Poll: Bashar Assad Wins the Title of ‘Historical Arab Leader’

Asking thousands of fans on her facebook page who deserves to win the title of the historical Arab leader, Mahra saw an astonishingly large number of visitors on her page in the first few minutes.

Some 54.7% of those who took part in the polling voted in President Bashar al-Assad’s favor, saying he deserves to be called the historical leader of the Arab world.

The voters also wrote in their comments on Mahra’s facebook post that Assad deserves the title since he managed to stand against a rising tide of terrorists entering his country with the help of the army despite the hard siege that the world attempted to lay on him and his nation.

This is while other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and former head of the UAE Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, could just win 3 votes.

The conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011, has reportedly claimed more than 240,000 lives up until now.

The US and its allies including France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are known as the major supporters of the militants fighting Syria’s government forces.

This is while many regional and western officials have eventually come to the conclusion that settling the crisis in Syria without President Assad is impossible.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, Australia’s foreign minister called for a political solution to the foreign-backed militancy in Syria, stressing the need for a national unity government involving Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In an interview with English-language broadsheet newspaper the Australian published on Saturday, Julie Bishop said there is an emerging consensus that the incumbent Damascus government would likely have a pivotal role in fortifying the Syrian state and stopping the ISIL Takfiri militant group from gaining ground.

“It is evident there must be a political as well as a military solution to the conflict in Syria,” the top Australian diplomat said, noting that Canberra would play its part in achieving such an objective.

“There is an emerging view in some quarters that the only conceivable option would be a national unity government involving President Assad,” Bishop pointed out.

Bishop’s comments come as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on September 24 that any talks on ending the conflict in Syria should involve Assad.

“We have to speak with many actors, this includes Assad, but others as well. Not only with the United States of America, Russia, but with important regional partners, Iran, and Sunni countries such as Saudi Arabia,” she told a press conference in Brussels.

On September 22, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French-language daily Le Figaro that a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis is impossible without the country’s president.

“If we require, even before negotiations start, that Assad step down, we won’t get far,” Fabius underlined.

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Yazidi Slave Reveals: American Jihadi is ‘Top ISIS Commander’

A Yazidi slave girl has claimed the high-ranking ISIS commander who held her prisoner was a white American who directed the terror group’s attacks and received personal letters from its leader.

Nada, 19, told MailOnline that US citizen Abu Abdullah al-Amriki (the American), 23, boasted about how beautiful women from all over the world wanted to join him in Syria and that he always kept a vial of poison on him – in case he was captured in battle.

She was bought by the ISIS emir – or local leader – at a slave auction in Islamic State’s de-facto capital of Raqqa, Syria, in October.

 

The tall, pale man with black hair and short beard bought nine girls in total but sold seven of them on.

Nada was taken to one of his ‘many’ heavily-guarded houses in Manbij, Aleppo, where she lived with the other Yazidi girl and her son.

The teenager, who is now in America, told her harrowing story to the US government after escaping with her captor’s phone. Her fellow Yazidi hostage, known as ‘Bazi’, is also in the country – she will give evidence against Abu Abdullah to Congress and wants the FBI to press charges against him.

MailOnline cannot independently verify these claims and Nada said she has never seen his picture before on videos or images released by ISIS.

She said Abu Abdullah was a very important figure in Islamic State and a stream of armed balaclava-clad militants from all nationalities visited the house.

She said:  ‘Many guests were coming and he was always explaining things to them. He was drawing maps of the fighting. He was telling everyone how to fight, about how to make an ambush. 

‘He was always ordering people to move and how to make a plan. He always carried a pistol and an AK47. 

‘There were also sniper rifles in the house, lying around. He also carried a policeman’s stick which he used to beat me and the boy [another prisoner] with. He also slapped the boy.

‘They didn’t let me enter the room when they were talking. They only let me enter the room when they were talking tea to them.’

Nada described the wiry commander, who spoke Arabic badly, as a ‘nervous’ man who doused himself in strong perfume and yelled at her constantly.

He was so frightened of being captured that he always kept a vial of poison in his pocket, so he could commit suicide if  his enemies ever took him alive.

