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BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM

OUR COOUR COOUR COOUR CO----OPERATION FOR OPERATION FOR OPERATION FOR OPERATION FOR

OUR WELFAREOUR WELFAREOUR WELFAREOUR WELFARE

A Monthly Electronic Bulletin (Non-current-political and social welfare oriented)

56th issue – 21 Jamadius Sani, 1436 ; 11 April, 2015; Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Circulated all over the world free of cost to please ALMIGHTY ALLAH (SWT)

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AL-HAMDULILLAH!

NOW IN THE 5TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION

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BY THE GRACE OF ALMIGHTY ALLAH, THE BULLETIN HAS

COMPLETED ITS FOUR SUCCESSFUL YEARS OF PUBLICATION

ON 11 SEPTEMBER, 2014 WITH BEST WISHES TO ALL ITS

READERS AND WELL WISHERS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Edited and published in English by: M. A. A. Ashraf.

Editor’s E-mail: avijat@gmail.com

Editor’s Surface-mail: Post Box 5123, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh.

Editor’s website: heavenlysite.org

Editor’s blog: http://fiamanillah.wordpress.com

Assistant Editor: Abeda A. Faisal.

Asst. Editor’s E-mail address: abeda.faisal@yahoo.com

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���� Contents:

Page

� Holy Qur’an. … … … … … … … … … … … 4

� Holy Hadith. … … … … … … … … … … … 5

� Useful Messages from the Greats-in-Islam. … … … … ... ... …7

� Valuable Extracts from the Lectures of Great ‘Alems’ and Saints. … … … 10

� Profuse Profit and No Loss! … … … … … … … … … … … 13

� Mosnobi-e-Rumi … … … … … … … … … … 15

� Women’s World … … … … … … … … … 21

� World of Poetry. … … … … … … … … … 25

� Islam in Canada … … … … … … … … … … … 26

� Auspicious News … … … … … … … … … 29

� From Darkness to Light! … … … … … … … … … … 32

� A Peep into the PAST! … … … … … … … … … 51

� Treasury of Diamonds and Pearls. … … … … … …. 58

� Glimpses from the Past Editorials … … … … … … … 66

� Umar Sharif works for human welfare. … … … … … … 73

� A short Note on Islam. … … … … … … … … … 77

� Editorial. … … … … … … … … … … … 78

==================================================================================

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♣ From Holy QUR’AN :

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

If you help him [Muhammad (PBUH)] not (it does not matter), for

ALLAH did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him

out, he had no more than one companion; when they

[Muhammad (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (RA)] were in the cave, he (PBUH)

said to his companion [Abu Bakr (RA)]: “Be not sad (or afraid),

surely ALLAH is with us”. Then ALLAH sent down His Sakinah

(calmness, tranquility, peace) upon him, and strengthened

him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the

word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the

Word of ALLAH became the uppermost; ALLAH is All-Mighty,

All-Wise.

(9:40) – English Translation as per ‘Atlas on the PROPHET’S BIOGRAPHY’)

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♥ From Holy ‘Hadith’:

Sahih Bukhari Sharif

KNOWLEDGE

Narrated Hazrat Ibn Mas`ud (RA):

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The Prophet (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) used to take care of us in preaching by selecting

a suitable time, so that we might not get bored. (He abstained from

pestering us with sermons and knowledge all the time).

Narrated Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA):

The Prophet (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) said, "Facilitate things to people (concerning

religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them

good tidings and do not make them run away (from Islam).

(English translation as per internet edition of Sahih Bukhari Sharif)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

USEFUL MESSAGES FROM THE GREATSUSEFUL MESSAGES FROM THE GREATSUSEFUL MESSAGES FROM THE GREATSUSEFUL MESSAGES FROM THE GREATS----ININININ----ISLAMISLAMISLAMISLAM

The following messages are from Hazrat Abu

Muhammad Ruiyam (Rahmatullah Alaihi):

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1. If ALLAH (SWT) gives you both

“speaking ability” and “working

ability”, you are fortunate.

2. If ALLAH (SWT) gives you only

“working ability” and no “speaking

ability”, you are also fortunate.

3. If ALLAH (SWT) gives you only

“speaking ability” and no “working

ability”, you are open to danger!

4. If ALLAH (SWT) gives you neither

“speaking ability” nor “working

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ability”, then you are confronting

disaster!

(English translation by M. A. A. Ashraf)

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{In this column, valuable extracts from the lectures/books of the great ‘Alems’ and Saints

are presented to the readers. Today, abridged English translation of an extract from the

lectures of the greatest ‘Alem’ and Saint of 20th century Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

(Rahmatullahi Alaihi) is presented below.}

{This is a part of the series of articles being published part by part. New

readers wishing to read the previous installments may visit the editor’s

website www.heavenlysite.org or blog

http://fiamanillah.wordpress.com}

Commitment of giving reward

Glossary: ‘Buzurg’ = Extra-ordinarily pious person.

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To speak the truth, even in their lifetime truly pious people get

such wonderful ‘Neamot’s the description of which is beyond the

power of words! Of course, from the statements of ‘Buzurg’s,

some indications of the above-mentioned ‘Neamot’s can be

obtained and the truth of those can be proved by their

conspicuous symptoms.

One ‘Buzurg’ said --- “If the kings and monarchs would know

about the wonderful ‘Neamot’s we possess they would not

hesitate to jump upon us with their swords to snatch away those

wonderful things!” This reveals that they possess such

‘Neamot’s to which all the resources of any empire are valueless!

Kings always wish to have better and more valuable resources

than they possess. So if those ‘Neamot’s are better and much

more valuable than those they possess then why should they not

try their best to takeover possession of the ‘Neamot’s?

(Will continue)

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Original by Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah Alaihi) – ‘Mawaeze

Ashrafia’.

Summarized and translated to English by M. A. A. Ashraf.

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(This is a series of articles based on the famous books authored by Hazrat Imam Gazzali

(Rahmatullah Alaihi), one of the greatest Islamic scholars of all ages whose scholastic

excellence and spiritual achievements are written in the history of Islam in golden

letters.

