Chicago will not be hosting the 2016 Olympics.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/
Archive Page 2
29
Sep
09
Mr. Jinnah
“No nation can rise to glory unless your women are side by side with you.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah
I’m a deep admirer of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It’s a travesty that the world reveres Gandhi and ignores Jinnah. Jinnah was far more pragmatic, far more diplomatic, and a far better leader in general than Gandhi. But I digress.
I’ve been looking online at famous quotations said by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. There are some great ones, and I considered writing a post composed only of his quotes. But instead, I’ve chosen to pick one and analyze it.
This quote shows the modernity in Jinnah’s thinking. He recognized that women matter. And not just in the social roles of wife, mother, daughter, and sister, though I would never minimize the importance of those roles, but women matter politically too.
But how does this idea square with Islam? Some brothers might like to quote the Hadith about how the Prophet (S) cursed nations that were headed by women. I’m not going to question the authenticity of that tradition.
But I think Jinnah’s quote fits well into the Islamic framework. Many of the Sahabah were women. The Prophet (S) welcomed questions from women. He also took the oath of allegiance from them. Also, we cannot turn back the clock and we cannot relegate women to the backseat. It is hard to imagine a scenario in which Islam will triumph as a nation while a majority of Muslim women remain illiterate and oppressed.
It’s a well known rule of thumb in MSA’s (Muslim Student Associations) that one sister is worth two brothers. Don’t get me wrong – Islam does not condone sexism in either direction. But this rule comes from the observation that generally, in American colleges, the sisters are much more involved in MSA, in generating publicity, in raising money, and in working diligently than their male counterparts.
Finally, look closely at history and you will see that nations that achieved glory were nations that empowered women. You can look at the Muslim ummah, the French revolution, England’s Elizabethan age and many other examples of brave men supported by strong women.
Before I begin the real text of this post, I want to announce that this blog is approaching 25,000 hits. Alhamdulillah. And thank you to all my loyal readers who have visited my online home.
Accounts of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (Radiallahu anhu, May Allah be pleased with him) say that his tribe lived by pillaging caravans, but that he preferred to live a poor but honest life as a shepherd. Having heard the news that a new prophet had arisen in Mecca, Abu Dharr and his brother traveled to find him. The young seeker converted almost instantly and rushed out to declare his new faith in front of the Kaaba, which at that time was a pagan temple.
Abu Dharr called out at the top of his voice, “O people of Quraysh, I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
The Quraysh jumped up and said, ‘Get this one who has left his religion.” They pounced on him and began to beat him mercilessly. They clearly meant to kill him. But Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet, recognized him. He bent over and protected him. He told them:
“Woe to you! Would you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your caravans must pass through their territory?” Then they released him.
He returned to his tribe, where he made other converts for Islam, and then joined Prophet Muhammad (S) after the Hijra, or migration to Medina in 622 CE.
Several years later, during the caliphate of Uthman (R), Abu Dharr stayed in Damascus and saw the Muslims’ concern for the world and their consuming desire for luxury. The greed of the Ummah deeply concerned him. So Uthman (R) asked him to come to Madinah. At Madinah, Abu Dharr saw again the kind of selfishness that made him fear for the Ummah. Uthman therefore ordered that he should go to Rubdhah, a small village near Madinah. There he stayed far away from people, renouncing their preoccupation with wealth and holding on to the legacy of the Prophet and his companions in seeking the everlasting reward of the Hereafter in preference to this transitory world.
Once a man visited him and began looking at the contents of his house but found it quite bare. He asked Abu Dharr:
“Where are your possessions?”
“We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter),” said Abu Dharr, “to which we send the best of our possessions.”
The man understood what he meant and said:
“But you must have some possessions so long as you are in this abode.”
“The owner of this abode will not leave us in it,” replied Abu Dharr.
A popular Hadith (whose chain I cannot locate) says, “May Allah have mercy upon Abu Dharr! Lonely will he live, lonely will he die and lonely will he be resurrected.”
“O Abu Dharr! You showed anger in the name of Allah therefore have hope in Him for whom you became angry. The people were afraid of you in the matter of their (pleasure of this) world while you feared them for your faith. Then leave to them that for which they are afraid of you and get away from them taking away what you fear them about. How needy are they for what you dissuade them from and how heedless are you towards what they are denying you. You will shortly know who is the gainer tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement) and who is more enviable. Even if these skies and earth were closed to some individual and he feared Allah, then Allah would open them for him. Only rightfulness should attract you while wrongfulness should detract you. If you had accepted their worldly attractions they would have loved you and if you had shared in it they would have given you asylum” .. Ali bin Abi Talib (R) – Sermon 129 (Nahjul Balagha)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dharr_al-Ghifari
http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/abu_dharr_al_ghifari.htm
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16147
http://www.noorislam.net/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133:abu-dharr-al-ghaffarira&catid=19:companions&Itemid=27
We have fallen down again tonight,
In this world it’s hard to get it right.
