Kampung Muslimers

Death Penalty More Often Held in Egypt

2010-04-08T00:51:00.000-07:00

CAIRO : Court of Egypt has been carrying out the death penalty with "alarming frequency", as the state's effort to stem the increasing crime rate.

More than 269 people have been subjected to capital punishment in 2009, up from 86 people earlier in the year. Human rights groups said the court apparently acted under government pressure to send a strong message to the public.

"We do not see anything like this for more than 200 years," said Nasser Amin, director of the Cairo Center for Independence of the Judicial and Legal Profession based in Arab. "The numbers are alarming, in one case last year 24 people were sentenced to hang, and the other judges impose the death penalty 10 .."

Egypt has extended the application of the death penalty since President Hosni Mubarak took office in 1981. Previously, the death penalty is limited to murder and crimes against the state, now the number of crimes with the death penalty more than 40 and including drug trafficking, rape and arson.

"Over the last 20 years, every time the regime is facing problems, especially social, he was sentenced to death trying to get it done," said Amin. "A member of parliament has recently proposed a public execution in the Tahrir Square (in downtown Cairo)."

A report released last week by the National Council for the Care and Social Development said about population growth, high unemployment, low wages, and the destruction of family life as the principal cause of crime. It said widespread corruption and lack of faith in the legal system has encouraged many people to take their rights by force.

"People are suffering from despair and frustration that leads to violence," the report said.

"This is prevention, particularly in cases of murder," said Mufid Shehab, minister of state for law and parliamentary affairs, in rapar legislature recently. "The punishment carried out with full guarantees of fair trial on several stages, and the penalty is not carried out until the mufti had been weighed in this case."

Egyptian law requires that the Grand Mufti should be consulted for each sentence. State-appointed religious authority must determine whether the punishment contrary to Sharia (Islamic law), which in the Islamic death penalty exists only in four cases: capital murder, armed robbery, adultery and apostasy.

Opinions are not binding and the mufti of President Mubarak who has the power to forgive or to continue the punishment.

Last June a judge imposed the death penalty for 24 defendants involved in the clashes that erupted due to land disputes in the Wadi Natroun, north of Cairo. Eleven people were killed in a firefight that lasted 48 hours.

"More people are sentenced to death by judges than those killed in the crossfire," said Hafez Abu pickup, chairman of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR). "This is really the wrong decision, because they died in a firefight with each other that this murder was not planned .."

Abu pickup is also concerned with the high level of corruption and negligence in the police and judicial systems of Egypt, which increases the risk of executing innocent people. He cited several recent cases where this is believed to have occurred.

Negad El-Borai, a human rights lawyer, said the Egyptian experience has proven that capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime.

"The Government has imposed the death penalty for drug offenses for more than 20 years, but the actual volume of marijuana distribution (trafficking) is even higher than before," he said. "You can not stop crime by using the death penalty or long prison sentence if you want to solve this problem you must go to the root of the problem."

2050 Half Of Societies IN Europe Are Moeslem

2010-04-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

A film that lasted for 7 minutes to attract nearly 10 million visitors in the internet to view them. "Muslim Demographics" are film titles, there are no pictures of people, only the text contains a list of statistics that appear to shift a row with another dafar, set in black and accompanied by Arabic music. The film is in close with a warning to Christians to act in tackling "the danger of" the growth of Islam in the west.

New-born child
Based on the data seems accurate, the filmmakers try to show that Western culture will be threatened and even destroyed in a short time. For example, to maintain the number of people from any cultural group, the average number of births per family should be valued at 2.11 percent.

According to the film, in 2007 the average birth rate in European Union countries 1.38 percent. In Spain, even 1.1 percent. In Muslim families, the average birth rate is much higher: 8.1 percent. In the Netherlands, said today half of the children of new-born is a Muslim and in 2027 half the population is Muslim.

The film showed pictures Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in words ever spoken. "We do not need terrorists, we do not need suicide bombers. Five thousand million Muslims in Europe would turn the continent into a Muslim continent within a few decades. People who had no fear of Muslim invasion of Europe, now would be scared too."

"We do not need terrorists, we do not need suicide bombers. Five thousand million Muslims in Europe would turn the continent into a Muslim continent within a few decades. People who had no fear of Muslim invasion of Europe, now would be scared too."

But is it true those numbers? January Latten from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), another opinion. "Look, its calculations wrong, but the trend right. Moslem child's birth number would be more than thirty years ago. But quantitatively it was excessive. Currently it can be said about twenty percent of the children, her mother was not a Westerner. But we know also that non-Western mothers who are not all Muslims. Nearly half of Muslims did confess. Of the twenty percent of children whose mothers are not Western people, only half, so the ten percent, are Muslim children. "said Jan Latten

Social conflict
This week the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph also reported data on the Muslim countries of the European Union. The numbers in the past thirty years, supposedly increased two fold and will double again in 2015. Therefore, this paper warns, if there are no good integration process, there will be a massive social conflict.

Is this worrying? Create Amr Khaled, an Egyptian preachers and Muslim activists, this is not a worry. In a movie on Youtube as well, this looks preachers declare a pure joy for the rapidly growing Muslim community in Europe. In a speech he said: "It was stated that the number of Muslims in Europe, between 25 to 30 million people. With a laugh he added:" Muslim children, Europe is not. "

Amr Khalid believes, within twenty years, will become majority Muslim in there (Europe, ed.), And could be consequential to influence European policy. (Aa / RNW)

Hisab Difference Day Mawlid of the Prophet 1431H

2010-04-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

More than 20 manhaj (method) developed in Indonesia reckoning, reckoning there are always differences in the count. The difference in minutes can still be tolerated, but if the difference is the count of degrees it becomes a problem, the more so if the difference in a matter of days.

These differences were a matter of reckoning will happen because the systems and criteria used in determining the early months of each method is not the same. There are two kinds of criteria used by the methods in determining the beginning of the month, the criteria and criteria imkanurrukyah wujudul Hilal.

NU reckoning that is characterized by jama'i penyerasian reckoning method with rukyah approach or by using the criteria imkanurrukyah. Indicators by empirical criteria minimal imkanurrukyah high moon (TH) 2 degrees, the age of the moon (UB) 8 hours, and location between the sun and moon (BA), 3 degrees and in-tashih with rukyah in the field. This method of reckoning penyerasian tahqiqi quality, tadqiqi or 'ashri.

On the basis of the methods, systems and criteria early in the reckoning Robiul Awwal 1431 H fall on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 and 12 Robiul Awwal 1431 H (Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad SAW) fall on Saturday, February 27, 2010 as contained in the almanac NU 2010. NU did not set a month earlier in the day-Awwal Robiul Monday, February 15th, 2010 because the first day (monday evening) when the new moon sunset 0047'18 ", means that do not meet the criteria imkanurrukyah.

Unlike other almanac almanac-use criteria so that the early months of the new moon wujudul Robiul Awwal 1431 H fell on Monday, February 15, 2010 and December 12 1431 H Robiul early fall on Friday, February 26, 2010.

NU almanac almanac differences with others in the past never happened. When the Department of Religious Aqil Munawwar set era for the initial day of the month Dhu al-Hijjah rukyah in 2003, the NU rukyah stipulate that day falls on the next day. When the era of Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basuni set for early Syawwal rukyah day in 2007, NU rukyah stipulate that day falls on the next day and when it set a day for the beginning of the month rukyah Romadhon year 2009, NU rukyah stipulate that day falls on the next day. But these differences can be resolved with rukyah rukyah-organized by the NU managed to see the new moon. If only for the determination day Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad SAW rukyah organized by state, then the right is an almanac InsyaAllah NU which sets the day Prophet Muhammad Mawlid falls on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

It is clear that the difference in days Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad SAW which is 12 Robiul Awwal 1431 H (2010) is because of different criteria.

Such differences matter of reckoning shows that the computation can not be relied upon pooling determination Qomariyyah beginning of the month.

NU develoup The International Education

2010-04-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

Jakarta, NU Online
As one of the important areas of concern, NU has now stepped into the international education development. One of the complex is now tilled is Khadija NU integrated education in Surabaya.

Chairman of the NU Foundation Khofifah Indar Parawansa explain kompeks integrated with an area 14.4 hectares is located in Surabaya Sukolilo PRESTRESSED include level of education from Early Childhood Education (ECD) to Higher Education (PT).

"But our priority is going to college first because we already have international school in another location," he said in a press conference held at the NU building, Tuesday (6 / 10).

Khadija college NU is now 54 years old by 2400 the number of students in four places from early childhood through high school level. There are four elementary schools, two junior and one senior high school level teaching in English. Khofifah explains Khadija School NU is the only international-standard Islamic schools in Indonesia, the equivalent of Gandhi Memorial School, Sekolah Ciputra and others.

"For the high school level, using a system of bilingual, English and Arabic, not English with Indonesia like other schools," he said.

Later on college majors that would open a business, finance, banking and management will also be used in English teaching. Laying the first stone of this college will be conducted before the implementation of the NU-32 conference in January next.

In addition to the campus, this educational complex will be equipped with complete facilities such as guest houses, tennis futsal, swimming pools, mosque, library, housing and others.

Vice-chairman of NU Fathoni Rodhi LP Maarif who also attended the meeting to explain the development of international educational institutions within the NU is the answer to the challenges of international competent human resources.

Currently there are 25 schools already under Maarif NU is already an international standard which are all managed independently, in the sense of not depending on the state budget. Some students from schools Maarif it has succeeded in becoming an Olympic champion in international and wish to continue their education in an international environment that NU.

In order to move the achievement of international standards on educational institutions can be quickly implemented NU, NU will hold a meeting among NU education managers from 14 regions and schools with international standards for sharing of experience in educational management.

The meeting will be held in Surabaya Sukolilo Hajj will take place on 8-9 October 2009 with representatives present from Cambridge, England, Turkey Pasiad, AusAID, Embassy of Japan, America, Australia, the director general of Islamic education and R & D Diknas MORA.

"We hope this meeting can encourage the managers of educational institutions in the NU environment to improve standards at the international level," he explained. (Mkf)

Said Aqil will continue the internationality's Aswaja of NU

2010-04-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

Makassar, Conference
Internationalization programs Islam wal ahlussunnah pilgrims (Aswaja) NU will still be continued by the elected Chairman of the Conference to NU-32 DR KH Said Aqil Siradj. Section, the NU leadership has been go international since Wahid Hasyim Muzadi followed by ICIS.

"We will continue the internationalization of the NU program," he explained in a press conference after the election in Sudiang Hajj Dormitory, Makassar, Saturday (27 / 3).

Internationalization is, he continued, as a concrete effort to remove the negative impression of Islam. Islam in the international world is still often understood as a terrorist. Thus an intense need to socialize, to avoid misinterpretation.

He also guarantee that if Islamic schools NU numbering 14 thousand, it is not a nest of terrorists. "I guarantee, from 14 thousand boarding schools NU is not a terrorist nest," he said.

Depart from the spirit of full boarding schools in which learning is concerned ahlaq diversity, culture, independence, law and others believed would strengthen the power of the NU. "However, the need for revitalization of boarding schools," his determination.

Through the program back to boarding school, he will actualize the yellow books on the lives of present and future. So that identity values NU will be strengthened. Especially now the NU and the Indonesian people are faced with radical Islamic ideas and terrorists. (Was)

PrAy

2009-12-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

O God, forgive us, our parents, our children, our teachers, religion brothers, our friends, the people who love us because of you, the people who do good to us and for the Muslim Women's League, believers and believing, O Lord the ruler of the universe. Thou art the All-hearing prayer. Amen

O God, as You have to maintain our faces from prostrate except to Thee, O God save our faces with the ease of provision and do not you humble us with your narrow provision. So we save ourselves from hunger begging us except to you with mercy and Thy kaunia. O most loving Essence. Amen

O Essence of the All-Living, O Essence constant care of His creatures, by your grace we ask for help, accept our prayer, O Lord Kekalian Nature. Amen

O God, save us from the calamity that Thou dost send, we give favors you, and make us slaves to get good, not the servants who had the test, with Thy grace, O most merciful of the merciful. We have provided spiritual and physical health. Amen

O the All-Gentle, my Lord, forgive me and accept tobatku. Thou art the Most Blessed lahi repent Accept Penyayang.Amin

O God, who released the difficulties, which eliminates sadness, which meet the requests of people who is forced by necessity, the Most Compassionate and the Merciful in the world and the hereafter. Amen

Tolerance is how far we?

2009-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Al Quran teaches us to implement tolerance, social peace, humane treatment, and human compassion, her anger and forgive all people. Allah loves those who do good.

(They are) those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity or in adversity, and those who restrain anger, and mema'afkan (wrong) people. Allah loves those who do good. (Ali Imran 3:134)
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِين

Tolerance begins with self-tolerance, by refraining from holding grudges and hatred and hostility. Instead we must teach ourselves grace, friendship, and peace. We must forgive our parents, relatives, and all our relatives, maintaining blood relationship, because Allah has commanded us to do it all.

We must be generous with our relatives, caring for them, forgive their mistakes, and tolerate the losses they did to us. We must be tolerant and to forgive the members of our community so that if they make mistakes, we will correct them with tenderness and mild advice, given that we are probably the same way they did.

We must send a message of tolerance and peace to the world. We must show concern for other nations `safety and welfare so that they can be assured that we are not going to hurt them. They and we live on the same planet. We have common interests and benefits. As humans, we all have a responsibility to each other.

Here we show the beautiful face of Islam without violence, humiliation, and oppression. He commands us to use the discourse and gentle treatment. Allah forbids us to use terrorism intellectual and tried to control people's minds by force.

We need to show the world that we care about success, happiness, and community life. Prophet Muhammad was sent to bring happiness, not misery to the people, to lead them to salvation, not destruction, to maintain security and their lives, and not kill them, except in the path of truth. Prophet said so in a beautiful and inspired sermons at a time: "You are forbidden to kill one another, take the treasure, and honor. The ban is as sacred as this day, in this month, on this sacred land."

Why do the people in the world of Islam was always seen as the perpetrators of violence? We're always working to do humanitarian work, but why some of us are always considered a threat?

During this time, because we are not really loyal to our religion, we are weak and not ready. We continued scattered, whiny, and primitive when it comes to the material world which they call civilization. Strangers angry and tired with the world and themselves. They were angry with everything, with the people and even with the water they drink and the air they breathe. They like this because they have little knowledge and not able to live in friendship and peace with their communities. They are not able to interact with people and showing or receiving affection.

BE HUMAN ANGELS

2009-09-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Mass in post-flood Jabotabek some time ago a lot of interesting stories and we can make a model, especially for those who do not feel the suffering of people who flooded residence 'uninvited guest', their possessions soaked and dirty and some even carried the current, files and important papers soaked mud mingling somewhere existence, the dark cold night, the children who had a fever, coughing and itchy, supplies dwindling food, water hard to come by, sleep repose it is important to dry , second floor and roof of the house is a place to gather with paforit family and neighbors. Wow ... just complete deh suffering.

At that one day I felt touched by the story of a friend whose house was in one housing complex in Tangerang City 'stop off' the water up to nearly two feet, he recalled that he and his family were grateful for a two-story house, until he was with the children and wife still able to sleep soundly, but he felt the need to learn a lot about the sincerity, patience and resignation to the neighbors call it Pa Hadi, all water terrendam property, a house he owned with a mortgage these decades often be hung when the water customers 'flood season' arrival.

Mr. Hadi is known by neighbors as a devout, he almost never missed berjama'ah at the mosque housing when the azan call, he sat in the front row when there are lectures and social activities. The days of retirement he was decorated with religious and social rituals. Well after yesterday's floods, when a lot of help came in the mosque which is used as post flood, he does not like the neighbors who fought blankets, dry clothes suitable to be used, mattresses, basic food and mineral water. He was just busy with their own affairs with his wife clean up the house of mud and garbage, clean the worn sofas, cabinets, beds and others.

It turned out there who watched the movements of Mr. Hadi's family is, then reported to the post that there are people who can not help and seemed embarrassed to ask for help. Finally, the mosque caretaker brought his own direct assistance mattresses, clothes, groceries and food to the family of Mr. Hadi. He thanked the committee who have been watching. After a few days, there are people who visit to his house, he who was relaxing coffee on the carpet with a dull old and beloved wife. While enjoying coffee and rice pak Hadi mempesilahkan uduk the guest entered and asked his wife made coffee and providing food. The guests are also familiar friend was stunned to discover that the assistance provided post yesterday he did not actually wear and dinner he gave to a neighbor who said more needed and more suffering than he did. He just slept on karepet, because the mattress can no longer be used, while the mattress that he could even be given to other oarang, as well as clothing, daily necessities, food and mineral water. He felt content with what there is to him, he would still be grateful for the health and safety by Allah, Subhan Allah ...

Readers study wisatahati God blessed .. on the same day, God also taught me that indeed we must be grateful and want to see the suffering of our brothers around and do not feel myself alive in this world. Exactly at noon, at the boarding school assemblies Quran Daarul there a mother with small children waiting arms I want a consultation, he came away from Kerawang. Bu Weeping Rice tells of family economic problems, while her husband was seriously ill was that formed the backbone of the family by becoming a carpenter and laborer nyuci uduk selling. There is an interesting story that I think this is learning that God gave in one day told me that there are still many human beings take the angel at the end of this era.

One day he had only five liters of rice to make uduk for sale tomorrow morning, but when daylight came there was his neighbor begged to come with rice loans granted because there is no more to eat, while he was alone with small children, her husband been dead a year. Miss Rice has long recognized the science of charity and alms he regarded as a doping him, he would feel sad if one day he spent without sharing, but life under the standard. So when the tetanga comes, without thinking that he was given rice only five liters to the more needy neighbors. There was no burden in his heart and there is no question in his heart about what he'll eat today and tomorrow will sell anything if there is no rice.

Subhan Allah, in the afternoon, when he finished reading the Qur'an Ba'da ashar prayers, knock on the door on someone who turned out-in-law who has long wanted to visit her husband who was seriously ill. The unexpected and the in-laws with rice as much as twenty-five pounds for a patient in-law are serving their husbands.

Brother may find Mr. Hadi and not the other Rina in episodes of our lives, or maybe we are going to imitate the noble deeds of the human heart is an angel. Inshallah

Salam wisatahati,
Ustadz Ahmad Jameel

FOUR PEOPLE Missed By HEAVEN

2009-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

We believe ... whoever we are, at any of our social strata, prosfesi any of us, wherever we stand on earth would want to be the one to be missed by syurganya Allah SWT. Place in the dream of all the creatures of God, a place that does not sound in which words are useless, pointless and a lie, inside a flowing spring, thrones raised high, glasses of liquor that is located near, cushions set in rows, rugs, carpets, gardens and vineyards, teenage girls the same age. Enggak imagine the beauty of heaven? ....

Prophet Muhammad, said: "Syurga missed four people:

First, people who always read the Qur'an. It seems reasonable if heaven miss this qur'an experts from the world just because they are serviced by God with inner peace, mercy, love, glory and always remembered by Him.

Second, guard your tongue. It spineless tongue but he is more sharp than a sword, its impact will lead to war between husband and wife, between groups, even between the two nations. Negative effects will make people miserable, would eliminate the reward which we make such a fire consuming fuel, will make a fast become empty and futile. But if we keep it, Subhan Allah ... so much pleasure will we achieve, with our oral preaching, by oral bertilawah we, with our verbal supplication.

Third, giving the hungry food. Really, thank Allah (Syakuur) would return the smallest of our kindness to others. When we give drink to the thirsty brother God will give us a drink on the Day of Resurrection, while the people were hit by thirst, When we feed to our brother who is hungry, Allah will give us to eat when hungry people at the end of the day later, when we give clothes to our brother in this world, Allah will give us beautiful clothes while naked people on the day of reckoning later, when we facilitate the business of our brothers who are dihimpit difficulties and problems, be assured that God will facilitate our business from this world. God's help will come to a servant when the servant helps his brother.

Fourth, people who fasted in the month of ramadan. In the month of glorious, blessed, grace, forgiveness is God promised we will release from the fire of hell, the pain of cruel punishment and torment of hell when we fast, and started the night with prayer, and qiro'at any kholwat and worship with only His ridho expect.
When the four charities we are doing this, it seems only natural that our longing for heaven ... Amen
Salam wisatahati,
Ustadz Ahmad Jameel

Life Do not Asleep!

2009-09-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Life Do not Asleep!
by Arvan Pradiansyah, author of You Are A Leader!

Life Do not Asleep!

To be able to enjoy life, the most important thing you need to do is to become AWARE. The essence of leadership is awareness. The essence of spirituality is also a consciousness. Many people who undergo
life in a state of sleep. They are born, grow up, marry, make a living, raising children, and eventually died in a state of sleep.

Analogy is like the people affected by hypnosis. You know where to save money. You also know exactly your pin number. And Andapun give your money to strangers. You know,
but not realized. Therefore, you move like a robot-controlled robot that other people, the environment, position, money, and possessions.

Understanding realized very different from knowing. You know exercise is important for health, but you do not also do so. You know it's wrong memperjualbelikan office, but you enjoy it. You know that can destroy a family affair, but you can not resist the temptation. That's an example to know but did not realize!

There are two things that can make people become aware. First, the bitter events and disasters. Unfortunate fact is blessing in disguise because it can make us wake up and realize. You only realize the importance of health if you are sick. You only realize the importance of exercise if your cholesterol level is concerned. You just realize pleasure of working if you got laid off. A career woman realized that the family is more important after the children exposed to drugs. A taxi driver once told me that he had realized the dangers of gambling after his treasure gone.

Death may be the single biggest stimulus we can jerk. Many famous people died just like that. They're busy memperjualbelikan power, sabotaging each other, fight for position, then suddenly died. Imagine if you were watching a movie. The show is in progress cried when the electricity suddenly went out. Officer cinemas said, Please your home, the show is over! You protest, even wanted to wait until the electricity back to life. But, the guard just said firmly, show's over, the electricity will never live again.

That's the simple analogy of death. The death of people we know, especially our close relatives often bring us to the meaning of life. Death us aware of how short life is, how often we made a fuss about trivial things, and how stupid we hoarded wealth we could not enjoy.

Life is often deceive and lull people. To be a wake up we should be aware of three things, namely who we are, where we came from, and where we will go. For that we need to frequently take a distance from our busy and doing contemplation.

There's an interesting phrase from a French philosopher, Teilhard de Chardin, we are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having experiences of humanity. Human beings are not creatures of the earth but the sky. We are spiritual beings who happened to be occupying our homes on earth. Our bodies are really just temporary home for our souls. Necessary because the body is one of the requirements to be able to live in the world. However, this body will break down over time and ultimately can not be used again. That's when our soul will leave the house to find a more appropriate home. This state we call death. Do not forget, this is not meant to die for our souls never die. The dead are our homes or our own bodies.

Try to absorb the paragraph above you deeply. Our bodies will die, but our souls are still alive. If you realize this, you will not be a human ngoyo and greedy. We do need to live, need food, shelter and other basic needs. When you've achieved all these requirements, that's enough! Why would busy gathering ngumpulka n wealth - especially with abuse of office - if the results can not you enjoy forever. After all, you've ruined your own life by cheating and corrupt. Actually, this is our own soul is eternal.

So, whether we need to experience the events that are so bitter that we are aware? Answer: yes! But if you feel that way too expensive, there is a second way is much easier: Learn to Listen. Listen and learn from the experience of others. Open your eyes and your heart to understand, listen, and question all your thoughts and paradigms. Unfortunately, many people who listen solely to reinforce their own opinions, rather than to get something new that may conflict with their previous opinions. People who like this was still asleep and not yet fully awake.

When the tongue-tied, the writing becomes necessary Pena sharper than a sword Ink learning more noble than the blood of a martyr

agricultural library
nuraulia

.

may be useful for us all .. amen.

may be useful for us all .. amen. "

2 eyes, 2 ears and 1 mouth

2009-09-17T08:08:00.001-07:00

We are born with 2 eyes in front of
we face, because we do not
can always look back. But
look at all the fore,
look at our future.

We are born with 2 ears
on the right and the left, so
we can listen to everything from
two sides. To be able to collect
praise and criticism and to select which
right and wrong.

We are born with brains in
our skulls. So no
anything as poor as we are concerned, we
stay rich. Because there will be no
one person who can steal a brain
us, our thoughts and our ideas.
And what we think the brain
we are far more valuable than
the gold and jewels.

We are born with 2 eyes, 2 ears
but we are only given 1 fruit mouth.
Because the mouth is a weapon that
very sharp, the mouth can hurt,
can kill, can mengoda, and
many other things that are not
fun.
So remember to speak as little as
maybe but look and listen
as much as possible.

We are born with only 1 heart away
in our ribs.
Reminds us of the appreciation and
gift of love expected to come
from liver
Our deepest. Learning to
love and enjoy what we
be loved but never
expect others to
love us
as we love him.

Give love without asking for replies
and you will find the love that
much more beautiful.

http://indrapermana.com/2-mata-2-telinga-dan-1-mulut.html

A prophet is also Enterpreuner

2009-09-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

"Try to Trade, for more than ten parts of livelihood, nine of them resulted from trading."
(Prophet Muhammad.)

Secret of success in trade is an honest and fair in the conduct of trade relations with customers. Holding fast to this principle, the Prophet had given the best example to be a successful trader. Before she married Khadija, Muhammad had been trading as an agent-Khadija-to Syria, Jerusalem, Yemen and other places. In this trade-trade, Muhammad exceeding profit expectations. Not a penny a darkened and not a penny is eliminated by the Prophet.

Many agents who previously worked with Khadija, but no one who works more satisfactory than Muhammad. Messenger has impartiality, integrity, good attitude and the ability to trade outstanding until Khadija fell in love with him. If not for Muhammad's personal extraordinary could not be a rich woman like Khadija ventured to apply for Muhammad.

We already know that trade (entrepreneurship) is the parent of luck. History of the nations in the world also shows how the trade and berniaga, people can become rich and those nations have a very large area worldwide. Thus, trade is a good sign for the welfare of the backbone to obtain wealth. The Prophet once said: "Berdaganglah you, for more than ten parts of livelihood, nine of them resulted from trading."

In the Koran was also emphasized by God: "And we made the day to make a living" (Surat An-Naba ': 11). This is an indication for some form of trade and other activities so that someone can meet the basic needs of day-to-day. God in the Qur'an also provides motivation for trading in the following verse: "There is no sin for you to get the assets from your Lord ..." Bertebaranlah the land and seek the grace of God. "(Surat al-Jumu'ah : 60). "God justifies the sale and forbidden usury." (Surat al-Baqara: 275). The Prophet said: "Looking for halal earning is a mandatory duty."

