Why are people of other faiths afraid of Islam?

How many of you have given Da'wah to your classmates at school? The other week, a girl from my English class asked me what I thought of "those crazy Muslim terrorists". To be honest, I was really surprised her question. Nearly 10 years after 9/11, the idea of Islam as terrorist religion and Muslims as a crazy fanatic people still enthralls the minds of many people around us.  As I told her that, violence is condemned and prohibited in Islam unless absolutely necessary for self defense purposes, I realized she was distraught and shaking. Though standing still in one place, she seemed out of breath, spooked and lost. I explained to her that Islam was a peaceful religion and that we as Muslims, are instructed by Allah to treat all living things with utmost respect and care. Allah is the Eternally Merciful, Repeatedly Forgiving, Most Loving and Gentle.  Muslim must emulate these noble qualities. In fact, a person cannot be a Muslim until others are safe from harm from his words and actions. Alas, my words were of no consolation to her, she remained terrified and scared of me. I wasn't going to hurt her. I wasn't even offended by her question. Still she shook in fear of me, uncontrollably.

Are non-Muslims really intimidated by us? Does our presence make them uneasy? Are they Islamophobic? What about the non-Muslims in Murfreesboro, Tennessee? They are bewildered, disgusted and angered by very sight of Muslims. I was flabbergasted by their hostility. How can someone be so averse? Murfreesboro don't want a single Mosque on their community. Many Muslims there don't even wear hijab but there is no end to the hate messages and orgy stares they receive. And whats up with the  journalists in Pakistan? They want every Muslim scholar arrested and quashed. Every word they print is loaded with bigotry and hatred towards Muslims. They have given the very name of "Islam" an apprehensive and fiendish persona. Why? Because Muslims are associated with chaos. The bombing, beheading and honour killings are intertwined with the Islamic character. So of course everyone is a little petrified. No one wants to die and see the Muslims tear apart the world so Islam is feared unabatedly and this fear fuels detestation and enmity against Muslim.  So non-Muslims assume that If they want peace and if they want to be safe, they must get rid of everything Islamic!

For the most part, Muslims are too shy to speak out against these extreme stereotypes. We sit reluctantly at the back of our classrooms, hoping no one will notice our beard or niqab. Even with friends, we try to pass off as secular and as modernistic as possible so no one notices our Islam. Then how do we fix this? How do we tell the people Islam really is peaceful? How can we make ourselves and the people around us comfortable with our Muslim identities? Promote and practice the oceans of magnanimous kindness advocated in Islam. You see, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was a very benevolent man. He would grieve in his concern for people. His (s.a.w)  mission was to benefit everyone and reach out to them with charity, compassion and good counsel. He (s.a.w) was loved and trusted by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So resemble the Prophet (s.a.w) in your words and actions and inshaAllah this will give Islam a good name.

1. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face." [Muslim]
2. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins good and forbids evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that day having rescued himself from Hell." [Muslim]
3. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Every day the sun rises charity is due on every joint of a person you administer justice between two men is a charity; and assisting a man to mount his beast, or helping him load his luggage on it is a charity; and a good word is a charity; and every step that you take towards the mosque for prayer is charity, and removing harmful things from the road is a charity." [Bukhari and Muslim].
4. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said,"Faith has over seventy branches, the uppermost of which is the declaration, 'none has the right to be worshiped but Allah' and the least of which is the removal of harmful object form the road, and modesty is a branch of faith." [Bukhari and Muslim]
5. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "I saw a man going about in Paradise (and enjoying himself) as a reward for cutting from the middle of the road, a tree which was causing inconvenience to the Muslims." [Muslim]
6. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "While a man was walking, he saw a thorny branch on the road, so he removed it and Allah appreciated his action and forgave him." [Bukhari]
7. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "O Muslim women, never belittle any gift you give your neighbour even if it is a hoof of a sheep." [Bukhari and Muslim]
8.  Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said,  "While a man was walking on his way he became extremely thirsty. He found a well, he went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog which was panting out of thirst. His tongue was lolling out and he was eating moist earth from extreme thirst. The man thought to himself, this dog is extremely thirsty as I was. So he descended into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and holding it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins." The companions (r.a) asked, "Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to animals also?"  Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "A reward is given in connection with [kindness to] every living creature." [Bukhari] This man was forgiven by Allah in appreciation of his act of kindness and admitted to Paradise.

These few statements of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) are proof of Islam's tranquil teachings. Islam incorporates the ritual acts of worship of God with altruistic acts of kindness to all humans and animals. The Islamic faith in oneness of God is inseparable from public concern and community service. In Islam, to be religious is to smile and greet everyone cheerfully, it is to be peacemakers and resolve social conflicts, to relieve people of their burdens and rescue them from harm. To be religious is to keep the neighbourhoods clean, to give charity and gifts even if you have very little for yourself,  and to care for animals. Should such a virtuous religion be feared? No, it should be publicized and embraced.

For all the 'in-the-closet' Muslims, and I say this as a reminder to myself first, lavish the non-Muslims around you with smiles and gifts, be friends with them, help them and share Islam with them. We cannot be saved from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise until we embody the spirit of well-wishing which Islam enjoins upon us. Da'wah is not a matter of personal choice, that when and if we feel like telling others about Islam, we'll do it eventually. Rather,  in today's time age, Da'wah is an obligation on every Muslim, who known even one verse of the Qur'an. The non-Muslims around us are genuinely terrified of the kind Islam. Alleviate their stress and dispel their extreme prejudices about Muslims. Read more Qur'an, start skimming through Riyadh al Saliheen so you can practice Islam consciously and take the initiative to tell others about it.

