Good advice indeed, however advices 2, 6, and 14 2. Reality of Islam has never changed, reality of the West is continously changing, they do not have a single standard of " Westernerness" while Islam as a concept has endured 1400 years without fundemental change. Reality of Muslims is different than Reality of Islam, therefore the comparison shows that "Muslims" are at times more westernized than the western. 6. Agree with any statement that agrees with Quraan and Sunnah, Not people, for the sake of good conversation 14. Western women are raised to accept every lifestyle , they see as a personal choice and they respect it, thus the Dancer and a person who doesnt object to it even if they dont do it are not far apart in morality from Islam's perspective. We as " Muslims" have our own decadent lot, a Muslim turist was once asked by a cabbie of he wants a night girl, the Toursit said, " I am muslim", the cabbie said " I have Muslim girls" my point is our realities in terms of morality is at times very close if not identitical, but our principlas are far apart. Nur

Kheir brother Great topic, here is my Top Ten Wish List: 1.Al Tabari, Ibn Katheer, Ibn Atheer, ( Quraan plus History) 2. Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasaee, Ibn Majah, Abi Daud, Muslim and Ibn Salaah ( Hadeeth) 3. The imams( Shafici, Hanifah, Maliki, Xanbali, Leith) ( Fiqh) 4. Al Shatibi ( Maqaasid) this scholar really amazes me 5. Sheikh Tirmidhi Al Hakim, and Al Qarafi ( Maqaasid) 6. Xujjatullah Al Dahlawi ( Maqaasid) 7. Ibn Taymiyah and Sayyid Qutb (Heavy Duty Aqeedah) 8. Ibn Qayim Al Jawzia ( Aqeedah, tazkiyahtul nafs) 9. Sibaweyh ( Arabic Grammar) 10. Abul Acla al Mawdudi ( Great Thinkers) Nur

Red Sea Welcome to our family at Somaliaonline Islam pages. Our iman resides in our hearts, our hearts are like the root of a tree, firmly based on the soil of Al Islam, Dhiker ( rememberance of Allah) is for the heart like water is for a tree, a well watered tree has green leaves, flowers and fruits, and if you pull one of its branches it is elastic and flexible, if we fail to water the tree, its leaves will dry up, and if you try to pull one of its stiff branches it will break up as it is too dry to be extended, so when its broken, it is just a piece of wood, the best thing you can do with such a piece of wood, is to place in fire place to burn, likewise, when the heart is full with Dhiker, it makes all other parts of the body soft and lively, responding to Allahs coammandments, if you remind that person to do good, she/he will readily do the good, but when there is no Dhiker in the heart, the persons iman senses will dry up, if you ask them to do good they will resist and as a result break away from their maker, the best thing that can be done with a person who broke away from his lord is to place them in a bigger fire. (( main Idea from Sheikh Tirmidhi Al Hakim, 4th Century Scholar, with eNuri editing ) Nur

Dear Somalia For Life (in Jannah) Alcohol was forbidden for the protection of the human mind, the mind is where our perception of abstract concepts is formed, so it is ultimate purpose is to seek its maker, know Him and drive the person to worship Allah, if the mind is adultered with intoxicants, it will fail in that purpose. Cooking food with wine is a culinary recipe follwed by great cooks, usually wine gives the food a flavor, but the alcohol like you said evaborates upon heating, residual flavor of wine is not forbidden, its just like vinigar, however you must make sure that ALL of the alcohol has indeed evaborated, anything that intoxicates in large amounts, is haraam, even if you take a very small amount. Nur

Ukhti amatillah Baarakallah feek, ya ukhayatii, ana 3arif anti gaaddah awi. Walaalo, Allaha kaa aqbalo du3adaada, there is nothing as refreshing as to know that someone, somewhere, is making du3a for me, for sharing my thoughts about our great faith of islam, wallahi walaalo, words like yours are as refreshing like a pay day after a hard labor in the desert to say the least. Nur

La Vie and Vibe Welcome, why not take part of the Quraan discussion, what is on your mind today? Nur

