before ramadhan arrives

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Isnin, 20 Rejab 1430 zMond

Islamia

Destructionto him who found the

blessed month ofRamadhan and let it pass

by withoutgaining forgiveness

[from Allah].

What is the position of music inso-called cultural colonisation? (page 5)

Pictures of Uighur Muslimsafter the bloody riots. (page 7)

Vera Salim

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

The bank manager just called, informing us that they would write o all tthousands of dollars in debt that we have accumulated over years througliberal use of the credit cards. Our hearts skipped with joy.

Then the manager said,Conditions apply. You have to do a series of all manageable over the course of one month. We didnt even bat a

when we promised that, yes, of course, we would gladly carry out those tasks evenhave to forfeit several hours of sleep at night.

Later in the day, the manager of the largest department store called to tell us would soon be holding the largest sale ever in Brunei Darussalam. All the best gwould have to go at the cheapest price. Again our hearts skipped with joy. We bmentallypreparing ourselves foran all-out jostling,even scuing,with other peoplewould be rushing to the store for the giant discount session.

Err, conditions apply. You will have to do a series of tasks for one month beforcan join the discount session, the store manager said.

Anything. Shoot, we replied, caring not whether those tasks would tire us out idaytime and exhaust us at night time. All that we cared about was the promisedcount!

Well,twenty daysago therecameto usan informationabout a scheme farbetterthose promised by the bank and store managers. The month of Rejab entered upotwenty days ago, signifying that it would soon be Syaban followed by Ramadhangreat month when sins will be written o and Paradise become so much more aable.

We may neglect Ramadhan, if we so wish, at our own peril.Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, one day climbed up the steps towar

mimbar and said Amin thrice. One of those utterances, he explained later, was sponse to the supplication of Jibril alayhis sallam who appearedbeforehim,Destruto him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaforgiveness. (Hakim, Baihaqi)

Westillhavesome time beforeRamadhanarrivesto beas eagerand preparedtoout a series of tasks that will Insya Allah earn us Gods forgiveness for our sins anblessings as the Prophet has prayed.

Islamia/TheBruneiT

O Allah,bless us in the months of Rejab and

Syaban and bless usin the month of Ramadhan.

BeforeRamadhan

Arrives

AFP,Reuters


2/8

lah says..

nd whatever misfortune befalls you,

s because of what your hands

ve earned. And He pardons much.

nslation of Allahs Words in Al-Quran surah Asy-Syura: 30)

lamia/TheBruneiTimes

V

V

Good Friends

Say, there is no god but Allah.

You will be successful.

lam

Islamia

ssenger of Allah said..

o hard travel to any masjid must be

dertaken other than the three:

y Masjid (Masjid An-Nabawi, Madinah),

Masjid Al-Haram (Mekah)

d Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem).

rrated by Abu Hurarirah, reported in SahihMuslim)

Muhammad Abdullah

Isn

Reaping Ramadha

n F

Qul liymantusodiq aqul laka mananta. Katakan kepadaku siapakawan Awda, makaakan aku katakan kepadamu,siapa diriAwda.Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. Sag mir,

sind deine Freunde,und dann kann Ichdir Sagen:wo bist Du.

Regardless of the languages, this message stands true anywhere

at alltimes: A personis knownby whotheirfriends are. They shape

, or break one into ruins.

If one digs deeper into the message, one realises that building and

ntaining a good, Islamic biah (environs) is an important part of

ding and maintaining ones faith.

Islam teaches us that companionship (suhba) should be chosen

h an eye to the future: the Hereafter (Akhirah), that is when one

l be in the companionship of those that one loves the most Here

nya).Hina Khan-Mukhtar wrote inRaising Your Children with Din (Faith)

Dunya(2009) that suhba is of the utmost importance.If you sleep

h the dogs, dont be surprised if you rise with the eas, she said,

otinga scholar.Thewords that struckme thehardestwith their wis-

m? When you sit with People of the Dunya, you become a drop in

r ocean, but when you sit with People of the Akhirah, the Dunya

rld) becomes a drop in your ocean.

Sometimes, that might mean sacricing the companionship of

endswho do not or refuse to help us toward nding the most com-

able place in the Hereafter.

So be it..Islamia/TheBruneiTimes

Reuters

Fasting and the Quran

intercede for a servant on

the Day of Resurrection.

Fasting will say, O my Lord

I prevented him from food

and desires, so accept my

intercession for himand

the Quran will say...

