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Wed, Aug 29, 07 at 11:37
I have the LARGEST begonia this year! It's really insane! I bought it from a little old lady in town. I'd like to propagate it over the winter in my garage. Any ideas how to do this? I've never tried this before? |
Follow-Up Postings:
There are several different Begonias, is this a tuberous begonia? Al |
- Posted by harmonyfarms 7b (My Page) on Wed, Aug 29, 07 at 17:22
I have no idea what I have. When I buy from this lady nothing is labeled which is why you only pay a few dollars. Here's a pic, hopefully! [IMG]http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n128/harmonyfarms/DSCN1231.jpg[/IMG] |
- Posted by harmonyfarms (My Page) on Wed, Aug 29, 07 at 17:24
You have a fibrous rooted begonia. You can start more by taking stem cuttings if you want more of the same plant. A well lighted frost free location should allow you to propagate them over the winter. Al |
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MANA Official Leaves Hospital
June 2, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Press Release
As-Salaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu:
As you may know, over a week ago, I was admitted to Mt. Sinai hospital in New York due to high blood sugar levels and for surgery on an infected foot. Alhamdulillah, since that time, my blood sugar and the infection have responded well to rest and antibiotics, and as a result; I have not had to have surgery. If my condition continues to improve, my doctors expect for me to be released within a few days.
On behalf of myself and my family and on behalf of the MANA Diwan and Majlis, I thank the community for the concern you have expressed for my well-being and for your du'a.
May Allah's blessings and mercy be upon us all.
Your brother,
Imam Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid, Deputy Amir/General Secretary, MANA
Take Time for Internal Reflection
May 13, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
It is not the quantity, but the quality of time spent attempting to follow the guidance of ALLAH that ensures success. ALLAH says in Qur'an that "everything is a sign – for those who reflect." Each day, if we just take 10 minutes of quiet, quality time in carefully selected thought procedures, we can improve our life by achieving a greater measure of happiness, increased efficiency, and a feeling of spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
So many things whiz by us each day that it is virtually impossible to reflect while you are on the go. You will possibly see these "signs of ALLAH", but not will reflect on them to get the full benefit. So many miraculous things occur during the course of our going about our daily activities. They are happening whether you realize it or not. The key is to first know that ALLAH is in the blessing business and then key in on your blessings by being one of those who "reflect" on the signs of ALLAH.
This 10 minute formula I am sharing with you has been proven scientifically over time and it is right in sync with the ALLAH'S word to "reflect." The plan is to spend the 10 minutes every day in quiet submission. It must be regular. To do it for a day or two and then skip a day or two will lessen the impact on the results.
ALLAH is real, and He will guide you as you submit your mind to His. Don't go into this process with the idea "I want to do this—or do that. Instead, wait on an answer to enter your mind. You have now made your mind susceptible to Divine wisdom.
This is in the same vein as the Istikara prayer Muslims say in the early reaches of the night. The difference is, in the istakara prayer, we ask ALLAH to examine our particular situation. It may be a particular relationship or maybe a career move or something similar. We make two rakah and ask ALLAH to make it easy and possible to attain— if it is right for us. If it is not right for us, we ask Him to remove it from us. Istakara is a powerful tool of connection and help from ALLAH.
This time of reflection is also special because we stop what we are doing, go to a quiet place with no distractions and wait for thoughts to enter your mind. They might not be what you expect or even what you want. They may be far from what we are accustomed to thinking. But if you are a believer and have submitted yourself to be an instrument of ALLAH, you will be on a higher wavelength of righteousness in which there is no error. The time can vary. It may be before salat or after salat—or an hour or so after salat. It doesn't matter. The main thing is quietness, relaxation, and submission of your mind to ALLAH.
There are many tools and avenues to connect spiritually to our Creator. This is only one. Sometimes while offering salat, solutions and answers come to our minds. I take it as ALLAH choosing a time to communicate with me. Some people think they are sinning if your mind wanders during salat. But it is not necessarily so. It depends on what your mind is wandering to.
This human mind we have is special and it has a special way of communicating with its Maker. Reflect on the "Signs" of ALLAH. You will be richer for it.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Keep Our Eyes Open for Justice
April 22, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
The case of Brother Imam Kwame Teague
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Most of the time when we hear a person has been arrested we feel he must have done something or he or she wouldn't have been arrested. And when we hear someone has been convicted of a crime, our certainty of their guilt is strengthened. After all there must have been overwhelming evidence that left no doubt of the guilt. There was either a jury trial of 12 people that listened to evidence, weighed it in their minds and came to a unanimous decision; or a learned, educated judge who has sworn to uphold the law according to knowledge and investigation has rendered a decision. Again, it must be right.
Then there is the case of a person who has been arrested, tried, convicted, and serving time in a penal institution. Now this person HAS to be guilty. Right? Because appeals have been heard, and the evidence has been looked over for a second or third time, by different people, and they come to the same conclusion, the case is closed as far as we are concerned. And we say they must be guilty.
Well, that may, or may not be the case. With the advent of new technology, including DNA testing, we are finding there are many people who have been incarcerated for many years and we come to find out they were totally innocent. Just think of the many people falsely accused and wrongly convicted who would still be in prison if not for the technological advances and/or persistence by legal experts, friends and family.
Of course, we also are aware that of the entire prison population, I would guess that 90% of them claim they are innocent. And we also know that all of them that claim innocence are not innocent. But because we have seen so many cases of wrongful imprisonment, it behooves us to take all available means to prove a person's innocence. This is especially true when there are major discrepancies and obvious omissions of evidence by the law enforcement and legal representatives.
One such case that may fall in a similar category is the case of Kwame Teague. Brother Teague is a Muslim brother who has been incarcerated since February 1, 1994 in the North Carolina jail system. His charge is Murder. At the time of his arrest he offered an explanation of his whereabouts and gave the name of the person he was with. This person was picked up and questioned but the statement was never allowed to be used in court.
Other questionable actions was the appointment of a defense attorney who had been attorney for the opposition; not allowing testimony of people who gave statements exonerating Brother Kwame; allowing the testimony of a person who was in prison, had a bad case of AIDS-related dementia, and a reason to implicate Brother Kwame, and many others.
Brother Kwame has been a model person since his incarceration. He has served as imam at the institutions he has been imprisoned at with nothing but glowing remarks about his character Islamic spirit. His father, Brother James C. Teague, of Newark, NJ, is a very well respected brother in the Muslim community and has done a magnificent job of instilling moral qualities and academic and professional excellence in all his children, two boys and two girls. He says of them all he is most proud of Kwame because "he has overcome the profound barrier of incarceration to perform the same type of dedicated contributions from behind prison walls that his brother and sisters perform in free society."
This article is by no means being written to try and establish the guilt or innocence of Brother Kwame. It is being written to shed light on the many injustices that occur in our penal system and to encourage strong and persistent investigation of cases when proven facts may prove a person is being denied justice. And because it LOOKS LIKE Kwame could be innocent, we owe our all.
There are many people like Kwame throughout the country and we encourage you to help in any way you can to present overlooked facts and omissions that could bring the truth to light.
We also encourage you to not automatically assume that when the authorities say someone did a crime that they must have done it. Mistakes can and have been made. No one is infallible except Almighty ALLAH.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
New State Investigator Assigned to Luqman Case
April 15, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
It is very seldom that a case involving poor, and what seems to be unimportant people, can garner the amount of attention and interest as has the case of the murder of Imam Luqman Abdullah, the late imam of Masjid Al Haqq in Detroit, Michigan. The chairman of the powerful Judiciary committee in the US House of Representatives, John Conyers, the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the Mayor of Detroit, Dave Bing, numerous Michigan State Representatives like Bette Cook-Scott, and many civic and community groups like the NAACP and National Action Network are responding to the leadership of CAIR-MI director, Dawud Walid and Ron Scott, head of the Coalition Against Police Brutality. As we reported earlier, this is the "murder that just won't die".
