New Page 1

العدد 1839- الإثنين 14 ربيع الأول 1425 هـ إسلامية-أسبوعية- جامعة NO 1839 MON 14 Rabi I 1425H 03 May 2004

Page Two

FROM THE HOLY HARAMS

Protect the Country and Ummah From Criminals

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, in his Friday sermon has advised Muslims to be God-conscious and fear Allah. Sheikh Al-Sudais prayed to Allah to protect the country, the Ummah and all the Muslim countries from sedition and all evil. He prayed to the Almighty to improve the conditions of the Ummah.

He stressed the importance of being God- conscious as with this characteristic people become safe from tribulations and misfortunes and they enjoy a life of stability and bounties.

Sheikh Al-Sudais also stressed the importance of security. He said security is the goal of the individuals, societies, states and governments. The foundations of glories and civilizations are built on security. No persons will disagree that realizing safety, security and stability is the desired goal of all human societies and international authorities. Even the birds and animals seek security.

Without it, nobody can sleep nor enjoy food or drink. Furthermore, without security people cannot participate in development.

Any act or call for shaking the security of the society is a great crime against the Ummah and is an act of injustice, double-dealing, corruption and creating mischief on the earth. The sedition has been aggravated by bloodshed, killing innocent people, arousing sedition, considering other Muslims as infidels (Takfeer) and the series of explosions and destruction.

Sheikh Al-Sudais said every pious and reasonable person was shocked by the recent criminal terrorist act in Riyadh, the capital of the country hosting the Two Holy Mosques. He deplored the reckless act of sabotage, the Riyadh blast. It is a great crime that no human mind or logic will justify. By all standards it is a forbidden matter and a serious precedent. He emphasized that every act of sabotage targeting innocent people and terrifying the peaceful Muslims is contrary to Allah's Shariah. If this is a general rule, how will it be when the act is perpetrated in the country of the Two Holy Mosques, the cradle of revelation, the fountainhead of the message of Islam and the Qibla of the Muslims, he asked.

How will it be, when the targeted persons are Muslims including innocent citizens and expatriates, he asked.

He said that these criminals have no mercy not even for children, old people and women. They have no consideration for any religious and moral values. They do not care about resorting to reason or being humane. Haven't they heard the verses and texts of the Qur'an warning against carrying out such terrible crimes, he asked.

Sheikh Al-Sudais said it is regrettable that our youth and sons have become stubborn. They have disobeyed the Ulema and the rulers.

They disturbed the security and unity of our country. He castigated them for the evil and destruction they are spreading everywhere; through booby- trapped cars and rigged trucks. He said that they feed on the bounties of this country and are brought up on its soil, and then they turn their backs against it and start destruction, sabotage and explosions.

Ugly crime

Meanwhile, Sheikh Ali Bin Abdul Rahman Al- Hudhaifi, Imam and Khateeb of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah urged Muslims to be God-conscious. In his Friday sermon, Sheikh Al-Hudhaifi denounced the Riyadh blast that took place on 21st April.

He said the blast, which claimed innocent lives and caused destruction, is an ugly crime that Islam combats strongly. This hateful terrorist act is a war against Islam and Muslims. It is targeting the religion, security, stability and the constituent elements of life for the citizens and expatriates. This act is causing mischief on the earth.

These miscreants have achieved what the Satan and the enemies of Islam could not achieve. He asked whether they are content with this evil position for themselves. - SG

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

Mercy And Compassion of the Prophet

ALLAH'S Messenger was the kindest of men just as he excelled all others in courage and valor. He was so kindhearted that his eyes brimmed with tears at the slightest sign of inhumanity. Ibn Abbas related that a man once threw a goat on its side and then started sharpening his knife. When the Prophet saw him he said, "Do you want to kill it twice? Why didn't you sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?"

The Prophet forbade his Companions to keep the dumb creatures hungry or thirsty, or to disturb or overburden them. He commended kindness to animals and putting them at ease as meritorious acts tending to bring man nearer to Allah. Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet as saying:

"A traveler who was thirsty saw a well on the way. He got inside the well and when he came out he saw a dog licking mud because of thirst. The man thought to himself that the dog should be as thirsty as he was and so he got into the well again, filled his leather sock with water and carried it out holding it with his teeth. And thus he quenched the dog's thirst. Allah was pleased with this act of kindness and pardoned his sins."

The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?"

The Prophet replied: "There is recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart."

Abdullah ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet said:

"A woman was doomed to enter the Fire because of a cat. She imprisoned it and neither fed it nor set it free to eat the rodents of the earth." Abdullah ibn Ja'far narrated that once the Prophet entered the enclosure of a young man from the Ansar (the people of Madinah) where there was a camel that started groaning on catching sight of the Prophet, tears running down its eyes. The Prophet approached it and patted its hump and face, which set it at ease. Then the Prophet asked who its owner was. The Ansari young man came and said:

"O Messenger of Allah, it belongs to me."

