islamically speaking newsletter vol. 8 - the holy month of ramadan special

8/9/2019 Islamically Speaking Newsletter VOL. 8 - The Holy Month of Ramadan Special

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Ramadan 1431 A.H. ~ August 2010 ~

Vol 08

IslamicallySpeaking

The Holy Month of Ramadan Special

01Shariah & Reality: Islam and the Issue of Voting

02 The Corrosiveness of Western Politics

03A Brief Introduction : Islamic Politics

04 A letter to Umar ibn Abdul Aziz

Featuring


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I S L A M I C A L L YSPEAKING VOL 8The Holy Montho f R a m a d a n

SpecialBismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim

As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullah

We hope that all who read this are in the best ofhealth and Iman, insha'Allah. As I write this, Ramadandraws ever closer and closer. By the time you pick

this up, dear readers, The Holy Month will havealready started, and so we have decided to make

this particular volume cater for the occasion. Wehope it brings you much in terms of knowledge, and

that it serves as a blessing alongside the numerousother blessings that are found within Ramadan.

For the Muslim, this Month is truly unlike any other, due to the sheernumber of vir tues and oppor tunities it contains. The Hadith of The Prophet(PBUH) best exemplifies this when He (PBUH) said: "Oh people! A greatmonth has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a nightbetter than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made itcompulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night.

Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional)good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performingan obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges anobligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performingseventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and thereward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month inwhich a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fastingperson to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved

from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fastingperson, without his reward being diminished at all." (Ibn Khuzaymah) AnyMuslim who values his Akhirah must understand the importance of thisMonth, and regard it as an indispensable opportunity to draw closer to

Allah SWT and save ourselves from his punishment. To have been giventhis opportunity by our Rabb makes sincere believers rejoice, and so out ofgratitude we fast.

However, in this blessed month where there is much enjoyment, personalspiritual reflection and focus we cannot detach ourselves from the direpolitical climate Muslims all over the world find themselves in, be it

occupation and bombing inAfghanistan and Pakistan, bei t w h a t h a s b e e ninternationally dubbed as theHumanitarian Crisis inGaza which Israel never fails

to uphold, or be it the tyrannical rulers we find inour home lands that oppress

the people and create masspoverty. These are just somedepressing global snapshots,we have become all tooaccustomed to.

In addition, Muslims who livein Britain are increasinglyfeeling the crack of thewhip. The new Conservative/L i b - D e m C o a l i t i o nGovernment has alreadydemonstrated their hostility

when Home SecretaryTheresa May banned Dr. Zakir Naik and Shaykh Bilal Phillips from the UKon baseless grounds, and also when Conservative MP Philip Hollobonerecently launched the first legal bid to ban Muslim women from wearing

the Burkha in Britain. More on this inside. Muslim pleas for the withdrawalof British troops in Afghanistan fall on the eternal deaf ears of all three of

the major political parties, who kept their pre-election promises ofcontinuing the war. All of these examples illustrate for Muslims thatwhether it be a Labour Government or a Conservative-Lib DemCoalition, things never change.

While Muslims face many attacks from many directions, there is anopportunity for us to counter all of this by realizing that Ramadan is truly aMonth of Unity, not just in the sense that we all unite in strengthening ourpersonal 'Ibadah, but also in the sense that we can unite politically. It is in

the light of this fact that Volume 8 will not only address Ramadan as a timewherein we privately worship, but also as an immense opportunity to

realize the potential that Political Unity poses for The Muslim Ummah.

With the above in mind, this installment has thefollowing articles and features:

1. Firstly, we have a sequel to the 2009 articleentitled: State of The Ummah in Ramadan found in Volume 3. Like lastyear, we will present the various challenges and calamities that Muslims allover the world presently face as a result of the absence of Islam, in aseries of articles. We feel it necessary to always reflect upon the situationof The Muslims in this Month. While Ramadan is often dubbed TheMonth of Mercy, it is sad that this meaning is often diluted by thesuffering Muslims face in spite of what should be a joyous occasion. Weaim to raise awareness amongst Muslims concerning the affairs of theirBrothers and Sister across the globe, so they may be moved to work forpolitical change.

2. The second article is a historical presentation ofwhat Ramadan has meant for Muslims in the past. While touched uponlast year, we seek to detail the colorful and glorious history of Ramadan

in a more in depth manner, including more events than those mentionedlast year, and adding greater detail. We wish to present to the reader thestark contrast between the strength and victory our Ummah obtained in

the past, to the rather dismal present reality detailed in the first article.

3. Our third article is concerned with the issue of the infamous Ramadan Moon sighting debate. While Islam places anemphasis on the concept of unity, we find it troubling that this has notbeen fully acted upon by some. A perfect example of this is the sightingof the new moon in order to ascertain the beginning of Ramadan.Different Muslims begin their fasting on different dates, but ultimately,

there is an alternative to the confusion laid down by this practice.Insha'Allah, we will endeavor to clarify this issue and present the trueIslamic viewpoint.

4. The fourth piece is a feature , wherein there aredetails concerning the Fiqh of Ramadan, in addition to recommendedDu'a and advice that can benefit us during this special time.

5. The final article maps the road ahead as The HolyMonth passes. It advises Muslims on how they can contribute in theeffort to relieve the burdens and suffering of The Ummah, and themotivation that should drive us when it comes to working for this Deen.

We hope you benefit and enjoy this Volume. Jazakallah khayr. RamadanMubarak.


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Ramadan 2010 & theState of the Ummah (Part 1)

Ramadan has come again, and while we mayexpress joy when realizing blessings of this month, we are never too farremoved from the depressing current events which demonstrate to usthat the State of the Muslims is dire. The attacks made against us areeither physical or intellectual, ranging from occupation and the murder ofour Brothers and Sisters, to the bigotry and false propaganda directedagainst Islam and it's symbols. It is not an uncommon occurrence to turnto the media, and bear witness to the latest bloodbath in Afghanistan, orthe latest caricatures of Islam to emerge from the mouths of right-wingbigots, or from the pens of immature cartoonists . In an age wherein TheIslamic Khilafah is absent from the world stage, Islam and the Muslimsseem to be fair game as The Prophet PBUH had predicted when hesaid: The People will soon summon one another to attack you as peoplewhen eating invite others to share their food. Someone asked, Will thatbe because of our small numbers at that time? He replied, No, you will

be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like thatcarried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of youfrom the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into yourhearts. Someone asked, O Messenger of Allah, what is al-wahn? Hereplied, Love of the world and dislike of death. (Abu Dawud andAhmad) Today, entire nations with their armies and their media outlets,never fail to denigrate Islam, or to inflict suffering and death upon thosewho follow it. For the writer, Ramadan presents an opportunity to stepback and survey what is happening to us on a global scale, in order todemonstrate the desperate need we have for a state that will championour cause and defend our Deen. We will also contrast this with briefglimpses into the history of the Khilafah, in order to show the readerhow today's dystopic reality contrasts with the greatness of our historyunder the Islamic State. In so doing, we hope that Muslims may bemoved to act upon what they learn and work for the Revival of theUmmah by obtaining Political Unity under the Islamic State.

Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pakistan continues to suffer from the continuation of America'sUndeclared War. The U.S drone bombings continue in the north of thecountry, causing chaos in the area. As a result, the Muslims of thenorthern regions continue to live in fear for their own lives and the livesof their families. The American justification is that it seeks to go after theTaliban militants in the North, and yet from from January 2006 to April2009, 60 air strikes against Pakistan have led to the deaths of 701people, 687 of which were innocent civilians. The Pakistani Government,complying with America's wishes, had sent the army into the North toconduct military operations against the Taliban, which has led to evenmore destruction and loss of life . In effect, the Government has set thearmy on it's own people . The result of this has been a mass of IDPs(Internally Displaced Peoples) who number in their millions, fleeing thenorth to escape the turmoil, having to resort to the use of makeshift

camps for shelter.

More heinously, the Americans have sent private militarycontractors (or mercenaries) into the country, specifically thecontroversial Blackwater group from the Iraq War. This organizationgained infamy due to it's responsibility for the intentional killing of 17civilians in Baghdad back in September 2007, and now it seems that theyhave arrived in Pakistan to commit further devious offenses.

Upon their arrival, they spread to various parts of the country under anew name XE Services LLC. At first, both the American and PakistaniGovernments deceived the people, insisting that they were simply not inthe country. On July 13th 2009, a spokesman for the U.S embassy inIslamabad said: ...these accusations are entirely false. Neither the US

State Department nor the US Department of Defense has any contractswith Xe Ser vices (or Blackwater) in Pakistan. The Pakistani

Government parroted the same claim later when Interior Minister

Rehman Malik repeatedly denied that Blackwater/XE was in the countryon numerous occasions. In January 2010, he said the following: I stateagain with full responsibil ity, and according to the available record, there isno Blackwater in the country. It is just hype being created by certainelements. Earlier in November 2009, Malik was bold enough to tellDawn News that he would even resign if he was proven wrong.

