JB, I wasn’t questioning your lack of respect or knowledge of hadith literature or scholarly ijtihad (thought). I’ve had issues with you arrogance and condescending remarks on the issue of Muslim women when you lack awareness of details of the events you use to highlight your uninformed points. I’m not referring to your contribution to this thread only . Secondly, there isn’t much of a difference between your attitude (as a liberator) and the ‘mullahs’ with regards to women. You both threat us as senseless creatures that need to be saved (liberated) or protected (preached to). I also find it ironic that both you and the ‘mullahs’ agree on the notion that to speak of woman’s rights and to address the issue of oppression in the Muslim world is introduction of a foreign, western concept to Muslim thought. While some ‘mullahs’ misquote hadiths to support their chauvinist ideas, you hide behind the I love women bs. Khayr, As always, you’ve addressed the messenger but ignored the message. I do accept that a woman cannot hold the position of khalif due to the fact that he has plays the role of spiritual guide of the Ummah – which a woman cannot hold… However, I stand by what I said with regards to women and political participation. As for the presidency of Somali women, is Somalia not a doomed nation? I remember Yusuf Estes touched on this hadith in a polygamy lecture and he said that the shame is not on the woman that leads this nation but the men who fail to fulfill their duties. *My ADD has just kicked in, not interested in the topic anymore. Salaams.

Am I the only one offended by the pervasive use of the N-word?

