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Peace to you all,

"It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion--its message becomes meaningless."
― Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism

Peace,

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2013/10/05/-Get-married-or-die-fasting-.html

Salaam,

Great reflection by Usama Canon on "Recovering from Jahaliyya."


http://vimeo.com/75775423

Peace to all,

I've come across this hadith today and love it.

The Prophet said: "The Qur'an is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire." [An authentic hadith found in At-Tabaraanee, on the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood] -

United Nations on Imam Ali Ibn AbuTalib

UN Secretariat , the Committee of Human Rights in New York under the chairmanship of the Secretary General Kofi Annan issued , in 2002 A.D. , this historic resolution :

" The Caliph Ali Bin Abi Talib is considered the fairest governor who appeared during human history (After the Prophet Muhammed)"

UN Declaration was based on documents of 160 pages in English .

For this reason, the World Organization for Human Rights called the rulers of the world to follow the example of his sound and humanitarian method in ruling which revealed the spirit of social justice and peace .

It was mentioned that the famous American writer Michael Hamilton was acquainted with the administrative instructions that the Caliph Imam Ali gave to Malik Al Ashtar when he appointed him ruler for Egypt in 656 A.D. , urging him to treat people, who were not Muslims, with charity and beneficence confirming the necessity of equality among the Jews and Christians with Muslims in rights and tasks, he showed his high admiration for Imam Ali's wise policy that made him enter the history of humanity from its broad doors .

The United Nations has advised Arab countries to take Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (AS) as an example in establishing a regime based on justice and democracy and encouraging knowledge.

The UNDP in its 2002 Arab Human Development Report, distributed around the world, listed six sayings of Imam Ali (AS) about ideal governance.

They include consultation between the ruler and the ruled, speaking out against corruption and other wrong doings, ensuring justice to all, and achieving domestic development.

The UNDP said most regional countries are still far behind other nations in democracy, wide political representation, women's participation, development and knowledge.

Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (AS)'s sayings:

The UNDP quoted the following sayings of Imam Ali (AS) in its 2002 Arab Human Development Report:

1. "He who has appointed himself an Imam (ruler) of the people must begin by teaching himself before teaching others. His teaching of others must be first by setting an example rather than with his words, for he who begins by teaching and educating himself is more worthy of respect than he who teaches and educates others."

2. "Your concern with developing the land should be greater than your concern for collecting taxes, for the latter can only be obtained by developing; whereas he who seeks revenue without development destroys the country and the people."

3. "Seek the company of the learned and the wise in search of solving the problems of your country and the righteousness of your people."

4. "No good can come out in keeping silent to the government or in speaking out of ignorance."

5. "The righteous are men of virtue, whose logic is straightforward, whose dress is unostentatious, whose path is modest, whose actions are many and who are undeterred by difficulties."

6. "Choose the best among your people to administer justice among them. Choose someone who does not easily give up, who is unruffled by enmities, someone who will not persist in wrong doings, who will not hesitate to pursue right once he knows it, someone whose heart knows no greed, who will not be satisfied with a minimum of explanation without seeking the maximum of understanding, who will be the most steadfast when doubt is cast, who will be the least impatient in correcting the opponent, the most patient in pursuing the truth, the most stern in meting out judgment, someone who is unaffected by flattery and not swayed by temptation and these are but few."

Ref: Arab Human Development Report 2002

Good Governance Early Muslim Style
By Patricia Lee Sharpe

This piece, which I posted to counter anti-Muslim hysteria during the Bush administration, is probably even more relevant today, when political convenience and ignorance are combining to create a toxic environment for Muslims in America.

Ali bin Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed, wrote a long letter of guidance after appointing Maalik al-Ashtar to be Governor of Egypt. He advises the new governor that his administration will succeed only if he governs with concern for justice, equity, probity and the prosperity of all.

The passages excerpted below illustrate the timeless applicability of Hazrat Ali's admonitions. The letter itself is contained in the Nahjal Balaagha, which is a collection of the letters and speeches of the fourth Caliph.

