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

Well what can I say? When people say that Hajj is the journey of a lifetime they’re certainly not exaggerating.  Subhanallah (Allah is Pure) it was an amazing experience and one which I will never forget insha-Allah (God willing).

What I aim to do is to give you my full report with pictures in 2 parts insha-Allah.  I will write a brief summary in this post and the full details with pictures (and possibly video!) in the next post.

So what was Hajj about  – for me?  Alhumdulillah (all Praise is for Allah) I would say that one of the best things about spending times in Mecca and Medina, the two most holiest places in Islam, was that it was intensely spiritual.  Any Muslim knows that our Amaal (good deeds) are more acceptable in the eyes of Allah and bring greater peace to our hearts when there is spirituality in them.  A classic example I can give from my own life is the difference in my Salaah – when I am at work it is rushed and pretty frenetic, however, when in the masjid, I can slow down and concentrate on each posture and on the words of the Qur’an that I am reciting and thereby get more out of my Salaah.

So it follows that the Salaah, Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and recitation of the Holy Qur’an done in the Haram Sharif in Mecca and Medina carries an even greater spiritual benefit not to mention the extra reward.  And it is this spirituality, so lacking in our day-to-day lives, which brings us closer to Allah our Creator.

A lot of the time, I was just content to sit in the Haram Sharif in Mecca and just look at the Ka’aba – the House of Allah built by Ibrahim and Ismail (PBUT), because even looking at the Ka’aba is classed as Ibaadah (worship) for a Muslim and one can earn great reward by just that simple act.  And as I sat there, looking at the House of Allah, it was clear to me how temporal this world really is and how all the things we have which we think make us what we are, are in fact a deception of this world.  Maybe a bit extreme you may think, but this thought was driven home more and more, especially when doing Tawaaf (circumambulation) of the Ka’aba – that act itself, walking around Allah’s House, praising and glorifying Him, asking for my needs in this life, asking for my needs for the life Hereafter (Akhirah) and begging His forgiveness, confirmed the fact that this world and all it contains is just like window dressing, whereas the reality was that my whole existence is as a bonsdman of Allah and that I should spend as much of it as possible in seeking Him and looking to gain His pleasure.

Of course, I would like to think that the whole journey of Hajj and things like doing Tawaaf are the purest forms of doing just that, but as we know Islam teaches the middle way, and that is why if a person led his or her life in accordance with the Sunnah (methodology) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) then he or she can seek and find Allah wherever they are.

And the people! Subhanallah I have never seen so many people in one place in my life – I was gobsmacked! As you will have seen from pictures and from the ones we put up later insha-Allah, at Hajj time the place gets absolutely packed to the rafters and then some!  I can remember walking to Arafaat from Mina and when I looked forward there was nothing but a sea of people as far as the eye can see and the same spectacle when I looked behind me.  Truly, you can sense Allah’s special mercies descending on those days and once again, the reality of life in this world as everybody is dressed in the same garb of two white sheets (Ihraam) signifying our equality in the eyes of Allah and also serving as a reminder that when we go from this world, we will be wrapped in nothing but two white sheets.

Throughout my journey I was blessed in that I had the companionship of some amazing people.  Not only did we have some scholarly celebrities in our group but also some hidden gems – I won’t mention names because not everyone is a brazen show-off like me but you know who you are and I have nothing but the most deepest Duas (prayers) for all your help throughout Hajj – may Allah accept it.

So that about wraps up Part 1.  Insha-Allah Part 2 is on its way very soon, just as soon as I get those pictures uploaded and some more details of my amazing journey.

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

To realise the Greatness of Allah we really don’t have to look far, time and time we hear the Scholars say to see Allah’s Greatness look at the sun, the sky, the trees, his animals and you will see Allah’s Greatness.  You see, Allah has created such a beautiful world for us human beings to live in. A world where the Earth provides food for us, not only from the soil but from the sea too. The millions of types of food and fish we have  – absolutely amazing!!

As we know on the Day of Judgment when Allah will question us on how we spent our health, wealth and time, we will also be asked how did you use the Nemahs (blessings)  that were provided for us…..?

You see global warming, climate change are not just a fancy words it is in fact very true. As Muslims, it is our duty that we use what Allah has provided for us in the way He intended us to as shown by the great Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) showed mercy not only to mankind but for all of Allah’s creations. Many times we hear from Scholars and talks that the trees praise Allah, the fish praise Allah, indeed everything in this world, the whole of Creation praises Him. But if we as Muslims don’t help protect Allah’s creation then have we really followed the Prophet (PBUH)’s teachings and shown mercy to Allah’s creation?

Simple things like re-using handbags, recycling – very very small things are helping protect Allah’s creation. But the question I ask is as we watch Allah’s beutiful creation get harmed, have we as Muslims have really done our bit to help -  have we shed a tear, or even prayed to Allah to help protect his creation….?

