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Open Thread Sunday 8/30/2009

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As salamu alaykum, Ramadan Mubarak, and welcome to a special Open Thread.  Welcome to all of MM’s readers, habitual or casual, frequent or first-time.  What is so special about it?  This Sunday will never come again.  How does that make this Sunday different from next Sunday?  Are you sure either of us will witness that day?

Let’s start off with a question:

Which Ramadan articles have you enjoyed and what else would you like to see?

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Then move to some wonderful inspiring news on freedom of speech from the golden democracy of UK [Guardian]:

A former Guantánamo guard who had flown to the UK to address a support group for inmates of the camp is to be deported back to the US this morning after being denied entry on arrival at Heathrow airport yesterday.

Oops. Not so golden after all?  Our brother Terry, an American citizen who does not even look Middle Eastern (!) was shipped back because he wasn’t rich enough to afford all those expensive souvenirs from London. As they say in England, bullocks!

“I said this would not look good, as we were in the middle of litigation against the UK government, and this would look like vindictiveness,” said Stafford-Smith [who represents the organization that invited Terry].

For all those who have spread the lie and somehow dragged Muslims into the holocaust as being some how party to it (in an attempt really to justify the continuing occupation of Palestine), here’s what we call “in your face”… in a nice way of course [Houston Chronicle]:

When no other European country dared to withstand the wrath of Nazi Germany, it was the Muslims of Albania who saved a large number of Jewish people from extermination.

It is important that this article be DUGG and spread far and wide. It is an important part of the campaign to remove disinformation planted by the Islamophobes.

We always like to inject humor in these open threads, so this article should incite some [REUTERS]:

Texas Southern Baptists see conversion opportunities among Muslims

If you are wondering what’s so funny, you either don’t know Muslims or don’t know Southern Baptists. You see, the Southern Baptists, or at least a portion of them, have been on the forefronts of the crusade against Islam… demeaning Muslims, our religion and our Prophet. The only Muslims that they will be able to “convert” are those who probably were never Muslims in the first place, because it is really like Pakistan offering citizenships to Indians… ain’t happening!

Have you checked out the 30 days 30 mosques blog? Why not submit photos of your local masjid to our Flickr pool… we could collect them into a post next week if we get sufficient interest, insha’Allah.

After a gap of a week or two, YQ is back with his deep thweets:

“What is this world but a dream that a sleeper sees – he delights in it for a few moments, and then wakes up to face reality” Hasan Basri

The ability to fast long hot summer days and still continue our lives normally is yet another manifestation of Allah’s blessings on us.

al-Awzai (d. 157) was asked how to achieve khushu in prayer : “Controlling the eyes, humbling the limbs, and softening the heart.”

‘Strive for the Hereafter according to how long you shall remain there, & strive for this world according to how long you shall remain here’

So, what’s on your mind, and don’t forget our original question!

Some interesting photos sent by readers via the MM Flickr Group:

QNasr Prays, by Zirconium. QNasr students of the Al-Maghrib course, A Heart Serene, pray the Afternoon prayer (Asr) following the final day of the course just outside of the University of Calgary's ICT building.

WhyIslam Booth in NYC, by Saad Malik. Giving da'wah right in the heart of Times Square.

WhyIslam Booth in NYC, by Saad Malik. Giving da'wah right in the heart of Times Square.

Annual MAS Ramadan Qiyam, Imam Suhaib Webb at ISOC, by Salman Jafri

Annual MAS Ramadan Qiyam, Imam Suhaib Webb at ISOC, by Salman Jafri

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Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

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The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

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15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. ironie101

    August 30, 2009 at 2:35 PM

    Texas Southern Baptists see conversion opportunities among Muslims

    Amazing! Maybe the Texans are buoyed by the success stories of their counterparts in Indonesia. Did you link to the memoir of the woman they’re using to ‘reach out’ to Muslim women in Texas? Rockie Naser – the Runaway Bride, a former Jordanian-Muslim, who describes her ‘Journey from Islam to Christ’.

    http://www.dts.edu/media/publications/kindredspirit/article/?ArticleID=dc04bc56-53b1-4489-b0c1-c42467153575

    I’m still reeling from it.

    Reply

  2. ironie101

    August 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM

    I am passionate about reaching out to Muslims and reaching out to the lost, because I believe Satan has been defeated and he wants to take down many people with him. But I have been redeemed, and I want to take as many people with me as I possibly can. – Rockie Naser

    pièce de résistance! seriously.

    Reply

  3. iMuslim

    August 30, 2009 at 2:49 PM

    Saying that ironie101, I wonder how Xtians feel when they come across stories of people who converted from Christianity to Islam? It must be hard for them to swallow! May Allah guide us all, ameen.

    Reply

    • ironie101

      August 30, 2009 at 3:09 PM

      I agree. People do have trouble accepting it when someone close to them ‘strays’. But, then again it’s not for us to have sentiments such as those – we engage ourselves in dawah only because we feel sorry for the people who haven’t yet been guided to the truth. We genuinely care about them not ending up in an eternal torment. And, yes, the Christian missionaries also have the same sentiments. But, as arrogant as it sounds, we’re justified in having them. Isn’t that exactly why Allah swt calls us the best of people..?

      Reply

      • Shahzad

        August 31, 2009 at 2:53 PM

        Keep in mind that there were people who become Muslims at the hands of the Prophet (saws) who then became Christians and even proclaimed themselves as prophets, and who was a better da’ee than he? So we have to align our expectations and not take it too hard. Heck, even if our children stray, we can’t let it destroy us. Allah decides who believes and who does not.

        Reply

        • ironie101

          August 31, 2009 at 3:09 PM

          Totally agree with you. I was only talking about the guiding force behind the dawah itself – not the end result of it. Of course, our duty is merely to spread the message, invite people to the truth. But, it can only be sincerity and a genuine concern for humanity that will make us spread that message well. There are people who are condescending, sarcastic, patronizing engaged in active dawah; they end up turning people away from Islam. I recently met people like that. It was very saddening.

          It’s bad enough worrying about your friends or neighbours ending up in hell-fire; god forbid, we end up as one of the reasons for it. May Allah swt protect us.

          Reply

          • Shahzad

            August 31, 2009 at 3:29 PM

            Agreed. As Allah said: “And it was by God’s grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee. Pardon them, then, and pray that they be forgiven. And take counsel with them in all matters of public concern; then, when thou hast decided upon a course of action, place thy trust in God: for, verily, God loves those who place their trust in Him.” [3:159]

  4. Aurora

    August 30, 2009 at 3:46 PM

    Shout-out to QNasr! :) ‘A Heart Serene’ rocked!

    Reply

  5. abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

    August 30, 2009 at 4:30 PM

    Have the baatil of love got you feeling low? Cupid? Cinderella? Cyber***?

    Then come to Hosna, come to the haqq of love. :)

    Reply

  6. mirele

    August 30, 2009 at 5:05 PM

    I think we can see from that Rockie Nasher article where the idea that Rifqa Bary’s parents are going to murder her for converting to Christianity came from. I have to wonder how many times Ms. Nasher has told her story?

    Reply

  7. Amatullah

    August 30, 2009 at 6:01 PM

    ILMFEST 2009: http://www.ilmfest.com/home – Baltimore, MD

    Reply

  8. Pingback: Posts about Information and Communication Technologies as of August 30, 2009

  9. Px

    September 6, 2009 at 7:17 PM

    Assalamu ‘alaikum ikhwaa,

    Recently there has been a concerted campaign in Indian media to discredit Dr. Zakir Naik (May Allah reward him immensely), and his da’wah. His message of tawheed is even being ridiculed by so-called ‘Muslim experts’, despite the fact that with the recent launch of PeaceTV Urdu, he has been trying to bring together different schools of thought (Deobandi, Ahl-e-hadis, Nadwi, Jamat Islami) under one umbrella.

    See the following clip (from NDTV india):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL52VoKUj78

    Watch how the so-called Islamic scholars especially ‘Maulana” Waheedudin Khan (a much liked by many, despite his incendiary rhetoric against any Muslims he doesn’t agree with). Watch them spew their hatred against Dr. Zakir Naik out of jealousy. Now apparently Dr. Zakir Naik has even been banned from giving talks in places like Lakhnow.

    Please pray for Dr. Zakir Naik, a man who has sacrificed his time and life for da’wah, something most of us wouldn’t even have guts to do. It would be nice if MM could do an article on this. Barak Allahu feekum.

    Reply

    • MM Associates

      September 10, 2009 at 2:45 PM

      Ameen to your duat. MashaAllah, Zakir Naik is a great defender of Islam, just as was Ahmed Deedat, RahimAllah. May Allah preserve Zakir Naik and strengthen his dawah.

      [abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed]

      Reply

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