Islam from a finnish muslims eyes.

Suicide bombings and Islam

2009-08-25T19:04:00.001+03:00

Suicide bombings and Islam

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem

Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
Every day you see on the news how there are suicide bombings all over the Muslim world, but why is it that Muslims do it? Is it compatible with our religion Islam? Or is this something that is done out of ignorance?

In this article I’m going to argue that suicide bombing is haraam[1]in Islam and I’m going to prove it with verses from the Qur’an and Hadiths.
Let’s first define what a suicide bombing is:
Suicide bombing would be when a person delivers an explosive to an location, detonates it and dies because of the explosion willingly. This tactic is being used currently in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Chechnya and Somalia by different groups who claim to fight in the name of Islam.
Unfortunately this tactic isn’t only used to target military targets but also civilian targets.

Firstly I would clear up why it is completely haraam in Islam to kill civilians even in times of war.

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all of humanity: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved all of humanity. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.”[1]

” Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities .Lo! Allah loves not, aggressors.”[2]

Furthermore Shiekh Abdel Sattar Abdel Jabbar, Spokesman for Shurah Council of Muslim Scholars says about killing civilians.

” Killing and slaughtering innocents is not an Islamic teaching. Contrary to this, Islam teaches us to honor the human being, regardless of his faith. In the Glorious Qur'an, Allah says, "We have honored human beings". Therefore, killing innocents and slaughtering them is not of our teachings.”[3]

I believe my point has been made clear now, according to Islamic rules of warfare, civilians are not to be hurt. If we look back in history to the Crusades when Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub re-captured the city of Jerusalem from the Crusaders ( who killed everyone in Jerusalem when they took it, it has been recorded that 70.000 men, women and children lost their life), he did not kill anyone, but promised the Christians a safe passage to Christian lands. This is what Islam teaches us.

Now it should be crystal clear for everyone that the killing of civilians is forbidden according to Islam.

Now to the next point, the actual suicide bombing.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

” Destroy not yourselves. Surely Allah is ever merciful to you”.[4]

"And do not throw yourselves in destruction". [5]

There is also a Hadith about suicide:

The Prophet said: "Amongst the nations before you there was a man who got a wound, and growing impatient (with its pain), he took a knife and cut his hand with it and the blood did not stop till he died. Allah said, 'My Slave hurried to bring death upon himself so I have forbidden him (to enter) Paradise.'[6]

“Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the Fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever”[7]

The verses from the Qur’an and this Hadith makes it quite clear that taking your own life is forbidden, the hadith even says that Allah forbade the man from entering paradise.
T
his is how severe it is to take your own life. If going out on a suicide bombing mission then the intention to commit suicide is there and hence this verse from the Qur’an and this Hadith fit the situation very well.
Numerous Fatwas have been issued against the act of suicide bombings, and the ‘Ulama agrees that this act is sinful and not according to Islam.

Muslims should stop being so ignorant about the rules of war in Islam, we have many rules that we must follow. You cannot think that something that has been haraam would suddenly become halal, this is not Islam. Suicide is forbidden not only by our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, but by Allah, the Creator. Seek knowledge from the people of knowledge, and not from Muslims who have little or no knowledge and come up with their own rulings. Many of these attacks are only done for political reasons and not for religious reasons, but no one should be fooled that you will gain the status of a martyr when doing something that is a great sin.

I hope that this article also clears up some misconceptions in the non-Muslims minds, there are a lot of corrupt and false information about Islam in the media and on the internet, don’t believe everything people tell you. Go and ask Muslims who have real knowledge about issues. If you do not believe in what I have written then I ask you to research it yourself, from honest websites that represent Islam, I will also provide some links for further reading below.

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things)."[8]

Vocabulary:
Haraam: Unlawful
Halal: Lawful
Fatwa: Religious ruling
‘Ulama: Scholars
Qur’an: The holy book of Islam
Hadith: Oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam.

Islamic rules of war:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503545840&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEAskTheScholar

[1]Qur’an 5:32
[2]Qur’an 2:190
[3] http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=AmEEc9
[4] .Qur'an 4:29
[5] Qur’an2:195
[6] Sahih Bukhari 4.56.669
[7] Bukhari 5778 and Muslim 109&110
[8]Qur’an 49:13

Only God can judge me... really?

2009-08-05T21:03:00.000+03:00

Only God can judge me... really?

