Muslim Woman

A beautiful article written by perter chamberlin; Must read stuff.

Read the rest of this entry ... (635 words left)

Islam also allows fighting for the help of the oppressed. “And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women and children whose cry is: ‘Our Lord’! Rescue us from this town where people are oppressors and raise for us from thee one who will help.” (4:75). Evil consorts evil The good have all the more reason for drawing together by not only living in mutual harmony, but also by being ready at all times to protect each other. Otherwise, the world would be given over to aggression by unscrupulous people and the good will fail in their duty to establish peace and strengthen the forces of truth and righteousness (8:73). To help the oppressed, wherever they are and whatever is their race, colour, language and faith is the duty of the Muslims enjoined by Allah. Allah’s plan is universal, He provides protection to all his creature. To protect one He may have to check another. “And did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, the world would indeed be full of mischief: but Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds.” (2:251). Within the Islamic State itself, use of force is allowed first against those guilty of treason against the State  and, secondly against the hypocrites who though given the privileges of association with goodness and piety, persist in wicked deeds. (66:9)

Read the rest of this entry ... (68 words left)

At the time of Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him , his tribe, the Quraysh was in charge of the Kaaba, which was at that time a shrine to numerous Arabian tribal gods. Desert tribesmen, the Bedouin , and inhabitants of other cities would join the annual pilgrimage, to worship and to trade. Caravan-raiding, common during the rest of the year, was suspended during the pilgrimage; this was a good time, then, for travel and trade.

Read the rest of this entry ... (488 words left)

The month of ramadan is coming closer, that is why it is improtant to go over through its significance. Is fasting just about having sins forgiven and getting rewards multiplied in the Hereafter?  What about the problems of life here in this world?  Is fasting just a ritual or does it have some other significance? Modern Islamic scholars draw attention to the physical and spiritual benefits of fasting.  But since physical and medical benefits of fasting accrue to anyone who fasts, regardless of one's faith in God, it is obvious that the physical and medical benefits are not the primary purpose of fasting in Islam. What about spiritual benefits?  Since different religions have different concepts of spirituality, what does spirituality mean in Islam and how can it be developed through fasting? The proponents of other religions, including many Muslims, claim that spirituality is an individual and subjective experience. How then can one know that one's spiritual development is taking place due to fasting?  In addition, would a Hindu's or a Buddhist's spiritual development, due to fasting, be as significant as a Muslim's?  In fact, Buddhist monks and Hindu saints go through much more rigorous rituals than Muslims.  Does this mean that their spiritual development is of a higher level? Obviously, no Islamic scholar would be prepared to accept this. 

Read the rest of this entry ... (340 words left)

It is a misunderstanding that Islam has permitted polygamy, to marry and keep four wives at a time(false concept). The fundamental principle is to have one wife at a time. The Quranic instructions that if one decides to marry another woman in place of his existing wife he has to divorce as per the given procedure and this itself clarifies that no one is allowed to have more than one wife at one time; Quran chapter 4 verse 20

Read the rest of this entry ... (303 words left)

It is necessary that we Muslims face up to the reality that the Islam that we profess, practise and preach today is not working. And has not worked for a long time. This is true both for our communal life as societies, and our personal lives as individuals. In Muslim countries and communities around the world there is no shortage of mosques and preachers; prayer and fasting are common, millions perform the Hajj every year. Yet most of these societies are rife with corruption and injustice; poverty and illiteracy prevail; sickness and malnutrition are common. It is not just a question of resources; those Muslim countries that are lucky enough to have oil or other natural resources may have avoided some of these problems but face other serious ones (which are also common throughout the Muslim world) : lack of individual freedom and human rights; deep economic and social class divisions; materialism and consumerism; the lower status of women; the alienation of youth, etc.

Read the rest of this entry ... (446 words left)

The Mosque in Islamic history was the focal point where political, social, and religious activities were perfectly blended together. The concept of Islamic ideology paid as much attention to a man’s well-being and welfare in this world as much as the life hereafter. In this sense the role of the mosque has always been instrumental in the social-moral and political uplift of the Muslim Community. However, in the later period after Khilafat-e-Rashida, the period of first four pious caliphs with the decline of the political supremacy of the Muslims resulting in their disintegration under foreign rule, the concept and role of the mosque also underwent fundamental changes. Consequently the active and dynamic role the mosque played in the life of the Ummah in the period of our prophet and caliphs was reduced to a place of rituals and worship. The later concept continues up to today. This has not only rendered the mosque ineffective as a center of social uplift but it has rather indirectly or directly increased the sectarianism and parochialism among Muslims. It is therefore of paramount importance that the present concept of the role of mosques be analysed and redefined in the light of its original concept and function in the days of the Prophet and in the context of the present needs of the Muslim community.

Read the rest of this entry ... (243 words left)

The mere enactment of good laws, the Quran asserts is not enough to ensure peace in the world. It is necessary that the laws should be properly enforced :We sent Our messengers with clear arguments and with these Our laws and the criterion of justice so that man may establish himself in justice ; and with it We have , also created steel wherein is mighty power and many other uses for mankind (57 : 25).

Read the rest of this entry ... (1213 words left)

Human characteristics are baffling in their complexity and contradictions. Man’s capacity for ennoblement is equaled only by his capacity for debasement. He can rise to heights of sublimity but also sinks to the lowest depths of degradation. He may adore God with a fervor which is truly angelical; on the other hand, he may take devilish delight in debauchery and sensuality. If he can rise to heights of spiritual grandeur in love and can even die for his beloved, he can also hate like a beast of the jungle. Endowed with an intelligence which can explore interstellar spaces and can weigh the sun and the earth, he may remain ignorant of his own worth and latent powers and foolishly follow a path that will surely lead to the extermination of the human race..War has been with man throughout his existence on this planet. As far as our eye can penetrate the haze of the distant past, we see men fighting each other. Despite the splendid civilization he has created, and despite his glorious achievements in art and science, one wonders whether a being so busy with destroying his kind deserves to be called human. It is true that from time to time great men have appeared who have held aloft the banner of peace, tolerance and fellowship, but equally prominent men have as often preached the opposite gospel and glorified war. To Nietzsche, fighting was a noble occupation. "Men should be educated for war" he counseled, "and women for the production of warriors," and adds, to make his meaning clear, "everything else is folly". Mussolini looked upon war as a moral necessity. Hitler regarded war as the basic principle of life. For him law was only that which a soldier laid down. In his view, only those who help the state to prepare for war really contribute to national culture and social well-being. "We should demolish", says Heinrich Hauser, "all those institutions which safeguard peace and security for man. Life will be stable and simple only in an age we call barbaric.".

Read the rest of this entry ... (220 words left)

Read the rest of this entry ... (608 words left)