My Hijrah for Allah

A picture and an update...

2009-12-20T08:38:00.005Z

Assalaamu Alaykum everyone,

Sorry been so long getting my blog updated but been uber busy lately with the Da'wah and everything else.

Also had a little illness and a few personal issues but alhamdulillah everything ok.

Right so what is happening?

Well the Da'wah is getting better in my local city, we now have two, sometimes three Dawah stalls in the city centre on Saturdays, and one at least most of the rest of the week.

Quite frankly the other brothers are better at it than us, so got lots to learn from them inshallah. They are also running new muslim classes in one of the local masaajid so when we get a Shahadah we just take them to someone else and know they will be taken care of inshallah.

Tesol course is going well mashallah, it is very hard though as a word of warning for those planning on this course for next year but it is meant to be hard as a Cambridge certified TESOL course is a passport to jobs all over the world Inshallah.

But lots of note taking, two or three hours reading every week, as well as learning all the grammar they no longer teach you in school anymore and on top of that... assignments!

I've done a bit more teaching practice, and although I am a bag of nerves in my head, apparently I come across very calm and gentle and everyone including the other students and teachers say I get things across very well.

Finally here is a picture i lifted from a bnp supporting website... I really liked it. lol.

OK I am leaving the UK, there is a war on and its not allowed to stop here but doesn't mean I cant like the fact the Da'wah is going well and the kuffar are losing not just on the battlefields of Afghanistan but the battlefields in the hearts and minds of the British public.

Assalaamu alaykum,

Abu Abillah

November's Uncle Tom Award goes to...

2009-11-29T09:45:00.005Z

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari MBE!

Member of the Order of the British Empire and
Secretary General of the Munafiq council of Britain.

Here is a picture of the man in question,

Now why is this man a house negro, an uncle tom?

Here is a letter he wrote recently to the Guardian newspaper which will explain all...

Nick Cohen ("Where are all these miltant atheists ruining Britain?", Comment) uses his lament on the "powerful role of faith" in our progressive society to recycle hackneyed and tenuous accusations that the Muslim Council of Britain is extremist and condones attacks on the armed forces. All of them are disproved by our record.

The Muslim Council of Britain has been a strong supporter of the armed forces and has initiated drives for more Muslim recruitment.

Long before it was fashionable to speak out against terrorism, the MCB did just that and led the way in calling for greater vigilance in our community. Moreover, the MCB has consistently campaigned for greater equality of all Britons, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. The Muslim Council of Britain is an umbrella body that is inclusive of Islam's rich traditions and tendencies. Sunni, Shia, Sufi and Salafi groups are affiliated to the MCB. Mr Cohen is upset because of the MCB's refusal to favour one tendency, Sufi, over the other, "Islamist", itself a contested term. We are a non-partisan body and will be encouraging Muslims to take part in our democracy and vote according to their needs. Of course, we will continue to raise issues that affect our community, but we will do so, as we always have, by engaging with fellow Britons and seeking the common good.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari
secretary general The Muslim Council of Britain London E1

As you can see Abdul Bari openly encourages people to side with the kuffar against the Muslims, this is a clear act of apostasy and as such he worse then even the rest of the Munafiq council of Britain.

He also states he encourages people to vote, seeing nothing wrong with this when Allah states in Surah Yusuf that only he has the right to legislate and elsewhere in the Quran calls the one who rules by other than Allah reveals a Kaffir.

So hope you enjoy your awards from the Kuffar Abdul Bari, Allah is watching all of us and you need to turn back to Islam, hand your little cross back to the palace and fear Allah in what you say and do because by your own statements you are clearly outside the fold of Islam.

Ibn al-Uthaymeen - "They (modern rulers) Deserve to be Rebelled against..."

2009-11-24T17:19:00.001Z

Watch the video. Enough said.

Takfir, Ignorance, and Aiding the Kuffar

2009-11-23T19:37:00.000Z

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

All Praise and All Thanks are for Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to whom we shall all return to be judged on The Last Day.

"From each and every direction He has the power to deliver misfortune to you - to sow confusion and dissension among you. Thus do We reveal our Signs, that you might understand them." 6:65 Interpretation of Meaning

What is Takfir?

Takfir is declaring an individual, previously known to be or considered to be Muslim, to be a kaffir, an unbeliever. Takfir can also be declared upon a group. Thus, the individual or group are no longer part of the Ummah.

Caution Regarding Takfir:

Takfir is a serious issue, since it was authentically reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"If someone accuses someone of Fusuq or Kufr, such an accusation will be returned to be upon he [who so accused] if that accusation is false." Narrated Abu Dhar. Bukhari: Vol 8, Book 73, number 71

Thus, for such a declaration, there must be proof. According to Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (Rahimullah):

"The person will only be outside Islam when there is no doubt because there is proof against him." [Majamu Al-Fatwa 12, 467.]

Furthermore, for a Muslim to become a kaffir, it is agreed that the person either commits one of the acts which expels the Muslim from the Ummah - such as mocking the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - or that the person must have chosen kufr (refer to al-Qurtubi: al-Jamia li Ahkamul Quran, 7/6128) in which case if a Muslim of little or no knowledge does something out of ignorance then that Muslim does not become a kaffir, for Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"There shall be the Mercy of Allah upon those who err from ignorance if they, and swiftly, regret such error." 4:17 Interpretation of Meaning

Thus, if a Muslim we know makes some mistake, or errs, then Adab Al-Islam requires us - gently and with humility (and if possible in private) - to draw the attention of that Muslim to such a mistake or error. It was reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"There is no Believer who does not make an error sometimes, or who does not make some mistake which they persist in and do not abandon until they leave this world. For, in truth, the Believer was created to be frequently tried and tested: someone who often regrets (then) forgets, again. But when corrected, they correct themselves." Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Mujamul Kabir (no. 11,810); hasan.

Issues Regarding Takfir - Aiding the Kuffar:

1) For takfir to be declared, the nullifiers of Islam must be known. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Allah does not lead a people astray after His guidance has been given until He makes clear to them wherein error lies." 9: 115 Interpretation of Meaning

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab - Rahimahullah - gathered ten actions that negate one's Islam (Nawaqid ul-Ashr), the eighth one of which states: "Assisting the disbelievers (against the believers) (Mudhaharatul Mushrikeen) and supporting them against the believers is one of the actions that negates of one's Islam..." Thus, it is generally and widely known that one of these nullifiers of one's Islam is supporting, aiding or allying with the kuffar against the Muslims. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Obey, follow and give allegiance only to that brought to you from your Sustainer, and do not obey, nor follow nor give allegiance to those who are Awliya' besides Him." 7:3 Interpretation of Meaning

"You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with and loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), even if they are their fathers or their sons or their kindred..." 58:22 Interpretation of the meaning

In addition, as Sheikh Abdullah ibn Humaid said:

"Whoever expresses Tawalli towards the disbelievers (Tawalli Kuffar) and supports and helps them against the believers, then such constitutes apostasy by one's (proceeding) actions. It is obligatory to apply the rules of apostasy upon such a person as is proved by The Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars." Ad-Durrar 15/479

Furthermore, Sheikh Abdul Latif bin Abdur Rahman bin Hassan Aal-Sheikh said:

"Whomsoever helps the disbelievers or brings them to the country of Ahl Al-Islam, then that person is clearly an apostate." Ad-Durrar 8/326

Also, as Sheikh Safar bin 'Abdir-Rahmaan al-Hawaali said:

"Aiding the Non-Muslims over Muslims - no matter which form of aid or co-operation it be, even if it is merely in speech - this is clear Kufr and sheer hypocrisy. The one who does this has perpetrated one of the actions which negates Islam, as has been specifically stated by the Imams of the Dawah and others, and such a person is not a believer in the Aqeedah of al-Wala and al-Bara."

Thus, we should be in no doubt that if a Muslim chooses to aid, ally themselves with, the kuffar against the Muslims then they have negated their Islam.

2) Since we judge someone by what is apparent, it is apparent that if a Muslim joins the Armed Forces or the Police of the kuffar, and wears the uniform of the kuffar, then they have sworn allegiance to the kuffar and/or to some Taghut of the kuffar - such as a President, some nation-State, or some kaffir leader - since such allegiance is a necessary part of joining and belonging to such kaffir organizations. In addition, a Muslim pledges thereby to uphold the fallible manufactured laws of the kuffar and to obey the kuffar.

Thus, by doing such things the person in question has made a knowing and willing choice, for they know and accept that such kaffir organizations have aided and do aid the kuffar over and above Muslims; that they place and value kaffir manufactured laws above Shariah, and have imprisoned Muslims, invaded and occupied Muslim lands; killed and tortured and humiliated Muslims. Furthermore, for a Muslim, allegiance, submission and obedience can only be to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, for that is Eeman, which is manifest by:

"Those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, who are steadfast, and who strive with their wealth and their lives for the Way of Allah." 49:15 Interpretation of Meaning

However, instead of only striving for the Way of Allah, to raise the Word of Allah, those individuals who ally themselves with the kuffar are striving in the way of the kuffar, for the Taghut of the kuffar, in order to establish the Taghut of the kuffar - such as "democracy" and the nation-State and the implementation of manufactured kaffir laws in place of Shariah. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Allah is the Wali of those who believe: from darkness, He leads them into the light, while those do not believe have, as their Wali, their Taghut so that they are led from light into darkness. For them, there is the Fire, where they shall dwell forever." 2: 257 Interpretation of Meaning

"Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut. So therefore fight against those friends of Shaitaan." 4: 76 Interpretation of Meaning

"Their way is to refer matters to a Taghut. " 4:60 Interpretation of Meaning

3) Thus, we can state that takfir can - and should - be made upon those who have given their allegiance to the organizations of the kuffar, for these organizations are based upon Tawagheet and are striving through force, or persuasion, or both, to have people submit to such Tawagheet, just as such organizations demand loyalty to such Tawagheet, judge by such Tawagheet, and just as they are striving against Deen Al-Islam and Muslims who, in obedience to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, refuse to bow down to and accept such Tawagheet.

"The words of your Rabb are complete, perfect - manifesting truth, justice, and nothing shall ever abrogate them." 6:115 Interpretation of Meaning

May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala protect us from all forms of Al-asabiyyah Al-Jahiliyyah, forgive us for our mistakes, and guide us to and keep us on the Right Path.

Abdul-Aziz ibn Myatt
1 Safar 1428

From Neo-Nazi to Muslim

2009-11-21T01:09:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Here is an excellent reversion story for you all to enjoy, just to show that no matter how far someone has gone into Jahiliyyah, Allah may bring them out again.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

"And remember Allah's blessing upon you when you were enemies, and He brought your hearts together, so that by His blessing you became brothers." Quran 3:103 Interpretation of Meaning

Islam - submission to the will of Allah. I converted to Islam because there came a time when both my mind and my heart accepted that there was no god but Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and that Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was His Messenger. All that I had believed and upheld before this conversion is at worst wrong, and at best irrelevant. My duty now, the purpose of my life, is to submit to the will of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala - to live, InshaAllah, as a Muslim in the way that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala has decreed, through His Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). One of the many wonderful things which occurred on the day I converted was when the Imaam of the Mosque explained that by accepting Islam I had begun a new life - Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala had forgiven me my past, and it was as if I started my life again with my Book of Life, the record of my deeds, empty.

"It is not for the believer - man or woman - when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, that they should have any option in their decision. For whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed strayed into plain error." 33:36 Interpretation of Meaning

Thus did I acquire a new life, a new identity - for I am a Muslim, and all Muslims are my brothers, wherever they happen to live, and whatever race they are said to belong to. How was it that I, a Westerner with a history of over twenty-five years of political involvement in extreme "right-wing" organizations - a former leader of the political wing of the neo-Nazi group Combat 18 - came to be standing one Sunday outside a Mosque with a sincere desire to go inside and convert to Islam? The simple answer is that it was the guidance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala - He guided me there. As for my political past, it belongs to the past. All I can and should do, as a Muslim, is to trust in Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, The Most Merciful, He Who Often Forgives.

In terms of the 'Western' explanation that most Westerners will seek in order to try and understand my conversion, I suppose my journey toward Islam began when I first went to Egypt - over ten years before my reversion to Islam - and, as a tourist, visited a Mosque. The Adhan - the call to prayer - had begun and I was struck by its beauty. It is fair to say my heart responded to it in a way that, at the time, I did not understand. Then, I knew little about Islam, and at that time I did not investigate it further, returning to my life in England, and my political activities. Yet something of that moment of beauty stayed with me, in the months after my visit - as did the image of the Sun rising in Cairo over the minaret, the dome, of a Mosque as I cycled along the dusty road from the airport toward the city, heading for the desert.

Less than a year later, I returned to Cairo with my wife. We spent two weeks travelling, visiting the usual tourist sites - but it was "Islamic" Cairo that we both enjoyed the most, and we spent several days wandering around there, she suitably and modestly attired (in a garment she had made herself) and I with my Tweed cap, long baggy trousers and rather bushy red beard. Everywhere we were greeted with friendliness, and I was in some ways sad to leave, although I did not know then why I felt sad. I did not at that time make any connection between the way I felt, and Islam, even though I once had spent an hour or so outside a Mosque waiting to hear the Adhan again and even though, while browsing in a bookshop in Cairo, I had bought a copy of an English interpretation of the Quran. I just felt, vaguely, that I wanted to know more about the people and what I considered was their culture. My wife (who did not share my political views) and I even took to eating, while there, with only our right hands so as not to give offence, for, like her, I considered that manners were important, and - unlike her - part of being English, as if the English had some kind of monopoly on manners.

The next year, we returned to Egypt again, as we returned the year after that, although two months after our last visit my wife fell ill, to die six weeks later of cancer. Yet each time we returned to Egypt we both learnt a little more about the people, and what I still regarded as their culture, and each time, after our visits, we returned to our English way of life: she to her rather quiet, unassuming, life and I to my political activities and my pride in being English. In those days, I believed that it was our nation, our national culture, which defined us and which therefore was of supreme importance, and I felt I had a duty to fight to preserve this culture, and the identity I assumed went with it. Thus, I was staunchly - and in the previous decade, violently - opposed to non-White immigration into Britain and had twice been jailed for violence in pursuit of my political aims. In addition, I regarded Western culture, and what I called Western civilization, as superior to any other, and was very proud to be English. Had we not built the greatest Empire, the most civilized Empire, the world had ever seen? For over two decades I had been active in various nationalist political organizations, and various para-military groups, as I had written several articles, and essays, about nationalism and National-Socialism. Indeed, it is true to say that I was a National-Socialist - a nazi; someone who admired Adolf Hitler and who sincerely believed that he had created a good, and honourable, society for the German people, and that a campaign of lies, disinformation and propaganda had been directed at him, and at National-Socialist Germany. I really did regard him as a good man, an honourable man, just as I strived, in my own way, to be honourable - to do my duty to my people, my nation, believing that sometimes hard choices, hard decisions, have to made and that violence was justified, and indeed necessary, to achieve my political aims, for how else could our nation, our race, be saved?

Not long after the death of my wife, I went back to Egypt - to wander into the desert, and to find a kind of peace there. Back in Cairo, an Egyptian I had met invited me into his home and I spent a very happy evening there. We talked, briefly, about Islam, but I was too enwrapped in my own life, my own personal concerns, to discus the matter further. But the people, the sights, the sounds, the smells of Egypt - the sound of the Adhan - lingered in my memory, month after month, following my return to England.

It was around that time that the violent National-Socialist group Combat 18 came to public attention, and I enthusiastically helped them for over three years - often by writing racist articles; often by giving speeches and attending various events. And yet I could never quite forget the sound of the Adhan, the feeling of being alone in the desert and what I can only describe as the wonder of Islam. It was as if I had caught a glimpse of something strange, and beautiful: a fleeting memory of another world; a memory of something sublime, sacred, which made my own life, and especially my own political aims and views, seem small, insignificant, and maybe even unethical.

Years ago I had experienced - or believed I had experienced - something of the divine, the sacred. This was when - following my release from my second term of imprisonment for violence - I went on a retreat in a Nazarene monastery, following many months of thinking about politics, religion, and life in general. I eventually stayed two years at the monastery, becoming a monk - more drifting into it, than out of conviction. Toward the end of my time as a monk I began to believe that I was shirking what I still regarded as my duty to create a better world, by means of politics. Thus I left, to travel and wander for a while, before returning to nationalist politics, to my pride in being English.

It was during my time with Combat 18 that I decided to return to Egypt. It was an Egypt-Air flight, and I spent well over an hour listening to the Quran, which I found was being broadcast on one of the channels of the "in-flight" entertainment system. Immediately, in Cairo, I felt at home, at ease, and I really did sense, then, that I belonged in such a place with minarets and the Adhan around me. I have always loathed cities and large towns - but Cairo was somehow different. I liked it (and still do) - despite the overcrowding, the noise, the traffic, and it was during this visit that I began to appreciate the difference between Arab nationalism, and Islam, for I talked to several Egyptians, and several Muslims, about their land, about Islam, about life in general.

I returned to England to find bad-manners, arrogance, materialism, decadence, and for the first time in my life I did not really feel comfortable among my own people. But gradually, over the coming months, the feeling faded, and I continued with my political work - believing I could and should make a difference; that the answers of nationalism and National-Socialism were right. For I was still in thrall to my own ego, my own Western way of life.

Reversion to Islam:

My conversion/reversion really begin when I started a new job, working long hours on a farm, often by myself. This followed my arrest by a special Police team from Scotland Yard who were investigating me for incitement to racial hatred, and conspiracy and incitement to murder. Prior to my arrest, the founder and first leader of Combat 18, and one of his close friends, had been arrested for murder, and both of them would be convicted of murder and sentenced to many years in Prison.

I was released, while the Police tried to find sufficient evidence to convict me in British Court of Law. In the end, they would spend over three years trying to gather this evidence, and their investigation involved the Police forces, and the intelligence services, of Canada, France, and the United States. I was arrogantly determined to continue my political work and that of Combat 18, but I was losing my enthusiasm - not because of my arrest, or my pending trial, or anything similar, but rather because I had glimpsed that other world again: the world of the divine, of God. The world that I felt on hearing the Adhan; that I felt on hearing the Quran on my flight to Egypt; the world I felt when alone in the desert, knowing how close I was to death, how slender was my own thread of life. It was as if in the desert, on hearing the Adhan, on hearing the Quran, on talking with a well-mannered Muslim, I felt the reality of God.

"Allah (alone) has power over, and is the (sole) master of, all things. The creations in Heaven and Earth, the very change of Night to Day, are Signs for those gifted with intelligence, those who whether sitting, standing or reclining on their sides, give praise to Allah and who frequently recall these creations in Heaven and Earth, (saying): 'You who are our Rabb - You created all these things for a purpose; the achievement is Yours alone.' " 3:189-191 Interpretation of Meaning

"This present life is only like water which We send down from the clouds so that the luxuriant herbage sustaining man and beast may grow; until when the Earth puts on its lovely garment and becomes adorned, and its people believe that they are its masters - down then comes Our scourge upon it by night or in broad day, laying it waste as though it had not blossomed yesterday. Thus We make plain our Signs to thoughtful men." 10: 24-25 Interpretation of meaning

The close contact with Nature I encountered on the farm, the toil of manual labour, really did restore my soul, my humanity, and I became slowly aware, over a period of many months, of the Oneness of the Cosmos and of how I was but part of this wonderful Order which I felt God had created. In my heart and in my mind I was began to feel that this Order had not arisen by chance - it was created, as I myself was created for a purpose. I felt the truth of the one and only Creator in my heart and in my mind. For the first time in my life, I felt truly humble. Then, as if by chance (but I assume it was the guidance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) I took from my bookcase one of the copies of the Quran I had bought after one of my visits to Egypt. I began to read it properly - before, I had merely "dipped into it", reading a few verses, here and there. What I found was logic, reason, truth, revelation, justice, humanity and beauty. Then, with a desire to find out more about Islam, I "surfed the Internet" for Islamic sites. I found one with audio files of Adhan and Salat and Suras from the Quran. Again, my heart responded. There was no need for words.

In the next few days I found more web-sites as I read all I could about Islamic beliefs, travelling to Oxford, and London, to find books about Islam. Stripped of my prejudices, my arrogance, my belief in Western superiority, here was everything that I myself felt, and always had felt in my heart to be true: dignity, honour, trust, justice, community, truth, an awareness of God on a daily basis, the need to be self-disciplined, the spiritual way before materialism, and the recognition of how we, as individuals, are subservient to God. I marvelled at the life of Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and at the spread of Islam - at how those early Muslims, once "rough and ready" nomads, had through only the words, deeds and revelations of the Prophet, created perhaps the most civilized civilization there has ever been. I became enthralled reading about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), for there was something remarkable here: he seemed to represent everything I felt in my heart and my mind to be noble and civilized. In fact, he seemed to me to be the perfect human being: the perfect example to follow.

The more I discovered about Islam, the more it answered all the doubts, all the questions, of my past thirty years. It really did feel as if I had "come home" - as if I had at last found myself, as if I could see things clearly for perhaps the first time. Now, I would sit for hours listening to recordings of the Adhan and the Quran in Arabic. Truly, here - I felt - in Islam was the numinous, the sacred; the way for us to become, to behave like, civilized human beings.

Thus, my own conversion became not a question, but a duty. For I had found and accepted the truth that there was no god but Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and that Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was His Messenger.

