Cairo Muse: Noor

Noor, one of the first to hear about FashionThreads and spread the word amongst her friends, has always impressed me with her versatile style.  The editorial associate at Enigma is pursuing her career in the fashion industry attending the Dubai Fashion Week, store openings and more, she even got acclaimed by Grazia UAE as best dressed at the Dubai Fashion Week; but seriously, lets move on to her, yet again, amazing outfit.  The all black look Noor is sporting can be defined as elegant, timeless, stylish, and sexy; all without trying too hard!  Noor is sporting a LBD, every girl’s wardrobe staple; click here for my LBD article.  The fashionista topped it off with a perfect trench, which she kept looking young and modern when she pushed the sleeves up.  Then come the accessories, the suede boots are the perfect shape but the statement jewelry add a spark to  the all black outfit; the gold chain necklace and statement large ethnic rings worn on her hands painted with deep purple nail polish.  Take a cue from Noor, an outfit doesn’t need a lot of everything to look chic!

Noor's Statement Jewelry

The weather has been wonderful this weekend.  I love the clear blue sky, occasionally decorated with faint clouds.  We had a nice desert walk on Friday morning, and spent most of Saturday on the beach.  It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this relaxed.

The pipes below are soon to go into the ground.  The second phase of Mangaf’s infrastructure works are finally making progress.  We took the opportunity, of these pipe-sections being near us, for an interesting background to some family shots… This one is my favourite.

Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddeen Rumi (Rahmatullahi ‘alaih) has related a story in his Mathnawi Sharif, which contains great lessons for all of us.

The story goes that a person had planted a thorn tree. He was told that the thorn tree was a hindrance and an obstacle since it was causing harm and injury to the people that passed by. The person promised to uproot the tree, saying : ‘I will do so tomorrow.’

Despite the complaints of the people, many ‘tomorrows’ came and many ‘tomorrows’ went by, and no effort was made in uprooting the thorn tree. Eventually, after many years, the tree, having taken root deeply, grew in strength. The matter was finally taken to the municipality and the person was ordered to remove the tree.

Having no option, he set off to fulfil the task. However, with the passing of time, he had aged and weakness had set in. On the other hand, the tree had become so strong and firmly rooted that there was no scope of him uprooting such a big tree. Due to his weakness, he could not do anything.

The only way this thorn tree could be uprooted and removed was via a bulldozer. The bulldozer was his only means of ridding the path of the harmful thorn tree.

Of course, this is just a story to give lesson. The lesson derived is that if sins are not given up when they are ‘young’, then the roots of these sins sink deeper and deeper, entrenching themselves in the heart. As such, they gain in strength, and a person fails in ridding his life of the thorn tree of his sins.

As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for him to uproot the tree of his sins. A greater Mujahada (striving) would be required from the person. He requires a greater amount of effort to restrain himself from Haraam.

However, as has been mentioned, with the aid of a bulldozer, the thorn tree would be removed. …And what, we may ask, is this bulldozer?

These bulldozers are the Ahlullah. Allah Ta’ala has given them such hearts, which contain such noor or light of Taqwa or piety, that in their company, people who have indulged in sins all their lives, will be able to, with ease, rid themselves of even major sins.

In the company of those who are true Ahlullah, sins of a lifetime will be uprooted. Those who were committing sins for 20 years and 30 years, will find the panacea for their spiritual illnesses.

A person should thus take courage and seek the assistance of the Ahlullah, and see the transformation that takes place with the Grace of Allah Ta’ala.

There are, however, conditions to be met.

§ We should have love and respect for the Ahlullah, and we should keep their company, without prejudice.

§ We should sit with the intention of reformation, with an open heart and mind.

If we attend such gatherings with these accompanying conditions,then we will leave with Noor in our hearts. It is via this Noor that such persons make sincere Taubah or repentance, and it is this Noor which is instrumental in creating the keen desire of change in their lives.

Ma’aarif-e-mathnavi.

Source: Qisas.com

স্বৈরাচার বিরোধী আন্দোলনের বীর সন্তান নূর হোসেনের স্বপ্ন গণতান্ত্রিক বাংলাদেশ প্রতিষ্ঠার দৃঢ় অঙ্গীকার গ্রহণের মধ্যদিয়ে মঙ্গলবার শহীদ নূর হোসেন দিবস পালিত হয়েছে। ১৯৮৭ সালের এই দিনে স্বৈরাচার বিরোধী আন্দোলনে রাজধানীর জিরো পয়েন্টে পুলিশের গুলিতে নিহত হন নূর হোসেন। আজ ছিলো তার ২২তম শাহাদাৎ বার্ষিকী। নিজের বুকে পিঠে স্বৈরাচার নিপাত যাক, গণতন্ত্র মুক্তি পাক স্লোগান লিখে সেদিন মিছিলে শামিল হয়ে দেশের মানুষের কাছে গণতন্ত্রের প্রতীকে পরিণত হয়েছিলেন নূর হোসেন। শহীদ নূর হোসেনের আত্মত্যাগে বেগবান হয়েছিল সেদিনের স্বৈরাচার বিরোধী আন্দোলন। যার ধারাবাহিকতায় পতন হয় স্বৈরাচার এরশাদ সরকারের। দিবসটি উপলক্ষে রাষ্ট্রপতি মো. জিল্লুর রহমান এবং প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা পৃথক বাণী দেন।

