Quote:<b></b><div align="center"><b>Proclaiming Allâh, the All-High; and the Immediate Constituents</b>
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The first Revelation sent to the Prophet implied several injunctions, simple in form but highly effective and of serious far-reaching ramifications. The angel communicated to him a manifest Message saying:























# "O you (Muhammad ) enveloped (in garments)! Arise and warn! And your Lord (Allâh) magnify! And your garments purify! And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols). And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of Allâh’s obedience as a favour to Allâh). And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e. perform your duty to Allâh)!" [74:1-7]


For convenience and ease of understanding, we are going to segment the Message into its immediate constituents:


1. The ultimate objective of warning is to make sure that no one breaching the pleasures of Allâh in the whole universe is ignorant of the serious consequences that his behaviour entails, and to create a sort of unprecedented shock within his mind and heart.


2. ‘Magnifying the Lord’ dictates explicitly that the only pride allowed to nourish on the earth is exclusively Allâh’s to the exclusion of all the others’.


3. ‘Cleansing the garments and shunning all aspects of abomination’ point directly to the indispensable need to render both the exterior and interior exceptionally chaste and pure, in addition to the prerequisite of sanctifying the soul and establishing it highly immune against the different sorts of impurities and the various kinds of pollutants. Only through this avenue can the soul of the Prophet reach an ideal status and become eligible to enjoy the shady mercy of Allâh and His protection, security, guidance and ever-shining light; and will consequently set the highest example to the human community, attract the sound hearts and inspire awe and reverence in the stray ones in such a manner that all the world, in agreement or disagreement, will head for it and take it as the rock-bed in all facets of their welfare.


4. The Prophet must not regard his strife in the way of Allâh as a deed of grace that entitles him to a great reward. On the contrary, he has to exert himself to the utmost, dedicate his whole efforts and be ready to offer all sacrifices in a spirit of self-forgetfulness enveloped by an ever-present awareness of Allâh, without the least sense of pride in his deeds or sacrifices.


5. The last verse of the Qur’ân revealed to the Prophet alludes to the hostile attitude of the obdurate disbelievers, who will jeer at him and his followers. They are expected to disparage him and step up their malice to the point of scheming against his life and lives of all the believers around him. In this case he has got to be patient and is supposed to persevere and display the highest degree of stamina for the sole purpose of attaining the pleasure of Allâh.


These were the basic preliminaries that the Prophet had to observe, very simple injunctions in appearance, greatly fascinating in their calm rhythm, but highly effective in practice. They constituted the trigger that aroused a far-ranging tempest in all the corners of the world.


The verses comprise the constituents of the new call and propagation of the new faith. A warning logically implies that there are malpractices with painful consequences to be sustained by the perpetrators, and since the present life is not necessarily the only room to bring people to account for their misdeeds or some of them, then the warning would necessarily imply calling people to account on another day, i.e. the Day of Resurrection, and this per se suggests the existence of a life other than this one we are living. All the verses of the Noble Qur’ân call people to testify explicitly to the Oneness of Allâh, to delegate all their affairs to Allâh, the All-High, and to subordinate the desires of the self and the desires of Allâh’s servants to the attainment of His Pleasures.


The constituents of the call to Islam could, briefly speaking, go as follows:


1. Testimony to the Oneness of Allâh.


2. Belief in the Hereafter.


3. Sanctifying one’s soul and elevating it high above evils and abominations that conduce to terrible consequences, besides this, there is the dire need for virtues and perfect manners coupled with habituating oneself to righteous deeds.


4. Committing one’s all affairs to Allâh, the All-High.


5. All the foregoing should run as a natural corollary to unwavering belief in Muhammad’s Message, and abidance by his noble leadership and righteous guidance.


