VIRTUES OF IMAM ALI (A.S.)

Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem

Holy Prophet Muhammad  al Mustafā (S.A.W.W)  said:

"O ‘Alī',  your virtues cannot be counted. I swear to Allāh, who created the seeds and created people, if all creatures would concede to loving you and understanding your true status, Allāh would not have created Hell"

[References: Ghayatol Maram Page 45, Hadees 48;  Ehqaq Al Haq, Vol 4  Hadees 331]

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A humble request

Please do pray for earliest restoration of Jannat al-Baqi; protection of Mausoleum of Sayyidah Zaynab bint ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) and Sayyidah Ruqayyah/Sakina bint Hussain (a.s.)  & early re-appearance of Imam-E-Zamana (atfs)

Iltemase Dua

Tags: hadees

Knowledge of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.)

Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem

Holy Prophet Muhammad  al Mustafā (S.A.W.W)  said:

"Knowledge is divided in five parts. Four of those parts are given to  ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) and the last part is shared among all people. I swear to Allāh who sent me as a Prophet, that  ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (a.s.) is more knowledgeable than all people, even in relation to the one part (of Knowledge) that is given to them"

[References: Ghayatol Maram Page 512, Hadees 21;  Bihar Vol 27 Page 117  Hadees 96]

Tags: hadees

Islam in 60 Seconds: November 8, 2012

The New Islamic Information Center Politics, Media, and Interfaith Since 2002

(WASHINGTON DC - November 8, 2012) Begun in 2006, Islam in 60 Seconds has been an important news source for Muslims in 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, England, France, and Pakistan. The New IIC returns with Volume VI of Islam in 60 Seconds. Each story is an abbreviated summary of the news, allowing readers to quickly digest a large amount of information relating to Muslims around the world.   Americas and Europe Anti-Islam film protest outside Google's London HQ   BBC   Protest groups say more action is planned outside Google headquarters worldwide. Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria was closed for three hours by the demonstration. The protesters called for the trailer for the US-made film, Innocence of Muslims, to be removed from YouTube, which is owned by Google. Google has said the video is "clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube". The trailer for the film has provoked anger for its portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad.   After Vatican screening of ‘Muslim Scare’ video, a call for dialogue   Washington Post   When he presented an amateur and xenophobic film about the threat of “rising Muslim demographics” a few weeks ago at the Vatican’s Synod to a group of more than 200 prominent bishops, Cardinal Peter Turkson sent an implicit message: religious pluralism and dialogue with Muslims pose an inherent danger to the Vatican’s New Evangelization, a papal call for the renewed sharing of the Gospel message throughout the world. The video — which has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube — intends to incite fear among Christians by pointing to untrue statistics about Muslim population growth. Insisting that Europe and North America will eventually become “Islamic states,” the film calls on “believers” to “wake up” and “share the Gospel message with the world.   Middle East Radical Saudis fund $100m Kabul mosque   GulfNews   Members of the radical "Salafi" Sect of Saudi Arabia are funding a $100m (Dh367,300 million) alleged mosque and Islamic education centre in Kabul that will teach thousands of students a year and help bolster Saudi influence in Afghanistan as the west withdraws. Work on the sprawling 30-hectare hilltop complex is due to be completed by early 2016. “This ... centre has several aims, one is to ensure good relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia,” said the acting Saudi minister of Haj and Islamic affairs, Dr Dayi Al Haq Abed.   Salafist Muslims Demand Sharia Law in Egypt's New Constitution   Turkish Weekly   Several hundred Salafist Muslims have demonstrated in the Egyptian capital Cairo with demands for Islamic law or sharia in Egypt's new constitution. The number of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square was small because the main Salafist groups decided to postpone their demonstration on the issue to a later date, according to international media correspondents. Egypt's new constitution is set to replace the 1971 charter suspended by the military which took power when long-time President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February 2011. Great Asia In Corner of Myanmar, Muslims Seek Relief   Wall Street Journal   A Muslim enclave in this scrappy port town on the Bay of Bengal is quickly turning into a prison-like ghetto, highlighting the risk that Myanmar's dramatic democratic revival could unleash centuries-old ethnic hatreds that had partly been held in check by nearly 50 years of military rule. Sittwe, a town of around 250,000 people, is supposed to be one of Myanmar's new boomtowns. The main drag is dotted with brand-new banks and India is funding a $214 million new port to open up a route up the Kaladan River to its eastern border, with an eye to turning this strip of Myanmar's coastline into an international trading hub. But a couple of hundred meters back from where the river empties into the ocean, 7,000 Muslim Rohingyas are crammed into a steadily shrinking neighborhood called Aung Min Glar.   Malala Yousafzai and the Media Frenzy- Exploring Selective Muslim Coverage    Muslim Matters   In recent days, the incident of Malala Yousafzai shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls has flowed across all media outlets.  It was the story of a young girl who bravely campaigned for female education under the rule of the Taliban. Charging her for “promoting secularism” the Taliban ordered a gunman to shoot her in the head on the 9th of October, 2012. Now, Malala has been flown to the UK for treatment. Former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has launched a UN petition in her name using the slogan, “I am Malala” demanding that all children worldwide be in school by 2015.   Africa Ethiopia Muslims rally on Fridays as tension rises   SacBee   As midday prayers came to an end at the Grand Anwar mosque in Ethiopia's capital, worshippers continued on to what has become a regular second act on Fridays - shouting anti-government slogans.The demonstrations this Friday did not turn violent. But tensions are rising between the government in this mostly Christian country and Muslim worshippers. On Monday, federal prosecutors charged a group of 29 Muslims with terrorism and working to establish an Islamic republic.   Ripping Off the Faithful - the Hajj and Umrah Tour Scam   All Africa   Going on hajj at least once in the lifetime of a Muslim who could afford it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. However, fraudsters masquerading as travel agents are on the prowl defrauding intending pilgrims in the guise of facilitating the pilgrimage. MAIRO MUHAMMAD MUDI, Abuja and MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna beam the klieg light on this multi-million naira scam. The Maharam fiasco has been the major talking point of this year's hajj operations in the country. However, as the pilgrims are airlifted back to the country after hajj, LEADERSHIP Weekend can authoritatively reveal that thousands of would-be pilgrims failed to make this year's hajj because they were swindled by fraudulent travel agents. According to an Abuja-based victims who pleaded anonymity, "the agents charged N300,000 for the Saudi visa and N320,000 for the flight tickets. The intending pilgrim could pay more if she also wants the agents to make accommodation arrangements for her in Saudi." The scam is nationwide and victims cut across all strata of society. Sheik Muhammadu Fadlu, is the Chief Imam of Suleja Main Mosque and one of the intending pilgrims defrauded by the travel agents.   SHARE THIS EMAIL:                      CONNECT WITH US: Follow us on Twitter Become a fan Read our blog Watch our podcast Check out our Wiki IIC's Website! CONTACT US: Saqib830@aol.com 15601 Indianola Drive Derwood, MD 20855 (301) 840-3744 view email in browser | unsubscribe | update your profile | forward to a friend

