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The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the parable of
a grain growing seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies
(further) for whom He pleases. And Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. Those who
spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then follow not up what they have spent with
reproach or injury, their reward is with their Lord, and they shall have no fear nor
shall they grieve. A kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by
injury. And Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing. O you who believe, make not your
charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen
of men and believes not in Allah and the Last Day. So his parable is as the parable of
a smooth rock with earth upon it, then heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare!
They are not able to gain anything of that which they earn. And Allah guides not the
disbelieving people. And the parable of those who spend their wealth to seek Allah’s
pleasure and for the strengthening of their souls is as the parable of a garden on
elevated ground, upon which heavy rain falls, so it brings forth its fruit twofold; but
if heavy rain falls not on it, light rain (suffices). And Allah is Seer of what you do.
Does one of you like to have a garden of palms and vines with streams flowing in it
— he has therein all kinds of fruits — and old age has overtaken him and he has
weak offspring; when (lo!) a whirlwind with fire in it smites it so it becomes blasted.
Thus Allah makes the messages clear to you that you may reflect. [Al Baqarah: 2:261-266]
NO
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Editor: Sadiq Noor - [email protected]
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his Qur’anic constitution does not start with imposing duties, but by
encouragement and persuasion. It attempts to awaken inner feelings and reaction
within man’s whole being. It portrays an image of life, which is vivid, every-increasing,
yielding its endless gifts: that of plants, the gift of the land, or indeed the gift of Allah.
Plants give much more than they take. Their yield and fruit are a great many times more
than their seeds. This highly impressive image is given as something very similar to
those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah: The cause of those who spend their
wealth for the sake of Allah is like that of a grain which brings forth seven ears, in every
ear a hundred grains.
he simple, immediate meaning of the expression
here requires a simple arithmetic process which
makes one grain yield seven hundreds. The vivid image
provided here is, however, much more impressive and
beautiful. Its effect on man’s conscience is much more
profound. It is an image of active life, nature at full
sway, and a plant making its gift. Moreover, it is a scene
of something miraculous in the realm of plants: a single grain bringing forth seven ears,
with each ear containing one hundred grains. As the procession of ever-growing life
continues its march, the Qur’an directs man’s conscience to give more and more. By
doing so, it indeed gains.
t does not decrease: it increases. The process of giving and growing continues and it
awakens more and more of man’s feelings to appreciate the scene of plants and their
yield. Allah increases His bounty many times over to whomever He wills, without any
need for keeping accounts. He gives and gives of His limitless bounty and His infinite
mercy: Allah is Munificent, All-Knowing. He is munificent: He does not stint His gifts,
which are ever forthcoming. He also knows all, including people’s intentions which He
rewards. Nothing can escape Allah’s knowledge.
ut what sort of spending is made to grow and grow? And what sort of gift is
rewarded with a manifold increase in this life and in the life to come? It is the kind
of spending which elevates human feelings and keeps them pure. It is the one which
does not hurt the feelings of others, and which is motivated by pure kindness and
benevolence, and which seeks only Allah’s pleasure: Those who spend their wealth for
the cause of Allah and do not follow their spending by stressing their own benevolence
and with injury [to others] shall have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to
fear, nor shall they grieve.
o boast about what one gives away is certainly
abominable. No one talks boastfully about one’s
benevolence unless conceit or a desire to humiliate
the recipient of his bounty or to draw people’s
attention to himself motivates one. Hence, his
generosity is not for the sake of Allah, but to win
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favors with people. Such motives and desires are alien to a pure heart of a true believer.
Boasting makes charity an injury to both the giver and the recipient. It injures the giver
as it awakens within him feelings of pride and conceit, as well as a desire to see his
brother, the recipient, showing humbleness in his presence. It further injures him
because it fells his heart with hypocrisy and drives him away from Allah. It is, on the
other hand, an injury to the recipient as it makes him feel his humbleness. He then
reacts with harboring a grudge and a desire for revenge.
