2b. Oh Travelers to the Haram!

2b.
3. Praying forty salats with congregation in the two Harams is a very
virtuous act, but it is not obligatory. Those who are far from the
Haram orare sick or weak should not tire themselves hoping to achieve
this blessing.
4. If a king commands someone in his court to ask him for something,
asking him for lowly things is disrespectful. So,ask Him for
forgiveness and His pleasure. Along with that also ask Him foryour
worldly needs, because that is too His command; had it not been His
command, it would have been disrespectful.
5. It is not obligatory on those who are residing far from the Haram
to offer every salat with congregation in the Haram. Rather, they
should pray in a mosque close to their place of residence and plan
according to their convenience.
6. Abstain to the utmost from hurting other servants of Allah. Doing
so is a greater act of worship.
7. While living in Makkah, the most meritorious act of worship is
Tawaf, so do as many Tawafs as possible.
May you enjoy being the guests of Allah and return to your homes with
His pleasure and forgiveness. Amin. If you can rememberthen please do
a favor by making dua for the forgiveness of this helpless servant./

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2a. Oh Travelers to the Haram!

2a.
Neither will I mentionits rites and rulings, because you can get all
of this from books and training sessions for Hajj. Rather I want to
point out something else.
You are going to the great Court of the King of kings. When a person
is a guest of a king then he learns themanners of the court long
before he goes there. Then when he reaches there, he monitors every
deed of his making sure that it does not result in disrespect.
Oh travelers to the Haram! I wish to share with you anextremely
beneficial recipe-one that you will neither find in books nor
inlectures. I know that pilgrims are subject to numerous difficulties
and hardships. In this journey, there are many trying moments, no,
rather many trying hours and days. Sometimes there is the immigration
obstacle. There are the difficulties in finding lodging and in getting
to the Haram. There are the hardships encountered in Tawaf and Sa'ee.
But, my brothers! To achieve any big goal, you must undertake
hardships. Those who are mentally prepared for this are the successful
ones.
The recipe that I am presenting is called"tafweed", which means
entrusting your matters, i.e. entrusting your intentions and desires
to Allah. The opposite of this is "tajweez" which means relying on
your own plans and actions.
Tajweez is the root of all of our worries in our normal course of
affairs and especially during the journey to Hajj. On the other hand,
tafweed resultsin complete contentment. The person who in his
difficulties leaves matters into the hands of Allah finds that Allah
shows him ways out of his difficulties. When you reach the court of
the King, then entrust your matters to the King. If he makes you sleep
on the floor, then sleep happily onthe floor. And if he makes you sit
on the throne then sit on the throne remembering that you are in the
court of the King. He has invited you here to honor you.
Never lose sight of the trueBeloved for even a blink of the eye
Lest the king glance at you with mercy and you be unaware.
Many people return from Hajj and tell stories about the unmannerly
behavior of the people there and magnify the difficulties they
encountered there. One time I received a letterfrom an old man who
said that: while you give peoplegood tidings of Jannah, I went to Hajj
but found no trace of the fear of God in the people therein. Then the
man mentioned his difficulties in such words and talked about other
pilgrims and the Saudi people in such a way that I felt sorrow over
the way he mentioned this.
We are not going there to have a picnic. When millions of people
gather ina city of three or four hundred thousand, then due to the
crowd there willbe pushing and shoving. The paths will be narrow and
difficult. So undertake this journey as an ardent devotee. Whoever is
ardentin the love of someone finds enjoyment in the difficulties he
encounters on the way and contentment in these worries.
One time I went with my respected father Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi
Rahmatullah alayhi for Umrah in Ramadan. We were sitting in the Haram
in front of the Rukn Yamani. The crowd was immense. People were
jumping our shoulders. OneSudanese man jumped my shoulder and his leg
hurt my neck. It slipped from my mouth, how rude thesepeople are! I
turned and saw that my father's face had changed color and there were
signs of anger. He stayed silent for a whileand then said: Would you
rather that these shoves strike another person who is sitting
somewhere else desperately wishing to be here and enduring them, but
could not get here? This was around 1974. Thisstatement of my father
changed my world completely. Now I wished to encounter more of
theseshoves.
Now some useful advice that Insha-Allah will be of benefit:
1. There are two types of actions during Hajj: wajibaat, obligatory
duties, which must be performed and Mustahibbat, virtuous actions that
are not required by Shariah. If you can do the Mustahibbat without
incurring sin then that is a favor of Allah, otherwise you do not need
to worry about them. For example, kissing the Black Stone has great
blessings. But ifin order to get this blessing you must push and shove
and fight or mix with women then this blessing is of no use. If you
sin in order to obtain that blessing than you have actually incurred a
loss.
2. Women coming into the rows of men disrupt boththeir salats and the
salat of their neighbors. Women should come early enough to the Haram
to pray in the women's sections. Otherwise, it is better for them to
pray in their residence.
:->

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2. Oh Travelers to the Haram!

2.
Originally published in Urdu in Daily Ummat Karachi on 12 December 2004
Oh guests of the Most Merciful! Oh fortunate ones! Oh travelers to the
Haram! Congratulations on being invited by the Lord of the worlds! Be
glad that He has invited you to His House! Not only that, but He has
given you the provisions for travel and lodging. And not only that,
but He has also filled your hearts with such love of Him and His House
that today you leave your homes, your cities, your countries and
embark on this journey solely for the pleasure of your Lord. Had this
desire not been there then you would have neverplanned to undertake
this journey.
How many a millionaire are there who travel throughout Switzerland,
England, America, and so on - who spend their children's vacations
over there - but never receive this invitation: Come, visit Our House!
Live in Our city! Act according to the Sunnats of Our beloved
servants! Run between the hills of Safa and Marwa justas a wife of a
prophet and a mother of a prophet did! We love this running of yours.
Hurl rocks against Satan just as Our Prophet Ibrahim (alayhi salam)
did! Perform sacrifice just as a loyal servant of Ours laid his son
and ran the knife over his throat because of Our Command! But we had
prohibited the knife from even scratching the throat. Our servant did
as he was told and the knife did as it was commanded (i.e. it did not
cut); both acted under our command. Those who claim to love Us - We
test them to see whether their claim is true.
Hazrat Thanwi Rahmatullahi alayhi has written that when Prophet
Ibrahim, alayhi salam, got tired running the knife, he said to the
knife: Why don't you cut? The knife responded: You have been commanded
to cut, and I have been ordered not to cut; do your job, I am doing
mine. Then a ram was sent from the heavens and the test was complete.
We were pleased with this act of Our friend - now you also imitate
him. We have provided you with animals - otherwise where would you
have wandered in search for animals? We have also provided their food
- otherwise where would you find food for them in this dry, arid land?
Now the animals are there,the knife is ready, just run the knife and
your work is done! Then, We will do Ourwork: We will accept this
sacrifice just as We accepted the sacrifice of Our friend and We will
endow you with such rewards as never could even occur to you in your
thoughts.
This is Our city and Our House. Come here as a devotee; if you are not
a devotee, then take on the appearance of a devotee! Be content in
whatever condition We keep you in. Here there are crowds of devotees.
You will be pushed and shoved; your hair will fill with dirt and dust,
and your feet will tirefrom walking. Be it pushingor shoving, dirt and
dust, or difficulties in Our alleys -Our devotees are proud of such
difficulties and consider them as the treasures of their lives.
Whoever thinks of these hardships and pains as calamities should not
come. He should stay at hishome. But those who comeas devotees - We
will wipe out their sins and return them to their homes as if they
were just born today. This is a bathing of bodies and souls rotten and
spoiled due to sins - washing these sins will require rubbing. Without
rubbing how is cleanliness obtained?
Oh travelers to the Haram! Hajj is no small blessing. This is a great
act of worship - very different from all the other forms of worship.
All sorts of outward and inward worships are combined in this. Money
is spent in the path of Allah and great effort is exerted; it is a
purification of the soul of the highest degree; it contains spiritual
exercises;there is patience and gratitude, love and ma'rifah . It is a
witnessing of the favors of the Almighty and of the acceptance of
duas. There is both outward and inward closeness. In a hadith,
Rasoolullah addressed those performing Hajj and Umrah- and today you
are his addressees:
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah Radi-Allahu anhu narrates that Rasoolullah said:
(translation) The travelers of Hajj and Umrah are Allah's special
guests; if they supplicate to Allah, Heaccepts their supplications and
if they seek forgiveness, He forgives them. (Hisn-e-Hasin, Ibn Majah
and Nasai)
Oh travelers to the Haram! Years of spiritual exercise and training
may not yield the benefits that can be obtained from this, if only we
understand them and have a will to seek them. Oh guests of Allah! I
will not discuss with you the merits of Hajj, because if you did not
know its merits than you would have never made this blessed intention
(to go to Hajj). Neither will I mentionits rites and rulings,
:->

