Praise be to Allaah.


The meeting together, mixing, and intermingling of men and women in one place, the crowding of them together, and the revealing and exposure of women to men are prohibited by the Law of Islam (Shari'ah). These acts are prohibited because they are among the causes for fitnah (temptation or trial which implies evil consequences), the arousing of desires, and the committing of indecency and wrongdoing.


Among the many proofs of prohibition of the meeting and mixing of men and women in the Qur’aan and Sunnah are:


Verse No. 53 of Surat al-Ahzab, or the Confederates (Interpretation of the meaning); "...for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs..."


In explaining this Verse, Ibn Kathir (May Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Meaning, as I forbade you to enter their rooms, I forbid you to look at them at all. If one wants to take something from a woman, one should do so without looking at her. If one wants to ask a woman for something, the same has to be done from behind a screen."


The Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) enforced separation of men and women even at Allaah’s most revered and preferred place, the mosque. This was accomplished via the separation of the women’s rows from the men’s; men were asked to stay in the mosque after completion of the obligatory prayer so that women will have enough time to leave the mosque; and, a special door was assigned to women. Evidence of the foregoing are:


Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said that after Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) said "as-Salamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullah’ twice announcing the end of prayer, women would stand up and leave. He would stay for a while before leaving. Ibn Shihab said that he thought that the staying of the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) was in order for the women to be able to leave before the men who wanted to depart." Narrated by al-Bukhari under No. 793.


Abu Dawood under No. 876 narrates the same hadith in Kitab al-Salaat under the title "Insiraaf an-Nisaa’ Qabl al-Rijaal min al-Salaah" (Departure of Women before Men after the Prayer). Ibn ‘Umar said that Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We should leave this door (of the mosque) for women." Naafi’ said: "Ibn ‘Umar never again entered through that door until he died." Narrated by Abu Dawood under No. 484 in "Kitab as-Salah" under the Chapter entitled: "at-Tashdid fi Thalik".


Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: ""The best of the men’s rows is the first and the worst is the last, and the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst in the first." Narrated by Muslim under No. 664.


This is the greatest evidence that the Law of Islam (Shari'ah) forbids meeting and mixing of men and women. The farther the men are from the women’s rows, the better, and vice versa.


If these procedures and precautions were prescribed and adhered to in a mosque, which is a pure place of worship where people are as far away as they ever are from the arousal of desire and temptation, then no doubt the same procedures need to be followed even more rigorously at other places.


Abu Usayd al-Ansari narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) say to the women on his way out of the mosque when he saw men and women mixing together on their way home:


‘Give way (i.e., walk to the sides) as it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle the road.’ Thereafter, women would walk so close to the wall that their dresses would get caught on it. Narrated by Abu Dawood in "Kitab al-Adab min Sunanihi, Chapter: Mashyu an-Nisa Ma’ ar-Rijal fi at-Tariq."We know that the intermingling, mixing and crowding together of men and women is part of today’s unavoidable yet regrettable affliction in most places, such as markets, hospitals, colleges, etc., but:


· We will not willfully choose or accept mixing and crowding, particularly in religious classes and council meetings in Islamic Centers.


· We take precautions to avoid meeting and mixing of men and women as much as possible while at the same time achieving desired goals and objectives. This result can be achieved by designating separate places assigned for men and women, using different doors for each, utilizing modern means of communication such as microphones, video recorders etc., and expediting efforts to have enough female teachers to teach women, etc.


· We show fear of Allaah as much as we can by not looking at members of the opposite sex and by applying self-restraint.


There follow some of the results of a study on mixing undertaken by some Muslim social science researchers.


When we put the following question: What is the Islamic ruling on mixing as far as you know? The results were as follows:


76% of respondents said “It is not permitted.”


12% said, “It is permitted” – but moral, religious, etc. restrictions apply…


12% said, “I don’t know.”


Which would you choose?


If you had the choice between working in a mixed workplace and working in another where there was no mixing, which would you choose?


The responses to this question were as follows:


76% would choose the workplace where there was no mixing.


9% preferred the mixed workplace.


15% would accept any workplace which suited their specialties, regardless of whether it was mixed or not.


Very embarrassing


Have any embarrassing situations ever happened to you because of mixing?


Among the embarrassing moments mentioned by respondents in this study were the following:


I was at work one day, and I went into one department where one of my female colleagues who wears hijaab had taken off her hijaab in front of her female colleagues. My entrance took her by surprise and I was very embarrassed as a result.


I had to do an experiment in the lab at university, but I was absent on the day of the experiment. I had to go to the lab on the following day, and I found myself the only male among a group of female students, in addition to a female teacher and a female lab technician. I was very embarrassed and felt very awkward with all those female eyes glaring at me.


I was trying to take a feminine towel out of one of the drawers when I was surprised by a male colleague standing behind me, who wanted to take something from his own private drawer. He noticed that I was embarrassed and he left the room quickly to avoid my embarrassment.


It so happened that one of the girls at the university bumped into me when turning a corner in a crowded corridor. She was walking quickly, going to one of the lectures. As a result of this collision, she lost her balance, and I caught her in my arms, as if I was embracing her. You can imagine how embarrassed I and this girl felt in front of a group of careless young people.