Abu Bakr as-shidiq, the first Caliph of the first four caliphs have clothing trade. Umar bin Khatab, leader of the faithful of the conqueror of Persia and the Byzantine empire had trading Corn. Usman has owned a dry goods trade. Imam Abu Hanifah has trade fabrics. Great Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb from India to eat from income cups made his own. When the followers of the prophet migrated to Medina the Prophet together, they were advised by the Apostle in order to trade for their livelihood. Many more examples prove that every devout Muhajjir has done various types of trade to meet the daily spend. Wallahua'lam

http://edosegara.blogspot.com/2008/12/nabi-juga-seorang-enterpreuner-seri_31.html

Islam Teaches People to Be Rich

2009-09-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

"Nothing better food than eat from the fruits of his own."
(Narrated by Bukhari)

Success is a goal almost every person. As a Muslim we all must have dreams and desires to become a successful person in the world and the hereafter. Success in the world that is of course is the affluent life rich alias. Success in the hereafter is certainly going to heaven. Some people work well in his work until the success of his life decorating. While others failed miserably, even if only for a fraction of realizing his ideals.

Essence we need to know is that every person who was serious, then he will get it. Because it is impossible in this world of money just fall from the sky or in other words, without great effort and intelligent impossible bin magic we can achieve success. Because many people who want quick success but in ways that pragmatic even by justifying all sorts of ways.

The majority religion in Indonesia is Muslim, maybe even the world. But if we look at the current reality of Muslims are still a lot of poverty-stricken. Even in Indonesia, Muslims are just as consumers are always treated to goods from other nations. Not to mention the influence of negative foreign culture into the daily consumption of this nation. So far, we are not aware always fooled by the Western people. This condition is exacerbated by young children who often went along with Western culture.

A very prominent problem today is the low economic level of Muslims. Also another problem that affected the Muslim community is a mistake in the practice Islamic teachings. These errors primarily caused by errors in the practice Islamic teachings. Was mainly due to errors in interpreting the errors of Islam. Generally understood by the majority Muslims and even more devout they are, do not touch the demands of economic progress in the world. Namely, the teachings of the core away from the hustle and bustle of mundane and focus on form keakhiratan worship God purely horizontal.

The application is very contradictory teachings of Islamic teachings which teach his followers to pursue prosperity in the world and the hereafter: "Look at what God has given to you (happiness) in the Hereafter; and do not forget your share of (enjoyment) of the world. Do good (to others) as Allah has done good to you. Do you do mischief on earth. (Surat al-Qasas: 77)

Welfare explained hereafter have a lot of God in the Qur'an. While good in the world is not able to escape from the realization of the quality of life that includes the welfare of the property. Obviously poor, backward, ignorant, and the like are not will be called good or qualified in their life. All this does not become the Islamic ideals doctrinally. We know the Prophet at the age of 25 years while married Khadija dower 20 camels that if we rupiahkan currently about half a billion dollars. Something extraordinary for a young Muhammad when it was a young executive who was rich. What about us? Wallahua'lam

http://edosegara.blogspot.com/2008/12/islam-mengajarkan-umat-menjadi-kaya.html

When Calamity Strikes

2009-09-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

What to do when we hit adversity? Most people complain, anger, and blame others. Actually, it does not help troubles. No matter how often we complain, trouble will not go away from us. We all have to prove it.

Complaining just mengarahan focus our thoughts on the negative. Our negative energy will only increase and this further damage and mental health. Should, when negative things happen to us, focus our minds kpada things positive that enlarge the soul.

Step # 1: Call Greatness of God

Hadith Ibn `Abbas.: That the Prophet. when crushed Troubles, he prayed: "No God but Allah, the Most Great, Clement, there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Throne nan Own Great, there is no god but Allah, Lord of all heaven, God's earth and God's Throne nan Honor". (Saheeh Muslim, No.4909)

When we remember the greatness of God, then no matter how big our problems must be small in the presence of Allah SWT. This will enlarge our souls. We will not be dwarfed in the face of adversity again that befall us. If we have bebesar hearts, then we will think big and act we will be able to overcome all difficulties.

Step # 2: the third night Berdo'alah

If the remaining third of the night Allah 'Azza wajalla the heavens down to earth and said: "Are there people who say to me will Kukabulkan? Is there anyone who beristighfar Me will Kuampuni his sins? Are there people who beg for my bread will Kuberinya provision? Are there people who beg freed from the difficulties experienced to handle problems? "That is (valid) until arriving at dawn (dawn). (Narrated by Ahmad)

When we remember the greatness of God, followed by the prayer juncture, God willing, our troubles will soon disappear. We already have a great spirit and we have hope because of our prayers will be granted by Allah SWT.

Step # 3: Helping People in hardship.

Whoever wants to do'anya granted and difficulties he must overcome to help people in hardship. (Narrated by Ahmad)

Often we say, "How to help others, we ourselves need help?"

Instead, by helping others that we will get help from God. We will avoid trouble if we avoid the difficulties of others.

Hopefully me and you, we all become servants of God who always remember the greatness of God, offer prayers in the third night, and trying to help people in the narrowness of the best we can. Amen.
> tukar

Changing Yourself First

2009-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we want things went well. We hope that other people, the environment, and events in accordance with our wishes. We expect the changes happening in the outside world other than yourself. And it will never be, as hoped pepesan empty.

"You know, actually exists in the body a piece of meat, good meat if it is good also the entire body and if damaged it also damaged the entire body, know that a piece of meat is the heart." (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Everything was going well is not by changing our world, but rather by changing our hearts first. Success, failure, or any circumstances that surround us is a reflection of our hearts. If we want to change what is outside ourselves, we first have to change what is within us.

Begin to change our hearts, a heart that just wish to God. The intention of what we wanted and prayed that prayer from the inmost heart. As mentioned in the hadith, we would get according to what we intend, and our prayers will be answered if we believe in our prayers. This belief in the hearts berbada.

"Every person will get the appropriate intention". (Bukhari, Muslim)

When you pray do not say, "O Allah, forgive me if you wish, have mercy on me if you want and give me luck if you want." Be ye plead with all sincerity for God to do all that pleases and there is no compulsion to Him. (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)

Make our hearts be filled with hearts of gratitude. Logically, how can we get something new if we can not accept the old. Enjoy what we already have, inevitably favors others will follow.

And (remember) when your Lord announced: "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you, and if you deny (My favor), then My punishment is very painful". (Surah Ibrahim: 7 )

If we expect others, the environment, and events changed in accordance with our desires, we will be exhausted without success. Characteristics of people who like this are usually or always say "I wish ...". For example, "If the opportunity comes to my face". "If my boss understands."

Forget the words in case. Begin to organize the liver, the heart began to change all that exists outside of ourselves will change. Do not spend the time to expect someone to give a chance. Look for opportunities themselves. Do not expect others to always understand ourselves, we begin to understand other people.

From : Motivasi Islami

The Power of Love

2009-09-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

"Why after attending a seminar motivation, motivation does not last long?" In another article I have discussed that it may decrease motivation. Expected permanent motivation, is the first mistake. The second reason is that we will lose motivation if we only expect motivation from the outside. For the strongest motivation comes from yourself.

In many NLP books mentioned that there are only two motivating factors that pursuing pleasure and avoiding suffering or pain. But if I kerucutkan again, there is only one motivating factor, that is love. The greater our love, the greater the motivation to get up.

Look, many desperate people to commit suicide because of broken love. This illustrates that love has the power to move us, even for things that bad and unreasonable. Maybe you have a lot of listening to stories of love trash, anything done "for love".

Joe Vitale realized the power of love as the primary motivator when he saw the movie 50 First Dates (2004) (First date 50) which describes the efforts of a man who every day try to make seroang women fall for him. Business is done every day, because the idol girl have memory capable of remembering only 1 day. This is just one of several love stories in movies.

You can use the power of love is to gain self-motivation. Of course, not limited to the love of the opposite sex, but love other things too. When you love your job, you will have enough motivation at work. Look pemasin football, in the middle of a tight schedule, they still enjoy playing in the field, because they love the profession as pesebak ball.

However, there is the strongest love. When you do not have this love, so you've wasted your life. This is the greatest love, which motivates the mujahideen on the battlefield. Not afraid to die, not afraid of pain, fear nothing, for the sake of this love. Is no other love, the love of God.

Because the work is part of worship. So did the business is part of worship. And, as worship is our love for God, then our business work and also is the embodiment of our love for God. Should, when we work and business, we will have a high motivation.

Have?

Let us pancangkan our intention, that the work of our business and to worship. Let us fertilizer our consciousness, that business and our work is one manifestation of our love for God.

Is there a feeling our love for God? If you feel less, then our faith must be increased again. For the love of God is only owned by those who believe.

As for those who believe, really, really love to God. (Surat al-Baqara: 165)

http://www.motivasi-islami.com/artikel/motivasi-diri-kekuatan-cinta/

The Power of Termites

2009-09-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

You know the termites? Termites are small animals that eat the wood used. Termites are known as pests that can damage our homes, our home at least material made of wood. Strength of termites was incredible, a large building could be destroyed by these small animals. But not only is it strength. Besides having the power to damage, termites also have the power to build.

Termites have the power to build a nest complete with Air Conditioning systems plus its a nice layout with a height up to 9 meters. This is a remarkable achievement for the termite's body alone has only a high of about 3 mm only. This means that termites are able to build his home up to 3,000 times her height.

While humans, with various equipment and materials advanced, until now not been able to build a building with a height of up to 1,000 times the height. Until now the tallest building which has made a new man to a height of about 1000 meters.

How termites could build such a high place? There are two lessons we can get from termites:
They work together in building the nest. Small and weak body could be overcome by working together. Working together to make them a powerful force both in destroying and building.
They work by instinct, which is the nature that God gave to these creatures. They have no knowledge of architecture. They do not have knowledge with air conditioning and spatial. They never lectures how preserve food. They are able, because they live in nature.

Human beings should have the ability to far more devastating to lose that ability because it is caused by two things.

The first, if someone is no longer willing to cooperate with fellow brothers. Arrogance and pride prevented them to work together so that the results obtained are not optimal. "I can, I'm great, and I am able. Why cooperate? "People who say this are those who lose a lot of potential for success in life.

The second lesson, many people who are far from nature. They live in their own way. Ways produced by reason alone that was weak and flawed. And we have a way of life consistent with human nature because of the way life is created by our Creator. Way of life is the Qur'an and Hadith of the Prophet.

Hopefully, through this gemblengan month of Ramadan, we all return to our original nature (Idul Fitri) and has a high social life. Thus we can restore our true potential, both for the success of the world and the hereafter. Amen

Two Life-Changing Sentences

2009-09-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

An author and trainer, Gerry Robert, see a world expert Bob Proctor thought. Gerry Robert, although a trainer who already has a large income, is still willing to learn to others. There are two sentences that obtained Gery painful when met Bob Proctor, and this is the 2nd sentence changed my life forever Gery.

Begins with a question from Bob Proctor

"How much income you the largest ever accomplished?"

With pride, Gerry mentions a figure which includes large numbers.

"I have a $ 100,000 annual income."

Bob Proctor says,

"That's Trash ..."

Of course, Gerry unbelievable shock and tried to defend herself. How could that much money is rubbish? And among my friends Gerry nobody had that much income.

Said Bob Proctor,

"Earnings should you can get in just 1 month!"

Of course, Gerry defended himself by arguing

"I'm still a beginner pack, not as good as you. So earnings were great for me. "

What would Bob Proctor?

"You bastard!"

Bob continued,

"Anyone who rejects the idea that having mental problems. I make money for it ($ 100.000/bulan) 15 years ago. And you are against me. People like that I call a jerk. "

Gerry grew silent. But that does not mean cranky or hate Bob. But the words that will revive real potential.

The result?

Gerry had become a millionaire. Gerry income to $ 1,000,000,000.

[Quoted and translated from the Millionaire Mindset: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Income. Works Gerry Robert]

Do not Like Donkey or More Severe

2009-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the saying "Only a donkey that fell into the same hole twice." This proverb is an expression of ignorance someone who does not want to take advantage of the same mistakes. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad. forbid us to behave like an ass from the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah ra.: From the Prophet., he said: A believer can not fall twice in the same hole. (Saheeh Muslim, No.5317).

How in reality? It turned out much worse, namely those who fall multiple times on the same hole, more than twice. On the other hand, many people feel have never dropped and he was smart. And he did not fall because he was in the hole, so do not fall again, unless there is a hole in the hole.

The first case can occur with three possible

1. He never learned from previous mistakes. People like the type of person who does not want to use reason and do not want to learn. He will focus blame other people or circumstances than to find the root pemasalahan always there in him.
2. He did not know the mistakes that will be undertaken. Usually if the cause of error does not appear, it often happens if the disease is in mindsetnya. He may do perbaikian, but not the mindsetnya, then the repairs would be in vain.
3. He knew his mistake but did not make changes. There are people like this, sometimes I am confused to explain it. "Sama is a rich man sich gini?" Maybe, just being lazy. Another cause of misunderstanding is the destiny, he said if he lived like it was destiny. Nothing can be changed.

The second case is a real person he was in the hole. He did not feel down because it already exists under the hole. The reason for not realized that she was under. Why was not aware of? Perhaps because of the lack of insight. He thought he had a good life and reasonable so as not to move.

To avoid that we do not become like an ass or even worse then we need to continue to improve. Began to increase knowledge, skills, and the most important is our mindset. Never be enough, because it was a loss. Make today better than yesterday.
http://www.motivasi-islami.com/artikel/jangan-seperti-keledai-atau-lebih-parah/

The Small Children Talk with God

2009-09-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Small Children Deal with God
O people embrace the world.
The world is not eternal, day and night full of falsity and futility
Be membelenggumu leave the world,
So you can immediately embrace paradise paradise
If you're looking for eternal heaven thy dwelling, then you should not feel safe from the heat of the fires of hell

Narrated by Sheikh Abdul Wahid bin vol Zabad, "One day when we were in an assembly, we decided to prepare themselves for battle. At the time I ordered my friends to read the verses of the Qur'an. Then the assembly was a man who read the verse that reads,

"Verily Allah has purchased of the believers, themselves and their property by providing for their paradise. They fight in the way of Allah and they kill or be killed. "(TQS. At-Tauba: 111).

Afterward boy is a teenager who was about 15 years up and see me, he had left his father died and left a legacy for him in very much. Then he said, "O Sheikh Abdul Wahid, actually I dihadapanmu testify, I'll sell my property with the soul and heaven." He would spend all his money. All dishodaqahkannya except horses, swords and bekalnya. When he came out into battle, he was in the front guard. Our trading profit because we have been dealing with God, then kaami begin the journey. He walked with us and I saw if he fasted during the day and night he used to bermunajat to God. He served us and gave us food hewanphewan vehicle. He took care of us while we slept until we reached the enemy area. At that time, he suddenly got up and screaming, "How I'd like to meet with pleasure springs (al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah)." Hear our cry to him and I asked him, "O my beloved, What is al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah? ". Then the teen boy replied, "When we're lay down, suddenly I saw as if someone had told me that dating and I went to see al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah. Then he led me into a lake. And suddenly I really was in the edge of a lake adorned with various gems and jewelry. Beauty I can not describe. Then there are many angel beautiful and when they saw me, they smiled as she, said, "This is a potential husband al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah." They said, "we all are the servants and attendants, please lord continued to ahead. "
Then I walked to the front, without the feel of a sudden I came to a lake where the water in the form of milk and it never changed tidap. The lake is situated in a garden full of beauty. Subhanallah. There are lots of beauty is also an angel who makes me amazed when I saw them. They smiled at me, they said, "Truly this is the future husband al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah." Then I said, "Salaam alaikunna, is there any of you, including al-'aina' al-mardhiyyah?" They said, " wa 'alaika As-salam, O beloved of God, we are not al-'aina' al-mardhiyyah, we are servants and aides, master walk forward. Then I stepped my foot again, suddenly reached me in a lake where the water is Khamer, not like in the heady world, but he has a very good taste. Subhanallah. Tepa lake in a row is also an angel who greeted and greeted with a smile. I say hello to him and asked if among them are al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah. They answered with the same answer as in the lake before. "Walk straight ahead sir." Then I go on and reached me in a very beautiful place where I found a lake of water in the form of pure honey. Houris in place has a very pretty face and shining and her face I will not forget. I was greeted with a greeting and asked about al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah as previously. They replied, "O beloved of God, we are not al-'aina al-mardhiyyah, we are just servants and assistants. Walk forward, O my lord. "Finally, for the umpteenth time I walked into a show place that they reached me in a place where there is a small house that the building is made of beautiful white pearls. In front of the door there was a very beautiful angel who wears jewelry that beauty and beauty I can not imagine. He smiled at me, then he called to the inhabitants of the tiny house, "O Al-'aina al-mardhiyyah, your husband was dating." Come, O Lord, Thou has been awaited by al-'aina al-maedhiyyah. After I entered the beautiful little house, I saw an angel who is very, very beautiful and so graceful was sitting on the bed and decorated with carved gold. He was wearing a crown decorated with a diamond yaqut dn. I was very impressed when looked at. He said, "congratulations dating, O Beloved of Allah, the Merciful Essence. Really soon you will come to us. "Then I went to him and intended to hold her. But, then he said, "Wait a minute, you will not be able to hug, because you still have the spirit of life." At that moment I jumped and I can not wait to meet him until I wake thee, O abdul wahid.

Sheikh Abdul wahid continued, "Our conversations have not been completed, a sudden came a bunch of enemy soldiers who attacked us and soon the young man greeted them with a brave and agile sword swung to and fro, and finally he could knock the enemy 9 killed in his hand. We managed to beat and expel them. After that we heard a shout quietly but very clearly in our ears "of al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah." I was approached and toward the sound of it turned out I found a young man's bloody. He smiled broadly as he said. "O Abdul Wahid al-'aina 'al-mardhiyyah has really picked me up, Subhanallah." Finally he had died as a martyr,' God. He has been really dealing with God. May God meridhoinya. Hopefully we can take the wisdom and lessons of this story and the people who actually deal with God. With a commerce that will never lose and actually profit by His Paradise. Amen.
(www.mentorplus.multiply.com, Spiritual Motivator, N. Faqih Sharif H)

Intelligence confront and overcome adversity

2009-09-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Adversity Quotient
Intelligence confront and overcome adversity

Smile and be glad in all the gifts today. Does not the sun still shining? Did the birds still sing? Do not we still free to enjoy all the blessings in this nature?

Buddy, have you ever felt life was so scary? Life was not leaving anything other than excessive anxiety to the possibilities that will happen? Money to live a little, while the income is uncertain? The difficulty comes repeatedly whack your soul. Have you experienced this?
That's called adversity (adversity) is very familiar with life! The higher the level of difficulty we're dealing with, the greater the lessons that can be observed. Allah says in the Qur'an Ash-syrah letter paragraph 5:
"Because really, hardship is a convenience."
Buddy, we need to do is one, strengthen your fighting power! Continue to follow step heartstrings the most in, as long as innocent and not Haram keep moving. Set your soul to always focus on the blessings and glory of life. Remember my friend, would still many blessings that we're grateful.

Narrated there was a young man who is still healthy and strong, but every day the work is always complaining and complaining in this life. Failure after failure has repeatedly whipping him. One day when he kept mendumel with complaints. He met an old man who maimed her hands but the old man still working for a living with a sprightly and enjoy life with gratitude. Hearing the young man who continued to complain, the grandfather asked, "O thou young man, if for example there are people asking one hand, and you are given 1 billion. Give thou ". "Certainly not, sir". Then the grandfather went on the question, "When combined 1 billion, but both hands was taken to be 2 billion. You do not Kasihkan what? "No replied the young man. "If everything's added another 10 billion but both hands, both feet, and both eyes and ears taken. You give what is not? "Yes I will. No. What I crazy?. "Lha. O young men think and ponder try it you still got everything. Compare with me who had no arms. So be thankful! Do not Despair!. "Said the grandfather as he passed and continued his work selling newspapers. The young man was aware of terbengong and valuable capital that has been given by Allah. Since then he was no longer complaining and sighing every want to despair, he remembered the advice of the old man missing.

My friend, let us ask our souls and minds.
• Are we still free oxygen?
• Are we still see?
• Are we still able to hear?
• Are we still able to read?
• Are we still able to walk?
• Are we still can tersenyun?
• Are we still healthy?
• Are we still able to eat?
• Do we still have a loved one?

My friend, if most of the answers above is YES and Yes and Yes Yes Yesss. Congratulations and thanks so because there are many others not so lucky and glad kita.Tersenyumlah buddies on all the gifts today. This is the essence of a living intelligence to surpass obstacles. A determination and heart to continue to climb, although the two footprints like cut thorns and sharp knives.
According to Dr term. Paul G. Stoltz Climber bertype be one of a group of people who all his life to climb. The climb is self-improvement and life continued. These groups are always thinking about the possibilities and never let umur.kesehatan, gender, etc. as a barrier to the challenges posed pendakian.Menyambut, felt very confident in something greater than themselves, believe that everything can and will be done, they continued to work smart in his life.

My friend, we are having trouble? Again, thanks! That means we are given the opportunity to hone back sensitivity, sharpness, and our intelligence. Did not we already have the power of survival and could survive until now, one of them because we have many challenges of life in the past? Accept all shades of life that came over to us with full sincerity. Blessed! Life is a matter of choice. Whatever happens outside of ourselves will not fade and the fighting spirit of our lifetimes, as long as we can interpret it correctly. And we can see from the perspective of a true and enlightening. "You can coplain because roses have Thorns, or you can rejoice because Thorns have roses." (You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.).
Keep the spirit! Tegapkan body! Look at life with meaning. Every dark berakhir.karena would actually be there after the ease of difficulty. Do not Give Up!
(Spiritual Motivator-Faqih N. Sharif H, www.mentorplus.multiply.com or www.fikrulmustanir.blogspot.com)

Get The Real of Independence

2009-09-12T09:28:00.001-07:00

Gain Independence Hakiki with Islamic Shariah!

Perhaps we've forgotten, how many times we've celebrated our independence. However, we really really independent? The answer: No!

Economically, it is clear we are still colonized. Economic policies we still refer to Western Capitalism. Our economic dependence on countries outside the Western capitalist can. The most striking is the foreign debt continued to grow and become a burden passed on from generation to generation.

Politically, we are still colonized. The proof, that our political system embraced, namely democracy, again derived from the colonial capitalist state. Tragically, democracy becomes a tool for the Western colonizers to ensure its interests.

See also our laws. Almost be called is still dominated by colonial laws.

In addition, poverty is a common disease of the people; famine and malnutrition occur everywhere. State also has not succeeded in freeing people from ignorance. Be more complete people's suffering.

People are also still not safe. Murder, abuse, and crime became a daily menu of Indonesian people. Not only is not safe from each other, people are also not safe from their rulers. The relationship of the people and rulers like antarmusuh relationship. Land of the people evicted in the name of development. Evicted street vendors here and there with enforcement reasons. Employers are not safe with so many wild and obligation quote bribe here and there. The Islamic activists are also not safe calling the truth of Islam; they could be kidnapped at any time and accused of being terrorists.

Why do we still have not truly independent from colonialism? The answer is simple: we still use the system from invaders, namely capitalism. We also still believe in the authorities, politicians, and intellectuals who became colonial stooge.

Therefore, the key so that we can truly escape colonialism are two: (1) escape from the capitalist system in all areas; (2) do not trust the authorities and politicians who became accomplices of capitalist countries.

Of course, not simply break away from the capitalist system. As a solution, we must apply the rules of Islam in all of our lives. Only with the Shari'a Islam is we can escape from the colonial rules. Only with the Islamic Shari'a also we can achieve state goals.

Syariah Law will be applied by the Islamic Khilafah will ensure the welfare of the people because the economic policy of Islam is to ensure the basic needs of each individual people. More than basic needs (primary), the state also will provide facilities to the people to obtain secondary and tertiary needs. So, do you imagine that the Islamic Shari'a upright, you may not have a BMW or a nice house. Of course, obtained from a lawful manner.

State will guarantee the people with the vital needs such as free health, free education, and ease of transportation. Islamic Caliphate will also guarantee the security of the people by applying the law firm.

Frequent objection to return to the Islamic Shari'a. They are pro-capitalist colonizers often cite the progress the United States and other Western countries of a prosperous, secure, and the progress of science and technology for implementing the capitalist system. Then came a cynical statement, if by capitalism can prosper and progress, why should the Islamic Law?

They forgot, capitalism has a fundamental flaw. First, the system does not soothe the soul of Capitalism. Indeed, the capitalist countries have shown great progress in the field of physical culture of science and technology, but their social lives destroyed destruction. Spiritual thirst, breakdown of the family, until the symptoms of loneliness is a social disease which is rampant there.

Second, the triumph of capitalism is a system of physical culture is built on the suffering people of other countries that they colonized. Did not hesitate to fight a country they were to exploit the country's natural wealth. An example is Iraq. They also impoverish other nations through foreign debt trap, the dominance of the dollar, and foreign investment more profitable West. For the economic interests, they make various wars. Not surprisingly, in areas of natural wealth, usually where they create conflict. Examples are in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Central Asia, and Indonesia, in Aceh, for example.

In contrast, in the Islamic system, the progress of science and technology and other physical development of its material can be achieved, but also soothe the soul. Because Islam allows people to adopt advanced science and technology from anywhere, even encourages states to control and develop; no other for the purposes of serving the community and spread the message of Islam to jihad. Naturally, if upheld in the Islamic period, Muslims excelled in science and technology. It happened in the Khilafah. At the same time, their hearts of heart-felt peace, because Islam is built on Islamic theology that satisfy reasonable and in accordance with human nature.

Daula Islamic Khilafah does not have an economic motive to exploit the natural wealth of the country subject to Islam. Daula Islamic Khilafah will prosper all the people; both the people who conquered or the conquered, Muslim or non-Muslims.