উপলক্ষে সকালে নূর হোসেন স্কয়ার এবং জুরাইরেন তার কবরস্থানে বিভিন্ন রাজনৈতিক এবং সামাজিক সংগঠনের নেতা-কর্মীরা পুষ্পস্তবক অর্পণ করেন। সকাল সাড়ে আটটায় আওয়ামী লীগ সভানেত্রী এবং প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার পক্ষে আওয়ামী লীগের যুগ্ম-সাধারণ সম্পাদক মাহাবুব-উল-আলম হানিফ নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পস্তবক অর্পণ করেন। এ সময় আওয়ামী লীগের সভাপতিমন্ডলীর সদস্য এবং কৃষিমন্ত্রী বেগম মতিয়া চৌধুরী উপস্থিত ছিলেন। পরে আওয়ামী লীগের পক্ষ থেকে দলের সভাপতিমন্ডলীর সদস্য ওবায়দুল কাদের এমপি, গৃহায়ণ ও গণপূর্ত প্রতিমন্ত্রী এডভোকেট আবদুল মান্নান খান, এলজিআরডি ও সমবায় প্রতিমন্ত্রী জাহাঙ্গীর কবির নানক, আবু সাঈদ আল-মাহমুদ স্বপন, খালিদ মাহমুদ চৌধুরী এমপি, আফজাল হোসেন এবং মৃণালকান্তি দাসসহ অন্যান্য নেতৃবৃন্দ নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পার্ঘ্য অর্পণ করেন।

যুবলীগের ভারপ্রাপ্ত সভাপতি আলহাজ্ব ওমর ফারুক চৌধুরী এবং সাধারণ সম্পাদক মির্জা আযম এমপির নেতৃত্বে যুবলীগ, স্বেচ্ছাসেবক লীগের পক্ষে মইন উদ্দিন মইন এবং জাহাঙ্গীর আহমেদ নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুল্পমাল্য অর্পণ করেন। মহানগর আওয়ামী লীগের ভারপ্রাপ্ত সভাপতি এম এ আজিজ এবং সাধারণ সম্পাদক মোফাজ্জল হোসেন চৌধুরী মায়ার নেতৃত্বে পুষ্পার্ঘ্য অর্পণের সময় আরো উপস্থিত ছিলেন আইন ও সংসদ বিষয়ক প্রতিমন্ত্রী এডভোকেট কামরুল ইসলাম, মহানগর আওয়ামী লীগ নেতা আবদুল হক সবুজ, শাহ আলম মুরাদ প্রমুখ। বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টির পক্ষে বিমল বিশ্বাস এবং সিপিবির আহসান হাবীব লাভলু নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পার্ঘ্য অর্পণ করেন। শহীদ নূর হোসেন সংসদ সকাল ৯টায় সংগঠনের সভাপতি তসলিম আহমদের নেতৃত্বে নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পমাল্য অর্পণ এবং সমাবেশ করে। সকাল ১০টায় জুরাইন কবরস্থানে শ্রদ্ধা জ্ঞাপন ও দোয়া মাহফিলের আয়োজন করে।

যুবলীগ সংগঠনের কার্যালয়ে সকালে পতাকা উত্তোলন এবং জুরাইনে নূর হোসেনের কবরস্থানে পুষ্পমাল্য অর্পণ করে। কৃষক শ্রমিক মুক্তি আন্দোলন বিকেলে দলীয় কার্যালয়ে এক আলোচনা সভার আয়োজন করে। বঙ্গবন্ধু সাংস্কৃতিক জোটের পক্ষে অরুণ সরকার রানা, এম এ করিম, মোহাম্মদ আলী মুন্নাসহ অন্যান্য নেতৃবৃন্দ সকালে নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পমাল্য অর্পণ করেন। বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী মুক্তিযোদ্ধা প্রজন্ম লীগের পক্ষে মো. ফয়েজ উল্লাহ রোকন উদ্দিন পাঠান, বঙ্গবন্ধু সাংস্কৃতিক পরিষদের পক্ষে সভাপতি আবদুল হক সবুজ, আওয়ামী মুক্তিযোদ্ধা লীগের পক্ষে মজিবর রহমান সকালে নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পার্ঘ্য অর্পণ করেন। জয়বাংলা সাংস্কৃতিক ঐক্যজোটের কেন্দ্রীয় কার্যালয়ে এ উপলক্ষে সালাউদ্দিন বাদলের সভাপতিত্বে সভা অনুষ্ঠিত হয়। এতে বক্তৃতা করেন শেখ আবদুল কাদের ও ড. সেলিনা আকতার জাহান, মো. আফসার রহমান, মো. আলী রেজা রউফ, দিলীপ কুমার গোমস্তা প্রমুখ। জোটের অন্যান্য কর্মসূচির মধ্যে ছিলো সকালে নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে পুষ্পমাল্য অর্পণ এবং এক মিনিট নিরবতা পালন।

বঙ্গবন্ধু স্মৃতি সংরক্ষণ পরিষদ দিবসটি পালন উপলক্ষে পরিষদ কার্যালয়ে আলোচনা সভার আয়োজন করে। মো. আফসার রহমানের সভাপতিত্বে পরিষদ নেতৃবৃন্দ এতে বক্তৃতা করেন। বঙ্গবন্ধু শিল্পীগোষ্ঠীর সভাপতি মাহবুব সিরাজের সভাপতিত্বে গোষ্ঠীর কার্যলয়ে অনুষ্ঠিত আলোচনা সভায় বক্তৃতা করেন সাইফুল আলম রিপন, শিউলি আহমেদ প্রমুখ। এ ছাড়াও জয়বাংলা সাংস্কৃতিক ঐক্যজোট, বঙ্গবন্ধু নাগরিক সংহতি পরিষদ, জাতীয় রিকশা শ্রমিক লীগ, টিএন্ডটি শ্রমিক কর্মচারী লীগ, শহীদ বাবুল স্মৃতি সংসদ, জাতীয় শ্রমিক লীগসহ অসংখ্য সংগঠন শহীদ নূর হোসেন স্কয়ারে ফুল দিয়ে শহীদ নূর হোসেনের প্রতি শ্রদ্ধা জানান।

Islamic Guidelines for Visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque

Praise be to Allaah.

O you who come to the City of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), you have come to a good place and you are going to earn great reward. May Allaah accept your righteous deeds and fulfil your greatest hopes. Welcome to the land of Hijrah and victory, the land of the Chosen Prophet, the land to which the righteous Sahaabah migrated and the home of the Ansaar.