The verses have been prefaced, in the voice of the Most High, by a heavenly call mandating the Prophet to undertake this daunting responsibility (calling people unto Allâh). The verses meant to extract him forcibly out of his sleep, divest him of his mantle and detach him from the warmth and quiet of life, and then drive him down a new course attended with countless hardships, and requiring a great deal of strife in the way of Allâh:


# "O you (Muhammad ) enveloped (in garments)! Arise and warn." [74:1-2]


Suggesting that to live to oneself is quite easy, but it has been decided that you have to shoulder this heavy burden; consequently sleep, comfort, or warm bed are items decreed to be alien in your lexicon of life. O Muhammad, arise quickly for the strife and toil awaiting you; no time is there for sleep and such amenities; grave responsibilities have been Divinely determined to fall to your lot, and drive you into the turmoil of life to develop a new sort of precarious affinity with the conscience of people and the reality of life.


The Prophet managed quite successfully to rise to his feet and measure up to the new task, he went ahead in a spirit of complete selflessness, relentlessly striving and never abating in carrying the burden of the great Trust, the burden of enlightening mankind, and the heavy weight of the new faith and strife for over twenty years, nothing distracting his attention from the awesome commission. May Allâh reward him, for us and all humanity, the best ending. The following research at hand gives an account in miniature of his long strive and uninterrupted struggle he made after receiving the ministry of Messengership.[]

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Bismillah: Assalamo Alikum.


I just heard from my catholic friends, that they are not allowed to eat pork during their Holy Week; they actually don’t know the reason… so is there any Christian member here who can clarify this point?


<b>Why only during the Holy Week, Christians are not allowed to eat pork?</b>


Thanks and Salam


Wael.

Bismillah: Assalamo Alikum.


I found the following to be very interesting!!! Priests but married??!!


Salam


Wael.

Quote:To: RELIGION EDITORS
Contact: CITI Ministries, Inc., +1-800-774-3789, Fax: +1-207-729-7674, citi@rentapriest.com


BRUNSWICK, Maine, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Holy Week and Easter services, considered among the most holy in the Catholic Church, will not take place in many of the U.S. parishes this year due to a severe shortage of priests. Recent and continuing sexual abuse revelations have resulted in shortfalls and churches closing in most dioceses, leaving parishioners with no Lenten or other rituals. Nursing homes and other institutions are also without sacramental or pastoral assistance.


Rentapriest.com, a free referral service of CITI Ministries (Celibacy Is the Issue) offers contact information for married priests in almost every state. They are available for confession, Mass, blessings and other Holy Week services in parishes, public halls, private homes as well as nursing homes, prisons and other institutions.


Church law has provisions for the use of married priests either in or out of the church building, when no priest is available, providing the request comes from the people of God. Church law also says that "practice can become law" in the church (Canon Law #27). Many are reminded that female altar servers were not allowed in the 1980s. However, parishes just ignored the Vatican dictates and used them anyway. The same can happen with married priests.


Over 70,000 individuals have been spiritually served by married priests over the past 10 years. Baptisms, marriages, anointing of the sick, funerals, in-home Mass are just a few examples. According to founder/president Louise Haggett, "CITI is not a protest organization. We see our work as an adjunct to the church, which has been quietly applauded by several bishops. We exist only to provide ministry where needed because of the tremendous shortages. We also serve many people who have been turned away by the Catholic institution: divorced Catholics, interfaith situations and others. Jesus never turned anyone away. Neither will married priests."


More information and a list of priests are available at http://www.rentapriest.com or by calling 1-800-PRIEST 9 (774-3789). According to Haggett, "No one should be without Easter services, and it's unlikely that any hierarchical figure will stop parishes from inviting married priests without permission. Several home Masses are already scheduled to celebrate during Holy Week. These are listed on the website, http://www.rentapriest.com."


SOURCE CITI Ministries, Inc.

Excerpts taken from an article from Ash-Sharaq Al-Awsat


By Abdul Muhsin Al-‘Ubaykaan (A senior scholar from Saudi Arabia)


There is no doubt that every Muslim, who is eagerly concerned about their religion and enthusiastic to (protect) the reputation of their nation, is delighted to hear about the decline of a deviant ideology that is attributed to Islam, when in reality it does nothing but smear (the religions) true image.