Our hearts get heavy when we hear of people dying and being harmed but should we not feel the same sorrow and sadness as we see the very environment around us including the animals, being destroyed by our very hands?

So let us pray to Allah that His creation is saved from harm and let us do our bit.  And although this post is one of millions done by bloggers all over the world about climate change on Blog Action Day 2009, let’s really take the message on board and do something positive for our planet and thanking Allah by doing something everyday to preserve it.

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah) I’ve got to be one of the luckiest people in the world – or at least in West Yorkshire!

You see, I say this because of the fact that Sheikh Yakub Qasmi has once again re-started his evening discourses reading and elucidating upon the seminal work by Hazrat Sheikh Moulana Mohammed Yusuf Khandlawi (RA), Hayatus Sahaba or Lives of the Sahaba at Zakaria Masjid.

Now for a Muslim, the lives of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are in themselves a deep ocean of knowledge, as these were the people who had lived with the Prophet (PBUH), and had been given the glad tidings of Paradise by him due to the fact that they practised what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told them to.

And through general consensus of opinion amongst the Scholars, it is a widely held and accepted opinion that whatever the Sahaba practised actually became tenets of Islam.  Therefore, to have access to authentic accounts of their lives is an invaluable source for any Muslim, as it is a direct glimpse of life at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and also immediately after his demise, into the glorious days of the Khulafaa-e-Raashideen - the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

So this book Hayatus Sahaba, which has been acclaimed all over the Islamic world since its publication provides us with that priceless knowledge.  A knowledge which tells Muslims today and those to come, how to live upon the earth in the fair, just and righteous manner of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH).

At the moment, I am currently being amazed yet again by the piety, the fear of God and the unrelenting sense of duty which was the trademark of the great Umar bin Khattab, (RA) – the second of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs.  Here was the man who, through the Grace of Allah, had inflicted consecutive crushing defeats upon the mighty Persian and Byzantine empires of the day and had filled Medina with the wealth of Chosroes, yet, when he was on his deathbed, one of the first matters he had set out to be concluded was his personal debt, which had built up due to his selfless spending on the poor and needy of Medina.

Here was the man about whom the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had once remarked that if Umar (RA) walked down any street, then the Devil himself would turn and run away, but on his deathbed he is saying to his son Abdullah out of pure fear of God, that he does not have the nerve to face Allah…..

I sat there listening to this, my mind blown to bits and thought that truly, these people were of a different mettle, truly these people were of a calibre and a standard of such a high level, that we cannot even begin to conceive thinking of.

And even during his life, during the conquests which ousted the Romans and Persians and which spread the Islamic empire, just look at the sense of fair play and justice of the Leader of the Believers, Umar (RA); When the Muslim army decided to quit Hems before the Battle of Yarmuk, the Muslims returned all the tribute to the citizens from whom it had been collected as they could no longer provide protection to the citizens there – needless to say the local populace was extremely impressed by this unheard act of fair play!

Never mind that, have we ever heard of a leader of modern times spend so much money out of his own pocket on the poor and needy that he actually goes into a little debt?  And whilst it is a well known fact that the Islamic state saw more riches during Umar (RA)’s reign than in any other, we must also remember that the same leader had barely enough money to clothe himself and indeed, one could see as many as 12 patches on the clothes he wore, even one of leather as he could not find enough cloth to cover all of them.

So this is what I have been enjoying and pondering over these last couple of nights.  As ever, I am thunderstruck by the way these supersonic personalities of Islam lived their lives – they were so humble, so sincere, they had so much fear of Allah in their lives – all qualities which I am dreadfully lacking…..

But what gives these discourses their sparkle is the accuracy of Hayatus Sahaba and the in-depth elucidation by the Sheikh who has brought the demise of Umar (RA) and its associated sadness ‘alive’ before my very eyes as it were.  I cannot stress enough how much we are missing if we do not attend these discourses, especially those fortunate enough to live nearby.

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Assalaamu-Alaykum – Peace be Upon you

Well I have something really special for you today people.

Alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah) we all get a spiritual boost when we hear somebody narrate the story of how they entered the fold of Islam.  The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you continually wonder how amazing Allah is when we hear these individuals tell us of their journey through life and how they found Allah.

So I present to you the story of this Australian brother who tells us how he found Islam.  It’s told with a refreshing sense of humour and I guarantee you will be chuckling all the way through!!  However, watch it through to the end and I also guarantee you that every single hair on your body will stand up in true recognition of Allah’s Greatness and His amazing power – may Allah give us all the Taufiq (ability) to recognise Him.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

Assalaamu-Alaykum – Peace be Upon you

Most role models these days tend to be the famous celebrities that we see on the screen or in print everyday.  They range from your  beautiful film stars, soap stars, right through to the latest fashion models, sports men and women and also increasingly, as money is taking over our lives more and more, business men and women.

