Sen. Webb: A Man For All Seasons

Keynote Remarks of Senator Jim Webb Hamilton Project Policy Discussion "From Prison to Work: Overcoming Barriers to Reentry"

December 5, 2008

"The seminal event for me in terms of our own system came about 25 years ago when I became one of the first foreign journalists to be allowed into the Japanese prison system. It was an incredible eye-opener, not only in seeing how the prison systems were run, but when I started studying the Japanese criminal justice system writ-large as compared to our own system even 25 years ago, I was struck by the statistic that in Japan, which has half of our population - there were only 40,000 sentenced offenders in prison compared to the 780,000 people in prison in the United States.

"Those of you who are familiar with the system today know that we now have more than 2.3 million people in our jails and approximately 7 million people involved in the criminal justice system that are either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole. That is a staggering statistic not only in terms of fairness - in terms of how we approach the well-being of our society but in terms of what it does to our economy in two different ways: the cost of incarceration and the cost of lost opportunities for people that enter the prison system and will have a very difficult time for the rest of their lives.

"I want to be very clear at the outset that I feel very strongly about the need to put the right people behind bars. We all want to see violent criminals brought to justice. I personally have a very strong feeling about the danger of organized gangs in this country and the fact that we need to enforce the laws in a proper way when it comes to that type of activity. But there is something else going on when we are locking up such a high percentage of our people, marking them at an early age and in many cases eliminating their chances for a productive life as full citizens.

"Since I have been in the Senate, I have been focusing on these issues and held a number of hearings. In June 2008, I chaired Joint Economic Committee hearing that explored the impact of the illegal drug economy in the United States, addressing the need for policy reforms and develop a line to measure where the problem begins, where it hits the street, how it impacts individuals and what we can do to address it.

"In October of 2007, I chaired a hearing on the larger issue of incarceration to put a price on the problem with the cost to our economy, the cost of running so many prisons and the system writ-large, and the cost of lost opportunity.

"Most recently, I put together a half-day, three-panel symposium with the help of George Mason University that took a broad look at the difficult range of issues regarding the parameters of illegal drugs on our society, and to discuss real solutions for immediate and long-term implementation.

"As Mr. Rubin mentioned, I was a co-sponsor of the Second Chance Act, which was passed and signed into law earlier this year. It is a proactive measure that works to provide job training, drug treatment, and other re-entry programs to help ex-offenders stay off the streets and hopefully reduce recidivism rates. I am also a co-sponsor of the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act, which would provide more than $1 billion over five years to combat gang violence. In that regard, I have had a number of personal meetings with law enforcement officials on the implications of gang violence in Virginia.

"So what do we know from all these experiences? We know that the United States locks up more people than any other country. With only 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States now has 25 percent of its prisoners.

"We know that we are spending an enormous amount of money. Professor Western estimates that annual correctional spending is $70 billion, with state spending on corrections increasing 40 percent over the past twenty years. Professor Glenn Loury, who appeared before the Joint Economic Committee last year, has estimated that we are spending $200 billion per year on corrections and law enforcement.

"We know that minority communities are disproportionately represented in the nation’s prisons. African-Americans, who are 13 percent of the population, are more than half of all prison inmates compared to one-third twenty years ago.

"We know we are witnessing a very violent war on our border which is largely driven by the drug trade. As the Washington Post reported yesterday, there were 700 killings on the Mexican border last month alone.

"We know that prisons are housing a great portion of our nation’s mentally ill. The number of mentally ill in prison is nearly five times the number in inpatient mental hospitals. Forensic psychologist Edith King pointed out that, “Nationwide, the jails have become the Number 1 holding stop for the mentally ill.”

"And we know that we all want to ensure that as many resources as possible are devoted to something of a triage here. We need to take care of violent crime, separate how we deal with drug offenses, and deal with those with mental illness. It’s not a crime to be mentally ill, it’s not a crime to be addicted to drugs. It is a crime to live by violence and to extort money from people who are trying to live a basic life.

"Another piece of information I feel strongly about is that we are not locking up the right people; we are locking up the wrong people too often all across our country.

"Statistics have shown that the number of people in custody on drug charges increased thirteen times in the last 25 years. Despite the number of people we have arrested, the illegal drug industry and the flow of drugs have remained undiminished.

"The analysis we have seen in terms of drug use patterns in this country is very interesting when you compare them to who is being imprisoned on non-violent drug offenses. We have seen that drug use really does not vary by ethnic group in the United States; there is very little variance whatsoever. But there is a vast difference in how different racial and ethnic groups fare with respect to our criminal justice system. African Americans are estimated at 14 percent of regular drug users, 37 percent of those arrested for drug offenses, and they are 56 percent of persons in state prisons for drug crimes.

"All of the money and turmoil that has been poured into this issue has not really affected supply or usage rates. In 2006, the last study that was done in terms of high school seniors’ attitudes about drugs showed that 86 percent of high school students in the United States report that it is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to obtain marijuana. Forty-seven percent report the same for cocaine, 39 percent for crack, and 27 percent for heroin.

"We have also learned that there is a disconnect in terms of how we define gangs. We know they are involved in widespread criminal activity, yet when we talk to people who work in the area of criminal justice we are unable to gather how gangs operate outside of certain communities or across state borders or, in many cases, internationally. We have to do a better job of answering these critical questions.

"We know that our current combination of enforcement, diversion, interdiction, treatment, and prevention is not working. We need a better formula in terms of how we are dealing with these different areas.

"We have learned that alternatives to enforcement have shown in a variety of approaches that we can reduce incarceration, improve public safety, and produce social benefits in excess of their costs if we move toward more creative ways of dealing with these problems in our society.

"We need more of the type of analysis that you will hear today. We need to hear more from the experts so that we can really examine our options. We also need to work with law enforcement to get our arms around coordinated criminal activity that has crossed state and national borders.

"Most importantly, we need to engage the American people in this conversation. Too often we have these discussions in compartmentalized ways, or they do not happen at all. I recall at the beginning of the presidential campaign, Arianna Huffington from the Huffington Post wrote an article saying that if this did not become one of the major issues of the presidential campaign it would be a national shame. Well, it did not become an issue in the presidential campaign at all and it is a national shame. We need to have this discussion.

"I believe personally we need to support programs that work for adult offenders, help prevent crime, and re-integrate prisoners being released. In this context, there is an enormous need to shift our policy choices to evidence-based options that are proven to contribute to lower crime rates. Political fear and ideology have too long driven policy in this area.

"I have been very impressed by what I have seen with respect to drug courts. I think if we separate drug use from other types of crime and deal with it in a different way, we are going to affect the criminal justice system and we are going to help improve the lives of people who simply get involved in non-violent drug use.

