‘Ambitious’ Turkish project aims at modernising the Hadeeth

The Qur'an Mushaf

 

A project being spear-headed by Ankara University’s divinity school, aims at modernising the 1400-old sayings of the Prophet Muhammad [saw].  The process consists of comapring the hadeeth with the Quran anddisarding any that conradict.

Another process invloves that of scrutinizing hadeeths based on how it approaches modern-day problems.

Well, if the hadeeths being discarded atually belong to the Shaeeh colltion, then we have a problem.

This  project seems to be another way towards showing the secular colours of the country. Can’t sy wat the intention actually is though.

Read the whole story here[covered on March 2008]: Turkish scholars aim to modernize Islam\’s Hadith

God’s Army: Mormon Missionaries

When will the Muslim community take heed? When will Dawah become an essential to a Muslim like breathing air?

A special report from a program on PBS covering the trainings undergone by new joinees to the Latter Day Saint Church: [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1122/cover.html]

COVER:
God’s Army: Mormon Missionaries
February 1, 2008    Episode no. 1122

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: This weekend of Gordon Hinkley’s funeral, we note that a major part of his legacy is the global reach of Mormon missions. It’s traditional for church members, especially young people, to leave their homes to spend up to two years seeking converts. Hinckley embarked on his own mission to England in 1933. After that, he worked to improve training and support for the program. There are now 53,000 Mormon missionaries in about 145 countries and territories. Several years ago, we took a look at the church’s mission training program and the young Mormons who were part of it. John Dancy reported the story. 

JOHN DANCY: They show up in suits and ties and Sunday best. These 19- to 21-year-olds have been called to serve as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons. Yesterday they were wearing jeans and T-shirts. Today, they are referred to as Elder or Sister. Immediately they are thrown into an unfamiliar world. 

When they agree to serve a mission, they commit to go anywhere the church needs them. Men serve two years; women, 18 months. They pay their own way, or their family or congregation does. The church now has missions in 120 nations and territories. The missionaries will spend three to eight weeks here, depending on the language they study, learning how to be missionaries. Training goes on from dawn to late at night. 

 

Elder Earl C. Tingey

Elder EARL C. TINGEY(Executive Director, Missionary Department): You want them to leave home and go out and start this new venture, learning a language. It’s not easy to be eight weeks and learn a foreign language, and to learn new techniques of meeting people, learn how to take care of yourself, learn how to wash your own clothes. All of that is new to most of these young men and young women, and by leaving their families and starting anew — look forward, not backward. 

DANCY: The Missionary Training Center teaches 48 different languages — more if necessary. That is because the LDS church believes every person should hear their message in his or her own language. Teachers are usually returned missionaries. Often in the early going the spirit is willing, but the tongue just won’t cooperate. But within a few weeks, missionaries have mastered basic conversation, enough to teach others about Mormon beliefs: that God appeared with Jesus to young Joseph Smith in a forest grove in upstate New York in 1820 and told him he was restoring the true church originally organized by Jesus Christ. Mormons also believe Jesus appeared again after his resurrection, this time to an ancient civilization in the New World. The record of that event is contained in the Book of Mormon, which they believe is divinely inspired, like the Bible. 

 

“Serving a mission is voluntary, but the LDS culture exerts strong social pressure on young people to serve. “

Serving a mission is voluntary, but the LDS culture exerts strong social pressure on young people to serve. 

A problem for the church is that many new converts the missionaries make don’t stay active. They drop out after the missionaries who converted them go home. 

Mr. McNIVEN: You immediately want to write letters. You want to go find them. You want to go revisit. You want to go back and say, “Hey, don’t you remember all those great experiences we had together?” and “How can I help?” 

DANCY: Missionaries, whether they serve on Temple Square in Salt Lake City or in Outer Mongolia, must learn to deal with rejection. Most people they approach don’t accept their message. 

 

“There are now 53,000 Mormon missionaries in about 145 countries and territories.”

HEIDI ANDERSON(Missionary who served in Stockholm, Sweden): Every door that slams in your face, or not, but every person that’s not interested, it’s almost a test. Do you really believe what you’re saying? Do you really believe in this message of Christ and that God has a plan for you, that there are prophets still on this Earth today? And I think that we have to confront those questions and answer them in our minds and in our heart every day. 

MICHAEL SMART (Missionary who served in Manchester, England): The hardest was when they had little kids. When the missionaries came and talked to my mom and dad and I knew what I’ve gained and continue to gain from my parents’ accepting that message and teaching it to me, and I just wish they would do the same. 

DANCY: Every Tuesday a new group of missionaries leaves Salt Lake City; this one for South America. For the next 18 months to two years, these young men and women will work 16 hours a day, six days a week. Through the efforts of missionaries, the Mormons expect to have 71 million members worldwide in another 50 years. 

For RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, I’m John Dancy in Salt Lake City. 

Should Christians Convert Muslims?

