We were truly humbled that they were selected among the top 40 under 40 influential people.

Once again, we are humbled that Muslimmatters got yet another opportunity to have their staff nominated for another MBMuslima magazine competition.

Continuing MuslimMatters' writers recognition, now one of our founders, Amad Shaikh, and his wife, Umm Reem, a specialist are up for nomination in MBMuslima's “Extraordinary Muslim Couple Awards”. All nominations can be seen here.

The nomination letter is written by Haleh Banani:
“It gives me great pleasure to recommend a very exceptional and masha'Allah inspiring couple: Amad Shaikh and Umm Reem. My husband and I have known them for over 20 years. As early as the college years, while many people were just starting to search for their religious identities, Amad and Umm Reem were masha'Allah in full gear leading their peers by being the president of the male and female sides of the Muslim Student Association at the University of Houston…” You can continue reading the rest of the letter here.

If you believe, like we do, that this MM couple should receive your vote, then please join us in voting here before June 15th.

I have known Shaykh Waleed “before the people knew him”. We brought him into our little musallah in Clear Lake, TX, to peg the masjid. We were next-door neighbors and my eldest two children literally grew up with his eldest two. We went to prayers together and spent hours talking. Little did I know that those were precious moments that were fleeting, before Shaykh Waleed became “the” Shaykh Waleed. I cherish and thank Allah for those amazing times when I had him for myself :)
While he was in Saudi recently, he surprised me with a call. We don't talk that often anymore, being in different countries, but for him to remember me just because he is the region, is the kind of person he is. He doesn't forget you and doesn't let you forget him, each call reminding you why he was so special in your life.

Everyone knows Shaykh Waleed to have a really magnetic personality. Through ups and downs, you can count on him to have a cheery attitude and a smile on his face. There are some personalities who have positive energy and positive vibes, and he certainly is one of them.

And this is why when the Shaykh's mother passed away, many of us felt a personal connection to her, even though most of us have never met her. The outpouring of emotions on social media for a shaykh's mother (not for a Shaykh) is unprecedented, but this shouldn't come as a surprise. While friends may have made a special connection to Shaykh Waleed, even his students and acquaintances make connections with him.

Shaykh Abu Eesa wrote on his facebook page: ”I really feared this Subhanallah, I'm so sad right now. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Please make du'a in these special moments before Maghrib today”. The thing about this note is that the two have known each other for just a few years, but the connection is so highly visible, and the love incredible.

Shaykh Abu Eesa further commented: “Please ask Allah to make it easy for Sh Waleed and his family, and that He blesses his mother with the best of Jannah, without account. =(” and asked his followers to make the following dua:

اللهم اغفر لها وارحمها وعافها واعف عنها وأكرم نزلها ووسع مدخلها واغسلها بالماء والثلج والبرد ونقها من الذنوب والخطايا كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس…وأفسح لها في قبرها واجعله روضة من رياض الجنة

Shaykh Ibn Faqih tweeted:@WaleedKBasyouni‏ لله ما أعطى وله ما أخذ وإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون… اللهم أغفر لها وارفع درجتها وأخلف على أهلها بخير وأجزل لهم الأجر

Shaykh Yasir wrote on FB:

Our dear mentor and friend Sh. Waleed Basyouni's mother just passed away.
“>إنّا لله وإنّا إليه راجعون!! اللهم افسح لها في قبرها وارفع درجتها في العليّين واغفر لها وارحمها يا غفور يا رحيم!! آمين

The Shaykh *just* returned from a visit to her. May Allah grant him patience at this most difficult time. Please remember him, his family, and especially his mother in your du'aas.

Ya Shaykh your loss is our loss…

Yes, Shaykh Waleed, your loss is our loss. From the whole MuslimMatters family, we make dua that Allah grant her the highest levels in Jannatul Firdaus, forgive all her sins, and make you and your good deeds a source of sadaqah jahriyah for her. How many mothers have that kind of sadaqah coming to them? She is blessed and so are you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update: Screen-Free Week for 2012 in April 30th-May 6

Muslimatters.org is proud to endorse the Commercial-free childhood Screen-Free week.

