nour julyy eng. 2010

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Nº: 149 - 150 13th year, January + February 2012 - Muharam + Safar 1433H
Bismillahir
ahmanir
Rahim
Dear Reader,
Ashūra: Sacrifice and Devotion
Whenever Muharram’s Crescent approaches every year, the world assumes another
form and hue: From the expanse of their domains, the souls of the free and the hearts
of the faithful, with all their overflowing sentiments of love and loyalty, with all the
pain that squeezes them and the agony, yearn to the Kerbala highland in order to inhale
from its dewy soil the aroma of martyrdom, the fragrance of heroism and sacrifice.
The warmth of the martyrdom of the fragrant flower of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h),
Imam Al-Hussain (A.s), and that of his Ahl al-Bayt (A.s) and righteous companions
keeps being reborn in their sides, flowing in their veins, for “There is warmth in the
killing of al-Hussain in the hearts of the faithful that will never cool down.”
It is the same warmth of conviction, fealty and following that strongly pushes them
towards the pure Ahl al-Bayt (A.s) and their straight path, those where Allah, the most
Exalted One, placed His Message, making them, rather than all other people, the
depository of His secret and the custodians of His revelation and creed.
It is Ashūra, then, which the anguished passionate lovers of the grandson of the
greatest Prophet (p.b.u.h), the twig of Ali and al-Zahra, peace with them both, bring
back to memory every year from the time it took place and where it happened. They
do so in order to live its facts and unique courses one moment by one. They look with
the eyes of reason and heart to the epic of the victory of righteousness of al-Hussain
(A.s), the man who was armed with the force of conviction and righteousness, with
surrendering to the will of Allah Almighty, over the falsehood of Yazid who was fully
armed with evil and tyranny, sunk in crime up to its scum, even if the black outcome
was the stabbing of the heart of the most honored Prophet (p.b.u.h) who said: “Hussain
is of me, and I am of Hussain,” and the violating of his sanctity.
It is to the mother of tragedies, the heroine of Kerbala, wise Zainab, peace with her,
that the faithful who follow al-Hussain (A.s) direct their attention from everywhere,
agonizing for her anguish, carrying out with enthusiasm her brave statement to the
tyrant: “By Allāh! You will never be able to obliterate our mention, nor will you
ever kill our inspiration!” Thus, they exchange fealty with her while bringing back to
memory in an ever greater and distinctive way the Ashūra rites, the embracing of her
immortal message, the disseminating of her principles and objectives.
With his great martyrdom and brilliant stances, Imam al-Hussain (A.s) set up the
indisputable argument against anyone who is skeptical or hesitated between choosing
either the path of the truth or that of falsehood, and against anyone who trades his
religion for his world or for the creed of anyone else. The echo keeps reverberating
in time’s ears, urging everyone who has lost his way, so he does not see the truth, or
one who is at peace with injustice and deviation, no matter what his field or level may
be, to reconsider his position and look at the clear light of the truth which al-Hussain
(A.s) and those in his company represented. It is only then that this nation’s condition
becomes straight and its matter is reformed according to the will of Allāh Almighty
and to that of His most revered Messenger (p.b.u.h).
In conclusion, we submit the signs of grief and condolence to the one who demands
retribution for al-Hussain’s blood, namely Allah’s greatest remnant, the Imam of the
Time and Age, Imam al-Mahdi, and to all free and faithful believers.
Islamic Cultural Magazine
Published by “Imam
Hussain (a.s) Foundation”
Beirut – Lebanon
General Manager
Jihad Abdallah
E-mail: manager@nooralislam.org
chief Editor
Dr. Hussain Al-Hakim
E-mail: editor@nooralislam.org
English Section
Yassin T. Al Jibouri
C O N T E N T S
Muslims in Japan (Reportage)
■ British Actress Inspired by Prophet’s (P.B.U.H)
Life (Welcome to Islam)
■ To Every Husband and Wife (Morals)
■ How Do We View Hussein (A.S) in the Depth of History?
■ Around the World
■
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21
28
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Reportage
Muslims in Japan
Location
Japan forms an archipelago of islands that extends in the shape of an arc
facing coastlines of East Asia area to the east of the Korean Peninsula between
the northern Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. It is comprised of four main
islands which together form about 98% of The Country’s Area. The islands are:
Honshu, Hokkaido, Sikoku and Kyushu in addition to more than 4,000 smaller
islands that form about 2% of Japan’s area.
3
Area and Population:
Japan covers an area of about
278,000 square kilo meters; it has
no land borders. The length of the
coastal strip is 29,751 km. Up to
the year 2008, Japan’s population
reached about 127.7 million, the
tenth largest population in the
world.
Language and Religion:
Japan is regarded as a linguistically
harmonious country. Japanese is
the main official language which is
spoken by about 99% of the population.
We must point out to the presence of
several different dialects, but the dialect
of residents of Tokyo is the official one.
Most Japanese understand it, and it is
used in schools.
Regarding the religions that exist in
Japan, they are many, and Shintoism and
Buddhism top the list followed by other
religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism,
Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Japanese society forms one racial and
linguistic unit: Besides the vast majority,
there are other racial and linguistic
minorities. The Koreans make up about
one million, Chinese Okinawa residents:
1.5 million, Taiwanese: 0.5 million,
Filipinos: 0.5 million, Brazilians: 25,000,
in addition to the original residents who
are represented in the Ino people in north
Hokkaido.
4
Map of Japan.
Landscape:
Japan is characterized by mountainous
and rugged terrains where mountains
cover more than 70% of the country’s
area. Thick forests cover mountains.
The area of remaining lands is divided
between valleys and lakes. Honshu Island
is the largest where most population lives
and where the capital, Tokyo, is located.
It is distinguished for its abundance of
agricultural valleys the most important
of which is the Sindai and Ishju valleys,
the latter extending to the Sea of Japan.
Japanese Alps Mountains occupy the
island’s central area, and Fujiyama
Mountain, an inactive volcano mountain,
is one of the largest mountain peaks
with a height of 3,776 meters above the
sea surface. One of the most important
agricultural valleys is the Kanto valley.
Hyushu Island is located to the south
Reportage
of the Japanese islands where
mountainous series and forests
extend from its center to the
south. The northern part is
comprised of a group of hills and
wide valleys. Many volcanoes
spread in it. Hokkaido Island
is considered to be the smallest
of the four islands, and it is
located in the southeastern side
of Honshu Island and is divided
from the west to the east by
mountains. On the island’s
southern coast, there is a narrow
valley used for growing rice and
a number of vegetables. Copper
mining is regarded as one of the
important activities in it.
There is a large number of rivers in Japan,
but they are not used for navigation
because they are short and shallow, yet
their importance lies in being useful
for irrigating agricultural lands and
generating electricity.
Japan is subjected every year to thousands
of earthquakes in addition to the
continuous presence of active volcanoes
and to tsunamis that result in a huge
wealth of fish.
Weather:
Weather in Japan is moderately seasonal,
and each of the four seasons has its own
characteristics. Summer is hot and humid
in the south, moderate in the north.
Public park in Japan.
Winter is moderate in the south and cold
in the north where snow falls. Spring and
Autumn (Fall) are the best seasons of the
year. Rainfall is heavy, and it also rains in
Summer and Winter.
