What Influencial American Muslim Scholars and Teachers Are Saying About the Election

I accumulated some responses to the election and candidacy of Obama by influential mainstream American Muslim scholars and teachers. Click on the paragraph headers to visit the sites.

Imam Zaid Shakir
Imam Zaid has been very outspoken throughout the election with deep analysis of Obama and American politics. This is an article written after the election results. After reading this a brother sent Imam Zaid a message criticizing his optimism on an Obama administration and this is Imam Zaid Shakir’s Response.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi
This is the response from Shaykh Yasir Qadhi of Al-Maghrib institute who is no stranger to well thought out analysis of American Islam.

Shaykh Yaser Birjas
Though Shaykh Yaser Birjas was not born an American, he has since made America his home and has shown great concern for important US social ills.

Imam Anwar al Awlaki
Anwar al Awlaki was a highly active Texan native but has since made his home in Yemen where he still closely follows American politics.

Hamza Yusuf Video at Isna 2008
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is very active in the US as well as internationally though I could not find anything that he has said regarding Obama directly. This is the closest that I could get to some kind of commentary.

Imam Suhaib Webb
This is Imam Suhaib Webb’s take. He is an American Muslim convert who studied Islam at al-Azhar University in Egypt and has recently joined forces with the al-Maghrib Institute as an instructor (Thanks to HK for this one.)

manoffewwords

The Mysterious Masked Warrior

Khaalid bin Al-Waleed had besieged Damascus. He had sent a Muslim blocking force to the north to prevent Roman reinforcements from coming to replenish the garrison at Damascus. At the head of this army was the commander Dhiraar - the lion of Syria who used to fight amongst the armoured enemies of Islaam naked from the waist up! He was a fierce warrior who had unfortunately been captured by the Roman reinforcements since their army was twice the strength of the Muslims, and he had launched headlong into the ranks of the enemies by himself, killing so many of the foe that his companions could not keep up with the pace. Soon he was too far into the ranks of the Romans, and was surrounded and captured. Khaalid bin Al-Waleed, upon hearing this, mobilized 5,000 from amongst the besieging force at Damascus and rode like the wind to come to the aid of the Muslims.

As Khalid approached the battlefield he suddenly saw a Muslim rider flash past him from behind and gallop off towards the Roman front. Before Khalid could stop him, he was gone. A slim, lightly-built person, dressed in black, this rider wore a breastplate and was armed with a sword and a long lance. He sported a green turban and had a scarf wrapped around his face, acting as a mask, with only his eyes visible. Khalid arrived on the battlefield in time to see this rider throw himself at the Romans with such fury that everyone present thought that he and his horse must both be mad. Raafe saw this rider before he saw Khalid and remarked, “He attacks like Khalid, but he is clearly not Khalid.” Then Khalid joined Raafe. (second in command)

Khalid took a little time to organize Raafe’s group and his own Mobile Guard into one and deploy it as a combined force for battle. Meanwhile the masked rider treated the Muslims to a thrilling display of horsemanship and attacks with the lance. He would go charging on his own, strike the Roman front atone point and kill a man; then go galloping away to another part of the front, again strike someone in the Roman front line and so on. A few Romans came forward to tackle him but all went down before his terrible lance. Marvelling at this wondrous sight, the Muslims could still see nothing more of the warrior than a youthful figure and a pair of bright eyes shining above the mask. The rider appeared bent on suicide as with his clothes and lance covered with blood, he struck again and again at the Romans. The example of this warrior put fresh courage into the men of Raafe, who forgot their fatigue and went into battle with renewed high spirits as Khalid gave the order to attack.

The masked rider, now joined by many others, continued his personal war against the Romans as the entire Muslim force attacked the Roman front. Soon after the general attack had begun, Khalid got near this rider and called, “O warrior, show us your face.” A pair of dark eyes flashed at Khalid before the rider turned away and galloped off into another assault at the Romans. Next, a few of Khalid’s men caught up with him and said,

“O noble warrior, your commander calls you and you turn away from him! Show us your face and tell us your name so that you may be properly honoured.”

Again the rider turned away as if deliberately trying to keep his identity a secret.

As the masked rider returned from his charge, he passed by Khalid, who called to him sternly to stop. The rider pulled up his horse, and Khalid continued, “You have done enough to fill our hearts with admiration. Who are you?”