There follow a few words of advice to those who want to visit the Mosque of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

1 – O you who come to Madeenah, you are in a place which, after Makkah, is the best and noblest of all places, so respect it as it should be respected; honour its sanctity and holiness and observe the best etiquette therein.

Know that Allaah has warned of the severest punishment for those who commit evil therein. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Madeenah is a Haram (sanctuary), so whoever commits evil therein or gives protection to an evildoer, the curse of Allaah, the angels and all of mankind may be upon him. Allaah will not accept any obligatory or naafil deed from him on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1867; Muslim, 1370.

So whoever commits any evil action or offers protection to any evildoer who seeks his help is exposing himself to a humiliating punishment and the wrath of the Lord of the Worlds.

One of the most serious of evil deeds that violate its purity is openly doing acts of bid’ah and spoiling its atmosphere with myths and false ideas, and contaminating its pure land with the spread of articles which promote bid’ah, books which contain shirk, and all kinds of reprehensible and haraam actions which go against Islamic sharee’ah. The evildoer and the one who gives him protection are equally guilty of sin.

2 – Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque is an act that is Sunnah; it is not an obligatory action and has nothing to do with Hajj, nor is it an action that is required in order for Hajj to be complete.

All the ahaadeeth which say that it is connected to Hajj or that say that visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is  connected to Hajj are fabricated and false. Whoever travels to Madeenah for the purpose of visiting the Mosque and praying therein, his intention is acceptable and his efforts will be rewarded.  Whoever travels there only for the purpose of visiting the graves and seeking the help of their occupants, his intention is haraam and his actions are reprehensible.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Do not travel to visit any mosques except three: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah], this Mosque of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem].” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1189; Muslim, 1397.

It was narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The best places to which a person may travel are this Mosque of mine, and the Ancient House (i.e., the Ka’bah).” Narrated by Ahmad, 3/350; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1648.

3 – Prayers offered in the Mosque of Madeenah bring a multiple reward, both obligatory and naafil prayers according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“One prayer in this Mosque of mine is better than one thousand prayers offered anywhere else, except al-Masjid al-Haraam.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1190; Muslim, 1394.

But offering naafil prayers at home is better than offering them in the mosque, even if the reward for offering them in the Mosque is multiplied, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,

“The best prayers are those that a man offers in his home, apart from the prescribed [obligatory] prayers.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 731; Muslim, 781.

4 – The visitor to this great Mosque should note that it is not permissible to seek blessing (barakah) from any part of the Prophet’s Mosque, such as the pillars, walls, doors, mihraab or minbar, by touching or kissing them.

It is also not permitted to seek blessing from the Prophet’s hujrah (chamber) by touching it, kissing it, or wiping one’s clothes against it or to circumambulate it. Whoever does any of these things has to repent and not repeat it.

5 – It is prescribed for the one who visits the Prophet’s Mosque to pray two rak’ahs in the Rawdah or whatever he wants of naafil prayers, because it is proven that there is virtue in doing so.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The area between my house and my minbar is one of the gardens (riyaad, sing. rawdah) of Paradise, and my minbar is on my cistern (hawd)” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1196; Muslim, 1391.

And it was narrated that Yazeed ibn Abi ‘Ubayd said:

“I used to come with Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ and he would pray by the pillar which was by the mus-haf, i.e. in the Rawdah. I said, ‘O Abu Muslim, I see that you are keen to pray by this pillar!’ He said, ‘I saw that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen to pray here.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 502; Muslim, 509.

Being keen to pray in al-Rawdah does not justify being aggressive towards people or pushing the weak aside, or stepping over their necks.

6 – It is prescribed for the visitor to Madeenah and for the one who lives there to go to the Mosque of Quba’ and pray there, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and seeking the reward of ‘Umrah.

It was narrated that Sahl ibn Haneef said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever goes out until he comes to this mosque – meaning the Mosque of Quba’ – and prays there, that will be equivalent to ‘Umrah.” Narrated by Ahmad, 3/437; al-Nasaa’i, 699; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1180, 1181.

According to Ibn Maajah:

“Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the Mosque of Quba’ and prays there, he will have the reward of ‘Umrah.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1412.

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go to the mosque of Quba’ every Saturday, walking or riding, and he would pray two rak’ahs there. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1191; Muslim, 1399

7 – For the visitor to Madeenah, it is not prescribed to visit any other mosques in the city apart from these two, the Mosque of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Mosque of Quba’.

It is not prescribed for the visitor or anyone else to head for a particular spot, hoping for blessing or to worship Allaah in that place, when there is no evidence from the Qur’aan or Sunnah concerning visiting that place and no evidence that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did that.

It is not prescribed to go to the places and mosques in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the Sahaabah prayed in order to pray there or to worship Allaah by offering du’aa’s there etc., because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not enjoin that or encourage people to visit these places. It was narrated that al-Ma’roor ibn Suwayd (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

We went out with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, and we passed by a mosque on the way.

The people hastened to pray there, and ‘Umar said, “What is the matter with them?” They said, “This is a mosque in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed.” ‘Umar said, “O people, those who came before you were doomed because they followed such practices, until they established places of worship in such locations. If a time for prayer comes when you are there, then pray, and if it is not the time for prayer, then move on.” Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 7550.

When ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab heard that there were people who came to the tree under which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had received the bay’ah (oath of allegiance), he ordered that it be cut down. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 7545.

8 – It is prescribed for men who are visiting the Prophet’s Mosque to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the graves of his two companions Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them), and to send salaams upon them and make du’aa’ for them.

But for women it is not permissible for them to visit graves according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (3236), al-Tirmidhi (3236) and Ibn Maajah (1575) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the women who visit graves.

The way in which the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is to be visited is that the visitor should come to the grave and face it and say “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Rasool-Allaah (Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allaah).” Then he should move about a yard to his right and say salaams to Abu Bakr by saying, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Aba Bakr.” Then he should move a little further to his right, about a yard, and say salaams to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, by saying, ‘Al-salaamu alayka ya ‘Umar.”

