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Aqeedah: Usool ath Thalaatha


Aqeedah: Lum'atul I'tiqaad


Fiqh: Purification & Prayers


Fiqh: Marriage, Family & Divorce


Seerah: The Biography of the Prophet (sws)


If you cannot view the picture above on this e-mail received, please copy and paste the following link on your browser: http://tayyibun.com/October 2008 leaflet.pdf or visit our website on www.tayyibun.com


DON'T MISS THE REGISTRATION DATES!


11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th & 19th of October 2008


Any of the dates provided above between: (Men 5pm - 10pm) & (Female 10am - 4pm)


Registration at our head office: Tayyibun Institute, 32 New Road (Off Whitechapel Road) London E1 2AX

Asalaamu alikum,


When either the husband or the wife dies, can they wash each others body to prepare for the burial? I heard that the husband can was the wives body but lately I heard that he cannot. Does anybody know?


Jazak Allah khairn

Bismillah


http://www.almuaiqly.com/arabic/index.php?...deos&cat=14


Just click the black box with a number on it, it will load the video Insh aAllah and you can listen to an extremely beautiful Dua by Sheikh Maher Mo`aiqly.

Bismillah


Alhamdulelah Rub ela`amen, Lord of the worlds, Creator of all creation, the All Knowing, Merciful and Compassionate and blessings and peace be upon our teacher, leader and final Messenger Mohammad Ibn Abdullah, his household and companions.


May Expand my chest and untie a knot in my tongue so that they may understand what I m saying.


Standing in the Haram Nabawi waiting to go out after <i>Salatu Zohor </i>– as I decided not even to try and access the <i>Rawda Sharifa</i>- looking at women how they are eagerly lining up, waiting with deep passion for the gate to open so that they can push their way in. At this situation I was approached by a fully covered (in black of course) Saudi woman inquiring if I was going to get in. I said no. She said why? I started explaining how I feel it is unjust to treat women the way they are treated in the <i>Masjed</i> of the best of mankind who actually left a serious<i> Wasiyah </i>(literally <i>wasiyah</i> is a will but in this position I d say recommendation) of how to well treat women. I told her they are kept behind the gate like a troop of sheep, then suddenly the gate opens which makes them push their way after waiting for a long time, and run in an effort to secure a spot in <i>Rawda Sharifa </i> to perform their <i>Salat.</i> I will not be treated like this in Masjed Radullah, leave alone behaving like this in his masjed which is a stark violation of Sunnah. His clear instructions in walking towards Masajed is to do so in serenity and slowly even if I m late for Salat. I continued but they are excused, the allocated space for women is very limited compared to that of men, not even part of the actual Rawda, and yet again, if you manage to access, you can not have a tranquil <i>Salat</i>. But women are piling over your head waiting to take the spot and perform Salat as well.


She was listening very carefully and in the middle of our conversation said took me aside to sit and be more focused. As she continued listening, after I was fully finished, she started answering, saying actually this may have been the case in the past. But now, look at how the system is organized. Sobhan Allah, she turned out to be one of the dynamic crew in charge of <i>Masjed Nabawy</i>. She took the time and effort to clear out all wrong impressions I had and to indicate how they sat, studied, identified areas of problems and developed relevant plans. To overcome those problems I actually introduced to her, which during a previous visit I meant to write comments to the officials there and leave it, it was evident that they do take visitors' comments in much consideration, work on it, and strive to address them.


To be very honest, their task is not easy specially for the <i>Rawda</i> part. The area is limited with no potential expansion - unlike outside of Haram which the government took over and demolished buildings to give more space - <i>Rawda </i>is limited and shall remain so, it can never be expanded this is coupled with an overwhelmingly increased number of users. A big challenge! For those who do not know what <i>Rawda</i> is, <i>Rawda Sharifa </i>is a part in <i>Masjed Nabawy </i>about which the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam said:


Narrated under the authority of Abu Horaira and Abi Said that the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam said: What is between my house and my pulpit is a Rawda (garden) of Riyadul Jannah (gardens of paradise) and my pulpit is located over my basin" (reported in Musnad Ahmed).