Finally, this is obviously not owned by the capitalist system, the pleasure of Allah swt. With the Islamic system, the people, in addition to getting happiness in the world, also will get happiness in the Hereafter, because they've done something that God approves of his running Shari'a. That's true independence will be achieved only by way of establishing Islamic law in the shade of the Khilafah Islamiyah. Allahu Akbar! [Farid Wadjdi]
http://fikrulmustanir.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

Get The Real of Independence

2009-09-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Key of Happy World and the Hereafter

2009-09-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

My friend, happiness is something we are looking for in this life is even our destiny. Are not all our lives are always looking for something better? Many people who seek happiness, but never could. This does not mean that happiness is hard to find. In fact, happiness is being very close to us. Which makes it difficult to find happiness is because we are often fooled by something that "disguised" as happiness

Buddy, Do you know who that is often disguised as happiness? This is called fun. Many people confuse happiness with pleasure. The pleasure is temporary. Fun can be achieved from the things that are physical. This results in satisfaction, but satisfaction produced would not last long.

Happiness is dependent on physical pleasure is not stable; one day, the happiness that you feel, the next might not. Ketika memilih “kesenangan” dan menganggapnya sebagai “kebahagiaan”, itu artinya kita sudah berjalan ke arah yang berbeda dengan jalan kebahagiaan. Therefore, the further enjoyment, our precisely farther from the road of happiness.

When someone will do corruption, he must be driven by the desire to live better, to live more comfortably, to achieve happiness. Actual corruption of people who seek happiness, but he did not realize that what is in front of his eyes it was not happiness. He did not know that is currently dealing with "fun". He had seen the "fun" as "happiness". People who cheated on the same. These people also are those who seek happiness. When he saw the opposite sex is exciting, looming in their eyes is a joy when they get it. They also do not realize that standing in front of them is not happiness, but joy and pleasure masquerading as happiness.

My friend, always the good road ends in happiness, while the road of pleasure often ends in misery. Happiness is what we do and achieve all things in accordance with keridhoan Allah SWT and Allah will keridhoan achieved if we do everything by command and His prohibitions. That's what makes our hearts calm and peace of mind. The higher the level of peace of mind, the greater the peace that we feel, the greater our ability to enjoy a happy life.

The happy people are those who can break down and answered correctly where we come from? (Who created us?), To what we live?, And where we want to go back after living in this world? . The happy people are those who can be at peace with himself, with others, and by Allah SWT.
My friend, Valentino Dinsi in his book Secrets 8, Eight secret world happiness and akherat mention as to reach happiness after every prayer that we sing and the prayers they say a prayer sweep the universe, namely:

and among them there are people who bendoa: "Lord We Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of hell "[*].( TQS. Al-Baqarah 201)

[*] This is the prayer that the best for a Muslim.

So what should we do to achieve happiness and akherat world?

1. Power of Intention: Everything was moved from intention. With the strong intention to move in the direction of thought and action goals that we want. The more sincere, strong and faster intentions ikhlasnya also directs thought and action to the goal. Prophet Muhammad emphasized "O mankind! Indeed every charitable act (action or action) depends on the intention. And someone will get (the result) according what is intended. "(Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim)
2. Strength Benediction: Jalaludin Rumi once said "Everything is within you. Ask by yourself. "In the Divine Hadith mentioned God said:" Those who pray to me, would be Kukabulkan, and Who's begging to me, would I give, and who ask forgiveness in me would have kuampuni. " If we never ask, then we will never accept it, many people ask for something, but then hesitated, so what is there, not really manifested. Energy occurs unconsciously 'resistance' due to his uncertainty.
3. Strength Dhikr: God provides a way to soothe our hearts and minds through dhikr. Fervently in dhikr, making the heart becomes calm. With our strong remembrance of God's presence measakan. Ihsan. Not imagine his substance, but His presence. Visual motion of the universe is a reflection of the presence in a solemn dhikr Nya.Dengan God gives grace to us and it can be calm and a way out of what we want. Provision could also unexpected. Allah says:

Therefore, remember you told me I would have remembered (also) to [*], and give thanks to Me, and do not deny (delicious) My. (TQS. Al-Baqarah 152)

[*] Means: I bestowed mercy and forgiveness, and I tell you.

4. Iman and Takwa Strength: The Faith and Takwa strength, God will open the way out of something that previously we did not duga.Sesungguhnya only those who believe and who receive guidance merakalah lucky person. Power of Faith and Takwalah really move the universe or abbreviated Mestakung support. With faith and fear Allah will bestowed the blessings of heaven and earth can read the verse. Al-A'raaf 96, was given a way out and the provision of unexpected read QS-Thalaq Ath 2, obtaining happiness in the country akherat see Ali-Imran verse 15.
5. Power of Gratitude: The promise of Allah is always right. If we give thanks in all circumstances, God will add His blessings on us. Please read QS. Ibrahim verse 7. Muhammada Prophet SAW is a model example of the best and the grateful people. He is a pious person. And he was free from sin and guaranteed to go to heaven. But he remains so strong spirit and his efforts in worship to Allah. The reason he is the worship part of his gratitude. If the Ma'shum Prophet just like that of worship, the form of gratitude, then what about us who are not prophets, not the person who preserved from sin? Should even more and harder efforts serve as a manifestation of our gratitude to Him.
6. Strength Alms: Alms is an eternal investment with a priceless returns. We give credit to God, then the loan is returned by God with a double advantage. Not only benefit the world, but in akherat. Many of the promises of God are mentioned in al-qur'an as in Al-Baqarah verse 245 and Surah al-Baqarah 261. Saw.pernah Prophet said; "Fear the fire of hell if only with a date." Look mate, berinfak greatness! Half a date can save you from hell fire. So what else are we waiting for? Come on buddy, let us berinfaq!
7. Strength Tahajjud: tahajud Prayer was not only makes a person who did get the Station (place) in Allah's praise. Please read Surah al-Isra 'verse 79 but also very important for health and medical world. Please read the book or the research results of Prof. Doctor Desertasi. Mohammad Sholeh, lecturer at IAIN Sunan Ampel S-3 courses in Fak. Medical UNAIR sby he said, "If you do this on a regular basis, correct, humble, and sincere, you shall be free from infection and cancer."
8. Strength mujahadah or totality act and resignation to God. With the totality of acts, each person will be capable of achievement with excitement, then for sure will restore self-esteem. This shows the importance of work ethic through a life full of sincerity and hard work without the familiar despair. If this disinergikan the resignation will be born and private ynggul tough to remain based on the value of wisdom. Is not Allah said:
.. "Then when you have resolved, then put thy trust in God. Truly Allah loves those who trust in Him. "(TQS.Ali-Imran 159).
Buddy, as the cover of this short article, remember that we live in this world only to worship and serve Him. The world is akherat fields where we sow and plant the seeds of goodness in akherat Insha Allah we will get the reward goodness. Hail Strikes and Extraordinary! Never Give Up! Allahu Akbar!

(Spiritual Motivator - N. Faqih Sharif H, www.mentorplus.multiply.com or www.fikrulmustanir.blogspot.com)

The Power of Gratitude

2009-09-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

"If ye are grateful, certainly we will add (favors) unto you, and if you deny (My favor), then My punishment is very painful."
(TQS.Ibrahim: 7)

Pal, sincere gratitude is a component of the first and most important. Because it is necessary to understand its meaning and done correctly. Many people are still wrong in applying gratitude. Humans also tend to be difficult to be grateful and enjoy what was on hand because it is always expected that did not have. That's because the current work is the mind and not her heart. As a result, in addition to hard to be grateful, too easy to complain. And unfortunately, when we complained it did with a vengeance. Really felt. Remember, the strength of feeling vibration far greater than the power of the mind, so with that what we are complaining about is what often comes to us.

My friend, the best way to be grateful is to recognize and appreciate the pleasure in the slightest to live everyday life as expressed in the words of gratitude to God. Whatever is happening, good or bad, should all be lived and enjoyed and utilizing an optimal potential for our devotion to Allah.

Buddy, thanks also affects the peace of mind. Because in essence, gratitude is to remember Him Who is Giving. He is the Merciful. He is the Most everything. And by continuing to remember all the greatness of God that we can find peace of mind.

My friend, what have you have is a drop of hope that will give birth spirit, then a drop of hope became a key power of prayer. If we appreciate what good there, then Allah will increase our pleasure. This is the promise of God as the word of God that we write an article on the letter at the beginning ibrahim paragraph 7. Need we recall that the additional pleasure will not come by itself. Therefore, gratitude must be active, which is always accompanied by the process. Among the basic techniques in the process of active gratitude:
• grateful for what you have, do not be shy and continue to develop what you have.
• grateful for the slightest and always make improvements, God willing, will come new innovations.
• Heal the habit argued, set and move toward your goal, focus toward the target.
• Looking at the disaster, failure, and disasters as a form of attention and love of God.
• Always assume good faith on Allah.
• Always look at from the point of view and a good side, because everything is there lesson.
• Willing to learn from the rank below, to learn the factors that affect the business and your prayers. Convinced that the efforts and prayers were answered and the patient with terkabulnya prayer.

Buddy, as the cover of this brief article I need to sentence one of the wonders of gratitude from the findings Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist famous. Based on research results mentioned that if we are grateful or thankful in the presence of water, the water molecules form a crystal of beautiful and fascinating. 75% of our body consists of water, and a brain comprises 74.5% water. Darahpun mengadung 82% water. Even keraspun bone contains 22% water. Subhaanallah how great the human body if every second, minute, and the clock is always decorated with gratitude sentence. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil'alamin.
(Spiritual Motivator - N. Faqih Sharif H, www.mentorplus.multiply.com or www.fikrulmustanir.blogspot.com)

Fragrance Of Ramadhan

2009-09-03T00:24:00.000-07:00

Even-numbered calendar year is lunar walk, plastered on the front of the eye, smell the fragrance of Ramadan. The smell of each year will always be until the end of time. The smell of pain-relieving pain in ramadhan where everything will be easy to be abolished, a time long enough when used as mesthinya to reflect and get closer to the Creator. Hopefully you do not pass ramadhan leave myself in remorse mencumbuimu not intimately.

Perhaps only people with a certain level of clairvoyance that can find and enjoy the month of ramadan is more perfect. For should note that the recording and track record of each human being will bring to their respective karma though not visible, but the light-light that would clearly demonstrated when escaped and managed to mencumbumu the ramadhan. Too much current rhythm of worship and practice that is far from what should be done, indeed it was the demands of time or is there certain elements in this world that prevents to tenderly hold you till the tears dried up because of the pleasure of tasting the happiness curves ramadhan month's curves. Aroma is keharumanmu will never telupakan.

There is no reason ever to accept the wonder and beauty of your body, where when every energy at night you will soon be replaced in the afternoon until thirty days you go. How well you provide a substitute for any sweat and drained of energy to flirt with you. Ah ramadhan you were always a mystery that no one wanted to disturb and repulse your presence with the aromas and spaces endless blessings for a whole month. Or is this because they are married in spirit and in a honeymoon when you came, or that only one other form of meaning making out a month honeymoon with you, for some reason bathiniah interpretation can run kemaujudan badaniyah, oh ... how difficult it is to find love with any of the powers to be lived, with the perception and interpretation of each.

What all have you know and who you go with the intimacy and beauty of your body. I know you were playing favorites, but there was nothing I could do more when you always come with a smile. You also know who is cynical and deny yourself, how even though you're only a matter of days over the course of the moon up there. But how glorious who owns a house in there, how ramadhan will provide a point closest to the messenger with the worship and the same room even though the distance the moon and the earth, it feels closer in the days you were here. Kaupun How is the determination of where a sharp eye can see and watch the moon dance very decisive presence and gone.

More kusadar how the world is an all-powerful prison, a prison where life is sweet, bitter and dirt feels good. How ramadhan will remind you of lies in prison, while kuberpikir with heart and when I feel with the brain, where the top where the bottom is a zero and unity. Where to forget and love will always travel single file in error. Where is the thirst for water is a window of the heart to see a wider world, peaceful and beautiful in the fragrance of the curves of your body, while mistakes had perished, perished by itself. No more right and wrong, ramadan to teach me to always understand your coming, and come back next year greeted me in contempt of the world.

Good luck up ramadhan walked up to the tops of the sweet body, to then return to the sacred nature. Happy Ramadhan 1430 AH Born inner apologize, let's race to the cleanliness and personal faith with their love, not only national identity solely sahaja.

Top From Top of Ramadhan

2009-09-03T00:17:00.000-07:00

Currently we are up to 23 days of the month called Ramadan. Months with various attributes of goodness, virtue and the reward is doubled. Ramadan is the peak month. Month of excellence can not be obtained in other months. Dipuncak month but there's still another peak. Among 30 nights 30 days there was one night that if we worship in them is equivalent to 1000 months of worship. Unfortunately, many people do not realize it.

About a week ago, I held Bakti Sosial one item that is selling cheap commodities. The true basic food packages for 25,500 that we sell at a price of 20000. Only in about a half hour, sembakopun sold fetched. All enthusiastically took it, for the difference in 5500 alone.

Some time ago to get 30,000 to charity for 40000, in Jember mothers fought each other and 20 lives lost as a result. 30,000 for a life.

That night was a serious night. Assessed as a charitable deeds for the same 1000 month. Equivalent to 83.33 years. Therefore a Muslim is aware of the hunt that night, because it does not easily doubled the reward a good deed by that much.

Night night adalam unknowns, where he was, however, a strong information indicates that he fell on an odd night on the last day sebuluh in the month of Ramadan.

Like last night, in the Manarul Ilmi, each year there will always be a proverb that night hunters. Indeed, the game will not add to THR, will not be able to advance home. But this is a long-term investment, the lungs can we take the result after we finish our duty to live on this earth.

Advantages Of Ramadhan Month

2009-09-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

"Marhaban ya Ramadhan '. The sentence reverberated in this world marks the coming of the holy month, the month of grace and always maghfiroh waiting Muslims. If we thought, why the meaning of the word Ramadan is so great and profound as the fulcrum of a million people every hope for a better life after the Ramadan. No wonder, if the mouth of Ramadan is marked with "Eid Mubarak" made the day of victory of each congregation fulfilled.

Sawali Tuhusetya, argues that Ramadan is "a great momentum-awaited Muslims in various parts of the world. The presence of the holy month is expected to provide "enlightenment" just after (almost) a year we bersikutat with worldly issues that often make us indifferent to spiritual values ".
Ramadan is very precise if we say as a bridge to regain and build spiritual values in people. Period of twelve months, not a moment of time. Within that, we are not aware of having to stack the various forms of denial, both to the Kholik as well as to ourselves, and to fellow human. As a result mistake, wrong, and that lodged in dosalah self bernobat as the most perfect creature with reasonable completeness and mind. By karenya, once agreed that if Ramadan is full of sanctity as the month we maknai "enlightenment" for Muslims in various parts of the world.
So deep meaning of Ramadan, we see it without any command of the greatness of Ramadan will be felt in every corner. Various activities for the month of life was quite different from the months outside of Ramadan. Each person agreed to respect the presence of that month. Should we think, that so many values and norms that will be formed again in every race and re-emitted light up as the hope for a better life. That is the wisdom of Ramadan. My simple thoughts about the wisdom of Ramadan, implying that there is some corner of life in the area of behavior when socializing with others in the midst of life.

First, patience. The word 'patient' is easy to say, but very difficult to implement. Implement fasting in the holy month of Ramadan is to train our patience. Just a little illustration, our patient did not eat and drink throughout the day before the time comes. As the evening before iftar time, without patience it is impossible to survive. Though only a matter of minutes we are still waiting patiently, not daring to touch up and serving food and beverages before the time comes.
Second, be honest. 'Honest' too, it's difficult to be implemented. Indeed humane, honest is one of nature as opposed to human desire in general. Holy month of Ramadan will manage the nature of 'truth' is. There is one sentence or phrase which we often call on entering the holy month of Ramadan that is 'not lying'. Expression indicates that 'honesty' was fought in the holy month, during Ramadan so that all people will be trained to be 'honest'.

Third, discipline. Illustration depicting the 'discipline' highly trained in the holy month of Ramadan, no doubt. For example only, such as stages in one day and a night during the month is very regular. When the early days, we've got to get up in a specific time to carry out dawn, may eat and drink until it was time Imsak. Start time Imsak, all day we do not dare to eat and drink before the fast load time arrived. After the sunset prayer, together tarawih perform their prayers in congregation and not infrequently followed by other religious activities at night. Sequence of activities that kept recurring throughout the month of Ramadan, all disciplines.

Fourth, togetherness. Humans as social beings have to put forward together. In the holy month of Ramadan, the attitude of togetherness is seen clearly. This proves that the month of Ramadan will train together in life. Many activities done together, for example, ranging from family life; we carry out meal with family and no one dared to resist. Tarawih prayer in congregation in every animate activity mosque and the mosque. Mutual support and help when carrying out charity reflected nature. Estuary togetherness that, impressed at the end of Ramadan when every people to feel guilty and admitted guilt to anyone. At that time, strands bertebaranlah sincere apology from the hearts of every people that is amazing.

Four social attitudes of patience, honesty, discipline, and unity is the only part of the various aspects of behavior related to values and norms of life which should be the basis for us when present in social life. Quality of behavior will gradually change with the view that the holy month of Ramadahan has given great wisdom. Sawali pack quoting, "May Ramadan this year truly be a" crater candradimuka "that could burn and censor crust sins and lodged in the inner soul. Well, also able to present an enlightened and brought a lot of lessons that we can find the quintessence of the value of personal and social piety in our lives the more essential.

At the beginning of this blessed, let us make the holy Ramadan as the momentum to rise from the helplessness and incapacity as he begged for forgiveness, guidance, and instructions. Welcome pusasa perform worship, apologize and unseen. (t Atep hadiwa, August 2008)

Advantages of Fasting

2009-09-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

MASYRU'IYAT PUASA RAMADHAN

"O you who believe you all are obliged to fast, as required for
the people before you, that ye devoted "(Surah al-Baqarah: 183).

1. Ramadan fasting obligatory legal `Ain
2. Fasting Ramadan disyari'atkan aims to improve the faith

RAMADHAN MONTH virtue and virtue did good in it

1. Ramadhan month is:
a. Barakah full moon.
b. In this month Jannah door opened and closed the door of hell.
c. In this month of Satan-Satan in chains.
d. In this month there was one night that the virtue therein charitable good deed is better than a thousand months in another month, namely Lailatul Qadr night.
e. In this month every day there is an angel who calls who advised doing good to rejoice and to do ma'shiyat to refrain.

2. The virtue of doing a good deed in Ramadan, among others:

a. Amal was able to close the small sins of the past after Ramadan until the next Ramadan.
b. Making Ramadan syafaa't ask.
c. Especially for the fast provided special door called Rayyaan to enter Jannah.

Rukun PUASA

a. Intention since the night the day
b. Keep eating, drinking, coitus (Jima ') with his wife during the day from sunrise until sunset (Maghrib),

Women who are menstruating are prohibited until the end of the fasting haidhnya, then went fast. Outside the Ramadan fast, she must mengqadha yag left during the period.

WHAT NOT BEEN allowances for PUASA RAMADHAN

Mu'min people who were given no leeway allowed for the fasting of Ramadan, but must mengqadha in other months, they were:
a). Sick people who still have hope of recovery.
b) People who travel (traveler). Travelers who feel strongly should continue fasting in safarnya, but who feel weak and break his weight better, and makruh forced himself to fasting.

Mu'min people who were given leeway allowed for not working fast and not compulsory mengqadha, but must fidyah (daily feeding of a poor man). They are people who are no longer able to work fast because:
a). He's very old and weak.
b). Women who breastfeed and worried about her health.
c). Because pregnant and worried about her health.
d). Chronic pain with no hope of recovery.
e). People who live and work hard to not be able to do with fasting, and do not get another job easily.

THINGS TO CANCEL PUASA

a. Intentionally eat and drink during the day. If you forgot to eat and drink during the day, it does not break the fast.
b. Deliberately make vomiting, when vomiting with disengajakan not, then do not break the fast.
c. Intercourse with his wife deliberately during the day of Ramadan, fasting is well off he was hit in the form of law: liberate a slave, if not capable of the fast two consecutive months, and if not able, then feed sixty poor people.
d. Come the month of Ramadan during the day (before the time in the Maghrib)

THINGS TO DO TIME ALLOWED PUASA Worship

a. Flush water over his head during the day because of thirst or hot air, as well as diving into the water during the day.
b. Menta'khirkan bath after adzan Shubuh junub.
c. Berbekam during the day.
d. Kiss, fondle the wife but not to have intercourse during the day (makrooh)
e. Beristinsyak (inhaling water into the nose), especially when going to perform ablutions, if not strengthened breathe.
f. Injected in the afternoon.
g. Original taste was not swallowed.

Adab-adab PUASA RAMADHAN
1. Break in time when the Maghrib.
Sunnah fasts are as follows:
a. Hasten the Maghrib prayer before carrying out a light meal such as rutob (younger dates), dates and water, after which the new prayers.
b. But when dinner is served, then continue to eat, do not pray first.
c. After breaking pray with the prayer as follows: It means: "Having lost his thirst, and be wet all the veins and the reward still being God willing."

2. Meal. Adab-adab sahur:
a. Dilambatkan until the end of the night approached Shubuh.
b. If in the middle of eating or drinking dawn and heard adzan Shubuh, it may be continued until the last meal is complete, do not need to be stopped in the middle of last meal because it was in when Shubuh.

3. More generous (much to give, many bershadaqah, lots of help) and a lot of reading al-qur'an
4. Enforcing the evening prayer / pray Tarawih with berjama'ah. And Tarawih prayer is more intensified again in the last ten nights (20 hb. Until the end of Ramadan). How to pray Tarawih is:
a. With berjama'ah.
b. Salam raka'at done every two to four times, or greeting each of the four raka'at done two times and closed with three raka'at Witr.
c. Opened with two light raka'at.
d. Reading in Witr: first Raka'at: Sabihisma rabbika. Second Roka't: Qul yaa Kafirun ayyuhal. Third Raka'at: Qulhuwallahu ahad.
e. Qunut prayer read in Witr prayer.

5. Trying to keep Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights, especially on odd nights. If Laylat al-Qadr is felt should keep more active worship and read: Yaa Allah You are forgiving, like the forgiveness so forgive me.
6. Doing I'tikaf at ten last night.
7. Avoiding violent words and deeds and stay away from a fight.

How to I'tikaf:
a. After prayer and went to Shubuh I'tikaf place in the mosque.
b. Not out of place I'tikaf unless there is urgent need.
c. Not interfere with the days I'tikaf wife.

Scholarship Application Tips

2009-09-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

by: Low Jeremy

Applying for a scholarship is not just filling up an application form and hope that you get response. It should involve careful evaluation and understanding of the whole application process so as to get better chances of winning your most desired scholarship.

To help you on this, here are the tips that you should consider before and during your scholarship application:

Begin your search early

Like plane seats, more options come during the early stage of application. In other words, if you begin your search early, you can have better chances of landing on the best scholarship awards possible. Think of it this way: if you only apply on the closing days, most scholarship grants are already awarded to those who apply early or most scholarship applications have already closed. On the other hand, if you search for scholarship early, you can find many sponsors that would certainly increase your chances in winning the scholarship.

Apply early

If you begin your search early, you should also apply early. There is not a single day to waste since many students like you are also battling out to win the same scholarship. However, this does not mean that you apply every single grant you find. You still have to evaluate and…

Check your eligibility

There are countless of scholarship grants out there but there are only few that could fit you. To avoid the possible rejection of application, you should check if the scholarship grants and sponsors you are aiming at would fit your need. Read carefully the requirements since this is the best way to know if you are fit with the scholarship that is being offered.

Prepare your requirements early

Never wait for your sponsors to ask for the requirements before you prepare for them. Take note that the sponsors work at a specified timeframes so if you run late on your filling of requirements, you may not get the scholarship.

Create a good application letter

Just like applying writing for a job application letter, the scholarship application letter should show that you are the person to be awarded with the scholarship. Write a good application letter unique from others.

Follow the instruction for writing the essay

Do not go beyond the boundaries of the length limit. Make sure to answer the questions carefully and sincerely. Use simple terms to keep your essay readable.

And finally, check, re-check, and double-check your requirements, essays, letters, and other supporting documents before submitting them to the sponsor.

About The Author

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on scholarship & other useful information, please visit http://scholarship.articlekeep.com.

Problems Engendered by Superficial Piety

2009-06-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sheikh Abdullah al-Khulaywi

For a long time, our minds have been conditioned to connect religiousness with outward appearances more than with a person's convictions. It has become the dominant tendency in our society to take our first impression about a person's ideology and thinking from what that person looks like. We forget other critical factors that make up a person's identity and character.

For example, it is easy for a man to let his beard grow and wear a short robe, which in Saudi society gives people the impression that he is religious. Yet, there are many important things that we do not know about this person.

Outward customs have come to carry more weight than matters of worship. This has turned matters on their heads so that societal norms have come to play an inordinate role in the conceptualization of religious law. This has led to a very narrow and constricted understanding of religious teachings for which the main impetus for conformity is the threat of public disgrace.

The Saudi societal fabric, for instance, has a predominantly shame-culture orientation. This is fine. This is not something negative in itself. A sense of shame is part of faith. However, it becomes something negative when our understanding of the sacred texts becomes crippled by fear of public censure and when the shame-culture dictates to us how we interpret the verses of the Qur'ân.

The culture of religiousness which informs the understanding of many people is one where form is given priority to content. You can see the conspicuous signs of religion everywhere and at all times, but many of those who exhibit these signs are as far as can be from Islam's guidance, magnanimity, and purity. We all to often find people behaving in ways that are diametrically opposed to Islamic teachings, which in turn gives "religiousness" a bad reputation. Certainly, the truth is not to be judged on the basis of some people's bad conduct, but taken instead from the Qur'ân and Sunnah. Nevertheless people are impressionable and are affected by what they see.

When the concept of religiousness is obscured and diluted by cultural biases and inherited tradition, it creates a society which judges religious commitment by superficial standards. This, in turn, causes a lot of people to be turned away from religion on account of the conduct they witness and experience from people their society judges to be "religious".

Those who, by society's standards, openly display a badge of piety through their outward appearance have an added responsibility to behave in a manner that will endear other people to Islam. They need to become a true reflection of Islam's lofty values and guidance to those around them. They have to be an example both to Muslims and non-Muslims.

True religiousness is not only in our confession and our appearances. It is in our behavior and in how we conduct our lives. It is the outward manifestation of the love of Allah that exists in our hearts.

Abû Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah does not look at your bodies or your outward appearances, but He looks at your hearts." [Sahîh Muslim]

In Islam, there is no intermediary between the individual and his or her Lord. This means that the crucial aspect of all of our works is what s in our hearts. The Prophet (peace e upon him) came to humanity as a warner and a giver of glad tidings to call people to Allah – to take them from the darkness of ignorance to the light of faith. In doing so, many of the long-standing traditions of the society of the time were overturned. Islam brought a true concept of religiousness that embraced all aspects of a person's life, including good manners, God-consciousness, dutifulness, eschewing sin, and even shedding tears out of awe and love of Allah.

