Articles

Hooliganism

It was a sunny spring day in May, when Italian Andre Cazola woke up excited and happy. Today is the day of the match that had been booked months prior. The European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus! The first thing he glanced at when he opened his eyes, was the uniform of his team hung neatly behind his room door. He had bought the uniform months ago and wanted to wear it on an important occasion… like today. He reached under his bed to feel the floor. Then a smile appeared on his face, as his hand touched the new shoes, which he had bought only yesterday, along with a long pair of socks that reached his knees. Everything is ready… It will be a great day! I forgot to tell you two things though Number 1- Andre was only 11 years old. Number 2- he was killed inside the stadium that day. On the tenth of January, 630 AD, the Islamic army, led by the Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) entered Makkah, conquering the city and destroying its idols… It was the day of their greatest victory… And as a sign of this victory, a man ascended to the top of the Kaaba and raised the call to prayer! Before I reveal to you two astonishing points about this moment, it is important to mention that Islam was revealed to the Arabs in a place called ‘the Arabian Peninsula’, and the language of the Quran is Arabic. Also, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.. and most of the Muslims “at that time”, were pure Arabs…. and most importantly, their pride in their Arabism was and still is a huge part of their identity. Now for the first surprise: The one who raised the call to prayer in that historic moment, was not an Arab… but an Abyssinian! Abyssinians are not Arabs… That man’s name was Bilal Ibn Rabah. I’ll tell you the second amazing piece of information in a moment, but first let me give you a fictitious scenario. A person [...] ...

Sports in Islam

It is literally impossible to find a subject on which Islam has no ruling. Let’s take sports as an example The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: “A strong believer is better and more beloved to gad than a weak believer, and in both there is good.” Going to the gym to exercise your biceps, triceps, or mastering your bench press, with the intention of becoming a better, stronger, and more capable Muslim for God’s sake ..is – an act of worship in Islam. A daily 20 minute track routine with the same intention.. keeps you in a state of worship and seeking closeness to God. 45 minutes … increases your reward from God even more. This is because worship in Islam is not just prayer and meditation.. It is a comprehensive term which entails every single thing that God loves and is pleased with. And God loves for Muslims to take care of their health. Also, the Prophet Mohamed said: “Your body has a right over you” and your body’s right is that you keep it in its best condition… through proper nutrition, exercise, etc. But if you spend your life eating pizza and McDonald’s with liters of sugars and salts in the form of carbonated water… Soon enough, those destructive habits will take a toll on your health, and your whole eating pattern will fall within the scope of…haram. (Meaning forbidden by God) That is why the Prophet, Peace be upon him, said: “The son of Adam doesn’t fill a vessel more to his detriment… than his stomach.” And for Muslims, the Sunnah of the Prophet to be followed is not only from his statements… but also from his actions For example, The Prophet, Peace be upon him, used to participate in horse and camel racing. He also, encouraged boys to race on foot, and would reward the winners. Regarding the sport of archery, he said, “Verily! Strength is in archery” Also, when he passed by boys learning archery, he praised them. Islam encourages strengthening the body and acquiring skills to lead a better life… [...] ...

The Six Fundamentals of Faith

A Muslim goes through life, with all that it involves of trials and conflicts. He is like a vehicle that climbs up mountains and travels across deserts, or a boat that sails across seas and oceans, facing storm winds and earthquakes. It continues along its clear path aiming to reach its well-defined destination. It cannot reach it without a powerful engine and propellers that ensure that it goes along its way, without deviation. These propellers are the six fundamentals of faith: all six are necessary to ensure that the vehicle of faith travels towards its destination, which is heaven. The Six Fundamentals of Faith 1- To believe in God means: – That He exists: this is the necessary and natural conclusion arrived at by sound human nature and correct reasoning. – That He is the Lord of the universe and He conducts all its affairs. – That He is the One who deserves to be worshipped, glorified, loved and feared. No one else is given any share in any of these. – To believe in His fine names and attributes which He or Prophet Muhammad has confirmed as belonging to Him. When you believe in God, you know that you worship an ever-merciful and all-knowing Lord who is the Creator of all and controls all. He has commanded you, and all creation, to worship Him alone. To Him belongs all fine names and high attributes that make Him worthy of all love and glorification. 2- To believe in the angels: The angels are a great type of creation. God created them out of light and they worship God all the time, doing His bidding in all situations. He keeps them close to Him and they live in heaven. He has given them the power to do whatever He bids them. A believer should believe: – That they exist. God says: “Those that are with Him are never too proud to worship Him and never grow weary of that. They extol His limitless glory by night and day, tirelessly.” Qur’an (21: 19-20) – In those of them whose names have been [...] ...

Do you know what is the Quran?

The Qur’an is the only book which is memorised in full, from cover to cover, by millions of people. Should all copies of the Qur’an totally disappear, it will remain in existence, immune to distortion and alteration. What is amazing is that this is mentioned in the Qur’an, as God says: ‘It is We Ourselves who have bestowed this reminder from on high, and it is We who shall preserve it intact’. Qur’an (15: 9) The Qur’an is not merely a discourse attributed to God. Nor is it a set of concepts God wished to give to humans and allowed Muhammad to express them in his own style. Definitely not! The Qur’an is God’s own word. Therefore, it is free of even the slightest error. How can error creep into it when it is the word of God who combines absolute perfection with faultless knowledge? Across the centuries, Muslims studied the Qur’an in depth, but they continue to discover its linguistic and legislative treasures. Indeed, new avenues of knowledge have been based on the Qur’an. The Qur’an includes some scientific information that no human being could have possessed in the seventh century, such as the different stages a human embryo goes through during pregnancy, the formation of mountains, or the outcome of future battles? How could Muhammad gather such information except through revelation by the Creator who knows all? The Qur’an disapproves of some of the Prophet’s own actions. It includes some remonstration with the Prophet for the way he treated some Muslims, or how he dealt with his wives on certain occasions, or the way he interacted with certain relatives of his, or during a battle. Had the Qur’an been written by Muhammad, would he have included such reproach aimed at him personally? Billions of people lived on earth in the past fourteen centuries; yet none of them was able to take up the challenge stated in the Qur’an and produce a single verse that is akin to it. The challenge remains open and all are invited to try. The Qur’an also [...] ...

Who is the role model for these people ?

A brief biography of the Prophet Mohammad PBUH: Name: Muhammad Father’s Name: Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib Mother’s Name: Aminah Bint Wahab Date of birth: April 20, 570 CE Place of birth: Makkah in the Arabian Peninsula (in what is now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ) Date of death: June 6, 632 CE (at the age of 63) Place of death: Madinah (approximately 450 kilometers north of Makkah) His childhood and youth :From birth until the age of 25 years , Muhammad’s father died before he was born. When he was an infant, his mother sent him out of Makkah to be breastfed by a wet nurse named Halima.From the ages of two to six,he lived with his mother, Aminah, until she passed away in the year 576 CE. He then lived with his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib,until his death when Muhammad was eight years old. After that, his uncle Abu Talib, the father of 10 children, took him in and raised him. Education: Prophet Muhammad had no formal education; he could not read or write. As a youth, he never lived outside Makkah, and he never sought foreign knowledge His Career :From 8-15 years of age: Like all prophets before him, he worked as a shepherd. From 15-23 years of age: He worked with his uncle Abu Talib, trading merchandise between Syria and Makkah From 23-40 years He worked as a trader for a wealthy woman of the Quraish, known as Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. Prophet Muhammad was known in his community as a successful and honest trader.At the age of 40, Khadijah married the prophet Muhammad when he was 25 years of age. Together they had six children; two sons and four daughters. Marital Status:Managing trade for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid,a respected widow of the Quraish, Prophet Muhammad was known in his community for being successful and honest. When he was 25 and she was 40, Khadijah proposed marriage, and she was his only wife until her death 25 years later.Together they had two sons (who both died in infancy) and four daughters years 40- 63 When he reached the age of 40, [...] ...

Who is Muhammad, peace be upon him?

He is a human, not a demigod, nor a son of God. He himself said he was human: “I am a human like you” (related by Al-Bukhari [401] and Muslim [573]) ,and as God ordered him to, he informed people of this: “Say: ‘I am but a human being like yourselves. It has been revealed to me that your God is the One and only God. Hence, whoever expects to meet his Lord [on Judgement Day], let him do what is right, and in the worship due to his Lord admit no one as partner.” (Quran 18: 110) But he is the most influential human being in the history of humanity. We have received a full documentation of his life. No documentation of any other person’s life in history approaches his in accuracy and comprehensiveness. If anyone wants to attack 1.7 billion human beings he attacks him first, and if a Muslim wants to call people to Islam he begins by telling his life story. He is a man who was born in the 6th century AD but his influence still exists today in every corner of the world. He is a man who fought battles in which he received head injuries, and his front teeth were broken, yet he was a model of modesty. He is the one who was victorious in most of the wars he fought against his enemies and at the same time the one whose most bitter enemies came to believe in his message. He was the one who, with his followers, was subjected to savage oppression and torture, and when he was victorious and gained absolute power over his enemies, pardoned most of them. He was the one brought up in an ignorant society where stones and trees were worshipped, which indulged in every vice, …. But he never tasted alcohol, gambled or fornicated. When the words “the honest and trustworthy” referred to a particular person those who heard them knew that they referred to Muhammad, peace be upon him. He was the man who believed in Jesus, peace be upon him, and whose [...] ...

A Brief Guide To Islam and Muslims

Islam is a complete way of life combining both the spiritual aspects of the belief and the method which I can follow in my life. Islam is not only a belief… it is a belief and teachings to follow… It is a way of life. The Islamic belief is simple and clear, but it is also complies with the human disposition, as in Islam there is no mediation between humans and their Lord… The Lord hears and sees everything. You can just raise your hands to the sky and supplication to Him.. Ask for His forgiveness and mercy. I do not have to go to someone in specific for that, and I do not have to go to some place for that… This is A Brief Guide To Islam and Muslims: The Islamic Belief is simple and clear, it can be summarized in six points: First: The belief in God There is only one God He neither begets nor is born There is nothing like Him He has neither son nor wife… He is The Almighty, The Omnipotent… The All-Knowing .. The All-Merciful.. Second: The belief in His Angels… They are created from light by Almighty Allah and obey His commands. Third: The belief in His Books, that ended with the Holy Qur’an, which Allah has preserved from any distortion. Fourth: The belief in all the Messengers and Prophets of God… The last of them is Muhammad, Peace Be upon Him. Fifth: The belief in the Day of Judgment, when all people shall be accountable for what they did in this worldly life. Sixth: The belief in God’s Divine Decree and Predestination. There are five Pillars of Islam that a Muslim should fulfill: First: Testimony of Faith… I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of Worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger. Second: Salah, which are the five daily obligatory prayers. Third: Zakah, which is a form of alms-giving to the poor. Fourth: Fasting the month of Ramadan each year. Fifth: Hajj, which is the annual pilgrimage to Makkah which should be made once in the [...] ...

Who is Allah?

People do say that ‘seeing is believing’ and therefore they believe only what they see. They say that they do not see God, and therefore …. How strange! Why don’t they look around? Do you see this shapeless morsel of flesh? It may be Einstein, or Leonardo da Vinci, or Tolstoy, or Fyodor Dostoyevsky, or Hitler. Or it may be Cain or Able, or you or me. Who takes care of such an embryo in the deep darkness surrounding it? None other than God. Look at the universe around you. Who runs it and is always in full control of it? In the Qur’an we read: “It is God alone who holds the celestial bodies and the earth, lest they deviate [from their courses]. If they should ever deviate, no one else could uphold them after Him. He is indeed ever clement, much forgiving.” Quran (35: 41). There is another universe nearby. It is inside your head. Who has made these universes and established their accurate balance? None other than God. A single cell that reproduces itself according to its own DNA points to the Creator in the same way that stars and galaxies point to Him:“God says in the Qur’an:”On earth there are signs for those with sure faith, and in yourselves too: can you not see?” Quran (51: 21-22) You wake up in the morning after last night’s party and 37.2 trillion cells in your body start to work, without you being aware of them or giving any of them your orders. Never did any of them fail to work, not even by chance. Do you find this figure hard to perceive? It simply has 13 zeros, and may be written thus: 3,72×10. Who has made such perfect creation? None other than God. Archaeologists have discovered cities that had no forts, and others without palaces, or without schools, but they have never discovered the remains of cities that had no places of worship. Regardless of his colour, race, constitution, or way of thinking, man has always searched for God and worshipped Him. I wonder: is it possible that [...] ...

