Mujahid_Abdul_kabeer Looking for his zawj!!!! When will she show up? - March 19, 2009 add/view comments (0)

"Fundamentals of Islam"' 1. Believes in one God Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, The Creator and The Provider, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none equal or comparable unto Him. 2. Believes in all Messengers of Allah without any discrimination among them, as every known nation has a Warner or messenger from Allah. They were chosen by Allah to teach humanity and deliver His Divine message. The Qur'an mentions the name of some of them, and Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stands as the last messenger. 3. Believes in all original scriptures and revelations of Allah, accepting them as the guiding light that the messengers received to show their respective people the right path to Him. In the Qur'an, special reference is made to the books of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus (Peace Be Upon Them), but long before the revelation of the Qur'an to Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) some of these books and revelations had been lost or corrupted. The only authentic and complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur'an, which has been preserved as it was revealed to prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in its pristine, pure form. 4. Believes in the angels of Allah, recognizing them as purely spiritual and splendid beings whose nature requires no food or drink or sleep. They are honored servants who are assigned certain functions, and spend their days and nights in the worship of Allah. They do not speak before Allah does, and they act only by His command. 5. Believes in the last day of Judgment, acknowledging that this world will end someday, and that the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to the heaven of Allah, and those with bad records will be punished and cast into Hell. 6. Believes in Fate, whether good or bad, which Allah, measured and ordained for all creatures according to his previous knowledge, and as deemed suitable by his wisdom. And in the timeless knowledge of Allah, and in His power to plan and execute His plans, nothing could happen in His Kingdom against His will. His knowledge and power which are always in action command over His creation. He is wise and merciful, and whatever he does must have a meaningful purpose. If this is established in our minds and hearts, we should accept with good faith all that He does, although we may fail to understand it fully, or think it is bad. Faith without action and practice is a dead end as far as Islam is concerned, for faith by nature is very sensitive and can be most influential. When it is out of practice or out of use, it quickly loses its liveliness and motivational power. There are Five Pillars of Islam (The Action) 1. Shahada (Testimony): To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (The Creator), and that Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is His messenger, with the Prophethood of Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) essentially professed to oblige the Muslims to follow his exemplary life as a model. 2. Salah (Prayer): Daily prayers are offered five times a day as a duty towards Allah. They strengthen and enliven the belief in Allah and inspire man to a higher morality. They purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong-doings and evil things. They are: - Fajr (The Dawn prayer) - Duhr (The noon prayer) - Asr (The afternoon prayer) - Maghrib (The sunset prayer) - Isha (The evening prayer). 3. Zakah (Charity): The literal and simple meaning of Zakah is purity, while its technical meaning designates the annual amount in kind or cash that a Muslim with means must distribute among the rightful beneficiaries from his yearly net savings at 2.5%. But the religious and spiritual significance of Zakah is much deeper and more valuable than its Humanitarian, and socio-political value. 4. Sawm (Fasting): The Muslims during the month of Ramadan do not only abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset but they are also required to abstain from evil intentions and desires throughout the whole months of the year in general, and during the month of Ramadan in particular. It teaches love, sincerity, and devotion, and develops a sound social conscience, patience, selflessness, and will power as well. 5. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah): It is to be performed once in a lifetime, so long as one can afford it financially and physically, and it is the largest annual convention of faith where Muslims meet to know one another, study their common affairs and promote their general welfare without prejudice or bias as to one's color, race, nationality as well as status in life. After all, everyone is equal in the face of Allah, and so hajj therefore demonstrates in effect the universality of Islam and the brotherhood and equality of Muslims. div style="text-align:center; ">

Muslimat Al-Nisaa Home Center was designed to assist homeless, Muslim females between the ages of 18 and 64. The strength of the organization is that its members are visible, active contributors in community projects, programs, and meetings relevant to the establishment, improvement and enhancement of positive growth and development for ourselves and future Muslim generations. This visibility and community participation will afford us varying resource opportunities in support of our programs and projects.

