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Hajj is a Reflection of the Ummah‎

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Hajj is the reflection of the Ummah (Muslim nation) that reflects its positive and negative aspects, as Hajj is the greatest gathering of the Ummah where the greatest number of people come together from a variety of backgrounds and places.

One of the advantages of a mirror is that it reflects the reality of things clearly and precisely. A person who has a mirror takes care to keep it clean and shiny so that when he looks in the mirror if he were to see anything amiss such as dirty clothes or the like, he would know that the mirror has nothing to do with this as it just reflects reality. A person might be angry and upset when he sees any defect, but if he is sensible, he would attempt to rectify the situation so that his reflection in the mirror would be better. However, those who are foolish might break the mirror, and to such people, we say, “You have not only failed to change the reality but you also lost the means that could tell you about the defects.”

Similarly, Hajj is the mirror of the Ummah (Muslim nation) that reflects its positive and negative aspects, as Hajj is the greatest gathering of the Ummah where the greatest number of people come together from a variety of backgrounds and places. Hajj gathers princes, scholars, people of culture, men of letters, and ordinary men and women. Undoubtedly, the mirror of Hajj reflects many positive aspects, such as unity in the worship of Allah

The Almighty and the establishment of equality and unity. At the same time, however, it reflects some defects in the Muslims that clash with these positive aspects.

 It is difficult to ignore the mistakes and faults of the pilgrims, which become noticeable during Hajj, such as defective ‘Aqeedah (creed), innovations in the religion, negligence regarding acts of worship, the absence of Khushoo’ (fear of Allah The Almighty) and ignorance about matters of the religion. Moreover, one can see other forms of ignorance which are exemplified in being negligent about cleanliness and the most basic rules of health and hygiene, not adhering to or complying with health instructions and breaching orders. Other shortcomings include causing chaos, rigidity in one’s dealings, harshness when crowding with others, being irritable, having fanatical feelings towards a certain race or country, or feeling uncomfortable when dealing with others.

This does not mean that there are many negative aspects to Hajj, but at the same time, we should not allow these faults to go unaddressed. We should not break the mirror but be grateful for it, as we have managed to see the defects through it and now simply have to find the remedy.

Hajj is an event that shows the great efforts exerted to turn the Ummah from disunity to unity, from humiliation to dignity, from weakness to strength and from ignorance to knowledge and advancement. There is no doubt that the greatest role is that of the Islamic governments, their mass media, and their educational curricula. Another important role is that of scholars, and their efforts in spreading Da’wah (the call to Allah The Almighty), preserving the ‘Aqeedah of Muslims, declaring the truth, combating ignorance and resisting the invasion of harmful ideas. Other efforts and duties are the initiatives of wealthy people and economic institutions; still, others are related to intellectuals and men of letters. A third category is related to writers and the Imaams who deliver Khutbahs (sermons). Indeed, every Muslim bears part of the great responsibility towards raising the status of the Ummah. Thus, we should encourage every individual in general and every pilgrim, in particular, to fulfill his duty so that the promise of Allah The Almighty may be achieved, as He Says (what means): {Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.}

Source: islamweb.net

Haj made me stronger in belief

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Haj made me stronger in belief, this is a wonderful story of a conservative Christian whom Allah guided to the path of truthmaking him one of the most prominent Islamic preachers in the African continent. The Chad-based Ali Ramadaan Naajeeli, the Sultan of Qindi, narrates how much he hated Muslims but embraced Islam when studied it:

I WAS lost and confused until I became Muslim in 1977 at the hands of a Nigerian sheikh, a dayee. His sustained preaching among us drew us to learn and understand Islam.

The Salafi scholar proved beyond doubt that Islam was not like others would like to make out of it. He told us how the mushrikeen (idolaters) offered power and wealth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but he refused it for the sake of his dawah. And he told us how he had striven against the mushrikeen for many years and had bore insults and torment until his divine mission succeeded and spread throughout the world. His months of dawah convinced us of Islam’s truthfulness, and we entered the faith on the basis of conviction. We became Muslims willingly, embracing a religion in which we could worship on God in all sincerity, worshipping Him alone.

I became Muslim with the others, among whom was my father, the Sultan of the region of Mahim Tooki Qindi in Nigeria. After I embraced Islam, I went with the sheikh and remained in his service for 6 years, then I graduated to become a dayee, after studying Islam. At the end of the training period, he said to me: “Work with me in Nigeria.”

I became the sultan after my father passed away, after calling people in the region to Islam for two years. This led to 4,722 people from the Saraqulai tribe becoming Muslim, including 14 Christian priests. From this time the confrontation with the Christian missionaries in the south of Chad began. They tried to destroy the Islamic dawah and make those who had become Muslim Christian, using various methods. They regarded the Islamic dawah there as a rival, which threatened to stem the Christian tide. They tried to tempt me with money and by offering me a house and a farm so that I would become Christian. They wanted me to work for Christianity. This is what made the Chadian government appoint me as a member of the Higher Committee on Islamic Affairs in the Republic of Chad. But despite all these offers, I rejected what the Christian missionaries offered me. So they started to provoke the animists against the Muslims in the south, but their efforts ended in failure.

Later, the Islamic Dawah organization permitted me to perform Haj. When I visited Makkah and saw the Muslims there — white and black, with no differences between them; all of them wearing the same clothes and equal in status, I could not stop myself from weeping. I had no one from my family with me, yet I felt that all the people around me were my family and my brothers. This increased my determination to strive more seriously in the field of dawah, to guide other people to this great religion and not to keep this spiritual joy to myself, and to save the rest of my brothers from doom and from the Fire of Hell. I decided to start my dawah in my own country, Chad.

After I came back from Haj(Haj made me stronger in belief), I decided to open Islamic centers, to construct more mosques and schools. Praise be to Allah, I was able to establish 12 mosques and a school. We dug up 12 wells for the people in the Qindi region. I also worked to establish a foundation for the training of converts in dawah. My only aim now was to spread the message of Islam; its teachings, morals, and manners; and to focus on teaching Arabic. We established study circles to teach Qur’an and Sunnah, praise be to Allah.

Besides, there are many obstacles facing the dawah in the south of Chad. The main obstacles are material, for the people there are poor and do not have their daily food. The region also suffers from a lack of roads and there are no means of transportation to go into the primitive animizt areas in order to make dawah in the villages where most of the people are Christians. We are also suffering from a lack of trained dayees.

Many of the Muslims there know little about Islam, which is most unfortunate. In contrast, the efforts of the Christian missionaries are supported by material support. The missionary efforts remain the greatest obstacle we face in this region. When the Pope from the Vatican visited the region of Qinda at the end of his African tour, he met with the missionaries there and made great plans to Christianize the region. Hence they supplied many missionaries from a number of European countries and they supplied the money they needed.

They also announced that they would build a number of churches in the region. One of the Italian missionaries told me that this region would be Christian soon. Each month they organize local festivals where they offer food, drink, and assistance to the animists and invite them to become Christian. They also visit orphanages and refugees, which they support financially, in order to Christianize the children who stay there. They are very devious: They were working in the name of the Red Cross there when it was discovered that they have been sterilizing women by giving them medication with the result that they will never again conceive. This is one of their means of limiting the number of Muslims and putting an end to Islam in Chad.

I have discovered the fragrance of Islam and there is no doubt that it is the religion of equality and justice. It makes no distinction between rich and poor, black and white except in terms of taqwa. Everyone turns to Allah and everyone is a slave of Allah.

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Source:arabnews.com

Islam first to teach tolerance

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Islam first to teach tolerance

Islam first to teach tolerance

ONE of the commonest charges brought against Islam generally, and as a religion, by Western authors is that it is narrow minded. This is turning the tables with a retribution when one recalls different certainties: One recollects that not a Muslim is left alive in Spain or Sicily or Apulia. One recalls that not a Muslim was left alive and not a mosque left remaining in Greece after the considerable defiance in 1821.

One recalls how the Muslims of the Balkan landmass, once the larger part, have been methodicallly diminished with the endorsement of the entire of Europe, how the Christian under Muslim standard have as of late been asked on to revolt and slaughter the Muslims, and how retaliations by the last have been censured as very uncalled for.

In Spain under the Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Khalifas, Christians and Jews, similarly with Muslims, were admitted to the Schools and colleges; that, as well as were boarded and held up in inns at the expense of the state. At the point when the Moors were driven out of Spain, the Christian vanquishers held a stupendous mistreatment of the Jews. The individuals who were sufficiently blessed to escape fled, some of them to Morocco and numerous hundreds to the Turkish domain, where their relatives still live in isolated groups, and still talk among themselves an out of date type of Spanish. The Muslim domain was a shelter for each one of the individuals who fled from oppression by the Inquisition.

The western Christians, till the entry of the Encyclopaedists in the eighteenth century, did not know and did not want to know, what the Muslim accepted, nor did the Western Christian try to know the perspectives of Eastern Christians with respect to them.

The Christian Church was at that point part in two, and at last, it came to such a go, to the point that the Eastern Christians, as Gibbon appears, favored Muslim guideline, which permitted them to rehearse their own particular type of religion and hold fast to their exceptional authoritative opinions, to the standard of kindred Christians who might have made them Roman Catholics or wiped them out.

The western Christians called the Muslims agnostics, paynims, even misguided worshipers. There are a lot of books in which they are depicted as worshiping an icon; and in the records of the success of Granada there are even portrayals of the huge symbols, which they were claimed to love, though the Muslims recognized what Christianity was, and in what regards it contrasted from Islam.

In the event that Europe had known as a lot of Islam, as Muslims knew of Christendom, back then, those distraught, daring, periodically valiant and chivalrous, however totally over the top flare-up known as the Crusades couldn’t have occurred, for they depended on a complete confusion.

That was the sort of “history” on which the people in Western Europe used to be encouraged. Those were the thoughts which motivated the general population of the crusader in their assaults on the most socialized people groups of those days. Christendom viewed the outside world as accursed endlessly, and Islam did not. There were great and compassionate men in Christendom who thought it dismal that any individuals ought to be accursed interminably, and wished to spare them by the main way they knew — transformation to the Christian confidence.

It was not until the western countries infringed upon far from their religious law that they turned out to be more tolerant; and it was just when the Muslims fell far from their religious law that they declined in resilience and different confirmations of the most noteworthy society.

Hence the distinction clear in that tale is not of conduct just but rather of religion. Of old, resilience had existed here and there on the planet, among illuminated people; yet those people had dependably been against the pervasive religion.

Resilience was respected of un-religious, if not skeptical. Prior to the happening to Islam it had never been lectured as a fundamental piece of religion.

For the Muslims, every one of the three religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — are yet three types of one religion, which, in its unique immaculateness, was the religion of Abraham: Al-Islam, that impeccable Self-Surrender to the Will of God, which is the premise of Theocracy. The Jews, in their religion, after Moses, constrained God’s benevolence to their picked country and thought about His kingdom as the domain of their race.

Indeed, even Christ himself, as a few of his truisms appear, pronounced that he was sent just to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and appeared to see his central goal with regards to the Hebrews just; and it was simply after an uncommon vision vouchsafed to St. Dwindle that his supporters in after days viewed themselves as approved to lecture the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The Christians constrained God’s kindness to the individuals who trusted certain doctrines. Each one who neglected to hold the doctrines was an outsider or a villain, to be abused for his or her spirit’s great. In Islam just is show the genuine way of the Kingdom of God.

The two verses (2:255-256) of the Qur’an are supplementary.

Where there is that acknowledgment of the glory and domain of Allah Almighty, there is no impulse in religion. Men pick their way — devotion or resistance — and it is adequate discipline for the individuals who restrict that they draw further and assist far from the light of truth.

What Muslims don’t by and large consider is that this law applies to our own particular group the same amount of with regards to the people outside, the laws of Allah being all inclusive.

Prejudice of Muslims for other men’s sentiments and convictions is confirmation that they themselves have, right now, overlooked the vision of the glory and kindness of Allah Almighty, which the Qur’an presents to them.

— A shortened rendition of Pickthall’s address that he gave on a few parts of Islamic human progress at the welcome of The Committee of “Madras Lectures on Islam” in India, in 1927.