A Mystery Malady in Chechnya BY: BY KIM MURPHY, TIMES STAFF WRITER, MARCH 10, 2006 The official diagnosis for 93 violently ill victims, mostly children, is the stress of chronic fear. Parents and some doctors have doubts. SHELKOVSKAYA, Russia - It started just after the midafternoon recess. As they lined up to return to class, Zareta Chimiyeva saw a girl in front of her collapse and begin convulsing wildly. Only a few minutes later, Zareta was at her desk when she smelled "a bad smell," and started feeling ill. She rushed out of the classroom but made it only as far as the stairs. "Darkness surrounded me, and there was darkness in my eyes, and I fell," said the 12-year-old from this small town in eastern Chechnya . When Zareta woke up in a hospital, it took three adults to hold her down. She was thrashing and clutching her throat, unable to get a breath, screaming in terror. She wasn't alone. Thirteen other girls were in nearby hospital rooms, also saying they were unable to breathe, many of them shrieking and crying. The next day, 23 students and seven teachers in a neighbouring village fell ill with similar symptoms. About the same time, four dozen children in two towns a little farther away also began clutching their throats, screaming and convulsing. They have yet to get better. The outbreak began Dec. 16, and doctors and parents say the children are still suffering fits day and night. The list of victims has grown to 93, including several teachers and janitors, with a small number of cases reported as far away as the Chechen capital, Grozny , and Urus-Martan, 60 miles to the southwest. With the diagnosis caught up in the suspicion, politics and fear that surround most of what happens in this fractured separatist republic, the answer to what happened to Shelkovskaya's children may never be fully known. What is clear, officials say, is that a new generation has fallen victim to the unexpected and devastating effects of a war that began before many of them were born. After exhaustive chemical and radiation tests, authorities with the Moscow-backed government announced that the culprit was not poison, but a form of mass hysteria. The whole episode was triggered, most doctors now believe, by the extreme and chronic levels of stress among children who have experienced a war with Moscow that lasted more than 10 years and its devastating economic aftermath. Yet with Chechen rebel leaders issuing proclamations that the Russian military has secretly poisoned the schools with nerve gas, and public health officials at a loss to explain why after months of treatment the children are only getting worse, parents - and some local physicians - are not ready to accept the official diagnosis. Very few are willing to send their children back to the schools where they were first afflicted. "The fact is that the children are getting worse. No treatment helps them," said Khazman Bachayeva, principal at School No. 2 here, where only 30 of 998 students showed up for school recently. "And as of today, nobody has given us a concrete explanation. All they say is, it's psychological stress. Well, the parents don't buy that, and I don't buy it either." Sultan Alimkhadzhiyev , Chechnya 's deputy health minister, said it was difficult to explain to parents that their children had become living specimens of what it means to grow up with the constant threat of violence and chronic joblessness and poverty. "Our children have seen bombings, artillery attacks, large-caliber bombardment. They saw houses, schools and hospitals burning. They lost parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors," he said. "And they still see tanks and armoured vehicles every day in the street. "In this case, what we have seen are not symptoms of poisoning . but of psychosis. A state of panic. Children are feeling constant fear, a premonition of tragedy." The ability of the human mind to convert psychological stress into physical symptoms, officially known as "mass sociogenic illness" or "conversion disorder," is well documented but not completely understood. Why, for example, are chiefly girls affected? Only four of the Chechen victims were boys. And why were there families in which one girl was afflicted, but a sister who was in the same room with her showed no symptoms? Through the centuries, mass hysteria has been a medically accepted but publicly doubted diagnosis. Young nuns at convents in medieval France who began twitching and shouting were thought to be diabolically possessed. In recent years, scientists have recorded cases in Rhode Island , Washington , California and elsewhere in which people exposed to harmless smells or food were suddenly beset with real but baseless symptoms of poisoning, often brought on by hyperventilation. The most acute outbreaks involve victims who are already suffering unusual levels of stress and living in "intolerable social settings," Australian and British researchers Robert E. Bartholomew and Simon Wessely concluded in a 2001 study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. The issue of wartime stress was documented during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, they said, when many Israelis reported symptoms of chemical weapons exposure even though the Scud missiles fired at Tel Aviv contained no chemical warheads. The two researchers also saw a possible link between the respiratory symptoms reported by rescuers and lower Manhattan residents after the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and a form of psychogenic illness. In Grozny , where Shelkovskaya victims were transferred in December, Doctors tried music therapy and set up concerts in the basement of the main children's hospital for as long as seven hours a day for two weeks. The fits improved, but when a television journalist began filming one of the sessions, 12 girls immediately fell into new seizures. Next, the victims were moved to a clinic in Stavropol , outside Chechnya . Doctors there treated some of the patients with medication they refused to identify that caused some of the girls to gain as much as 19 pounds in three weeks. For many patients, the number of fits was substantially reduced, or even eliminated. But many others returned home in mid-February only to begin having nosebleeds and hallucinations, in addition to their twitching and asthmatic fits. On Feb. 22, just when parents were beginning to feel confident enough to send their children back to School No. 2, three teachers fell ill with symptoms slightly resembling those of the original victims. The school quickly emptied again, and 11 new people showed up at a hospital with breathing difficulties. Three were admitted. "If it was merely stress, this case would be the starting point for a massive spread of the illness, creating a chain reaction. But it's not spreading to those outside the schools," said Ruslan Kokanayev, regional head of administration. "I think the government doesn't want to get to the bottom of this, because if they do, they know they will be facing a level of public indignation that they're not prepared to handle." Complicating the psychology diagnosis are blood tests showing the presence in five victims - three in Shelkovskaya, two in a neighbouring village - of ethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance used in antifreeze, glass sterilization and a variety of industrial processes. Doctors can't explain how the children might have been exposed to the chemical, although the general level of environmental pollution in Chechnya is so high that it is perhaps not surprising. Still, health officials believe the traces were so small that they could not have been a factor. Parents are not convinced. "It's a clear case of chemical poisoning," said Elim Nogamevzuyev, a resident who showed up for a meeting last week with senior Chechen health officials at School No. 2. "They tested new chemical weapons on our children here." Principal Bachayeva said she was at a loss to explain why nothing was found when investigators pulled up the floorboards, scanned the basement and tested the air around the school. "I would agree with the psychological diagnosis. But I have just one question: Why didn't children get sick on that day in the first shift? Why did the children get sick only during the second shift?" she said. "That's why I can't agree with that opinion. "The children went out into the yard for a break between classes, they were healthy. And when they got back, they started to collapse." Shelkovskaya has escaped much of the war's violence. But health officials say many of its residents are refugees from war elsewhere. The region is one of the most economically depressed in Chechnya , with large numbers of families living on government stipends and handouts from humanitarian organizations. Fourteen-year-old Dinara Damayeva was 8 when her family fled Grozny under artillery fire during the separatist republic's second war with Moscow . They took refuge in what appeared to be a safe village, only to come under repeated missile attack, including one strike that killed a boy next door. Uprooted again, Dinara and her six sisters moved with their parents into a rented house in Shelkovskaya. Dinara was already having frequent epileptic seizures, said her father, Beslan Damayev, but had never experienced anything as violent as the fits that began when she went to school on the afternoon of Dec. 19. The girl said she felt a powdery substance in her throat after coming in from recess, and smelled an odor in the hallway that resembled a mixture of gasoline and the chlorine-based fluid that is commonly used for washing floors in Chechnya . "I couldn't breathe, it was so bad. I didn't have enough air," Dinara said. Some of the other students reported memory loss and hallucinations, along with panic attacks. "At one point, she didn't recognize her father when he came into the hospital room," said Zareta's mother, Aiza Askhabova. "She asked me, 'Who are you?' And she came out onto the balcony of the hospital with me and she's looking at the street and she sees a dog, and she says, 'What's this?' This lasted four days. "She was having a fit almost every hour, up to 25 times a day, from 20 to 25 minutes each, and they tell us it's - here, look at this paper they gave us: 'Conversion reaction of psychogenic genesis.' "Let me tell you, we don't understand head or tail of this diagnosis." Authorities in Grozny and Moscow say the Shelkovskaya events highlight years of inattention to the psychological effects of the war. Even now, Chechnya 's only children's psychological rehabilitation center lies in a cramped, donated apartment in Grozny with no room for residential care. Its outpatient clients include children who sit in the corner and do not communicate at all, some who have strong aggressive streaks and some who are convinced that they are responsible for the deaths of their loved ones. "We have children who witnessed the death of their own parents. There are children who were strongly traumatized by the first war, and then they had to live all over again through the second war, which was even worse," said Milana Dashayeva, a psychologist at the center. "It has been layer upon layer of extreme stress." Doctors at the government-run Serbsky Forensic Psychiatry Institute in Moscow have organized emergency training programs in Moscow for Chechen psychologists and will begin mental health training for regional doctors in Chechnya next month. "You see, it would have been much easier to have found some toxicological problems," said Zurab Kikalidze, the Serbsky Institute's deputy director, who traveled to Chechnya to help diagnose the victims in the Shelkovskaya area. "Much more difficult is to rebuild the system of psychological support in Chechnya ."