One group of four men – who were always masked – visited Abu Abdullah regularly to bring him letters from ISIS’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said the woman.

Nada said: ‘If Abu Abdullah was not at home, I’d have to sign for it. I was just receiving it and putting it in his room.

‘The mail contained letters and the envelope was from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The masked man who brought the mail from al-Baghdadi talked in English.

Abu Abdullah, who converted to Islam around four years ago and has many different identities, told Nada that he regularly travels to the United States to see his family, but there is no way to verify his sensational boast.

She said: ‘He showed me pictures of his family – he had a girl and a boy. He said his family were not around, that they were far away.’

Nada was captured in the northern Iraqi city of Tal-Afar, around 32 miles from Sinjar, in around August 2014.

The terror group abducted more than 500 Yazidi women and young girls and slaughtered 5,000 as its fighters stormed through the region.

ISIS views Yazidis, whose religion includes elements of Christianity and Islam, as ‘devil-worshippers’.

The extremists take the females as their personal sex slaves and execute the men who do not convert to their twisted brand of Islam.

The teenager was taken to Manbij, a north-Syrian town which earned the nickname ‘little London’ because of the high numbers of British jihadists who live there.

Manchester twins Salma and Zahra Halane, 17, are thought to live in the town where English and German are commonly spoken.

Danish charity worker Ahmad Walid Rashidi, who was held captive in Manbij for over a month, met a blue-eyed British fighter in its police station.

He told the Sunday Times: ‘It’s like a little London or a little Berlin. Manbij is definitely the most foreign-influenced place in Syria.’

Rashidi, 23, said foreign fighters were paid around £20 a month and received free food and medicine, while jihadi brides got a £2 allowance.

During Nada’s 20-day captivity, the American jihadi also showed her pictures and footage of American girls who he claimed were coming to Syria to join ISIS.

She said: ‘There were beautiful girls or women from everywhere, from every country – he showed me them.

‘He said: “They are free and they want to come and join us, so why is it that you want to leave? Why do you want to run away? This is a good country.”

‘Abu Abdullah told me that I and the other girl will have a long life with him as servants – and our children will grow up to be jihadis like them.’

The ‘other girl’ was a Yazidi known only as Bazi, 20, who was held hostage alongside Nada after she was abducted during the ISIS assault on Sinjar in August 2014.

Bazi told CNN that Abu Abdullah would pray and wash himself before he raped her and how she pleaded with him not to touch Nada.

She said: ‘The first time he raped me, he tried to rape the other girl who was with me but I told him since I felt I’m already raped, I don’t want the other one [to be raped].

‘So I became responsible for the other one. I told him to treat her as a servant for him, because he was sheikh, an emir, so he would just have her as a servant. I convinced him the whole time until we were able to escape from his house.’

Bazi’s physical description of Abu Abdullah matched Nada’s and she also claims he told her about visiting his family in America but, again, the claims cannot be independently confirmed.

The American terrorist and his ‘team of bodyguards’ beat them after each of their five failed escape attempts. He once prevented Bazi from seeing her son for an entire week, Nada told MailOnline.

One day, when Abu Abdullah and his guards went to battle in northern Iraq, Nada stole his phone and ran to another house in Manbij.

She said: ‘When they were away fighting in Kobani, me and the other girl broke the door and left with the boy.’

They kept a low profile until the Assayish – police from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) – came to rescue her.

She gave Abu Abdullah’s phone to the KRG, who interviewed her and took her to a refugee camp in northern Iraq.

Here, she was interviewed by US government officials who visited the settlement and showed her pictures of another American jihadi who went by the nom-de-guerre, Abu Zeyd.

She said: I recognized it. Abu Zeyd was a beautiful man – he had long blond hair, and no facial hair. But I don’t know who he is. They had no pictures of Abu Abdullah.’

Traumatised, Nada struggled to speak for around 10 days after reaching the relative safety of the camp.

She eventually got in touch with a man inside ISIS territory, who smuggles Yazidis out for money, to see if he could help her brother who was still a prisoner.

Her contact told her that Abu Abdullah is still alive.