So it was that I came, on Sunday morning, to be standing outside a Mosque with the sincere intention of converting to Islam. For nearly half an hour I hesitated - for these were the people who, twenty five or more years ago, I had been fighting, on the streets. These were the people I had swore at and had used violence against - indeed, one of my terms of imprisonment was a result of me leading a gang of skinheads in a fight against "Pakis". These were the people I had spent thirty years trying to get out of Britain. How would they react to the former leader of the neo-nazi NSM walking into "their" Mosque?

At first when I, very nervously, entered there seemed to be no one around. Out of respect, I removed my shoes and knocked on an inner door. The Imaam opened it - but he could not speak English, and I tried to say something in Arabic but the only thing that made sense was Shahadah. Soon, someone was fetched, who translated, and the Imaam embraced me. They were so pleased and so friendly - so brotherly - that it brings tears to my eyes now as I remember it, and I thank Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala that I found the true Way in the end.

Nationalism, Race and Islam:

Prior to my reversion to Islam, I had a great pride in what I regarded as my own culture, my own people, my English ancestry, and my own nation. Indeed, it is true to say that I regarded what I termed the "Aryan" peoples of the world - and the civilizations I believed they had created - as superior. Furthermore, I believed that "race" and "nation" were important, and worth fighting for and - if necessary - dying for. I also defined myself through such things - considering myself an Englishman with a great heritage.

Now, I know I am a Muslim - that is, I look to Islam, to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and His Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to provide me with all the answers, the identity, I need. I define myself in terms of submission, in terms of obedience to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and His Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - for my Shahadah was and is a life-long oath of obedience and loyalty to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and His Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Thus, I am duty-bound, honour-bound, to obey them. I have no choice - I do not want a choice, for as Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"It is not for the believer - man or woman - when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, that they should have any option in their decision. For whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed strayed into plain error." 33:36 Interpretation of Meaning

Thus, I now know and understand that, for a Muslim, such things as "race" and "nation" and one's ancestral culture, are not important. Indeed, they are 'Asabiyyah. As I wrote in my essay Nationalism, Race, Culture and Islam:

"Asabiyyah is a loyalty to, or a feeling of kinship with and a belonging to, some group, or grouping, distinguished as that grouping is by some criteria established by some person, or idea, or non-Islamic way. 'Asabiyyah is a dividing or division of people according to limits, or boundaries, or standards which are not Islamic. Why are they not Islamic? Because these limits, boundaries or standards do not derive from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala but instead belong to Jahilliyah, the Ages of Ignorance. In addition, 'asabiyyah demands or implies two things: first, obedience and loyalty to other than Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and such loyalty obedience is at best ignorance, and at worst a setting up of some idea, or ideal, or way, or loyalty, or group to compete with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala; second, 'asabiyyah demands or implies judging others and ourselves by other than what Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala has revealed."

It is Islam which is my culture and which is sufficient for me; it is Adhab Al-Islam which shows me how to behave, in private and in public - not the traditions of my ancestors; not the so-called culture of the West. Now, all Muslims are my brothers and sisters, regardless of the colour of their skin, regardless of where they were born or who their parents were. For me, this is one of the great beauties of Islam - a source of our strength and our unity. As I wrote in another essay:

“Since reverting to Deen Al-Islam, Alhamdulillah, I accept that all Muslims, whatever "race" they may be deemed to be, are my brothers and sisters and that the only distinction we Muslims should make is between Muslims and the kuffar.

Our aim is to obey and submit to only Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala - racial separation is a Taghut which many of the kuffar, in their ignorance, see as a worthy cause, a worthy goal, just as many of these kuffar judge people according to their alleged or presumed "ethnic origin" and give their loyalty and allegiance and obedience to a cause, or some organization, or some person, who seeks to separate and judge people according to their alleged or presumed "ethnic origin".

The criteria we use to judge someone - the criteria we should use, for example, to find a good wife or husband, the criteria for friendship - is the criteria of Taqwa, of obedience to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, of being Muslim. The assumed or presumed "ethnic origin" of the person is irrelevant, as is the culture of their ancestors, as is the place of their birth.

To make things perfectly clear - I reject nationalism, racism, racial separation and the ideas and concepts which underlie them and the behaviour and attitudes which accompanies a belief in them, regarding these things as incompatible with Deen Al-Islam.” (Questions For Abdul-Aziz ibn Myatt)

Narrated By Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allah, Tabarak wa'tala, has removed from you the pride of Jahilliyah and its boasting about ancestors. A person can be either an honourable believer or an ignoble sinner. You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people cease to boast about their kin and kin-folk." Abu Dawud, Book 36, 5097

"Those who have experienced the beauty that is Al-Eeman are those who are content with Allah as their Rabb, with Al-Islam as their Way of Life, and with Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) as their Messenger and Prophet." Narrated Al-'Abbaas bin 'Abd Al-Muttalib (Shahih Muslim)

Abdul-Aziz ibn Myatt
(David Myatt)
5 Rabi Awal 1427
(Revised 2 Shaban 1428)

Takfir, Ignorance, and Aiding the Kuffar

2009-11-21T00:44:00.003Z

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

Takfir, Ignorance, and Aiding the Kuffar

All Praise and All Thanks are for Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to whom we shall all return to be judged on The Last Day.

"From each and every direction He has the power to deliver misfortune to you - to sow confusion and dissension among you. Thus do We reveal our Signs, that you might understand them." 6:65 Interpretation of Meaning

What is Takfir?

Takfir is declaring an individual, previously known to be or considered to be Muslim, to be a kaffir, an unbeliever. Takfir can also be declared upon a group. Thus, the individual or group are no longer part of the Ummah.

Caution Regarding Takfir:

Takfir is a serious issue, since it was authentically reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"If someone accuses someone of Fusuq or Kufr, such an accusation will be returned to be upon he [who so accused] if that accusation is false." Narrated Abu Dhar. Bukhari: Vol 8, Book 73, number 71

Thus, for such a declaration, there must be proof. According to Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (Rahimullah):

"The person will only be outside Islam when there is no doubt because there is proof against him." [Majamu Al-Fatwa 12, 467.]

Furthermore, for a Muslim to become a kaffir, it is agreed that the person either commits one of the acts which expels the Muslim from the Ummah - such as mocking the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - or that the person must have chosen kufr (refer to al-Qurtubi: al-Jamia li Ahkamul Quran, 7/6128) in which case if a Muslim of little or no knowledge does something out of ignorance then that Muslim does not become a kaffir, for Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"There shall be the Mercy of Allah upon those who err from ignorance if they, and swiftly, regret such error." 4:17 Interpretation of Meaning

Thus, if a Muslim we know makes some mistake, or errs, then Adab Al-Islam requires us - gently and with humility (and if possible in private) - to draw the attention of that Muslim to such a mistake or error. It was reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"There is no Believer who does not make an error sometimes, or who does not make some mistake which they persist in and do not abandon until they leave this world. For, in truth, the Believer was created to be frequently tried and tested: someone who often regrets (then) forgets, again. But when corrected, they correct themselves." Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Mujamul Kabir (no. 11,810); hasan.

Issues Regarding Takfir - Aiding the Kuffar:

1) For takfir to be declared, the nullifiers of Islam must be known. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Allah does not lead a people astray after His guidance has been given until He makes clear to them wherein error lies." 9: 115 Interpretation of Meaning

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab - Rahimahullah - gathered ten actions that negate one's Islam (Nawaqid ul-Ashr), the eighth one of which states: "Assisting the disbelievers (against the believers) (Mudhaharatul Mushrikeen) and supporting them against the believers is one of the actions that negates of one's Islam..."

Thus, it is generally and widely known that one of these nullifiers of one's Islam is supporting, aiding or allying with the kuffar against the Muslims. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Obey, follow and give allegiance only to that brought to you from your Sustainer, and do not obey, nor follow nor give allegiance to those who are Awliya' besides Him." 7:3 Interpretation of Meaning

"You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with and loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), even if they are their fathers or their sons or their kindred..." 58:22 Interpretation of the meaning

In addition, as Sheikh Abdullah ibn Humaid said:

"Whoever expresses Tawalli towards the disbelievers (Tawalli Kuffar) and supports and helps them against the believers, then such constitutes apostasy by one's (proceeding) actions. It is obligatory to apply the rules of apostasy upon such a person as is proved by The Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars." Ad-Durrar 15/479

Furthermore, Sheikh Abdul Latif bin Abdur Rahman bin Hassan Aal-Sheikh said:

"Whomsoever helps the disbelievers or brings them to the country of Ahl Al-Islam, then that person is clearly an apostate." Ad-Durrar 8/326

Also, as Sheikh Safar bin 'Abdir-Rahmaan al-Hawaali said:

"Aiding the Non-Muslims over Muslims - no matter which form of aid or co-operation it be, even if it is merely in speech - this is clear Kufr and sheer hypocrisy. The one who does this has perpetrated one of the actions which negates Islam, as has been specifically stated by the Imams of the Dawah and others, and such a person is not a believer in the Aqeedah of al-Wala and al-Bara."

Thus, we should be in no doubt that if a Muslim chooses to aid, ally themselves with, the kuffar against the Muslims then they have negated their Islam.

2) Since we judge someone by what is apparent, it is apparent that if a Muslim joins the Armed Forces or the Police of the kuffar, and wears the uniform of the kuffar, then they have sworn allegiance to the kuffar and/or to some Taghut of the kuffar - such as a President, some nation-State, or some kaffir leader - since such allegiance is a necessary part of joining and belonging to such kaffir organizations. In addition, a Muslim pledges thereby to uphold the fallible manufactured laws of the kuffar and to obey the kuffar.

Thus, by doing such things the person in question has made a knowing and willing choice, for they know and accept that such kaffir organizations have aided and do aid the kuffar over and above Muslims; that they place and value kaffir manufactured laws above Shariah, and have imprisoned Muslims, invaded and occupied Muslim lands; killed and tortured and humiliated Muslims. Furthermore, for a Muslim, allegiance, submission and obedience can only be to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, for that is Eeman, which is manifest by:

"Those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, who are steadfast, and who strive with their wealth and their lives for the Way of Allah." 49:15 Interpretation of Meaning

However, instead of only striving for the Way of Allah, to raise the Word of Allah, those individuals who ally themselves with the kuffar are striving in the way of the kuffar, for the Taghut of the kuffar, in order to establish the Taghut of the kuffar - such as "democracy" and the nation-State and the implementation of manufactured kaffir laws in place of Shariah. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

"Allah is the Wali of those who believe: from darkness, He leads them into the light, while those do not believe have, as their Wali, their Taghut so that they are led from light into darkness. For them, there is the Fire, where they shall dwell forever." 2: 257 Interpretation of Meaning

"Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut. So therefore fight against those friends of Shaitaan." 4: 76 Interpretation of Meaning

"Their way is to refer matters to a Taghut. " 4:60 Interpretation of Meaning

3) Thus, we can state that takfir can - and should - be made upon those who have given their allegiance to the organizations of the kuffar, for these organizations are based upon Tawagheet and are striving through force, or persuasion, or both, to have people submit to such Tawagheet, just as such organizations demand loyalty to such Tawagheet, judge by such Tawagheet, and just as they are striving against Deen Al-Islam and Muslims who, in obedience to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, refuse to bow down to and accept such Tawagheet.

"The words of your Rabb are complete, perfect - manifesting truth, justice, and nothing shall ever abrogate them." 6:115 Interpretation of Meaning

May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala protect us from all forms of Al-asabiyyah Al-Jahiliyyah, forgive us for our mistakes, and guide us to and keep us on the Right Path.

Abdul-Aziz ibn Myatt
1 Safar 1428

Fort Hood shooting: 13 killed and 30 injured at US Army base

2009-11-06T08:10:00.000Z

A US army officer called Major Malik Nadal Hasan has been named as the man responsible for killing 13 people and injuring 30 more in a mass shooting at a Texas military base.

By Nick Allen, in Los Angeles
Published: 7:18AM GMT 06 Nov 2009, Daily Telegraph Newspaper

Major Hasan, a military psychiatrist who had allegedly called for Muslims to attack Americans over the Iraq war, is critically ill and under guard in hospital.

The authorities initially believed he had been killed in the ensuing gun battle with police but it later emerged he was still alive despite being shot four times in the incident at Fort Hood base, the largest American military installation in the world.

The serviceman was about to be posted to either Iraq or Afghanistan and argued regularly against the wars, it has been claimed.

Hasan, armed with two handguns, walked into a training centre and opened fire on fellow soldiers who were having last-minute medical check-ups before being deployed to Afghanistan. Thirteen were killed and 30 injured.

However, there were suggestions that some of the dead might have been shot by the authorities in their attempt to stop the gunman.

Hasan is now under guard in hospital where he is unconscious and on a ventilator.

Hasan, a Muslim by birth, was born in Virginia, and his family is believed to have come from Jordan.

A former colleague, Col Terry Lee, said Hasan had fallen out with other soldiers on the base. He claimed that Hasan said he was “happy” when a US soldier was killed in an attack on a military recruitment centre in Arkansas in June.

However, Hasan’s cousin said that he had been the victim of harassment but had never expressed violent sentiments.

“He never went to Iraq. He was dealing with people coming back, trying to help them with their trauma,” Nader Hasan said. “He was just normal, loved sports, never got into trouble.” He said his family was “shocked and baffled” by the incident.

Ten of the victims were soldiers and one was a civilian police officer.

Earlier, gunfire erupted around the base as two men, thought to have been accomplices, were captured. Police feared there may have been more than one gunman but the two soldiers were later released.

More than 500 soldiers were deployed to lock down Fort Hood as helicopters hovered overhead. Lt Gen Bob Cone, the base’s commander, said: “It has been a terrible tragedy, it’s stunning.

“Soldiers, family members and the civilians that work here are absolutely devastated.

“The shooter was killed. He was a soldier. There were eyewitness accounts that there may have been more than one shooter.”

The shootings took place in the ’soldier readiness center’, a former sports dome, where soldiers are sent for final checks before being sent overseas. As well as soldiers about to be deployed, those returning and undergoing medical screening would have been there.

The attack happened shortly before a graduation ceremony for soldiers was due to start at the base.

President Barack Obama, speaking from Washington, described the attack as a “horrific outburst of violence.”

He said: “These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk, and at times, give their lives to protect us. It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women overseas. It is horrifying when we lose them on American soil.”

Officials are examining the possibility that some casualties may have been victims of “friendly fire” according to a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hasan had transferred to Fort Hood in July from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received a poor performance evaluation, according to an official who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.

Fort Hood is one of America’s most important bases for training its forces and tens of thousands of soldiers go through every year.

It covers an area of 340 sq miles near Killeen, some 50 miles from Waco, Texas. There are up to 65,000 people, including military families, on the site at any one time.

Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said: “Our dedicated military personnel have sacrificed so much in service to our country and it sickens me that the men and women of Fort Hood have been subjected to this senseless, random violence.”

John Carter, a local Republican congressman, said: “I had a man on the scene, who is the former chaplain at Fort Hood. He was waiting to go to a graduation ceremony when a soldier came running up to him saying somebody was shooting. He heard small arms and rifle fire.”

Fort Hood has also been working to rehabilitate many soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, Mr Carter said.

Base commanders and the Pentagon said they had no early indication of a motive for the shootings.

The base has seen other violence in recent years. In September last year a 21-year-old 1st Cavalry Division soldier shot dead his lieutenant and then killed himself.

Five American soldiers also died in Baghdad earlier this year in a shooting by one of their comrades at a combat stress clinic. It had been set up following criticism that the US military had not done enough to treat soldiers who had undergone repeated tours of duty.

Fort Hood is close to the site of one of the worst mass shootings in American history. On October 16, 1991, George Hennard smashed his pickup truck through a window of Luby’s Cafeteria window in Killeen, Texas, and fired on the lunchtime crowd with a high-powered pistol, killing 22 people and wounding at least 20 others.

TESOL Update - my first class!

2009-11-06T07:16:00.004Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

I've been busy, busy, busy with my TESOL course so not really had time for updating my blog but here is the how my first lesson went...

Due to circumstances out of my control I ended up starting my lesson late, my timing in front of real life students stank (as opposed to doing your lesson in front of a mirror with no pressure) and ending up missing a big bit of the lesson.

I felt a totally messed up bag of nerves, having a loony sat behind me on the bus on the way there really didn't help and afterwards I just wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.

Alhamdulillah though it wasn't all bad, the other TESOL students said it came across as gentle and calm and got all the points across I needed to teach and the teacher said it was a borderline pass on the course.

I think one of the problems is in my group of TESOL students there are two teachers and a teaching assistant so I felt a little intimidated by the company and standard of the other's teaching.

Now I look back at it I know what I did wrong, teaching to my lesson plan and the clock and panicking when I couldn't finish it, rather than teaching to the students and their needs.

It shows me how far I have to go but that I can do this inshallah if I keep going I can not only pass but get a good grade and be on my way to making Hijrah.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

TESOL so far...

2009-10-30T06:43:00.002Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

I am continuing in my journey towards Hijrah alhamdulillah, with a few stumbles along the way but still I am satisfied with the speed I am getting things done with only my Arabic studies lacking at the moment.

I thought I'd give people an update on the CELTA TESOL course I am doing and my thoughts so far.

TESOL is a course for teaching non-English speakers English when they have some basic knowledge of English already.

It is an extremely well thought of qualification if you want to get into English teaching overseas (one way of supporting yourself once you have made hirjah) and the CELTA one is amongst the very best of TESOL qualifications.

Next week will be week 7 of the course and it will be the first time I am going to be teaching real students, so before Tuesday I must prepare a lesson plan and make myself ready to face the class who are a mixture of Saudi, Indian, Chinese, Italian and Iranian students.

Before this week we have covered the basics of how to prepare for lessons, the use of classroom resources and some basic grammar rules we must be able to teach.

I am finding most of the stuff I know already, I just didn't know all the names, rules etc but it just came naturally to someone who reads a lot alhamulillah.

I would recommend the TESOL course to anyone wishing to make Hijrah without qualifications or degrees, it is difficult and challenging but Inshallah it will all be worth it in the end.

More updates coming next week on my first lesson...

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Somali Road Trip into Islamist Heartland - BBC

2009-10-29T08:46:00.006Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Here is a story from the BBC showing the peace and security brought by the Muslims of ash-Shabab to the troubled nation of Somalia.

Somali Road Trip into Islamist Heartland - BBC

In the past I have heard every few miles of road was controlled by a different Clan militia or group of bandits, all demanding cash to let goods and people past, raping the women and killing men when they couldn't or wouldn't pay.

This report shows that although some roadblocks remain, only the Government forces take money from the people, that Ash-Shabaab and the other Islamic forces in Somalia do not rob the people, but instead look after them and their needs, giving security and peace to this troubled nation.

May Allah swt reward these sincere brothers for their efforts, forgive them any mistakes they make and grant them a swift victory over the Kuffar and apostate forces, ameen.

Soon Inshallah the whole of Somalia, not just the south will be open for those of us determined to make Hijrah with the Muslims there actively asking for people to come and make Hijrah there and help them establish Islam as a full system, as it is meant to be lived.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

The Extremists of Pakistan

2009-10-28T20:48:00.003Z

ASIF SALAHUDDIN on 07 June, 2009

Taken from Daily Muslims

THEY have no tolerance. They speak, abusively if necessary, and desire little debate in return. They order and demand to be obeyed. They care not of another’s grievance or state of affairs, nor make any effort towards an understanding of such. They choose to remain ignorant of the world around and its realities that impact them. They wish their every whim to be met and every diktat to be followed by all. They are prepared to use violence - brutal, unrelenting and destructive violence – until they get their way.

Bearded, uneducated, warrior tribes from the North West reaches of Pakistan? No. The real extremists of Pakistan are the pseudo-intellectual, liberal elite dining away and making merry in the posh settings of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

For it is at their insistence that the might of the Pakistan army has been hurled indiscriminately at an entire civil populace, resulting in its wake the displacement of over 3 million people and the death of thousands. This now stands as the largest unsettlement of humankind caused by man since the Rwandan massacres in Africa fifteen years ago and further bigger than the migration during the Indian partition itself. All because of the US backed lie that a few thousand rag tag group of fighters could capture the capital and hence overrun the country.

These extremists sitting at the helm of the country have swallowed every instruction and propaganda issued by the Americans and in doing so have taken Pakistan down a path of self obliteration. The entire army now stands pitted against a major ethnic race in Pakistan and this in turn bodes only one outcome for the country – civil war leading to state level disintegration akin to the loss of East Pakistan.

Such individuals have chosen to completely overlook the fact that a major foreign power has shifted its entire focus on the region after having just meted out the same policy on Iraq where it has succeeded in destabilising the entire state and engulfing the country with ethnic and sectarian flames. They have ignored the fact that the USA has a brutal and dark track record of using its intelligence agencies to ferment such turmoil in countries and that these very agencies have now settled in Pakistan and have been given a free reign to run amok. The CIA and FBI are openly known to have offices in every main city, airport and a thorough presence in the capital Islamabad.

Such extremists, falling into two overlapping camps, are both drawn from the sitting and opposition political leaders, bureaucrats, elements of the so called ‘civil society’ and serving and retired military leaders. The first group has continued to grip the reins of power in the country and all the perks that come with it; essentially the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the USA for the trough from which only their snouts will gorge out of. The second group is a fanatically secular band that will turn vile the moment the words Islam and society are mixed in the same sentence.

Together, they have managed to execute quite immaculately the American plan to turn the US’s War on Terror into Pakistan’s War on Terror, since the people of Pakistan have simply refused to back the former.

But perhaps the biggest shame is that the real intellectual element of our society has gone along with this, or at best is standing idle at the wayside as silent observers, for it has been very easy to accept the mistruths churned out by the extremists.