Economy and Human Activity:
Japan is the most advanced country on
the economic level despite a scarcity
of natural resources. It imports many
raw materials which it uses in its many
industries. The Gross National Product
(GNP) occupies the second place on the
global level, and Japanese trade-marks,
such as Toyota, Sony, Panasonic and
others enjoy international reputation.
It is also regarded as the third commercial
power in the world. Its trade balance
always registers annual gains due to
industrialized items, which contribute
about 7% to the global trade, and customs
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restrictions on foreign manufactured
goods.
The Japanese Industry is superior to
others; ultimately, this is the sector that
controls the Japanese economy. Heavy
industries form the main reason for Japan
achieving such a global place. It is the
main producer of iron and steel in the
world and is regarded as the third power
in oil refining. It also is the top country
in automobile production and contributes
40% of world ship production.
As regarding the agricultural sector, it
is not on the same level of the industrial
sector, but the government awards it a
great deal of support. This sector secures
the country’s rice needs. We have to point
out to the Japanese fishing fleet being the
largest in the world, and its production
forms 15% of the global catch.
Most Important Cities and Touristic
Landmarks:
Japan is distinguished for its deeply
rooted heritage and genuine culture in
most cities and tourist landmarks:
Tokyo has been since 1868 Japan’s
Capital and is regarded as the country’s
political, economic and cultural center.
It forms the largest urban agglomeration
in The World. Tokyo was destroyed by a
powerful earthquake in 1923, then again
destroyed by the bombing of American
fighter jets in 1945.
The Imperial Mansion and Tokyo’s
Public University, which was founded in
1877, Tokyo has many public and private
6
museums. The Tokyo National Museum
is one of the largest and contains relics
from all historic periods, in addition
to Horyuji Museum for Art Treasures,
the Old City’s Cultural Museum,
The National Arts Museum and other
museums. It is one of the international
cities that are famous for cultural events,
and it has many theaters where traditional
plays from the Japanese heritage are
played. It is distinguished for it’s many
suspended bridges, and the Disney Land
play town is one of the most visited
tourist places.
Wuniko is a great tourist landmark
visited by huge numbers of tourists, and
it houses the Tōshō-gū Temple which is
registered on the roster of world cultural
places, the heavy Kegon Falls and
Chuzenji Lake.
It includes Nara, Japan’s old capital
famous for its huge Buddha statues in
Todaiji Temple which also has the worlds
largest wood structure housing a statue of
Buddha.
Yakushima Island is known for its heavy
rainfall. The giant Takusugi pine trees
grow in it abundantly.
Osaka is next to Tokyo when it comes to
population, and it is dubbed “the city of
water” due to its many water canals.
Kobe city is distinguished for
manufacturing
boats
and
giant
commercial ships, and it contains the
oldest Islamic mosque in Japan which
was built by Indians.
Saboru is the capital of Hokkaido Island
Reportage
and is known for its
annual skiing festivities
attracting
skiing
enthusiasts.
Hikuni town enjoys
magical
natural
landscapes. It has
mineral baths and many
lakes.
Hiroshima is the city
on which the American
forces dropped an
Atomic bomb on the
6th of August 1945.
Government System:
The Government in Japan is a
Constitutional
Monarchy
with
a
Parliamentary Government. The 1947
constitution brought a radical change to
the governing system. After the emperor
used to have the absolute authority
according to the 1889 constitution, his
powers were limited, and authority was
shifted from the emperor to the people.
He is the symbol of the State and the unity
of the people from whom he derives his
position. His position is hereditary and
his tasks are no more than ceremonial.
The system of government is comprised
of three independent powers according to
the text of the constitution. The legislative
authority vests on the parliament the
process of making laws. The parliament
is comprised of councils representatives
The Japanese Parliament.
and a council for the advisors. Each
council is comprised of elected members
representing all segments of the people.
The parliament has the authority to
choose the prime minister, endorse the
public budget and amend the constitution.
As regarding the executive authority, it
is comprised of the prime minister who
appoints the members of the cabinet. The
prime minister has to get the vote of the
parliamentary majority, according to the
constitution.
In the Judicial Authority, the court is
the highest legal board and is comprised
of the chief justice, who is appointed
by the emperor once the ministerial
cabinet names him, then he appoints the
remaining fourteen judges.
Administratively, Japan is divided into
47 states. The citizens elect a governor
and a general secretariat. Each state is
comprised of cities and villages, and
7
Big Buddha statue in Kamakura - Japan.
the residents choose a head for the
municipality and the local council in each
of them. Moreover, there is the political
party system. The most important parties
are The Japanese Democratic Party, The
Japanese Communist Party, The Komeitō
Liberal Democratic Party and other
smaller party.
History of Name and Country:
The Chinese called Japan the land of
sunrise because of being located in
the extreme east of the then populated
8
world. As for the Japanese, they call
their homeland Nippon or Nihon which
means “sun’s source”. It is likely the
source of the name has come from Italian
“Zibango” which Marco Polo traveler
called it after having heard about it during
his travels across China. As regarding
the rise of Japan according to traditional
Japanese myths, it was in the 7th century
before Christ. The Japanese descend from
many peoples that migrated to the islands
of Japan from various parts of Asia.
In mid-sixth century A.D. Japan imposed
Reportage
isolation on itself, closing its borders
before the rest of the world from the fear
of Christian Missionaries and Foreign
influences coming from Europe. Emperor
Iyasu Shogun banned the spread of
Christianity because it constituted a
prelude for a European invasion as took
place with South American countries.
Emperor Shogun expelled the Europeans
and forced Japanese Christians to
abandon their religion, killing anyone
who opposed. He eradicated Christianity
in 1640, but Japan maintained good ties
with the Dutch because they had nothing
to do with Christian missionaries.
But this isolation did not last long. Japan
started opening itself to others, signing a
friendship treaty with The United States
followed by friendship treaties with other
countries Britain, Russia and France.
This openness to others was relative
in the presence of disturbances in the
country which ended at the advent of the
Meiji Period (1868 – 1912). This period
is regarded as the herald of a new era in
Japanese history. The Japanese capital
was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, the
class system was abolished and other
reforms were introduced. Then Japan
entered World War I then World War II
(1939 – 1945) which ended with a human
catastrophe when the American forces
dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, causing a huge destruction
and leading to Japan’s capitulation. After
that, Japan directed its attention to an
industrial and technological renaissance
that made it one of the most important
industrial countries.
History of Islam in Japan:
Japan’s geographical location was a basic
factor in Islam being late to reach it, in
addition to other reasons, although it had
reached China and the Philippines.
The Chinese were the main reason behind
Islam reaching Japan. The Japanese
received their first information from their
Chinese neighbors, and it can be said that
the Japanese had known Islam as a faith
and a system around the year 1871 A.D.
This date marks the first official Islamic
contact with Japan when a Turkish ship
visited a Japanese shore and many of its
crew members perished. The Japanese
government sent one of its ships to carry
the survivors of the ship back to Turkey,
specifically to Istanbul.
After the end of World War I, the Japanese
started their contacts with the Islamic
world when they opened a representative
office in Constantinople. They also sent a
special envoy to Jedda to strengthen their
ties with the Islamic World. A conference
of religions was held in Tokyo in 1336
and was attended by delegates from some
Islamic countries.
The war between the Russians and the
Japanese played an important role in
Japan contacting the Islamic world. Many
Muslims reached it, including AbdulRashid Ibrahim who was expelled from
Russia because of his Islamic activities.