Later on however, the U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates admittedthat in actuality, Blackwater is operating in Pakistan and elsewhere. In aninterview with Express TV on January 21st 2010, Gates stated: "Well,

theyre operating as individual companies here in Pakistan, in Afghanistanand in Iraq. Because they are theaters of war involving the United States,

there are rules concerning the contracting companies. Such rules wouldinclude proper conduct while in the country, and of course, no killing ofcivilians. However, these rules have already been broken, as shown below.

Pakistani national newspapers such as The Nation on November 4th

2009, carried a report on 202 Blackwater personnel flying into ShaheedBenazir International Airport the day before, being given the luxury ofbypassing regular customs procedures. On the 16th of same month,

there were reports by the same newspaper of suspicious foreignersrenting a house in the upper class G-6/3 area of Islamabad, wherein localresidents expressed fear due to Blackwater 's reputation. The artic le goeson to say: Some of the residents told on condition of anonymity thatone of the alleged operatives of Blackwater/XE Worldwide was seenmanhandling a local for having a post-dinner stroll. His only sin was thathe dared to come out of his home located in the same street where thealleged operative of the notorious security agency has got a house onrent. On May 14th 2010 the same newspaper declared that Blackwaterhad rented 15 houses in the residential sectors E,F and G of Islamabad:Of the aforementioned 15 lodgings, the postal records of that areavailable with The Nation, three each are located in sectors F-7/3, andF-8/3, two each in F-6/2 and E-7, one each in F-6/3, F-7/1, F-7/4, F-11/4

and G-6/4. Similarly, of over 70 (the number may vary) suspectedoperative venues of Blackwater, 55 are reportedly located in the F Sectorand the remaining 15 in other sectors. The Deutsche Presse-

America's Private Army: Xe Services (Blackwater)
http://www.haqeeqat.org/category/blackwater/http://www.haqeeqat.org/category/blackwater/


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Agentur (German Press Agency) on July 27th 2009, featured a report onthe group causing unrest in University Town, a residential area in

Peshawar. The ar ticle quotes a local's experience with the mercenar ies:Sometimes, these guys stand in the streets and behave rudely with thepassers-by, sometimes they point guns at people without provocationsaid Imtiaz Gul, an engineer, whose home is a few hundred meters fromthe US contractors base on Chanar Road in University Town.

Blackwater/XE has even spread south into Karachi, wherein they arereported to inhabit seven rented houses in the posh Defence area of thecity. In short, it is well known that these mercenaries are in Pakistan,contrary to the spin of the deceit ful Zardari Government. Thus, in light ofRehman Malik's statements, he should now resign.

Ever since the arrival of this group in Pakistan, an ongoing string of bombblasts have occurred across the country, causing chaos in cities such asKarachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, in addition to various villages andother locations. The predictable suspects were the Taliban, who wereblamed by the Government and alleged to be responsible by themainstream media. However, others have blamed Blackwater/XE for theattacks. Examples include Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani, who blamedthis group for the 2009 Ashura Bombings in Karachi which killed up to43 people. More significantly, a former chief of the Pakistan's ISI (InterServices Intelligence), said:

"My assessment is that they [Blackwater agents] either themselves ormost probably through others, through the locals do carry out someof the explosions," further going on to say: "The idea is to carry out suchactions, like carrying attacks in the civilian areas to make the others look

bad in the eyes of the public."- Asad Durrani: former chief of the Pakistan's ISI (Inter ServicesIntelligence) in an interview with Press TV in December 2009

America, through their private mercenary army, is conducting thesebombings in order to generate support for the unpopular militaryoperations that Pakistan's Army has been called upon to conduct. Theyare also trying to destabilize the country in attempts to take a Muslimland with enormous potential, and eventually partition it as a means tofurther divide Muslims from each other, consequently stifling any kind ofPolitical Unity upon the basis of Islam. The corrupt Government ofPakistan has lied to the people about Blackwater/XE, whilesimultaneously allowing Pakistan's sovereignty to be violated on a dailybasis by foreign powers.

America's desire to partition Pakistan has already been expressed inevents such as the Balochistan International Conference that was held

in Washington D.C on November 21st - 22nd 2009. This conferenceadvocated Balochi separation from Pakistan. The event was organized bythe American Friends of Balochistan, who is headed by Ahmar

Mustikhan. This man wrote a letter to Hilar y Clinton wherein he said:The A.F.B. is delighted honorable Vice President-elect Joe Biden has longbeen a strong advocate of balkanization of artificially created, unnaturalstates which can breed nothing but terrorism and instability for theworld, just like Pakistan.

In addition to Vice President Biden's sympathies, we have earlier evidenceof American plans to break up Pakistan. U.S Lieutenant -Colonel RalphPeters, in the Armed Forces Journal of 2006 drew up a map of Pakistanand Afghanistan which can be seen below. The after image shows usthat both the FATA and NWFP regions in Pakistan have been removedand added to Afghanistan. In addition, there is a new Free Balochistanhaving been carved

out of the country. Inh is journa l p ieceP e t e r s s t a t e s :Pakistan, anotherunnatural state, wouldalso lose it's Baluch

territory to FreeB a l u c h i s t a n . T h eremaining naturalPakistan would lieentirely east of theIndus, except for awestward spur nearKarachi.

Aforementioned mapof the new Pakistanas envisioned by U.SLieutenant-Colonel, Ralph Peters (Armed Forces Journal 2006)

Through a malicious combination of drone attacks, mercenaries, and thecompliance with the puppet Government of Asif Ali Zardari, the Muslimsof Pakistan have been deceived, made internal refugees, and are killed by

the hundreds. This Ramadan, the Muslims of Pakistan will continue tosuffer not only foreign attacks against them, but they will also continue tosuffer under a corrupt and treacherous Government that is complicit inAmerica's Undeclared War. They will carry on acting as agents of theAmericans in order to keep the Muslims suppressed and in disarray anddisunity.

Meanwhile, Muslims in Afghanistan continue to suffer under the Western

crusade against them, though this is obscured by the lies told below.

"I have reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to anAfghanistan that is stable, strong and prosperous,"

- Barrack Obama, during the Obama-Karzai White House joint pressconference May 12th 2010

Despite the rhetoric and lip service, we see no tangible manifestation of this false promise made by Obama. This year has been the worst forAfghanistan since the 2001 invasion, having witnessed the largest numberof civilian casualties. The Afghan Rights Monitor (ARM) published a mid-year report wherein they found that from January to June 2010, 1074civilians have been killed due to the instability and fighting that westernpresence has created in the region. The report itself states thecontribution that foreign troops have made to this bloodshed:

"Dozens of people, including women and children, were shot dead duringviolent and barbaric intrusions, raids into houses and other counter-insurgency operations by US-NATO forces,".

-ARM Mid-Year Report Civilian Casualties of Conflict January-June 2010 p.2

Even worse, is the fact that 210 of those civilians killed in this periodwere at the hands of Hamid Karzai, through his ANP (Afghan NationalPolice), and ANA (Afghan National Army). And of course, Blackwater/XEis just as blood-thirs ty in Afghanistan as it is in Pakistan, as the reportshows:

On 17 May, a convoy of private security guards searched several housesin the Damaan District of Kandahar Province and allegedly killed fourlocal civilians. Local police officials confirmed the incident and blamed a

private security firm for the deaths. No representative of the firm wasavailable to answer queries about the incident.

On 30 April, several private security guards opened indiscriminating fireon civilian people in Maidan Wardak Province as a result of which oneperson was killed and one was wounded.

-ARM Mid-Year Report Civilian Casualties of Conflict January-June 2010 p.13

These events serve as a grim foretelling of the hundreds of deaths the people will suffer

during the continued occupation. While all of this is made evident, Hamid Karzai does not

dare to raise his voice to loudly. Instead, he pays lip serv ice to these deaths by demanding

that they stop while still allowing foreign troops (who cause the instability that creates

violence and death), in a land he supposedly had sovereignty over. Indeed, he and his

government are nothing but the proxy tools of America in their endeavor

to tighten the noose on The Muslim World.

On the subject of this puppet government, we find that it is not onlyunable to stop the deaths of it's own people, but also that it is indic ted

with corr uption charges and numerous scandals. Transparency

International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is one of the most

authoritative standards for grading the level or corruption in a given

country. It comes as no surprise to us that Karzai's Afghanistan was

ranked as the most corrupt nation in the world, according to the most

recent CPI released in 2009. All sorts of allegations have been made

against the political class of Afghanistan, from the vote-rigging allegations

of the failed 2009 elections (where no one was elected and the Afghan

parliament appointed Karzai for another term), to the drug trafficking

allegations made even by U.S politicians such as Congresswoman Sheila

Jackson-Lee who reportedly said in an interview:

"I saw a corrupt government overrun by opium sales, not understanding

the need to take care of the people and making them stakeholders in

their own victor y,".

-Indian Express, July 13th 2010 article - Afghan govt corrupt, overrun

by opium sale: US Lawmaker


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This has also been echoed by the Afghan Army, such as when GeneralKhodaidad Khodaidad told Reuters:

We can catch small (traffickers) everyday. It is very difficult to identify ...big drug dealers . They are not involved themselves but they are ... behindit, they are behind the network," and of course, when asked who theywere he replied "They are inside the government, they are outside ofAfghanistan ... they are behind these networks."

