Media black out of protests during Narendra Modi's visit to Karnataka signals bad for Indian media, opposing views must not be muzzled

BJP leader Narendra Modi was recently in Karnataka as part of his ongoing nationwide tours to address rallies in different parts of the country.

No doubt, there was enthusiasm among Modi's fans in Bangalore [now Bengaluru]. He does have a strong support among sections of the society.

Definitely, as a Prime Minister [PM] aspirant, he should get the due coverage.

But surprisingly, TV channels and newspapers turned a blind eye towards the demonstrations against him. These protests were also quite colourful. Some people had dressed in black as a mark of protest and some others had placards in their hands with messages in English [ like Modi, Go Back] and Kannada.

While his rally was reported at length in print and electronic media, the dozen odd groups and organisations ranging from farmers to Dalits, communists to Karnataka's local organisations, which held the demonstrations, were not shown at all.

That's not fair journalism. Ignoring protesters who are against Narendra Modi's politics or BJP, should have been given a few seconds in the TV coverage.

Even just a photo or a single column news in English or vernacular newspapers would have shown that journalists are showing both sides.

But this near total blackout raises serious questions. Its not healthy for our society either. Fortunately, among the 25-30 channels, there are still one or two which show the OTHER SIDE. Else, we don't get the view of those who are NOT IN LINE.

I must say that there were lakhs at the venue to hear Modi speak. But the hundreds or few thousands with an alternative voice should also be heard and seen. There was nothing in the news on the particular day about these protests.

I waited, even the next day, nothing came out in print or on TV. Journalists shouldn't take sides. They should report things and present both the sides of the picture. Already, there are disturbing reports about how owners in certain TV channels have told their employers to stop doing 'critical stories' about Modi.

At a recent rally in another state capital, the attendance was thin. Barely, 10% of the ground was full. Still, TV cameras just focused on the portion that had crowd. It was Narendra Modi rally and hence they didn't apparently want to show the lack of crowd.

Why? Isn't that a news? The next day some journalists did write about it on blogs and papers. But it was strange to see how cameramen didn't focus on the empty ground or talking about just 5,000-7,000 participants in the public meeting.

There is also clear instruction in this regard to Editorial staff in certain major TV channels.

If Indian citizens want to vote for him, they will surely do this. But media mustn't lose its objectivity. If there is a wave, it will be visible.

Journalists don't need to create it or stop reporting the opposing views. That's why media is considered a pillar of democracy. Isn't it?

[These are photographs of the protests against Narendra Modi in Bengaluri, Karnataka on the day of his rally]

Can We Blame Shaytan For Our Wrong Actions?

Concept of Devil Shaytan exists in all religions Including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Quran he is called as Iblis. Holy Quran tells us that Iblis was made by Fire. Allah SWT told all the angels Including Iblis to do Sujood to Adam but he refused to do so and from that day he was Included in the disbelievers. Hadiths tells us that there is a Shaitan with every human being who keeps Inviting him towards Sins. So Question that arises here is that can we blame Shaytan for our wrong actions?

The Answer to this question Is no because Shaytan only Invites us towards wrong acts but he has no control over us. we are free to do whatever we want. We can choose to do a good deed or a bad deed. however when we do lots of good deeds the Shaytan with us becomes weaker and we keeps on doing sins he becomes stronger.

So always try to stay away from the Haram deeds and start doing good deeds on regular basis. The Shaytan with you will become weaker when you will do this. Remember Shaytan is an enemy of Human beings who is trying hard to take every human being to hell with himself. 

Strong References to Women in Qur'an

Muslim Players In South African Cricket Team

South African Cricket team is considered one of the best Cricket team in the world which has performed really well over the year. There are several Muslim Players as well that plays In South Africa National Cricket Team.

Here are details of these Muslim Players:

Hashim Amla
Wayne Parnell
Imran Tahir

1 Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla is considered among top Batsmen In the International Live Cricket. He is a right handed Batsman who plays as opener. Originally parents of Amla belongs to Gujrat India but he was born in South Africa. so far he has played  71 tests and 80 ODI matches for SA and in both formats his average is above 50. Amla is a practical Muslim. He has grown beard and he prays five time a day. His wife also wears Hijab. Amla also refused to wear a Shirt of South African team with Wine tag and he pays fine for this regularly. He also refused to play In Indian Premier league due to vulgarity.