After becoming aware that homelessness exists in the Muslim community and is as serious of a problem as in other faiths, the DC Muslims raised their support for this cause, therefore enabling her to fulfill her life-long dream. Asma Hanif, director of the Baltimore-based Muslimat Al-Nisaa Health, Education, Social, and Shelter Services held an open house for its first Muslim Women's Center (MWC) recently opened in the heart of Baltimore. The shelter was given the name MWC because it provides home-economics training, Islamic education, vocational/occupational training, resources to GED and Diploma programs, access to information for further education, three warm meals, laundry area, clothing, counseling, library, health and nutrition counseling, medical services and a warm clean place to sleep. Muslimat Al-Nisaa always provided shelter services, but this is the first time they've secured a physical location to house homeless women in one home. "It is not just a place for them to sleep comfortably. Our goal is to get them prepared to stand up on their own feet," said Hanif. MWC is a three-level house with a huge backyard and a fenced-inn front yard. The seven bedrooms, five bathrooms along with meeting and dining areas with fully equipped kitchen allow space for 15-25 women depending on the size of their families. The shelter welcomes any Muslim woman and her children from anywhere in the US. MWC only takes in women who have made an agreement to take advantage of the various trainings offered by the program to become self-reliable. While gaining from the resources of the shelter, these residents are also expected to give back to the community in some way. For example, some residents have already assisted Hanif in taking care of a disabled Muslim in the community. This MWC sits in close proximity to a neighborhood Masjid. Within a mile radius, every other home is owned by a Muslim family, rented by Muslims, or advertised for sale by Muslim landlords. Image "The set up is really nice. It is a genuine place protecting the dignity of the Muslim woman," said Khalid Karimullah, secretary of the Board of Directors at the Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Silver Spring, Maryland. "They are not just providing shelter to waste time, they are actually getting these sisters to pursue a plan-a life plan," he added. Karimullah promised his support to the shelter. He also plans on making more Muslim leaders aware about this project to gain additional support. "This is a responsibility of the Muslims by birth to support the converted Muslims," he said. Karimullah believes that new Muslims need the help of other Muslims because of the isolation they face by accepting Islam. "Our Muslim women may have lost jobs or become victims of domestic violence after accepting Islam. It is our obligation to protect them," said Karimullah. In order to sign the contract for a five-year lease agreement, some noble Muslim men contributed financially to ensure the shelter will have monthly allowance to pay its expenses. The donations helped significantly. However, the shelter relies on regular monthly pledges. The MWC has individuals and organizations that are helping with the monthly operational costs of the shelter. Other organizations and individuals are providing manpower, training programs, counseling, and other resources. Hanif gets canned goods from local food pantries. Several Masajid in Maryland have donated money, clothing, computers for the educational and job trainings, and food for the daily operation of the MWC. "There may be other organizations in Baltimore providing shelter, however, without a comprehensive program, after 30-90 days, they will either turn them [homeless women] back onto the streets or they will end up at Muslimat Al-Nisaa's doorsteps," said Faiza Muhammad, MWC director. These professionals in the medical, business, educational, social service, and health field are working together to help these women reach self-sufficiency within six moths. The shelter provides training for CPR, childcare provider, nursing assistant, basic computer education, GED programs, high school diploma, and employment opportunities within Muslim owned businesses. "Our goal is for everyone to have a plan. If not, we will help them develop one," added Muhammad. "It is a beautiful haven for homeless Muslimat, a place they can find a roof over their head, a place they can keep their dignity and practiced their Islam while being homeless. It is a place where these sisters can transition to a state of independence through training, coaching, and career counseling," said Ayman Nassar, member of the Shura at Dar Al-Taqwa in Ellicott City, Maryland. Nassar also serves on the Community Affairs Liaison. Nassar said Muslims need to first start making regular zakat payments where it is most needed. Second, he added that Muslims can also help by providing their professional expertise to the residents of the shelter. His plan is to get more Muslims' support either financially or by their time for this project. "In my opinion, the reality is that anyone can provide shelter, but the restoration of self-esteem, the instillation of self-worth is the real challenge. Inshallah Muslimat Al-Nisaa's programs, with the help of the community, will strive to meet those challenges," said Hanif. Their future plan is to raise enough funds to purchase the current property being leased for the shelter. To mention a few, ICM, ADAMS, ISWA, CAIR, CCMO, ISNA, Islamic Relief, PGMA, Peaceful Families Project, Diamond Security, and Al Maghrib Institute. For more information, please visit www.mnisaa.org.