The real truth – a lot harder to swallow – is that the US wishes to achieve complete domination in the region. It has to ensure that the planned oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia running through Afghanistan, down to the ports of Pakistan, remain undisturbed. Further it must guarantee that the waterways near the coast of Pakistan are never threatened by any other power and that the control of this vital Middle-Eastern oil artery remains completely under its domain. In doing so the US has concluded that the only real way to implement this is to militarily occupy the region and eventually carve up Pakistan into smaller, weaker and hence more manageable states.

However, this is something which the Muslim community in the ‘AfPak’ region have declined to play ball with as they simply refuse to be a subjugated people; they demonstrated this with the British over a century ago, they demonstrated this with the Soviets twenty years ago and they are now making this clear to the Americans. As long as these fighters attack the US troops in Afghanistan, and continue to disrupt their main supply line which comes from Pakistan, the US will not be able to achieve its materialistic objectives in the region.

After repeated drone attacks the US simply cannot stamp out this resistance. Nor has it been able to send its own troops across the border to tackle these elements, partly due to the immense anti-American public opinion in Pakistan. But what the US has now succeeded in doing is to get the Pakistan army to fight its war.

But how long will the sincere elements of Pakistan stand by and watch the country being torn apart for a foreign objective under the whims of such extremists? How long will the sincere officers in the Pakistan army continue to act submissively under the orders of their traitor commanders and continue with this utter madness that has gripped the country? They must act now and listen to the voices of reason around them that call them to a new future for our Islamic nation. They must act now otherwise very soon it will be too late and America would have won.

Asif Salahuddin is a writer and could be contacted at asifsalahuddin@hotmail.com

Afghanistan - The Land of the Lions of Tawheed

2009-10-28T07:30:00.011Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Here is another country Hijrah profile, though with a little twist this time...

Lets face it any of us who attempted to move to Afghanistan to make Hijrah there today would be assumed to be militant whether we were or not and locked up at Bagram airbase, tortured, sodomised and raped until we confessed to whatever they wanted us to say.

So let us assume this is a Hijrah profile of Afghanistan in a few years after the crusaders have been expelled and the rule of the Taliban has returned pretty much as it was before with them trying their best to rule according to the Quran and Sunnah.

I am putting in a firm disclaimer here. I AM NOT IN ANY WAY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO FIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN AGAINST THE US OR UK OR ANY OTHER WESTERN FORCES BUT AM TALKING ABOUT A HYPOTHETICAL AFGHANISTAN OF THE FUTURE.

Going to Afghanistan today is very difficult for single brothers and next to impossible for families and unless you have land / family support there it is pretty pointless now anyway as you would be a burden on the people not helping them.

For those wanting to try you need to go to South Eastern Iran and pay the people smugglers to get you over the border but sometimes they sell people out and you end up being passed onto NATO. The other route is nearly as dangerous as you must travel first to the Tribal territories in Pakistan and convince one of the Pakistan Taliban factions that you should be allowed to pass so either route is not recommended until such a time as things settle down in Afghanistan.

After those points which needed to be made here is the Afghanistan Country profile, as usual comments and feedback appreciated.

1. How easy is it to practice the deen, and to what level, how practicing are the people there.

Very easy with little interference, as long as you are don't annoy tribal codes of honour you are OK.

The cities have practicing and non-practicing Muslims but the rulers keep the non-practicing ones in line. The countryside is more practicing but in a more traditional way with Sufi traditions (both the shirk and non shirk types) and other jahil traditions that have nothing to do with Islam.

Deobandiyyah is very strong here, with the Brailwee tradition also present, the Ahle hadith seem to be absent totally but the leadership of the state are from Ahlus Sunnah even if almost all of the people are ignorant of what Ahlus Sunnah is (See article - Are the Taliban from Ahlus Sunnah?)

2. Whether Autopsy is allowed or not, what are the circumstances Autopsies are carries out.

No Autopsies allowed at all.

3. How easy is to move to that land and how easy or difficult is it to acquire citizenship.

Difficult to get to given international politics but possible. Once there any practicing Muslim is allowed to stay, making Hijrah to this land is encouraged by the government with guest houses in the capital and other major cities for Muhajaroon.

Despite what some people think it is not necessary to be a Mujahid to move here and others are encouraged to come also to setup Schools, Hospitals and held build other infrastructure.

4. What are the employment prospects for someone who is a non-native language speaker and doesn’t have a degree.

Not so good, unless you can find a job working for one of the allowed aid agencies who work with the government.

The Mujahideen are given a basic wage here and there are Islamic schools being setup by Arabs but they really want to teach Arabic to the kids not English.

If you have some skills like medicine or teaching or engineering it should be possible to find some work but like everyone else here you are going to be living very simply indeed.

5. What are the medical facilities like for both residents and citizens.

Medical facilities are very basic, almost non-existent other than the charitable sector and most people are forced to travel to Pakistan for private treatment if something serious.

6. What are the other benefits like for both residents and citizens.

If you are out of work you can get work they will pay you to big roads and other manual labour but no free rides here.

7. What is the general culture like there.

The general culture is good, with a strong Islamic theme running through the culture and the people being very friendly and hospitable towards outsiders.

There are some Jahil traditions such as forced marriages and wife beating but these are being addressed through the Imams and Masaajid as part of official government policy.

But most families are doing the best they can to practice Islam as they understand it under very difficult conditions.

8. What is the environment like, i.e what is the sea level rise with global warming going to do the coast line, what other natural resources are present in the case of the oil crash.

There has been widespread deforestation in the mountains which is causing soil erosion and global warming will result in less reliable water sources from the Mountains as higher temperatures will cause snow to melt earlier in the year so not supplying an all year water supply as before.

But Afghanistan if it gets its act together does have enough land and resources to convert itself to a medieval technology level agrarian society with the necessary infrastructure as it is not much above that now.

9. General stability. How stable is the nation, are civil wars or state-v-state wars likely in the future.

General stability within the country is good, though everyone is armed to the teeth and there is a war in the north with the Brailwee / Sufi / Shi'a / Secularist northern alliance.

The main threats are external as the US / UK and the rest of the West hate to allow anyone to rule by Islam and show an alternative system but as the world economy runs down with global warming and the oil running low then this should decrease.

Conclusion

The Afghanistan of the future when NATO leaves will be good for Hijrah, but we must unfortunately wait and see if it can happen.

What is certain is that even if they leave the West will remain determined not to allow the Muslims to succeed in building an Islamic state which will show up the evils of their own system so expect difficulties moving from your own lands to there.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Afghan police open fire after protesters burn effigy of Barack Obama

2009-10-27T09:19:00.003Z

Afghan police opened fire to disperse up to 1,000 protesters in Kabul on Sunday after they burned an effigy of President Barack Obama in protest at American troops allegedly desecrating a copy of the Koran.

By Ben Farmer in Kabul
Published: 8:43PM GMT 25 Oct 2009
Daily Telegraph, UK

The protesters blocked roads at Kabul University and outside the national parliament with some shouting: "Death to America! Down with Israel!" Several students threw stones at riot police, but there were no reports of casualties. Zabiulllah, one of the demonstrators, who were mainly students, said "the people behind this humiliation should be arrested."

One banner displayed by the crowd said:
"No to democracy. We just want Islam."

US forces have denied burning a copy of Islam's holiest book while carrying out a raid last week in Wardak province, south-west of the capital.

Captain Elizabeth Mathias, a spokeswoman for the coalition, said an investigation had found the allegation was Taliban propaganda.

(Comment - Allahu Alim whether they did or not, but they have flushed the Quran down the toilet, stepped on the Quran many times and used them for target practice in the violated Masaajid of Fallujah).

She said: "We did not burn a Koran ... It is unfortunate that the protesters believe a Taliban rumour."

Security remains tense in the capital after President Hamid Karzai agreed to face his rival Abdullah Abdullah in a second round of voting on Nov 7. Both men said yesterday they were determined to press ahead with the election despite hopes in Washington that they might come to an agreement over the make-up of a future government that would dispense with the need for a second vote.

The 'benefit' of Somalia's Pirates - Channel 4 News

2009-10-27T05:54:00.002Z

The increasing levels of piracy off the coast of Somalia have caused an unexpected spin-off, raising the levels of fish in the sea.

Fisherman in Kenya have reported bumper catches of shark and shellfish because commercial fishing boats from China and Japan have been scared away.

Now the fishermen are able to catch up to £200 worth of fish per day in an area where the average daily earnings are less than £5.

The massive factory trawlers which used to drain their fish stocks have been scared away and that means there is a huge bounty for local fishermen as well as helping to restore the health of the marine eco-system.

Britons believe 'Afghan war is failing'

2009-10-25T06:47:00.002Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Don't believe the crap the BBC is telling you about their War in Afghanistan going well, the BBC has always been a propaganda wing of the Government during war time.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

An overwhelming 84 per cent believe British troops are currently losing the war in Afghanistan, a Channel 4 News poll finds, as thousands march on London urging an end to the conflict.

Almost half of the UK public believe that military victory in Afghanistan is impossible and significant majorities think British troops are not winning the war and should be withdrawn either immediately or within the next year, according to a poll published today.

The YouGov survey for Channel 4 News was released as thousands of protesters gathered in London to call on the government to bring the 9,000-strong British force in Afghanistan home.

Today's poll uncovered a much more pessimistic attitude towards the conflict than in a similar survey in 2007, when 36 per cent said that victory was not possible.

Just 6 per cent of those taking part in today's poll said that British troops were winning the war, compared with 36 per cent who said they were not winning yet but eventual victory was possible, and 48 per cent who said that victory was not possible.

The figures suggested an overwhelming 84 per cent believe that British troops are not winning the war with Taliban militias at present.

Asked when British troops should be brought home from Afghanistan, 25 per cent said "immediately" and 37 per cent said most should be withdrawn soon, with the remainder pulling out within a year or so.

Some 29 per cent said the UK force should remain "as long as Afghanistan's Government wants them there", compared with the total 62 per cent who wanted them withdrawn immediately or in the coming year.

The poll suggests that the public mood is at odds with government policy that Britain and its Nato allies should see through their mission in Afghanistan and keep troops in the country until responsibility for its security can be handed over to home-grown forces in a process known as Afghanisation.

Only last week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was ready to send a further 500 troops, so long as they could be properly equipped and form part of a Nato-wide reinforcement with each ally bearing its "fair share".

Anti-war protesters march

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, who is facing court martial for refusing to return to Afghanistan, became one of the first serving soldiers to attend an anti-war demonstration since the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001.

He joined thousands of former colleagues, military families and anti-war protesters for a rally and march through central London, calling for British troops to be brought home.

L/Cpl Glenton said: "I am marching to send a message to Gordon Brown. Instead of sending more troops, he must bring them all home. He cannot sit on his hands and wait while more and more of my comrades are killed."

A total of 222 British troops have died since operations in Afghanistan began.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, vice-chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: "The war in Afghanistan has no clear war aims, is clearly escalating and spinning out of control and can only impact on Pakistan and the whole of South Asia.

"Nato forces have been in Afghanistan for eight years and the result appears to be increased drug production, high levels of corruption and terrible losses of life on all sides, civilian and military.

"Now is the time to change policy and bring the troops home to prevent Nato involving itself in a Vietnam-style quagmire."

L/Cpl Glenton will join the march along with Paul McGurk, who left the Army last month because he could no longer support the war.

Also expected to attend was Peter Brierley - father of Lance Corporal Shaun Brierley who was killed in Iraq - who earlier this month refused to shake Tony Blair's hand, saying it had "my son's blood on it".

Pakistan - Land of the Pure or land of Shirk and Secularism?

2009-10-22T10:46:00.010+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Here is my latest country profile and the one I will most likely get emails from my friends about for being too unfair on their country, Yes it is time to take a look at Pakistan as a place to make Hijrah to.

So is Pakistan the land of the pure?

A place for true believers in Allah to go and establish the deen and please Allah?

This is one vision of Pakistan where Muslims are welcome to come, forbid the munkar in society and call people towards the good of monotheism and the Shariah.

But there has always been another vision of Pakistan since it's founding, of a secular Pakistan which is Muslim in name but far from Islamic.

These two contradictory aims, pulling at the Pakistanis from polar opposites are what make Pakistan such a good for Hijrah and at the same time such a bad one also.

So here is my country profile for Pakistan, feel free to comment, discuss or disagree if you like.

1. How easy is it to practice the deen, and to what level, how practicing are the people there.

Totally varied from place to place, though you can practice as much as you like, even travel in the path of Allah, but many of the people not practicing. There is also a brailwee majority, though these people are brailwee by default not conviction.

This means they may do deviant acts, far from the Sunnah but these people are totally illiterate in many cases and so the need educating on what the Deen of Islam truly is.

These two jokers for example are supposed to be pious Sufi teachers, this picture was taken at an anual sufi gathering where up to 1.5 Million of the worse Shirk loving sufis get together.

Here is a link to the story about the place...

Can Sufi 'Islam' counter the real Muslims in Pakistan?

So if you are going to move to Pakistan you really need to check out where you are going to move to because if you are practicing as much as you can and you move into some Brailwee village of city district and the people are practicing Sihr, forced marriage and shirk then yes it is a good Da'wah opportunity but it is also going to drive you crazy and it will be fitnah for your family and if one of the best points about Hijrah is to move away from the Shirk and munkar then moving to these sorts of places in Pakistan is going to be bad news for you.

2. Whether Autopsy is allowed or not, what are the circumstances Autopsies are carries out.

Autopsies carried out in some murder and suspicious deaths in the cities but unknown in the towns and villages.

This is a real plus, as this is something practiced in most rich countries but the poverty and corruption of the Pakistani state and people prevent them from suffering from this evil harm.

3. How easy is to move to that land and how easy or difficult is it to acquire citizenship.

Extremely easy to move and live in this land if you have a UK passport but more difficult to get citizenship though people stop there for years and years no problem, especially in NWFP and Tribal areas.

If you are going to not cause too much trouble or take part in open rebellion you can stop for as long as you want and there are many Westerners living in the major cities and villages.

4. What are the employment prospects for someone who is a non-native language speaker and doesn’t have a degree.

Not brilliant as plenty of Pakistanis moving back who not only speak good English but also the local lingo also but some prospects teaching English.

This to be honest is the best employment opportunity for people going there as you will be Western and sadly enough they will love you for it, your English being better than the local teachers will get you the jobs but there is also the colonial mentality as well with the middle classes trying to be more English than the English.

Some western companies are also moving their call centres to Pakistan like they have been doing to India for a few years now, the money is good compared to local rates of pay but I don't think most of us envisage working in a call centre full of young brothers and sisters checking each other out as our ideal job after Hijrah.

I think most of us would be fired within a few days after telling brothers and sisters to lower their gaze and stop all the filthy things that take place in mixed offices whether in the UK, the rest of the west or in the Muslim lands.

5. What are the medical facilities like for both residents and citizens.

All medical care is either private or charity, i.e good and expensive or free and not so good. Some parts of the country have good free or cheap hospitals but most don't, most have awful medical care unless you want to pay for private in which case you will get something getting close to a low class Western hospital.

6. What are the other benefits like for both residents and citizens.

Non existent, if you lose your job you have to beg, steal or starve. On the plus side the taxes are low also, so most people save up so if things do go wrong they are not stuck in such a bad way.

Some families will only have a few individuals working and supporting the rest who are studying or chilling at home, this might seem very odd to us but it is normal in Pakistan.

7. What is the general culture like there.

Varies from region to region and village to village, would be better to say at least four distinct cultures for each of the four provinces but even this not really correct as more varied than this. Generally culture is very Jahil with Music and free-mixing common, open prostitution in some of the cities despite the Azhaan being called 5 times a day within hearing distance of such filth.

But at the same time you can get a completely practicing community in the next village, or the next part of town. It is a total mixing pop with the filth alongside the good.

The people, especially in the cities are very westernised and do not really understand or value Islam. To them they see nothing wrong with going out meeting a girl, dating, sleeping around, mixing with cousins, dancing, music, it is all normal and part of their culture.

Other parts of Pakistan, especially in the north west are more Islamic, more practicing but even here you can get a lot of bad things going on in some places and shows you really need to do your research before you move anywhere.

One of the most evil customs I heard of was of women in Punjab being married to the Quran, where they don't wish to pass money out of the family when the father dies so where no cousin is available to keep the girl and her inheritance in the family they will marry her to the Quran in some bizarre Brailwee marriage ritual. Such women are then effectively nuns, unable to remarry and supposed to spend all of their time in seclusion when such a monastic lifestyle is expressly forbidden in the Deen of Islam.

8. What is the environment like, i.e what is the sea level rise with global warming going to do the coast line, what other natural resources are present in the case of the oil crash.

Over all the population of Pakistan is vulnerable due to its entire agricultural base being dependent upon melt water from the Mountains which will be less reliable in the future due to changes in weather.

Some areas like NWFP and tribal areas may benefit from milder winters and better growing conditions but rest of Pakistan is going to be worse off with more extreme weather patterns of droughts, followed by flooding.

9. General stability. How stable is the nation, are civil wars or state-v-state wars likely in the future.

Very unstable, Islamic revival has reached the level of open rebellion against the state in some areas and almost in a state of civil war all over the country.

I honestly think Pakistan is one of the three countries most likely to become a true Islamic state but there is likely to be a lot of bloodshed along the way as the apostate liberal secular elite will not give up power easily and neither will America let them go out of their influence without a struggle.

Conclusion

So there you have it, Pakistan. A land of total contrasts, easy to move to, but easy for the CIA to pick you up if you do anything wrong. Easy to practice but you must do so alongside prostitution and shirk.

As always, feedback appreciated.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Government anti-terrorism strategy 'spies' on innocent - Guardian Newspaper

2009-10-19T20:02:00.006+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Below is a link to a story published recently in the Guardian Newspaper in the UK, it is left wing and socialist, so therefore atheist newspaper but it does occasionally come up with good stories, as does the Independent as well despite their open hatred of Islam.

Guardian Story

After reading that you will see these tactics detailed here in the UK are part of the Prevent Strategy, which is itself part of Contest II, which was supposed to be put on hold due to lobbying by Muslims in the UK (led by MCB) but it seems as usual the Government told the Uncle Tom's one thing and then went and did another.

SHOCK HORROR!

Why do they fall for such tricks every time? Why do they trust the Kuffar when Allah has informed us they will never be happy with us until we follow their deen instead of the deen of Allah?

And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah's guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper.
Quran Surah Baqarah, verse 120

Still, they attempted to stop such tactics, in the only way they knew how so credit to them for their intention even if they failed to achieve any reward from Allah by ignoring the need to follow the Quran and Sunnah not just good intentions in all that we do.

Inshallah it will wake a few more up to the reality of what is happening in the UK and the methods that Muslims should adopt which is not to integrate ourselves or isolate ourselves, but instead interact with society, seeking to change it without letting it change us. We need to challenge the evil without becoming part of it, never for one moment letting them think we accept them or their ways.

Instead all these groups seek to show off their anti-Islamic credentials in order to get Government cash, 'bidding' to see who can be most against their fellow brothers and sisters whilst still trying to keep the Muslims from rejecting them totally.

This article shows that if you are even a marginally practicing Muslim you are a target, they know Allah places a duty on all the believers to go out and enjoin the good and forbid the evil in society so therefore we are a threat to them.

Reverts like myself are even more of a threat, when I went for a meeting with a local Police Officer over our Da'wah Stall and all the complaints it was getting he asked me why I was attacked more than other Muslims? Simple, The Kuffar look at me and they think "that could happen to me, that could happen to my son or daughter, that could be my wife / husband."

But not just reverts but all Muslims are under threat here, you have to be totally with the Governments Secular / Liberal / Democracy Agenda or else you are threat, someone who might turn the other way, someone to be targeted to be turned towards the Kufr of Secularism / Liberalism / Democracy.

Even the MCB crew are considered too extreme these days, only total Kuffar idiots like the Sufi Council of Britain and Quilliam Society are good enough for them, those who totally turn against Islam and Allah's law and accept man's law when man has no such right to legislate.

The MCB used to be Government favourites, denouncing their brethren but then the Kuffar redrew the boundaries and the MCB clowns found themselves now considered extreme themselves, ironic.

Believe me brothers and sisters, when they brought out Contest I, people were shocked but many went along with it, and the government used it to sideline certain radical sections of the Muslim community.

Then people were shocked with the idea of Contest II, why would they be? Didn't the naming of Contest I imply something else was coming after it?

Now will people be shocked again when Contest III (maybe under a different name) comes out in a year or two aiming to slice another part of the Muslim community away and label it as dangerous and worthy of attack.

It is like the Muslims in the West and in the UK in particular are living through the parable of the three Bulls which for those who don't know it is one of the most important stories to reinforce unity in the Ummah, upon the Quran and Sunnah but the story goes like this...

There was once a Lion who came across three bulls: a red bull, a white bull and a black bull. The Lion tried to attack them but because they were strong together he decided to bide his time. He befriended the bulls and told them he was protecting them.

One day he called the Red Bull and the Black Bull and said ”My friends I am really concerned for you.”“Why?” they asked. The Lion responded “The White Bull represents a threat to you; he stands out with his complexion and he is going to make you a target for other predators and hunters; the lives of both of you at risk, let me eliminate him.”

The Red Bull and Black Bull agreed, after all the Lion was their sincere friend and King of the Jungle. The lion attacked the white bull and, because noone came to his help, he was defeated. The lion ate him.

A few weeks went by and the Lion called the Black Bull over and gives him the same speech ”The Red Bull represents a threat to you by attracting attention, let me eliminate him and you will be safe.”

