In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

A Voice of the MusliM uMMAh

'READ'

10 Jumaada’l Oola 1429 May 16, 2008

Vol. 20 No. 4-5

IslamIc concept of prophethoodmaulana sayyid abul hasan ali nadvi

Asmâ-ul-Husnâ : Allâh’s beautiful names and attributes ar-raZZaaQ the proVIder

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In This Issue... Muslims Have a Duty to Discharge .....2 Umar : A Just Caliph .................... 10 Shamaa’il: Noble Features .................13

a Word of advice

Many of you would come out of your educational institutions as preachers and reformers, teachers

and writers and leaders and intellectuals. I want to give you a piece of advice which is the result of my life-long study and experi-ence. I may also tell you that you would be able to appreciate full import of my counsel when you have grown wise in the ways of the world. I warn you against presenting Islam in a way that may give an impression that the ear-lier generations had not been able to fathom the true spirit of faith or that they had failed to comprehend the fundamental precepts of the Qur’an or its phraseology. Islam contains plain and distinct truth, intelligible to all ages and circumstances, but any presumption of this nature simply goes to prove that the Book of God has remained an impenetrable

mystery during the times gone-by. It would mean that shortly after its revelation the Qur’an became incomprehensible. But this is against the Quranic dictum: “Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian.” [Q. 15:9] In this verse the promise of God to safeguard His message includes cognizability of the Quranic text and its meanings, translating its teachings into practice and a congruence between its doctrines and the ever changing life of man. How can any scripture command the respect of man if it remains dead for ages, unknow-able and unacted for a long, long time? God tells His Prophet in the Qur’an:

“Lo! upon Us (resteth) the put-ting together thereof and the reading thereof. “And when We read it, follow thou the reading; “Then lo! upon Us (resteth) the explanation thereof.” [Q. 75: 17-19]

The new slant adopted by certain thinkers and writers of the modern age implies that the Muslim peoples who have exhibited wonderful qualities of head and heart were in fact a dormant people suffering from intellectual languor. How can you expect to

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Editorial

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mUslIms haVe a dUtY to dIscharGe

The wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kash-mir, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia and

elsewhere have no end. If present warring administrations were to continue for a while or the new ones follow the present path of confrontation it would be a miracle if the flames did not engulf ever more Muslim lands. Muslims are not surprised by such happenings because confrontation between what is good and what is evil is promised by Allah, “We said: “Get ye down all (ye people) with enmity between yourselves””. The conflict between haq and baatil is long-lasting.

As the number of people increases who are fed up with godlessness and turn towards Islam, the backlash is sure to occur and will become acute. The numbers of those who call themselves Muslims is definitely on the increase. So noticeable is this increase that Vatican is already sending alarm signals.“Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world’s largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday. For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have overtaken us,” Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.” Alessandra Rizzo, AP Writer. Sun Mar 30, 2:48 PM ET We have on several occasions reminded Muslims that with this increase in numbers the responsibility also is increasing. We must rise up to the challenge. The challenge is to spread peace on all corners of this earth and to teach those who do not understand the meaning of peace and even to establish peace in those lands that do not care to accept

Islam. One of these reminders is reprinted here again.

hoW lIttle thInGs haVe chanGed

The “war”, more correctly the genocide in Iraq, is proceeding according to the plans of the US commanders. Minor adjustments had to be made, when the invasion and occupation was resisted by the Iraqis. The outcome, short of a miracle like that of Dawood AS and Jaloot (David and Goliath), has never been in doubt. It is actually amazing that it took so long for the giant to prevail. The imbalance of destructive military power, with the fall and well-deserved dismemberment of the defunct USSR, is at present such that if a US president were to name France as an evil country and wished its government changed, it would probably take less time to subdue it than it took to subdue either the Taliban government or the Saddam government. Human resources that should have been spent to alleviate hunger, disease, homeless-ness, joblessness and hopelessness have been massively and sinfully invested by the US government to develop hi-tech means of mass destruction and subjugation and eventually meaningless domination. The only other two countries that nearly equal such investment on a per capita basis in means of such mass destruction are the Zionists in Palestine and the Hindus of India. This post-cold war process was accelerated, if not started, by Ronald Reagan. One wonders that, if Ronald Reagan had had a second chance to control human resources as a president, would he still have spent them to develop such evil means of human destruction or would he have let them be spent on research to find a cure and prevention of Alzheimer’s and other such human ailments. This is the question that all human beings, especially the leaders with control over human resources, need to ask themselves. The time for all of us is running out and we do not get a second

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is published monthly by con-necticut council of masajid, Islamic center of hamden, Islamic center of connecticut, Islamic center of new haven, faran club, United muslim masjid, Islamic society of Western connecticut, and Islamic center of new london.

http://ccm-inc.org/iqramaIlInG address:

connecticut council of masajidp.o. Box 4456, hamden, ct 06514

Tel: (203) 562-2757

edItorIal commItteeSister Aisha Sayed Alam (Cheshire)

Dr. Abdul Hamid (Hamden)Sister Bonnie Lynn Hamid (Hamden)

Dr. Shujaat Ali Khan (New York)

