#Stop inflicting arabic and muslim culture | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

heart-forge · 4 years

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Just wanted to let you know but one of the devs years ago said the Qunari were based on Arabs + Muslims and ever since than all I see are racist things that I've dealt with in my life from stereotypes in them and it hurts because I really used to love DA.

Also wanted to add to my other ask. I really hate it when devs/writers/shows/movies always use Islam as a starting point for evil fantasy religion but than go and make a fantasy christian religion the most peaceful religion in said setting. But than ignore the genocide they inflict on other races + poc because they're wiping out "evil".

Yeah no I knew that and it made me so fucking angry when I heard it !! It made me even angrier because like, I could tell because it was exactly the sort of racist rat shit I’d expect from a Canadian company but I was young and like perhaps the benefit of the doubt is in order and it wasn’t. It was so stupid, they barely bother to make up any consistent lore for Vashoth (and Qunari but speaking generally as a whole; AND I LOOKED, I looked in lore books I searched !! It wasn’t there), they barely bother to integrate them as anything but enemies (you might get ONE companion with unique camera angles but Vashoth Inquisitor? Hope you like their chest because that’s all you get to see), and hope you like being a really tall Marcher because you only get a culture when you’re the villain of the story !! Otherwise it’s exactly like you said you’re not one of them you’re one of the peaceful fantasy catholics who are uh *checks notes* forcibly lobotomizing people, sometimes just for laffs and sometimes without telling them what you’re doing and telling them it was a miracle, and then you have to be cool with that person being like “maybe we won’t cure all the other people who have undergone this procedure because I still have my faith in fantasy catholicism” and you’re once again the asshole for being a total hater about their religion which is IMPORTANT to their CHARACTER but like the associated religion for the race YOU play (anything but human) you’re either totally disconnected from to the point where you might as well be a human and it’s indeed implied you know more about fantasy catholicism, or your people are mean and wrong vhenan :(.

It’s stupid, and I’m sorry dropped that huge piece of crap in the middle of an experience you signed on for hoping for fun and lighthearted entertainment, and I’m sorry Gaider said that but for you, not on his behalf, because he says a bunch of stupid ugly things then tries to backtrack it. If you’re still feeling up to engaging with the content then the Qunari and all Vashoth technically belong to you now because I said so have fun with your new IP establishing lore because even absent headcanons you’d string together to fall asleep to would be more thoughtful and interesting than any of the hot wet garbage you got. I don’t have your perspective but I totally get just deeply, deeply hating having to stop in the middle of preventing a fucking religious purge to have everyone go “actually if you think our fantasy catholics are bad then that’s on YOU and actually YOU’RE the bad one”. I was supposed to like mother giselle the whole time even though she was actively gossiping about me and a close friend? Also they made the insidious and sneaky gossipy chantry mother black? Layers !! Onions have layers, ogres have layers, racism apparently has layers.

#talkForge #this is actually the exact point in the first draft of my blog where I left the rails entirely and just got angry about DA all over again #lmfao I was just telling leyla earlier I had just hit 1000 followers but im like 'I have to wait to go above it to say anything celebratory #because I cannot resist having a Take about a beloved IP'#here it is #it's not controversial it's just straight facts #gaider said it and I've been mad about this since degree 1 #Anonymous

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basicsofislam · 3 years

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ISLAM 101: Muslim Culture and Character: Dynamics of Spiritual Life: ABU BAKR: AN EPITOME OF TRUTHFULNESS

Arabia … a desert as huge as almost three thousand square kilometers. A desert, but one from which humanity souls have been revivified repeatedly over the course of history, from Adam to Abraham, and to Muhammad, peace be upon them all.

As recounted in the Qur’an (14: 34–41), Abraham left his wife Hagar and son Ishmael in the valley of Mecca on God’s command. There was the Ka’ba there, but it had been destroyed in time. When Ishmael was young, Abraham re-constructed the Ka’ba together with him. Because of the sanctity of the Ka’ba, people began to settle around it, and this is how Mecca appeared as a town and a center of pilgrimage and trade connecting merchants on caravans from Syria and Jordan, all the way to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Organized in tribes, Mecca suffered from racial fanaticism and feudal warfare for centuries, leaving women without a value as they could not take part in wars.

In a larger context, the Byzantium and Persian Empires were in constant conflict and intermittently fought for over sixty years, which exhausted their respective peoples. There was a desperate need for a message that prioritized peace over war, a message that celebrated freedoms and rights for everyone regardless of color, race, or gender. And came the Prophet from Mecca, who taught and promised all of these. He was not alone in his mission, and his closest Companion was Abu Bakr.

Also called As-siddiq (“The Upright” in Arabic), Abu Bakr was approximately two years younger than the Prophet. Before embracing Islam, he was known as Abdul Ka’ba (the servant of Ka’ba), then the Prophet changed his name to Abdullah (the servant of God).

Among the youth, frolics, dissipations and frivolities were very common behaviors, but Abu Bakr was completely different. He had a very disciplined life. Once he was asked if he had drunk wine in his days of ignorance. He said he had never touched the wine because he had wanted to keep his reputation and respectability. This shows that he enjoyed a good reputation and respectability even before Islam (Ibn al-Athir, 1280).

He did not receive a formal education as many other Arab men, but he was a keen observer; he was continually observing what was going on around him. He had a very good memory. He could recite verses if he heard them only once. He attended poetical events (Ibn al-Athir, 1280).

Abu Bakr traveled to different countries including Abyssinia, Yemen, and Syria. These business trips brought him wealth, experience and broadened his outlook on life. He became one of the richest businessmen of Mecca. Accordingly, his social importance increased among people. He was hardworking, generous, friendly, truthful, committed. He had a lot of influence among his friends and acquaintances. As a trader, he was always fair, he never deceived people. He would visit the sick; he gave alms to the poor (at-Tabarî, 1987). One day the Prophet asked his people, “Is there anyone here who visited a sick one today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who fasted today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who participated in a funeral?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who assisted someone who was poor?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” Then the Prophet said, “Whoever does these four deeds in one day is counted among the people of heaven.”

While Abu Bakr was still young, he volunteered for an office which decided the blood money for the killed or injured. It was like a judge or magistrate’s office. He always satisfied both sides with his fair decisions. (at-Tabarî, 1987).

When God’s message was revealed to Muhammad, the first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr. On the day that he stated his belief, he gave his decision quickly and without hesitation showing he had complete trust in Muhammad. The Prophet admired his acceptance of Islam with the words, “Except Abu Bakr, everyone I have invited to Islam has experienced some period of hesitation. But Abu Bakr accepted my invitation without any hesitation” (Bukhari, 870). In fact, Abu Bakr had always doubted the validity of idolatry and had no enthusiasm for worshiping idols.

When Islam began to spread in Mecca, Meccan polytheists inflicted torture and intimidation on the believers, forcing many of them to immigrate to Abyssinia. Yet, Abu Bakr did not leave. He preferred to stay with the Prophet to support him in his time of need. And he was going to be the company to the Prophet in the Hijrah, his historic journey to Medina, which would transform the course of history forever.

Later when the battles of Badr and Uhud took place between Muslims and the Arab pagans, Abu Bakr, along with a few other companions, was entrusted with the Prophet’s safety. When Mecca was at last subdued in 630 AD, all the tribes of Arabia were convinced that Muhammad was a messenger sent to them by God. They stopped resisting and sent delegates to Medina proclaiming their allegiance to him. While he was busy receiving delegates, he entrusted Abu Bakr to preside over the pilgrims. This incident proved of vital importance later when a caliph was chosen after the death of the Prophet (Ibnal-Kathir, Isma’il, 1932).

His leadership

The Prophet made a pilgrimage two years after the conquest of Mecca. This would be called the “Farewell Pilgrimage,” as the Prophet became ill on his return to Medina and died two weeks after the illness. During the last days of his illness, he could not lead the prayers in the Mosque. He gave instructions to his wife Aisha to tell her father Abu Bakr to lead the prayers. This was taken by the Muslims as another sign to choose Abu Bakr to be their caliph after the Prophet’s departure (Ibn Hisham, 1992).

When the Prophet died in 632 AD, many people, among whom was ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, were shocked and refused to believe that he died. But Abu Bakr, steadfast as usual, addressed the bewildered masses and convinced them that Muhammad was no more than a Prophet like other Prophets who had died before him, and that there was no reason why they should not acknowledge his death. After much debate, in which both sides—the Medinans and the Meccans—expressed their opinions elaborately and freely, Abu Bakr was unanimously accepted to be the first Caliph. Soon there was a public meeting in the Mosque, and people from near and far flocked there to swear their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr (Ibn Hisham, 1992).