One of my female colleagues fell on the stairs in the university and her clothes fell open in an extremely embarrassing fashion. She landed upside down and could not help herself; the young men standing nearby had no option but to cover her and help her to get up.


I work in a company and I went in to give some papers to my boss. When I was going out, my boss called me back. I turned around and saw him with his face turned away. I was waiting for him to ask me for a file or for more papers, and I was surprised by his hesitancy. I turned away to the left side of his office, pretending to be busy with something, and he spoke to me at the same time. I thought that this boss would say anything except what he actually said, which was to point out that my garment was stained with menstrual blood. Can the earth open up and swallow a human being at the moment of making sincere supplication? For I prayed that the earth would open up and swallow me.


Victims of mixing… True stories


Lost hope


Umm Muhammad, a mature woman over the age of 40, tells her story.


I lived a life of modest means with my husband. There was never any closeness and harmony, and my husband did not have the kind of strong personality that a woman would hope for, but his good nature made me overlook the fact that I was the one who was responsible for most of the decision making in the family.


My husband often used to mention the name of his friend and business partner, and he would talk about him in my presence, and I often used to meet with him in his office which was originally part of our apartment. This went on for many years, until circumstances led to us exchanging visits with this person and his family. These family visits were repeated and because of his close friendship with my husband, we did not notice how the number of visits increased and how many hours a single visit would last. He often used to come on his own to sit with us, me and my husband, for long visits. My husband’s trust in him knew no bounds, and as days passed I got to know this person very well, and saw how wonderful and decent he was. I began to feel a strong attraction towards this man, and at the same time I began to sense that the feeling was mutual.


Things took a strange turn after that, when I realized that this man was the kind of person I had always dreamed about. Why had he come along now, after all these years? The more this man’s status increased in my eyes, the more my husband’s status diminished. It was as if I had needed to see the beauty of his character in order to discover how ugly my husband’s character was.


The matter between this person and myself did not go beyond these persistent thoughts which were occupying my mind night and day. Neither he nor I ever voiced what we felt in our hearts… until today. Yet despite that my life is over and my husband is little more than a weak man with no self-esteem. I hate him and I do not know how all this hatred towards him started to boil over. I wonder how I put up with him all these years, bearing all these burdens by myself, facing life’s problems on my own.


Things got so bad that I asked him for a divorce, and he divorced me at my request. After that he became a broken man. Even worse than that is that after my marriage was wrecked and my children and husband were devastated, problems arose in this man's family. His wife, with her feminine intuition, realized what had been going on in his heart of hearts, and his life became hell. She was overwhelmed with jealousy to the extent that one night she left her house at 2 a.m. and came to attack my house, screaming, weeping and hurling accusations. His marriage was also about to collapse.


I admit that the lovely gatherings which we used to enjoy gave us the opportunity to get to know one another at a time that was not appropriate at this stage in our lives.


His marriage has been wrecked and so has mine. I have lost everything, and now I know that my circumstances and his will not permit us to take any positive step towards coming together. Now I am more miserable than I have ever been, and I am looking for illusionary happiness and lost hopes.


Tit-for-tat


Umm Ahmad tells us:


My husband had a group of married friends, and because of our close friendship with them, we used to get together with them once a week in one of our houses, to enjoy an evening of chat.


Deep down in my heart I was never really comfortable with the atmosphere in which we would have dinner, sweets, snacks and drinks of juice accompanied by waves of laughter because of the jokes and chit-chats that often went beyond the bounds of good manners.


In the name of friendship, the barriers were lifted and every now and then one would hear suppressed laughter between a woman and the husband of another woman. The jokes were too much, dealing – with no sense of shyness –with sensitive topics such as sex and women’s private matters. This was usual and was even accepted and regarded as desirable.


Although I indulged in these things along with them, my conscience made me feel guilty. Then the day came when it became quite clear just how ugly and filthy this atmosphere was.


The telephone rang, and I heard the voice of one of the friends in this group. I said hello to him and apologized that my husband was not home. He replied that he knew that, and that he was calling to speak to me! After he suggested starting a relationship with me, I got very angry and spoke harshly to him and cursed him. All he could do was laugh and say, “Don’t try and show these good manners to me; go and check on your husband’s good manners and see what he is doing…” I was devastated by what he said, but I pulled myself together and said to myself, this person is only trying to cause the break up of your marriage. But he succeeded in planting the seeds of doubt concerning my husband.


Shortly after that, the major disaster struck. I discovered that my husband was cheating on me with another woman. It was the matter of life or death as far as I was concerned. I found my husband out and I confronted him, saying: “You are not the only one who can have a relationship. I have received a similar proposition.” And I told him all about his friend. He was stunned and absolutely shocked. (I said:) “If you want me to respond in kind to your relationship with that woman, then this is for that, tit-for-tat.” This was a huge slap in the face for him. He knew that I did not intend to do that in reality, but he realized the great disaster that had befallen our lives and the immoral atmosphere in which we were living. I suffered a great deal until my husband finally left that loose woman with whom he was having a relationship, as he admitted to me. Yes, he left her and came back to his family and children, but how can I ever feel the same towards him as I used to? Who will restore respect for him in my heart? This huge wound in my heart is still bleeding out of regret and rage at that filthy atmosphere; it still bears testimony to the fact that what they call innocent get-togethers are in reality anything but innocent. My heart still begs for mercy from the Lord of Glory.


