ASABIYYAH FROM BROTHER YOUSUF OF MARYLAND

Definition of asabiyyah:

Linguistically, asabiyyah comes from the word asabah, which is the
relatives of the person from the father side. These relatives are called asabah
because they strengthen and defend the person that makes him/her
stronger.

Idiomatically, asabiyyah is man's supporting his people to whom he
belongs, whether they are right or wrong, oppressing or oppressed. The belonging
to these people can be due to kith and kin, ethnicity, color, birthplace,
citizenship, school of thought [Madh'hab], or a group of people with
common interest.

What causes asabiyyah? The drive that causes asabiyyah is the feeling of
being better than others, and that others are at a lower class. So, the
person that has this feeling of asabiyyah thinks so highly of himself
and of those to whom he belongs, and thinks that other people are as good as
his own people.

This kind of thinking is corrupted, and it is in fact a kind of
arrogance that comes from the mentality of Iblis, which led him to disobey the
command of Allah when He ordered him to prostrate to Adam. Iblis said, "I am
better than him, You created me out of fire and you created him (Adam) out of
clay." The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) warned us when he said, "No one
enters Paradise if they have in their heart a grain weight of arrogance." The
prophet (S.A.W.) defined this arrogance in two things: Rejection of the
truth and looking down on people.

What are the harms of asabiyyah? Asabiyyah is harmful in many ways. It
destroys the ummah, and changes the unity and harmony to disunity and
disharmony. This is beneficial to the enemies of the ummah or an
opportunistic group of people from this ummah. This situation is
witnessed many times in the past as well as today.

The asabiyyah, in Jahiliyya time before Islam turned the Arab tribes
into enemies and made from their Arabian Peninsula a battlefield. Allah
(S.W.T.) told us about their situation before Islam in surat Al-Imran, (verse
103), what can be translated as, "And hold fast, all of you together, to the
Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s
Favor on you, for you were enemies one to another, but He joined your hearts
together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic
Faith)…" This kind of situation is not restricted to the Arabs, it actually
plagued all nations that were disunited because of asabiyyah.

The different kinds of Asabiyyah:

The first kind is the asabiyyah of relatives relationship and ethnic
discent: it is the most ancient and the strongest kind of asabiyyah. The
closer the relationship is, the stronger the asabiyyah. The further away
the relationship is, the weaker the asabiyyah. Tribalism, ethnicism, and
nationalism are of this kind of asabiyyah. From this comes a Jahili
(unIslamic) slogan, "Support your brother whether he is oppressing or
oppressed."

The second kind is the asabiyyah of principles and mathaahib schools of
Islamic laws: This kind of asabiyyah grows amongst a group of people who
are binded by one thought or one principle, be it religious or not, or the
followers of a certain math’hab school of Islamic law. The individual in
this group of people strongly supports his group or the followers of his
math’hab whether they are right or wrong.

The third kind of asabiyyah is regionalism: It is formed amongst a group
of people who live in one region. They think that just because they are
living together in one region, that by itself will give them better
qualifications than others. So they look down on others and think highly of their own
selves even if those other people have lived with them for tens of years
and even if they were born in their region but they are not originally from
them.

This kind of asabiyyah has grown in intensity within the Muslim
ummah after the fall of the Islamic Ottoman Khilafah. This regionalism was a
goal that was sought by the enemies of Islam, so they planted this deadly
thought and nourished it with all means, and people ended up victims of this
deadly asabiyyah that only benefited the opportunistic people by keeping and
strengthening their positions.

In the past, this kind of asabiyyah (regionalism) was the reason behind
losing Andalousiah (Al-Andalous).

The fourth kind of asabiyyah is racism: It is formed amongst people with
the same color of skin, thinking that their skin color by itself makes them
better than other people of different skin color. This kind of asabiyyah
did not exist in the Muslim ummah (walhamdulillah), but it is deep rooted in
the west; the people of dark color skin were deeply hurt and oppressed
because of their color in these countries which claim to be advanced and
civilized for a very long time.

So much blood was shed, they were dishonored, and
stripped from their human rights because of their skin color and we know
many details about that in this society that we live in. This oppressive
situation gave birth to a violent reaction that manifested itself in
many rebellions, violent acts and hate crimes that are initiated by different
people out of asabiyyah for their own color at different times and
different places.

Islam rejects all kinds of asabiyyah, because all these kinds of
asabiyyah are not suitable to be a fair and just framework for the human
societies; they are in fact manifestations of oppression, corruption and
transgression on the earth.

Allah (S.W.T.) proclaimed that He created the differences amongst people
to be a reason for them to get to know each other, and live together in
cohesion and collaboration and not a reason for them to look down on one
another. In reality, the scale of being better than others is at-taqwa
(rightousness) and the good deeds. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat
Al-Hujurat, (verse 13), what can be translated as, "O mankind! We have created you
from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may
know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is
those who has most taqwa…"

Allah (S.W.T.) also says in another verse, that the differences amongst
people are a sign that indicates the greatness of Allah's creation and
His power like the sign of the creation of the earth and the sky. Allah
(S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Ruom, (verse 22), what can be translated as, "And among
His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference
of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of
sound knowledge."

We all as Muslims, those who inherited Islam and those who converted
cannot be true Muslims if we still carry any kind of asabiyyah. When we accept
Islam we have to leave and throw away all kinds of Jahiliyya beliefs,
thinking, mentality, and behavior. This is how we will accept Islam as a
complete way of life.

