Thursday 20 September 2012

How should Muslims respond to the vile video against the Holy Prophet? On whom Be Peace

I think we need to continue doing all the positive NON VIOLENT NON POLITICALLY HYPED things we're doing to educate about Islam and the Holy Prophet and find ways to engage the Interfaith community more to be our allies.
I know some of that is happening here in Canada.

This poem was published in a book done by non Muslims.

http://habeeballi.blogspot.ca/2010/03/holy-prophets-golds.html


Haters will always be there as they were always there but we have to learn to be positive and make Him, owbp, seen relevant not violent!


He asked Hasan bin Thabit to renounce the hate poetry with poetic praises of THE PROPHET, owbp, as if to say respond their media form with an equal and better media form!



فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

36:76 Let not their speech, then, grieve thee. Verily We know what they hide as well as what they disclose. 


وَقُلِ اعْمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
9:105 And say: "Work (righteousness): Soon will Allah observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers: Soon will ye be brought back to the knower of what is hidden and what is open: then will He show you the truth of all that ye did." 

 http://muslim-responses.com/The_Challenge/The_Challenge_

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Harmony week feb 1 to 8

Every thing needs time. It's just we dont know how much we have left.

See  you inshallah

Following the footsteps of Abraham in Canada

http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=32032&lan=en&sp=0



 
Common Ground News Service


Following the footsteps of Abraham in Canada
by Habeeb Alli
22 September 2012

Toronto, Canada – “Canada is the second Holy Land”, said a Christian American visitor from Atlanta, Georgia. He was part of a group of 15 Muslim, Jewish and Christian Americans who called themselves World Pilgrims and travelled to Canada to learn from and dialogue with members of its different faith communities. Historically, the Holy Land accommodated all three Abrahamic faiths, like three siblings living in the same home, and this was how Canada, with its mosaic of different faiths, felt to this young visitor.

The group travelled to Canada through the aptly named World Pilgrims programme, which is run by the Atlanta-based organisation Interfaith Community Initiatives. Pilgrimage, an important part of all three Abrahamic faiths, provided a way for the group to understand the practices and beliefs they had in common - including the important theme of caring for the earth.

The pilgrimage’s theme was specifically centred on water, both because the conservation and usage of water is an essential component of efforts to combat climate change, and because it plays a significant role for worshippers in each of the three Abrahamic traditions. By deepening their understanding of the role water played in each faith tradition, the participants were able to understand see water conservation efforts in a new light.

The participants were led by a group of religious leaders, which included imams, pastors and a rabbi. Through the World Pilgrims programme, they visited the Jami Mosque in Oakville, Canada, which is run by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), as well as the Holy Blossom synagogue in Toronto, among other houses of worship.

The participants, led by the religious leaders, looked at the significance of water in the Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions and how it functioned as a blessing.

Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser spoke about the many ways that water is part of the Jewish tradition. She discussed the parting of the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt, and the mikvah, or ritual bath, which is used for ceremonial purification.

Rabbi Nemhauser’s words were followed by a presentation by Reverend Jill Ulrici, who spoke about the many significant water stories in the Christian tradition, including the ritual of baptism, Jesus turning water into wine and Jesus walking on water.

The group then looked at this theme in the Muslim tradition. Tayyibah Taylor, Editor-in-Chief of Azizah Magazine, which describes itself as “the world’s window to the Muslim American woman”, and an organiser of the World Pilgrims programme, spoke about the descriptions of water in heaven and the practise of washing before prayer.

“The words of these leaders drove home the point that water is spiritually significant and there is a huge responsibility for all to be conscious of their impact on the earth,” added Tayyibah.

On the way back to Atlanta, the group stopped in Fort Erie, Ontario and met with a spiritual healer from the Native American Mohawk Clan. She spoke about women in the Mohawk tradition being the "keepers of waters" and discussed a ceremony in which grandmothers walk around the Great Lakes praying for the waters to be healed – as clean water is a necessity for both people and the preservation of nature’s ecosystems. This meeting reinforced the idea that people of faith must not only celebrate the richness of water in rituals but work actively towards preserving it.

"Interfaith visits such as the World Pilgrims are beneficial for the broader community at so many levels. Also, such visits by people motivated by a love for spirituality and learning is humbling and inspiring, and invites us to follow in their footsteps," concluded Dr Kathy Bullock, a Muslim Canadian participant.

Through this interfaith road trip, the World Pilgrims were reminded of the important role water plays both in their faiths and in their lives. Water purifies; it’s the source of life. Their experienced served as a reminder to be conscious of its importance and to be aware of their actions – both as inhabitants of the earth and as people of faith. Just as we depend upon water, we also depend upon each other to preserve the earth’s beauty.

###

* Habeeb Alli is a freelance writer for the Ambition Newspaper and the author of 14 books on Islam and poetry, which can be found on www.muslimsincanada.ca. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.


Tuesday 4 September 2012

INTERFAITH EVENTS IN GTA



Eid Dinners for Inmates


Every one is having wonderful Eid days after EidulFitr. But the poor old man in the jail drinking sour milk must have his share too!

Ontarians have a heart.

Muslims in the prison were treated to several Eid dinners and had invite guests over from far and near.

I was fortunate to hear good stories of not only Muslims fasting but Canadians who chose to fast with their Muslim students. In Pittsburgh ON at their ever variety filled and culturally refined dinner for Eid I met a gentleman who teaches life skills. He has chosen to fast every year for a while now so he may feel the pang of hunger and welt of thirst his students feel. He even ensures that he fasts the correct timing as per the prayer chart of his local area in Kingston.

Inmates invited several others including the Reverend Harry Nigh to join them in their sumptuous Eid dinner at the Keel Street half way house. Harry was delighted to share the meal and encouraged all to talk about the good stories of Ramadan.

Brampton halfway house saw the same with lots to eat.

Some of the Federal institutions had their Eid celebrated with sweets after prayers on Sunday itself while others had it after. The Women institution in Kitchener even saw one person accepting Islam because she admired the way the Muslims conducted themselves in Ramadan.

Eid is a time of joy and happiness. The sweets remind one that after sacrifice is harvest and after receiving the gifts of Allah one has to be thankful.

In prison one values this more than ever and every tiny but of sweet is a lifetime of happiness!

INTERFAITH VISIT FROM USA

“Canada is the second Holy Land”, says an American visitor among the group from Atlanta calling themselves World Pilgrims.

Muslims are familiar with Hajj- making them pilgrims once per year but how many people know that Muslims always travelled with other faiths in the past learning and worshipping.

Tayyibah Taylor, editor of Azizah Magazine and famous speaker at RIS was among the dignitaries of Jews, Muslims and Christians who visited ISNA mosque in Oakville. They also visited Holy Blossom temple as well as other places in Toronto, Niagara and New York in their round trip. The year before the group had visited Jerusalem and other countries.

The group was presented about Interfaith activities happening in Toronto by Habeeb Alli as well as Dr Abdalla Idris and Dr Kathy Bullock. Habeeb also delivered the Khutba talking about Interfaith importance in Islam, reminding all that the Quran respects all peoples and their traditions and wants us to dialogue rather than force Islam down people’s throats. During lunch many questions were asked and answered about Islam.

It was indeed a happy moment to have these persons of a different persuasion sitting in the mosque as the Holy Prophet on whom be peace himself entertained the Christians of Najran in his mosque.


Islamic Research and Jurisprudence office opened in Thorncliffe.


“The Quran orders the Muslims to ask their Scholars,” said the number of top Ulama visiting Toronto for the launch of the first Office for Islamic Research and Fatwa for Muslims from the Hanafi school of thought. These scholars are primarily from the world oldest institution Deoband India and have a great following in Canada. It’s also important that people recognise the differences of opinion are not only human but Islamic and it’s a mercy for humanity in the words of the Holy Prophet on whom be peace. This is the message Mufti Ahmad Kanpuri and Moulana Hanif from India and Mufti Saeed Motara from South Africa delivered to a packed audience of local Ulama and supporters in Thorncliff, home to thousands of South Asian Muslims, recently.
Mufti Ibrahim Kureshi will be managing his research and fatwas from this office at 2 Thorncliff Ave Unit 28th. He is a member of the JamiatulUlama Canada.




ASK IMAM

http://www.allexperts.com/ep/947-69836/Islam/Imam-Habeeb.htm