Jazakallah khair Walaal

masha'allah very inspiring pictures! i liked the close up mosque, and the last picture - black and white street!

^ where is the line indeed? lets look at this in a simpler way; ------------------------------------------------ 1a) “Can an individual (by the assistance of consent) rise above 'animalistic' (biological) kind of identity? ------------------------------------------------ yes ------------------------------------------------ 1b) Or can what is now mistakenly called the 'Somali Self' form 'an identity' through the employment of consent? I've asked the last question because I am yet unaware of any 'formed' identity by a Somali, which is beyond biological. ------------------------------------------------ this is an opinion, i believe Baashi has discussed this in detail. ------------------------------------------------ 2) Can you, as an individual, after thinking rationally of social, clan and familial relations, develop an independent identity that is purely consensual, that no longer adheres to biological/animalistic lineage but rather on own consent? ------------------------------------------------ here is were the mirage starts. i'll try and answer it with a question; If an indivitual through rational thinking of the social, clan and familial relations, develops a new identity that is purely consensual, can that identity be totaly free of biological relations(lineage)? I asked that question, because through consent - isn't the 'new identity' - the consensus of all identities, including biological? what we are ultimatly seeking is an 'Ideal Indivitual', but this also requires a scale of good and wrong(evil). what scale do we use as Somalis? (Sophist's: where is the line?) a consensus can be either of good or wrong, so we must know before hand what the outcome of our consensus is. Amani

peace be upon you all, great topic/subject viking! the world is run by two systems, the Dajjal system and the Shariah system. History is the cycle of these Two systems. both systems can exist in the world at the same time for a short period, but ultimatly one must dominate. so whichever system is in control at any particular time primarily depends on the free will (choice) of the human. while the manpower of the Dajjal system is under the control of Shaytan and his followers, it can never dominate the Shariah system, unless the defeat comes from within the followers of the Shariah(the Khilafah). when the followers of the Shariah fail their responsibility towards the system, the System is then returned to its Source - Allah(swt), untill a new people(Khilafah) rise (to enjoin good and forbid wrong) and make the Shariah system to dominate. the Dajjal system can only dominate the world for only a short time, only the space in between, the failure of the old Khilafah and the rise of the new. it is clear to us that we are currently living in a world were the dajjal system is in control. under such system, there is no justice, no peace, the strong eat the weak, the rich steal from the poor. the IMF, WTO, UNSC, World Bank, all these are tool s of the Dajjal system. even if the creation of these networks was for good intention, if the system is corrupt, then ultimatly they all became the hands of the system. the only way to break this cyle, this system, is for a new system to rise, a system that is pure and free from the corruption of the Dajjal System, and that system is the Shariah(enjoin good-forbid wrong) system. History is the cycle between the Dajjal and the Shariah system. what is required now is for the opressed people to rise up and free themselves from this system, to free their minds, hearts and souls, and rise break the system. hence in history those that always rise for the Shariah system are those that are opressed, the weak and the poor. while those who fight for the protection of the Dajjal sytem are the elites, the rich and the fat. the vampires who suck the blood out of the poor and weak. who will rise up for justice? who will speak for justice? who will call for justice? who will inherit the world(khilafah) thru the Shariah system? Somalia? Africa? ... the seats are open for all with clean hearts! O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer; hat is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things. Noble Quran: Al-Maedah 54 ps. i used the Dajjal system, because the Dajjal represents the 'ideal' era of the Shaytani system in the world. Amani

Saturday, 4 June, 2005, 10:58 GMT 11:58 UK US queries China military growth Chinese soldiers The US defence secretary has accused China of spending more on its military capabilities than it acknowledges. Donald Rumsfeld said Beijing was expanding its missile build-up and developing advanced systems of military technology, in a speech in Singapore. He questioned the need for "growing investment" because he said no nation was threatening China. The comments highlight US concern over China's increasing military, economic and diplomatic power, observers say. Call for openness Mr Rumsfeld's warning came at an annual international security conference of Asian defence ministers and military experts. He said the Pentagon's annual study of China's military power concludes that its defence budget is now the third largest in the world. The defence secretary also questioned China's government. Beijing would have to expand political freedoms to maintain economic growth and influence, he said. "Ultimately, China likely will need to embrace some form of open, representative government if it is to fully achieve the benefits to which its people aspire," he added. The US is urging the European Union to maintain its ban on selling weapons to China. Washington has argued that ending the embargo would upset the balance of power in the region. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4609255.stm

SOO MAAL I knew you would deliver. Thank You! i was hoping it was taken post-war!

whoa! masha'Allah when was this picture taken? and where? this i must know! :cool:

Kaftankii ma Qufacay?