Didi Sis. The Word ( GEE) is short for jesus, just like holly cow is short for the Hindu Diety. Just a correction. Azmaya made some below the belt comments, that men who engage in polygamous relatiosnships and go to Somalia to find another wife are ugly, outa shape, old, thus undesirable by the young, trendy, pretty looking, intelligent and upscale Somali girls who live in the west, in addition she describes Somali women back home who accept to live in a polygomous relationship with these ugly men as Doormats ( famous description by Emma Goldman, Atheist Femminist ). That is where I wanted your wisdom sis, not that i wanted your expertise in this arena. rather I like your no nonsense approach to controversial topics. Polygamy will stay as long as its conditions exist: 1. Imbalance in number of eligible Faaraxs and Xalimos 2. Adherence to islam ( otherwise Zina is an option for a single Xalimo and a married Faarax) 3. Unfulfilled needs by Faarax. 4. Safeguarding of first marriage ( Otherwise, divorce is an option) Nur

Where are the following SOLers INTIZAR, and MUHAMMAD, you are missed and all others we need to have a SOUL count! ( as opposed to body count) Nur

Roob sis its has been a while since we last read your moving comment, I pray that Allah cleansen you with your responsive big heart, amin. Your participation is appreciated. Nur

Nomads Waxaan idiin xasuusinayaa, idinka iyo nafteyda inaad ku sallisaan Rasuulka Allah, salli badan oo uu Allah naftiisa ka bilabay, farayna malaa'igtiisa, annana na amray. ila dhaha, Allahumma salli calaa Muhammad, wa calaa aali Muhammad, kamaa sallayta calaa aal Ibrahim innaka Xamidun Majid Nur

Didi Kong to the rescue Didi Sister, can you share your ideas here? Nur

Walaal Dirir JZK dareenkaaga Allaha kugu gaarsiiyo waxaad camal ku gaariweysay, dahammanteenna sidaasoo kale, amin Walaal, Warsame iyo kuwa la mida ah oo caddeystay iney diinta ku jirin lama oran karo iney yihiin Murtadd ilaa ay maxkjamad sharci ah xukunkaas fatweyso, maxaa yeelay, sida ka muuqataa waa gaalnimo cad, hadaba, goormuu diinta soo galay si uu uga baxo? taas ayaa is weydiin leh. Wallahu Aclam Nur

Pacifist walaal Good points, deep down inside we are all alike, our fears and dreams are the same, it is only wise who put ourselves in others shoes before judging others or administring them pain. An American soldier in Iraq said that everytime he took the life of an Iraqi, part of his life went with it, when we attack others, it is because we ran out of power of persuation, and reason, the toughest of all battles. Nur

Blessed sis Thanks for taking the time to explain. Nur

Blessed sis You write: Secondly, there isn’t much of a difference between your attitude (as a liberator) and the ‘mullahs’ with regards to women. You both threat us as senseless creatures that need to be saved (liberated) or protected (preached to). 1. Who are the " Mullahs"?you are referring to? 2. If that refers to me or Xiin, or any other Islamic volunteer on this site, is it fair that you appease an Athiest to be meade equal in evil (bad intentions against women) to Wadaads ( Mullahs)? 3. I wrote this statement in the beginning of this thread : I was of the opinion that due to the current circumstances in which we find ourselves, and because of scarcity of sane men and abundance of wise women , that there must be a venue in the Sharia to Justify the leadership of women to safeguard Islam . Where in the above statement or elsewhere did I ever imply that women are senseless creatures? Please present some proofs. This was shocking, specially from Modesty, To say I am concerned, will be a modest protest. Nur

Nomads This eNuri post and others was made possible by a generouos grant from Allah SWT, in the form of (free time, good health, inspiration and energy) without that grant it would not have been possible to share these thoughts, for more posts like these, please make a Duaa or me ( pray for my soul). Jazaakumullah khairan Nur