By virtue of this hadeeth, Allah granted the area between his house and his pulpit a special position to be considered one of the Jannah's gardens. Certainly, you would realize what does this mean? It means that people are very keen to access this location, perform <i>Salat</i> and make <i>dua</i>.


Although as you can see from the hadeeth, the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam did not stress or make special recommendation for such deeds, other wise, people would really strive harder. He just introduced the position and importance of the spot nothing more. In response, we feel very drawn to accessing, performing Salat and making dua. I mean just imagine how one feels to perform Salat and dua in a spot that is guaranteed to be a Rawda of Jannah. So let us get back to my conversation with this marvelous sister. She patiently explained to me according to scholars' opinion where exactly is the spot falling under this hadeeth, in response to telling her that men are allocated a larger share. She told me that on the tightest limits, according to the opinion of certain scholars, it covers between his pulpit and Aaesha's house only. However, the hadeeth said my house, and he had other houses of other wives besides Aaesha's.


Thus, this will cover a wider space. Here I realized that we women are allocated two thirds compared to only one third for men. As I looked, O I forgot to say, the sister insisted on taking me in, allowing me space and nice time to perform <i>Salat</i>. She also explained to me that in order to overcome the problem of women pushing each other to run and secure a spot, they organize a session of knowledge ahead of the scheduled time for women visit. They divide visitors by nationality, not to create more division than we already are, but rather to address them in their own language. They assign an extension worker who speaks the language of the given group including: Urdu, Persian, Turkish, Malay, English..etc They hold awareness sessions introducing to the ladies how to behave when they are inside (that was really part of my suffering I used to see much wrong and bida and not know what to do), what to say and what not to say, how to walk quietly with serenity, how to respect the place, how to give salam to the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam, and how to perform Salat quickly in order to free space for others. The extension worker also explains that they should not move before she gives them green light, because the organization system includs for each worker to lead her group according to certain order coordinated between them. Like they take each group in separately and have the others wait till the former comes out.


This organization really had much impact on lessening the crowd and chaotic situation that was usually created inside a spot that should never be like that. The young committed lady took all the time and effort to introduce me to this well synchronized effort performed by her and her colleagues with full heart devotion, passion and patience in deep recognition and realization of the place where they serve, the people they deal with, and most importantly Islam aiming to sooth my heart and ensuring that I will not be hurt in any way during my visit. She and others take it upon themselves that we are guests in this holy place and they should do whatever is possible, even if they had to go out of their way, to make our visit as nice and easy as possible.


O for those who are non Muslims and always express deep worries about the Saudi oppressed poor woman who is not allowed to drive and obliged to cover from head to toe including her face with black only. This whole dynamic well educated crew includes no one but this type of Saudi women. They are Mash a Allah of a totally different caliber.


Actually, Allah blessed me with access to this place since over 20 years now. I saw the difference, much difference. Those women are well educated, feeling that they are serving in one of the most honorable spots in Islam. It is very evident how the management of the <i>Masjed </i>put much effort in selecting highly qualified calibers that in turn devoted time, meetings, efforts and coordinated plans to tackle and streamline all problems related to crowd and more. Did any of you even see a Jumaa Salat in Medina? That is a scene, a real one. Yet again, they spare no effort to streamline and facilitate the whole process. That is not an easy task. Those sisters have to deal with different cultures, languages, leave alone characters and personalities. Not one single time, under any kind of pressure – and that is a lot – they loose their patience, or Islamic mannerism. Sobhan Allah, you feel that they diffuse and revive the Sunnah teachings around the place. All this coupled with competence and strong capabilities still based on Islamic teachings not man made ones. You might ask how I knew they hold constant meetings and coordination.


It is evident all over the place. I mean this system is not haphazard but rather the fruit of an ongoing process including studies, meetings, problem identification, plan setting, and modification. I observed them standing monitoring the process, coordinating with each other, stressing certain points..etc. Sobhan Allah. May Allah reward them much and allow them to continue being a role model for the proper Muslim woman who does not depend on her appearance or make up for achieving her serious work. Besides the devotion and commitment, they seem to have very understanding parents or husbands for those who are married. I mean those women take shifts including night ones. Women visit to Rawda is scheduled over three times: 7 AM, 2 PM and 11 PM. Those are Ramadan timings. Having three times entails repeating the process I explained above three times. Thus, they do take shifts. O how oppressed and useless they are huh. Again and again, may Allah Reward them much, makes their task easy and inspire them always with best solution for the place and visitors throughout ameen.