A deviant Kharajite ideology that has declared the blood of the Muslims and innocent non-Muslims to be lawful game; it has relished in pronouncing Muslims to be infidels, and it has vigorously endeavoured to destroy and bomb. (An ideology) that has stained the image of Islam and the Muslims, and it has caused many evils which cannot be enumerated and cannot be calculated by any one person.


This Kharijite ideology has produced many ills. From them: this malicious onslaught against the Muslims in general- emanating from many different angles, assaults upon the methods of teaching practised in the Muslim lands, (it has been utilized) as a blockade to the Book and the Sunnah, occupation of Muslim lands, and the captivation of innocent people due to mere speculation. All of this has resulted from this chaos and confusion, and from the war between (the lunatics) of Al-Qaa’idah and certain countries.


Yes, the fact that this ideology has begun to vanish, its symbolic figures are being humiliated and its leaders are falling brings joy to the heart. But sadly we see some of the Muslims continuing to show sympathy to The likes of Usama Bin Laden or to whoever will replace him. Az-Zarqaawee who adopted the wretched ideology of Al-Qaa’idah, this is no more than the belief of the Kharijite, Takfeeris; and it has not brought any benefit to the Muslims whatsoever.


These sympathisers feign blindness to these barbaric, criminal acts, perpetrated by these terrorist and their organizations. organisation inside and outside of Iraq, that oppose (the laws) of the religion and that cannot be fathomed by sound intellectual reasoning. It is visible to everyone with two eyes to see that terrorist acts are not only traceable to Iraq; rather they have spread to other places. These deviants have (monstrous) ambitions in many arenas; An example of this is the bombings that occurred in Jordan and massacred those inviolable souls.


Islam is totally innocent of these ideologies and misguided acts. Even Jihad in the path of Allah has stipulations and guidelines that have to be met.


Using the name of Islam and (a twisted) understanding of Jihad to spread anarchy in the ranks of the Muslims, declare their blood and wealth to be lawful, cause disunity and division, weaken their position, empower their opponents against them and blemish the appearance of Islam in the most awful manner- acts such as slaughtering a human by slicing their jugular vein and then showing this to millions through the media outlets- has led to some people fleeing from Islam and detesting the Muslims, because the activities of these weirdoes that have nothing to do with Islam or the Muslims.


Translated by Hassan As-Somali

Bismillah: Assalamo Alikum.


IslamOnline.Net


By Nasseem Ackbarally, IOL Correspondent


Muslim politicians and scholars discuss the issue in the Muslim College in Port Louis. (IOL Photo)


PORT-LOUIS, Mauritius — Muslims and non-Muslims in Mauritius have rejected in unison a court ruling banning the use of loudspeakers in raising the Adhan (Muslim call to prayer), warning that it could jeopardise social harmony in the southern African country.


"Muslims have never ever protested against the construction of other places of worship," Fouad Uteene, head of the Muslim Citizen Council, told IslamOnline.net.


"They have never asked Chinese people to stop lighting firecrackers to mark their religious festivals nor churches to stop ringing the bell. Why do they want to stop us from raising the Adhan from loudspeakers," he wondered.


The Supreme Court has ordered late last month the local authority in Quatre-Bornes, a town 20 km south of the capital Port-Louis, to remove loudspeakers of the main Hidayat-Ul-Ilsam mosque after one resident filed a lawsuit, arguing that he was annoyed by the loud voice of the Muezzin (the man who calls for prayers).


Muslims raise the Adhan five times a day.


The verdict was based on a law enacted decades ago, prohibiting the use of loudspeakers, amplifiers and car horns noisily.Offenders are fined 500 rupees.


The law, however, is not enforced strictly as authorities condone, for instance, Chinese fire cracks marking religious festivals.


"It is shocking to hear some people say that they are allergic to this call for prayers," said Nissar Ramtoola, the imam of Jummah Masjid in Port-Louis, adding that it is offensive to call Adhan noise.


