Monday, January 28, 2008

A Foolish Man

A foolish man may be known by six things: Anger without cause, speech without profit, change without progress, inquiry without object, putting trust in a stranger, and mistaking foes for friends.
Arabic Proverb

Monday, January 21, 2008

The Believers

by Muhammad Ali, USA

In this life we have a great job to do;
It is a trial for us and we're just passing through.

The Holy Qur'an will always be our Guide:
It is ALLAH's Final Revelation that we must abide.

We constantly combat wrong and strive for Right...
We're champions of the oppressed, in a worldwide fight!

Working together to establish our place;
Falsehood, ignorance, and poverty we will erase!

Let us build model communities throughout the land...
Our descendants will know we followed ALLAH's Command.

We will produce from ALLAH's Earth our material share:
Don't give us things such as food stamps and welfare!

Our Islamic communities will produce everything we need...
May ALLAH bless us with faith, patience, and perseverance to succeed!
Source: Islamic Poetry

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Istikharah

اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أستَخيرك بعلمكَ، و أستقدرك بقُدرتك، و أسْألك مِن فضلك العظيم،
فإنّك تَقْدر و لا أقْدِر، و تعلم و لا أعلم، و أنت علاَّمُ الغُيوب.
اللَّهمَّ إنْ كنتَ تعلم أنَّ هذا الأمْرِ خيرٌ لي في ديْني و معَاشي و عاقِبة أمري
– او قال عاجِل أمري و آجِله –
فاقْدِرْهُ لي و يسِّرْه لي ثمَّ بارِك لي فِيه،
و إن كنتَ تعلم أنَّ هذا الأمرِ شرٌّ لي في دِيني و معآشِي و عاقبةِ أمْرِي
– او قال في عاجِل أمرِي و آجِله –
فاصْرِفْه عَنِّي، و اصْرفْنِي عَنه، و اقْدِر لِيَ الخيْرَ حَيْثُ كان ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِه.


Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power; I have none. And You know; I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things.
Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge this matter is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
Source: Salat ul Istikharah

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Muslim Method of Slaughtering Animals

"Muslim Method of Slaughtering animals is better"
.... Scientific reasons as to WHY this is......

Many allegations have been made that the muslim manner of slaughtering is not humane to animals. However, professor Schultz and his colleague Dr. Hazim of the Hanover University, Germany, proved through an experiment using an electroencephalograph (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) the "Muslim manner of slaughter is THE most humane method of slaughter" and captive bolt stunning (a western practice) causes severe pain to the animal. The results surprised many.

Experimental Details:
1. Several electrodes were surgically implanted at various points of the skull of all animals, touching the surface of the brain.
2. The animals were allowed to recover for several weeks
3. Some animals were slaughtered by making a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck cuutting the jugular veins, cartoid arteries of both sides, the trachea and oesophagus. (The muslim halal method)
4. Some animals were stunned using a captive bolt pistol humane. ( the western method)
5. During the experiment, EEG and ECH were recorded on all animals to record the condition of the brain and the heart during the course of slaughter and stunning.

Results and Discussions:

The Muslim Method
1 The first three seconds from the time of islamic slaughter as recorded on the EEG did not show any chage from the graph before slaughter, thus indicating the animal did not feel any pain during or immediately after the incision.
2. For the following 3 seconds, the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep - unconsciousness. This is due to a large quantity of blood gushing out from the body.
3. After the above mentioned 6 seconds, the EEG recorded zero level, showing no feeling of pain at all.
4. As the brain message (EEG) dropped to szero level, the heart was still pounding and the body convulsing vigorously ( a reflex action of the spinal cord) driving maximum blood from the body. This resulted in hygenic meat for the consumer.

The western method by C.B.P. Stunning
1. The animals were apparently unconscious soon after stunning.
2. EEG showed severe pain immediately after stunning.
3. The hearts of the animal stunned by C.B.P. stopped beating earlier as compared to those of the animals slaughtered according to the halal method. This meant more blood stayed within the meat. This in turn is unhygenic for the consumer

In conclusion, the experiment carried out PROVES that the muslim method of slaughter revealed centuries ago by Allah (SWT) to his messengers, is far more humane then any western method. The muslim method results in next to no pain for the animal and gives the most hygenic meat available for consumers.

