The Official Blog of Ismail Kamdar

My take on the MJC Issue

2012-01-19T15:08:00.004+02:00

The chicken wars have always been a source of controversy in South Africa. Recently however, things spiraled out of control thanks to a 3rd Degree broadcast regarding the recent MJC controversy.

After viewing the 3rd Degree episode in which MJC officials refused to speak or comment on the Orion Saga, many Muslims were up in arms and took to the social networks to vent their frustration and anger at MJC. Other organizations like SANHA and NIHT also came under attack as old stories against them resurfaced. Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger and many other networks became the grounds for anti-MJC jokes, broadcast warnings (many of which were old and inauthentic) and some truly hate-fueled comments.

The question that keeps popping into my mind through all this though is when was MJC declared guilty? Have to taken the necessary Shariah steps in ascertaining their guilt and then if so, does the Shariah allow for the amount of jokes and insults hurled against them on the social networks? Every Muslim should think carefully regarding their reaction to this scandal and ponder on whether their response was appropriate and Islamically acceptable.

Now I am not saying that MJC is innocent and I am not defending them (which I might be accused of). All I am doing is asking everybody to remain level-headed and fear Allah (including both MJC and their opposition) in how we deal with this issue.

Firstly, we should remember the command of Allah when He said the meaning of which is, “Oh you who believe, if a sinful person brings you any information then verify it, otherwise you might harm people in ignorance and regret what you did later,” (Surah Hujaraat 49:6)

This verse commands us to verify information that attacks the honor of any Muslim when it comes from a Muslim source. So what about when such an attack comes from a Non-Muslim source?

As Muslims we are obligated to regard all Muslims as innocent until proven guilty. Yes, we may abstain from MJC products out of doubt. Yes, we may explain why we doubt it in a civilized manner. However, we are not justified in attacking any Muslim publically, making ridiculing jokes about them and fueling the hatred against them even if they were proven guilty.

Remember the prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited the companions from attacking the honor of an adulteress while she was being stoned. I know she repented and the example is not related, but the principles and manners taught here apply across the board.

Islam teaches us to be kind and merciful to all his creation, even those who are wrong and sinful. It also gives us guidelines in establishing guilt. Some of those guidelines include:
1) Every person is innocent until proven guilty
2) Both sides need to be listened to in details before a judgment is passed
3) Evidence need to be brought before an unbiased Shariah judge (or in this case Aalim) who will pass the verdict.

None of these guidelines have been followed in establishing MJC’s guilt and none of the etiquettes of Islam have been followed in dealing with the situation.

So yes, there is nothing wrong with abstaining from MJC products if you doubt them, and no harm in explaining why either. However Islamic manners should always be observed in dealing with them (or any other Muslims) and there is no room in Islam for the hate-fueled jokes and comments being propagated via Twitter, Facebook, Blackberry messenger or any other platform.

On a side note: The trend of broadcasting, forwarding and retweeting information without authentication is really getting out of hand. It is better not to forward anything at all than to forward information that could later be proven wrong.

Tips for Raising Muslim Children

2011-12-24T13:27:00.004+02:00

As Salaam Alaikum

The following is a collection of status updates from my Facebook page dealing with raising Muslim children:

1. Too many parents don't prepare beforehand to raise their children. They learn on the job and this is very dangerous as you only learn your method is wrong after you see the result on a child! Before having children, young couples should read as many books as possible on raising Islamic children and work out a plan and goals for raising them. This will save us from many mistakes.

2. The first step to raising righteous children is to choose the correct spouse. If you and your spouse have different lifestyles and one wants to raise righteous children and the other does not, then this will cause much unnecessary confusion for the children and drama for the family. When getting married, don't just look for the right spouse, look for the right parent for your future children!

3. Don't think your children are too young to learn about Islam, even when you are pregnant, recite and listen to a lot of Quran as the fetus develops hearing at a very early stage. Sing to your babies Islamic songs, recite Quran to them, teach them basic forms of Dhikrs, etc.

Always attribute all good things to Allah and all bad things to Shaytaan's influence when talking to your kids. Don't wait till they are four or five to start. Do this from the time they are born.

4. Do not prevent your children and youngsters from having fun but create an environment and teach them the principles through which they can have fun in a Halal manner.

5. Parents should never forget that their children are human, just like them. Instead of expecting your kids to be perfect and sinless, deal with their mistakes realistically and calmly and help them become better Muslims in the same manner that you would like people to help and correct you

6. Do you have good friends who your children can look up to? If not, then don't expect them to choose good friends. Remember the people you associate with have an impact on your child's development.

7. Every child deserves to be embraced and loved. A child should never be regarded as an accident, mistake or unwanted pregnancy. If you are practicing contraception but still fall pregnant then do not treat that child as unwanted or a mistake but embrace him as a gift from Allah because Allah knows what is best for us

8. One of their best gifts you can give your kids are parents who love each other.

9. Parenting requires sacrifice. If you are not ready to give up a full nights sleep, going out when you want for how long you want and a few personal hobbies; in order to make time for your kids then you are not ready to be a parent. The early years of parenting require some major changes to one's lifestyle but they are long term investments and completely worth it.

Will update with more later, inshaaAllah

Importance of Tolerance in Fiqh Issues

2011-11-20T23:14:00.002+02:00

As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahamtullah Wa Barakatuhu

It has been a while since I last updated this blog, inshaa Allah I will be updating it often over the next few months with a new series of articles aimed at giving guidelines to confused Muslims on seeking the truth.

Until then, here is one of my new videos on the importance of having tolerance in dealing with Fiqh issues, Enjoy:

This video is uploaded on my YouTube Channel which I hope you all with subscribe to, plan to update that regularly too, inshaa Allah.

God and You: What is Your Relationship? - Video

2011-09-10T14:28:00.002+02:00

As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

On 3 July 2011, I had the honor of being the guest speaker along with brother Mansoor Danish (IIF - Kolkata) at the God and You event in Bangalore, India.

Here is the link to the videos of this event:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Enjoy. :D

Would you follow this man?

2011-05-09T08:28:00.002+02:00

Consider the following:

A very pious and learned man with an international following moves into your area. He is known to be trustworthy, even by his enemies and is focused on calling the world to worship Allah alone. This man also has a big beard and multiple wives, some of his wives are much younger than him and all of his wives wear the niqab. My question is, "Would you follow this man?"

If your answer is no, then you are in a serious problem spiritually as the man I just described was the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is a question I have been pondering over a lot lately, "If the prophet (peace be upon him) was alive today, how many Muslims would really love and follow him?"

If you have ever insulted a man for growing a beard, what would you tell the prophets of Allah, all of whom grew beards and encouraged it?

If you ever insulted a woman for wearing the Niqab, what would you tell the mothers of the believers, all of whom were veiled?

If you were called a Muslim man with multiple wives a womanizer, what would call the prophet (peace be upon him) who had a total of eleven wives during his lifetime?

Remember when you insult the beard, the niqab, polygamy or any other Sunnah, you are not insulting an individual, you are insulting the prophet (peace be upon him) and the religion he came with, which according to many scholars is an act of Kufr that can take one out of the fold of Islam!

If any of the above applies to you, it is time to re-evaluate your understanding of Islam, knowledge of the Seerah and love for the Messenger and his Sunnah. I will conclude with the words of the Allah:

"It is not befitting for a believing man or woman, if Allah or his messenger had decreed something, that they have any option in their matter, and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone astray," (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:36)

"If you ask them, they will say we were just joking and playing. Say to them: Is it Allah, His Signs and His Messenger that you are mocking? Do not make any excuses, you have disbelieved after having faith. If I forgive some of you, I will punish others among you because they are evil," (Surah Tawbah 9:65-66)

IOU, Deen Class and Muslim Matters

2011-03-29T08:12:00.005+02:00

As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

It has been a long time since I blogged here and there are many reasons for this.

When I first started blogging, I was going through a tough year and needed an outlet for my thoughts which I wanted to share with the world. Alhamdulillah, my blog posts got a lot of attention and I soon found myself an Associate writer for my favorite blog, Muslim Matters.

Fast Forward two years, and now I am involved 24/7 in Islamic work. Between teaching for Deen Class and the Islamic Online University, I also often get called to speak on the local Muslim Radio Station, teach private classes, studying and have a growing family to care for.

As they say, life goes on and I found myself blogging less often. This does not mean I do not blog anymore, however since Muslim Matters reaches a wider audience I decided to give priority to posting my articles there.

So inshaa Allah, if you are looking for my latest articles, you will find most of them at Muslim Matters under my profile. I will only be using my blog to announce events or write more personal notes.

So switch over to Muslim Matters or sign up with IOU if you want to hear from me more often. :)

Importance of Context

2011-02-11T18:14:00.004+02:00

A few months ago, I read a story which did not seem to make any sense. In a book about the greatness of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in a chapter about his playfulness, I read the following story:

The prophet (peace be upon him) ordered Sad to shoot a disbeliever with an arrow. When he shot him, the disbeliever fell over and his private parts became exposed. The prophet (peace be upon him) laughed till his molars were exposed.

This story did not make any sense, I will not lie that it worried me. In what was a really good book, this one story stuck out as the only story that did not make sense and could easily be used by Islamaphobes to make the Prophet (peace be upon him) look bad.

Anyway I completed the book and continued doing what I always do after that, read another book. So now I am reading Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtoom (The Sealed Nectar) and today while reading about the Battle of Uhud, I came across the same story in its proper context and it made perfect sense, here is full story in my own words:

During the Aftermath of the battle of Uhud, a female companion Umm Aiman was walking around the battefield giving the wounded water to drink. Hibban Bin Al-Arqah saw her and shot an arrow at her. The arrow hit her, she fell over and her Awrah become exposed. Hibban started laughing at her and the prophet (peace be upon him) became very angry.

He gave Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas and arrow without an arrowhead and told him to shoot Hibban. Sa'd did so and Hibban fell over and his awrah became exposed. The prophet (peace be upon him) laughed and said, "Sa'd has avenged her, may Allah always respond to his supplications,"

(See Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtoom, p: 330)

So this is the full story. The half-story made it seem like the prophet (peace be upon him) had a man executed and laughed at the man's embarassment when his private area became exposed. Yet the full story was about defending the honour of a women, a brave woman who was unjustly shot, exposed and mocked at and the prophet (peace be upon him) could not tolerate a Muslim woman being treated so badly.

So this was a very good story about the honour and respect that Islam gives to women, yet a half told version of it can be easily misunderstood.

We need to realize that there are people out there looking for faults in the prophet (peace be upon him) and will misinterpret any story to make him look bad. While we can't please these people and there will always be issues they make up and misinterpret, at least we should be careful to not give them extra ammunition.

When stories are mistranslated, half told or quoted out of context, they can be very easily misunderstood and misinterpret. We need to be very careful in making sure that whenever we narrate a story, we convey it properly leaving no room for misinterpretations.

I just wanted to present this as an example of what happens when we half-quote a story out of context, and how different the story can sound.

The Benefits of Studying the BAIS with IOU

2011-01-02T11:40:00.002+02:00

1. It provides a non-sectarian, authentic, Qur'aan- and Sunnah-based understanding of Islamic teachings.

2. It clears up the many misconceptions which have led some Muslims to espouse extreme views promoting violence and terrorism.

3. It provides those working in various professions an Islamic perspective from which to practice their professions while maintaining Islamic values and boundaries.

4. It empowers Muslim women who rarely have the opportunity to study the religion in depth and to address the contemporary, contentious gender-related issues.

5. It facilitates easy access to Islamic knowledge, as all of the courses are taught in the English medium with the exception of Arabic.

6. It offers a structured course for the study of Arabic, enabling students to master the basics of the Arabic language and preparing them to be efficient translators in the future.

7. It focuses on a well-rounded program of study by integration of contemporary subjects, such as management, economics, psychology, educational methodology, etc., all taught from a comparative perspective.

8. It is geared toward producing upright, productive citizens through its focus on ethical teachings of Islam in all spheres of life.

9. It promotes religious tolerance among its students and graduates by introducing them to the historical foundations of multicultural societies which Muslims established around the world like those in Spain, Baghdad, Cairo, Palestine, etc.

10. It develops multi-disciplined Imaams for working in English speaking countries where Islam is currently spreading at the fastest rate.

11. It properly prepares Islamic Studies Teachers for the recent trend towards establishing of modern Islamic international schools in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

12. It trains women to guide, teach and raise the next generation Islamically in order to provide a solid foundation for the global Islamic awakening currently in progress.

13. It prepares students adequately for further studies in Islamic disciplines on the MA and PhD levels.

14. It produces effective Muslim missionaries capable of conveying the message of Islam in the contemporary context.

15. It graduates highly qualified Islamic researchers for Islamic organizations, institutions and research centers.

So what are you waiting for, sign up at www.islamiconlineuniversity.com now!

AMIK's Christmas Special

2010-12-25T14:28:00.001+02:00

Note: The Following is a fictional story which should serve as a framework for a little Christmas Dawah

Twas the night before Christmas, all was still

Down the road came my good friend Bill

And I will not rhyme anymore as it is hurting my head trying to think up a way to make the entire conversation rhyme!

Bill: Merry Christmas, Ismail.

Me: How are you, Bill?

Bill: I am fine on this festive eve, will you not wish me Merry Christmas

Me: Sorry my friend, I do not believe in Christmas. Can I ask you a question though?

Bill: Go ahead

Me: Why do you celebrate Christmas? What is so special about this day?

Bill: It is the day our Lord and Savior Jesus was born?

Me: before we get into the Lord issue, you sure he was born on this day?

Bill: Yes, why do you ask?

Me: Because according to Biblical data, he was born in Summer.

Bill: It is Summer

Me: Not in the Nothern hemisphere

Bill: Oh yeah, you are right about that, you sure about this?

Me: Yes, researchers point out that Jesus was born in May, but you do not need to take my word for it, just google it

Bill: I will, but then how did 25 December become known as Christmas day?

Me: Historians differ over the exact reason, they do agree that it is on this day the sun reversed its southward retreat and due to that some ancient pagan religions used to worship the birth of the Sun-God on this day. Some argue that over time, it became known as the day the Son of God was born, but others regard it as an unrelated coincidence.

Bill: Very interesting, so if people know this, why is Christmas still such a big deal?

Me: Because it has been commercialized. It is the time of the year in which businesses make the most money and in order to keep this up, they need to keep Christmas special. This is why a lot of money is spend on Christmas movies, special tv shows, decorations and that annoying jingle bells song that plays in all the shops. ;)

Bill: Haha, the song is annoying but Christmas is such a beautiful time of the year in which families gather and enjoy the festive spirirt.

Me: Sadly, it is also the time of the year in which the most car accidents, intoxication and fornication occur.

Bill: That is true, so.....don't you Mozlems celebrate any holidays at all?

Me: We celebrate the two Eids, which are the Day of Ramadan and the third day of the Hajj

Bill: oh yes, you did tell me about fasting in Ramadan and the Hajj before. Thats the journey Malcolm X made, right?

Me: The same one. :)

Bill: Well that was educational, but I'm curious now as to why you know so much about Jesus

Me: Well, we Muslims believe that Jesus was the prophet of God who came with the same message as Muhammad, Moses, Abraham and all the other prophets, which is that we should worship God alone. Sadly, over time pagan beliefs crept into Christianity, most dominantly is the belief in a begotten son a God which we regard as blasphemous. In order to find out when and how the followers of Jesus started worshipping him, I studied the history of Christianity and the Bible.

Bill: And that is how you discovered all this, very impressive. You know, we have been friends for a while but I we never got down to discussing our religious differences before. Today has been quite interesting, but now I need to get going. Maybe I'll research the history of your religion and bring you some facts that you did not know next time. ;)

Me: Please go ahead and do so, although I studied my own religion's history before studying others. In fact, here are some DVDs and books to get you started.

Bill: Thank you, Ismail. I won't say Merry Christmas to you again, so......happy holidays!

Me: Enjoy your holidays too, hope you find it spiritually uplifting. May God guide us both to what pleases him.

Bill: Amen

Inshaa Allah, such conversations could open the door to Bill becoming Bilal. Or we could just avoid the whole conversation, wish him Merry Christmas and let him continue living a life involved in Shirk while we face the consequences for avoiding our duty of Dawah.

Allah knows best.

Did you understand the affair of Tawheed?

2010-12-25T11:05:00.002+02:00

Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah would teach this book from cover to cover. And once he would finish the book, he would go back to the beginning and he would start it all over again. And when this happened on a number of occasions, his students asked that another book be started, that they had learned this affair of at-Tawheed. They wanted to continue on to another affair.

The shaikh, willing to test them and their understanding, set up a test for them. And he said to them that on such and such day there will be no dars (lesson) because he had to travel to see someone who had fornicated with his own mother. And his students were astonished and surprised. That was clear by the voices they made.

When [the shaikh] returned, the students asked as to what happened to this individual. Shaikhul-Islaam said it was not as he had explained - that he had commited fornication with his own mother - but rather a man was commiting shirk by slaughtering a small animal in the name of other than Allaah.

When he explained this, the astonishment from his students left them. They were no longer astonished. So the astonishment that was present when they heard a man was commiting fornication with his own mother was great. But when they heard of someone commiting shirk with a small animal, the astonishment was absent, as though this action [shirk] was less serious than the former action [fornication with his mother].

Shaikhul-Islaam, through this test, knew that his students did not understand this affair of at-Tawheed, and he began the book all over again.

This story was taken from here.

Lesson: Shirk is the greatest and the only unforgivable sin if you die upon it. Let us not treat it lightly. Too often we Muslims are guilty of getting upset if we see homosexuality, intoxication or immorality, yet we don't show the same level of anger at acts of Shirk. This shows that we have not yet realized how severe a sin it is.

Remember, in general sins,we are either oppressing ourselves or other people, but with Shirk we are giving Allah's rights to other than Allah, and what can be a greater sin than that!

Of Wa-Hubbies and Conspiracies

2010-12-15T06:04:00.002+02:00

There seems to be an obsession with conspiracy theories among young Muslims these days. For some strange reason, Muslims seem to look for secret messages in almost everything. From cartoons to people's names, nothing is innocent and all seem to be part of a secret plot of some underworld organization.

From an Islamic perspective, it is not proper for Muslims to dwell on conspiracy theories. Islam teaches us to focus our efforts on Ilm-Naafi - knowledge that benefits us and not to get involved in Laghw - useless discussions. For the most part, conspiracy theories are useless discussions in which we can not prove the conspiracy to be true or not, and even if you can, the information gained can seldom help you gain closeness to Allah or benefit you in anyway. Conspiracy theories in general fall into the category of Laghw and waste precious time that could be spent in more beneficial activities.

I have identified a few reasons why Muslims seem to be obsessed with conspiracy theories:

1. To find somebody else to blame for our mistakes:

Some Muslims don't want to accept the fact that we are in the situation we are in because of our disobedience of Allah or deviation from the straight path. Such Muslims tend to look for a scapegoat to blame for their mistakes, and conspiracy theories provide enough of these. If you look at the people who tend to be obsessed with conspiracy theories, many of them are generally not knowledgable or practicing Muslims. It is not uncommon to find Muslims discussing how the Jews or Illuminati are cause of all their problems, yet missing a salah due to the discussion.

Solution: The Qur'an does not teach us to blame others for our problems. It teaches us to strive to please Allah and then He will assist us in solving our problems. So it would be better to utilize our time to watch Islamic lectures instead of a conspiracy documentary, and to pray and strive to implement our knowledge than to sit around discussing who was behind an earthquake or flood and how they caused it.

2. Boredom, not utilizing time properly

Many Muslims try to find ways to kill time. As if time needs killing. You'd think with all the problems in our lives, our own sins and weaknesses, we'd have a lot more important things to do than kill time. Sadly many Muslims suffer from boredom and thus browse YouTube for something to kill time. It is during these moments in which they wanted to kill ten minutes, that they discover a conspiracy theory video which ends up eating up hours and sometimes days of their lives as they watch, rewatch, discuss and obsess over it.

Solution: Utilize your time properly and wisely. There is so much that we need to do that we really should not have time to kill. If you are bored and decide to surf YouTube, you rather spend your time watching Islamic lectures or if you need to relax, a
Nasheed video. Just don't give Shaytaan a chance to trap you into an obsession that can waste hours of precious time.

3. lack of understanding of the religion

Some Muslims are sincere and trying to practice their religion, but due to ignorance they mistake conspiracy theory videos for Islamic videos. I often find Islamic DVD stalls stocked with almost only conspiracy theory videos, most of them by Non-Muslims too. This shows a lack of understanding as to what is Islamic knowledge and also what is beneficial knowledge.

Solution: Consult scholars and learn from them what constitutes beneficial knowledge. Oh, and make sure the islamic DVDs you buy are really Islamic.

I am sure there are many other reasons why Muslims love conspiracy theories, maybe someone else can help me understand this obsession.

Some of these conspiracy theories can be very funny, take a look at the following examples:

1. Coca Cola backwards is Laa Muhammad, Laa Makkah which means No Muhamammad, No Makkah.

This one circulates a lot via email and it seems that many Muslims seem to believe it. (Why else would they forward the email) yet it is extremely illogical. Why would someone when naming a Soft Drink, try and decide what is No Muhammad, No Makkah backwards with the backwards word being Arabic and the forward word being English? Furthermore, even if you squint and twist the letters, you still can't see it. The closest you get is maybe Li Muhammad, Li Makkah, meaning for Muhammad, For Makkah, which makes me wonder why conspiracy theories are never pro-Muslim or positive?