9 – It is prescribed for men who are visiting Madeenah to visit the people buried in Baqee’ al-Gharqad and the martyrs of Uhud, to send salaams on them and to make du’aa’ for them.

It was narrated that Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach them, when they went out to the graveyards, to say, “Al-salaamu ‘alaykum ahl al-diyaar min al-mu’mineen wa’l-muslimeen, wa innaa in sha Allaah bikum laahiqoon. Nas’al Allaah lana wa lakum al-‘aafiyah. (Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these abodes, believers and Muslims. We will, when Allaah wills, join you. We ask Allaah to grant salvation to us and you).”

10 – Visiting the graves is prescribed for two great purposes:

(i)    So that the visitor may receive a lesson and reminder.

(ii)  So that the person visited will benefit from the du’aa’s and prayers for mercy and forgiveness that are offered for him.

Permission to visit graves is subject to the condition that no false words are spoken, the worst of which are shirk and kufr. It was narrated from Buraydah from his father that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“I used to forbid you to visit graves, but now whoever wants to visit them let him do so, but do not utter any falsehood.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2033; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 886.

Muslim narrated this also (no. 977), but without the phrase, “but do not utter any falsehood.”

It is not permitted to circumambulate these graves or any others, or to pray towards them or amongst them, or to perform acts of worship beside them such as reading Qur’aan, making du’aa’, etc, because these are means of associating others in worship with the Lord of all creation and taking them (graves) as places of worship , even if no mosque is built over them.

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: When death was approaching the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he put a cloak over his face, and when he felt hot he removed it and said,

“May Allaah’s curse be upon the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship” – warning against doing what they did. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 436; Muslim, 529.

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The most evil of people are those upon whom the Hour will come when they are still alive and those who take graves as places of worship.” Narrated by Ahmad, 1/405. It is also narrated by al-Bukhaari in a mu’allaq report in Kitaab al-Fitan, Baab Zuhoor al-Fitan, 7067. Also narrated by Muslim in Kitaab al-Fitan, Baab Qurb al-Saa’ah, 2949, without mentioning the taking of graves as places of worship.

It was narrated that Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi said:

I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Do not sit on graves or pray facing towards them.” Narrated by Muslim, 972.

And it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,

“All of the earth is a place of prayer apart from graveyards and bathrooms.” Narrated by Ahmad, 3/83; al-Tirmidhi, 317; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1/320.

According to a hadeeth narrated by Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade people to pray between graves. Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1698. Al-Haythami said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id (2/27), Its men are the men of saheeh.

It is not permissible to prostrate on graves, rather that is a kind of idolatry and ignorance, and a sign of intellectual deviation and backwardness. It is not permissible for the visitor to those graves or anyone else to seek blessings from them by touching them, kissing them, clinging with any part of the body to them, or to seek healing from its dirt by rubbing one’s hands or face with it or to take anything from them in order to dilute it with water and wash oneself with it.

It is not permissible for visitors to the grave or others to bury any part of their hair or body or handkerchiefs in them, or to put their pictures or anything else that they may have with them in their soil in order to seek blessing (barakah).

It is not permissible to throw money or any kind of food such as grains etc. on them. Whoever does any of these things has to repent, and not do it again. It is not permissible to perfume them, or to swear to Allaah by their occupants. It is not permissible to ask of Allaah by virtue of their occupants or their status, rather that is a haraam kind of beseeching Allaah and is one of the means that lead to shirk. It is not allowed to build up the graves or erect any structure over them, because this is a means of veneration that leads to shirk. It is not permissible to sell food or perfume etc to one who it is known will use them for such seriously wrong actions.

Seeking the help of the dead or asking them for support or calling upon them and asking them to meet needs and to help alleviates calamity and to bring benefits and ward off hardships are all forms of major shirk which put a person beyond the pale of Islam and make him a worshipper of idols, because no one can relieve a person of worries and distress except Allaah alone with no partner or associate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Such is Allaah, your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All‑Knower (of everything”

[Faatir 35:13-14]

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Call upon those — besides Him whom you pretend [to be gods like angels, ‘Eesa (Jesus), ‘Uzayr (Ezra) and others]. They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you nor even to shift it from you to another person.’

Those whom they call upon [like ‘Eesa (Jesus) ‑ son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzayr (Ezra), angel and others] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allaah), as to which of them should be the nearest; and they [‘Eesa (Jesus), ‘Uzayr (Ezra), angels and others] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!”

[al-Isra’ 17:56-57]

Written by Shaykh Salaah al-Budayr (Imam and Khateeb of the Prophet’s Mosque.)

I wrote about Eleanor just a few months ago – and yet the requests keep coming for this one.

Thanks to Jillian for suggesting the slightly different Elinor as Name of the Day.

Jillian dropped me a line after Elinor Ostrom nabbed the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics, along with her colleague Oliver E. Williamson.  (Technically, it is the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2009.)  Ostrom is a member of the faculty at Indiana University, and the first woman to win the award.

It’s no surprise when Elinor triumphs in academics.  The name sounds smart.  Other notable bearers include Elinor Brent-Dyer, the author of the beloved Chalet School series poet Elinor Wylie, who wrote in the 1920s, and aviatrix Elinor Smith, one of the earliest female pilots – who was still serving as a test pilot in her 80s, just a few years ago.

But is it really a different name than Eleanor?  Actress Elinor Fair graduated from vaudeville to silent movies, shedding the name Eleanor Crowe along the way.  So did Father Knows Best alum Elinor Donahue, who was born Mary Eleanor Donahue.

It was also the spelling Jane Austen used for heroine Elinor Dashwood, the eldest sister in Sense and Sensibility.  She’s both sensible and selfless, even in the face of heartache and worse – a sharp contrast to her fanciful, emotional younger sister Marianne.

While Eleanor is a legendary French queen with a romantic edge, Elinor is the practical, capable type.  So maybe it’s no surprise that Eleanor is more popular – a Top 100 pick for decades, from the 1890s into the 1940s.  Elinor peaked at #252 in 1916, and left the rankings entirely after 1953.

But are they different names?