-Reuters, December 27th 2009 article Afghan government membersfueling opium trade: minister

Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) published a report of the nationwidesurvey done in July 2010 entitled Afghan Perceptions and Experiencesof Corruption, in which it found that the people believe corruption inthe government is the third biggest problem they face after

unemployment and insecurity. The report detailed that 70% of thosepolled believed corruption to be a common occurrence and that variousinstitutions of state are widely known to be rife with bribery. The reportdetails that 42% of those polled believed the Ministry of the Interior tobe the most corrupt, followed by the Ministry of Justice with 32%.Othergovernment departments cited as corrupt include the Ministry ofFinance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transport,Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Labor, SocialAffairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation andDevelopment, Ministry of Water and Electricity not to mention theDirectorate of National Security, courts, parliament and last but notleast, the President's Office. In other words, effectively the entire AfghanGovernment has been indicted by the people with these charges.

The mafioso nature of Hamid Karzai and his gang (doubling as agovernment) is an open secret that is known all too well, and this matteris effectively summarized by Afghan newspaper, The Daily Mandegar,which stated the following in a recent article entitled Corruption BeginsWith President Karzai:

The president repeatedly cries that if one wants to make money,government institutions are not the venue for them. But everyone knowstoo well that the opposite is true. If we put together a detailed list ofthose officials who joined the government nine years ago, we will seehow shocking the amount of their corrupt gain has been. Nine years

ago, an official did not even own a house. Today, they proudly brag abouttheir houses, cars, and bank accounts. The president, in his negligence toseriously walk the talk on corruption, has become a promoter of it.

-The Daily Mandegar article Corruption Begins with President Karzai

During his speech to the Turkish par liament in 2009, Barrack Obamastated that the U.S: ...is not and will never be at war with Islam," this wassomething he also emphasized during his Cairo speech. However, thesestatements are clearly hollow given the fact that simultaneously, Obamasent 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, which has only led to moreblood shed and loss of innocent life. In addition he supports a Mafiagovernment as shown above. The PR statements of WesternGovernments about how they are not at War with Islam is dismantled

when the Khilafah, the political core of Islam is attacked and abused by the likes of the British Conservative Party supporter General RichardDannatt, the recent head of the British Army who stated that there is an:

Islamist agenda which if we dont oppose it and face it off in SouthernAfghanistan, or Afghanistan, or in South Asia, then frankly that influencewill grow. It could well grow, and this is an important point, we could seeit moving from South Asia to the Middle East to North Africa, and to thehigh water mark of the Islamic caliphate...

-Daniel Dannat, BBC Radio 4's Today" Programme - 14th May 2010

Dannat stated very clearly that if Muslims have Islamic political aspirationsand consequently want to govern themselves according to Islam, then

this would legitimate a military response from the west, which is what wehave seen from Britain and America by starting and escalating this war.

In summary, Muslims in Afghanistan are the victims of foreign occupation,brutality, and the colonialist maintenance of a puppet Government thatreeks of corruption, being too busy bribing and drug trafficking in order

to have any interest in looking after the affairs of the people. ThisRamadan, the Muslims here will continue to suffer under poverty,oppression and murder all due to the attempts by foreign powers toprevent them from obtaining Political Unity under the Islamic State.


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amadan:

he Month of

Victoryn the previous art icle, we presented alimpse of the current suffering of the

Muslim Ummah that ensues in and out ofThe Holy Month. In this article, we willpresent to the reader a time line of eventshat have occurred in this blessed month as means to show the reader the historicalignificance of Ramadan, and how Muslims,

by the permission of Allah (SWT), havemade it a Month of Victory for them in thepast.

Hijaz, The birth of the Islamic State: 1 A.H.After Hijrah)

The Prophet sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib (ra) with thirty Muslims toSaif al Bahr with a definitive task of intercepting a caravan belonging toQuraish. It was a caravan of three hundred people including Abu Jahl binHisham. The two parties encountered each other and prepared forghting. Majdi bin 'Amr, on good terms with both sides, happened to bethere and managed to prevent an imminent clash. The Hypocrites ofMadinah, hoping to oppose the unity of the Muslims, built their own masjidcalled Masjid ad-Dirar). The Prophet (PBUH), ordered this masjid to be

destroyed in Ramadan.

Battle of Badr, West of Madinah:17th Ramadhan 2 A.H.

The Messenger of Allah(saw) set out on the 8th of Ramadhan with threehundred and five of his companions mounted on seventy camels. Despitebeing outnumbered three to one and appearing weak and unseasoned, theMuslims defended their faith with a burning desire to protect the Prophet

saw) and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah (saw) gave them adecisive victory at Badr on this day that will never be forgotten. Abu Jahlwas reported to have said The Arabs will hear how we marched forthnd of our mighty gathering, and they will stand in awe of us forever. Yet inhe end, he, along with other leaders amongst the pagans, met their end onhat day.

A Depiction of Muslim soldiers during the Battle of Badr.

Fath al Makkah: 8 A.H.

The treaty of Hudaybiyah hadbeen broken by the Quraishnd the Muslim armies had

engaged the Byzantines in thenorth. Muhammad (PBUH) felthe need to strike a fatal blow

o Kufr in the Arabian Peninsuland to conquer the city ofMakkah. Now the time hadome to purify the Ka'ba of

nakedness and abomination.

T h e P r o p h e t(PBUH) set outwith an army havingmore armed men

than Madinah hadever seen before.The determinationof the believersb e c a m e s oawesome that thecity of Makkah wasconquered withouta battle, on the20th of Ramadhan.The conquest ofM a k k a h

precipitated complete control of the Arabian Peninsula. During the samemonth and year, after smashing the idols of Makkah, detachments weresent to the other major centers of polytheism and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa,some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were destroyed.Spain (Al Andalus), The Battle of Guadalete: 92 A.H.

Spain was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderick of the Visigoths.Roderick had persecuted Jews to seek the aid from the Muslims of NorthAfrica. In Ramadan of that year, Tariq bin Ziyad with a force of 12,000 menwere confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians ledby Roderick, himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory silver, andprecious gems, drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariqmotivated the Muslims warning them that Paradise lay ahead of them anddefeat and the sea to the rear. He roused his troops with the followingspeech, as recorded by the his torian, al Maqqari: Oh my warr iors, whitherwould you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. You have left

now only the hope of your courage and your constancy. Remember that inthis country you are more unfortunate than the orphan seated at the tableof the avaricious master. Your enemy is before you, protected by aninnumerable army; he has men in abundance, but you, as your only aid,have your own swords, and, as your only chance for life, such chance as youcan snatch from the hands of your enemy. If the absolute want to whichyou are reduced is prolonged ever so little, if you delay to seize immediatesuccess, your good fortune will vanish, and your enemies, whom your verypresence has filled with fear, will take courage. Put far from you thedisgrace from which you flee in dreams, and attack this monarch who hasleft his strongly fortified city to meet you. Here is a splendid opportunity

to defeat him, if you will consent to expose yourselves freely to death. Donot believe that I desire to incite you to face dangers which I shall refuse toshare with you. In the attack I myself will be in the fore, where the chanceof life is always least. After this speech was made, they burst with greatenthusiasm and Allah (SWT) manifested a clear victory over the Visigoths.Islam remained in Spain for 700 years thereafter, producing a Golden Agein a Europe that was experiencing it's Dark Ages.

Tariq ibn Ziyad leads his men to victory in the Battle of Guadalete


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Palestine, Battle of Ain Jalut: Friday, 25th Ramadan 658 A.H.

In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asiadestroying everything that lay in their path. Genghis Khan called himself"the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins". In 617 A.H.Samarkand, Ray, and Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, thegrandson of Genghis Khan continued this destruction. Baghdad, the leadingcity of the Muslim world, was ransacked. Some estimates say that as manyas 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this terrible carnage. It was then, thatSaif ud Deen al Qutz united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain

Jalut on Friday 25th Ramadhan 658 A.H. (6th September 1260 CE).

Qutz told his army to wait until they finished the Friday prayers (JummahSalah), sayng: "Do not fight them until it is sunset and the shadows appearand the winds stir, and the preachers and people start to implore Allah forus in their prayers", and thereafter the fighting began. Jullanar, the wife ofQutuz, was killed during the battle. He rushed towards her saying, "Oh mybeloved one". She told him while uttering her last breath, "Do not say

that, and care more for Islam." Her soul left her body after telling herhusband that the Jihad for the sake of Allah and Islam is more important

than love and personal relations. Qutz stood up saying "IslamahIslamah".The whole army repeated that word after him until they achieved theirvictory. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with thehelp of Allah (SWT), cunning strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed theMongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror.

Palestine, Battle of Hittin: 582 A.H.