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1a. "Let them Forgive and Overlook"

1a.
We beg Allah to forgive our transgressions, our faults when we are
entirely at fault; can we not forgive pettier mistakes directed atus!?
There will, of course, always be times when forgiving may seem the
hardest pill to swallow. It may sometimes seem impossible to simply
dispense with all the frustration and anger and move on. We may be
morewilling to move a mountain than forgive a person who has wronged
us, to overlook his insults, to overcome our bad feelings. Abu Bakr,
radi-Allahu anhu, despite being faced with attacks that were entirely
unprovoked, did not hesitate to forgive once he was enlightened with
the virtues of forgiveness. In his zeal, he produced the most sublime
example of forgiving, in response to one of the most vicious attacks
perpetrated.
As differences and conflicts arise and pollute the atmosphere, there
needs tobe this window present to ventilate it. The window makes it
possible to blow away the charged feelings and allow fresh air in
one's life. It may be hard to openit and push it back along itsrusty
railings. But we must remember, that this very window is the same
window which has been promised to lead to the forgiveness and mercy of
Allah Himself.

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1. "Let them Forgive and Overlook"

1.
MADINAH-AL-MUNAWARRA, THE CITY OF THE PROPHET , IS ABUZZ with rumors.
Ever since the Muslims returned from the battle ofBani al-Mustaliq the
hypocrites have been busy spreading lies against Aisharadi-Allahu
anha. These stories have become the topic of every gathering, the
subject of discussion in every household in Madinah. Though most of
the sincere Muslims are confident in the innocence of Aisha
radi-Allahu anha, they are still quiet, waiting for this to be
ascertained by the Prophet . The Prophet is also quiet, waiting for
Allah to inspire him towards the truth. Thus, the hypocrites led by
Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool have advantage over the seemingly
confusing situation and gear all their energies in spreading the lies.
Unsuspectingly influenced by the hypocrites' rampage, a few Muslim
thus begin to believe this false story. Some of these Muslims even
actively help propagate it.
Among them is Mistah bin Uthatha radi-Allahu anhu, acousin of Abu Bakr
radi-Allahu anhu. He is an extremely poor man with no money except
that which Abu Bakr radi-Allahuanhu regularly gives him. Mistah's
endorsement of the hypocrites' story adds somewhat more weight to it,
as he is a man with a fine reputation. It can be no longer said that
belief inthis story is limited to the circle of hypocrites.
And so a trying and gruesome month passes before Allah subhanahu
wata'ala reveals the innocenceof Aisha radi-Allahu anha. The Muslims
finally exhale a sigh of relief and a sense of normalcy returns to
Madinah.
Hurt and angered by Mistah's previous allegations, Abu Bakr takes an
oath that he will never spend on Mistah again. Considering Abu Bakr's
perspective, this is a perfectly justifiable, even expected, position.
Here is a person wholly dependanton Abu Bakr and yet is willfully
spreading and endorsing wild, enormous rumors about Abu Bakr's beloved
daughter. How else could Abu Bakr react insuch an ironic situation?
How else can he treat a person who slandered his daughter, the Mother
of the Believers, with the worst of slander?
And then Allah reveals: Andlet not those who are goodand wealthy among
you swear not to help their kinsmen, those in need andthose who left
their homesin Allah's Cause. Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not
wish that Allah should forgive you? Verily! Allah is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful." (24.22)
Abu Bakr radi-Allahu anhu, despite his anguish and hurt feelings,
immediately responds by exclaiming,"By Allah, I would love it that
Allah forgives me!" He promptly returns to his previous habit, and
swears that he will never cease spending on Mistah.
This was the mercy and forgiveness the Qur'an teaches, the mercy and
tiesof kinship that Allah is pleased to see in His servants.
Now let's think ... what would one of us do in the same situation?
What would YOU do? Here's someone you've always helped, been good to;
someone who absolutely depends on you. And now when you're going
throughsome tough times yourself,that person, instead of being
thankful for all what you've done and using this opportunity to make
it up to you, gets up and stabs you in the back. Instead of telling
the world of your goodness, goes on to spread tales. Would you goon
enjoining ties of kinship?
Conflicts, trivial and great, arise between friends and families all
the time. But the question is: how are we supposed to react in the
face of such? Should we defend ourselves to theend because we are in
the right? Should we refuse to forgive the other and overlook his/her
faults, because we were wronged? Should we cut off relationships, shun
one another due to a petty or even great argument? Howcan we let go of
our ego and just forgive and overlook despite the great misdeed
targeted against us?
A glance at Abu Bakr radi-Allahu anhus life will tell us that no
matter whatthe sin, no matter how grave the misdeed is, thereshould
always remain a window leading to reconciliation and forgiveness. In
the Qur'an we are time and time again reminded to forgive each other
and live with each other in harmony andlove. Regardless if the
squabble is wholly the fault of the notorious"other" it is vital to
realize that greatness is not in raising our head high and stomping
off, rather it is in bending down and seekingto reconcile; in
forgiving and overlooking. There is no attitude that can ever bring
about the most reward and pleasure than that of unhesitant
forgiveness. Being oft-forgiving is an attributeAllah uses to describe
Himself, and indeed we should aspire to build this lofty description
within us, even with our limited capabilities. We beg Allah to forgive
our transgressions,
:->

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Tourist place - Charminar , India

Charminar:

History
Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah , the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi
dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD, [ 5 ] shortly after he had shifted
his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. [ 6 ] He
built this famous structure to commemoratethe elimination of a
plagueepidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end
of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid
(Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while
laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah ,
bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all
castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the
water. [ citation needed ] "
The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu
words char , meaning four, and minar , meaning tower, combined to form
Charminar . [ 7 ]
It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and
Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being
struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs
60,000. [1] In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs
100,000.
In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 15,000 shops. Today the
famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the
Charminar, are a favour, of tourists and locals alike for jewellery,
especially knownfor exquisite bangles and pearls respectively.
In 2007, Hyderabadi Muslims living in Pakistan constructed a
small-scaled quasi replica of the Charminar at the main crossing of
the Bahadurabad neighborhood in Karachi .
~
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the South Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh . It was ruled by the Qutub Shahis , Mughals and the
Nizams which shaped up its history . The city is noted for its
monuments which includesthe masterpiece of Charminar and the fort of
Golconda . There are multitude of masjids, temples, churches and
bazaars in the city. Tourismindustry forms an important role in the
economy of Hyderabad. Tourism-related fairs are held regularly in the
city. [ 1 ] In 2010, the city was listed among the Gamma+ World City
by the global city index produced by GaWC , [ 2 ] and in 2011 the city
was rated nineteenth in the world by The New York Times in The list of
41 Places to Go in 2011 . [ 3 ] As of 2011, The tourism promotion
budget for the city was increased to 52 crores. Andhra Pradesh, which
is India's top domestic tourist destination, receives up to 157
million visits, [ 4 ] and reached 1.5 million international tourists,
which generated US$ 23 million in revenue. [ 4 ] The city houses
famous historical sites including Charminar , UNESCO Asia Pacific
Heritage site of the Chowmahalla Palace , [ 5 ] Salar Jung Museum
(amongthe world largest private collection museum) as wellas art
galleries, libraries, sports complexes, museums and theatres. [ 6 ]
Hyderabad is known as TheCity of Pearls , as once it was the only
global center of large diamonds and natural pearls trade. [ 7 ] [ 8 ]
Many traditional and historical bazaars are located around the city. [
9 ] [ 10 ] The Laad Bazaar situated near Charminar has shops that sell
pearls, jewellery [ 9 ] and products such as silverware, Nirmal ,
Kalamkari paintings and artifacts, bidriware , lacquer bangles studded
with stones, saris , handwoven materials silk and cotton ware are
made./

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An Evil Glance

Cast an evil glance
Shaytan begins to dance
For an arrow has been shotto the heart
And a darkness has enveloped it
After the glance, the darkness leaves
but the heart is adversly affected
Only the effect of sincere taubah
can return the unblemished heart to
the pure condtion it enjoyed before.