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, categorically rejected racism and tribalism. He also put an end to tribal wars. Sir William Muir makes the following comment:

The first peculiarity, then, which attracts our attention is the subdivision of the Arabs into innumerable bodies… each independent of the others: restless and often at war amongst themselves; and even when united by blood or by interest, ever ready on some significant cause to separate and give way to an implacable hostility. Thus at the era of Islam the retrospect of Arabian history exhibits, as in the kaleidoscope, an ever-varying state of combination and repulsion, such as had hitherto rendered abortive any attempt at a general union… The problem had yet to be solved, by what force these tribes could be subdued or drawn to one common center; and it was solved by Muhammad (Muir,1988).

Instead of tribalism and tribal attachment, the Prophet Muhammad instituted virtue and God-consciousness. He also instituted allegiance or public consent. People were free to elect their administrator. So after the Prophet’s death, his followers came together and discussed among themselves who would be their new leader. Since the one who would lead the newly-established Muslim community would succeed the Prophet in his leadership in all things except Prophethood, he was named the Successor. The Caliph means the one who succeeds. So the leaders of the Muslim community after the Prophet’s death were called Caliph.

1- The Wars of Apostasy

Abu Bakr had to struggle with apostates and false prophets. What elements caused the wars of apostasy? First, the death of the Prophet was a great shock to Muslims. For the first time in the lives of both the Meccans and the Medinans, they were united around a single religion. Their centuries-old customs and feudal or tribal values and understandings were abolished. Their absorption of the new system would not be easy. They accepted this system in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad. So his death was a great shock. Adoption of the new system was difficult especially for the newly-converted desert tribes. Some of them left the new religion and followed false prophets who appeared among them and called them back to their old customs.

Secondly, Islam instituted zakat (alms-giving or charity). It was collected from the rich and spent for the well-being of the poor and for the wayfarers left without money to complete their travel. It was also used for those who cannot pay their debts, and for those who strive in “God’s cause”. Some desert tribes refused to pay it after the Prophet’s death. This signaled their revolt against the new administration in Medina.

Thirdly, the influence of the Romans from the north and the Persians and the Abyssinians from the east and the south encouraged the distant tribes to return back to their own beliefs and customs. (As?m, 1981).

Abu Bakr succeeded in putting down the rebellions and re-instituted unity in Arabia. His good reputation among people, his character, and his wise measures were influential in surpassing the rebellions and re-instituting the unity. He sent military units against the revolting tribes. In the end, those tribes gave up their disobedience.

2- Usame’s punitive expedition

The changes brought about by the Muslims in Arabia drew the attention of the Roman (Byzantium) Empire. In order to prevent their growing strength, they sent armies. During the time of the Prophet, Roman and Muslim armies fought in Muta, on the border of Jordan. No side could overpower the other in this first encounter. One year before the Prophet’s death, Romans organized another powerful army. On hearing this, the Prophet left Medina with his army and went as far as Tabuk, in the far north of Arabia. However, the Prophet’s illness caused this army to stay in Madina without departing. After his death, due to the news of rebellions in some desert tribes, some Muslims wanted to cancel this expedition. But Abu Bakr, as the newly-chosen Caliph, firmly opposed the idea, saying: “I will never cancel anything initiated by the Prophet”. The curious thing about this army was that it was made up of mostly the early Companions of the Prophet, but its leader was Usame ibn Zayd, who was only 18 years old. During the lifetime of the Prophet, his old Companions objected, but they were given a heated sermon in which both Usame and his father were praised as competent leaders (At-Tabarî, 1987).

3- Compilation of the Qur’an

1200 Muslims were killed in the battle called Aqraba, among them were many who were committing the Qur’an to memory. Umar ibn al Khattab, whose brother Zayd was among the dead, thought deeply of what might happen if wars continued and more such people were killed. He reached the conclusion that if the Qur’an was to be preserved, it ought to be compiled into one volume. At that time, it was scattered among the companions of the Prophet, with each preserving certain portions of it. Methods of preservation differed. Some had it written on parchment; others on palm branches stripped of leaves; a third group was written on bones; and a fourth on stone tablets; a large number also memorized it by heart. If many of those who had memorized it were killed, then a part of the Holy Book might disappear. So Umar went to the caliph, who was then sitting in the Prophet’s grand Mosque. He discussed his idea with him, but Abu Bakr rejected it because it was not something done by the Prophet. A lengthy debate followed, after which Abu Bakr was convinced that Umar was right (Ezzati, 1978).

Abu Bakr’s compilation of the Qur’an is regarded by many as his most significant legacy. It was even more significant than the wars of apostasy and the conquest of Iraq and Syria. Ali ibn Abi Talib used to say: “May God have mercy upon Abu Bakr! He is worthy of being superbly rewarded because he was unique in compiling the Qur’an” (Ibn Hajar, 1988).

References

Al-Bukhari, Muhammad. 870. SahihBukhari. Haidth no: 4/1701.

at-Tabarî. 1987. Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir, Tarikh al-Umamwa al-Muluk, Beirut.

Ezzati, Abul-Fazl. 1978. An Introduction to the History of the Spread of Islam, London, News and Media Ltd.

Ibn al-Athir. 1280. Usd al-ghaba fi ma’rifat al-sahaba, Cairo.

Ibn al-Kathir, Abu’l-Fida’ Isma’il. 1932. al-Bidayahwa’n-Nihayah, Vol. 14, Beirut.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. 1988. Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabah, Daru’l-Bayan, Cairo.

Ibn Hisham. 1992. al-Sirah an-Nabawiya, Dar al- Fikr, Beirut.

Muir, Sir William. 1988. Life of Muhammad, Osnabrück: Biblio.

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tawakkull · 3 years

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ISLAM 101: Muslim Culture and Character: Dynamics of Spiritual Life: Part 8

Abu Bakr: An Epitome of Truthfulness

Arabia … a desert as huge as almost three thousand square kilometers. A desert, but one from which human souls have been revivified repeatedly over the course of history, from Adam to Abraham, and to Muhammad, (peace be upon them all).

Also called As-Siddiq (“The Upright” in Arabic), Abu Bakr was approximately two years younger than the Prophet. Before embracing Islam, he was known as Abdul Ka’ba (the servant of Ka’ba), then the Prophet changed his name to Abdullah (the servant of God).

Among the youth, frolics, dissipations, and frivolities were very common behaviors, but Abu Bakr was completely different. He had a very disciplined life. Once he was asked if he had drunk wine in his days of ignorance. He said he had never touched the wine because he had wanted to keep his reputation and respectability. This shows that he enjoyed a good reputation and respectability even before Islam.

Abu Bakr traveled to different countries including Abyssinia, Yemen, and Syria. These business trips brought him wealth, experience and broadened his outlook on life. He became one of the richest businessmen of Mecca. Accordingly, his social importance increased among people. He was hardworking, generous, friendly, truthful, committed. He had a lot of influence among his friends and acquaintances. As a trader, he was always fair, he never deceived people. He would visit the sick; he gave alms to the poor. One day the Prophet asked his people, “Is there anyone here who visited a sick one today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who fasted today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who participated in a funeral?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who assisted someone who was poor?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” Then the Prophet said, “Whoever does these four deeds in one day is counted among the people of heaven.”

When God’s message was revealed to Muhammad, the first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr. On the day that he stated his belief, he gave his decision quickly and without hesitation showing he had complete trust in Muhammad. The Prophet admired his acceptance of Islam with the words, “Except Abu Bakr, everyone I have invited to Islam has experienced some period of hesitation. But Abu Bakr accepted my invitation without any hesitation”. In fact, Abu Bakr had always doubted the validity of idolatry and had no enthusiasm for worshiping idols.

His leadership

When the Prophet died in 632 AD, many people, among whom was ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, were shocked and refused to believe that he died. But Abu Bakr, steadfast as usual, addressed the bewildered masses and convinced them that Muhammad was no more than a Prophet like other Prophets who had died before him and that there was no reason why they should not acknowledge his death. After much debate, in which both sides—the Medinans and the Meccans—expressed their opinions elaborately and freely, Abu Bakr was unanimously accepted to be the first Caliph. Soon there was a public meeting in the Mosque, and people from near and far flocked there to swear their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, categorically rejected racism and tribalism. He also put an end to tribal wars. Sir William Muir makes the following comment:

The first peculiarity, then, which attracts our attention is the subdivision of the Arabs into innumerable bodies… each independent of the others: restless and often at war amongst themselves; and even when united by blood or by interest, ever ready on some significant cause to separate and give way to an implacable hostility. Thus at the era of Islam, the retrospect of Arabian history exhibits, as in the kaleidoscope, an ever-varying state of combination and repulsion, such as had hitherto rendered abortive any attempt at a general union… The problem had yet to be solved, by what force these tribes could be subdued or drawn to one common center; and it was solved by Muhammad.

1- The Wars of Apostasy

Abu Bakr had to struggle with apostates and false prophets. What elements caused the wars of apostasy?

First, the death of the Prophet was a great shock to Muslims. For the first time in the lives of both the Meccans and the Medinans, they were united around a single religion. Their centuries-old customs and feudal or tribal values and understandings were abolished. Their absorption of the new system would not be easy. They accepted this system in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad. So his death was a great shock. Adoption of the new system was difficult, especially for the newly-converted desert tribes. Some of them left the new religion and followed false prophets who appeared among them and called them back to their old customs.

Thirdly, the influence of the Romans from the north and the Persians and the Abyssinians from the east and the south encouraged the distant tribes to return back to their own beliefs and customs.

2- Usama’s punitive expedition

The changes brought about by the Muslims in Arabia drew the attention of the Roman (Byzantium) Empire. In order to prevent their growing strength, they sent armies. During the time of the Prophet, Roman and Muslim armies fought in Muta, on the border of Jordan. No side could overpower the other in this first encounter. One year before the Prophet’s death, Romans organized another powerful army. On hearing this, the Prophet left Medina with his army and went as far as Tabuk, in the far north of Arabia. However, the Prophet’s illness caused this army to stay in Madina without departing. After his death, due to the news of rebellions in some desert tribes, some Muslims wanted to cancel this expedition. But Abu Bakr, as the newly-chosen Caliph, firmly opposed the idea, saying: “I will never cancel anything initiated by the Prophet”. The curious thing about this army was that it was made up of mostly the early Companions of the Prophet, but its leader was Usama ibn Zayd, who was only 18 years old. During the lifetime of the Prophet, his old Companions objected, but they were given a heated sermon in which both Usama and his father were praised as competent leaders.

3- Compilation of the Qur’an

1200 Muslims were killed in the battle called Aqraba, among them were many who were committing the Qur’an to memory. Umar ibn al Khattab, whose brother Zayd was among the dead, thought deeply of what might happen if wars continued and more such people were killed. He reached the conclusion that if the Qur’an was to be preserved, it ought to be compiled into one volume. At that time, it was scattered among the companions of the Prophet, with each preserving certain portions of it. Methods of preservation differed. Some had it written on parchment; others on palm branches stripped of leaves; a third group was written on bones; and a fourth on stone tablets; a large number also memorized it by heart. If any of those who had memorized it were killed, then a part of the Holy Book might disappear. So Umar went to the caliph, who was then sitting in the Prophet’s Grand Mosque. He discussed his idea with him, but Abu Bakr rejected it because it was not something done by the Prophet. A lengthy debate followed, after which Abu Bakr was convinced that Umar was right.

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creepingsharia · 4 years

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US stops sending bomb-sniffing dogs to Jordan and Egypt after documenting horrific animal abuse

By Thomas Lifson

Two Arab allies of the United States will no longer be provided bomb-sniffing dogs because they have subjected animals sent to them to horrific abuse. A whistleblower complaint triggered an inspector general’s report released on Monday that prompted the Department of Defense to suspend the sending of the dogs, and the providing of handlers and veterinarians to those nations. Inhumanity to man’s best friend may now cost human lives in those countries when undetected bombs explode.

Jessica Donati of the Wall Street Journal reports:

The inspector general found that two dogs died in Jordan as a result of neglect and mistreatment this year, including one death caused by heat stroke and another by poisoning from an insecticide. A veterinarian told investigators that heat stroke was a preventable and especially terrible way for a dog to die.

In addition, three out of 10 dogs provided to Egypt in August 2018 have died, the inspector general’s report found. The Egyptian authorities to date have refused to grant U.S. personnel access to the dogs or their kennels. The U.S. Embassy has requested complete medical reports for the three dogs that died this year.

“Any death of a canine in the field is an extremely sad event and we will take every measure possible to prevent this from happening in the future,” a senior State Department official told reporters on Monday.

The deaths in Jordan occurred despite the presence of four State Department mentors in the country, hired to monitor the dogs. According to an earlier report by the inspector general, keeping two mentors in Jordan for three years cost the State Department $500,000 annually starting from 2017, while keeping a veterinarian in Jordan cost $540,000 in 2018.

The report said the State Department also repossessed 10 dogs from Morocco after finding the dogs weren’t being used for their intended purpose.

Emaciated bomb-sniffing dog photographed in April 2018 in Jordan

Photo credit: Inspector General via the Wall Street Journal

We Americans cherish our canine companions, as the substantial sums spent on care for them attests. But missing from this account is any mention of Islam’s negative attitude toward dogs. A few years ago, I noted:

...Mohammed did not like dogs. The Hadith and other sources record his distaste at their “filth” and even the notion that a dog walking in front of a Muslim praying negates the effect of those prayers. He even called for killing them. For example (and there is much more):

From Bukhari Vol. 4, #540

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle ordered that the dogs should be killed.

From Abu Dawud #2839

Abd Allah B. Mughaffal reported the apostle of Allah as saying: Were dogs not a species of creature I should command that they all be killed; but kill every pure black one.

The Hadith's note for #2839 says, "The prophet did not order the killing of all the dogs, for some are to be retained for hunting and watching. He ordered to kill the jet black ones. They might be more mischievous among them.

From Muslim #3814

Ibn Mughaffal reported: Allah's messenger ordered the killing of dogs and then said, "what is the trouble with them (the people of Medina? How dogs are nuisances to them (the citizens of Medina)? He then permitted keeping of dogs for hunting and (the protection of) herds. ...[and for] for the protection of cultivated land.

From Muslim #Number 055

Ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah ordered killing of the dogs, and then said: What about them, i. e. about other dogs? and then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.

From Muslim #3813

Abu Zubair heard Jabir Abdullah saying: Allah's messenger ordered us to kill dogs and we carried out this order so much so that we also killed the dog roaming with a women from the desert. Then Allah's apostle forbade their killing. He said: "It is your duty to kill the jet-black (dog) having two spots (on the eyes) for it is a devil.

None of the sources I found in a cursory bit of research mentioned what seemed to me to be another reason why Mohammed didn’t like dogs: he had been a caravan raider, and dogs have always (and still do) act as guardians against thieves.

Mohammed’s teachings are now going to cost lives in countries that cannot bring themselves to treat dogs in humane ways. The utter contrast in the attitudes toward dogs is one of the deepest and most mutually incomprehensible gulfs between Islam and the Judeo-Christian countries. To me, dogs are one of God’s greatest gifts to us, once humanity had the wit to use our gift of intelligence to breed dogs from wolves. The notion of mistreating, of inflicting suffering on these noble beasts is so repulsive to me that I cannot credit those doing so – individually or culturally – with basic humanity.

------------------------------------

More via Jihad Watch: Islam hates dogs

“Once Gabriel promised the Prophet (that he would visit him, but Gabriel did not come) and later on he said, ‘We, angels, do not enter a house which contains a picture or a dog.’” — Sahih Bukhari 4.54.50

“Abdullah (b. Umar) (Allah be pleased with them) reported: Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) ordered the killing of dogs and we would send (men) in Medina and its corners and we did not spare any dog that we did not kill, so much so that we killed the dog that accompanied the wet she-camel belonging to the people of the desert.” — Sahih Muslim 3811

“Ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered killing of the dogs, and then said: What about them, i. e. about other dogs? and then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.” — Sahih Muslim 551

#Legal #Islam #Muslim #Sharia #Jihad #News #Politics #Travel #Animals #Religion #Military

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kingcharlesofengland · 3 years

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Human Rights law

Meant to Europe and British nations rights from 20th century. People who came into Britain via commonwealth people who came into Europe via illigal immigration EU were not mentioned in iriginal himan rights act.

Besides, the human rights act doesnot specify precisely what rights it reserves to whom to which nations to what type of injury damage by description.

In British law we have cases precedents to compare to.

Whether human rights assist black yellow white race isn't specified.

I think human rights must define by a definition specific nature of protection claiming damages at what circumstances at which territory. As humam rights could be acted at theactual territory where injury happened so people do not need to migrate.

What is racism

When someone bybirth by origin by specific genome has been attacked verbally physically at their own homeland by another race. I assume racism imvolves at least two races.