Looking at words backwards to find secret messages can be very dangerous as then one can find hidden messages in good words like god and live. In fact, one can even deduce that Godzilla is a Muslim's pet as Godzilla backwards is Alliz dog.

2. Zakumi is named after a tree in Hell

Before the World Cup occurred, I heard during a Jumah lecture that one of the reasons the World Cup is Haraam is because its mascot is named after a tree in Hellfire, Shajaratuz-Zaqqum. Firstly, Zaqqum and Zakumi are not the same word. Secondly, nobody names their mascot after a tree in Hell in any language, I doubt the people who named him even know Arabic or what Zaqqum is. Finally, Zakumi means SA2010, that is all it means, No hidden messages, no hidden agendas.....except to sell more Wolrd Cup merchandise.

3. Pokemon means Poke Imaan

Firstly, Pokemon means pocket monsters. Secondly, what does poke Imaan mean? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? and finally how do you poke Imaan if it does not have a Facebook account?

Can splitting a name really expose hidden messages? If thats the case, let us look at the word Wahhabi and I'll so you how easy it is to invent a conspiracy theory and get caught up in it. Note the following is fictional humor:

Wahhabi is actually two words Wa and Hubby, Wa is the Arabic for 'and' while hubby is English slang for husband, so wahhabies actualy means 'and husbands' this is because the Wahabbi movement is actually a cover for polygamous Muslim men wanting to take multiple wives. This also explains why many Westerners dislike wa-hubbies, because they are anti-polygamy!

So what do we learn from this? Lets not waste our lives looking at words backwards, or splitting names to find secret messages. Let us focus our brain power on learning, understanding and implementing Islam our lives. This will be more beneficial for us in this world and the Afterlife.

Review: A Way of Life

2010-12-10T06:20:00.005+02:00

Zain Bhikha is a household name in my family so it is no surprise that I bought a copy of his latest CD as soon as it was released. By 'as soon as', I mean I went to the Al-Ansar bookstore and asked them if they have the new CD, they said they did not know it was out. Two days later I walked into the shop and they took out a copy for me as soon as they saw me. It had just arrived. :)

So now after a month of listening to it, I decided to do a little review for those who are not sure if they should purchase it.

The CD is entitled "A Way of Life" after the first track which is a new version of the Golden Oldie from Zain's ancient album "Children of Heaven". New versions of old songs is the common theme in this CD and it was much needed, these old songs have great messages yet I noticed that when the new generation listens to them, they find it too slow and the tunes outdated.

Clearly, Zain realized this too and over the past three CDs, he has taken some of his best old songs and made them relevant again. "A Way of Life" offers 14 songs, 11 with drum versions as well, making it altogether 25 tracks. Compared to "1415: The beginning" which featured mostly mature themed songs aimed at the youth, "A Way of life" is clearly aimed primarily at children.

Here is my review of the songs:

1) A Way of Life: 5 Stars

The new version of A Way of Life is faster and sung by some children (as are many of the tracks on this CD). I like the fact that Zain is using more children in his CDs, my kids love listening to songs sung by other children and so do we as it has a unique innocence to it that makes it more enjoyable.

2) 25 Prophets: 5 Stars

I prefer the drum version of this song, but either way it is a brilliant new song which makes it so easy for children to memorize the names of 25 prophets (No Yusha though) and has a very nice tone. I heard this song before at the Peace Conference in Mumbai 2007 and in "Enjoying Islam with Zain and Dawud" on PEACE TV. Great educational track.

3) When I Grow Up: 4 Stars

This song is definitely for kids by kids. Some cute children sing about what they will be when they grow up (teacher, Doctor, Mummy and most importantly, the best Muslims they can be), children will love this song as will parents, the youth might skip it though as they won't find it relevant to themselves unless they love kids.

4) Although I never saw his face: 4 Stars

This song starts of slow, and sounds like the old version at first, then it picks up speed and is really a very beautiful song describing the Prophet (pbuh). Once you get passed the slow start, it is a beautiful moving song which increases your love for the prophet (pbuh).

5) Turn to Allah: 4 Stars

Another old classic from Yusuf Islam's "A is for Allah" album, the new version is sung by children and sounds beautiful. Another fun song for kids.

6) Muslim School Anthem: 5 Stars

A reworking of "Children of Heaven"s song "Pretoria Muslim School Anthem", the new version is edited to not be restricted to any specific school and contains general lyrics sung very beautifully by a young girl. My favortie track on this CD, even though it is one of the only tracks without a drum version.

7) Give thanks to Allah: 4 Stars

A new version of a song so old that many people did not know Zain Bhikha sung it and a rumor went around that Michael Jackson converted to Islam and recorded it, which I find hilarious. This new version is fun but very short, I think its the shortest track on the CD.

8) I am a Muslim: 5 Stars

Another golden oldie now sung by little kids. It is one of my favorite tracks on this CD and I love the fact that Zain changed the wording of the final segment about death. The old version had him singing about death as if his time was up, the new version has the kids singing about death occuring someday and we know not when Allah will call us home. A good change that made this song even better.

9) Welcome O Ramadaan: 3 Stars

The second song not to have a drum version, but honestly I can not make up any real difference between this and the old version except the sound quality. Not that the old version is bad, it is still a beautiful song that we hear every Ramadaan, it is just the only song which I can't really hear any significant change in.

10) Eid-un Sa-Eid: 5 Stars

One of the best new versions of an old song on this CD, especially the drum version. This was already one of his most famous songs, but this new version is awesome, it is faster paced, features children singing joyfully with Zain and just creates a great atmosphere for Eid. The video is beautiful too, watch it here.

11) Salaamun Salaam: 5 Stars

The third track not to have a drum version and it does not need one. This is a very famous song, the PEACE TV theme song. This song is so old I can not recall which album it is from, I think it was sung by Zain on the "A is for Allah" album by Yusuf Islam. Anyway, this version is a bit faster, better quality with a beautiful chorus of children singing in the background.

12) Which of Allah's favors can we deny: 4 stars

Another old song recorded again with better quality and a faster tune. Really nice track with a great message.

13) Forever: 5 Stars

This is definitely going to be the hit track of this CD, expect to hear it all the time on Radio. It is a touching love song about the love between parents and their children sung beautifully by Zain and his young son Muhammad. The video too is very beautiful, watch is here.

14) Spread the word: 5 Stars

A new faster version of the song from the "Our World" album. I love this new version even more than the old one. It has a nice tune to it and a beautiful message about the importance of Dawah.

Overall: 9 out of 10

This is a great addition to any Nasheed collection for parents and children. However those who were hoping for another mature themed album like 1415 might be disappointed as this CD is clearly aimed at children. I like the fact that Zain is producing CDs for both the youth and children. For me, this is my favorite CD of his after 1415: The Beginning, and it is the only CD of his in which I love all the tracks and don't skip any of them.

I'm back...inshaa Allah

2010-12-08T09:30:00.003+02:00

After many months of being too busy or having writer's block. I am back inshaa Allah.

Having just completed the Hajj and read many new books, etc. I have a lot to digest and share, so inshaa Allah over the next few months expect a overload of articles by me, here and on Muslim Matters.

My Hajj reflections will be covered exclusively on Muslim Matters in a four or five part series. While my other random stuff will be posted here.

So stay tuned!

Reminder - Story of the Great Slander

2010-10-13T11:54:00.002+02:00

Why did the believing men and women, upon hearing this, not think good of their people and say, "This is clearly slander?" (Surah Nur 24:12)

This verse was revealed when our beloved mother Ayesha (RA) was slandered on Zina and some of the companions of the prophet (pbuh) believed and spread this slander. Sadly, it seems that many Muslim have forgotten this incident and the verses revealed upon it, including the warning, "Allah admonishes you never to repeat a mistake like this if you are truely believers," (24:17) As it seems slander has become loose on the tongues of some Muslims, even against righteous people by other learned people.

A quick recap of the incident, the details of which are available in Saheeh Muslim and many other resources:

While returning from an expedition, Ayesha (RA) was searching for her necklace and mistakenly got left behind. A young male companion, Safwan, found her and offered her his camel so that he could take her home. The leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah Ibn Ubay, saw this as an opportunity and started spreading a rumor about the two of them. Ayesha (RA) fell ill and stayed in her home for a few days oblivious of the accusations being levelled against her. Eventually, the gossip reached her and she was shocked and perplexed.

The prophet (pbuh) did not speak to her for a few days while he investigated. He did not believe the rumors but he had to investigate in order to put his mind at ease. For accusations against one's wife are harder for a man to bear than being slandered of being a poet or magician.

During this period, Ayesha (RA) experienced great emotional pain and went to stay with her parents. It is narrated that she could not stop crying for two nights. Finally, Ayesha (RA) went with her parents to speak to the prophet (pbuh) who said, "if you have done something wrong, then tell me so that you can repent. if you have done something wrong, repent to Allah so that you can meet Him in a state of repentance," Ayesha (RA) firmly stated that she did not do anything. Her parents in turn asked her this question, and she replied the same.

Finally, she said, “The only thing I am going to tell you is the same thing Abu Yusuf (Yaqoob) told his sons when Yusuf was taken away… ‘fa sabroon jameel wallahul musta’anu ala matasifoon .’ “With good patience, Allah is the one who aids me in that which you are accusing me.. .” After saying this, she felt at ease and put her trust in Allah. Soon after this, Allah revealed verses 11-20 of Surah Nur declaring her innocence and putting an end to the rumors and gossip. It was due to these veres that she gained the title, "Al-Mutabarri'u Fee Kitaabillah" (The one whose innocence is declared in the book of Allah)

There are many lessons to be learned from this important incident in our history but I want to focus on the following:

1) Many a times, we take pleasure in discussing the faults of others and spreading gossip and rumors behind their back, yet we do not benefit from this rumor-mongering at all, rather we cause so much emotional pain to the one being slandered that can not be described to a person who has not experienced it. If Ayesha (RA), with all her spiritual strength, cried for two nights when slandered, imagine the pain we cause to people with less strength when we slander them.

2) Even if it is true and not slander, this does not justify talking about it. How do we benefit from discussing the faults of others? Don't we have our own sins and faults that we need to overcome first? Gossip is never justified in Islam, even the steps leading to gossip are prohibited as per the following verse:

"Oh you who believe, do not be suspicious of others because suspicion can sometimes be a sin, and do not spy on others nor backbite them! Would you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No! You would hate it! So fear Allah, indeed He is the one who accepts repentance and is Most Merciful," (Surah Hujarat 49:12)

From the above story, I hope we all realise that not only is it wrong and counter-productive to indulge in gossip, but it is extremely hurtful to the people being slandered, I would like to end with the following warning from Allah to those who enjoy juicy gossip:

"Indeed, Those who love to spread such slanders among the believers,will have a painful punishment in this world and the next. Allah knows (the truth behind such accusations) and you do not know," (Surah Nur 24:19)

And words of comfort from Allah to those being slandered, "Do not think it to be bad for you, rather it is good for you," (Surah Nur 24:11) if nothing else, the rewards of good deeds done by the slanderer get transferred to you and that alone is good for you.

NOTE: Do not mention any slanderers or slandered people by name is the comments to this post!

Concerning Yusha

2010-09-21T10:32:00.003+02:00

So everybody wants to know where I got this name for my son from. Many people never hear of it before so here is a quick history lesson.

Yusha (pronounced You-Shaa) is the Arabic equivalent of Joshua.

According to Ibn Katheer in Bidayah Wa Nihayah, his lineage is as follows, he is Yusha the Son of Noon, the son of Afra'yeel, the son of Yusuf, the son of Yaqub, the son of Ishaaq, the son of Ibraheem (Peace be upon them all). So Yusha is the great-grandson of prophet Yusuf (AS) and out of six of his forefathers, four were prophets.

Yusha was the prophet Musa's (AS) companion on his journey to meet Khidr. Ibn Kathir says in Bidayah Wa Nihaya, "Allah Ta'ala mentions him in the Qur'an but not by name, in the story of Khidr, when he says, 'And when Musa said to his young companion,' and 'and when they reached it, he said to his young companion,', the prophet (SAW) clarified that the young companion is Yusha Bin Noon in a Saheeh Hadeeth," (Bidaya Wa Nihaya, volume 1, p: 378)

This can be found in the following authentic Hadeeth:

"Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, 'Once Moses stood up and addressed Bani Israel. He was asked who was the most learned man amongst the people. He said, 'I.' Allah admonished him as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So, Allah said to him, 'Yes, at the junction of the two seas there is a Slave of Mine who is more learned than you.' Moses said, 'O my Lord! How can I meet him?' Allah said, 'Take a fish and put it in a large basket and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish.' Moses took a fish and put it in a basket and proceeded along with his (servant) boy, Yusha 'bin Nun, till they reached the rock where they laid their heads (i.e. lay down). Moses slept, and the fish, moving out of the basket, fell into the sea." (Saheeh Bukhari 4: 55:613 )

Yusha Bin Noon (AS) was also Musa's (AS) successor. When Musa (AS) passed away, he became the prophet and it was under his leadership that Banu Israel finally conquered Jerusalem.

The prophet Muhammad (SAW) mentions one miracle of his. Yusha wanted to conquer Jerusalem before sunset so Allah cause the sunset to be delayed until he had conquered Jerusalem. Here follows the complete narration:

It has been narrated by Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "One of the Prophets made a holy war. He said to his followers: One who has married a woman and wants to consummate to his marriage but has not yet done so; another who has built a house but has not yet erected its roof; and another who has bought goats and pregnant she-camels and is waiting for their offspring-will not accommpany me. So he marched on and approached a village at or about the time of the Asr prayers. He said to the sun: Thou art subserviant (to Allah) and so am I. O Allah, stop it for me a little. It was stopped for him until Allah granted him victory. The people gathered the spoils of war (at one place). A fire approached the spoils to devour them, but it did not devour them. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Some of you have been guilty of misappropriation. So one man from each tribe should swear fealty to me. The did so (putting their hands into his). The hand of one man stuck to his hand and the Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Your tribe is guilty of misappropriation. Let all the members of your tribe swear fealty to me one by one. They did so, when the hands of two or three persons got stuck with his hand. He said: You have misappropriated. So they took out gold equal in volume to the head of a cow. They-placed it among the spoils on the earth. Then the fire approached the spoils and devoured them. The spoils of war were not made lawful for any people before us, This is because Allah saw our weakness and humility and made them lawful for us." (Saheeh Muslim 19:4327)

We learn that the prophet mentioned in the above Hadith is Yusha from the following narration mentioned by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal with an authentic chain of narrator: The prophet (SAW) said, "The sun has never stopped for any man besides Yusha when he wanted to conquer Baitul Muqaddis," (Bidaya Wa Nihaya, volume: 1, p: 382)

According to Islam Online, the name means "God is my salvation"

You see, even naming a child can be educating. :)

Yusha Ibn Ismail Kamdar enters the World!

2010-09-19T10:52:00.002+02:00

Alhamdulillah!

Today, Sunday 19 September 2010 at 8:45am, my wife delivered our third son Yusha into this world. We praise Allah for His great blessing of children upon us. Please remember us and our children in your duas.

Random Update

2010-09-17T15:22:00.007+02:00

It has been over a month since I updated my blog. I think I'm suffering from writer's block! Can't get down to writing anything interesting lately. It is not like I lack ideas, rather my mind has been loaded with ponderings as of late, just not in much of a writing mood. I think I'm missing lecturing. I have not delivered a public lecture in months.

Anyway here are a few points I've been pondering over lately, just to share my thoughts:

1. My wife is due to deliver our third child anytime now. We are very excited and happy. I do not understand people who try to ruin such happiness and tell you to slow down, not have so many children,and just sprout negativity about kids in general. If we are happy, we are happy, don't try to ruin that.

For the record, we do practice family planning, we PLAN to have a very big FAMILY and raise our children to be practising leaders of the ummah. :P

2. The Islamic Online University is running well Alhamdulillah. Second semester has now began and I look forward to teaching new students. Through the IOU I have discovered the potential of using the internet as a Dawah platform and plan to branch out into other online projects.

3. Speaking of online projects, I have decided to teach private Islamic classes online for an hour a week at a set monthly fee, anybody who is interested in such classes can contact me via Facebook or email me at: caller2islam@gmail.com

4. I have big dreams and goals, yet face many obstacles and failed projects but I will not stop, I am determined to accomplish some huge goals within the next few years Bi Iznillah.

Thats it for updates, I'll be posting something interesting soon inshaa Allah.

Please let me know if you are interested in online Islamic classes and we can work out a schedule, and please remember my family and I in your duas.

Ramadan: Between culture and religion

2010-08-11T10:13:00.003+02:00

It is that time of the year again. Everybody is excited and ready for Ramadan! In this month, Muslims all the world fast and pray. Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge, many of us have ritualized this religion and do not attain maximum benefit from it. In this short piece, I want to list some of the reasons why Ramadan and fasting are prescribed then highlightsome common cultural mistakes we often make.

The wisdoms behind Ramadan:

There are many lectures and books available online mentioning the benefits of fasting and Ramadan with all their evidences. I will just mention some in point form. You may listen to those lectures or read those books for more details.

1. The Qur'an clearly states that fasting is prescribed to assist us in attaining Taqwa (God Consiousness). This Taqwa is attained when we fast for the pleasure of Allah, and realize that if we can stay away from basic necessities like food and drink to please Allah, then we have the ability to stay away from sin to please Allah.

2. Self-Control: The hadeeth makes it clear that if you sin while fasting then you attain no reward for that fast. With this in mind, when we fast to pelase Allah, we are careful not to do or say anything Haraam. This is training so that we may learn to control our tongues outside of Ramadan

3. Growing close to the Qur'an: Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an, the purpose behind taraweh and recitation is to expose people to the message of the Qur'an so that we may benefit and grow closer to Allah through it. Of course, this means one must recite the Qu'an with understanding during Ramadan.

4. Reflection and Repentance: Through fasting, staying away from sins and useless deeds, we have more time to reflect on our own lives, especially if one sits for Itikaaf. This reflection should lead to repentance and a positive change in our lives.

Cultural issues that clash with the above:

1. Overeating: If one overeats for Iftaar or Suhoor, you have defeated the purpose of fasting. The Sunnah is to have a light meal for both Suhoor and Iftaar. By overeating, we are damaging our bodies and in the case of Suhoor, we do not feel our fast (what then is the point of fasting), and in the case of Iftaar, we are too tired and full during Taraweh which leads to mass burping competitions in the back rows.

2. Wasting time: Three hours left till Iftaar? Lets watch the Lord of the Rings so we don't feel it. Once again we are trying to avoid feeling the fast, so our fast passes like any other day without any spiritual benefit. Even if something is Halal, if it is not beneficial, try to stay away from it in Ramadan and focus on more important things like studying Islam, reciting Qur'an and helping others.

3. Missing our prayers: I have observed people skipping Maghrib while enjoying Iftaar. This is a futile exercise which shows lack of understanding or priorities. Salah is the second pillar of Islam and even more important than fasting. We nullify the reward of our fasts if we sleep through Asr or skip Maghrib because we are eating.

4. Ritualized Taraweh: It is your choice if you want to pray eight or twenty Rakah Taraweh but pray it properly. I firmly believe that praying eight rakah slowly with concentration and understanding is far more rewarding and beneficial than rushing through twenty rakah at superspeed. As Dr Bilal Philips once told us, "the way we pray Taraweh today (ritualized and superspeed) is bidah and might not be accepted by Allah,"

5. Khataming Qur'ans: We grew up with the idea that in Ramadan, we should finsih the Qur'an as many times as possible since Abu Hanifa use to recite it 60 times every Ramadan. We forget that Abu Hanifa had already studied and mastered the knowledge of the Qur'an before doing so. Instead of speed reading the Qur'an so that we can boast how many times we completed it. Read it just once or twice with understanding and resolve to practice and follow it.

6. Counting down the days to Eid: Some people can't wait for Ramadan to end and count down the dyas till Eid. You can not benefit from Ramadan if you do not appreciate it and are waiting for it to end. Change your mindset and appreciate each and every one of these blessed days as they come.

7. Cigarette Iftaar: Instead of using Ramadan to give up their sinful habits, many Muslims stand outside teh Masjid waiting for the Adhaan so that they can make Iftaar by polluting the air and their lungs with this evil substance. You don't see alcoholics waiting outside with bottles in their hands or drug addicts waiting with their shots, so why do smokers do so? If you can stay away from it all day in Ramadan, you can stay away from it permenantly. Just make the effort and resolve to do so.

May Allah make this Ramadan beneficial and spiritually uplifting for us all.

Students of knowledge, we need to watch our Character!

2010-08-07T12:27:00.001+02:00

"With great power comes great responsibilities" as Spider-man's wise uncle once said to him.

I grew up on this principle and take it very seriously. After all, Islam teaches us the very same. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that all of us are shepherd and responsible for our flocks. The bigger role we have in the world, the bigger our responsibilities towards others becomes.

This brings me to the issue of Islamic knowledge and the responsibility that comes with it. I do not think many students realize this but we are looked upon by others as role models. They watch our very move and when we do stupid things, either people will lose respect for us or think it is right. We need to realize that knowledge is power and with great power comes great responsibility. When you choose to gain knowledge of Islam, realize that you become responsible for assisiting and serving the ummah.

Yet many people do not seem to realize this. I found too many students of knowledge and scholars, who I initially look up to, disappoint me by displayed such character that even an ignorant Muslim knows is wrong. This is true for people from all schools of thought including Salafis, Deobandis and Sufis. Below are some of my experiences with such people:

1) I visited a student of knowledge who runs his own Islamic centre and who has been praised as knowledgable in the Deen with the hope of working for him. He invited me to his house for dinner were I noticed two things that put me off working with him, firstly he was very harsh and judgemental in his way of talking.

