The Hallowed Ten
Ten companions (Sahabah) of the Prophet (Pbuh) have been selected for special privilege and they are collectively known as "Ashrah Mubasharah". The Prophet had proclaimed that they would definitely enter Paradise (Jannah) because Allah has accepted their outstanding and noteworthy services for the cause of Islam.
The "Chosen Ten" included Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Usman, Ali ibn Abu Talib, S'ad ibn Abu Waqqas, Talha ibn Obaidullah, Abd-ur-Rehman ibn Auf, Zubair ibn Awwam, Saeed ibn Zaid and Abu Obaida ibn Jarrah.
The first four companions are fairly well-known to all of us since they were the caliphs. In this issue, we are providing brief details about the next two:
1. S'ad ibn Abu Waqqas
Evidently, he happened to be amongst the first few people to embrace Islam. Being a brilliant commander and a remarkable strategist, he played a noteworthy role in a number of Battles. He led the Islamic army in the Battle of Qadissiyah against the Persian empire and emerged victorious. This decisive battle was fought in the reign of Umar, the second caliph. He was also a signatory, as a witness, to the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. He also rose to become the first governor of Kufa, the city which he had founded on the instructions of caliph Umar.
2. Talha ibn Obaidullah
He was also one of the earliest converts to Islam. He started participating in battles since the tender age of 15. He was an extremely valiant, courageous and a staunch Muslim. During the battle of Uhud, he received no less than 57 wounds in saving the Prophet's life as he used his body as a shield against the shower of arrows. He was given the title of the "Living Martyr". Masood bin Khrash says: " Once, I was strolling on Safa Marwah when I noticed a young man with his hands tied behind his back being chased by a huge crowd which hurled stones and glass shards at him. I asked people about it. They told me that his name was Talha ibn Obaidullah. He had committed the great sin of quitting his ancestral religion to embrace the teachings of the lad of Bani Hashim (Muhammad e). Later on, he was handed over to the Makkans for suitable punishment.
Zuhair Bin Saghir
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How My Lord Blessed Me!
Seeing her, my pain seemed to be very small and insignificant, just like that person who kept complaining that he did not have spectacles to wear and when he went out on the road, he saw a blind man, whose world was only filled with darkness
A few months ago, I was operated upon for a thyroid nodule and on the operating table the doctor thought it could be malignant. So he removed the gland completely. I was told by the surgeon that the final test report would be out in two days time, then accordingly he would decide the further management. Even after all these years of research on this dreadful disease, the word cancer only meant pain and death to me.
The thought of the possibility of it being cancerous, made me shiver with fear of death. I felt as if someone had put a huge, heavy stone on my heart. It seemed to become larger and heavier as each minute passed by, and at any moment it would break my poor, weak heart into thousands of small pieces. At that moment I felt as if someone had pushed me into a deep pit of depression, where only pitch darkness greeted my eyes and the cry of horror filled my ears.
The vacuum around me seemed to be increasing, as I waited for the inevitable news, with my fingers crossed and holding on to hope and prayers.
Finally the result came in my favour, and then I gave a sigh of relief. Thanked the Almighty, for the blessing he had showered on me. The pain of the surgery and that of waiting for the reports, vanished into thin air. On looking around, I found an eight-year-old girl who was operated for a similar problem, which turned out to be malignancy. Seeing her, my pain seemed to be very small and insignificant, just like that person who kept complaining that he did not have spectacles to wear and when he went out on the road, he saw a blind man, whose world was only filled with darkness. On seeing this he realised that his deficiency was nothing in comparison to the blind man, and so he thanked God for the invaluable gift which was bestowed on him. My soul, too is indebted with gratitude for the Lord, which I can never repay.
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Imam Khomeini
A Revolutionary Leader
By Malika Mistry
imam khomeiniImam Khomeini of Iran was one of the most popular leaders of the Islamic world who emerged at the end of the last millennium. His name was Imam Ruhoollah Al Musavi Khomeini. Under his leadership the Iranians became a powerful nation. They drove out their corrupt and tyrant king, Shah Muhammad Reza Pehalvi. This way Imam Khomeini can be called the "Founder of the Islamic Iran".
Imam led a simple life and inspired people to follow his example. The Shah had sent him out of the country fearing that people will make him their leader. Imam Khomeini thus passed several years in an extremely hot town of Iraq. His son offered to buy for him an air cooler. But Khomeini rejected his offer telling him he could not have an air cooler while millions of other Muslims were suffering in the heat.
He loved children and respected women. Once a French woman who had embraced Islam and married an Iranian visited him. The woman was in awe of the Imam. Such was the spell of the Imam that her Hijab slipped away from her head exposing her hair-do. This frightened her. But the Imam lowered his gazes and told her to be comfortable and don the hijab. She was touched by his concern and was a changed person from then on.
Once Russian foreign minister, Sheverdnadze, was sent by Prime Minister Gorbachev with a letter for the Imam. Such was the Imam's spell, Sheverdnadze sat silently for a long time, unable to utter a word.
Imam Khomeini asked the women to participate in all affairs of the nation with Hijab. Today we see women working in hotels, banks, airports and museums, of course in Hijab. Women are even ministers in the government.
Imam Khomeini never delayed his prayers, and did not even miss the mid-night (Tahajjud) prayers. Once his daughter-in-law visited him around midnight. But just after a brief chat the Imam walked out of the room. He came back after some time. They later found that he went out for mid-night prayers.
After the Islamic Revolution, the new Islamic Government offered him a palace-like house to live. But the Imam chose to stay in the small rented house in the subrubs of Teheran. Now this house has been turned into a museum. Visitors to this museum find his belongings very simple. This is in contrast to the luxurious life style of the Shah Reza Pehalvi.
The Imam tried to unite the Sunnis and Shias. The American CIA tried to kill him. But Allah saved him every time. He died a natural death. He was buried at Behesht-e-Zehra, about two hours journey from Teheran. He is very dear to all Iranians who are building a new Iran.
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Islamic Currency Mirroring Times
islamic currenciesIslamic currencies have undergone numerous stages of development, beginning from the era of the Prophet (Pbuh), when the currencies in circulation were the Byzantine and Persian Dirham and Dinar, without any change being effected in their appearance or inscriptions. But during the Caliphate of Omar bin Al-Khattab the Muslims wanted to project their own independent image, and therefore despite their preoccupation with conquests, they minted the same coins, but with additional inscriptions. These bore such expressions as Jazak Allah (Thanks to Allah) and Muhammad Rasul Allah (Muhammad is Allah's Messenger), apart from the names of the caliphs themselves, instead of those of Persian rulers. But despite the appearance of some Arabic inscriptions on them, these coins still had not met the basic requirements of projecting the total Islamic personality.
But during the era of the Umayyad Caliph Abdulmalik bin Marwan (year 65 AH), the minting of bronze Dinars on the model of Byzantine ones started. But not only did such inscriptions as Lailaha illallah (There is No God
But Allah) appeared on them, even the likeness of Marwan himself, holding a sword, was embossed on them.
There was not much difference between the Abbasid and Umayyad coins, but the Ayyubi coins showed a marked difference, in that the reference to Allah did not appear on them. Following that, each succeeding ruler changed the contents and inscriptions on the coins of his or her era.
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Sequence of
Performance of Haj
sequence of performance of haj
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Pearls of Wisdom
While handling yourself, use your head;
While handling others, use your heart.
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it's his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it's your fault.
Sultana Syeda
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Who are Successful?
Those who stand firm whenever they bear witness (70:33)
Those who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges (70:32)
Those who are mindful of their chastity (70:29)
Those who strictly guard their prayers
Those not giving way to their desires (70:30)
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Identify The Person!!!
Clue 1 : His daughter was married to Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
Clue 2 : He was one of the earliest converts to Islam
Clue 3 : He was the first caliph
Clue 1 : He belonged to Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
Clue 2 : He was a slave
Clue 3 : He gave the first call for prayer (Adhan)
Clue 1 : He was Prophet Muhammad's (Pbuh) cousin
Clue 2 : He was given the title of 'Sher-e-Khuda'
Clue 3 : He was stabbed to death
Clue 1 : He was thrown into fire, yet he came out unharmed
Clue 2 : Hzt Ishaq was his son
Clue 3 : He built the Ka'abah along with son Ismail
Answers: To the above identify the person
Hzt Abu Bakr (R).
Hzt Bilal (R)
Hzt Ali (R)
Hzt Ibrahim.
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Qur'anic Facts
There are 30 Chapters (Pare), 114 'Surahs' and 6,666 verses (Ayat) in the Qur'an. Also, there are 540 'Rukus', 46,430 'Kalimas' and 3,22,671 words. In addition to this, there are 53,243 'Zabar', 8,814 'Pesh', 39,582 'Zer' and a total of 100,5682 dots (Nuqte) in the Qur'an. Last of all, there are 1,771 'Mad' and 1,252 'Tashdeed' as well.
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Did You Know?
According to the survey of American NGO, TV-Free America:
The average child sees 8,000 TV murders by the age of 11 or 12. Apparently by 18, he or she will have witnessed no fewer than 200,000 violent acts on children.
According to the study American parents, because of the 'idiot box', are in danger of rearing the next generation as imbeciles and degenerates. Nothing less than American civilization is at stake.
According to the study American parents, because of the 'idiot box', are in danger of rearing the next generation as imbeciles and degenerates. Nothing less than American civilization is at stake.
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