Wonders of the World

By now you may know whether Table Mountain on the southern tip of Africa is a “wonder” of the world. This acknowledgement is sought largely as a boost for tourism. Tourism contributes 7.4% to the GDP of South Africa (see http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/tourism.htm ). We have seen though the impact of the global financial crisis of 2008 impact tourism worldwide. The latest crisis in Europe where countries are on the brink of collapse is certainly casting a nervous and negative spell on the rest of the world. The current situation has only further muted economic recovery in even South Africa. Tourism has no doubt suffered as much has been blamed on the fallout from SWC 2010. But the reality is that SWC2010 was a welcome boost to tourism which artificially improved the situation. In fact, some may argue that SWC 2010 did not reach the levels of tourism/fans that were originally expected.

The one country that has not suffered in all this time is Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is home to the sacred Muslim sites. The consistency of the number of pilgrims has shown the importance attached to this journey. This happens in the face of difficult global financial situations we have and are now experiencing. This happens even when the commercial interests of service providers such as airlines are evident when prices peak at Hajj time. This therefore is an indication that Mecca ( where the Sacred mosque and first place of worship is found) is in itself a wonder of the world. What is indeed a wonder is that this call to attend the pilgrimage was made thousands of years ago by a man called Abraham (Ebrahim - Alayhi assalam).

Table Mountain, as a wonder of the world, is a sign of the acknowledgement of the Majesty of our Creator. We have no choice but to consider it a wonder of the world irrespective of any one person’s or group’s view on the matter. We are already and continue to be grateful to the Almighty for everything and no doubt for the beautiful country we live in and too that we are fortunate to live in the shadow of this beautiful mountain.

We have to know though that the wonders of the world cannot be restricted to seven, but this number pales into insignificance to the reality of the multitude of wonders of the world.

Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.(Quran: 3:191 aal-imran)

see table mountain: http://www.sa-venues.com/table_mountain.htm

Spirit of Tolerance in Islam

Spirit of Tolerance in Islam

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council ofNorth America

as-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
(To every People have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must follow, let them not then dispute with you on the matter, but do invite (them) to your Lord: for you are assuredly on the Right Way. If they do wrangle with you, say, 'God knows best what it is you are doing.' 'God will judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the matters in which you differ') (Al-Hajj 21:76-69).
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,  we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

Tolerance is a basic principle of Islam. It is a religious moral duty. Islam teaches tolerance on all levels: individual, groups and states. Tolerance is the mechanism that upholds human rights and the rule of law. The Qur'an says very clearly:

Intolerance is on the increase in the world today, causing death, genocide, violence, religious persecution as well as confrontations on different levels. Sometimes it is racial and ethnic, sometimes it is religious and ideological, other times it is political and social. In every situation it is evil and painful. How can we solve the problem of intolerance? How can we assert our own beliefs and positions without being intolerant to others? How can we bring tolerance into the world today?
I would like to discuss some of these issues from an Islamic point of view.

What is tolerance? Literally the word "tolerance" means "to bear." As a concept it means "respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of the world’s cultures, forms of expression and ways of being human." In Arabic it is called "tasamuh". There are also other words that give similar meanings, such as "Hilm" (forbearance) or "'`afu" (pardon, forgiveness) or "safh" (overlooking, disregarding). In the Persian and Urdu languages, we use the word "rawadari" which comes from "rawa" meaning "acceptable or bearable" and "dashtan" meaning "to hold". Thus it means to hold something acceptable or bearable.

Tolerance is a basic principle of Islam. It is a religious moral duty. It does not mean "concession, condescension or indulgence." It does not mean lack of principles, or lack of seriousness about one's principles. Sometimes it is said, "people are tolerant of things that they do not care about." But this is not the case in Islam. Tolerance according to Islam does not mean that we believe that all religions are the same. It does not mean that we do not believe in the supremacy of Islam over other faiths and ideologies. It does not mean that we do not convey the message of Islam to others and do not wish them to become Muslims.

The UNESCO principles on tolerance say:

"Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one's convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one's own convictions and accepts that others adhere to theirs. It means accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, speech, behavior and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are. It also means that one's views are not to be imposed on others."

Tolerance comes from our recognition of:

1. the dignity of the human beings,
2. the basic equality of all human beings,
3. universal human rights, and
4. fundamental freedom of thought, conscience and belief.

The Qur'an speaks about the basic dignity of all human beings. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke about the equality of all human beings, regardless of their race, color, language or ethnic background. Shari`ah recognizes the rights of all people to life, property, family, honor and conscience.

