Do our sins affect us?

Thalaba Ibn AbdulRahman

Before reading this heart warming story which will most probably bring tears to your eyes first stop and honestly ask yourself a few questions. How often do you sin...im not talking about major or minor in particular just any type of sins? If its a major sin then yes hopefully you would have recognised it and some of us may even recognise when we commit minor sins too but the question is 'How does recognising these sins we commit left right and centre every single day of our lives affect us???' Do we stop upon recognition and feel remorse and turn to Allah for forgiveness? Or are we too busy to even recognise the sin let alone repent to Allah. Perhaps its the case of 'Oh yeah shouldnt have done that oh well life goes on'. Some of us may commit sins and not even think that they are worth thinking about as perhaps we didnt even mean to do them. Lets take a look at how one young Sahabah (companion of the prophet peace be upon him) felt when he committed a sin which im sure most of us but not all of you insha'Allah may not have recognised it as a sin and just felt embarrassed, and possibly utter 'Oh Astaghfirallah' without really paying attention in seeking Allahs forgiveness. Im not trying to have a go at anyone except maybe myself as Im one of those who is guilty of falling short in recognising my own sins and repenting sincerely to Allah. May Allah increase me and us all in recognising our sins, giving us the ability to repent sincerely and may He forgive us ameen.

Thalaba Ibn AbdulRahman

Thalaba Ibn AbdulRahman was a young man at the age of 16. He always ran errands (short trips taken to perform specified tasks) for the prophet pbuh. One day while walking though the city of Medina, he passed by a house with an open door. Out of curiosity he took a glance inside. In this glance, he saw a light curtain being blown away from a bathroom entrance were a woman was bathing. He immediately lowered his gaze. With an extreme feeling of guilt and hypocrisy his mind ran. Thinking to himself, “How could I be of the companions, one that is close to the prophet pbuh, one who runs his errands and be so horrible as to disrespect peoples privacy?”.. He feared that Allah would reveal to the prophet pbuh evidence of his hypocrisy. His guilt denied him to ever show his face to the prophet pbuh. So he ran away.
Days went by and the prophet kept asking the other companions if they had seen Thalaba. No one had seen him. With the prophet’s worry about Thalaba he sent a few of the companions to look for him everywhere, among them were Omar Ibn Al Khattab and Salman Al Farisiy. They looked everywhere in Medina, and on the out skirts of Madina, until they came about a set of mountains between Mecca and Medina where some nomads where herding sheep.
The companions asked the nomads if they had seen a young man with Thalaba’s characteristics. They told the companions about a weeping boy. He had been here for 40 days. He came down from the mountains once a day weeping and drank the milk they would offer him. Then he went back up the mountains weeping, crying, always asking for Allah for forgiveness, and saying words of repentance. So the companions waited until he came down and watched him. He had lost weight. His countenance reflected sorrow as he drank the milk that was mixed with his tears. The companions insisted that they take him back to the prophet pbuh but he refused and asked them if Allah had revealed verses saying he was a hypocrite. They told him that they had no knowledge of any such verses.
He was taken back to Medina where the prophet pbuh went to see him. He asked again if Allah had put him among the hypocrites or revealed that he was. The prophet pbuh assured him that there were no such verses. He laid out Thalaba’s tired, weak body and placed Thalaba’s head on his lap. He said, “Oh prophet of Allah remove the head of a sinner away from you.” The prophet pbuh comforted him until he told the prophet pbuh I feel as though ants are walking between my flesh and bones. The prophet told him it was death and his time had come. He witnessed while Thalaba’s head was on his lap, Thalaba proclaim “There is no god worthy of worship other than Allah, and that Mohamed pbuh is the messenger of Allah.” The prophet pbuh washed Thalaba and carried him to the grave. It is narrated that on their way to bury Thalaba, the prophet pbuh walked on his tippy toes as though he were in a crowd. When Omar asked about this, the prophet pbuh explained that he was being crowded with the angels.

The Radical Middle Way!

Below is a small extract from a speech given by Shaykh Habib Ali Jifri you can read the whole speech on The Radical Middle Way website see link on my links!

