John Pilger has been one of my favourite journalists for a long time (Robert Fisk being the other). In this video, he speaks about media propaganda and how powerful the it has become in influencing public opinion.

A few questions about the affairs of this life and the hereafter

On the authority of Khalid bin Waleed (May Allah be pleased with him), who relates that a man came one day to Prophet Muhammad and said to him,

‘Oh Messenger of Allah ! I’ve come to ask you a few questions about the affairs of this Life and the Hereafter.’ So Prophet Muhammad replied: ‘Ask what you wish.’ So the Bedouin asked:

Q1) I’d like to be the most learned of men.

A1) Fear Allah , and you will be the most learned of men.

Q2) I wish to be the richest man in the world.

A2) Be content, and you will be the richest man in the world.

Q3) I’d like to be the most just man.

A3) Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be the most just of men.

Q4) I want to be the best of men.

A4) Do good to others and you will be the best of men.

Q5) I wish to be the most favoured by Allah

A5) Engage much in Allah ’s (swt) praise, and you will be most favoured by Him.

[Musnad Imam Ahmad - Saheeh]

Taken from the new blog “Daily Reminders ” by Sidi Raheel Ahmed

If this doesn’t make your heart drop and a tear fall upon your cheek, nothing will.  Please watch this video with patience – it is very hard hitting with sad images.

Reality can be hard to absorb, but as much as this is hard to deal with, our brothers, sisters, mothers and our little ones are living through it.  We must be aware of it and not live in ignorance.

May Allah guide this ummah and restore the love of Islam in our hearts and let us follow, in every way, the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad .

Pious people’s conditions and state of passing away

by Hadhrat Shaykh Maulana Yusuf Motala Saheb

A saint says that ‘if Shahadat (bearing witness) is on the door of the house and Islam on the door to the room and I was to die then I would prefer the death upon Shahadat. He was asked: why? He replied ‘because I do not know what would happen in the time it takes to reach the door to the room from the front door and then the Tawheed may be affected.’

Zohair bin Naeem Albaani is the narrator. He states my biggest worry is not my sins. Greater than the worry of my sins is another grief, and that grief is that Tawheed may be taken from me, and the fear of dying in a state other than Tawheed.

Ibne Mubarak narrates from Abu Luhaiya who narrates from Abubakr bin Sawaada he says that ‘A person used to live separately from the people, wherever he went he lived alone. Hazrat Abu Darda went to him and said ‘I give you Allah ’s oath. Tell me why you have chosen to live separately from the people.’ He said ‘I am fearful that my Deen (religion) is taken away from me and I do not even realise.’ Hazrat Abu Darda stated that ‘Do you see even one hundred people amongst the tribe who have this fear you have?’ and he continued to ask until he reached ten. The narrator states that I mentioned this to a Syrian and he replied: ‘this is the story of Sharahbeel bin Simat who is the companion of the Prophet may Allah send peace and blessing upon him. Hazrat Abu Darda used to say on oath: ‘the person who is not afraid of losing his faith at the time of death has lost his faith (Iman).’

One of our scholars has said ‘whoever has been given Tawheed he has been given everything. And whoever is deprived from Tawheed, is deprived from everything (blessing).

People in Europe and America are subjected to bias and whimsical news reporting. I don’t think i am writing out of place when i type that, because it is just so bloomin’ obvious and downright in our face.

If we consider the conflict in Occupied Palestine and notice how the media reports it, it would make you sick if you knew the full details. When a Palestinian dies it is reported as Palestinian “terrorist” or “militant” and that he “died”when the reality could be that he was a 14 year old boy throwing a stone and was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper.

When an Israeli dies it reaches front page news in papers and headline news all over the world and his death is referred to as “killed” or “murdered”

The reason i write this is i read on the BBC website the following:

It may not seem obvious to many but the psychology behind such reporting has a huge affect on people.

Notice how the deaths of three Israeli soldiers gets to be headline news, in bold and very prominent on the page.

Then notice, in a kind of, oh, by the way, four Hamas “militants” died too….

By placing the death of the Israeli’s in bold and in a prominent place on the website, it gives it importance and status and it tells us that it is something that we should care about. Then below in smaller, less prominent script we read about four Hamas brothers who were killed.

This may not be the perfect example of my point but when i read the report it did leave a nasty taste in my mouth. There is no context in much of the reporting, no mention that these battles are taking place on illegal occupied territory and there is absolutely no critical analysis of events. The only conclusion one can arrive at is that media organisations, like the BBC, support Israel and regard the death of an Israeli as more more important and more significant than the death of a Palestinian.

What else can you read into it? What other message can be read into it?

The video below describes how the media manipulates things and has a definite bias towards Israel.

Ismael Patel goes into detail about this issue in his talk Media, Informing or Influencing?

Louis Farrakhan is not a man who i think a lot about or care to listen to much, but i just happened to bump into this video recently and loved it. He describes the hypocrisy of America taking the moral high ground in world affairs.

Just great

This news has been doing the rounds in conversations and email exchanges but surprisingly there are many people who are still not aware of it. For all those brothers and sisters who travel on the M6 and M1 motorways like i do, news of prayer facilities at Moto Service stations will come as a massive relief.

The amount of times i and others have to pray outside in the car park in the wet and cold!

The Hilton Park Service Station (pictured here on the right) now has a “Contemplation Room ” for us to use at our convenience and inshallah, i expect it to become very busy from now on.

The other venue is on the M1 and it is called Trowell Moto Services. Brothers and sisters visiting this service station should know that it hasn’t got the best reputation as it has been named by Nottingham Police as the number one crime spot in Nottingham (read ).

So remember to lock your car and hide all valuables before you enter the service station to pray

There is also a wash room we can use for wudhu which has low sinks which is great too.

Here are the addresses for your TomTom:

• M1 Moto: Junction 25/26 M1, Ilkeston, Trowell, Nottingham NG9 3PL
• M6 Moto: J10a/11 M6, Essington, Wolverhampton, Staffs WV11 2AT

And the earth hath He appointed for His creatures
Wherein are fruit and sheathed palm trees,
Husked grain and scented herb.
Which is it of these favors of your Lord
that ye deny?
Qur’an 55:10-13

MILK:
Prophet Muhammad said that milk wipes away heat from the heart just as the finger wipes away sweat from the brow. It strengthens the back, increases the brain, augments intelligence, renews vision and drives away forgetfulness.

HONEY:

is considered to be the best remedy for constipation when mixed in hot water. It is the food of foods, drink of drinks and drug of drugs; gives appetite, strengthens the stomach, eliminates phlegm, can be used as a meat preservative, hair conditioner, eye salve and mouthwash. It is not only beneficial to drink in the mornings in warm water; it is also a sunnah.

OLIVE OIL:
Excellent treatment for skin and hair, delays old age , treats inflammation of the stomach.

MUSHROOM:
Prophet Muhammad said that mushroom is a good cure for the eyes , it also serves as a form of birth control and arrests paralysis.

GRAPES:
Prophet Muhammad was very fond of grapes. It purifies the blood, provides vigour and health, strengthens the kidneys and clears the bowels.

DATES:
Prophet Muhammad said that a house without dates has no food, also to be eaten at the time of childbirth .

FIGS:
It is a fruit from paradise and a cure for piles.

BARLEY:
Good for fever in a soup form.

MELON:
Melon contains 1000 blessings and 1000 mercies , Prophet Muhammad said “None of your women who are pregnant and eat of watermelon will fail to produce offspring who are good in countenance and good in character.

POMEGRANATE:
Prophet Muhammad said it cleanses you of Satan and evil aspirations for 40 days.

WATER:
Prophet Muhammad said the best drink in this world and the next is water, when you are thirsty drink it by sips and not gulps, gulping produces sickness of the liver

Hat tip to Sidi Raheel Ahmed

Courtesy of my brother and friend, Kamran Abdul Qayyum, who told me that we can use this answer when a person, who regards himself as a Salafi, questions us about following a madhab

Question asked to Shaykh Bin Baz:

Is it correct that the Hanaabilah are the only Salafi’s? And what is the reality of as-Salafiyyah?

This is not a correct statement; for indeed the Salaf us-Saalih (the pious predecessors) are the Sahaabah may Allah be please with them, and whosoever followed their way, from the Taabi?een and the atba?at-Taabi?een, from the Hanafees and the Maalikees and the Shaafi?ees and the Hanbalees; and other than them from those whom traversed upon the truth and adhered to the mighty Book and the pure Sunnah (Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz courtsey of fatwaislam )

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Uthaimeen mentions Taqleed is done in two cases:

1) when the muqallid is an aamee (a common person) who does not have the ability to aquire knowledge of the shariyah ruling by himself. So taqleed is obligatory upon him, due to the saying of Allah ‘ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.’ So he does taqleed of one whom he considers to be a person of knowledge and piety. If there are two such people who are equal in his view, then he chooses any one of them.

2) The mujtahid when he encounters a new situation, for which an immediate solution is required, but it is not possible for him to research into this matter. So in this case he is permitted to perform taqleed.(Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Uthaimeen Source: Al-Usool min `Ilimil Usool )

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi will inshallah be teaching the book Ash Shifa of Qadi Iyad beginning on the 24th May in Birmingham (see event calender)

I thought it would nice to share with you a small part of the book

Section 4: The signs of love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

Someone who has true love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will manifest the following signs.

1) The first sign is that he will emulate him, apply his Sunna, follow his words and deeds, obey his commands and avoid his prohibitions and take on his adab in ease and hardship, joy and despair. Allah testifies to that, “Say: if you love Allah , then follow me and Allah will love you.” (3:31) 2) He will prefer what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has laid down as law and encouraged, over his own passions and appetites. Allah said, “Those who were already settled in the abode, and in belief, before they came, love those who have emigrated to them and do not find in their breasts any need for what they have been given and prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are in want.” (59:9)

3) His anger against people will only be for the sake of the pleasure of Allah . Anas ibn Malik said, “The Messenger of Allah said to me, ‘My son, if you can be without any grudge in your heart against anyone in the morning and evening, be like that.’ Then he added, ‘My son, that is part of my Sunna. Whoever gives life to my sunna has loved me and whoever loves me is with me in the Garden.’” (at-Tirmidhi)

Anyone who possesses this particular quality has perfect love for Allah and His Messenger. Anyone slightly lacking in it is imperfect in his love, while not entirely devoid of it. The proof of this is in what the Prophet said about the man who was given the punishment for drinking. A man there cursed him and the Prophet said, “Do not curse him. He loves Allah and His Messenger.” (al-Bayhaqi)

4) Another of the signs of love for the Prophet is to mention him often. Whoever loves something mentions it a lot.

5) Another is great yearning to meet him. Every lover yearns for their beloved.

When the Ash’arite clan came to Madina, they chanted, “Tomorrow we will meet those we love, Muhammad and his Companions!”

6) One of its signs is that as well as mentioning him often, someone who loves him will exalt and respect him when he mentions him and display humility and abasement when he hears his name. Ishaq at-Tujibi said, “Whenever the Companions of the Prophet heard his name after he died, they were humble, their skins trembled and they wept. It was the same with many of the Followers. Some of them act like that out of love and yearning for him, others out of respect and esteem.”

7) Another sign is love for those who love the Prophet and the people of his house and his Companions, both of the Muhajirun and Ansar, for his sake. Such a person will also be hostile to those who hate them and curse them. Whoever loves anyone, loves those he loves.