Our new house

Different kinds of animals

Pictures taken at the zoo, safari garden, ponds, rivers, beaches, etc.
(c) mridha 2005


"And God has created every animal from water,
of them there are some that creep on their bellies;
some that walk on two legs, and some that walk
on four. God creates what He wills for verily God
has power over all things." (Qur'an 24:45)

"The heavens and the earth are signs for those who believe.
Also in your creation, and the creation of all the animals
scattered on earth, there are signs for people who are certain."
(Qur'an 45:3-4)

SIRAH: There are some among you who scare people away...

Mu'adh ibn Jabal (RA) was one of Rasulullah's (SAW) closest and
learned companion. He was an Imam (Leader of the Prayer) in a
neighborhood of Madinah. In the prayer of Fajr he used to recite long
verses of the Qur'an. Someone came to Rasulullah (SAW) and said,
"O Rasulullah, Mu'adh recites long chapters of the Qur'an. His
prayers are so long that I get tired. I prefer not to offer prayer with
jama'ah (congregation in the masjid)." Rasulullah (SAW) heard this
and became concerned.

Rasulullah (SAW) addressed the people and said, "There are some
among you who scare people away. Whoever leads the salat (prayer)
among you, should recite short portions of the Qur'an because there
are the weak and the aged and those who have bussiness to attend.
Show them special concern."


Notes:

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference:

STORIES OF THE SIRAH
THE TEACHER OF MANKIND
by: Abid'ullah Ghazi & Tasneema K.Ghazi.

SIRAH: Time for this and time for that...

Some of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) attained great
spiritual heights. They believed that in order to remain at such
a spiritual level they should always be serious, engaged in
constant worship, turning their backs on all the enjoyments of life
and the good things of the world, neither playing nor relaxing but
keeping their eyes and their minds fixed on the Hereafter and its
concerns, away from common life and its amusements.

Abu Bakr (RA) one day met Hanzalah al-Usaidi (RA) and asked him,
"How are you, Hanzalah?" He replied, "Hanzalah has become a
hypocrite."  Abu Bakr said, "Subhanallah! What are you saying?" He
replied, "When we are with Rasulullah (SAW), he mentions Hell and
Paradise until it is as if we can see them. But when we leave the
Prophet's company and play with our wives and children or busy
ourselves with our properties, we forget much."

Abu Bakr (RA) said, "By God, I have experienced the same thing."

Both of them went to visit the Messenger of God (SAW) and
Hanzalah (RA) said, "O Rasulullah, Hanzalah has become a
hypocrite." He (SAW) asked, "And how is that?" Then Hanzalah
explained it.

Rasulullah (SAW) then said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul,
if you were continue at the same level at which you were when
with me and in remembering Allah, the angels would shake (hold) 
hands with you when you are resting and when you walk about, but, O
Hanzalah, there is a time for this and a time for that." And he (SAW)
repeated this phrase three times.

Notes:

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference:
Halal and Haram in Islam, Dr.Yusuf Qardhawi,
Sahih Muslim

SIRAH: A man of paradise

 
One day, when Rasulullah (SAW) sat with his companions (RA),
he (SAW) said: "Just now a man of Paradise is coming to you."
Immediately a man from Ansar came there. His face and beard were wet
from ablution. He was carrying his shoes in his left hand.

On the next day, Rasulullah (SAW) said again: "Just now a man of
Paradise is coming to you." And the same man of Ansar appeared in the
same condition. On the third day, Rasulullah (SAW) repeated the
same words, and the same man again appeared in the same condition.

When Rasulullah (SAW) stood up, Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) went after
that man. He asked him if he could spend three nights in his house.
In the man's house, Abdullah found out whenever this man went to bed,
he used to remember God, and he used to get up for prayer
in the morning. Abdullah never heard anything from his mouth except
words of truth and goodness.

After three nights, Abdullah (RA) told that man about what he
have heard from Rasulullah (SAW). Abdullah bin 'Amr said:
"Then I desired to stay with you to see what act of yours is that
I may follow the same. But I did not see you doing any extra-ordinary
work. What is the reason Rasulullah (SAW) has said a nice thing
about you?"

The man said: "The reality is what you have seen. However, I do not
keep any spite/grudge against anyone, and if  God has blessed
someone with any good thing, I am not  jealous of him."

Notes:

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference: Musnad Imam Ahmad

SIRAH: To whom will You abandon me...?

 
In th 10-th year of Prophethood, when the pagans persisted with their
scoffs and scorns after the death of the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib,
the Prophet (SAW) went to Ta'if with his adopted son,  Zaid bin
Harithah (RA), to seek help from people there.

In Ta'if, the Prophet (SAW) met the chiefs and leaders of Thaqif
whom he invited to accept Islam. They were, however, rude and
discourteous in their behaviour to Rasulullah (SAW). Not being
content with their insolent reply, they even stirred up some rabble
of the town to harrass the Prophet. These riff-raffs followed
Rasulullah (SAW), abusing and shouting and throwing the stones on
him, until he was compelled to take refuge in an orchard.
These louts standing on either side of the path threw stones on him
until his feet were injured and smeared with blood. Their oppression
weighed so heavily upon the Prophet (SAW) that in a state of
depression a prayer complaining the succour of God, came to his lips:

"O God, to You I complain of my weakness, resoucelessness and
humiliation before the people. You are the Most Merciful, the Lord of
the weak and my Master. To whom will You abandon me? To stranger,
bearing ill will, or, an enemy given power over me? If  Your wrath is
not on me, I care not, for Your favour is abundant for me.
I seek refuge in the light of Your countenance by which all
darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is
set right, for I fear that Your anger should descend upon me or Your
displeasure light upon me. I need only Your pleasure and satisfaction
for only You enable me to do good and evade the evil. There is no
power and no might except in You."

God Almighty then sent the angel of mountains who sought the
Prophet's permission to join together the two hills between which
Ta'if was located, but Rasulullah (SAW) replied: "No, I hope God
will bring forth from their loins (descendants) people who will
worship Him alone, and associating nothing with Him."

Notes:

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference: Sirah An-Nabawiyah, Abul Hasan Ali An-Nadwi,
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
 

Hide and Seek

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Mystery & Suspense

This review may implicitly contain some spoiler...

This is a pretty good suspense movie. It's psychological thriller, an Alfred Hitchcock's type of movie. You will keep guessing who is behind all those murders in the house. And you won't guess it right until everything is revealed at the end. The setting of the house with the quiet forest background adds the eerie feeling.

Good acting by all the actors/actresses, DeNiro and Fanning especially.
Some of the deleted scenes are probably better left uncut.
And some of the alternate endings are somewhat mind-boggling!

Lessons learned:

1. Don't cheat on your husband (or wife)
2. Be open to your wife (or husband) about the marriage problem, don't keep it to yourself until it affects your mind badly.
3. Ask for psychological help if necessary, don't be so over-confident about solving your own problem by yourself in difficult situation.

Playing basketball in the backyard

Buat Kiki, Fia dan Rani

Blessing in disguise

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Based on true story... :-)

1. The whole family were ready to go camping waiting for him in the car.
After locking the door of the apartment, he walked on the grass near the
parking lot toward the car. Suddenly the water sprinkler sprayed burst of
water all over him and made his pants wet. He hated the fact that he had to go
back to his apartment to have his pants changed. To his surprise, as he took off the
pants, he realized he didn't have his wallet in the pants' pocket. If the water
sprinkler didn't wet his pants, he would have gone camping without bringing
his wallet (which means no driver license, ID, money, etc).

2. This guy lost his glasses one day and couldn't find it anywhere that he could
remember. He then had this thought, thinking he probably put his glasses in some
particular place like between some books or somewhere in his study room. He went
to the room and found it so disordered and he started organizing all books and
stuffs, cleaning up for about an hour or so. While doing this, he realized
that the room was so messy and it's about time for this clean-up. To his
surprise, after the room was all tidied up, his wife found the glasses in
a dressing cabinet of the bedroom. If he didn't lose his glasses, the room would
still be disorganized by now.


This one could also be based on true story... :-)

A man was able to swim to an uninhabited island from his drowning ship. He
managed to live alone on that island by eating fruits and fish. He built a small
hut from the trees of the island as a shelter from rain and heat. He prayed
everyday to God to help him getting out of that island but so far no avail.
After few weeks, while he was away in the jungle, his home was burnt by fire
from lightning. When he returned, he found only the remnant of his home burnt to
the ground. He looked up to the sky and asked "Why God, why?". Suddenly he
heard someone shouted at him behind his back: "Excuse me! Do you need any
help? Are you alone on this island?" He turned and saw some people arrived at
the beach with their ship. The same person said again, "We saw your light signal
from our ship so we thought that someone might need help on this island." He
realized that the fire that burned his hut was the one who gave the signal to those
people who came to the island to help him.

SIRAH: May I have it...?

 
One day, a woman gave a gift to Rasulullah (SAW) a burdah (sheet)
with fringe. She said: "O Rasulullah, I have brought this so that
you may wear it." So Rasulullah (SAW) took it and wore it.
A man among his companions, seeing him wearing it, said:
"O Rasulullah, may I have it?"

Rasulullah (SAW) said: "Sure," and gave the man the sheet.

When Rasulullah (SAW) left, the man was blamed by his friends who
said: "It was not nice to ask Rasulullah for it while you know he
took it because he was in need of it, and you also know that he
never turns down anyone's request that he might be asked for."

Then the man said: "I just wanted to have its blessings as Rasulullah
had put it on, so I hoped that when I die I might be shrouded in it."



Notes:

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference: Sahih Bukhari

SIRAH: How dare those people...

A companion of the Prophet (SAW) came to see him to inform him that some women and children had been found killed in a battle.

The Prophet (SAW) said angrily: "How dare those people exceed the limit, killing women and children!".  To this someone said: "But they are nothing but children of the pagans!". The prophet (SAW) replied: "Even children of the pagans are better than you!* Do not kill them!". He repeated this three times.


Notes:

* In Islamic teaching, children are born sinless regardless of their parents' belief.

Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).


Reference: Musnad Imam Ahmad, Mustadrak Imam Hakim

rayyan_main_ludah

Buat Kiki

SIRAH: This is all that you have...

Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) once went to visit the Prophet (SAW) at his home.
The Prophet was inside his room lying on the mat of datepalm leaves.
Umar sat near his body and saw that there was only one sheet over his
body and below it there was no cloth; the marks of this mat could be
seen on his body, and in a corner of the room there was some barley
and some leaves, and the skin of an animal was hanging above.
Seeing this Umar could not control himself and tears came to his eyes.

The Prophet (SAW) inquired of him: "What is the matter, O Son of
Khattab? Why are you crying?"

Umar (RA) replied: "I cannot help weeping. I can see the mat has left
its mark on your body, and this is all that you have, beyond this I cannot
see anything. On the other hand, Caesar and Cyrus (the Emperors of
Romans and Persians) are enjoying in the gardens of fruits, and living
luxuriously with all the pleasures provided by their wealth. But you are
God's Prophet and this is the condition of your possessions!"

The Prophet (SAW) got up from his position. "O Son of Khattab," he replied
to Umar, "Don't you like that there will be Hereafter for us, and the world
for them?"


Notes:
Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).

Reference:  Sahih Bukhari

Hate e-mails against Muslims in America

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Kansas.com - The Wichite Eagle:
E-mailers' deep hatred is truly shocking
by: Mark McCormick
The Wichita Eagle

I'm not sure which group scares me more: foreign terrorists or some
of the domestic wackos crawling out from under rocks in response to
the terrorists.

Take this latest batch of e-mail sent to Eagle religion writer Joe
Rodriguez after he wrote about the completion of a new mosque ("With
mosque, dream is reality," July 14).

I'd ordinarily ignore such e-mail, but it traveled so far beyond civil
discourse into hate speech that I felt compelled to sound a critical
social alarm.

I apologize to anyone of the Islamic faith who is offended by what
follows. I use it only because people need to know that such disgusting
attitudes exist here in our community of faith.

