Muslims in Britain throng to hear Sudais

LONDON – Unity was the focus of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, in his message to leaders of various Islamic organizations Friday evening at the Regents Park Central Mosque.



The Imam, famous for his beautiful recitation of the Qur’an, urged Muslim leaders to hold regular meetings to exchange ideas between them. He expressed hope that the coming Ramadan will be an occasion to bring people together. He congratulated Muslim organizations for their efforts towards Muslims in Britain.



“The news of your excellent work reaches us over there in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.



Al-Sudais urged Muslim leaders to engage and reach out positively with Britain’s official bodies, local councils and government offices. He questioned why Muslims avoid the political scenario of the country.



“We do not have any hidden agenda. So why are we Muslims not proactively involved in politics of this country?” he said.



He exerted Muslims to be patient and have confidence in Allah and the truth that they are holding on to while trying to guide the society.



Earlier during the day, the Imam delivered the Khutbah and led Friday prayers to a 10,000 strong congregation at the Islamic Cultural Center Mosque here. He called on Muslims living in non-Muslim countries to be the best ambassadors of their religion.



On Wednesday, while launching the second expansion of the East London Mosque, Al-Sudais gave a brief speech that can be summarized in 10 points to nearly 5,000 listeners.



1. He spoke about Tawheed (the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah in His Lordship, His Names and Attributes and His Divinity) and the importance of following the Qur’an and Sunnah. He said, as mentioned in the Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as a role model and a mercy for the whole creation.



2. He reminded Muslims that they are an Ummah of Akhlaq (good character). They must cooperate and help each other in righteousness, and not in sin and aggression. Such cooperation should be with Muslims as well as non-Muslims and this is part of the Islamic character. He said Muslims should always be peaceful with all human beings.



3. Islam is a religion of the middle path. He recalled how the Prophet (peace be upon him) would visit the Jews and look after his neighbors.



4. Muslims should be united, he said. And this unity should be on the basis of the Book of Allah (Qur’an) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).



5. Muslims are an Ummah of knowledge, he said referring to the importance Islam has placed on education and learning.



6. He mentioned about upholding family ties and bringing up children well. The importance of hijab and the dignity of women was also addressed.



7. Al-Sudais called for Tarbiyyat As-Sahih – imparting and nurturing others on correct teachings.



8. Islam is a religion of Da’wah and Muslims are an Ummah that gives Da’wah toward Allah. People should be invited to Allah with wisdom. He said we are not an Ummah of terrorism and that we should call people to the truth.



9. The Imam stressed on being respectful to parents and also on protecting and safeguarding children’s rights. Children should be given proper education, he said.



10. Sheikh Sudais, lastly, said Muslims were also an Ummah that repents to Allah. He said Ramadan was fast approaching, which is a month of Tawbah (repentance) and seeking forgiveness. He advised everyone to repent to Allah for their sins.



Sheikh Sudais is very popular and loved by almost everyone in the community. Large crowds surround him at every function and organization he visits. He was overwhelmed by the response he received after the Friday prayers. He said this was indeed a sign of love and a bond of brotherhood that binds people not only of this country but also people from different parts of the world. – SG

Are you jealous of what others have?

Hasad (jealousy and envy) is among the most destructive emotions which a man may develop toward his fellow human being. With Hasad, a person will wish evil for others and will be happy when misfortune befalls them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against envy by comparing it to fire that completely burns the wood. He (peace be upon him) said: “Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood.” (Abu Dawood)



The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There has come to you the disease of the nations before you, jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair, but that it shaves (destroys) faith…” (Al-Tirmidhi, No. 2434)



Hasad can take a person into disbelief because he may conclude that Allah has not been fair with him, while Allah is the Most Just. The person may forget all of Allah’s mercy and blessings bestowed upon him. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “They are enemies of Allah’s bounties.” When asked, “Who are they?”, he replied: “Those who envy people for what Allah has given them of Bounty.” (At-Tabarani)



Allah through His Absolute Wisdom gave some people more wealth, intelligence, beauty, strength, and children than others. Discontentment comes from the slave’s ignorance of his Lord. If he recognizes his Lord with the attributes of Perfection, he would not be discontent and as a result would not develop Hasad. A believing Muslim should be content with what Allah has destined for him. Imam Ibn Qayyim said: “It (contentment) opens the door of peace and security for the slave.”



