Poinsettia

Got this Plum Poinsettia tonight at the monthly teacher's association meeting - they give them out every year, but I've never seen one this color before. I don't think the color came out exactly right in the photo - but it is a mauve/purplish kind of color - really nice. And the leaves are so green they almost look fake.

Light Up Bear

Just because I thought it was neat and didn't know I needed a water heater yet.



(The lights are on if you look closely, but the main point of the picture is to see what it looks like in "day".)



It rotates through different colors of LED lights.




Hey it is better than a lava lamp because its soft! :)

Bummer

Well you spend money and then you have to spend more money, alhumdooleluh.

After buying a new couch, I need a new water heater - it started leaking. I went to price them and they run in the 300 range. But (here's the kicker) - it also costs 300 to get it installed! I wish I had a little money laying around all the time for stuff like that - you try to get out of debt and then the next thing comes along washing out your limited progress. So I am going to try to get it done myself - I can probably get my dad or brother to help sometime this weekend. That isn't fun - in my family those type of things tend not to go very pleasantly. So I'm a bit unhappy right now having to spend more big money - oh well I guess things will work out insha'allah.

I really like my house, it feels like a home. I really appreciate the privacy, freedom to do as I want, space, driveway, and not having to walk a quarter mile to get mail or take out the trash. But once in awhile I miss the simplicity of apartment life. The maintenance of a house is expensive. When one thing goes wrong, I start thinking of all the other things that need work that I can't afford - the driveway, the fence, the nails slowly sliding out of the sheetrock ceilings, cracks, little leaks, floor needing replacement, roof needing repair, etc., etc., hoping none of it suddenly becomes major. Same with the car - if it needs expensive repair I'm in trouble - I just expect things to last forever and never need repair or replacement! Everything should be low maintenance - like me! :) The little things stress me out so I lose sleep over them sometimes. And other times I'm totally oblivious. I kind of like being oblivious, but with house stuff ignorance isn't bliss - it comes back to get you with bigger, more expensive problems.

Thank Allah swt

Last night I was busy doing laundry and started to realize I was cold. My heat wasn't working. I went and checked the breakers and found one that apparently had tripped but the heat didn't come back on. By this time it was very cold and dark outside and I didn't want to crawl under the house where the heater is to try to fix it. The house was 63 degrees and I have an electric heating blanket and hats or scarves to wear in bed. :) But by 4am the house was about 55 degrees and I started to worry about my birds, so I got up, got dressed and crawled under there and it was an easy fix, alhumdooleluh. But wow it makes one really grateful to have that ultra-expensive gas heat, doesn't it?

Imam Sadiq (as)'s death anniversary is observed this week. I love his book Lantern of the Path. He also was a great scientist!

Big Purchase

I got a small windfall check from a cancelled life insurance policy. My mom advised me I had better spend it on myself and not just on bills or buying things for other people and hinted that I need a new sofa ( which is true in some respects).

My old sofa is a hand me down but it is pretty functional and comfortable. The springs and material are worn and one of the cushions died in the drier.




Here is the new one I picked out for delivery next weekend, insha'allah. It is really comfortable and looks a bit nicer in "person". I didn't go in looking for black, but it was the nicest that I found in my price range. The only other big purchase I ever made (excepting the house and my computer) is my fridge and ironically it is also black. :)



I think I found a taker for the old sofa on my local freecycle.org. Freecycle is awesome! I made a plug for them once before but let me do it again - it is a Yahoo Group for your local region in which people offer things they need to get rid of for free and people ask for things they need for free. My experience has been you can pretty much always give/get whatever you need, all for free. Try it!!!

So I did it....

I feel very materialistic / consumerized and all that other bad holiday stuff, but I went shopping on Black Friday. I've never done it before. But yesterday I was at my parents' house for halal turkey and the newspaper was delivered - but only the ads - the whole paper was missing! So we had nothing to read but the ads (excuses, excuses!) and people started seeing very good deals on stuff they wanted.

SO...

Mom and I were at Kohl's for its opening at 5am (wanted really good deal on down comforters - the BIG deal we weren't interested in were $98 portable DVD's - they were gone in a few minutes - apparently they didn't have many), then at Lowe's (big Shop Vac for $27, really nice crock pot for $10, and mitre saw for $59) for its opening at 6am, followed by a brief stop at K-mart (what a zoo - didn't get anything), then to Sears ( some fancy multimeter thing for dad for $14 and nice lined sized leather driving gloves for a few people for $10) and to Target (wide variety of toys for my nieces and nephew). We were back home by 8am - we only went for specific items we had pre-selected from the ads. It was pretty easy - we weren't after any of the items that would go in just a few minutes and we had no waiting in any lines at any of the stores. Actually we started yesterday at (gasp) Wal-Mart (smoothie blender thing for $13, dual handset cordless phones for $34) for something my mom wanted there and to look if anything else we wanted to buy was as cheap or cheaper there so we could "fit it all in" this morning. Ummm, good I didn't have to actually spend MY money - I definitely don't have the budget for it.