(New readers wishing to read the previous installments may visit the

editor’s website www.heavenlysite.org or blog

http://fiamanillah.wordpress.com)

Thoughts on the Things that are visible

The following was the last para of this article published in the previous issue:

Uses were made of the woman’s womb as the field and the man’s

back-preserved water as the seed. During physical union of man

and wife, semen from the back of man and that from the chest of

woman enter into the uterus (womb) which, ultimately, get

transformed into the embryo of a human child.

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The present installment

Life is then injected into the embryo which then start springing with

the vibrations of a living being! Now think over the matter --- how a

drop of white water mixed with reddish water produced within your

body a variety of things like flesh, skin, blood, veins, arteries, nerves

and bones! Then, with those, your limbs and organs, each with a

different shape and size, have been developed! Thus your body has

been decorated externally with eyes, nose, ears, head, hair, skin-

complexion, hands, feet, etc. and internally with brain, mind, heart,

lungs, liver, stomach, kidneys, intestine, uterus, sex-organs, etc.

So you see that, in the universe, there is nothing more

amazing than ‘you’, whereas you are indifferent of your own

wonderful identical features! Think over!

(Will continue)

Original by Imam Gazzali (RA) --- ‘Kimiai Sa-adat’.

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Summarized and Translated to English by M. A.A. Ashraf.

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Mosnobi-e-Rumi

[An outstanding Islamic scholar and a great ‘Buzurg’ Maulana

Jalaluddin Rumi (Rahmatullah Alaihi) was born in 604 Hijri (830

years ago) in Balkh in Khorasan area of the then Roman Empire.

His scholastic brilliance and superb mysticism contained in his

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celebrated work “Mosnobi-e-Rumi” received worldwide

acclamation that transcended down the centuries unabated

charming millions of readers around the world irrespective of

religious faiths up to the current century. In this column, attempts

will be made to present to the readers some spiritual lights from

‘Mosnobi-e-Rumi’ to illuminate their hearts and help them make

some tangible progress towards attainment of the most fortunate

privilege of human life --- the proximity of the Creator of the

universe! – Editor.]

BBBEEE CCCAAAUUUTTTIIIOOOUUUSSS WWWHHHIIILLLEEE SSSEEELLLEEECCCTTTIIINNNGGG YYYOOOUUURRR

‘‘‘PPPEEEEEERRR’’’!!!

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SSSiiinnnccceee ‘‘‘IIIbbbllliiissshhh’’’ SSSaaatttaaannn cccaaannn tttaaakkkeee ttthhheee

ppphhhyyysssiiicccaaalll aaappppppeeeaaarrraaannnccceee ooofff aaa hhhuuummmaaannn

bbbeeeiiinnnggg,,, yyyooouuu ssshhhooouuulllddd bbbeee cccaaauuutttiiiooouuusss wwwhhhiiillleee

ssseeellleeeccctttiiinnnggg aaa pppeeerrrsssooonnn aaasss yyyooouuurrr ‘‘‘PPPeeeeeerrr’’’!!!

IIInnn mmmaaannnyyy cccaaassseeesss,,, iiittt iiisss fffooouuunnnddd ttthhhaaattt aaa bbbiiirrrddd---

hhhuuunnnttteeerrr ppprrroooddduuuccceeesss aaa vvvoooiiiccceee---cccaaallllll sssiiimmmiiilllaaarrr

tttooo ttthhhaaattt ooofff aaa bbbiiirrrddd wwwiiittthhh ttthhheee pppuuurrrpppooossseee ooofff

cccaaatttccchhhiiinnnggg ttthhheee bbbiiirrrddd aaattttttrrraaaccctttiiinnnggg iiittt bbbyyy hhhiiisss

fffaaalllssseeelllyyy---ppprrroooddduuuccceeeddd cccaaallllll!!!

WWWhhheeennn aaa ffflllyyyiiinnnggg bbbiiirrrddd hhheeeaaarrrsss aaa vvvoooiiiccceee---cccaaallllll

sssiiimmmiiilllaaarrr tttooo ttthhhaaattt ooofff hhhiiisss ooowwwnnn,,, iiittt fffeeeeeelllsss

aaattttttrrraaacccttteeeddd aaannnddd cccooommmeeesss dddooowwwnnn;;;

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uuullltttiiimmmaaattteeelllyyy iiittt iiisss cccaaauuuggghhhttt iiinnn aaa tttrrraaappp ttthhhaaattt

ttteeerrrmmmiiinnnaaattteeesss iiitttsss llliiifffeee!!!

Explanation: In many cases, it is found that a fake

person acts artificially like a genuine ‘Buzurg’ and

cheats people by making them his disciple. We

should therefore be cautious while selecting a person

as our ‘Peer’! An ideal ‘Peer’ should actually be an

ideal teacher capable of teaching his disciple (‘Murid’)

how he/she can learn and attentively practice

principles of Islam to please ALLAH (SWT) more and

more so that the disciple may become a favorite of

ALLAH (SWT) for access to Paradise in afterlife.

The ‘Peer’ himself should be a genuinely

knowledgeable person on Islam and be a seriously-

practicing Muslim who has been able to make himself

free of the temptations of money, riches and worldly

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enjoyments. He should be a genuine lover of ALLAH

(SWT).

--- Summarized and Translated to English by M. A. A. Ashraf.

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Women’s World

“I couldn’t be happier to shed my bikini in South Beach and the “glamorous”

Western lifestyle to live in peace with my Creator and enjoy living among fellow

humans as a worthy person. It is why I choose to wear Niqab, and why

I will die defending my inalienable right to wear it. Today, Niqab

is the new symbol of woman’s liberation.” -- Sara Bokker.

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(SARA BOKKER, AN AMERICAN YOUNG WOMAN WHO REVERTED TO ISAM IN 2003

AT THE AGE OF 29, IS A FORMER HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS/MODEL/FITNESS-

INSTRUCTOR AND ACTIVIST. CURRENTLY, SARA IS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

AT “THE MARCH FOR JUSTICE,” A CO-FOUNDER OF “THE GLOBAL SISTERS

NETWORK,” AND PRODUCER OF THE INFAMOUS “SHOCK & AWE GALLERY.”)