9
Due to his friendship with Gen. Akashi,
he was able to enter Japan in 1324
A.H./1906 A.D.
Muslims’ contacts with Japan increased
after World War I. A Muslim named
Muhammad Abdul-Hayy Qurban came
from Turkistan (or Turkestan, i.e. Turkey)
and was joined by about 600 Muslim
refugees. This is regarded as the first
group arrival of the Muslims in Japan.
From here, we notice the presence of
many Turks in Central Asia. Muhammad
Abdul-Hayy Qurban built the first
mosque in Tokyo in 1357 A.H./1938 A.D.
to which he attached a school for teaching
the Qur’ān. But at the end of World War
II, he was arrested by the Russians who
banished him to Siberia where he died in
1372 A.H./1952 A.D.
After World War II, the Japanese
soldiers returned from the Islamic lands
in southwest Asia, and some of them
embraced Islam during their presence
in those lands, including Omer Bukina.
Add to this other individual efforts that
contributed to the spread of Islam such as
Hajj Omer becoming a Muslim during his
presence in Beijing. He went to Pakistan
then to Venerable Mecca from which
he returned in 1380 A.H./1965 A.D. He
became deeper in his Islamic conviction
and was active in spreading the Islamic
call, founding the Islamic Society in 1385
A.H./1965 A.D.
In the shade of Islamic environments,
Japanese Muslims worked hard to serve
the faith, establishing a private hospital
10
at the hands of Dr. Shawqi Futaki. This
hospital played a very important role
in large numbers of Japanese people
embracing Islam. Then they built another
hospital in the heart of Tokyo, a step
which is regarded as being important and
gigantic in their history.
Islam started spreading noticeably in
Japan particularly in the period extending
from the mid-1980s till now, and the main
factor is the immigration of large numbers
of Muslims to Japan after the first
immigration of Tatar Muslims most of
whom came from Pakistan, Bangladesh,
India and Iran, then from among the
Africans and Turks followed by Arabs.
The main motive behind their immigration
was seeking to make a living, forming a
new social fabric. They married Japanese
women who had accepted Islam, getting
permanent residency statuses and some of
them getting Japanese citizenships.
What also helped expand the circle of
Islam was the presence of an environment
suitable for the dissemination of the call
because the Japanese constitution stresses
the safeguarding of the freedom of belief.
Muslims spread in many Japanese areas
the most important of which are: Tokyo,
Kansai, Osaka, Hiroshima and others.
The atmosphere created particular
Islamic environments for them that
helped them uphold the Islamic rituals,
the most important of which is prayer, so
they built mosques and prayer areas. They
established commercial shops for the sale
of food items that conform to the Islamic
Reportage
Shari’a.
Their
quarters and mosques
became centers for
communication
and for embracing
the new Muslim
converts.
But in 1986 the
Tokyo Mosque was
demolished
and
was rebuilt in mid2000 according to
the Ottoman style,
becoming a high and
beautiful monument,
a
place
sought
by all Japanese
people where they
can
familiarize
themselves
with
Islam. During the
construction of the
Tokyo Mosque, the
Islamic Arab Institute
played an important
role. It received
Muslims during the
Kobe Mosque …the first mosque built in Japan by the Turks in 1935.
five daily prayers and
Eids. The Indonesians
Muslims for learning and worship. Near
absorbed a number of
it, a school was built to educate Muslim
the faithful in their embassy’s prayer area,
children, and other mosques proliferated
and so was the case with the embassies
in several other areas.
of Iran and Malaysia. Thus, the Muslims
One of the important events during this
started building mosques in many
period (1990 – 2001) was a seminar
Japanese areas. For example, they built a
which was held under the slogan
mosque in each of Ebina and Nagoya cities
“Relations between Japan and the Islamic
that became important centers sought by
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World: about 100 years of Islamic History
in Japan”. This seminar was attended by
about seventy Muslim representatives
from neighboring countries in addition
to a large number of educated Japanese.
Valuable researches were submitted,
and the seminar went on for three
days. It brought the Islamic presence
to the forefront, and Japanese officials,
especially those in the Japanese foreign
ministry, welcomed this activity and
demanded to repeat it in order to deepen
the relations between Japan and the
Islamic world.
QUR’ĀN: Japanese Muslims translated
the meanings of the Qur’ n into the
Japanese language. The first translation
was done in the year 1339 A.H./1920
A.D. Then the second translation came up
in the year 1393 A.H./1973 A.D. There is
still an urgent need to distribute copies of
the Holy Qur’ān, translate Islamic culture
books, build schools and provide them
with qualified teachers.
Education:
Muslims learn Islamic teachings at the
Tokyo Mosque and at both Kobe and
Osaka mosques. The Islamic schools are
quite few. The Islamic Arab Institute was
established in Japan, and its activity is
obvious in setting up courses for teaching
Arabic. The Islamic Rawda School was
founded to educate the children and
contribute to granting scholarships to
Muslim students.
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We have to point out that there is no
specific census that reveals the number of
Muslims in Japan where there are more
than a hundred Islamic societies and
congregations as well as scores, if not
hundreds, of mosques and prayer places.
Every day, through these societies,
mosques and prayer places, a large
number of Japanese Muslims embrace
Islam.
Seventeen million Japanese travel abroad
as tourists. Some of them embrace Islam
in Muslim countries, and some of them
embrace it in Europe or in the United
States. Requests come to the Islamic
centers for Islamic books through the
Internet. But observers estimate the
number of Japanese Muslims at about one
hundred thousand and foreign Muslims at
three hundred thousand or more. These
are only estimates, but there is no doubt
that the number of Muslims in Japan is
on the rise, and the people of Japan are
the closest among all nations of the world
to Islam. They respect this religion and
see in it emphasis of their manners and
deeply rooted traditions.
Problems Facing Muslims in Japan:
The most serious problem that faces the
Muslims in Japan is relevant to the sons
and daughters of the second generation.
Mixed marriages between Muslim men
and women on one hand and others on
the other hand play an important role in
the personality of the next generations, in
addition to a scarcity of Islamic schools.
Reportage
Makki Mosque in Tokyo.
This endangers Muslims’ children who
will melt into the non-Islamic society if
there is no way to teach them Islam.
One the biggest worries of Muslims
in Japan, be they Japanese or resident
foreigners, is burying their dead especially
after their presence has become heavy.
The cost of a grave plot in the present
Enzian cemetery, which is now overseen
by the Society of Japan Muslims, is
more than a million yens (more than
ten thousand dollars); therefore, the
Muslims are keen about purchasing a lot
in a governorate that neighbors Tokyo in
13
order to bury the Muslim dead there free
of charge, and they have started a fund
raising community campaign for it.
Post-September 11 Period:
The events of September 11th left a
negative impact on the missionary Islamic
work in Japan on the official level. But it,
on the other hand, stirred many question
marks among the people of Japan who
did not know anything about Islam and
the Islamic world before, so researchers
and thinkers started writing about Islam
and Muslims, analyzing the concepts of
Islamic jihad and martyrdom. Moreover,
there has been an interest in the Holy
Qur’ān which is Islam’s constitution
and the source of the Shari’a (legislative
system). There has been interest in the
biography of the Prophet 6 and in the
period when Islam spread. The field was
entered by thinkers who paid attention to
analyzing the Islamic political thought,
and some Arabic, English and other books
have been translated. Some specialists
formed a team to issue in a single volume
an encyclopedia of modern Islamic
world. Other books have been published,
for example, a book was published in
September of 2002 by a Japanese Muslim
man named Ahmad Suzki titled “What the
Muslims want to Say” in which he talked
about subjects of interest to the Japanese
people about Islam and Muslims because
the Japanese people were looking in
libraries for anything about Islam.