2 Wayne Parnell

Wayne Parnell is another outstanding Muslim South African cricketer. He is a converted Muslim who was christian before. He accepted Islam In January 2011 after doing research on Islam. Parnell is considered a alll rounder who performs well with both bowl and bat. he has got 46 wickets in 30 ODIs

3 Imran Tahir

the third name In the list is of Imran Tahir who is considered a super leg break bowler and he has given some great performances with the ball while playing for SA. Tahir is orignally from Pakistan and was born in Lahore but later on he shifted to SA. In 12 test matches he has taken 34 wickets so far.

Now Find a Muslim Life Partner For Yourself Online

Now a days Its not less than a challenge to find a Life partner for yourself specially If you are a Muslim who is Living In United States or European countries like UK, Germany, Spain Italy. It is because there are not too many Muslims Living in these countries.

Its also not easy to find life partners for yourself In countries like India and Pakistan. In Muslim populated countries this problem exists because we have stopped following the Sunnah of our beloved Rasool SAW who taught us to make Nikah easy and we have made it difficult with massive expenses and new customs. Delay In marriages is also very common now a days.

For helping Muslims around the world to found life partners for themselves I have started a free service. I have a Facebook page with name of Muslim Marriage where I help people to find suitable proposals for themselves. The page has 7000 fans already which are growing day by day.

So If you are looking for a life partner for yourself or for a dear one then Login to your Facebook account and visit Muslim marriage page. There you will find different proposals. You can also message us on Page to post your details for finding proposals for yourself.

If you are In position of getting married and there are no hurdles then don't delay It because Marriage is a beautiful things which completes your Deen and brings happiness in your life. 

Till now I helped many people for finding suitable matches through this page and This is free of cost. May Allah SWT help all sisters and brothers to find right life partners in their lives. Ameen

The value of knowledge

Remember, knowledge is better than wealth, because it guards you, while you have to guard wealth. Wealth decreases if you spend it, but the more you make use of knowledge, the more it increases. What you get through wealth is gone when the wealth is gone, but what you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you are gone. - Ali ibn Abi Talib (rta)

Prophet Ayyub (Stories of the Prophets) - #Patience

Indian Elections: 'Colourless campaigns' in the era of Election Commission's strictness

In my childhood, election season was special. The campaigns were boisterous and colourful.

Loud speakers blared throughout the day and scores of vehicles were hired by every candidate.

The jeeps engaged in campaign would throw pamphlets. The children would run after these vehicles and often got parties' badges and symbols.

But the high-decibel campaigns are now history. In the post-TN Seshan era, the Election Commission (EC) managed to rein in the parties.

The huge expenses were brought under control. It was indeed a positive step. But yes, sometimes, one looks back and recalls how colourful elections were in those days.

In fact, in the recently concluded election, there was such lacklustre campaign that sometime even residents were not sure about the candidates.

While most of the people were aware of the Congress and BJP candidates due to newspapers or their hoardings, not much was known about who else was in the fray [independents, smaller parties].

There were few banners and posters. Contestants were also worried about EC and were over-cautious. They feared that if they were found guilty of higher expenses, then the EC would crack the whip.

Nobody wanted trouble when the model code of conduct is in effect. Officials keep record of all expenses. Recently, a journalist asked an EC official at a press conference about the 'dull and silent campaign'.

The officer said, "Do you like that you wake up in the morning and find your wall painted with a political party's symbol?' The man who posed the question, had nothing to say now.

True, there was huge money involved earlier. Even booths were captured in those days. Now there is enough force deployed that criminal elements and other trouble-makers are restrained. Even though the campaign wasn't too loud, there were banners and posters on prominent places and on road sides.

Surprisingly, the BJP even campaigned in English. This is the first occasion when in North India, [at least in this region], we saw any mainstream party using English in its 'chunav prachar' [election campaign in English, intekhabi tash'heer, in Urdu]. 

Shivraj Singh Chouhan was portrayed as a man with vision, BJP as party with the difference.

Congress listed its own achievements and made promises, as you can see in this billboard in Hindi.

