Tuesday 10 January 2012

Top 10 Muslim Football Players


1. Nicolas (Bilal) Anelka

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka converted to Islam in 2004 in the UAE after deep discussions about religion with childhood friends, he took the Muslim name Abdul-Salam Bilal. Anelka was a Manchester City player at the time and considered moving to play his football in the UAE before settling on a move to Turkish club Fenerbache.

2. Franck (Bilal) Ribery

French player Franck Ribery is also a convert to Islam, with his wife French-Algerian wife having been raised a Muslim herself, Ribery was recently quoted as having said "I pray five times a day, I do it because it enables me to be released and I feel better afterwards.".

3. Kolo (Habib) Toure

Arsenal centre back Kolo Toure was raised in the Ivory Coast and played for ASEC Mimosas before he was bought by the Gunners. Toure is a practicing Muslim, as are his family, and has previously stated his desire to become a role model for young British Muslims.

4. Frederick (Oumar) Kanoute

French born Malian Kanoute, who plays for Seville and the Mali national team as a striker, has been practising Islam since the age of 20 (he is now 32). He refused to wear the Seville shirt whilst it was sponsored by gambling website 888.com, and therefore wore a brand free version. Kanoute has also purchased a Mosque in Seville for $700k after its lease had expired.

5. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema was born in France to parents of Algerian-Kabyle descent, and is openly a practising Muslim. Benzema currently plays for Real Madrid following a 35 million euro transfer from Lyon, he has also become a regular international player for France.

6. Samir Nasri

The young Samir Nasri has been a revelation at Arsenal and has been hailed by many in France as 'The New Zidane'. I'm not convinced that Nasri can achieve the same things as Zidane, but he is without doubt a very talented player. Nasri was born to Algerian parents in France and raised as a Muslimm, his girlfriend is non-muslim.

7. Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure is the younger brother of Kolo Toure (number 3) and plays as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona, although he is not a first choice player very often. Like his brother, Yaya is a practising Muslim.


8. Hatem Ben Arfa

Hatem Ben Arfa is a talented French international player of Tunisian descent, and is currently plying his trade at Marseille. His father was a Tunisian international, and his whole family is muslim.

9. Khalid Boulahrouz

Khalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch international defender of Berber Moroccan descent, he currently plays in Germany for Stuttgart. The Berber people are almost entirely Sunni Muslim, as is Boulahrouz and his family.


10. Abou Diaby

Abou Diaby, like the Toure brothers, is of Ivorian descent. He was raised in France, and has played for their international team. The Arsenal star, who plays as a central midfielder, remains a practising muslim.





Monday 9 January 2012

SUNNATS UPON AWAKENING


1. Immediately upon awakening rub the face and the eyes with both the palms in order to remove the effects of sleep. (Shamaaile Tirmidhi).

2. When the eyes open in the morning recite this dua: Allahamdulila hilazi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wae laihin nushoor -(Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Muslim) All praise is due to Allah who brought us to life after having granted us death and to Him will we beresurrected.

3. When awakening from sleep cleanse the mouth with a Miswaak. (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawood pg. 8).

4. The use of the Miswaak should be repeated when making Wudhu. Using the Miswaak upon awakening isa separate Sunnat. (Bazlul Majhood, “Commentary of Abu Dawood” Vol.1 pg.35).

5. When wearing one’s trousers, first put on the right leg, then the left one. When putting on a kurta or shirt,first put on the right sleeve and then the left one. The same procedure should be followed when wearing avest. When wearing a shoe, first put on the right shoe. When removing any garment or shoe, first remove theleft, then the right. This is the sunnat method when removing any garment from the body (Bukhari, Tirmidhi“the chapter on clothing” and Shamaaile Tirmidhi).

6. Before immersing the hands into any utensils, wash them thrice thoroughly. (Tirmidhi
Vol. 1, pg. 13)

Women's Right to Work In Islam

Allah created all mankind from a single male and female, and placed natural love and affection for one another in order that they cooperate to build families and relationships of families. We see in nature that Allah bestowed the male of each species with superior power and endurance in order that he may dominate in certain spheres and seek provisions and protection for the species, while the female of each species is equipped to reproduce and multiply to maintain the continuity of that species. Only the female is equipped with the necessary apparatus to bear, deliver, nurse and care for the young. 


The female human has been endowed with love, kindness, sympathy, care and affection in order to carry out her duties to her children with dignity. Based on this natural predisposition and delegation of responsibilities, and based on the unique qualities of the male and the female, it is only natural for man to work outside the house and earn for the sustenance of the family and for the woman to work inside the house and take care of the children and the family in general.


Considering this basic fact, Islamic law does not deprive a woman from the right to work within the limits that protect her honor and dignity. Islam permits the woman to personally conduct her business contracts and financial transactions. All such contracts and transactions are sound and valid in the view of Islamic jurisprudence.  The work that the woman performs outside her home must be, in the first place, a lawful employment or job that suits the nature and physique of the woman. She must not, for instance, be obliged to do heavy industrial jobs, and other jobs to which men are more suited to perform.



Islam has given women the rights to work, to own property and to have wealth. Women can seek employment and work in profession such as medical care, teaching, civil and justice professions. These rights remains the same before and after marriage.

Regarding the right to work, the Qur'an Sura 4 Verse 32 states:

And in nowise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others: to men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn: But ask Allah of his bounty. For Allah hath full knowledge of all things.

In the Islamic history there were no restrictions in women's full participation in the economic, political and social spheres of their society. For example, Khadija, the Prophet's first wife was one of the most important merchants of the time, and the Prophet himself was her employee. Ayisha, the Prophet's other wife was one of his most important advisers and consultants. In the early Islamic history women not only participated in various aspects of their society's public sphere, they also had the right to be elected to political offices. For example, Omar the second Khalif appointed a woman to oversee the affairs of the marketplace. The women also participated in wars and fought in the battles.