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TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THOSE OVER 40

SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION

(sent by sis Mariam R. Jiwa)

Attachment: ten_commandments.pps

TRIBUTE ON MARTYRDOM OF FARZAN E MUSLIM IBN-E-AQEEL

The children stood up in prayer, their eyes welling with tears, sighing and lamenting. When they finished their prayers they raised their heads towards the sky and supplicated the following dua:

"Oh the Alive, O the Self Subsisting, O the forbearing One, O the Wise, O the Best Judge, you yourself makes the right judgment between this man and us."

Harith heard the dua and laughed in mockery. He charged towards the sobbing and trembling Ibrahim with his sword. Muhammad then said, "O Harith, my brother is younger than me and I am responsible for him. Therefore, it would be better if you killed me first." "Alright, it does not make any difference to me. Sooner or later I will have to finish my work. It appears to me you want to die first. I have no objection to that." Within a few minutes, Harith concluded his task. He severed the heads of the two children and threw their bodies in the river Euphrates where they flowed with the water. He cleansed the blood from the head and faces of the children and went on his way to meet Ubaidullah.
Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad was seated on his throne in his palace in kufah with an heirloom in his hand. People were seated on both sides of his throne. Harith was present too and with a single gesture of Ubaidullah he came forward and greeted him. From beneath his arms, Harith produced a bundle wrapped in cloth and place it on the table facing ibn Ziyad. He untied the knot and seeing the contents in the cloth the whole crowd stood baffled and dumbfounded. On catching sight of the two heads Ubaidullah rose from his throne and sat again repeating this act three times.
Ubaidullah regarded Harith and asked him, "While you were killing them did they say something to you?" "Yes, they begged me not to kill them for the Prophet (s.a.w.)'s sake, instead to sell them in the market or to bring them to you alive. They said they were only little children and that I should feel pity on them and set them free. But I told them that God did not grant me a soft heart. I granted just one wish of theirs. "Good and what was their wish?" "They wanted to pray two rak'at namaaz. I told them they could pray as much as they liked to ease their pain. I stood behind them listening and after their namaaz they started reciting a prayer. I heard them say

"Oh Allah, you are the ever living; you make the judgment between this man and us." 