Now the Attorney General of Michigan, Mike Cox, who is trying to get support for a run for governor, has called for a special investigation of the case and has call in Doug Baker, a former Wayne County Prosecutor, to review whether the FBI acted appropriately in the shooting of Imam Abdullah who was shot a minimum of 21 times and then handcuffed as he lay dead on the ground. The imam had a gunshot wound to the back also and it is speculated by many that he was shot in the back as he lay handcuffed on the ground. That could only be the action of a demented person if it happened as speculated. Of course the FBI will give no details.
Mr. Baker will investigate the FBI to see if any state laws were broken by Federal law officers which could potentially lead to serious charges such as murder. Baker has often been described as a very tenacious prosecutor and has a number of high-profile cases under his belt. He was the prosecutor who successfully tried the case of two Caucasian police officers accused of the brutal killing Malice Green in Detroit. Community members watching the case are wondering if that same tenacity will be utilized in this case.
Other than his interest in becoming Michigan's next governor, people are wondering why Republican Mike Cox is so interested in the case now. It is well known that in the past he has shown his indifference to issues important to the community. A case in point is the investigation of former Detroit mayor Kilpatrick involving an alleged party at the mayor's residence where a stripper lady who was reported to have danced there was later found slain.
The official reason for the State of Michigan's involvement is because the office of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy declined to investigate the case. On the surface that looks bad for Ms. Worthy but actually it seems the justice Department, particularly the FBI, has been as close-mouthed with the prosecutor's office as it has been with the rest of the community. Prosecutor Worthy has said her office could not get any documents because they were classified. According to her it would have been irresponsible to conduct an investigation without the pertinent information.
We know that sometimes events happen that we have no explanation for. We know that ALLAH allowed this atrocity to happen – but ultimately for a good cause. As the case continues to unfold, we look for the good that we know will be revealed to us. And hopefully we will benefit from it.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Young People
April 15, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
I am appalled as I learn more and more about some of the antics and activities some of our young adults are engaging in. In what seems to be a quest to be "cool" or "regular", (or what some have the audacity to call "normal") some of our young people are going too far in emulating the ugly low-life they see in in the streets and the media.
I know that every generation looks at their offspring as crazy young kids. My parents used to shake their heads at me too. But I can honestly say that our values and morals were much higher than the young generation today. Even the way the young people dress (and I'm particularly talking about the young men. When I was coming up we prided ourselves on being nicely dressed. We made sure we had creases in our pants and our shoes were shinned. We prided ourselves on wearing nice fabrics and taking care of them.
Nowadays the young men seem to see how bad they can dress. They go all day looking like they just got up out of bed and threw on the first thing they could grab. And the irony of it all is they think they are looking good. It bewilders me how someone can wear jeans with holes and tears in them and some hanging down exposing underwear and say it looks good. Something is definitely wrong mentally if something so ugly can be perceived as being hip and cool.
But that's not all. The level some of them have sank to would boggle the mind of most civil-minded human beings. There are youngsters (males and females) who use profanity that sounds like it comes out of a sewer. There are some choosing places of ill-repute to party and have fun. There are even cases of homosexuality, (males and females, and it seems to be more females than males), and on top of that it is so widespread that sometimes it doesn't get a glance.
Some of these Muslim children have grown up in Muslim homes all their life. Some of them have more Qur'an in their little finger than I have in my whole body. They can recite scripture from memory in beautiful rhythmic tones that make you want to cry listening to it. So why this double life?
In the African- American community there were many reverts to Islam that witnessed some of the same negative lifestyles described above – myself included. So this degenerate lifestyle of this society has no attraction for me and others my age. But the youngsters, growing up in an environment where this type of behavior is forbidden or strongly discouraged, feel the pull to experiment (as all youngsters do). But these days are so dangerous because youngsters have access to so much technology that puts virtually anything decrepit within a finger click away.
10 and 11 year olds are watching hard-core pornography, sinister sadistic murders, and glorifying morally loose lifestyles. It has gotten so bad that some people have given up on them and believe straightening them out is a lost cause. But I don't. I believe we must work even harder pointing out to them the need for them not to stray too far. And we must work even harder to try and be better examples ourselves. Even though that negative media has a strong influence, the strongest influence is you.
I tell you we have a big challenge ahead of us. Some of us have been asleep (including me) but it's time to wake up and get busy. Let us do more Dawah at the dinner table rather than at the masjid. Let's start back being parents instead of friends – which really would be the best friend they could have.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Using our Adam to Control our Animal Nature
March 18, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
When Adam was created a very special being was created. ALLAH actually put more of Himself into human kind than any other part of creation. He told the Jinn, Angels, Devil, and everything else to submit to humankind. This puts us directly under ALLAH with nothing in between.
It also gives us a great amount of responsibility to live our lives as Muslim human beings. When you consciously accept to become a Muslim, thoughts and activities you did prior to accepting the highest station of creation (Conscious Muslim human being) should be suppressed with as much vigor as possible.
All ethnic groups and cultures of Muslim groups have their own cultural baggage that denigrates the religion as well as the individual. There are cultural practices that automatically place women in an inferior, sub-class from men. This is not from scripture. It is from misogynist, chauvinistic ideas of men. Nevertheless they are seen by non-Muslims, and some Muslims, as part of the religion. These types of negative portrayals create a mindset that stifles the positive forward progress of the community.
There are other groups, primarily reverts to the religion, that have cultural baggage they brought with them from another life.
I witnessed a terrible example of this when two brothers in a disagreement actually went to fisticuffs – at the masjid – instead of using their religious instruction to solve the problem. The altercation actually started over unproven accusations that they didn't take time to discuss. They just let violent, uncivilized behavior take over their minds and a worst situation developed. Settling differences with brawn rather than brain is the result of a barbaric mentality that has no place in the life of a conscious Muslim.
When most reverts accept the religion it's because they see a superior way of life dictated by the directives of the Almighty ALLAH through His human example, Prophet Muhammad (s). We look at where we came from and the negative effects backward lifestyles had on us and vow to live a new, fruitful, productive, moral and peaceful life. Some of us even make the journey to Mecca to perform the hajj to increase our spirituality and thus the tools to achieve this new life.
Human beings are animals. The same physiological characteristics that make up our bodies are present in most animals, especially mammals. We even use cats, dogs, and fetal pigs in laboratories to study our own human physiology. The only difference between our brain and the brain of a cat is our brain houses "mind," which makes us human.
So even though we have this animal nature, our human mind is supposed to control it. This is true for ordinary human beings and is supposed to be especially prominent for those of us who have become Conscious Muslim Human Beings. So whatever your ethnic or cultural baggage, whether misogyny or brutal aggression, Islam is supposed to free you from that. And this freedom is yours regardless of your cultural or ethnic background. The Qur'an speaks to all people.
It is understandable that these things are difficult to overcome but every effort must be made to make the change. ALLAH made us (Muslim human animals) to be the cream of creation and endowed us with a piece of Him to take care of the creation.
Let us try to remember ALLAH the next time challenges confront us. Let us think before we do an action whether ALLAH would approve of what that action is and the manner we are doing that action. Remember Ihsan, "behave as though you see ALLAH, aware you can't see Him, but also aware that He sees you."
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Islam – America's Answer to the Race Problem
March 11, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Repeated from earlier article.
"O mankind. We created you from a single (pair) of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Surely the most honored of you in the sight of ALLAH is he or she who is the most righteous of you. And ALLAH has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
There is none more aware of the differences of human beings than the One who created them. It is through the generosity and graciousness of ALLAH that He made us different nations, tribes and colors. Just think for a moment how dull the world would be if everyone were pink and thought exactly alike. We could not learn from each other – and thus, we could not grow. But ALLAH, with His infinite wisdom, has made us different- so we may know each other.
