Journey to Makkah

When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the intimate friend of Allah, was commanded all those years ago to proclaim the pilgrimage to Makkah, he did so in faith. Standing in what was little more than a barren, inhospitable desert, he called out for men and women to come on pilgrimage to the holy Ka`bah at Allah’s command. He was astonished at the response. From the north, south, east, and west, he heard voices calling out, "I respond to Your call, O Allah! I respond to Your call," and people began to come from all the corners of the earth in praise of Almighty Allah.

Thousands of years later, people are still coming from every corner of the globe to worship at Allah’s command. I have just returned from performing `Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage for the first time, and I share these thoughts with my Muslim brothers and sisters to encourage their faith and that Allah’s name be glorified even more.
But what can I say? How can I describe an experience so profound and so beautiful? Shall I say that it was the most blessed experience of my life? Shall I say that Almighty Allah touched my heart and gave me a feeling of peace I had not known before? Shall I describe the tears that flowed freely from my eyes, affirming my Muslim faith, as I walked around the holy Ka`bah with thousands of others, begging Allah’s blessings for myself and for those I love? Perhaps the best way is just to start at the beginning, and to allow Almighty Allah to use my poor words as He wants.

Preparing for any journey is, in many ways, almost as important as the journey itself. As I prepared for my journey to Makkah, my heart already began to stir at the enormity of what I was about to do. I had read all the books and consulted all the manuals so that my `Umrah, in sha’ Allah, would be accepted. I learned the prayers in Arabic that I would need to say at different parts of the pilgrimage.
Good Muslim brothers had told me not to worry too much about all this, because it would be my heart that would speak when I reached the holy Ka`bah. I know that Almighty Allah has placed within the heart of every Muslim a deep longing to visit Makkah, to return home to where we belong, to that first house built on Earth in worship of Allah.

Some say that it was Prophet Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) who first built the Ka`bah. Others suggest it was first built by angels beneath the throne of Allah in heaven. Others still attribute the first building of the Ka`bah to Prophet Idris (peace and blessings be upon him). Whatever its origins, we know that over time this first building fell into disrepair and ruin and that by the time of Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him), there was nothing left of it except a small mound of earth. Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim and his first-born son Ismail (peace be upon them both) to rebuild the Ka`bah.
I had written all these things before and had a good knowledge of the history of the Sacred House, but now it was real to me. This time I was leaving my home in Cairo, wearing the simple white garments of ihram. Upon leaving, I was showered with good wishes and prayers by family and friends who so happy for me as I prepared for the journey of a lifetime. Even during the drive to the airport and the arrival at the airport itself, many Muslims showed on their faces the delight they felt at seeing a brother setting off to perform `Umrah.

What a blessed religion is ours, that brothers and sisters we don’t even know should care for us so much! Throughout the journey, I was repeating in Arabic those sweet words which Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), first heard all those years ago as follows:
I respond to Your call, O Allah!I respond to Your call and I am obedient to Your Orders.You have no partner.I respond to Your call.All the praises and the blessings are for You.All the sovereignty is for You.And You have no partners with You.
As the plane took off, I said these words. As we flew across the Red Sea and landed in Jeddah, I continued to say them. As I said them, my heart filled with excitement as I traveled by car through the Makkan hills and approached the city. More tears came as I arrived in Makkah and saw the sanctuary for the first time from a distance.

But nothing can describe the feeling of entering the sacred mosque and seeing the holy Ka`bah. I was choking with tears, the mosque left me breathless and filled me with an immense joy. Not even the hardest of hearts could be left unmoved by the grace, simplicity, and majesty of the Ka`bah, which has been on this spot since the beginning of time itself. I kept telling myself that in this very place our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked and prayed, as well as countless millions of other good Muslims through the centuries.
And so I performed the rituals of `Umrah, my heart beating with joy and tears running down my cheeks. For something so profound, the rituals were really very simple. They basically involved walking around the Ka`bah seven times and then running or walking seven times between the hills of As-Safa and Al-Marwa, in imitation of that desperate search for water made by Hagar, which culminated in the spring of Zamzam gushing from the ground. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to say just one prayer as we encircle the Ka`bah as follows:
May Our Lord grant us blessings in this life,Blessings in the life to come,And save us from the torment of the hell-fire.

