Well it would seem that this post has been a long time coming.

Not just due to the fact that it has been almost a year since my last post but also because so much has been written about this topic in the last couple of weeks, that I simply cannot ignore it any longer.

The Bailey Report came out recently which said that our children are being exposed to highly sexualised imagery across a range of media and commercial outlets and calls for there to be stricter controls from the government.  And whilst David Cameron has said that the ’state should not intervene’ by not backing it up with legislation, he has backed the thrust of the report and other proposals including selling ‘lad’s’ magazines in brown paper and music videos to be given age-ratings similar to the classification system in the cinemas.

And not just that.  Only a couple of days ago, Mike Stock who was the co-author of a string of pop music hits for Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan in the 80’s has hit out against the “relentless torrent of sex-driven imagery” that young people are exposed to in music videos and on TV.

Now the importance of what Mr Stock has said must be realised.  You have to remember he was making pop hits in the 80’s with huge success so when he says that pop music in this country will gradually become ‘pornography’ then it is something to worry about as he was the man making pop in his heyday.

And if you look at these pop videos that he is referring to you will see what I mean.  It is quite unbelievable the sort of outfits that ‘artists’ like Aguilera and Rihanna are wearing, not to mention their raunchy, illicit style of dancing.  Furthermore, if you listen to the lyrics of ‘artists’ such as Nicole Scherzinger then I hope you will be gobsmacked by the downright suggestiveness and blatant sexual references contained within!!

Now take a step back and remember that this sort of material is being shown on ‘wholesome’ family shows such as X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent and that there will be millions of children listening to these dirty words and millions of children watching these pornographic dance moves.

So what does that mean?

It means that right now, our children are watching, listening and thinking about sexually explicit material and thinking that it’s quite alright and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it as they watched it with mummy and daddy in the living room on a Saturday night and mummy and daddy did not so much as even bat an eye-lid!  And what makes the situation even more dire is that now, with the advent of the internet, there is no such thing as a ‘watershed’ as material can be accessed by You Tube, iPlayer or anywhere else on the internet at any time!!

Yes at this point I can sense the liberalists come in and say we live in a modern era and we should be more ‘open minded’. But what, I ask you is so open minded about young girls watching their favourite pop stars strut about the stage with next to nothing on, dancing in a manner more at home in a strip club?

So what can we do?  Do we come down heavy and curb our artists’ ‘freedom of expression’ or do we sit back and do nothing and watch the children of today grow up with no understanding of the boundaries childhood and adulthood, between innocence and responsibility, between right and between wrong?

Well I say there is something to be said for an issue which has the concern of the Prime Minister and which is also an issue which is at the heart of Islam – and that is the issue of modesty.  As a British Muslim, I applaud the Prime Minister for speaking out and for backing the main principles of this report.  It resonates with me as a Muslim and as a young man living in Britain as the rapid decline of modesty, courtesy and general manners in our society is constantly on my mind.

But Muslims in general should also take this issue up and work hand in hand with all the faith and political groups and personalities on this to see what we can do about reducing the amount of illicit content available to children on TV, radio and the internet.  We have to take the middle ground here and campaign and persuade the powers that be that these sorts of videos, lyrics and acts must be toned down and the element of modesty inserted so that it becomes suitable for children.

And furthermore, the media and commercial world should stop selling and advocating our children to grow up faster than they should and let them be children and enjoy their childhood in innocence because there will come a time for them to be adults and to do adult things responsibly and behave in an adult way but, as I keep telling my 13 year old niece, that time is not now!

We should not be afraid to discuss in an enlightened way with those disagreeing that to put these sorts of choices and ideas into the minds of children at an age before puberty and the age of majority would not only corrupt the child but it goes against the very nature of being a child, the very nature of being human.

In short, more and more, our children are being subjected to highly sexualised and illicit material without any checks and balances in the media and the commercial world and without making the most fundamental point that these sorts of things are morally wrong, not to mention against everything which the 3 major faiths of this world stand for.  And to combat this, Muslims, Christians, Jews and anyone else who has some sort of moral barometer should stand united (the Prime Minister can join in too!) and stop this outrageous behaviour and wrest our children and our teenagers from the stranglehold of these depraved ‘artists’ and morally bankrupt companies who are out to make millions at the cost of the degradation of morality of our children.

Insha-Allah (God willing) through lots of Dua (prayer) and the right effort and political will, we will make a difference and insha-Allah our children will turn out right.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Well just a quick one to say Eid Mubarak to everyone.

Alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah) it seems that everyone (bar a few exceptions!) is doing Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday 10 September 2010.

