direct link: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3948752,00.html

Uprooted by war, Somalis find refuge in city gardens Crops - except bananas - give taste of home By Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News July 23, 2005 Sometimes putting down roots means just that. Hamadi Mayange, a 54-year-old refugee from Somalia, looks ill at ease in a community room at his apartment building in east Denver, struggling to explain what he wants with the help of a translator. But at the mention of a wheelbarrow, his eyes light up, and he becomes excited at the prospect of digging in the dirt. "All my work has been farming," he said. "Now, I won't have to go to King Soopers for my cabbage and onions." Mayange is part of a group of Somali Bantu refugees who will break ground this weekend on a community garden in east Denver. Almost all of them were once farmers in Africa, growing corn, tobacco and beans in terrain far different from Colorado. Uprooted by civil war, they spent years in refugee camps in Kenya before being allowed to come to Denver. The garden's 25 lots will sit on vacant land near 13th Avenue and Xenia streets surrounded by three- to four-story apartment buildings that often become a first home to refugees relocating in Denver. The 2-acre empty city lot is now covered with weeds, and it will take volunteers several weeks to lay water lines, put up fences and install gravel paths before planting can begin. The garden will be open to everyone in the neighborhood, though Somali Bantus are expected to be some of the main tenants. A play area for the many children who live nearby also will be part of the project. Dozens of Somali Bantu refugee families live in the nearby Mercy Housing apartment complex, and many families have expressed an interest in getting a plot. Moving to Denver has been a shock for most because they spent their lives in rural areas and had never even seen snow. "Can I grow a banana tree?" Mayange asks Michael Buchenau, executive director of Denver Urban Gardens, during a meeting last month. Buchenau tells him that he can't grow bananas in Colorado but assures him "you can grow canteloupes, strawberries and watermelons." Because the new garden won't be ready for planting until later this summer, the Somalis will have to plant fast-growing crops like lettuce and spinach on their 200- to 300-square-foot lots. To plan the new garden, Buchenau took several Somali Bantu community leaders to look at the Lowry community garden. "We've always been farmers," said Rasulo Rasulo, a 23-year-old man who studied English in the refugee camp and often translates for his fellow Somali Bantu. "There were plot areas in the refugee camp. It was just like this. It was awesome." Several Somali refugees already are working in community gardens in other parts of the city. "They transform gardens," Buchenau said. Halima Abdi, a 23-year-old Somalian refugee, has been working a plot in the Fairview Community Garden in Sun Valley near Invesco Field. She and her husband, Abdul Kahdir, and their four children are often at work in the garden, tending cabbage, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and onions. "People in Africa said there are no gardens in America," Abdi said with a smile. "Now, I know you can have a garden here." Abdi, who wears a lime green shawl and African print skirt, says Denver's climate is far different from Somalia's. "Somalia is very hot, and there's no snow," she said. "It rains a lot. The dirt is a little different." Abdi grew up on a large farm, where her family raised corn, tomatoes, watermelons and mangos. Like the other Somali Bantus, they had to leave when bandits from the lighter-skinned ethnic majority began terrorizing them during the country's chaotic civil war. Here in Colorado, she's discovered new delights, like potatoes, which she had never tasted before. But there are a few things she misses from gardens in her homeland. "You can't grow bananas in Denver," she said ruefully.

interesting story!!

^^ I'll have to get me that book! I've read some very good reviews!

100:1 By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath), 100:2 And strike sparks of fire, 100:3 And push home the charge in the morning, 100:4 And raise the dust in clouds the while, 100:5 And penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en masse;- 100:6 Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful; 100:7 And to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); 100:8 And violent is he in his love of wealth. 100:9 Does he not know,- when that which is in the graves is scattered abroad 100:10 And that which is (locked up) in (human) breasts is made manifest- 100:11 That their Lord had been Well-acquainted with them, (even to) that Day.?

Jazakallah ukhtii!

Originally posted by 7 of Nine: The 1st post I read this morning. Salaxuddiin , you’re very inspirational and you always speak from an introspective perspective. MashaAllah. Keep it up. Perhaps one of these days I’ll snap from this deep coma of worldly gains and entertaining myself. thanks for the kind words walaal! as for waking up; well i recall a famous quote, the docter once said to 7of9; Between impulse and action there is a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance.

Akhi Jazakallah Khair! that is what i thought may Allah Subxanahu Watacaalaa increase your health, wisdom and imaan! amiin!

people are of 4 types; 1 those with Cattle like Nafs - they live to eat, sleep, and copulate 2 those with Preditory like Nafs - they are like the hyena, they find their pleasure in hunting, competing, killing 3 those with Shaytaani like Nafs - they find pleasure in sceaming, decieving, misleading, corrupting, lying, like the shaytan! 4 those with Malaa'iki(Angelic) like Nafs - those who submit to Allah in worship, and reach an equilibrium state of Nafs, they conquer their other lower 3 naf's so that it serves them. Modern Politics is for set up for those who cultivate their Preditory/Shaytaani Nafs to rule and abuse the majority[ the cattles ]. now its true what Baashi said, in the developing countries, such as those in Africa, they have not yet reached the Shaytaani state so they are more Preditory in style, Killing, Civil Wars, Violence, is more dominant. on the other hand in the so called, 'developed world', you'll find they have more of a Shaytaani system of Politics, Intrest groups, Tink Tanks, Parties, all who try to decieve, cheat, lie, do what ever it takes to get in power. This is the era of the Shaytaani/Preditory politics. This system only becomes dominant in the Land, when the majority of the people develople these lower states of the nafs, and neglect the highest state, the Angelic nafs. They become Cattles, and only the few who move up the ladder to Preditory and Shaytaani are in Power! so how can we break this system? purify the souls of the people, it is a long and hard process, but its the only road to real lasting change. A change of behavior is a short-term, but a change in life-syle is a long-tem! so the future of somalia, and of the children of Adam is in purifying their souls, developing their character, and conquering their lower three states. Tawhiid + Tazkiya = 'Imraan (Civilization)

bro Nur said; Qolooyinka lumay wexey u kala baxeen laba nooc: 1. Kuwo khair doon ku lumay markay ku ekaan waayeen hadyigii Rasuulka SCWS ( Al daalliin) 2. Kuwo xaqii ogaaday , laakin jeceylka adduunka ka doortay kii aakhiro ( Al Maghduubi calayhim) Labadaas qolo waa kuwo waligood jirey, jiri doonana. Akhi labadan qolo ma isku dambi baa mise way kala dambi weeyn yihiin? Jazakallah khair!