Al-Shaddad bin Aws has quoted this tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW): "Allah calls for mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter, sharpen your blade and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably". (Bukhari)

Reference: Voices Magazine April/May 2003

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Come back to the Deen

This is a true story, of how a sister came back to her Deen Alhumdulillah!

She was a sweet and innocent girl, her name was Aisha
She loved her parents, Abdul and Alisha.
For them, she was the best thing to have happened
She was always cheerful and never easily saddened
She studied hard to achieve her goals,
Top of the class, she was told.

She enjoyed spending time with her mates,
Until one day they had a debate,
Not knowing that this was about to change was her fate.

She started making new friends
Began following the latest trends,
Mixing with boys is how it begun
She thought this was fun
Her new friends would constantly, be flirting with boys,
In return they were treated as toys.

Aisha started to let shaitan get in her way,
She took of her headscarf and went astray.
She did this on the sly,
What would she have said to her Lord if, suddenly she was to die?

Months later, after the continuous misbehaving,
And ‘time-to-time’ raving.
She fell for Zain, the boy of her dreams
Well so it seemed.
They got closer and closer
And fell in love with each other.

She wasn’t allowed to out that often,
Considered herself to be a boffin
So she started bunking school,
To be with, Zain, what a fool?!
She lied to her mum and dad,
Not knowing how it would make them sad.

Then she started drifting apart from everyone
Zain was her life, her number one.
Her studies went down the drain,
She wasn’t ashamed.

A year went by; her parents found out and began to cry.
What had happened to their sweet little Aisha?

Hours turned into days, days into months and months into years,
The regular rowing turned into tears,
Her parents were angry,
Wanted to send her off to their country

She couldn’t stay away from her lover
So she decided to do a runner,
Consequently her parents found out her plans to runaway with Zain
Never has Aisha seen her mum and dad suffer so much pain
She saw tears in their eyes
She thought no more lies?

Zain kept calling her as he was missing her
It was a choice between him or her mother and father
What was she to do?

She realised being with Zain
Was driving her insane
And the people she loved, so much pain.

She went up to her room,
And asked herself was she doomed?
On her bed was an Islamic book,
She picked it up and had a look

To her surprise it read,

"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[surah an-Nisa; 4:110]

From this day on she turned to Allah Subhana Wata’Ala
To leave behind her days of Jahiliyyah
Started to pray, five times a day,
To keep shaitan away,
From leading her astray
Love for Allah grew stronger, Alhumdulillah

Aisha realised it was time to finish with her boyfriend,
And began making amends with her real friends

She started researching on the Hijab,
Wearing the Hijab is no futile action,
It must be obeyed by women of the Muslim nation,
A woman may go through much trial and tribulation
Because she has obeyed Allah Subhana Wata’Ala
But the fulfilment of this action will never go unnoticed, Subhan’Allah

"Never will I allow to be lost the actions of any of you; whether male or female" (Surah Al-Imran 3:195)).

She thought to herself
Nothing good comes simple
With regards of struggle in wearing the Hijab
Allah has ordered us to cover our self
Not to expose our beauty
We should only be recognised by our personality
Therefore she put the Hijab back on.

This time her Iman was stronger
Since she got back her faith and trust in Allah, Subhana Wata’Ala

Abdul and Alisha, her mother and father
Were slowly starting to forgive her,
This was a sign from Allah Subhana Wata’Ala
As she was constantly repenting and following the Sunnah

Love for their daughter,
Was greater than ever.... Alhumdulillah!

Nothing good will come easy in this life, Our Lord has promised not to overburden a soul with more than it can bear. The problem that the we as an Ummah are facing is that we have forgotten that WE ARE TRAVELLERS ON THIS EARTH, AND EVERY TRAVELLER MUST RETURN HOME!!!

ALL PRAISE BE TO ALLAH, Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem.
Source: Hikmah