Bismillah


as salam alykom and Eid Mubarak to you all. May Allah Accept our good deeds ameen.


It has been announced on Wednesday 1st October. I know Saudia and England are celebrating Tus. How about USA???

It was narrated that in the days that Musa alayhis salaam wandered with Bani Israeel in the desert, an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa alayhis salaam and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.


It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israeel who had disobeyed Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala for more than forty years of his life. “Let him separate himself from the congregation,” Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala told Musa alayhis salaam. “Only then shall I shower you all with rain.”


Musa alayhis salaam then called out to the throngs of humanity, “There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.”


That man waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one. The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity.


He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said, “O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!”


As Musa alayhis salaam and the people of Bani Israeel waited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Musa alayhi salaam asked Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala, “O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward.”


And Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala replied, “O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israeel with water.”


Musa alayhis salaam, wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, “Show him to me O Allah!”


Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala replied, “O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?”


<b>PART II</b>


Ibn Jareer narrates on the authority of Mujaahid, that there was a man from Bani Israeel who used to spend the night in prayer. Then during the day he would fight the enemy in the way of Allah until the evening and he did this for a thousand months. And so Allah revealed:


Verily, We have sent it (the Qur’an) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (the Night of Destiny or the Night of Power). / And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is? / The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allah this night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months) (Al-Qadr 97/1-3).


Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala revealed the Qur’an in the most blessed month – the month of Ramadan. And on the 27th night of this month comes the Night of Al-Qadr (Laylatul Qadr), which is better than a thousand months. On the authority of Mujaahid, Sufyaan Ath-Thawree reports that Laylatul Qadr being better than a thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it, and standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months worth of good deeds, prayer and fasting.


It is reported from Abu Hurayrah that when the month of Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah said:


“The month of Ramadan has come, a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast; in it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable” (Imam Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i).


It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, that Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:


“Whoever stood in prayer on Laylatul Qadr in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous sins forgiven” (Bukhari and Muslim).


This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The sincere believer who worries day and night about his sins and phases of neglect in his life, patiently awaits the onset of Ramadan. During it, he hopes to be forgiven by Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala for past sins, knowing that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam promised that all who bow down during the last ten days shall have all their sins forgiven. To achieve this, the believer remembers the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam’s advice in different sayings wherein he used words like ‘seek’, ‘pursue’, ‘search’ and ‘look hard’ for Laylatul Qadr.


Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. The mu‘min should search for it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, passing the nights in worship and obedience. For those who catch the opportunity, their gift is that of past sins wiped away.


The Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam illustrated for us some of the things we should be doing on this Grand Night. From his blessed Sunnah we find the following:


Praying Qiyaam (Night Prayer):



It is recommended to make a long qiyaam prayer during the nights on which Laylatul Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many ahadith, such as:


“Whoever stands [in qiyaam] in Laylatul Qadr [and it is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation [of Allah’s reward], will have all of his previous sins forgiven” (Bukhari and Muslim).


Making Supplications:



It is also recommended to make extensive supplications on this night. Aisha radi Allahu anha reported that she asked Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam:


“O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylatul Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say, “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa ‘fu ‘annee – O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love forgiveness. So forgive me” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi).


Abandoning Worldly Pleasures for the Sake of Worship:



It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the nights on which Laylatul Qadr is likely to fall. This calls for abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and thoughts solely for worshipping Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala. Aisha radi Allahu anha reported:


“When the [last] ten nights started, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would tighten his izhaar [i.e. he stayed away from his wives in order to have more time for worship], spend the whole night awake [in prayer], and wake up his family” (Bukhari and Muslim).


And she, radi Allahu anha, said:



“Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to exert more [in worship] on the last ten than on other nights” (Muslim).


Have we estimated Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala correctly? Life is about people who take advantage of their opportunities to win the love of Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala, and Laylatul Qadr is one of them.


Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu was one of those who found an opportunity and won that which is greater than the heavens and the earth. An adult companion of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam cultivated his garden next to the property of an orphan. The orphan claimed that a specific palm tree was on his property and thus belonged to him. The companion rejected the claim, so the orphan boy went to the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam to complain. With his justness, the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam measured the two gardens and found that the palm tree did indeed belong to the companion. The orphan erupted crying. Seeing this, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam asked the companion, “Would you give him the palm tree and to you is a palm tree in Jannah?” However, the companion in his disbelief that an orphan would complain to the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, missed the opportunity and went away angry.


But someone else saw the opportunity – Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu. He went to the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and asked, “Ya RasulAllah, if I buy the tree from him and give it to the orphan shall I have that tree in Jannah?”


The Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam replied, “Yes.”


Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu chased after the companion and asked, “Would you sell that tree to me for my entire garden?”


The companion answered, “Take it, for there is no good in a tree that I was complained to the Prophet about.”


Immediately, Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu went home and found his wife and children playing in the garden. “Leave the garden!” shouted Abu Darda. “We’ve sold it to Allah! We’ve sold it to Allah!” Some of his children had dates in their hand and he snatched the dates from them and threw them back into the garden. “We’ve sold it to Allah!”


When Abu Darda was later martyred in the battle of Uhud, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam stood over his slain body and remarked, “How many shady palm trees does Abu Darda now have in Paradise?”


What did Abu Darda lose? Dates? Bushes? Dirt? What did he gain? He gained a Jannah whose expanse is the heavens and the earth.


Abu Darda did not miss his opportunity, and I pray to Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala that we do not miss our opportunity of standing to Allah on Laylatul Qadr.


Dear brothers and sisters, we do not obey, worship and revere Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala in a way befitting of His Majesty.


Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala revealed:


No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him. On the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand. Glory to Him! High is He above the partners they attribute to Him (Az-Zumar 39/67).


When someone dies we say inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (Indeed to Allah we belong and indeed to Him we shall return). This is not a supplication just for when a soul is lost. It is a supplication for every calamity that befalls a believer, even if his sandal were to tear. Why? Because everything belongs to Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala and everything shall come back to him. Sit and try to count the blessings Allah has bestowed upon you. Have you ever tried to count stars?


And He has given you all that you ask for. But if you count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude (Ibrahim 14/34).


We have not understood the weight of this Qur’an that we rest on our high shelves; this noble book that was sent to give life to the dead. For even if our hearts were as solid as mountain they would have crumbled to the ground in fear and hope of Allah’s punishment and mercy. Could it be that our hearts are harder than that mountain?


Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, verily, you would have seen it humble itself and split asunder in fear of Allah (Al-Hashr 59/21).


Dear brothers and sisters, as you fill the masajid for Qiyam-ul-Layl in the last ten nights of Ramadan, remember what Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala wants you to know:


…that Allah is strict in punishment and that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.


There shall be a night, some night in your life, that you shall awaken in Jannah or Hellfire. On his deathbed, Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu prayed to Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala, “O Allah, protect me from a night whose morning brings a journey to Hellfire.” Think about that morning.


Peace shall descend on Laylatul Qadr until the dawn. It may be that you shall leave the masjid after Fajr one day soon forgiven by Allah, Glorious and Most High.

The key to a fruitful Ramadan I find, is the three Ps! Planning, preparation and patience.


<b>Planning:</b> that's the thinking everything through and visualising what every day is going to be like. What is the routine going to be like, when is iftar, suhoor, kids' bedtime and how can I best coordinate them all. Which acts of worship do I really want to do this Ramadan, every day and when can I incorporate them into my day. What things do I need to change in the next month and leave out of my routine. Having a calendar with the whole month-to-view is really helpful Ma sha Allah. Make du'a for a fruitful Ramadan.


<b>Preparation:</b> cooking early (even the night before), having things prepared beforehand as much as possible, make for a smooth Ramadan. Also, studying what Ramadan is all about and how the early and best generations of Muslims would be in Ramadan, all remind us what an opportunity Ramadan truly is. This year I went on the AlKauthar course on the Fiqh of fasting and it has really affected the way I mentally prepared for Ramadan, ma sha Allah.