All of this seemed like a dream. While my lips were saying what I had learned to say, my mind was racing with thoughts and my heart was pouring out everything within it. I had come to the very center of the world in response to the call of Allah. What love He shows to us, and yet how ungrateful we are. What blessings He showers upon us each day, and yet how slow we are to respond to the call of the Adhan and to utter His praises.
We can gladly spend hours sitting in front of a television set or talking idly on a mobile phone, and yet we hardly find the time to spend a few minutes in prayer, even though our life in the hereafter depends on it. The experience of `Umrah is like a piercing sword. It cuts through all the rubbish we surround ourselves with and it shows us our lives in their real perspective — we come from Allah and it is to Allah that we will return. The experience of `Umrah is also like being soaked in love. Our heartfelt response is one of thanks.

As if all this were not enough, most pilgrims usually finish their pilgrimage to Makkah by spending a few days in Madinah, the city of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the first Muslim state ever. In Madinah, the mosque was at the center of the city and Allah was at the center of every Muslim’s life. I finished my own pilgrimage in the same way, walking the very paths trod by Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and falling in prostration on the ground in the same places where he prayed. I met Muslims from almost every nation on earth and was welcomed to the city by Muslims for whom Islam is everything.
If Makkah, then, is the place of powerful emotions that shake a person to the core, Madinah is truly the city of peace. The Prophet’s Mosque is a place of calm and quiet. With its salmon-colored walls, grey and cream Moorish arches, and its floors and pillars of white, polished marble, the mosque is breathtakingly beautiful. Although it is immense and holds thousands at a time for prayer, the Prophet’s Mosque is a place of peace. The gentle personality and the presence of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is everywhere. Madinah is such a privileged place to end one’s journey of a lifetime.

Now that I am home, the real challenge of living out my `Umrah begins. It is not difficult to pray for long periods of time and to focus all your thoughts on Islam when you are looking at the Ka`bah or are near the final resting place of Allah’s final messenger to mankind (peace and blessings be upon him). The routine of daily life, though, with all its distractions, is less easy.
I cherish the memories of those days in Saudi Arabia in my heart, and I say al-hamdu lillah. I pray that Almighty Allah will give me the strength to be a good Muslim. I pray that I will always be prompt and faithful to prayer. I pray that I will now learn and recite more of the Qur’an every day. And, after the experience of a lifetime, I pray that I will always give good examples to my Muslim brothers and sisters, and that I can show to non-Muslims how sweet and beautiful the message of Islam is. Ameen. Ameen. Ameen.

Idris Tawfiq is a British writer who became a Muslim five years ago. For many years, he was head of religious education in different schools in the United Kingdom. Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest. He now lives in Egypt.

By Idris Tawfiq
A Muslim Writer — UK

You can visit his website at http://www.idristawfiq.com/.

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The Dubai desert dream: it's not all fireworks and Kylie By John Arlidge

Thursday night's £15m launch party of Dubai's latest resort, The Atlantis, on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island in the Gulf, is enough to make recession-weary, sun-deprived Brits want to pack their bags and head for the United Arab Emirates. But despite the spectacular launch, complete with a million fireworks and a guest list that included Kylie Minogue, Dame Shirley Bassey, Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson, Denzel Washington and Lindsay Lohan, life for ordinary expats is not quite so glamourous. Indeed, the attitude towards the ex-pat population borders on derisory.

Eighty per cent of Dubai's population is made up of expatriates, including Europeans, Australians, South Africans and Americans, but the majority comprises labourers from Asia.
Brits living and working in Dubai number 100,000. Foreigners - rich or poor - are all classified as"guest workers" and, as such, enjoy few freedoms and little protection.
There is no parliament where they can make their voice heard, no political parties, no elections, no free trade unions, no minimum wage, no charter of human rights, no right to trial by jury, little consumer protection and no free press. Thursday night's £15m launch party of Dubai's latest resort, The Atlantis, on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island in the Gulf

"This is a feudal society," complains one local."Sheikh Mo," he says, referring to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, leader of Dubai's autocratic government, "is the lord of the manor and everyone else is a peasant of sorts." Dubai has got away with mixing the medieval and the modern by playing its trump card: cash. By paying westerners fat tax-free salaries, it knows that however much they might whinge in private, they will not rock the boat.
The problem for Sheikh Mohammed is, the bribe is no longer working. Dubai is getting very, very expensive and wages are failing to keep pace with inflation.