Then my mom and dad took their animals for a 9am vet appointment and I started weeding some clothes in my closet. Then I went to the grocery store (wanted soup and pop), used book store (I have a credit, always get free books from my trades), Family Dollar (place gives me the creeps, remind myself not to go back) and the used video game store around the corner (in walking distance from my home) to get a few 'needed' items and finish my shopping for the season - I already had half of it before today, but after going with my mom this morning I just wanted to finish it all because I pretty much knew what I needed.

It feels a bit wacko for a Muslim to be buying Christmas presents, but my whole family is Christian. Fortunately for me, the day for them is about the same as Thanksgiving or any other national holiday - not very religious but a tradition for family to get together - they expect me to participate and seeing as I am not married, don't have kids, still live nearby, and scholars I had checked with previously okayed it, I go ahead and visit them and give them presents.

Shopping Black Friday was kind of fun because I like buying things for people and least thinking I'm getting a good deal on something but the whole thing also feels a bit slimey. Alhumdooleluh.

Imam Sajjad (as) - Giving Thanks

His Supplication when Confessing his Shortcomings in Giving Thanks


1 O God,
no one reaches a limit in thanking Thee
without acquiring that of Thy beneficence
which enjoins upon him thanksgiving,
2 nor does anyone reach a degree in obeying Thee,
even if he strives,
without falling short of what Thou deservest
because of Thy bounty.
3 The most thankful of Thy servants
has not the capacity to thank Thee,
and the most worshipful of them
falls short of obeying Thee.
4 To none of them is due
Thy forgiveness through what he himself deserves
or Thy good pleasure for his own merit.
5 When Thou forgivest someone,
it is through Thy graciousness,
and when Thou art pleased with someone,
it is through Thy bounty.
6 Thou showest gratitude
for the paltry for which Thou showest gratitude
and Thou rewardest
the small act in which Thou art obeyed,
so that it seems as if Thy servants' thanksgiving
for which Thou hast made incumbent their reward
and made great their repayment
is an affair
from which they could have held back without Thee,
and hence Thou wilt recompense them,
and whose cause is not in Thy hand,
and hence Thou wilt repay them.
7 Nay, my God, Thou hadst power over their affair
before they had power to worship Thee,
and Thou hadst prepared their reward
before they began to obey Thee;
and that because Thy wont is bestowal of bounty,
Thy custom beneficence,
Thy way pardon.
8 So all creatures confess
that Thou wrongest not him whom Thou punishest
and bear witness
that Thou bestowest bounty upon him whom Thou pardonest.
Each admits
that he has fallen short of what Thou meritest.
9 Had Satan not misled them from Thy obedience,
no disobeyer would have disobeyed Thee,
and had he not shown falsehood to them in the likeness of truth
no strayer would have gone astray from Thy path.
10 So glory be to Thee!
How manifest is Thy generosity
in dealing with him who obeys or disobeys Thee!
Thou showest gratitude to the obedient
for that which Thou undertakest for him,
and Thou grantest a respite to the disobedient
in that within which Thou art able to hurry him.
11 Thou givest to each of them
that which is not his due,
and Thou bestowest bounty upon each
in that wherein his works fall short.
12 Wert Thou to counterbalance for the obedient servant
that which Thou Thyself hadst undertaken,
he would be on the point of losing Thy reward
and seeing the end of Thy favour,
but through Thy generosity Thou hast repaid him
for a short, perishing term
with a long, everlasting term,
and for a near, vanishing limit
with an extended, abiding limit.
13 Then Thou dost not visit him with a settling of accounts
for Thy provision
through which he gained strength to obey Thee,
nor dost Thou force him to make reckonings
for the organs he employed
to find the means to Thy forgiveness.
Wert Thou to do that to him,
it would take away
everything for which he had laboured
and all wherein he had exerted himself
as repayment for the smallest of Thy benefits
and kindnesses,
and he would remain hostage before Thee
for Thy other favours.
So how can he deserve something of Thy reward?
Indeed, how?
14 This, my God, is the state of him who obeys Thee
and the path of him who worships Thee.
But as for him who disobeys Thy command
and goes against Thy prohibition,
Thou dost not hurry him to Thy vengeance,
so that he may seek to replace
his state in disobeying Thee
with the state of turning back to obey Thee,
though he deserved from the time he set out to disobey Thee
every punishment which Thou hast prepared
for all Thy creatures.
15 Through each chastisement
which Thou hast kept back from him
and each penalty of Thy vengeance and Thy punishment
which Thou hast delayed from him,
Thou hast refrained from Thy right
and shown good pleasure
in place of what Thou hast made obligatory.
16 So who is more generous, my God, than Thou?
And who is more wretched than he who perishes
in spite of Thee?
Indeed, who?
Thou art too blessed to be described
by any but beneficence
and too generous for any but justice
to be feared from Thee!
There is no dread that Thou wilt be unjust
toward him who disobeys Thee,
nor any fear of Thy neglecting to reward
him who satisfies Thee.
So bless Muhammad and his Household,
give me my hope,
and increase me in that of Thy guidance
through which I may be successful in my works!
Surely Thou art All-kind, Generous.

Sensing Allah swt's Influence

Sr. Baraka's most recent post made me think about times in my life when I just knew Allah swt's influence.