<b>Patience:</b> then the rest is about patiently getting on with what we have to do and being patient when things are not as we planned, but then being pro-active and making the most of any issues that arise.


One of the things that the instructor told us in the Ramadan course was:


<b>"Turn your 'Aadah</b> عادة


<b>into 'Ibaadah</b> عبادة "


In other words, turn the things that you ordinarily do, day to day, into acts of worship, by having lofty intentions and goals for even the most mundane acts! Yes, even the ironing! Why do you iron? So that your family can wear clothes that look smart, so that they feel good and are good ambassadors for Islam, whenever people see you out and about, so that your husband who has the most rights upon you will feel good and be able to work confidently. Because Allah has made your husband's rights so important...think about why you are doing things throughout the day, as you do them and turn them into 'Ibaadah!


May Allah give you a blessed Ramadan.


By the way, did you know that Imam Malik would close all of his Hadeeth books during Ramadan and concentrate on the Qur'an? Other scholars would complete reciting the Qur'an every few days in Ramadan and our beloved Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam would recite the whole Qur'an to Jibreel during Ramadan? And twice in his last Ramadan.


It's doable! Just read a few pages after every salah and don't go to sleep till you've finished reading one Juz' of Qur'an and you will be able to recite the whole Qur'an during Ramadan insha Allah....you can do it....just remember: plan, prepare and patiently persevere!


'Umar's (radi Allahu Anhu) Definition of TaqwaAllah tells us in the Qur'an that fasting was prescribed upon us as it was prescribed for those before us, so that we may attain Taqwa.


'Umar bin al-Khattab's definition of Taqwa:


خَلِّ الذنوبَ صغيرَها و كبيرَها ذاكَ التُّقى


واصْنَع كَماشٍ فوقَ أرضِ الشّوكِ يَحْذَرُ ما يَرَى


لا تَحْقِرَنّ صغيرةً إنّ الجِبالَ منَ الحَصىThe meaning as I make it is:


Abandon sins - small ones and big: that is Taqwa...


And be like a person walking one a land of thorns, cautious of what he sees...


Don't belittle the small sins, Indeed mountains are made up of small stones....


written by a sister

Bismillah: Assalamo Alikum.


Here what I was talking about earlier, anyone at anytime can come up with a new Bible, simply because there is no original in existence today to support today’s Bibles.


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


<b>New Indian Bible Draws Fire over Hindu References </b>



ChristianPost.Com


<b>A new Indian version of the Bible recently, published by the Catholic Church</b>, has run into controversy over its inclusion of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, a form of Hindu chant, and references to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.


An illustration in the new version, New Community Bible, <b>depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as poor Indian villagers. Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth. </b>


<b>According to the 30 Indian biblical scholars who worked for more than 15 years on the new edition</b>, the Bible draws on "the rich cultural and religious heritage of India."


<b>Although approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and published by the Society of St. Paul</b>, the Bible met the disapproval of Protestants and other Christian groups, who believe it diverts from biblical truth.


Pastor Vijay Thomas, who heads a Bible college in Chennai, told Christian Today, “By making it appear ‘Indian’ with references to Hindu scriptures and great poets, people will not come to the truth. This is a complete turn back from the real Bible."


Oswald Gracias, <b>the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, defended the Bible edition, saying, "I am sure this Bible, made in India and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to millions of our people, not only Christians." </b>


Accompanied by extensive commentary notes to assist readers in interpreting the verses, the edition also references Indian ancient literary works such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.


Jesus' words about storing "treasures in heaven" in the Gospel of Matthew, for example, are compared to the Bhagavadgita's teaching that "work alone is your proper business, never the fruits it may produce."


The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore, Asia's first Nobel laureate, are also referred to in the commentary.


The general editor of the New Community Bible, the Rev. Dr. Augustine Kanachikuzhy, admitted that references to Hindu scriptures had drawn complaints.


"This was expected," he said. "It will take some time for the [new Bible] to gain acceptance."


Kanachikuzy still believes the Bible to be <b>a huge hit</b>. "It has proved to be extremely popular among the Christian community with over 15,000 copies sold out within barely 10 days. Now it has gone for a reprint," he added.