'Do not be afraid in this country. You are a part of it. Feel that you have a responsibility towards improving it and remedying its ailments. Be open about your attendance at masjid and take an active part in the Muslim community. If you see good, follow it through, and if you see wrong, be the first to reject it. If someone wants to do harm to the country in the name of Islam, we are the first to reject him. If you find a shortcoming in yourself, then stand in the middle of the night, offering two rakaahs, weeping before Allah. Then you shall see the outpouring of His Divine Aid, empowering you to overcome yourself. By this, you will truly see wonders.'
Shaykh Habib Ali Jifri

What a View!

Im always continuosly astounded by the beauty of Allahs creation Allahu Akbar! Imagine having a view like this! SO simple but peaceful such beauty masha'Allah. It may not be a mansion or an expensive villa but doesnt it offer what a home should a sense of tranquility and calm masha'Allah! This isnt my home (I wish) infact it was a picture I found on someone elses blog but I was so struck by it that I thought to share it with you all! It reminds me of a beautiful Island called Lamu which is off Kenya which I visited with my husband a couple of months back. Ill try dig out some Lamu Photos and post them up with a short link of the lovely time we had there (not including a cockroach which insisted on tormenting me the whole night following me around) ewww! Forget that and just admire this picture! Now take a deep breath doesnt your day feel better already!

Preparing for someone special!

Just for a moment sit back and relax! Ok now get your imagination caps on! Think of who to you the most important guest could be and they were going to visit your home... best friend, husband/wife after a long trip of not seeing him/her, inlaws, the queen lol, your favourite scholar who you look up to, your future wife/husband I dont know but someone very very important!
Imagine the preparation you would go through in order to make it as perfect as possible right! The cleaning, polishing, airing out the rooms, perhaps depending on your circumstances you may even actually go and buy a few new things like cups, home decorations etc. Now would you tell them to come over at a time when you knew that all the preparations had not been completed? No not at all you wouldnt as you would want everything to be perfect so you would call them when everything had been done.
The house is now sparkling, smelling so good, food is absolutely mouth watering, the best plates have been taken out the table is set looking too good to touch, you even have an amazing exotic desert everything is like its fit for royalty. What does this say how you feel for this person... you care alot about them, you love them! You would not go through all of this for someone you didnt love and didnt care for right?

Well just think a preparation greater than this took place for you, for me, for us all for mankind for our arrival and who was our host? We had the best host Allah (swt). Before placing mankind on earth Allah had prepared it in such perfection made it so beautiful, provided us with all the provisions we would need to survive and live comfortably. The greenery, the delicious foods, animals, the earth Allah prepared it for us. Did you know that water originates from stars? So even the substance that we can not live with out water has gone through such preparation... When a star explodes a reaction takes place creating the water so next time you have a drink of water take a good look as its actually billions of years old Allahu Akbar!
Now of course all this preparation is nothing for Allah it didnt tire him out, He didnt need rest after it, it did not diminish His limitless powers in any shape or form so the lessen we take from this is that Allah loves us, Allah loves mankind, before placing us on earth He made sure we had our needs. We should be so greatful to Him just as we would be greatful to anyone who invites us to their homes we even take a box of chocolates or flowers when invited somewhere to show our appreciation for them inviting us but what about Allah? Allah doesnt need offerings from us such as chocolates or flowers but we should always verbally praise Him, thank Him, turn to Him alone, make sujood (prostration) to Him and you know what is so great is that by doing all these acts of thanking Allah it doesnt benefit Him in anyway in fact in only benefits us as it increases Allahs love and blessings for us Allahu Akbar! And just as (well I hope so anyways) just as we would not abuse the home of someone who had invited us to their house we should not abuse this earth which Allah has blessed us with. We should respect it, respect each other take care of each other and the earth by planting trees, recycling, not wasting, not littering and so many more ways. So all of you who have read this take a moment to think and contemplate and thank Allah (God) for all you have for blessing you for loving you and prostrate to Him as He is the only one deserving of it!

This one is for you Waranga!

Now who can honestly say they have a more modern means of transport than this? Ive also heard its low on fuel consumption... all it takes is a batch of hay! Watch when this model comes popular how suddenly the price of hay rises! This is the transport in Morocco! Enjoy!

TRIBUTE TO ELEEN MY SWEET FAIRY FRIEND!