Trying to make your heart fit like a glove,
What you need is love, love, love
[We all have times in our lives when we fall. It might be a bad grade, a disappointing evaluation at work, or a conflict in a relationship. In our sadness, we try to bring happiness back into our hearts. These are times when we depend most on the people we love.]
Chorus (x2):
Everybody, everybody wants to love,
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved.
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
[This is so simple and so true. Everybody wants to love and everybody wants to be loved. We spend so much time fixating on the things that make us different – factors like race, nationality, religion, language, and culture. While these things all have a value and a place, we should not let them lead us to forget that all of humanity is one family. We realize in our nuclear families that everybody needs love, but the same is true of the Adamic or human family. Next time you are in a group of people, stop and remind yourself that everyone around you wants love.]
Happy is the heart that still feels pain,
Darkness drains and light will come again.
Swing open up your chest and let it in,
Just let the love, love, love begin.
[The beginning of this stanza sounds like a contradiction, but it is actually a piece of deep wisdom. What she’s saying is that it is better to have a heart that is sick than to have a heart that is dead. When bad things happen and you just have numbness inside, that is when you should really worry because it might mean that you are dead inside. ]
[Chorus x2]
Everybody knows the love
Everybody holds the love,
Everybody folds for love.
Everybody feels the love,
Everybody steals the love,
Everybody heals with love.
[She’s saying that everyone recognizes love. Everyone receives love. Everyone gives things up for love. Everyone perceives love. Everyone is greedy for love. And everyone is restored by love.]
Oh oh oh
Just let the love, love, love begin
[Chorus]
Just let the love, love, love begin
[Chorus]
[Chorus x4]
24
Sep
09
Effective AIDS Vaccine?
In early trials, a combination of two vaccines, has proven over 30% effective in preventing AIDS. Expert Dr. Anthony Fauci hesitates to call it a “breakthrough.” But there is more hope on the AIDS vaccine front than ever before. Read this important article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/health/research/25aids.html
In a hadith the Holy Prophet (saw) is reported to have said1:
‘Love of Abu Bakr (ra) and gratitude to him are a duty on everyone
of my Ummah’
In a Hadith, Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (1), was witnessed saying, “Love of Abu Bakr, radiallahu ‘anhu (2), and gratitude toward him are duties on everyone of my Ummah. (3)”
Abu Bakr (R)’s real name was Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa. He was born in 573 and died in 634. He was three years younger than Prophet Muhammad (S).
The Holy Prophet, , told Abu Bakr, about his revelation at Mount Hira’, he told him that Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala, has chosen him as His Messenger. When Abu Bakr heard this from the Prophet , he did not stop to think, he at once became a Muslim. He submitted to Islâm with such determination that once the Holy Prophet himself remarked, “I called people to Islâm, everybody thought over it, at least for a while, but this was not the case with Abu Bakr, the moment I put Islâm before him, he accepted it without any hesitation.”
———–
When the Prophet (S) returned from his journey to Heaven, fellow Muslims even doubted what the Prophet was saying. Some people approached the Prophet’s friend, Abu Bakr (R) and said, “Look at what your companion is saying. He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night!” Abu Bakr replied, “If Muhammad said it happened, then it must have happened. I believed him when he first talked about Divine Revelation, why should I doubt him now?” This is how Abu Bakr earned the famous title of “As-Siddiq” (the Truthful).
Tabuk was the last expedition of the Holy Prophet. He was keen to make it a great success, he therefore asked people to help the expedition with whatever they could. This brought the best out of Abu Bakr who beat all records as he took all his money and household articles and heaped them at the Prophet’s feet.
“Have you left anything for your children?” asked the Prophet. Abu Bakr then responded with great faith “Allâh and his Messenger are enough for them”. Companions standing around, including Umar, radiallahu ‘anhu (2), were stunned they realized that whatever they do they could not outdo Abu Bakr in the field of service to Islâm.
————
Upon the death of the Prophet (S), there was much confusion and turmoil. Some refused to accept the fact of his death. Abu Bakr (R) famously said, “O people, verily whoever worshipped Muhammad, behold! Muhammad is indeed dead. But whoever worships God, behold! God is alive and will never die.”
