Hate speech is worse than terrorism- APC National chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun says

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, has described perpetrators of hate-speeches, images, and songs as worse than Boko Haram members. Odigie-Oyegun said this in his reaction to an audio recording that is currently being circulated especially in the north of the country, which he described as “dangerous and despicable”.

In a statement released yesterday, the APC National Chairman therefore called on security agencies to promptly apprehend those behind the recording and other similar acts, “no matter who they are.”

“Every ethnically based crisis of whatever nature had started with hate speech. When people within the same country frame and define one another in the manner intended to set them up for violent attack, then they are setting themselves up for a major disaster. The “merchants of hate” don’t know or just don’t care about the consequences of the fire they are smoking in the country. But they have the experiences of other countries to learn from. Rwanda remains a classic example on our continent. However, even as terrible as Rwanda was, it would be nothing compared to what could happen if a huge country like Nigeria is allowed to fall into the disaster of hate-driven conflict. This is why we must all rise, regardless of our political differences and condemn these ugly and shameful acts with one voice" he said.

Odigie-Oyegun observed that even though ethnic distrust is not new in the country, the rising wave of hate speech, negative religious and ethnic utterance and actions as is currently being experienced, is part of the fallouts of the 2015 presidential election.

“Anyone participating in an election knows that there could only be two outcomes, you win or you lose. When you lose, you prepare for the next election. What we have seen however is that since 2015, some politicians and political groups have carried on as if they wish the country itself to collapse just because they are no longer in power. This is tragic indeed.”

Odigie-Oyegun called on the Acting President to direct the security agencies to ensure that those behind these odious acts are promptly arrested and swiftly brought to justice. “We cannot sit idle and watch a few disgruntled individuals to destroy our democracy, and God forbids, the nation that we all fought hard to achieve and build,” he concluded

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Islam in Australia

The Makassans

Well before 1788, Makassan fishermen from the east-Indonesian archipelago, fishing for trepang (sea-slugs), began annual voyages to our northern shores. It is thought that the fishermen of Makassar had been visiting the north coast of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland from as early as the 16th century. Aboriginal cave paintings also depict the traditional Makassan sailing vessel or 'prau' and a number of Makassan artifacts have been found in Aboriginal settlements on the west and northern coast of Australia.

In 1803, Matthew Flinders recorded the sighting of 6 praus off the east of Arnhem Land. Some inter-marriages between Aborigines and Makassans took place and Makassan grave sites exist along the coastline.

These early Muslim traders were among the first visitors to establish an economic enterprise, founding Australia�s first �modern industry�. Unlike later European settlement, Makassan enterprise encroached little on the Aboriginal way of life. More lasting is their place in Aboriginal history and culture.

They came intermittently as visitors, revealing only a part of Islam. While day-to-day contact would have made Aborigines aware of prayer times and burial practices, Islam as a way of life had little impact on Australia.

The First Fleet

In 1770 Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay and in 1788, the First Fleet sailed into Australian waters. Ali Williams, a Member of the Fellowship of the First Fleeters, when investigating his own family history, found that according to Government records, the Musters of 1802, 1811, 1822, and the Census of 1828, had listed a number of Mohammedans, the term used for Muslims at the time. Thus, the first Muslims settled in NSW only 13 years after the colony was formed.
He found that a person by the name of Rhamut, aged 23, came free on the ship "Favourite" in 1801. He was later listed as a land-owner residing at Evan, near the Nepean River in NSW. Satim, aged 25, and Marnie, aged 23, both came free on the "Louisa" in 1828 and were employed by John Maughan as servants, residing at George Street, Sydney.

Malay divers

Long before the last Makassan prau had sailed from Australian waters in 1907, Malay divers were employed in the pearling grounds off Western Australia and the Northern Territory. By the 1870s, Australian pearlers were actively recruiting Asian divers for the pearling industry, acknowledged as being of primary importance to Australia�s fledgling economy.

In 1875, it was estimated that there were 1,800 Malays working in Western Australian waters. They were mainly recruited from Koepang under an agreement with the Dutch colonial authorities.

Later, Japanese were preferred and Malays were forced into other areas of employment. In 1921, only 14 were recorded as employers, while 131 worked on their own account and 1,207 were wage-earners. The number of Malays decreased significantly over the following decades. In the 1930s, the Malays built a mosque in Broome.

The Afghan camel drivers

Another group of Muslims to settle in Australia was the Afghan camel drivers. They came between 1867 and about 1910 when the use of the camel as a means of transportation was at its peak.

Every school-aged child in Australia probably knows something about the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition in the central outback in 1860. Camels were imported specifically for that expedition, as it was correctly considered that camels would be more suited to exploration in this arid and waterless land than either horses or bullocks. What seems to have escaped most history textbooks is the fact that those expeditionary camels were accompanied by two Muslim Afghan cameleers, Dost Mahomet and Esan Khan. Both of these men survived the ordeal due to the resilience of their camels. However, Dost Mohamet died shortly after his return to Menindie, South Australia, where he suffered an injury to his arm from one of the camels. He was buried at Menindie, the first Afghan to die on Australian soil.

From then on, the immense value of the camel was acknowledged and thousands of them were imported to assist in exploration and freight haulage by rich pastoralists like Thomas Elder. Elder was knighted in 1876 for his importation of camels and his services to exploration, unlike his faithful Afghan retainers, and even unlike his active partner, Samuel Stuckey. Stuckey had gone to India in 1862 and again in 1865, and eventually landed over 120 camels at Port Augusta, along with 31 Afghan handlers. Included among them were two brothers, Faiz and Tagh Mahomet, who were to go on to become perhaps the most successful and enterprising Afghans in Australia, with huge businesses and camel studs.

The journals, diaries and reports of early European explorers speak very highly of the Afghans - their strict adherence to the code of Islam (especially in regard to their daily prayers and the eating of halal meat and the avoidance of alcohol), and their excellent character, reliability, stamina and live-saving skills. Many of the explorers gladly acknowledge the debt owed to their camel-handlers in saving their lives in difficult and dangerous situations. The very success of most of these important expeditions was due to the Afghans themselves, and their ability to manage their camels.

But no public recognition or reward was ever given to the Afghans. The best that happened for some was to have a landmark named after them - for example, "Allanah's Hill", "Bejah's Hill" and "Kamran's Well". In all probability, the first non-Aboriginal to stand on top of Uluru (Ayer's Rock) was not the European explorer, Gosse, but his Afghan guide and companion, Kamran. Gosse's diary states that on 20 July 1873, after reaching the summit, he envied Kamran's tough feet: "He seemed to enjoy the walking about with bare feet, while mine were all in blisters, and it was as much as I could do to stand."

The only public reminder of the Afghans is to be found in the "Ghan", the name of the famous train that runs from Port Augusta in South Australia to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

In 1887 the NSW railways reached Broken Hill and Bourke, and these towns too became gathering points for the Afghans. At each of these railheads the Afghans constructed their shanty "Ghantowns", attempted to raise families and built ramshackle, corrugated-iron mosques. Their role in transport, supply, discovery and camel breeding was indispensable to Australia's economic growth and development.

But what happened to the Afghans? Why are there to be found no resilient, thriving communities descended from them, at least in some of those inland towns? The answer to that question lies in a number of factors. Racism and religious intolerance were always prevalent. The Afghans were always "aliens" in a foreign land, never allowed to become its citizens, even after Federation in 1901 and having lived here for two generations. They were "non-whites", considered as culturally inferior as the Aborigines, but more feared, because of their reputation as rugged fighters in the two Anglo-Afghan Wars of the 1840s and 1870s.

The death-knell really came with the advent of modern road transport. Cars and trucks finally ended the reign of the camel as undisputed master of the inland. Many were shot by the Authorities as a "public nuisance"; they were taxed so heavily by a burdensome licensing system that many Afghans simply could not pay and preferred to release them into the wild than see them destroyed. This is why Australia has the only feral camels in the world, roaming among the saltbush scrub and gibber plains. They are free, in robust health and excellent physical condition, and now highly-prized as an export commodity and as tourist attractions. It's a pity the same cannot be said for the men who introduced them and bred them here.

