Foster and Hadid to Redesign Mecca

For 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Mecca or Makkah al Mukarammah, the birthplace of Islam. The unique sanctity of Makkah, make people who ever go for hajj want to come again and again. But the capacity of the mosque must be redesign and indeed it will doing by Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid who have been lined up to take on one of the most high-profile projects on earth – the redevelopment of Mecca
This huge project backed by King Abdullah ben Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia who has asked a hand-picked collection of starchitects to ‘establish a new architectural vision’ for the 356,800m2 mosque complex.
According to sources, that I quote from AJ, the scheme for Islam’s holiest city could create a huge new structure around the central Haram mosque that will eventually be capable of holding three million people, making it the ‘highest occupancy’ building in the world.
Every year, more than three million people make a pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca, known as the Hajj.
Most people know well, the news that Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects are to work on one of the greatest logistical, symbolic and scalar challenges on earth – the redevelopment of Islam’s most important site of pilgrimage, Mecca.
Well from now on we have to be patient to see the results of this megaproject.
May Allah give me a chance to go to Mecca with my all families one day... amen
source : http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk (also the picture)

Don't Angry

Abû Hurayrah relates that a man said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Counsel me.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not get angry.” The man repeated his request many times, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) kept saying: “Do not get angry.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî ]
The importance of this hadith:
The secret behind this hadīth's importance lies in the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) limited his counsel to this person in one short instruction: “Do not get angry.” Al-Nawawî informs us that Abû Muhammad `Abd Allah b. Abî Zayd said: “Everything that constitutes good manners can be derived from four hadith…” and mentioned among them the Prophet's statement “…to the one to whom he limited his counsel with: ‘Do not get angry'.”

This statement, given in this context, is rich in meaning. First, by limiting his counsel to this one short instruction, the Prophet (peace be upon us) indicates the importance of controlling one's anger, and that doing so has far-reaching implications for a person's welfare both in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.

Peaceful Heart

If there is to be peace in the world,
there must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
there must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
there must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
there must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
there must be peace in the heart.
(from Tao Te Ching)
by Lao-Tse
[born 604 BC]

thankyou for : smsinspire..a person who always remind me to be a good person

Hajj Hoping More Tolerant

The pilgrimage that brings more than 2 million Muslims to Mecca every year should make the hajj more religiously observant and also more tolerant.The hajj at least make we has changed our mindset about other Muslims from other countries. The hajj has united us as Muslims and as brothers from many countries.

In my opinion going on the hajj, which all Muslims must do at least once if they are able --physically and finance, can also embolden women to challenge religious authority when they return home. Even being deeply religious is not commonly associated with women's empowerment in many cultures.
Men and women mix so freely on the hajj, even at prayer -- partly because it is impractical to segregate the sexes when more than 2 million people converge on Saudi Arabia en masse. Men and women interact with each other, actually praying side by side. Not in Madinah where men and women praying separate with partition made of wood.
The hajj also make us should more tolerant to other religions. We know that Islam is Rahmatan lil Alamin means that we have to treat all human with peace.
I hope all hajj will come back to their homeland with a new vision on human relations and be hajj Mabrur. amin

Are YOU a Cheese Lovers

Whose one of you doesn't like cheese? Hmmh cheese is great, right? So if you are a cheese lovers, you might be asking yourself the question, is cheese made by non-Muslims allowed or not?

Well if it is cheese made from vegetarian rennet then there is no concern. But the issue is with cheese made from natural rennet. Rennet is extracted from the stomachs of calves and contains enzymes that are used in the cheese making process. Bellow are quotes from scholars of the four schools.

Al Mabsoot, a Hannafi reference, states: “Cheese is halal even if it is made by Zoroastrians (polytheists of Persia who used to worship fire) because it is narrated that a servant of Salman al Farisi, when he was a governor of al Mada’in, brought him a basket full of cheese along with some bread and a knife. Salman (ra) would cut pieces of the cheese and hand it out to his companions and would explain to them how cheese is made.”

The Maliki book, Manh al Jaleel says that “Imam Malik disliked cheese because it was made by rennet of animals that are not slaughtered according to Sharia rules (maitah).” The author quotes another Maliki scholar, Abu Ishaaq al Tunusi as saying that “the cheese of the Zoroastrians is definitely haram but the cheese of the people of the book is halal.”

