Free Publication Vol. 5 - Issue 3 FEBUARY 2006 Muharram 1427

The Best of Creation By Omar Rashed

Three claims that the Christians would assert about Adam and Eve are: man’s original sin, the guilt of Eve in causing original sin, and Prophet Jesus’ (may peace be upon him) self-sacrifice for forgiveness of those who worship him, and acknowl-edge his supposed status as the son of God. According to Islamic thinking, there are two problems with these claims; the more well-known fact that such thinking leads to associating partners with God, or shirk, and the lesser-known fact that this concep-tualization leads to an undermining of man’s worth.

In the Qur’ān, Allāh (The Exalted) dis-cusses Adam (may peace be upon him)’s status as the best of creation. This can be observed on many levels in the following verses:

Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy Holy (Name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not.” And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the names of these if ye are right." They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge. We have none, save what

Experience of A Life Time Where is Allah (Tacālā)

Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art Perfect in knowledge and wisdom." He said: "O Adam! Tell them their names." When he had told them, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what ye reveal and 7what ye con-ceal?" And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith (al-Baqarah 2:30-34).

When the angels ask Allāh (The Exalted) whether His newest creation will be vio-lent and mischievous, He tells them He knows more than the angels, so they could not possibly anticipate the charac-ter of His new creation. Allāh (The Ex-alted) tests Adam (may peace be upon him) in the presence of the angels, and allows him to demonstrate the ability that he has, though the angels lack it. This ability is “naming,” and will be discussed further at a later point.

After witnessing this ability, the angels recognize the importance of it, and sub-sequently are commanded by Allāh (The

Exalted) to bow down to Adam (may peace be upon him), and they obey. Pause here momentarily–Adam (may peace be upon him), a new creature who has destructive potential, through merely demonstrating his ability to name, has proven to the angels their mistake, and Adam (may peace be upon him) was bowed down to because of this ability. Now, imagine you are a relatively new creation, one who has not spent centuries or millennia worshiping Allāh (The Ex-alted). Now, however, you can demon-strate this innate, God-given ability, and the most pure creation, the angels; begin to bow in your presence. How does that

(Continued on page 3 as Creation)

By: Ali I. Ali

Thump, thump, thump. That is all I can hear, as I stand transfixed at the Ka’bah, which is within ten feet of me. This is almost surreal, finally seeing something up close that I have seen a million times on TV and in pictures. Then, after that brief moment of peace, I am sent back to reality, and flow back into the crowd circling the Ka’bah. I am now in the midst of completing my Hajj.

As Abu Hurairah, may Allāh (The Exalted) be pleased with him, reported: Allāh (The Exalted) 's Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) ad-dressed us and said: O people, Allāh (The Exalted) made Hajj obligatory for you; so perform Hajj. Thereupon a per-son asked: Messenger of Allāh, (is it to be performed) every year? He (the Holy

Prophet) kept silent, and he repeated (these words) thrice, whereupon Allāh (The Exalted)'s Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) said: If I were to say "yes", it would become obligatory (for you to perform it every year) and you would not be able to do it

(Muslim).

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam that traces back to the times of Ibrahīm (may peace be upon him). It is obliga-tory once in a life-time for able bod-ied and financially able men and women. Hajj con-sists of various

rituals, such as tawaaf (which is the circling of the Ka’bah seven times) and Jamarat (the symbolic stoning of the devil). The Hajj is a purifying experi-ence that will rock a person's soul, and a huge humbling factor.

This whole thing was new to me. To (Continued on page 10 as Hajj)

By: Shireen Khan

Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Two Names that we are so familiar with, we often forget the other 97 of the 99 Attrib-utes of Allāh, The Almighty.

We as Muslims believe that, undoubt-edly, Allāh (The Exalted) stands in need of none of His creatures. There is none like Allāh (The Exalted), in His essence or attributes. He was when there was nothing.

We should also, however, know that He is Sublime, Supreme, and Exalted. We must know that He is above His seven heavens, above His ‘Arsh (the throne of Allāh, The Exalted), and separated from His creation and that His creation is separated from Him. If we confuse His essence and attributes, then we may be treading the wrong path. But Allāh (The Exalted) always knows best.

There is a huge difference between say-ing “Allāh (The Exalted) knows, sees, and hears everything” and saying, “Allāh (The Exalted) is everywhere.” Just as we perfect our talk and actions to become the best lawyers, doctors, journalists, etc.; we must perfect our speech as Mus-lims. We must know how to describe Him whom we worship.

Most of us do not have a hard time tell-ing others who Allāh (The Exalted) is. Some of us think we can tell others where Allāh (The Exalted) is. So, where is He?

If Allāh (The Exalted) is everywhere, then that would mean that He is in those places of filth where we ourselves would not want to be? It would mean that He dwells among and within His creation. Can we as humans on one hand say that He is Supreme and Exalted and then on the other say that He is among us? Even if one was to use reasoning, does this make sense?

Qur’ānic verses and authentic ahadith will prove otherwise because Allāh (The Exalted) says: “And when you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allāh and His Messenger, if you believe in Allāh and the Last Day” (anNisaa 4:59). His Greatness is beyond human reasoning.

There are many verses in the Qur’ān that deviant sects use to justify their argu-ments that deny that Allāh (The Exalted) is above His ‘Arsh. “Do you not see that Allāh knows all that is in the Heavens

(Continued on page 5 as Where is Allah)

Miracles of the Quran…………………... 3 Standing up to the Hatred of the Companions ……….. 4

Goals: Seeking them out… 6 From Outside Looking In: The Bubble Popper …… 6 Poetry Corner……………. 7 Diversions………………. 8 The Trojan Horse……….. 9 Big What ?......................... 9 An Example of Freedom of Speech………………….. 9 The Doctors Reply…….. 10 Misplaced……………….. 11

Prayer Calender Febuary/Muharram……… 11 Hamas Wins Historic Elec-tions……………………… 12

Content

Editorials / Letters

Editors-in-chief

Salah Fuad Issa Tabassum Khan

Marketing/Sales

Tabassum Khan

Managing Editors Copy- Farheen Khan

Writing- Shireen Khan Layout– Salah Fuad Issa

Copy Editors Farheen Khan Fiaza Aziem Hassan Khaja

Mohamed ElAmin Kouar Nida Hassan

Layout Editors

Arif Huda Mohammed Jisrawi

Sophia Issa

Writers Adam Salem

Ali I. Ali Farheen Khan Farrukh Salim

Mohammad ElAmin Kouar Mohammad Irfan Shariff

Nida Hasan Omar Rashed Saba Rathore

Salah Fuad Issa Shakir Ahmed Shireen Khan Sophia Issa

Rushna Arshad Zakir Mohammed Hossain

Nasihah Staff

Thank You for Your Support

Assalamualaykum. Its finally here! The first issue of Nasihatul-Haqq has fi-nally arrived. First, I would like to thank the staff of both newsletters

(the former “Haqq” and “Nasihah”); they have both worked tirelessly in creating this new newsletter. I have received more articles and poems during this issue than any other usual issue of the past. I hope this trend will continue and that the newsletter will continue to expand. Nasihatul-Haqq has more than a new fancy logo. It has now become much more di-verse with sections ranging from faith to diversions and from opinion to news. It has also become monthly in order to assure that our audience benefits on a larger scale. However, to do this we, Nasihatul-Haqq, need your continuous support. Inshallah now that the two have merged, collecting articles would become easier and we can focus on producing more quality work rather than focusing on quantity. I hope you find this new newsletter rather informative and entertaining as well as beneficial. Assalamualaykum wa Rahmatul-Lahi wa Barakatuh, Salah Issa, Editor-in-Chief

This publication contains the name of God, please respect it. Nasihah-Haqq welcomes sub-missions and articles from everybody. Articles may be edited for content and length at the editors’ discre-tion. Submit all articles to Na-sihatulhaqq@yahoo.com .