» Asalamu Alaykum, brothers and sisters, i hope you are all in good health and strong imaan. I would like to share with you this site, Full of Islamic Lectures from many different Scholars of the faith: http://nadeem.lightuponlight.com/indexaudios.html > the lectures are in mp3 format so you can download them. ps. I strongly advice you download/listen to sh. Jamal Badawi' lectures. inorder to be better believers we must understand our faith first. May Allah(swt) bless them all, forgive them and grant them Jannah! Amin Amani

interesting.. just imagine the sight - baraf kuruska geel saaran!

Time Management One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes." The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Amiin q___|____| |__.

I ask Allah the Most High that he relieves our brother Ali al-Timimi from his troubles, that He grants him freedom, that He returns him to his family safe, Amiin Ya Allah! Dr. Ali al-Tamimi's support website: http://www.altimimi.org/

Asalamu Alaykum Name: Muhammad Gender: Male Location: City of Lakes When no 1 is Looking: I dream of conquest Fav Music(past): Qaraami and Jazz Fav Music(now): Gabayo(religous - non qabiilist like Jama Kadiye ) and Islamic Nasheeds(Arabic and others) Interests: history(ancient empires and warfare), reading, learning, and dreaming of paradise Amani

Asalaamu Alaykum all Muslim Artist check out this site; www.imagineislam.com it was launched by MPADC.com Muslim Programmers and Designers Community Amani

the best feeling in the whole wide world is; the feelings you get whenever: The Heart suprises The Head! for me; love of Allah, and Loving for Allah's sake! Amani

Alhamdulilah, once again i'm smiling because this time, I'm the one to remind my fellow Mu'mins. reading this topic will be sufficent for me from staying away of Laziness this coming month(June)! Jannaah Inoo Balan Ah! Salaams! Stay in a Ni'mah state of Mind! Salaxudiin, A.K.A Conquest

Asalamu Alaykum, after reading this amazing conversation, I came to one understanding; I. The Sunnah Path - A Man(soul) on Horse(body) Travelling from(This World) to(Jannah in Aakhirah), he Submits and Organizes all his efforts and resources in reaching this destination; This is Ibaadah: "Ascertaining what Allaah and His Messenger love and are pleased with, from [1] the sayings of the heart and [ii] of the tongue; and [iii] the actions of the heart and [iv] of the limbs." - to finish this journey one needs guidance as Nur said: I have restrained myself with Sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad SAWS. I therefore found in the Sunnah a balance between my deep spiritualism and realism. Alhamdulillah, with Quraan as my manual, and the Sunnah as my steering, Taqwah my mantle, Dhiker my security and struggle with my own nafs-al ammaara bil soo, as my vocation, I can barely see the light of the siraatul Mustaqeem. It beats me to understand how others cruise these rough waters without such an arrangement. II. The Suffi(Modern) Path - due to their extensive "Soul Travelling", it seems to me where they have gone wrong is they have neglected the purpose and destination of this Journey. the Ronins amongst us. Instead of focusing on the goal, keeping their eyes on the price, moving forward, they have tied their horse(body) to tree, and spent their energy wandering the world which they were leaving. this is a wasted energy. How many 'soul Travellers' spent many hours wandering and missed their Salah or Fast? "Hacking the Human" the Hacker - Shaytan and his Alliance(including humans) the Target - the Qalb - the maindrive center of the human, and his/her highest possession in this universe. the Mission - change and alter the course and the destination of the human, from Jannah(Ibaadah) to Naar(Kufr). "Protection from this Hacker" download - The Quraan - your Manual to the body mind and soul. The Sunnah - your friendly guide to understanding the Manual. Tawheed - your access to the Source of Infinite knowledge and wisdom. Allah(swt) Salah - your connection to the Source, without it you can't send(ajar) or recieve(rahman) from the source Sawm(fast) - your payment to the source, refreshes and defragments the maindrive(Qalb) Taqwa - your Nurwall(firewall) against all hackers and evil attackers. your protection(castle) of the Qalb(maindrive). Dhiker - your anti-waswaas(virus), kills viruses, worms, trojans and all waswaas of the Hacker (Alias Shaytan) now if the human neglects any one of these softwares, he is vurnable to the Hackers, and loosing control of His or Her maindrive - thus unable to reach his/her destination. This is a Trap that most "Soul Travellers" have Fallen into! may Allah(swt) guide us all and submit our Qalb to His Diin(way). Amiin! Abdullah Ibn Masood narrated, "The Messenger of Allah (S) drew a line for us and then said, ‘This is Allah’s Straight Path.’ Then he drew lines to its right and left, then he said, ‘These are paths, upon every one of them there is a devil calling towards it.’ (Ahmad) Then he (Muhammad (S)) recited (from the Qur’an (what means)): "Verily this is My Straight path, so follow it and follow not (other) paths, they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious." (Al-Anam 6:153) Da‘iya Nur, your calling people to the Path of Allah(swt), may Allah reward you and keep you on Siraat al-mustaqeem. amin