Layout/Website ............ Brother Nadeem Abdul Hamid

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chance. Only one life has Allâh granted us to purchase our own salvation or ruin. More than two decades of wanton spending on development of technology of non-nuclear means of mass destruction has given the US military establishment such superiority that the US government, at the very least and possibly correctly, feels that it needs no support from any assembly of human beings, including the UN Security Council or the NATO alliance, to carry out any armed operation against any of the “na-tions” of its choosing. The only hindrance is that the American public may not like to see Mogadishu repeated. Amazingly, the American public so far seems willing to take such chances, and, not so amazingly, is quite oblivious if massacres a hundred times worst than Mogadishu befall other “nations” at the hands of US forces. It is not the first time that balance of military power has been so skewed. Allâh reminds Muslims in Qur’ân: “If ye have received a blow, the (disbelieving) people have received a blow the like thereof: These are (only) the vicissitudes which We cause to follow one another for mankind, to the end that Allah may know those who believe and may choose witnesses from among you; and Allâh loveth not wrong-doers.” 3:140 The history of the Middle East alone is replete with countless such encounters. How many times had non-Muslims subdued and evicted the Jews from Palestine before Umar RAA, the second Khalifah (caliph), granted them the right at least to visit their holy places? How many times was Baghdad devastated by invaders? How many times has Jerusalem witnessed its ruination through human barbarism such as we now see hap-pening in Iraq and Palestine? One glimpse of such behavior during the Crusades and its comparison with the behavior of Muslims is well described by Paul Findley, a US congressman 1961-1982 (Silent No More, Amana Publication, Beltsville, Maryland,

USA, 2001). Paul Findley narrates (page 20) how, for all posterity, a crusader him-self recorded the events in a letter he wrote on July 15, 1099, from the bloody scene in Jerusalem: “With drawn swords our people ran through the city; nor did they spare any-one, not even those pleading for mercy. The horses waded in blood up to their knees, nay, up to the bridle. It was a just and wonderful judgment of God.” Paul Findley at the para-graph end acknowledges, “In contrast, on the three separate occasions when Muslims took control of Jerusalem, no blood was shed.” Obviously this was long before democ-racy, secularism, pluralism, United Nations, Geneva Convention, human rights and many such other catchy isms were invented. No one expects these events to happen today. Well, see if you would be shocked the same way this writer was when I read the following e-mail letter printed in the New Haven Register of April 12, 2003 (page A8) in a forum article written by Bill O’Reilly. Bill O’Reilly, perhaps not realizing it, is for once speaking the truth when he wrote

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get the harvest from a grove which remains without leaves and stems for such a long time? One would certainly lose every hope of the capability and future unfoldment of such people.1

1 We may give here, as an example, a few quota-tions from a well known book “‘Qur’an ki Char Bunyadi Istalahat” (The four basic terminolo-gies of the Qur’an), by Maulana Saiyid Abul ‘Ala Maududi, the founder of Jama’at Islami, in which the learned author seeks to prove that the four Quranic terms Ilah (God), Rabb (Lord and Nourisher), Din (religion) and Ibadat (wor-ship), comprehensible to the people when the Qur’an was revealed, lost their meanings to the succeeding generations. He writes:

“But in the centuries following that in which the Qur’an was revealed, the mean-ings of these words as understood during the time of the Qur’an’s revelation gradually suffered a change, and ultimately the wide connotation of these terms became extremely limited or rather ambiguous” (p. 4).

After giving the reasons for the alteration of their sense, the author concludes that:

“The result was that it became difficult for the people to understand the original import of the Qur’an” (p. 5).

Explaining the consequences of this perversion, he says:

“The fact is that owing to the twist in the original purport of these four basic terms, the substance of the three-fourth or even more of the Qur’an became incomprehensible. This is the reason why we find errancy in the beliefs and behaviours of the people who now-a-days acknowledge Islam as their faith” (p. 6).

Anybody who has not studied the Qur’an deeply or is not aware of the fact that God has mercifully saved the followers of Islam from any general or widespread aberration would, naturally, arrive at the conclusion that the pith and substance of the Qur’an has, for ages, remained out of sight of all the Muslims, or at least a great majority of them. He would be led to believe that the Muslims, hav-ing lost the true sense of the basic terminologies of the Qur’an, round which revolve its thought content, message and teachings, have been able to penetrate its meaning only by the middle of the present century.

This assumption may not appear to be outrageously damaging at the first glance, but it is bound to make a deep impression on one’s mental attitude and way of thinking; for it throws doubt upon the capability of the people charged to keep guard and dissemi-nate the message of Islam. Since this raises doubts about the soundness of past efforts made for the furtherance of Islam and renders undefendable all the great achievements of Muslim preachers and reformers, it becomes doubtful whether similar endeavours in fu-ture would be in the right direction. It bears a helping hand to the enigmatic imagery of the Batinites who sought to promote their interests by introducing the obscure concepts of esoteric or underlying reality and the extrinsic or supervenient form of religion. For Islam was not passed on by one generation to another merely through written pages, such a presumption is not only against the universal belief of the Muslims but also against the historical evidence. The forebears had continued to teach and train the succeeding generations in the recitation of the Qur’an, its contents and meanings and the observance of its commandments. And, this is the reason why the Qur’an is spoken of by God as ‘a Lecture in Arabic,’[Q. 12:2] ‘that maketh plain’ [Q. 12:1] and ‘a Scripture the revelations whereof are perfected and then expounded.’ [Q. 11:1] These characteristics and distinguishing marks of the Qur’an give a lie to the theory that its expressions and implications have remained lying under the surface for any length of time. Another inference drawn from this way of thinking is that since the followers of Islam had been, for a long time, oblivious of the true content and import of the basic glossary of the Qur’an on which rested the perfection of their faith and behaviour, they had gone astray from the right path, or, to be more exact, drifted to the path of impious nonconformity. But, the Book of God as well as the sayings of the Prophet are explicit on the point that the votaries of Islam shall never

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fall a prey to any extensive undutifulness, unlike the followers of earlier prophets. Eminent doctors of religion and reputed Traditionists are all agreed in holding this view. Although the Tradition: “My followers shall not be united in waywardness” is not considered unimpeachable by virtue of its transmitting links, it is nevertheless correct in its sense and content. Abu Mohammad ‘Ali ibn Hazm (d.1063), the noted Andalusian Traditionist and Critic writes in Al-Ahkam fl Usul il-Ahkam:

“Traditionists hold the view that the followers of Islam can never unite in unvirtuousness because the Prophet

has predicted that they shall be the standard bearers of Truth in every age. The Prophet is reported to have said: ‘My followers shall never be united in waywardness.’ Although the language of the Tradition and its transmission is not regarded as unimpeachable2, the prophecy made in it is confirmed by other Traditions which promise Mus-lims to walk the straight path in every age.’ [Al-Ahkam fi usul il-Ahkam vol. iv, p. 131]

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim says: “Thanks God, that the Muslims have never come round to give up even one precept or practice of the Prophet save in a case where it was proved to have been abrogated by another precept.’[Al-‘ilam-ul-Mauqaeen] In his commentary on Surah Nisa’, Hafiz Ibn Kathir explains the verse: “And whoso opposeth the messenger after the guidance (of Allah) hath been manifested unto him, and followeth other than the believer’s way [Q. 4:115]…,” as adverting to the divine guarantee that the Muslims shall never lend themselves to an erroneous view in religion. [Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. ii, p. 320, 393]2 This is, in fact, the personal view of Ibn Hazm. Another reputed Traditionist, Sakhawi, has ex-pressed the view that the Tradition in question is well known and confirmed by several authentic transmitting links. Al-maqasid-ul-Hasanah.

Ibn Taimiyah also agrees to the above view. Discussing the doctrine of Ijm’a or concensus of learned doctors, he writes:

“Unanimous consent of the followers of Islam shall always be right and proper, since the Muslims will never be of one accord on anything indecorous. For the Qur’an and the Traditions announce: “Whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them, he will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong,” [Q. 7:157] and “the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong;” [Q. 9:71] concurrence of the Muslims with wrongfulness would mean their failure to perform the duty of enjoining that which is right and forbidding that which is wrong. In a like manner, reads another verse of the Our’an: “Thus We

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have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be witnesses against mankind [Q. 2:143]…” [Fatawah Ibn Taimiyah, vol. 19 p. 176]

It can hardly be denied that the fanciful ideas giving a new interpretation to the Qur’an arise from attachment of the people to the prevailing political philosophies and parties. There can also be no two opinions about the importance and justification of re-introducing Islamic political system for which, indeed, every Muslim thinker and writer should work ceaselessly. Neverthe-less, it is not at all necessary to strain the meaning of Quranic terms nor to give a false colouring to its accepted teachings for prov-ing one’s pet notions. The Qur’an and the Sunnah contain enough intrinsic evidence in support of organising the Muslim community on the basis of its own political thought, and the Muslim reformers and preachers of the past have, indeed, successfully invoked them for similar ends. They have enough of clear directions on the subject to require beating about the bush.3

Significance of the Hereafter Paramount importance attached to the Hereafter is another prophetic mark of distinction: the prophets place so much emphasis on afterlife, give it so much weight and expound it so ardently that it becomes the cardinal point of their message. Those who have studied the lives and teachings of the prophets would have realised the para-3 The writer of these lines has recently had an occasion to listen to a paper read out by a Muslim scholar. He tried to prove that the word ‘Salat’ (prayer) occurring in the Qur’an meant Islamic state and its sovereignty. He had ex-plained that where the word ‘Salat’ was used without any adjective, it meant local or provin-cial government but where the Qur’an mentions ‘As-Salat-ul-Wusta’, it refers to the Central government. This typifies the exegesis of the Qur’an attempted with the set purpose of bring-ing forward proof from the Qur’an in support of one’s pre-conceived notions.

mount concern of the apostles of God with the life after death. The prophets, it seems, hold their gaze on the Day of Reckoning; they appear to make out the blessings and calamities, comforts and disasters of the Last Day so vividly that they appear to be pining for its boons as well as terrified of its perdition. This is not unexpected of them for their clear perception of the life to come makes it such a living reality to them that their consciousness, feelings and intellect are overflowing with it. Let us see the thrilling description of the after-life, quoted by the Qur’an from prophet Abraham , wherein his trembling heart, agitated with the rush of emotions, draws a graphic picture of his hopes and fears.

“And Who, I ardently hope, will for-give my sin on the Day of Judgement. “My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous. “And give unto me a good report in later generations. “And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Delight. “And forgive my father. Lo! he is of those who err. “And abase me not on the Day when they are raised, “The Day when wealth and sons avail not (any man), “Save him who bringeth unto Allah a whole heart. “And the Garden will be brought nigh for those who ward off (evil), “And Hell will appear plainly to the erring.” [Q. 26: 82-91]

Joseph was also a prophet who occupied the exalted position of the ruler of Egypt, then a developed and prosperous country, but he viewed Hereafter in the way characteristic of all the other prophets. God bestowed upon him power and authority and then he was reunited with his family after a long period of separation. This was a befitting occasion to carry away any ambitious man in raptures of delight, but we find Joseph , even on

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this occasion, burdened with the care of life after death. This canker worm of anxiety had so overtaken Joseph , made him so uneasy and worried that all the worldly gifts and favours enjoyed by him could not set his heart at ease. The supplication Joseph made on such a joyous occasion breathes of his thanksgiving as well as devotion, his hopes as well as fears.

