Tuesday 13 August 2013

Children are born believers in God

Children are "born believers" in God and do not simply acquire religious beliefs through indoctrination, according to an academic.

Dr Justin Barrett, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Centre for Anthropology and Mind, claims that young people have a predisposition to believe in a supreme being because they assume that everything in the world was created with a purpose.
He says that young children have faith even when they have not been taught about it by family or at school, and argues that even those raised alone on a desert island would come to believe in God.
"The preponderance of scientific evidence for the past 10 years or so has shown that a lot more seems to be built into the natural development of children's minds than we once thought, including a predisposition to see the natural world as designed and purposeful and that some kind of intelligent being is behind that purpose," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"If we threw a handful on an island and they raised themselves I think they would believe in God."
In a lecture to be given at the University of Cambridge's Faraday Institute on Tuesday, Dr Barrett will cite psychological experiments carried out on children that he says show they instinctively believe that almost everything has been designed with a specific purpose.

Wednesday 10 July 2013

David Cameron's Ramadan 2013 Message



Transcript

I’d like to send my sincere greetings to everyone observing the Holy month of Ramadan.
This is a month which demonstrates the true spirit of Islam.
Muslims in Britain and around the world will sacrifice the day-to-day luxuries that we can take for granted, they will pray for people in need, and they will fast to show devotion to God and recognise those who go hungry in our world.


I am very proud to be Prime Minister of a nation in which people can freely practise their beliefs.
And it should be a source of pride to all Muslims that this month, even those living with extreme hardships will give up the little they have and pray for others.
Many will be praying for Muslims around the world. Those caught up in conflict, those who are seeking justice and democracy, or those living in the poorest regions on earth, who struggle to get by day to day.
As Prime Minister I am delighted that the British Government has been able to keep its promise to invest 0.7% of our gross national income on helping the world’s poorest and I am grateful that we have been able to partner with Muslim and other organisations to help those in need overseas.


Ramadan is a shining example of how humanity can come together in a positive way for a common good, and I pay tribute to all those who take part. 

To Muslims at home and overseas I wish you: Ramadan Kareem!

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Channel 4 To Broadcast Daily Muslim Call To Prayer (Azaan) During Ramadan

Morning call: Channel 4 will broadcast the first call to prayer for the 30 days of Ramadan. There are five calls to prayer each day
Morning call: Channel 4 will broadcast the first call to prayer for the 30 days of Ramadan. There are five calls to prayer each day

Channel 4’s head of factual programming Ralph Lee said the channel would act as a ‘nationwide tannoy system’ for Britain’s 2.8million Muslims while they observed Ramadan.
He said almost five per cent of the British population would ‘actively engage’ in Ramadan this month, adding: ‘Can we say the same of other national events that have received blanket coverage on television such as the Queen’s coronation anniversary?’ 

Critics questioned whether the decision to transmit the call to prayer was a ‘publicity-seeking stunt’ by the controversial broadcaster.

Mr Lee said Ramadan usually received minimal coverage on Britain’s main television channels and said he believed Channel 4’s series of programmes during July and August was chance for Britain’s moderate Muslims to be heard.

Listen to the call to prayer: 


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2353250/Channel-4-broadcast-daily-Muslim-prayer-Ramadan-month.html#ixzz2XsNr3AhG


Monday 1 July 2013

Magic and the Occult in Islam: Ahmad al-Buni (622H/1225CE?) and his Shams Al-Ma'arif

