<b>The month of Shaaban........{taken from another forum}</b>

This is a month in which our beloved Prophet (peace be unto him) used to observe fasting. In fact, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said “I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Shaaban.” [bukhari & Muslim].It was also reported that he (peace be unto him) used to fast all of Shaaban except for a day or two.

So what is the idea behind fasting this month in particular? Shaaban comes between the months of Rajab and Ramadan, both of which are months of fasting. Fasting in Ramadan - as we know - is obligatory, while Rajab is one of the four sacred months and thus fasting (part of) it is recommended. So people often tend to ignore fasting during Shaaban. However, the Prophet (peace be unto him) recommends acts of worship at times and places in which people tend to forget Allah. In the meaning of an authentic hadith, he teaches us that ‘one who remembers Allah amongst those who do not is like a steadfast fighter among those who are fleeing.’ Another notable advantage of fasting during Shaaban is that it prepares us for fasting during Ramadan.

People who are not accustomed to fasting before Ramadan often find difficulty during the month, especially during the first couple of days. A question that often arises is whether to fast during the second half of Shaaban, which is just before Ramadan. One of the scholars’ opinions on this matter is that if one has fasted the first half of the month, he/she can continue during the second half; if one has not, he/she should not start fasting in the latter half so as not to become week prior to Ramadan.

May Allah guide us to the very best of deeds during Shaaban and rest of the year.

German Catholics Urge Full Rights To Muslims

"The Islamic-Christian dialogue in Germany is of the Catholic Church's priorities," Leman

By Khaled Schmitt, IOL Correspondent

BONN, September 26 (IslamOnline.net) – In a new bold step towards ending religious discrimination in Germany, the council of Catholic bishops called on all institutions to secure legitimate rights to the three-million-estimated Muslim community and positively interact with them.

The council members decided at the end of their meeting Wednesday, September 24, to exert all efforts needed for Muslims to get the rights entitled to them legally and constitutionally, read a document issued out of the gathering, a copy of which was sent to IslamOnline.net.

Entitled "Christians and Muslims in Germany", the 200-page document contained the council's adamant support for putting Islamic teachings on the curriculum of Muslim students in public schools and providing halal food at work places, schools and universities.

More Mosques

The document called on local governments to facilitate procedures for building mosques in the country and allowing Azan (call for prayers) to blare out and certain areas be allocatted for Muslims to do their five-time prayers.

It urged opening up the society to Muslims and showing a greater degree of respect for their burial rituals by, for example, providing suitable graves and encouraging up the work of Islamic burial societies.

Hijab Still Suspending

In the meanwhile, the council of Catholic bishops declined to comment on the issue of preventing Muslim women teachers from wearing hijab in public schools, but expressed regret over the inability of Catholic Church to intervene for their help.

But the document carried the bishops' support of the Muslims' demands as legitimate and normal, adding they are concerned as Christians about showing the true image of religious freedom in the country.

In return, it called on Arab and Islamic countries to alleviate restrictions on their Christian minorities, noting that the restrictions do not mean identically tightening measures on the Muslim community in Germany.

More Dialogue

Head of the German Catholic Church, bishop Karl Leman, said the document is part of a series the body has begun to publish since 1982 as part of efforts to promote ties between the country's Catholics and Muslims.

Long years since the beginning of the Christian-Islamic dialogue, Leman admitted, Islam is still not introduced well here because of negative stereotypes long etched into the minds of people of the European country.

Nevertheless, Muslims showed all along last decades readiness for dialogue and interaction with the society, but Germans shied away from engaging in any cooperation with their Muslim neighbors, he said.

Halting Islamophobia

Leman said his institution had formed groups of priests, media specialists and psychologists to remove all preconceived ideas on Islam and Islamophobia.

He said at the end of the document that the Islamic-Christian dialogue in Germany is of the Catholic Church's priorities.

Half of Germany's population is Catholics, and the other half is protestants, but large numbers quit the two sects every year to embrace no religion.

Also, there are some 72,000 churches that are deserted facing closedown or being offered for sale because Germans are not frequenting them.

Lina, Palestinian Toddler Killed By Israeli "Fright Machine"

Horror and fright killed this angel (look at pic down)

By Ahmed Abu Aqleen, IOL Gaza Correspondent

GAZA CITY, September 26 (IslamOnline.net) - Through their tears, the parents of the three-year-old Palestinian Lina Hassan Issa told IslamOnline.net Friday, September 26, about the hours of horror, caused by Israeli helicopters and tank fire, prior to the loss of their toddler who died of "fright".

