Mufti Menk- Develpoing an Islamic Personality (Part 1)

My Hijab Story & Advice!

Muslim woman committed suicide after "lifestyle attacked on Facebook"

If your immediate response to this is "suicide is haraam" then you've missed the underlying issues in todays Ummah, we are far to condemning and judgemental of each other, Allah please grant us compassion truly He is not merciful to those who shown no mercy to each other. 

Rema Begum, 29, had been targeted by an anonymous stalker who sent both her and her family hate mail, exposing her relationships with non-Muslim men to her strictly religious parents.

She felt racked with guilt and believed she was leading an impure lifestyle, a close friend disclosed. She had also lost her job as a manager at the British Library and her health had gradually begun to deteriorate to the point at which she struggled to leave the house.

On September 4, Miss Begum had a glass of wine on the terrace of Sir Terence Conran's exclusive Coq D'Argent restaurant near the Bank of England before “calmly” jumping 80ft to her death.

Police found antidepressants and a note containing contact details for her next of kin in the handbag she left on the ledge.

Avril Atkins, who had known her since university, told the inquest that she had been having “some problems” with Facebook.

“Somebody – she didn't know who – had been sending letters to her parents about her lifestyle and relationships,” she said.

“She was getting quite a lot of hate mail – both she and her parents.”

Miss Atkins said that although her friend had followed some Muslim practices and had religious beliefs, she lived a “western lifestyle” and had non-Muslim boyfriends.

“I don't think it was something she openly told (her parents) about, however I believe they found out she had been seeing someone who wasn't Muslim,” she said.

“She did say to me that she hadn't been living a good Muslim life. She said she wanted to live a more Muslim-based life.”

Miss Begum reported the online abuse to the police before deleting her Facebook account and replacing it with one using a different name, the inquest heard.

After losing her job, she left her rented flat in Islington to move back in with her parents in Manor Park, East London.

But the once “happy and bubbly” young woman became increasingly depressed and had sought medical help.

The day before her death she had tried to hang herself at the family home but was taken to hospital by her parents. She was discharged after refusing treatment and promising never to try harming herself again.

Dr Sara Dimic, a psychiatrist who had seen her two months earlier, confirmed she had been suffering with depression but was "guarded" and feared about the confidentiality of the appointment.

She told City of London Coroner's Court: "She revealed to me that she had been feeling guilty for not leading her life according to her family's values and her religion.

"She thought that she had led a life that she was being punished for.

"Her depression was the response to her being pushed from her current job and her moral dilemma in terms of the way she lived her life."

Coroner Paul Matthews heard that a series of suicide notes were found at her home, some dating back four months.

He said there was “no doubt” that she was suffering from depression.

“It appeared to be reactive to the stresses she was subject to in her life,” he said, recording a verdict of suicide.

Three people have died jumping from the Coq D'Argent terrace.

Stockbroker Anjool Malde, 24, jumped clutching a glass of champagne in 2009 after being suspended from his job at Deutsche Bank and Richard Ford, 33, also a City worker, threw himself off the building in May 2007.

Council inspectors ruled that the barriers at the rooftop bar complied with health and safety laws.

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What's Up With Muslims and Dogs?

I'm not a big follower of reality television, but was happy to hear about TLC's new reality show "All-American Muslim." We know that personal contact is the best way to break down stereotypes, but with Muslims less than 2% of the U.S. population, many Americans will never get to know a Muslim. Meeting us through reality television might not be ideal, but it's better than nothing.

After watching "All-American Muslim" for a few weeks, I now believe that the show is good for our community beyond the way it might lessen prejudice against Muslims. The additional benefit is that the show has engaged our community in discussing some of the many challenges we face making distinctions between critical religious values and flexible cultural practices. In the fourth episode, the issue of Muslims having dogs in the home came up, and this is worth further discussion.

In this episode, newlywed Arab-American Shadia tells Jeff, her Irish-American convert husband, that she does not want his dog to move with them to their new home. Shadia has allergies, and her asthma is exacerbated by the dog's hair. This is an understandable and common dilemma. But Shadia bolsters her position with statements about the impermissibility for a Muslim to have dogs in the home. Her father will not pray in the house if the dog is there, she says, because dog hair is impure and a prayer space needs to be pure. Later, Shadia backs off from the religious argument, admitting that the main reason she doesn't want a dog in the house is "I wasn't raised with dogs; I'm not used to them." I appreciated this moment of honesty. The use of a religious norm as a trump card in an argument we want to win is a temptation we all face.

So what is the Islamic position about dogs? In fact, there are a variety of opinions according to different legal schools. The majority consider the saliva of dogs to be impure, while the Maliki school makes a distinction between domestic and wild dogs, only considering the saliva of the latter to be impure. The question for Muslims observant of other schools of law is, what are the implications of such an impurity?

These Muslims should remember that there are many other impurities present in our homes, mostly in the form of human waste, blood, and other bodily fluids. It is fairly common for such impurities to come in contact with our clothes, and we simply wash them off or change our clothes for prayer. When you have children at home, it sometimes seems you can never get away from human waste. But we manage it, often by designating a special space and clothing kept clean for prayer.

Some Muslims object to having a dog in the home because of a prophetic report that angels do not enter a home with dogs in it. If a Muslim accepts this report as authentic, it still requires an analysis of context to determine its meaning and legal application. Ordinary people are not recipients of divine revelation through angelic messengers, so it is possible that this statement, although in general form, might suggest a rule for the Prophet's home, not all homes. This interpretation is strengthened by the fact the Qur'an states that angels are always present, protecting us and recording our good and bad actions.