For example, I had applied for the Boettcher Scholarship when I was a senior in high school. It was the best scholarship opportunity in the state of Colorado because it was a full ride. Somehow, I just knew that I would get it and that I would be able to go to college. Without it, I might not have been able to go, but that never even occurred to me because I knew I was getting it all along. It wasn't the kind of knowing one would voice, but I wasn't worried.

I got the scholarship, and my parents had only allowed me to apply to two schools - one in state and one out of state, because of money being really tight. I had chosen CSU from the beginning without hardly any thought to another school - no real strong reason, again I just knew it was where I should go. It was the very next year, my freshman year, at CSU, that I encountered Muslims for the first time and converted early in my sophomore year. I can see the steps one from another all leading me to my deen though there was no way I could have imagined it. And if I extend it even back before the Boettcher Scholarship - everything that set me up in life to even be in a position to get it - my mom teaching me to read before I started school, my love of school and using it as my escape from problems in life, my incredibly strong drive to be the best when I was in K-12, all lead the same way - to Islam for me.

Another memorable time was when I left a bad job without having another one lined up yet. I applied and interviewed for many jobs and the beginning of the school year just kept getting closer and closer. Some interviews as soon as I walked in the door I knew from vibe it wasn't for me. But there were others where I felt like they liked me and they might call me, but they didn't. As the school year got even closer, I was worried because I was one paycheck away from not being able to pay the mortgage or any other bills. But I sat back, decided I trusted Allah swt, and that even if I did lose everything I had that I would still be okay because if that is what Allah swt willed to happen it would be the best for me and something good that I could not imagine would come of it. Almost the very instant I reached that state of acceptance with Allah swt's will, the wheels were in motion for the job I got which has been the best job I have ever had, alhumdooleluh.

Yet another happened earlier this year. Someone in my family has had a problem with addiction as long as I can remember and that affected the entire family in immeasurable ways forever. He accidentally OD's on prescription pills and nearly died earlier this year. But he survived. And now when I look at him I see more of a real person than I can ever remember. Although he still struggles with addiction and probably always will, he is more clear now than I ever knew him before - he and his wife have more peace than ever before - to the point of almost being normal. I see hope for him when before I saw only darkness anywhere he was. Maybe it will last or maybe not, but now he has possibilities - if his past catches up with him and he dies from what he had done, at least maybe he will die in a better state, maybe he will make his peace with himself and with God.

Sometimes they aren't completely life changing - or how they did completely change one's life isn't apparent until quite a while later on. Right now, though, I am at one of those points in my life where I again know with certainty that I can feel and know Allah's direct influence in my life in a big way although the exact results will take time to see. There are many small instances - a prayer that is instantly answered - for example, that are really powerful. But what I see now is one of those life changing ones like a scholarship or a job or an OD had been life changing.

I love, passionately love, the feeling of knowing and sensing Allah swt and Ahlulbayt (as). In the moment of full absorption in a dua, or reflection of all one's blessings - that feeling is so wonderful that one can't help but be inspired to seek it out ever more. When I am blessed with a state when I can know that more continuously, more often, more readily, I feel like there is absolutely nothing better that could happen to me except to go further on that same road and that is what I hope and pray for with every fiber of my being.

some hadith

--
Thus ease comes from considering this world to be insignificant, giving up one's enjoyment of it, and removing the impurity of what is forbidden or doubtful. A person closes the door of pride on himself once he recognizes this; he flees from wrong actions and opens the door of humility, regret and modesty. He strives to carry out Allah swt's commands and to avoid His prohibitions, seeking a good end and excellent proximity to Allah swt. He locks himself in the prison of fear, steadfastness, and the restraint of his appetites until he reaches the safety of Allah swt in the world to come and tastes the food of His good pleasure. If he intends that, everything else means nothing to him.
Imam Sadiq (as), Lantern of the Path

--
It is narrated that Imam Zainul Abideen (as) has said:

The richest of people is [one] who is satisfied with
what Allah has
chosen for him.

Tuhaf al-Uqoul
The Masterpieces of the Intellects
Page 327 Hadith Number 5
Compiled by Abu Muhammad al-Hassan bin Ali bin
al-Hussein bin Shuba
al-Harrani
Translated by Badr Shahin
--
It is narrated that Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) has
narrated from Imam Ali (as)

Indeed, he who treats people fairly even though it be
to his detriment, is only increased in worth and
honor by Allah.

Combat with Self
Page 120 Hadith number 20525 
Muhammad b al_Hasan al-Hurr al-Amili
Translated by Nazmina A Virjee

--
It is narrated that Imam Ali (as) has said:

If a person thinks well of you, make his idea hold
true.

A Bundle of Flowers from the garden of traditions of
the Prophet &
his Ahlul-Bayt (as)
Compiled by Ayatullah Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imani
Translated by Sayyid Abbas Sadr-ameli
Page 89


--
I am as My servant thinks I am.
I am with him when he makes mention of Me.
If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention
of him to Myself;
and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make
mention of him in an assembly better than it.
And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw
near to him a fathom's length.
And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

Hadith Qudsi http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/hadithqudsi.htm

--
It is narrated that Imam Sadiq (as) has said:

Dua is more forceful than a sword.

(Odattol Daee)

Pikes Peak

By DEB ACORD THE GAZETTE

Lt. Zebulon Montgomery Pike wasn’t sure. But as the explorer stood on a rise in the flat, dry prairie of southeastern Colorado on Nov. 15, 1806, he thought he had spotted something on the horizon with his spyglass.

“At two o’clock in the afternoon I thought I could distinguish a mountain to our right, which appeared like a small blue cloud,” he wrote in his journal.

Pike had been in Colorado four days with his group of soldiers on an expedition to explore the southern reaches of the Louisiana Purchase. He kept quiet about what he saw, talking only to another member of his party. “Yet only communicated it to doctor Robinson, who was in front with me,” he wrote.

But another half hour’s travel brought the party to a hilltop with a clearer view. The group, Pike reported, “gave three cheers to the Mexi- can mountains.”

On this date 199 years ago, Pike’s journal entry about the “small blue cloud” became the first record of the mountain that would someday be named after him.

Throughout the next year, his expedition to the mountain we know as Pikes Peak will be cause for celebration in communities throughout southeastern Colorado. Small towns like Rocky Ford and Las Animas, the cities of Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and such entities as Colorado State Parks, the Santa Fe Trail Association and the Colorado Division of Wildlife have also joined in. The Gazette is planning a year of coverage, including a collector’s edition special section.

Working from old maps and Pike’s journal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has surveyed the area where Pike camped when he sighted the mountain and will soon set a marker of Pikes Peak granite on the spot.

By the time Pike and his men reached that stretch of land on the banks of the Arkansas River, they had already encountered vast herds of buffalo and signs of Indian war parties. It was a vast, dry prairie cut by rivers that meandered in the shade of cottonwoods.

On Monday, the area still looked like Pike described it, save for the absence of American Indians and herds of buffalo. The prairie was silent except for a constant wind that rustled the remaining leaves on the cottonwoods crowding the banks of the river. Coyote tracks were preserved in the dry clay. Tumbleweeds blew through with little to stop them, and tufts of buffalo grass waved and bent.

And to the northwest, a “small blue cloud” sat on the horizon, topped by bubbly white cumulus clouds. It shimmered, discernible only because an Army Corps of Engineers official pointed it out, changing shape with the angle of the sun or hiding tantalizingly beneath clouds that signaled an encroaching storm.

Looking at that shimmering image from this vantage point allowed a visitor to wonder at the temerity of Pike and his men. The party — 21 men and one interpreter — had set forth four months earlier, on July 15, 1806, from Belfountaine, near modern-day St. Louis.

The group’s mission was to explore the southwestern holdings of the Louisiana Purchase, acquired by the United States from France in 1803. The more famous expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took a more northerly route across the continent.

In Colorado, Pike and his men followed rivers and creeks, charting their course and noting other geographic features along the way. He followed groups of Spanish cavalry, who may well have seen Pikes Peak, and encountered Indians, who of course already had their own name for it — Taba. But Pike was the first to record an observation of the mountain he first spotted as a blue cloud and later called Grand Peak.

In the week following his sighting, he moved closer to the mountain, and on Nov. 23, 1806, he wrote, “As the river appeared to be dividing itself into many small branches and of course must be near its extreme source, I concluded to put the party in a defensible situation; ascend the north fork, to the high point of the blue mountain.”

Pike misjudged his proximity to the source of the Arkansas, which was still more than 100 miles away. He also misjudged the climb he faced. He thought it would take one day’s march, but after a day he was nowhere near the summit, and by the 27th he realized he had underestimated the climb. He looked at the mountain again.

The first recorded ascent was by the botanist Edwin James in 1820. Nevertheless, the mountain was called “Pike’s Peak” until 1891, when the U.S. Board on Geographic Names took out the apostrophe.

Jannatul Baqi

Yesterday (Veteran's Day/Shawwal 8) is the anniversary of the destruction of Jannatul Baqi in 1925.

Excerpted from al-islam.org:

HISTORY OF THE CEMETERY OF JANNAT AL-BAQI

WHERE IMAM HASAN B. ALI (2ND IMAM), IMAM ALI B. AL-HUSAYN (4TH IMAM), IMAM MUHAMMAD B. ALI (5TH IMAM), & IMAM JA'FAR B. MUHAMMAD (6TH IMAM), PEACE BE UPON THEM, ARE BURIED


On 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (Madina) were demolished by King Ibn Saud.

In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of holy personages at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet (s)'s mother, wife, grandfather and other ancestors are buried.


Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today.

The Origins of Al-Baqi

Literally "al-Baqi" means a tree garden. It is also known as "Jannat al-Baqi" due to its sanctity, since in it are buried many of our Prophet's relatives and companions.

The first companion buried in al-Baqi was Uthman b. Madhoon who died on the 3rd of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. The Prophet (s) ordered certain trees to be felled, and in its midst, he buried his dear companion, placing two stones over the grave.

On the following years, the Prophet's son Ibrahim, who died in infancy and over whom the Prophet (s) wept bitterly, was also buried there. The people of Madina then began to use that site for the burial of their own dead, because the Prophet (s) used to greet those who were buried in al-Baqi by saying, "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi".