Salaams ya'll. These are real funny; it's not meant to be disrespectful of immodest. It's simple humor. Imagine guys using those lines in front of the girls’ family? 1. "OH MY GOSH! I just saw part of your hair, now you're obliged to marry me." 2. "Our parents engaged us when we were little, they must have forgotten to tell you." 3. "I'd like to be more than just your brother in Islam." 4. "To watch you pray is a sin of its own." 5."Will my platinum VISA cover your dowry?" 6."You can't play basketball with a jilbab on, marry me, and we will go one-on-one our entire life." 7."Muslims are supposed to have many children, and I am willing to do my part..." 8."Will you help the cause of the Ummah by helping me fulfill my deen?" 9."Wanna pray in jamaat? shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet?" 10."Assalamualaikum, so what time does a hurain (beautiful person from Jannah) like you have to be back in paradise?" 11. What school of thought do you follow because I thought about you all through school 12. Can I have your wali's phone number? 13. So, read any good Surahs lately? 14. Do you believe in the hereafter? Oh you do? Then you know what I'm hereafter. 16. Would you like to see my collection of Bukhari's? 17. Lets get married so I dont have to lower my gaze everytime you walk in the room 16. Didn't we meet when I went on Hajj/fought Jihad/ on the day we testified Allah was our lord? 18. I've had to fast every day since the day that I first saw you. 19. It must be Laylatul Qadr. Because that's the night that angels come down from Heaven. 20. Sister, is your hijab naturally blonde? 21. You remind me of the Ka'aba. I can walk around you all day long. 22. That Noor on your face really brings out your eyes. 23. Do you work for Al-Qaeda? Because you've just abducted my heart. 24. Your father must be Osama Bin Laden, because you're da BOMB! 25. Are your feet tired? Because you've been performing Tawaaf in my mind all day long? 26. You remind me of the Ka'aba. I can walk around you all day long. 27. Would you like to help me wake up for Fajr? 28. Are you a Shiite? Because when I saw you, I said to myself, "She aiight". 29. I thought the "Hoor Al-Ayn" only lived in Jannah. 30. That hijab really compliments your eyes.. 31. Do you wanna date? I bought a box full when I went to Madinah. 32. Girl, you fine. I see praying five times a day has paid off. 33. That's a nice burka. Can I talk you out of it? 34. I need to break my fast. Can I have a date? 35. I didnt trip over my thobe, I fell for you. 36. I know Halal meat does a body good, but ~~~~, how much you been eatin'?

WaterLily I don't know why but the very notion of designer French Abayas tickles me. I love the skirt and top, elegant for weddings / parties. I bought a few perfumes from Fragrance Direct when I was in the UK. The perfumes are genuine and you get some killer deals.

Bartender Stop bullshiddin to ur selves, Its through the mercy of western nations that most of U are out here exercsing, democracy, free education and free held social wellfare system, If it were for ur so called religion/countries or what have U, You folks should have all been in deep holes by know truth be spoken. But what do U know, You always have ppl in minorities speaking out of forth's sake or of obvious reasons or whatever, WTF wohooo, should U know less, its in regards to the minorties. Oh yeah once again how blessed should we be just cuase we are ina western country and God forbid didnt force us to seek refugee in this Kaafir country or what have U.........Oh please give me a break....if it werent for this country we wouldnt be here voicing our 2 cents salaama "WTF" I don't recall asking for a lecture on who to show gratitude to. So "woohoo" your bartending behind out of my screen ---->

^Jariyadii jacaylku helay, inay shaqeysaba wey diidey Darqawi If you don't want touch his books, why don't you refrain from eating his flesh? Ilahay ka baq; it’s xaraam to spread malicious gossip about people and scandalous when that person is a dead scholar. Anyways, you’re making a lot of baseless accusations in your posts, why not add some spice / spine to the discussion and hit us with evidence and stop talking in riddles. Pray and tell, who exactly is they, what Muslims did they kill, where is your evidence and how does that all relate back to the teachings of Muhammad bin AbdalWahaab? P.s the article I CP'ed addressed the misconceptions in your CP’ed article and all the other misconceptions google will spit back at ya. Book mark it.

