PG 27

Founding partner of Stonyfi eld Farms, the world’s leading organic yogurt producer, networks with attendees at the second annual American Muslim Consumer Conference in New Jersey. Photos by Sameh Abdallah.

PG 21

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Prince George’s County Muslims Defeat Bill | pg 6

HEALTH | Minority Women and Breast Cancer | pg 13

For Muslim Environmentalist, Deen is Green | pg 5

A Candidate On The Ballot But Off The Radar | pg 4

ISLAM | Allah & the Limits of Imagination | pg 14

>> RALLY Pg 10

Thul Qedah 28 - Thul Hijjah 19, 1431 A.H. | www.MuslimLinkPaper.com

November 5th, 2010 - November 25th, 2010 MD, VA, and DC. Metropolitan Area Bi-Weekly Newspaper | FREE

Lancet Study:Alcohol Is the Most Harmful Drug PG12

Dinning Out:Kabob n Karahi

>> MARKET Pg 8 ISLAM | What is the History of Hajj ? | pg 14

Shedding Light On The Neglected Muslim Consumer MarketOgilvey CEO Discusses “Noor” Islamic division at American Muslim Consumer Conference, says US Muslim Spending Power Over $170 Billion

By Muslim Link Staff

American Muslims know their community has money. Lots of it. They save it, invest it, and donate it.

And they spend it to the tune of around $100 billion per year.

Despite this rich and willing spending demographic, mainstream US companies seem to be obl iv ious ,

creating targeted marketing campaigns aimed at African-Americans, Latinos, and dozens of other slices of the American population but ignoring the American Muslim consumer.

Last year, a professional networking group of young Muslims mostly from New Jersey called Mlink set out to

Signs of Welcome for Muslims At Rally To Restore SanityBy Hiba AkhtarMuslim Link Staff Writer

“Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult--not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims

makes us less safe, not more.” This is just some of the advice comedian and talk show host Jon Stewart had for crowd of about 215,000 people at the Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington, DC.

The event, which Stewart, and his colleague Stephen Colbert, had intended to be a platform for the majority

PG 22

Signs at the Rally to Restore Sanity ranged from thoughtful to thoughtless, and from pleading to sarcastic. Several people carried signs with the words “This is a sign”. Photo courtesy of Adam Gerard.

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>> LIBERTARIAN Pg 10

On the Ballot But Off the Radar

By Arif FaridiMuslim Link Contributing Writer

It is the third largest political party in America. In 2009, it had 146 elected officials throughout the country in positions ranging from mayor to county executive—and even sheriff. The party had over 15 million votes cast for its candidates in 2008 and claims to have saved Americans $2.2 billion in 2004 alone. Yet there are many who have never even heard of this party much less know what it stands for.

Fed up Republicans, Democrats and others founded the Libertarian Party in 1971. They took libertarianism, a philosophy which promotes almost total freedom of thought and action, and applied it to the political dilemmas of the United States. The party seeks to defend the liberties of individuals from other individuals and especially the government. In fact, Libertarians often see the government as the main source of America’s problems. For Libertarians, the role of the government is merely to protect the lives, liberties and property of those living in its borders from criminals or foreign enemies. And it is the

responsibility of citizens to consistently watch over the government to keep it from overstepping or exaggerating its responsibility. Most Libertarians would say that our government with its deep involvement in regulating markets and control of the economy, ever growing geo-political and military entanglements, increasing encroachment on civil liberties, along with heavy spending and taxing is a monstrous opponent of the ideals on which America was founded.

Libertarians feel a great many services which the government manages or provides should be turned over to businesses, local communities and charities. Thus healthcare, retirement planning, education, and support for the poor should be phased out for the most part if not completely eliminated. After overreaching government programs and waste are eradicated, today’s heavy load of taxes would be unnecessary. Indeed, the Libertarian Party calls for the repeal of all federal programs and services not included in the Constitution—even the abolition of the income tax. Susan Gaztanaga, who ran for Governor of Maryland this past election and received 13,276 votes -- less than 1% -- says on

her campaign website that ultimately all Maryland government programs and subsidies to nongovernmental entities would have to be cut back and that she would be asking one question as governor upon review: “Could these services be better delivered by private enterprise on a fee-for-service basis?”

Or take education: rather than being a giant, mismanaged, top-down, parent-unfriendly burden of the government; many Libertarians would say schooling should be provided by the free market and overseen locally to provide more choice and better service for communities. “I espouse separation of school and state” said Susan Gaztanaga in an interview with TML, “…[children] spend enormous amounts of time in school and a lot of times parents feel that their own values are being undermined.” Mrs. Gaztanaga feels that until the ties between school and state can be severed, parents should be given as many empowering options as possible including vouchers, local parent-teacher consortiums, and pre-college scholarships.

But divorcing society from government to such a degree may not rub some the

right way. Critics charge that libertarian proposals are not practical even if done gradually, could cause instability in society, and endanger the welfare of the weak amongst other things.g

Libertarian Party candidates hold contrary views from their Democrat and Republican rivals on a number of hot-button issues. They generally oppose the U.S.’s military involvement in Iraq and don’t see much reason to remain in Afghanistan. Many feel proper internal security and better foreign policy could have kept the country out of the current terrorism related conflicts abroad. Internal security should not, however, be sanction for government to negate privacy rights and other civil liberties. “We are no longer innocent until proven guilty” Lorenzo Gaztanaga complained of post-911 America. Mr. Gaztanaga, who ran for U.S. Congressman from Maryland, District 2 and is married to former gubernatorial candidate Susan Gaztanaga told TML “America is not America without its Bill of Rights and civil liberties.” The Libertarian Party supports being tough on crime and opposes most if

A Libertarian Candidate Ran for MD Governor This Year. Have You Heard of Her?

5November 5th - November 25th, 2010 COMMUNITY NEWS |

For Muslim Environmentalist, Deen is GreenBy Yaman ShalabiMuslim Link Staff Writer

Not everyone in America has a positive view of Islam, but most everyone has a positive view of efforts to take care of the environment.

To author Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, the connection between the two is, well, natural.

His book relating faith and the environment – Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet – shows Islam’s intrinsic concern for taking care of Earth and her inhabitants – plants, animals, and man.

Abdul-Matin was raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was born to Muslim converts who loved the world they lived in. As a child, Abdul-Matin’s parents reinforced the prophet’s message that the “Earth is a Mosque.” They were not a rich family, but aimed to live a wholesome healthy life.

“I lived in the hood of New Yo r k , ” s a i d Abdul-Matin. “ M y m o m w o u l d p a c k raw broccoli and a tuna fish sandwich for lunch whi le p e o p l e a t e processed food,

and I thought it was the best.”

“Being environmental friendly was the framework for my parents before becoming Muslim and combining that with Islam was a natural fit,” he said. “I was raised Muslim and part of Islam is the ethics of being a good human and developing a positive relationship with the earth.

He graduated with his master’s in public administration with a concentration in environmental policy. He works as a policy advisor in the New York City

Mayor’s Office. Over the years, Abdul-Matin has had many jobs that dealt with protecting the environment.

Abdul-Matin spent about two years working on his book. He wanted to cultivate the idea that being environmentally friendly is a way of life for all people, secular and religious. Being Muslim, he focused on the aspect Islam plays in teaching people to be respectful towards the world they live in. Likewise, he said similar principles are found in Christianity, Judaism, and other religions.

“If you claim to love God,” he said, “then love his creation.” “We are the khalifa (representatives) of god; it is our responsibility to leave [earth] better than we found it.”

Abdul-Matin was in Washington D.C. Oct. 23-24 during the annual Green Festival at the Convention Center. Among many vendors and speakers, he gave a colorful speech Saturday, about his motivations for writing the book and why people should buy it. Sunday, he appeared for the Green Deen book signing at Busboys and Poets, a restaurant, bookstore, and gathering place for people to discuss and express ideas.

A reoccurring theme in his speech: “You don’t have to be rich to be green.”

“Going green isn’t about eating organic food,” he said. “It’s about making a choice. [being green] isn’t new. You don’t have to be rich to have a better connection with the earth; you have to make it a priority.”

Abdul-Matin quoted a woman during his speech at the Convention telling him, “Human beings have taken the idea that we are stewards to mean we can do what we want to the planet.”

“It’s not about the products we buy or how we dispose of our garbage,” Abdul-Matin’s mother told him. It’s about being considerate to other persons and generations. Being green is how we exercise compassion and how we reflect our integral relationship with earth.”

The book presents several stories of Muslim Americans all over the nation and their duty to take care of the planet. One story follows local characters in this

growing national movement: the D.C. Green Muslims.

The group formed August 27 2009, in Ramadan for their first meeting on Capitol Hill. They wanted to tackle the idea that being green is not limited to certain people but that it can encompass people across all religions, ethnicities, and groups. For them Ramadan was a time to purify their actions and maintain better relationships with the people around them and their environment.

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin married Fatima Ashraf about the time when the idea of writing his story was first developing.

“Writing a book is no joke,” said Ashraf. “I was trying to be supportive our first year of marriage. Ibrahim was busy with work all the time. It was hard and labor intensive but also great to do it together. It’s his book and it was an effort from both of us.”

“As a kid, Ibrahim loved nature and as he grew up and through his experiences he was able to articulate his ideas,” said Ashraf. “He wanted to create something where his ideas would continue to live after he dies.”

His book, said Ashraf, is an example that people of faith can contribute to the movement, but like religion it is a choice.

Abdul-Matin has received positive feedback and hopes more people will continue to buy the book. “We should be mindful of how we let people define us and how we define ourselves,” he said. “Are you willing to support something that’s positive about Islam?”

“This is just the beginning,” said Ashraf. “We are hoping this book will be a tool to help spread the message.” But for now, Abdul-Matin plans to focus on “raising a healthy family that will live by the basic principles of Islam.”

Abdul-Matin left the crowd with two questions: “Are you ready to make different choices? Will you choose energy from heaven or energy from hell?”

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin

>> GREEN Pg 5

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

By Muslim Link Staff

On October 26, 2010, over 200 Muslim residents of Prince George’s County Maryland packed the final legislative session for the outgoing Prince George’s County Council to take a stand against a late bill which could have had negative effects on multi-use religious centers in the county.

The bill, CB-73-2010, proposed by then Council Member Tom Dernoga from District 1 covering College Park, Beltsville, and Laurel where there are several hundred Muslim families, would have redefined the term “accessory use” in the County code.

Masajid, churches, and synagogues often have non-worship related uses on their properties, like gymnasiums, commercial kitchens to be used for catering their events, daycares, and schools. The proposed definition of “accessory use” could have made it much more difficult to get such uses approved.

The current definition of “accessory use” is relatively simple, defining it as the “use of a building or structure which is subordinate to, customarily incidental to, and ordinarily associated with a principal ‘use’ which it serves.” The proposed definition was much larger, limited the hours when the “accessory use” could operate, and stipulated – among other things – that the accessory use must not “alter the character or nature of the area”. This latter condition could have allowed neighbors of religious centers to challenge “accessory uses”, saying an accessory school for example “alters the nature of the area”.

The attorneys for Dar-us-Salaam, Shipley, Horne, & Hewlett PA, alerted Dar-us-Salaam about the pending vote on the bill, the final legislation drafted by Tom Dernoga, who was forced to vacate his seat on the Council due to term limits. Dar-us-Salaam, the Islamic Community Center of Laurel, the Prince George’s Muslim Association, and the Prince George’s County Muslim Council informed their respective congregations and neighboring churches and synagogues, many who submitted letters opposing the bill. Al-Huda school bused its high schoolers to the legislative session, including dozens

who are taking Al-Huda’s AP government class.

Once the legislation came up for discussion, Dernoga acknowledged the overwhelming number of Muslims who came out opposing the bill. He accused the attorneys of “misrepresenting the bill”, and maintained it had nothing to do with religious centers. “I am personally offended with the way this came about”

over a span of 3 days, he said, adding that he received dozens of emails opposing the bill within the last 24 hours. Because of the confusion surrounding the bill, and the obvious opposition, Dernoga killed the bill, remanding it “back to committee”.

Members of the Muslim community spoke to a majority of the County Council’s nine members before the legislative meeting and told the Muslim Link that – after

hearing about the potential harms the bill might cause – those council members would oppose the bill.

Attorney Arthur Horne was the only one who spoke after Dernoga announced he is killing the bill.

PG County Muslims Defeat Bill Limiting Multi-Purpose Uses

>> BILL Pg 9

7November 5th - November 25th, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT |

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 8 | COMMUNITY NEWS

• 20% of Nestle factories (85 factories) world-wide are halal certified. Nestle exported $226 million worth of halal products to 50 countries in 2009.

• American Muslim consumers spent an estimated $97 Billion in 2008.

• Halal food market is estimated at $635 billion per year globally.

• 7 out of the 11 “next eleven” emerging markets identified by Goldman Sachs are Muslim majority countries.

• By 2050, more than half of the world will be Muslim.

• 52% of the Muslim population is under 24 years old.

Data from American Muslim Consumer Conference, Ogilvey & Mather

MARKET>> continued from pg 1

change that. They held their first annual American Muslim Consumer Conference in New Brunswick, inviting Muslim entrepreneurs, business advocates, and researchers to help describe the American Muslim consumer.

This year’s American Muslim Consumer Conference, themed “Charting the Landscape”, dealt with some of the same issues describing and categorizing the American Muslim consumer, but also dealt with the idea of how companies can best market to the Muslim consumer. Significantly raising the profile of the annual gathering was this year’s main sponsor, world’s largest marketing and communications firm Ogilvey & Mather Worldwide.

Recognizing the untapped potential of global Muslim consumer buying power, Ogilvey & Mather created a corporate unit dedicated to consulting companies on how best to market and brand their

products and services for Muslim markets, appropriately calling it Ogilvey Noor. (‘Noor’ is the arabic word for ‘light’ – Ed.)

Attracting over 350 registered guests to the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, the full day conference’s first keynote was titled “the American Muslim Experience: What Headscarves, Halal Chicken Nuggets, and the Super Bowl Have In Common”

and delivered by Gallup analyst Magali Rheault.

Each of about nine sessions throughout the day focused on a particular aspect of the Muslim consumer market.

The first session, “Marketing to Muslims: Media Realities and Analytical Strategies in the Muslim Landscape” featured a panel of marketing directors, consultants, and strategists. Prominent and much

appreciated among them was Steven Pilchak, the General Manager for Best Buy in Dearborn, Michigan whose store incorporated Eid greetings in an advertising campaign last year. The advertisement received some negative feedback from Islamophobic groups, but sales actually increased after the advertisement, which coincided with the Thanksgiving season. Nazia Hussain, also on the panel and the director of Cultural Strategy at Ogilvey

Noor, said the lesson to learn from Best Buy is not to back down when promoting diversity and inclusion.

“Making Muslims feel included [is very important] … because [right now] Muslims in America feel marginalized and ignored,” Hussain told the Muslim Link, adding that the new “Noor” unit of Ogilvey & Mather is focused on helping companies “empathize with Muslim values” and aligning their products and services to those values.

The second session, “Halal: Challenges and Opportunities in North America”, was moderated by ISNA Secretary General Safaa Zarzour and had a panel which included zabiha.com founder Shahed Amanullah and Dr. Mehmood Khan, a vice-president and Chief Scientific Officer at Pepsico. The five member panel explored the debate on the value and importance of “halal” to the Muslim market, what is considered “halal”, and how uniform “halal standards” can be developed globally.

Actor Faran Tahir, who played the villain in Iron Man and also played a major role in Star Trek, delivered the afternoon keynote address and discussed Muslim stereotypes. He said in the acting business today a Muslim name assumes the actor generally plays the bad guy role.

The third main panel looked at specific case studies of American Muslim firms partnering with mainstream corporations to reach wider markets. Of note were Joohi Tahir, the Vice-president of Marketing and Sales for Chicago based Crescent Foods, and Jack Acree, Executive Vice-president of American Halal Co. Both firms produce

frozen halal products and sell their products in large stores like Walmart, Costco, and Whole Foods. Tahir, whose firm sells frozen halal chicken products, said Walmart reached out to them and solicited their products.

“Mainstream is coming to halal, not the other way around, and we should be proud of that,” she said, adding that Walmart data suggests that more than 50% of the customers buying Crescent Food products at their stores are non-Muslims.

Others on the panel cautioned on being dependent on large corporations to sell products, since purchases by firms like Walmart drive the per unit cost down and make profit margins very slim for smaller companies. The panel also discussed how the mainstream marketplace “lives and dies by data”, and due to the severe lack of data on the halal market, judging its progress is very difficult.

The forth session was unique and entertaining, taking a panel of experienced, successful, and at times sharply critical bus inessmen and p lac ing young entrepreneurs with their business plans in front of the panel.

Northern Virginia resident Omar Khawaja, CEO of Little Big Kids which makes fun, educational products for the “under 7 crowd”, was appreciated for bringing much needed products to the marketplace, but also cautioned by some panel members. Tariq Farid, CEO and founder of Edible Arrangements International, said Khawaja needs to pursue his idea full-time. “If

Right, Omar Khawaja of Little Big Kids gets grilled at the Entrepreneurs Showcase session. Left, Ogilvey & Mather CEO Miles Young delivers the keynote and talks about Islamic branding. Photos by Sameh Abdallah.

Shedding Light On The Neglected Muslim Consumer Market

>> MARKET II Pg 9

The Muslim Market By the Numbers

9November 5th - November 25th, 2010 COMMUNITY NEWS |

“It definitely needs to be discussed because it does potentially impact [these organizations]. I read the Maryland case law and I’ve seen what they say about accessory uses and the [language you

proposed] was rejected in Maryland. The law we have now is a good law. We certainly don’t want to impugn any negative intentions on you, but we also don’t want you to impugn [negative intentions] on us,” said Horne, responding to Dernoga’s accusation that attorney’s misrepresented the bill to their religious center clients.

“The language nowhere talks about churches or religious institutions and its geared towards accessory uses of any kind by anybody. I apologize for creating any consternation and concern,” said Dernoga, before asking the over 200 Muslims attendees to try to be quiet as they exit the council chambers.

The Muslims exited the session and went outside on the pavilion to pray salatul Thuhr. Most Muslims told the Muslim Link they considered the defeat a strong statement that – when Muslims band together – they can protect and further the interests of the community.

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you’re going to ask investors to invest, they are going to ask how invested you are,” said Farid.

Adnan Durrani, one of the founding partners of Stonyfield Farms, among the largest organic yogurt companies in America, peppered Khawaja with questions on profitability, unit costs, shipping costs, and other numbers, trying to make the point that entrepreneurs must have a firm grasp of every measurable aspect of their operations.

Other entrepreneurs taking the hot seat were a New York based Islamic

themed jewelry maker, a proposed kabob restaurant following the Chipotle model, an online advertising network, and a California based online magazine. The five entrepreneurs were chosen from a pool of about 25 that applied.

In the conference’s final keynote address, Ogilvey & Mather CEO Miles Young underscored the importance of “Islamic branding” – exposing the values Muslims are attracted to, and then aligning the marketing message to those values. Defining those values, according to Young, is the first challenge.

“[Those] adjectives – values we need to seek out [are] – honesty, respect, consideration, kindness, peacefulness, purity, patience, discipline, authenticity,

transparency, trustworthiness, humility, modesty, community, and above all else sincerity of intent,” said Young.

The second challenge was to gather solid data on the Muslim market to show Muslims are not one large “homogeneous green block”. Third, the Muslim consumer market must “convey normality”, said Young, citing that while Jews only constitute 2% of the US population, about 30% of American food products are kosher.

Ogilvey & Mather’s Nazia Hussain said her company’s sponsorship of the American Muslim Consumer Conference was a “profile building opportunity” for Ogilvey Noor. The firm also sponsored the World Islamic Economic Forum

and the Oxford Islamic and Branding & Marketing Forum during the last year.

Murshed Chowdhury, part of the organizing team for this year’s conference, said attendees, vendors, and partner businesses were “floored by the execution, content, and professionalism” of the conference. About a dozen vendors had booths at the conference. Next year he said they hope to double the participation of mainstream companies and raise more awareness in the Muslim Community and beyond.

To listen to the full keynote address of Ogilvey & Mather CEO Miles Young, visit the online version of this article at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. For more information on the conference, visit http://americanmuslimconsumer.com.

MARKET II>> continued from pg 8

BILL>> continued from pg 6

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 10 | COMMUNITY NEWS

of the American population who “don’t have time for rallies,” attracted a mixed audience of conservatives, liberals, and moderates with mixed agendas. Signs littered throughout the crowd addressed dozens of issues, such as the widely debated tea party politics, conservative media, immigration, the ground zero mosque controversy, gay marriage, and others.

The Rally to Restore Sanity carried especial importance for some Muslims, such as Shireen Sayyed of Houston, Tx. Attending the rally was Sayyid’s way of defending her faith and showing support for Jon Stewart, who Sayed describes as being a pioneer in voicing publicly his disdain for the anti-Islamic sentiment which she says dominates news networks today.“As a Muslim, it’s my duty to publicly stand for my faith and the right to practice my faith. Islam is under attack, and this concept is sheer insanity. What better platform than the ‘Rally to Restore Sanity’ can there be to let the America know that we exist, that we’re not terrorists, and that we deserve respect? And that’s the point that Jon Stewart’s been making for a very long time.”

Hisham Shaikh of Richmond, Va. attended the rally with a group of friends, all of whom tee-shirts emblazoned with the phrase ‘I’m Muslim, and I vote.’

“Being Muslim doesn’t take away from being American,” he said. “We’re constantly on the defense-on television,

in airports, in the workplace, in schools. Instead of running away from Islam, this is the time to practice our Islamic values and show the world that being Muslim is about being good to people around you, being honest, and standing up for your beliefs. And a lot of these ideals resonate with what America stands for.”

According to attendee Emily Riggs, “sanity is restoring peace to this country. People don’t understand that hate makes danger worse for everyone. The ground zero mosque project is peaceful, so we should help make peace by allowing Muslims to build their mosque.”

Similar sentiment was expressed by Shannon Escobar, who carried a sign which read “Wouldn’t Care if the President was Muslim.”

“I lived in a Syrian neighborhood for a while and had Muslim friends,” said Escobar, “and I do think that Muslims are being discriminated against. It’s like being Muslim is the new being black. Sanity is having respect and humanity, and learning about people. And not caring or judging someone because of their religious beliefs.”

Bret Hutchings, who was dressed in a long tan robe and carrying a sign which read “Mormon Muslims To Restore Fear and Sanity” said that his view on Muslims and Islam was influenced this summer when he went on a trip to Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

“I met Muslims who happen to be great people,” he said. “We visited Bethlehem and Palestine, and I spoke

to a lot of local people. One man, a street-cleaner in Palestine, said that it’s a huge misconception that everyone in the Middle East hates America.”

When asked what sanity means to him, Hutchings said, “It drives me crazy when people like Glenn Beck partake in fear-mongering when anyone else seems ‘different.’ Let’s quit worrying about the differences and start a civil dialogue. Focus on what’s common and grow from there.”

Another common theme for demonstrators was displaying outrage for Fox News, a conservative network which many attendees, such as Kae Livsey and Ivy Hilliard of Raleigh, NC., said preach intolerance and hate.Livsey and Hilliard got many questions and attention for their sign, which read ‘We have nothing to fear but Fox News.’ “Fox News absolutely perpetuates a message that demonizes groups of people such as Muslims and Hispanics. People are criticizing without offering solutions, the kind of propaganda which existed before World War II. We need tolerance,” said Livsey. For Brooke Best, of Toledo, Oh., outrage at Fox News was one of the biggest reasons for attending the rally.“I keep seeing these news stories about the mosque at the ground zero site,” said Best. “It’s so ridiculous how Fox News makes it out to be such a bad thing. It’s not like a mosque a few blocks from ground zero is going to make people forget about 9/11. There’s a memorial there. Sanity is looking at the facts, not Fox News’ extremist view,” said Best, who carried a sign which read “I do not fear: Mosques, Mexicans, National Healthcare, Obama,

Homosexuals.” Still, for others, “restoring sanity” was about more than American politics and media coverage. Saamia Noorali and Sara Obeidat, creators of “Hoos for Pakistan Flood Relief,” a student organization at the University of Virginia, were spreading their own message.“When we heard about the rally, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to bring awareness about another issue largely ignored by American mainstream media- the Pakistan floods,” said Obeidat, who was carrying a sign which read ‘Do you know who else hasn’t received any media attention? 21 million flood victims!’“When people hear ‘Pakistan,’ they immediately think of extremists and fundamentalism, but what we’re dealing with after the floods is millions of people who are still suffering and not getting the media attention that they need,” said Noorali. “Muslims in the Washington area are helping a little, but more can be done. The floods have turned Pakistan into a breeding ground for waterborne diseases, and help is dying down.”

The Rally to Restore Sanity was as much an issue for Muslims as any other group, and Muslim involvement at the rally can be best characterized in the reflections of Anam Siddiqui, who attended with a group from the Muslim Students Association at the University of Maryland.

“There is always that one token reference to Muslims at mass events like these,” said Siddiqui, “But the number of times Muslims were addressed, and in a positive light too, was very heartening, and made me feel quite welcome and proud to be an American and a Muslim.”

not all restrictions on firearms; yet many Libertarians oppose the war on drugs and feel non-violent drug users should not be prosecuted (though they would support laws against operating heavy equipment while under the influence). On the definition of marriage and on the issue of abortion Libertarians feel the government should not get involved—as they feel on most social issues—although some party adherents are personally religious or conservative. As for the environment, Mr. Gaztanaga says “if you pollute the air that I breathe...you are responsible for either

cleaning it up or giving me the money I need to clean it up.” So he would propose that maintenance of the environment be done between neighboring property owners (even if they are corporations). Susan Gaztanaga has even proposed selling the land under the Chesapeake Bay to private owners who must require that all that traverse its waters leave it as pristine as they found it.

Libertarians neither classify themselves as liberal nor conservative, but in general can be thought of as fiscally conservative and socially liberal in political outlook. Libertarian minded people are more likely to be affluent, male and live in western states than conservatives, liberals

and populists. They are generally less religious than conservatives or populists but more so than liberals. Estimates of people who call themselves libertarian and identify directly with the Libertarian Party have been found to be in the single digits. But a 2006 Zogby International poll found a stunning 59% of people to hold views about government and society which would be classified as libertarian. Forty four percent accepted the label of “libertarian” after answering Zogby’s questions.

So why aren’t more Libertarian Party candidates elected? Perhaps a general lack of public knowledge about the party as well as the stigmatism of being too

permissive and anarchistic are to blame. The party’s own hesitance to indulge in the arts of mass politicization may also be a reason. Libertarians are quite principled and many feel it would demean their beliefs to get down and dirty with the two leading parties. When asked to sum up his basic impressions of the Libertarian Party, Maryland resident Karim Abdus-Salaam responded “retrogressive and anti-establishment.” Fazlul Kabir of College Park, MD who ran not too long ago for city council admitted he didn’t know much about the party but said that “As Muslims, I think we should explore all parties and find common ground amongst us.”

RALLY>> continued from pg 1

LIBERTARIAN>> continued from pg 4

11November 5th - November 25th, 2010 COMMUNITY NEWS |

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 12 | HEALTH & FAMILY

Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And CrackBy Christian Nordqvist The Lancet, November 1, 2010

Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today. When all factors related to self harm and harm to others are considered, alcohol comes out top. The authors explain that drugs, including tobacco products and alcohol are major contributors to damage to individuals as well as society as a whole.

The harms that are caused by drugs need to be comprehensively assessed so that policy makers can be properly advised regarding health, social care and policing, the authors write; not an easy undertaking because drugs can cause damage in so many different ways.

Professor Nutt and colleagues had previously tried to do this (Lancet 2007) by asking experts to give each drug a score according to nine criteria of harm, which included the drug’s intrinsic harms as well as the social and health care burdens. The report triggered widespread debate and interest. However, there were doubts regarding the differential weights

of each criterion used.

In this latest report, Nutt and colleagues say they have addressed these concerns by using a multicriteria decision analysis

(MCDA) when reviewing drug harms. MCDA technologies have been effectively used to help decision making in areas where factors, features and characteristics are complex and often conflicting, as may be the case when deciding policy on nuclear waste disposal.

Nine criteria related to harm to an individual from a drug, while six looked at harm to others - both in the United Kingdom and other countries. The harms were gathered into five subgroups that covered social, psychological and physical harms. Scoring was done with points up to 100, with 100 being the most damaging and zero no damage. Weighting then compared the impact a score of 100 had on all the other criteria, thus identifying the 100-points-scoring-drugs which were more harmful than other 100-points-scoring-drugs.

The authors wrote (in explanation of their model):

In scaling of the drugs, care is needed to ensure that each successive point on the scale represents equal increments of harm. Thus, if a drug is scored at 50, then it should be half as harmful as the drug that scored 100.

The nine harm-to-self categories of a drug

were: dependence, drug-related damage, drug-related impairment of mental functioning, drug-related mortality, drug-specific damage, drug-specific, impairment of mental function, injury, loss

of relationships, and loss of tangibles.

The harm-to-others, categories of a drug were: crime, decline in community cohesion, economic cost, environmental damage, family conflict, and international damage.

With the MCDA modeling method, alcohol came top as the most harmful drug overall. Below are some highlights of their findings: Alcohol, overall harm score 72; Heroin, overall harm score 55; Crack, overall harm score 54; Crystal meth, overall harm score 33; Cocain, overall harm score 27; Tobacco, overall harm score 26; Speed/amphetamines, overall harm score 23; Cannabis, overall harm score 20; BHB, overall harm score 18; Valium (benzodiazepines), overall harm score

15; Ketamine, overall harm score 15; Mephedrone, overall harm score 13; Butane, overall harm score 10; Khat, overall harm score 9; Ecstasy, overall harm score 9; Anabolic steroids, overall harm score 9; LSD, overall harm score 7Buprenorphine, overall harm score 6; and Mushrooms, overall harm score 5

The most harmful drugs to the individual are heroin, crack and crystal meth. The most harmful drugs to others are alcohol, heroin and crack. Not only is alcohol the most harmful drug overall, the authors write, but is nearly three times as harmful as tobacco or cocaine, according to the new ISCD MCDA modeling.

They also accord with the conclusions of previous expert reports that aggressively targeting alcohol harms is a valid and necessary public health strategy.

They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs].” Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. – The Qur’an (2:219)

>> ALCOHOL Pg 13

V

13November 5th - November 25th, 2010 HEALTH & FAMILY |

Mephedrone, which was recently a legal-high in the UK before it was re-categorized as a Class B controlled drug this year. Alcohol is over five-times as harmful as mephedrone.

Ecstasy is just one-eighth as harmful as alcohol, despite all its media attention and public concerns.

Professor Nutt said (direct quote, not found in article):

What a new classification system might look like would depend on what set of harms-to self or others-you are trying to reduce. But if you take overall harm, then alcohol, heroin and crack are clearly more harmful than all others so perhaps drugs with a score of 40 or more could be class

A; 39 to 20 class B; 19-10 class C and 10 or under class D.

The MCDA procedure is an effective and powerful means for dealing with the complex issues related to drug misuse, the authors wrote.

They said: The issue of the weightings is crucial since they affect the overall scores. The weighting process is necessarily based on judgment, so it is best done by a group of experts working to consensus.

(conclusion) Our findings lend support to previous work in the UK and the Netherlands, confirming that the present drug classification systems have little relation to the evidence of harm. They also accord with the conclusions of previous expert reports that aggressively targeting alcohol harms is a valid and necessary public health strategy.

In an associated Comment, also in The Lancet, Dr. Jan Van Amsterdam, National

Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands, and Dr Wim van den Brink, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, wrote:

A major point not addressed in the study, because it was outside their scope, is polydrug use, which is highly prevalent among recreational drug users. Notably, the combined use of alcohol with other drugs often leads in a synergistic way to very serious adverse effects.

They also explain that consuming combinations of these drugs can significantly alter their adverse events and harm impacts. For example, magic mushrooms on their own have a very low incidence of adverse events, but individuals who consume mushrooms as well as alcohol have a much higher risk of accidents that result in death. Other examples of combinations mentioned include alcohol with cocaine, leading

to cocaethylene - an extremely toxic compound, or alcohol with cannabis which can seriously affect an individual’s ability to drive properly.

The Comment authors concluded:

Nutt and colleagues’ ranking of the licit and illicit drugs is certainly not definitive, because the pattern of recreational drug use is dynamic: the popularity and availability of the drugs, and the pattern of polydrug use, might change within a decade. The ranking of the drugs should therefore be repeated at least every 5-10 years. Finally, for the discussion about drug classification, it is intriguing to note that the two legal drugs assessed-alcohol and tobacco-score in the upper segment of the ranking scale, indicating that legal drugs cause at least as much harm as do illegal substances.------------------------------------------------Source: Medical News Today

ALCOHOL>> continued from pg 12

Minority Women and Breast CancerAsian American Women Least Likely to Get Screen for Breast Cancer, African-American Women Most Likely to Die From Breast CancerAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all ethnicities and races, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death among White, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health (OWH), minority women, especially Asian American women, are the least likely to get screened. Furthermore, African American women are more likely than other women to die of breast cancer. Although breast cancer rates differ with each racial minority, it is important to understand that breast cancer affects all women, no matter race or ethnicity.

Breast cancer is when the cancer cells are found in the tissue of the breast. Breast

cancer can occur in both men and women, but it is more common among women. Breast cancer usually begins with a small cancerous tumor in the breast, commonly known as a lump. Especially in the beginning stages, breast cancer may not show many signs or symptoms, therefore it is very important to get screened for breast cancer, in a timely manner.

Because breast cancer may not have symptoms in the beginning states, it is very important to follow screening r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s . Wo m e n a r e encouraged to do breast self-exams every month to check for lumps or any other abnormalities. Also, the American Cancer Society recommends that women receive Clinical Breast Exams (CBEs) every 3 years starting from the age of 20. When women have reached age 40, they should receive a CBE every year. Furthermore, the OWH supports the guidelines that women should receive mammograms

every 1-2 years starting at the age of 40. A mammogram is a low dose x-ray exam that checks the breast tissue for abnormalities. The combination of these screening recommendations is the best prevention.

It is in your hands to take control of your health. The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services – Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI) encourages you to contact your primary care physician for a screening if you have not yet received a CBE or mammogram. If you do not have a primary care physician, please check your local hospitals and community clinics for low-cost or free screenings. ------------------------------------------------Source: Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Printed as a public service by the Muslim Link.

Breast Cancer – Some Stats:

• Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women.

• Number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women.

• Second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

• In 2006, 191,410 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,820 women died from breast cancer.-------------------------------------------Source: 2006 data from the U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group.

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 14 | ISLAM

Islam

>> HAJJ Pg 15

What Is the History of Hajj ?By Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid

Praise be to Allaah. One of the things on which there is scholarly consensus among all the Muslims, ancient and modern, past and present, is that Hajj or pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allaah is one of the five pillars of Islam, as proven in al-Saheehayn from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) and others.

It is well known that Hajj, like other acts of worship, involves special actions, and each of these actions must be done in the prescribed manner, such as entering ihraam from the meeqaat, tawaaf, saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, standing in ‘Arafah, staying overnight in Muzdalifah, stoning the Jamaraat, slaughtering the sacrifice, and the other well-known actions of Hajj. All of these

actions should be done in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There are very many ahaadeeth which describe the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); these have been compiled by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim in Zaad al-Ma’aad and by al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer in his book al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah; these scholars have also explained the rulings derived from these ahaadeeth. The Muslim should pay attention to learning these rulings and acting upon them.

Then we should remember that the basic purpose of the actions of Hajj is to establish the remembrance of Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then when you leave ‘Arafaat, remember Allaah (by glorifying His Praises,

i .e . prayers and invocations) at the Mash‘ar-il-Haraam. And remember Him (by invoking Allaah for all good) as He has guided you, and verily, you were, before, of those who were astray.

“Then depart from the place whence all the people depart and ask Allaah for His forgiveness. Truly, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.

“So when you have accomplished your Manaasik [rituals of Hajj], remember Allaah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance. But of mankind there are some who say: ‘Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!’ and for such there will be no

portion in the Hereafter…

“And remember Allaah during the appointed Days. But whosoever hastens to leave in two days, there is no sin on him and whosoever stays on, there is no sin on him, if his aim is to do good and obey Allaah (fear Him), and know that you will surely be gathered unto Him” [al-Baqarah 2:198-203]

Allah’s Being & the Limits of Human ImaginationBy Sheikh Salman al-Oada

Everything in our limited experience must have a beginning and end. We ourselves are born and we ultimately die. This is the case with our parents and forefathers as well as with our children and descendants. Such relationships permeate creation.

Some people, due to intellectual weakness or simplicity, assume that everything must be comparable to their own past experience. They rely on the imagination, which is really only capable of visualizing that which has in one way or another already been experienced. This is why the imagination is incapable of grappling with absolutes and with universal concepts.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was referring to the limits of human reason when he said:

People will keep asking questions until they come to asking: “Allah created the universe, but who created Allah?” Whoever has thoughts like this should simply declare: “I believe in Allah.” Seek Allah’s help and desist from such thoughts. [Sahīh Muslim (134)]

The human mind has limitations, and our human perspective is deficient. Because of this, some people fall into misgivings with respect to Allah’s pre-existence. We need to realize that we are dealing here with a matter of faith; in other words, a matter which transcends the limitations of human reason.

After making the statement quoted above, it is mentioned that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised reciting the chapter of the Qur’ān entitled “Purity of Faith” (Sūrah al-Ikhlās):

“Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Self-Subsisting. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.” [Sūrah al-Ikhlās: 1-4]

The crucial verse here is “He begets not, nor is He begotten”. It shows that Allah’s perfection and Self-Subsistence defy human experience and transcend the limits of the human imagination.

So Allah says: “Allah, the Self-Subsisting. He begets not, nor is He begotten” and immediately follows it with: “and there is none like unto Him.” We cannot compare Allah with anything in our experience. Likewise, we find that Allah commands us: “Do not give likenesses to Allah.” [Sūrah al-Nahl: 74] This is the way our faith in Allah should be.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

advised those who were plagued with doubts like “Who created Allah?” to: “Seek Allah’s help and desist from such thoughts.” Nothing can be gained from pursuing the line of thinking as to “Who created Allah?” Allah’s nature cannot be compared to created existence, nor can it be compassed by the limitations of human reason. The human mind, however, can conceive of Allah’s existence and acknowledge that He is the Creator of all things. In fact, the human mind resists any attempt to compel it to deny Allah’s existence.

Communist regimes of the 20th century tried to compel their subjects to embrace atheism. They employed every forceful means at their disposal, but the people

>> IMAGINATION Pg 15

15November 5th - November 25th, 2010 ISLAM |

refused to deny Allah. They resisted the most authoritarian attempts to crush their belief in Allah’s existence.

The human mind acknowledges the existence of a Creator. Reason cannot escape from such an acknowledgment. The mind, consequently brings us to seek guidance About Allah and gives us a natural inclination to worship Him. We are receptive to Allah’s Messengers, and Allah would not leave His creatures without guiding them to the wisdom as to why they were created. Indeed, Allah says: “I have only created humanity and the Jinn to worship Me.” [Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt: 56]

The intellect certainly recognizes Allah, but it is not capable of comprehending all of His attributes. The role of Allah’s

Prophets and Messengers is to teach people what they need to know about their Lord and how Allah wishes them to worship Him. This protects people from concocting all sorts of rituals and rites from their own imaginings that have no basis in revelation from Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, addressing Allah in supplication: “You are the First, so nothing precedes You. You are the Last, so nothing comes after You. You are the Manifest, so nothing comes above You. You are the Hidden, so nothing comes below you. Fulfill our debts for us and enrich us so we will not be poor.” [Sahīh Muslim (2713)]

Allah is the First who is not preceded by anything else. This is a concept that cannot be fully grasped by the imagination, but it can certainly be accepted by the mind and heart. Our awareness of the limitations that our minds have is a crucial awareness.

Likewise, Allah is the Last, whose existence persists without end. As such, Allah is truly the Inheritor: “And remember Zechariah, when he cried unto his Lord: ‘My Lord! Leave me not childless, though You are the Best of inheritors.” [Sūrah al-Anbiyā’: 89]

Allah is timeless and eternal, without beginning or end. By contrast, all created things have a beginning and end.

Allah says about the Sun: “And the Sun runs its course to a point determined.” [Sūrah YāSīn: 38] The Sun and other celestial bodies are far older than the living things on Earth. But just like the fleeting lives of terrestrial beings, the stars are born and they die. All things in the universe must come to an end.

Allah cannot be understood according to the terms of material existence. He is not bound by the laws of physics which are

themselves part of the nature of what He created. It is no surprise that the mind cannot fully grasp the Creator, since the mind is itself created and subject to the limitations of its created nature. The mind can only fall into confusion and self-deception if it tries to rationalize that which is beyond its powers.

Rather, we should apply our mental efforts to matters our minds are capable of engaging with – the universe that Allah created and the vast horizons of knowledge that it presents. Allah has given us the rational ability and the imaginative power to uncover and conceptualize the physical laws of nature. We can harness such knowledge to benefit humanity in ways that please Allah.

Source: ht tp: / /en. is lamtoday.net/print/3820

IMAGINATION>> continued from pg 14

And it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Tawaaf around the House and saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah and the stoning of the jamaraat were only prescribed so that the remembrance of Allaah may be established.” It was classed as mu’allaq by al-Bayhaqi (5/145) and narrated as a marfoo’ report, although there is some weakness in it.

So the Muslim venerates the rituals of Hajj because Allaah has commanded him to venerate them, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Thus it is and whosoever honours the Symbols of Allaah, then it is truly, from the piety of the hearts” [al-Hajj 22:32]

Al-Bukhaari (1610) narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) kissed the Black Stone and said, “Were it not that I had seen the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”

Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, whilst discussing and explaining the actions of Hajj: “The background to these rituals is no longer

present but the rulings remain in effect. These rituals may be confusing for some who see them and do not know the reasons for them, so they may say, ‘This does not make sense.’ I have explained the reasons for them as far as narrated reports go, now I will explain to you the meanings behind them.

Note that the basis for acts of worship is something rational and comprehensible, which is the submission of the slave to his Lord and obedience to Him. Prayer

involves humility and submission, which is is what is meant by the word ‘ibaadah (worship).

Zakaah involves kindness and helping the poor, so its meaning is clear.

Fasting means suppressing the desires of the self so that it will be obedient to the One Whom it serves.

Honoring the House and going there, and establishing a sanctuary (Haram) around it are acts of veneration. Arriving there unkempt and disheveled is like a slave turning to his Lord in humility and submission, and that is clear. A person feels at ease performing rituals that he understands, and that motivates him to do them, but to achieve full submission there are some rituals that a person may not understand, so he will not be at ease and will not comprehend them. In this case the

only motive is to obey the commands of Allaah. This is a greater form of humility and submission.” See Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin (1.285-286).

If this is understood, then much of the history of the actions of Hajj before the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not known to us. In this case it does not matter if we do not know.

And there are some things concerning whose history a few indications are narrated in some texts; we will mention some of these here:

1 – When was Hajj enjoined? When did Hajj begin?

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)” [al-Hajj 22:27]

Ibn Katheer says in his commentary on this verse (3/221): This means: Proclaim (O Ibraaheem) the Hajj to the people, calling them to come on pilgrimage to this House which We have commanded you to build.

With regard to the enjoining of Hajj in Islam, there is some scholarly difference of opinion concerning that. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) was certain that it was enjoined in 9 or 10 AH. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma’aad:

“There is no dispute that the Prophet

HAJJ >> continued from pg 14

>> HAJJ II Pg 16

“Tawaaf around the House and saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah and the stoning of the jamaraat were only prescribed so that the remembrance of Allaah may be established.”

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 16 | ISLAM

HAJJ II>> continued from pg 15

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “May Allah have mercy on the mother of Ismaa’eel! Had she let Zamzam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.”

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not perform Hajj after he migrated to Madeenah apart from one Hajj, which was the Farewell Pilgrimage. And there is no dispute that that occurred in 10 AH…”

Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (2/4/92): Hajj was known to the Arabs. When Islam came, they were told about something they already knew and what was enjoined upon them was something they were familiar with…” See also Ahkaam al-Qur’aan by Ibn al-‘Arabi, 1/286. See also question no 32662

2 – Tawaaf around the House

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and We commanded Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I‘tikâf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer)” [al-Baqarah 2:125]

This verse indicates that tawaaf around the Ka’bah was known at the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him).

3 – Raml

Raml means walking quickly with short steps. This is Sunnah for men but not for women during the tawaaf of arrival (tawaaf al-qudoom), which is the first tawaaf performed when one arrives in Makkah.

How did raml begin?

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (2/469-470, 1602) and Muslim also narrated (2/991-992, 1262) that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came with his companions and the mushrikoon said, “There have come to you people who have been weakened by the fever of Yathrib. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded them to walk quickly (raml) in the first three circuits… According to another report, he said, “Walk quickly so that the mushrikeen will see that you

are strong.”

4 – The water of Zamzam and saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah.

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (6/396-397, 3364) that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

Ibraaheem brought Haajar and her son Ismaa’eel when she was still breastfeeding him, to a place near the Ka’bah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he left them there and left with them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out

homeward. Ismaa’eel’s mother followed him saying, “O Ibraaheem! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?” She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look at her. Then she asked him, “Has Allaah commanded you to do this?” He said, “Yes.” She said, “Then He will not forsake us,” and went back while Abraham proceeded onwards. When he reached al-Thaniyah where they could not see him, he turned to face the Ka’bah, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayer:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allaah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks” [Ibraaheem 14:37]

Ismaa’eel’s mother went on breastfeeding Ismaa’eel and drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ismaa’eel) tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of al-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from al-Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached al-Marwa where she stood and started looking,

expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between al-Safa and al-Marwa) seven times.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “This is the (origin of) the people’s saa’i (walking) between them between them (i.e. al-Safa and al-Marwa).” When she reached al-Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she said to herself “Shh!” and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, “O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?” Then she saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), until water appeared. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “May Allah have mercy on the mother of Ismaa’eel! Had she let Zamzam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.” And he said: “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people’…”

Ibn al-Jawzi said in his book Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin (2/47): “This hadeeth explains the reason why it is called Zamzam, because when the water flowed, Haajar tried to control it (zammat-ha). The linguist Ibn Faaris said: Zamzam comes from the words zamamtu al-naaqah (I reined in the camel).

5 – The standing at ‘Arafah

Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi (883) narrated that Yazeed ibn Shaybaan said: We were standing in ‘Arafah in a place far from the mawqif [where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood]. Ibn Mirba’ al-Ansaari came to us and said, “I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who says to you: ‘Stay where you are (for it is also the place of standing), for you are standing in the area where your father Ibraaheem stood.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1688.

Many of the actions of Hajj stem from the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), but the mushrikeen introduced some innovations which were not prescribed. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent, he opposed them in that and explained what was prescribed for the actions of Hajj.

This is a brief look at the history of Hajj and the history of some of its rituals. For more information you could refer to the book of al-Haafiz ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) which is called Mutheer al-‘Azm al-Saakin ila Ashraf al-Amaakin – the whole of the first volume and the beginning of the second volume. And Allaah knows best.

Source: See http://islam-qa.com/en/ref/30897/hajj for the full unedited version.

17November 5th - November 25th, 2010

Salaah times for November 5th - November 25th, 2010Day Date Hijri Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib IshaFri 5 28/11 6:26 7:39 12:52 3:41 6:04 7:19Sat 6 29/11 6:27 7:40 12:52 3:40 6:03 7:18Sun 7 1/12 5:28 6:41 11:52 2:39 5:02 6:17Mon 8 2/12 5:29 6:43 11:52 2:39 5:01 6:16Tue 9 3/12 5:30 6:44 11:52 2:38 5:00 6:15Wed 10 4/12 5:30 6:44 11:52 2:38 5:00 6:15Thu 11 5/12 5:32 6:46 11:53 2:36 4:58 6:14Fri 12 6/12 5:32 6:47 11:53 2:36 4:57 6:13Sat 13 7/12 5:33 6:48 11:53 2:35 4:56 6:12Sun 14 8/12 5:34 6:49 11:53 2:34 4:56 6:12Mon 15 9/12 5:35 6:50 11:53 2:34 4:55 6:11Tue 16 10/12 5:36 6:51 11:53 2:33 4:54 6:10Wed 17 11/12 5:36 6:51 11:53 2:33 4:54 6:10Thu 18 12/12 5:38 6:54 11:54 2:32 4:53 6:09 Fri 19 13/12 5:39 6:55 11:54 2:32 4:52 6:09 Sat 20 14/12 5:40 6:56 11:54 2:31 4:51 6:08 Sun 21 15/12 5:41 6:57 11:54 2:31 4:51 6:08 Mon 22 16/12 5:42 6:58 11:55 2:30 4:50 6:08 Tue 23 17/12 5:43 6:59 11:55 2:30 4:50 6:07 Wed 24 18/12 5:43 6:59 11:55 2:30 4:50 6:07 Thu 25 19/12 5:44 7:00 11:55 2:30 4:49 6:07

Prayer times generated from www.islamicfi nder.com for the WASHINGTON, DC area.

If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it fi ve times a day, do you think he would have any fi lth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “That is like the fi ve daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them.”

---Hadith in Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim

SALAAH TIMES |

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November 5th - November 25th, 2010 18 |

ADAMS CENTER:46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325, www.adamscenter.org.

ALL MUSLIM BROTHERS ASSOCIATION3900 King StreetAlexandria, VA 22302703-647-0515Jumma Prayer ONLY - 1:15 p.m

AVONDALE ISLAMIC CENTER:4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782,Tel: 301-779-9292.

BADR COMMUNITY CENTER OF DUMFRIES (BCCD)17794 Main StreetDumfries, VA 22026Tel: 703-585-1689, 703-554-7983www.bccd.org E-mail: info@bccd.org

BAITUL MUKARRAM:2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550.

DAR AL HIJRAH:3159 Rowe St.,Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030, www.hijrah.org.

DAR AL-NOOR (MUSLIM ASSOC. OF VA): 5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112, Tel: 703-580-0808, Fax: 703-221-8513, www.daralnoor.org.

DAR AL-TAQWA:10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711, www.taqwa.net.

DAR UL ULOOM, 6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207, 410-493-0785 Email:darululoommd@aol.com

DAR UL-GHURABA (Masjid ur Rahmah):155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487,

DAR-UL HUDA:6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150,

Tel: 703-922-0111, www.darulhuda.org

DAR-US-SALAAM:5301 Edgewood Rd. College Park, MD 20740,Tel: 301-982-9848, www.darussalaam.org.

FIRST HIJRA MUSLIM COMM. CENTER:4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20011www.firsthijrah.org.

ICNA VA CENTER:2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306. 703-660-1255

IDARA DAWAT-O-IRSHAD:4803 Valley St, Alexandria, VA 22312703-256-8622, www.irshad.org.

IRHSCA (ISLAMIC RESEARCH AND HUM. SERVICES CENTER OF AMERICA):Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MDTel: 301-324-5040, www.irhsca.org.

ISLAMIC CENTER OF MARYLAND (ICM):19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,MD 20879Tel:301-840-9440, www.icomd.org.

ISLAMIC CENTER OF NORTHERN VA TRUST (ICNVT):4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-941-6558, info@icnvt.org | www.icnvt.org

ISLAMIC COM. CENTER OF LAUREL (ICCL):7306 Contee Rd., Laurel, MD 20707Tel: 301-317-4584, www.icclmd.org

ISLAMIC HERITAGE CENTER (IHC): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180Tel: 703-206-9056.

ISLAMIC SOC. OF ANNAPOLIS (ISA): 2635 Riva RdSuite 110

Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 www.isamd.org, Email: info@islamannapolis.org

ISLAMIC SOC. OF FREDERICK (ISF):1250 Key Parkway , Frederick,MD 21702Tel: 301-682-6090, www.isfmd.org.

ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GERMANTOWN (ISG):19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876Tel: (240)-277-7758, www.isgtown.org.

ISLAMIC SOC. OF SOUTHERN PG COUNTY (ISSPGC): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 207355410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745Tel: 240 603 4618

ISLAMIC SOC. OF THE WASHINGTON AREA (ISWA):2701 Briggs Chaney Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20904Tel: 301-879-0930, www.iswamd.org.

ISLAMIC SOC. OF WESTERN MARYLAND:2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740Tel: 301-797-0922.

IVY CITY MASJID: 2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, DC 20002 Tel: 202-529-3100.

LA PLATA MASJID:111 Howard Street, La Plata, MD 20646Tel: 301-609-8769.

MAKKAH LEARNING CENTER (MLC):814 Brandy Farms Ln Gambrills, MD 21054Tel: 410-721-5880 www.isamd.org, Email: info@mlcmd.org MANASSAS MOSQUE: 12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VATel: 703-257-5537.

MASJID AL-GHURABAA: 8220 Washington St., South, Laurel, MD 20724. Tel: 301-604-3295.

MASJID AL-HIKMAH:11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009.

MASJID UL-HAQ:514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217Tel: 410-728-1363.

MASJID AL-ISLAM: 4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, DC 20019e-mail: imammusa@hotmail.com

MASJID AL-INSHIRAH: 7832 Fairbrook Road , Windsor Mill, MD 21244Tel: 410-298-2977, Fax: 410-298-0266, www.al-inshirahweb.net.

MASJID AL-MUMINEEN: 2642 Harford Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218Tel: 410-467-8798.

MASJID JAMAAT AL-MUSLIMEEN: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212Tel. 410-891-8451

MASJID MUHAMMAD: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001Tel: 202-483-8832.

