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 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

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

Assalaamu-Alaykum – Peace be Upon you

Contentment.  Happiness.  Success.

It seems that the three words I have mentioned above are interchangeable in what they describe and in what they define.

You could say that if one is successful, then that success will lead to happiness which in turn will lead to contentment in life.  However, if that is the case, then does that mean that only those people in life who are successful are actually happy and therefore, content?  Hmm, maybe we should not let success be the sole criterion for contentment in one’s life…..

The reason for that is because contentment is linked to the heart which is spiritual whereas these days, everyone’s definition of success is most definitely physical and material.  And a person is only truly happy when they are happy on the inside.  That is why the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH) said that ‘contentment is not the material wealth, but it is the self-contentment of the heart.’

So why is it that today, when we have wealth, technology, family, friends and every possible, conceivable thing at our disposal, we are still not happy inside?  Why are we still not content in our hearts?  Is it because we are not looking hard enough?  Or is it because we are not looking for it in the right places….?

Maybe that’s more accurate, maybe the things we think will provide us with happiness and contentment are not actually the right things at all…..

A Muslim is always encouraged to look at what Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) say in every aspect of his or her life.  Allah has said in the Qur’an, ‘Verily in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest.’ This tells us that for a Muslim, through recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance of Allah through Zikr, praying salaat and general obedience to Allah, the heart, and therefore, the person will find happiness and he or she will be content in life, no matter what lies in store.

Unfortunately, although we purport to know and believe in this, the Muslims of today are looking for their happiness in things like music, and other non-Islamic activities.  And when they do not find it there, they get worried and start jumping from one thing to the next, unable to concentrate and focus the mind on any particular thing, in the hope that if they keep their mind occupied and do not allow their heart to rest, it will somehow achieve the state of contentment.

What the Believer must realise is that contentment in the heart can only be attained when one accepts the full facts of this life and the Hereafter.  Furthermore, after acceptance of that, we must on a daily basis do the things which enable us to remember the Hereafter and please Allah, and so this is where our acts of worship come into play.

By reminding our hearts and therefore, ourselves by way of these acts of worship, our hearts will in time, become attuned to core Islamic principles such as Jannah (Heaven), Jahannum (Hell), the Akhirah (the Hereafter/life after death), Qiyaamah (the Day of Judgment), etc – in short, our hearts will grow accustomed to and fully believe in the transient nature of this life and the definite eventuality of the permanence of the life to come, which in turn will lead to us inculcating such fundamental Islamic values such as Taqwa (Piety), Khauf-e-Khuda (fear of Allah) which insha-Allah (God-Willing) will lead to a more contented heart…phew!

I hope you followed that!

And if you didn’t then I’ll put it another way – when we wholeheartedly give ourselves to the Master and Creator of all that exists, Allah the Greatest, when we make a permanent place for Him in our hearts, then He will permanently make sure that no matter what life has in store for us, our hearts will always weather the storm and we will be content and happy with what He has given us.

Then no more will we go in search of the ‘next best thing’ to find our peace of mind because we will always have the best prescription – the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and most importantly a direct connection, better than the fastest broadband connection known to man, with our Lord, our Creator, Allah.

Furthermore, once a Believer starts experiencing these seismic changes in the heart, then we will naturally be more inclined to seek it from Allah instead of turning to the base, material pleasures of this world – pleasures which are limited in every respect.  We will then start to believe and yearn for the pleasures promised by Allah in Jannah which no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and which no heart has even contemplated.

And better still, we will yearn for the greatest pleasure that a human can ever experience, a pleasure which surpasses all others but will itself be never surpassed – the closeness, the proximity, the sight of our Lord Most High – Allah.

Yes these things may seem far away and unattainable, but as we humans have proved throughout the course of our history, what was impossible today, will be a reality tomorrow.  Therefore, today, surrounded in this world, living this life, these realities may seem an age away, but in actual fact, it takes only the blink of an eye and before we know it, we will be in that other world experiencing all those things first hand, and wishing that we had more time in the previous world so that we could have made better preparations.

And so I write this post, for the pleasure of Allah, and I dedicate this to all my family, the family of mankind, for all those souls who are not content, who keep on asking themselves the difficult questions…..for all those who are kept awake night after night by some problem or another in their life, something which is clear or that niggling ‘itch’ in their hearts which they cannot quite diagnose.  Allah is here, for all of us, and day and night He is calling out to us b y means of His signs, and so we must realise this and run – run to Allah and find that contentment.

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Assalaamu-Alaykum – Peace be Upon you

Continuing now with the second part of my Hajj 2009 recap and also the long-awaited photos that have now been uploaded.

Day 1

So off we went after Fajr Salaah on the first day of Hajj.  Before Fajr, we got up early and made the necessary arrangements to get into the state of Ihraam.  This is done by first performing ghusl (washing the body), praying 2 rakaat nafl salaah (2 cycles of optional prayer) followed by making intention to enter the state of Ihraam to perform the Hajj and supplicating to Allah to accept the Hajj.