“O my Lord! Thou hast given me (something) of sovereignty and hast taught me (something) of the interpreta-tion of events-Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my Protecting Friend in the world and the Hereafter. Make me to die submissive (unto Thee) and join me to the righteous.” [Q. 12:101]

The unflinching belief of the Prophets in the Hereafter, hope of heavenly glory

promised to the righteous and the fear of everlasting fire made ready for the insolent wrongdoers keep them always on pins and needles; they are ever solicitous, troubled and grieved for the sinners and transgres-sors; and their anxiety to save the erring humanity from Divine wrath moves them to work ceaselessly for their noble mission. Noah is the first Prophet we come across in the Qur’an, who calls his people to the way of God. It is related of him that:

“And We sent Noah unto his folk (and he said): Lo! I am a plain warner unto you. “That ye serve none, save Allah. Lo! I fear for you the retribution of a painful Day.” [Q. 11:25-26]

The Prophet Hud was sent to a prosper-ous people who enjoyed the bounties of the Lord in abundant measure. Hud said to

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DAY FAJR SHURUQ ZUHR ASR———— MAGRIB ISHA DWN SUNRISE Shafi’i Hanafi SNSET NGHT

Your (real) friend can be only Allâh;

and His mes-senger and those who

believe-- who establish

prayer and pay the poor due and bow

down (in worship).

And whoso turns (for

friendship) to Allâh and His messen-

ger and those who believe: lo! the party of Allâh, they are the victo-

rious.(5:55-56)

LUNAR DATES

I f you need prayer t im-ings for your town, p lease send us a self-addressed stamped #10 envelope.

Prayer times are for the New Haven area and are based on 18° for Fajr and Isha. Check local newspapers for your local time difference.

may1 4:03 5:49 12:49 4:41 5:45 7:49 9:362 4:01 5:48 12:49 4:41 5:45 7:50 9:383 3:59 5:47 12:48 4:41 5:46 7:51 9:394 3:57 5:45 12:48 4:42 5:47 7:52 9:415 3:56 5:44 12:48 4:42 5:47 7:53 9:426 3:54 5:43 12:48 4:42 5:48 7:54 9:447 3:52 5:42 12:48 4:43 5:49 7:55 9:468 3:50 5:41 12:48 4:43 5:49 7:56 9:479 3:49 5:39 12:48 4:43 5:50 7:57 9:4910 3:47 5:38 12:48 4:43 5:50 7:58 9:5011 3:45 5:37 12:48 4:44 5:51 7:59 9:5212 3:44 5:36 12:48 4:44 5:51 8:00 9:5413 3:42 5:35 12:48 4:44 5:52 8:01 9:5514 3:40 5:34 12:48 4:45 5:53 8:02 9:5715 3:39 5:33 12:48 4:45 5:53 8:03 9:5816 3:37 5:32 12:48 4:45 5:54 8:04 10:0017 3:36 5:31 12:48 4:45 5:54 8:05 10:0218 3:34 5:30 12:48 4:46 5:55 8:06 10:0319 3:33 5:29 12:48 4:46 5:55 8:07 10:0520 3:31 5:29 12:48 4:46 5:56 8:08 10:0621 3:30 5:28 12:48 4:47 5:56 8:09 10:0822 3:28 5:27 12:48 4:47 5:57 8:10 10:0923 3:27 5:26 12:48 4:47 5:58 8:11 10:1124 3:26 5:25 12:48 4:48 5:58 8:12 10:1225 3:25 5:25 12:49 4:48 5:59 8:13 10:1426 3:23 5:24 12:49 4:48 5:59 8:14 10:1527 3:22 5:23 12:49 4:48 6:00 8:14 10:1628 3:21 5:23 12:49 4:49 6:00 8:15 10:1829 3:20 5:22 12:49 4:49 6:01 8:16 10:1930 3:19 5:22 12:49 4:49 6:01 8:17 10:2031 3:18 5:21 12:49 4:50 6:02 8:18 10:22

June1 3:17 5:21 12:49 4:50 6:02 8:18 10:232 3:16 5:20 12:50 4:50 6:02 8:19 10:243 3:15 5:20 12:50 4:50 6:03 8:20 10:254 3:14 5:20 12:50 4:51 6:03 8:21 10:265 3:13 5:19 12:50 4:51 6:04 8:21 10:276 3:13 5:19 12:50 4:51 6:04 8:22 10:287 3:12 5:19 12:50 4:52 6:05 8:23 10:298 3:11 5:18 12:51 4:52 6:05 8:23 10:309 3:11 5:18 12:51 4:52 6:05 8:24 10:3110 3:10 5:18 12:51 4:52 6:06 8:24 10:3211 3:10 5:18 12:51 4:53 6:06 8:25 10:3312 3:10 5:18 12:51 4:53 6:06 8:25 10:3413 3:09 5:18 12:52 4:53 6:07 8:26 10:3414 3:09 5:18 12:52 4:53 6:07 8:26 10:3515 3:09 5:18 12:52 4:54 6:07 8:27 10:3616 3:09 5:18 12:52 4:54 6:08 8:27 10:36

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maY-JUn praYer tImes, neW haVen

JUmada’loola

JUmada’lUKhra

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reGUlar masJId actIVItIes and JUm’a praYer tImes

BerlIn masJId1781 Berlin Hwy., Berlin, CT 06037, (860) 829-6411Juma’ prayer time 1:15 pmcontact: Dr. Ali Antar (860) 582-1002

masJId an-noor1300 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, CT (203)579-2211

Juma’ prayer time 1:30 pmcontact: Br. M. Faisal Shamshad (203) 372-2928

UnIVersItY of BrIdGeportChristan Hall, Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT.

Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmmasJId daar-Ul-ehsaan

739 Terryville Av., Bristol, CT 06010. (860) 585-9742Juma’ prayer time 1:30 pmcontact: Br. Muhammed Akhtar Ali (860)589-4512.IslamIc socIetY of Western

connectIcUt, danBUrY 388 Main St, Danbury, CT 06810. (203) 744-1328Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Br. Asif Akhtar (203)746-7530

QadarIYa commUnItY ser. ctr.(JamIa masJId mUstafa ) e.

htfd.20 Church St, East Hartford, CT 06108 (860)282-0786Juma’ prayer time 1:30 pmcontact: Br. Sajid Bhura (860)830-4453

IslamIc center of hamden60 Connolly Parkway, Wilbur Cross Commons, Unit

17-212, Hamden, CT 06514 (203) 562-2757Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmfriday dars 8:00 - 11:00 pmmadrasah: every sunday 9:55am - 1:30 pm mon-thurs afternoons, 5:00 - 7:00 pmcommunity dinner 1st sunday of each month. contact: Dr. Abdul Hamid (203) 562-2757

Icfc masJId (JamIa Karam)57 Pepper St, Monroe. CT06468 (203)261-6222Juma’ prayer time 1:15 pmcontact: Br. Ahmed Reza (203) 746-0683

masJId al-Islam624 George St. New Haven, CT (203)777-8004Juma’ prayer time 1:15 pmcontact: Br. Jimmy Jones (203) 865-5805

IslamIc center of neW london16 Fort St, Groton, CT 06340, (860) 405-8006Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Br. Imran Ahmed (860) 691-8015

al-madanY IslamIc center of norWalK

4 Elton Court, Norwalk, CT 06851 (203)852-0847Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Syed Hussain Qadri. (203) 852-0847.

stamford IslamIc center10 Outlook St. stamford, CT 06902 (203)975-2642

Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Hafiz Haqqani Mian Qadri (203) 975-2642

IslamIc socIetY of stamford82 Harbor Dr, Stamford, CT 06902

Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Hafiz AbdulSalam Sumra (203) 255-4327

UnIted mUslIm masJId (masJId rahman)

132 Prospect Ct. Waterbury, CT. 06704 (203)756-6365 Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmContact Br. Majeed Sharif. (203) 879-7230.

IslamIc center of Vernon27 Naek Road, Vernon, CT 06066.Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Dr. Mahmood Yekta, (860) 648-2844.

West haVen masJId2 Pruden St., West haven, CT 06516, (203) 933-5799Juma’ prayer time 1:00 pmcontact: Br. Mohammad Taroua (203) 287-7561.

madIna masJId1 Madina Drive, Windsor, CT 06095, (860) 249-0112Juma’ prayer time 1:30 pmcontact: Muhamed M. Haidara 860-655-9042Madina Academy:Full time School (860)524-9700IslamIc socIetY of Western

massachUsetts337 Amostown Rd. W. Springfield, MA01105

(413)788-7546 Juma’ prayer time 1:15 pmcontact: Dr. Mohammad Ali Hazratji(860)749-8859.

Visit the Connecticut Council of Masajid website:

http://ccm-inc.org

Surah Maryam 19:71-72

Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who guarded

against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees.

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THE CHILDREN’S CORNER

continued on page 11

Umar farooQ : a JUst calIph

Umar was caliph of the Muslims for 10½ years. During this time the

Islamic influence reached beyond the Arabian peninsula into Syria, Iraq, Iran and Egypt. These lands were brought under the jurisdiction of the Muslims. Muslim governors and officials were placed in command of the outlying prov-inces. Many battles were fought against the Persian and Byzantine forces, and many people who had been oppressed under those empires were given fair and generous treatment under the new Muslim rulers. Many battles were also not fought because the Muslim generals always offered terms of peace before resorting to war. At the head of this great Muslim state was Umar , striving always to follow the example of the Prophet and to maintain the principles of Islam. Umar kept tight control over all the activities of his generals and government officials. In particular, he continuously warned them against succumbing to the temptations of worldly goods. Every official had to take an oath that he would not ride a fine horse, would not put on clothing made of expensive material, would not eat bread made of sifted flour, and would not ap-point a door-keeper at his door, but would always keep his door open to the people whom he served. Before he departed to his place of duty, a list of the official’s entire belongings and properties would be prepared. Whenever any addition was found in his belongings and properties, he would be asked to explain the source of the added wealth. A large portion of

the newly acquired wealth would be confiscated for the state treasury if it were shown that the riches had been acquired because of the official’s position. The soldiers of the army were given a salary and were expected to pay for what-ever food and supplies they needed dur-ing their travels. They were not allowed to confiscate land from the conquered people. A stipend was also provided for the support of their families. Schools were established to educate people in Islam and in the Arabic language so that they could understand the Qur’an. Companions of the Prophet were sent throughout the region to teach the Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet . As a result thousands of people memorized the Qur’an and learned the hadith. Umar himself never looked the part of a powerful ruler. He always dressed in rough clothing, even when receiving visiting heads of state. His diet consisted mostly of bread and olive oil. He received a stipend from the state treasury, but would not take a penny more than what was needed for the upkeep of himself and his family. He would frequently wander about among his “subjects” to learn what their needs were. He himself would often carry goods to the homes of needy families. It is no wonder that the leaders of the Empires against whom Umar fought marveled at the simple and honest practices of the Muslims. One time the Byzantine emperor, Heraclius, questioned an escaped prisoner of war about what kind of people the Muslims were. The man replied to his emperor

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Paradise lies beneath

the mothers’ feet.