Screen-Free Week is almost here! On April 18-24, children, families, schools, and communities around the country will turn off entertainment screen media (TV, video games, computer games, apps, etc.) and turn on life.  It's a chance to unplug and read, play, daydream, create, explore nature, and spend more time with family and friends.

Since 1996, millions of children and their families have participated in Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff). Each year, thousands of parents, teachers, PTA members, librarians, scoutmasters, and clergy organize Screen-Free Weeks in their communities.  This year, Screen-Free celebrations are being planned around the country, including Long Island, NY, where the Early Years Institute is working with local merchants and community organizations to provide wonderful screen-free activities for children and families for free or at discounted prices.

Santa Rosa, CA, where the Hidden Valley Elementary School Student Government has challenged its students to see which class can come up with the greatest number of screen-free activities.  Please let us know what you have planned for Screen-Free Week by registering your event here.   Click here to find a listing of Screen-Free Week celebrations around the country.  And if you're on Facebook, please become a fan of Screen-Free Week to share your plans for the week and exchange strategies for limiting screen time.

If you haven't started planning for Screen-Free Week, there's still time to start. It's not hard and lots of fun.  Our 2011 Organizer's Kit includes step-by-step organizing instructions, handouts, suggestions for screen-free activities, and tips for reducing screen time all year round.  The kit also comes with two beautiful posters for promoting Screen-Free Week in your school or community.  In addition to your printed booklet and posters, we'll send you an electronic version of the guide so you can start planning your screen-free fun right away.  Organizer's Kits, posters, and Screen-Free Week t-shirts can be purchased here.

Screen-Free Week is endorsed by seventy leading health, education, and childcare organizations including the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Public Health Association, the National Head Start Association, KaBOOM!, the US Play Coalition, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, and the Parent Teacher Associations of Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida, and Missouri and MuslimMatters.

Here are more tips from Linn of education.com on making Screen-Free week a great experience for your family:

• Decide what screen-free means for your fam­ily. Does it include email and text messaging? Are you still going to Skype with family members in another state or country? Will the older kids have homework to do on a computer? There's no 'right' way to do this, but make sure that you're all clear about what your commitment will be.
• Make plans together for the week.
• Include friends, relatives and neighbors in what you are doing, even if for just one day or evening. Get together with other families at a park, play or­ganized games or just hang out.
• Set a calendar of activities and events for the week. One goal of Screen-Free Week is to allow kids unstructured time to generate their own screen-free play and activities. But, especially if this is your first time participating as a family, you'll want to make sure that you are not left twid­dling your thumbs. It is most important to schedule some family activities in the early part of the week so that everyone can adjust to being screen-free.
• Don't forget to assess life without screens for a week with your child. Make a chart for each day of the week and list the activities that took place. What was her favorite thing that she did during Screen-Free Week? Click here for 30 more activities.

*Muslim-specific Suggested Activities

• Ramadan is only 3 months away – Use this week off from TV/video games to prepare your family for Ramadan.
• Memorize some ayaat or surahs together as a family.
• Take them to the masjid for Asr salah instead of the after-school cartoons.
• Visit a new masjid in your city.
• Visit an elder in the community.

Here's to a great Screen-Free Week! InshaAllah -our readers will make a commitment to give the TV the boot or at least decrease screen time for their children and themselves.  We will be posting several television-related posts in the coming week: from a Muslim mom on why her family is unplugging, a Muslim mom on how she survives without a TV in her house, and to a post about televangelism. Stay tuned!

 We are currently able to offer access to Islāmic, professional, and legal advisors. From an Islāmic standpoint, we provide support and advice from our Islāmic advisors (male and female) who adhere to a range of varying Islāmic schools of thought. We also have a dedicated team of professional and legal advisors who are able to offer psychological support and appropriate counselling to victims of domestic violence.