This is why one of the seven types of people who will be "shaded by Allah on the day when there will be no shade save for His shade" is someone who "remembered Allah in solitude with eyes overflowing with tears." This world, with its delights and tribulations, is a test. Those who give preference to what is with their Lord over what others possess and who are upright, eschewing sin because they genuinely fear Allah, these are people who enjoy true religiousness.

Limiting religiousness to outward appearances and conspicuous observances is actually a disservice to Islam and is harmful for Islamic work. Proper ethical behavior and mannerly conduct is what fosters genuine religiousness. When improper conduct is linked to a superficial and traditionally-defined appearance of religion, it makes people averse to the Message.

This is why Allah says to His Messenger: "Had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you." [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 159]

We really need to call non-Muslims to Islam through our good conduct, before we even say anything to them about Islam. Our good dealings with people should be more eloquent than our preaching. We should be known for our scrupulous ethics, our tolerance, and our ability to forgive.

When we make our Islamic convictions visible in public, let us at the same time be a true living example of Islam, one that people will admire, and one that will win their hearts.

Faith is Human Nature – What Does This Really Mean? Sheikh Salman al-Oadah|

2009-06-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sheikh Salman al-Oadah

Belief in Allah's existence is something instinctive to human beings. It is part of our innate natures. Allah says: "So set your purpose (O Muhammad) towards religion in the pure state - the natural way from Allah, upon which He has created humanity. There is no altering Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most people know not." [Sûrah al-Rûm: 30]

The Prophet relates to us that Allah says: "Indeed, I created my servants, all of them, on the natural faith." [Sahîh Ibn Hibbân (656)] This means that belief in Allah is embedded in every person's essential makeup.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also informs us: "Every child is born upon the natural way. It is then his parents who turn him into a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1296)]

When we believe in Allah, we are responding to our nature, and because it is in harmony with our nature, the existence or absence of faith must have a marked effect on a person's life.

Even someone left without any external influences upon his or her faith will come to a recognition of Allah's existence. Admittedly, that person's belief will not be complete with details about Allah's nature and attributes, or with any knowledge of the Law – since those are matters known only through revelation – but the awareness and recognition of a Higher Being will be there.

Some people try to explain away the instinctive nature of faith by saying it is nothing more than a symptom of human bewilderment at the world. This view is held especially by those who are opposed to religious belief. They argue that when early people saw lightning, heard thunder, and witnessed floods, volcanic eruptions, tempests, and other powerful natural phenomena, they felt in awe and ignorance of these things. According to critics of religion, it was merely the weakness and ignorance of early people that caused them to tend to a belief in a Higher Being.

This understanding of faith is lacking. Faith is part of human experience, even for the most educated and sophisticated of people. A sense of faith is present in their lives. Ibn Qayyim describes this sense in the following way: "There persists disquiet in the heart that cannot be placated except by turning to Allah."

In the Qur'ân, we read: "Being true in faith to Allah, and never assigning partners to Him: if anyone assigns partners to Allah, is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place." [Sûrah al-Hajj: 31]

We see how this verse describes the sense of loss and lack of self-definition that afflicts the person in the absence of faith. The human being who lacks faith resembles a heavenly object that has strayed and fallen from its orbit. It is quick to burn up. It is lost and wasted, not knowing where it is headed. Such a person is overpowered by perplexing questions that make his or her mind as if it were about to explode. This person remains in emotional turmoil. The person's heart, likewise, does not come to any sound conclusion, and it takes that person's life right down to Hell.

It is part of our nature to seek out that which is to be venerated, that which is holy. This is why a person who does not acknowledge Allah as the one to be worshipped will find something else to worship.

All people, children and adults – and no matter how healthy, prosperous, or successful they might be – need a few moments away from other people, to commune with their Lord, to feel that Allah sees them, hears them, and will answer them. This is true at times of hardship and times of ease, not only when faced with failure, but even when enjoying the greatest success.

It is a grave error to assume that faith is tied in with fear of the unknown, as critics of religion claim. Rather, faith is tied in with a deep love in the heart, which in its outpouring naturally seeks that which is holy and sublime. In the absence of a willingness to recognize Allah, people might even worship idols like the Arabs used to do before the advent of Islam.

Allah says: "Did I not enjoin on you – O children of Adam – that you worship not the devil - Lo! he is your open foe! – but that you worship Me? This is the right path." [Sûrah YâSîn: 60-61]

There is one final important meaning I wish to draw from the fact that faith is a natural dispensation of the humanity, motivated through love and a sense of reverence in the heart for Allah's glorification. In return for giving this devotion sincerely to Allah, the promise for us is Paradise, containing what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has anticipated.

The Future of Islam in the U.S.A.

2009-06-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jaafar Sheikh Idris

The collapse of Communism has automatically created a new world order in which the USA has emerged as the sole super power, and in which all concerned, including the USA are trying to find their appropriate place and suitable role.

One of the big challenges that this new order has posed for both the West, and especially the US on one side, and the Muslim world and Muslims living in the West on the other side, is the future relationship between Islam and the West.

This future depends of course on how each of these parties views itself and views the other party in relation to itself.

One such view characterizes the West as being essentially Judaeo-Christian, secular, capitalist and democratic; it cannot therefore coexist with a people whose way of life is Islamic, whose government is thus theocratic and hence undemocratic, and whose economic system is certainly not capitalist, a people who aim at nothing less than the destruction of Western civilization and the re-establishment of the Islamic Empire.

But this, goes the argument, is what Muslim fundamentalists are, and since their fundamentalist movement is on the rise, we have to consider Islam to be the new villain, the new enemy, and thus brace ourselves up to curb its onward advance, before it sweeps the Muslim world and exploit its resources to destroy Western civilization. Promoters of this view call for intolerance even regarding those Muslims living in the West.

The call for a return to Islam as a complete way of life continues to gain momentum, and garner adherents, while the advocates of secularism are clearly fighting a losing battle.

And so, if that picture of Islam and the West is a true one, there would be legitimate cause for alarm on the part of the West. But fortunately, it is not.

A good understanding of Islam and of the West is bound, in my opinion, to foster good relations between the two. It is the task of those Muslims and non-Muslims who have this good understanding, to cooperate in disseminating it among people in the West as well as in the Muslim world, so that it becomes part of public opinion in these two parts of the globe, and so that it may influence policy makers, and leaders in those regions.

There is no denying the fact that differences, even on matters of principle and vital issues, do exist between adherents of Islam, and adherents of other ideologies in the West. But Islam is not a religion of the East, nor are those ideologies endemic to the West.

If Islam originated in the so-called East, so did Christianity and Judaism. If the West found no difficulty in accepting the latter two, it should find no problem with accepting Islam, especially in view of the fact that Christianity and Judaism were originally meant to be local religions, while Islam was, from the start declared to be a universal religion.

What is it in Christianity or Judaism that makes them more Western? Why should the West accept a religion which says that Jesus is the son of God, and shun one which says that he is a prophet of God? Why should the West feel comfortable with a religion which claims to be for a special people, and shun the one which says that it is for mankind at large? Is there anything in the West which necessitates this choice? No! And that is why increasing numbers of Westerners are coming to the fold of Islam without losing their Western identity, whether it be American, British, French or any other.

And if there are Christians and Jews in the East, why can't there be Muslims in the West?

And why should the West be identified with secularism? This identification is, in my opinion, unfair to the West, whether it comes from Muslims or from the Westerners themselves. This is because secularism in its extreme form, the form which it took in the former communist countries, was rejected by people in Western Europe and the U S, and is now universally condemned. The secularism that is prevailing in the West is, to varying degrees, a somewhat moderate one, in which there is place for religion. But not everyone in the West, and specially the U. S., is happy even with this moderate form. There are many who feel that secularism, instead of being a state of neutrality among religions, is itself increasingly becoming a religion in its own right, and an intolerant one at that. They attribute many of the signs of moral decline to this dwindling role of religion.

The equation of the secular with the Western, is also unfair because there is much in the West that is far more important, and of universal value than secularism.

Now we come to the question of democracy. Western states are no doubt democratic. But is Islam really undemocratic? This depends on what one takes to be the most important characteristics of a democratic state.

If by democracy is meant rule of law, human rights, choice of rulers, then these are inseparably part of the religion of Islam. No ideology, secular or religious, lays greater emphasis on the importance of the principle of the rule of law than Islam. Justice, the Qur'an tells us, is to be administered irrespective of our feelings towards people, "Be just, even if it is against your next of kin.", and "Let not your hatred of some people induce you to be unjust. Be just. That is nearer to piety."

The same applies to human rights, the rights of life, of ownership, of expression, of movement, etc., within the Islamic Law.

Choice of heads of state is explicitly stated by Umar, the second Caliph after the Prophet, to be a right of the people.

So, if these principles are what we mean when we talk about democracy, then Islam advocates democracy. But if by democracy is meant all the democratic institutions that happen to be in place now in the West, or if it is meant that the legal system of any state which claims to be democratic must be a copy of the American or British, or French legal system, then Islam is surely not democratic.

I am sure that if Islam is properly explained to people in the West, then many of them would come to its fold, and many others would be influenced by many of its teachings, even if they did not embrace it.

I therefore consider it the duty of Muslims living in this country, whether they be natives or immigrants, to do their best to present Islam to their fellow Americans, laying more emphasis on the fundamentals of the faith, and on moral values. No book gives a more complete and perfect account of the Creator and the way He should be served than the Qur'an. Other religious and philosophical descriptions and conceptions of the Creator and of people's relations to Him, do not at all compare with the Qur'anic account. I am therefore positive that many people will recognize this Qur'anic account of the Creator as the most appropriate, once they come to know it.

It is also the duty of Muslims in the West to cooperate with non Muslims in promoting any form of good, and fighting any form of evil, especially drugs. We should remember that the goal of our religion, and indeed of all authentic Divine messages, is to increase good and diminish evil in the world.

I urge you to remember that our primary aim is to guide and reform, and not to destroy. Urging Muslims to spread the faith, the Prophet said, "By God, if through you God guides a single person, then that is better for you than the best of worldly wealth.

May God help us and guide us to the right path.

Early Development of Islam

2009-06-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

The vast majority of the people of Saudi Arabia are Sunni Muslims. Islam is the established religion, and as such its institutions receive government support. In the early seventh century, Muhammad, a merchant from the Hashimite branch of the ruling Quraysh tribe in the Arabian town of Mecca, began to preach the first of a series of revelations that Muslims believe were granted him by God through the angel Gabriel. He stressed monotheism and denounced the polytheism of his fellow Meccans.

Because Mecca's economy was based in part on a thriving pilgrimage business to the Kaaba, the sacred structure around a black meteorite, and the numerous pagan shrines located there, Muhammad's vigorous and continuing censure eventually earned him the bitter enmity of the town's leaders. In 622 he was invited to the town of Yathrib, which came to be known as Medina (the city) because it was the center of his activities. The move, or hijra (see Glossary), known in the West as the hegira, marks the beginning of the Islamic era. The Muslim calendar, based on the lunar year, begins in 622. In Medina, Muhammad--by this time known as the Prophet--continued to preach, defeated his detractors in battle, and consolidated both the temporal and spiritual leadership of all Arabia in his person before his death in 632.

After Muhammad's death, his followers compiled those of his words regarded as coming directly from God into the Quran, the holy scripture of Islam. Other sayings and teachings of his and his companions as recalled by those who had known Muhammad, became the hadith (see Glossary). The precedent of his personal deeds and utterances was set forth in the sunna. Together the Quran, the hadith, and the sunna form a comprehensive guide to the spiritual, ethical, and social life of an orthodox Sunni Muslim.

During his life, Muhammad was both spiritual and temporal leader of the Muslim community; he established Islam as a total, all-encompassing way of life for individuals and society. Islam traditionally recognizes no distinction between religion and state, and no distinction between religious and secular life or religious and secular law. A comprehensive system of religious law (the sharia--see Glossary) developed during the first four centuries of Islam, primarily through the accretion of precedent and interpretation by various judges and scholars. During the tenth century, however, legal opinion began to harden into authoritative doctrine, and the figurative bab al ijtihad (gate of interpretation) gradually closed, thenceforth excluding flexibility in Sunni Islamic law.

After Muhammad's death, the leaders of the Muslim community chose Abu Bakr, the Prophet's father-in-law and one of his earliest followers, as caliph, or successor. At the time, some persons favored Ali, the Prophet's cousin and husband of his daughter Fatima, but Ali and his supporters (the so-called Shiat Ali or Party of Ali) eventually recognized the community's choice. The next two caliphs--Umar, who succeeded in 634, and Uthman, who took power in 644--were acknowledged by the entire community. When Ali finally succeeded to the caliphate in 656, Muawiyah, governor of Syria, rebelled in the name of his murdered kinsman Uthman. After the ensuing civil war, Ali moved his capital to Mesopotamia, where a short time later he, too, was murdered.

Ali's death ended the period in which the entire community of Islam recognized a single caliph. Upon Ali's death, Muawiyah proclaimed himself caliph from Damascus. The Shiat Ali, however, refused to recognize Muawiyah or his line, the Umayyad caliphs; in support of a caliphate based on descent from the Prophet, they withdrew and established a dissident sect known as the Shia.

Originally political in nature, the differences between the Sunni and Shia interpretations gradually assumed theological and metaphysical overtones. Ali's two sons, Ahsan and Husayn, became martyred heroes to the Shia and repositories of the claims of Ali's line to mystical preeminence among Muslims. The Sunnis retained the doctrine of the selection of leaders by consensus, although Arabs and members of the Quraysh, Muhammad's tribe, predominated in the early years.

Reputed descent from the Prophet continued to carry social and religious prestige throughout the Muslim world in the early 1990s. Meanwhile, disagreements among Shia over who of several pretenders had a truer claim to the mystical powers of Ali produced further schisms. Some Shia groups developed doctrines of divine leadership far removed from the strict monotheism of early Islam, including beliefs in hidden but divinely chosen leaders with spiritual powers that equaled or surpassed those of the Prophet himself. The main sect of Shia became known as Twelvers because they recognized Ali and eleven of his direct descendants (see The Middle Ages, 700-1500 , ch. 1).

The early Islamic polity was intensely expansionist, fueled both by fervor for the new religion and by economic and social factors. Conquering armies and migrating tribes swept out of Arabia, spreading Islam. By the end of Islam's first century, Islamic armies had reached far into North Africa and eastward and northward into Asia.

Although Muhammad had enjoined the Muslim community to convert the infidel, he had also recognized the special status of the "people of the book," Jews and Christians, whose scriptures he considered revelations of God's word that contributed in some measure to Islam. Inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula in Muhammad's time were Christians, Jews, and Hanifs, believers in an indigenous form of monotheism who are mentioned in the Quran. Medina had a substantial Jewish population, and villages of Jews dotted the Medina oases. Clusters of Christian monasteries were located in the northern Hijaz, and Christians were known to have visited seventh-century Mecca. Some Arabic-speaking tribal people were Christian, including some from the Najdi interior and the well-known Ghassanids and Lakhmids on the Arabian borderlands with Constantinople. Najran, a city in the southwest of present-day Saudi Arabia, had a mixed population of Jews, Christians, and pagans, and had been ruled by a Jewish king only fifty years before Muhammad's birth. In sixth-century Najran, Christianity was well established and had a clerical hierarchy of nuns, priests, bishops, and lay clergy. Furthermore, there were Christian communities along the gulf, especially in Bahrain, Oman, and Aden (in present-day Yemen).

Jews and Christians in Muslim territories could live according to their religious law, in their communities, and were exempted from military service if they accepted the position of dhimmis, or tolerated subject peoples. This status entailed recognition of Muslim authority, additional taxes, prohibition on proselytism among Muslims, and certain restrictions on political rights.

Data as of December 1992

Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee

2009-06-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Shaykh Abdullah Nooruddeen Durkee is the khalifah in the Western Hemisphere of Shaykh Ibrahim Muhammad al-Battawi, of theShadhuliyyah-Badawiyyah order for the Illumination of Hearts and Tranquillity of the Self.

Shaykh Ibrahim was a professor of Islamic Philosophy at al-Azhar University in Cairo for twenty five years and is now retired but continues in his 80's teaching and conducting weekly hadrah in his Zawiyah on Azhar Street in Cairo, may Allaah keep him and grant him good health. Shaykh Ibrahim granted Shaykh Noorudeen an ijaza [diploma] for teaching, preaching and taking the bay'ah in 1406 Hijri [1986 CE].

Additionally Shaykh Noorudeen has been granted an 'ijaza in Islamic Calling [da'wah] by Shaykh and H.E. Ambassador Umar Abdullah [ra] of the Comoro Islands, an 'ijaza in Islamic Introspection and Observation [muraqabah] by Shaykh and Dr. Seyed Ali Ashraf [ra] of Dhaka, Jeddah and Cambridge, and an 'ijaza in the Teaching, Propagation of Islam and the Nourishment of the Murids by Shaykh and Qadi [retd] Muhammad al-Jamal ar-Rif'ai of al-Quds ash-Shareef.

In the professional world he was granted a Masters Degree [M.Arch] in Islamic Building in 1983 by Dr. Hasan Fathy of the Institute of Appropriate Technology in Kuwait.

Shaykh Nooruddeen is the Founder of the Lama Foundation in San Cristobal (1966), New Mexico, the Islamic Study Center [ISC] of Flag Mountain, New Mexico (1970), the Dar al-Islam Foundation in Abiquiu New Mexico (1980).

Presently he is the Director of an-Noor Educational Trust and the Green Mountain School.

He is the editor, translator, and author of more than a dozen books the most recent of which is The Transliterated Tajwidi Qur'an which was published in Ramadan 2004.

His main work prior to that was the publication of the Two Volume Set of Madrassah Shadhuliyyah, ["Orisons" and "Origins"] which he compiled, translated and edited in Alexandria, Egypt from 1988 to 1994. He is also at work on a detailed set of memoirs titled The Book of Exile. The first volume of this work, "Embracing Islam" was published in a private edition in 1992.

He is the author of numerous essays which have been widely published both in the East and the West. Two recent essays can be found in "Muslim-Christian Dialogue: Promise and Problems" and "Jewish-Muslim Encounters: History, Philosophy and Culture" both published by Paragon Press. He is a past member of the International Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace and in 2003 was named an "Ambassador for Peace" in recognition of his many year of service to promoting understanding between believers.

>He regularly attends and speaks at major international conferences including the Conference of World Muslim leaders held right after 9/11 in Indonesia as a guest of the President of Indonesia and served as a delegate to the Millennium World Peace Summit held in 2000 at the United Nations in New York, He was chosen to offer prayers at the "God and World Peace"conference held in Washington, D.C. in 2003. In 2004 he was honored by the South East Asian community in Chicago for his work of transliteration and translation of the Qur'an.

He also serves as an advisor to "The Islamic Research Association" (ISRA) and actively participates in their public activities in support of the public celebration of the Mawlid an-Nabi, blessings of Allah and peace be upon him and his family, as well as that of the Isra wa Miraj.

Additionally he serves as a khateeb and an imaam for various nearby Muslim communities and also serves the incarcerated Muslm community in various maximum security prisons.

He and his wife Noura Durkee, well known for her books on Islamic Education, have been teachers in Islamic Sunday Schools for many years and he has been very active in working with the refuge communities of Bosniacs, Kosavars and, more recently, Afghans and Somalis living in the local Muslim community.

About Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani

2009-06-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani is a scholar and Sufi shaykh from the Middle East. He graduated from the American University of Beirut in Chemistry. From there he went to Belgium, to continue his Medical Degree in Louvain. Then he received his Islamic Law Degree from Damascus. From his childhood, he accompanied Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghestani and Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, the grandshaikhs of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Order in this time. He traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, Europe, and the Far East in the company of his shaykh.

In 1991 he moved to America and there established the foundation of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order of America.

Since that time, he has opened thirteen Sufi centers in Canada and the United States. He has lectured in many universities, including Oxford, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Howard, McGill, Concordia, Dawson College, as well as in many spiritual and religious centers throughout North America, Europe, the Far East and the Middle East.

Shaykh Hisham Kabbani's work wherever he goes is to spread the Sufi teachings of the brotherhood of mankind and the Unity of belief in God that is present in all religions and spiritual paths. His efforts are directed at bringing the diverse spectrum of religions and spiritual paths into harmony and concord, in recognition of mankind's responsibility as caretaker of this fragile planet and of one another.

Shaykh Hisham, as a Sufi shaykh, has been given the authority and permission to guide his followers to the Love of God and to the stations to which they have been destined by their Creator. His arduous spiritual training of 40 years at the hands of his grandshaykh and his shaykh, has endowed him with the sublime qualities of wisdom, light, intellect, and compassion necessary for a true Master on the Path.

Shaykh Hisham's outreach mission in the Americas is his unique contribution to the Endeavor of Humankind in reaching for its highest destiny--nearness to God. His endeavors to bring unity of hearts in their movement towards the Divine Essence is what may be his greatest legacy to the West.

Al-Ghazaly Modern sheikh Al-Nawawi Bantani

2009-06-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Name sheik Nawawi Banten is not foreign for Indonesian Muslims. In fact, often be equated with the figure kebesarannya classical scholars madzhab Syafi'i Imam Nawawi (w.676 H/l277 M). Through his works are in traditional pesantren-pesantren that until now many be, the name origin Kiai Banten as if this is still alive and continues to espouse the teachings of Islam to give a sermon soothing. In each Majlis ta'lim always be his main reference in the various sciences; nation's science, fiqh, tafsir mysticism up. His works are meritorious in direct mainstrim scientific institutions in the developed-Iembaga boarding under the auspices of the NU.

Among community pesantrens sheik Nawawi known not only as scholars author the book, but also he is professor sejati (the great Scholar). Nawawi has put a lot of meritorious basis teologis boundaries and ethical tradition of scientific education in boarding institutions. He participated in many established figures keintelektualan founder of the pesantren who also many figures to be the founder of the organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). When KH. Hasyim Asyari often referred to as figures that can not be released from the history of NU, the sheik Nawawi is the main teacher. In between the instruction books of this teacher, often KH. Hasyim Asyari bernostalgia tells about the life of sheikh Nawawi, sometimes mengenangnya until meneteskan tears because the size of his devotion to the sheik Nawawi.

Reveals a network of intellectual scholars Indonesia NU stand before the organization of the study is the one to the attention of the observer NU. Especially when keterkaitannya drawn up with the success of the ulama-ulama in the traditional career keilmuannya in Mecca and Medina. One factor in the lack of study about this is the result from the perception of some people the simple to the NU. NU is understood as a religious organization that seems to move in only with a number of social-political measures praktisnya political journey, and not as an intellectual organization that engaged in religious and scientific scholars of the print. So that people are astonished and amazed when terkagum-lately witnessed many of the young NU mengusung movement which is very forward thinking, bold and progressif. They do not realize that the body of NU also has intellectual roots tradition of the scholarly and well-established representative. With the NU stands to save the Islamic scholarly tradition that is almost tercerabut from the root of scientific scholars salaf. Figure scholars such as sheik Nawawi Banten is an influential figure scholars from the typical model of thought so.

He holds firm to maintain traidisi scholarly classic, a scholarly tradition that can not be released from the sustainability evolutif in scholarly pembentukkan Islam. The amount of influence the pattern of thought and understanding sheik Nawawi Banten against the ulama leaders in Indonesia, it can be said as Nawawi's axis. root of the scholarly tradition and NU pesantren. Therefore, it is interesting if the figures here described the Kiai this with a number of fundamental ideas that will become more characteristic patterns of thought and the struggle of the students in the pesantren-pesantren.

Life sheik Nawawi
Sheik Nawawi Banten has the full name of Abu Abd al-Mu'ti Muhammad ibn Umar al-Tanara al-ox-Bantani al. He was better known as Muhammad al-Nawawi al-ox Bantani. Tanara was born in the village, Serang, Banten in 1815 M/1230 H. On 25 Syawal 1314 H/1897 M. Nawawi winded expel the last 84 years in age. He dimakamkan in the cemetery near Ma'la Siti Khadijah, wife of the Prophet Ummul Believers. As leaders in the Islamic nation's pride, especially in Java Banten, Muslims in the village Tanara, Banten Tirtayasa each year on Friday last week Syawwal always khol event held to commemorate the heritage trail sheik Nawawi Banten.

His father named Kiai Umar, an official who led the penghulu Mosque. From silsilahnya, Nawawi is a descendant of the over-12's to Syarif Maulana Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati, Cirebon), which is descended from the son of Maulana Hasanuddin (Sultan Banten I) that bemama Sunyararas (Tajul 'Throne). Nasabnya continued with the Prophet Muhammad through Imam Ja'far As-Shodiq, Imam Muhammad al Baqir, Imam Ali Zainal Abidin, Sayyidina Husen, Fatimah al-Zahra.

At the age of 15 years, he got the opportunity to go to Mecca to fulfill the Hajj. There he learned to utilize science Kalam, Arabic language and literature, science of Hadith, Tafsir and especially the science of fiqh. After three years studying in Mecca he returned to the area in 1833 year with the religious vocabulary knowledge relatively more to help his father teach the santri. Nawawi who since has shown little direct kecerdasannya get sympathy from people coming to make a boarding membludak were built by his father santri coming from various corners. However, only a few years later he decided to leave Mecca in accordance with the dream to stay and settle there.

In Mecca he was to continue the study of the teachers, a popular first time he's following the guidance Syeikh preacher Sambas (Penyatu Thariqat Qodiriyah-Naqsyabandiyah in Indonesia) and the sheik Abdul Gani Duma, Indonesian scholars who lived there. After learning that the Sayid Ahmad Dimyati, Ahmad Zaini Dahlan that both in Mecca. Are in Medina, he studied at the Muhammad al-Hanbali preacher. Then she continue the lesson on the great ulama-ulama in Egypt and Syria (Syiria). According to Abdul-Jabbar that Nawawi pemah also travel to the knowledge of Egypt. Sejatinya teachers also came from Egypt such as sheik and the sheik Sumbulawini Yusuf Ahmad Nahrawi.

