Tree of Prophets & Messengers

This is the tree of the prophets and the messengers. It will clarify their ancestry. Click on the link to check it out properly… treeprophetsmessengers

The English Language Growth Project

All international university students whose first language is NOT english are invited to participate in research that will be used to identify and design strategies that will assist their english language skills.

The research is in the form of questionnaires, focus group participation, interviews and discussion boards. All collected data will be kept confidential and private details will be de-identified to maintain annonymity to researchers. As an incentive all participants will be given an entry into a competition for the prize of an i-POD nano 8GB (one per university).

Interested persons should complete the online questionnaire at www.elg.edu.au

Furher queries may be directed to Denise Mulligan at denise.mulligan@calt.monash.edu.au or Professor Rhonda Oliver from ECU at rhonda.oliver@ecu.edu.au

New Items

Assalaamu alaykum wrtwbt,

Some new items have been added to the website. 

On the Main Menu an item called What is Islam? This article describes Islam as a way of life. It came about from a request for an interfaith camp involving different religious groups.

Within the downloads category, the new item is the Quran Reciter Software which is free Quran, Hadith and Azaan software from the SearchTruth organisation.

Shukran,

Y

 

Shawwal – keeping the feeling

Shawwal is already under way for a week now. After a month of experiencing the two joys at the iftaars, Eid was celebrated. What a Ramadaan it was!!! For some of you it would have been your first Ramadaan away from home and from the place of your birth. And I am sure you would not have been able to hold back the tears, especially when someone you are acqainted with or who stood alongside you in prayer,  embraced you on Eid day. What a wonderful feeling is that joy mixed with longing and sadness. A juxtaposition of emotion, zen like and an opening for insights.

I heard something strange on Eid day. Someone said to a brother that Ramadaan had passed away (guzergay). At the time, I was amazed at the word that was used to describe the passing of Ramadaan. Later my emotional self wanted to be like Hazrat Umar r.a and say that Ramadaan cannot die, even though my rational self felt like Hazrat Abu Bakr in knowing that seasons come and go and a new Ramadaan is only 11 months away. My spirtual self wished only to immortalise the Ramadaan and make all the months to be like Ramadaan. My lower self was secretly thankful that my wish will not be realised. But that did not matter, because I felt and knew that I was renewed and transformed and all my uglinesses were gone.

Then I started to remember from all parts of myself that I could keep the memory of Ramadaan alive, so I opened my Quran and read Allah’s words again half (nisfahu), a third (thulthahu) and a part (juz). And I asked and begged Allah, my Lord not to let the love of Himself ( and His prophet Muhammed saws) slip from my heart, after He has guided me. I linked myself to His Beloved and asked what he (saws) asked for and sought immunity from the things that he (saws) sought immunity from. And I implored Allah, the Ever Living and EverLasting, By His Mercy to set right all my affairs and the affairs of the community, and not to leave me alone to myself even for a moment.

 So lets keep this feeling and fast the 6 days of Shawwal and see if we can still get that fragrance of the beloved friend that is Ramadaan. InshaAllah. Perhaps, we will be fortunate enough to be visited by him again next year.

Ameen.

Love in Allah…. Y

Eid Mubarak – عيد مبارك

Eid Mubarak 2008

Eid Al Fitr for Perth, Western Australia will be on Wednesday 1st of October 2008 inshallah.

• The Eid Prayer in Kings Park near Perth City will be held at 8AM.

• Eid Prayer in Perth Mosque in North Bridge will be held at 10AM.

May Allah accept your fasting and good deeds. Follow the link below for more on Zakat Al Fitr and Sunnah during Eid:

http://www.islamicity.com/ramadan/Eid_default.shtml

30 wishes and more

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem.

We are well into the month of Ramadaan now, and I thought I will share this with you. Undoubtedly, we all have heard of the amazing story of Ala uddin and the Magic Lamp, where the Genie grants three wishes.