The Prophet said to him: "Do you not fear Allah in the matter of this beast although He has made you its owner? It complained to me that you bore hard upon it and always kept it at work."

Abu Hurairah quoted the Prophet as saying:

"When you travel in a fertile country do not deny the camels their due from the ground, and when you travel in a land barren and dry, cover it with speed. When you encamp at night keep away from the roads, for they are where the beasts pass and are the resorts of the insects at night."

Ibn Mas'ud reported: "While we were on a journey with Allah's Messenger, he went a short distance from where we had encamped. There we saw a small bird with two of its chicks and caught them. The bird was fluttering when the Prophet came back and so he asked, 'Who has distressed it by taking its chicks?' Then he asked us to return the chicks. There we also saw an anthill and burned it out. When the Prophet saw he asked, 'Who has burned it?' When we informed him that we had done it, he said, 'Only the Lord of fire has the right to punish with fire.'"

The Prophet strongly enjoined kindness towards and generous treatment of the slaves, servants and labor engaged for manual work. Jabir related the Prophet of Allah as saying: "Feed them with the food that you eat, clothe them with such clothing as you wear and do not cause trouble to Allah's creatures."

The Prophet is further stated to have said: "Those whom Allah has made your dependents are your brothers, servants and helpmates. Anybody whose brother has been made subservient to him ought to feed him with the food he eats and clothe him with the clothes he wears. Command him not to do that which he is unable to do and if it becomes necessary to do so, then he should help him in doing the job."

Abdullah ibn Umar said that once a nomadic Arab came and asked the Prophet, "How many times should I pardon my servant in a day?" The Prophet replied, "Seventy times." He also quoted the Prophet as saying, "Pay the wages of a labourer before his sweat dries up."

- Islamonline.net

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

OIC ministerial panel to meet Quartet committee on Palestine

KUALA LUMPUR - A group of Muslim foreign ministers headed by Malaysia will hold meeting with the Quartet committee on Palestine comprising United Nations, European Union, America and Russia. The meeting is aimed at persuading the committee to revive the Palestinian Road Map as part of realizing a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Hamid Albar, foreign minister of Malaysia said, his country, being the current chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), would select the foreign ministers to represent OIC in the forthcoming meeting which will be held at the earliest possible in view of the deteriorating situation in Palestine.

The emergency ministerial meeting of the OIC countries held recently in Malaysia had urged the Quartet committee to intensify efforts to realize a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. - IINA

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

Arafat Defiant in Face of Sharon Death Threats

RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat responded defiantly to new threats against his life by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, telling a crowd of supporters he would embrace "martyrdom".

"All of us are martyrs-in- the-waiting," Arafat said in the compound of his Muqata headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where some 4,000 people chanted they would sacrifice their "blood and souls" for the veteran leader.

But flashing a V-for- Victory sign, he vowed to continue to lead his people, declaring: "I want to tell Sharon and his gang that the mountain cannot be shaken by the wind." In fresh violence, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in the West Bank.

Sharon, in comments that could rally support in his right-wing Likud party before its May 2 vote on his Gaza pullout plan, said on Friday he no longer felt bound by a pledge he made three years ago to U.S. President George W. Bush not to harm Arafat.

"I release myself from this commitment regarding Arafat," Sharon told Israel's Channel Two television in his strongest verbal threat yet against his long-time adversary.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie issued a statement blaming "flagrant" U.S. bias towards Israel for emboldening Sharon to threaten Arafat. Bush enraged Palestinians and the Arab world last week when he broke with decades of U.S. policy by endorsing Sharon's bid to hold onto some large Jewish settlement blocs on West Bank land captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

He also backed Sharon's denial of a right of return for Palestinians dispossessed in the 1948 war of Israel's creation, and millions of their descendants. The Jewish state says a refugee influx would mean demographic suicide

Qurie, in a statement issued by his office, said harming Arafat would end any hope of Israeli-Palestinian peace and open a new chapter in more than three years of violence. Israel accuses the Palestinian president of fomenting bloodshed, an allegation he denies.

Sharon said he had informed Bush of his decision about Arafat during a meeting at the White House last week in which the president voiced support for his plan to evacuate all Jewish settlements in Gaza and four of the 120 in the West Bank.

But Powell told ABC's "Nightline" late on Friday: "The president made it clear that he would oppose any such attempts against Mr Arafat."

At least 31 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since Israel assassinated Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, Gaza leader of the militant Hamas group a week ago.