It says what the party has done for Dalits [Scheduled Castes (SCs)] and the Tribals [Scheduled Tribes (STs)].

Other parties were not visible much. A Communist Party of India's (CPI) candidate Shailendra Shaili's poll campaign begins with a famous poet's couplet.

The Communist party candidate who is more active on the ground, has campaigned extensively in Urdu.

Starting with 35 kg ration for every family at a rate of 1 Rupee per kg, it goes a long way in terms of promises.

The CPI contestant wants Urdu given status of a second official language of the state and taking stern action against communal elements.

There is also a lot about the steps to be taken to improve financial condition of labourers, implementation of Sachar panel report et al.

Now the elections are over. The candidates are resting and the fate is now sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

All eyes are now on counting, which will take place a few days later. Then, after a few months, we will all see the campaign for the general elections [Parliamentary polls].

Let's see, how goes the campaigns of political parties then.

[Above are photographs showing Congress, BJP and CPI banners, posters during the Assembly election campaign in Madhya Pradesh. All these photos have copyright of this BLOG]

British Muslims Should Stand Up and Say It: There Is Nothing Islamic About Child Marriage

This is a column about Muslims and child marriage. I hesitated before writing it. When I pointed out the prevalence of anti-semitism and homophobia within British Muslim communities earlier this year, I was accused by some of my co-religionists of "selling out", of "fuelling Islamophobia".

I understand their annoyance. Why give the racists and bigots of the Islamophobic far right yet another stick with which to beat us?

The problem is that this particular stick is already in their hands. Child, or underage, marriage is very much a part of British society. And the inconvenient truth is that it is Muslims - not Christians, Jews or Hindus - who are responsible for much of it. There is no point pretending otherwise. Nor is it morally tenable to stand idly by as young girls in the UK are forced into marriages before they are physically or psychologically ready, against their will and against the law.

First, a bit of background. The legal age for marriage in Britain is 16. Yet, back in October, I watched ITV's Exposure documentary, 'Forced To Marry', in which two undercover reporters, posing as the mother and brother of a 14-year-old Muslim girl, called 56 mosques across Britain to ask whether they would perform the girl's marriage. Shamefully, imams at 18 of those 56 mosques - or one in three - agreed to do so.

The imam of a mosque in Manchester was secretly recorded as saying that performing such a marriage would "not be a problem". An imam in Birmingham, despite being told that the girl didn't want to get married, could be heard saying: "She's 14. By sharia, grace of God, she's legal to get married. Obviously Islam has made it easy for us... We're doing it because it's okay through Islam."

Let's be clear: two-thirds of the imams refused to perform such marriages, with many making it clear they "found the request abhorrent". But here's the issue: a third of them didn't. A third of those imams hid behind their - my! - religion: "We're doing it because it's okay through Islam." Frustratingly, many Muslim scholars and seminaries still cling to the view that adulthood, and the age of sexual consent, rests only on biological puberty: that is, 12 to 15 for boys and nine to 15 for girls.

It doesn't have to be this way. As is often the case, there is no single, immutable 'Islamic' view. As Usama Hasan, a reform-minded British Muslim scholar and former imam, argues:

"There was a rival view in Islamic jurisprudence, even in ancient and medieval times: that emotional and intellectual maturity was also required, and was reached between the ages of 15 and 21." The latter view, he tells me, "has been adopted by most civil codes of Muslim-majority countries for purposes of marriage".

The Quran does not contain a specific legal age of marriage, but it does make clear that men and women must be both physically mature and of sound judgement in order to get married. It is also worth clarifying that Prophet Muhammad did not, as is often claimed, marry a child bride named Aisha. Yes, I'll concede that there is a saying in Sahih Bukhari, one of the six canonical Hadith collections of Sunni Islam, attributed to Aisha herself, which suggests she was six years old when she was married to Muhammad and nine when the marriage was consummated. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Muslim historians who dispute this particular Hadith and argue Aisha was in reality aged somewhere between 15 and 21.

This isn't a case of 'liberal' Muslims v 'conservative' Muslims, either. Even the much-maligned Muslim Council of Britain has said it is "strongly opposed to [underage marriage] on the basis that it is illegal under the law of the land where we are living and even under sharia it is highly debatable".

Indeed it is. Afifi al-Akiti, an Oxford-based theologian trained in traditional Islamic madrasas across south Asia and North Africa, tells me that the vast majority of classical scholars throughout Muslim history agreed on a minimum marriage age of 18 - two years older, incidentally, than secular Britain's current age of consent.

So, how to explain the view of a third of the imams contacted by ITV? The influence of Saudi Arabia, and its decades-long export of a reactionary, retrograde brand of Islam, cannot be ignored. The damage that has been done to a nascent British Islam by pre-modern, Saudi- inspired, literalist dogma is incalculable. Consider this: in 2011, when the Saudi ministry of justice announced it might prohibit marriages involving girls under the age of 14, Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, one of the country's most senior clerics, issued a fatwa to allow fathers to arrange marriages for their daughters "even if they are in the cradle". To call such a mindset outdated or medieval would be a gross understatement. It's an endorsement of paedophilia, plain and simple.

It is also an apt reminder of why most countries, including most Muslim-majority countries, have minimum ages for marriage codified in law: to deter adults from exploiting children and to protect the most innocent members of our society.

"We have a moral duty to obey the law of the land," says al-Akiti. For adult men to try to marry young girls is illegal and immoral. But British Muslims have a special responsibility: to make the case that there is nothing Islamic about underage marriage, either.

Will this column be used by EDL-types to further their pernicious, anti-Muslim agendas? Maybe it will be, but I can't stay quiet. I'm the father of two young girls. When I hear of forced, underage marriages being carried out in the heart of major British cities, I think of my own daughters. And I feel sick.

This is 2013. Not 613. Or 1813. Child marriage is a form of child abuse. It must be stopped.

Source

Malala: Fearless teen leads fight for global education

Malala Yousafzai is an international hero, and for good reason. Her recent visits to the United States have prompted rapturous coverage in the American media -- also for good reason.

But one thing that news outlets have spent hardly any time on is the part of Malala's message to America that might make some people uncomfortable: her vocal criticism of the Obama administration's drone policy. Malala even told President Obama to his face that she thought drones were driving terrorism.

"CBS This Morning" host Norah O'Donnell, however, bucked that trend on Tuesday, when she asked Malala to talk about her conversation with Obama.

"Is it true that when you spoke with President Obama, that you talked about your concern that drone attacks are fueling terrorism?" she asked.

"It is true that when there's a drone attack the terrorists are killed, it's true," she said. "But 500 and 5,000 more people rise against it and more terrorism occurs, and more -- more bomb blasts occurs. ... I think the best way to fight against terrorism is to do it through [a] peaceful way, not through war. Because I believe that a war can never be ended by a war."

"And you said that to President Obama?" O'Donnell asked, in an impressed tone.

"Yes, of course," Malala replied.

 source

Prophet Yusuf (Stories of the Prophets)

BJP honours Muzaffarnagar riot-tainted leaders: Should a national party stoop so low?

For a party that has ruled India, and aspires to rule it once again, it was definitely a cheap act.

Felicitating the party MLAs who are facing charges of incitement during Muzaffarnagar riots, doesn't behove a forward looking national party.

But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has just done the indefensible. The Congress, BJP CPM, BSP are all different parties because their ideologies are different.

It is understandable. But when a party openly felicitates such politicians, it doesn't set a good example. The BJP wants to position itself as India's party for the future.

Such actions won't help the BJP. Perhaps, it may get a few extra votes through polarisation in the region through its appeasement of the rogue and fanatic right-wing elements. 

But in process it has lost much more. Though there was criticism, the party went ahead with its plan. It was immoral, indecent and unbecoming of a 'responsible' party to act in such a manner. The MLAs--Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, were garlanded.

They were presented the traditional head gears and were felicitated. Som is accused of fanning communal hatred through internet by uploading a fake video [belonging to another country]. Even after the arrest, one of the legislators was accused of updating his Facebook page from jail, and putting up objectionable material.

A complaint in this regard has also been filed with the police. How can the party take moral high ground over Congress or any other party.

Time and again BJP attempts to take the proper CENTRE-OF-RIGHT position but then it again drifts towards the LOONY RIGHT wing.

Indeed, the party crossed the laxman rekha. It is lucky though in the sense that media hasn't been too harsh over the party over it. 