Once he decided to choose life in Mecca and he was leaving the village home draw more knowledge in Mecca for 30 years. Then in 1860 began teaching at the Nawawi environment Masjid al-Haram. Achievements mengajarnya enough because with the depth of religious knowledge, he was a sheikh in there. In the year 1870 increased kesibukannya because he had to write many books. The initiative to write a lot of pressure coming from some colleagues who ask to write some books. Most requests came from the friend who comes from the cow, because it needed to be back in the area of origin. Insistence that each can be seen in his work which is often written on the friend request. Books that are written most of the books comments (Syarh) from the works of previous scholars who are considered popular and difficult to understand. The reason for writing the request Syarh than other people, Nawawi also wishes to preserve the works of the preceding changes often (ta'rif) and reduction.

Nawawi in his work always consult with the ulama-ulama other large, before boarding the print naskahnya first read them. View the city from various places and often the publication of the print on the back as seen on the paper that can be tulisnya quickly spread to various corners of the world to the region and Egypt Syiria. Because his work is rife with the language that is easily understood and solid contents Nawawi even this name is included in category one of the great scholars in the century to 14 H/19 M. Kemasyhurannya because he got a degree: A 'yan' Ulama 'al-Qarn M AI-Ra' 'Asyar Li al-Hijrah,. AI-Imam al-Mul1aqqiq wa al-Fahhamah al-Mudaqqiq, and Sayyid 'Ulama al-Hijaz.

Kesibukannya in writing Nawawi create difficulty in organizing time so that it was not uncommon to teach the beginner it is often mendelegasikan students seniornya to help him. This way as soon imitated in the method of learning a few pesantren in Java. Here it is advisable santri beginners should take some basic knowledge before learning directly in the learning process so that Kiai Kiai with no experience difficulties.

Field of Theology
Works great Nawawi pembaharuannya thought that the idea of leaving Egypt, the categorization into seven areas, namely the field commentary, nation, fiqh, mysticism, the history of the prophets, the language and rhetoric. Almost all fields are written in the book except some areas of the commentary written only one book. The number of written works that can be made that the evidence Syeikh Nawawi is a multidisciplinary productive author, he knows all the many fields of scholarly Islam. Broadest perspective knowledge Nawawi who are making it difficult for the observer's imagination to explore all the konprehenshif-intact.

In some writings often confess Nawawi himself as a follower Asy'ari theology (al-Asyari al-I'tiqodiy). His works are examined in many areas of Indonesia in this dianranya Fath ai-Majid, Durari al-Tijan, Nur al Dzulam, al-Futuhat al-Madaniyah, al-Tsumar al-Yaniah, Bahjat al-Wasail, as-Kasyifat and Suja Mirqat al-Su'ud.

In line with the principles of pattern dibangunnya think that, in the field of theology following the flow of theology Nawawi Imam Abu Hasan al-Asyari and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. As the sheikh Asyariyah Nawawi many sifa-introduce the concept of the nature of God. A Muslim must believe that God has a nature that can be done from the (His Act), because the nature of God is done. He divides the nature of God in three parts: compulsory, and impossible mumkin. Compulsory nature of nature that is inherent in God and not the impossible, and impossible that nature is not inherent in God, and the absence of a mandatory, while mumkin nature that is there and can not have in God. Nawawi Although not the first person to discuss the concept sifatiyah God, but in the context of Indonesia votes Nawawi who successfully introduce Asyari theology as theology a strong system in this country.

Then the proof naqliy and 'aqliy, according to him should be used together, but sometimes occur when the antagonism between them, then naql take precedence. Liability for someone who believes all things related to the faith of God's existence can only be known by naql, not from aql. Even the nature of the above three are introduced to the Prophet. Mukallaf and each is required to keep in mind rapih understanding pikirannya intellect.

Themes to note here is about the omnipotence of God (Absolutenes of God). As theologian Asy'ary other, Nawawi placing himself as the flow of which is located in the middle between two extreme flow of theology: Qadariyah and Jabbariyah, as adopted by ahlussunnah wal-Jama'ah. He recognizes the omnipotence of God but the concept is not until the concept jabariyah who believes that all acts sebenamya man dinisbatkan on God and not on disandarkan human, human being has no power whatsoever. For this in the context of Indonesia sebenamya Nawawi has been successfully raised and re-invigorate the academic in the field of Religion and theology mengeliminir tendency successful expansion draft absolutisme Jabbariyah in Indonesia with a draft resignation bi God.

Unfortunately, some historians point terlanjur modem theology Asyariyah system as a theology that can not arouse resistance colonialism. Phenomenon when colonialism was at that time the entire region, and Islam does not have the strength of theology is one that can melawannya, even areas that are not affected Asyariyah also participated. In the context of Islamic theology Java Asyariyah in a certain degree sebenamya can have the attitude of merdekanya force after resignation to God. Through the concept of self-surrender to Allah, Muslims disadarkan that no other power except Allah. Invincible power of God not by strength kolonialis. This is where the role of location in pensosialisasian Nawawi theology Asyariyahnya which can arouse the students gather in Mecca in the "Java colony". In some opportunities that provoke Nawawi often work together with the Dutch colonial (non Muslims) ruling unlawful. And often the collection of this kind are always suspected by the Dutch colonial has the potential to do because of resistance to them.

While in the field of Jurisprudence is not excessive if Syeikh Nawawi said as a "torch" sect priest Syafi'i to the Indonesian context. Through works such as fiqhnya a Syarh Safinat /-Naja, a Syarh Sullam /-Taufiq, a Nihayat / Zain-fi Irsyad a /-Mubtadi 'and in a Tasyrih / a Fathul Qarib, so KH. Nawawi successfully introduce madzhab Syafi'i perfectly And, of dedication KH. Nawawi who devote their lives only for teaching and writing get wide appreciation of many. Results writings that have been published after the wide-spread in various areas to give an impression for the readers. In the year 1870 the University scholars alAzhar Egypt pemah invites to give short lectures on a forum discussion ilmiyah. They were interested because of the name invites KH. Nawawi already known through his works that has been spread in Egypt.

Sufi brilliant
Far in the field of mysticism, Nawawi with intellectual activity it reflects the vibrant disciplines-science religion. In this field it has a concept that is identical with the mysticism ortodok. Nawawi course of his work shows a brilliant Sufi, he has a lot of any posts in the field of mysticism that can be used as a reference standard for a Sufi. Brockleman, an author from the Netherlands have recorded 3 works Nawawi who can represent the views tasawufnya: namely Misbah al-Zulam, Qami 'al-Thugyan and Salalim al Fudala. There are so many Nawawi refers to the book Ihya 'Ulumuddin alGazali. In fact, this book is essential reference for every tarekat.
View tasawufnya although not dependent on the teacher sheik Sambas preacher, a theologian of mysticism origin cow tarekat to lead an organization, not even a member of tarekat, but it has a view that the relation between tarekat practice, and the fact Syariat very closely. To more easily understand the relevance of this Nawawi mengibaratkan Syariat with a ship, with marine and tarekat marrow is a diamond in the ocean that can be obtained with the ship sailing on the sea. In the process pengamalannya Syariat (law) and tarekat is the beginning of the trip (ibtida'i) a Sufi, is the essence of basil and Syariat tarikat. This view indicates that the sheik Nawawi does not reject the practices tarekat during tarekat does not teach the hat as opposed to the teachings of Islam, Syariat.

Expose tasawufnya this concept appears consistent with the experience of spirituality pijakannya ulama salaf. Theme-friend who used not far from the classical formula scholars mysticism. Model exposure mysticism is what makes Nawawi have to be with other prominent Sufi Indonesia. la dimakzulkan can (be) mysticism typology of the characteristics of Indonesia, such as Hamzah Fansuri, Nuruddin al-Raniri, Abdurrauf Sinkel and so forth

Sufi's legendary Nangroe Aceh

2009-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Aceh has long been known as the only area of emphasis keislamannya most prominent. In addition menonjolnya color in the Islamic socio-cultural life there, was in Mecca Serambi has also saved a number of famous Sufi such Samsuddin Sumatrani.

Syamsuddin Sumatrani is one of the leading Sufi leaders who had participated mengguratkan pattern esoteris on the face of Islam in Aceh. Unfortunately, the Sufi way of life is very difficult to dirangkai in full. This is in addition to not finding the note otobiografisnya, also because langkanya resources that can be accurately referred to.

Even less does not like Prof. researchers. Dr. Azis Dahlan had to conduct research disertasinya, had difficulty with langkanya sources Sufi leaders about this one. Among the older sources that can be found on the portrait is Sumatrani Syamsuddin Hikayat Aceh, the Aceh Adat, Bustanu and the al-Salathin. Itupun not taking his life journey in detail. However, from serpihan-serpihan limited historical data, which is presumably enough for us to get a picture akan kiprahnya following thoughts spectrum.

About the origin-usulnya, is not known exactly when and where he was born. About a Sumatrani always diiringkan behind the name, it is penisbahan himself to "the land of Sumatra" alias Pasai Ocean. For the island of Sumatra in this tempo DOELOE never stood a kingdom that is quite famous, which is Pasai Ocean. That is why it is also sometimes called Syamsuddin Pasai.

According to the historian, penisbahan name with a hint Sumatrani or Pasai the two possibilities. Possible first, her parents were Pasai (Sumatra). Thus it can be suspected that he alone was born and raised in Pasai. If he was not born in Pasai, the possibility that both the leading scholars on zamannya has long lived in Pasai he even died and buried there.

Talking about the role of central Sumatra and the development of Islamic Affairs Pasai is leading the first of Banda Aceh. At least Pasai Ocean leading to the first century to the range-14 and M 15, ie, before finally Pasai domination by the Portuguese in the year 1514. While beralihnya calyx Pasai power of the kingdom of Aceh Darussalam to the new progress in the year 1524.

The role and influence
During the government Mukammil Sayyid (1589-1604), Syamsuddin Sumatrani have become confident sultan of Aceh. Unfortunately in the Bustan al-Salathin not own travel disingkapkan how Syamsuddin Sumatrani so that it becomes the most trusted scholars in the kingdom palace Aceh for three or four decades.
Syamsuddin Sumatrani died in the year 1039 H/1630 M, and for some period of the last decade of his life he was leading the religious leaders and respected patriarch. He is in patronage, and even closely related to the Kingdom of the ruler of Aceh Darussalam.
Syamsuddin Sumatrani is one of the four most prominent scholars. He and influential role in the history of the establishment and development of Islamic intelektualitas in Aceh in the range of l7-century and several decades before. The four scholars are Hamzah Fansuri (?-?), Syamsuddin Sumatrani (? -1630), Nuruddin Raniri (? -1658), And Abdul-Rauf Singkel (1615/20-1693). There is not about the relationship between Syamsuddin Sumatrani with three other scholars, it's good disinggung necessary.

About the relationship with Hamzah Fansuri Syamsuddin Sumatrani, historian A. Hasjmy Syamsuddin Sumatrani looked likely as students from Hamzah Fansuri. This view found with two paper Syamsuddin Sumatrani which is a review (syarah) against teaching Hamzah Fansuri. Both papers are Sumatrani Syamsuddin Syarah Ruba'i Hamzah Fansuri and Syarah Syair tuna.

The relationship with Nuruddin ar-Raniri, this is not known exactly. Clear is that seven years after Syamsuddin Sumatrani died, Raniri obtain a position as previously obtained Syamsuddin Sumatrani. He was appointed mufti kingdom of Aceh in the year 1637 by Sultan Iskandar Tsani. Because fatwanya the zindiq-men-kan (mengkafirkan) understand wahdatul Syamsuddin Sumatrani exist, then the entrant Hamzah Fansuri and Syamsuddin Sumatrani punished by the authorities with the penalty kill. Even literature-literature that they have burned out. However, the cohort Sumatrani understand it does not appear to have vanished altogether.

In the year 1644 range Raniri removed position as mufti of the kingdom of Aceh Darussalam. He was forced to return to Ranir, Gujarat. Instead, Sultanah Tajul Nature Safiatuddin (1641-1675) and then entrust his kingdom to the mufti Saifur Rijal. Saifur is a Minang Rijal who also understand the wahdatul exist. At that time it was new back home to Aceh to be the study of religion in India. Thus, the mysticism Syamsuddin Sumatrani understand that back in the coloring style Islamic Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam.

His works
From the results of the research, Prof.. Dr. Azis Dahlan is known of a number of papers as part, or derived from the essay-length Syamsuddin Sumatrani, or mentioned that Syamsuddin Sumatrani teaching that says that. His paper is part of the Arabic, some speak Malay (ox). Among the works that can be found tulisnya is as follows:

Jawhar al-Haqa'iq (30 pages; Arabic), his work is the most complete that has been edited oleb Van Nieuwenhuijze. Scripture presents this teaching about the dignity of seven and a way to juxtapose themselves to God.

Tract Tubayyin Mulahazhat al-Muwahhidin wa al-Mulhidin fi Dzikr God (8 balaman; Arabic). Works that have been edited oleb Van Nieuwenhuijze this, in spite of relatively short, simply because it contains important explanation of the difference of views between people who are not mulhid with mulhid.

Mir'at al-Mu'minin (70 pages; Malay language). This explains his teachings on faith in God, the apostles, His Books, His angels and His Last Day, and his degree. So teaching in this paper to discuss the grain belief, in line with the tenet Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah (precisely Asy'ariah-Sanusiah).

Syarah Ruba'i Hamzah Fansuri (24 pages; Malay language). This paper is a review of the 39 stanza (156 lines) versify Hamzah Fansuri. Its contents include the unity of existence (wahdat al-existent).

Syarah Sya'ir tuna (20 balaman; Malay language). This paper is a review (syarh) terbadap 48 lines sya'ir Hamzah Fansuri criticize the matter of Nur Muhammad, and how to achieve the temporal 'in God.

Nur al-Daqa'iq (9 pages in Arabic, 19 pages Me1ayu). Paper that has been ditranskripsi by AH. This Johns (1953) contains confidential discussion about science makrifah (seven dignity).

Thariq al-Salikin (18 pages; Malay language). This paper contains an explanation of some terms, such as shape, 'adam, haqq, falsehood, shall, mumkin, mumtani' and so forth.

Mir'at Iman al-Bahr, or the Book of al-Nur (12 pages; Malay language). This paper talks about ma'rifah, dignity, and about seven ruh.

Kitab al-Harakah (4 pages; have the Arabic-speaking and there is also a Malay-speaking). The paper talked about the dignity ma'rifah or seven.

Teachings Tasawufnya
Syamsuddin Sumatrani known as a Sufi who teach understand wahdatul exist (oneness of existence) with the understand Ibn Arabi wahdatul exist. Wahdatul term existence itself is not given by Ibn Arabi himself. That is, Ibn Arabi was never stated that the system thought it was tasawufnya understand wahdatul exist.

From the results of the research toilet. Chittick, Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (w. 673/1274) is the first person to use the term wahdatul exist, only al-Qunawi not use it as a technical term is independent. Besides al-Qunawi, there are many more who use the term wahdatul exist. However, the most prominent role in wahdatul exist popularize the term is Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah (w. 728/1328). He is a critic of the teachings of Ibn Arabi and his followers.

Among the people who follow Sufi Ibn Arabi's thought is Sumatrani Syamsuddin. Syamsuddin Sumatrani teaching about God with the familiar pattern wahdatul form can be known about the meaning of the sentence pembicaraannya nation no god illallah, which literally means there is no god but Allah. He explained that the nation is for salik (facer road mysticism) beginners level (al-mubtadi) is understood with the understanding that there is no ma'bud (who worshiped) but Allah.

Meanwhile, for salik already on the secondary level (al-mutawassith), the nation is understood with the understanding that there was no intent (desired) except Allah. As for salik already on the final level (al-muntaha), the nation is understood with the understanding that no existent except God.
However, he reminded that there are basic differences between the wahdatul existence of the nation the truth (al-muwahhidin al-shiddiqin), wahdatul familiar with the existence of the zindiq pantheist. Viewed from one side, both parties concur that it appears to define the meaning of the sentence in the nation is no god illallah, ie there is no existence besides Him, are all natural form is a shadow or majazi. But actually the two sides have differences in understanding the very basic. For the pantheist who zindiq alias astray, they understand that the existence of God does not exist, except in the womb of nature exist. So for the panteis this, the whole existence is a natural form of God exists and God is the existence of nature (both in terms of the existence and terms of penampakannya).

So the tenet of pantheism that mengidentikkan God with nature. They define the essence of unity in nature kejamakan without discriminating between the dignity of God with the natural dignity. Understand the way Syamsuddin Sumatrani is and understand the vanity of being rejected by the nation the truth.

For Syamsuddin Sumatrani, understood as Ibn Arabi, asdalah Wujud oneness does not mean there is anything that has a real existence, except God. While the nature or anything other than the existence of God is realized as (maujud) by God. Therefore, viewed from the aspect of existence is with himself, nature was not there (ma'dum), but if viewed from the aspect of "God exists because it exists" then it is clear that there are natural (maujud).

Thus the dignity of God is very different from the dignity of nature. This is described in the dignity ajarannya seven, which is one of seven extant with dignity. Tulisnya:

I'lam, know that (se) sungguhnya dignity that God existed seven dignity; dignity ahadiyyah first, second wahdah dignity, dignity wahidiyyah third, fourth-grade natural spirit, the dignity mitsal fifth, sixth martabt natural ajsam seventh and natural human dignity.

But the fact ahadiyyah called Allah Ta'ala, Allah Ta'ala dignity Dzat and wahdah called the fact that Muhammad, he was called God's nature, and called wahidiyyah (fact) and the man Adam 'alaihi al-Salam, and we, it is called asthma Allah Ta'ala, the natural dignity of spirit (the fact) all of life, the dignity mitsal nature (the fact) everything, the natural dignity ajsam it (the fact) all the body, the nature of human dignity (the fact) all men. The dignity ahadiyyah, wahdah and wahidiyyah that anniyyat Allah Ta'ala, the spirit of nature, natural mitsal natural ajsam natural and human dignity that anniyyat al-beings.

Above description is Prof. Syamsuddin Sumatrani. Dr. Abdul Aziz Dahlan comment: of the dignity of the first three disebutnya with 'anniyyat God, is meant dignity actual existence of God; Medium dignity next four against the so-called dignity anniyyat al-beings, then the actual existence is dimaksudkannya being.

Thus, the three first-grade is qadim (previously without beginning) and baqa (eternal without inference); Medium dignity next four muhdats called (which is used / created). Therefore, the term 'nature is not used for three first-grade, but clearly for the next four dignity. From all of that dapatlah understood that the divine dignity that no other of the three first-grade, medium-grade or natural being to the dignity of the next four. Allah knows best.

Love The Gate Guardian

2009-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

There is a light memendar nun much there. Not completely full of eyes looked enchantment. Beautiful and stunning, no right to a climax but also from our sense of the peak, the peak of the wave, such as Love, sometimes menghempas as anchor-anchor hempas awareness on the beach, sometimes so far outside the limit of expectations, although it's closer to our own soul.

Suddenly there was light in front of our eyes. In fact a gigantic gate, full of majesty charisma. Gates was speaking as it were: "I am the gate, the beloved of God." Neck only foot we step, entering the gate, all the awareness we sirna in the flood wave is driven by a love wind fury longing. The first word that sounds there is alignment and praised Puja:

"Praise be to Allah who has meluapi valley guardian of the heart with His love overflow to Him. He is making the palace so special flood the soul that loved him, always witnessing his greatness. He also is spread through the ma'rifatullah secret-a secret life. Kalbunya ago in a garden paradise. Garden is filled with paintings ma'rifatullah that there is no counterpart. While the soul-spirit they were in the Garden Malakut, not a moment but also the spirit in the immortality of his. Duh, confidential arwahnya, dance mendendangkan rosary in his Jabarut Ocean. "

Then a gate, so majestic and beautiful, carve the inscription written by QALAM Ruhani. "All for God Puja, which has opened the gate Love Him for His Kekasih. Then He become chains that shackle one's soul, so that they in the firm must khidmah on him, while the light-light his overflowing intellect-their intellect. Then clear, the magic-the magic power of his, while the heart-mind they awake from haru biru tipudaya the menumpah the charm-charm lahiriyah print Jagad universe, until finally reach ma'rifat plenary. Amboi, ruh-ruh they tersingkapkan of plenary kemahasucian His attributes and His majesty. They facer street presence and His pleasure in secret closeness with Him, through tremendous longing tarekat revenge him, until they termanifestasi in fact, through his testimony oneness. They have be from them, and He menyirnakan them from them, and they drowned in the sea Kemaha-an-He-He. He separates the troops-troops sprawl in the union book of his was selected for his beloved. So they protected by the anonymity of the soul through limpahan light-light, so that he became a manifestation of the object, in addition to the Single-Dirian Him. "

If we want to know only the gate-gate Kekasih Allah, not only desire and ambition to become Kekasih him. For someone to be the degree Kekasih His rights are God, and God himself who gave the area to His servants whom He will.

Just enough light on the blessings of the guardian loved loved him that, indeed more than enough for us. While our knowledge on the guardian of the world that are part of the mystery-the mystery of God, not more than limpahan-limpahan divine, so we are more confident in him on this during our faith.

The Auliya Allah is Ahlullah. They sprawl on the earth as "signs" godlike, with a certain amount, and specific tasks. Among them is the ditampakkan karamahnya, some are not ditampakkan at all. Therefore, the servants of God who were given exceptional intensity, not at all called Waliyullah, and not necessarily that also does not have a surplus at all, do not get a degree Wali Allah. The Auliya is that they always Ubudiyah to pour one's soul to God, and keep at kemaksiatan of soul to God.

In our society, are often trapped by the facts that metafisikal so terrible that someone from the show. Then we claim that the person is classified Waliyullah. In fact the words of a Sufi sheikh, "If you see someone can fly, can penetrate geographical limit quickly, can even penetrate the elapsed time and the future, do not you consider that a Wali Allah, he does not follow along the Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW."

Why? For the sciences there is a certain wisdom that can be learned, so that someone has a certain grandeur in the extraordinary space and time, and so-called science Ironically as Karamah Sciences. In fact karamah was limpahan grace of God, not because of the efforts of the servant of God.

Karamah own terms is not the guardian of. If it appears on the self karamah guardian, merely as a guide only on the truth ibadahnya, luhurnya position, but with a permanent foothold in terms of command of the Prophet SAW. If not, then just karamah humiliation syetan. Therefore among the righteous there is to know the degree kewaliannya, and other people know. Some of them do not know the degree kewaliannya own and other people also do not know. In fact, there are other people who know, but does not know himself.

But in the Islamic community also have rejected the concept of a guardian. Even with the simple claim that Auliya called 'it's as if only a normal degree of someone's degree of faith. Of course, this same group kelirunya with groups that they consider a person, the origin has a grandeur, and called Waliyullah, especially if the person is from the ulama or Kiai.

Uncurl views humankind as guardian of our audience, that something that complex. There ganjalan-ganjalan primordial and psychological, even ganjalan intellectual.

Al-Quthub Abu Al-Abbas al-Mursi, Allah meridlainya, asserts in the book written by students, Lathaiful Minan, the work of Ibn Athaillah as-Sakandari, "Waliyullah covered by the science and ma'rifat-ma'rifat, while the fact is always witnessed by the heart, so while he was giving advice as if what is said as identical with the permission of Allah. And must be understood, for the God who is allowed to reach a parable spoken, will give a good deed to all beings, while the cue-isyaratnya a beautiful finery for the souls of the creatures. "

"The primary basis of the Guardian that," said Abu Al-Abbas, "is quite feel with God, receive His Science, and get help through musyahadah to him. Allah Ta'ala said: "Whoever bertawakkal to God, then He is the mencukupinya." (QS. Ath-Thalaq: 3). "Is not God's servants have been sufficient?" (QS. Az-Zumar: 36). "Is not he know that Allah is Forgiving Know?" (QS. al-'Alaq: 14). "Are you not simply with the Lord, that He is Witness to all things?" (QS. Fushshilat: 53).
Agung sheik Abdul Halim Mahmud in giving a special note on the paper as Lathaiful Minan-length strip Sakandari guardian about this. This is done so because, as-Sakandari start writing the book was guardian of the discourse, as indeed, the big book you want to criticize thorough biography of the two largest Waliyullah during the period, namely Sulthanul Auliya 'sheik Abu Al-Hasan asy-ra and his Syadzili, sheik Abu Al-Abbas al-Mursi.

In a paragraph that often become the main reference is the guardian of the world: "Remember that the Wali-wali Allah does not have that fear and uneasiness. Those who believe and they bertaqwa. They get the excitement of life in the world and in the Hereafter. No changes to the sentence-the sentence of God. That is a great victory. "(QS. Yunus: 62-64)
In a hadith Qudsi mentioned a very popular, "Rasulullah SAW said: Allah Ta'ala said:" Who memusuhi Guardians Me, then surely I allow him to diperangi. And not a servant of my approach to my self that I love more than what I have enjoined upon. And my servants are always on my approach to the Sunnah of worship-worship, so I love him. So when I mencintainya, I am pendengarannya where he heard, and to be where it's eyes to see, and a hand in which he beat, and into his leg where he was running. If he appealed to me, Akupasti gave him, if he was seeking protection to me I will surely protect it. "

Because of al-Hakim at-Tirmidzi, one of the great Sufi mid-century generation, which is writing the book, to the monumental, Khatamul Auliya '(signs of guardian), which contains 156 of them questions about the Sufi world, and who can answer it , then he will get the signs of the guardian. He is also writing a book 'Ilmul Auliya.

Variety The Guardian
The sheikh of the Sufi kind of Guardians to share with various versions, including the degree of each in front of Allah Ta'ala. In the book of Al-Aliyah Mafakhirul fi al-Ma'atsir asy-Syadzilyah mentioned when discussing a matter Quthub Guardians. Sheikh bin Katilah Syamsuddin Rahimahullaahu Ta'ala narrated: "I was sitting in front guruku, terlintas ago to ask about the Guardian Quthub. "What is the meaning of Quthub O my lord?" Then he said, "that many Quthub. Each Sufi muqaddam or promoter can be referred to as Quthub it.

While al-Quthubul Ghauts al-Fard al-Jami 'the only one. This means that the Guardians Nuqaba 'is the number 300. They have been separated from rekadaya appetite, and they have 10 amaliyah: amaliyah be lahiriyah four, and six amaliyah be bathiniyah. Four amaliyah lahiriyah that include:

1) that many of Worship, 2) Conducting zuhud essential, 3) Pressing self desire, 4) with a maximum Mujahadah. While lelaku batinnya: 1) repentance, 2) Inabat, 3) Muhasabah, 4) Tafakkur, 5) up in God, 6) Riyadlah. Among the 300 Guardian is the priest and pemukanya, and he referred to as Quthub it.