Khalid nearly fell off his horse when he heard the reply of the masked rider, for it was the voice of a girl! ”

O commander, I only turn away from you out of modesty. You are the glorious commander, and I am of those who stay behind the veil. I fight like this because my heart is on fire.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Khaulah, sister of Dhiraar. My brother has been captured, and I must fight to set him free ”

Khaula Bint Al-Azwan

sahaba.net

U.S. admits it held 12 juveniles at Guantanamo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. has revised its count of juveniles ever held at Guantanamo Bay to 12, up from the eight it reported in May to the United Nations, a Pentagon spokesman said Sunday.

The government has provided a corrected report to the U.N. committee on child rights, according to Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon. He said the U.S. did not intentionally misrepresent the number of detainees taken to the isolated Navy base in southeast Cuba before turning 18.

"As we noted to the committee, it remains uncertain the exact age of many of the juveniles held at Guantanamo, as most of them did not know their own date of birth or even the year in which they were born," he said.

source

Saudi Arabia most generous

21 Nov 2008 13:40:25 GMT

Source: IRIN

Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

NAIROBI, 21 November 2008 (IRIN) - Saudi Arabia tops the list of 20 major humanitarian donors in relation to GDP in 2008, according to a Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) document published on 21 November. It spent 0.1622 percent of its GDP on humanitarian aid. Norway was second on the list, followed by Monaco, Luxembourg, Sweden and Ireland. The 2008 appeal for US$7 billion ended up being 67 percent funded.

cb© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org
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Charity as well is considered Jihad, matter fact all acts of Good are Jihad

What drew me to Islam-Canadian Deacon Converts to Islam

What drew me to Islam

By Abdullah DeLancey, Guest Writer

I am Canadian and a Patient Service Worker at the Moncton Hospital. I’m married, and my wife and I have three wonderful children. I was a Protestant fundamental Christian for all of my life. As a faithful Christian, I was very involved at church, giving sermons for the adult Sunday school, Deacon of the Church and on my way to becoming a pastor of a church or a missionary. However, becoming a Minister would mean committing our whole family to the Church full time for life. So I decided to examine Christianity honestly and ask some very serious questions about my faith. I questioned the trinity, why God would need a son, and why the human sacrifice of Jesus, as stated in the bible, was needed to provide me with forgiveness. I questioned the Christian beliefs on how all the righteous people in the Old Testament were "saved" and in heaven if Jesus wasn’t even born yet. I pondered serious questions about Christianity that I had neglected to ask my whole life. The answers given on these theological issues "which are the basis of the faith in Christianity" defied reason. I could not find the answers in the Bible. Once I realized that the trinity was a myth and that God is powerful enough to "save" someone without the need for help from a son or anyone or anything else,my faith in Christianity fell apart and I left the Church for good. This was the start of my spiritual journey. Now without a religion but believing in God, I began searching for the truth. I began studying various religions but found them false. Until, I heard about Islam. Islam!!! What was that? As far as I could remember, I had never known a Muslim. Islam was not on my religious radar at all. I began studying various religions but found them false. Until, I heard about Islam. Islam!!! What was that? As far as I could remember, I had never known a Muslim. Islam was not on my religious radar at all. Then, I read the Qur’an. This wonderful revelation of truth has changed my life forever. I started studying everything about Islam I could find and journeyed to the nearest mosque. Was I was even allowed in the mosque because I wasn’t an Arab or a Muslim? I didn’t know. Arriving at the mosque, I was given a warm greeting and a book by Ahmed Deedat. After studying, I was in shock. How could I have been a Christian for so long and never heard the truth. I now believed in Islam and wanted to convert. At the Mosque, before Friday prayer started, and with most members of the local Muslim community present as witnesses. I testified that "There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." I was now a Muslim. It was the best day of my life. I legally changed my first name to Abdullah and became the volunteer Muslim Chaplain at the city hospital. Difficult times have come since I became a Muslim. Some people laugh and many old friends from Church avoid me, but being a Muslim makes me truly happy. All Thanks be to Allah. Abdullah DeLancey took the Shahadah on March 24, 2006, at the Moncton Mosque in Moncton, NB, Canada. He is the founder of muslimforlife.com. http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/27268/772/

George Smoot: The design of the universe

A love story of the prophets wife

She was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, being a prominent businesswoman. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again.

Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she - a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society - could not do it herself. So, he started working for her.

After he came back from his first business trip, she asked her servant, whom she sent with him, about him and his conduct. The servant amazed her by his report: this young man was the kindest, gentlest man he had ever met. Never did he treat the servant harshly, as many others do. Yet, there was more: as they traveled in the heat of the desert, the servant noticed that a cloud had followed them the entire time, shading them from the blazing sun. The businesswoman was quite impressed with her new employee.

Not only that, this new employee proved to be an astute businessman in his own right. He took his employer's merchandise, sold it, and with the profits bought other merchandise that he sold again, thus profiting twice. All this was enough for her: the embers of love in her heart that were once extinguished re-kindled again, and she resolved to marry this young man, who was 15 years younger than she.

So, she sent her sister to this young man. She asked him, "Why are you not married, yet?"

"For lack of means," he answered.

"What if I could offer you a wife of nobility, beauty, and wealth? Would you be interested?" she told him.

He replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned her sister, the young employee chuckled in amazement.

"How could I marry her? She has turned down the most noble men in the city, much wealthier and prominent than me, a poor shepherd," he said.

"Don't you worry," the sister replied, "I'll take care of it."

Not long after, the wealthy businesswoman married her young employee, and it was the beginning of one of the most loving, happiest, and sacred marriages in all of human history: that of Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid. When they were married, the Prophet was 25 years old, and Khadijah was 40. Yet, that did not bother the Prophet one bit. He loved her so deeply, and she loved him as deeply. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him six children: 2 sons and 4 daughters. Both the sons died in young age. Khadijah was a source of immense love, strength, and comfort for the Prophet Muhammad, and he leaned heavily on this love and support on the most important night of his life.

While he was meditating in cave of Hira, the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Qur'an and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. The experience terrified the Prophet Muhammad, and he ran home, jumping into Khadijah's arms crying, "Cover me! Cover me!" She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and relate to her his experience.

The Prophet feared he was losing his mind or being possessed.

Khadijah put all his fears to rest: "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal - a scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture - and he confirmed to the Prophet that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Last Prophet.

After his ministry began, and the opposition of his people became harsh and brutal, Khadijah was always there to support the Prophet Muhammad, sacrificing all of her wealth to support the cause of Islam. When the Prophet and his family was banished to the hills outside of Mecca, she went there with him, and the three years of hardship and deprivation eventually led to her death. The Prophet Muhammad mourned her deeply, and even after her death, the Prophet would send food and support to Khadijah's friends and relatives, out of love for his first wife.

Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died, so much so, that his later wife A'isha became jealous of her. Once she asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."

Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad's multiple marriages. There are many who smear the Prophet as a womanizing philanderer, citing his multiple marriages. This is absolute propaganda. As a response to those who malign the Prophet , IF the Prophet were anything of the sort, he would have taken advantage of his youth to do such a thing. But he did not! At a time when it was a common custom to have multiple wives, the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with Khadijah.

It was only after Khadijah died, may God be pleased with her, that he married other women. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care after them, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic (and barbaric) Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.

In a song about the Prophet and Khadjiah, Muslim rappers Native Deen sing: "We look for stories of love in places dark and cold - When we have a guiding light for the whole world to behold." Many of what we call "love stories" today are nothing more than stories of lust and desire, physical attraction disguised as love.

Yet, I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring as that of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. It is a shining example of what an ideal marriage is, and if I ever claim that I love my wife, I must gauge my actions with that of the Prophet. As the country commemorates Valentine's Day, and everywhere we turn this month, "love is in the air," I cannot help but reflect upon, what is to me, the greatest of all love stories: that of Muhammad and Khadijah. Even with all of its amazing and creative talent, Hollywood could not have come up with a story greater than this.

www.drhassaballa.com.

Saudi Arabia: Women driving Is not in conflict with religion

By Samir Al-Saadi

JEDDAH, (Arab News): A well-regarded Saudi religious scholar said that there is nothing in Islamic law that bans women from driving and that the fatwas issued in this regard are based on individual judgments.

“In principle women driving is permitted in Islam,” said Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a member of the Kingdom’s Council of Senior Islamic Scholars.