Dear Brother Xiin I pray that Allah make us all Xunafaa ( plural of Xaniif), Abraham was a Xaniif, Xaniif is one who has his sights on his Lord, and always seeks Him, because from time to time we drift away by the tide, but then, we home-in back to our Lord, leaving all other things for His sake. Al Xanafiyyah which is the nickname of Islm, thus is teh faith who adherents always seek their Lord, by requesting guidnace 17 times a day for the straight path ( 4 rakcah for Zuhr, 4 asr, 3 Maghrib, 4 isha and 2 fajr) with Sunnah, it jumbs to 40 times a day ( including the Qiyaamulleil prayers). Now, being a Xaniif means that we shoud never have preconceived positions on issues except for readiness to align our positions with any proof that is supported by Quraan and Sunnah. I pray for Allah's guidance, and Xusnul Khaatimah. Nur

KHALAF Bro. You ask: My question brother Nur, since Muslims today are not following the sharia are they Kafiroon as the ayat above says? just confused, can't classify someone kafir who says the testimony I know. transgressor-but not kafir? Answer: The testimony is like signing a rental contract for a property, once you sign, you are bound to execute what you have committed to, if on the other hand you sign a rental agreement, without reading it, or understanding its contents, then we have another Aqeedah discussion froum. If you are the landlord, and one of the tennants who signed the tennant contract breaks the contract, and then claims that he does not understand it, what would be your response? Nur