A

llahs Messenger said, There

hascometo youRamadhan, a

blessed month,in which Allahhasmadeit obligatory to fast. During

it the gates of paradise are opened

and the gates of Hellre are closed,

and the rebellious devils are chained.

In it is a night (Laylatul-Qadr) which

is better than a thousand months. He

who is deprived of its good has truly

been deprived. (An-Nasai)

Allah - the Most High - has fa-

voured us with countless blessings,

the greatest of them being Islam it-

self. Within the religion of Islam there

are many favours; one is the month

of Ramadhan. However, many of us

overlook this bounty and are thus

left with an incomplete depiction

of Ramadhan, often viewing it as amonth to get oneself into shape!

Most importantly Ramadhan is

an act of ibadah (worship), the ful-

llment of Allahs commandments

and one of the great mercies of Allah

to His believers for both this world

and the next. lbn al-Qayyim wrote

in his famous book Zaadul-Maad,

From the Mercy of the Mighty and

Most Merciful is that He prescribed

for them fasting which will cut o

the excesses of eating and drinking

and empties the hearts of its desires

which divert it on its journey to Allah

-the Most High. He prescribed it in

due proportion as will be appropri-

ate and will benet the servant withregard to this world and to the Here-

after; and it will not harm him, nor

damage what is benecial for him.

Virtues of RamadhanHell is Locked, Paradise

Opened. All praise is for Allah Who

out of His innite Mercy locks the

gates of Hell, chains and shackles

the devils and opens up the gates of

Paradise in this month for His serv-

ants, making it easier for them to de-

vote this special time to His worship.

It makes it harder for the evil jinn to

corrupt thepeople astheyusuallydo,

because InshaAllah the Muslims will

be occupied with fasting, engaged in

reading the Quran, busy with extra

prayers and in doing other righteous

actions which help clean and purify

their hearts.

Sins are Forgiven. The Prophetexplained to hisUmmah that Ramad-

hanhas such a high stationthateven

ifa Muslims sinswere asmuchas the

foamuponthe sea, they wouldbe for-

given through fasting in this month.

He said, He who fasts in Ramadhan

due to iman and hoping for reward

from Allah then his previous sins are

forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim)

There are in the month of Ram-

adhan in every day and night, those

whom Allahgrants freedom from the

Fire, and there is for every Muslim

a supplication which he can make

and it will be granted. (Ahmad and

al-Bazzar) This supplication, which is

never rejected occurs at the time ofbreaking the fast. (Sunan ibn Majah)

Lailatul-Qadr. Another virtue of

this blessed month is that in it falls

the night that is better than a thou-

sand months, in which descends the

angels and the Ruh (Quran surah al-

Qadr: 4) and in which if one is stand-

ing in prayer out of faith and seeking

reward, then his previous sins are

forgiven. This is the Night of Decree

- Lailatul-Qadr.

Virtues of FastingA Shield.The Prophet said, Fast-

ing is a shield with which a servant

protects himself from the re. (Ah-

mad) Fasting weakens and cuts o

desires and since it is desires which

lead to the re,

fasting acts as a

them, as a barrie

the fasting pers

safeguards onefoul speech, qu

also develops th

trol and restraint

Key to Para

distances one fro

one closer to Pa

gerwas askedby

Umamah,Tell m

I may enter Para

said,Take to fast

like it.(An-Nisai

Immense Re

of the son of Ada

rewards, each g

tentimes itslike,

times. Allah the

Except for fastinI will recompens

desires and his f

fasting person th

joy; a time of joy

fast and a time o

his Lord, the sm

mouth of a fast

with Allah than

(Muslim) The ma

as with any acti

purely for the sa

ference with fast

completely hidd

it is done merely

Allah (unlike So

Allah rewards H

cially.An Interces

virtue of fasting

an intercessor

Day of Judgeme

will be in need

Prophet said, Fa

intercede for a

of Resurrection.

my Lord I preve

and desires so

sion for him and

I prevented him

so accept my int

their intercessio

(Ahmad)


3/8

Islamia/Th

Islamiaay, July 13, 2009

llah Ali

Some hearts are dead,some hearts are sick, some hearts are stone-cold,

some hearts are black. Some hearts are so bad,

and so ill that they see a good as a Munkar

(as an evil), and they see an evil as a good.

These are not as they should be.

We need a Ramadhan.

We need a Ramadhan because our connection

with Allah Taala is not correct.