Amazing sAmazing sAmazing sAmazing story of a new tory of a new tory of a new tory of a new

Muslim womanMuslim womanMuslim womanMuslim woman

---By Abeda A. Faisal

(Continued from the previous issue)

“My family members never forced me anything about religion. My

mother used to tell me that I was independent about choosing my life

style. We always believed in God. By that time I started staying at

home to study about religions and I continuously prayed to Almighty

for giving me light.”

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“During the summer vacation I went to my grandmother’s house. By

the time I came back home, there was a huge and unexpected change

in me. I felt something different. I felt the urge to be a Muslim. It

seemed that ALLAH is with me, in every of my work and thoughts.”

“I remembered the words of my Muslim sisters. They used to tell me

that ALLAH would show me the way someday in some way. I was

desperate to be a Muslim. I will never forget that feeling in my life.”

“All my disbeliefs came to an end. If you ask me how, I cannot

answer. I just felt that I found out my truth; the truth which I had

been searching for all through my life. I expressed my feelings to my

best friend who helped me most. At that same day, I took my oath; I

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recited ‘Kalema – E – Shahadat’ and became a Muslim. My Muslim

sisters embraced me and I felt that I was someone totally new! I

became a new person. The ‘Kalema’ washed away my previous sins;

all the darkness that prevailed in my mind and body were gone. I felt

illuminated at my heart with a new heavenly light that I loved! I was

prepared to lead my life according to ‘Qur’an’ and ‘Sunnah’.

“I could not have believed that wonderful feelings even some years

back. But at that time, I could not think anything except leading my

life according to ‘Qur’an’ and ‘Sunnah’. I realized that there were

many things new to me. My Muslim friends were far more

knowledgeable than me.”

(Will continue)

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World of Poetry

[This feature contains poetries that reflect “LOVE for ALLAH

(SWT), the Creator of the Universe”.]

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We take shelter in YOUR Generosity!

By M. A. A. Ashraf

Only for a few days YOU have sent us to earth

With a lot of problems-misery and a little mirth,

To test us if we deserve real happiness in afterlife.

To fight against failure YOU have given us weapons:

Courage, patients, generosity, kindness and co-operation.

But we are so weak and unfit we often tend to stumble,

Without YOUR Help we see no way out but to grumble!

YOUR Mercy is our only hope for success here and after,

So we take shelter in YOUR Generosity for all ever after!

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Islam in Canada ISLAM IS THE FASTEST GROWING RELIGION IN CANADA

--- M. A. A. Ashraf

Canada was founded as a sovereign country in 1867. The first

Canadian Census conducted in 1871 recorded 13 European

Muslims living in Canada. Prior to First World War and

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thereafter, a good number of Bosnian Muslims came to

Canada.

When there were about 700 European Muslims in the

country, the first Mosque was built in Canada in Edmonton in

1938. After World War II the Muslim population was still not

large enough to overcome the status of distinct minority. It

was only in the late 1960s and early 1970s that Muslims

arrived in Canada in large numbers.

The first Mosque in Toronto was founded in 1968 mainly by

the participation of the Bosnian Muslims and partially by the

Albanian Muslims. The first ‘Madrassa’ (Islamic School) was

established in Cornwall, Ontario in 1983. Graduates of this

‘Madrassa’ were ‘Hafiz-e-Qur’an’ and ‘Alem’. The school was

established by a ‘Tabligi’ leader. It focuses on the ‘Hanafi’

school of thought. Due to its proximity to the US border city

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of Massena the school has historically drawn a large number

of US students.

Toronto Dawah Centre, 2007

According to the Canadian Census of 1971 there were 33,000

Muslims in Canada. The oldest Mosque in Toronto, with the

oldest minaret in Ontario, was built in Osmanic style in 1973.

The Mosque is a part of the Bosnian Islamic Centre.

In the 1970s large-scale non-European immigration to Canada

began which was reflected in the growth of the Muslim

population in Canada. In 1981, the Census recorded 98,000

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Muslims. The 1991 Census listed 2,53,265 Muslims. By 2001,

the Islamic community in Canada had grown to more than

5,79,000. Estimates for the Census 2006 pointed to a figure of

8,00,000. As of May 2013, Muslims account for 3.2% of the

total population, with a total of over a million. Islam is now

the fastest growing religion in Canada!

(Source of information: Internet)

Auspicious News

THE WORLD'S FASTEST-GROWING RELIGION IS ISLAM

--- BY DANIEL BURKE, CNN RELIGION EDITOR

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--- M. A. A. Ashraf

Islam, the world's fastest-growing faith, will leap

from 1.6 billion (in 2010) to 2.76 billion by 2050,

according to a study conducted by Pew Research

Center, USA. According to that study, the Muslim

population in the world will by far surpass the

Christian population by 2070.

As per the study (the data collected from 234

countries and territories), Muslims will make up

nearly one-third of the world's total projected

population of about 9 billion people by 2070.

Christianity is also expected to grow, but not at

Islam's explosive rate.

Some of the Pew study's top findings about what the

world will look like -- faith-wise -- in 2050 are as

follow:

In the United States, Christians will drop from 78%

to 66% of population. Muslims will surpass Jews as

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the largest non-Christian religion in the U.S. India

will have the largest Muslim population in the

world, surpassing Indonesia, but Hindus will retain

a majority. More than 10% of Europeans will be

Muslim, while the number of Christians in Europe

will drop by 100 million. In the coming decades, 106

million people are projected to leave Christianity.

The number of countries with Christian majorities

will drop to 151, as Christians are projected to

decrease in Australia, Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina,

France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic

of Macedonia and the United Kingdom. Muslims are

expected to make up more than 50% of the

population in 51 countries.