When non homemade race visit another country which isn't genetically a home of the race cannoylt claim racism human rights protection because it could be treated as assimilation and as enemy. The same claimants must return to a homeland of race then claim human rights of domestic nature.

Because Europe is homogeneous white race predominantly the courts have no knowledge nor experience to deal with other races than white. Including climate adaptation climate condition needs. Financial needs I describe separately according to natural resoirces of the country.

European Court is not longer over British Courts although I think Brtish court are pretty much corrupted and should clear from all influences.

From Brexit onwards European Courts must apply to British Courts for British citizens. British citizens can claim in Britain human rights. European citizens can claim at Europe's courts.

Commonwealth is pretty much discriminatory system. Australia has its own judgment on rights of abode. The American besise huge land beside natural resources has not achieved any self contented system. Africans should be assisted Human rights at their territory so they can build own police own protection system own democracy. Africa was an English colony then it stopped being a colony and it was assimilated by the muslim arabs. Africa is no longer English problem it should claim from arabs.

During my long years research work with different groups different communities I acknowledged the core problems the continents countries have and must resolve.

White arabs hate black arabs. Hindu hate muslim. Etc endless problems. Establish the root to the problem as human rights claim could be superficial treatment of symptoms. If one person claims all others will claim the same. Jewish use arabs to kill arabs by vaccination by neclear lasser weapons. I advise arabs not be jewish servants not to practice illegal masonries.

Asians oriental are more tradotional have strong genetics. They resist enemies better.

The problematic regions will always be problematic. In my openion junctions between continents shouldn't be residential at all as these regions inflict crime like trafficking miggrants illicit drugs anything alike. Bad is a person or collective whos character is ill not because it sits on a bed. Primitive nations must evolve sufficiently to claim equal human rights based on evolution stage like civilisation manners behaviour language culture. Because we do not want to let civilised be distroyed by human rights.

To me law is what creates natural specific description. I want personally to include intellectual property as the priority in protection from abuse.

Then financial can never be enough if natural resources of the countries have not been assessed properly and used accordingly.

I fight against criminals each day because the law does not touch them. Primitive law of assimilators I can't stand literally.

Creation of civilisation should be at a centre of protection.

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kattipatang · 7 years

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Narratives of Punjab's Partition (I'm addressing specifically Punjab's rn- Bengal and Kashmir were also partioned, and the impact was horrible, but at the moment I'm just focusing on Punjab) really expose people's anti-Sikh sentiments on both sides of the border.

Sikhs are blamed for "erasure" of the experiences of Muslims and Hindus in Punjab's Partition. We are blamed for allegedly saying that the identifier of Punjabi is solely ours. However, in reality, we are only louder because we are one of the populations that lost the most. That fact is glossed over by people on both sides of the border, so we need to speak loud enough for you to hear us. We are not being loud to drown out your voice. We are being loud not to be drowned out by yours, because yours is hegemonic.

The truth is that during the pre-partition meetings Sikhs were duped into believing that they would receive an autonomous Punjabi sooba in the new country of India if they sided with Gandhi and Nehru. This was a lie and the Punjabi sooba wouldn't be formed for another two decades, and not without the flowing of Sikh blood, and the removal of Himachal and Haryana from Punjab- making the remnants of the state unrecognizable.

The truth is that on the western side of the border our places of worship were taken away from us. The power vacuum partition created gave rise to small gangs taking control of Nankana Sahib and other places of worship. Sikhs who tried to access these Dharm Isthhaans would be butchered. Now Sikhs can visit these places, but they are still occupied by the Pakistani government and Sikhs still don't have jurisdiction over these places of worship- something we pray to regain on a daily basis. That's the equivalent to a non-Muslim government laying claim to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and not giving Muslims the rightful jurisdiction to run it.

The truth is that while Sikh activists in the 50s and 60s gave their lives for language rights of Punjabi, a large majority of Muslim Pakistanis and Hindu Indians in East Punjab and West Punjab pushed for Urdu and Hindi to be their only identifier, not Punjabi.

The truth is that today on both sides of the border Sikh history and the legacy of Sikhs has been erased. In Pakistan, schools gloss over the Sikh Raaj under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and through my research during my undergrad I have seen that Pakistani academics have framed Sikh leaders like Baba Banda Singh Bahadur as uncivilized brutes. In India, our identity is treated as a joke, and we are told that Sikhs aren't a distinct community of their own, but simply a sect of Hinduism.

The truth is, even to this day, many people amongst Pakistani Punjabis and Indian Hindu Punjabis at their community centers here in Canada rallied their communities not to mark Punjabi as their language, but rather Urdu and Hindi during the last Canadian census.

The truth is that Punjabi is ridiculed on both sides of the border and is seen as inferior. It is seen as a crude language only fit for comedic relief. In West Punjab, Urdu is seen as superior, and despite long standing activist from a minority of Muslim Pakistani Punjabis, little has been done to protect Punjabi. The same is the case with India, where Punjabi is seeing a decline in schools and academia.

Punjabi youth in West Punjab would rather identify themselves with Arab/Persian culture, and Hindu Punjabi youth in East Punjab would much rather identify themselves with the pan-Indian Hindu identity. You have the privilege to do that, we don't. Our faith and our language are so ingrained in the land and culture of Punjab, a land that has faced erasure and neglect.

We never claimed you are not Punjabi, or stripped you of your Punjabiness, but the truth is that many non-Sikh Punjabis DID strip themselves of their Punjabiness. Your lack of ability to identify with the culture of Punjab is not because we push you away, it's because you are in a sociopolitical group that has historically moved away from Punjabiyat. If you wish to identify with Punjab, no one is stopping you and no one is saying you have no claim to it.

However, something does need to be said about this knee-jerk reaction against Sikhs. As a minority on both sides of the border, we are vocal, because colonialism and Partition stripped us from everything our community worked for. It left us trauma that cannot be undone- trauma that was inflicted by both Pakistan and India. We aren't quiet about that, and a loud minority speaking up in a hegemony will sadly always be seen as a nuisance.

I'm not saying Muslims and Hindus didn't also face trauma. The pain everyone felt during this time is unimaginable. I'm not stopping you from sharing their stories. And yes, there are community narratives that are not often spoken about, such as the case of Christians and Dalits and how those intersections played out.

However, while sharing these narratives, you don't need to silence Sikhs, or claim that somehow we are committing erasure. The reality is, that we are the ones who have faced erasure for far too many years and we are not about to be silent about that.

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antoine-roquentin · 7 years

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The kingdom has more trivial money worries too. The Al Saud are a royal family like no other: there are thousands of them, descending from the 22 wives Ibn Saud had while technically observing the Sharia requirement of four wives – max – at any one time. He was ‘father to the nation’ in more than a metaphorical sense. In the context of a tribal society, these prudential intermarriages had the benefit of binding together a number of different groups at a time when Ibn Saud was merely the head of a coalition of tribes who founded the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 after he invaded the Hejaz, with its holy cities, Mecca and Medina. The trouble, presently, is that his descendants all expect their emoluments. The scale of this burden can be gauged from a classified cable sent by Wyche Fowler, then US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to his government in November 1996, exposed by WikiLeaks, in which he reports that members of the Al Saud family receive stipends ranging from $270,000 a month for more senior princes to $8000 ‘for the lowliest member of the most remote branch of the family’. The system is calibrated by generation, with surviving sons and daughters of Ibn Saud receiving between $200,000 and $270,000, grandchildren around $27,000, great-grandchildren around $13,000 and great-great-grandchildren the minimum $8000 per month. According to the US embassy’s calculations, in 1996 the budget for around sixty surviving sons and daughters, 420 grandchildren, 2900 great-grandchildren and ‘probably only about 2000 great-great-grandchildren at this point’ amounted to more than $2 billion, with the stipends providing ‘a substantial incentive for royals to procreate’ since – in addition to bonuses received on marriage for palace construction – a royal stipend begins at birth. One minor prince, according to a Saudi source, had persuaded a community college in the state of Oregon to enrol him even though he had no intention of attending classes: his principal goal in life was to have more children so he could increase his monthly allowance.

