I decided to re-post this article. I've encountered quite a number of experiences such as this..
"Hey wan, you're heading to Makkah? Careful ok..the people there are all Wahabbi!"
"Hey, when you study there, remember not to follow other mazhabs(school of thought)..remain in your own mazhab..we must remember that we are from the Syafi'e mazhab"
"Salafis and Wahhabis are the same!? Be careful of them!?"
Hmm, I felt like asking back, well what is Wahhabi? Where did you get the facts? Are you saying that all in Makkah have diverted from the right path? That only the muslims in Singapore or asia or whoever follows Mazhab Syafi'i is in the right path? How do we know that we're in the right path?
But I see no end in the discussion if I were to ask them back there and then. Their minds are set that "everyone in Makkah or Madinah" are Wahhabi" or "all salafis are the same as wahhabi".
If you say that all in Makkah are Wahhabi, then how can you follow the Imam there during solat when you go there for Hajj or Umrah when you don't agree with them? You're implying that the everyone including all the well-knowm Imams there are wahhabi.
How is it that they have diverted from the true path when all that they are practicing are from al-Quran, as-sunnah and the ways of salafus-soleh(prophets' trusted companions)?
Which is just the same as what mazhab syafi'e or even the other mazhabs practice?
Lets ponder upon the words of Imam as-Syafi'e(translated):
'Pada suatu hari Imam asy-Syafie berkata kepada muridnya yang bernama ar-Rabi',"Wahai Abu Ishak, janganlah engkau bertaqlid kepadaku dalam tiap-tiap perkara yang aku katakan, fikirlah benar-benar demi untuk kebaikan dirimu sendiri, kerana ia adalah dari urusan agama." - "Riwayat hidup 4 Imam Mazhab"(207) by Tarikuddin Bin Haji Hassan.
(my own translation in English, pls correct me if I err) "Imam asy-Syafie said to one of his students named ar-Rabi',"Abu Ishak, don't you put all your trust in me and believe in everything that I say, think wisely and truthfully for your own good, because this is regarding the matters of religion."
"Setiap apa yang aku ucapkan dan didapati apa yang sahih yang diriwayatkan oleh RasululLah menyanggahi pendapatku, maka ia (hadith Nabi s.a.w) itu yang lebih utama, jangan kamu mengikutiku" - Al-Zahabi, Siyar 'Alam al-Nubala', 10/33 (Maksudnya: jangan mengikutinya dalam pendapat-pendapat beliau yang tidak bertepatan dengan sunnah RasululLah s.a.w.)
"Every word that I say and if it is found from what is sahih(agreed upon most or all scholars) that is said to have come from RasullulLah which is against my opinion, then that(Prophet's s.a.w Hadeeth) is to be placed first and foremost, don't you follow mine" [i.e. dont follow him in his opinions which is not in accordance to RasululLah s.a.w. sunnah]
I advise myself and hopefully others to please do your homework because whatever that we believe and say, we are the ones responsible for it.. in the end, we are the ones who are going to face Allah Almighty, not your friends or ustaz or tok guru or anybody else.. please read the following article also for a info about where this wahhabi phenomenon came from. And Allah Almighty knows best. May we all be shown to the true and right path, insya-Allah...Ameen.
p.s. I forgive anyone who after reading this says or thinks.."Laa, dah lah tuh..wan dah terpengaruh dahh..dah jadi wahhabi"..."Thats it lah, wan have been influenced.. he's now a wahhabi"
Excerpt from this book.. "Siapakah Ahli Sunnah yang sebenar" by Dr Azwira Abdul Aziz link here --> Click!
Jika dilihat dari sudut bahasa, perkataan Wahabiyyah itu sangat quddus (suci) kerana ia berasal daripada perkataan Wahhab yang merupakan salah satu daripada nama Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala (Al-Wahhab). Perkataan Wahhab itu juga sinonim dengan nama ayahnya ‘Abd Al-Wahhab, manakala namanya yang sebenar (Muhammad) menyamai nama Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam. Jika dilihat dari segi kesesuaian nama, sepatutnya gerakan itu digelar Muhammadi dan bukannya Wahabi, kerana orang yang dianggap sebagai pengasas gerakan itu bernama Muhammad dan bukannya Wahhab.
Persoalannya, kenapakah suatu gerakan yang dianggap sesat itu digelar dan dinisbahkan kepada nama Allah yang Maha Quddus, dan juga kenapakah ia dinisbahkan kepada nama ayah dan bukan kepada nama sebenar tokoh berkenaan? Sebenarnya, penulis sendiri sejak sekian lama tertanya-tanya berkenaan hal ini, sehinggalah seorang sahabat mengisyaratkan kepada kewujudan sebuah risalah yang membahaskan persoalan tersebut.