Nada is one of hundreds of women and young girls who have escaped from Islamic State’s clutches, only to tell of how they endured unimaginable cruelty and sexual abuse.

In May, a 17-year-old Yazidi girl described how she and her little sister were raped daily by a depraved jihadist before they were both sold at a ‘slave auction’ in Syria.

An even younger Yazidi girl known only as Bahar, 14, once told of how she was forced to undergo medical exams to ‘prove’ her virginity before she was sold to ISIS fighters in another twisted auction.

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Yemeni Forces Take Control of Saudi Post, Village in Jizan

The Yemeni forces took control of the Saudi military post of Ka’b al-Jaberi and the village of Mohannad in Jizan, leaving a group of Saudi soldiers dead and injured.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry said that a member of the ministry was killed by a mortar shell fired from Northern Yemen on the border between the two countries.

“Military shells fired from the Yemeni territory killed Ali Bin Fahad Abu Mahasen, a member of the mujahideen administration branch in Jizan region,” the spokesman said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 188 days now to restore power to Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 6,469 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

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How to Balance this World and the Hereafter?

6a00d83452358069e201348851beff970cMany matters mentioned in the Holy Quran and Islamic narrations may seem to be  in contradiction with each other. Among these matters are the world and the hereafter.

In some traditions, we see that the world is blamed, and staying away and renouncing it is praised but in the other traditions we see that the world is extremely important in our progress towards perfection of being and building our homes for the hereafter.

Islam warns us not to take the world as our sole objective in life. Rather, it teaches us to use it and its bounties and riches for reaching our true objectives: perfection of being, God’s pleasure, and paradise. It also encourages us to make our works solid and firm and not to be careless in our actions.

But how it is possible to balance this world and the hereafter. One of Imam Hasan ’s statement can help us too much in this regard:“Work for the world as if you are going to live forever and work for the hereafter as if you are going to die tomorrow.” 

This valuable statements give us two different strategies for improving our both the world and the hereafter without realizing any contradiction between them:

  1. “Work for the world as if you are going to live forever” 

This part of the narration deals with how we should deal with the world. This sentence can be defined in two ways:

The first is that we should carry out our worldly tasks with firmness, foundation, and basis. We shouldn’t think that these few days in the world are worthless so it leads to careless and tactless work. Although we know very well that we will not live here forever, we must work as if we will so that our work is lasting and solid. Even if we die and cannot make use of it anymore, others will be able to benefit from our labor.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “God the Exalted loves it when one of you takes on a task and performs it well.” In another place, he said: “God the Exalted loves of a worker who does good work.” And after his son Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was buried, the Holy Prophet saw a hole in his grave and filled in and fixed it himself. Then he said: “When one of you takes on a task, do it firmly.”

The second is that we should not rush and hasten towards worldly tasks. Do not think that it will leave you. If it isn’t done today, then you can do it tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the next day. Think that you will live forever. However, when it comes to working for the hereafter, you must hasten and rush to get it done. Do not leave today’s task for tomorrow, because tomorrow might not come, and then you will regret missing that chance.

  1. “Work for the hereafter as if you are going to die tomorrow.” 

This part of the narration deals with how we should deal with the hereafter. This part also has two meanings:

The first is that a person who is traveling the path towards success and believes in life after death must hasten and rush towards doing works for the hereafter. Whenever he is presented with an opportunity to do a task for the next world, he must hurry to carry it out without wasting any time.

Although haste is highly discouraged in Islam, because it wants its followers to think and contemplate before acting, this is one of the circumstances where rushing is praised. In one verse from among many in regards to this matter, the Holy Qur’an states: “And hasten toward the forgiveness of your Lord and paradise whose width is that of the heavens and the earth, [and it is] prepared for the pious self-controlling ones.” (3:133)

In this verse, God commands us to rush towards His forgiveness. Perhaps it means towards those good acts because of which God forgives His servant’s sins. Then it continues to say rush towards paradise whose width is that of the heavens and the earth. We know from Islamic narrations that this universe with all of its galaxies and celestial bodies, including the Earth, are all part of the first heaven or sky. In addition to this heaven, there are six more. Thus, it is possible that the size of paradise is equal to this universe and many more like it. We also know that gaining paradise can only be done through faith and righteous actions. Therefore, the verse is telling us to hasten towards faith and righteous deeds.

