Post on 03-Apr-2018
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
1/8
RY MONDAY >>>> 8 PAGES OF FOOD FOR SOUL, MIND & BODY | STORIES | PLACES | P
Isnin, 20 Rejab 1430 zMond
Islamia
Destructionto him who found the
blessed month ofRamadhan and let it pass
by withoutgaining forgiveness
[from Allah].
What is the position of music inso-called cultural colonisation? (page 5)
Pictures of Uighur Muslimsafter the bloody riots. (page 7)
Vera Salim
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
The bank manager just called, informing us that they would write o all tthousands of dollars in debt that we have accumulated over years througliberal use of the credit cards. Our hearts skipped with joy.
Then the manager said,Conditions apply. You have to do a series of all manageable over the course of one month. We didnt even bat a
when we promised that, yes, of course, we would gladly carry out those tasks evenhave to forfeit several hours of sleep at night.
Later in the day, the manager of the largest department store called to tell us would soon be holding the largest sale ever in Brunei Darussalam. All the best gwould have to go at the cheapest price. Again our hearts skipped with joy. We bmentallypreparing ourselves foran all-out jostling,even scuing,with other peoplewould be rushing to the store for the giant discount session.
Err, conditions apply. You will have to do a series of tasks for one month beforcan join the discount session, the store manager said.
Anything. Shoot, we replied, caring not whether those tasks would tire us out idaytime and exhaust us at night time. All that we cared about was the promisedcount!
Well,twenty daysago therecameto usan informationabout a scheme farbetterthose promised by the bank and store managers. The month of Rejab entered upotwenty days ago, signifying that it would soon be Syaban followed by Ramadhangreat month when sins will be written o and Paradise become so much more aable.
We may neglect Ramadhan, if we so wish, at our own peril.Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, one day climbed up the steps towar
mimbar and said Amin thrice. One of those utterances, he explained later, was sponse to the supplication of Jibril alayhis sallam who appearedbeforehim,Destruto him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaforgiveness. (Hakim, Baihaqi)
Westillhavesome time beforeRamadhanarrivesto beas eagerand preparedtoout a series of tasks that will Insya Allah earn us Gods forgiveness for our sins anblessings as the Prophet has prayed.
Islamia/TheBruneiT
O Allah,bless us in the months of Rejab and
Syaban and bless usin the month of Ramadhan.
BeforeRamadhan
Arrives
AFP,Reuters
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
2/8
lah says..
nd whatever misfortune befalls you,
s because of what your hands
ve earned. And He pardons much.
nslation of Allahs Words in Al-Quran surah Asy-Syura: 30)
lamia/TheBruneiTimes
V
V
Good Friends
Say, there is no god but Allah.
You will be successful.
lam
Islamia
ssenger of Allah said..
o hard travel to any masjid must be
dertaken other than the three:
y Masjid (Masjid An-Nabawi, Madinah),
Masjid Al-Haram (Mekah)
d Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem).
rrated by Abu Hurarirah, reported in SahihMuslim)
Muhammad Abdullah
Isn
Reaping Ramadha
n F
Qul liymantusodiq aqul laka mananta. Katakan kepadaku siapakawan Awda, makaakan aku katakan kepadamu,siapa diriAwda.Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. Sag mir,
sind deine Freunde,und dann kann Ichdir Sagen:wo bist Du.
Regardless of the languages, this message stands true anywhere
at alltimes: A personis knownby whotheirfriends are. They shape
, or break one into ruins.
If one digs deeper into the message, one realises that building and
ntaining a good, Islamic biah (environs) is an important part of
ding and maintaining ones faith.
Islam teaches us that companionship (suhba) should be chosen
h an eye to the future: the Hereafter (Akhirah), that is when one
l be in the companionship of those that one loves the most Here
nya).Hina Khan-Mukhtar wrote inRaising Your Children with Din (Faith)
Dunya(2009) that suhba is of the utmost importance.If you sleep
h the dogs, dont be surprised if you rise with the eas, she said,
otinga scholar.Thewords that struckme thehardestwith their wis-
m? When you sit with People of the Dunya, you become a drop in
r ocean, but when you sit with People of the Akhirah, the Dunya
rld) becomes a drop in your ocean.
Sometimes, that might mean sacricing the companionship of
endswho do not or refuse to help us toward nding the most com-
able place in the Hereafter.
So be it..Islamia/TheBruneiTimes
Reuters
Fasting and the Quran
intercede for a servant on
the Day of Resurrection.
Fasting will say, O my Lord
I prevented him from food
and desires, so accept my
intercession for himand
the Quran will say...
A
llahs Messenger said, There
hascometo youRamadhan, a
blessed month,in which Allahhasmadeit obligatory to fast. During
it the gates of paradise are opened
and the gates of Hellre are closed,
and the rebellious devils are chained.
In it is a night (Laylatul-Qadr) which
is better than a thousand months. He
who is deprived of its good has truly
been deprived. (An-Nasai)
Allah - the Most High - has fa-
voured us with countless blessings,
the greatest of them being Islam it-
self. Within the religion of Islam there
are many favours; one is the month
of Ramadhan. However, many of us
overlook this bounty and are thus
left with an incomplete depiction
of Ramadhan, often viewing it as amonth to get oneself into shape!
Most importantly Ramadhan is
an act of ibadah (worship), the ful-
llment of Allahs commandments
and one of the great mercies of Allah
to His believers for both this world
and the next. lbn al-Qayyim wrote
in his famous book Zaadul-Maad,
From the Mercy of the Mighty and
Most Merciful is that He prescribed
for them fasting which will cut o
the excesses of eating and drinking
and empties the hearts of its desires
which divert it on its journey to Allah
-the Most High. He prescribed it in
due proportion as will be appropri-
ate and will benet the servant withregard to this world and to the Here-
after; and it will not harm him, nor
damage what is benecial for him.
Virtues of RamadhanHell is Locked, Paradise
Opened. All praise is for Allah Who
out of His innite Mercy locks the
gates of Hell, chains and shackles
the devils and opens up the gates of
Paradise in this month for His serv-
ants, making it easier for them to de-
vote this special time to His worship.
It makes it harder for the evil jinn to
corrupt thepeople astheyusuallydo,
because InshaAllah the Muslims will
be occupied with fasting, engaged in
reading the Quran, busy with extra
prayers and in doing other righteous
actions which help clean and purify
their hearts.
Sins are Forgiven. The Prophetexplained to hisUmmah that Ramad-
hanhas such a high stationthateven
ifa Muslims sinswere asmuchas the
foamuponthe sea, they wouldbe for-
given through fasting in this month.
He said, He who fasts in Ramadhan
due to iman and hoping for reward
from Allah then his previous sins are
forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim)
There are in the month of Ram-
adhan in every day and night, those
whom Allahgrants freedom from the
Fire, and there is for every Muslim
a supplication which he can make
and it will be granted. (Ahmad and
al-Bazzar) This supplication, which is
never rejected occurs at the time ofbreaking the fast. (Sunan ibn Majah)
Lailatul-Qadr. Another virtue of
this blessed month is that in it falls
the night that is better than a thou-
sand months, in which descends the
angels and the Ruh (Quran surah al-
Qadr: 4) and in which if one is stand-
ing in prayer out of faith and seeking
reward, then his previous sins are
forgiven. This is the Night of Decree
- Lailatul-Qadr.
Virtues of FastingA Shield.The Prophet said, Fast-
ing is a shield with which a servant
protects himself from the re. (Ah-
mad) Fasting weakens and cuts o
desires and since it is desires which
lead to the re,
fasting acts as a
them, as a barrie
the fasting pers
safeguards onefoul speech, qu
also develops th
trol and restraint
Key to Para
distances one fro
one closer to Pa
gerwas askedby
Umamah,Tell m
I may enter Para
said,Take to fast
like it.(An-Nisai
Immense Re
of the son of Ada
rewards, each g
tentimes itslike,
times. Allah the
Except for fastinI will recompens
desires and his f
fasting person th
joy; a time of joy
fast and a time o
his Lord, the sm
mouth of a fast
with Allah than
(Muslim) The ma
as with any acti
purely for the sa
ference with fast
completely hidd
it is done merely
Allah (unlike So
Allah rewards H
cially.An Interces
virtue of fasting
an intercessor
Day of Judgeme
will be in need
Prophet said, Fa
intercede for a
of Resurrection.
my Lord I preve
and desires so
sion for him and
I prevented him
so accept my int
their intercessio
(Ahmad)
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
3/8
Islamia/Th
Islamiaay, July 13, 2009
llah Ali
Some hearts are dead,some hearts are sick, some hearts are stone-cold,
some hearts are black. Some hearts are so bad,
and so ill that they see a good as a Munkar
(as an evil), and they see an evil as a good.
These are not as they should be.
We need a Ramadhan.
We need a Ramadhan because our connection
with Allah Taala is not correct.
After Neglecting Allafter neglecting Allah for the
majority of the year, we are in
need of Ramadhan to correct
ves.
are in need of Ramadhan to
t ourselves for we have been
tful, for we are not upon the
brance of Allah, and because
arts have gotten so hard.me hearts are dead, some
aresick,someheartsarestone-
ome hearts are black. Some
are so bad, and so ill that they
ood as a Munkar (as an evil),
ey see an evil as a good. These
as they should be.
need a Ramadhan. We need
adhan because our connec-
th Allah Taala is not correct.
ed a Ramadhanbecause wedo
ve any Khusyuin our Solat.
need a Ramadhan because
ran has gathered dust sitting
elf.
need a Ramadhan because
er read the books of Sunnah.need a Ramadhan because
nt fast, andif wefast physically
t food or drink, we dont fast
ur eyes by lowering our gaze.
nt fast with our tongue by not
ring, by not lyingand back-bit-
need a Ramadhan to get our-
back in order, to work for the
ter, to connect ourselves to Al-
la.
need a Ramadhan because
nships brother to brother and
o sister is in a miserable condi-
We need a Ramadhan because
ve bad thoughts about one
another.
We need a Ramadhan because
ofZulm, injustice to one another. We
need a Ramadhan because there is
backbiting,there is envy, thereis jeal-
ousy, and there is slander.
We need a Ramadhan because
we are despicable, because we are
sick, because we are ill all these are
diseases of the heart.
We need a Ramadhan becausewe dont believe in the promise of
Allah Taala, or if we do, we do not
implement it.
We need a Ramadhan because it
is time for us to change and become
something better then we are now.
We need a Ramadhan because
that is the only thing that is going to
get us together
We need a Ramadhan because
wedonthaveunity, theresno broth-
erhood amongst us.
We need a Ramadhan because
theres no respect for our elders.
We need a Ramadhan
because theresno real
love between us.We need a
R a ma dh a n ,
because it
is full of
l o v e
a n d
th e
Mercy of Allah Taala.
A Ramadhan like (a place where)
we come in, like in a clinic or a hospi-
tal, trying to solve our illnesses, try-
ing to come out of there without the
disease we came with, trying to be
better than when we went in with.
We need a Ramadhan. Look
around you, look to your right, look
to your left, look in front of you and
look behind you and youll say, Weneed a Ramadhan.
Our sisters arent covering prop-
erly, we need a Ramadhan.
Brothers and sisters are mixing
freely. We need a Ramadhan.
Talking on phones and on the In-
ternet, weneed a Ramadhan.Thisis a
mess, we are in a x, we are in a bind,
and this is a problem We need a
Ramadhan. We need a Ramadhan to
get ourselves together.
We need a Ramadhan, that we
come in the Masjid and we face the
Qiblat and we sayAllahu Akbar and
we stand in Solat a long time until
those diseases, that lth, that sick-
ness, that hardness in theheartall go
away.
We need a Ramadhan that re-
minds us of the Hellre. We need
a Ramadhan that tells us that we
havent been given a certicate that
we are people of Jannah.We need a Ramadhan that lets us
known that we are servants of Allah
Taala. And if we were to spend our
whole life, from the time we were
born until Qiyamah in prostration, it
would not be enough to thank Al-
lah for His Mercy, His Grace and His
Blessings.
We need a Ramadhan and it is
clear. If thereis any fear of Allahleft in
the hearts of ours and if there is any
hope of Jannah left in us, and if there
isanydesire tochange and tobe bet-
ter and to be righteous and to
come to the level of Ihsan,
to come to the level of
a Mumin, to haveTaqwa, to fear
Allah we
need a
Ramad-
han.
We need a R
of repentance.
We need a R
of Mercy.
You know yo
I know I need a R
we need a Rama
vere need for Ra
come into Ram
ance, we come
We need Allah Trealising that we
we need Allah T
us that which is
we are weak and
Taala to grant us
We needs n
lat), weneed dua
nights of Rama
Quran. We need
Sudays or Shura
need a Ramadh
Quran. When w
we listened to th
the last time we
need a Ramadha
implement the Q
adhan may be ouWhere is the
is not our nal
the guarantee t
Ramadhan? We
seriously. We wa
much bettertha
want to come ou
Taqwa, because
reason that it wa
O you who
been written upo
ten for those bef
may gain Taqw
Baqarah: 183)
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
4/8
Islamia/TheBruneiTimes
Soul
Books
Isn
This bookcontainsan informative
discussion of
the denition of
fasting, its sig-
nicance, and the wisdom b
It also explains some of the
ments of fasting, what is allo
is not allowed for the fasting
well as helpful issues related
missed fasts. In addition, a n
related to the Night Prayer a
are also included.
How could,one be proud of his
deeds while Allahs
Messenger, used to
say, None of you
will be saved be-
cause of his deeds.
lamiaQuiz. Who will be the rst to be judged
n the Day of Judgment?
. Who were the rst three persons tombrace Islam at the time of Messenger of Al-
ah Muhammad, peace and blessing
e upon him?
ANSWERS
1.TheProphetsand
theMartyrsinthePathofAllah(Syuhada)
2.Khadijah,AbuBakrAs-Siddiq,
AliibnAbiTalib
In this book, Dr Ali As-Sallabi presents the life ofthe third caliph of Islam,Uthman ibn Aan, andhighlights his great achievements, as well the issues
and turmoil that he faced due to the hypocrisy
movement that plagued the Muslim society. He also
addresses the misrepre-
sentations of Uthman,
fabricated by his enemies
and detractors and per-
petuated, inadvertently or
otherwise, by writers and
historians, as well as the
activities of the hypocrites
and the eort they put
into fabricating these lies
and causing division in
the Ummah, the eects
of which Muslims are still
suering today.
a Iman
gance andPrideese two attributes are among
he worst for man to acquire
specially when he wants to
(repentance: Taubat).
ogance and pride led Iblis
n) astray, although he was in
mpany of the angels.
at happened because Allah
, I (Iblis says) am better than
dam). You created me from
d him You created from clay.
ation of Al-Quran surah Al-
2)
ne does not rid himself of ar-
e and pride, an end similar to
Syaitan is a sure result.
t even a little part of them -
ly if related to how one views
worship - can be very devastat-
ones iman.
e following is among the com-
gns of arrogance and pride:
iming perfection leads one to
tfeelthe need to improve him-
rough good deeds and other
of nurturing his iman.
iman, as stated by scholars,
ncreases or decreases. There-
will certainly decrease when
oes not work hard to in-
it with a lot good
miring ones
n deeds
in the
l relin-
ment of
ippin g
because
p is
on hum-
oneself to
d acknowl-
g that all the
ulness is to Allah
Him alone.
w could one be proud of
eds while Allahs Messenger,
eace and blessing be upon
him,usedto say,None of you will be
saved because of his deeds.
They asked, Not even you O
Allahs Messenger? He said, No, not
even me, except that Allah bestows
me with His mercy. (Bukhari and
Muslim)
3When one loses the fear of re-quital it becomes easy to forgetabout falling from the straight path.
A sense of security in this aspect
can be the rst step towards fallingvictim to it.
Would such an arrogant person
continually beseech Allah for guid-
ance and seek steadfastness on his
path?
4Vanity leads to backbiting andrumour mongering. Moreover,whomever mocks his brother about
a particularsin will notdie till hehim-
self succumbs to it.
Predominanceof DesiresDeviation from the right path
is caused by one of the two factors-
either doubt which has mixed with
clarity and truth, or desires which
predominated a persons heart and
hence, deviated and obstructed himfrom the truth and obeying Allah, a
factor clearly noticed in our days.
The ones who repent and turn
to Allah are just as human as
any one else- they de-
sire as others do.
The problem
of lustful desires
begins primar-
ily with an evil
look or idea
and ends
with ooded
actions or an
erupted vol-
cano-leading a
person to perver-sion.
You nd a person
following the path which
pleases Allah but once he sights
something forbidden (e.g., a beauti-
ful woman), a struggle in his heart
begins; the light of iman is kindled
within him calling him to repent and
turn to Allah.
Eventually, the pitch of this call is
reduced and the call of the desire ris-
es. In this way, an immense struggle
within begins.
At one stage, the call of iman
might predominate and he over-
comes this hurdle, even if the dust
of the sin might have touched him,
which he immediately washes o
with repentance and good deeds.
On the other hand, he might
respond due to a weakness in iman
and the light of desire rises and pre-dominates, ensnaring his heart and
obstructing any chances of turning
to Allah.
As a result, he falls victim to the
sin and can not turn to Allah in re-
pentance, which would raise him
from this downfall.
At this moment, he would say to
himself, You have already been af-
fectedby the dirt ofsin,so you might
as well keep on going.
So many times you have tried to
repent, but to no avail.
You are weak, there remains no
hopefor you torepent, and yourway
is dierent from that of the pious!