In addition to the stipends, senior princes enriched themselves via ‘off budget’ programmes that ‘are widely viewed as sources of royal rake-offs’. The largest of these, according to the cable, was thought to relate to the holy shrines of Mecca and Medina – around $5 billion annually – and the Ministry of Defence’s strategic storage project, worth around $1 billion. Both were highly secretive and ‘widely believed to be a source of substantial revenues for the king’ – at that time King Fahd – ‘and a few of his full brothers’. Other ways the princes obtained money included borrowing from banks without paying them back (Saudi banks have been reluctant to lend to royals unless they have proven repayment records) and using princely ‘clout to confiscate land from commoners, especially if it is known to be the site for an upcoming project and can be quickly sold to the government for a profit’. King Abdullah, whose ten-year rule between 2005 and 2015 was seen as a period of modest reform, curbed some of these excesses by stopping handouts to family members going on holiday and discouraging them from using the national airline as a ‘private jet service’. As Karen Elliott House writes in On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Faultlines – and Future (2012), probably the best account of the country written so far by a Western observer (as a woman she had access to the half of the population that is off-limits to male reporters), ‘this plethora of princes is so large and so diverse that little if anything links them except some Al Saud genes … Collectively, they increasingly are viewed by the rest of Saudi society as a burdensome privileged caste.’ Though, thanks to another aspect of tribalism, even being an Al Saud doesn’t guarantee great privilege: sons and grandsons of Ibn Saud whose mothers don’t belong to elite Arabian lineages are considered ineligible for the throne. And as a recent BBC investigation showed, a number of dissident princes have recently vanished, or been disappeared.

The faith tradition that holds the Saudi system together – for now – is Wahhabi Islam, the iconoclastic creed of the 18th-century Islamic reformer Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, whose pact with the Al Saud family led to the creation of the modern kingdom in 1932. Al-Wahhab’s stormtroopers, the Ikhwan, enabled Ibn Saud’s rise to power. They killed unarmed villagers regarded as apostates, thought nothing of slaughtering women and children, and routinely slit the throats of male captives. Contemporary accounts describe the horrors afflicted on the city of Taif in 1924, when the Ikhwan murdered hundreds of civilians, in a massacre similar to the violence committed by Islamic State or al-Qaida today. As an Arab witness wrote, Ibn Saud’s forces ‘normally give no quarter, sparing neither boys nor old men, veritable messengers of death from whose grasp no one escapes’. Some 400,000 people are reported to have been massacred by the Ikhwan during the early days of the Saudi state. The Wahhabi understanding of tawhid, the theology of monotheism or divine unicity, which forbids the veneration of any person or object other than Allah, is still used today to justify the ban on all forms of non-Muslim public worship in the kingdom, as well as the confiscation of non-Wahhabi textual sources such as Quranic commentaries brought in by pilgrims from South Asia, who have had them removed by the religious police while attending the Hajj. But tawhid, a theology that claims to be fundamentally opposed to polytheism, has an unexpected consequence. It mines the Islamic discourse to sustain a totalitarian outlook whose actual purpose is the preservation and enrichment of the tribal dynasty that owns and governs this enormous country in its exclusive interest.

Al-Wahhab’s views on the veneration of Muslim holy men – exemplified by his destruction of the tomb of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, brother of Umar, the most revered of the early caliphs and a companion of the Prophet – are now used to legitimise the orgy of cultural vandalism inflicted on Mecca and Medina, over which the king claims religious guardianship as custodian of the Two Holy Shrines, a status that is quasi-caliphal (the Al Saud lack the lineage formally to declare themselves caliphs). The centre of Mecca, the sacred hub of Islam, now resembles Las Vegas, with hotels such as the Raffles Makkah Palace and the Makkah Hilton towering over the Kaaba, the cube-shaped temple to which Muslims everywhere bow in the direction of prayer. Beyond the sacred mosque is the Mekkah Clock Royal Tower, a kitsch rendition of Big Ben around five times as high – one of the world’s tallest buildings. Wealthy Gulf pilgrims are expected to pay premium prices for rooms and apartments in these buildings, as part of the effort to make up for the decline in oil prices. Even the Prophet Muhammad himself is not immune from the corrosive effects of Wahhabi iconoclasm, on the grounds that the veneration of the Prophet (as distinct from the worship of God) constitutes forbidden idolatry. The Prophet’s mawlid or birthday festival – widely observed with processions and family gatherings in other Muslim countries – is banned in the Saudi kingdom, while the name ‘Muhammad’ is often used disparagingly, as a catch-all for despised Muslim immigrants working as menials. The site of Muhammad’s first wife’s house, where it is believed he received his first revelations and where five of his children were born, is now occupied by a row of public toilets.

In the kingdom at large, Wahhabi doctrine is enforced by the five thousand-strong religious police force – known as the mutawaeen – controlled by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. These religious thugs, institutional descendants of the Ikhwan stormtroopers, patrol cities in expensive white SUVs enforcing prayer times and dress codes, as well as bans on music, sexual mingling and non-Wahhabi forms of religious worship. Even the international opprobrium heaped on the mutawaeen after 2002 – when they prevented 15 schoolgirls from leaving a blazing building, causing them to be burned alive – didn’t lead to their disbandment, though MBS has promised to curtail their powers. According to foreigners who have lived outside the privileged enclaves of expat colonies such as the Aramco-run city of Dhahran – known as Little America, with its manicured golf courses, where men and women mix freely and women are permitted to drive within the fenced-in corporate compound – the sense of fear is ubiquitous.

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riyadhvision · 7 years

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:: US President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia for a historic meeting tipped to “turn the page” on US-Arab affairs after a strained relationship under the previous American administration.

The president touched down in Riyadh and was welcomed by King Salman and senior Saudi officials.

Stepping off Air Force One with his wife, Melania, Trump and his entourage received a red-carpet welcome.

Trump and King Salman spoke through an interpreter when they met, as a military brass band played, cannons boomed and seven Saudi jets flew over in V-formation, trailing red, white and blue smoke.

The two leaders sat side by side at the VIP section of the airport terminal and drank cups of Arabic coffee.

On the drive to the Ritz hotel where Trump is staying, King Salman rode with the president in the heavily armored presidential limousine nicknamed “the Beast.”

After a royal banquet, Trump and the king were to have private talks and participate in a signing ceremony for a number of US-Saudi agreements, including a deal worth a reported $100 billion for Saudi Arabia to buy American arms.

National oil giant Saudi Aramco is expected to sign $50 billion of deals with US companies on Saturday, part of a drive to diversify the Kingdom’s economy beyond oil exports, Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser said.

Trump is to deliver a speech on Sunday aimed at rallying Muslims in the fight against terrorism. His first official foreign trip since taking office will coincide with three key summits on Saturday and Sunday, as well as several business activities, cultural, intellectual and sports celebrations.

The Saudi-US Summit on Saturday will feature a series of bilateral meetings between King Salman and Trump, and “focus on re-affirming the long-standing friendship, and strengthening the close political, economic, security and cultural bonds between the two nations.”

It will be followed Sunday by the GCC-US Summit, Arab Islamic American Summit, and the inauguration of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology.

Experts told Arab News that the visit by Trump will boost US-Arab ties after the relationship soured under his predecessor President Barack Obama.

“By selecting Saudi Arabia as the first stop on his historic visit, the first official one to any foreign country, President Trump has been prudent to seize an opportunity to turn a new and more positive page toward Arabs and Muslims in the region and beyond,” said John Duke Anthony, founding president and CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations.

“The president’s visit has a chance to begin healing wounds that have been inflicted on Muslims the world over.”

Anthony said that there has been a shift from Trump’s presidential campaign, when he was seen as being openly hostile toward the Muslim world and Kingdom.

“As a candidate for the Oval Office, Donald Trump was not shy about criticizing Saudi Arabia. Contexts change, though, and as president, his administration has refrained from unjustified, unnecessary and provocative statements in this regard,” he said.

Tensions rose between the Arabian Gulf and the US after the latter brokered the “nuclear deal” with Iran, which some Arab countries claim meddles in regional affairs and sponsors international terrorism.

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, a veteran analyst, said that the new US administration has the opportunity to get tough on Tehran.

“Iran has taken the region hostage and has blackmailed Washington for many years,” he wrote.

“I believe it is in the hands of the current US administration to get Iran to face a new reality, namely that it must stop the spread of chaos and violence in the region and wider world.”

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‘A new page’ as US President Donald Trump lands in Saudi Arabia :: US President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia for a historic meeting tipped to “turn the page” on US-Arab affairs after a strained relationship under the previous American administration.

