Page 1 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 1 Issue 17 VOL. XXII, NO. 27 IN THIS ISSUE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ......................... 2 ISLAMIC WORLD NEWS .......................... 3 RAMADAN IS HERE ................................ 4 ISLAM IN HISTORY ................................ 5 WOMEN IN ISLAM ................................ 7 SUPPLICATIONS FOR MUSLIM CHILDREN AND ADULTS .............................................. 9 WISDOM OF THE PROPHET ..................... 10 TEN PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS ................... 11 HOW I EMBRACED ISLAM ....................... 12 ISLAMIC SCIENCE ................................... 14 STORIES OF THE SAHABAS ....................... 1 COOK’S CORNER.................................. 17 FUNNY, ISN’T IT? ................................. 17 DAWA WITH TASTE ............................... 17 SILVER LININGS FROM A MUHAJJIBAH ........ 1 HELP SUPPORT THE ISLAMIC BULLETIN ....... 1 THE ISLAMIC BULLETIN Published by the Islamic Community of Northern California A Non-Profit Corporation P.O. Box 410186 San Francisco, CA 94141-0186 E-Mail: info@islamicbulletin.org Website: http://www.islamicbulletin.org $66$/$08 $/$,.80 The holy month of Ramadan has arrived. During this time, Muslims fast for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah. We earn great rewards, insha-Allah, for the hard-ships that we face in giving up items for the sake of Allah. In one hadith, Abu Hurairah relates that Rasululah (S.A.W.) said, “Many of those who fast obtain nothing through such fasting except hunger, and many a one performs Salaat by night but obtains nothing by it except the discomfort of staying awake.” In another, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of him leaving his food and drink.” This shows us that fasting does not simply in-volve giving up food and drink during the daylight hours. We should also abstain from any disobedience of Allah. These hadiths show us that one of the main benefits of Ramadan is to develop more taqwa (God-consciousness). There should be greater awareness of what Allah wants from us and what our role as Muslims should be. We should increase our trips to the masjid, perform more prayers, make dua (both for ourselves and fellow Muslims who are suffering in the world), read Quran, and give more charity. All of this will strengthen our relationship with our Creator. We should try to make the most of this blessed month! However, we must remember that the practices and lessons that are learned during Ramadan should be instilled into our lives throughout the rest of the year! It would be pointless and unproductive to end the month and return to our old behavior. Instead, at the end of Ramadan, we should take time to evaluate our lives and the recent changes that we may have made. Then, we should continue to prac-tice these in our everyday lives. This is the true spirit of Ramadan! Another goal of Ramadan is to gain more patience. The staff of the Islamic Bulle-tin hopes that you will practice this with us because we have recently undergone restructuring, delaying this publication. With the new set up, besides publishing the Bulletin on a regular basis, we expect, insha-Allah, to provide the community with a wide variety of new services. Again, thank you for your continued interest and support. Please consider volun-teering for the Bulletin to assist us in our goals. Also, please remember us in your du’a, insha-Allah. We wish you a happy Ramadan, and may Allah accept our fasting and forgive our sins. Ramadan Mubarak!! Happy Ramadan!!
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Page 5 7KH ,VODPLF %XOOHWLQ ,VVXH &( 086/,06 (;3/25( $0(5,&$" Muslims have exerted a great and largely unrecognized impact on American society, beginning with their exploration of America more than 300 years prior to the “discovery” of the “New World” by Christopher Columbus. The Muslim explorers accessed the interior of the continent by using the Mississippi River. The traces of their early presence may be found in the architecture and calligraphy of towns such as St. Augustine, Florida (America’s oldest town), in the names of islands such as Islamadora, and in the customs of the American Indians. Some little-known but very intriguing statistics follow: In 1178, a Chinese document known as the Sung Document records the voyage of Muslim sailors to a land known as Mu-Lan-Pi (America). This document is mentioned in The Khotan Amirs, published in 1933. Abu Bakari, a Muslim king from the Malian Empire, leads a series of nautical voyages to the New World in 1310. In 1312, African Muslims from Mandinga arrive in the Gulf of Mexico and explore the American interior via the Mississippi River. 1513, Piri Reis completes his first world map, including the Americas, after researching maps from all over the world. The map is unsurpassed in its practicality and artistry. 1530, African slaves arrive in America. More than 10 million were uprooted from their homes and brought to America, and more than 30 percent of these were Muslim. These slaves formed the backbone of American economy. In 1539, Estevanico of Azamor, a Muslim from Morocco, lands in Florida and becomes the first Muslim to cross the American continent At least two states owe their beginnings to this Muslim, Arizona and New Mexico. MORE EVIDENCE New Zealand archaeologist and linguist Barry Fell in his work Saga America points to evidence of a Muslim’s presence in various parts of the Americas. In addition to drawing several cultural parallels between West African peoples and certain “Indian” peoples of the southwest, Fell points out that the southwest’s Pima people possessed a vocabulary which contained words of Arabic origin. The presence of such words among the Pima is compounded by the existence of Islamic petrogyphs in places like California. Fell informs us that in Inyo county, California, there exists an early American petrogyph (rock carving) which states in Arabic: “Yasus ben Maria” (“Jesus, Son of Mary”), a phrase commonly found within the surahs of the Holy Qur’an. Fell is convinced that this glyph is many centuries older than the U.S. Fell also identifies the Algonquian language as having words with Arabic roots, especially words which pertained to navigation, astronomy, meteorology, medicine, and anatomy. The presence of such words again illustrates significant cultural contact between the American “Indians” and the Arabic-speaking peoples of the Islamic world. Such Islamic peoples evidently came primarily from the African continent as additional evidence suggests. Ivan Van Sertima in They Came Before Columbus outlines evidence of ancient and early African contacts in the American continent. Among the items of evidence which Van Sertima unveils is the presence of African Muslim surnames among American “Indian” peoples. Van Sertima points out that Ges, Zamoras, Marabitine, and Marabios are a few of the names with clear transcontinental links. Of particular interest however, are the names “Marabitine” and “Marabios” which relate to “Marabout” (Murabit); the “Holy Men and Women” of the Moorish Empire. The Marabouts were the protectors of African Muslim frontiers. They are often remembered for having acted as buffers against Catholic/European encroachment. In Panama and Colombia there were rulers (“princes”) whom the invading Catholic Spaniards recognized as having “completely Moorish or Biblical” names: such as “Do-Bayda” and “Aben-Amechy.” Even in the Caribbean, the evidence of a significant Muslim presence can be found. P.V. Ramos points out in African Presence in Early America, that Christopher Columbus’ own impression of the “Carib” peoples was that they were “Mohammedans”. Ramos says that the dietary restrictions of the Carib were similar to those of Islamic peoples and this provided one reason for such an impression. Columbus admitted in his papers that on Monday, October 21, 1492 CE, while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the north-east coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on the top of a beautiful mountain. The ruins of mosques and minarets with inscriptions of Qur’anic verses have been discovered in Cuba, Mexico, Texas, and Nevada. During his second voyage, Columbus was told by the Indians of Espanola (Haiti) that Black people had been to the island before his arrival. ISLAM IN HISTORY
Page 6 7KH ,VODPLF %XOOHWLQ For proof, they presented Columbus with the spears of these African Muslims. These weapons were tipped with a yellow metal that the Indians called Guanine, a word of West African derivation meaning gold alloy. Oddly enough, it is related to the Arabic world ‘Ghinaa’ which means ‘Wealth’. In 1498 CE, on his third voyage to the New World, Columbus landed in Trinidad. Later, he sighted the South American continent, where some of his crew went ashore and found natives using colorful handkerchiefs of symmetrically woven cotton which resembled the head dresses and loincloths of Guinea in their colors, style, and function. He referred to them as Almayzars. Almayzar is an Arabic word for ‘wrapper’, ‘cover,’ ‘apron’, and or ‘skirting’, which was the cloth the Moors (Spanish or North African Muslims) imported from West Africa (Guinea) into Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. During this voyage, Columbus was surprised that the married women wore cotton panties (bragas) and he wondered where these natives learned their modesty. Hernando Cortez, Spanish conqueror, described the dress of the Indian women as long veils and the dress of Indian men as ‘breechcloth painted in the style of Moorish draperies’. Ferdinand Columbus called the native cotton garments ‘breechcloths of the same design and cloth as the shawls worn by the Moorish women of Granada’. Even the similarity of the children’s hammocks to those found in North Africa was uncanny. Dr. Barry Fell (Harvard University) introduced in his book Saga America solid scientific evidence supporting the arrival, centuries before Columbus, of Muslims from North and West Africa. Dr. Fell discovered the existence of Muslim schools at Valley of Fire, Allan Springs, Logomarsino, Keyhole Canyon, Washoe and Hickison Summit Pass (Nevada), Mesa Verde (Colorado), Mimbres Valley (New Mexico), and Tipper Canoe (Indiana) dating back to 700-800 CE. Engraved on rocks in the old western US, he found texts, diagrams and charts representing the last surviving fragments of what was once a system of schools - both elementary and higher levels. The language of instruction was North African Arabic written with old Kufic Arabic script. The subjects of instruction included writing, reading, arithmetic, religion, history, geography, mathematics, astronomy, and sea navigation. In 1654, the English explorers reported a colony of bearded people wearing European clothing, living in cabins, smelting silver, and dropping to their knees to pray many times daily, wherever they might be. The early 17th Century Powhatan Indian’s description of Heaven is nearly, word for word, the description found in the Holy Qur’an. Tennessee Governor John Sevier records a 1784 encounter in what is now Western North Carolina with a darkskinned, reddish-brown complexioned people supposed to be of Moorish descent who claim to be Portuguese. In east Tennessee in late 1700’s, Jonathan Swift, an Englishman, employed dark-skinned men who were known as “Mecca Indians”. Many “Indian” words seem to have their origin in Arabic indicating a definite link and heritage. This is but a very small sampling of many Indian words with connections to Islam and Arabic/Turkish origins. There is much more which can be said about the legacy of Muslims in the early Americas. In spite of what the proverbial mainstream community may think, the presence of Muslims in the Americas is much older and much more profound than many of them know or care to admit. When the Prophet (pbuh) told his followers to “go as far as China” to spread the word of Islam, it is becoming apparent that they did just that and more!