It was only natural for the September
14
11th events and the circumstances that
followed them to push the Muslims who
reside in Japan distantly from the field. It
was difficult for a non-Japanese to enter
this arena due to the heavy propaganda by
the Western news media and its attempt to
link Islam, as a religion, to terrorism.
But this does not mean that the voice of
non-Japanese Muslims was not heard in
the religious address. There are resident
Muslims who settled in Japan, especially
from among the Turkish and Indian
subcontinent communities, and they fully
understand the nature of the people of
Japan and the type of address which is
accepted by circles of this nation.
Official religious organizations in Japan
have been interested in Islam and in
administering an effective dialogue with
Muslim thinkers. An example for this is
the conference which was held in August
2002 in Kyoto city and organized by the
International Board of Religions in Japan
under the label “Dialogue with Islam for
peace.” Everyone was surprised when they
heard an Islamic ideology which totally
differed from what is directly propagated
by scientific services and universities
in non-Islamic world countries about
everything related to Islam.
It is worth mentioning that the Japanese
government has attempted to become
familiar with events’ impacts inside
and outside Japan, trying to enhance its
relations with the Islamic world.
Official and non-official visual news
media in Japan became interested in
Reportage
Tokyo mosque .. The second mosque built in Japan in 1938.
Islam, and the official Japanese television,
NHK World TV (www.nhk.or.jp), started
airing programs to teach Arabic during
the summer season, transmitting other
programs about the Islamic world’s
culture and civilization.
On the other hand, an interest appeared
by the Japanese universities to study
Islam and to encourage students to study
it. Thus, Takushoku University (www.
takushoku-u.ac.jp) in Tokyo established
the Center for Islamic Shari’a Studies in
2000 under the administration of Prof.
Noor ad-Deen Muri. As for the Islamic
press, the Shinpo Muslim newspaper,
which is issued in Japanese every month,
is distributed to Japanese Muslims inside
and outside Japan.
Early Muslims in Japan:
Abdul-Halim Osha Taro Noda: He is
regarded as the first Japanese to accept
Islam, a journalist who took part in
sending relief aid to those in Turkey who
suffered from the Al Togrul shipwreck
tragedy.
Tora Jiurua Yamada: He went to
15
Turkey to assist victims of the shipwreck
of the Al Togrul and lived there for 18
years. He played an important role in
developing Japan’s relations with the
Islamic world.
Ahmad Ariha: He is regarded as the
third Japanese to accept Islam, a famous
businessman who embraced Islam in
India and exerted efforts to introduce
Islam to the Japanese in his own way.
Ahmad al-Jarjawi: He is the first Arab
to set foot in Japan with the intention to
invite its people to Allah and to spread
the light of Islam in it. He visited Japan
in 1906. He is a graduate of Al-Azhar and
owner of a publishing house. He heard
about a conference for religions to be held
in Tokyo, so he went there. On his way,
he met several Muslim personalities who
accompanied him to Japan. He founded a
propagation society in cooperation with
a Japanese man and lived till the year
1961, leaving behind him a book about
his Japanese trip in which he talks about
his trip to Japan which he started from
Egypt.
Prominent Islamic Personalities
Movement:
Ahmad Fadli al-Masri: Ahmad Fadli
was an officer in the Egyptian army who
went to Japan in 1908 and is the first Arab
who married a Muslim Japanese lady.
Abdul-Rasheed Ibrahim: This Tatari
proselyte from Siberia visited Japan in
1909 and died in it in 1944. He was a
scientist, historian, international traveler
16
and a caller to the faith. He wrote a great
book about Japan.
Prof. Molwi Barakatullah Bahulali:
He was a proselyte and a politician
from India who visited Japan in 1909
and founded a chair for administrative
studies at Tokyo University for literary
languages. He participated in issuing the
Muslim Fraternity magazine in Japan.
Hassan Hatalo: He was a famous
Japanese journalist who accepted Islam
at the hands of Muhammed Barakatullah
Bahulali in 1991. Both his wife and
father-in-law were Muslims.
Prof. Kampara: He was a prominent
university professor who embraced
Islam. His father, Shaikh Kampara,
migrated to Najaf al-Ashraf and from
there to Holy Qum in pursuit of religious
sciences.
Early Japanese Pilgrims:
Omar Michu Taro Yama Oka: He
embraced Islam in India and went to
perform the pilgrimage with AbdulRashid Ibrahim. Thus, he is the first
Japanese Muslim to perform the
pilgrimage. He traveled to several
Muslim countries, including Egypt and
Turkey. He wrote many books and died
in his sickness in a hospital at the age of
over 80.
Muhammad Nur Abi Tataka: He
performed the pilgrimage in 1924,
becoming the second Japanese to perform
it. He was a friend of Omar Oka and one
of those who were influenced by the latter.
Reportage
Nakishi Suzuki: He embraced Islam in
Indonesia and performed the rites of the
pilgrimage three times. He wrote a book
titled A Japanese in Mecca. He died in
an accident as the American forces were
bombarding the ship he was boarding
which was heading to Japan in 1945.
Shi`as in Japan:
Shi`as make up a large percentage of
the Muslim Japanese society. The main
reason is that a large number of Japanese
women married Iranian men. This type
of social merger played an important
role in the spread of Shi`ism in Japan.
In Japan, there is the famous HujjatulIslam Ibrahim Suwada who migrated
from his homeland to the holy city of
Qum where he dedicated his time for
seeking religious sciences. He graduated
from the theological seminary (hawza)
in Qum. Shaikh Suwada conducts his
religious activities and disseminates the
knowledge of Ahl al-Bayt G. Shaikh
Suwada also works in the Iranian
Embassy in Tokyo.
Inauguration of First Shite Husainiyya
in Japan:
The first Husainiyya for the Shi`ites
was inaugurated in Japan in the light of
efforts and dedication of a number of
Shi`ites from among Iraqi Kerbala city
residents. “Shia-Online” (www.shiaonline.com) web site has indicated that
an Iraqi Shi`ite who resides in Japan has
said that Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimin
Shaikh Ibrahim Soda Hachaki, one of the
Japanese theologians, has been selected
to be in charge of administering this
Husainiyya.
Islamic Foundation in Japan
Japan Muslims’ Society: The product of
the presence of Japanese Muslims till the
year 1953 is the Japan Muslims’ Society,
the first purely Islamic society founded
by Muslims of the pre-World War II
and those who returned after having
embraced Islam in Indonesia, Malaysia
and China as well as early Japanese
Muslims who are still alive. Its work is
confined to Tokyo. Its present president
is Professor Khalid Hikoji, and among its
members are: Yahya Indo and Nur ad-Din
Muri.
Islamic Center in Japan: The seed of
the Islamic Center in Japan was planted
in the year 1965 when a rented quarter
was inaugurated, but it was shut down six
months later then re-organized under the
name “International Islamic Center” in
March of 1966. It did not have quarters,
and it kept working between low and high
tides till it was reorganized in the year
1974 on stronger foundations. Its name
became “Islamic Center in Japan”, and
it gained the recognition of the Japanese
government as a legitimate religious
organization, and it was registered with
the government offices in the year 1980.