Manifest religious tolerance: Amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who have the same religion as you [and] are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than yours, [who] are human beings like you. Men of either category suffer from the same weaknesses and disabilities that human beings are inclined to; they commit sins, indulge in vices either intentionally or foolishly and unintentionally without realizing the enormity of their deeds. Let your mercy and compassion come to their rescue and help in the same way and to the same extent that you expect Allah to show mercy and forgiveness to you.

Equity is best: A policy which is based on equity will be largely appreciated. Remember that the displeasure of common men, the have-nots and the depressed persons overbalances the approval of important persons, while the displeasure of a few big people will be excused...if the general public and the masses of your subjects are happy with you.

The rich always want more: They are the people who will be the worst drag upon you during your moments of peace and happiness, and the least useful to you during your hours of need and adversity. They hate justice the most. They will keep demanding more and more out of State resources and will seldom be satisfied with what they receive and will never be obliged for the favor shown to them if their demands are justifiably refused.

A healthy society is interdependent: The army and the common men who pay taxes are two important classes, but in a well faring state their well-being cannot be guaranteed without proper functioning and preservation of the other classes, the judges and magistrates, the secretaries of the State and the officers of various departments who collect various revenues, maintain law and order as well as preserve peace and amity among the diverse classes of the society. They also guard the rights and privileges of the citizens and look to the performance of various duties by individuals and classes. And the prosperity of this whole set-up depends upon the traders and industrialists. They act as a medium between the consumers and suppliers. They collect the requirements of society. They exert to provide goods....Then comes the class of the poor and the disabled persons. It is absolutely necessary that they should be looked after, helped and provided....at least the minimum necessities for well-being and contented living....

Ensure an honest judiciary: You must select people of excellent character and high caliber with meritorious records. When they realize that they have committed a mistake in judgement, they should not insist on it by trying to justify it. They should not be corrupt, covetous or greedy. They should not be satisfied with ordinary enquiry or scrutiny of a case but must attach the greatest importance to reasoning, arguments and proofs. They should not get tired of lengthy discussions and arguments. They must exhibit patience and perseverance and when truth is revealed to them they must pass their judgements. These appointments must be made without any kind of favoritism being shown or influence being accepted; otherwise tyranny, corruption and misrule will reign. Let the judiciary be above every kind of executive pressure or influence, above fear or favour, intrigue or corruption.

Poverty leads to ruination: If a country is prosperous and if its people are well-to-do, then it will happily and willingly bear any burden. The poverty of the people is the actual cause of the devastation and ruination of a country and the main cause of the poverty of the people is the desire of its ruler and officers to amass wealth and possessions whether by fair or foul means.

Corruption undermines national well-being: I want to advise you about your businessmen and industrialists. Treat them well they are the sources of wealth to the country One more thing you must keep an eye over their activities as well. You know that they are usually stingy misers, intensely self-centered and selfish, suffering from the obsession of grasping and accumulating wealth. They often hoard their goods to get more profit out of them by creating scarcity and by indulging in black-marketing.

Stay in touch with the people: You must take care not to cut yourself off from the public. Do not place a curtain of false prestige between you and those over whom you rule. Such pretension and shows of pomp and pride are in reality manifestations of inferiority complex and vanity. The result of such an attitude is that you remain ignorant of the conditions of your subjects and of the actual cases of the events occurring in the State.

Peace brings prosperity: If your enemy invites you to a peace treaty never refuse to accept such an offer, because peace will bring rest and comfort to your armies, will relieve you of anxieties and worries, and will bring prosperity and affluence to your people. But even after such treaties be very careful of the enemies and do not place too much confidence in their promises be vigilant because they often resort to peace treaties to deceive and delude you and take advantage of your negligence, carelessness and trust. At the same time, be very careful never to break your promise with your enemy; never forsake the protection or support that you have offered to him, never go back upon your word and never violate the terms of the treaty.

History reveals all: Do not reserve for yourself anything which is a common property of all and in which others have equal rights. Do not close your eyes from glaring malpractice of officers, miscarriage of justice and misuse of rights, because you will be held responsible for the wrong thus done to others. In the near future your wrong practices and maladministration will be exposed and you will be held responsible and punished for the wrong done to the helpless and oppressed people."


Enjoy

NEED WASHING
A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout.. We all stood there, under the awning, just inside the door of the Wal-Mart.
We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, 'Mom let's run through the rain,' She said.
'What?' Mom asked.