Assalamu Alaikum, SubxanAllah, walaal ‘wahhabism’ doesn't exist. This article doesn't make sense and is full of misconceptions (which were ironically started by the British). Who is it directed at? I think you should read this: The movement of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab Correcting some mistaken notions about the movement of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab in some non-Arabic sources The movement of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (1115-1206 AH/ 1730-1793 CE) in the Arabian Peninsula was destined to abide and be well-accepted. It was the starting-point of a rightly-guided government which took it upon itself to apply the Islamic sharee’ah in totality and to seek the guidance of the Qur’aan and Sunnah in all its dealings, so Allaah granted it support and victory. From its first founding two centuries ago this government continued to remain strong in the face of opposing trends at both the sectarian and political levels. The call of the Shaykh went beyond the borders of the Arabian Peninsula and bore fruit in a number of Muslim lands, at the hands of rightly-guided callers and sincere shaykhs who were guided by its light. The movement was blessed, like a good tree whose roods are firm and whose branches reach the sky. Like any other reform movement, the shaykh’s movement was not spared attacks made against the personality, ‘aqeedah (beliefs) and books of the founder of this movement, starting with the label of “Wahhabism†– which soon became known far and wide and became a label by which the movement was known, even though it was not acceptable to its founder and followers – and ending with attacks against the state itself, with criticism which indicates hatred and the wish for evil on the part of the critics. The number of books produced by the lovers of bid’ah and myths increased, and were confronted by scholars in all Muslim lands who refuted every lie with definitive proof and clear evidence so that the doubts of the stubborn became like dust in the air (were reduced to naught). Because most of these books – for or against the movement – were written in Arabic, there is no need to quote them here. The author of this article is interested in looking at what has been written in English or Urdu, in order to quote relevant material whilst refuting all the doubts that are mentioned therein, in the light of what has been written by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab himself or by shaykhs in the Kingdom [saudi Arabia] and people of virtue and knowledge in other Muslim lands who wrote in his defence. It is not possible in this short article to discuss the topic from all aspects. I hope that readers will accept my apologies if they find any unintentional mistakes in this effort, and that they will pray for me to be granted strength and steadfastness if they gain any benefits from reading it. And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path. Firstly: what was written in the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, which is counted as one of the oldest and most comprehensive encyclopaedias of religion and sects in the English language, under the heading of “Wahhabismâ€: that their differences with Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah (the Sunnis) are limited to ten things. The author of this article was the famous Orientals Margoliouth, who said: 1- They affirm that Allaah has physical attributes, such as His Face, two Hands, etc. 2- Reason plays no role in religious matters, which must be resolved in the light of the ahaadeeth. 3- They do not accept ijmaa’ (scholarly consensus). 4- They reject qiyaas (analogy). 5- They believe that the opinions of the madhhabs are not evidence, and that those who follow them are not Muslims. 6- They think that everyone who does not join their group is a kaafir. 7- They think that it is not permissible to seek the intercession of the Prophet or of a wali (“saintâ€). 8- Visiting tombs and shrines is haraam in their view. 9- Swearing by anything other than Allaah is haraam. 10-Making vows to anything other than Allaah and offering sacrifices to the awliyaa’ (“saintsâ€) at their tombs is haraam. He was not sure about attributing the fifth point to them, because the Wahhabis are followers of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, one of the four Imaams. At the end of his article he mentions that al-Sayyid Ahmad ibn ‘Irfaan al-Shaheed (d. 1831 CE) brought the idea of Wahhabism back [to India] when he went to Hajj in 1824 CE and brought it from Makkah al-Mukarramah. (James Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, ed. by Hastings, Edinburgh, 12:660-661) Margoliouth, the author of this article, is held in high esteem by the orientalists. It is very strange indeed that he lists the views of the opponents of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab (may Allaah have mercy on him) and of the Wahhabis in general, but he does not find any of them to be false apart from the fifth point! Let us look at these doubts one by one and comment briefly on each of them. 1 – The belief of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) concerning the Attributes of Allaah is like the belief of the salaf in all respects. They affirmed that Allaah had all the attributes with which He described Himself, whether they were attributes which referred to His Essence, such as His Face, Hand or Eye, or attributes which referred to His actions, such as His pleasure, anger, coming down [to the first heaven] or rising above [the Throne], without asking how, denying any attributes or likening them to human attributes. Their evidence with regard to this matter was the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer†[al-Shoora 42:11] Their view concerning the attributes of Allaah is like their view concerning the Essence of Allaah, which does not resemble the essence of His created beings. 2 – Their notion that the followers of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab lend no weight to reason is not correct. They say that reason should operate in the light of the Revelation, just as the eye needs light to work; for the eye cannot do its job unless there is also light from outside, whether it is the light of the sun, moon or stars, or artificial light. Similarly, reason needs and depends upon the light of Divine Revelation; if Revelation is not there, then it becomes confused in the darkness. For this reason, the mind of the thinker is different from the mind of the philosopher, and the mind of the historian is different from the mind of the mathematician. 3 – Attributing rejection of ijmaa’ (scholarly consensus) to them is not correct either. Imaam Ahmad considered the ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah to be true ijmaa’, because their time is known from beginning to end; they witnessed the Revelation and learned the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) directly from him. As Imaam Muhammad Abu Zahrah mentioned, ijmaa’ is of two types: consensus on the basic obligatory duties, which is accepted by all, and consensus on other rulings, such as their consensus that apostates should be fought, etc. In the second case, there are different reports narrated from Ahmad, hence some of the scholars narrated that he said, “Whoever claims that there is consensus is a liar.†Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who claims that there is consensus is lying, and it is not right to give ijmaa’ priority over proven hadeeth. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: I heard my father say: “Whoever claims that there is consensus is a liar. The people may have differed. How does he know that there was no one who expressed an opposing view? Let him say, we do not know of any opposing view.†From this we may conclude that Imaam Ahmad did not deny the principle of ijmaa’, but he denied the certainty of ijmaa’ taking place after the time of the Sahaabah. (Taareekh al-Madhaahib al-Islamiyyah by Muhammad Abu Zahrah, p. 532) 4 – His comment that they reject qiyaas (analogy) is also not correct. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) held the same view as the Hanbalis with regard to qiyaas. Abu Zahrah said: “It was narrated that Ahmad said that we cannot do without qiyaas, and that the Sahaabah used it. Because Ahmad had stated the principle of accepting qiyaas, the Hanbalis paid a great deal of attention to it and used it a great deal whenever they came across issues concerning which there was no report narrated of any ruling from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his Companions.