#ARAB ISLAMIC AMERICAN SUMMIT #DONALD TRUMP #GLOBAL CENTER FOR COMBATING EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY #SAUDI-US SUMMIT #TRUMP IN SAUDI ARABIA

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thetruthseekerway · 5 years

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Sarah Price: Reasons for My Reversion to Islam

New Post has been published on http://www.truth-seeker.info/guided-atheists/sarah-price-reasons-for-my-reversion-to-islam/

Sarah Price: Reasons for My Reversion to Islam

By Sarah Price

Islamic. Jihadist. ISIS. Terrorist. Women banned from driving in Saudi Arabia. Burqa. 9/11…unfortunately, the term ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam’ isn’t always associated with the most positive attributes. In fact, the term ‘Islam’ can inflict some pretty negative connotations in this day and age. For a term that means ‘peaceful submission to God’, it is a religion that is often seen in the media for all the wrong reasons. So, why would a young woman from country Australia who is educated, independent and well-traveled decide to convert to a religion that is widely considered ‘backwards’?

Well, it’s for a multitude of reasons. Although people usually assume it’s for a man. Why else would a woman do that, right? WRONG. Not in my case anyway. It’s pretty dazzling how some people assume these things though. Even asking for halal food at my local university cafe received a snarky comment from the waitress asking if I ‘converted for my boyfriend’. I get confused looks at my fair skin and light eyes, some Australians ask what country I’m from, only to be shocked to hear I am myself an Australian. Australian AND Muslim? The combination is unthinkable to some.

Despite some pretty harsh and rude comments about my change in faith, I’ve also had some amazing people come up to me and ask me why. This ladies and gentleman is the question that I am happy to answer. You don’t have to agree with it – my word, you don’t even have to accept it – but this is my story and reasons which led me over the course of two years to where I am now. Converting to Islam has been no easy task. I’ve been called names, been scrutinized, rejected and fired from jobs, lost friends and had a really difficult time with my family accepting the changes in my life. But with prayer, investigation, lots of reading and researching and talking to people from different faiths and backgrounds has all contributed to my peaceful way of life now.

Yes, I am Muslim. I am also Australian, I’m a journalist, and I am also a traveler. Being a Muslim doesn’t change the elements that makeup who I am as a person. Although you can never truly express what comes from your own heart in your own personal journey, my reversion to Islam was due to three main factors. This is my story and mine alone.

Malaysia

Traveling to Malaysia was definitely the foundation for my conversion to Islam. After deciding on a whim to go on student exchange to Malaysia, I never imagined what a crazy adventure I had set myself up for. Malaysia is my second home. It holds a very special place in my heart and I grew immensely as a person there. I experienced some of the best and worst moments of my life; and the whole experience was filled with color, adventure, and opportunity.

From sleeping in a dirty ferry port for eight hours, getting lost in a rainforest on Tioman Island (and trying to make it back before dark), riding on motorbikes in Penang and scuba-diving in Perhentian Islands, these were just the beginning of my adventure there. I was getting out of my comfort zone in Malaysia and exposed to things I had never seen as a small town Australian girl from Gippsland. Nothing went to plan nor was expected in Malaysia.

Before Malaysia, I knew nothing about Islam. I had never met a Muslim (to my knowledge) and I always thought of Muslims as wearing heavy black garments somewhere in the Middle East, far, far away from ‘civilization’. Yes, I also thought Muslim women were oppressed. That they couldn’t go anywhere without their husbands, that they couldn’t have careers, and had to wear black all the time. Not that I really thought about it much, I was always in my own bubble of society to ponder too much about it. So, my somewhat fabricated image of Islam was shattered when I came to Malaysia. Suddenly, I found myself becoming curious of the pretty South-East Asian Muslim girls with their colorful hijabs and clothes. I met many Muslim friends – who became life-long friends- who went to university, who had jobs, who wore veils and also many who didn’t, and they all seemed quite content and loved their religion.

Being a journalism student, I’ve always been an open-minded person and have a lust for the unknown. Islam quickly became a mysterious religion I wanted to learn more about. That’s when I decided to do one of my investigative articles about Muslim women’s rights. THIS was the beginning of everything. My eyes and mind were completed opened and bursting with knowledge about Islam and the fact that WOMEN HAVE MANY RIGHTS IN ISLAM! In fact, Muslim women were legally given rights (that’s including divorce, land rights, monetary rights, the right to choose who to marry, etc.) in the Qur’an and Hadiths hundreds of years before Western women were legally given the same rights. There’s even a whole chapter about Women in the Qur’an. Men are taught to lower their gaze, and to treat women and their wives with utmost respect because this is favored in God’s eyes. THIS, of course, does not mean Muslims are sinless. People need to differentiate between culture, politics and religion. We humans are not perfect, in fact far from it. Even I learned this in Malaysia – instead of judging a whole religion on a few people’s actions, look into the religion and what it teaches. When I first stepped into a mosque, I felt an immediate sense of calm and peace. I even interviewed an imam. The strong yet humble cry of the call to prayer invoked feelings in me I had never felt before. When I first bowed my head toward the Ka’ba, I felt home in my heart. I didn’t convert to Islam in Malaysia – I was to over a year later – but it introduced me in a beautiful way to Islam and to the Oneness of God.

As each day passed in Malaysia, and with each experience I lived, it dawned on me that I was starting to outgrow the sheltered life I was living back home in my country town, and the various stereotypes placed on society from culture to culture. Malaysia was having an effect on me far greater than the boundaries of Monash University, cool clubs and intriguing food; it was the people itself and the lessons I was learning. I realized that every little moment in Malaysia would be some of my best. I was definitely not the same girl that left Melbourne airport for this unexpected journey I grew immensely, while paradoxically also finding myself and what I’m truly capable of. I was a girl who was insecure and always feeling confined and trapped in the community I was living in – Malaysia, in a way, set me free. While we can’t be sure of much in this world, I know without a shadow of a doubt that going to Malaysia randomly was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Malaysia didn’t turn out as I imagined or planned, and that in itself made it so wonderful. It taught me to believe in my own capabilities and in myself more than ever, and that comes with taking a deep breath and stepping into the world on your own for the very first time.

Malaysia gave me adventure. It kick started my career in journalism. It allowed me to meet wonderful, terrible yet interesting people. But most importantly…Malaysia gave me Islam. I truly believe I was meant to go there.

Christianity

I was a very strong Christian before converting to Islam. It’s an extremely focal point of my faith journey and without it I would not be a Muslim.

My love for Jesus (peace be upon him) actually led me to Islam. Christianity is actually the closest religion to Islam, not only theoretically but also historically. There are many misconceptions about what Islam teaches about Christianity. To begin, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wrote a letter regarding how Muslims should treat Christians. To summarize it, we are to treat Christians with respect, and even if a Muslim man is married to a Christian woman, she cannot be stopped from praying in her place of worship. In Surat Al-Mai’dah (The Table Spread), 5:82, this is what it says – ‘and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers who say, “We are the Christians”. That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant’. Amen. Christians and Jews are commonly referred to as ‘People of the Book’ in Islam, because we all have the same Abrahamic roots. Jesus’ (pbuh) name is actually mentioned more times in the Qur’an than the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh). Muslims still believe in the virgin birth and place importance on Mary (may Allah be pleased with her). Jesus (pbuh) is an important figure and you cannot be a Muslim without believing in the life and work of Jesus (pbuh). I could write a huge post about this, which I will discuss further in future blog posts. Jesus (pbuh) prostrated and humbled himself before God. He only performed miracles under God’s permission. He was an incredible prophet who taught love and compassion to the children of Israel. The only difference between Christians and Muslims is that we take Jesus (pbuh) to be a prophet and not to be worshipped alongside God. Islam teaches the Oneness of God, and to worship Allah (swt) alone and we believe that Jesus (pbuh) taught this himself. The term ‘Allah’, by the way, is the Arabic word for ‘God’ and is not just an Islamic term. Arab Christians also call God ‘Allah’.

I love most aspects of Christianity. I love how it teaches compassion, mercy, love and all the good things that we human beings should aspire to be. I loved all my Christian friends, I think they are wonderful people and I will always pray for them. I think it is wonderful that many churches are so active in the community and want to do good things in society and help others. However, after returning from Malaysia I felt like something was missing. I researched key aspects and foundations of Christianity, right down to the trinity and where the concept came from. I researched what Paul taught, what various historical leaders implemented after the death of Christ and I read my Bible inside out. I researched on what has been taken out of the Bible, what has been put in and the various contradictions and solid truths of the Bible. There are similarities between the Qur’an and the Bible. For me, the Qur’an answered many questions I had about my Christian faith for a long time. I could find no fault, no contradictions in the Qur’an. I listened to debates between world-renowned Biblical and Qur’anic scholars, and felt that the Qur’an made more sense.