(Source of information: Internet)

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FFFrrrooommm DDDaaarrrkkknnneeessssss tttooo LLLiiiggghhhttt

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[Many modern men and women of different faiths and cultures all

over the world are gradually coming to realize that ISLAM is the only

religion that can satisfy all their queries on the Creator of the

universe and offers a complete code and conduct of life for a

peaceful, happy and successful living. Consequently a large number

of non-Muslims are reverting to ISLAM every year in different

countries, particularly the western countries and more particularly

the United States of America. Stories of non-Muslims embracing

ISLAM are often amazing, interesting, lesson-giving, ‘Iman’-

strengthening and full of evidences that bear testimony to the glory

of ALLAH (SWT) in Whose supreme hand lies the sole power to bless

any human being with ‘Hedayet’ (Faith in ISLAM).

As per holy Hadith --- if any Muslim community neglects doing

‘Ebadot’, ALLAH (SWT) may withdraw the ‘Blessing of Hedayat’ from

that Muslim community and bestow it on a non-Muslim community!

That means, Muslims should not think that they have absolute right

on ‘Hedayet’ and whether or not they respect it and make good use

of it, it has to stay with them permanently! In the modern world,

there are some Muslims (by birth) who do not take proper care of

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‘Hedayet’ --- they do not feel like doing ‘Ebadot’ properly! The above

Hadith is a warning to them! For their own welfare, they should

become serious in doing ‘Ebadot’!

This column contains interesting and enlightening articles, stories and

news on reversions of non-Muslims to ISLAM in different parts of the

world across different cultures. – Editor.]

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JOURNEY TOWARDS THE RIGHT!

Towards ISLAM

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ex American Christian

Embraced ISLAM

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Their story of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

WHY I CONVERTED TO ISLAM

IT’S NOT EASY BEING MUSLIM IN AMERICA, BUT MY CHOICE

WAS A SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION

March 29, 2015 2:00AM ET

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar @kaj33

I was born Lew Alcindor. Now I’m Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The transition from Lew to Kareem was not merely a change

in celebrity brand name — like Sean Combs to Puff Daddy to

Diddy to P. Diddy — but a transformation of heart, mind and

soul. I used to be Lew Alcindor, the pale reflection of what

white America expected of me. Now I’m Kareem Abdul-

Jabbar, the manifestation of my African history, culture and

beliefs.

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For most people, converting from one religion to another is a

private matter requiring intense scrutiny of one’s conscience.

But when you’re famous, it becomes a public spectacle for

one and all to debate. And when you convert to an unfamiliar

or unpopular religion, it invites criticism of one’s intelligence,

patriotism and sanity. I should know. Even though I became a

Muslim more than 40 years ago, I’m still defending that

choice.

UNEASE WITH CELEBRITY

I was introduced to Islam while I was a freshman at UCLA.

Although I had already achieved a certain degree of national

fame as a basketball player, I tried hard to keep my personal

life private. Celebrity made me nervous and uncomfortable. I

was still young, so I couldn’t really articulate why I felt so shy

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of the spotlight. Over the next few years, I started to

understand it better.

Part of my restraint was the feeling that the person the public

was celebrating wasn’t the real me. Not only did I have the

usual teenage angst of becoming a man, but I was also

playing for one of the best college basketball teams in the

country and trying to maintain my studies. Add to that the

weight of being black in America in 1966 and ’67, when James

Meredith was ambushed while marching through Mississippi,

the Black Panther Party was founded, Thurgood Marshall was

appointed as the first African-American Supreme Court

Justice and a race riot in Detroit left 43 dead, 1,189 injured

and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed.

I came to realize that the Lew Alcindor everyone was

cheering wasn’t really the person they imagined. They

wanted me to be the clean-cut example of racial equality. The

poster boy for how anybody from any background —

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regardless of race, religion or economic standing — could

achieve the American dream. To them, I was the living proof

that racism was a myth.

I knew better. Being 7-foot-2 and athletic got me there, not a

level playing field of equal opportunity. But I was also fighting

a strict upbringing of trying to please those in authority. My

father was a cop with a set of rules, I attended a Catholic

school with priests and nuns with more rules, and I played

basketball for coaches who had even more rules. Rebellion

was not an option.

Still, I was discontented. Growing up in the 1960s, I wasn’t

exposed to many black role models. I admired Martin Luther

King Jr. for his selfless courage and Shaft for kicking ass and

getting the girl. Otherwise, the white public’s consensus

seemed to be that blacks weren’t much good. They were

either needy downtrodden folks who required white people’s

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help to get the rights they were due or radical troublemakers

wanting to take away white homes and jobs and daughters.

The “good ones” were happy entertainers, either in show

business or sports, who were expected to show gratitude for

their good fortune. I knew this reality was somehow wrong

— that something had to change. I just didn’t know what it

meant for me.

Some fans took my decision very personally, as if I had

firebombed their church while tearing up an American flag.

Much of my early awakening came from reading “The

Autobiography of Malcolm X” as a freshman. I was riveted by

Malcolm’s story of how he came to realize that he was the

victim of institutional racism that had imprisoned him long

before he landed in an actual prison. That’s exactly how I felt:

imprisoned by an image of who I was supposed to be. The

first thing he did was push aside the Baptist religion that his

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parents had brought him up in and study Islam. To him,

Christianity was a foundation of the white culture responsible

for enslaving blacks and supporting the racism that

permeated society. His family was attacked by the

Christianity-spouting Ku Klux Klan, and his home was burned

by the KKK splinter group the Black Legion.

Malcolm X’s transformation from petty criminal to political

leader inspired me to look more closely at my upbringing and

forced me to think more deeply about my identity. Islam

helped him find his true self and gave him the strength not

only to face hostility from both blacks and whites but also to

fight for social justice. I began to study the Quran.

CONVICTION AND DEFIANCE

This decision set me on an irreversible course to spiritual

fulfillment. But it definitely wasn’t a smooth course. I made

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serious mistakes along the way. Then again, maybe the path

isn’t supposed to be smooth; maybe it’s supposed to be filled

with obstacles and detours and false discoveries in order to

challenge and hone one’s beliefs. As Malcolm X said, “I guess

a man’s entitled to make a fool of himself if he’s ready to pay

the cost.”

I PAID THE COST.

As I said earlier, I was brought up to respect rules — and

especially those who enforced the rules, such as teachers,

preachers and coaches. I’d always been an exceptional

student, so when I wanted to know more about Islam, I found

a teacher in Hammas Abdul-Khaalis. During my years playing

with the Milwaukee Bucks, Hammas’ version of Islam was a

joyous revelation. Then in 1971, when I was 24, I converted

to Islam and became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (meaning “the

noble one, servant of the Almighty”).

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The question I’m often asked is why I had to pick a religion so

foreign to American culture and a name that was hard for

people to pronounce. Some fans took it very personally, as if I

had firebombed their church while tearing up an American

flag. Actually, I was rejecting the religion that was foreign to

my American culture and embracing one that was part of my

black African heritage. (An estimated 15 to 30 percent of

slaves brought from Africa were Muslims.)

Fans thought I joined the Nation of Islam, an American

Islamic movement founded in Detroit in 1930. Although I was

greatly influenced by Malcolm X, a leader in the Nation of

Islam, I chose not to join because I wanted to focus more on

the spiritual rather than political aspects. Eventually,

Malcolm rejected the group right before three of its members

assassinated him.

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My parents were not pleased by my conversion. Though they

weren’t strict Catholics, they had raised me to believe in

Christianity as the gospel. But the more I studied history, the

more disillusioned I became with the role of Christianity in

subjugating my people. I knew, of course, that the Second

Vatican Council in 1965 declared slavery an “infamy” that

dishonored God and was a poison to society. But for me, it

was too little, too late. The failure of the church to use its

might and influence to stop slavery and instead to justify it as

somehow connected to original sin made me angry. Papal

bulls (e.g., “Dum Diversas” and “Romanus Pontifex”)

condoned enslaving native people and stealing their lands.

Conversion is a risky business because it can result in losing

family, friends and community support.

And while I realize that many Christians risked their lives and

families to fight slavery and that it would not have been

ended without them, I found it hard to align myself with the

45

cultural institutions that had turned a blind eye to such

outrageous behavior in direct violation of their most sacred

beliefs.

The adoption of a new name was an extension of my

rejection of all things in my life that related to the

enslavement of my family and people. Alcindor was a French

planter in the West Indies who owned my ancestors. My

forebears were Yoruba people, from present day Nigeria.

Keeping the name of my family’s slave master seemed

somehow to dishonor them. His name felt like a branded scar

of shame.

My devotion to Islam was absolute. I even agreed to marry a

woman whom Hammas suggested for me, despite my strong

feelings for another woman. Ever the team player, I did as

“Coach” Hammas recommended. I also followed his advice

not to invite my parents to the wedding — a mistake that

46

took me more than a decade to rectify. Although I had my

doubts about some of Hammas’ instruction, I rationalized

them away because of the great spiritual fulfillment I was

experiencing.

But my independent spirit finally emerged. Not content to

receive all my religious knowledge from one man, I pursued

my own studies. I soon found that I disagreed with some of

Hammas’ teachings about the Quran, and we parted ways. In

1973, I traveled to Libya and Saudi Arabia to learn enough

Arabic to study the Quran on my own. I emerged from this

pilgrimage with my beliefs clarified and my faith renewed.

From that year to this, I have never wavered or regretted my

decision to convert to Islam. When I look back, I wish I could

have done it in a more private way, without all the publicity

and fuss that followed. But at the time I was adding my voice

to the civil rights movement by denouncing the legacy of

slavery and the religious institutions that had supported it.

47

That made it more political than I had intended and

distracted from what was, for me, a much more personal

journey.

Many people are born into their religion. For them it is

mostly a matter of legacy and convenience. Their belief is

based on faith, not just in the teachings of the religion but

also in the acceptance of that religion from their family and

culture. For the person who converts, it is a matter of fierce

conviction and defiance. Our belief is based on a combination

of faith and logic because we need a powerful reason to

abandon the traditions of our families and community to

embrace beliefs foreign to both. Conversion is a risky

business because it can result in losing family, friends and

community support.

Some fans still call me Lew, then seem annoyed when I ignore

them. They don’t understand that their lack of respect for my

48

spiritual choice is insulting. It’s as if they see me as a toy

action figure, existing solely to decorate their world as they

see fit, rather than as an individual with his own life.

Kermit the Frog famously complained, “It’s not easy being

green.” Try being Muslim in America.

According to a Pew Research Center poll on attitudes about

major religious groups, the U.S. public has the least regard for

Muslims — slightly less than it has for atheists — even

though Islam is the third-largest faith in America. The acts of

aggression, terrorism and inhumanity committed by those

claiming to be Muslims have made the rest of the world

afraid of us. Without really knowing the peaceful practices of

most of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims, they see only the

worst examples.

Part of my conversion to Islam is accepting the responsibility

to teach others about my religion, not to convert them but to

49

co-exist with them through mutual respect, support and

peace. One world does not have to mean one religion, just

one belief in living in peace.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the National Basketball Association’s

all-time leading scorer. During his 20 seasons in the league,

he won six championships and six Most Valuable Player

awards.

(Source: Internet)

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51

A PEEP INTO THE PAST!

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[In this column the valuable articles published in the past

issues of this bulletin containing valuable lessons will be

reprinted one by one for the purpose of bringing those

noteworthy things live into the memories of the respected

readers for facilitating their doing ‘Amals’ that will pave the

way of their success both in here and hereafter.]

This historical story was published in the 12th issue of the bulletin:

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Whatever ALMIGHTY has not GIVEN US is for OUR

WELFARE!

--- M. A. A. Ashraf

Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) was one of the high-profile prophets.

He was endowed with many supernatural abilities and powers by ALMIGHTY.

53

In his time, he was the undisputed king of the whole world! He ruled his

kingdom with unprecedented success and glory!