Sheela Mohunparsad, the secretary of a Hindu temple in Goodlands, agreed.


"In our region, everybody practise his religion calmly and we do not consider Adhan as a nuisance," he told IOL.


"Instead, it helps us to get up early in the morning, not only for going to work but also when we are fasting."


Muslims make up 16.6% of population in Mauritius. Hindus are a majority with 48% followed by Roman Catholics at 23.6%, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.


Social Harmony


"This could harm the social fabric in the island," warned Mohamed. (IOL Photo)


Muslims and non-Muslims were especially worried that the ruling could cast a cloud over the country's social harmony.


"This could harm the social fabric in the island," Muslim lawyer and politician Shakeel Mohamed warned.


He said Mauritius is neither an Islamic nor a Hindu nor a Christian country.


"This makes the beauty of this island," Mohamed added.


The lawyer warned that the verdict could further have a domino effect on other places of worship like temples and churches, which also use loudspeakers in some rituals.


"The law as it stands prohibits the use of loudspeakers outside a place of worship," he said.


Mohamed said the verdict also threatens the major religious festivities in the country as the faithful are used, for instance, to using fireworks for celebration.


"The social fabric of the island may become fragile if Mauritius would have to go without Eid, Bakr-Eid, Maha Shivaratree, Ougadi and other religious festivals," he said, mentioning the names of major Muslim and Hindu festivals.


Dheeraj Seetulsingh, chairperson of the National Commission for Human Rights, said it is an inalienable right for Muslims to raise the Adhan and for Christians to ring church bells.


"We have accepted the sound of bells, the voice of the Muezzin and others in a spirit of tolerance," he said, stressing that freedom of religion was guaranteed by the Constitution.


Following the court ruling, hundreds of Muslims took to the streets, urging authorities to repeal the controversial verdict.


Muslim activist Areff Bahemia also warned of massive protests in the coming days if the court ruling was not repealed.


Amendment


Lord-Mayor of Port-Louis Reza Issack is against the ban on Adhan, uring officials in the town at issue to reverse it. (IOL Photo)


Lord-Mayor of Port-Louis Reza Issack said the municipality of the town at issue should amend regulations to help cement social harmony in the country, adding that he will take the initiative.


"We’ll amend the regulations as soon as possible because a judgment cannot disturb the racial harmony that exists since so many years in Mauritius," he said.


Ian Ernest, Archbishop of the Anglican Church, called for a compromise.


"On one side, there is the fundamental right of people to live in peace and tranquillity and on the other there is the fundamental right to religious practice," he said.


"We should find a compromise between personal comfort and religious tradition."


The Council of Religions also stepped in.


"This is not a problem between two communities on the island," the council said in a press release. "We suggest the setting up of an independent platform assembling experts in human rights, religions and in laws to work together on this issue."


However, Hindu Priest Pandit Ved Gopee reminds Muslims and non-Muslims of the recent visit made by South's Africa renowned bishop Desmond Tutu.


"He came to help us consolidate the brotherhood that exists among the different communities of the island. Now we are starting something bad," he said.

Thursday, March 29, 2007


Two Students killed in Dar al-Hadith by Followers of Al-Houthi.


- Dammaj, Yemen


Just like the last round of sad news, it seems two foreign Stuents of Knowledge were killed in Yemen.


The following is my brief translation of this Arabic Article published yesterday. I came across it last night.


According to official sources, two foreign students --on of them of French nationality-- were killed today in an attack on students of the Dar al-Hadith institute in the village of Dammaj. This attack, the first of it's kind, was carried out by followers of al-Houthi, a local Shiitie Rebel Leader.


According to some local Yemeni websites:


The encounter took place when some of al-Houthi's followers attacked a group of students from the Salafi institute.


The students "were standing guard, which was a newly enforced measure" after the Government had reportedly "armed them and a groupd of students from the Salafi institute to confront the followers of al-Houti."