While it’s true that Noor, meaning light, is an Arabic name, I’m not clear why some sites indicate that Elinor is of Arabic origin.  The Scandinavian Elin is a variant of Helen, but linking Elinor to Elin also feels like a stretch.

Instead, it seems as if Elinor was an alternate spelling for Eleanor.  As early as the 13th century, a few fleeting references to Elinora, Elinaor and Alianore suggest that while others emulated the queen’s name, a standard spelling was elusive.  That’s no surprise.

It’s complicated by the modern assumption that Eleanor is the correct version.  For example, a 13th century manuscript listed a wealthy Elinor, but over the years her name was standardized to Eleanor.  As late as the 1700s, entrepreneur Eleanor Coade was occasionally listed as Elinor Coade.

Sometime in the late 1500s, we start to see Elinor in more regular use, right alongside Eleanor.  While she’s yet to reappear in the US Top 1000, Katie Couric bestowed the name on her daughter.  El- names continue to be all the rage – in 2008, Ella was #19; Ellie #167; Eliana #203; Elise #218 and Elle #494.  It’s easy to imagine parents adopting Elinor – a trim, perfectly legitimate alternative spelling that would fit right in with Katharine and Isobel.

And yet the same warnings apply – sophisticated or not, Elinor will do a lot of spelling.

Noor Faleh Almaleki is recuperating at an Arizona hospital after being viciously assaulted by her own father.

The 20-year-old student was walking in a parking lot with close friend, 43-year-old Amal Edan, when her father ran both of them over with is Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The reason for this travesty? Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, believed that his daughter had become “too ‘Westernized,” also noting that she was not living according to “traditional Iraqi values.”

About one year ago Noor was scheduled to be married against her will in an arranged ceremony. She objected to the ritual, and left home, moving in boyfriend and his mother.

This attack undoubtedly adds more stains to the image of Islam, and those whom practice its teaching, with each “honor killing” attack giving mainstream media outlets more opportunities to slander a beautiful religion.

“It’s reprehensible,” said Ibrahim Ramey of  the Muslim American Society. “It’s wrong.”

The young Almaleki suffered horrendous injuries during the attack and is currently listed in “life-threatening” condition. Hassan Almaleki was last seen at the crime scene and has yet to be apprehended.

He was last seen in a grey or silver Jeep Cherokee (2000) with Arizona license plate ADS-9192.

A Muslim American man recently ran down his own daughter in a car because she was “too Westernized” and was not living in accordance with traditional Iraqi values. Or, to put it another way, an extremely conservative man attempted to murder his own daughter for being too liberal. She survived, but her injuries are life threatening.

Without the slightest hint of irony, Christian American right wingers are already frothing at the mouth over the evils of Islam, and “cleverly” using the phrase “religion of peace” in a sarcastic fashion. They blame Islam for driving a man to attempt the murder his own child. But isn’t child killing at the heart of both Christianity and Judaism as well?

Noor Faleh Almaleki

Where muslims have burqas, conservatives have these. Where muslims hold women as property, conservatives hold them as second class citizens. Where muslims practice honor killings for fornicators, conservatives merely use promiscuity as an excuse to defend rapists.

Whenever I see conservative Christians freaking out over the “evils” of Islam I can’t help but laugh. They simultaneously struggle to advance conservatism in American while attacking other cultures for having particularly advanced strains of conservatism. And you know all those honor killings, child genital mutilations, and genocide in the Koran? That’s in the Bible, too.

“God is the light of the heavens and the earth.
The semblance of His light
Is that of a niche in which is a lamp,
The flame within a glass,
The glass a glittering star as it were,
Lit with the oil of a blessed tree,
The olive, neither of the East nor of the West,
Whose oil appears to light up
Even though fire touches it not,
Light upon light.
God guides to His light whom He will.
So does God advance precepts of wisdom for men,
For God has knowledge of every thing.”

Al-Qur’an 24:35 (Ahmed Ali)

The article was published in Dawn in 2005.

Source: http://dawn.com/2005/09/06/nat2.htm

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Nur Khan reminisces ’65 war

ISLAMABAD, Sept 5:

Air Marshal (retired) Nur Khan, the man who led the airforce achieve complete superiority over the three times bigger Indian airforce on the very first day of the 1965 war, had all but resigned the post the very day that he took command of Pakistan Air Force on July 23, 1965.

“Rumours about an impending operation were rife but the army had not shared the plans with other forces,” Air Marshal Nur Khan said.

Sharing his memoirs with Dawn on the 40th anniversary of 1965 war, Air Marshal Khan said that he was the most disturbed man on the day, instead of feeling proud. Air Marshal (retired) Asghar Khan while handing over the command to Nur Khan had not briefed him about any impending war because he was not aware of it himself.

So, in order to double check, Nur Khan called on the then Commander-in-Chief, General Musa Khan. Under his searching questions Gen Musa wilted and with a sheepish smile admitted that something was afoot. Nur Khan’s immediate reaction was that this would mean war. But, Gen Musa said you need not to worry as according to him Indians would not retaliate. Then he directed a still highly skeptical Nur Khan to Lt-Gen Akhtar Hasan Malik, GOC Kashmir, the man in-charge of “Operation Gibraltar” for further details.

The long and short of his discussion with Gen Malik was, “don’t worry, because the plan to send in some 800,000 infiltrators inside the occupied territory to throw out the Indian troops with the help of the local population”, was so designed that the Indians would not be able retaliate and therefore the airforce need not get into war-time mode. A still incredulous Nur Khan was shocked when on further inquiry he found that except for a small coterie of top generals, very few in the armed forces knew about “Operation Gibraltar”.

He asked himself how good, intelligent and professional people like Musa and Malik could be so naive, so irresponsible. For the air marshal, it was unbelievable. Even the then Lahore garrison commander had not been taken into confidence. And Governor of West Pakistan, Malik Amir Mohammad Khan of Kalabagh did not know what was afoot and had gone to Murree for vacations. It was at this point that he felt like resigning and going home. But then he thought such a rash move would further undermine the country’s interests and, therefore, kept his cool and went about counting his chickens — the entire airforce was too young and too inexperienced to be called anything else then — and gearing up his service for the D-day.