Do not be Envious of the Prosperity of an Evil Doer

Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu relates that the Apostle of Allah
sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:You should never be envious ofan
evil-doer (an infidel or apervert) because of a blessing or
prosperity. You do not know what suffering he is going to endure after
death . At Allah's place (i.e., in the Hereafter) there is a killer
for him that will not die.
The narrator, Abdullah ibneAbi Maryam who related it,on the authority
of AbuÊHurayrah radhiyallahuanhu says, "By 'killer', the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wasallam meant the Fire ofHell (ie. the evil-doer is
going to live in Hell forever. To be envious of such a man is rank
foolishness and ignorance)."
(Baghawi)
Commentary
Often when a truthful Believer, who is spending his days in pain and
poverty, sees some wicked and godless person surrounded with comfort
and luxuries, the devil putsvarious doubts into his heart, or, at
least, he begins to feel envious of his happy circumstances. But it is
the height of ingratitude to Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, in this Tradition, has warned that no believing person
should grudge the short-lived happiness and prosperity of those who
are devoid ofthe blessings of faith and good-doing because, after all,
they are going to undergo the torment of Fire in the Hereafter.
If the bitter end which is awaiting those unfortunate men can be
known, material comfort and physical pleasures theyare enjoying will
appear tobe no better than the special consideration that is shown to
those who are sentenced to death a few days before their execution.
This, exactly, is the nature of the prosperity and bodily enjoyment of
the rebels against Allah in the sight ofthe bondsmen who are blessed
with faith in the reality of the Hereafter, as related by the
Apostles. They do not view with envy their wealth and comfort but are
thankful toAllah that by endowing them with Faith He has saved them
from the frightful chastisement that is in store for the
impudentslaves of the flesh.
The humble writer has known faithful bondsmen who, on seeing godless
men of the world, spontaneously recited the prayer of gratitude and
thankfulness to the Lord the sacred Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
used to say when he saw anyone in distress: Praise be to the Lord who
saved me from that with which He hath inflicted thee, and made be
better than many of His creatures.

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Fasting is a Shield

Fasting is a shield for a person which protects them from Shaytan,
Allah 'spunishment and Jahannam. However, one needs to make sure the
shield is not damaged in any way. Otherwise it will not be effective
in doing itsjob. The actions that damage this shield and render it
useless are sins like Backbiting, Lying, Evil Glance, Swearing,
Nonsensical Conversation, Arguments, Slander, HaramSustenance, and
every other evil.
Besides the compulsory fasting in the month of Ramadan , one should
try to fast during those days for which Rasoolullah (صلي الله عليه و
سلم) has mentioned many rewards, for example:
*. 6 days of Shawwal
*. Day of Aarafah
*. Ashoora (9th & 10th or 10th & 11th of Muharram)

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Flavour of Faith

It is related by Abbas bin Adbul Muttalib that he heard the Apostle of
God say: "He tasted the flavour of Faith and experienced itssweetness
who agreed with a truthful heart to accept God as His Cherisher, Islam
as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet." [Bukhari]
Commentary:
Just as all delicious foods posses a flavour but can beperceived only
when one's faculty of taste has not been lost or become perverted due
to illness or any other cause, there is also a special sweetness in
faith which can be enjoyed by those alone who have, willingly and
earnestly, made Allah their Lord and Master, Muhammad (PBUH) their
prophet and guide, and Islam their religion and way of life, and whose
hearts have bowed in submission to God and yielded in obedience to
theprophet and assented to bethe adherents of the path of Islam. In
other words, their bond with God, the prophet and Islam is not merely
formal, hereditary or intellectual but real, sincere and genuine.
Anas related to us that "Only he will taste the sweetness of faith who
hasthese three qualities: the love of God and the prophet that comes
to him before everything else, he loves whom he loves solelyfor the
sake of God, and theidea of going back to apostasy after he has
embraced Islam is as repugnant to him as being thrown into fire."
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
The subject matter of this tradition is almost identicalto that of
proceeding one. It says that the sweetness of faith can only be
perceived by him whose love for God and the Apostle is stronger that
for anyone or anything else in the world, so much so that when he
loves somebody, it is wholly for the sake of God, and who is so deeply
devoted to the Islamic faiththat the very idea of leaving it and
reverting back to the apostasy is as painful to him as being castinto
fire.

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Going on Umrah without a Mahram

Q.) Is it permissible for a woman to perform Umrah with her friends
who are travelling with their mehrams in a group?
A.) According to the Hanafi school of thought, a woman can only travel
on a journey of more than 78 kms (about 48 miles) be this for Umrah,
Hajj or otherwise, if she is accompanied by her husband or a Mahram
relative. Mahrams refer to those males that are perpetually haram for
her to marry, like her father, grandfather, brothers of her father and
mother, sons, grandsons, her brothers, and sons of her brothers and
sisters.
Hence if the woman concerned does not have a mahram then she cannot
travel in this way i.e. with her friends and their Mahrams.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best/

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Talks/Announcements Immediately After Prayer

Q.) In some masajid, they have short announcments/talks between the
fardh and sunnah salat such as:
1.) A short talk, after prayer, on sunnah and adab.
2.) The Imam stands and talks to the congregation for a few minutes
and gives them advice.
3.) Du'a requests for sick and deceased people.
4.) In some schools, they have students read a page of Qur'an after
prayer to encourage other students to memorize.
What is the legal status of all of these announcements? The reason for
the question is that people who missed a few rakahs of prayer are
making up the missed rakahs are usually when the announcements start.
Or people start praying their sunnah and are interrupted by
announcements. So even if it is permissible to make a short
announcement after prayer, does the legal ruling change because of the
possibility of disturbingsomeone else's prayer?
A.) We are of the opinion that if people are performing Salaah or
making up for some missed rakaats, then announcements and duas should
not be made using the loud speaker unless they are extremely important
and kept very concise.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best/

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Diamonds: The hardest of minerals

What do a glittering diamond and a lead pencilhave in common? Diamonds
are very hard and the graphite of the pencil's tip is very soft. These
two different substances contain a wonderful proof of creation called
carbon.
A rough, unpolished diamond is the hardest of all minerals. (1) For
this reason, a crystal diamond is used to cut and to drill all kinds
of material and is also used as an abrasive tosmooth surfaces. (2)
Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratches from outside
forces; it is easy to recognize mineralsby this trait. By scratching
one mineral with another, their relative hardness canbe determined.
Scientists use a point system to designate the hardness of all
minerals. They rate diamonds with the highest ratio of ten over ten.
So, what makes diamonds so hard?
It is very interesting that the soft, breakable graphite in a pencil
tip is made up of the same atoms as a diamond. Graphite is composed of
the same carbon atoms as a diamond. But, while one is very soft, the
other is extremely hard. One is as black as a lump of charcoal; the
other may besparkling bright. One is commonly found in nature; the
other is rare. For all these reasons, diamonds are much more valuable
than graphite. How is it then, that carbonatoms can be so different
from one another?
Carbon: The Foundation of Life
(The Value of Diamonds is Determined by its Atoms)
Before we consider the differences, we must speak about the carbon
atoms that make up a diamond. The carbon atom is very important
forliving creatures. Nevil Sidgwick, the English chemist, states the
following in his book, Chemical Elements and Their Compounds :
Carbon is unique among the elements in the number and variety of the
compounds which it can form. Over a quarter of a million have already
been isolated and described, butthis gives a very imperfect idea of
its powers, since it is the basis of all forms of living matter. (3)
The class of compounds formed exclusively from carbon and hydrogen are
called hydrocarbons. This is a huge family of compounds that include
natural gas, liquid petroleum, kerosene, and lubricating oils. The
hydrocarbons ethylene and propylene form the basis of the
petrochemical industry. Hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, and
turpentine are familiar to anyone who has worked with paints. The
naphthalene that protects our clothes from moths is another
hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons combined with chlorine or fluorine form
anesthetics, which are the chemicals used in fire extinguishers and
the Freon used in refrigeration.
As one can see, carbon is very important; it is what makes the diamond
a rare mineral. A diamond has norival for being the finest example of
a crystalline structure in the world. Thecarbon atoms that give the
diamond crystal its hardness have an ideal geometric design.
Graphiteis also formed from carbonbut its atoms are not ordered as in
a diamond. Scientists describe this difference by the world allotropy
.
The Concept of Allotropy
The difference, in the arrangement of space, in the atoms that make up
the structure of an element is called allotropy . The atoms that
produce the structure are called allotrope atoms. We can explain this
with the following example:
Imagine that we have bought three loads of 10,000 bricks each and that
all these brinks are identical to one another. We have sent these
brinks to three different bricklayers who will each build a wall to
their own design independently of the others.
-Would the walls be identical?
-Would they all have the same sturdiness?
-Would the artistic arrangement of the bricks be similar?
If the answer to these questions is yes, the wall will not be allotropic.
If the answer to these questions is no, we can call the walls allotropic.
Oxygen and ozone are allotropes of oxygen atoms.
Diamonds, graphite, and amorph carbon are allotropes of carbon atoms.
White phosphorus and redphosphorus are allotropes of phosphorus atoms.
Rhombic sulfur and monocline sulfur are allotropes of sulfur.
Characteristics of Allotrope Atoms:
- The atom and its atomic number are the same.
- Their molecular geometry is different.
- They have different inclinations to enter chemical reactions, but
thecompounds formed by such a reaction are the same.
- The molecular sturdiness is different.