Ma'salaam,

Y.M.Yousuf & Family
Maryland

5 HISTORIC EVENTS DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADHAN THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

5 Historic Events During Ramadan that Rocked the World

Posted: 14 Aug 2012 04:02 AM PDT

Ramadan 2012 Posts

We all know that Ramadan is the month of fasting, abstinence and reflection. However, what we may not know is that Ramadan also just happens to be a month of awesome history defining events that shaped the world we live in today. Here are my top 5 events that occurred in the month of Ramadan:
5. Battle of Guadalete
Ramadan, the 92nd year of Hijrah (711 C.E.) a slave of the Umayyad governor of Africa and his Berber troops faced off against the Visigoth king of Spain. Tariq bin Ziyad was born a slave and would die a beggar, but somewhere in between he managed to become one of the greatest generals the world has ever seen.
Having landed shortly before on a large rock at the bottom of Spain (that to this day is names after him), Tariq literally burned the boats that brought him and his comrades from the Maghreb. The extreme motivational tool worked and despite being outnumbered by the enemy by a ratio of at least 3 to 1, the Muslims managed to defeat the Visigoth King Roderic at the battle of Guadalete and race on to take over the whole of Spain and most of the France.

Thus began 800 years of Muslim rule in Andalusia that was the apogee of Umayyad civilization, laid the basis of the European enlightenment and proved that Muslims, Christians and Jews could live in harmony – well, at least until the Inquisition came along.
4. The Horns of Hattin
Salahuddin Ayyubi was one of the most awesome heroes in the history of Islam. We know he defeated the crusaders and reclaimed Jerusalem for Islam and the Muslims after almost a century of Frankish desecration. We even know that he managed to do this all whilst essentially being an extremely nice guy with chivalry and honesty being qualities that even his enemies acknowledged in him.
But did you know that he also had impeccable timing? Salahuddin had been slowly circling the Crusader kingdom for years. He was building his strength, neutralising weak points within his own ranks and essentially playing a massive game of chicken with the Crusader King. Well, in Ramadan of 1187 C.E., the game came to a head with both sides going for broke at the Horns of Hattin. What followed was less a battle and more a masterclass by Salahuddin in how to own your enemy tactically, physically and mentally. When the dust settled, the Muslims had triumphed, the leaders of the Crusader kingdom were prisoners and the road to Jerusalem was clear. Oh, and he retook that on the anniversary of israa and miraaj (the Prophet [peace be upon him] ascension to heaven via Jerusalem)… like I said, impeccable timing.
3. The last stand at Ain Jalut
Few Muslims had heard of Mongolia let alone seen anyone from there and yet here were this band of barbarians laying waste to everything that lay in their path. To give you an idea of how scared Muslims had become, it was said that if a Mongolian warrior asked a Muslim to wait kneeling for him whilst he went and found a sword to kill him with, the Muslim guy would wait patiently rather than risk a fate that was literally worse than death!
The whole of the Islamic world had collapsed in the face of this new and terrible enemy. Well, not the whole Islamic world. One last outpost remained. In Egypt, the Mamluk sultan Qutuz decided that he wasn't just going to wait for his turn to die. He gathered his forces and made one last stand. At the springs of Goliath (Ain Jalut) the last consequential army in the Muslim world faced off against the undefeated Mongols. It was like a boxing match between some scrawny challenger and the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world – only with millions more lives at stake. The outcome of the battle see-sawed between the Muslims and the Mongols until finally, Qutuz himself led the breakthrough by charging deep into enemy ranks. That Ramadan, Ain Jalut marked the first time that the Mongols had lost a pitched battle – and Islam (not to mention the rest of the world) was saved.
2. Conquest of Makkah
The conquest of Makkah was more than just a footnote in Islamic history. It was the happy ending of one of the most amazing stories ever told. A story in which a band of men and women were tortured and harassed in their own home town because of their faith, how they had to flee as refugees and within the decade returned as conquerors.
The conquest of Makkah was a turning point in world history. Islam had returned home to where it had begun and the Kaaba was once more dedicated to the worship of Allah alone. As Makkah goes, so does the rest of Arabia and within the time it takes for news to travel, almost all of tribes in the Peninsula sent delegations to Medina with their allegiance.
Today more than 1.6 billion Muslims turn their face five times a day for prayer, go on Hajj at least once in a lifetime and bury all our dead facing towards this city conquered on one fateful day in Ramadan.
1. Battle of Badr  
The mother of all defining moments – the battle of Badr is without a doubt the most important existential battle between good and evil in the history of mankind. On one side, the last Prophet and just over 300 of his followers. On the other, the idolaters of Quraish with their superior numbers, weapons and wealth.
What followed was an epic battle that still resonates with Muslims across the world. Actually – the word “epic” doesn't even begin to define the enormity of this battle. How important was this battle in the grand scheme of things? Before the battle started the Prophet raised his hand to the heavens and said words to the effect, “If this small band perish today, then there will be no one left to worship you on the face of this Earth.” They didn't perish and to this day, all who profess that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger are eternally grateful.

Lesson from the History?

To see Ramadan as only a month of inward spiritual reflection and purification is to miss out on the real example of sacrifice, struggle that has been a feature of the month of Ramadan throughout our history. This Ramadan, get involved in a project and make a difference to the Muslims in your community and the world around.