Risalah itu mencatatkan bahawa istilah Wahabiyyah itu pada asalnya adalah gelaran bagi puak-puak Khawarij yang muncul di kawasan Utara Afrika dan Maghribi. Ia dinisbahkan kepada pimpinan puak Khawarij kerajaan Ar-Rustumiyyah bernama ‘Abd Al-Wahhab Ar-Rustumi dan juga pimpinan puak Khawarij Al-Haruriyyah yang bernama ‘Abd Allah Ibn Wahab Al-Wasibi. Kedua-dua puak Khawarij ini muncul lama sebelum kemunculan gerakan dakwah islah Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Al-Wahhab [Muhammad ibn Sa’ad Ash-Shuwai’ir, Tashih Khata’ Tarikhi Haula Al-Wahhabiyyah, 1413H, Hal: 4, Dalam Prof. Nasir Ibn ‘Abd Al-Karim Al-’Aql, Islamiyyah La Wahhabiyyah, Dar Kunuz Isybiliya, Riyadh, Arab Saudi, 2004, Hal: 36]
Oleh kerana ada persamaan pada nama mereka dari segi kewujudan perkataan wahhab itu, maka persamaan itu, yang lebih merupakan satu “kebetulan”, diambil kesempatan oleh para pendukung bid’ah untuk mengaitkan gerakan islah Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Al-Wahhab dengan puak berkenaan. Dengan memberinya gelaran puak Khawarij, maka mereka telah berjaya memburukkan imej gerakan islah Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Al-Wahhab pada kaca mata sebahagian besar umat Islam yang jahil. Akibatnya,usaha baik yang dilancarkan untuk memurnikan tauhid, membetulkan aqidah dan menghidupkan Sunnah Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam telah disalah anggap sebagai gerakan Khawarij yang menyimpang daripada ajaran Islam.
Imej gerakan dakwah islah Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Al-Wahhab itu menjadi lebih buruk apabila para pendukung bid’ah dengan niat yang jahat sengaja mengaitkannya dengan faktor kejatuhan kerajaan ‘Uthmaniyyah Turki (akan dijelaskan dalam perbincangan Tohmahan 7, insyaAllah). Manakala pada hari ini, terutamanya selepas peristiwa 11 September, istilah wahabiyyah digunakan secara negatif pula oleh media-media barat bagi menggambarkan para pendukung Sunnah yang berpegang teguh dengan ajaran Islam sebagai fundamentalis, ekstrimis, pengganas dan militan agama. Apa yang menyedihkan persepsi negatif barat ini diterima pakai oleh umat Islam sendiri sehingga mereka turut memerhatikan saudara seislam mereka melalui kaca mata barat. Wala Haula Wala Quwwata Illa Billah.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
"Are You Nuts?"
"Are You Nuts?"
A Woman Converts to Islam
By Reading Islam Team
Came across this at Islamonline.net.. to read more, click the link below..
Rabi'a Frank is a 31-year-old Dutch woman who converted to Islam in 1994. Her interest in Islam first began out of a desire to better learn the culture of her Moroccan boyfriend. Library books on Morocco led to library books on Islam. When she first read the Qur'an in Dutch translation, it touched her heart immediately.
Wearing hijab, she took years to find her own style. Then she reached a point where she began to consider wearing niqab. She was attracted to niqab because for her, it was a way to express more love for Allah. Now she is one of approximately 50 women in the Netherlands to do so.
To read the entire Reuters article, Please click here.
A Woman Converts to Islam
By Reading Islam Team
Came across this at Islamonline.net.. to read more, click the link below..
Rabi'a Frank is a 31-year-old Dutch woman who converted to Islam in 1994. Her interest in Islam first began out of a desire to better learn the culture of her Moroccan boyfriend. Library books on Morocco led to library books on Islam. When she first read the Qur'an in Dutch translation, it touched her heart immediately.
Wearing hijab, she took years to find her own style. Then she reached a point where she began to consider wearing niqab. She was attracted to niqab because for her, it was a way to express more love for Allah. Now she is one of approximately 50 women in the Netherlands to do so.
To read the entire Reuters article, Please click here.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
If only I could go back
Came across this article at islamonline.net. The thoughts and experience of a social worker for youths from USA.
I had an unfortunate(hm, maybe fortunate though) experience of meeting SOME(not all uh) muslims "youth" social workers back home whose thoughts were something like this,"Boy girl relationships are so common nowadays, so we must adapt to the changing trend and leave it as it is...what we should do is keep reminding them not to stray to pre-marital sex"
I heard this during an usrah.. I tried to say," yes reminding not to stray to pre-marital sex is good but we must keep working to remind them what is from the al-Quran and sunnah..there is no such thing as pre-marital relationships..BGR relationships is the cause for pre-marital sex.. we must promote healthy marital reationships!" However, the former comments were more supported rather than the latter at that point of time.
Well hopefully those "some" people read this...I pray and hope that they realise somehow. Article is from islamonline.netLink here!.
If Only I Could Go Back
By Fatin Khairallah
"I wish I could, I wish I could. If only I could go back in time and rethink before committing that terrible act. I have sinned. What have I done! No one will ever accept me again."
This is what repeats itself over and over in the mind of youths who have indulged in the faded pleasure of having a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. As much as we warn youths about what these relationships will lead to, the only whispers they seem to hear are those of Satan glamorizing and beautifying the sinful acts. Little do they know that committing these acts will later destroy their peace of mind and perhaps their lives.
Many youths seem to live in total darkness of the fact that Allah Almighty made this kind of relationship haram for our own good and protection. However, unfortunately, our souls sometimes cling to desires and chase after the pleasures of this worldly life, leaving us with unclear vision and susceptible to being led astray.
Why do we allow this to happen? Why is it hard to understand that Satan is in control of our soul only by complete permission from us? It would save us from so much pain and turmoil if we could only think of the consequences of sinful behavior. If only we took the time to think, we would steer a course to success. We should not forget the reminders that Allah the Almighty gives us, and that He is always watching. We should also remember that the outcome of sinful behavior is always destructive.