†(Taareekh al-Madhaahib al-Islamiyyah by Muhammad Abu Zahrah, p. 532) 5 – With regard to his notion that the opinions of the madhhabs are not evidence and that those who follow them are not Muslims … 6 – … and his view that those who do not join them (the Wahhabis) are kaafirs. This is also an obvious lie. Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said, in a letter that he wrote when he joined al-Ameer Sa’ood ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez, when he took over Makkah on Saturday 8 Muharram 1218 AH: “Our madhhab with regard to the basic principles of religion is the madhhab of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Our way is the way of the salaf, and with regard to minor issues our madhhab is that of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. We do not denounce those who follow any of the four imaams in exclusion to others, because the madhhabs of the others have not been codified.†Then he said: “Lies are told about us to conceal the truth and confuse the people, so that they will think that we want to undermine the status of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and (that we say) that he has no power of intercession and that it is not recommended to visit him (his grave), and that we do not lend any weight to the views of the scholars, and that we denounce all people as kaafirs in, and that we forbid sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that we do not respect the rights of Ahl al-Bayt (the members of the Prophet’s houshold). Our response to all of that is: Glory be to You, this is a grave lie! Whoever attributes anything of this sort to us is telling lies and uttering fabrications against us.†(‘Ulamaa’ al-Najd Khilaal Sittat Quroon by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Saalih al-Bassaam, 1/51) 7 – His comment that they believe it is not permitted to seek the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of a wali (“saintâ€) shows that he did not know the difference between the kind of intercession which the Shaykh rejected, which contains elements of shirk, and that which he acknowledged, which is the kind of intercession which will only happen with permission from Allaah on the Day of Resurrection, where no intercession will be accepted except intercession made for those with whom He is pleased. (Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, Baab al-Shafaa’ah). If what the critic meant was tawassul (seeking to draw closer to Allaah) by means of the Prophets and awliyaa’, the fact is that many people are unaware of the view of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal on this matter, and they attribute to him and to Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab things that they did not say. Imaam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There was narrated from Ahmad ibn Hanbal in Mansik al-Marwadhi a report which indicated tawassul by means of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his du’aa’, but other scholars forbade that. If what is meant is tawassul (drawing close to Allaah) by believing in him, loving him, being loyal to him and obeying him, then there is no dispute between the two sides on this point. But if what is meant is tawassul by means of the person of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then there is a dispute here, and what they dispute about should be referred to Allaah and His Messenger.†(Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 1/264) 8 – With regard to visiting tombs and shrines, we will discuss this matter below when we comment on the writings of Goldziher. 9 – With regard to their saying that swearing by anything other than Allaah is haraam, the Shaykh also believes that, as stated in the saheeh hadeeth narrated by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever swears by anything other than Allaah has committed an act of kufr or shirk.†(Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim). Ibn Mas’ood said: “Swearing falsely by Allaah is more liked by me than swearing sincerely by anything other than Allaah.†(Kitaab al-Tawheed, Baab Qawl Allaah ta’aal ‘Fa laa taj’alu Lillaahi andaadan wa antum ta’lamoon’) 10 – They attribute to the Shaykh the view that it is haraam to make vows to anyone other than Allaah or to offer sacrifices to the awliyaa’ (“saints) at their tombs. Undoubtedly this view is the religion of Allaah which is followed by every Muslim who believes in Allaah and His Messenger. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) included in his great book Kitaab al-Tawheed a chapter entitled Laa yudhbah Lillaahi fi makaan yudhbaah li ghayr Allaah (Sacrifices should not be offered to Allaah in places where sacrifices are offered to anyone other than Allaah). The following chapter is entitled, Min al-Shirk al-nadhr li ghayr Allaah (It is shirk to make vows to anyone other than Allaah). In these two chapters he quotes the evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah to prove that these two actions are invalid. This book was published in two volumes, in German, in 1889/1890 CE, then it was translated into Arabic in 1967 CE. The author wrote an entire chapter, 96 pages long, entitled “Veneration of the ‘saints’ in Islamâ€, in which he discussed in detail the extremes to which the Muslims had gone in attributing miracles to the ‘saints’, both living and dead. He also quoted examples, from Islamic books and the actions of the masses, of the veneration of tombs and shrines, intending to show that there was no difference between Muslims and Christians in the matter of venerating saints. He also quoted ayaat and ahaadeeth which denounced and opposed this action. The author said: after this, there is no need to provide further proof that there is no room in the true Islamic religion for venerating ‘saints’, because this is a matter which was innovated and introduced later on. The Qur’aan denounces the veneration of saints and glorifying them to the extent of believing in rabbis and monks as lords besides Allaah. Then he quotes the comment of Carl Heis about the idea of awliyaa’ being an attempt to fulfil the need for shirk within the religion of Tawheed, in order to fill the huge gap between the people and their God. (Ignaz Goldziher, Muslim Studies, p. 259) After giving dozens of examples of how the masses venerated the saints and visited their tombs and shrines in order to fulfil their needs, the author lists examples of people who denounced any manifestation of shirk in the Muslims’ actions. Then he mentions the strict stance which Ibn Taymiyah took concerning the matter of tawassul and journeying to visit any mosques apart from the three mosques [in Makkah, Madeenah and al-Quds]. Then he said: “All of this indicates that there were precedents to the Wahhabis with regard to this issue, and that the open demonstration of their belief was in fact an echo of the beliefs of Muslims in the past. In this regard it may be useful – in order to write the cultural and religious history of Islam – to compile a list of all phenomena and events which had come down from the times of Jaahiliyyah or had come in from the outside prior to the emergence of Wahhabism, which is considered to be a Tawheedi reaction against the manifestations of idolatry, and connect them to the societies in which they emerged.†Then he mentioned an incident which occurred in 1711 CE, before the emergence of Wahhabism, in the Mosque of al-Mu’ayyad in Cairo, where a young man stood up one night in Ramadaan and fiercely denounced those who venerated the saints and called for the destruction of the shrines which were build over the graves of the awliyaa’ and for an end to the Mevlevi and Bakhsiyyah traditions. He also called upon the dervishes to learn instead of dancing. This young man made this call for a number of nights, then he disappeared. The author of this report, the poet Hasan al-Hijaazi (d. 1131 AH) said: “The preacher fled, or it was said that he was killed.†(Ignaz Goldziher, Muslim Studies, p. 334-335) The point is that this German orientalist has saved us the job of refuring the accusations made against the Wahhabis that they destroyed the domes on the shrines and stopped people from visiting graves to call upon the dead for help. Islam as brought by Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) does not allow either of these things. Al-Da’wah magazine, issue #1754, pp. 60-61 Source