Whatever the implications of this report, there is no doubt that the Qur'an is positive about dogs. The Qur'an allows the use of hunting dogs, which is one of the reasons the Maliki school makes a distinction between domestic and wild dogs - since we can eat game that has been in a retriever's mouth. But most compelling is the Qur'anic description of a dog who kept company with righteous youths escaping religious persecution. The party finds shelter in a cave where God places them in a deep sleep; the Qur'an (18:18) says:

You would have thought them awake, but they were asleep And [God] turned them on their right sides then on their left sides And their dog stretched his forelegs across the threshold

This tender description of the dog guarding the cave makes it clear that the animal is good company for believers. Legal scholars might argue about the proper location of the dog - that he should stay on the threshold of the home, not inside - but home designs vary across cultures. In warm climates, an outdoor courtyard is a perfectly humane place for a dog - its physical and social needs can be met in the yard. This is not the case in cold climates, where people stay indoors most of the day for months at a time.

Extreme concern about the uncleanliness of dogs likely arose historically as Islam became more of an urban phenomenon. In medieval cities, as in modern cities in underdeveloped countries, crowding of people and animals leads to the rapid spread of disease and animal control is not a priority. A few run-ins with an aggressive or diseased animal can result in excessive caution, fear and negativity.

I have long felt badly that many Muslims fear dogs as a result of negative experiences and that they resort to confused religious reasoning to shun them. It is one of the reasons why I try to introduce my students and friends to my very sweet, very large dog Ziggy.

Ziggy came into our home to be like the dog in the cave: to keep company to my child who lies in exile from the world because of a debilitating illness. He has been nothing but a blessing - guarding the house while we sleep, forcing me to exercise daily, and showing us, as he happily follows our tiny cat around the yard, that if cats and dogs can get along so well, then we people have no excuse.

There is another reason why I love having my dog around. Ziggy came from Tennessee. He was rescued by an animal control officer who uses her own resources to save dogs who would otherwise be destroyed in a few days. Tina saves as many dogs as she can by bringing them home and putting them up for adoption on the internet. When I called Tina to speak about adopting Ziggy, she had 65 dogs she had rescued out in her yard. After being disheartened by some terrible things that have come out of Tennessee lately - mosque burnings and anti-Shari`ah legislation among them - I love looking at Ziggy and thinking about the woman with the thick southern accent and big heart who saved his life.

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Daughter of Robin Padilla, QUEENIE PADILLA after performing Hajj

A Land Called Paradise by Kareem Salama

Former Playboy model becomes Muslim

Being Religious Without Being a Jerk

“There is nothing that has gentleness in it except that it is beautified, and there is nothing that has harshness in it except that it makes it ugly. So be calm, O Aisha!”

The above words were spoken by our beloved Messenger ﷺ to his wife, `A’isha radi allahu `anha (may Allah be please with her). A group of people had passed by the Prophet ﷺ and our Mother `A’isha, and said to him: “As-sa’amu `alaykum” (death be upon you).” It was a wordplay on “As-salaamu `alaykum (peace be upon you)”, with the intent of ridiculing the Prophet ﷺ. `A’isha (ra) became so angry that she rose up and began yelling at them that death should be upon them, and the curse of God, and so on.

At this, the Prophet ﷺ turned towards her, and spoke these words, telling her to calm down, and not to lose her composure, even in the face of personal insult. This man, our Messenger ﷺ, was the pillar of tranquility in an ocean of chaos. Our mother Aisha (ra), did this out of a pure, sincere, and unyielding love for the Prophet (saw). Not out of any arrogance or pride. For her it was an anger rooted in love, a desire to protect her Prophet from those who hated him. May Allah be pleased with her.

Unfortunately however, many of us react with harshness when faced with religious differences, especially WITHIN our own ummah – not out of love, but out of arrogance. When we examine ourselves today, especially those among us who are students of religious knowledge or believers striving to better ourselves, a tragic observation can often be made: Religiosity often turns people into jerks.
Many have witnessed this story: A young man or woman who used to be friendly, well-mannered, who treated people well, sadly turns into someone who shows mild annoyance upon meeting people who follow a different religious opinion. He shows anger when presented with arguments against his or her own point of view. Finally, he or she begins to pronounce judgment against others—pronouncing minor differences in opinion as proofs of disbelief.
When told to calm down, to stop being judgmental—the response comes in one of many flavors:

“Brother, I am enjoining the good and forbidding the evil!”
“We are defending the Sunnah!”
“When people are harsh against the Sunnah, we will be harsh in defending it!”
And so on.

Over what kinds of issues? Not the serious lack of counseling services in the community. Not the difficulty that our youth are having in protecting their faith from intellectual attack. Not the issues of domestic abuse, poverty, family breakups or homelessness afflicting non-Muslims and Muslims around us.

But the length of our pants and whether or not they are above our ankles, the lengths of our beards, etc. Perhaps one’s adherence or lack thereof to a group or organization. What we think about pseudo-philosophical concepts about the essence of God’s attributes. Such meanness and harshness occurs not over what is physically affecting people, but over a disagreement between opinions in our minds. Over varying textual interpretations that result in different legal opinions or a creedal points unknown to the majority of the world’s Muslims.

Why does this happen to us when almost nothing is more important in our religion than the subjugation of our egos to the Power and Oneness of God?