Eleen no way have I forgotten you in fact I miss you dearly! For those of you who dont know Eleen she is a wonderful wonderful wonderful person very good friend of mine like my sister from South Africa... thats pronounced Sooouth Africa! Right Eleen?
Since you went back ive missed you alot and still remember our long talks and discussions our time we spent drinking good coffee while talking about so many interesting things... I was actually remembering just the other day how we weeded my garden porch with forks as in cutlery forks remember it was hard work but alot of fun! How are you? Email me your number again! And come back to London I miss you!
We still have to climb a mountain I say lets make it Kilimanjaro or Tabletop mountain! There is Kili on the left and tabletop on the right!
Everyone here is fine! Let me know hows it all goes down there! ooooo khan dat?
MWAH!

ANY GOOD NEWS???

The dreaded question... 'Soooo Any Good News?' Now some of you are probably thinking errrm ok whats the problem has she finally lost the plot? And Im sure others who are married are thinking 'Ahaa I know what she is talking about'.
Before getting married the dreaded question was ...'Soooo are you considering anyone or getting married???' Im sure we have all been through that and if not then all I can say is your very lucky!
Anyways I recently got married 3 months ago and by the Grace and Mercy of God am very happy! I wrongly thought 'Yesssss now no more awkward questions' WRONG!!!!!!!
It seems that the new dreaded question post marriage is now 'Sooooo Any Good News?' This of course is quite commonly accompanied by a meaningful stare at your tummy and occasionally with a quick prod at the tummy to see if your concealing anything!

Family asking is cool they are looking forward to a new nephew/niece/granchild/cousin etc but I dont know its still slightly embarassing!
When close friends ask its also not too bad but personally Id prefer not to be asked and rather for people to wait to be told. The worst thing is though when people you dont really know come and ask... I work in a bookshop and now it seems that since getting married its licenced people friends, customers some who I know well some who I hardly know to openly come up to me and pose the dreaded question either that or im just getting fat lol so people cant help but wonder!
I could be wrong but Im sure thats its quite well known that when people are actually expecting a little bundle of joy they dont actually like to broadcast it for a good few months I think at least 2-3 months and when they are good and ready to let people know they will themselves offer the good news!
Prematurly asking puts them in a difficult situation as if they are expecting and they dont want to tell you yet they cant exactly lie and say no! But at the same time they dont want to tell you either so people plssssssssssssss have more consideration for your friends and random people you dont really know and dont ask rather wait to be told!
Now some of you are thinking 'okkkk shes lost the plot and is letting off steam' ... to that I say...'Phewww Yes I think I am letting of steam lol' and the final trigger for this was the other day in the bookshop when a customer who I hardly know at all bounced in and leant over the counter peering hard at my stomach with hand reached out and finger ready for a good old poke said ...'SOOOOOO any good news?' Now what I would have liked to have said was 'Errrrm nope not yet BUT if there was and I actually wanted you to know about it I think you would have known about it dont you think?' But that would be rude so instead I politely said 'no'.
I know people just want the best for you and are excited for you but pleaseeeee just be patient and wait to be told rather than ask!
Now for those of you who actually know me incase your wondering and want to ask but are now too scared to ask the answer truthfully and honestly is... 'No im not but please keep me in your prayers and if and when I am ill let you know myself when im good and ready but at this moment in time honestly nope there is no good news'!
Phew!!!! Im done! Any comments welcome!

The Day We Lost Our Masjid

The Day We Lost Our Masjid

Muhammad Alshareef

Do you know the last public place where the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam was seen? He was seen in the Masjid. About 3 days before he passed away, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu was leading the prayer and the Masjid was full with an ummah of men and women prepared to illuminate the world with their jihaad and da’wah. The Prophet’s house opened up to the Masjid; there was a curtain separating his room and the prayer hall. He opened the curtain, saw the congregation, and saw his khalifah, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu, leading the prayer. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam smiled like the moon. The companions saw him while they were in prayer, and from their happiness, almost lost control of the prayer. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam then drew his curtain, and three days later returned to his Lord subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala.