Don't forget what happens to people with they are feared and hated. What did the US do with the Russians? What did Canada do with First Nation's People and the Japanese? What did the Nazis do with the Jews? What do you think will happen to us if we are passive and silent?

Eating your way to good health

I am reading this really exciting book on Natural Cures - "They" don't want you to know by Kevin Trudeau. He is amazing in terms of the amount of research he has done on Pharmaceutical companies, food companies and trade associations who make astronomical amounts of money selling us health and food and still keeping us sick and fat. We are what we eat and if we are eating harming medicinal drugs and foods, we are making ourselves sick. Well, as I always said, grow/slaughter and cook your own food. Just imagine how nice it would be to have your own farm. Fruit trees and chickens and cows lol. Your own little horse ranch and beautiful pond... sigh until that is possible for anyone, let's at least figure out what makes people sick and fat....

Animals that live in the wild, never get obese. They don't loose their teeth, get arthritis, diabetes,, asthma, insomnia, allergies or cancer. They don't need insulin shots or constipation pills. They live their entire lives without taking any prescription drugs. Even people in some cultures do not get cancer, heart attacks, acid reflux or prostate problems. They don't become fat or sick. So what is the cause of sickness amongst humans? Toxins, nutritional deficiencies, exposure to electromagnetic chaos and  mental/emotional stress.

(a) Toxins - dangerous chemical substances that we consume through prescription and over-the-counter drugs and foods. Medications contain a chemicals  that suppress symptoms of a disease but do not treat the disease. Taking medication may suppress symptoms of one disease but very quickly transpire another disease. For example,  over-the-counter cholesterol lowering drug had an adverse effect on consumers' livers. Livers being the only fat metabolizing organ in the body,  impaired livers translated into diabetes, acid reflux, constipation, colon cancer, heart disease, asthma, and arthritis in consumers.  While a prescription drug, Vioxx, a pain killer, (approved by the FDA), killed over 100,000 people in America. In fact, every year, 250,000 Americans die from prescription or nonprescription drugs. (See: Overdose: The case against the drug companies, written by Dr. J. Cohen M.D.)
Then there is the problem with foods.  Virtually everything we eat has pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, genetically modified material and chemical additives. Even fruits, vegetables, milk, grains and nuts are toxic.

Remember how in Pakistan a milkman would come at your door and your parents would buy fresh milk from him every time? At first, stores couldn't keep milk on the shelves because it goes bad quickly. But by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk, stores can keep it on their shelves for weeks. Pasteurized milk heats the milk to very high temperature to kill bacteria. The over heating destroys necessary enzymes in the milk which are necessary for digestion. That's why we feel heavy and bloated after drinking milk. Homogenizing milk spins the milk at a very high rate, it breaks the cluster milk molecules within the milk and blends the cream in the milk as well. Although these changes prevents the milk from going back for a few weeks, it also scars our arteries, clogs our digestive system, cause acid reflux, obesity, allergies and constipation.  The caring of arteries leads to LDL cholesterol, arteriosclerosis and heart disease.
Similarly if the frozen fish package reads, 'farmed fish' it means it is a highly toxic feed, chemicals are used to grow the fish quickly and such wish are extensively large.
Then there are the processed foods. Food companies are allowed to inject, up to 15,000 chemicals in foods without labeling them. These chemicals preserve the food, so you can eat old food thinking that it is new; the chemicals make us more hungry, fat and addicted to the food. (See: The real thing - the truth  and power at the coca cola company. Also see, Exitotoxins - the taste that kills and Aspartame NutraSweet - Is it safe?).
Even tap water is toxic. It contains high level of chlorine and fluoride.  Fluoride comes from superphosphic fertilizers. It is said that fluoride is good for our teeth when in fact it devastates our thyroid gland causing obesity and slow metabolism. It is even linked to depression. Chlorinated water scars arteries and causes cholesterol to clog the arteries. This leads to arteriosclerosis and heart disease. Virtually 90% of all foods with hydrogenated oils or trans fat also scars the arteries and causes heart disease.

Interestingly enough, Trudeau says that exposure to disturbing images, i.e. violence in movies and video games etc causes emotional imbalance in the body, which leads to high levels of acidity in the body. Even sounds can be detrimental.  Trudeau says the US military uses music to physiologically and psychologically impair our mind and behaviour. Imagine what music can do when we listen to it voluntarily.

(b) Nutritional deficiencies - we eat five times more food than our grandparents but are less healthy than they are. Our highly toxic diet makes it difficult for our bodies to consume the little nutrients that we do eat.  Vitamin C, D and iron deficiencies are extensively common amongst women.  (See www.naturalcures.com , www.sungazing.com and watch, Dead Doctors Don't lie.)

(c) Exposure to electromagnetic chaos - Our bodies are surrounded by electromagnetic field. Satellites beam electromagnetic energy that pass through solid steel (car), that is picked up by a radio transmitter and turned into news. If cellphones, computers, microwaves can receive and transmit electromagnetic energy, what saves our bodies from being hit and affected?