—————
A conference of eminent Companions of the Prophet (S) selected Abu Bakr (R) to become the next leader of the Ummah. People started calling him Khalifatullah, the Representative of God. He chastised people for this and insisted they call him Khalifat-u-Rasulullah, the Representative of the Messenger of God.
The Ummah faced many challenges under Abu Bakr (R). One of the most pressing issues was the refusal of some Muslims to pay Zakat, the obligatory poor due, one of the five pillars of Islam. He led a war against these people and brought unity to the Muslims.
The Prophet said, “Abu Bakr does not precede you in anything in the way of prayer or fasting but in a secret rooted deep in his heart.” (Manaqib as-Sahaba of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal)
With regard to prayers, Abu Bakr said, “He who prays five times a day is in the protection of God, and he who is protected by God cannot be harmed by anyone.”
He reportedly said, “Run away from greatness and greatness will follow you.”
(1) This Arabic formula is used for Prophet Muhammad alone, and it means “May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him”
(2) This Arabic formula is used to honor the male Companions of Prophet Muhammad and it means, “May Allah be pleased with him.” A feminine version is used for the wives and female Companions.
(3) An Arabic word meaning “nation” or “community,” that is applied to the global population of Muslims throughout time.
Works Cited
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/seerah/0061.htm
http://www.alislam.org/topics/khilafat/Hadhrat-Abu-Bakr-20080304MN.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakr
http://muslimreverie.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/a-personal-reflection-on-shab-e-miraj/
http://www.islamicweb.com/history/bio_caliphs.htm
http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f20/noble-quotes-hazrat-abu-bakr-saddiq-6335/
16
Sep
09
What Breaks My Fast?
Things Obligatory to Refrain from During the Prescribed Fast
Those things from which it is obligatory to refrain during the fast (muftirat), from dawn to sunset, are:
1. EATING AND DRINKING DELIBERATELY
Both eating and drinking (shurb) deliberately invalidate the prescribed fast and necessitate making up for the fasts missed in the opinion of all the schools, although they differ as to whether atonement is also obligatory. The Hanafis and the Jafaris (Shia) require it, but not the Shafiis and the Hanbalis.
A person who eats and drinks by an oversight is neither liable to make up for missed fasts nor atonement, except in the opinion of the Malikis, who only require its being made up. Included in drinking is inhaling tobacco smoke.
2. SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
Sexual intercourse when deliberate, invalidates the prescribed fast and makes one liable to make up for missed fasts and atonement, in the opinion of all the schools. The atonement is the freeing of a slave, and if that is not possible, fasting for two consecutive months; if even that is not possible, feeding sixty poor persons. The Jafaris and the Malikis allow an option between any one of these. That is, a sane adult may choose between freeing a slave, fasting or feeding the poor. The Shafiis, Hanbalis and Hanafis impose atonement in the above-mentioned order. That is releasing a slave is specifically obligatory, and in the event of incapacity fasting, becomes obligatory. If that, too, is not possible, giving food to the poor becomes obligatory. The Jafari state that all the three atonements become obligatory together if the act breaking the fast (muftir) is itself forbidden, such as eating anything usurped (mahsub), drinking wine, or fornicating. As to sexual intercourse by oversight, it does not invalidate the prescribed fast in the opinion of the Hanafis, Shafiis and Jafaris, but does according to the Hanbalis and Malikis.
3. SEMINAL EMISSION
There is consensus that it invalidates the prescribed fast if caused deliberately. The Hanbalis say that if the thin genital discharge emitted while caressing (madhy) is discharged due to repeated sensual glances and the like, the prescribed fast will become invalid. The Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki (schools) say that seminal emission will necessitate making up for the prescribed fast without atonement. The Jafaris observe that it requires both making up for it and atonement.
4. VOMITING
It invalidates the fast if deliberate, and in the opinion of the Jafaris, Shafiis and Malikis, also necessitates making up for the fast. The Hanafis state that deliberate vomiting does not break the fast unless the quantity vomited fills the mouth. Two views have been narrated from Imam Ahmad Hanbal. The schools concur that involuntary vomiting does not invalidate the prescribed fast.
5. CUPPING
Cupping [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijama] breaks the fast only in the opinion of the Hanbalis, who observe that the cupper and the patient both break the fast.
