Subxanallah! Allaahuma acizal islaama wal muslimiin. Inshallah if Allah blesses me with children they shall be mujahids and work towards gaining our glory once more. Walaahi its so sad, especially to think that once when the kuffar knew of the Muslim army coming, there fear would be so great even while at a distance of one months travel.

Lefty, actually walaalo, we women on average have longer life spans than our male counterparts As for the topic, without a doubt speaking generally girls mature earlier than boys, but eventually as we get older it evens out.

JZK for the reminder, well appreciated.

No need for enemies when you have insiders like her. Allah have mercy on this Ummah.

Baashi, you hit the nail on the head with the last part of your comment, believe me, dowry is probably the least problem. "CHIKS" :confused: But your right Mujahid. My heart goes out to you poor fellas, generally though it's the parents and families that demand so much. Alas, i suppose you must accept and get cracking in coming up with the dough!

Asalaamu Calaykum Wr Wb, Brother Jaaluut, Walaal, I must disagree with you in the greatest sense of the word, for participating in usury (taking it, paying it, being involved in its transaction and what not) in all its forms is a heinous and grave sin as Allah has said: "Oh you who believe! Devour not usury doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah that you may prosper." (Aal-Imran, ayah 130) Not to mention Rasuallah (S.A.W) equating usury to fornication: Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Usury has got seventy divisions. The easiest division of them is a man marrying his mother. As for your words walaal: “jurisprudence...sharicah is a process of finding answers to contemporary problems through the prism of the quraan and sunnah.” USURY is NOT just a contemporary problem; the rulings in regards to it have been clearly defined in the Quran, Sunnah and verdicts of the Sahaba. Just because some Islamic scholars have come to such a ruling, it does not mean it is correct. May Allah bless them, for the verdicts of scholars (right or wrong) are rewarded by Allah immensly. However, the majority of the scholars clearly indicate it is HARAM . “if i invest 5000 , the money deosn't sit ,but rather works to generate wealth for the borrowing company and me” This is not usury walaal for the reason that your money is working for you; you are not making a profit for nothing. And yes i have read some of the opinions of scholars that take this stance. Abu Hurairah (R.A) reported that the Prophet(S.A.W) said: A time will certainly come over the people when none will remain who will not devour usury. If he does not devour it, its vapour will overtake him. [Ahmed,Abu Dawood,Nisai,Ibn Majah] May Allah save us from Riba and its remnants. JZK

FINALLY!!! Jazaakum Allahu Khayran for pointing that out, i can't stand the double standard that goes on. :mad: It's about time our brothers started appearing as Muslims (grow the beard- i do realise that this seems a tad difficult for somali guys , but even that little is better than nothing and wearing sunnah clothing).