The Remedy

“Islam takes us and throws us so we fall totally in love with The Creator. Yet, somehow some of us turn it into a way to look down upon the creation.”

This happens because somewhere along the line in striving to love God, the ego—the innermost part of our soul which continuously wishes to be glorified and exalted over others—made our religiosity a means of doing just that. The religion exists to crush the ego, and enslave it towards the worship of its Creator.

When we say AllahuAkbar (God is the Greatest), the true meaning of this, when one explores Arabic grammar, is “God is the Greatest Above All Things”—including our loves, our hates, our desires, our weaknesses, our dreams, our hopes, our very essences. Success in reaching our desires is only through His permission, and the power to overcome our weaknesses is only through His Mercy. This phrase is formulated to remind us of Allah’s greatness over ourselves and over every element of our lives. It acknowledges the overwhelming power that is Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He).

On the ego’s path to enslavement and the realization of recognizing Allah (swt) alone as the sole object of adoration and love, our ego sought a way out so it would not have to undergo such tribulation and destruction; so that it would not have to give up its position as the one that is praised and feels valued.

That ego essentially hijacks the religiosity of the individual and takes it on a detour. What is that detour? Rather than letting Islam be Islam and allowing the soul to get lost in the wonders of Allah’s power, the limitless nature of His love, the magnanimous breadth of His Mercy, the immeasurable depth of His knowledge, the care and affection that He showers upon His creation—the ego detours the soul into LOVING ITSELF.

When the soul begins to love itself, it becomes dissatisfied with not only God, but with God’s creation. It sees its own knowledge, opinion, and worldview as superior to all others. In order to maintain its false notion of being humble, it will even fake humility to those on the outside: “I’m nobody, I’m not knowledgeable”—while secretly harboring contempt for all those who follow different opinions or ideas about Islam. It is easy to recognize this tendency in ourselves. It happens when our religious discourse, our religious speech, and our religious vocabulary become less about loving God, adoring his Messenger ﷺ, bettering ourselves and more about creedal disagreements, legal fine points, and how one group is bad or another is good.

When religion becomes more about how one person does not practice the way that pleases us (even if we are correct in expressing the opinion of orthodox Islam) than about how we can please God, the religion has essentially turned into a tool to make us feel better about ourselves.

This does not mean we should turn off legitimate criticism in religious discourse. Enjoining the good and forbidding evil means that we must take an active interest in our communities, and in striving to develop our communities and our religious practices in a way that is healthy, natural, and allows Muslims from all backgrounds to be included and non-Muslims to feel welcome.

Rather, it is time we examine our deeper motives and feelings when we criticize and put forth negativity: “Am I criticizing and putting forth negativity because my criticism and the way I am putting it forth will actively help to prevent harm and bring benefit? Or am I criticizing to ridicule, make myself feel better, and make others see me as superior?”

Answering this question correctly and being sincere is the difference between the religious jerk and a servant of God.

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Stuff MIDDLE EASTERN GIRLS SAY

Just for fun, MashaAllah I love this brother! And some of these sketches remind me of my wife!

A Message For Non Hijabi Sisters By Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan

Rabia Basri: A role model for all Muslim women

Rabia Basri is a role model for all Muslim women. She rules on the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Born in 95 A.H. in Basra in a poor but respected family, she was the fourth daughter of her father.

She was born in a dark night. The family was so poor that there was no oil in the lamp even to light it. Her sister asked her father to get some oil from the neighbor's house, but he said he would never ask anyone for any help except Allah.

When he slept with a heavy heart, he dreamed that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to him and said, “Don't grieve, your newborn daughter is a favorite of the Lord and will lead many Muslims to the right path. You should approach the Amir of Basra and present him a letter with a message that every night he is wont to offer 100 daroods to me and on Friday nights 400. But this Friday he did not offer daroods, so tell him that as a penalty he must give you 400 dinars.”

Rabia’s father got up and went straight to the Amir. The Amir was delighted on receiving the message. He distributed 1,000 dinars to the poor and joyously gave 400 to Rabia's father. The Amir then asked Rabia’s father to come to him whenever he needed anything as it was an honor for him to help somebody liked by Allah.

After the death of her father, Basra was hit by famine. Rabia got separated from her sisters and left alone. She was with a caravan that was attacked by robbers. The chief of the robbers took Rabia as captive and sold her as a slave. Rabia’s new master used to make her do hard work.

One day while she was going out, a man chased her. She ran to save herself but fell down and broke her arm. Thereupon, she prayed to Allah, “I am a poor orphan and a slave. Now my hand is broken. But I do not mind these things if Thou be pleased with me...”

Rabia used to spend the whole night in prayer after finishing her household work. She used to fast regularly. Once when her master woke up in the middle of the night he was attracted by Rabia's prayer:

“My Lord! You know well that my desire is to carry out Your commandments and to serve You with all my heart. O Light of my eyes. If I were free I would spend the whole day and night in prayers. But what should I do when You have made me slave of a human being?”

The master felt that it was sacrilegious to keep her as a slave. He freed her and offered her the choice of staying with him or leaving. She told him she wanted to carry on her worship in solitude. She went to the desert and devoted herself to worship. Her mentor was Hassan Basri. Much of her early life is narrated by Farid Al-Din Attar, using earlier sources. Rabia herself did not leave any written work.

She devoted herself to prayers. Later she set out for Haj. Rabia reached Makkah and there she met Ibrahim Adham who also performed Haj that year.