After Neglecting Allafter neglecting Allah for the

majority of the year, we are in

need of Ramadhan to correct

ves.

are in need of Ramadhan to

t ourselves for we have been

tful, for we are not upon the

brance of Allah, and because

arts have gotten so hard.me hearts are dead, some

aresick,someheartsarestone-

ome hearts are black. Some

are so bad, and so ill that they

ood as a Munkar (as an evil),

ey see an evil as a good. These

as they should be.

need a Ramadhan. We need

adhan because our connec-

th Allah Taala is not correct.

ed a Ramadhanbecause wedo

ve any Khusyuin our Solat.

need a Ramadhan because

ran has gathered dust sitting

elf.


er read the books of Sunnah.need a Ramadhan because

nt fast, andif wefast physically

t food or drink, we dont fast

ur eyes by lowering our gaze.

nt fast with our tongue by not

ring, by not lyingand back-bit-

need a Ramadhan to get our-

back in order, to work for the

ter, to connect ourselves to Al-

la.


nships brother to brother and

o sister is in a miserable condi-

We need a Ramadhan because

ve bad thoughts about one

another.


ofZulm, injustice to one another. We

need a Ramadhan because there is

backbiting,there is envy, thereis jeal-

ousy, and there is slander.


we are despicable, because we are

sick, because we are ill all these are

diseases of the heart.

We need a Ramadhan becausewe dont believe in the promise of

Allah Taala, or if we do, we do not

implement it.

We need a Ramadhan because it

is time for us to change and become

something better then we are now.


that is the only thing that is going to

get us together


wedonthaveunity, theresno broth-

erhood amongst us.


theres no respect for our elders.

We need a Ramadhan

because theresno real

love between us.We need a

R a ma dh a n ,

because it

is full of

l o v e

a n d

th e

Mercy of Allah Taala.

A Ramadhan like (a place where)

we come in, like in a clinic or a hospi-

tal, trying to solve our illnesses, try-

ing to come out of there without the

disease we came with, trying to be

better than when we went in with.

We need a Ramadhan. Look

around you, look to your right, look

to your left, look in front of you and

look behind you and youll say, Weneed a Ramadhan.

Our sisters arent covering prop-

erly, we need a Ramadhan.

Brothers and sisters are mixing

freely. We need a Ramadhan.

Talking on phones and on the In-

ternet, weneed a Ramadhan.Thisis a

mess, we are in a x, we are in a bind,

and this is a problem We need a

Ramadhan. We need a Ramadhan to

get ourselves together.

We need a Ramadhan, that we

come in the Masjid and we face the

Qiblat and we sayAllahu Akbar and

we stand in Solat a long time until

those diseases, that lth, that sick-

ness, that hardness in theheartall go

away.

We need a Ramadhan that re-

minds us of the Hellre. We need

a Ramadhan that tells us that we

havent been given a certicate that

we are people of Jannah.We need a Ramadhan that lets us

known that we are servants of Allah

Taala. And if we were to spend our

whole life, from the time we were

born until Qiyamah in prostration, it

would not be enough to thank Al-

lah for His Mercy, His Grace and His

Blessings.

We need a Ramadhan and it is

clear. If thereis any fear of Allahleft in

the hearts of ours and if there is any

hope of Jannah left in us, and if there

isanydesire tochange and tobe bet-

ter and to be righteous and to

come to the level of Ihsan,

to come to the level of

a Mumin, to haveTaqwa, to fear

Allah we

need a

Ramad-

han.

We need a R

of repentance.

We need a R

of Mercy.

You know yo

I know I need a R

we need a Rama

vere need for Ra

come into Ram

ance, we come

We need Allah Trealising that we

we need Allah T

us that which is

we are weak and

Taala to grant us

We needs n

lat), weneed dua

nights of Rama

Quran. We need

Sudays or Shura

need a Ramadh

Quran. When w

we listened to th

the last time we

need a Ramadha

implement the Q

adhan may be ouWhere is the

is not our nal

the guarantee t

Ramadhan? We

seriously. We wa

much bettertha

want to come ou

Taqwa, because

reason that it wa

O you who

been written upo

ten for those bef

may gain Taqw

Baqarah: 183)


4/8

Islamia/TheBruneiTimes

Soul

Books

Isn

This bookcontainsan informative

discussion of

the denition of

fasting, its sig-

nicance, and the wisdom b

It also explains some of the

ments of fasting, what is allo

is not allowed for the fasting

well as helpful issues related

missed fasts. In addition, a n

related to the Night Prayer a

are also included.