The entire time at dinner he would just lecture me about certain faults I have (he had just met me and assumed these faults). Secondly, his sons sat at dinner scared and silent, claerly terrified by their father. When he asked me if I had children, I responded that I had two sons. In front of his sons, he told me they only get harder to deal with as they get older. It was clear in his sons' faces that they were embarassed and hurt by his statement in front of a stranger.

I decided never to work for him or visit him again. I guess being a knowledgable person with your own centre is more important than your children's feelings or your character in dealing with others.

2) I met a world-reknowned Salafi Islamic teacher only to immediately recognize that his character was lacking. He does not know how to talk to people and seems disconnected from the world and unable to relate to others. I would later learn that he treats his wife horribly and clearly does not love or care for her.

3) I attended the lecture of a famous Sufi scholar at a conference. In the middle of his lecture, he pointed to me in the audience and told me to sit properly. The entire audience truned to look at me. Perhaps he did not learn the manner of correcting people and the prohibition of publicly embarassing people (especially for something as small as the way they sit at a conference).

4) I attended the lecure of a female scholar who seemed very impressive until the Q&A session in which she displayed utmost arrogance and humiliated a Madinan Graduate for questioning a statement she made. She even said that she is right because she has a PHd and then accused him of being a chauvinist for questioning her opinion.

5) I met too many scholars who tell me some strange ruling and when I ask for evidence, their evidence is, "I'm a Moulana/Mufti/Shaykh, I'm telling you so," So apparently his view counts as proof in of itself.

All the above examples show the exact same problem, many people focus on the book knowledge while ignoring the Adab and practical aspects of dealing with people. Too many times we get so caught up in studying Fiqh that we become like walking emotionless books unable to relate to others, care for them, completely devoid of empathy.

A lot of emphasis needs to be placed on studying human interaction, psychology, importance of family and plain old good character. Such issues need to be incorporated into our cirriculum at the universities.

If you can not care for people, treat them well or relate to them, you can not help them and you end up doing more harm than good. Especially if it is your own family. Children raised by such religiosu peopel who do not know how to treat their wives or children end up becoming averse to Islam because they do not want to be like their parents.

I know this came across as a rant but I needed to let this out. Firstly as a warning to myself, as well anyone else studying Islam. This religion is an Amaanah (trust) on our shoulders and our actions are Dawah, whether we like it or not.

When you wear the mantle of knowledge, people watch you and learn more from your behaviour than your lectures.

Taraweh: Eight or Twenty, both are permissible

2010-08-01T11:41:00.000+02:00

The people who hold that twenty rakats taraweh is a compulsory sunnah (Sunnah Muakiddah) usually bring forth two arguments, the first being that Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) united the Muslims upon twenty rakahs behind Ubay Ibn Ka’ab and Tamim Daari. The second being that the four Imams unanimously agreed that twenty rakahs is sunnah muakiddah.

Regarding how many rakahs Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) united the people
upon, Imam San’ai says, "There is a difference of opinion in the amount that Ubay Ibn Kab read. Some say it was eleven rakahs, others say it was twenty one rakahs, others say twenty, others say twenty three and there are other opinions as well," (Subulus Salaam Vol:2 Page: 356)

So we see that the scholars don’t even agree upon how many rakahs Umar united the people upon so this can not be a proof.

Regarding the four Imams, Imam Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated the following in his Muwatta, "Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered Ubayy ibn Kab and Tamim ad-Dari to watch the night in prayer with the people for eleven rakats. The reciter of the Qur'an would recite the Mi'in (a group of medium-sized surahs) until we would be leaning on our staffs from having stood so long in prayer. And we would not leave until the approach of dawn," (Muwatta Malik 6:2:4). This narration also shows that Umar united the people upon eleven rakahs, not twenty.

Regarding the Hanafi viewpoint, Imam Muhammad, the student of Imam Abu Hanifah, mentions the following narration in his Muwatta, "the prophet (peace be upon him) would not read more than eleven rakahs, neither in Ramadan or out of it (Muwatta Muhammad, Chapter of the Ramadan prayer 71:239)

Imam Muhammad then says, "We (The Hanafis) go according to all of this, there is nothing wrong in praying in the month of Ramadan, the people praying voluntarily with an Imam," (Muwatta Muhammad, Chaper of the Ramadan prayer 71:241)

This shows that the belief of Imam Abu Hanifah and his students was that Taraweh is optional. When the hadith says eleven rakahs, it could mean eight rakahs taraweh and three rakahs witr or ten rakahs taraweh and one rakah witr, Allah knows best.

So it is clear that Taraweh is optional and each person should read what he is able to, with eleven rakahs (including the witr) being the sunnat. To make twenty rakahs compulsory upon Muslims is an innovation with no basis in the Quran or Sunnah.

Top Ten Islamic Entertainment for Kids

2010-07-06T08:22:00.002+02:00

I have two little boys (and a third one on the way) and I am always worried about what they watch on television. I do not stop my children from watching television completely as I feel that has negative results, but I have provided a controlled environment in which they only watch DVDs and programs which I have approved. Although, I let them watch a few animated movies, especially those by Pixar, I am always on the look out for quality Islamic shows for my children to watch and enjoy.

When I was a child, there was barely any Islamic media available for kids. I grew up listening to Zain Bhikha and Dawud Wharnsby’s nasheeds but that was all I had. Alhamdulillah, all that has changed as more Muslims have realized the importance of Islamic media and in the past few years, many products for children have been produced.

Thus I have compiled a list of my favorite Islamic entertainment products for children to share with other parents who have similar concerns. People may differ over the permissibility of these products (music, animation, etc) but this is not the forum for that. Please click here for a fatwa on this issue on music in television shows, and here for a fatwa about animation for children.

10. The Lion of Ain Jaloot

This is a one hour animated movie about the early wars between the Muslims and the Mongols. It focuses on the story of Saifudeen Khutuz (pronounced Khotos in the movie) from childhood until he leads the Muslims to their first victory over the Mongols. The problem with this movie is that the animation is a bit outdated and the voices are not in sync with the lips of the characters. However, what I really enjoy about this movie is that it gives you a chance to teach and discuss many important aspects of Islamic history with your children. One of the scenes in this movie is the sacking of Baghdad which is a very important event in the history of Islamic scholarship. This movie opens the doors to discuss such historical events with your children.

9. Harun Yahya’s nature documentaries

Children love animals and nature (at least my kids do), and as such I feel much more at ease letting them watch Harun Yahya’s nature documentaries rather than those of Non-Muslims. Now the Non-Muslim produced animal documentaries are good but the advantage of the Harun Yahya DVDs is that he always links everything back to Allah and Islam. It is a beautiful way for children to learn about Islam and nature at the same time.

8. Nasheed Videos

This is a controversial area as there are so many different opinions regarding what is permissible or not in terms of nasheeds. Going with the majority view that wind and string instruments are prohibited, as is acting like you are in a rock video, there are still many Islamic nasheed videos you can let your children watch. I have a collection of nasheed videos by various artists like Zain Bhikha, Ahmed Bukhatir and Native Deen which I let my children watch as well a collection of nasheed performances on stage (call it a concert or whatever you like) without instruments (except a drum sometimes) or screaming girls in the crowd (I don’t approve of that).

My children’s first word was Allah which they repeated after hearing it in almost every nasheed, one of their first sentences was Laa Ilaaha Illallah which they learned from the song ‘Al-Khaliq’ and the list of good things they have learned from these songs can go on and on. Thus far, I have seen only good results from raising my children with nasheeds, but that is a decision for parents to make based on the opinion they follow about nasheeds and music.

7. Stories of the Prophets – Yusuf Estes

PEACE TV has produced some of the best Islamic shows for children. The first one to make this list is Stories of the Prophets. Yusuf Estes is perfect as an Islamic teacher for children, looking like a jolly grandfather and with a very good sense of humor, he keeps the children entertained while teaching them the stories of the prophets (peace be upon them) and many valuable lessons from each story. This is a very important show to let your children watch and one of many reasons why I recommend PEACE TV for every Muslim home.

6. Whiz Kids – Wonder Kids

Other entertaining shows on PEACE TV are Whiz Kids and Wonder Kids, both feature performances by the children of the IIS (International Islamic School) in which the children deliver lectures, sing nasheeds, act out plays and overall provide good entertainment and lessons for children. I really like these shows because they provide positive role models for Muslim children, as your children can grow up watching practicing Muslim children on television.

5. Hooray for Baba Ali

Young people and teenagers are entertained and learn a lot through Baba Ali’s Reminder series, but for the little ones, there is Hooray for Baba Ali. A series of short videos in which Baba Ali entertains the kiddies by behaving like a child (more like a Muslim version of Mr. Bean) while teaching them many important lessons including obedience to parents, cleanliness, kindness to animals and so much more. The DVD of this series released by 1Islam productions has some bonus nasheed videos which the children really love.

4. The Boy and the King

One of my favorite stories of all time, narrated in Saheeh Muslim and the Tafseer of Surah Buruj, the story of the boy and the king is full of great moral lessons. That is why this is one of my favorite Islamic movies ever. At a full feature length of one and a half hours, this movie tells the story of the boy who stood up against the king and his sorcerer and all the adventures that ensued. The movie’s animation is a bit outdated but it does not matter much because that is made up for with quality voice acting, a well written script and many morals and lessons for the entire family. This movie I recommend the entire family to watch together, not just for the kids.

3. Muhammad (pbuh): The Final Prophet

It is hard to choose between the Message, the Final Legacy (series on Islam Channel) or the animated movie Muhammad: The Final Prophet. All three tell the Seerah beautifully, but since this is a list for children, I will go with the animated movie as the best way to teach your children the basic Seerah. The movie is well-animated, has good voice acting, an excellent script and tells all the major events of the Seerah with many moral lessons in just one and a half hours. I find this movie perfect as an introduction to the Seerah for children, Non-Muslims and new converts.

2. The Zaky Series

1Islam Productions’ child division One4Kids have hired quality animators to put together a series of DVDs with an Islamic ethos about a purple bear named Zaky. There is so much to praise about this series. The animation is of the highest quality, the knowledge passed on is approved by scholars and authentic, there are no musical instruments and it is very well scripted. The best DVD in this series thus far is “Time to Pray with Zaky” which teaches children how to perform Wudhu, Tayyamum and Salah as well as many other lessons along the way. This DVD taught my children how to pray before they were two years old and at the moment they are learning their duas and surahs from this movie. If you don’t have this DVD in your collection, get it now. At the moment, we are eagerly awaiting the DVD release of the next Zaky movie in which he deals with protecting the environment.

1. Enjoying Islam with Zain and Dawud

Another PEACE TV production, this is a very high quality TV show, which I love watching with my children. This show stars Zain Bhikha, Dawud Wharnsby and five wonderful Muslim children in a library in which they discussed many important Islamic topics using many creative means and of course many nasheeds (with no instruments except the duff). The show has a catchy theme song which gets my children excited and glued to the TV, it has a brightly colored set, brilliant actors and in every episode your children will learn many valuable Islamic lessons. Yet another reason to have PEACE TV in your home.

Muslim Matters.org

Happy Homes - A Sunnah Guide

2010-06-12T18:43:00.003+02:00

Audio Recording now available on Muslim Matters.org

If Superheroes were Muslims

2010-06-07T18:27:00.000+02:00

I want to write a Muslim Superhero story but till then here is some light humor. Some things I thought about while trying to think up a Muslim Superhero.

(If you do not find this funny or lack a sense of humor then simply do not comment and ignore this piece)

If Superheroes were Muslims:
They wouldn't wear tight-fitting costumes

If Superheroes were Muslims:
Most supervillains would strike at Salah time
(In this case, the heroes would utilize the Fiqh of Salah in Jihad)

If Superheroes were Muslims:
More Supervillains would convert to Islam than die

If Batman was a Muslim:
He'd keep that cool beard he had at the beginning of Batman Begins

If Superman was a Muslim:
Some Sufis would regard him as a Hazrat and regard his powers as Karamaat

If Spiderman was a Muslim:
He'd marry both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane, problem solved

If Ironman was a Muslim:
The war in Afganisthan would be over

If Wolverine was a Muslim:
He wouldn't hit on the X-women

If Magneto was a Muslim:
He'd look like Gandalf

Deen Class weekly dosage June 2010

2010-05-30T14:11:00.003+02:00

I'll be delivering the lecture on 15 June "Happy Homes"
See you all there

Research on Macdonalds

2010-05-02T13:26:00.000+02:00

With all the controversy going on in our loving united community about Halal chicken, I thought the following research by a good friend of mine, Imran Ayub, can help shed some light on the issue (or at least set the stage for Chicken War II):

Halaal Meat

By Imran Ayub

Alhamdulilah. Indeed, all praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from our souls’ evil and our wrong doings. He whom Allaah guides, no one can misguide; and he whom He misguides, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no (true) God except Allaah – alone without a partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His ‘Abd (servant) and messenger

Case study of McDonalds in UK: Is it Halaal?

Question 1: What are the Islamic guidelines in terms of Slaughter?

Answer:

i. The Animal should be slaughtered Using a sharp object and in the name of Allaah

Narrated Rafi bin Khadij (May Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If the killing tool causes blood to gush out and if Allah's Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughterer animal). But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail. I am telling you why: A tooth is a bone, and the nail is the knife of Ethiopians.”[1]

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “(Correct) slaughtering is applied to the throat and windpipe.”[2]

ii. The Food needs to be from a Muslim, Jew or Christian only.

Allaah, the Most High, says: “Made lawful to you this day are AtTayyibât [all kinds of Halâl (lawful) foods, which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them.”[3]

In his famous Tafseer, Imaam Ibn Katheer said: “The food of the People of the Scripture is lawful to you..” meaning, their slaughtered animals, as Ibn `Abbas, Abu Umamah, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Makhul, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, As-Suddi and Muqatil bin Hayyan stated. This ruling, that the slaughtered animals of the People of the Book are permissible for Muslims, is agreed on by the scholars, because the People of the Book believe that slaughtering for other than Allah is prohibited[4]. They mention Allah's Name upon slaughtering their animals, even though they have deviant beliefs about Allah that do not befit His majesty.”

Even the Prophet (peace be upon him) ate the food from the Jews and did not ask how they had slaughtered it or if they had mentioned Allaah’s name:

Narrated Anas bin Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him): A Jewess brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he was asked, "Shall we kill her?" He said, "No." I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah's Apostle.[5]

Dr. Muhammad al – Jibaly said: “…If Allaah's name is not pronounced at the time of slaughtering because of ignorance or forgetfulness, this does not make the animal prohibited - unless it is dedicated to other than Allaah.”[6] And we know that Jews and Christians do not slaughter their meat for false gods.

It was reported from Yazeed An – Nahwee, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: The Verse “So eat of that upon which Allaah’s Name has been mentioned.” (6:118) and the Verse “Eat not of that upon which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned.” (6:121) were abrogated, and an exception was granted for that, so He said “The food of the people of the Book is lawful to you, and yours is lawful to them.” (5:5)[7]

Question 2: Are we allowed to eat the food of the Christians and Jews today?

Answer:

Yes, we are, as long as they slaughter the animal while it’s alive, and not, for example, stunned it to death. As for the beliefs of the Jews and Christians, they were off the straight right path along time before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Jews ignored their scriptures and tried to kill the messiah, ‘Isa (peace be upon him), while the Christians were deceived by Paul, and the bible and the trinity were changed and ‘invented’ in Nicea, by Constantine and co.

Allaah mentions how they strayed from the right path in the Qur’aan: "Surely, disbelievers are those who said: "Allâh is the third of the three (in a trinity)." But there is no ilâh (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilâh (God -Allâh). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them.”[8]

“O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allâh and His Word, ("Be!" - and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him; so believe in Allâh and His Messengers. Say not: "Three (trinity)!" Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allâh is (the only) One Ilâh (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allâh is AllSufficient as a Disposer of affairs."[9]

“And they (Jews, Christians and pagans) say: Allâh has begotten a son (children or offspring). Glory be to Him (Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience (in worship) to Him.”[10]

Please note: Some of these Jews and Christians have in fact become atheists. This, however, is not as common as people may believe and we cannot judge (a Christian or Jew) to be an atheist, unless there is proof. Most Christians and Jews today have some belief in God and the reality is that atheism (in its true form) is extremely rare. Most people, who claim to deny God's existence, tend to believe in God, but hate Him for something that may have happened in their live, like an illness for example. This is due to their ignorance of Qadr.

Question 3: I called McDonalds and they said their food is not Halaal

Answer:

The reality is that they probably do not even understand what Halaal food is. Due to the ignorance in the Muslim community, most people do not understand what Halaal food is exactly and end up basing their judgements on baseless rulings.

Thus, it is incumbent on us to do the research ourselves.

Question 4: Doesn’t McDonalds stun their animals?

Answer:

Yes, however, they do not stun them to death. The following is taken from their website:

“All animals are individually stunned and unconscious before slaughter. McDonald’s ensures that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel, under veterinary supervision.”[11]

a. Beef

“The majority of abattoirs that supply McDonald's beef in the UK use a captive bolt to stun the animal. There are a small number that use electric stunning. Both methods comply with the high standards of animal welfare required by McDonald's under advisement from UK and European legislation as well as animal experts. The company simply will not work with any supplier that does not adhere to these high standards. All abattoirs must be EU-approved and all are under the care of qualified vets and health inspectors.”[12]

“The cattle are unloaded at the abattoir and then carefully inspected under veterinary supervision to make sure each animal is fit for slaughter. They are then individually walked through to a pen where they are stunned before their main artery is cut. They will die in a matter of seconds and do not feel a thing during this process. McDonald’s has standards in place to ensure that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel. The company simply will not work with any supplier that cannot adhere to these high standards, and of course all those required by UK and EU legislation. All abattoirs must be EU-approved and all are under the care of qualified vets and health inspectors. (July 2007)”[13]

“The cattle are unloaded at the abattoir and then carefully inspected under veterinary supervision to make sure each animal is fit for slaughter. They are then individually walked through to a pen where they are stunned before their main artery is cut. They will die in a matter of seconds and do not feel a thing during this process. McDonald’s has standards in place to ensure that the slaughter of animals is carried out in a humane and compassionate manner by qualified personnel. The company simply will not work with any supplier that cannot adhere to these high standards, and of course all those required by UK and EU legislation. All abattoirs must be EU-approved and all are under the care of qualified vets and health inspectors. (October 2007)”[14]

b. Chicken

“The chickens are unloaded at the abattoir and then carefully inspected under veterinary supervision to make sure each animal is fit for slaughter. They are then individually hung on a line which quickly transports them in a calm environment (they hang against a soft side rest proven to have a calming effect); to where they are stunned to make sure they are unconscious, before the main artery is cut. McDonald’s has very stringent procedures in place throughout its food production to ensure that all animals are treated in the right way before slaughter.

All suppliers who work with McDonald’s must adhere to the extremely stringent guidelines and high standards laid down by local government, the McDonald’s Agriculture Assurance Plans, and the British Poultry Council’s Assured Chicken Production scheme which controls all aspects of chicken farming, including feed and animal welfare. McDonald's continues to collaborate with global animal welfare experts to ensure that it provides the highest levels of farming quality and welfare. (August 2007)”[15]

And as long as the animal is alive after stunning[16], it’s Halaal.

Question 5: You are not a scholar, so why should we believe you?

Answer:

I am a simple student as yourselves, however I have presented proof from the research I have done and I got my opinion checked and approved by Dr. Bilal Philips who agreed and said: “You are correct. Their meat is fundamentally Halaal, as long as the animal is alive when slaughtered. If they die from stunning prior to slaughter, then they are Haraam.”

Ask yourself this, “Do I really know what Halaal food is? Or do I just follow what people say?”

Islaam is a religion of ease…and we should leave it like that.

Allaah, the Most High, says in the Qur’aan: “…Allâh intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you...”[17]

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights."[18]

Question 5: What about KFC?

On the KFC Website about the Halaal Chicken they sell http://www.kfc.co.uk/about-kfc/halal/ It says:

7. Does this mean your animal welfare standards have changed?
No, not at all. We will always only purchase high quality, Grade A, farm assured chicken from the same leading suppliers used by Britain’s major retailers. We remain committed to the same animal welfare standards and will continue to insist that our poultry is stunned before slaughter. All of our suppliers are contractually required to meet or exceed all relevant UK and EU legislation.

8. Is KFC’s halal chicken stunned before slaughter? Absolutely, we insist that all of our poultry is stunned before slaughter. The only difference is that for us to achieve halal accreditation, a blessing must be read by an authorised person at the time of slaughter and we need to ensure that the poultry does not come into contact with non-halal meat at any point in the supply chain. These are small changes that do not compromise our current welfare standards in any way.”

Thus, everything is exactly the same, except they say the Tasmiyyah before slaughtering (which is mentioning Allaah's name). This means they are doing exactly what McDonalds does. The animal is stunned (made unconscious, but is alive), then slaughtered. They do this because they think it’s humane, and Muslim do this (i.e. stunning), because chicken start hitting each other and end up with bruising (when on the conveyor belt).

There is a difference of opinion whether you must mention Allaah's name when slaughtering, or whether it is recommended. From what Dr. Bilal Philips (a Muslim Scholar) explained to me, you need to mention Allaah's name, in general for Muslims, but there is an exception when it comes to Christians and Jews.