Thursday 27 June 2013

City Council Mistakenly Pronounces Nelson Mandela Dead

dutch city council nelson mandela dead
The city council of an Amsterdam neighborhood observed a minute of silence to mark the death of South African icon Nelson Mandela on Tuesday. Mandela, however, is not dead.
Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that members of the council of Southeast Amsterdam concluded based on Facebook messages that Mandela had passed away Tuesday evening.
"Mart van de Wiel of the D66/OZO fraction told us during the pause that his hero had died," clerk Sjam Jokhan told Dutch newspaper Het Parool. "I tried to verify the report," he added. "I found dozens of messages on Twitter that seemed to confirm the news, includuing messages like breaking news and it's official."
The council decided to hold a minute of silence honoring South Africa's former president. However, council members quickly learned of their mistake.
Everyone is scared of dying and rightly so.  The uncertainty of what lies beyond is frightening. It may be that of all religions, Islam, provides the most graphic details of what comes after death and lies beyond.  Islam views death to be a natural threshold to the next stage of existence.
Islamic doctrine holds that human existence continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection.  There is a direct relation between conduct on earth and the life beyond.  The afterlife will be one of rewards and punishments which is commensurate with earthly conduct.  A Day will come when God will resurrect and gather the first and the last of His creation and judge everyone justly.  People will enter their final abode, Hell or Paradise.  Faith in life after death urges us to do right and to stay away from sin.  In this life we sometimes see the pious suffer and the impious enjoy.  All shall be judged one day and justice will be served...
Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.
Holy Quran(21:35)

A Ramadan Message by Shaykh Ahmad Saad Al Azhari Al Hasani رسالة رمضان



In this video, Shaykh Ahmad Saad talks about the importance of Ramadan, how we should behave in it and to welcome it. He also suggests that we dedicate our time & efforts this Ramadan to our parents & the elderly.

Thursday 30 May 2013

Amazing Response to the Woolwich Killing - Shaykh Shams Ad Duha

This Friday sermon presents a response by a British Imam (muslim scholar) to the killing of Lee Rigby in Woolwich and how extremism can take root when the teachings of Islam are distorted and promoted in the fringes.



Glossary of Arabic Terms:
Subhanahu wa ta'ala - Glorified and Exalted is He
Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam - Peace and blessings be upon him
Deen - Religion
Shari' / Shari'ah - Islamic legislation
Ulama - Islamic Scholars
Khilafah - Caliphate

Wednesday 8 May 2013

The Revival of the Religions Sciences (Ihya Ulum al-Din إحياء علوم الأديان)

The Revival of the Religions Sciences (Ihya Ulum al-Din) is widely regarded as one of the great work of Muslim spirituality, and has, for centuries, been the widely read work in the Muslim world.

The masterpiece of Imam al-Ghazali, unquestionably one of the greatest thinkers and theologians of Islam. 
It is divided into four parts each containing ten chapters. 

First part deals with knowledge and the requirements of faith—ritual purity, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, recitation of the Qur'an, etc.; Part two concentrates mostly on people and society—the manners relating to eating, marriage, earning a living, friendship, etc.; Parts three and four are dedicated to the inner life of the soul and discuss first the vices that people must overcome in themselves and then the virtues that they must strive to achieve.

Volume 1 - Book of Worship, 
Volume 2 - Book of Worldly Usages, 
Volume 3 - Book of Destructive Evils, 
Volume 4 - Book of Constructive Virtues. 


As far as we know this is the only English Translation of the complete set of this well known Work of Imam Al-Ghazali (Although Parts of it may be Abridged translation)

The Quality of the Print and the translation does not do justice to this Monumental Work, (For a better Quality Print and Level of translation see the translations of Individual Sections 

Some have criticised the book for quoting Weak Hadith and other traditions. This is true, however Imam Ghazali was well aware of the Rulings of the fuqaha (Jurists) of his time and he himself followed the Shaf'ee fiqh and he does not use these weak traditions as a basis for deriving Hukm (Rule) Shar'ee. Rather he uses it in the process of tackling some real Issues that we face during the course of everyday Life. 

Click here to purchase it from Amazon:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ihya-Ulum-Id-...
Click here to purchase it from Kitaabun:http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/product...
Click here for more recommended books:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL5...

Watch weekly lessons available on youtube, based on this book:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBc--JvTRQs&list=UUfbWpXahU-I-V4ymNpv2CHQ&index=4

Wednesday 1 May 2013

BREAKING NEWS: Prophet Muhammad's Name Found in the Bible

The name "Muhammad" has been discovered in the Bible in the original Hebrew language.
In the 5th chapter of the Shir haShirim ( שיר השירים ), which is one of the five megilot or Sacred Scrolls that are part of the Hebrew Bible or for short the "Song of Solomon" (also called "Song of Songs"). That chapter is giving a prophecy about an individual to come, a mystery man. 