I found this 5 year old article published in the TIME magazine.

TIME Magazine Cover – Should Christians Convert Muslims? June 2003

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1005107,00.html

It still holds true, especially with the opening up of markets in the Middle East and the people accepting Westernization in their lives.

Subhanallah…

Conversions – Whose at fault?

“Six million African Muslims convert to Christianity every year” scream the headlines. Google it and you will find articles and videos based on a program done by Al Jazeera on the same topic. The satellite channel covered the plight of African Muslims [most of whom are under the poverty line] who convert to Christianity with the hope that the Christian missionaries bring. And the missionaries don’t fail to deliver.

So what does a Muslim do when he hears or reads news like this?

“Awww… That’s so  bad!! Why are these people converting out of Islam? Isn’t anybody doing anything about this?”

When was the last time we actually did something about this, huh?

You see, I feel in a way we are responible for something like this to happen. When was the last time you spoke to a Muslim friend about Islam? When was the last time you discussed about Tawheed [which is a fundamental part of Islam, and if you don't know it, it's time you do] ? 

This isn’t about speaking and spreading to Islam to non-Muslims. It is about spreading Islam to all the people!!!

Subhanallah, I remember the story of the Bosnian Muslims which I heard of some years back [Inshallah I'll try getting the actual lecture/article. It's really heart-wrenching].

They say that the Bosnian Muslims before the Bosnia conflict where just Muslims for name-sake. They would wear the basic attire [in terms of head scarves]. They would celebrate the usual Muslim festivals. But that’s it. Else tey would be found in bars drinking with their fellow Christian neighbours. Their women would be out most of the time with the guys hanging around. You know typical European culture.

Can’t blame them can we? They were just brought up saying that they were Muslims without even knowing who a Muslim is.

Then the conflict started. The Serbians started killign the Bosnians. Once peaceful neighbours started attackingtheir fellow Muslims. When the Muslims asked the Serbs why they were doing this, tey get the reponse “You are Muslims!!!”.

That’s when the people actually found out that they were Muslims! SUrprisingly they still did not know how that mattered. But the conflict went on anyway. Later, as the account goes, there was a sudden influx into Madinah university and other such universities by Bosnian students. They all came with one intent… To learn about Islam!

Subhanallah, they say that the universitites had to double their intake just because of these students. Now there are exemplary people coming out of these universitites aho are going back and teaching their people their true identity.

We say that Islam is the fastest growing religion on Earth. Surprisingly, we neglect to see the other side. Of Muslims converting to other religions. Or turning into athiests/agnostics.

For people who are not concerned about this matter, I can only pray that Allah swt put love in your hearts for His religion and your brothers in Islam.

For people who are concerned, I suggest the following:

1. Talk – And I mean TALK! Guys shouldn’t you be out there sharing about Islam with everyone? You do believe that it’s the Truth, right? Of course it is! It’s time to flaunt it!! Do it in person, do it in blogs, do it in chat rooms… DO it wherever you can. Just do it! [I hope I ain't fined for this ]

2. Lectures – One way to jump start your Dawah activities is to start knowing about your religion. Contact your nearest Islamic centre/masjid for lectures on the basics of Islam. Believe me, doing Dawah makes a lot of sense if you know the basics of Islam really well.

3. Dawah courses – Same  here as per lectures. I see a big growth in terms of Dawah courses being conducted by prominent people and students of knowledge worldwide. Inshallah, I shall be putting up resources here for reference.

4. Qur’an – The MOST IMPORTANT tool for any Daaee. I know of people who have gone ahead and given Dawah to non-Muslims without actually seeing what is there in their own scriptures. I mean, does it make sense to speak about Allah swt even if you haven’t read His Words? Every Muslim should have a Qur’an interpretation in their own language [if you don't know Arabic. Nothing beats knowing Arabic]. Read it everyday as if your life depends on it. Actually speaking it does!

5. Duaa - Make Duaa to Allah swt in increasing your knowledge in the Deen. We have some really good Duaas in the form of a book called Hisnul Muslim [Fortification of the Muslims]. One of the best authentic collections out there.

Inshallah, may Allah swt help us in showing the people the Right Path. And may Allah swt protect our brothers and sisters from the fitnah of the missionaries.

Christian missionaries stir unease in north Africa

Subhanallah!

Read the article in the following link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4BE0JL20081215?sp=true

So now we have missionaries coming to spread thier ‘Truth’. Well can’t blame them, can we? They are just doing their duty.

But what about us Muslims? This effort by the Christian missionaries shows how we Muslims as a community are failing.

How many of us actually know about the history of the spread of Islam in North Africa? Here’s a lecture by Kamal-el-Mekki on the topic: 

You can download the lecture from here: History Lessons in Dawah

Mashallah, this lecture shows the efforts of a handful of  people due to which the whole of North Africa came under the Way of Allah!

May Allah swt show us the Right Path and help us in emulating these followers of Allah in His Path…