EGYPT'S PRESIDENT MORSI CHANGES MILITARY LEADERSHIP

Egypt's Morsi voices military leadership reshuffle English.news.CHINA 2012-08-13 17:27:45 • El Seisy will replace Hussein Tantawi was ordered to retire Sunday.. • Mohamed el-Assar was appointed an assistant to the defense minister.. • Former judge Mahmoud Mekki was appointed as vice president.. by Marwa, Tian Dongdong CAIRO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday appointed Abdel Fatah el Seisy as defense minister and chief of the supreme council of the armed forces, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali announced. El Seisy, 58, used to be the leader for the military north region. After that he was appointed as the chief of military intelligence. El Seisy will replace Hussein Tantawi, who along with former Chief of Staff of the armed forces Sami Enan, was ordered to retire Sunday. Enan's post will be filled by Sediqi Sobhi. Both Tantawi and Enan were appointed as advisers to the president. Other changes also included Reda Mahmoud Hafez Abdel Maguid, commander for the air force staff, who was appointed as state minister for military production to replace the newly-appointed Ali Sabri. Mohamed el-Assar was appointed an assistant to the defense minister. Mohab Mamish will be the acting board chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, and Abdel-Aziz Seif-eldin the board chairman of the Arab Organization for Industrialization. Dr. Noha Bakir, professor at American University in Cairo believed that Morsi's surprising decisions were a revolutionary solution for political disputes which is completely different with ways in former regime. "In former President Sadat's time, for example, the senior military officers can resign but would not be forced to retire. This is a strange decision from Morsi because he had the chance to appoint a new defense minister in the new cabinet, but the reasons for keeping Tantawi and then retired him now is implied something that is ambiguous," said Bakir. "However, one explanation for his surprising decision is that Morsi himself firstly dismissed some military officers after Rafah 's accident, and when the army didn't show any opposing response, he made up his mind and took the biggest step. Morsi was in a period of waiting, expectancy and consultations. But it seems that the army members agree with his decisions as of now," Bahir noted. Bahir held that the Rafah incident which killed 16 soldiers was a heavy blow to the Egyptian Army. "After the incident there is some sort of discontent among the army's lines over their leaders. The army members feel humiliation after Rafah's attacks. The army commanders felt ashamed to be the protectors of the nation because they couldn't secure the minor soldiers. They lack the spirit of integrity as assumed among the commander and the soldiers, " said Bahir. Former judge Mahmoud Mekki was appointed as vice president. Meanwhile, Morsi also issued a new constitutional declaration and cancelled the supplementary declaration issued in mid-June by the army. According to the new declaration, if the Constituent Assembly could not accomplish its work in 15 days, the president should form a new one which represents all the society spectra after consulting all the national movements to prepare a constitution draft. The Constituent Assembly should draft the constitution within three months from the date of its establishment and the new constitution should be put up for a public referendum within 30 days of its drafting. Dr. Salah Salem, political professor in Cairo University thought Morsi's decision gave solutions for the complicated problem, namely the drafting of the new constitution. "Morsi's decision is a correction for the mistakes of the transition period, and implementation for steps which should be taken long time to end polemics, pitfalls of the transition period. It is a real start for the new beginning of the correct path, the path of the revolution and concluding the revolutions demands," said Salem. "To draft new constitution is part of the president's power. We are not talking about his intentions or theories, it is a main part of his jurisdictions and he should use it. His decisions were not a surprise at all, he should make the suitable decisions as he believed his nation needs," Salem noted. On the other hand, Hussein Abdel Raziq, secretary general of Tagmmu party slamed Morsi's decision as a plan to get ride of the civil state and turned it into a religious one, or the Brotherhood state. "To issue, cancel the constitution is the task of the parliament. If Mosri is giving himself this task then he has the legislative, judicial, and executive powers beside the constitutional power. It is the simple meaning for a dictator, not an elected president," Raziq said. "This is a violation to legitimacy which brought him to the presidency, the legitimacy for the constitutional declaration. The President snatched the constitutional authority," he affirmed. For Bahir, the announcement of the new constitutional declaration was a bid of Morsi to control all the executive and legislative authorities before finishing drafting the constitution. And it is a heavy blow for those who were intended to protest on August 24 to support the army. "Now Morsi gripped full executive power in his hands. If the new People's Assembly coming with Muslim Brotherhood majority, all authorities will be in his hands. Leftists and secularists will worry again for a possible dominance of Brotherhood and this may cause new fears and echoes in the future," said Bahir. The president took those decisions to "complete the objectives of the revolution and develop the state institution," said the presidency spokesman, adding that Tantawi and Enan were awarded the "Order Of Nile" for their services to the nation. As for the relationship between military and the presidency, Salem didn't expect any conflicts between them. "Egypt is a country of institutions, not individuals, and the individuals should respect the institutions. And the army respect the institutions, it respect the figures of the country and the rules of the political work," he added. When attending a ceremony on Sunday night in AL-Azhar Mosque, President Morsi said "My decisions weren't to embarrass individuals or institutions. What I meant by the decisions is the interest of the nation and people". There are a lot of changes that face the people, and we have to pay careful intentions for it, added Morsi. He extended appreciation and thanks to the military men and the leaders of the armed forces. "I want the military forces to be devoted for its mission which is to protect the country," he said. "We carry a peace message, and we wouldn't allow any person to threaten the nation," he said, adding "I will never have rest until everything in the country is stable". "There is no place for strikes in the state institution, the country needs all their efforts," he added, warning those who want to cut the road will be punished. Related: 5 militants killed in Sinai by Egyptian troops AL-ARISH, Egypt, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- About five militants were killed by Egyptian troops in a border village early Sunday in North Sinai, a security source told Xinhua. The five militants were killed during a fire exchange between the troops and some of the Jihadists in Nagaa Shabana zone, the security source said, adding the troops were exposed to rocket- propelled grenades.Full story Egypt intensifies security operation in Sinai AL-ARISH, Egypt, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Egypt intensified its security operation to eliminate terrorists Thursday in North Sinai with more military equipment dispatched to the area. A machinery fleet composing of 20 armored vehicles, 30 vans carrying tanks and a batch of soldiers, arrived in Al-Arish, capital of North Sinai, on Thursday, a local security source told Xinhua.Full story Egypt appoints new intelligence chief after deadly attack CAIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi ordered on Wednesday to appoint Mohamed Raafat as acting chief of intelligence to replace Murad Muwafi who was ordered to retire, state TV reported. Morsi also sacked North Sinai Governor Abdel Wahab Mabrouk after the deadly attack on a military checkpoint attack which killed 16 soldiers and injured seven others on Sunday.Full story Editor: Tang Danlu