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Arab song

Expecting Great Things, and Doing My Part

"Holding on to the rope of the LORD, believing in the power of
prayers, faith andgood deeds. Expecting great things from GOD. I am
ready and willing to put in the work and do my part to make it happen…
faith without works equals nothing but false hope… wanting without
striving and struggling is like dreaming. I gotta get busy putting in
more work!"

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Keep Your Head Up and Smile

Keep your head up, smile, and look to the future. You have much yet to
do in thislife. Ask Allah for guidance, then do what your heart tells
you, speak the words that you've always held back, and be yourself.
Don't let the past freeze you in place, and don't punish yourself for
things you cannot change. Everything you've experienced: the happy
times, loneliness, laughter and tears, all have meaning, and have all
gone into making you whoyou are. If you have any wisdom or insight, it
is probably a result of hardship you've experienced in the past.
"The most beautiful peoplewe have known are those who have known
defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found
their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a
sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with
compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do
not just happen." — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Everything that you do today has meaning. The caress you give a child,
the help you give a stranger, the quiet charity, all matterand make a
difference, even when you don't see it.It's all worth it. Your love
maters, your work matters,your life matters.
Keep your head up, and forge forward fee-sabeel-illah. Accept yourself
and be at peace. Look ahead and smile. Stand up straight, and don't
bow your head except in prayer.Keep praying, learning, thinking,
following your dreams, and loving the people in your life. You are my
brothers, my sisters, myheroes.

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Mighty Mighty Muslims

There's a children's song that I learned as a teenager, at the Muslim
Youth Camp. It's called, "Mighty Mighty Muslims", and it's just a
little ditty, more of a travelling song than anything else:
We are the Muslims,
the mighty mighty Muslims,
everywhere we go
people want to know
who we are,
who we are,
so we tell them,
so we tell them,
We are the Muslims (and repeat).
By the way, some Muslims apparently chanted this at New York City's
annual Muslim Day Parade, and some non-Muslim observers took offense,
as they found it to be supremacist or exclusive in some way. That's
nonsense. Chanting it at a NYC parade may not have been the brightest
idea in the current climate of growing bigotry; but I never thought of
this as anything but a children's song, a way of helping kidsto feel
good and positive about their faith in an environment that is often
discriminatory against it. It's not about being better than anyone
else or putting anyone else down.
The fact is that everywherewe go (if we are dressed in traditional
Islamic garb likekufi caps or hijab) people do take notice. Sometimes
they stare, sometimes ask questions about our faith, and sometimes
cast insults.This song is a way of saying to kids, hey, it's okay if
people notice you, andyou have nothing to beashamed of. Be proud and
strong in your faith.
Who would have thought alittle children's song could become a
political issue? SubhanAllah, things have gotten ridiculous these
days. May Allah guide them.
Did you learn this song as achild? I'm curious how wellknown it is.
I decided to expand it just a little to turn it into a teaching song
for Salma (my daughter) and other Muslim children. Here's my expanded
version:
Bismillah we say
when we start the day
and everywhere we go
people want to know
who we are, who we are,
so we tell them, so we tell them,
We are the Muslims,
mighty mighty Muslims,
no matter where we're from
we say salamu alaykum,
we pray in the night
and at the morning light.
If anyone is desperate to know the tune, I could record it and put it
on here.But be warned, I'm no singer. Maybe someone else could take it
and makesomething really catchy out of it.

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Asma ul husna

Here is a list of most beautiful names of Allah (SWT) or 99 names of
Allah (SWT) used in Islam with their meanings in English."The most
beautiful names belong to Allah: so call on him by them." (Glorious
Qur'an 7:180)
He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most
excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His
glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (Glorious Qur'an 59:24)
Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the
remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do
hearts find satisfaction. (Glorious Qur'an 13:28)
Healing Powers of Al-Asma al-Husna
It has been discovered by Doctor Ibrahim Karim (Biologist) that Asma
ul Husna, most beautiful names of Allah (SWT) have healing power to a
large number of diseases.
He used precision methods in the measurement of energy within the
human body and discovered that every one of the names of Allah (SWT)
stimulates energy in the immune system of the human body to work
efficiently in a certain ideal human body.
He discovered that the mere mention (reciting) of most beautiful names
of Allah (SWT) leads to improvement in the tracks Bio Energy within
the human body, and after a 3-years of research Doctor Ibrahim Karim
reached to the following:
01. Ear - As Sami (The all Hearing)
02. Bone - Al Nafi (The creator of good)
03. Backbone - Al Jabbar (The Compeller)
04. Knee - Al Ra uf (The Clement)
05. Hair - Al Badi (The Originator)
06. Heart - Al Nur (The Light)
07. Muscles - Al Qawi (The All Strength)
08. Heart Waves - Al Wahab (The giver of All)
09. Heart Muscle - Al Razaqq (The Sustainer)
10. Nerve - Al Mughni (The Enricher)
11. Artery - Al Jabbar (The Compeller)
12. Stomach - Al Razaqq (The Sustainer)
13. Cancer - Al Jalil (The Mighty)
14. Thyroid - Al Jabbar (TheCompeller)
15. Thigh- Al Rafi (The Exalter)
16. Migraine - Al Ghani (TheRich One)
17. Eye Arteries - Al Muta ali (The Supreme One)
18. Kidney - Al Hayy (The Ever Living One)
19. Colon - Al Ra uf (The Clement)
20. Intestine - Al Razzaq (The Sustainer)
21. Liver - Al Nafi (The creator of good)
22. Pancreas - Al Bari (The Make of Order)
23. Fatty Sacks - Al Nafi (The creator of good)
24. Womb - Al Khaliq (The Creator)
25. Bladder - Al Hadi (The Guide)
26. Rheumatism - Al Muhaymin (The Guardian)
27. Prostat - Al Rashid (The Righteous Teacher)
28. Nerves of the Eye - Al Zahir (The Manifest One)
29. Pineal Gland - Al Hadi (The Guide)
30. Blood Pressure - Al Khafed (The Abaser)
31. Lung - Al Razzaq (The Sustainer)
32. Thymus Gland - Al Qawi(The All Strength)
33. Gland above the Kidney- Al Bari (The Make of Order)
34. Hair Peel - Al Jalil (The Mighty)
35. The Nasal Cavities - (Al Latif, Al Ghani, Al Raheem)
36. Eye - (Al Nur, Al Basir, AlWahab)
Method of treatment: Lay your hands on the place of pain and praise
Allah (SWT)names above according to your disease until the pain heals
or cure away Insha Allah.
Note: Please keep in mind whatever takes place in result of reciting
the namesof Allah (SWT) depends on the will of Allah, the Almighty./

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Syrian crisis: polarization of opinion 2012-09-28 01:46:11 GMT 2012-09-28 09:46:11(Beijing Time) SINA.com