I've read this in the newspaper on thursday. they place it in a small area in the seventh page, in the middle of advertisements! :rolleyes: La Hawla Walaa Quwati Ilaa Billah!! enough said!

bro Shams-ud-Din, you are not alone. I would not say i've found the Ideal strategy for myself, because an Ideal is something you always aspire to, not necessarily something you 'Live'. Also, my strategy may not work for another, and vice-versa. my worst fear was and still is, Regret, a feeling the majority of people experience when they reach their death beds, knowing they have not realy lived but they were actually The Walking Dead.* So I become very uncomfortable, always asking myself, Am I really doing my best right now? After reading many time management books, and came across many diffrent strategies and techniques, a new challange come to me. A new fear came to me, the fear of "climbing the ladder just to find out when you reach the top, your ladder was leaning against the wrong wall! so I had to know 3 things, Who am I? Where am I from? Where am I heading? Alhamdulilah, wih Allah's guidance, I found my true purpose and destination, and suddently everything became clear and simple, the fog of cunfution left me. Now, all that I do in spending my time everday [24 hours] I make sure they fall in the following two categories, if they don't I'm wasting my time; The Garden of This Dunya *working *eating *drinking *sleeping *exercising *school *ext.. iwm.. The Garden of Aakhira *praying *fasting *reading Quraan *seeking islamic knowledge *ext.. iwm.. My life is spent in cultivating these two Gardens of mine, and Insha'Allah reaping their rewards in this dunya, and in Aakhiria, Insha'Allah! My moto each day is, as the Prophet(pbuh) adviced the Muslims; is to make sure that my two days do not become equal, so that; My Today becames better than my Yesterday, and My Tomorrow better than my Today! Insha'Allah Right now, the Ideal I'm seeking is; How to link my Dunya Garden to my Aakhirah Garden, meaning how can I always be in a state of cultivating my Aakhirah, even when I'm in my Worldy Garden! one technique I've found very useful is to remain in a state of Dikher, Rememberance of Allah. It does not require any physical or mental effort, and its easy for the tongue and Qalb. So when I'm at work, walking, exercising, I'll be saying with my Qalb, Subhanallah wabihamdih, Subhanallah al-Adiim Laa Hawla Walaa Quwati Ilaa Billah Laa Ilaaha Ilallah Sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, extra... or reciting the Quraan, such as Ikhlas, Ayah Kursi, iwm... Another area which takes almost 1/4th of our life, is Sleep. I have read a Hadith, i can't recall it at the moment, but It is in Sahiih Bukhaari, a Sahabi who use to make an Intention to do a good deed(pray) before he sleeps, so he would perform Wudu, and sleep, and when he wakes up he perfoms the good deed, thus His Sleep is recorded as a good deed also. I've found the above strategy a very useful and wise one, Insha'Allah it will be very beneficial for those who take advantage of it! So in short, Everything the Muslim does must be for the sake of Allah! so that if your eating your in a state of worship, when your earning a life, your in a state of worship. This is the Ideal we must aspire to! Alhamdulilah, I'm still seeking new techniques, from the Sunnah, aswell as from other sources, each day I learn something new, a new distinction, and this has eased my discomfort of worring about regret. I'm very excited and looking forward to reading what other nomads will add to this very important subject, so that I may learn something new from them, Insha'Allah! Wa billahi Tawfiiq, Stay in a Ni'mah State of Being! ps. I would like to advice all to listen to this Khutbah: Saaca-wa-Saaca: Sh Mustafa Xaaji

Originally posted by NGONGE: I’ve recently finished reading Catcher in the Rye (again) and Alice in Wonderland/Through The Looking Glass. All three stories are delightfully engrossing. Now, I’m simultaneously reading Don Quixote (which a Nomad reminded me off a while back) , Orwell’s complete novels and the website bellow: Short Stories This website has a number of classic and great short stories. The Bridget Jones fans might want to check out the original ‘Bridget’ here: A Telephone Call - Dorothy Parker The horror fans might be interested in reading the amazing masterpiece that is: The Pit and the Pendulum – Edgar Allan Poe The site has many other great classics written by some of the best authors. If you enjoy your reading and can stomach reading stories on your PC, then I strongly recommend that you read some of the tales in that site. If you can’t bring yourself to reading stories on the net, I suggest that you note some of the names down and buy the books. lool still battling the windmills?

Just finished reading; the book of five rings- Miyamoto Musashi 7 Habits - Dr. Stephen Covey right now i'm in the middle of reading; Purification fot the Soul - Concept, Proccess and Means by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo a must read for those who seek a Qalb-Salim! The Story of Islamic Spain by Sayed Azizur Rahman * I still long for the green gardens of Coroba! Dungeon, Fire and Swords - The Knights Templar in the Crusades by John J. Robinson * a fine read for History lovers! God's Warriors - Crusades, Saracens and the Battle for Jerusalem by Dr Helen Nicholson & Dr David Nicolle * it has a nice chapter about that Saracen Faris.

i suffer from LPS!!! what is that you ask? Loosing Pens Syndrome! :confused:

waa yaab! it is always very interesting to see how people respond differently to the same thing, in this case a story. it seems the sisters took this very personaly! it is very discusting when the child of Adam is conquered by his or her lower nafs(self) and turned into a slave to his/her desires. It doesn't matter if its a he or she! you can only picture this once you have disciplined your own lower nafs(self) and reach a equilibrium state. now i'm in no posission to judge anyone's intention, whether its bro Khayr or the Lady in the story. But seeing something like that would lead me to question many things about the Human personality, mainly my own! Living your values? Rabbi Salim! Rabbi Salim! Salimnaa yaa Rabb!

i remember many years ago, when i was a young boy, i was with my father and some other men, walking across the northern Al mountains, and we came to a big "taalo' made up of stone. he picked up a stone and threw it in the Taalo, he ordered me to do like wise. I found a small rock on the ground and then asked him, ' Aabe why must i throw a rock?' He said, 'once long ago, an evil Queen use to rule the land, who enjoyed castrating men, this is a landmark that reminds the men who travel in this track, so you must throw a rock in memory of our lost brothern(faaraxs).' I remember I threw that rock so hard, i felt pain in my right arm for days!!! we walked for 2 days and a night, I believe we came across about 3 to 4 Taalooyin! ------------------------ ps. Araweelo ruled from her capital - ELAYO (Ceelaayo) in eastern Sanaag. She use to travel from Elayo to Buuraan(where she was killed). thats what i heard, i may be wrong!