MSIMAMO WA WAISLAM WA TANZANIA JUU YA SENSA 2012 No. 2

Thursday, 9 August 2012, 1:17 Subject: [tz_muslim_community] TAARIFA MUHIMU KWA UMMAH Assalaam alaykum warahmatullahi. Kuhusu msimamo wa waislamu kutokushiriki sensa, Hay-atul Ulamaa ilikaa na makamishna wa Tume ya Sensa wakiongozwa na Hajjat Amina Said na pia Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Sensa tarehe 30 Julai, 2012 kuzungumzia msimamo wa waislamu wa kutokushiriki sensa ya mwaka huu hadi kipengele cha dini kiwekwe kwenye dodoso la sensa. Kikao chetu kiliwafumbua mengi wajumbe hao na wakaona uzito wa hoja za waislamu. Waliahidi kuwa wanayapeleka juu kwa maamuzi kwa sababu wao si wenye maamuzi na kwamba watakuwa (wao watu wa serikali) na vikao vya juu kuanzia tarehe 4 Agosti, 2012. Sasa tumekuwa tukipata maswali watu wakituuliza "Sheikh mmefikia makubaliano gani katika kikao chenu cha pili na watu wa sensa?". Tunapenda kuwaarifu waislamu mambo yafuatayo;- Mosi, Hay-atul Ulamaa imekaa kikao kimoja tu na watu wa sensa na hakukuwa na kikao cha pili. Pili, Madai yetu hayakuwa tu kuweko kwa kipengele cha dini, bali pia uangalizi wa waangalizi waislamu na wakristo kwa sababu takwimu zinazotolewa zina utata na kila upande unadai wao ni wengi. Hili lilikuwa kujaribu kuzuia kuchakachuliwa kwa matokeo ya kipengele hicho. Pia dai letu jingine ni kwa kuwa muda umekwenda, basi sensa isogezwe mbele kuruhusu waislamu kujiandaa baada ya kuwahamasisha wasishiriki. Tatu Hadi sasa serikali haijatoa msimamo kuhusu kuweko kwa kipengele cha dini katika dodoso la sensa kama madai yetu yalivyo. Tunachoshuhudia ni Rais kuendelea kutoa msimamo wa serikali kama hivi majuzi alipokuwa Loliondo alisema "Hatuhesabu watu kwa mujibu wa makabila yao wala dini zao" (ITV, TBC1). Nasiki ana PM nae, leo asubuhi katika maswali ya papo kwa hapo ameulizwa swali na amesema "serikali haitoweka kipengele cha dini". Nne: Waislamu hatukuw ana matumaini ya kusikilizwa na serikali kwa sababu ni kawaida kwamba waioslamu hawasikilizwi mpaka mitulinga itumike kama vile maandamano n.k. Na msimamo wa kutokushiriki sensa ni katika utamaduni huo huo. Tano: Kuna ombi la Ikulu kukutana na Rais mwanzo wa wiki ijayo kuzungumzia hili. Ukiangali atrend hii, utaona juhudi zote za serikali ni kama "Delaying tactic" kufanya waislamu wa-relax kwa kutaraji kutakuw ana mabadiliko. Kwa kweli mimi ni mtu wa mwisho kuamini kwamba waislamu tutasikilizwa. Hay-atul Ulamaa itakwenda kumsikiliza Rais atasema nini. THE BALL IS IN THEIR COURT. Msimamo wa masheikh ni ule ule, WAISLAMU HATUHESABIWI HADI MASHARTI YAUSHIRIKI WETU YATAKAPOTIMIZWA. Naomba myajue yote haya na muwafikishie na watu wa makundi yetu mengine ili na wao wawe na taarifa hii. Allwaahu Al-musta'aanu. Maassalaam.