How could,one be proud of his

deeds while Allahs

Messenger, used to

say, None of you

will be saved be-

cause of his deeds.

lamiaQuiz. Who will be the rst to be judged

n the Day of Judgment?

. Who were the rst three persons tombrace Islam at the time of Messenger of Al-

ah Muhammad, peace and blessing

e upon him?

ANSWERS

1.TheProphetsand

theMartyrsinthePathofAllah(Syuhada)

2.Khadijah,AbuBakrAs-Siddiq,

AliibnAbiTalib

In this book, Dr Ali As-Sallabi presents the life ofthe third caliph of Islam,Uthman ibn Aan, andhighlights his great achievements, as well the issues

and turmoil that he faced due to the hypocrisy

movement that plagued the Muslim society. He also

addresses the misrepre-

sentations of Uthman,

fabricated by his enemies

and detractors and per-

petuated, inadvertently or

otherwise, by writers and

historians, as well as the

activities of the hypocrites

and the eort they put

into fabricating these lies

and causing division in

the Ummah, the eects

of which Muslims are still

suering today.

a Iman

gance andPrideese two attributes are among

he worst for man to acquire

specially when he wants to

(repentance: Taubat).

ogance and pride led Iblis

n) astray, although he was in

mpany of the angels.

at happened because Allah

, I (Iblis says) am better than

dam). You created me from

d him You created from clay.

ation of Al-Quran surah Al-

2)

ne does not rid himself of ar-

e and pride, an end similar to

Syaitan is a sure result.

t even a little part of them -

ly if related to how one views

worship - can be very devastat-

ones iman.

e following is among the com-

gns of arrogance and pride:

iming perfection leads one to

tfeelthe need to improve him-

rough good deeds and other

of nurturing his iman.

iman, as stated by scholars,

ncreases or decreases. There-

will certainly decrease when

oes not work hard to in-

it with a lot good

miring ones

n deeds

in the

l relin-

ment of

ippin g

because

p is

on hum-

oneself to

d acknowl-

g that all the

ulness is to Allah

Him alone.

w could one be proud of

eds while Allahs Messenger,

eace and blessing be upon

him,usedto say,None of you will be

saved because of his deeds.

They asked, Not even you O

Allahs Messenger? He said, No, not

even me, except that Allah bestows

me with His mercy. (Bukhari and

Muslim)

3When one loses the fear of re-quital it becomes easy to forgetabout falling from the straight path.

A sense of security in this aspect

can be the rst step towards fallingvictim to it.

Would such an arrogant person

continually beseech Allah for guid-

ance and seek steadfastness on his

path?

4Vanity leads to backbiting andrumour mongering. Moreover,whomever mocks his brother about

a particularsin will notdie till hehim-

self succumbs to it.

Predominanceof DesiresDeviation from the right path

is caused by one of the two factors-

either doubt which has mixed with

clarity and truth, or desires which

predominated a persons heart and

hence, deviated and obstructed himfrom the truth and obeying Allah, a

factor clearly noticed in our days.

The ones who repent and turn

to Allah are just as human as

any one else- they de-

sire as others do.

The problem

of lustful desires

begins primar-

ily with an evil

look or idea

and ends

with ooded

actions or an

erupted vol-

cano-leading a

person to perver-sion.

You nd a person

following the path which

pleases Allah but once he sights

something forbidden (e.g., a beauti-

ful woman), a struggle in his heart

begins; the light of iman is kindled

within him calling him to repent and

turn to Allah.

Eventually, the pitch of this call is

reduced and the call of the desire ris-

es. In this way, an immense struggle

within begins.

At one stage, the call of iman

might predominate and he over-

comes this hurdle, even if the dust

of the sin might have touched him,

which he immediately washes o

with repentance and good deeds.

On the other hand, he might

respond due to a weakness in iman

and the light of desire rises and pre-dominates, ensnaring his heart and

obstructing any chances of turning

to Allah.

As a result, he falls victim to the

sin and can not turn to Allah in re-

pentance, which would raise him

from this downfall.

At this moment, he would say to

himself, You have already been af-

fectedby the dirt ofsin,so you might

as well keep on going.

So many times you have tried to

repent, but to no avail.

You are weak, there remains no

hopefor you torepent, and yourway

is dierent from that of the pious!

The UglyGut of

ExcessivenessWhenever Allah commands us to

do something, Syaitan incites us to

fall into either extreme-either exag-gerating the act on one hand or be

negligent and careless about it on

the other.