The Islamic Center in Japan, since its
foundation, raised a slogan comprised of
17
- Islamic Call Society
in Osaka (Abdul-Rahim
Yama Koji)
Muslim
Women
Society – Osaka and
Kyoto (Sr. Zeba Komi)
- Arab Culture Society
in Tokyo (Sr. Jamila
Takahashi) in addition
to the Cultural Japanese
Society, the Japanese
Islamic
Conference
which
opened
classes
Hojjatoleslam Late Sheikh Hatashi Sasuke.
for
memorizing
the
Holy
Qur’ān,
the
three points: “The Call-DisseminationJapanese Islamic Center, the Japanese
Coordination”.
Muslim Students Association and the
Islamic Endowment Society in Japan.
Center’s Most Important Achievemnets
During Past Periods:
Thousands of Japanese people were
guided to Islam through this Center,
and it has published more than forty
books and booklets about Islam in the
Japanese language in addition to the
“Salam Magazine” which is published
quarterly in the Japanese language. This
Center is behind the forming of the first
coordination council among Islamic
societies in 1976 and bought a plot on
which it intends to build an Islamic
school.
- Islamic Society in Hokkaido (Abdullah
Arai)
- Islamic Friendship Society in Kyoto
(Ali Kobayashi)
18
Groups Affiliated with Societies
Having Muslim Students and Resident
Muslim Foreigners:
This type spreads all over Japan, and
their numbers are large. Among them
are: Prof. Khalid Kiba (with the Islamic
Center, and he has his own society in
Tokyo-Shiba in Shikoku island), Prof.
Abdul-Jabbar Malda (Islamic Society
in Miyazaki-Kyushu), Br. Muhammad
Sato (with the Islamic Society in Sindai)
and other Japanese personalities and
individuals.
Welcome to Islam
British Actress Inspired by
Prophet’s
(P.B.U.H) Life
Myriam François-Cerrah
Embraces Islam
●
I embraced Islam after
graduating from Cambridge.
Prior to that I was a skeptical
Catholic; a believer in God but
with a mistrust of organized
religion.
The Qur’an was pivotal for me. I first
tried to approach it in anger, as part of
an attempt to prove my Muslim friend
wrong. Later I began reading it with a
more open mind.
The opening of Al Fatiha, with its address
to the whole of mankind, psychologically
stopped me in my tracks. It spoke of
previous scriptures in a way which I
both recognized, but also differed. It
clarified many of the doubts I had about
Christianity. It made me an adult as I
suddenly realized that my destiny and
my actions had consequences for which I
alone would now be held responsible.
In a world governed by relativism, it
outlined objective moral truths and the
foundation of morality. As someone who’d
always had a keen interest in philosophy,
the Qur’an felt like the culmination of all of
this philosophical cogitation. It combined
Kant, Hume, Sartre and Aristotle. It
somehow managed to address and answer
the deep philosophical questions posed over
centuries of human existence and answer its
most fundamental one, ‘why are we here?’
In the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), I
recognized a man who was tasked with a
momentous mission, like his predecessors,
Moses (pbuh), Jesus (pbuh) and Abraham
(pbuh). I had to pick apart much of the
Orientalist libel surrounding him in order
to obtain accurate information, since the
historical relativism which people apply
to some degree when studying other
historical figures, is often completely
19
absent, in what is a clear attempt to
disparage his person.
I think many of my close friends thought
I was going through another phase
and would emerge from the other side
unscathed, not realizing that the change
was much more profound. Some of my
closest friends did their best to support
me and understand my decisions. I have
remained very close to some of my
childhood friends and through them I
recognize the universality of the Divine
message, as God’s values shine through in
the good deeds any human does, Muslim
or not.
I have never seen my conversion as a
‘reaction’ against, or an opposition to my
culture. In contrast, it was a validation
of what I’ve always thought was
praiseworthy, whilst being a guidance
for areas in need of improvement. I also
found many mosques not particularly
welcoming and found the rules and
protocol confusing and stressful. I did
not immediately identify with the Muslim
community. I found many things odd and
many attitudes perplexing. The attention
given to the outward over the inward
continues to trouble me deeply.
There is a need for a confident, articulate
British Muslim identity which can
contribute to the discussions of our time.
Islam is not meant to be an alien religion,
we shouldn’t feel like we’ve lost all trace
of ourselves. Islam is a validation of the
good in us and a means to rectify the bad.
Islam is about always having balance and
20
I think the Prophet’s (pbuh) message was
fundamentally about having balance and
equilibrium in all that we do.
The Prophet’s (pbuh) message was
always that you repel bad with good that
you always respond to evil with good and
always remember that God loves justice so
even when people are committing serious
injustices against you, you have a moral
responsibility and a moral obligation in
front of God to always uphold justice and
never yourself transgress those limits.
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said: ‘Forgive
him who wrongs you. Join him who cuts
you off. Do good to him who does evil
to you and speak the truth even if it be
against yourself.’
Islam’s beauty really becomes to its own
when it becomes manifest and it becomes
manifest when you make it into a tool for
the betterment of society, human kind and
the world.
The ideal from an Islamic perspective
is for ethics to become lived ethics, to
become an applied body of values and
not remain unfortunately as it often is
cloistered in the mosque of somewhere
which is some more divorced from reality.
Myriam Francois-Cerrah became popular
when she was a child for acting in the 90’s
hit film ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ Now she
is gaining more popularity for being one
of a growing number of educated middle
class female converts to Islam in Britain.
She has recently contributed to a series of
videos on Islam produced in the UK titled
(Inspired by Muhammad (pbuh)).
Morals
To Every Husband and Wife
One of the most sacred and biggest
undertakings and the one with the most
serious effect on the lives of nations and
individuals, is the formation of what
is called “The family establishment”,
the outcome of which -and over the
extended centuries-is the thriving
of thousands of human generations
which might be the product of a single
marriage, like the billions of people
who had lived on the face of earth as
a blessing of the first marriage between
our parents Adam and Eve. And how
often the decaying of the relationship
between a specific couple-and the
consequent deficient upbringing-had
resulted in the corruption of a whole
human generation which necessitated
some of the historical disasters, and
how often history has recorded some
of these disasters! Hence, it is not
heretical that we propagandize the
necessity of establishing of specialized
-read or heard-courses to learn the
riddles of this sacred and in the same
time complex, relationship. And it is
known that the secrets of the marriage
of two dissimilar souls are not realized
except by scrupulous observation,
which the couple might not be aware of
until after it is too late and after things
are out of control, by the decaying of
the relationship between the couple
on one side and between them and
the children on the other. Hence, it is
necessary to transfer the wrong and the
right experiences in addition to what
is learned from the Tradition to fortify
the bonds of that noble life…And to the
owners of that “Happy establishment”,
I present these points.
1. The reality of marriage
It must be taken into consideration that
marriage in fact is the intermarriage of
the souls, not just the bodies. For the
Quranic verse deduces that the goal is
the “Reposing” and what is “Set” is
the “Love and mercy”, and it does not
discuss the physical relationship in
a direct way, although the satisfying
of the instinctive (sexual) side is
also a cause of reposing. From this
it becomes known that the spiritual
intermarriage needs a special kind of
maturity, and not attaining the stage
of spiritual majority and maturity in
21
this connection might be a cause of the
relapsing of the marital life even when
committed to some of the external
indications of the Shariah, because the
conventional religious commitment
may not inevitably accompany the stage
of majority and awareness of the details
of marital life. And the books that deal
with the Tradition have devoted large
sections to discussing the value of ! the
mind, which is the resource for majority
and maturity, in man’s nearness to Allah
and even his success in this world and
the hereafter.