Furthermore, the verse states that this paradise is prepared for the pious and self-controlling ones. This means that a person must rush towards and carryout such works that will foster Taqwa (self-control) in him and make him of the pious ones.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has said: “Take precedence and hurry to do good deeds before you are occupied by other than it.” If a person spends his entire day performing good deeds, then he does not have any time left to carry out bad deeds.

The second  and the last is that Living in this sophisticated and sinful world as a committed Muslim is difficult. When we imagine  that this is our last day in this word, it makes us calm and prepared to bear the difficulties of being a religious man in this world more easily.

How to Become a Better Guest?

hotel-welcomeOften times in our lives we have stood and will stand in the position of a guest at the door of the host who could be a relative, friend, colleague, or other members of our community. Sometimes the frequency of us being guests or knowing the host very well makes us forget the specific etiquette, protocols, and proper behavior that a guest should exercise when they are at the disposal of the host. We take this opportunity to walk through some of the logical etiquette that is also encouraged in Islam and is befitting for a believer to practice. It is important to bear in mind that being a guest is a privilege and not a right; hence, we should not take that right for granted. Rather, we should honor that privilege, give it its due right, and fulfill our obligations as a guest.

  1. A guest should receive an invitation from the host and not impose themselves to become a “guest” at their home or location of meeting. Sometimes, when we get to know others well, we forget the proper etiquette and invite ourselves over, not paying attention that the host may have other arrangements or preferences of time, etc. In some cases, guests may pop in unannounced thinking they are giving a pleasant surprise, not realizing that the host may not be prepared to receive them at that hour.
  1. When invited, the guest should make every effort to accept the invitation and not turn it down as it may offend the host. The holy Prophet (as) has said, “He, who does not accept an invitation, has disobeyed Allah and His Apostle (s), and he, who enters without invitation, enters as a thief and goes out as a robber.” (Makarim Al-Akhlaq)
  1. When invited and discussing a possible time to visit, the guest should try to think about the position and circumstances of the host first, before thinking of their own.
  1. If the guest is invited by the host and has accepted the invitation, they should avoid bringing other companions along who were not personally invited. The host may not be prepared to receive others unexpectedly.
  1. If a host invites the guest for 4pm, that means the guest should be there punctually at 4pm and not an hour later. It is disruptive and disrespectful to come late (with exception to unwarranted situations) and it gives the feeling to the host that the guest is careless and not respectful. Coming too early also has it’s own implications.
  1. A guest should be considerate to the time factor as well when they are spending time with the host. A good quality time which fulfills the purpose and pleases the host is sufficient; however, the guest should be considerate of his time spent, both qualitative and quantitative.
  1. When a guest enters the home of their host, it is not proper manners or good habit to gaze around their property out of curiosity, stare, or pinpoint detail of their place, hence making the host feel uncomfortable.
  1. If we desire something from the host, we should think twice before requesting our desire and make sure that we are not asking something that would be a burden on them. Perhaps they don’t have what we requested or are not able to fulfill our need, and hence, the host may feel embarrassed. We should make it our goal to please the host and be easy and non-demanding guests who would make the host feel comfortable to have come again.
  1. When a host offers you a meal, accept and eat something even if you’re not hungry, for the host will be pleased to know that you have eaten from their food. Leaving the food untouched will only make the host feel that what they presented was not good enough or not up to standards. Don’t expect the host to follow a diet regimen or meal preference; one meal that is not on your preferred list will not cause any harm.
  1. Although it is not required, it is recommended to enter with a simple gift as a token of appreciation and gratitude for an invitation.
  1. If the host engages in a task while the guest is present, it is best to offer to help them and take the initiative to give them a hand in whatever they are doing.

 

  1. A guest shouldn’t roam around the house without the permission of the host and if children come along, they should be as polite as possible. It is natural for young children to want to move around and make the place their playground; however, it is important that the host is not offended.

