Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Learnings from NE Exodus - Re-inventing Muslim Leadership

I'm reminded of an old Dawud Wharnsby song, while seeing the country in disorder by some irresponsible, anti-social elements, focused on:-

Violent emotions
A rumor mongering,
Slandering
Spreading corruption and disorder in the Earth
Impelling others into violating the Permanent Moral Values
Involved in Bad company

"I sent an email to my loved one, just the other day,

it’s sad communication has evolved this way.

We use so many words but have so little to relay,

as angels scribble down every letter that we say.

All the viral attachments sent and passionate insults we vent,

it’s easy to be arrogant behind user passwords we invent.

But on the day the scrolls are laid,

with every word and deed displayed,

when we read our accounts,

I know, for one, I’ll be afraid."

~ Afraid To Read

Album: The Prophet's Hands (2003)

On Charity, Sacrifice and Social Concern

Allah speaks about these as

"Whenever he (man) holds the upper hand, he goes about the earth corrupting it, destroying (people's) crops and breeding stock. Allah does not love corruption. (Surat al-Baqara: 205)

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Of the three arrested here last week for sending SMSes and MMSes inciting violence against people from the Northeast, the main accused, Anees Pasha, a 26-year-old cellphone repairman, alone forwarded controversial images and messages to 20,000 people using multiple SIM cards and cellphones, according to preliminary investigations. Read more here Man held in Bangalore sent messages to 20,000: probe

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The recent havoc that mindless messaging created is unprecedented -- so much as to trigger violence, death, destruction of public and private property; loss of peace of mind, and ultimately the biggest internal exodus the country has seen.

Forward crazy

The online social bonding is amazing. Without batting an eyelid, people forward messages and emails that they find interesting, bizarre, entertaining or scandalous. No one pauses for a second to think whether they are passing on fact or a figment of imagination. Who cares?

But the real problem crops up when people think they have got a very important piece of information — messages that are very specific on details, more details than what even newspapers and television news channels have got, stuff that are actually inflammatory. And they are overwhelmed by an urge to pass it on to everyone who they think should know it. In no time the message zips across networks. And we have seen the horrendous results.

Social media — comprising everything from texting and web messaging to Facebook and Twitter — have taken over the information exchange mechanism. That's now the default information consumption interface. All of us are part of this media in one way or the other. Most often we get to know initial alerts about newsy events from strangers rather than from acclaimed and credible sources.

With so much unverified information zipping across, the social media is undoubtedly polluted. The immediate questions that this raises in my mind are — whom do I trust and what do I believe? If I shouldn't believe any SMS message or a Twitter update, then why am I reading them, subscribing to them? Should I stop believing everyone? Should I transform myself into chronic skeptic? Aren't we supposed to have faith in others, and believe what they say?

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http://www.firstpost.com/india/mumbai-violence-reinventing-the-muslim-victimhood-stance-416071.html

Muslims in India and elsewhere have a right to feel concerned for their co-religionists anywhere in the world if they are targeted and discriminated against – whether in Myanmar or Assam is immaterial. But the violence in Mumbai last Saturday, where the media and the police were at the receiving end, shows that they are being taken up the garden path once again. Muslim leaders are creating in them a new sense of victimhood and anger that does not square with the facts.

It is easy to blame the police for being unprepared for the huge crowd that turned out, but it is the leadership of the protest organisers who must be blamed more, since they would have been even more aware of what was really going on in their mosques and bylanes in the run-up to the protest.

According to The Indian Express, a confidential report had been sent to the Mumbai Police Commissioner that he should expect “law and order problems,” especially because Muslims were being told in their mosques during Friday prayers to attend the Saturday protests. They were being pumped up on stories of atrocities on Muslims in Myanmar and Assam.

Of course, the police must be blamed for assuming that the permission given to an unregistered group to hold a prayer meeting at Azad Maidan would be a placid affair. But given the context in which the protest was being held, they were clearly underprepared. However, given also that 45 of the 50-and-odd injured in the violence were policemen, it is their extraordinary restraint that must be commended rather than just being apportioned the blame for not being adequately prepared.

Rather, it is time to throw the spotlight on the Muslim leadership for building up the anger and not doing anything to rein it in.

More than the police, no one in the Muslim community could have failed to note the misleading SMSes and MMSes doing the rounds in the run-up to the protest day. ( Naim - Here it proves the lack of leadership qualities in an average Muslim and an important attribute to take moral responsibility to inform Appropriate Authority before the damage occur )This video proves the muteness of moderate muslims, who though in 1000s, are busy watching or recording in their cameras, when destruction of property is happening.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXNqo6L06Pg

Certain Muslim in India feel like a hunted animal and angry and victimised. According to The Times of India, the SMS read thus: “Burma, Assam, Gujarat, Kashmir ke bad na jane kahan? Burma mein Musalmano ke qatl-e-aam or zulm ke khilaf Azad Maidan me Sunday ko rally hai. America me 5 Sikho ka katal hua to media or sarkar me hadkam hai, or lakhon Musalmanon ki zindagi ki koi keemat nahi. Sab ki ankhen band hai. Is SMS to Sunday se pehle Hindustan ki har Musalman or mantriyo or media tak pohchao..”.

