Beautifully Hearted Muslim Women

Why we love him. The Love of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him By Sha ykh Hamza Yusuf, founder of Zaytuna Institute (transcript of a piece he did for the BBC World Service's In Praise of God programme in 2006) 26 years ago I became a Muslim largely because I fell in love with a beautiful human being. 'I was only sent to perfect noble character,' said the man declared as a 'mercy to all the worlds.' As time passed, this love grew as my knowledge of him increased. I painfully watched his religion hijacked by some for their own ends distorting his message and forgetting that he was indeed a mercy to all the worlds. I am troubled by the media's portrayal of him sometimes in the worst of lights. How could the man I came to know and love be so vilified and maligned by those who claim to represent him and also by those who aim to be unbiased interpreters? Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a shy, reticent man who lived among his people with such high mo...

Prayer priority A non-Muslim friend once asked me: -"In the early days of Islam, Muslims did not have many things to do. It was fine for them to pray five times a day. But our modern life leaves us with little spare time; so is it difficult for you to find the time to pray?" My reply was, "it's all about priority..." Prayer, in its prescribed form,i.e. as taught to us by God through his final messenger, Muhammad peace & blessings be upon him , is the second of the 5 fundamental pillars of Islam. Allah tells us (in the 3rd verse of the second chapter of the Quran), that in addition to the declaration of faith I bear witness there is no one/thing worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger, Prayer is to be "established". Prayer is a real institution in Islam, not just an informal act. It is the major medium Al lah has offered us to co u mm n icate with him, and that it 5 times throughout each and every day. Beyond its b...

WHY have you become Muslim?!... The other day, a work colleague who had only recently realised I was Muslim asked me this question. "Why have you become Muslim?!.." In an attempt to answer I felt the need to check I had correctly heard the question. I asked her " did you say How? or Why? ". I guess I was hoping she might have said How? in which case the answer would have been nice and short. After all, it doesn't take a great deal of expertise nor some kind of complicated ceremonial ritual to become Muslim... If anything it starts with a hygienic routine most of us practice several times a week...I mean a SHOWER or bath, followed by the following declaration of faith, which doesn't necessarily have to be done in public. " Ashhadu a-llaa ilaaha illaLLaah, Muhammad rasooluLLah " meaning " I bear witness there is no one/thing worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger . Pretty straightforward and simple answer to give, d...

About Finding your other half ... Our last beloved prophet, may peace & blessings be upon him and all those that follow in his path, taught us that marriage is half our faith ( deen ). In a nutshell this is because a good life partnership which is found in a sound marriage brings stability and moderation to one's life. Not only does it provide ultimate companionship but it also protects us from the harm confined in both extremes of celibacy and multiple hedonistic relationships. By submitting to the laws of our creator and his guidance in looking and choosing our life partner, one should find true love and mercy in the bond of marriage. After all our creator, Allah, is the designer of life and all that it involves for each and everyone of us. Today in the UK and to some extent throughout the world; many Muslims are struggling to find a suitable partner. Be it because of cultural influences or economical and social pressures or both, one thing is sure: Marriage has been ma...

Don't suffer in Silence!.. If you have been a witness or a victim of islamophobic and/or racist abuse in the Brighton & Hove area, don't keep quiet about it. Report it as soon as possible to us. Racist & islamophobic abuse (hatred & violence against someone because they are or look Muslim) is considered a crime punishable by law in the UK. Over the last few months we have heard many comments by politicians and the Media that we Muslims have a victim mentality & that there is no problem of islamophobia. The reason they are able to claim that is because there is not enough evidence of islamophobic crime being reported to the authorities. Make it a habit to record the time, day and place of the incident ready to be reported. It is our duty as Muslims to stand against injustice with our hands and if it's not possible then with our tongue and if that is not possible then with our hearts which is the weakest form of Imaan. It is very important to report any fo...

HAVE W E BEEN TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT 9/11? ??? I have come across a real eye opener, a must see mesmerising video showing in slow motion and frame by frame what happened on 9/11. This video asks everyone of us serious questions, and serious answers one must give... (English original video) followed by Same video with French subtitles (sous-tirage en français)

Muhammad's Sword Quotes from Uri Avnery's column 23-09-2006 http://zope.gush-shalom.org In an effort to raise awareness about the true and original nature of Islam, we have included in this post quotes from an article by athiest Jewish columnist, Uri Avnery, who wrote in September this year about Pope Benedict XVI reference to Islam and the sword. "Since the days when Roman Emperors threw Christians to the lions, the relations between the emperors and the heads of the church have undergone many changes. The struggle between the Emperors and the Popes played a central role in European history and divided the peoples. It knew ups and downs. Some Emperors dismissed or expelled a Pope, some Popes dismissed or excommunicated an Emperor. One of the Emperors, Henry IV, "walked to Canossa ", standing for three days barefoot in the snow in front of the Pope's castle, until the Pope deigned to annul his excommunication.(...) But there were times when Emperors and Pope...