In Sharh al Bahja, a Shafi’I reference, cheese is allowed as long as the rennet is obtained from a properly slaughtered halal animal that is only feeding on milk otherwise the contents of its stomach are najis (impure).

Kashaaf al Qinaa’ in Hanbali fiqh states that the cheese of the Zoroastrians and other polytheists is allowed even if it is made from rennet of animals they slaughtered. Which means that the cheese made by the People of the Book is also allowed.

By far the most detailed in his discussion of the topic is Ibn Taymiyyah. He talks about it in the fatawa v4-p396, v5-p29, and v9-p218, 240 and 241.

He states that there are two opinions regarding the cheese of the animal that is not slaughtered according to sharia rules. According to Imam Abu Hanifa and one narration from Imam Ahmad it is halal (keep in mind that we are talking about the rennet and not the meat of the animal). The other opinion is that it is najis and that is according to Imam Malik, al Shafi’i, and the other narration from Imam Ahmad. The stronger opinion is that it is halal because when the Sahaba opened the land of Iraq they ate from the cheese of the Zoroastrians and this was common among them.

Ibn Taymiyyah was further asked about the cheese imported from the Ifranj. The Ifranj is Arabic of ‘the Franks’ and this was the name given to the people of Western Europe. Since the largest group among the early crusading armies where the French, the Arabs called all the peoples of Western Europe Ifranj.

The summary of Ibn Taymiyyah’s answer is that the reason some say their cheese is haram is because when they ship it by sea they seal it with lard and secondly because they do not slaughter their cows but they kill them by striking their heads. He responds to the first concern by saying that sealing the cheese with lard does not make it all impure but only the parts that touch the lard. If that part is removed the rest is halal. Rasulullah was asked about a rat that falls into butter and dies. He said remove the rat and the butter around it and eat the rest. If a rat does not contaminate the butter it falls into, how can we claim that all the cheese becomes impure when the lard is only on its surface?

His response to the second concern is that it is reported that they do not kill all their animals by striking the head but they only do that with cows, and even then, they would still slaughter the cow after it falls down and this does not make the animal haram. And even if we would consider this animal to be haram there are two opinions concerning the rennet extracted from it.

In conclusion it is the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah that cheese is halal not only if it is made by the People of the Book but even if it is made by polytheists.

Obviously these quotations from the scholars are on cheese per se and do not take into account the economical boycott considerations that Muslims may have against certain nations.

Some of our historians mention that a barbaric polytheistic people would raid al Andalus every now and then. These where from the Scandinavian states. They were Danish, Swedish or Norwegian. They were men of the sea and would attack the Muslim coastal areas of the Iberian peninsula and kill and pillage before disappearing again into the seas. They once reached all the way up to Seville but where driven out back to the sea after a total stay of around forty days. Some of them stayed behind in al Andalus in a place called Shuraish and became Muslim and lived on raising cows. Since they were experts in dairy products, the cheese of Shuraish became famous and they would make a pastry from it called mujabinaat. Apparently this treat was so good there was a famous saying in al Andalus that “whoever visits Shuraish and does not have mujabinaat is deprived.” There are even lines of poetry talking about mujabinaat. Talk about fans of cheese!
source of this from : Anwar al Awlaki

'Eid Adha Mubarak

By: Dr. Ahmad Shafaat
(1987)

`Eid Al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the 12th month (Dhul Hijjah) of the Islamic calendar. This is the day when the pilgrims gather in Makkah by the millions come, after having completed many of the essential rites of Hajj, out of ihram and out of the restrictions that go with ihram (e.g. the restriction against putting on perfume, cutting nails or cutting beard or other hair).

Ihram (which consists of two unstitched pieces of white cloth for men and any modest dress for women) symbolizes kafan, the white sheet in which the dead are wrapped in preparation of burial. The restrictions associated with ihram further reinforce this symbolism. When a pilgrim wears ihram on or before the 8th of Dhul Hijjah he or she symbolically passes to the OTHER SIDE (of the grave) and when on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah he or she comes out of ihram it is like a return to THIS SIDE. At this point the rest of the Ummah which had stayed behind on THIS SIDE joins the pilgrims through the festivities of `Eid Al-Adha.

Thus id al-adha is linked with Hajj, the "fifth pillar" of Islam just as id al-fitr is linked with fasting, the "fourth pillar". But unlike id al-fitr which marks the end of fasting, `Eid Al-Adha does not mark the end of Hajj, which continues until the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah, two or three days after the start of `Eid Al-Adha. `Eid Al-Adha is a kind of joining in Hajj by those who could not make it to Makkah.

This "joining in" is done in two ways. First, through 'id prayers. Just as the pilgrims have gathered in Makkah for remembering Allah in various ways, so also the rest of the Muslims gather in large numbers in their own cities and remember Allah through special prayers. Second, through sacrificing an animal. Just as many pilgrims (i.e. those that perform Hajj at-Tamattu`, one of three types of Hajj) sacrifice an animal on 10th, 11th or 12th of Dhul Hijjah, so also the Muslims the world over perform sacrifices on one or the other of the same three days. All other rites of Hajj are bound with specific places, e.g. Tawaf with the Ka`bah and Sa`y with the hills of Safa and Marwah. But getting together and remembering Allah through prayers and Takbirs (calling 'God is greater than anything else) and making sacrificial offerings is not so bound to any place. So the Muslims all over the world "join in" Hajj through these two types of actions.

If id Al-Adha is linked with Hajj in this close way, then its primary significance must lie in the meaning of Hajj, especially the two Hajj rites that pilgrims perform during the three days of `Eid Al-Adha: sacrifice of an animal (Nahr) and stoning of the devils (rami al-jamarat).

Nahr, as we all know, commemorates the exemplary manifestation of obedience and love shown to God by the prophet Ibrahim when he bowed to God's command and prepared himself to sacrifice the dearest thing he had in his life, his son Isma`il. Such surrender to the will of God and love for Him is expected not just of prophets but of all believers, since all believers are expected to be "Muslims", meaning those who surrender their wills to God and all believers are expected to "love God most of all" (2:165). Nahr is meant to remind us this stage of Islam and iman (inner conviction), if not to make us strive to reach it.

Nahr also commemorates the mercy and love that God showed to Ibrahim when He stopped him before he actually sacrificed his most beloved son. This mercy and love of God for prophet Ibrahim is a manifestation of the mercy and love that He has for man generally and Nahr celebrates it.

The second Hajj rite during the days of `Eid Al-Adha is stoning of three pillars that symbolize three devils or three manifestations of the Devil: batil (falsehood), kufr (rejection of God and His signs) and Zulm (oppression). This stoning clearly is meant to remind us of the need of jihad in its various forms against all kinds of forces of evil, jihad that occupied the lives of all the prophets and must occupy the lives of all true believers. This stoning is done again and again on three different days. This is meant to make the point the battle between good and evil is not a one time affair but a perpetual one and the believers need to engage in it throughout their lives with constancy.

It is interesting to note that although stoning of the devils is done on three different days, many of us spent our `Eid Al-Adha without talking or thinking about it even once. Is this a manifestation of the fact that over the centuries we have somehow managed to remove from our consciousness the dynamic part of Islam?

`Eid Al-Adha, like `Eid Al-Fitr is also a time for enjoyment and entertainment. This is not in contradiction to the extremely serious lessons taught to us by Nahr and throwing the pebbles. For, it is quite possible for a person to maintain a very serious outlook on life and engage in very serious struggle and at the same time indulge in a little light-hearted entertainment on the side.

Excerpted with slight modifications from

http://www.islamicperspectives.com

Salam Cafe from Australia

Thanks to Gene Netto. From his blog I've found this information. Salam Cafe is a comedy-oriented talk show on SBS television station in Australia. The hosts (5 guys and 3 ladies) are all Muslims and most of the audience seems to be Muslim as well. They use humor to discuss a range of issues relevant to Muslims, especially those living in Australia.

There are no subtitles, but for me this show very useful to improve my poor English by watching and listening to the discussions. You might have some trouble trying to understand their Australian accents, not British nor American, but the more you listen the easier it will become.

SBS is a government-funded public television station just like we also have TVRI in Indonesia. The shows are streamed over the internet, and you can choose high, medium or low bandwidth. I've watched 3 times and it's very funny. So..why don't you try to find out by your self and just click Salam Cafe

Female has No Role in stated Boy or Girl!!