The opinions expressed in Nasihah-Haqq are the opin-ions of the author and do not necessarily represent that of Nasihah-Haqq. Visit Nasihah-Haqq online

at http://muslims.rutgers.edu/

newsletter.htm

Nasihatulhaqq@yahoo.com

Haqq Staff

Asalamu Alaikum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatu Bismilah El Rahman El Raheem Alhamdulilahi Rub el a’lameen Asalat wa salam ala Rusulilah

S hould we be more concerned about how each one of us practices their Islam or should we worry

about those who are not practicing at all? Should we pick the conservative guy to be amir or should the liberal guy do it? We spent countless hours worrying about what the goals of ISRU should be and what we thought would be the best thing to do. Who cares? While we sit here argu-ing who should lead what committee or who should be amir or what speaker we should invite in our comfort-able chairs and over a three dollar cup of coffee, there is

someone in Iraq, Chechnya, Palestine, Kashmir, Egypt, Syria, Britain, France, the USA, the ummah Of Muhammad (SWS) being burned, beaten, deprived of sleep, food and dignity, for acting on, if not only speaking the truth of La ilaha ilalah. Young Muslim women raped and exploited at the hands of corporate America while the brothers in their family can do nothing and her brothers across the world with fat pockets choose to do nothing. So I ask you again brothers and sisters who should be amir? What is the solution? We unite to create a formidable force to if nothing else speak out against the injustice. But this “sufi” is not willing to work with this “Salafi” and this “hardcore” Muslim will not work with this “lukewarm” Muslim. So what does it mean to unite? Uniting is not submitting your belief in the truth for the sake of some one else. It is not agreeing with the other person against your own judgment. It is taking action to help your brother and sister in Islam when they need help. It is standing up and defending that brother or sister in Islam even if it means harming yourself. We have fallen in to a state where our pride has blinded us and made us kinder to the non-Muslims who oppress us than to our brothers and sisters in Islam. The Muslim whom we hate the most ( I seek refuge in Allah) should be and is closer to you than the non Muslim who helps you on a daily basis. So who is a Muslim? Anyone who claims to be a Muslim and you cant prove they apostated. There are people who have a higher level of taqwa and those with less taqwa, those with understanding and those without. They are all of Ummat Mu-hammad (SWS). We spend so much time trying to invite people to Islam but we spend more time trying to push Muslims out of Islam for not understanding Islam, or understanding the importance of understanding. Let us not make the mistakes of our fathers fighting over masjids and how they’re run until the masjids are empty. So let us unite because what have we done for the Muslims who are suffering at the hands of non-Muslims because the parents didn’t migrate to this country? What are we doing for the Muslims who are being raped and murdered so that we can fill up for less than forty dollars and still complain? Are we next while we sit back and do nothing? Where are the mojahideen, the fighters, the writers, the speakers? Are we all just declaring jihad against each other? Let us on the day of resurrection tell Allah we were fighting over who should be amir. May all our scales be heavy on that day. Ehab Solaiman

Editors-in-chief

Farhan Malik

Marketing/Sales Farhan Malik

Managing Copy Editors

Farhan Malik

Copy Editors Ahmad Eid

Asim Hussain Mustafa Gatollari

Writers

Ahmad Yousaf Ahmed Eid

Farah Khadim Mustafa Gatollari

2 February 2006 EDITORIAL

As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suf-fer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed. Al-Kahf 30

3 FAITH February 2006

feel? It is clear that this creates feelings of value, worth, dignity, and contented-ness. All of this from the ability to name; so what is it?

Luqman Abdullah-Wajid, a local Muslim social worker who focuses on human nature, asserts the ability to name is re-lated to his ability to access knowledge. The angels proclaimed their knowledge was strictly given to them by Allāh (The Exalted), whereas Adam (may peace be upon him)’s methodology was different. This requires further examination.

Reality is pre-existing, concerning our awareness of it, and tends to be experi-enced as a vague whole. The vagueness of this total reality resists awareness, scrutiny, and therefore understanding. Naming distinguishes out the compo-nents of reality allowing us to focus on the parts of our choosing. This gives access to studying, understanding and possibly changing our perception of spe-cific pieces of reality (Abdullah-Wajid 7).

This scholar goes on to explain the crea-tivity involved in naming; “We make one piece of a whole, distinct from the rest, then name it. We have created two from one. The more accurately we name a thing, and the more parts that we iden-tify, the closer we get to understanding it” (Abdullah-Wajid 7). As presented,

( Creation continued from page 1) there is much strength to be gained through naming. However, the opposite is also true; it is both possible to avoid naming, and it is done. He writes, “To avoid understanding, to avoid thinking about, dealing with, or in an attempt to avoid being aware of and responsible for, we can avoid naming” (Abdullah-Wajid 7).

However, it is necessary to reaffirm two points: the status and worthiness of man-kind is a gift, regardless of whether it is accepted or not; every human being has the choice in accepting this gift and be-lieving Allāh (The Exalted), or rejecting it and believing Satan. It is simply an injustice to the self to deny Allāh’s (The Exalted) gift, and the gift is not revoked by doing so. The gift of worthiness is Allāh’s (The Exalted) eternal gift to mankind.

Thus, the single conclusion to be drawn is the importance and fundamental nature of naming, and its integral part in human existence. The next logical step in this discussion is the necessity of naming in our lives, and the fact that this process gives us worth. Finally, it becomes clear that without naming, an individual has lost and denied the gift bestowed upon him, and has denied the favor of his Lord. In the Qur’ān, Allāh (The Exalted) asks mankind, “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?” (arRahman 55:13). This point is clarified as de-

scribed by Luqman when he writes, “Adam (may peace be upon him) and Eve (may Allāh be pleased with her) ate from the forbidden tree, by believing that the creation Allāh (The Exalted) created them to be was defective. This is an in-sult to Allāh (The Exalted)” (Abdullah-Wajid 7). This clearly illustrates that mankind has made a fundamental error in disbelieving Allāh (The Exalted) when He declares that man is worthy. Further, repentance and forgiveness can solve humanities problem of self-doubting, and is made evident when “Adam (may peace be upon him) transformed his toxic [unhealthy] shame into healthy shame by naming it, and externalizing it, and healed himself by repentance, and re-forming his actions” (Abdullah-Wajid 7). The experience of Adam (may peace be upon him) reflects on the life of all his children, thus all of humanity can learn from the lessons taught through his story.

Mankind’s duty, after having received this knowledge, is simple; “Humanity would benefit immensely from following their example, and purging themselves of all beliefs, that the person Allāh (The Exalted) created them to be, is anything less than sacred, [and that] Allāh (The Exalted) does not make mis-takes” (Abdullah-Wajid 7). The next logical question would be how does one purge themselves of beliefs that contra-dict Allāh (The Exalted)? The answer

By: Shakir Ahmed

The passage of faith, belief, and revela-tion, which began with the father of all humanity, Prophet Adam (may peace be upon him), to the holy scriptures con-tained in the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel); all became abrogated and his-torical on a quiet and warm night inside a cave known as Hira’ (Saudi Arabia) dur-ing the holy month of Ramadan. Indeed it was a revelation unlike any other, therefore was revealed to a man unlike any other, the Prophet of Islam, Muham-mad (may peace and blessings be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) heard a trem-bling voice which commanded, “Read: In the name of thy Lord Who cre-ateth” (alAlaq 96:1). Though not fore-seen, the past as well as the future would be dynamically impacted with this reve-lation. The forthcoming message of righteousness was bestowed upon civili-zations for generations, the words of Allāh (The Exalted) were revealed to the Rahmatulil Alameen (Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him). One does not have to reference volumes of historical data to absorb this impact, but rather just refer to the Holy Qur’ān. For in the Qur’ān, all previous books and scriptures have been abrogated; this is the power of Iqra’ (knowledge) and this is the might of Allāh All-Mighty. Along with this universally truthful reve-lation came severe torment by the Kuffar (non-Muslims). In their unsuccessful quest to propagate the incorrect belief that Muhammad (may peace and bless-ings be upon him) was not the true mes-senger of Allāh All-Mighty, the Kuffar,

Miracles of the Qur’ān of the tribe of Quraish, began to out-wardly oppose Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), to the extent that they customarily challenged him to the battlefield. In all his wisdom and piety, Muhammad (may peace and bless-ings be upon him) recommended an eas-ier way. He asked the Kuffar of Quraish to produce just one verse which resem-bled the first verse from the shortest chapter of the Qur’ān, “Surely We have given you an abundance” (alKauthar 102:1). Thought-lessly accept-ing this im-possible chal-lenge, the Kuffar pre-sented the most learned and linguisti-cally well versed poet from the community, and after repeatedly reciting the verses of Surah Kau-thar which the Kuffar had written on the Ka’bah, the holy shrine in Mecca. To the astonishment and joy of the Kuf-far, the poet started writing underneath the verses of Surah Kauthar, trying to meet the Prophet’s (may peace and bless-ings be upon him) challenge. To the dis-may of the non-believers, the man they proclaimed to be the most knowledge-able in their society wrote, “I swear by

Allāh (The Exalted) these are not the words of a human being.” Clearly, this incident validates the power of Allāh All-Mighty and the miracle of the Qur’ān. One does not need to dig deep into his-torical events to discover the miracles of the Qur’ān, nor does one have to be a scholar to identify the miraculous attrib-utes of this beautiful book. Indeed these signs are clear in the hearts of those who

have been given hik-ma’a (guidance) from their Lord. In an effort to briefly exam-ine some of these signs, obtain two blank pieces of paper, on the first write down the most impor-tant worldly knowledge you have ever heard or a priceless quote from

history or even a safe deposit combina-tion to the world’s greatest treasure. On the second piece of paper, write down the verses of the Qur’ān. Afterwards, ask the scholars, ask your friends, ask even a child “What is the difference between the two pieces of paper?” Even the child will tell you that the one you have written the important words on, you can hold in any

lies in an understanding of the self-talk, or the messages that a person tells them-selves about themselves. These messages can induce toxic shame when corrupted by the whispers of Satan. It is important to note at this juncture that the process of purifying beliefs and shaping them to fit the mold of Allāh (The Exalted) and the Prophet Muhammad’s (may peace and blessings be upon him) teachings is a difficult path. The process is complicated further because an individual’s attempts to purify their own self can be sabotaged by his dealings with family, friends, and any other group of people who may not fully understand these dynamics.