The miracle that the PAF achieved on September 6, to a large extent, is attributed to Nur Khan’s leadership. He led his force from up front and set personal example by going on some highly risky sorties himself. But then no commander, no matter how daring and how professional, can win a battle if his troops are not fully geared to face such challenges and that too within 43 days of change in command.

The full credit for turning the PAF into a highly professional and dedicated fighting machine goes to Air Marshal Asghar Khan who was given charge of the service in 1957.

Thank God, unlike the other service no darbari or sifarishi was given the job. And by the time he left on July 23, 1965, Asghar Khan had turned the PAF into a well-oiled, highly professional and dedicated fighting machine and had trained them on the then best US made fighters, bombers and transport planes. Those who flew those machines and those who maintained them on ground worked like a team, and each one of the PAF member performed beyond the call of duty to make a miracle. The PAF performance had crucially allowed the Army to operate without interference from the Indian airforce.

“The performance of the Army did not match that of the PAF mainly because the leadership was not as professional. They had planned the ‘Operation Gibraltar’ for self-glory rather than in the national interest. It was a wrong war. And they misled the nation with a big lie that India rather than Pakistan had provoked the war and that we were the victims of Indian aggression”, Air Marshal Khan said. When on the second day of war President Gen Ayub wanted to know how we were faring, Musa informed him that the Army had run out of even ammunition.

That was the extent of preparation in the Army. And the information had shocked Gen Ayub so much that it could have triggered his heart ailment, which overtook him a couple of years later. This in short is Nur Khan’s version of 1965 war, which he calls an unnecessary war and says that President Ayub for whom he has the greatest regard should have held his senior generals accountable for the debacle and himself resigned.

This would have held the hands of the adventurers who followed Gen Ayub. Since the 1965 war was based on a big lie and was presented to the nation a great victory, the Army came to believe its own fiction and has used since, Ayub as its role model and therefore has continued to fight unwanted wars — the 1971 war and the Kargil fiasco in 1999, he said. In each of the subsequent wars we have committed the same mistakes that we committed in 1965.

Air Marshal Khan demanded that a truth commission formed to find out why we failed in all our military adventures. It is not punishment of the failed leadership that should be the aim of the commission but sifting of facts from fiction and laying bare the follies and foibles of the irresponsible leaders in matters with grave implications for the nation. It should also point out the irregularities committed in training and promotions in the defence forces in the past so that it is not repeated in future. Mr Khan believes that our soldiers when called upon have fought with their lives but because of bad leadership their supreme sacrifices went waste. And after every war that we began we ended up taking dictation from the enemy — at Tashkant, at Simla and lastly at Washington.

He said at present Pakistan is engaged in another war, this time in Waziristan. This war can also end up in a fiasco and politically disastrous for the federation if it is fought with the same nonchalance and unprofessionally as we did the last three wars. He, therefore, called for an immediate change of command at the GHQ insisting that President Gen Pervez Musharraf should appoint a full-time Chief of Army Staff and restore full democracy in the country.

He suggested appointment of an independent chief election commissioner in consultation with all the political parties. “Look at India.There a religious party comes in power and nobody cries foul and it goes out of power and nobody alleges rigging.

We can also do this,” he added. And we must make unified efforts to restore the country in the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam. Turn it into a non-theocratic and truly democratic state. And all the three forces should model themselves on the lines set by Asghar Khan when he was commanding the PAF, he suggested.

Many fortunate things have occurred since my last brief update. I believe I have spoken of new ribbons, wooden circles, and the finding of fairs, apparently a little fairy was listening because all three came true! Yesterday the shipment of ribbons galore arrived and they are lovely ribbons that come in a better color assortment than available at craft stores nearby.

Ah, September.  The leaves change color, apples of every possible variety can be found in stacks at the Farmers’ Market and me?

I’m glued to the television:

• Okay, not really.  I missed the debut of the rebooted Melrose Place the other night.  (Though I was sorry to miss Bronx’s mom in action.)  This edition includes an Ella and a Violet, as well as a female Riley.  On the masculine side, there’s Auggie and Jonah;
• Also on TV, I hear that Glee’s characters include Finn (a boy) and Quinn (a girl). Of course they’re dating;
• Before there was Twilight, there was The Vampire Diaries.  Now a series on the CW, Elena is torn between blood-sucking centuries-young, suntan-challenged brothers Stefan and Damon;
• Technically this is big screen news – So You Think You Can Dance alum Kherington Payne has a lead role as Alice in the big screen remake of Fame.  But will Kherington catch on for girls?  Or the Dynasty-esque original, Carrington? 

Also on the big screen, there’s Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.  Stand by for boys called Aldo, after Brad Pitt’s hyper-masculine hero.  (The character was named after a real-life tough guy actor from the 50s and 60s, Aldo Ray.)   There’s also the heart-breaking Jewish-French Shosanna, a name memorably yelled by the creepy Nazi Sicherheitsdienst officer Hans Landa, and her alias Emmanuelle.

Onto starbaby news:

• Yup, Nicole Richie and Benji Madden named their boy Sparrow.  He’s sure to fly to the top of worst celeb baby name lists.  Some rumblings suggest that Sparrow was inspired by a Simon & Garfunkel song, but the parents have yet to confirm the theory;
• Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans welcomed  a daughter named Ella Betsi Janet.  Ella is fine and I adore Betsy.  Janet is engagingly retro.  But Ella Betsi together seems like a deconstructed version of Elizabeth.  What’s next?  Ella Noor?  Nia Cole?  The mind reels;
• Country music’s Zac Brown and wife have welcomed a daughter named Georgia Sloan, little sister to Lucy and Justice – both girls, too;
• Katherine Heigl has confirmed that she is about to follow in a family tradition and adopt from Korea. (Hat tip to Photoquilty.) The baby on the way is to be named Naleigh.  It’s a smoosh of family names – mom Nancy and sister Leigh.  It’s a lovely thought, but all of a sudden, Sparrow seems perfectly reasonable.