The bashing of the media and destruction of television OB vans can be traced to this SMS message.

Look at the number of deliberate truth distortions here. The Indian media has been more than fair in reporting the Bodo-Muslim violence in Kokrajhar – in fact, it has been balanced, and did not overtly take the Bodo side even though the Bodos have as much reason to be angry as the Muslims, thanks to the influx from Bangladesh, some of them illegal immigrants. The fact that many people are infiltrators from Bangladesh is not even mentioned. Every word in the SMS is designed to feed a sense of victimhood without context.

It is easy to blame the police for being unprepared for the huge crowd that turned out, but it is the leadership of the protest organisers who must be blamed more. Reuters

As for the Myanmarese violence against the Rohingyas of the Arakan, the SMS assumes that it is somehow India’s job to take up the issue. This is why the murder in the US Gurdwara is mentioned – to show that if India can take up that issue, why not the riots in Myanmar? That many of the Rohingyas are taking shelter on the India side (some have even shifted to Hyderabad) is not seen as a reason to be grateful to this nation which has not so far discriminated against the flood of migrants from Bangladesh and even Myanmar. Would Indian Muslims be so angry if told that we are providing shelter to these victims of violence?

Then, there were the fake MMSes doing the rounds – many of them put up on social media – showing pictures that purport to show that Muslims were being slaughtered by the hundred. A Pakistani journalist-blogger – Faraz Ahmed – who is no friend of the Myanmarese, investigated these pictures and found that many of them were bogus, and possibly morphed by mischief-monger to enrage Muslims everywhere (Read Ahmed’s article, ‘Social media is lying about Burma’s Muslim cleansing,” here, and another related report How to start a riot out of Facebook: Yousuf Saeed, and see my facebook post here Facebook HOAX pictures).

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Effective Islamic Leaders should have some leadership qualities such as conviction, justice, sacrifice, eloquence, sound decision –making, etc.

According to some researchers, leaders in the Islamic perspective have been identified to have some leadership qualities geared towards the Holy Qur’an.

THERE ARE 25 CHARACTERISTICS NECESSARY FOR LEADERSHIP BASED ON THE WAYS AND TRADITIONS OF THE PROPHET (PBUH) AND THE QUR’AN:

ABILITY

BRAVERY

CALMNESS

DEPENDABILITY

EXEMPLARINESS

FAIRNESS

GENUINENESS

HONESTY

INITIATIVE

JUDGEMENT

KNOWLEDGE

LIBERALISM

MODESTY

NOBILITY

ORGANIZATION

PERSONALITY

QUALITY

RESPONSIBILITY

SACRIFICE

TEAMWORK

UNDERSTANDING

VERSATILITY

WISDOM

YOUTHFUL

ZEAL

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Quit Smoking starting this Ramadan

Assalamualaikum !

Ramadan a good opportunity to quit smoking, expert says

"As people abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, they are able to keep their habit under control and resist the urge to smoke during that period," Expert noted and said it is easier to quit smoking during Ramadan

Just within the first 20 minutes after you quit smoking, the body initiates an auto-healing process to restore your heart rate and blood pressure to normal and it takes about 24 hours for the last extra carbon monoxide from smoking to be eliminated from the body. Approximately 10 years after quitting smoking all the traces of smoking are removed from the body, Expert said and added that no one should forget that smoking is a treatable medical condition. more...

Ramadan provides an excellent opportunity to change one’s mindset and environment to quit smoking.

Understanding what tobacco dependence is all about can help the smoker change his habits. This is especially so because addictive behavior has a direct influence on the bodily chemicals that affect emotions and behavior.

Often, it is the emotional aspects that cause the smoking behavior to continue. And thus the multitude of excuses which smokers offer such as it gives “a surge of energy”, or “acts to reduce tension” or even “gives a feeling of security”.

What it actually amounts to is that smoking maintains a certain level of nicotine in the smoker’s blood, especially in the brain.

Read further here http://quransunnah.wordpress.com/2007/12/25/quit-smoking-starting-this-ramadan/

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No one can deny the harms of smoking to the human body. Medical evidence has established this fact beyond a shadow of doubt. The harms are as follows:

1) The cigarette contains poisonous materials, e.g. nicotine, tar, etc. These gases are killers.

2) Causes a bad odour to emanate from the mouth of the smoker.

3) Causes disturbances to others when performing Salaah in congregation.

4) Rasoolullah (S.A.W.) has said: “Whosoever eats garlic or onion, let him avoid us and our Masjid, and stay in his home. The angels are surely hurt by things that hurt the human beings.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

5) Smoking is harmful to the mind and body. The smoker is constantly craving- making it hard to work, concentrate, etc.