The site of the burial ground at al-Baqi was gradually extended. Nearly seven thousand companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were buried there, not to mention those of the Ahlul Bayt (a). Imam Hasan b. Ali (a), Imam Ali b. al-Husayn (a), Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a), and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) were all buried there.

Among other relatives of the Prophet (s) who were buried at al-Baqi are: his aunts Safiya and Aatika, and his aunt Fatima bint al-Asad, the mother of Imam Ali (a). The third caliph Uthman was buried outside al-Baqi, but with later extensions, his grave was included in the area. In later years, great Muslim scholars like Malik bin Anas and many others, were buried there too. Thus, did al-Baqi become a well-known place of great historic significance to all Muslims.


Al-Baqi as viewed by historians

Umar bin Jubair describes al-Baqi as he saw it during his travel to Madina, saying "Al-Baqi is situated to the east of Madina. You enter it through the gate known as the gate of al-Baqi. As you enter, the first grave you see on your left is that of Safiya, the Prophet's aunt, and further still is the grave of Malik bin Anas, the Imam of Madina. On his grave is raised a small dome. In front of it is the grave of Ibrahim son of our Prophet (s) with a white dome over it, and next to it on the right is the grave of Abdul-Rahman son of Umar bin al-Khattab, popularly known as Abu Shahma, whose father had kept punishing him till death overtook him. Facing it are the graves of Aqeel bin Abi Talib and Abdullah bin Ja'far al-Tayyar. There, facing those graves is a small shrine containing the graves of the Prophet's wives, following by a shrine of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.

The grave of Hasan bin Ali (a), situated near the gate to it's right hand, has an elevated dome over it. His head lies at the feet of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, and both graves are raised high above the ground, their walls are panelled with yellow plates and studded with beautiful star-shaped nails. This is how the grave of Ibrahim, son of the Prophet (s) has also been adorned. Behind the shrine of Abbas there is the house attributed to Fatima, daughter of our Prophet (s), known as "Bayt al-Ahzaan" (the house of grief) because it is the house she used to frequent in order to mourn the death of her father, the chosen one, peace be upon him. At the farthest end of al-Baqi is the grave of the caliph Uthman, with a small dome over it, and there, next to it, is the grave of Fatima bint Asad, mother of Ali b. Abi Talib (a)"

After a century and a half, the famous traveller Ibn Batuta came to describe al-Baqi in a way which does not in any way differ from the description given by Ibn Jubair. He adds saying, "At al-Baqi are the graves of numerous Muhajirin and Ansar and many companions of the Prophet (s), except that most of their names are unknown."

Thus, over the centuries, al-Baqi remained a sacred site with renovations being carried out as and when needed till the Wahhabis rose to power in the early nineteenth century. The latter desecrated the tombs and demonstrated disrespect to the martyrs and the companions of the Prophet (s) buried there. Muslims who disagreed with them were branded as "infidels" and were subsequently killed.


The First Destruction of Al-Baqi

The Wahhabis believed that visiting the graves and the shrines of the Prophets, the Imams, or the saints was a form of idolatry and totally un-Islamic. Those who did not conform with their belief were killed and their property was confiscated. Since their first invasion of Iraq, and till nowadays, in fact, the Wahhabis, as well as other rulers of the Gulf States, having been carrying out massacres from which no Muslim who disagreed with them was spared. Obviously, the rest of the Islamic World viewed those graves with deep reverence. Had it not been so, the two caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar would not have expressed their desire for burial near the grave of the Prophet (s).

From 1205 AH to 1217 AH, the Wahhabis made several attempts to gain a foothold in Hijaz but failed. Finally, in 1217 AH, they somehow emerged victorious in Taif where they spilled the innocent blood of Muslims. In 1218 AH, they entered Makkah and destroyed all sacred places and domes there, including the one which served as a canopy over the well of Zamzam.

In 1221, the Wahhabis entered Madina to desecrate al-Baqi as well as every mosque they came across. An attempt was even made to demolish the Prophet's tomb, but for one reason or another, the idea was abandoned. In subsequent years, Muslims from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt were refused entry into Makkah for Hajj. King Al-Saud set a pre-condition that those who wished to perform the pilgrimage would have to accept Wahhabism or else be branded as non-Muslims, becoming ineligible for entry into the Haram.

Al-Baqi was razed to the ground, with no sign of any grave or tomb whatsoever. But the Saudis were still not quite satisfied with doing all of that. Their king ordered three black attendants at the Prophet's shrine to show him where the treasure of valuable gifts were stored. The Wahhabis plundered the treasure for their own use.

Thousands of Muslims fled Makkah and Madina in a bid to save their lives and escape from the mounting pressure and persecution at the hands of the Wahhabis. Muslims from all over the world denounced this Saudi savagery and exhorted the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire to save the sacred shrines from total destruction. Then, as it is known, Muhammad Ali Basha attacked Hijaz and, with the support of local tribes, managed to restore law and order in Madina and Makkah, dislodging the Al-Saud clansmen. The entire Muslim world celebrated this victory with great fanfare and rejoicing. In Cairo, the celebrations continued for five days. No doubt, the joy was due to the fact that pilgrims were once more allowed freely to go for Hajj, and the sacred shrines were once again restored.

