Little Pies of Mud Are We All

Legal FAQs on Converting to Islam

2010-04-14T16:24:00.004+08:00

One of my students wrote me an email with some of the usual questions on converting to Islam. I thought I would share it here because it is a series of the most common questions a new Muslim has to grapple with.

Q With a change in name, I would have to go update all records at the banks, insurance companies, service providers, institutions etc. I understand from a Muslim friend, who has helped in the conversion of one of her friends, that it is possible to adopt a Muslim name as a middle name, retaining the original first and surname of the person, as well as the Chinese name. If so, then it could help in circumventing the trouble of notifying each and every institution which I may have a record or participation in. On the issue of names, where would be a good place to research on the meanings of the various Islamic names?

A This is easy. Dont do an outright substitution of your present name. Include your Muslim name as an alias, meaning it is an alternative name. You can continue to use your present name in existing, even future documents. E.g. John Tan Ah Kow now becomes John Tan Ah Kow @ Yunus Tan.
On choice of names – there is a wide range you can go on. It used to be that a convert would take on a totally Muslim name and drop his previous name – John Tan Ah Kow became only Yunus Abdullah. Those were the days when the races didn’t mix and saw Islam as being Malay .
Later we developed acceptance for converts to retain their cultural identity, because Islam does not mean Malay exclusively. So John Tan Ah Kow became Yunus Abdullah Tan Ah Kow. Then it became Yunus Tan Ah Kow. It also became acceptable to use the alias - John Tan Ah Kow now becomes John Tan Ah Kow @ Yunus Tan.
Actually, religiously speaking, there is no such thing as a “Muslim” name. Under Islam, any name is acceptable as long as it is not otherwise forbidden or unsuitable for a Muslim. Examples of unsuitable names would be names with clear religious connotations such as Christian or Ramalingam or Indoo. Even “Muslim” sounding names can fall foul of this rule. In the life if the Prophet, s.a.w., he had close companions who kept their non-Arab names – eg. Salman (Persian), Bilal (Ethiopian).
Nevertheless, there is a social acceptance issue. Your fiancee's family could have some level of apprehension about you. After all, you have to admit that his mother probably had all her life imagined him to bring her a good Muslim daughter-in-law. Taking on a Muslim-sounding moniker is a great gesture to assure her that you ARE that person.
How to choose a name? Wow that’s tough. Remember that the name is a label of YOU. It should be something you like. On a religious level, the Prophet taught parents to choose the names for their children carefully, because it is by that name that they will be called upon on Judgment Day by God. Imagine for a minute. How would you like God to call you on Judgment Day? Maybe that is a good clue on how to choose your Muslim name, by its meaning.
Some converts I know who already liked their existing names simply chose an Arabic translation of their names. This may also be a good signal to your own parents that they are not “losing” you. So maybe you want to find out the meaning of your Chinese name and find the Arabic equivalent. I personally think this is more meaningful than simply choosing a Muslim name that sounds phonetically similar . Of course it translations may not always have a nice ring to them, so you could try something else.
Oh, and there is no hard or fast rule on the arrangement of your name – be it first or middle or last name. It depends on whether it sounds weird or not. But your friend’s way is quite common nowadays, Clara Farida Tan, for example, or Farida Clara Tan, or Clara Tan @ Farida Tan @ Clara Farida Tan.

Q How are the matrimonial laws different from civil laws? Whilst I hope there would not be a day where I have to rely on this aspect of the law, the inquiry is for my information only. Can a Muslim woman commence divorce proceedings, does the law favour the woman in respect of custody of the children as she is usually the primary care-giver, what constitutes matrimonial property, and how is that divided? The thinking behind men being given a larger proportion in a person's estate is that he has to provide for his family whereas the woman would be provided for in any event. Is this thinking applied in matrimonial issues as well?

A When there is a dissolution of marriage situation, the applicable law relating to division of jointly acquired property is lock stock and barrel the same in the Administration of Muslim Law Act and the Women’s Charter. When the AMLA was last amended in 1999, the entire provisions of division of matrimonial property in the Women’s Charter were imported into it. In the Syariah Court, the judicial practice is in tandem with the Family Court’s. Wives will be able to acquire a share in the matrimonial property vie indirect contributions, and this will include the taking care of minor children in her custody. Of course, each and every case will have its own factual matrix, so it is impossible to say with certainty what will happen everytime.
Yes, Muslim women can, and do commence divorce proceedings. Most of the summonses in the Syariah Court have women plaintiffs, similar to the Family Court. The processes are not the same, and many people criticise the Shariah by saying that it makes it difficult for women to obtain divorces. However, the numbers speak for themselves; in Singapore women can get their divorces faster and cheaper in the Shariah Court than in the Family Court.
Men get a larger share only in intestacy situations, not in divorces.

Q Estate laws.
My fiancee had said should anything happen to me, I would like to make sure that my parents are well taken care of. I understand that a Muslim person cannot will more than 1/3 of his property away and even then, not to a non-Muslim. The rest of the estate which is not subject to the will would be divided in accordance with the intestate Syariah laws, which would see to its apportionment to Muslim sisters and brothers. How can I ensure that my parents receive part of my estate?
A This is a common situation for a convert, because most, if not all, of his/her family is not Muslim. The answer is you have to make a conscious effort to plan your estate, and not leave it to intestacy. This is strongly encouraged by the Prophet who said, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him."
So you should start with what you want to do, and then choose the instruments to fit your plan, not the other way around.
Now we start at intestacy first. Your intestate heirs are fixed by Muslim law – parents, spouse, legitimate issue, who are Muslim at the time of your death. So if any of them are not Muslim, they drop their entitlement, and become strangers to your estate.
You may provide up to 1/3 of your total estate (calculated at the time of your death) in your will. Your bequest may be to anybody who is a stranger to your estate, both Muslim and non-Muslim (see above). Any bequest in a will to a person who is already entitled to a share of your estate under intestacy will be void .
Here is a word about CPF monies. CPF forms a separate estate. If you nominate the beneficiaries of your CPF, the nominations take effect on your death. Intestacy rules do not apply. However, if there is no valid nomination at the time of your death, then your CPF will be given to the Insolvency and Public Trustee Office, who will distribute it to your intestate heirs (as defined by Muslim law). In such a case, your non-Muslim family members who would otherwise be heirs, would not be entitled to any share.
Actually, as you can see, this exposition can go on and on , and it is better to know what your plan is first, and then work the plan.
So if your plan is to ensure your parents who are not Muslim are provided for in the event of your death, please execute a will to that effect , as well as make any nominations in CPF , because they are not covered under intestacy.

Q If we are blessed to have children and of whom may be daughters, I would also like to see that the apportionment is equal, in their favour. Is there any way to ensure that?
A Children are inalienable heirs. In Islamic intestate rules, the shares of sons will be more than of the daughters.
To circumvent this, you should park assets in trusts, because trusts are separate estates, hence not subject to intestate rules. Best way is to provide for your young daughters by way of insurance trust funds. When they become adults, then another way would be by depositing money into joint accounts with them, with specific instructions that you relinquish ownership of the monies upon your death .
These rules apply to both you and your future husband, by the way.

Q with the new Court of Appeal ruling that the Land Titles Act take precedence over the fatwah which is meant to be expert opinion only in relation to joint tenancy in property, this is a way to ensure that certain property is given to a specific person. Does this principle also extend to other joint holdings eg bank accounts, where the surviving holder would have title to the bank account, and that is carved out of the estate?
A The CA held that a joint tenancy survivorship prevails over Islamic law (which does not have such a concept). Actually it also said to the effect that the concept of joint ownership is reconcilable with Islamic law. So, if you, like most people, own a property in joint tenancy, rest assured that the surviving joint owner inherits all.
However, the CA expressedly stated that it could not comment on other jointly owned assets such as joint bank accounts (and I would venture to add partnerships). In other words, it is still an open question.
Nevertheless, in reality, monies held in joint bank accounts that belong to the deceased are always treated as part of the estate of a deceased person, and should be distributed according to Muslim law if you die as a Muslim.

Q Is it possible to choose not to subject myself to Syariah law and that civil law prevails (not just on the 2 subjects above)?
A I can only think of 2 aspects of life where Syariah law applies – probate and matrimonial matters. I have explained what how to deal with them above. If you have a specific concern, let me know, and I’ll try to think of something.

Da'wah Thoughts

2010-04-14T10:25:00.005+08:00

This graph is from the Department of Statistics report on religion in Singapore.

Note that the "no religion" category of Chinese - 18.6% of 80% is still approx 15% of the total SG population - more than the entire population of Muslims or Christians.

Maybe da'wah in SG has been distracted into a Christian-targeted approach. This is probably because we are influenced by the experience of Muslim missionaries in the West, who live in a Christian or post-Christian setting. The reality is that there is a large number of people who are religiously not committed, and it is only logical that we should work harder to reach out to them, instead of aiming at people who already have a religious position.

Islam 2010

2010-04-14T10:21:00.003+08:00

Ive been thinking a lot about using the new media for dakwah, and realised that there is much that we can do to create a presence in the new media world and promote islam.

lets start with my youtube channel. youtube is watched by everybody. we need to be in it, and in it in a BIG way.

i have already started creating my ppt presentations for the channel. that will provide a start point. then we need other stuff, home made reality stuff.

there are hundreds of personal videos of people interviewing themselves about their conversions to islam. but none from sg. we need to do this. all that is needed is a laptop with a camera, and willing participants. i aim for 20 to start with.

next we need staged vids of conversion processes. coming to darul arqam, signing up for class, converting, etc.

another thing is using wikis and videojugs. we need to have wikis on conversion, how to pray, fast, etc etc.

in essence, we create a new darul arqam in the virtual world.

the other aspect is to use facebook and twitter. we need a fb page, but its not about events only, like the present fb page people of darul arqam. it has to generate content, twitter-like, on a regular basis to maintain interest. it needs to be aimed at non-muslims, so it wont have doas, etc. just feelgood stuff.

we need to know who we're targeting. young 18 - 30s. english speaking Chinese and Others.

islam has to be hip. how? it has to be different. the different thing attracts the curiosity of the young. element of questioning the status quo. need to up the glamour factor - need pretty faces and nice voices nice clothes. need a cause. young pple are into causes nowadays. the cause is not to be ISLAM per se, or "the truth" etc.by itself. it has to be things like a worldwide brotherhood, courage, change, being strong.

your ideas.

Christians May Legally Use "Allah" in Malaysia

2010-01-04T10:45:00.002+08:00

I too am concerned at possible misuse and abuse, which will undoubtedly happen.
However I still believe that this can be turned to Muslim advantage, if Muslims act, instead of react.

A gap in the wall may seem to open one way, but it is up to us to push the other way.

Muslims dont have to believe the Christian line that they need to use Allah for the reasons they give.

The reality is that they are under threat of conversions to Islam, which is much more numerous than vice versa in Msia.

They fear that with a whole new generation of Msian Chrstians raised in Bahasa M, schooled in Bahasa M, speaking in BM, exposed to Malay culture and entertainment, and with the dominant cultural and national discourse being Malay-Muslim, that their religion is under threat of being an alien anachronism, and even more Christians will become Muslims.

Hence the step taken, which I see to be a desparate act of a losing adversary.
Just as Muslims fear their use of "Allah", they also fear that it would weaken their community - imagine what great crisis it would take to force Muslims in a country to start using "Buddha" instead of Allah.

Malaysian Muslims can either fear the tiger, or ride on it.
But they must not be distracted by the politics, which will lead them away from what they should be doing, in order to achieve success. This is exactly the diversion that the Christians expect, in fact, they are the hidden hand behind orchestrating most of the drama that happens.

In every crisis there is opportunity.

We must stop treating the Christian evangelist as the monster under our childhood bed. We are bigger and stronger than him, and here's a secret - he's more scared of us than we are of him.

They are forced to teach their people to believe and love "Allah", so as to keep their minds.
Then we must teach them that "Allah" is One, and He will get their hearts.

May Allah guide us and give us strength and patience to stay united, and to give us wisdom to see things as they truly are.

Islam in the NYPD: VC2

2009-05-09T17:46:00.001+08:00

Muslim Women of Hip Hop

2009-03-23T13:23:00.009+08:00

Although still a male-dominated realm, women have been an important part of the hip hop world both as artists and consumers. Anaya McMurray, in her journal article Hotep and Hip-Hop: Can Black Muslim Women Be Down with Hip-Hop? explores the relation of Black Muslim women to hip hop music and asks the question, “Can Black Muslim women be a part of hip hop and Islam?”

From Racialicious, 7 May 2008.

Beautiful

2009-03-19T22:32:00.004+08:00

Give me a look, give me a face,
That makes simplicity a grace;
Robes loosely flowing, hair as free,—
Such sweet neglect more taketh me
Than all the adulteries of art:
They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.

- Ben Jonson

The Making of a Mumbai Terrorist

2009-03-09T16:56:00.003+08:00

Unlike the stereotypical image of a terrorist — illiterate, fanatic and trained in madrasahs, or religious seminaries — the men had relatively high levels of literacy and were more likely to have been educated in government schools than in madrasahs. Religion wasn't necessarily the only reason they turned to jihad. A Pakistani who enrolled in a training camp in Kunar province, Afghanistan, told TIME that he went for "tourism and adventure."

Read the rest ...

Iraq's Unspeakable Crime: Mothers Pimping Daughters

2009-03-09T10:40:00.002+08:00

'... a place where nefarious female pimps hold sway, where impoverished mothers sell their teenage daughters into a sex market that believes females who reach the age of 20 are too old to fetch a good price. The youngest victims, some just 11 and 12, are sold for as much as $30,000, others for as little as $2,000. "The buying and selling of girls in Iraq, it's like the trade in cattle," Hinda says. "I've seen mothers haggle with agents over the price of their daughters." '.

Read the rest ....

Challenges of Becoming Muslims - Last Week's Talk at the Muslim Converts' Association

2009-02-28T17:50:00.002+08:00

Many years ago when he was 19 years old and in the Army, a Muslim convert sergeant by the name of Fauzi Rodriguez advised Mudpie to make himself useful and volunteer at the Muslim Converts' Association on weekends instead of going out and falling down drunk like most soldier boys. Mudpie was bored, and sauntered down to the then-newly formed Muslim Converts' Association, and helped them to do what he was used to doing - carrying heavy objects and arranging them where needed.
Mudpie was stuck.
He volunteered from then on, and counts some of his best friendships from his association with Darul Arqam (that's the Association's Muslim name).
There was a teacher there who taught what was called a "Beginners' Class on Islam". He was a university graduate from my university, spoke English well, and yet was traditionally trained in Islamic religious studies. He was passionate about bringing the message of Islam to non-Muslims, and also as much, to Muslims who needed a different pitch. Mudpie was his trainee and student, and he was Mudpie's mentor.
Many years later, Ustaz Zulkeflee left Darul Arqam and went over to Pergas. We kept in touch, although less frequently, until Mudpie helped out in the driving-and-carrying duties for a series of talks on Islamic Thought and Civilisation conducted by Pergas and ISTAC. This was Mudpie's introduction to Pergas, which inducted him into another, different world.
Ustaz Zulkeflee later fell ill with a stroke, and could not talk or move.
So it was with much happiness that Mudpie discovered Ustaz Zul was back, and giving a talk last Friday. Although the thrust and content was not a surprise to him, Mudpie was happy just to go and see the man who had, at a critical juncture of Mudpie's life, helped him take the other, less trodden, path.
May God bless Ustaz Zul and give him health and strength always.

Here is the presentation from his talk, with his kind permission.

Challenges of Being Muslim

View more presentations from Mudpie.

Pasts and Futures

2009-02-23T11:12:00.001+08:00

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. (Oscar Wilde)

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling - in Islam

2009-02-08T14:11:00.002+08:00

6046

Respect

2009-02-07T19:48:00.001+08:00

from SunniPath Blog -

Habib `Umar b. Hafiz (may Allah preserve him) said,

No one will ever be fit for calling others to Islam except someone who respects those he is calling. Whenever someone displays contempt for anyone, he distances more often than he brings close, repels more often than he attracts, and cuts others off from him more often than he ties them to him.

…

This is why the poet said

من وقر الناس وقروه … و فاز بالعقل و الرئاسة
و مزدريهم لو كان مسكا … لقيل في أصله نجاسة

Whoever respects people will be respected by them, and will win unto intelligence and leadership.

But someone who has contempt for them, were he to be made of musk, he would be told that he was originally filth. [1]

…

This is why we must approach people with love, concern, mercy, and compassion. And that is how the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came to you: he was all mercy, compassion, humility, and politeness. This is why you will find that most of the early ones to respond to his call were the downtrodden people of Mecca … At the conquest of Mecca, Bilal [3] was the only one who climbed the Ka`ba when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told him, “Climb and call the people to prayer.” (Habib `Umar b. Hafiz, Tawjih al-Nabih li Mardati Barih, Kuwait: Dar al-Diya, 2008, p. 167)

[1] Musk comes from the originally filthy secretions of the musk-deer that collect in a sac and solidify.

[2] In other words, at the height of the Prophet’s political supremacy (Allah bless him and give him peace).

[3] A former slave.

What About Now ?

2009-02-07T16:47:00.001+08:00

Now the Great Crunch is coming, and we read it in our news everyday , and we're all thinking about what we are going to do to survive it.
Now we save money, spend less, keep our jobs.
Now we pray to God to keep our heads above water to ride out the bad time to come.

So things are gonna get bad NOW? For many people in this world, it wasnt better before. So, what's the difference about NOW?

Just a reminder of the other people in this world who are facing far, far worse trials and tribulations than we possibly can imagine at this moment, and the saints who stand against the tide - the tide of apathy and selfcentredness.

We will not go down (Song for Gaza)

2009-02-02T21:58:00.001+08:00

Wardah's List of Best Reads 2008

2009-01-31T15:42:00.002+08:00

For anyone who has not been to Wardah, please do yourself a favour and get acquainted with it.

Emotional Quran Recitation from Makkah Fajr Sheikh Khalid Ghamdi Surah Imraan

2009-01-31T13:52:00.003+08:00

We had just arrived in Mecca. The last week had been a hectic and exhausting whirl of planning, buyings, preparations, and festivities, leaving all of the Mudpie family all caught up in the journey.

We arrived at Jeddah airport, dressed in ihram, the first time for the boys. We endured hours of waiting at the airport, and rode a bus where we slept most of the way, totally jet-lagged.

We sleepily arrived at our hotel, and collapsed on our beds. We were woken up by the first azan of subuh and made our way to the Grand Mosque for the first time. The boys were astounded at the sheer size of the building and the foreigness of the congregation.

We wandered into a doorway tall enough to admit giants, and stumbled our way into the basement of the mosque. The qamat sounded, and we hurriedly placed our mats down and prayed following the imam's voice.

This was the very first prayer the Mudpie family was attending at MasjidulHaram for our hajj. I will never forget it.

The imam broke down whilst reciting Surah Ali Imran.

The atmosphere in the mosque was electrifying - your heart wants to cry with him, but your mind tells you to control yourself and concentrate on the prayer. The few seconds the imam took to recover seemed like half an hour.

For Mudpie, the breaking voice of the imam shocked into him the awareness that he was now in the House of God. No ordinary trip with the wife and kids. All the preparations and hustle left behind.

He is now in the Navel of the World.

For Sayfudeen, From Another

2009-01-21T11:57:00.000+08:00

Not exactly exciting, really
January 19, 2009 ·

I thought wrong. The week that I thought was going to be exciting made a U turn. But I guess HE knows better. More.

The Odyssey: In His Hands...

2009-01-20T14:25:00.000+08:00

The Odyssey: In His Hands...

Letter to Sayfudeen

2009-01-19T15:42:00.013+08:00

Most people will never understand the pain of a teacher seeing a student they know and love lose faith in God and His Prophet. They will never understand how much fear seizes me when I enter a new class, not knowing if the same thing will happen again.

Whenever I get news that someone has lost faith, a fragment of my life breaks off and shatters away.

That is the heaviest load that a teacher in a conversion class has to carry.

When you walked into to my class so many years ago, you clearly knew about religion, and I thank you that you were not rude or condescending to me, as many other of the students in my class were and are.

I respect you for making the decision to leave your old self and become a Muslim. I do not know if ever I was placed in such a position, I would be able to do the same.

I saw you grow in faith. You wholeheartedly plunged into Islam with all your heart, your body and your soul. You made many friends and companions along the way, and you helped other fellow discoverers too.

You met your share of difficulties. You fell in love and got married. That did not work out. Then a good friend of yours lost faith. And there must have been other challenges.

And now, well ....

You will always be in my heart, Sayfudeen. Many students have come and gone, but you have been in touch with me all these years. I'm glad you came to my home for my hajj majlis, although you had other appointments. It was good to see you.

I hope you find what you are looking for, Sayfudeen. All these years - almost 10 years, you have believed in something, something greater than you. Even if you no longer believe in God and His Prophet, they still believe in you, and I still believe in you.

If you ever lose your way, the Malays say to return to the crossroad and start again. You can always come back to this crossroad, and find Him.

The journey of faith never ends until we die. God and His Prophet be with you, Sayfudeen. And I will always be here for you too.

But this is not about me. You have had a good run as a Muslim, in which time you achieved much more than most can claim to be proud of. I know you have thought this through carefully.

The object of religion is not to beautify itself, but the people who are of it. Too often we read and hear about how Islam is beautiful; but the truth is, it is people that matter, and it is Muslims who are beautiful, although they may not realise it in themselves.

You have to admit, in these last few years you developed and blossomed in many ways. Things may be bleak now, but dont be discouraged. It is only in darkness that the true light of a candle be visible, whilst the false sparkle of diamonds will be unseen.

I will pray for you during these troubled times, Sayfudeen. Remember that changing your religion will not change who you are. The Prophet will be sad, but he still loves you.

And you are always my friend.

though i realise its hard to take courage
in a world full of people

you can lose sight of it all

and the doubt that's inside you

can make you feel so small.

How We Should Help Palestine

2009-01-17T12:19:00.012+08:00

Mudpie is quite upset at the media coverage of the Gaza battle.

He was listening to IKIM.FM, an Islamic radio station from Malaysia, in his car this morning.

It was full of propoganda - self-serving half-truths which are as good as false.

Not very Islamic.

He is unprogramming it from his list of saved statiions.

Half-truths such as "the Palestinian people voted for Hamas in a fair and democratic election. What we find difficult to accept is, why is it not accepted by US and Isreal? After all, they are always talking about democracy".

This is an example of a half-truth that is as good as a lie.

Let's turn the scenario a little bit.

If Singaporeans elect a government that has, as its main agenda, the conquest of Malaysia and the extermination of Malays from that country, how would Malaysians react?

Does it matter that the party was democratically elected?

Another example from the radio - "imagine if we live in our country that is walled off, and we have difficulties reaching necessities, school, hospitals, and kill old people, the sick and children. Imagine how we would feel?

Would not we want to fight back and send rockets against the enemy?".

This is another example of a half-truth.

The station is trying to say that because they are under seige, the Gazans are entitled to launch rockets into Israel.

But the truth is, the issue with the common Israeli in the street is the same as that with the common Gazan in the street - that these rockets hit hospitals, schools and kill old people, the sick and children.

Dont they also want to fight back?

I am so disappointed by the Muslim media in its treatment of this crisis.

All it seems to do is feed on the anger and hatred of people.

The implicit message to Muslims is the same - because the Israelis (or the Jews) are kiiling our innocents, we must fight back.

No-one says fight back and kill their innocents - no, no, God forbid - but no-one wants to also say to Hamas to renounce terrorism and destruction of Israel as their vowed aims.

For does not the destruction of Israel necessaily entail the destruction of its people?

The answer must lie in peace - and peace for everybody.

We cannot stoop to the way of the Devil every time and call for revenge.

If you want peace, you must be ready to give peace.

None of this "we'll stop attacking Israel if they stop attacking Gaza" business.

And to get peace, you must fight with peace, and make sacrifices, with lives if need be, for peace.

People will shout back at Mudpie and say, "how can we stop fighting when the enemy is killing our people, our women and children?".

Mudpie's answer is that nowhere does Islam teach us to fight sin with sin.

If the enemy rapes Muslim women, does it mean that we should rape theirs as well?

Since when does God and the Prophet teach us to follow the ways of our enemies in their evils?

It is time to try non-violence. It was that method of jihad that brought down the British Empire.

Most people are not aware that Gandhi would not have succeeded in his non-violence movement if it was not for the contribution of the Muslims.

Mudpie recommends that readers check out this book -

Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan: A Man to Match His Mountains (Paperback)by Eknath Easwaran (Author)

Mudpie thinks that it is time we, the people of Peace (Islam) stop yelling to the Palestinians to keep fighting harder.

We are like ticket-buying spectators around a boxing ring, grotesquely gratiating ourselves in the suffering and violence of the gladiators, all the time tutting our tongues at the hideousness of the spectacle, but doing nothing to end it.

Mudpie will not tolerate any more talk of fighting in the Middle East.

No more talk of retaliation, sanction, boycott, etc.

All these just serve to add fuel to the fire.

And then we watch and wring our wrists at the bloodhsed that we had just encouraged and enflamed ourselves.

Mudpie, for one, will now want to help the Palestinians build their nation.

This is not done by sending donations - any person who had worked in government will know that donations are the worst form of financial source due to its unpredictability - it should be by way of trading with the Palestinian people.

Not the government, because they have all the aid they need to set up institutions, but the people need money, which becomes the economy's money.

Unfortunately, many policies taken by Muslim countries have worked in every possible way to counteract the Palestinians setting up their own viable state - such as the boycott to visit Jerusalem as an extension of the boycott against Israeli occupation.

Ironically, this means that the local Palestinians have no source of income of their own, and are forced to depend on work and trade with Israel to survive.

This year, as part of this plan, Mudpie is seriously planning a vacation to Jerusalem.

Why should Mudpie throw a few thousand dollars at Bangkok, or Korea, etc, when he could do better by spending it in Jerusalem, the city of al-Aqsa?

If a million Muslim tourists visit Jerusalem every year, the Palestinian economy will be self-sustaining, and that is the first step towards self-strengthening.

Beyond that, Mudpie will try his best to take many of the pointless things that people say we should do against Israel - by doing the opposite to the Palesitinians instead. Such as - instead of boycotting Israel (yeah, right, like they really need our money) we should try to buy Palestinian instead.

Now this is where you realise that there is nothing from Palestine that you can buy, right?

That shows how weak and tiny their economy is.

But we should as many of us try to do this as we can, and hopefully the Palestinians will be encouraged that there is a market out there for their products, and start producing things for export, etc.

Of course, if you have any suggestions on Palestinian products, please share here.

Update : Gaza -Required Reading

2009-01-17T12:13:00.002+08:00

Folks, I went to Wardah and found out that they do not carry this book anymore. There was a hint that it was not approved for import by the authorities - but I cannot confirm that.

Blog review : Blogging the Quran

2009-01-14T11:04:00.011+08:00

From the authors :The Qur'an is the sacred book of Islam. In the view of Muslims it speaks to all humanity (not just those who believe) but its message is often hard to grasp. Its unconventional structure makes it unlike any other book and its 114 suras (chapters) are not arranged in chronological order but according to their length. Its literary style is considered by Arabic speakers to be neither prose nor verse but something unique.

Muslims have been wrestling with the meaning of the verses and words of the Qur'an from the early days of Islam. Non-Muslims, meanwhile, often have wildly inaccurate notions of its content. These arguments and misconceptions are played out daily on the threads of Comment is free.

Through Blogging the Qur'an, we hope to try and untangle some of those meanings and misconceptions. Over the course of this year,Ziauddin Sardar - writer, broadcaster and cultural critic - will blog the book, verse by verse and theme by theme. There are plenty of theological forums on the internet where the Qur'an is discussed in great detail; our hope is this non-theological exercise will illuminate and inform the political and cultural discussions that take place day in and day out about the role of Islam in world affairs.

If the Qur'an is the source of the religion, then going back to the book should help all those who want to know more. To that end, Guardian writer Madeleine Bunting will help frame each week's discussion by putting the questions to Zia that non-Muslims in particular struggle with when trying to understand Islam.

Readers are welcome to email comments and observations, and we'll publish a selection each week which Zia will respond to. More details of how to join in can be found here.

Each blog will be linked to three translations of the Qur'an on the website of the University of Southern California. For more about the translations, click here.

Illustrations are supplied by the British Museum.

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Mudpie thinks that this is an interesting experiment, not in Qur'an teaching, or tafsir, but in da'wah. Through this medium one juxtaposes the views of non-believers with believers, and can provide a good platform for discussion. For Muslims who already believe in the Qur'an, it is not a substitute for a proper tafsir course, nor, for that matter, a teacher (the spiritual element of the Quran can only be transmitted to a student personally through a teacher with proper ijazah and silsilah). Nevertheless, for Muslims it can give a good insight into how non-Muslims may perceive what they take for granted as Quranic truth, and ponder how to share their view and belief in response.

I think a very interesting review is found here, by one of the readers of the blog, - Noor al-Yaqeen: How the blog changed me

O Medina! Where My Prophet Rests

2009-01-13T19:57:00.025+08:00

Medina is referred to as al-Munawarah - the Illuminated - taking from the fact that it holds the Prophet who brought light to where once was darkness, and it was from Medina that the light shone and spread throughout Arabia, and then the world.

Coming from the bustling helter-skelter that was Mecca, one who arrives here will instantly recognise that it is a different place altogether. It is clean, well-ordered, peaceful and unhurried. The city, it is said, personifies its most precious resident.

Medina is the most holy place on earth, according to Imam Malik (r.a.), by virtue of its containing the form of the most perfect of Creation, our Master the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).

Although most other scholars disagree, and opine that the Ka'abah in Mecca is more holy, all of the scholars are in agreement that the plot of land that holds the self of our Master the Prophet (s.a.w.) is more holy than even the Ka'abah.

Other than that, the Ka'abah is the most holy place on Earth.

Every year, millions of believers converge on Medina, to the resting place of the Prophet (s.a.w.).
Our Master said -
"Whosoever visits my grave, it is guaranteed for him my intercession".

Our Master also said - "Whosoever visits me after my death at my grave, it will be as if he visits me in my lifetime.", and He also said, "Whosoever visits me without any intent other than to visit me, then it becomes his right to have my intercession.".

A visit to the Prophet's (s.a.w.) tomb should definitely be undertaken by anyone who performs the pilgrimage.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said - "Whosoever performs the pilgrimage but does not visit me, then indeed he has forgotten me".

A prayer performed in the Prophet's mosque is of more merit than any other mosque besides the MasjidilHaram in Mecca.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said - " a prayer in my mosque is better than a thousand prayers at any other place besides the Masjid alHaram.".

The Mudpie family had bought a new set of Hari Raya clothes back in Singapore for this occassion. Mudpie walked out of the hotel towards the large marble mosque in the early morning. The day was cool, the chill of dawn was gone. We walked towards the famous green dome of the mosque, which arches above where the Prophet's resting place lay.

As we walked, the song by Raihan surfaced in my mind -

Alangkah indahnya hidup ini

Andai dapat kutatap wajahmu
Kan pasti mengalir air mataku
Kerna pancaran ketenanganmu
(trans. by me)

How great this life would be
If your face I could only see
The tears would flow most certainly
Bedazzled of your serenity

Alangkah indahnya hidup ini
Andai dapat kudakap dirimu
Tiada kata yang dapat aku ucapkan
Hanya tuhan saja yang tahu

(trans. by me)
How great this life would be
If I could embrace your body
No words exist that I can say
Only God knows the words in me

Ya Rasulullah Ya Habiballah
Tak pernah kutatap wajahmu
Ya Rasulullah Ya Habiballah
Kami rindu padamu
Allahumma Solli Ala Muhammad
Ya Rabbi Solli Alaihi Wasallim ( 2X )

(trans. by me)
O God's Prophet, O God's beloved
Never have I laid eyes upon you
O God's Prophet, O God's beloved
Yet how much I do miss you
God bless Muhammad
O my Lord, bless him and give him peace (2X)

I realised how much I yearned for him.
I missed my other father, my teacher, my hero, my inspiration, my solace.
A wave of emotion seized me, and my breath whispered the words of the song.
It stuck with me all the times I approached the Mosque whilst I was in the city.
In spite of what the Wahabis or the modernists say, I know that my Prophet lives and never dies.
He lives and loves me and he hears me, and he is there - even if I cannot see him or hear him, his spirit lives on and he sees me and hears me.
Before I embarked on this hajj I was apprehensive about how I would feel when I meet him, I thought I would have so much to be ashamed of, so much to be sorry for.
However, when I was there, all those feelings evaporated, like they were never there at all, ever.
In an indescribable way, deep in my heart of hearts I just felt that he was telling me everything is okay, that he forgives me, and he understood, and that he loves me anyway, for whatever I am.
I felt he was telling me that I was not going astray, that I must have faith and patience, that no, the world is not going to the dogs like it seems - it is a beautiful, beautiful world but I must try harder to see with the eyes of my heart and not the eyes of my head.

None of this will make sense to anyone else reading this, but I don't care.
Love knows no definition nor reasonable cause.
And there is no greater humanly love than the unconditional love of the man whom God refers to as rahmatan lil alameen - the mercy to all the worlds.

And at that moment, I was with the one that I loved.
Alone amongst hundreds of other lovers.
Being where he rests makes all that I read and hear and think about him real and present.
There, behind that long wall, behind that grille, lays the one thing that stands between me and the eternal hell.that I justly deserve and that awaits me - the man who I weepingly hope and pray will intercede for me before God and save me.

Since then, whenever I hear or say Allahuma salli ala Muhammad, it has a different, deeper meaning.
A meaning that only two secret lovers will ever understand.

I brought my 3 sons, one by one, to visit him.
We waited for hours each time to get in to the Raudah - the part of the mosque where the Prophet said was a slice of paradise on earth.
I pointed out how tiny the actual mosque of the Prophet was, and tried to picture the greatness of the man in the smallness of the place.
I pointed out how small Syidatina Aishah (r.a.)'s house was - it now houses the blessed tomb - that it is no bigger than our own living room.
Yet that little hovel is now the most precious piece of real estate in the world, that a billion Muslims would give their blood and lives to keep safe.
We reflected how the Prophet was master of all Arabia when he passed on, but he lived in such a humble abode.
The boys were expecting grandeur, palaces, halls, like from their trips to Europe.
All there is, is just a tomb.
When we walked past the grille enclosing the blessed tomb, I told them - there, behind there, lies the man who loves all of us, more than even your mother and I love you, and he will rescue you from hell.
It was because of him that God created everything, including you and me.
We cannot see him now, but he sees us and hears us, right this minute.
Just as I will be sad if you do not remember me and love me after I die, he is sad if we do not remember him and love him.
We must always remember him and love him.
He is our king and our hero.
The guards shooed the emotional crowd away, and we went outside the building.
We walked around to the outside wall of the mosque, and positioning ourselves opposite the great green dome, we gave our salutations to the Prophet, to the two Caliphs who are resting next to him.

I asked my sons - Just as now I bring you to him, will you promise to bring me here when I am old and weak and reliant on you to meet him again before I die?
All 3 of them said yes.
It was all that a father can ever ask for.

Malay Kids School Performance Drops

2009-01-12T10:28:00.002+08:00

The rate of Malay students passing Mathematics at the PSLE fell to 56.8% and for Science to 73.6%, the lowest in 10 years.

Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs says it is not because Malay organisations are not doing enough.

From Berita Harian (in Malay).

Mudpie's take - how can anyone blame Malay organisations for not doing enough? The other communities are nowhere close to the Muslim organisations when it comes to educational assistance programmes. Anyway, the duty of educatiing a child rests with his parents, not organisations. In this blame game, the buck must stop at parents.

Gaza - Required reading

2009-01-11T22:27:00.003+08:00

With all that is happening in Gaza, Mudpie is reminded of this book which he bought in Kinokuniya about 5 years ago. If anyone asks him for a book to catch up on what is Gaza all about, he will recommend this book.

You can get it at Wardah Books.

Read it. Even if you are the most anti-Palestinian person in the world, this book will have some effect on you.

This is the Wikipedia entry on the book -

Palestine is a graphic novel written and drawn by Joe Sacco about his experiences in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in December 1991 and January 1992. Sacco gives a portrayal which emphasizes the history and plight of the Palestinian people, as a group and as individuals.

Plot summary

The book takes place over a two-month period in late 1991 early 1992, with occasional flashbacks to the expulsion of the Arabs, the beginning of the Intifada, the Gulf War and other events in the more immediate past. Sacco spent this time meeting with Palestinians in the West Bank andGaza Strip and the narrative focuses on the minute details of everyday life in the occupied territories, presenting the daily struggles, humiliations and frustrations of the Palestinians.

Sacco’s visit to Israel and the occupied territories is presented chronologically, from his arrival to his departure, through dramatic scenes with only a handful of diversions to present the historical and personal background. Most of the scenes in the book are conversations between Sacco and Palestinians, and though the events they talk about are presented visually the dialogue is always present as a form of narration for the events.

Sacco devotes whole pages to drawings of the destitution and squalor prevalent in the occupied territories. Though Sacco is the principal narrator at times he steps aside and allows other characters to present their stories uninterrupted and without interpretation. In his drawings, though most of the panels are presented as a “side view” of Sacco, other characters and their surroundings, there are several panels which present the scene as it looks from Sacco’s point of view. There are also panels which present a bird’s eye view of places like the refugee camps or Jerusalem.

In Palestine Sacco positions himself knowingly as the westerner going to the Middle East to confront a reality unfamiliar to his American audience. Sacco does not delude himself that as a "neutral" observer he can remain invisible and have no effect on the events around him, instead accepting his role and concentrating on his personal experience of the situation. Though his goal is to document events and interview Palestinians he is affected by the reality of the occupied territories and cannot help but participate in, and comment on, demonstrations, funerals, roadblocks and encounters with soldiers. Towards the end he becomes even more active as he shares food and lodgings with the Palestinians he interviews and even breaks curfew with them while in the Gaza Strip.

In the book Sacco references Joseph Conrad's Under Western Eyes, Apocalypse Now, and Edward Said's Orientalism to draw links between the situation he is witnessing and colonialism. Towards the end of the book Sacco acknowledges that he has not reflected Israel enough, that it would take a whole other trip to present that side of things.

The graphic novel, published in 2001 by Fantagraphics Books, is an assembly of nine stories first published in comic form in 1993; the single volume edition includes an introduction byEdward Said. In 1996, the comic was awarded the American Book Award by the Before Columbus Foundation.

Helping Gaza

2009-01-11T22:24:00.001+08:00

MEDIA STATEMENT

SPECIAL COLLECTION
FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF EFFORT IN GAZA

The Rahmatan lil Alamin (Blessings-To-All) Committee established by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will coordinate a special fund-raising effort in aid of the affected victims of the on-going conflict in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, in which many innocent civilian lives have been lost due to the ensuing violence.

2. The Rahmatan lil Alamin Fund will be collected through :

i) donation boxes placed at all 69 mosques starting today, Saturday, 10 January 2009. The boxes will be marked "Special Collection For Humanitarian Relief Effort in Gaza”.

ii) Donation in cash, by cheque as well as online. The cheque should be made payable to “MUIS” with the words “Humanitarian Relief Effort in Gaza” written on its back. The cash and cheques can be delivered to the Muis Headquarters at No 1, Lorong 6, Toa Payoh, Singapore 319376. Online contributions can be made through the Muis' E-services (Donation) website. For further clarification, you may also contact Muis at 6359 1199 during officer hours.

3. In addition to the above effort, the Harmony Centre is also collaborating with other faith organizations to raise donations to support this humanitarian cause. More information on this will be issued later.

4. In the meantime, the Singapore Muslim community prays that the parties to the conflict seriously work toward a cessation of violence and be given the courage and compassion to resolve their conflict by peaceful means. We pray that peace and harmony return swiftly to the lives and citizens of Gaza.

5. Muis would like to express its deepest sympathy for the victims of the conflict and their families. We hope our small contribution will, in a small way, ease the lives and help to alleviate the sufferings of all the victims of the conflict.

MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA
10 January 2009

Returning from hajj

2009-01-06T21:50:00.003+08:00

Some adabs about returning from hajj -

1. upon arriving at your homeland, recite the following do'a - O Allah, I ask from You the goodness that is in this land and the goodness of its people, and whatever goodness that is in it, and I shelter with You from the evils of it and its people and whatever evil that is in it. O Allah, make this a home for us and give us provision that is good. O Allah, grant us its fruits and shelter us from its diseases and make its people love us and make us love its righteous people",

2. pray 2 raka'at at a masjid before arriving at home. It is not recommended to perform a prostration of thanks (sujud shukur),

3. to pray when you arrive at your home for God to accept your repentance - O Allah, accept our repentance. To You we return. Do not leave us any of our sins.

4. it is sunnat to visit those who have just returned from Mecca and Medina with shaking of hands and embraces, with prayer that God accept their hajj. It is good to say the following to them - May Allah accept your hajj and forgive all your sins and replace your expense.

5. it is sunnat for the returnees to pray for their visitors because the prayer of those who have just returned from the Holy Land is accepted by Allah. In a hadith, the Prophet s.a.w. said - O Allah, forgive the pilgrims and whosoever they request forgiveness for.

There are several views on how long the period is that the prayer of the pilgrim will be accepted by God - some say up to 20 Rabiul Awal, or as long as he is considered as a recent returnee from hajj, or until the completion of Zulhijjah that year (Allah knows best).

6. to hold a gathering of thanks (majlis keshukuran).

translated from the Malay book,

A Guide to Fiqh by Sheikh Omar AlKhaatib, by M Salleh bin A Hamid

Trials and tribulations

2009-01-04T00:03:00.002+08:00

Mrs Mudpie and I have a very simple approach about going to the Holy Land for hajj.

It is not up to you to decide to go, it is up to God to decide that you can come.

When he decides, nothing will stop Him from getting you there, except your own lack of will.

You can have all the niyyat and will and preparation to go, but if God is not inviting you, then you will not go.

And God decides that you will not go because He knows something that you do not know of, and that you are not ready for it.

This year’s hajj was a lesson in this.

Many people who were approved and had paid up to go, were suddenly rejected when the Saudi government slashed the quota.

All sorts of recriminations were hurled at MUIS by the people who were rejected.

There was a lot of accusations of favouritism, unfair selections, and all sorts of other stuff, all of which were negative, and not to mention, sinful and unbecoming of guests of God. Which proved the point, if only they could see it in themselves.

Some people came to me and told me that it was unfair for me, Mrs Mudpie, and the children to be approved, because we were not first timers, and the children were still young.

Our places should have been given to those who have not gone, and those who were old. It made me feel uncomfortable and guilty.

Mrs Mudpie was clearer in her conscience.

First of all, we did not choose to approve ourselves, let alone did we do anything to cause the others to be rejected.

Secondly, our family registered to go for this hajj as far back as in 2004/2005, and passed over 3 offers of hajj in the previous years before taking up this one.

True, some people who were older or were first timers were rejected, but they all applied to join the queue only less than 6 months ago.

Why did they not get in the queue like we did, Mrs Mudpie asked.

What is the point of having a queue registration system then?

Should we be penalised for having planned ahead, and should priority be given to those who did not plan?

We had told ourselves that if we are cancelled by MUIS due to the reduced quota, we would just accept it and plan to go next year, but Alhamdulillah, we were not.

So I do not understand why others do not see it the same way.

Ah, someone said, what happens if, while waiting for next year, the person dies, or becomes occupied by something else that prevents him from going?

To my mind the response to that is simple - if that happens then it becomes proven that God did not want him to go then.

Like everything else, God's will is carried out based on His complete understanding of everything, and it is always for the best, even if we cannot see it.

One should just accept it, and move on.

God knows best. He just does. He works in mysterious ways, and He tests us.

Some examples - There was a lady with us, a very nice, unassuming lady.

She had a hard life - her husband died and she had to raise her children on her own, and take care of her late husband's parents as well, as her husband was their only child.

She had not thought seriously about going for the hajj, as finances were rosy, but a related couple was going, and invited her to join them.

She agreed, and left all the planning, etc to them. In the end, it turned out that they got rejected, but she was approved - subhanAllah.

When that happened, she did not even know what her hajj package was, as she had left it all to the couple.

Such is the way of God - He will bring to His Holy Land whomsoever He wishes.

I made friends with a fellow pilgrim who came alone for his second hajj.

He had a phobia of crowds and crowded places - he ends up in an anxiety attack in Orchard Road on weekends, and has difficulties breathing when he boards a crowded train.

When he told his family of his plan to go for the hajj the first time a few years ago, his father asked him whether he was out of his mind? Did he know the kind of crowds he was going to be caught in over there?

My friend persevered and went on, leaving the matter to God. SubhanAllah - Glorious is God - he said the minute he arrived in the Holy Land, all his phobias disappeared.

He went through all the crowds and turmoil with no problem. he thought he was cured of his phobia - except when he returned home, it was back again.

This time, again, the phobia was lifted from him the minute he entered the Holy Land.

He has no explanation for it, and neither was he looking for one, other than the Divine one.

In my group there was a very prominent person.

He was a man with one leg.

He was born with one leg uselessly deformed and diminished, and he grew up without ever learning to use an artificial leg, nor a wheelchair, nor even a walking stick.

He just hopped on his one leg everywhere he went!

You can imagine how precarious it all was, everyone was concerned that he would fall or trip or something.

I got to know him, and learnt that it was his second hajj too.

He had had a difficult life - never being sent to school as a child due to his disability, and having to work difficult menial jobs due to his lack of education - on one leg.

When I talked to him, he struck me as a person who is so full of thanks and satisfaction with life.

It made me think of all the dissatisfactions I had felt about not having this or that, or wishing I had more of this or that, when I should be thankful I have a complete physical form in the first place.

It made me re-think my attitude that I was having - that I was fortunate, thanks to God, that I had the means to afford the pilgrimage for my whole family, whereas most people would just scrape by to afford to go for themselves once in their lives.

I was blessed at an even more basic level than that by God - that my family and I had health and complete physical forms in the first place. I suddenly felt very privileged to have what everyone else had - except this man - a complete pair of feet.

Reminded me of the Sufi saying - I went to the mosque to pray for a pair of shoes, and God showed me a man with no feet - I ended up thanking God that I had feet, forget the shoes.

Whilst I was there, I saw very old, feeble pilgrims, struggling to make every step of their way in the midst of maelstorms of crowds pushing about. I saw women from remote villages from remote parts of the world confused and frightened by the size, crowd and bustle of the pilgrimage. People who were experiencing their first ever ride on an escalator. An Indian man who read from his own, very old, yellowed and dog-eared copy of the Quran, instead of reaching out for one of the thousands of new copies provided at every pillar of the mosques. An old African woman marvelling at the wonderful embroidery of a Malaysian woman's telekong. I saw thousands of pilgrims from all over the world just sitting for hours, reading and re-reading the Quran, most of them not knowing Arabic, and many with accents and reading styles strange to our ears.

For some reason, reading the Quran is something that one naturally desires to do in the Haram - somehow God's word being spoken through one's tongue in His house, as if He is speaking though you.

It is said that for every hajj, the prophets Khidr and Elyas perform the pilgrimage as well, and one could well meet one of them there unknowingly.

The truth is, if you look about, you will see the Prophet's spirit in the eyes of every one of the pilgrims.

Their externals may appear peculiar and different from us, and they may appear course or rough by our standards, but inside each one of them lay their own story of why they made the journey to the Holy Land.

It is most apparent when they first arrive and set eyes on the Ka'abah - there, at that precise moment, all that is in the heart bursts forth in an unexplainable and inexpressible manner of tears and relief.

You may not see it on their faces, but in the heart of every pilgrim is the heart of a saint - one yearning for the One, and being reunited with Him.

On the Day of Judgment, when I meet my Lord, I hope it will be with the same sentiment.

Observing 'Ashura

2009-01-01T23:09:00.006+08:00

Ashura falls on 10th Muharram, Tuesday, 6th January 2009.

Some points -

1. Our Master (s.a.w.) made it a choice to fast on that day,

2. Such a fast atones for the sins of the preceding year,

3. next to the fast of Ramadan, this fast is the most excellent,

4. you can fast from the 9th as well, as our Master the Prophet (s.a.w.) had intended to do so, but passed away before he could,

5. you can fast all the way from the 1st of Muharram if you wish to as well.

Historically, the following events took place on the 10th of Muharram -

1. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) accepted the repentance of Adam ('Alaihis-Salaam) after his exile from Paradise;

2. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) saved Noah ('Alaihis-Salaam) and his companions in the ark;

3. Allah extinguished the fire in which Abraham ('Alaihis-Salaam) was thrown by Nimrod;

4. And Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) spoke directly to Moses ('Alaihis-Salaam) and gave him the Commandments.

5. Ahab ('Alaihis-Salaam) was restored to health (from leprosy);

6. Joseph ('Alaihis-Salaam) was reunited with his father Jacob ('Alaihis-Salaam), whose sight was restored from blindness;

7. Jonah ('Alaihis-Salaam) was taken out from the belly of the fish;

8. the sea was divided as the nation of israel led by Moses ('Alaihis-Salaam) was delivered from captivity and Pharoah’s army was destroyed.

9. the kingdom of Solomon ('Alaihis-Salaam) was restored to him after he lost it;

10. Jesus ('Alaihis-Salaam) was raised to heaven.

Now, Ashura is commemorated with a great deal of significance amongst the Shi'a Muslims.

So, if you are a follower of the Ahlussunnah wal Jama'ah (Sunni for short), you would do well just to note the above list and not get yourself involved in any other acts, as they would be forbidden to you as bid'ah.

The Shi'a have their own reasons and basis for what they do, and these would not be compatible with the beliefs of the Sunnis, so if you are Sunni, beware, but be respectful and let the Shi'a have their way.

God knows best, and God is the best of Judges.

There is also the issue of cooking up a dish for Ashura which the Malays call bubur Ashura (Ashura porridge).

Wahabis would consider it a bid'ah, so if you are a Wahabi, don't do it.

If you are not a Wahabi, then you may want to make such a dish, and not give it to a Wahabi.

The significance of this dish is purely historical and not based on Quran nor Sunnah of our Master the Prophet (s.a.w.), so do not do it with such an intent in mind.

The significance is purely to replicate what the Prophet Noah (a.s.), did on the day of Ashura, when the Ark arrived on land.

He collected all the remaining food on board in order to celebrate and give thanks, and all that was left of their food stocks were small amounts of beans and grains, which he cooked and fed his surviving family.

The replication of this act, that is the cooking of a dish comprised of beans and grains, serves as a commemoration and reminder of the event, and of how God tests the prophets and believers and then he saves them when they remain true to Him.

Which is actually the common message in all the stories listed above.

God knows best.

Pilgrim's Preps

2009-01-01T12:10:00.011+08:00

I went for hajj with Shahidah Travel & Tour s.

I must say that I give them a resounding 5 thumbs up.

There was nothing significant that I could complain about.

They were perfectly-organised, and virtually everything went as planned, and even if it did not, they handled it perfectly.

The guides were all experienced, cool and always smiling.

I was most of all impressed by the organisation of the stone throwing ritual - how they had a team dedicated to it, complete with walkie-talkies and up to the minute reports of the safety situation.

The stoning exercise went like a military assault operation, with briefs and re-briefs, equipment checks, close group movements. Excellent.

Anyways, that brings to mind the issue of how important your hajj travel agent is.

It is the advice of the Prophet (s.a.w) that whenever more than 3 of you set out on a journey, appoint one as the leader (amir).

This is a very important spiritual issue often neglected by pilgrims.

Hajj is not your usual holiday. The amir is your guide, both physically and spiritually.

So I listed the desirables of a hajj travel agent.

He/she should be a person we trust with our lives and property to be kept safe and to be led to and from the holy land safely. In this regard, I would rule out most of the smaller, less experienced agencies. A large agency would have the resources to attend to your needs better. Whilst I was there I saw some agencies which did not have enough staff, which meant that the pilgrims had to do a lot of things themselves, like carry and check in their own luggage, etc.

Second, he/she should be trustworthy. Some travel agencies have had chequered records of the past, even including lawsuits and fights between guides and pilgrims!

Third, how is the spiritual guidance? For Shahidah, the principal ustaz (there are several) is Ustaz Yusuf Ali. He is over 60 years old, a senior imam at Masjid Khadijah, and has been bringing pilgrims to the holy land every year since 1994. He is a friendly, no-airs person, very fatherly and has a great sense of humour. In addition, Shahidah had a team of 3 ustaz who actually live in Makkah. They are Indonesians (including the father of our local hafiz Ust Alayna). All these ustaz, inclusing Ust Yusuf, were fluidly conversant with the Arabic spoken locally, and this was a great advantage for practical purposes.

A principal consideration for me in this regard is that the ustaz is of the same spiritual approach as my family’s (i.e. Sufi-oriented). For example, I know someone who went with a Wahabi travel agent, and she was very disappointed that there were none of the zikrs that she was accustomed to when they were in 'Arafah. You see, when you are in 'Arafah, you are surrounded by all your neighbouring travel agents, who would all be blasting out their zikrs over unavoidable sound systems, and if you are not into this, then it could be quite a problem. Of course, if you are a Wahabi who \is against the loud zikr sort, then if you choose a travel agent like TM Fouzy which has round the clock zikr pumped through state of the art performance sound systems, then you would have a problem too. Thus it is important to check this sort of thing out beforehand, as it is a matter of ibadah, and ibadah is precisely why you are going there for.

Now, most travel agents conduct pre-hajj classes. This is also very important. The ustaz conducting the pre-trip classes should actually be the same ustaz who is going with you to the holy land. You would be surprised at how often this does not happen. For some agencies, they have a well-known ustaz conducting pre-trip classes, but then at the Holy Land, someone else takes over, in at least one case I known of, it was not even a qualified ustaz, but a guide.

Use the pre-trip hajj classes as your gauge for shopping for a package. They are all free and open to everyone, regardless of whether you decide to go with their respective travel agency or not. The agencies use them as advertising, so go for them; Mrs Mudpie and I attended almost all the travel agents' pre-hajj classes at least once each to have a feel of things and ask questions.

Another consideration which I didnt realise then, but I would add now, after the trip, is how flexible is the religious programme? TM Fouzy has a whole day timetable from pre-suboh to post ishak - if you prefer a preplanned programme, then that's good for you, but if you dont, then maybe that could be somewhat smothering.

Whilst there I saw some agencies with ustaz who were not the ones who conducted the classes back home in Singapore. This is not desirable for many reasons, not least of which is that there will inevitably be mixed messages and confusion. Some of the ustaz who conducted the classes in Singapore have not been for the hajj for a few years, and as any experienced hajj guide will tell you, the developments that take place there are on a year to year basis, so what was experienced 3 years ago is now out of date. So - next point to check - when was the last time the ustaz went for hajj? It should not be more than 3 years ago. (Umrah does not count.)

Another factor is, of course, notorious - that Shahidah flies SIA and not Saudia. Saudia is probably the most crappy airline in the world. I mean, what airline actually brings earlier the date of departure by a few days (as happened to my cousin last year, and he had to beg his boss to release him early) and often delays return, sometimes by up to days? Also, everyone knows that Saudia never keeps to its schedules, so your family could be left waiting a long time at the airport for you arrive - late. Also, SIA gives greater allowance for your luggage weight than Saudia, and their stewards and stewardesses are friendlier and more helpful. I had been on a Sudia flight for umrah before, I can tell you, it was miles behind.

One factor came up just as we were choosing packages and agents.

TM Fouzy was pushing for us to take their package which houses in a place called Aziziyah. This is an apartment district in Mecca, but of some distance away from the Masjidil Haram.

The assurance is that you do not have to go to the mosque all the time, so you just stay in the apartment, where they have arranged an impressive array of programmes to keep you occupied every waking moment, lectures by Ust TM Fouzy, a lot of singing of nasheeds and zikirs, etc. It was all fine and good, and I have nothing against TM Fouzy, except that I am not going all the way to Mecca to attend classes and sing nasheeds, TM Fouzy though it may be.

I was going there to go to the MasjidulHaram, and see the Ka'abah.

Why would I travel a few thousand kilometres there and go to a place just a few kilometres away?

TM Fouzy or MasjudilHaram - no prizes for the winner. It did not make sense to me, so I insisted that we stay at a hotel next to the Masjidil Haram. The TM Fouzy lady who was manning the counter told us that we had to stay in Aziziyah and there was no choice. She didnt seem too interested to think of how to help us anyway. I guess business is already too good for them, so they could afford to lose some of ours. I felt (rightly or wrong;ly) that this was not a good indicator of the type of service attitude we would be getting. So we went over to Shahidah.

At Shahidah, they had no more rooms near the Haram. However, they listened to our concerns and bent over backwards. They cleared one room meant for their officers, and gave it to us instead. It was a triple room, but there were 5 of us. They arranged with the hotel to squeeze one more bed and treat the 5 of us as a group of 4.

2 of my smaller sons shared a bed. We were close enough to hear the azan, qamat, and every takbir of the imam during prayers as if we were in the Haram itself. In fact, we the hotel was at the edge of the Haram itself. We were able to go to the MasjidulHaram 5 times or more a day, every day - which we did. Alhamdulillah.

Summary – choose a package where you maximise your stay in Mecca at the MasjidilHaram itself, and do not fall for those where you stay half the time in Azizyah instead.

The hotel we stayed in was a small building. This created an advantage - the whole hotel was booked for Shahidah, and so they had control of the whole hotel. They could thus take over the dining hall, and provided Singapore food for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. The dining hall was also used for lessons, briefings, etc. And, because we were the only people in the hotel, all the pilgrims became close friends with one another.

Here is a pic of the hotel.

Now, one piece of advice I think I can give to intended pilgrims. Just because you are going to pilgrimage and performing a selfless act of worship, do not assume that your travel agent has to help you and act like a charity. They have a business to run, staff to pay, and a profit margin to maintain. They are not mosques or Muslim organisations, which do things without a profit motive. You get what you pay for, and if you pay less, you get less.

Someone said that preparation is half the battle won. Hajj is a major battle, on more than one front, both spiritual and physical. I found that the physical preparations such as choosing an agent also start to prepare you spiritually for the trip, because it forces you to imagine and think of the trip before you actually go.

On the first day

2008-12-31T02:03:00.006+08:00

When I arrived again in Mecca the Blessed, I could not help but pick up the speed of my stride to the Grand Mosque. My heart started to beat faster as I walked down the corridor of tall ornate pillars as I tried to peek through the heads and backs in front of me wearing caps and clothes of all sorts from all over the world. It seemed to take so long - and then I saw glimpse of a corner, a wall, and then I saw it - the Ka'abah, and I felt an unexplainable reaction in me. It was a wave of relief and reunion, my eyes were moist and my voice was breaking as I explained to my little son what to say when he sees the Ka'abah - Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahil hamd - God is great, God is great, God is great, and for God is all Praise.

There was the Ka'abah- a large cube the size of a house, but dwarfed by the massiveness of the square of the giant Grand Mosque. It was attractively still and silent, surrounded by a humongous hustle and bustle of the million of so pilgrims, of which a few hundred were, like me, recent arrivals every few minutes, adding to the anonymous sea of souls. It was the object decreed to be the point towards which all Muslims all over the world must face 5 times a day for prayer. Now here I am before it. It is not God, but the focal point of all our prayers. When I die, my body will be laid in my grave to face it, according to the Muslim burial laws.

I was in the holy of holies of Islam. It was decreed that no non-believer is allowed to set foot in the Holy Land of Mecca, from miles out from this place. In this Holy Land it is forbidden for any animal or plant to be killed, and for no person to sin against another nor think of bad thoughts towards one another - retribution is swift and divinely enforced.

Internet access is deliberately not provided in Mecca. This cuts the pilgrim off from the outside world - any former pilgrim will tell you that in the month he/she was on the hajj, there was no news from the outside world. One is excised, forcibly, from one's usual world. All the daily trappings of life - newspapers, television, even being around people speaking our language - are ripped away. There is nothing to do, but worship and contemplate. It takes at least half an hour to get to a seat in the mosque, and half an hour to get out. You go back and have your meal, and soon it is time to get ready to go back to the mosque again. Very soon, your whole day revolves around prayers at the mosque.

Overheard - "We must constantly pursue the afterlife, because we are constantly being pursued by the world. If we hesitate, we will be devoured by the world and forget the afterlife."

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End of Act Two

2008-11-29T22:10:00.005+08:00

I went for hajj for the first time in 1994. I was still young, having worked for a short number of years, and blew my bonus on the hajj package. Hajj was a natural; continuation of my life journey up to then, I had learnt praying, fasting, zakat, so hajj was a must.

Since then, to me, there is something about going to the Holy Land, more than just an act of worship or obedience to God. I could not place it until stumbled on it when I was reading a few weeks ago.

Hajj is a returning. We do not go to hajj, we return. We return to the navel of God's earth, around which all circumambulate, like water down a sink. We kiss the hand of God on Earth (the Black Stone is described as such in a hadith by our Master). We chant, "Here I am, Allah, in response to Your call". And we shed our outward trappings accumulated in our life's journey up to that point, shed our clothes for the pristine ihram; we have our hair shaved off, just like when we were born a long time ago, and start afresh. A new lease of life.

A new Act in the play.

After my rebirth from the first hajj, I underwent Act Two of my life. I bought a home with Mrs Mudpie, had 3 sons, went through a recession, earned a lot of money and prestige and lost all of it. Learned what were the true things of value. Learned that money is the most desired but least important thing in the world. That kindness often comes from strangers, and the stranger is no more than just a tool of God's infinite Destiny, so I should try my best to be that stranger to someone else as much as I could. I learnt that mastery and obedience of rules and regulations alone do not make a saint, and then realised that ignorance and disobedience of rules and regulations alone do not make a sinner.

Things happened that tested the Me in Act Two. At the start of this Act I had a great confidence in my religion, and I believed with all my heart that the Quran and Sunnah were the only 2 pills that we needed to take everyday before bed, and all the world's headaches would go away. Slowly, things happened which made me re-consider that position.

Now I realise that the Quran and Sunnah are just slogans thrown by people to justify whatever it is they want to do. Suicide murderers can do it all the time. It made me search for new directions.

Sufism and traditionalism were the obvious contrasts to literalism. However, I found weaknesses in them as well. Sufism is too tied to personality cultism - the shaykhs have too much influence and too little mission beyond their circles. I did not see them as possibly becoming a force of change for the world today. Traditionalism was initially attractive due to its high level of intellectualism, but that is also its failing at the same time. In a globalised and flat world, ideologies cannot take popular hold if it cannot be mass marketed in easy sound bites.

So now I have reached the end of Act Two. At which point I return to God and will try to kiss His hand. I will journey to visit my Prophet at his house in my full Malay traditional costume, with my children in tow, and introduce them to him, and we shall all ask for his forgiveness.

Act Three - where will it bring me?

Audio slideshow: The art of mathematics

2008-09-19T14:22:00.003+08:00

To the untrained eye, these vivid images might appear to be random sets of colourful swirls and circles.
But they are in fact precise visual representations of mathematical theory known as dynamical systems.
Some of the images - created by mathematicians from across the world - have gone on display at the University of Liverpool.
Here, mathematician Lasse Rempe explains how they are made - and considers their artistic merits.

Love and Loss

2008-09-10T14:27:00.009+08:00

We all expect that our children will outlive us, take care of us in our old age, and care for us when we die. It is somehow not in the order of nature that they die before us.

However, it was God's plan that our Master the Prophet (prayer and peace be upon him) saw the deaths of his sons in his own lifetime. This is an account of how the Master received the news of the dying of his 18 month old son, Ibrahim -

He was so shocked at the news that he felt his knees could no more carry him, and asked `Abd al Rahman ibn `Awf to give him his hand to lean upon. He proceeded immediately to the orchard and arrived in time to bid farewell to an infant dying in his mother's lap. Muhammad took the child and laid him in his own lap with shaking hand. His heart was torn apart by the new tragedy, and his face mirrored his inner pain. Choking with sorrow, he said to his son, "O Ibrahim, against the judgement of God, we cannot avail you a thing," and then fell silent. Tears flowed from his eyes. The child lapsed gradually, and his mother and aunt watched and cried loudly and incessantly, but the Prophet never ordered them to stop. As Ibrahim surrendered to death, Muhammad's hope which had consoled him for a brief while completely crumbled. With tears in his eyes he talked once more to the dead child: "O Ibrahim, were the truth not certain that the last of us will join the first, we would have mourned you even more than we do now." A moment later he said: "The eyes send their tears and the heart is saddened, but we do not say anything except that which pleases our Lord. Indeed, O Ibrahim, we are bereaved by your departure from us."

Here is a Pulitzer-prize winning account of the gradual death of an 11 year-old boy before his mother's eyes and in her arms. I only ask that we imagine this to happen to us, and to our own children, and realise how precious every little moment is to be relished, for no one knows when the Angel of Death will visit, and for whom.

"It is life in the quest of life in bodies that fear the grave."
- Kahlil Gibran.

3788

Monsters

2008-09-10T12:47:00.007+08:00

3773

Just He and Me

2008-09-10T09:06:00.002+08:00

God made my eyes fall on this while reading on the train this morning -

O my servant, examine carefully the relationship between your being and all the dimensions of my cosmic creation.
Don't you see that you are an inextricable part of its evanescence that is destined to dissipation?
Can't you see the relation of every created thing (and you, too) to what will never dissipate, never fade and never decay?
You have come to peace with me as the One who establishes all my creation, so quit contesting my mastery and desist, through your competing with me in arranging your own affairs, from opposing my essential divinity ...
O my servant, whenever I have made you seem necessary to yourself, it is to test your mettle and see what you're made of.
Whenever you take anything other than me from my cosmos as a sufficient means to the exclusion of me, that will begin to consume you and corrode you.

O my servant, place your anxiety about provision in its proper place.
Whatever burden you release I will bear, and it will never weigh you down.
But if you bear those burdens yourself, I leave you to yourself and your own incapability.
Would I bring you into my home and refuse to give you nourishment?
Would I cause you to appear in existence and refuse to aid you with support and subsistence?
Would I pour you into being without continuous giving?
Would I charge you with guarding rights for me and refuse provision for you?
Would I oblige you with duties and not apportion for you supplies?

So many gifts of infinite variety I have for you.
Through you I've caused my mercy to show forth.
Not content to give you this world, I've stored up even more for you in a future paradise.
As if gardens were not enough, I have promised to present you with the chance to see me directly.
If my actions are like this in the world you experience, how can you doubt that I would exceed it in my boundless munificence?

From the Book of Illumination : Ibn 'Ata'Allah al-Iskandari

Contentions 12

2008-09-09T23:07:00.002+08:00

46. The saint is the one whose love reminds you of your most recent sin.

© Abdal-Hakim Murad

3736

It's Alive! Toughest Creature On Earth Is Exposed to Space and Lived

2008-09-09T22:19:00.006+08:00

This is one tough bug ... When the LHC reactor's black hole experiment goes awry and the whole Earth comes to an end tomorrow, we would all be dead and they will most likely survive.

Read : Wired : Invertebrate Astronauts Make Space History

You'd never guess that the millimeter-long tardigrade is the world's toughest animal, found from deep ocean to Himalayan mountaintops, able to survive at a single degree above absolute zero.

How tough are tardigrades? They require water to live, but in a pinch can drop their metabolism to a hundredth of normal and wait -- up to a decade if necessary -- until it's wet again. In this so-called cryptobiotic state they can shrug off lethal radiation doses and even the vacuum of space.

But for all that, if you've got a pond nearby, or even a patch of rocks and moss, you've probably got yourself some tardigrades. They're egalitarian as well as exceptional.

NYT : Proposal to stop building cars that can exceed the speed limit.

2008-09-09T14:52:00.005+08:00

No Need for Speed

By KENT A. SEPKOWITZ
Published: September 7, 2008

SPEEDING is the cause of 30 percent of all traffic deaths in the United States — about 13,000 people a year. By comparison, alcohol is blamed 39 percent of the time, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But unlike drinking, which requires the police, breathalyzers and coercion to improve drivers’ behavior, there’s a simple way to prevent speeding: quit building cars that can exceed the speed limit.

Most cars can travel over 100 miles an hour — an illegal speed in every state. Our continued, deliberate production of potentially law-breaking devices has no real precedent. We regulate all sorts of items to decrease danger to the public, from baby cribs to bicycle helmets. Yet we continue to produce fast cars despite the lives lost, the tens of billions spent treating accident victims, and a good deal of gasoline wasted. (Speeding, after all, substantially reduces fuel efficiency due to the sheering force of wind.)

Worse, throughout the various federal documents examining traffic fatalities, the role of speeding is de-emphasized. Speeding is not even an “agency priority” of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its annual assessment of crashes — only alcohol, seat belts, rollovers and vehicle compatibility make the cut. Rather it is in the second-tier “other focus” category, along with large trucks and “intersection-related and roadway departure.” And unlike the statistical attention afforded alcohol (20 pages of a 150-page document), the section devoted to speeding comes in at a measly three pages.

A deeper look at the safety administration’s report on traffic fatalities in 2005 also reveals a strange fact about how speeding-related traffic fatalities are tallied up. Consider this: in Texas, in 2005, 3,504 people died in a traffic accident; 1,426 (about 41 percent) were considered speeding-related. In sharp contrast, for Florida, 3,543 died yet only 239 were considered speeding-related — about 7 percent.

Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana and New Jersey, among other states, also report rates well below 20 percent. This variation is not just shoddy government work. With alcohol, for example, the 39 percent national rate varies only by a whisker when examined state to state (except for Utah’s admirable rate of 13 percent). Is it possible that drivers in some states speed more often than their counterparts across the border?

Not likely. Different states, for various reasons, analyze their automotive fatalities in different ways, but the result is that the safety agency’s official speeding-related fatality rate of 28 percent is almost certainly a low-ball estimate.

Then there is the relationship between speeding and alcohol. According to the agency, in 2006, 41 percent of alcohol-related fatalities were also associated with speeding; and between midnight and 3 a.m., 76 percent of speeding drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents had been drinking.

Despite all this, we Americans insist on the inalienable right to speed. Imagine, for a moment, if E-ZPass kept track of exactly when each car entered one toll booth and exited another, which would allow local governments to do some basic math, dividing distance traveled by time spent. If this calculation showed you to be a speeder, the authorities would send you a traffic ticket. Lives, money and oil would be saved and proof of wrongdoing would be undeniable, but the public outcry would be deafening.

Because the ticket-them-till-they-stop approach simply would not work, we might consider my initial recommendation: build cars that can’t exceed the speed limit. The technology to limit car speed has existed for more than 50 years — it’s called cruise control. In its common application, cruise control maintains a steady speed, but a minor adjustment would assure that vehicles, no matter the horsepower, never go past 75 miles per hour. This safety measure should be required of every new automobile, the same as seat belts, turning signals, brake lights and air bags.

Sure, it would take us longer to get from here to there. But thousands of deaths a year are too great a cost for so adolescent a thrill as speeding.

Kent A. Sepkowitz is vice-chairman of medicine at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

* * * *

Mudpie adds -

Our Master the Prophet (prayer and peace be upon him) said -

اَلأَنَاةُ مِنَ اللهِ وَ الْعُجْلَةُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ

"Calmness is from Allah and haste is from shaytaan"

Ramadan Recounts

2008-09-08T23:15:00.007+08:00

Ramadan has held different significance to me over the years, reflecting my growth as a person, and my journey through life.

Recalling the Ramadans I have toiled through so far, I realise how they paint a series of milestones in the timeline of my life's journey thus far.

One of the more memorable ones would include the Ramadan I spent in the Army, desolate and soaking wet from the all-day monsoon rain of the rainforest in Brunei's Temburong Jungle.

It was the first time I was fasting and "celebrating" Hari Raya away from my family.

After several weeks in the jungle, I was covered in blisters, cuts and bruises and a terrible skin infection as a result from the continuous wearing of damp camouflage uniform.

On the morning of Hari Raya (Eid), one of the soldiers did a spontaneous takbir, and I swear I cried, as did most of the other Muslim troops in my company.

It was surreal to see 20-year old infantry soldiers at the peak of physical fitness decked out with our weaponry and ammo, weep llike children.

Our first Hari Raya away from home, and instead of the being home and eating cookies, we were in the wretched forest eating canned sardines and dog biscuits.

The only feasting was being done by the maddening swarms of mosquitoes and leeches.

From then on, I knew the meaning of being with family on Hari Raya.

I had an elder sister who was a flight stewardess.

She was often not at home, flying off on her international routes for weeks on end.

We were used to her not being around, and suddenly being around, and then being gone again.

One Hari Raya, whilst I was in university, my sister was away, I think in Europe.

Those were the days before we could call someone on the other side of the world via a mobile phone, so there was no choice but just to wait for my sister to come home on schedule later.

Most of us did not notice her absence, until after we returned from the mosque, and did the traditional kneeling before the parents to ask for forgiveness for our sins of the year.

When we had all finished (and were about to hit the food) my mother suddenly, and to the shock of everybody, broke down and cried.

She cried because my sister was not with us that year for Hari Raya.

It took all our powers of persuasion and coaxing to calm her down.

The memory of my mother crying will never leave me to the end of my life, and I am sure of the remaining siblings who saw it too.

Since then, none of us ever missed being home on Hari Raya again, no matter where we were in the world.

Nothing is worth your mother's tears.

A year or so later, on the morning of Hari Raya, we got a telephone call from my aunt that my grandmother had died early that morning.

We dropped everything and went over to my grandmother's house for the funerary arrangements.

It was the first time I had been old enough to see a person being buried.

We were there for 3 days, until her burial had been completed.

I remember being so exhausted going home, only to go into our flat and walking into a thick dank smell of stale lontong and rendang which my mother and sisters had worked so hard to cook on Hari Raya Eve and had not been served at all.

How unimportant all the celebratory preparations had been, when intruded into by the rude face of death.

On that Hari Raya, I met all my relatives without having to visit them; for they were all at the funeral.

A few years later I got to know that a friend of mine who had converted to Islam a few years earlier, had decided to renounce it.

It was a point of extreme disappointment to me, as I had known her when she stepped into Darul Arqam for classes on Islam, put on hijab even before she converted, and later met a Muslim boy and asked me to be her representative at her engagement.

So when news came to me that she had gone to MUIS to register her de-conversion and refused to discuss it with anyone, all I felt was disappointment - with myself.

I blamed myself for assuming that she was fine after her engagement to the Muslim boy, and that she would live happily ever after, and forgetting to keep in touch with her thereafter.

I did not realise that she went through a broken engagement, and lost her faith in the process.

By the time I found out, I had lost so much contact with her and there was no way I could reach her, and she became an item of my past that I wished to forget, but could not. It led to a disillusionment in me and myself, and in some way it contributed to my decision to leave Darul Arqam.

It had been my practice to keep the last 10 nights of Ramadan in vigil at Baalwie mosque.

I distinctly remember how I begged Allah for forgiveness for my neglect of her.

Then a few Ramadans later I received information that she had come back to Islam - I got the news just a few days before Hari Raya.

I remember how I could not ever feel more thankful to Allah than I did on that day.

There was a man who had converted into Islam and married the woman of his dreams, who was my friend.

They were the most beautiful couple I had known. They helped me out in my Darul Arqam classes, and volunteered to help new Muslims understand the religion and settle in.

A few years ago, they got divorced.

During the divorce, his bitterness ran so deep that he reviled everything that had anything to do with her, including his faith.

He renounced Islam, and left everything angrily and bitterly.

That was about 4 years ago.

His wife remarried and is happy.

He didn't and is not.

I saw him on the train on the way home from work last year, and he avoided me.

Last week I was at Masjid Taqwa for tarawih.

I bumped into him .

We embraced like long lost lovers.

My heart exploded with joy.

3668

Gays, Guns and Roses

2008-09-08T13:42:00.001+08:00

Aired Wednesday night on NBC:

Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin says she is opposed to same-sex marriage. Palin says, “Everyone knows marriage isn’t for gay people — it’s for pregnant teenagers.”
Speaking of Sarah Palin, she says that she is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association. Which may explain why she’s in favor of shotgun weddings.

This week John McCain was endorsed by the gay group known as the Log Cabin Republicans. They endorsed McCain not because he supports gay rights, but because he was actually born in a log cabin.

Last night, President Bush addressed the crowd at the Republican convention via satellite. The first 10 minutes of Bush’s speech consisted of him saying, “Wait a minute, how can you see me when I can’t see you?”

According to a new study, men who have heated seats in their cars may be reducing the amount of sperm their testicles produce. Of course, guys who drive a Hyundai shouldn’t worry because nobody wants your sperm anyway.

In a recent interview, Brad Pitt says that his new baby daughter Vivienne takes after her mother Angelina Jolie. Pitt said, “For instance Vivienne has already adopted six orphans.”

No Mystery So Great As Misery

2008-09-08T13:00:00.005+08:00

One of my favourite authors of English literature is Oscar Wilde. People tend to remember him as a nonconformist homosexual, but this overlooks the great moral power of his writings. His unorthodoxy was reflected in his stories for children, which instead of being pallid happily-ever-after fairy tales, they instilled strong social conscience, self-sacrifice and the message that there are greater things in life than wordily happiness.

Personally, I will always remember two of his stories - the Happy Prince and the Selfish Giant. I was a boy who was looking for a medieval story of knights and dragons, when I mistakenedly borrowed one of his books from the library. I was overcome by a strange combination of heartbreak and inspiration by these two stories.

The messages are universal, and there are many in these stories.

Read the Happy Prince.

Read the Selfish Giant.

Beautiful Patience

2008-09-08T11:44:00.003+08:00

"So be patient

Beautiful patience,

Verily, they see the Herafter as distant,

And We see it as close."

al-Qur'an : surah al-Maarij

Mosque Building Funds

2008-09-04T23:43:00.002+08:00

Recently it was announced that the monthly deductions from the salaries of Muslim employees will be increased. Mudpie is all for it, as everything costs a lot more today than when the fund was started.

After the announcement appeared in the media, there were calls for some modifications to the policy. It was suggested that employees be allowed to specify their preference for the use of their individual contributions.

Mudpie thinks this will just make things more complicated and costly, and is not necessary. Other causes are totally free to raise their own funds.

On another note, since the issue of equity was bandied about, Mudpie does think that it is more equitable that the new policy will deduct more from Muslim employees who earn more and deduct less from those who earn less. However, Mudpie thinks that those who benefit less should also be made to pay less.

In this category, in Mudpie's view, are women employees. The reason is because in every mosque you go to, women are given second class treatment, whereas the men get first class. The men occupy the main prayer hall, which is usually the most spacious, well decorated and most comfortable part of the mosque, whereas women are usually scooted off out of sight. Like when tarawih prayers are on at Masjid Taqwa, for instance, the men occupy the prayer hall, and the women are sequestered behind portable partitions outside the mosque building itself. The women actually have to cross the men's section to get from the gate to their section. Their section is not carpeted like the plush carpet of the men's section. Their section is not airconditioned, like the men's section. They do not have a line of sight to the imam at all.

That's just one mosque. Granted, we are way ahead of most other countries in our treatment of women in mosques, but that does not mean that things are perfectly equitable. Most mosques do not have women in their committees, and even if they do, she would be in charge of the refreshments. And does Mudpie have to ask, but are there any women mosque chairpersons yet?

Now, if you are on a plane or in a hotel and you get less perks, you pay less, right?

The second class of Muslims in this disadvantaged category are non-Malay speaking Muslims. Most mosques are 100% Malay-speaking. It surpises Mudpie that even most new mosques still have all-Malay signage, all-Malay classes and all-Malay activities. There are no mosque madrasahs for English-speaking kids. There are almost no classes in English.

Again, what are they paying for? Mudpie thinks that they should be allowed to pay less.

What We Really Own

2008-08-28T22:15:00.004+08:00

"Only that which cannot be lost in a shipwreck is yours."

- Imam al-Ghazzali

"He tried"

2008-08-28T20:20:00.003+08:00

From Haaretz.com

Israeli peace pioneer Abie Nathan dies aged 81
Abie Nathan - By The Associated Press

Israeli peace pioneer, pirate radio station founder and former Royal Air Force pilot - has died in Tel Aviv at the age of 81, officials at the city's Ichilov Hospital said Wednesday.

Nathan burst onto the world of Middle East diplomacy in 1966 with a dramatic solo flight to Egypt in a rattletrap single-engine plane, more than a decade before Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty.

Although he failed in his initial bid to talk peace with the Egyptians, his daredevil escapade won the affection of many Israelis, and he launched a long and often eccentric one-man crusade to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Over time, he earned a reputation as a maverick peace activist who often took diplomacy into his own hands. He was called a crackpot and a prophet. But many admired the daring of the former Israel Air Force fighter pilot as he pounded on Egypt's doors, sailed his pirate radio ship into hostile Middle East waters or risked his life on hunger strikes for peace.

Yossi Sarid, the former leader of the leftist Meretz party, said Nathan paved the way for Israel's peace movement. "He was ahead of his time, and he did everything himself," he said.

Abraham Jacob Nathan was born April 29, 1927 in Iran, educated in India, and served in Britain's Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot, before joining the Jewish immigrant influx into newborn Israel in 1948.

A short, dark man, he flew for Israel's national airline and ran an art gallery and restaurant that became the center of Tel Aviv's bohemian life. His American-style diner even helped pioneer the hamburger in Israel.

Convinced that people power could succeed where the diplomats had failed, Nathan bought a 188-foot, 570-ton freighter that was partially funded by John Lennon. He anchored it off the coast of Tel Aviv and turned it into a pirate radio station, The Voice of Peace, with a mix of pop songs and peace messages.

"Shalom, salaam and peace to all our listeners," Nathan declared in his maiden broadcast in 1973. "The Peace Ship is a project of the people. We hope through this station we will help relieve the pain and heal the wounds of many years of suffering of the people of the Middle East."

Over the next 20 years, The Voice of Peace became especially popular among youth. It was the only radio station in the Middle East that broadcast music from the world's Top 40 charts and used English as its primary language, yet offered both Israeli and Arabic news.

Apart from his peace efforts, Nathan flew or shipped emergency supplies to victims of war, earthquakes and famine around the world, including to Biafra, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Lebanon and the former Zaire.

In the 1970s, Nathan went on repeated hunger strikes to try to force the Israeli government to make concessions for peace with Egypt and talk to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

He saw the first wish come true when Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979. But it would be years before Israel would reverse a law making meetings with the PLO a crime. Nathan broke the law several times by meeting with members of the PLO.

In recent years, he had been confined to a retirement home and had rarely been seen in public. In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Nathan said that during one of his prison hunger strikes, he was certain he was going to die. He bought a grave and a tombstone.

When asked what he would want written on the stone, he replied "Nisiti" - the Hebrew for "I tried."

3306

Moustapha Akkad ... Who?

2008-08-26T17:17:00.012+08:00

Scene from the film The Message, also titled Muhammad, Messenger of God.

We all remember the film, The Message, right?
Well do we remember the man behind it - Moustapha Akkad?

I bet not. Well, I think he was a real life hero in his own, unknown, way.
Heroes do not have to be big men with booming voices who engage in spectacular battles.

Sometimes - most of the time - they are just persons who are just average Joe's or Jill's, who have a big heart and want to do something with their lives that is bigger than their own selves. They may not go out to do battle in another continent, or find a cure for cancer.
They may just be doing what they are already doing, but in a way that would make the lives of others matter.

Not many of us know that the man behind the most iconic film on the Prophet (s.a.w.) was murdered savagely.
In 2005, Akkad and his daughter were killed in a bomb blast detonated in Jordan by an al-Qaeda suicide bomber.

[Wikipedia] -

Moustapha Akkad (Arabic: مصطفى العقاد) (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian American film producer and director, best known for producing the series of Halloween films and directing Mohammad, Messenger of God and Lion of the Desert.

Though he dedicated much of his career to explaining Islam to the West, ironically he was killed in 2005 in Amman, Jordan by an Al-Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber.

Akkad was born in Aleppo, Syria. In 1935, his father, then a customs officer, gave him $200 and a copy of the Quran before he left for the United States to study film direction and production at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

Akkad spent a further three years studying for a Master's degree at the University of Southern California (USC), where he met the legendary director Sam Peckinpah.

Peckinpah became Akkad's mentor in Hollywood and hired him as a consultant for a film about the Algerian revolution that never made it to the big screen, but he continued to encourage him until he found a job as a producer at CBS.
In 1976, he produced and directed Mohammad, Messenger of God (released as The Message in 1977 in the United States), starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas.

Akkad faced resistance from Hollywood to making a film about the origins of Islam and had to go outside the United States to raise the production money for the film.
While creating Muhammad, Messenger of God, he consulted Islamic clerics and tried to be respectful toward Islam and its views on portraying Muhammad.

He saw the film as a way to bridge the gap between the Western and Islamic world, stating in a 1976 interview:

“I did the film because it is a personal thing for me. Besides its production values as a film, it has its story, its intrigue, its drama. Beside all this I think there was something personal, being Muslim myself who lived in the west I felt that it was my obligation my duty to tell the truth about Islam. It is a religion that has a 700 million following, yet it's so little known about it which surprised me. I thought I should tell the story that will bring this bridge, this gap to the west.”

In 1978, he helped make low-budget film history when he produced Halloween.

Akkad became best known for his key involvement in the first eight Halloween movies, as an executive producer (the only producer to participate in all of these films), Akkad also later owned the long-running franchise that spawned seven further variations on the original theme (the most recent being Halloween: Resurrection in 2002).

The series was highly profitable, although it was only the first film that became iconic.

In 1980 he directed his next big project, Lion of the Desert, in which Quinn and Irene Papas were joined by Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, and John Gielgud.

It was about the real-life Bedouin leader Omar Mukhtar (Quinn), who fought Mussolini's Italian troops in the deserts of Libya.

The movie is now critically acclaimed, after initially receiving negative publicity in the West for being partially funded by Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi, who invested $35 million in the movie.

This negative publicity may have been the cause of its relatively poor performance at the box office.

In the United Kingdom Akkad once tried to buy Pinewood Studios from the Rank Organisation and also had a studio at Twickenham.

He was in the process of producing a $80 million movie featuring Sean Connery about Saladin and the Crusades, for which he already had the script, that would be filmed in Jordan.

Speaking of the film, he said:

“...Saladin exactly portrays Islam. Right now, Islam is portrayed as a terrorist religion. Because a few terrorists are Muslims, the whole religion has that image. If there ever was a religious war full of terror, it was the Crusades. But you can't blame Christianity because a few adventurers did this. That's my message."

In a tragic twist of fate, Akkad, and his 34-year-old daughter Rima Akkad Monla, were killed in the 2005 Amman bombings.

They were both in the lobby at the Grand Hyatt when a suicide bomber sent by Al-Qaeda in Iraq detonated his device.

His daughter died instantly, and Akkad died of his injuries two days later in a hospital.

Akkad is survived by three sons.
Sons include Tarek (his oldest) and Malek, who helped produce most of the Halloween movies.

Mudpe adds -

Youtube Credits of the film, The Message -

In Mudpie's view, this is the most memorable scene of the film, Lion of the Desert -

Mudpie adds - not many of us today know that Akkad encountered violent objections to his making the Message.
The extremists were outraged by The Message – or, as it was then called, Mohammed, Messenger Of God.
Although Akkad had observed the prohibition against representations of the Prophet, even a rumored glimpse of his shadow (which the director had at one time considered) provoked objections. Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, formerly a Seventh Day Adventist called Ernest McGhee, decided to do something about the abomination.
A dozen Muslims seized three buildings, and took 120 hostages, including (in an early example of the many internal contradictions of the Rainbow Coalition) the future mayor of Washington, DC, Marion Barry.
He was one of a couple of dozen injured. Jewish hostages were abused.
A reporter was killed.

Fast forward a few years, and we now know that this was just a sign of things to come.

Moustapha Akkad was a great missionary of the late 20th century, as his message of The Message had reached millions of people, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
And nothing that the savages of al-Qaeda can do will ever take that away from him.

3252

News : The Passing of a Shaykh

2008-08-25T22:08:00.006+08:00

In our part of the world, Shaykh Hassan Cisse is probably unheard of. A great shaykh, of one of the largest tariqah in the world, the Tijaniyyah. He passed away very recently.

[wikipedia] -
Shaykh Hassan Cisse (1945 - 2008), also written Cheikh Assane Cissé or Shaykh Hasan Cisse (also Sise or Seesay), was an Islamic scholar, Sufi shaykh and humanitarian activist who served as Imam of an international Muslim community in Medina Baye (or "Baay") in Kaolack, Senegal, West Africa.
He is the son of Sidi Ali Cisse and Fatima Zahra Niasse; and grandson of Ibrahim Niass, also spelled "Niasse" (d. 1975), who was a Shaykh of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order and head of the largest Muslim community in twentieth-century West Africa and initiator of the largest branch of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order.
Shaykh Hassan has himself become one of the preeminent leaders of Tijaniyyah, leading millions of followers in more than 40 countries and unifying diverse cultures under the banner of Islam.
Also a devoted humanitarian, he has campaigned against disease (especially polio, malaria and HIV-AIDS), poverty and gender, and racial and religious discrimination throughout the African continent and beyond.
He died on August 14th, 2008 in Kaolack, Senegal.

Shaykh Hassan memorized the Qur’an at an early age and was educated in the traditional Islamic sciences (Qur’an, Prophetic narrations (hadith), Arabic grammar and literature, jurisprudence, theology, poetry, logic, rhetoric and Sufism) at the hands of his grandfather, Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, and a number of other West African scholars (‘ulama), such as Ahmad Thiam and his own father, Sidi Ali Cisse, in Medina Baye.
He also spent years studying in Mauritania and in Egypt, and he obtained a B.A. in Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies from Cairo’s Ain Shams University.
More recently, Al-Azhar University recognized his credentials as an Islamic scholar of distinction with an honorary degree.
During his early travels in Mauritania, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Ghana, he received more than 600 scholarly authorizations, or ijaza, from prominent Islamic scholars.
But his most cherished education remained that at the hands of his grandfather, Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse.
It was Shaykh Ibrahim who sent him Britain to learn English.
He received his M.A. in English from the University of London in 1974.
Later, he began a PhD in Islamic Studies at Northwestern University (Chicago, U.S.A.), but was forced to suspend his studies when his father died in 1982, and he returned to assume the imamate in Medina Baye in Kaolack, Senegal.
He is fluent in Arabic, French, Hausa, English, and Wolof, his native language.

In addition to his position of Imam in Medina Baye, Shaykh Hassan Cisse is the Founder and Chairman of the African American Islamic Institute, a UN recognized non-governmental organization that promotes education, protection of women and children, health care, and interfaith dialogue between the U.S. and West Africa.
He is President of El-Hajj Ibrahim Niasse University in Dakar, Senegal; President of the African Islamic Organization for Population and Development; Special Advisor for Islamic Affairs for the Republic of Ghana; and Honorary Member of the Ulama League of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
As a distinguished Shaykh of the world-wide Tijaniyyah Sufi order, he has followers outside of sub-Saharan Africa in such diverse places as Libya, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Trinidad.
He has been especially influential in spreading Islam and the Tijaniyyah in the United States, the Caribbean and South Africa.
The Shaykh has a track record of working with diverse Islamic organizations (Organization of the Islamic Conference, Azhar University) governments (Senegal, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria), international aid organizations (WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International) for the promotion of his stated mission of the education, well-being and mutual understanding of humankind; believing, “Investing in humanity is an investiture in God.”

Here is a video of the shaykh (God have mercy on him) giving a talk at a seminar on Sufism -

English Khutbah by Sheikh Hassan Cisse (1 of 3) - listen to it - "the best of wara' is to stop all the forbidden things" ....

Wandering dervishes

2008-08-25T21:50:00.006+08:00

[Wikipedia] -

The Qalandariyah, Qalandaris or "kalandars" are wanderering Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized. One was founded by Qalandar Yusuf al-Andalusi of Andalusia, Spain.

Starting in the early 12th century, the movement gained popularity in Greater Khorasan and neighbouring regions. The first references are found in 11th century prose text Qalandarname (The Tale of the Kalandar) attributed to Ansarī Harawī. The term Qalandariyyat (the Qalandar condition) appears to be first applied by Sanai Ghaznavi (d 1131) in seminal poetic works where diverse practices are described. Particular to the qalandar genre of poetry are terms that refer to gambling, games, intoxicants and Nazar ila'l-murd - themes commonly referred to as kufriyyat or kharabat.

The writings of qalandars were not a mere celebration of libertinism, but antinomial practices of affirmation from negative action. The order was often viewed suspiciously by authorities.

The term remains in popular culture. Sufi qawwali singers the Sabri brothers favoured the chant dam a dam masta qalandar (Oh go, go, crazy Qalandar!), and a similar refrain appeared in a hit song from a Bollywood movie that became a dancefloor crossover hit in the 1990s.

Mudpie - I do not know much about this tariqat, but it does appear peculiarly unconventional. However, the whole concept of the Qalandariyyah is, as I gather from the readings, meant to be strange and unconventional, deliberately not complying to accepted norms. It has existed for a long time, though.

Click on the pic to go to the website ....

Dr Alan Godlas' Links on Sufism

2008-08-25T21:33:00.004+08:00

Some of you may remember Dr Godlas when he was in Singapore for the Journey to Ihsan Conference a few years ago. He was an interesting person, whom I observed as extremely spiritually intense.

Anyway, he has a website from his university which contains a treasure trove of information on Sufism.

He does not mention Singapore nor much of Malaysia in his list. I guess it indicates what sort of impression we left on him .....

Click on the pic to go to the site....

3212

Fists Raised, But Not In Anger

2008-08-23T22:19:00.006+08:00

Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos, right, extend their gloved fists skyward during the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze for the 200-meter run in the 1968 Olympics.

In Mudpie's mind, one of the most indelible images that inspired him as a young student was that of the two black Americans who put up their black gloved fists during the playing of their nation's national anthem, after they have won the race for that very same nation. A little reading subsequently led him to realise the full extent of the courage of these men, how they sacrificed their Olympic gold medals for a cause - to have their nation treat them fairly at home as they deserve to be treated, regardless of their race.
Racism is a loaded accusation thrown about, even in Singapore. However, it is just one genus of the larger species of bigotry. Just as many Malays in Singapore, or Muslims in the world, are quick to yell out "racism!", we are ourselves often as guilty of the same when we accuse others "kafir!" or "Jew!" or "homo!". The problem about bigotry is that it judges people by their label, and not by who they are.
God the Exalted tells us in the Qur'an - O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
Mudpie was inspired by this incident to be aware of the dignity that is endowed by God the Exalted to all humans, and incidentally one of the 5 things the sharee'ah is meant to preserve honour.
To not judge people by their label, that is to preserve their honour.
And honour is in he who honours others.

Read the article in the New York Times.

Interview with Muslim Woman Olympic Athlete

2008-08-23T20:37:00.000+08:00

Interview with a Muslim Woman Olympic Athlete

Inspirational Muslims at Beijing

2008-08-23T09:58:00.020+08:00

Since Beijing has been in everyone's psyche lately, Mudpie shares what caught his eye. Sport is an inherently Muslim activity, in its emphasis discovering the beauty and limits of the human physique. For every athlete that partakes in a game that on our screens lasts a few minutes, or even seconds, we do not see the thousands of hours of dedication, hard work, injury and emotion that went into it before.
The Muslim world is not up there with the glamour nations llike China, Russia and the USA in medal tallies, but it has its share of inspirations. For as much as sports is becoming more and more commercialised now, here are a few Muslims whom Mudpie believes are inspirational stories in themselves.
Two women athletes from the Arab world, who stand strong and free in the face of other veiled, cloistered ones.
A swimmer who had clocked faster than Phelps, from an Arab desert nation. He was suspended for amphetamine use, and had his world championships stripped in disgrace. However, he did not retire in ignominy, but came back after the suspension and proved that he was great even without the drugs. That took courage and determination.
An Iranian fighter from the earthquake city of Bam who sold his medals to charity for eathquake victims.
The least we could do is know who they are.

Hadi Saei Bonehkohal Bostan Abad (Persian: هادی ساعی بونه كُهل} , born June 10, 1976 ) is an Iranian Taekwondo athlete who became the most successful iranian athlete in Olympic history after snatching gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He competed in the Men's 68 kg (featherweight) at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. In addition, He competed in the Men's 80 kg at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won his second olympic gold. In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney he won bronze.

Competitor for Iran
Men’s Taekwondo
Olympic Games
Bronze	2000 Sydney	68 kg
Gold	2004 Athens	68 kg
Gold	2008 Beijing	80 kg

In the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Saei's gold medal was really important for all Iranian athletes who participated in this year's Olympic games. Saei was the last Iranian athlete to compete. Iran's hope to avoid its worst Olympics showings was resting on Saei's shoulders. By winning his gold medal, Saei ensured that Iran was leaving Beijing with a better result than their poor showing at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they bagged only one bronze medal. Full results of Iran's medals in the history of the Summer Olympic games can be found in the 'Medal tables' in Iran at the Olympics.

He was born in Tehran, Iran. He has been practicing Tae Kwon Do since he was six years old. Having previously competed in Lightweight (67-72 kg), he is the 1999 World Champion and 2003 World Championship silver medallist. When Iranian town of Bam, Iran was devastated in the 2003 earthquake, Saei put his medals on auction to raise money for the victims.

He has been World Champion in the Tae Kwon Do World Championships 7 times and was recently awarded the title of 'Best Tae Kwon Do Player of all Time' by the International Board. Currently, he is a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.

He has suffered great personal tragedy, having lost his brother and father in the same year, and the death of his younger brother, who succumbed to cancer the following year.

Hasna Benhassi (Arabic: حسنة بنحسي‎; born June 1, 1978 in Marrakesh) is a Moroccan middle distance athlete.

Competitor for Morocco
Women's athletics
Olympic Games
Silver	2004 Athens	800 m
Bronze	2008 Beijing	800 m

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Benhassi finished third winning the bronze medal. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she finished second to Kelly Holmes in the women's 800 meters. In August 2005 she won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. She placed 8th in the 800 meters at the 2000 Summer Olympics.In 2005, Benhassi was selected as the best sportsperson in Morocco by a survey conducted by the Moroccan Radio among 43 press institutions.

Oussama "Ous" Mellouli (Arabic: أسامة الملولي; born February 16, 1984) is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events.

Competitor for Tunisia
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	1500 m freestyle

He currently is an African Record holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California, where he went to school and swam, collegiately. He swam at the 2004 Olympics and 2008 Games. He was named Tunisian Sportsman of the Year in 2003 and 2004. Mellouli was the gold medalist in the 1500 metre freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

On December 1, 2006, Oussama Mellouli beat Michael Phelps in the 400m IM at the US Open in West Lafayette. Mellouli clocked 4:15.61, ahead of Phelps with 4:18.32.

Soraya Haddad (born September 30, 1984) is an Algerian judoka.

Competitor for Algeria
Olympics
Bronze	2008 Beijing	Judo -52 kg

She won the bronze medal in the Judo -52 kg weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was African champion three times: 2004, 2005 and 2008, and also a bronze medalist in the -48 kg category in the 2005 World Championships in Egypt. She was born in El-Kseur, Algeria.

03131

Da'wah Tip No. 76

2008-08-20T22:50:00.009+08:00

76. Do not use your beard to open people’s ears.

Credit crunch to hit global sukuk market - CIMB

2008-08-20T22:32:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 - Global sales of new Islamic bonds in 2008 will struggle to match last year's $16 billion due to the credit crisis, the world's top sukuk arranger said on Wednesday, contrary to views that the industry would shelter investors scarred by the credit crunch.

Islamic bonds have to be backed by assets and generally eschew the complex, opaque structures of its conventional peers which led to the subprime crisis.

Islamic law, or the sharia, also forbids speculative contracts, which some bankers say help shield investors from excessive risk.

But Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, chief executive of CIMB Islamic Bank, said the $1 trillion industry does not offer absolute protection from the credit woes afflicting conventional markets.

"The sukuk market is essentially a credit market, you can't run away from that. It is asset-based, therefore it gives a greater comfort level to the investors," Badlisyah told reporters after launching an Islamic fund.

"Notwitstanding that, it still goes back to the credit capacity and credit risk of the obligor. So when there is a credit crunch in the market, automatically there is an impact."

He said it would be "very difficult" for total new sukuk issues this year to reach the $16 billion mark logged in 2007, with some issuers expected to hold off until next year.

"This year I don't think we will surpass that mark," Badlisyah said. "If the market is difficult, it's not good for them to come now so they'll probably wait a little bit longer."

Several issuers such as Qatar's Doha Bank's have delayed plans to sell Islamic bonds due to poor funding market conditions.

But some firms such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority have recently tapped the Islamic market after earlier putting on hold their fund-raising plan.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore firm City Developments will issue up to S$1 billion of sharia-compliant debt while the Indonesian government plans to sell dollar denominated sukuk in November after launching a 5 trillion rupiah offering of Islamic bonds to the domestic market.

Badlisyah said the infrastructure sector would remain the most active issuer of sukuk this year, with most sales likely to emerge from the Gulf and Malaysia.

Malaysia has the world's largest Islamic bond market. At the end of 2007, it accounted for about 60 percent of the global sukuk outstanding worth around $100 billion, the central bank has said.

About $10 billion of Islamic bonds have been issued globally this year, Badlisyah added.

CIMB Islamic is part of CIMB Group, which is listed on the Malaysian stock exchange through Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings .

Details on the increase in your salary deductions to the Mosque Building Fund

2008-08-20T20:12:00.002+08:00

The details appeared in the MUIS website.

The 99

2008-08-19T21:25:00.008+08:00

The 99 is a comic book published by Teshkeel Comics, featuring a team of superheroes based on Islamic culture and religion.

The series is a creation of Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, founder and C.E.O. of Teshkeel Media Group. The creative team for The 99 is composed of comic book industry veterans such as Fabian Nicieza, Stuart Moore, Dan Panosian, John McCrea and Sean Parsons – all of whom have worked at both Marvel and DC Comics.

Although the series is based in Islamic concepts, it is promoted as appealing to universal virtues, and the religion of each character is not made explicit.

Members of The 99 are ordinary teenagers and adults from across the globe, who come into possession of one of the 99 mystical Noor Stones (Ahjar Al Noor, Stones of Light) and find themselves empowered in a specific manner. All dilemmas faced by The 99 will be overcome through the combined powers of three or more members. Through this, The 99 series aims to promote values such as cooperation and unity throughout the Islamic world. Although the series is not religious, it aims to communicate Islamic virtues which are, as viewed by Dr. Al-Mutawa, universal in nature.

The concept of The 99 is based on the 99 attributes of Allah. Many of these names refer to characteristics that can be possessed by human individuals. For example – generosity, strength, faithfulness, wisdom are all virtues encouraged by a number of faiths.

In compliance with islamic tradition, the Arabic version of the aliases of each of the 99 is written without the definite article "Al-", because use of this precise form is exclusive to Allah. This serves to remind that The 99 are only mortals, and sets them as human role models, with their qualities and weaknesses.

Those of the 99 who have been revealed thus far are:

Jabbar, The Powerful;

Noora, The Light;

Darr, The Afflicter;

Jami, The Assembler;

Widad, The Loving;

Fatah, The Opener;

Mumita, The Destroyer;

Raqib, The Watcher;

Bari, The Healer;

Sami, The Hearer;

Soora, The Organiser;

Hadya, The Guide;

Rafie,The Lifter;

Fatah, The Opener;

Baqi, The Everlasting.

A character known as Batina the Hidden has also been mentioned in interviews as an example of the variety of depictions of female characters in the comic - she will be the only one wearing a burqua out of the 40 female characters in the main cast.

Mudpie downloaded the free copy and liked the quality of artwork. The story is not bad, either, and has the look and feel of a Marvel comic. Great things : the girls are not dressed in revealing costumes that is the usual in comics, and the heroes are multiracial, with an Indonesian and a Filipino hero. Also, the girls kick their own share of ass, not like the wimpy tudung-clad Malay girls in Malaysian comics. Apparently this is banned in Saudi Arabia - reeeally?

The Politics of Mosque-building

2008-08-18T23:59:00.002+08:00

Following PM's speech on mosque building in Singapore, Mudpie is thankful to God for the mosques that we have in this country, and the harmony and respect that we have for one another's religions here.

In Europe and America, the bastions of religious freedom, things are not so simple, and our Muslim counterparts face numerous challenges in building mosques.
Mudpie has sympathy for them.
However, looking at some of the mosque designs intended, Mudpie wonders if our Muslim brethren were not also to some extent, insensitive to the feelings of their neighbours.
I mean, build a giant mosque with a 50m minaret in the middle of Germany's cultural capital?
Is that not downright provocative?
Could they not have built a more generic looking building with European flavour, instead of something that looks like the Taj Mahal?
Are they building a place of worship to establish Islam in the hearts of their neighbours, or are they building an Indian restaurant?

The Economist

PM : Malay/Muslims monthly contribution to go up to fund progress—building initiatives

2008-08-18T23:03:00.003+08:00

SINGAPORE: A monthly contribution by Malay/Muslim workers will be raised to fund three initiatives to help the community build on its achievements

In his Malay speech at his annual National Day Rally, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said these include giving a boost to madrasah or Islamic religious education.

"I have discussed these ideas with Minister—in—Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim and the Malay MPs. They have sounded out community leaders and received support for these ideas," said Prime Minister Lee.

Last year, three full—time madrasahs — or religious schools — came together to form the Joint Madrasah System.

Working with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore or MUIS, they aim to raise the quality of madrasah education. But to do this, they need more resources.

Prime Minister Lee, speaking at the Rally on Sunday, said one way is to tap on the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF), which is currently used for the mosque building programme and also to fund the activities of Mendaki — the community’s self—help group.

But this would mean raising the monthly contribution rates. Contributions are made through deductions from Malay/Muslim employees’ salaries. And as income goes up, the amount contributed goes up too. Currently, those earning under S$2,000 a month contribute at least a dollar, while those making over $4,000 give up to $7.50. They can opt to give more.

Mr Lee gave the assurance that the new contribution rates will be affordable, especially for those earning less.

The Prime Minister also suggested using money from the MBMF to breathe new life into old mosques, under a new mosque upgrading programme. This will help older mosques keep up with the new—generation mosques, which he said, are in a different class. Older mosques are also showing signs of wear and tear.

"It is apparent that the old mosques need a new lease of life. This can be done by upgrading and adding new facilities to our old mosques. For example, we can provide activity rooms for youths, and lifts and ramps for the elderly. The community can then enjoy mosques which are up—to—date, and meet the needs of the modern Muslim community," said Mr Lee.

Another suggestion is to tap on the MBMF for resources to tackle the problem of dysfunctional families among the community which continue to be a concern for him. Mendaki is working with Malay/Muslim organisations to mobilise the whole community and the government, said Mr Lee, is supporting this.

Mr Lee said that in making the changes to the monthly contribution scheme and religious education, it should be remembered that Singapore is a multi—racial and multi—religious society. So, even when practising our religious beliefs, there is a need to strengthen national togetherness.

On that note, Mr Lee said the Malay/Muslim community should continue to participate in other grassroots activities and also pour more resources into the study of English, Mathematics and Science. This is to ensure that the community continues to make economic and social progress.

— CNA/ir

Mudpie puzzles -

I checked the MUIS website after reading this, but could not find the accounts or at least the figure collected by the Mosque Building Fund last year. Granted, that there is probably a need to increase the collection amount, but transparency and good governance dictates that how much is collected and how it is spent should be made easily available, especially at a time when such a announcement is made.

PM : Muslims, stay engaged

2008-08-18T22:59:00.003+08:00

THE Malay-Muslim community should stay engaged with the other races through community and grassroots activities even as they maintain their traditions and religious beliefs, Prime Minister Lee Hsient Loong said in his annual address to the nation on Sunday night.

He also urged mosques to organise events with out community groups to strengthen multi-racial and multi-religious links.

PM : Upgrade Older Mosques

2008-08-18T22:50:00.002+08:00

Upgrade older mosques

IT is time to focus on upgrading older mosques, now that community efforts to build new and modern mosques have proven successful.

To do this, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday night suggested starting a mosque upgrading programme.

We All Love the PRC

2008-08-18T20:35:00.005+08:00

What a wonderful National Day present! We got a silver medal! Well done Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei and Li Jiawei! Our first Olympic medals in over half a century.

Since we're all watching the Olympics, and should be patriotically proud of our national table tennis team's silver medal achievement, I thought it would be good to also know a little bit more about the state of Islam in China.
After all, we are all so focused on the rising dragon in all other aspects, we should also keep track of this aspect.

I found a blog about China Muslims that is not the usual fundamentalist rant about how they are being oppressed, etc.
You know, just like how most Muslims from majority-Muslim countries always seem to think that we Singaporean Muslims are all suffering, oppressed and in need of liberation from Satanic non-Muslim governments who are killing us with better democratic rights, religious freedom and economic opportunities than their own "Islamic" countries? (I know that they mean well, but it is no different from when the Europeans "modernised" us for our own good, to be like them).

So before we jump on the "oppressed Muslim" bandwagon with the rest of the jihadi bunch, I suggest that we hear something about China Islam from China Muslims, instead of people in the Mideast.

islaminchina.wordpress.com

Hey, the Chinese gave us some of the greatest Muslims in history - Admiral Cheng Ho (ZhengHe), remember?

Of interest in this blog is an article on the hadith "Seek knowledge even to China" - we've heard that it is not authentic, right? Really? Think again.

Did you know that the Chinese Muslims could write Chinese with Arabic letters, like we write Malay in Jawi? They call it Xiao'erjing. Here's an example -

Here's an old kitab in Xiao'erjing Chinese translation of Arabic on the left -

Also, I bet you did not know that in Chinese, halal is called qīngzhēn cài (清真菜) or "pure truth food." A mosque is called qīngzhēn sì (清真寺) or "pure truth temple.".

How beautiful.

Ummah Films - Ramadan Reruns

2008-08-17T23:28:00.001+08:00

Conversations with God

2008-08-15T18:41:00.002+08:00

The Month of Sha'ban

2008-08-15T11:48:00.004+08:00

(continued from the book, Nisfu Syaaban : Kelebihan dan Amalan, by Syed Hassan bin Muhammad Alattas, Masjid Baalwi. Translated by me, so all errors are mine)

Sha'ban is a significant month. The Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) said - Rajab is God's month, Sha'ban is my month and Ramadan is my people's (ummat) month.

The moon is split
In the month of Sha'ban was the incident the moon was split as mentioned in the Qurna in surah al-Qamar : 1 - the end is near and the moon is split.

The command to selawat
The command to selawat (praise) as stated in surah al-Ahzab:56 was sent in this month - Indeed God and the angels selawat on the Prophet. Oh you who believe, selawat on him and give him the best of greetings.

The change of the qiblat
The command from God the Exalted to change the qiblat from Masjidil Aqsa in Palestine to Masjidil Haran in Makkah took place in this month in the year 8 AH. This is stated in the Qur'an in surah al-Baqaerah:144 - Turn your faces to the direction of Masjidil Haram.

The Ascension of Deeds
Every Monday and Thursday, God the Exalted raises the deeds of a Muslim that was done in that week.
Every Sha'ban God the Exalted raises the deeds of a Muslim that was done in that year.
Every Lailatul Qadr God the Exalted raises the deeds of a Muslim that was done in his/her life.
As such, we find the Prophet (prayers and peace be on him) fasted on every Monday and Thursday, as well as often in Sha'ban. When asked he (prayers and peace be on him) said - This is the month wherein deeds are raised to God the Master of the Universe, and I would like it that when my deeds are raised, I am in a state of fasting.

Worships on the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban

2008-08-15T10:32:00.003+08:00

(continued from the book, Nisfu Syaaban : Kelebihan dan Amalan, by Syed Hassan bin Muhammad Alattas, Masjid Baalwi. Translated by me, so all errors are mine)

The righteous of the past increased their worship on the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban. Amongst the things they did were -

To recite the surah YaSin
Recite the surah al-Fatihah and YaSin as as many as 3 times with the correct intentions (see my earlier post) followed by the doa of nisfu Sha'ban (below).

To pray tahajjud
Increase the optional (sunnah) prayers at night. This was the practice of our Master the Prophet of God (prayer and peace of God on him). Our Mistress Aishah (may God be pleased with her) said - so long was his prostration that I thought he had passed away.
To perform the tahajjud prayer at night brings great reward. The Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) ever said - two raka'at prayer at night is a treasure amongst the treasures of goodness.

Fasting
The Prophet (prayer and peace be on him) encouraged fasting on the day of Nisfu Sha'ban as stated - If it is the eve of nisfu Sha'ban, arise at night and fast on its day.
Fasting here means to fast on the 15th of Sha'ban, not the 14th. It means the day after recitation of surah YaSin 3 times with the doa.
The intention of the fast is - I fast tomorrow in the day of nisfu Sha'ban as sunnat because of God the Exalted.

The Names of Nisfu Sha'ban

2008-08-14T23:27:00.002+08:00

(continued from the book, Nisfu Syaaban : Kelebihan dan Amalan, by Syed Hassan bin Muhammad Alattas, Masjid Baalwi. Translated by me, so all errors are mine)

The Names of the Eve of Nisfu Sha'ban

Abul Khair al Talaqaani (God have mercy on him) counted the names of the eve of nisfu Sha'ban as many as twenty-two. Amongst them that are well known are -

The Night of Granting of Prayers
The eve of nisfu Sha'ban is the night wherein God the Exalted grants requests. There are so many hadeeth from the Prophet (prayer and peace of God on him) that explain this. Amongst them is a hadith from Imam al-Sayuti from Ibnu Asaakir from Abi Umamah (God have mercy on him) - the Prophet (prayer and peace of God on him) said, on five nights no prayer is rejected. The first night of Rajab and the even of nisfu Sha'ban, and the eve of Friday, and the eve of Eidul Fitr, and the eve of Eidul Adha.
Ibn Omar (God have mercy on him) narrated - on five nights no prayer is rejected. The eve of Friday and the first night of the month of Rajab and the eve of nisfu Sha'ban and the night of Lailatul Qadr and the two eves of Eid.

The Night of Allocation of Fate
The eve of nisfu Sha'ban is also called the night of determination, allocation and fate. On this night God the Exalted determines the fate of a person as to whether his/her provisions are increased or decreased. Whether his/her age will be extended or shortened. Whether there will be any decree of God the Exalted that will be handed down.
Imam an-Naablusi related that the Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) ever said - Indeed the prayer on this night will not be rejected.
Therefore the learned of the past recited the famous prayer of nisfu Sha'ban that contains - the eve of nisfu Sha'ban in the blessed month of Sha'ban completes every mater that contains wisdom and determination.
Clearly God the Exalted may amend fate that is predetermined if He wishes to, as stated by Him in the Qur'an in surah al-Hadid verse 2 - And He is Most Powerful over all things.
Imam as-Shafi'e (God have mercy on him) often prayed with the famous prayer - Oh God, Oh the Sublime, we beseech from You gentleness in the fate that You decree.
So also in a hadith where the Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) said - the decree of God cannot be moved except by prayer.

The Night of Mercy
The eve of nisfu Sha'ban is the night where God the Exalted sends down mercy. In a hadith, the Prophet (God bless him and grant him peace) said - Indeed God is merciful to my ummat (my people) on this night as numerous as the strands of wool on the sheep of Bani Kalb.
Bani Kalb was a tribe in Yemen.
The similitude of what is said by the Prophet (God bless him and grant him peace) illustrates how much the mercy of God is sent down on that night. There is not a single person from the past to this day who will be able to count the strands of wool on one sheep, let alone of a tribe.
Therefore, would it not be a great loss to those who pass the opportunity to receive this great mercy? When God the Exalted gives mercy to us, it means God gives ease, happiness, peace, joy, pleasure, enjoyment and tranquility. This is mercy. And mercy is sent by God the Exalted so much to those who worship and keep alive the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban.

The Night of Blessing
A person who has blessings will have a joyful life. Even if his earnings are little, his spending will be sufficient. No borrowings. No worries even though others may perceive him as poor.
Food that contains blessing will be sufficient, even if not much in amount. Crops that contain blessing will provide greater yield and be of use. Blessing means a lot of goodness.
Our Mistress Aishah (may God be pleased with her) narrated a hadith from the Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) - God the Exalted pours forth goodness on four nights of pouring, the even of Eidul Adha, the eve of Eidul Fitri, the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban and the eve of Arafah.

The Night of Forgiveness
For the people who have sinned, this night is the one to ask for forgiveness from God the Exalted, because this is the great night of forgiveness.
Imam al-Tirmizi and Ibn Maajah narrated a hadith from Our Mistress Aishah (may God be pleased with her) that the Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) in this matter said - God the Exalted gives forgiveness more than the strands of wool on the sheep of Bani Kalb.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may God have mercy on him) brings a hadith in his Musnad - Indeed God the Exalted has come on the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban to his slaves and forgives men on earth except for the mushrik (idolators) and mushahin (schismatics).
In another hadith from our Mistress Aishah (may God be pleased with her), the Prophet (prayer and peace of God be on him) said - Oh Humairah (Aishah's pet name), do you know what is this night? This is the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban. Indeed God the Exalted on this night releases from hellfire as many as the strands of wool on the sheep of Bani Kalb. I asked, O Prophet of God, what is the connection with the sheep of Bani Kalb? He (prayer and peace of God be on him) answered, there is no tribe amongst the Arabs that has more sheep than they do. However, I say that it does not include six types of people : those who persevere to drink alcohol, those who persevere in usury and fornication, those who sever ties between people, the makers of idols and those who spread lies.
Al Allamah As Sheikh Abdul Hamid Quds, the scholar of the sacred mosque of Makkah, in his book Kanzun Najaah, added to this the collectors of taxes that are forbidden by Islam, people who are arrogant, and oppressive traders (or those who lie on oath).
There is narration that add sorcerers, idolators, fortune tellers, murderers and those who kill themselves.
Sins such as these require repentance before God the Exalted sends down forgiveness of them.

Repentance
Repentance has three cautions -
First - to know truly that what was done was wrong in the eyes of religion.
Second - to feel sorry for what was done.
Third - to vow to oneself with utmost sincerity that one will never do it again.

The Night of Redemption
The eve of Nisfu Sha'ban is said to be the night of redemption. This can be seen in several hadith wherein the Prophet of God (prayers and peace of God be on him) fasted very much in the month of Sha'ban. Whenever asked, the Prophet (prayers and peace of God be on him) said that it was to redeem sins of a year.

The Night of Intercession
Abu Mansur Mohammaed Ibn Abdullah Al-Hakim An-Naisaaburi (may God have mercy on him) named it the night of intercession. He based this on a hadith wherein the Prophet (prayers and peace of God be on him) said that Jibril (may God grant him peace) had come to him and said, indeed God the Exalted has released from hell fire half of your people and some of them received full intercession (on the eve of Nisfu Sha'ban).

(to be continued, insha Allah... )

Nisfu Sha'ban (the Ides of Sha'ban)

2008-08-14T14:08:00.014+08:00

My rough translation of "Nisfu Syaaban : Kelebihan dan Amalan" (Nisfu Sha'ban : Its Greatness and Its Practices) by Syed Hassan bin Muhammad Alattas of Masjid Ba'alwi, Singapore.
(All errors are mine)

Nisfu Sha'ban

Nisfu in Arabic means half. Nisfu Shaban means the half of Sha'ban.
The night of nisfu Sha'ban is the 15th night, that is, its day is the 14th of Sha'ban.

It has become the practice of the righteous since the ancient times to recite surah YaSin on that night with 3 requests.
The first YaSin is read with a request for a long life in obedience to Allah the Exalted.
The second YaSin is read with a request to keep tribulation away.
The third YaSin is read with a request for a rich heart and a good end (husnul khatimah) or to be without need for the aid of others.
(Alhabib Muhammad bin Salem Alattas read the third YaSin with the intent of husnul khatimah and any requests of oneself.)

After completing each reading of the surah YaSin is read the doa nisfu Sha'ban, usually in congregation, in the manner composed by Imam Abdulrahman al-Yafie.

The benefits of reciting the surah Yasin

The reciting on the night of nisfu sha'ban has become a practice of the learned and the righteous for hundreds of years.

The surah is not long, and is frequently recited in group and contains great blessings.

Amongst with, the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, ever said - whosoever recites the surah Yasin once, it is written by Allah the Exalted for him as if he had recited the Qur'an ten times.

If it is asked is there any one who is able to recite the Qur'an ten times in a night, the answer would yes, it would be possible, but for most it is not possible.

As such, God be praised, those who recite the surah YaSin as many as 3 times on the night of nisfu Sha'ban will receive the merit of reciting the Qur'an 30 times.

The Prophet prayer and peace be on him, often explained that Allah the Exalted gives rewards for each letter of the Qur'an that is recited.

Do not consider "Alif Lam Meem" as one letter, but Alif as one letter, Lam as one letter, and Meem as one letter.

The Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, said - for every thing there is a heart, and the heart of the Qur'an is the Surah YaSin.

He prayer and peace be on him, also said - the YaSin is read for a thing, and for that it is (that is, the surah YaSin is read with whatever intent whatsoever).

The Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, said also - Whosoever recites YaSin, his sins sill be forgiven by God; and whosoever recites it whilst hungry, God will fill him; and whosoever recites it whilst lost, God will guide; whosoever recites it whilst in loss, God will make him find; whosoever recites it over food out of worry that it is not sufficient, God will give him sufficiency; whosoever recites it over a dying person, God will ease the death; whosoever recites it over a birthing woman, God will ease the birthing.

There are numerous hadith that show the greatness of the surah YaSin.

So also there are numerous hadith from the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, that enourage worship and prayer on the night of nisfu Sha'ban.

Therefore it would be wise for one to begin his/her worship with reciting the surah YaSin that forms the heart of the Qur'an and thereafter to pray to God the Exalted.

The Eve of Nisfu Sha'ban

The eve itself is full of blessing and mercy, second only to the night of Power (Laylatul Qadr).

Our Mistress Aishah, may God be pleased with her, relates that our Master the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, did not sleep on that night as described in a hadith narrated by Imam al-Baihaqy r.a. - the Prophet of God, prayer and peace be on him, rose in the night (of nisfu sha'ban) and prayed, and so long was his prostration that I thought he had passed on. When I saw that I touched his toe and he moved. Then I drew back and heard him, prayer and peace be on him, say in his prostration, "O God, I ask forgiveness from You from whatever is to be sent down, and I ask your pleasure instead of your wrath. I cannot measure praise to You as You praise Yourself. After he, prayer and peace be on him, had finished his prayer, he said to Aishah r.a., tonight is the night of nisfu sha'ban. Indeed God has come to His slave on this night and given forgiveness for them who asked for forgiveness, and gave mercy to those who give mercy, and He delays mercy and forgiveness to those who hate.

The Prophet Goes to the Cemetery of al-Baqi'

It is narrated that the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, profusely prayed on the night of nisfu Sha'ban for his ummat, those who are alive and those who have passed away. Sayidatina Aishah, may God be pleased with her, said that on that night the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, went out from home and went to the cemetery of al-Baqi', where he, prayer and peace be on him, prayed for the believing men and women, and the martyrs.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam al-Tarmizi, Imam at-Tabarani, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Ibn Maajah, Imam al-Baihaqqi and Imam an-Nasaai narrated numerous ahadith that demonstrate the Prophet, prayer and peace be on him, blessed and honoured the night of nisfu Sha'ban with many sunnah prayers, doa, and prayers for forgiveness.

It is narrated that Kaab al-Ahbar said that God the Exalted sent, on the eve of nisfu Sha'ban, the angel Jibreel, peace be on him, to paradise and ordered him to beautify it, and amongst which He said to him, indeed God the Exalted has liberated from hellfire on this night as many as stars in the sky, as many as the days and nights in the world and as many as the leaves on the trees.

Sayidina Omar bin Abdul Aziz, may God be pleased with him, once wrote a letter to his governor in Basra, saying - Guard 4 nights in each year in which God the Exalted sends down great mercy. The first night of Rajab, the even of nisfu Sha'ban, the eve of EidulFitri, and the eve of EidulAdha.

There are some who add to these the eve of Fridays, and the eve of Arafah.

It is narrated that Sayidina Ali ibn Talib, may God ennoble his face, kept himself free for worship 4 nights in each year. The nights were the first night of Rajab, the eve of EidulFitri, the eve of EidulAdha, and the eve of nisfu Sha'ban.