Its currency, the dirham, is pegged to the dollar. As the greenback has weakened, so has the dirham, making imports more expensive and forcing up prices. advertisement
Officially, inflation is around elevent per cent but locals say the real figure is double that. When it comes to rent and property prices, they say, the rate exceeds 30 per cent - if, that is, you can find anywhere to live at all. The price rises have sparked riots by construction workers, which have delayed major residential projects. Chuck in chronic traffic congestion, worsening pollution, limited cultural attractions, complaints about the poor build quality of the homes that have been built, and rising crime - notably the shocking rape of a young French boy by three two men, which, critics claims, local police tried to cover up - and many argue that Dubai has gone from being an adult playground to a congested, polluted, soul-less, risky place.
Leslie Davies, who left her IT job in Maidstone two years ago to join her boyfriend, Jason, a personal trainer, is fed up with the daily grind.

"When I first arrived Dubai felt so easy. Things worked. It was cheap. Now it's like: ‘Whoops, I swallowed your salary!' And, oh, check under your car in the morning, why don't you?" she adds, referring to the first heightened terror alerts in the UAE earlier in the year which sent a chill through Dubai's expat community. The white tribe of Arabia abandoned England for Blingland in search of sun and tax-free fun. Terrorism wasn't part of the deal. Nevertheless, to some, the reaction of the likes of Davies is laughable.

One local resident says:"Did she never stop and think that she's in the Middle East, not Happy Valley?" He has a point. Dubai has some decidedly iffy neighbours and has suffered terror attacks before - notably a petrol bomb attack on a western hotel. The money and men behind the 9/11 attacks in New York passed through Dubai. "When terrorists need a place to meet, they head to Dubai," US News and World Report noted recently. John Cassara, author of Hide and Seek, a book on the financing of terrorism, says: "All roads led to Dubai."

For those who have decided to make Dubai their home, they can at least enjoy a a remarkably tolerant attitude towards westerners from their Muslim leaders.
Christians can build their own churches and worship freely, alcohol is available, women can dress how they wish and do any job, foreigners can own freehold property, prostitution is tolerated and, while homosexuality is not, ‘Brokeback Mountain' is available to rent in Blockbuster.
As Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, boss of Emirates airline and uncle of Sheikh Mohammed, likes to say: "We are half-way between East and West."

But at the back of their minds, skilled foreigners have always had a nagging doubt that Dubai tolerates them as a necessary, temporary evil - it needs western expertise to fuel its growth - but, in fact, values them little more than the construction workers who build skyscrapers and earn as little as $10 a day. The sense of unease grew recently when one local official questioned the number of foreigners moving to Dubai, saying:"I'm afraid we are building towers but losing the Emirates."

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Russia: Muslims should copy from Jewish lobbying

Russia: Muslims should copy from Jewish lobbying
Instead of blaming Islamophobia for their problems and waiting for someone else to solve them, Russia's Muslims should do what Russia's Jews have done and create an institution to lobby the Russian government on their behalf, according to a leading Muslim commentator.

In an article posted on the Islam.ru portal, Abdalla Aminov notes that there are nearly 100 times as many Muslims in the Russian Federation as there are Jews and that "the overwhelming majority of Muslims belong to the indigenous population of our country".

But despite that, he continues, the Jewish community has a far greater impact on the Russian government because its members, unlike those of the Muslim community, do not simply blame others for their problems and wait for someone to solve them. Instead, Aminov writes, they organize and work for their co-religionists.

The latest example of their efforts, he continues, is the formation of a Jewish Social Chamber, which is charged with defending and advancing the interests of the 230,000 Jews in Russia. And 20 million plus Muslims, instead of ignoring what the Jews are doing, should copy them and create a Muslim Social Chamber to do the same thing for the Islamic community.