Xiinfaniin walaal You write: But I am still not convinced (though admittedly I am fleeting with more questions than answers) about the rigidity of those processes you cited. Answer: Walaal Xiin , Sharia of Allah is a sacred ordinance, conforming to it is a sign of surrender to Allah, rejecting it is a sign of kufr, as such we must be diligent when presenting it for appication into our lives. Sharia is applied after those whose affairs are in their hands ( Sovereign) have suurrendered to Allah in deed , as a mean for establishing an Islamic State to fulfil its duties entrusted to it by Allah SWT on earth to uphold justice, enjoing what is right and forbid what is evil. An Islamic state in turn has its requirements. Adherence to Sharia law is a form of surrender to Allah's authority, its thus a from of worship, Allah SWT says : inil xukmu illaa lillah, amara allaa tacbuduu illaaa iyaah dhalikal diinul qayim, walaakinna aktharunnasi laa yaclamuun : Meaning; Law making is reserved for Allah SWT, He has ordered that you shall not worship other than Him, (because) that is the right way of life ( Deen) but most people do not realize (the fact) ( since any other judicial power constitutes to be a sovereign, other than Allah, adherence to its law is tantamount to worship othet than Allah ) Such a sacred ordinance can only be carried out by a competent entity like an Islamic State. The state has to be defined in terms of the Sharia auspices from which it will draw its legitimacy, in light of the Quraan and Sunnah. The best definition of an Islamic State in modern times was the one adopted by the delegates of 31 Muslim scolars that convened in Karachi, Pakistan during the conference of ( Establishment Of An Islamic State ) held on the 21 - 24 of January 1951. Here are the set of conditions they have agreed upon as a consensus to be met before a state can be an Islamic State. ( below is my rusty translation from the original document in Arabic ): 1.The Real Power, behind legislation and establisihment of state should belong to ALLAH alone. ( TASHRIIC+ TAKWIIN) in Somali ( Maxaa la isugu tagay ( Qarannimo, Qabiil, Dhul?), maxaana la isku xukumayaa?) 2. There should not be any law, ordinance or a directive that conflicts with the Quraan and Sunnah. 3. The State should not be a geographically, ethnically, regionally, defined state. It should be established on a globalist scope for all mankind, transcending all temporal boundaries. 4. The state must work toward establishing good, and provide all of its means, and prohibit evil, and deter aginst it by all means. 5. The State must work toward the unification of all Muslims all over the world, in deed, and to feel their plight similar to how the human body senses its self , the whole body feeling pain when part of it is in pain. ( Hadeeth) 6. The state must provide for its citizens basic needs of shelter, food , education, healthcare, and specially for the physically or mentally disabled, or the unemployed, State shall not differentiate beneficiaries by social status or ethnic previllage. 7. All citizens without distinction are equal under the Sharia, such as protection of life, property, dignity, freedom of worship, personal freedoms, freedom of speech, freedom to travel without hindrance, freedom of association, freedom of trade, equalm opprtunity for employement and advancemenmt, and equality for reecieving public assistance. 8. No citizen should be denied any of the above rights without a legal decree from Islamic Sharia, no one should be punished without due process of law in an impartial court applying the sharia and extracting its legitimacy from Quraan and sunnah, and allowance for self defense aginst charges. 9. The head of state should be Muslim, Male, Dependable,with clean record, Credible, just, known for his piety, thoughtful and careful decision making method. 10. The head of state should be the Chief Executive of affairs, with previllage to delegate parts of his duties to a person or an institution that he trusts. 11. Head of state should consult according to Shuraa principle with people of knowledge in the specific fields, Ahulul Xal wal caqd (Those most knowledgeable in the Sharia) He should not dictate without consulting them. 12. Head of state should not make any law ineffective, partially or as a whole, and he should not dictate without first conferring with the shuraa committee. 13. The public represented by the ahlul Xal wal caqd ( Those most knowledgeable in the Sharia) reserve the right to elect the head of state, or to relieve him of his responsibility with a majority as Islam has prescribed. 14.Head of State has no immunity against the Sharia law, he is equal with all citizens in right and responsibilities. 15. Members of government, its employees and the public should follow a single process and system, and should equally stand before a public court in the land. 16. The Judicial branch should be separate and independent from the executive branch for passing judgements. 17. No interpretation of any law is allowed if its not in line with quraan and sunnah. 18. State will not tolerate any advocacy activity that clearly opposes Islamic principles, threatening the very existence of the nation. Questions: 1.Based on the above, which comes first the state with its conditions, or the Sharia? 2. We have seen Sharia declared all over the world, from States in Nigeria to Indonesia, where in the spectrum of above are they fitting? 3. You say, that perfection should not be the goal, how much of the above conditions do you see important? 4. I am sure that you agree that Walaa ( allegiance) should be for Allah ALONE, what happenes when its for the Tribe? the rescent clash in Mogadishu was immediately switched from Jihad to targeting a tribe. Walaa being part of tawheed, is it well understood that its for Allah? is it a minor thing in your opinion? Now, my answers to some of your questions. I believe that residents of mogadishu have every right to defend themselves, properties and dignity and faith, if they choose islam as their faith, its should not be for convenience, its a complete set of a devine regimen, applying parts of it and discarding parts is more damaging to Islam as a brand as it makes it ineffective. ( The Sharia will only be applied on common thiefs, not on powerful head of Qabiil) From architecture point of view if you will ( or Anarchitecture in our case), the question that bounces back at you for your suggestion is, if we have to build a wholesome house, shouldnt all parts of the house be designed in a way that will complemet each other? shouldnt they all conform to a standard upon which they will all aspects seamlessly fit? As for your theory of gradual application, in a way I find it conflicting with your previously held stand ( Qowlul Qadeem) that we should stick with Quraan and Sunnah to the fullest without compromise, for which I have shifted my views of gradual change and preferred yours to my old view, its precisely the same argument that will accomodate a female head of state as a need based solution for the Ummah at these troubling times, if we indeed open the door to this gradual change theory, like science of genetics, no one will know where it will lead, its scary at best, we need either a past history of success following this method, or a detailed strategy of how it will happen, you know me, I am flexible, I dont have a permanent position on any issue, just a permanant search of Allah through the guidance of His prophet SAWS Sunnah. Finally about your question on Maqaasidul Shariica on this issue? You see Xiin walaal, Fiqhul Usuul and Maqaasidul Shariica are two complementary disciplines in islamic Jurisprudnece: 1. Fiqhul Usuul, deals with how things are. Its based on proofs ( addillah). In other words, the letter of the law. 2. Maqaasidul Shariica, deals with how things can be. Its based on what the lawmaker intended behind legislation. In other words, the Moral of The law In the application of Sharia law, Maqasidul Sharia places the protection of the Sharia in the first priority level, one notch higher than the protection of life, as you have seen, if Sharia is in place human life, property and dignity can be protected, if its not, then we shall continue in the anarchy in Somalia.Ù therefore, in order to apply the sharia fully, as first priority, all necessary means must be considered, however, it should never be compromised expediciously due to a passing need. Nur