6) Causes irritation, insomnia, excitability, nervousness, etc. – hence instead of being Allah’s slave, a smoker becomes slave to his cigarette.

7) A smoker endangers his family’s health as well as that of none-smokers.

in the Quraan these verses refer to Smoking:

"And He makes good things halaal for them and bad things haraam." Surah al-A'raaf (7:157):

"Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you." (Surah al-Nisaa' 4:29)

"Those who cause harm to believing men and women without any reason do a great sin." (Surah al-Ahzaab, 33:58)

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”[al-Talaaq 65:3]

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http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-17/health/28295091_1_smoking-cigarette-exercise/2

Let your family and friends know that you are trying to quit smoking as it can help you achieve success, revealed a recent study.

We talk to a few smokers, healthcare experts and chemists to know if it's true and the latest products available off-the-shelf that stave off smoking.

In your department there would be at least two smokers, minimum of seven on your floor and in your office ... far too many to even count. And what about your neighbourhood? And if at home there is someone who smokes, your life is surely up in smoke!

However, there is hope as a single thread runs through all these people and that is all of them know smoking is terrible for one's health, and at some point in their life, they have even tried to give up smoking completely. While few may have been successful, the others are still grappling to end the bad habit and are on the lookout for effective measures to kick the butt.

Go public

The recent research involving 1424 Australians, two thirds said talking to others about quitting was beneficial. The survey led by research firm Stollznow revealed that confiding in others could help stave off the temptation to smoke. Being public about the quit attempt, particularly with those closest to you like family and friends, can help address this issue.

Stress less

Too much work in the office, deadlines to meet, unhappy personal life? Is any one of this your reason to smoke? If so, think like a responsible adult. You need to look inwards and discuss with others in the family to address the problem at hand. Picking up a cigarette is not going to end your blues. In fact it will escalate your problems manifold. Professor Matthew Peters, who is chairman of Action on Smoking and Health Australia, confirm stress is a major factor in keeping some people smoking.

Exercise enough

Experts say ten minutes of cycling or jogging can significantly help people quit smoking. The researchers from the University of Exeter have shown that changes in brain activity, triggered by physical exercise, may help reduce cigarette cravings. Although it is still unclear, researchers believe that completing exercise raises mood (possibly through increases in dopamine) which reduces the salience or importance of wanting a cigarette.

Another possibility is that exercise causes a shift in blood flow to areas of the brain less involved in anticipation of reward and pleasure generated by smoking images.

A ten or fifteen minute walk, jog or cycle when times get tough could help a smoker kick the habit. There are of course many other benefits from a more active lifestyle including better fitness, weight loss and improved mood.

Go for e-Cigarettes

Yes, it's true there are electronic cigarettes available easily! They feel and look like regular cigarettes but they aren't bad for your health. It's a battery powered, cigarette shaped device that releases a small dose of nicotine with each puff. As the nicotine goes into the bloodstream, the smoker feels the same high but the (bad) effect is substantially less. The cigarettes are sold as a 'quit pack' consisting of 45 cartridges costing Rs 4 per cigarette. Available at select Archies outlets in Delhi and Gurgaon.

Tablets and patches

Smokers wishing to kick the butt can double their success rates by using nicotine patch. Available at select pharmacy shops but do check the label. The current labelling comes as a result of concerns that using a patch while smoking could lead to nicotine overdose, but a literature review found concurrent use of a nicotine patch and cigarette smoking appears to be safe.

People who use the patch before quitting are likely to spontaneously reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke because the patch satisfies their need for nicotine and makes the act of smoking less enjoyable.

Nicotine patch also decreases withdrawal symptoms.

Bupron XL 300mg is a doctor-recommended medicine which is meant to eaten daily for 60 days. By the eighth day, you will feel the urge has perceptibly gone down. But don't be overconfident as it is also the time when you may go back to smoking your normal, read huge, quota. Says Rajesh from medicine.com, a chemist in Greater Kailash-II, "This medicine is so much in demand that we keep running short of it. The biggest plus is that it comes with no side-effects."

Help on your phone

There's help from your phone as well! The new iPhone has a free application which provides a live quitline coach and uses live text to advice on how to kick the butt. It connects the user to the National Cancer Institute's quitline service where they speak to a live quitline coach or use live text to get advice on quitting.

Developed by The George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) and the National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative (NTCC), "My QuitLine" app is a wonder cure for those keen on kicking the butt.

While the Apple app store has other applications to help people quit smoking, no others use products or services recommended as effective by the 2008 Public Health Service Guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.

Chewable tablets/Gums

There's a new cure on the block and that's a chewing gum. These are not ordinary ones, but nicotine-based chewing gums by which smokers can be wooed to desist from picking up a cigarette.

Also, the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, has developed herbal chewable tablets. These herbal tablets will not only help those who want to quit smoking, but are also useful for all those who want to give up other tobacco products like pan-masala and ghutka.