Get to know Ahsaa

Did you know that Al Ahsa Oasis is considered one of the two most important oases in theĺ Arabian Peninsula? With its shady palm groves and crystal clear springs, Al- Ahsa Oasis is a dream destination. Located in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia, Al Ahsa, Arabic for ‘the sound of water underground’, is a fertile landscape for the ages. In times past, it served as a hub for traders and caravans traversing the ancient trade routes, and was also a resting place for early pilgrims traveling to perform Hajj or Umrah. One of the largest oases in the world, its date palms boast over 30 million palm trees, processing an output of five tons of dates daily. http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=drlXpAmdKUg&feature=emb_title For history buffs, Al Ahsa is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site – filled with archaeological landmarks, dating back to the Neolithic period. Jawatha Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Islam, is found here, as well as historic remnants of Ottoman Turkish influence, seen in buildings such as Qasr Ibrahim (Ibrahim Palace) and the Qasr Sahood ( Sahood Palace). To the east, is the ancient fort of Uqair, the first seaport in the Persian Gulf, and conference site at which the Uqair Protocol of 1922 was issued, establishing the borders of modern Saudi Arabia. To the southeast is the Shaybah oil field, discovered in 1967, with 255 drilled wells, producing over 1 million barrels of oil daily. Al- Hofuf is the capital of Al- Ahsa, and Al- Mubarraz is the largest city. Both are bustling urban cities filled with traditional markets and visitors attractions. Make Al- Ahsa a dream experience to cherish. Tour the bustling cities of Al Hofuf and Al-Mubarraz. Gaze upon Ibrahim Palace in Al- Hofuf, as well as other architectural heritage from the Ottoman period. Visit the Amiriya School, one of the oldest public schools in the center of Al- Hofuf. Visit Jawatha Mosque, and the child- friendly Jawatha Park. Experience the museum’s ‘History of the Kingdom’ exhibit, and enjoy the many fun activities. Al Ahsa oasis is the first UNESCO- listed city in the Gulf. Explore [...] ...

“2.5%”

Today, I encourage you to practice a simplistic form of one of the five pillars of Islam. It’s the third one and it’s called the Zakat, or almsgiving. In Islam, It is customarily 2.5% (or 1⁄40) of one’s total savings and wealth above a specific threshold each lunar year. ...

“salah became the huge star ”

When Salah became the huge star that he is, every family in his hometown “Nagrig” started training their kids to become soccer players as well, they know the value of starting very young, and I am sure some of these kids will become professional footballers one day. ...

“Sacrifice”

“Would you be prepared to die for your club?” A news reporter asked two hardcore soccer fans outside of some stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. “Yes,” the fans answered. ...

“Everyone does Hajj”

What’s the difference between going to the stadium and watching the game on a flat screen at home, in an air-conditioned room, lying on a recliner, with all the snacks you need around you? One thing: the people. ...

“Belonging”

I was once talking to a friend of mine who was a fan of a mid-table football team. I tried to convince him, using logic and reason, numbers, and statistics, that his team deserved to lose a specific game. Finally, he stopped me saying “Ahmed, don’t waste your time, soccer fandom is based on irrationality” ...

“Eight hours earlier”

I guess every group of friends has that one member who is always late for everything. I am that person in my group, and I am not proud of it. ...

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