Such a body, Aminov argues, will help the Muslims of Russia to overcome their "passivity" and their current "unwillingness or inability to defend their legal and inalienable rights" by providing a venue for regular and intense communication between the Muslim community as a whole and the various components of the Russian state.

Among the tasks such a body could take up, he continues, are "the spread among ethnic Muslims and other strata of the population of the spiritual values of the umma, the awakening of interest in live in Islamic countries, and operational reporting on manifestations of Islamophobia in Russia."

Given that the Russian government has welcomed the creation of the Jewish Social Chamber, the Muslim commentator says that he is "certain that such an initiative would find support and understanding from the Russian authorities," who are increasingly aware that "the size of the Muslim population of our country will only grow in the future.

(more)

Source: Georgian Daily (English)
via Islam in Europe by Esther

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Withholding inheritance from a daughter so that her husband will not take it

Some people withhold inheritance from their daughters for fear that the daughter’s husbands will take the daughters’ share of the inheritance. Is this permissible?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has described the heirs and the share that each of them has in Soorat al-Nisa’. These heirs include daughters. Allaah enjoins giving each person who is entitled to something his right, and the first passage on inheritance ends with the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“These are the limits (set by) Allaah (or ordainments as regards laws of inheritance), and whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad) will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and that will be the great success.
14. And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment”
[al-Nisa’ 4:13-14]

Then He ended the last verse of the same soorah with the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“(Thus) does Allaah make clear to you (His Law) lest you go astray. And Allaah is the All-Knower of everything”
[al-Nisa’ 4:176]

Whoever deprives a daughter or anyone else of the right granted by Allaah, without her consent, has disobeyed Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and followed his own whims and desires, and is overwhelmed by tribalistic feelings and jaahiliyyah. His abode will be Hell, if he does not repent and give people their rights.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’,
16/493.

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His relative is in jail and he sits with his wife and children in order to look after them

I have a distant relative who is in jail, and I am taking care of his family’s needs such as teaching his children, buying what they need for the house and advising my relative’s family. I sit with them without a mahram, but I show them all respect in a spirit of Islamic brotherhood. She (the wife) covers her head and shows her face and hands. What has made me do that is the fact that her mahrams do not care about her or her situation. I want to know my position according to sharee’ah. Is what I am doing halaal or haraam? Please note that what I am doing is for the sake of Allaah and because I am aware of my duty towards my absent relative.

Praise be to Allaah.
What you are doing for the family of your absent relative is good and is to be appreciated, because taking care of the weak by meeting their needs is a righteous deed. But it is not permissible for you to be alone with the wife, because she is a stranger (non-mahram) to you, and it is not permissible for her to uncover her face in front of you, because you are not one of her mahrams.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth wa’l-Ifta’,

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Hajj without husband’s permission

There is a married woman whose husband promised to take her to Hajj, but he did not keep his promise. Her family came to her on their way to Makkah and took her with them without the husband’s knowledge or approval. Is her Hajj valid?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Before replying, I would like to point out that it is not permissible for a woman to go out without her husband’s permission, even if that is in the same city, so how can she go for Hajj without his permission? This is haraam and it is not permissible for her to do this. The husband who promised to take his wife for Hajj has to fulfil his promise and take her for Hajj, especially since this promise is stated as a condition in the marriage contract. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most deserving of conditions to be fulfilled are those by means of which intimate relations become permissible for you.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2729; Muslim, 1418.

If this promise was made after the marriage contract, the scholars differed as to whether it should be fulfilled. The correct view is that it must be fulfilled so long as that will not cause harm to the one who made the promise, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described breaking promises as one of the attributes of the hypocrites, as a warning against breaking promises.
See Daleel al-Akhta’ allati yaqa’ fiha al-Haaj wa’l-Mu’tamir.
Islam Q&A

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WHAT IS IMAN?

Hadrat [1] Imam-i Rabbani says in the 67th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:
Iman means to believe the teachings coming from our Prophet, which are written in the books of Ahl as-sunnat [2] savants, and to express one’s belief. Worships are not from iman. But they perfect and beautify iman. Imam-i a’zam Abu Hanifa ‘alaihirrahma’ said that iman does not increase or decrease. For, iman means the heart’s confirmation, admitting and believing.