 

  1. Respecting the privacy of any host is necessary, just as the guest expects privacy when they have invited people over. Inquiring too much about the host may make them uncomfortable and keeping in mind one’s own preferences for privacy may help the guest keep this in mind.

 

  1. After leaving the host, the guest should not criticize, analyze, or condemn the host in any of their actions and should refrain from talking about them behind their back or making negative judgments about them, especially to other people.

 

  1. On the way out, as a guest. we should thank the host profusely and make the intention to invite them over as our honorable guests in the near future.

How to Perform the Prayer?

the-prayerPrayer is the most effective way of spiritual migration towards Allah (SWT) and attaining the exalted position of His nearness. Prayer enables a person to constantly engage in remembering Allah (SWT), both day and night, so as not to forget one’s Lord, Master and Creator, since forgetting will cause rebellion. Man, while offering Prayer, stays in the presence of His Lord and in the state of His remembrance, and this very condition constrains and stops him from sins and many kinds of corruption.

But how can we perform the prayer? Here are the steps:

  1. We stand facing the direction of the qiblah (which is the Ka’bah in Meccah), and we (specify our) intention, or niyyah.

This means that with awareness and concentration we resolve to perform the prayer for the sake of Allah.
For example, we resolve to perform the four-unit noon (zuhr) prayer “in nearness to Allah”.

  1. After having made this intention, we raise our hands to the level of our ears, palms facing forwards, and say the words “Allahu akbar.” (hint: like one is surrendering) After this “takbir”, we recite surah al-Hamd which is as follows:
    Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim;
    AI-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-‘Alamin Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim Maliki Yawmid-Din Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’in Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim Siratal-Idhina an’amta `alayhim Ghayril-maghdubi ‘alayhim waladh-dhallin

And after reciting Surat Hamd we recite another complete surah from the Qur’an, for example: Surat al-Ikhlas

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim; Qul Huwa-llahu Ahad; Allahus-Samad; Lam yalid wa lam yu lad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan Ahad.

  1. Next we move to ruku, which is bowing before Allah.
    This means that we bend forward to the extent that we can place our hands on our knees.
    In this position we say: Subhana Rabbiyal Azimi wabihamdih, Then we stand up straight and say: Sami `allahu liman hamidah,
  1. Now we move to sujud, the prostration.
    This means that we place our forehead on earth or stone or wood and the palms of our two hands. Our knees and the tips of our two big toes on the ground, In this position we say’ Subbana Rabbiyal-‘Ala wa bi hamdih.
    Then we raise our head from the prostration and sit still for a moment and then we move back to the same position to perform a second prostration just like the first.
  1. After having performed the second prostration, we stand up again to perform the second unit while in the act of standing up we say:

Bihawlil-lahi wa quwwatihi aqumu wa aq’ud.
Then we recite Surat al-Hamd and another surah just like in the first unit.
After saying the two surahs in the second unit now we say “qunoot”.
This means that we raise our hands to the level of our shoulders, palms facing upwards, and say a supplication. For example, we say:

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina `adhaban-nar.
(Our Lord, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.)
Then we perform the ruku’ and sujud, just like in the first unit.

  1. After the second prostration of the second unit we must sit still and say the “tashahhud”.
    This means that we say: Alhamdulillah;
    Ashhadu anla ilaha illallah wah dahu lasharikalah; wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluh; Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad wa ale Muhammad.
  1. After saying this “tashahhud’ we stand up to perform the third unit.
    In the third unit, we don’t recite surat aI-Hamd and the other surah.
    Instead, we say three times: Subhana-llahi wal-hamdu-lillahi wa la ilaha illa-llahu wallahu akbar.
    Then we perform the ruku and the sujud just like in the other units.
    We then stand up again for the fourth unit and perform it like the third.
  1. After the second prostration of the fourth unit, we sit and say “tashahhud”, just like in the second unit.
    Then we say the salams: As-salamu alayka ayyuhan-nabiyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuh.
    As-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadiilahis -salihin.
    As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
    And we have finished our prayer.

And some additional points:

  1. We perform the afternoon (al-asr) and evening (al-isha) prayers just like the noon (al-zuhr) prayer but for the niyyah we must have an intention to pray al-‘asr prayer or al-isha prayer
    “in nearness to Allah”.
  2. The sunset prayer (al-maghrib) has three units. So we make the niyyah to perform three units of al-maghrib prayer… and we say the second tashahhud and the salams at the end of the third unit and maghrib prayer is finished.
  3. The morning prayer al-fajr has two units. So we make the niyyah, for two units, and we say the salams of the prayer after the tashahhud of the second unit, and the prayer is finished.
  4. The time for the morning prayer is from the first light of dawn until sunrise.
  5. The time for the noon and afternoon prayers which must be performed in the right order, is from noon until sunset.
  6. The time for the sunset and evening prayers which must be performed in the right order, is from the beginning of the sunset until the middle of the night.

How to Trust in Allah?

allah“Allah is Sufficient for the needs of whoever trusts in Him. (65:3)”

In Islamic traditions, tawakkul (trust in Allah) has been highly praised as the firm sign of one’s faith, piety and complete trust in God. Only those who enjoy true friendship of God can always trust Him, under all conditions in their lives.

Our tawakkul in God guarantees our success in world and hereafter, no matter how difficult the task is and how severe and harsh conditions we are going through in our lives or how powerful are the enemies we are facing.

In order to develop trust in God, we should change our view about our own existence, life of this world, human relationships, hardship and happiness, health and disease, wealth and poverty, success and failure, life and death, and become realistic about ourselves, being a mere creature of God and his Creator, God, the Almighty, Who has created this Universe, from tiniest particle to the mightiest of creatures.

We should realize that God is the ultimate source of every bounty, every success, and every benefit, and no harm can reach us even from the most powerful enemy except with the permission of God and similarly no benefit. We should often ponder about these basic issues of our lives and slowly develop our faith in God, place our hope and trust in Him, often pray to Him and nurture realistic thinking about our future and make a plan for doing good actions, keeping in view both this world and hereafter. In order to do that there are four theoretical recommendations:

  1. Human being though is the most superior creature on Earth, in fact has a very fragile existence. Humans like any other creature are never independent. Additionally, humans like others have no control over their birth, aging and death.
  1. Similarly, disease, failure, sorrows, poverty and other hardships are inherent in human life, from richest to the most powerful human beings, no one can avoid them. Life of this world is meant to test human beings and is not a place of reward and permanent stay.
  1. A person who forgets God as his Almighty Creator and Provider and attributes his successes, possessions, wealth and other worldly things solely to himself is more likely to suffer from harm if he loses them. On the other hand, a believer who places his trust in God is actually saved from anxiety, stress, and depression and other physical and psychological illnesses because of his relationship with God. His hope in God provides him strong support under most difficult moments of his life and gives him strength.
  1. For every living creature, living in this world, life will end one day and the time of death is also not known. It is better that a person should always keep his heart in a state of complete trust with God and not be influenced by physical causes, materialistic things and transient successes and failures, rather one should attach himself to the eternal values set by God.

And there are also four practical recommendations:

  1. Keep in mind the Verses and traditions that confirm the virtues of trust in God. Such as “Allah loves those who trust Him. (3:159)” or as our Prophet says:“Whoever wishes to be the most powerful person among people must trust God.”
  1. Strengthen belief in God, trust in His good turn, and consider His being the source of goodness, originator of reasons, and able to do everything.

“If Allah is your helper, no one can defeat you. However, if He abandons you, who would help you? The true believers trust in Allah. (3:160)”

  1. Pay attention to the nice doing of God and His outstanding care for man all over stages of life, and keep in mind that God will surely guard anybody who depends upon Him and save anybody who seeks His help.

“(Muhammad), say, ‘Nothing will happen to us besides what Allah has decreed for us. He is our Guardian. In Allah alone do the believers trust.’ (9:51)”

  1. Learn lessons from the changeability of this life. Many poor people have become rich, many rich people have become poor, many celebrities have become paupers, and many paupers have become celebrities.

How to Go to the Mosque?

mosqueإِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

 Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Holy Quran: ”Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques, who believe in Allah and Last Day, and establish prayer and give zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided.” (9:18)

Mosque is a holy place and in Islam it is also called Allah’s house. Needless to say, for going to the Allah’s house we need to observe some etiquette before, within and after our departure as following:

  1. When leaving your home, work or business, go toward the mosque with eagerness and enthusiasm for you would be meeting fellow believers who have come to worship Allah.
  1. Demonstrate your eagerness by wearing perfumed, good and neat clothes.
  1. Ensure that your body and clothes are all pure and clean (tahir/pak). Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) says: ”One who goes to the mosque with (physical & spiritual) purity, Allah purifies this person from sins and includes him/her from the pilgrims of the mosque.”
  1. Do not carry any unclean & impure items (najasat) in your pockets to the mosque.
  1. If you have eaten garlic, onions, etc… do not go to the mosque, until the odor from your mouth has vanished.
  1. It is forbidden for the one who is in the state of janabat and haydh to enter the mosque. Only after having performed the required ghusl (major ablution) can such a person enter the mosque. Sisters who are in the state istihadha can enter the mosque for prayers or otherwise.
  1. At the first entrance of the Center, you would find the following verses from the Holy Qur’an. Read these with understanding and enter the precincts under Divine safety:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. أُدْخُلُوهَا بِسَلاَمٍ آمِنِينَ، فَاللٌّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرٌّاحِمِينَ

”In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Enter it with peace and safety; for Allah is the best of protectors and the most merciful of the merciful ones.” (Holy Qur’an 15:46 & 12:64) 

  1. Use the right foot to enter the Center, reciting the following Du’a:

أَللٌّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لَنَا بَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ وَ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ عُمَّارِ مَسَاجِدِكَ، جَلَّ ثَنَاءُ وَجْهِكَ

”O Allah, open for us the doors of Your mercy and make us amongst those who frequent Your mosques. Exalted is the praise of Your countenance.”

  1. Please switch off or mute your cell/mobile phone. Experience has shown that phone rings irritate other worshippers and can sometime take away the concentration of worshippers including that of the imam.
  1. At the door of the mosque, recite this Du’a taught by Imam Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Mujtaba (as):

إلٌـهِـي ضَيْفُكَ بِـبَابِكَ، يَا مُحْسِنُ قَدْ أَتَاكَ الْمُـسِيـئُ فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ قَبِيـحِ مَا عِنْدِي بِجَـمِيلِ مَا عِنْدَكَ، يَـا كَـرِيـم

”My God, Your guest is at Your door. O the All-Beneficent, the sinner has come to You; so overlook what is ugly with me with that which is beautiful with You. O the All-Generous.”

  1. Enter the mosque with humility and submissiveness for it is the house of Allah (swt) frequented by angels and believers.
  1. It is forbidden to bring any inherently impure (najisul-`ayn) things into a mosque. Therefore, clothes containing blood, urine, semen, flesh of a dog or swine, etc. cannot be worn or carried when entering a mosque.
  1. Greet the believers and angels with the best of greetings and a smiling face. Please note that if the believers are engaged in the Salat, it is not advisable to greet them.
  1. Recite two rak’at prayer as a gesture of greeting and respect to the mosque.
  1. While in the mosque keep your focus on none other than Allah (swt) , as He says in the Qur’an:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

”Surely the mosques are for Allah (alone); so do not pray to anyone with Allah.” (72:18)

  1. Keep the mosque clean, tidy and fragranced.
  1. Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) has recommended that we say many prayers and recite many supplications in mosques:

فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهَا مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ وَالدُّعَاءِ.

  1. Sending Salawat on Prophet Muhammad (S) and his family (as) is the most effective supplication that the Muslims are blessed with.
  2. Spend as much time in the mosque as possible as the Noble Prophet (S) said to Abu Dharr: ”As long as you are seated in the mosque, for every breath you take Allah will give you a rank in the paradise and the angels are praying for you.”
  1. It is recommended to say various prayers at different places or sites within the mosque. Therefore, for e.g., say Maghrib Salat at one place, nafilah of Maghrib at another place, and ‘Isha prayers at yet another place. Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) has stated: ”Say your prayers in the mosques at different sites, for every site would witness for the person saying prayers on the Day of Resurrection.”
  1. Ensure not to contaminate any part of the mosque, for it is forbidden (haram) to do so and goes against the sanctity of the mosque.
  1. If any part of the mosque is contaminated it is obligatory for all those present and those who have the knowledge of it to immediately purify it (make it tahir/pak).
  1. When bringing young children who cannot discern right from the wrong, into the mosque, ensure that they are under your continuous care – both for the respect of the mosque and for those present in it.
  1. When inside the mosque, you are a guest of Allah (swt). Additionally, you are in the presence of angels and believers. Beautify the environment with continuous remembrance of Allah (swt) and pleading for His forgiveness (Istighfar).
  1. Avoid worldly talks, discussion and recitations (e.g. non-religious poetry) while you are inside the mosque.
  1. Carrying out business transactions in the mosque is abhorrent (makruh).
  2. Playing board or computer games, hide and seek, or any sport in the mosque is abhorrent (makruh).
  1. Raising one’s voice for reciting or talking in the mosque is detestable. Of course reciting adhan, du’a, etc. for congregation is exempt from this rule.
  1. When you take an item for use, (e.g. Holy Qur’an, book of Du’a, prostrating tablet (turbah) take care of it and return it to its original place (e.g. book case).
  1. Do not remove or take away anything belonging to the mosque. If you need to borrow an item temporarily then ensure that you have sought permission from the trustee or a keeper of the Center.
  1. When exiting the mosque, step out with the left foot and recite the following supplication:

بِسْمِ اللٌّهِ. أَللٌّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَاغْفِرْ ذُنُوبِي وَافْتَحْ أَبْوٌابَ فَضْلِكَ.

”(I exit) In the Name of Allah. O’ Allah! Send your prayers upon Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and forgive my sins and open the doors of Your grace (to me).”

Iran’s Rouhani: Acceptance among major powers that Syrian leader Assad remain in power

Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said he saw a widespread acceptance among major powers that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should stay in office.

“I think today everyone has accepted that President Assad must remain so that we can combat the terrorists,” Rouhani told CNN.

“In Syria, when our first objective is to drive out terrorists and combating terrorists to defeat them, we have no solution other than to strengthen the central authority and the central government of that country as a central seat of power,” said Mr Rouhani, who is visiting New York for the UN General Assembly.

Iran has voiced concern over a future without Assad. But Mr Rouhani said he also saw a future role for opponents of Assad.

“As soon as this government reaches the various levels of success and starts driving out the terrorists on a step-by-step basis, then other plans must be put into action so as to hear the voices of the opposition as well,” Mr Rouhani said.

Meanwhile Mr Rouhani said that Iran was not in direct talks about Syria with the United States.

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International Quranic figures condole deaths of renowned Iranian Quran reciters in Mina tragedy

Ahlul Bayt News Agency – A number of internationally-known Quranic figures sent messages of condolences over the deaths of two prominent Iranian Qaris (reciters) in a recent tragedy in Mina, near the Saudi city of Makkah.

At least 169 Iranian pilgrims, including the two reciters, Mohsen Hajihassani Kargar and Amin Bavi, have so far been confirmed dead in the crush during the Hajj rites on September 24, which claimed the lives of over 2,000 people.

Senior Egyptian Quran master Ahmed Ahmed Noaina in a message described the tragic event as a disaster and extended condolences to Iran’s Quranic community and the bereaved families of the two Qaris.

Muhammad Taha Abdul Wahab, another senior Quranic figure in Egypt also offered condolences over the deaths and prayed Allah to bestow His mercy and remission on the two and fortitude for the families. 

Egyptian Quran master Farajullah Shazli also expressed condolences on the death of prominent Iranian Qari Mohsen Hajihassani Kargar. He said these pilgrims who lost their lives during the Hajj rituals are martyrs. He prayed God to bestow His mercy and blessings on the victims of the tragedy.

Iraqi Quran master Adnan al-Salehi and internationally-acclaimed Quran master Yahya al-Sahaf also sent messages of condolence over the tragic deaths of Hajihassani Kargar and Bavi.

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