Nour addresses the prevalent, yet largely unaddressed issue of DV in the Muslim community. 1 in 4 women suffer from DV during their lifetime in the U.K., however this statistic may not reflect minority communities, more specifically the Muslim community (in which the number may be higher). There is a general reluctance to address this issue within the community, and more startlingly there exists the misconception that DV is advocated in Islām.

Our services are accessible for all. We neither condone nor participate in discrimination against DV victims based on religion, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. Because every victim's situation is unique we will provide a one-on-one liaison with any of our professionals to ensure the needs of DV victims are met.

The work undertaken at Nour is also focused on providing the much needed education and awareness about DV and its rampancy in the Muslim community, as well as in mainstream society, through hosting informative public seminars and lectures. Our philanthropic motivation is rooted within the teachings of Islām; what makes Nour fundamentally unique is the application of Islāmic literature from both the Qur ān and the Prophetic teachings as a platform to provide the distinct framework of Islām, to both refute and condemn DV. Thus, part of the work, which will be undertaken at Nour, will involve re-educating those who believe DV is condoned and/or advocated by Islām, especially within the Muslim community.

Ṣabr (patience) does not equate to the endurance of suffering in silence.

One of the ways in which Nour seeks to educate the Muslim community about this disease is the annual Nour DV week. By the grace of Allāh, with the launch, we will be organising events and seminars to highlight the dangers and cures of domestic violence in our communities.

The aim of Domestic Violence Awareness Week is to utilise this week to reach out to as many people as possible, using many different platforms. Although this issue remains a taboo within the Muslim community, we are steadfast in our efforts to address this problem and tackle it head on. We believe prevention is better than cure, thus have faith that propagating awareness and education on this issue will assist us in working towards abolishing domestic violence from our community.

Nour has organised a whole range of events, where there is literally something for everyone.  The various events, which have been arranged, will allow us to highlight how prevalent the issue is, as well as giving us the opportunity to educate the community through knowledgeable teachers and professionals.

The events which have been arranged are:

Monday 12th March 2012: Survivor Stories (Documentary):

This short documentary, created by Nour, will give an insight on the detrimental effects of domestic violence on the lives of victims. Real life experiences will be documented from three of our clients to enlighten the public about the damages caused by domestic violence.  The support and bravery of our clients will inshā'Allāh appeal to many hearts, to step up and aid the victims of DV, who still suffer in silence.

Tuesday 13th March 2012 - Nour Hits the Streets:

Nour will be hitting the streets of Tower Hamlets (London, UK) with two aims:

•  Awareness: A fundamental feature to bring DV to an end –  we will be highlighting its occurrence in the Muslim community as well as extensively stressing the dire need to unite to tackle this issue.
• We will be filming the public, interviewing them and attaining their perspective on DV; giving us the platform to educate and inform them of any misconceptions. It would also allow us to document the perspectives held today

Wednesday 14th March 2012 - Nour in the Media:

Nour will be appearing as a guest on the Nihal Show (BBC Asian Network), to discuss the prevalent, yet silent issue of domestic violence in the Muslim community. This is another platform allowing us to tackle some specific misconceptions that are associated with this subject, giving the public a chance to call in and get involved.

Thursday 15th March 2012 - Ṣabr is Not Suffering in Silence (Webinar):

Sister Yasmin Mogahed (from the United States) will deliver a powerful, awakening, and influential seminar regarding the misunderstanding of ṣabr and the misconception that ṣabr equates to suffering in silence.  Join sister Yasmin on this talk, in which she will shed light on this painful reality.

Friday 15th March 2012 - Domestic Violence Khuṭbah:

Across London and beyond inshā'Allāh, we would like to get more masājid (mosques) involved this year in our khuṭbah event. This is so the khuṭbah can be delivered in as many masājid (mosques) as possible, ensuring that no matter where we go, we will all be given a wake-up call about this corrupted behaviour.  Our Imām's of the community will be delivering speeches on this heinous crime, which will inshā'Allāh get victims to speak out regarding their suffering, and will get those who are causing difficulties to take heed and follow the Sunnah.