The chewable tablets are poly herbal formulations and nicotine free, said the scientists. The basic ingredients are cloves, ginger, cardamoms, cinnamon and tulsi. They have already been scientifically validated and standardised. Toxicity studies have revealed that the formulation is safe to use, officials have said.

Natural anti-anxiety medication, and St John's Wort, an anti-depressant, have been used as natural substitutes for other drugs. But do check with your doctor beforehand.

Opt for counselling

Nimhans has a Tobacco Association Clinic that comes to the rescue of those who want to quit smoking or any other form of tobacco. Experts feel users of such deadly commodities should seek medical counselling as it's not easy to give it up. However, a combination of group or individual counselling, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and medication is necessary in most cases.

Group counselling on the telephone or on the Internet by creating de-addiction and support groups may offer encouragement more so when the morale is low.

Hypnosis will work

This technique helps by giving suggestions of reminders to relax during times of craving, or unconscious commands, which create a negative impression in the brain. There are many hypnotists in your city, do consult with one and give up the habit.

Think, feel, quit

You only live once. So take out time to think and feel for your loved ones, the environment and the passive smokers around you. Use of tobacco leads to deforestation as eight kg wood is needed to create a kg of tobacco; tobacco dirties the teeth and forms pigments in palms, fingers and nails; it leads to hair loss and skin wrinkles; tobacco users are two to three times more likely to develop heart disease and paralysis, apart from diabetes; men may become impotent and women may have fertility problems. If these don't put you off, wonder what will...

Don't give up

Even if you have tried several times to give up the habit but failed, do continue trying. The number of times you've gone back to it is not important, but maybe the fifth or sixth time, you will actually be successful in kicking the habit. Visit places which have a 'do not smoke' policy and test yourself as to how long you can control your desire to smoke. Meet friends who do not smoke and most importantly, love yourself and the rest of your family and bless them all good health and a long life.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Utilize your free time and health through good deeds

Assalamualaikum

"There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good." (Bukhari 8/421)

“The soul on Day of Judgement will be asked four questions: about

his age and how he spent it, about
his youth and how he used it, about
his wealth and how he acquired it and spent it, and about
his knowledge and what he did with it.”

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), used to call on Muslims to take the initiative to do good deeds before any obstacles arise. For instance, he said,

"Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you:

A starvation which may impair your wisdom;
A prosperity which may mislead you;
An ailment which may damage your health;
An old age which may harm your senses;
A sudden death; ......." (at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)

AlMighty takes an oath of Time - "By [the token of] time through the ages, Verily, Man is in loss except those who have faith and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to truth and patience."
Loyola University Chicago Graduate delivers excellent speech on Importance of Time in this video.Must watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2vNC64-xWk

"The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat hanging unused in your closet belongs to the man who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the man who has none; the money which you hoard in the bank belongs to the poor. You do wrong to everyone you could help, but fail to help." St. Basil the Great

Make it a rule…never to lie down at night without being able to say, "I have made one human being at least a little wiser, a little happier or a little better
this day." - Charles Kingsley

Muslims are increasingly placing importance upon the fundamentals of Islam - faith, praying five times a day, reading the Quran, etc. Islam is a way of life. I would like to highlight certain issues that are important ways of putting faith to practice.

Many of us forget what charity stands for in Islam. Many donate money to mosques and religious schools, which Mashallah are blessed acts. But donating money, for many, is like donating something that most of us can more than easily give. Charity is more than monetary. A sacrifice is most meaningful when it requires effort and a little compromising and accommodation on our part, for the sake of Islam, God and eleviation of the suffering that others go through.