slam does not view spending for the cause of
Allah as merely a means to provide food for the
poor to eat. In the Islamic view, spending is a
means to purify the soul of the giver and to
elevate it. It is also a means to arouse within him
his humanitarian feelings so that he feels the bond
which unites him with his poor brother and
reminds him of Allah’s grace and His bounty, as
well as the term upon which he was given Allah’s
bounty, namely, to enjoy it without extravagance
of showiness, and to spend of it “for Allah’s
cause” without reluctance or boasting. Islam also
views such spending as a consolation for the
recipient and a cementation of his ties with his
brother, the giver. It is also a means to overcome the weakness of the community as a
whole, so that it is built on a solid foundation of mutual cooperation and security which
brings to the fore its awareness that it is a single entity which has the same direction
and the same duties. If those who are charitable will stress their benevolence and boast
of it they ruin all this and make their spending a poisonous act and a fire, which
consumes the unity of the society. Boastfulness, therefore, is an injury even when it is
not accompanied by any other form of injury, whether verbal or physical. It is an injury
because it ruins a good act, enhances grudges and tears the society apart.
number of modern psychologists are of the view that the natural reaction to
charity is future hostility. They claim that the one who takes charity is bound to
feel inferior to the giver. His feeling of inferiority will continue to work on him, and he
will then try to overcome it by harboring hostility toward the giver, especially if he
believes that the giver wants him always to remember his kindness. This, in turn,
enhances his distress at his inferiority, which then makes him hostile to the giver.
ll this may be true of ignorant societies where Islam does not rule. This religion of
ours has a different method of tackling this problem. It establishes first that
whatever is in the hands of people belongs to Allah. Only those who do not know the
direct and indirect reasons of wealth and earnings dispute this. Everything, which we
have, is given to us by the grace of Allah. We cannot possess any of it by our own means.
For a single grain to exist, it is necessary for natural forces, such as the sun, the earth,
water and air to play their respective roles. Man controls none of these forces. The same
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applies to the drop of water, the string from which cloth is made and indeed to
everything. Hence, if a rich person gives something of this wealth in charity, he only
gives away something, which belongs to Allah. If he does something good, he is only
giving Allah a loan, which is repaid manifold. The needy person who stands at the other
end is only a means through which the giver gets a reward, which is many times greater
then what he gives. To stress this meaning in people’s hearts and to discourage people
from boasting and to encourage the needy to take their dues, Islam has laid down these
moral values which we are discussing. Both, the giver and the recipient, east of what has
been provided by Allah. Those who give will receive their reward from Allah if they
spend of Allah’s money for Allah’s cause, observing the moral code He has laid down for
them, and bound by the terms of their covenant with Him. They have nothing to fear, for
they will not be deprived of what has been given to them. Nor would they have to
content with other people’s grudges or with injustice. Nor shall they grieve for having to
spend in this life, or over what happens to them in the Hereafter.
harity is worthless if it is followed by injury
inflicted by the giver on the recipient. It is far better
to replace it by a kind word and a friendly feeling. A
kind word helps fill people’s heart with pleasure and
content. Forgiveness washes away grudges and replaces
them with a feeling of friendship and brotherhood.
Together they achieve the primary purpose of charity,
namely, the purification of hearts and the strengthening
of friendly feelings.
harity is not a favor done by the giver to the recipient; it is a loan given to Allah.
Hence, the statement is included with this comment: Allah is free of all wants,
clement. He is in no need of charity followed by injury. A manifest of His clemency is
given by the fact that He provides everything for His servants, but does not punish them
for their ingratitude. Yet they are indebted to Him for their very existence, even before
He gives them anything. People, then, should learn and try to treat each other with
clemency. They must not be furious with, or inflict injury on, those to whom they have
been charitable should they be ungrateful to them or should they do something wrong.
he Qur’an continues to remind people of the attributes of Allah which provide the
perfect ideal for a Muslim with regard to his manners and moral values. He should
work hard toward the ideal in order to achieve of it whatever his nature is capable of
achievement.
he last three verses have given us an example of those who spend their wealth for
the cause of Allah, without stressing their own benevolence or causing injury to
others portrayed allegorically in a scene of vitreous life yielding its fruits with
abundance, followed by a statement that Allah is in no need of charity followed by
injury. When the impressions left by these verses are at their most vivid and their
impact at its highest, the believers are instructed not to render their charitable acts
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invalid by boastfulness and injury. We are given here two remarkable scenes, which fit
perfectly with the earlier one drawn from the world of agriculture. They describe the
nature of spending purely for Allah’s sake and the other type of charity followed by
injury and boastfulness. This is in keeping with the Qur’anic method of putting the
intended meaning in a scene, and showing the effect in a movement, and the whole idea
in a vivid portrait which is full of life.