Song of Songs 5:15 compares this prophetic mystery man to the land of "Lebanon" which is the land of the Arabs. This implies that the mystery man would be an Arab.

Song of Songs 5:10 says: "My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand." This is a prophecy of Prophet Muhammad as he conquered Mecca. It is a well known historically documented fact that in the year 630 CE Muhammad entered Mecca as the leader of an army of "ten thousand men". This verse and the preceeding verse (v. 11) also match Muhammad's physical discription as found in Muslim sources (light skin and black hair).

In reading the English translation of Song of Songs 5:16 it finishes the description by saying: "He is altogether lovely" but what most people don't know is that the name of that man was given in the original megilot. Here is the name written in ancient Hebrew as it appears in verse sixteen: מחמד . It is read as : "Mahammad". According to Ben Yehuda's Hebrew-English Dictionary, it is correctly pronounced as "Mahammad". 

If you don't believe me, go to these translator links, paste the name מחמד and then translate it into English. You will see that מחמד is translated as "Muhammad".

http://www.freetranslation.com/

http://worldlingo.com/en/products_ser...

You can also see and listen to the Song of Songs in its original form, in Hebrew where Muhammad is mentioned by name in the below link (please notice the "im" in Hebrew is a plural of respect):

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt30...


Friday 26 April 2013

I am sorry, O Prophet… Arnoud Van Doorn

Former Dutch Islamophobe and a former leading member of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ party Arnoud Van Doorn visited the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to pray and say sorry for becoming part of a blasphemous film.

Doorn was among the Freedom Party leaders who produced the blasphemous film, Fitna. Last month he reverted to Islam after an extensive study about the religion and the Prophet (peace be upon him). 
Arnoud Van Doorn (extreme left), former leader of the Dutch rightist Freedom Party, prays at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. — Okaz photo

A member of the Dutch parliament and The Hague City Council, Doorn announced his decision to accept Islam on his Twitter profile. He also posted a tweet in Arabic declaring that “there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”

Most recently, the politician filed a formal application to the mayor of the city to allow him to perform prayers obligatory for Muslims during his working hours. 

“I can understand people are skeptic, especially that it is unexpected for many of them,” Doorn told Al-Jazeera English satellite channel.

“This is a very big decision, which I have not taken lightly.”

“In my own close circle people have known that I have been actively researching the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah and other writings for almost a year now,” he said.

“In addition, I have had numerous conversations with Muslims about the religion.”

Driven by his party’s anti-Islam discourse, Doorn decided to dig in for the truth about the religion himself.

“I have heard so many negative stories about Islam, but I am not a person who follows opinions of others without doing my own research,” he said. “Therefore, I have actually started to deepen my knowledge of Islam out of curiosity.”

The 46-year-old has continued on The Hague Council as an independent candidate since splitting from Wilders’s party. Doorn’s decision to embrace Islam has won mixed reactions in the Netherlands.

Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130422162428

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Iran, Pakistan earthquake felt across the UAE - April 2013 زلزال إيران


A massive earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale has hit Iran, with tremors felt in the UAE, Oman, Pakistan and India.
The tremors forced people to rush out of homes and offices to open areas.
The earthquake’s epicentre was at the border region of Pakistan and Iran.
Iranian state-run TV says at least 40 people were killed in the earthquake, with other estimates suggesting the death toll will be much higher...

Earthquakes according to Islam.
Earthquakes are one of the great signs of Allah in this universe, with which He tests His slaves as a reminder or to instil fear of Him or as a punishment. Man must remember, when the signs occur, his weakness, incapability, humble status before Allah and his need of Him, so he turns to Allah, may He be exalted and glorified, in supplication, beseeching and humility, in the hope that Allah will lift this great distress from the people.
Allah says (interpretation of meaning):
16.Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allâh), will not cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes (as in an earthquake)?
17. Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allâh), will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you shall know how (terrible) has been My Warning? [067:16-17]
Allah says (interpretation of meaning):
42. Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health with calamities so that they might believe with humility.
43. When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not believe with humility? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaitân (Satan) made fair¬seeming to them that which they used to do.
44. So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.
[al-An’aam 6:42-44]
It is mustahabb for everyone to beseech Allaah in supplication and so on when earthquakes and similar events, such as thunderbolts and strong winds, happen, and to offer prayers on his own in his house lest he be negligent, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) said, when the wind blew strongly:
O Allaah, I ask You for its good and the good of what is in it and the good of what it is sent with, and I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil of what is in it and the evil of what it is sent with.” Narrated by Muslim. End quote. Asna al-Mataalib Sharh Rawd al-Taalib (1/288). See also Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj (3/65).

