Cartoon for Muslim Babies
- Educational
- Entertaining
- No Musical instrument used!
Official Website: http://www.one4kids.net/
Some Shops (in USA) where you can buy the DVDs:
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday - Islamic Finance News of the Week
Islamic finance assets seen at $1.6 trln by 2012
MANAMA, April 8 (Reuters) - Assets of the global Islamic finance industry are estimated to grow to around $1.6 trillion by 2012, a report by consultancy Oliver Wyman said.
It said growth opportunities lie in underpenetrated markets with large Muslim populations awaiting better Islamic finance products in the Middle East, Pakistan and South East Asia.
Islamic finance has grown by over 20 percent annually over the past years and estimates of its current assets range from $700 billion to $1 trillion.
The report by Oliver Wyman said most institutions are far from taking full advantage of that growth as they lack both an understanding of the opportunities and the required operational capabilities.
It said Islamic wholesale banking, the industry's most important sector, needs to diversify from real estate loans and ordinary lending to include advanced treasury services, innovative asset management, balance sheet management and securitisation management.
"This will allow them to address the needs of underserved market segments such as Islamic financial institutions, corporates, sovereign wealth funds and private wealth clients," the report said.
Islamic finance is a nascent and diverse industry, in which many products well-established in conventional banking are still being developed.
It is based on sharia, or Islamic law, which is open to interpretation and caters to investors who want to avoid paying or earning interest, viewed as usury under Islamic law.
(Writing by Frederik Richter; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)
Source: Reuters
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday - Islam Q & A for the week
Text messages and e-mails which say: “Forward this or else you will be sinning and such and such will happen to you”
Recently it has become wide spread to receive an e-mail or a text message that includes a du’a or an advice. It reads: “I ask you by Allah to forward it”, or they might say: “if you forward it you will receive good news”. What is the ruling on such messages? Will I be sinful if I do not forward it?
Praise be to Allaah.
Using modern means of communication such as mobile phones and e-mail to spread advice, exhortations, reminders and guidance is a good deed, because it is possible to reach hundreds of people with one click of the button. It is well known that the one who guides others to do good is like the one who does it, and that the one who calls others to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, as Muslim (2674) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.”
And Muslim (1893) narrated from Abu Mas’ood al-Ansaari (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who tells another about something good is like the one who does it.”
If a Muslims writes some advice about the adhkaar for morning and evening, for example, and sends it to a hundred people, and many of them follow his advice, then he will have a great reward for that.
Hence we should make use of these means of communication and raise the level of the messages that are transmitted through them, so that they will be most effective and beneficial.
But unfortunately some people mix this good deed with a bad deed, which is a kind of lying and falsehood, such as saying, “If you forward this, you will hear some good news”! This is a kind of fortune-telling. There is no shar’i evidence that the one who receives advice and passes it on to another will hear good news, rather he may hear bad news, or good news, or he may not hear anything at all.
The same applies to the one who says, “I am entrusting you with this to forward it and spread it, or else you will be sinning if you do not do that,” or “Such and such will happen to the one who does not forward it.” All of this is false and there is no basis for it. The one to whom it is sent does not have to do anything and there is nothing to oblige him to forward it, and he is not sinning if he does not do that. There is no basis for stating that someone is sinning without any proof from sharee’ah, and there is no basis for speaking of the unseen future which no one knows except Allaah.
Stating that reward or punishment will come as the result of actions done is something that must be referred to Allaah. Whatever He has permitted is what is halaal, and whatever He has forbidden is what is haraam, and reward and punishment are in His hand. Whoever says anything about that without proof is lying. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): ‘(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al‑Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge’”
[al-A’raaf 7:33]
These people think that they are making people spread good by encouraging and warning them, but they are mistaken and they are overstepping the mark. They should limit themselves to that which is mentioned in sharee’ah, which is sufficient, praise be to Allaah, such as saying: “Whoever spreads this good, there is the hope that he will have a reward like that of all those who act upon it.” That should be sufficient to encourage people to spread it.
This explains the importance of knowledge, because most of those who do this only do it because of ignorance, like those who fabricated ahaadeeth and attributed them to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the basis of spreading good and encouraging people to do good, but they ended up telling lies of a type for which the one who tells them is given a stern warning, but he thought that he was earning reward!