“Allah favored some of you over others with wealth and properties… Do they deny the favors of Allah?” (Qur’an, 16:71)


For more read here.

French pool bars Muslim woman for 'burquini' suit

PARIS – A Muslim woman garbed in a head-to-toe swimsuit — dubbed a "burquini" — may have opened a new chapter in France's tussle between religious practices and its stern secular code.

Officials insisted Wednesday they banned the woman's use of the Islam-friendly suit at a local pool because of France's pool hygiene standards — not out of hostility to overtly Muslim garb.

Under the policy, swimmers are not allowed in pools with baggy clothing, including surfer-style shorts. Only figure-hugging suits are permitted.

Nonetheless the woman, a 35-year-old convert to Islam identified only as Carole, complained of religious discrimination after trying to go swimming in a "burquini," a full-body swimsuit, in the town of Emerainville, southeast of Paris.

She was quoted as telling the daily Le Parisien newspaper that she had bought the burquini after deciding "it would allow me the pleasure of bathing without showing too much of myself, as Islam recommends."

"For me this is nothing but segregation," she said.

The issue of religious attire is a hot topic in France, where head-to-toe burqas or other full-body coverings worn by some Muslim fundamentalists are in official disfavor.

France is home to western Europe's largest Muslim population, estimated at 5 million, and Islam is the nation's second religion after Roman Catholicism.

A 2004 law banning the wearing of Muslim head scarves at public schools sparked fierce debate. That legislation also banned Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses in public classrooms.

French lawmakers recently revived the issue of Muslim dress with a proposal that the burqa and other voluminous Muslim attire be banned.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, a conservative, backs the move, saying such garb makes women prisoners. For more read here.

5 tips for blogging your way to success By Megan K. Scott

Blogging can bring you personal satisfaction, give you an outlet for expression, help you connect with others and even assist you with leveraging a business. Along the way, you may even come across a little fame. Here’s how:



• Blog about what you are passionate about, said Jennifer McLean of blog search engine Technorati. Coming up with fresh and interesting content is easier. And if you’re only blogging for money or fame, readers will pick up on it, she said.




• Make sure you post frequently, said Gretchen Rubin, who blogs about happiness. “That is a sign of vitality on a blog.” And have a clear idea of what you are blogging about. Blogs do better when you have a focus.




• If you are an aspiring author, show that you have a loyal following, said Brooke Warner, senior editor at Seal Press. “When someone says I get 25,000 unique visitors a month, we pay attention,” she said. “They have readers and either their story or writing is really good.”




• Develop your unique voice. Powell, who blogged about cooking all the recipes in a Julia Child cookbook, had a “unique hook — nobody else had done that,” said Ellen Gerstein, vice president of marketing for John Wiley & Sons. She also brought a lot of humor to her blog.




• Spend time on marketing, said Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net, a blog with tips for bloggers. With millions of blogs afloat on the Web, writing posts isn’t enough to attract followers, he said. Focus on writing guest posts for other blogs or networking, for example. – AP

Dubai’s glamour doesn’t have to come at an exorbitant cost

Dubai has earned itself an unlikely spot amid the world’s ritziest — and priciest — beachside hot spots. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and David Beckham have all been spotted partying in this opulent Arabian playground, where one hotel boasts rooms starting at $1,000 a night.



That doesn’t mean you need to be a rich oil tycoon to afford this sunny desert boomtown, however. Here are some tips to get you started. And yes, despite the tough neighborhood (across from Iran and down the coast from Iraq), it’s totally safe.




Getting around



The blast-furnace heat and humidity make long daytime strolls unrealistic in summer, when the mercury can approach 120 degrees. Even during the pleasant period from October through May, you’ll likely need some sort of transport.



Until the Dubai Metro opens in September, your best bet is one of the ubiquitous sand-colored taxis. All are metered and cheap by Western standards. Fares start at 82 cents (3 dirhams), but beware the $5.48 (20-dirham) surcharge from the airport. Drivers are generally honest and, like most people you’ll meet, speak good English.



Another option is a seat on the double-decker buses operated by Big Bus Tours. The hop-on, hop-off tickets are not cheap — a one-day pass costs $60 (220 dirhams) for adults and $27 (99 dirhams) for kids — but the tours are an efficient way to see the sprawling city’s highlights.


Historical sites and museums



Dubai is rightly known as an unabashedly modern city of gleaming high-rises and extravagant shopping malls. That makes its rare historical sites all the more special.



Start your visit at the Dubai Museum, housed in the renovated Al Fahidi Fort in the Bur Dubai district. Exhibits depict activities such as pearl diving and date farming that shaped life in the region before the discovery of oil. Tickets are a bargain at 82 cents (3 dirhams) for adults and 27 cents (1 dirham) for kids.



On the Deira side, head to the colorful old souk (market). Follow your nose first to the spice market, where you’ll find great deals on saffron as well as non-edible aromatics like frankincense. Continue to the covered gold souk. It’s worth a visit just to ogle the wares. If you are buying, ignore the touts at the market’s entrance and be sure to haggle hard once inside. For more read here.

Diet centers offer a nutritional revolution

She’s so skinny now! I think she lost 27 kilograms in six months. And all she ate was the food delivered from a diet center,’ a 14-year-old girl exclaimed to her friends at the gym I’ve joined for the summer. The conversation piqued my interest and I shamelessly eavesdropped as the girls discussed the merits of the program that their friend had subscribed to. “She barely exercised. She just avoided any junk or fast-food and only ate the meals that were delivered to her place.”




The sense of awe in the girl’s voice was unmistakable.




“Exercise is really important. But it isn’t sufficient to achieve the desirable weight. Not if I’m going to down four slices of pizza and a large coke right after my 40-minute workout,” one of the teenagers realized. By the end of the discussion, all three of them had decided to subscribe to the same diet program.




The health center these girls were talking about and other such establishments have flourished remarkably in the Saudi market since their arrival in the late nineties. Their key product is selling a healthier lifestyle via providing a healthier diet, through specific diet charts.




The main reason behind their popularity, several people claim, is the growing awareness of health-management and weight-consciousness. “Especially younger generations are very particular about their weight and appearance,” notes the manager of one health center in Jeddah in an interview with Saudi Gazette. However, this trend in weight-control is offset by the fast-food culture, which has led to obesity, cholesterol problems, and other health risks, added a gym instructor.




Diet centers with their calorie-limited and nutritional menus are the solution to this fast-food epidemic, according to most advocates of this trend. While some centers provide off-the-shelf and ready-to-go items including low-calorie sandwiches, pastries, and salads, other establishments recommend a consultation from their in-house dietician first. The dietician designs a specific weight-management program for the client based on their weight, height, medical history, and exercise routine. For more read here.

Al-Sudais launches second expansion of London mosque

LONDON – Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, Imam and Khateeb of the Holy Mosque of Makkah, launched the second expansion of the East London Mosque in the presence of thousands of worshippers on Wednesday. “I volunteer for the second extension of the East London Mosque,” said Al-Sudais while unveiling the plaque of the foundations for the second phase of the mosque which is located in Whitechapel, London.



After unveiling a plaque, the Imam of the Holy Mosque of Makkah, led the Maghreb prayer and gave a short speech to a congregation of over 5,000 people. In his speech he mentioned among other points that Muslims should be proactive positively in their communities and work for all humanity. He also mentioned that they should work to look after their families and that the community at the East London Mosque should trust the committee to build a community for the future.



The East London Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in London. In 1910 some notable Muslim figures decided to build a mosque in London and established the London Mosque Fund. Initially, a small room was hired for Friday prayers. However, in 1926 the Fund had grown to a sizeable amount and a ‘Deed of Declaration of Trust’ was made. For more read here.