In the year 582 A.H. (Ramadhan, 4th July 1187 C .E.) Salah ud-Deen alAyyubi with the Muslim Mujahideen of the Khilafah numbering 24,000cavalry and infantry, fought one of the most important battles in thehistory of Islam. Guy de Luisignan had recently become the supposedKing of Jerusalem and one year later, in 1187 C.E., he tried to halt Salah-ud-Din's advance from Damascus to Jerusalem, and so the two and theirarmies met at the Horns of Hittin. The famous historian, Ibn al Athir,collected a report from Salah-ud-Deen's son al Afdal concerning thebattle, which is as follows: When the king of the Franks [Guy] was on thehill with that band, they made a formidable charge against the Muslimsfacing them, so that they drove them back to my father (Saladin). I looked

towards him and he was overcome by grief and his complexion pale. Hetook hold of his beard and advanced, crying out "Give the lie to the Devil!"The Muslims ral lied, returned to the fight and climbed the hill. When I saw

that the Franks withdrew, pursued by the Muslims, I shouted for joy, "Wehave beaten them!" But the Franks rallied and charged again like the first

time and drove the Muslims back to my father. He acted as he had doneon the first occasion and the Muslims turned upon the Franks and drove

them back to the hill. I again shouted, "We have beaten them!" but myfather rounded on me and said, "Be quiet! We have not beaten them until

that tent (Guy's) falls." As he was speaking to me, the tent fell. The sultandismounted, prostrated himself in thanks to God Almighty and wept for

joy. (The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athr for the Crusading Period from al-Kmil

fi'l-ta'rkh by Izz al-Dn Ibn al-Athr, Part 2: The Years 541-589/1146-1193:The Age of Nur al-Din and Saladin, pg. 323.) Salah ud-Deen had comewith his army to the city of Jerusalem on 9th October 1187 C.E., a Friday,and the city was once again under the banner of Islam.Conclusion

Muslims, while acknowledging to problems of today, should take hear t thatin the past, Ramadan has borne witness to many instances of victory and

glory for the Muslims. This fact should motivate us to work harder for arevival upon the basis of Islam, so that once again, Ramadan can be aMonth of Victory, just as it was in the past, insha'Allah.

Ramadan 2010 and the State of the Ummah (Part 2)

The Middle East

In Palestine, the Israeli occupiers only make life worse for Arab Christianand Muslim alike. Day by day, the Zionists encroach on what little landremains to the Palestinians. Recently, Israel bulldozed three houses in East

Jerusalem in addition to 22 homes being slated for demolition in Silwan, allso there can be a landscaped public garden. In the same week in the WestBank, there were demolitions of houses in the north of Jordan Valley,where 90% of the land is already occupied by Israel. While the West Bankis recognized as belonging to Palestinians according to the supposedlyinfallible and authoritative international law, settlers continue to occupyland there, according to Israeli sources themselves. The recently publishedreport: By Hook or by Crook: Israeli Settlement Policy in the West Bankby Human Rights group B'Tselem, stated that 42% of West Bank territoryis now controlled by settlers, and the number continues to grow.Furthermore, by their own admissions:

"The settlement enterprise has been characterized, since its inception,by an instrumental, cynical, and even criminal approach to internationallaw...

-By Hook or by Crook: Israeli Settlement Policy in the West Bank- p.77

An Israeli bulldozerd e m o l i s h i n g aPalestinian house inEast Jerusalem on July13, 2010

Meanwhile in Gaza, thecit izens struggle tor e b u i l d a f t e r t h emassacre of 1 ,400people that occurredd u r i n g t h e G a z aMassacre of December2008 January 2009.This attack resulted in

the damaging loss of food production utilities such as flower-mills andchicken farms, in addition to water and sewage installations, numeroushouses, schools and hospitals and 324 factories, which subsequentlydestroyed 400,000 jobs. This has left Gazan citizens in a dire situationwherein they are bereft of any real ability to look after themselves or theirfamilies. This, in addition to the continuing naval blockade on Gaza has led

to what has been internationally dubbed as a Humanitarian Crisis', and ofcourse, the recent Flotilla incident shows Israel's commitment to maintain

this. It was on May 31st , that Israeli forces raided six ships from theFreedom Flotilla attempting to break the siege on Gaza. The raid endedwith the deaths of 9 Turkish Muslims at the hands of IDF troops, and acowardly attempt by the Israeli Government to justify their crimes byaccusing the Flotilla participants of being a threat, despite the fact that IDF

troops were armed with guns and suppor ted by the Israeli Navy. Thosewho chant upon International Law, or the Two-State Solution or

theMiddle East Peace Process, should know that these are sunkenships. Israel has no interest in compromise, or in peace. Rather, it is onlyinterested in keeping up it's encroachment of Palestine, and all the while

demolishing, and killing in order to further it's hegemonic ambitions. Andof course, any who seek to intervene will also have the endure the Zionistbrutality, as demonstrated by the Flotilla incident. Meanwhile, the Muslimrulers look on and do nothing about what is evident before them. DespiteIsrael throwing it's weight around the Muslim World, the ArabGovernments amount to no tangible action. Hosni Mubarak, the Presidentof Egypt, not only helped the Israelis in killing Muslims during the GazaMassacre, by closing the Rafah Border to refugees and keeping his armyon a leash, but also by paying lip service to the blockade. Despite hisempty rhetoric, he still has relations with Israel and continues to defy hispeople and army, holding them back from action. Mubarak showed us hisapathy and disregard for the lives of Muslims when he openly stated thefollowing:

The Egyptian army is for defending Egypt only and this is not going tochange

-Press Trust of India Cairo, July 26th, 2006

In like manner, all of the rulers are the same in that they verbally attackIsrael, only to back out when it comes to a display of action. Both Egyptand Jordan have historically signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and1994, and have continued to have trade agreements up until today:


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Exports to Jordan rose 8% to US$53.1 million in January-May 2006 fromUS$49.2 million in the corresponding period in 2005. Exports to Egyptrose 93% to US$48.7 million in January-May 2006, from US$25.2 millionin the corresponding period in 2005. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Laborforeign division director Boaz Hirsch said that the main goal of the QIZagreements is to promote regional, commercial and industrial cooperationbetween the USA, Israel and her two neighbors.

-Israel Export and International Co-operation Institute website ar ticle -Data released last week by the Foreign Trade Division of the Ministry ofIndustry, Trade and Labor showed that Israels expor ts to Egypt and Jordan

in January-May 2006 increased, thanks to the Qualifying Industrial Zone(QIZ) export agreements with Israel's two neighboring countries.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is the same, having just recently given Israelpermission to use it's airspace in order to attack Iran. Meir Dagan,Moassad's director, held talks with Saudi officials and managed to reach

this agreement with them. The Israeli press also carried reports of EhudOlmert holding talks with Saudi officials quite recently which resulted in

the green light being given to attack the Muslims in Iran using Saudiairspace. The article stated:

The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through theirairspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests ofboth Israel and Saudi Arabia,

-The Sunday Times, July 5th 2009 Saudis Give Nod to Israel raid onIran

Then of course, there is Turkish Prime Minister Racep Tayyep Erdogan,(supposedly the new hero of the Muslim World) because of his harshwords towards Israel in light of the Flotilla Attack and other events. Whileon the periphery, he may look like a stalwart champion of Islam, this ismerely a facade. Despite the fact that 9 who died in the raid were Turkishcitizens, Erdogan does not break relations with Israel. He still maintains theTurkish-Israeli Free Trade Agreement from 2000, wherein Turkey annuallyimports $1.5 billion dollars worth of goods from Israel, and contributes $1billion dollars worth of exports to the Israeli economy. Erdogan has alsoagreed start work on a project revolving around the construction of fivepipelines that would extend from Turkey's Mediterranean coast to Israel,

transpor ting natural gas, water, electricity, and an estimated 40 million tonsof oil. While there is talk of other countries benefiting from this, theseother benefactors would include the Chinese, Russian and IndianGovernments, who have their own designs for the Muslims of Xinjiang,

Central Asia and Pakistan respectively. Furthermore, Erdogan, (despite hisIslamist worldview), has failed to even l ift the Hijab ban in Turkey, despitegrowing Islamic sentiments amongst the youth.

In addition, Erdogan's National Security Council (NSC) itself containsZionist sympathizers, as shown when Israeli newspaper Haaretz obtained

the following response from NSC ministers in February 2009:

"You have to understand the historical aspect of our relations. We theTurks still have an Ottoman view of the region, whereby it's more naturalfor us to have ties with Israel than with the Arab countries, (despite theprevious historical inaccuracies, he went on to say) "The Arabs' betrayal of

the empire is rooted in our consciousness. The cultural rivalry with Iran isalso part of our informal education. Israel and the Jews are our real allies,".-Haaretz, February 22nd 2009 article - Why we need Turkey

The problem of Israel never ceases, and it is only because the rulers in theMuslim world hold the armies back and enrich Israel with resources andsupport, that it still continues to be a thorn in the side of the MuslimUmmah. In the meantime, the Muslims of the Arab countries sufferwidespread poverty and hunger. Wages continue to be generally low, and

job creation is not even on the minds of the Governments, let alone apriority. Any who seek to speak out against the tyrant governments in thisregion are harshly silenced, abused and often imprisoned for speaking outagainst their complicity to help the Israelis continually insert theirdominance over the Middle East. The Zionist State acts as the West alwaysintended it to, as a colonial outpost in the Muslim World. At this point, it isappropriate to quote David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel,who summed up the role of the Muslim Rulers perfectly:

"If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. Itis normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us,but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There hasbeen Anti - Antisemitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that theirfault? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen theircountry. Why would they accept that?"