One of his supernatural abilities was that he used to understand the language

of the animals! One day a village folk, who was a farmer, came to the prophet

(peace be upon him) and requested him to teach him (the farmer) the

language of the animals. The prophet (peace be upon him) refused to do that.

The man went on earnestly requesting him, but the prophet (peace be upon

him) did not accede to his requests. The prophet (peace be upon him)

enquired of the man what he would do with the language of the animals! He

replied, ‘I like to learn it just to satisfy my curiosity about the animals’!

The prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whatever ability ALMIGHTY has not

given to anyone is for his good and welfare. So he should better not aspire to

have any such ability for his own welfare.’ ‘So’, he said to the farmer, ‘you

should not insist on learning the language of the animals for your own

welfare’. But the folk continued in his efforts to convince the prophet (peace

be upon him) that he should be taught to understand the language of the

animals. He would not give in to the advice of the prophet (peace be upon

him)!

54

At last, annoyed, the prophet (peace be upon him) taught him how to

understand the language of the animals. The man felt happy and elated, and

set out for his home with brisk steps along a path through woodlands!

The first hazard experienced by the man was that from all around him strange

talks of birds and other animals of confusing nature were entering his ears

jamming his brain and interfering with his power of comprehension. He felt

confused and unwell!

On reaching home, he sat in his room to dine. As he was eating, he saw

through the drain-hole of his room that a dog was eating the food-rejects.

Soon a hen with her chicks came there and she said to the dog, ‘brother,

please don’t eat anymore, leave the remaining food for my chicks. Please

sacrifice for my chicks today, you will get a big feast tomorrow!’ The dog

stopped eating and looked at the hen with questioning eyes! The hen

continued, ‘tomorrow in the evening the cow of this farmer will die and so you

will get the dead body of the cow to eat up to your heart’s content!’ The dog

allowed the chicks to eat the remaining foods. The farmer heard and

understood all these talks!

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The farmer finished his eating quickly and rushed with his cow to the village

market. He sold out the cow and happily returned home with the proceeds!

He was full of joy as he was able to save himself from a big loss that could

occur if the cow would die in his house! He felt, all these were possible

because he now understood the language of the animals! He thanked the

prophet (peace be upon him) for teaching him the language!

Next day, the jubilant farmer again sat in his room to dine. He was watching

through the drain-hole that the same dog was eating food-rejects while the

same hen with her chicks came nearby. The dog angrily looked at the hen

and said, ‘You are a liar! You said yesterday that I would get a feast today as

the cow of the farmer would die, but nothing like that happened!’ The hen

replied, ‘I am not a liar, I spoke the truth! The cow was destined to die in this

house. But the clever farmer somehow or the other came to know about it

and he rushed with his cow to the village market and sold it out! So the cow

that was to die in this house has now died in the house of its buyer!’ The

farmer was enjoying their talks!

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After a while, the hen said to the dog, ‘But don’t worry! Your chance of feast

is not over! You are going to get a grand chance – now human flesh!’ The

dog curiously looked at the hen while the farmer concentrated focus of his

ears to the talks! The hen continued, ‘tomorrow the farmer himself will die and

you can eat his flesh digging into the grave!’ On hearing up to this, the farmer

jumped out of his room and ran all the way to Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be

upon him) and told him all he had heard from the hen! He started weeping

and waling on the news of his death!

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That’s why I told you strongly that you

should not learn the language of the animals for your own welfare. But you

did not listen to it and adamantly insisted on learning it! Every person should

be grateful to ALMIGHTY for all He has kindly given him/her and should not

feel unhappy for anything ALMIGHTY has not given him/her. You have

interfered with destined events! The cow was destined to die in your house,

but you did not allow it to happen by selling it out! The cow died at the house

of the buyer. Now to compensate for your misdeed you are to die in your

house! Nobody can prevent it.’

57

The farmer came back home terribly depressed and

died the next day!

◌� ◌� ◌�

(Reference: ‘Kasasul Ambia’)

58

Treasury of Diamonds and

Pearls

Please keep the following always alive in your mind:

(1)

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“Until and unless you firmly believe and install in your mind that

ALLAH (SWT) is watching you always, nothing of your ‘Ebadot’

will come to discipline and order.”

--- Imam Gazzali (Rahmatullah Alaihi).

(2)

Go on working sincerely, don’t worry for the end result,

at some moment ALLAH’s Mercy will start

accompanying you, and you will be blessed with

success!

--- Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah Alaihi).

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(3)

The most precious Opportunity for You to Get what

You Want!

There is a time of night when we sleep, no sound of traffic,

silence prevails everywhere! At that pin-drop-silent hours of

night -- when the world around us sleeps -- there is One who

remains awake and waits for us to call on HIM!

As per Hadith-e-qudsi: "Our Supreme Lord descends during the

last third of each night to the lower heaven, and says: 'Is there

anyone who calls on Me that I may respond to him/her? Is there

anyone who asks Me that I may give unto him/her? Is there

anyone who requests My Forgiveness that I may forgive

him/her?'"

--- (Bukhari and Muslim sharif)

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Editor’s comment:

Every night of our life offers us this most fortunate opportunity!

Can we not avail ourselves of this most precious opportunity to

get what we want and what we desire for?

(4)

1. One who has known ALLAH (SWT) he/she has nothing to want

from anybody else.

2. Try your best but depend on ‘Rahmat’ (Mercy) of ALLAH (SWT)

for success.

3. Don’t be frustrated during distress; for, that can be eliminated by

the slightest order of ALMIGHTY!

62

--- Hazrat Baezid Bostami (RA).

4. While seeing something, take lessons from what you see.

--- Hazrat Hatemey Asham (RA)

(5)

It is a matter of regret that now-a-days these things (‘zikir-

azkar’, ‘hal’, etc.) have been taken, by mistake, as the

actual goal! Whereas these things are only ancillary

methods that help reaching the actual goal. The actual

goal is self-rectification.

In a nutshell, the successive steps of our religious duties are as

follows:

1st

step: ‘Aqaed’ should be corrected as per Islamic ideals.