Lina, whose house was adjacent to one of the buildings raided by the occupation army, died of fright during one of the continuous Israeli raids on the Palestinian territories.

At dawn Thursday, September 25, a column of 35 Israeli armored vehicles, including tanks, pushed into the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, backed up by a helicopter gunship.

"It was 3 am, we were all asleep and the house was quiet. Suddenly, I was awakened by the sounds of Israeli Apachi helicopters firing intensively and I knew our neighborhood was the target of a new raid," Lina's father, Hassan, recalled the horrible moments.

"Minutes later, the sound of firing grew louder and became deafening. Suddenly, I saw Lina jumping out of her bed and running towards me with the deepest look of horror I have ever seen engraved of her little face. She threw herself in my open arms and started screaming hysterically.

"I felt her tiny body shaking and all my attempts to calm her down bore no fruit with the continuous firing outside. Gradually, her body temperature started falling, she stopped screaming and her face became as pale as that of a corpse," he added, through his wet face.

It was obvious Hassan himself was on the verge of collapse as he recalled the terrible experience of a father holding his dying child while completely helpless to save his dearest. One may wonder what else could be crueler to a father, any father.

After some words of comfort, Hassan could pull himself together to continue.

"I tried to rush out of the house to take her to the hospital but that was impossible with the sounds of tank shells and continuous explosions outside. Three hours later, the occupation forces withdrew. I rushed to the hospital, carrying Lina who was then as quiet as dead.

"I reached al-Aqsa hospital where the medical staff did their utmost to save her but to no avail. My little angel was killed by the fright her little heart could not handle," he concluded.

Sparrow In Paradise

At first, I was hesitant to try to speak with Lina's mother who has not yet stopped crying over the loss of her daughter whom she described as "the family angel".

"Praise be to Allah, my daughter is now in Paradise just like a little sparrow, God Willing," she said.

"Lina was our smile and our joy. She used to fill our gatherings with a cheerful atmosphere with her endless innocence and childish humor.

"Before going to bed, she would always kiss us good night and I loved watching her going to bed with her ever smiling face. I always wondered about the sweet dreams she ought to be seeing in her sleep," she added.

Lina was the fourth among her siblings. The oldest (Hamouda) is 5 and the youngest (Asmaa) is one

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

( أذكار الصباح والمساء )

أفضل أوقاتها ما بين صلاة الفجر و الشرق ، وما بين صلاة العصر والغروب ..

1) يا حي يا قيوم برحمتك استغيث ، أصلح لي شأني كله ولا تكلني إلى نفسي طرفة عين . (وصية الرسول صلى الله عليه و سلم لفاطمة)

2) سمع سامع بحمد الله وحسن بلائه علينا ، ربنا صاحبنا وأفضل علينا عائذا بالله من النار. (رواه مسلم).

3) أعوذ بكلمات الله التامات من شر ما خلق.( 3مرات) ( رواه مسلم و الترمذي واحمد وابن ماجه) .

4) رضيت بالله ربا وبالإسلام دينا وبمحمد (صلى الله عليه و سلم) نبيا و رسولا. (3 مرات) (رواه مسلم و الترمذي و أبو داود والنسائي واحمد وابن ماجه) .

5) بسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شئ في الأرض و لا في السماء وهو السميع العليم. (3 مرات) ( رواه الترمذي وأبو داود واحمد وابن ماجه) .

6) سبحان الله وبحمده ، عدد خلقه ورضى نفسه وزنة عرشه و مداد كلماته. (3 مرات) (رواه مسلم و الترمذي واحمد و أبو داود والنسائي) .

7) حسبي الله لا اله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم. (7 مرات) (رواه أبو داود) .

8) أصبحت (أمسيت) أثني عليك حمدا وأشهد أن لا اله إلا الله. (3مرات) (رواه النسائي) .

9) أصبحنا (أمسينا) على فطرة الإسلام وعلى كلمة الإخلاص ، وعلى دين نبينا محمد (صلى الله عليه و سلم)، وعلى ملة أبينا إبراهيم حنيفا مسلما وما كان من المشركين. (رواه النسائي واحمد).

10)آية الكرسي . (رواه البخاري) .

11)( سورة الإخلاص) ، ( سورة الفلق ) ، ( سورة الناس ) ، (كل منها 3 مرات) ( رواه أبو داود) .

12)لا اله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شئ قدير.(10 مرات او اكثر) (رواه البخاري).