2. The wife is needed for many things
The wife is usually needed for many
things like having sexual pleasure,
housekeeping, reproduction and the
company and relaxation. And it is
known that the vigour of the first
decreases with age and the gradual
“setting” of beauty or the man’s finding
of another woman, other than his wife,
whom he can have pleasure with. As for
the second, other people can do it, and
as for the third, it has a time span which
ends by menopause or the husband’s
abandonment of reproduction. And as
for the fourth, it may lose its glitter
through repetition and monotony, for
“Every new thing looks fair”. Hence,
a new element must be added, like
feeling the responsibility towards the
subjects and that Allah has entrusted
the husband for the wife and that he is
22
responsible for her till the end of life,
rather till the Day of Judgement when
one is called upon {And halt them to
be questioned}. And it is related that
the! Prophet (P.U.H.H) had said “The
one who will be seated nearest to me
on the Day of Resurrection, is the most
courteous between you, and I am the
most courteous amongst you to my
family”.
3. Eternity of the marital life
It must be firmly believed that for the
believer, the marital life does not end
by the ending of the lifetime, rather,
the righteous woman joins the husband
with her children (if they are righteous
too) in Paradise and that is according
to Allah’s saying:{Gardens of Eden
which they shall enter; and those who
were righteous of their fathers and their
wives, and their seed}, and also:{Those
who believed, and their seed followed
them in belief, we shall join their seed
with them}. This sense of continuity,
even eternity of the marital life with its
prerequisites, generously allots to the
marital life a bond that does not break
with the progression of time and years.
4. Allah’s blessing to the marital life
One of the most important factors in
the spiritual attraction between the
couple-in addition to their endeavour to
bring about reasons for that attractionis Allah’s blessing to their relationship.
That is why Allah attributes the
composing of the differences to Himself
when both of the couple have the desire
to set things right, as in His saying: {And
if they desire to set things right, Allah
will compose their differences}. For this
reason, the practical straightness in daily
life-inside the marital house and outside
it-necessitates Allah’s mercy upon them
with what it entails of intimacy and
stability of the marital life.
5. The faith, not the person
It is necessary that each one of the couple
looks on to the faith, not the person in
the other because the absence of the
human watcher inside the house and
being alone most of the time, prepares
the ground for assault and exceeding
of the limits, for the awareness of
the divine watching necessitates the
adherence to the limits and restrictions
even if the human watcher is absent,
and Allah has emphasized this state of
watching by saying: {And Allah hears
the two of you conversing together}.
6. Restricting the woman’s movements
It is better-even obligatory in some
cases-to
restricts
the
woman’s
activities, especially if they require
suspicious interaction with men, as
she might lose her dedication to what
is more important and closer to her,
the husband’s and children’s affairs.
And in some cases she might even lose
her femininity through constant close
contact with men, which we clearly
see in some mixed environments,
especially with the weakness of the
religious deterrent. And we should not
forget that “Necessities have their own
laws” except that they should not be
overestimated.
7. The lasting and the changing in
happiness
It ought to be emphasized that the lasting
and the effective factors in the couple’s
happiness is the religious commitment
and the morals, for they are the two
moving elements in regulating the
relation between the couple, rather they
are the two reviving elements which
are not marked as obsolete or old. As
for beauty, it is a relative matter, the
eyes get used to its varying degrees.
Hence, what is needed is an acceptable
degree of harmony in the outside
appearance, and there is no doubt that
going after marriage on religious basis
is what necessitates Allah’s blessing to
that sacred union, as it is observed in
different experiences.
8. The good-looking woman and the
beautiful woman
It ought to be differentiated between
the internal attractiveness (which has
equations not clearly known) and the
external attractiveness. That is why they
differentiate between the beautiful and
the good-looking woman. And it is known
that the first is a kind of charm based on
the internal qualities which, if thoroughly
23
present in someone, Allah the Almighty
would cast his or her love in others’
hearts, as witnessed by the psychic forces.
9. Analogy of education
There is no objection to the marriage
if the couple were exactly or nearly
the same age with some analogy in
education and knowledge, for it is noted
that the wide difference in the education
and knowledge levels of the couple is of
the things which induce disturbance in
the marital life because of the absence
of a common language between them,
which deepens the gap with the tiniest
provocative in the marital life.
10.“The ruins’ green crop”
It is necessary to consider the expression
“The ruins’ green crop” present in
the Tradition (by the Prophet), which
means; The good-looking woman in
the bad medium, because the family
medium plays a vital role in the
woman’s conduct before marriage and
after it as the unconscious influence
of the parents in children’s lives is
undeniable even during the very early
years, just imagine how much more it is
during adolescence and adulthood!
11.Choosing the generation’s tutor
“Choose (a suitable bearer) for your
sperm-drops because blood will tell”.
Therefore, for the welfare of the
generations that will come out of the
marriage, it is necessary to precisely
choose the woman who is the tutor for
24
the coming generations. Accordingly, it
is necessary to look on to the wife as
the tutor of one’s own blood. And the
husband’s love for his descendantswhich is a genuine instinctive matternecessitates the right selection of the
woman who will raise this progeny,
which is considered a kind of an
ongoing almsgiving after death.
12.The guardianship of the husband
The guardianship of the husband does
not mean the unrestricted monopoly and
arbitrariness in running of the family’s
affairs, for the absolute rule is for Allah
The Almighty and whomsoever He
appoints. Therefore, the husband mustas an authorized custodian but not as an
absolute ruler-use that authority within
the vision of the Shariah as it is presented
in the jurisprudence books which is to
the couple’s advantage that they refer to.
13.Transfer of genetic qualities
Some of the moral qualities are
transferred in a compulsory way exactly
as the physical qualities do. Hence,
paying attention to this point makes one
careful in choosing a good plantation in
which there is a few of these negative
hereditary qualities, and it is said that
drinking alcohol for example, has an
effect on generations to come.
14. Reasons of early divorce
Some of the qualities that speed up the
occurrence of marital problems and
divorce are: Hot temperament, hasty
judgment, not feeling the necessity for
ritual worshipping, not being content
with what Allah has apportioned and
envy and desiring what others own.
15. The capability not the wealth
What is important in a husband is his
capability and competence to earn a
living. And beyond that, the actual
wealth is not important because The
Almighty Allah has guarantied, among
other things, enriching the couple, and
that is in His saying:{If they are poor,
Allah will enrich them of His bounty}.
16. Keeping away from sources of
tension
Social relationships ought to be
kept clear of blemishes especially
regarding relatives of the couple and
that is because of the natural presencein some cases-of the grounds for
disagreements, as sometimes seen
between the husband’s relatives on one
side and the wife on the other, for these
tense relations are a source of constant
disturbance in the marital life, and
how often it lead to dismantling of the
marital establishment, especially with
the fighting and the nervousness.
17. Avoiding the time of rage
One of the times in which Satan
overpowers the couple is the time of
rage. In this situation-which is not
uncommon in a marriage-the couple
should avoid taking any decision,
making any action or statement that
deepens the flaw between them causing
grudge and hatred even if they become
reconciled with one another afterwards.