There is not scarcity or abundance in iman. Belief which has its decrease and increase is not called iman, but it is called supposition and illusion. Iman’s being much or little means muchness or scarcity in worships. When a person worships much, he is said to have much perfection in his iman.
Then, the imans of all Believers are unlike the imans of prophets. For, prophets’ iman has reached the summit of perfection on account of worships. The iman of other Believers cannot reach there. But both have the common quality of being iman.

The former has become different through worships. It is as if there were no resemblance between them. All Believers and prophets share the property of being human. But other values, superiorities have made prophets reach high grades. Their humanity has become sort of different. In a way, they are higher human beings than the common humanity. Perhaps, they only are human beings. Others, as it were, are not human beings.

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Good beginning for humanity

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah receives a Christian religious leader at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday. (SPA) NEW YORK: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday urged world leaders to open a new era of peace, leaving behind the bloody past, and mobilize their resources to fight poverty, provide treatment to patients and boost development. The king made this comment while speaking to leaders of different faiths during a special General Assembly session on interfaith dialogue at the United Nations headquarters here. "I hope that this dialogue would be a good beginning for humanity ... The days and years that have passed will not come back ... We had enough of killings, enmity and rights violations," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying. "If countries in the world had turned to peace and kept away from wars and conflicts and spent their time and energy to fight poverty and engage in humanitarian work we would not have seen these diseases and poverty," the king said. He said all religions call for brotherhood and harmony and encourage doing good deeds for the elderly, the poor, the needy and the sick. "The world has now started thinking about the reasons behind bloodshed and enmity. Religions promote kindness. They have nothing to do with violence. "The humanity is in need of people like you to guide them and make them understand the facts," the king said and emphasized the need to preserve the family system intact. The participants representing various faiths commended King Abdullah's efforts to promote interfaith dialogue. "The dialogue Your Majesty started in Madrid as well as your presence in New York reaffirm your commitment to religious moderation," a Jewish leader said. Responding to a comment made by another participant on the election of a biracial African-American as president of the United States, King Abdullah said the election of Barack Obama proved that the people of America are democratic. "We hope the new president would do good for the whole humanity and I expect the same from all world leaders," the king added. One delegate announced the plan to establish an Islamic peace foundation in the US by the end of this year, adding that the foundation would work for translating the king's initiative into action. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised King Abdullah, calling the conference "a truly inspiring initiative for global harmony." An international effort was needed to confront the rising tide of communal strife and religious extremism, Ban said. "Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Societies are more polarized. Anti-Semitism remains a scourge. Islamophobia has emerged as a new term for an old and terrible form of prejudice," the UN chief said. Jordan's King Abdallah said it was impossible to talk about interfaith harmony without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "I can think of no more effective way to ease East-West and interfaith tensions than to end this divisive conflict," he said. A string of Arab leaders said Islam was falsely accused of backing terrorism. They said their religion calls for moderation and tolerance and eschews extremism, violence and bigotry. "As leaders and peoples, we must assume our historical responsibilities to examine our painful reality through a serious and sincere dialogue between people, religions and cultures," Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said. In her speech, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines rallied world leaders to pursue a "broader interfaith dialogue" to foster solidarity among civilizations, citing the gains of her country's policy. Arroyo, however, gave a stern warning to extremists saying: "We must not mistake tolerance and understanding of other faiths and belief systems as a blank check for abuse. We will never accept violence cloaked in religion by anyone at anytime." Introducing a draft resolution on "promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace," Arroyo said one of the resolution's most relevant points was the affirmation that mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue were important components of the culture of peace. The high-level Culture of Peace Conference, convened by General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, sought to promote a global dialogue about religions, cultures, and common values. Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Holy See, extended the good wishes of Pope Benedict XVI, who said the international community needed the gathering. "The United Nations must be a school for peace," said Tauran, adding that all member states were equal at the United Nations. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said turning to dialogue to settle existing conflicts, or defuse simmering ones, would not yield results unless trust had been woven into the process. "Ongoing oppression in the occupied Arab territories questioned the credibility of any dialogue," he added.