Originally posted by Didi Kong: It is my knowledge that SOL attracts many a fake women pretending to have purpose and strong opinions about matters. Who are they putting on a show for? Don't know but Miss Kong ain't buying any of it. Why don't you name those many fake women? Then maybe, the pretenders will tell Miss Kong who the show is for...

^sounds nice, hope you have a great time because you deserve it. I'll be heading home (London). Here's an SOL topic for visitors to London Summer is also the time for Islamic conventions. UK has the best most active Islamic community. If you need any help Azmaya, just ask.

^Who is hiding behind Scarlets skirt now? Scarlet, did make some very good points, in fact she is the only one in this topic that I fully agree with. If I had problem with what she wrote, I would have addressed her, not you. Scarlet also said that her comment was off topic. It is, and the issues she's raised need a thread of their own. As for you JB, you don't know what your talking about, your comment about Aisha and the battle of the Camel showed you up.

Assalamu Alaikum, This is interesting. I think, I might have to reassess my thoughts on the matter but I need to read up on more scholarly works. Edit: Just found the following article, can ya'll (those against female leadership) address the issues raised. Women in Society: Political Participation JB wrote; You´ve never entertained the thought of what the Muslim world would look like, have Aisha won the "camel war", have you? If you were informed, you’d be dangerous. I think you need to stop consuming all that drivel in the media that you call intellectualism and read more on Islam. I find your belittlement of Muslim women and Islam boring. :rolleyes:

I miss her and my beloved Tamina They were true to sisterhood. I haven't heard from her in a long while, hope she's living a blessed Allah.