Ultimately, two points are clear: first, Allāh (The Exalted) has established through His Qur’ān that man is worthy, and what makes him unique is the ability to name; second, a person who does not believe in their self-worth, those who disbelieve in Allāh (The Exalted)’s mes-sage in the story of creation and who have fallen victim to Satan’s whispers, have the ability to shift their thinking in such a way that they can purify their self-talk, acknowledge their own worth, and believe in Allāh (The Exalted). The process can be at times overwhelming, but this is the core of mankind’s purpose on Earth, and is the avenue through which people are best able to understand Allāh (The Exalted), Islam, and their own self.

physical state (i.e. pure or impure). How-ever, the piece of paper you have written the verses of the Qur’ān on require one to be in a clean state and even have wudu (ablution) to hold. The paper on which you have written other words can be thrown in the garbage, but the paper with the Qur’ānic verses must be kept in a respectable place, as per Muslim belief. Imagine if a piece of paper with a single verse demands the utmost respect, what level of esteem must a believer who memorizes the Qur’ān have in front of his Creator. These miraculous signs and proofs are not only confined to religious theology, rather they are evident in scientific dis-coveries as well. Take for instance verse 7 in Surah An-Naba’ (The Great News), Allāh (The Exalted) states, “Didn’t We make the mountains like pegs in the ground” (anNaba’ 78:7). Initially, peo-ple thought mountains were just raised surfaces of the Earth. It was not until 1855, when scientists claimed that these mountains are not merely raised surfaces rather they are rooted deep beneath the ground. In most cases, mountains are deeper below the surface then they are above. In fact, some have been known to be as much as 15 times deeper. Scientists within the last century concluded that the Earth’s layers are being held steadily together by these underground portions of mountains. The analogy of a staple, holding pieces of paper together comes to mind. Subhan’Allāh (Praise be to Al-lāh, The Exalted), Allāh (The Exalted) revealed this exact fact through Muham-mad (may peace and blessings be upon him) 1400+ years ago. Further clarified

(Continued on page 4as Quran)

4 FAITH

from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, “He has made the mountains pegs to keep the Earth from shaking.” Indeed the miraculous signs of the Noble Qur’ān are evident in the hearts of those who have been given the guidance. Not enough food for thought? The mira-cles of the Qur’ān are endless; in fact the Qur’ān itself is a miracle of Allāh (The Exalted). Switching gears and taking a brief stroll through scientific discovery we can further evaluate the essence of these Qur’ānic miracles. To our astonish-ment, a creature as small as the honey bee enlightens us in the way it develops its hive and produces honey which is an essential and highly consumed product. In the fascinating colonies of honey bees, where each of the bees is assigned a spe-cific task, the male bee does not contrib-ute to the defense of the hive, cleaning, in gathering food, or in the making of the honey comb. Apart from its reproductive organs, the male almost has none of the features possessed by the female bees, and thus it rarely does anything beyond fertilizing the queen. Not until the Ren-aissance was it learned that the female bee secretes the beeswax. Not until the discovery of the microscope and through modern genetics was this incredible task of producing honey associated with the queen bee. On the other hand, Allāh (The Exalted) revealed this amazing discovery centu-

(Quran continued from page 3) ries before: “And your Lord inspired the bee, saying take you habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect” (anNahl 16:68). In the Ara-bic language, all nouns are either of male or female gender. By the usage of the feminine noun in the honey bee verse, it is indicated that the bees that work to-wards making honey are females. Nor-mally, one would think that the order to produce honey and to build the hive would be geared towards the male. How would have Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) known about this fact 1300+ years before scientific discov-ery? Indeed these miraculous signs of the Qur’ān are evident in the hearts of those who have been given the knowl-edge.

Truly in every alphabet and phrase of the Qur’ān, there are Divine blessings. If we date back to the time of Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), a scenario comes to mind where the miracle of the Qur’ān and the power of Allāh (The Exalted) is upheld against the will and reasoning of the non-believers. Abu Lahab saw Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) preaching on top of the mountain, spreading the divine message. He said to Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), “May you per-ish! Did you summon us for this?” In Surah Masad, Allāh (The Exalted) con-demned Abu Lahab and his wife to Ja-hannam (Hellfire),

"The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming Fire, and his wife, the wood carrier, will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre" (alMasad 111:1-5). Clearly one can see the promise being made that Abu Lahab and his wife will go to Hellfire. However, Abu Lahab could have come to Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) and accepted Islam in an effort to prove the Qur’ān wrong. He could have simply said to Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), ‘the Surah says I’m going to hell, and you state that if one accepts Islam he/she will go to Paradise.’ Truly, Allāh (The Exalted) is the All-Wise and Truthful. This miracle of the Qur’ān promises that Abu Lahab and his wife will never accept Islam. How would Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) have known this? How would he know that Abu Lahab would not declare his belief in Islam hypocritically in an effort to falsify the Qur’ān? Allāh (The Exalted) would not let him, proving the miracle of the Qur’ān and the truthfulness of His messenger Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, these miraculous signs of the Qur’ān are evi-dent in the hearts of those who have been given the knowledge.

A great scholar once stated that Allāh

(The Exalted) has sent prophets and mes-sengers (may peace be upon them), and has provided them with certain miracles to prove their truthfulness. For instance, Moses (may peace be upon him) re-ceived the Torah and was awarded cer-tain miracles to help prove his truthful-ness, and to propagate the Divine Mes-sage. Jesus (may peace be upon him), received the Injeel (Gospel) and with it he received certain miracles to spread God’s message. Therefore we can infer that the prophets (may peace be upon them) received miracles so the people could acknowledge them as men of God and accept the message being preached by them. Allāh (The Exalted) blessed Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) with a Divine Message in the form of the Holy Qur’ān which is also a miracle. To prove his truthfulness and to help spread the words of Allāh (The Ex-alted), Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) received the Qur’ān as the most glorious miracle. Inclusive in the Qur’ān are endless mira-cles which are given to the human race in the form of divine guidance and knowl-edge. When a believer adopts the teach-ings of this Glorious Book, he is also fortunate enough to inherit its virtues and he is able to understand the miraculous signs of Allāh (The Exalted), Lord of all creation. We have been blessed with the most precious gift, the words of our Creator. Let us strive to apply it in every aspect of our lives.

By Zakir Mohammed Hossain

When you look at the title of the article you are probably going to say, “Oh, here we go, another Sunnī vs. Shī’ite debate.” I don’t blame you. Some of you might even go further on to say, “…oh, another Shī’ite-bashing article.” So, let’s make something clear here; I am not here to bash the Shī’ites. I have good relations with many Shī’ites, many of whom treat me like their fam-ily. I come from a land, Bangladesh, where Shī’ites and Sunnis live side by side in harmony free from religious tensions. We have trade fairs in Bang-ladesh where the Iranians sell their beautiful carpets and set up their hijāb stalls. Allāh (Tacālā) Willing, my arti-cle will be free from the pursuit of bias, but definitely not free from the pursuit of truth.

The Prophet (sallallāhu calayhi wa sallam) was an extraordinary human being. Not only was he (SAW) the Messenger (SAW) of Allāh (Tacālā), he (SAW) was also a very beautiful human being. Here I don’t intend to refer to his physical beauty; I want to point out to the beauty of his character. He behaved humanely with Muslims, non-Muslims, and animals. Everyone saw his compassion and truthfulness. His integrity and kind-heartedness helped to spread Islām in his commu-nity like wild fire.

The Prophet (SAW) lived about 1400 years ago. We do not have any docu-

Standing up to the Hatred for the Companions mentary films dating back to 620 AD showing us how the Prophet (SAW) was. The only sources we have to de-scribe his (SAW) life and the Message he brought are the Qur’ān and the au-thentic hadīths. Anything other than that is based on mere conjecture.