May Allah accept our worship in Ramadhan and may He give us all the Taufiq (ability) to continue with all the good deeds and refrain from the bad for the rest of the year.

So\Eid Mubarak guys, please remember me and the whole Ummah (community of mankind) in your prayers and enjoy your Eid!

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

So you’ve probably heard that the poison that is the English Defence League (EDL) held a ’static’ protest in Bradford yesterday.

And yes, it could have been a very volatile affair.  What with the sole intention of the EDL to provoke the Asian (and especially Muslim) community, it could have turned into a very nasty day taking into account Bradford’s history.

But no, alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah), on this day it was the people of Bradford who took a united stand against those fascist, evil, racist members who call themselves the EDL.  They showed them that we, unlike them, have the basic humanity to tolerate those who are different to us.  They showed them that we, unlike them, are grateful for what we have in this country.  They showed them that we, unlike them, are proud of the communities that we live in and are proud of the position we have made for ourselves in this country and above all they showed them that we, unlike them, can think for ourselves and that we don’t buy into the first piece of biased, controversial or factually inaccurate information that is shown to us.

So I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Bradford, the members of the 13 different Police forces who helped keep the peace and to the Right Honourable Theresa May MP for banning the original planned protest by the EDL.

And now the EDL know that we will not hate for no reason like they do.  And that we do not hold prejudices for no reason like they do.  And simply, that we are not the evil, hateful, disgraceful people that each and every one of those EDL members that attended are.

It really is a shame, when people can be indoctrinated so well and unfounded hate and bias be so strong, that it actually causes a person to lose his or her humanity.  Because that is what these evil racists have lost – their humanity.

Not only is what they believe in against the principles of Islam, but it also goes against the principles of Judaism, Christianity but also against the brotherhood of mankind – it goes against humanity.

And to the uneducated nenaderthals who attended, all I have to say is this – GET A LIFE!!!

If these people put half as much energy into their lives as they did into their unfounded hate of Islam (because that’s what it is, don’t be fooled by their claim of only hating ‘militant Islam’), then they would have the lifestyle that they accuse the ‘immigrants’ of taking.  And if they put half as much of that energy into working hard and education, then they would find a path to the enlightenment they would need to understand the basic principles of what it means to be human – understanding, tolerance, freedom and justice.

So once again, big up to the people of Bradford, may Allah reward you all for your patience and understanding.  And especially as this happened during the blessed month of Ramadhan, when bellies are empty, mouths thirsty and tempers already running high, I applaud you all and say that the sacrifice that you all made yesterday in not retaliating will most definitely be rewarded by Allah – whether you are Muslim or not – because sometimes the hardest sacrifice is in holding back when you are not in the wrong.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

So as we grow older (and possibly wiser!), it is only natural that we go forth and move on with our lives.

Sometimes the move is towards things that are bigger, better and brighter and sometimes the change is a little more modest but something of an improvement from what was there previously.

I should say that I write this post at a time when the people whom I know and love are ‘movin’ on up’ as it were and I also write with a nod to my situation as well.  What I would start with is the question, isn’t it easy to forget what we left behind?

Not only with something physical like changing your place of employment or place of residence, but even when something amazing happens which changes the emotional landscape of our mind and takes you to a higher mental state of wellbeing, it is sometimes too easy to forget what we left behind – too easy to forget where we came from and what we were feeling before.

And therein lies the danger…..

It is when we forget what we came through and the difficult and humble times we experienced before, that we do a great disservice to ourselves and forget the Bounty that Allah the Most Magnificent has granted us in the here and now.  Because indeed, the progression and successes that we go through in our lives are all due to the limitless Mercy of Allah.

And surprisingly enough, an increased wage, a better job, marriage and relocation to better climes – all of which would put smiles on our faces – are actually another test from Allah to see where we turn and how we react.

Do we become proud and say that our step up is due to our amazing ability, hard work and effort?  Or do we look inward and humbly thank Allah, the Creator of all that exists, for what He has bestowed upon us?

Do we change our outlook, perspective and attitude to life and act in a haughty manner befitting our making it into the ‘big time’?  Or do we remember who we are, where we came from and do what we can to help those who are less fortunate or even those of of our peers who want to achieve the same things we have?

Whatever we do, and however we may react, one thing is for sure, and that is that Allah is constantly watching us, with His Gaze fixed on the thoughts that cross our hearts and the actions we do both openly and secretly…..

You see, it is all to easy for us to cry out in times of despair and ask Allah for help or even (and may Allah protect us from doing such a thing) cry out and ask, ‘why me?’