During the life of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, there was a woman who used to sweep the Masjid with her hands, picking up the dirt and disposing of it. In the sight of the community her status was not that high, but in the sight of Allah and her Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, she held a different rank. She passed away one night and the Companions, not wanting to disturb the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, washed and buried her without informing him. The next day, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam recognized her absence and inquired about her. They told him about her demise and how they had not wanted to disturb him. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam was not happy at the action they took. He went to her grave and prayed for her there.

What is a masjid? Many have misunderstood the role that the masjid plays in the development of the community. In some countries, it is a place where the tribal Imam is buried and worshipped. In other countries, it is a place that only prayers may be performed therein; absolutely nothing else will be tolerated. And in yet other countries, not even prayers are performed in it, so-much-so the country may finally decide to convert it into a museum or a church.

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam and to my dearest friends, I would like to introduce you to our friend, the masjid:

In the literal term, masjid means a place of prostration. However, in the technical sense, a masjid is any clean place on earth, as the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“The earth was made for me a Masjid [i.e. a place to pray], pure” (Bukhari).
However, a specific place was attributed to the word masjid (the place where the 5 daily prayers are held). This was done in order to distinguish the masjid from the musallah (the place where Eid prayers are held and so forth, so that the rules of the masjid do not apply to it).
Masjid is a word derived from sujood, or prostration. The masjid, or place of prostration, was named such due the honorable position the sujood holds in salah. Thus, it was not called marka’ derived from ruku’.
The first house of Allah ever built on earth was the Ka’bah. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala says:
Verily, the first House [of worship] appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah [Makkah], full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-Aalameen (A’le-Imran 3/96).
And Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala commanded us to honor and enliven the masjid with His remembrance:
In houses [masajid], which Allah has ordered to be raised, in them His name is glorified in the mornings, and in the evenings (An-Noor 24/36).
Ibn Abbaas, Mujahid, and Al-Hasan commented: “The ‘houses’ are those masajid that were dedicated to the worship of Allah. And verily, the masajid light up the earth for the inhabitants of the heavens, just as stars light up the heavens for the inhabitants of the earth.”
Everyone wants to build a retirement home to be proud of, so listen to this offer. The Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever builds a masjid, seeking the pleasure of Allah, Allah shall build a house for him in Paradise” (Bukhari).
He sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam also said:
“The most beloved places to Allah on earth are the masajid, and the most hated places to Allah on earth are the markets” (Muslim).
The masjid has played a variety of roles in our history. Here is a short tour of some of the roles that the masjid has played:
Children: The masjid was a place where the children would accompany their parents and grow up under the shade of its walls. Abu Qataadah narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray and carry Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab. When he would fall into prostration, he would rest her aside. And when he stood up again, he would again pick her up” (Bukhari).
Education: The masjid was the nucleus of education. Throughout history, the masjid was the university that graduated scholars and imams. To name only a few, we have Masjid of Al-Azhar, Masjid Al-Umawee in Syria, and Masjid Az-Zaytoonah in Tunis.
The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“No gathering gathers in a house from the houses of Allah, reciting the book of Allah and teaching it to one another, except that serenity befalls them, mercy envelops them, the angels surround them and Allah mentions them to [the inhabitants of the heavens]” (Muslim).
Organization: The masjid is where hundreds of Muslims come; all in straight rows; all following the lead of Allahu Akbar; all beginning when the imam begins; all ending when the imam ends.
Shelter for the weak and traveling: In Masjid An-Nabawi, we know that there was a platform, known as the Suffah. The poor and the strangers would find shelter there, and the Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would grant them shares of the collected charity.
Socializing: The masjid is where the Muslims would meet one another. When someone missed a prayer, he was inquired about and followed up on. Relationships were reared, brotherhood was built.
Think tank: When important issues came up, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would gather the Companions in the masjid and consult them on the matter.
Charity: The charity would be collected and distributed from the masjid. It was in the masjid that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Give, if only with a half a date.”
Jihaad: It was from the masjid that battalions were organized and set off for jihaad. During the crusades, many masajid became the podium for inciting the feelings of the Muslims to fight off the transgression.
Serenity: Whenever the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam felt sad he would go and pray. And he sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would say to Bilal, “Relax us with [the prayer] O Bilal.”
PART II: The Rights of the MasjidThe masjid is the house of Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala, and it has rights like anything else. Amongst these rights are the following:
First: When someone enters the masjid, they should pray 2 raka’ before sitting down. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“If any of you enters the masjid, let him not sit down until he prays 2 raka’.”
Second: No business should take place in the masjid. The Messenger of Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever sells in the masjid, say to them, ‘May Allah not grant success in your sale.’”
Third: The masjid must be kept clean and fresh smelling. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever eats from this tree [i.e. garlic] should not attend our place of prayer.”
Fourth: Advice should be given to fellow Muslims. When the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would see someone not praying correctly he would advise them to repeat their prayer and teach them how to pray.
Fifth: Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala should be remembered much during one’s stay in the masjid. As Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala says:
O ye who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance. (Al-Ahzab 33/42).
And finally, Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala tells us of the kind of people that are recognized as the people of the masjid.
In it are men that love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who make themselves pure (At-Tauba 9/108).
May Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala give us the blessing of being amongst those that establish the masjid and are included amongst those whom Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala loves.

