"The Prophet Muhammad (s) said: "Be kind, for whenever
kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it.
Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it
tarnished."
-Muhammed bin Ismail Al-Bukhari
[With thanks to Sis. Kristi.]
Catonsville, Maryland
Reaching out to 100 Muslims with 6-page Document on Serious
Issues
On April 13, at Masjid Fatima, a 6-page Jamaat al-Muslimeen
document was given to 100 Muslims after Juma'.
This is a very receptive masjid and the crowd was big. The
young people were helping to bring a few very old.
Here is an outline of the 6-page document.
Genocide in Ghouta, Syria, committed by Russia, Iran and
the Shia regime. [Syrian Observatory & wire services]
&
Brief history of Islamic Center, Washington, DC:
Sleepy, controlled Saudi type khutbas. [Nadrat Siddique]
100 Children killed in Kunduz,Afghanistan air strike.
Peaceful Gaza rallies targeted by Israel. [News on line]
&
Finality of prophethood. 30 Dajjals will come. Study
Quran & Hadith to learn real Islam [Kaukab Siddique]
Outreach # 2
Silver Spring, Maryland
Also on April 13, a 7-page Jamaat al-Muslimeen document was
given to 25 Muslims after Juma at Muslim Community
Center.
The articles in this document included:
Reconnecting with Muslims in Bangladesh.
The process of da'wa in America
Khadim Hussain Rizvi: New leader in Pakistan.
Court rejects attempt to stop boycott of Israel.
and others.
Outreach #3
Also in Brooklyn, New York, the same document was given to
25 Muslims at a mosque after juma.
{thanks to Br. Abu Talib.]
JAIZ BANK THREATENED:
The only Sharia compliant bank Jaiz Bank faces serious
threat of closure for lack of customers! Many Muslims that
clamoured for a strictly Sharia complaint bank are nowhere
to be found at the establishment of JAIZ Bank.
It might interest all to know that the largest percentage of
the bank customers are non Muslims. Nigerian Muslim have,
therefore, been appealed to by many notable Nigerian Muslims
including the director of Fathom Field School, Mallam
Abdulkabir Oyemomi.
JUSTICE BELLO MAY HAVE BANNED HIJAB IN HIS COURT
The Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ,Abuja,
Justice Ishaq Bello may have subtly banned hijab from Muslim
women lawyers through his latest pronouncement. The judge
through his registrar Babangida Hassan said, for female
lawyers there should be no embroidery and trimming of any on
the white blouse,dark jacket ( preferably black)and dark
skirts covering the knees, adding that black shoes are to be
won with collaratte and bib. There should be moderate
jewelry.
For male lawyers, the appropriate dress code should be dark
suit (preferably black,white shirt (winged collar or with
detachable collars) and a white bib, black shoes and black
trousers. He added " in both cases, counsel shall wear also,
a wig and Barristers' gown and refrain from any other
apparel not specifically mentioned above or provided by any
regulation made by the Bar council or Body of Benchers.
" Take notice therefore that any lawyer who fails or neglect
to comply may not be granted right of audience henceforth in
the High Court of FACT".
DR SHARAFDEEN TO SPEAK TO PARENTS
A Nigerian foremost Islamic scholar, Fadhilat Sheik Dr.
Sharafdeen Gbadebo Raji has been invited to speak on Child
upbringing, parenting skills and Islamic Education at Lagos
State Secretariat Central mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the organizing group of the event (Right path
Arabic School), it is important for parents to work on
making their children contribute positively to the growth of
the society.
The event is scheduled to be held at Multi purpose Hall of
Lagos State Secretariat on Sunday 29th of April, 2018.
Ghastly Crime Against Kashmiri Girl in a Hindu Temple.
April 14, 2018
The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group
dedicated to safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant
ethos has joined millions of Indians and people of
conscience across the world in expressing its outrage and
disgust over the gang-rape and murder of 8-year old Asifa
Bano in January, as well as the rape of the 17 year old
Dalit girl in Unnao, UP. The ghastliness and brazenness of
the crimes has been coupled with outrageous attempts by
Hindutva goons to protect the perpetrators.
