Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
This is a question that gets to the heart of the matter. Which faith leads to eternal salvation, Islam or Christianity?
Why are so many people embracing the religion of Islam? why is it the words fastest growing religion?
these ex christian reverts shed some light on the issues
www.turntoislam.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What Makes An Event Fabulous?
There are many things that make a party fabulous. You should first seek the knowledge of a local event planner. This will help you with making all the good decision that you must make in order to have a fabulous party, however, you should know that they are some things that you can do to make any event fabulous. You should first start off with a menu.
The menu or food that you plan on serving will say everything about a party. If you want to just have finger foods or appetizers, you will want to have a dozen or two different foods to nibble on. You should also be more creative with veggies and such rather than meat. In general, America is pulling away from meat, and you may want to serve things that have low calories and look good. You can serve grilled or stuffed veggies, but you may also want to do some sushi. Other than the food, most people come to a party for drinks.
Drinks can be very expensive if you have an open bar, however, if you limit your party to having only a certain drink or a few drink options then you can offer the open bar without the huge expensive. You may want to have some nonalcoholic beverages as well like adding fruit puree to sparkling water. If you want to have drinks in a creative way, you may want to freeze some of the berries and fruits that are in season and then place them in the bottom of a drink. They will add some class to a drink and they keep the drinks colder. This trick looks great in the bottom of a martini glass.
The next trick actually has little to do with the party, but the invitations. To have a fabulous party, you have to have as many people there as possible. To do that, you need to make invitations that look professional. You can get many card programs for your computer at some of the local computer stores and superstores.
Superstores are great! They have a huge selection of supplies and you can also purchase them at bulk. Things like tablecloths and other things are perfect to purchase at superstores because you are able to find huge savings on bulk material. If you ever get the chance go to the local superstore or warehouse and see what they offer.
With all the diets that everyone is on, the food could be low calorie, low carbs. You may also want to purchase meat that has fewer fats. If you are going to serve meat, you should go with chicken and fish.
As for the décor you may want to get a little creative by mixing and matching some of the table linens and other decorations. This way the party looks lively and not dull. Do anything you can to live the place up. You can decorate with lemons, oranges, other fruits, and more. You can use flowers to decorate as well. You may make an arrangement; however, it will be very expensive. This is when you may like to just scatter some petals around the place. It will look elegant and nice. Candles also can do a lot for an event. If you want to have a softer light, you can find plenty of creative ways to use candles and mirrors as center pieces and more. You just don't want to place any candles where they can get knocked over or start a fire.
Music is also a nice touch to a party. Depending on the type of party that you are having, you might want to watch the type of music that you play. The music has to mesh with the theme and vibe of the party. Jazz or instrumental can always work for practically any kind of party.
4 Ways To Ensure That Your Event Will Go As Planned
When you are trying to plan a great event, you want to everything perfect so that it all goes as planned. This may not always be easy and in fact you will have to work hard at it to make sure that it does go the way that you are hoping. You should not get all worked up about your event. As long as you have the right materials and the work ethic to do it, you will have a great and successful time.
There are four ways to ensure that your event will just as you have planned. You will first want to make a budget. Once you know how much you can afford to spend on this special occasion, you will then be able to plan out all that you have to spend on your purchases. This will give you some kind of start so that you can follow through on it. It is very important to stick to your budget so that you are not forced to go over and have to find ways to pay the extra cost.
Once you have the budget in place you will want to make a list. This is the second way to ensure that everything goes as planned. Once you have the list of all the materials and things that you need to plan out, you will then be on your way to making the most of your special occasion. You will want to figure out the different things that you will need and then go from there. This will be the best way to make sure that you are getting good deals on all the things that you are in need of.
Make sure that you are checking things off of your list as they are done. You will want to do this so that you are not forgetting to take care of something and this will help you leave nothing undone. You will find that planning out the event will go a lot easier and quicker when you have a great plan to move on with. This will be a very good way to stay organized and on track.
The third way to ensure that your event goes as planned is to make sure that you have a lot of help. You do not want to take on all the challenges of running an event yourself. You want to have as much help as you can so that you are able to make the most of your special day. You want to have friends help you out as much as possible as well as even hiring some extra hands to get everything done for you.
They will also be able to keep an eye on things at the event. They can watch over and make sure that all is running smoothly and if there is a problem, they can try and fix it before you even find out about it. This will be a great help and also take some of the stress off of you when the time comes.
The fourth way to make sure that you are succeeding with your planned event is to have a lot of patience. You do not want to get yourself worked up too much. You want to make sure that you are calm and collected so that you can handle any problems that may come up at the event. You will feel better and be able to relax when you are in control of the situation. This is something that a lot of people do not do and they will find that they have no fun at their own party.
You did all this planning and hard work and you should be able to enjoy it as much as you can. Calm down and have patience. Things are going to go wrong and there is nothing that you can do about it. All you can do is work through it and hope for the best.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Samsonite camera bag: the bag for all your photography accessories and stuffs
What you have captured in a photograph, you have captured forever. It is because the photograph preserves the memories in such amazing clarity and precision.
But when buying your own camera, make sure you complete the set of accessories so as to make your travel and memory collection hassle-free. Remember that the right materials help produce the right job. So whether you are an amateur or a pro photographer, you ought to have the necessary items with you. Then with the right materials packed in a Samsonite bag, you can readily empower your skills in photography.
Primarily, the lifetime partner of your photography equipment is a comfortable yet sturdy camera bag. Surely, it should be a case that can contain the necessary tools and accessories such as extra films and batteries that can easily be carried to any place where your subject is situated; it should be sturdy and roomy for all your stuff.
For these needs, the Samsonite camera bag definitely suits you. This bag features high density padding with closed cells to cushion your gears which are highly sensitive to contact, friction and breakage. The pads are made of light materials so they don't add so much to the weight to the bag.
Samsonite camera bags are built with flex-hold pockets to serve both decorative and functional purposes. The pockets provide security to your extra batteries, memory cards, lenses or other camera attachments. With a Samsonite camera bag, you can be sure that you can take all your photography paraphernalia in one organized bag.
Another helpful feature of the Samsonite camera bag is the customized and padded cell dividers to provide partitions for the different items. Then you can sort out your things inside the bag without worrying that they might mix up or jumble messily as you travel. It is important that your things should be secured for trouble-free mobility. After all, your mind must already be occupied with what and how to do your job.
As a photographer, you'd definitely want to impound the best out of the view, put the life in that frozen moment and express the million thoughts in a frame and Samsonite camera bag offers you the best deals to provide the protection to your gear.
So whether you are strolling in the park or conquering the mountain tops, a Samsonite camera bag has that extreme pack in its exterior designed to fit your rugged outdoor activities. The flip top cover has an easy to operate lock that can help you utilize one hand opening while preparing other things on the other.
To complete the package of features, the straps of Samsonite camera bag are padded for comfortable carriage and for a secured strong grip. So anywhere you go, no matter how long you have to walk, Samsonite camera bag is there to assist you in your job.
Getting ready for a prolific job of photography? Gear up! Take the right thumb rules of the pros and prepare the proper equipment in a convenient and easy to carry bag.
Photography is extremely fun, it titillates the imagination and empower creativity. If it catches your interest, you can't help but devour its adventures. Samsonite camera bag is simply designed to be your companion as you put out the best of your subject. With just one bag, you're sure to accommodate all your accessories to come up with the best shot.
Laptop and Camera Bag: An Essential for a Professional Photographer
Your digital camera is one of the most important tools you will have as a professional photographer, in fact it is your primary tool. You have to consider the fact that because of the advancement in technology, film cameras are now considered obsolete. This is why many professional photographers are now getting professional digital cameras for them to take pictures of.
The fact that digital cameras are more superior in terms of quality, it is just plain obvious that you too should try and get a digital camera for yourself. Also, digital cameras are able to store a lot more data than film cameras.
However, you should remember that professional digital cameras are very expensive. Therefore, you should know how to properly take care of it. As a professional photographer, you will need a professional camera bag in order for you to better take care of your camera and make it last a long time.
It is also recommended that as a professional photographer, you will need a laptop where you can connect your digital camera to and transfer your digital photos in case you run out of digital space in your memory card to take more photos.
A laptop is also an essential tool for photography. This is where you can edit your photos to make it look better and this is also where you can send your photos to your editor via email. Because of laptops and digital cameras, taking pictures for newspaper columns is far easier than ever before. Your boss will no longer wait for you to develop your films and then send it to him or her via snail mail to get it printed on the newspaper or magazine.
Because the photos are already in digital format, all you have to do is connect your digital camera to your laptop, retrieve the digital photos to your laptop from your digital camera, edit it to make it look better, and send it through email.
This is why you should also purchase a professional camera bag that will be able to fit a laptop. Tamrac and Kiesel bags are one of the manufacturers of different professional camera bags that is able to provide you with a camera bag that is large enough to fit all your professional camera equipments, your laptop, and also your personal effects.
These professional camera bags will have foam padding to better protect your expensive equipments. Because of this feature, you don’t have to worry much when you accidentally drop your bag. Also, a professional camera bag will have water resistant features. This means that even when it rains or snow, you can be sure that the equipment inside the bag will remain dry. You should also consider a camera bag that is discreet.
What discreet means is that it shouldn’t be able to tell people that the camera bag you are carrying is indeed a camera bag and contains expensive professional camera equipments. You should consider that camera bags that screams out that it's a camera bag will be a target for thieves.
Today, there are camera bags available that can be easily mistaken for a regular backpack. You should get this kind of camera bag because it will have all the features mentioned for a good professional camera bag.
Always remember that as a professional photographer, you need to be able to take care of your equipments. Besides, your camera is where you get your living. Get a camera bag that can fit both your expensive camera equipments and its accessories, and also your laptop.
Bean Bag for Your Camera
Watching television at home and sitting in your favorite bean bag offers a lot of comfort. But did you know that not all bean bags are large? If you're a photographer, you've probably seen one of this. Yes, there are bean bags which are quite small, and are used for your cameras.
It's but ordinary to see people walking around with cameras dangling from their necks. Photographers are just like that, they want to be ready in case they spot something that might catch their interest. But what if you need to carry your camera from one place to another? You probably don’t want it to get wet if it rains, or get too much dust when you're on the outside.
One effective way of carrying your camera safely is putting it inside a camera bag. This not only protects your camera from harsh weathers but also keeps it from being stolen. By now, you're aware that there are a lot of people out there who are looking for likely victims for their crimes like robbery and hold ups.
Choosing a bag for your camera can be rather time consuming. Either you find a bag which is too small or you find one that is too big. Perhaps, it's a good idea to bring your camera when you go shopping for a camera bag.
Some bags are great for storing your camera along with its other accessories, but you can never be satisfied with just one bag. Sometimes, you find camera bags which are not padded enough to allow full camera protection. In this case, you can make use of bean bags.
There are bean bags especially made for cameras, like the one manufactured by Adorama. The Adorama bean bag supports the camera and its lenses. It protects it from getting damaged both in even and uneven surfaces. The bag is made from non-skid materials filled with pellets, designed not to hold moisture or prevents it from deteriorating. Bean bags can fit any camera bag, regardless of its size to protect and support your camera. The Adorama bean bag measure six inches by eight inches.
There are also other brands of bean bags available. You can find lots of them in online stores like eBay and next.com. All bean bags are designed to support your camera if your camera bag has too much space. Putting camera bean bags gives added protection so you can be sure that no matter how much you move, you're camera will be secured.
Bean bags are cheap. In fact, you can find camera bean bags for less than ten dollars. So you can purchase any camera bag you like, and if there is a need for a bean bag, just put it inside the camera bag.
The camera bag alone has also other uses. It can be used to carry other things, so just to make sure that you have a spare bean bag for your camera so that it won't get in the way of your other personal things.
Bean bags come in different colors; but the most common are blue and black. It's a very useful accessory if you have a camera bag. If you can't find the one that you're looking for in online stores, you can also do some shopping around in your local stores. Bring your camera along and see if the bean bags suit your camera.
Bags Galore: The Camera Backpack for a Stylish Camera Carrying Gear
When you go out of the house to go somewhere else, you never forget to bring your bag. Bags are very important; it's where you put all your stuff. In fact, you've been using it ever since you were in the pre-school. And now that you're all-grown up, you still can't live without it.
Bags are used in many different ways. There are school bags, designer bags for men and women, laptop bags, accessory bags, and most of all, a camera bag for your precious camera. If you love photography, and you take your most prized possession with you (that is your camera), you want to ensure its safety. Then what you need is a camera bag. There are bags specially made for cameras.
If you don’t want to carry a bag, you can opt for a backpack camera-bag. Just sling it over your shoulders, and off you go. It's not difficult to find one because it is widely available in department stores and even on the net. You are already aware that you can actually go shopping on the net without leaving your home. Through the Internet, you can choose from many styles of bags for your camera. Look for online stores that offer this type of bags.
Some of the bags available are the following:
1. APPOLLO camera back pack
2. Canon Deluxe Back pack
3. LowePro Slingshot 100AW Digital Camera Backpack
4. Tamrac back pack Mini Trekker
5. Pro mini back pack camera bag
These are just some of the backpack bags available for cameras. There are many brands of bags, and oftentimes when it comes to choosing the bag, it depends on what camera you have and on how you are going to use the bag. Since there are many bags to choose from, you should first identify your needs and what other accessories you plan to put into your bag.
You can find camera backpacks easy for toting. Some bags have a lot of pockets in case you need to carry other items like batteries or films. Some bags even have a compass attached to it, more like the military bags. The bottom section of the bag is where you usually put your camera and the bag's top section is for your personal gear.
You can find back packs in different colors and designs. If you want to spend more money on your camera bag, you can also go for ones which are specially designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. There are camera bags which have rain covers to completely protect your camera form getting wet, and a lot of compartments for other important things. You can even put your MP3 or CD players on one of its compartments.
Choose a camera bag that is durable and of top quality. Most bags, especially the expensive ones, have warranties. Sometimes, people forget these things because they want a much cheaper bag. However, if you can't afford the expensive ones, it's not a sin to buy cheap bags. Just make sure that the bag can carry your camera stuff with ease and protection.
Cameras are expensive, so naturally you want to have a perfect bag to carry your precious item. So if you're going out, make sure that you put it in your back pack rather than carrying it around.
In Tax Return Preparation, Alabama Tax Attorney is a Wise Investment
Just the mention of the word tax would send an eerie feeling to many individuals. However, every person must accept the fact that paying tax burdens is part of the duty as a citizen of a state. You are left with no choice but to pay tax liabilities. If you don’t, you are to suffer tax penalties, fines, or even imprisonment. Moreover, it is better to comply with your duties on time to preclude you from further troubles with the government.Before a taxpayer can pay his taxes, he must first prepare his tax return. Tax return preparation is one ordinary thing to individuals earning income. This is because all income earners are duty-bound to pay taxes to the government. Taxes are paid annually. Hence, before the scheduled time for the collection of tax contributions, the taxpayer must already be ready.
Tax return is the official document given to taxpayers for them to list their tax contributions for a certain period. It is necessary that this document be prepared and submitted early in time so as to avoid penalties.
