NEWSLETTER

Monday, 17 Jumaadal Ula 1431 H / 3 May 2010

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Audio Cd's of Nasheeds; Qirats and lectures available. Call us on +27 (0)11 854 7022

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LOOKING AND SEEING
The Critical Difference

By Mirza Yawar Baig

We look with our eyes but we ‘see’ with our knowledge. We look at a man with sunken cheeks, walking bent a little forward and say to ourselves, ‘He must be poor and hungry.’ A physician looks at him and knows that it is not hunger that bent him forward and but asthma. The sunken cheeks are a sign of labored breathing.

People all over the world are watching the volcano in Iceland spewing ash, steam and smoke; its fire blasting its way through the covering of ice of the glacier above it, melting the ice and flooding the land. Some call it ‘nature’s fury’. Some call it ‘natural phenomenon’. Some call it a calamity and others call it a tourism opportunity.

But we call it an Ayât of Allah – a sign of the Creator. Sign of what?
Allah said, "Evil (calamities) has appeared on the land and the sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allâh may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allâh, and begging His Pardon)." [Ar­Rum 30: 41]

42. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Travel in the land and see what was the end of those before (you)! Most of them were Mushrikûn (the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists, idolaters, etc.)."

We look at the volcano in Iceland, not with our eyes but with our knowledge and we ‘see’ the reality of what is happening. Allah is showing us the result of our actions. He is showing us how truly helpless we are and how empty all our loud mouthing about our technology, military and wealth is. None of it can do anything to stop this volcano or to neutralize its effects. And it is just one small volcano. There are millions of others. The only way to escape this and more to come is to bow in submission to the only one who has the power to protect us. But will we accept?

Ask what happened to Pompeii? Ask why?

The problem is that when one looks at things without the light of the knowledge of the Revelation, then one is blind to the reality of what is happening. One gets stuck in the ‘How’ of it – fissure in the earth’s core caused the volcanic eruption, movement of tectonic plates caused the earthquake which caused the tsunami and so on – all speaking about the mechanics, the HOW something happens. All very well. But does it tell you WHY it happened? The PURPOSE of the event? Our knowledge does not go that far. So when you ask any of our worldly people who refuse to recognize Allah, they simply repeat the same words for HOW even when we ask WHY.

My question is: How can you give me the same answer for HOW and WHY? One is asking the method or mechanics of something and the other is asking the purpose. How can both be answered the same way?

For the WHY we need to ask the One who orders it to happen. Only the Revelation can tell us why something happens. It is the knowledge of the Messenger which can tell us the reason (WHY) for so­called ‘natural’ events. But if we don’t want to listen to the message, then who is to blame?

Allah spoke about so­called ‘natural calamities’ that struck the people of Firaun when their oppression of the Bani Israel reached a climax and Musa (AS) had completed his Da’awa. Allah said: [Al A’araf 7: 133] "So We sent on them: the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and the blood: (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were Mujrimûn (criminals, oppressors)." read more

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US police have said it is not yet clear whether a failed bombing in New York was of domestic or foreign origin, after a US monitoring group said the Pakistani Taliban had claimed responsibility in an internet statement.

Barack Obama, the US president, has vowed to "do whatever it takes" to stop gushing oil from a destroyed rig from devastating the country's coast.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says there is no need for Tehran to gain the trust of Western nations.

The new phase of the Bus Rapid Transit system is being launched this morning.

Eskom can now appoint a new chief executive to take over from Jacob Maroga.

Method:
Crush biscuits and mix with melted butter. Press mixture over sides and base of a 20cm spring form pan. Beat eggs, castor sugar, and cottage cheese. Add melted chocolate and Nestle cream. Beat till smooth. Pour into prepared crumb crust. Bake at 150C for 60 minutes or until set. Chill until ready to serve.

Conserve Water

To conserve water: Do not run water while brushing your teeth. It is unnecessary to waste water while brushing your teeth. Only run the water when rinsing your brush. It is a habit one can acquire easily and can be done for the rest of your life!

When you have to put up with mean people, think of them as sandpaper. They may scratch you, Rub you the wrong way But eventually...

YOU end up smooth polished. And the sandpaper...?

...be worn out - ugly!

Never lose sight of who you are, because you are the best thing Allah ever createdl Embrace the gig...

Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There ain't no Lord!!" Hard times came upon the elderly lady, and she prayed for Allah to send her some assistance. She would pray out loud in her night prayer" Oh Allah! I need food!! I am having a hard time, please Lord, PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!"

The atheist happened to hear her as she was praying, and decided to play a prank on her. The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "Alhamdulilah, Allah be praised!." The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't." The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "ALHAMDULILAH WA SHUKRILLAH”. He not only sent me groceries, but he made the devil pay for them!"

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