'Let's run through the rain!' She repeated.

'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied.

This young child waited a minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain..'

'We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.

'No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

'This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?'

'Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ' If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything! ' '

The entire crowd stopped dead silent.. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain.. We all stood silently. No one left. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just need washing,' Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They got soaked.

They were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories every day.

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.
I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Bob Perks © 2001

https://www.facebook.com/LiberalMuslimsUnited/posts/517686328300159:0

greetings of peace,

http://www.upworthy.com/cleric-demands-egyptian-reporter-to-keep-her-veil-on-she-was-having-none-of-that

[Frank Parmir]

Peace,

"The book of Job is my favorite in the O.T. All the people and things that Job is personally attached to are taken from him, one by one, including at last, his pride. He finally abandons even his pious faith in God's justice.

He accuses God of unfairness.

Now, he is truly naked in the universe. Now, he has NO sense of certainty.

Then comes The Great Speech. God's voice, with a resonance more vast than all of space and time, fills Job's explosively expanding awareness:

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I FILLED THE SEAS?

Then Job sees. And we readers see: There is no existence, and nowhere to exist, until God says to us and to our world: "BE!"

Job, and we readers, finally see our infinite dependence on The Mystery that is infinitely un-dependent. We see that The Mystery is the source and sustenance of our every breath and notion.

If we want, it is because God has said to our want: Be. If our want is answered, it is because God has said to the answering condition: BE. We have only what we're given.

And our reaction to what's given; that too, is given. If we are bitter, or if we are graciously grateful; that is ultimately God's decision.

God is nothing but generous. We are given our existence for one reason alone: so that there might be someone to receive God's generosity.

When Job sees this.... when Job and we readers are "given" to see this; then there is NO possibility of bitterness and ingratitude.

When this is seen, our awareness becomes awe-full. We are filled with awe and gratitude.

By realizing God as The Creating and Sustaining Mystery, the gift of life in this world becomes truly a gift. The depth of the gift of life is not seen while we feel we "own" it. So long as we feel we "own" life, it is hardly appreciated. Only when it is seen in its stark nakedness does it become a true gift.

Our life is The Gift of "being" within The One and Only Being Who Is Resonant as The One and Only Actual Reality.

Once this is clearly seen, no complaint and no fear can survive. God, The One Alone, The One Infinite in Generosity, The One Infinite in Goodness simply IS. God, Eternally and Unfailingly, IS.

Everything that is brought into being, is brought in generosity and mercy. Nothing can be wrong. There are no errors.

Perfection Alone Exists. It is From God that we have come to be. it is by God that we are sustained. And, It is God into Whom we will dissolve.

All is God!!!!!

All is good!!!!

9/11/13fp "  by  Frank Parmir

Peace,

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/07/how_sharia_rapes_justice.html

Peace to all,


http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/07/killing_in_the_name_of_god.html

Peace,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5NmgRamg64

peace,


"5% think, 10% think they think, 85% would rather die than think." — Anonymous


In Islam "enlightened thinkers" are known as Raushanfekran.

"Afalaa utadabbaroon al-Quran?

(4:82)" Do they not do tadabbur in the Quran?

So says Allah in the Quran. Tadabbur means highly concentrated goal-oriented critical thinking like the way scientists do when challenged to find something new or when they embark upon solving a difficult problem.

Qur'anic view of creative reflection is called al-Basira. In Islam Ijtihad or independent thinking is used as a principle of creative and critical thinking; rationality and scientific rationality in a secular perspective.

The Quran encourages us over and over again to think, reflect, ponder, understand and analyse. However, very rarely do parents encourage children to question. Our response to difficult inquiries from our children is to say "do it because I said so." This discourages the children from developing critical thinking. They become lazy and complacent and easy prey to cult type following. To take things at face value makes us vulnerable.

Reason is the common bond of all humans, a means of connecting to the world and to others, the same reason through which Plato and Aristotle communicated their views. Reason and intellect represent the only way of understanding this world, even though this understanding is too relative to guide us to ultimate truths. Our great thinkers, while aware of the indispensability of reason, knew that reason alone could not discover all of reality. Our religious tradition claims that it is ultimately faith of the heart, not the intellect that comprehends the whole of reality. (11)

If we think of reason and faith as contradictory and opposed to one another, because reason achieves more instrumental impact in this world, faith will be sidelined. It is important to note that the faith I am talking about exists alongside and parallel to reason, not in opposition to it.