The ban, he said, has to do with the social complications rather than the act itself. As an example, the sheikh referred to a fatwa from former Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin-Baz that said it is permitted for women in rural areas to drive cars, but that they should be forbidden from driving in the cities where, as Al-Obaikan said, “youths (even) harass women accompanied by parents and drivers.

He said if certain issues are resolved, such as the problem of men’s behavior and traffic safety, then he sees no religiously motivated conflict with women driving.

Sheikh Mehsin Al-Awaji, another prominent religious scholar in the Kingdom, agreed. “No religious scholar is going to tell you differently,” he said. “But (the issue of) women driving comes as a ‘package’ and we need to fix the ‘package’ before making the decision (to allow women to drive).”

Expanding on the idea that allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia comes with a “package” of issues, Al-Awaji said there needs to be Saudi women working as police officers, mechanics and other positions. The sheikh diminished the significance of women driving, saying that myriad social reforms have higher priority, even in the realm of empowering women or encouraging public participation in important social challenges.

Fawzeyah Al-Oyouni, a woman’s rights and human rights activist, said that most people agree that Islam doesn’t forbid women from driving. The problem, she says, is that the government isn’t moving fast enough to implement the necessary actions to open the way for a smooth transition toward allowing women to drive.

The Saudi government has pointed out that there is no law that states women cannot drive. “The Interior Ministry’s stand is clear on this,” said ministry spokesman Gen. Mansour Al-Turki.

But in reality women are occasionally arrested when found driving. Arab News reported several instances in recent years of situations where women have been stopped by authorities and detained for the infraction of driving a vehicle.

In a previous statement, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said that Saudi women would be permitted to drive someday.

Arab News asked 125 men what they thought of the issue. Ten men categorically opposed the idea; 36 men were fully in support of an unqualified lift on the social ban; and the rest would be OK with women driving with a few ground rules.

Most of the men who expressed reservations to an unqualified lift on the social ban — 80 of them — said they were concerned about safety due to the hazardous conditions on Saudi roads and lack of sufficient enforcement of traffic laws. Sixteen men expressed religious reservations; 21 men expressed financial reasons while eight expressed social concerns.

Four hundred Saudi and non-Saudi women were asked by Arab News about the subject. Out of this survey, Arab News found that 282 of these women would drive cars on their own, without a male guardian. Forty-four women said they would continue to use drivers. Thirty women said they would only drive with their male guardian in the car. Thirty-two women said they would drive with a relative in the vehicle. A dozen women said they opposed the idea of women driving.

Out of these women, 122 said they wouldn’t drive on Saudi roads due to safety concerns while 296 said they would have to see better enforcement of rules before they would feel safe driving. Seventy-two women said they’d rise to the challenge of driving in Saudi Arabia’s traffic.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=106995&d=21&m=2&y=2008

The Oldest Mosque in China

When people think of some of the earliest mosques in the world, they think of places like Mecca, Medina, Damascus, and Jerusalem. One place most people don’t think of is Xi’an (Chang’an). This port city in the province of Shaanxi, is home to China’s oldest mosque, the 1,300 year-old Huaisheng Mosque.

The mosque was given the name Huaisheng, meaning “remember the sage”, in remembrance of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It was allegedly built and named by his maternal uncle Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas (Wan Gesi). Hadhrat Uthman ibn Affan (ra) is reported to have sent the envoy in 650 A.D. to invite the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty to join Islam. The Emperor declined the invitation, but respected Islamic teachings, and believed it to be compatible with his Confucian life philosophy. He even granted permission for the Muslim envoy to build a mosque in the city.

The Huaisheng Mosque became the first in China, and made Xi’an an important settlement for the Arab (Ta’Shi) and Persian (Po’Shi) merchants who travelled there along the Silk Road. The buildup of the settlement populations, and the mixing with the ethnic Turks and Chinese created an integrated populace that now forms the base of the Hui ethnic group.

The mosque has undergone a few rebuilds over its history, notably in 1350, when it was entirely rebuilt under the orders of Zhizheng (1341-1368), the last Emporer of the Yuan Dynasty. It was again rebuilt in 1695 under the orders of Emperor Kangzi, of the Qing dynasty, after being destroyed in a fire. Most recently, in 1935, the prayer hall underwent reconstruction, when the halls floor was converted from a dirt floor to concrete.