The Black Bull agreed; he was a friend of the King of the Jungle so who cares about anyone else….So he allowed the Lion to kill and eat the Red Bull.

A few days later the Lion confronted the Black Bull and said “Now it is your turn”…The Black Bull finally realised his mistake and said, ”I was killed the moment the white bull was killed."

Once more it shows the need to stand together, I have huge disagreements with some Muslims, to the extent of considering some of them to be upon kufr but I would never help the Kuffar in an attack against them as it would be Kufr Akbar for me to do so.

Not so the Munafiqeen in the Masaajid committees up and down the country, who if they see an evil should stop it with their own hand, not call for the police or other authorities to knock down the door of their brother, dragging him and his wife out of bed in front of their kids for what is usually more often than not suspicions, not even proven wrong doing and suspicion and spying on each other are other haram acts these House Negroes see now problems in engaging in out of their total ignorance of Islam.

May Allah swt guide us all, and give us aid in leaving this land where we are just beginning to feel a little of the oppression that is coming, ameen.

One last reminder...

The smart Muslims left Andalus early, the less smart later, the rest stayed hoping for the best until they were killed, forcibly converted and had to watch their children learn Kufr and die upon It.

Let us learn from their mistakes, not repeat them or think Allah got it wrong when he informed us about the attitudes of the Kuffar towards the believers.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

October 2009 House Negro Award Goes to...

2009-10-18T19:40:00.009+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Most of you will have heard of Malcolm X, many of you will have heard of his Islamic name of Malik Al-Shabbaz, the name he used more and more after leaving the nationalistic, racist and shirk infested Nation of Islam movement.

You might have also heard some terms he coined being used today, such was the level of his thinking, decades beyond anyone of his time that today we can still learn valuable lessons from his speeches.

One of those terms is the derogatory term of House Negro or House Nigger, and what does that mean? We'll use Malcolm's own words to explain this.

Obviously we know from the TV who are the chief house Negroes today in the world and America in particular and so inspired by the ridiculous Noble peace price given to the War monger in Chief, President Obama (previous nominees have included Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin so no surprise there) I've decided to hand out quarterly awards of my own for those who have especially helped the kuffar in their oppression of Islam in the UK.

Lets read those words of Malik al-Shabbaz again and see how he classified a house negro.

"To understand this, you have to go back to what [the] young brother here referred to as the house Negro and the field Negro — back during slavery. There was two kinds of slaves. There was the house Negro and the field Negro. The house Negroes – they lived in the house with master, they dressed pretty good, they ate good ’cause they ate his food — what he left. They lived in the attic or the basement, but still they lived near the master; and they loved their master more than the master loved himself. They would give their life to save the master’s house quicker than the master would. The house Negro, if the master said, “We got a good house here,” the house Negro would say, “Yeah, we got a good house here.” Whenever the master said “we,” he said “we.” That’s how you can tell a house Negro. If the master’s house caught on fire, the house Negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the master got sick, the house Negro would say, “What’s the matter, boss, we sick?” We sick! He identified himself with his master more than his master identified with himself. And if you came to the house Negro and said, “Let’s run away, let’s escape, let’s separate,” the house Negro would look at you and say, “Man, you crazy. What you mean, separate? Where is there a better house than this? Where can I wear better clothes than this? Where can I eat better food than this?” That was that house Negro. In those days he was called a “house nigger.” And that’s what we call him today, because we’ve still got some house niggers running around here." Malik al-Shabbaz, aka Malcolm X

So who I've been thinking, who amongst the Muslims in the UK are the house niggers of today, there are too many uncle toms on the committees to mention them all, though some come close with their shopping of brothers to the Police so who else is more worthy of being our first recipient of this award and after some hard thinking I knew who is must be, that's right the award goes to... Ed Hussain!

YES ED HUSSAIN!

A man who so badly wanted to suck up to his masters in the British establishment that his name of Muhammed wasn't good enough, wasn't white enough so he abandoned his name along with his Deen and became simply Ed to his mates at the country club.

It surely can't be too long now until he is given a Knighthood and gets to go to the Palace to bow to the Queen in reality, rather than just in his writings and pick up his little shiny Christian cross medal to go with his Shiny new Car and all his other bling he gets as perks of being the biggest traitor to the Deen here in Britain.

But in the mean time, 'Ed,' here is your trophy. I didn't have enough money to buy a real one so I borrowed a picture of one from Google Images.

For those unaware, Here is some history of Ed and his fellow apostates at the Quilliam Foundation.

Having become 'radicalised' to hang around student cafes and University Islamic society handing out their magazine and growing goaty beards and talking endlessly about how all will be well when we have the Khilafa back again they realised such a policy of endless talking to themselves wasn't working and becoming disillusioned left the deviant group, Hibz but Tahrir.

Now there is nothing wrong with the idea of a Khilafa ruling over us, indeed it is obligatory and we are in sin for not enacting this rule of Allah but rather than turning to true Islam as many ex-HT members have done he instead turned to kufr, rejecting several key ideas of Islam such as the Shariah and Khilafa and embracing man-made law and democracy.

Having turned his back on Islam Ed and his buddies now get £700,000.00 per year from the British Government to support their war against Islam, to provide moral support to those who terrorise innocent brothers and sisters, to spy on fellow Muslims and generally act as the 'reasonable' face of Islam.

All so the UK government can point to them and say to the media "look, not all Muslims are against us, here is one I bought earlier and he is the best Negro servant I've ever had, when he is done writing articles supporting our wars and oppression he is going to wash my car and mow the lawn."

I must admit I have total Bara towards this man, Yes I hate his guts and pray Allah swt guides him away from the kufr he is upon and away from the kuffar he has taken as his awliya and back towards Islam.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Qatar - Its got more than Al-Jazeera going for it you know!

2009-10-18T14:55:00.009+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

Time for another country profile, for a look at a particular country that people seem to be making Hijrah towards and what are the positives and negatives and this time we will be looking at the tiny gulf nation of Qatar.

As always these are my own impressions, from my own research and others are advised to look into matters themselves and if people feel I am wrong in some matter then correct me.

As as before, I will be listing matters which are important factors for me and my family when we make our Hijrah, others might have completely different ideas on what is important to them.

1. How easy is it to practice the deen, and to what level, how practicing are the people there.

Adhaan five times a day, easy to pray salaah in many masaajid and men and women both cover properly so on a surface level very easy to practice but…

The King has absolute power and would certainly not take kindly people speaking against him or his government or his policies so a need to be very careful on what is said and to whom.

Saying that, others who have been forced out of other lands have settled in Qatar which is conservative, but not like Saudi, liberal but not like Dubai, these include Yvonne Ridley, Yusuf al-Qadawi, Billal Phillips and Sheikh Al-Albani for a time after he was told to leave Saudi for refusing to kiss Saudi Royal butt.

Al-Jazeera also seems to get away with saying an awful lot that wouldn’t be able to be said in other gulf Arab countries and that is the national tv network owned by the government.

There aer also good Da’wah opportunities with a large expatriate work force. They have the Fanar Islamic cultural centre which is specifically designed and built to give Da'wah to non-Muslims and teach non-Muslims the basics of the Deen.

2. Whether Autopsy is allowed or not, what are the circumstances Autopsies are carries out.

Autopsy only allowed with the express permission of the family.

3.How easy is to move to that land and how easy or difficult is it to acquire citizenship.

Easy to move here IF you have work, have recently started allowing foreigners to acquire property and settle but only with residency, next to impossible to get citizenship, requires 25 years residency and good reputation and considered an asset to Qatar, those these rules have been bent for foreign athletes who play for Qatari sports teams.

4. What are the employment prospects for someone who is a non-native language speaker and doesn’t have a degree.

The language of business is English, so good prospects, but on the down side this is the richest country in the world so they demand degrees and diplomas sometimes even for little office jobs that anyone with GCSE’s would do in the UK!

They do pay brothers and sisters who are native English speakers to go work in their Masaajid and Da'wah centres to talk to the non-Muslims, visit them in hospitals so a potential career path there - imagine getting paid to do what you love anyway?

5. What are the medical facilities like for both residents and citizens.

Medical facilities are excellent and free for citizens and heavily subsidised for residents. This is important as it means we don't have to worry about falling ill and blowing all our savings on operations etc.

6.What are the other benefits like for both residents and citizens.

Good other benefits but only for citizens, nothing else for residents.

7.What is the general culture like there?

Traditional Arab culture, but government trying to modernise and the large youth are often more interested in racing their cars and throwing their mobile numbers at girls in the mall.

This aspect is disappointing and because the place is so small and urbanised, there is no real alternative culture out of the cities. But like everywhere else in the Ummah, the Islamic revival is pushing back.

8. What is the environment like, i.e what is the sea level rise with global warming going to do the coast line, what other natural resources are present in the case of the oil crash.

Environmentally very vulnerable to the crash, massively over populated considering its natural limit without oil and will become an island with sea level rises cutting it of from Saudi.

Getting stuck here is worse than being stuck in the UK in many ways, before oil only about 20-30,000 people lived in the region that became Qatar, living off fishing, and looking for pearls but with oil it is supporting 1 Million people if you include all the migrants.

9. General stability. How stable is the nation, are civil wars or state-v-state wars likely in the future.

Extremely stable, people happy with the regime or content enough anyway, no border disputes.

Conclusion

So there is my impressions of Qatar, looks good for the first stop on a Two step Hijrah plan, somewhere to earn lots of money then go off and buy land elsewhere.

But not somewhere you would want to move to with your family for good, even if they would let you (which they wouldn't).

Inshallah, brothers and sisters have found this useful, feedback would also be helpful to me to let me know if I can improve things on here.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Veneration of Saint Therese - Open Idolatry

2009-10-12T21:29:00.006+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters in Islam,

In case any Christians or others are reading this after Googling St Therese, well let us give you the greeting given to us for people like you by Muhammad (saws) which is 'Peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance.'

I came across this story recently in the UK press...

St Therese tours the UK

I must admit I cannot imagine a greater display of Idolatry, anything so far removed from the true message of Jesus Christ (as) than this.

Tens of thousands, quite possibly many times more will travel many miles to seek blessings from the bones of this dead woman.

Many others will keep pictures like this in their front rooms where they will venerate them, pray to them and seek help and guidance from them. I know this from personal experience having Catholic family members and their churches likewise are full of such Idolatry.

The Hindu's must be scratching their heads, wondering what happened there? When did the Christian's all convert to Hinduism in the UK?

I mean really what is the difference between seeking intercession from a Catholic (or indeed Muslim) saint and the Hindus going to their gods?

I'll tell you, nothing!

Allah tells us in Surah Fatihah, only in him can we ask others for help in such matters! Yet people disobey Allah and seek help in others. Many ignorant 'Muslims' have left the fold of Islam by copying such behaviour, doing exactly as Rasoolullah (saws) warned us,

Sahih Muslim, Book 34, Narration Number 6448:
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Allah's Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?

The message of all the prophets was the same, only turn to God, not to them, not to false men and certainly not to little old ladies who although sweet and nice on the surface are calling people towards Shirk, towards the hellfire.

Man is born with a disposition to seek out and worship his creator, alone without partners, this is what in Islam we term your 'fitrah' but Shaitan, the devil is whiley old dog and will use any trick he can to turn people from the truth.

One of the easiest ways of doing this is misleading people with false visions, false miracles and then taking them into shirk and down into hell with him on the day of judgement. They remain on this shirk their whole lives as they think they are on the right path, and refuse to listen to anything of the truth because of this and Shaitan has won such people even more than his has the Hedonists who might at least repent and turn from their evil ways.

So Muslims, don't forget to bring this one up with your Catholic colleagues at work, school, college, or university and explain to them their Shirk and how they should turn towards the true message of Jesus Christ (as), which is to worship God alone, without partners - the message of Islam.

Any Catholics reading this... surely you can see this is not what Jesus (as) came to teach us? Surely you can see this no different to the idolatry of the misguided people to whom God sent prophet Abraham (as) or no different to the Hindus of today?

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

Abu Abdillah

Army refused to investigate Iraqi abuse claims, investigator claims

2009-10-12T20:25:00.002+01:00

From The Times

October 12, 2009

Michael Evans, Defence Editor

Senior British army commanders in Iraq refused to investigate hundreds of cases of abuse against Iraqi civilians that led to serious injury or even death, a former member of the Royal Military Police has claimed.

The former Red Cap investigator alleged that some of the worst cases had been covered up and that the interests of the military had taken precedence over the interests of justice.

It has been claimed previously that top commanders in Iraq ruled out calling in the RMP in cases where it was judged that deaths or injuries involving Iraqi civilians could not be directly attributed to British military action.

However, the new allegations, made by a former member of the RMP in an interview with Donal MacIntyre on BBC Radio 5 Live last night, could reignite the question of the treatment of detainees and the conduct of soldiers during the campaign against Shia militia extremists in southern Iraq between 2003 and 2007.

The Army is already facing embarrassing revelations during the public inquiry into the death of Baha Musa, the Iraqi hotel receptionist who died in British military custody after 36 hours of mistreatment in September 2003. Last week Dean Liggins, formerly of the 1st Battalion The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment, which had arrested and detained Mr Musa, said that it was standard practice for detainees to be hooded, despite this having been banned in 1972. Mr Musa’s head was covered in double hessian sacks for his time in custody, when temperatures reached 50C.

The RMP investigator said that the force had been out of its depth in Iraq. “I’ve seen documentary evidence that there were incidents running into the hundreds involving death and serious injury to Iraqis in the last six or seven years where the chain of command of the Army had decided that the circumstances did not warrant a Royal Military Police investigation . . . and it’s of great concern that among those there will have been undoubtedly suspicious deaths and serious injuries that were never properly investigated,” he said.

He alleged that the military chain of command made it difficult for the RMP to operate independently by not providing resources or denying access to prevent investigations. Investigators who failed to toe the party line would be overlooked for promotion and receive an “adverse report”.

Referring to Mr Musa’s case, he said: “It was a murder investigation on a plate . . . and amazingly this investigation was closed down or put in the waiting tray for a whole year.

“The whole system of military justice is flawed . . . and there is a very high risk there are other Baha Musas out there because of the number of incidents not investigated at all by the Royal Military Police, let alone an ineffective investigation,” he said.

In response, Lord Goldsmith, said that several cases had been brought to his attention during his time as Attorney-General: “I was concerned that the chain of command was interfering with investigations, was blocking investigations that should take place”.

Referring to the anonymous whistleblower, he added: “What he has been saying about the structural issues of the Royal Military Police . . . frankly do chime with concerns I had during the time I was Attorney-General.”

After a series of courts martial involving alleged mistreatment of Iraqi detainees that led to deaths — most of which ended in acquittals — Brigadier Robert Aitken, director of army personnel strategy, was commissioned to carry out a review of all allegations. He concluded that there was no systemic abuse by the Army in Iraq.

After the latest allegations, the Ministry of Defence said: “The RMP is subject to exhaustive inspection by bodies such as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary. This provides the assurance that the RMP has the capability, capacity and competence to conduct investigations into serious crime. Over 100,000 of our personnel served in Iraq and, with the exception of a few individuals, they have performed to the highest standards under extraordinarily testing conditions.”

The unnamed former RMP man claimed: “There’s a catalogue of blunders, mistakes, ineptitude and the course of investigations being bent to serve the real or perceived interests of the chain of command of the Army.”

It was reported last night that the Government was planning to cut 900 jobs from the MoD Police. The force is responsible for guarding nuclear sites.

French Gay Paedophile promoted to be Minister of State

2009-10-12T07:59:00.007+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Look at this face... This is Frederic Mitterrand, TV presenter, intellectual, nephew of the former socialist president and self confessed and open abuser of young children.

It's the face of the future, no not everyone in the future will look that ugly but this man represents the coming of age of the Homosexual lobby in the West, a Paedophile who openly admitted travelling to Thailand to buy young boys for sex promoted to be Minister of Culture in France. It's not even like they were ignorant of his past, he put it all in his own biography which was published in 2005.

And what an accurate and apt Cultural Minister he is, everything evil and sordid in the West shown in the face of one man.

The thing is with Sodomites is that they, like all sexual deviants, having given in to the whisperings of Shaitan once are prey to keep doing so again and again.

Keeping on sinking deeper and deeper, using their wealth, their power, their influence to drag others down and so further the Shaitanic society they represent.

This is why so many Homosexuals are also paedophiles, buggering younger and younger men until they sink into attacking children. They are already weak, they are already slaves to their desires and so slaves to Shaitan and so wish to push this upon all of us.

This has often been the allegation levelled at the Homosexual lobby, that it was homosexuality today and buggering of boys tomorrow. That they would never be happy with sex with consenting men (as evil as that is) but wanted to return to the evil times when ancient Greeks used to keep boy slaves for their amusement and here is quote directly from this evil scum...

"All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire."

The West has always seen ancient Greek society as the pinnacle of civilisation, they copied its values, its governmental system of democracy and now its open slavery and buggery of boys.

One more reason we need to get out of here as soon as we can, but whilst we are here lets all denounce this evil man, this evil way of life that perverts the nature of man that Allah gave him and abuses those too young, too poor, too oppressed to know better or help themselves if they did.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

The Pope's having a laugh! or... People in gold plated, marble homes with stained glass windows shouldn't thrown stones!

2009-10-05T20:13:00.016+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum,

To the non-Muslims - peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

The pope was having a go at materialism and the evils of all this greed coming from the West recently whilst visiting Africa.

for those who missed it here is the story from the BBC...

BBC, Pope's visit to Africa

Now lets face it, the guy is right. Western Material is toxic spiritual rubbish. Couldn't agree more with the Pope on that one.

But in case you missed it, here is how Popey boy dressed when delivering the sermon...

Now call me a cynic here, but isn't he a little over dressed for delivering this message?

I mean, shouldn't he be a little more humble and maybe have worn something with a little less Gold thread in it?

Isn't the gold throne and gold crosses he is surrounded by a little OTT, and how seriously are we supposed to take his message of not abandoning a simple spiritual life for the materialism of the West when the man lives in this!

This place is huge! you could house half of Africa in there. I mean look at the size of the place? You can perhaps understand how the Pope is a little out of touch with reality and the true simple humble life led by the prophet Jesus Christ (upon him be peace) when the closest he gets to real people is waving from his balcony.

Look here's a picture of him waving...

Waving to all the people who have come to Worship him, this is truly sick. "Hello, come kiss my holy but you idiots, give me all your money!"

I mean as Muslims we are told by Allah in the Quran,

Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. Quran (5:82)

But this man is so far from even this level, he is on some next level of arrogance, above even the kings and presidents of the world. Where is the simple humble lifestyle of the prophets? Gone, instead we have Papal palaces and Papal thrones.

Here is the man's chair...

Quite big isn't it? Lets face it, that is one big chair. When the Christians envisage JC sitting down with his companions, do they really think he was sitting in anything like this?

No. Of-course not, but still people follow him and his corrupted faith.

And by the way, this picture of the Papal throne really doesn't do it any justice what-so-ever. You need to zoom out a little to see the full effect and the full pomp of this ridiculous setup...

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT!

And the man who sits on THAT chair has the cheek to talk to anybody about anything to do with morality, to tell people not to be materialistic.

You know someone living in a gold plated, marble home with stained glass windows really shouldn't be throwing stones.

This man is so far misguided, so far removed from the true simple teachings of the prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus Christ and Muhammad (peace be upon them all and all the other prophets also).

But yet people listen to him, take him as their spiritual teacher. We all see the Hindu guy selling charms as a Charlatan but give a man a gold throne and all of a sudden he is believable, I mean if he and his predecessors ripped off so many people in the past then he cant be a fraud can he?

I am sure other Christians reading this are sitting there all smug, but heay here is a picture of the residence of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. He isn't doing too badly out of the old simple God fearing man business is he?

Here is one of the many mansions built by the TV Evangelists in the US on the money of Christians who are told to buy their promotional materials 'and support the Lord's work!'

At least they get to marry into the bargain as well, the poor Pope gets all that cash but because of modern media he doesn't get to spend so much of it on women of ill-repute as his predecessors.

If that comment upset some catholics reading this, well this turn this off before you read the next comment... Check the link.

Bastard Pope Family History

That's right, not only did Popes have many mistresses and affairs but they also rigged the elections and got their bastard sons into the seat after them.

And yet the present occupant of the chair, lectures to the world on the need to follow a simple religious life, free of materialism whilst at the same time surrounded by Gold leaf, Silk Marble and hundreds of servants and sycophants.

Why do people trust this man when he is so obviously insincere in his character, which he shows to the world through his actions?

God / Allah says in his final revealed scripture to mankind, the Quran.

And with those who say, We are Christians, We made a covenant, but they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of, therefore We excited among them enmity and hatred to the day of resurrection; and Allah will inform them of what they did.

O followers of the Book! indeed Our Messenger has come to you making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book and passing over much; indeed, there has come to you light and a clear Book from Allah;

With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path.

Quran (5:14-16)

The Christians therefore reading this, being disgusted at the behaviour of their leaders should go instead look at the example of the Muslims.

Go to any village in England, any village and the first or second biggest house will be the vicarage. Even today the vicar gets a sweet deal, in this life at least (his next will be much more unpleasant).

But go to a Muslim village or community, the man usually with the most simple home is the village Imam as we don't put money before piety and we certainly don't 'sell God' and expect to get rich in this life on the proceeds, the only time an Imam is rich is if he has earned his money otherwise.

I am not trying to say Muslims are perfect but compare such examples to your Popes, your Arch-Bishops, your Millionaire Evangelicals?