While the Guardians Nujaba 'number 40 Guardians. There are 70 of the Guardians. Their task is the load-bear the burden of human hardship. Because it is a diperjuangkan rights of others (not themselves). They have eight amaliyah: batiniyah are four, and four more are lahiriyah: What are lahiriyah is 1) Futuwwah (matter entirely on the rights of others), 2) Tawadlu ', 3) Maintaining Adab (with God and each other), and 4) of Worship maximally. While the Batiniyah, 1) Sabar, 2) Ridla, 3) Syukur), 4) Malu.

Abdal The Guardians of 7 people. They are referred to as the plenary, and maintain a balance istiqamah servitude. They have been separated from the imagination and delusion, and they have eight amaliyah birth and mind. Lahiriyah that: 1) Silent, 2) awake from sleep, 3) hunger and 4) 'Uzlah. Of each of the four amaliyah lahiriyah is also divided into four also: Lahiriyah and Batiniyah:
First, the still, silent lahiriyah of the talk, but only berdzikir Allah Ta'ala. While Batinnya, is silent batinnya of all the details and diversity of news inward. Second, awake from sleep in lahiriyah, batinnya awake from negligence of dzikrullah. Third, the hungry, two. Abrar Laparnya circles, because perfection penempuhan toward God, and because laparnya the Muqarrabun full meal with godlike grace joy (uns). Fourth, 'uzlah, lahiriyah are not located in the middle of crowd, the batiniyah leave feeling happy with a lot of people, because only with the joy of God.

Amaliyah Batiniyah the Abdal, also there are four principals: 1) Tajrid (only alone with God), 2) Tafrid (the only God), 3) Al-Jam'u (located in the Unity of God, 3) Tauhid.

Variety of the Guardians have called Two Imam (Imamani), the two private, one on the right side of the Quthub and the other in the left side. On the right side always looked natural Malakut (natural mind) - and more glorious in rank rather than the friends on the left - while that on the left side always looked to the nature of the Jagad (malak). Quthub figure on the right is representative of Quthub. But each has four amaliyah Batin, and four amaliyah Born. That is Lahiriyah: Zuhud, Wara ', Amar nahi Ma'ruf and Munkar. While that is Batiniyah: Honesty hearts, Ikhlas, Mememlihara Malu and Muraqabah.

Other guardian called al-Ghauts, a figure that is majestic and noble lord, in which all the human help is needed, especially to explain the secret essence fact-godlike. They also appealed to the prayer of al-Ghauts, because al-Ghauts very diijabahi doanya. If he happens to witness direct affirmation, such as Uwais al-Qarni in the time of Rasul SAW. And one can not be called Qutub when Quthub has no citation and integral nature of the Guardians.

Al-Umana ', are also protean Guardians of Malamatiyah, namely those who hide batinnya world, and does not appear at all in the world lahiriyahnya. Usually the Umana 'has pursuivant Ahlul Futuwwah, those who care to humanity.
Al-Afraad, the Guardian is very special, outside the view of the world Quthub.

The Quthub always talk rationally with Akbar, the Light-Ruh light (Ruhul Anwar), with a noble Pena (Qalamul Al-A'la), with a very beautiful Purity (Al-Qudsul Al-Abha), the Court of Asthma ( Ismul A'dzam), with Kibritul Ahmar (Red Berlian like), with Yaqut the mememancarkan light ruhani, with asthma-Asma', letters, and circle-circle Asma letter. He spoke with matahati light on the secret terdalam in the secret hole. He was a man who learned the material and knowledge batiniyah with tremendous depth of meaning that, in the tafsir, hadith, fiqih, ushul, language, wisdom and ethics. An illustration is depicted on the Sulthanul Aulioya Syeikhul Quthub Abu Al-Hasan asy-Syadzily - I hope God continues meridhoi.

RabiatulAdawiah (part 2)

2009-05-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Rabi'ah is the fourth child of four siblings. All women. His father named Rabi'ah, which means "four", not because it is the fourth of four children of his brother. Once upon a time his father prayed that he was a boy. The desire to have sons because the family Rabi'ah not including the family rich, but well short of the life and suffering full. Every day his father often sweat to extort support his family, while her children at that time is relatively small. Moreover, the presence of Rabi'ah, suffering the burden of his father, also felt the increased weight, so that later when the child was male, it is expected that the burden of suffering will be reduced because the boys can protect the entire family. Or at least can help to find his father's livelihood.

Even if the family is in the life of a lack of self, but my father always Rabi'ah life zuhud and piety. Rabi'ah is so, since even the small to completely lack dewasanya life, but it is not menciutkan heart to continue to worship God. Instead, he made the destitution of his family as a key to enter the Sufi, who then melegendakan named as one of the martyrdom of women in Sufi history row between the Sufi.

Rabi'ah is the fourth child of four siblings. All women. His father named Rabi'ah, which means "four", not because it is the fourth of four children of his brother. Once upon a time his father prayed that he was a boy. The desire to have sons because the family Rabi'ah not including the family rich, but well short of the life and suffering full. Every day his father often sweat to extort support his family, while her children at that time is relatively small. Moreover, the presence of Rabi'ah, suffering the burden of his father, also felt the increased weight, so that later when the child was male, it is expected that the burden of suffering will be reduced because the boys can protect the entire family. Or at least can help to find his father's livelihood.

Even if the family is in the life of a lack of self, but my father always Rabi'ah life zuhud and piety. Rabi'ah is so, since even the small to completely lack dewasanya life, but it is not menciutkan heart to continue to worship God. Instead, he made the destitution of his family as a key to enter the Sufi, who then melegendakan named as one of the martyrdom of women in Sufi history row between the Sufi.

Rabiatul Adawiah Recognize the Love of God

2009-05-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Whilom, Rabiah al-Adawiyah eat together with their families. Partake of food before the meal is available, Rabi'ah see his father and said, "My father, who will not be forever forbidden to be lawful. Moreover, because the father felt obliged to support us. "My father and mother by surprise to hear the words Rabi'ah. Food that is not in the mouth, so eventually eaten. He viewpoints Rabi'ah ray emission with the soft eyes, full of love. A smile, the father said, "Rabi'ah, how thou, if no more that we can get the goods unless forbidden?" Rabi'ah said: "Let us just keep hunger in the world, this is better than we menahannya later in the Hereafter in the Fire. "His father, of course, very astonished to hear Rabi'ah answers, because answers like that only didengarnya the senate-chamber which was attended by the Sufi or the righteous. Not thought by his father, that Rabi'ah young was thought to show maturity and have high morals (Abdul Mu'in Qandil).

Fragment on the actual story is only part of the glory of morals Rabi'ah al-Adawiyah, a Sufi woman of the name and teachings-ajarannya has been inspired for the lovers of God. Rabi'ah is a Sufi legendaries. History of life expressed by many different people, in the Sufi world and academia. Rabi'ah Sufi is the first to introduce the teachings Mahabbah (Love) of God, a ladder (maqam), or the levels passed by a salik (facer divine way). Rabi'ah Besides al-Adawiyah, another Sufi who introduced the teachings mahabbah is Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, a Sufi poet born in Persia 604 years H/1207 M and died 672 years H/1273 M. Jalaluddin Rumi introduce many concepts Mahabbah through syai'ir-sya'irnya, especially in Matsnawi and Syria Diwan-i-i Tabriz.

Whilom, Rabiah al-Adawiyah eat together with their families. Partake of food before the meal is available, Rabi'ah see his father and said, "My father, who will not be forever forbidden to be lawful. Moreover, because the father felt obliged to support us. "My father and mother by surprise to hear the words Rabi'ah. Food that is not in the mouth, so eventually eaten. He viewpoints Rabi'ah ray emission with the soft eyes, full of love. A smile, the father said, "Rabi'ah, how thou, if no more that we can get the goods unless forbidden?" Rabi'ah said: "Let us just keep hunger in the world, this is better than we menahannya later in the Hereafter in the Fire. "His father, of course, very astonished to hear Rabi'ah answers, because answers like that only didengarnya the senate-chamber which was attended by the Sufi or the righteous. Not thought by his father, that Rabi'ah young was thought to show maturity and have high morals (Abdul Mu'in Qandil).

Fragment on the actual story is only part of the glory of morals Rabi'ah al-Adawiyah, a Sufi woman of the name and teachings-ajarannya has been inspired for the lovers of God. Rabi'ah is a Sufi legendaries. History of life expressed by many different people, in the Sufi world and academia. Rabi'ah Sufi is the first to introduce the teachings Mahabbah (Love) of God, a ladder (maqam), or the levels passed by a salik (facer divine way). Rabi'ah Besides al-Adawiyah, another Sufi who introduced the teachings mahabbah is Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, a Sufi poet born in Persia 604 years H/1207 M and died 672 years H/1273 M. Jalaluddin Rumi introduce many concepts Mahabbah through syai'ir-sya'irnya, especially in Matsnawi and Syria Diwan-i-i Tabriz.

FAce Book Prohibited (haram)?

2009-05-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

On 20-21 May 2009 meeting was conducted in Kediri Ponpes Lirboyo which was attended by representatives from 50 cottages pesantren in East Java, in order to meeting the members bahtsul masail on one of the legal use of the internet. One of the decisions of the meeting is to provide decision that facebook (social networking site) that are very popular ruling unlawful. But with the record if it is used as a medium to get a girlfriend or wife looking for candidates.

In addition, also when used for something that is bokep porno alias also forbidden. Not only facebook but all diinternet used for the negative ruling unlawful. Even the chaplain East Java has been perhaps the team prepared to discuss the specific use of the Internet and menghukuminya in fiqih glasses.

Separately spokesman facebook Indonesia mas Debby Frost said that facebook is used by the internet user of Indonesia to establish business relationships with colleagues and family for the things that positive. Only the comment mas Debby Frost.

How in your opinion?

Before you think dikomentar, I kemukakan first in my opinion. We must know that at the time he lived there is no internet, so the law is, of course, does not exist, and scholars (Cendikia jockey) as the successor of the prophets, He shall be a representative, he (Prophet). So if I was already as much as we agree with the decision of the scholars. eits! wait before the first read on in this protest.

I consider that the more dihukumi forbidden by the scholars is something negative or a standard logic is forbidden before. Use of the internet media (not just facebook) if you are used to distribute video bokep how you?
If you asked what legal knife? so basically clean only. To cut vegetables, fruit etc.. But what if the knife used to puncture the stomach so that the death (murder)? of course forbidden. So also with the internet, facebook, friendster, blog, SEO and all online-online.

So essentially facebook and the knife is only a tool. The dihukumi forbidden by the scholars is the "if" before, where if it is basically the act unlawful. This is only my opinion that is not so foolish as an individual I do not have the competence and authority to do so, agree monggo if ya do not dispose of it to the trash. Only try to give a view of the glasses fool Muslims.

So join the contest mild SEO SEO for beginners to learn than just find and download a porno bugil. Knowledge and experience can only find the information about the artist bugil. Especially beginners lho.

At the same time I want to show you all how a master SEO should do to combat the illicit-forbidden on the Internet. Let chaplain and legal scholars to provide the fatwanya, but man SEO must assist with the appropriate fields. I show that a kopitozie, winner of the contest many SEO blogs willing stained dirty words and nasty just for the fight against porn sites on the SERP in the framework of the campaign anti bokep. If you want to know please visit Porn Blog World and New Term IT ...

Why do I memujinya? because I dare not own as he shoots in bokep keyword. Do not the words but look at assessed intention and purpose. Many pages in there, and similar results are really good also because many of the search and bokep masher lost. Imagine if all the master SEO would do as he. Vanish tuh bokep site in SERP. Salut buat kang Tozie! you are great and the world and not be prudish.

Muslim rage boy: Raging for Allah

2009-05-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

man of a thousand scowls, grimaces and grievances: "Muslim 'rage boy' says he's really angry." Shakeel Bhat is his name; we await word on whether the Bush administration has appointed a special envoy to listen and learn from Mr. Bhat. The AFP profile requires some interpretation. Mr. Bhat appears to be -- not to put too fine a point on it -- a terrorist:
"Whatever I do, I do for Allah and the Prophet Mohammed," said Bhat, who admits to having been an armed militant between 1991 and 1994 with a pro-Pakistan rebel group.

"I can't resist injustice. I protest for all the oppressed Muslims in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan," he told AFP.

Bhat dropped out of school in his early teens, and quickly found his way into the armed struggle against New Delhi's disputed hold over part of the scenic Himalayan region.

The nearly 18-year-old conflict has left at least 42,000 people dead, nearly a third of them civilians.

After escaping scores of police raids, Bhat finally spent three years behind bars -- a lucky escape from the Indian army's "catch and kill" tactics of the 1990s.

While he no longer carries a weapon, Bhat said he was still fuming about the Indian army's often suffocating presence in Kashmir -- where there is one soldier for every four civilians -- and what he sees as a wider international conspiracy against Muslims.

"If my photographs get published across the world, it is because my emotions are real and my looks are not deceptive. The photos show the anger inside," said the full-time demonstrator, who when off the street looks distincly modest and a little shy.

Bhat has been detained more than 300 times since he first took to the streets of Srinagar in late 1997. He even travels to other parts of the picturesque Kashmir valley to vent his Islamist anger.

"Police have registered 40 cases against me for taking part in the protests and I have to shuttle from one court to another to defend myself. I've been in almost every police station," he laughed, clutching a plastic bag full of court papers.

Although not a Shiite Muslim, he says his inspiration is Iran's late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"I sometimes leave my home and return days later after being in police lock-ups," said Bhat, whose family run a handicrafts business.

"My family members are very supportive. They know I am not doing anything wrong. I am doing what every Muslims needs to do."

Apart from drawing ridicule from bloggers, Bhat has even inspired one American neoconservative website to push "Rage Boy" merchandise -- including T-shirts, beer mugs, mouse pads.

"I don't believe this! I have no knowledge about all this. Why do they do it?" demanded Bhat, who says he has no idea how to use a computer and the Internet.

Bhat also shrugged off his rather unflattering "Rage Boy" nickname.

"I don't need any titles. I am a simple Muslim. Yes, I get enraged if someone, somewhere makes derogatory remarks about our religion or Prophet," he said.

"The Koran is my driving force. I will come out on streets as long as Muslims are victims of oppression, even if it leads to my death."

The Desire

2009-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

By : Fahmi Islam Jiwanto, MA

Human life and driven by the desire. Time and all that belongs to human consumption and is used to realize the desire. But a question off this axiomatic fact; namely kenginan such as what and who should desire to follow?

With its position in the human desire divided into several groups:

First, the man who only wants to follow him. Nothing important for him except that he would like. Perhaps he thought himself free. Merdeka determine that all he wants. Also free to think what he imagined. Independence is important to form personality. Without a man's independence is just a number that is not too important in the middle of the billions of human beings. But there is limit independence. Man who does not tend to limit themselves selfish and egocentric. Even more al-Qur'an mentions this as a human being like the human sex nafsunya worship. He said in the letter of al-Jatsiyah paragraph 23:

23. "So did you see the person who made the sex nafsunya as his Lord and God membiarkannya based on science, and God has sealed their hearts and hearing and put veils on penglihatannya? So who will be guided after God (membiarkannya astray). So why do you not remember? "(QS Al-Jatsiyah: 23)

Rasulullah SAW also mentions that people only follow nafsunya sex as the person who is weak.
“Barang siapa yang menjadikan pikiran-pikirannya menjadi satu pikiran yaitu pikiran akhirat, Allah cukupkan masalah dunianya. Dan barang siapa yang pikirannya bercabang-cabang di urusan dunia, Allah tidak perduli di lembah dunia mana dia akan binasa.” (HR Ibnu Majah dan al-Hakim dihasankan oleh al-Albani)

Semoga Allah menyelamatkan kita dari musibah seperti itu.

Keempat, manusia yang menenggelamkan dirinya dalam keinginan Sang Pencipta. Dia hanya menginginkan keridhoan Allah. Dia tahu bahwa dia hanya makhluk yang diciptakan untuk beribadah kepada-Nya. Manusia golongan ini adalah manusia luhur dan suci. Mereka menghayati firman Allah “Katakanlah bahwa sholatku, ibadahku, hidup dan matiku hanyalah untuk Allah Tuhan semesta alam.”

Tetapi beberapa tantangan serius menghadapi mereka. Tidak sedikit kegagalan terjadi jika anak Adam ini tidak berhasil menghadapi tantangan-tantangan tersebut.

Tantangan pertama adalah tantangan pemahaman. Sejauh mana anak manusia memahami apa yang Allah SWT tuntut darinya. Berapa banyak orang yang serius beribadah bahkan mengorbankan segala yang dia miliki untuk suatu hal yang sebetulnya tidak dituntut darinya. Betapa banyak kewajiban ditinggalkan karena melaksanakan ibadah sunah yang tidak prioritas dalam neraca Syariah. Betapa banyak kewajiban kolektif diabaikan padahal itu menyangkut kepentingan umum disebabkan sang manusia lebih asyik dengan ibadah personal yang porsinya bisa dibatasi. Betapa banyak bid’ah yang dianggap sunnah. Betapa banyak sunnah yang dianggap bid’ah.

Tanpa berpegang teguh pada pemahaman yang benar terhadap Qur’an dan Sunnah, sangat sulit seorang muslim dapat dengan tepat melaksanakan peranan dan tugas yang dituntut darinya.

Kesalahan yang paling parah adalah yang terjadi pada golongan yang menganggap bahwa penyerahan diri terhadap Allah adalah bersikap fatalis atau yang dikenal dengan kaum Jabriyah. Bahwa manusia hanya dituntut menyerah pada takdir, tidak perlu berusaha atau merencanakan masa depan yang baik. Iman kepada takdir mereka pahami sebagai sikap pasif terhadap usaha perubahan.

Umar bin Khaththab pernah begitu gusar dengan pemahaman seperti ini, ketika beliau dan beberapa sahabat hendak memasuki daerah yang dilanda wabah. Setelah bermusyawarah akhirnya diputuskan untuk membatalkan kunjungan ke daerah tersebut. Salah seorang sahabat menentang putusan itu, dan berkata, “Apakah kita lari dari takdir Allah?” Umar bin Khaththab terkejut dengan tanggapan tersebut, lalu menjawab, “Iya kita lari dari takdir Allah menuju takdir Allah yang lain.”

The Strength Of Every Muslim Prayer

2009-05-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

By Dr Juanda Jaya

Events of the Prophet Adam and Eve removed from the palace of heaven to teach us to make history with the calm perspective of God.

Other than the wisdom of this policy is able to overcome the human angel and the devil, the fall also due to the appetite can sometimes overcome the furor intellect. Finally, with the will of God, life in the world transformed, and the repentance of Adam received zuriat time for people to test there true faith in God even began. Indeed, that is to be the salvation of Adam taubatnya apply to God. Menceritakannya God: "Then Adam received kalimah (academic words to repent). So, Allah accept taubatnya. Allah is Recipient repentance, Most Merciful. "(Surah al-Baqarah, verse 37). Adam trying to teach us how to be honorable men.

Not when God created all creatures to be bowed down to him. However, the influence of the devil and the lust lust may switch the type of being called human beings to be other.

Quoting the Book of Ihya 'Ulumuddin, Imam al-Ghazali examine the nature of the four merosakkan a humanitarian nature of the human being:

First, the nature or wildness subu'iyah. The anger is like love, insidious, like the attack, beat, curse and destroy property. Take a second to rank the nature bahimiyah or brutality. Greedy and greedy as a dog, like the dirty objects such as the illicit wealth, adultery and sodomy. Increased extreme circumstances, if they go to the third rank syaitaniyah nature of the devil with the withdrawal model characteristics such as mean, slicker, play devious, enjoin and prohibit the munkar good.

Kemuncaknya, the nature of the last third, when the nature of the three-gather, then Take the evil man is up to the rank rububiyah nature, namely the divine nature of God would like to own to be seized. The nature of self-pride, proud, mahukan praised and worship people, sukakan glory and high position. Finally he said I am the Lord, not men, I do not deign to obey and comply with the rule because I am. There is nothing evil setanding diriku.Begitulah biggest children of Adam, when they have forgotten God and live in mud kubang a gross sin and revolting.

Learn from a mistake ayahanda human being Prophet Adam to God, after the blunder he repent while praying without the despair of the meaning of His mercy. This is the most noble worship that was first taught by God to pray to him, ie. What is the function of prayer for us?

* First, prayer is the rope of God. As the prayer is also a bond with our God. As a servant of the eternal nature is weak, people always need to relate to God the Exalted. Lafaz not contain the meaning of prayer and hope kebergantungan to Allahus-Somad (Depending Place For God). Acknowledge the weaknesses and the need to self-help and protection of God. When a man does not feel the need of prayer, he was too lofty and proud with the guarantee itself. He has decided that God mengikatnya strap so that the destruction caused terdedah sin forget God. A Muslim should always familiarize himself the name of God in every deeds. Wake up as early as from sleep, bathing, wearing clothes, berwuduk, pray, eat, drink, go out the house, work, learn and bermuamalat fellow human beings. Hatta, husband and wife who menggauli, let all of that with the prayer that accompanied the act with the command and selari telling God.

Truly beautiful relationship between the servant with the Lord. He was so close and never divorced because the object is prayer in the full confidence that Allah is Hearer, Seer.

* Function of prayer is the second goal and dream is owned arranged to tend with in accordance with the request to God. People ask heaven must accompanied with kesungguhannya do Salih. People who ask for blessing a provision should make every effort to get it working. Meanwhile, when he asks for from the avoided crime itself, then he should try not to sin and maksiat. Prayer and endeavor complete complement each other. God's Word means: "... Allah will not change a nation unless they change themselves ..." (Surah al-Ra'd, paragraph 11). Fact that faith is not fancy. He should be with the seriousness or jihad in labor Salih.

* The third function of prayer is as pengubat heart. When self-offense, not dipedulikan, divorced and discarded lovers worship by heart, a feeling that is present slough. If the test and apply the faith cubaan such as lack of property, loss of life, disability, illness, natural disaster and the failure of every struggle, the man who should complain, moan and lean? Each light comes akan expectations, who want to dipohonkan? Confidence and strength to continue living, where penjana power? Only to God the Most Merciful Pengasih.

Prayer is strength for every Muslim, but if it does not work in a way that correct, then the power will be lost, living only lafaz empty without meaning and purpose. Return the function of prayer so that we always get a definitive answer from God.

What Happened to Islam?

2009-05-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

“It is enough to know that the economy of all Arab countries is weaker than the economy of one country that had once been part of our world when we used to truly adhere to Islam. That country is the lost al-Andalus. No Muslim territory should ever become non-Muslim…. Let the whole world know that we shall never accept the tragedy of Andalusia.”

Osama bin Laden, “Message to the Muslim People,” on Al-Jazeera, in January 2004, lamenting the decline of the Islamic world.

“The death brigades penetrated into the European crusader heartland, and struck a painful blow at one of the foundations of the crusader coalition. This is part of a settling of old accounts with crusader Spain.”

Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades of al-Qaida, claiming responsibility for the March 11, 2004 bombings in Madrid that killed over 200 persons.

Spain just isn’t what it used to be, and in al-Qaida’s view, that’s the problem. The religious zealotry that propels today’s radical Islamists can only be explained within the context of history. The odyssey that has carried the Arab Muslim world from the heights of its ancient glory to its modern day abyss is a story that spans 1,400 years and innumerable humiliations most of which can be traced to its own failings.

There was a time when Europeans, seeking enlightenment and learning, studied at the feet of Islamic scholars. It is a time long past but not forgotten, at least by those who seek to restore their lost empire at any and all costs. Since its Golden Age during the Moorish Empire a millennium ago, Islamic history has been in an steady tailspin that has led to a culture of victimhood and death fueled by religious hatred, sectarian violence, centuries of isolation from Western enlightenment, and an overwhelming almost mystical desire to restore past glories.

Today, the Arab world is constituted by a series of 22 failed states bereft, for the most part, of progressive leaders and unable to produce one single manufactured product that can compete on world markets. Far from being an enlightened civilization, it has become a cultural backwater replete with massive poverty, repressive governments, vast illiteracy, medieval laws, rising Islamist anger and a gross domestic product less than that of (coincidentally) Spain.

But it has not always been this way. Islam arose in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century. Like Christianity, it officially condemned forced conversions, but unlike Christianity, Islam instructed its followers to ensure that the world was under the political control of the Faithful. Hence, Islam’s political domination could be, and was, spread by the sword.

Islamic cavalries burst out of Arabia and quickly took control of the Middle East, Byzantium and Persia. The Middle Eastern armies of the Christian Byzantine Empire were defeated and annihilated in 636, and Jerusalem fell in 638. By the early 8th century Arab Islamic forces had conquered North Africa, reached the Straits of Gibraltar and crossed into Visigothic Spain. By 712, they had reached the center of the Iberian Peninsula, and by the 730s, they were raiding deep into the heart of France until defeated by the Frankish leader Charles Martel at the Battle of Poitiers in 732.

As Paul Crawford, points out in “Crusades: Political and Military Background,” gradually retreating south over a period of centuries, they eventually consolidated their power in southern Spain. There, over the next 800 years, the Arabs managed to develop a majestic civilization on the Iberian Peninsula - a civilization that came to be known as Andalusia. For Muslims, al-Andalus (Andalusia) remains not only a symbol of vanished greatness, but a kind of alternative vision of Islam - a vision sought by Islamists today, but unattainable in the modern era unless Islam itself is reformed.

In “The Age of Faith” historian Will Durant wrote: “For five centuries, from 700 to 1200, Islam led the world in power, in refinement of manners, in standards of living; in humane legislation and religious tolerance; in literature, scholarship, science, medicine, and philosophy.” The Arabs of Andalusia (known as “Moors” meaning “dark” - a negative term referring to the Berbers who came from Morocco) treated Christians and Jews with tolerance, enabling them to live, work and learn together in relative peace and harmony so long as they accepted d’himmitude (or second-class status), paid a head or poll tax, and accepted the superiority of Islam as demanded by the Koran. These restrictions, over the centuries often led to great hardship, examples of which have been documented in the scholarly works of Bat Ye’or.

Nevertheless, as Bernard Lewis has noted, for centuries the worldview and self-view of Arab Muslims seemed entirely justified. The Moorish Empire of Andalusia represented the greatest military and economic power in the world, trading in a wide range of commodities through a far-flung network of commerce and communications in Asia, Europe, and Africa; importing slaves, gold and other commodities from Africa, wool from Europe, and exchanging a variety of foodstuffs, materials, and manufactured goods with the civilized nations of Asia.