(to be continued, insha Allah, tomorrow)

2474

Singaporean and Malay - And Proud!

2008-08-13T22:25:00.002+08:00

A Malay reporter wrote in the Straits Times about how she thinks that Malays feel they are the least favourite children of Singapore.
All I can say is, there is a queue of people wanting to wear that label - gays, disabled, foreign brides, taxi drivers .....

The Malays have a saying - di mana bumi dipijak, di situlah langit dijunjung - Wherever on Earth the feet may trod, thereat shall the Heavens be praised.

The reason why many Singaporean Malays are not happy is because they measure themselves according to the criteria of success of other cultures - wealth, status, size of homes, how others see them. In this regard, Mudpie will only refer to the old Sufi adage - in matters of the world, compare thyself with those who have less, and be grateful, and in matters of the hereafter, compare thyself with those who have more, and be inspired.

As Malays, we should be measuring our successes on our own terms.
There are many aspects of the Malays that even other communities admire, and that over the years of my life, I have come to realise are the important KPIs.
We are kind, non-aggressive, forgiving and friendly people.
We have the tightest family ties of any community. We love to play, sing, dance, paint, perform, entertain, socialise and perform with ease all the skills that are totally useless in the non-Malay world.
We're not hung up about being richer than everyone else, because we all know that money never buys happiness.
We may not be staunchly religious, but we are, at our core, all Muslims, and you can see the most tattooed Malay bartender on Hari Raya (Eid) don his full Malay outfit and troop to the mosque to sit next to the bearded and turbaned ustaz from al-Azhar, at the end of which they would turn to each other, shake hands and ask for forgiveness - without any awkwardness whatsoever.
Whenever you go to any hospital, you will see for every 1 Muslim patient, there would be at least 10 visitors (and that does not count the kids).
In which other community do you find a hundred people dropping everything to attend at a funeral upon being informed on the same day of death?
In which other community do you find five hundred people at a void deck large enough to hold only fifty people, attending a wedding reception of someone whom they know as their father's former neighbour's daughter's ex-colleague - and not think it is strange?
We may have the lowest per capita income of all the communities, but per capita we give to charity the most. Our mosques, madrasahs, education funds, orphanages, etc are never short of funding.

Most of all, we are rich in blessings from our forefathers, amongst whom walked unnamed saints.

My advice to people who think they are being treated as second class is - in this world, you are in whatever class you imagine yourself to be.

On another note, this National Day I declare that I am proud to be Singaporean.
Patriotism to the Singaporean is always a curiously mixed sentiment.
No body really loves this country, because the physical country - in terms of buildings and places where you grew up in, and memories of events - constantly crumbles away with redevelopment, leaving no markers.

However, if we do not love Singapore the little red dot on the map, we definitely do love being Singaporean.
We love the way we can embarrassingly use Singlish like a worn and tattered but comfortable singlet that we cannot show when company arrives.
We love how, after living in a city for decades, we will still discover traditional dishes at hawker stalls that we had never before come across.
We love how, in spite of all the gripes about how dirty or slow something is here, we always complain about how clean and fast things are in Singapore whenever we are abroad.
We love how we all hate national service and reservist callups - and yet we will always talk about it for the rest of our lives even more than we do about our weddings.
We love how it feels comforting and safe to hear the plane announcement - "ladies and gentlemen, in a few moments we will be arriving at Singapore Changi Airport", just before the warning that drug trafficking attracts a death penalty.

Most of all, we love how you can always have a place to eat - everywhere.

And we all know that the crescent on the red sea in the Singapore flag secretly represents how prata and teh tarek will always save us in adversity.

Singapore is not the island; it just is the address where Singaporeans live. Singaporeans ARE Singapore.

Ok, what is National Day without a corny Singaporean music video?

Ramadan is Coming

2008-08-12T20:26:00.003+08:00

Here is a cute video I stumbled on while blogstrolling.

Dawud Wharnsby Ali

2008-08-12T00:20:00.004+08:00

I was surprised by the number of positive responses I received on facebook to my entry on Dawud Wharnsby Ali. Many have never heard of him.

For them, here is a link to his website.

Sorry, Wardah does not carry his music. I dont know where you can get them, so tell me if you know.

Ostentation and the Path

2008-08-10T22:36:00.007+08:00

Ostentation [riya'] is forbidden, since He [God] has said (Exalted is He): Woe to those who pray and are distracted from their prayers, who are showing off. [107:4-6] And: So let the one who hopes to meet his Lord do good works and empartner none to his Lord in worship. [18:110]

And the Prophet has said, may God's blessings and peace be upon him: "That which I fear most for you is the lesser idolatory [al-shirk al-asghar]." "What is the lesser idolatory?" they asked, and he replied: "Ostentation."

And God the Exalted, at the time of requiting His servants for their works, will say: "Go to those you showed off for in the world; see if you will find your reward with them!"

Know that the ostentatious person doubtless wishes to have a high-ranking place in the hearts of the people, and this is what makes him behave thus. As for the seeker of the path to the Real, he must strive to lower his rank in the hearts of others.

Far removed, therefore, are the ostentatious from the path of the Real.

From the book:
The Degrees of the Soul : Spiritual Stations on the Sufi Path
Shaykh Abd al-Khaliq al-Shabrawi
trans. Mustafa al-Badawi.

2316

Humiliation

2008-08-09T23:20:00.001+08:00

A Muslim's humiliation comes from his heedlessness of his religion, not in his lack of wealth or stature.

- Our Master the Caliph Omar, God have mercy on him.

Midnight - Dawud Wharnsby Ali

2008-08-09T22:34:00.003+08:00

Dawud Wharnsby-Ali writes some very thoughtful songs, and spins little tales in delightfully picturesque forms. It is rare nowadays to hear a song and wonder at the beauty of its lyrics, and thank God he is gifted with such a talent, and puts it to good use.

His latest creation is Midnight. It appears to be autobiographical, and makes us think of the sacrifice one may have to make in pursuit of what one believes in. To lose one true love to gain the love of the True, is that a sacrifice we are ready to make?

2280

On Repentance, Hope and Fear

2008-08-09T19:21:00.005+08:00

[The saint] al-Hasan al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, has said:
"Hopes for forgiveness have deceived some people until they left the world as bankrupts," that is, devoid of good works.
And he has said, may God have mercy on him:
"the believer conjoins excellent behaviour with fear, while the hypocrite conjoins vile behaviour with security; for the believer wakes up apprehensive and ends his day apprehensive; he works and says: "I shall not be saved, I shall not be saved", and the hypocrite abandons work and says: "Most people are like this, I will be forgiven." The Prophets and the saints, perfect as they were in their knowledge of God, their good opinions of Him, good works, and scarcity or total lack of sins, were nonetheless exceedingly fearful and apprehensive. They are those whom God has guided, so follow their guidance." [VI:90]

2272

Blessed be the children

2008-08-08T17:14:00.002+08:00

If you wish to become a saint, change your character into the character of children. Children have 5 qualities, and if adults had these same qualities, they would attain the rank of saints -
1. they do not worry about their daily bread,
2. when they fall sick, they do not complain night and day about their misfortune,
3. whatever food they have, they share,
4. when they fight or quarrel, they do not keep grudges in their hearts, but make up quickly,
5. the slightest threat makes them frightened and brings tears to their eyes.

- Imam al-Ghazzali

True Contentment

2008-08-08T10:49:00.002+08:00

Moses asked God to show him one of God's friends. He was told to go to a certain vally. Moses went and found a man dressed in rags, starving, and lice-ridden.
Moses said, "Can I do anything for you?"
The man answered, "Messenger of God, please bring me a cup of water."
When Moses returned with the water, the man had died. He left to look for a piece of cloth to bury him in, and when he returned, Moses found that the body had been mostly devoured by a lion.
Distressed, Moses cried out, "O God, you have made human beings from clay. Some experience great happiness; others are tortured and miserable. No one can understand this paradox."
An inner voice spoke to Moses: "This man relied upon me for everything. Then he relied on you for drink. He should not have asked for help from another after having been content with me."

Enemies and Friends

2008-08-08T10:46:00.001+08:00

"Do not buy the enmity of one man for the love of a thousand men".
Imam al-Ghazzali

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being

2008-08-04T16:59:00.004+08:00

Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust Descend;
Dust into Dust, under Dust, to lie,
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer and - sans End!

Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like follish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust.

Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.

With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd -
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go".

Omar Khayyam (1048-1122) - The Rubaiyat.

Muslims babies now form the majority of nonmarital births

2008-07-12T10:23:00.003+08:00

Last year, 55.8% of children born out of marriage were born to Malay mothers. This is a surprising fact for a community that forms only 13.6% of the total population.

55.8% of babies born to mothers who were less than 19 years old were also Malay, out of the national total of 820. That means 457 Malay girls below the age of 19 gave birth last year.

Here's the newspaper report on the publication of statistics by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (in Malay).

http://cyberita.asia1.com.sg/singapura/story/0,3617,122654,00.html?

I have no comment. Facts speak for themselves. They say that we're missing something very very big here.

But for the grace of God, there go I

2008-07-08T11:13:00.006+08:00

Through our sunless lanes creeps Poverty with her hungry eyes, and Sin with his sodden face follows close behind her.

Misery wakes us in the morning and Shame sits with us at night.

(Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Anglo-Irish playwright, author. The weaver, in "The Young King," A House of Pomegranates (1891).)

1891

Displeasure with Blame

2008-07-07T13:58:00.007+08:00

from Purification of the Heart : Translation and Commentary of Imam al-Mawlud's Matharat al-Qulub; by Hamza Yusuf, page 131.

Displeasure with blame is a well-known disease of the heart. Concern with people's opinions and desiring their praise and displeasure at their criticisms are a barrier from achieving the station of excellence in worship. Overcoming that barrier is through the realisation that there is no benefit or harm unless it comes from God, the Possessor of all dominion, Exalted and Majestic is He.
Furthermore, what is prohibited from this disease is what leads to the prohibited, just as Imam al-Ghazali has elaborated.
The perfection of sincerity is that you do not give notice to any praise or blame that emanates from people.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said to Ibn Abbas, "Be mindful of God, and God will protect you. Be mindful of God, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of God. If you seek help, seek help from God. Know that if the whole nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would only benefit you only with something that God had already prescribed for you. And if the whole nation were to gather together to harm you, it would harm you only with something that God had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the ink has dried."

The Khalil Moore Effect

2008-07-06T10:02:00.012+08:00

Here's a list of thoughts I gathered from other blogs by fellow Singaporean mudpies about their take on Khalil Moore. Masha Allah. This just goes to evidence the desparate need we have in Singapore for an English speaking shaykh like him. May God bring him here again soon.

The light of Shaykh Khalil Moore by LEMAU.

th at "NUR" - "Whoever threads a path to seeking knowledge without a doubt, Allah will thereby make easy for you the path of paradise.".

seekingHuda

the journey towards guidance

and finding my inner self

NURR
Lingering Thoughts

And here's a video of the qasidah that Khalil Moore recited at the end of his last public talk here. The sound is a little muffled, but dont blame the recording, it sounded just as good live.

Khalil Moore at Masjid Sultan, Singapore

2008-07-05T17:32:00.004+08:00

Khalil Moore was at Masjid Sultan yesterday, where he delivered a pre-Friday prayer talk. Praise God, He made it easy for me to finish my morning's work and scoot off at 12 pm for the mosque. I arrived early enough, and got a seat near the front, just about 10 metres in front of him. I was rapt listening to his talk. He is indeed a good speaker, and praise God for bestowing him such a gift. He spoke radiantly, and one could see the love he had for our beloved Master the Prophet, blessed be He.

All too soon, it was time for azan, and he ended his half hour speech. Ustaz Zaki was there and accompanied him. To my surprise (and I think to his too) the syaikh was asked to deliver the sermon as well. He did so (see picture above), and subsequently led the prayer as well.

At my age, I have accepted the reality that I am not able to recall and record herein what he said, so I will not try.

All I can say is that I fell in love with this young man, for he is clearly in love with our Master. If I cannot have the opportunity to see my Master, then at least I thank God that I am able to meet one who loves my Master as if he sees him.

I went for the talk later at the SingPost auditorium. I wish the organisers, my good friends from SimplyIslam, would stop using that place. The last time there was a talk there with Imam Faisal, it was the same litany of problems, not enough space, and terrible sound system. Anyway, I am not criticising the organisers, God will bless them and the Prophet would be pleased with them; I hope they will realise the issues for next time.

At the talk, in spite of a 15 minute delay in starting (which was the standard throughout all the talks I attended of the shaykh this week), I was nevertheless not at all disappointed. He spoke well about the topic he obviously loved the most about the Person he loved the most.

Towards the end of the talk, I was left with the same question I had been inflicted with since the last few visiting lecturers - where do we go from here? A foreign speaker comes, nobody knows who he is, during a few days of talks his name gets spread around, and by the time he holds his last talk there would be hundreds of people attending. And then - nothing more. We wait, and do not know what we wait for. Maybe insha Allah, another undetermined speaker, maybe insha Allah, at an undetermined time. Then suddenly a few months later, we get a weeks' notice of an unknown speaker and the whole cycle starts again.

It is like getting appetiser after appetiser and the main course never arrives. Each speaker comes, introduces himself, you fall in love with him, and then he leaves. Later someone else does the same. Yo-yo da'wah, if you will. This has to stop. We must come up with programs that follow up from these talks and visits. The root issue is our lack of English da'wah expertise locally, so I wonder whether it is possible to have videoconference sessions at least.

Anyway, none of the above detracts from the beauty of Khalil Moore.

I do hope and pray that he comes back. Soon.

Ungu - Surgamu

2008-05-24T11:06:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I've been blogging. I took a breather and went on to Facebook, and pleasantly re-established ties with friends.
Anyway, I have become fixated by the idea of contemporary music as a tool of change. Music and songs have been powerful tools - that's why there are national anthems. Music has been used to conjure change and rouse activity, societal, political and commercial. Why not spiritual? To all who say that music is forbidden, my reply is that no object is in itself wrong, what is wrong is how the object is used.
In this regard, I commend and salute MUIS for organising the Alunankasih contest. They received a lot of flack, but they went ahead anyway, God bless them.
Myself, I have become a recent fan of Indonesian contemporary Muslim music. This song by Ungu is simple, repetitive, catchy and soulful. I think in this song they have moved more hearts to God than hundreds of forums perdanas.
God bless them and may the Prophet be pleased with them.

Building Homes and Palaces

2008-03-16T11:19:00.006+08:00

It was in the news that the government has/will amend the Administration of Muslim Law Act to fix the minimum age of marriage for Muslims at 18, instead of the present 16.

Lots of controversy, as always, from everyone. We the Muslims can never get anything done without endless "consultations" and fear of being seen as unIslamic.

Anyway, it is ironic that in Singapore, a Muslim was allowed to marry at 16 years old, when he/she is not old enough to watch an R rated movie (meaning not old enough to understand sex), not old enough to sign binding contracts, not old enough to buy a flat, nor even to join the army.
In Malaysia, the minimum age of marriage is 18, in Indonesia it is 21.
We were insisting that we must not make unlawful what God made lawful.
Most of the noise would come from misguided (or I should say unguided) quarters.

We have here such a situation.
The great majority of Singaporean Muslims would not think it is appropriate for a 17 year old to get married.
That is why the majority of 16 and 17 year olds who do get married do so because of pregnancy. (In fact, a still large number of those who marry before 21 are also due to pregnancy, but that is another issue).
The reason for getting these CHILDREN married is not because of fulfillment of the sunnah or marriage, but to cover the shame of zina.
Contrary to popular belief, marriage does not make the zina any less a sin, and does not render the child to be legitimate.
We are left with no other reason for the marriage, except to cover up a shame.
A marriage built on a guilty past, instead of a hopeful future, is doomed to fail.

However, this is not to say that Mudpie takes this issue lightly.
And neither does he want to leave this discussion on a condemnatory note.
Change of law or not, the fact remains that there are hundreds of unmarried Muslim girls who get pregnant in their teens every year.
The ones who get married, no matter how sinful or sullied one may think they are, are still angels compared to the hundreds of others who abort their children.
Muslim girls still contribute to about half the abortions of their age group.
To marry or to murder, that is the question for these girls.
In my eyes, the ones who marry have made a tremendously brave decision.
They don't really want to get married, they, of all people know that if they had a choice, they would want to finish school or get a job, like everyone else.
They could still do that, and save their family the shame, by aborting the child.
Yet, they make the decision to keep the child, and sacrifice their future.
Most of these girls end up married to a boy who is not yet ready to be a father, let alone head a household.
Many of them still want to have fun with all their single friends.
Most of them go through hell and then divorce before they are even 21 years old.
All because they chose not to kill their children.

What would our Master (God bless Him and grant Him peace) do?
Mudpie is certainly not Him, but this is what Mudpie thinks He would do-

Forgive these girls. What's happened already has.
Help these girls to survive and raise their children.
Not force them to marry a man they would not want to, especially to a man who is not psychologically and financially ready to marry.
Forgive them again if they behave like immature girls.
Comfort them through the difficult times ahead as a single mother who has just won the invisible "slut" award in the eyes of others.
Love them and convince them that there is a reason for everything. Including why they are in the mess where they are.
Tell them that because they have so much love to give, and God has given them an object for their love, not their resentment.
Tell them that God has given them a child who will love them better than any man ever could.
Remind us that who amongst us has no sin that we may cast stones at the sinner?
Remind us of the hadith qudsi where a Jewish prostitute was forgiven all her sins and placed in Paradise because she fed water to a dog?
Forgive them again and be ready to forgive them even more, for they will continue to stumble and fall.
Accept them as single mothers as a fact of their past and not condemn them, for that is what forces their families to force them to marry.
Remind us that He (God bless Him and give Him peace) did not even scold a bedouin who urinated in His mosque, can we not scold these girls and bring them to ours?
Forgive them, forgive them.

Come, come all of you to our House,
Come, even if you have left a thousand times before,
Come, for this is not a house of Judgment,
Come, for this is a House of Mercy.