Who is closer to God's true message and teachings as given to us through the example of the prophet's? the Christians or the Muslims?

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Robert Newman - The History of Oil

2009-10-02T09:00:00.005+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Apologies about the music at the beginning, but all the same an excellent, if light hearted look at the history of oil by Robert Newman.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Peak Oil or... what will it be like to live within our means?

2009-09-29T06:33:00.010+01:00

(Click on image to enlarge)

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

I love this cartoon, I use it as my desk top at work because it is a good conversation starter and gives me a chance to talk to people about what is happening in the world and a way for people to understand those events in a light hearted way that hopefully will not result in the usual blank stares when you mention topics like Peak Oil and the coming economic crash.

First of all does anyone remember back to about a year ago, just before the recession hit when the petrol got REALLY expensive, and the mainstream media started talking about peak oil issues for a change? It was a quite odd time, because all my friends were like "oh, that is the thing you keep on about" and wanted further help and explanation.

Independent -Fade to black: Is this the end of oil?

But now most people seem to have blanked it from their minds, forgotten it ever happened. Its like as bad as the recession is, it doesn't cause people to collectively forget the matter as too scary, too big a matter to deal with.

Now don't go, because your mind is now pushing you to close the page or go look at something else but in reality that is your way to cope with the biggest problem that is ever going to come mess up your life and the life of your kids, it is so big you want to pretend it isn't going to happen and so you do this...

Its probably the biggest problem mankind is going to face as a species but absolutely no one is willing to talk about it.

Recession /depression, starvation, famine, deforestation, acidification of the oceans, species extinctions, desertification, global warming, even nuclear war, o' we can talk about them but we don't want to talk about the Elephant in the room. Well I do want to talk about the elephant in the room so if you've read this far you might as well go further and finish reading the post.

The general point of todays Naseehah is this...

Our whole economy, no our whole modern civilisation is built upon Oil, well other fossil fuels also but mainly oil (I know I've mentioned this before but I cant stress this as a reason for Hijrah enough).

So this oil doesn't just get you to work and back, it gets all your food to the super market from the farmers field, it gets the lorries and trucks around that help our society run, without it we are not just going to hit a downturn, our society is going to come to a dead stop. Dead being the important word there.

Lets take the UK as our model here to explain what this means.

The UK before oil could provide enough food to feed between about 5-8million people, sometimes more. But 5-8million seems to be the stable figure. We did this by farming the land, then transporting the food to local market towns for selling and it kept the whole of pre-industrial society ticking along nicely.

Then along came Coal, all of a sudden you don't need to be near a water supply for power anymore and instead industries moved closer to where their suppliers and customers were in the cities.

Further down the line people realise you can use this coal to power other machines, not just the factories and the train comes along. The train allows for food and other goods to travel further and leads to further efficiencies in food production and a population boom.

This population boom is accelerated by oil, with cars, trucks, planes etc all now possible and all the food you eat comes from all over the world.

The oil is also used to farm the fields much more efficiently so where as in the past your field might produce X amount of grain, but needed Y to be deducted for all your manpower to give Z amount to send to market, now the X is much bigger because of all the machines and the Y is much smaller.

So the amount of food getting to market is much bigger, all thanks to oil. Oil based fertilisers are also used to boost those crops again, no oil means no oil based fertilisers.

Hope you are beginning to get the picture now, because the Elephant is starting to get upset with us for ignoring it. We need to realise this problem will never go away. NEVER.

We all live in a society which is going through massive growth in numbers and consumption of the worlds resources, all based upon a finite base. Infinite growth based upon a finite resource.

That is right. Oil is a limited resource, but what does that mean? IT MEANS IT WILL EVENTUALLY RUN OUT.

Most of you probably just jumped to position two in your mental defence strategies... You just read the statement 'it means it will eventually run out' and assumed it will be some point off in the far distance so thought "OK, it's going to go, but that is the future, that is a long time away."

Another classic defence, once the elephant is actually noticed, file it away for dealing with later.

But this is just like global warming, in that the longer we leave things the worse they become. It is not like global warming in that it cannot actually be solved.

I probably just lost a few more of you just then. "wait a minute? did he just say there is no cure? no solution?"

Those still with me here, who didn't hit the little X in the top right corner are probably in uncomfortable territory but this is the place you need to be in, you didn't run away and hide under your covers and pretend nothing is happening, you've at least got an idea that oil is going to run out and there is no cure for this problem.

Some of you might be thinking, but what about renewables? The sun hits the earth with 90,000 times more energy a day than we need. Yes that is true, but 90% of it is reflected right back out into space. So you will think OK, then 9,000 times more energy than we need in a day.

But you forget that energy is not easy to capture, it also uses plastics to make the technology to do it and plastics come from... oil.

Other renewable energy technologies still use oil to power the machines, to get the metals and other materials out of the ground to the factories, from the factories to the distribution centres and finally out to the field where they don't work particularly well and require a little man in a petrol powered van to come and fix it.

So they are a sticky plaster over a gaping wound.

So when will this oil disaster happen? Surely even if the oil is running out there is still quite a lot of it there isn't there?

Yes there is, but most of the easy to get stuff is now gone. This is the meaning of the term 'Peak Oil.' It is not the point where oil runs out, but the point where the worlds oil supply stops rising and starts falling. At that point the rising demand for oil that keeps all our towns, cities and even villages these days from starving will start to break down.

The UK and other western nations will use their military might to push on for another few years but in the end the scenes of famine and disaster we'll see from Africa, Asia and South America will come to haunt the landscapes of the West also and the western model of civilisation all based upon oil will come to an end.

The UK with its 65Million plus population will go back to only being able to support a few million, and you can imagine the scenes of the disaster, war, civil strife, starvation (and probably canibalism) that will take place when that happens. All over the world the same scenes will play out.

Harsh isn't it?

Quite depressing also, but then not really. You see every disaster is also an opportunity, an opportunity to live within our means, to live closer to the land and be free of many of the more nasty aspects of capitalist greed such as the massive pollutions we push into the environment.

In short an opportunity to live a better way, a way more in keeping with the commands of Allah!

Those people left, (for which the Muslims have to ensure we are a great a proportion as possible by being prepared) we will have to go back to farming or living in small towns, living closer to the natural base, living a life more in accordance with the life led by our ancestors.

For me that is a great thing, I don't particularly like modern life, its evil and stinking and the maybe that is why I saw the elephant in the room when everyone else didn't, but Allah has given us this great leveller against our enemies.

They've got planes, helicopter gun ships and tanks but within a short space of time they will just be rusting lumps of metal sat uselessly in fields and the Muslim lands will be free from the kuffar armies with only the apostate rulers left to deal with.

Now when is all this going to happen? Because those of you interested in Hijrah might be thinking if there is no oil, no planes flying, then really I don't want to get stuck here so maybe I need to go now.

Depends. Not a good answer I know but it might be 50 years, it might be 5 years. In truth is we don't know as it depends on a whole set of variables that are constantly changing, the demand for oil, the supply, the amount left (a state secret in many oil producing countries like Saudia), whether Allah sends any other disaster to hit whilst we are waiting for this one.

It therefore makes sense to leave as a matter or urgency, not to wait too long and when you go don't go somewhere in an even worse position like Qatar which has a couple of million people living an a desert where only a few thousand lived before, unless you are planning on going there to make more money to buy your farmland somewhere else.

The place you should be looking to make Hijrah towards should be closer to the natural economic base, agriculture and the lesser developed the better as it will then have less far to fall, even better somewhere fortified which today would cost you only £30k or a little more as they are in remote locations but in the future will cost far, far more as more and more people wake up to that damn elephant.

Hope I haven't depressed you all too much, and that like me you see the opportunities as well as the problems and that Inshallah we can all come out of this one alive and well with our families to help build a better society on the other side of the crash.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Mohammed is most popular name for baby boys in London

2009-09-27T20:04:00.005+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Some of the kuf newspapers were going mental over the following Story,

Mohammed is most popular name for baby boys in London

I've linked it to the Daily Telegraph version as although it is a right wing newspaper, it tends to explain things better, using more than four and five letter words, unlike the Sun, Star or Mail.

The story is basically this... In London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire, the number one boys name is Muhammad (if you count all the different spellings of the name) and that the 3rd of the boys born in the whole of the British Isles in the last year were named after our beloved Prophet (saws).

This backs up some ideas I have had when seeing the maternity units for the birth of my children, where it seems a much larger proportion than you would expect of expectant mothers are Muslim.

This is not surprising for us as Muslims, after all Rasoolullah (saws) told us to have large families to increase the size of the Ummah but it is a shock for the kuffar who just see themselves being swamped by an army of small brown babies, taking over their towns and cities.

To a certain extent this is true, we are out breeding them and out converting them with several thousand people embracing Islam per year and Muslim families having around about four Children per couple, as opposed to the national average of 1.9 per couple.

But we also know that quantity isn't that great if the quality is lacking. If many of the little Muhammad's and Abdullah's are ending up as Drug dealers and pimps, or even worse working as bankers and policemen then the numbers don't count for anything.

This is why wherever we are, whether here in the UK, elsewhere in the West, or in a Muslim land, it is massively important we never EVER give up giving Da'wah, it being such a big part of our deen to call people to Allah.

When we all engage in such activities, calling each other to Allah, improving this Ummah, that is when you see not only the quality increase but the quantity to Inshallah.

When that happens then this country will be a true Muslim nation, but until that time it will remain an obligation for us to leave whilst ever we can and stop supporting the kuffar with our numbers and wealth in their wars against Islam.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Majestic Bluefin Tuna soon to be gone...

2009-09-23T09:18:00.004+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

I admit I don't like Tuna, the canned stuff especially actually gives me the creeps, get goose bumps and horrid tingly feelings just thinking about it. Like most people in Britain my early experiences of Tuna was a smelly half eaten tin festering in the fridge.

The fishy smell is a big put off, only later in life did I learn this is not the normal smell of fresh fish, which is more like a salty sea breeze type smell, but tinned tuna especially has this disgusting smell and was a big put off right through my childhood and youth.

To top all that for a couple of months between uni courses I took a job at a Pizza takeaway, which had two big drawbacks, one being the oppressive heat of the pizza oven in the tiny kitchen and the other being I needed to pick up raw tuna with my hand in disgusting freezing cold oil from the fridge whenever someone ordered the sea food pizza.

(As a side note the takeaway was owned by a 'Muslim' from Iran who used to go out with his kaffirah girlfriend and used to rant and rave on a regular basis about his daughter who had rejected his western lifestyle and refused to take off her hijab or meet with men! "I didn't bring her here so she could life like this" he used to say (I've removed the expletives he used to use as this is a Muslim blog)).

So Tuna and me have never got on, even when I have eaten fresh Tuna in Spain, which has a slightly fishy Chicken taste I still can't get the mental trauma of handling the raw oil drenched cold tuna from my mind and I find I can't enjoy what would otherwise be a excellent food.

But despite my mild phobia I know I need to write to inform people of the demise of the Blue fin Tuna, a Mediterranean Beauty of massive size, growing to 6 to 8 foot long and being one of the top predators in the Med.

This Blue fin Tuna has been prized as the king of fish since the times of the Roman empire, probably much before but we can see wherever man left a written record along the med he wrote of his love for the Blue fin Tuna.

Its taste, size and beauty is 2ND to none amongst the fishes of the Mediterranean sea. Its a super fast killing machine gobbling up all the other little fishes and being pray to non but man.

Soon however due the greed of man the fish will effectively be gone from the seas, fished so much that it is down to 18% of its 1960's as the super trawlers and smaller fishing boats of the European fishing feet, which have destroyed this fish stock to such a level that it will no longer be viable to fish.

You see, although there will still be a few left, blue fin Tuna or indeed any species needs to be able to find its mate to breed, otherwise the population level cannot recover or will recover very slowly.

This is especially true of big slow growing animals like the Tuna so this great bounty and natural resource given to us by Allah will be destroyed by the hands of greedy men who are willing to take a big share now knowing the resource will then be gone for their children and future generations.

Allah addresses this when he says in the Quran,

ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُواْ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.
Surah ar-Rum, verse 41

But mankind isn't listening to the warnings that Allah is sending us, and may well end up being punished with a calamity not visited upon any other people before.

Before when a people went astray, they were punished alone, now the whole world is astray and the time may soon come where we all suffer collective punishment for the harm we do the creation of Allah out of our own greed and false sense of self-importance.

Mankind is ruler over the earth, yes. But he is not the owner, he is only the caretaker and if we hand it back to its owner in a worse state then we found it then we will all be answerable, either in this life or the next.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

An observation on the UK

2009-09-14T06:26:00.010+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

It's strange but as I continue to make plans to make Hijrah, the UK is becoming more and more closer to Islam.

The Da'wah stalls here in my home town more often than not gets a shahadah or two each month, sometimes each week and there are more and more reverts you see in the masaajid and in the community at large.

I am presently working as a HR Administrator and so have to screen application forms, and you can see the huge numbers of reverts with Muslim first names and native second names, like Yasmin Smith or Abdullah Brown (made up examples, not real people as far as I am aware). These reverts are making up about one in twenty of the younger people applying for the company I work for.

When the right wing nutcases tried recently to protest at the building of a Masjid in Harrow, London, over 2000 young brothers turned up to defend the Masjid and fight if necessary to defend Islam.

Subhanallah, think about that... Could we imagine such scenes only a few years ago? No, it is almost unimaginable and shows that Islam is coming back around the world. Look at the black Shahadah banner flying from the lines of the Muslims, doesn't it fill your heart with Imaan to see such scenes?

In Birmingham, Luton, and all over London, whenever the kuffar have been able to muster a hundred or so skin heads and football hooligans to cause trouble and try to attack the Muslims, the Muslims have stood up and fought back.

Another thing you will see is increasing numbers of brothers forgetting the cultural jahiliyyah of their parents and embracing Islam in a much fuller more comprehensive fashion, their mothers and aunties may cry out "how will you find a wife with that big beard on your face?"

But the brothers respond, "if the sister is bothered by this, I wouldn't want to marry her anyway."

The sisters the same, 20 years ago only a small minority wore hijab, now the majority do and a large number of them are wearing the Niqab also mashallah and showing Islam on the outside.

Both brothers and sisters are forgetting the cultural weddings and the masaajid are getting requests to hold weddings and walimas in the masjid, a small affair for the Muslims not the huge jahil weddings with the bollywood and free-mixing. Yes the good weddings are still in a minority but the community is changing, and it is changing for the better every year, every month it seems you see some new sign of Islam in the community.

Islam is both inner and outer and yes I know many of these newly practicing brothers and sisters are lacking in adhab and sometimes a little hizbi in their mentality but still lets make the 70 excuses for them required in our deen, many of them are only new to practicing so lets kindly advise them and help them inshallah to a better, fuller appreciation of our deen, many of us were in their position not long ago.

Yes, Islam is coming back, with the Kuffar on the back foot in their war against Islam, openly admitting they are losing the War in Afghanistan but still whilst the fight is on we are obliged to leave this land and migrate to one where we are able to help the deen without having to worry about the midnight knock on the door.

Look at this kuf soldier, he is crying. He is crying not because he is making Tawbah to Allah like we do, especially during this month of Ramadhan, but out of the 'shock and awe' of seeing the Muslims slaughter his comrades in arms, they are fighting for narrow nationalistic concerns, money and career and for their democracy and other kufr ideals but yet they are afraid to die and do hate to lose. Where as for the Muslims who fight in the correct cause, we either win the battle or are shaheed, we win or we win. There is no loss for the Muslims.

Despite all this my intention for Hijrah remains firm, if the troops of this country are still occupying the Muslim lands and the government supporting the kufr their I cannot remain here and keep increasing the numbers of this land, every £ I give in tax helps them where as at least if I was out of this land then this wouldn't be the case.

The law here has still not changed in regards to autopsies, so I still don't want my wife, children or indeed myself being cut up and dissected upon our deaths, feeling each cut like we were alive.

And the environmental and economic disasters are still likely to be coming soon, soon it will not even be possible to leave when the oil prices start to rise to such rates that only the very rich can fly.

So yes we are still leaving, despite all the good signs of the Islamic revival in the UK but whilst ever we are here then we will continue to work to establish Islam, just as we would wherever we were living and who knows, maybe we'll just end up doing enough to bring this country to Islam as a whole system and we can end up stopping here anyway and we'll get the reward of the one who does Hijrah for our intention and the reward of the one who does Da'wah and establishes the deen.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

World's oldest Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus

2009-09-03T06:51:00.009+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

For any Christians who might read this, peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance (the greeting our prophet told us to use with the people of the book, the Jews and the Christians)

Many brothers and sisters who come across Christians on a regular basis, either in their lives or in Da'wah activities might have heard them mention in response to Muslim allegations of the Bible being corrupted and from differing, contradictory manuscripts, that there is an old version of the Bible that has been found and so therefore this allegations are incorrect and can no longer be used.

So lets examine this claim, regarding this 'bible,' the world's oldest and see if it does indeed hold true that this disproves the claims of Islamic scholars on the Bible, that it is from contradictory and fragmented sources and therefore cannot be relied upon for guidance and salvation.

The Codex Sinaiticus is indeed very old, much older than any other Bible, and was set down sometime around or just before 350 CE. (So could easily be corrupted before then anyway)

Like the Bible, it is a collection of earlier works, scrolls which were copied from other scrolls, copied from other scrolls, etc, etc, going back 300 years to the time of Jesus Christ (upon him be peace), with no recorded chain of narration, i.e you don't know who passed on the information and indeed whether they were reliable or liars, or people with bad memories etc.

However this is where the similarity ends, and where the claims of the Christians to hold an 'original Bible' come seriously unstuck.

As already mentioned, the Codex Sinaiticus comes from the time of about 350CE, the time the Bible was also being put down but contains serious differences with the modern Bible, whole different books added which were stuck out by the people who put together the Bible.

So rather than having the world's oldest Bible, what the Christians really have is yet another version of the Bible, to put alongside their 5600 scraps and scrolls, another set of more contractions to sort through and decide whether to keep or discard from their book. The Bible and the Codex seem to be rival manuscripts, not at all similar in the detail.

'The Shepherd of Hermas,' a book supposedly from the 2ND century CE is included in the Codex, but this is struck out of later Bibles. One whole section, are the Christians gong to restore this book now? even though they struck it out for disagreeing with their doctrine later?

The wording of the lord's prayer is different once again, from the 5600 fragments and scrolls which exist, as well as now the codex the Christians don't even have an agreed upon version of the Lord's prayer, the only line all versions agree upon is "Our Father who art in heaven," every line there after being up for dispute and argument.

Yet this book full of contradictions, where the last words that Jesus is supposed to have spoken is also up for dispute when he was supposedly on the Cross, and even the modern Bible has two different version of his last words, is held up as the word of God! As if the almighty creator of the heavens and the earth makes mistakes in what the Christians consider to be his last guidance to mankind.

How can they possibly compare such a book to the Quran? Unchanged and unchangeable by the hands of man. How can the Muslims let such a claim to go unchallenged?

Could Muslims imagine following a Quran, where we were not even sure of the wording of al-Fatihah? Never mind the rest of the book.

This is what the Christians ask you to follow, this book, full of flaws and contradictions, lies and mistakes which they pass off as the word of Allah, blaspheming against him as if he was unable to preserve his word if he wished it.

So next time the Christians tell you about this oldest bible they have found be ready, challenge them, don't let them keep telling people these lies.

Remember, the codex differs in the text in each book and in the books included, the codex is therefore not a world's oldest bible, but a different version of the bible, a rival to the bible, with different wordings and meanings to it but just as flawed and contradictory as later Bibles.

The codex itself is contradictory, both to itself and to the later Bibles used today, so in fact rather than destroying only reinforces our argument of the Bible being corrupted and from differing and contradictory texts.

Explain to the Christians the problems with the Bible, whether it be the codex or modern version, that these contradictions show this book is not protected by Allah, unlike the Quran, that it therefore cannot be the word of almighty Allah as Allah does not lie, nor does he make mistakes.

Finally call them to Allah, show them the Quran, a book unchanged for 1400 years, a book that has no flaws and no contradictions and challenge them, challenge them by saying "if I can prove to you that the Bible has contradictions and flaws, will you agree with me it is not from God? and if you can prove to me the Quran has one single flaw or contradiction it is not from God?"

Get them to agree to this challenge, don't be afraid, the Quran has no flaws and no Christian out of the hundreds I have spoken to has ever, EVER been able to produce one. Whereas the bible is so full of flaws it is easy to show them the errors and problems with it.

Once you have shown them the Bible is flawed and contradictory, whereas the Quran has been preserved without contradictions and flaws then ask them which is truly God's word? which should be followed therefore and relied upon for guidance so we can be saved?

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Uber busy lately!

2009-08-24T04:08:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently, I've been uber busy lately and didn't have time.

First news is we have managed to organise an excellent and successful Masjid Open Day, 51 people coming to learn about Islam as well as one young woman who said her shahadah and was then welcomed into Islam by her sisters who were helping out in the sisters section.

The number one point of interest and dispute we have from non-Muslims when giving them Da'wah is that they say we oppress our women, now if we are going to argue back the easiest way of doing this is to get a sister to say it. I could argue 1000 times that I don't oppress my wife and never be believed, but my wife has to say it only once to be believed.

Unfortunately due to cultural jahil reasons, many Muslims DO forbid their women from going to the masjid, not even providing prayer and wudhu facilities for them, Shame on them for disobeying Rasoolullah (saws) who said "do not forbid the women from going to the masjid even though their houses are better for them." (Abu Dawud) And also, shame on them for giving such a bad impression of Islam and ammunition to those who will attack Islam any way they can.