18. Effects of divorce
Threatening to divorce, when the crisis
between the couple aggravates, should
never be thought of let alone said by one
of the parties. For seeing divorce as the
only way out, is not consented to by the
mind or the Shariah, and it has seldom
yielded rest and relief of distress,
especially when the consequences of
this state are reflected upon the children,
in addition to the aggravation of the
psychological state of the couple even
after divorce because this long history
of intimacy-with all its happiness and
sadness-is something that is not omitted
by two words said in front of two
equitable witnesses (of divorce).
19. Avoidance of public disagreement
Disputing and showing of private
marital disagreements in the family
medium, whether it was in the presence
of the relatives or the children, must
be avoided, because the perception,
by the children, of the lack of stability
in their parents’ lives, is one of the
things that shake the sense of security
in the future. Add to that the pervasion
of the unconscious reaction to the
complications of these disputes in
the their lives in the future. As also
the showing of the disagreements in
front of relatives, is something that
25
necessitates some humility to either of
them, one that is not consoled even by
apologizing.
20. Dispute takes away the concentration
The preoccupation of the mind with
the worries and family disputes robs
the mind of the state of concentration
on other vital issues like serving
the believers, guiding the ignorant,
following up the children’s school
performance and ritual worshipping
and doing what will be the provision
in his long and lonely journey which
has always troubled the minds of men
possessed of minds, for endearing to
Allah needs an environment devoid of
blemishes and troubles, especially those
which drive the couple into committing
vices like backbiting, slander and
obscene language.
21. Arbitrating the Shariah
The couple ought to make the Shariah
the judge regarding the disagreement
between them, they do not have the
choice afterwards, and this is the meaning
of The Almighty’s saying: {Until they
make Thee the arbitrator between them}.
Moreover, it is well known that the lack
of this arbitration makes the couple live
in an unending whirlpool, because if
they do not accept the Shariah as the
arbitrator, what is then?!
22. The husband’s securing of the
cost of living.
The wife has to take into account
26
the fact that the husband’s duty is to
secure the expenses of the marital
house and this in turn necessitates
on many occasions entering the life’s
battleground and bearing the worries
of making a living with its disturbances
and agonies. Therefore, the wife must
take into account that this effort must
be rewarded through respect and
preparation of a happy environment,
and also the husband must take into
account that the wife alone carries the
burden of pregnancy and giving birth
to the child who belongs to both of
both.
23. The woman’s making up for the
man
The making up of the woman to the
husband, and mastering of her marital
duties, is one of the elements which
attract the husband towards what
Allah Has made permissible and hence
keeping him away from the forbidden
alternatives, and the same applies to
the husband who usually does not see
himself obliged to make up for the wife,
as if that is exclusive to women.
24. Discussion of issues
It is recommended to specify a day or
a night time to discuss family issues in
a quite and objective way, away from
tension and imposing of opinions, for
the wife has an opinion as does the
husband and it is better to reconcile the
differing opinions when it is possible
to keep away from the negatives of the
imposing of opinion.
25. The husband’s role in guidance
The husband has an important role
in bidding unto good conduct and
forbidding unto bad conduct because of
his distinctive place inside the family.
Moreover, he must not forget this role,
which the Quran urges to practice
through Allah’s saying: {And bid thy
family to pray, and be thou patient in
it}.
26. Discipline is for the benefit of the
couple
Adherence of the couple to the codes
of Shariah concerning looking at
and talking to other women, and also
the wife’s adherence to avoidance
of exciting behaviour to other men,
enforces the integrity of marriage. For
how many times the freeing of oneself
from the religious restraints, on both
sides, necessitated falling into sins
which is equivalent to dealing a fatal
blow to the marital life.
27. Not expecting idealism
The husband must not expect the wife to
be ideal and the reverse applies, because
no one knows everything except Allah
and just as the husband did not marry
the ideal wife, likewise the wife did not
marry the ideal husband. Hence, one of
them might meet, in the course of his
or her life someone who is better for
himself(or herself), but that does not
at all mean that one desires what is not
meant for him.
28. Rules of conduct before and after
marriage
It is recommended that the couple
observe the rules of conduct stated in
the Shariah before intercourse, during
coitus and after conception, at delivery
and even during nursing, because these
rules have major effects on the future
ethical upbringing of the newborn.
29. The wife’s providence
The wife’s good management of the
house’s needs, will spare the husband
a lot of financial consequences, add
to that the avoiding of extravagance
and squandering which have afflicted
affluent societies, both of which
are among the major causes of the
deprivation of blessings.
30. Not delaying apology
The human being is a frequent maker
of mistakes, not impeccable by nature,
male and female alike. Therefore, what
is important in a couple’s relationship is
that each one of them hurries to make the
suitable apology when an intended or an
unintended offence is done, and there
is no doubt that the divine forgiveness
follows clearing of the injustices done
to others, as also hurting the creaturein some cases-hurts The Creator, which
results in Allah’s cursing in this world
and in the hereafter.
27
Our Leaders
How Do We View Hussein (A.S.)
in the Depth of History?
Reviving the memory of Ahlul-Bayt (A) is
not restricted to verbal forms like reciting
poetry, mentioning their good traits,
establishing mourning ceremonies, and so
forth, though each of these represents one
degree of reviving this memory. The most
complete way of reviving their memory
is translate their practical conduct into
our individual and social lives. If people
were aware of their noble words and their
application in the world today, they would
undoubtedly follow them in practice, be
close to them in thought, and be bound to
them in their emotions.
Although crying outwardly appears to
be simply tears running from the eyes, in
reality it is a complicated process that has
roots in the thoughts and in the heart, and it
has outward effects upon the body. Crying
is the result of internal reactions like the
theoretical belief about the sacredness of
the person whose sufferings we cry for, the
one who is connected to the greatest source
of sacredness in existence, Almighty God
Himself. It is likewise the result of reactions
within the heart linked with that belief.
What happened to Imam Hussein (A) on
the day of Ashura was a grave insult to the
message Hussein (A) stood up for, was a
grave insult to the Prophet hood itself, as
Hussein (A) was seeking to reform the
Islamic nation, and it was a grave insult to
the Imamate, as the sufferings that occurred
to him and to his family are unlike any
other in human history!!
28
The rationale of crying is that it is a position
the human being takes apart from the hand
and the tongue to express his opinion about
the details of life. Crying for the Chief of
Martyrs (A) is showing a kind of refusal of
any form of oppression which the Islamic
nation has faced following the disappearance
of the heavenly method which Almighty
God outlined. This method is represented
by the Holy Book, “the rope extended
between the heavens and the earth,” and the
Holy Family, “the rope extended between
the Prophet and his nation.” A tree is known
by its fruits, and the occurrence at Karbala
is the bitter fruit of the evil tree which was
described in the Noble Qur’an.
The natural means for the reform of the
Islamic nation are represented in the
hadiths and the admonitions directed
at the minds and hearts, and those were
given by Ali and Hassan (A). But the
nation had become stupefied and its
will had died to the point that it came
to view Yazid as its Imam. The Chief of
Martyrs described this man thus when
Yazid wrote to Waleed commanding him
to take allegiance from Hussein or to
smite his neck: “We are the Holy Family
of the Prophet, we are the mine of the
message, we are those whom the Angels
visit, by us Allah starts, by us Allah
completes. Yazid is a corrupt man who
drinks alcohol, kills people without right,
and openly practices corruption, and the
likes of me would never give allegiance
to the likes of him!!” There remained no
other means than the sacrifice of blood
so that the nation would be awakened by
the magnitude of this disaster which took
place after the gradual deviations which
accumulated upon it.