Last month I participated in a Channel 4 News debate on the niqab. The debate itself was quite nondescript. It was the behaviour of the niqabi ladies who mobbed me afterwards that told the real story.

Yasmin Alibhai Brown mentioned that she had received violent and abusive messages from niqabi ladies during the week, and the panellists were quick to tutt tutt at such awful behaviour. Within half an hour the hooliganism of the niqabi women who harangued me showed the gulf between actions and words. One lady hissed that I needed to repent and that she did not want to stand in front of Allah because she did not advise me. My crime? I ventured. First, you sat next to a kafir man. Yes, I remember sitting on a chair, which was next to a chair on which Douglas Murray sat. I don�t ever remember sitting on his lap. Do these women travel on the tube or walk down Oxford Street? Or are they chaperoned everywhere by their unemployed mahrams? My second crime was to speak against my sisters. Actually, I did not see any signs of sisterhood in the room that evening.

As I tried to leave, after the debate, a small group of niqabi women surrounded me. The niqab is mentioned explicitly in the Qur�an and yet you deny its validity, was their argument. Having been a teacher of the Qur�an for over twenty years, I am well aware of the lie of this claim. The verse in question is in Surah An Nur: �And do not reveal your beauty except that which ordinarily appears�. The precise meaning of this phrase has been disputed by the greatest scholars of the Muslim world. The Companion Abdullah Ibn Masud was of the opinion that the face and hands have to be covered. The Prophet�s (S) cousin, Abdullah ibn Abbas said that the face and hands need not be covered. Ibn Kathir quotes Aisha who mentioned that the Prophet (S) saw her sister Asmaa wearing revealing clothes and told her that once a girl reached puberty, she could show only this and that. He then pointed to the face and hands. Clearly the Companions themselves disputed regarding the issue of the niqab.

There is no denying the niqab and khimar were features of pagan life, and were Islamicised. Given there is Ikhtilaf on whether or not the niqab is obligatory, neither side can claim to have jumhur on the issue. The great salafi scholar, Sheikh Nasiruddin Al Albani, professor at Madina University, was adamant that the niqab is not wajib. In his book �Jilbab Al Mar�atul Muslimah� he argued this point forcefully. He quotes ibn Rushd from Al Bidaayah that most scholars, including Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ash Shafi�i and Ahmad, are all of the opinion that the face is not awrah.

Sheikh Albani�s colleague, the late Sheikh Ibn Baz, disagreed vehemently and the two men often argued the point. That is the beauty of legitimate Ikhtilaf. The problem with many salafis today is they are incapable of acknowledging the existence of Ikhtilaf. When I told the woman in question that the niqab is not mentioned in the Qur�an, her response was to allude to the Qur�anic verse that �whatever the Prophet gives to you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, refrain from it.� Her next comment was that I do not follow the Sunnah.

This is the takfiri mentality for which the salafis are famous, not their adherence to the Qur�an and Sunnah. She was implying that I deny the authority of hadith, and this made me see red. My late grandfather was Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar Hasan, professor of Hadith at Madina university. My late maternal great grandfather was Maulana Yunus Qureishi, another scholar of hadith. My father is Sheikh Suhaib Hasan, a graduate of Madina university and teacher of Quran and hadith for over fifty years (may the Almighty give him health and a long life). I have been brought up in the lap of hadith while these women probably grew up in the lap of heresy and pagan ritual. To accuse me of denying hadith when I am simply pointing out a difference of opinion among the scholars is frankly ludicrous.

Therein lies my dilemma. Salafi blood runs in my veins and is embedded in my psyche. I see the wisdom of its insistence on a close contact with the Qur�an and Sunnah. I know the importance of avoiding innovations and heresy in worship in order to keep the faith pure. I acknowledge the necessity of showing respect to 1,400 years of scholarship and intellectual thought. We cannot isolate the Qur�an from its historical context nor from the audience who were the first to hear it. It is precisely this Sunnah that tells us to separate the cultural context of Arabia from the mandatory rules on an Islamic life. Our faith has survived and prospered because generations of Muslims had the confidence and ability to interpret and adapt the framework of Scripture into their particular context. They looked beyond the superficial outward trappings of rules to the inner core of Islam, and they transmitted this beauty through the ages.