Short stories that matter A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?" "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings enjoying with your friends..." Anonymous -------------- SOLers what benefits can we derive from this story?

I'll have to go with Xu and Dreamer, If there is one Hadeeth that we Somalis take heart to its is : toobaa for the ghurabaa! Its their generosity, specially to the strangers. Soomaaliyeey Toosoo, toosoo isku tiirsada ee, Haba kiina taag taran, taageera weligiinee 1 love 1 Ilah 1 soul 1 faith 1 ummah

Nomads Gone Wild - Down Under style? Ah Well, A poet long ago observed: A glance, a smile, a friendly hello, Some chatting, a date, then off they go! Originally posted by Farxan: i am leaving on thrus,26th for somalia, Xaji ma baxday? higlo iyo dha dhaable dee igu salaan!

Asalaamu Alaykum, Jumaa' Mubaarak brothers and sisters - another blessed Jumaa has came to us. Alhamdulillah this friday's reminder: Insha'Allah we will take a close look at Taskiyah: its Aim and Scope Tazkîyah: Its Aim and Scope Amîn Ahsân Islâhî Tazkîyah deals with all the apparent and hidden aspects of our selves. It critically judges all the powers and the capabilities of which we are constituted, discusses all our emotions and feelings and corrects and reforms them; it takes stock of all the variegated and multifaceted ties that we are bound with, and creates an order in and regulates them all under a particular principle and regulation. Our thoughts, our apprehensions, our inclinations, our movements, our eating and drinking, our engagements, entertainments, and interests, the daily routines of our lives, in short, no department and nothing that touches our lives is outside the pale of tazkîyah. Tazkîyah in the Arabic language means purification of something (from adulterants), its growth and development and to bring it to the height of its perfection. The action of tazkîyah on different things will appear in different forms on the surface. On material objects it will take one form and on abstract objects quite another. But this apparent difference will not change the reality. The spirit of purification, growth and development and its final perfection will be visible in its actions everywhere. For instance the action of tazkîyah may be performed on a tract of land and also on the inner self of a person. Although due to variations in the fields of action, there will be a difference in the form, yet in reality and in its object there will be no difference between the two. The tazkîyah of the tract of land will comprise clearing it of the weeds, brushwood and brambles, leveling it, ploughing it to make it soft and porous, then watering it so that it may become capable of developing the healthy seeds of some sort in keeping with its natural capacity, and take it to the final stage of blossoming and fruition. The tazkîyah of the inner self of a person involves eradication of erroneous thought and false assumptions, the correction and leveling of the perversions and angularities created by the corrupt morality and bad habits; removal of the ills produced by blind emulations and ritualism; treatment and cure of the evil of spirits and cowardice created by craving for ephemeral carnal pleasures so that his eyes may be opened and his mind may become capable of thinking freely, his drooping spirits may be raised, his habits may be reformed and through development of his mental, moral and spiritual powers according to his natural capabilities, may attain the heights God endowed him with to reach. The Technical Sense of Tazkîyah More or less the same or some such sense is conveyed by the word tazkîyah used as a technical term. Literally it means as already stated above, purification and development to the stage of its perfection. Technically it conveys the sense of checking ourselves from erroneous tendencies and leanings and turning them to the path of virtue and piety (fear of God’s displeasure) and developing it to attain the stage of perfection. This sense of tazkîyah is borne out by the following verse of the Qur’ân: “By the soul and the proportion and order given to it; and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; - truly he succeeds that purifies it and he fails that corrupts it!†(Al-Qur’ân – 91:7-10) The above verse clarifies the issue. God has so ordered the soul that it has both inclinations – good and evil, and man has been endowed with the power of distinction between the two; and the path of prosperity for man lies in choosing the side of the good in the struggle between it and the evil, and striving to make it prevail over the evil. With rightly guided consciousness the extreme struggle to make the good prevail and to vanquish the evil is tazkîyah in the Qur’ânic sense of the term. The Scope of the Knowledge of Tazkîyah With the sense of tazkîyah in view if we were to contemplate over it we must come to the conclusion that all of the arts and sciences dealing directly with our inner selves, medical science is the only one resembling the knowledge of tazkîyah. Medical science deals with the ailment of our physique and the treatment and cure thereof, whereas tazkîyah treats the subject of the ailments of the spirit and their eradication. But in spite of this resemblance there is also a great difference between the two. The ambit of the discussions of the medical science is very limited, dealing with only one aspect of our selves, the body and its ailments. On the contrary tazkîyah deals with all the apparent and hidden aspects of our selves. It critically judges all the powers