(d) mental/emotional stress - Stress is a silent killer. It holds negative energy in the body that lodges itself into various parts, causing muscle tension, spasm and increased levels of acidity.

How can we get out of this mess? Without seeing a doctor and without spending any money? It's simple but not easy. However, Trudeau suggests that before trying anything, we should cleanse our body (there are a series of colonics that detoxify our organs, see www.purification.org).
Solutions - Do not eat any food produced or sold by a publicly traded corporations. In other words, avoid all "brand name" foods.  Don't be fooled by fat free/sugar free/low in carbs/all natural labels. The food industry has lobbied Congress to allow these words to appear virtually on all greasy, sugary, and oily foods.  Look for 100% organic foods that are grown without chemical fertilizers and prepared without any additives. Don't even think about junk-food and fast-foods. (See Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me!) Do not microwave your food, or foods with hydrogenated oil or white processed flour. Do not drink homogenized and pasteurized milk, soda and tap water. 

This may seem very depressing but I am actually glad. I don't like to eat and this pretty much eliminates the entire North American diet lol. Have lots of organic honey, water, home made, fresh fruit and vegetable juices (buy a blender), organic nuts and seeds. Eat dark chocolate, organic salt and omega-3 supplements. Grow plants in your house, turn off your TV and cell phones, reduce computer time. Wear white. Get natural sunlight. Listen to the Qur'an, Go to bed early and wake up early (don't use an alarm clock). Be kind, thankful and smile. Walk for an hour daily. Find a purpose in life and commit it.

Democracy and Elections in the Middle East

Democracy 

Democracy or Demokratia is "rule by the demos". Demos is Greek refers to common people - people with little or no education. In the Republic, Plato made a case against democracy. He said that decision-making should be based on expertise and that mob rule would result from allowing all people to rule in democracy. In effect, just as only trained surgeons should operate on the human body or only skilled pilots should fly planes, Plato believed that only trained statesman should guide the ship of state. Ultimately, Plato thought that democracy would not be government of the people but government of the uneducated pitted against the educated. Like Plato, Aristotle believed that democracy would be the most dangerous form of government because it is characterized by class rule, in which the uneducated citizens govern the country themselves rather than the commonweal. It was feared that democracy would lead to warfare, where the powerful would expropriate the weak. (See Clark, William Roberts, Matt Golder, and Sona Nadenichek Golder. Principles of comparative politics. pg 149-150. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2009. Print) Democracy is nothing more than thought control. We THINK we are free because we have the power to vote. Even then, our choice to vote is limited and manipulated. (see: Chomsky, Noman. Thought Control in a Democratic Society. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL3GJpge-BI)

In Islam, leadership is awarded according to merit. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, 

يؤمّ القوم اقروهم لكتاب الله فان كانوا تي القراءة سواء فاعلمهم بالسنة فان كانوا في السنة سواء فاقدمهم هجرة فان كانوا في الهجرة سواء جاقدمهم سلما ولا يومن الرجل الرجل في سلطانه ولا يقعد في بيته علي تكرمته الا باذنه  صحصيح مسلم

"The Imaam [to lead the Salah] of the people should be one who has the best knowledge of the Qur'an from amongst them. If everyone recites the Qur'an equally well, then the Imaam should be one who is most knowledgeable of Sunnah [best understands the lessons and rulings behind ahadith). If everyone is equally an expert in Sunnah then the one who first immigrated to Medina should be Imaam. If everyone. If everyone immigrated around the same time then the first one from amongst them, to convert to Islam should be Imaam. It is not permissible for anyone to lead the congregation of another imaam without his assent. It is also permissible for any person to sit on someone's seat in their house without their assent" - [Muslim]

According to another hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "the best amongst you is one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." Hence the best amongst the people, that is, the most learned in the Qur'an should lead the community, not in only in prayer but also in politics. Allah says in the Qur'an, 

 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ  إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا  فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَن تَعْدِلُوا  وَإِن تَلْوُوا أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not personal inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted" - [4:135] 

Initially this verse instructs the believers to give an honest witness, to testify truthfully. Apart from this primary command, there two secondary critical lessons in this verse:
(1) The order to establish justice is from Allah hence the understanding of what constitutes as justice and the means of acquiring it is also from Allah. Allah is the Law-Giver and we are delegated to govern the Earth as the representatives and ambassadors of His law.
(2) Whether it is concerning our personal selves or families, the rich or the poor, "Allah is more worthy," signifies that Allah is more Acquainted of our best interests, therefore we must adhere to what He has commanded.

So who is more knowledgeable of Allah's commands and Allah's conception of justice than the one who is most learned in Qur'an and a scholar of Hadith science? He diligently applies on himself all the laws of Allah, he is the first to submit himself to Allah's commands and he sincerely wishes to benefit people and do justice. Then such a person is most deserving of political leadership. When this perosn become the President or the Prime Minister, it won't be as Plato and Aristotle feared, "mob rule" of hte uneducated or warfare of the powerful exploiting the weak, but a justice and equitable government.

Interestingly enough, the US wants to destroy this very form of government. See: "US Democracy Promotion Policy in the Middle East: The Islamist Dilemma" (CRS Report for Congress, June 15, 2006). The US wants to replace the Islamist indoctrination with democracy. According to this report, Islamist refers to individuals and movements that want the prevailing of Islamic law order in their countries and societies. Why do you think US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq? What is really causing so-called revolutions and uprising in the Middle East? The US wants to accelerate social change in the Middle via democracy. What difference does that make? Democracy is meant to replace Islam! As explained earlier, democracy is the rule of the uneducated and the violent while Islam is the rule of Allah, the Most Wise and the Most Just. Are the two compatible? Are good and evil compatible? Light and darkness compatible? Friend and enemy compatible? No.