But today I feel ashamed to call myself a salafi because of the arrogance, judgementalism and lack of tolerance of these people. The Prophet (S) taught adab, manners, courtesy, gentleness and good character before he taught ritual worship. During the debate Douglas was told by one woman that she had no interest in hearing the opinion of a man. The crowd had booed and heckled him when he spoke. Another woman pronounced she did not care what other people thought of her dress. Interestingly, the niqabis clapped when someone on the panel was speaking. I was under the impression that according to salafi thought, clapping is not permitted. As I tried to walk away from one woman, she grabbed my sleeve and tried to rip it off. I am embarrassed to admit it but I actually lost my temper. I shouted and walked off in anger. This was a mistake and I apologise for it. I should have stayed calm in the face of such provocation.

Women kept coming up to me to pronounce they were students of �Alimah courses and would be scholars soon. Is this how our real scholars behaved? Did they get a certificate and pronounce arrogantly that they were scholars? Or did they study in order to learn and to be close to their Creator, and were then pronounced to be scholars by their students because of their characters as well as their knowledge?

If these are tomorrow�s scholars, then let us pray janazah (funeral prayer) for our community.

Khola Hasan is a writer, broadcaster, public speaker, law consultant and Muslim Institute Fellow. Her first short book entitled �The crumbling minarets of Spain� was written at the age of 17, later published in England, and then translated into Arabic and Urdu abroad. She holds a Masters degree in �International and Comparative Legal Studies� from SOAS.

She is currently Director of Albatross Consultancy Limited. She is an executive member of the East London Three Faiths Forum, and involved in Scriptural Reasoning with St. Ethelburga�s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation.

source

SHEIKH ABDAL HAKIM MURAD - Are Muslims empowered by knowledge?

Grave of Hazrat Usman R.A

Hazrat Usman R.A was the third caliph of Islam and his full name was Usman ibn Affan. Usman R.A was a very wealthy person and after accepting Islam he spent all his wealth for serving Islam. He was buried In Jannat Ul Baqi after his death. Here is a Picture of his grave.

Bowing Down To Graves and Kissing Them Is Not Islam

The Dilemma of today's Muslim Is that he follows what Quran and Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon has not taught and What Quran and Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon has taught is not followed by him. We have Involved Ourselves In Biddah (Innovations) In the Deen which has taken us away from the true path. Rasool Allah SAW clearly told that If you want to stay on right path then follow Quran and My Sunnah and If you left the Quran and My Sunnah then you will go astray from right path.

One of the Biddah that has came In Muslims Is Bowing down to graves and Kissing them. Today Muslims have Involved themselves In Shirk of asking from graves, Kissing them and bowing down to them while all the Prophets Including Rasool Allah SAW taught the path of Tauheed. Worshiping and asking for help only from Allah SWT.

Even The Bollywood Film Industry has started showing Muslims as grave worshipers and we ourselves are also responsible for this. Tauheed was a thing of proud for Muslims that we Worship non but One God and we only bow down to him but Alas we have forgotten the path of Tauheed.

Now Lets see What Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon him has taught his Ummah regarding graves.

Here is a collection of Sahih Hadiths:

Abul Hayyaj Asadi told that Ali ibn Abu Talib said to him: Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah's Messenger Peace be upon him sent me? Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without leveling it. Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 2115

Jabir ibn Abdullah Narrated Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) forbade that graves should be plastered with gypsum, have any writing on them, or be trodden on. Tirmidhi Hadith No. 1709

Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The whole earth is a place of prayer except public baths and graveyards. Dawud, Book 2, Hadith 492

Fadalah ibn Ubayd said I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanding (us) to level the grave. Sahih Muslim Hadith 2114

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: �It is not appropriate for a human being to bow to another.� Narrated by Ahmad, 3/158

Prophet Muhammad PBUH said �O Allaah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped.� Tahdheer al-Saajid min Ittikhaadh al-Quboor Masaajid, p. 24-26. 

There are dozens of more Hadiths that can be quoted. Some People asks from dead for help by going on their graves which is clear act of Shirk as we can make Dua only from Alliah SWT. Imam Ghazali says that Indeed Kissing and touching of graves is habit of Jews and Christians in his book Ihya Ul Uloom.