Preparing a tax return can be done personally by the taxpayer. This is if he is keen in doing the task on his own. However, if you want an easier way, there are currently advanced software that are especially designed to prepare tax returns. Taxpayers can use said software to help them compute tax contributions. This software can be had online. You just have to download and install it in the computer after that you will be able to use it to ease the burden of tax return preparation.
If you do not want the software, you can hire the services of expert tax return calculation personnel. You just have to be certain that the person you hire is the best that you can have. Better yet, hire the services of a tax attorney.
A tax attorney guides a client to avoid future tax problems. He also defends clients in cases of criminal and civil suits regarding tax troubles. When a taxpayer has trouble with the state department of revenue or Internal Revenue Service, he may opt to remedy it himself or hire the services of a tax attorney. However, the taxpayer can be better served by a tax attorney.
Tax attorneys specialize in solving tax problems with the IRS. They are experts in taxation issues and relief. Nonetheless, they are considered a great help in advising their clients on how to lessen their tax liabilities. They also can also give valuable advice on what exemptions are available to them. They can also give the demarcation line between legal and illegal ways of reducing or avoiding taxes.
One important thing in hiring the services of lawyers is that they must be equipped with knowledge and expertise about the subject matter. Alabama tax attorney, for instance, is an expert in terms of Alabama taxation laws. If you are a resident of Alabama, it is better to hire the services of a good Alabama attorney to assist and defend you.
Knowledge and expertise are boosted by the fact that the tax attorney is also a resident of your state. Hence, it can be presumed that he is updated with the laws and customs of the land than other lawyers.
Bear in mind that tax return preparation is an important process in taxation. One mistake can invite criminal actions and penalties. Moreover, it is better to consult a trusted tax attorney in your territory. A good tax attorney is considered a taxpayer’s wise investment.
Stop Snoring Remedies: From Nasal Sprays to Surgeries
Snoring would have been nothing if all people sleep alone in their solo beds, away from anyone that could hear. But as we all know, most of us have bed partners who are often get annoyed with sleep-disturbing noises.
Good thing, there is already a wide spectrum of stop snoring remedies that may find yours (or your partner's) relief.
Nasal sprays are normally used by mild snorers who would not want to get bothered with attaching nasal strips and clips at night or of taking the permanence of nasal surgeries.
While reports on the use of nasal sprays vary, it still shows that some snorers find good use in them.
Nasal sprays work by tightening and lubricating the muscles surrounding the throat and the mouth. This way, the vibration caused by excess muscles would be set off, thus the production of sounds can be prevented. There are no definite claims on the lasting effects of such sprays so they would only be effective so long as the use is continued.
Nasal sprays are not only helpful for mild snorers. Snoring may also occur due to change of weather, diet or any factor that can trigger its causes. Such cases can be resolved through using nasal sprays.
While most stop snoring remedies focus on the obstructive tissues that cause the blockages in the air passages, there are those that resolve things through keeping the outside mechanisms from triggering the snores.
Chin cushions and chinstraps will keep your mouth in place. But how does keeping one's mouth close helps against snoring?
Well, there are types of snorers who breathe on their mouths. Mouth breathing is known to be one of the many causes of the vibrating sounds during sleep. It has been observed that once breathing is shifted towards nasal processes, some types of snoring can be helped.
When one's mouth is open, the jaw will drop. Thus, creating space where the tongue may fall back towards the throat. When this occurs, vibration is possible. If one's tongue is kept from collapsing, it is less likely that the throat would produce snores.
The chinstrap works by holding the jaws together which prevent them from falling apart. Chin cushions, on the other hand, have the added benefits of preventing the head from dropping forward. This way, easier breathing can be facilitated since the airways are wider when the head is kept back.
Taping the mouth can often be awkward but this does not necessarily mean that the technique is ineffective.
Chin up strips are tapes worn beneath the mouth to help redirect mouth breathing towards nasal breathing. The advantage of which is that it does not prevent the mouth from moving freely through covering it but it lays its support at the bottom of the lip. Thus, one can sneeze, cough and breathe in the mouth at will. The disadvantage though is that when this occurs, the effectivity of the chin up strip is lessened.
All stop snoring remedies mentioned here are just aids to relieve you from the troubles of snoring. They can't exactly cure your condition. If you want permanent solution, the best option you may run to is surgery. Be careful though that long term effects (and possible damage) go with this decision. Careful examination of your condition must be delivered and thoughtful decision making must be made.
Top Anti Snoring Devices You Can Avail
Hearing a person who snores can be amusing, it can even be funny. But if you are living with someone who snores, a relative or a family member perhaps, then the sound might become very disturbing. If you cannot get a good night sleep and always wake up several times in the middle of the night by a sound that can be as loud as a lawnmower or a jet engine in action, then you should be thinking of anti snoring devices as a solution to the problem.
Here are popular anti snoring devices you can buy for your family member and stop him from disturbing your sleep:
• Anti snoring pillow
One of the reasons why people snore is because they have an improper sleeping position. This causes the air passage to stretch and tighten making it more difficult for air to come in and out. To solve this, there are anti snoring pillows that relax your airways and maintain the right sleeping position to prevent a person from snoring throughout the night.
• Throat spray
One natural remedy to stop snoring is the snoring spray. Formulated with natural ingredients, snoring spray contains essential oils that when sprayed on the throat, provide a lubrication that reduces that amount of vibration, hence effectively reduce snoring. However, it is ironic that when throat spray is used frequently, it can lead to more snoring.
Before using throat spray, the doctor's evaluation on the patient is necessary to avoid any other complication.
• Nasal dilators
Usually made of stainless steel coil or plastic, nasal dilators help keep the air passage open which cut down the throat's vibration which leads to snoring. Nasal dilators are used by inserting it into the nostrils.
• Nasal strips
Like nasal dilators, nasal strips are used to open the airways on the nose and keep the right amount of airflow during sleep. Nasal strips are often made of plastic. This is one of the more popular anti snoring devices since it is cheap, safe, and effective. In fact, nasal strips are used by athletes for better airflow and respiratory efficiency while playing.
• Sleep Position Monitor
This device emits a beeping noise to alert the snorer when he shifts to a position where snoring usually occur (sleeping on their back). However, if you are a relative of a snorer and would want his snoring to stop, then this device may become a whole new problem. But, the aim of this device is not to replace the snorer from keeping you a wake in the middle of the night. Instead, it is there to create a brand new sleeping habit.
Once the snorer starts to sleep on his side, the sleep position monitor can be removed.
• Snore ball
Snore ball is placed at the back of the snorer (inside his pajama). When he changes his sleeping position from side to back, the snore ball emits discomfort, a.k.a. pain. In other words, it prevents the snorer from sleeping on his back. It might not be the device a person wants to feel in the middle of the night but some really need it in order to change his sleeping position for good. Some people use golf balls, baseballs or tennis balls as snore balls.
All these anti snoring devices can prevent a person from snoring, however, snoring can be caused by other medical condition that may need medical attention. To be safe, have your relative or family member be checked by a doctor to know exactly what treatment does he need.
Snoring Cure: What are they?
People who snore can be funny but when you get to sleep with someone who snores loudly every night, it becomes annoying. That is why, it is important to know the ways to cure snoring.
Here are the following ways and methods to cure snoring:
Breathing exercise – Snoring happens when there is a blockage happening in the breathing passage, particularly at the throat area. And this blockage might be because of a tensed throat, wrong positioned jaw, or stuffed nose. Take several deep breaths in order to relax the throat and make breathing normal again.
Decongestants – There are instances wherein the cause of snoring is nasal congestion. Here, the person tends to breathe through his mouth which may trigger snoring. Taking decongestants will free any blockage and relieve the person from snoring.
Anti-allergy medications – There are some allergies that result to the enlargement of adenoids. Once the allergy is cured, the snoring usually stops.
Exercise and proper diet – If the person is obese, he probably snores. This is because there is fat concentration on the airways that limits the air to go in and out freely. Also, fat formation on the stomach restricts the diaphragm to perform properly. Thus, snoring occurs. In fact, around 40% of the obese population snores. Taking regular exercise and proper diet can reduce the weigh and stop snoring, not to mention other health risks associated with obesity.
Change of bed position – There are occasions wherein snoring is the result of wrong sleeping position. Sometimes, sleeping with too many pillows can stretch and narrow the air passage. Use one pillow to avoid it. Also, lying on the back can cause snoring. So, a change in sleeping position can be a good help.
Change of lifestyle – Smoking and alcohol can contribute to the onset of snoring. Snoring may be a result of other medical conditions caused by these two. So, to maintain a good and healthy life, the person should stop or reduce smoking and alcohol intake, which in turn can cure snoring.
Review medications – Antihistamines, sleeping pills, and other types of medications can worsen snoring.
Regular sleeping habits – There are two periods of sleep: the REM sleep where the person experiences frequent dreaming and deep sleep, and the Stage 1 sleep which should only be experienced during falling asleep but can also be experienced several times if the person is sleeping poorly. Both can trigger the development of unstable breathing that can cause snoring. Irregular sleeping can also cause respiratory instability that result to unstable breathing during sleep.
Saltwater nasal droops – Nasal congestion caused by mucus can disrupt sleep and can cause snoring. To prevent this, saltwater nasal drops can be used to flush out the mucus. There are over the counter saltwater nasal drops available in drugstores. However, you can also make it on your own. Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of sterilized water. Let the water cool down to body temperature and place it to a nose dropper.
However, if snoring is caused by other serious condition such as sleep apnea and enlargement of adenoids and/or tonsils, some surgical procedures like Laser Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty (LAUP) and radio frequency tissue ablation (RFTA) or Somnoplasty can be applied. It is important therefore to know the exact cause of snoring before taking any action.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM
HOW TO BECOME A
MUSLIM
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon Mohammad, His last messenger.
The purpose of this hand-out is to correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith. Some people have a wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high ranking scholars or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice or other authorities. It is also thought that the act of accepting Islam, should, as a condition, have a certificate issued by the authorities, as evidence to that effect.
We wish to clarify that the whole matter is very easy and that none of these conditions or obligations are required. For Allah, Almighty, is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all hearts. Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion are advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned governmental agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them many matters including the possibility of performing Hadj (Pilgrimage) and Umrah.
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is explicit on this regard as Allah states:
"The Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Qur'an 3:19)
In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah states:
"If unyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah), Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the hell fire)."(Qur'an 3:85
In addition, Islam is the only religion prevailing over all other religions. Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:
"To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety:..." (Qur'an 5:48)
Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), said:
"The superstructure of Islam is raised on five (pillars): testifying that there is no God (none truely to be worshiped) but Allah, and that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayer, paying the Zakah (poor-due), fasting the month of Ramadan, and performing Hadj".
The Shahada can be declared as follows:
"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".
The English translation is:
"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truely to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah",
However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony oraly either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith. If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born person.
This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.
What would be next after declaring oneself a Muslim? One should then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or does.
What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory be to Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah, Who alone is worthy of worship.
The second part of the Shahada (i.e., Wa ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah alone according to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.
What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit.
Worship fall into two categories:
- Visible (manifest or outward)
- Invisible (concealed or inward)
Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.
This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the human body.
Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgement (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently affects one's way of life.
It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.
The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the equisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.
Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:
"... whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never breaks..." (Qur'an 2:256).
We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah", it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah" to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah.
This is the firmest anchor of belief which materialise the meaning of "AL WALA" and "AL BARA". It means that a Muslim should love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice, dissociate himself completely from the unbelievers and refuse to be influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.
We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.
This is an ammended copy of "HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM" originally prepared & published by Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance - Riyadh.
For more detailed information about Islam, please contact the nearest Islamic center in your area.
Did Prophet Muhammad ordered 900 Jews killed ?
Did Prophet Muhammad ordered 900 Jews killed ?
IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT at the advent of Islam there were three Jewish tribes who lived in Yathrib (later Medina), as well as other Jewish settlements further to the north, the most important of which were Khaybar and Fadak. It is also generally accepted that at first the Prophet Muhammad hoped that the Jews of Yathrib, as followers of a divine religion, would show understanding of the new monotheistic religion, Islam. However, as soon as these tribes realized that Islam was being firmly established and gaining power, they adopted an actively hostile attitude, and the final result of the struggle was the disappearance of these Jewish communities from Arabia proper.
The biographers of the Prophet, followed by later historians, tell us that Banu Qaynuqa.,1 and later Banu al-Nadir,2 provoked the Muslims, were besieged, and in turn agreed to surrender and were allowed to depart, taking with them all their transportable possessions. Later on Khaybar3 and Fadak4 were evacuated. According to Ibn Ishaq in the Sira,5 the third of the Jewish tribes, Banu Qurayza, sided with the Qurashites and their allies, who made an unsuccessful attack on Medina in an attempt to destroy Islam. This, the most serious challenge to Islam, failed, and the Banu Qurayza were in turn besieged by the Prophet. Like Banu al-Nadir, in time they surrendered, but unlike the Banu al-Nadir, they were subjected to the arbitration of Sa'd b. Mu'adh, a member of the Aws tribe, allies of Qurayza. He ruled that the grown-up males should be put to death and the women and children subjected to slavery. Consequentiy, trenches were dug in the market-place in Medina, and the men of Qurayza were brought out in groups and their necks were struck.6 Estimates of those killed vary from 400 to 900.
On examination, details of the story can he challenged. It can be demonstrated that the assertion that 600 or 800 or 9007 men of Banu Qurayza were put to death in cold blood can not be true; that it is a later invention; and that it has its source in Jewish traditions. Indeed the source of the details in earlier Jewish history can be pointed out with surprising accuracy.
The Arabic sources will now be surveyed, and the contribution of their Jewish informants will be discussed. The credibility of the details will then be assessed, and the prototype in earlier Jewish history pin-pointed.
The earliest work that we have, with the widest range of details, is Ibn Ishaq's Sira, his biography of the Prophet. It is also the longest and the most widely quoted. Later historians draw, and in most cases depend on him.8 But Ibn Ishaq died in 151 A.H., i.e. 145 years after the event in question. Later historians simply take his version of the story, omitting more or less of the detail, and overlooking his uncertain list of authorities. They generally abbreviate the story, which appears just as one more event to report. In most cases their interest seems to end there. Some of them indicate that they are not really convinced, but they are not prepared to take further trouble. One authority, Ibn Hajar, however, denounces this story and the other related ones as "odd tales".9 A contemporary of Ibn Ishaq, Malik,10 the jurist, denounces Ibn Ishaq outright as "a liar"11 and "an impostor"12 just for transmitting such stories.
It must be remembered that historians and authors of the Prophet's biography did not apply the strict rules of the "traditionists". They did not always provide a chain of authorities, each of whom had to be verified as trustworthy and as certain or likely to have transmitted his report directly from his informant, and so on. The attitude towards biographical details and towards the early events of Islam was far less meticulous than their attitude to the Prophet's traditions, or indeed to any material relevant to jurisprudence. Indeed Ibn Ishaq's account of the siege of Medina and the fall of the Banu Qurayza is pieced together by him from information given by a variety of persons he names, including Muslim descendants of the Jews of Qurayza.
Against these late and uncertain sources must be placed the only contemporary and entirely authentic source, the Qur'an. There, the reference in Sura XXXIII, 26 is very brief:
"He caused those of the People of the Book who helped them (i.e. the Quraysh) to come out of their forts. Some you killed, some you took prisoner." There is no reference to numbers.