-David Ben-Gurion quoted by Nahum Goldmann in Le Paraddoxe Juif(The Jewish Paradox), p121

Iraq has also known no rest. One of Obama's main campaign strengthswhen he was running for office, was that if he was elected, he would

withdraw American troops from Iraq. However, we now see a moresubtle continuation of the occupation, despite the commonly held idea

that American forces would withdraw in 2011. The U.S Department ofState has asked the Pentagon to provide a number of different weaponsand military personnel to form what the media has called a mini army inIraq. Despite the billions that America spent in order to equip Iraq's ownarmy, it is still committed to a permanent presence in the region bykeeping it's own forces there. Patrick Henry, the State Department'sUndersecretary of Management, has ordered hundreds of millions worthof equipment, including 4 Black Hawk helicopters, 50 bomb-resistantvehicles, heavy cargo trucks, fuel trailers, and high-tech surveillancesystems, in addition to the deployment of private military contractors (notBlackwater this time) but KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root) inc., otherwiseknown as Halliburton. KBR has been militarily involved in Kosovo andIraq, and in terms of construction missions, they helped establish bases in

the notorious Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, and they have also helped toconstruct portions of the even more infamous Guantanamo Bay. The

former U.S Vice President (and partner in crime with George W. Bush),Dick Cheney, was also chairman and CEO of KBR from 1995 2000, itseems as though Obama and Cheney have similar tastes. The supposedchange between this U.S Government and the last was not so great as

the faces have changed, but the tools and colonialist agendas remain thesame. The media reported that Kennedy wrote a letter to Ashton Carter,

the U.S Defense Department's Undersecretary for Acquisition andTechnology on April 7th 2010, wherein it said the following:

After the departure of U.S. forces, we will continue to have a criticalneed for logistical and life-support of a magnitude and scale ofcomplexity that is unprecedented in the history of the Department ofState"

- Patrick Kennedy as quoted by The Washington Times, June 16th 2010article State Department creating mini-army in Iraq

Israeli forces approach one of six ships bound for Gaza in theMediterranean Sea. June 2010


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In the meantime, the political parties and shabby coalitions of Nouri alMaliki and Ayad Allawi, are too busy trying to grasp the illusory mantle ofpolitical power that America has created for them. After the 2010 IraqiParliamentary Elections (having been marred by numerous allegations ofvoting rigging and fraud even before they began) both Maliki and Allawiclaimed their victory, and so the political squabbling ensued. Meanwhile,Iraq faces not only the threat of continued occupation, but also bombblasts occurring across the country. Four were killed in a bomb blastoutside the office of the al Arabiya TV Channel in Baghdad on July 26th.On the very same day, two car bombs have killed 40 and injured 68 near

the city of Karbala. These are only the most recent in scores of blasts that

have shaken the country since the beginning of the violence caused by the2003 U.S invasion. While the country is submerged in chaos, it seems as

though all the political class can do, is engage in an ongoing tug-of-warover the leadership of a broken country. As of this date, a Prime Ministerhas still not been appointed, nor has a government been formed. On July27th, the Iraqi Parliament had to (for the second time) postpone it's firstsession due to the failure of the various coalitions to agree upongovernment formation.

Of course, whenever the new government is formed, it will be just ascorrupt as it's predecessors. It is a matter of fact, that the democracywhich the U.S has given Iraq has not been blessed with a good trackrecord. Despite the American rhetoric of bringing stability and goodgovernance, we see that people like Ayad Allawi (a former despot andmember of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party) is allowed to run for office.Furthermore, it seems as though he has not given up his old ways in so far

as he has taken on the Ba'athist tradition of running a highly corruptgovernments. When he was Prime Minister from 2004-2005, severalministries within his government (including from the Ministers of Defense,Transport, Interior, Electricity etc.) have been accused in embezzlingbillions of dollars. Transparency International's CPI for 2004 found thatAllawi's Iraq tied for 6th place in terms of corruption levels. Maliki is nobetter, as under his leadership, corruption also ran rife, such to the extent

that Transparency International's most recent CPI in 2009 found thatMaliki's Iraq was at 5h place. Whoever, takes the mantle of polit ical powerin Iraq, does not change the fact that Iraq's future looks no brighter now

than it ever did. The U.S subtly plans to continue it's occupation, and in themeantime, we have politicians who do nothing but argue over who will beable to boast about running the next corrupt government.

While the Americans keep spouting the buzzwords of peace, stabilityand democracy for the middle-east, they keep up suppor t for Israel,which is the major source of war and conflict in the region. They also

started a war in Iraq which killed over a million people. In addition, theycontinue to prop up the various Muslim Rulers who are disinterested in

their people's affairs and only care only about themselves and appeasing their western masters. While the Muslims of the Middle-East suffer acombination of blockades, hunger, poverty and mass killings, these corruptgovernments seem interested only in blowing up their egos, and evenworse, complying with the U.S and Israel, the major sources of fear for

their own people. This Ramadan, the region will remain in this chaoticstate, until the Muslims unify and elect a ruler who does not just give lip-service to Islam, but who also lives by it's political ethics. It is only this kindof ruler that can remove occupation, stamp out corruption and bring anend to the miserable condition of Muslims here.


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The Ramadan Moon-sighting:

What is the Islamic Rulingon the matter?

Ramadhan is the month in which the Quran was revealed,

guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance

nd as a criterion (al-Furqan)" [TMQ Al Baqarah: 185]

nfortunately the reality today is that people begin Ramadhan on different

ys and have Eid on different days even in one country and one city. We

ust understand the reasons why people differ on this matter, the arguments

ey put forward and the hukm shari regarding this matter according to the

amic evidences.

is important to understand that the sources of Shariah for us are the

uran & Sunnah fundamentally. Our emotions, public opinion, the view of

e majority, norms, customs, etc do not determine the shariah rules.Given the importance about this issue we need to look into this matter in a

t of detail. Let us go through the evidences from Quran and Hadith in

der to get a clear picture about this issue.

lah (swt) says in the Quran:

They ask you about the crescents. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed

eriods of time in the affairs of men and for pilgrimage. [TMQ 2:189]

e (swt) also says:

Whoever witnesses the crescent of the month, he must fast the

onth." [TMQ 2:185]

ukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Abdullah Ibnu Omar (may Allah be

eased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) mentioned Ramadhan and said:

Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break fast till you see it; but if the

eather is cloudy complete it (thirty days)."

fter reading the above evidences certain issues arise. I have tried to discuss all

ossible issues and their possible arguments in this article.

ue No. 1: Fasting is restricted to sighting by distance/location.

here could be three possible interpretations.

1. Only those who see the moon should fast.

2. The sighting of a Muslim is binding on all the Muslims of this world.

3. The sighting of a Muslim is valid only for a specific geographical location

up to a certain distance.

he first interpretation is not held by anyone and is absurd so we need not discuss it.

he second understanding is correct, which this article is going to establish, inshallah.

tially, however, let us review the arguments related to the third option.

he verb Sumu Do fast is in the plural form, therefore includes all Muslims all over

e world. Furthermore, the word Ruayateh 'sighting' has also come in a general form:

When it is sighted" or "If it is sighted." This means that it includes any sighting, and it

oes not merely apply to the person who sights the new moon, nor does it specifically

ply only to the people of his own country, for the address which orders the fast and

e breaking of the fast is general and comprehensive, as is the address concerning the

ghting, therefore, the rule is general. So to restrict the sighting of the moon to aecific people or a specific geography is incorrect.

he command is not for individual Muslims to sight the moon and then begin fasting or

to

make Eid based upon their personal sighting. Even the Prophet (saw) used to begin

fasting when he had not personally seen the moon but a Muslim had reported to him

that they had seen it. Ibn Umar (ra) reported, "During the time of the Prophet (saas),

the companions went looking for the new crescent. So I told the Prophet (saw) that I

saw it. So he fasted and told the companions to fast." [Abu Dawud & Hakim]

Therefore, the command of fasting and of breaking the fast when the new moon is

sighted is a command which addresses all Muslims all over the world. So for example if

the new moon was sighted in Morocco on Friday night, and was not sighted in

Indonesia on Friday night but on Saturday night, the people of lndonesia must act upon

the sighting of the new moon in Morocco i.e. they must therefore begin the fast on

Friday if the new moon was that of Ramadhan. If they did not fast that day they should

compensate for that day because the obligation to fast has been confirmed by the

sighting of the new moon by any Muslim anywhere in the wor ld. Also, if the new moon

was that of Shawwal, they should break their fast when news about the sightingreaches them even if they did not sight it themselves, for the moment the sighting is

confirmed, they must break their fast, and it would be sinful for them to continue

fasting.Therefore, the Shari'ah rule states that if the people of one country sighted the

new moon, it would be exactly as if all the Muslims have sighted it as well, therefore

they should all fast if it is the new moon of Ramadhan, and they should all break fast if

it is the new moon of Shawwal. This is the rule of Allah (swt) according to the Shari'ah

texts.

During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saw), the Muslims used to begin the fast

on the same day and break it on the same day despite the fact that they lived indifferent areas, and this serves as another Shari'ah evidence that the sighting of the

new moon in one area obliges all the Muslims to fast together on the same day and

break fast together on the same day.