Here comes the relevance of the com-panions of the Prophet (SAW). The Qur’ān and the hadīth that we read to-day have been transmitted through the companions of the Prophet (SAW). If we were to question the integrity of the Companions of the Prophet (SAW), the people who collected the hadīth and the Qur’ān, we would have to end up ques-tioning the authenticity of the Qur’ān and the life teachings of the Prophet

(SAW). Our perception of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would have also been based on conjecture. This is why Imām Ahmed ibn Hanbal once said that those people who doubt the compan-ions of the Prophet (SAW) put their faith in Islām into doubt. Islām as it exists in today’s world, and has done so for the past 1400 years, would be in murky waters if we were to call the companions of the Prophet (SAW) a corrupt people.

Defaming all the hundreds of the close companions of the Prophet (SAW) without any sound evidence is blas-phemy no matter how you look at it. These people lived over a thousand years ago. All the original historical

documents show how well-rounded, trustworthy human beings these people were. How can we judge them fairly or justly even though none of us have seen them? We don’t punish people living today for committing zinā unless we have four witnesses for the crime. How can we pass our blind judgment on people who have lived so long ago whom we did not see? Is that hu-mane? Is that just?

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, com-pleted My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islām as your religion” (Al-Mā`idah 5:3). These are the words of

the Holy Qur’ān. To a Muslim these are beautiful because these are the words of Allāh (Tacālā). This is Al-lāh’s (Tacālā) speech to mankind for guidance. Allāh (Tacālā) has promised us that He has perfected the religion of Islām. Shouldn’t we think that the re-ligion that was perfected about 1400 years ago would remain as the perfect guidance for humanity till the end of time? If we love Allāh (Tacālā), and believe Him to be the Most Merciful, we must accept that He will uphold this religion of Islām and all its true teach-ings, or else there will be no proper guidance at all for us. We have to ac-cept that the Prophet’s (SAW) message was transmitted via his (SAW) uncor-rupted Companions. If his Compan-ions were to be deceiving then every act of the Prophet (SAW) that we read about in the Qur’ān and the authentic hadīth would have been in doubt. Should we think Allāh (Tacālā) would want to keep us in that sort of doubt? Should we think that Allāh (Tacālā) would make the road for practicing Islām that ambiguous, where we have to question every act of worship? Al-lāh (Tacālā) is the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent (One Who Gives without asking anything from us) and so He’d never do such a thing. Further-more, He has promised this to us. Al-lāh (Tacālā) says, “Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (Qur’ān) and surely, We will guard it

(Continued on page 6 as Hatred)

and all that is on the Earth? There is no secret counsel of three, but He is their fourth, nor of five, but He is their sixth, nor of fewer than that, nor of more, but He is with them wherever they may be. Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Surely, Allāh knows all things full well” (alMujadilah 58:7).

Those who deny Allāh’s Exaltedness, and instead say that He is everywhere, would use this verse to prove what they say. On the other hand, Ibn Kathir says that this verse only shows that Allāh (The Exalted) is well acquainted with everything a human does, whether it be private or not. The opening of the verse speaks of Allāh (The Exalted)’s knowl-edge and not His location. The point of the verse is that Allāh (The Exalted) has knowledge of what may go on in a pri-vate and secret counsel, not of being a part of the secret counsel. The verse ends with Allāh (The Exalted) inform-ing them of their own secrets, which confirms Allāh (The Exalted)’s knowl-edge. And “Allāh manages all affairs from the heaven unto the earth” (asSajdah 32:5).

Another verse that is used to justify by those who deny Allāh (The Exalted)’s superiority is: “It was We Who created man, and We know what dark sugges-tions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein” (Qaf 50:16). Does that mean Al-lāh (The Exalted) is within our veins? And in the trees? And in the water we drink? No. Allāh (The Exalted) is

(Where is Allah? continued from page 1) nearer to us than our own veins but not in time, place or location. Once again, the word “know” is used. It is His om-nipotence that is the key to the ‘location’ question. It is quite obvious that Allāh (The Exalted) is above the seven heavens, above His ‘Arsh. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah believe that the Mi’raj was not an illusion but real, and that Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) was taken from the lowest heaven up to the seventh to reach Allāh (The Exalted), and have the obligatory prayers pre-scribed to him.

Mu’awiyah as-Sahmi reported: “I had some sheep which I kept … with a slave-girl to look after them. One day … [I] discovered that a wolf had devoured one of them … [I] struck the girl. Later on, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and reported to him the incident. He terrified me with the grav-ity of my action. I said, ‘Messenger of Allah! Shall I free her [as an expiation of my sin.]?’ He said ‘Call her over.’ When I did, he asked her, ‘Where is Allāh?’ She said ‘Above the heavens’. Then he asked her, ‘Who am I?’ She said, ‘The Messenger of Allāh.’ The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered me, ‘Free her. She is a be-liever,’” (Muslim).

The slave girl’s answer gave her not only freedom but also the label as a be-liever. And then there are those state-ments which show that those who deny Allāh (The Exalted) to be above His ‘Arsh are not among the believers. Al-lāh (The Exalted) knows best.

Abu Muti’ Al-Balkhi reported: “I asked Imam Abu Hanifah about a person who says, ‘I do not know whether my Rabb is above the heavens or on earth.’ Abu Hanifah said: ‘A person who makes such a statement becomes an apostate because Allāh (The Exalted) says, ‘The Merciful has ascended above the ‘Arsh, and the ‘Arsh of Allāh is above His heavens,’” (Hadith Sharhut-Tahawiyyah 288).

Abdullah bin Nafi’ reported: Malik bin Anas said: “Allāh is above the heavens, but His knowledge encompasses every-thing,” (Ahmad).

Imam ash-Shafi’ee said: “The creed which I hold is the same creed the Mus-lims before me were holding-the Testi-mony of Faith: ‘There is no god worthy of being worshipped except Allāh, that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and that Allāh is above His ‘Arsh, above the heavens,’” (Ijtimaa ul-Juyoosh il-Islaamiyyah 93).

Imam Ahmad was asked, “Is Allāh above His ‘Arsh, above the seventh heaven, separate from His creatures, and is His knowledge and power encom-passing everything everywhere?” He replied: “Certainly, He is above His ‘Arsh and nothing escapes His knowl-edge,” (Ijtimaa ul-Juyoosh il-Islaamiyyah 123).

As Muslims, we must be careful about how we describe our Lord. We must be careful about what we accept as right and refute as wrong. The list of ayahs proving Allāh (The Exalted) to be above His ‘Arsh is extensive and the entire Muslim ummah (with reference to the

5 CONTINUED

am going to strap myself with a bomb and blow up NJIT? Do you fear that one of my sisters is hiding something under her scarf? The only thing I want to blow up is your double standards, your skewed ethical and moral princi-ples, your sideways beliefs about me and us, your degradation of women, your stereotypes of all of my people’s races (black, white, Arab, Asian, Desi, and everything else in between), and your ignorance. The only state I wish to destroy is your state of mind!

(Freedom of Speech continued from page 9)

ties and proofs, and I challenge any scientist alive from now till the end of time to attempt to disprove it once. Professor Alfred Kroner, a Profes-sor of the Department of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany. He said, "Thinking where Muhammad came from. I think it is almost impossi-ble that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advance technological methods that this is the case."

(The Big What? continued from page 9)

standpoints made by the four Imams above) is to be in unison when it comes to answering the question: “Where is Allāh (The Exalted)?” Because the slightest error may lead us off the path of righteousness; and Allāh (The Ex-alted) always knows best.

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6 February 2006

By: Salah Fuad Issa

Have you ever tried to achieve some-thing but failed, for example trying to lose weight, memorizing a chapter from the holy Qur’ān, or just trying to be a better person? Like almost everyone else, I have also experienced a lot of failed dreams and goals.

One day I was discussing Muslim lead-ership with a person, when he showed me a whole collection of tapes, CD's, and books about leadership. He then gave me a set of 6 tapes with the title “Goals” by Zig Zigler.

Three weeks later, I decided that it was finally time to listen to one of them. So, I opened one up, put it in the radio, and suddenly I heard the guy called Zig Zigler speaking. He spoke with a heavy southern accent, one you would hear in the movies. I was about to give up. However, since I was cleaning the base-ment I decided to listen to it while working.

Looking back I was happy that I stayed and listened to the tapes. The tape taught me a lot about goals and achiev-ing them. Here is a summary of the first two tapes of “Goals” by Zig Zigler. I hope you find it useful.

To achieve goals, one first must decide on what goals he/she wants to achieve. The biggest problem with goals is that most people don’t have any.