Asalaamu alikum


What I want to ask about is if there is some kind of methodology in deciding the permissibility of things which do not have a specific clarification from Quran or Sunnah.


For example, how do you arrive at the conclusion that smoking is haram? I am no doubting that it is, just I want to know how does the ruling happen? Is there a specified process?


I keep hearing conflicting things from everything from using a camera to take pictures to what goes on in our bedrooms. How can I differentiate between what is opinion and what is real?


Jazak Allah khairn.

Bismillah: Assalamo Alikum.


Global Research.ca


U.S. hidden hand pushes Ossetia war


Aug. 13—Long before Aug. 8, when the leaders of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus Mountains south of Russia, attacked a small autonomous region known as South Ossetia, the U.S. military was deeply involved in Georgia. Washington is no innocent bystander in this bloody struggle, which provoked a response by Russia that now dominates the news. Georgia’s well-organized and massive military assault set the city of Tskhinvali, South Ossetia’s capital, aflame within hours, destroying the parliament building, the university and the main hospital. According to AP interviews with survivors, there was hardly a single building left undamaged. Eduard Kokoity, the South Ossetian leader, estimated that more than 1,400 civilians were killed in the assault. (Reuters, Aug. 8)


Russian military forces then struck back at Georgia’s military bases, airfields and the main Black Sea port of Poti. Most news coverage in the West, however, is slanted to give the impression that Russia initiated the conflict with Georgia.


Many of the hundreds of recent articles detail the significance of Georgia as a strategic transit point for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea. But what connection this conflict may have to other U.S. maneuvers in this strategic region is barely mentioned.


Even as Russia is preoccupied with a war on its border and world attention is focused on South Ossetia, the Bush administration has sent two additional U.S. Navy carrier groups to the seas around Iran.


U.S. armed, trained Georgia’s army


Washington does not claim credit for the invasion of South Ossetia ordered by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, especially now that his forces have been routed. The roads back to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi are littered with tanks and other military vehicles abandoned by Georgian soldiers in their mad scramble to return home. (BBC News, Aug. 12)


But at the time of the invasion, the White House made clear its political support for Saakashvili and Georgia has been closely allied with the U.S. military in its war in Iraq. The U.S. and NATO have heavily armed and trained the Georgian military. There are U.S. military “advisers” in Georgia today. A thousand U.S. Marines from the Third Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment just finished three weeks of joint maneuvers there called “Operation Immediate Response.”


In the period leading up to Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia, the Pentagon had supplied Georgia with hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery weapons, rocket launchers and dozens of combat helicopters and anti-aircraft missile systems. Hundreds of other weapons systems have poured in from other NATO members and from Israel. (Interfax, Aug. 7)


In exchange Georgia had provided the third-largest military force in the U.S. occupation of Iraq. But on Aug. 10 the U.S. began ferrying the 2,000 Georgian troops out of Iraq to the war zone in Georgia.


Along with the “advisers” and U.S. troops sent for maneuvers, U.S.-origin mercenaries and privatized military trainers function in Georgia. Tens of thousands of “civil society” operatives, international consultants, policy experts and technical assistants operate in Georgia, Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics.


NATO divided over Georgia


NATO, a U.S.-dominated alliance of imperialist military powers, has been divided over Washington’s demands for expansion. The April 2-4 NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, nearly broke up over Washington’s provocative proposals.


The U.S. demanded further expansion of NATO eastward to include Ukraine and Georgia, two countries that were once part of the Soviet Union and that both border Russia. Despite deep popular opposition in Poland and the Czech Republic, the U.S. military also pushed ahead with a plan to place a U.S. anti-missile system in each of these two countries, raising another threat to Russia.


At the Bucharest meeting, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg strongly and openly opposed Bush’s demands to include Ukraine and Georgia in NATO. Some of these governments said they felt apprehensive about U.S. recognition of Kosovo’s secession from Serbia. This secession was in direct violation of United Nations agreements and even the conditions the U.S. imposed on Serbia in the cease-fire agreement in 1999, which ended NATO’s terror bombing of Yugoslavia. NATO postponed its decision on the status of Georgia and Ukraine until December. But Washington has refused to wait until the December NATO meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Georgia on July 10 and strongly reiterated U.S. support for Georgia’s membership in NATO.