The Palestinian Authority announced it would no longer acknowledge the state of Israel if PA president Yasser Arafat was attacked.

Arafat aide Ahmad Abdul Rahman declared Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had overstepped all red lines with his recent perceived threats to assassinate Arafat.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told journalists that Palestinians were revising a letter to the upcoming Arab Summit in Tunisia in order to put critical developments in the Middle East on the agenda. Among these were the United States' support for Israel's unilateral disengagement plans and Sharon's threats to target Arafat, in the wake of Israel's recent assassination of two Hamas leaders. - Agencies

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

Amnesty Says Over 10,000 Civilians Killed in Iraq

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Hamas activist Zaki Albaka (33) during his funeral in Gaza City.

LONDON - Over 10,000 civilians were killed since March 20, 2003 as a 'direct result' of the US-led military offensive on Iraq, according to the latest report of the London-based human rights organization, Amnesty International.

The report, released on March 18, 2004 says that Iraqis suffered random shooting, torture and ill treatment at the hands of the occupation forces. "The high number of deaths was either during the invasion or in violent incidents afterwards. Iraqi civilians are being killed every day but many killings simply 'go unreported' -something which indicates that the real number of casualties could be much higher," the reported pointed out.

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

Malaysia Vying for OIC Secretary-General Post

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has decided to field its candidate for the post of the next secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) after the expiry of the term of the current secretary general Dr. Abdul Wahed Belkeziz this year. This was announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Replying to a question whether Malaysia still wants to propose Hasmi Ajam, its former envoy to the United Nations, Badawi said that it is quite natural that member countries may propose their candidates for the post. Malaysia is also holding the office of the OIC chairman.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar hinted earlier that Malaysia was considering fielding Hashmi for the post as he has vast experience and efficiency in handling international issues as well as in public contacts. Bangladesh and Turkey are also vying for the post. The Prime Minister's parliamentary affairs adviser Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has been nominated for the post by Bangladesh. - IINA

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

Rivers, Crescent Design on New Iraqi Flag

BAGHDAD - Iraq will trade its 50-year-old flag, a symbol of its bygone pan-Arab aspirations, for one symbolising its two main rivers and Islam, the religion of its majority, the Governing Council said.

The new flag, designed by artist Rifaat al-Shadershi, will be white with two blue stripes at the bottom representing the Tigris and the Euphrates, separated by a yellow stripe in a nod to the country's Kurdish population, said spokesman Hamid al-Kifai.

A crescent in the middle symbolises Islam, said Kifai, speaking for the US- installed interim council.

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|

Page Two

The Ecstasy of Copying the Holy Qur'an

Abu Zainab

READING and learning the Qur'an verses with its meaning and commentary are on the high nowadays, thanks to the opportunities open in this field. Qur'an study centres and memorization schools are galore, and it stretches from the Arab-Muslim world to different parts of the globe.

The southern Indian state of Kerala has a rich tradition that goes back to the period of Arab merchants who were welcomed by the local people, who made business with them and were also attracted to the ideology of the Arabs. History tells that Islam spread in this western coast of India during the period of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and Malik Ibn Dinar is considered the early propagator of Islam in this tiny land, where Muslims form the largest minority.

Kerala's Islamic awareness and enthusiasm is evident with reformist organizations, like the Jamaate Islami and Salafi movements. Both are active with Qur'an study centres, which attract hundreds of people from all spheres, which include students, professionals, labourers and housewives. Elderly people, who sit with the youngsters and grab more marks in the examinations attract local press as box items.

However, Syed Ameer Ali, a 58-year old retired professional, who is also a student in one of the centres, has approached the Holy Qur'an with a difference. Like other real followers of Islam, he recites it daily, tries to learn certain chapters and verses, attends learning classes twice a week, but Ameer Ali has one thing in special- the habit of writing the verses from the Qur'an neatly from the first chapter itself. Believe it or not, he has completed writing the whole Qur'an thrice and is working on the fourth, this time with translations in English and the local Malayalam language.

"My love with the Qur'an is so strong, which cannot be described in mere words,'' says Ameer Ali, who spends at least six hours daily for copying the Holy verses. According to him it is Allah Almighty's benevolence and mercy that led him to complete the writings thrice, which otherwise would have been an impossible task.

Some of the scholars who went through his works commented that, writing Qur'an once or twice may have been done by others, but finishing it thrice and still going for the fourth will be an housnor to be reckoned with.

But Ameer Ali thinks otherwise. He doesn't seek popularity, nor does he want to get any worldly honour. "It is for my peace of mind and tranquility, that I am doing this job. By writing the words of Allah I am getting a spirit of joy," he says.

الصفحات | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16|