During the reconstruction in 1350, an inscription was added to the mosque baring the following, “beneath white clouds and where the mountain turns, there stands a brilliant stone pagoda in the style of the Western Regions. Handed down by Emperor Gaozu of the Tang dynasty to the present, its style is unknown in the Central Region”. It suggests a minaret was built at the site of the mosque, in the style of a pagoda, sometime between 650 and 700.

The minaret stood at 36 feet tall, and instantly became the earliest free-standing minaret in China. It also was the tallest structure in Xi’an for centuries, and became the main architectural landmark for the city. While the minaret, with it’s balcony atop, served mainly as the location for the azhan (call to prayer), over time, it began to serve a dual role as a lighthouse. The light from the balcony helped to guide the boats on the Zhujiang River at night. It is said that ships sailing along this segment of the river considered the tower as the sign that they had arrived at the beginning of the "maritime silk road". Sailors often climbed up top the minaret to observe the weather conditions. While this fact may seem insignificant unto itself, consider that the first western-style lighthouse in China was not built until sometime between 1864 and 1865 at the Guia Fortress. This secondary function became so popular with the people; the mosque took on the name, Lighthouse Mosque.

The mosque constitutes an area of 30002 m (322922 ft), and true to feng shui architectural design, is built along a north-south axis, with the red-bricked gate entrance at the south end, facing the Zhujiang River. The entrance is a U-shaped corridor enclosing a courtyard with a large Bangke tower to the north, followed by the prayer hall. The gateway tower bears an inscriptive plaque in Mandarin that reads: "Religion that holds in great esteem the teachings brought from the Western Region."

Huaisheng mosque features six important buildings, the Imam Hall, the Wangyue Attic, the Covered Corridor, the Storehouse of Islamic Scripture, the Stone Steles Pavilion and the Minaret.

It is also recognized as one of the four most well-known mosques in China, the other three being Yangzhou Crane Mosque, Quanzhou Kylin Mosque and Hangzhou Phoenix Mosque.
Huaisheng Mosque still plays a very important role in Muslim life in Shaanxi, welcoming Muslims from all over the world, including many of the businessmen who attend the Chinese Export Commodities Fair - Canton Fair, to worship.

Today, it stands as an icon of Islam in a country generally not recognized for its Muslim population. Huaisheng stands tall among the 30,000+ mosques, and thousands of halal restaurants and grocery shops that now litter the streets of China.


References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_China#Number_of_Muslims_in_China
http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=9141
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guia_Fortress
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01780/architecture/index.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/guangzhou/huaisheng.htm
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_25224.htm
http://jameswongwingon-online.blogspot.com/2006/11/imam-wang-of-guangzhous-huaisheng.html
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http://islamoblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/oldest-mosque-in-china.html

The untold story of Arabic brilliance should be a timely reminder of a proud heritage, says Jim Al-Khalili

Next year, we will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, and the 150th of the publication of his On The Origin of Species, which revolutionised our understanding of biology.

But what if Darwin was beaten to the punch? Approximately 1,000 years before the British naturalist published his theory of evolution, a scientist working in Baghdad was thinking along similar lines.

In the Book of Animals, abu Uthman al-Jahith (781-869), an intellectual of East African descent, was the first to speculate on the influence of the environment on species. He wrote: "Animals engage in a struggle for existence; for resources, to avoid being eaten and to breed. Environmental factors influence organisms to develop new characteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to offspring."

There is no doubt that it qualifies as a theory of natural selection - even though the Book of Animals appears to have been based to a large extent on folklore rather than on zoological fact.

Despite the strong feelings Darwin provokes among many Muslims - many Islamic scholars see the Koran as creationist, and so at odds with evolution - it seems astounding that al-Jahith's quote has been largely ignored.

In fact, although popular accounts of the history of science typically show no major advances taking place between the Romans and the Renaissance, al-Jahith's work was part of an astonishing flowering of invention and innovation that took place in the Muslim world, and in Iraq in particular, in the Middle Ages.

This world view, based on a mixture of theology and rational thinking, produced wonderful advances in philosophy, astronomy, medicine and mathematics, in particular the emergence of algebra and trigonometry.

Although the Muslim world is often now seen as ill-equipped for scientific discovery, we can look back to Baghdad and see the origins of the modern scientific method, the world's first physicist and the world's first chemist; advances in surgery and anatomy, the birth of geology and anthropology; not to mention remarkable feats of engineering.