But it is when we’re flying high, when we are on top of the world, when everything is going our way, the way we planned it, the way we dreamed it, that we have to take a step back, take a moment and remember, that it is only through the Mercy of my Lord that I am here, and through His Will that things stand as they are and I am so happy and content.

Yes, it may be a difficult thing to do, but do we must!  That is the true test of a Mu’min (Believer) and that is the thing which pleases Allah.

So yeah, my Du’as (prayers) are with you all and may Allah give you all that is best in this world and the Akhirah (Hereafter), but through it all we’ve gotta remember who we are, where we came from and what we’ve been through to get there.  Never must we forget the times that we tried so hard and failed.  Never must we forget the pain we endured.  Never must we forget the tears that stung our faces – we must never forget, so that now, when things are better alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah), we thank Allah profusely so that we show Him that we humbly submit and acknowledge His favour and bounty upon us.

I dedicate this post to all my family and friends, to acquaintances I have left behind (but not forgotten!) and new ones that I have made along the way.  And of course, to all of my readers.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Well well well.  After an eventful week showing the actions of the Israeli state upon the flotilla of aid to Gaza, what can I say that has not already been said?

So I thought, instead of pointing out the facts again, and re-iterate to the world that the the actions of the Israeli government were reprehensible, immoral, disgraceful and unlawful, I will try to write about the human qualities that people who commit these sorts of atrocities are devoid of.

You see human beings are amazing.  We are amazing because Allah has given us the ability to be compassionate, merciful, tolerant and forgiving.  These fundamental abilities help us get on with others around us, understanding our differences, respecting points of view and therefore, in general, lead a harmonious life on this Earth.

Now I try not to get too political on this blog (!!) but correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t there a devastating humanitarian situation right now in Gaza?  And correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that humanitarian nightmare the creation of the Israeli government by imposing a blockade which breaches UN Resolution after Resolution?

So all those human qualities I mentioned earlier, it would seem that Israel do not seem to possess those human qualities – I wonder what that makes them….?

And before I am criticised for being anti-semitic, I would also say the same for those madmen who killed the 94 people in the mosque in Lahore, and also the brainwashed hooligans of the English Defence League who are currently on a summer-long campaign across England, spouting their venom and are undeniably inciting racial and religious hatred.

We have to show these people that this sort of behaviour will no longer be tolerated.  I mean, violence is bad enough, but when it comes down to the slaying of innocent peace activists or civilians who have committed no crime except being there, we as an international community have to draw the line and make clear our condemnation and make clear our disgust at such actions.

And what is more, if such actions are in breach of the rule of law, then steps must be taken that those guilty of breaking it are brought to justice, no matter who they are and what political connections they may have.

And to give an amazing example of what we can achieve when we work together for the greater good of humanity, all you have to do is take a look at the ‘Hope not Hate’ campaign that was ran in East London before this year’s elections to counter the evil of the BNP.

People from different backgrounds and different faiths all worked hand in hand, tirelessly until the last second to make sure that the BNP did not gain a foothold.  And they were duly rewarded with the BNP being trounced  and losing all their seats in the Council and the message loud and clear to the BNP to get out and stay out!!!

This is what we can do when we work together as to force of good to counter evil.

So yes, this is what I wanted to say in this post – that we are humans, not some sort of sub-species and because of our humanity we Hope, not Hate.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Well I actually started this post when the Icelandic volcano first erupted in April, but as usual, me being sidetracked into doing other things together with my built-in laziness meant that this post would have been posted long after the volcanic ash cloud was out of the news headlines and people had long forgotten about it.

But no! Just the other day, 17 May 2010, some of the airports in the north-west of Ireland and, Scotland and northern England were again closed due to aircraft being unable to fly in the drifting volcanic ash cloud.

So apart from the apparent billions which the aviation industry has lost and the momentous travel disruption the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull (!!!) has caused to millions of travellers across the world, what else has this event brought us?

Well one could argue that it has once again brought us into thinking along the lines of how limited this human being really is.  It has shown us how little power and control we really have over what is going on around us, and how very little we can do  to regain control in our lives when we are faced with a natural event outside of our control which throws everything up in the air (literally!).

You see, as we have progressed technologically and increased our knowledge of the world around us and pretty much everything we do in our daily lives, we as human beings have become more confident, and maybe even a little arrogant in our own superiority.

We expect the train to be on time, we expect the service in the restaurant to be first class, we expect the broadband to be super-fast  - in short, we expect everything to run like clockwork all the time and have become so engrossed in the world that we have created, we seem to be forgetting how much of a blessing from Allah each and everything is and therefore, we take everything for granted.