In the early 1960's, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca and made the profound statement that "America needs to look at Islam as the answer to its race problem." Here was a man whose mind had been previously clouded by erroneous assertions of Black superiority and Caucasian devilishness. While on hajj he wrote to his wife that he had sat down and eaten with blonde-haired, blue-eyed people and there was no racism there – only brotherhood.
Recently, in Southeast Michigan where I live, there have been a rash of ugly racial incidents and feelings put out. There have been cross-burnings and even opposition to the building of a major mall because it would attract people from other cities nearby. Southeast Michigan has the reputation of being one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. Cities separated by a few miles are 90% African-American and 98% Caucasian respectively.
This can be looked at negatively as a sign of hatred, which in some cases it might very well be. But what is more important than where people live is what is in their hearts. ALLAH says regardless of where we live or were born, ALLAH says we are one ummah, and He is Lord (21:92)
In my nearly 30 years as a Muslim, I am a witness that Muslims, for the most part, look upon other Muslims as brothers and sisters, regardless of their culture, ethnic background, or school of thought. As an example, a Muslim from China can meet a Muslim from the Netherlands while they are vacationing in Brazil, and there is an instant kinship and recognition – and most times a universal greeting of As Salaam alaikum. I have seen this in no other group of people whether it be religious or fraternal. Even Muslims who don't necessarily like each other still share this kinship. And it is not fake. You know in your soul and heart if someone really likes you or not.
This is a blessing from ALLAH to those who are adherents to the highest form of existence for a human being…Islam.
Our charge now is to exercise this brotherhood by more visible interaction of the various Islamic communities. Even if we live, work and play in different areas, we must make a conscious effort to be seen interacting and cooperating with each other. This is not only good for us, but it will also be a sign and a help to those who are not Muslim. It will raise the esteem of Muslims in the general society as having something very positive and beneficial to contribute to the entire world.
Let's look in our communities and see how we can aggressively promote this religion. Do you want to end racism?…..try Islam.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
The Power of Forgiveness
March 4, 2010 by TMO · 2 Comments
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Has someone done you wrong? Does it seem that someone has or is going out of their way to do harm to you? Do you seem to be consumed with the thought of these acts of injustice to you? Before you lose your mind, stop and assess your situation, and know this – NOW IS THE TIME FOR FORGIVENESS.
You might say, "why should I forgive someone who hurt me? After all, I didn't do anything to them. They should ask me for forgiveness." That might be true to a certain extent, but look at it this way. Your human qualities are far above what Satan and the Jinns desire for you.
You should forgive because it takes the burden of someone else's problem off your shoulders. Forgiveness releases the heavy yoke of self-oppression from you. If your adversary knows that he/she has consumed your thoughts with their wicked deeds, it only adds to their delight to see you squirm.
Let us look at our human example, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (s), who was full of forgiveness. One strong enemy of the Prophet (s) used to throw feces and sharp thorns in the prophet's walkway every day. The Prophet (s) would calmly sweep it up and say nothing. Then one day he noticed that his walkway was clean. No one had thrown anything on it. Seeing this, the Prophet (s) promptly went to the man and inquired of his health. The humble character of the Prophet (s) so impressed the man that he eventually accepted Al-Islam.
And of course we all know that we would not breathe another breath if it were not for the ever-present forgiveness of ALLAH on us. ALLAH says all through the Qur'an that He is the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate. If He were to punish us according to our deeds, there would be no one left on the earth. Now since ALLAH is so forgiving, (ultra-forgiving) and Prophet Muhammad (s), following the direction of ALLAH, exercises the ultimate human level of forgiveness, doesn't it behoove us to follow their lead and attempt to do the same? As in all directives of ALLAH, the purpose of the directive is to uplift the human being. When we attempt to follow ALLAH and emulate the Messenger (s), there is a promised benefit in it for us – and that benefit is peace of mind.
Walk up to a brother or sister who you believe has done you a disservice and ask them to forgive you for anything you might have done to them, either knowingly or unknowingly. Instantly you will feel a great lifting of doom and ugliness from your heart if the right intention was there (the pleasure of ALLAH). And of course, if you are aware that you have wronged someone, be big enough to approach that person and ask them to forgive you – then go and strive to be upright after that. If they accept your apology you have made peace in that particular relationship. If they don't accept your apology then at least you have lifted the cloud from yourself and you will go about your day with less of a burden on your shoulders.
If we just follow these simple rules of Islamic etiquette, our minds and hearts will be light and peaceful. We will also be responsible for remaking the world into one of peace.
This is also showing Almighty ALLAH that we are grateful to Him for making us a human being – the greatest of all creation – and puts the bad Jinn in his place – under you.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Rep. Conyers: Investigate Luqman Shooting
February 4, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Al-Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Large interfaith, intercultural outpouring of support for Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah
Now that the Wayne County Medical Examiner has released the autopsy report of slain Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, the outrage and questions are growing by leaps and bounds in the community.
The manner in which the imam was set up and killed by federal officers has outraged and been questioned by the Mayor Dave Bing of Detroit, countless business and community leaders, and now, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary committee, John Conyers. Congressman Conyers called a press conference in Detroit and demanded a full Federal investigation of the facts surrounding what many call the "execution" of Imam Luqman Abdullah by FBI agents.
As we remember, this newspaper was the first to report on the excessive force and questionable motives of the government security forces that pumped at least 21 bullets into the body of the imam. The Muslim Observer was also the first to point out the total disrespect and denigration shown to human being Imam Abdullah by giving a dog more care and attention than a human being.
The autopsy report showed that Imam Luqman was not only shot at least 21 times, his hands were also handcuffed behind his back as he lay prone face down in a trailer truck. At the same time the police dog, named freddy, was airlifted to an emergency veterinarian hospital in an attempt to save his life. Traffic was blocked off in both directions as the helicopter landed in the middle of busy 12 mile road in a futile attempt to save the dog.
FBI agents reported they opened fire on Imam Abdullah because he allegedly shot the dog, who is considered a federal agent; and they must shoot to kill anytime one of their officers is attacked. This is ludicrous. Dogs do not possess a mind. The oath FBI agents take seems to exclude dogs. The oath is as follows: "I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
Now we all know a dog is not capable of consciously agreeing to such an agreement so using such a flimsy excuse to fill a man full of bullet holes is, at best, barbaric and devilish.
Congressman Conyers' concern took another important turn when he wondered aloud why the FBI spent so much time and resources to build a case that obviously, at best, was entrapped petty crime. It was revealed that the suspects did not commit larceny, nor did they conspire to. They were brought "stolen items" that were supplied by the FBI and even paid with FBI money. The FBI also controlled the warehouse that held these "stolen goods" and was the scene of the set-up killing of the imam.
So why did the government want Imam Abdullah dead? Or was it the government or merely some gung-ho trigger-happy cowboys who wanted to get target practice? This is the big question. Congressman Conyers has asked Attorney General Holder to open a full investigation and it has already started. This is very significant because Congressman Conyers, as Chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, will chair any proceedings brought before the House – and that includes the Attorney General if necessary.
One big positive result of this whole scenario is the outpouring of love and support from the non-Muslim community. There were representatives there from Quakers, National Action Network, ACLU, Michigan Coalition for Human Rights. Congressman Conyers was also joined by Michigan State Representative Bettie Cook-Scott who also heads the Judiciary committee of the Michigan Legislature. The entire proceeding was brought together by another non-Muslim. Mr. Ron Scott, leader of the Coalition Against Police Brutality, worked tirelessly getting sufficient support to keep the light on the case. ALLAH says in the Qur'an that the Christians are closer to you than any other group. This case is a sign that if we believe in ourselves and do the right thing, ALLAH will send help to us and they will be more assertive for our cause than we are. I didn't see as much Muslim support and outrage as I saw Christian. One Christian lady stood and said "this is about justice for a human being. It has nothing to do with what religious faith he belonged to."