The encounter took place "during the passing of a patrol of al-Houthi's followers in the area".


Some sources in San`aa', close to the Administration of the institute reaffirmed, "The Institute commonly stays under tight security measures." He also negated the "possibility of suporters of the Institute taking part in any armed confrontation with al-Houthi's followers in the Sa`dah region." Saying, "Our task is one of Da`wah (Islamic Propagation), not a Military one. We don't take part in any armed struggle against that Rafidhi (Shiite) Rebellion which is present in the villages around the city of Sa`dah." The source also mentioned his sorrow on hearing news of the institute in Dammaj coming under armed attack. He went on to say, "The Institute was established by Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee al-Waadi`ee --rahimahullah (may Allah have mercy on him)-- more than two decades ago and the people of the area have never known it to be anything other than a peaceful institution which calls to Allah through speech and intellect. Leaving 'Da`wah by hand' (using forecul measures) to the Authorities."


He added that, "Despite the fact that Shaikh Muqbil and his followers would openly call to Allah and denouncing Shirk (Polytheism), Bid`ah (Innovation in religious matters) and Rafdh (Being of Shiite methodology), the School has never been associated with any armed encounter." He then reaffirmed that, "The Center will continue the task of Shaikh Muqbil by defending the Sunnah (teachings of Prophet Muhammad) and defense of the Companions of the Prophet --sallallaahi `alaihi wa sallam (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)-- and the correct teachings of Islam, regardless of how many attempts there are to hamper it."


The source, who asked to remain anonymous, also fiercely refuted the notion that al-Houthi's followers conceal hatred for the Salafi Da`wah."


He found it strange that, "Some people are trying to make this a sectarian conflict. This (al-Houthi's followers) is an oppressive group that has rebelled against the Government. It is the Government, now, who strives to execute its authority in the region, keen on the service of its citizens", as he put it.


___________________________


May Allah have mercy on our brothers and allow the Government to find those Rafidhi filth and take them to account for what they did.


___________________________


Update (March 31, 2007): According to Reuters and the AFP, it seems the other casualty was a British brother. The authorities seemed to have named him "Patrick" only. Thee was a French-Algerian brother that was wounded. According to multiple news sources, the were standing security during the night, protecting the school.


Update (April 3, 2007): One of my Yemeni classmates said that there was a call mde from a brother in Dammaj stating that the actual persons killed were one French and one Yemeni student. There were three students wounded, one of them was a French-Algerian

what is needed to teach islam?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful


"Anti-Zionist" Neturei Karta Synagogue Burned


WASHINGTON, DC - Apr. 3, 2007 (MASNET) The Neturei Karta Orthodox Jewish community has been in the forefront of the national struggle demanding basic human rights and justice for the people of Palestine. They have stood on numerous occasions with MAS and the Muslim community when we demonstrated for the rights of the Palestinian people. Their principled stand has angered many members of the U.S. Jewish community who are uncritical of policies of Israel, particularly the policy of occupation and the ongoing attempt by Israel to wage economic warfare on the residents of Gaza and the West Bank.


As the official investigation of the destruction of their Synagogue proceeds, we of the Muslim American Society offer our prayers and condolences to Rabbi Dovid Weiss and the entire Neturei Karta community. May Allah (SWT) grant them ease and relief in this time of tragedy.


An article about the fire is reprinted below


"Anti-Zionist" Neturei Karta Synagogue Burned


A suspicious fire destroyed the synagogue and residence of a senior rabbi of a Jewish group that angered many Jews by attended a Holocaust denial conference in Iran. No one was injured in the blaze Sunday night at Yeshivas Bais Yehudi in Monsey, N.Y.


Local police and fire investigators said the fire was deemed suspicious because Neturei Karta, the anti-Zionist, fervently Orthodox group has been the target of threats, a local newspaper reported on its Web site. Neturei Karta members attended an Iran-sponsored Holocaust denial conference in December. Police would not confirm with The Associated Press whether the blaze was considered suspicious.