Pregnancies outside of marriage are on the rise within our very own Muslim communities. Yet many Muslims prefer to live in denial, overlooking these tragedies that are consuming the lives of our youth. Many feel that this could never happen to Muslims because, according to them, the mere label of being Muslim is protection enough.
This is the heart of the problem. What leads our youth to fall prey to their desires and find themselves involved in dating relationships just to be known as "cool"? Where are the parents and community members to provide them with halal alternatives or to show them the beauty of the Islamic lifestyle for people their age? We need a solution.
Yes, we can keep saying to ourselves "this could have been avoided, why did it have to happen?" But now what do we do for those who have already got involved in this kind of relationship? Do we shut them in the dark, shun them from society, allow them to linger and mope in their sorrow? From my experience as a social worker, I see that most imams and Muslim community leaders today do not even want to be bothered with these situations. We social workers have even been advised not to handle these issues because they fall under Islamic jurisprudence and we should stay away. Even though people say this, they offer no temporary or final solutions. So where do we turn and to whom?
This is another tragedy and hardship for teens, especially for those who want to get help. They long for an avenue toward healing, toward repentance and acceptance in society. However, when their Muslim brothers and sisters do not even want to speak to them or about them, they feel rejected and this may be the very thing that forces them to delve into greater sin.
Allah Almighty's mercy is endless, so we have to remember that we will be held accountable for keeping these youths in the dark by failing to remind them that the door of repentance is open. Are we that hard-hearted that we cannot even find it in our hearts to show some compassion and mercy toward them when we know our Lord Whose names include Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim? Many of these youths were unaware, having never been given the proper upbringing to take responsibility for their actions and to beware of the sinful paths surrounding them.
Now that they know, now that they have learned the hard way, it is our job to help bring them back to Allah Almighty: to teach them about repentance and provide them with information about Islam; to show them the path no one ever showed or even offered them — the path of worship of Allah Almighty and life lived in accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah.
In sha' Allah, they will taste the sweetness of faith that their hearts longed for so much earlier in life. However, for this we need parents, teachers, and especially Muslim community members to fully support social services and Islamic education for these youths. These resources are now openly available for our youth. There are even social services just for Muslim teens.
Most importantly, we must educate our youth and our parents about the realities that surround us. Without awareness, there can be no prevention. Through Islamic education — increasing awareness of the problematic lifestyles of today's average youth, learning about solutions and alternatives choices — we can protect and strengthen ourselves.
May Allah Almighty protect all our youth from sins and the whispers of Satan, and may He raise our youth to be righteous leaders of our Ummah as guides to the straight path. Ameen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fatin Khairallah is a social worker for Muslim Youth Social Services (MYSS), which is located in northern and central New Jersey, USA. MYSS is an organization to assist youth from 13 to 25 years of age in all challenges. MYSS has a youth helpline staffed by trained volunteers, to offer spiritual, social, and psychological counseling, and referrals to those who may need them, as well as to lend an ear to those who simply want to talk. She can be contacted at: youth_campaign@iolteam.com.
I had an unfortunate(hm, maybe fortunate though) experience of meeting SOME(not all uh) muslims "youth" social workers back home whose thoughts were something like this,"Boy girl relationships are so common nowadays, so we must adapt to the changing trend and leave it as it is...what we should do is keep reminding them not to stray to pre-marital sex"
I heard this during an usrah.. I tried to say," yes reminding not to stray to pre-marital sex is good but we must keep working to remind them what is from the al-Quran and sunnah..there is no such thing as pre-marital relationships..BGR relationships is the cause for pre-marital sex.. we must promote healthy marital reationships!" However, the former comments were more supported rather than the latter at that point of time.
Well hopefully those "some" people read this...I pray and hope that they realise somehow. Article is from islamonline.netLink here!.
If Only I Could Go Back
By Fatin Khairallah
"I wish I could, I wish I could. If only I could go back in time and rethink before committing that terrible act. I have sinned. What have I done! No one will ever accept me again."
This is what repeats itself over and over in the mind of youths who have indulged in the faded pleasure of having a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. As much as we warn youths about what these relationships will lead to, the only whispers they seem to hear are those of Satan glamorizing and beautifying the sinful acts. Little do they know that committing these acts will later destroy their peace of mind and perhaps their lives.
Many youths seem to live in total darkness of the fact that Allah Almighty made this kind of relationship haram for our own good and protection. However, unfortunately, our souls sometimes cling to desires and chase after the pleasures of this worldly life, leaving us with unclear vision and susceptible to being led astray.
Why do we allow this to happen? Why is it hard to understand that Satan is in control of our soul only by complete permission from us? It would save us from so much pain and turmoil if we could only think of the consequences of sinful behavior. If only we took the time to think, we would steer a course to success. We should not forget the reminders that Allah the Almighty gives us, and that He is always watching. We should also remember that the outcome of sinful behavior is always destructive.
Pregnancies outside of marriage are on the rise within our very own Muslim communities. Yet many Muslims prefer to live in denial, overlooking these tragedies that are consuming the lives of our youth. Many feel that this could never happen to Muslims because, according to them, the mere label of being Muslim is protection enough.
This is the heart of the problem. What leads our youth to fall prey to their desires and find themselves involved in dating relationships just to be known as "cool"? Where are the parents and community members to provide them with halal alternatives or to show them the beauty of the Islamic lifestyle for people their age? We need a solution.
