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By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong
“When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’ When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face, We called out to him, ‘Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good ― it was a test to prove [their true characters] ― We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice, and We let him be praised by succeeding generations: ‘Peace be upon Abraham!’ This is how We reward those who do good: truly he was one of our faithful servants.”
The Qur’an 37:102-111 (M.A.S. Abdul-Haleem)
“Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:7-14 (NIV)
The story is familiar to Jews, Christians and Muslims; the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was asked by God to make the ultimate sacrifice, his beloved son, though perhaps disagreeing on which son Abraham was asked to surrender, the meaning of this account doesn’t change. Who could make such a sacrifice, when we’d give everything for our children? Abraham dearly loved both his sons and their mothers, he surely would not have wanted to harm either of them in any way or form. To understand this account, we need to look beyond the worldly veils disguising it’s true meaning. Everything that manifests in the physical world begins with an intention, a beginning within a person’s heart.
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Wulfruna Sufi Association wishes everyone blessings, peace and unity, especially during this auspicious Hijri month of Ramadan!
The Conference Of Devils: (Read even if you’re busy)
The king of devils called a worldwide conference of all his minions.
In his opening address he said,
“We can’t keep believers from their prayers and meditations.”
“We can’t keep them from reading their holy scriptures and knowing the truth.”
“We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Lord.”
“Once they gain that connection with their Creator, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their houses of worship; let them have their community dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with God.”
“This is what I want you to do,” said the Devil:
“Distract them from remembering their Lord and maintaining that vital connection throughout the day!”
“How shall we do this?” his helpers asked.
“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life, inventing innumerable schemes to occupy their minds, bodies and souls” he answered.
“Tempt people to keep spending with no end in sight, continually borrowing to fund their addiction!”
“Persuade people to go to work all hours of the day and night, 6-7 days each week, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children.”
“As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of life!”
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.”
“Entice them to play the radio constantly whenever they drive, and further entertainment throughout the day and night in their homes! Make sure there is no escape from our entertainments, so they get so lost in the material world, they begin to forget their spiritual reality…”
“This will jam their minds and break their union with God.”
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.”
“Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.”
“Invade their driving moments with billboards.”
“Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotion offering free products, services and false hopes.”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on magazines and TV, so husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives. Women will be so distracted trying to attain these impossible looks, they’ll have no time for the more important things in life, destroying their health into the bargain!”
“Keep husbands and wives too tired, to spend time loving each other at night. Give them headaches too!”
“If they don’t give their spouses the love they need, they may begin to look elsewhere…”
“That will fragment families quickly!”
“Even in their recreation, let them go to excess!”
“Have them return from their recreation exhausted.”
“Keep them too busy to take walks in the park, amongst the natural world, preventing their reflection upon God’s creation. Send them instead to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies. Keeping them ever so busy!”
“And when they go to their congregational prayers, involve them in internal politics, gossip and small talk, so they leave with troubled hearts…”
“Crowd their lives with ever so many distractions, they have no time to seek the pleasure of their Lord.”
“Soon they will be working on their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
“It will work!” “It will work!”
It was quite a plan!
The devils went eagerly to their assignments, causing believers everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for God or their families. Having no time to tell others, about the infinite love and mercy of the Almighty to change lives.
I guess the question is, have the devils been successful in their schemes?
You be the judge…
Does “BUSY” mean:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan’s
Y-oke?
Please pass this on, if you aren’t too BUSY!
In the wake of Sept. 11, new light is thrown on the international ties increasingly linking Muslim and neo-Nazi extremists
By Martin A. Lee (Spring 2002)
As Germany’s defeat loomed during the final months of World War II, Adolf Hitler increasingly lapsed into delusional fits of fantasy.
Albert Speer, in his prison writings, recounts an episode in which a maniacal Hitler “pictured for himself and for us the destruction of New York in a hurricane of fire.”
The Nazi fuehrer described skyscrapers turning into “gigantic burning torches, collapsing upon one another, the glow of the exploding city illuminating the dark sky.”
An approximation of Hitler’s hellish vision came true on Sept. 11, when terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers in New York, killing nearly 3,000 people. But it was not Nazis or even neo-Nazis who carried out the attack — the deadliest terror strike in history allegedly came at the hands of foreign Muslim extremists.
Still, in the aftermath of the slaughter, white supremacists in America and Europe applauded the suicide attacks and praised Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the massacre.
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By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong
Terrorism is obviously very wrong, as well as being a very primitive way of trying to champion a cause. However, Islam is not terrorism! Orthodox Islam never has been and never has promoted terrorism!
Today’s problems in the Middle East and elsewhere, started with groups of disenfranchised people, from within these countries. They went on to start political movements to champion their causes. In much the same way, as fascists and communists have done in the past within Europe. The ideologies of these people, have little in common with orthodox branches of Islam. Back in the Cold War era, with the exception of Iran, many didn’t even claim to be standing up for Islam or Muslims, but rather anti-imperialism, people’s rights and communism! In more recent times, with many of the same problems unresolved and festering, the same types now claim to be freedom fighters and mujahideen “those who struggle”, which the likes of Al-Qaeda, Hamas and the Taliban, claim to be soldiers and martyrs for Islam. But titles do not necessarily denote the true nature of those who use them!
The orthodox branches of Islam, both the majority Sunni as well as the Shia denominations, have extensive literature and historical records, that prove they do not produce terrorists. In fact, they produced some of the greatest civilisations in human history! Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and others, used to live side by side their Muslim neighbours in peace and harmony. Many of our modern sciences and technologies have their roots in these Islamic civilisations. Not only Muslims, but Jews also look back to the Golden Age of Islam, between the 8th and 11th centuries, which was their Golden Age too!
The basis in theology, terrorist and fascist organisations are using, is instead the extreme puritanical, sectarian ideas of people like Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab and Said Qutb. People discredited as fanatical heretics by orthodox scholars of Islam. Other trouble makers, take on nationalistic agendas, based on tribe and ethnicity. Nationalism and tribalism were things strongly condemned in the Holy Qur’an and even by Prophet Muhammad himself! So they certainly have no place in Islam.
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” Holy Qur’an 49:13 (Yusuf Ali)
To create a united front against these terrorist and fascist agendas, we first need to recognise Islam is not at fault, and to be careful how we approach the threat. So we do not inadvertently make it appear as though we are attacking innocent Muslims, their religion and their way of life! Clearly, that is not an appropriate way of building bridges, with the allies needed to help put an end to this threat. If innocent Muslims feel threatened by what they perceive to be imperialist or Zionist threats, whether genuine or only appearing as such, it’s possible they themselves would become radicalised, which would only compound the problem! There is no need for this!
We need to focus on challenging the dangerous ideologies that are a threat to all civilisations, including Islamic ones! By building constructive relations with Muslims and giving due respect to orthodox Islam, we can make good progress. There is not that big a gulf between us! Giving support to those who need it, helping them to pick themselves up after terrorist strikes. Ensuring more airtime to those peaceful, constructive voices from within the Muslim community. While discouraging the media from giving free promotions for extremist voices. Unfortunately, media channels have a lot to answer for in this respect…
If these steps are taken, we will certainly make good progress and diminish the influence of extremism. If the Western world is sincere about their war on terrorism and fascist types, they will succeed, but only in partnership with Islam. Nobody has ever won a war through demonising potentially their greatest ally in the process! Islam is part of the solution, not part the problem!
