Volume 5, Issue 4
Dhul-Hijja/Muharram 1420 March - April 2000
[And united their hearts; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united
their hearts, but Allah united them, surely He is Mighty, Wise] (8:63)
One of the most symbolic days of Islamic happiness and rejuvenation is that of Eid-ulAdha, literally meaning the Festival of Sacrifice. Symbolising the culmination of Hajj rites, this Eid is celebrated by over two million Muslims who perform Hajj, as well as over a billion Muslims worldwide. Eid means recurring happiness or festivity. This festival is inextricably linked to the Islamic duty of performing Hajj. Yet it is not only those who are performing Hajj who celebrate this day. The remainder of the Islamic population shares in the happiness of those at Hajj, and Eid thus becomes a day for all to rejoice, cherish and most importantly remember. Prayer at the mosque and the greetings of friends and family typifies Eid. Yet, the symbolic wealth of Eid has no bounds. One notable fact is the uniqueness of Islamic celebrations; living in secular society we notice that in this wealth of cultures and pluralism of ideologies there is no festival that sees the unity of humankind. There is no one-day in which humans evaluate their shortcomings,
Investi gating its scientif
ic basis PAGE S 4-5
celebrate their achievements and above all give thanks to their Creator. The pinnacle of secular celebration is usually that of the New Year, yet this has no religious connotations in the slightest. However, it is sad to observe that even religious festivals in this country have become no more than expressions of blatant commercialism as in the case of Christmas, or merely an excuse for time off in the case of Easter. Islamic Eids on the other hand are truly representative of religion, family and community whilst still maintaining an inherent sense of individuality. Eid-ul-Adha is at its most fundamental: a celebration of pilgrims who have renounced material concerns and demonstrated their true submission to the Almighty (SWT). The duties of Hajj are symbolic of ritual obligations of Islam; the donning of the white ihram represents a fresh innocent start for all Muslims, who have truly become equal brethren in the sea of white fabric. Whilst the tawaf around the Kaaba, is amongst other things, an expression of humanistic desire to put God at the centre of everything. If anything the Hajj is a type of rehearsal for the day of judgement, for pilgrims
The Islamic Way to celebrate PAGE 6
The practical approach PAGE 7
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Assalamu alaykum brothers and sisters and welcome to this issue of Voice of Unity. This issue spans the Hijri calender from before Eidul-Adha to after Ashura and the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS). One event in between both Eid-ul-Adha and Ashura is that of Eid-ul-Ghadeer. After the dedication and worship of Hajj and the celebration of Eid, on the return to Medina, the Holy Prophet (SAW) took time out to stop at a place named Ghadeer Khum. It was here that he announced the leadership of Ali ibn Abi Talib as the first Imam and Commander of the Faithful. It was following this event that the following ayah of the Holy Quran was revealed: ‗Today I have perfected your religion for you and I have completed my blessings upon you and I have approved Islam as your religion.’ (Holy Quran 5:55)
Thus the task of the messenger was completed, ie the religion was perfected once Imam Ali (AS) was declared as leader of the Ummah. A link can also be made between this ayah and the words of the Almighty in the opening chapter of the Holy Quran. Every single time we pray, we ask our Creator to ‘Guide us on to the right path. The path of those whom you have blessed.’ (Holy Quran 1:7 -8) We have just seen that the completion of Allah (SWT)‘s blessings was attained when Imam Ali (As) was declared as the successor of the Holy Prophet (SAW). So in actual fact we are asking to be guided on to the path of those who have been blessed – of whom this includes Imam Ali (AS). There are many other ayah‘s in the Holy Quran that make direct reference to Imam Ali (AS). An example of which is to be found in Suratul
The Prophet (SAW) was once asked why our duas were not answered, despite Allah's words 'Ask from me, I will accept your duas' (Quran ref?). The holy Prophet (SAW) replied: "Your hearts have hardened for the following ten reasons, for which your duas are not accepted. You recognise Allah (SWT), but do not respect His wishes. You recite the Holy Quran, but do not act according to its commandments. You claim the love of His Prophet, but do not love the Ahlul bait, You claim to be enemies of the Shaitan, but in action
Ma‘ida: ‘Indeed your Master is Allah, and his Rasool, and those mu’imineen who establish prayer and pay zakat while in Rukoo’ (Holy Quran 5:55). This was revealed after Imam Ali (AS) offered a poor man his ring whilst he was in the midst of prayer. It is without doubt that Imam Ali (AS) was someone upon whom the Almighty showered his blessings; many of these have been bequeathed to us in the wealthy legacy of sayings to be found in Nahjul Balagha. Let us be inspired and guided – I leave you with one of the Imam‘s sayings: ‘Taqwa (piety) is the key to guidance, the provision for the next world, the freedom from every kind of slavery and the deliverance from every form of destruction.’ Sr. Duha Al-Wakeel, Editor.
support him. You claim the love of heaven, but do not prepare for it with good deeds. You claim fear of the fire of hell, but with bad deeds push yourselves towards the same fire. You forget your own defects, but occupy yourself in probing into other's defects. You claim hatred for worldly affairs, but keep yourself busy acquiring worldly wealth. You accept that death is inevitable, but do not prepare yourself for it with good deeds. You bury your dead, but do not become wiser from it."
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Sr. Shaheda Jeraj Pursuit of knowledge is God's will and the Earth has been given to humans to be studied-this is the belief of a Muslim. It is because of this belief that Islam has had a large impact on the development of chemistry over time. Arabs were rationalistic and actively did experiments. The name alchemy and its derivative chemistry come from the Arabic al-kimiya'. The Muslims mastered Alexandrine and parts of Chinese alchemy early in their history, and to this day certain chemical instruments such as the alembic (al-'anbiq) still bear their original Arabic names and the mercury -sulphur theory of Islamic alchemy remains the foundation of the acid-base theory of chemistry. Chemistry is the study of the elements and the compounds they form-it is a basic science which applies an understanding of molecular structure and reactivity to the study of substances whether they are biological, geological or synthetic in origin. There are three main branches of chemistry that will be part of the core syllabus of any chemistry degree. Organic Chemistry-is the chemistry of carbon and its compounds. Organic molecules constitute the very essence of life; fats, sugars, proteins and nucleic acids. A goal of organic chemistry is to relate the structure of a molecule to the reactions it can undergo. By studying the steps by which each type of reaction takes place, new molecules can be created by applying these processes. Physical Chemistry-establishes and develops the principles that are used to explain and interpret the observations made in the other branches of chemistry. There are three main approaches; the discussion of bulk properties in terms of thermodynamics, the use of spectroscopy to explore the behaviour of individual atoms and molecules and the analysis of the rates and mechanisms of chemical change. Inorganic Chemistry-is concerned with compounds and elements other than carbon, dealing with the properties of over a hundred elements, ranging from highly reactive metals such as sodium to noble metals such as gold. These branches are carried through from the first to the last semester of any chemistry degree regardless of whether it is medicinal chemistry or applied chemistry being studied, so a good grasp of physics and mathematics is essential to ensure
success. A chemistry graduate can find employment doing routine laboratory work, assisting on a research team, working i n p r o d u c t development, or in the business-related areas of plant management, marketing or sales. Typical jobs include: Technical/industrial sales representative Pharmaceutical chemist Cosmetic chemist Chemist in food, textile, petroleum or pesticide product and process development Industry, academic or government chemist Production chemist Pulp and paper chemist Paint formulation chemist Environmental chemist Secondary teacher Writer/journalist/editor To enter a professional career in chemical research or university level teaching a PhD is usually required. The bachelors' degree in chemistry also provides a good background for advanced study in fields such as biochemistry, business management, chemical engineering, dentistry, forensic chemistry, geochemistry, geology, medicinal chemistry, medicine, metallurgy, microbiology, oceanography, patent law, pharmacology, physiology, toxicology, veterinary medicine and zoology. If it is mental stimulation and academic challenges that are desired then certainly a chemistry degree is where they can be found-with ~20 hours of classroom teaching and 10 hours laboratory sessions per week it is not a subject for the light hearted. I personally attained academic satisfaction in the last few months of my degree, when all the jigsaw pieces fell into place and I finally discovered what chemistry was all about-if you're curious of my findings then you are the kind of person that will make an ideal chemistry student!
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Sr. Oola Ajina
“And by time, Verily man is in loss” (Holy Quran 103:1-2) Time, such an ambiguous modality; a few are oblivious to it, some like to waste it, but most want to learn how to manage it. The truth of the matter is, we are held accountable for every second of our life on this earth. Unfortunately mankind does not realise this and is, as Allah (SWT) tells us, thus at a loss. Nevertheless, hope is to be found in the continuation of the Surah, which reveals that there will be salvation for “those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy” (Holy Quran 103:3) Allah (SWT) has identified the importance of time and it is thus that He swears by it in Suratul-Asr. Islam has emphasised its significance with the association of time with many acts of worship. This can be seen, for example in the benefits of praying on time, and the extra reward for Ibadah on certain days or parts of the year, such as on Fridays or in Ramadhan etc. It is necessary that we recognise the importance and make maximum use of our time, this is because the length of every person‘s life is finite and shall end by the one true certainty, death. Therefore we should learn from the noble example of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Imams (AS) who used to live each hour as though it were the last. While on the IUS Umrah trip, we were blessed with the opportunity of spending some of the last ten nights of Ramadhan at the Haram. It was on these nights that there was a possibility of it being Laylatul-Qadr, the grand night that is greater than a thousand months. It was here that I was first made to realise the true value of every minute, as we tried to spend as much time in the Haram constantly in the remembrance of Allah (SWT). Many of us envisaged what it would be like if we could
spend the rest of our lives in such a way, i.e. fasting throughout the day and spending the nights awake in worship. However, we did not need to dream for too long before realising that such a lifestyle would not be practical in our hectic student timetable and west ern -i nfl uenced life. Nevertheless, there are alternatives, by making our intentions in study or work for the sake of Allah (SWT) and for the benefit of the Muslim Ummah, then this is in itself Ibadah. Likewise there are often intervals in our daily routine where wedo not really do much, maybe while we are travelling, and it is during such times that we can busy ourselves in Dhikr or remembrance of Allah (SWT). We are responsible for every minute of our life, each valuable unit of time that passes is a missed opportunity to do good or to repent, and is a minute closer to our time of meeting with our Lord. Therefore we must remember that, no matter how wrongfully we may have lived our life, it is never too late to seek repentance, provided of course that it is sincere. It is useful to note here that repentance has four prerequisites in order for it to be accepted. These are to feel regret in the heart, to seek forgiveness with ones tongue, to do good deeds with the limbs and senses, and to vow not to return to the sin. The benefits of using our time in the obedience of Allah (SWT) cannot be emphasised enough, especially since many of us reading this article can be considered to be in our youth. Some people have the notion that we should ‗enjoy‘ ourselves while we are still young, even though this form of enjoyment may
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not be Islamically acceptable. We may foolishly think that we can then make up for our errors later on in life, but surely Allah is the giver and taker of life: He can take our life at any moment, and how then will we be prepared for the encounter with our Lord? Picture the scene; “Nay when the earth is pounded to powder; and thy Lord comes, and his angels rank upon rank; and hell that day is brought (face to face),” (Holy Quran 89:21-23). “You shall see mankind as a drunken riot, yet not drunk: but dreadful will be the wrath of Allah” (Holy Quran 22:2). “At length when there comes the deafening noise; That day shall a man flee from his own brother and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children” (Holy Quran 80:33-36). It is thus that Allah (SWT) describes the atmosphere of commotion and calamity on the day of resurrection: surely all of us would like to be protected from this tormentful reality. Consider then the beautiful tradition of the Holy Prophet (SAW), which states that there will be seven groups of people who will be shielded by Allah under the shade of His throne on the day when there will be no shade except His (i.e. the day of resurrection). One such category of people are the youth who have grown up in the worship of Allah (SWT). During our youth we are at our peak in terms of our energy levels and vitality, therefore theoretically, actively using our time in the cause of Allah should be relatively easier than during our old age. However in reality, we are subjected to many trials during this vulnerable time, and Allah (SWT) has recognised that it is during our youth that temptations are at their greatest. Consequently Allah (SWT) has placed such supreme ranking for a person who has spent their youth in the worship of Allah (SWT). It is narrated in a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) regarding the youth, that the Almighty proudly calls upon His angels and says, ― look to My servant, he has given up the temptations of the world for My sake‖.
Therefore I leave you with a hadith of Rasulullah (SAW) which encapsulates the importance of taking advantage of our youth, and hence our time for the sake of Allah (SWT), before it is too late. ―Make use of five opportunities before five, your youth before your old age; your health before your illness; your leisure before your occupation; your wealth before your poverty; and your life before your death‖. {Oh my Lord, I ask You by Your truth, Your holiness, and the greatest of Your attributes and names, that You make my times in the day and night inhabited by Your remembrance, and joined to your service, and that my acts may be acceptable to you.} (Extract from Du'a Kumail Dear reader! Lend to me your ear Words important you must hear Hasten to perform this deed Be the first to take the lead You know not when health may fail From strong and brave, to weak and pale. You know not when wealth could flee. From rich in pocket, then empty. You realise not when youth expires, Once a kid and then retired! Neither do we use free time But waste it all - O such a crime! And hidden is the moment when Allah decrees our life to end. So reader take a lesson here Prepare yourself, and Allah fear A glorious duty known to all It melts your heart and teardrops fall! For one who's been, what can be told? No words can tell what you behold! But of a feeling, this I know Those true to Allah yearn to go So come! Arise from slumber, rest Be gathered there from East to West So come dear Muslims! From near and far To Makkah go As guests of Allah!
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Sr. Fayeza Suleiman
Brothers and Sisters in Islam! We as Muslims all sincerely believe that Islam is the greatest blessing that Allah (SWT) has given us in this world. We find our hearts filled with gratitude to Him for including us in his Ummah, that of the Holy Prophet and his Ahlul Bait (AS). Allah (SWT) describes Islam as his most valuable gift to his servants: 'Today I have perfected your Religion for you, and I have completed my blessings upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion' (Holy Quran 5:55) Is Islam a birthright? Is a person simply a Muslim because he is the son or grandson of a Muslim? A Muslim is not a Muslim because he belongs to a particular race; he is a Muslim because he follows Islam. The greatest gift of Allah (SWT) in this world is that of Islam. Being a Muslim is not something that is automatically inherited by your parents, which remains yours for life by right, irrespective of your attitudes and behaviour. It is a gift, which you must continually strive for. There is no Islam without knowledge. A university student will always strive for the highest in his/her degree and try and obtain the highest in education as possible. This is how a Mu'min (faithful person) should feel about Islam, constantly seeking the pleasure of Allah (SWT) with sincere intentions. When we say 'we are Mu'mineen' are we living by this practice or is it merely a name? Striving for Islam by perfecting ourselves is based in Eimaan (faith). Eimaan is the most important subject of Islamic knowledge because it shows us how to conduct our lives in the way of Allah (SWT). Eimaan is not like a ladder that you have to climb, rather it has dimensions, which we must try to progress into. We are Ibadur-Rahman (Servants of Allah (SWT)) and we must never forget this; even at the peak of Eimaan we are still IbadurRahman. Imam Zainul-Abideen (AS) being ma'sum (infallible) used to read one particular
du'a amongst many 'Makeremul-Akhlaq' supplicating to Allah (SWT) to raise him to the peak of morals when he was already at the highest stage. Eimaan and its stages or paths are covered in Volume II of Usool-ul-Kafi and Bihar-ul-Anwar by Allama Majlisi. The Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAW) once asked the people of the time 'Which beings out of all of Allah (SWT)‘s creation do you believe have the strongest Eimaan?' The people replied 'the Mal'aika (Angels)?‘ The Holy Prophet (SAW) replied, 'no' they carried on with 'the Anbiyya (Prophets)?' The Prophet (SAW) replied, 'The one creation strongest in Eimaan are those who believe in me and never stop.' There are seven main dimensions of Eimaan, which shall be covered, in later issues but in this edition we will concentrate on righteousness. The Arabic for righteousness is 'Al-Birr'. The ayah below relates to the righteous people and how they conduct themselves before their Lord. These people carry out certain deeds to improve themselves and they don't only do good for themselves but for others also. In this way they elevate themselves in Eimaan. So, who are the Mu'mineen? Allah (SWT) has said in Quran; 'It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the East and the West, righteousness is rather one who believeth in God and the last day and the angels and the book, the apostles, and giveth his wealth out of love for him to the kindred and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer and the needy, and for those in bondage: And established in prayer and payeth the poor-rate; and those who fulfil their promise when they make a promise and the patient ones in distress and affliction and in the time of war these are they who are truthful and these are they who are the pious' (2:177) In the above ayah Allah (SWT) has given us distinct guidelines on obtaining