he first scene is made up of two contrasting images, with each containing details
which fit perfectly with one another as far as the art of drawing is concerned. They
are also perfectly fitting to the message the whole scene has been drawn to give the
feelings and impressions it is intended to impart.
n the first image, we see the very hard heart: As
does he who spends his wealth only to show off
and be praised by others, while he believes neither
in Allah nor in the Last Day. The gentle, pleasant
and happy feelings faith imparts to man are
unknown to that person who tries to cover his
hard nature with a thin cover of hypocrisy. His
masked heart is like a smooth rock covered with
earth. It is a piece of stone which can never be
fertile, covered with a thin layer of dust so that its
hard nature is not immediately recognizable in the
same way as hypocrisy covers the hard nature of a
heart devoid of faith. Then heavy rain falls on it and leaves it hard and bare. When the
dust is washed away by the rain, everyone recognizes the reality of the stone: bare,
unfruitful, hard, barren. The same qualities apply to the person who spends his wealth
only to show off and to gain praise. Nothing good results from his action and he can
expect no reward.
he contrasting image of this scene is that of a heart full of faith, gentle and happy. It
is the heart of a man who spends his wealth out of a genuine desire to please Allah.
He is also motivated by his certainty, imparted to him by his faith, that good actions
yield the best fruit. The heart of the believer is represented here by a fertile garden with
deep soil, in contrast with the thin layer of dust on the smooth rock, which was the
image given earlier for the hard heart of the non-believer. Two similes provide perfect
harmony. When heavy rain falls it does not wash away the fertile soil as it did with the
dust on the stone, it enhances its fertility and doubles its produce: Heavy rain falss on
it, and yields up twice its normal produce.
he heavy rain gives life to the soil in the same way as charity gives life to the heart
of the believer to enable him to grow and strengthen his relationship with Allah. His
wealth also increases and Allah gives him in abundance. Moreover, the life of the Muslim
community is purified with such kind spending and it grows: If no rain falls on it, a
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slight drizzle [is sufficient]. Indeed, fertile soil needs only little water to give in
abundance.
t is a complete scene with perfect contrast, and great harmony of details. It is shown
with inimitable skill. It portrays every feeling and every thought with tangible
indicators, and imparts its message to man effortlessly.
ince a scene is something which we see with our eyes, and since the whole matter in
discussion depends on how Allah sees the real motives behind actions, it is
concluded with this statement: Allah sees all you do.
he second scene shows the end brought about by boastfulness and injury. They
totally destroy the good effects of charity at the time when the person concerned is
powerless and helpless, unable to avert that destruction. This depressing result is
depicted in a vivid image, which leaves strong impressions. Everything here is stormy,
after a period of security and fertility. In essence and effect, an act of charity is likened
in the physical world to a garden of palms and vines, through which rivers flow,
bringing forth all kinds of fruits. It is a beautiful garden with fine trees and abundant
fruits. So should a charity be in the life of the giver, the recipient and the community; it
should be pleasant, beautiful and blessed. It should help truth and it should promote
life.
ho would wish to have such a garden, or
such a good act, and then inflict on it
uncalled for boastfulness and injury
to destroy a garden? Who would do that at
the moment when he is totally helpless to save
it, and when his need for its fruits is at its
most pressing? Then to be of an advanced age,
while children are weak and then a fiery
whirlwind smites it and leaves it all burnt down.
Who would wish to have that? Who would
not try to avert such an end, having
contemplated it? In this way, Allah makes
plain to your His revelations, so that you
may reflect.
he scene portrays first a case of happiness and enjoyment, beauty and splendor,
before the fiery whirlwind utterly destroys it. The awesome impressions left by this
remarkable scene leaves no room for any hesitation before the choice is made while it
can be made, before the beautiful, fruitful garden is destroyed by the fire of the
whirlwind.
he perfect harmony, which we inevitably notice in the drawing of very individual
scene and the way it is presented, is not limited to individual scenes. It applies to all
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the scenes drawn in this passage which are all
derived from the field of agriculture: a grain out
of which grow seven ears; a smooth rock covered
with earth before it is washed away by heavy
rain; a garden on a hillside producing double its
normal harvest; a garden of palms and vines, etc. It
is a complete artistic exhibition, which also
includes heavy rain, drizzle and a whirlwind.
Beyond all this lies an essential fact of an
important relationship between man and the
soil of the earth. It is the fact of the common origin, the common nature and the
life common to both man and the soil. This life of both man and soil can also be
utterly destroyed. All this we learn from the Qur’an, the perfect word of truth,
revealed by the One who is Wise and who knows all.
Fiji Islands
79TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE “AAIIL – FIJI”
3rd
October 1934 was the date of registration of the Ahmadiyah Anjuman
Isha’at-i-Islam (Lahore) in Fiji, done at the office of the Registrar General.
Mirza Muzaffar Baig Sateh, a Muslim Missionary from Lyallpur (now
Faisalabad) was sent to Fiji by Maulana Muhammad Ali from Lahore – then in
British India in 1931 and upon written instructions from Maulana
Muhammad Ali, had the Jama’at registered in Fiji as the first Muslim body
officially registered in Fiji.
Muslims in Fiji in the 1930s were under most saddening persecutions by
Hindus of the Arya Samaj sects.
The formation of the AAIIL Fiji also helped Muslims of the other sects in
1930s, mainly Sunni and some Shia, to survive in Fiji; and to this date
Muslims have maintained and retained Islam, as a recognized but essential
minority religion in Fiji.
The AAIIL in Fiji, though small, is 79 years in existence.
{Editor’s note: I had the pleasure of meeting, spending time, listening, attending to Lectures of Hazrat Mirza
Muzaffar Baig Sateh Sahib in Lyallpur, and I found him a wonderful man and a great scholar of his age. May
Allah shower his blessings on him and grant him a high place closer to Him}
A Reminder from JALAL UD DEAN
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The Editorial
Team: Noor-i-Islam:
Assalaamu’Alaikum:
Thank you very much
for the well-edited
Magazine. The
general layout and
flow of logical
support to situations with direct supportive references is
certainly appreciated and that aspect cannot go unnoticed
and not commented. Thanks again and congratulations.
Shukran and was salaam, JALAL UD DEAN.
I have always read your magazine with interest,
but THIS EDITION has made me want to (1) Advertise it
to as many readers as possible and to (2) Make some
other comments; Apart from the high quality of articles,
the typesetting was perfect. I had to get pen and paper out
to remark on – “Not make Islamic Legislation
subservient to social [& cultural] Traditions.”... “Change
this tradition not institutionalises it” ... This does not
apply to Zakah alone but to a lot of the Ills affecting
‘Muslim’ actions today.
Prayer, Zakat, Jihad, Seeking Forgiveness, Qualities of
Good Believers, EVERY one of these articles made me
re-read them. I have never seen better – so succinctly
written.
{Name withheld, upon request}
Assalamo O Alaikum Br Sadiq:
I enjoy reading your message and was impressed with the
News Letter you forwarded to us. May the Blessings of
Allah be with your family, your Jama’at, and yourself.
Please continue the good work your Jama’at is doing.
AHAMED HOSEIN, OAAIIL, Toronto, Canada.
Assalam Alaikum Brother Sadiq:
Jazak Allah for another excellent issue. I like it that you
cover a wide variety of topics and always increase my
knowledge and faith. May Allah give you the strength,
and to Siddiqa too.
Blessings, ZAINIB AHMAD
Dear All:
I appreciate your struggle regarding expand of Islam in
the world. May Allah success you more to achieve goal
and grant ability on the correct path of Hazrat
Muhammad, PBUH.
Regards; MUHAMMED QASIM, Lahore
My dear Sadiq Noor, Assalamo Alaikum
Thanks for the issue. Details about the children of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH are quite informative.
Similarly, the questions about getting married and to
settle matters. You spend lot of time in formatting and
designing the issue. Excellent!
NASIR AHMAD
Assalamo Alaikum, Dear Brother:
Thank you for sending your publication. I look forward
to it, share it and save it in a special folder. Wish you and
your Jama’at well.
EBRAHIM MUHAMED, South Africa
Assalamo Alaikum to All:
Another Good issue. Well researched articles. Siddiqa
was outstanding because what she experienced is the
downfall of Middle East. Her conclusion is memorable –
“May Allah give us the awareness to spot ignorance and
then provide us with the wisdom to steer away from it.”
Much Love.
{Name withheld, upon request}
Assalamo Alaikum:
I enjoy reading your magazine. Keep up the good work.