Yes, we can keep saying to ourselves "this could have been avoided, why did it have to happen?" But now what do we do for those who have already got involved in this kind of relationship? Do we shut them in the dark, shun them from society, allow them to linger and mope in their sorrow? From my experience as a social worker, I see that most imams and Muslim community leaders today do not even want to be bothered with these situations. We social workers have even been advised not to handle these issues because they fall under Islamic jurisprudence and we should stay away. Even though people say this, they offer no temporary or final solutions. So where do we turn and to whom?
This is another tragedy and hardship for teens, especially for those who want to get help. They long for an avenue toward healing, toward repentance and acceptance in society. However, when their Muslim brothers and sisters do not even want to speak to them or about them, they feel rejected and this may be the very thing that forces them to delve into greater sin.
Allah Almighty's mercy is endless, so we have to remember that we will be held accountable for keeping these youths in the dark by failing to remind them that the door of repentance is open. Are we that hard-hearted that we cannot even find it in our hearts to show some compassion and mercy toward them when we know our Lord Whose names include Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim? Many of these youths were unaware, having never been given the proper upbringing to take responsibility for their actions and to beware of the sinful paths surrounding them.
Now that they know, now that they have learned the hard way, it is our job to help bring them back to Allah Almighty: to teach them about repentance and provide them with information about Islam; to show them the path no one ever showed or even offered them — the path of worship of Allah Almighty and life lived in accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah.
In sha' Allah, they will taste the sweetness of faith that their hearts longed for so much earlier in life. However, for this we need parents, teachers, and especially Muslim community members to fully support social services and Islamic education for these youths. These resources are now openly available for our youth. There are even social services just for Muslim teens.
Most importantly, we must educate our youth and our parents about the realities that surround us. Without awareness, there can be no prevention. Through Islamic education — increasing awareness of the problematic lifestyles of today's average youth, learning about solutions and alternatives choices — we can protect and strengthen ourselves.
May Allah Almighty protect all our youth from sins and the whispers of Satan, and may He raise our youth to be righteous leaders of our Ummah as guides to the straight path. Ameen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fatin Khairallah is a social worker for Muslim Youth Social Services (MYSS), which is located in northern and central New Jersey, USA. MYSS is an organization to assist youth from 13 to 25 years of age in all challenges. MYSS has a youth helpline staffed by trained volunteers, to offer spiritual, social, and psychological counseling, and referrals to those who may need them, as well as to lend an ear to those who simply want to talk. She can be contacted at: youth_campaign@iolteam.com.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Parent Negotiations
Salaam 'alaik, its been a while uh since there's a vid from Ummahfilms.com.. here's the latest i think.. "The parent negotiations". Do try to watch it with your parents maybe..Keep the vids coming bro Ali!
Anyway, things are good here, alhamdulillah. Down here, I get to meet people from all over the continent. Its wonderful how Islam brings together everyone regardless of race. Just the other day, I had lunch together with my classmates. To my right, there were students from Krgyztan, Africa, Mali and to my left were students from Indonesia, Pakistan, Maldives and all of us were talking and laughing together conversing in Arabic/broken Arabic for some of us..
I also had lunch with an American and French once.. while eating the sandwich, the American guy suddenly blurted out,"Maan, this sandwich's bangin!?". The French guy gave a "huh?! what's bangin?!" look.."Oh never mind..ma fii musykillah" continued the American. I began to laugh, while the French guy was left quizzical. But hey, alls good.
Apart from that there's still much to learn here.. its still early days yet. Still many places to explore and learning new things everyday and lovin it. Alhamdulillah. Aite, thats it for now.. take care pps. Ma'assalaamah.
Anyway, things are good here, alhamdulillah. Down here, I get to meet people from all over the continent. Its wonderful how Islam brings together everyone regardless of race. Just the other day, I had lunch together with my classmates. To my right, there were students from Krgyztan, Africa, Mali and to my left were students from Indonesia, Pakistan, Maldives and all of us were talking and laughing together conversing in Arabic/broken Arabic for some of us..
I also had lunch with an American and French once.. while eating the sandwich, the American guy suddenly blurted out,"Maan, this sandwich's bangin!?". The French guy gave a "huh?! what's bangin?!" look.."Oh never mind..ma fii musykillah" continued the American. I began to laugh, while the French guy was left quizzical. But hey, alls good.
Apart from that there's still much to learn here.. its still early days yet. Still many places to explore and learning new things everyday and lovin it. Alhamdulillah. Aite, thats it for now.. take care pps. Ma'assalaamah.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Biar Mati Anak Jangan Mati ‘Adat’
Excerpt from saifulislam.com... to read the whole article Click here!.
"Atas prinsip proaktif, fokuslah pada apa yang kita mampu mengawal dan mengubahnya. Maafkan percanggahan yang ada. Maafkanlah kebiasaan yang ada dan cubalah untuk minimumkan apa-apa yang agama tidak suka. Namun, kuatkan azam kukuhkan keyakinan agar generasi kita yang tersepit di antara adat dan agama ini, tidak mengulanginya ketika hari kita menyambut menantu."
"Kita harus ingat bahawa rumahtangga bukanlah hal sehari dua. “Oh, aku sudah bernikah. Maka dia adalah isteriku dan aku berhak sepenuh ke atasnya!” Jangan sekali-kali berfikir begitu.
Berumahtangga bukan hanya menggabungkan dua insan, malah ia mempersaudarakan dua keluarga. Di dalam sebuah keluarga, ada pelbagai peringkat dan tahap seseorang di dalam menilai dan melihat Islam.