Throughout her life, her love of God, poverty and self-denial remained her constant companions. She spent all night in prayer and contemplation. As her fame grew she had many disciples. Though she had many offers of marriage, and even one from the Amir of Basra, she refused them as she had no time in her life for anything other than the Love of Allah.

Once when asked why she did not marry she replied:

“If you free me from having to worry about three things, I will marry. First of all, at the moment of death, shall my faith be sufficient to bring me to salvation? Second, will the Book of my deeds be given to me in my left or right hand? Third, on that hour when a party of people are called forth on the left hand to Hell, and another group from the right hand are summoned to Heaven, which company will I belong to? And further when I am interrogated in the grave by the two angels, shall I be able to answer their questions?”

Once Malik Bin Dinaar visited Rabia Basri. He found in her home a partly broken pitcher which she used for ablution and drinking water, a very old straw-mat on which she slept and a brick which she used as a pillow. He said to her, “I have many affluent friends. Shall I ask them to bring some items for you?”

Rabia Basri said, “O Malik! Is my Provider, your Provider and the Provider of the wealthy, not the same?” Malik said, “Yes.” Rabia then said, “Has He forgotten about the needs of the poor on account of their poverty, while he remembers the needs of the wealthy?” Malik said, “It is not so.” Rabia then said, “When He never forgets anyone, why should we remind Him? He has wished this condition for me and I am pleased with it, because it is, His pleasure.”

Rabia has taught us that repentance is a gift from Allah because no one can repent unless Almighty Allah allows him to do so.

Ibn Al-Jawzi relates that at the time of her death, she called Abda Bint Abi Showal and told her that no one be informed of her death and that she be shrouded only in her old robe for burial. When her last hour came, leading sheikhs gathered around her, but she told them to “Go out and leave place for the Angels.” They all went out and closed the door. While they were waiting outside, they heard from inside a voice reciting: “O soul at rest and peace! Return to your Lord...” For a long while thereafter there was silence. When they went inside, they found that she had passed away.



Rabia Basri's quotes

• When asked about some worldly thing she wanted to have, she replied: I am ashamed to ask for a thing of this world from Him to whom this world belongs; how can I ask for it from those to whom it does not belong.

• Indeed your days are numbered, for when one day passes; a significant portion of your life has passed away. And when that portion has fled, soon it will come to pass that your whole life has disappeared. As you know this, strive always towards the performance of good deeds.

• I am not after any reward for my good works, but only that on the Day of Judgment the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should say to the rest of the Prophets: 'Behold this woman of my community; this was her work.'

• All people are afraid of the reckoning of the Day of Judgment, whereas I long for it. At last Allah will address me as ‘O, My servant!'

• Conceal your good qualities as much as you conceal your bad qualities.

• Death is a bridge between friends. The time now nears that I cross that bridge, and friend meets Friend.

Rabia Basri is and will remain to be a role model for Muslim women.
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Asad Leopold Weiss: A prominent scholar

He was a journalist, a writer, a linguist, a thinker, a reformer, a diplomat, a political theorist, a scholar and translator of the Holy Qur'an. The intellectuals are perplexed. How so many qualities could be centered in one soul. He was born a Jew in a religious family, then converted to Christianity and finally to Islam.

There he found peace and there he gained strength. It is said that he was one of the "most powerful European convert" to Islam of the 20th century. His story of the Journey to Islam, which he entitled as "The Road to Mecca" is a challenging book of the century. He was a great scholar. He received religious education and was proficient in Hebrew from an early age, as well as familiar with Aramaic. He studied the Old Testament, the text and commentaries of the Talmud, the Mishna and Gemara, also delving into the intricacies of Biblical exegesis and the Targum.

He went to Cairo where he tried to learn Arabic and spent some time with Shaikh Mustafa Maraghi (who later became the Shaikh of Al-Azhar). He wanted to gain a fuller picture of Islam. Subsequently he became perfect in English, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and German languages to explore the depth of the three Revealed religions.

Mohammad Asad was born "Leopold Weiss" on July 2, 1900 to a Jewish family in Lemberg, which until 1918 was part of Austria and afterward until 1939 was part of the second Polish Republic (present day Lviv, Ukraine). Weiss was a descendant of a long line of Jewish rabbis. After abandoning university in Vienna, Weiss drifted aimlessly around 1920s Germany, working briefly for the expressionist film director, Fritz Lang.

Leopold's grandfather, an orthodox rabbi in Crzernowitz, Bukovina, had wanted his father to follow the family's rabbinical tradition, but he chose to be a barrister. One day, Leopold left home, shaved off his beard and side -locks and after drifting for a while, he arrived at Oxford. He graduated as a scholar, converted to Christianity, married a 'gentile' and sent a letter of divorce to his Jewish wife.

Leopold later moved to the British Mandate of Palestine, staying in Jerusalem at the house of his uncle Dorian Feigenbaum (a disciple of Sigmund Freud), his mother's youngest brother, who had invited him to Jerusalem to live in his delightful old Arab stone house.

But neither Dorian nor Jerusalem could stop Leopold from his wanderings. He became a correspondent for Frankfurter Zeitung reporting sometimes in Cairo, sometimes in Amman, back to Jerusalem; and on road again to Syria which then included Lebanon as well and Turkey. It was a moment at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, that he became aware how near their God and their faith were to these Muslim people. Weiss' assignments led him to an ever-deepening engagement with an understanding of Islam, which, after much thought and deliberation, led to his religious conversion.