US$10 Billion - The Third Pillar of Islamby By Monique Parsons, BeliefNet.com

Yaser ElMenshawy never saw the man's face, but he doubts he will ever forget him. At a fund-raiser last year for a new Brooklyn mosque, the master of ceremonies asked if anyone would donate $100,000 to kick off the campaign. A man's voice called out from the crowd: Yes!"And to top it off, he wrote a check" on the spot, said ElMenshawy, a software engineer from Woodbridge, N.J., and chairman of a network of Islamic organizations in his state. "That guy impressed me."
Not every American Muslim has an extra hundred grand sitting in a checking account, to be sure, but in these heady days of economic prosperity, many appear to be opening their wallets like never before. They are giving to erect mosques, Islamic community centers, and schools across America; to help needy Muslims at home and overseas; to support non-sectarian institutions such as universities and hospitals; and to help America's urban poor, regardless of creed.
Tally it all up, and some experts estimate the total would top $10 billion annually, said Kareem Irfan, a spokesman for the Indiana-based Islamic Society of North America, a national umbrella group. Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, ISNA secretary-general, says Muslim participation in the "cyber- revolution," as well as a strong economy, has fueled much of this increase.
At the root of this philanthropy, however, is faith. Zakat, "charity," the third of Islam's "five pillars," is outlined in the very beginning of the Qur'an. Traditionally, that obligates each Muslim to donate 2.5% of his or her annual savings, making needy family members the first priority. Add to that the principle of sadaqa, optional charity, and you have a religion where generosity is as fundamental as daily prayer and faith in God.
Exact figures are not easy to track. Faith-based nonprofits saw donations increase 5.5% last year, to $81.78 billion, according to estimates by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, which does not specifically track Muslim charitable giving. Unlike the major Christian or Jewish charities, which rely on local offices and foundations to channel funds to various causes, America's Islamic charities have yet to build such sophisticated networks.
Many believe it's simply a matter of time before America's Muslim community, now estimated at between 6 million and 10 million strong, will build institutions rivaling those built by Christians and Jews.
"Our community is a young community. Our religious scholars, there are none here. We're having to bring them in from overseas," said Dalell Mohammed, spokeswoman for the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation, one of the nation's most established and popular Islam-based charities. "I think once the American Muslims start coming up in this field, I think it will be much, much more organized and more connected and more unified."
In some cases, Muslim charities are hindered more by politics than lack of professional polish.
The Holy Land Foundation took in more than $6 million last year, most of it directed to humanitarian efforts in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, as well as to needy Muslims in Turkey, Kosovo, and Bosnia. Recent American and Israeli investigations into the charity's activities in Palestine have frightened some donors, Mohammed said, but she is optimistic that American Muslims will continue to support what she says is the foundation's primary focus: helping Muslims in need, wherever they may live.
The seven-year-old Global Relief Foundation of Chicago, another popular Islam-based charity, helps the poor in 17 nations, including Kosovo, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Georgia. Although nonprofit and nonpolitical, they have been unable to gain access to certain regions, said Farooq Burney, a GRF spokesman.
"Iraq is a place where we have not been able to work," Burney said. "Obviously, when you see there's so much suffering going on, it does bring a certain amount of frustration."
Another challenge for Muslim charities is the fact that many donors want to see quick results, an issue faced by many nonprofit groups seeking funds.

"People tend to give money where they see the money spent, more so than to some international organization that is going to be 'over there' somewhere," ElMenshawy said. One result has been the phenomenal growth in community infrastructure.
"All across the nation, especially in Michigan, Illinois, California, and Houston, we're seeing lots and lots of mosques," he said, adding that more than 60 mosques have been organized in New Jersey in the past 25 years. "On the negative side, that has been a real drain for the community, because when you put money into one thing that means you put less money into something else. There are not a lot of social-service institutions where large donors would show up."
The emphasis on houses of worship, rather than hospitals or universities, is no fluke, however.
"There is a verse in the Qur'an that says whatever you do to build a mosque here, a house of Allah, then you will be guaranteed a mosque in heaven," Irfan said. "All practicing Muslims take that quite seriously."
Irfan, a lawyer specializing in information technology and e-commerce law, saw this principle in action two years ago, when Muslims in his hometown of Naperville, Ill., needed cash to buy land for a new mosque.
"Within about a month, we were able to collect close to $800,000, and a fair portion of that came from people's stocks having gone up," Kareem said. "A number of people just contributed their shares. Many people are taking advantage of the capital gains on their investments."
Such stories are not unusual. Two weeks ago in Texas, a single fund-raising dinner yielded nearly $99,000 for an Islamic student center at the University of Houston, said Dr. Mazhar Kazi, a founder of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. Muslims in the region have given millions of dollars to build a growing network of mosques, community centers, schools, funeral homes, and cemeteries, including seven large Islamic centers worth up to $2 million each, Kazi said.
Since Islamic law forbids borrowing money with interest, donors in the community have shouldered the financial burden of such growth.
"We are doing this without bank or government loans," Kazi said.
Not all Muslim largesse is manifested in six-figure checks, shiny new buildings at home, or orphanages overseas, however. Like many of their Jewish and Christian brethren, many American Muslims are fulfilling their obligation of zakat in small ways, day by day, quietly and without fanfare. Such largesse is a reminder that even in times of economic prosperity for some, many others are left behind.
In Chicago last year during Id al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice" that marks Ramadan's end, Muslims quietly distributed 5,000 packages of meat to the poor, the vast majority of them non-Muslim, said Syed Tahir Ali, finance secretary of the Chicago chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America, another umbrella group.
Each week, those in need contact Ali's office asking for help paying bills, buying bus passes, paying school tuition, or buying food.
Similar requests are fielded each Friday at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, where people line up to ask for help with bills large and small.
Syeed of ISNA doesn't expect such work to let up anytime soon.
"Everything is from Allah," he said, "and it's our duty to be generous in giving away whatever we can afford and whatever we are asked."

Donate our Time...

Donating money is hardly difficult for a person who can afford it. Can we however, afford to donate something even more precious perhaps - like time for example? Instead of sending a cheque to the mosque or the orphanage can we perhaps take the time to help in the administration of the mosque, in its maintenance, spending a day with the orphans, helping out or even voluntarily teaching at religious schools.