"We have seen a number of assessments in this area. The Center for Court Innovation did a broad review. Their bottom line was the average reduction in recidivism associated with drug courts was 13 percent. In other words, people who went through drug courts, as opposed to going into the regular criminal justice system were 13 percent less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system after that. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy looked at 57 studies and estimated an eight percent decrease in crime associated with drug courts. In my office, we will be looking at ways to examine the further expansion of drug courts.

"I believe we need to treat drug addiction and to separate drug addiction from prison environments to the extent that we can.

"We need to support community and faith-based programs. The last Administration put a lot of emphasis on areas in faith-based initiatives that fit with its own political ideologies. I believe that church structures around the country, which I can certainly see in Virginia, are natural repositories that already exist where we can encourage re-entry programs without having to create new bureaucracies.

"I believe that we need to take the type of expertise that we will hear today and vigorously present it to the new Administration. We have the opportunity to have a new set of eyes on this problem and a chance for some concrete programs and solutions. That is why we are here today.

"A final point, I think from my experience over the past couple years is that we have a tremendous opportunity to work on this in a bipartisan fashion. When I reach out to colleagues on the other side of the aisle and start discussing this problem, there are people over there who understand the damage that our present way of doing business in the area of criminal justice is putting onto our society: economically, as this organization is looking at it, in terms of personal harm, and in terms of lost opportunities.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah & Mahdi

The founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, alayhe salam. His father's name was Mirza Ghulam Murtaza and his mother’s name was Chiragh Bibi (lady of the lamp). His grandfather was Mirza Ata Muhammad (d.1814), and his great grand father was Mirza Gul Muhammad (d.1800).

Hadhrat Ahmad (AS) belonged to the Birlas branch of the respectable Mughal family. The surname of this family is Mirza that is why all members of this family use Mirza as their surname. Mirza Hadi Beg was the forefather of this family who migrated to India in 1530 from his hometown Samarqand with two hundred others during the reign of Mughal King Zaheer al-Din Babur. They settled along the Beyas river in the Indian province of Punjab. Mirza Hadi Beg was appointed Qazi (judge) with jurisdiction over seventy villages around Qadian. He founded a village called Islampur, later the name changed to Islampur Qazi Majhi, which over time was shortened to Qazi Majhi, then only Qazian, finally changed into Qadian.

Qadian is situated about 112 km north east of Lahore, in district Gurdaspur, in the Indian province of Punjab. In this holy town was born Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (AS), the holy founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. He spent most of his life in this town.

The family of the Promised Messiah (AS) was given high official posts in the Mughal administration. When the central Mughal government in India lost its grip, the family was able to make itself independent and ruled over 95 km of territory around Qadian. However, during the Sikh rule, the family lost territorial rights, and much of the territory was taken over by the Sikhs.

The situation was so bad at one time that the family had to take shelter for sixteen years in the state of Kapurthala. The family settled subsequently in Qadian during the reign of Maharajah Ranjeet Singh. (1780-1839). Under the British rule, they were granted the property rights in Qadian and the suburbs.

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be on him, was born on Friday February 13th, 1835 at dawn in Qadian. He was born after a twin sister Janat who died a few days later. A tutor was assigned in 1842 for his early education. He learnt the Holy Quran and a few elementary Persian books from this tutor. Later on he was coached in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Philosophy, and Logic by two other tutors.

When he was seventeen years of age, his father who was an experienced Hakim (doctor) gave him lessons in natural medicine. This instruction gave him elementary knowledge of Persian and Arabic languages. This was the extent of his basic education. No tutor provided him formal education in religious subjects, however he gained some knowledge on his own by reading religious books. Reading and pondering over the teachings of the Holy Quran was his favorite hobby early on from his childhood.

Hadhrat Ahmad’s childhood was carefree and righteous. Despite the fact that he was born in a well-off family, he always avoided spending time in useless sports. No doubt he did take part in useful and productive sports, for instance he had learnt swimming, & horseback riding at an early age. His simple, fine habits made an impression on everyone. When he was a child, a revered personage Maulvi Ghulam Rasool admiringly remarked:

“ If anyone deserves to be a prophet in this age, this lad indeed should be one”. (Hayate Tayyeba, page 14)

In 1852 he was married to the daughter of his maternal uncle, Hurmat Bibi. This was his first marriage, from this union he was blessed with two sons. His first son Hadhrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad (1853-1931) was a high ranking official in the British administration. He entered into Baiat (covenant of allegiance) at the hand of the Second Caliph. The second son Mirza Fazal Ahmad passed away in 1904 at the age of forty-nine.

Although he was married, he spent most of his time in solitude, meditation, and devotional prayers. His father wanted him to find an occupation, but this was not to Hadhrat Ahmad’s taste. His father lovingly called him a Maseetar, one who enjoys spending time in Divine worship in the mosque. However, being a loyal son, and in order to see his father happy, he would attend court cases in connection with their family estate.

In 1864 he went to Sialkot and started the job of a Reader in a law-court where he stayed for four years. As the job was contrary to his disposition, he would spend most of his time in the study of the Holy Quran, prayers, study of religious books or engaged himself in debates with Christian missionaries of the city.

In 1868 he resigned from his civil service job after receiving instructions from his father and returned to Qadian. Unfortunately his mother passed away before he could reach Qadian, but he bore the loss with strength.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Zion Jama'at

The leader of the 'Ahmadiyya Muslim Community' has warned that a world war is inevitable if world powers fail to resolve the global economic crisis.

Speaking at a conference held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden (south London) this weekend attended by over 900 including Parliamentarians, faith representatives, civic leaders and professionals, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, drew parallels between the Great Depression of 1929 leading to the Second World War, and the present-day recession where bank bailouts and bonuses have been exacerbated by wealth being channeled into the hands of the few.

This, he said, could only propel mankind into deeper distrust, desperation and ultimately danger.

He also criticised the United Nations for falling short of its responsibilities and the absence of absolute justice and fair dealing between member states.

The Caliph, who heads the international Ahmadiyya Community, said: “The UN was formed for the establishment of peace but its attempts to do so in any country where disorder exists, have never achieved the level of success that such a large institution ought to.

“The UN is failing due to the influence of superpowers and because of this the circle of unrest is escalating. We cannot simply close our eyes to this. The cause of the Second World War was such unrest and mini wars.”

He expressed a desire that the world learns from its past mistakes and thus avoids another major catastrophe: “Governments, providers of capital and the UN should understand their responsibilities. These are to fulfil the requirements of justice and to give due regard to the rights of each other.

"They should think, deliberate and find a solution based on justice. They should selflessly endeavor to establish peace. And most importantly they should fulfil the rights owed to their Creator and avoid His displeasure.”

Kenosha, WI County Jail Chaplain

My journey has taken me to the Kenosha County Jail. No, I'm not an inmate. I'm the Chaplain at the Kenosha County Correctional Facility.

The Correctional Department operates out of two facilties in Kenosha, WI. A pre-trial facility is located near downtown Kenosha and a detention facility on the city's westide, Kenosha County Detention Center, which is known by inmates as simply -- The House.

By the Grace and Mercy of Allah Almighty, a door has been opened for me to serve God and his creation. There are more than 800 inmates struggling for their life. Inmates who have been kicked to the curb, disgarded by many in society because they have been accussed of crimes. It's important to note that I serve as a Chaplain in a county jail, not a prison.

It is an enormous job responsibility given that a Chaplain is mandated to guide inmates in spiritual and pastoral matters. I'm not the Muslim or Islamic Chaplain. I'm a Chaplain. My administration and vision extends to all inmates. Despite differences of believe my message is unique to all faiths including Wiccans. My message is a message of hope and the belief that there is a turning point in every human being's life if he begins to transform his heart and seek forgiveness through his belief system.

It is a heavy responsiblity, but I'm reminded that God does not burden a believe beyond his capacity.

"If God has given you some special work to do that frightens you, it’s your responsibility to jump at it. It’s up to the Lord to see you through. As you faithfully do your part, He will do His part." — Richard De Haan

I only ask that anyone who reads this blog, please remember me in your prayers. I pray that Allah Almighty continues to guide and bless me as I serve Him to the best of my ability as a Chaplain in the Kenosha County Jail.

peace. Hasan Hakeem

Divine Attribute Sattar: covers weaknesses and failings

Summary of Friday Sermon

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad ^at, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

March 27 ^th, 2009

Huzur delivered his Friday Sermon on the subject of covering faults of others.

Among the names of Allah, Sattar is one. It is that Being Who is hidden and concealed and Who covers others’ weaknesses and failings and also likes the act of covering up faults. Ahadith expound that Allah likes covering of failings and modesty and covers man’s weaknesses and mistakes. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah Be on him) said that in the Hereafter sheltering man with His mercy God will ask man if he did such and such deed. Man will confess that yes, he did. God will say I covered your fault on that day and I cover your fault again. This is the Loving God Who forgives and covers weaknesses.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that there is no concept of this trait of God in other religions, otherwise there would have been no theory of atonement in Christianity. Only Islam presents the concept of God being a Coverer of faults. However, this certainly does not signify that because God likes to cover failings and forgives, people should become uncontrolled and have no notion of right and wrong since forgiveness is assured. A Hadith informs us that God covers up a believer in countless covers. Each time a believer commits a sin, a covers is torn until there remains no cover. This is when God says to His angels to cover His servant with their wings. If the believer repents upon being covered by the angels, Allah restores the covers; in fact He restores them nine-fold. However, if the believer does not repent God tells the angels to abandon him. This is when all the failings and sins of the person are made apparent. Huzur said each believer should always strive to be one who repents, seeks God’s forgiveness and thus attain a measure of God’s trait of being Sattar.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that it is the requisite of the Divine attribute of being ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’ God that He lets His servants succeed. It is through His attribute of Raheemiyat (quality of being Merciful) that He covers the faults and failings of His servants. The God of Islam is Rahman (Most Gracious) and He thus blesses regardless of any effort made by man. As He is the ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’, He covers the faults and weaknesses of His servants. A worldly government would never be bound by such a thing but God’s governance is limitless and He confers on whoever does good works and He covers weaknesses. Thousands of failings of mankind are known to Him but He does not disclose them.

God likes modesty, but this does not signify that He is modest to state something, rather He protects His servants from any potential embarrassment. However, when and if the stage is reached where man is brazen and does not benefit from God’s covering of faults, he is then humiliated. Indeed, God does not protect the shame of those who are incorrigible and their most concealed and hidden sins are also revealed. Huzur said we should continually pray that God keeps us in the wraps of His covers.

Huzur said the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) ever prayed to God in this regard although God had promised him every kind of protection and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had said that even his Satan had become a Muslim. However, his prayers were made to counsel us. May Allah enable us to put them in practice. One of his prayers is:

‘O’ Allah, cover my nakedness and alter my fears into peace. O’ Allah protect me from the dangers that are ahead of me and those that are behind me and those that are to my right and those that are to my left and those that are above me. I come into the refuge of Your greatness from those dangers that may seize me from underneath.’

Huzur also read a prayer of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) which translates as follows:

‘O’ my Benefactor and my God. I am a useless servant of Yours, sinful and negligent. You saw me commit injustice upon injustice and granted blessing upon blessing and saw sin upon sin and conferred favour upon favour. You have always covered my faults and bestowed Your countless blessings on me. Pray, now too have mercy on this hopeless and sinful person and forgive my audacity and my ungratefulness and grant me salvation from this grief of mine for none other than You can help.’ Ameen Thum Ameen.

Another prayer of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) is:

‘O’ Lord of all the worlds, I cannot [adequately] express gratitude for Your blessings. You are extremely Merciful and Benevolent and You have granted countless favours on me. Forgive me my sins so that I am not destroyed. Place your pure love in my heart so that I attain life and cover my faults and make me do deeds which please You. I seek refuge with You from Your wrath befalling me. Have mercy and protect me from the torments of this world and the Hereafter for all grace and blessing is in Your hand.’

Huzur said we should say these prayers as our routine. Huzur explained the responsibility that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) laid on believers in order to derive the beneficence of God, the Sattar. Hadith relates that Allah will protect that person from Fire who covers the honour of a Muslim woman. Huzur said he has particularly cited this Hadith with reference to when marital relationships are strained and both parties make allegations against each other. At times their respective families join in this, some of these accusations have some basis but others are completely baseless. The man’s side sometimes makes accusations that are mortifying. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) certainly enjoined to cover the honour of a Muslim woman. Huzur said at times mutual compatibility cannot be achieved in marriage, so if people want to separate they may go ahead. However, this can be achieved without making accusations. Ahmadis should avoid this. In another Hadith the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said ‘a believer who sees the failings of his brother but covers them will be granted entrance to Paradise by Allah.’

Huzur said when new relations are formed one gets to know private matters, if these are covered and discretion is maintained then God promises Paradise. The first Hadith cites protection from punishment when faults are covered whereas this Hadith cites not just protection from punishment but also blessing. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that a Muslim is a brother to another Muslim and therefore is not unfair to him and does not abandon him. He said the needs of one who fulfils the needs of one’s brother are always met by God and on the Day of Judgement Allah will cover the faults of one who covers the faults of a Muslim. Huzur said these should be the standards of each Ahmadi.

Huzur cited a narrative that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had related. A king who liked to inscribe the Qur’an was once visited by a mullah who pointed out to the king that he had written a particular verse incorrectly. The king drew a circle around the verse and said he would check it later. When the mullah was gone the king removed the circle. When asked why he had done so the king replied the mullah was mistaken but he had still drawn the circle as a consolation for him. Huzur said despite having the authority the king had covered the mistake of the mullah.