Jangan pula kerana mahu membuang adat, kita turut membuang adab.
Janganlah pula pada hari kita “menyambut mertua”, kita hilang pertimbangan. Jangan kerana menegakkan agama, kita hilang budi bahasa. Jangan ketika masih di rumah ‘orang’ kita masuk berjalan tempang."
"Atas prinsip proaktif, fokuslah pada apa yang kita mampu mengawal dan mengubahnya. Maafkan percanggahan yang ada. Maafkanlah kebiasaan yang ada dan cubalah untuk minimumkan apa-apa yang agama tidak suka. Namun, kuatkan azam kukuhkan keyakinan agar generasi kita yang tersepit di antara adat dan agama ini, tidak mengulanginya ketika hari kita menyambut menantu."
"Kita harus ingat bahawa rumahtangga bukanlah hal sehari dua. “Oh, aku sudah bernikah. Maka dia adalah isteriku dan aku berhak sepenuh ke atasnya!” Jangan sekali-kali berfikir begitu.
Berumahtangga bukan hanya menggabungkan dua insan, malah ia mempersaudarakan dua keluarga. Di dalam sebuah keluarga, ada pelbagai peringkat dan tahap seseorang di dalam menilai dan melihat Islam.
Jangan pula kerana mahu membuang adat, kita turut membuang adab.
Janganlah pula pada hari kita “menyambut mertua”, kita hilang pertimbangan. Jangan kerana menegakkan agama, kita hilang budi bahasa. Jangan ketika masih di rumah ‘orang’ kita masuk berjalan tempang."
Sunday, February 25, 2007
new beginnings
Salaam all!
Finally, braced myself to go out at night in this fresh, new environment. Still coming to terms with the use of language here. I'm starting to understand more as the days go by but still weak when I have to interact.
Alhamdulillah for this opportunity..alhamdulillah.. This is more than I could have asked for..more than I could have ever imagined. Sometimes, when I wake up, I feel like pinching myself.. am I dreaming? Its surreal..
I'm now at Makkah al-Mukarramah.. living within the area of tanah haram itself..subhanAllah. I've been given the opportunity to study arabic here at a language institute at a university..for free.. Alhamdulillah..
There's still so much to do so much to know and learn..arabic is one thing, at the Masjidil Haraam, there's so many avenues where you can find scholars, mastering in different areas of Islamic studies to learn from.. I hope than I can make my stay here as fruitful as possible, insya-Allah.. so yea, I think that will mean lesser entries in this ol blog of mine too. Internet access here is quite expensive anyway.. still scarce, hence the high cost at the cafes.. about S$5 an hour!
But maybe once in a while..just to chill out..as a "riadhah".. maybe i'll still insert an entry or two if time permits, insya-Allah.
I've found out that instead of the 2 or 3 years of stay here as I had presumed, my stay here will be longer than that... about 5-6 years minimum, insya-Allah. I hope to finish with a degree from the university and it is possible, insya-Allah.
Any pps from SB-HV, if you're reading this.. there's starbucks in Makkah! Non-muslims are not allowed here by the way. There's burger king, KFC and pizza hut also. Hmm, I took some pics.. dunno if i'll be able to upload them cos the files may be too big.. i'll try..hm,lets see..ahah!!
Just these 2 pics for now.. uploading takes "years" using the internet speed here..Ok I guess thats it for now.. Miss all my family and friends, will always be in my heart and prayers..pls pray for me too yea... Take care pps.
Masjidil Haraam, ard fajr period.. 6am++
Starbucks Arabian style
Finally, braced myself to go out at night in this fresh, new environment. Still coming to terms with the use of language here. I'm starting to understand more as the days go by but still weak when I have to interact.
Alhamdulillah for this opportunity..alhamdulillah.. This is more than I could have asked for..more than I could have ever imagined. Sometimes, when I wake up, I feel like pinching myself.. am I dreaming? Its surreal..
I'm now at Makkah al-Mukarramah.. living within the area of tanah haram itself..subhanAllah. I've been given the opportunity to study arabic here at a language institute at a university..for free.. Alhamdulillah..
There's still so much to do so much to know and learn..arabic is one thing, at the Masjidil Haraam, there's so many avenues where you can find scholars, mastering in different areas of Islamic studies to learn from.. I hope than I can make my stay here as fruitful as possible, insya-Allah.. so yea, I think that will mean lesser entries in this ol blog of mine too. Internet access here is quite expensive anyway.. still scarce, hence the high cost at the cafes.. about S$5 an hour!
But maybe once in a while..just to chill out..as a "riadhah".. maybe i'll still insert an entry or two if time permits, insya-Allah.
I've found out that instead of the 2 or 3 years of stay here as I had presumed, my stay here will be longer than that... about 5-6 years minimum, insya-Allah. I hope to finish with a degree from the university and it is possible, insya-Allah.
Any pps from SB-HV, if you're reading this.. there's starbucks in Makkah! Non-muslims are not allowed here by the way. There's burger king, KFC and pizza hut also. Hmm, I took some pics.. dunno if i'll be able to upload them cos the files may be too big.. i'll try..hm,lets see..ahah!!
Just these 2 pics for now.. uploading takes "years" using the internet speed here..Ok I guess thats it for now.. Miss all my family and friends, will always be in my heart and prayers..pls pray for me too yea... Take care pps.
Masjidil Haraam, ard fajr period.. 6am++
Starbucks Arabian style
Friday, February 16, 2007
The only capital city in the world without a sunni mosque.
