Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Quran Challenge | MuslimMatters.org
In keeping with the current season of sports tournaments or ‘challenges’, I would like to tell you about a challenge far greater than any World Cup, a challenge whose prize is worth more than any piece of silverware. Allow me to introduce you to….The Quran Challenge.
The challenge is to complete reading the Quran in a language you understand by Ramadan. Now how can that possibly be more challenging than toiling against Germany in the footie or Roger Federer at SW19?! All this challenge entails is opening a book and reading it!
But before you write me off, just ask yourself this – Have YOU ever done this? And if you haven’t, then try to analyse why. Perhaps your life is too busy to fit in any reading time, or perhaps it wasn’t something which you felt to be so important. Maybe you thought it was the ‘convert’ thing to do, and being a born Muslim, you don’t have to read the Quran in your own language?
Whatever the reason may be, let me share with you a true story which happened to me whist at university. I usually try not to talk about my past mistakes so openly, unless of course there is a profound lesson to be learnt….
When I cast my mind back to the time at which I began taking religion seriously, a few things happened which were catalysts for me to develop a zeal for learning more about this beautiful religion. Let me tell you about one such moment.
Whilst in the third year of my studies, I was asked to get involved in the annual ‘Islam Awareness Week’. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this concept, Islam Awareness Week, or IAW, is an event held at most British and American universities aimed at portraying the true message of Islam through da’wah stalls, lectures and exhibitions.
I was allocated to man the da’wah stalls. I remember being very excited and I couldn’t wait to unleash all myda’wah trump cards, such as the scientific miracles of the Quran, the miraculous nature of the Arabic in the Quran and of course the fact that it has never changed. After all those late nights of watching the countless lectures of Dr Zakir Naik, I was ready to get stuck in!
Alhumdulillah, people came to the stalls, and many of them left with something to think about. Perhaps I even had a hint of satisfaction in my heart after defeating them in the ‘battle of words’. But there was one individual, who came to the stalls, that left me speechless and finally brought me down to planet earth.
This individual was a well dressed and softly spoken student. He told me that his father was a member of the clergy, although he didn’t count himself as being particularly religious. He came and asked me about the Quran, and why Muslims believed it to be the word of God. Out I came with my pre-rehearsed ‘spiel’, with a bit of Ahmed Deedat-style Bible-bashing to add some masaala to my arguments. Just before I had the opportunity to experience the feeling of contempt, he dropped a huge bombshell on me:
Paul: So you must be fluent in Arabic, then?
Me: Well, I can read Arabic fluently, but I can’t speak it.
Paul: Errr…so when you read the Quran, do you understand what you are reading?
Me: *pause* I don’t actually, but we do have an interpretation of the meaning of the Qur’an (picks up an English translation of the Quran, and hands it to Paul).
Paul: So have you read the Quran in English?
Me: *long pause* Honestly……I have read bits, but not cover to cover…….
Paul: Dont you think you should do that before telling me how amazing it is? And how can you tell me to read a book that you haven’t read yourself?
And there it was. He walked away, with me having some serious questions of my own to answer. First of all, was I doing the da’wah stall purely for the sake of Allah, or was it because I wanted to get one over my opponent? I was shown the importance of keeping one’s intention pure throughout an act of worship.
Secondly, here I was giving out free English translations of the Quran, and raving on about a book which I had never read with understanding, cover to cover. How could I possibly call myself a true Muslim if I hadn’t even read the ‘manual’ which Muslims claim is so amazing? Why should I expect a non-Muslim to read the Qur’an when I hadn’t done so myself?
I suspect that there are many people who are in a similar situation to this, but perhaps that bombshell hasn’t hit them yet. On consideration, it is amazing how many Muslims can talk about embryology and the Quran, the water-cycle and the Quran, the challenge the Quran places upon mankind, yet these same Muslims have never actually read the verses addressing these issues in a language they understand.
Without doubt, the gold standard is to embark upon the path of learning Arabic, and something which all of us (including myself) must do. Imagine praying your salah in the Haram, understanding every word which Sheikh Maahir or Sheikh Juhainy recites, such that it brings tears to your eyes….priceless.