63

(‘Aqaed’ means religious beliefs and convictions)

2nd

step: ‘Amal’ of all limbs should be rectified as per specification

of Islamic code and conduct.

(The word ‘Amal’ generally means ‘work’. Here it means ‘religious

work’/‘virtuous work’. As ISLAM is a complete code and conduct of

life, every work and activity of personal life, family life, social life,

economic life, political life, national life and international life should

be done and conducted by Muslims in accordance with the respective

prescriptions given in the holy Qur’an and Hadith. So “religious

duties” include not only ‘Salat’, Ramzan-Fasting, ‘Hajj’ and ‘Zakat’ but

also financial transactions, business & economic activities, sociality

like talking, behaving, doing duties with own family

members/relatives/others, mixing and making relationship with other

people, negotiations and agreements of all kinds, etc.)

3rd

step: “Rectification of soul” should be performed.

64

(“Rectification of soul” means removing from the soul the bad elements

like pride, vanity, greed, lust, hatred, misery, hostility, anger, jealousy,

covetousness, falsehood, wrong-doing, craze for fashion, down-looking at

the poor, worshiping the rich, undue revenge, bad manners, ill temper, ill-

wishing to others, etc. and adding to soul the virtuous elements like

goodness, kindness, gentleness, broadness, sublimity, sympathy, good

manners, co-operation for good works, generosity, honesty, truthfulness,

respect for the seniors, affections for the juniors, well wishes for others,

morality, righteousness, justice, conscientiousness, etc.)

Hazrat Imam Gazzali (RA), in his illustrious book ‘Ehyaul Ulumuddeen’,

has given detailed description of the diseases (bad elements) of the soul

and how these can be treated (eliminated) for rectification of soul.

[Editor’s note: The column of this bulletin entitled “Profuse Profit and

No Loss” contains rectifying-counsels of Hazrat Imam Gazzali (RA) that

are much helpful for self-rectification. Readers may please take benefit

of those counsels.]

65

◌� ◌� ◌� ◌� ◌�

◌� ◌� ◌�

66

◌� ◌� ◌�

◌�

* * * * *

GLIMPSES FROM THE PAST

EDITORIALS!

[In this column, significant Editorials that were published in the past issues of this

bulletin containing valuable counsels will be reprinted one by one for the purpose

of bringing those noteworthy things live into the memories of the respected

67

readers for facilitating their doing ‘Amals’ that will pave the way of their success

both in here and hereafter.]

THE FOLLOWING WAS THE EDITORIAL OF THE 15TH

ISSUE OF THIS BULLETIN:

♦▬║Editorial

BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM.

ALHAMDU LILLAH!

THE BULLETIN RENEWS TO ITS RESPECTED READERS ALL OVER THE

WORLD THE ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST REGARDS AND UTMOST

EFFORTS TO SERVE AS BEST AS POSSIBLE TO CONVEY TO THEM THE

ILLUMINATING MESSAGES OF ISLAM.

We require a Frank Relationship with ALLAH

The relationship between a child and its mother is the most

frank and open relationship between two human beings.

There is no secret, no reservation, no diplomacy, no

cleverness, no acting, no hide and seek, and no artificiality

between the two!

68

Our relationship with ALMIGHTY should be like that. We should

sincerely abide by his orders and frankly confess our faults and

perform Tauba as and when necessary.

It is not possible for anybody to hide anything from HIM, as HE sees

everything of outside and inside of everybody. It is not also

possible for anybody to escape from HIS administration!

Before birth we were in ‘Alam-e-Arwa’ (world of souls), after birth

till death we are in this world, after death till the day of resurrection

(‘Kiamot’) we will be either in ‘Ellien’ (place for virtuous souls) or

‘Sejjien’ (place for sinner souls), and after ‘Kiamot’ till eternity we

will be either in Paradise or hell! That is the outline of our whole

story!

Both formally and informally we can pray and talk to ALLAH, our

guardian and best friend! HE always hears us. Formal talking is

69

done through formal rituals like ‘namaz’, ‘ruza’, Qur’an telwat, etc.

and informal talking is done through ‘Dua/munajat’.

We can informally pray and talk to HIM any time (whether with

‘wazu’ or without ‘wazu’) by raising hands or without raising hands,

loudly or silently! We can talk to HIM frankly about all our

problems. We can talk to HIM as repeatedly as we feel to do it – HE

will never be annoyed! HE hears all our talks and takes appropriate

actions that are beneficial to us!

As per Hadith, there are three ways of HIS taking actions on ‘Dua’s.

One, giving immediately what is prayed for. Two, not giving what is

prayed for, but, in lieu of that, giving some other benefit which is

more important and beneficial for the person concerned (suppose,

saving him/her from a fatal road accident or some hard-to-cure

disease, etc.). Three, not giving what is prayed for or anything else

in lieu thereof during his lifetime, but giving the benefit in ‘Akherat’

when he/she will be in great difficulty in getting to Paradise due to

lack of ‘neki’.

70

As per a Hadith, “On the day of judgment, a man’s ‘bodi’ (sin) side

of the balance will be much heavier than his ‘neki’ side; and, as

such, he will have to go to the hell! At this stage, ALLAH will place

something on his ‘neki’ side, and consequently the ‘neki’ side will

become heavier than the ‘bodi’ side! That means, he will now go to

Paradise!

Surprised, the ‘fereshtas’ will exclaim – “O our Creator, what is that

you have placed on his ‘neki’ side? We have searched his

‘Amalnama’ (record of his deeds/misdeeds during lifetime), but

could not find anything like that what you have given to his ‘neki’

side!

Merciful ALLAH will reply – “During his lifetime, he had wanted

from ME (through ‘Dua’) many things, but I did not give him those

things then. Because, I knew that this ‘bandah’ would be in great

71

danger in ‘Akherat’; so I kept those ‘swabs’ in my custody for

benefiting him in ‘Akherat’ and that is what I have given now”!

SUBHANALLAH! ALHAMDULILLAH! ALLAHU-

AKBAR!