ABRAR AHMAD SAYAL
Yes, I have noticed and read the magazine. May
Allah bless you for your efforts.
KHALID JABBAR, Kashmir
Please convey my message to Sadiq that I am in the
process of reading all of your magazines and will print
copies and distribute them to local Jama’at, Insha’Allah
May Allah bless you;
TAHIR SADIQ
My humble and sincere thanks to all our readers who take time-out from their busy schedules to comment on
our efforts. May Allah bless you all for your kindness ....... Sadiq Noor - Canada
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NO ONE WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN
Remember, that no one will descend from heaven.
All our opponents who are alive today will die
and no one will see Jesus, son of Mary descending
from heaven. Then, their next generation will pass away and
not one of them will see this spectacle. Then the generation
next after that will pass away without seeing the son of Mary
descending from Heaven. Then God will make them anxious
that though the time of the superiority of the cross had
passed away, and the world had undergone great changes,
yet the son of Mary had not descended from heaven.
Then the wise people will suddenly discard this belief. The
third century after today will not yet have come to a close
when those who hold this belief, whether Muslim or
Christian, will lose all hope and will give up this idea in
disgust. There will then be only one religion that will prevail
in the world and only one leader.
I have come only to sow the seed, which has been sown by my
hand. NOW, it will sprout and grow and flourish and no one
can arrest its growth.
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Abu Tariq Hijazi Shamsuddin Mohammed, “Ibn Battuta”, the great Muslim adventurer of Morocco, was born on
17th of Rajab 703AH (corresponding to February 24, 1304) to an educated family in Tangier.
Ibn Battuta was the only medieval traveler who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler
of his time. He also traveled to Ceylon, China, Byzantium and South Russia. His travels are estimated to
have spanned no less than 75,000 miles, a distance unheard of before the age of engines.
His very first adventures took place to Egypt, Syria and Hejaz. Ibn Battuta traveled to Makkah by land,
following the North African coast through Tlemcen, Bejaia and Tunis, where he stayed for two months.
In the early spring of 1326, following a journey of over 3,500km, Ibn Battuta arrived at the port of
Alexandria, spending several weeks visiting sites in the area, then heading inland to Cairo. After
spending about a month in Cairo, he traveled through Syria and Palestine, and visited Al Khalil (Hebron),
the place of burial of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Prophet Ishaque (Isaac) and Prophet Yaqub (Jacob),
then went on to visit the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Al Quds (Jerusalem), in addition
to Bethlehem, the birth place of Prophet Jesus.
After spending the month of Ramadan in Damascus, he joined a caravan, traveling 1,500 km to Madinah,
where he stayed for four days. He then went to Makkah to perform Hajj. This was his first pilgrimage,
which he performed in 726 AH after traveling 3,500 km in 16 months.
His second adventure spanned Baghdad, Tabriz, Mosul and Mardin. On November 17 1326, he
embarked on another tour and joined a large caravan of pilgrims returning to Iraq. In Najaf, he visited
the mausoleum of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He then visited Isfahan and Shiraz and returned to Baghdad in June
1327. Shortly after, Ibn Battuta briefly joined the royal caravan, then returned northward onto the Silk
Road to Tabriz. Once back in Mosul, he joined a caravan of pilgrims and returned to Makkah for his
second pilgrimage. This time, he stayed for more than two years, attending sermons by learned Ulema.
This made him an authority on jurisprudence and earned him the title of chief judge (Qadhi), a role he
would periodically undertake in other Islamic states.
Yemen, Somalia, Tanzania and Oman were next on his list. Ibn Battuta embarked once again on a new
journey to Jeddah, Zabid, Tta’izz and Aden. He then boarded a ship to Zeila, visiting Mogadishu in
Somalia. From Somalia, he continued his journey southward to modern Tanzania. As monsoon winds
shifted northward, he returned to Makkah for his third pilgrimage via Oman, passing through the Straits
of Hormuz, Bahrain and Yamamah.
His fourth adventure included Constantinople, Central Asia and India. After spending another year in
Makkah, Ibn Battuta planned the longest journey of his life. Knowing that only the Indian and Egyptian
regions were spared the harm and destruction caused by the Mongols, he decided to witness the
The Man Who Traveled for 30 Years
HISTORY
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grandeur of the Muslim empire in India. In 1332, Ibn Battuta embarked on his largest tour of the eastern
world. He traveled toward the north and took a ship from the Latakia port in Syria and moved to Konya
and Sinope by crossing the Black Sea. From Sinope, he took a sea route to Crimea of the Golden Horde
realm and reached up to Azov and Majar, finally reaching Bolghar, which was the northernmost point he
had reached.