Ameer intervened, "Prayer? What prayer? What did the children say?" "Nothing important, oh ruler." Ubaidullah insisted, "Tell me what did they say." "Well they said, "O the Alive, O the self subsisting, O the Forbearing one, O the Wise, O the Best judge, you yourself make the right judgment between this man and us."
On hearing this Ubaidullah got up from his throne hitting the heirloom on Harith's head, "Incidentally, this prayer is very important because taking this name is very helpful and their prayers are surely answered." Ubaidullah ordered his executioner, "Oh Jallad, come here at once." A strong and powerful man came forward with large arms and a pink mask on his face. With a heavy sword he came swiftly to Ubaidullah bowing and saluting. "I am at your service, master." "Take this man to the same place where he killed the two children and kill him but make sure his dirty and contaminated blood does not mix or mingle with their pure blood. Now go!" Harith's face turned deathly pale and his body began to tremble and he cried and begged, "Oh Ameer, what wrong have I done? I thought I was doing all this to please you. Please have mercy on my wife and children." Ubaidullah answered, "Coincidently, I am an example of yourself. God has not placed an iota of mercy in my heart." Meanwhile Harith was dragged out of the palace by the executioner and a couple of other soldiers.
Before it was time for the Azan, Harith was beheaded and his head was kept on a sword and was moved around in the whole of Kufah. Little children pelted the head with stones shouting, "This is the head of the killer of the Prophet (s.a.w.) of Islam's offspring."

Tags: tribute

A TRIBUTE

Hazrat Muslim had taken with him his two sons Muhammad and Ibraheem.After Muslim was killed, Muhammad and Ibraheem were also arrested and put into a dungeon. It is said that Muhammad was just ten years old and Ibraheem was eight years old.
On the 20th of Dhul-Hajj in 60 Hijrah, when the jailer came to give the children their evening meal, he saw them saying their prayers. The jailer waited. When the boys had finished their prayers, he asked them who they were. When the jailer learnt that they were the sons of Muslim Ibne Aqil and the grandsons of Hazrat Ali, he let them escape. The children came out of the prison.
It was a dark night. Their first thought was to go to Imam Hussain and warn him not to go to Kufa. Everywhere they went, they found the roads blocked by Ibne Ziyad soldiers. It was impossible to get out of Kufa. Now it was almost day-break. Where could these two young boys go?
They found themselves by the side of the river Euphrates. They drank some water from the river and then went up a tree to hide for the day. Just then a woman came to the river to get water. She saw the two young boys and asked them who they were. Ibraheem said, "We are two orphans, could you please leave us alone and not tell any one that you have seen us?" The woman asked them to accompany her to her mistress who would help them.
The woman's mistress was a kind lady. After talking to the boys for a while she realized who they were. She gave them food and said to them, "You can spend the day here and I will try to help you. Unfortunately my husband Harith is working for Ibne Ziyad. He is out at the moment. You can rest in the spare room but make no noise otherwise when he comes back, he will find out you are here".
The children said their prayers and went to sleep. In the evening Muhammad woke up and started crying. Ibraheem asked him why he was crying. Muhammad said "I saw our father in a dream. He was calling out for us". Ibraheem said, "Brother, be patient. I also saw our father in a dream beckoning us to him". They both started weeping. Harith, who had come back, heard the children crying. He opened the door and asked the children who they were. On learning they were the sons of Muslim Ibne Aqil, he tied both the boys to a pillar. Harith's wife tried to stop him, but he beat her up. Harith wanted to collect the reward which Ibne Ziyad had offered to anyone capturing the children.
The children spent the whole night tied to the pillar. In the morning Harith dragged them to the river-bank. He took out his sword. Ibraheem asked him, "Harith, are you going to kill us?" Harith said "Yes!" Ibraheem said, "In that case give us time to finish our morning prayers". The two boys said their prayers. They raised their hands and cried out "Inna Lillaah wa Inna Ilay-hi Rajeeoon! O Allah we are coming to you. Give our mother courage when she hears of our death and judge between us and our killers!!" 
The sword came down! There were splashes in the water. Two young bodies were seen floating away in the waters of the river Furaat.