The Moors improved trade and agriculture, patronized the arts, made valuable contributions to science, and established Cordoba, Seville and Grenada as the most sophisticated cities in Europe while Europe floated on a sea of feudalism. Inheriting and translating the scholarly works of the Greeks and Persians, they added new and important innovations from outside, such as the use and manufacture of paper from China and the decimal system imported from India.

Within the span of 200 years, the Moors had turned Andalusia into a bastion of culture, commerce and beauty. Irrigation systems imported from Syria and Arabia turned the dry plains of the peninsula into an agricultural cornucopia. While Europe descended into feudalism, Andalusian homes featured marble balconies for summer and hot-air ducts under their mosaic floors for the winter. They were adorned with gardens with artificial fountains and orchards. Paper, a material still unknown to the West, was everywhere. There were bookshops throughout Andalusia and more than 70 libraries. The great library of Cordova held an estimated 600,000 manuscripts. By the end of the first millennium, Cordoba had become the intellectual well from which Europeans came to drink. Students and scholars alike traveled from France and England to sit at the feet of Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars to learn philosophy, science and medicine.

It was in Moorish Spain that Muslim mathematicians utilized decimals instead of fractions on a large scale, and Hindu numerals were, for the first time incorporated in the inherited body of mathematical learning. Today, they are known as “Arabic numerals.”

To this rich inheritance, Andalusian scholars and scientists added an immensely important contribution through their own observations, experiments and ideas. In most of the arts and sciences of civilization, medieval Europe was a pupil and, in a sense, a dependent of the Islamic world, relying on Arabic translations for previously unknown Greek works.

While medieval Europe floated on a sea of superstition, illiteracy and barbarism, Andalusians were busying themselves probing the limits of the arts, the cosmos and the sciences rather than dwelling on victimization as the Arab world does today.

Islamic texts broke new ground in the fields of medicine, astrology, astronomy, pharmacology, psychology, physiology, zoology, biology, botany, mineralogy, optics, literature, architecture, sociology, philosophy, metallurgy, animal husbandry, physics, mathematics (notably algebra, geometry and trigonometry), music, meteorology, geography, mechanics, hydrostatics, navigation and history.

But what really caused the intellectual bombshell to explode were the Arabic commentaries on the Greek translations of Aristotle. Most historians of the period agree that these debates and the use of scientific logic sparked what came to be known as the European Renaissance.

Unlike those in the Arab world today who seek to establish a global Islamic caliphate based upon a narrow regressive interpretation of the Koran and the Hadith (its commentaries), the Moors of Spain encouraged free thought, experimentation, discussion and evaluation. Islamic Spain produced scientists and scholars who used the astrolabe not just to determine prayer times, but to serve as an astronomical guide to those who navigated the world’s oceans making it possible to establish both longitude and latitude.

Andalusian scientists advanced the work of the Greeks in the development of the magnetic compass and ascertained the earth’s circumference. They produced books on astronomical tables that were used by European scientists for the next four centuries. Andalusian Arabs coined the term “Algebra” (Al-Jabr-wa-al-Muqabilah) and the basic trigonometric functions of sine, cosine and tangent. And it was from the Andalusian philosophers, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) from whom great Christian scholars like St. Thomas Aquinas (who served as vicar provincial in Andalusia) drew the philosophies and concepts that eventually laid the foundations for the European Renaissance.

The Moors also made great advances in the field of modern surgery. They put the study of medicine on a scientific footing by eliminating superstition, introduced medical codes of conduct, and required the introduction of examinations and the taking of the Hippocratic Oath. In the 9th century, an Andalusian physician was the first to diagnose smallpox and measles and relate them to the concept of “contagious” diseases (which, until that time, had been thought to originate only from within the body itself); and it was an Andalusian physician who pioneered the use of sutures made of animal gut to bind wounds.

Andalusian scientists constructed the first “globe” of the known world; broke new ground in the field of modern chemistry (or alchemy – a derivative of the Arabic word al-Kimiya) - including the development of dosage standards (prescriptions) for patients and the process of chemical preparations for medicines. They developed the tables outlining the “angles of refraction” leading to an explanation of, among other things - twilight, established laboratories for long-term experimentation and pioneered new methods of observation and measurement. Andalusian Arabic scholars also left an intellectual imprint in the heavens as one can readily see when reading the names of the stars on a modern-day celestial globe.

And because of this flood of knowledge flowing from Andalusian scholars, the first universities began to appear. College and university degrees were developed along with corresponding textbooks. The translations continued even as the Moorish Empire broke apart into feuding factions and more regressive interpretations of the Koran began their ascension. In the end, like the other empires of history, Andalusia fell in 1492 to the Catholic princes of Castille and the counts of Barcelona in the Reconquista.

Legend has it that Boabdil (a corruption of the name Abu Abdullah, or, in full, Abu ‘abd Allah Mohammed XII) the last Moorish king of Grenada looked back one final time on his lost kingdom and wept. His mother is said to have mocked him, saying: “It is good that you weep like a woman for what you could not keep as a man” - a bitter reminder of a majestic kingdom lost, and in the minds of today’s radical Islamists, a wrong to be righted one day by a global Islamic caliphate supported by the will of Allah.

The Muslims who were expelled from Andalusia took refuge mainly in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, but the legacy persisted. Some families, it is said, still have the keys to their no longer existent ancient houses in Cordoba and Seville. Today, in mosques from Mecca to Tehran, imams continue to invoke the memory of Andalusia in Friday prayers reminding their flocks of past glories, but failing to blame their decline and descent upon the jihadist Salafists who continue to this day to draw the Islamic world back to the Dark Ages.

The end of the Andalusian Empire has never been forgotten by the Islamic world. Bin Ladin invokes its memory often. For al-Qaida, its restoration is seen as the fulfillment of the will of Allah and as “divine retribution” to the descendants of those who conquered and destroyed Andalus.

To the radical Islamists, U.S. President George W. Bush is simply another infidel in a long line of infidels - from the Byzantine emperors of Constantinople, to the Holy Roman Emperors, to Britain’s Queen Victoria, and to other European imperialists - who represent mere impediments to the divinely ordained expansion of Islam. “Interference” with the will of Allah, they believe, cannot stop the restoration of their new caliphate.

But those who support radical Islam today fail to appreciate how Andalusian society achieved its greatness. In their zeal to exact revenge and to punish infidels for past transgressions (real or imagined), they have placed their faith in an interpretation of the Koran that renders tolerance, independent thought, debate and all creative, scientific experimentation heresy unless carried out solely for the purpose of waging jihad (holy war) against the perceived enemies of Islam.

Bernard Lewis argues with some merit that the success of Mohammed in establishing not merely the Muslim religion, but also a state dominated by that faith (Islam has yet to separate church from state) created a society that was and remains in its essence totalitarian, “bound by rules and strictures that make it too static to adapt and compete with a West [that] does not demand control over the political and economic spheres.” As a result, the radical Islamists of today are caught in a self-imposed religious prison. The kind of society that produced Andalusia – one that encouraged scholarship through the study of science, learning, independent thought, debate and discussion - represents the very antithesis of the kind of society they seek to impose on the world by force and submission. If Taliban Afghanistan is the best they can do, it is a far cry from the glories of their past. Without an Islamic Reformation and Renaissance, their quest to restore the dignity of the Islamic world will fail.

Mark Silverberg is a foreign policy analyst with the Ariel Center for Policy Research (Israel) and the author of “The Quartermasters of Terror: Saudi Arabia and the Global Islamic Jihad.”

http://www.fullhalloween.com/blog/4752/seeking-andalusia-what-happened-to-islam/

Signs of Allah’s Existence

2009-05-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

By Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him)

“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped).” Quran Surat Baqarah 21-22

Several scholars of Tafsir, like Ar-Razi and others, used this Ayat (verse) as an argument for the existence of the Creator, and it is a most worthy method of argument. Indeed, whoever ponders over the things that exist, the higher and lower creatures, their various shapes, colors, behavior, benefits and ecological roles, then he will realize the ability, wisdom, knowledge, perfection and majesty of the Creator.Once a Bedouin was asked about the evidence to Allah’s existence, he responded: “All praise is due to Allah! The camel’s dung testifies to the existence of the camel, and the track testifies to the fact that someone was walking. A sky that holds the giant stars, a land that has fairways and a sea that has waves, does not all of this testify that the Most Kind, Most Knowledgeable exists?” [Ar-Razi 2:91] Hence, whoever gazes at the sky in its immensity, its expanse, and the various kinds of planets in it, some of which appear stationary in the sky – whoever gazes at the seas that surround the land from all sides, and the mountains that were placed on the earth to stabilize it, so that whoever lives on land, whatever their shape and color, are able to live and thrive – whoever reads Allah’s statement:

“See you not that Allah sends down water (rain) from the sky, and We produce therewith fruits of varying colours, and among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying colours and (others) very black. And of men and AdDawab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and cattle, in like manner of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is AllMighty, OftForgiving.” Quran Surat Faatir 27-28

Whoever thinks about the running rivers that travel from area to area bringing benefit, whoever ponders over what Allah has created on earth; various animals and plants of different tastes, scents, shapes and colors that are a result of unity between land and water, whoever thinks about all of this then he will realize that these facts testify to the existence of the Creator, His perfect ability, wisdom, mercy, kindness, generosity and His overall compassion for His creation. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, nor is there a Lord besides Him, upon Him we rely and to Him we turn in repentance. There are numerous Ayat in the Qur’an on this subject.

USA's Muslims under a cloud

2009-05-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
Motaz Elshafi, 28, a software engineer, casually opened an internal e-mail at work last month. The message began, "Dear Terrorist."

The note from a co-worker was sent to Muslims working at Cisco Systems in Research Triangle Park, N.C., a few days after train bombings in India that killed 207. The e-mail warned that such violent acts wouldn't intimidate people, but only make them stronger.

"I was furious," says Elshafi, who is New Jersey-born and bred. "What did I have to do with this violence?"

Reports of such harassment and discrimination against Muslims are rising, advocacy groups say. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,007 Americans shows strong anti-Muslim feeling. And the hard feelings are damaging the mental health of U.S. Muslims, suggest new studies to be released at the American Psychological Association meeting starting Thursday in New Orleans.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents to the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll said they felt at least some prejudice against Muslims. The same percentage favored requiring Muslims, including U.S. citizens, to carry a special ID "as a means of preventing terrorist attacks in the United States." About one-third said U.S. Muslims were sympathetic to al-Qaeda, and 22% said they wouldn't want Muslims as neighbors.

Verbal harassment and discrimination correlate with worse mental health in studies of Muslims and Arab-Americans since 9/11, says psychologist Mona Amer of Yale University School of Medicine.

In her new study of 611 adults, thought to be the largest ever done on Arab-Americans, they had much worse mental health than Americans overall. About half had symptoms of clinical depression, compared with 20% in an average U.S. group, Amer says.

Muslims, who made up 70% of the study's participants, had poorer mental health than Christians. Those less likely to be depressed or anxious were people who kept their ethnic or religious ties but also had relationships with other people in the community. And more Christians than Muslims lived this "integrated" lifestyle, Amer says.

Though Muslims said they wanted more contact with Americans of other religions, it may be easier for Arab Christians to integrate, Amer speculates.

"They share the mainstream religion. Muslims may have different kinds of names or dress differently and, especially since 9/11, they're ostracized more."

Muslim Women in the Global Era

2009-05-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

On Shifting Ground: Muslim Women in the Global Era

by Douglas, Carol Anne

Edited by Fereshteh Nouraie-Simone, Feminist Press, 2005

Children of the New World

By Assia Djebar, Feminist Press, 2005

Reviewed by Carol Anne Douglas

The Feminist Press has published two excellent new books by Muslim women.

On Shifting Ground: Muslim Women in the Global Era is a fascinating anthology by and about Muslim women. Much of the book focuses on the Internet and the media. "Cyberspace is a liberating territory of one's own," writes Fereshteh Nouraie-Simone, the book's editor.

U.S. newspapers often tell how dissidents in China use the Internet to communicate. Now U.S.-based search engines like Google are actually helping the Chinese government block Web sites and use the Internet to track down and squelch dissidents. But we don't hear that dissidents in countries with fundamentalist governments, particularly Iran, also are using the Internet. Nouraie-Simone says there are at least 65,000 blogs in Farsi, the language of Iran, many of them by women who want a chance to express themselves freely. The women bloggers are young, educated women, professionals or students.

One Iranian woman blogger wrote that she had created her blog "For the voice of women to be heard-to write about whatever comes to mind, or things I like and dislike."

Another wrote: "I have not been born as a subordinate sex, or a biologically inferior. I have been brought up as one with allocation of roles and expectations."

Yet another blogger wrote: "I could have tolerated all the rotten patriarchal ideas and considered them part of the blind love that turns into a confined golden cage and cuts down the wings of freedom. Instead, I bit the hand pushing honey down my throat because it was choking me, this hand of honey."

So far, the Iranian government's attempts to block blogs and servers have not been very successful, but it has started arresting some bloggers as a warning. Egypt also has begun arresting dissident bloggers.

In Saudi Arabia, globalization, including the expansion of the Internet, will force the royal family to change and will force them out, writes Mai Yamani.

On the less hopeful side, right-wing fundamentalists and groups like al Quaeda also use the Internet to recruit and spread their ideology, she notes.

Some of the book's contributors think legal reform is the path for Muslim women to take, while others feel that interpreting the Qur'an in a way that highlights women's equality is the only path that will help Muslim women.

Asma Barlas says the Qur'an treats men and women differently on some issues, and many Muslims have interpreted that as meaning that women are unequal. But difference does not always mean inequality, she says. The Qur'an can be used as the basis for creating a theory of equality, according to Barlas. The Qur'an teaches that God created woman and man from a single self and appointed them each other's friends, she says.

Barlas says that the passage from the Qur'an that men cite as a justification for polygamy actually indicates that monogamy is the better path. She observes that Muhammad forbade his son-in-law to take a second wife because that would make his daughter unhappy. (Intriguing. Would he have set that rule for all marriages, or was he just making an exception for his own daughter?) She says the Qur'an does not represent God as a male and forbids seeing God as the Father. Patriarchy is contrary to Islam, she says, because it sets up men as rulers when only God should be seen as supreme.

In Malaysia, the group Sisters in Islam propounds a version of the Qur'an that supports women's rights. They read the Qur'an together, network, write a column on family law for the nation's largest daily newspaper, and write memoranda to the government urging it to enact laws that benefit women. Zainah Anwar, a founder of the group and its executive director, says "Rejecting religion is not an option for Muslim women. We are believers, and as such we want to find liberation, truth and justice within our own faith. We feel strongly that we have the right to reclaim our religion, to redefine it."

Sisters in Islam began in 1988. For a long time, it had only eight members, but now it has 30 members and a full-time staff, and has begun allowing men to join. Women founded the group because they were tired of being told in religion classes and by radio and television and the shari'a courts that men have authority over women, a man has a God-given right to take a second wife and it is a sin for his first wife to deny him that right, a wife has no right to say no to her husband, and "hell is full of women who leave their heads uncovered" or disobey their husbands. Sisters in Islam rejects such teachings because "We believe Allah could never have been unjust." They have asked for the appointment of women judges to shari'a courts and the right for women to be guardians of their children.

Meena Sharify-Funk quotes Margot Badran as saying "Islamic feminism is a global phenomenon. It is not a product of East or West. Indeed, it transcends East and West." There are Islamic feminists in Muslim countries and in the Muslim diaspora.

Obama, the Middle East and Islam - An Initial Assessment

2009-02-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

Why, just two weeks into a 209-week term, assess a new American president's record on so esoteric a subject as the Middle East and Islam? In Barack Obama's case, because of:

(1) A contradictory record: His background brims over with wild-eyed anti-Zionist radicals such as Ali Abunimah, Rashid Khalidi, and Edward Said, with Islamists, the Nation of Islam, and the Saddam Hussein regime; but since being elected he has made predominantly center-left appointments and his statements resemble those of his Oval Office predecessors.

(2) The outsized role of the Middle East and Islam: His first fortnight in office witnessed an inaugural address that mentioned them prominently, a first diplomatic telephone call to Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, the appointment of two high-profile envoys, and the first interview granted to Al-Arabiya television channel.

Barack Obama speaks on Al-Arabiya television channel.
What to make of this whirlwind?

Afghanistan and Iraq: No surprises – more emphasis on the former and less on the latter ("you're going to see me following through with dealing with a drawdown of troops in Iraq").

Iran: A willingness to talk to the Iranian regime mixed with a flabby reassertion of the unacceptability of Tehran's actions ("Iran has acted in ways … not conducive to peace and prosperity").

Arab-Israeli conflict: A strange mix: Yes, statements about Israel's security imperatives and no condemnation of its war against Hamas. But also effusive praise for the "Abdullah Plan," a 2002 initiative that has Arabs accept Israel's existence in return for Israel return to the June 1967 borders, a plan distinct from other diplomatic initiatives for its many loose ends and its total reliance on Arab good faith. Israeli elections on Feb. 10 are likely to bring a government to power not favorably inclined to this plan, spelling rocky U.S.-Israeli relations ahead.

War on terror: One analyst announced that Obama is "ending the war on terror," but this is speculation. Yes, early on Jan. 22, Obama referred to "the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism," which avoided saying "war on terror," but later that same day he did precisely refer to the "war on terror." Given the many clumsy ways George W. Bush referred to this war, including "the great struggle against extremism that is now playing out across the broader Middle East," Obama's inconsistency so far suggests continuity with Bush more than change.

Reaching out to the Muslim world: Obama's reference to wanting to return to "the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago" revises history, ignoring that 1989 was a bad year and 1979 the worst ever for U.S.-Muslim relations. (In November 1979 alone, Khomeini overthrew the shah of Iran and then seized the American embassy in Tehran, while an Islamist insurgency in Mecca inspired a wave of attacks against U.S. missions in eight majority-Muslim countries.)

Democracy: Harkening back to the good old days of "20 or 30 years ago" does contain a real message, however, as Fouad Ajami points out. This phrasing signals "a return to Realpolitik and business-as-usual" in relations with the Muslim world. Bush's "freedom agenda" has been in retreat for over for three years; now, with Obama, tyrants can breathe yet more easily.

Finally, there is the issue of Obama's personal connection to Islam. During the campaign, he denounced discussion of his connections to Islam as "fear-mongering," and those exploring this subject found themselves vilified. He so severely discouraged use of his middle name, Hussein, that John McCain apologized when a warm-up speaker at a campaign event dared mention "Barack Hussein Obama." After the election, the rules changed dramatically, with the oath of office administered to "Barack Hussein Obama" and the new president volunteering, "I have Muslim members of my family, I have lived in Muslim countries."

It's bad enough that family connections to Islam perceived as a liability when campaigning are suddenly exploited once in office to win Muslim goodwill. Worse, as Diana West observes: "not since Napoleon has a leader of a Western superpower made so unabashed a political pitch to the people of the Muslim world."

To sum up, while Obama's retreat from democratization marks an unfortunate and major change in policy, his apologetic tone and apparent change in constituency present a yet more fundamental and worrisome direction.

Who is The Creator?

2009-02-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jaafar Shiekh Idris

Can It Be Matter?

A very popular question among atheists is, ‘Granted that the existence of temporal things necessitates the existence of an eternal cause, why should that cause be the God of religion? Why can’t matter be eternal and be therefore in no need of an eternal creator?’ I shall argue, on an Islamic basis but at the same time also on a rational basis, that the attribute of eternity entails other attributes, which matter does not and cannot have, and cannot, in view of this, play the role of the original and ultimate cause of temporal things. Muslim theologians say that eternity of existence logically implies everlastingness. This is true because, if something is eternal then it does not depend for its existence on anything outside itself. If this is so then it can never pass away, because only those things pass away that lose some of the external conditions on which they depend for their existence. If the ultimate cause of temporal things is eternal and everlasting, it must of necessity be self-sufficient, qayyoom and ghanee.

Can there be more than one such creator? The Quran tells us that this is impossible;
“God never had a child, nor have there been any gods beside him. [Had there been any], each of them would have appropriated to himself what he created, and some would have overcome others.”1

This Quranic argument was paraphrased by some Muslims theologians in a way somewhat like the following: The assumption that there are gods beside the one true God leads to false consequences and must therefore be false. If there is more than one god, then (a) if every detail of everything in the world was the result of the action of one of the gods, it cannot at the same time be the result of the action of another god. But if (b) some things in the world were created by some gods, and others by other gods, then each god would rule independently over what he created, which means that nothing in his world can even in principle, be influenced by anything outside it. But this contradicts the observed unity and interdependence of the world. And if that is impossible, then (c) some gods will overcome others, but if that happens then the ones who are vanquished cannot be true gods. There can, therefore, be no more than one creator.

How does this creator create? Since He is self-sufficient, He cannot be said to depend on anything outside Himself in any actions, and cannot therefore be said to produce His effects the way natural causes do. But if He is not a natural cause, He must be a volitional agent. And since intention implies knowledge, and knowledge and intention imply life, he must be a living being. Since He is an eternal and everlasting being, all His attributes must reflect this quality; thus He must be not only knowing, but all-knowing, not only powerful, but all-powerful, etc.

Since no matter in any form can answer to these attributes, and since all these attributes are implied by the two attributes of eternity and everlastingness, no form of matter can be either eternal or everlasting, and thus no matter of any form can play the role of that ultimate cause. This much of the attributes that an eternal and everlasting creator must have is enough, I suppose, to show that it cannot be matter.

But this conclusion can be further confirmed by what modern science tells us about the nature of matter.
Why Should He Be The God Of Islam?

Some might say, ‘Granted that this god is a personal and living God, and that He has the attributes which you mentioned, why should He be the God of Islam and not, say the Christian or Jewish God?’ The God of Islam is the God of all true prophets of God from Adam down to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. But it is a basic claim of the religion with which Muhammad came that previous religions (including Christianity and Judaism) have not been kept in their pristine form which those prophets advocated, but have been tampered with and distorted. The only religion whose book has taken upon itself to be preserved from any such distortions is the religion of the last of God’s prophets, namely Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is not to say that everything in those religions is false or bad. No! There is much in them that is good and true; it is only those elements in them that contradict Islam which must be false or bad. But even if they were to be purged of everything that is not in consonance with Islam, they would still be less perfect than Islam is, especially in their conceptions of God, therefore unsuitable for being universal religions.

Having said this, let me give one example of a non-Islamic religious belief which the Quran considers to be a stupendous blasphemy against God, namely that He has children. At the time of the Prophet, some Arabs believed that the angels were the daughters of God, while some Christians believed that Jesus was the son of God, and some Jews believed that Ezra was the son of God. Just as the Quran gave arguments for the impossibility of there being any gods besides the one true God, it also gave elaborate arguments to show the impossibility of Him having a child, whether male or female. If the Creator is one and self-sufficient, then He is also unique, ahad, “Nothing is like Him.”2 But if so then, “He neither begets nor is He begotten.”3 “How can He have a child if He has no consort, and if He created everything?”4 The Quran is here saying that the claim that God has children contradicts the facts (acknowledged by those who make this claim) that He is the Creator of everything, that He is self-sufficient, and that He has no spouse. Now if He is the creator of everything, this necessarily includes the one who is claimed to be His child. But if this is created by Him, it cannot be His child; it has to be one of His creations. One does not create one’s child; one begets it. If it is insisted that the child is actually begotten and not created by God, this will entail the following false consequences:

1. The begotten child must be of the same nature as its father, in which case God will not be unique or one.
2. God will not be the creator of everything.
3. God will have to have a spouse, who must of course be of the same nature as He is, otherwise they cannot beget anything.
4. But in that case the number of beings who are of the same nature as God will be raised to three.
5. If the child is begotten then it cannot be eternal, i.e. it cannot be of the same nature as the father.
6. It must therefore be temporal; but in that case it has to have a creator. But if the God who is its father cannot at the same time be its creator, then there must be its creator, then there must be another creator besides that God the father; but in that case, this other creator will be the one true creator because it was through his power that the first one was able to beget its son. This will raise the number of gods to four.

No wonder than that the Quran said about those who claimed that Allah has a child,
“You have indeed come with something most monstrous, of which the skies almost burst, the earth split asunder, and the mountains fall down in utter ruin. All this because of their attributing a child to Allah."

Messiah

2009-02-20T01:27:00.000-08:00

1. Islam

The Qur'an states Jesus is the Messiah,[Qur'an 3:45] and Muslims believe Jesus is alive in Heaven and will return to Earth to defeat the Dajjal, or Antichrist.[citation needed]

A hadith in Abu Dawud (Sunnan Abu Dawud 37:4310) says:

"Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus (peace be upon him). He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish hair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. God will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray behind him."

Shia Muslims believe al-Mahdi will arrive first, and after him, Jesus. Jesus will proclaim that the true leader is al-Mahdi. A war, literally Jihad (Jihade Asghar) will be fought - the Dajjal (evil) against al-Mahdi and Jesus (good). This war will mark the approach of the coming of the Last Day. After Jesus slays al-Dajjāl at the Gate of Lud, Muslims believe he will marry, die, and be buried in the Masjid al Nabawi. During his life, he will have revealed that Islam is the last word of God.[citation needed]

A hadith in Sahih Bukhari (4:55:658) says:

"How will you be when the son of Mary descends amongst you and your Imam is from amongst you."

A very few scholars outside of Orthodox Islam reject all the quotes (Hadith) attributed to Muhammad that mention the second return of Jesus, the Dajjal and Imam Mahdi, believing that they have no Qur'anic basis. These scholars believe that the verb mutawwafika in verse [Qur'an 3:55] implies that God caused the bodily death of Jesus, thus (3:55) should read as "O Jesus, I terminate your life, raise you to Me." Others disagree with the implication of termination of Jesus’ life (for example Yusuf Ali’s translation reads: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself”). Verses [Qur'an 4:157] imply that Jesus was not killed physically but it appeared as such in some other sense; Verse [Qur'an 19:33] implies that Jesus will die someday. The vast majority of Muslims, and the unified opinion of Orthodox Islam since Islam's coming, maintain that the bodily death of Jesus will happen after his second coming.[citation needed]

Many classical commentators such as Ibn Kathir, At-Tabari, al-Qurtubi, Suyuti, al-Undlusi (Bahr al-Muhit), Abu al-Fadl al-Alusi (Ruh al-Maani) clearly mention that verse [Qur'an 43:61] of the Qur'an refers to the descent of Jesus before the Day of Resurrection, indicating that Jesus would be the Sign that the Hour is close.