The cobbler's advice: Islam had been revealing itself to Leopold in bits and pieces, but it was on a winter day in Afghanistan that a man, fixing an iron shoe to his horse, told him: "But thou art a Muslim, only thou dost not know it thyself. Why don't you say now and here: 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet' and become a Muslim, in fact as you already are, in your heart," said the man.

Later he traveled on: From Kabul to Ghazni, Kandahar and Herat. Early 1926, he was homeward bound, via Marv, Samarkand, Bokhara and Tashkent and thence across the Lurkoman steppes to Urals and Moscow.

Some time after September 1926, he sought out a Muslim friend of his, an Indian who was at that time head of the small Muslim community in Berlin, and told him that he wanted to embrace Islam. Elsa his wife, followed a few weeks later. Leopold had become Asad. People ask him about his particular attraction to Islam. Asad spoke of Islam thus: "Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other; nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking; and the result is a structure of absolute balance and solid composure." It is not like a mirror whose one side is shining the other is dark. Islam is like a diamond with a bright shine on every face.

Early in 1927, he was received by King Abdul Aziz. He was impressed by the king and the king took a great liking for this new Muslim and he would send for him almost daily. Elsa died and Asad, now a little over 32, acquired a Saudi wife named Munira, and a library full of books on early Islamic history. Later Talal Asad was born to Munira who is now a leading anthropologist in the US.

Asad left Saudi Arabia and came to British India in 1932 where he met Muslim poet, philosopher and thinker, Muhammad Iqbal, who had proposed the idea of an independent Muslim state in India, which later became Pakistan.

When the World War II broke out in 1939, Asad's parents were arrested and, subsequently, murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Asad himself was arrested in Lahore in 1939. Asad spent three years incarcerated in a prison.

In 1947, Asad was given Pakistani citizenship by the newly established Muslim state of Pakistan and appointed the director of the Department of Islamic Reconstruction by the government of Pakistan, where he made recommendations on the drafting of Pakistan's first Constitution.

Asad wrote more than 30 books. His autobiography, The Road to Mecca is an account of his Middle Eastern travels and his conversion, as well as his thoughts on the growing Zionist movement.

He also wrote The Message of The Qur'an, a translation and commentary on the Holy Qur'an based on his own knowledge of classical Arabic and on the authoritative classical commentaries.

His first title on an Islamic theme, Islam at the Crossroads, published in 1934, proved to be extremely popular and was translated in several languages. Through his book he appealed to the Muslims to avoid a blind imitation of Western social forms and values, and to try to preserve instead their Islamic heritage, which once upon a time had been responsible for the glorious, many-sided historical phenomenon comprised in the term 'Muslim civilization.'

In his book he outlines his view that the Muslim world must make a choice between living by its own values and morality or accepting those of the West, in which case, they would always lag behind the West, which had had more time to adjust to those values and mores, and would end up compromising their own religion and culture.

Some of his publications are:

Jerusalem in 1923: The Impressions of a Young European; The Spirit of Islam; The Concept of Religion in the West and in Islam; The Spirit of the West; Sahih Al-Bukhari: The Early Years of Islam; Towards a Resurrection of Thought; Is Religion a Thing of the Past?; Towards an Islamic Constitution; The Road to Mecca; The Encounter of Islam and the West; Islam and the Spirit of our Times; The Message of the Qur'an.

The first volume of Asad's English rendering, from Al-Baqarah to Al-Tawbah, The Message of the Qur'an appeared in 1964. This is by far the most elegant and lucid of the English translations.

In his study of the Qur'an, Asad found that Islam gave "Yes to action, No to passivity. Yes to Life and No to asceticism." In its pages, he found an intense God-consciousness that made no division between body and soul or faith and reason, but consisted of a harmonious interplay of spiritual need and social demand.

Asad's last book, This Law of Ours and other Essays, was published in 1987 and he remained intellectually active until the last days of his life.

Toward the end of his life, Asad moved to Spain and lived there with his third wife, Pola Hamida Asad, an American national of Polish Catholic descent who had also converted to Islam, until his death on Feb. 20 1992 at the age of 92. He was buried in the Muslim cemetery of Granada in the former Moorish province of Andalusia, Spain.
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Which is the best of Islam?

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'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, "Which is the best of Islam?" He replied, "Feeding people and giving the greeting to those you know and those you do not know."

Begin with Bismillah - Khalid Latif

My favorite 2011 Good News Stories About Muslims

If you type “Muslims” or “Islam” into any google search, most of what comes up will be something negative. If any Muslim, anywhere, does something criminal, or just stupid, that story will be written about and reposted so that hundreds of articles will come up on that negative story.

These are a few of my favorite stories about Muslims during the past year of 2011 that did not receive nearly as much coverage, but were more important, and also more representative of the Muslim community.