Assalamu Alaikum, Brothers, May Allah reward you both greatly for your input, you've been very helpful. My Arabic is still a little rusty but I'll look for those books Suleyman. Mahadsanid Nur, I've just stumbled upon your thread on this very topic, very informative. Keep it up walaal. Without prayer what is your faith? And what is is ritual prayer if it isn't from the heart. As they say; 'it's the thought that counts most' ... Here's another interesting article that I found. The Prayer and Its Effect in Removing Sins and Purifying the Soul Author: Hussain al-Awaa'ishah Source: As-Salaat Wa-Atharuhaa (trans. Abu Iyaad) Allaah the Sublime said: Indeed prayer restrains from the obscene and evil deeds.[ 1] Allaah has explained in this verse that a correct prayer, performed with khushoo' undoubtedly prevents its performer from obscene and evil deeds and leads him to goodness. Therefore, you will see that the people of the mosque are the most superior of mankind and the best amongst them. The sins and shortcomings of others are many times more than the sins and shortcomings of these people. If the prayer does not prevent us from obscene and evil deeds then it is necessary to carefully scrutinize the deficiency within it and to correct it. There is no escaping from correcting one's prayer and there is no fleeing from bringing about khushoo' within it. So let us look at the causes and let us strive to treat them with the cure. Just like we treat our bodies for their diseases, the treatment of the souls is more appropriate and comes first. And this is what will help us to understand the saying of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam): "The first thing for which a servant will be held to account for is his prayer. If it is correct and sound, all the rest of his actions will be correct and sound and if it is corrupt then all the rest of his actions will be corrupt."[2] So in the correction of the prayer lies the corection of all the other actions. The position of the prayer (relative to all the other actions) is like that of the head to the body. This is because the servant is nearest to his Lord during his prayer, he calls upon his Lord and seeks forgiveness from Him. He returns to Allaah and cries to Him, the Sublime. The prayer cannot be corrected except with the correction of the aqeedah (belief), being observant of Allaah, having fear of Him, bringing oneself to account in front of Him, and trembling out of fear of His Fire. When he finishes his prayer and is put to trial with sins and disobedience, he finds strength in his heart to repel them. This is because he looks at the the temporary and vanishing pleasures and then at the bliss and joy which never ends and the happiness which is never cut off. So he puts the good which will remain (and last forever) ahead of that which is only transitory and vanishes. The prayer of the servant is corrupted due to lack of the careful observance of Allaah and weakness in taqwaa[3]. He is, therefore, not able to produce such awe which will come in between him and his acts of disobedience. There also occurs in the hadeeth: "Indeed there is in the body a morsel of flesh which if it be sound and wholesome, the whole body will be sound and wholesome and which if it be corrupt, the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart."[4] In the correction and purification of the heart lies the correction of the whole body and in the corruption of the heart lies the corruption of the whole body. If the heart is corrected, the hand will be corrected so that it does not steal or strike anyone or commit zina by touching what is unlawful. The feet will also be corrected so that they do not walk towards what is unlawful. The ears will be put straight so that they do not listen to musical instruments, slander or backbiting. The situation of the tongue will improve so that it does not speak except what is good. If the heart is corrupted, the whole body becomes corrupt and the limbs will not depart except towards evil conduct and mischief. The matter of the heart is either set aright or corrupted by the prayer. If the prayer is good it is an indication that the heart has benefitted and that it is sound and wholesome. If it is not good, it is an indication of the heart receiving little benefit and of its corruption. Evil deeds then become manifest and overtake the limbs. Know that every prayer which is performed with awe and humility enlivens the heart and stimulates it to do good deeds and also makes it adapt to good deeds, just as every good action which is performed outside of the prayer increases ones khushoo within the prayer. In a hadeeth there occurs: "Upon you is the Night Prayer (Tahajjud) as it was the habit of the righteous people before you, is a means of nearness to Allaah the Exalted, a prevention from evil deeds and an expiation for sins."[5] The Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) has made it clear that the Night Prayer is a prevention from sins in that it stops the one who performs it from evil deeds and incites him to do good deeds. Therefore, it is necessary for us to establish the prayer and to increase in it and likewise we must perform the Night Prayer, standing awe-struck, humble and submissive to Allaah the Sublime. Our hearts weeping over what we have neglected and fallen short of while hoping for the mercy of our Lord. We seek nearness to him by calling Him by His Names and Attributes, asking Him by them that he establishes us (upon His path) and that He gives us benefit from our prayer and standing at night. It was said to the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam): So and so prays the whole of the night, yet when he reaches the morning he steals! He (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "What you say (i.e. about his prayer) should prevent him from that" or he said: "His prayer will prevent him (from that)."[6] When the prayer of the servant reaches it's goal in preventing him from sin and disobedience it is written for him in Iliyyeen as is mentioned in the hadeeth: "If a prayer is performed after another prayer and there is no foolishness (vain talk) between them, it is written in Illiyyeen."[7] Do not, therefore, let it escape you that the prayer will prevent you from entering your house towards sin or going out towards it because it has been reported from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "When you leave your house, pray two rakahs, they will prevent you from going out towards evil and when you enter your home pray two rakahs, they will prevent you from entering into evil."[8] NOTES [1] Surah Ankaboot 29:45 [2] Reported by at-Tabaraanee in [al-Awsat] and [ad-Diyaa] from Anas (ra). It is also in [saheeh ul-Jaami'], no. 2570. [3] The taabi'ee, Talq ibn Habeeb was asked to define taqwaa. He said: "Taqwaa is to act in obedience to Allaah, hoping for His Mercy upon a light from Him and taqwaa is to abandon acts of disobedience to Allaah, out of fear of Him upon a light from Him." Reported by Ibn Abi Shaibah in his [Kitaab ul-Eemaan], no. 99. Ibn al-Qayyim (rh) explained the phrase "...upon a light from Him..." to mean pure and correct Eemaan, that nothing but pure Eemaan initiated the servant to perform the action. [Translators note] [4] Reported by Bukhaaree, Muslim and others from an-Nu'maan ibn Basheer (ra). [5] Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad, at-Tirmidhee and others. It is also in [saheeh ul-Jaami'], no. 3957. [6] Reported by Ahmad, Bazzaar and others. Shaikh al-Albaanee declared it Saheeh in his Silsilat ul-Aahaadeeth id-Da'eefah, Vol. 1, p. 16, in relation to the false hadeeth: "Whoever is not prevented by his prayer from committing obscene and evil deeds does not increase except in distance from Allaah." [7] Reported by Abu Daawood and others. It is also in [saheeh ul-Jaami'], no. 3731. [8] Reported by al-Bazzaar and al-Bayhaqee in [shu'ab ul-Eemaan. It is also in [saheeh ul-Jaami'], no Source