Save a Life...
I used to be really afraid of needles but I overcame my fear because I knew I could help save the lives of people who were dying or suffering. Not only will this person be very grateful to you, his/her family will be too. Inshallah, you can help save their loved one.
Giving a second chance at life to a person could mean so many things. Maybe he/she will one day grow up to be a great leader. Maybe the second chance at life will give him a chance to embrace Islam. Maybe he will be a great asset to spreading Islam and helping the underprivileged people around the world. You never know. Imagine yourself in their shoes.

Blood Donation...
Read, Is blood or organ donation permissable?
There is a severe shortage in blood donation all around the world. For example, in Singapore only 1.5% of the entire population donate blood. The percentage of Muslim blood donation is even smaller. Blood donation is completely halal because it harms neither the donor nor the recipient. (Source: MUIS, Muslim Authority of Singapore)
Who can donate blood?

Age between 18 and 60 years for most countries

Healthy bodyweight

No contagious diseases

What is the Procedure like?

You will need to answer questions regarding your health in the last 3-6 months, including any traveling to a Malaria zone and other risks pertaining to contagious diseases like syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis etc., which would make you illegible for blood donation

Before blood donation, your blood pressure is measured and blood tests done to evaluate the hemoglobin, hematocrit etc.

The "actual" blood donation is then carried out. 450 ml of blood is drawn form the cubital vein (inner side of elbow), using sterile and disposable utensils. Drawing this amount of blood is not dangerous for a healthy person. After this procedure, you can rest for a while to stimulate and equilibrate your blood circulation.

The blood is tested on HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C; in case of a pathological result, you will be informed confidentially.

How will my Blood be Used?It is processed to its components, which may be used as follows:

Red cells (42 days): anemia, kidney dialysis, surgery

Plasma (up to 1 year- frozen): burn victims and shock

Platelets (5 days): leukemia, cancer, surgery

How do I know I'm in good Hands?

Use of sterile, disposable needles and plastic bags, used once and then discarded, along with other required precautionary measures.

Bone Marrow Donor...Another special way to save a life is by registering yourself as a bone-marrow donor. Visit the Bone Marrow Donation Page. The laws and requirements for Blood donation may differ from country to country; please inquire with your local authority.

Kidney Donor...
Write to the National Kidney Foundation in your state, country and sign up as an organ donor. If you die of an accident, your kidney can be transplanted into a patient losing his life due to the failure of his own organs. Also, registering yourself as an organ donor entitles you to high priority on the list of patients waiting for transplants, if you should one day need one. Please read this excellent article on organ transplants.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Eid al adha: Understanding Abrahamic Sacrifice and Hajj

EID Mubarak!


Inside Kaabah, Muslims worship what it repesents the ONE GOD, the God of Abraham

Malcolm X -"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white." -

Malcolm X -"America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white – but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color."

Islam regards many of the biblical patriarchs as prophets of God, and hence as Muslims (i.e., monotheists).

According to the Qur'an, Abraham reached the conclusion that anything subject to disappearance could not be worthy of worship, and thus became a monotheist ( Qura'n 6:76–83).

Abraham said : "My Lord is He who giveth life and death.'
King Nimrod(atheist) replied : "I give life and death.'
Said Abraham : "But it is God that causeth the sun to rise from the East. Do then(you) cause it to rise from the West.'

Thus was he(king) confounded(confused) who (in arrogance) rejected God.

Abraham said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of heavens and the earth, He who created you (from nothing) : I am a witness to this (truth)."

As usual, when falsehood is defeated on intellectual grounds it resorts to plotting and oppression.

"So naught was the answer of (Abraham's) people except that they said : Slay him(Abraham) or burn him " (29:24)

Abraham could have given up his message and his beliefs to save himself from the fire. Nay he chose martyrdom.He chose to die for Allah's message to live. He chose to step into the fire of ignorance and tyranny in order to save humanity from the fire of ignorance and tyranny. So he was cast into the fire.

But Allah had a different plan for Abraham and he was unhurt by the grace of Allah :

"But Allah did save him from the fire. Verily in this are signs for people who believe " (29:24).

"We(Allah) said "O fire ! Be cool and a means of safety for Abraham' " (21:69).

"For Allah did take Abraham for (an intimate) friend " (4:125)

The Enemies : Slay him or burn him " (29:24)

"Abraham was indeed a model. Devoutly obedient to Allah, and true in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah " (16:20).

"Lo ! Abraham said to his father Azar : Do you take idols for God ? For I see you and your people in manifest error ? " (6:74).

And throughout his century of prophethood and service of God, as Abraham grew older, his desire to have a son grew stronger. The Prophet Abraham desperately longed for a son but his wife Hajar was barren.

"O my Lord ! Grant me a righteous son !" (37:100)

Against every expectation, Allah fullfilled his promise of making Abraham the seed of a great line of Prophets, the root of the great universal religions.

"So we gave him the good news of a forbearing boy" (37:101).

The name Ishmael was also chosen by AlMighty Himself: Genesis 16:11:

"And the Angel of the Lord said unto her [Hager] : 'Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction."' Ishmael means "God hears."