1. The Salat of Tarawih is a Sunnah Mo’akkida (stressed upon) for all men and women according to all Fiqh scholars. It is Mustahab (better) for men if it is performed in Jama’at but Jama’at (congregation) is not obligatory and it is permitted to perform it individually. The Prophet (Pbuh) led Sahaba in Tarawih Salat for three consecutive days and then did not turn up on the 4th day stating, his apprehension that lest it be considered compulsory. Sahaba continued to perform Tarawih individually during Hazrath Abu Bakr’s Caliphdom and Hazrath Umar in his reign collected people behind an Imam and established a system of Jama’at. As no Sahabi of his time objected to it, Shafai and Hanbali scholars insist on Tarawih with Jama’at, calling it an obligatory Sunnah. According to Malikis, Tarawih congregation is only Mustahab and Hanafi scholars consider it a Sunnah-kafaya, that is, some people establish a Jama’at it is not binding on others to join it but if no one in the habitat establishes Jama’at, all will be sinners. It may be noted that Hazrath Umar who established the system of Jama’at, apparently himself did not join the Jama’at. “Narrated Abdur Rahman Bin Abdul Qari, when he accompanied Umar to the Mosque, one Ramadan night, people were performing Tarawih. Some were performing individually while a few made a congregation. Umar said, he thought it was better if he gathered them all behind one Imam. Then he gathered them behind Ubai Bin Ka’ab. When on another night, he visited the Mosque, he saw people following one Imam in Tarawih. Umar commented: How good is this new tradition.” (Bukhari ; Baihaqi) It may obviously be deduced from above that Hazrath Umar who reintroduced the Jama’at system of Tarawih, did not himself join the Jama’at. In my opinion, Maliki and at best the Hanafi point of view is preferable over others and you may perform your own Tarawih after your martial art classes. There is no harm in it. 2. There is no one fixed number of Rakats of Tarawih Salat. Hazrath Ayesha said: “that the Prophet (Pbuh) did not (at night) perform more than 11 Rakats (including witr) in Ramadan or otherwise.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Trimizi, Nisai, Ibne -Maja). “Narrated Jabir that the Prophet (Pbuh) led people in 8 Rakats for three days and then led them in witr. People waited on the 4th night but he did not come to the Mosque” (Tabrani) “Narrated Ibne Abbas that the Prophet (Pbuh) used to perform 20 Rakats of Tarawih without Jama’at in Ramadan.” (Baihaqi) Ahle Hadiths say that the latter of the above noted narrations being weak, there are only 8 Rakats of Tarawih. Hanafis and Shafais, on the basis of Hazrath Umar establishing a system of 20 Rakats, think that he must have established the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Sunnah, considering that no other Sahabi opposed it. Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal does not fix any particular number. Imam Malik himself performed 11 Rakats (including witr) but did not bind others on any number. He said: “people at our place in Madinah perform 39 (36+3) Rakats while in Makkah the tradition is of 23 (20+3). There is much flexibility in it.” Some other traditions indicate 16, 24, 34, 36, 38 and 40 Rakats of Tarawih. In the light of above, I think that there is no fixed number of Tarawih Rakats, (minimum being 8), if you want to perform it individually, but a number shall have to be fixed when Jama’at is organised. Hazrath Umar put it at 20 which is a balanced number out of all the above. If there were lesser Rakats, say 8, each Rakat would become very long for the capacity of all Namazis, if the target of completing the Qur’an once during the month is to be achieved. No companion objected to it because they knew that any number could be chosen, as there was flexibility in the Prophet’s (Pbuh). ______________________________________________ So bottom line is, there are proofs for praying 11 rakats (3 being witr) and for praying 23 (3 being witr), therefore, we can't say it's like this and not that. Inshallah, it's best that we pray a salat with khashuuc and attentiveness rather than a hurried one while trying to reach the limit (but of course 11 is the minimum).

Nice, jazaakum Allahu Khayran. Allah gives guidance to whomever He wishes. Ramadaan Mubaraak brothers and sisters!

Born in Isbitaal Banaadir (like my best friend, quiet a coincidence) Lived in War dhiigleey, Hawlwadaag and then finally moved to Huruwaa. Life was good back home , inshallah we can all return some day . C'mon now Curly_Sue, I don't see any of this as been tribalistic :confused: , no harm in people sharing memories of good old times . And plus, people from all different tribes live in Xamar, its not as you think xabiibti. Ramadaan Mubaarak to all!!

Yathrib. Which man was notorious for killing the companions of Rasuallah and the following generation? He killed Abdullah ibn Zubayr (companion) and Saciid ibn Jubayr (Taabici).

