Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Administrator on June 20th, 2010
Today, 20 June 2010, the UK, is celebrating Father’s Day. The purpose behind Father’s Day is a day to honour all the fathers for everything they do for their children. This is an occasion to express gratitude towards one’s father for all his love and support.
Showing gratitude to parents and treating the with kindness, love, compassion and care is considered as one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. Kindness toward parents, in the Glorious Qur’an, is mentioned next to the commandment to believe in One God. In other words, everyday is a Father’s Day and Mother’s Day in Islam and therefore should be celebrated as such.
The following verses of the Noble Qur’an and the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) highlight the high status given to parents in Islam.
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.’” (Qur’an 17:23)
- Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrates that the Prophet said:
“The Pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The Anger of the Lord lies in the anger of the parent.”
- Bahys ibn Hakim said that he heard from his grandfather, that he had asked the Prophet , ‘Who should I do a good turn?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Your mother.’ His grandfather once more asked the Prophet , ‘Who shall I do a good turn?’ The Prophet said, ‘Your mother.’ His grandfather repeated the question a third time. The Prophet said, ‘Your mother.’ After repeating the question for the fourth time, the Prophet replied, ‘Then your father and then in order, your relatives.’
- Ibn Abbas said, “Any Muslim whose father and mother are Muslims and who wakes every morning with the intention of doing right by them will have two doors opened for him/her in paradise by Allah Taa’la. If only one parent is alive, then one door (will be opened). If he/she angers a parent, Allah Taa’la will not be pleased with him/her. Then the Prophet was asked, “What if one’s parents are unjust to him/her?” He answered, “Even if they are unjust (one must act good to please ones parents)”.
Sayyiduna Mu’adh reported that the prophet said “good news to those who are good to their parents, Alla will increase the length of their lives “.
- Abu Ja’far heard Abu Huraira say that the Prophet said, “There is no doubt that three kinds of prayers will be answered, the prayer of the oppressed, the prayer of the traveller, and the prayers of the parents for their children”.
- In addition to the foregoing, the Prophet (peace be on him) not only prohibited insulting or cursing one’s parents but declared it to be a major sin. He said, ‘Among the major sins is a man’s cursing his parents.’ The people who were present wondered how a sane and believing individual could curse his own parents, and enquired, ‘How is it possible for a man to curse his own parents?’ The Prophet (peace be on him) replied, ‘He insults another man’s father, and then the other insults his father, and he insults the other’s mother, and the other returns the insult to his mother.’ (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
It is one of the beauties of Islam that, with respect to the treatment of parents, it forbids the Muslim to be disrespectful to them even if they should be non-Muslims who are fanatical to the point of arguing with him and putting pressure on him to renounce Islam. Says Allah Ta’ala: …Be grateful to Me and to thy parents; to Me is (the final) goal. But if they strive to compel thee to associate with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, do not obey them; but keep company with them in this life in a kind manner and follow the way of those who turn to Me. Then to Me will be your return and I will inform you (of the meaning of) all that you did. (Qur’an 31:14-15)
In short, the importance showing kindness to parents are:
1. Obedience to Allah and His Messenger, (peace and blessings be upon him),
2. Obeying and honouring one’s parents is a means of entering Paradise,
3. Respecting and obeying them is a way of showing gratitude to them because they are the ones who brought you into this world, and
4. If a person is good with his parents this may be the cause of his own children respecting him and showing kindness and compassion towards him.
Parents have a right to receive love, discipline and care from their children but they must give their children the same rights as well. If both parents and children submit to the will of God, there will be love and peace in the family.
The priorities of many parents for their children include wealth, material comforts, a good education, a good job, a happy marriage and living happily ever thereafter. In the materialistic world, when everyone is competing to get a higher, more comfortable and luxurious position in the world, this list of priorities is only natural. Accumulation of wealth and leading a comfortable lifestyle is not against the spirit of Islam. However, Islam requires Muslims to use these blessings from Allah with a sense of accountability. One must bear in mind that as with wealth, children are a treasure from Allah and the way we raise them and invest in them could mean the difference between them bringing the fruits of success or abysmal failure in this world and in the hereafter.
Parenting is an enormously important, time consuming task for which there is, justifiably, the promise of great reward.
Imam of Makakh mosque, Qari Asim’s book Our Children: Our Future tackles one of the most pertinent challenges facing the Muslim community of Britain today; raising children to be good Muslims and responsible citizens of the world.
Administrator on May 21st, 2010
A facebook named “everybody draw Muhammad Day” has invited people to draw images of the Mercy to Mankind, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on 20 May 2010.
It is maintained that Everybody Draw Mohammed Day is a protest against radical Islamists who threaten violence against individuals that attempt to depict the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
U.S. cartoonist Molly Norris of Seattle, has created the artwork in reaction to Internet death threats. Depictions of Muhammad are explicitly forbidden in the Muslim tradition. Norris said that if millions of people draw pictures of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Islamist radical would not be able to threaten them all and therefore the idea of depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would become popular.
There have been various responses from Muslims and other independent people against such reasoning presented by those who want draw images of the Prophet. Muslims see the “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” campaign as nothing more than a desperate attempt to incite and provoke Muslims. There seems to be a constant campaign to prove that every fifth person in the world who is a Muslim, belongs to the “other” camp and therefore it has be proven to them that their emotions and feelings are not important to the remainder of the world. It does not matter if their feelings and emotions are hurt; if an aspect of their religion is under attack. In recent years and months, there have been similar provocative attempts made in newspapers and films and now the internet has joined the battle ground.
It is incumbent upon Muslims to vocalise their discontent at attempts to belittle the honour of the Last and Final Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and stand united to defend the persona of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). The Muslim community of Leeds believes that rather than giving satisfaction to those who want to provoke Muslims, Muslims need show unity on this very important issue and create an awareness of what Islam really is and who the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) is. Holding up placards saying “Death on those who draw Prophet’s images”, “Go to Hell” and “Death awaits you” is not the way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). Muslims need to raise awareness of their faith, Islam. Anger and emotions are natural reactions to such disgraceful acts and it is important that Muslims stand united to protect the honour of their Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) in accordance with the Muslim tradition. However, in order to prevent fitna, chaos in the land, Muslims must express their emotions and anger in a constructive manner at all levels. Their protest, which may include coming on to the streets, presenting petitions to official authorities, writing articles or internet blogs, interviews to the media should all be in accordance with Islamic teachings. All forms of protest should be peaceful and should focus on achieving positive results.
Given that creating awareness is the need of the hour, Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, has urged Muslims all over the world to celebrate “Everybody follow Muhammad Days” on Friday 21 May 2010, Saturday 22 May 2010 and Sunday 23 May 2010.
At times of adversity and provocation, Muslims revert to the teachings of the Noble Qur’an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) who once said: “Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.” (Muslim & Bukhari).
The Glorious Qur’an reminds us: “Goodness and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better. Then that person with whom there was hatred, may become your intimate friend! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of the greatest good fortune. [Qur'an 41:34-35]
Although Muslims follow and should follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) every day of their lives as he is the best role model given to them by the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, extra efforts should be made by Muslims, on these 3 days and the week following 20th May 2010 to raise awareness about the character and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and there is no better way to raise awareness than following his example in everyday of our lives.
Muslims invite people of other faiths to also try to follow, if not more, then at least 5 things that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) did in any given day to see how much mercy, love and affection he brought to the lives of those who he came in contact with; how his each action was based on principles of mercy, justice, forgiveness and respect for others; how he inspired people to be faithful law-abiding people, and peaceful citizens of the world; how he motivated people to work for the greater good of humanity.
These 5 things could be any of the scores of things that we do everyday. They could be:
1. Looking after your family;
2. Helping in domestic affairs; e.g assisting in preparing dinner;
3. showing affection towards children;
4. showing respect to elderly and frail;
5. Feeding the poor and homeless;
6. Removing an obstacle from the roadway;
7. Helping your neighbour,your colleagues, strangers etc;
8. showing kindness to animals;
9. Brushing teeth five times a day and being hygienic;
10. Giving charity;
11. Visiting a sick person;
12. Listening to others’ problems;
13. Spending time with your family;
14. Spending time with your friends and colleagues;
15. Discussing community affairs;
16. Looking after the environment;
17. Being truthful, respectful, honest and just to others;
18. Beautifying yourself, so long as you act in moderation
19. Being ambitious and competitive to the extent that you are not unjust towards others
20. Being grateful and thankful to all those who have done some favour on you.
In short, issues like affection, moderation, clemency, fear, hope, chastity, compassion, generosity and the reflection of these in life are values that were highly regarded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and they form part of “Jihad” for Muslims.
When you do any of these things, remember that the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also did them and vigorously encouraged others to do the same and ask yourself: What kind of Prophet he is? What kind of message he brought for his community? Why is it that at present almost every fifth person in the world aims to imitate the character of the Prophet of Islam?
Qari Asim said: “It was through tolerance, kindness, endurance, self-restraint, justice and respect for humanity that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) won the hearts and minds of those who opposed his principles and values and we Muslims should do the same. Let the 3 days – Friday 21 May 2010, Saturday 22 May 2010 and Sunday 23 May 2010 – be memorable days in your life when you yourself tried your utmost to follow and encouraged other to follow the beautiful values brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) by urging others with the slogan: “Everybody follow Muhammad Days”, “Everybody follow Muhammad Days” as far Muslims are concerned everyday is “Everybody follow Muhammad Day”.
We are grateful to all those individuals and organisations that see such depictions and images as a provocation campaign rather than trying to prove freedom of speech. We would like to end with the words of Sir George Bernard Shaw, a superstar playwright and tart-tongued literary personality of the early 20th century who said the following about the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him):
“I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him – the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.” [ 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936]
Administrator on May 12th, 2010
Today, we saw the dawn of a new horizon for British politics when the two leaders of our new coalition Government stood shoulder to shoulder as they promised to work together in the interests of the country. Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have both pledged a new approach to politics which is built on cross-party co-operation as opposed to conflict, putting aside party differences to work for the “common good and national interest.”
The new Cabinet includes the first Muslim woman to serve in a British Cabinet, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who is also the Conservative Party Chairman. First time election of two Muslim MPs from the Conservative Party is also a welcom. We hope they serve the community that they belong and the community that they represent to the best of their abilities. We hope and pray that all nine Muslim MPs that have been elected or re-elected are role models for Muslims in the UK.
Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim said “we wish the first coalition Government for 60 years all the best for the challenges which lie ahead , in particular economic and political instability. We also urge the newly formed Government to follow the example of its predecessor, Gordon Brown in investing in enhancing community cohesion and inter-faith co-operation.
It is also encouraging that for the first time since 1922 (apart from the three-party 1940-45 War Cabinet) Liberals will be involved in contributing to the UK government. We hope that the new coalition Government results in revitalisation of all aspects of UK civil society.”
Administrator on April 22nd, 2010
On Thursday May 6th Local and General Elections are being held. This is our opportunity to shape the domestic and foreign policies of our country. We can only have our say if we exercise our right to vote.
This General Election is likely to be very close, and what happens in the few dozen seats where most Muslims live could decide which party wins.
The Holy book of Muslims, the Noble Qur’an says: “Indeed Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change it themselves” [Quran, 13:11]
The Imam of the mosque, Qari Asim, said: “Politics impacts upon every aspect of our lives and it is therefore important that we all vote and be counted. We should we vote for the party and person who we think is most inclined to promote goodness in our society and who will work to better our interests”.
Further information on voting can be found at the following websites: www.aboutmyvote.co.uk ; www.youelect.org.uk
Administrator on March 30th, 2010
Recently, Makkah Masjid team has started producing a quarterly newsletter to highlight the good work that goes on at Makkah Mosque and its affiliated organisations.
You can find the first issue below:
Administrator on March 23rd, 2010
23rd March holds a significant place in the history of Pakistan. 70 years ago, on 23 March 1940 in Lahore Minto Park (now called Iqbal Park), the founding fathers passed the momentous Pakistan Resolution (Qarardad i Pakistan), which gave birth to the idea of an independent state nation.
On 23rd March 2010, to celebrate the day, Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim attended the event held at Bradford Consulate to celebrate the Pakistan Resolution Day (Youm Qarardad-i-Pakistan). Qari Asim attended the event with Asghar Khan, Labour Candidate for Leeds Headingley Ward, and Asif Qureshi, Leeds representative of Urdu Newspaper Daily Ausaf.
Below, in the photo Imam Qari Asim is standing with Mr. Tariq Iqbal Soomro, Consul General, and Asghar Khan.
Quaid-i-Azam (the Great Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as a leader of the Muslim League in 1940, demanded the formation of an independent Pakistan and after 7 years of peaceful struggle, on 14 August 1947, Pakistan was born. Independence resulted in communal riots across India and Pakistan and millions of Muslims were uprooted from their homes as they moved from India to Pakistan and millions were martyred and injured.
Formation of Pakistan was the dream of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in South Asia; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect are published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal asked Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah to lead the Muslims of India to realizing a dream for an independent Islamic state.
As Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah said:-
“We are a nation, with our distinctive culture and civilisation, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calendar, history and tradition, aptitude and ambition; in short we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation.”
It is an irony that a country which was created in the name of ideology failed to achieve the destiny laid down by its founders, who with vigorous struggle and spirit secured this independent state of Pakistan for their future generation.
May Pakistan long live and Allah grant it protection from internal and external sources. May Allah allow it to prosper as a great nation and enable it to achive the dreams of its founder and those who laid down their lives for its formation (Ameen).
Administrator on January 7th, 2010
Woodsley Community Centre is delighted to invite you to ‘Caring for the World’ event held on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.
The event will be held at Woodsley Community Centre, 64 Woodsley Road, Leeds, LS3 1DU, Tel: 0113 2442684) between 5 – 7pm.
The event will feature a talk by Samar Minallah. Samar is an award winning Pakistani human rights activist, documentary film maker and writer. In her talk, she will discuss the contribution of Muslim women in working with disadvantaged groups in Pakistan.
This is a unique opportunity to meet and hear from someone who has first-hand experience of dealing with human rights, women rights and fighting for injustices in Pakistan
The event will also feature Yasrab Shah, who is a project manager for an international charity organisation, providing relief work in those areas which have been affected by natural disasters. He will discuss how the youth can bring positive changes in the world by being part of relief work.
Everyone is welcome.
Administrator on December 30th, 2009
The funeral prayer, Janazah, of Leeds city councillor Kabeer Hussain shall take place on 30 December 2009 at 3pm at Bilal Masjid.
Kabeer Hussain, Lib Dem councillor for Hyde Park and Woodhouse, passed away at St James’s Hospital on the morning of 30 December 2009 after suffering a suspected sudden heart attack. He was a young, hard-working and committed individual who cared for his community. He combined being a councillor, representing and helping his community, whilst having a full-time job.
Leeds Makkah Masjid, Madina Masjid and Woodsley Community Centre communities pay their deepest condolences to Kabeer Hussain’s family on his sudden departure from this world.
Councillor Richard Brett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said that he was “hugely saddened to hear of Councillor Hussain’s death and extremely sorry to lose such a good councillor.”
Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland said Coun Kabeer Hussain “cared about the community he came from and the community he represented.”
Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim said: “At this very difficult time, our prayers, thoughts and deepest sympathy are with his family, friends and the whole community that he represented. He will be dearly missed by the whole community. May Allah grant him a place in Paradise and grant his loved ones strength and patience.” Aameen.
Administrator on December 19th, 2009
The UN Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen, held between 7-18 December, was the biggest environmental meeting/conference held in the known history. It was a historic summit but the agreements made are not so landmark and historic.
A green and low carbon future for the world is what is desired. Climate scientists are convinced the world must stop the growth in greenhouse gas emissions . They purport that the increase in global temperature should be below two degrees. In order to achieve that cuts of 25%-40% relative to 1990 levels are needed, rising to 80%-95% by 2050. So far, there has been disappointment in achieving this target.
The collective commitment by developed countries to provide new and additional resources amounting to $30bn for 2010-12 is welcomed. Their further commitment to aim to mobilise jointly $100bn a year by 2020 to address needs of developing countries is indeed a positive step. However, the scale of catastrophe is huge and therefore an urgent substantial sum needs to be devoted to saving the mother nature. Some of the world leaders urged decisive action on climate change, but not showed much sign that their respective countries will take such steps themselves.
HRH Prince Charles reminded the world leaders during his speech at Copenhagen that “the eyes of the world” were upon them but it has to be said that Copenhagen Climate Summit fell short of expectations. Although the leaders have hailed the agreement as “meaningful”, the progress has not been “enough”, as the US President Barack Obama acknowledged. UK’s Prime Minister echoed this by noting that the agreement was a “vital first step” and accepted there was a lot more work to do to get assurances.
We echo HRH Prince Charles’ conclusion which he mentioned during his speech when he said: ” The conclusion I draw is that the future of mankind can be assured only if we rediscover ways in which to live as a part of nature, not apart from her.” Each one of us needs to play our part to ensure that our children and grandchildren can live in a healthier, safer and more sustainable world.
Administrator on December 18th, 2009
Today, 18 December 2009, is the first day of the Muslim calendar 1431 A.H.
The Muslim calendar began when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his followers immigrated (Hijra) from Makkah to Madina to establish a new Islamic state based on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. ‘A.H’ stands for ‘After Hijra’/ after migration from Makkah to Madinah. This was a turning point for the Muslim community.
The Hijri year is based on the lunar calendar. The Holy Qur’an says: “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion way, so do not wrong yourselves during them…” (At-Tawbah: 36).
The Islamic calendar was first introduced by the second caliph and close companion of the Prophet, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate.
As 1431 A.H and 2010 C.E arises on us, it is hoped that it will be a year of peace, where every one’s precious life is safe, every one’s dignity and honour is preserved, every one’s freedom, so long as it is exercised with due responsibility, is respected. We hope that 1431 A.H and 2010 C.E is a year where universal humanitarianism is at the forefront of people’s minds. We hope that it is a year where discrimination against particular religious and ethnic groups does not take place. It is a year of harmonious coexistence of humanity transcending various stereotypes that keep raising their heads. As Muslims, we also hope that this a year when religion, faith and in particular Islam is not blamed for all the global political, social and moral challenges that are posed on us in post-modern world. We hope that it is a year when the inflamed stereotypes that Islam is in conflict with Western values are diminished.
On example of such inflamed stereotypes is the recent ban on mosque minarets in Switzerland. On Sunday 29 November 2009, a majority of Swiss voters approved a proposed referendum to ban the construction of minarets in their country. This vote can be seen a new obstruction on the road to coexistence, a discriminatory action and more importantly it is an indication of mistrust, not trusting European Muslims and creating fear of “Islam” in people’s minds. It is noted that campaign against the minarets was fuelled by such anxieties and allegations.
It was encouraging to see that not only Muslims but other religious institutions, including the Vatican, and some international organisations denounced the vote as a blow to religious freedom. It is praise-worthy that UK local governments up and down the country have permitted magnificent mosque minarets to be erected, which add to the beautiful architecture of our cities and towns in the UK. Long it may continue!
We hope that the ban on minarets of masjid in Europe will be rejected at the European level.
We take this opportunity to wish the Muslims a very happy and prosperous New Muslim Year. We ask Allah to continue to shower His blessings on all of us and make this a year in which we become closer and closer to His Divine presence. We thank Allah Almighty for the manifold blessings that He showers upon us every day and pray that He enables us to implement the true teachings of Islam in our lives. We pray that He gives us the strength to be steadfast on the religion of Islam.