By definition, these people are the sorts of people who we look up to and imitate.  Some we may imitate because of their skill in footbal, others because of their latest haircut, and some simpy because they have money, riches and a lifestyle which we want for ourselves – therefore, you could say that the models we follow today are those who have something to do with the material nature of this world and nothing spiritual, moral or ethical whatsoever.

And that is why we are content to read the front pages of the tabloids and crticise the celebrity who has been pictured, but yet we still hold them in some sort of awe just because of their ‘rank’ as celebrity. In short, you could even say that today we have become more and more driven by the material and aesthetic side of life and, therefore, we follow those who have achieved that.

But is that the definition of a role model?

Aren’t role models supposed to be those special people who have great human and personal qualities which have set them apart from the rest of us?  Aren’t they the people who have shown us true morals and have thus led the human race, showing us what is meant to be a true human being?

Let me introduce you to my role model…..the greatest man that will ever walk the face of the earth, Muhammad (Peace be Upon him).

Muhammad (PBUH)  showed us through his conduct, how to respect each and every person according to their worth and that how each and every creation is special and valuable in the eyes of Allah.

Muhammad (PBUH)  taught us the virtues of patience, piety, honesty, courage, bravery and humility.

Muhammad (PBUH)  invigorated out minds with the knowledge of Islam and recharged our dead spiritual batteries with the light of Faith.

Muhammad (PBUH)  told us to respect the poor and take good care of the orphans.

Muhammad (PBUH) gave women the highest rank ever given by a human being by declaring that if anybody wanted Heaven, then they would find it under the feet of their mothers.

Muhammad (PBUH)  taught us to respect our elders, have mercy on our youngsters, and he ground the importance of keeping peace between people deep in our hearts.

And not only did Muhammad (PBUH) teach us how to live amongst each other, but he also taught us how to live with ourselves.

He told us that purity is half of Faith and taught us all that we needed to know to uphold that teaching.  We follow him in everything; from the way we dress, to the way we eat, right through to the way we sleep – he has given us everything we need to know in order to live comfortably in this life pleasing Allah and in such a way as to prepare for the life to come.

So that, my dear readers, is MY idea of a role model – one who gives us the complete way to live our lives – a way which is pleasing to Allah and a way which fulfils the rights of each and every living thing around us.  Not one of shock, of outrage and of indecency which the ‘celebrities’ of are muddying our lives with today.  I think it would not be out of place for me to even say that these people are only held in high esteem because of their wealth and that if they did not have that, then they would have no other endearing qualities about them that would make them fit to be role models.

And that is why you will find that it is not for any old reason that Western and non-Muslim writers have themselves written after studying the life of the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH), that the way of life he showed humanity is the most perfect and complete way of live for a human being.

Out of the many examples I could give you, let’s just take one of his teachings.  1400 or so years ago, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us regarding the etiquettes of eating, that when we eat, we should divide our stomach into thirds and have one third for food, one third for water and one third for air.

Now, 1400 years later science can now prove the health benefit if a person eats according to that structure!

So whether it be physical, mental or spiritual, by studying the lifestyle of Muhammad (PBUH) and following it, the human being can attain perfect equilibrium with the surroundings Allah has given us in this life without for a moment forgetting the life to come in the Akhirah (Hereafter) and making the necessary preparations for it.

And Allah knows best.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace

So once again the Daily Mail and Daily Express have done their bit trying stir up a bit of controversy about the operation of Shariah Councils in Britain.

This time, they have the added backing of a report published by the Civitas think-tank and written by Denis MacEoin.  It all sounds highly official and, one would assume, something which would have been properly researched and referenced by the author, because the bombshell in the report is that there are as many as 85 Shariah Courts in Britain, doling out Islamic-style justice through condemning fatwas (especially towards women).

And as I continued reading the article, the more ridiculous it became.  With incorrect facts about Islam and unfounded allegations that the Shariah Councils are in someway, undermining English law, I knew I had to write something to counter this hysterical claptrap from the tabloids.

But alhumdulillah (all Praise belongs to Allah), somebody with much better skills and talents than yours truly has already been on the case.  Inayat Bunglawala’s article in the Guardian is more than adequate as it not only exposes the falsity of the article written by Mr MacEoin but also how unsuitable Mr MacEoin is for tackling this subject – who gave him the authority anyway?

Hidayah Blog’s article about the so-called Shariah Law takeover, is also something I would guide my readers towards as it was written in the aftermath of the comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury last year.

Please guys, I would urge all of you to read these articles and make an informed decision, and not become swayed by the untruthful, scaremongering arguments made by those (in the media and outside of it) who wish to be a means of placing unfound enmity  between our hearts.

Ma’as-salaam – With Peace