"And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour)..." ([Qur'an 43:61]

Those that reject the second coming of Jesus argue that the knowledge of the Hour is only with God, and that the Hour will come suddenly. They maintain that if the second coming of Jesus were true, whenever it happens, billions of people would then be certain the Hour is about to come. The response given to this is that signs that the Last Hour is near have been foretold and given, including that of the second coming of Jesus, as signs indicating the Last Hour is near. They will not clarify when it is to come in any specific sense, and hence do not reveal it.

2. Judaism

Main articles: Jewish messianism and Jewish eschatology
See also: Judaism's view of Jesus

The concept of the messiah is neither common nor unified in the Tanakh. The term is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe Israelite priests, prophets, and kings who were anointed with oil in consecration to their respective offices. For example, Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, is referred to as "God's anointed" (Messiah) in the Bible.

"The Hebrew word for “Messiah” is “Moshiach” The literal and proper translation of this word is “anointed,” which refers to a ritual of anointing and consecrating someone or something with oil. (I Samuel 10:1-2) It is used throughout the Jewish Bible in reference to a wide variety of individuals and objects; for example, a Jewish king (I Kings 1:39), Jewish priests (Leviticus 4:3), prophets (Isaiah 61:1), the Jewish Temple and its utensils (Exodus 40:9-11), unleavened bread (Numbers 6:15), and a non-Jewish king (Cyrus king of Persia, Isaiah 45:1)."[5]

The Tanakh contains a number (the number is debated) of prophecies concerning a future descendant of King David who will be anointed as the Jewish people's new leader (moshiach)[6].

Jews believe that Daniel (Hebrew: דָּנִיֵּאל, or Daniyyel) was a prophet and gave an indication of when the Messiah, the prince mashiyach nagiyd, would come.(Daniel 9:25-26) Daniel's prophecies refer to him as a descendant of King David who will rebuild the nation of Israel, destroy the wicked, and ultimately judge the whole world.

The Hebrew word for messiah translates to "anointed". [7] Reform Jews believe there have been many messiahs—all the anointed kings and priests, including David, Solomon, Aaron, and Saul. Saul, the first king, is designated the "Anointed of the Lord".[8]

When speaking of the Messiah of the future, modern Jews speak of two potential messiahs: Moshiach ben Yossef (Messiah son of Joseph) and Moshiach ben David (Messiah son of David)[9] The Hebrew ben can mean either son or descendant. In this sense it can also mean "in the manner of," i.e., there will be a "suffering servant" messiah in the manner of Joseph, son of Israel/Jacob, and a different messiah in the manner of King David.

A common modern rabbinic interpretation is that there is a potential messiah in every generation. The Talmud, which often uses stories to make a moral point (aggadah), tells of a highly respected rabbi who found the Messiah at the gates of Rome and asked him, "When will you finally come?" He was quite surprised when he was told, "Today." Overjoyed and full of anticipation, the man waited all day. The next day he returned, disappointed and puzzled, and asked, "You said messiah would come 'today' but he didn't come! What happened?" The Messiah replied, "Scripture says, 'Today, 'if you will but hearken to His voice.'" (Psalm 95:7)

Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism believe in a unique future physical messiah who will usher in the messianic age of war before peace to the world.

Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism teach both the belief in a messiah or messiahs, or that there will be a time of peace (Messianic Era), etc. They believe such time will be the result of human efforts at tikkun olam (repair of the world) through working on social justice, not from one man alone.

"Choice is the underlying reason the Reform Movement gave up the need for and belief in a single messiah who would one day bring judgment, and perhaps salvation, to the world. The fact that God imbues us with free choice mitigates the need for a messianic figure."

Science in the Muslim world

2009-02-20T00:58:00.000-08:00

The full Islam and Science special is available from news@nature.com.
Islam and ScienceAmbition & neglect

N. ELAWADY

The war in Iraq, the price of oil, the deadlock over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the terrorism of al-Qaeda and the tensions surrounding immigrant communities in Europe ensure that Islam is rarely far from the headlines. But you would have to be an avid student of Muslim affairs to come across any discussion of science and technology not linked to the development of nuclear weapons.

In this week's issue, Nature offers an unprecedented look at the prospects for science and technology in the Muslim world (see page 20). We have never before collected together such a range of voices and analysis in one issue.

In ignoring Muslim science, the West follows the lead of the Muslim world itself. Low investment and a low profile combine to keep the scientific community small, marginalized and unproductive. This is not simply a matter of underdevelopment; the oil-rich Gulf states invest pitifully in R&D (see page 28). In our Commentary section, on pages 33 and 35, Nader Fergany, the lead author of the Arab Human Development Reports, and Herwig Schopper, president of the council for the Middle East laboratory SESAME, offer their own critical analyses of what needs to change to allow science to take off in Muslim countries.

The poor scientific track record of Islamic countries might suggest that there is something about Islam inherently inimical to research. Muslims bristle at this idea, pointing to the major achievements of Muslim scholars under the Islamic caliphate (see timeline, page 23). But what of the present? Our News Feature on page 22 looks at the attitudes to science in the various Islamist organizations growing in power in key states ranging from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Malaysia. The secular regimes and one-party states that have ruled many Muslim countries are being replaced, or directly challenged, by voices calling for a more directly political Islam.

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The conditions in which knowledge flowered a millennium ago are hardly those that today's Islamists say they favour. Back then, support for scientific enquiry was matched by an openness to other cultures and sources of knowledge. But when Islamists come to power the picture is more nuanced than it may first appear. Restrictions on freedom of speech and a high level of investment in military technology are distressing to outsiders, but greater attention to higher education is a trend that could offer hope. Mostafa Moin, an Iranian reformer and scientist, lays out his hopes and fears for the future on page 29.

Greater attention to the challenges of the present is sorely needed. Too few Muslim governments collect data on the status of science and innovation (as our analysis on page 26 shows), and so the problems facing scientists are not even on their agenda. Muslim nations wanting to invest in science as a broad cultural activity need to extract the right lessons from their glorious past and their politically charged present.

Muhammad’s Biography : The Conditions of Arabia Prior to Prophecy

2009-02-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

Arabia in that period was divided into three areas of influence. The north lived under the shadow of two great empires, the Christian Byzantium and the Zoroastrian Persia, empires in perpetual war so evenly matched that neither could achieve definitive victory over the other. In the shadows of these powers lived the Arabs of the northern region with divided and shifting allegiances.

The south was the land of the Arabian perfumes, called by the Romans ‘Arabia Felix.’ (present day Yemen and Southern Saudi Arabia) It was desirable property. The conversion of the Ethiopian ruler, the Negus, to Christianity had brought his country into alliance with Byzantium, and it was with Byzantine approval that the Ethiopians took possession of this fertile territory early in the sixth century. Before their ruin at the hands of a ruthless conqueror, however, the southerners had opened up the deserts of central Arabia to trade, introducing a measure of organization into the life of the Bedouin who served as guides for their caravans and establishing trading-posts in the oases.

If the symbol of these sedentary people was the frankincense tree, that of the arid zone was the date-palm; on one hand the luxury of perfume, on the other necessary food. No one could have regarded the Hejaz -’where no bird sings and no grass grows’ - according to a southern poet - as desirable property. The tribes of the Hejaz had never experienced either conquest or oppression; they had never been obliged to say ‘Sir’ to any man.

Poverty was their protection, but it is doubtful whether they felt poor. To feel poor one must envy the rich, and they envied no one. Their wealth was in their freedom, in their honor, in their noble ancestry, and in the pliant instrument of the only art they knew, the art of poetry. All that we would now call ‘culture’ was concentrated in this one medium. Their poetry would glorify courage and freedom, praise the friend and mock the adversary, extol the bravery of the fellow tribesmen and the beauty of women, in poems chanted at the fireside or in the infiniteness of the desert under the vast blue sky, bearing witness to the grandeur of this little human creature forever traveling across the barren spaces of the earth.

For the Bedouin the word was as powerful as the sword. When hostile tribes met for trial in battle it was usual for each side to put up its finest poet to praise the courage and nobility of his own people and heap contempt upon the ignoble foe. Such battles, in which combat between rival champions was a major feature, were more a sport of honor than warfare as we now understand the term; affairs of tumult, boasting and display, with much fewer casualties than those produced by modern warfare. They served a clear economic purpose through the distribution of booty, and for the victor to press his advantage too far would have been contrary to the concept of honor. When one side or the other acknowledged defeat the dead on both sides were counted and the victors would pay blood-money - in effect reparations - to the vanquished, so that the relative strength of the tribes was maintained in healthy balance. The contrast between this and the practices of civilized warfare is striking.

However, Mecca was, and remains, important for an altogether different reason. For here lies the Kaaba, the first House’ ever set up for humanity to worship their only God. The ancient Kaaba had long been the center of this little world. More than 1,000 years before Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, his ancestor, Abraham, aided by Ishmael, his elder son, raised its walls on ancient foundations. A certain Qusayy, chieftain of the powerful tribe of Quraysh, had established a permanent settlement there. This was the city of Mecca (or ‘Bakka’). Close by the Kaaba ran the well of Zam Zam. Its origin, too, goes back to Abraham’s time. It was this well which saved the life of the infant Ishmael. As the Bible says:

“And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her: ‘What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.” (Genesis 21:17-20)

Or, as the Psalmist sings:

“As they pass through the dry Valley of Baca, it becomes a place of springs; the early rain fills it with pools.” (Psalms 84:6)

The circumstances of the time favored the development of Mecca as a major commercial center. The wars between Persia and Byzantium had closed the more northerly trading routes between east and west, while the influence and prosperity of southern Arabia had been destroyed by the Ethiopians. Moreover, the city’s prestige was enhanced by its role as a centre of pilgrimage, as was that of Quraysh as custodians of the Kaaba, enjoying the best of both worlds. The combination of nobility – the Arab descent from Abraham through Ishmael - with wealth and spiritual authority gave them grounds for believing that their splendor, compared with that of any other people on earth, was as the splendor of the sun compared with the twinkling of the stars.

But the distance of time from the great patriarchs and prophets as well as their isolation in the arid deserts of the peninsula had given rise to idolatry. Having faith in the intercession of lesser gods with the Supreme Being in their rites if worship, they held the belief that their deities possessed the power to carry their prayers to the Supreme God. Every region and clan, indeed every house, had a separate little ‘god’ of its own. Three hundred and sixty idols had been installed within the Kaaba and its courtyard - the house built by Abraham for the worship of the One and only God. The Arabs actually paid divine honors not merely to sculptured idols but venerated everything supernatural. They believed that the angels were daughters of God. Drunkenness and gambling were rife. Female infanticide was common where newborn girls were buried alive.

The Prophecies of Muhammad

2009-02-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

One of the ways in which a person proves his prophethood is honesty, whether it be in regards to incidents in the past, in their everyday life, or things to come in the future. In addition to the Quran, there are many sayings of Prophet Muhammad which contain prophecies he made in his lifetime dealing with near and distant future. Some of them have come true, others await fulfillment. Hudhaifah, a disciple of Prophet Muhammad, tells us:

“The Prophet once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he mentioned everything [all the signs] that would happen till the Final Hour without leaving anything. Some of us remembered it and some forgot it. After that speech, I used to see events taking place which were referred to in that speech, but I had forgotten them before their occurrence. Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

There are at least 160 known and confirmed prophecies of Prophet Muhammad which were fulfilled in his lifetime and the first generation after him.[1] We will mention some here.

(1) Preceding the Battle of Badr, the first and decisive confrontation with pagan Meccans in the second year of migration from Mecca in 623 CE, Prophet Muhammad foretold the precise spot every pagan Meccan soldier would fall. Those who witnessed the battle saw the prophecy come true with their own eyes.[2]

(2) Prophet Muhammad prophesized the Battle of the Confederates (al-Ahzab) would be the last invasion the tribe of Quraish (the pagan Meccans) would launch against the Muslims. It was fought in the fifth year of migration, 626 CE and was the last military conflict between the two sides. All Meccans embraced Islam after a few years.[3]

(3) The Prophet informed his daughter, Fatima, that she would be the first member of his family to die after him. There are two prophecies in one: Fatima will outlive her father; Fatima will be the first member of his household to die after him. Both were fulfilled.[4]

(4) The Prophet Muhammad prophesized Jerusalem would be conquered after his death.[5] The prophecy was fulfilled when, according to Encyclopedia Britannica: “In 638 the Muslim Caliph, Umar I, entered Jerusalem.”[6]

(5) The Prophet Muhammad prophesized the conquest of Persia.[7] It was conquered by Umar’s commander, Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas. In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

“…raids into Sasanian territory were quickly taken up by Muhammad’s Caliphs, or deputies, at Medina - Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab… an Arab victory at Al-Qadisiyyah in 636/637 was followed by the sack of the Sasanian winter capital at Ctesiphon on the Tigris. The Battle of Nahavand in 642 completed the Sasanids’ vanquishment.”[8]

(6) The Prophet Muhammad prophesized the conquest of Egypt.[9] In the words of Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Amr… undertook the invasion in 639 with a small army of some 4,000 men (later reinforced). With what seems astonishing speed the Byzantine forces were routed and had withdrawn from Egypt by 642… Various explanations have been given for the speed with which the conquest was achieved.”[10]

(7) The Prophet foretold confrontation with the Turks.[11] The first conflict took place in the caliphate of Umar in 22 AH.[12]

(8) The Prophet foretold the first maritime battle to be undertaken by Muslims would be witnessed by Umm Haram, the first woman to participate in a naval expedition. He also prophesied the first assault on Constantinople.[13]

The first maritime battle in Muslim history was in 28 AH in the rule of Mu’awiya. It was witnessed by Umm Haram as foretold by Prophet Muhammad, and Yazid ibn Mu’awiya led the first attack on Constantinople in 52 AH.[14]

(9) The prophecy that Rome, Persia, and Yemen will be conquered was made during the Battle of Confederates in 626 CE,[15] under extreme circumstances, as is described by the Quran:

“[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed about God [various] assumptions. There, the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking. And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, ‘God and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion.’” (Quran 33:10-12)

(10) Prophet Muhammad prophesized an imposter claiming to speak in the name of God would be killed at the hands of a righteous man in Muhammad’s lifetime.[16] Al-Aswad al-Ansi, an imposter prophet in Yemen, was killed in the Prophet’s lifetime by Fayruz al-Daylami.[17]

There are at least an additional 28 prophecies pertaining to the end times which are awaiting fulfillment.

Indeed these well-documented prophecies are clear proofs of the Prophethood of Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him. There is no possible way that the Prophet could have knowledge of these incidents except if it were inspired by God Himself, all in order to further prove the authenticity of the Muhammad, that he was not an imposter, but rather a Prophet raised by God to deliver humanity from Hellfire.

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/379/

When The Impossible Things happened

2009-02-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

I still remember some of memories in my life. That all can’t lose from my mind. I don’t know, why that all can’t lose from my mind. Maybe that all are so important to throw that. Begin from my sweet memories, my great memories, until my sorrowful memories. Sometimes that all can be experiences so that I can improve to be better. When I was in the elementary school. Many my friends mocked me because I didn’t know whatever. I was often lied by my friends when this lesson was started. Especially when the test, my friends always gave me the wrong answer. It made me angry. But I confessed in that time I couldn’t know about English. Every day I tried to study about English, but the result course same. The fact I had changed. I still became the stupid student.

My parents were never angry to me. They knew that their child’s skill. They didn’t want to demand me, because it will made me be depression. And it would down my confident. They only could surrendered to me. It all depended me. Every this lesson began, my teacher always gave me some suggestion. But it all useless . I still became stupid student.
One day, I was realize that English was so important for me. I had a dream that i should changed my condition. Because there’s one changed his condition except his self. Every day I prayed to god. I asked to Him. I didn’t want be a clever person about English, but I wanted be understood although only a few. I tried, tried, and tried. But there’s not a few change from me. Little by little i felt prety tired to tried. I was desperate again. Maybe this was my destination became a stupid student.
Until one day. My mother gave bargain me. She ordered me to course in my sister’s teacher. I didn’t believe that it cloud be success. But she always gave support me. She trusted that it would success. Finally I join in my sister’s teacher course. The first time i joined it,. I felt nervous. Ouhhh… many students there were very clever. It so amazing... according to me. Here… I felt spirit to study English. It was a challenge to me. And the teacher was so very enjoy when he touch me. And maybe he was the best English teacher according to me. And I almost couldn’t believe it. Finally I understood about English although only a little. But it was a wonderful moment in my life. It was like in my dreams. And i said : was I dreaming? My life was change. All of my friends were confuse. And also my English teacher was confuse to me. Finally, I never got a pinching from my English teacher again, he…he…he….. I was proud and happy. I wanted to cry when I remember that. When the impossible thing can happen in my life. Thanks God, thanks my teachers, my parents, and all of my friends. You had helped me.

The Core of Islam

2009-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Among the blessings and favors that God has bestowed upon humanity is that He endowed them with an innate ability to recognize and acknowledge His existence. He placed this awareness deep in their hearts as a natural disposition that has not changed since human beings were first created. Furthermore, He reinforced this natural disposition with the signs that he placed in Creation that testify to His existence. However, since it is not possible for human beings to have a detailed knowledge of God except through revelation from Himself, God sent His Messengers to teach the people about their Creator Who they must worship. These Messengers also brought with them the details of how to worship God, because such details cannot be known except by way of revelation. These two fundamentals were the most important things that the Messengers of all the divine revelations brought with them from God. On this basis, all the divine revelations have had the same lofty objectives, which are:

1. To affirm the Oneness of God - the praised and glorified Creator – in His essence and His attributes.

2. To affirm that God alone should be worshipped and that no other being should be worshipped along with Him or instead of Him.

3. To safeguard human welfare and oppose corruption and evil. Thus, everything that safeguards faith, life, reason, wealth and lineage are part of this human welfare that religion protects. On the other hand, anything that endangers these five universal needs is a form of corruption that religion opposes and prohibits.

4. To invite the people to the highest level of virtue, moral values, and noble customs.

The ultimate goal of every Divine Message has always been the same: to guide the people to God, to make them aware of Him, and to have them worship Him alone. Each Divine Message came to strengthen this meaning, and the following words were repeated on the tongues of all the Messengers: “Worship God, you have no god other than Him.” This message was conveyed to humanity by prophets and messengers which God sent to every nation. All of these messengers came with this same message, the message of Islam.

All the Divine Messages came to bring the life of the people into willing submission to God. For this reason, they all share the name of “Islam”, or “submission” derived from the same word as “Salam”, or “peace”, in Arabic. Islam, in this sense, was the religion of all the prophets, but why does one see different variations of the religion of God if they all emanated from the same source? The answer is twofold.

The first reason is that as a result of the passage of time, and due to the fact that previous religions were not under the Divine protection of God, they underwent much change and variation. As a result, we see that the fundamental truths which were brought by all messengers now differ from one religion to another, the most apparent being the strict tenet of the belief and worship of God and God alone.

The second reason for this variation is that God, in His infinite Wisdom and eternal Will, decreed that all the divine missions prior to the final message of Islam brought by Muhammad, may God praise him, be limited to a specific time frame. As a result, their laws and methodologies dealt with the specific conditions of the people whom they had been sent to address.

Humanity has passed through numerous periods of guidance, misguidance, integrity, and deviation, from the most primitive age to the heights of civilization. Divine guidance accompanied humanity through all of this, always providing the appropriate solutions and remedies.

This was the essence of the disparity that existed between the different religions. This disagreement never went beyond the particulars of the Divine Law. Each manifestation of the Law addressed the particular problems of the people it was meant for. However, the areas of agreement were significant and many, such as fundamentals of faith; the basic principles and objectives of the Divine Law, such as protecting faith, life, reason, wealth, and lineage and establishing justice in the land; and certain fundamental prohibitions, some of the most important of these being idolatry, fornication, murder, theft, and giving false witness. Moreover, they also agreed upon moral virtues like honesty, justice, charity, kindness, chastity, righteousness, and mercy. These principles as well as others are permanent and lasting; they are the essence of all the Divine Messages and bind them all together.

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/6/

The Quran on Human Embryonic Development

2009-02-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

In the Holy Quran, God speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development:

“We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed substance)…” (Quran 23:12-14)

Literally, the Arabic word alaqah has three meanings: (1) leech, (2) suspended thing, and (3) blood clot.

In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find similarity between the two[1] as we can see in figure 1. Also, the embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother, similar to the leech, which feeds on the blood of others.[2]

Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a leech and a human embryo at the alaqah stage. (Leech drawing from Human Development as Described in the Quran and Sunnah, Moore and others, p. 37, modified from Integrated Principles of Zoology, Hickman and others. Embryo drawing from The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 73.)

The second meaning of the word alaqah is “suspended thing.” This is what we can see in figures 2 and 3, the suspension of the embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the womb of the mother.

Figure 2: We can see in this diagram the suspension of an embryo during the alaqah stage in the womb (uterus) of the mother. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 66.)

Figure 3: In this photomicrograph, we can see the suspension of an embryo (marked B) during the alaqah stage (about 15 days old) in the womb of the mother. The actual size of the embryo is about 0.6 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore, 3rd ed., p. 66, from Histology, Leeson and Leeson.)

The third meaning of the word alaqah is “blood clot.” We find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo during this stage[3] (see figure 4). Also during this stage, the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third week.[4] Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood.

Figure 4: Diagram of the primitive cardiovascular system in an embryo during the alaqah stage. The external appearance of the embryo and its sacs is similar to that of a blood clot, due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo. (The Developing Human, Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.)

So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accurately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqah stage.

The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghah stage. The Arabic word mudghah means “chewed substance.” If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and then compare it with an embryo at the mudghah stage, we would conclude that the embryo at the mudghah stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance. This is because of the somites at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble teethmarks in a chewed substance.”[5] (see figures 5 and 6).

Figure 5: Photograph of an embryo at the mudghah stage (28 days old). The embryo at this stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance, because the somites at the back of the embryo somewhat resemble teeth marks in a chewed substance. The actual size of the embryo is 4 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 82, from Professor Hideo Nishimura, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.)

Figure 6: When comparing the appearance of an embryo at the mudghah stage with a piece of gum that has been chewed, we find similarity between the two.

A) Drawing of an embryo at the mudghah stage. We can see here the somites at the back of the embryo that look like teeth marks. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 79.)

B) Photograph of a piece of gum that has been chewed.

How could Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, have possibly known all this 1400 years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) using an improved microscope in 1677 (more than 1000 years after Muhammad). They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract.[6]

Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore[7] is one of the world’s most prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology and is the author of the book entitled The Developing Human, which has been translated into eight languages. This book is a scientific reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. Dr. Keith Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. In 1984, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of Anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.

In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Moore said: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.”[8] (To view the RealPlayer video of this comment click here).

Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question: “Does this mean that you believe that the Quran is the word of God?” He replied: “I find no difficulty in accepting this.”[9]

During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “....Because the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah (what Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said, did, or approved of). The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge. The intensive studies of the Quran and hadeeth (reliably transmitted reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of) in the last four years have revealed a system for classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D. Although Aristotle, the founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick embryos developed in stages from his studies of hen’s eggs in the fourth century B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known about the staging and classification of human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human embryo in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is: these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from God. He could not have known such details because he was an illiterate man with absolutely no scientific training.

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/216/

When The Impossible Things happened

2009-02-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

I still remember some of memories in my life. That all can’t lose from my mind. I don’t know, why that all can’t lose from my mind. Maybe that all are so important to throw that. Begin from my sweet memories, my great memories, until my sorrowful memories. Sometimes that all can be experiences so that I can improve to be better.

When I was in the elementary school. Many my friends mocked me because I didn’t know whatever. I was often lied by my friends when this lesson was started. Especially when the test, my friends always gave me the wrong answer. It made me angry. But I confessed in that time I couldn’t know about English. Every day I tried to study about English, but the result course same. The fact I had changed. I still became the stupid student.

My parents were never angry to me. They knew that their child’s skill. They didn’t want to demand me, because it will made me be depression. And it would down my confident. They only could surrendered to me. It all depended me. Every this lesson began, my teacher always gave me some suggestion. But it all useless . I still became stupid student.

One day, I was realize that English was so important for me. I had a dream that i should changed my condition. Because there’s one changed his condition except his self. Every day I prayed to god. I asked to Him. I didn’t want be a clever person about English, but I wanted be understood although only a few. I tried, tried, and tried. But there’s not a few change from me.

Little by little i felt prety tired to tried. I was desperate again. Maybe this was my destination became a stupid student.

Until one day. My mother gave bargain me. She ordered me to course in my sister’s teacher. I didn’t believe that it cloud be success. But she always gave support me. She trusted that it would success. Finally I join in my sister’s teacher course.

The first time i joined it,. I felt nervous. Ouhhh… many students there were very clever. It so amazing... according to me. Here… I felt spirit to study English. It was a challenge to me. And the teacher was so very enjoy when he touch me. And maybe he was the best English teacher according to me. And I almost couldn’t believe it. Finally I understood about English although only a little. But it was a wonderful moment in my life. It was like in my dreams. And i said : was I dreaming? My life was change. All of my friends were confuse. And also my English teacher was confuse to me. Finally, I never got a pinching from my English teacher again, he…he…he….. I was proud and happy. I wanted to cry when I remember that. When the impossible thing can happen in my life. Thanks God, thanks my teachers, my parents, and all of my friends. You had helped me.

My Motto

2009-02-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

I have motto like this,”Do The Best. What can you can do best?”. That is my motto. I try to do something as good as possible, and don’t ever do the something only half. That is not you. I am sure with I do the best thing, I will get the satisfied result. Although that is the bad result according by other people, but that’s my result my selft. When I lose with my friend. I am not hopeless, but of course I feel disappointed with my self. From there I try to seek my fault.

Why I can lose with my friend. And when I find the solution I will try again to compete with my friend. When I lose again I will try again, again, and again. Not all loosing is bad for us. Because be a looser will make the motivation for. And this is a good chance. This is a choosing for me, I want to be looser forever or I will be the winner. If I want be winner, so I must do the best thing, and don’t forget. Trying isn’t all. We must always remember to God. And pray to Him so that I am given the best by Him. It’s like in surat al-fatihah ayat 6 : show to us the straight way. And after i try as good as possible, and pray to God. Finally i give all the result to God. If I success, I will give thanks to Him and all of people that I know, and if i fail, I won’t sad. Maybe God most know what’s the best for me. And don’t be sad, always try to do the best…… and it’s like Mr. Obama said,”Yes, We Can!!”. Thank you……….