Islam emphasizes the establishment of equality and justice, both of these values cannot be established without some degree of tolerance. Islam recognized from the very beginning the principle of freedom of belief or freedom of religion. It said very clearly that it is not allowed to have any coercion in the matters of faith and belief. The Qur'an says, (There is no compulsion in religion) (Al-Baqarah 2:256).

If in the matters of religion, coercion is not permissible, then by implication one can say that in other matters of cultures and other worldly practices it is also not acceptable. In surat Ash-Shura Allah says to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), (If then they turn away, We have not sent you as a guard over them. Your duty is but to convey (the Message)…) (Ash-Shura 42:48). In another place Allah says, (Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. Your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance) (An-Nahl 16:125).

Further, Allah says to the Believers, (Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if you do turn back, know then that it is Our Messenger's duty to proclaim (the Message) in the clearest manner) (Al-Ma’idah 5:92).

One can also cite Allah's words: (Say: 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if you turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to preach the clear (Message)) (An-Nur 24:54).

All these verses give note that Muslims do not coerce people; they must present the message to them in the most cogent and clear way, invite them to the truth and do their best in presenting and conveying the message of God to humanity, but it is up to people to accept or not to accept. Allah says, (And say, 'The truth is from your Lord, so whosoever wants let him believe and whosoever wants let him deny’) (An-Nahl 16:29).

The question then comes: If Allah gave choice to believe or not to believe, then why did He punish the people of Prophet Nuh, the `Ad, the Thamud, the people of Prophet Lut, the people of Prophet Shu`ayb and Pharaoh and his followers? The answer is in the Qur'an itself. Those people were not punished simply because of their disbelief. They were punished because they had become oppressors. They committed aggression against the righteous, and stopped others to come to the way of Allah. There were many in the world who denied Allah, but Allah did not punish every one. Ibn Taymiyyah, the outstanding Muslim scholar, said, "The states may live long in spite of their people's unbelief (kufr), but they cannot live long when their people become oppressors."

Another question is raised about Jihad. Some people say, "Is it not the duty of Muslims to make Jihad?" But the purpose of Jihad is not to convert people to Islam. Allah says, (No compulsion in religion) (Al-Baqarah 2:256). The real purpose of Jihad is to remove injustice and aggression. Muslims are allowed to keep good relations with non-Muslims. Allah says, (Allah does not forbid you that you show kindness and deal justly with those who did not fight you in your religion and did not drive you out from your homes…) (Al-Mumtahinah 60:8).

Islam teaches that fighting is only against those who fight. Allah says, (Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors) (Al-Baqarah 2:190).

Islam may tolerate anything, but it teaches zero tolerance for injustice, oppression, and violation of the rights of other human beings. Allah says, (And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: 'Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Yourside one who will protect; and raise for us from Yourside one who will help!') (An-Nisaa' 4:75).

Islam teaches tolerance on all levels: individual, groups and states. It should be a political and legal requirement. Tolerance is the mechanism that upholds human rights, pluralism (including cultural pluralism), and the rule of law. The Qur'an says very clearly: (To every People have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must follow, let them not then dispute with you on the matter, but do invite (them) to your Lord: for you are assuredly on the Right Way. If they do wrangle with you, say, 'God knows best what it is you are doing.' 'God will judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the matters in which you differ') (Al-Hajj 21:76-69).There are many levels of tolerance:

a. Between family members, between husband and wife, between parents and children, between siblings etc.

b. Tolerance between the members of the community: tolerance in views and opinions, tolerance between the madhahib (Islamic Juristic Schools).

c. Tolerance between Muslims and the people of other faiths (interfaith relations, dialogue and cooperation).Muslims have been generally very tolerant people. We must emphasize this virtue among us and in the world today. Tolerance is needed among our communities: We must foster tolerance through deliberate policies and efforts. Our centers should be multi-ethnic. We should teach our children respect of each other. We should not generalize about other races and cultures. We should have more exchange visits and meetings with each other. Even marriages should be encouraged among Muslims of different ethnic groups.With non-Muslims we should have dialogue and good relations, but we cannot accept things that are contrary to our religion. We should inform them what is acceptable to us and what is not. With more information, I am sure the respect will develop and more cooperation will develop.

And Allah knows Best

Amnesty

AMNESTY

The call has been made. It is my turn to apply for amnesty. I have travelled a long way to attend this conference. The crowd is large and growing. This amnesty of a lifetime is for one day only. Those not called here can apply for minor amnesties.