For 700 years, the international language of science was Arabic; and Baghdad, the capital of the mighty Abbasid Empire, was the centre of the intellectual world. The story starts around 813, when the caliph of Baghdad, al-Ma'mun, is said to have had a vivid and life-changing dream. In it, he met the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who instructed him to "seek knowledge and enlightenment".

Source

Should Christians be discouraged from using the term "Allah"?

The Malaysian cabinet and government declared last week that Malaysian Christians could no longer use the word “Allah

”. Their rationale was based on the concern that the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in their religious messages could confuse some Muslims and hence could draw them toward Christianity.

It seems that the ban in Malaysia was placed 20 years ago but was never enforced until a few days ago.

Malay Christians argue that the word “Allah” predates the time of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and thus predates Islam. They also contend that Christians who predated Islam used the word “Allah” to refer to “God”.

In many regards, their argument is valid and factually correct. Both Arab Christians as well as other non-Christian Arabs actively used the term “Allah” as part of their religious beliefs and practices.

The most common example is that of Prophet Muhammad’s father who was named “Abd Allah” in the period before the dawn of Islam.

In another example, during the signing of the peace treaty of Hudaybiya in the prophet’s time, Suhail bin Amr was sent as the Makkan envoy representing the Quraysh in Makkah and Arabs. During the negotiations, dictating to Ali, the Prophet said: “Write, In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.” Suhail objected by saying, “Do not write this. Instead, write, ‘In Thy name O Allah.‘” The Prophet in turn complied with his demand.

This is because the words “the Most Merciful” (“Rahman” in Arabic), and “the Most Beneficent” (“Raheem” in Arabic) were revealed in Quran – something non-Muslim Arabs did not recognize at the time.

Furthermore, there seems to be no proof that the Prophet forbade anyone (Christians, Jews, Pagans, etc.) from using the term “Allah”.

Regarding Christians, Allah says in the Quran:

“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” But there is no ilah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilah (God -Allah)………(Quran: Al-Maeda, Chapter 5: 73)

In line with the beliefs of Trinity, Arab Christians today use the terms “Allah al-ab” meaning God the father, “Allah al-ibn” meaning God the son, and “Allah al-ruh al koudous” meaning God the Holy Spirit. The Arabic Bible also uses the word “Allah” in its text.

Here lies the dilemma: A number of Christian groups believe that the Muslims’ God is not the same as the “Christian God”.

I attended an interfaith session where Evangelical Christian leaders of a Church made it very clear that they did not believe that the God they believed in is the same as the Muslim God or “Allah”. On the contrary, in the same meeting the Muslim attendees made it clear that they believed that our God is the same – rather it’s how Christians attribute Eesa (Jesus) as son of God and other such beliefs that make the two religions different.

One of the evangelical Christian sites reflects the above attitudes when it states:

“The crux of the matter is what definition one gives to the word God in any language. That is, what are the theological ideas that someone has when they refer to God? The theology of the Arab Christian who uses the word Allah is completely different from the theology of the Muslim who also uses the word Allah.”

Some of the non-Arab evangelical Christians (I can’t say if it is all denominations of that group) assert that the Arab Christians using “Allah” is no more significant than Muslims using the word “God” when they speak in English. One of the Christian sites states:

“it could be said that Christians worship Allah, whose son is Jesus; and Muslims worship God, whose prophet is Mohammad ”

Another case in point. While Arab Christians freely use the word “Allah”, other versions of Bible do not use that word in their texts. For example, the English bible does not use the term “Allah”. The Persian bible uses the word “Khuda” in their texts. However, Malaysians in the case cited earlier may be an exception to that rule as they have insisted on the use of the word “Allah”.

This leads one to believe that Arabs using the word “Allah” is more of a linguistic issue than one based on theology. Many blasphemous statements by many Christians (especially by non-Arab Christians) over the past few years using the word “Allah” clearly demonstrates that their use of the word “Allah” is only linguistic – not the same case as Muslims who treat the word “Allah” with great respect for obvious reasons – the term “Allah” is used in the Quran – Arabic or otherwise.

Coming back to the Malaysian case, the latest update is that the Malaysian authorities have reversed their ruling. So, at least for now, Malaysian Christians can start using the word “Allah” again in their religious practices.

