Jazakallah khayr for this beneficial post.

^Sounds great. Thanks. The following incidents from the life of Umar R.A. contain so many lessons for us. One of these lessons is to take account for our actions and repent not merely with words but by carrying out good deeds. The kindness and compassion with which Umar RA dealt with the poor lady (in the last incident quoted below) demonstrates the qualities which made him one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) and the Fear of Allah. Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) would often hold a straw in his hand and say: "I wish I were a straw like this." Sometimes he would say: "I wish my mother had not given birth to me." Once he was busy with some important work when a person came to him and, complaining about some petty grievance, requested for its redress. Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) laid a lash across his shoulders, saying: "When I sit for that purpose, you do not come to me but when I am engaged in other important work you come with your grievances to interrupt me." The person walked away. But Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) sent for him and, handing his whip over to him, said: "You now lash me to even the matter." He said: "I forgive you for the sake of Allah." Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) went home, prayed a Salaat of two rakaats in repentance and upbraided himself saying: "0, Umar! You were low but Allah elevated you. You were wandering astray but Allah guided you. You were base but Allah ennobled you and gave you sovereignty over His people. Now one of them comes and asks you for redress of the wrong done to him, and you beat him? What answer have you to give before Allah?" He kept on chiding himself thus for a very long time. Once Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) was going on his usual round towards Harrah (a suburb of Madinah) with his slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said: "There seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the town due to night fall. Let's go and look after them and arrange for their protection during the night." When he reached there, he found a woman and some children. The children were crying. The woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) greeted her with salaam and, with her permission, went near her. Umar: "Why are these children crying?" The Woman: "Because they are hungry." Umar: "What is in the pan?" The Woman: "Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to sleep in the belief that food is being prepared for them. Ah! Allah will judge between Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) and me, on the Day of Judgement, for neglecting me in my distress. " 'Umar (weeping): "May Allah have mercy on you! How can Umar know of your distress?" The Woman: "When he is our Amir, he must keep himself informed about us." Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) returned to the town and straightway went to Baitul-Mal to fill a sack with flour, dates, fat and clothes, and also drew some money. When the sack was ready, he said to Aslam: "Now put this sack on my back, Aslam." Aslam: "No please, Amir-ul-Mo'mineen! I shall carry this sack." 'Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistant requests to allow him to carry the sack, and remarked: "What! Will you carry my load on the Day of Iudgement? I must carry this bag, for it is I who would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman." Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar's (Radhiyallaho anho) back, who carried it with a swift pace right to the woman's tent. Aslam followed at his heels. He put a little flour and some dates and fat in the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to kindle it. Aslam says: "I saw the smoke passing through his thick beard." After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the family. When they had eaten to their fill, he made over to them the little that was left for their next meal. The children were very happy after their meal and began to play about merrily. The woman felt very grateful and remarked: "May Allah reward you for your kindness! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah instead of 'Umar." Umar consoled her and said: "When you come to see the Khalifah, you will find me there." He sat for a while at a place close by and kept on watching the children. He then returned to Madinah. On his way back, he said to Aslam:"Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping in distress; I liked to, see them laughing and happy for some time." It is said that Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) while leading Fajr Salaat used to recite 'Kahf' , 'Taha' and other such Soorahs in his Salaat, and would weep so much that his crying could be heard way back to several rows. Once he was reciting Surah 'Yusuf' in Fajr. When he came to the verse: "I only plead for my distress and anguish unto Allah," (Yusuf, 86) He wept so much that he could not recite any further. In Tahajjud, he would sometimes fall to the ground and would get indisposed with excessive weeping. Such was the fear of Allah in Hadhrat Umar(Radhiyallaho anho) whose name struck terror in the hearts of the mightiest monarchs of his time.Even today, the people are filled with awe when they read about him. Is there any person in power today who is prepared to show such kindness to the people in his charge?

Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) and The Fear of Allah: According to our belief Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) is the most exalted person after the Prophets (may peace be on all of them). The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) himself conveyed to him the glad tidings of his being the head of a group of persons in Paradise. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once remarked: "Abu Bakr's name shall be called out from all the gates of Paradise and he will be the first of my followers to enter it." With all these virtues and privileges, Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) used to say: "I wish I were a tree that would be cut and done away with." Sometimes he would say: "I wish I were a blade of grass. whose life ended with the grazing by some beast." He also said: "I wish I were a hair on the body of a Mo'min." Once he went to a garden where he saw a bird singing. He sighed deeply and said: "0, bird! How lucky you are! You eat, you drink and fly under the shade of the trees, and you fear no reckoning of the Day of Judgement. I wish I were just like you." Hadhrat Rabiah Aslami (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates: "Once I had some argument with Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho), during which he uttered a word that I did not like. He realized it immediately and said to me 'Brother, please say that word back to me in retaliation.' I refused to do so. He persisted, and even spoke of referring the matter to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), but I did not agree to utter that word. He got up and left me. A few people of my clan remarked, 'Look! How strange! The person does wrong to you and, on the top of that, he threatens to complain to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)'. I said, 'Do you .know who he is. He is Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho). To displease him is to displease the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and to displease the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is to displease Allah, and if Allah is displeased then who can save Rabiah from ruin?' I went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and narrated the whole story to him. He said, 'You were quite right in refusing to utter that word. But you could have said this much in reply: '0, Abu Bakr, (Radhiyallaho anho) May Allah forgive you!" Look at the fear of Allah in Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho)! He is so anxious to clear his accounts in this world that no sooner has a slightly unpleasant word been addressed by him to a person, than he regrets it and requests him to say that word back to him in retaliation. He is so particular in this that he threatens to have the retaliation done through the intervention of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). We are in the habit of saying offensive words to others, but we fear neither the retaliation nor the reckoning in the Hereafter.

It is related from 'Abdullah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of people are my generation and then those who follow them and then those who follow them. Then there will come people whose testimony will precede their oaths and whose oaths will precede their testimony." (Sahih Bukhari) Assalamu Alaykum brothers and sisters - I have started this thread as a reminder for all of us to reflect upon the remarkable lives of the Sahabah (RA). They’re true icons and the best of role models for us to follow. How can there be better role models than those whom Allah SWT and his Messenger have declared their pleasure and satisfaction with? There is simply no better generation deserving of our admiration than the Sahabah. The Sahabah were the greatest generation to ever exist in human history. No group of people in history, after the Prophets, possessed their characteristics or reached the high moral standard they have achieved. The virtues and behaviours they demonstrated testify to their immeasurable nobleness. Their garments may have been humble, but their sublime wisdom lit the world. All of this was a modest reflection of the greater miracle that enlightened the world on the day Allah SWT willed His noble Qur'aan to be sent down, His honorable Messenger to deliver the message, and the procession of Islam to start its paces on the road of true enlightenment. With the procession of Islam, the Sahabah filled the sky with standards of new truth in which they announced the religion of monotheism and the liberation of mankind. They freed mankind from the worship of other created beings towards the worship of the creator of all that exists – Allah Subḥahanu wa ta’ala. As brilliant as the Sahabah were as a group, they were just as awe-inspiring as individuals – both men and women. From Abu Bakr R.A., whose Iman as the Prophet SAW once declared, would outweigh the rest of the Ummah combined; to Umar R.A. with his bold-intellect, far-sighted wisdom and aptly titled as ‘Al-Faruq’ – the criterion between good and evil; or that of 'Aisha R.A. with her scholarly mind and vast knowledge; and numerous other men and women of the Sahabah (RA) whose examples are a model of virtuous human conduct. In their lives we find a model for endurance, others were embodiments of selflessness, of sacrifice, fervour for the Truth and oneness of Allah SWT and complete submission to his Will. In Short, each one of them was a lighthouse of guidance showing the path of exalted behaviour in the short-time we all have on this earth. It is for this reason that I will post short incidents from the lives of the Sahabah in this thread. Each story or incident carries a great lessonfor us and it is my hope that we will all benefit from these stories and strive to instil the qualities inherent in each story/incident into our own life Inshaa Allah. We should emulate them and follow their example so that we may succeed in the life of this world and in Akhira. A humble request - can I please ask everyone to refrain from replying to this thread so as to avoid lengthening it - as much as possible. It is meant as a thread with incidents from the life of the Sahabah (RA) which we will all find beneficial Inshaa Allah. Jazakallah Khayr for your understanding.

^ Wa iyyakum.

Verse 135, Sura Al Nisa: O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. Faculty of law says verse is one of the greatest expressions for justice By Staff Published Sunday, January 13, 2013 The US Harvard University has posted a verse of the Holy Quran at the entrance of its faculty of law, describing the verse as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history, a Saudi newspaper reported on Sunday. Verse 135 of Sura Al Nisa (women chapter) has been posted at a wall facing the faculty’s main entrance, dedicated to the best phrases said about justice. A Saudi student who studies at Harvad published a picture of the poster in his Twitter page, according to the Saudi Arabic language daily Ajel. “I noticed that the verse was posted by the faculty of law, which described it as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history,” Abdullah Jumma said. Harvard University was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636 as the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

Masha'Allah very humbling story. Jazakallah for sharing. Insha'Allah he'll find forgiveness and Allah's mercy in this noble action of his. It is He, Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give (Qur'an, 23:78) There are those whom Allah has given sight in this world but will be resurrected blind on Yawm Al-Qiyamah: Surah Ta-Ha 124. "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." 125. He will say:"O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)." 126. (Allah) will say: "Like this, Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allah's Mercy)." This incident reminds one of the following narration: Muslim narrated in his Sahih that a blind man said, "Oh Messenger of Allah, I do not have someone to guide me to the Mosque," and thus asked the Messenger to grant him special permission not to attend congregational prayers. As he was leaving, the Messenger called him and said "Do you hear the call? ", he said "yes". He said, "Then answer." Authentic versions narrated by Ahmed and others came as: narrated by Ibn Maktoom that he said: "Oh Messenger of Allah, I am blind, live far away, and have a guide that does not suit me, so can't you give me consent to pray at home?" He said "Do you hear the call?" Ibn Maktoom replied "Yes". The Prophet then said "I cannot find an excuse for you". If the blind man has no excuse not to pray in congregation, how can there be an excuse for the one that can see?

George Monbiot The Guardian, Monday 17 December 2012 20.30 GMT Barack Obama's tears for the children of Newtown are in stark contrast to his silence over the children murdered by his drones "Mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts … These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change." Every parent can connect with what President Barack Obama said about the murder of 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut. There can scarcely be a person on earth with access to the media who is untouched by the grief of the people of that town. It must follow that what applies to the children murdered there by a deranged young man also applies to the children murdered in Pakistan by a sombre American president. These children are just as important, just as real, just as deserving of the world's concern. Yet there are no presidential speeches or presidential tears for them, no pictures on the front pages of the world's newspapers, no interviews with grieving relatives, no minute analysis of what happened and why. If the victims of Mr Obama's drone strikes are mentioned by the state at all, they are discussed in terms which suggest that they are less than human. The people who operate the drones, Rolling Stone magazine reports, describe their casualties as "bug splats", "since viewing the body through a grainy-green video image gives the sense of an insect being crushed". Or they are reduced to vegetation: justifying the drone war, Obama's counterterrorism adviser Bruce Riedel explained that "you've got to mow the lawn all the time. The minute you stop mowing, the grass is going to grow back". Like George Bush's government in Iraq, Obama's administration neither documents nor acknowledges the civilian casualties of the CIA's drone strikes in north-west Pakistan. But a report by the law schools at Stanford and New York universities suggests that during the first three years of his time in office, the 259 strikes for which he is ultimately responsible killed between 297 and 569 civilians, of whom at least 64 were children. These are figures extracted from credible reports: there may be more which have not been fully documented. The wider effects on the children of the region have been devastating. Many have been withdrawn from school because of fears that large gatherings of any kind are being targeted. There have been several strikes on schools since Bush launched the drone programme that Obama has expanded so enthusiastically: one of Bush's blunders killed 69 children. The study reports that children scream in terror when they hear the sound of a drone. A local psychologist says that their fear and the horrors they witness is causing permanent mental scarring. Children wounded in drone attacks told the researchers that they are too traumatised to go back to school and have abandoned hopes of the careers they might have had. Their dreams as well as their bodies have been broken. Obama does not kill children deliberately. But their deaths are an inevitable outcome of the way his drones are deployed. We don't know what emotional effect these deaths might have on him, as neither he nor his officials will discuss the matter: almost everything to do with the CIA's extrajudicial killings in Pakistan is kept secret. But you get the impression that no one in the administration is losing much sleep over it. Two days before the murders in Newtown, Obama's press secretary was asked about women and children being killed by drones in Yemen and Pakistan. He refused to answer, on the grounds that such matters are "classified". Instead, he directed the journalist to a speech by John Brennan, Obama's counter-terrorism assistant. Brennan insists that "al-Qaida's killing of innocents, mostly Muslim men, women and children, has badly tarnished its appeal and image in the eyes of Muslims". He appears unable to see that the drone war has done the same for the US. To Brennan the people of north-west Pakistan are neither insects nor grass: his targets are a "cancerous tumour", the rest of society "the tissue around it". Beware of anyone who describes a human being as something other than a human being. Yes, he conceded, there is occasionally a little "collateral damage", but the US takes "extraordinary care [to] ensure precision and avoid the loss of innocent life". It will act only if there's "an actual ongoing threat" to American lives. This is cock and bull with bells on. The "signature strike" doctrine developed under Obama, which has no discernible basis in law, merely looks for patterns. A pattern could consist of a party of unknown men carrying guns (which scarcely distinguishes them from the rest of the male population of north-west Pakistan), or a group of unknown people who look as if they might be plotting something. This is how wedding and funeral parties get wiped out; this is why 40 elders discussing royalties from a chromite mine were blown up in March last year. It is one of the reasons why children continue to be killed. Obama has scarcely mentioned the drone programme and has said nothing about its killing of children. The only statement I can find is a brief and vague response during a video conference last January. The killings have been left to others to justify. In October the Democratic cheerleader Joe Klein claimed on MSNBC that "the bottom line in the end is whose four-year-old gets killed? What we're doing is limiting the possibility that four-year-olds here will get killed by indiscriminate acts of terror". As Glenn Greenwald has pointed out, killing four-year-olds is what terrorists do. It doesn't prevent retaliatory murders, it encourages them, as grief and revenge are often accomplices. Most of the world's media, which has rightly commemorated the children of Newtown, either ignores Obama's murders or accepts the official version that all those killed are "militants". The children of north-west Pakistan, it seems, are not like our children. They have no names, no pictures, no memorials of candles and flowers and teddy bears. They belong to the other: to the non-human world of bugs and grass and tissue. "Are we," Obama asked on Sunday, "prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?" It's a valid question. He should apply it to the violence he is visiting on the children of Pakistan. Twitter: @georgemonbiot A fully referenced version of this article can be found at monbiot.com

Background Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair was a very handsome young man. He was the son of ‘Umair who was a wealthy person. He brought up his son in quite a luxurious fashion. Mus‘ab enjoyed the best of food, finest dresses and the best perfumes. Whenever Mus‘ab passed through the streets, dressed in precious clothes and profusely perfumed, the sweet smell scented the atmosphere all around and the people gazed at him with amazement and appreciation. His beauty and charm was the talk of the town. Every person knew that Mus‘ab's parents were bringing up their son with great affection and care. Whenever prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) talked of him, he said "There is nobody more handsome in Makkah than Mus‘ab.There is no person in the city better clothed and fed than Mus‘ab. There is no child brought up with more affection and love than him." Due to his charming personality and being a lovely son of wealthy parents, everyone young or old had great regard for him. The youth heard one day about Muhammad the Truthful sent by Allah as bearer of glad tidings and a warner to call them o the worship ofOne God. When Makkah slept and awoke, there were no other talk but the Prophet and his religion and this spoiled boy was one of the most attentive listeners. That was because, although he was young, the outward appearance of wisdom and common sense were among the traits of Mus'ab. He went one night to the house of Al-Arqam Ibn Al-Arqam, yearning and anxious. There, the Prophet was meeting his Companions, reciting the Quran to them and praying with them to Allah the Most Exalted.Mus'ab had hardly taken his seat and contemplated the verses of the Quran recited by the Prophet when his heart became the promised heart that night. The pleasure almost flung him from his seat as he was filled with a wild ecstasy. But the Prophet patted his throbbing heart with his blessed right hand, and the silence of the ocean's depth filled his heart. In the twinkling of an eye, the youth who had just become Muslim appeared to have more wisdom than his age and a determination that would change the course of time. Hardships after acceptance of Islam When he embraced Islam he was given a respectable place in the Muslim society. But it was not due to his beauty, charm, good dress, good manners or wealth, but due to his piety and fear of God. When he embraced Islam, he faced severe hardships and torture. The beauty and charm of his person faded. He was also deprived of the affection and care of his parents. But his virtues and piety won the appreciation of Allah and prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم). In his pursuit for winning the favour of Allah and prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم), Mus‘ab cared neither for good food, nor good dress. He was no longer inclined towards expensive perfumes, instead he devoted himself whole heartedly to serve the cause of Islam. His mother had withheld from him all the luxury he had been overwhelmed by, when she could not return him to her religion. Her last connection with him was when she tried to imprison him for a second time after his return from Abyssinia, and he swore that if she did that, he would kill all those who came to her aid to lock him up. She knew the truth of his determination when he was intent and decided to do something, and so she bade him goodbye weeping. When she said to him, "Go away, I am no longer your mother," Mus'ab went close to her and said, "O Mother, I am advising you and my heart is with you, please bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." She replied to him, angrily raging, "By the stars, I will never enter your religion, to degrade my status and weaken my senses!" So Mus'ab left the great luxury in which he had been living. He became satisfied with a hard life he had never seen before, wearing the roughest clothes, eating one day and going hungry another. This spirit, which was grounded in the strongest faith, adorned with the light of Allah, madehim another man, one who appeals to the eyes of other great souls. When the Muslims were ordered to migrate to Abyssinia, this young-man, brought up like a prince, also migrated along with the other devotees. When he returned from Abyssinia, people saw in him a different person- all the luster and geity was gone. He who would have scoffed at the most precious raiment, was wearing a dress made of coarse, worn-out blanket. The spectacle inspired amazement, and awe among the onlookers. His mother, too, pitied her son’s condition and repented of the harsh treatment, she had shown to him. Mission to Madinah – First Envoy of Islam While he was in this state, the Prophet commissioned him with the greatest mission of his life, which was to be his envoy to Al-Madinah. His mission was to instruct the Ansar who believed in the Prophet and had pledged their allegiance to him at 'Aqabah, to call others to Islam, and to prepare Al-Madinah for the day of the great Hijrah. There were among the Companions of the Prophet at that time who older than Mus'ab and more prominent and nearer to the Prophet by family relations but the Prophet chose Mus'ab the Good. Mus'ab was equal to the task and trust which Allah had given him and he was equipped with an excellent mind and noble character. He won the hearts of the Madinites with his piety, uprightness and sincerity. And so they embraced the religion of Allah in flocks. At the time the Prophet sent him there, only 12 Muslims had pledged allegiance to the Prophet. During the next pilgrimage season, a few months after that, the Madinite Muslims sent a delegation of 70 believing men and women to Makkah to meet the Prophet. They came with their teacher and their Prophet's envoy, Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair. Mus'ab had proven, by his good sense and excellence, that the Prophet knew well how to choose his envoys and teachers. Battle of Uhud It may be recollected that Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair was not only very handsome, he did not only possess the qualities of submission and sacrifice, and he was not only a master of high intelligence and good eloquence, but he was also a gallant soldier, a fearless warrior and an ableGeneral. It was because of his gallantry that prophet Muhammed (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) had entrusted him with the charge of the highest banner of war, in the battle of Badr. Let us allow a living witness to describe for us the last scene of Mus'ab the Great. Ibn Sa'd said : Ibrahim ibn Muhammad related from his father, who said: Mus'ab Ibn 'Umair carried the standard on the Day of Uhud. When the Muslims were scattered, he stood fast until he met Ibn Quma'ah who was a knight. He struck him on his right hand and cut it off, but Mus'ab said, "And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him" He carried the standard with his left hand and leaned on it. He struck his left hand and cut it off, and so he leaned on the standard and held it with his upper arms to his chest, all the while saying, "And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him". Then a third one struck him with his spear, and the spear went through him. He fell to the ground continuing to recite the following Qur’anic verse: “Wa ma Muhammad-dun illa rasulun qad khalat min qablehil rusul). Meaning: “And Muhammad (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) is only a prophet of Allah. Many other Prophets have passed away before him. This verse was revealed later, after he had spoken it. When the battle came to an end the Holy Prophet (صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) stood by the dead body of Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair and recited the verse: (Minal momeneena rejalun sadqu ma ‘ahadullaha ‘ alaihe) Meaning: “There are some persons among the devoted Muslims (momeneen) who kept the promise made to Allah.” Burial Then Prophet Muhammed(صلّی اللہ علیہ وآلہ واصحابہ وسلّم) addressed the dead body thus: “When I saw you for the first time in Mecca there was nobody more handsome and well-dressed than you. But, I see that today your hair is uncombed and only a sheet of cloth covers your body!” The dead of Uhud could not get proper shrouds because in those days Muslims were poor and lacked material resources. Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair had only a sheet of cloth over his body; if the head was covered, the feet were bare and when the feet were covered the head was left bare. In the end, his head was covered and his feet were covered with grass. Such was the shroud of Mus ‘ab bin ‘Umair (Allah be pleased with him) - the great martyr and envoy of the Muslim nation. May Allah grant him paradise.

Nur;895683 wrote: Mercury rises in a tube as temperature rise, so we assign corresponding numbers to measure comfort level, 50C being very hot summer in Djibouti, and 25C being a pleasant afternoon in Mogadishu, Likewise, can you think of a measure that will be analogous to Freedom , I mean all of freedoms in what used to be the Republic of Somalia? For something to be measurable, its underlying laws ought to be consistent, conform to a set of principles and these laws ought to be resistant to change overtime. The power to create and order such components belongs to Allah alone. The laws of Mercury you describe above meet this standard, hence why we're able to measure it. I would argue that absolute freedom (highest level of freedom, as you put it - which comes from submitting to the will of Allah SWT) is measurable, whereas other definitions of freedom (lets call them imperfect freedoms for now) are not measurable. The measure for absolute freedom is what ones attains afterwards - i.e. following submission to the will of Allah. Some of these attainments include a contented heart, a liberated mind free of psychological complexes and excessive material cravings etc.. The reason we can measure this form of freedom is because it is free of the imbalances and inconsistencies inherent/found in imperfect freedoms - since these emanate not from the perfect hikmah of Allah's deen but are the product of imperfect human beings. In a nutshell, I don't believe it is possible to measure a type of freedom which deviates from the one I've just outlined because something imperfect (and therefore susceptible to external forces) is by nature not measurable - at least not in a reliable manner. It is not measurable because it is by design flawed and is never free of discrepancies of one form or another - meeting one aspect of such imperfect freedoms often violates another - however small such violations might turn out to be. It is never going to be perfectly measurable since it was, by its very nature, imperfectly conceived. A measure cannot be derived from a matter which itself is not sound and is full of inconsistencies. It would be like grounding ones argument on mere conjecture. As Allah SWT says in the Noble Qur'an, following conjecture is akin to having no certain knowledge (An-Nisa, 157). . And in another Ayah (Yunus, 36), Allah SWT says: "And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Certainly, conjecture can be of no avail against the truth".

Br. Nur It is easier to define freedom or free will than to measure it. The extent of the freedom we have today as Somalis I think largely depends on what type of freedom you're referring to (e.g. personal or political freedom, freedom pertaining to belief, opinion, ownership, travel, work). In measuring it, I would divide freedom between those Somalis enjoy individually as opposed to collectively as a nation. Individually we exude an unyielding attachment to our sense of free will, even when its absent, (in part due to the teachings of our deen and culturally going back in antiquity) - as outsiders such as British explorer Richard Burton attested to by describing Somalis as ' a ‘fierce and turbulent race of republicans’. Collectively though (at least for those residing back home and in other parts of the developing world), our freedom as Somalis and as a nation is quite weak in many areas and non-exist in others. It appears that we have subconsciously allowed ourselves to trade away our collective freedom as a nation (Somalia's sovereignty is a classic example, barring some recent improvements) but don't feel the same way when itcomes to our individual freedoms. Our collective freedoms started to recede when we started to prefer our tribal links above our shared roots as Somalis and things went downhill from there - until it reached the stage where some began to betray their closest family members to theenemy in return for preserving their own individual freedoms.

Jazakallah khairan to you all. May Allah SWT guide us all to the right path and grant us his rahma in this world and in Akhira.

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Be modest before Allah as it is proper to be modest.” The Sahabah said: “We are modest before Allah, and for this we thank Him.” The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “This is not modesty. The modesty that should be before Allah demands that you keep your head and all parts safe from falsehood, keep your belly and your food safe from the forbidden things, and remember the condition of death and that of the grave; and he who wants to love the life of the Hereafter, should give up the embellishments and grandeur of worldly life, and should prefer the Hereafter to the world. He who has done so, he has, as if, fulfilled the right of being modest before Allah.” [Tirmidhi] We try to display our best conduct and behaviour in the presence of those whom we consider great and whom we want to please. Before them, we speak only when necessary. Every step that we take before them is with caution and fear. A Muslim whose religion teaches him that he is never away from the sight of Allah, because he is in His presence day and night, is more awed by Allah than he is by important people and more careful not to displease Him than he is cautious about displeasing important people. He is therefore, more careful to obey Him than he is concerned about obeying the important people in his life. If a person conducts his life with the consciousness that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is watching him, and if he hates to be lax and defective in matters concerning Allah, then he has fulfilled the right of being modest before Allah.

The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological "nuts and bolts" of writing. http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/sources.htm

Fasting on this day is an expiation of sins for two years It was reported from Abu Qutaadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of ‘Arafaah. He said, “It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.” Narrated by Muslim. This (fasting) is mustahabb for those who are not on Hajj. In the case of the one who is on Hajj, it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the Day of ‘Arafaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast on this day in ‘Arafaah. It was narrated that he forbade fasting on the Day of ‘Arafaah in ‘Arafaah. It is the day on which Allaah took the covenant from the progeny of Adam It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah took the covenant from the loins of Adam in Na’maan, i.e., ‘Arafaah. Hebrought forth from his loins all his offspring and spread them before Him, then He addressed them, and said: ‘Am I not your Lord? They said, ‘Yes, we testify,’ let you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily, we have beenunaware of this.’ Or lest you should say: ‘It was only our fathers aforetime who took others as partners in worship along with Allaah, and we were (merely their) descendents after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practised Al-Baatil (i.e., ploytheism and committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping others besides Allaah)?’ [al-A’raaf 7:172-173 – interpretation of the meaning].” Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. And there is no greater day than this and no greater covenant than this. It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the Fire and pride in the people who are there In Saheeh Muslim it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no day on which Allaah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of ‘Arafaah. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?’” It was reported from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah expresses His pride to His angels at the time of ‘Ishaa’ on the Day of ‘Arafaah, about the people of ‘Arafaah. He says, ‘Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.’” Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. It is a day by which Allaah swore an oath The Almighty cannot swear by anything except that which is mighty. Yawm ‘Arafaah is the “witnessed day” mentioned in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “By the witnessing day [Friday] and by the witnessed day [the Day of ‘Arafaah].” [al-Burooj 85:3]. It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the Day of ‘Arafaah, and the witnessing day is Friday.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. It is the “odd” [i.e., odd-numbered, Witr] by which Allaah swore in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And by the even and the odd” [al-Fajr 89:3]. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The even is the Day of al-Adhaa [i.e., 10th Dhoo’l-Hijjah] and the odd is the Day of ‘Arafaah [i.e., 9th Dhoo’l-Hijjah] This is also the view of ‘Ikrimah and al-Dahhaak. It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allaah’s Favour was completed In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, there is an aayah in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid (festival).” ‘Umar said, “Which aayah?” He said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [al-Maa’idah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]. ‘Umar said, “We know on which day and in which place that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was when he was standing in ‘Arafaah on a Friday.” It is a day of Eid for the people who are in that place The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yawm ‘Arafaah (the day of ‘Arafaah), Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice) and Ayyaam al-Tashreeq (the 3 days following Yawm al-Nahr) are Eid (festival) for us, the people of Islam. These are days of eating and drinking.” This was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan. It was reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: “It – i.e., the aayah ‘This day I have perfected…’ was revealed on a Friday, the Day of ‘Arafaah, both of which – praise be to Allaah – are Eids for us.”

Abtigiis;867748 wrote: Here is the latest. The PM would be one of these men. These are the people considered: 1-Ali Isse .............................Khatumo (former World Bank man in Addis) Dr. Ali Isse would make a fine choice for PM! I only hope petty clan issues don't get in the way of his appointment!! His wide-ranging experience at the IMF coupled with his current role as M.D. of HESPI may well be Somalia's best chance at finally being able to manage its public finances independently - free of the shackles and unacceptable oversight from U.N. or donor nations!. We often fail to realise that our inability to achieve true economic independence is one of the root causes of the issues facing us as a country.

Jazakallah Khayr all for sharing your favorite verses from the Noble Qur'an. Indeed the book of Allah SWT is full of beauty and wisdom beyond our comprehension. May Allah include us amongst those whom the Qur'an will act as an intercessor on the day of Qiyamah and whose status is raised by it. Surah Al-Furqan - verses 61-64 Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon. And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude. And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace, And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer] Surah Az-Sumar, verse 53 Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives allsins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." Surah Ash-Shu'ara' verses 78-82 Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me. And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. And when I am ill, it is He who cures me And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense."

NGONGE;755593 wrote: Didn't the leaders of the Islamic Courts also go to Xaj when the Ethiopians were invading Somalia? It seems that whenever the country gets invaded, Somali leaders run to Xaj! On a serious note, a couple of days in Saudi Arabia are neither here nor there. Can't really blame a man for going to Xaj. No one is denying their right to perform Hajj! Simply questioning the timing (in the midst of the Kenyan incursion) and a host of other problems.The fact that ICU members did the same in the past is irrelevant nor was it excusable then.

http://hiiraan.com/news/2011/nov/images/xajka1.jpg These visionless, heartless fools sink to lower and lower depths with each passing day. The country they supposedly ‘lead’ is in the grips of famine with hundreds of Somalis dying of hunger daily. To make matters worse, they’ve just ‘authorized’ another disastrous invasion of our homeland without much thought. An invasion whose only guaranteed outcome will be the strengthening of a divided insurgency. And now they fly out to partake in Hajj given the condition the country is in? How much more stupidly thoughtless can these fools get? With Sharif already out of the country, who is supposed to oversee the Kenyan invasion still in its infancy? Who is in charge to implement the flimsy agreement signed in Nairobi geared at ensuring that the Kenyan invasion is Somali-led and directed? External observers and leaders of other nations must be scratching their heads at just how incredibly pathetic these supposed ‘leaders’ of our nation really are.

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Br. Nur Jazakallah Khayr for your immense contribution over the years. I would gladly join the protest sis Malika hinted at, if it would persuade you to stay a little longer. You and I have engaged in lively discussions (some of which we've agreed on) and traded a few intellectual blows along the way. Allah SWT has blessed you with a sharp, penetrating mind. Please continue with your Dawah efforts wherever you may be.

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar;727137 wrote: Jaahiliintaan loo talinaayo yaa u taliyo taloow. Shariif, Shariif ayeeba la baxeen dad awliyo ismooday camal. Wax ka aqoon iyo ayaandarana waligeed masoo marin on the top leadership of Soomaaliya if ay ku heshiiyaan waxa la isla daba maraayo in Kambaala these days. Jaahil, waxmagarata isbiirsatay. Well said Saxib. The two Sharifs have dissembled what little there was of our nationhood. They refused to negotiate on Somali soil and dragged their feet for the past four months. Now they've decided to trade the most important leadership positions on foreign soil - under foreign instruction! Naclatullah Aleyka. The old, corrupt, incompotent ministers and their cronies will once again fill the most important cabinet posts - leaving capable, educated Somalis out in the cold and unable to serve their beloved country. Farmajo is wrong is he thinks that agreeing to step down will allow these dogs to begin to govern again. He should have resisted. The two sharifs and their foreign masters wouldn't have had any other choice except to hold fresh elections(however imperfect) for all three positions (Speaker, Pres and PM).

Somali businesses in Kenya faced similar problems in the early days. They overcame it by registering their businesses under the names of local Kenyas whom they've paid and by employing Kenyan security guards to provide security. Somalis in South Africa should employ the same tactics where possible. All Africans, not just South Africans/Kenyans, despise Somalis for their entrepreneurial skills and steadfastness in abiding by their culture and religion. Abandoning religion/custom in order to blend in to local populations is never an option for a Somali - may this honorable Somali trait live on!

An insightful lecture by our esteemed sheekh. Lecture is in Somali. Aan kawada faaiideeysano Insha Allah.

More interesting entries from Mogadishu Man. Enjoy. Al-Shabab: 1977-78 War Veterans Recalled March 2, 2011 by Mogadishu Man They marched towards the battlefields – at the peak of their prime – overflowing with patriotism and driven by irredentist beliefs and territorial expansion. With guns slung around their shoulders and ardently miming the mellifluous melodies of patriotic songs, the devoted Somali soldiers had one definitive goal in mind: the annexation of ******ia or Western Somalia in order to create a Greater Somalia. Today, however, after more than three decades of inaction, the veterans of the 1977-78 Somali-Ethiopian war are singing a different tune and are driven by different motives. After having survived their sanguinary adventures, the veterans now vow to fight in the name of God to fend off the traditional foe. Burning with vengeance, this time kindled by Al-Shabab’s rapidly spreading ideological beliefs that have engulfed much of Southern and central Somalia, more than 30 of the 1977-78 war veterans from the border region of Gedo have unanimously agreed to join the ranks of Al-Shabab in a move that is considered to be a huge political gain for the Islamists. Sheikh Mukhtar ‘Abu Mansoor’ Roobow, one of the senior leaders of Al-Shabab, along with the fervent preacher, Sheikh Fu’ad Mohamed Khalaf, are said to have had extensive meetings with the veteran soldiers in Garbahaarey, Gedo’s regional capital. Urging the soldiers to participate in the battles against the Ethiopian troops along the Somali borders, Abu Mansoor called out to the thousands of people that gathered at the scene to welcome the Islamists: “Today I once again call out to all the soldiers who participated in the war [1977-78] to come and support the Mujahideen. He who used to operate a tank would, by the will of Allah, be able to operate a tank once again; he who used to fly a fighter jet would, by the will of Allah, be flying a fighter jet soon. We need to stand together.” Speaking on behalf of the veterans, Major Hassan Hirsi Nur “Hassan Takbir” addressed the media: “As veterans of the Somali republic now living in Gedo, we have hereby unanimously agreed that, from this moment onwards, we stand alongside the Mujahideen in their fight the infidels. After witnessing the increasing amount of infidels from Uganda and Burundi who are now present in Mogadishu, as well as Kenyans and Ethiopians waging war along our borders, we have decided to take part in the war so that we may defend our religion and our country from the infidel invaders.” A different tune indeed. And slightly discordant with the former patriotic melodies that they went to war with. It is not the first time, however, that the Somali veterans have been called to duty. During 2006 when Ethiopia intervened in Somalia to break up and dislodge the popular wave of the Islamic Courts Union that had ruled Southern Somalia for a ‘peaceful’ six-month period, the veterans picked up arms alongside the Islamists. Taking into account that they had enough military experience, the ICU leaders soon awarded the veterans some leadership roles that allowed them to manage battalions, weapons and supply routes. This, however, proved to be detrimental to their cause as the Islamists were soon dismantled and sent running into the forests of Lower Juba. But Al-Shabab, the military wing of the ICU in 2006, has evolved since then and the group seems to have learnt quite a few lessons from Ethiopia’s rapid invasion and the Islamists’ subsequent defeat. Building upon this experience, it may be highly unlikely that any leadership positions– whether military or political – would be granted to the veterans. Benefiting from their expertise, however, though a bit rusty by now, along with the huge publicity on the political podium, the Islamists would most likely use the veterans as instructors and mid-level trainers. This, of course, is still a burning issue and is being played out on the political tables and throughout media, but if the veterans remain true to their word and join the Islamists, it stands as a clear evidence, despite the Western countries’ vehement denial, that Al-Shabab’s ideology has penetrated not only the ‘susceptible’ minds of the young, and often enthusiastic, youth of Southern Somalia, but tribal elders and even former soldiers of the Somali Republic. By undertaking this perilous path of ‘Martyrdom for the sake of Allah’ the veterans, who, because of the old system of governance can often be irascible and hard to manage, have to get used to some new ways of fighting, modern guerrilla tactics and would perhaps have to brush up on their old skills. During their time, Somalia was a blossoming nation with a booming metropolis. Today, after more than two decades of conflict that has descended the country deeper into an abyss of seemingly perpetual darkness and despair, the Somali state has withered; its vibrancy has faded and that youthful exuberance has now lost its glow. But the question still remains, can the veterans restore Somalia’s glory? To Burundi: A Prisoner’s Message February 27, 2011 by Mogadishu Man Dear Readers, This is a rough translation of the Burundian prisoner’s Message as broadcast on Mogadishu’s radio stations yesterday. It must be noted that I have translated the message using the ‘Somali’ translation that was broadcast on the radio stations, not from Burundian language. I will try to upload the original audio message (and a video if I get it) of the Burundian soldier so that readers can verify the translation. My name is NZOBONANTUMYE THERENCE and I come from Burundi. My father’s name is ANDREA JEBARIKO and my mother’s name is VERONICA NDEREYIMANA. I am part of AMISOM’s SA ONZE battalion. I came to Somalia to fight Al-Shabab but ended up being their captive. I was captured on TUESDAY 22-02-2011. A colonel by name of URATUZA ordered us to go to Somalia in order to fight the Islamists. But when we came to Somalia and engaged AL-Shabab in battles, we realized that they were indeed dangerous and we could not defeat them. After our offensive against the Al-Shabab on Tuesday, the battle quickly intensified and many of our soldiers were killed and injured. In that disarray, the rest of the soldiers retreated and left me behind. And as soon as the soldiers deserted me, Al-Shabab soldiers captured me and then took me to one of their military compounds. That is where I am now To The Burundian Soldiers in Mogadishu: My advice to the Burundian soldiers is that you should refrain from waging war against Al-Shabab and the reason why I say this is because I am certain that you will never be able to defeat them. After we launched our offensive against Al-Shabab on Tuesday morning I would estimate that the number of Burundian soldiers killed in the battle to be about 50 in number. As for me I was captured alive by Al-Shabab and I am still alive and doing well. I warn you against waging war with Al-Shabab because you are fighting them in their own land and thus will never be able to defeat them. I would also advice you to stop shelling the Somali population because whenever you shell populated areas, it is always the innocent civilians that become the victims of your shelling. As a result, when I fell into the hands of Al-Shabab, they transported me in a car and took me to a compound where many people were gathered and waiting for me. They wanted to kill me on the spot. They hurled all sorts of things at me but the Al-Shabab soldiers protected me from them. They were all angry with me and the reason for their anger is our constant shelling of innocent civilians. To The Soldiers in Burundi: I want to send this message to the soldiers in Burundi. My advice to you is that do not let your generals and seniors deceive you and lure you to fight in Somalia, because the rewards and the money that they promise you will eventually be of no value. Once you arrive in Somalia the only thing that awaits you here is death. As soon as we arrived in Somalia, we were sent into battles and I was captured in one of those battles along with many other soldiers. What we saw here in battles is gruesome, so I would advise you not to be deluded by your generals. The little provision that you receive in the safety of your homes is better that the fortune that would cost you your lives.