However, even when I found Islam to be the truth for me, it was very hard for me to actually leave Christianity. Religion has always been the most important thing in my life, and I wanted to make sure I was converting to Islam with all my heart and for all the right reasons. Converting to Islam meant I had certain obligations – praying at least five times a day, giving more to charity, wearing more modest clothing (a choice that I gradually implemented in my life) and give up drinking (drinking is forbidden in Islam). This is a mammoth change; as much as I didn’t want to leave the safe haven of the church, I also knew I had to follow my heart to what I believe whole-heartedly is the complete truth. I didn’t see converting to Islam as so drastically different to Christianity however I saw it more as an update of my faith, for many reasons.

I wasn’t born into Christianity. I was not baptized as a child because my parents wanted me to make my own decisions about what I wanted to believe in. I will always be grateful to them for that. My Grandmother taught me about the Bible and I still cherish all the talks we have about the Bible and Christianity. However I could never really find a church I liked – I found them all very different from each other and I didn’t like how much emphasis is placed on the differences between each church even though they claim to follow Jesus (pbuh). I went to Catholic churches, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witness, Baptist, Pentecostal, and the list goes on. However, I was against really going to a particular church because I just wanted to follow and love God. I was actually baptized at the beginning of my trip in Malaysia, on the coastal waters of Penang under a starry night sky. However, I was baptized just as a Christian. No church involved, which I liked. Although I quickly became interested in Islam, changing religion from Christianity to Islam was the hardest decision I have ever made, but it was the right one for me.

Christianity taught me to love God. It taught me humility, it taught me to love others, and it taught me a lot about Jesus (pbuh). I would not be who I am if I wasn’t once a Christian.

Journalism

My sheer drive to be a journalist has taken me to places I never imagined and allowed me to meet amazing people. I’ve interviewed famous people such as One Republic, Bastille, Marina Mahathir, Kristian Chong, Yannick Bovy, Sisters in Islam, Virginia Haussegger, Senator Michaelia Cash, VJ’s Hanli Hoefer and Alan Wong and the list goes on. I’ve been to incredible events and interned at really great places. I am very fortunate to have experienced so much at such a young age while still completing my undergraduate degree in journalism. However, the best part of being a journalist is being able to make some change in the world. To give people a voice, to learn about human beings and the world around me. This is so humbling and motivates me every day. Being a journalist led me to learn about Islam. Yes, I am still a journalist and still as motivated (if not more) as a Muslim woman. Incorporating my faith and career is not a difficult task, and in fact Islam helps me to appreciate people and the world around me in many different ways.

Interviewing UN Person of the Year, passionate leader of SIS (Sisters in Islam), writer and strong advocate for women’s rights Marina Mahathir definitely shaped my view of Muslim women’s rights and of Islam itself. I still remember how sweaty my palms were. A million thoughts were rushing through my head. ‘Am I good enough?’ ‘Am I really cut out for journalism?’ This was my first interview with someone quite famous. As soon as I met Marina, her quiet yet assertive nature impressed me and I immediately felt a sense of ease with her. I knew the interview was an important one, a life-changing one. She answered so many questions I had been asking myself since arriving in Malaysia. The Qur’an does not teach inequality. It does not permit men to beat their wives. Her knowledge was exuberating, and I felt as if I had a newfound understanding of something much bigger and deeper than I ever thought possible. “We are all one people on this Earth,” said Marina as we finished the interview. I smiled at her in appreciation, and looking back now I know that was the most important lesson I had learned thus far. Despite various factors that apparently make us so different – such as national borders, countries, politics, culture, tribes, heritage, skin color, race and religion – we all bleed the same and breathe the same air. I think we should all try to remember this daily.

Whenever I have travelled – from tropical Malaysia, to the wilderness of Africa, to the prestige of London and the historical greatness of Ireland – I find a story where ever I go. Of course, in my great country Australia too. All you have to do is listen, and you find soon enough that everybody has a story. Incredible ones. The human race both disappoints and truly inspires me, and I hope to convey that in my writing. People say journalists are bad people – but I have only met great journalists, editors and reporters who I have learned a great deal from and motivated me to become better. Because in the journalistic field, you never really stop learning. There’s always room for improvement, and journalists have an important role in society to inform the public of the world around them. The most vital thing I’ve learnt in Islam which I incorporate into journalism is no matter what evil and good I see in people, it’s important not to judge too harshly (that would be bias for one, we need to be as objective as possible in our reporting) because EVERYONE is capable of anything. ‘The greatest jihad (struggle) is to battle your own soul; to fight the very evil within yourself,’ Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We can always look at others and improve certain things about ourselves. There’s so much worldly wisdom in this one quote, and it truly inspires and humbles me.

But let me not disillusion you – becoming a Muslim and incorporating it into my way of life has not been easy in the slightest. It’s hard, and you learn more every day. People judge you, even Muslims judge you. I’m not going to just put some holy light around it…being a Muslim has tested my patience more than ever before, more than I ever imagined. But they say the right path is not always the easiest one – and despite how hard it is at times, it also brings an incredible sense of peace in my heart and into my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is part of me now, but not all of me. It makes me happy, it makes me cry, and it makes me question a lot of things about society and about the Dunya (this life).

All I can say is that I find rest with Allah (swt), and no matter what I go through, I know I am never alone every time I make Salat to my Creator. Truly, ‘verily with every hardship comes ease’ (Al-Inshirah 94:6).

———-

Sarah Price is a 23-year-old Master of Journalism student at Monash University in Australia. She converted to Islam in 2014, after a trip to Malaysia inspired her to learn more.

#Allah #conversion story #convert #Faith #Featured #God #Islam #Muslims #reversion story #revert #Sarah Price: Reasons for My Reversion to Islam

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sudanhiphop-blog · 6 years

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Zoulcolm X

Ahmad Dza also known as Zoulcolm X is a sudanese blogger and poet who is heavily involved in the hip hop scene and is a massive fan of the genre and culture. He has been posting to his blog since 2011 and tackles very heavy subjects such as the Sudanese Election fraud or Tribalism vs Statism. His name alone demonstrates his dual identity of Sudanese citizen, Arabic speaker, Muslim and rapper. “Zoul” is the Arabic term for soul along with the rest of the name being a clear play on Malcolm X. Through the archive one can see his evolution as a writer, he went from misspelling words such as president to flawless grammar over the course of four years. Reading Dza’s writings one can feel his frustration and yet appreciate his eloquence.

“It has been clear that Sudan will not see a bright future unless the government of the National Congress Party (Formerly known as the National Islamic Front) is stripped of power and replaced by pluralistic democratic civil society to guarantee the Sudanese people their basic rights and sustainable peace and development. the brutality of the NCP/NIF inflicted upon the Sudanese people after their 1989 military coup nearly eradicated such vision from the minds of Sudanese people, in addition to its investment in ignorance, NCP/NIF regime used Islamic sloganeering to portray itself as the protector of Islam and views those who attempt to oppose it as infidels. But after their 20 years old holy war with the South ended with a peace agreement, it became clear that all of the martyrdom propaganda they heavily used in the 1990’s was nothing but a big lie, and with the exposure of their deeply rooted corruption, people are starting to realize that all they’re left with is fear, and more people are breaking it day after day. With the power of the internet and new media, information is no longer suffocated by authorities. In 2007, the people of Kajbar town revolted against the building of a new dam that was going to repeat the tragedy of President Abboud and President Abdulnasir’s deal to build Al-Sad Al-Aali Dam which drowned not only the lands but also the ancient history of the Nubians of northern Sudan and forced them to seek refuge in other parts of the country, authorities wasn’t happy with the people’s attempts to stop the new dam construction and responded violently killing 4 young protesters with live bullets”.Although Dza has not been active for a year or two I trust that his doing righteous work regardless of whether the world has a chance to see it.

His most recent post- “In February 2012 a couple of friends and I established a media production company in Khartoum, I wanted to name it Apedemek after the Nubian lion god of Ancient Meroe, the ministry of commerce didn’t like the name and we eventually had to settle with the name Tashawor, I’m gonna go back to Sudan, stronger and more determined to do what I love and to build with my old and new friends “the Sudan that we’ve been dreaming of daily”.

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liveforlifeoverhate-blog · 7 years

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1.6 Billion Muslims, How many terrorists can there be?

In this great big world, people can only imagine how much danger there can be for our children. Growing up in this horrible, mean, narcissistic, judgmental world, we would only want the best of friends for our children because friends are the biggest influence on any child. This is why there is no one I'd rather surround my children than a group of Muslim children.

Before you burst out and complain asking me how I could say that the best friends for my children could very well be Muslim, just hear me out and stop complaining and assuming things because of worthless crap the media says.

“Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture.” Allen Ginsberg

Let me ask you ask me something how many crazy Americans with guns do you know. According to the center for disease control and prevention, every day there are 43 homicides in the USA and 30 of them are caused by firearms. There are 318.9 million people in the USA and of them, less than 1% are Muslims. So it's highly unlikely that the less than 1%is committing these crimes. while hate crimes towards Muslims raised 67% if you are trying to prove that you are less violent and better human being, I'm sorry but the numbers say otherwise, I’m not saying that you are a murderer, but now you can see how ridiculous it is to assume a person’s identity.

The media distorts the people's image of the religion, as it only portrays the bad side of the religion, the murders, the rapes, while other religions do them far more than us yet the ones shown on television are committed by Muslims and ignoring all the other crimes just as major (even more sometimes) simply because the man is Muslim.Media focuses are the main reason for Muslim hate. I mean it is crazy to say Islam is a religion that practices violence, as it goes off the very essence of the Islamic religion as what most people forget is that the name Islam which is, that the name itself translates to peace from Arabic.

Even in war, the Islamic nation was given specific instructions, not applied by any other religion. For the sakes of keeping a country safe and healthy and to spare any bloodshed.

Yet because of a group of people who label themselves as Muslims "only following the Muslim code" the whole world is now great fear of this beautiful nation. Here are just a just a few of the thousands of examples of the audacious crimes committed because of false allegations and perceptions of Muslims

“In Brooklyn, two women out walking their children in strollers were attacked this month, the police said, by a woman who screamed anti-Muslim obscenities and tried to rip off their traditional veils. And in Queens, a man was beaten in April by three strangers who shouted “ISIS, ISIS.”

In Minneapolis, a man shouting obscenities about Islam shot two Muslim men in traditional religious garb in June, the authorities said.

In St. Louis, a man was arrested in February after the police said he pointed a gun at a Muslim family shopping on his block and told them they “all should die.”

Last month, an imam(Islam's priests) in Queens and his assistant were shot and killed execution-style on the sidewalk. The authorities have charged a 35-year-old man in the attack but have not determined a motive or whether it should be treated as a hate crime.”- THE NY TIMES

Just imagine all this hate was implemented on Christianity, would you ever feel safe knowing your child is walking to school alone every day, could you live knowing that you could die any minute, simply because of what you believe in. I haven't seen these crimes make the local news simply because they were towards Muslims these were hidden, not covered by anything major. Just imagine all the pain that the families that did nothing to deserve this, went through as the world simply brushed over these crimes, it felt like their deceased ones affected no one and he was simply no one and that no one would miss him, and no one would know of his death, and that he died for absolutely nothing. In every single group of people, there are the maniacs, the crazies, that just want to do harm to the world, that is what all these terrorist groups are doing and by hating on Muslims you're just letting them win, as their hate for life is giving you hate for 1.3 innocent billion human beings who are just like you. They are people just like you, they feel love and hate, they laugh and smile, and cry. They're just like us in so many ways, all they wanna do is provide for their loved ones and make sure everyone around them happy, does this sound like a terrorist to you?

Terrorists are narcissistical maniacs that just wanna inflict as much pain to the world as possible, do these guys sound like terrorists to you?

Once there was a funeral procession that passed in front of Mohamed (Islam's prophet) and he stood up, when he was told by the people that the deceased on was a jew he said: " Was he not a human being ?".

Would you like your children to grow up in a world where hating someone for their belief is a norm? So next time that you see a facebook post about a Muslim man committing a crime think twice before you like or comment against the man. If you do, you let the terrorists win. Every time

#loveoverhate

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basicsofislam · 5 years

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ISLAM 101: Muslim Culture and Character: Dynamics of Spiritual Life: Part 8

ABU BAKR: AN EPITOME OF TRUTHFULNESS

Abu Bakr traveled to different countries including Abyssinia, Yemen, and Syria. These business trips brought him wealth, experience and broadened his outlook on life. He became one of the richest businessmen of Mecca. Accordingly, his social importance increased among people. He was hardworking, generous, friendly, truthful, committed. He had a lot of influence among his friends and acquaintances. As a trader, he was always fair, he never deceived people. He would visit the sick; he gave alms to the poor. One day the Prophet asked his people, “Is there anyone here who visited a sick one today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who fasted today?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who participated in a funeral?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” “Is there anyone who assisted someone who was poor?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” Then the Prophet said, “Whoever does these four deeds in one day is counted among the people of heaven.”

When God’s message was revealed to Muhammad, the first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr. On the day that he stated his belief, he gave his decision quickly and without hesitation showing he had complete trust in Muhammad. The Prophet admired his acceptance of Islam with the words, “Except Abu Bakr, everyone I have invited to Islam has experienced some period of hesitation. But Abu Bakr accepted my invitation without any hesitation”. In fact, Abu Bakr had always doubted the validity of idolatry and had no enthusiasm for worshiping idols.

His leadership The Prophet made a pilgrimage two years after the conquest of Mecca. This would be called the “Farewell Pilgrimage,” as the Prophet became ill on his return to Medina and died two weeks after the illness. During the last days of his illness, he could not lead the prayers in the Mosque. He gave instructions to his wife Aisha to tell her father Abu Bakr to lead the prayers. This was taken by the Muslims as another sign to choose Abu Bakr to be their caliph after the Prophet’s departure.

When the Prophet died in 632 AD, many people, among whom was ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, were shocked and refused to believe that he died. But Abu Bakr, steadfast as usual, addressed the bewildered masses and convinced them that Muhammad was no more than a Prophet like other Prophets who had died before him and that there was no reason why they should not acknowledge his death. After much debate, in which both sides—the Medinans and the Meccans—expressed their opinions elaborately and freely, Abu Bakr was unanimously accepted to be the first Caliph. Soon there was a public meeting in the Mosque, and people from near and far flocked there to swear their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, categorically rejected racism and tribalism. He also put an end to tribal wars. Sir William Muir makes the following comment:

The first peculiarity, then, which attracts our attention is the subdivision of the Arabs into innumerable bodies… each independent of the others: restless and often at war amongst themselves; and even when united by blood or by interest, ever ready on some significant cause to separate and give way to an implacable hostility. Thus at the era of Islam, the retrospect of Arabian history exhibits, as in the kaleidoscope, an ever-varying state of combination and repulsion, such as had hitherto rendered abortive any attempt at a general union… The problem had yet to be solved, by what force these tribes could be subdued or drawn to one common center; and it was solved by Muhammad.

1- The Wars of Apostasy Abu Bakr had to struggle with apostates and false prophets. What elements caused the wars of apostasy?

Thirdly, the influence of the Romans from the north and the Persians and the Abyssinians from the east and the south encouraged the distant tribes to return back to their own beliefs and customs.

2- Usama’s punitive expedition The changes brought about by the Muslims in Arabia drew the attention of the Roman (Byzantium) Empire. In order to prevent their growing strength, they sent armies. During the time of the Prophet, Roman and Muslim armies fought in Muta, on the border of Jordan. No side could overpower the other in this first encounter. One year before the Prophet’s death, Romans organized another powerful army. On hearing this, the Prophet left Medina with his army and went as far as Tabuk, in the far north of Arabia. However, the Prophet’s illness caused this army to stay in Madina without departing. After his death, due to the news of rebellions in some desert tribes, some Muslims wanted to cancel this expedition. But Abu Bakr, as the newly-chosen Caliph, firmly opposed the idea, saying: “I will never cancel anything initiated by the Prophet”. The curious thing about this army was that it was made up of mostly the early Companions of the Prophet, but its leader was Usama ibn Zayd, who was only 18 years old. During the lifetime of the Prophet, his old Companions objected, but they were given a heated sermon in which both Usama and his father were praised as competent leaders.

3- Compilation of the Qur’an 1200 Muslims were killed in the battle called Aqraba, among them were many who were committing the Qur’an to memory. Umar ibn al Khattab, whose brother Zayd was among the dead, thought deeply of what might happen if wars continued and more such people were killed. He reached the conclusion that if the Qur’an was to be preserved, it ought to be compiled into one volume. At that time, it was scattered among the companions of the Prophet, with each preserving certain portions of it. Methods of preservation differed. Some had it written on parchment; others on palm branches stripped of leaves; a third group was written on bones; and a fourth on stone tablets; a large number also memorized it by heart. If any of those who had memorized it were killed, then a part of the Holy Book might disappear. So Umar went to the caliph, who was then sitting in the Prophet’s Grand Mosque. He discussed his idea with him, but Abu Bakr rejected it because it was not something done by the Prophet. A lengthy debate followed, after which Abu Bakr was convinced that Umar was right.

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