Compelling as it may be, political scientists such as Bodin, Hegel, Hobbes, Kant, Locke, Montesquieu and Vico, all argued for the benefits of monarchy [one leader] over democracy [mob leaders] because a monarch was chosen to lead for his virtues while political leaders in democracies were drawn from a hat! Up till the 18th century, there were no elections in democracies, only lots. In effect, democracy was seen as obsolete.  




Elections 
What about free press, independent judiciary, capital economy and all other great institutions of democracy? Do we really have a free press? Really think about it for a second, meditate over it for a while. Anything from the news, sitcoms, 4 o'clock soaps and 9 o'clock thrillers - what do you see? What are you made to believe? What are you sold? Sex, drugs, violence? Hopelessly spurious and ineffectual things which are not true and which you do not need? Plastic food that does not satiate or or give good health, clothes which do not cover, cars you cannot afford, vacations you cannot take? Radical Muslims who won't stop attacking your freedom to do all the above? Independent judiciary - what is independent about detaining innocent and torturing them to death? Are you really free if your democratic government records all your phone calls and keeps a record of your facebook conversations? They monitor your spending and watch you travel! And capital economy - it suppose to make property ownership private so that everyone can pursue profit-based interests and happiness. What doe capitalism look like in Canada? 20% or 5.6 million of the Canadian population poor. From this 5.6 million, 3.4 million Canadians are below the poverty line. That is, 3.4 million people in Canada lack work that will help them afford little food, minimal clothing and shelter. They do not have access to health care or education. They live segregated in slum neighbourhoods. While a select wealthy people possess enormous wealth, inhabit elite homes in Forest Hill Toronto and Westmount Montreal. They enjoy Toronto Symphony and the National Ballet, their kids go to Cambridge and Harvard. (See Booth, G. V., and John J. Macionis. Study guide, Sociology, fourth Canadian edition. pg 252-255 John J. Macionis, Linda M. Gerber . Toronto: Prentice hall, 2002. Print.)  

Okay, so democracy isn't so perfect. Because the government is hedonist, they promote sensual pleasures on TV. They are a little paranoid so they have to keep an eye on us. The people still have power, we can hold elections and vote bad governments out of power - something which the Islamist cannot do? They can still vote the government out of the parliament?
It is an illusion to think that people are powerful because we can vote. Since World War II democracies have produced fake majority governments and weakened public representation in the parliament. The votes that we cast during elections translate into seats which parties get to form a government. It is thus assumed that the parties with the most votes, will get the most parliament seats and so they will form the majority government, right? WRONG! The relationship between seats and votes under the plurality system is not a smooth line on a graph; it is far more random and volatile  than that. This type of chancy outcome in the formation of governments keep the corrupt in power and their voters disillusioned. For the record,   

1979 - in the Canadian federal elections, the Conservatives formed a minority government with 36% of the nations vote. The 36% of the votes were translated into 136 seats. During the same elections, Liberals won 40% but got only 114 seats. 
1980 - federal elections, Liberals formed a majority a majority government with 44% of the votes and 52% of the seats. 
1987 - federal elections, Conservatives again formed a majority government with 53% votes but garnered 75% of the seat. Do the math. If a party gets 52% of the seats for 44% how can it possible get 75% of seats for 53% votes. This is absurd! It doesn't add up. 
1986 - provincial elections, NDP won majority 42.6% of votes but was given only 31.9% of seats.
1991 - provincial elections, NDP won 41% of votes but it took 68% of seats and formed a majority government. 
1997 - five parties contested federal elections and the Liberal party won with 38.5% of the majority vote. This means, 61.5% of the Canadian population was effectively disfranchised from 1997 - 2001. 
2000 - federal elections, 1,051,209 voters in Ontario supported Canadian Alliance Party but  the party only got 2 seats. 797,518 people supported the same party from BC and the party got 27 votes. 
2001 - provisional elections, Liberal party won 97% of seats with only 58% of votes. That left  21% of NDP supporters with only 2 seats and 21% of other party supporters with no seats.
2006 - provisional elections, Bloc Quebecois won 68% of seats in Quebec with the support of only 42% of Quebec voters.
2006 - federal elections, Conservatives on by 48.8% of votes, which left 51.2% of the voters unrepresented. 
2007 - provisional elections, Newfoundland and Labrador's premier was reelected with almost 70% of the vote, but he took 92% of the seats.

These distortions and "wrong winner" phenomena is not an anomaly; it occurs repeatedly in US, UK, Israel and Indian elections. Not only are the votes disproportionately translated into seats but also the votes are randomly allocated more or less values. (See Barker, Paul, and Mark Charlton. Crosscurrents: contemporary political issues. 6th ed. pg 241-242.  Scarborough, Ont.: Nelson Canada, 2009. Print.) 

There is even a software that rigs the elections in the US.