Intelligence can also be a temptation (fitnah)


‘Abd al-Fattaah says:


I work as the head of department in one of the big companies. For a long time I admired one of my female colleagues, not for her beauty, but for her serious attitude towards her work, her intelligence and her excellent achievements – in addition to the fact that she was a decent and modest person who focused only on her work. This admiration turned into attachment, and I am a married man who fears Allaah and never misses any obligatory prayer. I expressed my feelings to her and she rebuffed me. She is married and has children as well. She sees no reason why I should have any kind of relationship with her, whether it be friendship, as work colleagues or based on admiration… etc. Evil thoughts come to me sometimes, and deep down I wish that her husband would divorce her so that I could get her.


I started to put pressure on her at work and put her down in front of my bosses. Perhaps this was a form of revenge on my part, but she accepted it with good manners and did not complain or comment. She works and works; her performance speaks of her quality, and she knows this well. The more she resisted me, the stronger my infatuation grew.


I am not a person who is easily tempted by women, because I fear Allaah and I do not overstep the mark with them and go beyond what is required by my work. But this woman attracted me. What is the solution?… I do not know.


Baby ducks know how to swim


N.A.A., a nineteen-year-old girl, tells us:


At that time I was a little girl. My innocent eyes watched those evening get-togethers when family friends would meet in the house. What I remember is that I could only see one man, who was my father. I watched him as he moved about the room, how his glances would devour the women present, looking at their thighs and chests, admiring this one’s eyes, that one’s hair, the other’s hips. My poor mother had no choice but to take care of these get-togethers. She was a very simple lady.


Among the women present there was one woman who would deliberately try to attract my father’s attention, sometimes by coming close to him, and sometimes by making enticing movements. I would watch this with concern, whilst my mother was busy in the kitchen for the sake of her guests.


These gatherings stopped suddenly and I tried, young as I was, to understand and make sense of what had happened, but I could not.


What I remember was that my mother collapsed completely at that time, and she could not stand to hear my father’s name mentioned in the house. I used to hear mysterious words whispered by the adults around me: “Betrayal… bedroom… she saw them with her own eyes… despicable woman… in a very shameful position…” etc. These were the key words which only the adults could understand.


I grew up and came to understand, and I bore a grudge against all men. All of them were treacherous. My mother was a broken woman and accused every woman who came to us of being a man-snatcher who wanted to make my father fall into her trap. My father hasn’t changed. He is still practising his favourite hobby of chasing women, but now he does it outside the home. Now I am nineteen years old and I know lots of young men. I feel great pleasure in taking revenge on them, because every one of them is an exact copy of my father. I tempt them and entice them, without letting them get anywhere near me. They follow me in gatherings and in the marketplaces because of my movements and deliberate gestures. Sometimes my phone never stops ringing and I feel proud of what I do to avenge the sex of Hawwa’ and my mother. But sometimes I feel so miserable and such a failure that it almost chokes me. My life is shadowed by a huge dark cloud, and its name is my father.


Before it is too late


S.N.A. tells of her experience:


I never imagined that my work circumstances would force me to be in contact with the opposite sex (men), but this in fact is what happened…


In the beginning, I used to cover and screen myself from men by wearing niqaab (face-veil), but some of the sisters advised me that this dress was attracting more attention to my presence, and it would be better for me to take off the niqaab, especially since my eyes were somewhat attractive. So I removed the cover from my face, thinking that this was better. But by continuing to mix with my colleagues, I discovered that I was the odd one out because of my antisocial attitude and my insistence on not joining in the conversation and chatting with others. Everyone was wary of this “lone-wolf” woman (as they saw me), and this is what was stated clearly by one person who affirmed that he would not want to deal with such a snooty and stand-offish character. But I knew that I was the opposite, in fact, and I decided that I would not oppress myself and put myself in a difficult position with my colleagues. So I started to join in their chats and exchanges of anecdotes, and they all discovered that I could speak eloquently and persuasively, and that I could influence others. I could also speak in a manner that was determined yet at the same time was attractive to some of my colleagues. It was not long before I noticed some changes in the expression of my direct supervisor; with some embarrassment, he was enjoying the way I spoke and moved, and he would deliberately bring up topics in the conversation where I would see that hateful look in his eyes. I do not deny the fact that I started to entertain some thoughts about this man. I found it astonishing that a man could fall so easily into the trap of a woman who was religiously committed, so how must it be in the case of women who adorn themselves and invite men to commit immoral actions? In fact, I did not think of him in any way which went beyond the bounds of sharee’ah, but he did occupy a space in my thoughts for quite some time. But soon my self-respect made me reject the idea of being a source of enjoyment for this man in any way, shape or form, even if it was only psychological in nature, and I stopped getting involved in any kind of work that would force me to sit alone with him. In the end, I reached the following conclusions:


1- Attraction between the sexes can occur in any circumstances, no matter how much men and women may deny that. The attraction may start within the bounds of sharee’ah and end up going beyond those bounds.