My Lord! Increase MeIn Knowledge

continued from page 10that they truly were a wondrous people, who were fearless warriors by day, but who spent their nights in prayer. He told how they took nothing from the conquered people without paying for it, and that they carried peace and justice with them wherever they went. Yet, if a people opposed them, they would not leave until those people gave in. Another time the Viceroy of Egypt questioned two of his messengers who had spent two days in the Muslim camp. They reported to him that the Muslims love death more than life, and humil-ity more than pride. They told how the Muslims do not find it degrading to sit on the ground, and that they do not use a table when they eat. The most marvel-ous thing to the messengers was that the Commander was just like the rest of them, with no fine clothing or mark of distinction. And when the time for prayer came, master and servant stood shoulder to shoulder before their Lord. The viceroy was impressed and decided that he had better make peace with such people rather than attempt to overcome them.

Nothing demonstrates Umar’s humility and simplicity like the story of his journey to Jerusalem. The Muslims had been besieging Jerusalem for a long time, but finally the Christians surrendered and asked for terms of peace. As part of the agreement, the Christians asked that the Caliph himself come to Jerusalem to sign the treaty. Umar granted this request and set out for Jerusalem, not accompanied by a grand procession of horses and courtiers, but all by himself, accompanied only by a servant. They had one camel, so the two men took turns riding it, while the other man walked alongside. Umar , as usual, was dressed in coarse, much-patched clothing. It happened to be the servant’s turn to ride the camel on the day they were to reach Jerusalem. The servant wished to give up his turn, because it would look awkward if he were the one riding the camel when they reached the city, but Umar would not allow the servant to miss his turn. The Muslim generals and some other officers who were in Jerusalem rode out of the city to receive the Caliph. All of them were wearing silk cloaks. Umar , rather than being pleased at the sight of them, picked up some pebbles and threw them at the generals. He was furious with them for wearing such fine clothing. This was the kind of man that Umar , the second caliph of the new Islamic State, was.

Bonnie l. hamid

to lIVe lIKe a mUslIm, copY the

prophet In all matters of

lIfe BIG and small

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“The media’s not telling everything.” Then he very proudly has to say the following, “The e-mail I quoted is genuine in every way. It was not solicited, it was not hyped. It is an eyewitness report from an American field commander.” Here is the e-mail: “I do daily air recon in a Black-hawk escorted by Apaches, and we have probably killed close to 10,000.…. Iraq has these maniacs, death squad guys called Saddam Feddyen, DGS forces, IIS, and Ba’ath Party forces that we spend most of our day killing. They continuously make suicidal charges at our tanks, brads and checkpoints. We are happy to send them to hell. You would not believe the carnage. Imagine body parts about knee deep, with hundreds of vehicles burning, oc-cupants inside. We fill up trucks with body parts daily.” Obviously the commander is not on a horse so bodies cannot be measured up to its bridle. We write these gruesome details not to intimidate, humiliate or alienate anyone, we write them for the Muslims to learn the difference between a crusader entering Je-rusalem and the Muslims taking control of a city. Our assignment is not to send anyone to hell. This is a task the cursed Shaitan (Satan) assigned to himself. Our duty is to save every human being from entering hell. Killing is easy, especially with the Star-Wars technol-ogy gifted to humanity by Ronald Reagan. It takes immense guts to learn to fulfill the task assigned to the Muslims by our last Prophet

. We must learn again how to save every human being from the dreaded destination. If we fail to heed the summons of our beloved Prophet and turn our backs, then let no one be unaware of Allâh’s dire warning: “O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him, lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah

which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth: and Allah encompasseth all and He knoweth all things.” (Al-Qur’ân, 5:54) This is what we wrote in April 2003. The conflict in Iraq seems more complicated and daunting now then it did three years ago. There is no apparent solution in sight. When the situation is totally out of control and the American public and the media is fed up with the massacres, slaughters and bloodbaths of the Iraqi population and the body count of the American soldiers, they may decide to pull the plug and change the administration. This may have to wait until the end of the Bush dynasty. This means that for another year and a half the carnage is to continue, at the end of which there may be a reenactment of Vietnam: most unfortunate for the USA and most unfortunate for the rest of the world. Unlike Vietnam, this conflict will not disappear into history books. There may be many more wars to engulf human-ity. The “mother of all wars” prediction by Saddam Hussein may yet come to pass. This is the gift that the Bush dynasty will leave for humanity. What is a Muslim to do? We need to de-velop, especially in the USA, a leadership which is so trustworthy and transparent that when it orders Muslims to “turn the other cheek” the Muslims will obey willingly. Conflict will end and peace will prevail. Just as grass seed will only produce grass and poison ivy will only produce poison ivy, only Islam (peace) will produce peace. The simplicity of this truth is so awesome that no one seems to believe it. If non-Muslims do not believe it, they may be excused, but when Muslims fail to recognize this simple logic it is indeed most regrettable. Of course we are upset with what Bush has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Palestine and elsewhere, but we are not the ones who practice tit-for-tat. We are the ones who “Repel evil with that which is best” al-muminun 23:96 Whether people speak evil of Muslims, in

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Shamaa-il TirmidhiImam Muhammad bin ‘Eesaa at-TirmidhiCommentary, Khasaa-il-e-Nabawi, by Shaykhul-Ha-

dith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya KandhelviTranslation by Muhammad bin Abdurrahmaan Ebrahim

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continued from page 1�our presence or behind our backs, or they do evil to us in either of those ways, all is known to Allah. It is not for us to punish. Our best course is not to do evil in our turn, but to do what will best repel the evil. Two evils do not make a good.