It really surprises me then, that the people want democracy. Ignorance is bliss I think? What you don't know cannot hurt you until you have it - then it is a different story. What will Muslims gain with democracy when we already have something far better than it - Islam! Islam will not lie to you or cheat you. It will not sell you things which make you hungry and sick or leave you poor and perverted. Islam is peace. Islam is knowledge. Islam is doing good deeds and making the world a better place.
So why the protests and the arsons for democracy? Why the chants and tears for elections? Democratic elections and other institutions are a sham in North America - how will they be any different in Egypt or Libya, Iraq or Palestine? Save from being held foolishly sway to popular whims. Go back to Qur'an and read it. You'll find the best political actions and governance in the Book which Allah revealed. 
 

Come close to Allah

عن انس رضي الله عنه عن النّبيّ صلي الله عليه وسلم فيما يرويه عنه ربّه عزّ وجلّ قال اذا تقرّب العبد اليّّّ  شبرا تقْربت اليه ذراعًا واذا تقرْب اليّ ذراعًا تقرًبت منه باعًا واذا اتانِي يمشي اتيتُهُ هَروَلة - رواه البخاري


Anas (r.a) reported, the Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Allah says, 'When a slave of Mine draws near to Me a span, I draw near to him a cubit; and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'" Al Bukhari

Lessons:
1. Every good deed brings us closer to Allah
2. Allah rewards us substantially for our little efforts and small good deeds.
3. Allah gives us better and more than our expectations and needs.

Be consistent in obedience to Allah, even if it is with small good deeds or minor acts of righteous. Allah appreciates even the littlest gestures of dedication and sacrifice in His way. So do not wait to for grandiose religious performance but everyday, do little good deeds and inshaAllah they will add up.

Allah's help and mercy is received by those people who sincerely strive in His cause. Though they may be exerting themselves just faintly, Allah will still bless their attempt and multiply their efforts. So never give up obedience to Allah, thinking that it is too hard. Simply try your best and inshaAllah Allah will help you and make it easy and enjoyable for you.

Just as good deeds bring us closer to Allah, purposely leaving good deeds and committing sins, distances us from Allah and draw us near Shaytan. So do not leave any opportunity to come close to Allah.

This means,
(a) spend more time offering Salah with calmness and being more attentive to your recitation. It also means to pray pray your sunnan and your nawafil.
(b)Read Qur'an daily and take out lessons for yourself and apply those lessons throughout the day.
(c)Be respectful of your parents, kind to your siblings.
(d)Say salam to Muslims, smile at them and help them.
(e)Work diligently and fairly at school or your office.
(f)Lower your gaze before non-mahram.
(g)Make lots of dikr.
(h)Eat halal, sitting down, after saying bismillah with your right hand, etc.

Allah Knows Best.

Redefining Success

 

عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه انّ رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم قال يوم خيبر
 لاءعطينّ هذه الرّاية رجلا يحب الله ورسوله يفتح الله علي يديه ... رواه مسلم

Abu Hurairah (r.a) reported, the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) said on the Day of Khaibar,
"I shall hand over this banner to one who loves Allah and His Prophet, and Allah will give us victory through him." - Muslim

LESSONS:
1. The people who love Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w) for the work of His Deen.
2. Success is by the virtue of love for Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w)

To get ahead in life, sometimes we may try means which are disliked by Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w). For example, to get better grades, students may stay awake all night to study and sleep all day or cheat on the exam. To get a better job or promotion, employees may lie about their credentials or socialize with non-mahram etc. Temporarily it may appear that our plan is fantastic and it is working but this is only a delusion from Shaytan to keep us busy with sin. Anything which is based on the disobedience of Allah and His Prophet's (s.a.w) is bound to fail.

In contrast, obeying Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w) in all matters of life may temporarily look difficult and slow in progress but it inshaAllah it will render lasting success inshaAllah.
For instance, going to sleep early is not only good for our health but also the Prophet's Sunnah (s.a.w). It is not only a scientific fact that the mind is most fresh and works best in the morning but the Prophet (s.a.w) also made du'a for his followers to blessed in the early hours of the morning. Cheating and lying is not just an academic offense but a breach of trust with Allah as well. Allah loathes a person who takes credit for the work he/she did not (Surah Saff). Lying is an exclusively a hypocrite's quality. And the Prophet (s.a.w) said, whenever a non-mahram man and a woman are alone, Shaytan is the third amongst them. He (s.a.w) also said, that it is better for a Muslim to be hammered in the head with a nail than for him to touch a woman who is not his mahram.

As Allah says in the Qur'an, "Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honour? But indeed, honour belongs to Allah entirely." [4:139]

So do not try to imitate the disbelievers and the hypocrites assuming that is cool and success in life is in following their ways. Rather love and obey Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w) and inshaAlalh Allah will choose you for the work of His Deen and give you success in both worlds.

Allah Knows Best

[Riyad al Saliheen Series - Chapter 10, Hadith # 94]

Muslims and Sectarianism - Which Imaam do you follow?

If you are from an Indo-Pak decent then no doubt, at least once in your lifetime, you were interrogated and scrutinized over your fealty to an Imaam or Madhab. You were probably asked, which Masjid you go, and if invited to another Masjid, to listen to another Imaam or Scholar, you probably declined because you already committed to Madhab or School of Thought, whose views are absolute and final for you.

Not long ago, the Jewish people divided themselves atrociously in a similar manner, erecting their separate two-inch Masajid behind a self-appointed, ostensible leaders who advocated their own brand of religion, mincing all other brands of religion. Result? Full out sectarian feud and violence.