bro Baashi Said: "Politicians are the ones who ultimately determine who gets what, when, where, and how. They are astute observers and shrewd men with reputation to employ unquesionable techniques to acquire power. They are ambitious and strive to get to the top in order to exact obedience, to command, to determine, or to judge. Informed and educated people understand the importance of justice, authority, law, and freedom. These four important elements are said to fall under political domain. In this vein, one has to keep eye on political development in his neck of the wood. Politics are very important as its consequences effect our lives greatly." reading that reminded me of an article i read few years back. here is the article, you'll know what i mean! Seeing with Both Eyes By Abdal-Hakim Murad, Text of a Lecture given at a Cardiff conference in May 2000 In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The Dajjal, as everyone knows, has only one eye. Those ulema who are concerned to understand and apply their intuition rather than simply to act as historical relay stations have sometimes interpreted this attribute as a reference to the characteristic sickness of decadent religious communities; a sickness that will necessarily be at its most prevalent as the end of time approaches. The human creature has been given two eyes for reasons of obvious biological utility: the capacity for focussing so splendidly produced by the ciliary muscles in the eyeball (a superb technology most of us never pause to give thanks for) is nonetheless not a perfect instrument for the gauging of distance. Human beings need perspective: for hunting and for fighting; and for the efficient monitoring of children. And hence we have two eyes, as the Qur’an notes, asking for our faith and our thankfulness: ‘Have We not given him two eyes’? The Dajjal, however, has one eye only; for he is sick. He represents, in human form, a cosmic possibility which occurs throughout history, gathering momentum as Prophetic restorations are forgotten, until, for a time during the last days, he is the one-eyed man who is king. There are several esoteric interpretations of this, but one in particular is perhaps the most satisfying and profound. It points out that the latter days are the time of a loss of perspective. Distances and priorities are miscalculated, or even reversed. The name of Adam’s ancient enemy, Iblis, signals his ability to invert and overturn: yulabbis, he confuses and muddles mankind. And the Dajjal is in this sense a physical materialisation of Iblis: he is the Great Deceiver insofar as he dresses virtue up as vice, and vice-versa. Examples spring all too readily to mind. For instance: once the old were respected and admired more than the young; today, it is the other way around. Once unnatural vice was despised, now it is the only practice that cannot be criticised in the films or in polite society. Once humility was praised, and pride was a sin; today there has been a complete inversion. No longer are we asked to control ourselves, instead we are urged to ‘discover’ ourselves. The nafs is king of the millennium. Those of you who saw the Queen forced to watch the orgy at the Greenwich Dome, a celebration of mindless erotic and athletic display that had nothing to do with the man whom the Millennium supposedly marked, will know this well enough. It is the principle of the Dajjal that brings about this kind of evil. It is an evil that is worse than the traditional sort, which was simply the failure to practice commonly-respected virtues; because the new evil yulabbis: it inverts: it turns virtue into vice. It is, in this sense, one-eyed and without perspective. The sight by which we observe the outward world is composed of information from two separate instruments. When we speak of religious understanding, we speak of basira, perception guided by wisdom. And it is characteristic of Islam that wisdom consists in recognising and establishing the correct balance between the two great principles of existence: the outward, that is, the form, and the inward, that is, the content: Zahir and batin, to use the Qur’anic terms. The Dajjal sees with one eye. In this understanding, we would say that he is therefore a man of zahir, or of batin, but never of both. He is a literalist, or he is free in the spirit. The most glorious achievement of Islam, which is to reveal a pattern of human life which explores and celebrates the physical possibilities of man in a way that does not obstruct but rather enhances and deepens his metaphysical capacities, is hence negated. The miscreant at the end of time is, therefore, the exact inversion of the Islamic ideal. At the beginning of our story, the balance between the zahir and the batin was perfect. The Messenger, upon whom be the best of blessings and peace, was the man of the Mi‘raj, and also the hero of Badr. He loved women, and perfume, and the delight of his eye was in prayer. The transition between moments of intense colloquy with the supreme archangel, and of political or military or family duty, was often little more than momentary; but his balance was impeccable, for he showed that body, mind and spirit are not rivals, but allies in the project of holiness, which means nothing other than wholeness. The Companions manifested many aspects of this extraordinary wholeness, the traditional Islamic term for which is afiya, and the proof of whose accomplishment is the presence of adab. The luminosity of the Prophetic presence reshaped them, so that where once there had been the crude, materialistic egotism of the pagan nomad, there was now, barely twenty years later, a unified nation led by saints. It seemed that the crudest people in history had suddenly, as though by a miracle, been transmuted into the most refined and balanced. The pagan Arabs seem almost to have served as a preview of the temper of our age, and the man who came among them, unique among prophets in the unique difficulty of his mission, is the alpha amid the omega, the proof that an Adamic restoration is possible even under the worst of conditions, even in times such as ours. The superb human quality of the Companions is one of the most moving and astounding of the Blessed Prophet’s miracles. Receiving alone the burden of revelation, and bearing virtually alone the responsibilities of family and state, he maintained such sanctity, humour, and moral seriousness that his world was transformed around him. Had you spent all that is upon the earth, you would not have reconciled their hearts, the Revelation tells him; but Allah has brought reconciliation between them. The political unification of Arabia, itself an unprecedented achievement, was only made possible by the existence of a spiritual principle at its centre, which melted hearts, and made a new world possible. The Companions, as the most perfect exemplars of the Islamic principle of seeing with both eyes, were, as the saying goes, fursanun bi’l-nahar, ruhbanun bi’l-layl: cavalrymen by day, and monks by night. They united zahir and batin, body and spirit, in a way that was to their pagan and Christian contemporaries extraordinary, and which, in our day, when balance of any sort is rare, is hard even to imagine. Their faces radiated with the inner calm that comes of inner peace: ala bi-dhikriíLlahi tatma’innu’l-qulub: ‘it is by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace.’ Among the Companions’ own miracles was the creation of an astonishingly new language of beauty. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, built while many Companions were still alive, triumphantly announces the divine will to save humanity through a new religious order. Under Islam, the world was made new. The war on the flesh, manifested in the new and strange shape taken by Christian celibacy, was at an end. The Sunna, emerging as a barely imaginable climax of human flourishing, became the ideal for the ancient world; an ideal all the more impressive for having been achieved. When Islamic civilisation was buoyant, everything touched by the hands of believers turned to gold. The Dome of the Rock is probably the world’s most beautiful building, the subject of countless studies by astounded art historians. Through its octagon, the square outline of the ancient Solomonic temple is resolved to a circle, and thus to the infinity of heaven. It announces the supremacy of the Muhammadan moment, the time out of time when the Station of Two Bows’ Length (qaba qawsayn) was achieved. No earlier religion had preserved the memory of so exalted and so purely spiritual a climax to its story, as a mortal man ventured where even the highest angels could not step. And yet he returned to earth; and this is the secret of the Sunna’s majesty. He had been redolent in the splendour and power of the Divine presence, but he nonetheless returned to the lower ranks of the created order, to reform his people. Not because he preferred them, but because he loved them. He had seen with his purified heart, as the Qur’an reveals: The heart did not deny that which it saw. He bore a truth which hitherto they had only dimly intuited: the core of the human creature is the heart, and the heart is the locus of a vision so transcendent that even the Revelation speaks of it only allusively: He saw, of the signs of his Lord, the greatest. When we take on the Sunna, and reject flawed patterns of behaviour which have been shaped and guided by the ego and by fantasies of self-imagining, we declare to our Creator that we accept and revere the profound revelation of human flourishing exampled by the Best of Creation. Every act of the Sunna which we may successfully emulate declares that our role model is the man who had no ego, and to whom Allah had given a definitive victory over the forces of darkness. Modernity holds out lifestyle options centred on the self, and on the lower, agitated possibilities of the human condition. Every word of every magazine now breathes the message of the nafs: explore yourself, free yourself, be yourself. Buy a Porsche to express your identity; dress in a Cacharel suit to make a statement about yourself; be seen in the right places. The result, of course, is a society which pursues happiness with great technical brilliance but which puzzles over spiralling rates of suicide, drug abuse, failed relationships, and ever more aberrant forms of self-mutilation. It is a society in denial, a society in pain. By taking on the Sunna, a human being accepts a deep and total reorientation. For the Sunna is not one lifestyle option among many, simply an exotic addition to the standard menu. The Sunna tears up the existing menu by defying its assumptions. By living in the Prophetic pattern one pursues a paradigm of excellence that demonstrably brings serenity and fulfillment, and hence silences the babble of the style magazines. Living in credit, knowing one’s neighbours, and holding the event of the Mi‘raj constantly in view, confers membership of Adam’s family of khalifas. Living in debt, chasing mirages, and serving the nafs, renders the human being a definitive failure. We can be higher than the angels, or lower than the animals. The Sunna, as the uniquely efficient vehicle of human improvement and illumination, hence embraces every aspect of man. Outward serenity is impossible without inward peace; and inward peace, conversely, is impossible when the body is behaving abusively. The Muslim, who sees with both eyes, and hence sees the modern world for what it is: a naive victim of the oldest of all illusions, which is the belief that human flourishing occurs when the needs of the outward are met, and that inward excellence is nothing but the vague myth of intangible religion, is hence truly Muslim to the extent that he rejects imbalance. Loyal and loving adherence to the details of the fiqh will change to obsessive and neurotic behaviour when the inward meaning of the sunna is absent. Hence the Dajjal is often an exoterist. But he may be an esoterist also, when he falls prey to the fatal myth that religion is about inward perfection alone, and that this can be achieved even when the outward conduct is deeply flawed by a failure to be shaped by a pattern of courteous human life manifested by the supreme figure of a more contemplative and dignified age. In our times, thanks to a dajjal-type lack of perspective, some Muslims are suspicious of the traditional talk of a zahir and a batin. It seems too esoteric, mysterious and elitist. The word batin itself appears faintly heretical: one thinks of extreme antinomian groups such as the medieval Ismailis, for instance. And yet the concept is purely and entirely Qur’anic, and was never controversial among the classical ulama. In fact, an important part of the healing that the Qur’an offers can be found in its insistence that religion includes, and unites, an outward and an inward dimension. Let me give you some examples, which no-one in his right mind could describe as controversial. For instance, Allah says: Wa-aqimi’s-Salata li-dhikri: ‘and establish the Prayer for My remembrance’. He tells us that the prayer is not an arbitrary command, a set of physical movements which earn us treats in the hereafter. It has a wise purpose, which is to help us to remember Him. The believer at prayer is not just offering his physical form as a token of submission to the divine presence whose symbol is the Ka‘ba. He, or she, is worshipping with the heart. The body of flesh bows towards the Ka‘ba of stone; while the invisible spirit bows to the invisible divine. Only when both of these take place is worship truly present. Another example: Allah says: ‘Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those who came before you.’ Why? ‘La‘allakum tattaqun’ - ‘that you might learn taqwa.’ Fasting has a zahir and a batin, an outward and an inward. And neither is of any use without the other. As a hadith says: ‘Many a fasting persons gains nothing from his fast, apart from hunger and thirst.’ In other words, without a batin fast, an inward fast, the fast is only formally, mechanically correct. It is like a body without a spirit, which is nothing more than a corpse. The one who fasts, or prays, or performs any other religious act, without his spirit being in it, is like a zombie, whose mind and spirit has gone away from the body, to another place. And this is not how Allah wants us to be when we worship Him. Another example. Regarding the sacrifices on the day of Eid al-Adha, Allah says: ‘Their flesh and blood will not reach Allah; but the taqwa that is in you reaches Him.’ Without correct intention, and presence of mind, in other words, without a proper disposition of the batin, the sacrifice is just the killing of an animal. In a sense, it is worse, since a slaughter that did not pretend to be religious would at least be sincere; whereas one that purports to be for God, but in its inner reality is not, is a kind of hypocrisy. In fact we could say that the zahir without the batin leads fatally to nifaq. If we are not enjoying the divine presence during our worship, if our minds are elsewhere, if we have switched on a kind of autopilot, then we are practicing rusum: outward forms, a husk without a kernel. To any visible or invisible onlooker we are proclaiming by the outward form of the act that we are worshipping God; but in our inward reality we are doing nothing of the kind. Riya’ - ostentation - is possible even if we are alone. Even if we know that no-one knows we are praying, or fasting, we can still commit riya’. How? By showing-off to ourselves. By going through the motions of the prayer, we gratify our own self-image as pious, superior people. To the extent that the prayer lacks a batin, that will be a mortal danger. Even if our minds are concentrated on the meaning, our souls may be disengaged. And to the extent that the prayer, or the fast, or the Hajj, or the qurbani, does have an inner reality, we will be less interested in showing-off to ourselves, in taking the nafs as our real qibla. The act will lead us, we will not lead the act. This is what sayyiduna ‘Umar, radiya’Llahu ‘anhu, meant when he said: ‘The thing I fear most for the safety of this Umma is the learned hypocrite.’ When asked how one could be both learned and hypocritical, he said: ‘When his learning does not go beyond verbal knowledge, while his heart remains untouched.’ Another example, from the Qur’an - and remember, this teaching of the interdependence of zahir and batin is purely Qur’anic. ‘And they give food, for love of Him, to the poor, the orphan, and to captives. We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we desire for no reward or thanks from you.’ Here the revelation is insisting that charity, too, becomes ibada only when it has an inward reality as well as an outward form. And that inward reality is not primarily mental: as in ‘Fine, it’s zakat time, bismi’Llah, I make the intention to do this for Allah’. That is only the most basic requirement. The passage states that charity is to be done ‘ala hubbihi - out of love for Allah. That requires far more than the simple silent formulation of a niyya. It can only be achieved when one’s heart is in it, since love, hubb, resides in the heart, not the mind. Charity without love is heartless. Hence part of the brilliance of the Qur’an is its insistence that Allah is not worshipped by outward forms; but that He has established certain outward forms as a context within which we can do ibada: since ibada, as an expression of devotion and servitude to our maker, reposes in the heart. A disposition of the heart is always true; a disposition of the body may be true or false. The Qur’an’s message is unmistakeably that the human creature is a composite whose dimensions must be brought into harmony with each other if our Adamic possibility as true worshippers may be realised. So ours is a religion of zahir and batin. Our enemies see only the outward forms, and assume that this is hypocrisy, ‘Pharisaic formalism’. Some use the traditional New Testament language by which St Paul attacked Judaism: ‘the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.’ In fact, this is a common theme of a certain kind of traditional Christian criticism of Islam. As such, it clearly represents the borrowing of an even older theme in Christian theology: that of antisemitism, as a weapon which will serve in the battle against the Saracen. Muslims, inconveniently, are not mentioned in the Bible, but some Christians have instead used the anti-Law polemic of Paul as a stick with which to beat Muslims, by situating us in a Biblical context. It is evident, however, that this will not serve. There are some Muslims, it has to be admitted, whose preoccupations are mainly or even exclusively with outward form - a Pharisaic Islam, we might say - but that is not the way of traditional Muslims. For traditional Islam has always cultivated in a rich and profound way the inner dimensions of faith. Most of our poetry, for instance, is about the batin, not the zahir. If Islam was as they suppose, then most of our poetry would be about wudu, or the rules for inheritance. But it is not. I hope that the Qur’anic insights I have cited are quite enough to explain why the traditional ulema of Islam speak of the religion’s having a zahir and a batin. Shaykh Shahidullah Faridi, the great English saint of the 20th century, put it as follows: ‘If it is necessary to observe the outward ordinances of the faith, it is equally necessary to develop within ourselves those qualities which are their soul. These two are complementary and one cannot exist in a sound state without the other.’ Shahidullah Faridi himself, like virtually all the educated converts to Islam in this country, was attracted to the religion primarily because of its inner riches. Those Muslims who today spend most of their time talking about shari‘a, and regard the batin as peripheral, are unlikely to make many such converts: there is no reason why sensitive, educated people should be attracted to the husk, if the kernel is so well-hidden that it might as well not exist. They may even, by wild, merciless and hikma-less behaviour, repel thousands. Zahir and batin are the terms I have used. They are concepts clear from the Qur’an. There are other terms which convey roughly the same distinction. For instance, the terms shari‘a and haqiqa. Outward act, and inward state. Again, the distinction is Qur’anic. According to Imam Abu Ali al-Daqqaq, it can even be derived from the Fatiha. Allah asks us to say: iyyaka na‘budu wa-iyyaka nasta‘in: ‘You we worship’: this is shari‘a; and ‘You we seek for help’: the divine response, which is from haqiqa. The pairing of the principles gives us this fundamental distinction: the initiative from man, which is shari‘a, and the generous outpouring from Allah, which is haqiqa. Imam al-Qushayri makes a still more subtle point. He says: ‘Know that the Shari‘a is also haqiqa, because He Himself made it obligatory. And haqiqa is also shari‘a, because the means of knowing Him were made obligatory by His command.’ In other words, this bifurcation, indicated in the Fatiha, which we repeat every day without pondering its depths, is in reality two sides of one coin. Shari‘a is not Shari‘a without haqiqa; because without an inward reality and an approach to Allah the outward forms are useless; and haqiqa is nothing without shari‘a, because shari‘a is the set of forms by which haqiqa can be known. Each is sound only when it points accurately to the other. Imam Abu Bakr al-‘Aydarus, rahmatullahi ‘alayh, explains it in terms of the Qur’anic verse: ‘Those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide to Our ways.’ He writes: The ‘striving’ is the Shari‘a, and the active response to its injunctions, which will cause one to be led to His ‘ways’, is in turn a reference to the Haqiqa.’ Imam al-Qushayri drives home this vital point by saying: ‘Every shari‘a which is unsupported by haqiqa is unaccepted. And every haqiqa which is not controlled by shari‘a is unaccepted.’ Imam al-Haddad, in one of his most famous poems, says: Wa-kullun ‘ala nahj al-sabili’s-sawiyyi lam yukhalif li-amrin akhidhan bi’sh-shari‘ati Wa-inna’lladhi la yatba‘u’sh-shar‘a mutlaqan ‘ala kulli halin ‘abdu nafsin wa-shahwati ‘All of the righteous were on the straight path, never violating any command, holding to shari‘a For truly, the man who does not follow shari‘a, Is in every case the slave of his nafs and his own desires.’ Imam al-Ghazali, rahmatullah alayh, spent much of his life making this point, in some very sophisticated ways. Let me read to you his very passionate defence of this Qur’anic principle: ‘f you are educating yourself, take up only those branches of knowledge which have been required of you according to your present needs, as well as those which pertain to the outward actions such as learning the elements of prayer, purification, and fasting. More important however, is the science which all have neglected, namely, the science of the attributes of the heart, those which are praiseworthy and those which are blameworthy, because people persist in the latter, such as miserliness, hypocrisy, pride and conceit, all of which are destructive, and from which it is obligatory to desist. Performing these outward deeds is like the external application of an ointment to the body when it is stricken with scabies and boils while neglecting to remove the pus by means of a scalpel or a purge. False ulema recommend outward deeds just as fake physicians prescribe external ointments [for virulent internal diseases]. The ulema who seek the akhira, however, recommend nothing but the purification of the nafs and the removal of the elements of evil by destroying their nursery-beds and uprooting them from the heart.’ A key component of the Ghazalian agenda is the restoration of balance between outward and inward. And the Imam himself realised that the balance comes about primarily through cultivating the inward. For a balance, which is the true meaning of al-sirat al-mustaqim, is a subtle thing, and requires wisdom, and wisdom only exists when the soul is illuminated. The crisis of the modern world is a crisis in both zahir and batin. It takes different forms amidst the ruins of different civilisations. In what was once the Christian world, zahir has been lost or even turned on its head: homosexual marriages in church, the approval of the lottery by bishops, and other symptoms of collapse. The symptoms are more advanced in formerly Christian countries than elsewhere, because, as St Paul believed, Christianity has no shari‘a. It is always reinventing itself as something that can be believed, as T.S. Eliot put it, and nowadays this inevitably takes place under pressure from secular ethics. In the Islamic world, there are also deep problems. But these arise not through lack of shari‘a as such, but through a lack of balance between outward and inward. Much Muslim revivalism today focusses on the outward, and appears to regard the inward as of secondary importance. The result is wild behaviour and consistent failure, for Allah proclaims in the Qur’an that the success in the world of religious communities depends on their spiritual condition. He does not change us until we change what is within ourselves. The failure of any Islamic movement is decisive proof that that movement has not gained the required inward harmony, wisdom and spiritual depth. The modern world therefore offers, in mad abundance, both of the Dajjal’s aberrations. There is preoccupation with form, and there are also, in increasing varieties, a preoccupation with ‘spiritualities’ which require no irritating moral code. In the West, New Age spirituality is replacing Christianity as the faith of many young and educated people. It promises a typical Dajjalian deceit: the gifts of the spirit may be had without paying a price, or changing one’s treasured ‘lifestyle’. The Sunna is the Dajjal’s great enemy in the modern world, because it rejects both of his promises. No human being can flourish on the basis of pure Law, or pure physical satisfaction, or of spiritual practices devoid of implications for society and personal conduct. For us, religion is about integrity and completeness. And yet, there are no grounds for complacency. The Sunna itself is today a contested concept. A materialistic world necessarily influences the forms of religion which grow within it; and some Muslims today adopt forms of Islam that define the Sunna in a one-eyed way. Either such advocates are pure esoterists, with a cavalier attitude to the formal duties gifted by revelation; or (and this is among mass-movements more frequent) they mutilate the Sunna by minimising or even negating its inward dimensions. Any following of the externals of religion which is not made profound, compassionate and wise by an active and transformative spiritual life, will be a mere husk without a kernel: abrasive, hostile, self-righteous, lashing out at the innocent, and thriving on schism and controversy. May Allah enable us to open both our eyes, and hence to see things in due proportion, and to respond in a way that brings reconciliation, light, and wisdom among the descendents of Adam. Abdal-Hakim Murad aka Tim Winter is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, England. He studied Arabic at the University of Cambridge and at al-Azhar Academy in Cairo and has translated a number of Islamic works including Imam Qazwini's abridgement of Imam Bayhaqi's "Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith", and several other books selected from al-Ghazali's "Revival of the Religious Sciences".