As for the confusion of those who claim that the beginning of the fast and the end of

the fast i.e. the day of Eid could be different, this can be summarized in the following

four points:


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Argument No. 1: Statement of Ibn AbbasThe first argument of those who claim that the beginning of the fast andthe break of fast vary by some specific distance or geographical location,is deduced from the narration reported by Muslim on the authority ofKurayb who reported that Umm-ul-Fadhl Bintu-l-Harith sent him toMu'awiya in Al-Sham; he said: I arrived in Al-Sham and did business forher (Umm-ul-Fadhl Bintu-l-Harith). It was there in Al-Sham that themonth of Ramadhan commenced. I saw the new moon of Ramadhan onFriday. I then came back to Madina at the end of the month, AbdullahIbnu Abbas (R) asked me about the new moon of Ramadhan and said:"When did you see it? I said: We saw it on the night of Friday, He said:

Did you see it yourself? I said: Yes, and the people also saw it andobserved the fast and Mu'awiya also observed the fast; whereupon hesaid: But we saw it on Saturday night. Some would continue to observefast till we complete thirty (fasts) or we see it (the new moon ofShawwal). I said: Is the sighting of the moon by Mu'awiya not valid foryou? He said: No, this is how the Messenger of Allah (saw) hascommanded us."

Those who claim that the beginning of fasting and the break of fast mayvary, use this Hadith as evidence; they argue that Ibnu Abbas ignored thesighting of the people of Al-Sham and said at the end of the Hadith: Thisis how the Messenger of Allah (saw) has commanded us. This indicatedthat Ibnu Abbas learned from the Messenger of Allah (saw) that thepeople of one region are not obliged to act upon the sighting of anotherregion; they also argue that this Hadith serves as a specification and anexplanation of the Hadith of the sighting. The answer to this claim is that

this repor t is not a Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (saw) but the Ijtihadof a Sahabi, and the Ijtihad of the Sahabi is not comparable to the Hadithof the Prophet (saw). The fact that Ibnu Abbas (R) did not act upon thesighting of the people of Al-Sham reflects an Ijtihad and it cannot beused as a Shari 'ah evidence; and besides, the Ijtihad is always nullified bythe general Shari'ah evidence, thus the Hadith must be acted uponahead of the Ijtihad which has to be abandoned.

Imam Al-Shawkani explained the Hadith as follows, he wrote in his bookentitled Nayl-ul Awtar the following: "I realise that the evidence is derivedfrom the report of Ibnu Abbas and not from his Ijtihad (exertion) whichpeople understood as such, and what is referred in his saying: "This ishow the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded us.", is his saying (i.e. IbnuAbbas): So we are still fasting until we complete thirty days; and thecommand of the Messenger of Allah (saw) lies in the Hadith extractedby the two Sheikhs (i.e. Bukhari and Muslim) among others with thefollowing wording: "Do not fast till you see the new moon and do not

break fast till you see the new moon, and if the sky were cloudy, thencomplete it as thirty days." And this does not specifically apply for thepeople of one region to the exclusion of others but to all theMuslims." (Nayl ul- Awtar, volume 4, page 268)

Argument No. 2: Different Time-zones?If someone argues that as Saudi Arabia is two hours ahead of Pakistanand because of this difference its not possible to sight the moon thesame night in Pakistan as in Saudia, this would lead to mean that as theworld can be divided into 24 different time zones, at least there shouldbe 12 different starting dates for Ramadhan. Would anyone agree withthis?.Argument No. 3: Classical Scholars held a different opinion?Another argument could be after coming across the opinion of onesingle sighting being enough for the whole of the Muslim world that why

havent the classical scholars given the same opinion. Actually that is notthe case, contrary to this, 3 of the 4 Imams have had this opinion as willbe clear after reading the evidence below. Also, the only Imam, ImamShafi and some of his followers hold both opinions. Secondly, they areexcused for not understanding this deduction from the Shariah rule, forat that time, they were not in a position to clearly realise the movementsof the ear th, sun and the new moon. They did not know that thedifference in the rise of the new moon between the farthest two pointsin the world does not exceed twelve hours.

Now coming to the evidences about the opinions held by the 4 Aima(plural of Imam) many of the classical scholars have stated this view.Imam Kasanee of the Hanafi Madhab said in his book Bada as-Sanai thatfollowing other than one sighting for the whole Ummah is Bida(innovation). This indicates how weak he felt that the other Ijtihad is.Imam Juzairi said in Fiqh al Madhahib al Arbaa, Volume 1, Pp 550 (TheFiqh of the four schools of thought), gives two views of the Hanafis

regarding this: 1) The sighting of the moon by any Muslim should beaccepted whether slave, free, man or woman without inquiring whetherthey are just or not, 2) The justness should be verified by a Qazi (judge).

Ibn Taymiyyah concluded: "To summarize: a person who learns about thesighting of the moon in good time to be able to utilise it for fasting, for

ending his fast, or for sacrifice, he must definitely do so. The texts [ofIslam] and the reports about the Salaf point to this. To limit this to acertain distance or country would contradict both the reason and theShar` (Islamic law)." (Al-Fatawa, volume 5, page 111)

Darra-Mukhtar, the famous book of Hanafi Fiqh states: If people living inthe West sight the moon, it becomes obligatory for the people living inthe East to act on that. ( Darra-Mukhtar, Volume 1, page 149)

Various books on Hanafi fiqh like Alamgiri, Khania, Fatah-al-Qadeer, BaharAr-Raiq, Tahtawi, Zaili etc. also mention it this way.

In addition to Hanafi fiqh, Hanbali and Malaki fiqh also dont regard theissue of Ikhtalaf of Matali. Alama Shami writes in his book that, Wedisregard the concept of Ikhtalaf of Matala as does the Hanbalis and theMalikis. (Shami, Volume 4, Pp 105)

Even some Shaafi scholars disregard Ikhtelaf al-Matala, like Imam NawawiShafi writes, Some of our scholars have said that the sighting of themoon in one area is valid for the whole of this world. (Sahih Muslim,Volume 1, Pp 348)

Argument No. 4: Astronomical Calculations as an alternative:It is worth mentioning here that the astrological calculations used todetermine in advance when the month of Ramadhan starts and ends donot serve as a substitute for the actual sighting, for the texts mentioned

the "sighting"; there is however no harm in using the calculations to help

determine the appropriate time to start monitoring the new moon. Asfor the governments who use these calculations instead of the sighting, their actions contradict the clear texts, and therefore their actions areunlawful and the Muslims are forbidden from relying on theirannouncements.

All the Ahadith connected to the sighting of the moon contain the wordruyatehe which is derived from the word raa. People who support

the idea of calculating the birth of the moon for Ramadan misuse theword raa. While the word raa could mean knowledge, it is not correct

to apply this meaning here because of the following reasons:

1. Raa, when referring to a single object, means to visualize that object through the eye, i.e. he saw the moon. However, if raa refers to twoobjects, it could mean to know, i.e. he knew the correct opinion.

2. If raa is used in reference to a tangible object, it means to visualize the

object through the eye. However, if it is used to present an idea or anabstract thing, then it could mean knowledge. Thus, since the Ahadithrefer to the moon, which is a tangible object, raa here means to visualizesight.

Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet (saaw) said: (in translation): Weare ummiyah (unlettered) people, we neither write nor calculate. Themonth is this way and that, sometimes 29 days and sometimes 30.

Those who calculate say that the command in this Hadith, i.e. to sight themoon, is accompanied by a reason (illah) which justifies the command.This justification being that the Ummah was unlettered (We neitherwrite nor calculate). The ruling in terms of its validity goes only as far asits justification. If the Ummah has emerged from its unlettered state andis able to write and calculate, it becomes essential to rely on calculationalone. However, this argument is incor rect due to the following:

1. The description of the Ummah in this Hadith, Ummiyah, does notimply an i llah (legal reason). Ummiyah could mean Arab. [TMQ 62:2].We neither naktub (write) nor nahsib (calculate)... Nahsib in theHadith carries several meanings such as: we do not use astronomicalcalculations to determine the legal Sharii beginning and end of themonth; nor do we practice astrology, etc. Nahsib does not meangeneral calculations because Muslims are commanded by the Shariah tofollow the laws of Zakah, inheritance etc. which do involve extensivecalculations.


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The claim that the Hadith describes the condition of the Ummah at thetime of the Prophet (saaw) is false.

2. Further, even if this condition is considered an illah (reason), Qiyason this issue is invalid. Firstly, there can be no Qiyas in Ibadaat (ritualworships). Secondly, it contradicts the definite meaning in texts of thenumerous Ahadith which clearly illustrate that the sabab (cause) forfasting is the sighting of the moon (like the setting of the sun is thesabab for maghrib prayers).

Therefore, it is quite clear that the arguments presented to justify thebeginning of Ramadan through the use of calculations are invalid. Theonly way to determine the arrival of Ramadan is through sighting themoon.

