Taraweeh Videos

Download complete Q'uran recitation (in Arabic) with English translation, divided into Surah's:

http://www.soennah.com/content/view/20/56/

E-numbers (Food)

E-numbers may be derived from animal origin. In many cases the origin of the product may be either from animal or non-animal sources. This is especially the case for those additives that contain fatty acids. These are normally of plant origin, but animal origin cannot be excluded. As the products are chemically identical, only the producers can give information on the exact origin.

For example, E471: Although mainly vegetable oils are used, the use of animal fat (incl. pork) cannot be excluded. Synthetic fats, produced from glycerol and natural fatty acids, mainly from plant origin, but also fats of animal origin may be used.

Wheypowder: A fraction of milk (Whey, wheypowder and cheese may not be halal when the animal that provided the rennet to clot the milk, is not slaughtered according to Islamic rules. Only the producer can provide the information on the status of these products.)

For a more complete guide (see links below):

• Which E-numbers and additives are from animal origin ?
• Halal and Haram Ingredients

Selling Alcohol

Written by Shaykh Hafeezud Din
Sunday, 11 February 2007

The following question was asked at Islamic Times

Dear Shaykh! I have always wanted to help my father who indeed is a great dad. However, recently he purchased a shop which is licensed and sells alcohol. My dad says that I am only serving customers and not consuming the alcohol. Must I honour my father’s wishes? I really need your help; what should I do?

ANSWER
First and foremost, according to a Hadith in Al-Tirmidhi, it has been narrated by Hadhrat Abu Darda (Radi Allah Anho) that alcohol is the key to all evil; this is consuming it or selling it. It is totally Haraam to sell alcohol and the income earned is also Haraam.

It is Haraam for a Muslim to sell something that is Haraam for him to eat or use. The Holy Prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad-ur Rasullullaah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “If Allah Taa’la makes Haraam the consumption of something; He also makes Haraam its transaction.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith no. 2546)

Islam is a consistent religion. When it says that something is bad and forbidden, then it wants Muslims to avoid it for themselves and for others. If a Muslim sells Haraam things, he is not only inconsistent in his behaviour; he is also ridiculing the law of Allah Taa’la. He does not care what is right and what is wrong. It is right if other Muslims avoid business with this person. This will be a good reminder for this person to come back to the rules of Allah Taa’la.

Hadhrat Anas (Radi Allah Anho) says that the Holy prophet, Hadhrat Muhammad-ur Rasullullaah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) cursed ten people in connection with wine; the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it and the one for whom it is bought. (Al-Tirmidhi) My advice to you is that within the boundaries of respect to your father, tell your dad that you cannot sell alcohol as it contradicts the teachings of Islam.

(VERILY, ALLAH TAA’LA IS ALL-KNOWING!)

Yvonne Ridley: Drawing Parallels

Written by Yvonne Ridley
Monday, 02 April 2007
I must confess that the events of the last few days involving British woman Faye Turney and her Royal Navy shipmates have filled me with mixed emotions. Faye is a captive of the Iranian Government and I can't help drawing parallels with my days as a prisoner of the Taliban way back in September 2001.

Like Faye, I was simply doing my job and just like her I ended up being plastered across the world's newspapers portrayed as a victim of an evil, brutal regime. Funnily enough, I went tresspassing too. Although to be fair to Faye she might not have realised she was entering Iranian waters whereas I was caught banged to rights for my illegal trip into Afghanistan without a passport and visa. And, just like Faye, once my captors realised I was a nicotine addict, they kept me topped up in cigarettes for the duration of my ordeal. Mercifully, the Taleban did not parade me with fag in gob for the media, that would have been too cruel ... my mother would never have forgiven me! She despised my cigarette habit and would certainly not have approved of me puffing away in public, stressed or otherwise.

I do hope Faye's ordeal does come to a rapid end. It is not much fun being anyone's prisoner but she should count her blessings that she's in the hands of the Iranians. Imagine if she had been caught by the Americans? By now she would have been shaved, shackled and sodomised at the very least in her first week of capitivity. She would almost certainly be wearing an orange jumpsuit after being thrown into a rat-infested cage via a rendition flight to Guantanamo.

I just thank God that she was, like me, captured by an evil, brutal regime instead of the US military!George Bush and Tony Blair's indignation over her arrest, and the Western tabloid outpourings regarding Faye's black headscarf has certainly been something to behold. Although, with regard to the head covering, to a certain extent, I can see their point - by contrast the Taleban issued me with a rather fetching little hijab, a sort of autumnal blend of colours. Black can be too drab without the right accessories.

Muslims don't have any such fashion dilemmas when they find themselves in the hands of the British or the Americans because there's nothing like a good old fashioned hood over the head to hide your blushes, and some sticky tape across your mouth will certainly curtail such anti-social and potentially life-threatening habits like smoking. We only know this because those nice folk from the US and British military were thoughtful enough to take lots of pictures and videos of their treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Basra, Guantanamo and elsewhere. How thoughtful, as I say, to hide their identities and prevent them from being publicly paraded in the same way as Faye and her naval colleagues.

And of course a hood over the head would have stopped them from talking publicly infront of the cameras about how they strayed into Iranian waters under the orders of the UK military.
Mind you, the Brits appear to have become regular little chatterboxes haven't they? According to declassified US documents Khalid Sheik Mohammed had to be coaxed with CIA watersports before he overcame his shyness.

I wonder if like the Australian David Hicks, the British naval crew will be allowed to enjoy five years in solitary confinement before being charged with anything? Given the choice, what do you think Faye and her mates would prefer - Western justice Bush and Blair-style or Islamic justice? Just in case you are struggling with an answer, here are some clues to help you supplied by my man in Virginia who has outlined below some of the CIA's Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. All have been tried and tested on Muslim detainees at secret locations on military bases in regions from Asia to Eastern Europe.

* The Belly Slap: A hard open-handed slap to the stomach designed to cause pain, but not internal injury.
* Long Time Standing: Prisoners are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor for more than 40 hours.
* The Cold Cell: The prisoner is left to stand naked in a cell kept near 50 degrees. Throughout the time in the cell the prisoner is doused with cold water.
* Water Boarding: The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him.

Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt. CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaida suspect Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won their admiration when he was able to last between two and two-and-a-half minutes before begging to confess. According to Larry Johnson, a former CIA officer and a deputy director of the State Department's office of counterterrorism: "What real CIA field officers know firsthand is that it is better to build a relationship of trust … than to extract quick confessions through tactics such as those used by the Nazis and the Soviets." Ah, ha. So now we know. Those devious Iranians are trying to build up a relationship of trust with their captives by acting in a civilised manner.

Quick George, Tony ... get the Brits out now before they are given copies of the Qur'an to read!

Source: Islamic Times

Drugs and Rap

If you're older than 10 and younger than 20, you probably know people or have friends that are trying to live the life of a rap star. Just like the big boyz, they wanna drive heavy cars, be seen with pretty ladies, smoke like its all that matters and live life to the fullest. Well, it seems all cool, but things do go wrong, just that it can be hard to find out when uve gone down the drain.

So, where does it all start? Do you just watch a 'Get Rich or Die Tryin', and walk out the cinema thinking you wanna be that man. No, not quite that simple. It takes time, slowly your character starts to change. Maybe you cut your hair like dem manz or u start to dress like em. And then you start treatin ppl like they gotta be treated, speakin to yer old man the way any young geeza would, tellin your mom to mind 'er own business. Just havin that attitude that makes u feel big, u dnt need to respect any1 - dats all a load of bull. Cos thats the way life is meant to be, hard and rough.

What happenz nxt? ur mates want u to try some weed but you dnt do that sh*t but u dnt mind a bit of a smoke. Then u gta move on, the real stuff is waitin for ya. You got nuthin to lose, no1 gives a sh*t abt u anyway. Remember, ur still looking up to your hero, that rapper that knws the true meanin of life.

Five years later, you're addicted to drugs, ur lifes a mess, ur mom and dad are shattered, ppl dnt like u no more. u wna be that same old school boy but it dnt happen dat way, the clock dnt go back. Your left with your drug addiction, the hero in dat movie is gone, but theres sum1 else in his place, jus lyk theres sum1 else in ur place.

Now - I'm not lecturing anyone, that ain't my job but I just want young people to do better in life. And I don't think we should tell anyone not to take drugs, because thats their choice, but its our job to let them know what will happen to them. Thats really why I started to volunteer for Right Start Foundation a few months ago. At the moment, I've just done some drugs courses but in the future I hope to help out some ppl with drugs problems and also spread awareness of drugs and the problems they pose.

I think its important for Muslims to not just complain about things but actually go out there and try to do something about it, even if its only one hour a month, its a step in the right direction. There are so many Muslim brothers and sisters that have ruined their lives because of drugs and many more will continue to do so. Most of them didn't even realise that drugs could be so damaging, ruining not only their life but also their family.