Rabbi Yisroel Dovid of Neturei Karta said that the group suspects arson because of previous threats. "There's no question that the issue is to stifle the opposition to Zionism," he told AP by telephone early Monday morning.

Can one only understand the Quran by just reading it?


what is means of understanding it?

Some will use the following to present Islam as an open, tolerant religion, apologists typically present the famous "no compulsion" part of the Koran...


<i>2:256: "There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower</i>


However the verse which follows 2:256 seems to convey a different idea when read together...


<i>2:257: "Allah is the protecting guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are the rightful owners of the Fire [of Hell]. They will abide therein [forever]."</i>


Both verses together certainly convey a different message than the typical apologist snippet from 2:256. The pair of complete verses show the Koran's respective policies for Muslims (believers) and non-Muslims (disbelievers). Believers are warned not to slip into disbelief, and disbelievers are warned to become believers — or else. In other words, according to this passage, there is compulsion in Islam, despite the initial "no compulsion" statement. Verse 18:29, itself, bears some similarities to the 2:256-257 pair:


<i>18:29: "Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire. Its tent encloseth them. If they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like to molten lead which burneth the faces. Calamitous the drink and ill the resting-place!" </i>


The policy in the Koran does not appear to be "Believe it or not," but instead is "Believe it or else!" The damnation of disbelievers in 2:257 and 18:29 is consistent with Allah's policy throughout the Koran. There are over 250 separate damnations of disbelievers in the Koran. True believing Muslims, on the other hand, are promised with the reward of Paradise in the Hereafter.


Many verses in the Koran say that believers should strive against the disbelievers universally (e.g., Muslims should ________ the non-Muslims: <i>fight/oppose/shun/strive against/regard as the enemy/never help/never befriend/sever family ties with/never compromise with/never obey/never forgive/chastise/curse/be ruthless toward/be stern toward/etc.</i> [3:118; 3:28, 3:56; 3:87-88, 4:50, 4:63, 4:101, 4:139-140, 4:144, 5:54, 5:57, 8:65, 9:14, 9:23, 9:73-74, 9:123, 25:52, 28:86, 31:7, 33:48, 45:7-8, 48:28-29, 53:29, 58:5, 58:22, 60:1, 60:4, 60:10, 60:13, 63:6, 66:9, 68:8-9, 76:24, 84:24].


No statements in the Koran contradict this policy toward the disbelievers. That is, there are no verses that say "Be genuine friends with the disbelievers," or "Treat the disbelievers kindly, as good as you would treat Muslims").


The Koran repeatedly identifies the disbelievers as the enemy, evil, wicked, wrong-doers, evil-doers, on the side of Satan and fighting against Allah, etc. (16:27, 2:91, 2:99, 80:42, 9:125, 42:45, 2:254, 5:45, 42:44, 4:76-77, 58:19, 7:27, 7:30, 25:55, 63:4). Christians and Jews are also condemned and insulted many times (2:61, 4:48, 4:50, 4:116, 4:47-52, 4:55, 4:157, 4:160, 5:12-5:13, 5:37, 5:51, 5:53, 5:59-60, 5:72-73, 5:79, 18:52, 33:26, 59:14, 98:1).


Religious freedom requires the ability to freely express criticism of a religion. The Koran forbids this (2:2). As everyone now knows, it is not possible to criticize Islam openly without risking being killed by an Islamist who wishes to obey the Koran and follow Mohammad's example.


For example, those who malign the prophet and Allah will be cursed in this world and in the Hereafter (33:57); those who malign Muslims will be doomed (33:58). Those guilty of either hypocrisy, adultery or lechery, or sedition (alarmism; spreading false news), will be seized wherever they are found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter (33:60-62). For those transgressions, a brutal death seems like quite an excessive penalty by our modern standards. Nevertheless, 33:62 states that this harsh penalty had always been in accordance with Allah's law, and that it would remain so.


Seems that there is cumpulsion in Islam.