He then returned to Astrakhan and came to the Christian territory of Constantinople with a procession.
He met the Byzantine emperor Andronicus III Palaiologos, visited the famous church of Hagia Sophia
and returned to Astrakhan. Passing through the Caspian Sea, he visited the famous cities of Samarkand,
Bukhara, Khiva, Balkh, Herat, Tus, Mashhad, and Neshapur and crossed over the Hindukush Mountains,
entering India via Ghazni and Kabul in Afghanistan. He later visited Lahri (near Karachi), Sukhur, Multan,
Sirsa and Hansi, finally reaching Delhi.
At that time, India was ruled by Sultan Mohammed Tughlaq, who was renowned as the wealthiest man in
the Muslim world. The Sultan of Delhi appointed him as chief judge in his court. Though a foreigner, Ibn
Battuta served the state for six years. Sultan later designated him as his ambassador to the ruling Yuan
dynasty in China.
His fifth trip was to the Maldives, Ceylon and China. From Delhi, he marched to Khambat in Gujarat and
then to Kozhikode (Calicut in Kerala) by ship, where he visited a mosque built by early Muslims. Ibn
Battuta then traveled to the Maldives, which was ruled by a Muslim king and was appointed once again
as judge of the Muslim state. He stayed there for nine months, studying the life pattern of the natives.
From the Maldives, he sailed to Ceylon and visited Adam’s Peak, returning to the Maldives via
Kozhikode.
Finally, he caught a ship to China
and sailed out from the
Maldives. He reached
Chittagong and Sonargaon in
modern Bangladesh
but took a short detour to
Sylhet to meet a saint named
Shah Jalal, then went up
north to Assam. Sailing along
the Arakan coast, he came to
Sumatra, Indonesia,
Malacca, Vietnam, the
Philippines and finally, Quangzhou in the Fujian province of China. From there, he went to Hangzhou,
near present-day Shanghai, and then traveled through the canal of Beijing.
The return journey from China to Morocco was yet another adventure. From Quangzhou, Ibn Battuta
came to Calicut, India, then to Basra in Iraq, passing through Strait of Hormuz and reaching Damascus in
1348. He then returned to Makkah to perform his seventh and final pilgrimage. From Makkah, he turned
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WHERE TO LOOK DURING
PRAYER
toward Morocco via Sardinia. He returned home to Tangier in 1349 only to find
his parents had died awaiting his return.
Ibn Battuta’s sixth trip spanned the Andalusia region and North Africa. After a
short stay at Tangier, Ibn Battuta heard that King Alfonso XI of Castile and Leon
had threatened to attack the Muslim territory of the Gibraltar port and enrolled
himself with the “Mujahedeen” (fighters) to defend the port. Ibn Battuta visited
the Muslim territories of Valencia and Gharnata and returned home after seeing Marrakech.
During his seventh expedition to Mali and Timbuktu, Ibn Battuta passed through Fez and arrived at
Sijilmasa, a town on the northern edge of Sahara Desert. He set out in February 1352 on camel and after
25 days, reached the dry salt mines of Taghaza. Ibn Battuta’s sea voyages and references reveal that
Muslims dominated the maritime activity of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Ibn
Battuta visited China sixty years after Marco Polo (1254-1324) and traveled 75,000 miles, superseding
Marco Polo and Vasco de Gama (1469-1524).
Worship should always be performed in the
way and the manner that God likes and the
Prophet, peace on him, has shown and explained.
Prayer, or Salat, is the most important form of
Islamic worship. It includes readings from the
Qur’an, movements from one position to
another, glorification of God and supplication.
It must always follow the pattern shown to us
by the Prophet. He says: “Pray as you have
seen me pray.”
While it is his companions that saw him
offering his prayers, and joined him in
congregational prayers, we have learned the
way to pray through a long succession of
generations of Muslims, maintaining the same
way and following the Prophet’s example.
Anyone who prays in a different way does not
fulfill the Islamic duty.
Sometimes we do something in a particular
fashion because we think it is better that way.