A LETTER TO THE 107th CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES REGARDING THE RESOLUTION ON USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAQ DR. SAFAR AL-HAWALI MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA October 6, 2002 Dear Member of Congress, During these trying times, you have a moral and ethical responsibility not only toward your constituents but also to the world at large. The question before you is not one of simply dealing with a dictator who may or may not possess weapons of mass destruction. The matter before you is of exceedingly greater consequence: an unprecedented US violation of international law in any pre-emptive strike it would take against a sovereign nation; and the subsequent long-term effects (that may span generations) ensuing from the human tragedy that is a necessary consequence of modern warfare. The fear of great loss of life is especially real here, given that this conflict will occur between a superpower determined to prove its capabilities and a ruthless, warlike dictator who has shielded himself with tens of thousands of troops; and who may, in the end, also win the support of his entire populace given the lack of international support for this war and given that this military adventure will, in all likelihood, extend beyond its publicly stated aims. You must appreciate that the Muslim World - which extends over the greater part of the globe - is of one voice in denouncing this war. If war breaks out, American interests would be exposed to unexpected dangers throughout the world. During the last conflict with Iraq, Iraq was the aggressor; this time, however, the aggressor would be the United States. The United States has already enraged the Islamic world when its President referred to this enterprise as a "crusade" (which is the Christian equivalent of a jihad) and when its President described Ariel Sharon as a "man of peace," while in the same breath labeling the Palestinian uprising against their oppressors as "terrorism." During its recent war in Afghanistan, even with all the precautions taken and barriers erected, the United States could not prevent thousands of volunteer Muslim fighters from infiltrating into the combat zone. How could you protect US forces in Baghdad, which lies in the heart of the Islamic World and is its cultural capital, and furthermore directly borders the Holy Land? By taking into account this alone, you will quickly appreciate the vast difference between waging war in Iraq and waging war in Afghanistan. If all other factors are taken into consideration, it must be said that there exist no similarities between the two contexts. On a previous visit to the region, ex-President George H.W. Bush was asked why during the first Gulf War he did not seek to capture Saddam Hussein? He replied that if we were unable to capture Aidid in Mogadishu, who only had a starving militia to protect him; how could we have captured Saddam, who possessed the fourth largest army in the world? Given that the United States did not succeed in capturing either Mulla Omar or Usama Bin Laden, one cannot reasonably expect its chances for success in capturing Saddam Hussein to be greater. There is an international adage that says, "Going to war is easy, but ending it never is." This saying was coined long before the advent of modern warfare with all its carnage, destruction and complications. By attacking Iraq, America will ignite a war that its own friends do not support, let alone the rest of the world. It is only the Israeli government that is pushing the United States to attack Iraq. Ironically, war with Iraq will produce only greater problems for Israel's own population. If able, Saddam Hussein will try to portray himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause and the advocate for winning the justice denied the Palestinians. A single missile fired by Iraq at Israel will, without doubt, generate indescribable euphoria throughout the Muslim World. This is quite understandable given that vis-à vis the Palestinian issue; the Muslim world today is thoroughly submerged in despair as a result of America's biased policy toward Israel. If Saddam Hussein does not possess weapons of mass destruction, then there is no justification to attack Iraq. If he does possess such weapons, then it is folly to incite a madman to play with fire when surrounded by oil and explosives; especially before exhausting all peaceful alternatives. It is not inconceivable for a man like Saddam Hussein to set ablaze his own country (let alone his neighbors') before his enemy could reach him. Were that to happen, the United States would not be excused from bearing the responsibility for such a catastrophe. From a historical perspective, it is important that you appreciate that the Arabs today are living a period of religious reawakening. If conflict comes about, the Arab governments will be unable to control their peoples. Indeed, this problem will escalate into a struggle between two civilizations and religions and not remain simply a war between two countries. My hope is that you will give this situation the serious deliberation it deserves and that you further give precedence above all to the long-term welfare of your nation and its citizens. Seek the path of peace and justice even if such a stance may mean losing your seat, which is by its very nature transitory. Remember, that the Creator of this vast universe has erected its foundations upon justice. He has promised the oppressed that in the end He will avenge them from their oppressors. As He has, unto the peacemakers, promised heaven. "Blessed are the peacemakers." We pray that God will imbue you to make the right decision and to eschew all evil and tyranny. Amen. Sincerely, Safar Al-Hawali, Ph.D. Makkah, Saudi Arabia BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON DR. SAFAR AL-HAWALI Dr. Al-Hawali is one of the most influential Islamic scholars in the world. He is an author of a number of theological and political works and has been cited in countless articles and books printed in the United States. He was the former chairman of the Department of Islamic Doctrine at Umm al-Qura University in the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He first gained international standing for his critical analysis during the1990 Gulf War.