The years of decline (1900-40)

In 1903 the Naturalisation Act excluded most non-Europeans from the right to apply for naturalisation; nor were they permitted to bring their families into the country. The �White Australia Policy� had significant implications on the Australian Muslim community. Many Muslims chose to return to their homelands. By 1921 there were fewer than 3,000 Muslims living in Australia.
Amid the decline was a second wave of emigrants from Albania who worked as casual labourers in Western Australia, Queensland, and Victoria throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The Albanians, not of Asian descent, were not subjected to the �White Australia Policy�.

The Post-War years

After the Second World War, the need for better security and a larger population became important. The government was compelled to widen its criteria on what constituted an acceptable Australian. The first intake of Muslims were displaced persons from Europe (Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary and Russia).
Liberalisation of Australia�s immigration policies was further underpinned by an economy which grew strongly over the next two decades. The key event in Australia�s immigration history was the official abandoning of the �White Australia Policy� in 1972. Between 1967 and 1971 more than 10,000 emigrated from Turkey under an agreement signed in 1967 for large-scale assisted immigration.

Following the Arab-Israeli war in 1967 and continuing civil war in Lebanon, Lebanese Muslim immigration to Australia also increased dramatically. By 1981, Australia had received around 16,500 Lebanese-born Muslims.

Religious Groups

Between 1981 and 1991 Muslims increased from 0.5 per cent to 0.9 per cent of the Australian population. The two largest groups, Catholics and Anglicans, still account for over 50 per cent of the population. Immigration has accounted for the vast majority of the growth of Muslims. The second reason for the growth is the higher fertility rate. In the 1986 Census, Muslims had the highest rate of marriage, the lowest rate of divorce, the lowest proportion of women with no children, and the lowest rate of religious intermarriage. [At the time of writing, the 1996 Census data had not been analysed]

Countries of origin

According to the 1986 Census, two-thirds of Muslims were born overseas. Very important, is the fact that one-third of Australian Muslims were born in Australia. The bulk of Muslims in Australia have come from Turkey, Lebanon, Yugoslavia and Cyprus (more than 50 per cent). According to the 1991 Census, 17.4 per cent were born in Lebanon and 15.5 per cent in Turkey. The largest group of Muslims were the Australian-born, 35 per cent. This percentage is likely to increase as births grow more than immigration. Muslims have settled predominantly in Sydney (50 per cent) and Melbourne (32 per cent). Only 4.3 per cent live outside one of Australia�s major cities.
The Muslim community will continue to grow. The growth rate will be determined by the Muslim population�s high birth rate, low rate of religious outmarriage, conversions, and immigration.

Mosques in Australia

There are more than 60 mosques. The first city mosque to be built in Australia still serves the Muslim community in Adelaide, South Australia. It was built between 1888 and the early 1890s by the Afghan cameleers. The first mosque in NSW was built in 1891 at Broken Hill. The Broken Hill mosque, now a museum, is presently maintained by the Broken Hill Historical Society. The second city mosque was built in Perth in 1905. The first mosque established in Sydney in the late 1960s was in Lakemba (Imam Ali Mosque). The King Faisal mosque in Surry Hills was built shortly thereafter. The largest mosques in NSW are in Lakemba and Auburn. The largest mosques in Victoria are in Preston and Broadmeadows.

The future of Islam in Australia

Islam is here to stay and Muslims are going to play a significant role in Australia�s future. The Muslims have already put religion back on the agenda with secularism versus religion the debating point.
The mosque remains the most vital social structure in Islam and our association with it must be increased. Secondly, we must ensure that the benefits that we as Muslims receive from Islam are also communicated to the wider non-Muslim community. We should be ambassadors of Islam and promote Islamically-based systems and alternatives as potential solutions to the problems faced by the wider community, such as: abstention to combat alcoholism; having a life-mission to prevent suicide, shared equity and rental instead of usury, etc.

Equipped with good will, hard work, increased faith, wisdom and dedication, Muslims in Australia will indeed ensure a brighter future for themselves and for Australia as a whole.

"You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind, you enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad, and you believe in Allah."
[surah ali-Imran; 3:110]

Source:-islamcan.com

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The Forgotten Islamic Roots of American Slaves

Muslims represent one-fifth of humanity. Many Americans are unaware of this simple fact. But there is another statistic of which most Americans are also unaware: More than one fifth of all "slaves" brought to these shores during the horrific period of transatlantic slave trading were also people of the Islamic faith.

While this has been known by some in the African-American community for many decades, little serious academic research was done on the subject until recently. Alan Austin, a retired professor of history from Massachusetts, did much of the original research that culminated in his book "African Muslims in Antebellum America: Transatlantic Stories and Spiritual Struggles." Since then, many other prominent researchers have expanded on his groundbreaking research.

Despite the sound basis of his work, Austin's research was largely ignored in the academic community. Sylviane Diouf's book -- "Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas" -- is another well-written, academic work now in it its second printing, but it too has not received the attention it deserves.

Those who want more information on this subject will find the information fascinating. Many of these Muslims were highly educated in their African homeland, and they considered America to be barbaric compared to their own civilized communities in Africa.

The stories of these people are moving, to say the least. Some, in fact, sound like ready-made screenplays for a Hollywood film. One is that of Prince Abdar Rahman, who was born a prince in his homeland of Mali and, because of his aristocratic breeding, intimidated many of the Southern whites who crossed his path. Some of these men became lecturers and toured the country giving speeches about their lives and experiences, and some even made it back to their homelands through diplomatic and business ties.

These stories should be written in every textbook of American history. Americans should realize that Islam is not an alien faith new to this land but has been here from the first arrivals of Europeans to these shores, and perhaps even before that.

This information is a powerful tool that can be used to dispel false beliefs about the ignorance of Africans and their lack of culture and civilization. It can enable young people as well as old to see the rich tapestry that makes up the continent of Africa and how much of that richness came to and embellished these shores.

Surely, we owe it to the men and women who suffered so greatly to at least find out who they were and to read and hear about the powerful responses they gave to the awesome tribulations and hardships they faced.

Source :-islamcan.com

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National States

While the world of Islam has entered into the modern world in the form of national states, continuous attempts are made to create closer cooperation within the Islamic world as a whole and to bring about greater unity. This is seen not only in the meetings of the Muslim heads of state and the establishment of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) with its own secretariat, but also in the creation of institutions dealing with the whole of the Islamic world. Among the most important of these is the Muslim World League (Rabitat al-alam al-Islami ) with its headquarters in Makkah. Saudi Arabia has in fact played a pivotal role in the creation and maintenance of such organizations.

Source :-islamcan.com

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Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

It is a common misconception with some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force.

The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. Freedom of religion is ordained in the Quran itself:

"There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong." (Quran 2:256)

The noted historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:[1] "History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."

The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book Heroes and Hero worship, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one; in one man's head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and tries to propagate with that will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."

If Islam was spread by the sword, it was the sword of intellect and convincing arguments. It is this sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Quran says in this connection:

"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best." (Quran 16:125)
The facts speak for themselves

Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia. It is an established historical fact that Indonesia entered Islam not due to war, but because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic government from many regions once ruled by it, their original inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm, affliction and oppression. The same can be said for those in the regions of Syria and Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, Asia, the Balkans and in Spain. This shows that the effect of Islam on the population was one of moral conviction, in contrast to occupation by western colonialists, finally compelled to leave lands whose peoples held only memories of affliction, sorrow, subjugation and oppression.

Muslims ruled Spain (Andalusia) for about 800 years. During this period the Christians and Jews enjoyed freedom to practice their respective religions, and this is a documented historical fact.

Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian and Jewish populations.

Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years, and therefore had the power to force each and every non-Muslim of India to convert to Islam, but they did not, and thus more than 80% of the Indian population remains non-Muslim.

Similarly, Islam spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. And likewise no Muslim army was ever dispatched to the East Coast of Africa.

An article in Reader's Digest 'Almanac', yearbook 1986, gives the statistics of the increase of the percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in The Plain Truth magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During this fifty-year period, there was no "Islamic conquest" yet Islam spread at an extraordinary rate.

Today the fastest growing religion in America and Europe is Islam. The Muslims in these lands are a minority. The only sword they have in their possession is the sword of truth. It is this sword that is converting thousands to Islam.

Islamic law protects the privileged status of minorities, and that is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. Islamic law also allows non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether they are Muslims or not.
Conclusion

It is clear, therefore, that Islam did not spread by the sword. The "sword of Islam" did not convert all the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 800 years, they are still a minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing religion and has over six million followers.

In his book The World's Religions, Huston Smith discusses how the prophet Muhammad granted freedom of religion to the Jews and Christians under Muslim rule:

The Prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews and Christians "shall be protected from all insults and harm; they shall have an equal right with our own people to our assistance and good offices," and further, "they shall practice their religion as freely as the Muslims."[2]

Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as the first charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state.

Footnotes:

[1] In his book Islam at the Crossroads, p.8.

[2] Quoted in The World's Religions by Huston Smith, Harper Collins, 1991, p. 256

Source :-islamcan.com

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What Does Islam Say about Terrorism?

Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said:

"God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers." (Quran 60:8)

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, used to prohibit soldiers from killing women and children,[1] and he would advise them: "...Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn child."[2] And he also said: "Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of forty years."[3]

Also, the Prophet Muhammad has forbidden punishment with fire.[4]

He once listed murder as the second of the major sins,[5] and he even warned that on the Day of Judgment, "The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of bloodshed.[6]"[7]

Muslims are even encouraged to be kind to animals and are forbidden to hurt them. Once the Prophet Muhammad said: "A woman was punished because she imprisoned a cat until it died. On account of this, she was doomed to Hell. While she imprisoned it, she did not give the cat food or drink, nor did she free it to eat the insects of the earth."[8]

He also said that a man gave a very thirsty dog a drink, so God forgave his sins for this action. The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was asked, "Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?" He said: "There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human."[9]

Additionally, while taking the life of an animal for food, Muslims are commanded to do so in a manner that causes the least amount of fright and suffering possible. The Prophet Muhammad said: "When you slaughter an animal, do so in the best way. One should sharpen his knife to reduce the suffering of the animal."[10]

In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam.

Footnotes:

[1] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1744, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3015.

[2] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1731, and Al-Tirmizi, #1408.

[3] Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3166, and Ibn Majah, #2686.

[4] Narrated in Abu-Dawood, #2675.

[5] Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6871, and Saheeh Muslim, #88.

[6] This means killing and injuring.

[7] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1678, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6533.

[8] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2422, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2365.

[9] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2244, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2466.

[10] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1955, and Al-Tirmizi, #1409.

Source :-islamcan.com

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The Patient Old Man

When passing through a mountain pass, a bedouin (villager) once came across an old man who was blind and who seemed to be afflicted with various ailments all over his body. It was clear that he was wasting away. He was even paralyzed and was constantly forced to remain in a seated position. The Bedouin could clearly hear him say, "All praise is for Allah, Who has kept me safe from ailments with which He has tested many among His creation; and He has indeed preferred me over many among those that He created."

"My brother!" exclaimed the bedouin. "What have you been saved from? By Allah, I think that you have been afflicted with every single kind of ailment!"

"Go away from me," said the old man, as he raised his head. "Do I not still have a tongue with which I can pronounce His Oneness, and with which I can remember Him every single moment? And do I not still have a heart with which I can know Him?"

These words of the old man were enough for the bedouin to repent to Allah for his sins and ask Him for forgiveness.

Remember, there is always someone else who is in more problem than you.

Source:-islamcan.com

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Giant Ship Engine that Failed

The following is an incident about an engine failure in a giant ship. The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap $ 9998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference. Knowledge in Islam is highly valued. Knowledge will benefit us in this world and in the hereafter.

Source:-islamcan.com

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Jihad and Islam

The word Jihad represents a concept which is much misunderstood in the West. The concept is explained nicely by the Christian scholar Ira 6. Zepp, Jr. in his book entitled A Muslim Primer on pages 133-135. We adapt from his answer the following:

The essential meaning of Jihad is the spiritual, psychological, and physical effort we exert to be close to God and thus achieve a just and harmonious society. Jihad literally means "striving" or "struggle" and is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause). In a sense, every Muslim is a Mujahid, one who strives for God and justice.

Al-Ghazali captured the essence of Jihad when he said: "The real Jihad is the warfare against (one's own) passions. Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi calls Jihad "the execution of effort against evil in the self and every manifestation of evil in society." In a way, Jihad is the Muslim's purest sacrifice: a struggle to live a perfect life and completely submit to God.