The UglyGut of
ExcessivenessWhenever Allah commands us to
do something, Syaitan incites us to
fall into either extreme-either exag-gerating the act on one hand or be
negligent and careless about it on
the other.
Even though the latter is a com-
mon phenomenon with many, Syai-
tan chooses to in
opposite extrem
and immoderati
Accordingly,
warned against
proach as Allah
of the scripture,
in your religion
77)
And Allahs M
ware of ghuluw
religion, for inde
those before you
gion. (narrated b
Allahs Mess
by saying,Be mothe same in pr
that your deeds
enter Jannah an
deeds to Allah a
regularly done e
tle.
WhatAgainst
Taubat?
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
5/8
Islamia/Th
Mind
Isla holarsMaliks Advice to Asy-Syafi The Gatherer
ay, July 13, 2009
We have spoken of Imam Maliks courage,willingness to state the truth as he knew it,gardless of who may be oended, it also speaks
his sincerity and the value he attached to the
sition of a scholar in the Muslim community.
Maliks sincerity aimed at arriving at the truth,
gardless of who takes the credit for it. He would
t give a ruling on any matter that had anything
do with judges and their verdicts.
He would not criticise any verdict they might
ve issued. This is unlike Abu Hanifahs attitude
ho criticised any verdict if he felt that the judge
as mistaken. However, both attitudes are moti-
ted by sincerity.
Abu Hanifahs attitude showed his great
spect and sincerity in pursuing what was right,
hile Malik was sincere in avoiding anything that
uld cause trouble. He, however, would speak
vately to judges, showing them any point of
idence that they might have overlooked.
In his appearance, Malik was awe-inspiring.
any reports agree that Malik had a spiritual inu-
ce on people that made everyone look at him
th great respect, love and awe. Furthermore, he
as also a man of great insight, not only in knowl-
Allah introduces Himself as Al-Jami, the GathereYou are the Gatherer of mankind to a Day of whdoubt. Allah will not break His promise.(translation
surah Al-Imran: 9)
This attribute of Allah expresses His control over
in the universe. Allah, the Creator of all that exists, ha
to make all the living and non-living beings obey Him
gather them wherever He wishes. In the Quran, Allah
He will gather believers together in this world,Each
particular direction, so race each other to the good.
are, Allah will bring you all together.Truly, Allah has things. (surah Al-Baqarah: 148)
However, the actual gathering will take place on
Judgment, when all believers will enter His presence
knows the unbelievers who reject Him and His mess
as their actions, will collect everyone who has ever li
Allah will reward His followers also in crowds. On tha
gather His servants and their leaders to His presence
He will keep the unbelievers in Hell together and let
with one another.Their impiou s idols will remain tog
repaid in a narrow corner of Hell. Allah says,It has b
to you in the Book that when you hear Allahs Signs b
and mocked at by people, you must not sit with them
start talking of other things. If you do [remain seated
the same as them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites
ers into Hell.(surah An-Nisa:140)
edge and scholarship, but in peoples characters and
qualities.
Asy-Syai was still young when he went to
Madinah. He reports, When I arrived in Madinah
and met Malik, he listened to me and then looked
at me for a while. He was a man of insight. He then
asked me my name and said,M uhammad, maintain
fear of God and avoid all sin. You are certain to have
a position of distinction.
Malik lived in poverty for a long time during his
pursuit of knowledge. His main income was from a
business with a small capital. When he was recog-
nised as a scholar whose views were sought by rul-
ers and khalifahs, he was in a much better situation.
He accepted nancial gifts only from khalifahs, but
not from provincial rulers or governors.
When he was asked about this, he gave a clear
answer that the pursuit of knowledge should be
supported by the state. But he never kept all that
he received for himself or his family. He supported
those of his students who needed support. Among
these was Asy-Syai who, like many other students,
would not have been able to study without this sup-
port. Asy-Syai lived in this status for nine years.
AdilSalahi/IMPACT
e dawn of the colonisation
of Afro-Asian world in general
nd the Muslim world in par-
brought in its wake eorts by
stern academia to justify colo-
n in a variety of ways.
e so-called white mans bur-o educate and civilise the bar-
primitive and illiterate masses
and Africa was based on the
mption of the total absence of
ure, civilisation, religious be-
d knowledge in the countries
ed by the colonial powers, ini-
or commercial purposes under
economic motives.
e colonial powers of Britain
rance particularly faced for-
e resistance at the hands of
m freedom ghters almost ev-
ere in the colonised regions of
d Africa.
th the passage of time, it was
cessary that in order to ensureotection of their interest on a
rm basis, the colonial powers
create a generation within
m countries which would be
n in their opinion and taste,
ental in color and ethnic ali-
caulay, the author of this
as perhaps the most success-
onial thinker who gave a new
sion to western colonialism
may be termed asintellectual
lism.
s new intellectual and aca-
policy soonresultedin cultural
ultural Colonialism and the Music Questioahmood AhmedGhazi and civilisation-
al colonialism as
well. Although
political and
military colo-
nisation alleg-
edly come to
an end during
the second half
of twentieth
century, these
three forms of colonisation, namely
intellectual, cultural and civilisational
are still continuing.
It is now evident that some west-
ern powers have the continuation
of these forms of colonisation at the
top of their agenda. The elimination
of cultural identities of other civilisa-
tions, obliteration of distinct features
of non-western cultures, rejection
and condemnation of non-western
legal systems and spurning oriental
social patterns constitute the funda-
mental elements of this agenda.
The media tirade against I slamic
laws, targeting social habits in Mus-
lim societies and caricaturing cul-
tural patterns of Muslimsocieties has
become the order of the day.
In pursuance of this agenda,
some orientalists undertook to por-
tray Islamic culture andcivilisation as
representing some archaic, outmod-
ed, inhuman, and barbaric remnants
of the medieval ages.
That is why Muslim aversion to
carnal expressions of human senti-
ments in ne art was projected as a
major handicap in theway of cultural
sophistication. To deal with this mal-
ady they started eorts to popular-
ise their social ethos and life styles in
the Muslim world.
Muslimconcept of artistic perfor-
mance and ner expression of their
sense of aesthetics was dierent
from the prevalent western styles.
In fact, Islam represented a stage of
perfection and maturity of the hu-
man mind.
Mostprimitivereligionsandprim-
itive societies
emphasised the
physical aspect
of l ife a t the
cost of its moral
and spiritual as-
pects. To them,
the sensual as-
pect of human
existence out-
weighed the in-
ner and higher human values.
This primitiveness was reected
in worshipping physical phenomena
believed to be representingthe Real-
ity. Music and dance thus became in-
tegral part of worship in many primi-
tive religions.
In fact, Islam declared the inau-
guration of a perfect religion, a nal
way of life, an accomplished legal
and moral system and a panhuman
culture and civilisation. The Islamic
Syariah contemplates intellectual
maturity of human beings and pre-
sumes the moral perfection of hu-
man life and behaviour.
The laws of the Syariah are based
on higher moral ideals and ner spir-
itual virtues. Islams approach to the
realityof life is constructiveand posi-
tive.It isforward-looking. It ismorally
motivatedand spirituallyoriented.To
Islam, human physique is the vehicle
of moral ideals; body is the locus of
the spirit.
This has given a new dimension
to the idea of beauty and aesthetics
in Islam. This morally rich and spiri-
tually impregnated concept of aes-
thetics is reected in Islamic nearts,
Muslim poetry, a
phy, book deco
pet-designing, a
resent only the
and spiritual va
anything inIslam
strates anysensu
part of their resp
In this conce
aesthetic and n
tle place, if at all.
and large, have b
and dancing. Th
of sensuality in t
been extremely
eties and were a
very limited and
of the society, m
the periphery, d
of and encourag
ing class.
Muslim histo
that carnal and s
art and aestheti
pied anyrespect
societies. Those
these expressio
nied a central po
cial hierarchy.
This situatio
went a change
twentieth centu
the introduction
and electronic m
The result of
for the promo
dance culture ha
* The writer was
International Isla
abad
..in order to ensure
the protection of their
interest on a long term
basis, the colonial
powers should create
a generation within
Muslim countries which
would be western in
their opinion and taste,
but oriental in color
and ethnic aliation.
McDaniel
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
6/8
Bodylamia/TheBruneiTimes Isn
Which pair isyours?
Non-smokers lungs Smokers lungs
This Public Service Advertisement is presented by Islamia/TheBruneiTimes Monday supplement. Pictures taken fromBodies The Exhibition in Arlington,Virginia, US (12 April 20
pices not only add avor to
oodandhelp tolivenit up, but
esearch is now showing that
have many health benets.ew study has found that the
ingredients in several com-
pices prevent platelet aggre-
and blood clot formation up
mes better than aspirin, and
t the side eects.
entists in India carried out
ve testing to determine the
benets of spices traditionally
Indian cuisine.
ey evaluated the eect of the
le spice active compounds
ol, capsaicin, piperine, querce-
cumin, cinnamaldehyde, and
lphide on human platelet ag-
on.
ey demonstrated that eachund evaluated was able to
antly inhibit blood clotting.
ol and capsaicin, the active in-
nts in commonly used spices,
ound tobe the mostpotentin-
s of platelet aggregation, with
ol found to be 29-times more
than aspirin in inhibiting ara-
ic acid induced human plate-
regation. Arachidonic acid is
ega-6 unsaturated fat, found
quantities in animalfats,such
meat.
nolgenol is found in cinnamon,
balm, bay leaves and gives
their distinct aroma. It is also
available as an essential oil, and be-
cause it is extracted from cloves, it
is sometimes refered to as clove oil.
Medicinally, eugenol can be used as
an analgesic, and has antiseptic
and antibacterial eects.A good way to obtain
this active compound
through the diet
is by spicing up
food by adding
whole or ground
cloves to dishes.
CapsaicinCapsaicin is
the active com-
pound found in chili
peppers, and is responsible for the
intensity of the heat of the pepper.
Much research has been carried
out on this compound, and aside
from reducing blood clotting, capsa-
icin has been found to ght cancer,
provide pain relief, reduce inam-
mation, control diabetes and weight
loss.
Chili peppers are a main ingredi-
ent in hot sauce, which can be sprin-
kled on a whole variety of dishes. Al-
ternatively, add freshchili peppers to
food when preparing them.
CurcuminCurcumin is one of the best
known and researched natural heal-
ing spices. It is the active ingredient
in turmeric, a spice that is regularly
used in Asian cooking. Research has
shown curcumin to have strong an-
tioxidant, anti-inammation, antifun-gal and antiviral properties. It is also
known to be a very eective pain re-
liever,aids digestion,ghts infections
and reduces heart attacks, as well as
numerous other health benets.
Turmeric, with its deep yellow-or-ange color, is an ingredient in curry
powders but is also available as tur-
meric powder on its own, and this
form contains the most curcumin.
CinnamaldehydeCinnamaldehyde is the chemi-
cal compound that gives cinnamon
its avor and aroma. Cinnamon is
well known to be an eective and
popular healer. It has been found to
regulate blood sugar levels and have
sedative and antibiotic properties, as
well as regulate digestion and tackle
bad breath.
To include cinnamon in the diet,
chew daily on a freshcinnamonstick,
or add fresh or ground cinnamon tofood and drink.
PiperinePiperine is the active ingredient
in black pepper and is what gives
black pepperits kick. This compound
provides an overall health boost, acts
as a powerful antioxidant, reduces
inammation and pain, combat-
ing arthritis and ghting o coloncancer. Black pepper has also been
shown to substantially increase the
1Buy fresh spices in their whole form, and grind just before using, to get maximum health beneavour from them.
2Organic herbs and spices usually have a highernutrients and are not irradiated or sprayed with3Store spices in an airtight glass container, in a cdark place.
4
As with all foods, spices should be eaten in mod
pices: Powerful Healers
bioavailability of
and has a dual
toxinsout of theand urine.
Allyl SulfdeAllyl sulde
garlic and is one
that gives garlic
Garlic is a po
known anti-in
microbial prope
suggests that g
antioxidant that
blood pressure a
as well as protec
Garlic is ver
be added to alm
Crushing garlic b
more of its be
and lightly cookmuch of its nutri
potent than aspirin in reducing blood clots
Kamil
Tips for Using Spic
Cinn
ab
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
7/8
Islamia/Th
Placesay, July 13, 2009
Ethnic Uighur women grab at a riot policeman as they protest in rmqi in Chinas far west Xinjiang province on July 7, 2009. Protests have erupted ina number
of places, two days after unrest left more than 150 people dead there, state media reported. International concern has mounted over the carnage in Xinjiang,which China said left at least 156 people dead and 1,080 injured. State media said the deaths occurred when Muslim Uighurs went on the rampage in some of thedeadliest ethnic unrest in China in decades. But Uighur leaders said the riots started after Chinese police had attacked a peaceful protest. Picture: AFP
(clock-wisefrom the left) A Uighur womanholds her child as she watches troops in riotgear drive past in trucks in a Uighur neigh-bourhood in Chinas Xinjiang AutonomousRegions capital city of rmqi July 9.(above left) A local man walks past a Chinesearmoured personnel carrier (APC) as it patrolsthe streets of Urumqi, Xinjiang AutonomousRegion, in China July 6.(above right) An ethnic Uighur womanstands on the side of a road as Chinese armytroops stand by on a truck in a main street ofrmqi July 9.(right) A woman cries in front of Chinesesoldiers in rmqi July 7.Pictures: Reuters
Innaa lillaahiUighur...
7/28/2019 Before Ramadhan Arrives
8/8
Peoplelamia/TheBruneiTimes
7Prayers
Fearing Syirk
Allaahummainniy auudzubikaanusyrikabika
waana alamuwaastaghfrukali maalaaalamu.
OAllah, I take refuge in You lest I should
commit syirk(ascribing partners to You)
with You knowingly and I seek Your for-
giveness for what I do unknowingly.ForticationofMuslim
Isn
Reuters
Reuters
ul AzizMyatt
British Neo-Nazis Journey to Islam total submission to the
of Allah. I converted to Islam
ause there came a time when
ymindandmy heart accepted
ere was no god but Allah and
uhammad was His Messenger.t I had believed and upheld
this conversion is at worst
and at best irrelevant.
w was it that I, a Westerner
history of political involve-
n extreme right-wing organi-
, came to be standing one
y outside a masjid with a sin-
esire to go inside and convert
m? The simple answer is that it
e willof Allah Heguided me
e of the many wonderful
which occurred on the day I
tedwas when theImam of the
explained that by accepting
had begun a new life Allahrgiven me my sins, and it was
tarted my life again with my
of Life, the record of my sins,
Syeikh Muhammad Salih Al-
id a distinguished scholar
said, Asking for details of a
s past and wanting to know
ns they might have commit-
en they were ignorant about
s not right at all. Allah covers
s sins and loves to see them
d (i.e. not dragged out into
en). So long as a person has
ed, his sins have been wiped
am deleteswhatevercamebe- why should we ask questions
that will only embarrass people?
Allah accepts peoples repentance
without theirhaving to confess or ex-
pose their sins to any other person.
A number of the Sahabah (compan-
ions of the Prophet) had committed
adultery and murder repeatedly, orhad buried infant girls alive, or stolen
things, but when they entered Islam
they were the best of people. No one
needs to be reminded of a shameful
past; it is over and done with, and Al-
lah is the All-Forgiving, Most Merci-
ful.
In terms of the Westernexplana-
tion that most Westerners will seek
in order to try and understand my
conversion, I suppose my journey
toward Islam began when I rst went
to Egypt and, as a tourist, visited a
masjid. The Azan the call to prayer
had begun and I was struck by its
beauty.
It is fair to say my heart respond-edtoit ina way that, atthe time, I did
not understand. Then, I knew little
about Islam, but each time I visited
Egypt I learnt a little more.
But I was still in thrall to my own
ego, my own Western way of life, and
by twootherthings whichprevented
me from fully appreciating Islam andinvestigating it further.
First, my life-long belief in Na-
ture: the belief that we somehow
belong to Mother Earth in a special,
almost pagan, way and that our own
consciousness is the consciousness
of Nature.
Second, that it was our nation,
our national culture, which dened
us and which therefore, was of su-
preme importance. But, in my heart,
I always felt a universal, honourable,
compassion, as I always felt the need
to be aware of the numinous, the sa-
cred.
Many times in my life I believed
this numinosity derived from God,the Supreme Being while at other
times I believed it derived from Na-
ture, from the cosmos itself: from
what I often termed the gods.
For decades, I wavered between
these two versions regarding the ori-
gin of the sacred.
ConversionMyconversionreallybeginswhen
I started a new job, working long
hours on a farm, often by myself.
The close contact with Nature,
the toil of manual labour, really did
restore my soul, my humanity, and I
became really aware of the Oneness
of the Cosmos.
Then I realise that I was but part
of this wonderful Order which God
had created.
In my heart and in my mind I was
convinced that this Order had not
arisen by chance it was created,
as I myself was created for a purpose.
For the rst time in my life, I felt truly
humble. Then, as if by chance (but
it was the guida
from my bookca
of the Quran I ha
of my visits to Eg
it properly b
dipped into it, r
here and there.
In the next fesites as I read all
beliefs. Stripped
arrogance no
syaitan here w
I felt, and alway
dignity, honour,
munity, truth, a
on a daily basis,
disciplined, the
materialism, and
how we, as indiv
ent to God.
I became
about thelifeof t
mad, for there
markable here: h
sent everything my mind to be
In fact, he seem
perfect human b
ample to follow.
The more
Islam, the more
doubts, all the q
thirty years. It r
had come home
found myself.
So it was tha
Masjidto saytha
to Islam. They w
so friendly so
brings tears to m
member it, and
found the true W