Arab News

Thank you, British Muslims – Timms

LONDON – Britain’s Labor MP Stephen Timms praised Muslims for bringing back faith into Britain.“When parts of our society are so deeply secular, so hostile to the acknowledgment of God, I want today to express appreciation and thanks to Muslims in Britain for insisting on faith,” said the Minister for Business and Labour MP for East Ham at the Global Peace and Unity Event organized by Islam Channel last week. “(I want to thank Muslims) for helping put faith back today at the centre of Britain’s national life and debate in a way that it wasn’t for a very long time.

“You are part of the reason for that change, and I warmly welcome it,” he added.He urged Muslims to take up politics. “We need more people taking up politics from the starting point of faith. Because faith is the source of decent values (like) honesty, commitment to family, generosity, support for peace,” Timms said. “(We need such) decent values which the Muslim community shows in abundance.”“Those are the very values which we need in our politics, and which this event can help us to promote,” he added.In an earlier BBC program, Stephen Timms visited two mosques, two churches, a Hindu temple and a Sikh Gurudwara and highlighted the positive contribution the faith groups were making towards cohesion.The GPU event 2008 was supported by major Islamic organizations including the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and British Muslim Forum (BMF). The event attracted more than 60,000 visitors last year with addresses from a number of prominent Islamic scholars.Awards were given to people in recognition of their outstanding contribution to society. Madeleine Bunting, a Guardian columnist and Associate Editor, was awarded the ‘Friends of Islam Media Award’ this year.

By Dr. Mozammel Haque
Saudi Gazette

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Ruling on praying in Sufi mosques

In the suburb where I live there is a Masjid that belongs to Sufis and another smaller Masjid belongs to them as well. Is it permissible to pray in it?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Do not pray with these Sufis in their zawiyahs, and beware of keeping company with them and mixing with them, lest you be affected by what has affected them. Try to pray in the mosque of a congregation who seek to follow the Sunnah and are keen to do so.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 3/18.

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Top Saudi Imam to visit Mauritius

Mauritius is to host the leading Imam of the Grand mosque in the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz as-Sudais an-Najdi is scheduled to visit in January 2009.
Saudi Arabia newly appointed Ambassador to Mauritius, Mohammed Al-Ali, announced on Monday at a press briefing. He is also accredited to South Africa.

He has presented his letter of credence to the President of the Republic Sir Anerood Jugnauth and has also met various ministers like the Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmed Rashid Beebeejaun. He has visited the Islamic Cultural Centre.Mohammed Al-Ali, worked on the modalities of Sheik Sudais visit with Information and Communication Technology Minister Mohammed Asraf Ali Dulull, who has taken the initiative and wrote to the Saudi Embassy since July asking for Sheik Sudais to visit Mauritius.In the presence of ICC Chairman Abdus Samad Nazeer, Minister Dulull assured Al-Ali that everything will be organized the best possible way by the unanimous and deeply felt wish of the Muslims of Mauritius, to have the unique and solemn opportunity of welcoming an illustrious son of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Sheikh Sudais is well known personality to Muslims in Mauritius; not only those who have performed Umrah or Hajj as we liked his Quran’ recitations. Such a visit will not only go a long way towards cementing further the meaningful and purposeful relationships between two brotherly countries, but will also galvanize our religious togetherness, unity and fervour. I will chair a committee and we will see to it that he will never forget his visit to Mauritius and Insha Allah he will come again,” Dulull told.Dulull also praised the Saudi Arabian government for their continued efforts to help the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and wished prosperity to the brothers and sisters of the Kingdom. Ambassador Al-Ali spoke of the possibility of Saudi TV 2 to be broadcast in Mauritius.

Yasine Mohabuth
Africa News reporter in Port Louis, Mauritius

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Muslim Minorities & Political Participation

Sheikh Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti
Profession: Director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas

Date :Tuesday,Nov 4 ,2008
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, the session has already started. You can submit your questions. Please, make your questions short and clear so as to help us answer all your questions.
Yours, Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.

Question
Is it a duty upon Muslims living in the West to participate in the political life and what if the whole system of the state is in contrary with some of the teachings of Islam?

Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. It is the duty upon Muslims living in the West and in any other place on earth to participate in the political life, and to contribute to the common good of their societies. If some of the aspects of the political system in the Western countries are in contrary with the teachings of Islam that is very normal. Even within the self-portrayed 'Islamic countries' there are many things that are in contradiction with the Islamic teachings. In both cases, committed Muslims need to be positive and to participate in the political life. If they cannot achieve all what they aspire to achieve, that is not a problem. We live in an imperfect world, and we need to be realistic, positive and optimistic. Almighty Allah wants us to do our best, no more no less.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Name
Hosam - United States
Profession

Question
Respected scholar, as we see the two USA candidates for presidency office tried their best in various ways to stay away from the Muslims' bloc and from any relation with Muslims. In light of this, how do you see this situation and the role of Muslims in this concern?

Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Politicians usually distance themselves from any people who might be a liability for their political ambitions, even if these people are the closest to them in race and faith. See, for example, how Barak Obama distanced himself from the man who was his spiritual and ideological guide for many years. When the two US candidates for the presidency office try to stay away from Muslims, this tells me about Muslims' political weakness more than about the candidates' character. Muslims in the US and everywhere need to understand the logic of politics. It is a power logic, not a charity logic after all, despite all the rhetoric of the candidates. The candidates will appreciate Muslim minorities only as much as Muslims build their own strengths, remedy their own weaknesses, and deepen their own presence and influence within their societies.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Name
Nafees -
Profession
Question
As-Salamu `Alaykum respected scholar. Some notable Muslim personalities like Imam Anwar Awalaki have clearly stated that voting in the US elections is haram, and that the argument that some scholars use about the 'lesser of the two evils' in fact leads to a greater evil - i.e. legitimizing a kufr system by participating in it. Is this rationale correct? and if not, how do you respond to it?

Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. I think this view is based on two false assumptions: the first one is that the current system in the West is a kufr (disbelief) system; the second is that this system needs Muslims' support to legitimize itself. On the first assumption, I would like to say that the liberal democratic system adopted in the West today is not a belief or a disbelief system; rather I call it an 'open space' system. This is a system based on liberty and justice for all, which implies the right for everyone to follow (or even create) his own moral and religious beliefs. On the second assumption, I would like to say that this system is not looking for a source of legitimacy outside itself. Therefore, it is better for Muslims to enter this open space and to present their moral and humane message, taking into account the many neighbors they have around them within that space, with all their different views and perceptions about the meaning of this life on earth.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Name
Murad - France
Profession
Student
Question
Salam, do you think after all what has been done to destroy Islam and Muslims' image in the West after 11 Sep, is it possible for Muslims to perform their political rights?

Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. The attempts to tarnish the image of Islam did not start with the 9-11 attacks, and will not stop in the future. In a world of conflict between the different worldviews and concepts about the meaning the human existence, you have to expect attacks from those who have different faiths, and attempts from them to discredit your faith. But you are doing the same things. There is no doubt that Islam is the final message from God and the only authentic message from Him that was not corrupted by human interventions. And it is a terrible loss for Western societies in general and American people in particular, that Islam was presented and represented to them the wrong way. However, Muslims need to focus on their own performance in this perpetual conflict of values and views, rather than deploring what others are doing against Islam.
Allah Almighty knows best.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, we are so sorry for not answering all your questions because the time is over. We apologize for any inconvenience. Do keep in touch. Join us in coming sessions. Yours, Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.

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SAMOTALIS: Obama makes history with win in US presidential vote John Whitesides Reuters

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Hamas skeptical about change in US policy Hisham Abu Taha | Arab News

GAZA CITY: Hamas leaders yesterday voiced skepticism over any change in America’s policy in the Middle East and an end to Washington’s hostility toward the Palestinian movement after yesterday’s US election.

Israel Radio quoted a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum, as describing the choice between the Republican John McCain and his Democratic rival Barack Obama as one between two “awful options.”
Earlier yesterday, news reports quoted Khaled Meshaal, the exiled Hamas leader, as saying he was ready to hold talks with any elected US president.
“Hamas is ready for dialogue with any incoming US president .... Democrat Obama or Republican McCain,” Meshaal said.