Allah says,

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel – it is [none but] he who has brought the Qur’ān down upon your heart, [O Muúammad], by permission of Allāh, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers." [Qur'an, 2:97]

The Jewish people disdainfully prided over their Prophetic lineage. They pompously assumed that they were the beloved of Allah since all Prophets and kings, in the past, were born into their bloodline. Their vanity was vanished when Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) from a different ancestry. Though Jirbreel was only fulfilling Allah's command, the Jews hated him for bringing Allah's revelation to a man, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) who did not share their genealogy or descent.

However, the difference was not that substantial. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was from the offsprings of Ibrahim (a.s), the father of their Prophets and Kings.  Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was sent a message which was a continuation and confirmation of the truths in the Torah. The Qur'an was meant to be a source of guidance and good news for the Jews. Still they staunchly denied and vehemently opposed Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).

Like the bygone Jews, Muslims are equally bigoted.  We obstinately convinced that only our distinct Imaam and his group are superior and correct in all matters of theology and religious jurisprudence. We ascribe to extreme prejudice against all other Imaams and their following because they have slightly different views.  Then arguments shelled back and forth, death threats howled from the TV screen to the streets. Eventually Masajid are bombed and the entire city bathes in blood and carnage.

Allah warned the Jews in the continuing verse,

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

Whoever is an enemy to Allāh and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael – then indeed, Allāh is an enemy to the disbelievers. [Qur'an 2:98]

Allah reckons His enemies all those who view Him, His Angels and His Prophets as their enemies. So treating the Scholars, who teach Islam and are supporters of Allah, His Angels and His Prophets, with antagonism and animosity may also incur the severe wrath of Allah. Can anyone hope to succeed when Allah has listed them as His enemy? No wonder today we have so many teachers and students of Islam but very little appreciation and apprehension of the Qur'an. So many Masajid but very few people who pray on time. So many Da'wah projects and websites but very few people who know Allah, are mindful of Him and follow Him from the depths of their heart out of love and respect.

These verses come as a warning to us Muslims who are caught in a web of  aggression and belligerence against Scholars. We pit one A-lim and Imaam against the other simply because the other associate with a particular sect or ideology which we do not follow. We want to swat each other like flies, thinking only we have more right to exist, to speak and to lead. Actually, in the light of these verses, everyone should get along. There shouldn't be any disparagement in matters of religion - just accept everything that Allah has commanded, in the Qur'an, in its entirety. There, problem solved! Make Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w) an arbitrator of truth and falsehood and inshaAllah we will never fall into dispute with any other Muslim ever again.

But if people still do not agree, after clear proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah are explicated, then know that such people are inherently disobedient to Allah. They have a disease of arrogance and hypocrisy in their heart. Like Allah says,

 وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ  وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ

 And We have certainly revealed to you verses [which are] clear proofs, and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient. [Qur'an 2:99]

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There is something fascinating in the story of Harut and Marut too.

Allah says,

وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ

and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]."  [Qur'an, 2:102]

This verse really speaks to the common person like myself, who often hear people locking horns over which Scholar to follow and which to stay away from. Harut and Marut were sent to Babylon as a test for the people. They warned everyone not to learn magic and commit "kufr" thereby. This story really taught me that in life, many people will cross our path, each will enter our life with their own baggage of knowledge and experiences. We are responsible to stay away from "fitnah" and stay away fro things which will incur Allah's displeasure and cause us to suffer loss in the Hereafter.

Qur'an is the most essential, greatest, and final means of illumination, veracity and guidance. Qur'an holds the pinnacle of Allah's pleasure and reward. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "the best amongst you are those who study the Qur'an and teach it" [Bukhari]. Don't we want to be the best of the people in the sight of Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w)? Then let's leave hatred and animosity and embrace the loving mercy, instructions and guidance of Allah in the Qur'an.
Our utmost loyalty and commitment should be to Allah. Let's make ourselves sincere and pure for His worship and to His cause. Abandon all efforts to vilify people and spread aspersions and disparagements about Scholars. And actually read the full Qur'an before we defend or deny anyone.
On the Day of Judgment, no scholar, friend or family member will avail us before Allah.  Let's not blindly follow anyone so that we are regretful on the Day of Judgment for our mindless allegiances to some and witless accusations against others.

Being a Male Qawwam or Head of the Family

What does it mean to be a Man and a Qawwam, the head of a Muslim Family?


Allah says in the Qur'an,

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ  فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ  وَاللَّاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ  فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا  إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

Men are the maintainers of women by [right of] what Allāh has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allāh would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Exalted and Grand. [Qur'an, 4:34]

Husband and wife are equal in value and spiritual importance, but are functionally different. Just like in a human body, though all organs are vital, they had different roles and must work together to make a healthy person.  In a family, the husband and wife, though different, they live together with mutual respect to make a happy home. In the body, the function of a kidney is different from that of the lung, likewise men and women are also assigned different roles in the family, according to their inherent abilities. Though men and women are equal, but because of the biological make-up of men, men are endowed with more responsibility in the family and are thus more accountable before Allah (God-Almighty). 

In Islam, male headship is NOT  equivalent to male dominance or control over women. It neither warrants men, free-ticket to pressurize, terrorize or emotionally blackmail women. Or treat them as inferior, or subordinate to their own selves.