We are also blessed to have the tireless efforts of CAIR-Michigan executive director, Dawud Waild. This brother has the uncanny ability to work with other members of the society and bring positive results to fruition. It is good to have confidence in a brother that we believe has done his homework and will not sell us out.
Never in our wildest dreams did we (and possibly the FBI's as well) think the imams' homicide would open up such a big inquiry into questionable dealings by our law enforcement department. ALLAH allows things to happen for His own purposes and those who reflect can be blessed to understand His purpose.
Renew Yourself
February 4, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
The tenets of the religion of Al-Islam emphasize constant renewal in our lives. If we could just do something once and be done with it, our practice of the religion would cease to exist. For instance, we are directed to fast every year in Ramadan. This is because one time just won't do it. We will forget and/or lapse into other activities to divert our attention from the remembrance of ALLAH.
There are many other signs from ALLAH for us to reflect on. We breathe, eat and drink everyday to replenish our bodies. If we did not…well you know the answer to that. There is constant renewal in education. Our brains need activity to grow and be useful.
Similarly, our relationships must also be constantly renewed. How many of us have heard the expression "What you did to get her, you must also do to keep her?"
But before we get to that; before reaching out to our spouses, we must reach out to ourselves. In order to spread cheer to our families, spouses, and others, it must first come from a cheerful body and mind. How is this accomplished?
Each day upon rising we must begin to renew ourselves by recognizing the great masterful work of art ALLAH formed when He created you. You must look in the mirror and say to yourself how good you look. You must talk to yourself and constantly convince yourself that because you are a flesh and blood human being, you are directly under ALLAH. Always tell yourself that there is no one or nothing that is greater than you except ALLAH. This will arm your mind with positive thoughts and keep the evil ones from convincing you that you are otherwise.
After recognition of your greatness, resolve to be grateful to ALLAH by taking care of this great creation – you. Make sure you bathe and keep yourself clean. Shampoo your hair and use conditioner to enhance its appearance and health. Try to eat sensibly to reduce stress on your body. Exercise at least moderately to keep your temple in the best shape.
This constant renewal will make you grateful and put you in the best possible shape to reach out to others. We will be able to love and see the benefit of our spouse and help them see the benefit of themselves. This is very important because then everybody wins and ALLAH is pleased because you are carrying out His desires for creating you in the first place. And if ALLAH is pleased with you, you can ask for no better reward.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Martin Luther Kings' Mountain Top
January 28, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS
Every year in the month of January I am reminded of the powerful persona and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was such a deep and prolific speaker that the gist of his speeches is still being felt today. The "I Have a Dream" speech with its powerful message of hope, is so imbedded in our minds that for many of us, it the only speech we remember that he made. Those of us who have faith and belief in ALLAH are constantly amazed at His revelations of His works.
On the eve of the assassination of Dr. King, he made a speech at a Baptist church in Memphis, Tennessee that many people believe foretold his eminent death. He talked a lot about death that night. He started with the story of the plane that bought him to Memphis and how the pilot delayed the flight because Dr. King was on it so it could be checked for bombs.
He also talked about a brush with death he had in New York when a crazed woman stabbed him with some sort of ice pick. That assault brought the woman's weapon dangerously close to Dr. King's aorta (main blood vessel). The doctor at the hospital told him the knife was so close that if Dr. King had sneezed he would have died because the pick would have pricked his aorta and he would have drowned in his own blood. He used this incident to tell about a little white girl that wrote to him expressing her sorrow at his unfortunate incident. She said she admired him so much and was so happy that he didn't sneeze.
Then he said he wasn't afraid of death now because he had been to the mountain top. He said God had allowed him to go up to the mountain top and he looked over, and saw the "Promised Land." He said he might not get there with us be he wanted us to know that we as a people would get to the Promised Land. He said his eyes had seen the glory of the coming of the lord.
This became very personal to me in 1991 when I made the pilgrimage to Mecca. I was on the plains of Mt. Arafat when I decided to climb the mountain. When I reached the top, the only thing going through my mind was Dr. Martin Luther King and him telling us that he had been to the mountain top.
As I stood on my mountain top I look out over the plains of Arafat and saw the Promised Land. I say the Promised Land because Dr. King, in his most famous speech, said he dreamed of a land where his four little children would live in a land where they were judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. That is the vision I saw on Arafat where people of every ethnicity, every culture, every color; men, women, and children, were gathered in unity to worship the One God of us all.
I believed then, and I believe now that the mountain top Martin Luther King saw was Mt Arafat. Islam is the only religion that has more true brotherhood and sisterhood than any other group of people whether it is a religion, a fraternity, or whatever.
Sure, there is bigotry and racism among Muslims but there is less of it than any other religion. If you travel to any part of the world and you see a Muslim, there is instant recognition and greeting. No one else can make that claim. This is something we must hold on to and nurture. It is one of the things that make this religion the greatest religion in the world.
More of Dr. Kings philosophy needs to be adapted by Muslims the world over. Muslims must take the bold step necessary to shift world sympathy to our side. Currently, we are looked on as aggressive barbarians and we get no sympathy from anybody. However, people will stand up with us and protect us if they don't look like weak fools for doing so.
The legacy of Dr. King is so important to future generations, and especially important to future generations of Muslims. We can, and must win the battle by mental and spiritual strength – not by physical means….because we can't.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Listen to Your Soul
December 31, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
With ALLAH'S name, The Merciful Benefactor, Merciful Redeemer
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
"He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book. In it are verses basic and plain, clear in meaning: they are the foundation of the Book. Others are not entirely clear. But those in whose hearts is perversity or wickedness follow the part that is not entirely clear, seeking disharmony and searching for its hidden meanings. But no one knows its true meanings except ALLAH.
And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it. The whole of it is from our Lord:' and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding."
Ali Imran:7
(Repeated from earlier column.) Many people seek the magic formula for guaranteeing success and the pleasure of ALLAH. After all, isn't that what we all are seeking? I think that most people, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or other, have this basic innate characteristic that has us seeking the pleasure of G-d, no matter what we call Him.
ALLAH says the plain and basic teachings of the Qur'an are what He desires us to focus on. If we adhere to the basic tenants of the religion, we are virtually guaranteed paradise.
I'm talking about not imbibing intoxicants, not eating pork, not brutalizing your wife or children, not committing adultery and fornication, being charitable to your neighbor, and many other basic, common-sense directives. These teachings are inherent in all of us. They just have to be enhanced.
This brings me to the point of reminding us to revisit some of the teachings and tenants of our religion that we felt a special affinity for, or which was instrumental in sparking our faith in the first place. Whether you were born into a practicing Muslim family, or you reverted, it was most probably the plain and basic teachings that ALLAH sent through His prophet, Muhammad (s) that endeared you to the faith.
When I first became Muslim in 1976, the teachings of Imam W. D. Mohammad had me spellbound most of my waking hours. Granted, I was fresh from a different experience and therefore enthralled by the common sense explanations of Islam that were so explicit and plain – and remain so today. Imam Mohammed is credited with almost single-handedly turning an entire community of people from false worship of Elijah Muhammad, to the clear universal teachings of Islam.
ALLAH, in His message to the world, constantly tells us that He is Lord and there is nothing equal to Him. He further tells us that Adam (human beings) is next in line to Him. He (ALLAH) tells us that we have nothing to submit to except Him. This was great news to me. It took a person who had bred-in inferiority complexes and elevated him to the lofty station right under the Lord, Master, Ruler, and Boss of all creation. Imam Mohammed brought this point home beautifully utilizing the foolproof beauty of ALLAH'S Word. I don't believe there is anything in the worlds as powerful as this.