Even though the latter is a com-

mon phenomenon with many, Syai-

tan chooses to in

opposite extrem

and immoderati

Accordingly,

warned against

proach as Allah

of the scripture,

in your religion

77)

And Allahs M

ware of ghuluw

religion, for inde

those before you

gion. (narrated b

Allahs Mess

by saying,Be mothe same in pr

that your deeds

enter Jannah an

deeds to Allah a

regularly done e

tle.

WhatAgainst

Taubat?


5/8

Islamia/Th

Mind

Isla holarsMaliks Advice to Asy-Syafi The Gatherer

ay, July 13, 2009

We have spoken of Imam Maliks courage,willingness to state the truth as he knew it,gardless of who may be oended, it also speaks

his sincerity and the value he attached to the

sition of a scholar in the Muslim community.

Maliks sincerity aimed at arriving at the truth,

gardless of who takes the credit for it. He would

t give a ruling on any matter that had anything

do with judges and their verdicts.

He would not criticise any verdict they might

ve issued. This is unlike Abu Hanifahs attitude

ho criticised any verdict if he felt that the judge

as mistaken. However, both attitudes are moti-

ted by sincerity.

Abu Hanifahs attitude showed his great

spect and sincerity in pursuing what was right,

hile Malik was sincere in avoiding anything that

uld cause trouble. He, however, would speak

vately to judges, showing them any point of

idence that they might have overlooked.

In his appearance, Malik was awe-inspiring.

any reports agree that Malik had a spiritual inu-

ce on people that made everyone look at him

th great respect, love and awe. Furthermore, he

as also a man of great insight, not only in knowl-

Allah introduces Himself as Al-Jami, the GathereYou are the Gatherer of mankind to a Day of whdoubt. Allah will not break His promise.(translation

surah Al-Imran: 9)

This attribute of Allah expresses His control over

in the universe. Allah, the Creator of all that exists, ha

to make all the living and non-living beings obey Him

gather them wherever He wishes. In the Quran, Allah

He will gather believers together in this world,Each

particular direction, so race each other to the good.

are, Allah will bring you all together.Truly, Allah has things. (surah Al-Baqarah: 148)

However, the actual gathering will take place on

Judgment, when all believers will enter His presence

knows the unbelievers who reject Him and His mess

as their actions, will collect everyone who has ever li

Allah will reward His followers also in crowds. On tha

gather His servants and their leaders to His presence

He will keep the unbelievers in Hell together and let

with one another.Their impiou s idols will remain tog

repaid in a narrow corner of Hell. Allah says,It has b

to you in the Book that when you hear Allahs Signs b

and mocked at by people, you must not sit with them

start talking of other things. If you do [remain seated

the same as them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites

ers into Hell.(surah An-Nisa:140)

edge and scholarship, but in peoples characters and

qualities.

Asy-Syai was still young when he went to

Madinah. He reports, When I arrived in Madinah

and met Malik, he listened to me and then looked

at me for a while. He was a man of insight. He then

asked me my name and said,M uhammad, maintain

fear of God and avoid all sin. You are certain to have

a position of distinction.

Malik lived in poverty for a long time during his

pursuit of knowledge. His main income was from a

business with a small capital. When he was recog-

nised as a scholar whose views were sought by rul-

ers and khalifahs, he was in a much better situation.

He accepted nancial gifts only from khalifahs, but

not from provincial rulers or governors.

When he was asked about this, he gave a clear

answer that the pursuit of knowledge should be

supported by the state. But he never kept all that

he received for himself or his family. He supported

those of his students who needed support. Among

these was Asy-Syai who, like many other students,

would not have been able to study without this sup-

port. Asy-Syai lived in this status for nine years.

AdilSalahi/IMPACT

e dawn of the colonisation

of Afro-Asian world in general

nd the Muslim world in par-

brought in its wake eorts by

stern academia to justify colo-

n in a variety of ways.

e so-called white mans bur-o educate and civilise the bar-

primitive and illiterate masses

and Africa was based on the

mption of the total absence of

ure, civilisation, religious be-

d knowledge in the countries

ed by the colonial powers, ini-

or commercial purposes under

economic motives.

e colonial powers of Britain

rance particularly faced for-

e resistance at the hands of

m freedom ghters almost ev-

ere in the colonised regions of

d Africa.

th the passage of time, it was

cessary that in order to ensureotection of their interest on a

rm basis, the colonial powers

create a generation within

m countries which would be

n in their opinion and taste,

ental in color and ethnic ali-

caulay, the author of this

as perhaps the most success-

onial thinker who gave a new

sion to western colonialism

may be termed asintellectual

lism.

s new intellectual and aca-

policy soonresultedin cultural

ultural Colonialism and the Music Questioahmood AhmedGhazi and civilisation-

al colonialism as

well. Although

political and

military colo-

nisation alleg-

edly come to

an end during

the second half

of twentieth

century, these

three forms of colonisation, namely

intellectual, cultural and civilisational

are still continuing.