And this is supported by Ibn Abbaas, who was a companion that new the Qur'aan really well and his Tafseer is one that is considered one of the best and most reliable:

It was reported from Yazeed An – Nahwee, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: The Verse “So eat of that upon which Allaah’s Name has been mentioned.” (6:118) and the Verse “Eat not of that upon which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned.” (6:121) were abrogated, and an exception was granted for that, so He said “The food of the people of the Book is lawful to you, and yours is lawful to them.” (5:5)[19]

Conclusion:

Sheikh Abu ‘Abdissalam[20] said: “If the general rule in the country is that the huge majority of people still call themselves Christian or Jew, then the asl (general rule) regarding meat in that country is that it is Halaal (of course, this excludes things which are specifically prohibited in Islam such as the pig). This is as long as the general norm is that they slaughter the animal (spill blood by cutting the neck) and not kill it for example by stunning (i.e. the stunning causes the death).”[21]

Narrated ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): A group of people said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they have mentioned Allah's Name or not on slaughtering the animal.’ He (peace be upon him) said, “Mention Allah's Name on it and eat.” Those people had embraced Islam recently.[22]

Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, after quoting the above hadeeth: “They were new in Islam, and they did not know whether they had said the name of Allah or not, so he said: “Say it yourselves, then eat.” So eating it is permissible even if we do not know whether the one who slaughtered the meat mentioned the name of Allah or not. Similarly it is permissible to eat even if we do not know whether the meat was slaughtered in the proper manner or not, because if the action is carried out by the right people then the basic principle is that it is valid, unless there is evidence to the contrary. So if some meat comes to us from a Muslim, a Jew or a Christian, we should not ask about it or ask how it was slaughtered or whether the name of Allah was mentioned over it. It is Halaal so long as there is no clear proof that it is Haraam. This is a way in which Allah has made things easier for us.”[23]

Thus, it is incumbent upon the Muslim community to do the research and convey the correct information to the public.

The above case study was not to promote McDonalds or claim it is Halaal, my intentions were to simply make us all aware of how to derive correct rulings based on proof. We cannot simply follow our whims and desires or follow our 'Imams' blindly. These guidelines should be used for all meats in all restaurants, shops, etc in UK and around the world.

And It is Only Allaah Who grants success. May Allaah Exalt the mention of His slave and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), and render him, his household and companion safe from Evil.

------------------------------------------------------------

References:

· ‘Halaal Meat’, by Sheikh Abu ‘Abdissalam,

· ‘Festivals and Celebrations’, by Dr. Muhammad al – Jiblaay, 2nd Edition, al – Kitaab and as – Sunnah Publishing, 2005

· ‘Make up your own mind about McDonald’s Restaurants and Food Quality’, http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 7, Book 67, Number 406

[2] Recorded by Ibn Hibbaan and others from Ibn ‘Abbaas and other companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). Verified to be Saheeh by Sheikh al – Albaanee in ‘Irwaa’ ul – Ghaleel’, Number 2542; as quoted in ‘Festivals and Celebrations’, p. 199

[3] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Ma'idah 5:5
[4] They do claim they worship One God and this is also found in the Bible: "You shall have no other gods besides me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." [The Bible, Exodus 20:3-4 (New International Version)]

[5] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 47, Number 786; Also see Saheeh Muslim, Book 026, Number 5430
[6] As quoted in ‘Festivals and Celebrations’, p. 202
[7] Sunan Aboo Daawood, Volume 3, Book 16, Hadeeth Number 2,817, p. 388, Classed as Hasan by Haafiz Aboo Taahir Zubayr ‘Alee Za’i, Darussalam Publishers, [English Translation], 2008

[8] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Ma'idah 5:73
[9] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah An-Nisa 4:171
[10] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:116
[11] http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/question-search?key=slaughter;nh=4#question1
[12] http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/question-search?key=slaughtering#question8
[13] http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/question-search?key=slaughter#question5
[14] http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/question-search?key=slaughter;nh=2#question5
[15] http://www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/question-search?key=slaughter#question11
[16] The only reason stunning would make a meat Haraam is if the animal died due to the stunning. This would put that meat in the category of ‘dead meat’, and would thus not be permissible. The reason why they normally stun is to make the slaughtering process easier as the animal is large. They also claim its less painful, however, studies have shown the Islaamic method is the least pain full (Its like comparing a blow to the head and a sharp cut due to shaving)

[17] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:185
[18] See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1; Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 38
[19] Sunan Aboo Daawood, Volume 3, Book 16, Hadeeth Number 2,817, p. 388, Classed as Hasan by Haafiz Aboo Taahir Zubayr ‘Alee Za’i, Darussalam Publishers, [English Translation], 2008

[20] Abu Abdissalam Muhammad Nabeel was born in the central English town of Coventry and was raised in London. Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the City University in London, his zeal for knowledge led him to give up a subsequently lucrative career in the computer industry to join Dar Al-Hadith Al-Khayriyyah in the blessed city of Makkah and obtained a degree in Islamic Studies specialising in Hadith and it's Sciences.

During his time there, he studied under many of the prominent scholars of our time. He is currently in the final year of his degree at the Darul-Hadeeth, Makkah.

During the course of his studies he has acquired ijazas for all of the six major books of Hadith (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Na'sai and Ibn Majah). In addition, he also has ijazas for the Sharh of Aqidah Tahawiyyah of Ibn Abdil Izz al-Hanafi, Shaykh Muhammmad Amin al Harari's Sharh of Muqadimmah of Muslim and Nuzhat An-Nazr Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr of Ibn Hajar.

Abu Abdissalam has translated a number of Islamic texts from Arabic into English for the benefit of the English speaking Muslims around the world. He is actively involved in many spheres of Da’wah in the UK and has numerous notable achievements. These include establishing the Islamic Network, a non-profit organization that provides a common platform for various da’wah efforts to work collectively in the UK and abroad.

Abu 'Abdissalam also appears regularly on Islam Channel, a UK-based satellite channel which is currently broadcasting two of his series: 'Heavenly Pearls' and 'Stories of the Prophets'. [http://alkauthar.org/content.asp?pgc=mdnabeel&From=Our%20Instructors]

[21] ‘Halaal Meat’, http://www.abuabdissalam.com/?p=14

[22] Saheeh Bukhaari, Vol. 3, Book 34, Number 273
[23] Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh, 1/77; as quoted in ‘Halaal Meat’, http://www.abuabdissalam.com/?p=14

Women in a Masjid, a female convert's perspective

2010-04-13T13:57:00.001+02:00

I recently had a big discussion of Facebook about the right of women to visit the Masjid, the following email from a female convert who use to live in a country where women were allowed in the Masjid before moving to ultra-conservative South Africa really hit me, please read and you will insha Allah understand why we put so much emphasis on this issue. By the way, I asked Dr Bilal Philips about Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi's statement on this issue and he replied, "Good, this evil (of banning women from the Masjid) must be overcome."

The E-mail:

"Wa'alaykum asalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu,

BarakAllahu feek ya Abu Muawiyah for defending the order of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wassalam. And when the Prophet, 'alayhis salam orders a thing, then NO-ONE has any right at all to oppose him...

Personally, I know of no country other than South Africa where women are forbidden from attending the masajids - it was certainly a big issue which upset me when I came to SA - after living in australia, and being able to attend the masjid when I pleased and sooo loving ramadaan and attending the masjid for taraweeh every night, I felt totally 'deprived' and almost like my deen had been stolen from me. There just is no place like the house of Allah, it has an amazingly spiritual, calming, cleansing and truly beneficial effect.

I also know from visiting countries such as Saudi, Malaysia and Dubai, that facilitating women in Masajids, prayer rooms etc, carries HUGE benefit. It makes salaah so easy, and always on time. Unlike here, where I have actually been 'forced' to miss my salaah because a man wanted to stop the car and pray in the masjid, whereas us women had to remain in the car, just watching the time for salaah float by, along with our salaah - I've rarely experience such anger and frustration!

And especially in places like Dubai, where one is so surrounded by materialism - being able to retreat to a prayer room in the mall at salaah time is truly full of good. Leaving the shops and stepping into a place of worship is almost literally like stepping out of filth into purity, or from darkness into light...

And never have i seen any mixing caused by this, let alone 'zina'! in every country i've been to, and every masjid, there was a separate entrance for women that was out of view of the entrance for men, so how can there be mixing? And if a person was so diseased that he or she would commit any level of zina anywhere near the house of Allah, then it is surely these people who need to attend His house more often so that they may receive guidance.

Also, in most other countries esp UK, US and Australia, because of the women being allowed to attend the masjid there is a wonderful beautiful 'sisterhood' amongst these women - this I certainly do not find, and desperately miss here in SA, where every women seems to be for herself, and the only gathering is the rule-burdened tabligh ta'aleems, where the women are practically not allowed to speak to each other during the meeting. And of course being in 'fatima's' house, nowhere near carries the atmosphere of being in Allah's house!

For any negatives there may be for women attending the masjid, there are far more positives that clearly outweigh them. This would be why the Prophet, salallahu alahyi wassalam's last order concerning the masjid and women, was not to forbid them, and we should remember again, that when the Prophet, 'alayhis salam orders a thing, then NO-ONE has any right at all to oppose him..."

Umm Latifa

Imaan-Boosting Motivational Tasks

2010-04-05T13:32:00.004+02:00

Many a times we lack motivation to go the distance and be the best Muslims we can be. Here are a few tasks you can do that will boost your motivational levels, insha Allah:

1. Think of your favorite things that you love about Paradise and how much you want it (meeting Allah, meeting a relative who passed away, eternal life, etc), now think about what you are doing wrong in your life that might be preventing you from getting it (not praying, not wearing Hijab, backbiting, injustice, etc). Is Paradise not worth sacrificing for? Think about the above and make a pledge and effort to improve yourself to get what you want.

2. Attend a workshop or Islamic course taught by a dynamic tutor who makes you love Islam (not some boring scary molwy), this normally boosts my Imaan levels and gets me going to do my best!

3. Read a portion of the Qur'aan with translation and sit and ponder over its beauty and meanings and impact in your life.

4. Visit a friend who reminds you of Allah and makes you love Islam and want to practice Islam (not the self-righteous guy who makes you feel inferior to him)

5. Go outdoors on a beautiful day, sit in the sunlight and ponder over the beauty of Allah's creation (no guys, not the girls ,lower your gaze from them), pray two rakahs on the grass itself slowly with understanding.

6. Read my articles (just joking). Watch a motivational Islamic video (DVD, YouTube, PEACE TV) or read a motivational book or article.

Most importantly, change comes from within and from Allah. Make that effort, make du'a and Allah will help us find our way to Him and His Paradise.

The IOU and Me

2010-03-29T14:05:00.005+02:00

In early 2007, I had recently gotten married and was searching for authentic Islamic sources for my wife and I. I started watching PEACE TV and got interested in the lectures of Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

I also had the habit of buying any book I found written by Ibn Taymiyyah (RA. During this time I came across a book called "Ibn Taymiyyah's essay on the Jinn" translated and edited by Dr Abu Amueenah Bilal Philips. On the back cover of the book was a link to the Islamic Online University (IOU).

I joined the IOU that week (its free!) and took up the only available course "The dawah training course" as the website had recently opened up. That was a new beginning for me. Through modules consisting of PDF notes, audio and video lectures and MCQ (multiple choice question) tests, as well as assignments, I began to re-study Islam and change many of my opinions.

During this time, I started talking to Dr Bilal Philips about many of our differences and my doubts in his content. He was the first teacher who could answer my questions in a manner that satisfied my intellect and never stopped me from asking questions or questioning his opinions and I developed a deep admiration for him. That year in November, I journeyed to Mumbai, India for the first time to attend the Peace Conference and meet this amazing man.

The conference was amazing and I met many other amazing people before I got to meet the Shaykh, including Shaykh Salem Al-Amry, Zain Bhikha, Yusuf Estes, Iesa Washington and Musa Cerantonio amongst others. Finally, on the eight night of the conference I managed to sneak past the guards long enough to greet and introduce myself to Dr Bilal, he then told them to let me into the VIP area and I had the honor that night of dining with the Shuyukh and meeting Dr Zakir Naik! I sat with Dr Bilal Philips and Shaykh Hussein Yee and had dinner with them. Two nights later, I once again had dinner in the VIP area with Dr Bilal Philips.

During this trip, I bought at least ten books written by Dr Bilal and read all of them, including Fundamentals of Tawheed, Evolution of Fiqh and Tafseer Surah Hujarat. It was one of the most memorable and life-changing journeys of my life.

Since 2007, gradualy the IOU introduced more free courses and I did as many as I could. As of now, I have completed almost ten courses through the IOU including Foundations of Islamic Studies, Usool Tafseer, Usool Hadith, Fiqh of Fasting to name a few. I owe a lot of my knowledge to Dr Bilal Philips and his IOU and I ask Allah to reward them all greatly.

My relationship with the IOU did not stop there however, as the university grew, they needed more staff, in 2008 I found myself taking up a voluntary post to assist in facilitating the courses. The university grew so fast that today, there are over 13000 students studying the free short courses on the IOU, Alhamdulillah.

In 2009, I went to India once again, this time to Chennai to teach in a new school that Dr Bilal Philips had founded, the Al-Fajr International School. I stayed in India for two months before returning. Even though I enjoyed the job and loved the children I met there, and really appreciated the time I spent in Dr Bilal's company, I found the living conditions in Chennai difficult for myself and my family so I returned to South Africa.

In 2010, a new chapter begins in the IOU. Dr Bilal Philips has introduced the first ever tution-free BA in Islamic Studies course online. Alhamdulillah, he has hired me as a Tutorial Assistant for this course, I will be assisting and tutoring the students in the fields of Arabic, Fiqh and Aqeedah. It is an exciting new initiative and I am grateful to Allah for allowing me to be part of something so big and important.

As of today, close to 800 students have registered for the first semester in the IOU's BAIS program. I ask Allah to make the IOU a great success, to use it to change the lives of millions and revive the correct understanding of His deen, to reward Dr Bilal for all his hard work, as well as all those involved in this and all other important Islamic projects.

Few points about Hijab

2010-03-29T09:11:00.002+02:00

Hijab is a topic people shy away from and don't want to talk about, out of fear of being unpopular. The only topic more controversial to talk about to women than Hijab is polygamy, but that is for another article.

Anyway, here are a few short pointers on Hijab:

1) Hijab is compulsory for both men and women in front of members of the opposite gender whom they can marry. (that includes your cousins)

2) Area of Hijab for women, minimum is to cover everything except their face and hands. (yes, some scholars say face as well, but I'm talking minimum, agreed upon, etc)

3) Area of Hijab for men is whatever is between their navel and their knees (not including navel or knees), men are also prohibited from wearing pure silk, jewelry (except a ring) and shaving their beards

4) Both men and women must lower their gaze if they feel desire when they see a member of the opposite sex.

5) Both men and women must NOT wear tight-fitting or transparent clothing

6) Both men and women must NOT wear sexually attractive clothing or talk, act in a sexy manner

7) That is between people you can marry. In front of your brothers, father, other women, etc, a woman only has to cover from her bosom to her knees

8) Between husband and wife, all the above rules do not apply, its No-Holds-barred!..except two but thats a different topic.

9) The above rules apply on Facebook as well, in your profile and album pics

10) Many women find wearing Hijab difficult, try your best, do it for Allah and don't worry about what people say.

11) Your hijab is NOT hijab if: 1) You backbite people who don't wear it
2) You beautify your face and Hijab enough to turn men's heads
3) You are a muscled up guy wearing a tight fitting shirt
4) Your hair, neck or bra straps are showing!
5) You flirt around despite wearing hijab

12) Lowering your gaze is difficult, let us make it easy for each other by dressing appropriately.

13) If you fulfill the above conditions and the opposite sex still gazes at you with lust, you have done your duty, they must learn to do theirs, which is lower their gaze (I know men who look at Niqabis' eyes and how beautiful they are)

Dawah: You missed a spot!

2010-03-25T07:37:00.000+02:00

A few days ago, I was in a bookstore doing some research and I overheard some guys discussing the existence of God. It was clear that one was an atheist and the other was a struggling Christian.

“Do you believe in God or not?” demanded the atheist customer, “and which book do you recommend to prove that God does not exist?”

“I can’t recommend a book since I don’t exactly not believe in God,” the Christian salesman stammered, “I can’t say that I believe in God or not, although I believe much of what is in the Bible.”

The two men went back and forth with the atheist pressuring the salesman into taking a stance, meanwhile, I went back to reading my book. Then an elderly lady came and took a book from the table in front of me, I offered her my seat but she declined but commented that she liked my thobe (she didn’t use that word, just said that shirt thing you’re wearing) and asked me where I got it from. I told her I got it from Dubai, she then went on her way and I returned to my book.

After I had finished reading, while I was driving home, my heart was suddenly filled with regret. “You missed a spot!” I told myself, two good Dawah opportunities presented themselves to me but I did not take advantage of them because I was too busy with my book!

How many times do we pass by these opportunities to share our views and beliefs with others? Generally, I try my best never to miss a Dawah opportunity. If I am sitting on a train, bus or aeroplane, then you should expect the person seated next to me to receive a dose of Dawah.

Islam is a universal message and as carriers of this message, we are duty-bound to share the message of Islam with everyone we meet. If the right occasion presents itself to you, do not hesitate to share the message of Islam with anyone. Do not repeat my mistake, seize every opportunity and spread the word of Islam!

Crossposted from Muslim Matters

Youth Worskhop on Entertainment taught by me

2010-03-19T13:39:00.002+02:00

Just an update - IOU, Muslim Matters and more

2010-03-16T09:05:00.004+02:00

I haven't updated my blog in a while because I have been very busy with the Islamic Online University (IOU) setting up their BAIS program which I am officially a Tutorial Assistant in. I would like to thank Dr Bilal Philips for this opportunity to be a part of this incrediblely creative method of imparting Islamic knowledge. If you don't know what the IOU is, check it out! Over fifteen free short courses in different Islamic topics and know the Full BAIS online tution free. Please check it out and do not let this opportunity to gain Islamic knowledge pass you by.

I am also very busy with Deenclass Durban, currently serving as a substitute Arabic teacher but will soon insha Allah have my own Arabic classes as well as monthly Youth workshop so stay tuned for that!

As of late I have been posting most of my articles on Muslim Matters.org since they receive a much larger readership than this blog. So for now I won't be posting many articles here unless I find an article of mine too controversial for a big blog. ;)

Here is a nice article to read by MJ Khan about the arrivals about which I said in my latest Jumah lecture, "The Arrivals is a bunch of crap and we should not waste our time with it as we have more important things to learn from"

My Radio lecture series (Friday 9am - radio Al-Ansar)is going extremely well, I don't have it up online but you can download or listen to the youth program we had on Radio Al-Ansar with myself, MJ Khan, Fatima Asmal, Zain Bhikha, Baba Ali and more here.

New Article at Muslim Matters

2010-02-24T13:40:00.002+02:00

My latest article "The Quran and Me: Developing a personal relationship" is now up at Muslim Matters. Please check it out.

In other news, tomorrow night (Thursday 24 February) I'll be a guest on Fatima Asmal's show on Radio Al-Ansaar between 8:30pm and 10:30pm SA time. Please tune in. Don't forget, my own lecture series on Radio Al-Ansaar starts this coming Friday at 9am.

Look out for Youth Seminars starting soon in Durban hosted by me, insha Allah.

To Allah Alone belongs all praise.

"Mercy To The Universe" Radio Lecture Series

2010-02-23T08:16:00.002+02:00

Alhamdulillah, during the upcoming Radio Al-Ansar Sirah Broadcast, I will be hosting my own lecture series. Every Friday morning at 9am South African time (GMT +2) for an hour. Please tune in to hear about a different dimension to the Sirah, focusing on the mercy, tolerance and social dealings of the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). People outside of Durban can listen to the broadcast here.

Please tune in and then provide me with your feedback. :)

CM Punk should be a Muslim

2010-02-18T13:06:00.006+02:00

The WWE is not a good place for Muslims to take their role models from. Whether it is the beer-drinking finger-flipping Steve Austin or the women who dress so bad, it is Haraam to even look at them. (unless you are Superbuzrug and don't feel desire when looking at them)

Of course, the biggest problem with the WWE (and many other sports) is that smoking, drug usage, steroids and alcohol consumption are common amongst their stars, which is something no Muslim wants their kids to emulate. This is what makes CM Punk so unique. When I first heard about CM Punk's straightedge gimmick, I was happy that at least he is promoting something good on screen, even though I know that the WWE is staged (not fake). However, when I learned that he really is straightedge i.e. he does not drink, smoke or take drugs, I became curious and did some research on him. So here are my thoughts on CM Punk:

1. It is sad that being straightedge makes CM Punk unique in the WWE when in reality, that is how we all should be. CM Punk probably never heard the true message of Islam, if he did, he'd be happy to know that there is a straightedge religion, i.e. a religion which condemns all forms of smoking, drug usage, steroids and alcohol consumption. The perfect religion for him and if he joins us, he will be joining the world's largest straightedge family. He even started growing a nice beard now, which will make him fit in even more.

I would encourage CM Punk and other straight-edge people to study Islam, in fact if I would jump at the chance to sit with him and discuss our commonalities and differences. He'll be more at home with us than in the WWE. Just a thought.

2. As a heel (thats the wrestling term for bad guy) CM Punk plays the preachy Holier-than-thou character. Another lesson for Muslims, many of us fall into this same trap. When we get pious and grow a beard, we tend to talk other people down and behave like we have always been perfect. Watch CM Punk talking to the audience, notice that most of what he says is true, why do they boo and hate him? Because of the manner in which he said it and his character, i.e. been holier-than-thou. Now be introspective and see if you do not have the same fault and come across as Holier-Than-Thou when correcting people. If you do, make a change! Become humble by thinking about your own sins and weaknesses. If you don't have this fault, praise Allah and keep humble.