In the interim period, however, we MUST read the Quran in our native languages if we haven’t done so already. We need to know our book, not only for the sake of da’wah, but for the sake of our Hereafter.
I hope this has encouraged everyone reading this short piece to blow the dust off their Quran, and start reading it cover to cover. If you are serious about doing this, then I ask you to make a commitment to complete the Qur’an in your native language before Ramadan sets in. This certainly would be the perfect prelude to what, insha’Allah, will be a month full of worship for you. Express your commitment by signing up to the challenge. You will find other brothers and sisters to give you the motivation you need, along with reminders from some students of knowledge about the benefits of reading the Quran in a language you understand.
So…if you have never done this, then take up the challenge now!
Guest post written by Ali Sameer Mallick.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Mike Tyson to perform Umrah
Published: Jul 4, 2010 23:32 Updated: Jul 5, 2010 01:18
MADINAH: Former boxing champion Mike Tyson, who embraced Islam while serving a prison sentence in the 1990s, is on his first visit to the Kingdom to perform Umrah. He arrived in the holy city of Madinah on Friday to perform prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque.
While in Madinah, Tyson met Dr. Muhammad Al-Oqala, president of the Islamic University, who briefed the world heavyweight champion on the services being rendered by the university to students from across the world.
From Madinah, Tyson will travel on to Makkah to perform Umrah, press reports said. He will also visit Jeddah, Abha and Riyadh as part of his Saudi tour. His visit to Saudi Arabia was arranged by the Canadian Dawa Association (CDA) as part of visits it organizes for new Muslim celebrities to the Islamic sites in the Kingdom. Shazad Mohammed, president of CDA, was present at Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah to receive Tyson.
Mohammed, an ambassador of peace with the United Nations, said Tyson would be in the Kingdom for one week, visiting the holy places as well as important landmarks in the country and meeting with Saudi people to get to know their culture and traditions.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article78669.ece
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Freedom of Faith Freedom of Expression?
NOTE : FROM MIN 10 ON I DO NOT CONDONE WITH WHAT IS BEING SAID. ISLAMDUNK AND ISLAMDUNKTV AND ITS ASSOCIATES DO NOT HOLD THE VIEWS THAT ARE PROCLAIMED IN THIS VIDEO, THIS VIDEO IS MERELY FOR THE PURPOSE OR SHOWING THE VIEWERS WHAT GOES ON IN THE WORLD. I WOULD REQUEST KINDLY ANY PERSON, OR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION NOT TO MISQUOTE ME OR TO TAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT, AS IT ONLY CREATES PROBLEMS AND FURTHER ALIENATES US FROM EACH OTHER. THANK YOU
Saturday, July 3, 2010
There is a very simple way of knowing what Islam is: you ask, you read, you pray, you search. Why would Islam or any faith be exclusive only to some people? Many claim that you cannot understand Islam, you need to be a scholar, you need to know Arabic, you need to have studied 10 years or more. However such people forgot that the Islam is first and foremost a way of life revealed from the beginning of time for all of mankind. The message of Islam is very simple and is available for everyone and anyone. It's light and guidance are easily understandable by lame and scholar, doctor and farmer. It's message changes the lives of inmates, cleans the dirty and gives hope to the hopeless. This is available of anyone in any language.
Now if you did not pass any judgement on me yet, let me put you to rest, that yes to go deeper into Islam, such as passing laws, jurisprudence, and the deeper sciences of it requires the 10 years or more, the Arabic and a dedicating one's life to it, and only the scholars can and are allowed to speak in that realm. But that is just common sense, as everyone should know how to treat a common cold and how to take health precautions to live a good life, but not everyone can make a surgery. Such is the analogy of the lame man and the scholar. Don't have an open heart surgery with a person who only knows what tea to drink when he/she has a runny nose.
Knowing Allah 1
Knowing Allah 2
Islam the Ultimate Truth