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nearness to Him and we also have perfect role models, the Ahlul Bait (AS). These two weighty gifts Inshallah are the keys to Jannah, but we must make use of them and their teachings in order to reach our goal. So, how do we go about this? The above ayah explains it all. So when do we start on this self-building process? Well it should be as soon as possible and we should judge every action that we make, ‘Will Allah (SWT) like what I'm doing or where I'm going? Is this allowed or isn't it allowed?‘ It's the hardest path to follow when there are so many easy options to take. Will power and self-struggle are the vital tools for self-perfection. Allah (SWT) is asking us if we want to be amongst the Abrar, and He gives us the perfect guidelines to attain that. It is not easy to cut down on a luxurious life with huge amounts of money, cars, family, wealth etc… but you can think of it as an investment and Allah (SWT) has promised you that you reap what you sow. No one is telling you to give up everything for the sake of Allah (SWT) and live on the streets, but when you spend in the way of Allah (SWT) out of what you earn then surely you are one of the righteous people and you will see the benefits in the Hereafter. We must remember to spend out of what we love to be amongst the Abrar, be it money or time. Referring back to Al-Birr, we should try and help others to become closer to Allah (SWT) and there are numerous ahadith stating that after Allah (SWT), our parents are the most important people to us. We must pray for their happiness and try and do as much to please them as possible. This is the way in which we can obtain closeness to Allah (SWT) on the condition that we have the correct intentions and we must strive hard in this short life in order to gain numerous bounties in the next world. Keep struggling! ‘Never shall ye attain righteousness until ye give (with love willingly) away in the way of your Lord of what ye love; and of whatsoever ye give, verily, God knoweth
it’(Holy Quran 3:92)
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(continued from page 1)
meditate and pray and above all think, question and evaluate. My own visit to Mecca for Umra made me question myself: 'how will I account for my acts? Have I injured anyone? Have I been grateful enough for the simple gifts of life, water, food, friends, family and the air that I breath daily?' Pilgrims in their millions in the season of Hajj join others in a place filled with the tangible presence of Islam, and this surelyleads to self evaluation, repentance and Inshallah forgiveness. As Michael Wolfe a reporter for ABC News tells us 'The Hajj goes on inside the hearts and thoughts of each of us..' He captures the sadness at leaving Mecca most eloquently when he says '..there is an old proverb—before you visit Mecca, it beckons you. When you leave it behind, it calls you forever.'1 Whilst Thomas Abercrombie, a revert to Islam, and a writer and photographer for National Geographic Magazine described Mecca by talking of being 'caught up in the whirling scene, lifted by the poetry of the prayers, we orbited God's house in accord with the atoms, in harmony with the planets.'2 Despite various philosophical and sociopolitical attempts at achieving unity and a prevailing sense of community without compromising inherent individuality, there is I believe no greater global symbol of this than the Islamic example of Hajj. Ultimately Eid represents the success of these pilgrims and everyone else's happiness for them in a sort of communitairian sense; yet simultaneously it is about the individual Muslim and his or her relationship with their Creator. Thus Eid is an opportunity to meet friends, greet family and remember the needy, whilst it is also a day of personal remembrance and individual repentance. All Muslims whether in Mecca or not feel these coinciding community and individual perspectives of Eid. Until the 19th century, travelling the long distance took months if all went well, pilgrims carried with them the provisions they needed to sustain them on their trip. Caravans were elaborately supplied with amenities and security if the persons travelling were rich, but the poor often ran out of provisions and had to
interrupt their journey in order to work, save up their earnings, and then go on their way. This resulted in long journeys which, in some cases, spanned ten years or more. Travel in those days was filled with adventure. The roads were often unsafe due to bandit raids. The terrain the pilgrims passed through was also dangerous, natural hazards and diseases often claimed many lives along the way. Thus, the successful return of pilgrims to their families was the occasion of joyous celebration and thanksgiving for their safe arrival. Modern day Hajj is no longer as strenuous in travelling terms, yet that does not render it easy. For with the expansion of Islam, over the centuries, and the ease oftravel, Mecca has seen a greater annual influx of pilgrims. This means that the crowds are bigger and tasks consequently take longer to complete, yet it is evidence of the ever increasing desire of Muslims to show their commitment to their religion and their thanks to their Creator. Hence the completion of Hajj is a worthy global celebration. On a final note, it must be borne in mind that this Eid is the festival of sacrifice, sacrifice is a term not unknown to Muslims. It is true that pilgrims sacrifice a sheep in remembrance of Prophet Ibraheem (AS)‘s willingness to sacrifice his son for the sake of Islam; yet this is not and should not be confined to merely symbolic terms. True Muslims are surely those who are prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of Allah (SWT). I pray to Allah (SWT) that we will all be granted the pleasure of visiting His House, and performing Hajj, and that we are all prepared to sacrifice everything that is dear to us for His sake. Surely it is this willingness that makes Eid a true day of sacrifice. Sr. Duha Al-Wakeel ______________________________ 1 Cf. www.abcnews.com 2 supra.
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IUS Monthly Seminar Report Friday 4th February 2000 saw the return of IUS programmes to the monthly seminar scheme following the end of the weekly Ramadan iftars. The seminar at the School of Pharmacy gives IUS members the opportunity to listen to both an Islamic talk as well as one about a current affairs issue. This month we were privileged to have in attendance Maulana Syed Taqi Rizvi, and brother Massoud Shajjareh. The former gave an intriguing talk about the day of resurrection, whilst br. Massoud of the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) highlighted the reality of human rights abuses against Muslims both in the UK and abroad. Alhamdulilah, attendance was excellent with over sixty members turning up. All those present were given serious food for thought by both the talks and were sent home in deep contemplation. After the opening recital of the Holy Quran by Dr Mohsen Al-Rashed, Maulana Rizvi's speech focused on the certainty and inevitability of death. He used this as a bridge to talk about the day of judgement and the preparation of Muslims for this day. He described, with reference to the ayeh in the Holy Quran, the importance of Imamat and leadership, and how each individual will be witness to which follower they followed on the Day of Judgement. In this he made reference to the exemplar of Imam Khomeini, who succeeded in establishing an Islamic state despite first being exiled, and who represn4eted the true characteristics and signs of a just Imam for others to follow. Br. Massoud's talk was both saddening yet thought provoking. By illustrating the true extent of Islamaphobia on a truly international scale he succeeded in awakening the consciences of those present. Citing examples of the IHRC's work in various countries he made us realise our responsibilities to the rest of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Millions of Muslims around the world are discriminated against because of their choice to submit their will to their Creator (SWT). Many of these
people are imprisoned and tortured, yet this merely serves to reaffirm their faith in the Almighty. Br. Massoud did however point out the high success rate of letter writing campaigns by Muslim volunteers. Although these letters do not free all those imprisoned they do bear some weight into pressurising some of these governments, an example being the release of one sister and her daughters in Turkey. This talk and the ensuing questions made many remember that Islam has community dimensions, and as such we should be prepard to assist the remainder of this Islamic community who are not as fortunate as us. Even if this assistance is by humble letter writing campaigns then this seen as a way of contributing to the cause and is better than nothing. Sr. Duha Al-Wakeel
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Sr May Al-Timimi
‘…My admiration for the noble sacrifice of Imam Hussain as a martyr abides because he accepted death and the torture first for himself, for his sons, and for his whole family but did not submit to unjust authorities. My belief is that the rise of Islam is not due to the sword of the followers but the sacrifice of the leaders.' Ghandi If it were not for Hussain (AS) the Islamic conscience would have been lost forever. His message was for the reformation of the Ummah through amr bil ma‘ruf and nahi anil munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil). Our every action should be an affirmation of our dedication to the message of Imam Hussain (AS); and that message is that we are prepared to sacrifice ourselves rather than forsake Islam. When the religion was at stake, when the belief in Allah (SWT) and the Day of Judgment was at stake, Imam Hussain (AS) rode towards Karbala to fight the enemies of Islam. In a letter addressed to the people of Kufa Imam Hussain wrote: ‗An Imam is one who judges by the Holy Quran, upholds justice, professes the religion of truth and dedicates himself to obeying Allah and His Prophet.‘ When the army of Yazid stopped the Imam's caravan from going to Kufa, Hur (then leader of Yazid‘s army) told Imam Hussain (AS) that his orders were to get Imam Hussain (AS) to pledge allegiance to Yazid. Imam Hussain (AS) refused, Hur told him that this decision might cost him his life; Imam Hussain (AS) replied ‗Are you threatening me with death? Death is many thousands of times better than the dishonour of Bai‘at (pledging allegiance) to an enemy of Islam. Do you not see that truth is not being practiced and falsehood is not being prevented? I see death as a blessing and life with tyrants as the most disgusting state one can be in.‘. He then bade farewell to his sons, his brother his closest and most loyal companions, one by one they walked steadily to martyrdom teaching the world the
true meaning of what it is to be a Muslim. The Holy Quran insists that distinction can be accorded by piety alone, after the death of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) an aristocracy came into existence based upon nepotism. Corruption was then rife, and the religion of Islam was beginning to be altered to suit the tyrants. In his will the Imam Hussain (AS) wrote ‗My mission is to reform the Muslim community which I propose to do by inviting them to the good and advising them against evil.‘ At Karbala, facing the army of Yazid, Imam Hussain (AS) addressed them: ‗remember that when you see a ruler who does what has been forbidden by Allah (SWT) and His Messenger; who indulges in sins, who oppresses the people he rules - and you do nothing to stop such a ruler, before Allah (SWT) you are as guilty as he is.‘ He then went on to add ‗my parents did not raise me to submit myself to an evil tyrant. I am your Imam and it is my duty to tell you that you have surrendered the freedom of your mind to the evil ways of Yazid. If you do not care for Islam, and do not fear the Day of Judgment, at least care for that precious gift from Allah, the freedom of your spirit!‘ The question now though is how many modern day Yazid‘s tyrannize over us? For our Islamic nations are the poorest in the world, the ones with the most human rights abuses, we have no freedom in our nations, our spirits are crushed and our dignity is forsaken. When Amr Sa‘ad called upon the army to attack and kill Imam Hussain (AS) he said 'Death is better than disgrace and disgrace is better than the fire of hell.‘ We are being disgraced now, but Imam Hussain left us his legacy; that of forbearance and sacrifice, we must not be so attached to our lives as to think them more precious than the upholding of Islam's integrity from which our own integrity stems. The upholding of the Islamic conscience rekindled by the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (AS) must be our mission, to be martyrs fighting for
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justice and morality when there is no justice and there is no morality is what Imam Hussain (AS) taught us. ‘…The best way to remember this celebrated event is for Muslims to take to heart the lesson which Imam Hussain has taught by his example, which is to walk fearlessly in the path of righteousness.‘ Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam of Hyderbad Remember our Imam, one of the Leaders of the Youth of Paradise, and his infant child (Abdullah ) with every drink of water you take, for they died not having had a drop in the heat of the desert of Karbala for us, so that we would know salvation through the true message of Islam.
References: http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/index.html
1 12 Islamic Personalities of The 20th Century (3)
Apology and Correction In the last issue of ‗Voice of Unity‘ (Issue 2, volume 5) and in the article ‘Sighting the moon‘, the sentence read: ―According to the late Ayatollah Al-Khoei and Ayatollah Al-Sadr, and all of the present day scholars, science and astronomy have progressed so far that they are more reliable than human sightings and can be used to tell us when Ramadhan and Eid are (and, of course any other month)‖. We would like to clarify that the Ulema have differing views on this subject ie the issue of astronomy in moon-sighting. We would like to apologise for this error. For more information, please refer to the letter accompanying this newsletter.
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Sr. Oola Ajina
How many people noticed that the week of January 31st was National Honey Week 2000? Not too many I‘d expect, which is reasonable since most students and young professionals would probably have slightly more significant issues on their minds! Nevertheless, it did inspire me to find out more about this natural food source that the Quran describes as being “a drink of varying colours wherein is healing for mankind� (Suratul Nahl: ayah 69). Honey contains the sugars sucrose and fructose making it an excellent source of energy. As well as its nutritional value, many traditions have been reported of the Ahlul-Bait (AS) describing the medicinal properties of honey. One type of honey that has been the subject of extensive scientific research is that produced from the nectar of Manuka flowers. This honey was found to be antiseptic, antibiotic, and antiinflammatory, and thus an excellent dressing for wounds and burns since it fights the bacteria that cause infection and promotes healing. As well as soothing indigestion, Manuka honey can also give relief from stomach ulcers. Likewise, a daily dose of honey will boost the body's supply of antioxidants, which are essential in protecting the body against free radicals. However most commercial honey has been overheated to prevent it from granulating, destroying flavour, nutrients and important enzymes. Therefore in order to take advantage of the therapeutic properties of honey, it would be wise to obtain it in its untreated form.
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1- Troubled Traveller A traveller, on his way to a certain village A, reaches a road junction, where he can turn left or right. He knows that only one of the two roads leads to village A, but unfortunately, he does not know which one. Fortunately, he sees two twin-brothers standing at the road junction, and he decides to ask them for directions. The traveller knows that one of the two brothers always tells the truth and the other one always lies. Unfortunately, he does not know which one always tells the truth and which one always lies. The Question: How can the traveller find out the way to village A by asking just one question to one of the two brothers? 2- Bizarre Boxes Someone shows you two boxes and he tells you that one of these boxes contains two times as much as the other one, but he does not tell you which one this is. He lets you choose one of these boxes, and opens it. It turns out to be filled with $10. Now he gives you the opportunity to choose for the other box instead of the current one (and skip the $10 of the first
box), because the second box could contain twice as much (i.e. $20). The Question: Should you choose for the second box, or should you stick at your first choice to maximise the expected amount of money? 3- It’s a Dog’s Age Kurt was one when the family dog Jake was born. When Kurt was eight, he was twice as old as his little sister Katie. Their second dog, Kirby, was born when Katie was two years old. Now, Katie is 2/3 the age of Kurt, and Kirby is 3 times as old as their cat Hunter. How old are they all now? (Answers in the next issue)
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* Alhamdullilah the IUS staged four programmes during the Month of
Ramadhan, which included Iftar, du‘a and various talks by distinguished speakers. Throughout this year, Monthly seminars will be arranged Inshallah, which include a main lecture and a current affairs discussion (see below). * After the success of the IUS Umrah Trip, with the help of Allah (SWT), preparations are underway for the next IUS trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although there is plenty of time for registration, we advice members to register as early as possible. * The IUS would like to send its best wishes to you and all the Muslims throughout the world on the glorious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, asking Allah (SWT) to accept all our work and fasting during the Holy month of Ramadhan and to give us the energy and power to continue to fast for the coming years Inshallah. * Th IUS is planning to organise and hold a special Eid-ul-Adha celebration dinner, which will include a talk and dinner. Details of the venue and the date will be sent to members soon Inshallah.
IUS Monthly Seminar Friday 4th February @ 5:45pm - 7:30pm Main Speech: Day of Resurrection by Maulana Syed Taqi Rizvi Discussion: Abuse of Muslim Human Rights in the UK and Abroad by Br. Massoud Shajjareh Venue: The School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London. Nearest Underground: Russel Square
Islamic Unity Society Registered Charity No. 1066910 Mail Address: IUS Box 145 37 Store Street
Telephone: 07971 404 647 Fax: 0171 640 2372 Internet: www.ius.org.uk