Who said you can't take out Islamic lessons from Western Media. ;-)

Stay Strong! Stay Drug Free!

How Muslims Deal With The Quran

2010-02-04T09:46:00.003+02:00

The Majlis Strikes Back (Fictional Piece)

2010-01-28T10:14:00.005+02:00

As I looked around, tears formed in my eyes. Xenaphobia against Indians had reached its limits thanks to the.....Majlis!

It was just a few months ago that the Majlis decided to declare war on South Africa since they had come to the conclusion that all South Africans are disbelievers and must be fought, especially the apostates, i.e. all the other Muslims. So they began calling people for Jihad and a lot of youth got riled up and joined their Jihad.

The Jihad initially started with a press release, every Majlis issue ever was distributed to every Masjid in SA. Huge posters were put up saying, "Do not support the evil apostate Baboon Ulema-e-Zuuul and do not eat filthy carrion halalized chickens!" At first people ignored it, then tragedy struck....

Two weeks later, a young supporter of Majlis went on a suicide mission to Rainbow Chickens, he was successful and blew up the plantation massacring twenty five thousand chickens and himself, thus saving the chickens from being tortured by electrocution and saving Muslims from eating "Haram Carrion Stinking Rotten Halalized Chicken"

The backlash of this was that the government banned all Muslim butcheries stating that this was a terrorist attack aimed at undercutting the business of rainbow chicken. Soon Muslims in South Africa had no where to buy Halal Chicken from and started rethinking the ruling of eating the meat of "the people of the book,". This only angered Majlis more and they sent out new articles stating that the people of the book at the time of the prophet were different and not the "Immoral Filthy Kaafir" of today. Again nobody took this seriously, except Jews and Christians in South Africa who were now afraid of going the same way as Rainbow Chicken.

They formed the "POTBAM" (People of the Book Against Majlis) society and asked the government to arrest Majlis on terrorist charges. Unfortunately, Zuma was too busy taking a shower to care.

The Jamiats and MJC all united in the face of this new treat from Majlis but refused to unite with the Salafis, Barelwis and Progressives. This unity lasted one meeting until the head of the Jamait KZN accused the other Jamiats of being Pro-Salafi and they all accused MJC of being Modernist. Soon every Masjid in SA had posters up from each of these groups asking to boycott the others, as well as a poster from Majlis declaring all these groups and their supporters "Filthy Dirty Apostates"

The biggest shock came on what was suppose to be most blessed day in South Africa, Zuma and a few other members of the ANC including the head of the Youth League were going to take their Shahadah and join the Muslim community. Zuma and his friends however quickly revealed that they were firm Majlis supporters and the youth league changed their slogan from "Kill for Zuma" to "Kill for Allah" Zuma then declared Maulana A.S. Desai the new Caliph of South Africa.

From then on, things got even worse. The first order of the Majlis was not to stop crime or end poverty, rather they officially banned all commercially slaughtered chickens and when asked what will the millions of starving South African people eat, Desai replied, "Let them eat Hake!"

Within a few weeks, the following changes were made to 'Islamize' South Africa:

1) All Chairs and High Pan Toilets were banned!
2) All women had to wear full niqab and were banned from public places, with Non-Muslim women wearing red shoes to distinguish them from the Muslims!
3) Entertainment was banned outright as was all media and technology!
4) All Secular Schools were shut down and all children were forced into Darul Ulooms and makthabs

However they could not enforce any of the above, as mass Xenophobia against Indians started. The Progressives and Salafis explained that this was not Islam but Indian culture, thus the locals decided to get rid off all Indians which included the Salafis, Progressives and Hindus since they wanted no sign of Indian culture left in South Africa. Riots broke up countrywide while the locals shouted 'Get the F(atwa) out off our country!'

The South African Economy crumbled, all Majlis members were publicly executed by rebels, Indians were massacred, those who survived were grouped together into a concentration camp called 'District 10' were they shared tents with some strange creatures that resembled prawns and Islam was officially banned in South Africa.

Morals of the Story:
1) We Muslims don't deserve power until we understand and implement Islam properly
2) Terrorism by a few idiots is all thats needed to ruin life and the Dawah for all South Africans so lets sort them out now!
3) Allah save us from the day Majlis has power over anyone but themselves.

Books by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

2010-01-18T09:36:00.001+02:00

By Aiyesha Humaira
http://peacentruth.wordpress.com

Books :

Dr. Bilal Philips has written, translated and commented on over 50 published books on various Islamic topics. He has also edited and published the 56 book Eemaan reading series for children. Among them his personal favourites are Fundamentals of Tawheed, Tafseer of Surah Al- Hujrat, and the Exorcist Tradition in Islam.

1. The Evolution of Fiqh, (176 pages)
2. Tafseer of Soorah al-Hujuraat, (252 pages)
3. The Fundamentals of Tawheed, (224 pages)
4. Polygamy in Islaam, (112 pages)
5. Salvation Through Repentance, (92 pages)
6. The True Message of Jesus Christ, (126 pages)
7. Hajj and Umrah According to Qur’aan and Sunnah,(198 pages)
8. The Ansar Cult in America, (206 pages)
9. The True Religion of God, (24 pages)
10. The Qur’aan’s Numerical Miracle: Hoax and Heresy, (74 pages)
11. Islamic Rules on Menstruation and Post-Natal Bleeding, (144 pages)
12. Arabic Reading and Writing Made Easy, (180 pages)
13. Arabic Grammar Made Easy, (202 pages)
14. The Purpose of Creation, (128 pages)
15. The Best in Islam, (110 pages)
16. Dream Interpretation According to Qur’aan and Sunnah, (132 pages)
17. Islamic Studies, Book 1 to 4, (192 pages)
18. Funeral Rites in Islaam, (160 pages)
19. The Exorcist Tradition in Islaam, (332 pages)
20. Usool at-Tafseer, (340 pages)
21. A Commentary on General Issues of Faith, (104 ages)
22. Did God Become Man, (36 pages)
23. A Commentary on The Book of Monotheism, (226 pages)
24. A Commentary on Ibn Qudaamah’s Radiance of Faith, (306 pages)
25. Usool al-Hadeeth, (246 pages)
26. The Moral Foundations of Islamic Culture, (186 pages)
27. The Foundations of Islamic Studies, (356 pages)
28. A Commentary on Usool al-Fiqh, (242 pages)
29. The Jinn Possession of Izzan, (100 pages)
30. Arabic Calligraphy in Manuscript, (210 pages)
31. Ibn Taymeeyah’s Essay on the Jinn, (138 pages)
32. The Mirage in Iran, (78 pages)
33. The Devil’s Deception, (72 pages)
34. Khomeini: A Moderate or Fanatical Shi’ite, (56 pages)
35. The Qur’aan and Modern Science, (48 pages)
36. Ar Riyaa’, (104 pages)
37. Studies in Islam, (300 pages)
38. Shaykh Ibn Baaz’s Gift to the Brethren, (279 pages)
39. Condensed Saheeh Muslim, (1200 pages)
40. A Simple Call to One God (80 pages)
41. Usool al-Fiqh, (154 pages)
42. Tafseer Soorah al-Burooj, (115 pages)
43. Tafseer Soorah al-Mulk, (170 pages)
44. Riyaa: Hidden Shirk, (100 pages)
45. The First Day, (40 pages)
46. Human Rights in Islam, (130 pages)
47. Foundation of Islamic Studies, (250 pages), and more

Top Ten People Who influenced my understanding of Islam

2010-01-14T09:41:00.003+02:00

Having read the 500 most influential Muslims list, I began thinking of the people who have had the most influence on my understanding and practice of Islam. I have been searching for the true understanding of Islam since the age of sixteen and since that time, many people have influenced me in different ways. I began to realize that nobody is perfect and you will find things you disagree with in everybody you meet so instead of looking for the perfect scholar, I started taking the best from everyone.

So here are my Top Ten people who influenced my understanding and practice of Islam, note that I do not agree with everything each of them says or believes but I can not deny the positive influence they have had on my life:

10. Yusuf Estes

The one thing I love most about Yusuf Estes is that he is one of those people around whom I feel Iman in the air. I can't explain it but it’s almost as if I can feel the angels of mercy near us whenever I am with him and my heart becomes at ease. He influenced me mainly by teaching me to appreciate Islam and treasure it.

Also he is the first person to ever call me Abu Muawiyah, although he probably doesn't remember it. I also love his sense of humor, his lectures are hilarious!

9. Baba Ali

Another funny guy, Baba Ali taught me so much through his video blogs, and I am sure I am not alone in saying that since he has over 5 million video views and has made the Top 500 most influential people list at such a young age. Most importantly, he taught me that we can be cool, funny and enjoy life without compromising our deen, and he showed me the funny side of all the problems the ummah faces. I also tend to look at his video topics when deciding what topic to lecture about.

8. Yasir Qadhi

Yasir Qadhi taught me tolerance and how to deal with people who have different beliefs in a civilized manner. Thanks to his influence I am now a lot friendlier to people from different groups than I was back when I first started discovering how wrong I was taught Islam by my Deobandi teachers, so he gets props for helping me become a nicer guy. I also benefited greatly from his lectures on Aqeedah.

7. Kamal El-Mekki

I love this man or the sake of Allah. I love his charisma, his style, his humor, his knowledge, his poetry, his hairstyle and most of all I love his manners. He is my role model in good manners, I want to treat people in the same nice friendly manner as he does. I am lucky enough to have studied two Al-Kauthar courses under him and wish I could spend more time with him. If a new Kamal Mekki lecture is released online, be sure I am one of the first to download and listen to it.

6. Dr Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

My first exposure outside the Deobandi school of thought was Yusuf Qaradawi's Halal and Haram in Islam. At that time, I hated the book and couldn't believe the fatwas he passed in there, it was completely opposite to what I was raised with. Now seven years later, I read the book again and find that much of what he said was correct, I just didn't know it back then.

Of course, there are still rulings in that book that I disagree with but no where near as much as I did before. He influenced me by making me question, think outside the box and realize how diverse the opinions in this ummah are, and that what I am raised with is not necessarily correct. This man is number 9 in the list of the Top 50 most influential Muslims of our time.

5. Zain Bhikha

A Nasheed singer so high? Why? Because he influenced me long before I was old enough to listen to lectures, I grew up with Zain Bhikha and Dawud Wharnsby Nasheeds, they were my substitute for Haraam music, and Alhamdulillah these songs helped shape me into a better young Muslim. My children are luckier, in that they can grow up watching "Enjoying Islam with Zain and Dawud" and benefit even more from them.

When I met Zain Bhikha at the Peace Conference in Mumbai 2007, the one thing that struck me about him was his humility. He is just such a nice down-to-earth guy. If you meet him on the streets, you will never guess he is a world-renowned singer or one of the Top 500 most influential Muslims. His humility would shined through every time that I would see him, especially when I saw a picture of him teaching underprivileged children in South Africa while sitting happily on the floor in their house. No matter where I go in life, I want to be as humble as him always, if not more. I am also inspired by all the social work he does.

4. Dawud Wharnsby

I couldn't decide which of these two singers should be higher on my list, but I chose Dawud for two reasons. Firstly, my oldest Islamic memory is listening to "animals love to hear Quran" and "sing children of the world" when I was six years old, so his influence dates back more than Zain's. Secondly, I benefited from his lectures as much as I did from his songs, so that gives him an edge over Zain.

I may not agree with everything Dawud believes but the main thing he taught me was the beauty of just being a nice person and the effect that has on others. Every time I look at Dawud, I think he is such a nice sweet sincere man and I want to be like him in that sense, so Dawud influenced my character mainly. He also taught me not to judge other people's intentions and to look at the good in others. This has helped me greatly in developing into a better person.

3. Shaykh Salman Al-Oudah

He is number 19 on the Top 50 most influential people of our time, and he has influenced me greatly. I did not know much about him before he visited South Africa in 2008, but when I attended his lectures, my mind was opened to new ideas and I found myself spending many days reading his books and his articles on his website Islam Today, he has influenced me mainly in helping me develop from an extreme fighting type into a peaceful loving type. I use to believe some extreme things about Jihad but this man's lectures, books and articles taught me the balanced understanding and the peaceful teachings of Islam.

2. Ahmed Deedat (May Allah grant him Paradise)

Ahmed Deedat answered the questions that were burning in my head since the age of seven, "How do we know our religion in right and the others are wrong?" It was Deedat's debates and lectures that answered that question satisfactory and that led me to believing in Islam wholeheartedly, rather than just as the religion of my forefathers, but this is not the only way in which he influenced me.

Allah used Deedat to light the fire of Dawah in my heart at the age of sixteen and since then I have never stopped doing Dawah. Deedat always emphasized that we must read the Quran with understanding and that led me to doing so which opened up a whole new world of Islam to me. Deedat's life story also showed me that if I wish to follow in his footsteps I must be prepared for tough times and tests from Allah.

As you can see, Deedat had the biggest impact on my life from everyone except….

1. Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Before meeting Dr Bilal, I had no principles or direction, I was seeking the truth but has no clear method of finding it. Alhamdulillah, through his IOU (Islamic Online University) and my personal meetings and studies under him, I was able to learn the pure Aqeedah of Islam and the principles of Aqeedah, Fiqh, Tafsir and Hadith which gave me the foundations to grow and a guideline to follow to studying Islam.

In the end, I have listened to more lectures by him, read more books by him, done more courses under him, spent more time with him and ask more questions to him than any of my other teachers. That is why he deserves the number one spot on this list.

I hope you enjoyed and benefited from this list. The purpose of this list was to show these people who have influenced me so you too can be influenced but remember nobody is perfect and many of the people on this list have some beliefs or opinions that I might disagree with, but in the end their positive impact on me overshadows their faults by far.

I ask Allah to reward all my teachers and anybody who has assisted in making me a better Muslim and to forgive all their mistakes and sins, and to unite us with them in Paradise when the time comes.

After Hardship, my ease

2010-01-12T13:51:00.002+02:00

2010, a new year has began and with it a new beginning for me.

2009 was a difficult year for me, but as soon as the new year set in, Allah just opened a lot of new doors for me. Insha Allah, 2010 will be a good year and the beginning of my ease. I got a lot of exciting articles planned, just need the time and motivation to sit and write them.

Also keep your eyes on MuslimMatters.org for new articles by me as I have recently been added as an Associate there.

Thank you to everyone who supported me during my times of difficulty and to all those who made dua for me.

Please make dua that Allah can keep me strong on the Deen during times of ease as well.

Bidah Dodgems

2010-01-03T15:21:00.003+02:00

When a young Muslim decides to study Islam, he will sooner or later realize that his family might have some wrong practices which he will identify as Bidah. A Bidah is a religious innovation, which means it is an act of worship or a belief which either did not exist in the era of the prophet (peace be upon him) or which has been modified from its original form. Sadly there are many Bidah prevalent in Muslim societies today and many of them are so common that the average Muslim finds it very difficult to accept that the religious practices of his family are wrong.

For the practicing Muslim who does accept it, there is another problem, which is avoiding situations were he is forced to either break family relations or commit a Bidah. You see, in a normal situation we can sit with our relatives and discuss differences and if they do something we disagree with, we can just walk away but sometimes a youngster might find himself in a situation in which his family are very emotional and calling the practice a Bidah could lead to a major family fight, the following are the most common cases:

1) The Funeral:

The amount of Bidah associated with people’s deaths and the rituals that follow are so many that Dr Bilal Philips has a four page appendix listing them at the end of his book “Funeral rites in Islam” so if you are attending a funeral, you are very likely to encounter at least one if not many baseless practices. What do you do? Imagine walking up to the old lady crying and reading Yaseen Khatam over her dead brother and telling her what she is doing is Bidah? Not a good idea! Or what about shouting her son for sprinkling rosewater on you since you are in the company of the body? What to do? What to do?

My advice is that people are very emotional at this time having just lost a loved one so it is not the right time or place to correct them as it will cause more harm than good. Speak to people at other times and educate them on the correct method of dealing with death and benefiting the dead so that they will be prepared and might not commit the Bidah in future, if they still do it, your job is already done by explaining it to them. Secondly, avoid those situations were Bidah will definitely occur, so don’t go into the house if there is a group of strange men sitting there swaying from side to side screaming ILLALLAH, ILLALLAH! Rather show up for the funeral later, join the Janazah Salah, accompany the body to the grave and give condolences to the family then go straight home as that is all Islam asks of you. Don’t stick around and wait for a situation were you are put on the spot to fight or join in. it is also advisable to make a will stating how you want your funeral to take place and say, “Don’t do Bidah over my dead body!”

2) Weddings:

At weddings people might put hankies on their heads while making a mass Dua or spin an egg in front of the bride to chase away the evil eye or whatever other bidah are common in different cultures. Or the other extreme will include music, intermingling and dancing so what do you do? I personally stay away from weddings unless I am sure there is no dancing, music or any other fitnah.

Unlike a funeral, we are not obligated to attend weddings so don’t put yourself in such a situation. You can always meet the lucky person later and congratulate and make Dua for them so just away from such situations altogether and teach people about the Islamic method of marriage and its importance on some other occasion. I do not advice you to storm into the wedding and takeoff with the groom in front of everyone that his wedding is Haram and Bidah. That is not the proper manner of correcting people.

3) Family Gatherings:

If your family are involved in Bidah, you most probably will find it happening at family gatherings, it is not advisable to get involved in an argument about it at the gathering as that will just create negative feelings and might break family ties. If you know there is Bidah at the beginning, arrive a little late, if you know it is at the ending then excuse yourself and leave a little early, if it happens in between then use that as a bathroom break or a chance to phone your friend.

My point is that we must stay away from innovations yet at the same time be wise in our dealings with others. Breaking family ties and having bad character are major sins just as Bidah is, so it is senseless to commit one while avoiding the other. Stay away from situations in which you know there will be Bidah and advice people privately in a nice manner on a separate occasion. Insha Allah these steps will help us stay on the straight path and bring our families closer to Allah.

Holiday Update

2009-12-18T16:36:00.001+02:00

As Salaamu Alaikum Everybody

Sorry for not posting for a while, the holidays have started and I'm busy enjoying it (in a halal way of course) with my family. So don't expect much posts from me during the next few weeks. Sorry about that.

The good news is that I've been accepted by Muslim Matters.org to post articles there, so you will find different articles by me, here and there. It is an honour to be able to write articles for the same blogsite as Yasir Qadhi and Tawfique Chowdhury, people who I regard as my role models and inspirations.

I wrote a three hour RPL (recognition of prior learning) Exam yesterday to get my studies recognized as a BA in Islamic Studies, it was a very long paper, wrote about sixteen pages of answers in those three hours but if I do well, it will be worth it. Please make dua for me.

Finally, I would just like to request duas from all my readers for myself and my family, we have had a very difficult year so please make dua that Allah helps secure for me a good job in Islamic work soon so I can serve Islam with peace of mind about finances and worldly matters.

Will post something next week, insha Allah.

May Allah make us all rightly guided and guides for others.
Was Salaam
Abu Muawiyah

Young Da'ee Dilemmas

2009-12-10T10:16:00.000+02:00

So you decided you want to study Islam and become a scholar. 'Masha Allah' some people will say. 'Extremist!' others will say and thats just the beginning. It is not easy trying to spread Islam while you are young, in fact it is very difficult. This article is not meant to put young people off Islamic work but rather to get others to understand our feelings and change their attitudes and to prepare young people like myself for the tests that lie ahead. This article is written for me first before anyone else, because Allah knows how much I need this reminder.

When a person chooses to dedicate their life to Islamic work, they should expect problems...a lot of problems. This is the sunnah of Allah, the closer you are to Allah, the harder the test of life gets and the greater the reward is in the Afterlife. Yet, it is even harder for the youth as the reward is even greater. Ever wondered why a young person who worships Allah will be under the shade of Allah's Throne on the Last Day? It's because it is the hardest time to be good, and even harder time to be active in the Dawah.

Here is a list of the most common challenges I have faced so far so you can understand what I am talking about:

1. Who is right?

I can't count the amount of times I just broke down and almost went crazy trying to figure out who is right and who I should take knowledge from. There are so many Islamic groups, sects, mazhabs, etc that young students can lose their minds trying to figure out the truth.

The Solution: Turn to Allah, Allah promised that He will never let a sincere seeker of the truth go astray, so if you turn to Him and study hard, Allah will guide you to the truth, and even if you make mistakes along that path, Insha Allah, you will be forgiven and it will be overlooked as an Ijtihad (struggling to work out the truth) error.

2. Overzealousness:

I made many mistakes as a teenager when I first started studying Islam in that I forgot how to deal with people and became a bit of a Haram Police, which led to many family ties breaking and it just lead to more problems. It is easy to get caught up in Shaytaan's trap of Self-righteousness when studying Islam and this is very dangerous as it puts other people off Islam itself.

Solution: Relax, think before you speak or act, realize you are dealing with humans and that you too have sins and mistakes, so deal with people in a nice friendly manner, it will accomplish a lot more than barking and hulking up.

3. Dealing with overzealousness of others:

So you remain calm and deal with people nicely, unfortunately many others don't deal with you the same, they bark at you and call you a hypocrite if you make the slightest mistake, this can be very discouraging.

Solution: Remain cool and calm (very hard to do), listen to what they are saying, if they are right, apologize, thank them and change. If they are wrong, apologize, thank them and don't change. Just don't tell them they are wrong because people like this normally can't accept correction and it will lead to an unnecessary fight that will waste precious time, energy and cause ill-feelings.