Even if a person protects himself (by marriage), he is not safe from the snares of the Shaytaan.


3- Even though a person may be able to guarantee himself and he works with the opposite sex within reasonable limits, he cannot guarantee the feelings of the other party.


Finally, there is nothing good in mixing and it does not bear fruit as they claim. On the contrary, it corrupts sound thinking.


What now?


We may ask, what comes next, after this discussion on the matter of mixing?


It’s about time for us to recognize that no matter how we try to beautify the issue of mixing and take the matter lightly, its consequences are bound to catch up with us, and the harm it causes will have disastrous results for our families. Sound common sense refuses to accept that mixing is a healthy atmosphere for human relations. This is the sound common sense which made most of the people included in this survey (76%) prefer working in a non-mixed environment. The same percentage (76%) said that mixing is not permitted according to the sharee’ah. What makes us sit up and take notice is not this honourable percentage – which indicates the purity of our Islamic society and the cleanness of its members’ hearts – but the small number who said that mixing is permitted; they number 12%. This group, with no exceptions, said that mixing is permitted but within the limits set by religion, custom (‘urf), traditions, good manners, conscience, modesty, covering and other worthy values which, in their opinion, keep mixing within proper limits.


We ask them: is the mixing which we see nowadays in our universities, market-places, work-places and family and social gatherings, taking place within the limits referred to above? Or are these places filled with transgressions in terms of clothing, speech, interactions and behaviour? We see wanton displays of adornment (tabarruj), not proper covering; we see fitnah (temptations) and dubious relationships, with no good manners and no conscience and no covering. We can conclude that the kind of mixing that is happening nowadays is unacceptable even to those who approve of mixing in a clean atmosphere.


It’s about time for us to recognize that mixing provides a fertile breeding-ground for social poisons to invade and take over our society without anyone ever realizing that it is mixing which is the cause. Mixing is the prime element in this silent fitnah, in the shade of which betrayals erupt, homes are wrecked and hearts are broken.


We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and to reform our society. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.


Islam Q&A


Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

THIS MUST WATCH video segment exposes Israel's mistreatment and Apartheid against Palestinians. As you can imagine CBS has now come under intense pressure by anti-Arab/anti-Muslim groups for exposing Israel's atrocities.


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http://www.sparklywater.com/news-current-a...23-day-war.html


23 proofs of Israel's defeat in the 23-day war


Israel began its Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on December 27, 2008, an almost three-week long bloodbath which killed or wounded thousands of civilians.


Taking into consideration the lessons the regime learned from its defeat in the summer 2006 war against the Lebanese Hezbollah, Tel Aviv avoided setting out any specific objectives for its military operation in a bid to enable it to claim victory after the conflict ended.


The Israeli military initially presumed that it could settle its old score with Hamas and crush the movement in a matter of days. Relying on the support of some Arab states which viewed Hamas's defeat as a blow to Iran, the regime, therefore, took the opportunity provided by the transitional period in the White House and escalated its bombing campaign into a full-blown ground offensive to kill Hamas leaders once and for all.


The plan, however, blew up in the face of its masterminds; everything spiraled out of control and the Israeli Army found itself stuck in a quagmire. Subsequently, the leaders of the Kadima Party who were on the brink of political bankruptcy and had resorted to the plan to save themselves ahead of the general elections, had to hastily find a way to clean up the mess.


They unilaterally declared a truce to break the deadlock while disguising their military failure as a humanitarian act.


However, Israeli military and political officials interestingly are still boasting about a decisive victory over Hamas. The reality on the ground proves the opposite; it indicates a defeat more humiliating than what the regime suffered in the 33-day war.


Israel was ,without doubt, the loser because:


1- From the military perspective, "the most powerful" army in the Middle East which faced only a militia group hardly advanced into the Gaza Strip's urban areas. It faced fierce resistance and realized that the price of any military victory would be too high.


2- At the beginning of the operation, Israel announced that the operation was aimed at preventing rocket attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian groups against Israeli towns. Palestinians, however, continued striking Israeli targets, even in the last hours of the war.


3- Hamas extended the range of its rockets and managed to hit targets as far away as 60 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. In fact, the Israeli operation helped Hamas boost its military might.


4- In the course of killing civilians, the Israeli regime set up a factory for producing living time bombs which will jeopardize the security situation for Israel. Civilian casualties in any conflict always radicalize members of bereaved families. Following} the massacre of civilians in Gaza, it is more likely that those Palestinians who adopted a nonviolent approach to resist the Israeli occupation, will now turn to military tactics. Keep in mind that many of them have noting to lose.


5- Israel hastily signed an agreement with the US-a third party which was not directly involved in the war-to prevent "the arm smuggling" into the Gaza Strip. The deal envisaged measures to prevent Hamas from rearming, going so far as to for example seek US assistance in policing sea routes to Gaza and providing Egypt with the equipment to destroy smuggling tunnels along its border with the costal sliver. This was however nothing but a propaganda tactic to persuade public opinion that the war had had some achievements. Shin Bet's announcement that Hamas will be able to rearm within a few months supports this notion. The Israeli media has also revealed that Washington has given no guarantees to Tel Aviv that Hamas would not be rearmed.