1. The first step is to write all the goals you want to accomplish, whether small or big, write every goal you want. Continue to add to the list for three days, even though the largest portion of the list will be written in the first day. 2. After three days of writing the goals, write next to each one, “Why?” 3. Think of why you want to accom-plish this goal. If you can’t articulate the reason in one sentence, then cross it out (cross it off, don’t scribble it off or remove the goal, even if the goals are not achievable at the moment - they might be in the future). 4. Balance your goals list by giving each goal a category: physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial, career, and family. Check to see if your goals are oriented in one category. If they are, try

SELF ENHANCEMENT Goals : Seeking them out From the Outside, Looking In:

The Bubble Popper By: Rushna Arshad

Picture this: you are walking to class one morning wondering what this new ISRU committee is about. All you have been told is that it exists. As you make your way through the cold and wintry morning, a familiar face runs towards you, stops, smiles, raises a sewing needle into thin air, looks you in the face and screams, “Pop!” That’s it. The mysterious brother or sister runs off in merriment, most likely to do the same to another be-wildered and utterly confused and sleepy ISRU-er dragging him or herself to class. Congratula-tions! You just met the bubble popping committee. The goal of this commit-tee is to pop the bub-ble of routine col-lege life and encourage critical thought and reflection of intentions and actions on a daily basis.

As the new semester begins we will soon find ourselves back in the hustle and bustle of college life. Within the first few weeks we will become accus-tomed to our new, yet familiar sched-ules. Depending on our level of faith, this will result either in mindless routi-nization in which the final destination is perceived to be our degree and ca-reer, or our realization that it is in fact the akhirah in which we will be held accountable for our actions.

Before some of us find ourselves en-closed in the RU bubble, tumbling

through life’s tests (and campus), we need to critically examine ourselves. Step away from the bubble. Look at it from the outside. Does what we see please us? Have we prioritized properly? Have we followed the example of our Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) and reflected not only on our own actions, but the society we are sur-rounded by day in and day out? Are we

checking our inten-tions with every action that we take, including Islamic activities? How many times a day (besides prayer) do we remember Allāh (The Exalted)?

Simply analyzing our intentions, goals, and actions, is not going to be enough to pop this metaphorical bubble. A dedicated minimum

of 10 minutes per day of the above, fol-lowed by action to make necessary changes in the days and weeks that fol-low can and will, if Allāh (The Exalted) wills, make us better people. Imagine if we all went through a constant renewal of intentions followed by action. We would find ourselves in a very different bubble: the un-popable, universal faith bubble of the nation of Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him).

*Note to readers: The bubble-popping committee consists of all ISRU members working tirelessly to benefit the brothers and sisters in their community. The pop-pers are ISRU meetings and events. Drop by to have your bubble popped and changed every Thursday at 7:00 pm.

(from corruption)” (Al-Hijr 15:9).

“Falsehood cannot come to it from be-fore it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allāh (Tacālā))” (Al-Fussilat 41:42). Since Allāh (Tacālā) has chosen Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the last Messenger before the Day of Resurrec-tion for guiding mankind, we can be sure of it that He (Tacālā) has chosen good companions for His Messenger (SAW). Allāh (Tacālā) has that ability, because He is the One Who is Able to do all things. Allāh (Tacālā) owns the past, present, and future. He is the Master of all, and He has knowledge over all things. He (Tacālā) has chosen the best companions for the last Mes-senger (SAW); this can be derived from common sense and from various āyahs of the Qur’ān.

“You are the best of peoples” (Āli-cImrān 3:110).

(Hatred continued from page 4) “The Vanguard (of Islām), the first who forsook their homes (Al-Muhājirīn) and of those who gave them aid (Al-Ansār) and also who follow them in all good deeds. Allāh is pleased with them as they are with Him. For them He pre-pared gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever” (At-Tawbah 9:100).

“Muhammad is the Apostle of Allāh and those who are with each other. You see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer) seeking grace from Allāh and (His) good pleasure. On their faces are the marks being the traces of their prostration...” (Al-Fath 48:29).

In a reliable hadīth, the Prophet (SAW) said, “The best of my followers are those living in my century” (Bukhārī).

My dear Muslim brothers and sisters, next time you hear anyone cursing the Sahābah, or the 100,000 people that lived around the Prophet’s (SAW) time, please ask them, “Are your ac-tions just?”

to make it them more balanced. Ask the following questions for each goal Will reaching this goal make me hap-pier? Make sure you differentiate be-tween pleasure and happiness. Pleasure satisfies a person’s desires for a small period of time, while happiness will give a person long-term satisfaction (for ex-ample the difference between eating a chocolate bar and getting married). Will reaching it make me healthier? Will reaching it make me more prosper-ous? Will reaching it make me more secure? Will reaching it make me more friends? Will reaching it give me peace of mind? Will reaching it improve my family? If you can't answer yes to one of these questions, then cross off the goal. 6. On your goals list, some of the goals might be big, so one has to stretch to reach it. Some goals are small and daily. Other goals are continuous/ongoing goals (as in daily exercise or revising what you have memorized in the Qu'rān). Also, some of the goals might be long range, so if one has a disaster, it doesn’t destroy the person, since he will feel it as a slight setback, not the end of his life. In your list, make sure you have some of each kind of goal (long-term and short-term). 7. Check for Negativity. If you have a goal that for the moment is too big, out of reach, or unrealistic, cross it out. Also, cross it out if it is in a field com-pletely unrelated to you. For example, if you had a goal to make a website that will get the best website award, but you don’t know a thing on how to make a website. Also, take off any goal that at the moment depends on luck. Ask the following questions for each goal: Is it really my goal (is it something you want, or what someone thinks you should do)? Is it Islāmically right? Will it take me closer to my objectives? Can I emotionally commit myself to start and finish the project? Can I see myself reaching the goal?

One needs to reduce the goals list down to four. Continue doing 1-8 to decrease them to four. Then answer the following to find out how to accomplish the goal and the amount needed to reach the goal: Find out where you are. The positive things of each goal. What will the goal accomplish? What you need to accomplish, or attain, the goal? Skills needed to reach the goal. Organization needed to reach the goal. And the plan of action to reach the goal.

This is the basic summary of the first two tapes of the six tape series. If Allāh (The Exalted) wills, I will write about the other four tapes in the future issues.

Note that this is just a summary of Zig Zigler tapes, based on what I under-stood. I used my own examples.

<<—->>

O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do

not?

Grievously odious is it in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do

not.

As-Saff (2-3)

By: Saba Rathore

The book starts to sweat, Leaking pieces of tar whet

The appetite for reality.

The book smells of sweat,

Will we ever let The book feel wet?

And there is the beauty of Contradiction, Satisfaction

Of never-ending hallucination.

The dusky musk of

Papery leaves clashing With the sound of

Aromatic winds,

That fills the cavity

Of destruction.

The Sweaty Book

7 February 10th, 2006

Apostrophe By: Mohammed Irfan Shariff

Do not really know much about,

The air of talk that is spoken.

Do not really care much about,

The points of view gossip people.

Do not really mind number or color.

Does the hater walk? I do not bother.

But I will stand, I will speak.

And I will walk, and I will reach.

The clear path that we know,

For the person who wants to grow.

Not by distance but by the light

Heart wrenched worried about the afterlife.

By: Nida Hasan

No words uttered except for the first greeting Like an awkward forced first meeting A smile disappears into a stoic facade

Continuing pretenses turned odd How quickly relationships get torn

Enmity between close companions is born Memories of shared fortunate times swallowed

So rapidly leaving friendships hollowed Merely based on trivial utterances

Minor disputes evolve to major differences Downward descend guided by pride

The bigger picture is cast aside Priorities lost amidst scattered lies

My intentions I must revise Realizing Ramadān had started

Patching up with those who parted To avert a Tremendous Wrath From encompassing my path

Blessed that I recognized this now Instead of when it would’ve been too late to bow

My head before You in repentance Punishment surely then would have been intense O Allah (Tacālā) Make my heart clean and pure

So perhaps I may be able to secure A place for myself in Your Paradise

They See Me Then & Now (for all Americans)

By: Farah Khadim

Put the victims of hurricane Katrina & slavery in juxtaposition

Look at their positions

In this world of opposition

Do you see the converging junction?

The Dome & the slave ship similar destinations

For the inferior vs. superior in different time period locations

Whites vs. Blacks & Rich vs. Poor- some differentiation

In this free land of equal justification

How do you feel true liberalization?

When the little that you get undergoes magnification

And your own efforts receive underestimation

“All men are equal”-get the right interpretation

Don’t get any misapprehension

Know your innate rights & don’t allow for miscalculation

For you have the minds to disprove the allegations

To put those insane ideologies to complete elimination

Centuries old thoughts of superiority must undergo vilification

By: Saba Rathore

I never know How to look

At people, Because all

I see

Is what

They see In me.

And it Scares

Me to see How deep

They go,

Down, down

Trying to see Reflections

Of glimpses

Of me.

But what they See is not me.

They capture Reflections

Of glass mirrors Turned upside

Down.

So, you see

They don’t see me. But what they see

Strikes at my heart.