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh

The young Muslims today listen to hip-hop/rap music and unfortunately they tend to listen to these retarded lyrics. Now one of the most famous phrases a rapper has used in a song must be Tupac Shakur who sang “Only God can judge me”. When we hear it, it makes a lot of sense, because ultimately when we die, it is only Allah that will judge us, but, when we are still in this dunya, it is not only Allah that judges us, we can also get judged by humankind.
I have heard too many times that a Muslim has committed a very grave sin, and talks about it and when being called out by someone, in order to correct the person, and the person who sinned replies with “Only God can judge me”.
Now from a Christian perspective (Tupac Shakur was a Christian after all, not a Muslim) this might make sense, since the Christians sins already have been forgiven when Isa a.s was killed on the cross, and they twist bible passages around, well this is a whole other topic so I will not continue with that. But yes, for Christians it might make sense because they only answer to God, I mean Jesus, no God… or was it the Holy Spirit? Anyways, they answer to one of their gods and that is it, they do not follow the laws of the Old Testament.
Now what is the problem with a Muslim saying that?
Well that we have a thing called Sharia, this is a divine law that Allah has given us to follow, and when Sharia is implemented, there are Sharia courts and if you commit a sin that has a punishment according to the Sharia, you will be taken to court, your case will be investigated and if found guilty, in that case the Sharia court has JUDGED YOU and will punish you. Now you have been judged by human beings according to the law of Allah, revealed to us in the Qur’an and through Prophet Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam.
O Muslim youth, stop treating some rap “artist” as a Shiekh, even though something might sound pleasing to the ear this is nothing but another trick by the Sheytan to drag you away from Siratal Mustaqeem (The straight path, Islam).
Come back to Islam, stop making stupid excuses for your actions, think about what if God doesn’t forgive your sins, what if you didn’t repent enough, what if those 100 times you committed zina, or those 10.000 prayers you forgot to pray are not forgiven, what if you have to spend years upon years in Jahannam(Hell).
Read the Qur’an and remind yourself that death is always near, repent and start practicing, stop using the “Only God can judge me”, because I don’t know about you, but I would rather take my punishment in this life, than to leave it to the Day of Judgment when the punishment might be far more severe than anything that could happened to you in this life!

-Fredrik “Fady” Lundström

Is Honor Killing a part of Islam?

2009-07-31T18:05:00.002+03:00

Is Honor Killing a part of Islam?

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
Now days Islam is under attack on all fronts, not only are our lands occupied by non-Muslims, our beliefs are under attack and lies are spread against Islam, unfortunately ignorant Muslims are not helping Islam by committing ignorant acts in the name of Islam, which are in fact very un-Islamic.
Honor killing is a disease that has spread amongst Muslims unfortunately, what is honor killing and why is it forbidden?

Causes for Honor Killing:

Usually it is a girl from a family who has done something that the family deems indecent, such as not wearing Hijab or intermingling with the opposite sex and with these actions she has brought great shame upon her family in her community.

Who commits the Honor Killing:

It seems like it is always the close male relatives who take this “mission” upon them in order to save the honor of their family.

Why is Honor Killing Haraam:

Allah Most High says:
“If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever): And the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.”[1]
Going to the Sahih Hadith collections we find this Hadith:
“Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported saying that Nabi Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam said: ‘The blood of a Muslim may not be legally spilt other than in one of three instances: The married person who commits adultery, a life for a life and who forsakes his religion and abandons the community.’”[2]

Now this verse from the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith clearly states that a Muslims life is not to be taken because of a light cause, then we can ask ourselves: Are the reasons for Honor killings not serious enough?

No, they are not. In Sharia[3] there is a death penalty only in some cases, not wearing Hijab and intermingling with the opposite sex do not belong to the category, for my knowledge there is not even a light Hadd[4] punishment for it, yes indeed they are sins and not to be taken lightly, but there are no punishments in the Dunya[5] for it.
What if your family member would actually commit a crime that has a Hadd[4] punishment? Are you allowed to punish them yourself?

Shaykh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, states:

“There is no such concept in Islam that is called honor killing. Islam holds every soul in high esteem and does not allow any transgressions upon it.
It does not allow people to take the law in their own hands and administer justice, because doing so will be leading to chaos and lawlessness. Therefore, based on this, Islam does not permit such killings.
First of all, in order to sanction killing, it must be through a binding verdict issued by an authoritative law court. Individuals themselves have no authority either to judge causes or pass judgments. Therefore, a Muslim should not sanction killing because doing so will be leading to the rule of the law of the jungle. A civilized society cannot be run by such laws.”
And this is what Islam, when followed properly gives us, a civilized society.