Citing verse 13 of Surah Al Hujurat ‘O ye who believe! Avoid too frequent indulgence in suspicion, for some suspicions are certainly sin. And spy not, nor back-bite one another….’ (49:13) Huzur said the verse speaks of avoiding negative supposition and thinking ill of others – this trait is foremost in spreading evil in the world. The verse also enjoins not to pry in other people’s matters for prying leads to backbiting. This can cause notoriety for others whereas God is the Coverer of faults. Huzur said the Hadith that he cited earlier which speaks of Divine punishment for those who do not cover the faults of others illustrates that apart from causing notoriety this also causes disorder in society. When people’s secrets are disclosed enmity increases. God enjoins to live with love and affection. Huzur said some indulge in the terrible habit of informing people that your such and such friend or such and such relative said so and so about you. Huzur said if anything had been said then why did the person not counsel the other there and then? If they did not have the capacity to counsel, why did they not pray for that person and now by repeating the incident the person is committing the sin of backbiting, committing the sin of not covering the fault of another and are being a source of creating disorder and God has stated that disorder is worse than murder. The Holy Qur’an says:

‘Those who love that immorality should spread among the believers, will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows, and you know not.’ (24:20)

God likes covering of faults; however, those who wish to expose the faults of others and promote indecency among the believers by broadcasting evil will have torment in this world and the Hereafter. Huzur said in the Western world little concept of modesty remains. Television and the media have spread this lack of modesty and brazenness into the next generation and sadly a few Ahmadis are also included in this and this is the reason why Islam lays emphasis on Purdah and modesty. Huzur said if one discovers a failing in another and the person is flagrant about it then one should report this to the administration of the Community and also pray for the person. When one publicises an evil one is refraining from taqwa (righteousness). In situations where someone’s failing is discovered and while that person has repented and mended his/her ways the other goes ahead and publicises it, not only do they expose the faults of another, they also indulge in backbiting. In order to save the society from disorder and oneself from Hell covering the faults of others is essential. If reformation is the objective, then inform the administration of the Community. In such a case it then becomes the responsibility of the office-holders to discharge of this duty with the utmost of discretion.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said ‘People of our community should pray for a brother when they notice any failing in him. However, if they do not pray and mention it to others thus taking it further, then they commit sin. Which failing is such that it cannot be overcome? This is why one should always help a brother by praying for him.’ He also said, ‘Some people are weak, just like one recovering from a severe illness. Some have acquired some strength. What is needed is that one privately counsels whoever one finds to be weak. If the person does not abide, then pray for him/her. If both these actions are not beneficial then consider the matter to be pre-destined…it is certainly not the teaching of the Holy Qur’an to notice a failing and spread it and go on citing it…Allah the Exalted is Sattar, you should ‘reflect the high morals of Allah, [adopt His attributes on a human level] we do not mean to say that one should support failings rather do not circulate them and do not backbite because according to the Book of God this is sin.’

Huzur said these are the aspects we need to inculcate in our Community. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) repeatedly drew the attention of the Community towards prayer and covering the faults of others. May Allah enable us to put his teachings in practice and thus always partake a measure of God’s trait of being Sattar. May God, with His grace, put disgust in our hearts for all things evil and may we always be inclined to virtues and thus fulfil the objective of the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).

Trials and Hardships: Trust in Allah

Allah tells us that we will be tested. He also makes it clear to us what is expected from us when we undergo these trials and what our reward will be if we are successful.

He says: “Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who, when misfortune strikes them, say: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him is our return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord and it is those who are rightly guided.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 155]

The Prophet (peace be upon him)said: "No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his sins by it." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No Muslim is afflicted by harm, whether it is but the prick of a thorn or something worse, without Allah expiating his evil deeds on account of it and his sins falling away from him like leaves off a tree.'" [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When Allah desires good for someone, He tries him with hardships." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

The Muslim may be tested by all sorts of difficulties like sickness, lack of income, and disobedience from his children. In fact, the many afflictions that may beset a person are incalculable. This is the point that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was stressing when he mentioned: “fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness …even to the extent of a thorn pricking him”.

ALL OF THESE AFFLICTIONS, IF ENDURED PATIENTLY BY THE BELIEVER, ARE A MEANS OF ATTAINING ALLAH’S FORGIVENESS AS WELL AS HIS REWARD.

Every one of us is being tested by Allah. He tests us all in different ways. We should not assume that the difficulties that we face in life are punishments or are signs that Allah is displeased with us. Likewise, we should never construe the success and pleasures that others enjoy as signs that Allah is pleased with them or that they are privileged. Sometimes, quite the opposite is true.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If Allah wants good for his servant, He hurries on His punishment in this world, and if He wills ill for a servant, he holds back punishing him for his sin so He can give it to him in full on the Day of Resurrection.”

Allah makes it clear that everything in our lives – the good and the bad of it– is a trial for us. How will we cope in the situation that Allah has placed for us? Will we be grateful in prosperity and patient in affliction or will we be arrogant and disobedient?

Allah says: “Every soul shall taste of death. And We will test you with evil and with good by way of trial. And to Us is your return.” [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ’: 35].

Allah says: “Know that your wealth and your children are but a trial and that Allah has with Him a mighty reward.”
[Sûrah al-Anfâl: 28]

Many people do not realize that they are tried just as severely with the good that they are given as they are by the misfortunes that befall them. Allah says: “And as for man, whenever his Lord tries him by honoring him and makes him lead an easy life, he says: ‘My Lord honors me’. But when He tries him by straitening his means of subsistence, he says: ‘My Lord has disgraced me’.” [Sûrah al-Fajr: 15-16]

Some people are blessed to be born and raised in good Muslim families then turn their backs on Islam, while others are born and raised in non-Muslim countries to unbelieving parents and grow up to be among the best of Muslims. I’m of the opinion, that those who are born in an environment of injustice, will rise above that injustice and become the best of believers.

We are tried with wealth as well as poverty. If we are wealthy, will we hoard our wealth or spend in charity? Will we use it for lawful purposes or squander it in vice? Will we trust in Allah in our investments, or will our avarice and fear of losing our wealth make us take recourse to unlawful means to preserve it and increase it?

If we are poor, will we be content and patient and seek lawful means to attain our sustenance or will we resort to unlawful means to meet our needs? Will we accept the fact that Allah gives more to some people than he does to others, or will we grow hateful and vindictive?

We are tested with health as well as sickness. A man with good eyesight is tested with regards to his use of it. Will he use the blessing of his sight to good purpose or to gaze at unlawful things? His good eyesight may be what takes him to Hell. A blind man is tested whether he will bear patiently with his disability. His patience in affliction may be what earns him his place in Paradise. Our goal is the Hereafter and we are all being tested.