Another form of Jihad is the striving to translate the Word of God into action. If one has experienced God and received guidance from the Qur'an, one struggles to apply that guidance in daily life. So the larger, more prevalent meaning of Jihad is the spiritual struggle of the soul. In this case, Jihad is always present for the believer whether there is an external enemy or not. We should never reduce Jihad to violence.

A third level of Jihad is popularly known as "holy war." The classic passage is found in the Qur'an:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Truly Allah likes not the transgressors (Qur'an 2:190).

It is crucial to note here that what is condoned is defensive warfare; Islam cannot justify aggressive war. Muhammad and the Tradition are also against killing non-combatants, torturing of prisoners, the destruction of crops, animals and homes. Adapted from Ira 6. Zepp, Jr., A Muslim Primer (1992, Wakefield Editions, US) pp.133-135.

Robert Ellwood of the University of Southern California has the following to say about the Muslim concept of Jihad:
Out of the community ideal of Islam comes the concept of jihad, or holy war, which is designed to defend Islam and allow its social practice, though not to force individual conversions, which is forbidden. Since Islam in principle is a community as well as a religion, presumably only an absolute pacifist would be able to reject the theory of jihad out of hand, since other communities also fight to defend or expand their ways of life. (Many Peoples, Many Faiths by Robert S. Ellwood, 4th edition, Simon & Schuster, US, 1982, p.346).

Source :- islamcan.com

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If he did ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, intending to do Hajj in the same year, is he doing tamattu‘ even if he inte

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I am from Riyadh, and my mother and father were staying with me for a two-month visit in Riyadh, and we intended to do Hajj this year. We went to Makkah on the first day of Dhu’l-Qa‘dah to do ‘umrah, and we are going to stay in Makkah until Hajj, in sha Allah. We entered ihram for ‘umrah from the miqaat of as-Sayl, and I asked them not to say that it was ‘umrah as part of Hajj tamattu‘, because I cannot afford to pay the price for the hadiy (sacrificial animal), and we are going to do Hajj ifraad. Now they are in Makkah. What is the solution? Can they enter ihram for Hajj ifraad from Makkah on the day of at-Tarwiyah (the eighth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah), or do they have to complete it as Hajj tamattu‘? Or do they have to offer a hadiy? Please note that they are not able to go back to the miqaat. 
The second question is: I am going to go and join them in Makkah one week before Hajj. Do I have to do Hajj tamattu‘, or can I intend to do Hajj ifraad?

Published Date: 2017-07-27

Praise be to Allah

Whoever comes to Makkah for ‘umrah during the months of Hajj and intends to stay there until the time of Hajj is doing Hajj tamattu‘ and therefore must offer a sacrifice.

The intention (niyyah) for tamattu‘, as explained by the scholars, is when a person does ‘umrah during the months of Hajj and – at the time of doing ‘umrah – also intends to do Hajj in the same year. Whoever does that is doing tamattu‘.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If you enter ihram for ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, having intended to also perform Hajj in the same year, then you are doing tamattu‘, so long as you do not go back to your own city. But if you go back to your city, then come back from your city and enter ihram for Hajj on its own, then you are not doing tamattu‘, so you do not have to offer a hadiy.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa al-‘Uthaymeen(24/191)

He also said:

So long as you came from your country, intending to do Hajj, and you entered ihram for ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, then you are doing tamattu‘ regardless of whether or not you intended to do tamattu‘, because what you have done is tamattu‘.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa al-‘Uthaymeen.

He (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

I came in Ramadan to perform ‘umrah and I intended to remain there until Hajj. On the fourth day of Shawwaal I did ‘umrah on behalf of my deceased sister. Please note that I was not aware that the one who does ‘umrah during the months of Hajj is regarded as doing tamattu‘. Do I have to offer a hadiy now, because I am doing tamattu‘?