It is now evident that some west-

ern powers have the continuation

of these forms of colonisation at the

top of their agenda. The elimination

of cultural identities of other civilisa-

tions, obliteration of distinct features

of non-western cultures, rejection

and condemnation of non-western

legal systems and spurning oriental

social patterns constitute the funda-

mental elements of this agenda.

The media tirade against I slamic

laws, targeting social habits in Mus-

lim societies and caricaturing cul-

tural patterns of Muslimsocieties has

become the order of the day.

In pursuance of this agenda,

some orientalists undertook to por-

tray Islamic culture andcivilisation as

representing some archaic, outmod-

ed, inhuman, and barbaric remnants

of the medieval ages.

That is why Muslim aversion to

carnal expressions of human senti-

ments in ne art was projected as a

major handicap in theway of cultural

sophistication. To deal with this mal-

ady they started eorts to popular-

ise their social ethos and life styles in

the Muslim world.

Muslimconcept of artistic perfor-

mance and ner expression of their

sense of aesthetics was dierent

from the prevalent western styles.

In fact, Islam represented a stage of

perfection and maturity of the hu-

man mind.

Mostprimitivereligionsandprim-

itive societies

emphasised the

physical aspect

of l ife a t the

cost of its moral

and spiritual as-

pects. To them,

the sensual as-

pect of human

existence out-

weighed the in-

ner and higher human values.

This primitiveness was reected

in worshipping physical phenomena

believed to be representingthe Real-

ity. Music and dance thus became in-

tegral part of worship in many primi-

tive religions.

In fact, Islam declared the inau-

guration of a perfect religion, a nal

way of life, an accomplished legal

and moral system and a panhuman

culture and civilisation. The Islamic

Syariah contemplates intellectual

maturity of human beings and pre-

sumes the moral perfection of hu-

man life and behaviour.

The laws of the Syariah are based

on higher moral ideals and ner spir-

itual virtues. Islams approach to the

realityof life is constructiveand posi-

tive.It isforward-looking. It ismorally

motivatedand spirituallyoriented.To

Islam, human physique is the vehicle

of moral ideals; body is the locus of

the spirit.

This has given a new dimension

to the idea of beauty and aesthetics

in Islam. This morally rich and spiri-

tually impregnated concept of aes-

thetics is reected in Islamic nearts,

Muslim poetry, a

phy, book deco

pet-designing, a

resent only the

and spiritual va

anything inIslam

strates anysensu

part of their resp

In this conce

aesthetic and n

tle place, if at all.

and large, have b

and dancing. Th

of sensuality in t

been extremely

eties and were a

very limited and

of the society, m

the periphery, d

of and encourag

ing class.

Muslim histo

that carnal and s

art and aestheti

pied anyrespect

societies. Those

these expressio

nied a central po

cial hierarchy.

This situatio

went a change

twentieth centu

the introduction

and electronic m

The result of

for the promo

dance culture ha

* The writer was

International Isla

abad

..in order to ensure

the protection of their

interest on a long term

basis, the colonial

powers should create

a generation within

Muslim countries which

would be western in

their opinion and taste,

but oriental in color

and ethnic aliation.

McDaniel


6/8

Bodylamia/TheBruneiTimes Isn

Which pair isyours?

Non-smokers lungs Smokers lungs

This Public Service Advertisement is presented by Islamia/TheBruneiTimes Monday supplement. Pictures taken fromBodies The Exhibition in Arlington,Virginia, US (12 April 20

pices not only add avor to

oodandhelp tolivenit up, but

esearch is now showing that

have many health benets.ew study has found that the

ingredients in several com-

pices prevent platelet aggre-

and blood clot formation up

mes better than aspirin, and

t the side eects.

entists in India carried out

ve testing to determine the

benets of spices traditionally

Indian cuisine.

ey evaluated the eect of the

le spice active compounds

ol, capsaicin, piperine, querce-

cumin, cinnamaldehyde, and

lphide on human platelet ag-

on.

ey demonstrated that eachund evaluated was able to

antly inhibit blood clotting.

ol and capsaicin, the active in-

nts in commonly used spices,

ound tobe the mostpotentin-

s of platelet aggregation, with

ol found to be 29-times more

than aspirin in inhibiting ara-

ic acid induced human plate-

regation. Arachidonic acid is

ega-6 unsaturated fat, found

quantities in animalfats,such

meat.

nolgenol is found in cinnamon,

balm, bay leaves and gives

their distinct aroma. It is also

available as an essential oil, and be-

cause it is extracted from cloves, it

is sometimes refered to as clove oil.