Article by: arabnews.com

A spiritual journey of a revert

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The conversion of Arcadio Jeffrey Perida, a Filipino Judeo-Christian, to Islam at the hands of Saudi student Khaled Almehmady in Manila brings to limelight the important role of Saudi students — who pursue their higher studies in reputable universities abroad — as ambassadors of Islam disseminating its divine message.
Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Perida, who performed Haj this year as the guest of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, narrated his spiritual journey to Islam and noted the role played by his ESL student Almehmady by not only giving him Islamic books and videos but also continuously encouraging him to read or watch them.
A number of Saudi scholarship students in foreign countries have already set a good example in this respect like Almehmady.
In a wide-ranging online interview, Perida emphasized the important mission of Hajis in their society as ambassadors of Islam when they return to their respective countries. “They should be able to touch every soul with the new experience they have gained and the enormous blessing that has been bestowed on them by God, by making use of every opportunity of speaking in centers, schools, symposiums and social gatherings when invited as resource persons,” he explained.
Perida added: “This would be a way of spreading Islam on a personal level after becoming a living witness to the miraculous journey that we have just embarked upon during the pilgrimage.” The Hajis should also impress their family, friends and countrymen through the changes in their lives, giving them inspiration, spiritual encouragement and motivation, he said.
Perida, whose newly adopted name is Jabir Kalid Perida, expressed his deep concern over the Daesh terror group’s efforts to tarnish the image of Islam, which is a peaceful religion.
“With the obvious threat of the IS and other extremist groups, my hope is that the life that we will lead from here on as a Haji and the good messages we will bring forth will serve as a living testament that will outweigh the evil perpetuated by any segment of our society willfully and purposely promoting hate, violence, terror and injustice, affecting any human being,” Perida said while answering a question.
“I sincerely beseech Allah’s divine guidance and blessings to give us the courage, determination and endurance to march on and continue the work that we all have started in Makkah, and if we can do this task from now on and for as long as we live, then we can honestly and sincerely say, Haj Mabroor,” Perida said.
The Filipino revert explained how he met Almehmady. “During my studies for the master degree, I was given a job as a professor in one of the colleges in Manila where I taught ESL. It was also this time my father passed away and the day after his death I met Almehmady. The dean had assigned me to personally take care of this Saudi student since I was the only ESL teacher available at that time. Little did I know that this will be the beginning of my journey to Islam.”
Although Almehmady took only two months to study English with Perida, the two had developed a strong bond “which I would describe as some kind of divine providence.” They stayed in touch even though the Saudi had enrolled in another university and kept on sending videos from YouTube regarding Islam after giving him books about Islam and a small Qu’ran in English.
“For months I did not even bother about watching or reading them because of apprehensions about Muslims caused by negative stereotypes promoted by the media and the influence of a Jewish teacher who used to tell me only negative things about Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and even the Roman Catholics. But every time Khalid would ask me about the books and videos, whether I have read them, or watched them, and I would say yes, which was a lie. It bothered me a lot because of a prick of conscience. I never condoned lying, especially to a friend. So I started watching the videos and reading the books,” he said.
Perida adds: “To my surprise, I honestly enjoyed them and found them interesting. It gave me new knowledge which opened my heart and changed my entire perspective about Islam. So now whenever I chat with Almehmady, I can say with confidence that I truly find all the things he gave and sent to me really good and relevant.”
Almehmady went on vacation to Saudi Arabia and both of them were communicating on WhatsApp. “One day he told me that he was very tired. So I asked why? And he said he just finished doing an ‘Mrah.’ I was clueless what that meant. I actually got worried because I thought it was some sort of a medical procedure. When I searched that word, it showed Magnetic Resonance or something, so I asked him why he had to do it. But he just told me it’s hard to explain, it is something religious and what they do as Muslims. So I stopped asking, although I was really bothered by it.”
That night, while Perida was deeply asleep he had a wonderful dream. He still remembers that it occurred between 4 and 5 am. “It was so real that I actually felt I was entirely in it. The first part, I can clearly see that I was watching from afar multitudes of people walking around in a circle in what I can describe as a black, box type monument. I saw this in one of the books I read and some pictures too. It seems like I was on the second floor of a building. Then in just a blink, I saw myself inside the circle walking around and I was puzzled because I was wearing an entire white robe just as everybody was, then I came closer and closer to the big black structure with some gold writings around it. As I was about to touch its wall, I looked at my right and there he was, Khaled, walking along with me to the wall and we touched it the very same time. As soon as we laid our hands on it, I felt this strong wind swirling around us for a number of times and went inside our bodies, I can still see our robes blown out when it entered and for some reason, I looked up, without knowing that it is forbidden, and saw a ray of light coming down from the heaven in what seemingly appears from a cloud opening like a door to give way to it and shone upon me.”
Narrating the last part of the dream he said: “I saw myself walking inside a very big mosque, with so many people, I was looking around in amazement as I walk in normal pace until finally once again, here was Khaled pulling my right hand and asked me to walk briskly and not slowly, which made me wonder why. Up to that point, I finally woke up, it was dawn already and when I woke up, I was disoriented and confused where I actually am. In my mind, I am convinced that I was in Saudi Arabia, in Makkah, while I was in my room. Eventually, after a few seconds, I began to realize that it was just a dream. At that point, I didn’t waste any time, I texted Khaled in WhatsApp and told him about the dream, although he did not tell me directly, he implied that it was what he did the other day, the ‘Mrah’ (Umrah).”
Almehmady kept on telling Perida that it was his ultimate wish that he would really become a Muslim one day to perform the same thing, Umrah, but the latter was still undecided on embracing Islam.
Perida went on with his daily normal routine, but the images of his dream kept pursuing him “like a blazing iron imprinted in my heart.” He had two more dreams which had taken him to a dessert, again with Almehmady and it felt exactly the same. “I knew it was again in Saudi Arabia because the setting was exactly what I am seeing now. Four months later I decided to do my shahada. On Aug. 1, 2014, I declared that I wanted to become a Muslim. My friend was not available to take me to the masjid and told me that he would be free after 6 days and then take me to do my shahada. So after 6 days, I finally did it and became a Muslim. It was the best thing that ever happened. The feeling was so surreal that I never could have imagined that will happen to me in my life, but it did. Alhamdulillah.”
Perida expressed his happiness over receiving a golden opportunity to perform Haj as the guest of King Salman and visit the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah. “By the grace of God, I was able to visit the very place, which I dreamed about. The message is perfect when Allah guides someone to come back, Allah shows the way and makes it clear, that it was indeed a divine mandate. All things work together for those who open their hearts and allow the spirit of Allah to come, and once it has, the peace that surpasses understanding will come upon us.”
He said the Haj had given him an enormous opportunity to meet Muslim brethren from different parts of the world and gain new friends to share their different views, perspectives, and experiences. “The fascinating facts and stories of each individual are indeed a treasure which I shall forever keep upon my return, and the bond of friendship we have established is one of the best things that have happened.”
Perida said he was fortunate to have the support of his entire family including mother, for coming back to Islam. “I have never experienced any form of rejection nor prejudice with my decision of changing to another religion. I never had a tough time convincing them to accept me and my newfound faith. As a matter of fact, they are even mindful of the things that are allowed (halal) and not allowed (haram) for me to eat, drink and do as a Muslim.”
He expressed his discomfort about the increasing negative propaganda against Islam. “The media has created an image of violence and terrorism associated with Islam which gave an apprehensive attitude toward Muslims compared to followers of other religions. But through every challenge, an opportunity arises, and this is the time for every Muslim to show the true spirit of Islam, by promoting peace and harmony through absolute and unconditional submission to Allah, and firm obedience to the commandments and messages revealed by the Prophet, peace be upon him. We must uphold the principle that the way of Islam is to create unity and peaceful coexistence in love and compassion not only with every human being but also with nature and Allah’s other creations. Through these ideals, we will be able to spread Islam and clear the path of uncertainty that has clouded the minds of people belonging to other faiths,” he said while stressing the need to make use of modern technology and social media networks for the dissemination of Islamic message.
Speaking about his family and religious upbringing, Perida said: “I was born in a strict Roman Catholic family. My grandparents in the province never miss the usual angelus held every 6:00 pm and demand that all of us be there on the dot to pray the rosary with them or otherwise suffer the consequences of not having dinner. I have the foundation of becoming a very successful priest someday.” Perida later went to the US where he stayed for 7 years. Upon return, he continued his studies and completed his Bachelor in Business Administration course with a major in Human Resource Development Management. Later he obtained a master’s degree in business administration.
The Filipino revert was all praise for King Salman. “Thanks to the blessing of Allah and the king’s support, I was able to perform Haj in the most opportune manner, which I can say is a proof of the wonders and miracles of Allah. As a result of the royal gesture, this dream has become a reality for me, and for the 2,399 others who were also chosen to be the king’s guests for Haj 1436H. And of all the journeys that I have been to before or will be embarking on in the future, this is the ultimate, something which can never be forgotten, for this is the journey of my faith, a realization of a dream and the fulfillment of a spiritual quest.”

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Article by: saudigazette.com.sa