And I cannot

But start At the frozen

Stares because

Of what they see:

They see me.

POETRY CORNER

Coming Clean

O mankind! Worship

your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al- Muttaqun (the pious). [2:21]

“ “

ACROSS 1. All Muslims are required to do it at least once in a lifetime 5. A person who ran between two hills before he/she found water 6. Center of the Islamic Ummah 9. Most important and sought out house in the world (Note, not the White House) 11. A spring that sprang out out of earth and helped save a little child 13. Used to live in the most impor-tant house 15. A book that should be read more often 16. The Creature that helps us go astray

DOWN 2. The first person to disobey Allah (SWT) 3. Circling the Kaaba 4. A ritual that is performed five times a day 7. A Mountain where a prophet preached on during Hajj 8. USA believes in the seperation of state and ________ 10. A city in Arabia that survived a three months siege agienst a huge alli-ance 12. Son of a prophet and lived in a de-sert 14. A great prophet, statesman and leader 16. A lot of them get sacrificed during the last month of the Higri calender 17. Used to be the main source of transportation for the pilgrims

8 February 2006 DIVERSIONS

By: Mohammad ElAmin Kouar

Everyday, every hour, every minute, and every second of my life There is temptation, seduction, and a never-ending strife

Submitting to the Lord because heaven is more than worth it While the devil be the resistor in my taqwa circuit

The satanic whispers, I try to suppress Because it’s all a test

More or less When I struggle no need to confess

Just return back to Allāh (The Exalted) and his religion Because paradise isn’t an impossible mission Sin is the bait while Satan has gone fishing

Sometimes I get caught up But then I remember the way I was brought up Raised in accordance to the way of the prophet

(may peace and blessings be upon him) So I return to the way of the prophet

(may peace and blessings be upon him) As if my parents had planted a good seed I’m following every sin with a good deed Am I not thankful for the air I breathe?

But my faith gets weak And worn out like my clothes

So I realize my true friends and foes Because my religion is that of my companions

And the devils traps are like grand canyons And with out a guide sometimes I fall

But I hear the Adhan so I answer the call And sincere prayer purifies my soul But the devils tricks never get old

So I must hold firmly to rope Of Allāh, Most Gracious and Most Merciful

And if you look at my words sideways, you see the flow of faith Increasing and decreasing till you reach the GRAVE

A F Y R X L H S K M S E Q S I X A L U E P Z F F I A H V M L C R C A M B P K A A I J A Z E A F L O H M N A V B O T F R B M R D F Y X H D W R S D C G I M A O R A J A H T A F I T J J Z Z E Q K S C A T V A Z A H S A I H A A N E V L J A H E S D R N M N D E M H C W G I F Q A I A A I B L I U N Z D E Z P A B N L H M P A S Y M L O A A M Q R M U F G K M A U D S R H I M L S A H S P D H I H N W U K N A S G A U D S I Y G E I S A J R X D R S N D N L T H A J J E E Z M N A H A I H I S H H A A A T M H A K K A M M M

T E H E G T O R M W I W J K I S U B E C I F I R C A S I N M A B Y Z J U V A N O N J T R E E S Q A T A A K S W Y E D G J S P N C W M B U S R D A

The Flow of Faith Hajj Word Search

Hajj Submission Eid al-Adha Sacrifice Patience Tawheed Zamzam Ibrahim Hajar Adam Shaytan (Satan) Ismail Makkah Masjid-ul Haram Masa Arafat Mashars Mina Kaaba Safa Marwa Day Night Sunshine Sunset Idols Ihram Halgh Taqseer

Find Your Way Across the Desert

By Farheen khan Hajj is the name of the pilgrimage Muslim have to take once in their life time if they get the chance. For every location the pilgrimage takes you, there is a valuable les-son to be learned. Try finding all the key words found in Hajj

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

not believe that this front in Iraq and the “war on terror’ is not a war on Is-lam then you have allowed yourself to be fooled. Just because of the actions of a few, all my people (not an ethnic-ity… a FAITH) have been looked at with suspicion and fear. Why didn’t Timothy McVeigh’s attacks in Okla-homa cause the same disdain for the

Catholic Church?!! What about that guy named HITLER! I do not believe that all Germans, or all Christians for that matter, agree with the annihilation of the Jews or in the supremacy of a race.

Because of the actions of Ariel Sharon, I do not believe that all Jews wish the genocide of the Palestinian people. So then why do I get looked at funny? Why do my sisters who protect their modesty with their scarves get looked upon with pity and hate?! Why are my brothers arrested because they grow their beards out and are proud of their beliefs? I, born and raised in Jersey… know the words to the national anthem and get tingles when I hear that big fat guy at Yankees stadium sing ‘God Bless America!’ Why do you look at me funny!?? Do you really think that I

(Continued on page 5)

9 February 2006 OPINION

By: Adam Salem

Thousands of miles away, in the land of Arabia, lies a land chaotically de-generated and ruined by militant forces – that land is Iraq. Though external forces have bombarded and destroyed the land, most destructive of all militant forces is that which lies within the land – a militant extrem-ism, dedicated with the sole intention of creating sedition and partitions among the varied Mus-lims of Iraq. Day after day, news reports are channeled throughout the world – disseminat-ing messages of horren-dous attacks carried out against the public sphere. In street mar-kets, banks, security buildings, and even mosques, a violent manifestation has whirled throughout the country for several years now. Though so much can be said of this topic, one notion must be temporarily retained – that the greatest destruction which has on-slaught the Muslim community is driven not by external forces of the world’s super powers, but rather by internal forces within the community itself. Henceforth, the most degenerat-ing attacks that diminish the commu-nity are characterized by the divisions created by those within the Muslim community itself.

Homer’s Iliad exemplifies the destruc-tion of an entire civilization by military forces which marched from with the civilization itself. When Odysseus (the enemy of the Trojans) develops the plan to create a giant Trojan Horse as a gift for the Trojans, the Trojans be-come disillusioned that the gift sug-gests a completion of the war. There-after, the Trojans carry the giant Trojan Horse into the center of their city – oblivious to the enemy hiding within the Horse. When the enemy creeps out of the Trojan Horse into the night, the covert warriors destroy the city by sur-prise – thus crumbling an entire civili-zation. The message, of course, is quite clear – the most dangerous threat to an entire community are those peo-ple who appear to be among the propo-nents and supporters of that commu-nity, but are in fact, the greatest ene-mies of that community [This example is obtained from the Muslim speaker Hajj Hassanain Rajabli].

Moreover, greater elucidation must be placed upon which acts can be catego-rized as an assailant threat to the Mus-lim community. Though violence surely categorizes as one of the great-est internal threats to the Muslim com-munity, a wide medley of other crimes can be deemed threatful to the commu-nity. For example, mockery is one epidemic that can be slurred from the

By Ahmed Eid It is due to human curiosity about the reality of the universe that we have many theories regarding its ori-gin. Throughout history, there has al-ways seemed to be an indescribable need to understand the mystery we call “outer space.” Some scientists claim that the earth was here forever and it will continue to be, while others have said that the universe was a small con-tainment of energy that exploded once upon a time to form the universe we know today. The truth is, the big bang theory makes absolutely no sense and cannot be accepted by the human mind because of its illogical premises and therefore, illogical conclusion. Let us begin by tackling the issue with only our common intellect and no scientific jargon. If I were to tell you that on my way to school I saw a tree that began sawing itself into pieces of usable wood, and then began moving and nailing itself together to form a boat, then moved into the water and people began to ride it, you would call me crazy. How is it then that one be-lieves that the entire universe with its almost magical orchestration and beauty came about by chance? Just from living, we all can conclude that nothing happens without input. It was-n’t because I wanted this article to be written that it was, but because I sat down and exerted the effort needed to

An Example of the Freedom of Speech

The Trojan Horse The Big What? mouth of only one Muslim, and yet can quickly spread as a tumor within the body of a Muslim community. Though the reasons for mockery can vary, the most primary impetus is for the assail-ant to gain superiority over another

Muslim. Harun Ya-hya, a widely ac-claimed Turkish scholar, pinpointed the reasons why one may commit such a crime: “because it is often employed as a way of assuming superiority over oth-ers, they do not hesi-tate to treat others in this humiliating way whenever they find the chance. When they mock a person's defects and weak-nesses, they enjoy

presuming their own superior-ity” (Yahya, 55-56). Taken in the con-text of a diverse Muslim community (i.e. many schools of thought), mock-ery can be utilized as a tool to margin-alize Muslims who adhere to a minor-ity school of thought, and to further accentuate one’s proud belief in a spe-cific school of thought. Henceforth, mockery is an immature and cowardly act utilized by those who lack certainty