After Fajr we walked from Mecca to Mina.  This was the first of our long walks and it was absolutely amazing!  The nearer we got to Mina the bigger and bigger the crowd got until my vision consisted of nothing but people in front of me and people behind me – I felt like I was a little bubble floating in a sea of people!  And the best thing was that everybody was in Ihraam, everybody was wearing the same two pieces of cloth, all walking towards the same destination, all walking with the same purpose – to seek the pleasure of Allah.

The journey from Mecca to Mina took us a good 2 and a half hours going at a nice steady pace.  When  we got to Mina I saw for the first time the spectacle of the white shamiana tents of Mina which was absolutely amazing!  To get an idea of how huge the place is just think about how many tents are needed to accomodate 2-3 million of the world’s Muslims and you’ll get the picture.

As most of you will be aware, it rained heavily on the first day of Hajj and we were lucky enough to have found our tent before the downpour started – alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah)!  Once we were settled, we spent the rest of the day there and preparing for the next day’s journey to Arafaat.

Day 2

And so to Arafaat on this, the ‘day of Hajj’.  We left just after sunrise and began our trek to the plains of Arafaat.  And what a walk – what a sight – what a spectacle!!

Never in my whole life have I experienced something so gratifying, exhilarating, tiring and fundamental as that walk to Arafaat and the stay there.  There was no hesitation, no doubt, no questions as to what to do or where to go – it was as if some part of me which had been sleeping had been awakened and was now guiding the rest of the body as to what to do and how to feel.  Maybe I’m going a bit over the top, but there is something to be said about marching in a crowd of millions, who are all wearing the same as you are, who are all chanting Allah’s Great name, and who are all going to the same place to ask for His Forgiveness.

It was human, it was primal, it was spiritual and it felt natural.  Let’s just hope that Allah accepted the effort from all the Hajjis and that our Duas (supplications) to Him during the walk and on the plains of Arafaat have been accepted by Him.  It is said that on the Day of Arafaat, one should earn the Maarifah (recognition) of Allah Most High.  Truly, only Allah knows who really sought Him on that day and who His true servants are.

After 3 hours we reached Arafaat and promptly got lost in a place that even dwarfed Mina – subhanallah!!  After finding our tent (which took longer than usual!!) we regrouped, refreshed and thereafter spent the rest of the day until Maghrib salaah in Dua, Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and Ibaadah (worship).  May Allah accept each and every one of the prayers of all the Hajjis and forgive the sins of the whole Ummah – Ameen.

After Maghrib, we began the walk back to Muzdalifah.  Once again, we took spirit and energy from the various people we encountered in the crowd.  Take for instance the group from Afghanistan we saw – the average age must have been somewhere in the 70’s but masha-Allah (whatever Allah Wills), they were all walking it with gusto – unbelievable!

We arrived in Muzdalifah at around 10:30 pm and prayed Maghrib and Isha together as is the Sunnah.  Once again, the spectacle of Muzdalifah at night has to be seen to be believed  – absolutely amazing!!  This time there were no tents, so everybody is camped out in the open air; some on the roads, others near their coaches but wherever you look, there was somebody sleeping, praying, resting, picking up stones for the stoning of the Jamaraat (the pillars which are pelted with stones) or making Dua.  Yours truly was pretty wacked by then, so it was lights our for me as soon as I stretched my sleeping bag out on the road we were sleeping on!

Day 3

The next day, after Fajr prayer, we set off for Mina, which was quite close from where we stayed the night in Muzdalifah.  The main thing to do on this day was to pelt the big Jamaraat after the time of Zawaal (around noon).  We used the stones we had collected from Muzdalifah from the night before and alhumdulillah, due to the system that the Saudi government has put in place, it was very easy and absolutely no hassle at all.  After that it was back to Mecca, where I had my head shaved after receving confirmation that the Qurbaani (sacrifice) had been performed on my behalf.

This was followed by a bit of rest in preparation of my Tawaaf-e-Ziyaarah (circumambulation of the Ka’aba).  We decided to delay this as the Haram Sharif in Mecca was jam packed full of people doing their Tawaaf-e-Ziyaarah and Sa’ee (running between Mounts Safaa and Marwa).  In the end, we did it on the top floor and alhumdulillah it only took us an hour followed by an hour for Sa’ee.

Day 4

Back in Mina on the fourth day and the only thing to do for the day was to pelt all 3 Jamaraat, once again using the stones picked up in Muzdalifah.  There are 3 pillars and you have to use 7 stones for each pillar.  Each time you throw a stone, you must ensure that it falls within the pit that the pillars stand in and recite ‘Bismillahi Allahuakbar‘ (In the Name of Allah, Allah is Great) before each throw.