and the capabilities of which we are constituted, discusses all our emotions and feelings and corrects and reforms them; it takes stock of all the variegated and multifaceted ties that we are bound with, and creates an order in and regulates them all under a particular principle and regulation. Our thoughts, our apprehensions, our inclinations, our movements, our eating and drinking, our engagements, entertainments, and interests, the daily routines of our lives, in short, no department and nothing that touches our lives is outside the pale of tazkîyah. The Real Task of Tazkîyah And it is not only that tazkîyah deals with all the aspects of ourselves or removing their evils, presents the right sort of replacements, but the real job of tazkîyah lies beyond this discussion, critical study and correction. It also enters our souls from every angle in such a way that they become tranquilized and peaceful. The tranquilization of the soul means that our knowledge may be founded on such a firm belief that no vicissitudes of distress and comfort or pain and pleasure may be able to shake and alter our trust in God and our expecting only good from Him, but that we may remain pleased with God and satisfied with His decrees. Similarly, the foundations of our deeds may be laid in such a firm character that no temptations, in adversity or prosperity; fear or hope, may take our feet off where the divine Sharî`ah has planted, so that we may fulfill our mission of the demands made on us by God, and thus become His desirable servants. Such a tranquilized soul is the aim of tazkîyah. The Qur’ân addresses the tranquilized or peaceful soul in the following words: “O, [you] soul, in complete rest and satisfaction! Come back you to your Lord; - well-pleased [yourself] and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter you, then, among My devotees! Yes, enter you My Heaven.†(Al-Qur’ân – 89:27-30) The Quest for Ever-increasing Superiority The above discussion has also revealed that tazkîyah has an air of art too about it, since it does not rest contented with somehow bringing the soul to the right path, but over and above that, it strives to take it to ever-increasing heights of superiority. Tazkîyah does not stop at the stage where we learn a little about God and the Sharî`ah conferred by Him on man, but it is its endeavor that we may attain a true and firm knowledge of God and His attributes. Tazkîyah does not keep before it as its goal that our habits be reformed to a certain degree but strives after the goal of making ourselves the embodiment of all the beautiful traits of man’s character. Tazkîyah is not satisfied with the creation of a sort of harmony and accord in our notions, but in addition to that it aims at producing a sort of pathos, refinement and the power to effect passions or their expression. Tazkîyah does not demand only that our soul may somehow be subordinated to the Commandments of the Sharî`ah, but its real demand lies in breaking this unruly steed of our soul in such a way that it carries out the orders of God and His apostle in the best possible manner. It does not only demand from us the service where the slave comes to imagine that he is beholding his Lord with his eyes (physical vision). In short, it means that tazkîyah places before us the demand of îmân or belief, Islâm or submission and Ihsân or utmost sincerity, at the same time. It demands that we believe in God with all His attributes, also that we obey His Commandments in every sphere of our lives and above all that this belief and obedience may not be formal and superficial but fully conscious and deeply sincere in which our hearts must coordinate with our bodies. This nature of tazkîyah makes it a perpetual striving and a continuous struggle without any break or a period of rest. In this journey there is no turn or stage which may be mistaken for the last lap of the journey – the destination where one may sojourn a while or become permanently at ease. At every stage in this striving one goes on looking for greater excellence and higher standards and nowhere his eyes can come to rest on any degree of excellence. With the greater polish of the deeds, the morals and the exterior and the inner self, the fineness of morals and the exterior and the inner self, the fineness of tastes, the degree of sensibility and keenness of eye-sight also progresses by leaps and bounds, with the result that no sooner has one washed the old stains off his raiment some more stains come in sight to be cleansed. Because of this, tazkîyah is a very difficult task indeed. Even if a person is not bewildered by its vast scope, its never-ending activity instills fear into him that he may not be able to sustain himself through its life-long occupation. But if this activity is taken up and performed in the natural course with the gradualness and the order prescribed for it by the prophets, it becomes for a lover of the Truth the most attractive occupation, its vast scope and perpetuity notwithstanding. Its limitless vastness is awe-inspiring indeed. But the inspirational guidance that one experiences on this path is so heartening and solacious that his courage never gives way and he is never disheartened: “And those who strive in Our [cause], - We will certainly guide them to Our Paths.