"It is We Who have created you. Why, then, do you not accept the truth? Have you ever considered that [seed] which you emit? Is it you who create it? Or are We the Creator? (Qur'an, 56:57-59)"

Only very few sperms out of 250 million sperms emitted from the male can make it to the ovum. The sperm that will fertilise the egg is the only one out of a thousand sperms that have managed to survive. The fact that man is made not from the entire semen—but only a small part of it—is related in the Qur'an with the expression, "a drop of ejected semen."
The discovery of these facts could only become possible by the technology attained in the 20^th century.

Sperm undertake a journey into the woman's body until they reach the ovum. Only a thousand out of 250 million sperm succeed in reaching the ovum. At the end of this five-minute race, the ovum, half the size of a grain of salt, will let only one of the sperms in. That is, the substance of man is not the whole semen, but only a small part of it.

This is explained in the Surat al-Qiyama as follows: "Does man reckon he will be left uncontrolled [without purpose]? Was he not once a drop of ejected semen? (Qur'an, 75:36-37)"

Before this discovery, many people think that the baby's sex determined by the woman's cells so if the mother cannot give ''a boy" , people will make mother in the wrongside. Actually we found a different information in the Qur'an, where it is stated that masculinity or femininity is created out of "a drop of sperm which has been ejected."

He has created both sexes, male and female from a drop of semen which has been ejected. (Qur'an, 53:45-46)

Was he not a drop of ejaculated sperm, then a blood-clot which He created and shaped, making from it both sexes, male and female? (Qur'an, 75:37-39)

The developing disciplines of genetics and molecular biology have scientifically validated the accuracy of this information given by the Qur'an. It is now understood that sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male, and that the female has no role in this process. In other words, a baby's sex is determined by which chromosome from the male unites with the female's ovum.

None of this was known until the discovery of genes in the 20th century. Indeed, in many cultures, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the female. That was why women were blamed when they gave birth to girls. [learn more]

once more, benefits of breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding brings great benefits. Allah has enjoined breastfeeding in His Book Al Quran, when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling”

[al-Baqarah 2:233]

So Allah has stated the child’s right to be breastfed.

Fourteen hundred years after this verse was revealed, international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued statement after statement calling on mothers to breastfeed their children, whereas Islam enjoined that fourteen centuries ago.

The benefits of breastfeeding for the child include the following:

1 – The mother’s milk is sterile, containing no germs.

2 – The mother’s milk cannot be imitated by any milk prepared from the milk of cows, goats or camels. It is composed in such a way as to meet the child’s needs day after day, from birth until weaning.

3 – The mother’s milk contains sufficient amounts of protein and sugar that suit the infant completely, whereas the proteins in cow’s, goat’s and buffalo’s milk are difficult for the child’s stomach to digest, because they are suited to the offspring of those animals.

4 – The development of children who are breastfed is faster and more complete than that of children who are bottle-fed.

5 – The psychological and emotional bond between the mother and her child.

6 – The mother’s milk contains various elements that are essential to the child’s nourishment, in the right amounts and formats needed by his body, and in a form that is suited to his ability to digest and absorb. The nourishing content of the milk is not fixed; it changes day by day according to the child’s needs.

7 – The mother’s milk is kept at a suitable temperature that meets the child’s needs, and can be given to him at any time.

8 – Breastfeeding is a natural means of contraception for the mother, and is free of the complications that may accompany use of birth control pills, the coil (IUD) or injections.

From Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam, 5/107.
Notes : all of my children ( I have 3 children) were breastfed until they're 2 years old, Alhamdulillah

TIPS HAMIL SAMBIL BERPUASA

Seminggu ke depan seluruh muslim dan muslimah tak terkecuali akan melaksanakan puasa Ramadhan sebulan penuh, Insya Allah. Amin. Amankah jika ibu hamil juga berpuasa?

• wanita hamil tak perlu mengurangi aktivitas (bekerja, senam hamil, jalan-jalan dan sebagainya)
• jika merasa lelah, segeralah beristirahat
• konsumsi makanan dengan menu sarat nutrisi yang memenuhi kecukupan kalori Anda semasa hamil
  
• saat berbuka dan sahur perbanyak minum air mineral dan jus buah segar untuk menggantikan cairan tubuh yang terkuras selama Anda berpuasa
• konsumsi sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan sebagai sumber vitamin dan mineral yang diperlukan untuk Anda dan janin dalam kandungan
• jika diperlukan, dokter akan memberi suplemen vitamin yang Anda perlukan, terutama untuk kecukupan asam folat, vit. D dan zat besi
  
• saat berbuka dan menjelang imsak, makanlah buah kurma untuk penambah energi

Intinya, berpuasa saat Anda hamil sebenarnya tidak mengganggu pertumbuhan dan kesehatan janin dalam kandungan. Kecuali jika kehamilan Anda termasuk dalam kehamilan berisiko tinggi : penderita gangguan jantung, diabetes, hipertensi. Jika Anda hendak puasa, sebaiknya lakukan konsultasi terlebih dahulu dengan dokter obgin yang memeriksa kandungan Anda

gender perspective

This paper is a brief review of the position and role of woman in society from an Islamic perspective. visit :(http://www.Muslim Bridges.org) The topic is divided into spiritual, economic, social, and political aspects see in .

The Spiritual Aspect

• According to the Qur'an, men and women have the same spiritual human nature:O mankind: Reverence your Guardian Lord Who created you from a single person created of like nature his mate and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you. (Qur'an 4:1)

It is He who created you from a single person and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she grows heavy they both pray to Allah their Lord (saying): "If You give us a goodly child we vow we shall (ever) be grateful." (Qur'an 7:189)

(He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth: He has made for you pairs from among yourselves and pairs among cattle: by this means does He multiply you: there is nothing whatever like unto Him and Her is the One that hears and sees (all things.) (Qur'an 42:11)

• Both genders are recipients of the "divine breath" since they are created with the same human and spiritual nature (nafsin-waahidah):

But He fashioned him in due proportion and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks to you give (Qur'an 15:29)

• Both genders are dignified and are trustees of Allah on earth.

We have honored the children of Adam, provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors above a great part of Our Creation. (Qur'an 17:70)

Behold your Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said "Will you place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Your praises and glorify Your holy (name)?" He said: "I know what you do not." (Qur'an 2:30)

• According to the Qur'an, woman is not blamed for the "fall of man." Pregnancy and childbirth are not seen as punishments for "eating from the forbidden tree." On the contrary, the Qur'an considers them to be grounds for love and respect due to mothers.

In narrating the story of Adam and Eve, the Qur'an frequently refers to both of them, never singling out Eve for the blame:

O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and enjoy (its good things) as you [both] wish: but approach not this tree or you [both] run into harm and transgression. Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said "Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you [both] should become angels or such beings as live for ever." And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?" They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: if you forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your mercy we shall certainly be lost." (Allah) said: "Get you [both] down with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time." He said: "Therein shall you [both] live and therein shall you [both] die; and from it shall you [both] be taken out (at last)." O you children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah that they may receive admonition! O you children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith. (Qur'an 7:19 27)

On the question of pregnancy and childbirth, the Qur'an states:

And We have enjoined on the person (to be good) to his/her parents: in travail upon travail did his/her mother bear his/her and in years twain was his/her weaning: (hear the command) "Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal. (Qur'an 31:14)

We have enjoined on the person kindness to his/her parents: in pain did his/her mother bear him/her and in paid did she give him/her birth. The carrying of the (child) to his/her weaning is ( a period of) thirty months. At length when he/she reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years he/she says "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon both my parents and that I may work righteousness such as You may approve; and be gracious to me in my issue.Truly have I turned to You and truly do I bow (to You) in Islam [submission]." (Qur'an 46:15)

• Men and women have the same religious and moral duties and responsibilities. They both face the consequences of their deeds:

And their Lord has accepted of them and answered them: "Never will I suffer to be los the work of any of you be it male or female: you are members of one another ..." (Qur'an 3:195)

If any do deeds of righteousness be they male or female and have faith they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them. (Qur'an 4:124)

For Muslim men and women and for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (Qur'an 33:35)

One Day shall you see the believing men and the believing women how their Light runs forward before them and by their right hands: (their greeting will be): "Good news for you this Day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers! To dwell therein for ever! This is indeed the highest Achievement!" (Qur'an 57:12)

• Nowhere does the Qur'an state that one gender is superior to the other. Some mistakenly translate "qiwamah" or responsibility for the family as superiority. The Qur'an makes it clear that the sole basis for superiority of any person over another is piety and righteousness not gender, color, or nationality:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (one who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Qur'an 49:13)

• The absence of women as prophets or "Messengers of Allah" in prophetic history is due to the demands and physical suffering associated with the role of messengers and prophets and not because of any spiritual inferiority.