(Continued on page 11)

get the article written. In the same way, if the universe didn’t have to be cre-ated, it wouldn’t be. If I were to tell you to put ten marbles, each labeled a number from one to ten, into a jar and pull them out one by one in order, the chances of that happening would be less than a thousandth of a per-cent. Explain to me, O knowledgeable scientist, how the earth has the perfect temperature to accommodate life, with the perfect number for the force of gravity, which is also the most perfect distance it is from the sun, which is the only planet that has water on it? The truth is that this all could not have happened by chance, rather, there must be an All-Powerful Creator who designed everything to perfec-tion. Think about the human heart, with the ability to store and discharge blood for over 60 years, never needing to take a break. Or the human body, the most complex chemical plant known to man. Hundreds of not thousands of chemical reactions happen every sec-ond of our lives, everything correctly proportioned and planned. I can go on and on with arguments until I die. This earth could not have happened by chance, because if it did, then some-thing was bound to go wrong at least once! Yet the earth is the most perfect place to sustain human life. It is by following this logical train of thought that we can prove the big bang did not actually take place, but there is an All-Powerful Creator that created designed everything to perfection. One might say “Well…bring the proof!” The proof is right in front of everyone’s eyes, yet most of us choose not to believe it. As humans, we are not perfect in anything that we do. That said, we must take the word of the Creator, who created us, and accept it. Keep in mind that it was just a cou-ple of hundred years ago when no one believed the existence of anything but the sun, the moon, and the earth, and some people even said that the earth was flat. We know now that that is incorrect, and that other galaxies like the one we are in exist. Back then, if one were to say that the universe actu-ally exists, and that there is more to it than the sun the moon and the earth, one would be labeled crazy and put into an insane asylum. However, what amazes the Muslims is that the Quor’an proved the existence of a uni-verse, as well as explaining in detail its origin over 1400 years ago. It is also a scientific fact today that the universe is constantly expanding, and has no finite size. The Quor’an says regarding this “It is We Who have built the universe with (Our creative) power, and, verily, it is We Who are steadily expanding it.” (51:47) I wish not to bore you with proofs from the Quor’an, because if I were to try, I could take up many pages. The Quor’an cannot be disproved about anything regarding its scientific reali-

(Continued on page 5)

By: Ahmad Yousaf I feel like saying something I am sup-posed to be allowed to say: I should be able to say that I AM MUSLIM before I am American and would die to protect those who share the same faith as I and die for those who are being oppressed as we speak! In Kashmir, in Pal-estine, in the Philip-pines, in Chechnya, in China, in west Africa, in France, in Harlem, on the Bi-ble Belt, outside Giant Stadium (if you don’t know what I am doing read the freaking news) and IN GITMO. If you have a problem with what I say then deal with it because the constitution, that is supposedly the foundation for this once great nation, says I can say whatever I want and you can’t do crap. But if you want to… I am easy to find. Just remember that I belong to the greatest Fraternity/Sorority in the world (1.4 billion strong!). Do not get me wrong… I don’t like to start fights but that does not mean I… WE…will not do what we have to do to protect ourselves when we are first attacked. AND WE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED. If you do

10 OPINION be honest, I was ignorant on the rituals of Hajj until I was on the plane. One of the things that really got me was the wearing of the two towels (or ihram) for a number of days. I mean, for someone so used to wearing pants and underwear, two towels was a stretch. Mina, our first stop was not as bad as many people make it out to be. It was like a camp ground, with tents and sleeping mattresses. This is where one sees the true poverty. Outside our campground was where the less fortu-nate camped out, in the streets and the alleys. There have been a lot of rea-sons for the cause of the stampede in Mina. But, from someone who was there’s perspective, all it needed was organization, which included the suit-cases. Muzdalifah and Arafat went by in a flash, and along the way I met an array of different Muslims. I made friends from Kazakhstan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, etc. At one point in the Harem, I was sitting with a group from Turkey, and although we did not speak the same language, we shared dates and Zam Zam. Hajj teaches us a lot of things. I’ve learned patience, confidence, taqwa, and many other things. This is Hajj in a nutshell. This might not be the most detailed account or the most helpful, but one of the hardest things to do is put something like Hajj on paper. All I can say is that, you have to see it to fully comprehend it.

(Hajj continued from page 1)

By Ahmad Yousaf I AM A FUNDAMENTALIST! I am fundamentally sound Fundamentally bound Fundamentally submit to the One who holds Crown I fundamentally believe That I am supposed to be funda-mentally free Because I fundamentally agree With the constitution, the funda-mentals of this society

I AM AN EXTREMIST! I am extremely kind, I am ex-tremely against those who oppress I am extremely modest you will find, around my sisters who ex-tremely dress But I digress to tell you that I am extremely impressed And extremely respect The brother who has extreme hair on his chin And the sister who covers here ex-treme beauty to show her beauty within

I AM A RADICAL! I am radically opposed to you Radically opposed the Palestinian-killing Jews I radically oppose the way you see women as meat

The Doctor’s Reply To Someone Calling Him A TERRORIST: Because I radically believe Jannah is at these women’s feet I am radically opposed to your radi-cal oppression Radically going into Iraq to find what ‘nukelar’ weapons YOU ARE A FUNDAMENTAL-IST! Your fundamentally nuts, you are fundamentally crazy You don’t know what fundamental means, you fundamentally amaze me You fundamentally spit on the con-stitution You are fundamentally the walking human pollution You fundamentally want to burn the stripes and block out the stars You want to fundamentally kill freedom and put liberty behind bars

YOU ARE AN EXTREMIST! You are extreme in your acts, ex-treme in your behavior Extremely deluded to believe that no matter how many people you kill: Christ is your savior! You are extreme in your beliefs, extreme in your foreign policy Extreme in your greed, do anything extreme to gain monetarily You are extremely dangerous when you are in power

Extremely oblivious of the upcom-ing Hour

YOU ARE A RADICAL! You are radically ignorant, you radically lie You are radically unaware Who’s law you defy Your thoughts are radical, radical is your way You radically deceive and you will do anything radical to get your way Radical is your mindset, radical is your major friend And when they rape, pillage and destroy, you still radically defend I AM A TERRORIST!!! But not the way you want me to be, Because the truth terrorizes you Integrity puts fear in you minds and righteousness is what I do So I am a terrorist because justice puts terror in your hearts You are terrorized by decency and my honesty is way off the charts So I will continue to terrorize you with all that is true. So call me a terrorist but know that I am only a terrorist to you

11 SHORT STORIES February 2006

Day February Hijri Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha

Wed 1 2/1 5:50 7:07 12:12 2:54 5:16 6:34

Thu 2 3/1 5:49 7:06 12:12 2:56 5:18 6:35

Fri 3 4/1 5:48 7:05 12:12 2:57 5:19 6:36

Sat 4 5/1 5:47 7:04 12:12 2:58 5:20 6:37

Sun 5 6/1 5:46 7:03 12:12 2:59 5:21 6:38

Mon 6 7/1 5:45 7:02 12:12 3:00 5:22 6:40

Tue 7 8/1 5:44 7:01 12:12 3:01 5:24 6:41

Wed 8 9/1 5:43 6:59 12:12 3:01 5:25 6:42

Thu 9 10/1 5:42 6:58 12:12 3:02 5:26 6:43

Fri 10 11/1 5:41 6:57 12:12 3:03 5:27 6:44

Sat 11 12/1 5:40 6:56 12:12 3:04 5:29 6:45

Sun 12 13/1 5:39 6:55 12:12 3:05 5:30 6:46

Mon 13 14/1 5:38 6:53 12:12 3:06 5:31 6:47

Tue 14 15/1 5:36 6:52 12:12 3:07 5:32 6:48

Wed 15 16/1 5:35 6:51 12:12 3:08 5:33 6:49

Thu 16 17/1 5:34 6:50 12:12 3:09 5:35 6:50

Fri 17 18/1 5:33 6:48 12:12 3:10 5:36 6:52

Sat 18 19/1 5:32 6:47 12:12 3:11 5:37 6:53

Sun 19 20/1 5:30 6:46 12:12 3:12 5:38 6:54

Mon 20 21/1 5:29 6:44 12:12 3:12 5:39 6:55

Tue 21 22/1 5:28 6:43 12:12 3:13 5:40 6:56

Wed 22 23/1 5:26 6:41 12:12 3:14 5:42 6:57

Thu 23 24/1 5:25 6:40 12:12 3:15 5:43 6:58

Fri 24 25/1 5:24 6:39 12:11 3:16 5:44 6:59

Sat 25 26/1 5:22 6:37 12:11 3:17 5:45 7:00

Sun 26 27/1 5:21 6:36 12:11 3:17 5:46 7:01

Mon 27 28/1 5:19 6:34 12:11 3:18 5:47 7:03

Tue 28 29/1 5:18 6:33 12:11 3:19 5:48 7:04

By: Mohammed Irfan Shariff

Beautiful it was that midday in the month of Shawwal. Bobbing their heads as the bass thumped in the new Toyota Corolla his friend drove, but he remembered the blue sky. It was a beautiful day, the fog and rain, and being pulled over by the Brunswick Police, money spent in a government system backed by taxes and a conflict of interest. A whirlwind of thought after the sun went down created his rigid mindset of just getting home and going to sleep. He knew the company he was in, but never were they as in touch as he was, never were they as sensitive as he was and even in the hot-test summer day never were they as cool as he was. It was raining and the fog was so dense, all he could do was smile because he knew of the bright blue sky.

