Open Thread Sunday 08/03/2008

11 Comments

1. 

   sincethestorm

   August 3, 2008 at 1:14 AM

   just an observation. why are the ads on MM always about food or marriage???

   Reply
2. 

   Kadijatu

   August 3, 2008 at 1:29 AM

   clothing too : )

   Reply
3. 

   Samina

   August 3, 2008 at 5:50 AM

   Assalamu alaikum

   Can anyone who has recently traveled to the US tell me if it is really as bad as this, that they can take your laptops away for months on end and give your data to third-parties? I don’t think data encryption or concealing folders is an option – wouldn’t that only make them more suspicious?

   Since I will be traveling to the US in 2 weeks (from Saudi Arabia no less!), I would really appreciate some info on the matter. I did read this post of MuslimMatters’ but does someone have info on things having gotten worse lately? Will having 20GB of Islamic lectures on my laptop work against me or will I have to upload all of it to Box.net and such sites?

   Jazak Allah khair

   Reply
4. 

   Nihal Khan

   August 3, 2008 at 11:31 AM

   Laptops? If they want they’ll seize you for 2 months :P

   Reply
5. 

   anon

   August 3, 2008 at 9:04 PM

   I actually always thought they could look seize your computer at border stops. Didn’t realize this was new.

   Here’s an article I read about a highly incompetent teacher displaying Grade A stupidity.

   “Abdalla I. Al-Shabnan, director of the Islamic Saudi Academy, was fined $500 Thursday after admitting that he failed to inform authorities about suspected sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl who attended the school’s Fairfax campus… According to court papers, the girl made comments that led her teacher to suspect the girl’s father might be sexually abusing her. The teacher and school principal filed a report to Al-Shabnan, but he didn’t believe the girl. He advised the girl’s parents to put her into counseling, according to a police affidavit. State law requires school authorities to report alleged child abuse within 72 hours of learning of the allegation.
   Police also said in court papers that the Al-Shabnan, 52, had a report of the girl’s complaint deleted from a school computer.”

   “http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/30/saudi-funded-islamic-scho_n_115953.html”

   I personally think the guy should have gotten some jail time. If the girls allegations are true he would have been responsible for basically allowing her abuse to continue. I’d also be interested in knowing what sorts of laws there are to deal with these sorts of allegations in Saudi if any of you know anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if the methodology of dealing with this sort of thing is similar to what AlShabnan did.

   Reply
6. 

   ok

   August 4, 2008 at 8:59 AM

   Asalaamu alaykum,
   Speaking of Islamic Saudi Academy, look at this curriculum, masha Allah. How can we get this at our schools? Islamic schools for that manner, we are probably learning in college what these students are learning in ninth grade. Please can someone make a standardized curriculum that won’t scare away the “modernists”, or just about anyone who wants nothing to do with the name “saudi”. It is a shame that we would not even consider some of this material because it says “saudi”. Where are our leaders taking us???

   Islamic Religion – Grade 9

   Qur’anic Memorization: Surat al Muzzammil and Surat al Furqan.
   Qur’anic Recitation: Surat al Anfal and Surat al Tawba
   Tawhid (Islamic Creed): Students study the following topics:

   * Riyaa (Pretentiousness) and its evils
   * Believing in the Attributes of Allah SWT and Respecting them.
   * Avoiding the act of ridiculing the Qur’an and what it teaches.
   * The Rules of Intercession: What is accepted and what is rejected.

   Hadith (Prophetic sayings and actions): Students study hadiths which deal with the following topics:

   * The Rules of Cleanliness
   * Prayer
   * Behavior in the masjid.
   * Actions which erase sins
   * The Description of the Beleivers
   * Humility and magnanimity.
   * Limits of Gender Interaction.

   Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence): Students study the lawful and prohibited boundaries in food, drink and dress.
   Tafseer (Qur’anic Exegesis): Students study the following topics from various Qur’anic verses:

   * Family Law (Marriage and Divorce).
   * Manner of cooperating with other Muslims
   * Benefit of donating to the needy for the sake of Allah.
   * Rules of trade and business
   * Issues of the Seerah (Life of the Prophet)
   * The migration
   * Brotherhood between the Muhijirun and the Ansar.

   Back

   Islamic Religion – Grade 10

   Qur’anic Memorization: Surat Maryam
   Qur’anic Recitation: Surat Maryam, al Mu’minun, al Anbiyaa, al Nur.
   Tawhid: Students study:

   * Authentic sources of Islamic creed
   * Authentic methodology of understanding Islamic Creed.
   * Proofs for the Oneness of God and the Qur’anic methodology for proving the existence of God.
   * Students study God’s Noble Names and Attributes.
   * True servitude to God.
   * Requirements for good deeds to be accepted by God.

   Hadith: Students study sayings which emphasize the following prophetic morals and values:

   * Honesty
   * The Value of Time and time management
   * Education and its great importance
   * The Rights of Muslims over each other.
   * The Rights of Parents
   * The Harms of Smoking

   Fiqh: Students study the following topics:

   * Islamic Penal Code
   * Prohibition of Murder and the murderer’s punishment
   * Prohibition of adultery and the adulterer’s punishment
   * Prohibition of slander
   * Prohibition of Drugs and alcohol
   * Prohibition of Stealing
   * Prohibition of terrorizing civilians

   Tafseer: Students study the meanings of various verses which cover the following topics:

   * Caring for and Respecting our Parents
   * Supporting each other and avoiding division and rancor among Muslims.
   * Understanding and following the example of virtuous predecessors in Islamic history.
   * The history of historical nations which disobeyed God and their punishment.
   * Remembering the blessings of God on us.
   * The description of heaven and hell in the Hereafter.

   Back

   Islamic Religion – Grade 11

   Qur’anic Memorization: Surat al Kahf
   Qur’anic Recitation: Surat al Kahf, Ibrahim, al Anfal, Hud
   Tawhid: Students study the following topics:

   * Believing in the Hereafter
   * Description of the events of the Hereafter

   Hadith: Students study different events in the Life of the Prophet (pbuh) including:

   * Persecution faced by the Prophet (pbuh) in calling people to Islam.
   * Stories of the Companions in sacrificing for the sake of God.
   * The Muslim’s Distinct Personality.
   * Islamic Family Rules
   * Respecting Women in Islam

   Fiqh:

   * Family Law: marriage, divorce, ruj’a (spouses returning to each other).
   * Spousal relations.
   * Islamic Penal Code
   * Prohibiting adultery
   * Prohibiting sodomy and homosexuality
   * Prohibition of suicide
   * Prohibition of stealing and burglary

   Tafseer:

   * Students study the sources of Tafseer, how it was revealed and collected
   * Meccan and Medinite revelations
   * Naskh (abrogation of certain verses) in the Qur’an
   * Verses which cover Islamic Creed, Belief in the Hereafter, Usury, Debt, the Unity of Muslims,
   * Reward in the Hereafter.

   Back

   Islamic Religion – Grade 12

   Qur’anic Memorization: Surat Yusuf
   Qur’anic Recitation: Surat al Baqara and Surat Yusuf.
   Tawhid: Students study the following topics:

   * Reasons for deviation from the authentic Islamic Creed.
   * Methods for remediating this deviation.
   * Different types of Shirk (associating partners with God)
   * Different types of Kufr (disbelief).
   * Ignorance and deviation from the path of Allah
   * Magic/Sorcery and its evils.
   * Fortune-telling and its evils.
   * Importance of implementing Divine rulings.
   * Importance of following the Messenger
   * Avoiding innovations in religion and superstition

   Hadith: Students study:

   * The Sources of Hadith and its different types (different narrators, different narrations, authentic and weak hadiths)
   * Islamic culture and the Life of the Prophet and his companions
   * Manners of visiting and inviting others over.
   * Increasing spirituality and patience.

   Fiqh: Students study in detail:

   * Family Law
   * Marriage and its pillars, requirements
   * Prohibitions in marriage (people we cannot marry)
   * Spousal relations
   * Pregnancy and Nursing
   * Child Support
   * Types of divorce
   * Udda: (waiting time before divorce)

   Tafseer: Students study verses which cover the following topics:

   * Trustworthiness and its importance
   * Obeying the messenger
   * Commanding what is good and prohibiting against what is evil
   * Description of the Hypocrites, and avoiding these attributes.
   * The Lawful and Prohibited in food, drink and actions.
   * Islamic view of Jesus (pbuh).
   * Verses which prove the existence of God.
   * Qur’anic stories.
   * Story of Moses (pbuh) with Pharoah.
   * Verses which deal with natural phenomena (such as thunder).
   * Being good to one’s parents.

   Reply
7. 

   bint Ashfaq

   August 4, 2008 at 11:19 AM

   Br Nihal are you trying to scare sister Samina? *smile*

   I have the same question…

   Anything we should be wary of when travelling?

   Reply
8. 

   Yasmine bint ahmed

   August 4, 2008 at 2:19 PM

   asslamu alaykum sisters and brothers

   I was wondering if u know heard of some shiekh that do good lectures because i listen to the same shiekh and i want to listen to new one .

   may allah reward you

   thank you

   Reply
9. 

   coolred38

   August 4, 2008 at 3:28 PM

   My daughter recently travelled to the states with her laptop….it was given a basic check and that was it. btw she has an arab name coming from an arab country…so not everyone gets the “special welcome” .

   Reply
10. 

    Seeker7

    August 4, 2008 at 4:15 PM

    sister Yasmine, try listening to the AlMaghrib teachers: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, shaykh Yaser Birjas, Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef, shaykh Waleed Basyouni, shaykh AbdulBary Yahya, Shaykh Suhaib Webb..there’s a lot more mashaAllah.

    Check out: audioislam.com, they have really nice lectures.

    Also check out: ilmcast.com, to see videos of the almaghrib instructors.

    Reply
11. 

    chakbells

    October 11, 2008 at 7:02 PM

    The only man accused of Britain’s biggest bank robbery walked free from court yesterday after the collapse of his trial. More..
    by xrtst302a

    Reply