Asifa Bano, belonging to the Bakarwal community in the state
of Jammu and Kashmir, was kidnapped, drugged and brutally
gang raped for three days. Her strangled body that was found
on January 17, 2018 bore mute testimony to the inhumanity of
her tormentors.
Police reports indicate Asifa was locked inside a temple and
repeatedly raped for three days and finally strangled to
death. The perpetrators, including the temple custodian have
been apprehended, and the police have DNA evidence linking
the men to the crime. Their motive was apparently to push
Asifa's community away from the area. Furthering the
violence carried out by the four men, a mob of
BJP-affiliated lawyers blocked the police officers from
making their way to file the police report, making bogus
claims that the men would not get due process.
This was done as part of a premeditated terror tactic to
drive out a Muslim nomad community to which Asifa belonged.
Different arms of the local government and political groups
colluded to subvert the initial investigation and are using
extrajudicial means to protect the accused.
In the case the of 17-year Dalit girl from Unnao village in
UP, a powerful BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sehgar raped her last
year and intimidated her whole family against complaining to
the police. The family had to flee for safety to Delhi but
her old father persisted in lodging the complaint. As a
result he was tortured and killed in cold blood while in
police custody. Despite prima facie evidence, the
administration of Yogi Adhityanath did not place the culprit
under arrest, until after a week of sustained public
outrage, and international media attention.
During a recent interview given to media the girl broke down
and even fainted while narrating the horror "Jaise papa ko
maara tha. Woh joota pehan leta hai. Aur jalte hue cycle ka
tyre chhua chhua ke maarta hai. Paani daal daal ke maarta
hai" (He would torment people the way he killed my father.
He puts on his boots and uses burning bicycle tyres to
torture his victims)." In an act of extreme depression the
victim even tried to burn herself outside the residence of
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath.
"Asifa's and Unnao rape survivors horror stories are
examples that illustrate cowardly attempts to protect the
beasts who committed these heinous acts. Moreover the Hindu
Ekta Manch rally in Jammu is a low point in the history of
the country where obstruction of justice and rewarding
rapists have become new benchmarks in service to religious
fascism," said Mr. Ahsan Khan, President of IAMC. "We call
upon the state and central governments to demonstrate their
own humanity, by holding the perpetrators accountable to the
full extent of the law," added Mr. Khan.
This is the most ghastly tragedy in a pattern of brutalities
against Muslims and Dalits under the current regime.
Anti-Muslim and Dalit rhetoric has become mainstream. The
political motivations behind these heinous crimes are often
euphemistically expressed in prime time television by the
ruling party's spokespersons and associates.
Damascus
Big Battle Shaping Up!
March 15: A large army of Alawite, Iranian, Hizb, Russian
and Shia militias are mobilizing in Damascus to attack the
Islamic State force which entered the capital Damascus from
the south two weeks back after inflicting heavy losses on
Assad's forces.
Upcoming Event: National Shoora
Jamaat al-Muslimeen's National Shoora
meets on April 22 in Baltimore, inshaAllah..
Delegates are expected from various cities.
This is a planning committee which comes up with non-violent
ways of giving the Islamic message in America.
PAKISTAN
Hafez Saeed Challenges India's leader Modi.
Hafez Saeed, a popular Islamic leader and scholar in
Pakistan, is facing tremendous
pressure from the US and India to discredit him and brand
him as a terrorist,
Pakistani courts at all levels have exonerated him. They say
there is no evidence against him,
The latest pressure is being exerted against him through the
United Nations.
In an interview with the BBC's Hindi service, he rebutted
the charges against him. He pointed out that India's leader
Modi had publically stated in Dhaka that India was behind
the destruction of Pakistan and the creation of
Bangladesh.
Hafiz Saeed draws large crowds and is very well versed in
Islamic learning.
Kindred Spirits:
The Choctaw Nation and Ireland
The Choctaw Nation and Ireland.
When Ireland was deep in the throes of the Great Famine, the
cry of millions of starving people was heard across an
ocean, by a Native American tribe recently displaced to
Oklahoma. The Choctaw people came to aid the Irish while
their own suffering was still so raw.
Nowadays, we're used to seeing famine and war reported on
the TV - the images helping us to understand the real misery
of some people in unlucky or unfortunate parts of the world.
However, this story goes back to a time before such pictures
were available to people, most times the reports never moved
beyond their locality. Sometimes - the situation was of such
a magnitude that the news moved beyond borders, and
sometimes caused the most unlikely of reactions. This was
one of those times.
A Walk Along the Trail of Tears.
Up until the 1830s, the Native American Choctaw had their
traditional lands in the south-eastern part of the United
States. The "Indian Removal Act" of 1830 looked to forcibly
clear them from these desirable lands, and resettle them in
what is now Oklahoma. While about 5,000 Choctaws remained in
the South-east of the US, about 21,000 took the long journey
along what later became known as the "Trail of Tears". Of
these, many thousands died of malnourishment and disease on
the trail. This experience must have made a huge impact on
the collective psyche of the Choctaw people.
In 1847, a few short years later - and on the other side of
the world - Irish people were starving in their millions
following a succession of potato crop failures. The scale of
this catastrophe was such that reports spread to all corners
of the world. One such a report was read out by an Irish
Chaplain to a group of Choctaw elders. The situation of the
Irish must have resonated with their own recent tragic
experiences, as they decided to raise money to send to
Ireland for famine relief. Isn't it true that the most
meaningful gestures come from those with so little to
give?
This gesture was never forgotten, and down through the years
activists in Ireland and the Choctaw nation remained in
touch. In 1990, a number of Choctaw leaders took part in the
first annual Doolough famine memorial walk in County Mayo.
This recreated an infamous walk that took place in 1848 when
many of the locals were dying from disease and malnutrition.
Two years later, in 1992 - an Irish group joined the Choctaw
for a commemorative walk from Oklahoma to Mississippi.
For many years, the gift of the Choctaw to the people of
Ireland was remembered on a plaque in Dublin that read:
"Their humanity calls us to remember the millions of human
beings throughout our world today who die of hunger and
hunger-related illness in a world of plenty."
Now, these words have been joined by a beautiful sculpture
in the town of Midleton called Kindred Spirits.
The sculptor, Alex Pentek says of his work: "By creating an
empty bowl symbolic of the Great Irish Famine formed from
the seemingly fragile and rounded shaped eagle feathers used
in the Choctaw ceremonial dress, it is my aim to communicate
the tenderness and warmth of the Choctaw Nation who provided
food to the hungry when they themselves were still
recovering from their own tragic recent past."
The sculpture is a beautiful piece commemorating the
connections between two peoples who underwent immense
hardship during a not-so-beautiful time.
War News
Egypt
The Sissi regime has unleashed a bombing
campaign against ISIS in northern Sinai.
However, on April 14, Islamic State human bombers got
through the Egyptian military and killed 8 Egyptian troops
and wounded 15. [Associated Press.]
Observers say the army's losses are probably much higher but
the regime does not allow any media into northern Sinai.
From here the regime helps the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Syria
Genocide in Douma.
Air Strikes Continue in Idlib & Hama.
ISIS re-Organized.
Turkey opens Schools in Afrin.
US Strikes on Chemicals
April 14: US, British and French jets used about 100
missiles to hit three chemical research and production
centers, two on the outskirts of Damascus and one near Homs.
The three institutions were wiped out in the 4 AM attacks.
There were no casualties, killed or wounded.
April 14. There was a huge explosion in a regime base south
of Aleppo used by Iranian troops and a Shia brigade from
Afghanistan. At least twenty Iranian officers were killed.
Total losses are unknown.
[Editorial comment: The first response came from Lebanese
was that this was done by Israeli jets. Major media picked
it up. However, after rec-consideration, Lebanese Hizb took
it back, Assad and the Russians too did not make that claim.
Hasan Nasarallah of the Lebanese Hizb automatically
attributes attacks on the Iranians to Israelis. However Hizb
has not conflicted with Israel for decades and did nothing
during the three Israeli assaults on Gaza. New Trend's
analysis of SOHR reporting indicates that a mujahideen group
hit the Iranian cache of ammunition and it blew up. FSA
fighters with Turkish support are active within firing range
of the explosion.]