MASJID AN-NUR: 5418 Ebenezer Road, White Marsh, MD 21162Tel: 410-663-9637, Fax: 410-663-9817.

MASJID AL-RAHMAH/ISB: 6631 Johnny Cake Rd. Baltimore, MD 21244Tel: 410-747-4869, www.isb.org

MASJID AS SAFFAT: 1335 W. North Ave. Baltimore, MD 21217Tel: 410-669-0655.

MASJID BAIT-ALLAH: 1910 Frederick Avenue (2 Floor) Baltimore, MD 21223Tel: 443-224-4423, E-mail:info@masjidbaitallah.org. www.masjidbaitallah.org

MASJID IBN TAYMIYYAH: 8000 MLK Highway, Glenarden MDTel: 301-461-9325.

MASJID ZAMZAM1510 Lynch Road,Dundalk, MD 21222Phone: 410-284-2840

MEDINA CENTER:11600 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854www.medinacenter.net

MUSLIM COM. CENTER (MCC): 15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20905Tel: 301-384-3454,www.mccmd.org.

MUSLIM SOC. OF WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSWDC):Howard Center, Room 805 (Above HU Bookstore)Tel: 202-328-3236, www.mswdc.org.

MUSTAFA CENTER: 6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003.

PRINCE GEORGES MUSLIM ASSOC. (PGMA):9150 Lanham Severn Rd. Lanham, MD, 20706, Tel: 301-459-4942, www.pgmamd.org.Imam’s Office: 301-459-1441, imam@pgmamd.org.

RANDALLSTOWN ISLAMIC CENTER9019 Marcella Ave. Randallstown, MD 21133Tel: 410 971 4018www.ricbaltimore.org

SOUTHERN MARYLAND ISLAMIC CENTER(SMIC): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639.Tel: 410- 535-0000

THE ISLAMIC CENTER:2551 Mass. Ave. NW Washington D.C. 20008Tel: 202-332-8343

Do you have additions, changes, or corrections to the event listings in the Muslim Link? Email us at events@muslimlinkpaper.com, or call us at 301-982-1020.MASJID LOCATOR

MASJID LOCATOR

19November 5th - November 25th, 2010

301-982-1020To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

Request For Dua’sRequest For Dua’s{ To A l lah We Be long , and to Him i s Our Return }

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us

you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)”

Upcoming Events In Your AreaMuhammad (pbuh): Refuting Leadership FallaciesSaturday, November 06, 2010, 9:00am - 4:30pmA special 6 hr seminar with author Imam Mostafa Zayed, author of Lies About Muhammad, followed by a class exam. This seminar is open to Muslims and non-Muslims, so invite your neighbors and friends. Location: 3565 A2 Suite 202, Ellicott Mills Dr, Ellicott City, MD 21043 Contact: http://www.islamicleadership.org. For more info or to REGISTER: http://www.islamicleadership.org/muhammad-refuting-leadership-fallacies/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Excellence-TutoringEvery Saturday & Sunday, from Oct 17 To Dec 26, 2010Tutoring with a leadership perspective. Does your child need extra attention? Through ILIA’s unique approach we allow our students to be motivated self-learners. Tutoring available in Math, English and Science middle school and high school. Location: 3565 A2 Suite 202, Ellicott Mills Dr, Ellicott City, MD 21043 .Contact: http://iliatutoring.eventbrite.com/. Register at http://www.islamicleadership.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fairfax County Workshop Series: You Can, Live Well VirginiaEvery Monday till November 29, 2010. 1:30pm - 3:30pmFairfax County’s You Can! Live Well, Virginia! is a Free workshop series taught by Zubair Saeed, M.D. for adults with health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, pain, heart conditions or respiratory problems. Workshops meet every Monday from 1:30-3:30pm, once a week, for six weeks. The deadline for registration for this course at Fairfax Library is Tuesday, November 2nd at noon. Location: City of Fairfax Regional Library; 10360 North Street; Fairfax, VA. Contact: To register, call 703-324-5489; TTY 703-449-1186---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCYP Community Night: Islamophobia & The American MuslimFriday, November 12, 2010, 7:00pm - 10:00pmMustafa Center Young Professionals Presents, MCYP Community Night: Islamophobia & The American Muslim. Join us for a lecture by Imam Khalid Latif, NYU Imam and Executive Director of The Islamic Center at NYU. Followed by a potluck dinner.Location: Mustafa Center; 6844 Braddock Rd; Annandale, VA 22003---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADAMS Annual Fundraising DinnerSaturday, November 13, 2010ADAMS is proud to announce its annual fundraiser. Please join us as we welcome guests from around the country, including comedian Mo Amer (from the world famous “Allah Made Me Funny” tour) and Imam Khalid Latif, a young energetic and rising speaker and current Chaplain at NYU. Price: $50. Location: St. Joseph’s Banquet Hall; 750 Peachtree Street; Herndon, VA 20170 Contact: You can purchase your tickets at http://www.adamscenter.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MCC Meena BazaarSunday, November 14 2010, 11:00am - 6:00pmMCC Meena Bazaar. Vending Space Available. Please contact Kamila Barbour for vending space reservations Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM. All spaces are given on a fi rst come fi rst serve basis. Payments are required at the time of reservation, there will be no holds on spaces. Please cash or check payments only. Location: Muslim Community Center; 15200 New Hampshire Ave; Silver Spring, MD 20905. Contact: Please visit us online at www.mccmd.org or call 301-384-3454---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Montgomery County Muslim Foundation Annual Fundraising DinnerFriday, November 19, 2010Please come in and see how successful Montgomery County Muslim Foundation has been in accomplishing its on going mission. There’s going to be food, entertainment and a congenial social atmosphere for every one to enjoy. Tickets: $50 per person. Please reserve your tickets as we will not be able to accommodate people at the door. Location: County Executive Cafeteria; Rockville, MD. Contact: For more info, call our offi ce at 301-760-7447; www.mcmfusa.org

10-22-10 I have a sad news. Our friend Jamal Baloch ‘s father has passed away. His Namaz-e-Janaza was on October 23, 2010 in Manassas, Virginia. May allah bless him and give him place in heaven. Please keep the family in your prayers. (Source: M. Qureshi)

10-22-10 Inna lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaje’oon To Allah we belong and to Him is our return. Brother Ekrem Sen has passed away. May Allah forgive his sins, accept his good deeds and enter him in Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. Salaat ul Janaza was on October 22, 2010 in Frederick, Maryland. (Source: ICM)

10-22-10 In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center offers condolences to the family of brother Jamal Barmil on the passing of his young nephew Adam. Please keep the family in your dua. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Janaza was on October 22, 2010 in Falls Church, Virginia. (Source: Dar al Hijrah)

OBITS & UPCOMING EVENTS |

November 5th - November 25th, 201020 |

Editor-in-Chief:Minhaj Hasan

Offi ce Manager :Stephanie Benmoha

News Desk:Rashad Mulla

Layout & Design:Fadlullah Firman

Staff Writers:Farkhunda AliFarha MarfaniRashad MullaYaman Shalabi

Sharia Advisors:Sheikh Salah as-SawiImam Safi Khan

The Muslim Link (TML) is published on the fi rst Friday of every Islamic month (Hijri calendar) and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profi t publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affi liated with Dar-us-Salaam.

The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily refl ect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-us-Salaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML.

This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others

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As much as we would like to, we are unable to honor requests for free subscriptions at this time.

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Subscribe to the Muslim Link! To get the Muslim Link print edition in the mail, send $5 for shipping and handling per issue using check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. To make payments over the phone using a credit card, call the Muslim Link offi ce at 301-982-1020.

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Our Responsibility Within – Readers Respond to the Alleged Plot to Attack Metro StationsA few weeks ago, the government announced the arrest of Farooque Ahmed, 34, from Loudoun County, accusing him of conspiring to blow up Metrorail stations. FBI agents posing as members of Al-Qaeda met with Ahmed and said they would provide what was needed for the attacks. See www.muslimlinkpaper.com for updates on this on-going story. Here are some reader responses. – TML ------------------------------------------------

While violence, extremism or aggression is absolutely deplorable being contrary to the teachings and the spirit of Islam, there is a greater responsibility upon Muslims for a corrective action within.

Humans range in temperament from soft and emotionally stable to being hard and emotionally sensitive.

Few truly mean harm. Most react to depressing situations in a more docile or tempered manner while others may tend to go to the extremes, ready to do something out of frustration. This latter tendency of volatile human behavior could be tamed and corrected (Islah) or exploited - before any extreme action is ever undertaken by the disturbed, frustrated and the sensitive.

A responsible community is self-vigilant, recognizes any such tendency within itself to be a sign of misunderstanding and takes corrective action, especially one-on-one and also in groups, to enlighten

the frustrated to truer understanding and towards a more proper response from the Islamic point. That responsibility extends to better the community, its members and their families: the responsibility of Islah for righteous behavior, da`wah within as well as without, and the responsibility to save a person, his/her family, children and scores of related ones from agony and hardship as a result of a mis-step if not addressed and corrected.