6- Hamas has vowed to restore its arsenals, dealing a blow to Israeli officials who claim that the movement has been "punished" and it knows that it cannot continue its armed campaign against Israel.


7- No high-ranking Hamas leader, except Said Siyam, was killed in the Israeli operation. In fact, it is estimated that out of more than thousands of victims of the Israeli offensive, only 95 people were Hamas members and most of them were killed on the first day of the attack when Hamas was caught off guard due to alleged betrayal of some Arab states.


8- Israel's defeat by a small group has shattered the image of an invincible army that overpowered the army of several Arab nations in 1967. It would not be surprising if Israel's arch foes were encouraged to settle their old score with the regime after its recent defeat. No matter what you have in your arsenals, you are considered the loser if you have been defeated in your enemy's mind. Israel seems to have entered the spiral of decline.


9- From the political perspective, Israel's situation is not any better than the one in the military arena. For the first time, two Israeli ambassadors were expelled, a big diplomatic humiliation for Tel Aviv.


10- The indiscriminate killing of civilians including women and children drew international condemnation to the point that the US, which always vetoes UN Security Council resolutions against Israel, was neutralized and gave in to mounting international pressure when the council voted on a binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.


11- Israel's strategy of decreasing Hamas's popularity through putting pressure on the Gazans has obviously backfired. The Islamic movement emerged more popular than ever before after the war, because any group or person who deals a blow to Israel will be praised as a hero in the eyes of Arab nations. We witnessed the phenomenon during the 33-day war which made Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah the most popular Arab leader in the Islamic world.


12- Following the Gaza war, Mahmoud Abbas's political life came to an end. Now, Abbas who was reportedly preparing himself for returning to Gaza after the Hamas government was toppled, has to desperately beg to political brokers to find a place for him in the political future of Palestine. If Abbas loses in the Palestinian Authority general elections - a strong possibility given the situation after the Gaza war- Israel will lose its partner for peace talks.


13- Kadima's hopes for victory in the upcoming elections have been dashed. In other words, right-wing parties like the Likud and people like Israel Beitenu's and Shas's hawks will come to power, fanatics who do not even believe in peace. Israel should brace itself for days during which there would be no hope for a political solution to the current conflict.


14- The Gaza war managed another sort of uncalled for achievement for Israel: it united all Muslims and anti-Israeli parties across the world! The world has never witnessed such massive anti-Israeli rallies.


15- Hamas has set a good example for others. A small group managed to defeat the most powerful army in the Middle East. It would not be surprising if someday, we see Israel struggling to survive in a battle with a host of small or big groups and organizations which adopt military resistance as their approach.


16- The Israelis have realized that their leaders are unable to protect them; there is no safe place inside the occupied territories. It means that Israel's worst nightmare is coming true: a dramatic rise in the rate of negative immigration followed by major demographical impacts. It could shake the foundation of the Israeli regime through changing the Jewish people to a minority group in occupied Palestine. The apprehensions about this issue have so far prompted the regime to deny Palestinian refugees the right to return to their land.


17- After the war, the world is recognizing Hamas as a main player whose role can no longer be ignored and it cannot be excluded from any political process in the Middle East.


18- Prime Minister Ismail Haniya called the war "Forqan", a Quranic word meaning what separates good and evil. The outcome of the war weakened those Arab states who had adopted a pro-Israeli stance. On the other hand, it also highlighted the significance of the role of pro-resistance countries including Iran and Syria. Therefore, the balance of power has changed with regards to Israel's interests.


19- Kadima leaders made a fool of themselves and showed that they lack the qualifications required to lead the regime. Kadima, which was set up by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to end the regime's political deadlock, committed a political suicide by attacking Gaza.


20- The war also weakened the political base of those leaders of Islamic countries who are close to Israel. They have to face their people. The process has already started as we have witnessed demonstrations in some countries in which political or social protests are rare.


21- Despite nonstop bombing of the Gaza Strip by unconventional weapons, Gazans kept their high morale, a fact reported by Western journalists. There were no long queues of people at border crossings wanting to flee to a safe place. Inside Israeli towns, scores of people were treated for "shock" everyday. In other words, Israel has also lost the psychological war.


22- The war unfortunately fueled anti-Semitic sentiments across the world. Although attacks on Jews or their property under any pretext are certainly condemned, the fact indicates that Israel, despite paying lip service to the world Jewry, never considers the interests of the Jewish. Tel Aviv even turned down a request by 11 prominent leaders of the British Jewish community who asked the regime to stop its offensive for the sake of their security.


23- There are and will be groups which will open legal cases against Israel in international courts for its war crimes in Gaza. If Hamas had been destroyed, Israeli leaders might have been able to claim that it had been worth paying such a heavy price. But without achieving anything , how can they justify their acts which have drawn a wave of international condemnation?


The Gaza war has certainly changed the status quo against Israel. History seems to repeat itself; the situation is the same as that of the days after the end of the 33-Day War except for one thing: this time, the regime has no excuse to justify its defeat; there was no inexperienced defense minister leading the war.


The Gaza war dealt the last blow to the Israeli regime and its end result is the start of a battle within the regime which will put its very existence at risk.