Sina English
Participants of the 67th General Assembly in New York have remained at
odds over the situation in Syria. On Thursday, Qatar urged
interference in the political standoff between Syrian authorities and
rebels, something that was supported by France and Tunisia. Moscow,
Tehran and Cairo, for their part, continue to call for a diplomatic
solution to the Syrian conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin took
part in the discussionin absentia, warning against taking decisions on
Syria that bypass the UN.
All those urging the ousterof the Assad regime by outside forces
specifically pointed out the UN's current inability to act. British
Prime Minister David Cameron, in turn, said that the blood of children
killed during the civil war in Syria was a "terrible stain on the
reputation of the United Nations." He was echoed by French President
Francois Hollande who described the UN's inaction as "shocking."
The Westerns leaders making similar statementsin New York is only
natural given their permanent drive to rein inDamascus and Tehran and
revise the current system of international relations in circumvention
of the UN. Adding fuel to the fire was a statement by SheikhHamad bin
Khalifa Al Thani, the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar, who called
for mulling a military intervention in Syria, where he said a no-fly
zone should be created. This is a very dangerous tendency, believes
Igor Korotchenko,a Moscow-based political analyst.
"Qatar acts as an instigator of sorts," Korotchenko says, referring to
Qatar possessing hefty sums andlocal tribal leaders' ambitions. "We
know that Qatar sponsors a spate of negative changes that are taking
place in Northern Africa, and that Qatar lends support to Syrian
rebels. I think that the time is ripe for consideringslapping
sanctions on this gas dwarf," Korotchenko says.
Western elites and their Middle Eastern partners are irked with the
positiontaken by Moscow and Beijing, which have repeatedly blocked the
UNSecurity Council's resolutions on Syria. In an interview with the
Voice of Russia broadcast on Thursday, Fyodor Lukyanov,
editor-in-chief of the Russia in Global Affairs magazine, lambasted
Western countries' push for meddling in the Syrian conflict. He
attributed this push to the West's dissatisfaction with its own
actions, Lukyanov said.
" The situation in Syria came to a standstill," Lukyanov says,
separately referring to the killing of aUS Ambassador to Libya that
recently hit the international headlines."Some in the United
Stateshave already slammed Washington's desire to interfere in the
Syrian conflict that I think reflectsthe West's inability to
act,"Lukayanov says, singling out the West' frustration about Bashar
Assad still being in power in Syria.
For his part, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called the resolution
of theSyrian problem one of his key priorities. He added that this
would help Syria contain a threat of a foreign military intervention
that he stressed is being opposed by Cairo. Morsi was echoedby Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who said on Thursday thatthe Syrian
crisis should only be resolved through a national consensus in a
wide-scale inter-Syrian dialogue under the UN's aegis. Lavrov was
speaking during his meeting with UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi
on the sidelines ofthe UN General Assembly.
Arab countries weigh calls for intervention in Syria
Arab ministers on Wednesday weighed calls for an Arab intervention
inthe Syria conflict after meeting with UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar
Brahimi on the sidelines ofthe UN General Assembly. Tunisia's
President Moncef Marzouki said later his country could support an Arab
peacekeeping force in Syria.
"A peacekeeping operation by Arab nations is something we could well
imagine," Marzouki said.
"We have really pushed for a peaceful solution, butif it is necessary,
it must bean Arab peacekeeping force, yes."
On Tuesday, the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani,
called at the UN General Assembly for an Arab intervention inSyria.
Arab League secretary general Nabil al-Arabi told reporters he did not
believe the emir intended a "fighting force."
But he told a Security Council meeting on the Middle East that the
council must support Brahimi by making its resolutions on
Syria"binding on all parties."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appealed for the "paralyzed" UN
security council to make a new attempt to reach an accord on taking
measuresover the conflict.
France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it was"shocking" that
the councilhad been unable to act in the 18 months since the uprising
against Assad started....

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1b. Battle of Badr: First Battle of Islam at Badr in Self-Defense, Honouring the first warriors of Islam

1b.
In the Battle of Badr Bilal's eyes fell on Umayyah ibn Khalaf and he
realized that Abdur Rahman wanted to favour him. He, therefore, cried
aloud: "O friends of Allah! Umayyah ibn Khalaf is one of the chiefs of
unbelievers. He should not be allowed to live". The Muslims encircled
Umayyahibn Khalaf from all sides and put him and his son to death.
Abdullah ibn Masud, a companion of Prophet Muhammad (saw), was the
first person to openly recite Glorious Qur'an in front of a gathering.
He participated in all the battles of ProphetMuhammad (saw) but was so
short that even when hestood up among people who were sitting, he
wouldnot rise above them! It wasfor this reason that in the battle of
Badr, he requested Prophet Muhammad (saw): "I do not possess the
strength tofight in the battle of Badr; can you assign me some task by
means of which I too can attain the same reward as those who fight?"
"Look amongst the dying infidels and if you happen to find anyone of
them stillalive, kill them," Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied.
Abdullah ibn Masud narrates: "As I moved in the midst of people who
seemed to be dead, I came to Abu Jahl, the most unyielding enemy of
Prophet Muhammad (saw). He still had some life left inhim.
"I thank Allah (SWT) that He has humiliated you," I said as I sat on
his chest. Abu Jahl opened his eyes and grunted, "Woe unto you! Who
has been victorious?" "Victory is for Allah and His Prophet, and it is
for this reason that I shall kill you," I replied, placing my foot on
his neck.
With great arrogance, he cried, "O' tiny shepherd! You have placed
your foot on a very exalted place. Do know that nothing is more
painful for me than to be killed by a dwarf like you. Oh! Why did not
one of thesons of Abdul Muttalib kill me?"
I severed his head from his body and appeared before Prophet Muhammad
(saw)."Glad tidings to you, O' Prophet of Allah! This is thehead of
Abu Jahl."
"Abu Jahl was more sinful and worse than Firawn of the time of Musa
(as) . When Firawn was convinced that he would perish, he believed in
Allah (SWT), whereas when Abu Jahl became certain of his impending
doom, he calledupon al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat to save him," Prophet
Muhammad (saw) remarked later.
Many Muslim historians believe that in the Battle ofBadr single
combats and collective attacks continuedtill midday and the battle
came to an end after noontide, when Quraysh fled and some of them were
captured. The martyrsof Badr were buried in a corner of the
battlefield. Their graves still exist and devoted Muslims visit themto
offer their respects. Afterburying the martyrs Prophet Muhammad (saw)
performed afternoon prayers at that place and came out of the desert
of Badr before sunset.
In this battle fourteen men from amongst the Muslims were killed. As
regards Quraysh seventy of them were killed and seventy others were
captured.
The forces of truth and falsehood faced each other for the first time
in the Valley of Badr. The number of the army of truth did not exceed
313 whereas the army of falsehood was three times as big as that. The
Muslims were not properly equipped. Their means of transport consisted
of about seventy camels and a few horses, while the enemy had comewith
full strength to knock down Islam, consisting of 1000 strong men with
700 camels and 100 horses. In spite of all this, however, truth was
victorious and the enemy returned to Makkah after having sustained
heavy losses.
Note: Abu Lahab who had not participated in this battle of Badr and
had sentsomeone else in his own place was sitting by the well of
Zamzam. Suddenly people brought the news that Abu Sufyan had arrived.
Abu Lahab said:"Tell him to see me as earlyas possible". Abu Sufyan
came, sat by the side of Abu Lahab and gave a detailed account of the
happenings at Badr. Agitation and fear struck Abu Lahab's heart like
lightening. After burning inhigh fever for seven days he died of some
mysterious disease./

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1a. Battle of Badr: First Battle of Islam at Badr in Self-Defense, Honouring the first warriors of Islam