I am certainly dressed for the occasion. My garb is simple. If you will look carefully, I am the one dressed in two pieces of cloth. Oh my, and so is everyone else. So this is the dress-code of this convention. I do carry another garb and the one which I, with much help, have sewn onto my self.

I have done the registration at a place nearby. I spent the day there yesterday. This was quite important as it allowed me to check myself one last time before that important appearance and application for amnesty.

Now the time has arrived. How long do I have? What am I to say? I step forward. A thin layer of cloud has dimmed the heat of the sun. The moment though does cause me to perspire somewhat. I raise my hands and present myself finally: “Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.

All Praise be to the Lord of the worlds. Peace and Blessing upon Our Leader, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family, his friends and all those who follow him until the appointed time.

O our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You, O Allaah, do not forgive us we will certainly be of the lost ones.”

These words seeking forgiveness, first uttered by our father Aadam (peace be upon him) in the very place I am now, brings fear to me as I wondering whether I am deserved, yet there is hope because these words were accepted from Aadam (Peace be upon him)

My words are interspersed with trying to control my tears which by now is streaming down my cheeks. My beard is soaked and my voice even I cannot recognise. How fortunate am I to be Muslim and how more fortunate am I to be given this opportunity. If I pass here, and I continue to wear my garb tightly, the garb of taqwa, the garb of God-consciousness, then perhaps the next time I present myself to my Lord, that ultimate time, that perhaps then my passage on that day will be easy.

How did I commit so much sin, O my Lord, I have been oblivious of you when you have blessed me with much. I cannot thank You enough, but please please dear Lord, do not forsake me. I am but weak, and I humbly present myself to Thee. Cleanse me O Lord, Cleanse me, Forgive me and show mercy to me. O My Lord have mercy on  my parents as they showed mercy on me when I was little. And as they have grown old, make me one that show mercy to them.

O my Lord, our dear children, take care of them, and make them standard-bearers for Islam until the end of time. O Lord, You know we live in difficult times, make us and them the strangers that Your Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about (when he- peace be upon him- said "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.")

O My Lord, Thou who are Most Merciful, forgive us, our wives, our brothers, our sisters, our children, our families, our friends and all Muslims.

Let not my actions be in vain, please O Lord accept from me.

As those not here have been involved in the minor amnesty through their fasting and other acts of worship, what a truly amazing day.

The feeling though, the feeling standing there on the plains of ‘Arafah, can never truly be explained, it has to be experienced. If for no other reason, that feeling of that day alone makes me long to repeat my Hajj.

The unity of the Ummah is captured on this day when we stand before the Almighty as equals. Certainly we need to inculcate that into our lives.

The Mercy of our Lord is certainly understood on that day. Certainly, it is something we need to seek out every day and Praise Him who is Most Merciful.

To those currently on Hajj, We pray that Allaah Almighty accepts from them their standing and repenting on ‘Arafah. To those not there we pray that your wuqoof through your fasting is accepted and that you too may be forgiven.

For those who have not been there, may Allaah increase in you that desire to present yourself on this glorious day and may He indeed make it a reality for you.

For those who have been there, no doubt you still have that yearning, may He, the Most High, make it easy that we may yet have another opportunity.

“Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.

All Praise be to the Lord of the worlds. Peace and Blessing upon Our Leader, Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family, his friends and all those who follow him until the appointed time.

O our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You, O Allaah, do not forgive us we will certainly be of the lost ones.”

Allahumma taqabbal minnaa wa minkum

I am what I am

I am what I am

I am what I am because I do what I do

I do what I do because I like what I see

Then I do what I see and that’s because I believe I am free

And when I am free I do consider nothing  to be taboo

Consider anything taboo? Really, why should it be?

Be it good, be it bad, that’s something for me to decide

Decide is easy for it’s to my whims and fancies I do abide

So abiding with my good intention that is my decree

My decree is to put a smile on the face of a child

A smile on the face of a child is such a pleasing site

A pleasing site that will certainly ease his plight

But the plight in this life compared to the next is mild

Mild indeed is this plight when I do what I do

And I do what I do because I do what I see

What I see I do, ignoring our Lord’s decree

My Lord’s decree that day will ignore our plight too

Ignore the essence of our Lord is what I did

What I did I did because I could not see

What I could not see is how real is my Lord’s decree

I realise my Lord’s decree is that to which I have to accede

I accede to my whims when I offered the child a sweet

Sweet for a short term it is but certainly bitter when it matters

The matter of the child must be to protect his future from being in tatters

Tatters it will be when its Satan’s false promise I complete.