Read and listen to what ALLAH says in His Book. Listen to ALLAH for true success.
As Salaam alaikum
Al Hajj Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff – ALLAH is the Only Reality
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)
"..…And further, thou seest the earth barren and lifeless. But when We pour down rain on it, it swells, and puts forth every kind of beautiful growth in pairs. 6). This is so because ALLAH is the Reality. It is He who gives life to the dead, and it is He who has power over all things."
Qur'an 22:5, 6
Repeated: There is a positive thinking book out called "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff – and it's all small stuff." This statement sort of puts in perspective everything we know. ALLAH, The Almighty, made Adam (human beings) to be over everything we can see or imagine. That is awesome power. Just look at the creation of ALLAH.
We can start with the tiniest of atoms, which we cannot see with our naked eye, and they are composed of matter even smaller. We are in control of even this microscopic material. Look at the awesome destructive power we unleashed by splitting one. The ensuing chain reaction resulted in the most destructive and deadly weapon man has ever used against his fellow man. And that was 60 years ago so you can imagine what we have now.
We can then look at what we can see in this world. Trees, animals, etc. are all under our control. Tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, will one day be controlled by us or at least we will harness their power for our use.
And this world seems to be nothing compared to the universe and beyond. Adam is also in charge of that. I don't think it will be long before we have people living and vacationing on the moon.
But with all that great and powerful material creation that we can see, as well as imagine, we must remember, it is all fading away. Science has calculated that the sun, as massive as it is, is burning out. Only ALLAH is permanent. He, ALLAH, says everything is fading away except Him. ALLAH is The Reality – The ONLY Reality.
"What is with you must vanish: what is with ALLAH will endure. And We will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward according to the best of their actions."
So knowing this great truth we should not let any person bring us some "small stuff" and make us feel inferior to them. Sometimes we let people chastise us by reminding us of some mistake we have made. They will go so far as to make you seem stupid for making the mistake. But we must remember, that mistake, and everybody's mistake will go away along with the rest of creation.
Generally these people are reminding you of your shortcomings to make you seem small and make them seem big to you. This is nothing but Shaitan trying to fulfill what he promised ALLAH he would do to Adam (human beings). And when you look closely at them, you find they are making more mistakes than you – but trying to conceal them. Their aim and intention is to denigrate you.
But if you view it right, your mistake is only there as a learning tool for you. It is to teach you not to do that thing again. But it will go away because ALLAH is the only reality. If these evil people try to denigrate you by calling you stupid or something worse, just say, "maybe I am, but so are you. ALLAH is the only reality." This should make you feel better instantly and while you are feeling better about yourself you can more directly take steps to improve yourself.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Musings–The Qur'an Can Advance You to "Riches"
August 27, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)
Note: This article is part of a CD series. Write for more information.
First of all you should know that when we say "Rich" we're not simply talking about material or monetary richness. Finance is certainly a part of it, but richness comes in many forms. You can be "rich" if you only make $150 a week – and you can be a multi-millionaire and be the "poorest" of the poor. You are "rich" when you have a balanced life brought on by a balanced lifestyle. This balanced lifestyle begins with the belief in ALLAH, His Messenger… and prayer.
Of course, having ample finances to take care of your necessities plus a few luxuries, goes a long way to making one happy. You cannot be happy and fulfilled if you don't have enough food to eat or clothes to wear or a comfortable place to lay your head. This is one of the main reasons that poor areas have more despair, stress, lawlessness, and family and societal breakdown.
This is not to say these things don't exist in affluent neighborhoods. They do. But the proportion of despair in poor neighborhoods far exceeds that in richer areas. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a psychiatrist to understand that if a person grows up looking at broken bottles and empty boarded up houses everyday, he or she will not be as productive as those who grow up looking at and utilizing wealth.
However, ALLAH says if you follow some simple rules, you will be "Rich" enough to be happy in peaceful, productive surroundings.
First let us look at ZAKAT. Prayer and zakat are two of the most often repeated dictates of ALLAH. He puts so much emphasis on it that He has given an example of what you get back by charitable giving. He says charity is like giving a grain of corn and each grain grows seven ears and each ear has another hundred grains. Now add that up and see what your reward is. I must warn you – you'll need a mighty bi calculator.
This principle of giving is for everybody – not just "affluent Muslims. ALLAH says for the believers (rich and poor) to pay zakat. Some people who don't have much money think they are exempt from giving. This is not true and may very well be the reason they are in need. If you only have a dollar and you give five cents, ALLAH will multiply what you gave.
The next key for getting "Rich" is saving a portion of what you have. Again, it is irrelevant as to how much you have. If you only make $150.00 a week, save some of it before you start spending. First give charity and then, pay yourself. This savings is not to be touched for anything except a dire emergency. (And an emergency does not mean running out and buying that good looking coat you saw in the paper.) Saving will make you independent. You can rely on yourself for emergencies and needs rather than rely on the generosities of other people.
This is sensible living and allows you to live a life "Rich" in value, "Rich" in productivity and eventually "Rich" in finances – or at least being able to live comfortably and happy. This is the type of life ALLAH wants us to live. It's the very reason He sent His message and Messenger to us.
Too many Muslims do not key in on the simple, but powerful benefits of obeying ALLAH. But in case you don't realize it, it's the way to a perfect life.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin The Qur'an Can Advance You to "Riches"
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Harun Yahya – Secrets of the Hypocrites
August 20, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Their Real Target is the Messenger of Allah
The real reason for the hatred in their hearts is that believers unconditionally obey Allah and His messenger, constantly remember Allah and the Qur'an, and offer them advice. The more believers warn them about the imminence of death, the reality of the Hereafter and the fact that salvation lies in obedience to Allah and His messenger, the greater their hatred and desire for revenge. They cannot accommodate the concept of obedience because they are unable to appreciate the messenger of Allah, and in the face of the superior virtues they witness in him, their hatred grows still further. For that reason, their real target is the messenger, and their real struggle is waged against him. It is revealed in the Qur'an that hypocrites strove to combat the Prophet (s):
If they do argue with you, say: "Allah knows best what you are doing."
Al-Hajj: 68
Hypocrites have waged struggles against all the messengers who have ever lived, although all throughout the course of history, their endeavors have proved fruitless. The fact that these attempts against all the messengers have borne no fruit has driven hypocrites to despair, while the messengers and believers have grown ever stronger.
They Seek to Deceive Believers
We have already said that the most distinguishing feature that makes hypocrites of these people is the way they seek to portray themselves as having faith when really they have none. These people, who only reveal their true faces to people they imagine to be just like them, simply act a role alongside believers. The Qur'an, however, refers to hypocrites as seeking to deceive believers but in fact deceiving nobody but themselves:
They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it.
Al-Baqara: 9
The Qur'an refers to hypocrites who lived in the times of the prophets and the messengers saying "We believe," but that actually they had no real faith, thus encouraging all believers to be on their guard against them:
O Messenger! Do not be grieved by those who rush headlong into disbelief among those who say "We believe" with their tongues when their hearts contain no faith. And among the Jews are those who listen to lies, listening to other people who have not come to you, distorting words from their proper meanings, saying, "If you are given this, then take it. If you are not given it, then beware!" If Allah desires misguidance for someone, you cannot help him against Allah in any way. Those are the people whose hearts Allah does not want to purify. They will have disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a terrible punishment.
Al-Ma'ida: 41
These characteristics of hypocrites have remained unchanged for centuries. The Qur'an refers to the existence of these people, who have claimed throughout history to be possessed of faith. Since hypocrites have had the same features at all times, and since their actions have always been opposed to the messengers, their deeds and what befell them have always remained the same. According to Allah's promise, they will continue to come to the same "end." It is revealed in one verse that:
Don't you see those who claim that they believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, still desiring to turn to a satanic source for judgment in spite of being ordered to reject it? Satan wants to misguide them far away.