My last question to those who likes to make high graves and plaster that did Rasool Allah SAW made grave of his beloved wife Khadija R.A high and plastered? did Prophet Muhammad SAW made grave of his Uncle Hamza R.A high and plastered and did companions of Prophet SAW used to kiss and bow down to his grave? the answer is clearly no.

May Allah SWT show us the right path the path of Sunnah and save us from grave worshiping.

Peace Convention of Dr Zakir Naik In Murshidabad West Bengal

Islamic Research Foundation will soon be organizing a Islamic Peace Convention In  Murshidabad West Bengal India where Famous Muslim Scholar On Islam and Comparative Religions Dr Zakir Naik will be giving two Lectures On 30th November and 1st December at 5:15 PM.

On 30th November Friday Dr Zakir Will given Lecture about Purpose of Human Life and On Next day Sunda 1st December 2013 a Question and Answer Session will be be organized in which Dr Naik will only be answer questions of Non Muslims about Islam and other religions. Both Lectures will be In Urdu/Hindu Language. I would say every person who Lives In West Bengal must try to attend this Peace Convention because we all know Lectures of Dr Naik are always very Informative.

In the past Dr Zakir Naik has given thousands of Lecture about Islam and Other religions in different parts of the world which are always attended by large gatherings specially his Lectures In Mumbai are attended by Millions of people. His three Islamic TV Channels Peace TV, Peace TV Urdu and Peace TV Bangla are also among most popular Islamic TV channels of the world.

Its not yet clear that Peace Convention Lectures will be shown Live on Peace TV or not. If I got a update about It then I will update this pot.

The Age of Jahillya continues...

A woman was divorced on Sunday shortly after she returned home after giving birth to a baby girl. This was her third daughter.

Ghulam Muhammadabad police said Tabassum Bibi, a resident of Usman Ghani Town, Faisalabad, married Muhammad Aamir six years ago. She said her husband and refused to let her in saying he had wanted a son. She said some relatives had intervened and convinced him to let her return home.

She said when she got pregnant the third time, he had threatened to kill the child if it was a girl.

She said he had taken her to several pirs and asked them to give her amulets so that they would have a son.

She said on Sunday she was taken to a hospital in labour. She said he did not accompany her and was informed through phone that she had had a baby girl.

She said when she returned a few hours later, he divorced her on the gate and refused to let her in.

She said he told him to take the children with her. Tabassum Bibi said her parents had refused to take her back, and so she had shifted to her aunt�s house. She said she had no idea where she would go since she could not stay at her aunt�s house all her life.

Source

POLL-Egypt is worst Arab state for women

Egypt scored badly in almost all categories.

Women played a central role in the country's revolution but activists say the rising influence of Islamists, culminating in the election of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Mursi as president, was a major setback for women's rights.

Mursi was toppled in a military takeover in July after mass protests against his rule, but hopes for greater freedoms have been tempered by the daily dangers facing women on the street, experts said.

A U.N. report on women in April said 99.3 percent of women and girls are subjected to sexual harassment in Egypt, which some analysts say reflects a general rise in violence in Egyptian society over the past half-decade.

Human Rights Watch reported that 91 women were raped or sexually assaulted in public in Tahrir Square in June as anti-Mursi protests heated up.

"The social acceptability of everyday sexual harassment affects every woman in Egypt regardless of age, professional or socio-economic background, marriage status, dress or behavior,� said Noora Flinkman, communications manager at HarassMap, a Cairo-based rights group that campaigns against harassment.

�It limits women�s participation in public life. It affects their safety and security, their sense of worth, self-confidence and health.�

Respondents also cited high rates of forced marriage and trafficking.

�There are whole villages on the outskirts of Cairo and elsewhere where the bulk of economic activity is based on trafficking in women and forced marriages,� said Zahra Radwan, Middle East and North Africa programme officer for the Global Fund for Women, a U.S.-based rights group.

Female genital mutilation is endemic in Egypt, where 91 percent of women and girls - 27.2 million in all - are subjected to cutting, according to UNICEF. Only Djibouti has a higher rate, with 93 percent of women and girls cut.

 Full article

The Massacre of Karbala: A Historical Analysis - Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Halwa-Paratha: Have you eaten this mouth-watering Indian delicacy?