In January, Muslims in Cairo, Egypt attended Coptic Christian Mass at various churches, serving as “human shields” against any extremist attacks ***

In January, Tariq Khanzada of Fremont, California was killed while trying to help a stranger whose car had crashed on the freeway. He parked his car in the shoulder lane and ran across the highway towards the center divide. The driver of the car was attempting to get out of the car when he realized another car was heading straight towards them. So he did what few others would do: Instead of fleeing to safety, he stood there to instruct the injured driver to remain in his vehicle. Within fractions of a second, two cars crashed into him, violently ending his life. But his noble actions that night saved the life of a man whose name he didn’t even know. ***

In January, in an interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., television personality and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Dr. Mehmet Oz spoke about his Islamic heritage, the varied religious practices of his Turkish parents, and how Sufi Islam informs his life. ***

In January, the Shoulder to Shoulder movement became an official organization with a website. Shoulder-to-Shoulder is an interfaith organization dedicated to ending anti-Muslim sentiment by strengthening the voice of freedom and peace. Founded in November 2010 by over 20 national religious groups, Shoulder-to-Shoulder works not only on a national level, but offers strategies and support to local and regional efforts to address anti-Muslim sentiment and seeks to spread the word abroad. ***

In January, The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), an active Steering Committee member of the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC), a diverse, nonpartisan coalition of religious and religiously affiliated organizations whose core spiritual values affirm the rights and dignity of people with disabilities called on the American Muslim community to speak out and take action on disability policy issues with Congress, the President and Administration, and society at large. ***

In February, Military Veterans and Muslim students at a California college joined together to organize a blood drive ***

In February, a group of American Muslim Imams and community leaders issued a strong statement condemning anti-Semitism and holocaust denial ***

In February, Bilal Mallick, a Muslim teen from Chicago who was diagnosed with leukemia *** died because a bone marrow donor could not be found. His congregation at the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park began a project that has spawned a movement in mosques across suburban Chicago and the nation. Hundreds of Chicago area Muslims who came to participate in weekly congregational prayers also had the opportunity to swab their cheeks and add their names to the roster of bone marrow donors ready to step up if their DNA is a match. Organizers hope for at least 20,000 participants to register nationwide. A group of students from the MSA organized a bone-marrow registry drive at the ISNA convention ***

In February, Zubiru Jalloh, a Muslim cab driver in New York returned $100,000 worth of cash and jewelry that a passenger had forgotten in his cab ***

In February, the Southern Poverty Law Center designated Robert Spencer & Pamela Geller’s Stop the Islamization of America SIOA group as a hate group *** shining a light on the most prolific distributors of anti-Muslim rhetoric.

In March, a group of Muslim students at Cornell University won the 17th annual James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial Harmony and Understanding. The award was presented March 8 to the Committee for the Advancement of Muslim Culture ***

In March, the Al Salam Mosque in Tulsa, Oklahoma held a Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and invited local officers for lunch at the mosque ***

In March, Political Research Associates released an in-depth report Manufacturing the Muslim Menace documenting anti-Muslim efforts by Islamophobes ***

In March, many Muslim organizations worked to provide relief for victims of the Japanese earthquake. ***

In March, although entirely too many of our elected representatives have either remained silent or participated in Muslim bashing, a number of elected repesentatives spoke out strongly against Rep. Peter King’s hearings. ***

In April, a Saudi scholar, Sheikh Salman Al-Oadah, issued a fatwa saying that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are obligated to obey the law in the country in which they live. fatwa

In April, the most recent Muslim community supported Free Clinic, the Mercy Care Center opened in Cincinnati, Ohio joining the numerous other such clinics in cities across America. ***. Another Muslim community supported Free Clinic, the Volunteers in Medicine West County Clinic opened in Manchester, Missouri.

In April, of this year, ISNA leadership led sessions and participated in the 8th Annual US Islamic World Forum in Washington, DC. ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid, who was one of the conveners of the conference, joined Humera Khan of Muflehun, an organization dedicated to countering violent extremism, to write a report based on discussions formed by the religious working group at the Conference. The report focuses on the dynamics of and challenges facing Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority communities around the globe. ***

In May, Muslim boxer Bernard Hopkins became the oldest boxing titlist in any division in any era with a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal in Montreal, Canada. Hopkins won the World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight belt by winning all three cards after 12 rounds, by the scores of 116-112, 115-114, and 115-113. At the ripe old age of 46, no one had won a boxing title at such an advanced age since then 45 year old George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994. ***

In June, American Muslims from St. Louis and other cities went to Joplin, Missouri to take needed supplies and help the survivors of a tornado ***

In June, Chicago Muslims donated $26,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository ***

In June, Unity Productions Foundation UPF launched the “My Fellow American” program, collecting short films by and about American Muslims ***

In June, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), alongside the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Interfaith Alliance and other civil liberties organizations signed on to an amicus brief that urges the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to invalidate Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment passed in 2010, which barred courts in the state from using or citing Shariah law. ***

In June, in recognition of June as Torture Awareness Month, ISNA encouraged Muslim communities all over the nation to join in taking a stand against torture. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization of religious leaders and entities committed to ending torture that is sponsored or enabled by the United States. To this end, NRCAT hosts campaigns to raise awareness about and mobilize legislative action against the use of torture. ISNA has been a founding member of NRCAT since the organization’s inception in 2006. On June 26, ISNA and NRCAT will recognize the United Nations’ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. In honor of that day, ISNA encourages Muslim communities to watch a 10-minute film entitled “Repairing the Brokenness,” which can be found online here. ***

In July, Rais Bhuyan, a Muslim who was shot and blinded by a white supremacist days after the 9/11 attacks sued Governor Rick Perry of Texas to attempt to prevent his assailant from being executed. He was not successful, but kept trying right up to the execution. In one interview Bhuyan said “This country has suffered a lot,” Bhuiyan said. “We are living in fear, but if we work together we can break the cycle of hate. It’s not only Islam, but all religions that teach peace and to show mercy.” While fighting to save Stroman he founded World Without Hate, an organization that raises awareness of hate crimes in an effort to prevent them. “I feel more love and compassion for human beings than I ever did before this accident. Sight is gone from one eye, but my vision has never been clearer.” ***