The Scholars have clarified five reasons for men talking to women and visa versa,

1. Trade and Business - a man buying from a woman or a woman buying goods from her man. Yes it is better for women to get their menfolk to go to the shops for her, but if she cannot or has no husband or father to help her?

2. Medical help - if the injury is serious, not small and no female doctor of sufficient ability available then there is an allowance for the women to go to a male doctor, but should if possible to accompanied by a mahram and not exposing any more of the body than necessary.

3. Jihad - Yes the women of the past used to go in Jihad, to tend the wounded soldiers and even fighting, look at the stories of the women from the sahabah, many of them fought and killed the kuffar.

4. Teaching matters of the Deen - If the most qualified person in a given matter of the deen is a women than there is no harm of the man learning from her, as long as certain etiquette's are observed. But this allowance is for matters of the deen, not for other affairs as some people try to use it to allow mixed sex secular education.

5. Da'wah - Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil - If a woman sees an evil it is obligatory for her to forbid it if she can, and if she has an opportunity to enjoin the good then it is obligatory for her to do so. The sisters from Lal Masjid who were going around closing the brothels and bollywood music shops and beating those who refused were doing the right thing, and the sisters who talk to non-Muslims and tell them about Islam are doing the right thing.

Allah says in the Quran, that we are the best of nations because we invite to the good and forbid people from the evil. Elsewhere he says those who invite to the good and forbid the wrong, they are the ones who are successful. These verses are general, not particular to men and men should well remember that.

I hope that helps a little to dispel some peoples notions of it being allowed to stop women doing da'wah, which is what some men and women try to do.

Another matter of interest lately that has kept me busy and stopped me blogging is that I've finally got a job! I am sure any non-Muslim reading this will be upset thinking how dare this extremist preach to us when he doesn't even work?

But I have been looking hard and finally alhamdulillah I found a job, one major problem though being its in another city so not only do I have to work for 8 hours, but have 2 hours travelling time each end of that as well.

I must admit it is hard, as this means I don't see my wife and kids in the morning, and only get to see my son for a couple of hours in the evening when I come home. This is heartbreaking sometimes when I have had so long with him before but inshallah if i get the money I need I can get out of here sooner and look after him and my daughter better in the future by taking them from this filthy land to one better suited to Muslims.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Former spy Glen Jenvey embraces Islam at the hands of one of the Islamists he used to slander and attack

2009-08-12T09:15:00.004+01:00

Assalaamu alaykum all,

Allahu Akbar! excellent news, the slanderer of Islam, the one who used to run to the press attacking Islam and inciting hatred has now embraced Islam. He would sit on Islamic discussion forums, taking notes of anything which could be taken badly and then go the tabloids and sell these stories onto them.

For those who don't know, Glen Jenvey was amongst the most severe in his hatred of Islam but Allah can change the hearts of whomever he wills, and he has now embraced Islam.

So if any of you see our new brother, Omar Hamza Jenvey, remember to give him a big hug and offer him whatever help he needs, Allah is the flipper of hearts and we love brother Omar for the sake of Allah, just as we used to hate him for the sake of Allah when he was the enemy of Islam.

We had a similar story in my city, when one of the people who had been most severe in their hatred of Islam, whose face would go red as he shouted filth and obscenities about Islam, Allah and our beloved Rasool (saws), embraced Islam and now instead of coming up to the Dawah tables and attacking us and trying to pull people away, comes up and talks to us and tries to help.

Just goes to show, everyone can change, Islam is coming back and inshallah more enemies of Islam will come into the fold, become our brothers and we will go from strength to strength, Inshallah.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Do not forbid them from going to the Masjid... kids that is.

2009-08-04T08:16:00.004+01:00

Assalaamu alaykum all,

I have been helping out in a new masjid here recently so not had much time for the blogg, we are basically organising a masjid open day where we throw open the doors of the masjid and invite all the kuffar in to take a look around, take a tour, listen to short talks and long Q and A sessions and recieve free food and literature.

Alhamdulillah has been going very well, the local brothers there are learning a lot about Dawah and us brothers who do Dawah who are normally kept at arms length due to be vocal on certain topics around the rulers in the Muslim lands have been welcomed in and are being helped and listened to as well so win-win for us, win because gets more people out giving Dawah and win as more trusted in the community also.

Anyway... this masjid has always let kids in, who are generally well behaved, sit still or join in during salaat and then might play a little after but nothing too bad and anyway I always think it is great to see kids playing and Abdullah loves it, running and playing with other kids his age and older when the masjid is empty.

So we are stuffing envolopes, sending out to churches, doctors surgeries etc and Abdullah is playing, when a committee member comes up and tells me not to bring children to the masjid. I tried to politely point out I am trying to help the masjid but he said ok, but don't bring your kids next time.

It is so wrong and frustrating, did the Prophet (saws) not have children climbing all over him once in salaah? did Umar ibn Al-Khattab not rebuke a man not kissing his son when he came to see him in the Masjid?

This is far removed from the Sunnah, turns the masaajid into cold lifeless places, subhanallah we should allow the kids to wrestle and the men as well in the masjid as this also is a sunnah but instead we are making them into churches instead.

I'll write some more posts on the open day when I get chance and let you all know how it goes.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Excerpt from "The path to guidance"

2009-07-25T16:51:00.003+01:00

By Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Produced by Ibn Il-Qayyim (d.751H) who said, "And mankind, with regard to their performance of prayer are in five levels:

The First: The level of the one who is negligent and wrongs his soul. He is the one who falls short in performing ablution properly, performing the prayer upon its time and within its specified limits, and in fulfilling its essential pillars.

The Second: The one who guards his prayers upon their proper times and within their specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and performs his ablution with care. However, his striving (in achieving the above) is wasted due to whisperings in his prayer so he is taken away by thoughts and ideas.

The Third: The one who guards his prayers within the specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and strives with himself to repel the whisperings, thoughts and ideas. He is busy struggling against his enemy (shaytaan) so that he does not steal from the prayer. On account of this he is engaged in (both) prayer and jihaad.

The Fourth: The one who stands for the prayer, completes and perfects its due rights, its essential pillars, performs it within its specified limits and his heart becomes engrossed in safeguarding its rights and specified limits, so that nothing is wasted from it. His whole concern is directed towards its establishment, its completion and perfection, as it should be. His heart is immersed in the prayer and in enslavement to his Lord, the Exalted.

The Fifth: The one who stands for the prayer like the one mentioned above. However, on top of this, he has taken and placed his heart in front of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, looking towards Him with his heart with anticipation, (his heart) filled with His love and His might, as if he sees and witnesses Allaah. The whisperings, thoughts and ideas have vanished and the coverings which are between him and his Lord are raised. What is between this person and others with respect to the prayer, is superior and greater than what is between the heavens and the earth. This person is busy with his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, delighted with Him.

The first type will be punished, the second type will be held to account, the third will have his sins and shortcomings expiated, the fourth will be rewarded and the fifth will be close to his Lord, because he will receive the portion of one who makes his prayer the delight and pleasure of his eye.

Whoever makes the prayer the delight and pleasure of his eye, will have the nearness to his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, made the delight and pleasure of his eye in the hereafter. He will also be made a pleasure to the eye in this world since whoever makes Allaah the pleasure of his eye in this world, every other eye will become delighted and pleased with him.

From: The Path to Guidance

Why do the Christians always run away when things get difficult?

2009-07-20T09:36:00.004+01:00

Assalaamu alaykum all,

Been a while since last posted, still doing our research into Yemen, still keeping up with preparations to go but in the mean time doing a little Da'wah work and thought would share an observation with you all.

Why do Christian missionaries run away when you ask them difficult questions?

They come up to us all the time on the Da'wah stall, they claim they are upon the truth, bring forth all sorts of 'proofs' but as soon as you show them the falsehood of the bible, its many flaws and contradictions they panic and run.

The best they can come up with is silly arguments, well your Quran must have contradictions also but I have challenged dozens of them to bring me some proof of the Quran having flaws and contradictions and not one has ever come back, all have failed, every single one. I even tell them, bring me one, just one contradiction and I promise I will leave Islam, I am that certain there isn't even one.

Over 20 more, whom I have given a Quran translation to, challenging them to find a flaw or contradiction and if cannot find it then accept admit it is from Allah, never once have they come back or come back to me even though it is always accompanied with my E-mail and telephone number.

I mean its a simple challenge isn't it? If the creator does not lie, does not make mistakes then his word, his book is without flaw or contradiction so bring your proof o christians if you are truthful or otherwise prepare to be challenged.

But when challenged, they run away, or sometimes when you start to get through using ration to one of these misguided people then the elder of the group comes up and pulls them away but if the 'truth' of christianity was so good and clear surely it should defeat the arguments of Islam everytime?

No, the truth always smashes falsehood and everytime the truth of Islam destroys the false arguments of the Christians and they run away and retreat to blind faith, not faith based upon rational contemplation like the Muslims.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

What a Shallow Society we live in...

2009-07-02T22:45:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu alaykum all,

I am just doing my latest assignment for the Open University, OK lets just explain what that is first of all.

the OU is a higher education Establishment based in the UK where you do all your courses online and require almost no contact with tutors, fellow students etc unless you wish to do so. The plus side of this is little or no mixing, the downside is little or no support and all on your own shoulders.

So anyway, was doing my assignment and is on the subject of identity, so reading all this stuff from people, some long dead with lots of letters after their name and it is all about how others see us, how they believe our identity is made up by ourselves to give a certain impression to others and is in effect all show.

It just struck me how such an approach is totally true of non-Muslims and non-practicing brothers and sisters, it is all show, all the lesser shirk of showing off to others, the shirk which might not be as bad as major shirk but will however destroy your good deeds.

As Muslims we are different, we do things only to please Allah, our structural (society or nature determined) identity should therefore only be simply matters of sex, race, things we cannot alter.

Where as our agency (personal ideas) identity should only be shaped by ourselves to please Allah, not others.

I therefore need to try to put this across to the lecturer in the assignment, show them how for all their fancy theories and ideas, we Muslims don't fit into their secularised boxes.

I am hoping to do this in the discussion upon Gender roles in shaping identity, how the industrialised west views the male breadwinner and father as better than the female mother and wife, subhanallah how many times are we told to value our mother more than our father? three times! in Islam the wife is the one who nourishes, nurters, educates and emotionally shapes our children, how can such a role be less than simply doing a bit of physical or mental work?

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Acceptance on TESOL CELTA!

2009-06-11T08:18:00.005+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

Had some excellent news today alhamdulillah, I've been accepted onto the TESOL Celta course at my local college to do a years course to learn to teach English as a 2nd language.

The course looks excellent, 2-3 hours observing classes and teaching a week and 2 hours teaching theory. Some Tesol and Tefl (interchangeable course just about) only teach you the theory, or have very little practice on real students or are crammed into a short space of time.

So inshallah this time next year I will be fully qualified English instructor and on my way to somewhere I can here the Azhaan five times a day to teach English and where I don't need to be worried whether I am going to be the next brother doing Da'wah work to be picked up and locked up on false charges.

I will keep you all informed on how the course goes, but here is a hint for you all in case anyone else is applying, the grammar test was the hardest exam I have ever done, far beyond GCSE and A-Level, so swot for the exams like you've never swotted before for an English exam!

Going to be doing a lot of studying this year, with my OU Social Sciences course, my TESOL and of-course my never ending quest to learn arabic! Inshallah I can keep up with it all but if not then other committments will have to be dropped as inshallah nothing is going to come in my way of learning the skills I need to make sure me and my family can do Hijrah.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Birmingham Road Show

2009-06-07T17:37:00.005+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

I am pleased to say I was able to join with several other da'wah stalls from across the UK in birmingham city centre for a da'wah road show, a mega-uber-da'wah stall if you will with 4 stalls, massive banners, information boards, about 30 brothers and about 15 sisters, all giving Da'wah openly and publicly to the kuffar.

This mean't several da'wah stalls from all over the uk converging on Birmingham, combining our efforts, alhamdulillah the heavens opened up and we all got drenched (well I didn't as I brought an Umbrella) but showing the type of quick thinking and adaptability you need in Da'wah one brother with a bit of cash went and bought several gazeebos from Argos, the argos catalogues acting as anchors also to make sure the heavy weather didn't blow away our stalls and new tenty like structures.

You might think rain would stop us from giving Da'wah, but no, only wimps would let a bit of rain stop play. No we continued and what we found was only the sincere truth seekers stopped to talk to us and we were still really busy the whole day.

Amongst the memorable events of the day was one woman and two young men, only 11 year olds, embracing Islam, Allahu Akbar!

I never spoke to the new sister, but I heard one brother saying how he had told our two new young brothers of the exploits of the young sahabah in the fields of Da'wah and striving for the sake of Allah, how two 9yo boys did for the great enemy of Islam - Abu Jahl.

I also picked up an excellent new retort when one woman, remarking on our banner shouted that 'Jesus wasn't a muslim, he was christian.' So one quick thinking brother shouted back, 'Yes, indeed he was muslim and mary wore Hijab, go home and check your statues!'

The people were very curious and despite the rain I must have been busy most of the day, but imagine brothers and sisters probably 30 brothers and about 15 sisters all giving Da'wah, all talking to non-muslims at once, giving the message of Islam to the people, as well as having talks taking place with the microphone.

Unfortunately it had to end, but inshallah we will be back Birmingham again soon as the reception towards the message of Islam was excellent, may Allah swt continue to guide them to the truth.

May the Da'wah work continue to Birmingham, and all over the country so these kuffar can be guided to the truth, that Allah's deen can be made highest, ameen.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Country Profile - Yemen

2009-06-06T08:10:00.010+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum,

It seems many people when they make a decision to make Hijrah look at Yemen at some point, some families go there and come back, others have gone and stayed.

So what is good and what is bad about Yemen, why do some people stay and others come back?

Here is my latest country profile, please as always bare in mind these are my personal impressions and if you know any better correct my errors.

1. How easy is it to practice the deen, and to what level, how practicing are the people there.

Relatively easy to practice the deen as long as you don’t speak out against the rulers too much (make your comments against the murtad rulers general, not specific).

Even then there is an active Islamist movement calling for Shariah, from hardcore Jihadis to democracy using Iqwanis and with the president trying to keep both sides happy and pleasing the Muslims sometimes by helping them such as helping the Jihad in Somalia and in other times pleasing the US and West by locking up and sometimes executing those who appose the aims of the West.

This picture is of Dammaj, one of the islamic teaching institutions in Yemen, though this one is one of the best and hardest to get into.

Sheikh Anwar has also now been released and is presently speaking out openly and there are committees to forbid vice and enjoin good in the major cities, making sure people observe the public aspects of Islam.

People are quite practicing compared to many nations, niqab and hijab normal, men tend to wear western clothes and mustaches but this is changing (for the better)!

But some parts of this are cultural, i.e one of my Yemeni friends said even the prostitutes where niqab and walk arround with little bells on their ankles.

2. Whether Autopsy is allowed or not, what are the circumstances Autopsies are carries out.

Autopsies seem rare if happen at all, except in criminal cases but even then relatively unknown due to lack of resources.

3. How easy is to move to that land and how easy or difficult is it to acquire citizenship.

Relatively easy to move there if you can afford the residency visas. Need to investigate how easy or difficult to get citizenship as cannot find anything on this.

4. What are the employment prospects for someone who is a non-native language speaker and doesn’t have a degree.

Not as good as some places due to lack of international business and large scale poverty and unemployment but possible for a determined English speaker to find work, especially teaching English as lots of little colleges and schools which wont pay well but don't advertise internationally either.

5. What are the medical facilities like for both residents and citizens.

Good private system but fully costed on the patient, if you cant afford it you don’t get treatment for some illnesses, but there are charitable hospitals but these tend to be poor and massively over used for use in emergencies.

6. What are the other benefits like for both residents and citizens.

Non Existent other benefits, if you have no money you rely on charity or starve.

7. What is the general culture like there.

General culture is friendly and open, but very poor. Wide gulf between relatively westernised middle and upper class and religiously practicing poor.

Crime rate is small, but some tribes do use kidnapping to publicise grievances with the government and they might not necessary no the difference between one fair skinned foreigner and another.

8. Environmental Factors

Rising temperatures likely to make farming more difficult in the short to medium term and sea level rises turn Adan, the main port into an Island, though the rest of the country is relatively unaffected by sea level rises even at 14m due to a high coastline.

In the long run however, the land should become much more fertile as temperatures rise, as predicted by environmental scientists and in the hadith from the prophet Muhammad (saws).

Yemen, alongside Oman is part of the fertile 'green' part of Arabia but still has water shortages due to Khat farmers illegally extracting water to make sure they have enough themselves, even if other farmers and poor villagers suffer in the long term.

9. General Stability

Have had civil wars in the past, but even though there are still tensions between Sunni and Shia, secular and Islamic, it doesn’t look like there is going to be any trouble soon and good relations and no border disputes with neighbours.

There is an active south Yemen independence movement, but doesn't seem to be getting anywhere at the moment, even though there is a genuine grievence with all the gas and oil reserves in the south and the richer north taking most of the money from these for patronage for the presidents supporters in the north.

Saying all that, there is always potential for trouble in place with slightly more Rifles than people (US readers take note)

Conclusion...

Though not perfect by a land shot, Yemen is much more islamic in character and culture than many other arab or muslim countries and would therefore seem to be a good choice for Hijrah as long as enough money is saved up first incase cannot get a job.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

A baby Muslimah this time...

2009-06-04T22:02:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

just to keep you posted on the Dawah front, alhamdulillah we had another shahadah on the stall this last tuesday, a new sister embraced Islam with us.

She already knew quite a lot about Islam as she lived with her adoptive Muslim family but felt relunctant to embrace Islam because of certain cultural practices she had seen from them, even though they otherwise gave a good impression of Islam to her.

Alhamdulillah, we were able to show her this was only culture, she already believed but just needed convincing to take the last step which we did and we took her details and passed them onto a masjid in her own city (she was only in town shopping when she saw the stall).

But I couldn't help feeling that others could have done this a long time ago, talked her into taking the final step, closing the deal to use sales terminology, though we are not salesman unlike some christian missionaries.

But it goes to show, there are plenty of people out there who believe, who want to come into Islam but just need to be invited in the right way, plenty of easy chances to earn such massive reward from Allah as remember whatever good this sister or brother muhammad from last week does, myself and the other brothers on the stall will get equal reward with no deminishing of what they will earn from Allah.

When we are living in darul kufr, it seems such a shame to pass up on such opportunities to please our lord whilst we are here anyway, a criminal waste of an opportunity for which we will be questioned surely on the day of judgement.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Coca Cola Muslim Generation by Abdur Raheem Green

2009-06-04T09:35:00.003+01:00

assalaamu alaykum,

an excellent talk by the Da'ee Abdur Raheem Green, listen and learn.

assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

'Muslims' attack Luton Dawah Stall

2009-05-30T12:00:00.003+01:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6392580.ece

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

above is a link to a distressing story of the so-called moderate muslims of Luton attacking the Dawah Stall there.

Subhanallah this may seem distressing, that they would stoop to attacking those calling to Allah but didn't the Quresh attack the believers in Makkah and attempt to destroy them in Medina?

If you study the life of all the prophets, indeed major scholars who revived islam in their day, you will see there comes a time when their Dawah is beginning to be successful and the Kuffar and Munafiqeen move from a position of rediculing the da'ee to physically attacking him.

We seem to be reaching this time in the UK now, and instead of learning to stand together as in the story of the three bulls the munafiqeen in the muslim community have instead began to call the da'ee the trouble maker, not themself.

And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers.

They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive.

In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.

And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers.

Now surely they themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not perceive.

Translation of the Quran, 2:8 - 2:11

There were munafiqeen in the time of our beloved prophet Muhammad (saws) and in just the same way many Masaajid congregations and indeed committees are have a munafiq present, who will report back to the kuffar, take their side and unfortunately when such individuals get into positions of power they will use it to aid themselves and their kuffar allies and bend the jahil muslims to do their bidding for them.

May Allah (swt) guide this ummah, keep us strong and firm on the right path, guide the youth away from the filthy kufr and nifaq of these false leaders and towards the trusty hand hold given by the genuine leaders of islam in the uk, ameen.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Saw something amusing today...

2009-05-29T17:36:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu alaykum all,

I was out handing our leaflets outside jummah today regarding why voting is haram and a form of shirk, the one taking part in it associating a partner with Allah as he alone has the right to legislate and if anyone gives that right to another then he has taken them as a taghoot and has become a muskrik.

ok so far, not much funniness going on...

but on the way home what did i see?

the local polling station signs are up already, right outside the gates of the local hindu temple, so the people will get to go into the mushrik place of worship to cast their vote and take their MEP's and other elected representatives as partners besides Allah.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

A baby is born...

2009-05-28T20:18:00.004+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

been a while since I last posted but have some excellent news, no not a real baby as such, but just as good as with us being able to welcome Brother Muhammad into the deen who said his shahadah with us on the Dawah Stall in the city centre we do.

Mashallah, we didn't even really need to talk him into it, he just saw our banner and said it was something he had been thinking about for a while and wanted to become a Muslim.

So we checked he believed in the 6 articles of faith, mashallah yes he did so we just went ahead and did the shahadah there and then on the stall, he then went home had a shower and when we had finished doing the stall for the day we went to meet him and spent a few hours teaching him a few basic things about salaah and seeing he was welcomed correctly into the local masjid.