SLAUGHTER OF MUSLIMS IN BURMA (MYANMAR)

Slaughter of Muslims in Burma - June 2012 http://www.zimbio.com/Aung+San+Suu+Kyi/articles/EvRIw2CPCl0/Slaughter+Muslims+Burma+June+2012 After reading and watching helplessly the recent massacre of minority Burmese Muslims by the Buddhist majority, let not another hypocrite sing that phoney and repugnant 'song' about Buddhists being "peaceful." In June 2012, hundreds Burmese Muslims have been butchered, and many more injured and made homeless in Burma as a result religious intolerance by the Buddhist majority. The Burmese military government, far from trying to resolve the problem and protect the minority, has been silently conniving with the rioters by creating greater hardships for the Muslim minority. The reason of this June 2012 riot is unknown except for the periodical outbursts of the Burmese Buddhists to show their might and vent their anger on the helpless minority. It is commonly accepted that the June 2012 massacre of Burmese Muslims was intentionally orchestrated by the rioters in collaboration with the government. Yet the world, including the UN, is conveniently silent. The brazenly hypocritical and unscrupulous woman, Aung San Suu Kyi, is very prompt at accusing the Burmese military of human rights violations when she is under house arrest. But she finds nothing wrong when the military helps the Buddhist mobs to murder the innocent Muslim minority of her country. As in India, anti-Muslim riots are nothing unusual in Burma. Violence in Burma against Muslims have been erupting periodically since the 1920s based simply on religious intolerance by the Buddhist majority. The Muslims of Burma mainly belong to the Arakan state in western Burma. They are known as Rohingya or Burmese Muslims. The term "Rohingya" has been derived from the Arabic word "Raham" meaning sympathy. Muslim settlements began being established in the Arakan province of Burma since the arrival of the Arabs in the 8th century. Presently about 800,000 Rohingya live in Burma. The United Nations describes them as "one of the world’s most persecuted minorities." Yet it has never bothered to help them. Religious freedom for Muslims in Burma has been systematically curbed. In the post 9/11 era, random accusations of "terrorism" against Muslims have become a common form of persecution and harassment by Burmese Buddhists. Burmese Government does not consider Rohingya Muslims as citizens and they are hated by the Buddhist majority. Rohingya Muslims in Burma have long demanded recognition as an indigenous ethnic group with full citizenship by birthright. But the Government regards them as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and denies them citizenship. "Nobel Prize winner," Aung San Suu Kyi, does not consider Muslims as citizens. Speaking at London School of Economics meeting on June 2012 during her visit to the UK, she said "Rohingya Muslims should not be considered citizens." Later during her press conference at Downing Street, she did not condemn the killings of Rohingya Muslims taking place in Burma. Instead, she simply said that this "ethnic conflict should be investigated and dealt with wisdom." It wasn't just an insufficient response but a very shocking one from someone supposed to have won a "Noble Peace Prize." The notorious master hypocrite and undercover CIA agent, Dalai Lama, continues to globe trot without mentioning a single word of the dangerously growing Buddhist intolerance in Burma, Thailand, Tibet and across the world. Such intolerance and persecution invariably result in resistance by the oppressed. Many Muslims have joined armed resistance groups, fighting for greater freedom in Burma. On June 3rd 2012, eight Muslims returning to Rangoon in a bus after visiting a Masjid in the Arakan province were attacked by a mob of hundreds of Buddhists and slaughtered brutally. An eye-witness reported that after the mass murder "the culprits were celebrating triumph spitting and tossing wine and alcohol on the dead bodies lying on the road." "These innocent people have been killed like animals," said Abu Tahay, of the National Democratic Party for Development, which represents the country’s much-persecuted stateless Muslim Rohingya community. The Rohingya Muslims of Burma have continued to suffer from human rights violations under the Burmese junta since 1970s. Over the years thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled to neighboring countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh etc. Even as refugees they have been facing hardships and have suffered persecution by the Thai government. In February 2009, a group of 5 boats packed with Burmese Rohingya Muslims were taken out and abandoned in the open sea by the Thai army. Four of these boats sank in a storm and one was washed ashore near the Indonesian islands. The few survivors who were rescued by Indonesian authorities told horrific stories of being captured and beaten by the Thai military and then abandoned at open sea. Being "peaceful" or "humble" (as claimed by their biased supporters) is a far cry concerning the Burmese Buddhists. Their vindictive temperament prowls for vendetta, waiting to use even the most insignificant occurrence as an excuse to perpetrate violence on Burmese Muslims. At any time, if there's some ethnic disturbance between Muslims and Buddhists/Hindus in any other country, the Burmese Buddhists waste no time going on a murderous spry killing the Muslim minority in Burma. If there is the slightest of trouble between Muslims and non-Muslims in Indonesia, it's taken as a pretext to kill Muslims in Burma by Buddhist mobs. The destruction of the statues in Bamiyan (Afghanistan), created an immediate excuse to commit violence against Muslims in Burma in 2001. The firebrand Buddhist monks demanded a Muslim masjid to be destroyed in retaliation. Mobs of Buddhists led by monks, vandalized Muslim-owned businesses and property in Burma, and attacked and killed Muslims in Muslim communities. Gruesome images of murdered Rohingya Muslims in the recent June 2012 riots in Burma have been circulated on websites, resulting in protests in several Muslim countries and by various human rights activists around the world demanding justice & protection in Burma for the minority, but has fallen on deaf ears as usual, getting little or no coverage from mainstream news channels.