So when something like a ‘little ash cloud’ closes down the airspace of Great Britain, something which even the terrorists could not do, we voice complacency and wonder why these million pound planes with no less that Rolls-Royce jet engines, cannot fly through a little volcanic ash…..

For me, its another stark reminder from Allah of a beautiful verse in the Qur’an, found in Surah Rehman, which means ‘The Merciful’.

Anyone who has read Surah Rehman will agree at once that it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of the already beautiful Qur’an.  In it, Allah recounts His favours towards mankind and after each of His reminders comes the unforgettable verse meaning: ‘Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny?’

And in Surah Rehman Allah states:

O assembly of jinns and men! If you have power to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah)!

Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny?

Qur’an [55:33]

As you can see, this verse although revealed over 1400 years ago still has relevance today, and is still up-to-date, just as the rest of the Qur’an.  We are reminded by Allah that everything we do and everything we purport to control is actually a blessing from Allah, and in reality it is not we who are doing, but it is Allah, and in reality it is really not we who are in control, but it is actually Allah.

And the verse is very explicit in its reference to travelling in the heavens.  Even here, Allah is reminding us that we do so because He allows us to, and we can only do as much as he allows us to – not one inch further.   So Rolls-Royce engines or not, it may be that we possess the power, but in grounding those planes, Allah is saying to us that we do not on this occasion have the authority.

Therefore, we may view our position as thus; Allah has given us free reign to live the lives that we live, doing the things that we do, seemingly to be in control, however, in truth, Allah, the Supreme Creator, Sustainer and Provider of all that exists, is actually as it were, ‘pulling the strings’ but in such a way as to make us think that we are actually in control.

It is only when we actually believe in this as a reality, then one starts going down the path of true servitude as a bondsman of Allah.  It is only then  that we start appreciating how truly Great our Creator is because we have now the knowledge that Allah is infinitely powerful and that He could make whatever He wanted to happen in the Universe, but that He has given us this existence, this reality, this opportunity to realise and recognise Him in the deception of the material and technological world around us……

So going back to my original intention for writing this post, I would say it was to illustrate that this control and superiority that we have achieved, has not been due to our greatness but due to the Mercy of Ar-Rahman – The Merciful.  Therefore the assumption that we are in total control is actually a wrong assumption.  And sometimes, when we get a bit arrogant, or when we start making ridiculous claims about our so-called greatness, Allah send just one little ash cloud so that we ask ourselves the question: If we think of ourselves as great and in control, then why is it that we were beaten by just one volcano?

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah)  for those good fellows at the Lancashire Council of Mosques who have been meeting with KFC in trying to sort out once and for all the question of whether the KFC chicken is really halal.

You may or may not have been aware, but there does seem to be a real interest in this from the Muslim community – probably because some of us can’t wait to sink our teeth into that chicken!!!

Well, without any further ado, here is the decision published by the LCM in their latest press release.  As you can see, although the LCM have made some recommendations, they have made a definite decision in the interim.

Please click on the link below.

LCM (1).pdf – Decision

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Assalaamu-Alaykum – Peace be Upon you

So what’s with all this new Halal KFC business?

Is it really Halal – no really, is it?  Cos I really wanna know if I can finally sink my teeth into one of them tasty Zinger Burger Meals and sample the Colonel’s ’secret recipe’ myself!!

Well although its a very promising thing that major burger chains such as KFC are now recognising the demand from Muslim consumers in our area, we still have to make sure that their ‘version’ of Halal is the same as our ‘version’.

Ok, I’m not professing to be some sort of expert on this but I merely intend to pass on the small number of facts that I have gleaned through the virtual bread crumb-storm that has come to pass as a result of KFC making this decision to go Halal!

Now the Halal chicken put out by KFC is certified by a London based body called HFA.  According to their website, they are a ‘not for profit’ organisation launched in 1994 and that they ‘introduced a unique system of identifying halal meat from non-halal, by putting marking or tagging for authenticity of halal on the carcasses, soon after slaughter at the slaughterhouses’.

In their guidance as set out on their website, HFA state that they allow electric water bath stunning of the chickens as the low amperage is not sufficient to kill them but does calm them down, which then gives time for a Muslim slaughterman to slaughter the stunned chicken to halal standards.

Now as far as I’m aware, there is still division between the Scholars and indeed the minds and hearts of the public as to whether this method of slaughter is halal is not.

So the decision to eat chicken from these halal KFC outlets is one you have to make.  A decision which must be backed up by your Taqwa (piety) and reconciled by your own conscious.