His sneakers were torn and letting in water as he walked from the dorm to the bass thumping Corolla, not any

Misplaced Corolla, this one had spinning hubcaps. They made him laugh, especially since two of them were jammed and only served as a synthetic piece of chrome that reflected the sunlight. But he never told his acquaintances this, for he too was spinning in a whirlwind only to be jammed by the vivid colors of mo-mentary thought. But things stopped, things really did stop and come to a standstill when the world was over-turned and prayer came… still he stood as firm as possible to pray the way the last prophet prayed. Blessings and peace be upon him…. Life was routine as he jumped, from car to car and bus stop to bus stop, but today he actually got a ride home even though no one wanted to pick him up. Grateful for his acquaintance to pick him up even though it was raining and oh so foggy, Fonaaz smiled and looked in the stormy clouds and saw a bright blue sky.

Repeating to himself, Alhumdulillah over and over again, he felt embar-rassed that he was not bobbing his

head. He knew that they were only acquaintances and not the “f” word. They were not friends. Slamming on the brakes the brittle Corolla slid into his driveway, only to shutoff since the subwoofer fried killed the battery.

“ey yo FONAAZ, you got triple A” “naw kid but give it a second it will start up” “man I knew dropping you off would be a ….” “chill, jus give the whip a second and it will start up”

Thinking to himself, what brand new Corolla shuts off…. Aren’t they the tactile representation of dependability? Who blows out their battery with a 3000 thousand watt subwoofer? I should not have asked him to drop me home. I should have just taken the train. I should have stayed at school; mom is not even going to be happy to see me I shoulda…

“chill kid, the car turned on… I’ll check you later” “salaamz”

“good look”

He watched his acquaintance drive away, he almost called him the “f” word… but he was not a friend. Fonaaz walked into his home, and saw his aging father at the kitchen table. Aging but working enough to pay off his college bills amongst many other things, he was sitting to get a peace of mind.

“FO—NAAAAZ, get ready we are going to isha at the masajid” Masjid, Mosque, Masgid, ISCJ, MCMC, ICOB, NBIC, CICO, ICMAP, ICBLABLABLA

Since when did we go to the masjid, Fonaaz knew his parents were becom-ing more religious especially since the mysterious uncle and auntie network has caused the urgency to plan for Hajj. Fonaaz, was drenched from the rain and ran upstairs to change. His bed-room beckoned him to lie down on his bed. He lied down and looked at the ceiling and finally saw his bright blue sky.

in their own selves, lack attention, and simply fear the beliefs of a challenging minority. The Qur’ān constantly em-phasizes the gravity of such a crime: “You who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves; nor should any women ridicule other women who may be bet-ter than themselves. And do not find fault with one another or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil con-duct after coming to faith! Those peo-ple who do not turn from it are wrong-doers” (AlHujurat 49:11). Thus, the Qur’ān clearly prohibits the utilization of mockery – affirming such an act to be categorized as a crime. Those who are cowardly enough to commit such denigrating acts must retain the warning of Allāh (The Ex-alted): “O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most guesswork [about one an-other] for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow your-selves to speak ill of one another behind your backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would loathe it! And be conscious of God. Verily, God is an accep-tor of repentance, a dispenser of grace!” (AlHujurat 49:12). Enveloped by a secular atmosphere, furnished with the social power pres-sures of material life, the Muslim com-munity must serve as a refuge from the tempting environment. Therefore, when partitions are concocted as result of patronization, backbiting, physical force, slandering, etc. the community will consequentially crumble into a shattered state. Only when strength-ened by the tides of brotherhood and unity, can the Muslims begin to suc-ceed and supersede.

(Trojan Horse continued from page 9)

12 COMMUNITY NEWS February 2006

Hamas Wins Historic Election By: Farrukh Salim Palestinians took to the polls on January 26 for the first time in the absence of Yaasir Arafat. It was a first for many other things as well. In a shocking result Hamas, considered by many to be hardliners and even declared as a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, and the European Union scored a landslide victory over the long time ruling Fatah Party. The victory was not only a shock to the rest of the world but also to Hamas itself. "When we took part in the elec-tions we honestly expected to win but we did not expect to win by so much," said Osama Hamdan, the group's representative in Lebanon. The party’s supporters and workers took to the streets and celebrated the unprecedented victory by hoisting the party flag over the Palestinian Parliament. Hamas won an overwhelming majority in the 132-seat legislature, taking 76 seats to Fatah's 43 in the election, the official vote count showed. It gives Hamas the power to shape and possibly even lead the next cabinet. The Fatah party has dominated Palestinian Politics since the 60’s but has been drenched in corruption, which is why observers feel the people of Palestine were fed up and elected Hamas. The elections were held in an or-ganized manner and except for the odd allegation of rigging people generally were satisfied in the way the masses turned out. The result of the elec-tion was surprising but the reaction from Israel was expected. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Ol-mert, in a statement declared that Israel could not hold talks with a government that consisted "of an armed terror organization that calls for Israel's destruction". The European Union, which pro-vides the majority of financial assistance to the Palestinians, called for Hamas to renounce vio-lence and recognize Israel. The reaction from the Islamic world called for the world population to recognize Hamas’ victory. President of Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared that Hamas should be given a chance as they may turn out to

By Mustafa Gatollari

To come up with little, tiny white lies Wear your dark and innocent guise

To justify The laziness of who you really are

The lethargy that’ll preside over your future The sloth on your back will dictate your life

It won’t get you anywhere It can’t let you do anything

Not a single thing For your Ummah, for Islam

And this is when you throw this down Don’t want to read on

Don’t want to be preached to by some old fogey Or someone who thinks he’s a Mohmin

Newsflash! I’m nineteen and I’m writing this For myself, and for you And until we all realize

That the only way we can improve ourselves Truly, is through Islam

We’re lost We’re the broken beer bottles after a brawl

We’re the saliva accompanying a redneck drawl We’re the drivel of a mindless President

We’re the owner of a skull whose brain is no more a resident

We’re the tired news of some Nationalistic chant The accusations of the ancient’s rant

Don’t expect to find some answer in your country Don’t try to solve the problem with your studies

Don’t dedicate life to work, and dictate your Islam second

Because this won’t help you do anything Not a single thing

For your Ummah, for Islam No this isn’t me telling us

To become the Sahaba overnight Or saying you’re all wrong and I’m right But if guys tried showing some humility

And not hand out your # and e-mail to every girl you see

And if sisters spoke more in class when addressed Because mashallah, you’re smart enough to be Mus-

lim and not oppressed And if we smile at our parents a little more

And be more patient with school-work With our jobs

With ignorant people With our dead cell phone battery

With the guy who can’t get our food order right With our family members when they ask you why

you’re not married yet And all the people who ask stupid questions And can’t see you’re having a miserable day I’m pretty sure we can start to get somewhere

Because a big change will come from something That seems like nothing.

To my Sisters and Brothers in College

It was so easy to temporize be peace champi-ons. Musharraf stressed that Hamas needed to be given a chance because it was democratically elected. "Otherwise de-mocracy will become a farce," said Musharraf. "If you deny them this, you will end up in more turmoil". King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose country was the second to make peace with the Jewish state, declared the need for continued peace talks. "I hope the election results will boost unity and order the internal affairs in the territories," the king said, stressing that "the peace process should not stop." The United States and its call for having democratically elected gov-ernments around the world spoke a stiff tone with President Bush saying the Palestinians’ aid can be halted with their choice of leaders. He also stressed that Hamas needed to bring about a change in their ideology towards Israel. Whatever the reaction throughout the world is, the election in Palestine is a huge win for the Muslim world observers say in terms of the election process. Many also feel that this is a telling sign of the frustration amongst Muslims all over the world that are now electing anti-American parties. Hamas’ win should be accepted as a refreshing change because it is the will of the Palestinian people but Hamas also needs to clean up its image and do away with the gun totting. Hamas has to stress good governance and not let the Palestinian people down who have given them a chance of a lifetime hoping that peace will be brought with Israel. Israel also has to give Hamas a chance, and do away with the extreme statements which can do no good for the peace process. One can only hope that this change will be the beginning of a new era in which violence is shunned.