Thursday 21 February 2013

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad - Din, was born at Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th February 1304 C.E. (703 Hijra). He left Tangier on Thursday, 14th June, 1325 C.E. (2nd Rajab 725 A.H.), when he was twenty one years of age. His travels lasted for about thirty years, after which he returned to Fez, Morocco at the court of Sultan Abu 'Inan and dictated accounts of his journeys to Ibn Juzay. These are known as the famous Travels (Rihala) of Ibn Battuta. He died at Fez in 1369 C.E.

1304 - 1369

Ibn Battuta was the only medieval traveller who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time. He also travelled in Ceylon (present Sri Lanka), China and Byzantium and South Russia. The mere extent of his travels is estimated at no less than 75,000 miles, a figure which is not likely to have been surpassed before the age of steam.

In the course of his first journey, Ibn Battuta travelled through Algiers, Tunis, Egypt, Palestine and Syria to Makkah. After visiting Iraq, Shiraz and Mesopotamia he once more returned to perform the Hajj at Makkah and remained there for three years. Then travelling to Jeddah he went to Yemen by sea, visited Aden andset sail for Mombasa, East Africa. After going up to Kulwa he came back to Oman and repeated pilgrimage to Makkah in 1332 C.E. via Hormuz, Siraf, Bahrain and Yamama. Subsequently he set out with the purpose of going to India, but on reaching Jeddah, he appears to have changed his mind (due perhaps to the unavailability of a ship bound for India), and revisited Cairo, Palestine and Syria, thereafter arriving at Aleya (Asia Minor) by sea and travelled across Anatolia and Sinope. He then crossed the Black Sea and after long wanderings he reached Constantinople through Southern Ukraine.


BattutaMap.gif

On his return, he visited Khurasan through Khawarism (Khiva) and having visited all the important cities such as Bukhara, Balkh, Herat, Tus, Mashhad and Nishapur, he crossed the Hindukush mountains via the 13,000 ft Khawak Pass into Afghanistan and passing through Ghani and Kabul entered India. After visiting Lahri (near modern Karachi), Sukkur, Multan, Sirsa and Hansi, he reached Delhi. For several years Ibn Battuta enjoyed the patronage of Sultan Mohammad Tughlaq, and was later sent as Sultan's envoy to China. Passing through Cental India and Malwa he took ship from Kambay for Goa, and after visiting many thriving ports along the Malabar coast he reached the Maldive Islands, from which he crossed to Ceylon. Continuing his journey, he landed on the Ma'bar (Coromandal) coast and once more returning to the Maldives he finally set sail for Bengal and visited Kamrup, Sylhet and Sonargaon (near Dhaka). Sailing along the Arakan coast he came to Sumatra and later landed at Canton via Malaya and Cambodia. In China he travelled northward to Peking through Hangchow. Retracing his steps he returned to Calicut and taking ship came to Dhafari and Muscat, and passing through Paris (Iran), Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Egypt made his seventh and last pilgrimage to Makkah in November 1348 C.E. and then returned to his home town of Fez. His travels did not end here - he later visited Muslim Spain and the lands of the Niger across the Sahara.