A fatwa: Question: What is the ruling on taking an interest-based loan from the bank for an urgent need such as continuing university studies, or buying a car for one who has a family, or buying a house for a family, knowing that the person who is taking the loan cannot find anyone to lend him money without interest? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: ribaa (interest, usury) is haraam wherever it exists and whatever form it takes. It is haraam for both the owner of the capital and whoever borrows it from him with interest, whether the borrower is rich or poor. Both are guilty of sin and indeed both of them are cursed. Whoever helps them in that, the one who writes down the contract and the one who witnesses it are also cursed, because of the general meaning of the aayahs and sound ahaadeeth which indicate that it is haraam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa,’ whereas Allaah has permitted trading and forbidden Ribaa. So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribaa, shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allaah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Ribaa), such are the dwellers of the Fire — they will abide therein. Allaah will destroy Ribaa and will give increase for Sadaqaat (deeds of charity, alms). And Allaah likes not the disbelievers, sinners” [al-Baqarah 2: 275-276] ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, barley by barley, dates by dates, like by like, payment being made hand to hand. He who made an addition to it, or asked for an addition, in fact dealt in usury [ribaa].” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh). It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes ribaa, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it. He said they are all the same.” (Narrated by Muslim). ... Whoever is unable to work and is poor is allowed to ask for help, and to take zakaah and social security. Secondly: The Muslim, whether he is rich or poor, is not allowed to take a loan from the bank at 5% or 15 % or more or less, because that is ribaa and is a major sin. Allaah has caused him to have no need of that because of the ways that He has prescribed such as means of earning a halaal income by working as an employee for company owners, or as a civil servant in permissible work, or by dealing with the money of another on a profit-sharing basis. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li ‘l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Iftaa’, 13/269 (www.islam-qa.com)

I personally don't know how the loan system for education in the states and Europe works, however if there is interest as you all say, then it is haram. Without a doubt, there is daruura for issues, but it’s not with such a case because if you don’t receive this education you won't cease to exit, its not like your life (the essentials of life- food, water, shelter) are dependant on this higher education. The cases that the scholars of Islam have explained that we can take such loans are for example, unless we take a house on a mortgage we will be left homeless (no such place in the west). Brothers and sisters don't fall into this trap; don't ever fall into interest. The smallest interest one takes, is equal to commiting zina 36 times . Subxanallah, and we still take it so lightly. Rasuallah wouldn’t make such a parable if it were not so serious. I swear by the Lord of the kacba, it is better for you all to return to Africa, become nomads, make a halal living and wait till malakul mawt makes him once a lifetime visit, than to face Allah subxaana wa tacaalaa with such a sin. Remember the following brothers and sisters: "Allah will deprive Riba (interest) of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity" (Quran 2: 276). Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah's Messenger cursed the accepter of interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses; and he said: They are all equal (Muslim). Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: On the night of the Miraj I came upon a group of people whose bellies were like houses. They were full of snakes, which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked Gabriel who they were, and he told me that they were the people who had practiced Riba (Interest). (Ahmad, Ibn Maja) Abdullah ibn Hanjalah related that the Prophet said: A dirham of Riba (interest) knowingly taken by a man is a sin worse than committing Zina (fornication) 36 times (Ahmad, Daraqutni). So now i ask you fellow nomads, who is able to answer to Allah on the day of judgement knowing they took part in Riba? None of us i'm sure. Day in day out we ask Allah to alleviate the problems of the Muslims, but how can we expect to benefit this ummah when we take routes Islam has prohibited? Islam is not just on intention (although of course it is very important), but also action. For an action to be accepted by Allah not only must we have a clear intention BUT ALSO it must not be in contradiction with the Quran and Sunnah, Riba clearly is! As for the Muslim man (graduate of Madina) that sanctioned the taking of such loans, fellow nomads, Islam is not about opinion. Ones opinion when it comes to Islam does not matter; it is about the Quran and Sunnah. Therefore, when you hear a person saying anything in regards to Islam, always ask for proof. Believe you me, you will die alone, enter your grave alone and face Allah alone. It is your responsibility to learn your religion, rather than taking the words of others. Of course nomads, there are ways to go around this, work all summer and save so as to pay off the fees of the coming year. I have many friends in the states, canada and the UK who get themselves through university. If i have offended anyone then i do apologise in advance for that was not my intention.

Konweyn, no need to write all you have. You have made a claim, you have defamed a scholar of Islam. So proove to us, all the nomads of this site, how did Shaykul-Islam deviate from the fundamentals of Islam. Justify yourself (although you never will be able to)! The challange stands!Take it up if what you say is truth. Until then, i take the same position as bulo.

Because we have lost the importance of knowledge, we have allowed Shaytaan to take us for a ride.

Great Idea, we also have a Somali students association here, however its male dominated and the funny thing is, except for a few brothers, they don't do much except get together and discuss ideas. There is almost no action. My point my brothers and sisters is, you have an idea, so now what are you going to do about it to make it reality? A few of you should run away with the idea and make it happen, thats my small advice, and of course always fear Allah in that all haram is forbidden.