Complete I must surely only be in our submission

Our submission is to Him Who is our Creator

Our Creator, Nourisher and Sustainer

In Him I place my faith when I  next make a decision

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A gentle reminder to us all that while what we do we may think innocent and good, it may in fact lead to a greater sin or other harm.

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Our message to the Hujjaaj

As we bid you and your family salaam on your travel to the holy city of Makkah for haj, we make dua that the Almighty bestows His richest blessings on you, that He grants you good health & strong eemaan inshaAllah, that you may fulfil all your obligations and ibaabaat according to His wishes, that He grants you and all Hujjaaj a haj mabroor and a haj maqbool inshaAllah.

As you prepare to leave we are reminded of the benefits of Haj and we are reminded of the beauty of our Deen. We are reminded of the Mercy of our Creator, The Almighty and Most High, Allah. We are reminded of the Unity (oneness) of Allah and the Unity of brotherhood.

You are answering the call of our father, Ebrahim – peace be upon him – on the instruction of Allah, the Most High, to call people to the pilgrimage. There were no media, no newpapers, no tv, no satellite, no facebook, no email – standing on a hill he called out to the people – people who were nowhere in sight –yet people came and thousands of years later, you are of those people, who were not inspired through the media, but the power of that call is in the hands of Allah, who has placed that desire there. You, the hujjaaj are indeed blessed.

As you shed tears as you leave your home, may the Almighty fill these tears with mahabbah, with rahmah and with much barakah. As you get into your car, may the Almighty grant you a safe and peaceful journey inshaAllah. As you leave, place you faith in the Almighty that He takes care of your belongings, your family and friends that you leave behind, you are at peace as you focus on the magnificent and momentous journey.

And as you enter Madinah, and you are reminded of the city from which the Muslim Empire was built by our illustrious leader Muhammad SAW – notice your physical proximity to Muhammadur rasoolullah – peace be upon him - when you visit his grave and how then can you not make dua to be with him –peace be upon him - in the hereafter . And do not forget us in the Raudatul Jannah - as verily the Prophet –peace be upon him - has said that a dua, a prayer made there is mustajab/accepted. Make dua for our well-being and especially that the Almighty grants us strong eeman/faith and protect our children.

And as you don your ihram for your ‘umrah, know that you are taking a small step for what lies ahead. But know that no amount of materiality or wealth can replace that feeling when you are in ihraam. And as you labbayk, as you utter the talbiyah, know that you have placed yourself in the 'presence' of Allah. Make dua that the Almighty sustains that feeling for you and make dua that all Muslims experience that feeling some time in their lifetime.

And as you leave the tranquillity of the Enlightened City, and you make your way to the Baytullahi Haram, seeing the Ka'bah - built by our father Ebrahim –peace be upon him - for the first time, you realise that this haj that your are performing is nothing else but emulating the builder of the Ka'bah. Pause! Ttake a moment or two to look at the simplicity, yet magnanimity of the Ka'bah. Then as you circumambulate the Ka'bah, remember that the Prophet – peace be upon him - has said that as great as this Ka'bah is, that the life of a Muslim is more sacred.

Then as you drink the Zamzam after the tawaf  you are reminded that this zamzam is nothing else but the miracle/blessing Allah has bestowed upon us through the builder's assistant, Ismaeel –peace be upon him. Drink your fill for this is a sign of the blessing of Allaah, that in the middle of the desert, Allaah, has made a provision for you – a reminder that Allah’s power encompasses everything, that depend on Him and you will realise His blessing, the ultimate blessings.
Then your ‘umrah reaches culmination as you perform the sa'i - remembering Sittina Hajir (reminding you of your mother, alas of all mothers) who has so wonderfully cared for us in childhood and beyond. This sa'i reminds us also of our search for so much in this dunya, but alas nothing happens except with the mercy of Allah, i.e. we have to forsake our whims and fancies and place our trust in Allah, the Provider, the Nourisher, the Sustainer.

And how beautiful it is that the haj is the fifth pillar of Islam after the Shahadah - for we cannot do the haj without having declared our faith (and its merely with our tongues). The haj is after salah - which is the connection with Allah after we have made shahadah. Then also after zakah which is our acceptance that to complete our connection with Allah, we have to share our zakah with the lesser fortunate, that we realise that provision and sustenance comes from Allah. Then Allah commands us that if we our intent on being truly Allah-conscious, i.e. that we want to have taqwa, that we fast…. And then when we are at a "high" having attained this increased level of taqwa, then we are ready - spiritually to perform the haj. We then again declare our shahadah, we perform even more salah (nafl) while we are in these sacred places, we have to spend of our wealth to get to these places and we are conscious to give charity before and while we on journey and we fast (as an option) when we do tamattu'. And fasting is linked to Hajj  when those not on Arafah are required to fast on the day of wuqoof.