It would be much easier, but irresponsible and even cowardly to simply pass along information on any member with such volatile tendency to authorities after recognizing it, instead of accepting our own responsibility for internal Islah fi rst. That unstable state, if not tamed with right knowledge, holding hands, with care, love and mercy but instead transferred to authorities will surely be exploited – by leading one on the edge to act on that tendency, enough to incriminate. It could be swayed one way or the other. The challenge is to sway it in the right direction, of Islah – of peace and welfare of the person, the family and the community - by acting on our responsibility within.

-- M. Zubair Mirza

------------------------------------------------

What is chilling and very telling in these types of cases is the sting operations being conducted, and the apparent lack of

authentic Islamic knowledge on the part of too many in the community.

Anyone who comes to you talking of ideas they have to harm the public, and enlists your “suggestions”, “ideas” or “help” should be the one who is viewed cautiously. Entrapment is only successful if you go along with it, and then it is turned around to make it seem as if you are the mastermind. What you will end up being is a rube, a patsy and a plaything of the shaytaan.

Brothers and sisters must educate themselves to what the Quran and shari’ah teach regarding the prohibition of harming innocent people. How is blowing up a place or mode of transportation part of Islam? Were the people riding Metro preventing anyone from practicing the deen? Was the station master? The Metro execs maybe?

Anyone who proffers some idea, or asks you what you would do or how you would carry out some destructive plan should be walked away from. Don’t play into the “investigator’s/instigator’s hands! Practice your beautiful deen! Make your salah! Make your dhikr and dua! Give sadaqah! Help your community! Read your Qur’an! Save yourself and your family from the hellfi re!

-- Online Comment at muslimlinkpaper.com from “Sistergirl”

CONTINUED |

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November 5th - November 25th, 2010 22 | COMMUNITY NEWS

By Fatimah SteffanoffMuslim Link Restaurant Reviewer

Although Kabob & Karahi is located within a small strip shopping center off of a busy street, once you enter the doors, you quickly leave all that behind and are greeted with a tastefully decorated restaurant of mirrored walls, pictures of food, tiled floors, and modern wooden booths. To order you approach the counter located in the back of the room, where you can view the selection on the lighted board, or a printed menu. Some of the main dishes and sides are visible at the counter, which helps whet the appetite. There is a standard menu and the daily specials menu all of which are very affordable and competitive in the area. Once you order, take a seat and wait for your number to be called, your food

will come out as it becomes ready. The wait was not long on this Friday evening at prime dinner time, although the restaurant was steadily busy with customers coming to eat or take out their orders. We started with a vegetable samosa and a chaat samosa. The chaat samosa was seasoned just right with the garnish of chick pea stew, chopped raw onions, diced tomatoes, chopped hot peppers, and yogurt sauce. An excellent starter for this meal. When the main courses arr ived, there was no disappointment…For $8.99 the lamb kabob plate is served with a small lettuce & onion salad, chutney, handmade tandoori naan, and side of your choice, I chose chick pea stew. Many times lamb can be tough to chew, and the seasoning can be overpowered by the flavor of char, not in this case! The lamb was so tender and perfectly seasoned so that the char was only a hint, but the flavor of the meat was what you first recognized. A delicate combination of spices gave the meat a great flavor with a sour hint. Chick Pea Stew is a long time favorite, and this one was excellent… not too spicy yet you can taste the chili in it, even people who don’t crave hot food would still enjoy this stew. This dish is plenty of food for one person and to possibly have a little leftover. Chicken Biryani is one of the Friday Specials, which came with a small side of salad, chutney, and another side of choice for $7.99. We selected the meatball

in sauce which was a pleasant flavorful seasoning, not too hot for most pallets. This Biryani had the right combination of spice vs. rice flavor, so that the rice flaked apart, but the seasoning was still clearly present. The chicken pulled easily off the bone, and held the seasonings in every bite. Definitely morev than one person needs to eat – besides you will want to save room for dessert and take some of this home! We finished our meal with Kheer, and had to share one since the meal had filled us. This rice pudding included both nuts

and raisins, and they used a thick heavy milk cream which made the kheer very rich and creamy, but not overpoweringly sweet. Appetizers, Drinks, Meals and Dessert for two totaled $28.31 including tax. Our meal came from a great selection of menu items & quality ingredients, the wait was not long, the venue was clean and well decorated, and the service was attentive. TML recommends you give your business to Kabob n Karahi next time you want to eat out, and make it one of you reliable places to return.

Restaurant Review

Many times lamb can be tough to chew, and the seasoning can be overpowered by the flavor of char, not in this case! The lamb was so tender and perfectly seasoned so that the char was only a hint, but the flavor of the meat was what you first recognized.

Cuisines: Indo-Pak| Address: 15521 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20905 Phone: 301-879-0044 | Website: www.kabobnkarahi.comHours: Monday - Thursday & Sunday: 11:00am - 12:00 am (midnight), Friday - Saturday: 11:00am - 1:00am

‘Kabob n Karahi’ is good for:

Price ($8-$18) Selection Quality Venue Portion

TML’s VERDICT:

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25November 5th - November 25th, 2010 MP - ADVERTISEMENT |

November 5th - November 25th, 2010 26 | Classified Ads

301-982-1020To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

office@muslimlinkpaper.comor Email us at

CHILDCARE EXCHANGEBABYSITTER/HOUSE KEEPER NEEDEDA very nice family living in the beautiful city of Orlando,Florida looking to hire a live in babysitter/house keeper. Duties will include care of 2 children ,and general household duties. Please contact: 407-625-7819------------------------------------------------HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN MUSLIM ENVIRONMENTLicensed, operated by a pre-school teacher; Full-time, Part-time, Before and After Care; Weekends and Extended Hours; Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks Provided; Near MCC; Must See & Compare with Others; 301-570-4245 or www.ashtondaycare.com

EMPLOYMENTVERIZON FIOS SALESWe are an authorized vendor of Verizon and are looking for professionals to sell their leading Verizon FiOS service to residential consumers in PG County. This is an outdoor sales opportunity and requires highly disciplined work ethic and extreme professionalism. Leads are provided. Cable technicians encouraged to apply. Verizon-certified

training every week. Paid training $50/day. Average $500-$1,000 per week in commissions. Contact for an interview this week. TRG is a global BPO firm, hq’d in Washington DC with over 5,000 employees worldwide and offices in the US, Canada, UK, Senegal, Pakistan and the Philippines. Mohammed.Malik@trgworld.com

FOR SALEKABOB RESTAURANT FOR SALE IN COLLEGE PARK, MARYLANDOff of Baltimore Ave. Across the street from Starbucks and University of Maryland. The owner is having health problems. $150,000 or best offer. Please call 703-629-8666.------------------------------------------------NICE TOWNHOUSE FOR RENT CLOSE TO ICMTownhouse, 5 BR, 3 1/2 BA, Walk out basement. New windows. At Montgomery Village, MD. Rent $1,450 not including utilities. 240-751-6563. 240-751-6568.------------------------------------------------PLACE AN AD WITH TMLTo place an ad in the Muslim Link call us at 301-982-1020 or email us at office@muslimlinkpaper.com

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MISCELLANEOUSFREE TO GOOD HOMEFree to a good home, 2 Yorkie puppies for adoption. If interested, contact me on rbradley987@gmail.com

MATRIMONIALBROTHER SEEKING WIFEGentleman, 57, from Iran, no children. Non-smoker, taxi driver. Seeking Muslim lady for marriage. For more information call Ali from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week. 202-669-5699.

SERVICESHANDYMAN AVAILABLE Assalamu’alaykum! My name is Varga Syahroni. I am an experienced technician in D.C. and Maryland. I offer service and repair for cooling, heating, plumbing, refrigerator, dish washers, dryer machines and much more. Call me for reliable service! Free estimates (301) 792-1004 or email varga_syahroni@yahoo.com------------------------------------------------

LOVING HOME CARE CAREGIVER SERVICEOur services are for seniors and loved ones needing in-home assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, walking assistance, meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders, transportation to appointments and grocery shopping. Also, with our Mother’s Helper service, we provide childcare assistance for moms needing a helping hand. Low Rates-No Deposit. www.lovinghomecare.orgCALL: 301-490-1146-----------------------------------------------WHERE YOU FIND QUALITY CAREFirst Choice Home Care Agency provides professional service and quality personal care. We help individuals maintain a familiar lifestyle in the comfort of their own home. We lift the spirits of not only the elderly and disabled, but also of their loved ones. Our caregivers will provide care and personal service 24 hours a day seven days a week. We accept Medicaid and private pay. Call First Choice Home Care, LLC at: 703-736-8325 ------------------------------------------------PLACE AN AD WITH TMLTo place an ad in the Muslim Link call us at 301-982-1020 or email us at office@muslimlinkpaper.com

Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020We invite you to place a classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for 3 issues in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301-982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

Write to us! Stop venting at dinner parties and in masjid parking lots. Cool down, get your points together, and send us a letter to the

editor or post a comment online. REACH US AT editor@muslimlinkpaper.com or http://www.muslimlinkpaper.com

27November 5th - November 25th, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT |

Color, Cut, & Style $55 (Long Hair Extra)Mani/Pedi $30”

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