Stand in Opposition to terrorism!

Today marks a 1 year anniversary of the evil and sadistic tradgedy which took place last year shattering the lives of many innocent people. An attack which shook London and caused much pain to many families who lost loved ones in a devilish act which I dont believe can have any justification let alone in Islam! Those who proclaim that acts such as July 7th 2005 or September 11th 2001 are heroic acts of Islam have perverted, distorted teachings inside them which are not part of Islam. These are acts of evil, they are barbaric acts and crimes against humanity which need to be eliminated!

Below is an article ive taken edited and added to from the jimas website. The full unedited version can be seen at http://www.jimas.org/tragedy4.htm#prophet.

All British Muslims and non-Muslims should stand together in opposition to terrorism and to help in safeguarding our society and country from people who are acting outside the values of religion and law.

Islam shares with Christianity not only the nobility of the 10 biblical commandments but completely agrees with the understanding behind the so-called 7 cardinal sins. A Muslim cannot but treat human beings with dignity and respect due to God's statements in the Quran and the Prophet's kind behaviour towards all, in light of the inherent dignity of mankind espoused by Islam. There are many examples in the Quran and the prophetic traditions that one can study in this respect to verify this.

To pronounce the central creed of Islam (shahada) is to act before God with respect for His creation, because faith (iman) is actually a public trust (amana). Relations between human beings are based on respect, trustworthiness and, above all, on an absolute faithfulness to the agreements, contracts or treaties which have been explicitly or tacitly made.

Fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement, will be enquired into.[Surah al-Isra 17:34]
Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;[Surah al-Muminun 23:8]
This is true to the point that if Muslims are unfairly treated or persecuted in a country with which another Muslim community has signed an agreement, it is impossible for the latter to intervene for respect of the contract comes first. This is clearly stated in the Qur’an.
But if they seek your aid in religion, it is your duty to help them,except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance.And (remember) Allah sees all that you do.[Surah al-Anfal 8:72]

The Quran says, "God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your)faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just." It is one of the functions of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world.

History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves.

As a Muslim who has been born and lived my whole life in London UK I am truly thankful and feel blessed that Ive been able to live in a society which has allowed me to practise and learn about my religion freely. A society which is so multicultural whichin general accepts people of all colours, shapes and sizes. I strongly believe that all Muslims should be working hard to spread thr true message of Islam which is a way of live teaching us to respect all people of all faiths and to establish a society of respect, peace and tranquility. It is the least we can offer a country which has offered a place for Muslims to practise their religion.

Within our free society in Britain of welfare rights, universal suffrage, equality before the law, freedom of expression and religions, people of different faiths are not only able to discover the teachings particular to them but to foster and promulgate the values inherent in them in a pluralistic, multicultural environment. Muslims can establish organisations, teach and promote their faith both with ease and a large degree of respect and make autonomous representation. Many otherwise non-practising Muslims rediscover Islam and become committed to it at various levels in our country at different periods of their age due to the supportive conditions that prevails in this land. Our country affords that in principle, as a matter of free choice. Muslims may face some difficulty in needing to avoid involvement in activities which contradict their religion, but in the UK, the majority of such activities which are morally incorrect in Islam are not imposed on Muslims but are rather legally allowed, e.g., pre-marital sex or drinking alcohol.