Saturday 17th March 2012 - Solace in Your Spouse:

Nour will be hosting an event which will focus on the following topics:

•  Pure women for pure men: Rights of spouse [Sheikh Suliman Ghani]
•  Pearls of Parents: Rights of children [Sheikh Abdullah Hasan]
• Sacred Union: A Guide to Islāmic intimacy [Sheikh Hasan Ali]

 This event will inshā'Allāh educate many brothers and sisters – young and old, married and single – on the perfect marriage life.  It will highlight issues which occur in marriage and ways to solve them, using the prophet ṣallallāhu'alayhi wa sallam's life as our guide of perfection.

Sunday 18th March 2012 - The Blank Slate Exhibition & Auction:

We will be utilising art as a means of exploring the perceptions of DV, which people from all walks of life hold. These perceptions are expressed via their art work.  Ajmal Masroor will be one of the many guests there, who will give a talk as well as auction an impeccable work handed in to us.

Please join us during this Nour DV week 2012 to the road to eradicating domestic violence in our communities. If you are not able to attend these events, please support us by donating, or publicise DV week amongst your contacts and make du'ā' that Allāh makes these events more successful than last year and He helps us to use our voices for those who are suffering in silence.

For information about Nour and how you can get involved, please visit, http://nour-dv.org.uk/

(February 21, 2012) The Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada (MSA National) officially expressed its concern today over new allegations that certain elements of the New York Police Department (NYPD) have been spying on local MSA chapters around prominent university campuses including Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania and other prestigious colleges around the Northeast.

According to a recent story in the Associated Press, the intelligence division of the New

York Police Department (NYPD) went far beyond New York's city limits and began to

“trawl daily through student websites run by Muslim student groups at Yale University,

the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers and 13 other colleges in the Northeast.”
According to the same AP story, NYPD officials spoke with local authorities about
professors in Buffalo and went so far as to send an undercover agent on a whitewater
rafting trip, where he recorded Muslim students' names and even noted within police
intelligence files how many times they prayed on a daily basis.

SEE: “New York Police Department Monitored Muslim Students All Over Northeast”

(Associated Press)

“MSA National has always been an organization willing to work alongside law
enforcement agencies to help keep our communities safe,” said MSA National President
Zahir Latheef. “However, we believe that the NYPD clearly overstepped its boundaries
when it began spying on average American Muslim college students who were simply
taking whitewater rafting trips or innocently participating in school activities at their
college or university campus.”

Ms. Aamna Anwer, vice president of MSA National, further added that, “We at MSA
National actively work to distance ourselves from extreme ideologies of any kind. While
we appreciate the efforts of law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of all
Americans, we hope that in the future law enforcement agencies will conduct
themselves in a manner devoid of spying on people simply based on religious and racial
profiling.”

The Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada (MSA National) is a
non-profit organization that strives to facilitate networking, educating and empowering
the American Muslim college students of today to be productive citizens of tomorrow's
global community.

–END—

CONTACT: MSA National President Zahir Latheef, 979-575-5870,
president@msanational.org
MSA National Vice President Ms. Aamna Anwer, 309-335-7665

Can you spare a khutbah tomorrow to bring awareness to the case of the innocent and oppressed people of Syria, Homs and Baba Amr?

Here are some talking points:

1-How Muslims should be like one strong structure helping each other.
2-The obligation of Muwala' (assisting and sympathizing)
3-The role of the Muslims in helping the oppressed.
4-The virtue of shafa'ah- interceding for the week with those who have the power.
5-The responsibility to enjoin good and forbid evil.
6-The Messenger of Allah and his example in supporting the week.
7-The concern of the Prophet for the Ummah.
8-The du'a of the Prophet for the oppressed.
9-Bring examples from the sahaba and history of Islam.

Action items:

1-Make thorough dua' for Syria and Homs.
2-Do dua' nawazil in the fard salat or in public qiyam.
3-Encourage donation for the help of Syria.
4-Encourage people to write and blog about it.
5-Help college students to bring this case to their campus.
6-Call people to speak to politicians.
7-Encourage people to contact Russian and Chinese embassies to condemn their support to the oppressive regime of Syria.
8-Show passion in condemning this greatest injustice.
9-Speak about it regularly in the masjid.

My dear Imam and Khateeb, by the time you read this perhaps another 10 more innocent lives have already perished in Syria.
Do your part. Take an action. Tomorrow.

Over the last two days there has been a story of sheer injustice going through my news feed by the hour- the brutal massacre of our brothers and sisters in Syria under a tyrannical and unjust regime. Like many of you, I, at first, was just reading and watching as friends updated the situation and death toll rise in their numbers, I felt helpless yet compelled to do something for Allāh said in the Qurʾān:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allāh, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Acquainted with what you do.” [Qurʾān 5:8]

Today He is calling us to stand up in prayer to seek justice and His Help for the oppressed in Syria.

My mind couldn't comprehend the grief and unimaginable horror the brothers and sisters are facing until I listened to the khuṭbah appeal of Sh Muhammad Al-Arifi here and as he shared the humiliating and nefarious attacks on our brothers and sisters in Syria my heart cried for the trial the Ummah is undergoing.

Yet the Prophet has told us that this Ummah is like a strong support structure and like one body, if one part aches then the whole Ummah should ache in agony of the Muslims who are being slaughtered and killed for nothing but their faith. Just before I began to write this article, a Syrian friend of mine shared what was an extremely difficult video to watch of a Syrian brother before his burial yesterday whilst his family cried over him.

My plea to you brothers and sisters is to take action and stand up for justice in Syria. Here's how we can take action:

1. Raise Awareness

The first step we can all take is to raise awareness about the situation in Syria. You can do this by sharing the most up to date and accurate news so people are informed about the situation and can take action. Secondly you can share the video reminders and stories to help the Ummah recognize the obligation on each of us to help those who are being oppressed. (you can post latest links in comments on this newspost and MuslimMatters will use them to update the post).

2. Write to Your Government

As Muslims who are concerned for the security and safety of those in Syria we should call on our MPs, Congressmen, governments and international organizations to put the tyrannical regime to an end because no human being should want for innocent civilians to die. Unfortunately, the UN has failed to remove this unjust regime and therefore by writing, calling and speaking to our MPs in a collective voice can we inshā'Allāh expect to be heard as we should speak out against injustice wherever we see it. If you are attending a demonstration or protest in you country remember you are representatives of Islam through your actions so please refrain from any violent behavior or aggressive actions. Let's remember that the attitude of a Muslim in times of hardship is that of patiently awaiting Allāh's Help.

3. Stand Up in Prayer  

Where possible join the congregation to pray and seek Allāh's Help for Victory. Pray 2 rakʿah nafl prayer seeking His Help and remember the brothers and sisters in your prayers in the day and night; be certain that Allāh will respond for He Hears the du'ā's of the oppressed and surely if there is no justice in this world, we will certainly see it in the Hereafter. As the Qur'anic verse warns us:

“And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allāh and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, 'Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?'” [Qurʾān 4:75]

4. Give in Charity

Another way in which you can take action is to support the charitable organizations providing aid and assistance in Syria, giving money and time or efforts to help these organizations is invaluable at these times. To donate you can visit Islamic Relief's Syria Appeal campaign here or any other transparent registered charity who are working in Syria.

5. Raise Your Hands in Du'ā'

Finally, the least of faith is in making du'ā' and truly, our brothers and sisters request that we raise our hands and seek Allāh to protect and grant victory to those who are suffering immensely today in these massacres. At every prayer, in times of rain and in your prostration please do not forget them for Allāh has promised to answer the  du'ā' of the oppressed (Bukhari).  You can find du'ā's for the oppressed here to read and share.

Islamic phrases include:
• 'alayhis salam –
• rahimaha Allah –
• rahimahu Allah –
• rahimahum Allah –
• radiallahu 'anha –
• radiallahu 'anhu –
• radiallahu 'anhum –
• sallalahu 'alayhi wa salam –
• subhanahu wa ta 'ala –

Both black and white versions of each graphic are provided.
Romanized text and the English translation can also be inserted to assist readers who do not know Arabic, as shown below:

Images only - islamic phrase appears upon mouse rollover.

Images with translation - English translation appears in brackets next to image.

Romanized text with translation - a text only option.

Romanized text only

Translation only

Click here to download the plugin for free – please don't forget to rate it. :)

Updates:
• 1st Feb 2012: version 1.1.0 – Options page added under Dashboard > Settings > Islamic Graphics. Now you can choose to display images with or without accompanying text, set the default image height, and default colour.
• 23rd Jan 2012: version 1.0.7 – Alt and title text added. Hover your mouse over an Islamic graphic to see the transliterated version of the phrase, as well as the meaning in English.
• 14th Jan 2012: version 1.0.6 – New images added! Rahimahullah, rahimaha Allah, rahimahum Allah.
• 13th Jan 2012: version 1.0.5 – Changes made to improve image quality. JazakAllah khair Saqib for the recommendations.

This is a strategy proposed by an American Muslim for American Muslims. It is a strategy that American Muslims should employ, if it is the case that we wish to combat negative stereotypes and perceptions about Islam. If you do not think this is important (even though it is), then this is not for you. But if you have genuine concern about the image of Islam in America and have the foresight to picture what life could be like for us if there is another terrorist attack against America, then this is your handbook. The Crescent Directive explains how we can revamp some of the negative perceptions of American Muslims. It's the story of how PTA meetings, Thanksgiving dinner, and Little League baseball, with the help of Allah, can save the image of Islam in America.

It has several parts. First, we start with how the question about Islam has evolved over the last 10 years. After we narrow in on what the question is now, we discuss what our answers have been, and why they are not effective long-term solutions. Following that, we establish assumptions and outline the strategy of The Crescent Directive. The strategy will include a variety of specific, minor, and at times, seemingly facetious recommendations on changes we American Muslims can make in our everyday lives. The last section is an explanation of how these recommendations will change the image of Islam and closes with a few concerns and caveats.

To download the entire version of The Crescent Directive (for free), click here: you must have Kindle software. If you do not have a Kindle device you can download Kindle for Mac , Kindle for PC , or the Kindle app for your smartphone all free of charge for Muslimmatters readers til 3:00 a.m. EST  TONITE.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting the moon completely in shadow. The eclipse will start at around 7:45 a.m. EST (4:45 a.m. PST, 1245 GMT), when the shadow of the moon inches across the lunar disk.

The celestial show will be visible from parts of North America, with those in the western portions of Canada and the United States particularly well placed for the event. People in Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and central and eastern Asia should also be able to catch sight of the reddened moon. (Space.com)

Those who are able to see the eclipse should perform the special Sunnah prayer, known as Salat-al-Kusuf.

Please read this previous MM article to remind yourself of the significance of this celestial event, and what the prayer entails.

This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in a prayer that is possible only a few times in your life. So depending on which side of the globe you are on take the time out for this prayer.

For more info:

NORTH AMERICA: Look Up! Lunar Eclipse Will Turn Moon Red Today (Space.com)

INDIA: Watch total lunar eclipse today (Zeenews.india.com)

PAKISTAN: Lunar Eclipse on December 10, 2011 (Chowrangi.com)

UK/EUROPE: Skywatchers await lunar eclipse (bbc.co.uk)

MALAYSIA/INDONESIA: Malaysians can observe total lunar eclipse today(theborneopost.com)

MIDDLE EAST: Celestial show today (kaleejtimes.com)