editorial Iqrâ, June 15, 2007

the noble features of Rasulullah

Hazrat Sheikh-ul Hadeeth Maulana Mu-hammad Zakaria (R.A.) writes in Khasa’ile Nabawi -- in explanation of Shamaa’il Tir-midhi:- Imaam Tirmidhi has quoted in this chap-ter those ahaadith that have been narrated on the noble features of Sayyidina Rasu-lullah . It is impossible to accurately de-scribe actual beauty and elegance of Sayy-idina Rasulullah . To draw a pen-picture of his appearance is beyond one’s capability, but the Sahabah

have endeavoured, according to their capabilities, to preserve what little they could, of which some is written here. Qurtubi says: “The full beauty and elegance of Sayyidina Rasulullah has not been made manifest, otherwise it would not have been possible for man to look at him”. The Sahabah , have done the ummah an immense favour by conveying to them the perfect intrinsic knowledge, as well

as the perfect conspicuous elegance and beauty of Sayyidina Rasullullah . When an unfulfilled lover is deprived of meeting the beloved then he stands in front of the beloved’s house remembering the features of his beloved, in an attempt to gain some solace. It is from habits and features that the heart is appeased. Imaam Tirmidhi has collected from these about 400 ahaadith and divided them into fifty five chapters. In the first chapter four-teen ahaadith are quoted.

(1) hadeeth no. 1. Anas reports: “Rasulullah was nei-ther tall nor was he short (like a dwarf--He was of medium stature). In complexion, he was he was neither very white like lime, nor very dark, nor brown which results in darkness (he was illuminant, more lumi-nous than even the full-moon on the 14th night). The hair of Rasullullah was neither very straight nor very curly (but slightly wavy). When he attained the age of forty, Allah the Almighty granted him nubuwwah (prophethood).He lived for ten years in Makkah (commentary) and in Madina for ten years. At that time there were not more than twenty white hair on his mubarak (blessed) head and beard.” (This will be described in detail in the chapter on white hair of Rasulullah . commentarY. Sayyidina Rasullullah was of a me-dium stature, but slightly taller. This has been reported in a narration from Sayy-idina Hind bin Abi Haalah and others. An objection may arise concerning these two hadeeth, that it is stated in one hadeeth that when Sayyidina Rasullullah used to stand up in a group, he appeared to be the tallest among them. This was not due to his hight, but was a result of a Mu’jizah (Miracle). In the manner that no one had reached a higher status than Sayyidina Ra-sullullah in `Kamalaate Ma’nawiyyah’,

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edItor’s maIl

In this section we acknowledge the mail that we have received. If you sent

us a self addressed stamped envelope then you already have or will as soon as possible receive a response. However, if your request was be-yond our present capabilities, we seek your in-dulgence and prayers that may Allâh give us the taufeeq in future to address your request or need adequately. Kufi caps are not always available, requests are filled when possible. If you are re-questing a Kufi cap please send $2.00 to cover the mailing cost. You may send this money in the form of postage stamps. We thank the fol-lowing Muslims for writing to us and support-ing .

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Abdul Bari, OHAbdul Imtiaz, NYAbdul Kariym, NYAbdul Mukhtaar, CTAbdul Wahid al-Muqsit, FLAleek Ephraim, NYAlex Lam, FLAlexander Carcame, NYAmir Shabazz, CAAnsel Street, NCAntonio Crift, FLArmando Doctor, FLB. Ramadan, KYBranden White, FLByron Sheppard, PAC. McKibbins, GACarl Tillman, NYCarlos Burnett, CACharles Carson, NCCleveland Amerson, NCCleveland McBride, SCCorey Cistulli, CTCruz Erick, NYCurtis Jackson, CADarell Bolton, PADarrel Commings, FLDavid Prince, FLDerek Biggs, MADurell Sims, FlEddie Thompson FLEdward Usher, CAElias Morales, FLFredrick Gallander, GAGeorge Harrison, OHGiovanni Idris Medrazo, ILHatem Fariz, INJamel L. Dixon, OHJamie E. Byrd, FLJeremy Gerald, FLJohn A Burnett, FLJohn Benson, WIJohn D. Hodgin, NCJohn Hall, PAJohn McLean, NCJohnny Hoskins, FLJonathan Gittens, NY

Josh Anderson, CAJustin Andrews, MIJustin McDonald, NCKalvin Youman, FlLamar Willtford, MSLamonte Moore, FLLaquita Lynn, TXLeroy Currie, NYLuquan Melvin, NCMarcus Robinson, TNMarvin McConnell, NCMelvin Sessions, FLMichael Johnson, FLMichael Kennedy, NCMichael Yamey, SCNeil R Brown, FLPablo M Carlos, CAParis Rooks, NCPatrick Funderburk, NVPatrick Joseanlynch, GAPatrick O. Parker, VARabah Muhammad, NCRashad Moore, PAReginald E. Smith, FLRobert Picard, RIRobert Thacker, NC Roberto Barnes, FLRobin Romo, COSacad Nour, GAShamond Byrd, FLSheriff Rassid, FLSiddiq B. A. Asad, FLSohail Siraj, WITaher Taher, OHTamir Mutakabbir, SCTerry Cook, CAWill R Doctor, GAWilliam A. Mustafa, NCWilliam Bolden, CAWilliam Brown, SCWilliam Gunther, OHWillie Glasco, FLZakariya Muhammad, NY

(super intellectual status) likewise in the `Surah Zaahiri’ (outward appearance) no one could excel him. It is stated in the hadeeth under discus-sion that Sayyidina Rasullullah lived for ten years in Makkah Mukarramah after nubuwwah (prophethood). For this reason it is stated that he attained the age of sixty years. This is contrary to what has been reported in the other ahaadith, where it is stated that Sayyidina Rasullullah lived there for thirteen years and attained the age of sixty three years. In some ahaadith it is stated that Sayyidina Rasullullah at-tained the age of sixty five years. At the end of this kitaab all three ahaadith will be quoted. Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) says: “Most narrations show that Rasullullah

lived for sixty three years.” The ulama (scholars) have summed up these ahaadith in two ways. First, that Sayyidina Rasul-lullah received nubuwwah (prophet-hood) at the age of forty and risaalah three years thereafter, and after that he lived for ten years in Makkah Mukaraamah. Accord-ing to this, the three years between nubuw-wah and risaalah have been in the hadeeth under discussion.