In July ISNA expanded the ongoing mosque/synagogue twinning project to Latin America. ***

In July - MPAC released Building Bridges to Strengthen America: Forging an Effective Counterterrorism Enterprise between Muslim Americans and Law Enforcement. A number of important studies, reports, and polls were released this year. ***

In July, ISNA National Director Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed joined other national leaders of prominent religious organizations and denominations for a prayer vigil directly across from the U.S. Capitol Building to advocate for a fair budget deal that does not place an undue burden on the poor. ***

In July, People for the American Way released a report The Right Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism. *** and the Southern Poverly Law Center released The Anti-Muslim Inner Circle *** and Jihad Against Islam *** further documenting both the existence of Islamophobia and the major players.

In August, there were riots in Birmingham, England. Three Muslim men were killed trying to protect their business from looters. Tariq Jahan, the father of one of those killed is credited with stopping the rioting when he came forward and pleaded for calm I lost my son. Blacks, Asians, whites: We all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home, please. ***

In August, the United Arab Emirates gave $500,000 so that students in the Joplin, Missouri public schools destroyed by the terrible tornado could purchase computers for every student. They pledged to match any other donations to the schools up to an additional $500,000. ***

In August, Bassam Tariq and Aman Ali continued their “30 mosques in 30 days” project visiting American mosques across the country during Ramadan photo blog 2010 *** and 2011 ***

In August, a Gallup poll showed that 93 percent of Muslim Americans say they are loyal to America. They have the highest confidence in the integrity of US elections (57 percent), and they are the most hopeful about their lives over the next five years, compared with other groups. ***

In August, the Center for American Progress CAP released a groundbreaking report FEAR INC.: THE ROOTS OF THE ISLAMOPHOBIA NETWORK IN AMERICA documenting the efforts and links between a coordinated anti-Muslim network. ***

In August, Abraham Foxman of the ADL printed an important statement against the anti-Sharia craze. ***

In August, despite the objections of Islamophobes, Gov. Chris Christie stood by his appointee, Sohail Mohammed, and Mohammed was sworn in as a judge in New Jersey. ***

In September, an estimated twelve thousand Muslims and interfaith leaders gathered in London for an event called “Peace for Humanity” sponsored by Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI). The event was broadcast live to dozens of countries, and was a rally against extremism and to promote a moderate, inclusive version of Islam. The event in Wembley Arena was led by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a respected Pakistan-born Islamic scholar. Dr. Qadri told the crowd “I want to address those who are lost, who have a total misconception of jihad I want to send them a message come back to normal life. Whatever you’re doing is totally against Islam. In spite of statements and memorandum and condemnation of the terror, the voices of the 99% true, peace-loving Muslims have not been heard, they have been drowned out by the clamour and the noise of extremists. “Islam has nothing to do with any act of terrorism. We reject every act of extremism and terrorism unconditionally.” The scholars in attendance issued a Declaration of Global Peace. ***

In September, Tariq Ramadan re-issued his call for a stand against capital punishment. He said In the United Stated, in Saudi Arabia, in Iran or anywhere else, capital punishment should be abandoned. Our judicial systems are too imperfect, too influenced by politics and money, and far too exposed to procedural mistakes. The accused should enjoy the benefit of the doubt ; our societies should remain dignified. In 2005, I launched a call for a moratorium on the death penalty, corporal punishments and stoning. I emphasized that in the very name of Islam, Muslim majority societies should stop treating people in such a way, that so often targets women and the poor. It is in the very name of our common values that we need to take a stand today against capital punishment. Troy Davis is dead ; so is Mark Stroman : the former was surely innocent and was hoping for us to be forgiven, the latter was guilty, and begged for our forgiveness. As we look at ourselves in a mirror let us hope that, with or without compassion, we may at least show some dignity. If we remain silent, the shame is ours. ***

In September, Muslims for Life organized a 9/11 anniversary blood drive nationally. This first year they collected a total of 11,803 pints of blood for the Red Cross *** Islamic Relief USA held a National Day of Service to honor the memory of the victims of 9/11 ***

In September, The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), in partnership with Hartford Seminary and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), presented the second workshop on “Judaism and Islam in America.” The event, entitled “The Interpretation of Law and Scripture,” took place at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. ***

In September, four Muslim comedians (Negin Farsad, Dean Obeidallah, Maysoon Zayid, Omar Elba) performed in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Billed as ‘The Muslims are Coming!’ comedy tour, they also set up a “Name that Religion” game in Birmingham, Ala. and an “Ask a Muslim” booth in Lawrenceville, Ga. as a counter to Islamophobia. They are also working on a documentary feature of this routine.

In September, Nader Hasan (a cousin of the infamous Fort Hood shooter) started the Nawal Foundation with the motto “no violence in the name of Islam, ever”. The foundation lists three main goals: •Opposition to any violence in the name of Islam; •Patriotic commitment to the protection of America; and
•Exploring our common humanity and amplifying the true majority voice of the Muslim-American community. ***

In September, despite threats, courtroom allegations and even legislation aimed at their faith, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro still had reason to celebrate in 2011. The congregation launched construction in late September on building the first 12,000 square feet of their new mosque and community center. ***

In September, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley made an historic decision on September 28, 2011, appointing a Muslim, Judge Hassan Ali El-Amin, to Maryland’s highest court. ***

On September 11, thousands of Americans joined together for the 9/11 Unity Walk http://911unitywalk.org/ , which took place along Embassy Row in Washington, DC. ISNA co-sponsored the Walk, which brought together people of all ages, backgrounds and faiths to learn to respect each other through a framework of experiential education, compassionate leadership, and intentional service. ***

In September, Rasha Abulohom worked with the MAS Youth Give program to arrange a special Eid party for Muslim children with specian needs. This may have been the first such event, and hopefully not the last. ***

In October, Muslim Student Associations MSA’s at universities across the country held their 10th annual Fast-A-Thon during Ramadan, to raise money for local charities and food banks. The University of Texas is only one example *** among hundreds.