Those who make a mistake once may be considered as inexperienced but those who repeat their mistakes are certainly judged as being "incompetent and insane". Shall we expect another Winograd report?


Press TV

Al Wasatiyyah Foundation (For research and Revival) Presents . . .


Click here or the picture above to view the poster with full details


'Change We Can Believe In'


A special seminar planned to coincide with the inauguration of the first black president of the United States of America.


'As we pass the historical moment of the inauguration of the first black president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, we ask this prominent group of Muslim intellectuals and speakers to critique the current day situation of the Muslims and ask them if Obama is really the change we believe in.'


TIME: 2pm-6pm


DATE: Sunday 25th January 2009


VENUE: Tayyibun Tarbiyyah Centre, 25 Hessel Street (Off Commercial Road), London E1 2LR


TOPICS:


-Hope and Fear: Relying Upon Only Allaah


-The Party of Allaah and the Party of Shaytaan: Characteristics of the Successful


-Change We Can Believe In: An Analysis of Change.


SPEAKERS:


-Shaykh Haitham al-Haddad (Muslim Research and Development Foundation)


-Abu Mujahid Uthman Lateef (Hittin Institute)


-Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (Hittin Institute)


Please contact alwasatiyyah@googlemail.com for more information


This Event is organised by Al Wasatiyyah Foundation for Research and Revival


*Segregation maintained.

<i></i>


While we listen to tunes, made by ignorant fools,


Israel blocked the UN from delivering food,


They'll bring in the troops and you won't even glimpse at the news,


They make money of the products that we are quick to consume,


It's not simply a question of differing views,


Forget emotions, this is fact, what I spit is the truth,


Makes no difference if you're a Christian or if you're a Jew,


They are just people living in different conditions to you,


They still die when you bomb their schools, mosques and hospitals,


It is not because of rockets, please god can you stop it all,


I'm not related to the strangers on the TV,


But I relate because those faces could have been me,


Words can never ever explain the raw tragedy,


It's not a war they're just murdering more rapidly,


We are automatically supporting pure savagery,


Imagine how you'd feel if it was your family,


This is for Palestine, Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza,


This is for the child that is searching for an answer,


I wish I could take your tears and replace them with laughter,


Long live Palestine, Long live Gaza,


Palestine remains in my heart forever,


We stand for peace, in times of war we shan't surrender,


Remember, it didn't start in that dark December,


Every coin is a bullet, if you're Mark's and Spencer,


And when your sipping Coca-Cola,


That's another pistol in the holster of a soulless soldier,


You say you know about the Zionist lobby,


But you put money in their pocket when you're buying their coffee,


Talking about revolution, sitting in Starbucks,


The fact is that's the type of thinking I can't trust,


Let alone even start to respect,


Before you talk learn the meaning of that scarf on your neck,


Forget Nestle,


Obama promised Israel 30 billion over the next decade,


They're trigger happy and they're crazy,


Think about that when you're putting Huggies nappies on your baby,


This is for Palestine, Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza,


This is for the child that is searching for an answer,


I wish I could take your tears and replace them with laughter,


Long live Palestine, Long live Gaza,


This is not just a war over stolen land,


Why do you think little boys are throwing stones at tanks?


We will never really know how many people are dead,


They drop bombs on little girls while they sleep in their beds,


Don't get offended by facts, just try and listen,


Nothing is more anti-Semitic than Zionism,


So please don't bring bad vibes when you speak to me,


I know there's plenty of Rabbi's that agree with me,


It's your choice what you do with this message,


Don't get it confused; I view this from a truly human perspective,


How many more resolutions have to be violated,


How many more children have to be annihilated


Israel is a terror state, there terrorists that terrorise,


I testify, my television televised them telling lies,


This is not a war, it is systematic genocide,


But whatever they try, Palestine will never die!!!


But whatever they try, Palestine will never die!!!

. Multi-faith Schools


• A Muslim charity In Swindon is bidding to run the first Multi-faith Muslim School for Muslim and non-Muslim children and have teachers from different faiths. An hour of the timetable each day would be dedicated to studying Arabic and the Holy Quran. Non-Muslims pupils would be able to be exempted from the lessons, but it is hoped that the majority would choose to stay in class to gain more “insight” into the Islamic faith.


• In my opinion, Multifaith school is not going to be successful because non-Muslim parents would not send their children. In the past, a plan for a Multi-faith secondary school in Westminster for 1000 pupils could not be materialised because faith groups could not come to any agreement. Now even Hindu community has set up state funded school in Harrow. Black community is also thinking of setting up its own school with Black teachers.


• According to David Lammy MP, there are still too many inequalities in the education system which prevents disadvantaged children from applying to study for a degree. British schooling is wholly responsible for the inequalities. A culture of low expectation and a lack of rigour holding these pupils back. Every child must reach his full potential regardless of his background. Justice Secretary Jack Straw MP said British society should be one which recognizes and celebrates differences. One in which we all have an opportunity to flourish, regardless of who we are or where we are from. British schooling has been trying to integrate and assimilate Muslim community through education in the name of integration. The Imams and Masajid have been playing their parts to keep Islamic faith alive, but that is not enough. British schooling does not promote global cohesion. It does not encourage dialogue and increases understanding.


• Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. They need to learn and be well versed in Standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to learn and be well versed in Arabic to recite and understand the Holy Quran. They need to learn and be well versed in Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.


• Iftikhar Ahmad


www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Bismillah


"And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that indeed you would do mischief on the earth twice and you will <b>become tyrants and extremely arrogant</b>* So, when the promise came for the first of the two, We sent against you slaves of Ours given to terrible warfare. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled.* <b>Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in man power</b>*." (Quran 7: 4-6)


Then:


"And We said to the Children of Israel after him: "Dwell in the land, then, when the final and the last promise comes near [i.e. the Day of Resurrection or the descent of Christ [Jesus, son of Mary on the earth]. <b>We shall bring you altogether as mixed crowd (gathered out of various nations).</b>" (Quran 17:104)


Sobhan Allah, the situation is fully described, and Insh aAllah soon we shall be lifted as a Muslim nation and be qualified to gain the victory Allah Promised.

Bismillah


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2...90589&hl=en


Watch the movie even on separate times.

THis is soo sad...


A reminder of how close death is to us...


this video records the death of hungarian soccer player.. miklos feher 24 yrs old... in 2004


Jus a reminder of how close death is to us and that we should remind us:





<div><iframe width="459" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/us1anf6ojeY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div>

<b>Shaykh Muhammed Naasiruddeen al-Albani</b>


Source: "Kayfa yajibu 'alaynaa an Nufassir al-Qur'aan" (pg. 28-34)


Produced by: Al-Ibaanah.com


From the upcoming E-Book "How are we Obligated to Interpret the Qur'aan" of Imaam Al-Albaanee, rahimahullaah, being a translation of the booklet "Kayfa yajibu 'alaynaa an Nufassir al-Qur'aan."


<b></b>


Question: What is the ruling on kissing the Qur’aan?


<b>Answer:</b> According to our beliefs, this act falls into the general meaning of certain ahaadeeth (forbidding innovations), such as the Prophet’s (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) statement: “Beware of newly invented matters for indeed every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance.” [1] And in one narration of the hadeeth, it states: “And every misguidance is in the Hellfire.” [2]


Many people hold a certain position with regard to this issue, saying: “What’s wrong with that? It’s only a way of showing our love and respect for this noble Qur’aan.” So we say to them: Yes, that’s true. This only shows one’s love and respect for the noble Qur’aan. However, was this form of respect hidden from the first generation, which consisted of the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger? And likewise was it unknown to those who succeeded the Companions (Taabi’een), as well as their successors (Atbaa’ at-Taabi’een) who came after them? No doubt the answer will be as the scholars amongst the Salaf used to say: “If it were good, they would have preceded us in (doing) it.”


This is one perspective. As for another perspective then we must ask the question: What is the foundation with regard to kissing something – that it is permissible or forbidden?


This requires us to mention the hadeeth reported by the two Shaikhs (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim) in their Saheeh collection, to remind those who wish to remember, and to make it known how far the Muslims are today from their righteous predecessors, their understanding and their methods used to resolve matters that occurred to them.


The hadeeth I’m referring to is the one reported by ‘Abbaas bin Rabee’ah who narrated: “I saw ‘Umar bin Al-Khattaab (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) kissing the (Black) Stone and saying: ‘I know that you are just a stone and that you can’t cause harm or bring benefit. So if it weren’t that I saw the Messenger of Allaah kissing you, I would not have kissed you.’”


What is the meaning of these words from Al-Faarooq: “If it weren’t that I saw the Messenger of Allaah kissing you, I would not have kissed you?!” [3]


So why then did ‘Umar kiss the Black Stone, which as is stated in the authentic hadeeth: “The Black Stone is from Paradise?” [4]


Did he kiss it based on some logical reasoning that came from him, like that made by those who this question is about, who use their logic on this issue, saying: “This is the Speech of Allaah, and we will kiss it?”


Did ‘Umar say: “This stone is a relic from Paradise, which was promised to those who obey Allaah, so I will kiss it – I don’t need any text from Allaah’s Messenger to show me that it is legislated (in the Religion) to kiss it?!” Or did he treat this “trivial” matter, as some people nowadays want to say, with the slogan that we invite to, which we call the Salafee slogan - which is sincerely following only the Messenger and those who abide by his Sunnah until the Day of Judgement? This was the stance of ‘Umar (radyAllaahu ‘anhu), such that he said: “If it weren’t that I saw the Messenger of Allaah kissing you, I would not have kissed you?!”


So the foundation with regard to this type of kissing is that we treat it based on the past Sunnah, not that we pass judgement on matters based on our whims, as we indicated earlier, such that we say (for example): “This is something good, so what’s wrong with it?!”


Recall with me what the (first) reaction of Zayd bin Thaabit (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) was when Abu Bakr and ‘Umar presented him with the task of compiling the Qur’aan in order to protect it from being lost. He (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) told them: “How can you do something that the Messenger of Allaah didn’t do?” [5]


But the Muslims of today do not have this kind of understanding at all.