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Page 8 7KH ,VODPLF %XOOHWLQ The Negus himself announced his belief in the one true God and the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh). He also announced his determination to protect the Muslims in his land. The long journey on the road of hardship and tribulation had finally led to an oasis of serenity. So Umm Habibah thought. She did not know that her new-found freedom and sense of peace were soon to be shattered. She was to be put through a test of the most severe and harrowing kind. One night as Umm Habibah slept, she had a vision in which she saw her husband in the midst of a bottomless ocean covered by wave upon wave of darkness. He was in a most perilous situation. She woke up, frightened. But she did not wish to tell her husband or anyone else what she had seen. The day after that ominous dream, her husband announced his rejection of Islam and his acceptance of Christianity. What a terrible blow! She did not expect this of her husband. Worse yet, he then gave her an ultimatum of divorce or accepting Christianity. UmmHabibah reviewed the three options before her. She could remain with her husband and become a Christian, she could return to her father’s house in Makkah, or she could stay alone in the land of the Negus as a displaced fugitive, without country, family or a supporter. Option #1 was out of the question. She would never renounce her belief even under torture, so strong was her faith. Option #2 would mean being suppressed and subdued back in her fathers’ house, and still unable to practice her faith. Option #2 was also not an option. She was not in an enviable situation, but she had courage and faith. She made the choice that she considered the most pleasing to God. She made up her mind to stay in Abyssinia until such time as God granted her relief. She divorced her husband who ended up living only a short while after becoming a Christian. Possibly because he began drinking wine frequently and this undoubtedly helped to destroy him. Umm Habibah stayed in Abyssinia for almost ten years. How was her life? How much courage did it take for her to remain in a strange land alone? Although there were about eighty other Muslims in exile with her, she still must have at times wondered if she had chosen right. Was God pleased with her suffering and efforts? How strong her faith and devotion must have been to remain steadfast. Towards the end of this vigil, relief and happiness came from an unexpected quarter. One morning there was a loud knocking on her door. It was Abrahah, the special maid-servant of the Negus. Abrahah was beaming with joy as she greeted Umm Habibah, “The Negus sends his greetings and says to you that Muhammad, theMessenger of God, wants you to marry him and that he has sent a letter in which he has appointed him to contract the marriage between you. If you agree, you are to appoint a wakil to act on your behalf.” UmmHabibah was in the clouds with happiness. She shouted to herself, “God has given you glad tidings. God has given you glad tidings.” She surely must have been dancing around the room in her joy! She took off her jewelry, her necklace, bracelets, rings, and gave them to Abrahah. If she had possessed all the treasures of the world, she would have given them to Abrahah at that moment of sheer joy. Finally, she said; “I appoint Khalid ibn Said ibn al-Aas to act on my behalf.” In the palace of the Negus, set in beautiful gardens, the group of Muslim converts living in Abyssinia gathered in one of the lavishly decorated and sumptuously furnished halls. They included Jafar ibn Abi Talib, Khalid ibn Said, Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi and others. They had gathered to witness the marriage contract. When the marriage was finalized, the Negus said; “I praise God, the Holy, and I declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger and that He gave the good tidings to Jesus the son of Mary.” “The Messenger of God, peace be on him, has requested me to conclude the marriage contract between him and Umm Habibah, daughter of Abu Sufyan.” He handed over the mahr to Khalid ibn Said who said, “I have agreed to do what the Prophet, peace be upon him, has requested and acted on behalf of Umm Habibah. May God bless His Messenger and his wife. Congratulations to Umm Habibah on account of the goodness which God has ordained for her.” Khalid took the mahr and handed it to Umm Habibah. There was great rejoicing as the guests sat down to eat and celebrate the joyous occasion. This must have been a tremendous moment in her life. UmmHabibah could hardly believe her good fortune. Later she said: “When I received the money as mahr, I sent fiftymithqals of gold to Abrahah, ‘I gave youmy jewelry when you gave me the good news because I did not have any money.’ “ Shortly afterwards, Abrahah returned the gold and the necklace that Umm Habibah had given to her saying “The King instructed me not to take anything from you and commanded the women in his household to present you with gifts of perfume.’ “On the following day, Abrahah brought ambergris, safron and aloes and said; ‘I have a favor to ask. “What is it?” I have accepted Islam,” she said, ‘and I follow the religion of Muhammad. Convey to him my salutation and let him know that I believe in Allah and His Prophet. Please don’t forget.” Abrahah then joyfully helped a very happyUmmHabibah prepare for her journey to the Prophet. “When I met the Prophet (pbuh) I told him all about the arrangements for the marriage and about Abrahah. I told him she had become Muslim and sent her greetings of peace. He was filled with joy and said: ‘Wa alayha as-salamwa rahmatullahi was barakatuhu and on her be peace and the mercy and blessings of God.’” The story of Umm Habibah tells us of courage, difficult choices, alienation from family, loneliness, loss of a husband, solitude, and ten years of patiently waiting for Allah to change her plight. Was it a test of her devotion and tenacity? Are not the trials of many modern day converts similar? Are we not sometimes rejected by our non-Muslim families, friends, co-workers, and even strangers? Do we not have to be strong in our tenacity and faith? When we hold our heads high, sisters, and declare our faith by virtue of our Muslim appearance, are we not shouting to the world around us of our belief in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet Mohammed? Inshallah, with faith, courage, and determination we too will be counted among the rows of the faithful on the final day.
Page 9 7KH ,VODPLF %XOOHWLQ ,VVXH To bring up children under the blessing of Allah, it is necessary that from their early age we should introduce them to the ways of invoking our Lord, the Magnificent, the Beneficent. May Allah fulfill our wishes and make our efforts successful in this regard. Amin! What to say When to say it What it means Bismillah When I start to do anything. In the name of Allah. La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah. The greatest words for me to recite are... None has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Sall-allahu’alaihi wa sallam. When the name of our Prophet Muhammed is mentioned to us. May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him. Bismillahi tawakkaltu alAllah wa la haula wa quwwata illa billah. When I go out from my home. In the name of Allah, there is no strength nor power except with Allah. In sha Allah. If I plan anything in the future. If Allah wills, I will do so. Raditu billahi Rabban wa bil-Islami dina wa bi Muhammadin sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam Nabiya. In the morning and evening. I am pleased with Allah as the Lord and Islam as the religion and Muhammed (pbuh) as the prophet. Bismillahi was-salatu was salamu ala Rasulil Allah allahummaftah li abwaba rahmatika. When I enter the mosque. In the Name of Allah and (pbuh), O Allah! Open for me the gates of your (rahmatika) mercy. Bismillahi was-salm ala Rasulil Allah Allahuma inni as’aluka min fadlika. When I step out of the mosque. In the Name of Allah and (pbuh), O Allah I ask You from Your Favors. Audhu billahi minash-Shaitan-irrajim. At the time of anger. I seek refuge with Allah from the Satan, the cursed one. Jazak Allahu khairan. When anyone favors me with good. May Allah give you a better reward. Allahumma at’im man at’amani wasqi man saqani. When I am a guest and dine at the table of another person. O Allah! Feed him who fed me and give him drink who gave me drink. Dhahabaz-zama’u wabtal-latil ‘urooqu wa thababatal ajru insha’ Allah. When I break my fast in Ramadan. Thirst has vanished and veins are moistened and the reward is established, if Allah wills. Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya. When I intend to sleep. With your Name, O Allah I die and live. Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minal khubuthi wal khabai’th. When I enter the toilet. O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the bad evil Jinns. Hasbun-Allahu wa Ni’m-al-Wakil. When I face any enemy. Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs (for us). As-salamo alaikum dara qaumin-mo mineen wa inna in sha Allahu bikum lahiqun. When I visit a Muslim graveyard. Peace be upon you, the dwellers among the believing people; and if Allah wills we are also to join you. La ba’sa tahurun insha’ Allah. When I visit a sick person. Never mind, it is a purifier if Allah wills. Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji’un Allahumma ajirni fi musibati wa akhlif li khairran minha. When any affliction occurs to me. Truly! To Allah we belong and truly to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me for my hardship and provide me a substitute of it. Please remember us in your du’a (supplication), Insha-Allah. SUPPLICATIONS FOR MUSLIM CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Page 10 7KH ,VODPLF %XOOHWLQ $ +$59(67 2) &+$5,7< The Prophet (pbuh) said, “If any Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop, and then a bird, a human being, or an animal eats of it, then it is a sacred charity to his credit.” %527+(5+22' The Prophet (pbuh) said, “A Muslim is brother to a Muslim; let one not oppress another or betray him. And whoever sees to the need of his brother, Allah sees to his need. And whoever relieves a Muslim from distress will be relieved by Allah from distress on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever protects a Muslim will be protected by Allah on the Day of Resurrection.” (9(5< /,9,1* %(,1* The Prophet (pbuh) related, “While a man was walking, he became extremely thirsty, so he went down into a well and drank from it. Then he came out, only to find a panting dog eating moist earth in its thirst. The man said, ‘The same thing has happened to this creature as happened to me.’ So he filled his shoe, climbed out holding it in his teeth, and thus gave the dog water to drink. Then Allah thanked the man and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Messenger of God, are we rewarded for our treatment of animals?” And the Prophet said, “There is a reward for your treatment of every living thing.” )81(5$/6 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Be prompt with funerals, because if the deceased was righteous, then you are sending them on to good; and if they were bad, then you are getting evil off your necks.” 5(&21&,/,$7,21 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “One who reconciles people by attributing good or saying something good is not a liar.” +<32&5,7( The Prophet (pbuh) said, “A hypocrite has three distinguishing signs; first when he speaks, he tells a lie; second when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and third when something is entrusted to him, he misappropriates it.” $ 7,0( ,6 &20,1* The Prophet (pbuh) said, “A time is coming to humankind when the individual does not care whether his gains are ethical or ill-gotten.” &+$5,7< The Prophet (VDZ) said, “Charity does not dHFUHDVH wealth: Allah enhances the honor of one who forgives, and one who humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah exalts him in rank.” 9,578( $1' 6,1 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Virtue is good conduct, and sin fills your mind with guilt and makes you fear that other people know your sins.” 7587+ $1' /,( The Prophet (pbuh) said, “You must speak the truth for the truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise. A man who always speaks the truth and means the truth, is recorded as truthful with Allah. Keep away from the lie for the lie leads to evil and evil leads to the Hell fire and a man who continually tells a lie and intends to lie is recorded with Allah as a liar.” *22' 1(,*+%25 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Gabriel advised me to do good to the neighbor to the point I almost thought he would eventually advise me to make my neighbor my heir.” 6863,&,21 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the greatest lie. Do not be inquisitive about one another, or spy one another. Do not outbid one another with a view of raising the price. Do not feel jealous and do not hold grudges against one another. Do not backbite, but be the servants of Allah like brothers amongst yourselves.” 81(48$/ -867,&( The Prophet (pbuh) said, “What destroyed those before you was that whenever an aristocrat among them stole, they would let him be, but when one of the powerless among them stole, they would inflict the legal punishment on him.” 620(7+,1* (9,/ The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Anybody amongst you who notices something evil should correct with his own hands. If he is unable to do so, he should correct with his tongue. If he is unable to do this, he should at least consider it as bad in his heart for this is the lowest degree of faith.” $ *8%(51$725,$/ 0$1'$7( When the Prophet (pbuh) sent two representatives to govern Yemen he told them, “Bring ease, not hardship. Bring good news, not horror. And cooperate willingly with each other.” 7+( %(+$9,25 2) %(/,(9(56 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not wrong his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah, and the Last Day should treat his guest generously. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak of good or keep silent.” )5,(1'6+,3 The Prophet (pbuh) said, “A man adopts a way of life according to that of his friend, so one should be careful about whom he chooses to be friends with.” )$67,1* The Prophet (pbuh) said, “God Most High says, ‘Fasting is for Me, and I reward it, for one leaves one’s desire, food, and drink on My account; so fasting is a protective shield. And one who fasts has two joys: joy upon breaking the fast and joy on meeting God.’” WISDOM OF THE PROPHET
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