Then you prepare yourself for Mina, again donning your ihram, reciting the talbiyah on youm-at-tarwiyyah. You spend the day in dhikr and supplication - make dua for us for you are indeed the guest of Allah, you are the favoured. Then after fajr the next day, you proceed to ‘Arafah- and you are reminded that as a earthling, this is sort of a dress rehearsal for qiyamah, dressed in your ihram (shroud), on a day when its only you and your Creator. You feel the peace of this sacred place. You are reminded of Nabi Adam and Jabal Rahmah which is nowhere else but on ‘Arafah – that Allah showed His mercy after our father, Adam – peace be upon him, transgressed (O Allaah,O Our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You do not forgive us we wil be on the lost ones).
 Shed tears for Allah's sake and may one of those tears carry my name that Allah may forgive me (and all Muslims), that Allah grant us strong eeman, grant us His satisfaction, protect us against the Fire and grant us jannah inshaAllah.

Remember us as we will remember you as our wuqoof is indeed in our fasting on that day, the day of Arafah. Unity indeed.

Remember us as you descend on Mash'aril haram -Muzdalifah, chanting "Rabbana aatinaa …." and we know that we too are included in that dua.

And what mercy is it when you pelt the jamaraat at Mina, relieving yourself of your whims and fancies, committing yourself to Allah and then as the blood flows from your qurbani, know that the Almighty has forgiven you (inshaAllah), that you after your stay for the days of tashreeq will return home free of sin like the day your mother gave birth to you (according to the hadith of the Prophet SAW).

May Allah bring you safely back to us, that you may inspire us, that we may learn from you and that you may be the shining example that the Almighty wants you to be.

We offer our salaams to you, make dua for you that our Creator grants you a safe journey and a haj mabroor inshaAllah.

She will forever be in my heart

A child looks bemused at all that is before her

Why is it that at my home all these people gather

Some faces are strange, yet others I know

The movement of people is a constant flow

Many teary-eyed murmur a prayer

This really looks like people who care

I need to make sense of all that is going on

And where, o where, has my mommy gone

There she is, so quietly she is lying

While some around her I can hear crying

It is so not normal a place for a bed

And see how some people kiss her on her head

They are calling for me to do the same

I know for sure this is not a game.

More prayers and then she is carried out

I have some idea now what this is about

Today my mommy has moved house

For now my daddy will be without a spouse

As she is hoisted and placed on the cart

I know she will forever be in my heart

O Allah I know you have taken my mommy away

Grant Paradise for her as a place to stay

A Blessed Friend

A dear friend has come to visit me

Since departed he has despite my plea

Perhaps I will get to see him in another year

Ah with him present there is such an atmosphere

Oh!  I hope that I have treated him well

That the fragrance from the promised Garden I can smell

How noble is my friend that with him blessings abound

From His Master who is not by any limit bound

I tried to grab much of it and bank it for my salvation

The profits from it is all free of taxation

My friend showed me a book I’ve heard before

Only this time it was just so much sweeter that afore

Even sometimes teary-eyed,  I read it cover to cover

In the masjid, in the home, in the car I heard it all over

There was a reminder here and a reminder there

And a new lesson here and everywhere

My friend told me than indeed he was blessed

For no other reason but because of this Book

In it is so much to learn about the author

From His Mercy is that He gave us a Law

He teaches us what we knew not

And that were created from a mere clot

Reminders and lessons of people past

And this life will not forever last

A guide for those who have understanding

Whose journey through life with have a happy landing

It is for us to hold onto it tight

For this book is most definitely full of might

From this book lessons and guidance we do take

We have fasted only for God’s sake

So farewell, O month of fasting

May your rewards you brought be for us everlasting

We are forever grateful to our Lord to whom is All Glory

Read Al-Quran and you will not be sorry

For He teaches also about some amazing men

Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus – peace be upon them

To their own people was their preaching

Worship the ONE true God was their teaching

They were submitters, They were Muslim

The One true religion is Islam

#Islam #Abraham #Moses #Jesus #David #Allah #Quran #Qur'an #Koran