Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Women For Sale

Women For Sale
By Hwaa Irfan
Writer, counselor, editor - Egypt
Despite the fact that Islam has challenged Judeo - Christian beliefs that pit women as second - class citizens, both inside the home and within the society-at-large, prostitution has withstood the test of time. It continues to bear witness to man's inability to raise his sense of will to higher levels whereby he can consider himself master, rather than slave, to urges that oppose any sense of reason.

"And let those who do not find the means to marry, keep chaste until Allah makes them free from want out of His Grace. And (as for) those who ask for a writing from among those whom your right hands possess, give them the writing if you know any good in them, and give them of the wealth of Allah which He has given you; and do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail good of this world's life; and whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allah is Forgiving, Merciful," (Surat al Nur 24:33).
(Photo) A woman who claims she was raped by three members of the Iraqi police force talks to members of the press in Baghdad. (Photo :AP/Asaad Mouhsin)
Regardless of the advances in women's rights, women in Western and Westernized societies are still subjected to and forced to see themselves as commodities to be bought and sold. Magazines, television, and popular forms of music and fashion feed subconscious images of what the "ideal woman" should be.

Former teacher, Jeanne Sillaam, places the burden of the problem at the feet of dysfunctional families, where the mothers rarely enjoy comparable status to that of the fathers. It is only when we explore the growing frustrations and malevolent behavior of the young, that we get an insight into the effects of certain modern life styles.
French social worker, Saadi Sahali, outlined the negative perception of women when she referred to the phenomenon of gang rape. "On the estates girls are often regarded as things you possess...The boys' behavior is governed by an ethos of virility and violence. For them, gang rapes are a game. They live in a permanent state of transgression without realizing it," she said (Chambon, p.30). These boys, who obviously are not masters of their own wills, have been allowed free-reign and represent the shadowy side of the modern Western male. "Often a boy is allowed to get away with anything..."(Chambon, p.30).
(Photo) Nazanin Fatehiis a rape-victim who has been sentenced to death by hanging by the savage Islamic authorities occupying Iran. 18 year old Nazanin Fatehi, a former rape victim, and her 16 year old niece were attacked by three rapists in a suburb of Tehran in March 2005. During the attack Nazanin defended herself and her niece by stabbing the rapists with a knife she had began carrying with her ever since her first rape-attack. One of the rapists later died of his wounds. Now Nazanin is sentenced to hanging unless international pressure leads to the terrorist Islamic Republic canceling their inhumane sentence.
According to psychology professor Marie-Claude Fourment, of Villetaneuse University (France), emotional dissatisfaction and deprivation are at the heart of gang rape. Professor Fourment analyzed the results of a study done by teachers in Parisian suburbs involving 200 pupils. "What struck me was the absence of feelings and affectionate relationships," she said. This understanding is reinforced by psycho - sociologist Joelle Bordet, concurred saying, "Gang rapes are symptomatic of the dominant positions of boys on the estates, and at the same time they reflect their feeling of impotence vis-à-vis the rest of society" (Chambon p.30). Without a strong sense of identity and direction, this sense of "impotence" is bound to spread, if it hasn't already, in even greater forms.
Renowned psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung said, "Our denominational religions with their archaic rites and conceptions - justified enough in themselves - express a view of the world which caused no great difficulties in the Middle Ages but has become strange and unintelligible to the man of today. Despite this conflict with the modern scientific outlook, a deep instinct bids him hang on to ideas which, if taken literally, leave out of account all the mental developments of the last 500 years" (Jung p.72).
(Photo) Mukhtar Mai, the woman who, in June 2002, was ordered by a Muslim village court to be gang-raped for a crime that was not of her own doing. The reasons for the fatwa came from the fact that her 12-year old brother had been seen walking with a girl near their home, in the remote village of Meerwala Jatoi in Punjab province, Pakistan. Her brother was walking with a girl from the influential Mastoi tribe, and thus had broken local custom and had offended the girl's "honour".
To achieve the suitable redemption of the other girl's "honour", the court ordered that Mukhtar Mai should be gang-raped. Four volunteers enacted this "punishment" and once the ordeal was over, she was then displayed naked to onlookers, who numbered in their hundreds.
Unknown to much of the world, an estimated 200,000 - 300,000 women, per year, are shipped from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to Western Europe and North America. Their destinations are the brothels and nightclubs that operate in those countries. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), these women are often taken and sold against their will, initially lured by the prospect of a decent job (Purvis & Stojaspal, p.18). Upon arrival, their travel documents and identification papers are confiscated. Stripped of self-worth what do their futures hold?
Once confined to a few Southeast Asian countries, falling borders and the growing gap between the rich and the poor have aggravated this practice and left a trail of destroyed families, corruption and profiteering by organized crime groups, in their wake. Time Magazine investigators exposed the underworld of abuse and cruelty where "sold women" are forced to sleep in cellars, on s or tables and survive on fast foods (Purvis & Stojaspal, p.19). In an attempt to address the problem of these women, ABC Nepal runs shelters and a training center for girls rescued from prostitution or abuse. There are 5,000 Nepalese girls, aged 10 - 20, being smuggled out of the country and forced into prostitution every year.
Durga Ghmine of ABC Nepal said: "When they are brought back, many of them are depressed and sick. Some of them have AIDS...Often their families don't want them back and no one will marry them... We try to build new lives with dignity and self-respect, and we give them another way to be self-sufficient" (Constable p.33).

Seventy-six year old Helen Taylor-Thompson pioneered the Starfish Initiative, launched at the House of Lords in London last month. It was a response to a 1994 report from the human rights group Jubilee Action, which showed that one million children worldwide are lured and forced into prostitution every year and that as many as ten million are currently thought to be trapped in the world of forced sex.
Taylor-Thompson sees prostitution as a form of slavery and wants to see it come to an end via electronic education. The aim of the Starfish project is to deliver three million containers to Malawi, Nagpur and Assam in India. Each container will include a secured computer with six monitors. In place of a mouse, there will be a starfish. Each point of the starfish gives a different option. There are no written commands on the screen, just voice commands through a video conducted in the local language (Southam, p.24).


The "container schools" will be run by community leaders, through which, the girls will learn about water, childcare, nutrition and disease control as well as literacy skills.

We have been given many revelations and many chances to "clean-up our act." Islam is the final religion and therefore, our last real chance. Its high level of responsibilities encourages humanity to raise itself above unhealthy emotions and underdeveloped instincts. Once we succeed in that challenge, then and only then, will humanity be strong enough to implement equity for all.
Islam gave us dignity than when Prophet Mohammad (SAW) said, "None would respect women except the magnanimous ones, and none would insult them except the ignoble ones" (Amini p. 123).

"And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and make for us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper. Those who believe fight in the way of the Satan: surely the strategy of the Satan is weak (Surat al Nisa' 4:74-76).

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Sources:
Amini, Hujjatul-Islam. "Principles of Marriage Family Ethics" Tehran: Islami Propogation Organization, 1988.
Chambon, Frederic. Le Monde: "Vicious Battle of the Sexes Rages In The Suburbs" Guardian Weekly 3 May - 9 May '01 164:20.
Constable, Pamela. "Nepali Girls Offered A Way Station To Dignity." Guardian Weekly 3 May -9 May '01 164:19.
Jung, Carl G. "The Undiscovered Self." London. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1996.
Purvis, Andrew & Stojaspal, Jan. "Women For Sale: Human Slavery" 157:7.
Southam, Hazel "Starfish That Connects the Slums." Guardian Weekly 10 May - 16 May 2001, 164:20.

{ Views expressed by writer and are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com
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An Unwanted Marriage

An Unwanted Marriage
By Emdad Rahman
Writer, Journalist - UK
As violence against women continues, forced marriages continue to rob women of their dreams and aspirations. In a Labour Party conference, UK home secretary John Reid promised to look into this heinous crime despite a ruling in June 2006 that the practice should not be outlawed. A tradition that has thrived for centuries, a forced marriage is generally defined as a marriage between two parties, at least one of which is coerced into the marriage against his or her will. In many cases, emotional and physical pressure is used to break the victim's resistance. To set the record straight, it should be clarified that there is a huge difference between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage. In the latter, the parties concerned reserve the right to refuse the marriage at any time.
I decided to speak to "Rabia" (a pseudonym), a 20-year-old recent victim of a forced marriage after coming across the story of Marie Antoinette and her forced married to Louis XVI. Rabia spoke of her disillusionment and her willingness to "end it all" after being forced to travel to Pakistan and marry against her will.
"I wanted to finish university, but my dad refused and took me back to my hometown to get married to an illiterate village idiot. My mum was silent, as she feared making things worse for both of us. I now hate her more than my father because if she had any humanity, she would have put her child's welfare first!"

"I absolutely detest my family. I have friends who wear hijab and they have had lovely arranged marriages, whilst in the twenty-first century, with the world at my feet, I end up marrying a goatherd."

"This hypocrisy is common in our so-called respectable families," she muttered under her breath. "The concept of a wonderful westernized life is a complete sham, as I have just proven. I am at present caught between a rock and a hard place and I am seriously going to report my parents to the police. I have considered suicide, but recently I found solace in my religion. I am more devout and I intend to ensure that no one has to suffer like me."

The fragile Rabia seemed to have aged 10 years. Her gaunt expression and lifeless eyes spoke volumes of the demons that are ravaging her through the most difficult period of her life.

Motives
A UN Population Fund report in 2005 described the welfare of Turkish rape victims forced to marry their attacker or be killed as a result of loss of family honor.

The UN report, which is based on interviews with more than 250 people in Istanbul and other cities with large Kurdish populations, detailed several such cases. Included was the story of a young girl with mental health problems who had been raped. To avoid family embarrassment, her brothers offered to pay costs involved if the rapist married their sister. However, they changed their mind and shot the perpetrator, then threw their sister into a stream and deserted her. The girl survived her ordeal and is now with support agencies, yet her family is hell-bent on finding and killing her, according to the report.

Muslim Women's Helpline in U K
0800 032 7587 (toll-free number)
The Forced Marriage Unit 020 7008 0151
Apna Ghar (soon to be known as Aanchal), Newham
24-hour helpline 0845 4512547
(Asian languages supported) do they indicate WHICH languages? )
Ashiana Project, London
020 8539 0427
Ashiana Project, Sheffield
0114 255 5740
Hemat Gryffe Women's Aid, Glasgow
0141 353 0859
Newham Asian Women's Project, London
0208 472 0528
Roshni (Nottingham Asian Women's Aid)
24-hour helpline 0115 948 3450
Karma Nirvana Asian Women's Project
01332
24-hour helpline
604098 (including support on weekends)

Forced marriage is primarily an issue of violence against women. Whereas most cases involve young women and girls aged between 13 and 30 years, evidence suggests that as many as 15 percent of victims are male. While it is important to have an understanding of the motives that drive parents to force their children to marry, these motives should not be accepted as justification for denying them the right to choose a marriage partner. Forced marriage should be recognized as a form of abuse which typically involves criminal offenses.

To tackle this problem, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the police have identified some key objectives involved in the process of a marriage taking place through force:
•Being subject to peer group or family pressure
•Attempting to strengthen family ties
•Ensuring land remains within the family
•Protecting perceived cultural ideals, which can often be misguided or out of date
•Protecting perceived religious ideals
•Preventing "unsuitable" relationships, for example, outside the ethnic, cultural, religious, or caste group
•Assisting claims for residence and citizenship
•Respecting family honor
•Adhering to long-standing family commitments

Services
Najma Ebrahim is the coordinator of the Muslim Women's Helpline (MWH). She is one of the founding contributors, and her team consists of three other advisors. All contributors are involved in part-paid and part-voluntary capacities. Najma offered valuable insight into the workings of the project she has been involved with for seven years.

"We offer emotional support to individuals that are or are likely to be victims," she said.

"I do believe the matter has been expectedly blown out of proportion since the mainstream media has become involved. The negative stereotypical depiction of a whole creed or race never works and thus alienates individuals and communities, often encouraging them to become cocooned in mentality. This is detrimental to the efforts of MWH, as transparency and honesty are integral qualities that we seek in our line of work."

Najma feels that parents need to be educated via a program of education, awareness, and a thorough outreach program. "Alienating parents will not help, and prevention is better than cure." Najma is calling on the government to support outreach programs to enable organizations like the MWH to offer the necessary tools of encouragement to parents and their children.

The MWH is in a very poor financial situation, and Najma hopes that funders can provide the appropriate financial assistance that is required to keep this benevolent service afloat.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office is committed to dealing with and tackling forced marriages. The staff at the consular offer advice and support in confidence. Members of the public can also telephone for support, advice, and assistance if they are aware of anyone being forced into marriage.

[O you who believe! It is not lawful for you that you should take women as heritage against (their) will, and do not straiten them in order that you may take part of what you have given them, unless they are guilty of manifest indecency, and treat them kindly.) (An-Nisaa' 4:19)

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{ Views expressed by writer and are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
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Monday, January 21, 2008

Britney Spears

Britney Spears May Convert to Islam
January 17, 2008 – 12:44 am
By Al-Arabiya News Channel


Is it possible? Can this ever happen? Is this a lie? Apparently this is no lie. Britney Spears has been torn apart ever since Kevin Federline dumped her and took half of her fortune plus her kids. She became very vulnerable and as her mind weakened and became very fragile.

Race of Burka
For Muslims in America it’s hard to imagine Britney Spears and Islam together due to her drinking, drug abuse, random fornication, and constant clubbing with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. To some Muslim observers, they say this is ridiculous, they can’t ever imagine Britney Spears in Makkah all covered up. To other Muslims, they say this may help the fallen celebrity recover since spirituality helped many get back on track in their lives, and it may also help Spears get custody of her kids.
How is this Possible?
First of all, no Britney didn’t go any mosques and asked any imams to tell her about the religion. But she does have a Muslim buddy. The guy’s name is Adnan Ghalib, a paparazzi boss who works for the agency FinalPixx; he made $200,000 taking photos of the star and became very close to Spears recently. What does that tell you? Yeah I know, money can buy you love, NOT. Some say that the guy is using the fragile minded star to make his fortune just the way K-Fed did, which shouldn’t be a surprise since the star needed someone close and Adnan is always around her. For the past week the two have been seen going to hotel rooms together, having breakfast together, etc.

Who is Adnan Ghalib?
Adnan is a British born, Pakistani descent, from a strictly Sunni Muslim family. His mom Saghar teaches the Qur’an at home and his dad Hussain goes to the mosque to pray daily. Adnan made the call to Birmingham UK, where his family resides, and he insisted that he will marry Britney on their trip to Mexico. UK’s News of The World reported that Britney is much in love with him and she plans to marry him and convert to Islam. It’s reported that Adnan’s family will only accept Britney if she converts to Islam and dresses in a modest Islamic way, as in wearing the Hijab or the Burka. Other’s are skeptical about this since Adnan is seen with wearing the cross as you can see on the picture on the right, which is weired since he is from a Muslim family. If Britney does convert to Islam then she has to say bye-bye to the booze, clubbing, and drugs; plus she has to cover up her chest and her booty.

Effect on Islamic WorldIf Britney Spears converts to Islam then she will have a strong impact in the Islamic world. Most likely the Muslim community of the world will rejoice in having a person, who once was the most powerful celebrity in the world, to be part of the Muslim community, the Ummah.
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{ Views expressed by Channel are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com
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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Islamic Moral Code

Characteristics of the Islamic Moral Code
By Dr. Jamal Badawi

The main objective of the Islamic moral code is to create an "Islamic personality" that lives by its deep faith of loving, conscious submission to God, and is nourished by His divine love. These features motivate the actions of this personality and help it restrain itself from temptation, due to its fear of displeasing God. It also understands and accepts the dignified role that has been given by God to Man as His trustee on earth, which gives it a meaningful feeling of its existence.

If people were to meet these ideal criteria, they would be able to constitute a community which would ordain good and forbid injustice and evil in society. Prophet (peace be upon him) once said: "I have been sent to prefect the high moral standards" (Narrated by Malik), which means that he was sent in order to complete and prefect the noble moral qualities that have been preached by all the prophets before him.


Relationship Between Morals and Faith
Some people think that faith and morals may not necessarily be related. In Islam, any reform on an individual or social level must start with moral transformation. This moral transformation may be encouraged by an appeal to either patriotism, the power of law, or inherent kindness. However, to have profound and sustainable moral elevation, it must be concurrent with the moral code that is revealed by God, which in itself is not temporary due to certain circumstances or basic benefits.

The Quran says what means: {Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)} (Ar-Ra'd 13:11).
Elsewhere it says what means: {Because Allah will never change the Grace which he hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all thing)} (Al-Anfal 8:53).
These verses depict the rise and fall of different ancient civilizations. According to the second verse, these people were deprived of all the blessings and luxuries bestowed on them by God because of their bad deeds and ungratefulness to Him.
If any act is preformed with good intentions and within the boundaries God has permitted, it is considered an act of worship.
The relationship between faith and morals is frequently mentioned in a verse that is repeated frequently in the Qur’an and says what means: {Those who believe and did good deeds} (Saad 38:24). This verse indicates that to have true faith, good deeds are essential.

This relationship is also clarified in many sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, it was reported that he once told his Companions that the most beloved to him and the closest to him in the hereafter is the one who has the best manners (Ahmad). The Prophet also said: "The best of the believers in faith are those who are the best in morals" (Narrated by At-Tabarani).
The Prophet’s grandson Al-Hassan also said that true faith is not only by wishing or pretending to have faith, but it is the true belief of one's heart which is verified by good deeds.
Relationship Between Morals and Worship
In Islam, if any act is preformed with good intention and within the boundaries that God has permitted then it is considered an act of worship.

More specifically, by relating the characteristics of the moral code to the pillars of Islam (i.e. prayer, charity, fast), we will find that acts of worship are closely related to morality.
Prayer for example is required of a Muslim five times a day, in which he stands facing the qiblah , then bows and prostrates in devotion to God. If these actions are looked at in view of morals, we discover that the real meaning behind prayer is to train the Muslim on feeling the conscious, loving submission to the will of God, and a reminder of keeping away from evil. Prayer also instills the feeling of humbleness in the heart while standing before God.


A verse in the Qur'an describes this relation between morals and prayer, where it says what means:
This religious duty symbolizes a feeling of love, compassion and mutual concern towards people who are less fortunate in society.
{…and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.} (Al-`Ankabut 29:45).
The Prophet informs us that God says in a hadith that He only accepts prayers from people with certain characteristics. These characteristics include: humbling themselves before His glory, not oppressing any of His creatures, being merciful to the destitute, and being compassionate to those who are suffering or are injured. (Narrated by Al-Bazzar) All this is proof of the essence of prayer in Islam.

Another pillar of Islam is . This religious duty symbolizes feelings of love, compassion, and mutual concern towards people who are less fortunate in society. It does not comprise the materialistic meaning behind giving money.

This is referred to in the Qur’an where God addresses the Prophet: {Of their goods take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them} (At-Tawba 9:103). The term "purification" in this verse signifies the elimination of selfishness and lack of concern for others from the hearts of Muslims.

In addition, the word "charity" in Islam is not only used in terms of paying money to those who are needy, but charity could be a smile or a good word, as the Prophet says: "A good word is a sadaqah (charity)." (Narrated by Muslim)

The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. We find that the real meaning behind it is not only to restrain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. Rather, it is to strengthen one's will and develop self-discipline in permanently restraining from evil.

This is stated in the Qur’an: {O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restrain} (Al-Baqarah 2:183).
The Prophet Muhammad also declares: "It happens that a person who fasts may gain nothing of his fasting but hunger, and it happens that a person who spends his night in prayer may gain nothing from his prayer but sleeplessness" (Narrated by Ibn Majah).

Finally, Hajj or pilgrimage, which is the last pillar of Islam, is also not just about going to Makkah, wearing specific clothing, and making certain rites. Pilgrimage is full of moral lessons, such as patience and humility, which purify a Muslim’s soul.

The Qur'an highlights the manners that a Muslim should abide by during Hajj:
{For Hajj are the months well known. If any one undertakes that duty therein, Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) Allah knoweth it. And take a provision (With you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, o ye that are wise} (Al-Baqarah 2:197).

Contradictions Between Worship and Behavior
Often times we encounter people who may be active in their acts of worship, but yet their behavior is inconsistent with that apparent devotion. From the Islamic point of view, the lack of morals indicates the weakness of faith as true faith should reflect on one’s manners. This does not mean that people are expected to be infallible. Rather, they should sincerely try to comply with the moral code revealed by God.

A woman was once described to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as being one who used to offer (voluntary) fasting and prayers but also used to offend her neighbors. Upon that the Prophet said: "She will enter Hellfire."
Another woman was described before the Prophet as observing only the obligatory prayers and spending a few pieces of cheese in charity, but not offending her neighbors. The Prophet said "She will enter Paradise" (Narrated by Ahmad).

And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account…
Describing the punishment of those who pretend to have faith, the Prophet once asked: "Do you know who is poor?" His Companions answered: "A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth." He said: "The poor of my Ummah (nation) would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fast and Zakah but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then their sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire" (Narrated by Muslim).

This certifies that the amount of worship does not necessarily indicate true faith, or that faith substitutes worship. Rather, both should be coordinated to create the "Muslim personality".
Stability of the Moral Code
They are claiming to have more knowledge than God.
Some people believe that various moral codes should be changed or updated in accordance with new circumstances. In Islam, this approach is refused if the meaning of "updating" is to change fundamentals or principles of its moral code. But change is acceptable if it entails the adaptation of the applications, and not the principles of the moral code so as to suit the circumstances of people.

Fundamental regulations in Islam are taken from the Qur'an and Sunnah, which were revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These divine regulations are applicable to all times and places. However, if humans attempt to change them, this means they are claiming to have more knowledge than God. Doing that would be subjecting moral standards to people's vices. Islam teaches that the source of moral principles should come only from God, and that people should be elevated to these moral standards, instead of degrading the moral standards to human defects.

This does not mean that Islam is against dynamic changes in society. Rather, it proposes a balance: divine principles should not be tampered with, as this would lead to the damage of the foundation of the moral code revealed by God, which is the base for all reforms.
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* Adapted from a lecture in Dr. Jamal Badawi’s Islamic Teaching series, September 15, 2005.
** Dr. Jamal Badawi is a professor at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada where he currently teaches in the areas of Management and Religious Studies. He is the author of several works on various aspects of Islam.
{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
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Here's an Offer

Want to Improve Your Grades?
Here's an Offer
By Zabrina Abu Bakar
One day I called a friend of mine to ask if she wanted to have coffee with me that evening. She said she could meet up with me tomorrow, in sha' Allah, and that she had to finish off a project due in 15 hours!
She said that just 15 hours earlier, her professor had eimailed her to inform her of the probable grade she would get for his subject. She was just about 20 points short of getting an A. And she had a good chance of an A considering that she had yet to submit a project worth 30 percent. Since the deadline for the project was not over yet, the professor reminded her that if she decided to just pass the course, which she had definitely dne, she could just forget about the project. However, if she wanted a better grade, she should make sure that the project was submitted on time.

Suddenly excited with the offer, she strived to finish off the project with only 30 hours till the deadline. She was now left with 15 hours and was almost 80 percent there. The thing was that, before she received that e-mail, she was all burned out and hadtold herself she would be able to live with a B for that course.

When my friend told me about her professor, I was really impressed that he had taken the trouble to remind his students of the chance to improve their grades. I mean, how many of us actually received e-mails or phone calls from our professors like that? Hana sure got herself one caring lecturer!

Later in the evening, as I was enjoying a hot steaming mug of tea while looking through my 2006 planner, I saw a big red line marked across 10 days of the planner: EXTRA DEEDS REQUIRED. I looked at the dates on the marked boxes and I realized that it was already coming to the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Time sure flies. Subhan Allah.
Suddenly it dawned upon me that I have just received a reminder from my Lord, giving me one last chance to improve my "grades" of my "report book" for this Hijjri year. What was the reminder?

A message from my Lord, conveyed by my beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

According to Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the verse [That they may … celebrate the name of Allah, through the days appointed] (Al-Hajj 22: 28) refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah (Al-Bukhari).

Ibn `Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are no days more honorable in Allah's sight, and no acts more beloved therein to Allah than these ten days. So repeat frequently tahlil (La ilaha illa Allah 'There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah'), takbir (Allahu Akbar 'Allah is the greatest') and tahmid (Al-Hamdu lillah 'All praise is due to Allah')." (Ahmad 7/224; authenticated by Ahmad Shakir)

Subhan Allah. These 10 days are the most honorable days in Allah's sight! No wonder then that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us to remember Allah during them. These easy words can be repeated anytime I want to: while driving, walking, eating, sitting, running, jogging, and even while smiling. How easy and convenient!

Not only that, I realized that there is more for me when I saw the following hadith.
Ibn `Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days (meaning the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)." The Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah, not even jihad in the way of Allah?" He said, "Not even jihad, except for a man who goes out with his self and his wealth, and never comes back with anything (that is, he is killed)." (Al-Bukhari and others)

So any good deeds done during these 10 days are superior than deeds done in any other days. I smiled. Good deeds — are they like smiling, visiting ill people, making my parents happy, praying on time, saying kind words, withholding my tongue from bad words, being patience, kissing the children, picking up thorns from the street? I definitely can do that. In fact, I will definitely strive to do that, in sha' Allah. And do you know what is the best part? The reward is even higher and better than making jihad in Allah's way! Allahu Akbar! Most Merciful. When in other times can I smile to another person and receive reward as jihad? Think about it. Subhan Allah. And as I was contemplating the rewards that could be earned during this period, I wondered if I could have the chance to get my sins forgiven

As I was searching for an answer, I then remembered this hadith:
Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Fasting on the day of `Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of `Ashura' (Muharram 10) is an expiation for the year preceding it." (Muslim and others)

Subhan Allah! Not only was I given the chance to earn extra rewards, but I could also reduce my "red marks" on my "report card." And you know what, the "red marks" involved would be the ones I had actually received and also the ones I, as His servant, potentially would incur, (may Allah forgive me)! I felt like weeping. I closed my eyes and kept silent for a few seconds to regain my composure.

First, He forgives existing sins, and then He forgives the future ones He knows I am going to commit. And He is the All-Knower, the Most Compassionate, isn't He?
Don't you feel it in your heart how considerate He is? How much He loves us? How much He wants us to be in His Paradise? How much He wants to forgive us? With the minimum amount of effort as a sign of obedience, He gives us the undeserved reward: His blessings, His love, His forgiveness. Chance after chance after chance. That is what He has given me, given you, given us.

This is an incredibly outstanding offer by my Lord that is beyond words to describe.
As I sat on my chair, smiling and beaming, I thought excitedly on the coming of the best days in the Muslim calendar. The end of the Hijri year, and I intend to end it with a bang! Yes, a celebration between me and my Lord. I want to seal the year with the acts of obedience and proof of my love for Him. I want to seek for His forgiveness for all my sins, and I want to take up all His offers that can increase my "grade" and eliminate my "red marks" on my "report card," in sha' Allah.

What about you, my friends? Do you want to end this Hijri year with a bang, too? Do you want to take up this last offer for the year? Let us celebrate the end of this year by showing Him, our Lord, our Creator, of our regrets for all the wrongdoings that we have done. Let us end this year by earning the "bonus marks" offered to us. It is so easy, don't you think? Just 10 days, my friends, just 10 short days.
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Zabrina Abu Bakar is a writer residing in Malaysia. Her interest lies in writing stories with personality-building and human relations themes. She has a degree in accountancy and a master's in business administration and is pursuing her doctorate in business administration. She writes in her blog at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com. She is a member of Muslimah Writers Alliance and Islamic Writers Alliance.

{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
m.shariq_khan@yahoo.ca k.shariq@rediffmail.com k.shariq@hotmail.com
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Homeless on the street

Homeless on the street
By Idris Tawfiq
British Writer and Speaker
"What did you give him money for? Anyone can tell he's just pretending. He'll only spend the money on drugs." How many times has a friend said those words to you when you gave a few coins to a person begging on the street?

Chances are that if you are reading this article on the Internet, you probably had breakfast this morning. Chances are that if you are reading it in the evening, you had lunch and dinner, too. Or if you didn't have breakfast, lunch, or dinner today, it might have been your choice. You could have had orange juice for breakfast if you had wanted, followed by either tea or coffee. Before breakfast, you probably got out of a cozy bed where you slept well all night, having watched TV or gone out with friends the evening before.

Imagine things were a bit different (well, actually, a lot different), and at the end of the day yesterday, you didn't go to bed, because you had no bed and no home to go to. Where would you have gone? Can you possibly imagine, just for a moment, if you had nowhere to sleep tonight? What would you do? Where would you go? Worse than that, imagine you had no mobile phone or money in your pocket. Nothing! What would you do?

Many, many young people find themselves in this dilemma every single day. They have nowhere to stay, no money to spend, and nothing to do for the whole day ahead of them. In every big city in the world, just around the corner from those high streets where millions of pounds are spent every day in fancy shops and restaurants, young men and women sit begging on the street. It is one of the most shameful things of our modern age that while many live in comfort, lacking nothing, many more live lives of total despair, not knowing where the next meal will come from or how they can manage to find a place to lay down their heads in safety for the night.

British Writer and Speaker Idris Tawfiq With students at the British Council ( Cairo )

What makes the problem of homelessness even worse is that when people find themselves in such a situation, that is when the trouble really starts. Circumstances lead them to meet characters who are perhaps not the best people to have as friends. Maybe crime or even prostitution are the only ways of getting access to any money. People you thought you could rely on, let you down and steal what little you have. The situation keeps going from bad to worse.

Now, just before we go on, we need to admit that there are causes for this situation. Some people say that young people in this situation don't try hard enough to get jobs or look for adequate shelters offered by the many charities that exist to look after them. Some blame drugs or alcohol. Others say that those young people themselves didn't try hard enough to make it work at home, and they left too hastily. We can come back to all of that. Just for now, though, let's admit that the situation exists. Blaming someone is not going to solve the problem. Many people your age have nowhere to live. That is the fact of it. No fingers to point. No one to blame. Just a fact.

So what are we, as Muslims, to do about this? Do we condemn the homeless to their lives of misery because they have not managed to keep up with the demands of modern life? Maybe a row at home was the cause of the young persons' leaving the family home and setting off to the big city. Maybe there was some kind of abuse at home, either physical or sexual, which led them to leave. Maybe they were just too headstrong to stay in a family where parents were making quite ordinary demands of them. The situation is, of course, very complex. What, though, can we do?

First of all, like our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we ought to thank Almighty Allah whenever we see someone less fortunate than ourselves, that we have not been given that particular trial in our lives. We need to thank Allah each day for the comforts we enjoy and take for granted. Even though we might, at times, argue with parents, we thank Allah that they are there for us when we need them. We should thank Allah, too, that we really lack for nothing in life. Sure we moan and complain when we don't get quite the right brand that we asked for or when things don't go perfectly according to plan, but we really lack for nothing. As Muslims, we should be ever grateful for the good things we enjoy in life, saying al-hamdu lillah for them.

We need to be proactive, too. In other words, instead of just shaking our heads and saying how terrible it is that there are homeless young people on our streets, we should do something about it. We can look up many of the charities who work in this field. Do they need help? Do we have talents that could be offered? It need not be something big, but could be something as simple as writing a letter to an MP or a short article for a school or college magazine, highlighting the plight of the homeless and suggesting things such as affordable housing as ways out of the problem.

During Ramadan in particular, we turn our thoughts to those who are less fortunate than us. Maybe next Ramadan we could team up with others to offer help to the homeless. We could look for youth outreach programs, which try to give help and support where needed. We could even suggest to mosque leaders that the mosque might get involved in running a soup kitchen or collecting clothes and blankets. Apart from the help this would give where it is needed, it would also show the local community that Muslims care — not just about themselves, but also for any who are in need. It might even make those going to the mosque spare a thought for others too.

Knowledge is power. We can empower ourselves and others by finding out more about this terrible problem. Islamic societies at university might like to get involved to show their student friends what Islam is really about. It is easy to give a talk or hand out a few leaflets. Helping the homeless would really make people sit up and think.

And, next time, when someone asks you on the street to "spare the price of a cup of tea" or to "give any spare change," instead of making moral judgments, perhaps you should simply help. If some of those homeless
are not telling the truth and are not really in need, they will have Allah to answer for. If you give some help for Allah's sake, out of a genuine care for someone less well-off than you, then you, too, will be
rewarded by Allah for your good intention. In sha' Allah, young Muslims working together can make a difference to the lives of people who have nothing. Even if we can help just one person,
we will have indeed made a big difference.
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Muhammed Shariq Khan Lucknow, INDIA
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Monday, January 14, 2008

What Makes You Angry?

What Makes You Angry?
By Idris Tawfiq
British Writer and Speaker

Some people always look angry, don't they? You can see it on their faces. These people look as though they will explode any minute and vent their anger on the first person who gives them the chance to do so. Heaven help the waiter who is late with the coffee or the gas station worker who makes a mistake with the change. There is no pleasing such people. They are the most difficult people to work or to live with.


There is a big difference, though, between being angry and showing your anger. People show their anger in different ways. For some, it is precisely the kind of explosive outburst we have just mentioned. For others, they can be just as angry, but they express their anger quietly. There is a difference, too, between things that make us angry and things that annoy us.
Annoyance
All of us become annoyed, now and again, by the routines of life. Being kept waiting for people who are late for an appointment is annoying. Not finding the right can of baked beans in the supermarket is annoying, especially if you have been looking forward to them! Such things, though, in Allah's scheme of things, are not world shattering. We can get by with life's little annoyances.
Being angry, though, is a different matter. If we find ourselves getting angry and losing our temper over small things, we need to take a look at ourselves and ask what is causing this anger. Are we angry with others just because we got up late or we didn't have any breakfast? If this is the case, there is really no excuse for our anger. Are we finding fault with others when really the blame lies squarely on our own shoulders? As Muslims, we should try to tame this sort of anger. This is not how Muslims behave. At the present time, many eyes are on Muslims, looking for yet another excuse to find fault or to point an accusing finger. We should never let our own behaviour be the reason others think ill about Islam.
There are, on the other hand, things that cause us to be angry. Some things really make us mad. In these cases, being angry is quite justifiable and as Muslims we are right to be angry. We read in a translation of the meaning of the Qur'an:
(O ye who believe. Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin.](An-Nisaa' 4:135)
Justice
Justice should be so important to us that we should seek justice, even if it costs us dearly. Justice is one of the attributes of Almighty Allah. He is just in all that He does. As Muslims we should be keen to see justice prevail, and we should be angry when people are dealt with unjustly.

There are small things that make me angry because they involve people. It really makes me angry, for example, when I see someone who has a lot of money treating someone with little money in an unkind way. You know the kind of people I mean. The kind of man with a big car, who drives fast and hoots his horn to make people get out of the way, just to show how important he is. Or the man who insists on being served before anyone else, just because he has more money than they have. I was in line at the airport once and a "celebrity" turned up and pushed right to the front of the line. "Don't you know who I am?" he said. The man behind him had a great reply: "You are a human being, just like everyone else!"

These kind of people make me angry because they are not fair to others. Instead of thanking Allah for the good things they have in life, they boast of the vastness of their riches and abuse those who have none. In fact, anyone in a position of authority who abuses that authority makes me angry. As Muslims we should care for the poor and the weak. Caring for them means speaking out on their behalf, too.
Unfortunately, in our world there are some situations that cause us to be rightly angry. When we see the terrible suffering of our brothers and sisters in Palestine, who are humiliated daily by occupation soldiers and are denied basic human rights and, in some cases, access to their land and their family, this is an evil that causes us to be angry. Having foreign occupation soldiers in Muslim lands makes me angry. Muslims being targeted in many societies because of their religion makes me angry. The list goes on, but I think you get the idea. Injustice is the greatest cause for anger in our world.
What we do with our anger and how we respond to injustice are what makes us different from others. For example, when those cartoons appeared in Denmark about our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), we had every cause to be angry. Burning flags and throwing stones, though, did not seem to me to be the right response. Such a response played right into the hands of those who want Islam and Muslims to look bad. Boycotting goods, speaking out, writing to MPs and ambassadors all seemed ways of showing how angry we were.


Final Thoughts
Similarly, if we are really angry about what is going on in Palestine, we could do something tomorrow to stop it. We could boycott Israeli goods and the goods of those who support Israel. This would have an immediate effect. Money talks. But often, all we are prepared to do is just talk to ourselves. Anyone can burn a flag or throw stones. Giving up our favourite fizzy drinks might hurt us more, but it cuts off money to those who provide bombs and bullets that kill Palestinian women and children. This is a real focus for our anger.

There is a lot, then, that can make us angry. Knowing how to control and channel our anger is what is most important. Otherwise, our anger just costs us a lot of emotion but achieves little else. As Muslims, we need to be wise. We also need to be very calm and to remember that Allah, not us, is in control of all things. If our anger is just bad temper, then it is inexcusable. If it is righteous anger, we should learn how to make our feelings known. If the world's Muslims could channel their righteous anger into the proper ways of combating injustice and oppression, then perhaps the world would sit up and listen to us. If we are just angry young men and women, no one will bother about us at all.

{ Views expressed by writer are their own property }
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