"al-Qaradawi: Iran disallows the building of a sunni mosque."
Spotted from al-Qayyim.net..taken from Mufakkirah al-Islam site. Link in Malay Click here. Original link in Arabic Click here...
Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi in his dialogue session with Shi'ah(syiah) representative, Ali Akhbar Hasyimi Rafsanjani critisizes Iran's stand of not allowing Sunni mosques to be built in Iran.
According to the prominant sunni(ahli sunnah) scholar, president of The International Association of Muslim Scholars (IAMS), there are about 15 million sunnis in Iran. They plan to build a mosque in the capital city of Tehran at least, but even that was disallowed. At the same time, in contrast to how shi'ahs are treated in other countries where majority are sunnis, where some shi'ahs are given the liberty to hold high posts in the government.
al-Qaradhawi continues,"I've been to Indonesia and thier Kuwait ambassador is a shi'ah. Other than that, there are also a number of state ministers who are shi'ah in the Middle east region. However, there exist a large population of sunnis in Iran, around 15 million, maybe more than that, but there's not even one minister in Iran who is a sunni. In Egypt, according to statistics, the number of shi'ah living there is smaller compared to the number of sunnis living in Iran, yet there are 3 shi'ah ministers in Egypt."
Also see: "The Dismal Reality of Ahlus Sunnah in Iran" by Chairman of the Ahlus Sunnah Association in Iran, Dr. Abdul Rahman Albaloushy. Link here!
quotes from the site:
"Is there a single capital city in the world without a Sunni mosque, with the exception to Tehran -the capital of the Shi'ah-, which has forty Christian churches and a cemetery for the Baha'is. In all, even the minorities have their temples and places of worship and their freedom of worship, yet Ahlus Sunnah are not allowed to build any mosque or cemetery."
"There is no Sunni director in any of the government authorities, ministries, embassies, or local and provincial governments, hospitals or principalities; not even in the lowest government posts anywhere in Iran."
"Whilst we are living in the twentieth century, we find a third of the population of a nation deprived of their most basic rights. Is there any other country on the face of the earth which prevents its people from choosing names like Umar, A'ishah, Hafsah, Abu Bakr, Zubair, or most of the names of the companions amongst the ten foretold of Paradise?"
Spotted from al-Qayyim.net..taken from Mufakkirah al-Islam site. Link in Malay Click here. Original link in Arabic Click here...
Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi in his dialogue session with Shi'ah(syiah) representative, Ali Akhbar Hasyimi Rafsanjani critisizes Iran's stand of not allowing Sunni mosques to be built in Iran.
According to the prominant sunni(ahli sunnah) scholar, president of The International Association of Muslim Scholars (IAMS), there are about 15 million sunnis in Iran. They plan to build a mosque in the capital city of Tehran at least, but even that was disallowed. At the same time, in contrast to how shi'ahs are treated in other countries where majority are sunnis, where some shi'ahs are given the liberty to hold high posts in the government.
al-Qaradhawi continues,"I've been to Indonesia and thier Kuwait ambassador is a shi'ah. Other than that, there are also a number of state ministers who are shi'ah in the Middle east region. However, there exist a large population of sunnis in Iran, around 15 million, maybe more than that, but there's not even one minister in Iran who is a sunni. In Egypt, according to statistics, the number of shi'ah living there is smaller compared to the number of sunnis living in Iran, yet there are 3 shi'ah ministers in Egypt."
Also see: "The Dismal Reality of Ahlus Sunnah in Iran" by Chairman of the Ahlus Sunnah Association in Iran, Dr. Abdul Rahman Albaloushy. Link here!
quotes from the site:
"Is there a single capital city in the world without a Sunni mosque, with the exception to Tehran -the capital of the Shi'ah-, which has forty Christian churches and a cemetery for the Baha'is. In all, even the minorities have their temples and places of worship and their freedom of worship, yet Ahlus Sunnah are not allowed to build any mosque or cemetery."
"There is no Sunni director in any of the government authorities, ministries, embassies, or local and provincial governments, hospitals or principalities; not even in the lowest government posts anywhere in Iran."
"Whilst we are living in the twentieth century, we find a third of the population of a nation deprived of their most basic rights. Is there any other country on the face of the earth which prevents its people from choosing names like Umar, A'ishah, Hafsah, Abu Bakr, Zubair, or most of the names of the companions amongst the ten foretold of Paradise?"
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Is Not God Great?
Spotted! Article from Islamonline.net.. Link here
How Catholic Bishops Led Me to Islam
By Michael Byrne
I was born to devout Catholic parents and attended a Catholic school taught by devout priests and nuns. We learned thoroughly our religious knowledge by means of the question and answer method called "catechism". It consisted of 499 questions to which we memorized the 499 well-thought-out answers, word for word. Our catechism dealt with all aspects of faith, morality and prayer.
We attended Mass every Sunday and on seven other special yearly holidays. Every day at home we prayed the Rosary, a meditation on the 15 most important events in the life of Jesus and his mother, Mary. We dearly loved our parents, our teachers, and our religion. We had a happy childhood.
When I was a teenager, there was a meeting of all the Catholic bishops of the world, about 2500 of them, in Rome. After the meeting, they published a book which said, among other things,
The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, his virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Muslims, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.
After reading what the bishops had written, I decided to learn more about Muslims and Islam.
I wrote to a mosque in our provincial capital. The imam sent me a copy of Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an and a little book called Primer of Islam. I loved the little book, its simplicity, and its message: When you surrender to God's will, you find peace.