NATO expansion


For 40 years the NATO military alliance was comprised of wealthy, industrialized imperialist countries that had prospered from generations of colonial plunder. It was essentially an anti-Soviet alliance to halt the spread of socialist revolutions in Europe. NATO used military might, nuclear blackmail, economic sabotage, espionage and terror to protect and expand the private corporate wealth of its members.


Using the 1992-1999 war against Yugoslavia to justify its expansion and intervention, NATO has now grown from 16 members before that war to 26 members and 38 nations in four different “partnership” arrangements, as Canadian Gen. Ray Henault of the NATO Military Committee boasted in his Chairman’s Report in April. NATO has spread its field of intervention far beyond its original North Atlantic area to Eastern Europe, Africa and Afghanistan.


Many of the new members and “partners” of this military bloc are former socialist countries from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union that have become captured ministates—economic colonies of European and U.S. imperialism.


However, the reestablishment of capitalist private ownership over the resources and production of this vast region of the globe did not pacify U.S. imperialism, which sees competing capitalist development in Russia also as a threat. U.S. corporate power is determined to allow only dependent colonial subjects. Any country seeking to control its own development or resources, regardless of its social system, is targeted. This is as true for Russia as it is for Iran, China or Venezuela.


Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. corporate power has attempted to establish control over the vast energy resources of Central Asia and the nations of the Caucasus region, the Caspian Sea and Black Sea.


Through NATO’s military expansion, the Pentagon has sought to encircle Russia. Again and again U.S. corporations have used Washington’s intelligence agencies and U.S.-based, corporate-funded nongovernmental organizations to cynically manipulate national antagonisms, tensions and claims throughout Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the former Soviet Republics.


Ossetia’s status


For 70 years South Ossetia, though bordered on three sides by Georgia, held the status of an Autonomous Oblast (Region) within the Soviet Federation. Its population is 70,000. The neighboring Republic of North Ossetia-Alania has maintained its status as an autonomous republic within the present-day Russian Federation. The Ossetians have a distinct Persian-related language and culture. Schools, publishing houses and theaters helped preserve Ossetian nationality within the Soviet Union.


With the collapse of socialist planning in the Soviet Union, socialist solidarity among its constituent nations broke down. The capitalist market brought chaos and upheaval that hit hardest at the many small nationalities as the Soviet Union ended. Contending gangs of privatizers seeking to grab hold of nationally owned property fueled and manipulated nationalist sentiment.


The reactionary, pro-capitalist leadership in Georgia suddenly abolished South Ossetia’s autonomous status and rights and annexed the small nation, as they did with Abkhazia, another small, autonomous nation strategically located on the Black Sea and surrounded by Georgia. In the resulting struggle, South Ossetia and Abkhazia each declared their independence from Georgia in 1991.


This led to a 17-year standoff, with both Georgian and Russian “peacekeepers” stationed in South Ossetia. The latest Georgian attack ended the standoff with a de facto attempt at annexation.


Abkhazia has similarly declared its independence from Georgia. Georgia’s military onslaught against South Ossetia could well have spilled over into an attack on Abkhazia. Given the scope of the operation and the active influence of U.S. forces in Georgia, it is hard to believe that Washington could have been uninformed of Saakashvili’s decision to launch an all-out war against South Ossetia.


Within the United Nations Security Council, U.S. and British representatives blocked a Russian-drafted resolution calling on Georgia and South Ossetia to immediately put down their weapons. The U.S. rejected the three-sentence statement that would have required both sides “to renounce the use of force.” It was a clear confirmation of U.S. support for Georgia’s continued “use of force” against the small Ossetian nationality. However, Russia succeeded in repelling Georgia’s invasion of South Ossetia. So as of Aug. 13, Georgia and Russia agreed to a “peace plan” brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.


Saakashvili is already criticizing the West generally, and the Bush administration in particular, for not coming to his aid—indicating that this puppet of Washington, who spent his time as a New York lawyer before being set up as a politician in post-Soviet Georgia, may believe he had the go-ahead from his imperialist masters to carry out a reckless attack on both Russians and Ossetians in the small autonomous region.