Past few days we have seen so much written on Steve Jobs including my previous post. Unfortunately the many Muslim discussions on him revolve on just a single theme: he died a non Muslim with no faith and hence he will end up in hell leaving all his fortune behind including the work he did. Based on this it is deduced that it is important for us Muslims to remember that death is inevitable and we need to prepare for it with “good” deeds. These “good” deeds are going back to the sources of Islam: the Quran and the way of the Prophet (peace be up on him).
4. Islam
CNN: Is America Islamophobic?
Slumdog Millionaire: A review like no other.
It is tough for a movie to successfully entertain, educate and inform the viewers of genuine social issues while winning awards. Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, this year’s winner of the Best Movie Oscar Award, does all of this beautifully. But we need to learn the right lessons. Maybe I am reading too much into the movie but then the specific changes made by Boyle to the original story in the book and the criticism by the Hindu extremists leads one to think if that is really the case. Here are the 10 questions asked to Jamal, the hero of the movie. Each question symbolizes the issues Indians face on a daily basis. Correct answers are in bold. Continue reading
Need an Another Deedat
July 1st, 2009 is the 91st birthday of the Late Ahmed Hussain Deedat the charismatic Islamic activist, Bible student and speaker.
His combative debate style could be attributed to the circumstances that brought him to this line of work in the first place: attempts by young trainee Christian missionaries to convert him during his childhood. He used these Christian missionaries to practice and learn techniques of debating the Bible. He also perfected his skills which were to give him his worldwide debating popularity later on. Continue reading
Busted! 13 American Muslim Myths
The first-ever nationally representative study of Muslim Americans was released by Gallop on March 2, 2009. It proves false 13 common misconceptions about this segment of the American population. Take a look and let me know what you think. Continue reading
Obama’s Victory and the American Muslims – Yasir Qadhi
Indeed, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and salutations be upon the prophets of Allah.
When the Muslims were in Makkah, there was a major war raging in a nearby land; a war that was, relative to its time, of cataclysmic proportion. It was being fought out between the only two super-powers of the era. And even though the Muslims themselves had nothing at stake in that war, even though any win or loss to either side would cause no immediate change in their lives, the Muslims were emotionally attached to one side against the other. Their spirits, their hopes, their optimism, all centered on the army of Heraclius, the emperor of Rome, as he fought against Kusrau Parvev, the King of Sassanid Persia. These early Muslims felt an affinity for the Christian Heraclius as he fought against the fire-worshiping Zoroastrians. So, when the news came that Heraclius had been defeated, the Muslims were in fact dejected, and the pagans of Makkah boasted to the Muslims that their ‘team’ had lost. It was at this occasion that Allah revealed the first few verses of Surah al-Rum, which gave them the optimistic prophecy that even though Heraclius had lost this battle, he would win a future one, in a few years. Many years later, the Prophet wrote a letter to Heraclius, and Heraclius heard the message of Islam. While respectful of it, he did not convert. Throughout this entire time, the Muslims were not reproached or reprimanded for their feelings of hope towards Heraclius and the Roman Empire. Continue reading
Colin Powell’s “Really Right Answer”
Colin Powell Endorses Obama
“I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.”
Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan
Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim; he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian.
But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America.
Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Continue reading
In Egypt, Some Women Say That Veils Increase Harassment
By Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 17, 2008; Page A14
CAIRO — In a Muslim country where the numbers of women wearing the veil are rising, and so — by most accounts — are incidents of groping and catcalls in the streets, the message in ads circulating anonymously in e-mails here in Egypt is clear:
“A veil to protect, or eyes will molest,” one warns.
The words sit over two illustrations, one comparing a veiled woman, her hair and neck covered in the manner known to Muslims as hijab, to a wrapped candy, untouched and pure.
The other picture shows an unveiled woman, hair flying wildly and hip jutting, next to a candy that has had its wrapper stripped off — and is now covered in flies.
“You can’t stop them, but you can protect yourself,” warns another ad likening men to flies and women to sweets. Bloggers in Egypt have taken to calling such messages the “veil your lollipop” campaign.
Iqbal’s Message To Muslim Youth
Not yet have other nations seen
What thou art truly worth;
The realm of being has need of thee
For perfecting this earth.
If aught yet keeps this world alive,
‘Tis thine impetuous zeal,
And thou shalt rise its ruling star
And thou shalt shape its weal.
This is no time for idle rest
Much yet remains undone:
The lamp of Tauhid needs thy touch
To make it shame the sun; Continue reading
Anger
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the ! day came when the boy didn’t ose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails are gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same.
When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.
It won’t matter how many times you say “I’m sorry”, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No one has swallowed back anything more excellent in the sight of Allah, Who is Great and Glorious, than anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah, The Most High.” Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5116 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Wait! Think Again! 