An-Nisa': 60
They Feel Enraged by the Strength of Believers
That the actions they take against believers fail to achieve their aims merely increases hypocrites' anger. In the same way, the increasing strength of the faithful also enrages them. The following verses clarify the hypocrites' state of mind:
If something good happens to you, it galls them. If something bad strikes you, they rejoice at it. . . .
Ali 'Imran: 120
If good happens to you, it galls them. . . .
At-Tawba: 50
Hypocrites attempt to use believers to secure their own interests while they are amongst them, but their calculations prove hollow. They fail to secure their hoped-for advantages, while the believers grow ever stronger. This is an unchanging law of Allah, Who has revealed that He will help those who believe and have faith in Him in the life of this world and will bestow on them the finest of blessings. Hypocrites are also well aware of this. However, as a result of the cunning approach they take, the lives of believers, which are full of constant peace and ease, become sources of anger for them. Believers, always at ease, are rewarded with an abundance that the hypocritical logic is unable to fathom. That explains why hypocrites always desire for communities of the faithful, whom they detest, to be in a constant state of vexation. For hypocrites, the blessings that Allah bestows upon believers, and the abundance in which they live, are a source of troubling rage whereas any difficulty experienced by believers delights them. This defective state of mind of theirs is revealed in the Qur'an:
. . . They will do anything to harm you. They love what causes you distress. . . .
Ali 'Imran: 118
Since believers are subjected to testing by Allah, from time to time they may encounter what appear to be difficulties, but these are all tests for them. They know that difficulties hone them, increase their capacities for struggle and are the means whereby they can attain Paradise. The way that such difficulties enrage hypocrites is the most evident proof of their inability to comprehend the secret of living for Allah and their unawareness that this world is a place of testing. While believers evaluate these difficulties as auspicious, hypocrites regard them as sources of vexation for believers and as a victory for themselves. Their own natures keep them unaware of the measure of believers' wisdom and the strength of their faith. They imagine that believers will inevitably be downcast by the trials they encounter and that their unity will finally be impaired. They thus harbor great joy and expectations. Yet these expectations will come to nothing. They are unable to understand those who draw strength from and are devoted to Allah, and thus fall into a grave error.
Dawah at the Dinner table During Ramadan
August 20, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Correct Fear of ALLAH
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
A famous politician once said, " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". That may be true if you are speaking in generalities only. If you are afraid of the scrutiny of other people or their criticisms, then you will have a fear of them and be under their power, unable to utilize your own.
But if the only fear you have is the fear (respect, regardfulness) of ALLAH, you are empowered over everything in creation.
In my leadership at the masjid I often see people hold back from expressing the truth about a situation simply because they are afraid of the gaze or scrutiny of another person. That is the wrong fear.
People will also not pursue their dreams because someone told them they were unqualified and so they back up and let it drop and it is probably something they are very good at or at least something that can be sharpened. They drop their dreams because this naysayer appears to be stronger or smarter than you. But when you really look at this person you will probably find they are actually weaker than you.
Suppressing the talent ALLAH blessed you with is actually being ungrateful to Him. If you suppress your Islam so as to not let non-Muslims see you, you are being ungrateful of the greatest gift bestowed on mankind.
Alhamdullilah, we are at the advent of another Ramadan fast. We look to this month as a period of rejuvenation of our souls and our spirits. Almighty ALLAH orders us to abstain from food, drink, sex, and vain talk as a submission to Him so as to strengthen our iman. It is an excellent time to re-visit, study, and, strengthen some basic Islamic principles.
Ramadan is also the time when ALLAH affords us the opportunity to eat with each other more often. At Maghrib time, you can be sure most Muslims are scurrying around to find something to eat. During the rest of the year, with our busy schedules, it is difficult for some families to find time to eat together.
This Ramadan, we should focus on utilizing this time to do "Dawah at the dinner table." When we have fear of ALLAH, it will be more easy to combat the following weak behaviors.
Muslim men and women need to pay attention to how we live and practice our religion. This society makes a big point out of irresponsible men and loose women seeming to be normal. I know some Muslim males who have fathered children and never taken care of them. They have gotten to the point in their life where the sin of such action escapes them. In some communities the men go from woman to woman as though they were expendable collateral. To father children and not "maintain and protect them," is in direct conflict to the directives of ALLAH. Men are also charged with maintaining and protecting the community. Adhering to basic directives like this is necessary to have a stable productive community.
Females also need to be reminded of basic Islamic principles. ALLAH orders women to not expose their breasts and not draw unnecessary attention to their bodies. Yet I am noticing increasing numbers of Muslim women exposing cleavage and wearing form fitting jeans and dresses with not enough top piece to cover their forms. And it is ironic that at the same time they are wearing a scarf. What do you think the men inside and outside of the mosque are looking at…the scarf?? I think not.
Female breasts are sexual body parts. That's why ALLAH orders women to draw a veil over them. But I see lots of Muslim females from teenagers to young women – and even some "seasoned" women showing cleavage just like the women on TV.
Dawah at the dinner table will help those guilty of this.
Men, if you have babies with women and you haven't financially, materially, or emotionally supported them, start doing it now – for the sake of ALLAH – if you believe. You cannot continue lying to and using women just because you can – because they are the weaker sex. Repent to ALLAH and ask for His forgiveness; and from then on, strive to be upright.
During this month I would like to see more men standing up to their obligations to our women and children. Start with what you have and ask ALLAH to make it easy for you to fulfill you duties.
And I don't want to see any more females showing cleavage. I don't want to see it at any mosque – or if I happen to see you at CVS pharmacy. If you don't demand respect, you will not get any.
Let's talk to each other for real. Do dawah at the dinner table – it's the best place.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
Harun Yahya – Secrets of the Hypocrites
July 16, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
They Argue about Allah in the Absence of any Evidence
Among people there is one who argues about Allah without knowledge or guidance or any light-giving book.
Al-Hajj: 8
Their highest goal is to turn people from Allah and His religion and to hinder the spread of religious moral values on Earth. They therefore argue about Allah in such a way as to confuse people, and urge them to shape their own speculations about Him. Since they have a tendency to spread strife, they actively seek to eliminate people's respect for and fear of Allah, but carry out these activities in a sly manner. Using a similar method to that employed by satan, they address people's subconscious and speak in such a way as to confuse them.
All they manage to do, however, is deceive other hypocrites just like themselves. Allah reveals how the actions they take to turn people away from His path will rebound upon their own heads:
Turning away arrogantly, to misguide people from the way of Allah. He will be disgraced in this world and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the punishment of the burning.
Al-Hajj: 9
They Admire an Ethical Model of which Allah Disapproves
As we have seen so far, hypocrites engage in all kinds of behavior displeasing to Allah. Unaware of the gravity of their situation, they also put forward negative, perverted ideas regarding Islam, the religion selected by and beloved of Allah. With their own defective logic, they regard their own ideas as good and the truth as ugly:
We brought you the truth but most of you hated the truth.
Az-Zukhruf: 78
As is revealed in the Qur'an, these two-faced people, "who have sold guidance for misguidance" (Surat al-Baqara: 16), refuse to recognize the revelation of Allah, and regard the truth as something ugly. The proper moral values that Allah revealed to believers through the Qur'an represent a model that they view as totally impractical. Since they themselves are full of hatred and uncleanliness, they imagine that others are too and could never abide by such a model.