In October, the WISE Muslim Women’s Conference was held in Istanbul attended by 180 Muslim women from 45 countries. One of the outcomes of this conference was that one participant, Jamila Afghani, from Afghanistan who heard about a program on the success of training gender-sensitive imams and religious leaders, thought that this was what Afghanistan needed. And so she went back to her country, contacted WISE (a program of the American Society for Muslim Advancement), and asked for help to start an imam gender-sensitive training program at the Noor Educational Center (NEC) in Kabul, where she had dedicated her life to empowering women in Afghanistan. She helped set a program to educate imams on women’s rights through Friday khutbahs and media appearances. The program has been in effect for a few years, with appointed monitors who sit in and listen to the sermons to make sure the training has been effective. According to Afghani, the program has reached 9.5 million people in Afghanistan. Although this story wasn’t exclusive to 2011 nor widely covered by the world media, the presentation of this program at the 2011 WISE conference in Istanbul was a turning point for the women leaders, activists, humanitarians, and journalists who had gathered to learn from each other’s work. Imam Mawlana Ehsan Saiqal, who had traveled with Afghani to the conference to talk about the program, told a story of one of his congregants who came to him after a Friday khutbah in tears, saying that he never knew Islam actually advocated for women’s inheritance, marital and property rights, adding that he regretted the decisions he had made for his daughters. ***

In October, Muslims joined others in taking a Food Stamp Challenge to raise awareness about how difficult it is for more than 21 million American families living in poverty, and attempting to feed a family on $31.50 a week per person. ***

In November, the Fiqh Council of North America issued a Resolution: On Being Faithful Muslims and Loyal Americans ... ***

In November, 75 Jews and Muslims gathered together in Northern Virginia for a session on sharia and halacha (Jewish law). This was one of more than 130 events involving thousands of Jews and Muslims in 13 countries that took place as part of theWeekend of Twinning, an annual global event bringing together Muslims and Jews to build ties of communication and cooperation. ***

In November, a N.J. Muslim food bank prepared a Thanksgiving feast for the needy ***. Jewish and Muslim students at Rutgers joined to serve Thanksgiving dinner to the needy ***

In December, the Nobel Peace Prize was won jointly by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian peace activist, and Yemeni pro-democracy campaigner Tawakkol Karman (a Muslim from Yemen). They won the Nobel Peace Prize “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”

In December, Jewish and Muslim volunteers in Detroit, St. Louis, and other cities across the country joined together to take the place of Christians at food pantries and other social service and charitable institutions so that Christian volunteers could be home with their families for Christmas ***

In December, Muslim New Yorkers donated 1,000 pounds of meat to local food pantries. ***

In December, a genocidal internet site Bare Naked Islam was investigated after complaints by CAIR and other Muslim organizations and individuals, and ultimately the site provider told them they were removing the site. ***

In December, MPAC the Muslim Public Affairs Council today expresses its support for the passage of a historic UN resolution to combat ideologies of religious hatred through free expression instead of silencing expression through a global blasphemy law. They also released a position paper “No Compulsion in Religion: A Faith-Based Critique of the ‘Defamation of Religions’ Concept.” opposing the misguided Defamation of Religions concept *** continuing the strong stand American Muslims have taken in favor of freedom of speech ***

In December, the Florida Family Association’s anti-Muslim campaign against the TLC reality series “All-American Muslim” resulted in many positive outcomes for the American Muslim community including strengthening interfaith relations, mobilizing the American Muslim and Arab communities across ethnic and sectarian lines, focusing awareness on Islamophobia and bigotry, and initiating the formation of a strong grassroots coalition of Muslims against bigotry. ***

In December, a group of Imams and Islamic organizations in Canada issued a “Call to action to end domestic violence” ***

In December, Time magazine named Ameena Matthews as #5 in the top 10 movie performances of the year for the documentary The Interrupters *** which is about her work with the anti-gang group Ceasefire in Chicago. Ameena Matthews is a reformed woman from a checkered past; her father is Jeff Fort, a notorious Chicago gang leader and she herself was involved with a drug ring. After finding love, children, and faith in her Muslim family, Ameena joined the Chicago group of gang violence “interrupters,” CeaseFire, in taking violence protection to the streets—literally. ***

In December, Linda Sarsour was honored by the White House as one of 10 American “Champions of Change” ***

In December, on a flight from Atlanta to Kansas City, a man foaming at the mouth lunged for the airliner’s cabin door, attempting to open it as flight attendants struggled to hold him at bay. Jabir Hazziez Jr. a Muslim passenger who is also a Kansas City firefighter, reserve Jackson County deputy and member of the U.S. Naval Reserve came forward, restrained the man who had become more violent and held him until the plane could be diverted. It turned out the man had had an adverse reaction to a vaccine. ***
by Sheila Musaji
source

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