This applies to anything other than religion,
which must follow the guidance provided by
the Prophet, peace on him. Providing such guidance
was his role and he accomplished it in the best
possible way. Following his example is the
practical manifestation of the second part of the
declaration: La Ilaha Illa Allah,
Muhammad Rasool Allah, which means,
“there is no deity other than God,
Muhammad is God’s messenger.”
In fulfilling his role, Prophet Muhammad, peace on
him, was keen to correct any mistake he might
have noticed one or more of his companions
doing. One of these mistakes was to look up to
the sky during prayer, particularly during
supplication. Some of his companions thought
that this was better, imagining that this is
indicated by the Qur’anic verse that says: “And
in the sky is your sustenance and all that you
are promised.” This, however, gives no hint that
looking up to the sky makes one’s supplication
quicker to answer. It is God who answers
prayer, and God is not bound by time, space or
any other dimension. The Prophet, peace on him,
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YOU CANNOT CALL YOUR MOTHER
“MOM” OR “AMMEE”
YOU CANNOT SLAUGHTER AN ANIMAL ON
EID AL ADHA
Madness in Muslim World
advised his companions that looking up to the
sky during prayer is wrong.
Some of them, however, might have forgotten
or thought little of the matter. Therefore, he
said the following Hadith, issuing a strong
warning, quoted by Anas ibn Malik: “What is
the matter with certain people: they
lift their eyes to the sky during
prayer?” He continued speaking strongly
against this practice until he said: “They
shall desist or their sights might be
taken away.” {Al Bukhari}
At face value, the Hadith speaks against
looking up to the sky throughout prayer, but
another version related by Muslim specifies the
time of supplication. Hence, scholars differ in
their ruling concerning these two aspects. They
agree, however, that lifting one’s eyes to the
sky at anytime during prayer is reprehensible,
to say the least, but it is more strongly so, even
forbidden, when supplicating. The reason is that
it makes the worshiper turn away from the
Qibla, or the direction he should face in prayer.
It also departs from the form of prayer.
The question arises: Where should we look
during prayer? Imam Malik says we should
look in the direction of the Kabah, which is the
Qibla, while Imam Al Shafie and Imam Abu
Haneefah prefer that we look to the point where
we prostrate ourselves in prayer.
MALAYSIA: A Malaysian Idiotic Judge tells Christians cannot use the world “Allah”. In
simplistic terms, you cannot call your mother Mom, because I call my mother
Mom.
The Malaysian and the Indonesian Christians, like the Arab Christians, Baha’is, Sikhs and
Mizrahi Jews use the term Allah to refer to God. Cognates of the name ‘Allah’ exist in
other Semitic Languages, including Hebrew and Aramaic. Biblical Hebrew mostly uses the
plural form (but functional singular) Elohim. The corresponding Aramaic form is Elaha in
Biblical Aramaic and Alaha in Syriac as used by the Assyrian Church, both meaning
simply ‘God’. In the Sikh scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib, the term Allah is used 37 times.
The name was previously used by Pagan Maccans as reference to a Creator Deity. [Wikipedia]
SYRIA: On 15 October 2013, they hung two Christians – convert or die.
PAKISTAN: Lahore police stopped various members of the Ahmadi community in
Lahore from slaughtering animals as part of “Qurbani” ritual on Eid Al Azha, proclaiming
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Racing the Imam in Prayer
that the ritual of animal sacrifice was an Islamic injunction whereas Ahmadies were
not Muslims.
It has been learnt that police from the Islampura Police Station directed ‘Tahir’ in Sanat
Nagar not to sacrifice his bull, which he had bought and tied in front of his house a day
before Eid. At the direction of police, Tahir had to remove the animal from his house.
On the same night, Hanjarwal Police raided the house of Ahmad at Sabzazar and took
him to the police station, where he was detained for two hours. When his family
members reached the police station, officials agreed to release him, but not before he
provided a written assurance that he will not perform the sacrifice meant to
remember the Prophet Ibrahim’s [AlaihisSalaam] tradition of presenting Ismail [AlaihisSalaam]
for sacrifice, said one of Ahmad’s family members.
{Daily ‘The Express TRIBUNE’, 17 October 2013}
Readers:
If someone tells you that you cannot call your mother Mom, because he calls his mother Mom.
What will you tell him? If the same guy tells you that you cannot perform Qurbani because I do
the Qurbani? Is that acceptable?