No doubt, these ideas apply both to themselves and to other deniers of a similar nature. Good moral values can be implemented only through fear of Allah and absolute submission to His commandments. A person can maintain a good character only through faith in the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment and reckoning. For anyone who has forgotten that he will have to account for himself on the Day of Judgment, there is no motive to display patience or make sacrifices for others. He feels the need to engage in such behavior only if it squares with his own interests. Otherwise, for someone who lives far removed from religious moral values, it seems meaningless to display a good character in this world—which is in any case transitory—to people who are in any case mortal.
The hypocrite will receive no reward, either in this world or the Hereafter, for any good behavior he engages in for the sake of his own interests. If someone ignores all Allah's commandments, everything that he does will be in vain, as is revealed by Allah in the Qur'an:
That is because they followed what angers Allah and hated what is pleasing to Him. So He made their actions come to nothing.
Muhammad: 28
Their Defiance of the Qur'an
First, in order to acquire a sufficient understanding of this matter, it should be useful to examine briefly the denier's view of the Qur'an.
One of deniers' most important characteristics is that they live by the religion of their ancestors instead of the religion of Allah. Under their religion, going along with baseless practices passed on by word of mouth is regarded as "religious observance." By complying with these traditions, they imagine themselves to be virtuous and "obedient." They never take the Qur'an as a criterion in any form whatsoever. The essence of this religion of the ignorant lies in traditions determined by the society, in which "goodness" lies in small matters performed with hardly any effort at all. They perform these in the name of "being good," and thus think that this must make them "good" too.
For example, giving some spare change to a beggar they happen to meet on the street, or donating clothes that are too old for them to ever wear again is in their eyes a "good deed." However, the true definition of goodness and righteousness is provided in the Qur'an:
It is not righteousness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, truly righteous are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who perform prayer and give the alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who guard against evil.
Al-Baqara: 177
When these others are told about the criteria in the Qur'an, they refuse to abandon their distorted beliefs:
When they are told, "Come to what Allah has sent down and to the messenger," they say, "What we found our fathers doing is enough for us." What! Even if their fathers did not know anything and were not guided!
Al-Ma'ida: 104
Whenever they commit an indecent act, they say, "We found our fathers doing it and Allah commanded us to do it too." Say: "Allah does not command indecency. Do you say things about Allah you do not know?"
Al-A'raf: 28
They never want to abandon the "social religion" they're accustomed to. For that reason, they seek out contradictions in the verses of Allah and strive to prevent people from His path. They are:
Those who bar access to the way of Allah and seek in it something crooked and reject the Hereafter.
Hud: 19
In short, these people are exceptionally insensitive with regard to the Qur'an and the verses of Allah; and their viewpoints never change in any significant way.
It is at this point comes a parting of the ways between hypocrites and deniers. Unlike the denier, the hypocrite does not completely reject the Qur'an. He will not emphasize that he does not truly believe in and submit to it, but on the contrary, seeks to hide that fact as much as possible. The denier does not implement the observances in the Qur'an unless he views them as a tradition left over from his ancestors; whereas the hypocrite does appear to fulfill a great many observances—on the surface.
Yet the hypocrite has not genuinely submitted to the verses. Whenever they impinge on his earthly desires, he remains completely insensitive to them. Furthermore, he performs only "formal" observances, even though a great many other observances need to be performed: such as complete submission to Allah and His messenger, and genuine acceptance of the messenger's stipulations. In addition, the hypocrite ignores those commandments of Allah concerning proper moral values that happen to conflict with his worldly interests—which interests include defending those desires, belittling others and regarding oneself as superior.
Great wisdom underlies Allah's revelation of the Qur'an, in which He warns against the Day of Judgment, and shows people the true path. However, only a few believe in the Qur'an and live by it in a fitting manner: Those are the faithful.
Believers are most respectful of the provisions of the Qur'an and submit to them. Their respect stems from their profound respect for Allah. Every time the Qur'an is recited, they fall silent to listen and fully reflect on the verses. The Qur'an increases their faith, and gives their hearts satisfaction and repose. In one verse Allah describes believers as:
. . . those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith is increased when His signs are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord.
Al-Anfal: 2
The attitude of hypocrites towards the Qur'an is highly two-faced. They abide by some of the verses of the Qur'an, but not by others. Their criteria are their earthly desires. They turn their backs without a qualm on provisions that feel difficult for them, such as spending in good causes or regarding their brother's desires as superior to their own. They are very flexible when it comes to implementing many provisions that are actually obligatory, and do not implement others at all if no one is looking.
As the above verse reveals, believers who read the Qur'an grow in faith, while hypocrites grow in denial. This is actually one of Allah's great miracles. That is because despite their reading exactly the same verses, two entirely different spiritual states emerge. Believers perceive the wisdom in the verses, while hypocrites are completely unable to fathom it. They may even be unaware of their inability to understand and imagine that they actually comprehend the Qur'an very well indeed.
The way this miracle comes about is set out in the Qur'an:
When you recite the Qur'an, We place an obscuring veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter. We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. When you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn their backs and run away.
Al-Isra': 45-46
Isn't it Wonderful to be Muslim?
July 2, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
ALLAH, The Almighty, has the power to use His creation as he sees fit. He allows people to be Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, or even disbelievers. He also reserves the authority to bestow His special blessings on a group of people that He has favored to carry His message. That special group of people is us – the Muslims.
When I think about the special blessings ALLAH has bestowed on me, I am filled with gratitude because I could be someplace else. In fact, I was someplace else before ALLAH rescued me and showed me the correct path. And I've been striving to stay on it ever since.
What is sometimes disturbing is when I see people abusing the good life ALLAH has put them in. I see men abusing women and taking advantage of them simply because they can. They can consciously choose and execute this abuse because ALLAH has put the man in a stronger position than the women. But that superior position is only so the man can maintain and protect the woman. I see men play on women's emotions and pull them back and forth as though they were puppeteers. It is definitely something wrong when a person is aware of ALLAH and the goodness He intends for us; and lives a life completely opposite from what she or he knows and preaches.
I am also aware of women who have a faster, more analytical mind than some men and they use this to abuse their spouse (and anyone else who gets in their way).
These people do not have a peaceful soul that is able to rest and enjoy the blessings has bestowed on them. They see some flaw in themselves and attempt to cover it up by being overly aggressive and finding fault in others. It seems that today's world is filled with self-promotion, defending our own rights, taking care of ourselves first, winning by intimidation, pushing for first place, and a dozen other self-serving agendas. That one attitude does more to squelch our joy than any other. So busy defending and protecting and manipulating, we set ourselves up for a grim, intense state of being – and it is not new or confined to any certain group of people.
Prophet Isa ibn Maryam, said to "Be unselfish and humble yourself. That statement is the secret of a happy life. While someone else is busy building a case against you, you will be in the next room, down the hall, or across the globe being happy and productive.
Do all your deeds with the thought in mind of pleasing ALLAH alone. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind. Let us regard other people as being more important than ourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
In this way, you, and those you are in contact with will prosper. And it will be done with less stress and anxiety.
These are basic Islamic tenants that help guarantee a peaceful soul. It is the way to purify your soul so you can better carry out your role as caretaker of the creation.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
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Examples of Advanced Ancient Technology
March 5, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Harun Yahya
Excerpted from the book A Historical Lie: the Stone Age
Cogs Used by the Mayans
Research in regions inhabited by the Mayans shows that they used devices containing cogwheels.
The photograph overleaf, taken in the major Mayan city of Copan, is one of the proofs of this. A society using cogwheel technology must also possess a knowledge of mechanical engineering.
It is impossible for anyone lacking this knowledge to produce a cogwheel mechanism. For example, if you were asked to produce a similar mechanism to that in the photograph, then without the appropriate training you could not do so, nor ensure that the mechanism would function properly.
Yet that the Mayans managed to do this is an important indicator of their level of knowledge, and proves that those who lived in the past were not "backward," as evolutionists claim.