13)الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله محمد (صلى الله عليه و سلم) ( رواه البخاري ومسلم و الترمذي).

14)اللهم أنت ربي لا اله إلا أنت ، خلقتني و أنا عبدك ، وان على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت ، أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت ، أبوء لك بنعمتك على و أبوء لك بذنبي فاغفر لي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت. ( رواه البخاري و أبو داود و النسائي) . وهو سيد الاستغفار .

15)أستغفر الله وأتوب إليه . (سبعين مرة أو اكثر) (البخاري).

16)اللهم بك أصبحنا وبك أمسينا و بك نحيا و بك نموت وإليك النشور ، و إذا أمسى : اللهم بك أمسينا و بك أصبحنا و بك نحيا و بك نموت و إليك المصير. ( رواه أبو داود)

17) اللهم فاطر السماوات والأرض ، عالم الغيب و الشهادة، لا اله إلا أنت، رب كل شئ و مليكه ، أعوذ بك من شر الشيطان وشركه، و أن اقترف على نفسي سوء أو اجره إلى مسلم. (رواه الترمذي)

18) اللهم إني أسألك العافية في الدنيا و الآخرة ،اللهم اني أسألك العفو و العافية في ديني و دنياي و أهلي و مالي، اللهم استر عوراتي و آمن روعاتي، اللهم احفظني من بين يدي ومن خلفي وعن يميني و عن شمالي ومن فوقي و أعوذ بعظمتك أن اغتال من تحتي. (رواه أبو داود ).

19) أصبحنا و أصبح (أمسينا و أمسى) الملك لله و الحمدلله لا اله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد وهو على كل شئ قدير.(رواه مسلم)

هذه بعض من أذكار الصباح و المساء تم نقــلها وانتقـائها لكم من مطوية ومن كتاب ورد اليوم و الليلة ، تأليف : خالد الجريسي .. جزا ه الله عنا خير ..

نسأل الله الفائدة للجميع ..

حافظوا على هذه الأذكار يحفظكم الله بإذنه تعالى .. والله المستعان ..

وساهموا في نشرها بارك الله فيكم ..

اللهم آتــنـا في الدنيا حسنة و في الآخرة حسنة و قنا عذاب النار .. اللهم آمين ..

a.s.w.k

howz r u all 2day ..... since im in a happy mood im gonna post something which is not very................................ well u know what i mean !!!!!

SMILE!!!!

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.

The smile seemed to make him feel better.

He remembered past kindness of a friend

And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you

That he left a large tip after lunch.

The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,

Gave part to a man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;

For two days he'd had nothing to eat.

After he finished his dinner,

He left for his small dingy room.

He didn't know at that moment

that he might be facing his doom.

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy

And took him home to get warm.

The puppy was very grateful

To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.

The puppy barked the alarm.

He barked till he woke the whole household

And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued

Grew up to be President.

All this because of a simple smile

That hadn't cost a cent.

...and THAT is the power of a smile! So smile away

The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:

"Every good deed is sadaqah (charity). To meet your

brother with a smiling face and to pour out from your

bucket into his container are sadaqah."

The decision today by the Sharia Court of Appeal of Katsina State, in northern Nigeria to quash Amina Lawal's sentence to death by stoning handed down by a Sharia court at Bakori, in Katsina State on 22 March 2002.

According to her defence lawyer, Amina Lawal was freed on the grounds that neither the conviction nor the confession were legally valid. Therefore no offence as such was established.

Now I wonder if they will give her the 80 lashes.

Asalam~O~Alykum

This is a story that one of my best friends wrote about what some teenage gurls pass through. She mashallah wrote it in a very simple way that will make u cry. She asked me 2 post it here on this website b/c she wants 2 know what ppl think of her writing. I hope that we can all support her b/c she is on of our sister's. Thanx. Hope u like it.

Salam~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sally Samy

Once on a rainy day, a little child was watching it rain. Her thoughts became a distortion of wonder and confusion. “Come on girl get inside, it’s raining why are you out side? C’mon get it in now” says a voice from the far end of the room. Turning her head around, the innocent child says “but mother, how come the sun is still out while its raining? I’ve never seen this before.”

“Oh child when will you grow up, c’mon get it.”…

When Eelaf reached middle school, she saw things that she had never seen before. Girls here age were maturing psychically and emotionally. She began to see the lustful attraction between pre-teens her age. She thought she could be one of them, but she wasn’t. Instead, she was still trying to understand how the sun on that rainy day was out when it rained. No one ever told her why, not her science teacher, not even her own mother.