Evil persist because good people do nothing about it.
The least we can do is to speak up.
Congregational prayer is one of the most important aspects of Islamic
worship. It helps to bring people in the same locality together, so that
they would know each other and establish friendly and close relations.
Moreover, their frequent meetings at prayer times give them a chance to
learn more of one another’s work and what they can provide. Thus, they
will seek to get what they need from within their own neighbourhood.
Furthermore, congregational prayer instils discipline within the
community. When people takes instructions from the Imam during
worship, which is a bond between each individual and God, they learn the
value of discipline in their lives.
Stressing the importance of discipline in prayer, the Prophet, peace on him,
says, as quoted by Abu Huraira: “When a person lifts his head before the
imam, does he not fear that Allah will make his head like that of a
donkey, or that He will make him look like a donkey?” [Al Bukhari]
This is the strongest form used by the Prophet, peace on him, to emphasise the
importance of following the imam in all actions, and not to go ahead of
him. The Prophet, peace on him, said: “I am your imam, therefore, do not go
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before me in bowing, prostration or standing up.” He also said: “An imam is
appointed so that he is followed.” However, people are often impatient. When
the Prophet, peace on him, noticed that his admonition in this respect has not given its
desired results, he stated the hadith we are discussing, warning of a stern
punishment on the Day of Judgement. Thus, a person who races the imam in
prayer runs the risk of having a changed shape marking him out among all
people. We should emphasise here that this is merely a warning, and it does not
follow that everyone who does not abide by the order to follow the imam will be
changed in form. Such a person, however, exposes himself to this risk.
A question arises here about the validity of the prayer when a person moves
ahead of the imam in a congregational prayer. Scholars have expressed different
views, going into considerable details. They agree that it is forbidden to precede
the imam in any action. Everyone in the congregation is required to follow the
imam, not to precede him. It is indeed reprehensible to do any movement or say
any words of the prayer at the same time as the imam, except for the first Takbir,
which signals the beginning of the prayer, and the salaam, which signals its end.
A person who says these phrases at the same time as the imam makes his whole
prayer invalid.
What worshippers in the congregation are required to do is to follow the imam.
When he signals a move, they make it shortly after he has signaled it, and before
he has gone to next move. If a person delays moving until the imam has
completed the next action and went into the following one, then that person’s
prayer is invalid. To explain: We stand to read the Qur’an, then bow, then stand
up again, then go into prostration. If the imam bows and stands up while
someone in the congregation remains standing because he wants to finish his
recitation, then that person’s prayer is invalid. If he bows when the imam is still
bowing, his prayer remains valid but his action is not correct. He should follow
the imam.
A violation of this instruction that is often done by worshipper occurs in the last
prostration. The imam signals moving to the last sitting for Tashahhud, yet we
see people remaining in prostration for a whole minute or longer. This is
absolutely wrong and they run the risk of making their prayer invalid.
New York City – New York
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A Page From My Diary Siddiqa Sadiq-Montreal-Canada I learned years ago, that Jihad
carried by the might of the pen, is
mightier than that by the sword. In the recent days, I have witnessed another kind of
Jihad which I wanted to share.
Unlike the popular image of male dominance in terms of protecting the religion,
what I witnessed was carried out by women. Not too long ago, Pauline Marois, Premier
of the Province of Quebec in Canada, announced the new “Charter of Values”.
Quebec, originally known as “New France”, is just that. It not only distinguish
itself entirely from the rest of Canada, by imposing it’s so called French Language
Police, but also takes pride in wanting to be completely separate. According to the new
Charter, no government employee can wear / have visible any religious symbol. This
obviously caused a lot of chaotic protests among Montealers. Pretty much all
communities, primarily the Jews, Muslims and Sikhs came out on the streets shouting
protests.
This didn’t come across to amaze me, but I’ll tell you what really did amaze me.
Watching Muslim girls proudly wearing their Hijabs, I felt ashamed to see some of even
my old students walking with pure pride and comfort with their Hijabs.
This is no rant about the importance of wearing the hijab (that can take its own
page in newsletter another time) but this me sharing what has amazed and impressed me
greatly!
Many might tend to disagree with me, since this may not be considered worthy
enough a title of a Jihad, but for me, these are the Jihadies Allah will truly be pleased
with.
Montreal - Canada