In the Tafseer of Al-Qurtabi, Ibn Nafi'e (ra) reported that Imam Malikbin Anas (ra) said: "If you see an Imam who does not begin and endfasting by way of sighting, but begins fasting by calculation, he should notbe followed in prayer or emulated." The renowned scholar Ibn Al'Arabisaid, "Some of our people erred when they reported that Imam Shaf'irelied on calculations." Ibn Al-'Arabi commented, "The report is baselessand falsehood." [Tafseer Al-Qurtabi]

Issue No. 3: Following the majori tyToday some people advocate that we must follow what the majority ispracticing, they attempt to misquote Islamic texts about Holding on to

the Jamaa and they misinterpret these to mean the Jumhoor majority.Islam has obliged sticking to the jama'ah of Muslims under an Imam

(Khalif) not to the majority.

Al-Bukhari narrated about Bisr ibn Obaydellah al-Hadhrami that heheard Abu Idrees al-Khoolani say that he heard Huthaifah ibn al-Yamansaying: "The people used to ask the Prophet of Allah (saw) about thegood and I used to ask him about the bad in fear that it might catch me.So I said: O Prophet of Allah! We were in times of jahilliyah and mischief

then Allah brought us this good, so is there any mischief after this good?He (saw) said: Yes. I said: Will there be any good after that mischief? Hesaid: Yes, and it has smoke. I said: What is its smoke? He said: (Some)people guide without any guidance, you recognise some (from them)and deny some. I said: Will there be a mischief after that good? He said:Yes, (some) people who invite at the doors of hell, whoever accepted

their invitation they throw him in it (hell). I said: O Prophet of Allah,describe them to us. He said: They are of our own skin (of our people)and talk our language. I said: What do you order me to do if that(matter) caught me? He said: Adhere to the jama'ah of Muslims and

their Imam. I said: What if the Muslims have no jama'ah nor an Imam? Hesaid: Then you abandon all those groups, even if you have to grab withyour teeth the trunk of a tree till death comes to you as such."

This hadith is clear in its expression that the Prophet (saw) ordersMuslims to adhere to the jama'ah of Muslims and to adhere to theirImam, and to leave those who invite people to the doors of hell. When

the questioner asked him that in case the Muslims have no Khalif and nojama'ah what he has to do in regard with those who call at the doors ofhell, the Prophet (saw) ordered him to abandon these groups, not todisassociate himself from the Muslims nor to abstain from the action forestablishing a Khalif. So his order is clear, disassociate yoursel f from all

those groups, and he emphasised the dissociation of those groups even to the extent that his isolation from them would make him clench tothe trunk of a tree until death comes to him.

Issue No. 4: Following the RulersLet there be no doubt that the rulers which are in authority upon us areneither good Muslims, nor are they implementing Islam. But had theybeen good Muslims and sincere in implementing Islam, even then it mustbe clear that if they commit acts of sin, not only that we cannot follow

them, but we are obliged by Islam to enjoin the good and forbid the evilby accounting them.

The Prophet (saw) said: "The master of martyrs (sayyid al-shuhada) isHamza, and a man who stands up to a tyrant ruler and gives him nasiha(advice). And so the ruler kills him"

Conclusion: Why is it people follow only the sighting in their nation? Who hascreated the border s between these nations? The Kuffar. Why is it that inDelhi people will follow the sighting in any other part of India but not ofPakistan when it is geographically closer than many parts within Indiaitself like Kerala or Tamil Nadu. In Pakistan people will not follow thesighting of Bangladesh but before 1971 when it was East Pakistan theywould, why? Similarly the Matala of Kandahar and Jalalabad is the sameas that of NWFP, but still the sighting of the moon in Karachi would beaccepted but that of Jalalabad is deemed as unacceptable. What I want

to highlight here is that even though there is shuba of daleel in thisissue, but most of our people dont know it and their difference is notbased upon that shuba, rather it has to do with nationalistic emotions, ifnot ignorance.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, He is not one of us who calls forasabiyyah, (nationalism) or who fights for asabiyyah or who dies forasabiyyah. [Abu Dawud]

O Muslims! When you hear that a Muslim country, any country, nomatter how near or how far, declares that it has been confirmedaccording to the lawful way that the new moon of Ramadhan has beensighted, you must begin your fast, and you are forbidden to wait for theruler or the Mufti in your part of the world to give you permission tofast, and when you hear that a Muslim countr y, no matter how near orhow far, has declared that the sighting of the moon of Shawwal has beenconfirmed, by relying on the method recognised by Shari'ah, you mustbreak your fast and celebrate the Eid, you are forbidden from waiting for

the ruler's or the Mufti's permission to celebrate Eid. You fast and youbreak fast by the command of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), notby the command of those disbelieving mischievous rulers, and not by

the command of those Muftis who are more anxious to please therulers rather than to please Allah (swt). . Mu'az narrated: I said: OMessenger of Allah. What do you think if we had leaders who do notfollow your Sunnah and do not adopt your order; in what do you orderregarding their affair? The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: There is noobedience to the one who does not obey Allah 'azza wa jall.


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Ramadan 2010 and the State ofthe Ummah (Part 3)

Muslims in Britain and the West

Muslims in The West are under ideological attack.Muslims living here are no strangers to the variouscontroversies caused by those secular Governmentsand other individuals who, according to their variousmotives, wish to put the Muslim communities hereunder the spotlight. We all remember the satirizingDanish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), weremember the attacks Pope Benedict made againstProphet Muhammad (PBUH), and we remember theuproar that was caused by Rowan Williams'comments on the Islamic Shari'ah, and the caricaturesof the divine law that followed. Recently however,

there have been a cluster of new events to add tothe list.

The new Conservative-led Government has seen fit to demonstrate it'shostility to Islam by banning Dr. Zakir Naik and Shaykh Bilal Phillips from

the country, despite the fact that both speakers rarely tackle politicalissues, and despite their widespread popularity within the MuslimCommunity. The more overt and publicized of the two cases was Dr.Naik, who Home Secretary Theresa May commented upon, saying: Ihave excluded Dr Naik from the UK. Numerous comments made by Dr

Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behavior. Coming to theUK is a privilege not a right and I am not wiling to allow those whomight not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK.

Not long afterward, Shaykh Phillips was also excluded from the country,though this time, the Home Office made no great show of it (most likelyso their reputation in the eyes of the Muslim Community would not getany worse), however Shaykh Phillips made this matter public on his blog,where he said: Well, the inevitable finally happened. At least the BritishHome Secretary called Dr Naik in Mumbai prior to his trip and told himnot to come. I arrived to London this Saturday morning, 19 June, at 8amonly to be denied entry and put back on a plane at 11am back toDoha!!!

The Government has demonstrated it'shypocrisy by banning Dr. Naik and Shaykh Phillips.

While these erudite speakers are banned, British politicians have noproblem with far-right fascists such as Geert Wilders entering thecountry, despite his overt bigotry:

"The heart of the problem is the fascist Islam, the sick ideology of Allah and

Mohammed as it is laid out in the Islamic Mein Kampf: the Quran."

Geert Wilders , De Volkskrant, 8 August 2007

"I don't believe that cultures are equal. Our culture is much better than theretarded Islamic culture."

Geert Wilders, Fox News channel, 25 January 2008

"I want to tear down mosks" (..) "I'll be the first to go with cement andbricks to close down those mosks.

Geert Wilders, De Limburger, 4 September 2004

In spiteof these comments, politicians such as UKIP founder Lord

Malcolm Pearson and UKIP supporter Baroness Caroline Cox, saw fit toinvite Geert Wilders into Britain so he could screen his anti-Islamicpropaganda film Fitna and give a speech in the House of Lords, whichhe subsequently did. While he was not invited by the Conservatives,

those who did invite him are both former members of that party, andboth have the same right-wing political affiliations as David Cameron.

Furthermore, Conservative MPChris Grayling said that theprevious Government had toapp ly UK en t ry c r i te r i aconsistently, and yet theymake make no public statementbanning Wilders, despite hisplans to establish an anti-Islamicmovement later this year thatwill have branches in fivecountries, including Britain.

The government knows theyhave lost the debate concerning

the ideas that the Muslimcommunity hold. They havefailed in trying to secularize us,and so they resort to censureand bans on key Islamicspeakers whose views they

don't agree with as a last resort, all the while ignoring fascists such asGeert Wilders. Dr. Naik and Shaykh Phil lips are well known andrespected figures amongst Muslims in the West, and their being bannedis a clear demonstration of this government's clear hostility towardsMuslims in Britain.

Furthermore, Muslim women continue to be put under unnecessaryscrutiny. Conservative MP Phillip Hollobone decided to attempt at fiveseconds of fame by launching the first legal bid to ban the Burqa in

Britain, saying that the Burqa: "...is the religious equivalent of going roundwith a paper bag over your head with two holes for the eyes. This kindof attitude has been echoed all throughout Europe. In France andBelgium, the lower houses of parliament have passed a legal bill thatbans Muslim women from veiling their face in public. Nicholas Sarkozywent as far to say quite frankly: "It will not be welcome on the territoryof the French republic." Furthermore, parts of Spain and Italy have alsoforced a ban, in addition to growing anti-Burqa sentiments in Austria,Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands.

It is this climate created by western Governments, that has led to thesingling out of Muslim women within wider society. This can beexemplified last week when two Sisters from Slough were told to getstep off a metroline bus, because one of the pair had veiled her face. Asreported in the Dai ly Telegraph on July 24th, the driver told them: I amnot going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat. The

situation has become so bad, that women are even physically attacked. Arecent example in this case would be when 26 year old William Balkie,who decided to rip off a Muslim woman's veil as she walked through

the streets of Glasgow, Scotland.