“We are ready to deal with any presidential candidate, but we will always stick to our rights. We acknowledge that the United States is powerful, but we are more powerful in our territory.”
On Saturday, Hamas’ deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said the next US president should reverse the country’s current policy toward the Palestinians by lifting the embargo on the Gaza Strip and cutting back support for Israel.
Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip more than a year ago after bloody fighting with its rival Fatah, is branded by Washington as a terrorist group.
Cairo talks

Rivalry between the two Palestinian groups has continued since then and Hamas yesterday threatened to boycott the reconciliation meetings in Cairo, if its members continue to be arrested in the West Bank. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority rules the West Bank.
Hamas has reservations on the Egyptian reconciliation plan aimed at healing rifts between the two groups.
Another Palestinian group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said yesterday that it would participate in the Cairo talks independently and not as part of a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) delegation.
Rabah Muhana, a senior PFLP leader, told reporters that there were difference on some points among the factions represented in the PLO

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Bigotry and Islamophobia under the disguise of "freedom of Speech"

By Sadia Ali AdenOctober 20, 2008

"The Media has become an effective tool for prolonging the psychological terrorization of the American people. American citizens must be vigilant in not allowing hate mongering interest groups, such as the producers of this DVD, to subvert such values as liberty, peace, and justice for all."

The heartrending reality of bigotry and Islamophobia in today's American environment is overwhelming. The Islamophobes use the media as a propaganda tool to poison the minds of the American people under the disguise of "freedom of speech." This was evident when Mr. Glen Sheller, editor of The Columbus Dispatch newspaper's editorial page, defended the Dispatch's distribution of the fear mongering DVD "Obsession," which was intended to instill fear in the hearts and minds of the unsuspecting American people. While we should relish and strive to benefit from our freedom of expression without fear or favor, we should also be mindful that the way we use our "freedom of speech" speaks volumes about us. The gate keepers of public forums should remain neutral moderators and not compromise their ability to objectively protect the principles of this American value. Once reason is overshadowed, and objectivity diluted with hate, positive public discourse becomes more elusive.

Writer Abukar Arman warns us in an article titled "DVD's makers used newspapers to spread hatred," published in The Columbus Dispatch: "Gone are the days when the perpetrators of hate would march with banners that explicitly express their negative views of other groups. Today, hate messages and propaganda often are camouflaged as talk-radio punditry, political speeches and infomercials." Attesting to his legitimate concern was the campaign, in September of this year (during the sacred month of Ramadan), to distribute 28 million copies of the Obsession DVD as a free insert into 70 newspapers in a number of key battle-ground states.

There is a fine line between the healthy use of freedom of speech, and employing such "freedom" to advance bigotry and Islamophobia. The Media has become an effective tool for prolonging the psychological terrorization of the American people. American citizens must be vigilant in not allowing hate mongering interest groups, such as the producers of this DVD, to subvert such values as liberty, peace, and justice for all. I am strongly opposed to newspaper editors, like Mr. Sheller, allowing themselves to be used to advance the agenda of hate mongering Islamophobes. As a mother who must carefully shelter her child from dangers lurking in the dark, I also feel the need to protect our cherished Constitutional principles, and the hard earned image of the better of the "two Americas."

I fully understand the pain and anxiety caused by these hate mongering, Islamophobic groups who try to cloak their agendas under the umbrella of "freedom of speech". They are far more detrimental to the health and welfare of America than meets the eye.
The promulgation of hatred and bigotry does not lead to positive public discourse. A case in point is the statement that I received from an American (Caucasian) woman who shared Mr. Sheller's interpretation of "freedom of speech." She said to me, "With that scarf on your head, you are a disgrace to every American women." Surprised and saddened, I responded, "This is ironic, because I am a proud American woman and I am far from being disgraced."

In such an atmosphere that fosters so much pain and fear, a more healthy journalism – one that is balanced and fair - must be exerted. I support freedom of speech, but not at the expense of truth and justice! I realize that to achieve such a task takes dedication, perseverance and true integrity. May Mr. Sheller, and others who share his views in defense of the "Obsession" DVD, learn this lesson before it's too late.

by courtesy Sadia Ali Aden

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Source: Maanhadal.com