We have to view the Imamate as a
comprehensive method in all dimensions.
Here is Hussein (A) who represents one
of the links in this blessed chain -- we see
him at one time in the highest forms of
worship of Almighty God in his prayer
on the Day of Arafah for which there is
no likeness between a human and his
God. We see him another time affirming
the rule of Almighty God on the earth
through his political speeches when he
was leaving Medina. We see him another
time summoning his companions around
him to forge a spiritual bond with God
through his recommendations on the eve
of Ashura. They had the sound of bees on
the eve of Ashura reading the Qur’an, and
the roar of lions on the day of battle!!
The majlis of Imam Hussein (A) is
really like a university that has branches
everywhere – from the largest capitals to
the smallest villages of the countryside.
For this reason, there is no nation so aware
of the history and laws of Sharia like the
followers of the school of Ahlul-Bayt (A)
who enter this university two months out
of the year, from the youngest child to the
oldest man. Aren’t these graduates indebted
to the blessed movement of Hussein (A)?
This movement wasn’t a movement in
history so much as it was a movement for
history! This revolution never called for
outward rule but bore the message that life
be changed by a correct reading of Islam,
which was nearly afflicted with the disease
of previous nations.
There is a connection and harmony
between three groups of ten: the last ten
days of Ramadan, the first ten days of
Dhul-Hijjah, and the first ten days of the
sacred month of Muharram, and these
days together make up one whole month of
every year. We have to take these blessed
ten-day periods distributed throughout
the year as stations upon which to reestablish our connection with Almighty
God. We distance ourselves from Him
with every act of disobedience, and each
of these seasons of renewal are a chance
to compensate for the miles of distance
from God by taking a brave step towards
Him. They are a chance to reconnect with
the method of Ahlul-Bayt (A), for if their
grandfather, the Prophet Mustafa (S), had a
city of knowledge, they alone are its gates!
God has certain bodily and spiritual
punishments, and He doesn’t strike a
person with a punishment worse than a
hardened heart. It is well known that tears
do not dry but by the hardness of the heart,
and the heart doesn’t grow hard but by the
abundance of sins! Hardness of the heart
is a clear sign of ill health in the emotional
faculty of the human being. It is the
worshipper’s responsibility to discover
the reasons for this hardened heart, and if
he doesn’t it will be a great loss. On the
other hand it is a great achievement for
the one who sees upon his chest the medal
of the Prophet (S) attesting to his belief
that the killing of Hussein (A) makes a
heat in the hearts of the believers that can
never be cooled. Have you found this heat
in your heart which shows that it is alive?!
29
Around the World
25 percent of Brussels population is Muslim
More than 250,000 residents out of a total population of one million in Brussels
have Muslim roots, according to a study carried out by the Catholic University
of Louvain in Belgium and published in the Belgian media. The study was
carried out by Felice Dasetto, a sociologist and a professor at the university
who is considered to be an expert in issues relating to Muslims in Belgium.
Brussels the political capital of the European Union accounts for half of the total
number of Muslims in Belgium. The figure puts Belgium among other European
cities with a big Muslim presence like Birmingham in the UK, says the study.
It claims that the Islamic presence is becoming more and more visible in Brussels
with more mosques and minarets, more women wearing a veil and more Muslim
organizations. The study argues that the Islamic faith has the power to mobilize
people to a very big extent, more than for example the Catholic Church or political
parties.
Muslim students in Britain
boycotting lectures on evolution
A growing number of Muslim students at a leading British university are avoiding
lectures on evolution, saying it is contrary to the creationist ideas stated in the Quran.
Professors at the University College London, a leading multidisciplinary
university, have expressed concern over the rising number of biology students
boycotting lectures on Darwinist theories, which forms an important part of
the syllabus, citing their religion, the Daily Mail reported. These students
include three trainee doctors in one of Britain’s leading medical courses.
Muslim opponents to Darwinism maintain that Allah created the world,
mankind and all known species in a single act.
30
Around the World
Australians are being Converted to Islam
by Eating Halal Meat, Claims MP
A WA Liberal MP has claimed Australians are unknowingly being converted to Islam by eating
Halal meat. In a speech to Parliament yesterday, backbencher Luke Simpkins said most Australians
did not know that most of the meat they ate came from animals killed in accordance with Muslim
law. “By having Australians unwittingly eating Halal food we are all one step down the path towards
the conversion, and that is a step we should only make with full knowledge and one that should not
be imposed upon us without us knowing,” Mr. Simpkins told Parliament.
Mr. Simpkins said he had carried out an unofficial survey in his northern-suburbs electorate of
Cowan and had discovered that most meat at major chains such as Coles or Woolworths had been
killed under Halal conditions, but had not been labeled as such.
He tabled a petition demanding that all Halal meat be clearly identified, complaining people could
not buy meat for their “Aussie barbecue” without the influence of the “minority religion”. Mr.
Simpkins said that Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H) had talked of how Islam could be expanded
around the world by getting people to eat Halal meat. “He reportedly said, ‘the non-believers will
become Muslims when, amongst other things, they eat the meat that we have slaughtered’. This is
one of the key aspects to converting non-believers to Islam,” Mr. Simpkins said.
The petition tabled by Mr. Simpkins had been organized by the Barnabas Fund, an organization that
supports Christians living in Muslim countries.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said Opposition Leader Tony Abbott should pull Mr. Simpkins
into line. “All members of Parliament should be looking to promote understanding and harmony
between religions. Mr. Simpkins has done the complete opposite,” he said. Interesting to hear
that Simpkins takes his inspiration from the Barnabas Fund, whose international director Patrick
Sookhdeo has indignantly denied that he is an Islamophobe. Indeed, such is Sookhdeo’s concern
that anyone should mistake him for an anti-Muslim bigot that Islamophoba Watch recently received
an email from the Barnabas Fund threatening to sue us for libel unless we posted a link to the Charity
Commission’s bizarre decision in response to a complaint about Sookhdeo’s booklet Slippery
Slope: the Islamisation of the UK. Perhaps Sookhdeo might like to demonstrate his opposition to
Islamophobia by condemning Simpkins’ paranoid nonsense? Unlikely, I think. You can consult the
Barnabas Fund’s Halal petition here. It states: “The spread of Halal is part of a Muslim commitment
to Islamic mission (dawa) and the Islamisation of non-Muslim societies. The imposition of shariah
practices on non-Muslims may be interpreted as an assertion of Islamic supremacy.”
31
Around the World
Finland: Lack of Islam teachers
A growing number of Muslim students at a leading British university are avoiding
lectures on evolution, saying it is contrary to the creationist ideas stated in the Quran.
A growing number of Muslim students at a leading British university are avoiding
lectures on evolution, saying it is contrary to the creationist ideas stated in the Quran.
Professors at the University College London, a leading multidisciplinary
university, have expressed concern over the rising number of biology students
boycotting lectures on Darwinist theories, which forms an important part of
the syllabus, citing their religion, the Daily Mail reported. These students
include three trainee doctors in one of Britain’s leading medical courses.
Muslim opponents to Darwinism maintain that Allah created the world, mankind
and all known species in a single act.
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