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Hanooti, member of the North American Fiqh Council, adds:

“In Islam there is no place for unjustifiable killing. Even in the case of capital punishment, only the government can apply the law through the judicial procedures. No one has the authority to execute the law other than the officers who are in charge.”

No matter what has happened a Muslim is always to follow the law and take his matter to a court.

The people who commit Honor Killing to save their family’s reputation is doing nothing but following their Nafs [6] and have nothing to do with Islam, they might think that their action is according to the rules of Islam but they are gravely mistaken.

It’s time for people to go to Islamic sources and hear what the ‘Ulama have to say about matters, not blindly follow their culture and think that their culture equals Islam.

If your daughter doesn’t wear Hijab or intermingles with the opposite sex then guide her, if you kill her you will not let her to have the chance to repent for her sins and you will have committed the sin or murder which according to Sharia[3] the punishment is death, and if you do not take the punishment in the dunya [5] and repent, verily you will answer to your Creator on the Day of Judgment.

“In that is a Sign for those who fear the penalty of the Hereafter: that is a Day for which mankind will be gathered together: that will be a Day of Testimony. Nor shall We delay it but for a term appointed.”[7]

-Fredrik “Fady” Lundström

[1] Qur’an 4:93
[2] Al-Bukhari and Muslim
[3] Islamic law
[4] Physical punishment according to Sharia[3]
[5] This life
[6] Personal desire
[7] Qur’an 11:103-104

Love your parents

2009-07-31T00:44:00.000+03:00

Love your Parents

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4NwYrlqkcY&NR=1

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh

Today I saw this video which I posted above and started to think about my relationship with my parents, Alhamdulillah it could be worse, but of course it could be a lot better too.
As Muslims we should love our parents because Allah and his Messenger sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam commanded us to do so.
"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; but if they strive (to force) thee to join with Me anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not."[1]
“…The pleasure of the Lord is in the pleasure of a parent, and the wrath of the Lord is in the wrath of a parent”[2]
“…’O Messenger of Allah. To whom should I be good? He replied, Your mother. So I asked, Then who? He replied, Your mother. I asked, Then who? He replied, Your father, then the next closest relative, and then the next.”[3]
“… The major sins, which are nine in number are as follows … causing one’s parents to shed tears because of one’s disobedience. Then Ibn ‘Umar said to me. ‘Do you fear the Fire and desire to go to Paradise?’ I replied, ‘Yes, by Allah!’ He said, ‘Are your parents still alive?* I replied ‘Only my mother.’ He replied, ‘By Allah, if you speak with her gently and give her food to eat, you will surely enter Paradise if you avoid these major sins.’” [4]

Now looking at the Ayah from the Qur’an and these Hadiths we see the importance of parents to us as Muslims, we should love and cherish them even if they are unjust towards you.
“…Even if they are unjust(one must act to please one’s parents)”[5]
So even if your parents are unjust towards you and are not doing to you what they should according to Islam, you must still treat them kindly and respect them.
You must obey their command as long as it is not against the command of Allah, then it would become sinful for you to obey your parents. If your parents tell you to not wear the Hijab or to not pray Salat, you are to disobey them, but if they were to ask you to go to the supermarket to buy bread you are not even allowed to say “uff” to them, you are to obey them.
“Your Lord has enjoined the following: You should not worship anyone but Him Alone! Treat your parents with great kindness; if either or both of them attain old age, do not even say ‘uff’ to them; nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and pray, “O our Lord, be merciful to them, just as they brought me up with kindness and affection in my childhood.”[6]
Being a convert you might use the excuse “My parents are not Muslim, so I don’t need to obey them, they are not on the Straight Path”, but the reality is the complete opposite. It does not matter if your parent is a Muslim, Ahl Kitab or a Mushrikeen, you are to do good to them and please them, in this is a great reward.
It is very unfortunate that our Ummah is in the state that it is today. Parents know each and single Ayat in the Qur’an that speaks about the rights of the parents but neglect the rights of their children, children rebel against their parents, this is a reality. The only way we can cure this problem is with correct manners and with love, if you are a parent, treat your child with love as Allah and his Messenger sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam ordered you to do, and if you have parents, then treat them with kindness and be gentle to them whatever they may do to you, of course this is easier said than done, but in following the rules of Allah there is a great reward and in breaking them there is a severe punishment.
“Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return”[7]

-Fredrik “Fady” Lundström

[1]Qur’an 29:8
[2] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 2
[3] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 3
[4] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 8
[5] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 7
[6] Qur’an 17:23-24
[7] Qur’an 2:156

Pork, the worst sin in Islam

2009-07-30T19:28:00.003+03:00

Pork, the new worst sin

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh

(Firstly I want to say that I might be a bit sarcastic in this article so do not think that I mean every thing I write in the article, you can tell the difference.)