MEANING OF GUIDANCE-MISGUIDANCE AS GIVEN BY ALLAH (S.T.)

Nov 8, '12 1:03 PM for everyone

I asked Aba `Abdillah Ja`far b. Muhammad [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted,: "He whom Allah guideth, he indeed is led aright, and he whom He sendeth astray, for him thou wilt not find a guiding friend." [18:17]

He replied: Indeed Allah, Blessed and High, sends astray the unjust on the Day of Qiyamah from His House of Honor, and He will guide the people of faith and righteous deeds to Heaven, just as Allah, Mighty and Exalted, has said: "and Allah sends wrongdoers astray. And Allah does what He wills." [14:27]. And He has (also) said: "Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in gardens of bliss." [10:9]

I said: (What about) His, Mighty and Exalted, saying, "and my success (in my task) can only come from Allah." [11:88], and His, Mighty and Exalted be He, saying, "If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, (that can help you?)" [3:160]

He said: When a servant acts in obedience upon what Allah has commanded him, then his action is in accordance to the command of Allah, Mighty and Exalted, and this servant is named "Muwaffiq" (successful). And when a servant desires to enter a thing from (the acts) of disobedience, (then) Allah, Blessed and High, comes in between him and the (act of) disobedience, so he (the servant) leaves it, and this abandoning of it was by the success of Allah, the Most High. And when He (Allah) withdraws from between him (the servant) and the (act of) disobedience, He does not come between him and it until he commits it (the act of disobedience), so indeed (Allah has) abandoned him, and did not help him, and did not grant him success.     

Tags: hadees

Blessings of Having Daughters

Imam Sadeq (AS) has said: 

“Surely Prophet Ibrahim (AS) called on God to give him a daughter to weep after his death.” 

The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
“What good offspring are the girls! For they are kind, obedient, sympathetic and having blessing with them.” 

“Whoever curses his child, God will afflict him with poverty.”

Imam Sadeq (AS) has also said:
“Girls are as benefaction but boys are as riches. On the Day of Judgment, there will be reward for the benefaction but riches will be questioned of.” 

The holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
"Whoever has three daughters or three sons, paradise is his due.” 

It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, how about two? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
“The same is true with two.” It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, how about one? The Holy Prophet said:
“The same is true with one.” 

The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:
“Whoever has three daughters or sisters and is patient in taking care of them until they get married or die he and me are as these two fingers on paradise - at this time, the Holy Prophet referred to his index and middle fingers.”
It was asked: O Messenger of Allah, what happens if they are two? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
“The same is true with two.” It was asked, how about one?
The Holy Prophet said: “The same is true with one.”
A man to whom a baby girl was born and seeing he was angry, Imam Sadeq (AS) said: 

"What will you do if God says to you: Shall I choose. The Imam said: 

 “Now God has chosen a girl for you. 

About the boy whom Khidr killed as mentioned in verse 81 of the Quranic Chapter, the Cave:
“So we desired that their Lord might give them in his place one better than him in purity and nearer to having compassion.” 

Imam Sadeq (AS) said instead of that son God gave them a daughter from whose generation, seventy prophets came.

The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:
“I recommend ties of kinship to those who are present or absent and every one of my Ummah being in the loins of men and wombs of women till the Day of Judgment even if there is a gap as long as a year between them, for ties of kinship is part of religion.” 

The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:
“One side of Sarat (bridge which the righteous only can cross on the road to paradise) on the Day of Judgment is trustworthiness and the other is ties of kinsfolk. One who has been trustworthy and has observed ties of kinsfolk, crosses the bridge and goes to paradise, however, one who breaches the trust and is heedless of relatives can not cross the bridge, for his other deeds will not avail him and Sarat will throw him.

A THANKFUL HEART

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest

virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.

"The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."

"Where there is great love there are always miracles."

The most successful people on the planet have failed more than ordinary ones.

"Character, the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life, is the source from which self-respect springs."

"Deep down, beneath all our insecurities, beneath all our hopes for and beliefs in equality, each of us believes we're better than anyone else."

Tags: sayings

Why ask dead people if we can ask Allah?