4. The Elders can't be wrong

Some people will not tolerate any different opinion coming from a youngster. If a youngster says something and the elders say something else, the elders have to be right, they say. This can lead to one's Dawah becoming ineffective.

Solution: Normally in these situations, it is just the elders of that area that hold to a wrong opinion so as a youngster, if you know that they won't listen to you, get an elderly person who shares your view to preach it to them, this will make it easier to digest and at the very least, they can't throw the youngster card at him.

5. You are too young to preach

This happens too often. If a person does not agree with the view of a youngster, they throw the youth card at him. Once I told a man that it is unislamic to make tribalism the criterion for marriage, his reply, "you are still young, you'll understand that you are wrong when you get older,"

My worst experience with this is an old man who I use to work for in a Dawah organization. One day he started talking very arrogantly and rudely to me in front of a new convert. I told him politely to please stop as he is making Islam look bad. He then started shouting and told me the following in front of the entire staff and the converts, "YOU ARE JUST A CHILD! I WILL NEVER ACCEPT CORRECTION FROM YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE RIGHT! YOU ARE JUST A CHILD, YOU MUST FOLLOW ME AND DON'T YOU EVER CORRECT ME AGAIN,"

Solution: this is reality, it might happen to you. Just stay far far away from such people and stick to dealing with nice friendly people to avoid get emotionally scarred for life.

6. How dare you change your opinion!

It will happen! As you study Islam, you will realize that you had at least a few points of Aqeedah or fiqh wrong and it is now time to change. When that happens, expect backlash from the community if they are dogmatic about those practices. The worst that happened to me in this situation? It use to be getting beat up by some classmates for questioning the Shaykh-Mureed Sufi system, but last year I got accused of being Salafi and fired from my job and was unable to find a job for many months. That is by far the worst thing that happened to me in regards to this issue.

Solution: Read the second verse of Suran Ankabut and realize that it will happen, if you change a belief for the sake of Allah, it will happen. He will test you in a variety of ways to see how strong you are in your beliefs, the only solution is to suck it in, be patient and await the help of Allah. Allah has promised that He will test us and help us out of the test if we are patient.

7. Cultural Expectations:

Different cultures have different expectations for a student of knowledge. In my community, if you are a student of knowledge, you are expected to wear a Thowb or Kurta with a Islamic hat full-time, you can not wear jeans under your Kurta, just Kurta pants. You should not have fun, have a personality or a sense of humor, etc. Non of this has any basis in Islam and all it does is cause unnecessary difficulties for young students of knowledge, leading to one of three scenarios, either the youngster submits to cultural norms and ends up living a miserable life not being himself, or he chooses to live a double life and risk being called a hypocrite, or he decided to show people that these expectations have no basis in Islam and are wrong, which leads to the community turning against him.

Solution: I don't know, each option has it's good and bad, personally I'm somewhere between the first and third, I do some of these things like wearing a thowb and hat most of the time to avoid unnecessary fights, at the same time I try to educate people that these things are not important and irrelevant.

These are just some of the problems, young Muslims face when they choose the path of Islamic work. Is it worth going through all this? Yes, because the shade of Allah's Throne, Paradise and His eternal happiness with you are all worth it.

May Allah grant us all strength to handle the tests of life and make us all rightly guided and a means of guidance for others.

Dear respected Mr and Mrs Soukhater

2009-12-08T08:53:00.002+02:00

Dear respected Mr and Mrs Soukhater, the entire soukhater clan and all their associates

I hope this letter finds you in good health.

I am sure you already know that the Souk is around the corner once again. I am sure you also have already dug up the old Anti-Souk newsletter and posted it on your Masjid board, the exact same one you have been posting for the past five or ten years despite the fact that it is not working. It seems to me that you can not understand why the majority of Muslims in Durban still go to the Souk and see nothing wrong with it, perhaps I can clear up your confusion in this letter.

I would like to begin by answering some of the points you raise in your Souk newsletters. You claim that the Souk is a place of fitnah were people go to intermingle and commit Zina. I would like to inform you that the majority of people I know who go to the Souk are decent people who do not fornicate at the Souk but are there with their spouses and families.

I would also like to inform you that those people who do go to the Souk for the wrong reasons are the same people who will commit those same sins at any time of the year and they will still do the same sins in December even if we cancel the Souk. You see sir, the Souk is not the problem, the problem is much more complex than that, and boycotting the Souk will not help, because if the good Muslims boycott the Souk then such sins will occur openly, yet if we are all there, people would be less likely to commit such sins in that place.

I would also like to inform you that it is better to have people who commit such sins coming to the Souk instead of other places, because at the Souk, they might be affected positively by the Nasheeds, lectures, Qiraat or the variety of lecture DVDs and CDs on sale. Did you ever think about that? Oh yes, I forgot, you regard Nasheeds and lecture DVDs as Haraam too, my mistake, which brings me to point number two.

You claim that the Souk is Haraam because there is entertainment there, indicating that you believe all entertainment is Haraam which is really sad and shows your lack of knowledge of Quran and Sunnah and the principles of Fiqh, I can assure you that the majority of entertainment at the Souk is Halal if you study it properly, by that I mean the Islamic cartoons, children’s rides and activities, the Nasheeds, etc. I will admit that there is some haram that occurs but that is because instead of helping people by teaching them the Fiqh of entertainment, you choose to boycott them and then blame them if they can’t distinguish between halal and haram entertainment. Remind me to send you and the Souk committee copies of the upcoming book “Entertainment in Islam” to clear up this issue so you two can unite upon a balanced understanding of this topic.

Thirdly, you claim the Souk is Haram because women go there not dressed properly. Firstly, this is not true for all the women at the Souk. Secondly such women are welcomed everywhere except the Masjid which you have banned them from. If you had allowed them to attend the Masjid and study there from a young age, they would have understood the purpose of Hijiab and would not be dressed inappropriately, but since you failed in your duty to educate them, I would encourage them to go to the Souk and buy a copy of Sheik Feiz’s “etiquettes of Hijab” on DVD from the 1Islam Production stand and insha Allah, they will benefit from this lecture and change their dress code.

I know in the Darul Uloom they don’t teach you how to deal with people because I too studied there for seven years, so let me explain a few points to you. People are human, they make mistakes and will never be perfect, understand that, embrace it and learn how to help them instead of shunning them. Boycotting, shouting, snarling and making mean faces are not effective forms of dawah and just chase people further away from you and Islam.

If you want a woman to start wearing Hijab, it will not happen overnight, it is a slow process of being kind, understanding, educating and leading by example. If such women are ignored, they continue to sin, if such women are snarled at, they continue to sin. Communication is key (unless you a man, then let your wife communicate), try it and you will see how many more people you can guide and assist compared to when you use Hulk tactics.

Finally, if you attend the Souk you will find a lot of Islamic products on sale, from Islamic DVDs (they are Halal) to Hijabs, you will find huge congregations for the daily Salah, people who don’t normally pray their Salah start praying at the Souk because of the environment. This year there will even be an Islamic Exhibition which is definitely worth checking out and can only affect people positively.

To conclude, yes bad things happen at the Souk but nothing specific that makes it the Souk’s fault, rather those sins happen everywhere, step out of your cave and you will realize that. Rather good things happen at the Souk that do not normally happen at the Beaches or Shopping Malls and in that sense I find the Souk a great alternative for Muslims to go to and enjoy themselves in a Halal manner. (yes, you can experience Halal joy)

I am sorry for the long letter but it was way overdue, if you are looking for me to kill me, I’ll be at the Souk but you want to see for yourself how you can use the Souk for good instead of evil, well I’ll still be at the Souk anyway doing just that so come and join me. I hope this letter opened your eyes to how most Muslims look at the Souk and I hope you will be willing to give it a chance this year. Who knows, maybe your presence at the Souk could change people’s lives for the better.

Your brother in Islam
Mr Eyelike Da Souk

Ten Friday Torture Talks

2009-12-04T14:06:00.000+02:00

Having just endured another excruciatingly boring and outdated Jumah lecture, I can't feel anything but pity for the majority of Muslims in SA whose only taste of Islamic knowledge is these khutbahs, no wonder they are so apprehensive when we have Islamic lectures on other days besides Jumah, they can't imagine good speakers and relevant lectures.

Sigh, if only they allowed me to speak on Jumah platforms still, people enjoyed it but the big shots did not, maybe its because I spoke about how badly children are treated in the masjid, or that time I spoke about the haram practices of businessmen, maybe it was my analysis of the Da Vinci Code from the mimbar, or maybe it was my last khutbah were I spoke about Halal Entertainment. Whatever it was, the people in charge won't let me and my big mouth on the mimbar around here anymore

So what do we get instead, the same old every week, here are ten often repeated Jumah khutbahs with my thoughts while the khutbah is on:

1. The Salah Khutbah

"We must pray our five daily Salah. Salah is compulsory. We must pray our five daily Salah. It is Haram to miss a Salah." (repeat for half an hour with one or two points lost in between)

The crowd knows this, they've heard this talk at least twenty times this year alone, if they still not praying Salah, repeating the talk won't help, why don't you add new material, explain to them some incentives to pray, adopt a different approach because in case you did not notice, this lecture is not working!

2. The How to make Wudhu Khutbah

Seriously, anybody sitting at Jumah who can't make Wudhu? If so, is it so many people that you have to give a Jumah Khutbah about it? 99% of the crowd was taught all this in preschool. If one or two people still don't know, talk to them personally don't bore the entire crowd to death with preschool level fiqh.

3. The standard important day Khutbah

Every first day of Ramadan, we hear the same khutbah....in EVERY Masjid. Every Eidul Adha we hear the exact same story of Ibrahim (AS) at every Eid Gah! Is there a standard khutbah book being passed around or something? It's like if its a special day, the entire crowd has already memorized the lecture before it begins. I'm serious, I use to teach in a school were the kids would tell me the Jumah lecture before it happens because the lecturer gives the exact same lecture every year on the same date! teach us something new please, there is so much Muslims don't know about their deen yet!

4. The Wrong Language Lecture

Nothing is worse than going to a Masjid only to discover the lecture is in Urdu in a Masjid were 99% of the crowd speak English! That's when I put my head down and sleep till the lecturer sneezes loudly and gives us all a heart attack (happened once)

5. The Everything-is-Haram Khutbah

This one I heard today again, sports is haram, celebrations are haram, television is haram even if it is an Islamic station, Muslims should never be happy until they enter Jannah (his exact words). This is the lecture that nobody takes seriously and at the same time it puts a lot of people off Islam, These Moulanas need to study Fiqh again, maybe when my book "Entertainment in Islam" is published, I'll send them some copies. Then again maybe not, since they'll just burn it without reading it.

6. The written-by-someone-else Khutbah

When I was studying, my classmates would borrow my lectures and read them out Jumah time then they would wonder why people enjoy it when I said it but didn't when they did. Two reasons: 1. you read, you suppose to speak. 2. It wasn't your writing so it wasn't from your heart. I hate it when the Khateeb pulls out a page and just reads without ever looking up, probably because he is afraid to see all the sleeping faces.

7. The Muslims-are-bad Khutbah

How often have you heard a Moulana give a lecture about the state of the ummah, complaining about everyone from other Moulanas to your granny. Nobody gets spared in this Khutbah of how bad the ummah is. His solution? Nothing, he never gives one, it's just a half hour rant about how bad we all are without any practical advice. Thank you for caring!

8. The Zikr Khutbah

Everybody should hear this one at least twice a year. It's the one in which Zikr is mentioned 897 times with out any definition or practical advice on how and when to make Zikr. It goes like this, "The Sahabah made Zikr, all of the prophets made Zikr, we must all make Zikr," We get it, we all know we must Zikr, you said that before, now pleasegive a khutbah about how to sort out the drug problem in our community.

9. The My-shaykh-said Khutbah

This is the Khutbah were every line starts with, my shaykh once told me.....Yet not a single verse from the Quran or Hadith is quoted. So how do we know his Shaykh is right? Read the next Khutbah

10. The Ulema-are-always-right Khutbah

Now a standard monthly khutbah. This one says that the local Moulanas can never be wrong and we must blindly follow them in everything they say, because they were taught by their Shaykhs who are great Buzrugs and can never be wrong. Well looking at the above list, I can see that.

Its suppose to be Top Ten, but i want to throw two more I hear too often:

11. The how-to-drink-Islamicly Khutbah

An entire Khutbah dedicated to the sunnahs of drinking and eating, while nobody speaks about the marriage problems, drug problems and social problems in our community. How relevant.

12. The women-are-deficient Khutbah

I memorized this one because I heard it so many times, it's the lecture about how all our problems and fitnahs are because of the deficient women not wanting to live in their kitchens 24/7. The same Khutbah which bashes women for studying, shopping, teaching and doing social work. No need to comment, this one speaks for itself.

Remembering Ahmed Deedat (RA)

2009-12-04T09:57:00.007+02:00

When I was seven years old, I remember watching a movie in which the main characters were very religious Christians, I was amazed at their piety and firm belief in their religion and it got me thinking, so I asked my mother, "How do we know that we are right and other religions are wrong? Because every religion believes they are going to Paradise and the others are going to Hell" My mum is a practicing Muslimah but not well-verses in comparative religion, she simply told me not to think like that or ask such questions.

These questions however continued to linger in my mind even after I started studying Islam at the local Darul Uloom. It would only be at the age of eighteen when I encountered the lecture videos of Ahmed Deedat (RA) that I would finally get my answers to these questions and my mind would be put to rest.

This is the first impact that Ahmed Deedat (RA) had in my life, but it was not the last. Deedat always emphasized that we should read the Quran with understanding, so after listening to his lectures, I started to do so and soon discovered things about Islam different from what I was raised with or taught in the Darul Uloom, this led me down the path of seeking the true understanding of Islam, again it started with Ahmed Deedat (RA).

My encounters with Deedat's videos were also my first encounter with actual Dawah to Non-Muslims. Before that, I was taught that Dawah is Tabligh Jamaat work to Muslim homes and not once in my seven years in the Darul uloom did we study Dawah methods, its importance or comparative religion. In fact, they were against Ahmed Deedat and Dawah in general, so through Deedat began my first clash with my teachers in our understanding of Islam which led to me eventually leaving that school of thought and seeking a purer version of Islam.

At the same time, these videos made me realize the importance of Dawah and the joy of being the means through which a person converted to Islam, which led to me studying comparative religion and dawah methodology through the IPCI, Dr Bilal Philips, Shaykh Kamal Mekki and privately, and also led to me making Dawah a priority in my life.

In short, Ahmed Deedat (RA) perhaps has had a bigger impact on my life than any other person I have ever met except my beloved teacher, Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. This is why it saddens me when I hear people talking bad about Ahmed Deedat (RA) and focusing on his mistakes.

No doubt about it, Deedat made mistakes, he was after all human, wasn't he? Yes, Yusuf Ali's translation has a lot of mistakes and deviations, but back in his day, Dr Muhsin Khan's translation nor Farooq-Azam's were not available so he made do with what he had. Yes, he was too aggressive at times, but he lived in different times and had to deal with arrogant white supremacists during apartheid times. Yes, He made a big mistake by supporting the Shia Iranian Revolution and Dr Rashad Khalifah's theory about the number 19, but he publicly repented from both those things.

Thats the point of Ahmed Deedat, he was not perfect, he was not the best, rather he was human and thats why people like me can relate to him. If I make a mistake in my Dawah, I learn from it and try again knowing well that greater people made mistakes in their Dawah too. Furthermore, when you look at the fact that Deedat had no formal education, he did not study at a university or a Darul Uloom, in fact he did not even finish school and did not know a word of English when he came to South Africa at the age of nine. Taking all that into consideration, what Deedat accomplished in his life and the amount of work Allah took from him seems even more amazing!

Finally there was his nine year illness in which he could not move and remained bed-ridden for nine whole years.My blood boils when I hear Muslims saying that Allah punished him for picking on other religions. My response to such people is what have you ever done for the Dawah? Besides, don't they know that Allah only tests those whom He loves and the closer you are to Allah, the harder the test of life will be, as stated in authentic Ahadith?

The final years of Deedat's life were amazing, he showed a level of patience, commitment and faith that most of us can't. Would you be able to keep your faith and persist in your dawah if you couldn't move a limb for nine years? Don't think I can, but he did. This alone deserves respect. I remember once learning that before a righteous slave leaves this world, Allah puts them through great tests to erase their sins so that when they die, they return to their Lord already purified with only their good deeds in their accounts. I pray that this was the case with Ahmed Deedat.

I remember that I discovered Deedat around 2004, during which time he was already bed-ridden. I would visit his bedside often and every time tears would form in my eyes when I would see the same charismatic man from the videos in this sad state and I would pray that Allah would end his suffering soon. When he passed away I was actually happy for him that the test was finally over and made dua to Allah forgive his mistakes and grant him a high stage in Paradise. This chapter of Deedat's life taught me to be ready to face great trials if I wish to follow in his footsteps, indeed it is the way of Allah that the prophets, du'aat and scholars have the hardest lives as their reward in the Afterlife is the greatest.

I would also like to mention that Deedat's son Yusuf took amazing care of him during these nine years which really impressed me, may Allah reward him greatly for it. Ahmed Deedat's wife Hawa (RA) also deserves mention, she is one of the sweetest old ladies I ever met and her care and love for her husband was clear for all to see. May Allah unite their souls in paradise.

I pray that Allah unites Ahmed and Hawa Deedat in a high stage in Paradise and forgives them for their shortcomings. I'd like to end by leaving you with this beautiful video tribute to this great man from the DVD "The Life and Times of Ahmed Deedat":

Top Ten Muslim Phobias

2009-11-30T09:59:00.000+02:00

Phobia is defined as the irrational fear of something and can be very intense. Many Muslims always complain about the Islamophobia of some Non-Muslims and rightly so, but we have some Phobias of our own that we need to sort out first. So it's introspection time again:

1. Jewaphobia:

These are the Muslims who think all Jews are in on some kind of global conspiracy against Islam, it is the Muslim equal to Islamophobia. Don't believe me, look at the following example:

The Islamophobes are determined that Obama is a secret Muslim, while the Jewaphobes are determined that he is a secret Jew, all the while the poor guy keeps explaining that he is Christian.

Jewaphobes make the Jews seem almost God-like in their power, they seem to think the Jews can watch our every move like the Truman Show, that they control every thing in the media, the governments and they even blame the Jewish scientists for the earthquakes and Tsunamis.

Islam teaches us to stay away from conspiracy theories and work only with facts, further it teaches us that every individual is different and you can't treat all Jews as bad because of a few, we don't like it when they do that to us after all. Remember Muslims and Jews lived side by side in peace for centuries, one last point: The Jews are not an all-powerful boogeyman with control over everything, most of them are normal people like you and me who can't even control their own bank accounts leave alone yours.

2. Kaafiraphobia:

This is even more intense than Jewaphobia, some Muslims think that everything Non-Muslims do must be evil, forgetting that most Non-Muslims are just simple people who don't know any better. They think any movie, book, shop or statement by a Non-Muslim is definitely evil, this is ridiculous. There are many Non-Muslims through out history who are decent people and they all can't be put into one camp with the others. Did the prophet (peace be upon him) treat his uncle Abu Talib the same as his uncle Abu Lahab? No, because one was a good Non-Muslim and one was bad, Important point to reflect upon.

3. Technolophobia:

Also known as Mediaphobia. Some Muslims confuse technological advancement with Bidah (religious innovation) and religiously shun technology. They have a strange fear that technology can only harm and not benefit, anything goes wrong and they blame technology. TV is evil even if you watching an Islamic lecture, it will corrupt you, they say. Such people need to wake up and face reality, this is the technological age, you can either embrace it or get lost in transmission, and technological advancement is not bidah, bidah refers to changing, adding or subtracting from the religion. As far as worldly things go, Islam teaches that everything is Halal until proven Haram.

4. Womenaphobia:

Some Muslim men are literally scared of women! They think that even if a woman makes Salaams or comes out dressed in full veil, she is still tempting them to sin. Their response? They oppress women in the name of Islam to keep them subdued. Such men need to study Islam properly and realize what they are doing is a sin. They also need help, because its not the women's fault they go bananas at the sight of a woman in niqab or on hearing a woman make Salaams, its their own fault. They need to learn self-control and realize that replying to a woman's Salaam does not count as Zina.

5. Canine-phobia:

Islam teaches us that we should not keep dogs in our houses or as pets, it does however allow guide dogs, guard dogs, hunting dogs. etc yet some people forget this second part and treat dogs like they are the worst thing on earth. I feel sorry for the way some Muslims treat dogs, the poor dog never do anything wrong. These people also forget that Allah praised a dog in the Quran for protecting the people of the cave and Allah forgave a Jewish prostitute because she was kind to a dog. Points to ponder, folks.

6. Jinn-phobia:

Parents are to blame for this one. Some parents raise their kids with the Muslim alternative to ghost stories...Jinn stories. This leads to the child growing up to be paranoid and to see Jinn everywhere, especially in the Darul Ulooms, unless the child is crazy like me as I spent a lot of my childhood searching for ghosts, jinn and aliens to little success. It should be noted that Jinn can trouble people but that is very rare and if you practice Islam and read for protection Duas like Ayatul Kursi and the Three Quls, they can't harm you, so relax a bit.