For more info: http://silkroadfoundation.org/artl/ibn_battuta.shtml

Friday 8 February 2013

How to call others to Islam - How to give Dawah


Indeed calling to Allaah was the mission of all the Messengers and their followers, in order to bring the people out of darkness and into light, from disbelief (kufr) to true Faith (Imaan), from shirk to tawheed, and from the Fire to Paradise. This call to Allaah rests upon firm pillars, and is established upon foundations which are absolutely essential. If any of these are missing the da'wah will not be correct and will not produce the desired results - no matter how much effort is expended and time wasted - and this is the reality which we witness with regard to many of the present day calls which are not supported by those pillars and built upon those foundations. These pillars which support the correct da'wah are clearly shown in the Quran and the Sunnah, and can be summarised as follows:

1. Knowledge of that which one calls to:
Since the ignorant person is not suitable to be a caller (daa'ee). Allaah, the Most High, said to His prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam):

Say, O Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam): This is my way, I call to Allaah (to the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, having no partner) upon certain knowledge (baseerah). I, and those who follow me. [Soorah Yoosuf 12:108]
'Baseerah' is knowledge. So the caller is certain to face those who are scholars of misguidance, those who will attack him with doubts and futile arguments in order to rebut the truth. Allaah, the 
Most High, says:

And argue with them in a way that is better. [Soorah an-Nahl 16:125]
Furthermore the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said to Mu'aadh (radhiAllaahu 'anhu), "You are going to a people from the People of the Book." So if the caller is not armed with sufficient knowledge for him to face every doubt and contend with every opponent, then he will be defeated in the first counter, and will be halted at the beginning of the way.

2. Acting in accordance with that which he calls to:
So that he will be a good example - his actions attesting to his words, and leaving no excuse for the opponents of the Truth. Allaah, the Most High, said about His Prophet Shu'ayb that he said to his people:

I do not wish to forbid you from something and then do it myself. rather I only wish to rectify you as far as I am able. [Soorah Hood 11:88]

Allaah, the Most High, said to His Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam):
Say, O Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam): Indeed my Prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all purely and solely for Allaah, Lord of all the Worlds. There is no share in any of that for other than Him. That is what my Lord ordered me, and I am the first of this nation to submit to Allaah as a Muslim. [Soorah al-An'aan 6:162-163]

Allaah the Most High, said:
Who is better in speech than one who calls the people to Allaah and does righteous deeds? [Soorah Fussilat 41:33]

3. Purity of intention (al-ikhlaas):
Such that the call is made purely and sincerely to seek the Face of Allaah (and seeking His Reward) - not for show, or repute, or status, or leadership, nor desiring worldly goals - since if any of these goals adulterate it, the call will not be for Allaah, rather it would then be a call for oneself or for the attainment of the worldly goal - as Allaah informs that His Prophets said to their people:

I do not ask you for any reward for conveying this Qur`aan. [Soorah al-An'aam 6:90]
I do not ask you for any wealth for my admonition. [Soorah Hood 11:29]

Thursday 31 January 2013

Make Me A Muslim: What brings women to faith?

Make Me A Muslim was on Wednesday, 30 January at 9pm on BBC Three.


Growing numbers of young British women are converting to Islam. Shanna Bukhari, a 26-year-old Muslim from Manchester, sets out to find out why girls are giving up partying, drinking and wearing whatever they want for a religion some people associate with the oppression of women.
This warm documentary follows the highs and lows of five girls as they embrace their new faith. From adapting to a religion that allows a man to marry up to four wives to the acceptance of friends and family, it isn't always easy.  Below are some of the converts that the presenter met.
Shanna and AlanaShanna Bukhari met Alana, who became a devout Muslim after she met her fiancé
Safiyyah below was the first one we knew was totally right for the film.
 SafiyyahSaffiyah: 'Islam was so appealing to me... because it was a religion where it was quite conservative'

InayaInaya converted to Islam after a difficult time in her life
Image Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/posts/Make-Me-A-Muslim-What-brings-women-to-faith

If you missed the documentary you can watch it here:

Sunday 20 January 2013

1500 Years Old Aramaic Bible found in Turkey!!

1500 Years Old Aramaic Bible found in Turkey!! #islam #christianity #bible #quran #abraham #jesus #muhammad #truth #RT

Take a look at this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/WxwqzNu2NrU

Thursday 3 January 2013

Diet doctor Michael Mosley urges intermittent fasting




A new diet book (The Fast Diet: The Secret of Intermittent Fasting - Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longeris suggesting that the best way to lose weight is to eat normally for five days a week, but 
to fast for two.
Dr Michael Mosley says he lost 19lbs over two and a half months by following the diet.

If the above video does not play, you can watch it here: