WAHDAT ALIM S MESSAGE AL BAQ I PROTEST Q&A IEC GENERAL BODY MEETING

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1 A PUBLICATION OF THE ISLAMIC EDUCATION CENTER WAHDAT NOVEMBER 08 / ZILQADAH 1429 AH ALIM S MESSAGE AL BAQ I PROTEST INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ALIM S MESSAGE IEC GENERAL BODY MEET- ING Q&A YOUTH EDUCATION BY BR. AS- GHAR NAQVI HAQQ AL-QASIM PUBLICATION QURAN COM- PETITION GUIDING THE YOUTH AL-HADI EID CARNIVAL UPCOMING PROGRAMS HADITH OF THE MONTH Bismihi Ta'ala Assalamo Alaykum Dear Brothers and Sisters in Iman, I offer my condolences to Ahlul Bayt (as), in particular, Hazrat Baqyatullah Imam of The Age (afs), to the respected Leader of Muslimeen, and to all Mo'mineen and Mo'minaat, on the Shahadat anniversary of our 6th Imam Ja'far asaadiq (as) and on the demolition anniversary of Al-Baqi which has the graves of the family and friends of Prophet Mohammad (swa). The Saudi regime destroyed the graves of Allah's (swt) Beloved and Chosen Personalities on 8 th Shawal, 1345 Hijri (April 21, 1925), in the name of Islam. The demolition of Al-Baqi is one of the saddest events of the last century. Islam requires its followers to respect and preserve the graves and shrines of Noble personalities..one of the characteristic shared by all the Prophets was to bury their dead and make a marking or a Mausoleum around it. The Quran relates a whole chapter (Sura Kahaf) about the event of the companions of cave and talks about the making of a place of worship in remembrance of the chosen companions.allah (swt) described this story to give multiple lessons for the coming generations; one of them is to remember the Holy Personalities' legacies by visiting their graves.... In Al-Baq'I Prophet Mohammad (swa) buried the martyrs of Battle of Uhd and His infant Son Ibraheem, Holy lady Fatima binte Assad, and soon others started to bury their loved ones there as well. After Prophet's (swa) demise, about 70,000 of His companions and a lot of his family members were placed to rest in Al-Baqi. His grandsons, Imam Hassan, Imam Zainal Abideen, Imam Mohammad Baqar, Imam Jafar asaadiq, and according to some accounts, His beloved daughter Lady of Light Fatimatu Zahra were also buried in Al-Baqi. People respected the sanctity of Shrines of Ahlul Bayt in Al-Baqi long after the demise of Holy Prophet (swa). British imperialists conspired to weaken the great legacy of Islamic history, and thus introduced a new sect called Wahabism in Islam, promoting a person named Abdul Wahab (who reintroduced the ideology of Ibne Timya), Abdul Wahab was opposed by the whole Islamic nation as well as his family, but British power strengthened his position and created fitna in the Holy Land. He denounced both major schools of thought of Islam (Shia and Sunni) and announced visiting graves and making shrines as shirk, proclaiming anyone doing it as kaafir.he started a campaign to destroy the shrines of revered personalities of Islam and began to demolish graves of grandfather of Prophet (swa) Abdul Mutalib, his Uncle Abu Talib in Mecca and continued leveling the shrines of Ahlul Bayt (as), wives and beloved companions of Prophet (swa) in Medina. Today, we can witness the condi- tion of the graveyard of Al-Baqi, finding some stones here and there without any account of the people who nurtured Islam throughout their lives with their blood. 25 th of Shawal marks the shahadat of reviver of the religion of Allah(swt) and teachings of Holy Prophet (swa), our 6 th Imam, Ja'far asadiq(as). Demolition of the graves of these noble personalities was an unsuccessful effort of the imperialists to vanish the memories of our beloved Ahlul Bayt (as). Imam Sadiq (as) is respected and revered as a great Islamic hero and theologian by all Muslim schools of thought. He recollected and reestablished all of the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (swa), which were polluted by different rulers before his time. He spent immense amount of time educating the Deen to his contemporaries and proved that teachings of Ahlul Bayt (as) are the only way to success in both worlds. His tireless efforts are seen today in that the followers of Ahlul Bayt (as) are recognized as Ja'faris (belonging to Imam Ja'far).I urge all the Muslims and theologians to condemn the Saudi government for destroying the shrines of legendary heroes of Islam and disrespecting the heritage of Holy Prophet Mohammad (swa) by stopping visitors from paying tribute to the Holy Sites, particularly Al-Baqi. I also would request everyone to demand the Saudi regime to rebuild the Mausoleums and to stop calling visitors of Holy Prophet's (swa), His family's and His Companions' graves Kufar. Wassalamo Alaykum wa Rahmatullah Imam Hussain (as) said: Seventy rewards are for Salam ( Islamic greeting ); sixty nine for the starter and one for the one who replies. - (Bihar al- Anwar, Vol. 78, P. 120) Q&A IEC GENERAL BODY MEETING AsSalaamAlikum Brothers and Sisters, As promised in the General Body Meeting the questions that, due to time limitations, were not asked are listed below with a response from the Board of Directors. We appreciate community interest and input into the affairs of IEC. This participation and genuine concern and care of our community members regarding the operations of the center is what makes IEC one of the leading, if not the leading, center in the United States. Of the only 10 cards that were not read in the general body meeting one was a comment to the facilitator the remaining 9 are answered below. WaSalaam Faheem Kazimi, Chairman Board of Directors What is being done about youth Issues? Is the Alim addressing real issues like sexual identity, Sexual deviance, alcohol, drugs etc What can he do to confront these issues? A1. If one follows the teachings of Prophet (saw) and the Infallibles (as), these issues do not arise. However, we recognize that in today s society, unfortunately we are surrounded by deviance. Although parents best handle these issues at home, the Resident Alim does offer counseling to youth and families. We encourage having youth gathering with resident Alim and visiting Scholars and we also provide counseling on individual bases. We try to arrange Q&A specifically for the youth with Alims, but have been unsuccessful in getting participation. InshaAllah we will step up these types of activities where an opportunity is provided for youth to interact with the Alim.

2 WAHDAT Page 2 Why are the Urdu speakers set in the main hall? Shouldn t the English speakers be in the main hall? Don t we live in America? A2. We do our best to accommodate the community. When a single program (with a English speech) is conducted it is done in the main hall. Whenever simultaneous (multilingual) programs are conducted, we divide the halls based on number of participants. The reason Urdu programs are done in the main hall is because the majority of attendees in those program are Urdu speaking and hence a larger space is needed to accommodate them. Why the financial accounts are not published and distributed to the members annually in the proper manner i.e. balance sheet, profit and loss accounts etc. Thanks. A3. As required by the constitution, and practiced by all the previous boards, we give financial report at the general body meeting. We are analyzing the need/value of publishing the financial information and InshaAllah will take appropriate measures shortly. Even though the Volunteers would like to come forward why are they being pushed away and why they are told that they have not signed the volunteer form. A4. The intent for asking to sign the form is to provide organization to the system. This is a matter of following procedure so we can better organize ourselves in the future... We are trying to build a list of volunteers and their interests so we can call on them in the time of specific need as well as general help that is always welcomed. We are not aware of anyone who volunteered to provide general help and was refused or turned down. Why is there so much emphasis on what happens in Pakistan only? There are tragedies happening in Iraq, Palestine, Africa, India etc. Why are they not being given the same attention? A5. We try to accommodate the plight of Muslims around the world in our messages, communications, speeches and khutbas Issues are discussed based on priorities at the particular time. IEC has organized many relief fund efforts for various disasters and tragedies of Muslims around the world. Although we would like to provide relief for each and every tragedy that happens, it is not possible to address every issue in the world. If anyone in the community wants to take responsibility of working with us to address a particular issue, we encourage them to come forward. What is the plan to clean the downstairs garage where kids play? It is a safety issue and should be cleaned ASAP. A6. Insha Allah we will address it shortly. If anyone has ideas or would like to volunteer, please get in touch with the property director. Why is Tabarra not allowed? Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman are not good souls, Even Hazarat Ali was against them, so nothing wrong in saying Laanat to them, Amar Bil Maroof, Nahi Anil Munkar A7. Tabarra is part of our religion and its one of the furu-e-din. There is no discussion whether it is allowed or not, but how and where to do tabarra is the matter where we have to follow the guidance of the maraje of the time. How many students left Al-Hadi school this year? We know no exit interview from those students were conducted and why not? A8. 