OG_moti, so incredibly unfair!! All we are hoping for our future husbands is Jannah, no harm in that is there? But of course there is something in it for us, a Shahiid is allowed to take 70 (if i remember correctly) people with him to heaven, i'm hoping i'll be one of the 70 BTW, our jihad is hajj

Bulo and Lakkad, jazaakum Allahu Khayran to the both of you. As for the comments of Konweyn, heard it all before, nothing but a bunch of lies fabricated by those that want to see nothing but the division of the Muslims. The only sad thing is though, some of us have been brainwashed to the point that almost every topic we post about islam is talking about some fairy tale sect they call "wahabism". :rolleyes: Beats me! As for the Shaykh un-Najd, there are so many Najds (places with that name) in the world, there is of course the one of Saudi Arabia, but there is also the one of Iraq. And yes, there have been many Shaykhs from those areas, so you tell me which one is it? Until one has the proof then i suggest they keep all remarks to themselves. BTW, the challange still stands, proove that Shayk-ul-Islam Muhammad ibn Abdulwahab deviated from the fundamentals of Islam. Of course you must bring proofs from his writting and works, not from allegations. I thank Allah, Lord of the Worlds from bringing our people out of the practise grave worshipping, the practise of asking none other than Him for aid, the practise of Shirk and into the light of the Quran and authentic Sunnah. wabilaahi tawfeeq. Yacquub (asif walaal, i couldnt resist )

Winger, walaal there is nothing wrong with adopting a child that is not as you say. You can adopt any child, be he/she chinese, white, black, whatever. However, there is one condition: YOU MUST NOT GIVE THE CHILD YOUR SURNAME . This has been specifically forbidden in the Qur'an because it was the practice of the Arabs, and the prophet fought against it. They (Quraish) used to refer to the prophets adopted son as Zaid ibn Muhammad, but Rasuallah forbade it and ordered he be called by his fathers name, Zaid ibn Haritha. As for me, Inshallah i will take in as many kids as i am able to. It was aftr all reported from Rasuallah (s.a.w): Sahl bin Sa'ad(R.A.) reported that the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, that the person who supports an orphan, will be so close to him in Paradise as the two fingers and then he demonstrated it by joining his two fingers. (Bukhari) Abdullah bin Abbas(R.A.) reported that the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, that whosoever took the responsibility of feeding and clothing an orphan, will divinely be admitted to Paradise, provided, he has not comitted any such offence as cannot be forgiven. ( Tirmizi) Abu Hurairah(R.A.) reported that the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: " The Best home of Muslims is one wherein there is an orphan who is treated well; and the worst home of Muslims is one wherein there is an orphan who is treated badly." (Ibn Majah) So fellow nomads, i think for any of us that is able to, we should take children in, particularly orphans. Remember back home there are so many of them that need your love and care. Winger

Great post! Nomad brothers, read, contemplate and comprehend. Believe me, if you apply this you will make some woman very happy and in turn inshallah be treated like a king (provided you earn it )

Inter-racial marriages are fine by me so long as the families are happy. I think it is unfair for us to introduce into our families people who do speak our language nor understand language, especially if our parents do not speak theirs. However, if the families are satisfied with it, then i see no problem with it. HOWEVER, in regards to myself i can never contemplate the thought of ever marrying a non-Somali man. It has absolutely nothing to with my family, it is a personal choice i have made for the fact that i know it is in my best interests. I want someone that will understand me fully and who will inshallah return back home someday and not have any difficulties in assimilating with the culture. Anyway, the Scholars of Islam recommend that we marry spouses from the same background as we are. Not just Somali, but if we have grown up in the west, then they recommend we marry a Somali that has also grown up in the west, because there is a better chance that we will understand one another.

I can say yes now, but i guess when push comes to shove, it will all depend on my iman at the time. May Allah grant us all enough iman and sabr to not only yes but encourage our husbands.

Jazaakum Allahu Khayran, Nice

Brother Khalid, jazaakum Allahu khayran for your efforts in trying to remind the nomads of salat, however, this hadith is daciif, weak, in that it is not from Rasuallah (s.a.w). I know it has been circulated around quiet a lot and it may seem effective, but there is never any khayr in attributing to the prophet s.a.w what is not of him. Anyway may Allah reward you and maybe you could post for us hadiths that their authenticity is known.