Saturday, May 16, 2009
Hurray for Baba Ali
Saturday - Kids special of the Week
Huda TV Presents BaBa Ali to teach kids various Islamic, moral and practical lessons. Kids love the funny way of BaBa Ali when he does something. This is Nawid's new favorite show. More videos on Baba Ali can be found here - Baba Ali Videos on Islamic Tube
Friday, May 15, 2009
The good deed that makes a poor supersede the rich
Collected from Sahih Bukhari
Volume 8, Book 75, Number 341:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter)." He said, "How is that?" They said, "The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise)." He said, "Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed as you do). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah ten times, and 'Al-Hamdulillah ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times after every prayer."
Volume 8, Book 75, Number 341:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter)." He said, "How is that?" They said, "The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise)." He said, "Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed as you do). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah ten times, and 'Al-Hamdulillah ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times after every prayer."
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Is Islamic finance the answer?
Thursday - Islamic Finance News of the Week
Experts in Islamic finance believe their way of doing business has shielded them from the global credit crisis.
But how does it differ from conventional Western finance?
A former executive director of the International Monetary Fund, Dr Abbas Mirakhor, says wider Islamic economics relies on God's guidance, handed down almost 1,400 years ago.
There is a "consciousness of a supreme creator and a system that he has provided", he says.
What we know as the conventional Western way does not have that, which is "really the major difference between the two", he adds.
In practical terms, the most significant difference is that charging interest is not allowed in Islamic finance.
Neither are most forms of speculative investment permitted, such as hedging or derivatives trading.
"We don't recognise the concept of interest... to look for some profit from trading money," explains Dr Bambang Brodjonegoro from the Islamic Development Bank.
"In the Islamic concept, money is strictly for the purpose of exchange or storing value, but not for the transaction of looking for excessive profit," he says.
Sharing risks
How then, does an Islamic bank, and a customer who puts money in that bank, make a profit?
The system is asset-based, with tangible assets or commodities at the heart of it. There are buyers and sellers, not borrowers and lenders.
Here is a comparison.
In Los Angeles a customer who wants to borrow money to buy a car would go to a conventional bank and agree a loan. The bank would hand over the money.
There would be regular repayments, which include interest accrued on the loan.
In Lahore a customer could go to an Islamic bank and sign a contract with the bank to buy a car from them.
The bank would not loan the money but buy the car itself. Then it would sell it to the customer at a mark up.
The customer would agree to pay back the cost in instalments over a regular period.
One of the core principles at the heart of Islamic economics is risk sharing. The bank and the people who put their money in it share any profit, or loss, from investments.
"In Islam we appreciate merit, so if someone works harder in a business...they (the bank) will get the sharing benefit," explains Dr Brodjonegoro.
"The more important thing is that there will be no bank that rules everything. It will be bank and borrowers at the same level and they share the risk and benefit."
Alternative way
This sense of equality is important. It is one of the defining characteristics which proponents of Islamic economics say make it different from the conventional western way.
Islamic economics also highlights a belief in benefitting the wider Muslim community.
The former IMF Executive Director Dr Mirakhor says that it chimes with "a movement toward becoming more 'other conscious'...having consciousness about the other fellow, about the general public interest."
This contrasts with what he described as the "simple narrow basis of self interest which motivates, supposedly, the economic agents in the liberal economic system."
Some see the Islamic model as an alternative. Others see it as complementary to the system which has dominated the western world.
"I don't think that this Islamic banking system is the alternative, that we have one or the other. I think this is a complimentary service, a way of doing service," says Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries.
"It needs to be an option there where people can find different ways of doing the same thing."
Compromising principles
Islamic economics is not the exclusive preserve of Muslims.
London is emerging as a major financial centre for Islamic finance. Islamic banking products are also widely used by non Muslims in Malaysia.
"This is an alternative system that can be applied to everybody. Everybody can use it regardless of their religion," says Dr Brodjonegoro from the Islamic Development Bank.
Major banks like Britain's HSBC and Citi of the US have set up Islamic banking subsidiaries that are flourishing. Some of the champions of the Islamic way want to see business expand beyond the natural market of Muslim countries.
They believe that now, more than ever, there is a market for non Muslims who share in the values espoused in Islamic economics.
But there are some who fear that by expanding the Islamic way is becoming less Islamic.
Time to reflect
"Unfortunately what is happening is that Islamic finance in some ways is moving more and more closely to the conventional finance," says Prof Habib Ahmed, a world authority on Islamic finance.
"If you look at the development in the past few years, Islamic finance appears to be mimicking most of the products of conventional finance."
There has never been a better time to champion an economic model which is different to the one laying in shreds on Wall Street, says Prof Ahmed. But he believes that the Islamic concept is being diluted.
"As people after this crisis are looking for solutions...the Islamic finance industry is moving towards that very system," he says.
"I think it is time for Islamic finance to pause and think of the direction it is taking".
By Robin Brant
Malaysia correspondent,
BBC News, Kuala Lumpur
Source: BBC News
Experts in Islamic finance believe their way of doing business has shielded them from the global credit crisis.
But how does it differ from conventional Western finance?
A former executive director of the International Monetary Fund, Dr Abbas Mirakhor, says wider Islamic economics relies on God's guidance, handed down almost 1,400 years ago.
There is a "consciousness of a supreme creator and a system that he has provided", he says.
What we know as the conventional Western way does not have that, which is "really the major difference between the two", he adds.
In practical terms, the most significant difference is that charging interest is not allowed in Islamic finance.
Neither are most forms of speculative investment permitted, such as hedging or derivatives trading.
"We don't recognise the concept of interest... to look for some profit from trading money," explains Dr Bambang Brodjonegoro from the Islamic Development Bank.
"In the Islamic concept, money is strictly for the purpose of exchange or storing value, but not for the transaction of looking for excessive profit," he says.
Sharing risks
How then, does an Islamic bank, and a customer who puts money in that bank, make a profit?
The system is asset-based, with tangible assets or commodities at the heart of it. There are buyers and sellers, not borrowers and lenders.
Here is a comparison.
In Los Angeles a customer who wants to borrow money to buy a car would go to a conventional bank and agree a loan. The bank would hand over the money.
There would be regular repayments, which include interest accrued on the loan.
In Lahore a customer could go to an Islamic bank and sign a contract with the bank to buy a car from them.
The bank would not loan the money but buy the car itself. Then it would sell it to the customer at a mark up.
The customer would agree to pay back the cost in instalments over a regular period.
One of the core principles at the heart of Islamic economics is risk sharing. The bank and the people who put their money in it share any profit, or loss, from investments.
"In Islam we appreciate merit, so if someone works harder in a business...they (the bank) will get the sharing benefit," explains Dr Brodjonegoro.
"The more important thing is that there will be no bank that rules everything. It will be bank and borrowers at the same level and they share the risk and benefit."
Alternative way
This sense of equality is important. It is one of the defining characteristics which proponents of Islamic economics say make it different from the conventional western way.
Islamic economics also highlights a belief in benefitting the wider Muslim community.
The former IMF Executive Director Dr Mirakhor says that it chimes with "a movement toward becoming more 'other conscious'...having consciousness about the other fellow, about the general public interest."
This contrasts with what he described as the "simple narrow basis of self interest which motivates, supposedly, the economic agents in the liberal economic system."
Some see the Islamic model as an alternative. Others see it as complementary to the system which has dominated the western world.
"I don't think that this Islamic banking system is the alternative, that we have one or the other. I think this is a complimentary service, a way of doing service," says Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries.
"It needs to be an option there where people can find different ways of doing the same thing."
Compromising principles
Islamic economics is not the exclusive preserve of Muslims.
London is emerging as a major financial centre for Islamic finance. Islamic banking products are also widely used by non Muslims in Malaysia.
"This is an alternative system that can be applied to everybody. Everybody can use it regardless of their religion," says Dr Brodjonegoro from the Islamic Development Bank.
Major banks like Britain's HSBC and Citi of the US have set up Islamic banking subsidiaries that are flourishing. Some of the champions of the Islamic way want to see business expand beyond the natural market of Muslim countries.
They believe that now, more than ever, there is a market for non Muslims who share in the values espoused in Islamic economics.
But there are some who fear that by expanding the Islamic way is becoming less Islamic.
Time to reflect
"Unfortunately what is happening is that Islamic finance in some ways is moving more and more closely to the conventional finance," says Prof Habib Ahmed, a world authority on Islamic finance.
"If you look at the development in the past few years, Islamic finance appears to be mimicking most of the products of conventional finance."
There has never been a better time to champion an economic model which is different to the one laying in shreds on Wall Street, says Prof Ahmed. But he believes that the Islamic concept is being diluted.
"As people after this crisis are looking for solutions...the Islamic finance industry is moving towards that very system," he says.
"I think it is time for Islamic finance to pause and think of the direction it is taking".
By Robin Brant
Malaysia correspondent,
BBC News, Kuala Lumpur
Source: BBC News
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
When faith is weak and worship is burdensome
Wednesday - Islam Q & A of the Week
I have been a religious person for several years, but for a few months I have been feeling that my mind and heart are devoid of faith and will power. This matter is tormenting me and I said to myself that perhaps this is a touch from the Shaytaan or something like that, and it will go away when Ramadaan comes. But it has not gone away and I find it very difficult to pray qiyaam al-layl. I have tried to read more Qur’aan despite this waswaas and the distress it is causing me. My situation has started to affect me socially, at work, in the family and in my religion. Now I am living in torment because of this and I cannot find the faith which I feel has been taken away from me. I feel that I will have a bad end and that my faith will never return to me and that a seal has been placed over my heart. When I go to the mosque to pray, which I have not stopped doing, I feel that I am not like the other worshippers and I envy them for their faith. I also feel put off by religion and often I cannot listen to the Qur’aan or hadeeth, or listen to tapes, except with great difficulty. This is tormenting me because I do not want this, and I want to be like I was, a believer who loves the religion because it is the truth, but I feel that I cannot control my mind or my feelings. I have started to think about my sins which I believe are the cause of this, and I have started to remember many sins which I had forgotten, as if they are appearing before me one after the other. Until now I am living with this torment, misery and distress. I do not know what has happened to me and what the solution and the remedy is. Will my faith come back to me or is this a bad end and a punishment from Allaah? Finally, please do not forget to make du’aa’ for me.
Praise be to Allaah.
My brother, have great hope in Allaah, and do not let the Shaytaan cause you to despair of the vast mercy of Allaah which He has guaranteed for His believing slaves. What you are telling yourself about this being a sign that you will die following something other than that which Allaah wants is only insinuating whispers (waswaas) from the Shaytaan and his deviant ideas by means of which he wants to tempt the slaves of Allaah and lead them away from their religion. So he comes to a righteous slave and whispers to him that his good deeds are of no avail, or that he is doing them not for the sake of Allaah but to show off to people, so that they will think he is good. All of these are the usual ways with which the Shaytaan tries to trick the slaves of Allaah, especially those who show signs of being righteous – of whom I think that you are one, although I do not praise anyone before Allah – to hinder their efforts. We seek refuge with Allaah from him.
You need to increase your hope and trust in Allaah Who forgives all sins, and who accepts the slave who seeks His protection and refuge, for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving and the Most Loving.
You should increase your good deeds, such as reading Qur’aan, giving charity, remembering Allaah (dhikr), upholding the ties of kinship, etc. The weakness which you feel also happens to others, for it is something natural. How many people were examples followed by others and had a great deal of drive and ambition, then they lost their drive and ambition for a long time, then it came back to them by the grace of Allaah. Remember the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Everybody has his time of energy, and every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy. But if a person tries to follow a moderate path, then I have hope for him, but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street), then do not think anything of him.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1995).
What is meant by “Everybody has his time of energy” is eagerness for a thing, energy and the desire to do good.
What is meant by “every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy” is tiredness, weakness and lack of movement.
“But if a person tries to follow a moderate path” means that the one who has energy does his deeds in moderation and avoids going to extremes when he is feeling energetic and avoids being negligent when he is feeling lethargic.
“Then I have hope for him” means, I have hope that he will be successful, for he can continue following a middle course, and the most beloved deeds to Allaah are those which are continuous.
“but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street)” means, if he strives hard and goes to extremes in doing good deeds so that he will become famous for his worship and asceticism, and he becomes famous and people point him out to one another.
“then do not think anything of him” means, do not think that he is one of the righteous, because he is showing off. He did not say, “do not have hope for him,” as an indication that he has already fallen, and he will not be able to make up for what he has missed out on.
[From Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi]
Think about this hadeeth, and relate it to your own situation and the situation of others: you will see a clear similarity. This hadeeth clearly states that man goes through a stage of incomparable eagerness and great focus and ambition, then suddenly he becomes weak and loses that focus and eagerness and ambition. When he reaches this stage, he must strive even harder to do obligatory duties and avoid haraam things. If he does that, then there is the hope that he will succeed and progress, but if he falls into haraam things and stops doing obligatory things, he will be lost and doomed.
So you must turn to Allaah a great deal, seek His forgiveness and ask Him to make you steadfast until death. I also advise you to keep away from haraam things. May Allaah forgive your sins and make things easier for you.
Source: Islam Q&A
I have been a religious person for several years, but for a few months I have been feeling that my mind and heart are devoid of faith and will power. This matter is tormenting me and I said to myself that perhaps this is a touch from the Shaytaan or something like that, and it will go away when Ramadaan comes. But it has not gone away and I find it very difficult to pray qiyaam al-layl. I have tried to read more Qur’aan despite this waswaas and the distress it is causing me. My situation has started to affect me socially, at work, in the family and in my religion. Now I am living in torment because of this and I cannot find the faith which I feel has been taken away from me. I feel that I will have a bad end and that my faith will never return to me and that a seal has been placed over my heart. When I go to the mosque to pray, which I have not stopped doing, I feel that I am not like the other worshippers and I envy them for their faith. I also feel put off by religion and often I cannot listen to the Qur’aan or hadeeth, or listen to tapes, except with great difficulty. This is tormenting me because I do not want this, and I want to be like I was, a believer who loves the religion because it is the truth, but I feel that I cannot control my mind or my feelings. I have started to think about my sins which I believe are the cause of this, and I have started to remember many sins which I had forgotten, as if they are appearing before me one after the other. Until now I am living with this torment, misery and distress. I do not know what has happened to me and what the solution and the remedy is. Will my faith come back to me or is this a bad end and a punishment from Allaah? Finally, please do not forget to make du’aa’ for me.
Praise be to Allaah.
My brother, have great hope in Allaah, and do not let the Shaytaan cause you to despair of the vast mercy of Allaah which He has guaranteed for His believing slaves. What you are telling yourself about this being a sign that you will die following something other than that which Allaah wants is only insinuating whispers (waswaas) from the Shaytaan and his deviant ideas by means of which he wants to tempt the slaves of Allaah and lead them away from their religion. So he comes to a righteous slave and whispers to him that his good deeds are of no avail, or that he is doing them not for the sake of Allaah but to show off to people, so that they will think he is good. All of these are the usual ways with which the Shaytaan tries to trick the slaves of Allaah, especially those who show signs of being righteous – of whom I think that you are one, although I do not praise anyone before Allah – to hinder their efforts. We seek refuge with Allaah from him.
You need to increase your hope and trust in Allaah Who forgives all sins, and who accepts the slave who seeks His protection and refuge, for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving and the Most Loving.
You should increase your good deeds, such as reading Qur’aan, giving charity, remembering Allaah (dhikr), upholding the ties of kinship, etc. The weakness which you feel also happens to others, for it is something natural. How many people were examples followed by others and had a great deal of drive and ambition, then they lost their drive and ambition for a long time, then it came back to them by the grace of Allaah. Remember the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Everybody has his time of energy, and every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy. But if a person tries to follow a moderate path, then I have hope for him, but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street), then do not think anything of him.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1995).
What is meant by “Everybody has his time of energy” is eagerness for a thing, energy and the desire to do good.
What is meant by “every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy” is tiredness, weakness and lack of movement.
“But if a person tries to follow a moderate path” means that the one who has energy does his deeds in moderation and avoids going to extremes when he is feeling energetic and avoids being negligent when he is feeling lethargic.
“Then I have hope for him” means, I have hope that he will be successful, for he can continue following a middle course, and the most beloved deeds to Allaah are those which are continuous.
“but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street)” means, if he strives hard and goes to extremes in doing good deeds so that he will become famous for his worship and asceticism, and he becomes famous and people point him out to one another.
“then do not think anything of him” means, do not think that he is one of the righteous, because he is showing off. He did not say, “do not have hope for him,” as an indication that he has already fallen, and he will not be able to make up for what he has missed out on.
[From Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi]
Think about this hadeeth, and relate it to your own situation and the situation of others: you will see a clear similarity. This hadeeth clearly states that man goes through a stage of incomparable eagerness and great focus and ambition, then suddenly he becomes weak and loses that focus and eagerness and ambition. When he reaches this stage, he must strive even harder to do obligatory duties and avoid haraam things. If he does that, then there is the hope that he will succeed and progress, but if he falls into haraam things and stops doing obligatory things, he will be lost and doomed.
So you must turn to Allaah a great deal, seek His forgiveness and ask Him to make you steadfast until death. I also advise you to keep away from haraam things. May Allaah forgive your sins and make things easier for you.
Source: Islam Q&A
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Islamic Society of Baltimore
Tuesday - Islamic Institution in USA
About ISB
The Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) is amongst the largest Muslim communities in the Baltimore/DC Metropolitan area. ISB is a non-profit 501c(3) organization which serves thousands of families in the mid-Atlantic region. ISB is governed by a 7-member democratically elected Council comprising of dedicated community members.
History
The Islamic Society of Baltimore was established in 1969 by a handful of families who held weekly meetings and Friday prayers at Johns Hopkins University. As the community continued to grow, the need for a larger facility also grew. In 1982, more than a decade later, ISB purchased an 8-acre lot at its current location and built Masjid Al-Rahmah. Three years later, a housing complex was built adjacent to the Masjid and by 1987, and a full-time primary school had been established. Within the next ten years, ISB founded the Quran Academy and Sunday school which were in full swing just in time for the completion of the multi-purpose hall in 1997. To meet the growing needs of our community we are currently in the expansion phase with a multi-phase Community Learning Center (CLC) project which is expected to be completed by 2010.
Source: www.isb.org
About ISB
The Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) is amongst the largest Muslim communities in the Baltimore/DC Metropolitan area. ISB is a non-profit 501c(3) organization which serves thousands of families in the mid-Atlantic region. ISB is governed by a 7-member democratically elected Council comprising of dedicated community members.
History
The Islamic Society of Baltimore was established in 1969 by a handful of families who held weekly meetings and Friday prayers at Johns Hopkins University. As the community continued to grow, the need for a larger facility also grew. In 1982, more than a decade later, ISB purchased an 8-acre lot at its current location and built Masjid Al-Rahmah. Three years later, a housing complex was built adjacent to the Masjid and by 1987, and a full-time primary school had been established. Within the next ten years, ISB founded the Quran Academy and Sunday school which were in full swing just in time for the completion of the multi-purpose hall in 1997. To meet the growing needs of our community we are currently in the expansion phase with a multi-phase Community Learning Center (CLC) project which is expected to be completed by 2010.
Source: www.isb.org
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Lineage and Family of Muhammad (PBUH)
Monday - Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
With respect to the lineage of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), there are three versions: The first was authenticated by biographers and genealogists and states that Muhammad’s genealogy has been traced to ‘Adnan. The second is subject to controversies and doubt, and traces his lineage beyond ‘Adnan back to Abraham. The third version, with some parts definitely incorrect, traces his lineage beyond Abraham back to Adam (Peace be upon him). After this rapid review, now ample details are believed to be necessary.
The first part: Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib (who was called Shaiba) bin Hashim, (named ‘Amr) bin ‘Abd Munaf (called Al-Mugheera) bin Qusai (also called Zaid) bin Kilab bin Murra bin Ka‘b bin Lo’i bin Ghalib bin Fahr (who was called Quraish and whose tribe was called after him) bin Malik bin An-Nadr (so called Qais) bin Kinana bin Khuzaiman bin Mudrikah (who was called ‘Amir) bin Elias bin Mudar bin Nizar bin Ma‘ad bin ‘Adnan.
The second part: ‘Adnan bin Add bin Humaisi‘ bin Salaman bin Aws bin Buz bin Qamwal bin Obai bin ‘Awwam bin Nashid bin Haza bin Bildas bin Yadlaf bin Tabikh bin Jahim bin Nahish bin Makhi bin Aid bin ‘Abqar bin ‘Ubaid bin Ad-Da‘a bin Hamdan bin Sanbir bin Yathrabi bin Yahzin bin Yalhan bin Ar‘awi bin Aid bin Deshan bin Aisar bin Afnad bin Aiham bin Muksar bin Nahith bin Zarih bin Sami bin Mazzi bin ‘Awda bin Aram bin Qaidar bin Ishmael son of Abraham (Peace be upon them).
The third part: beyond Abraham (Peace be upon him) , Ibn Tarih (Azar) bin Nahur bin Saru‘ bin Ra‘u bin Falikh bin Abir bin Shalikh bin Arfakhshad bin Sam bin Noah (Peace be upon him) , bin Lamik bin Mutwashlack bin Akhnukh [who was said to be Prophet Idris (Enoch) (Peace be upon him) bin Yarid bin Mahla’il bin Qabin Anusha bin Shith bin Adam (Peace be upon him)
The Prophetic Family
The family of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is called the Hashimite family after his grandfather Hashim bin ‘Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a little about Hashim and his descendants:
1. Hashim: As we have previously mentioned, he was the one responsible for giving food and water to the pilgrims. This had been his charge when the sons of ‘Abd Munaf and those of ‘Abd Ad-Dar compromised on dividing the charges between them. Hashim was wealthy and honest. He was the first to offer the pilgrims sopped bread in broth. His first name was ‘Amr but he was called Hashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling bread (for the pilgrims). He was also the first man who started Quraish’s two journeys of summer and winter. It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In Madinah, he married Salma — the daughter of ‘Amr from Bani ‘Adi bin An-Najjar. He spent some time with her in Madinah then he left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He died in Ghazza in Palestine in 497 A.D. Later, his wife gave birth to ‘Abdul-Muttalib and named him Shaiba for the white hair in his head , and brought him up in her father’s house in Madinah. None of his family in Makkah learned of his birth. Hashim had four sons; Asad, Abu Saifi, Nadla and ‘Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa, Khalida, Da‘ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2. ‘Abdul-Muttalib: We have already known that after the death of Hashim, the charge of pilgrims’ food and water went to his brother Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf (who was honest, generous and trustworthy). When ‘Abdul-Muttalib reached the age of boyhood, his uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and went to Madinah to fetch him. When he saw him, tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him on his camel. The boy, however abstained from going with him to Makkah until he took his mother’s consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy with him to Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince her saying: “Your son is going to Makkah to restore his father’s authority, and to live in the vicinity of the Sacred House.” There in Makkah, people wondered at seeing Abdul-Muttalib, and they considered him the slave of Muttalib. Al-Muttalib said: “He is my nephew, the son of my brother Hashim.” The boy was brought up in Al-Muttalib’s house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in Yemen so ‘Abdul-Muttalib took over and managed to maintain his people’s prestige and outdo his grandfathers in his honourable behaviour which gained him Makkah’s deep love and high esteem.
3. When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped ‘Abdul-Muttalib of his charges, so the latter asked for help from Quraish but they abstained from extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he wrote to his uncles of Bani An-Najjar (his mother’s brothers) to come to his aid. His uncle, Abu Sa‘d bin ‘Adi (his mother’s brother) marched to Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped in Abtah in Makkah. ‘Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his house but Abu Sa‘d said: “Not before I meet Nawfal.” He found Nawfal sitting with some old men of Quraish in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah. Abu Sa‘d drew his sword and said: “I swear by Allâh that if you don’t restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this sword.” Nawfal was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the notables of Quraish were made to witness to his words. Abu Sa‘d then went to ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s house where he stayed for three nights, made ‘Umra and left back for Madinah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani ‘Abd Shams bin ‘Abd Munaf against Bani Hashim. When Khuza‘a, a tribe, saw Bani An-Najjar’s support to ‘Abdul-Muttalib they said: “He is our son as he is yours. We have more reasons to support him than you.” ‘Abd Munaf’s mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa House and entered into alliance with Bani Hashim against Bani ‘Abd Shams and Nawfal. It was an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the conquest of Makkah. ‘Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two important events in his lifetime, namely digging Zamzam well and the Elephant raid.
In brief, ‘Abdul-Muttalib received an order in his dream to dig Zamzam well in a particular place. He did that and found the things that Jurhum men had buried therein when they were forced to evacuate Makkah. He found the swords, armours and the two deer of gold. The gate of Al-Ka‘bah was stamped from the gold swords and the two deer and then the tradition of providing Zamzam water to pilgrims was established.
When the well of Zamzam gushed water forth, Quraish made a claim to partnership in the enterprise, but ‘Abdul-Muttalib refused their demands on grounds that Allâh had singled only him out for this honourable job. To settle the dispute, they agreed to consult Bani Sa‘d’s diviner. On their way, Allâh showed them His Signs that confirmed ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s prerogative as regards the sacred spring. Only then did ‘Abdul-Muttalib make a solemn vow to sacrifice one of his adult children to Al-Ka‘bah if he had ten.
The second event was that of Abraha As-Sabah Al-Habashi, the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) viceroy in Yemen. He had seen that the Arabs made their pilgrimage to Al-Ka‘bah so he built a large church in San‘a in order to attract the Arab pilgrims to it to the exclusion of Makkah. A man from Kinana tribe understood this move, therefore he entered the church stealthily at night and besmeared its front wall with excrement. When Abraha knew of that, he got very angry and led a great army – of sixty thousand warriors – to demolish Al-Ka‘bah. He chose the biggest elephant for himself. His army included nine or thirteen elephants. He continued marching until he reached a place called Al-Magmas. There, he mobilized his army, prepared his elephants and got ready to enter Makkah. When he reached Muhassar Valley, between Muzdalifah and Mina, the elephant knelt down and refused to go forward. Whenever they directed it northwards, southwards or eastwards, the elephant moved quickly but when directed westwards towards Al-Ka‘bah, it knelt down. Meanwhile, Allâh loosed upon them birds in flights, hurling against them stones of baked clay and made them like green blades devoured. These birds were very much like swallows and sparrows, each carrying three stones; one in its peak and two in its claws. The stones hit Abraha’s men and cut their limbs and killed them. A large number of Abraha’s soldiers were killed in this way and the others fled at random and died everywhere. Abraha himself had an infection that had his fingertips amputated. When he reached San‘a he was in a miserable state and died soon after.
The Quraishites on their part had fled for their lives to the hillocks and mountain tops. When the enemy had been thus routed, they returned home safely.
The Event of the Elephant took place in the month of Al-Muharram, fifty or fifty five days before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which corresponded to late February or early March 571 A.D. It was a gift from Allâh to His Prophet and his family. It could actually be regarded as a Divine auspicious precursor of the light to come and accompany the advent of the Prophet and his family. By contrast, Jerusalem had suffered under the yoke of the atrocities of Allâh’s enemies. Here we can recall Bukhtanassar in B.C. 587 and the Romans in 70 A.D. Al-Ka‘bah, by Divine Grace, never came under the hold of the Christians – the Muslims of that time – although Makkah was populated by polytheists.
News of the Elephant Event reached the most distant corners of the then civilized world. Abyssinia (Ethiopia) maintained strong ties with the Romans, while the Persians on the other hand, were on the vigil with respect to any strategic changes that were looming on the socio-political horizon, and soon came to occupy Yemen. Incidentally, the Roman and Persian Empires stood for the powerful civilized world at that time. The Elephant Raid Event riveted the world’s attention to the sacredness of Allâh’s House, and showed that this House had been chosen by Allâh for its ho. It followed then if any of its people claimed Prophethood, it would be congruous with the outcome of the Elephant Event, and would provide a justifiable explanation for the ulterior Divine Wisdom that lay behind backing polytheists against Christians in a manner that transcended the cause-and-effect formula.
‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Harith, Az-Zubair, Abu Talib, ‘Abdullah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam, Safar and Al-‘Abbas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm Al-Hakim – the only white one, Barrah, ‘Atikah, Safiya, Arwa and Omaima.
4. ‘Abdullah: The father of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His mother was Fatimah, daughter of ‘Amr bin ‘A’idh bin ‘Imran bin Makhzum bin Yaqdha bin Murra. ‘Abdullah was the smartest of ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s sons, the chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whom the divination arrows pointed at to be slaughtered as a sacrifice to Al-Ka‘bah. When ‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he divulged to them his secret vow in which they silently and obediently acquiesced. Their names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of their most beloved goddess, Hubal. The arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullah to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul-Muttalib then took the boy to Al-Ka‘bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraish, his uncles from Makhzum tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade him from consummating his purpose. He then sought their advice as regards his vow. They suggested that he summon a she-diviner to judge whereabout. She ordered that the divination arrows should be drawn with respect to ‘Abdullah as well as ten camels. She added that drawing the lots should be repeated with ten more camels every time the arrow showed ‘Abdullah. The operation was thus repeated until the number of the camels amounted to one hundred. At this point the arrow showed the camels, consequently they were all slaughtered (to the satisfaction of Hubal) instead of his son. The slaughtered camels were left for anyone to eat from, human or animal.
This incident produced a change in the amount of blood-money usually accepted in Arabia. It had been ten camels, but after this event it was increased to a hundred. Islam, later on, approved of this. Another thing closely relevant to the above issue goes to the effect that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once said:“I am the offspring of the slaughtered two,” meaning Ishmael and ‘Abdullah.
‘Abdul-Muttalib chose Amina, daughter of Wahab bin ‘Abd Munaf bin Zahra bin Kilab, as a wife for his son, ‘Abdullah. She thus, in the light of this ancestral lineage, stood eminent in respect of nobility of position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahra to whom great honour was attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon after ‘Abdullah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madinah where he died. In another version, ‘Abdullah went to Syria on a trade journey and died in Madinah on his way back. He was buried in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju‘di. He was twenty-five years old when he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before the birth of Muhammad. Some others said that his death was two months after the Prophet’s birth. When Amina was informed of her husband’s death, she celebrated his memory in a most heart-touching elegy.
‘Abdullah left very little wealth —five camels, a small number of goats, a she-servant, called Barakah – Umm Aiman – who would later serve as the Prophet’s nursemaid.
Source: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar)
Author: Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri
With respect to the lineage of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), there are three versions: The first was authenticated by biographers and genealogists and states that Muhammad’s genealogy has been traced to ‘Adnan. The second is subject to controversies and doubt, and traces his lineage beyond ‘Adnan back to Abraham. The third version, with some parts definitely incorrect, traces his lineage beyond Abraham back to Adam (Peace be upon him). After this rapid review, now ample details are believed to be necessary.
The first part: Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib (who was called Shaiba) bin Hashim, (named ‘Amr) bin ‘Abd Munaf (called Al-Mugheera) bin Qusai (also called Zaid) bin Kilab bin Murra bin Ka‘b bin Lo’i bin Ghalib bin Fahr (who was called Quraish and whose tribe was called after him) bin Malik bin An-Nadr (so called Qais) bin Kinana bin Khuzaiman bin Mudrikah (who was called ‘Amir) bin Elias bin Mudar bin Nizar bin Ma‘ad bin ‘Adnan.
The second part: ‘Adnan bin Add bin Humaisi‘ bin Salaman bin Aws bin Buz bin Qamwal bin Obai bin ‘Awwam bin Nashid bin Haza bin Bildas bin Yadlaf bin Tabikh bin Jahim bin Nahish bin Makhi bin Aid bin ‘Abqar bin ‘Ubaid bin Ad-Da‘a bin Hamdan bin Sanbir bin Yathrabi bin Yahzin bin Yalhan bin Ar‘awi bin Aid bin Deshan bin Aisar bin Afnad bin Aiham bin Muksar bin Nahith bin Zarih bin Sami bin Mazzi bin ‘Awda bin Aram bin Qaidar bin Ishmael son of Abraham (Peace be upon them).
The third part: beyond Abraham (Peace be upon him) , Ibn Tarih (Azar) bin Nahur bin Saru‘ bin Ra‘u bin Falikh bin Abir bin Shalikh bin Arfakhshad bin Sam bin Noah (Peace be upon him) , bin Lamik bin Mutwashlack bin Akhnukh [who was said to be Prophet Idris (Enoch) (Peace be upon him) bin Yarid bin Mahla’il bin Qabin Anusha bin Shith bin Adam (Peace be upon him)
The Prophetic Family
The family of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is called the Hashimite family after his grandfather Hashim bin ‘Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a little about Hashim and his descendants:
1. Hashim: As we have previously mentioned, he was the one responsible for giving food and water to the pilgrims. This had been his charge when the sons of ‘Abd Munaf and those of ‘Abd Ad-Dar compromised on dividing the charges between them. Hashim was wealthy and honest. He was the first to offer the pilgrims sopped bread in broth. His first name was ‘Amr but he was called Hashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling bread (for the pilgrims). He was also the first man who started Quraish’s two journeys of summer and winter. It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In Madinah, he married Salma — the daughter of ‘Amr from Bani ‘Adi bin An-Najjar. He spent some time with her in Madinah then he left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He died in Ghazza in Palestine in 497 A.D. Later, his wife gave birth to ‘Abdul-Muttalib and named him Shaiba for the white hair in his head , and brought him up in her father’s house in Madinah. None of his family in Makkah learned of his birth. Hashim had four sons; Asad, Abu Saifi, Nadla and ‘Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa, Khalida, Da‘ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2. ‘Abdul-Muttalib: We have already known that after the death of Hashim, the charge of pilgrims’ food and water went to his brother Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf (who was honest, generous and trustworthy). When ‘Abdul-Muttalib reached the age of boyhood, his uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and went to Madinah to fetch him. When he saw him, tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him on his camel. The boy, however abstained from going with him to Makkah until he took his mother’s consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy with him to Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince her saying: “Your son is going to Makkah to restore his father’s authority, and to live in the vicinity of the Sacred House.” There in Makkah, people wondered at seeing Abdul-Muttalib, and they considered him the slave of Muttalib. Al-Muttalib said: “He is my nephew, the son of my brother Hashim.” The boy was brought up in Al-Muttalib’s house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in Yemen so ‘Abdul-Muttalib took over and managed to maintain his people’s prestige and outdo his grandfathers in his honourable behaviour which gained him Makkah’s deep love and high esteem.
3. When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped ‘Abdul-Muttalib of his charges, so the latter asked for help from Quraish but they abstained from extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he wrote to his uncles of Bani An-Najjar (his mother’s brothers) to come to his aid. His uncle, Abu Sa‘d bin ‘Adi (his mother’s brother) marched to Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped in Abtah in Makkah. ‘Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his house but Abu Sa‘d said: “Not before I meet Nawfal.” He found Nawfal sitting with some old men of Quraish in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah. Abu Sa‘d drew his sword and said: “I swear by Allâh that if you don’t restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this sword.” Nawfal was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the notables of Quraish were made to witness to his words. Abu Sa‘d then went to ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s house where he stayed for three nights, made ‘Umra and left back for Madinah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani ‘Abd Shams bin ‘Abd Munaf against Bani Hashim. When Khuza‘a, a tribe, saw Bani An-Najjar’s support to ‘Abdul-Muttalib they said: “He is our son as he is yours. We have more reasons to support him than you.” ‘Abd Munaf’s mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa House and entered into alliance with Bani Hashim against Bani ‘Abd Shams and Nawfal. It was an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the conquest of Makkah. ‘Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two important events in his lifetime, namely digging Zamzam well and the Elephant raid.
In brief, ‘Abdul-Muttalib received an order in his dream to dig Zamzam well in a particular place. He did that and found the things that Jurhum men had buried therein when they were forced to evacuate Makkah. He found the swords, armours and the two deer of gold. The gate of Al-Ka‘bah was stamped from the gold swords and the two deer and then the tradition of providing Zamzam water to pilgrims was established.
When the well of Zamzam gushed water forth, Quraish made a claim to partnership in the enterprise, but ‘Abdul-Muttalib refused their demands on grounds that Allâh had singled only him out for this honourable job. To settle the dispute, they agreed to consult Bani Sa‘d’s diviner. On their way, Allâh showed them His Signs that confirmed ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s prerogative as regards the sacred spring. Only then did ‘Abdul-Muttalib make a solemn vow to sacrifice one of his adult children to Al-Ka‘bah if he had ten.
The second event was that of Abraha As-Sabah Al-Habashi, the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) viceroy in Yemen. He had seen that the Arabs made their pilgrimage to Al-Ka‘bah so he built a large church in San‘a in order to attract the Arab pilgrims to it to the exclusion of Makkah. A man from Kinana tribe understood this move, therefore he entered the church stealthily at night and besmeared its front wall with excrement. When Abraha knew of that, he got very angry and led a great army – of sixty thousand warriors – to demolish Al-Ka‘bah. He chose the biggest elephant for himself. His army included nine or thirteen elephants. He continued marching until he reached a place called Al-Magmas. There, he mobilized his army, prepared his elephants and got ready to enter Makkah. When he reached Muhassar Valley, between Muzdalifah and Mina, the elephant knelt down and refused to go forward. Whenever they directed it northwards, southwards or eastwards, the elephant moved quickly but when directed westwards towards Al-Ka‘bah, it knelt down. Meanwhile, Allâh loosed upon them birds in flights, hurling against them stones of baked clay and made them like green blades devoured. These birds were very much like swallows and sparrows, each carrying three stones; one in its peak and two in its claws. The stones hit Abraha’s men and cut their limbs and killed them. A large number of Abraha’s soldiers were killed in this way and the others fled at random and died everywhere. Abraha himself had an infection that had his fingertips amputated. When he reached San‘a he was in a miserable state and died soon after.
The Quraishites on their part had fled for their lives to the hillocks and mountain tops. When the enemy had been thus routed, they returned home safely.
The Event of the Elephant took place in the month of Al-Muharram, fifty or fifty five days before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which corresponded to late February or early March 571 A.D. It was a gift from Allâh to His Prophet and his family. It could actually be regarded as a Divine auspicious precursor of the light to come and accompany the advent of the Prophet and his family. By contrast, Jerusalem had suffered under the yoke of the atrocities of Allâh’s enemies. Here we can recall Bukhtanassar in B.C. 587 and the Romans in 70 A.D. Al-Ka‘bah, by Divine Grace, never came under the hold of the Christians – the Muslims of that time – although Makkah was populated by polytheists.
News of the Elephant Event reached the most distant corners of the then civilized world. Abyssinia (Ethiopia) maintained strong ties with the Romans, while the Persians on the other hand, were on the vigil with respect to any strategic changes that were looming on the socio-political horizon, and soon came to occupy Yemen. Incidentally, the Roman and Persian Empires stood for the powerful civilized world at that time. The Elephant Raid Event riveted the world’s attention to the sacredness of Allâh’s House, and showed that this House had been chosen by Allâh for its ho. It followed then if any of its people claimed Prophethood, it would be congruous with the outcome of the Elephant Event, and would provide a justifiable explanation for the ulterior Divine Wisdom that lay behind backing polytheists against Christians in a manner that transcended the cause-and-effect formula.
‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Harith, Az-Zubair, Abu Talib, ‘Abdullah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam, Safar and Al-‘Abbas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm Al-Hakim – the only white one, Barrah, ‘Atikah, Safiya, Arwa and Omaima.
4. ‘Abdullah: The father of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His mother was Fatimah, daughter of ‘Amr bin ‘A’idh bin ‘Imran bin Makhzum bin Yaqdha bin Murra. ‘Abdullah was the smartest of ‘Abdul-Muttalib’s sons, the chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whom the divination arrows pointed at to be slaughtered as a sacrifice to Al-Ka‘bah. When ‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he divulged to them his secret vow in which they silently and obediently acquiesced. Their names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of their most beloved goddess, Hubal. The arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullah to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul-Muttalib then took the boy to Al-Ka‘bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraish, his uncles from Makhzum tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade him from consummating his purpose. He then sought their advice as regards his vow. They suggested that he summon a she-diviner to judge whereabout. She ordered that the divination arrows should be drawn with respect to ‘Abdullah as well as ten camels. She added that drawing the lots should be repeated with ten more camels every time the arrow showed ‘Abdullah. The operation was thus repeated until the number of the camels amounted to one hundred. At this point the arrow showed the camels, consequently they were all slaughtered (to the satisfaction of Hubal) instead of his son. The slaughtered camels were left for anyone to eat from, human or animal.
This incident produced a change in the amount of blood-money usually accepted in Arabia. It had been ten camels, but after this event it was increased to a hundred. Islam, later on, approved of this. Another thing closely relevant to the above issue goes to the effect that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once said:“I am the offspring of the slaughtered two,” meaning Ishmael and ‘Abdullah.
‘Abdul-Muttalib chose Amina, daughter of Wahab bin ‘Abd Munaf bin Zahra bin Kilab, as a wife for his son, ‘Abdullah. She thus, in the light of this ancestral lineage, stood eminent in respect of nobility of position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahra to whom great honour was attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon after ‘Abdullah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madinah where he died. In another version, ‘Abdullah went to Syria on a trade journey and died in Madinah on his way back. He was buried in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju‘di. He was twenty-five years old when he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before the birth of Muhammad. Some others said that his death was two months after the Prophet’s birth. When Amina was informed of her husband’s death, she celebrated his memory in a most heart-touching elegy.
‘Abdullah left very little wealth —five camels, a small number of goats, a she-servant, called Barakah – Umm Aiman – who would later serve as the Prophet’s nursemaid.
Source: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar)
Author: Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Weekend trip to Baltimore
Sunday - Bonus Material
This weekend we went for a long drive to visit some of the Muslim stores in Baltimore. Islamic Bookstore was our primary interest. Zabiha.com helped us find some nearby Muslim stores, specially the Halal Chinese Buffet in Owing's Mall.
We started at around 10:30 in the morning and arrived in the Bookstore at a little past 12. The direction from the website as well as the GPS was very straight forward and it was only minutes away from the exit.
We were warmly greeted by the elderly person at the reception desk who seemed to be the owner or one of the owners. By the look of his face, I realized that not much unknown face visits the establishment often. Online is their main business, however the small showroom is kept to invite local or out of state visitors.
The person probably at his mid 70's were very kind and nice person. He treated Nawid (our son) like his own grandson and arranged a chair for him to play with the caramboard kept near the reception. It was a very useful thought to keep kids busy while their parents may look around. So we browsed the shelves by turn while Nawid went crazily busy with the unfamiliar big board and so many small pieces of wooden circles.
The owner informed us about the nearby Masjid and Desi Bazar (a clothing store), Danish Foods (grocery and halal food store). He was kind enough to show us the HUGE warehouse located at the back. The fresh smell of books reminded me of the New Market of Dhaka.
Near the warehouse they have even a Musalla (prayer area). We heard that 13 people work in the warehouse and store.
As we took the directions of Danish Foods and Desi Bazaar, the owner told us to follow another guy who was about to leave from the store. So we drove behind him. After arriving at that place, we found that the guy had driven to there only to direct our ways. We were even given a Longing for Divine Islamic Calender for free as a gift. May Allah bless the owner and the guy for their kindness.
After feeding Nawid his lunch, we went down to Desi Bazaar to take a peep. It is a clothing and accessories store mainly for ladies. But it has clothing for men and kids as well. I was impressed by the cleanliness and not so clogged up space. It was like a new store just launched, but the lady in the counter told us that the store is at least five years old. I must admire the professional layout of the store. The sister's name was Asmat. She told us that she lives near the Masjid Rahmah and there are many Muslims around that area. She was from Pakistan and lives with her son.
Then we went to Danish Foods which was in the same market. It is a regular Muslim owned grocery store with Halal Meat, Halal food / take out and even a Travel Agency office inside the store. We met another Grandpa like figure with affectionate gesture to Nawid. It was very welcoming to receive such warm hospitable attitude. The brother at the counter later gave us direction to the mosque.
We were pretty hungry by then and headed towards owing mall to have lunch at the Halal Chinese Buffet. It was 15 minutes away from Danish Food and Desi Bazaar. We were excited and hungry to see the big sign of the O's Place - Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese Cuisine. Walked down only to find the sign 'Due to technical problems we are closed temporarily'. Qadr of Allah! Must be some good in it that may not be apparent to us.
We decided not to leave our stomach too cranky by looking around more places and walked down for a pair of Tuna Sub inside the Mall Food Court. After lunch we walked around a little bit, have Nawid entertained with silent car rides.
Then we went for Masjid Al Rahmah aka Islamic Society of Baltimore. After arriving there, we remembered that we visited the Masjid several years back during a Ramadan family event. It is a big facility with so many activities. But because we were not on a Jamaat time, not much people were present there. We had our Duhr Kasr prayer due and upon finishing that, we got ready to head back for Delaware. Nawid was enjoying the huge empty prayer area and running around. But the little guy had to change his duppy again and we were trying to think about a suitable changing area. The front passenger seat (after reclining to its best capacity) of our car was the last resort. How many learning skills do parents master each day!!
Well, Nawid got a break as well to find funny and new ways of changing him. He was exhausted and sleepy by then. We were also longing to head back as quick as possible. There were some construction work going on around the masjid and several people including some Muslim brothers and few construction workers were chatting nearby. Fahim started the car and turn towards the exit area. Suddenly uttered 'Subhanallah' and both of our eyes turned toward the back of a pick up truck driven by apparently a Muslim Revert. The back of the construction workers truck says ''La Ilalha Illallah (in Arabic" and "There is no god but One God" in BIG fonts.
We looked at the guy. A typical American Construction worker with big blonde beard. If it was not in the Masjid, and without noticing the back of the truck, we wouldn't imagine him as a Muslim.
If O's place was not close, we would have spent more time at the mall and wouldn't be at the Masjid at that time. If Nawid wouldn't have to change the duppy, we would have left the place earlier. Allah kept that Emaan boosting view and reflection for us till our last minute in Baltimore. Thank you Allah to bless our weekend trip!
This weekend we went for a long drive to visit some of the Muslim stores in Baltimore. Islamic Bookstore was our primary interest. Zabiha.com helped us find some nearby Muslim stores, specially the Halal Chinese Buffet in Owing's Mall.
We started at around 10:30 in the morning and arrived in the Bookstore at a little past 12. The direction from the website as well as the GPS was very straight forward and it was only minutes away from the exit.
We were warmly greeted by the elderly person at the reception desk who seemed to be the owner or one of the owners. By the look of his face, I realized that not much unknown face visits the establishment often. Online is their main business, however the small showroom is kept to invite local or out of state visitors.
The person probably at his mid 70's were very kind and nice person. He treated Nawid (our son) like his own grandson and arranged a chair for him to play with the caramboard kept near the reception. It was a very useful thought to keep kids busy while their parents may look around. So we browsed the shelves by turn while Nawid went crazily busy with the unfamiliar big board and so many small pieces of wooden circles.
The owner informed us about the nearby Masjid and Desi Bazar (a clothing store), Danish Foods (grocery and halal food store). He was kind enough to show us the HUGE warehouse located at the back. The fresh smell of books reminded me of the New Market of Dhaka.
Near the warehouse they have even a Musalla (prayer area). We heard that 13 people work in the warehouse and store.
As we took the directions of Danish Foods and Desi Bazaar, the owner told us to follow another guy who was about to leave from the store. So we drove behind him. After arriving at that place, we found that the guy had driven to there only to direct our ways. We were even given a Longing for Divine Islamic Calender for free as a gift. May Allah bless the owner and the guy for their kindness.
After feeding Nawid his lunch, we went down to Desi Bazaar to take a peep. It is a clothing and accessories store mainly for ladies. But it has clothing for men and kids as well. I was impressed by the cleanliness and not so clogged up space. It was like a new store just launched, but the lady in the counter told us that the store is at least five years old. I must admire the professional layout of the store. The sister's name was Asmat. She told us that she lives near the Masjid Rahmah and there are many Muslims around that area. She was from Pakistan and lives with her son.
Then we went to Danish Foods which was in the same market. It is a regular Muslim owned grocery store with Halal Meat, Halal food / take out and even a Travel Agency office inside the store. We met another Grandpa like figure with affectionate gesture to Nawid. It was very welcoming to receive such warm hospitable attitude. The brother at the counter later gave us direction to the mosque.
We were pretty hungry by then and headed towards owing mall to have lunch at the Halal Chinese Buffet. It was 15 minutes away from Danish Food and Desi Bazaar. We were excited and hungry to see the big sign of the O's Place - Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese Cuisine. Walked down only to find the sign 'Due to technical problems we are closed temporarily'. Qadr of Allah! Must be some good in it that may not be apparent to us.
We decided not to leave our stomach too cranky by looking around more places and walked down for a pair of Tuna Sub inside the Mall Food Court. After lunch we walked around a little bit, have Nawid entertained with silent car rides.
Then we went for Masjid Al Rahmah aka Islamic Society of Baltimore. After arriving there, we remembered that we visited the Masjid several years back during a Ramadan family event. It is a big facility with so many activities. But because we were not on a Jamaat time, not much people were present there. We had our Duhr Kasr prayer due and upon finishing that, we got ready to head back for Delaware. Nawid was enjoying the huge empty prayer area and running around. But the little guy had to change his duppy again and we were trying to think about a suitable changing area. The front passenger seat (after reclining to its best capacity) of our car was the last resort. How many learning skills do parents master each day!!
Well, Nawid got a break as well to find funny and new ways of changing him. He was exhausted and sleepy by then. We were also longing to head back as quick as possible. There were some construction work going on around the masjid and several people including some Muslim brothers and few construction workers were chatting nearby. Fahim started the car and turn towards the exit area. Suddenly uttered 'Subhanallah' and both of our eyes turned toward the back of a pick up truck driven by apparently a Muslim Revert. The back of the construction workers truck says ''La Ilalha Illallah (in Arabic" and "There is no god but One God" in BIG fonts.
We looked at the guy. A typical American Construction worker with big blonde beard. If it was not in the Masjid, and without noticing the back of the truck, we wouldn't imagine him as a Muslim.
If O's place was not close, we would have spent more time at the mall and wouldn't be at the Masjid at that time. If Nawid wouldn't have to change the duppy, we would have left the place earlier. Allah kept that Emaan boosting view and reflection for us till our last minute in Baltimore. Thank you Allah to bless our weekend trip!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