Medicinally, eugenol can be used as

an analgesic, and has antiseptic

and antibacterial eects.A good way to obtain

this active compound

through the diet

is by spicing up

food by adding

whole or ground

cloves to dishes.

CapsaicinCapsaicin is

the active com-

pound found in chili

peppers, and is responsible for the

intensity of the heat of the pepper.

Much research has been carried

out on this compound, and aside

from reducing blood clotting, capsa-

icin has been found to ght cancer,

provide pain relief, reduce inam-

mation, control diabetes and weight

loss.

Chili peppers are a main ingredi-

ent in hot sauce, which can be sprin-

kled on a whole variety of dishes. Al-

ternatively, add freshchili peppers to

food when preparing them.

CurcuminCurcumin is one of the best

known and researched natural heal-

ing spices. It is the active ingredient

in turmeric, a spice that is regularly

used in Asian cooking. Research has

shown curcumin to have strong an-

tioxidant, anti-inammation, antifun-gal and antiviral properties. It is also

known to be a very eective pain re-

liever,aids digestion,ghts infections

and reduces heart attacks, as well as

numerous other health benets.

Turmeric, with its deep yellow-or-ange color, is an ingredient in curry

powders but is also available as tur-

meric powder on its own, and this

form contains the most curcumin.

CinnamaldehydeCinnamaldehyde is the chemi-

cal compound that gives cinnamon

its avor and aroma. Cinnamon is

well known to be an eective and

popular healer. It has been found to

regulate blood sugar levels and have

sedative and antibiotic properties, as

well as regulate digestion and tackle

bad breath.

To include cinnamon in the diet,

chew daily on a freshcinnamonstick,

or add fresh or ground cinnamon tofood and drink.

PiperinePiperine is the active ingredient

in black pepper and is what gives

black pepperits kick. This compound

provides an overall health boost, acts

as a powerful antioxidant, reduces

inammation and pain, combat-

ing arthritis and ghting o coloncancer. Black pepper has also been

shown to substantially increase the

1Buy fresh spices in their whole form, and grind just before using, to get maximum health beneavour from them.

2Organic herbs and spices usually have a highernutrients and are not irradiated or sprayed with3Store spices in an airtight glass container, in a cdark place.

4

As with all foods, spices should be eaten in mod

pices: Powerful Healers

bioavailability of

and has a dual

toxinsout of theand urine.

Allyl SulfdeAllyl sulde

garlic and is one

that gives garlic

Garlic is a po

known anti-in

microbial prope

suggests that g

antioxidant that

blood pressure a

as well as protec

Garlic is ver

be added to alm

Crushing garlic b

more of its be

and lightly cookmuch of its nutri

potent than aspirin in reducing blood clots

Kamil

Tips for Using Spic

Cinn

ab


7/8

Islamia/Th

Placesay, July 13, 2009

Ethnic Uighur women grab at a riot policeman as they protest in rmqi in Chinas far west Xinjiang province on July 7, 2009. Protests have erupted ina number

of places, two days after unrest left more than 150 people dead there, state media reported. International concern has mounted over the carnage in Xinjiang,which China said left at least 156 people dead and 1,080 injured. State media said the deaths occurred when Muslim Uighurs went on the rampage in some of thedeadliest ethnic unrest in China in decades. But Uighur leaders said the riots started after Chinese police had attacked a peaceful protest. Picture: AFP

(clock-wisefrom the left) A Uighur womanholds her child as she watches troops in riotgear drive past in trucks in a Uighur neigh-bourhood in Chinas Xinjiang AutonomousRegions capital city of rmqi July 9.(above left) A local man walks past a Chinesearmoured personnel carrier (APC) as it patrolsthe streets of Urumqi, Xinjiang AutonomousRegion, in China July 6.(above right) An ethnic Uighur womanstands on the side of a road as Chinese armytroops stand by on a truck in a main street ofrmqi July 9.(right) A woman cries in front of Chinesesoldiers in rmqi July 7.Pictures: Reuters

Innaa lillaahiUighur...