†(Al-Qur’ân – 29:69). Thus the fatigue caused by the perpetuity of the striving is countered by the ever-fresh revelations of realities and subtleties which in turn confer a refreshed life continually on man. If with the perpetuity of striving fresh gains in the form of inspirations come his way and every fresh success surpasses all the past achievements, continuous labor and its monotony do not make him tire of it, but create in him fresh courage and resolve to begin every new stage with fresh interest and zeal. The Real Theme of Tazkîyah The above details give an idea of the nature of tazkîyah, its scope and its difficulties to a certain extent. But to bring into view all its aspects, the suitable method will be to focus on the real theme of tazkîyah and then try to encompass all the aspects of this theme, since it must have as many facets as are to be found in the theme itself. The garments are fitted to the stature, and if we can take measurements of the stature, the measurements of the dresses are automatically determined. Evidently enough the theme of tazkîyah is human soul. But what is soul is an important question stressed in the Islâmic philosophy and in that of Jâhilîyah too. The arch of the doorway to the temple in ancient Athens bore the inscription of the sayings of Socrates: “Man know thyself!†This is a pointer to the fact that in Greek philosophy knowledge and cognizance of the soul was considered of fundamental importance. In our society too an old saying is well known: “One who knows himself comes to know His Lord.†That makes it incumbent on us to analyze this issue of the soul as to which attributes and demands go into its composition, so that we may be able to find out what will be required of us in its analysis. By the analysis of the soul we do not mean here the process adopted by the philosophers in finding the real nature of any object. To us soul defies such analysis and enquiries to find its true nature. And it is not necessary for our purpose to find its true nature. We shall endeavor here to find our its attributes and demands and deal only with such of its mental and moral aspects which come or should come into question in the knowledge and exercise of tazkîyah. The Various Aspects of Man’s Ego Let us now contemplate the various aspects of our ego that can be brought under the action of tazkîyah, and without that much tazkîyah of those aspects, man’s perfect development according to his natural capacities is not possible. When we contemplate our ego, the two aspects that are directly acted upon by the process of tazkîyah are that: 1) the ego has understanding and perception. 2) the ego acts. Perception is the essence of ego without which man is no more important than inanimate objects. Then, apparently enough, this perception is not limited to the minor details but includes that of generalities and broad facts as well. And it is this quality of our ego which distinguishes it from animals, and without which man would not have deserved any higher status than that of beasts. This perception of generalities opens up for him vast avenues of thought and reasoning, and all his arts and sciences and thought and creed and assumption come into existence with it. And it is with its help that he goes from the created to the Creator and from the handiwork to the Artisan. In its light he gets an idea of the attributes and the likes and dislikes of the Designer from the designed. And thus guided he decides the right course for himself, and also what obligations and responsibilities devolve on him as a man, and with what degree of consciousness and sense of responsibility, promptitude and wholehearted activity he should discharge his duties. Just think how important this aspect of our ego is! I t is apparent that all other aspects of our ego are subordinate to it. If it is corrected and reformed, the ego as a whole can be reformed. And any evil of slightest degree persisting therein, will not allow it (the ego) to right itself. It is man’s thought that makes him rightly guided or sends him astray. One false step and the whole philosophy of life is erased, and an ordinary slip in the deduction will bring the whole building of our knowledge toppling down. As a result of this crookedness the whole life with its various aspects becomes rife with corruption. Tazkîyah of Knowledge and Perception Due to the importance of knowledge and perception their tazkîyah carries great weight in our programme of tazkîyah. In this, priority goes to the settlement of the questions that are essential for keeping our thoughts and intentions firmly focused on the right path. For instance, What are we? Whence we came and wither-bound? Whether we are the creators or the created? Whether we are the masters with a free will or in a state of non-volition? Whether we are free from liability or answerable to any one? If responsible to anyone what are His attributes? How is He related to our lives? What He likes and what He does not like? In case of somebody indulging in something that He does not like, how is He going to deal with him? Definite and decisive answers to these questions are inevitable for saving our ego from the crookedness of knowledge and mental straying. It is also imperative that the dust of blind following, inertia and stagnancy, negligence and forgetfulness should not collect on the correct answers provided to these questions. And, God forbid, if any aspect of it is getting rusty, it must be rubbed constantly and kept clean. Tazkîyah of Action Action, like knowledge it is also vast enough. Not a moment of man’s life passes without action, which does not leave a good or bad impression on his ego. It is not only the question of prohibition or approbation that arises about these actions, but more important than this aspect is that of the motives behind them. There is no single motivation for