7. Azaab-a-phobia:

This one I do not understand. Some Muslims are so scared of Azaab (Divine Punishment) that whenever it rains, thunders, etc they start panicking and thinking the world is about to end. These guys have clearly seen too many Roland Emmerich movies. Yet the same Muslims don't change their lives and forget about the end of the world when the sky clears up. People, we need to be Muslims full-time, not just when the sky is falling on our heads!

8. Signofqiyamaphobia:

These Muslims are scared that Qiyamah is close and see everything as a sign of Qiyamah. If an earthquake happens, "Qiyamah is close", If a crime happens "Qiyamah is close", if Jacob Zuma becomes president "Qiyamah is close", If Obama sneezes "Qiyamah is close"

Relax people, only Allah knows when Qiyamah is. It could be tomorrow or in five hundred years time, it does not matter. Once a man asked the prophet (peace be upon him) when will Qiyamah be, he replied "What have you prepared for it?" Another interesting point to ponder.

9. Othergroupphobia:

Some Muslims live in boxes, they only hang out with, talk to, live with and study under people born into the same group, sect or mazhab as them, as a result they grow narrow-minded and think their understanding is the only way that Islam should be practiced and they grow wary and fearful of other Muslims. This Phobia is holding the Ummah back from uniting for common goals or learning from each other. As Muslims we should realize we do not know everything and our teachers are fallible and can make mistakes, thus we must be willing to give others an ear and hear out their opinions. If it is wrong, then correct it...politely please and if it is right then accept it and change.

10. Mullahphobia:

Another one to blame the parents for. Some parents threaten their kids with police, others with physical punishment, yet others threaten them with the Uloom, The Moulana, The Shaykh or most popular in SA.....Mia's farm. As a result, such kids grow up terrified of Scholars and Islamic places, and the way certain Moulanas and religious people treat them in the Masjid doesn't help things..but thats a different article: http://caller2islam.blogspot.com/2009/10/rights-of-children.html

Point to note: If you are raising your kids to be terrified of anything Islamic, how the hell are they ever suppose to become practicing Muslims! Now having studied in a Darul Uloom, I can understand and vouch for the fact that the place and its Moulanas can be scary but that is no excuse to put kids off religion. Find some nice cool scholars and students of knowledge and get your kids to hang out with them instead, rather than only focus on the negative and end up raising children who are scared of anything or anyone Islamic.

Thats the top ten phobias I can think of, let me know if you can think of any others. :)

Top Ten Extreme Characters I have met

2009-11-26T12:09:00.003+02:00

The following are a list of extremist characters I have met during my search for the true understanding of Islam, some of them you might know, some you might not. I have written it in dialog form, but note that not every one of these dialogs actually happened, most of them I just thought up the reply but was too polite to say it.

If you fall into any of these categories, do not take offense, rather take it as an opportunity for introspection:

1. The Extreme Hater

EH: As Muslims we should hate all Kuffar, Deviants and Sinners
Me: Thats all of humanity
EH: Anybody who loves a Kaafir becomes a Kaafir
Me: The Quran says that the prophet (peace be upon him)loved Abu Talib who died a Kaafir, does that mean you beleive.....

2. The Extreme Chauvinist

EC: Women are not allowed to drive
Me: The female companions drove camels
EC: Well women are not allowed to study anything except Islam
Me: Then how did Ayesha (RA) master medicine?
EC: Well a woman is not allowed to go to the Masjid
Me: That's not what the prophet said

3. The Extreme Urdu Waalaa

EUW: Nasheeds are only Halal in Urdu or Arabic
Me: How is Urdu different from English?
EUW: Urdu is the language of our forefathers
Me: So? Dawud Wharnsby and Yusuf Islam's forefathers spoke English
EUW: English is the language of the Kuffar
Me: Wonder what language the Hindus in India speak

4. The Extreme Blind Follower:

EBF: If my Shaykh tells me this green plate is blue, I will believe that it is blue! (Someone actually said that to me)
Me: Well then I can't help you, you need a psychiatrist (never really say that, just thought it)

5. The Extreme Free Thinker:

EFT: There is no such thing as Hijab, its a pagan custom
Me: I'll tell that to all the companions and scholars since they are unanimous that Hijab is part of Islam, but I'm sure you know better than every single companion and the pious scholars of the past and the ummah has being wrong for 1400 years.

6. The Extreme Hanafi: (Real Conversation)

EH: Astagfirullah! How can you raise your hands before and after Rukhu! Thats Wrong!
Me: Didn't the prophet (peace be upon him) do it?
EH: Yes....
Me: So will I go to Hell for trying to follow this Sunnah?
EH: No, but it's against our Madhab
Me: YOUR madhab, not our ;)

7. The Extreme Salafi:

Me: So-and-so passed this fatwa
ES: He is not a Salafi because he said Sufis are Muslims
Me: But so-and-so also said the same
ES: He is not a Salafi because he believes drums are Halal
Me: So-and-so also said the same
ES: You are not quoting any Salafis
Me: Who is a Salafi then?
ES: (Starts listing his teachers, apparently you have to be his teacher or one of his teacher's students and agree with their every opinion to fit their definition of a Salafi)

8. The Extreme Haraam Police:

EHP: Video Games, Nasheeds, Videos, etc are all Haraam!
Me: What is Halal then?
EHP: Zikr, Salah, fasting
Me: I mean in terms of having fun
EHP: Astagfirullah! There is no place for entertainment in Islam! We were created to worship only!
Me: I know that, but Allah revealed a balanced religion and remind me to give you a copy of my upcoming book "Entertainment in Islam" when it is published. ;)

9. The Extreme Jihadi:

EJ: We must take over world, we can not live under Kaafir rule, it is Haraam to live here, all Muslims must migrate and make Jihad
Me: Then why are you still here?
EJ: Because I got a job interview with the Tax Department tomorrow and I need the money to support my family

10. The Extremely confused individual:

ECI: You can't watch Islam Channel! TV is haraam!
Me: Then why are you watching WWE?
ECI: You can't listen to Zain Bhikha, its haraam!
Me: Then why are you listening to Britney Spears?
ECI: You can't trim your beard and neaten it, it's haraam!
Me: Then why are you clean-shaven?

One more true conversation to end it off:

Extremist eating at restaurant: It's Haraam to eat here because this restaurant banks with First National Bank!
My Nany: Who do you bank with?
Extremist grumbles: First national Bank
My Nany nods her head and smiles victoriously

I love my Nany! :)

Writing

2009-11-25T14:00:00.003+02:00

When I’m bored I sit and write
Something serious or something light
I write about things that matter to me
Which I’m sure you all can see
Sometimes I write an article or two
If I’m in the mood, I’ll write poetry too.

Writing is fun, it relieves your stress
And saves your mind from becoming a mess
The things I write might be different everyday
But I really like it that way
Because with out variety, life gets boring
And when that happens, I start snoring

So next time, you feel full of emotion
Type or write and get those thoughts in motion
The moral that I am trying to convey
Is that writing is a very beneficial way
To brighten each and every day

So write, my friends, write from the heart
Now is a good time to start
Just be careful that it’s Halal you write
And it’s not something that will start a fight
Because the angels record our every deed
Every word we write and every word we read

Happy Writing!

Eidul Adha - The Poem!

2009-11-25T13:50:00.001+02:00

Eidul Adha is special because of the meat
The Qurbani mutton that I love to eat
Some people think it’s very wrong
But I’ll sort them out with this song

Everyday sheep are slaughtered everywhere
But when a Muslim does it, people stare
Yet the same dude eats mutton all the time
So he really has no reason to whine

Sheep are soft and gentle, it’s true I know
But you are what you eat, isn’t that so?
So I’ll eat the sheep and he can eat swine
Then he’ll be a pig and I’ll be fine

If you still think slaughtering animals is very bad
Well then that is just very sad
You probably never tasted mutton or chops
Just cucumbers, herbs and other crops
So you lose out on one of God’s gifts to us
And I’ll enjoy my mutton curry while you fuss

Eid is nice, Eid is fun
But when it’s all said and done
We’ll have lots of Qurbani meat
And that I think is a real treat!

Eid Mubarak! :)

The Need For Eid

2009-11-24T10:55:00.001+02:00

Eid was an awesome fun time during the early generations of Islam. Muslims would gather on the fields together and pray the Eid prayer, everybody would go including the women and children, then they would celebrate with Halal fun such as is reported in the following narration:

Ayesha narrates that, “Allah's Prophet (peace be upon him) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (peace be upon him) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, "Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (peace be upon him)?" Allah's messenger (peace be upon him) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signalled to those girls to go out and they left. It was the day of Eid, and the Abyssinians were playing with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (peace be upon him) or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! Oh Bani Arfida," till I got tired. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me, "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave. (Saheeh Bukhari 2:15:70)

The reason I am bringing up this point instead of the normal obligations and rituals that must be done on Eid day is because I feel Eid has become too ritualized. These days Eid is only about the Eid Prayer and nothing more, maybe some new clothes and one big meal but after that it is just like any other day for many people, but this is not the way it should be.

The disbelievers have many holidays and their holidays are fun and attractive, but we know it is prohibited to celebrate their religious holidays since it is a way of condoning their Shirk. The problem is that since we have made Eid boring, the kids naturally feel that the other religions have cooler holidays and are thus tempted to join their celebrations, this is why we need Eid!

Not just Eid prayer but a full package, Eid should not just be about the Salah in the morning but a day to remember for the young Muslims. If we make Eid special again then this would give young Muslims an alternative to unislamlic celebrations and will make them feel proud to be Muslims. So here are some tips to make Eid more special:

1) Try to unite the entire family:

This past Eidul Fitr was the best Eid I ever had, one main reason was that everybody from my mum's side of the family were united in one house for the full day, that alone made it special and memorable. One way that we can make Eid special is by getting as many relatives as possible together in one house.

2) Take off from work for the day:

This is a very important point, one of those things that really irritates me is when I see a Muslim close his shop for Christmas but keep it open Eid day, it shows which celebration is more important to him. If the father is working then it is not a holiday and no different than any other day. If you want to make Eid special for your kids, take the day off and spend it the entire day with them, it will only increase their love for you.

Worse than working on Eid day are those Muslims who take the day off yet force their Muslim employees to work on Eid day against their will and threaten to cut their salaries if they take the day off. This is hypocritical and oppression of your Muslim brothers and sisters on Eid day.

3)Hype your kids up

Many parents are so unenthusiastic about Eid that you can't blame their kids for not caring about it. Other parents are only concerned about the rituals, and seem to limit Eid to just that. Don't get me wrong, the rituals, be it the Eid prayer, the animal sacrifice on Eidul-Adha or the payment of Fitr on Eidul-Fitr, are all important but they are not the only part of Eid.

If the parents show excitement about Eid and prepare happily and talk to their children about what a special day it will be, this alone will make it more special for the kids.

4) Do something different and fun:

Take your kids somewhere special, have a party with Halal forms of entertainment, invite their friends for an afternoon Eid party, do any such creative thing to make Eid special for the family as long as it is Halal. Remember having fun and celebrating are not Haram, its the manner that you do it that matters.

5) Smile, Be Happy and avoid arguements:

Nothing ruins Eid more than a snarling man scolding the children for making noise, or two relatives fighting over Fiqh issues. Avoid any situation or people that make you angry and stay smiling. Remember smiling is a sunnah and very rewarding, it also brightens up the atmosphere.

These are just a few tips on improving the overall atmosphere of Eid so that it becomes a special memorable day for everyone. Remember if we make Eid special, it will increase the younger generations love of Islam, pride in their religion, self-esteem and give them a halal alternative to prohibited forms of celebration.

Please feel free to add any other tips you can think off for improving Eid.
:)

Praying in the first Saff in Makkah

2009-11-20T08:50:00.002+02:00

In July 2006, I had the most wonderful experience of all my Umrah trips, I got to pray my Fajr Salah multiple times in the front Saff. By the front Saff I mean I was standing between the Rukn Yamini and Hajr Aswad with nobody between me and the Kaabah. I wish to share with you how i managed to do that so that you too can try and experience this. Note that this is only for men to try, since the guards do not let women pray in the first few rows.

One day i was praying Fajr in the front row of the second floor of the Haram (where people make Tawaf) and as I was looking at the beautiful view of the Kabah and its courtyard full of Muslims, I noticed that the rows start directly in front of the Kabah, I thought to myself if those people can pray there then so can I and I devised a plan to find a way to pray in the front row.

The next day I went to the Haram a few hours before Fajr to observe how the rows are formed. I noticed that about an hour before Fajr time, some Turkish men would walk with the Tawaf while not making Tawaf, each time getting closer to the Kabah, I began to follow them and then as they passed the Rukn Yamini, they stopped and stood facing the Kabah, I went and stood in between them, slowly more and more people joined our row as it got closer to Salah time, and every time a guard would pass by, he would ask "Fajr?" and we would reply "Na'am" (Yes in Arabic). Closer to Salah time, the guards would start pushing the women and Tawaf crowds away and formulating the Saffs, they would then protect us from people trying to push us out of our Saffs and taking our places.

Some of the bigger Turkish and Arab women would put on a fight but the guards would win. So when the time of Salah came, the guard would watch over us and we would watch each other as we took turns to pray our two Sunnah, then when the Jamaah started, we would stand up and pray the most memorable Salah I ever prayed. The first time I did this, as the Jamah started, a huge man who was walking past, shoved me and the turkish man next to me out of the Saff and took our place, without thinking we looked at each other , grabbed him and threw him back out, took our place again and prayed my first ever Salah in the front Saff of the Haram.

So here is the method in brief:
1) It worked for me because it was not Ramadan or hajj, it will be harder at those times
2)Leave an hour and a half before Fajr Adhaan and start walking towards the Kabah, join the crowd and walk with them in Tawaf movement, as pushing your way through them is not a good thing to do.
3) As you get near the walls of the Kabah, stand on the tile line, that is just one Saff away from the Kabah, in front of you should be the royal rumble to kiss the black stone.
4) Since you are in a dangerous type spot and will be standing for an hour, expect to be pushed, shoved, have your toes tramped, stepped on or ready to retreat should the rumble for the black stone turn No-Holds-Barred!
5) Do not think about sitting till a guard comes and asks you "Salah?" then reply in the positive, he will tell you to sit and will protect uou while clearing up the Tawaf crowd.
6) Make friends with the people next to you so that you can protect each other from last minute chancers and bullies, I mostly sat next to Turkish old men who would protect me like their own son, may Allah bless them.
7) Keep your intentions pure and do it for the sake of Allah keeping in mind the reward of praying in the haram combined with the reward of praying in the front Saff!
8) Do not even think about rushing to kiss the stone after Salah as that is what most of the people there are thinking, as you as the Imam makes Salaam to end the salah, you will notice the stone under attack from poeple willing to die or kill to kiss it!

Thats about all I can think off on this topic, I hope it helps someone pray in the front row, because then I get to hare in your reward for doing that. :)

Welcome to South Africa

2009-11-18T08:40:00.002+02:00

I am walking down Queen Street (can never remember the new street names) in Durban one day towards the IPCI. I need some new Dawah material and anyway I enjoy going to the IPCI sometimes just to browse through the books or just to chat to my friends Areeb Islam and Abdul Qadir about Dawah. Then out of no where...an old man comes up to me and greets me. (No, this is not a crime story)

Old Man: As Salaamu Alaikum
Me: Wa Alaikum Salaam
Old Man: Are you Sunni or Tablighi? (To people outside SA, in our country Sunni means Barelwi and Tablighi means Deobandi)
At first I was a bit taken by the abrupt question..and the lack of options. I paused for a while and thought about the answer. Now personally during my search for the truth I have been through a lot of groups and after being labelled a Sunni Tablighi Deobandi Sufi Wahabi Salafi Khariji Jihadi Maududi Ikhwani and Modernist, I had given up on labels.

Me: I'm a Muslim
Old Man: You must be Sunni or Tablighi
At this point I considered telling him I'm Shia, just to see his reaction but in Islam we are not allowed to lie, even if joking so I didn't

Me: Nope, I'm just a Muslim
Old Man: Ok, why do you people say Nabi (SAW) had a shadow, he was Nur not Bashr!(translation: He was a light, not a human)
I stopped to think, who is you people? Muslims? so I asked:
Me: Who is you people?
Old Man: Tablighis
Me: But I said I am not a Tablighi, anyway how do you know he had no shadow?
Old Man: It comes in the Kitab!
The Kitab! Wow! If he was Tablighi, I knew he would be talking about Fazaail-E-Amaal but since I'm guessing he was Sunni, I had no idea what the kitab was! I wanted to give him a long lecture about authenticity and verifying sources and that not all kitabs are authentic but decided against it and said:
Me: Can I see the Kitab and check the authenticity of the Hadith?
Old Man: Sure, I'll get you a copy.

The old man then walks away without even taking down my name, phone number or address (Thank Allah!), leaving me wondering was it necessary to ask me all that, and how the hell is he going to get me a copy if he does not know who I am or how to contact me.

With those thoughts in my head I continued walking towards the IPCI, now a bit reluctant to do dawah, imagining someone taking their Shahadah, then the old man walks up to them:

Old Man: Masha Allah, I see you a Hanafi now, but are you Sunni or Tablighi?
New convert to himself: Hanafi? Sunni? Tablighi? What have I gotten myself into?

Welcome to South Africa!

Is The Media to Blame?

2009-11-16T08:48:00.000+02:00

We Muslims love to blame others for our own shortcomings. Anything goes wrong, its the media's fault, the Jews' fault, the other groups' fault, yet do we ever stop to think that it might just be our fault. I just want to look at one specific issue today, the portrayal of Muslims in Western Media.

Firstly, there are negative portrayals of Muslims in SOME Western Media, not all. Yes, we can Muslims portrayed as terrorists, oppressors, etc by some Media, but we need to be fair, not every portrayal of Muslims is bad and its not always their fault. Let's examine the portrayal of Muslims in Movie for example:

The most famous blockbuster movie in recent times to be blamed for portraying Muslims in a bad light is "Iron Man" in which the superhero fights Afgani Warlords. Now we must be fair, firstly, none of these Afganis ever mention anything about Allah, Islam or say anything Islamic at all, we just assume they must be Muslims. Secondly, Muslim Afgani Warlords are a reality, they are real Muslims in Afganistan and they are bad people and since we Muslims have not done anything about it, it was only a matter of time before the West created and sent in a superhero to sort them out. Besides, didn't Iron Man save an Innocent Muslim Father from them? Therefore, I do not think Iron Man was demonizing Islam, but rather Muslims are at fault for misrepresenting Islam in Afganistan.

This is a key issue, many times the Western Media, either purposely as in the case of Islamaphobes, or mistakenly when they are ignorant, see Muslims teaching and doing wrong things and as a result, that gets headlines in the media. Its wrong but it is not their fault entirely, we also are to blame. We misrepresent Islam yet we want Non-Muslims to represent us properly, does that even make sense?

One the other hand, when Muslims are good role models and beacons of Islam then the Western Media will also represent them as such, as in the case of Saladin in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" or Maalik Al-Shabaaz in the movies "Malcolm X" and "Ali". Thus showing that the portrayal of Muslims is not always biased in Western media, if a Muslim is a true practicing Muslim and a positive role model then he too will be portrayed as such in the media.

Unfortunately, there are also those who are Islamaphobic and portray Islam purposely negatively as in the case of the perverted Adam Sandler movie "Don't mess with the Zohan" which portrayed Islam as bad, Palestinians as terrorists, Isrealis as heroes and portrayed women in general in a disgustingly negative manner.

So what is the solution:

1. Change ourselves:

If we are positive role models of Islam and change our communities to do so as well then we give the media less reasons and excuses to portray us negatively. If Muslims stop oppressing women, committing and condoning act of terrorism and other such unislamic evils then the media will have no excuse if they portray us negatively. If we do nothing about Afgani terrorism then Iron Man will!

2. Produce our own media:

Realistically though, even if we do the above, there will still be those Non-Muslim Islamaphobes who will persist in negatively portraying Islam. To combat this, we need to produce our own media and movies. Muslims are too backwards in general when it comes to media, we need to wake up and start doing productive things to make a change, and producing Islamic movies is one way in which we can not only provide an alternative for Muslim youth, but we can convey the true message of Islam to Non-Muslims in an exciting manner.

So thats what is needed to be done, it is not easy but it will make a difference. I myself would love to direct my own movies one day, I have so many ideas and scripts which I have prepared, hoping that one day when I have the right finances and crew, I can make my movies a reality. We need to be realistic, Islamic Media is no longer a novelty, it is now a necessity!

Let the ink flow!

2009-11-16T08:01:00.000+02:00

So I'm sitting at home frustrated at the fact that I can't do much Islamic work. Due to financial and sectarian issues, I find myself with an admin job, and no platforms to preach or teach Islam. Maybe it's because I'm so young that people won't give me a chance, maybe They scared I might teach something they disagree with, whatever it is, people rarely give me an opportunity and I am thankful to those who do but what can I do to serve Islam in this situation? Then it clicks! The internet! Nobody can stop you from writing your thoughts online, as long as they are no illegal, so why not use the net as a means of expressing myself?

For so long, I have been preparing notes, courses, lectures, poems but they are stuck in my mind and laptop, but not anymore! From now the ink will flow and all this info busting in my head will spill onto this blog, so please excuse the information overload, its what happens when you have so much to say, and finally get a platform to say it on!

Tomorrow may never come

2009-11-12T10:45:00.003+02:00

The burden on your back gets heavier with each day

You carry it everywhere; it has no place to stay

For years it held you down, keeping you depressed and sad

Longing for the old days when you had a dad

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, live today!

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, just live today!

You always thinking back, if only I had done this or that

Thinking of how you could bring back your son or dad

Don’t you realize our time here is short and soon we will go?