Masha Allah , those of you who can should go. A $1000 isn't much for a trip of a lifetime. Insha Allah, if all goes to plan, I should be there by the end of the month. I'm totally excited, but have much to do in terms of preparations. Pray it works out for me Nomads, and I'll definitely remember you in mine.

^Wassalaam, Jizaak Allah for your imput bro, please elaborate if you can and also tell me the names of those books. The above links to an abridged translation- I'll certainly look more into it. Again, thank you.

^ give it to the sand girl, the greedy wind doesn't need it. My baby.

For the first time in my life, I've stopped and listened to Abdel Haleem Hafeth. I always switch over when his songs come on but after listening to 'Awel Marra' on the radio last night, I understand why Masris get all teary eyed. Beautiful song.

I've changed my nick after reading suratAl-Rahman . No matter how bad things get, your very existence is a blessing. I can't count my blessings as it would take a very long time to, Alhamdulilah. I'm most grateful for being born with Islam. I’ve come across people who are confused and torn up look for the truth a meaning to this life, or someone / something to guide them and to direct all their affection to. That was given to us as a birth gift – how often do we show gratitude?

Salaams AlGhazali as with all scholars has many critics but since I haven't read that book, can't and won't comment. I think a scholar can get an issue wrong and be right about others, so don’t be so quick to dismiss him, SB. I've read his book on the purification of the soul and excerpts from this one. I found both to be excellent as I’m concerned with improving my inner self. I’ve wasted too much time worrying about the secondary issues.

^Hehe, waan kaa badaney miyaa, don't worry soon the 'dhaqan' geeljires will come and put the girl in her righful place. I'm a very good boss, I did one of those birthday /job correlation things and I was born on the right day for perfect leaders. I'll get back to you though, I've other applicants to consider. Ibi Thanks for the tip hon, will try it, insha Allah.

Salaams , Nomads, this article is long but you simply have to read it, you'll thank yourself for it. The Inner Dimensions of Prayer I've read it a few weeks back and Masha Allah, it's really changed that way that I pray. It's one of those you have to read and re-read. I'm going to get the book, insha Allah. Has anyone read it? What were your thoughts on it...

^Awwwww, sis, ignore me today, I'm sleep deprived and can't go to sleep either. Anyways, just realised that your a newababy here, so welcome to SOL. We need a chilled out addition to this place (((huggs))

If you run the word ‘women’ in SOL’s search feature or even google, you’ll find numerous articles defining, analysing and dictating womanhood. The same level of scrutiny can be found at the grassroots; across all societies women are made to prove their worth and at a young age girls are told that if they don’t work hard, if they don’t focus, they won’t get far in the world. This has sadly, taken the focus of boys. If you look at the Somali community a boy as young as 15 is allowed to roam around the streets late into the night, they aren’t given any responsibilities at home – whilst their sisters are treated like babies . I remember, finding this disparity unfair to the girls when I was younger but now I think it’s unfair to the boys. I put my success in education and as a person in general is due to the constant guidance and molding of my elders. Sadly, I can’t say the same for the boys that I’m related to or those that I grew up with. I put that down to neglect. There’s also a lack of male role models in schools and youth clubs, so boys often don’t have an immediate role model to imitate. Add to that the fact that most Somali boys don’t have fathers at home and lest not forget the misrepresentation of the black man in the media. You’d have to be a real special guy to succeed in that environment and for that I respect all the brothers that made good. As a community we really have to rethink about the way we raise our kids. *must go* I’ll add more another time I’a.

Nameless, Sorry, if you felt underattack sis. It's just that when I read your first post the words 'would you marry a chick that can't cook' jumped at me. p.s did you just edit your original post because I didn't read anything about cleanning before? :confused: Xogsade, LOL@ had I not pushed you a little. Maybe I should make you my assistant Feel free to add it to your ‘lines collection’.