Ibn Ishaq sets out his direct sources as he opens the relevant chapter on the siege of Medina. These were: a client of the family of al-Zubayr and others whom he "did not suspect". They told parts of the story on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik, al Zuhri, 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada, 'Abdullab b. Abi Bakr, Muhammad b. Ka'b of Qurayza, and "others among our men of learning", as he put it. Each of these contributed to the story, so that Ibn Ishaq's version is the sum total of the collective reports, pieced together. At a later stage Ibn Ishaq quotes another descendant of Qurayza, 'Attiyya13 by name, who had been spared, and, directly, a certain descendant of al-Zabir b. Bata, a prominent member of the tribe of Qurayza who figures in the narrative.
The story opens with a description of the effort of named Jewish leaders to organize against the Muslims an alliance of the hostile forces. The leaders named included three from the Banu al-Nadir and two of the tribe of Wa'il, another Jewish tribe; together with other Jewish fellow-tribesmen unnamed. Having persuaded the neighbouring Bedouin tribes of Ghatafan, Murra, Fazara, Sulaym, and Ashja' to take up arms, they now proceeded to Mecca where they succeeded in persuading the Quraysh. Having gathered together a besieging force, one of the Nadir leaders, Huyayy b. Akhtab, in effect forced himself on the third Jewish tribe still in Medina, the Banu Qurayza, and, against the better judgement of their leader, Ka'b b. Asad, he persuaded them to break faith with the Prophet in the hope, presented as a certainty, that the Muslims would not stand up to the combined attacking forces and that Qurayza and the other Jews would be restored to independent supremacy. The siege of Medina failed and the Jewish tribes suffered for their part in the whole operation.
The attitude of scholars and historians to Ibn lshaq's version of the story has been either one of complacency, sometimes mingled with uncertainty, or at least in two important cases, one of condemnatlon and outright rejection.
The complacent attitude is one of accepting the biography of the Prophet and the stories of the campaigns at they were received by later generations without the meticulous care or the application of the critical criteria which collectors of traditions or jurists employed. It was not necessary to check the veracity of authorities when transmitting or recording parts of the story of the Prophet's life.14 It was not essential to provide a continuous chain of authorities or even to give authorities at all. That is obvious in Ibn Ishaq's Sira. On the other hand reliable authority and a continuous line of transmission were essential when law was the issue. That is why Malik the jurist had no regard for Ibn Ishaq.15
One finds, therefore, that later historians and even exegetes either repeat the very words of Ibn Ishaq or else abbreviate the whole story. Historians gave it, as it were, a cold reception. Even Tabari, nearly 150 years after Ibn Ishaq, does not try to find other versions of the story as he usually does. He casts doubt by his use of the words, "Waqidi alleged (za'ama) that the Prophet caused trenches to be dug." Ibn ai-Qayyim in Zad al-ma'ad makes only the briefest reference and he ignores altogether the crucial question of numbers. Ibn Kathir even seems to have general doubt in his mind because he takes the trouble to point out that the story was told on such "good authority" as that of 'A'isha.16
Apart from mild complacency or doubtful acceptance of the story itself, Ibn Ishaq as an author was in fact subjected to devastating attacks by scholars, contemporary or later, on two particular accounts. One was his uncritical inclusion in his Sira of so much spurious or forged poetry;17 the other his unquestioning acceptance of just such a story as that of the slaughter of Banu Qurayza.
His contemporary, the early traditionist and jurist Malik, called him unequivocally "a liar" and "an impostor"18 "who transmits his stories from the Jews".19 In other words, applying his own criteria, Malik impugned the veracity of Ibn Ishaq's sources and rejected his approach. Indeed, neither Ibn Ishaq's list of informants nor his method of collecting and piecing together such a story would he acceptable to Malik the jurist.
In a later age Ibn Hajar further explained the point of Malik's condemnation of Ibn Ishaq. Malik, he said,20 condemned Ibn Ishaq because he made a point of seeking out descendants of the Jews of Medina in order to obtain from them accounts of the Prophet's campaigns as handed down by their forefathers. Ibn Hajar21 then rejected the stories in question in the strongest terms: "such odd tales as the story of Qurayza and al-Nadir". Nothing could be more damning than this outright rejection.
Against the late and uncertain sources on the one hand, and the condemning authorities on the other, must be set the only contemporary and entirely authentic source, the Qur'an. There the reference in Sura XXXIII, 26 is very brief: "He caused those of the People of the Book who helped them (i.e. the Quraysh) to come out of their forts. Some you killed, some you took prisoner."
Exegetes and traditionists tend simply to repeat Ibn Ishaq's tale, but in the Qur'an the reference can only be to those who were actually in the fighting. This is a statement about the battle. It concerns those who fought. Some of these were killed. others were taken prisoner.
One would think that if 600 or 900 people were killed in this manner the significance of the event would have been greater. There would have been a clearer reference in the Qur'an, a conclusion to be drawn, and a lesson to be learnt. But when only the guilty leaders were executed, it would be normal to expect only a brief reference.
So much for the sources: they were neither uninterested nor trustworthy; and the report was very late in time. Now for the story. The reasons for rejecting the story are the following:
(i) As already stated above, the reference to the story in the Qur'an is extremely brief, and there is no indication whatever of the killing of a large number. In a battle context the reference is to those who were actually fighting. The Qur'an is the only authority which the historian would accept without hesitation or doubt. It is a contemporary text, and, for the most cogent reasons, what we have is the authentic version.
(ii) The rule in Islam is to punish only those who were responsible for the sedition.
(iii) To kill such a large number is diametrically opposed to the Islamic sense of justice and to the basic principles laid down in the Qur'an - particularly the verse. "No soul shall bear another's burden."22 It is obvious in the story that the leaders were numbered and were well known. They were named.
(iv) It it also against the Qur'anic rule regarding prisoners of war, which is: either they are to be granted their freedom or else they are to be allowed to be ransomed.23
(v) It is unlikely that the Banu Qurayza should be slaughtered when the other Jewish groups who surrendered before Banu Qurayza and after them were treated leniently and allowed to go. Indeed Abu 'Ubayd b. Sallam relates in his Kitab al-amwal24 that when Khaybar felt to the Muslims there were among the residents a particular family or clan who had distinguished themselves by execesive unseemly abuse of the Prophet. Yet in that hour the Prophet addressed them in words which are no more than a rebuke: "Sons of Abu al-Huqayq (he said to them) I have known the extent of your hostility to God and to His apostle, yet that does not prevent me from treating you as I treated your brethren." That was after the surrender of Banu Qurayza.
(vi) If indeed so many hundreds of people had actually been put to death in the market-place, and trenches were dug for the operation, it is very strange that there should be no trace whatever of all that - no sign or word to point to the place, and no reference to a visible mark.25
(vii) Had this slaughter actually happened, jurists would have adopted it as a precedent. In fact exactly the opposite has been the case. The attitude of jurists, and their rulings, have been more according to the Qur'anic rule in the verse, "No soul shall bear another's burden."
Indeed, Abu 'Ubayd b. Sallam relates a very significant incident in his book Kifab al-amwal,26 which, it must be noted, is a book of jurisprudence, of law, not a sira or a biography. He tells us that in the time of the Imam al-Awza'i27 there was a case of trouble among a group of the People of the Book in the Lebanon when 'Abdullab b. 'All was regional governor. He put down the sedition and ordered the community in question to be moved elsewhere. Al-Awza'i in his capacity as the leading jurist immediately objected. His argument was that the incident was not the result of the cormmunity's unanimous agreement. "At far as I know (he argued) it is not a rule of God that God should punish the many for the fault of the few but punish the few for the fault of the many."
Now, had the Imam al-Awza'i accepted the story of the slaughter of Banu Qurayza, he would have treated it as a precedent, and would not have come out with an argument against Authority, represented in 'Abdullah b. 'Ali. Al-Awza'i, it should be remembered, was a younger contemporary of Ibn Ishaq.
(viii) In the story of Qurayza a few specific persons were named as having been put to death, some of whom were described as particularly active in their hostility. It is the reasonable conclusion that those were the ones who led the sedition and who were consequently punished - not the whole tribe.
(ix) The details given in the story clearly and of necessity imply inside knowledge, i.e. from among the Jews themselves. Such are the details of their consultation when they were besieged, the harangue of Ka'b b. Asad as their leader; and the suggestion that they should kill their women and children and then make a last desperate attack against the Muslims.
(x) Just as the descendants of Qurayza would want to glorify their ancestors, so did the descendants of the Madanese connected with the event. One notices that that part of the story which concerned the judgement of Sa'd b. Mu'adh against Qurayza, was transmitted from one of his direct descendants. According to this part the Prophet said to Mu'adh: "You have pronounced God's judgement upon them [as inspired] through Seven Veils."28
Now it is well known that for the purposes of glorifying their ancestors or white washing those who were inimical to Islam at the beginning, many stories were invented by later generations and a vast amount of verse was forged, much of which was transmitted by Ibn Ishaq. The story and the statement concerning Sa'd are one such detail.
(xi) Other details are difficult to accept. How could so many hundreds of persons he incarcerated in the house belonging to a woman of Banu al-Najjar?29
(xii) The history of the Jewish tribes after the establishment of Islam is not really clear at all. The idea that they all departed on the spot seems to be in need of revision, as can be seen on examining the sources. For example, in his Jamharat al-ansab,30 Ibn Hazm occasionally refers to Jews still living in Medina. In two places al-Waqidi31 mentions Jews who were still in Medina when the Prophet prepared to march against Khaybar - i.e. after the supposed liquidation of all three tribes, including Qurayza. In one case ten Madanese Jews actually joined the Prophet in an excursion to Khaybar, and in the other the Jews who had made their peace with him in Medina were extremely worried when he prepared to attack Khaybar. Al-Waqadi explains that they tried to prevent the departure of any Muslim who owed them money.
Indeed Ibn Kathir32 takes the trouble to point out that 'Umar expelled only those Jews of Khaybar who had not made a peace agreement with the Prophet. Ibn Kathir then proceeds to explain that at a much later date, i.e. after the year 300 A.H., the Jews of Khaybar claimed that they had in their possession a document allegedly given them by the Prophet which exempted them from poll-tax. He said that some scholars were taken in by this document so that they ruled that the Jews of Khaybar should be exempted. However, that was a forged letter and had been refuted in detail. It quoted persons who were already dead, it used technical terms which came into being at a later time, it claimed that Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan witnessed it, when in fact he had not even been converted to Islam at that time, and so on.
So then the real source of this unacceptable story of slaughter was the descendants of the Jews of Medina, from whom Ibn Ishaq took these "odd tales". For doing so Ibn Ishaq was severely criticized by other scholars and historians and was called by Malik an impostor.
The sources of the story are, therefore, extremely doubtful and the details are diametrically opposed to the spirit of Islam and the rules of the Qur'an to make the story credible. Credible authority is lacking, and circumstantial evidence does not support it. This means that the story is more than doubtful.
However, the story, in my view, has its origins in earlier events. Is can be shown that it reproduces similar stories which survived from the account of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans, which ended in the destruction of the temple in the year AD. 73, the night of the Jewish zealots and sicarii to the rock fortress of Masada, and the final liquidation of the besieged. Stories of their experience were naturally transmitted by Jewish survivors who fled south. Indeed one of the more plausible theories of the origin of the Jews of Medina is that they came after the Jewish wars. This was the theory preferred by the late Professor Guillaume.33
As is well known, the source of the details of the Jewish wars is Flavius Josephus, himself a Jew and a contemporary witness who held office under the Romans, who disapproved of certain actions which some of the rebels committed, but who nevertheless never ceased to be a Jew at heart. It is in his writings that we read of details which are closely similar to those transmitted to us in the Sira about the actions and the resistance of the Jews, except that now we see the responsibility for the actions placed on the Muslims.
In considering details of the story of Banu Qurayza as told by the descendants of that tribe, we may note the following similar details in the account of Josephus:
(i) According to Josephus,34 Alexander, who ruled in Jerusalem before Herod the Great, hung upon crosses 800 Jewish captives, and slaughtered their wives and children before their eyes.
(ii) Similarly, large numbers were killed by others.
(iii) Important details of the two stories are remarkably similar, particularly the numbers of those killed. At Masada the number of those who died at the end was 960.35 The hot-headed sicarii who were eventually also killed numbered 600.36 We also read that when they reached the point of despair they were addressed by their leader Eleazar (precisely as Ka'b b. Asad addressed the Banu Qurayza),37 who suggested to them the killing of their women and children. At the ultimate point of complete despair the plan of killing each other to the last man was proposed.
Clearly the similarity of details is most striking. Not only are the suggestions of mass suicide similar but even the numbers are almost the same. Even the same names occur in both accounts. There is Phineas, and Azar b. Azar,38 just as Eleazar addressed the Jews besieged in Masada.
There is, indeed, more than a mere similarity. Here we have the prototype - indeed, I would suggest, the origin of the story of Banu Qurayza, preserved by descendants of the Jews who fled south to Arabia after the Jewish Wars, just as Josephus recorded the same story for the Classical world. A later generation of these descendants superimposed details of the siege of Masada on the story of the siege of Banu Qurayza, perhaps by confusing a tradition of their distant past with one from their less remote history. The mixture provided Ibn Ishaq's story. When Muslim historians ignored it or transmitted it without comment or with cold lack of interest, they only expressed lack of enthusiasm for a strange tale, as Ibn Hajar called it.
One last point. Since the above was first written, I have seen reports39 of a paper given in August 1973 at the World Congress of Jewish Studies by Dr. Trude Weiss-Rosmarin, in which she challenges Josephus' assertion that 960 besieged Jews committed suicide at Masada. This is highly interesting since in the story of Qurayza the 960 or so Jews refused to commit suicide. Who knows, perhaps the Story of Banu Qurayza is an even more accurate form of the original version.
Footnotes
1. Ibn Ishaq, Sira (ed. Wustenfeld, Gottingen, 1860), 545-7; (ed. Saqqa et al., Cairo, 1955), II, 47-9. See also al-Waqidi, Kitab al-maghazi (ed. M. Jones, London, 1966), II, 440 ff.; Suhayl, al-Rawd al-unuf (Cairo, 1914), I, 187 et passim; Ibn Kathir, al-Sira al-Nabawiya (ed. Mustafa `Abd al-Wahid, Cairo, 1384-5/1964-6), II, 5, et passim.
2. Sira, 545-56, 652-61/II, 51-7, 190-202; Ibn Kathir, oop. cit., III, 145 ff.
3. Sira, 755-76, 779/II, 328-53, 356, etc. More on Khaybar follows below.
4. ibid., 776/II, 353-4.
5. ibid., 668-84/II, 214-33.
6. ibid., 684-700/II, 233-54.
7. ibid., 689/II, 240; `Uyun al-athar (Cairo, 1356 A.H.), II, 73; Ibn Kathir, II, 239.
8. In his introduction to `Uyun al-athar, I, 7, Ibn Sayyid al-Nas (d. 734 A.H.), having explained his plan for his biography of the Prophet, expressly states that his main source was Ibn Ishaq, who indeed was the chief source for everyone.
9. Tahdhib al-tahdhib, IX, 45. See also `Uyun al-athar, I, 17, where the author uses the same words, without giving a reference, in his introduction on the veracity of Ibn Ishaq and the criteria he applied.
10. d. 179.
11. `Uyun al-athar, I, 12.
12. ibid, I, 16.
13. Sira, 691-2/II, 242, 244; `Uyun al-athar, II, 74, 75.
14. Ibn Sayyid al-Nas (op. cit., I, 121) makes precisely this point in relation to the story of the Banu Qaynuqa' and the spurious verse which was said to have appeared in Sura LIII of the Qur'an and at the time was taken by polytheist Meccans as a recognition of their deities. The author explains how various scholars disposed of the problem and then sums up by stating that in his view, this story is to be treated on the same level as tales of the maghazi and accounts of the Sira (i.e. not to be accorded unqualified acceptance). Most scholars, he asserts, usually treated more liberally questions of minor importance and any material which did not involve a point of law, such as stories of the maghazi and similar reports. In such cases data would be accepted which would not be acceptable as a basis of deciding what is lawful or unlawful.
15. See n. 18 below.
16. Tabari, Tarikh, I, 1499 (where the reference is to al-Waqidi, Maghazi, II, 513); Zad al-ma`ad (ed. T. A. Taha, Cairo, 1970), II, 82; Ibn Kathir, op. cit., IV, 118.
17. On this see W. Arafat, "Early critics of the poetry of the Sira", BSOAS, XXI, 3, 1958, 453-63.
18. Kadhdhab and Dajjal min al-dajajila.
19. `Uyun al-athar, I, 16-7. In his valuable introduction Ibn Sayyid al-Nas provides a wide-ranging survey of the controversial views on Ibn Ishaq. In his full introduction to the Gottingen edition of the Sira, Wustenfeld in turn draws extensively on Ibn Sayyid al-Nas.
20. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, IX, 45. See also `Uyun al-athar, I, 16-7.
21. ibid.
22. Qur'an, XXXV, 18.
23. Qur'an, XLI, 4.
24. ed. Khalil Muhammad Harras, Cairo, 1388/1968, 241.
25. Significantly, little or no information is to be found in general or special geographical dictionaries, such as al-Bakri's, Mu`jam ma'sta`jam; al-Fairuzabadi's al-Maghanim al-mutaba fi ma`alim taba (ed. Hamad al-Jasir, Dar al-Yamama, 1389/1969); Six treatises (Rasa'il fi tarikh al-Madina ed. Hamad al-Jasir, Dar al-Yamama, 1392/1972); al-Samhudi, Wafa' al-wafa' bi-akhbar dar al-Mustafa (Cairo, 1326), etc. Even al-Samhudi seems to regard a mention of the market-place in question as a mere historical reference, for in his extensive historical topography of Medina he identifies the market-place (p. 544) almost casually in the course of explaining the change in nomenclature which had overtaken adjacent landmarks. That market-place, he says, is the one referred to in the report (sic) that the Prophet brought out the prisoners of Banu Qurayza to the market-place of Medina, etc.
26. p. 247. I am indebted to my friend Professor Mahmud Ghul of the American University, Beirut, for bringing this reference to my attention.
27. d. 157/774. See EI2, sub nomine.
28. Sira, 689/II, 240; al-Waqidi, op. cit., 512.
29. Sira, 689/II, 240; Ibn Kathir, op. cit., III, 238.
30. e.g., Nasab Quraysh (ed. A. S. Harun, Cairo, 1962), 340.
31. op. cit., II, 634, 684.
32. op. cit., III, 415.
33. A. Guillaume, Islam (Harmondsworth, 1956), 10-11.
34. De bello Judaico, I, 4, 6.
35. ibid., VII, 9, 1.
36. ibid., VII, 10, 1.
37. Sira, 685-6/II, 235-6.
38. Sira, 352, 396/I, 514, 567.
39. The Times, 18 August 1973; and The Guardian, 20 August 1973.
Judaism a religion of Terrorists?
Judaism a religion of Terrorists?
Since European Zionist Jews invaded internationally recognized Arab land in 1948, until today where Zionist Jews still illegally occupy internationally recognized Arab land violating UN resolutions 194, 237, 242, 446, and many more. The invading Israeli murder count of sovereign Arabs is;
| War | invading Jews | sovereign Arabs |
| 1948 Arab-Israeli War | 6,000 | 15,000 |
| Suez Canal War | 177 | 1650 |
| 1967 “6 Day War” | 779 | 21,000 |
| War of Attrition | 367 | 10,000 |
| Yom Kippur War | 2,656 | 15,000 |
| 1982 Lebanon War | 675 | 9,800 |
| First Intifada | 160 | 1,162 |
| al-Aqsa Intifada | 1,001 | 4,058 ongoing |
| 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict | 100 | 1200 |
| Total as of summer of 2006 | 11,856 | 78,123 |
Thus the Zionist Jews who have illegally invaded and are illegally occupying Arab land, who have much larger bombs, have murdered nearly 8 times more Arabs. Yet the Zionist Jews hypocritically call the Arabs the terrorists, while the Zionist Jews terrorize their Arab neighbors with machine guns, tanks, apache helicopters, and war planes.
Jews who accept Islam are in reality leaving the proven illegal terrorists and joining the peaceful Muslims who are just trying to live peacefully on their internationally recognized land.
Therefore when Zionists bark “Traitors, Nazis, Terrorists” at Jewish converts to Islam, they are again trying to distort who is actually who from the documented historical perspective.
Finding solace in the Garden of Peace by Suleyman Ahmad
WHY I EMBRACED ISLAM
Finding solace in the Garden of Peace by Suleyman Ahmad
I am an American journalist and author. In 1997, aged 49, after more than 30 years of research study, and life experience, I came into Islam. This decision reflected many issues in my life.
I grew up in an environment that would be extremely strange for most Americans. My father was Jewish; my mother was the daughter of a famous Protestant fundamental minister. My father was a religious student, or Yeshiva-bocher, as a youth. My mother was raised in an atmosphere of intensive Bible reading, and she knew the Old and New Testaments very well.
In Sarajevo, I did not find myself to be a tourist. I had direct encounters with Muslim believers and scholars
Both my parents faith was tested by the events of the 1930s. My mother abandoned Christianity in protest against the Nazi attacks on the Jews, who she had been raised to view as the ‘original People of God.’ Later, she converted to Judaism.
Both my parents spent a long period under the influence of the Communist Party, even as they continued to believe in the Jewish faith. That was the tragic paradox of their lives; disappointed by the failures of their born religions. However, while they wavered between liberal-radicalism and God, they were never extreme about Zionism.
Indeed, I always felt pain at the conflict in the Middle East, and always yearned for justice and friendship between Israelis and Arabs.
I was an extreme radical leftist as a youth. However, I also wrote poetry, and even though discouraged from it by my parents confusion and bitterness about religion, I believed in God. I tried to sort these matters out.
I believe the most important contributions that will be made by Islam in America involve racial justice and public morality
My first search for the truth led me to the Catholic church. Although I did not convert, I was deeply impressed by Catholic mystical literature.
Very early on, I learned that behind the glorious works of the Spanish Catholic mystics there was the history of Islam in Spain, and that a beautiful Islamic inspiration had survived in that tradition. I eventually travelled to Spain repeatedly, searching out the traces of the long Islamic residence in the Iberian peninsula. As a writer, I researched this phenomenon over many years. I studied the troubadour poets, who showed a deep Islamic influence.
Beginning in 1979, I studied Kabbalah, the tradition of Jewish mysticism. There too, I found an immense Islamic reflection, filtered through Judaism.
However, the decisive event in my journey to Islam came in 1990 when I began travelling to the Balkans as a journalist. I visited Sarajevo, and reported on the Bosnian war.
In Sarajevo, I discovered some amazing things. I found an outpost of Islam in Europe, in an environment where I did not feel I was a tourist, where I could have simple and direct encounters with Muslim believers and scholars. I found beautiful poetry and music that expressed the values of Islamic grace and love.
I had discovered “the garden of the old Imam,” to quote a line from a famous Bosnian song- the remnant of the great period of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, and its tremendous contributions to Islamic civilization.
I read passages from the Quran and visited Islamic monuments on my trips to the Balkans. I kept coming back to the garden, and finally I entered it.
Since accepting Islam, I have proceeded carefully in informing my friends, neighbours, co-workers, and others. I do not want to provoke conflict or controversy, and I do not want this experience to be seen as something superficial or faddish. It isn’t about me, it’s about Allah. I want to proceed in a way that will do the most for the welfare of the Ummah and for better relations between all believers in la ilaha illallah.
So far, I have had no problems aside from occasional crude remarks. If anything, people in my newsroom seem pleased to have someone around who can report with greater accuracy about issues. Others are surprised but respectful; they seem to understand this is not about politics or publicity-seeking, but reflects a long personal quest.
I think also, to be totally honest, that non-Muslims see me as someone deeply affected by my experience in the Balkans, so that this choice makes some sense in that context.
However, I am quick to make clear that I am not a Muslim for political or humanitarian reasons, but because the message of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is the clearest evidence of the wishes of Allah.
As I stated at the beginning, I see much of what is positive in Judaism and Christianity today as a reflection of Islamic influence.
I mentioned Spanish Catholicism. There is a reason Spanish Catholics feel their faith more intensely than other Catholics, and that is because of the Islamic legacy in their culture. The Crusades and the Inquisition did not extinguish this light, however dimmed it may seem to some.
I truly believe that without the tolerance of the Arab rulers in Spain, and, particularly, the generous protection extended by the Ottoman caliphs, Judaism might have disappeared from the world. Certainly, Jewish religious historians today admit that Judaism today would be very different without the positive input derived from living in a Muslim environment.
The aspect of Islam that most impressed me is the emphasis on inner peace afforded by submission to the will of Allah. I saw this in the politeness, the courtesy, the simplicity and sincerity (ikhlas) of Bosnian Muslims who had been through the worst torments, yet never gave up their basic serenity.
That serenity has made my life easier. Whenever I feel troubled and tested by daily life, or anxious and fearful about the future, or frustrated in my literary ambitions, my mind goes automatically, now, to remembrance of the Muslims I know in Bosnia, to the calm and unity of congregational prayers, and, above all, to the clean and soothing words of the Quran.
My only problem has been in overcoming my fears about conflict with Jews and Christians. I seek conciliation-though not concessions to secularism.
I believe the most important contributions that will be made by Islam in America involve racial justice and public morality. We all recognize the truth of Brother Malcolm X’s declaration that the solution to America’s racial problem is Islam. I think that Islam also offers the solution to America’s moral problem.
Before I became a Muslim, I was impressed by the values of Muslims I knew in America and the moral strength of the Balkan Muslims in the face of their ordeal. Today, I am, I must say, somewhat sad to find that the Ummah is so profoundly divided, and to see how Muslims quarrel with each other. I am also concerned by the failure of Muslims to do more for the victims of Orthodox Christian imperialism in the Balkans. Islam has brought great peace and beauty to my life. As I have told others, the remainder of my years will be dedicated to service of Allah. I have personally pledged to do all I can to help rebuild the mosque of Bosnia and Kosova.
Yousef al Khattab
(Brother Yousef al Khattab)
http://www.al-buruj.com
My Reversion to Islam
By Yousef al Khattab
I was born to a Secular Jewish family, and at the age of 18 years old decided to look "deeper" into belief in God. Like most people, I looked at religion from a view point that was closer to me. Being that my family was Jewish and I was raised to attend Jewish schools I looked into Rabbinical "Orthodox Judaism".
In the year 1988 I entered a Yeshiva and started my journey into the Orthodox Rabbinical racist cult. In 1991 I wed my 1st wife (then) Luna Mellul now Qamar al Khattab. She was from the Moroccan town named Tetouan and was attending the racist Orthodox Jewish girl’s seminary known as Breuers or Sampson Raphael Hirsh Bet Yaakov aka Bais Yakov.
1992 bought us the birth of my 1st child Abdel Rahman (formally Rachamim Cohen). Alhumdulilah he was then as he is now my pride and joy. Upon the birth of Abdel Rahman we were living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the Satmar Hasidic community. I used to see all the lying and cheating, government scams and money laundering using the Synagogue and Yeshiva bank accounts and the poor hygiene of these folk, and was nervous for my new born son not to grow up like these folk. We tried broadening our horizons and moved to the Ocean Parkway area of Brooklyn, later that year.
1994 till 1998 bought us the birth of 3 more wonderful children alhumdulilah. Hesibeh, Abdel Aziz (formally Ezra),and Abdullah (formally Ovadia) during these years I tried to convince myself that Judaism was a true path and I just didn’t understand it because I never read the entire set of Talmud and it 3 different ways of understanding it including the "hidden level". You see this is the trick in the rabbinical cult, you will not EVER finish learning all the rabbinic text thus u are subservient to the Rabbis (aka Elders of Zion) who will interpret Judaism for you. During this time frame the Rabbis saw that we doubted there beliefs thus constantly followed our family contacting all new friends and employers etc. The Rabbis MUST ALWAYS know where you move to and who are your friends. The Rabbis were starting to be a big nuisance as were the Rabbinical Jews so seeking a better future elsewhere we loaded up the family and moved to Palestine. (then like most westerners we were brainwashed to refer to the Jew entity as Israel).
September,1998 we now arrived in Ghaza or what the Jewish squatters refer to as Gush Qatif. Quickly my wife was turned off by the lies of the folk there and my son Abdel Rahman came running home from school one day saying "Daddy, my teacher doesn’t cover her hair properly, her dress is to short, they don't learn Torah here and all they do is play"!! Maashaallah, my son was very correct so with no possessions or money we set off to find a home in the nearby Jew settlement of Netivot in occupied 1948 Palestine. Shas, a "religious political party" immediately helped us by providing a home and their private school system and my kids went from knowing NO Hebrew to being tops in there class alhumdulilah. During our stay in Netivot I met a Muslim from UAE and we had conversations for about 2 years where he would ask me questions about Jewish Aqeedah or Jewish creed, and then compare it to Tawheed al Elohiya a part of Islamic Monotheism. I would then go and ask major Rabbis questions about the Jewish creed and always got 60000 different answers. The Jews can't even tell you where there God is based on text; rather they say God is everywhere! (authubilah) One day I decided to go to the Arab souk and buy a translation of the meaning of the Holy Quran in the English language. Subahanallah!!!!! I could not put it down!! Every problem I had with Jews and Judaism was being addressed by Allah the Most High, in the 1st 3 chapters of the Quran Allah swt answered most of my doubts about Judaism. The Quran is firm with the Jews and invites them to a just truth (Islam) to save them from the hellfire their ancestors are currently in.
When I finished reading the entire Quran,I could no longer associate with Jews any longer, thus I was obliged to tell my wife I am a Muslim. Alhumdulilah within 2 weeks my wife decided to read the Quran and became a Muslimah!!! Then the kids after her alhumdulilah.
Today 2006 alhumdulilah I live in Morocco with my wife Qamar and kids. My kids no longer remember Hebrew and there 1st language is Arqbic. All the kids are learning in Islamic Arabic Schools alhumdulilah we thank Allah subhana w tala for blessing us with islam.
Blinklist.com