Then you will meet them again, so do not feel so low

Years may pass but we have work to do

So many people need your help, so many do

So keep your head up and never look back again

It will help you to suppress all the pain

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, live today!

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, just live today!

Our life is just a test, a temporary rest

We need to work hard so that we can be the best of the best

At times it may get hard, and you feel anxious about what will happen tomorrow

Just remember…..just remember when you feel such sorrow….that

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, live today!

Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow may never come

Live for Allah today, just live today!

Top Ten Things to love about Paradise

2009-11-06T09:06:00.003+02:00

The prophet (peace be upon him) narrated that Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala said, "I have prepared for my servants in Paradise that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind can even imagine,"

If the above Hadith does not motivate you to strive for Paradise, what will? Maybe this Top Ten list will!

Think about it? Imagine the most fun thing in the world, well there are more fun things in Paradise that you can't even imagine!

Think about the most beautiful thing in the world, well there is beauty in Paradise that no eye has seen and no mind can fathom!

Think about the most beautiful sounds in the world, well there is beautiful music in paradise the likes of which no ears have ever heard and your mind can't imagine!

Don't you want this? We die for the latest playstations, DVDs, cars and gadgets, yet none of these can compare to what we will get in paradise if we live our lives according to Allah's will. Shouldn't we be craving for Paradise?

Maybe we don't know enough about Paradise, thats why we are unmotivated. Maybe we are too distracted and do not stop to think about it, whatever the case may be, if you are not working for Paradise you will lose out big time!

Here are my Top Ten things I love about Paradise:

10. No work:

Imagine living forever in luxury without ever having to work again, no worries about your income, your boss or social pressure. We all want this lifestyle, were we sit around doing nothing all day, we all love to retire, what better place to retire in than the eternal bliss of Paradise!

9. No sickness:

Everybody hates getting sick, well if you make it to Paradise, you will never ever get sick again! So what are you waiting for, invest in this incredible medical aid plane that guarantees you eternal good health.

8. No aging:

Nobody likes getting old and wrinkled, once an old lady asked the prophet (peace be upon him) if she will enter Paradise, he replied that there are no old people in Paradise, she began to cry and he explained that is because in Paradise you will be young again forever! Who does not want to drink from a fountain of eternal youth, well Paradise is that fountain!

7. No fighting or ill-feelings:

Nothing spoils our days and lives more than fighting with others and harboring ill-feelings, well before entering Paradise, while on the bridge, all differences will be resolved and the people of Paradise will never feel anything towards each other again!

6. No Bad Guys:

thats right, all thugs, robbers, oppressors, etc are banned from Paradise until they are purified from their sins by burning in the Hellfire and eternally regretful, as for those who are pure evil, hellfire is their abode forever and they will never disturb the peace of Paradise! You want the best security system and to live in the safest country for your family, Paradise guarantees you all of that for eternity!

5. No rules or duties:

In Paradise, you don't have to do anything, as long as you live by the rules on earth, you are free in Paradise to do as you please. This means there is no salah, hijab, prohibitions or traffic fines in Paradise! So fire up your batmobiles becuase nobody will pull you over for bad driving and since you can't get hurt, you can race your batmobiles all over the place as fast as you want without worrying about knocking any old ladies!

4. A Kingdom beyond your wildest dreams!

It is narrated that the smallest property in Paradise which will belong to the worst sinner who will be the last man to crawl out of Hell and be entered into Paradise, will be ten times the size of this earth! Thats right, the smallest property in Paradise is ten times the size of this earth, that means if we work hard enough, we could gain properties as give as this galaxy! Mind you, that that is your own personal property in which you can do as you please. Tell me that you don't want that?

Did I mention that this huge property is full of rivers of pure milk, wine and honey, indescribably beautiful Palaces and whatever your heart desires! You know what to do, go repent and start working for it!

3. Whatever your heart desires and entertainment and beauty that nobody can even imagine!

Thats right, desire grilled prawns and chips, you will get it immediately, desire a fountain of chocolate, you will get it immediately! Desire a batmobile... :-) you get the picture, tell me you still not interested in Paradise?

You read the Hadith at the beginning, what more do you want! Even if you get everything you desire in Paradise, this is even cooler, because there are stuff there so awesome, fun and beautiful that it could not be described to us because our minds can't imagine it! In one narration of the Meraj, the prophet (peace be upon him) described the Lote-tree as having colors indescribable! That means even the colors there will be new and more beautiful than what we get on earth! Which crazy person, is not excited about getting all this!

2. Eternal life!

Forget about your philosopher's stones and fountains of eternal life, if you make it to Paradise you will have all of the above...forever! Never getting tired, never getting bored and according to some narrations, the pleasures just keep increasing and getting better! To me this, is the one thing I love most about paradise, living forever in luxury and enjoyment.

1. Seeing Allah and talking to Him:

It is reported that Allah will ask the people of Paradise, if they desire anything and they will reply what more can we want we got Paradise! Allah will then lift his veil and the people of Paradise will see Allah's face and it will be the most beautiful thing they ever saw and the happiest moment they ever experienced!

Thats right in Paradise, you will get not only get to meet and hang out with the prophets, companions, deceased relatives and righteous people of the past, but you will get meet Allah! Is that not reason enough to work for Paradise, and the higher your ranking, the more often you will meet Allah!

So you have to wear hijab for a few years on earth, grow a beard, pray five times a day, be good, etc, etc. So what, is not all of the above worth it! So next time, you feel it difficult to practice Islam, think about all of the above and realize Paradise and Allah's company is worth it!

Hope this motivated you as it motivated me! Please leave your comments and tell me what you love best about Paradise! May Allah guide us all and unite us with Him in Paradise!

Poem about the mother of the believers Ayesha

2009-11-04T13:33:00.001+02:00

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Our Mother Ayesha
By Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar

Amr Ibn Al-Aas once asked the prophet (peace be upon him) who he loved the most in this world, the prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Ayesha,” he then asked about the men and the prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Her father,”

This song is dedicated to Ayesha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, our mother and one of the first women to benefit from the Islamic liberation. May Allah be pleased with her!

The prophet once had a dream
In which Ayesha’s face he had seen, behind a bridal screen
And so that day, he embraced his destiny
And the rest is now part of our beautiful history

She was young and keen, ready to learn and grow
As she grew, her wisdom and greatness would begin to show
She would become a great scholar who feared Allah
And she taught this Ummah the Quran and Sunnah

Oh Ayesha, my mother, May Allah be pleased with her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, we should all follow her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a role model for us all
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a hero standing tall

She would face many tests but Allah was always would her
Like when the hypocrites launched a scandal against her
Her world seemed to crumbling down around her
But she knew that Allah would never desert her

She held tight to her faith in Allah
Until He revealed verses to defend her
Such is the honour bestowed upon Ayesha
Our mother, protected and defended by Allah

Oh Ayesha, my mother, May Allah be pleased with her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, we should all follow her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a role model for us all
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a hero standing tall

When the prophet was passing away
It was in her house that he chose to stay
It was in her lap that he breathed his last
He is still buried there although so much time has past

She was the daughter of the first Caliph of Islam
And the wife of the greatest prophet of them all
She was given the title As-Siddiqah
And is honoured in the Kitabullah

Oh Ayesha, my mother, May Allah be pleased with her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, we should all follow her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a role model for us all
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a hero standing tall

There came a time when she would face fitnah
Uthman had been killed and the murderers were not far
She decided to confront them leading a huge army
But through a misunderstanding, her army fought Ali

Yet showing the true spirit of Imaan and unity
They reconciled and signed a peace treaty
Ali was a real man and honoured his and our mother
And showed us how to behave as a true Muslim brother

Oh Ayesha, my mother, May Allah be pleased with her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, we should all follow her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a role model for us all
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a hero standing tall

So many stories to tell about this great woman
In the days when other nations mistreated and oppressed women
She was racing, playing with her dolls and enjoying her youthful days
Yet at the same time learning and growing to become a leader in Allah’s way

What more can we say that has not been said before
She is known as Siddiqa, Humairah, and by many more
Her titles and names show her high status in our Deen for all to see
Just read how many Hadith she narrated for you and me

Sahabah would gather to learn from her everyday
For they recognized she had the knowledge to lead the way
So we owe it to her to study her history
And follow in her footsteps and join her legacy

Oh Ayesha, my mother, May Allah be pleased with her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, we should all follow her
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a role model for us all
Oh Ayesha, our mother, a hero standing tall

If God does not need our worship, why create us to worship Him?

2009-11-04T08:40:00.001+02:00

As Salaamu Alaikum

Below is my response to a seeker of the truth, who asked me the following question:

"God does not need our worship, so why did He create us to worship Him? Why does He allow all the evil that happens on earth and why punish people when He already knows what they will do. Why create people if He is going to doom them to eternal Hell anyway?"

I hope my answer is satisfactory and I ask Allah to guide us all to what is best, please feel free to add on any more points that you feel can help:

Firstly, I would like to mention that that is a very good question and one that I myself thought about a lot. I also gauge from the question that you believe in God yet can not understand why He would do this to His creation, so I will try, with the Help of God, to answer as best as I can.

The first point we should realize is that God is beyond us in many ways, He has more knowledge and wisdom than we ever can, so this should humble as and make us realize there are many things God does which is beyond our understanding yet we need to trust His infinite wisdom which will reveal itself over time. So anytime, we do not understand something about God, it is because of our own lack of knowledge. The key is to ask and learn, which you did, May God bless you with guidance and understanding, yet know that not everything about God can be understood by us.

Regarding why did God create us, the simple answer of to worship Him still leaves many questions, some of which you have mentioned, and you are right, God does not need our worship, but we do. We are in need of God, and the only way to get His help and Mercy is to worship Him in the way that He has revealed through His prophets. We need God's worship so that we can gain peace of mind, knowing our purpose and living for it, so that we can gain nearness to Him, so that we can gain Paradise and escape the Hellfire.

That still leaves the question, why create humans and put them through this test and punish them if they fail? My question to you would be why not? God is the Creator, and Creating is what He does, just like painters paint and builders build, God creates and He decides what to create. If you had to paint a picture of an ugly man, the picture can not complain to you as to why you made him ugly, that was your chose and he is your painting, similarly we are God's creation and God tells us in the Quran, "He is not answerable to you, but you all are answerable to Him,"

The Creator did what He does best, He created. He created an amazing universe with amazing creatures, most amazing of them all He created the human being and gave it intellect and the ability to choose and to do both good and evil. But the Creator is also most Wise and knows that if He creates a being like a human, there has to be rules and punishments, if not humans will do what they want and chaos will reign. Just like we set rules in our countries, schools, and workplaces, and we set punishments for those who break the rules, yet nobody says it is unjust, rather we say it is unjust not to have punishments, the same applies to God on a higher level for God has more right to make rules for us and to punish us than other people since He created and owns us.

Imagine if God did not create the Hellfire and if He decided all humans would go to Paradise, what would be the use of me doing good, since the murderers, rapists, terrorists, etc would get the same reward as the doers of good? It would be unjust and illogical, and God is most just and most logical.

Imagine if He just placed us in paradise and Hell without testing us on earth first since He already knows our endings, the people in Hell would feel it is unjust to them, yet by letting us live our lives and giving us this chance, if anybody ends up in Hell, there will be no excuse he can make, that is the Wisdom and Justice of God.

In the end, we must realize that we do exist, God has already created us and placed us in this test, will we choose to submit (Islam) to Him and worship Him because we need to, or will we choose to rebel and face a punishment for being ungrateful to our Creator who gave us so much in this world and is offering us so much more in Paradise the Hereafter if we choose to worship Him.

Think about it but more importantly pray to God and ask Him to grant you the guidance and understanding you need and are searching for.

May God guide us all
Peace upon those who seek guidance

Breaking Stereotypes

2009-10-29T10:15:00.001+02:00

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Breaking Stereotypes:
By Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar

While listening to Zain Bhikha and Adbul Malik Ahmed’s new song “Who I am” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvaChRhaTyE) from Zain’s new album “1415:The Beginning” I thought about the social implications of this song so I wrote the following article based on the song with lyrics from the song in between. This song can refer to us trying to imitate the disbelievers and live up to their expectations, but I wrote from the point of view of us trying to live up to the cultural expectations of many Muslims:

“Social expectations drown us all inside, what you have should be what I want, because what I have just ain’t alright,” (Zain Bhikha – Who I am)

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the universe and we ask Allah to send his peace and blessings upon his final messenger Muhammad and all those who follow his way until the Last Day.

If you study the lives of the pious predecessors, you will find that each of them was unique and had their own special qualities. Looking at the prophets (peace be upon them all), Musa was strong and hot-tempered against evil, but he also had a speech impediment. Eesa on the other hand was cool and peaceful. Each prophet had unique qualities that separated them from the others, be it Ibrahim’s sacrificing attitude and soft nature, Shuaib’s eloquent speech, Yusuf’s beauty and patience, Yaqub’s beautiful patience and loving nature or Muhammad’s amazing endurance and his legendary trustworthiness. Peace be upon them all, each of them were unique.

The same goes for the companions, Abu Bakr was soft, cool yet firm upon his principles. Umar was hot-tempered, harsh yet soft towards the poor and oppresses. Uthman was patient and would not raise an arm against another Muslim. Abu Dhar preferred solitude while others preferred being part of the community. Khalid Bin Waleed was a fighter, was Hussain Bin Thabit was a peaceful poet. Each of them was unique.

The same applies to the great women in our history. Aasiyah was exceptionally brave and outspoken against her husband the Pharaoh. Maryam was the perfect example of piety and modesty. Ayesha was outspoken, learned and intelligent. Nusaibah binte Ka’ab was would sacrifice her life in the battlefield. Once again each of the great women of our past was unique.

The point I am trying to emphasize is that none of the pious predecessors fitted into a stereotype. There was no stereotype of practicing Muslim like how we have today. As long as a person fulfilled their obligations, stayed away from sin and contributed positively to the world, they were regarded ad righteous Muslims.

Today our cultures have set so much high expectations of what they perceive to be piety that Muslims get lost in two ways. One group looks at piety as impossible to achieve without losing his or her self so they choose to stay away from the road to piety so that they can be themselves, while others submit to their cultures and forge a fake shell of piety losing themselves to their cultures and living for the people instead of Allah.

“He did, she did, they all did, what’s expected of them all. To get to the top don’t matter, if somebody’s got to fall,” (Zain Bhikha – Who I am)

For example, in my society, a pious man is perceived as a man who has a long beard, always wears a hat and long-sleeved kurta or Thawb, never smiles, laughs or has fun. The result, many people choose to live this lifestyle, making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves and others, while others stay away from piety because it seems boring to them.

It’s the same with women, when a sister decides to wear niqab, she is expected to have no personality, role in society and is expected to live a boring life of only worship. If a Muslim woman in Niqab is spotted laughing or having fun, she is treated with disapproval and people shake their heads at her “hypocrisy”. As a result women choose not to wear niqab so that they can be themselves or they choose to wear it and end up oppressed by culture and social expectations.

“They tell me this is the way that I need to reform, if I continue to stray I will start up a storm, wear this, drive that, like this, not that, don’t there lose track or you will fall way back!” (Abdul Malik Ahmed – Who I am)

In reality, none of this counts as piety in Islam, a man with a short beard, who does not wear a kurta or hat, yet does the five pillars, is good to people and stays away from evil is a righteous Muslim, and having fun is permitted in Islam and at times recommended as long as the means are permissible. The same applies for a woman as long as she covers everything except her face and hands in front of men that she can marry (Ghair Mahram).

All these extras that culture and society attach to piety are unfounded (like the kurta or being boring) or differed over (like the length that a beard should be or whether niqab is compulsory or recommended) and cause unnecessary inconvenience to those of us who want to please Allah but find society turning against us for not fitting their stereotype.

Allah has create each human unique and has revealed the perfect was of life that fits with human nature as a result Islam is a religion which caters for our different personalities and lifestyles yet provides boundaries to keep us away from destructive elements. There is nothing in Islam that is forbidden unless it is harmful and there is nothing in Islam which is recommended or obligatory unless there is benefit in it, and everything else is permissible.

Allah has made Islam easy to follow and our time on this earth is short, if you wish to please Allah and earn His Paradise then you have to stop worrying about what people will say and stop trying to please them, because your reward is with Allah, not with the people. You can be a practicing Muslim and still maintain your individuality, your personality and still have a fun life. Islam caters for all this so do not stay away from practicing Islam out of fear of not meeting people’s expectations or losing yourself and do not worry about what people say.

In the end, each of us will die and meet Allah individually so let us be the best Muslims we can be for Allah even if it means breaking people’s stereotypes and cultural expectations in the process. Maybe being yourself would be a means of opening other people’s eyes to what Islam really teaches and the true meaning of piety. Let us be the best of Muslims and educate others to show them how easy and fun Islam can be.

“But if my Lord loves me then my soul is free, you can say what you want just let me be! I know if I’m real and it’s not a disguise, you’ll love who I am if you open up your eyes,” (Abdul Malik Ahmed – Who I am)

“This is who I am, this is me! Nothing everything can’t you see! Who I am, just let me be, cause all that matters is that God loves me!” (Zain Bhikha – Who I am)

The Rights of children

2009-10-29T10:12:00.003+02:00

The Rights of Children in Islam
By Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar

All praise is due to Allah, the Most Merciful, and may peace descend upon his final prophet, the mercy to this universe, Muhammad and all those who follow his way until the Last Day.

Once a man saw the prophet (peace be upon him) kissing his grandsons and in shock this man commented, "We do not kiss our children!" In another narration, he said, "I have ten sons and I have never kissed any of them," The prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "What can I do if Allah has removed mercy from your heart," In another narration, he said, "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy,"

This Hadith sums up the prophetic method of dealing with children, it is a relationship of love and mercy. This is the Sunnah and the way of Islam, compare this however to the following common scenario in our times:

A child enters a Masjid for the first time at the age of seven and is keen to see what the Masjid is like and what the pious people there are like. This experience will be his first and lasting impression of Islam and practicing Muslims.

The first thing he notices is that nobody is smiling, and all the old men with big beards and kurtas are frowning and glaring at him like they want to kill him. This child gets scared and either cries or wets his pants, and then all Hell breaks loose in the house of Allah! All of a sudden, the old Buzrooks are screaming and swearing at the child and his father, sometimes they might even hit the child or his father or both of them. This is the typical first experience of many children in the Masjid, if not on their first day then during their first year at the Masjid.

The result: This child grows up averse to the Masjid and all things associated with it, including prayer and growing a beard. The question that needs to be raised is when these elders studied Islam, didn't anybody teach them Islamic etiquette and how to treat children? In fact many of these people think that Islamic respect is all about respecting your elders while they treat their employees, wives, kids and anybody younger than them like crap.

The prophet (peace be upon him) said, "None of you is from amongst us unless he is respectful to his elders and merciful to the youngsters," This Hadith shows that all humans deserve respect and mercy, regardless of age, and you can not be truly pious unless you treat children with kindness.

Let us look at the practical example of the prophet (peace be upon him) and compare it to the common practice amongst Muslims today. The prophet (peace be upon him) once when delivering a Jumuah Khutbah, saw his grandson crying for him at the Masjid entrance, he stopped the Khutbah and went over and picked up the child and pacified him. Then continued with the Khutbah. How many Imams today would do that if a child is crying in the Masjid? You have to wonder, whose sunnah are they following?

Sometimes the prophet (peace be upon him) would take very long in his sajdah because his grandson would be riding on his back and he would not want to disturb or hurt the child. Other times he would pick up the child and carry him while praying if the child wanted him. How many of us do this today? How many of us get angry, swear the child and say things like, "You stupid child! Can't you see I am praying!" Whose sunnah are we following?

We need to realize that children are innocent and they do not do things with bad intentions, furthermore they are soft-hearted and absorb everything you do. How you treat them prayer time or in the Masjid will affect how they look at the Masjid and prayer. This is why the prophet (peace be upon him) would leave a special cluster of dates in a corner of the Masjid only for children. The children would come and eat from it and enjoy being in the Masjid. How many of our children enjoy going to the Masjid? Whose sunnah are we following?

Once a child companion's pet bird died. The prophet (peace be upon him) went to visit that child and give his condolences! How many of us give a child condolences when someone dies, leave alone their pets. They need it even more than the adults.

Anas Ibn Malik was a child who use to work for the prophet (peace be upon him) and says that in his ten years working for the prophet (peace be upon him), the prophet (peace be upon him) never reprimanded him! Once the prophet (peace be upon him) sent Anas on an errand, Anas saw some kids playing and forgot about the errand and joined them. Later the prophet (peace be upon him) came looking for him and found him playing, the prophet (peace be upon him) laughed and told him to go complete the errand and never shouted or reprimanded and never brought up the topic again.

We can see from all these narrations that the prophet (peace be upon him) understood the feelings and nature of children and he treated them in the best of manners. He never put them down, made them feel bad, shouted or hit them. He would listen to their opinions and play with them. he was a friend to them, rather than a boss. It was because of this exemplary behavior of his that the children at his time loved him so much, loved Islam and grew up to become the leaders of this Ummah.

In fact, most of the great scholars of the companions were children or teenagers when the prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, including Ayesha, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas and Ibn Amr, yet they became the leading scholars of their time because of his treatment of them and method of dealing with them.

I ask Allah to grant us all the mercy and manners of the prophet (peace be upon him) and to make us people who attract others to Islam, and save us from being the cause of chasing people away from Islam.

One last note: The prophet (peace be upon him) would smile most of the time, so smile!