In 1818 AD, the Ottaman Caliph Abdul Majid and his successors, Caliphs Abdul Hamid and Mohammed, carried out the reconstruction of all sacred places, restoring the Islamic heritage at all important sites. In 1848 and 1860 AD, further renovations were made at the expense of nearly seven hundred thousand pounds, most of which came from the donations collected at the Prophet's tomb.


The second plunder by the Wahhabis

The Ottoman Empire had added to the splendor of Madina and Makkah by building religious structures of great beauty and architectural value. Richard Burton, who visited the holy shrines in 1853 AD disguised as an Afghan Muslim and adopting the Muslim name Abdullah, speaks of Madina boasting 55 mosques and holy shrines. Another English adventurer who visited Madina in 1877-1878 AD describes it as a small beautiful city resembling Istanbul. He writes about its white walls, golden slender minarets and green fields.

1924 AD Wahhabis entered Hijaz for a second time and carried out another merciless plunder and massacre. People in streets were killed. Houses were razed to the ground. Women and children too were not spared.

Awn bin Hashim (Shairf of Makkah) writes: "Before me, a valley appeared to have been paved with corpses, dried blood staining everywhere all around. There was hardly a tree which didn't have one or two dead bodies near its roots."

1925 Madina surrendered to the Wahhabi onslaught. All Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet (s).

Ibn Jabhan says: "We know that the tomb standing on the Prophet's grave is against our principles, and to have his grave in a mosque is an abominable sin."

Tombs of Hamza and other martyrs were demolished at Uhud. The Prophet's mosque was bombarded. On protest by Muslims, assurances were given by Ibn Saud that it will be restored but the promise was never fulfilled. A promise was given that Hijaz will have an Islamic multinational government. This was also abandoned.

1925 AD Jannat al-Mu'alla, the sacred cemetery at Makkah was destroyed alongwith the house where the Holy Prophet (s) was born. Since then, this day is a day of mourning for all Muslims.

Is it not strange that the Wahhabis find it offensive to have the tombs, shrines and other places of importance preserved, while the remains of their Saudi kings are being guarded at the expense of millions of dollars?


Protest from Indian Muslims

1926, protest gatherings were held by shocked Muslims all over the world. Resolutions were passed and a statement outlining the crimes perpetrated by Wahhabis was issued and included the following:

The destruction and desecration of the holy places i.e. the birth place of the Holy Prophet [s], the graves of Banu Hashim in Makkah and in Jannat al-Baqi (Madinah), the refusal of the Wahhabis to allow Muslims to recite Ziyarah or Surah al-Fatiha at those graves.

The destruction of the places of worship i.e. Masjid Hamza, Masjid Abu Rasheed, in addition to the tombs of Imams and Sahaba (Prophet's companions).

Interference in the performance of Hajj rituals.

Forcing the Muslims to follow the Wahhabis innovations and to abandon their own ways according to the guidance of the Imams they follow.

The massacre of sayyids in Taif, Madina, Ahsa, and Qatif.

The demolition of the grave of the Imams at al-Baqi which deeply offended and grieved all Shias.


Protest from other countries

Similar protests were lodged by Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, and Turkey. All of them condemn the Saudi Wahhabis for their barbaric acts. Some scholars wrote tracts and books to tell the world the fact that what was happening in Hijaz was actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea was to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to come, Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history.


A partial list of the demolished graves and shrines


Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah which includes the grave of Sayyida Khadija bint Khuwailid (a), wife of the Prophet (s), the grave of Amina bint Wahab, mother of the Prophet (s), the grave of Abu Talib, father of Imam Ali (a), and the grave of Abdul Muttalib, grandfather of the Prophet (s)

The grave of Hawa (Eve) in Jeddah

The grave of the father of the Prophet (s) in Madina

The house of sorrows (bayt al-Ahzan) of Sayyida Fatima (a) in Madina

The Salman al-Farsi mosque in Madina

The Raj'at ash-Shams mosque in Madina

The house of the Prophet (s) in Madina, where he lived after migrating from Makkah

The house of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) in Madina

The complex (mahhalla) of Banu Hashim in Madina

The house of Imam Ali (a) where Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were born

The house of Hamza and the graves of the martyrs of Uhud (a)

Prayers for Zehra Attari - Missing since Nov. 7

Many of us know Ruby, our prayers are with her family that they find her mom.

Details:

Name: Dr. Zehra Attari ( mother of Ruby Attari whom some of us know)
Sex: FEMALE
Age: 55
Weight: 135-145 LBS.
Height: 5' 4"
Eyes: BROWN
Hair: BLACK
Complexion: MEDIUM
Discernable Marks: Red mole near her elbow.
Race: INDIAN (South Indian/Asian)
Date of Birth: 05/05/1950
Car: Driving a Silver 2001 Honda Accord, California LIC# 4MUH810
Last Seen: 11/07/05 @ 5:10 PM

She was wearing open toed shoes and black rimmed prescription glasses. She had on
a light blue sweater over a turtleneck and navy blue trousers.

Dr. Zehra Attari was last seen on November 7, 2005 as she was leaving her clinic
(California Children's Health Clinic @ 2700 International Blvd., Oakland, CA) on
route to an appointment in Alameda (1240 South Loop Rd., Alameda, CA). She left
at 5:10 PM and should have arrived at her destination approximately 20 minutes
later, she never arrived.