Naden I really liked your analyses, and a lot of it makes a lot of sense, Wisdom, is the lost treasure of a Believer, and he (she) has the first right of refusal to claim it wherever its found ( Hadeeth) and in the context InshAllah I shall respond to your deductions in detail, The discussion is not as structured and defined as I would have liked, and to be comparable to your deductions, the good thing is that your participation will invariably raise the intellectual bar a bit higher for all of us. Nur

Rahima sis Patience walaalo, I read on the Darqawi Dariiqa of Suffism, and its quite interesting what I've learned past couple of days, its quite deep, very deep, very baatiney, we pray that Allah guide us, and make us guides for others thorgh SABR. Nur

JZK , X-quisite sis A great source, I have also posted one of mine. Nur

Dear Naden Baarkallah feek, I tha k you for taking the time for responding. First of all my response was tailored for an old timer with whom I had numerous discussions across many topics for the past 5 years at Somalinet and Somaliaonline, so the choice of my words were tailored for him. we are like football players, we can find the ball without looking, so I apologise if my comments were not as apparent. Walaal You are always allowed to particpate, I am very pleased. You write: Contribution to economy and leadership in a society do not mix? Answer: I have to take you back, economic acheivement has never been a benchmark for selecting leadership in Islam, ( Highest office )men or women. Piety and decisivenes has been. You write: I'm not certain what Kofi Annan has to do with women's participation in a society, muslim or otherwise. Muslim women (and men) contribute and work within their societies. They teach, they grow food, they tend to the sick, and they trade. It's not a foreign/UN imposed decree but a way of life fundamental to the survival of communities. Answer: Yes, but lately, Koffe Anan's institution known for its corruption has been vocal in Muslim countries to enable women at the expense of men, to break the structure of the Muslim house in which the male was the bread winner, by creating single parent homes, missing the male figure, our house is in a mess. You write: From my understanding, qiwaamah does not mean trusteeship in the legal/present sense but maintenance/responsibility for in the sense of supporting in interpersonal relationships. Answer: Qiwaamah does among other meanings does include trusteeship, inshallah I will share with you later, again, not all men are trustee to all women, that is not a correct deduction, its only giving men an added responsibility to women, as you have noted to provide for them and protect them, in the social setting of a household. In the Military and Political setting, Qiwamah is again given for men over women, in jIhad, women were exempted from the duty, but those women who volunteered as nurses were accepted at times, in rare cases some Muslims women participated in Jihad. As for ploitical decision making, it has alwasy been customary and understood by all schools of thought that the Xaakim must be a male. You write: Participation in the economy is a reality for muslim women. Answer: Yes it is, unfortunately, the Islamic vision of participation is different that that current one. Allah provides Rizq, even if women stay home to care for the kids, men will be given a Rizq twice as he earned when his wife was working 9-5, 5 days a week, hardly having time to see her hubby or kids, Allah SWT says in Quraan : Wa mur ahlakja bissalaati wa astabir calayhaa, laa nas'aluka rizqaa, naxnu narzuquk, wal caaqibatu littaqwaa", meaning " Order your family members to perform regular prayers, (and when they resist) be patient and tolerant ( do not stop this activity for seeking money)we do not ask you to find your own RIZQ, we will provide (RIZQ) sustenance for you (and family) and at the end, those with TAQWA will have the (last laugh) (those who look things from Allah;s perspective and follow his commandments) Rizq can be iman( Faith), wealth, friends, family, happiness, inspiration, education, children, anything that adds positive value to a person is a from of Rizq. Things for their sake we neglect our prayers. Nur

Zulfa walaal Ikhlaas is the soul of our faith, without, we can become show-off boastful people who are driven by praise of others, if that is the case Allah will not reward us for our deeds. You see, walaal, todays media driven world, most people are driven with praise, fame and to be recognized in our feilds of interest, the highest awards in some fields is the Nobel prize, or to be awarded the King Faisal Award for the service of Islam, which I would have awarded to George Bush and Blair, because in my short memory no one has ever caused the stirring of emotions and sending Muslims back to their roots than these two men, so, awards are for recongnition, but human recognition is paid by human awards, we should seek Allah's recognition through selfless deeds that help others, Muslims be they or non Muslims, and never to indulge in any activity that ties Islam with injustice. Nur

Socod Badane How do you define PURPOSE in life? Nur