8/8

Peoplelamia/TheBruneiTimes

7Prayers

Fearing Syirk

Allaahummainniy auudzubikaanusyrikabika

waana alamuwaastaghfrukali maalaaalamu.

OAllah, I take refuge in You lest I should

commit syirk(ascribing partners to You)

with You knowingly and I seek Your for-

giveness for what I do unknowingly.ForticationofMuslim

Isn

Reuters

Reuters

ul AzizMyatt

British Neo-Nazis Journey to Islam total submission to the

of Allah. I converted to Islam

ause there came a time when

ymindandmy heart accepted

ere was no god but Allah and

uhammad was His Messenger.t I had believed and upheld

this conversion is at worst

and at best irrelevant.

w was it that I, a Westerner

history of political involve-

n extreme right-wing organi-

, came to be standing one

y outside a masjid with a sin-

esire to go inside and convert

m? The simple answer is that it

e willof Allah Heguided me

e of the many wonderful

which occurred on the day I

tedwas when theImam of the

explained that by accepting

had begun a new life Allahrgiven me my sins, and it was

tarted my life again with my

of Life, the record of my sins,

Syeikh Muhammad Salih Al-

id a distinguished scholar

said, Asking for details of a

s past and wanting to know

ns they might have commit-

en they were ignorant about

s not right at all. Allah covers

s sins and loves to see them

d (i.e. not dragged out into

en). So long as a person has

ed, his sins have been wiped

am deleteswhatevercamebe- why should we ask questions

that will only embarrass people?

Allah accepts peoples repentance

without theirhaving to confess or ex-

pose their sins to any other person.

A number of the Sahabah (compan-

ions of the Prophet) had committed

adultery and murder repeatedly, orhad buried infant girls alive, or stolen

things, but when they entered Islam

they were the best of people. No one

needs to be reminded of a shameful

past; it is over and done with, and Al-

lah is the All-Forgiving, Most Merci-

ful.

In terms of the Westernexplana-

tion that most Westerners will seek

in order to try and understand my

conversion, I suppose my journey

toward Islam began when I rst went

to Egypt and, as a tourist, visited a

masjid. The Azan the call to prayer

had begun and I was struck by its

beauty.

It is fair to say my heart respond-edtoit ina way that, atthe time, I did

not understand. Then, I knew little

about Islam, but each time I visited

Egypt I learnt a little more.

But I was still in thrall to my own

ego, my own Western way of life, and

by twootherthings whichprevented

me from fully appreciating Islam andinvestigating it further.

First, my life-long belief in Na-

ture: the belief that we somehow

belong to Mother Earth in a special,

almost pagan, way and that our own

consciousness is the consciousness

of Nature.

Second, that it was our nation,

our national culture, which dened

us and which therefore, was of su-

preme importance. But, in my heart,

I always felt a universal, honourable,

compassion, as I always felt the need

to be aware of the numinous, the sa-

cred.

Many times in my life I believed

this numinosity derived from God,the Supreme Being while at other

times I believed it derived from Na-

ture, from the cosmos itself: from

what I often termed the gods.

For decades, I wavered between

these two versions regarding the ori-

gin of the sacred.

ConversionMyconversionreallybeginswhen

I started a new job, working long

hours on a farm, often by myself.

The close contact with Nature,

the toil of manual labour, really did

restore my soul, my humanity, and I

became really aware of the Oneness

of the Cosmos.

Then I realise that I was but part

of this wonderful Order which God

had created.

In my heart and in my mind I was

convinced that this Order had not

arisen by chance it was created,

as I myself was created for a purpose.

For the rst time in my life, I felt truly

humble. Then, as if by chance (but

it was the guida

from my bookca

of the Quran I ha

of my visits to Eg

it properly b

dipped into it, r

here and there.

In the next fesites as I read all

beliefs. Stripped

arrogance no

syaitan here w

I felt, and alway

dignity, honour,

munity, truth, a

on a daily basis,

disciplined, the

materialism, and

how we, as indiv

ent to God.

I became

about thelifeof t

mad, for there

markable here: h

sent everything my mind to be

In fact, he seem

perfect human b

ample to follow.

The more

Islam, the more

doubts, all the q

thirty years. It r

had come home

found myself.

So it was tha

Masjidto saytha

to Islam. They w

so friendly so

brings tears to m

member it, and

found the true W

before ramadhan arrives

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