Please down-load a printable flier with her picture from this address

http://www.saba-igc.org/Notices/MISSING-PERSON.doc

If you have any information regarding her whereabouts or can be of any help in finding
her then please contact the following numbers.

Contact Information:

408-277-4786 or call 911
Missing Person Unit, San Jose Police Department
Case #: 05-311-9543 NIC #: M145302302

Ather Tayyib 925-989-4699
Tassduq Attari 408-509-7313
Sajjad Mir 408-515-6415

Everyone is requested to pray for her safety and quick return.

Thanks & Wassalaam

- SABA Communications -
saba@saba-igc.org, http://www.saba-igc.org

Earthquake Help - see sidebar

I have added a link to my sidebar - over there on the left, near the top.

The link is one of those click-once-a-day sites. This one donates money for victims of the Earthquake in Pakistan/India.

If you like these kind of things, scroll down a bit further to the The Hungersite link (also on left sidebar). From there you can click to make donations to several charitable causes.

If you're a regular reader you could make it a habit to click every time you visit - then you could call visiting my blog a good deed. :) Although even if you don't you could consider it a good deed by just visiting me. :))))

Other Topics:

1. School Assemblies.

Today we had pretty much the only assembly at school each year that I find worthwhile - the DriveSmart assembly. (Alive to Strive is basically the same thing and also good). This is the assembly where they show some video and have some guest speakers related to teen driving accidents and try to get kids to not drink and drive, to buckle up, and stop acting like careless idiots in their cars. These are the only assemblies kids half way pay attention to, although some aren't mature enough to handle it. At my school, all the assemblies are hosted, designed, carried out by the student council and as such they are sometimes very poorly done and discipline is lax. I just hate assemblies for those reasons, but as I said the one today is one of the only ones during the year that seems potentially worthwhile.

2. France/ HIjab Ban/ Pledge

Obviously France has a problem with its minority population. They are being treated as second-class citizens and are fed up. Time for a Civil Rights movement in France. -- The French was the true revolutionary country anyway, wasn't it? But this case is of particular interest to me because it draws attention to the plight of Muslim and African minorities in the world, but in particular in European countries.

It's all about culture. The "native" Europeans are all in a tizzy and panic. Why? Because they see their culture threatened by immigrants. In their minds, even if they are citizens, those Muslim and African citizens aren't real French, or real Germans, or real Dutch, etc.

That is what the hijab ban is all about. Here's one of the few topics that really bugs me. Who cares about a piece of cloth on a lady's head? Why is sooooo threatening or offensive? Personally, I think the French, German and other European hijab bans have NOTHING to do with church and state issues. They only pretend it does. Australia is talking about hijab bans now, too. Turkey and Tunisia, supposedly Muslim countries, have had them for years. And there are more. So why are people so upset about some lady covering her hair while they could care less if she were to walk around with it dyed blue and purple?

Because Muslims are challenging culture. Muslims are challenging government. Muslims are challenging IDENTITY. A woman in hijab challenges people's notions of what it means to be French, German, Australian, or Dutch. They challenge people's notions of what it means to be liberated and free. Of what it means to be superior. Of what it means to be right.
The fact is that people do not like to have their assumptions and paradigms challenged. So, they will pretend they are concerned about separation of church and state, or that they are concerned about women's liberation. But they can only pretend, because as soon as they investigate the matter intelligently, they are forced to admit that wearing hijab doesn't violate church/state separation and that wearing hijab is a matter of liberated choice for most women and that those women would regard themselves as oppressed if they were forced NOT to wear it.

Which brings us back to France. I'll tell you what.... if it were me over there being told I couldn't wear hijab in the public school, etc., you bet that I'd be furious, that I'd be disenfrancised. Especially when my neighborhood has a 75% unemployment rate and we're all treated as not "real" citizens when we in fact are.... I'd be ready to be out in the streets, too. That being said, any Muslim with his wits about him and who cares about his religion cannot behave in that way regardless of how we feel. Rioting, terrorism, etc., these are unIslamic acts that often hurt our neighbors and selves as much as the victims. Rioters are destroying their OWN neighborhoods - that is what rioters pretty much have always done - so who loses there? That sends a real strong message to the government, doesn't it? "Look at those guys burning down each other's houses and looting each other's stores - gee, maybe our problem will take itself out for us!!!" This time they have certainly got people's attention - but if they don't get their acts together quickly, that attention will be negative and punitive more than an attention to redress inequalities and oppression. News reporters are commenting on citizens trying to rise above the fray, Muslims trying to keep rioters from destroying neighborhoods and what not - why didn't they stop hijab ban? Why did they let that go so easily or why have they been so quiet since? Why have we? If they don't care we don't care? (Just wondering.) It doesn't really matter how many of the Muslim and African minority are trying to act reasonably and stop the rioting; rather it matters what impression is left about them. Let us hope they can make a good impression after all this so that they might have a chance to really be heard.