"We don't need this blood thirsty Religion in America," read one e-mail,
signed "Semper Fi. USMC Vietnam Combat Veteran."

Another seemed to advocate internment camps for Muslim Americans.

"All jihadists are Muslims, but not all Muslims are jihadists. But how are
we supposed to distinguish between the ones who are plotting attacks
and the ones who are just selling pitas and fatoush?" the writer said.

"Whether or not Muslims actually want to blow us up is irrelevant
simply because the average citizen can't tell the good from the bad,
therefore all are suspect."

Wow. What about all the people resembling Eric Rudolph and Tim
McVeigh? Should we start locking them up too?

Muslims, says another writer, have "infiltrated our lands, multiplied
their numbers, slowly used our own constitution against us, the same
constitution that they will love to do away with so that we all can
'submit' to a Muslim theocracy...."

In response to a photo of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in the new mosque
with her head covered, another person wrote, "It was really nice to see
Sebelius wearing the mark of a 7th century slave."

Under the heading of "dream of mosque opening" still another wrote,
"More like a... nightmare. I say to our military, bomb the mosques."

Another writer wanted to go beyond bombing mosques.

"I don't give a tinker's damn about their mosques, their warlord's
religion or their phony god. If I were President there would no longer
be an Arab world. These people understand nothing but death."

There was much more, but you get the point.

Sometimes crazy e-mails such as these waft in from the fringe. This
time, though, there are so many of them, and fringe folk ordinarily
don't leave a name and address. These folks did. That's what's so
scary.

The people who wrote these screeds didn't appear to feel any shame
about the racist sentiments in the e-mails. In fact, they seemed imbued
with some sort of twisted patriotism.

It's not patriotism. It's sick.

We need to loudly distance ourselves from these fanatics and their
rhetoric.

These writers, like the terrorists they're reacting to, use fear to divide
and intimidate. And they demonstrate the cultural superiority that long
has fueled anti-American hatred in pockets of the Islamic world.

If the simple threat of terrorism can cause so many people around us
to emotionally and psychologically regress this way, the terrorists won't
really have to do anything.

We'll finish the job ourselves.

Reach Mark McCormick at 268-6549 or
mmccormick@wichitaeagle.com.

Photo:
The scarf Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wore at a mosque's grand opening
attracted bitter criticism in an e-mail, one of several expressing anti-Muslim
sentiment to an Eagle writer.

SIRAH: Son of a black woman

 
One day, one of the Prophet's companions, Abu Dzarr al-Ghiffary (RA) derisively called another companion, Bilal bin Rabah (RA), "son of a black woman". When the Prophet (SAW) heard this, he reprimanded Abu Dzarr and said: "This means you still retain the standards and judgements of jahiliyya (the pre-Islamic days of ignorance). Islam has eradicated all those false standards in judging people by blood, fame, color or wealth. It has established that the best and most honourable of men is he who is the most pious and upright in conduct. Is it right to defame someone just because he is black?"

Feeling remorse,  Abu Dzarr went straight to Bilal's house, put his head on the ground, and said: "This head will not rise from here until the blessed feet of Bilal tread on the face of foolish and impolite Abu Dzarr." Bilal came out and responded: "That face deserves to be kissed, not trodden upon". He embraced Abu Dzarr and forgave him.

Notes:
Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).

Reference:  Sahih Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Mubarak

SIRAH: A Kiss from The Prophet

Jabir ibn Samrah (RA) was a little child who loved Rasulullah
(SAW) and never missed a chance to be with him. Each day he went
to Masjid an-Nabi (the Mosque of the Prophet) to offer Salat
(regular prayer) behind the Prophet (SAW). He enjoyed the Prophet's
recitations and speeches. When Rasulullah went out, the little boy
often followed him around.

One day, after completing the Salat, Rasulullah (SAW) left for
home. The little Jabir ibn Samrah followed him again. Some of
the children saw Rasulullah walking by. They all went running to him
saying, "O Rasulullah, we love you. O Rasulullah, we love you."
Rasulullah stopped to hug and kiss the children. As he turned
around, he saw Jabir behind him. Rasulullah looked at Jabir
affectionately and said, "Oh, you are following me once again."
Then he hugged Jabir and kissed him.

Jabir (RA) always remembered Rasulullah's warmth. Long after
Rasulullah passed away, Jabir used to tell people how much
he missed the Prophet's love...


Notes:
Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW)
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).

Reference:
STORIES OF THE SIRAH
YOUNG SAHABAH OF RASULULLAH (SAW)
by: Abid'ullah Ghazi & Tasneema K.Ghazi.

Islam and Terrorism

http://islam.about.com/od/terrorism/
Terrorism cannot be justified under any valid interpretation of the Islamic faith.
Muslim scholars speak out against terrorism in all its forms,
and offer explanations of misinterpreted teachings.

Muslim leaders condemning terror to deaf?

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

The Florida Times-Union
July 13, 2005

MUSLIM LEADERS CONDEMNING TERROR TO DEAF?

Why don't we hear Muslim leaders condemning terrorism? In the wake of
the London bombings, I called Parvez Ahmed, a Jacksonville resident who
three months ago became chairman of perhaps the best-known Muslim
organization in America, and asked him that.

And there was silence.
Well, just when the phone cut out.
Once I got him back on the line, the University of North Florida professor
who is the new chairman of the Washington-based Council on American-
Islamic Relations, did what he has been doing ever since he woke up
Thursday, logged onto his computer and saw the news.

He condemned the bombings.
He condemned the people behind them.
He did it immediately and unequivocally.

"This is just absolute madness," he said. "It does not make any sense
whatsoever. No ideology can even remotely justify what's going on."

You want a Muslim condemnation of terrorism?
How would you like it delivered?

In the past week, Muslim groups have been condemning the attacks via e-
mail blasts to the media, through news conferences, during a personal
meeting with the British ambassador, in prayer services all over the country
and, coming soon to television stations, with a public service announcement.

This hardly is new. After Sept. 11, Muslim leaders issued statements,
prayed for the victims, encouraged relief efforts and, in some cities, took out
a full-page newspaper ad signed by 40 groups that said: "We condemn in
the strongest terms possible the use of terror to further any political or
religious cause."

Nearly 700,000 Muslims have signed a "Not in the Name of Islam" petition on
CAIR's Web site that begins: "We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state
clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the
name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying
the values of the faith they claim to represent."

Yet when Ahmed speaks in public, the most common question is: Why don't
Muslims denounce terrorism?

This has been a persistent drumbeat on talk radio, one that was echoed last
year by syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin after CAIR took on a radio host
in Boston.

The organization, she wrote, "won't condemn Muslim fanatics, but it has
declared war on outspoken Americans who will."

Just last week, following the London bombings, New York Times columnist
Thomas Friedman wrote, "To this day, no major Muslim cleric or religious
body has ever issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden."

Juan Cole, a University of Michigan history professor, quickly compiled a list
of such condemnations. Not that people remember them.

They remember that some kids danced in the street when the towers came
down.

"There always will be lunatics who will try to justify the unjustifiable,"
Ahmed said.

There certainly are legitimate reasons to question some Muslim groups (not
to mention some Christian and Jewish groups). But to say that Muslims have
remained silent after attacks not only is inaccurate, Ahmed believes it fuels
Osama bin Laden's Sept. 11 goal of a religious battle.

"That trap needs to be avoided," Ahmed said. "The breadth of Muslim voices
against Al-Qaida, against Osama bin Laden, against 9/11, against such
terrorism, is as broad as it can be, from the most conservative to the most
liberal voices and everything in between."

So why don't we hear Muslim leaders condemning terrorism?

Maybe we're not listening.

mark.woodsjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4212

-- Click here to read the source.
-- Photo taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8597878/

SIRAH: Love for children

Rasulullah (SAW) loved children. He showed his affection for them
in many ways. He hugged them and patted them on back. He touched
their heads, combing their hair with his fingers. He liked to hold
little children in his arms. He made funny faces (like pulling his
tongue out) to please them. When lying down he seated them on his
legs or chest.

Rasulullah (SAW) loved to play with children. He made them stand
in a straight line, then he himself stood at a distance, spread his
hands and told children, "Come running to me. Whoever touches me
first will get a prize!" They would all come, running and
breathless. When they reached Rasulullah (SAW), they would fall
all over him. He enjoyed sport, gave prizes of dates and sweets to
the winners and hugged and kissed the participants.

Whenever Rasulullah (SAW) passed by the children, he tried to be
the first to say, "Assalamu 'alaikum." When riding, he would let
children sit on his camel or donkey.

When children saw him, they came running. He greeted them warmly,
picked them up, hugged them and kissed them. He loved giving them
dates, fruits and sweets to eat.

In some prayers, Rasulullah (SAW) read long Surahs (chapters of
the Qur'an). But if he heard a baby crying, he would read a short
Surah and say a short prayer. This helped the mother to take care
of her baby.

Once a bedouin came and saw Rasulullah (SAW) hugged and kissed
Al-Hasan bin Ali (RA), one of his grandsons. The bedouin said,
"By God, I have ten children and I have never hugged or kissed
any of them." The Prophet responded, "He who does not love others
will not be loved by others."

Rasulullah (SAW) was always pleased to see parents loving and
caressing the children. He once said, "When God blesses people
with children, and they give their children love and meet their
parental obligation, He will keep them safe from the fire of Hell."


Notes:
Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
Rasulullah = The Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW)
SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).

Reference:
STORIES OF THE SIRAH
YOUNG SAHABAH OF RASULULLAH (SAW)
by: Abid'ullah Ghazi & Tasneema K.Ghazi.

SIRAH: The day when a stranger came

 
Umar bin Khattab (RA**), one of close companions of the Messenger
of God (SAW*) narrated:

One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of God there
appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and
whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be
seen on him and none of us knew him.

He walked up and sat down by the prophet. Resting his knees against
his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said: "O
Muhammad, tell me about Islam".

The Messenger of God answered: "Islam is to testify that there is
no other god but One God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God,
to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat (charity), to fast in Ramadhan,
and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so."

He said: "You have spoken rightly".

We were amazed at him asking the Messenger of God and saying that
he had spoken rightly.

He again said: "Then tell me about Iman (faith)"

The Messenger of God answered: "It is to believe in God, His
Angels, His Scriptures, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe
in Destiny, both the good and the evil thereof."

He said: "You have spoken rightly".
He again said: " Then tell me about Ihsan (perfect goodness)"

The Messenger of God answered: "It is to worship God as though
you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not, but truly He sees
you".

He said: "Then tell me about the Hour".

The Messenger of God answered: "The one who was asked knows
no better than the one who asked the question."

He said: "Then tell me about its signs."

The Messenger of God answered: "That the slave-girl will give birth
to her master and that you will see the barefooted, naked,
destitute herdsman competing in constructing lofty buildings."

Then the stranger took himself off and I (Umar) stayed for a time.

Then the Messenger of God asked me: "O Umar, do you know who the
questioner was?"

I said: "God and His Messenger know best".

The Messenger of God said: "He was Archangel Gabriel, who came
to teach you your religion."


Notes:
Sirah = Story of the life of the Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (SAW).
*  SAW = Sallallahu 'alayhi wasalam (may God's blessing and peace be upon him)
**  RA = Radhiallahu 'anhu/'anha (may God be pleased with him/her).

Reference: Sahih Muslim

The Journey Inside A Computer

http://www97.intel.com/discover/JourneyInside/TJI_Intro/default.aspx
Educate your children (or yourself) about the basic building blocks of computers and computing technology:

Introduction to Computers
Circuits and Switches
Digital Information
Microprocessors
The Internet
Technology and Society

Use the "Instructional Strategies" tab to read information about how to use the materials presented to teach the children...
Don't miss the video presentation on every lesson!

Learning Intel Digital Home

http://www.intel.com/personal/digital_home/
See how Intel vision of a "Digital Home" is all about... All in 3D multimedia graphics and sounds...*

* Macromedia Shockwaves and Flash Player are required.