Answer :In His Name the Most High, All praise is due to Allah, may peace be upon Muhammed and his pure progeny and may the curse of Allah be upon their enemies.   The Office Answer: Assalamu Alaikum, According to the point made in the question, then one should not really seek doctors and medical professionals for treatment of his illnesses since Allah the Most Exalted is the one who cures illnesses and restores people to full health! “And when I am sick, then He restores me to health” (Quran 26:80). Respectively, if one is drowning in water, he should not call out for help since seeking aid from and calling upon other than Allah is Shirk! If you, arguably, say that Allah the Most Exalted is the actual healer; He is the one who cures all illnesses and ailments but doctors and medical professionals are no more than intermediaries for cures. Additionally, calling out for help is no more than a means of rescue. Otherwise, the one drowning in water will be only rescued with the will of Allah and no one else. Then, we say that the same is the case for the pure household of the Prophet (peace be upon them). We also say that we turn towards the pure household (peace be upon them) because they are the means through which our Duas can be answered. Otherwise, Allah the Most Exalted is the one who answers prayers and fulfils all needs. In fact we are ordered by Allah the Most Exalted to seek the pure household (peace be upon them) as means of approach and ask them to intercede with Allah on our behalf, for Allah the Most Exalted has said: “O ye who believe, be careful of (your duty to) Allah and reach unto Him for a means and strive in His path that ye might thrive” (Quran 05:35). The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) also said: “We are the means to Allah” (al-Bihar, vol. 25, p. 23). Additionally, in the Quran we find: “And We sent no Messenger save that he be obeyed by Allah’s permission, And if when they wronged themselves they had come to thee and sought Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had sought Allah’s forgiveness for them they would have found Allah relenting, merciful” (Quran 04:64). On the other hand, there are even proofs found in the Bakri books that support the permissibility of Tawassul. One of which is what Ibn Kathir – who is one of the Bakri scholars - narrates regarding the above verse (Quran 04:64): “Sheikh Abu Mansour al-Sabbagh reported in his book (al-Shamil) the well-known story of Al-`Utbi who said: ‘as I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet, a Bedouin Arab came and said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! I have heard Allah saying: And if when they wronged themselves they had come to thee and sought Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had sought Allah’s forgiveness for them they would have found Allah relenting, merciful" (Quran 04:64). “So I have come to you asking forgiveness for my sin, seeking your intercession with my Lord." Then he began to recite poetry: O best of those, whose bones are buried in the deep earth, And from whose fragrance the depth, And the height have become sweet, May I be the ransom for a grave which thou inhabit, And in which are found purity bounty and munificence, “Then he left, and I slept and saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) in my sleep. He said to me: “O `Utbi, run after the Bedouin and give him glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him.” (Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, vol.1, p.532). Notice here that although the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) was apparently dead, he did intercede on behalf of the Bedouin and asked Allah the Most Exalted to forgive all of his sins. Moreover, Ibn Hanbal – who is the Imam of the Hanbali sect – narrates: “a blind person came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) and said: 'Pray to Allah that He bestows me with sight'. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) replied: ‘If you desire, I’ll not pray, as being blind may be better for your afterlife, or I’ll pray’ “The man then chose to be relieved of blindness and the Messenger told him: 'Perform ablution (i.e. Wudu), pray two rak'at and then supplicate to Allah in this way:  'O God! Surely my appeal is to You and I turn towards You through the Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy: O Muhammad, surely I turn towards God through you, that He uncover my sight. O God, make him my intercessor.’ The man did what the Messenger told him and his sight was restored” (Musnad Ahmed, vol. 4, p. 138). Notice here that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) ordered the blind man to turn towards Allah the Most Exalted through him, for he ordered him to say: “O Muhammad”. Additionally, although the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) was not with him at the time he recited the Dua, Allah the Most Exalted did cure him and restored his eyesight. Furthermore, there is no difference in asking the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) to intercede on our behalf during his lifetime or after his martyrdom, for he is alive and is provided sustenance. “And reckon not those who are killed in Allah's way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord” (Quran 03:169), as proved in the Al-`Utbi’s narration. Needless to say, making Tawassul through the pure household (peace be upon them) is also permissible, for Imam Ali (peace be upon him) is nothing but an extension of the Prophet personality as stated in the holy Quran: “So whoever disputes thee about him after the knowledge that has come to you say Come, we shall call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our selves and your selves thereupon we shall supplicate and place the curse of Allah upon the liars” (Quran 03:61). The same is the case for Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), as the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) said: “Hussain from me and I am from Hussein” There are in fact numerous narrations that state the same about each and every member of the pure household (peace be upon them).

Tags: islamic talks