It is time for the so-called liberated modern countries of the world to reevaluate what it means to be liberated and modern. We need a new definition that includes Muslims and minorities and does not include terrorism (state-sponsored or otherwise), oppression, class division, race division. We need a definition that expands and opens the minds of the citizenry to be able to consider "other" as part of "us" - we need broader definitions of "French", "German", Australian", "American" to be truly embraced in people's hearts and not just given lip service.

And first and foremost, we need nationalism to take a back seat to humanism. Too many people take false patriotism and culturism as their "religions". Too many people take national pride as a justification for wrongs that we have no business being proud about. Too many people are dogmatic about national politics, government, and culture. Too many people look on nationalism as a virtue. Forget Pledge Allegiance to the Flag, how about Pledge Allegiance to God, how about Pledge Allegiance to Justice, how about Pledge Allegiance to Equity, how about Pledge Allegiance to Compassion and Mercy? Why should anyone pledge allegiance to something unless that something is really worth it? No nation just by virtue of being whatever nation it is, is worthy. That worthiness for allegiance is EARNED through the actions of that nation's government and its people. As complex as national and international politics are, I don't see any nation on Earth being worthy of a blanket pledge of allegiance. Rather, our allegiance should be to RIGHT over wrong. If our nation is right about something, then we should show allegiance to our nation in regards to that issue. But if our nation is wrong about something, only a fool would align himself and pledge himself to the wrong.

Why is it a law in Colorado now that we have to say the Pledge of Allegiance every day at all grade levels? Does that really instill allegiance or national loyalty or patriotism into our youth? As a teacher, in case you had any doubt, I can tell you flat out that answer is "NO!" If anything, it annoys the students because they are smart enough to see the game being played. Think about all the money spent lobbying for and against that issue in the House and Senate; how much time spent in avoidance of issues that could have had a genuine impact on people's lives.

I've noticed lately that lots of people are out there using the chaos tactic in their battles. Rather than fight on issues they know they can't win because they're morally wrong (or for whatever other reason), they instead try to stall the progress of their opponents in the opposing direction by introducing every distractor they possibly can. Rather than allow the other side to bring up an issue they're against, they bring up a thousand and one unimportant issues to take up all the time and money. This happened in our school board and it is happening in politics all over the place these days. I doubt this is a new tactic but it is one I have noticed a whole lot lately, and it has been successful, because people quickly get bogged down in fighting the quibbling issues, expending their energy and resources, leaving nothing for the ones that really matter.

back

I'm back home from the conference in Copper Mountain. I took level three bargaining training. It wasn't as good as the level two was, in part because they shortened it and it just didn't work cut short. We got snow up there. We were there for opening day of ski season and got to see all the skiers and snowboarders come down the American Eagle run ( the only one open right now). I think Copper was the first to open this year. Never got terribly excited by skiing personally but I can see why it would be fun. I like snowshoeing, though - and it doesn't require as much snow and is good in really deep snow, too.

The ride back today was slow because of the icy roads, but once we got to Fairplay things cleared up. On the way up we saw lots of Elk (cool!), buffalo, burros and of course horses and cattle. In mildly related news, the wild turkeys are back this year at Venetucci's, I have seen them two or three times in the fields. I hope I can see them again in the trees on Security Blvd. like I did last year - I really regret not getting a picture of that, it was so cool.

Sister Scorp published her Dr. results so I figured why not do the same just for fun/discussion.

I went in for annual exams a few weeks ago. The results they sent me are total cholesterol 157, triglycerides 59, HDL 56 and LDL 89. Last year they said my blood sugar was slightly high but I guess this year it is normal. I guess those numbers are all good. Once I bought a home cholesterol test kit and blood test kit online because I'd never had my cholesterol checked and was curious and the only blood test I remembered having I did to myself in a high school human anatomy lab. The home kit was pretty accurate and it was fun - and the pricking really wasn't bad. And I was happy ( in the sense that I felt good about my high school lab work abilities) to get the same blood type results - O positive.

It felt weird eating during the day, even on Eid. But we went out to eat as a group one night and I just decided to go for it and I ate so much, I had an appetizer, salad, meal, and dessert at dinner- I haven't eaten that much since the last union outing I am sure.

Eid Mubarak

Wishing everyone Eid Mubarak - insha'allah I'll be out of town Thurs - Sat.

But in the mean time, feel free to participate in the post about dua/prayer and to post Eid greetings for one another in comments if you like.

Duas for eid night are at http://duas.org/1nightshawall.htm (too lazy to link it right now, sorry).

What are your favorite prayers/dua'as?

I really love Ghufayla salah and the salah for 12th Imam (as). The former is described in most risalahs, the latter is described in detailed prayer books.


As for dua, I love Makaramul Akhlaq, dua arafah of Imam Hussein (as), dua for welfare of society taught by 12th Imam (as), ziyarat nahiya al muqaddasa taught by 12th imam (as), the week day prayers taught by Imam Sajjad (as), the daily ziyarat for our imams (as).

I think Makramul Akhlaq is at duas.org, as should be the dua for welfare of society as it is included in the month of Ramadan daily duas although it is recited anytime. The week day prayers are also there, but I haven't seen the daily ziyarats or ziyarat nahiya al muqaddasa (that I have because Sr. Scorp got it for me!) online, and I also don't know if dua arafah of Imam Hussein (as) is online but it is in mafatihul jinan.


You?