If it is said to the one who kisses the mus-haf: “How can you do something that Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) didn’t do?” He will counter you with many strange answers, such as: “My brother, what’s wrong with that?! I’m only showing respect for the Qur’aan!” So tell him: “My brother, these words fall back on you! Are you saying the Messenger of Allaah didn’t used to show respect to the Qur’aan?!” There is no doubt that the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used to respect the Qur’aan, but in spite of this, he wouldn’t kiss it.


Or they may argue: “You forbid us from kissing the Qur’aan, yet look at you, you ride in cars and travel by plane. And these things are innovations!” The refutation of this is based on what you heard previously – that the innovation that is misguidance is only that which occurs with regard to the Religion.


As for those innovations that occur with regard to worldly matters, then as we stated previously, they may at times be permissible and at times be prohibited, and so on. This is something that is well known, and needs no examples.


So a person that rides aboard a plane in order to travel to the Sacred House so that he can make pilgrimage (Hajj), there is no doubt that this is permissible. And a person that rides on board a plane in order to travel to the west to make pilgrimage there, there is no doubt this is a sin, and so on and so forth.


As for maters related to worship, for which if someone is asked about it: “Why do you do it(?)”, his reply is: “To get close to Allaah!”


I say: There is no way to get closer to Allaah except by that which Allaah legislated and prescribed. However, I would like to remind you about something which, in my opinion, is very important for strengthening and supporting this principle “Every innovation is a misguidance” – there being no room for my intellect to consent with it at all.


Some of the Salaf used to say: “No innovation is introduced except that a Sunnah is caused to die.”


I take this fact to heart as if I can feel it with my hand, due to my constant scrutinization of matters to see if the are innovations, and if they contradict what the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) brought,


When the true people of knowledge and virtue take hold of the Qur’aan in order to recite from it, you do not see them kissing it. Rather, they only act in accordance to what is in it. But as for the common people, who have not set of rules or guidelines to curb their emotions, then they say: “What’s wrong with that?” But yet they don’t act in accordance to what is found in it (from laws and rulings)!


So we say: “No innovation is introduced except that a Sunnah is caused to die.”


There is another innovation similar to this one. We see some people – even the vile sinners amongst them who only have a small portion of Faith left in their hearts – who when they hear the Mu’adhin calling to prayer, they stand up! And when you ask them: “Why are you standing up?” They reply: “Out of respect for Allaah!!” But yet, they don’t even go to the masaajid! They spend their time playing chess and backgammon and so on. And yet, they believe they are showing respect to their Lord by standing up like this. Where did this form of standing come from?? Naturally, it came from a fabricated hadeeth that has no source to it, which is: “When you hear the Adhaan (call to prayer), then stand up.” [6]


There is no source for this hadeeth. Rather, it came by way of a distortion (of an authentic hadeeth) by some weak narrators and liars, who reported “Stand” (qoomoo) instead of “Say” (qooloo), whilst at the same time abridging the authentic hadeeth: “When you hear the Adhaan, then say (qooloo) just as he says. Then send Salaat upon me…” [7]


So look at how the Devil beautifies innovations to people, such that they feel content with themselves that they are believers who respect the rites of Allaah – the proof for this being: when they take the mus-haf, they kiss it, and when they hear the Adhaan, they stand up!!


But does he act upon the Qur’aan? He doesn’t act upon the Qur’aan! So, for example, he may pray, but does he avoid delving into prohibitions? Does he avoid taking interest or giving it? Does he avoid spreading amongst the people the means that will increase them in their disobedience to Allaah? Does he…Does he…, and so on and so forth?? These questions may never end. This is why we stop and suffice with that which Allaah has legislated for us from acts of obedience and worship without adding one single letter to that. This is since the matter is as the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “I have not left behind anything that Allaah commanded you with except that I ordered you to do it.”


So this thing that you do, will it bring you closer to Allaah? If the answer is yes, then bring a text from Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) concerning that. Their answer will be: “There is no text for that.” So therefore, it is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.


No one should find difficulty with this issue saying: “This is a minor issue, but yet in spite of that, it’s a misguidance that will take the one who does it to the Hellfire??”


Imaam Ash-Shaatibee responded to the likes of this question, saying: “Every innovation, no matter how small it may be, is misguidance.”


One should not look at this ruling – in the fact that it’s misguidance – to the innovation itself. Rather, one should look at this ruling to the place in which this innovation has been newly introduced into. What is this place? The place I am referring to is the Legislation of Islaam, which is perfect and complete. So it is not proper for anyone to try to “amend it” by introducing an innovation into it, whether big or small. This is where the “misguidance” of innovations comes from. The misguidance doesn’t come from just him introducing the innovation into Islaam, but rather because of the fact that he is giving (himself) the ability to amend the Legislation (of Islaam), above that of our Lord and above our Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).


----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------


Footnotes:


[1] Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (1/92/34)


[2] Salaat at-Taraaweeh (pg. 75)


[3] Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (1/94/41)


[4] Saheeh al-Jaami’-us-Sagheer (3174)


[5] Translator’s Note: Refer to Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree (Eng.) (vol. 6, hadeeth no. 201). Zayd bin Thaabit (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) was one of those who used to write down the revelation for the Prophet.


[6] Silsilat-ul-Ahaadeeth ad-Da’eefah (711)


[7] Saheeh Muslim (384)