1a.
As opposed to the suggestion of Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahl insisted that
they should go to the region of Badr, stay there for three days, kill
camels, drink wine and hear the minstrelgirls sing so that their
valour might reach the earsof the Arabs and they should have a high
regard for them forever.
The fascinating words of Abu Jahl made Quraysh wait at that place and
halt at an elevated point in the desert behind a mound. Heavy rain
made movement difficult for them and kept them from proceeding
further.
On the 17th of Ramadan of the second year of migration (2AH or 624 CE)
Quraysh descended, early in the morning, from behind the sandy mound
into the desert of Badr under the leadership of Abu Jahl. When Prophet
Muhammad (saw) saw them he raised his face to the sky and said: "O
Allah! Quraysh are up, with pride and arrogance, to fight against You
and to deny Your Prophet! Send the aid which You have promised me and
destroy them today!"
It was an old custom of theArabs that in the beginningof a battle
single combats were resorted to, and later general fighting began.
Three famous warriors of Quraysh came out of their ranks and
challenged for a fight. They were two brothers Utbah and Shaybah, sons
of Rabiyyah, and Walid bin Utbah and all of them were fully armed.
They roared and ran their horses in the field and called their
opponents to fight. Three brave men from amongst the Ansars named Awf,
Ma'uz and Abdullah Rawahah came out of the ranks of the Muslims.
Utbah, however, realized that they were from Madina and said to them:
"We have nothing todo with you". Then a man (from amongst Quraysh)
shouted: "O Muhammad! Send our equals to fight with us!" Prophet
Muhammad (saw) turned his face to Ubaydah, Hamzah and Ali and
said:"Get up". The three brave men covered their heads and faces and
of they wentto the battlefield. All the three persons introduced
themselves. Utbah accepted all of them for a combat and said: "Yes,
you are our equals".
Some say that in this combat each warrior fought with his rival of the
same age. Ali, who was theyoungest of them, met Walid (maternal uncle
of Mu'awiyah), the middle-aged amongst the Muslims (Hamzah) faced
Utbah (maternal grandfather of Mu'awiyah) and Ubaydah, who was the
oldest amongst the Muslim combatants fought with Shaybah, who was
oldest from the other side. Ibn Hisham, however, says thatthe opponent
of Hamzah was Shaybah and that of Ubaydah was Utbah.
Historians write that Ali and Hamzah killed their opponents in the
very first moment and then hurried to help Ubaydah and killed his
adversary as well.
As a consequence of the warriors of Quraysh being killed general
attack started, and Quraysh beganattacking in groups. Prophet Muhammad
(saw) ordered that the Muslims should refrain from attacking and
should prevent the advance of the enemy by means of archery.
The character of Prophet Muhammad (saw), whose posture in the
battlefield was described by Imam Ali,the Commander of the Faithful,
is as follows:"Every time when fighting became intense we took refuge
with Prophet Muhammad (saw). None of us was nearer to the enemy than
he".
Then Prophet Muhammad (saw) returned to the seat of command and with
his heart overflowing with faith, turned his face to the Aimighty and
said: "O Lord!If this group is annihilated today, none else will
worship you on the face of the earth."
Then Prophet Muhammad (saw) picked up some dust and throwing it
towards Quraysh, said: "May your faces be metamorphosed!" Thereafter
he gave orders for general attack.
Allah had helped you at Badr, when you were a contemptible little
force: Then fear Allah in order to show your gratitude. Whenyou did
say to the believers: Does it not suffice you that your Creator should
help you with three thousand angelssent down. (Surah al-e-Imran,
3:123-124)
The signs of victory of the Muslims began to appear soon. The enemies
were stricken with terror and began to flee. The Muslims, who were
fighting with the help of their faith, and knew that both killing and
being killed were blessings of Allah (SWT), were perfectly undaunted
and nothing stopped their advance.
Bilal, the Ethiopian , was a slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf in the past.
As Bilal had embraced Islam while he was a slave, Umayyah ibn Khalaf
used to torture him severely. In order to make him abjure Islam he
used to make him lie on hot sand during the summer season and placeda
big stone on his chest. Even in that condition Bilal used to say:
'Ahad! Ahad! Ahad!' (Allah is One, Allah isOne, Allah is One). The
Ethiopian slave suffered a good deal until Hazrat Abu Bakr purchased
and set him free.
:->

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1. Battle of Badr: First Battle of Islam at Badr in Self-Defense, Honouring the first warriors of Islam

1.
The emigration of Prophet Muhammad (saw) to Madina had turned the
enemies from Makkah more hostile and they constantly kept on
thinkinghow they could overthrow him, and put an end to Islam. The
Makkans and their allies started to bring their raids to the very
outskirts of Madina, destroying the fruit trees ofthe Muslims and
carrying away their flocks.
Hence, the Battle of Badr is one of the greatest and most famous
battles of Islam. For the first time thefollowers of the new faith
were put into a serious test. This was a key battle in the early days
of Islam and proved to be a turning point in Islam's struggle with its
oppressive opponents, amongst them the Quraysh in Makkah. And those
who participated in it enjoyed a special distinction amongstthe
Muslims. The word 'Badri' is used in the biographies of the companions
of Prophet Muhammad (saw) for thosepersons who participated in the
Battle of Badr.
In the middle of Jamadi-ul-Awwal of the second year of migration a
report was received in Madina that a caravan was going from Makkah to
Syria under the leadership of Abu Sufyan and Prophet Muhammad (saw)
went up to Zatul Ashirah to pursue the caravan and stayed there till
the beginning of the following month, but could not lay hands on it.
One of the praiseworthy policies adopted by Prophet Muhammad (saw) in
all the battles was that he used to collect information about the
strength of the enemy and his location. The information received was
as under:
1. It is a big caravan and all Makkans have shares in its merchandise.
2. The leader of the caravanis Abu Sufyan and there are about forty
persons who guard it.
3. The merchandise is loaded on one thousand camels and its value is
about fifty thousand dinars.
As Quraysh had confiscatedthe property of Muslim Muhajirs residing in
Madina, it was only appropriate that the Muslims should also
confiscate their merchandise and if they persisted in withholding the
property of the MuhajirMuslims on account of theirenmity and
obstinacy, the Muslims should, as a retaliatory measure, divide their
merchandise amongstthemselves as war booty.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) stood up and said: "What isyour view in the matter?"
Miqdad stood up and said:"O Prophet of Allah! Our hearts are with you
and you should act according tothe orders given to you by Allah (SWT).
By Allah! We shall not tell you what BaniIsrael told Musa (as). When
Musa (as) asked them to perform Jihad they said to him: 'O Musa! You
and yourLord should go and perform Jihad and we shall sit here'. We,
however, tell you quite the reverse of it and say: Perform Jihad under
the auspices of the blessings of Allah (SWT) and we are also with you
and shall fight".
Prophet Muhammad (saw) was very much pleased to hear Miqdad's words
and prayed for him.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) left Madina with 313 men in the month of
Ramadan of the second year of migration to confiscate the property of
Quraysh encamped by the side of the well of Badr.
While going to Syria Abu Sufyan had realized that Prophet Muhammad
(saw) was pursuing his caravan. He was, therefore, careful at the time
of his return and enquired from other caravans whether Prophet
Muhammad (saw) had occupied the trade routes. It was reported to him
thatProphet Muhammad (saw) had left Madina along with his companions
and might be pursuing the caravan of Quraysh.
Abu Sufyan refrained from proceeding further. He did not see any
alternative except to inform Quraysh about the impending danger to the
caravan. In the mean time Abu Sufyan, changed the course of the
caravan and covering two stages of the journey at a time, took it out
of the zone of influence of Islam. He also appointed a man togo and
inform Quraysh that the caravan had been saved from attack by the
Muslims and they should, therefore, return to Makkahand leave it to
the Arabs tosettle the affairs with Prophet Muhammad (saw).
The news of the escape of Abu Sufyan's caravan circulated amongst the
Muslims. Those who had greedily kept an eye on themerchandise were
very much disturbed by this development. Allah (SWT) revealed the
following verse to strengthen their hearts:
Allah has promised to grant your victory over oneof the two bands (the
caravan and those who had come to defend it), butyou wished to fight
the one that was unarmed. He sought to fulfill His promiseand to
annihilate the unbelievers, so that truth should triumph and falsehood
be uprooted, though the wrongdoers wished otherwise. (Surah al-Anfal,
8:7)
:->

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Those who assert that they are Muslims but do not practice the real tenets of Islam are the bigots

