^ WOW! So many are taking offense to the word "deity", let me give you a brief lesson in the English language: Deity: A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, respected and worshiped by believers.

Looks like something straight out of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"...

aniga waxba ma dhihin, adiga ba danbiga leh waxaas waayey sababka aad u soo noqotay so go now and repent your sin... In any case, as I have state the word "Allah" many times, I don't think I have the "allergy" you refer to

Originally posted by Ashkiro: Ailamos, why thank you, I shall, and by all means continue to refer to Allah SWT with all the other false "deities". Take care now.

^ Oh boy! I don't want to get into more arguments ya Haatu... anyway, to answer your question, I believe Salaf translates to "predecessor" and Salafi would mean someone who follows the way of the predecessors...

Old article, not sure if it was posted: By Mukul Devichand In London's historic "Inns of Court", barristers practise law in the shadow of the distinctive medieval Temple Church. But does English law really owe a debt to Muslim law? For some scholars, a historical connection to Islam is a "missing link" that explains why English common law is so different from classical Roman legal systems that hold sway across much of the rest of Europe. It's a controversial idea. Common law has inspired legal systems across the world. What's more, calls for the UK to accommodate Islamic Sharia law have caused public outcry. The first port of call when looking for an eastern link in the common law is London's Inns of Court. "You are now leaving London, and entering Jerusalem," says Robin Griffith-Jones, the Master of the Temple Church, as he walks around its spectacular rotunda. The church stands in the heart of the legal district and was built by the Knights Templar, the fierce order of monks-turned-warriors who fought Muslim armies in the Crusades. London's historic legal district, with its professional class of independent lawyers, has parallels with the way medieval Islamic law was organised. In Sunni Islam there were four great schools of legal theory, which were often housed in "madrassas" around mosques. Scholars debated each other on obscure points of law, in much the same way as English barristers do. There is a theory that the Templars modelled the Inns of Court on Muslim ideas. But Mr Griffith-Jones suggests it is pretty unlikely the Templars imported the madrassa system to England. They were suppressed after 1314 - yet lawyers only started congregating in the Inns of Court after the 1360s. Perpetual endowment This doesn't necessarily rule out the Templars' role altogether. Medieval Muslim centres of learning were governed under a special legal device called the "waqf" under which trustees guaranteed their independence. In an oak-panelled room in Oxford, historian Dr Paul Brand explains the significance of the 1264 statute that Walter De Merton used to establish Merton College. He was a businessman with connections to the Knights Templar. The original 1264 document that established Merton has parallels with the waqf because it is a "perpetual endowment" - a system where trustees keep the college running through the ages. It's been used as a template across the Western world. Dr Brand says many branches of Western learning, from mathematics to philosophy, owe a debt of gratitude to Islamic influence. Advanced Arabic texts were translated into European languages in the Middle Ages. But there's no record of Islamic legal texts being among those influencing English lawyers. And Dr Brand pointed out the Knights Templar were, after all, crusaders. They wanted to fight Muslims, not to learn from them, and they were rarely close enough to observe their institutions at work. But the fact remains that England in the Middle Ages had very distinct legal principles, like jury trial and the notion that "possession is nine tenths of the law". And there was one other place in Europe that had similar legal principles on the books in the 12th Century. Jury trial From the end of the 9th to the middle of the 11th Century, Sicily had Muslim rulers. Many Sicilians were Muslims and followed the Maliki school of legal thought in Sunni Islam. Maliki law has certain provisions which resemble English legal principles, such as jury trial and land possession. Sicily represented a gateway into western Europe for Islamic ideas but it's unclear how these ideas are meant to have travelled to England. Norman barons first invaded Sicily in 1061 - five years before William the Conqueror invaded England. The Norman leaders in Sicily went on to develop close cultural affinities with the Arabs, and these Normans were blood relations of Henry II, the English king credited with founding the common law. But does that mean medieval England somehow adopted Muslim legal ideas? There is no definitive proof, because very few documents survive from the period. All we have is the stories of people like Thomas Brown - an Englishman who was part of the Sicilian government, where he was known in Arabic as "Qaid Brun". He later returned to England and worked for the king during the period when common law came into being. There is proof he brought Islamic knowledge back to England, especially in mathematics. But no particular proof he brought legal concepts. There are clear parallels between Islamic legal history and English law, but unless new historical evidence comes to light, the link remains unproven. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7631388.stm

Originally posted by Ashkiro: I don't think a believer in Allah SWT would ever utter the words "if as per your ignorant assumption I don't believe in deity (be it God/Allah/Yahweh/Shiva) then that does not negate recognition of one of the foremost institutions of learning in the Muslim world and one of the oldest in the world." Deity? Come again? as Muslims we Revere the Name of Our Lord. This is too funny. OK Ashkiro, by all means, please be entitled to your assumptions

@How do you become a senior nomad on here? I thought it's by the number of posts?!? No?

Hey Castro, the lack of common sense in this thread is astounding!

Originally posted by Ashkiro: anyone who rejected the deen of Allah SWT advice on anything deen related is taken with a grain of salt. You're still going on by your baseless assumptions, you're very resilient I see What proof is there that the "anyone" in question has or has not rejected the "deen of Allah"?