MY DEAR STAY-AT-HOME MOMMY DURING RAMADHAN

Link to all Videos for Tafseer of Surah Maryam | Link to all Ramadan 2012 posts My Dear Ramadan Stay-at-Home Mom, I Salute You Posted: 27 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT Ramadan 2012 Posts My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, I know how much pain it causes you to stay behind at home, taking care of your children while everybody else is enjoying their ṣalāt and tarāwīḥ at the masjid. I know how embarrassing it is for you to come to the masjid with a great hope to be welcomed; you and your little child only to receive the angry looks upon hearing the first cry of your child. I know how much you yearn to go back to the old days before you got married or before you had children, to enjoy a peaceful hour of 'ibādah at the masjid and to have no worries about anything else in the world, let alone a child under your care. I know that all of this is not even close to how you feel about yourself and Ramadan, or about your self-worth in this blessed month of Ramadan while trying to enjoy your 'ibādah and fulfill your spousal and parental role all at the same time. For all of this and more, my dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, I salute you, and may Allah reward you. Let me share with you few things hopefully it will cheer you up during your stay at home experience in this month of Ramadan. 1. You are not alone in this. Even the female companions of Rasūlullāh ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) felt the same way. They were watching men going to the masjid, attending Jumu'ah and ṣalāt with the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), listening to the beautiful reminders about this world and the hereafter and doing so many other great deeds. As they were confined to their houses and to the care of their families, they felt underachieving and as if they were left out. How could they even match men in reward when they could not do so much? The answer came from the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) himself. Asmā' bint'l-Sakan al-Anṣāriyyah, on behalf of the women in Madīnah, came to the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) while he was surrounded by his companions and asked boldly: “O Messenger of Allah! The men have taken all your time…” and she complained that men are entitled to the reward of the congregational prayers, Fridays, fighting with him and other works of good deeds while women were confined to their houses and taking care of their children. She asked if women share men in the reward for what they are doing. The Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) replied, “Go back to the women who sent you and let them know that treating their husbands kindly and taking care of them is equivalent to that all you mentioned.” Reported by al-Bazzar and al-Ṭabarāni This ḥadīth has always been used to highlight the status of husbands over their wives. Unfortunately, rarely was it used to the advantage of women. This ḥadīth gives women the privilege of earning the reward for participating in a myriad of devotional acts such as ṣalāt, fasting, Ḥajj among many other good deeds only by taking care of one single thing, the familial duty. Taking care of the house chores and being kind to the husband are not that easy either, but it's what most women usually and normally do. They are kind by nature, and sacrifice their lives for their family. They are being rewarded immensely for what they naturally do. This is why spousal duty was made the most dangerous for women to neglect, because it was the most rewarding. 2. Don't be sad about praying at home One of the biggest misconceptions about ṣalāt at the masjid is that it is considered a privilege and is only granted to men. Well, it's not a privilege. It's a responsibility that men are required to observe at all times unless there is an excuse for them not attend. When a blind man, Ibn Umm Maktoom, asked the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) to excuse him from attending congregational ṣalāt at the masjid, he had no one to lead him to the masjid. The Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)asked him if he was able to hear the adhān, and upon replying in the affirmative, the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said to him, “I have no excuse for you.” Reported by Muslim and Aḥmad. And in the ḥadīth of Abu Hurayrah in Bukhāri and Muslim, the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) threatened to smoke men out of their houses for not attending 'ishā'and fajr ṣalāt in the masjid. Therefore, for men it is a duty to attend the masjid and not a privilege. Their reward starts higher at the masjid and is reduced elsewhere while for women it's the opposite. 3. You can still come to the masjid As long as they maintain the proper dress code and etiquette for going to the masjid, women can still come and attend ṣalāt at the masjid. So don't take me wrong when I say it's better for them to pray at home, the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) has granted them this right in the ḥadīth: “Do not ban the female slaves of Allah (i.e. women) from attending the houses of Allah (i.e. masjids).” reported by Bukhāri and Muslim. However, women were given a privilege many men wish they had, which is to get the reward for praying at the masjid while still doing it at home. The Messenger of Allah said, “A woman's ṣalāt at home is better for her than at the masjid.” Reported by Aḥmad, Abu Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhi. The question is, why? Is it because women are unworthy of coming and attending ṣalāt in the house of Allah? Is it because they are inferior to men? The answer is absolutely no! It is simply a beautiful gesture from the Messenger of Allah in consideration to women's hectic circumstances at home. Imagine this: to get the 27 degrees reward for congregational prayer, a mother of three young children is required to attend the masjid regularly? How feasible could that be? Not that easy for sure. As a matter of fact, it would be frustrating and perhaps a reason for women to feel guilty and trapped in their own circumstances. Well, rest assured my dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, your reward has been secured for you while doing what you usually do with no extra effort on your part. Men, on the other hand, are required to make the effort and the trip to the masjid to attend the congregational prayer. As for you, all you need to do is just make your wuḍū' at home, and pray your ṣalāt on time and enjoy your stay at home. 4. Why should women come to the masjid? Why would women even want to attend the masjid? There are so many legitimate reasons for