Prophet Muhammad (saas)was a very modern, joyful person of broad
horizons who supported the arts and sciences.
Those who assert that they are Muslims but do not practice the real
tenetsof Islam are the bigots who are in the dark about the true
spirit of Islam andwho do not experience it!
Do not try to understand Islam by looking at the bigots . Learn Islam
from those true Muslims who live by Islam in compliance with the
spirit of the Qur'an.
A bigot is stark and sulky.
A Muslim is joyful, open and full of life!
A bigot hates women, children and animals.
A Muslim likes everything that is beautiful. He appreciates a woman's
value, watches over the children and loves animals, plants and all
living beings!
A bigot does not understand the arts, and dislikes arts and aesthetics.
A Muslim likes the arts andhas a very strong sense of aesthetics!
A bigot is against science.
A Muslim attaches great importance to science and contributes to
scientific progress!
A bigot can not speak graciously, he is aggressive.
A Muslim speaks the best of words, he is compassionate!
Both the life and spirit of abigot is dark.
A Muslim is full of life, he radiates light to his surroundings!
A bigot tends to fight. He is full of hate and rage.
A Muslim wants peace, love and friendship to reign!
A bigot is hostile towards Christians and Jews.
A Muslim approaches Christians and Jews with compassion.
He attaches importance to them and shows them respect!
A bigot does not like music, and takes no pleasure from music.
A Muslim loves music as a blessing created by Allah!
A bigot is unkempt and filthy!
A Muslim is very pure andbrilliant!
A bigot lives in nasty, dark places.
A Muslim loves the best quality and the most beautiful of everything!
A bigot devastates wherever he enters. He defiles and reduces the
quality of life overall.
A Muslim brings quality of life to wherever he enters. He takes
pleasure in beautifying the world!
A bigot does not know how to think; he acts in compliance with the
dogmas he has learned by heart.
A Muslim takes great pleasure from deep thinking. He acts by using his
wisdom and his conscience!
A bigot can not tolerate different thoughts.
A Muslim wants people of every school thought to express their opinion
as they wish!
A bigot finds the energy tolive by constantly inventing new enemies.
A Muslim makes an effort to befriend anyone who seems to harbor the
most negative opinion.
A bigot does not show courtesy.
A Muslim is excellent in hismanners and social conduct!
A bigot has an inferiority complex!
A Muslim has an extremelyconfident personality due to his trust in Allah!
And the most important ofall;
A bigot can not appreciate Allah's might as is due. He does not know
the love of Allah, he does not abide by the Qur'an and only follows
his idols.
A Muslim is in love with Allah. He lives for Allah, he is fully
attached to the Qur'an and he only seeks to earn Allah's good
pleasure!

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Flavour of Faith

It is related by Abbas bin Adbul Muttalib that he heard the Apostle of
God say: "He tasted the flavour of Faith and experienced itssweetness
who agreed with a truthful heart to accept God as His Cherisher, Islam
as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet." [Bukhari]
Commentary:
Just as all delicious foods posses a flavour but can beperceived only
when one's faculty of taste has not been lost or become perverted due
to illness or any other cause, there is also a special sweetness in
faith which can be enjoyed by those alone who have, willingly and
earnestly, made Allah their Lord and Master, Muhammad (PBUH) their
prophet and guide, and Islam their religion and way of life, and whose
hearts have bowed in submission to God and yielded in obedience to
theprophet and assented to bethe adherents of the path of Islam. In
other words, their bond with God, the prophet and Islam is not merely
formal, hereditary or intellectual but real, sincere and genuine.
Anas related to us that "Only he will taste the sweetness of faith who
hasthese three qualities: the love of God and the prophet that comes
to him before everything else, he loves whom he loves solelyfor the
sake of God, and theidea of going back to apostasy after he has
embraced Islam is as repugnant to him as being thrown into fire."
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
The subject matter of this tradition is almost identicalto that of
proceeding one. It says that the sweetness of faith can only be
perceived by him whose love for God and the Apostle is stronger that
for anyone or anything else in the world, so much so that when he
loves somebody, it is wholly for the sake of God, and who is so deeply
devoted to the Islamic faiththat the very idea of leaving it and
reverting back to the apostasy is as painful to him as being castinto
fire.

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Asma ul husna - 99 Names of Allah

Arabic English Translation
1 Allah (الله) The Greatest Name
2 Ar-Rahman (الرحمن) The All-Compassionate
3 Ar-Rahim (الرحيم) The All-Merciful
4 Al-Malik (الملك) The Absolute Ruler
5 Al-Quddus (القدوس) The Pure One
6 As-Salam (السلام) The Source of Peace
7 Al-Mu'min (المؤمن) The Inspirer of Faith
8 Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) The Guardian
9 Al-Aziz (العزيز) The Victorious
10 Al-Jabbar (الجبار) The Compeller
11 Al-Mutakabbir (المتكبر) The Greatest
12 Al-Khaliq (الخالق) The Creator
13 Al-Bari' (البارئ) The Maker of Order
14 Al-Musawwir (المصور) The Shaper of Beauty
15 Al-Ghaffar (الغفار) The Forgiving
16 Al-Qahhar (القهار) The Subduer
17 Al-Wahhab (الوهاب) The Giver of All
18 Ar-Razzaq (الرزاق) The Sustainer
19 Al-Fattah (الفتاح) The Opener
20 Al-`Alim (العليم) The Knower of All
21 Al-Qabid (القابض) The Constrictor
22 Al-Basit (الباسط) The Reliever
23 Al-Khafid (الخافض) The Abaser
24 Ar-Rafi (الرافع) The Exalter
25 Al-Mu'izz (المعز) The Bestower of Honors
26 Al-Mudhill (المذل) The Humiliator
27 As-Sami (السميع) The Hearer of All
28 Al-Basir (البصير) The Seer of All
29 Al-Hakam (الحكم) The Judge
30 Al-`Adl (العدل) The Just
31 Al-Latif (اللطيف) The Subtle One
32 Al-Khabir (الخبير) The All-Aware
33 Al-Halim (الحليم) The Forbearing
34 Al-Azim (العظيم) The Magnificent
35 Al-Ghafur (الغفور) The Forgiver and Hiderof Faults
36 Ash-Shakur (الشكور) The Rewarder of Thankfulness
37 Al-Ali (العلى) The Highest
38 Al-Kabir (الكبير) The Greatest
39 Al-Hafiz (الحفيظ) The Preserver
40 Al-Muqit (المقيت) The Nourisher
41 Al-Hasib (الحسيب) The Accounter
42 Al-Jalil (الجليل) The Mighty
43 Al-Karim (الكريم) The Generous
44 Ar-Raqib (الرقيب) The Watchful One
45 Al-Mujib (المجيب) The Responder to Prayer
46 Al-Wasi (الواسع) The All-Comprehending
47 Al-Hakim (الحكيم) The Perfectly Wise
48 Al-Wadud (الودود) The Loving One
49 Al-Majid (المجيد) The Majestic One
50 Al-Ba'ith (الباعث) The Resurrector
51 Ash-Shahid (الشهيد) The Witness
52 Al-Haqq (الحق) The Truth
53 Al-Wakil (الوكيل) The Trustee
54 Al-Qawiyy (القوى) The Possessor of All Strength
55 Al-Matin (المتين) The Forceful One
56 Al-Waliyy (الولى) The Governor
57 Al-Hamid (الحميد) The Praised One
58 Al-Muhsi (المحصى) The Appraiser
59 Al-Mubdi' (المبدئ) The Originator
60 Al-Mu'id (المعيد) The Restorer
61 Al-Muhyi (المحيى) The Giver of Life
62 Al-Mumit (المميت) The Taker of Life
63 Al-Hayy (الحي) The Ever Living One
64 Al-Qayyum (القيوم) The Self-Existing One
65 Al-Wajid (الواجد) The Finder
66 Al-Majid (الماجد) The Glorious
67 Al-Wahid (الواحد) The One, the All Inclusive, The Indivisible
68 As-Samad (الصمد) The Satisfier of All Needs
69 Al-Qadir (القادر) The All Powerful
70 Al-Muqtadir (المقتدر) The Creator of All Power
71 Al-Muqaddim (المقدم) The Expediter
72 Al-Mu'akhkhir (المؤخر) The Delayer
73 Al-Awwal (الأول) The First
74 Al-Akhir (الأخر) The Last
75 Az-Zahir (الظاهر) The Manifest One
76 Al-Batin (الباطن) The Hidden One
77 Al-Wali (الوالي) The Protecting Friend
78 Al-Muta'ali (المتعالي) The Supreme One
79 Al-Barr (البر) The Doer of Good
80 At-Tawwab (التواب) The Guide to Repentance
81 Al-Muntaqim (المنتقم) The Avenger
82 Al-'Afuww (العفو) The Forgiver
83 Ar-Ra'uf (الرؤوف) The Clement
84 Malik-al-Mulk (مالك الملك) The Owner of All
85 Dhu-al-Jalal wa-al-Ikram (ذو الجلال و الإكرام) The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
86 Al-Muqsit (المقسط) The Equitable One
87 Al-Jami' (الجامع) The Gatherer
88 Al-Ghani (الغنى) The Rich One
89 Al-Mughni (المغنى) The Enricher
90 Al-Mani'(المانع) The Preventer of Harm
91 Ad-Darr (الضار) The Creator of The Harmful
92 An-Nafi' (النافع) The Creator of Good
93 An-Nur (النور) The Light
94 Al-Hadi (الهادي) The Guide
95 Al-Badi (البديع) The Originator
96 Al-Baqi (الباقي) The Everlasting One
97 Al-Warith (الوارث) The Inheritor of All
98 Ar-Rashid (الرشيد) The Righteous Teacher
99 As-Sabur (الصبور) The Patient One/