Marriage in Islam by Shahina Siddiqui "And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in peace and tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): Verily in that are signs for those who reflect" (Quran 30:21). "O Humans revere your Guardian Lord, Who created you from a single person created of like nature its mate, and from this scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah through Whom you claim your mutual rights" (Quran 4:1). The above verses of the Quran lay out the framework as to what are the basis, the objectives and the goal of marriage in Islam. In the ultimate Wisdom of Allah we are first told that both partners man and woman are created from the same source. That this should be paid attention to as it is one of His signs. The fact that we come from the same soul signifies our equality as humans, when the essence of our creation is the same, the argument of who is better or greater is redundant. To stress on this fact and then to talk about marriage in the same verse is of great significance for those of us who are in the field of marriage counseling. The shift in this attitude of equality of genders as human beings cause a imbalance in marital relation ship that leads to dysfunctional marriage. When ever one party considers themselves superior or above the law there is a shift in the balance of power that may lead to misuse or abuse of power as the less valuable partner is seen as an easy prey. Many marital difficulties are based on or caused by control and rule stratagem. By stressing on the equality of all humans men or women and making it the basis of marriage, Allah in His infinite wisdom has laid the ground rules for establishing peace, as well as the assigning of different roles to husband and wife as functional strategy rather than a question of competence as humans. Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has stated that: "men and women are twin halves of each other" (Bukhari). This Hadith also brings home the fact that men and women are created from single source. Furthermore, by using the analogy of twin half the Prophet has underlined the reciprocal nature and the interdependent nature of men and women's relationship. The objective and the goal of marriage in Islam according to the above Quranic verse is to enable us to dwell in peace and tranquility. It is important for us to reflect on these words and their significance in the Islamic frame of reference. In order to have peace certain condition must be met. These prerequisites to peace are Justice, Fairness, Equity, Equality, and fulfillment of mutual rights. Therefore any injustice whether it is oppression, or persecution, cannot be tolerated if there is to be peace in Muslim homes. In the domestic realm oppression is manifested when the process of Shura (consultation) is compromised, neglected or ignored. When one partner (in most cases the husband) makes unilateral decisions and applies dictatorial style of leadership, peace is compromised. Persecution is present when there is any form of domestic abuse being perpetrated. Tranquility on the other hand is a state of being which is achieved when peace has been established. Tranquility is compromised when there is tension, stress and anger. It is a mistake to take tranquility to mean perpetual state of bliss. Since being Muslims does not make us immune to tragedies and catastrophes. In fact Allah tells us in the Quran that we will be tried (2:155,57). What a state of tranquility does is to empower us to handle life's difficult moments with our spouses as obedient servants of Allah. Allah in His infinite Mercy also provides us with the tools by which we can achieve this state of peace and tranquility. The second principle besides Shura on which the Islamic family life is based is Mercy (Rehma), and in this verse Allah is telling us that He has placed mercy between spouses. We are therefore inclined by our very nature to have mercy for our spouses. Mercy is manifested through compassion, forgiveness, caring and humility. It is obvious that these are all ingredients that make for a successful partnership. Marriage in Islam is above all a partnership based on equality of partners and specification of roles. Lack of mercy in a marriage or a family renders it in Islamic terms dysfunctional. Allah further states that He has also placed in addition to mercy, love between spouses. It should however be noted that Islamic concept of love is different from the more commonly understood romantic love so valued in the Western cultures. The basic difference is that love between man and woman in the Islamic context can only be realized and expressed in a legal marriage. In order to develop a healthy avenue for the expression of love between man and woman and to provide security so that such a loving relationship can flourish, it is necessary to give it the protection of Shariah (Islamic law). Marital love in Islam inculcates the following: Faith: The love Muslim spouses have for each other is for the sake of Allah that is to gain His pleasure. It is from Allah that we claim our mutual rights (Quran 4:1) and it is to Allah that we are accountable for our behavior as husbands and wives. It sustains:[/b] Love is not to consume but to sustain. Allah expresses His love for us by providing sustenance. To love in Islam is to sustain our loved one physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, to the best of our ability (to sustain materially is the husbands duty, however if the wife wishes she can also contribute) Accepts: To love someone is to accept them for who they are. It is selfishness to try and mould someone as we wish them to be. True love does not attempt to crush individuality or control personal differences, but is magnanimous and secure to accommodate differences. Challenges: Love challenges us to be all we can, it encourages us to tap into our talents and takes pride in our achievements. To enable our loved one to realize their potential is the most rewarding experience. Merciful: Mercy compels us to love and love compels us to have mercy. In the Islamic context the two are synonymous. The attribute Allah chose to be the supreme for Himself is that He is the most Merciful. This attribute of Rehman (the Merciful) is mentioned 170 times in the Quran, bringing home the significance for believers to be merciful. Mercy in practical application means to have and show compassion and to be charitable. Forgiving: Love is never too proud to seek forgiveness or too stingy to forgive. It is willing to let go of hurt and letdowns. Forgiveness allows us the opportunity to improve and correct our selves. Respect: To love is to respect and value the person their contributions and their opinions. Respect does not allow us to take for granted our loved ones or to ignore their input. How we interact with our spouses reflects whether we respect them or not. Confidentiality: Trust is the most essential ingredient of love. When trust is betrayed and confidentiality compromised, love loses its soul. Caring: Love fosters a deep fondness that dictates caring and sharing in all that we do. The needs of our loved ones take precedence over our own. Kindness: The Seerah (biography) of our beloved Prophet is rich with examples of acts of kindness, he showed towards his family and particularly his wives. Even when his patience was tried, he was never unkind in word or deed. To love is to be kind. Grows: Marital love is not static it grows and flourishes with each day of marital life. It requires work and commitment, and is nourished through faith when we are thankful and appreciative of Allah blessings. Enhances: Love enhances our image and beautifies our world. It provides emotional security and physical well being. Selflessness: Love gives unconditionally and protects dutifully. Truthful: Love is honesty without cruelty and loyalty without compromise. Courtesy: Sound Vision

A Brief Biography of Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (Rahimahullâh) From the introduction to al-Waabil as-Sayyib min al-Kalim at-Tayyib Translated by Micheal Abdur-Rahmân Fitzgerald and Moulay Youssef Slitine For most Muslims who have heard of him, Ibn al-Qayyim al Jawziyyah's name is inseparable form that of his teacher, the 7th / 13th century Hanbalî reformer, Ibn Taymîyah. It is true, in fact, that Ibn al-Qayyim was the principle compiler and editor of his teacher's writings, and had it not been for him, that voluminous body of work might never have survived. It is also true that Ibn Taymîyah's point of view had a profound effect on the young man, who at twenty-one years age, became his student and companion. One of Ibn al-Qayyim's own students would later write, 'Above all, his love for Ibn Taymîyah was so great that he would never disagree with anything he said. Rather, he supported him in everything and was the one who edited his books and spread his teachings.' In fiqh and theology , both men wrote from a Hanbalî position, and Ibn al-Qayyim criticized the same things that his shaykh had so adamantly opposed: innovation (bid'ah), Greek influenced Muslim philosophy, Sh'ism, the doctrine of wahdat ul-wujûd, or 'oneness of being' (attributed to Ibn Arabî) and by extension, the extreme forms of Sûfism that had gained currency particularly in the new seat of Muslim power, Mamluk Egypt and Syria. However, two elements set Ibn al-Qayyim's writings apart from those of his shaykh. The first is his tone. Ibn Taymîyah wrote 'with the eye', as it were, and Ibn al-Qayyim added to that 'the heart'. As a contemporary editor of his works has written, 'Although he moved within the sphere of Ibn Taymîyah's influence, following him in most of his religious rulings, he was more ready than his teacher to be lenient and amiable to those with whom he differed.' A typical example of this may be found in his magnum opus, Madârij as-Sâlikîn ('The Travelers Stages'), which is a long commentary on a treatise by the 5th / 11th century Hanbalite Sûfî, Abdullâh al-Ansarî al Harrawî. Taking exception to something al-Ansarî wrote, Ibn al-Qayyim prefaced his comments with, 'Certainly I love the shaykh, but I love the truth more.' The second is Ibn al-Qayyim's great interest in Sûfism. Some of his major works, such as Madârij, Târiq al-Hijratayn ('Path of Two Migrations') and Miftah Daral-Sa'ada ('Key to the Abode of Happiness'), are devoted almost entirely to Sûfî themes, but this allusions to these themes are found in nearly all his writings. There is no doubt that Ibn al-Qayyim addressed those interested in Sûfism in particular and al-Umur al-Qalbiyya - 'The matters of the Heart' - in general. In fact, in the introduction to his short book Patience and Gratitude, he sates, 'This is a book to benefit kings and princes, the wealthy and the indigent, Sûfîs and religious scholars; (a book) to inspire the sedentary to set out, accompany the wayfarer on the path (al-sa'ir fil târiq) and inform the one journeying towards the Goal.' The subjects dealt with by Ibn al-Qayyim- the way to God, the maladies of the heart, and the virtues- are undoubtedly also those of tasawwuf. Ibn al-Qayyim's role is, thus, somewhat similar to that of al-Ghazalî (d. 505H / 1111C.E) two hundred years before him: to rediscover and restate the orthodox roots of Islam's interior dimension, with the added task of correcting what he saw as new errors that had arisen due to the powerful influence of Ibn Arabî's works. In this sense, he might be descried as a reviver of what he considered to be an authentic inclination of the heart towards Allâh, and the path towards Him. This is the formula which, in all likelihood, accounts for the ongoing popularity of Ibn al-Qayyim's works throughout the Arabic speaking world. His thirty or so extant books have been reprinted many times; the principle ones, including the titles cited above, have all been reprinted in both inexpensive and scholarly editions since 1990. The reader who might be attracted to the inner dimension of Islâm but not by much of what passes nowadays as Sûfism, finds in Ibn al-Qayyim an exposition of the Way to God, free of 'mythology' or the exclusive terminology of Sûfism, written for the generality of believers and with strict insistence upon the main sources of orthodoxy; the Qur'ân, the Sunnah, and the practices of the first two generations of Muslims. The Life of Ibn al-Qayyim: Shams ad-Dîn Muhammad ibn Abî Bakr ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah was born in 691H / 1292C.E in al-Zur'i, a small village fifty-five miles from Damascus. Little is known of his childhood except that he received a comprehensive Islâmic education thanks to the fact that his father was principle of the Madrasah al-Jawziyyah, one of the few centres devoted to the study of Hanbalite fiqh in Damascus; hence, the name by which he came to be known: Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah - 'son of the principle of the Jawziyyah school' - or simply, Ibn al-Qayyim. After completing his fundamental studies at the Jawziyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim continued his learning in the circles of the shaykhs who filled the city's mosques. It appears that for some period of time, he came under the influence of Mu'tazilite teachings and probably of certain mystics. In the epic-length Ode he wrote in later years, he refers to this period as being one of confusion and misguidance: 'All these [ways] did I try, and I fell into a net, fluttering like a bird that knows not where to fly.' This period came to an end in the year 712H / 1312C.E, when at twenty one years of age he met the man who would shape his life's orientation in Islâm: Taqî ad-Dîn ibn Taymîyah. Ibn Taymîyah had just returned to Damascus from a seven-year stay in Egypt, the last of which he spent under house arrest. His reputation for being an uncompromising defender of the Sunnah and of Hanbalite theology was well known to the people of Syria. Perhaps it was his certitude and strength that appealed to the young Ibn al-Qayyim, who 'like a bird caught in a net, did not know where to fly.' In any event, a bond formed between the two men which lasted for 16 years until Ibn Taymîyah's death. Between 712H / 1312C.E and 726H / 1326C.E, Ibn al-Qayyim married and had three sons- Ibrâhîm, Abdullâh and Sharaf ad-Dîn. He earned his living as teacher and Imâm at the Jawziyyah school. His lessons on Hanbalite fiqh and his sermons probably showed the strong influence of his teacher for, in 726H / 1326C.E, when the authorities of Damascus ordered the arrest of Ibn Taymîyah and his followers, Ibn al-Qayyim was among them. This imprisonment came after Ibn Taymîyah had been summoned before a council of religious scholars (ulamah) for questioning on a point of fiqh: was it permissible for someone visiting the Prophet's - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - mosques in Madînah to shorten the prayers? Since the council knew in advance that In Taymîyah strongly condemned the practise of visiting saint's tombs for the purpose of receiving blessing (tabarruk), they could easily portray his chary answer as proof that he himself propagated a dangerous innovation (bid'ah) by discouraging Muslims form visiting the burial place of their beloved Prophet - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam. This pretext was used to remove from the public eye a man they regarded as a source of unrest. The council ruled that Ibn Taymîyah and all those in Damascus who propagated his teachings - including Ibn al-Qayyim- should be rounded up and imprisoned in the citadel of the town. Although a few days later the authorities released Ibn Taymîyah's followers, Ibn al-Qayyim alone chose to stay at the side of his teacher in prison. Unlike his house arrest in Egypt, during which he was permitted to write and teach his followers, this time Ibn Taymîyah was not only locked up, but also denied both books and writing materials, a much harder condition for him to bear than prison itself. It has been recorded that during that final imprisonment he would find scraps of discarded paper and write with pieces of charcoal. In 728H / 1327C.E, however, having been separated for two years from all those things he had lived for, he passed away. Then and only then did Ibn al-Qayyim come out of prison to join the multitudes who followed the body of Ibn Taymîyah to the burial. It appears that only after his teacher's death did Ibn al-Qayyim begin his own profile as a writer. This stage of his life was also marked by much travel, learning and teaching, as well as several pilgrimages to Makkah, where he lived for some time. Our picture of Ibn al-Qayyim in the last twenty-five years or so of his life is derived mainly from recollections of his two most illustrious students, Ibn Rajab and Ibn Kathîr. The latter wrote, 'He recited [the Qur'ân] beautifully and was loved by a great many people. He neither envied nor harmed anyone, nor tried to find fault with them, nor harboured malice towards them. In short, there were few people like him... He was dominated mostly by goodness and a virtuous nature.' Ibn Rajab writes, 'May Allâh bless him, he was a person of worship and night prayers, someone who used to make prayer last as long as possible; he was devoted to remembrance (dhikr), constant in his love of Allâh, in turning back to Allâh, in seeking forgiveness, in his dependence on Allâh and in humility before Him. He reached a level of devotion which I have never witnessed in anyone else, nor have I seen anyone more vast in learning or more knowledgeable of the meanings of the Qur'ân, the Sunnah, and the inner realities of faith. And while I know he was not infallible, yet I have never seen anyone who was closer to the meaning of this word.' In addition to these isolated glimpses of the man, there is evidence that he loved books so much that after his death his sons had to sell off much of his library, keeping only what they themselves could make use of. Ibn al-Qayyim died in 751/ 1350, when he was scarcely 60 years old. I t is recorded that the funeral prayer, attended by many people, was offered at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He was buried a the cemetery of Bab al-Saghîr, near the grave of his father- Rahimahumallâh. __________________