Halwa-paratha is a unique dish. You find it at most Indian mela(s) [fairs].

I am sure after seeing the photograph, you would also be tempted to try it.

As you can see in this photograph, the halwa is mouth-watering.

It is sold mostly in makeshift shops on the roadsides. Its sweet thought not excessively and melts in your mouth.

The halwa is garnished and its a delight to see it. The huge paratha that accompanies it is also quite tasty.

The halwa-paratha is a desi dish and  hence comes quite cheap. For Rs 30-50, you can get enough halwa along with a piece of the Paratha.

It tastes great at the shop, when its hot. Some people prefer only the Paratha, which also has a taste different from the traditional paratha. In fact, the way they are made, you can call them 'giant puris'. In my childhood, I visited a fair on a regular basis with my cousin brother.

I enjoyed the visits all the more because as he was fond of paratha, I got to eat most of the halwa, without having to share that with him. Apart from fairs, it is also sold in specific periods during the year. For example, during Shab-e-Barat, Milad-un-Nabi or Id, you may find it in the Muslim localities.

Also, there are high chances that if a Sufi Saint's Urs is being held, there would be the halwa-paratha shop in the vicinity. Earlier also, I had written a post about Indian Fairs and the food at these mela-thelas. You can read it HERE.

Prophet Ibrahim (Stories of the Prophets) - #RelyOnAllah

Status of Hazrat Hussain R.A

Syedna Hussain radi Allahu anhu is the grandson of Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon him, son of Hazrat Ali R.A and Hazrat Fatima radi Allahu anhuma and younger brother of Syedna Hassan radi Allahu anhu. He has great status among sahabas and was declared as the leader of youth of Jannah by Rasool Allah SAW himself.

Rasool Allah SAW used to love his grandson and many times smelled him as some one smells the flowers. Many times when Rasool salal laho aliehi wasalam was praying he used to climb his back and Prophet salal laho aliehi wasalam elongated his prostration so that this great child is not disturbed.

Sahabas rizwanullahee aliehim ajma een also used to love him from the core of their hearts because he and his bother Syedna Hassan had a physical and facial resemblance with Rasool salal laho aliehi wasalam and when they saw them memories of prophet salal laho aliehi wasalam were refreshed in their minds.

Syedna Hussain radi Allahu anhu was a pious person who spent his life in worshiping of Allah swt and left this world as shaheed.

His love is the part of our faith because he is a lovely member of the family of prophet salal laho aliehi wasalam. His name is evergreen till the day of judgement and Muslim families name their off springs after his name due to their love for  Rasool salal laho aliehi wasalam and his family. May Allah be pleased with him and include us among his lovers for the sake of Allah swt.

The voices of Al Firdaus Ensemble

Girl crawls out of grave after being raped, buried alive

 

A 13-year-old girl has dug herself out of a muddy grave after being raped by two men who then buried her alive in Pakistan.

The teen was abducted from her local village in the Punjab province while she was walking to Koran lessons.

Her father Siddique Mughal told police his daughter had been taken, but they refused to cooperate, Outlook India reported.

The men took the young girl to an isolated place and raped her and then buried her alive as they believed she died during the brutal attack.

But the girl managed to dig her way out the muddy grave and caught the attention of passers-by who helped her to a local medical center.

After local police refused to investigate, the Lahore High Court Chief Justice�s Complaint Cell formally directed them to arrest the girl�s attackers and complete a report on the incident without delay.

A sessions judge for the local Toba Tek Singh region has also been asked to look into the matter.

Child rape remains a problem in Pakistan where local activist group Sahil said cultural myths persist such as HIV positive men believing they can be cured through sex with a virgin.

Statistic show cases of child rape have risen from 668 in 2002 to 2,788 last year,according to the International Business Times.

�We still think these statistics are just a fraction of what�s going on,� Sanihl�s executive director Manizeh Bano told the International Business Times.

Source

Burj Khalifa New Wallpapers

Burj Khalifa is one of the largest, amazing and expensive building located in Dubai United Arab Emirates. Its construction was started in 2004 and it was completed in 2010.

Here are Burj Khalifa New Wallpapers collection:

Inside Wallpapers of Burj Khalifa