man’s actions, but so many motives of different natures incite him to action, so that the same action under two different motives may become an act of virtue or that of an evil. Then a question also arises about all the motives of our actions as to which of them is trustworthy and which otherwise. Which are those whose persuasion and incitement is acceptable and which those whose blindness is fraught with dangers? At times, we resort to a certain act compelled by necessity or want. We are compelled to eat when hungry, slake our thirst when thirsty and rest when we feel fatigued. Similarly so many of our actions are motivated by desires. For example, for the sake of fame we indulge in acts of valor; for popularity’s sake we engage ourselves in social service and to accumulate wealth we expand our businesses of industries and commerce. Likewise, so many of our acts are motivated by passions. We love someone, hate someone else; are jealous of somebody and favorably disposed to another; we oblige one person and revenge ourselves on another. Moreover, through a careful stock-taking of our ego we also come to realize that there are so many actions of ours whose motives are far above those mentioned earlier. Under this category come all those actions of judgment, thought and sacrifice and selflessness in which we cannot find a trace of selfishness even on very critical analysis. This motive we can term the angelic spirit or reason. All the four motives mentioned at times act separately and at others are at work jointly. They are also guilty of excesses and shortcomings in their actions. That is why taking stock of them in every action and examining them and judging them in their excesses and training them to be bound by the limits prescribed for them by the Sharî`ah, is a mighty long chain, arrangement and regulation of which are also the duties of tazkîyah. Tazkîyah of Relations and Dealings After knowledge and action and passions and motives, two other aspects of our ego that come before us is that of the relations and dealings, no less in its scope, rather greater in its vastness. Among the relations of ego the most important are those with God and with self. If we take ourselves, not as the creator but the created, a very pertinent question must arise regarding the nature of our relations with the Creator, and the way they can be established on proper bases. Next crops up the problem of our own ego or self which apparently has so many things in its charge or holds sway over them. It has a hold over the body, the brain, various faculties and capabilities, feelings and passions. How should it deal with all of them? Is he the owner and master of these things and is entitled to use them as he is pleased to do? Or is it only this that it holds them in his charge as a trust within the limits prescribed by the Creator? If the second is the case the question arises as to the limits which must be kept in view in this connection. And along with that it will also be inevitable to know all those apparent and hidden qualities that are essential for the proper discharge of this duty of trusteeship. Next come the relations of the ego or self with its surroundings. That man is a social entity needs no proof. Whenever and wherever he is, it is in the capacity of the member of a family, the individual belonging to a society or the citizen of some state. Just as a creeper needs some trusses and supports to climb up, prosper and blossom, man too must have some supports for his development, progress and attainment of the zenith of his career. In the absence of these supports his existence is not possible. And if it is rarely met with anywhere it is in a very stunted state of growth and development of his faculties. This is why tazkîyah takes stock of all these relations and firmly establishes them on the right bases, so that it may attain the zenith of its development and perfection in keeping with its natural endowments. These details bring to light the fact that tazkîyah is not a simple and limited process. Rather, its multiple facets extend far and wide. Every aspect of our life, apparent or hidden, theoretical or practical, moral or social and political is encompassed by it. The tazkîyah of our ego does not simply mean that a certain aspect of it is lighted up but brightening and spreading light to every nook and corner of it – our knowledge becoming dazzling, our actions pure and clean and our relations and dealings established on just and proper lines… Maintainer’s Note: [1] This a mawdû (fabricated) hadîth as is well-known among the scholars of hadîth: As-Sakhâwî said, “Abû al-Mudhaffar as-Sama’ânî said, ‘This is not known as a hadîth of the Messenger, rather it is only related as a saying of Yahya bin Mu‘âdh ar-Râzî. And likewise an-Nawawî said, ‘it is not established’ †[‘al-Maqâsid al-Hasanah’ (pg. 491 no.1149)] As-Suyûtî said, “This hadîth is not authentic.†[‘Hâwî lil Fatâwî’ (2/351)] Alî al-Qârî quoted from Ibn Taymiyyah saying, “fabricated.†[‘al-Asrâr al-Marfû‘ah’ (pg. 83)] Al-Allâmah Fairozabâdî said, “This is not from the Prophetic ahâdîth, despite the fact that the majority of people make it so, and it is not authentic at all. It is only related from the Jewish traditions as ‘O mankind! Know yourself and you will know your Lord.’ †[‘ar-Radd alâ al-Mu’taridîn’ (2/37)] Al-Albânî says, “It has no basis.†[‘Silsilah ad-Da‘îfah’ (1/165 no.66)] Excerpt from: "How to Attain True Piety and Righteousness in Islâm" © 1987 Islamic Book Publishers Source: Islamic Psychology Online http://www.angelfire.com/al/islamicpsychology/