Our aim is to point out the falseness of this method and to warn people against it. Hence we say: The one who receives any of these false messages should advise the one who sent it and explain to him that he should stop using these false incentives, and he should not believe what it says in the message, that if he forwards it such and such will happen to him and if he does not forward it such and such will happen to him, because this is a kind of lie, as stated above.
May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
And Allaah knows best.
Source: Islam Q&A
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tuesday - Islamic Institution in USA # 1
also known as Masjid Ibraheem
Since this is the first institution of the series, let me introduce the one that is closest to our hearts in Delaware. The First State's Mosque! The place which comes second to our home in terms of comfort and pleasing to our soul.
With the challenge of being a first time mom, even though I am not that frequent in the congregation or yet to be much involved in the ongoing activities, I find peace whenever I can make it to be there.
I invite ALL of my Family & Friends in USA to stop by at Masjid Ibraheem if you are passing through Delaware from South to North or vice versa.
Link of Masjid Ibraheem: http://www.isdonline.org/
Audio slideshow of Masjid Ibraheem:
Islamic Society of Delaware holds a wide range of activities and services for the Local Muslim Community. Examples of those are -
- Quranic Class
- Arabic Class
- Free Tutoring Service
- Sunday School
- Karate Class
- Wedding Service
- Funeral Service
- Full time Islamic School
- Halaqa for Brothers
- Halaqa for Sisters
and many more...
The website provides Monthly Prayer Schedule, Community Ads, Recorded Jummah Khutba and other useful information.
The Moment's Reflection Tracker
Monday: History & Biography Series- Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Tuesday: Islamic Institution in USA Series
Wednesday: Islam Q & A of the week
Thursday: Islamic Finance News of the week
Friday: Sr. Tasneem's Adopt A Hadeeth & Invocation of the week
Saturday: Kids Special
Sunday: Bonus Material
Tuesday: Islamic Institution in USA Series
Wednesday: Islam Q & A of the week
Thursday: Islamic Finance News of the week
Friday: Sr. Tasneem's Adopt A Hadeeth & Invocation of the week
Saturday: Kids Special
Sunday: Bonus Material
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Greatest Journey - Part 9
Days in Jeddah & The End of Journey..
After the farewell Tawaf, we rode back to Jeddah for 2 days haultage before returning back to our homes. We were done with the rituals of Hajj. It was time to relax and wait until we get back to our families (for those who left their wives, kids and other families back home).
It was a long bus ride from Makkah to Jeddah. We arrived in the city at night. Jeddah is a very modern city. For the first night we stayed at one hotel (I don’t recall the name now) and the next day moved into Westin Jeddah. One funny example may explain the differences between Makkah, Madina and Jeddah in terms of spirituality and diversity of population. When we were in Makkah hotel, the direction for Kabaah was shown on the ceiling by the picture of Kabaah and an arrow. We could see that even when we were lying down on our beds. In Madina, I was looking at the ceiling to find the direction, but it wasn’t there and we found it on the table. When we came to Jeddah, the direction was neither on the ceiling nor on the table. We looked around for several minutes, found nowhere. When one of us opened the Almira to put cloths in, we saw it there. We realized that Jeddah is open to population of any religion unlike Makkah, hence the sign is not needed to be placed on the ceiling.
There wasn’t any traditional mosque nearby our hotel, but there were reserved place inside the hotel campus for prayer. We would go down there for the Jamaat led by our Imam, brother Sulayman.
We heard that the hotel was near the ocean. So in the afternoon we wanted to come down and walk around a little bit. It was a beautiful day. The weather was so wonderful with mild cool breeze and warm sunshine, there were palm trees all around us inside the hotel campus. Laila apa, Mashuk, Amma, Fahim and I were together. After a few walk we saw the street and across the street there was the sea. The Red Sea! It was not in my expectation that we were so close to the Red Sea. We were there just before sunset. I had never seen sunset in the sea before that day. It was a majestic view! I was speechless with the beauty that Allah surrounded us with.
We prayed Maghrib in a nearby prayer area inside a shopping mall. Then came back to our hotel. At night I got terrible cold which lasted few weeks after we returned back to home.
During our stay in Jeddah, we got the sad news. My grandfather in law (Fahim’s Nanabhai) had passed away. Innalillahi Wainnailaihe Rajeun. It was a heartbreaking event for Amma. Allah gave us the opportunity to meet him before we left for our journey. Who knew it was the last time we were seeing him. May Allah give peace to his soul and grant him Jannah! Ameen.
It was time to get ready for our departure from the land of Saudi Arabia. We were waiting at the lobby of the hotel for the bus to Jeddah airport. It was such a wonderful and blessed journey that brought us all together. We didn’t know each other few days back, but who can tell that now? Above all, a great sense of accomplishment satisfies our hearts. At the end of our journey we looked forward to a new meaning of life with a new sense of purpose and obligations. May Allah accept our Hajj and bless the rest of our lives, and help us serve Him the way He wants us to serve. Ameen!
After the farewell Tawaf, we rode back to Jeddah for 2 days haultage before returning back to our homes. We were done with the rituals of Hajj. It was time to relax and wait until we get back to our families (for those who left their wives, kids and other families back home).
It was a long bus ride from Makkah to Jeddah. We arrived in the city at night. Jeddah is a very modern city. For the first night we stayed at one hotel (I don’t recall the name now) and the next day moved into Westin Jeddah. One funny example may explain the differences between Makkah, Madina and Jeddah in terms of spirituality and diversity of population. When we were in Makkah hotel, the direction for Kabaah was shown on the ceiling by the picture of Kabaah and an arrow. We could see that even when we were lying down on our beds. In Madina, I was looking at the ceiling to find the direction, but it wasn’t there and we found it on the table. When we came to Jeddah, the direction was neither on the ceiling nor on the table. We looked around for several minutes, found nowhere. When one of us opened the Almira to put cloths in, we saw it there. We realized that Jeddah is open to population of any religion unlike Makkah, hence the sign is not needed to be placed on the ceiling.
There wasn’t any traditional mosque nearby our hotel, but there were reserved place inside the hotel campus for prayer. We would go down there for the Jamaat led by our Imam, brother Sulayman.
We heard that the hotel was near the ocean. So in the afternoon we wanted to come down and walk around a little bit. It was a beautiful day. The weather was so wonderful with mild cool breeze and warm sunshine, there were palm trees all around us inside the hotel campus. Laila apa, Mashuk, Amma, Fahim and I were together. After a few walk we saw the street and across the street there was the sea. The Red Sea! It was not in my expectation that we were so close to the Red Sea. We were there just before sunset. I had never seen sunset in the sea before that day. It was a majestic view! I was speechless with the beauty that Allah surrounded us with.
We prayed Maghrib in a nearby prayer area inside a shopping mall. Then came back to our hotel. At night I got terrible cold which lasted few weeks after we returned back to home.
During our stay in Jeddah, we got the sad news. My grandfather in law (Fahim’s Nanabhai) had passed away. Innalillahi Wainnailaihe Rajeun. It was a heartbreaking event for Amma. Allah gave us the opportunity to meet him before we left for our journey. Who knew it was the last time we were seeing him. May Allah give peace to his soul and grant him Jannah! Ameen.
It was time to get ready for our departure from the land of Saudi Arabia. We were waiting at the lobby of the hotel for the bus to Jeddah airport. It was such a wonderful and blessed journey that brought us all together. We didn’t know each other few days back, but who can tell that now? Above all, a great sense of accomplishment satisfies our hearts. At the end of our journey we looked forward to a new meaning of life with a new sense of purpose and obligations. May Allah accept our Hajj and bless the rest of our lives, and help us serve Him the way He wants us to serve. Ameen!
The End
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Greatest Journey - Part 8
Days in Madina and a sad news
We spent 5 days in Madina before Hajj. Unlike the rush, crowd, excitement, and noise in Makkah, the city of Madina presented herself as quiet, peaceful, tranquil, and relaxing place. We had a chance of preparing ourselves for Hajj by saving energy and concentrating on prayers in Masjid e Nabvi. Laila apa joined us as our roommate in Madina. So there were 4 of us in the hotel room – Tasfia apa, Laila apa, Amma and I. Full of good memories inside and outside the hotelroom. Tasfia apa and Amma grew a warm relationship. Laila apa and I were most of the time quiet, but we enjoyed the stories of Tasfia apa. She used to call Amma ‘Khalamma’.
Coincidentally Fahim and Tasfia apa’s husband were together in the another room. All the rooms had phones and we knew the internal numbers to reach our husbands. So most of the times in our room the phone would ring as either Tasfia apa’s husband or Fahim would call to inform us of any update from our travel agency, call for breakfast/dinner etc.
Like Makkah, the restaurant was inside the same hotel building and at some top level floor. We would catch the elevator to go up for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was not served which is a common package feature for most of the agencies.