Genesis 17:20 : "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. "

That covenant was made with Abraham and Ishmael:

Genesis 17:10 This [is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

Allah brought mercy to the agedness, loneliness, hopelessness and anguish of his trustworthy Messenger.

Ismael being the promise of future generations was in some sense the whole world for Abraham.

Abraham(PBUH) was to be tried once more.

Abraham(PBUH) had a vision in which he was commanded by Allah to slaughter his only son.

It is not possible to convey in words what it must have meant for Abraham to be commanded by Allah (ta'ala) to sacrifice his only son Ismail.How can Abraham take his beloved son, the fruit of his life, the joy of his heart, the meaning of his living and staying, his Ismail, and hold him on the ground, put a knife to his throat and kill him ?

Within him, there must have been a war?

The war between God and Ismail !

The difficulty of choice !

Love of God or Love of self ?

Prophethood or Fatherhood ?

Loyalty to God or loyalty to family ?

Faith or Emotion ?

Consciousness or Instinct ?

Responsibility or Pleasure ?

Duty or Right ?

Tawheed (Monotheism) or Shirk (Polytheism) ?

And finally, God or Ismail ?

What should Abraham(PBUH) choose ?

He doubted and wavered under the crushing force of pain and anguish.

Only after the third vision did he finally decide to carry out Allah's command.

This is reflected in the hajj ritual of stoning the three idols representing Iblis who tempted Abraham to disobey Allah.

But Abraham chose God and gave up Ismail.

Abraham said to Ismail : "O my Son, I see in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now see what is your view ? " (37:102)

Realising his father's distress, Ismail gave him these comforting words : "O my father ! Do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah so wills, patient and constant " (37:102)

Abraham had consulted his son who willingly offered himself to Allah's command. The choice of Abraham was sacrifice. That of Ismail was self-sacrifice : Martyrdom.

And so he slaughtered Ismail. But, by Allah's grace, the knife did not cut.

Abraham received a sheep and was called by Allah :

"O Abraham ! You have confirmed the Vision Thus indeed do We reward those who do right This is indeed the manifest trial !" (37:104-105)

Brothers and Sisters, Abraham gained everything and kept Ismail.

This means that the God of Abraham is not thirsty for blood

Mankind has needs but God has no needs. Allah only wants one thing from His slaves.

"And I (Allah) created not the Jinn and mankind except they should worship Me (alone). I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong." [51:56-58]

"Say He is Allah, the One and Only God, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him!" Qur'an112:1-4

Allah (ta'ala) promoted Ismail to the highest peak of being the great sacrifice of God without bringing any harm to him.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SACRIFICE

The All Knowing and Sublime Creator has declared the rights of each of His creation, and says in his divine revelation(s)

"It is not their meat (of sacrifice) nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you: and proclaim the Good News to all who do right".

-Holy Quran 22:37

-The law book of Hindu Scriptures (Manu [200 BC-AD 200]) also speaks on similar lines

"the Lord of creatures (Prajapati) created this whole world to be the sustenance of the vital spirit; both the immovable and the movable (creation is) the food of the vital spirit. What is destitute of motion is the food of those endowed with locomotion; (animals) without fangs (are the food) of those with fangs, those without hands of those who possess hands, and the timid of the bold. The eater who daily even devours those destined to be his food, commits no sin; for the creator himself created both the eaters and those who are to be eaten " (V.28-30).

The Universal Lessons of Haj
Nearly three million(30 Lakhs) Muslims from around the world, chanting "Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners." " and raising their hands to heaven, marched through a desert valley outside Mecca in Saudi Arabia today on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

Dressed in seamless white robes symbolising the equality of mankind under God, the pilgrims hiked through the eight-mile valley to Mina, starting a series of rituals in which they cleanse themselves of sin.

"For us it is a vacation away from work and daily life to renew yourself spiritually, " said Ahmed Karkoutly, an American doctor from Brownsville, Texas. "You feel you part of a universe fulfilling God's will. It's a cosmic motion, orbiting the Kaaba."

As Dale Eickelman and James Piscatori explain in Muslim Travellers: Pilgrimage, Migration, and the Religious Imagination, "Faith is accepted and sustained through symbol and metaphor, the very stuff of imagination which not only enlarges adherents' perceptions but reorders them so that the validity and rationality of religious faith and practice seem only natural." Pilgrims are to contemplate on the inner meaning of the rites and, using their abilities to imagine and innovate, apply the significance of those rites beyond the Hajj to their everyday lives.

Ebrahim Moosa notes in Pilgrims at Heart: "After paying homage to the two women Eve and Hagar in the rites of pilgrimage, how can some Muslims still violate the rights and dignity of women in the name of Islam? Is this not a contradiction?" Indeed, God's commentary on women's dignity is nestled within the Hajj rituals honoring Eve and Hagar ."

Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in my way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other." (3:195)

Clearly, the white sea of men and women side by side performing tawaf (circling) around the Kaaba (the stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael) should lay to rest any claim that Islam -- as opposed to some Muslims – degrades women.

Hagar asked Abraham(pbuh) "Oh Abraham, where are you going, leaving us here without any people or sustenance?"

He gave no reply. When she asked again and found he would not reply,

she asked, "Is this ordained by God?"

After Abraham replied yes,

Hagar faithfully answered, "God will not let us die then."

As the pilgrims in Mecca complete the annual ritual of pilgrimage today, Muslims across the globe will begin the Id al-Adha(Eid - Ul- Zuha), the three-day Feast of Sacrifice, in solidarity with them.
For Muslims seeking to make sense of the annual pilgrimage, a question arises: "is the hajj only an elaborate ritual?"
Hajj literally means, "to continuously strive to reach one's goal."

Exile, sacrifice and atonement underscore the commandment of pilgrimage in Muslim religious life. The faithful re-enact the pilgrimage rituals in imitation of their spiritual forbears. They relive exile by treading in the footsteps of Abraham. But the hajj also recalls the temporary exile of Adam and Eve, who wandered the earth after their expulsion from paradise. According to Muslim tradition, Adam and Eve reconciled with God in the desert of Arabia . The spot where they met each other again and atoned - an obligatory destination for pilgrims - is called Arafat, from the Arabic word 'arafa, "to know."
The theme of knowing and imagining the divine is embroidered through the trials of Abraham and his family. After Abraham's first child, Ishmael, was born to his slave wife Hagar, he was confronted by the jealousy of his other wife, Sarah, who was then childless. God upgraded this domestic squabble into a legacy issue for the Patriarch and his admirers. But he ordered the dutiful Abraham to banish Hagar and Ishmael to Arabia .
Years later, Muslim tradition holds, Abraham reconciled with Hagar and Ishmael. But more trials awaited. This time Abraham had to do the unthinkable: Sacrifice his Son Ishmael

. Mainstream Muslim tradition believes that the son in question was Ishmael, while Jews/Chrisitans view holds that it was Isaac, Sarah's son. However after a miraculous substitution of Ishmael by a ram, Abraham's reputation was sealed as the "friend of God."

"For Allah did take Abraham for (an intimate) friend " (4:125)

Abraham (pbuh), is an important prophet in Islam, and the father of the Prophet Ismail (Ishmael), his firstborn son, who is considered the Father of the Arabs. Ibrahim(Abraham) is commonly termed Khalil Allah, Friend of God .

To express their loathing of evil, the pilgrims will participate in that ancient drama of Abraham and Ishmael. They will first stone three pillars, each symbolizing Satan's failed attempts to mislead Abraham's family . Then, in a place called Mina, meaning "desires," each pilgrim will sacrifice an animal. With this act they seek to replace their destructive desires with productive ones. Away from Mecca, non-pilgrims with means will also slaughter animals as a show of hospitality to friends, family and the indigent. As a performance, the pilgrimage links people to a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions, just as, by bringing together Muslims from a great multiplicity of cultures, it celebrates the diversity of our common humanity.

The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve . They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marva searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son.

The faithful hope after Hajj is that it will bring about a deep spiritual transformation, one that will make him/her a better person. If such a change within does not occur, then the Hajj was merely a physical and material exercise devoid of any spiritual significance.

The fact that millions of Muslims transcending geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic and social barriers converge in unison on Mecca , attests to the universality of the Hajj.

One of the most celebrated Western Hajjis (one who has completed the Hajj) is none other than African-American civil rights leader El-Hajj Malik El Shabbaz, more commonly known as Malcolm X. The man who was renowned for preaching that whites were "devils" -- especially the blond, blue-eyed ones -- profoundly reassessed these views during the Hajj. This transformation, of course, sealed his break with the Black nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam.

Contrary to the teachings of the Nation, he concluded that Islam encompassed all of humanity and transcended race and culture. Malcolm X later said, " In my 39 years on this Earth, the holy city of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of all and felt like a complete human."

In Mecca , he discovered himself mixing with, "fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was whitest of white ." Malcolm X was so inspired by what he witnessed, that, in letters to friends and relatives, he wrote, " America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem ."

Upon returning to America , he embarked on a mission to enlighten both blacks and whites with his new views.

Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "We created you from a single pair of a male and female (Adam and Eve), and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other and not that you might despise each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you" (Al Hujurat: 13) . This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.

Another essential spiritual message of the Hajj is one of humility to God and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by God and God alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur'an insists, "Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith, truth stands out clear from error." (2: 256)

The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values – all attributes of God almighty -- that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.

The Purpose of Hajj: Allah says: "[And (remember) when We prepared for Abraham the place of the (holy) House, saying: Ascribe thou no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who make the round (thereof) and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration. And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine.] (Al-Hajj 22: 26-27) ]

"Your Lord hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours)..So establish worship, pay the poor due, and hold fast to Allah." (Qur'an 22:78