Reason can merely take us to the gates of the afterlife. Even though it is aware that the world is not limited to the material, it cannot go farther than this world. It is here that faith must step in. Humans cannot do without reason in their lives as they encounter practical matters, and if they have to choose between faith and reason, they will choose the latter. Interpretations of the world based on reason are relative, a relativity that also permeates our perceptions of religion. But if our understanding of religious tradition and the Quran gets moribund (declining) and in need of transformation, this does not mean that tradition and the Quran have aged themselves. Our intellect is capable of adapting to the current world while also remaining attuned to tradition and the Quran, such that the solid essence of religion is not harmed. Our religious thinking is bound to evolve. (12)

Due to the regime of taqlid or blind imitation, imposed in the name of religion from about the 12th century until the end of the 19th century, the Muslims swallowed the teachings of the so-called `Four Great Imams', even the wholesale medieval theology and jurisprudence, in toto.

There were many factors that gave rise to this blind imitation regime of that period and we cannot discuss them here. Nevertheless, it is important for us to realize that after nearly a hundred years since the reopening of the door if ijtihad or critical thinking by Muhammad Abduh's reform movement, this taqlid regime is still with us. (13)

One should develop critical thinking ability in one's studies first: in science, mathematics, computers, and economics, whatever subject one has chosen. If you cannot develop this ability most probably you would not understand the Quran.

Also, understanding of the Quran is a long and hard and a lifelong process. And it requires lot of patience and perseverance plus it demands sacrifice. Therefore, you should first try to take few important verses of the Quran (the ones dealing with human relationships and character building) and try to integrate them in your life and studies. Of course it will be very hard and there will be lot of temptations to skirt. But try to avoid them. But keep in mind that we are human beings. We make mistakes. So, don't feel too bad or don't be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes. Just make sure that next time you are careful. (14)






by Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D.
President
Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.
=========================================

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=504046923014902&set=vb.245848732200771&type=2&theater

dangerous flaw of the soul that might lead to WWIII

May God save us!

Peace to you all,

All formations are impermanent.

When a bird is alive, it eats ants.
When the bird is dead, the ants eat the bird.
Time and Circumstances can change at any time.
Don't devalue or hurt anyone in life.
You may be powerful today, but remember
Time is more powerful than you!
One tree makes a million matchsticks
Only one match stick is needed to burn a million trees. . .
So be good and do good!

There is a single source of Knowledge in the universe...

Salaam all,

Apologize for posting this graphic video but I feel it needs to be addressed.  Sunnis stop the traffic going to or exiting Syria to determine the sect of the drivers.  If you are Alawi, may God protect you.  It makes me sick and angry to hear God's name while perpetrating these murderous acts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2kIuMEcY5B8

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1466404

Peace,

Is there a nuanced difference between maghfirati and afinna as in 3:134?

Thanks

Peace to all,


Since Quran is a guidance for the muttaqeen, it lists several characteristics of theirs in many verses.  One of them is in verse 49:3 where the hearts of those who lower their voices in the presence of the Prophet are tested for taqwa. 

The Muslim scholars say that it is forbidden to raise voices at the prophet's grave just like it was forbidden when he was alive, because he is highly respected whether he is alive or dead.  Do you agree with this explanation?

How can I adopt this attitude  in my life now other than the gravesite?  Does this also cover the attitude of those who take it to themselves to protect the honor of the Prophet by causing uproar in the world and shed blood?

A hermit fasted for an entire year, eating only once a week. After this sacrifice, he asked that God reveal to him the true meaning of a certain passage in the Scripture. No response was heard.

"What a waste of time," the hermit said to himself. "I gave up so much, and God didn't even answer! Better to leave these parts and find a monk who knows the meaning of the verse."

At that moment, an angel appeared. "The twelve months of fasting served only to make you believe that you were better than others, and God does not answer a vain person," the angel said. "But when you were humble, and sought help from others, God sent me." And the angel explained what he wanted to know.


Certainly God does not love the proud ones.
- The Quran 16:23