The shaykh replied: The one who does tamattu‘ is the one who enters ihram for ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, after the month of Shawwaal begins, with the intention of doing Hajj in the same year, then he does Hajj. The one who is doing tamattu‘ must offer whatever hadiy he can afford, such as a sheep, a goat or a lamb that is older than six months and is free of any defects that would prevent it from being acceptable as a sacrifice. If you are not able to do that, then you must fast for three days during Hajj and seven days after you return home, making a total of ten. The three days during hajj begin from the time the pilgrim enters ihram for ‘umrah. In other words, for example, a person may do tamattu‘ now, when he has no money. In this case we say: Fast from now; fast three days during Hajj and seven days when he goes back to his family and his journey is over. And if he says: I cannot fast on consecutive days, we say: Let him fast for one day and not fast for one or two days. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “then a fast of three days during hajj” [al-Baqarah 2:196]; He did not stipulate that they be consecutive. If Allah had wanted us to fast these days consecutively, He would have stated that. And if a person says: I cannot fast, because I have diabetes and I need water, and I cannot fast for three days or even for one day, then in that case he does not have to do anything, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity” [al-Baqarah 2:286].

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa al-‘Uthaymeen(22/42).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen also said:

Should he say, “Labbayk ‘umaratan mutamatti‘an biha ila al-hajj [Here I am for ‘umrah, joining it to Hajj (tamattu‘)]”?

The answer is: No, there is no need for him to say this, because simply intending to do Hajj in the same year is in effect tamattu‘. Tamattu‘ means entering ihram for ‘umrah during the months of Hajj, and finishing it [and exiting ihram], then entering ihram [again] for Hajj in the same year. There is no need to say “joining it to Hajj”. Rather the pilgrim should simply say “Labbayka ‘umratan [Here I am for ‘umrah], and if he has the intention of doing Hajj, this is tamattu‘.

End quote from Jalasaat al-Hajj.

Conclusion:

Both your father and your mother must sacrifice a hadiy for their tamattu‘. You do not have to offer the sacrifice on their behalf; rather if they cannot afford a sacrifice, then they have to fast three days during Hajj and seven days when they return home. They can start to fast this three days from the time when they enter ihram for ‘umrah. And if they are not able to fast, then they do not have to do anything.

As for you, it is permissible for you to enter ihram for Hajj ifraad [Hajj on its own] when you set out for Makkah, and you do not have to offer a hadiy, because even though you intended to do Hajj in the same year, the fact that you travelled to your city of residence, namely Riyadh, cancelled out your tamattu‘.

But you should enter ihram for Hajj before reaching the miqaat, and not pass the miqaat except in a state of ihram. When you have entered ihram for ifraad, it is not permissible for you to exit from it or to wear ordinary clothes; rather you must remain in your ihram until the pilgrims exit ihram on the day of sacrifice (yawm an-nahr).

And Allah knows best.

Islamqa.info

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She did Hajj ifraad with her husband and they failed to do sa‘i

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I did Hajj ifraad with my husband, as we are residents of Makkah, but we did not do sa‘i. What must we do? If there is a fidyah (a sacrifice to be offered as a penalty), what organisation can we depend upon to distribute the meat?

Published Date: 2017-08-02

Praise be to Allah

Sa‘i is one of the pillars or essential parts of Hajj, without which Hajj is not complete, and the muhrim (pilgrim in ihram) cannot exit ihram completely until he has done it. As for the first stage of exiting ihram, after which everything becomes permissible except intercourse, that is attained by stoning the Jamrah and shaving the head. Then when the muhrim has done tawaf and sa‘i, he has completed the second stage of exiting ihram, and everything becomes permissible to him.

The pilgrim who does Hajj ifraad [Hajj only] is only required to do sa‘i once, so if he does sa‘i after tawaf al-qudoom (the tawaf of arrival), that is sufficient for him.

Based on that, if you did not do sa‘i after tawaf al-qudoom, then you are still in a state of ihram; you have not completed the second stage of exiting ihram and it is not permissible for your husband to have intercourse with you until you exit ihram, by doing sa‘i.

If intercourse has taken place during this period due to ignorance of the ruling, then you do not have to do anything, but to be on the safe side you may offer a fidyah (penalty), which involves slaughtering a sheep, or feeding six poor persons, or fasting three days, which is required from each of you.

But you cannot exit ihram completely except by doing sa‘i.

You must also ask Allah for forgiveness and repent from this shortcoming and heedlessness, for you have not performed the rituals as enjoined by Allah, and you did not ask scholars or people of knowledge throughout this lengthy period, even though you live in Makkah and it is easy for you to do sa‘i.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I am a resident of Makkah. I did Hajj last year, and I did tawaf but I did not do sa‘i. What is the ruling?

He replied: You have to do sa‘i. This was a mistake on your part. It is essential to do sa‘i whether you are a resident of Makkah or otherwise. It is essential to do sa‘i after tawaf; after you come back from ‘Arafah you must do tawaf and sa‘i. The one who omitted to do sa‘i must do sa‘i now. If he has had intercourse with his wife, then he must offer a sacrifice to be slaughtered in Makkah and given to the poor there, because he cannot complete the second stage of exiting ihram except by doing sa‘i. So he must do sa‘i now with the intention that it be for his previous Hajj, and he must offer a sacrifice if he has had intercourse with his wife since then. End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (17/341).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said concerning someone who did Hajj but failed to do sa‘i because he was unable to walk or to hire a wheelchair: With regard to failing to do sa‘i, this was wrong, because it is obligatory upon you to complete all the rituals, and sa‘i is a pillar or essential part of Hajj, without which Hajj cannot be complete. If you entered ihram for Hajj on its own (ifraad), or for Hajj and ‘umrah together (qiraan), and you did sa‘i after tawaf al-qudoom (the tawaf of arrival), then you do not have to do another sa‘i after tawaf al-ifaadah. But if you were doing tamattu‘ [Hajj after doing ‘umrah then exiting ihram, then entering ihram again for Hajj], or you were doing qiraan or ifraad and you did not do sa‘i after tawaf al-qudoom, then sa‘i remains due from you, so you must go and do sa‘i, seven laps between as-Safa and al-Marwah, with the intention of doing the sa‘i of Hajj. If you had intercourse with your wife during this period, then you must offer a compensatory sacrifice of a sheep, the meat of which is to be distributed among the poor of Makkah, and when you want to go back to your own country, you should do the tawaf of farewell.

End quote from al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan.

And Allah knows best.

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The Pious "Drunkard" and "Fornicator"

Sultan Murad IV, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623-1640, would often anonymously go into the midst of the people and see their state. One evening, he felt an uneasiness in himself and the urge to go out. He called for his head of security and out they went. They came to a busy vicinity, and found a man lying on the ground. The Sultan prodded him but he was dead and the people were going about their own business. Nobody seemed to care about the dead man lying on the ground.

The Sultan called upon the people. They didn't recognise him and asked him what he wanted. He said, "Why is this man lying dead on the ground and why does no one seem to care? Where is his family?"

They replied, "He is so and so, the drunkard and fornicator!"

The Sultan said, "Is he not from the Ummah of Muhammad (saw)? Now help me carry him to his house."

The people carried the dead man with the Sultan to his house and once they reached, they all left. The Sultan and his assistant remained. When the man's wife saw his dead body, she began weeping. She said to his dead body, "May Allah have mercy on you! O friend of Allah! I bear witness that you are from the pious ones."

The Sultan was bewildered. He said, "How is he from the pious ones when the people say such and such about him? So much so that no one even cared he was dead!"

She replied, "I was expecting that. My husband would go to the tavern every night and buy as much wine as he could. He would then bring it home and pour it all down the drain. He would then say, 'I saved the Muslims a little today.' He would then go to a prostitute, give her some money and tell her to close her door till the morning. He would then return home for a second time and say, 'Today, I saved a young woman and the youth of the believers from vice.'"

The people would see him buying wine and they would see him going to the prostitutes and they would consequently talk about him. One day I said to him, "When you die, there will be no one to bathe you, there will be no one to pray over you and there will be no one to bury you!"

He laughed and replied, "Don't fear, the Sultan of the believers, along with the pious ones shall pray over my body."

The Sultan began to cry. He said, "By Allah! He has said the truth, for I am Sultan Murad. Tomorrow we shall bathe him, pray over him and bury him."

And it so happened that the Sultan, the scholars, the pious people and the masses prayed over him.

We judge people by what we see and what we hear from others. Only if we were to see what was concealed in their hearts, a secret between them and their Lord. If Allah knows, why does it matter who knows and who doesn't know?!

"O you who believe, abstain from many of the suspicions. Some suspicions are sins. And do not be curious (to find out faults of others), and do not backbite one another. Does one of you like that he eats the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is Most-Relenting, Very-Merciful." (49:12)

Source:- islamcan.com

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