that, but enough for them is the right Allah's Messenger ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) granted them. However, here in the West, there aren't that many outlets for women to learn their dīn and learn how to practice it in private or public life, and for many, the masjid is the only outlet there. In addition to that, the masjid has become a community center in which families get together and enjoy being in a safe haven. The question for Muslims in the West is not “should women come to the masjid?” but “how can we make the best accommodation for them?” My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, You might ask, “what if I want to come to the masjid to attend tarāwīḥ?” What's wrong with that? There is nothing wrong with it unless it leads to neglecting more important duties and family priorities. This issue of women coming to the masjid for tarāwīḥ represents a very important community dilemma: are masjids well prepared to receive that many sisters and children? Many masjids and Islamic centers in America were designed based on how masjids are built in traditional Muslim countries. In these countries, women were not expected to attend the masjid – not necessarily because they were discouraged from attending, although in some countries it is the case, but also because women had many other outlets besides the masjid from which they could learn the practice of their dīn and enjoy spiritual experience. Therefore, the women's section was always underserved and sometimes completely overlooked. The Islamic centers in America and the West were designed and planned when the community was predominantly an immigrant community, and women were also expected to follow the same traditional role. In many cases, community leaders didn't even think about it as an issue, but with the rise of the new generation and their struggle to fit youth programs within the structure of the masjid, women needed better service at these masjids. Many new masjids today are being designed and built with this need in the minds of the designers and, contrary to traditional masjids, are viewed as family-friendly masjids. Masjids with traditional designs were not prepared to receive many women and children. They don't have the space, the childcare service, and in many cases the proper women organization for these kinds of events, not to mention the parking spaces. Therefore, if some centers were hostile to women and children from a fiqh point of view, others simply just don't have the proper facility to offer even a mediocre service let alone a professional one for them. 5. Your period is for your recreation My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, Don't you sometimes want to take a break from so many things in life, such as waking up early for fajr, so you can take that extra time you deserve for rest? Well, you work so hard and you deserve that break. When you are asked to stop fasting and praying during this time and required to stay at home instead of coming to the masjid, it does not mean you are less righteous. The ḥadīth women are “naqisatu 'aqlin wa dīn” refers to women's reason and practice of devotional acts as being less comparing to men (and this is not the place to debate the meaning of this ḥadīth). The ḥadīth speaks about “less” in what women do, not less in who they are or what they become during that time of the month. It's about quantity not quality. When the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) explained his words, he counted what women usually stop doing during their period, not what they stop becoming, because they never stop becoming devotional or righteous because of what they have no control over (i.e. their period). Obviously if you stop practicing particular devotional duties during your period for few days it does not make you less righteous, it only makes you less “doing.” After all, even women such as Khadījah, Fāṭimah and 'Ā'ishah were menstruating women, and still they were by far of the most righteous, among women and men, of all time. Therefore, when your period starts it is more righteous and more devotional to stop great devotional acts such as ṣalāt, fasting, reciting the Qur'an and attending the masjid. Sounds like a paradox, but it is what it is. It's all about obeying Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) and His Messenger Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). However, you can still do lots of other good deeds, including reading tafsīr and the translation of the Qur'an. My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, If you decided to come to the masjid with your children, unless the masjid provides childcare service, please make sure your children stay under your supervision and make sure to respect your masjid's regulations. The ḥadīth that bans children from attending the masjid is very weak, but being considerate to others is still essential too. Here are few suggestions you may want to consider: 1. Try to get a group of sisters together to take turns babysitting their children in the masjid. A couple of sisters can stay with the children while the others pray, and after two or four rakʿahs they switch until the end of the ṣalāt. 2. If the masjid does not have enough room, you could babysit at the house of one the participating families. In this case, you stay at home one night while others pray and then rotate so that everybody gets a chance to host the children and enjoy praying. 3. Young parents?! The husband and wife can help each other in the same manner – it is part of being kind to one another. I have also seen some young fathers get together in one house and do their tarāwīḥ in jama'ah at home with their young babies around and their wives pray that night at the masjid. It's your priority to pray at the masjid, but part of your good manners is to consider your wife's need too. My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, If you decided to pray at home, here are few tips for you: 1. Pray with your children if you can, and lead them even if they were boys younger than ten. 2. Do not follow any live broadcast of ṣalātul tarāwīḥ of the Internet or TV. Pray on your own. 3. Even though it's permissible to hold the muṣḥaf and recite from the Qur'an directly, it is still better for you to recite from memory. 4. If you don't know much of the Qur'an, you can still repeat the same sūrah over and over again until the recitation is long enough for you. 5. It is permissible to dim the lights around the house in order to get more focus and concentration. 6. Pray it in the best way you can, and may Allah reward you for your good intention. My dear Ramadan stay-at-home mom, Thank you for your patience. Yaser Birjas 4th of Ramadan 1433 July 24, 2012