Thomas Aquinas, a great Catholic theologian, when asked how to become learned, wrote, "Read one book. Whatever you read or hear, take care to understand it well. Attain certainty in what is doubtful." I applied this advice to the Qur'an. I carefully read through Yusuf Ali's Qur'an translation twice, and studied his many footnotes.
A while later, our city's university hosted a three-day symposium on Islam, which I attended. The principal speaker was very intelligent, well-spoken, and gentle. Everything the bishops had written about the Muslims seemed to agree with what I was reading and hearing.
I began to attend weekly Arabic and Islamic lessons offered by local Muslims. The head teacher was very intelligent, a university professor of electrical engineering. I asked him many questions and he answered every one with great insight, patience, and clarity. Under his instruction, I soon learned the five pillars of Islam and how to recite some short surahs of the Qur'an, and within a few months, I attended my first Friday Prayers.
I attended Friday Prayers regularly at the university and made new friends from many countries. I took part in learning circles and made progress in my Qur'an recitation. I prayed the five daily prayers and found great joy in the new routines of my life.
Ramadan arrived, and I enjoyed fasting and attending Tarawih Prayers. When I saw the beautiful crescent moon and the planet shining in the sky on `Eid, my heart leaped with joy and I thanked God for such a favor as He had bestowed upon me.
Though surprised at my conversion to Islam, none of my Catholic family spoke against the published opinions of the world's Catholic bishops. They wished me well in my new faith.
But there was a separation in family activity. I no longer prayed with them at home or in the church, and they never considered praying with me, nor did they ever visit a mosque.
I moved to another city not far from home in order to teach at an Islamic school. I was able to visit home on weekends. Then I moved to another city in a nearby country to attend university. I was able to visit home only twice a year. I moved once again, this time to a city across the sea to attend another university. I was able to visit home once in two years.
Years have passed and I teach now at a school on the distant edge of my country, far from old friends and family. Nature is raw here. The sun, moon, and stars rise and set and the seasons come and go in due order. In summer the days are long; in winter, the nights. In summer, the days are never too hot; in winter, they are always cold. The sea-tides come in and go out exactly as God planned.
Wide open wilderness surrounds our town in all directions except to the east: There lies the ocean, wild and blue in summer, frozen solid in the bleak winter. Is not God great? To have created all this strong and wild beauty so that man may find peace in it, and out of this boundless peace chant the Qur'an in slow measured tones! One cannot thank Him enough for the blessings He has given me. Praise be to my Lord the Most High!
How Catholic Bishops Led Me to Islam
By Michael Byrne
I was born to devout Catholic parents and attended a Catholic school taught by devout priests and nuns. We learned thoroughly our religious knowledge by means of the question and answer method called "catechism". It consisted of 499 questions to which we memorized the 499 well-thought-out answers, word for word. Our catechism dealt with all aspects of faith, morality and prayer.
We attended Mass every Sunday and on seven other special yearly holidays. Every day at home we prayed the Rosary, a meditation on the 15 most important events in the life of Jesus and his mother, Mary. We dearly loved our parents, our teachers, and our religion. We had a happy childhood.
When I was a teenager, there was a meeting of all the Catholic bishops of the world, about 2500 of them, in Rome. After the meeting, they published a book which said, among other things,
The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, his virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Muslims, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.
After reading what the bishops had written, I decided to learn more about Muslims and Islam.
I wrote to a mosque in our provincial capital. The imam sent me a copy of Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an and a little book called Primer of Islam. I loved the little book, its simplicity, and its message: When you surrender to God's will, you find peace.
Thomas Aquinas, a great Catholic theologian, when asked how to become learned, wrote, "Read one book. Whatever you read or hear, take care to understand it well. Attain certainty in what is doubtful." I applied this advice to the Qur'an. I carefully read through Yusuf Ali's Qur'an translation twice, and studied his many footnotes.
A while later, our city's university hosted a three-day symposium on Islam, which I attended. The principal speaker was very intelligent, well-spoken, and gentle. Everything the bishops had written about the Muslims seemed to agree with what I was reading and hearing.
I began to attend weekly Arabic and Islamic lessons offered by local Muslims. The head teacher was very intelligent, a university professor of electrical engineering. I asked him many questions and he answered every one with great insight, patience, and clarity. Under his instruction, I soon learned the five pillars of Islam and how to recite some short surahs of the Qur'an, and within a few months, I attended my first Friday Prayers.
I attended Friday Prayers regularly at the university and made new friends from many countries. I took part in learning circles and made progress in my Qur'an recitation. I prayed the five daily prayers and found great joy in the new routines of my life.
Ramadan arrived, and I enjoyed fasting and attending Tarawih Prayers. When I saw the beautiful crescent moon and the planet shining in the sky on `Eid, my heart leaped with joy and I thanked God for such a favor as He had bestowed upon me.
Though surprised at my conversion to Islam, none of my Catholic family spoke against the published opinions of the world's Catholic bishops. They wished me well in my new faith.
But there was a separation in family activity. I no longer prayed with them at home or in the church, and they never considered praying with me, nor did they ever visit a mosque.
I moved to another city not far from home in order to teach at an Islamic school. I was able to visit home on weekends. Then I moved to another city in a nearby country to attend university. I was able to visit home only twice a year. I moved once again, this time to a city across the sea to attend another university. I was able to visit home once in two years.