William Booth, the son of a builder, born in Nottingham in 1829 converted to Christianity at the young age of fifteen and became a revivalist preacher. Booth developed strong views on the role of church ministers believing they should be "loosing the chains of injustice, freeing the captive and oppressed, sharing food and home, clothing the naked, and carrying out family responsibilities."

Each of these social aims have great significance in Islam and carry high merits before God. They are deeply encouraged by both Allah and His messenger Muhammad (may the peace & blessings of God be upon him) that should form the bulwark of any Islamic presence in a society. One needs to only take a cursory look at the rights of neighbours and treatment of neighbours encouraged in Islam to convince oneself of this. In Islam, absolutely no distinction is made between a Muslim and a non-Muslim neighbour.

The Church of England were at first extremely hostile to Booth's activities. Lord Shaftesbury, a leading politician and evangelist, described William Booth as the "Anti-Christ". One of the main complaints against Booth was his "elevation of women to man's status". Members of the Salvation Army were imprisoned for open-air preaching and their support for the Temperance Society made them the target for gangs of men who became known as the Skeleton Army.
Muslims can similarly expect misunderstanding and criticism from their own faith communities but need to take heart from the blessed Messenger Muhammad (may the peace & blessings of God be upon him) who taught us through sacrifice and selfless perseverence how to reach out to one another and most significantly, also to the wider community, in justice, toleration, admiration of good qualities and unstinted benevolence. He weathered the storm of criticism and opposition with magnanimity and gracious patience. If Christianity in modern times can produce the likes of William Booth then every Muslim should check their heart and see if we are at least as good as him if not better, being as we claim to be the true worshippers of Allah in His Oneness.
William Booth was a Christian activist who saw his twin objectives as the saving of lost souls and righting the social injustices of his time. He never lost his zeal for the Gospel, his love of his Lord or his heartfelt compassion for the poor. These qualities should be the aim and aspiration of all Muslims - zeal for the Truth, love of God and genuine help for the poor. This is an extract from his last public address given on May 9th 1912:

While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl on the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight – I’ll fight to the very end. Three months after that speech, on 20th August 1912, William Booth was ‘promoted to Glory’. To a sincere Muslim who has a modicum of knowledge of Islam, these words are not only inspirational but echoes the Islamic ethos of being human.

We need to develop more examples of British Muslims like Abdullah William Henry Quilliam(1856-1932). He accepted Islam while travelling in Morocco in 1889 and studied the religion at the University of Fez. Back in England he established a Mosque, a publishing House, a library, a Debating Society, a School and an Orphanage in Liverpool. He faced local and national hostility due to anti-Muslim sentiment and later when war broke-out. However, he lived up to the true values of Islam without resorting to what Allah and His Messenger forbade or hate.
It is not through accident that the Arabic word rahma, meaning mercy or the capacity to forgive, comes from the word rahm meaning a womb. Islamic law draws the radical conclusion, that God Himself can only forgive offences against Himself. ‘For transgressions between man and God, repentance atones. But for transgressions between man and his fellow man, repentance does not atone until he has obtained forgiveness from his fellow man.’
The sin of harming a neighbour is compounded and far more serious, let alone killing or not preventing a neighbour's death when one is able to do so.

Thus it is imperative that Muslims in Britain do their utmost to cooperate with responsible bodies in the UK to uproot terrorism and especially such as from those who seek to connect it to Islam.

Our history also records the contributions of the Unitarians who believed that social evils were humanly created, not God inflicted, and therefore could be remedied by human efforts.

In the the late 18th and early 19th century, Unitarians were closely identified with the campaign for social and political reform. Unitarians such as Joseph Priestley, Jeremy Bentham, Harriet Martineau, James Martineau and John Stuart Mill were all advocates of universal suffrage. Other leading radicals of the period such as Tom Paine and Thomas Muir were described by their critics as Unitarians. After the publication of Paine's Rights of Man, religious radicals in London formed the Unitarian Society to promote the cause of parliamentary reform.
In the 19th century Unitarians were very active in the movements for factory reform, public health, prison reform, temperance, women's rights and the abolition of slavery. Every single aspect mentioned should naturally appeal to a true Muslim who seeks virtue in life and not vice because of the clear prescriptions of Islam. Unitarian reformers included Edwin Chadwick, Florence Nightingale, Jenkin Lloyd Jones and Charles Booth.