^ bro Haddad ofcourse not! the dead dog here is the so called international law. there is no such thing anymore, if the united states and company continue abusing the little international order that is left, then we are back to the Jaahiliyah, we actually are in the Jaahiliyah, when the strong eats the weak. alas, there will come a time when the u.s. will regret, when her deeds catch up with her, I fear we are at the wrong place in the wrong time! Hijrah should be an open option for all of us. Amani!

AWAKEN O my people from the shadows of yester-year -- and dwell not in misery for the echos that passed The dawn is near, its smilling crescent rising from eastern coasts So take the Path of Conscience in the Journey of Hope -- and March forth with Insha'Allah through the hardships of life Find solace in the Promise of a better day -- For the Noble Quraan proclaims ; Lo! with hardship goeth ease So when thou art relieved, still nominate. -- And strive to please thy Lord.

The funny part was when one Faarah said, "you people have wine, we don't drink wine, we have khat". it was sadly funny! The task is difficult indeed but there is a spritual solution to every problem. It seems to me that the only lasting change that can affect the mind, body and spirit of the indivitual is if the heart is clean. The Ulama, and the Imaams of the Masaajid must make the purification of the hearts of our fellow citizens a top priorities. khat is doing to Somalia what cocain did to Columbia. May Allah(swt) help us and guide us!