Genocide in Douma:
Round the clock bombing of the civilian population by
Russian jets, Assad's helicopters and Iranian artillery made
civic life impossible in Douma. Jaysh al-Islam which was in
charge of the area refused to leave under Russian guarantees
as other groups had done . Jaysh commander Kaka wanted to
stay till the end. The Jaysh mujshideen came out of deep
concealment and repulsed Assad's forces trying to advance
into Douma.
As the bombing continued, people demonstrated in the streets
to accept the Russian corridor and go to Idlib and Afrin
[Turkey].
At this point Assad unleashed the chemical attack which
killed 70 civilians and terrorized the whole population.
This was "persuasion" from Assad to let the people know that
they must leave.
The fighters, with their weapons, and the civilians left
together. Assad was not able to attack because Jaysh had
captured hundreds of supporters of Assad and locked them up
in Douma. Thus Jaysh "persuaded" Assad to hold back.
The refugees from Douma and other suburbs of Ghouta have
arrived in Idlib province [mostly under al-Nusra control]
and Afrin under FSA & Turkish control. The Turks held them
back for two days but finally accepted them.
ISIS Re-Organized and Advancing
Syrian Observatory [SOHR} reports that during this week,
Islamic State [ISIS] re-organized and launched a three
pronged-offensive in south eastern Syria. Here is the info
from SOHR]:
ISIS attacked Assad's forces around the city of al-Mayadeine
which was the caliphate's interim capital before it was
bombed by US and British air forces..
Secondly ISIS is moving to al-Mahsa [south of al=Qaryatain
in south east Homs provincr]
Here the fighting has killed 18 Assad troops and 5 of the
Islamic State.
Totals for the fighting in the desert of Deir ez Zor, for a
month computed by SOHR are:
:242 of Assad's troops killed [including some from Iran and
Afghan Shias].
91 Islamic State fighters killed.[mostly Syrians]
On the Euphrates, IS is moving against Kurdish Communists
[SDF] in the Hajin area. The US air force struck back in the
Shafa town killing 7 IS fighters.
A Glimpse of Assad-Hizb-Iranian-Russian Genocide against
Muslims of Syria:
In 6 years 60,000 plus opponents of Assad have been killed
in Assad's prisons, often after torture [the most notorious
being Sednaya torture center.]
More than 140,000 opponents of Assad are in prison but still
alive.
296,000 have been forced to leave the towns in Ghouta [the
suburbs of Damascus] after constant bombing..
[Mass eviction of civilians is considered genocide under
international law.]
CONTRAST
While Assad is continuing to shell northern Hama areas and
Russia is raiding Idlib province, Turkey has opened the
schools in Afrin and is helping to re-locate the refugees
coming in from the suburbs of Damascus.
Turkey has supported the US missile strikes on chemical
plants in Syria.
Iraq
Big Ambush near Shirqat. Fighting near Mosul. Samarra
attack.
April 13. Samarra. 16 killed in IS attack on Hashd
al-Shaabi, [ANI]
This is a militia heavily armed by Iran.
In the Shirqat area, Shia members of Hashad 10 killed and 14
wounded by IS while burying 4 Hashad killed earlier in the
day.
[ 280 km north of Baghdad]
April 12. Big surprise attack on shia troops near Mosul.
ANF. April 11. Losses not revealed.
IS entered Heftegar and Ava Fexro, two villages between
Dahuk and Tuz Khurmatu.
They are making announcements from mosques
April 13. Six IS, including a woman, captured in Tal Afar
and near Mosul.
April 14: A Hashad member was "slaughtered" north east of
Baquba.
News Within the U.S.
Hope for Rohingya Muslims from Young Muslims in America.
Running for refugees.
A Little Sparkle Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to
working towards sustainable solutions for families that have
fled conflict ridden areas, with a current focus on Syria
and the Rohingya crisis. Our goal is to ease the transition
from refugee to asylum seeker while providing support that
enables growth and mental wellness. We hope that by doing
this we can provide families with a sustainable approach to
getting themselves back on their feet.