Should you find yourself in a pediatrician’s office this month, pick up the current issue of Parents Magazine – there’s an extensive article on baby naming.  For true name aficionados, it is not exactly news.  (Though the report of one couple’s use of a name consultant was interesting and it was among the better coverage I’ve seen in a mainstream publication.)  But the big takeaway?  Laura Wattenberg contributed her Top Ten picks for the most popular names of 2019:

GIRLS:  Lila, Peyton, Lucy, Violet, Aubrey, Amelia, Piper, Ruby, Juliet and Harper.

BOYS: Miles, Rowan, Lincoln, Eli, Jude, Cooper, Wyatt, Ryder, Lucas and Henry.

I’ll have to do some thinking about her lists – some strike me as spot on, others … maybe not so much.  But seriously, if Laura Wattenberg is touting them as the likely hot names of 2019?  That alone might be enough to make it so.

Thanks for reading!

In the 21st Century, we live in a world where sadly, the essential ingredients of trustworthiness and honesty are no longer a part of the character of many people, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.  Whilst the two qualities are inextricably entwined, for the purposes of this article trustworthiness, particularly fulfilling promises shall be the focus.

Being trustworthy implies being honest, fair in dealings and punctual, as well as honouring trusts and keeping promises and commitments.   This is known as amanah in Arabic. The meaning of amanah is exactly trustworthiness, or, it is something or someone left to another to protect or keep.  The opposite of amanah is betrayal or even treason.  That is, to fail to keep the amanah in the way the person who left it expected  and wanted it to be.

In Islam every believer is a brother or sister to the another; we are one body, one nation.  The right hand must be able to trust the left hand. The commands and rules from Allah SWT are designed for our benefit and Islam holds people’s rights in high esteem.  Furthermore, Islam encourages its believers to trust each other and to assume that the intentions of others are good. It is important to think positively about others unless proven otherwise because such feelings of certitude give individuals inner peace.  However, sadly nowadays people are increasingly finding it difficult to trust others because broken promises, pledges and vows result in a loss of confidence in one another which is detrimental to society as a whole.

If we sit and ponder over how easy it is to say ‘I promise’ we soon realise that guarding those promises and living up to them is the difficult part of the equation.  This is why a promise should only be made if we are absolutely sure that we can fulfil it. More often than not, we find excuses to explain away why we did not keep that promise, while the party to whom we made the promise awaits impatiently, in the belief and hope that we will fulfil it.  As a result of breaking the promise we hurt our brother or sister beyond words and the fragile walls of trust and confidence begin to break down.

We also forget that a delayed promise is also a denied promise! When we say ‘Insha Allah’s, we drag the Name of Allah in vain, and make Allah a witness, to a promise we really did not intend to keep in the first place. We may also be so irresponsible and forgetful and be oblivious to the fact that fulfilling a promise is indeed a debt on us, which is witnessed by none other than Allah SWT!!  Furthermore, shockingly these days we see more and more individuals who are not only careless about keeping promises but consider treason (betrayal of trust) to be clever and some people may even brag about their actions to others.

Both promises and covenants involve saying something about an issue to confirm that you will uphold the trust.   Allah SWT praises the believers by promising them Paradise:

“Those who are faithfully true to their amanah (all the duties which Allah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts, etc.) and to their covenants…these indeed are the inheritors.  Who shall inherit Paradise.  And dwell therein forever” (Quran 23:8, 23:10-11)

Allah SWT orders the believers to fulfil their covenant time and time again in the Quran:

“And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about.” (17:34)

“And fulfill the Covenant of Allah (Bai’ah: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted.” (16:91)

“O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations.” (5:1)

“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.” (61:2,3)

“Whoever fulfills his promise and guards (against evil), Surely Allâh loves those who guard (against evil).” [3:76]

“…Surely every promise shall be questioned about.” (17:39)

Furthermore there are a number of ahadith in which Prophet Muhammad (s) described those who go around breaking promises, as one having a characteristic of a Nifaaq (hypocrisy).

On the authority of Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (s) said:

“Four traits whoever possesses them is a Munaafiq (hypocrite) and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it.” [Bukhaari, and Muslim]

Hypocrisy, involves deception, scheming and presenting an outward appearance of good while concealing its opposite.

In the Shari’a, hypocrisy is of two types:

a) Greater (An-Nifaaq Al-Akbar):

To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing within that which negates all or some of that.

This is the hypocrisy, which the Prophet (s) confronted during his life and the ones who Allah said in the Qur’an that they are in

“the lowest depth of hell-fire”.

b) Lesser (An-Nifaaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action:

To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that. This form of hypocrisy is built on the things mentioned in the above hadith.

In another tradition Prophet Muhamed (s) has said:

“There are three signs of a hypocrite: when he talks he speaks untruth, when he makes a promise he does not keep it, and when he makes a contract he deceives, although he may be offering prayers, observing fast and calling himself a Mus1im.”

Fulfilling promises is essential for a person who wishes to live a social life; it is the basis for social happiness, development, and success. Islam so greatly condemns the violation of promises that it has made it illegal and unethical for its followers to violate their oaths even if they were made with tyrants and desolates.

Promises can be intentionally and unintentionally broken.

Intentional promises are those that are made by an individual knowing full well that he/she intends to break it. They are lies and lying is a punishable sin in Islam. Making promises to children, for example, and then not fulfilling them falls under this category. To no other group of individuals are broken promises more devastating, than to children. Children are like elephants, they almost never forget. If you promise a child something, they will remember that promise, even though they may not verbalise it to you. The promises themselves may seem silly or unimportant at the time but they do count on our record of evil deeds.  Extreme caution should be taken when uttering a promise whether it is to an adult or a child. As the above verse says a liar falls under the pale of hypocrisy.

Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (s) prohibited men from breaking promises to their children. He said:

“And a man shall not make a promise to his child and not fulfill it.”