(2) hadeeth no. 2. Anas bin Malik reports, “Rasullullah

was of a medium stature, he was nei-ther very tall nor very short. He was very handsome, of medium built and his hair was neither very curly nor very straight (but was slightly wavy). He had a wheat-coloured complexion. When he walked, he leaned forward slightly”. commentarY. In this hadeeth Sayyidina Anas states that the complexion of Rasullullah was wheat coloured. In the previous hadeeth, also narrated by Sayyidina Anas , he states that Sayyidina Rasullullah did not have a wheat-coloured complexion. This has been mentioned in the translation of the

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to Be continued

correspondence If you write to Iqrâ, be sure that your let-ters and requests will insha Allâh receive the deserved attention. However, if your letter requires a personal reply, we request you to send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Incarcerated Muslims are no exception to this rule. Request for back issues of Iqrâ and kufi caps must come from an official of the in-stitution and on an official letterhead. Although Iqrâ and kufi caps are sent free of charge, the institution may, in some in-stances, have to pay for the mailing costs.

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English translation by Mohiuddin Ahmad, published by the Academy of Islamic Re-

search and Publications, Nadwatul-Ulema, Lucknow, India, 1979. Reprinted with

permission.

them: “Keep your duty toward Him Who hath aided you with (the good things) that ye know, “Hath aided you with cattle and sons, “And gardens and water-springs, “Lo! I fear for you the retribution of an awful Day.” [Q. 26:132-135]

The people among whom the Prophet Shu`eyb was sent were also well-placed and leading a life of comfort. Their land was fertile and produce abundant. Shu`eyb

addressed his nation saying:“Lo! I see you well-to-do, and lo! I fear for you the doom of a besetting Day.” [Q. 11:84]

Influence of Hereafter on Prophets’ Fol-lowers This outlook does not remain confined to prophets alone. The way prophets look at things fastens itself to the minds of their followers also who begin to realize the il-lusive, unreal nature of the worldly life and the grim reality of enduring life to come after death. They come to know how very veritable and precious is afterlife for which one ought to strive and struggle and fight one’s way even if it means putting one’s life on stake. The Qur’an has preserved the exhortation of some pure-hearted persons accepting the message of Moses , who say to one another:

“O my people! Lo! this life of the world is but a passing comfort, and lo! the Hereafter, that is the enduring home. “Whoso doeth an ill-deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, while whoso doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, (all) such will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished without stint.” [Q. 40: 39-40]

Soon after the magicians of Pharaoh had accepted the truth at the hands of Moses

, Pharaoh threatened them with the most horrible punishment. They were told that their hands and their feet would be cut off on the opposite sides - the right hand of each with their left foot - and then they would be crucified. But those believers replied fearlessly:

“They said: We choose thee not above the clear proofs that have come unto us, and above Him Who created us. So decree what thou wilt decree. Thou wilt end for us only this life of the world.“Lo! we believe in our Lord, that He may forgive us our sins and the magic unto which thou didst force us. Allah is better and more lasting.“Lo! whoso cometh guilty unto his Lord, verily for him is hell. There he will neither die nor live.“But whoso cometh unto Him a believer, having done good works, for such are the high stations;“Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the reward for him who groweth.” [Q. 20:72-76]

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Important Islamic daysashUra’ (Fast on 9th and 10th, or 10th and 11th of Muharram.)maUlUd-Un-naBI Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Rabiul Awwal) - death of the prophet (12 Rabiul Awwal).Isra and mIraJ (The anniversary of the Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad to Jerusalem & his Ascension then to Heaven)(27 Rajab).nesfU shaBaan (Shub-e-Barat)(middle of the month of Shabaan)(night between 14 &15).BeGInnInG of the month of ramadân.laIla tUl Qader (NIGHT OF VALUE) A night during the last 10 days of Ramadân. eId Ul-fItr (1st. Shawwal) WaQfatU-arafat (Pilgrims assemble on Arafat Plain, Makkah)(9 Zul-Hijj).eId Ul-adha (Feast of sacrifice)(10 Zul-Hijj).

is issued on the 3rd friday of each month. Issn # 1062-2756

Allâhu Akbar!

Allâh is the Greatest!

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to Be continued óóóóóóóóóóóóó

hadeeth. Actually, what is derived from the two hadeeth is that Sayy-idina Rasullullah was not of such a dark complexion that decrease the lightness and beauty of a person, but had a radiant and light colour, which slightly wheat-coloured. In this hadeeth the word ̀ Yata-kaf-fa-oo’ is used regarding the walking of Sayyidina Rasullullah . The scholars interpret this word in several ways. Some say it means to walk at a fast pace. Some are of the opinion that it means to lean a bit forward while walking. Some say it means to lift the leg with force. All three explanations are correct because the walk of Sayyidina Rasullullah fulfilled all three descriptions and the word also conveys these three meanings. Sayyidina Rasullullah

walked quickly and not like the Romeos of this age who walk like women. It was also the noble habit of Sayyidina Rasullullah to walk with slight forward inclination of the head and shoulders. He did not walk with chest pushed out with pride. He lifted his legs as men do while walking and did not drag his legs on the ground.