Our hotel was ‘Elaf Taybah’ just across the Masjid E Nabvi. We would only cross the street to go for each prayer. As there was less rush, we could go inside the mosque several times and stay for long hours after prayer. One day after Fajr prayer, we were reading the Quran and doing dhikr, suddenly I realized a change of light inside the mosque, light was increasing, I looked up for the reason, and saw the domes of the mosque were opening, it was a fascinating sight. Usuallay some times of the day when sunlight is not much to trouble the pilgrims, the domes are opened. I could see the sunny sky up, it was beautiful.
Many times all four of us (Amma, Tasfia Apa, Laila Apa and I) would go together for prayer. Sometime three when Amma prayed inside the hotel. One such day Tasfia apa, Laila Apa and I were going for the Maghrib prayer. In Madina temperature is usullay cooler than Makkah. It is a flat land unlike Makkah’s hilly region. So cool breeze is always welcoming the pilgrims. We were there in the month of December, so we had to take light shawls at nighttimes. That day breeze was bit chilly and we were rushing as the Iqama was already started. We prayed with outside jamaat as inside was already full. Usually after prayer we stayed for some time to do supplications or dhikr. But that night Laila apa was not feeling well, she requested to go back after prayer. And as it was chilly, we also didn’t want to stay for long. So all of us returned at our hotel finishing the prayer; didn’t even stop at the roadside shops for window shopping which also was a common affair on our daily Madina routine.
We came back at out hotel. Laila apa and Tasfia apa went directly to the dinner and I came up to take Amma from our room. I saw Mashuk, Laila apa’s son was standing at the door and asked for her Mother. I informed him on her whereabouts and then went into the room. Then Amma and I went for dinner. When we came back, I saw Laila apa was crying holding Mashuk. We came to know that Laila apa’s Mother had passed away in Bangladesh. May Allah grant her Jannah and give peace to her soul. We came to know how pious women she was. It is always hard to hear this sad news from so far away, but it was consoling that she was in a holy place to make dua for her Mother.
Coincidentally Fahim and Tasfia apa’s husband were together in the another room. All the rooms had phones and we knew the internal numbers to reach our husbands. So most of the times in our room the phone would ring as either Tasfia apa’s husband or Fahim would call to inform us of any update from our travel agency, call for breakfast/dinner etc.
Like Makkah, the restaurant was inside the same hotel building and at some top level floor. We would catch the elevator to go up for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was not served which is a common package feature for most of the agencies.
Our hotel was ‘Elaf Taybah’ just across the Masjid E Nabvi. We would only cross the street to go for each prayer. As there was less rush, we could go inside the mosque several times and stay for long hours after prayer. One day after Fajr prayer, we were reading the Quran and doing dhikr, suddenly I realized a change of light inside the mosque, light was increasing, I looked up for the reason, and saw the domes of the mosque were opening, it was a fascinating sight. Usuallay some times of the day when sunlight is not much to trouble the pilgrims, the domes are opened. I could see the sunny sky up, it was beautiful.
Many times all four of us (Amma, Tasfia Apa, Laila Apa and I) would go together for prayer. Sometime three when Amma prayed inside the hotel. One such day Tasfia apa, Laila Apa and I were going for the Maghrib prayer. In Madina temperature is usullay cooler than Makkah. It is a flat land unlike Makkah’s hilly region. So cool breeze is always welcoming the pilgrims. We were there in the month of December, so we had to take light shawls at nighttimes. That day breeze was bit chilly and we were rushing as the Iqama was already started. We prayed with outside jamaat as inside was already full. Usually after prayer we stayed for some time to do supplications or dhikr. But that night Laila apa was not feeling well, she requested to go back after prayer. And as it was chilly, we also didn’t want to stay for long. So all of us returned at our hotel finishing the prayer; didn’t even stop at the roadside shops for window shopping which also was a common affair on our daily Madina routine.
We came back at out hotel. Laila apa and Tasfia apa went directly to the dinner and I came up to take Amma from our room. I saw Mashuk, Laila apa’s son was standing at the door and asked for her Mother. I informed him on her whereabouts and then went into the room. Then Amma and I went for dinner. When we came back, I saw Laila apa was crying holding Mashuk. We came to know that Laila apa’s Mother had passed away in Bangladesh. May Allah grant her Jannah and give peace to her soul. We came to know how pious women she was. It is always hard to hear this sad news from so far away, but it was consoling that she was in a holy place to make dua for her Mother.
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