80 students belonging to 55 families have left the school for various reasons. Exit interviews were conducted by Al-Hadi school administration during the month of August 2008 Is Al-Hadi concerned that some parents prefer to send their children to public school for higher academics level? Does Al-Hadi accumulate data to measure if the education level is improving year to year? A9. IEC, IEB (Islamic Education Board) and the school administration are very concerned that some parents have pulled out their children from Al-Hadi to send them public schools at high school level. IEB is working on many initiatives this year that will address the concerns of these parents. School does collect data and statics to measure the education level of the Al-Hadi in comparison with the local public and private schools. MUSLIM YOUTH AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROSPERITY AND PROFESIONAL TRAINGING GO HAND IN HAND In the past fifteen years, a significant number of people have migrated from India, Pakistan, and other countries to the United States. A majority of them have come in the pursuit of better livelihood, in order to settle down in this land of opportunities. Those who do not seek and achieve further education in their own field often find difficulty in securing good jobs. Due to their lack of professional education, the immigrant's opportunities for work become limited. Prosperity, professional education and employment go hand in hand. Education and employment are key factors for an individual as well as for any community to move forward, therefore these issues need to be dealt with as a priority. As we can see schooling is no longer limited to a certain age. Educational institutions have now become community learning centers, serving the needs of persons of all ages. The old traditional system-centered approach has been replaced by the individual-centered approach in education, where even mature adults do not feel ashamed in taking basic courses in an educational institution. Motivated community members, particularly our Muslim youth can take advantage of the services provided by the Educational Testing Services (ETS). ETS administers two major programs enabling one to earn credit for the equivalency of a high school or college education. These programs are the General Education Development (GED) and the other College Level Examination Program (CLEP). The CLEP enables adults to earn credits that can be applied towards a college education. Those seeking assistance in getting basic education in reading, writing, math etc. can call Literacy Volunteers of America or Literacy Connection. These programs prepare students for GED diploma without any fees or charges. One should remember that occupations are becoming more and more specialized today. Many jobs demand apprenticeship or on the job training while many more require technical expertise and academic certification. About 85% of the people working in a professional and technical field in American have at least a college education. A high school diploma is not considered sufficient to become a professional. Some jobs are phasing out their Bachelor s level requirement and instead requiring a Master s degree. Similarly, many blue collar jobs require licensing examinations. Until the early nineties, one fourth of the jobs in USA were in the field of manufacturing, construction and mining. With the rapid growth of the use of computer and other advanced technologies, employment in the above sectors and all other fields related to our daily lives demands personnel of greater technical skills. It is high time that we promote and motivate our youth and new generation to set goals towards professional education. Our youth are our assets and they have tremendous potential. All we have to do is to create resources and prepare them to face challenges. We should encourage our youth to get professional education. Muslim youth need to set goals to select journalism, law or technology as their profession in order to maintain our identity in America. Resources: Written by: Asghar Naqvi M.A. (Osmania University, Hyderabad, India) M.S. (National-Louis University, ILL) Working for : MHMR Authority of Harris County Contact by Phone Numbers: (Home)

3 HAQQ An Al-Qasim Active Muslims Publication Al-Qasim Camp This year s camp was a time for many youth all across the United States to get together; for fun and education. Here are some of the comments that the youth had: Abiha Hussain: My favorite part of camp was the high ropes and I loved the camp fire because the s mores were very yummy. Aliya Ispahany: Camp was fun because I got to spend time with my friends and play basketball. Kumail Hassan: I liked camp because I got to see people I hadn t seen in years. This camp lets you meet those people and meet new ones; that is what makes it so great. I also like the fact that the camp was pretty organized, everything had a schedule. Medhi Jafri: I liked camp because the cabins were amazing, and I got to meet tons of new people, and was able to add on more to the youth network of people. Overall it was fun.

4 PAGE 2 HAQQ Palestine Palestine today is little more than a dismal scene. The once lucrative economy is now in shambles. The infrastructure has been dilapidated. The people are left traumatized, wounded, and helpless. It s been more than 50 years. More than half a century of unjustified atrocities committed against an innocent nation by a ruthless, hoarding group of people. The Holy Prophet has reminded us repeatedly that a person who lacks empathy for the oppressed people of the world is not part of the Ummah. Then why do we remain silent in the face of this blatant terrorism towards a blameless people? Why do we turn a blind eye to this gross violation of human rights? Imam Khomeini has said, The issue of Quds is not a private or personal issue. It is not the exclusive problem of one country nor a present-day problem of all Muslims. Rather, it is a phenomenon concerning the monotheists and faithful people of all ages past, present, and future. This means that each and every one of us Muslim or not, Palestinian or not is responsible for the welfare of the Palestinian people and must raise his or her voice in opposition to the illegal occupation. And so, every year, a small group of concerned people takes the recommendation of Imam Khomeini and on the Day of Quds, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, protests the occupation. This year, our rally had a decent turnout. Like past years, we all congregated in front of the Israeli Embassy and passionately chanted against for a cause we sincerely believe in. After listening to several inspiring speeches by Moulana Shabbiri and Sheikh Abdulghanni, we marched around the block, hoping to attract attention to the plight of the Palestinian people. And as usual, the response was mixed. Some observers showed their appreciation, others displayed their strong disapproval through various vulgarities, and then others were sadly indifferent. The rally is not meant to transform the mentality of every observer in such a censored, mediamanipulated society, this would be nearly impossible but rather to make as much of an impact as we can. If even one person is affected by our concern, if even one person decides to research about the Palestine situation and becomes an advocate of our cause, then our efforts are worth it. Insha allah, next year and in the years to come, the participation in this rally will increase so that our impact can be maximized. In Moharram, the turnout to the Juloos is extraordinary. Where are all those people when it is time to protest against the Zionists? the Israeli government is placed on a pedestal [in the U.S.], and to criticize it is to be immediately dubbed anti-semitic, as if the Palestinians were not Semitic People are scared in this country [the U.S.] to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful very powerful. Well, so what? This is God s world. For goodness sake, this is God s world! We live in a moral universe. The apartheid government was very powerful, but today it no longer exists. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pinochet, Milosovic, and Idi Amin were all powerful, but in the end they bit the dust. Injustice and oppression will never prevail. Those who are powerful have to remember the litmus test that God gives to the powerful: What is your treatment of the poor, the hungry, the voiceless? And on the basis of that, God passes judgment. Desmond Tutu, April 13, 2002

5 HAQQ PAGE 3 Hadith on Salaat The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: Whenever the time of each prayer arrives, an Angel announces to the people: (O People!) Stand up and extinguish, with prayers, the fire which you have set alight for yourselves. Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: The first thing for which a person shall be subjected to reckoning is prayers. If they are accepted, all his other deeds shall (also) be accepted. But if rejected, all his other deeds shall (also) be rejected. Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: When you offer an obligatory prayer, offer it at its stipulated time in a manner as if it is your last prayer and you fear you shall never get a chance to offer any prayer again. Imam `Ali (peace be upon him) has said: Surely, when a person engages in prayers, his body, his clothes and everything around him glorify The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: Do not abandon your prayers intentionally for surely the obligations of Allah and His Messenger cease to cover one who forsakes his prayers intentionally. Imam `Ali (peace be upon him) said: When a person stands up for prayers, Iblis approaches him and looks at him with envy and jealousy, as he sees the Mercy of Allah encompassing the person. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: The prayer of a person is (in reality) a light in his heart, so whoever desires, can illuminate his heart (by means of prayers). Lantern of Path: Hadith from Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as) The person who has a sincere intention is the one who has a sound heart; because a sound heart, free from thoughts about forbidden things, comes from making your intention purely for Allah in all matters. The day on which neither property will avail, nor sons, except him who comes to Allah with a heart free [from evil]. (26:88-9) The Holy Prophet said, 'The intention of the believer is better than his action,' and also, 'Actions are by intentions, and every man will obtain what he had intended.' The slave of Allah must therefore have sincere intention in every moment of action and stillness because then he will not be heedless. Those who are heedless have been censured by Allah: They are nothing but as cattle; nay, they are straying farther off from the path. (25:44) These are the heedless ones. (7:179) Intention appears from the heart, according to the purity of knowledge. It varies as belief varies, at different moments in its strength and weakness. The selfishness and passion of those with sincere intention is subjugated to the power of the glorification of Allah and modesty before Him. He is by his nature, his appetites and his own desires, in a state of discomfort, and yet people find ease at his hand.

6 HAQQ PAGE 4 An Al-Qasim Active Muslims Publication Remembrance of Allah (s) Summary from Imam Khomeini s Forty Hadith By: Ailia Ahmed...Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-kulayni - may God be pleased with him -from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa, from Ibn Mahbub, from 'Abd Allah ibn Sinan, from Abu Hamzah al-thumali, from Abu Ja'far (A) that he said: "It is written in the Torah that has not been altered that Moses (A) asked his Lord (saying): 'O Lord! (Tell me) art Thou near me, so that I should pray to Thee in whispers, or art Thou far, that I should cry out. to Thee?' Thereat God Almighty revealed to him: 'O Moses! I am the companion of one who remembers me.' Moses said: 'Who are those that shall be in Thy refuge on the day when there shall be no refuge except Thy refuge?' He replied: 'Those who remember Me, whom I do remember; those who love one another for My sake, whom I love. They are those whom I remember whenever I wish to strike the earth's people with affliction, and consequently spare them on their account.'" Imam Khomeini commences this hadith exposition by saying that the Torah used by the Jews is an altered one and that the real knowledge of the Torah is with the Ahl al Bayt (as). Prophet Musa (a) is inquiring how to pray to Allah (s) properly even though he knows that Allah (s) is closer to him than his jugular vein. He wants to know the correct etiquette of remembrance of Allah (s). Also, he may have wanted to express his wonder in the matter of prayer. Prophet Musa (a) meant that Allah (s) is beyond nearness and farness and thus was at a loss of how to pray to His Lord, due to His Greatness. Allah (s) is beyond His creatures, so time and space cannot be assigned to Him because they limit and create a likeness between Him and His creation. This is also indicated in the following verses of the Holy Quran: And when My servants question thee concerning Me, (tell them that) I am near to answer the call of the caller, when he calls to Me... (2:186)...and We know what his soul whispers within him, and We are nearer to him than the jugular vein, (50:16) Another point made by Imam Khomeini, is the remembrance of Allah (s) at all times and places. Prophet Muhammad (s) said, One who recalls God in the marketplace, with sincerity, in the midst of the people s obliviousness and their engagement in its affairs, God writes for him a thousand merits and forgives him on the Day of Resurrection with a forgiveness that has not occurred to any human heart. From this hadith, we see that remembering Allah sincerely is of utmost importance. To incorporate the thought of Allah (s) at all times results in His Mercy and Forgiveness. One of the most important benefits of remembering Allah is that the remembrance of God by the servant results in God s remembering him. The following verse alludes to the opposite. (He shall say, `O my Lord, why hast Thou raised me blind, and I was wont to see?' God shall say,) `Even so it is. Our ayat came unto thee, and thou didst forget them; and so today thou art forgotten.' (20:126) Just as those who forget Allah (s) will be raised blind, those who make remembrance part of their lives will strengthen their inward vision and remove the veils. The stronger the dhikr and its luminosity is within oneself, the stronger one s vision will be. As one becomes accustomed to remembrance, the inner vision becomes so strong that it begins to see the Divine Beauty in the ayat (signs). Thus, the remembrance of the Names and Attributes results in the vision of God in the manifestations of the Names and the Attributes. In the same manner that remembrance of Allah leads to His refuge, mutual love for the sake of Allah results in His love as well. Complete sincerity, results in complete love. No obstruction shall remain between the lover and the Beloved. And it is because of those who remember and love Allah (S) that he spares His creatures of chastisement. This means that Allah (s) does not send calamities upon them for their sake.

7 A PUBLICATION OF THE ISLAMIC EDUCATION CENTER Page 7 QURAN COMPITION This Ramadan, more than forty children ages four to fifteen participated in a Quran competition held at IEC. The competition included a recitation part as well as questions about Surahs in the Quran. Each participant received a prize and was recognized. We thank all the parents for encouraging their kids to participate and the children for participating in the program! GUIDING THE YOUTH PROVIDING AN ENVIROMENT Everything around us affects CAN create and give our chil- big role. So how do we set an who we are and what we do. dren an environment in which environment to counter this? Our friends, our family, the there will be positive peer Again, the masjid is a key. media, the society we live in. It is not uncommon to see our children, and even we ourselves, being influenced by certain aspects of this society. And most of the time these influences result in a struggle between what Islam teaches us, and what is generally accepted in this society. Today some of us don t realize the importance of providing our children with environments that nurture positive influences. pressure. How? Bring you re children to the masjid, and give them time to hang out, play basketball, and develop a friendship with the right kind of friends. This can be as important as a child listening to a majlis (not that he/she should skip it, but parents should set some time apart before or after the speech and let the child become fond of coming to the masjid and getting together with his Muslim friends) Many programs, like the Quran competition, camps, community picnics are held and we should take advantage of programs that will motivate our children, give them a positive (Islamic) environment, and help them learn about Islam in a fun way. Islam, as we all know, is not just about prayers and fasting, it is about a way of life. This includes all social aspects. it is crucial that we realize the importance of an environment Surely the heart of the youth is like the uncultivated ground it will accept whatever you throw upon it [and that is what will grow from it]. -Imam Ali (AS) The reality may be that there is negative peer pressure at school, yet to counter this, we Of course, friends aren t the only things that affect us, What we absorb through TV, and other things also play a and our duty of providing a positive environment early in the child s life. AL-HADI EID CARNIVAL The Al-Hadi eid carnival is held annually, usually on a Sunday following the day of eid. This year, like previous years, many people enjoyed getting together and celebrating. The carnival included a petting zoo, snow cones, burgers, pony rides, moonwalks, games and more.

8 UPCOMING PROGRAMS WILADAT IMAM REZA A.S SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 TH. *ACTUAL DATE: 11TH DHU-AL-QADAH Isha Prayers Quran Recitation Qaseedas ( Urdu, English, Farsi ) Presentation Imam Reza A.S Speech by H.I Hur Shabbiri Dinner 7:00 pm 7:40 pm 7:50 pm 8:00 pm 8:15 pm 9:00 pm Estimated Cost: $2000 NOTE: Maghrib prayers will be on time SHAHADAT OF IMAM TAQI A.S FRIDAY, NOVEMBER28TH *ACTUAL DATE: 28TH DHU-AL-QADAH Isha Prayers Quran Recitation Salaam/Marsia English Speech Noha/Matam Tabarruk Estimated Cost: $800 NOTE: Maghrib prayers will be on time 7:00 pm 7:40 pm 7:50 pm 8;10 pm 9;00 pm 9:15 pm