This discussion is far from complete and does require the input of both Muslim and Christian scholars. Some of the questions that come to mind are as follows:

• Are there contrary proofs to the fact that Prophet Muhammad did not object to non-Muslims (especially Christians) using the word “Allah” (although it seems from the above that he never objected to it)?
• What specific reasons do Christians have for believing that the “Muslim God” is not the same as theirs?
• Why was the term “Allah” left out in subsequent Bible translations?
• What do Jews (Arab and others) believe about the term “Allah” and its use? Apparently, Arab Jews lived in Madinah at the time of Prophet Muhammad. How did they refer to “God” at that time?
• Finally, was the Malaysian government justified in banning Malay Christians from using the word “Allah” for the reasons mentioned above?

Share your thoughts and knowledge on the subject below!

— The IqraSense.com Bloogger

An Interview with Imam Zaid Shakir. Hillary, Obama and the Clash of Civilizations

Many of his students refer to him as the "new Malcolm X for Muslim Americans." Trying to obtain an interview with the "new Malcolm" requires persistence, patience, and several callbacks. "He had an unexpected speech, can we re-schedule?" "Sorry, he's completely booked for the next week. Can you all call again?" "O.K., he can squeeze in some time at 9 a.m., can you do that?"

Imam Zaid Shakir, an African American convert to Islam and one of the most influential and popular Muslim American religious scholars, commands a rock star following: legions of enthralled and inspired Muslims filling rooms to standing only capacity waiting to hear his words. It represents a fascinating and dynamic phenomenon illuminating the resurgent identity of an educated, spiritual, religious and political Muslim American identity emerging from the post 9-11 era. Shakir, a student of the civil rights era and an educated scholar of political science and traditional Islamic jurisprudence, casually interjects tidbits of political theory, economic reform, critical race theory, Arabic, traditional Islamic philosophy and religious didacticism within his rhetoric.

I was lucky to talk to the highly sought scholar for an honest, informative and in depth discussion on "the Clash of Civilizations," the 2008 presidency, religious extremism, and an emerging Muslim American identity.

http://www.counterpunch.org/wajahat02022008.html

Surah Kahf ( cave ), ayah 82-94

He recites surah kahf ayah 82-94 (JazaakAllah ). He is pretty young Masha'Allah. He sounds just like Basit!! Wow, such talent at that age.

Message to atheist

Good memory and very expressive, i think his 6

99 names of Allah

5 minute introduction to Islam

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's protection offer to Taliban leader Mullah Omar in return for peace talks is meaningless,

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's protection offer to Taliban leader Mullah Omar in return for peace talks is meaningless, a Taliban spokesman told CNN.

Speaking to the U.S. news network, Qari Yousif, spokesman for the militant group which is waging a relentless campaign of violence in Afghanistan, said Karzai has no authority to make such an offer as he must rely on British and U.S. help for his own protection.

Karzai recently offered to "go to any lengths" to provide security to Mullah Omar if the latter enters peace talks.

Yousif was quoted by CNN as saying the Taliban will not discuss peace so long as international forces remained in Afghanistan.

The White House already has expressed doubts about Mullah Omar agreeing to any such offer, CNN said. There is a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Saudi Arabia, which has been trying to play a role, arranged a meeting in September among Taliban representatives and Afghan and Pakistani officials. Another such meeting is scheduled in December, the CNN reported, quoting a source.

Source

About 6,000 Muslim clerics from around India approved a fatwa against terrorism

HYDERABAD, India, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- About 6,000 Muslim clerics from around India approved a fatwa against terrorism Saturday at a conference in Hyderabad.

Maulana Qari Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri, president of the Jamaiat-Ulama-i-Hind, called terrorism the most serious problem facing Islam, The Hindu reported. He blamed Islamic radicals for their actions and the news media for failing to distinguish between the radicals and the majority of Muslims.

"We have no love for offenders whichever religion they might belong to," he said. "Our concern is that innocents should not be targeted and the career of educated youth not ruined. The government should ensure transparency in investigation."

India has the world's second-largest Muslim population after Indonesia, although Hindus outnumber Muslims. The meeting was also expected to address issues like national integration.