At the breaking of fast, we are granted whatever that we ask for from Allah personally, as noted in the hadith, “As saumi li, wa ana ajza bihi” (Fasting is for Me, and I reward it). The amazing thing about it is that there are many similarities here. That lamp is our heart, with its desires. At the time of breaking fast, when it is most difficult ( for some), is the “rubbing” which is the “friction” needed to shake the dust and rust of our hearts (rana all qulubihim).  At that moment we are granted everything. And if you miss out the first day, you are given another day of fasting until the end of Ramadaan.

When you discover the secret in this, you will never want to let go of Ramadaan. You will wish that you could relive the fast that has passed. In a way, you do get your wish as the fast repeats for 29 or 30 days in a “groundhog day” fashion, where you are able to “perfect” it.

That is the Bounty of the Lord.

And we ask Allah to grant us from His Immense Bounty ( Wa nasaluka min fadlikal azeem)

Y.

ps. Good to see your posts Marwan

 

Confirmed: Monday is the Start of Ramadan For Perth, Western Australia (WA) 2008

According to:

http://alghazzali.org/events/update

Australian Ulama have decided to accept sighting report from Darwin.
Al-Ghazzali Centre disagrees with the sighting report on the basis of opposing scientific and jurisprudential facts.
But according to a majority of Australian ‘Ulama’, 1st of Ramadhan commences on Monday 1st Of September.
Ramadhan Kareem.

Even though it disagrees with the sighting, it acknowledges that according to a majority of Australian ‘Ulama’, 1st of Ramadhan commences on Monday 1st Of September.

Furthermore, Taraweeh Prayer took place in Perth Mosque in the city today (Sunday night). Which confirms that Monday is the fist of Ramadan according to Perth Mosque.

Also, http://moonsighting.com/1429rmd.html reported that the official start is Monday 1st of September according to the Islamic center in Canberra.

Ramadan Kareem to everyone and may Allah accept your fasting.

Ramadhan (Ramadan) 2008 in ECU

Ramadhan 2008

We are looking forward to an eventful Ramadan in Edith Cowan University this year on both the Mt. Lawley and Joondalup campuses. Please check your campus musallas for iftar calander or list.
Please add your name, contact number, and days of the week that you will be able to attend the iftar at the Musalla.
You can also email that information to me if you can’t make it to the musalla. If you have any further questions please comment on this post or contact us via email on ecuis  (at)  [marwan]dot<com>.

Knowledge and Desire

Following on from the beautiful story on “knowing what it is that you want“, there are two concepts that should not escape mention. They are balance and justice.

One cannot simply ask for whatever one’s heart desires and expect a response from Allah if one believes in Divinity, or Nature if one believes in the secular secrets such as the Law of Attraction as per the new-age materialisms. Granting of supplications and belief in positive thinking has to be tempered and balanced by knowledge and by the justice that is brought about by Love and Hate.

Every human being must understand his/her limitations. Love is a positive emotion and while it can make us feel good, it’s beneficial effect is dependant upon the thing that is cherished. Hate on the other hand is a negative emotion and while it may make us feel bad, it’s deleterious effect is also contingent upon the object of hatred.

Allah swt, says in His Holy Quraan, “It may be that you hate a thing and it is (actually) good for you. And it may be that you love a thing and it is (actually) bad for you. And Allah Knows and you do not know.” (Asaa an takrahu shayan. wa huwa khairul lakum. Wa asaa an tuhibbu shayan, wa huwa sharrul lakum. Wa Allahu ya’lamu wa antum la ta’lamoon [2,216])

to be continued…

Yunous Vagh

Know what it is that you want

There was once a blind and cripple beggar. Everyday he beseeched Allah Most High to answer his prayer. One day, the Lord answered his prayer with the proviso that he make just one quick prayer.

He asked Allah to grant him the wish of standing on the balcony of his palace, sipping a cool drink from his glass, whilst gazing smilingly down at his grand-children playing happily below in the courtyard.

One short dua indeed, but all encompassing. He asked for his sight to be returned, his legs to be cured. He asked for wealth, longevity, a partner, children and grand-children as well as happiness and security all in one.

It pays to know what you want and how to ask for it. May Allah grant us the knowledge of what we want and the wisdom of how to ask for it. Ameen.

(source unknown – retold Yunous Vagh)