Abdullah said:

“Lies are of no use in either seriousness or jest. Also, it is not right for someone to promise something to his/her child/children and then fail to fulfil that promise.” (Related by Abu Dawood.)

Below is an extract by a Doctor illustrating the tragic events, which can occur if promises are broken:

“A sixteen year old boy who robbed every day was brought to me for treatment. I discovered that when the boy was seven or eight years old, his father had forced him to give his toy to an aristocrat’s daughter, for whom his father worked. That toy, to the boy, represented an ultimate dream for he had worked hard to get it. The boy’s father promised to buy a substitute toy but had unintentionally forgot. The hopeless boy sought revenge by stealing a piece of candy from his father’s pocket. A day later the boy broke into a house and stole some item.    It was not difficult to treat the boy when he was brought to me. It is possible that the boy would have come to be a dangerous criminal if he was not properly treated. But now his chances of becoming a reasonable and self-confident individual are much greater.” (Dr. Alindi)

This illustrates that by keeping our promises to our children, we are also teaching them the importance of honour and commitment. By keeping our word to them, they will in turn learn to keep promises made to us and to their peers, inshaa Allah.

Unintentional promises are ones that you make in good faith. You plan to fulfil them but then you either forget to do it or lack the means to follow through with it. In this event, breaking these promises is not punishable as Allah SWT judges us by the intention we carry in our hearts. For example, you promise your sister you will buy her new clothing for doing well in exams but find that you cannot afford to do so when the time comes around to doing so. You have no choice but to break the promise.  It is still, however, best to try your hardest to fulfil these promises because breaking one’s promise is despicable and contrary to the spirit of Islam.

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

“And keep the promise; the promise is a responsibility.” (17:34)

Oaths to Allah – these are vows or oaths that you make directly to Allah Almighty. There are two types of these as well. The first being a ‘conditional oath’, which means that in times of distress or fear you make an oath to Allah. For example, you swear to Allah that if He heals you of a malady that you will fast every Monday for the rest of your life. And once the malady passes you might fulfil the oath or neglect it. The second is an ‘unconditional oath’ which means that you simply decide to do something for the sake of Allah. For example, you promise Allah to give a certain percentage of your salary each month to a special charity for two complete years. Again it is up to you whether or not you keep the oath. No one knows you made the oath but Allah right? Both of these types of oaths are obligations and must be fulfilled as they are considered to be acts of worship. Breaking a covenant made to Allah Almighty is very grave indeed.

In a narration, a group of Khawarij were captured during the time of Hajjaj, who reviewed their cases and sentenced them as he wished. When the last man was standing in front of Hajjaj waiting for his sentence, time for prayer arrived. Hajjaj heard the call for prayer and turned the prisoner over to a noble man and told him to bring him back in the morning. The noble man left the palace with the prisoner.

As they were walking the prisoner said:

“I am not one of the Khawarij. I ask Allah by His Mercy to prove my innocence, for I am an innocent hostage in their hands. I ask you to let me spend the night with my wife and children so I can leave my will with them. I promise that I will return before the roaster crows in the morning. After a moment of silence, the noble man agreed to the man’s insistence and permitted him to go home for the night. A short time later the noble man fell victim to his fear and imagined that he would be the subject of Hajjaj’s fury.

That night the man woke up terrified and was astonished to hear the prisoner, who he had given permission to go home, knocking at his door as he had promised.

This noble man was overwhelmed with surprise and could not help but exclaim:

“Why have you come to my door’?

The prisoner replied: “He who recognizes Allah’s greatness and power, and makes Him a witness to his oath, must fulfil his promise.

The noble man proceeded with the prisoner to the palace of Hajjaj, and narrated to him the complete story. Hajjaj, who is known for his ruthlessness, was so moved by the man’s honesty that he allowed him to go free.

So in conclusion, we should commit ourselves to the noble character and behaviour of our Rasool (s) and his companions in every way in every aspect of our lives.  This includes good conduct, remembrance, recitation of the Quran, honesty and truthfulness, being humble towards others, enjoining good and forbidding evil, feeling bad for one’s sins, giving sadaqah and seeking Allah SWTs forgiveness all the time.  We must be aware that we cannot just take one part and abandon another part of the religion.  As a final remark in relation to this article is that people should always remember that quite simply, broken promises hurt individuals and can erode relationships. Trustworthiness is too valuable of a characteristic to own.

DON’T GIVE IT AWAY AND DON’T FORGET that keeping a promise, even if it seems SMALL, as the verses of the Quran show, is an adequate reason to gain the most bejewelled of all things; the love of Allah, Almighty.

May Allah SWT guide us all to the truth, help us to be just with one another, to be mindful of the vows and promises we make to one another and keep us on the Straight path.   May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) and upon his family and companions and all those that follow him, and all praise is due to Allah.

AMEEN.

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A Muslim community leader who claimed he was kidnapped from his home at knifepoint and dumped in woodland after a BNP hate campaign has been arrested for perverting the course of justice. Noor Ramjanally, 36, alleged that he was abducted by two men, bundled into a car boot, driven to Epping Forest in Essex and ordered to stop his religious work. The BNP had been accused of whipping up racial tensions in the area after it issued an inflammatory leaflet about Mr Ramjanally’s Islamic community group – the first in Loughton.

His alleged ordeal became a cause celebre among the Muslim community both locally and nationally after it was reported in the national press. But today, Mr Ramjanally was, himself, arrested amid suggestions that he made the whole incident up. An Essex Police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested in connection with an ongoing police investigation into an alleged abduction in west Essex.

It’s not a serious piece of kit, but you can have some serious fun with this little camera.  When I read the review, I thought it was a little gimmicky.  Then I saw the Stuff TV video review, and I couldn’t wait to buy one.  The Canon D10 is the best companion on wet holidays.

Here are some example shots from our little trial earlier this afternoon.

Update 9 September 2009: Some more underwater shots.  This time, Yousef and Noor were joined by my niece, Dania.

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Stage Performance by Nargis