Fortunately, there are some people trying to shed some more light on this issue.  The Lancashire Council of Mosques has published in its interim guidance, the scope of the problem and also what efforts they are making on behalf of the Muslim community of Britain in order to clarify this issue once and for all and thereby making the decision to eat halal for us, based on what is truly halal.  Insha-Allah (with the Will of Allah) they will soon reach a decision and advise us in the best possible light.

In the meantime, if you have any further clarification on this issue, then please, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email us at hidayahblog@googlemail.com so that we may be a means of informing the Ummah.

To read the full text of the Lancashire Council of Mosques statement, click on the link below.

Statement to Mosques re KFC 26 02 2010

And Allah knows best – may He guide us all.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Whether you are a Muslim or a non-Muslim, I’m sure everybody’s either heard or read this before; that Islam is a religion which oppresses women.

Or you may have heard or read that Islam doesn’t give women equal rights, etc, etc…..and the list goes on.

One thing in common with all these statements is that they are all untrue!  It is clearly evident from whoever publishes or believes these sorts of comments to be true, that they have obviously not done their research and found out the real position of women in Islam.

Let me tell you how highly Islam regards women, let me tell you what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us:

He taught us that that the thing every Muslim strives to attain as the purpose of his or her existence; the pleasure of Allah and a place in Jannah (Paradise), can be attained by being obedient, faithful and respectful to our mothers. Indeed, the Prophet of Islam stated that ‘Jannah lies under the feet of your mother.’

This means that every Muslim, throughout his or her life, is expected to be highly respectful and to honour one’s mother in every single way.  Now have a look at society today, and how it teaches us to ‘talk back’ to our mothers and fathers as a sign of so-called ‘independence’, and look at how Islam exalts the status of being a mother – look at how Islam raises the profile of women!

What about our sisters and daughters- what have they done not to deserve any respect??

Well when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started expounding upon the principles of Islam, he gave daughters and sisters the rights they never had before Islam came to the fore.  Regarding the issue of inheritance, women in general have an Islamic right to one third of their father’s estate.  And furthermore, the other two thirds which may be distributed between their brothers or husbands, bring an obligation upon the husband or brother to provide for their sister/wife out of their portion.  So in reality, the wife/sister/daughter/mother is not only getting her own share of the estate, but also, through the obligations upon the men, a share in their portion as well.

Now how can anyone say that Islam does not provide for women or that Islam ‘oppresses’ women??  Why would Islam give women any share at all if they weren’t expected to spend it in their own way and according to their own whims and fancies?? Just another one of the MANY ways in which Islam has actually exalted the status of womankind through independence and freedom of choice.

Still not convinced?

What about the wives you say – what about their independence?

Well first of all, I would have to say, that all depends upon your definition of independence…..

If you are of the opinion that a woman, who is the Queen of her house, is not independent if she has to stay at home and cook for her husband, but that she is independent if she toils at some cafe serving tea to strangers, then sorry, but I think you need to have a bit of a re-think as to what you define as independence.

Allah has promised any woman who fulfils the rights of her husband and safeguards his honour and property a place in Paradise.  Now of course this works both ways, and Islam also clearly stipulates that the wife also has rights which the husband must fulfil.

But just going back to the part about safeguarding honour and property – how many women these days yearn to have supervision of their own little piece of the pie?  Every woman I think!! Every woman wants to be in control of the house, car, children, etc, etc.  And Islam gives it to them – Islam states that they are the Queens of the Households and must safeguard not only their own honour, but the honour of their husbands, family and property.  So if that is not independence as a by-product of the responsibility conferred upon women Islamically, then I don’t know what is!!!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m, not saying that women should not go out and work full stop.  On the contrary, in this age of high bills and broken families, the woman is sometimes forced to take on work to support herself and her dependents.  However, when that is not the case and the woman does not have income to worry about, then she should fulfil the obligations set by Allah, i.e. to her husband and family, and then go out and work, if needed, and according to the principles of Shariah.

So there you have it, just a small snapshot of the vast mural that is women’s rights as given to them by the way of life of Islam.  And I’m sure that any fair minded person will see, that if the media and other biased parties did their research objectively, then there is no way on this earth that they could ever say that Islam degrades or suppresses women – because that would be an outright lie and the media wouldn’t want to print lies now……………would they…..?

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Here’s another video regarding Palestine.  This one’s about the second Viva Palestina convoy that went to Gaza to deliver much needed humanitarian aid and supplies to the suffering Palestinian people who are suffering as a result of the illegal blockade imposed by Israel.

The incident in the video takes place on the border with Egypt and those are Egyptian police in no less than full riot gear.

May Allah reward all those who took out some of their valuable time and delivered this much needed aid and ease the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza:

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace