In the Name of Almighty Allah Most Beneficent Most Merciful Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu Dedicated to the Seekers of Truth & Enlightenment. Alhamdu Lillaahi Rabbil 'Aalameen was Salaatu was Salaamu 'alaa Ashrafil Ambiyaa'e wal Mursaleen. Wa Ba'd: Ya Ummatul Islam! It is an open secret that the entire Muslim Ummah today stands condemned for trying to bring themselves back to the original foundations of the Din of Haqq established over fourteen hundred years ago by the Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. In these tragic, critical and crucial times in the current historical stage of our Islamic nation, in conjunction with the rapid anti-Islamic sentiments by the enemies of Islam, it would be wise, even obligatory, to pause for a moment and study, contemplate and revise our daily obligatory Islamic duties, our lifestyles and our priorities and commitments as Muslims according to the Most Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. Islamophobia is a neologism [a word or phrase used in a new meaning] to refer to an irrational fear or prejudice towards Islam, towards the Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and towards the Muslim Ummah. This great Fitnah and ongoing hatred is being perpetrated against Muslims the world over. Muslims continue to face the onslaught of hatred and racism from both the media and intellectual circles. Those who hate Islam and Muslims thus link every political conflict to Islam. This, they believe, will advance their political agenda and block any rational analysis that might otherwise lead to conflict resolution. Therefore, if a conflict is related to Islam, then what's the use of trying to discuss it? If Islam is the root cause of that conflict, then the victimization of Muslims, all Muslims, can be easily justified. O you who believe! There is another sort of defense that is much more profound and sweeping than defense of one's homeland, and this is the defense of the Truth, the sole object of the holy faith of Islam. This Divine method exists to promulgate the Truth and reality; thus, our faith is known as the Religion of Truth, meaning a religion that belongs to the Truth, contains nothing but the Truth, and has no other object than the Truth. Accordingly, it is imperative for every Muslim to accord with the Truth, to speak the Truth, and to defend the Truth with all his or her power in any way possible. In describing His Book, which comprehends all realities, Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala informs us in verse 30 of Surah Al-Ahqaf: "It guides people to the Truth and to the Straight Way." Where did all this hatred come from and how can the tide be turned? I believe it has its roots in America's reaction to 9-11. The 19 who were accused for committing that heinous crime weren't called criminals. They weren't even called terrorists but rather 'Islamic terrorists' whereas members of, say, the IRA or the Basque separatist group ETA was never referred to as 'Christian terrorists'. Thus the words "Islamic" and "terrorist" became enjoined in the minds of the ill informed. A serious attempt must be made so that the xenophobic masses could benefit from understanding the essence and true meaning of Islam. The general trend all over the West today is to depict Islam as a religion of fanatics and fundamentalists. Ya Ibad Allah! It's becoming hard to keep up with the steady stream of attacks on Islam or its traditions coming out of the mouths of Western political and religious leaders. It's almost as though hunting season has been declared on a quarter of the world's population, with the most unlikely individuals queuing to take pot shots. We have witnessed Danish cartoons denigrating the Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam, the self-styled leader of the so-called free world declaring war on "Islamic Fascists", his subservient buddy Tony promising to combat "an evil ideology", and Pope Benedict getting in a dig against Islam by quoting an obscure 14th century Byzantine emperor. A few weeks ago a right-wing MP in the Dutch parliament, Geert Wilders released his anti-Islam film titled "Fitna". From the vast sewers of filth and misinformation that continues to be dished out by the likes of Geert Wilders and his coalition of "Fithnah mongers" across television screens, the internet, the media, as well as radio and television talk shows, there has been little else to let the world know and understand the truth and the root cause of all this hatred. In the meantime, blatant racism and hate crimes are being perpetrated and directed towards innocent Muslims. May Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala in His Infinite Mercy, guide all of us during these difficult times. We pray for the Muslim Ummah as well as for the other faith communities all over the world who have stood by us in peace and healing from within themselves through their prayers and supplications.
Wa ya ahlal Qur'an! As Muslims, we are greatly perturbed by the ongoing hatred directed towards our Din, our most beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and our way of life. As Muslims, we must not loose sight of the fact that we are the Ummah of Almighty Allah's Beloved Rahmatul Liel Ala'meen - the greatest man who walked upon the face of this earth - Nabee Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. We must persevere with Sabir through Ibadah and supplications. Condemning our enemies and their mouthpieces who are responsible for this hatred is the easy part. Any rational human being will consider this as most heinous and reprehensible. The declaration by Almighty Allah has been made clear in a most forceful manner in verse 217 of Surah Al-Baqara: "They will not cease to fight with you till they turn you away from your religion if they are able to do so; whosoever of you turns from his religion and dies as a disbeliever have failed in this life and in the Aghirah they will be the companions of the fire and will dwell therein forever." Ya Ummatal Islam! This satanic inspired form of Islamophobia has caused every thinking Muslim individual to cease his or her daily life momentarily and to ponder deeply upon the larger questions of life. There are two possible responses to what is happening. The first comes from compassion and understanding, the second from fear. If we come from fear we may panic and end up doing things that will result in further damage. If we come from compassion and understanding, we will find refuge in faith and strength, even as we provide it to others. We may seek to pinpoint blame, or to pinpoint a variety of causes but until and unless we take the time to earnestly reflect on this experience, it will be very difficult to resolve the emotions within us. This may result that we will live in fear of retribution or to seek retribution. If we allow ourselves to be guided by our emotions we will miss the most basic human lessons and become blind to the most basic human truths. The command of the Divine Message is that humanity must live in peace on this planet without repressing or oppressing one another. People of Imaan! This is the Divine Message that the human race has willfully ignored. To forget or to ignore this Divine Command is the root cause of hatred and war, and the way to remember this is very simple indeed through compassion, understanding and collective good for all of humanity. Mankind today stands on the brink of a precipice, not because of the danger of complete annihilation which is hanging over its head this being just a symptom and not the real disease but because humanity is devoid of those vital Divine values which are so necessary not only for its healthy development but also for its real progress. Fa ya Ayyuhan nas! We must remember that September 11th, 2001 was not a unique disaster, but one of a very long lists of disasters. Remembering the other disasters that Muslims have suffered in the past and continue to suffer at this very moment in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kashmir, Algeria, Bosnia, Kosova, the Caucasus regions, Macedonia, and the Philippines does not diminish the horror of this one. Many statements continue to confuse revenge with defense and retaliation with prevention. Unless the Western governments identify and acknowledge the cause of all this hatred, and take concrete steps to remedy it, efforts to end this hatred will be futile. The West still haven't internalized at a deeper level the instruction by Nabee Esa [Jesus Christ - peace be upon him] to return the other cheek. If this catastrophe does not teach the advocates of force just how insidious all forms of violence and hatred are, nothing will.? Ya Ummatal Aqeeda! If we could show understanding even to those who have attacked us, and seek to understand why they have done so, how would we react and how would we respond? If we choose to meet blood with blood, rage with rage and attack with attack what will be the final outcome? These are the questions confronting humanity today and they are questions that we have failed to answer for thousands of years. Failure to answer them now could eliminate the great need to answer them at all. We are taught to wish the very same for the next person that we desire and wish for ourselves. If we wish to experience peace, we provide peace for another. If we wish to know that we are safe, make it known to another that they are safe. If we wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand. If we wish to heal our own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another. This is the lesson that we all urgently need to heed. It is also said that no individual or no nation is an island unto them selves. If there were no general rules to which people could take recourse, and no criteria by which truth could be distinguished from falsehood, social order would be disrupted, human society would break down and the mistrust and hatred between people will intensify. The Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an testifies to this in verse 13 of Surah Al-Hujurat: "O Mankind! We have created you male and female, and appointed you nations and tribes, that you may know one another." If man was not social by nature and individuals were able to live by themselves, there would have been no need of nations and tribes, since they would not require the mutual acquaintance (al-ta'aruf) which depends on close social ties and understanding. Regarding the second important point pertaining to the inevitability of conflict, Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala reminds us in verses 118 and 119 of Surah Hud: "Had thy Lord willed, He would have made mankind one nation;but they continue in their differences, excepting those on whom Thy Lord has mercy". Almighty Allah then reminds us in verse 9 of Surah An-Nahl: "Allah's responsibility is to show the way; and some do swerve from it. If He willed, He would have guided you all together." Ibad'Allah! As Muslims, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are first and foremost Muslims and that we are the Ummah of Almighty Allah's Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. We must persevere with Sabir and to fear none other but Almighty Allah as commanded of us. It is known that solidarity, strength and solvency dawn upon people who bind themselves by Divine Commandments, are well organized, peaceful, resourceful and resurgent. We must never ever set aside the Qur'anic belief that we were all created from dust and that we must never ever ignore the Divine Call. Do not be scattered. Hold fast to the Rope of Almighty Allah. The saying of Hazrat Umar R.A. that "Almighty Allah's Hand is with the Jamaat" i.e. a body that is systematically organized and united. Alhumdoelillah! At this critical juncture - one religion persists - it lives in its original pristine form, and its followers know that they must see that it continues so, for they have been entrusted with the superintendence of the world, the survival of civilisation, the close examination of the good and evil propensities of mankind. They know that they will be held to account for the way they discharge their duty. Islam is distinguished above other faiths for it possesses the Most Holy and Noble Qur'an whose abundant and inexhaustible wisdom is an everlasting source of joy in the way of Almighty Allah and for the benefit of mankind. The Holy Qur'an brought about a mighty revolution in the lives of millions of men and women - unchanged and unaltered for the past fourteen hundred years, it can do so once again. The vast fragrant treasures of the Sunnah of Almighty Allah's Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam, bright and beautiful is a most radiant record in the life of mankind. It unravels the knots that entangle human intellect; it brings out hidden realities and it remains intact, though ages have passed. The Muslim Ummah will rise in readiness for their faith and be capable of the highest sacrifice in the Way of Allah. This, is a resource of which the enemies of Islam are devoid. Ya Ummatal Tawhid! This is the Truth and the sooner our nation realizes it, the sooner they would able to defend themselves against Islamophobia, the Fithnah and the barbarous tyranny and hatred of its enemies. Islam is the only future hope for humanity. Islam can not be extinguished, Islam is neither aggressive nor oppressive, Islamic ideology is alive and this is having an unbearable effect on the enemies of Islam, who are slowly but surely being driven to despair. It is the foremost duty of each and every Muslim to march on and strive without fear, sacrificing everything to regain our lost heritage. Let us all honour our obligations as true Muslims and carefully differentiate between what is TOLERANCE and what is NEGLECT and be sincere and steadfast in striving for Almighty Allah's Cause so that Allah may be pleased with us and grant us success as He has promised in verse 200 of Surah Al-Imran: "O ye who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that ye may prosper." And Almighty Allah knows best. Baarak Allaahu Feekum wa-sal Allaahu wa-Sallam 'alaa Nabiyyinaa Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu. Abdul Hamid PoEtEsS "Prayer, wisdom, knowledge and faith are the best gifts that I have…"…Zohra Moosa ------------------------------------ *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended: http://www.ikhwanweb.com http://www.islamonline.net http://www.islam-guide.com http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/