 In the Qur'an, male headship is not about being a ruler or a superior. It is about being more responsible by doing more work. A Muslim man is the pillar of support in his home, the entire family leans on him for all their needs.  With love and respect, he puts the need of his wife and children before his own. He dawns the cape of service, protection and guardianship.  A Muslim man is responsible to nurture his family with his physical strength and financial prowess. He looks after them physically, emotionally and spiritually with gentle care and concern. He is committed to their well-being, happiness, success and safety. 

On the flip side, wives also adore and admire husbands who are responsible, reliable and accountable. Husbands who are God-fearing and fulfill their duty to Allah by looking after the welfare of their families will enjoy happy marital lives. Moreover, wives want to love, cherish, appreciate and work alongside husbands who are sincere, mindful and considerate of them. Wives happily cooperate and compromise voluntarily with husbands who prioritize seeking the pleasure of Allah and in doing so, lovingly care for them and their children. 

Whereas in the absence of effective male headship, divorce becomes an easy and quick solution to all martial discords. Women protest for "independence" from husbands who are too stern, rigid and unaccommodating, controlling, dominating, physically or emotionally abusive husbands. They find themselves playing the role of both mom and dad to their children by working long hours away from home. Husbands seek romance from other than their wives, women they can control which further exploits women. 

Children are tossed between one parent to the other, the confusion destroys them emotionally; their grades at school suffer and their faith in God breaks into pieces.  They grow up without learning any spiritual morals or socially acceptable manners. They live out what they observed from their parents: hatred, selfishness and greed towards the opposite gender. 

Especially if one or both parents use alcohol or drugs, smoke or are promiscuous or criminally convicted, the children adopt the same addictions and abominations. It is not surprising that the worst serial murderers and rapists in the United States, all come from broken home families. Without male headship society is destined for total annihilation.

I know many Muslims and some non-Muslims will be opposed to this idea, maybe even call me a raving traditionalist. However, for men and women who want a happy marriage and emotionally stable children, I urge you (men) to provide for, protect and lead your families,  in obedience to Allah and following the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). I urge you (women) to graciously collaborate with and complement the efforts of your husbands in doing the same. 

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Source: Smith, Christian. Christian America? What Evangelicals really want. University of California Press Limited, England 2000.

The Political Future of Muslims

Have you ever played those fill-in crossword puzzles? You have to solve the puzzle by filling in the diagram with answer words reading across and down. At first the alphabets are all mixed together but as you fill in words in one direction, words in the other direction are automatically filled and soon the crowd of words read sentences with messages for the gamer. Life is like a crossword puzzle sometimes. The things that are happening around you, don't make so much sense, like they have no connection to the other, i.e. the creation of Israel, the invasion of Lebanon, dismantling of Pakistan, the protests in Egypt, the punishment of Libya etc -  until you put them together. When you fill everything in its place, then you realize how one event is intertwined with the other. Though the events may be months or years apart, they are part of the same scheme.

I didn't always believe in conspiracy theories until I read it as a fact in my political science textbook. Remember the Arrivals series everyone was on about a little while back? Yes, the same Arrivals about Dajjal and his symbols and system discussed in great detail with this horrid background music that haunts you in your dreams if you hear it in all 50 episodes. Initially Arrivals made sense to me because I am familiar with music and the affects of backtracking/backmasking. My brother and I used to play with audacity, MP3, WMP and other Audio softwares so I know how it works. I believe that yes music videos can be a medium to summon/appease the demons because dance was always a form of pagan worship and Allah says in the Qur'an that the pagans do not worship idols but they worship/please Shaytan through those ideals. So no stretching of truth here. Next Arrivals showed the pyramid formation on buildings tops and one-eye images on everything from cartoons to carrot packaging, from the Pope's ring to the police badges. Again I believe as well because I see buildings with pyramid roof configuration. Almost every insignia on clothes, every stamp on food packs, the logo of every company and firm today is the image of one-eye. Most people who have eyes will agree. Then comes the jargon over "one world government." Is it only a conspiracy? Are some Muslims just paranoid and crying 'Islamaphobia' all the time? Not unless you study politics, no!

I took Global Politics this year with a German Prof. A large portion of our textbook was dedicated to International relations theory, a body of literature that sekes to explain the nature of the international system and the behaviour of the actors within it. This discipline includes international security (study of conflict and war and attempts to control/prevent it), international political economy (study of trade, finance, foreign debt and underdevelopment etc), and international organizations (study of of institutes  such as the UN which focus on cooperation and international law between states and regimes).
My course focused on three political theories, idealism, realism, and liberalism. Although each theory is different from the other, founded by different philosophers for different reasons, years apart from each other, all three arrive at the same conclusion for world peace. Guess which one? Yes you better believe it, ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT! I would laugh if it was a joke but its not. Its not even a coincidence so y'all better start losing sleep over this.

Political idealism emerged in Europe in the 16th century. Writers such as G. Lowe Dickinson, Alfred Zimmern, Norman Angell, James T. Shotwell and US President Woodrow Wilson were all idealist thinkers and promoters. They believed that human nature is essentially good but since evil is innate to humanity, war is inevitable. So to prevent war, idealists propose to eliminate all "bad" institutions, states and structures that are the root cause of evil. Idealists believe in an international organization that would enforce one law and help social progress. After WW1 Idealist Woodrow Wilson proposed Fourteen points which lead to the creation of League of nations. It compromised of an assembly of 6 nations - Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union. From 1920 - 1939 these nations had absolute autonomy over the entire world. They initiated many military conflicts and conquests in various regions in guise of peace. They imposed arms control in 1922 to limit the arms of other nations whilst building their own fleets of battleships and aircrafts to hundreds and thousands. Keep in mind that its the same idealistic League of Nations (now known as the UN) that axed the Muslim Khilafah into small combatant states and sold Palestinian land to the Jews.

