The Islamic year begins with Muharram ul Haram, the first month of the Hijri Calendar. While followers of other religions spend their opening month in worthless merriment, the first month of Islam teaches us lessons of admonition, good counselling, knowledge of Allah Ta’ala, sacrifice, selflessness, patience and seeking the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala.

The tenth day of Muharram (Ashurah) has many distinctive qualities and features. Allah Ta’ala created the heavens and the earth on this blessed day. On this day He gave His infinite blessings and bounties to many of His Prophets and delivered them from the clutches of their enemies.

Allah Ta’ala created Hazrat Adam (Alaihis-Salam) in this month, pardoned him of his mistake, and Hazrat Noah’s (Alaihis-Salam) Ark landed successfully on Mount Judi, and he saved Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis-Salam) from fire and rescued Hazrat Musa (Alaihis-Salam) from Pharaoh.

The Fast of Ashurah Read More

Allah Almighty Have 99 Beautiful Names, Allah Is a Special Name of God Containing Them All. Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him said: “To Allah ‘God’ belongs 99 names, 100 minus 1, anyone who fully understand and memorize them all will enter his Paradise; He (Allah) is odd (Like odd number, Because he is One And the Only One), and He loves odd numbers (such as 99)”. “Allah!, There is no God but He! To Him belongs the Most Beautiful Names.” (Qur’an 20:8)

1. Name Of Allah Ar-Rahman

• The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.
• The Most Merciful

2. Name Of Allah Ar-Rahim

• The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.
• The most Compassionate

3. Name Of Allah Al-Malik

• The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.
• The King, the Monarch

4. Name Of Allah Al-Quddus

• The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.
• The Holy one

5. Name Of Allah As-Salam

• The One who is free from every imperfection.
• The Peace, The Tranquility Read More

WHAT IS DAROOD SHARIF AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DAROOD SHARIF Divine blessings on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is the highest and the most meritorious act in our Deen. This “Divine Blessings” is called Durood Shareef.
When Almighty Allah sends Durood and Salaams upon Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), He is actually blessing him. When the Malaa’ikah and the Muslims send Durood and Salaams to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), they are actually showing Almighty Allah their respect for the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
Muslims hope that, through the blessings of the Durood and Salaams, Almighty Allah will forgive them of their sins and increase their status in this world and in the Aakirah. The Malaa’ikah hope that Almighty Allah will increase their status.
Durood is a sure means of Allah Ta’ala granting blessings, peace, prosperity and favours of great magnitude on one who recites Durood Shareef on the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). The reciter of Durood Shareef receives all the benefits in this world and utmost gain in the next world with addition to the love of the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). Read More

1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, colour, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]
2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]
3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]
4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]
5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]
6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]
7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]
8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognized by the society and is commonly used [4/5]
9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]
10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18] Read More

Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. [ An-Nisa’ 79]

The Scholars of Tafseer view the words “Good” and “Evil” in the Quran to mean blessings and misfortune. They don’t just refer to the acts a person does by his freewill.

If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqun (the pious – see V.2:2), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do. [Al-Imran 120]

If good befalls you (O Muhammad ), it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say: “We took our precaution beforehand,” and they turn away rejoicing. [Taubah 50]

The good deeds which we are commanded to do and the bad deeds we are prohibited from doing.

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1) What is the meaning of the word “Qur’an”?

A) That which is Read.

2) Where was the Qur’an revealed first?
A) In the cave of Hira (Makkah)

3) On which night was the Qur’an first revealed?
A) Lailatul-Qadr (Night of the Power)

4) Who revealed the Qur’an?
A) Allah revealed the Qur’an

5) Through whom was the Qur’an revealed?
A) Through Angel Jibraeel (Alaihis-Salaam) Read More

The ‘Great Mosque of Guangzhou’ is also known as Huaisheng Mosque which means ‘Remember the Sage’ (A Memorial Mosque to the Prophet) and is also popularly called the ‘Guangta Mosque’ which translates as ‘The Beacon Tower Mosque’. Huaisheng Mosque is located on Guantgta Road (Light Pagoda Road) which runs eastwards off Renmin Zhonglu.

Prior to 500 CE and hence before the establishment of Islam, Arab seafarers had established trade relations with the “Middle Kingdom” (China). Arab ships bravely set off from Basra at the tip of the Arabian Gulf and also from the town of Qays (Siraf) in the Persian Gulf. They sailed the Indian Ocean passing Sarandip (Sri Lanka) and navigated their way through the Straits of Malacca which were between the Sumatran and Malaysian peninsulas en route to the South China Sea. They established trading posts on the southeastern coastal ports of Quanzhou and Guangzhou. Some Arabs had already settled in China and probably embraced Islam when the first Muslim deputation arrived, as their families and friends back in Arabia, had already embraced Islam during the Prophet’s revelation (610-32).

Guangzhou is called Khanfu by the Arabs who later set up a Muslim quarter which became a centre of commerce. Guangzhou’s superior geographical position made it play an important role as the oldest trading and international port city in China. Witnessing a series of historical events, China has become a significant place in history and one of the fastest growing regions in the world enjoying unprecedented prosperity.

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The Makassans

Well before 1788, Makassan fishermen from the east-Indonesian archipelago, fishing for trepang (sea-slugs), began annual voyages to our northern shores. It is thought that the fishermen of Makassar had been visiting the north coast of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland from as early as the 16th century. Aboriginal cave paintings also depict the traditional Makassan sailing vessel or ‘prau’ and a number of Makassan artifacts have been found in Aboriginal settlements on the west and northern coast of Australia.

In 1803, Matthew Flinders recorded the sighting of 6 praus off the east of Arnhem Land. Some inter-marriages between Aborigines and Makassans took place and Makassan grave sites exist along the coastline.

These early Muslim traders were among the first visitors to establish an economic enterprise, founding Australia’s first ‘modern industry”. Unlike later European settlement, Makassan enterprise encroached little on the Aboriginal way of life. More lasting is their place in Aboriginal history and culture.

They came intermittently as visitors, revealing only a part of Islam. While day-to-day contact would have made Aborigines aware of prayer times and burial practices, Islam as a way of life had little impact on Australia.

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Islam in Japan

View of the Tokyo Jamee Mosque, Japan. Built in 1938, it is the Oldest Masjid in Japan. The Turkish influence is clear in its architecture and design.

Islam’s relation with Japan is quite recent as compared to those with other countries around the world. There are no clear records of any contact between Islam and Japan nor any historical traces of Islam’s coming into Japan through religious propagation of any sort except for some isolated cases of contact between individual Japanese and Muslims of other countries before 1868.

Islam was firstly known to Japanese people in 1877 as a part of Western religious thought. Around the same time the life of prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was translated into Japanese. This helped Islam to find a place in the intellectual image of the Japanese people, but only as a knowledge and a part of the history of cultures.

Another important contact was made in 1890 when Ottoman Turkey dispatched a naval vessel to Japan for the purpose of starting diplomatic relations between the two countries as well introducing Muslims and Japanese people to each other. This naval vessel called “Ertugrul” was capsized and sank with 609 people aboard drowning 540 of them, on its way returning to home.

The first Muslim Japanese ever known are Mitsutaro Takaoka who converted to Islam in 1909 and took the name Omar Yamaoka after making the pilgrimage to Makkah and Bumpachiro Ariga, who about the same time went to India for trading purposes and converted to Islam under the influence of local Muslims there and subsequently took the name Ahmad Ariga.
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The news of the disaster at Badr in which a number of noble men from the tribes of Quraish had fallen and the return of the survivors to Makkah in a complete state of confusion and disorder, was met with a lukewarm reception and despair that completely bewildered the Quraish. It had proved an unimaginable catastrophe for them. All those whose fathers, sons or brothers had been killed at Badr, met Abu Sufyan and others who had merchandise in the caravan which was brought back safely to Makkah. It was agreed to set aside the profits of the caravan in order to support in preparing themselves for a new war against the Muslims. The poets, as usual, began inciting the people with their songs of vengeance. To the pagan Arabs, the shedding of the blood of their tribesmen necessitated an effort to avenge those killed in order to vindicate their loss and honour.

A well-equipped army set out from Makkah to fight the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (radiallahu ‘anhum) in the middle of Shawwal, 3 A.H. (After Hijrah: the Muslims began their calendar after the famous “Hijrah” from Makkah to Madeenah, hence everything that happened after that time is dated as “After Hijrah”) The Quraish had mustered an army of three thousand soldiers consisting of their own warriors and others from surrounding tribes that agreed to join them. Their women went with them riding their own camels in order to stir their valour and prevent them from retreat. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, pp. 60-62) The noble men of Quraish also took their wives with them. The army advanced in small staggard groups and camped near the gates of Madeenah.

The Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) plan was to remain in the city, leaving the invaders alone and to fight only when they decided to swarm it. He did not favor going out of the city to face the enemy in the battlefield. Abdullah b. Ubayy, too, agreed with the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), but some of the Muslims who had somehow missed the opportunity of engaging the enemy at Badr were more enthuasiastic. They said, “O Prophet of Allah, let us go forth and smite our foes, otherwise they would think that we fear to leave the city and face them.”

While they kept on urging the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in this way, he went into his house and put on his coat of armour. The young men who had been keen on meeting the enemy outside the city admonished themselves for their over-eagerness in light of the Prophet’s (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) reluctance. Realizing their hastiness, they begged the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to follow his first counsel for they may have been mistaken in persuading him against his will. “If you wish to remain inside the city”, they said, “We will not oppose you.”
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