Islam stands for uncompromising pure monotheism. If the Unitarians of our country can rightfully boast of such achievements and contributions how much more Muslims should aim to excel in similar endeavours.

How to get motivated?

It is extremely easy to be rightly motivated if one draws on the unadulterated teachings of the noble Quran and the way of the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace & blessings of God be upon him). Evidence abounds regarding monotheistic persons before the advent of Muhammad (may the peace & blessings of God be upon him) who stood up for social justice and against malpractice in society.

Muslims need to reflect on the monsters within and how we intend to contribute to our country and society better than our unitarian forbears in the UK.

Muslim clerics in Britain must not only speak out against terrorism in this difficult time but do their best to educate those who listen to them against extremism and distortion of their faith. We must disassociate ourselves from any organisation or individual, Muslim or otherwise, which carries out criminal acts in the name of Islam and help make Britain a better country for all who live in it - free from the turmoils of violence, crime and worst of all, religious extremism.


FROM THE PROPHET

Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said,
“Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman.” [Abu Dawud]
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said,
“Do not kill the monks in monasteries.” [Ahmad]
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said,
“Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” [Ahmad]
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) once saw a dead woman and said,
“She was not fighting. How then did she get to be killed?”
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said, “Punishment by fire does not behove anyone except the Master of the Fire.” [Abu Dawud]
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said,
“Do not attack a wounded person.”
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) forbade killing anyone who is in captivity or tied. Aby Ayyub al-Ansari who narrated this said, “I vow by the name of Allah in whose Hand is my life, that I will not slaughter even a chicken after tying it with a string.”
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) has prohibited the believers from loot and plunder. The Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said, “The loot is no more lawful than carrion.” [Abu Dawud]
Abu Bakr the first caliph used to say to the soldiers,
“Do not destroy the villages and towns. Do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens. Do not slaughter the cattle.” In fact he would tell them not to even use the milk of milch cattle without the permission of the owners.
Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) has prohibited Muslims from mutilating corpses of the enemies. In the battle of Ahzab the unbelievers presented 10,000 dinars to the Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) and requested the dead body of their fallen warrior. The Messenger of Allah (may the Peace & Blessings of God be upon him) said, “I do not sell dead bodies. You can take away the corpse of your fallen comrade.”

Wise Guy!

Now this little pooch really knows how to take a nap without being disturbed just find a bed you blend into so you wont be noticed! Subhana'Allah the creation of Allah is so great and diverse, I mean you get so many different types of animals and creatures and insects and plants and trees and bactieria and even more categories than that which I dont even know of and then within those catergories you have different types which all have different characteristics its amazing... for example this dog here the way it looks and behaves will be totally differentfrom lets say... a German Shephard but they are both dogs! The same is with trees some flourish all year round while others dont... just for a while ponder on the creation of God and you will be truly amazed at how He has made all of this in such perfection and hopefully it will compel those of us who think about the creation to decalre the greatness of God!

Daddi can I have £10 please?

Dont let the short story underneath relate to any of you. You may not have children but perhaps you have parents, sisters, brothers, a husband, a wife, loved ones where this may apply. Sometimes we take those closest to us for granted and dont give them the love, time and respect they deserve. We often forget to express how we feel towards them instead only vent out our frustrations and anger on them. Try to spend quality time with you family and loved ones and dont let work, studying, meetings, circles take over your whole life! Family have rights over you too!

Daddi Can you give me £10 ?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make £20.00 an hour."
"Oh, " the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow £10.00 please?"
The father was furious. "If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so , the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. May be there was something he really needed to buy with that £10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that £10.00 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more money he had obviously been collecting. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.
"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have £20.00 now... Can I buy an hour of your time?"

Due to Popular Demand!

Due to popular demand I have posted a 2006 picture of the F1 renault... this was taken in March 2006 in Bahrain where Alonso went on to win the race.
Such a beautiful car! Look at that nose cone perfection at its best!