Alhamdulillah, they were more than good, all the brothers giving him hugs, from the oldest of elders to the youngest of the madrassa kids, really was a boost to your imaan to see such brotherhood displayed as unfortunetely so many masaajid fall down in the responsibility towards new muslims.

He is getting lessons now most nights, and has an excellent memory, picking up the arabic very quickly and already wants to come out on the stall and help us call others to Islam, mashallah it is good to see someone so strong in the deen so quickly.

Now when someone embraces Islam, they are as sinless as baby, we don't believe in all that original sin crap the christians beat themselves up with, so bro Muhammad is now as sinless a new born child, all his sins wipes clean and gone.

We should all remember that whilst we are waiting to make hijrah enjoining the good and forbidding the evil in society are fard upon us, dawah is fard upon each according to our ability and public dawah is a fard kifiyyah responsibility upon us all that is not done anywhere near enough.

Some people think Dawah is difficult, ok it isn't easy but to give Dawah to a non-muslim is easy compared to a muslim, you don't need knowledge of usul fiqh or anything other than a basic knowledge of tawhid, Sheikh bin Baaz once said whomever knows Surah Ikhlas has enough knowledge to give dawah but yet most muslims in the west leave Dawah to mufti saab, but mufti saab usually never leaves the masjid so I guess that means dawah never gets done.

We all need to start taking our obligations to do Dawah seriously, just go and call your neighbours, work colleagues, fellow students, anyone and pretty soon you'll get the hang of it. You'll get asked questions you have never heard before but just have the courage to say politely I don't know but take their number and go find out for them.

Maybe if we all get busy enough the land we are living in right now might end up being Darul Islam, stranger things have happened in history.

So please all make Dua for brother Muhammad, that Allah swt keeps him strong and firm on the straight path, that he makes him successful in this life and more importantly the next and that he makes us all strong Da'ees firm upon his message of Tawheed to mankind, ameen.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Oman - a good land to make Hijrah to?

2009-05-13T10:01:00.009+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum,

been a long time since I did a country profile for Hijrah purposes but here are my thoughts on Oman, a country hardly anyone knows about much less considers for Hijrah.

please bare in mind these are my thoughts based on my research but you may have totally different views based on your research and experience so if you disagree with anything let me know because I don't want to misguide anyone.

1. How easy is it to practice the Deen and to what level, also how practicing are the people there?

From what I can tell more people seem to be practicing than many other countries, women cover usually, men as well and praying five times a day is the norm with the promotion of the five pillars by the ulema there.

Oman is unusual in that it is 55% Ibadiyah, then a large minority Ahlus Sunnah, then a smaller Shi'a minority.

Ibadi's are as far as I can tell Ahlul Qibla, i.e Muslims but not of the saved sect, but have some strange rationalist beliefs and are very strict on the five pillars, believing it is kufr to abandon them.

There have been no reports of disappearances, torture, mistreatement etc of those calling to the deen of Allah, unlike in most other arab lands so seems at first glance to be a better place for making Hijrah than many other places.

2. Autopsy allowed or not?

Autopsy is not the norm, usually only when the Royal Omani Police decide there is some suspicious circumstances in the death will an autopsy take place and even then a letter from the British Embassy will usually be respected to stop this from happening.

3. How easy is it to move to this land and how easy or difficult is it to get citizenship?

Need a tourist or work visa to travel there, with little or no chance of getting citizenship but you can remain if have savings or children are supporting you. So would need financial stability to remain in this country or have the kids married and working here to remain long term.

4. What are the employment prospects like for someone like me, an English speaker with no degree?

Like most simular arab nations, the international companies want English speakers which is the normal language for such places, as well as this good opportunities in teaching English.

5. What are the medical facilities like for residents and citizens?

From my own checking the system is private but subsidised for citizens and some residents, would need to check the status of this before moving there to find whether the Job I was doing fell under subsidised medical care or not.

6. What are the other benefits like for residents and citizens?

Good benefits but only for citizens.

7. What is the general culture like there?

Culture is quite steriotypically Arab but they've tried not to become too westernised and hang onto their islamic roots more. They also have a reputation of being hospitable to outsiders unlike some gulf countries.

The cost of living is also much lower and they haven't gone for the boom or broke economic model of many gulf countries, keeping things more moderate and tame.

8. What are the environmental conditions like?

Any sea level rises will cause moderate damage but not too severe and no widespread coastal damage. The country also has a great deal of arable land and a fishing industry and with little tourist industry makes it quite alot more attractive economically when the oil crash comes or this countries oil reserves run out.

9. How stable is the country?

Seems very stable for a muslim country, no border disputes or any disputes so wars very unlikely.

Conclusion

In conclusion it looks very good, stable, not prone to the widespread damage we are likely to see elsewhere with global warming, sea level rises etc.

Seems a better option than many places due to the character of the people and country but issues of not being able to settle perminently unless the kids are there working also.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Bait ul ilm

2009-04-29T21:06:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum everyone,

We have now formally started our home schooling of our son, ok he is only 2 and a 1/2 but you cant start too young and he is uber smart already so best to get him learning.

We might ask how does this home schooling differ from the normal pre-school learning done by most kids before they are pushed off to nursery at 4 years old?

Well our house of knowledge, 'bait ul ilm' has started its first formal lessons, not just reading every now and again to your kids, but an hour a day Quran classes for the whole family, plus some basic learning for Abdullah when we can.

So far we've covered numbers, letters in english and arabic and today he learnt a little about weather with pictures of the Sun, clouds, rain, snow and wind. ok it wasn't a picture of the wind which is an impossibility but a picture of a flag moving in the wind but you get the idea.

Seems simple doesn't it? Is there anyone out there reading this who feels this is beyond them as parents to home school your kids at this level?

We have our own white board, pens, and just write out the letters and numbers to be learnt and ask him what they are, or draw simple pictures and ask him what they are in english and arabic.

We are enjoying it, and I know Abdullah does, shouting 'home school!' as he comes downstairs in a morning, wanting his first go at doing his letters and numbers, but alas his attention span is about 15-30 minutes so we are getting him to do short spurts but he is really doing well mashallah even if he does still mix up his 3 and 5!

I hope this has given people a taste for how much fun home schooling can be and I hope inshallah you all give it a go and realise it is not necessary to pack your kids off to be looked after by the secularists in school who will not only teach them what to think but even how to think.

From a hijrah point of view home schooling makes lots of sense, no need to keep moving schools as you take your school with you! plus some of the schooling in many countries is quite dodgy, expensive or more often both!

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

So what is new...

2009-04-01T14:17:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum,

so what is new on planet Abu Abdillah?

I've applied for an open university course, Social sciences (not specialising yet, can do that later) which I hope should improve my employability both here and in Darul Emaan.

I also get a free laptop! which is nice. Should make things much easier for doing course work etc.

I have also applied for a TESOL course, but that is in september by which time i will have finished the OU course, after which I can return to something else.

Its just I dont like to stand still, I want to keep moving, keep improving, keep my mind active and in my life I tend to have three books on the go at any one time. One Islamic book, one fiction and factual.

Mashallah my son seems to get smarter every day, can now do Surah Fatihah, though not perfectly but I still think it is pretty good going at just over 2 and a half.

I have also just returned from my home town, they know how to treat brothers there. I went to two masaajid, one for jummah and one for Maghrib the same day, I almost couldnt get out both times for people giving me hugs, wanting to ask how I was, how was Abdullah doing etc and getting invited to eat.

It just isn't like that most places and it annoys me because it should be!

I think fundementally I am a spoilt child, in that when I first came into the deen it was into such an environment so I get vexed with brothers and with communities when they are not like this because I know this is from the sunnah and I know they should be.

But still it is an amazing emaan boost to see such brothers and feel such love for the sake of Allah, and makes me feel more and more determined to change things for the better where I am now.

Heay, it has only taken my 6 months of giving salaams and being consistantly ignored to finally get some of the local elders to reply to my salaams how difficult can the rest of it be?

I think the best way to change people is to act as a good example, so I need to take the first step more often, invite people to my home more even if they never return the gesture, Allah will still see I have done my bit and inshallah soften their hearts and put more love for their brothers in their hearts.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Frustrated at my fellow Muslims...

2009-03-12T07:29:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

I am going to write a few things in this post and it is likely to offend others, but these matters need addressing as for too long they have gone unspoken and ignored within the Muslim community.

Many people reading this will therefore find themselves being addressed indirectly when they realise the people I am speaking about are they themselves.

The scholars have established the conditions of living in Darul kufr, even those scholars who permit living in Darul kufr are of the opinion that Da'wah is a Fard upon both the community and also upon the individual where they have knowledge.

This is because of the following two ayats as well as other evidences...

"Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided."
16:125

“Let there arise amongst you a group that invites to the good, orders what is right and forbids what is evil, and they are those who are successful.”
3:104

The first verse gives a general command to give Da'wah, the second is showing there is a communial obligation to call to Allah as a group.

Now a few people do the first type of Da'wah, the personal Da'wah but even this is sadly lacking but practically no one does the second at all.

Let me show you what I mean from my own city, where we have about 35-40,000 Muslims, and 3 or 4 brothers doing a weekly Da'wah stall, one week a year given to Da'wah at the universities, one Deobandi Alim who has classes for new Muslims and non-Muslims and one centre which thinks it is calling to Allah by having people dance around to music (whirling dervishes) in the name of Da'wah once a year.

Now can we say we are seriously fulfilling our Fard kifayah responsibility here to call to Allah openly and as a group? Obviously not.

Everyone at this point usually agrees here we are not doing enough, fine we are all together at this point when I discuss these issues the problem comes next.

So people agree more needs to be done, but do they do it themselves? Do they go out and call the people to Allah either individually or as a group, a jammat, no they are too busy in their dunya, earning their wealth, paying for nice cars and houses is more important to the, that's right, your house and your car you worked so hard to buy is more important to you than calling to Allah.

What they mean is others should do it for them, which is fine if enough people are doing the public Da'wah (which they are not) but the personal da'wah is a fard aiyn responsibility, can someone do your fast for you or your salaah for you? no of-course not, but these are fard aiyn.

So people need a wake-up call, they need to get off their lazy butts and start doing some Da'wah, get out on the street, talk to your neighbours, do you even know your neighbours? Seriously when was the last time you spoke to your neighbours. I know it is difficult in today's Britain where everyone wants to be by themselves but make some effort at least.

And support the public Da'wah, give your time and help write leaflets if you are not good at public speaking, give some money as I can tell you everything we get for the Da'wah stalls comes out of our own money, but do something.

If you are too busy with the dunya to do Da'wah then I am going to be blunt, you are committing major sins just by doing that. Everyone one of those kuffar who was in your life, your school mates, college mates, work buddies, neighbours, shopkeepers etc in your life will all tell Allah you never gave Da'wah whilst here and had the opportunity and you will be answerable for every single such instance, scary isn't it?

My last job one non-Muslim asked me why we didn't eat beef in the break room, I said 'that is hindus not muslims' and then turned to the brothers sat there also who were on this kaffirs team with their pious jubbahs and huge beards and asked them 'have you never explained islam to him? why doesn't he know the difference between islam and hinduism?'

They said they stuck to themselves and didn't share their religion even though they'd worked with this guy for years, I think that is going to be true of most people reading this isn't it? you stick to yourself, you don't speak about Islam for fear of offending others and so big yourself deeper and deeper into sin just by living here in the UK and the west.

If that isn't enough to wake you up I don't know what will. You live here, you take jobs, take benefits, and you don't even bother to give them the offer of Islam in return, what is wrong with you? why are you so selfish and lazy? If you really wanted to give Da'wah you would, don't make excuses now because very few of them will wash.

Now get out there and do some da'wah, find some of the people in your city engaged in Da'wah and help them, call on your neighbours, people at your school / college / work to Islam because if you don't you might as well just leave now, it would be better for you to be poor back wherever your family comes from than putting yourself in spiritual danger here by not doing Da'wah.

You can't take your car, your houses, your beautiful stuff with you, only your good deeds and you are in a perfect position to do the work of the prophets but most of you are more interested in this life not the next if we look at the reality of the situation based on peoples deeds.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

What to do whilst waiting for Hijrah?

2009-03-05T07:44:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Sometimes it seems so frustrating, we want to leave, want to leave these lands, these corrupt people, a people who are at war with the muslims all over the world and just by being here I am adding to their numbers.

But actually doing it is much more difficult, especially if you have a young family like mine, if I was single it would be easy but I am not so it isn't!

So we have to work towards that day, that blessed day when Allah will let us leave and join the Muslims so we are learning arabic, but not only that we are starting to learn to be a little more self-sufficient.

So we have had massive clear outs, getting rid of lots of old books, toys, furniture, everything really that we didn't need. And clothes... if you haven't worn it in the past few months, then in reality you don't need it and get rid of it.

Something else I have started in growing my own food, not all of it as that would require quite a bit of land but at least I can grow some of it so when the oil crash does come or if I do ever get enough money to buy my farm somewhere then at least I will have an idea how to grow food and not die straight away along with my family.

So just start simple, get a few tubs and hanging baskets, whatever your garden will take and start planting stuff, experiment and soon enough you'll get the idea of it and be on your way to making yourself a little more independent, especially as that independence comes at the expense of the kuffar economy and any money you save puts you that little bit closer to hijrah.

Will inshallah get you all some pics of my plants soon, take care and keep making Du'a that Allah swt will help us leave soon.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Home Schooling... is there really any other choice in the West?

2009-01-26T11:10:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters,

There was one thing I thought I could bring up with the readers as most of us are living in the West, which is Home Schooling, and as believers do we have any other choice whilst we are still in the West?

Anyone who is a realist will also know that the school system in the Muslim lands are perhaps not as good as we would like them to be for when we get over there and it comes to the time we need to enroll our little precious sprouts in the local school.

These schools are often just poor imitations of the West in the way of educating the young, instilling secular mindsets and ideas along with a few lessons a week on the Quran and what the government there considers to be Islam.

Many countries will not even allow 'foreign' children into school anyway, so it might not even be possible to send your kids to a good school even if you can find a good one.

The alternatives are therefore prohibitively expensive private schools or home schooling once we have made hijrah.

So home schooling is something good to get into now, not to wait until we make the move.

But to get back to the UK and the West, we all know families where the kids are messed up, I mean seriously messed up and far from the deen of Allah. Maybe you even come from such a family and started practicing later.

But it is a sobering experience when you are sat in a lecture in a local state school, as they've hired the room for the evening and all over the desk is graffiti such as who Maryam is ****ing this weekend or whom Abdullah wants to ****.

Most Muslims know this stuff goes off, and is getting worse as they went to such schools themselves, but when it comes to sending the ones they should want to protect most they suffer collective amnesia and send them into this den of fitnah and shirk.

I mean really, if you wanted to design a system that was most likely to tempt muslim children towards hardcore pornography, bf /gf relationships, smoking, alcohol and drugs, as well as being subjected to daily brainwashing in secular thinking and ideas than I think it would be possible to come up with a system that did this better than schooling in the West.

I mean, lets be honest here, the ulema are clear it is not even halal to mix with the opposite gender for the purposes of dunya education, but the very people who are often strictest in not allowing their wives and daughters to come to talks and lectures to learn about the deen are almost always sending their daughters to mixed education. So they forbid the halal and enjoin the haram which is a trait of the munafiq.

The hopeless optimism of people amazes me, that they believe they can send their children into a process that is aimed at instilling the ideas and thoughts of the secular kufr west into young impressionable minds, leave them there for 8 hours of their waking day and hope that they can undo that damage with an hour or two of Quran lessons and maybe an hour with the parents in the evening before bed is just strange.

Muslims in the West have however swallowed the very concept of doing this, they don't even think of it as something strange, it is something normal to them and the one who chooses not to is seen as the strange one.

Alhamdulillah I am happy to be the stranger in this matter, this is something to be pleased about but in case those reading this don't yet know it there is another alternative to the secular system other than the so called islamic schools which lets face it are either poor in the teachings, misguided in the aqeedah or manhaj or prohibitively expensive.

I will inshallah return to the subject of home education again the future but feel this is a good introduction for you all, but to get you going here is a link to IHSAN, the Islamic home schooling network.

http://www.islamichomeeducation.co.uk/

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

All quiet on the home front...

2009-01-26T10:54:00.003Z

Assalaamu alaykum all,

As the title suggests, all things are quiet at the moment.

So I am still keeping an eye out for jobs overseas, still looking for that way out and in the mean time keeping up the Arabic as best I can in the hope that one day I will get out of here Inshallah.

Some news is we have blitzed the house, well when I say we I mean the Mrs with me deputising and making myself useful watching the kids whilst she turns the family home upside down for a few days.

So we have got rid of bags and bags of clothes, books, pictures, everything that was not used, not needed has gone to Islamic relief or other charity shops.

Sometimes the house seems quite bare, but in reality it puts us one step closer to Hijrah, one more preparation done, and helps us live a simple life closer to that of Rasoolullah (saws).

So those wishing to make hijrah could perhaps make this step themselves as a start, go through all your clothes, if you've not worn it in the past few months then out it goes, if you don't really need it then out it goes.

Same with books, those ones you have read once or twice and are likely never to read again, get rid of them. If they are dodgy then bin them, if any good then give to an Islamic charity to sell on again so someone else can benefit.

Also, do you really need all of those Quran ayats, pictures of medina hanging around the house? You might feel these make the house feel more Islamic but in reality what makes a house islamic is living simply as best we can according to the Sunnah.

Finally jazakallah khairan for those who have posted comments, sometimes it is difficult to keep going with something like this and comments really help keep us in touch with the readers and lets us know what you think and what you feel.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Eire, an update

2008-12-30T09:16:00.004Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Although the idea is not totally dismissed from our minds, for the time being the plan of moving to Dublin has been put on the back burner.

This is because although it would be relatively to go there, there is little possibility of saving up money once there to make a further Hijrah onto the Muslim lands due to the high cost of living.

Therefore the time being we are continuing to reside in the UK until we can save up money to go the gulf to look for work, please make Du'a we are successful.

Assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Somalia...

2008-12-30T09:11:00.006Z

Assalaamu alaykum,

the head of Ash-Shabaab (the youth), an Islamist group which now controls most of the south of Somalia has announced that ALL Muslims around the world are citizens of Somalia and anyone is free to go there and settle, if they choose joining in the efforts to establish the Shariah of Allah.

Here is a link to the story from Al-Jazeera news,

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/12/2008121994629889208.html

They have even said, unlike the more nationalistic clan loving Somalis, that they will marry their daughters to any brothers who come and share their wealth until people are established themselves and other than when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, I have never heard of such generous help being offered to those wishing to make Hijrah.

On the down side, this is a country at war, which is likely to continue for several years to come so perhaps not the best destination for those brother with families, and there is no national infrastructure, i.e little hospitals or doctors, no currency, nothing really at all we would recognise as part of the modern world but perhaps that is a strength also but beware there is a serious famine in Somalia as well.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Eire's Coastline and Countryside

2008-11-18T11:33:00.007Z

Eire we Go, Eire we Go, Eire we Go!

2008-11-18T11:05:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

We've made a decision to save up and make a mini Hijrah to Ireland as soon as we can get the money together, so instead of the big move we are making a little move first.

The reasons for this are...

1. It isn't at war with any Muslim country, therefore the verses of Surah an-Nisa do not apply, though hijrah to the muslim lands is still something we intend on doing later.

2. It is easy to do Dawah there, brothers who go on Dawah trips to Ireland tell me the people are much more open to discussion and debate about religion than the rest of Britain.

3. It is very simular to the UK so the culture shock won't be that great for us.

Now to do a Hijrah comparison profile as I have for other nations, (but not got around to posting yet).

How Easy is it to Practice the Deen and how practicing are the people there?
The Muslims are pretty much the same as the rest of the UK, dunya loving and the rest of the people are Catholic (mostly).

Whether Autopsy is allowed or not?
Autopsy laws pretty similar to the UK, i.e if the doctors order it then it has to take place and you can't stop it. However the practice is different with very few autopsies taking place unlike in the UK where it is so common.

How easy will it be to move to that land and how easy to get Citizenship?
As a British citizen I have full rights to move and reside in Eire, and with an Irish Grandfather could prospects of getting Irish citizenship should I choose to go down that route later on.
Moving there would simply be a matter of hiring a van and moving our things over via the ferry to Dublin and the cheap travel costs mean going over and checking the place out would be extremely easy.

What are the employment prospects like?
Good, pretty much same as rest of Britain and my qualifications are known and excepted there.

What are the medical facilities like for Citizens and Residents?
Good as the UK, full rights to medical care as an EU citizen.

What are the other Benefits like for Citizens and Residents?
Good, better benefits than the UK marginally and full rights to these should I lose my job.

What is the General Culture like there?
The Muslim community is similar to the UK, but Ireland itself is friendly and more open to new ideas than the rest of Britain.
Major issue is the amount people drink! This is a country that brews alcohol themselves from everything, even potatoes!

Environmental Factors?
Little land lost but very little compared to the UK (see pictures of Irelands rocky coast in next post) with global warming.
The land is also UNDER POPULATED, historically, Eire had 8million people in the 1800's and that is pre-oil so although there will be some fitnah when the oil runs out, the 6million people there now can hopefully survive without the need to resort to barbarism and canibalism.

General Stability?
Extremely stable government and society, though the same as anywhere else we don't know what is coming over the horizon in the future.

So that is Ireland / Eire, seems good enough for me to be going soon as I can so everyone make Du'a for us and that we are successful in this and keep reading the posts to find out more on how things are going and news on our intended bigger hijrah to the Muslim lands we intend on doing if we ever can.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Eire Update...

2008-11-17T07:52:00.004Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

just a quick update on Eire (Ireland).