WHERE WEALTH ACCUMULATES, MEN DECAY !

Where Wealth Accumulates Posted: 28 Jul 2012 04:00 AM PDT By Imam Zaid Shakir Attached are our trailer and promo video. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6IP2g8rvoE Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tx9m2rL7gw Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ill a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay; Oliver Goldsmith British-Irish author (1730 – 1774) In his final book, Ill Fares the Land, Tony Judt laments the materialism and selfishness he saw destroying the very fabric of modern society. Were we to summarize the dire message that Judt is sending in the last published work before his death, it is that individual greed has devastating social and political consequences. In Judt's assessment, if those consequences are not arrested soon, a meaningful and fair politics, one of the critical foundations of civilized human life, may no longer be possible. Unfortunately, in the reckless pursuit of ever more wealth, far more than our social and political systems are imperiled. Mother Earth screams for relief, as more and more resources are squeezed from her generous though not inexhaustible bosom. As for us humans, we find ourselves entering into an uncharted nether land where quantity becomes the measure of all things, even those whose essence can only be found in their quality. One of the consequences of this situation, in Judt's words, “We know what things cost but have no idea what they are worth.” It is in this light that I reflect on the great blessings of Ramaḍān, whose incomparable days and nights have now arrived. Ramaḍān is a time of fasting, prayer and the Qurʾān. These are its most readily observable distinctions, and rightly so in light of the great emphasis both the Book of Allāh and the prophetic tradition places on them. However, the sacred month is also one of spending and charity. The charity of Ramaḍān, like the spirit from whence it emerges, allows us to move beyond the costs of things, and helps us get back into contact with their worth. The Prophet Muhammad is described as being the most generous of all humans ordinarily. During Ramaḍān he was especially charitable. One of the reasons for this is that during Ramaḍān the Angel Gabriel would visit him and review the Qurʾān with him. During this process, the Prophet would pass by the verses both encouraging and mentioning the virtue of charity. For example: “…and they spend from what we have bestowed upon them (2:3); “…and they spend [their wealth] despite their love of it (2:177); “O Believers! Spend from what we have bestowed upon you before there comes a day when there will no commerce… (2:254); “You will not attain righteousness until you spend of what you love… (3:92)”; and so on. When these meanings entered the heart of the noble Prophet they did not fail to engender commensurate actions. This is one of explanations the scholars give for the munificence displayed by the Prophet during Ramaḍān. When he was ordered by his Lord to be charitable, he heard and he obeyed. We should all ask ourselves, “As we read, listen to and ponder the Qurʾānic message during Ramaḍān, what is our response? We hear, but do we obey?” The Prophet's response of unbounded generosity helped to usher in a new era in human affairs. Alms were instituted as an obligatory aspect of the faith and charity was encouraged to such an extent that it was considered an indispensable part of proper Muslim teachings, even though it was not a binding obligation. As a result, incredible institutions appeared, which helped to give Islamic Civilization its unique and rich flavor. Hostels and hotels dotted the roadsides of Muslim lands to assist the wayfarer onwards towards his destination -free of charge. Charitable foundations were created to provide food and clothing for the poor -without cost. Schools, colleges and universities provided a free education for students up to the highest levels of learning. Hospitals treated the sick or injured free of charge. Even retired horses were provided pastures to live out their days at no cost to their owners. Children who broke a valuable vessel or dish while running errands would not be charged to replace them; there was an endowment established for that purpose. Private wealth, while respected, was shared and the Qurʾānic urging that it “not just circulate between the wealthy among you” (59:7) was reflected in the structure of Muslim societies. These socioeconomic realities did not produce a cornucopia of wealth nor was poverty eradicated in its entirety. However, the gross inequalities between the superrich and the overwhelming majority of people in most nations, along with the economic marginalizing of entire populations that we are currently witnessing, did not exist. For example, currently, in the United States, the top 1% of the population controls over 40% of the financial wealth compared to just 7% of that wealth controlled by the bottom 80%. Correspondingly, the disappearance of America's manufacturing sector has created a situation where unemployment among urban African American youth in most northern ghettos, areas that once attracted large numbers of unskilled African Americans to man an expansive network of factories, hovers between 50% – 65%. In some countries, such as Mexico, the vagaries of neoliberal economics have eliminated entire economic sectors, such as the campesinos, who once grew corn for a living. One of the reasons that Judt identifies for the current crisis is a lack of political will. It is easy to understand why the political will would be lacking in an environment of corruption that lavishly rewards the politicians who help facilitate the current plunder. However, there is another reason for that lack of will, which is rooted in the nature of the virtue from which charity emerges. Charity is predicated on courage. In this sense, it is not surprising to know that the Prophet was the most generous of people, when we learn that he was also described as the most courageous of all people. A charitable person does not fear the consequences of poverty. This is particularly true when one's reliance of Allāh is complete, as was the case of the Prophet. The qualities of munificence and courage are combined in a narration describing the aftermath of the Battle of Hunain. It is related that following that encounter a man approached the Prophet and was given a valley filled with sheep. The man returned to his people and beseeched them, “O people, accept Islam! For Muhammad gives like a man who does not fear poverty.” (Muslim, 4282) Again, we should ask ourselves, “What is the nature of our giving, and how many times have we missed an opportunity to be charitable fearing that we could possibly lose our source of income or were simply afraid that if we give we might find ourselves inadequately prepared for a future “rainy day?” Saying this is not to encourage irresponsible spending or unplanned living. Umar is reported to have said, “Good planning is half of one's worldly existence.” We mention this as a reminder that we have to constantly measure our own actions against the prophetic standard. The closer our actions, words and states approximate those of the blessed Messenger the greater will be our impact on the world. Just as charity connects the believer with his or her society, in a healthy fashion, it also strengthens the bond between the believer and his or her Lord. The Prophet mentioned that charity is a proof, that is to say a proof of the soundness of a believer's faith and the strength of his or her trust in God. As we mentioned earlier, we are told in the Qurʾān that we will not attain righteousness until we spend of what we love. In other words, we have to be willing to part with some of our dearest possessions, for the sake of others, if we want to have a strong relationship with God. All of these teachings place Muslims, as a community, in an incredible position to be the advocates and harbingers of a set of economic principles and practices that can represent a source of hope for the rapidly expanding masses of impoverished, marginalized and increasingly disenfranchised people. Let us approach Ramaḍān bearing that in mind and in our own unique ways begin the process of social, economic and spiritual change. If enough of us do so, by the Grace of God, the land may yet fare well.