Jokes - Visiting U.S. restaurant and grocery store for the first time...

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

True stories...

1. A man went to a McDonald restaurant, and the girl at the counter asked him: "For here or to go?" (asking whether he wants to take the food home or eats it at the restaurant). Confused with what she meant by that, but trying to look not stupid, he answered: "Fresno" (thinking maybe she asked him where he was going to go). She said: "Excuse me?" He replied again: "I'm going to Fresno". Someone next to him noticed the situation and explained to him the meaning of the question. :-)

2. A man went to Subway restaurant and the guy at the counter asked him: "White or wheat?". Not knowing what the guy meant, he answered: "Both". The guy asked him: "Do you like to order two sandwiches?". The visitor said: "No, just one". The counter guy asked him again but this time slowly "Do you like it with white bread or wheat bread?" :-)

3. A woman went to Fred Meyer convenient store and waited in line to pay her groceries. The counter guy asked her: "Plastic or paper?" The woman, confused with the guy's question but embarrased to ask, answered: "Ok." The guy asked her again with the same question but with more words this time: "You want your stuffs in plastic bag or paper bag?" :-)

Muslims condemn terrorist attack!

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

News Releases
Thursday, July 07, 2005

CAIR Condemns 'Barbaric' London Terror Attacks

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/7/05) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today condemned this morning's bomb attacks in London as "barbaric crimes."

In its statement, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said:

"We join Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning these barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused. American Muslims offer their sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured in today's attacks and call for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators."

The Muslim Council of Britain and other British Islamic groups issued similar condemnations of the attacks and urged Muslims to help in the recovery effort.

In 2004, CAIR launched an online petition drive, called "Not in the Name of Islam," designed to disassociate Islam from the violent acts of a few Muslims.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=169&page=AA

The "Not in the Name of Islam" petition states:
"We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him."

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 31 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
To read CAIR's Mission, Vision Statement and Core Principles, go to: http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=About

Conflict management buat umat

http://mridha.blogspot.com/2005_07_05_mridha_archive.html
Terus terang saja, saya memiliki trauma mengenai unity dalam umat ini. Sudah banyak saya lihat perdebatan sengit di masjid, sampai menuju ke perkelahian fisik sesama Muslims, hanya karena diakibatkan perbedaan pendapat terhadap suatu hal yang sepele. Dalam rapat MSA (Muslim Students' Association), masjid committee members, bahkan dalam acara ceramah mingguan di dalam masjid, sempat pernah terjadi konflik macam ini. Sedihnya lagi, ada beberapa Muslim yang baru mencoba aktif di masjid, menjadi malas ke masjid kecuali untuk shalat Jum'at, karena perasaan was2 terjadinya conflict.

Free online study at M.I.T

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html
"This is a free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. OpenCourseWare (OCW) supports MIT's mission to advance knowledge and education, and serve the world in the 21st century."

Most of the courses place their lecture notes and assignments online so you can read the materials presented in their classrooms. Download all what you need before they change their mind and close this site for some reason! :-)

Check it out!

Mengapa memilih Islam?

http://mridha.blogspot.com/2005_07_04_mridha_archive.html
Muslim yang hidup di negara2 yang mayoritas penduduknya non-Muslim sering berhadapan dengan berbagai pertanyaan dari mereka, baik yang ingin tahu tentang Islam, atau memang sengaja melontarkan hujatan2, terutama akhir-akhir ini di mana Islam sering diidentikan dengan ajaran terorisme. “Are you not somewhat embarrassed to profess such a religion that is filled with hate and has its history smeared with blood?” tanya seorang teman semasa kuliah. Seorang teman lain berkomentar ketika menonton berita di televisi: “Look at this news, Muslims are killing innocent people again!!”.

Sekilas mengenai kebenaran...

http://mridha.blogspot.com/2005_07_03_mridha_archive.html

Rasa ingin tahu tentang arti dan tujuan hidup mendorong banyak orang mencari jawaban terhadap banyak hal. Dalam usahanya mencari jawaban dari suatu pernyataan, manusia berhadapan dengan konsep kebenaran. Tapi apa sebenarnya kebenaran itu? Definisi setiap orang bisa berbeda2, tergantung konteks apa yang dibicarakannya. Tapi secara umum, suatu pernyataan itu dibilang BENAR bila...

Moral standard at square one...

http://mridha.blogspot.com/2005_07_02_mridha_archive.html
Benar dan salah dalam dunia eksakta (empirical) lebih mudah ditentukan dibanding di dunia sosial, di mana moral standard yang dipakai oleh banyak orang berbeda2. Benar dan salah suatu statement dalam dunia eksakta ditentukan berdasarkan factuality dari statement tsb berdasarkan observasi dan logical reasoning yang dimiliki manusia. Kalau ada yang bilang bumi ini ceper seperti koin, tentu dianggap salah karena secara factual tidak demikian. Tapi kalau ada yang bilang sah2 saja berzina kalau suka sama suka, argument apa yang bisa digunakan untuk membuktikan salah atau tidaknya?

Wonders of the Universe

Real photographs from Hubble telescope, arranged together with photo editor.

Anak muda dan kerangka berpikir

http://mridha.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_mridha_archive.html
Dalam era globalisasi modern seperti zaman sekarang ini banyak anak2 muda yang kritis terhadap agama mereka sendiri. Mereka tidak segan2 mempertanyakan keimanan dan aturan2 dalam agama. Kalau kurikulum pendidikan agama yang mereka dapati di sekolah tidak mampu mengaddress masalah ini, ada dua kemungkinan yang bisa terjadi...

Inspiron 5150 notebook

Rating:	★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Computers
Manufacturer:	DELL

I bought this laptop about two years ago with some discount program. I didn't choose Centrino unit at that time because I thought I need a more powerful mobile machine to work with some multimedia programming and applications, and able to connect a video capture utility and do some video editing and creation for my family. It comes with P4-3.06 MHz, 512 MB SDRAM, 40 GB HD, CD-RW/DVD-ROM, and other common laptop peripherals. On top of that, I upgraded the OS to XP professional and had Office XP professional installed in it. It doesn't come with a wireless built-in card, so I bought an inexpensive wireless card for it. Overall, I found the laptop powerful and useful for most of my works at home... but...

It is REALLY heavy for a laptop! I think it's probably more than 8 lbs! That's why I call it the "Dinosaur"! When I went for vacation last time to Indonesia, I had to bring this dinosaur in my backpack! I believe I lost few pounds just carrying this laptop (along with my other laptop from the office) on my back! :-)

My wife, especially, hates this dinosaur. She needs a laptop to work mobile in her car while waiting for my son Fatih attending his abacus class. She doesn't like the fact that this laptop does not have the most important feature that any laptop should have: LESS WEIGHT. With three kids to take care of, she does not need another burden in her hands while carrying this dinosaur to the car... So the dinosaur stays home most of the time, moved only from room to room as needed. But, just recently I found the AC adapter unit is not recharging the dinosaur's battery. The same problem happened just not long ago to my friend's laptop at the office. He purchased the same identical laptop at the same time with me. After searching for the fix on the internet, he found out that the cost of fixing the problem is almost the same as the current price of a new laptop, like one of the Toshibas after rebates... Sigh...

Now the dinosaur is sitting still on my desk with its cover closed, lifeless, powerless. My wife keeps telling me to sell it on ebay, or some local ad sites, but I am always reluctant to do it. Somehow, I still have the feeling I can revive my dinosaur someday.... Yes, someday. :-)

Batman Begins

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

The plot of the story is pretty good, taking the audience to the past when the little Bruce Wayne fell into a well and faced his own fear seeing bats coming from a dark cave, saw his own parents murdered before his own eyes, traveled to China, went to prison for a crime, trained by some martial arts experts from a dark underground organization, and planned to fight crime and injustices in his hometown, Gotham city. There are some nice jokes, romances and philosophical discussions about setting up balance in every community, between the rich and the poor, between the good and the corrupt in the society.

However, there were couple of things that bothered me and caused me some headache:

1) The scene with the car chase when Batman in his first and "not-so-good-looking" Bat-mobile was chased by the police. What was the intention of the director to show this scene? A hero that destroys everything that blocks him from not being caught by the police with possibility of endangering the lives of civilians???
2) The cameras were positioned so close with the action during the fighting scenes especially those in the last part of the movie. These dark, blurry, scenes caused my headache. You cannot appreciate the art of fighting unless you can observe the fight. I guess the director needs to learn from Spiderman movie's director who can skillfully shot the fighting actions, including incorporating the slow-motion visual effects.

Lessons learned from this movie:
"Justice is about harmony; vengeance is about making yourself feel better”
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do, that defines me."

Prayer for useful knowledge and others

Allahumma inni as'alukal-'ilman nafi'an,

wa rizqan wasi'an,

wa 'amalan mutaqabbilan,

wa du'a-an mustajaban,

wa shifa'an min kulli da'in wa saqamin,

bi rahmatika ya Arhamarrahimin...




O God, please grant me useful knowledge (that benefits me and others),

and bountiful sustenance,

and accepted good deed,

and answered prayer,

and cure from every disease and illness,

with Your mercy, O the Most Merciful...

Birds in the neighborhood

And there is no animal that walks upon the earth
nor a bird that flies with its wings
but they are communities like you...
(Qur'an 6:38)

Prayer when making difficult decision

Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi-'ilmika,
wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika,
wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'azim,
fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru,
wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu,
wa Anta 'allamul-ghuyub.

Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadzal-amra khairulli
fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati,
faqdirhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barikli fihi,

wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadzal-amra sharrulli
fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati,
fasrifni 'anhu, waqdur liyal-khaira haithu kana,
thumma radhini bihi,
ya Arhamarrahimin...

O God, I ask You to show me what is best through Your knowledge,
and I ask You to empower me through Your power,
and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor,
for You have power while I am without power,
and You have knowledge while I am without knowledge,
and You are the One who knows all hidden things.

O God, if you know that this thing is best for me,
for my faith/religion and life in this world and hereafter,
then make it possible for me and make it easy for me,
and bless me in it.

But if you know that this thing is not good for me,
for my faith/religion and life in this world and hereafter
then turn it away from me and replace it with something better,
then make me pleased/content with it.
O The Most Merciful...

 

Snow in Portland (3rd day)

Early January 2004

Snow in Portland (2nd day)

Early January 2004

Snow in Portland (1st day)

Early January 2004

Prayer when we are in need of something

Allahumma inni as'aluka mujibati rahmatika,
wa aza'ima maghfiratika,
wal-ghanimata min kulli birrin,
was-salamata min kulli ithmin,
La tada'li dzanban illa ghafartahu,
wa la hamman illa farajtahu,
wa la hajatan hiya laka ridhan illa qadhaitaha.
Ya arhamar-rahimin.

O God, I ask You to grant me things which will draw me closer to Your mercy,
and which will make Your Forgiveness certain for me,
and a tresure from every virtue,
and protection from every sin,
Please do not leave me with a sin without forgiving it,
and a worry without relieving me of it,
and a need that You are pleased with it without providing it for me,
O the Most Merciful.

 

Prayer to ask for forgiveness for past and future sins

Allahumaghfirli ma qaddamtu wa ma akhartu,
wa ma asraftu, wa asrartu, wa ma a'lantu,
wa ma huwa anta a'lamu bihi minni,
la ilaha illa anta, anta al-muqaddim, wa anta al-muakhir,
la yaghfiru dzunuba illa anta.

O God, please forgive me for which I have done in the past and in the future,
and which I have exceeded in, and which I have done openly, and which I have concealed,
and which You know more than I do,
there is no God but You, You are the Advancer and the Delayer,
there is none who can forgive but You.

 

Prayer to ask for safety and health

Allahumma inni as'alukal-'ifafa wal-'afiyah,
fi sam'i, wa bashari, wa fu'adi,
fi jasadi, wa aqli, wa ruhi,
fi mali wa ahli wa amri,
fi dini, wa dunyaya, wa akhirati

O God, I ask You safety and health
for my hearing, my seeing, and my thinking/feeling,
for my body, my mind, and my soul,
for my wealth, my family, and my activities,
for my faith, my world and my hereafter

Neighborhood trees

Copyright mridha (c) 2005

Friends at work

Why I am not a Muslim

Rating:	★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Religion & Spirituality
Author:	Ibn Warraq

After watching a presentation on C-SPAN about the release of a new book titled "Leaving Islam: Apostates speak out" given by the author itself, Ibn Warraq, I was reminded about one of his book released quite a while ago, titled "Why I am not a Muslim". After browsing some reviews of these books on several websites including amazon.com, I feel many people are led to believe apriori that the arguments the author presented in his book are valid and based on facts. A comment from a reviewer keeps me wondering: "We have not yet found any refutation of his thesis put forth in 'Why I am not a Muslim'. Instead of refutation we have seen violent and fanatic responses that only confirmed Ibn Warraq thesis." Is this true that currently there is no single Muslim scholar or intellectual who has spent his/her time and effort to refute Ibn Warraq's thesis in an academic rebuttal point by point (in form of book or academic journal)? I know in the U.S we have plenty of Muslim scholars and intellectuals, not to count many professors in Islamic universities in Europe, Middle East and Asia. I guess most probably they are all busy, but is this matter not important that it does not deserve an effort and time to write a response? I heard or read somewhere that this book was once presented to President Bush by the author after the tragedy of nine-eleven. And I believe it is possible that many world policy makers have heard or perhaps read this book to gain some insight into the teaching of this particular religion that is so much accused of influencing the mind of people to commit a violent act. Doesn't this issue have an impact on the ummah especially in the west, and, sooner or later, also in the world?

I borrowed the book from the library and tried to read it from chapter to chapter. There are a lot of opinions that the author uses for his arguments quoted from old and contemporary non-Muslim orientalists' works without any explanation on the basis of their arguments (the conclusion from these opinions are derived without examination and not supported by his own factual study). Although some Islamic references have also been quoted but they are used partially and taken out of context, or without looking into the basis of their arguments or their historical perspectives.

Although I am not an Islamic scholar or someone that has a formal Islamic studies education background, I can easily see the patterns shown in so many Islam-bashing articles or books:

First is the problem with the consistency in their belief. The authors often use pick-and-choose method when quoting stories, or verses from Islamic sources with the assumption that they are reliable according to their opinion in the first place (otherwise these will not be used to prove their case). If the authors believe in stories found in Qur'an, hadith and sirah books, will they believe also in stories about God's revelation to the Prophet, visiting angels, witnessed miracles, reports and testimonies confirming the fulfilled prophecy from contemporary Jews and Christians in time of the Prophet, and other amazing reports as well, found in the same sources that show the credibility of Islam? The main question is: "why pick some and throw some from the same sources?"

Next is problem with the context of a historical record they use in supporting their accusations. Without showing its context, a report or a story can be easily represented in many ways in order to shape the mind of the readers. Reading about a great man in the history is like watching a big colossal movie that consists of many series of episodes: to know the whole story we better watch all episodes. The movie audience will be misled if they are just shown some clips cropped from some episodes here and there. A good guy can be viewed as a bad guy or vice-versa. The truth can be potrayed as falsehood.

Next is the problem with interpretation. Majority of Muslims believe in two sources as the main basis of their belief: Qur'an and authentic hadith. Interpretations of these sources should be based on sound and valid arguments. There are different schools of thought (mazhab) that often differ in the interpretations and understanding of many fiqh issues (fiqh = laws-related) although they are based on the same sources. We need to look into the basis of arguments of an interpretation, including the situation and condition of the time when it was developed. Scholars' interpretations might be based on the contemporary knowledge and situation in their time. Muslims should not follow blindly any interpretation without knowing its basis. In addressing a fiqh issue, there are at least two main principles followed by all schools of thought with same aspiration: realization of public welfare and universal justice. This can be found in many books of fiqh of all schools of thought, however Islam-bashers just pick and choose teachings from any school of thought without realizing this fact.

Another thing is about trusting stories found in Islamic history books. Books of sirah (stories about life of Prophet, companions, or later generations) can only be considered reliable if their chains of narrators can be verified as in the case of hadith (which also can be reliable, non-reliable, spurious, etc.). This is so because many stories found in sirah books do not include chains of narrators as in hadith. At-Tabari in his book (often used by Islam-bashing authors in picking parts of their favorite stories) said:

"Let the person who reads through our book know that my reliance on whatever I recorded is on news and history with attribution to their narrators, without using intellect except in rare occasions. The knowledge of what had happened before, and what is going to happen at present time is not reached to those who did not see and their time did not allow them for it without being told by people and without the interference of intellect. Therefore, whatever news you find in my book about history that the reader may deny it or the listener may abhor it because he did not find it truthful according to him, then let him know that we did not present it ourselves, but it came from some of the people who narrated the story to us. We just presented what we have been told." (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Introduction, p.13)

Last thing is about convincing that Islam is "evil" to the readers. Majority of Muslims are peaceful human beings. This is not because they do not read their scriptures as many Islam-bashers claim. They read and understand their scriptures, and that is why they are peaceful. A lot of current problems in many Muslim countries are caused by political affairs. Islam-bashers should not put words into Muslims' mouth and trying to convince them about their "evil" religion. For example, Islam-bashers often tell people that real Islam teaches Muslims to hate and fight non-Muslims whenever and wherever. This is plainly refuted in many verses in the Qur'an, among them:

"God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for your faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for God loves those who are just." (Qur'an 60:8).

Similarly, terrorism is strictly forbidden in Islam. The Prophet of Islam strictly prohibits the killing of non-combatants and innocent people even in the time of war. But still Islam-bashers shout "Islam teaches terrorism!" This putting words into Muslim's mouth is an easy method to spread lies and hatred against Islam and Muslims. This effort intentionally or not can trigger hate crime against Muslims in our global community. We don't want this to happen in this already full-of-hate world where we live today, do we?

I hope this short review will be useful for those who need it...
And God knows best.

Prayer to ask for goodness in every activity

Allahumma ahsin aqibatana fi umuri kulliha,
wa ajirna min hizyid-dunya wa adzabil-akhirah.

O God, please make the outcome of every activity good for us,
and save us from the humiliation in this world and the punishment in hereafter.

 

Prayer to seek protection from bad feelings

Allahumma inni a'udzubika minal-hammi, wal-huzni, wal-'ajzi,
wal-kasali,wal-bughli, wal-jubni,
wadh-dhalaid-daini wa ghalabatir-rijal.

O God, I seek refuge in You from anxiety, sadness, weakness,
laziness, miserliness, cowardiness,
burden of debt, and from being overpowered by people.

 

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

This review contains spoiler... so stop reading if you plan to watch it... :-)

The movie is dark and somewhat depressing for anyone who is used to watching many happy-ending hollywood movies. Unlike many other movies, the end of this movie is known already by all audience who are familiar with the Star Wars episode 4: Anakin will become Darth Vedar, all Jedis are eliminated except two survivors: Yoda and Obi-wan.

In this movie we will be introduced with a new character, General Grievous, who hunts and kills Jedi for sport and proudly collected his victim's lightsabers as trophies (please watch Cartoon Network's Star Wars Clone Wars vol.1 and vol.2, for the background of events post Star Wars Episode 2, including the origin of General Grievous). In this episode 3, we will see how General Grievous is defeated and killed, as well as his teacher, Count Dooku. Also in this episode, we will see how most of theJedis are murdered or massacred (including Mace Windu, Saesee Tin, etc., and the young Jedis in the Jedi academy) by the evil Sith Lord Sidious, with the help of his new apprentice, Anakin Skywalker and the clone troopers.

The plot of the movie is filled with deceptions of war and political manuevers as well as human psychology. We can see how Palpatine (the Sith Lord) manages to gain absolute power in the senate and plays Anakin's psychology to follow his plan unknowingly. Anakin is caught in a serious conflict between Palpatine and his Jedi family. Anakin's great love for his wife and his fear of losing his wife, makes him surrender, naively initially but later willingly, to the dark side. He is willing to do that in order to gain absolute power so he can forever protect his beloved wife.

We will see at the end of the movie who is actually responsible for the death of Padme who is pregnant at that time with Leia and Luke skywalker. We will also see the duel between Anakin and Obi-wan ended with Anakin's legs severed and his body burnt by the lava. He is later saved by Lord Sidious who turns him into Darth Vedar as seen in Episode 4.

This movie is so dark and depressing!


SOME NOTES:

In the episode III, close to the end, Yoda communicates with Qui-Gon Jin (teacher of Obi-wan who was killed by Darth Maul in Episode I), who mentions about the ability to defy death and merge with the Force by "the Shaman of Whills", which can only be done through compassion not greed, unlike the Sith. While the value of compassion is universally accepted by all religions, the ability to communicate with the spirit of a dead person and union with God (as might be implied in "The Force") are not acknowledged by all religions. I guess George Lucas put this conversation at the end to show the audience the reason why Obiwan disappeared when Darth Vedar hits him in Episode 4.

As everyone notices, some subtle philosophies from Buddhism or New Age play some role in all Star Wars movie. The word "The Force" is used to imply the impersonal energy which regulates the living things and controls the universe as opposed to the concept of the power of a supreme, intelligent and personal God, taught in major religions. "The Force" is said to have the good side and the bad (dark) side - similar to the existence of good and evil taught in major religions. I am not aware if "God" has ever been mentioned in any of the Star Wars movies.

Parents professing different religious views should be aware of these philosophies in case their children ask them the related questions after watching the movie... :-)

Prayer for safety (read in the morning)

Allahumma anta rabbi, la ilaha illa anta,
`alaika tawakkaltu wa anta rabbul `arshil karim.
Masha Allahu kana wa malam yasha' lam yakun
wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-`aliyyil `azim.
A'lamu annallaha `alaa kulli shay-in qadir
wa annallaha qad ahata bikulli shay-in `ilma.
Allahumma inni a'dzu bika min sharri nafsi
wa min sharri kulli dabbatin, anta akhidzum bi nasiyatiha.
Inna rabbi `ala siratim-mustaqim.

Oh God, You are my Lord. There is nothing worthy of worship except You,
I place all of my trust and reliance in You and You are the Lord of the Noble Throne.
Whatever God wishes, takes place,
and whatever He does not desire, does not occur,
and there is no power and no strength except in God, The Exalted, The Mighty.
I know that God is Powerful over all things,
and that God has knowledge of all things.
Oh God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul
and from the evil of every creeping crawling creature.
You are master over them.
Verily, You are Lord of the Straight Path.

Note:

One day, a neighbor came running to one companion of the Prophet, Abu-Darda (RA) when he was at his shop. The neighbor said that the neighborhood where they lived was on fire and that Abu-Darda's house was also burning. Abu-Darda calmly said, `No, it has not burned.'

Another person came in and gave the same report, and Abu-Darda gave the same reply. A third person showed up with the same news and got the same answer.

Then another man came in and said, `Abu-Darda! The fire was blazing high, but when the flames came to your house, they went out!' Abu-Darda replied, `I knew that Allah, The Exalted, would not allow my house to burn because I heard from Rasulullah (SAW) that the person who repeats certain words in the morning will be safe from all misfortunes until evening, and I recited those words this morning.

* This narration can be found in the Fiqh Sunnah, Sayyid Sabiq.
** Source: The Islamic Bulletin, Aug 1999, San Fransisco

Pengajian Portland

Indonesian & Malaysian Muslim Community at Portland area

Interfaith events in Portland

Muslims at Portland

Prayer to seek protection from bad things to happen

Allahummahdina fiman hadayt,
wa 'afina fiman 'afayt
wa tawallana fiman tawallayt
wa barik lana fima a'tayt
wa qina washrif 'anna bi rahmatika sharra ma qadhayt.

O God, guide us among those whom You guided
and relieve us from sickness among those whom You relieved
and take care of us among those whom You take care of
and bless for us in anything You gave
and protect us with Your mercy from bad things that You have decreed.