Originally posted by Ashkiro: I do see where the other posters are coming from and judging from the comment of Madina having "rigid interpretations" reinforces their sentiments. So basically it's either accept a certain (rigid) interpretation without discourse or be branded as a kafir... sounds Salafi to me

Another excellent post...

^ I second that Nur, excellent letter from the late King. Thanks for posting it.

Originally posted by Abtigiis & Tusbax: I respect ailamos. He is a fair guy. I am humbled A&T

Originally posted by Blessed.*: ^Ignore it, ailamoS. Takfiirism seems to be in vogue now. You're right Blessed, I think to ignore them would be best, I haven't used my ignore list yet, it does amaze me though how takfiirism has become a fashionable position amongst the self-righteous here... I think both universities have strengths in different departments. If you're interested in studying law, history and the sciences in an Islamic context, Al Azhar is your best bet. Madinah is good for aqeedah and fiqh of sunnah etc. Living in a Madinah for few years it's an accomplishment on it's own though- that place is simply amazing! That's true. I've been to Al Azhar and was thoroughly impressed by everything... no wonder it's been the locus of Islamic learning for over 1000 years... As far as Madina is concerned, I'm not a big fan of its propagation of Salafism and rigid interpretations... Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to visit that beautiful city, it is on my list should I return to the Middle East. Speaking of religious schools, some people I know went off to the International Islamic University Malaysia and had nothing but praise for it, particularly its progressive attitude. Apparently, it is sponsored by eight different governments from the OIC. It should be noted that prominent Islamic feminist Dr. Amina Wadud is a faculty member there.

Originally posted by Abaay Heylay: ^^I dont think your advice matter to the poster because why would anyone even want take advise for someone like you who doesn not believe in Allah. Is like me telling someone the best church to go would be.. when I dont even belive in their religion. Ignorant, self-righteous quacks are abound in this forum aren't they? This deserves no extensive response from my part. I will just recommend you go to your mosque lad and seek forgiveness because you just took up the job of your deity by judging others (you know nothing about).

Originally posted by Khayr: quote: Originally posted by ailamos: Go to Al Azhar... Why? If you don't believe in the deen and Allah anymore, why would you espouse for one religious institution over another? I believe I was addressing the poster... if as per your ignorant assumption I don't believe in deity (be it God/Allah/Yahweh/Shiva) then that does not negate recognition of one of the foremost institutions of learning in the Muslim world and one of the oldest in the world. So, please take your ridiculous grudges elsewhere.

gracias por el link, tienes alguna sellos de Somalia o Somaliland? if not, then perhaps some of this community can send you some? solo tiene que pedir ...

Go to Al Azhar...

^ what he said...

Although I am no fan of the Palestinians or the Arabs for that matter, in my opinion, Israel occupies the same moral plain as the surrounding countries, if not lower. They being in the position of power have the ability to make peace, by giving the Palestinians a fair deal... that is should they be interested in peace at all.

Although I think there is no need for new mods, if I had to choose, I would only pick Ibtisam from that list...

On the Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Somalis In a paper about Somalia, Tatiana Nenova writes that "...the private sector has demonstrated its much-vaunted capability to make do. To cope with the absence of the rule of law, private enterprises have been using foreign jurisdictions or institutions to help with some tasks, operating within networks of trust to strengthen property rights, and simplifying transactions until they require neither. Somalia’s private sector experience suggests that it may be easier than is commonly thought for basic systems of finance and some infrastructure services to function where government is extremely weak or absent..." A discussion analysing this assertion had a number of conclusions in their introductory remarks Ian Bannon and Tim Harford stated that "...Entrepreneurs in Somalia have used three tactics to operate in an institutional vacuum. First, they have “imported institutions,” for example by using banking systems in nearby countries. Second, they have used clans and other local networks of trust to help with contract enforcement, payment and transmission of funds. Third, they have simplified transactions to a point where other tactics are not needed. How can these tactics be reinforced or defended? Are there others that can be supported? There are inherent limits to what the private sector can achieve without the support of a capable state to enforce property rights and provide basic public goods. But there is also a risk that a failed state will be replaced by a predatory one. How can fledgling states be encouraged to support, rather than predate on, entrepreneurs? Entrepreneurs often need to bridge religious, ethnic or tribal boundaries to get things done. Can entrepreneurship be harnessed for peace and reconciliation?..."

The Arabs exploited Africa, then the Europeans, followed by America, now China is exploiting Africa, then India will exploit Africa, followed by Brazil, then XXXX will exploit Africa, so on and so forth... XXXX = insert emerging economy

Good job with the list Adam, I started looking up some of the sites... not many know about the cultural and historical significance of Somali civilization and it's up to us to publicize our heritage to the world... Here's some stuff I found online: Saylac Ruins (Sultanate of Adal): I think this is Saylac as well but I'm not sure: Eyl Castle: Laas Geel: Laas Qoray Ruins in 2009: Fakhr-ud-Deen Mosque This may be Taleex Ruins at Sheikh http://www.flickr.com/photos/68984054@N00/4687805/