain, hard work, struggle with yourself and others and Iblis, the Robber, and all things that are not appealing to the soul. Never lay your guard, this trip is not over until it is over. Keep dhikr your guard, good deeds your luggage and do not lose to focus on where you are going, so you may endure the pain of this trip. When you finally arrive to your destination, Al-Jannah, you will forget all the pain.