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Get Up and Do Your Thing

Life has been challenging lately. In July I've faced some financial
setbacks, and also some personal setbacks that have hit me hard, and
drained me emotionally to the point where sometimes I just sit in my
padded computer chair and don't feel like getting up. I feel like I
hardly have the energy to get up and prepare some food to eat, let
alone pray, work, go to class, care for my daughter…
And yet I do get up. I go out and teach a 2.5 hour martial arts class
and I do itwith vigor, because my students are looking to me for
guidance and inspiration. I get up and domy volunteer job at the
Muslim community center. I get up and take my daughter to the lake or
themasjid, and have a tea party with her, and read her the latest
chapter of "Fish Face". I laugh with her and love her with everything
I've got, because she needs me. I don't have time for self-pity.
I get up and do my thing, because that's what it is to be a man (or
woman), to be a father (or mother), to be a Muslim, to be a friend, to
be alive! You get up anddo what you have to do. You pick your foot up
and take a step, then lift the other one and take anotherstep, and
before you know it you are moving ahead, and time has passed and your
problems have diminished and don't hurt quite so much, or maybe you
have overcome them entirely, because you are experiencing the joy of
life.Your love for Allah, and your gratitude, and your attentiveness
to the beautyand blessings around you, all wash the pain away likea
river.
That's what it is to be alive.SubhanAllah.
So, to all those reading thisnow, I send you light and love, and I
know that no matter what physical or emotional aches you are
experiencing, you will rise each morning with gratitude, you will take
a step and move ahead, you will love and laugh, you will push
self-pity to the side and live your lives with commitment, in the
short time that we all haveon this beautiful ball of brown and blue.
One last note: Eat healthy foods, drink water and – very important –
get enough sleep. These are all critical to maintaining an emotional
balance and moving forward in life witha positive attitude.

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Allah guides those who struggle

Allah guides those who struggle. "And those who strive in Our cause,
We will surely guide them to Our paths." – Al-Ankaboot, 29:69.
Struggle may seem like something to be avoided, but the alternative is
to walk in dim light, seeing nothing clearly. If our lives consist of
sitting on the sofa watching TV, doing jobs without passion,
shruggingour shoulders at the suffering of others, and accepting the
unreality that is pushed at us by advertising and the media, then we
are living in shadow, even when the sun shines.
Yes, we all have bills to pay, and sometimes we work jobs that we are
not passionate about, in order to support our families. I have a
website about money transfer services, and another about paying bills
online. They are boring, but I spend time onthem because they earn
money. In my free time I struggle to do work that is important to me –
this website being a notable example. Even a short article might take
me two or three days to write, because of the limited timeI have to
work on it. Longer articles can take weeks. And yet people sometimes
tell me that my writing has changed their lives.
We can all find a little time every day to pursue what we love, and to
make a difference in people's lives, even in a small way. Beyond that,
we must strive to represent truth in everything we do: in our family
lives, our work, our entertainment – everything.
Imam Jamil Al-Amin wrote in 2006:
"In the heart there is an emptiness and a need which nothing can
satisfy except for the remembrance of Allah (swt). The only proof of
faith is in struggle, struggling in word and deed, in body and soul.
Thelack of faith will crush you far more than defeat ever could. 'And
what will explain to you the path that is steep?' (90:12). Conscious
struggle is the path that is steep. Struggle where bitter hardship and
misfortune and difficulty becomes sweet tasting to the soul."
There is no road to success except through the struggle for truth and
righteousness. This is actually good news, because if you're a seeker,
if you've got a nose for truth, if you care about justice, then you're
already struggling, walking a hard road. It's inevitable. Those who
pursue truth and speak it out loud are seen as strangers and
subversives. You might wonder sometimes if it's worth it, or if you're
moving in the right direction.
Don't worry. The fact that you're struggling means that Allah is
guiding you, and you're on the right road.

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I Get The Best... I get the best feeling in theworld when you say hi or even smile at me because I knw, even if its just for a sec, that I've crossed ur mind

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14 killed in violence, firing incidents in Karachi, Pakistan

At least 14 people were killed in several incidents of firing and
violence in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday.
The firing incidents started early in the morning when a political
activist was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the city, the attackers
fled after the attack and police could not find any clue about them
yet. Police said that the attack on theactivist seemed to be
politically motivated and they would arrest the culprits soon.
Later, eleven more people were killed in various incidents of firing
across ofthe city, meanwhile two bodies with eminent marks of violence
were found by the residents in the restive Layari area of the city.
Tension gripped the areas where killings took place and schools and
business activities were closed.
Earlier on Tuesday, 14 people including two political activists of the
Karachi's influential political party Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM)
and four members of a religious group were killedin the city. The
fresh wave of violence rose at the time when the relation between two
major political parties, the leading Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and
its coalition partner MQM became tensed over the structure of local
body management system.
Local media reported that president Zardari, the co-Chairman of PPP
called MQM's leader Altaf Hussainon late Wednesday night and assured
to remove hisgrievances. The MQM's leader also appreciated the
president's move, and the situation thawed between the two political
parties.
Karachi remained under the menace of target killing on ethnic,
religious and political basis since the beginning of this year.
According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an estimated 1,406
people have been killed in separate incidentsof target killing across
the city since the beginning of this year.

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A married Christian woman wants to become Muslim and marry a Muslim man

http://aydnajimudeen.blogspot.com/


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Im christian and married but has been separated for10 years without
legal procedures.I was planning of turning to Islam? can i marry a
Muslim man after I converted to Muslim even though my first marriage
is not annulled?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We ask Allah to bless you and enable you to enter His religion, and we
hope that that will be in the near future.
Secondly:
If a woman becomes Muslim and her husband does not become Muslim until
her 'iddah (waiting period following divorce or separation) is over,
thenit is her choice. If she wants she may marry someone else or if
she wants she may wait in thehope that he may become Muslim one day.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is indicated by
the ruling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
is that the marriage contract is put on hold; if he becomesMuslim
before the end of her 'iddah, then she is his wife, but once her
'iddah ends, she may marry whoever she wants, or if she likes she may
wait for him, and if he becomes Muslim then she is still his wife,
with no need for a new marriage contract.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad fi Hadi Khayr al-'Ibaad, 5/137
For more information please see the answer to question no. 21690
Based on that, if you have become Muslim and your 'iddah has ended,
and your husband has not become Muslim, in this case it is permissible
for you to marry a Muslim man and it is not stipulated that you
shouldget a divorce from the firsthusband, because the marriage was
annulled when you became Muslim.
Imam ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If one of the
spouses became Muslim before theother, and the husband had already
consummatedthe marriage with the wife, it is not permissible for the
husband to have intercourse with the wife, and the marriage is
suspended until the end ofthe 'iddah. If the partner who had not yet
become Muslim does become Muslim before the end of the 'iddah, then
the marriage is still valid. But if he does not become Muslim before
the end of the 'iddah, then the marriage is ended, and it is an
annulment without adivorce, and the woman may marry whoever she wishes
from that point.
End quote from al-Umm, 5/49
The length of the 'iddah inthis case starts from the time when the
wife became Muslim and it lastsfor three menstrual cycles if she
menstruates, three months if she has passed menopause, and until she
gives birth if she is pregnant.
And Allah knows best.
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