Attacks against Islam and Muslims occur outside of Europe also. InAustralia, Senator Cory Bernardi jumped on the bandwagon by saying: Iconsider the most public symbol of fundamentalist Islam in Australia is

the face-covering veil," . In addition, he has attempted to have it bannedin his country. In America, a Florida Church named Dove WorldOutreach Center has organized an International Burn a Koran Day.Their Facebook page contains the following Mission Statement: To bring

to awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leadingpeople to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can leadpeople to so we want to put the Koran in it s place the fire! Speakingof Facebook, it was they who hosted the Everybody Draw Muhammad

Day, wherein hundreds of bigots drew multiple insulting cartoons ofMuhammad (PBUH), and of course, all of this was committed the nameof Freedom of Expression, and Freedom of Speech.

These attacks will only keep coming. Consequently, Muslims need toarticulate an intellectual response to the attacks made against them and

their Deen. Additionally, they need to engage people and groups such asthose above, and the wider soc iety in order to give Da'wah. However, itis necessary to understand, that the only means by which Islam can onlyenjoy a robust defense, is when Muslims unify under the banner ofIslam, and until that happens, these attacks will not only continue, butincrease in their severity. The fact remains that entire governments have

taken to attacking or misrepresenting Islam, and so we must ultimatelyrealize that the same tool is necessary for us in order to fight backagainst this onslaught. Muslims need an Islamic Government that willchampion their cause, and defend their Deen from those governmentsand peoples that attack it.

Muslim women continue to be targeted, by thug and politician alike.


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The Vital Issue

Indeed, this writer could take example after example, and show thediverse and widespread suffering that the Muslim Ummah endures. Imake no exaggeration when I say that every Ramadan, an entire bookcould be written about the issues of corrupt rulers, occupation, bigotryand all the rest, though simply writing this short article was depressingenough. We may ask ourselves about what could be done concerning

these problems. We live in an era wherein Islam and Muslims are metwith more hostility than ever before in history, and this correlates with

the fact that this is the same era that saw the destruction of the Islamic

Khilafah 89 years ago, on the March 3rd 1924. It is in this context, thatwe should look at our reality. We live in a world wherein we have nosincere Islamic leadership that protects the the blood of the Muslims,and the honor of their Deen. In the Islamic tradition, it is the Khilafah,headed by a Khalif (Islamic Ruler), that carries out the job of defendingIslam and Muslims from any manner of attack. The Prophet (PBUH) said:Verily, the Imam (leader) is a shield behind whom you fight, and behindwhom you are protected. (Bukhari and Muslim) We have been told byour Prophet (PBUH) that it is the Islamic Ruler (be he called Imam,Khalif, Sultan etc.) who is to rule us by Qur'an and Sunnah. ImamNawawi (ra) when commenting upon this Hadith , said: (The scholars)consented that it is an obligation upon the Muslims to select aKhalif (Sharh Sahih Muslim, vol. 12, pg. 205) This obligation stands for al l

time, and so it is an obligation upon the Muslims of this generation to dothat which those of the previous generations did, and that is not just topray and fast, but also to give the Ba'yah (oath of allegiance) to a trueIslamic ruler, so that those who suffer would suffer no more, and beprotected. While some may say this is pie-in-the-sky rhetoric, historyshows us a very different perspective on the Khilafah and the immenseservice it did to the Muslims not just in terms of liberating them, but alsoproviding a vibrant, colorful and prosperous society.

Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan are in chaos, yet historically, it was onlyyesterday that Muhammad bin Qasim was ordered by the UmmayadGovernment to open up that part of the world to Islam by conqueringit in 712 C.E. It was under Islamic rule, that that al-Hind (historical India,Pakistan, Bangladesh etc.) excelled in Mathematics and the sciences. Itwas the second Abbasid Khalif, al Mansur, who acted as a patron toIndian scholars to produce, preserve and translate works onTrigonometry, Astronomy and Medicine. It was the Mughal ruler,Muhammad Shah, who commissioned the building of the Jantar MantarObservatory at Delhi in 1724. It was Jai Singh, Maharajah of Jaipur, whoconstructed observatories in Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain and other Indian cities.

Furthermore, it was under Islam, that al Hind brought forth greatarchitecture and philosophy. It was the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, whocommissioned the building the now famous Taj Mahal. And it was during

this same era the great Islamic scholars and sound minded philosopherslike the great Shah Walilullah Dehlavi emerged.

This all took place while al Hind was at one with the Khilafah, as statedby historians themselves: Throughout its existence the Delhi Sultanate(1205-1526), remained a legal part of the worldwide Muslim empirefunctioning under the de jure suzerainty of the Abbasid caliphs. Sultansconsidered themselves the deputies of the caliph and derived theirvalidity of their administrative and legal authority only on the basis ofdelegation. Since the supreme authority of the community legallyremained with the caliph, every king and potentate claimed to exercisegovernmental power for, and on behalf of the Imam of Islam.(Shashi S.Sharma, Caliphs and Sultans Religious ideology and political praxis, pg.247) This unity with the Khilafah was maintained even throughout the

time of the Uthmani (Ottoman) State, their links with the MughalsIndians was described as follows: Muhammad Shah Bahamani III(1463-82), paid tributes to the Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II as theone deserving to be the Khalifah. The kingdom of Bijapur adopted theTurkish (Uthmani) symbol as its royal emblem. Malik Ayaz, one of heleading nobles of Gujarat addressed Sultan Salim I as Khalifah on earth.Subtle evidences of the great esteem in which Mughal rulers held theSultan of Turkey can also be gleaned from the few correspondences thatflew between Delhi and IstanbulIn a letter to Sultan Suleiman,Humayun (ruler of India) addressed him as the Khalifah of the highestqualities and prayed for eternal perpetuation of his caliphate. He quotesa Quranic verse to indicate to the Sultan that He (God) has sent theeas the Khalifah on the earthSultan Ibrahim sent a letter to Shahjahanin which he proclaimed himself as the Refuge and asylum of themonarchs of the world who has been bestowed the good fortune tooccupy the throne of Khilafat. Ahmad Aqa, the Turkish envoy brought a

missive from his Sultan to the court of Aurangzeb in 1690 which was thick with Quranic quotations and references to the Sultan as theKhalifah of Islam. In 1723, Muhammad Shah (1719-1748) resumedMughal correspondence with the Porte in Istanbul. In his letter,Muhammad Shah styles the Sultan the asylum of the greatest Sultans,

the protector of the most honored kings, the adorner of the exaltedthrone of Khilafat, and the spreader of the precepts of shariat. (ShashiS. Sharma, Caliphs and Sultans Religious ideology and political praxis,pg. 248-249)

Today, the Middle East may be in a corrupted and hellish state , but thiswas not always so. Today the Zionists occupy Palestine, just like theCrusaders did when they took conquered the same land in 1099 C.E,and it was Salah-ad-Din al Ayyubi, under the command of Khalif Nur-ud-Din al Zangi who took it back in 1187 C.E. Today, the West occupiesIraq, just like the Mongols did when they came and sacked Baghdad in1258 C.E, and it was Saif-ud-Din al Qutuz who defeated them at Ain

Jaloot in 1260 C.E.

It was in the Middle East and it's surroundings, that Islam was not onlyfirst established, but also where it first invigorated a people. Under theKhilafah, the Middle East produced it's own countless advancements invarious academic fields, from al Khwarizmi's evolution of algebra foundin his Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala, to the advancement in optics broughtby Ibn al Haythem in his book Kitab al Manazir. From Ibn Khaldun'spractical invention of the science of sociology in his book alMuqadimmah, to the great success in naval exploration demonstrated byIbn Battuta, who surpassed even Marco Polo in the length and breadthof his travels.

Under the Khilafah, there was a true golden age in the economic sense.It was in the time of Umar ibn al Khattab's (RA) Khilafah, that he handedallowances to the citizens of the state, with some getting literally

thousands of dirhams (silver coins) each. The Bayt al Mal (State Treasury)

never ceased to fill, as demonstrated in the following extract: Theincrease in state revenue from the time of the Rightly Guided caliphate

to the Abbasid rule was enormous. History books tell us how thesecond caliph Umar found the figure of the revenue reported to him byhis envoy to Iraq beyond comprehension, You are probably confused asa result of your tiring journey, go to sleep and report to me tomorrowsaid the sympathetic caliph (Al-Tabari). Little did Caliph Umar know that

the revenue would far exceed his expectation during the time of theAbbasid caliph al-Rashid. Comparing the state revenue at the time of the

third Rightly Guided caliph Utman, around 650 A.C., when the caliphatereached its peak of prosperity, to that at the time of al-Rashid, around796 A.C., when the Abbasid caliphate reached what it is known as thegolden age, reveals that the revenue increased dramatically. From a totalof about 200,402,000 dirhams, (Abu-Yusuf, Al-Balauri, Al-Mawirdi, Al-Ray

islamically speaking newsletter vol. 8 - the holy month of ramadan special

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