So, all our ‘Dua’s are granted by ALMIGHTY; and we get

benefit in any of the above-mentioned three ways. ALLAH

knows everything – past, present, future, Dunia and Akherat.

So HE knows best which of the three ways will be most

beneficial to the person concerned; and HE takes action

accordingly!

SUBHANALLAH! ALHAMDULILLAH! LAA ILAHA

ILLALLAH! ALLAHU-AKBAR!

72

Having now been assured that all our ‘Dua’s (‘Dua’s should

not be for illegal or bad things) are granted by ALMIGHTY, we

should do ‘Dua’ as many times as we can everyday – formally

as well as informally. In fact, we may make it a habit to do

informal ‘Dua’ mentally as frequently as we feel like to do it!

It will be a good practice if after every mental ‘Dua’ (which

may consist of one, two or more sentences as per necessity)

we mentally recite sentence ‘Darud Sharif’ at least once (a

short ‘Darud Sharif’: “Sallallahu alan nabi-il ummi”).

May ALLAH, the Merciful, the Beneficent, enable us to be

benefited maximum by the practice of making ‘Dua’s to

HIM! Ameen!

ALLAH HAFEZ.

73

Umar Sharif works for human welfare

74

(An imaginary story of adventure)

{This is the 37th installment of the story that is being published part

by part. New readers wishing to read the previous installments may

visit the editor’s website www.heavenlysite.org or blog

http://fiamanillah.wordpress.com }

--- By M. A. A. Ashraf

While following the micros at great speed, Umar Sharif was trying

to guess what could be their destination! His observation

revealed they were tending to move southward. His guess proved

true when ultimately they got on the Madrid-Cordoba-Granada

highway!

75

As he was following them getting on the Cordoba-Granada

highway, Umar Sharif became pensive --- his mind was seized with

the exciting imagination of the glorious history of Muslims in

Cordoba and Granada! Umar Sharif’s long silence made Martha

curious. She looked at Sharif and found his face glazing with

imagination --- she was a little surprised and wondered what

could be the reason!

Umar Sharif suddenly came to reality, he smilingly looked at

Martha who was looking at him with questioning eyes! ‘Martha!’

– said Umar Sharif – ‘Can you guess where we are heading

towards?’ ‘Perhaps towards Cordoba or Granada’ – replied

Martha. ‘Do you know the past history of those two cities?’ –

asked Umar Sharif. ‘Not much!’ – replied Martha.

76

‘For long eight hundred years in the past, Spain was under the

glorious Muslim rule. During that period, Spain gave leadership to

the whole of Europe in all fields of development – economic,

educational, scientific, technological, architectural and literary

contributions. At that time, Cordoba and Granada sparkled with

the glorious achievements of Muslim rule.’ – said Umar Sharif. ‘O,

it’s exciting! Would you please tell me more about the history? –

replied Martha. ‘Of course! With pleasure!’ – said Umar Sharif.

(Will continue)

77

♫ A Short Note on ISLAM

Souls of all humans hunger for

ISLAM but many are not aware of

it!

78

♦▬║Editorial

79

BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM.

[ALHAMDU LILLAH! BY THE GRACE OF ALMIGHTY, THE BULLETIN

HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FOUR YEARS OF ITS PUBLICATION

SERVING A WIDE SPECTRUM OF RESPECTED READERS ACROSS

ASIA, EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA (USA), CANADA, AFRICA AND

AUSTRALIA.

THE BULLETIN RENEWS TO ITS RESPECTED READERS ITS PLEDGE

TO CONVEY TO THEM THE ILLUMINATING MESSAGES OF ISLAM IN

THE YEARS TO COME!]

Defense against Onslaughts!

80

Gausul Azam Hazrat Abdul Qader Zilani (RA) said ---

“When a man decides to walk through a forest infested

with ferocious wild animals, he thinks over how to save

himself from the possible attacks of ferocious animals

during his journey. Naturally he should be equipped with

weapons that will serve as a defense mechanism against

onslaughts by ferocious animals.”

Hazrat Gausul Azam (RA) further said --- “the reality of

the situation that prevails in this world in our day-to-day

life is similar to that prevailing in a forest infested with

harmful animals! In our journey along the path of life, we

move about freely being unaware of the fact that we are

constantly exposed to the possibility of onslaughts by

harmful elements! Every ‘Mumin’ (Muslim) should build

81

around him/her an appropriate defense-mechanism that

will protect him/her from the harms. ”

Who are these harmful elements? Satan is enemy

number one who inflicts harms to humans. Now Satan is

of two kinds: One, jinn Satans who work invisibly. Two,

human Satans! There are some human beings who by

their evil mentality and bad deeds have become

representatives of Satan in human society! They are

equally harmful; and in some cases, they are more

harmful than the jinn Satans!

Jinn Satans work through human ‘nafs’. ‘Nafs’ in

practical terms means ‘desires and cravings’ through

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which Satan by showing some temptations inspires us to

deviate from the right path and to do things that

displease our Creator. So we should always be cautious

about fulfilling our desires. We should not attempt to

take any action for fulfilling any of our desires unless and

until we are convinced that it will not displease our

Creator.

With regard to our safety from human Satan, we should

as far as possible keep ourselves and our activities aloof

from the vicinity of their company and their activities.

For full protection, we should always seek refuge

of ALLAH (SWT), through our ‘Dua’, from the

harms caused by both kinds of Satan. If we take

83

due precautions in the aforesaid ways and make

a habit of praying to ALMIGHTY seeking HIS

Help, we will in-sha-ALLAH be safe from the

harms of Satans.

May ALMIGHTY, by HIS endless Mercy, enable us

to remain safe from the harms of Satan and

hisbehave and live in a truly civilized way to

ensure our peace and happiness in our life here

and hereafter!

Ameen! Summa Ameen! Wa Salamun alal

Mursalin. Wal HAMDULILLAHI RABBIL ALAMEEN. Bi

RAHMATIKA Ya ARHAMAR RAHEMEEN!

ALLAH HAFEZ.

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