6. INJECTION
Injection invalidates the prescribed fast and requires the fast to be made up in the opinion of all the schools. A group of Jafari jurisprudents observe that it also requires atonement if taken without an emergency. [Scholars at IslamOnline draw a distinction between nutritive and non-nutritive injections. They hold that nutritive injections (e.g. insulin) break the fast while non-nutritive injections (e.g. intramuscular injection of hepatitis A vaccine) do not break the fast. Interestingly, they classify intravenous injections as non-nutritive even though they can be used to rehydrate patients. See the opinion here: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543710]
7. INHALING A DENSE CLOUD OF SUSPENDED DUST
Inhaling a dense cloud of suspended dust invalidates the fast only in the opinion of the Jafaris. They say that if a dense suspended dust, such as flour or something of the kind, enters the body, the fast is rendered invalid, because it is something more substantial than an injection or tobacco smoke.
8. APPLICATION OF COLLYRIUM
Application of collyrium (kohl) invalidates the fast only in the opinion of the Malikis, provided it is applied during the day and its taste is felt in the throat.
9. THE INTENTION TO DISCONTINUE THE PRESCRIBED FAST
If a person intends to discontinue his or her fast and then refrains from doing so, his or her prescribed fast is considered invalid in the opinion of the Jafari and Hanbalis; not so in the opinion of the other schools.
10. SUBMERGING THE HEAD OR BODY UNDER WATER
Most Jafaris state that fully submerging the head, alone or together with other parts of the body, under water invalidates the prescribed fast and necessitates both making up for the fast and atonement. The other schools consider it inconsequential.
11. STATE OF IMPURITY FOLLOWING SEXUAL EMISSION
The Jafari oberve that a person who deliberately remains in the state of impurity following sexual emission after the dawn during the month of Ramadan, his or her fast will be invalid and it is obligatory for the fast (to) be made up as well as atoned for. The remaining schools state that the person’s fast remains valid and he or she is not liable (for) anything.
12. DELIBERATELY ASCRIBING SOMETHING FALSE TO GOD OR HIS MESSENGER
The Jafaris observe that a person who deliberately ascribes something falsely to God or the Messenger (i.e. if he or she speaks or writes that God or the Messenger sais so and so or ordered such and such a thing while he or she is aware that it is not true), his or her fast will be invalid and that person will be liable for making it up as well as for an atonement. A group of Jafari jurisprudents go further by requiring of such a fabricator the atonement of freeing a slave, fasting for two months, and feeding sixty poor persons.
Source: Bakhtiar, Laleh. Encyclopedia of Islamic Law: A Comperdium of the Major Schools. Chicago: ABC International Group, Inc. 1996. Print
15
Sep
09
Do You Love Blogging?
If you love blogging as much as I do, you’ll want FeedDemon. FeedDemon is a FREE reader that puts all your favorite blogs in one place. This way when a blogger you like (Asad123?) updates, you’ll immediately get the new post. And instead of having to go from WordPress, to Xanga, to Blogger, to MySpace, to wherever, you can streamline the process. You can download FeedDemon here: http://bit.ly/12aMXn.
12
Sep
09
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai committed election fraud. The evidence against Karzai keeps mounting. The head of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Committee, Abdul Hadee told The Times (London) on 8/21 that fewer than 50,000 people had voted in Helmand, but changed that figure two days later to 110,000. He also said that turnout in the district of Garmsir was 20,000, compared with zero as he had claimed on 8/21. In Nawa district his estimate had risen from zero to 3,000. Mr. Hadee also said that 18,000 people had voted in Musa Qala district. He had not given an earlier estimate, but a Western official monitoring the election said that turnout in the district was only 9,000.
Karzai’s main opponent in the election, Abdullah Abdullah persuasively claims that Karzai used his power as incumbent to pull off a state-engineered fraud. According to Australia’s ABC network, “The Election Complaints Commission (ECC) has said it found ‘clear and convincing evidence’ of fraud, and gave the IEC parameters within which to detect irregularities.”
Despite promising in the election to get U.S. out of Afghanistan, President Obama is considering a request by the military to increase troop numbers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is clearly indicating that Obama will have to fight his own party if he sends more U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan.
Why are we spending so much money, and more importantly, so much blood to prop up a political hack?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6807248.ece
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/12/2684203.htm?section=justin
09
Sep
09
The Persistence of Memory
The way lamb sticks in your teeth
The way pain lingers long after an injury
How a song can resurrect like Lazarus
A funny gesture like a stuck-out tongue
Brings back an unrequited love
A yellowed patch of newspaper
Recalls a friend who is far away
Handwritten ink on a birthday envelope
Is the legacy of a loving grandmother
Or a flower your mother pressed
Between the pages of a voluble text
Dali's "Persistence of Memory"
Hello, Assalam Alaikum, Hola,