--
The funds that are raised will go towards the Rohingya
Crisis. This is a call for action to help the displaced and
forgotten population residing in camps in Bangladesh. On
August 25, 2017, violence broke out in northern Rakhine
State, Myanmar, near the border with Bangladesh. While all
communities are impacted, the Rakhine Muslim population in
northern Rakhine State, the majority of whom are known as
Rohingya, has been the most severely affected.
More than 605,000 Rohingya refugees from northern Rakhine
State, Myanmar, have now crossed the border seeking refuge
in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, and they continue to arrive each
day. Most are women, the elderly and children, including
newborns. With 307,500 Rohingya refugees already in
Bangladesh at the beginning of the crisis, existing refugee
camps and services are already overwhelmed by this
unprecedented influx. New arrivals are camping in makeshift
settlements scattered across fields and by the
roadsides.
Altogether, there are about 300,000 people languishing in
one hundred and sixteen makeshift camps in extremely poor
conditions. They are a population living in abject poverty
with no access to basic amenities of living.Through our
partnership with Obat Helpers USA, an organization that is
currently on the ground in Cox's Bazaar, we are committed to
providing aid, healthcare, education and economic
empowerment to an unfortunate, displaced and forgotten
population residing in slum-like camps in Bangladesh. Your
support will allow us to do more to help those impacted by
this crisis.
Nadrat Siddique was top of the line in running for Rohingyas
on April 7.
Guidance
'Spend O Son of Adam and I shall spend on you'
[With thnks to Sis. Yasmeen;
The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said...
"Allah has said, 'Spend (on charity) O son of Adam, and I
shall spend on you.'"
Notes: The above Hadith Qudsi informs us of the virtues of
giving Sadaqah (charity). There are many other Ayaat and
Hadith which encourage giving Sadaqah (charity) ---
Ayaat:
ALLAH [AZZA WA JALL] SAYS : "O you who believe! Spend of
that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes
when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor
intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the
Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)"
[Source: 'Quran'~Surat Al-Baqarah 2: 254]
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of
Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows
seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives
manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is
All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. Those
who spend their wealth in the Cause of Allah, and do not
follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or
with injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them shall
be no fear, nor shall they grieve"
[Source: 'Quran'~ Surat Al-Baqarah 2: 261-262]
"O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have
(legally) earned, and of that which We have produced from
the earth for you, and do not aim at that which is bad to
spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you
close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allah is
Rich (Free of all needs), and Worthy of all praise"
[Source: 'Quran'~ Surat Al-Baqarah 2: 267]
"Believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and spend of
that whereof He has made you trustees. And such of you as
believe and spend (in Allah's way), theirs will be a great
reward"
[Source: 'Quran'~Surat Al-Hadeed 57: 7]
'Hadith': It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu
anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa
sallam) said: "Whoever gives charity equal to a date from
good (halal) earnings - for Allah does not accept anything
but that which is good - Allah will take it in His right
hand and tend it for the one who gave it as any one of you
tends his foal, until it becomes like a mountain."
[Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) that
the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "There is no
day on which the people get up but two Angels come down and
one of them says, 'O Allah, give in compensation to the one
who spends (in charity),' and the other says, 'O Allah,
destroy the one who withholds.'"
[Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (radi Allahu anhu)
said:
The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) went
out - on Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha - to the prayer place,
and when he had finished (the prayer) he preached to the
people and enjoined them to give charity. He said, "O
people, give in charity!" Then he went over to the women and
said, "O women, give in charity for I have seen that you are
the majority of the people of Hell." When he went home,
Zaynab the wife of Ibn Mas'ood came seeking permission to
see him. It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, here is
Zaynab." He said, "Which Zaynab?" It was said, "The wife of
Ibn Mas'ood." He said, "Yes, let her in." So they let her in
and she said, "O Prophet of Allah, today you enjoined
charity, and I have some jewellery which I wanted to give in
charity, but Ibn Mas'ood claims that he and his child have
more right to receive it in charity." The Prophet (sal
Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Give it in charity to Ibn
Mas'ood, for your husband and your child have the most right
that you should give it to them in charity."
[Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
PROPHET (Sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:"When a man dies,
his good deeds come to an end except three:ongoing charity,
beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who will pray for
him."