Years have passed and I teach now at a school on the distant edge of my country, far from old friends and family. Nature is raw here. The sun, moon, and stars rise and set and the seasons come and go in due order. In summer the days are long; in winter, the nights. In summer, the days are never too hot; in winter, they are always cold. The sea-tides come in and go out exactly as God planned.
Wide open wilderness surrounds our town in all directions except to the east: There lies the ocean, wild and blue in summer, frozen solid in the bleak winter. Is not God great? To have created all this strong and wild beauty so that man may find peace in it, and out of this boundless peace chant the Qur'an in slow measured tones! One cannot thank Him enough for the blessings He has given me. Praise be to my Lord the Most High!
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Why the discrimination?
News on muslim affairs from across the border.. Islam is universal, why the discrimination? Link here!
KUALA LUMPUR: They are not asking the government for money or land; they are merely hoping for approval to build a mosque for the Chinese Muslim community. Yet certain state leaders’ lukewarm response is baffling.
There is also a question: Why do Chinese Muslims have to come up with their own money and land to build a mosque when it is the duty of state governments to provide places of worship for Muslims?
Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MCMA) national vice-president Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah admitted that he had to accept political reality.
"That is why we don’t mind working hard to find money and land to build our mosque. In fact, our mosque will not be exclusive for Chinese as it will be open to everybody.
"All we want is an approval from the state government," he said.
Yet he was also sad when certain senior Muslim leaders failed to understand that Islam was beyond race, culture and geography.
Claiming that Selangor had about 20,000 Chinese Muslims, he said there were no reasons for the state authorities to deny the rights of their fellow Muslims to have a mosque.
"Think of dakwah, think of Chinese Muslims’ well-being taken care of and provided with counselling, think what non-Muslims and foreigners will say about Malaysia when they see the government’s commitment to Islam regardless of race," he added.
While some state leaders have expressed willingness to consider Chinese Muslims’ applications to build a mosque, they also appeared to be reluctant.
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam, insisting that the state was not interested in allowing a Chinese mosque, had argued that it would segregate Muslims.
Refuting his claims, religious scholar Maszlee Malik said: "If segregation is an issue, why do all mosques in Malaysia only cater for the Malays and provide sermons and lectures in Malay? Isn’t that segregation?"
The MCMA Malacca branch, whose application to build a mosque was rejected three years ago, plans to submit a fresh application.
However, Mohd Ali’s argument that such a mosque would not be appropriate for a "small" state would hamper the hopes of some 3,000 Chinese Muslims living in Malacca.
Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin who mooted the idea of a Chinese mosque recently said size did not matter.
Upset with certain Malay leaders who failed to grasp the universality of Islam, he said such an attitude gave a negative image about Islam being the exclusive right of Malays.
"It’s not about race or skin colour. This is about dakwah (propagation of Islam) and caring for all Muslims, including Chinese Muslims.
"I don’t know why some leaders expressed their reservations. Is Islam only for the Malays?"
To overcome the problem, Dr Mohd Asri called on the government to have the political will to provide such mosques. He also hoped state religious scholars would truthfully advise their state leaders to be "colour blind".
KUALA LUMPUR: They are not asking the government for money or land; they are merely hoping for approval to build a mosque for the Chinese Muslim community. Yet certain state leaders’ lukewarm response is baffling.
There is also a question: Why do Chinese Muslims have to come up with their own money and land to build a mosque when it is the duty of state governments to provide places of worship for Muslims?
Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MCMA) national vice-president Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah admitted that he had to accept political reality.
"That is why we don’t mind working hard to find money and land to build our mosque. In fact, our mosque will not be exclusive for Chinese as it will be open to everybody.
"All we want is an approval from the state government," he said.
Yet he was also sad when certain senior Muslim leaders failed to understand that Islam was beyond race, culture and geography.
Claiming that Selangor had about 20,000 Chinese Muslims, he said there were no reasons for the state authorities to deny the rights of their fellow Muslims to have a mosque.
"Think of dakwah, think of Chinese Muslims’ well-being taken care of and provided with counselling, think what non-Muslims and foreigners will say about Malaysia when they see the government’s commitment to Islam regardless of race," he added.
While some state leaders have expressed willingness to consider Chinese Muslims’ applications to build a mosque, they also appeared to be reluctant.
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam, insisting that the state was not interested in allowing a Chinese mosque, had argued that it would segregate Muslims.
Refuting his claims, religious scholar Maszlee Malik said: "If segregation is an issue, why do all mosques in Malaysia only cater for the Malays and provide sermons and lectures in Malay? Isn’t that segregation?"
The MCMA Malacca branch, whose application to build a mosque was rejected three years ago, plans to submit a fresh application.
However, Mohd Ali’s argument that such a mosque would not be appropriate for a "small" state would hamper the hopes of some 3,000 Chinese Muslims living in Malacca.
Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin who mooted the idea of a Chinese mosque recently said size did not matter.
Upset with certain Malay leaders who failed to grasp the universality of Islam, he said such an attitude gave a negative image about Islam being the exclusive right of Malays.
"It’s not about race or skin colour. This is about dakwah (propagation of Islam) and caring for all Muslims, including Chinese Muslims.
"I don’t know why some leaders expressed their reservations. Is Islam only for the Malays?"
To overcome the problem, Dr Mohd Asri called on the government to have the political will to provide such mosques. He also hoped state religious scholars would truthfully advise their state leaders to be "colour blind".
Friday, January 19, 2007
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