The examples up to now are only a few that demonstrate the advanced levels of civilization achieved by communities in the past. These point to one very significant truth: The evolutionist thesis imposed for so many years, that societies in the past lived simple, backward, primitive lives, is simply wrong. Societies with different levels of civilization and different cultures have existed in all ages; yet none evolved from any other. The fact that some backward civilizations existed 1,000 years ago does not mean that history itself evolved, or that societies progress from the primitive to the more advanced. Because alongside these backward communities, there were also highly advanced ones that made huge strides in science and technology and founded deep-rooted civilizations. Yes, cultural interaction and the accumulated knowledge handed down through generations may well play a role in societies' development. But this is not evolution.
In citing examples of the communities that lived in the past, the Qur`an tells us that some of these did indeed build advanced cultures:
Have they not traveled in the Earth and seen the final fate of those before them? They were greater than them in strength and left far deeper traces on the Earth . . .
Al Ghaffar:21
Have they not traveled in the land and seen the final fate of those before them? They were more numerous than them and greater in strength and left more and deeper traces on Earth, but what they earned was of no use to them.
Al Ghaffar:82
How many wrongdoing cities We destroyed, and now all their roofs and walls are fallen in; how many abandoned wells and stuccoed palaces!
Al Hajj:45
These statements imparted in the Qur`an are supported by archaeological findings. When archaeological discoveries and the sites where past communities lived are examined, it can indeed be seen that most of these societies enjoyed a higher level than some present-day communities, and that they made enormous advances in the fields of construction technology, astronomy, mathematics and medicine. This yet again invalidates the Darwinist myth of the evolution of history and societies.
The Impasse of Language Evolution
In recounting the myth of the evolution of mankind's history, evolutionists encounter a number of serious problems. One is how human consciousness emerged in the first place. Another concerns the origin of speech—one characteristic that distinguishes human beings from all other living creatures.
When we speak, we are able to shape our thoughts thanks to language, and to express them in such a way that another party can understand them. Although this requires highly specialized muscular movements of the lips, throat and tongue, we are hardly aware of this. We merely "want" to speak. Sounds, syllables and words emerge through the harmonious contraction and relaxation of some 100 different muscles, and sentences comprehensible to others are formed by the appropriate sequences of such grammatical elements as subject, object and pronoun. The fact that we do nothing more than "wish" to use such an ability, based on such complex stages, clearly shows that speech is not merely an ability that arises from essential biological structures.
The human capacity for speech is an exceedingly complex phenomenon that cannot be explained in terms of the imaginary requirements or mechanisms of an evolutionary process. Despite lengthy research, evolutionists have been unable to produce any evidence that an exceedingly complex ability like speech evolved from simple animal-like sounds. David Premack from Pennsylvania University made this failure abundantly clear when he said, "Human language is an embarrassment for evolutionary theory . . ."
The well-known linguist Derek Bickerton summarizes the reasons for this "embarrassment:"
Could language have come directly out of some prehuman trait? No. Does it resemble forms of animal communication? No . . . no ape, despite intensive training, has yet acquired even the rudiments of syntax . . . how words emerged, how syntax emerged. But these problems lie at the heart of language evolution.
All languages on Earth are complex, and not even evolutionists are able to imagine how such complexity could have been acquired gradually. According to the evolutionist biologist Richard Dawkins, all languages—even the tribal ones regarded as most primitive—are highly complex:
My clear example is language. Nobody knows how it began . . . Equally obscure is the origin of semantics; of words and their meaning . . . all the thousands of languages in the world are very complex. I am biased towards thinking it was gradual, but it is not quite obvious that it had to be. Some people think it began suddenly, more or less invented by a single genius in a particular place at a particular time.
Two evolutionist brain researchers, W.K. Williams and J. Wakefield of Arizona State University, say this on the subject:
Despite the lack of evidence for intermediate stages in linguistic evolution, the alternatives are hard to accept. If some species-specific characteristic did not evolve in piecemeal fashion, then there would seem to be only two ways to explain its appearance. Either it was put in place by some still-undiscovered force, perhaps through divine intervention, or it was the result of some relatively abrupt change in the development of the species, perhaps some sort of spontaneous and widespread mutation . . . but the fortuitous nature of such a happenstance mutation makes that explanation seem suspect. As has been pointed out (Pinker and Bloom, 1990), the chances against a mutation resulting in a system as complex and apparently so ideally suited to its task as is language are staggeringly high.
Professor of linguistics Noam Chomsky comments on the complexity of the ability to speak:
I've said nothing so far about the production of language. The reason is that there is little to say of any interest. Apart from peripheral aspects, it remains largely a mystery.
To anyone not trapped inside evolutionist preconceptions, the origin of the capacity for speech is perfectly clear. It is Almighty God Who bestows this ability on Man. God inspires speech in human beings and causes them to speak, as is revealed in a verse from the Qur`an:
. . . They will reply, "God gave us speech as He has given speech to everything. He created you in the first place and you will be returned to Him."
In the same way that evolutionists are unable to account for the complexity of the biological structures that enable speech, they are also unable to explain the origin of the consciousness that makes language possible. Human consciousness and the complexities of language show that language was created by a superior Intelligence that belongs to Almighty God, our Lord.
The Imam, Leadership, and Respect
April 27, 2006 by TMO · Leave a Comment
Imam, Leadership, & Respect
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
"O ye who believe! Put not yourselves forward before ALLAH and His Messenger; but fear ALLAH: for ALLAH is He who hears and knows all things. 2. O ye who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk, as ye may speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds become vain and ye perceive not. 3. Those that lower their voice in the presence of ALLAHíS Messenger—their hearts has ALLAH tested for piety. For them is forgiveness and a great reward. 4. Those who shout out to thee from without the Inner Apartments—most of them lack understanding. 5. If only they had patience until thou couldst come out to them, it would be best for them: but ALLAH is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
Hujurat: 1-5
On July 4, 1976, Imam Wallace D. Mohammed, leader of the Muslim American Society, delivered a stirring talk entitled "The Need For Leadership." In the talk were references to how leadership is subtly and overtly disrespected. This is done in many ways such as constantly finding fault with the leader, putting obstacles in his path or refusing to remove obstacles from his path, or treating him like "one of the boys." When the Prophet (s) was among us physically, ALLAH had to remind the believers to treat him with respect. Looking at where the people came from (Jahylia—ignorance) it is no wonder they had to be reminded. Can you imagine having the Messenger of ALLAH (s) in your midst and shouting into his house like he was your street running buddy?
We may wonder why ALLAH put these ayahs in the Qur`an. The Prophet (s) is no longer physically with us so He couldn't be talking to us about shouting into the Prophet's (s) dwelling. That is not physically possible. But since we believe that every word of the Qur`an is meant for our guidance, then, without doubt, ALLAH intends this as a sign for human beings in our dealing with each other.
Does this mean that we are to treat our leaders as kings and princes? No, not at all. But it does mean that we are to be intelligent and respectful to those ALLAH allows to be in charge. You may notice when the President of the U.S. enters the halls of Congress, everybody jumps to their feet to give him a standing ovation until he reaches the front. Then when the Speaker of the House formally announces him, the applause starts all over again. It is a respect for the office—not necessarily the man.
ALLAH reminds us of this because the community cannot prosper with such behavior. Yusef Ali says in his commentary that to behave in such a manner can destroy the good intentions of any service you may have wished to perform. You might be looked upon with disfavor without you even realizing your action was disliked. ALLAH says "most of them lack understanding," but nevertheless the damage is done.
In order for us to be successful, we must take on the spirit of the Qur`an. We must drop cultural and ethnic hang-ups and adopt the plain and simple, but strong language of the Qur`an. It's the only way to be Muslim and be successful.
As Salaam Alaikum
(Al Hajj) Abdullah Bey El-Amin

subset: commoncrawl


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