this is dedicated to the mothers including the future to be! Hooyoo La'aantaa Hooyooy la'aantaa; Adduunyadu hubaashii habeen kama baxdeenoo iftiin lama haleenoo dadku uma hayaameen dayax heego joogoo sida haad mafuuleen xiddig hawd ka lulatoo hawo laguma gaadheen hubka laguma tuureen cirka hirar ka muuqdoo ruux aad hagayso usha mid aad u haysaa Hilin toosan weligii ka habaabi maayo hooyooy addoomuhu halkay maanta joogaan adigow horseedoo intaad hanad xambaartee haaneedka siisee horaadada jaqsiisee habtay baan xisaab iyo tiro lagu heleynoo Marka aad nin hiillo laga baqo hashiisiyo halyey diran dhashaabaa hooyo lagu xasuustaa marka aad nin hoo-loo gurigiisa habaqluhu isku soo halleeyoo hayntiisa quudhoo hor Illaahay geystiyo lama hure dhashaabaa hooyo lagu xasuustaa Marka aad nin himilada hilin toosan mariyoo hir markii la gaaraba ku labaad hilaadshoo haga maatadisoo & la higsado dhashaa baa hooyo lagu xasuustaa Marka aad nin hoogiyo ka hor tago dagaalkoo garta hubin yaqaannoo xaqa hoos u eegoo halistiyo colaadaha dabka hura bakhtiiyoo ku hagoogata dhiigoo dadka kale hagaajoo kala haga dhashaa baa hooyo lagu xasuustaa Markaad hoobal caaniyo hindisa farshaxanoo hab-dhaca iyo luuqdiyo hawraarta maansada heensayn yaqaaniyoo Rabbi hibo u siiyoo labadaba hannaanshiyo hal abuur dhashaa baa hooyo lagu xasuustaa Dumar iyo haween baa nolol lagu haweystaa kuwa lagu hammiyayee sida hawd caleen weyn rag u wada hammuume ishu halacsanaysaa hablahaaga weeyee marka guur la haybshee gabadh heego dheeroo hoobaan la moodoo karti iyo hub qaadloo quruxdana ka hodaniyo hufan laga aroostaa hooyo lagu xasuustaa Hooyooy la'aantaa higgaad lama barteenoo hooyooy lan'aantaa hadal lama kareenoo ruuxaad habinoo kolba aanad hees iyo hoobay ku sabinoo hawshaada waayaa hanaqaadi maayee hoygii kalgacalkee naxariistu hadataay Hooyo dushaadaa nabad lagu hubaayoo hooyooy dhabtaadaa hurdo lagu gam'aayoo hooyooy taftaadaa dugsi laga helaayoo waxaa lagu hal maalaa hooyo ababintaadee hayin lagu badhaadhaay hogol lagu qaboobaay gogol lama huraaneey dugsigii hufnaantaay hidda lagu arooraay Intaad hooyo nooshahay hambalyiyo salaan baan hanti kaaga dhigayaa hamrashiyo xaq-dhawr baan dusha kaa huwinayaa hooyo dhimashadaaduna hoogeyga weeyoo Weligay hoggaagaan ka dul heesayaayoo hiyiga laabtaan kugu haynayaayoo hengel baan u xidhayaa inta haadka duushiyo idil habar dugaaggee IFKA HIBO KU NOOLOOW AAKHIRO HALKII ROON