Now that gorgeous Eelaf is in high school, she felt like she achieved a lot of things. One of them was being sixteen. She did everything she could to try to honor her parents. “Mom…isn’t it time to start talking about my college plans? The years are coming by so fast. It almost seemed like yesterday that I was a freshman in high school wandering between the hallways of school.”

The mother is completely aghast at her daughter’s words, she responds “Eelaf, what are you talking about? Besides you’re still young to talk about college, you have two more years to go. I want to see you with straight A’s for now, I want to show these neighbors that you are smart.”

Today is Eelaf’s Eighteenth birthday. She had grown into a beautiful young lady with an attractive stare. She received gifts from all her friends. Her mom’s gifts were incredible; they included anything from leather shoes to fanciest clothes. From expensive jewelry to fashionable hats.

Eelaf walks into her room seeing al these things without knowing where her mom was. Finally her mom appears behind her and says “well happy birthday Eelaf, it’s time for you to act like a grown young lady. It’s time for you to be mature, you’re 18.

Now I brought you all these things hoping you would like them. I’m going to the mall, come with me. I’m waiting for you outside. Hurry up, you should have more sense of time now that you’re 18.”

Eelaf with a soft young lady’s voice says “but mom, wait..that’s not what I wanted.”

Her mom with an indulging smile says “what else could you possible want? A car? Here we go again.”

“No mom!.” Says Eelaf “that’s not what I wanted all these years. All I wanted mama was a warm hug from you.”

by= Ibtihal Ahmed

OK, here is another question regarding womens dress code.

Womens dress code is specifically outlined in the Qu'ran. It is my understanding based on the various translations and explanations that I have viewed that women are basically asked to dress with righteousness, modesty and dignity and there are three basic rules.

There is nothing specific about wearing the Hijab or wearing a veil and these are "traditions" of the region and not direct from Allah. So my take on it would be that a Muslim woman in say Birmingham, England is not required to wear a Hijab unless she wanted to, where as it would be appropriate to wear in the Middle East.

Similarly there is no specific rule regarding the wearing of an all enclosing Burqa (spelling) or all encompassing cloth. So where did the Taliban get the idea that women must cover themselves up in the Burqa.

In fact, some interpretations of the Qu'ran (depends on who you talk to) imply that the dress code is at the discretion of the person mindful of their environment but at all times dress modestly.

No nude sunbathing for Muslims on the French Riviera then

Some of the dress code would seem logical. But again, it seems to me to be putting the onus on the women for men being unable to control themselves. You know, "Look how she was dressed, she was "asking for it"".

Honestly, you should see how some women dress for work !!

Look forward to your input.

as salam alykom

In this message we will include some vegetables and fruit:

طماطم = tamatem = tomatoe

بصلة = basalah = one onion

بصل = basal = onions

ثوم = thaowm = garlic

باذنجان = badhenjan = egg plant

فاصوليا خضراء = fasoliyah khadra-a = green peas

بازلاء = bazela-a = peas

بامية = bamiyah – okra

كوسة = kosah = squash or zuccini (did I spell this one right??)

فول = foul = fava beans

خيار = kheiyar = cucumber

خس = khas = lettuce

برتقال = bortoqal = orange

موز = maowz = banana

تفاح = tofah = apple

مشمش = meshmesh = apricot

خوخ = khokh = peaches

عنب = a`anab = grapes

I don't know an Arabic greeting but here is a Scottish one, "Hello there !"

OK, now I don't have the time to read the Qu'ran in it's entirety so maybe you could help me out here. It's not laziness, it's lack of time with a bit of laziness too

I seem to see a lot of "evidence" in the Qu'ran than would indicate that Islam is THE only religion, period, end of story. Any non Muslims are worth less than a muslim, basically is the message I am picking up here. However, moderate muslims say they can quite happily co exist with other religions. I take that with a pinch of salt because I have yet to see 2 religions live completely at peace with one another, Protestant, Catholic in the case of Scotland/Ireland although in Ireland it is a more geo political stance rather than a religous stance. And the Muslims themselves seem a bit ambivalent about this also, Sunni's v Shiites etc.

But my question would be, is the Qu'ran basically a manifesto for world domination ?

And if true, just how committed are Muslims to the manifesto ?

Am I missing something ?

Would this be an extremists view of Islam ?

Regards, HabibHibee !