Pork seems to be the new worst sin in Islam, at least this is the case for Muslims living in the West.
Now what are the “normal” things for a young Muslim now days?
Well usually it’s just the boys, because apparently boys are allowed to do whatever they want because they are boys and apparently they won’t be accountable for their sins on the Day of Judgment, the girls again have to stay nice and pure and won’t leave the house, so let’s examine what male Muslim youth are allowed to do.
The first is to neglect all the five daily prayers because I mean, who prays anyway? That’s something that you can do when your 50 years old with 10 children and your party days are long gone.
The second thing is drinking alcohol, this is also something that everyone is doing so why not? I mean it is after all more important to look cool in the eyes of the Kuffar than to please Allah.
The third is smoking marijuana, this is for those who don’t want to drink alcohol, cause I mean there is no way that marijuana is a drug right or equally bad as alcohol?
The Forth thing that they can do is commit Zina, I mean, everyone is doing it and isn’t it a bit old fashioned to save yourself for marriage?
And finally the fifth is gambling, cause they put small amounts in it so it’s okay, and a lot of the money the money they loose go to charity.

But what is this one sin that Muslims cannot defy? One sin that is so great that breaking that sin would be totally unforgivable?
Well the consuming of pork meat, apparently eating pork will be such a terrible sin that you can do whatever you want as long as you do not eat pig, eating pig will take you straight out of the fold of Islam and you will burn in Hell
Now let’s examine the different sins:
Zina:
“And do not go near fornication. It is an indecent act, an evil way”[1]
The punishment for Zina was revealed gradually in the Qur’an in three steps first in Surah 4:15 then in Surah 4:16 and finally Allah says in the Qur’an.
“ A woman and a man who commit fornication: flog both of them with one hundred lashes and do not let compassion for either of them possess you where Allah’s din is concerned, if you have iman in Allah and the Last Day. A number of muminun should witness their punishment [2]

Alcohol& Cannabis (Both go under the word Khamr (intoxicant))
Khamr was also forbidden gradually in the Qur’an first in Surah 2:219 then in Surah 4:42 and finally
“You who have iman! wine and gambling, stone altars and divining arrows are filth from the handiwork of Shaytan. Avoid them completely so that hopefully you will be successful. Shaytan wants to stir up enmity and hatred between you by means of wine and gambling, and to debar you from remembrance of Allah and from salat. Will you not then give them up?[3]
This Ayat clearly dictates the prohibition of Gambling.
It is also reported in At-Tirmindi that the Prophet sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam said:
“ That of wich a great deal causes intoxication then a little of it is haram.”[4]
“Jurists of the four schools agree that a drunkard must be punished by flogging. Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali jurists say that the hadd punishment for drinking wine is eighty lashes, but Imam ash-Shafi said that the punishment for drinking wine is only forty lashes.”[5]
Neglecting the five daily prayers:
Salat is the second pillar in Islam and neglecting this obligation is a great and very dangerous sin indeed.
“Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have differed concerning the Muslim who deliberately neglects salaah without denying that it is obligatory. Some of them say that he is definitely a kaafir who has gone beyond the pale of Islam. He is considered to be a murtadd (apostate) who is to be given three days to repent – if he does not, he is to be executed for his apostasy. The funeral prayer will not be recited over him, and he will not be buried in the Muslim graveyard. The greeting of salaam is not to be given to him, in life or in death, and his greeting is not to be returned; prayers for forgiveness and mercy for him cannot be offered; he cannot inherit, neither can his wealth be inherited, instead it is to be given to the Muslim treasury (bayt al-maal). This ruling applies whether the number of people who are neglecting their prayers are many or a few.
This opinion is the soundest and most correct, because of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The difference between us and them is salaah. Whoever neglects it is a kaafir.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and the authors of Sunan with a saheeh isnaad); and: “(Nothing stands) between a man and kufr and shirk, except prayer: (whoever neglects it becomes a kaafir and a mushrik).” (Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh, with other similar ahaadeeth).”[6]

And then we have eating of pig.
No one can deny that Allah has made pig meat forbidden to us, but even if we were starving we would be allowed to eat pig meat, we are never allowed to drink alcohol or take drugs, commit zina or neglect the 5 daily prayers.
If you commit all these sins and you do not pray, but when you are offered pig, you say no? Do you think that this will just save you from the fire? This sin that does not even have a hadd punishment?
One brother even told me that he saw some men who belonged to a Muslim family and they were Pimps, meaning they “owned” prostitutes and when they were offered pig meat they said: “No, we do not eat pig”
Seriously, eating pig meat is nothing compared to these sins.
No, we should not eat pig, nor should we commit any of these other sins. But do not think that the only sin you have to stay away from is eating pig meat.

[1] Qur’an 17:32
[2] Qur’an 24:2
[3] Qur’an 5:90-91
[4] At-Tirmindhi
[5] Shariah: Islamic Law, Abd ar-Rahman I.Doi Page.399
[6] http://islamqa.com/en/ref/2182

Who should you imitate as a Muslim?

2009-07-29T22:22:00.003+03:00

Who should you imitate as a Muslim?
As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
Last week when I attended Salatu Jummah in the Masjid in Itäkeskus, Helsinki and I saw loads of young Muslims outside the Masjid, because there was no room inside, but the thing that I noticed was that most of them had hip-hop clothes on and were acting all “gangsta” outside the masjid. This isn’t the first time I see this but it seems like Muslim youth are drawn to the hip-hop culture and are jumping between being a Muslim and a “Gangsta”, I guess dressing as a “gangsta” isn’t un-Islamic but the behavior and lifestyle that comes with it is very un-Islamic, cursing, racial slurs etc. Not to forget the drugs, alcohol and sex that are a part of that culture. Not to forget the music, I mean most of us should know that music is haraam by now, but I could imagine that there is a difference in if you are listening to 50 Cents newest album or Sami Yusufs, one of those albums has a guiding message, a guidance to the true way of life, then again the other is very much the opposite, singing about how someone has women and how they treat them like they are just objects for their pleasure etc.
Now why are young Muslims drawn to these African American “gangsta” musicians and their lifestyle?
I seriously do not know, this is a lifestyle that contradicts almost everything within Islam.
A Muslim is a kind person, filled with mercy and happiness, a Muslim does not curse or slander, a Muslim does not take intoxicants , a Muslim is a benefit to society not a menace to society.
The Muslim youth has to lift their head out of the gutter and realize that this Hip Hop culture is nothing but a new trick and trap of Sheytan to mislead us from the Straight Path, and as always the Sheytan is doing a very good job misleading them.
Muslims need to understand that we have a rich history and culture, filled with beauty. We are not an enslaved religious minority who has been oppressed for hundreds of years, there is no need to be “Enemy of State number 1.” A Muslim benefits the community by following its laws (As long as following those laws wouldn't lead him to do something sinful) and he works to make people’s lives better.
If you have non-Muslim friends who know you as the toughest meanest guy that there ever was, then why would they be attracted to Islam? You as a Muslim in the West represent Islam in the non-Muslims eyes, so behave like a Muslim is supposed to. Countless of people have embraced Islam because they saw the real Muslim character, not because they saw some rude rebel who think that he was cool. Islam spread to countries like Indonesia and Somalia just because the Muslim traders used correct Islamic manners, they didn’t lie, cheat nor steal, they always spoke the truth.
On the Day of Judgement you will be responsible if you did tell your friends about Islam and showed them what Islam really is, then again if you do, and your friends would come to the Straight Path with your help, every time they do a good deed, you will get reward for it, just think about it for a second.
Would it not be better for you to be a winner in this life and the hereafter, rather than a loser in this life and the next?
You will only be a winner in this life and the next if you do what Allah has commanded you and behave like a Muslim, but you will remain a loser in this life and the next if you disobey Allah with your acts and your manners.
The persons we should imitate is the Prophet of Allah sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam and his companions the sahabah radiallahu anhum, no one else.
“… Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah reported that the Prophet of Allah,upon him be peace said, “Every good deed is sadaqah.”[1]
“.. Hudhayfah said, “All of those people who became habitual cursers came to deserve Allah’s curse”[2]
“… ‘Abd Allah reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said “A believer is not a fault-finder and is not abusive, obscene, or coarse”[3]
Are you ready to change your ways?

-Fredrik “Fady”Lundström
[1] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 224
[2] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari Hadith 319
[3] Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhar iHadith 313

What would you do if you would meet the Messenger of Allah (saw)?

2009-07-28T16:59:00.002+03:00

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh

A very good brother in Islam and friend of mine, Qabandi from Kuwait sent me this video, it was a tv-show where they asked people to call and tell them what they would say to habib RasulAllah sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam if we would meet him for 1 minute and what would we give as a gift to him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGNcy4FbsPQ <<< CHECK OUT THE VIDEO

This really made me to start reflecting on my life, what would I do if I were to meet the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, could I even look at him because I would be so ashamed of myself?

I mean yes, I do try to follow his teachings and his Sunnah as well as I can, but would it be enough for him to even consider me as a somewhat good muslim, or a muslim worthy of being a part of his Ummah?

I seriously have no idea what I would do, I don't think I could even speak with him, I would just stand there and bow my head in shame (+ I don't speak arabic so...), Allahu Alam

What would I give as a gift to RasulAllah? What is there to give? What could I ever do that would be enough?

A promise that I will try my best to memorize the Qur'an and learn Arabic? Try my best to spend my belongings in the way Allah has prescribed? Raise my children to be good Muslims or what?

We should all reflect on this idea, what would you do if you met him? Do you think you could stand in front of him and speak him? Would you be ready to meet him?

And this is speaking about the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, then what would you do when you stand in front of your Lord on the Day of Judgement? Prophet Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam is only a man, but this is Allah, your Creator. What can you say? What can you do?

If you die today, you can only take with you your actions and your belief in to the grave, your time is up, the only thing that can help you in the grave are a continuous charity that you set up, your children or people praying for you. Will this be enough for you so you are spared from the fire of the Hell?

Even now while I am writing this article I begin to tremble, what if I do not even live to the end of this article, if the Angel of Death comes and snatches my soul and I take my last breathe, am I ready to meet my Creator?

Are you?

-Fredrik "Fady" Lundström

The Strength of the Muslimah

2009-07-28T03:26:00.002+03:00

The Strength of the Muslimah

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
I just woke up to pray fajr so excuse me if I make alot of typing mistakes or sound irrational, I’m a bit tired.
I’d like to write about the Muslimah, the Muslim woman, our sister in deen.
First I’d like to state that no, I have no idea what the Muslimah goes through in the society of today, specially the west, but I am trying my best to understand.
Anyway,
I have so much respect for our sisters in Islam, these sisters they cover their bodies up even with constant pressure from society and in the worst case even friends and family, this is something that we brothers don’t go through, okay, the beard could be a similar issue, but lets be real, the beard is no big deal compared to the hijab.
Unfortunately we are sometimes quick to judge sisters who lack in their hijab or don’t wear hijab at all, yes indeed Allah has commanded women to cover themselves and it is sinful to be uncovered, but as brothers, who go through nothing like this are we to judge them? Too often I see or hear brothers talking about how sisters who don’t wear hijabs are “whores, bitches and even kafir” and then I look at the brother and see that he is shaven and from my knowledge he doesn’t even pray, so who is he to start judging. Even if the brother would have the longest beard and the whitest thobe and a shemagh he shouldn’t judge harsly.
And yes, I do also unfortunately judge sisters who don’t wear the hijab.
The bottom line is, as brothers (and sisters too) we should stop judging people because we do not know in what kind of situation they are in, when I was a recent convert to Islam I used to break my salat if my parents entered the room, just because I was afraid. Now days I would never break my salat if they were to enter the room while I was praying.
We should stop judging and try to give them advice, and DO IT IN THE CORRECT MANNER! Do not use harsh and foul language, try to break it gently, speak about the problem and how to solve this issue. Don’t use the kind of advice that goes like this “Salaam aleikum sister, if you don’t cover up your going to burn in the hellfire, *quotes 3 hadiths*, so yeah.. cover”
This is not the way, use the correct way, do not correct her in public, rather in privacy ( okay, brothers correct in a more public place if your going to correct her, cause you don’t want to be at a private place with a uncovered sister, just.. don’t go there) and never ever try to defame her or make her the laughingstock of the community or gathering.
Then again, if the sisters Iman is far gone then this will not work, there are other areas you have to work on first, After Iman, the second most important thing is Salat, remember that, without Salat your good deeds are quite worthless.

Support and Advice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMad0KQRbE

-Fredrik “Fady” Lundstöm

Code of Conduct to the Taliban

2009-07-27T16:43:00.004+03:00

Code of Conduct for the Taliban

As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh

Dear brothers and sisters, today I went to the Al-Jazeera (English) website and saw that the Afghan Taliban has released a book to all their fighters about the rules of engagement and the codes of conduct.
A lot of the points in there made me smile because they actually included some Islamic guidelines in them, for example that prisoners of war are not to be hurt, the rule although varied if they would actually capture a enemy soldier (U.S,U.K&Nato).
Also, no prisoners are allowed to be exchanged for money, this is widely spread because all Taliban fighters are not to fight in, well according to themselves in Allahs way, but rather to get money. By the way, the Taliban fighters receive a lot more money than the government soldiers, so if you had a family to feed you would probably end up joining the Taliban.
Furthermore they narrowed down the suicide attacks to be used only on high priority targets and that civilian casualties are to be avoided by all means necessary.
This makes Fady a happy man, I’m not a fan of the Taliban, nor am I a fan of suicide bombings nor a fan of killing captured soldiers, aidworkers etc. But! This new booklet could lead to the Taliban to adopt some Islamic rules of war, finally.
This would lead to the end of killing of civilians, hostages etc.
And we should all make du’a to Allah that the fighting will end and the non-Muslims would pull out their troops and that the Khilafah of the Muslim Ummah will rise again, Ameen!

Link:
Islamic Rules of War:

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1123996016516&pagename=IslamOnline-
English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE

Al-Jazeera news story on the booklet:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/07/20097278348124813.html

Well Hello there my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters!

2009-07-25T23:21:00.004+03:00

Hey my brothers and sisters in Islam!
….
There is something missing isn’t it? That opening statement seems a bit empty, lacking a deeper meaning.
That’s right, it’s missing the proper greeting of Muslims, namely “As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh habibi” Okay, the habibi was extra, meaning “My love” .
So, As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh my dearest brothers and sisters in Islam!
You are probably wondering on what I’m going to rant about, some of you might already have a clue.
That’s right, greeting Muslims.

Now growing up as a Muslims in the West has led to that a lot of Muslims forget how to greet each other, if you see a Muslim (That’s right, you don’t even have to know that person) you greet them with “As-Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh”, this is like the uberpwnage version so if you are lazy you can use the “As-Salaam Aleikum” for short.
Now why is this so important ? I mean, it’s only a greeting Fady, grow up. People are starving to death and getting killed in wars and you care about how we greet each other?
Well yeah, I actually do. The Islamic greeting was given to us by Allah and his Messenger, Muhammad sallallahu aleyhi wa aalihi wa sallam in order for us to greet our Muslim brothers and sisters. Not only that, it’s a very easy source for ajr and while you use the “full epicpwnage” version you are actually making 3 du’as for the person you are greeting, and you do it without any hardship, now how awesome is that?

“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.”
”Sahih Muslim”
Need to say more?
Saying Salaam Aleikum to your fellow Muslim brother and sister is a beautiful thing, it strengthens the brotherhood and the Ummah, brings us closer to another.
So why don’t you stop saying “hi” to your Muslim brothers and sisters, use the proper greeting as the Prophet taught us.

-Fredrik “Fady” Lundström

The honey bees are dying

2009-07-24T19:09:00.000+03:00

Today I went outside and saw tens and tens of bumblebees lying dead on the street, I was wondering what was going on ?

The honey bees are dying, but who cares?

Well you should care about that, even though I hate everything that stings, bumblebees, bees, mosquitoes... stingrays?

Even though I hate them that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand how important they are to our planet, bees pollinate the flowers and plants, and we get food from it, the bees travel back to their beehive and we get honey from there, the mosquitoes... well they are food for birds, and stingrays... umm.. well they kill tv celebrities? I don’t know if that is a good thing but guess the stingray community might be proud of that fact.

Now on a more serious note, the bees are dying, they are affected by some kind of virus and this is a real problem for us, if there are no bees to pollinate the flowers, then there will be no food, and if there is no food then people will die. Now some may say that this is good cause there are too many people on this planet anyway, well it’s easy for us westerners to say that cause we won’t be in problems, if we ran out of food we just steal others, but Africans and Asians will have some real issues about this if we don’t do something soon, yes, Africans and Asians are human beings, just imagine that your mother would die of hunger, that’s what happening all over the world.

Then again why would a Muslim care that the honey bees are dying? Some of you might now this and some of you may not, but honey does have a very special place in Islam,

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an (Sura An-Nahl ayat. 68-69)

”And your Lord revealed to the bee saying : Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colors, in which there is healing for mankind; most surely there is a sign in this for people who reflect.”

Note that Allah says ”In which there is healing for mankind”, now what does this mean? Allahu Alam what Allah intended with saying that, but modern science does provide a theory about what honey can be used to heal. What exactly is it that honey can help you with?

Use honey for the following:

Burns, Bed wetting, Sleeplessness, Hyperactivity, Nasal congestion, Wounds or Grazes, Fatigue, Facial deep cleanser, Poor digestion, Hair conditioner, Sore throat, do I have to mention more?

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, Peace be upon him) is recorded saying in the Hadith collection, Sahih Al-Bukhari:

”Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur’an is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Qur’an and honey.”

Subhanallah, as a Muslim this should make you really think, first Allah talks in the Qur’an about the bees and now our Beloved Messenger, Muhammad (sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, Peace be upon him) recommends us to use the Qur’an and honey to cure illness, at this point I might loose all non muslim support for the case, but go back and look to what you could use honey as a cure.

Now it is very clear to us (Muslims and non-Muslims) that the bees and the honey is very important.

Bees=Food and honey for us, which we need to stay alive, and now we also know that honey is a medicine.

What should we do then to ensure that we don’t all die just because we didn’t want to care about some stupid bees who are irritating and just fly around stinging innocent people, just because they are evil beings ( the bees that is)

1. Well you can always stop killing them when they come to your house, catch them in a tinderbox and let them out through the window, its not that hard (This goes for all small bugs and animals you find in the house, as far as I know its haraam to just go around killing them only because they are brainless and didn’t understand that they shouldn’t fly in to your house cause you had the window open).

2. If you really want to help, then you can start your own small bee farm, I saw an article about people in the U.K that have started to have beehives on their roof, why would I want to do that you might ask? Well while your busy bees are flying around pollinating flowers and the fields of the farmers, which is good for all of humanity, those bees return and tadaa! You get honey from them, which you can sell to your friends or at a market, In the article that i read this 17 year old boy got 2000 pounds per summer from his 3 beehives, I’d say that’s quite good, specially if you are a student and need some money but work sounds like a nightmare to you.

What do I have to do to start ”farming” my own bees? And how much will it cost me?

Well I checked with this website ( http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Bee-ginners-Kits/products/3/ ) and apparently you can get a beginners kit for 140 U.S dollars, now that is not much, furthermore this website ( http://www.beekeeping-for-beginners.com/raisinghoneybees/How_to_Start_Honey_Bee_Farm.html ) explains a bit on how much work you should prepare yourself for, and what kind of income you could get from it.

“Let's work from the figures above as an example. 90 hives bringing in around $20,000. Now what about 12 hives. So we can say that should make you around $3,000. Of course you are only actually "working" with your hives for about three hours a week, which is about 6 months a year. Making a total of 72 hours actual beekeeping ("work"). Now by my reckoning that works out at over $40 per hour.”

Now to me that sounds like a easy source of income, and Ajr. Not too bad is it?

Sources:

Islam and honey/bees:

http://www.islamicsites.com/honey.asp

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~zaynabelfatah/Honey.htm

http://islamic-world.net/sister/h15.htm

http://www.load-islam.com/artical_det.php?artical_id=289&section=wel_islam&subsection=Miraculous%20Quran

Beekeeping:

http://honeybeesbeekeeping.wikispaces.com/How+to+Start+Honey+Bee+Farm

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Bee-ginners-Kits/products/3/

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Bee-Farm-With-These-Easy-Steps&id=2130166

http://www.beekeeping-for-beginners.com/raisinghoneybees/How_to_Start_Honey_Bee_Farm.html

Introduction

2009-07-24T15:45:00.000+03:00

Salaam Aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Some people might know me from youtube with the name "fredu89", I'm 20 years old, just got accepted to University and I've been muslim for 3 years now, born and raised in Finland, belonging to the Swedish speaking minority over here.
Insh'Allah I will post things on this blog that I find intresting, so it will prolly be about Islam, Politics, History and random rants and thoughts, please if you have some problems with me just send me your hatemail in a pm because that is what I feed on. JazakAllahu khairan and try to enjoy my blog, thank you :)

-Fredrik "Fady" Lundström