Realism developed as an International Relations' perspective after WW11. It views humans as self-interested creatures. The believe that political power only corrupts humans further. So they endeavour for a a world government or police force that would secure the world from anarchy. Early exponents of political realism E.H. Carr, Hans J. Morgenthau, Kenneth W. Thompson and Reinhold Niebuhr were inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, Thucydides, and Sun Tzu. So its but natural that they emphasis the importance of power and self-interest above all other considerations. For realists, power should be the primary interest of the state an interest should be predominant in power. What does that mean? Realists see power as a zero-some game. For one state to gain power, they think other states must necessarily lose power. In other words, for a state to become the superpower, it must control all other states in the world. Hence, the realists key objective is to enhance and secure their power. By commanding the world they think they will bring it peace and order. Yes, this is a one-world-government rant. For example structural realist, Kenneth Waltz said that "anarchy is not complete chaos or absence of law but rather the lack of a central authority or government capable of enforcing rules." The realists have an infamous saying, "Si vis pacem, parabellum - if you want peace, prepare for war." Meaning, there will be war until a one-world-government is established.

Liberalism is the mother of all evil. Think about it, what does liberalism initially stand for? Freedom? You can have any religion or no religion, be whatever you want (male, female, both, or change your gender surgically), kill our children (abortion), extort money (interest based businesses), wear whatever you want or nothing at all, go wherever you want, say whatever you want, eat/drink whatever you want and the government will protect you! Liberalism is license to sin. Disobey Allah as if there is no Day of Judgment and call it your "right". SubhanAllah! But morals aside, liberalism believe increased trade, financial, social and communications flow around the world. This sounds like globalization doesn't it? It is. What globalization does is that it makes borders permeable and government powerless to multinational corporations (MNCs) and NGOS that not only control your culture, you natural resources but also the employment rates, GDP, essentially the entire economy. Take the European Union for an example. First they shared a few trade agreements and now from Belgium to Greece, they are a single state with a single government, flag and currency. Along with trade and culture, liberalists also maintain that the key to global stability is the spread of Western-style liberal democracies. Of course its no surprise there is a wave of protests plaguing the Middle East and Pakistan.
Think about it. All the clothes that we (Muslims living back home) wear, foods we love, cars we drive, songs that we bop our heads to (yes music is very haram!) are either Italian, Australian, US, French or Russian. Is scary isn't it? We speak their language, go to their schools, work in their companies, watch their media. We are under so much of their influence that we unconsciously think the same way they do, share their values and have become eager to adopt their government and laws. What's wrong with the Shari'a law? you ask a Muslim from Egypt or Jordan or Lebanon. Why not adopt the Islamic culture? Either they will say its too folkloric or that they want to embrace both, be Islamic and democratic (wear tight jeans and tank-top with hijab, send kids to Islamic school with Miley Cyrus backpack and gelatin cookies for lunch, buy a house on interest and do Qur'an khatam ni it, work only on cash to avoid paying taxes and collect full unemployment benefits from government). Go to any part of the world know, English is the most common language, coke is the most drank beverage and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt the most popular celebrities. All this is a deliberate indoctrination to one-way-of-thinking. Btw, from 1966 Coca-Cola has been a staunch supporter of Israel. In 1997 the govt. of Israel honoured Coca-cola at the Israeli Trade Awards Dinner for its continued support of Israel for over 30 years and for refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel. In 2002, Coke announced a new plant on the stolen Palestinian land at Kiryat Gat. So next time you pay $2.00 to purchase your coke can, just think what you are doing the Palestinian kids >_< And ah Angelina Jolie is Illuminati ;) Yes I know, she was in Pakistan recently, helping the poor flood victims whilst wearing a black-magic-priestess-like robe as a occult graphic sign/ritual? Oh its possible. I won't say no.

Well, this is politics for you. Marxism is another political theory but we know how that ended in Russia so I guess we don't have to worry about that one. As for Idealism, Realism and Liberalism - like I said, start losing some sleep. Think about what kind of a future you want your "Muslim" children to have. Can their imaan survive the one world government? Can you live with yourself today knowing that you did nothing?

If you are still not convinced or want to know more, check out the following lectures:

The US, One World Government and Muslims

The US control of money and organized poverty of Muslims

The CIA agenda and Muslims

Shocking: Canadian police detains and tortures citizens!

 Canadian Police detains and tortures Citizens

For all those hyped over the staged riots and protests in Middle East, look at your own country for size. G20 peaceful protesters, including Toronto Star and National Post journalist and photographers were detained, some even beaten and tortured.
 
Read and watch the detainees tell their account. They describe their experience as being a cage, kept cold, hungry and sleep deprived for over 26 hours. One of them even said it felt like he was in Guantanamo.

What were the police trying to prove? Was this an experiment to test if the Canadian Police can be converted to a death squad like the brutal American war criminals in the Middle East?