Allah says: “It is He who created death and life that He may try you as to which of you is best in deeds.” [Sûrah al-Mulk: 2]

We may also be tested through others. We know from experience that even a small child can experience suffering as well as a person who is mentally handicapped to such a degree that he cannot understand the concepts of Islam and is not legally accountable. Though it may not be that such a person is not undergoing tests of his own; however his plight may very well be a test for those his life affects. How will they treat him? Will they care for him, respect him, and give him his rights?

We may not be able to fathom the wisdom behind why Allah decrees what He does for us or for others of His creatures. However, we must know that Allah does everything in accordance with His wisdom and bear our trials patiently.

Ultimately, we must remember the words of Allah in the Qur’ân: “He cannot be questioned for what He does but they will be questioned.” [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ’: 23]
Transliteration:
Alhamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wa nasta 'inuhu wa nastaghfiruhu wa nu' minu bihi wa natawakkalu 'alaih. Wa na 'uThu Billahi min shururi anfusina wamin sayy 'ati a 'malina. Man yahdihillahu fala mudhilla lahu wa man yudlilhu fala hadiya lah. Wa nash-hadu alla ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu wa nash-hadu anna Muhmmadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh. Ibadallah rahima-kumullah. Innallaha ya'muru bil 'adli wal-ihsani wa itai Thil-qurba. wa yanha 'anil fahshai wal- munkari wal-baghyi, Ya 'izhkum la 'allakum taThakkarun. UThkurrullah yaTh-kur-kum wad 'uhu yastajib lakum. Wala Thikrullahi akbar.

Translation:
All praise is due to Allah. We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds. Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path. And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. He is alone and has no partner. We bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other and to do good to others as one does to one 's kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves and evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority.
He warns you against being unmindful. You remember Allah; He too will remember you; call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.

We strive for the love of Allah

The mindset of the Islamic culture stems from the conviction that Allah Ta'ala is our Creator and Sustainer.

Hence in this short stay on earth, we are to serve Him alone in the manner taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Thus Islamic culture revolves around the firm belief that our mission in life is to serve Allah Almighty and His creation or our community.

With this mindset, one will sacrifice one's wealth, energies and time as much as possible for the purpose of life. Indeed one will acquire the necessities of life as well, but our faith will be the guiding light and driving force. Our faith or Taqwa (righteousness) will dictate and all else will follow. Life will be regarded as a journey wherein the traveler is not too concerned about the luxuries and comforts enroute. The traveler is focused towards his final destination in the hereafter. Yet, as a result of one's obedience to Allah Ta'ala, one will be blessed with true The Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, has explained that the desired destination for each Ahmadi is to achieve nearness of Allah Almighty and gain His pleasure, and we must strive to attain this state till the last breath of our life through our actions, by obeying the teachings of the Holy Prophet (saw).

Many a people form emotional bonds with worldly leaders and make many sacrifices to achieve material goals, but how many make sacrifices for Allah and His Prophet (saw)? These sacrifices for worldly leaders have no significance whatsoever because they do not follow Islamic teachings.

For those who are incarcerated, you should strive hard to form a pure and unique relationship with Allah Almighty by shunning all sorts of evil (greed, dishonesty, deceit, arrogance, pride, self-indulgence, etc.). Unless and until such a bond is developed with God, one is extremely weak and is confined to spiritual obscurity and incapable of facing any adversities. Therefore, make every effort to become the bearers of spiritual light as opposed to darkness, so that you are protected against the evil machinations of Satan.

Despite every adversity within this environment, we are told to constantly seek help from Allah and develop a direct relationship with Him. This can only be done if we put forth the purpose of our creation before us, as described in the Holy Quran "I have not created the Jinn and men but that they may worship Me" (51:57).

If we bear this in mind at all times, then our efforts to shun the vices and adopt the virtues described by Allah will be fruitful. These actions will further enhance our relationship with Allah Almighty. Remember, If we seek the blessings of Allah in our life, then we must always keep the purpose of our creation in mind.

The most fundamental way of worshipping God is through offering the five daily prayers. Every man, woman, young and old should remember that if they are lagging in observing Salat, then they will not be able to meet the standards prescribed to achieve the state of the righteous people. After the belief in One God, Salat is the most important pillar of our faith and therefore, you should perform it as if you see God before you. When one presents himself before a great leader, a type of fear prevails over him. God Almighty is the Most Supreme, therefore, visualizing God during Salat will eventually make us devoted worshippers.

The Holy Prophet (saw) said that one should offer Salat as if you see God before you. But if you are unable to do so, at least recognize the fact that God, Who has power over all things and is aware of the condition of every heart, sees you.

If we practice this, then our attention will be directed to improving our standards of worship, freeing them of worldly thoughts. Those who feel that they do not and/or cannot meet these standards should not despair. Remember, these are the standards you should strive for as this is the only way to make progress and attain additional blessings of Allah. Allah Almighty says "My mercy encompasses all things" (7:157).

Since we receive everything with Allah’s blessings, He will strengthen our efforts if we advance towards Him. When we strive in this way, the entire Jamaat will benefit. By the Grace of God, there are many in the Jama'at who offer prayers during the night and are far advanced in their love for God, but the Promised Messiah (as) desired to see the majority of the Jamaat members to reach these standards, and as the numbers of those who improve in Taqwa (righteousness) increase, we shall witness the dominance of the Jama'at. Our good actions will also attract others towards us and become a source of “Dawat Ilallah” (propagation of Islam).

Hasan Hakeem- I'm Back

March 21, 2006
Joy and Sorrow: A eulogy for Gerald I. Penny

"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, about the nature of joy and sorrow. “Your joy is your sorry unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. ... The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. ...When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” The prophet concludes by saying joy and sorrow are inseparable.

It is only as we have experienced pain, grief and setback that we then better know the blessing of health and wellness, healing, and overcoming problems. Part of maturation involves experiencing enough of life that we have gone through tough times, death of a loved one, illness, injury, hospitalizations. We have either personally or vicariously suffered through dreadful events: divorce, deaths, and so you can feel joy and tears of empathy when there are happy endings to terrible stories.

Thus deep happiness creates the joy that then prompts tears of sorrow if and when the happiness is taken away. So even if we must shed tears in mourning for Gerald and grief, deep down we can know that we feel grieved because we have also experienced the kind of love and relationship that gave us joy.

Joy and sorrow: opposite sides of the same coin. Knowing that we can't have one without the other helps to heal the grief and sorrow.As for joy, it moves in and out of my life. A transient visitor that comes to grace my presence while sorrow awaits me around another corner.


"Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow",
and others say, Nay, sorrow is the greater."
"But I say unto you, they are inseparable."
"Together they come, and when one sits alone with you
at your board remember that the other is asleep
upon your bed."

From: The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran

According to the Holy Qur’an, our present life, with all its joys and sufferings, is merely transitory and illusionary. The passage of human life continues after crossing the valley of death. Our present life is but temporary and fleeting, and the life after life is permanent and perpetual.

Death may be the ultimate human suffering in this world, but it is certainly not the end of life. Death is just like a door through which we have to pass to enter into a new dimension of life. In Islam, the next life is a reality beyond any doubt. Both the dimensions of human life — the life in this world and life yet to come — are welded together, one merging into the other like a splendid waterfall turning into a mighty river. The only difference is this that the second phase of human life is reflective of how we conduct ourselves in the first phase of life. The joys as well as the sufferings shall continue in the life Hereafter.

A friend wrote to me: “It is always sad to face the passing away of the people we know - to lose someone so close is certainly not easy. Allah is the final authority in judging people; people with faith or without.

Holy is He, Who Watches Over Me.

I believe once they have left this world it is between Allah and the individual. He is the maker of us all - Muslim or not Muslim.

Holy is He, Who Watches Over Me.

We should all pray that Allah out of His Mercy forgives his sins, just like He forgives and overlooks our shortcomings, and grant paradise to Gerald Irving Penny.

Holy is He, Who Watches Over Me.

With His benevolence and Mercy he can show his forgiveness by changing the hearts of the people left behind and of the people close to the deceased.”

Holy is He, Who Watches Over Me.

May God be our guide and have Mercy on us all.

In the end, Gerald was simply a humble “candy polisher” at the famous Jelly Belly factory. Did you see and speak to those who worked with him…people from various countries..Belize, Mexico…hardworking honest people who stood here last night with tears in their eyes.

Holy is He, Who Watches Over Me.

Eid: Straight Talk from Bangladesh

Eid

An enjoyable and powerful Eid commentary from Bangladesh
by Zafar Sobhan

Eid-ul-Azha is just around the corner. Watching images of the Hajj on TV and seeing how the Dhaka streets have emptied as people return to their villages to spend this holiday with their near and dear ones and sensing the mood of tranquillity that has descended on the country, I am reminded of my thoughts on returning to Dhaka in December in the midst of the annual Biswa Ijtema.

That too had been an impressive outpouring of faith, with an estimated four million participants thronging Tongi for the occasion. What I was reminded of, then as well as now, was that many if not most Bangladeshi Muslims are religious people and their faith is important to them.

Nor is this true only of Muslims in our country. Be they Muslim or Hindu or Christian or Buddhist -- we are by and large a religious people and our religion is an important part of how we live our lives.

This is something that we need to take into consideration when thinking about the future of religion and more importantly religion-based politics in Bangladesh.

I consider myself a staunch secularist. I am not a fan of religion-based politics, be they the politics of the religious right in the US, the Sangh Parivar in India, the ultra-rightists in Israel, or of the Islamist parties in Bangladesh.

My sympathies are always with the secularists, as I think it is the only way for different communities to live together in harmony in a plural society.

The problem for secularists -- and not just in Bangladesh -- is that they are often thought to be anti-religion.

This is the problem the Democratic party faces in the US, and there is persuasive evidence to suggest that this perceived opposition to religious faith on the part of the Dems is one of the factors that propelled President Bush to re-election.

Even though John Kerry is a church-going Catholic, the impression remains that if you are a religious person then the Democratic party is hostile to your faith. This is an extremely unfair perception, but one that nevertheless is quite widespread.

The perception is one that the Democratic party has to counter if it wishes to remain competitive at the national level. Simply put, if you are identified as anti-religion then you will not receive much sympathy from a lot of voters.

Similarly, in Bangladesh, secularists also need to work hard not to turn off religious voters or let the impression form that they are opposed to religion.

It should always be made clear that secularists are often people of faith themselves, and if not, then they at least respect the religious faith of others.

This last is a crucial point, because it stands in stark contrast to many fundamentalists, who evince a striking lack of respect for the religious faith, rights, and sensibilities of others. The current shameful campaign against the Ahmadiyya community is a case in point.

But I think that it would be a worthwhile exercise to look a little more closely at the religious impulse in Bangladesh, specifically among Muslims, instead of dismissing political Islam as the ideology of fanatics and fundamentalists that has no hope of gaining popularity among the general public.

The first thing to note is that right now, with Islam perceived to be under threat around the world, many Muslims are experiencing a resurgence of faith, and feel that they must publicly identify with and rally around their besieged religion.

With the neo-colonial and neo-imperialist ambitions of the West apparently running rough-shod over the world in which their voice has been silenced to a whisper, many Muslims are going to be looking for an alternative view of the world to that espoused by the neo-cons and their supporters in the White House.

In the context of Bangladesh, you don't have to be religious to believe that things are heading in the wrong direction, that public and private morality is at an all-time low, and that perhaps a complete cleansing of the system and a new start is the only solution.

After all, what solutions do the mainstream parties have to the wrongs and injustices that we see entrenched all around us? None that I have heard.

But the Islamists have a solution. They have a prescription for what needs to be done. They have a vision for the future.

They claim to be able to cleanse the system of its immorality. They profess an egalitarian vision which will offer hope and opportunity to all. They speak to and for the dispossessed. They have a strategy for Bangladesh to gain respect and recognition on the world stage.

In an ironic sense, the Islamists are the new communists. There is always going to be a strong anti-western constituency in the country that is implacably opposed to the rampant forces of neo-imperialism and neo-colonialism. It used to be the communists and leftists who spoke the language of these people, but who is speaking to this constituency today except the Islamists?

So, until the mainstream parties or liberal civil society actually comes to the table with an equally compelling competing vision, the fundamentalists will only get stronger.


For many Bangladeshis, if the price to pay for a functional state is that women must wear the hijab or that Friday prayers are made mandatory, that's a price well worth paying.

For me it is not. I think that the fundamentalists' explanation for what is wrong in the country misses the mark and that their prescription for the future is equally flawed.

But if things continue to head in the wrong direction, if fundamental wrongs are not righted, then I could be in the minority very quickly.
The issue isn't whether we are at heart a secular people or not, but who has a more compelling vision for the future, the secularists or the fundamentalists.

If secularists want to counter the rising tide of fundamentalism, they need a vision for the future that is at least equally compelling.

Secularists need to urgently address issues such as corruption and crime, such as education and opportunity for the dispossessed, such as our place in the world.

Secularists need to ensure that they are not considered irreligious, thereby losing the support and sympathy of the many religious people in this country who also want a tolerant and plural country.

Secularists need to point out that their vision for the future -- with education for women and full rights and opportunities for minorities -- is the more compelling one, and the one more in keeping with the founding ideals of the nation and the long-cherished values of its people.

But it is critical to understand that if the mainstream parties continue to neither listen to the people nor deliver what they want, then that space will be filled by the fundamentalists.

This is already happening to a certain extent. True the religious parties have never won too many seats in parliament, but consider the following:
Their seventeen seats in the current parliament are the most ever, and is almost 1000 percent higher than their representation after the 1996 elections.

Then consider the fact that the hijab are far more in evidence today than at any time in the past.

Then consider the activities of vigilante Islamist Bangla Bhai in the North-West and the on-going campaign against the Ahmadiyyas and the steady clip of attacks on minorities.

The BNP, which has formed a coalition government with the more respectable of the Islamists, thinks it can co-opt the fundamentalists. The AL seems to think that it can just ignore them. Both are wrong. The only way to counter fundamentalists is to understand where their popularity comes from and to give people a reason to support you rather than them.

Zafar Sobhan is an assistant editor of The Daily Star.

Hasan

Eid card
Hasan Hakeem Photo

Hasan and grandsons
Hasan Hakeem Photo

Yusef Lateef and Muhaiman Karim
Hasan Hakeem Photo

Muslims Vs. Muslims: An unreported battleground

Muslims Vs. Muslims By Sherrie Gossett January 13, 2005

What goes largely unreported is the fact that Muslims have been attacking, desecrating, and destroying their own mosques, shrines and holy sites.

Throughout the war in Iraq, much has been heard about the alleged desecration of Muslim holy sites by American troops killing terrorists. Even though the terrorists stay in mosques and store their weapons there, protests against American troops have been held around the world and Arab governments have issued statements of condemnation.

What goes largely unreported is the fact that Muslims have been attacking, desecrating, and destroying their own mosques, shrines and holy sites. One case involves turning the Prophet Mohammed's childhood home into a public restroom.

The Wahhabism form of Islam regards these religious buildings, structures and relics as idols to be destroyed.

At the same time, the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam has had its mosques attacked and reduced to rubble and their creeds erased from the front of mosques. This sect is singled out as heretical because it is dedicated to non-violence and opposes terrorism.

The destruction is largely occurring in two countries¯Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. One expert says that "…it can be stated without any risk of contradiction that since the advent of Islam never as many mosques have been desecrated in any Islamic state as in Pakistan during the last 15 years."

In June of last year, the Islamic Supreme Council of America, (ISCA) called for the support of the world community, UNESCO and the United Nations to stop the destruction of venerated Muslim relics in Saudi Arabia.

They issued two press releases detailing the damage being done. Three months later the Wall Street Journal covered the issue in a front page report, and the Weekly Standard followed suit, but a LexisNexis search turns up no other coverage.

Bangladesh: A culture of bombs?

By Dan MorrisonTHE WASHINGTON TIMES

SYLHET, Bangladesh — One recent afternoon, Farjana Siddika, 34, opened her office mail and found she was marked for death. "We are going to kill all the atheists, and you are on the list," the typed letter read. "You cannot live with a Hindu on the holy soil of Sylhet. You must make amends or face the consequences."

"At first I thought it was a hoax," said the literature professor, whose marriage to a Hindu is a rarity in this country of 140 million Muslims, and whose liberal views are equally rare at the technical college where she teaches.

"But when my family heard about it, they went into a panic." No wonder. Sylhet, a northern Bangladeshi city known better for tea gardens than religious extremism, was terrorized by dozens of death threats last year and seven grenade blasts that killed five persons and injured more than 100.

"This bomb culture is completely new to Sylhet," said Mayor Badaruddin Kamran, who was the target of a blast in August that killed a close friend.
The attacks are not limited to academics and politicians: Three movie theaters have been bombed and Sylhet's holiest shrine, the tomb of Hazrat Shah Jalal, a Seventh Century Sufi saint, was hit twice by grenade attacks. Islamist radicals believe praying at shrines — a common practice in most of the Muslim world — amounts to idolatry. No one has been charged in either attack.

The attacks mirror a pattern of unchecked violence across Bangladesh, raising concern that religious radicals nurtured by Islamic charities linked to al Qaeda and protected by the government are undermining long-held traditions of tolerance.

"If there is a country in the world today in danger of completely breaking down, it's Bangladesh," said Gowher Rizvi, a Bangladeshi who heads the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University.

The violence made world news last summer when Sheikh Hasina Wajed, a former prime minister, was nearly assassinated in a grenade attack that killed 20 persons in Dhaka, the capital.

In May, the British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury was hurt and three Bangladeshis were killed in a blast at the Shah Jalal shrine in Sylhet.

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's parliamentary affairs adviser, discounted talk of rising Islamist extremism. "I don't think I'd take it too seriously," said Mr. Chowdhury, who is a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh's leading Islamist party.

"These cases may be politically motivated to harm the image of the government." Others say Mrs. Zia's Bangladesh National Party is allowing militants to tip the balance against Mrs. Wajed's rival Awami League. "By unleashing fundamentalist forces in the country, they will be able to contain the Awami League," Mr. Rizvi said.

Mrs. Zia's ruling coalition includes two Islamist parties and her government includes men accused of war crimes during the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. It is estimated that Pakistani soldiers and their allies in breakaway Bangladesh killed as many as 1 million people during the fight to separate what was then East Pakistan.

Politics in Bangladesh is captive to the rivalry of Mrs. Wajed and Mrs. Zia. Mrs. Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led Bangladesh from its birth until 1975, when he was killed by army officers. Mrs. Zia's late husband, Gen. Ziaur Rahman, ruled after Mujibur Rahman's death until he too was slain in 1981.

This blood feud divides the army, the civil service and the press, leaving education and public health to thousands of aid groups and charities. Corruption is pervasive.

Following 15 years of army rule, there have been three successful national elections. Despite her Islamist partners, Mrs. Zia is pushing to reserve a third of the seats in parliament for women, and wants to reform the country's divorce laws. She defeated Mrs. Wajed in the 2001 elections by promising law and order.

But violence has only grown. On Oct. 29, a mob of 1,000 people razed a mosque of the embattled Ahmadiyya Muslim sect during Ramadan prayers. Islamist radicals consider the Ahmadiyya heretics.

Some analysts fear the conditions that allow a mob to tear down a mosque could draw foreign militants to Bangladesh. Local and foreign press describe the lawless southeast as a potential haven for Islamic militants. Riduan Isamuddin, known as Hambali, the reputed ringleader of the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia, was en route to Bangladesh when he was captured in Thailand in 2003, regional officials said.

The newspaper Prothom Alo detailed a network of training camps in Bangladesh run by the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami. The camps are connected to local mosques and madrassas — Islamic boarding schools — funded by charities with reputed ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

Bangladesh has 6,900 government-regulated secondary-level madrassas that teach modern subjects alongside the Koran, a rarity in Muslim countries. But an additional 6,500 secondary-level madrassas and 18,000 elementary madrassas are funded by unregulated private donors, often charities that espouse a more intolerant strain of Islam than is usual in Bangladesh.

The U.S. government has named at least two major supporters of madrassas in Bangladesh — the Pakistan-based Rabita Trust and the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, which Saudi Arabia dissolved last year — as conduits for al Qaeda.

Mr. Chowdhury downplayed such funding. "You're looking for accountability from a madrassa that gets $600 from a lousy foundation in the Gulf?" he asked. "Look, Bangladesh is a country where most of the people live on less than 2,000 calories a day. If someone offers money, we'll take it."

Courtesy of the Washington Times

The Importance of Collective Prayers in Islam

According to the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace and blessings of Allah, Salat is the pinnacle of the spiritual life of the believer.

It is the highest form of Divine worship. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is further reported to have observed: Prayer brings the believer into communion with his Lord.

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an [22:42] “Those who, if We establish them in the earth, will observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil. And with Allah rests the final issue of all affairs.”

In addition: “Surely those who follow the Book of Allah and observe Prayer and spend out of that which we have provided for them, secretly and openly, are pursuing a commerce that suffers no loss, for Allah will give them their full reward, and will add to them out of His bounty. He is surely, Most Forgiving, Most Appreciating.” (35:30-31)

It must be realized that sincere prayer never goes in vain. Sometimes, the deep spiritual experience of the intense love of God brings tears to the eyes. Sometimes, a milder pleasure of love fills the heart with sublime happiness. These experiences are signs of the Prayer being alive, meaningful and fruitful. Otherwise, just a performance of formality is not enough to benefit man.

That would be obeying an order without one's heart being in it. That is why it is highly essential that every beginner should keep this noble objective before him and always try to make his Prayers come alive. How do prayers come alive, read the writings of the Promised Messiah, alaihissalaam, begin to work with sincerity on your prayers and eliminating ego in self that prevents you from bringing sincere prayer into your life.

We as Ahmadi Muslims are blessed that we recognized the Imam of the age and that Allah has united us via the Khilafat and made us strong. We pray to Allah that He should keep on blessing us in this manner and that He enables us to be thankful for His blessings and that we should be enabled to make use of the Mosque, or mission house as it should.

We should remember that in order to obtain the blessings of Allah, it is essential to pay attention to the worship of Allah and to discharging our duties towards our fellow beings and by spreading the good in the world. Allah says that when you are given the power in the earth then your preferences should not change.

You should pay more attention to prayers so that you may be deserving of more blessings. Also, your future generations should be such that would attract Allah’s Blessings so that you may remain strong.

The same subject has been stated in verse 56 of Sura Al-Nur.

[24:56] Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will, surely, make them successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will, surely, establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will, surely, give them in exchange security and peace after their fear; They will worship ME and they will not associate anything with ME. Then whoso disbelieves after that, they will be the rebellious.

[24:57] And observe Prayer and give the Zakat and obey the Messenger, that you may be shown Mercy.

The Islamic prayer has the effect of removing one's sins. A Hadith relates that some people asked the Prophet why Muslims need to pray five times a day, and the Prophet was reported to have said, "Tell me, if there is a stream at the door of one of you, in which you bathe five times a day, wouldn't it then remove all dirt from your body?" They said, "It would." The Prophet then said, "This is the likeness of the five prayers, with which God blots out all faults.

Muslims perform the salat as a gratitude to God for giving them His favor in whatever form and however small or insignificant. The salat makes a Muslim remember God every moment of the day and helps him to keep away from committing faults intentionally or unintentionally. It must also be said that it becomes increasingly difficult to harbor unkind thoughts or perform ill-deeds when you keep God in the forefront of your conscience.

In a sense, salat is food for one's own soul. As such, no Muslim can ask another to do the salat for him, just as no hungry person can ask another to eat for him. Just as we eat a few specific times a day to keep our physical body nourished, a Muslim does the salat five times a day to keep his soul nourished.

The service of prayer is divided into two parts, one to be said in private and the other to be performed in congregation, preferably in a Mosque. While the private part is meant simply for the development of the inner self of man, the public part has other ends as well in view, ends, indeed, that make the Islamic prayer a mighty force in the unification of the human race.

The importance of congregational prayer. A greater reward as compared to
individual prayer.

In principal, collective prayer is more meritorious than individual prayer, the former, it is said, having twenty-seven times the spiritual value of the later. From this, therefore, ensures the importance of the Friday prayer, al-Jumu'ah, the day of the great gathering of the community of Islam.

The Qur'an specifically mentions the Friday prayer in Al-Jumu'ah (62) verse 9 to wit: O you who have attained to Faith! When the call to prayer is sounded on the day of congregation, hasten to the remembrance of God, and leave all worldly commerce: this is for your own good, if you but knew it. (Qur'an 62:9)

Throughout the Muslim world l mosques are frequented five times a day, a task which appears to be over-much demanding to a casual observer. This aspect should be further elaborated to build a more comprehensive picture of the role of congregational prayers in the Muslims' way of life.

Muslims are urged to perform their daily prayers in congregation, and must do so for the Friday noon congregational prayer. This creates a bond of love and mutual understanding, arouses a sense of collective unity, fosters a collective purpose, and inculcates a deep feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood.

If we are steadfast in out prayers we will remain strong as long as you keep paying the Zakat and making financial sacrifices and enjoining good and forbidding evil. It is also mentioned that the end result is still in the hands of Allah. Our task is to obey the instructions with pure intentions and not merely for show.

It is reported by Hazrat Jabirra where the Holy Prophet, saw, said that the distinguishing factor between a believer and a non-believer is the non-performance of Salat. According to this Hadith, a believer is a person who is regular in the offering of his prayers. Otherwise there is no difference between that person and a non-believer.

The Promised Messiah, alaihissalaam. writing about prayer said: “In short, prayer is that sovereign remedy which converts a handful of dust into precious metal. It is the water which washes out inner impurities. With such payer, the soul melts and, flowing like water, falls at the threshold of the Divine. It stands before God and bows down before Him and prostrates itself before Him. Indeed, the salat that Islam teaches is a reflection of such prayer.” (Lecture Sialkot, Ruhani Khaza, vol.20, pp. 223-224).

In conclusion let us pay special attention to offering our prayers in congregation in the manner that would make us deserving of Allah’s Blessings. May Allah enable us to do so. Aameen

Hasan

Tsunami: A prayer

It’s the New Year and our celebrations were dampened as we watched the Tsunami tragedy being repeatedly played throughout the day. And with each day, we listened as the numbers continued to grow with no end in sight to this tragedy.

What is and continues to be impressive has been the world’s response to Asia’s needs including a response by the people of America, who were embarrassed by our government’s disappointing initial reaction to the Tsunami devastation.

The aid supplies and humanitarian relief effort is more than impressive as Americans responded with money, supplies and prayers.

We share the grief and feel the pain of the incredible loss of life resulting from this natural disaster.

We have made our donation through Humanity First, USA and we pray:

Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilahie Rajioon

(From Allah we come and to Him we return)

Hasan