I am looking at the info on wiki and it says it is actually under-populated. Historically, with traditional agricultural methods it supported over 8 million people, today it has just over 6 million (if you include N.Ireland as well) which means if the oil did run out and still stuck here at least we got a better chance of our kids not being eaten by the neighbours as enough land for everyone to grow food!

Its rocky coast means it will also suffer less from sea level rises than other parts of the UK, though we still don't know how the weather pattern will change as the global temperature rises.

Finally, land costs are historically lower in Eire than the rest of the UK due to massive migration from the country to the city and the elderly population are all that is left in many villages, meaning land prices have a lot of potential to drop even further.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Mini Hijrah to Ireland

2008-11-17T07:41:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Me and the family were thinking... Yes, as Muslims we should live amongst the believers, in the lands of Islam not the lands of disbelief but right now we are in a bigger pickle, that is living in a land at war with the Muslims.

This means the verses of Surah an-Nisa relating to Hijrah relate directly to us in our situation so we were thinking of going elsewhere in Darul kufr (the land of disbelief) other than Darul Harb (the lands of the people at war with Muslims).

This is actually a lot harder than it seems, most nations in the West are busy oppressing our brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world so we came up with the idea of a little mini hijrah to Ireland.

'Ireland? land of the short guys with little green hats that make nice sugary breakfast cereals?'

YES that Ireland, or Eire as they prefer to call it in Gaelic, their original language.

Eire doesn't seem to be at war with any Muslim nation or people right now, and have an official foreign policy of neutrality, i.e having been crapped on by the British for the past millennium they don't much hold with the idea of going to other people's land and taking their resources and giving them worthless crap and venereal diseases in return.

The other plus side is everyone speaks English, even in some of the far off villages where they still speak Gaelic, they still speak English also so no language barrier.

Also, they have a system of living simular to the rest of the British, so pretty much no big culture shocks (other than their habits of swearing and drinking even more than the British).

Finally... Although the law on autopies is pretty much the same as the rest of Britain, they don't actually carry out very many meaning the chances of being mutilated after death is much less.

Seems too good to be true, but there are already about 40,000 Muslims in Eire, about 1% of the population so we'll save up, go take a visit and let everyone else know what it is like so watch this space if you're interested in Hijrah and want somewhere to go right now whilst you prepare for the big one to the Muslim lands.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Anwar al-Awlaki on Hijrah

2008-11-15T11:12:00.005Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Here is a talk available online on the subject of making hijrah by Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki. He is formally of America but has made Hijrah to Yemen.

http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/2008/09/22/hijra-for-the-sake-of-allah/

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Frustrations!

2008-11-10T06:21:00.004Z

Assalaamu alaykum,

Today and the past few days I have been getting very frustrated in my search for a place to make Hijrah to, too many obsticles so that at times it seems almost an impossibility.

I know however that Allah swt will give us a way, that he has made it an obligation on us and if it becomes a true impossibility he would forgive us our shortfalls.

But still, some of the even so called islamic countries, those with some asparations of calling themselves Muslim lands, Darul Islam, even if they fall short of that, what do we find there? Nationalistic laws that prevent Muslims from around the world gaining citizenship there and residing there.

Some of these places have many non-Muslims living there, having brought property but they prevent Muslims from living amongst them.

There are many other frustrations, the difficulties in finding work, the difficulties in people trying to rip you off even though they are muslim also! Subhanallah, so instead of finding the Ansar waiting to help us, we have rip off merchants waiting to take what little wealth we have.

Hijrah is not easy, but we have to make sacrifices, and inshallah we will get there or get the reward of the intention anyway if we are true to ourselves and true to Allah.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Two Step (or more) in making Hijrah

2008-11-04T09:40:00.003Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

A short post today, but my wife was saying to me last night, that our Hijrah might end up being in two or more steps so let me explain what we mean by that.

It is an obligation to leave the UK now, today if possible, as soon as the means and plans are done then go. But that doesn't mean where you go to is going to be perfect, or that is where you eventually want to end up.

Therefore, although I am applying for positions in the Gulf, in the long run I really don't see my future there. The oil is going, and with it will be the means to support the huge populations that have mushroomed there, and we know those who have no tribal link are likely to be first to be asked to leave.

So, therefore it might be good place to go to get out of the UK and earn some money, fulfilling the obligation of Hijrah away from Darul kufr whilst it is at war with the believers but as a long term destination I would want to live somewhere I can buy farm land and live my life in peace when the oil runs out without having to worry about whether the food is going to run out with the oil.

So my first step in the Hijrah is likely to be the gulf if i can find work there, the 2nd step is most likely to be somewhere poorer but closer to the agricultural base of civilisation, less over-populated, less prone to damage from oil crash.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

WHERE TO START?

2008-11-01T18:42:00.004Z

Assalaamu Alaykum,

for any non-Muslims reading this, peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

RIGHT... WHERE TO START?

Seems simple enough, how do you start your journey for making Hijrah. I mean, I can't just go with no plans right? so I need a plan, after all the prophet Muhammad (saws) spent three years planning his Hijrah.

Also, the verses in the Quran talking of those excused being blameworthy for not making hijrah say,

Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way.
Quran, Surah An-Nisa, verse 98

So the place to start my journey is planning it out, deciding where I am going to go, and making a plan for getting there.

Something that might help others wanting to make Hijrah is looking at the different aspects of each Muslim nation and deciding based upon a strict criteria of what is important where you want to go.

Here is my list of different things I will be comparing. I am not saying the list is perfect, or that it will be right for you even if it is right for me, but this is what me and the Mrs feel is important to us and might not be the same for you and your family (Brothers, remember to make shura with your family, don't just surprise them one day with air tickets for the next day).

1. How easy is it to practice the Deen there, how practicing are the other Muslims, and if there are any limits to practicing what are they?
Simple enough right? I mean - if we are making Hijrah for the sake of Allah then bit of a non-starter if going to end up in a place I will be locked up for praying Fajr in Jammah (and plenty of Muslim nations are like this).
Also, how far can you go in the deen? Can you talk to others and give Dawah and naseehah or are the authorities OK with you praying as long as you don't try to bother others and enjoin the good and forbid the evil in society?
Finally, how good is the community going to be around us when we make hijrah, after all it is a lot easier to practice if everyone else is also.

2. Whether Autopsy is allowed, or even compulsory, if is allowed then under what Circumstances?
Maybe it is just my family in particular, but we don't want our bodies to be cut up and messed around with after we die, it's a simple wish but even if I was murdered I don't think it would be worthwhile to go through having to feel my body cut up when I am dead just so they get a little bit extra chance of catching the killer.

3. How Easy is it to move to that land and how easy is it to get citizenship?
What you didn't know lots of Muslim countries put up all sorts of awful barriers to stop others moving there? Yeah I know it is not Islamic for them to do this, but they do so we have to work with the system we have got otherwise they are not going to let us in in the first place.
So how easy is it to go there, i.e visas etc and how easy is it to get citizenship later on?

That's because some countries will let you come work there, but you hit retirement age you are you kicked out. Seems harsh but that is what they do, so I need to know if I can get citizenship for myself and family or at least be left in peace and not thrown on the first UK bound flight when I hit my 65th birthday!

4. What are the employment prospects like there for me?
(or you if you are copying my list)
I am English, that means foreign language skills to me means just talking loudly and slowly in English, maybe using smaller words. Got me through life so far, but to be honest it is a little arrogant to assume everyone will speak English to me when I am going to live in their country so maybe I need to change this a little bit.
Certainly, I thought it would mean finding a job is more difficult so made it a must for me to learn Arabic before I went, as I'm not too sure where I'm going to make Hijrah to and at least if I know Arabic I have two languages I can speak slowly and loudly to people in not just one!
Actually, there are many jobs where you don't need to know the local lingo!

What really? I hear you say!

Yes, There are many jobs for international business and local business that do international business dealings also that need English speakers, some countries use English for all their business dealings, write all their documents in English, answer the phone in English, OK I might feel like a billy-no-mates at lunch hour but at least I will have better English than everyone else during work hours!

Second big problem I have is I don't have a degree...

I know many of you are wondering how I managed to get married without a degree, but it is only 90% of UK Muslim families that insist on the degree as a prerequisite to marriage, and alhamdulillah my in-laws are from the other 10% who don't happen to feel that a degree, professional job, house and car are all needed by the potential son-in-law before allowing their daughter to marry.

But still, no degree. Makes getting a decent job difficult. After all, even some office jobs in the middle east, stuff only idiots like me do in the UK ask for a degree or diploma at least.

So this is a major worry, I can find jobs though, but I think realistically I got to go for the poor paid ones as I don't have the letters after my name. What is more I left Uni after starting so that means no Grant at all, so it would cost me tens of thousands to go Uni now, and if I could afford that much then I could buy a plot of farm land somewhere and wouldn't need to be worrying about getting a good job so I can save up tens of thousands of pounds to buy a plot of land somewhere...

5. What are the medical facilities like for Citizens and Residents?
I am very much a 'tie your camal and put your trust in Allah' kind of Muslim. I like to know that if me or my family get ill then we can get at least some basic medical aid. That if I have an accident and my arm gets infected and goes green that at least they'll cut it off before it kills me and I won't have to do a DIY job at home with an electric saw.

Hope that hasn't made some of you sick, but we have to face realities and life without medical care is a pretty nasty reality to face.

So When I am looking at a country, I want to know what free, or at least very cheap half decent medical care is available, whether it is available for citizens only or for working residents also?

6. What are the other Benefits like for both Residents and Citizens?
I Don't want to sponge, but then again I would like to know what is there should I get sick or die. This Hijrah is for my family also, not just for me so if something happened to me would they be looked after or have to jump on the next available flight out of there and stuck back in the UK again because they can't afford to eat or have anywhere to live?

7. What is the General Culture Like There?
Not too important, but still when making a comparison between two countries, both good, then having a culture that is more friendly and open could swing it over one that isn't.

8. What is the Environment like and going to be Like?
For those who have been asleep for the past about 10-15 years, you need to realise that there is a global crisis, actually two.

The first is that the environment is heating up, the polar and mountain ice and snow is melting, the sea levels are rising and what is the point of me moving to example... the Maldives, if within 50-100 years my kids will have to leave again because it will be under water.

Also, higher temperatures mean weather patterns changing, places that have little water now might have lots then, those that have lots might have little. All Environmental factors have to be looked at to make sure our Hijrah is not something temporary for one generation only before my kids and their kids have to go elsewhere.

The second crisis is that oil is running out... What don't believe me?
Check out the following video which covers this as well as other topics relating to oil.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=robert+newman&emb=0&aq=0&oq=robert+new#

now you have seen it on TV (or at least seen a TV program on it) so therefore for most people that is proof it is true!

Still in doubt, look it up yourself, google 'peak oil'

The basic argument is this. Our entire civilisation is built on oil, without oil we cannot run our transportation, agriculture, etc, oil is a finite resourse, when oil runs out modern civilisation collapses.

So moving to a place that without oil could naturally support a population of 12 fishermen, but presently has a Million people living there might not be the best of plans.

9. General Stability
Meaning how likely is the nice pretty little country I am looking at to move me and my young family to likely to turn into a war zone, are there any serious tensions with the neighbours? any likely genocidal civil wars looking likely anytime soon?

Right, that is my list, hope you find it useful for your Hijrah plans. This is only the Start however, then we have to use our lists to look at each country and decide which is a best fit and then decide what we are going to do from there.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

Abu Abdillah

PS. Here is the list again of Muslim nations from wiki for those who want to do their own looking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majority_Muslim_countries

There are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese!

2008-10-15T07:21:00.008+01:00

Or at least, this is was the little jewish mice sang when they dreamed of the promised american dream in the cartoon - 'an American Tail.'

Assalaamu alaykum,
peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

This post is regarding the hopeless optimism that some people have regarding the Muslim lands when it comes to Hijrah, there is no land which is perfect or where you will be welcomed and given a job, land, wife / husband, cash, benefits etc or where you will be totally safe from oppression and can even practice Islam totally etc.

Life just isn't like that, life is a test, and Allah is testing us constantly to see how we will cope. Hijrah is mean't to be a struggle that is why the reward is so great!

These brothers and sisters, often themselves sitting comfortable in the West are happy to tell you to just up and go, drop everything, don't save, don't bother looking before leaping, not realising that the Prophet Muhammad (saws) spent three years planning his Hijrah and he had others to help him!

So if so hard why bother? well because it's an obligation and besides, Jannah isn't free!

Two of my favourite verses from the Quran are these two,

Do people think they will be left alone because they say "we believe," and will not be tested?

And indeed we tested those before them. Allah will certainly make known those who are true and certainly make known those who are liars.

Surah Ankabut (chapter of the spider), verses 2 and 3.

So life is a test, finding a halal income is a test, finding a good spouse is a test, raising your children upon righteousness is a test, and moving yourself and your family half way across the world to start a new life is certainly a test from Allah!

To some, even though they know Hijrah is a Fard obligation, these tests seem so big and so insurmountable that they don't even bother trying, they don't even make effort and hope that that way they won't be counted by the Angels of death as those who are to be sent to the hellfire because they were unable to find a way to make Hijrah.

But this attitude is incorrect, if something is an obligation then that means you work towards it, you strive and struggle to attain it and the rewards of it and then having done all that you know that if you fall short, Allah is most merciful and that Inshallah he will forgive you your shortcomings.

If you never even tried, never even made any preparation could you seriously say that you had intention to do this act of ibadah? Would it be enough for someone who missed their salaah on a regular basis to just say 'well I wanted to do it'

You see, if that is the attitude then really it wasn't a very serious intention was it? and You're not going to fool Allah that way, only yourself.

So it is a balance, not to be too hopelessly optimistic and not to be so overwhelmed that you don't know what to do or where to start, so where to start?

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

Who am I?

2008-10-13T08:58:00.003+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum,

to the non-Muslims, peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

No this post isn't one of those fancy philosophical questions... 'WHO AM I?' No, this is just a straight forward explanation about who am I, i.e the person writing this blog.

Well I am a youngish, English revert to Islam, married with kids, trying his best to please his lord.

(we use the term revert not convert, because as Muslims we believe everyone is born in a natural sinless state of submission to the creator, that by becomming Muslims later in life we only return to that state)

I am not some sort of scholar or even a student of knowledge, though I do have a tendency to read a lot so have a bit more knowledge than the average Muslim and I respect those Ulema (pl. of Alim) who are truthful and pass on the message of Islam, undiluted to the people.

But I have unfortunately come across too-many of the other sort of Ulema, the yes men to the Masjid Committees, to the Governments of the west and the Muslim lands, to the people they are supposed to guide, when an Alim isn't supposed to suck up to any man, but to speak the truth and clarify the rulings of Allah to the people and rulers alike without fearing any worldly authority or seeking any favour.

any Alim who twisted the word of Allah to please anyone other than Allah is like a Rabbi or Priest, he is hiding a portion of the book and showing another in order to gain something and Allah will hold him to account on the day of judgement.

One day Inshallah I hope to study a little more in depth with some of the good genuine scholars, but right now my main priority in life is getting out of the UK as Hijrah has become a Fard Aiyn obligation at this time (see last post on this blog).

For those Muslims seeking to put me in some sort of 'pigeon hole' and attach a label, I tend to be difficult, some people consider me a sufi as I tend to talk about Zuhd a lot, others consider me a salafi as I also talk about sticking with the Ulema who cling to the methodology of the Salaf, others consider me Hanafi, though many hanafis don't as I don't believe in blind Taqleed.

In beliefs I follow the athari aqeedah, as what was good enough for the Sahabah and other Salaf was good enough for me, and consider myself part of the main jammat of Islam, the ones on the path of Rasoolullah (saws) and his companions, not those like the Khawarij and Shi'a who split away from this main group - Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jammat.

So I don't tend to have labels so easily attached to me, and prefer the label given to us by Allah in the Quran, that of Muslim. if you push me I will say, Yes I am Sunni, my aqeedah being Athari, my manhaj being Salafi, my path being one of Zuhd, my fiqh being Hanafi. make of all that what you will.

Like most reverts, I tend to have some stubborn tendencies... very few people come into the fold of Islam without being strong enough willed to reject their upbringing and the culture around them to follow the path of Allah. That stubbornness can get us into trouble occassionally...

My interests other than Hijrah, are writing, reading (lots and lots) giving Dawah (also a Fard Aiyn), spending time with family - both Muslim and non-Muslim and being the best believer I can be.

If anyone would like any further info they best ask me as I think that is enough to get to know a little about the person writing this blog. Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) said you can never know a man unless you live with him or travel with him, but please feel free to ask me questions if you wish.

Assalaamu Alaykum,

to the non-Muslims, peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

Abu Abdillah

So we made a decision...

2008-10-11T10:04:00.001+01:00

Assalaamu Alaykum all,

For the non-Muslims, peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

To Start... (How are you supposed to start a blog anyway?)

Ever since I entered into Islam, several years ago, I have wanted to travel and indeed move from the UK to the Muslim lands, to which the usual response from friends and family is...

'what are you crazy? don't you know that all Muslim countries either run by loonie tin pot dictators, hotter than YOU can stand white boy, poorer than a Peruvian peasant and possibly all of the above.'

Even many Muslim friends, whose families moved to the UK often generations ago, but maintain links to 'the old country' think that this kinda thinking is a little weird. After all, haven't we got it all here in the UK?

We've got benefits coming out of our ears, we can call to Allah as much as we please (more on this later), lots of jobs, ease of travel (everyone loves those British passports), people here don't carry AK47's as fashion accessories, I could go on and on.

But there are lots of negatives also... hence the desire to quit the UK, despite my many friends objections (or should that be many objections of my few friends... nether mind, to continue).

The UK has many questionable traits which make it not so good a place to live if you happen to be a Muslim (or non-Muslim if you really are honest with yourselves for any non-Muslims reading this)

These include heavy taxation, what didn't the Sheikh actually tell you it is haram to pay taxation? Funny what the imams and moulana's don't tell you whilst they are living here in the UK themselves off this system.

It is reported that Rasoolullah (saws) said, "the One who collects taxes will not enter paradise.''
(Ahmad and Abu Dawud)

The only taxes we have in Islam are Zakat and Jiziyyah, this is why the Ulema say it is forbidden to collect other sorts of taxes, they are forbidden in Islam and a form of oppression. All other services are mean't to be taken care of by society as a whole, not by the rulers demanding your wealth and then spending it as they please.

Also, we all get our bodies mutilated on death...

Hmm, OK Time out there, I can see this is going to lose a few readers who will find this point very disturbing and most people these days prefer to tune out, switch off or change channel when confronted with something that is going against their nice comfortable world view.

But aren't we as Muslims supposed to think of death often and it happens to be the law in this country that if you or a loved one dies in the UK then the authorities can order an Autopsy if they please, and almost always do. That means your body and the bodies of those you love will be cut up and mutilated. TOTALLY HARAM!

Let me guess... the imam didn't tell you this either? Maybe he was going to but was building his way up to telling everyone this next Friday Khutbah about the issue of taxation being haram and was working his way up to this one.

The right to practice Islam here isn't that great either, not when you can be arrested these days for making Du'a for those who the Government considers the wrong people. Didn't any of you notice how the Du'a after the Jummah Khutbah changed a couple of years back? No? well maybe you should have been taking more notice and learning Arabic so you can hear what the guy is talking about not just pretending you are listening to the imam go on in a language you don't understand and thinking about what you're going to get up to tonight.

One of the biggest reasons for getting out of here pronto is to be found in the Tafsir of Surah an-Nisa, verse 97 and 98.

Lo! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves, (the angels) will ask: In what were ye engaged? They will say: We were oppressed in the land. (The angels) will say: Was not Allah's earth spacious that ye could have migrated therein? As for such, their habitation will be hell, an evil journey's end;

Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way.

'What?'
'That is on about hijrah?'

O' Yes these verses were revealed when some of the believers who had remained behind in Mekkah were caught up in the fight and killed by mistake and here is Allah saying they have wronged themselves and reserved their seat in the hellfire!

Here is a fatwah from Islam Q and A on the issue...

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/13363

So we are all supposed to chip from here and go live in the Muslim lands, clear?

Well no not really, you see where do we all go? Some of the Muslim lands are actually worse than the lands of the disbelievers where you can be followed around by the secret police for turning up at the Masjid for Fajr salaah or where sisters are attacked and raped by soldiers and police for keeping themselves modest.

This is where the 98th verse comes in,

Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way.

So it is obligatory to look to make hijrah if we can, to prepare for it and if the opportunity comes up to take it but if you cannot genuinely find a way, rather than some feeble excuses some people come up with like 'but I won't be able to watch big brother and eastenders, they don't even have TV there!'

SO GETTING TO THE POINT OF THIS POST...

Me and the Mrs, we puzzled about this, and for a time we remained indecisive, undecided where to go. So the decision we have made (and hence the title of the post) was that we were going to get into some serious researching, looking at each option, no longer paralysed by lack of knowledge and then once we've made our choice of destination... going for it.

I also decided to write a blog, actually that isn't true. My wife decided to write a blog and I copied her idea so here it is... a blog on Hijrah (I'll link her posts in later when she gets around to writing her's).

The idea being that others who are like minded, also wanting to leave the UK or elsewhere can benefit from what we learn and not make the same mistakes we make on our way to wherever it is we end up going Inshallah.

Right, that is it, my first post. I hope everyone who read it gained something good from this and that we all learn to get serious about Islam, not just taking the bits we like and leaving the bits we don't.

Assalaamu Alaykum,

peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,
Abu Abdillah