"Islam rejects all kinds of unjust violence, breach of peace, bloodshed, murder and plunder and does not allow it in any form. Cooperation should be done for the cause of good but not for committing sin or oppression," the fatwa written at the Darul Uloom Deoband, India's foremost Islamic seminary.

Source

Jewish-Muslim dialogue, a necessity

Jewish-Muslim dialogue, a necessity
PROMPTED BY THE DOCUMENTARY "THE MONSTER AMONG US"
Mike Ghouse, Dallas, Texas

The Jewish Community Center in Dallas recently screened a documentary about Anti-Semitism in Europe called, “The Monster among us”, produced and directed by Dallas filmmakers Allen and Cynthia Mondell. Watching this film (as well as other films in the past) and listening to the responses of the audience has confirmed my belief that one of the primary obstacles to peace is simply inadequate communications stemming from the unwillingness to see another point of view.

If you find this article offensive, please clarify with me before you draw your conclusions, it is our obligation to repair the world. Prior to publication of this article my Jewish, Christian and Muslim friends have reviewed it to ensure it meets the intent as close as it can and it is to improve communications and a civil dialogue. The producers of the movie have reviewed and shared their point of view, which is included in the essay verbatim.Muslims should participate in Jewish events and vice-versa. Staying away from each other will not contribute towards peace-making that both communities so deserve. We have to come together without conditions and learn each others concerns and clarify mis-information and together find solutions. If we don’t, the who will?

Anti-Semitism is hate for Jews, and to his credit, the producer acknowledged in his comments that both Muslims and Jews are facing this abuse in Europe. As responsible citizens, we need to stand up against hate towards every one. I cannot have peace if others around me aren't peaceful.

To borrow a sentence from my friend Sheila Musaji “these films are to be viewed as opportunities for dialogue and not to further distance ourselves from the other.” We need to consciously guard ourselves from despair and disorientation and focus on hope and goodness to humanity that includes you and I.

I challenge the Muslim and Jewish community to watch this film together with a focus on just the film and its content, we must carry a civil dialogue and learn to take the jolts, then we would have developed the capacity to embark on finding a solution to the crux of the world problem - security of Jews and hope for the Palestinians, together we have an opportunity to find solutions. I am planning to have a showing of the film with a panel of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others,

Source

50 percent more US children went hungry in 2007

WASHINGTON – Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downtown, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.

The department's annual report on food security showed that during 2007 the number of children who suffered a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat was more than 50 percent above the 430,000 in 2006 and the largest figure since 716,000 in 1998.

Overall, the 36.2 million adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5 million in 2006. That was 12.2 percent of Americans who didn't have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/hunger;_ylt=AjSWUcQxHhbZf2xAhubixBQDW7oF

Why Greg Accepted Islam

http://www.thedeenshow.com/show.php

Converts from Australia

thedeenshow.com

5 Pillars Video

5/Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.

2. To observe Prayer (Salat).

3. To Pay Zakat (Alms giving)

4. To perform the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Hajj).

5. To Observe fasting during Ramadhan." (Bukhari)

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1- Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
A Muslim expresses his/her faith (Iman) in the following words:

Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu

The English translation of the Shahadah is as follows:

" I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger."
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2- Five Daily Prayers

Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said at appointed time fixed in relation to the sun's position. The time of Fajr, the morning prayer begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to decline. The Asr prayer is said when the sun has further advanced in decline, in the late afternoon. The time of the Maghrib prayer begins immediately after sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer can be said after dusk has finally disappeared, giving way to darkness of the night.
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3- Zakat (Alms giving)

Is a part of devotion enjoined upon Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on one's property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a means of increasing and which are surplus to one's needs. It is a means of social justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order.
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4- Hajj / Pilgrimage

Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the holy sites where their faith was revived. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this earth, Muslims thus refer to it as House of God. The ceremony of Hajj is also symbolic of the Unity of God; all Muslims gather from four corners of the earth in one spot at an appointed time and worship God. There are no difficulties to perform Hajj apart from the obvious financial commitment in order to travel to Mecca. That is the reason why, strictly speaking, Hajj is only obligatory to those who have fulfilled all their worldly needs and have no pressing commitments left and indeed can afford the passage to Mecca.
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5- Fasting / Saum

Along with salat, another important form of worship is fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of God and study the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one's worldly pastimes as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards charity and alms giving.