I was told by one of the scholars in our group that with each stone that is thrown, Allah forgives one major sin that would have been the cause of one’s downfall in the Akhirah (Hereafter) – subhanallah!  After that, it was back to Mina for the night and get ready for the final day.

Day 5

The last day of Hajj is the same as the previous day, but after pelting the Jamaraat we headed off back to Mecca to perform the Tawaaf-e-Widaa.  Once again, we were the guests of Allah not only at the Haram Sharif, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafaat but on the roads and tunnels linking all these places and always part of the crowd, reminding is that we as an Ummah are one, and we as an Ummah should be united.

Alhumdulillah as you can hopefully make out, it truly was a most fantastic physical and spiritual journey.  But on a serious note, however, I must ask all of you to make Dua that Allah accepts all the sacrifices that each and evey Hajji gave, no matter how small and that He forgives us for any wrongdoings that we may have committed whilst at His House.

May Allah accept our Hajj.  Enjoy the pictures:

 http://picasaweb.google.com/z.ayyub/Hajj2009#

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

So the BNP appeared recently on Question Time on the BBC – and as well as his outlandish and disgusting theories and views of which we are more aware of than he thinks, the whole country is also now in uproar debating whether or not Nick Griffin should have been allowed on in the first place.

But enough of that…..

Enough of the hate-mongering BNP and let’s ask ourselves, what does Islam say about racism and the race question in general?  Does Islam say that Muslims of a certain race are better than others?  Are the Arab Muslims better than the Asian Muslims?  And what about non-Muslim people – just because they are not Muslims does that make them automatically inferior – should they even (Allah forbid) be killed as a result of their disbelief?

I’m sure I’ve talked about this before, but never mind, there’s never anything wrong with going over our past homework to make sure the lesson is positively drilled in!!

In  his definitive Farewell Speech on the Day of Arafat on his Farewell Hajj, the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH) emphatically stated that no Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no non-Arab is superior to an Arab; no white is superior to a black and no black is superior to a white – and that the best amongst us are those who are the most righteous, the most pious.

Indeed, Allah Himself has stated in His Book, the Holy Qur’an:

O mankind!  We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.  Verily, the most honorouble of you with Allah is that Believer who has Taqwa (piety).  Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Quran [49:13]

Just by looking at the aforemntioned Hadith and verse from the Quran it is plain to see that the way of life of Islam has broken down all barriers of colour, race and creed and instead has placed the mantle of superiority on he/she who is the most righteous in conduct.

Obviously Islam teaches that it is the only, true way of life, however, it does not under any circumstances force itself upon anyone – indeed, the Quranic verse states that there is ‘no compulsion in religion’.   As I mentioned before, it is not merely a religion, but a way of life and therefore, whoever accepts Islam does so out his/her own free will.  And that is why the people who do accept Islam, the Muslims, are taught to respect the people of other faiths as well.

The man whom Allah describes as the Mercy to the Worlds, Muhammad (PBUH), himself propagated the teaching that people, irrespective of colour, race or creed, should all be respected, not just the Muslims.  His teachings go so far as to say that even during times of extremeties, like when war is being waged, if the Muslims come across any place of worship belonging to people of other faiths, then they should not be destroyed and the worshippers therein should be left unharmed.

This to me, is just one of the vast plethora of reasons why I regard Islam as not just a teaching for a particular time and for a particular people, but for the rest of time and for all humanity – it is so simple, so clear cut, and overflowing with common sense!

It teaches people to worship One God, to fulfil our rights towards Him but not for a second forgetting that we have rights towards other people and that we should do everything in our power to fulfil those too.

So please, Question Time is over, the BNP have had their day in the sun.  Therefore, let’s not ask those hate-mongering, inciteful so-and-so’s what they think and divide humanity, but ask the right questions to the right people and unite humanity.

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

After last weekend’s Hajj gathering at Dewsbury Markaz, alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah) there is another one this weekend in Batley.

It features many of our area’s prominent Ulema (young and old!) and promises to add that little bit more for people like me (!) in the way of PowerPoint presentations, practical demonstrations on how to put on the Ihraam (un-stitched clothing worn by the Hajji/Pilgrim during the days of Hajj), the procedure at Jeddah airport and even basic Arabic.

So try and make it down if you are journeying off to the Holy Lands this year or even if your not, and certainly pass the message on to those whom you know are going.

Here are the full details:

Event: Hajj Seminar

Venue: The Hall opposite Mount Pleasant Masjid, Batley

Speakers: Molvi Ilyas Dalal, Molvi Abdul Khabir Nawaz, Molvi Sulaiman Makda, Molvi Hasib Mayet

Time & Date: Sunday 25 October 2009 from 10 am till 2 pm

Details: Separate seating for men and women and light refreshments will be provided.

May Allah give us all the ability to benefit from this and may He accept the Hajj of all the Hajjis this year.  Aameen.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace