In this article I would like to share the following story I came across in the book titled, ‘Parent’s Love’ written by Ishrat J. Rumy.

The Prophet Sulaiman was a king. He was given an extraordinary kingdom by Allah, and he ruled over the winds and the waves, all men, jinn and animals had to obey him.

One day, the Prophet Sulaiman decided to survey his people. He ordered his subjects to arrange themselves in a manner that would enable him to view them. He went to his palace and there on a roof he stood alone to inspect them. No one was permitted to come near. Just then, a man appeared.

“Who are you? Don’t you know that no one is supposed to entre here?", asked the Prophet.

“I need no permission for entry. It is your Lord’s command that your time on earth is over,” answered the angel.

And so Sulaiman died. But his subjects did not know. They thought that the king was still judging them. Then Allah sent some worms which ate through his staff on which Sulaiman was leaning. The staff broke and Sualiman fell to the ground.

Only then did the people become aware of his death.

...

The biggest lesson I think we can take from this story is that death comes to all regardless of your race, class, gender, status/position etc. It is something inevitable.  Often times we distance ourselves from the concept of death while we seek a safe haven in this world. We must live our lives but we must also remember that death is destined for all of us. It can happen when least expected and that is why every day we should strive to live up to the standards Allah has prescribed for us because ultimately that is the only way we will find happiness.  If we try our very best to live in a way that is destined for mankind, Allah will surely help us in every way.

Les élections législatives au Maroc qui ont eu lieu le vendredi 25 novembre 2011, sont les premières depuis le printemps arabe et l’adoption de la nouvelle constitution.

Le ministre de l’intérieur, Mr Taïb CHERKAOUI a annoncé le 27 novembre les résultats définitifs de ces élections tout en précisant que le taux de participation officiel est de 45,40% des marocains inscrits sur les listes électorales.

A l’issue de ce scrutin, le parti de la justice et du développement (le PJD), ou le parti des islamistes modérés comme le nomme certains, arrive pour la première fois en tête des législations avec 107 sièges sur 395 (plus du quart des siège du futur parlement) , on trouve en seconde position le parti de l’Istiqlal avec 60 sièges, et le rassemblement national des indépendants est classé troisième  avec 52 sièges.

Toutefois, les résultats obtenus constituent un échec pour le parti authenticité et modernité (PAM) qui a obtenu 47 sièges (contre 55 en 2007) et l’union socialiste des forces populaires avec 39 sièges (contre 50 en 2002).

La carte politique sera clairement définie après la désignation par le roi d’un premier ministre au sein du parti qui a remporté les législatives, alors le PJD va devoir trouver des partis alliés pour former un gouvernement juste après cette désignation.

Finalement, les marocains sont toujours en attente d’un changement et espèrent vivement que la coalition qui sera portée au pouvoir tiendra ses engagements.

It was a typical Friday night as I wondered what I was doing up at 3 am on Twitter of all places. Suddenly, Ken Berger, NBA insider from CBS Sports, tweeted: “Tentative agreement reached, according to one of the negotiators” for the NBA lockout.

I was skeptical and quickly remembered when Ron Artest tweeted the same thing a few weeks ago as a joke. However, reporters from major news outlets such as the New York Times and the Miami Herald soon confirmed this. An hour later, the news was up on the official NBA website.

“All I feel right now is ‘Finally,’” Dwayne Wade told the Associated Press. “Finally”—a word that sums up how everyone with an interest in the NBA feels right now.

So after 149 days, the NBA will begin preparing itself for a 66-game season.

“We're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin Dec. 25,” Commissioner David Stern said. Training camp will be starting as soon as Dec. 9.

National Post writer Bruce Arthur put it best: “Somewhere a lot of players just jumped on a treadmill and got to sweating the bacon out.”

Facebook est le leader incontesté des réseaux sociaux en témoigne ses statistiques. On s’y rend quotidiennement et on y passe beaucoup de temps sans s’y rendre compte. Tellement curieux a propos des nouvelles récentes, nous avons tous un reflexe en allumant notre ordinateur de jeter un coup d’œil a notre compte Facebook. Il y a en effet un grand nombre de personnes qui, à peine installées dans le canapé, n’attendent pas 5 minutes pour consulter leurs profils. Et oui ! Une notification qui apparait par ci une autre qui apparait par la, un message, une photo taguée, et ca ne se termine presque jamais. Nous ne nions pas que c’est un outil formidable pour communiquer et rester en contact avec les amis. N’empeche, il faut s’arreter et examiner le temps qu’on lui consacre. C’est impressionnant et décevant de voir combien de minutes et d’heures de nos vies se sont écoulées en restant cloué devant nos ordinateurs. Avec plus de 500 millions d’utilisateurs, Facebook est devenuune véritable drogue pour certains.

Récentes statistiques montrent :

« une personne sur 13 dans le monde se connecte chaque jour sur la plateforme.

48% des 18-34 ans se connectent sur Facebook dès le réveil et 28% utilisent leurs smartphones pour accéder a Facebook avant de sortir du lit.

57% des personnes parlent plus en ligne que dans la vie réelle.»

Plus de 8 mois qu’on parle de violentes manifestations, et surtout d’une révolution à laquelle le
gouvernement syrien n’a pas pu résister et avait démissionné le 29 mars.
Ainsi, un nouveau gouvernement a été formé, et il a fixé comme objectif :

La levée de la loi d’urgence en vigueur depuis 1963, qui était justifié par l'état de guerre avec
Israël.

• La libéralisation de la presse à travers une loi qui supprime les peines de prison auparavant
prévues pour les journalistes reconnus coupables d'avoir attaqué "le prestige et la dignité de
l'Etat, l'unité nationale et le moral de l'armée, l'économie et la monnaie nationale".

• L’instauration du pluralisme politique, ainsi que l'actualisation et l'ajustement du processus
électoral aux normes démocratiques.

Au moment où le régime annonçait un nouveau gouvernement chargé de mener à bien les nouvelles
réformes et la libération des prisonniers, plus de 60 personnes ont été tuées par les militaires et les
forces de sécurité, le dimanche 19 novembre 2011, jour de la grande fête musulmane de l'Aïd Al-
Adha.
Selon l'ONU, plus de 2 600 personnes sont mortes dans la répression, en grande majorité des civils.
Plus de 15 000 personnes sont actuellement détenues et des milliers d'autres portées disparues.
De leur côté, les autorités accusent régulièrement des « bandes armées » d’être à l’origine des tirs
sur les manifestants et les forces de sécurité.

Personnellement, je pense que la présentation de ces projets de réformes n’est qu’un moyen pour
juguler la contestation contre le régime, et la preuve c’est que ces réformes n'ont pas changé la
situation sur le terrain, où manifestations et répression se poursuivent sans relâche.

Marriage is very important and relevant to our lives as it is something we are embarking
on or wish to do so in the near future. Yet often times we get confused about what Islam has to
say about marriage and which rituals and traditions are merely cultural. When we think about
marriage we often times focus too long and hard on the wedding day while we fail to understand
and grasp that there is more to marriage than just the one mere day of celebration which has
become the norm. Rather, if you didn’t know already, marriage is a long term commitment!
Consequently, as we focus greatly on this ‘special day’ we forget that we are starting a brand
new journey and we should do so following the teachings of Islam. But, don’t get me wrong we
all do get excited thinking about that ‘special day’ but something that should occupy our minds
even during our times of excitement is that we should not forsake the Islamic guidelines and
the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is these specific guidelines that we should
hold as a priority.

As well, at times we are unable to differentiate which part of marriage is based on Islam
and which of the rituals are cultural. This is simply because unfortunately we have merged the
two together in the midst of traditions which have been taking place for generations we at
times come to believe that they are indeed part of Islam. Our cultures impact us greatly and it is
such that these cultural marriage rituals and symbols are empathized and appraised while Islam
is not placed on the pedestal it should be on. The Islamic guidelines are not heeded to perhaps
sometimes because we simply do not know what Islam has to fully say about it. However, we
must remember that knowledge is incumbent on us; we can no longer remain confused and
unlearned. We must do what is right according to the Islamic principles and not simply what is in
or simply has become the custom.

So it is at times these cultural rituals that have been passed down from generation to
generation that confuses us and honestly at times we don’t even know the reasoning behind
them. For those who are in the process of getting married or wish to do so we must really look
into what Islam has to say about marriage and model the Prophet’s ways. Following the Islamic
guidelines should be our priority and the cultural baggage should be secondary. It is only after
we have ensured that we are following the Islamic guidelines that we should look towards own
cultural rituals and symbols. We must critically examine the cultural rituals and ask ourselves a
few questions like:

Where do these customs come from? Are they borrowed from another religion or
culture?

What purpose do they fulfill?

Will this specific customs weaken Islam in any way? Does it offend the Islamic
teachings?

What impact will this have on my marriage?

Does this custom harm anyone?

Our culture does teach us specific values and foster a sense of belonging. Therefore, it is
only natural that we may incline towards some cultural traditions but we must examine them
and if they align with the rules of Islam then there is no harm in practicing them. I do also want
to stress that the young people of today want to follow their faith, they want to practice it to the
best of their ability and they wish to act upon the phrase they hear endlessly, “marriage is half
of faith”. The young people of today want to be identified with Islam rather than culture. Most
believe that marriage is a beautiful concept and therefore they want to embark upon the journey
with the blessings of God and that is by following the guidelines He has prescribed. I believe
that if we strive in the way of God, help will be given to us. God tells us endlessly that help will
always be given to those who make duaa and ask.

I’ve touched this topic before, but I will touch it again. This is to all the brothers out there whose excuse to miss prayers and fasts is, “bro I am going to swear, I can’t help it, I will end up breaking my fast, so, I might as well not keep it”.

My previous argument against such a thought was based on Allah’s love for his creation and don’t you forget you are his creation and every creator loves his creation.
http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2010/12/religion-he-is-more-forgiving.html

But, this time around I’ll take it a step further. If you’re fasting or praying and you’re trying your best not to swear or whatever other vice you’ve habituated to, but you commit it, carry on. Carry on your
prayer, as would someone who can’t help but pass wind or stay in a state of purity. This is not to say that you should not do your best to curtail your habit, attempt to as would a person facing constant
states of impurity would seek medical help, you too should seek help where available and I know old habits die hard.

But, that’s the beauty of it though. The harder it is for you, the more abundantly God rewards you. So, who knows, besides the almighty, your prayers and act of good will might be more rewarding than that pious brother in the corner with his big beard and thobe on.

It began in mid-March when Syria was catapulted to the frontline of the Arab revolution, not through the workings of any organized opposition or political party, but as a result of a small protest held in the streets of Deraa, Syria. The protest was in response to the brutal torturing and murdering of schoolboys who made anti-government graffiti.   

Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, who inherited Syria’s presidential reigns from his father, Hafez al-Assad, who himself ruled with an iron fist, initially wavered between force and hints of reform. Ultimately, he would choose the former. I guess it’s true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because in April, Assad would deploy the first of what would be a series of deadly crackdowns. Since then, tanks have been shelling cities and security forces have been opening fire on protestors. Moreover, Friday, a day when Muslims engage in congregational prayers, celebrate their peers and companions, and welcome in the weekend now brings with it unwelcomed guests.  Convoys of cars filled with Assad’s troops shooting out their windows flood the streets and force civilians to have to walk through back alleys and side streets. 

Syria’s president and his crackdown have been condemned internationally. And after months of incessant violence and imprisonment, on November 2nd the Syrian government accepted a plan fashioned by the Arab League to stop violence and convene talks with the opposition. However, in just two days after agreeing to stop the violence, Syrian forces have since killed at least 35 people and injured numerous more. The Syrian government’s commitment to the plan of stopping violence is now being questioned, as it should be.

When you look at Syria and its situation, the motto, “united we stand, divided we fall” has never been more true. There is a laundry list of issues plaguing this nation from division over where loyalties lie to the rising death toll as a result of the enforced crackdowns. But just as the wave of liberation began with Tunisia, it eventually made its way through Egypt and just recently clearing Libya, we hope that it makes an extended stop in Syria…we hope.

                                                        ﷽


A common recurring phenomenon in the Qur’an is that God asks and invites us to reflect on His signs in the heavens and the earth, as the following verses can testify:

    “and there are many signs in the heavens and the earth that they pass by and give no         heed to” (12:106)

    “We have made Our signs clear enough to those who have solid faith” (2:118)

Furthermore, we often hear the same invitation to contemplation in lectures and sermons by Islamic scholars. The problem is many of us just can’t, and don’t, see these manifestations of majesty around us. Without saying they don’t exist, so much of our cognitive capacity is hoarded by the things directly affecting our daily lives (midterms, assignments, what we’re having for dinner, and the rest), that we tend to miss these signs.

The purpose of this article is to, God willing, introduce a way of thinking that might make us more aware of these signs of divine glory around us.  To begin, I’d like to present a scenario.

Suppose you work in a laboratory dealing with potentially harmful chemicals. As you prepare substances with meticulous precision, you begin to feel lighter all of a sudden. The next thing you notice makes your heart drop: the chemical that so obediently was making it’s way down into a vial is now slowly moving up. Your feet leave the ground and you are gently lifted like a feather. In this moment of suspension, you come to the realization that gravity, that old pal who always kept you down to earth, has given up. After a few minutes of the most surreal moment of your life, you slowly begin to descend. As gravity returns, you once again curse your luck as you now have a dangerous chemical spill to deal with.

Regardless of how unreal this scenario may be, it serves a purpose. It shows us that something like gravity is such an essential part of our lives that we never even think to imagine how things would be if gravity didn’t work in the obedient way that it does. What would happen if gravity chose to torment us and stopped working from time to time? One can only imagine how Newton would have felt if the apple only fell half the time. Clearly such a situation would be anything but desirable.

So how does this relate to our contemplation of God’s magnificence? Well, if you have never had to experience a shortage of gravity, you have experienced God’s mercy.

God, out of His infinite mercy, has created this world with various laws and constants, which we can come to understand, one such being the law of gravity. He has provided us with a world that is balanced and predictable which is why we do not live in fear that something as essential as gravity will fail us.

As God says in the Qur’an:

    “Among His signs, too, is the fact that the heavens and the earth stand firm by His             command.” (30:25)

This idea also illustrates that this world is a gift and so is our ability to subject it to our whims. We can survive here without fear as God has allowed the world to be a sandbox of predictable rules.

As the Qur’an tells us:

    “He has made what is in the heavens and the earth beneficial to you, all as a gift from Him. There truly are signs in this for those who reflect” (45:13)

This means that we must constantly be thankful for this ease and never be so arrogant as to expect the world to work in the way it does without acknowledging God’s divine decree. He could have just as easily given an unpredictable hostile world where each human would have to fend for him or herself. Instead He gifted us a beautiful playground to see which of us would be thankful.

So the next time you hear a mention of the signs of God, reflect on how the world has subjected itself to you so that you may live and prosper, for in this is a sign of God’s mercy. Then, be thankful.

…and God knows best.

Saad Mahmood holds the secretary position at Keeping it Halal.