Jazakallah khair for the reminder Q!

Maansadan xujada ah waxa tiriyey Deeq Diiriye, wuxuuna yiri: Waa Su'aalo tobonoo, Oon golaha togonine: 1. Maxay tiradu kow qura Bilow uga tafniiddaa? 2. Muxuu tuke cambaartiyo Ku kasbaday takoornimo? 3. Sidee talo nin diidaa Uga jabin tagoogada? 4. Ninka taag ku faaniyo Tab yaqaan midkee ku leh? 5. Tirobuur kan sheegani Tirakoobka yaw maray? 6. Da'i nimay ka daba timi Tartiibiis ma miyir baa? 7. Ma ku tookhin geenyada Hadday toojo kaa tahay? 8. Waa telef waxaan iri Temin see ku yeeshaan? 9. Ninkii tuur leh Baashow Hurdo see u taamaa? 10. Aan tolowna kii yiri Ha lay tolo miyuu yiri? Tobankaa su'aalood Ee taabka lagu xiray Haddaad garan ta'wiishood Soo tebi jawaabaha! Ha tiraabin dulucdana Adigoo tixayn kara! Hana tooxin toogada Adoo toosin heli kara! Hana tu'inin meelaan Hadhow laga tukubin karin!

kkkkkkkk lool war ana bal tan iga hooya! Nin ka mid ah Bakhaylada ugu waaweyn dunida ay-aa waxay xaaskiisu u keentay cunto, dabadeedna wuxuu billaabay in uu la cuno xaaskiisa, iyagoo cunaya ayuu wuxuu ku yidhi ‘cuntadu macaan badnaan lahaydaa haddaanu cidhiidhi jirin !’ Xaaskii oo yaaban ayaa ku tidhi "waa maxay cidhiidhigu waa adiga & aniga uune? " Markaas buu ku yidhi "waxaan jeclaan lahaa in aan noqono aniga & weelka oo keliya!"

Human Feces Powers Rwandan Prison By Cyrus Farivar Jul. 16, 2005 Imagine eating food that was cooked using natural gas generated from your own human waste. Thousands of prisoners in Rwanda don't have to imagine it -- they live it. Prisoners' feces is converted into combustible "biogas," or methane gas that can be used for cooking. It has reduced by 60 percent the annual wood-fuel costs which would otherwise reach near $1 million, according to Silas Lwakabamba, rector of the Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management, where the technology was developed. Last month, the Rwandan prison biogas facilities received an Ashden Award for sustainable energy. The award, which comes with a prize worth nearly $50,000, is given by the Ashden Trust, a British charity organization that promotes green technologies. "It's turning a negative social situation in terms of the Rwandan genocide into something that can benefit local people in the local area," said Corrina Cordon, spokeswoman for the Ashden Awards. Many of Rwanda's 120,000 prisoners are incarcerated because of the genocidal campaign. The prisons are overcrowded by a factor of 10, Lwakabamba said. He added that prison overpopulation has created a situation where the facilities have significantly increased energy needs. The overcrowding also leads to large amounts of human waste that the prisons cannot adequately process. Lwakabamba said that prior to the construction of biogas facilities at a prison situated atop a hill at Cyangugu in southwestern Rwanda, some human waste was being thrown down the hill, near natural bodies of water such as Lake Kivu. "It got started when we went to these prisons and we realized that so much human waste was going into these rivers and we had to try something," he said. The university rector said that the Rwandan biogas facilities, which are currently in half of the 30 prisons around the country, now contribute half of the energy needs for cooking and lighting in each location. Rwanda's biogas facilities are among the most ambitious in the world, given their size and scope. They range up to 1,000 cubic meters in something resembling a beehive shape. The process requires putting a given amount of human or other animal waste into a "digester," which ferments it using bacteria to release methane gas that can be captured and then burned as fuel. Attached is a "compensating chamber" that replenishes the supply of bacteria to keep the operation self-sustaining. The lead engineer on the project, Ainea Kimaro, says that within four weeks, 100 cubic meters of waste can be transformed into 50 cubic meters of fuel. Biogas is being used around the world, including in homes in Nepal and to power trains in Sweden. Kimaro said that while waste smells bad initially, the biogas that is produced has no foul odor. He added that the Rwandan prisoners are not put off by the idea of using the byproduct of human waste to cook. "Our people are very adaptive," he said. "They see it working; they want to use it." Once the methane is produced, the remaining waste is used as an odor-free fertilizer for the gardens at the prison. Martin Wright, an Ashden Awards judge who traveled to Rwanda and visited the prison at Cyangugu, got down on his hands and knees to take a whiff of the manure. "I've sniffed the residue and there is no smell at all," he said. As remarkable as the odorless fertilizer is, Wright said that he was even more impressed by the idea that the new energy project involves people being held on charges of genocide in Cyangugu, just across the border from the volatile civil war raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "(That) they've become the site for this amazing pioneering project means that you're taking something that's a consequence of human misery and producing something hopeful out of it," he said. http://www.wired.com/news/planet/0,2782,68127,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1 hmm... guess what goes around comes around!