The Significance Of Hijrah

Today is 1st Muharram 1427,the Muslim ummah celebrate Maal Hijrah .

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council of North America, wrote the following:

In the Glorious Qur'an, Allah S. W. T says:

Those who believe, and migrate and strive in Allah’s cause, with their goods and their persons, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah: they are indeed the successful people. Their Lord does give them glad tidings of a Mercy from Himself, of His good pleasure, and of Gardens where enduring pleasure will be theirs: They will dwell therein forever. Verily in Allah’s presence is a reward, the greatest [of all]. [Al-Tawbah 9: 20-22]

It is important for us to keep in mind the meaning and significance of Hijrah.

Hijrah was one of the most important events in the history of Islam. It is for this reason `Umar [may Allah be pleased with him] adopted Hijrah date to calculate years. Muslims chose Hijrah as the focal point to reckon their chronology. In physical terms, Hijrah was a journey between two cities about 300 miles apart, but in its grand significance it marked the beginning of an era, a civilization, a culture and a history for the whole mankind. Islam progressed not only from the physical Hijrah, but because Muslims took Hijrah seriously in all its aspects and dimensions.

When the Prophet Mohammad [peace and blessings be upon him] made the Hijrah from Makkah to Madinah, he did not just transfer his residence or took shelter in another city, but as soon as he arrived in Madinah he began the transformation of that city in every aspect.

It is important for us to study and reflect on the things that he did in Madinah. There are many lessons for us in that history and we can learn many things for our life.

1. Masjid [Mosque]: The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] first established a Masjid for the worship of Allah. He himself worked in carrying the stones and building that small, humble but most powerful structure. This was the beginning, but soon other Masajid were established in Madinah.

2. Madrasah [Islamic school and educational institution for the community]: The first school under the supervision of the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him)] was the school of Suffah. Later many other schools were opened. There were nine schools opened in Madinah alone in the time of the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him].

3. Mu'akhah: He established brotherly relations between the Muhajirun [Muslims who migrated from Makkah] and the Ansar [residents of Madinah who helped the Prophet and his Companions]. Masjid and Madrasah were not enough; what was also important was to have good relations between Muslims. They should have their brotherhood on the basis of faith, not on the basis of tribes as they used to have prior to Islam.

4. Intercommunity and Interfaith Relations: Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] also established good relations with other communities living in Madinah. There was a large Jewish community as well as some other Arab tribes who had not accepted Islam. The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] prepared a Mithaq [a covenant or a constitution] for relations between these communities.

5. Cleaning the City: Yathrib [previous name of Madinah] was a dirty city. When the Sahabah [Prophet's Companions] came from Makkah to Madinah, many of them got sick and did not like that city. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him] asked them to clean the city and remove its dirt and filth. `Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “We came to Madinah and it was the most polluted land of Allah. The water there was most stinking. [Al-Bukhari, 1756]

6. Water System in the City: The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] asked the Sahabah to dig wells in different parts of the city. It is mentioned that more than 50 wells were opened in the city of Madinah and there was enough clean water for every one.

7. Agriculture and Gardening: The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] encouraged the Sahabah to cultivate the land and make gardens. He told them that any one who would cultivate any dead land, would own it. Many people started working and cultivating and soon there was enough food for every one.

8. Poverty Eradication: In a short period of time it happened that there were no poor people in Madinah. Every one had enough and the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] used to give gifts to coming delegations.

9. Safety, Security, Law and Order: Madinah became the safest city in the world. There were very few incidents of theft, rape, drunkenness or murder and they were immediately taken care of.

In short, Hijrah teaches us that wherever Muslims go, they should bring goodness to that land. Muslims should work for both moral and material goodness of the society.

Maal Hijrah 1427

Indeed, I would like to wish all the Muslim ummah a happy Maal Hijrah, Islamic New Year 1427 with bounds of Allah blessing.

Indeed, there are many causes behind naming months of the Islamic calendar as such:

1. Muharram: is named so because the Arabs used to prohibit fighting during it.

2. Safar: is named so because the Arabs used to leave their homes during that month as they used to set out to fight their enemies. It is also said that they used to leave their homes to escape summer heat.

3. Rabi` al-Awwal: is named so because it usually coincides with the spring time.

4. Rabi` al-Akhar: is named so because it usually coincides with the winter time.

5. Jumada al-‘Ula: The Arabs named it so because water gets frozen at winter time, and that coincides with the time of Jumada al-‘Ula.

6. Jumada al-‘Ukhra: is named so because it coincides with winter time.

7. Rajab: is derived from the Arabic word ‘rajaba’ which means to ‘sanctify’ something. The Arabs used to sanctify the month of Rajab by putting a halt to fighting during that month.

8. Sha`ban: The Arabic word Sha`ban is derived from the word ‘tash`aba’, which means to go in different directions. It is said that Sha`ban takes such a name because the Arabs used to go in different directions fighting their enemies.

9. Ramadhan: The word Ramadan is derived from ‘Ar-ramda’ which refers to extreme heat. Ramadhan time used to coincide with that extreme climate of heat in the Arab Peninsula, and that is why it is called Ramadan.

10. Shawwal: The name Shawwal is derived from the Arabic word ‘tashawwala’, which refers to the scarcity in she-camels’ milk.

11. Dzul-Qai`dah: refers to Arabs decline to go out fighting their enemies as the early Arabs used to call it a sacred month.

12. Dzul-Hijjah: is named so because the Arabs used to perform Hajj during that month

King Abdullah Visit Malaysia.

King Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud arrives for a three-day state visit to Malaysia beginning Jan 30, the third country that he visited after China and India on his four - nation Asian tour, which ends in Pakistan. He will be accompanied by a delegation comprising 11 cabinet ministers, 13 members of the royal family, senior government officials, private sector and media representatives.

The propose of the visit is to familiarize himself with leaders of the region after becoming the king and to discuss follow up action on the Programme of Action adopted at the third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Mecca in December 2005 and to discuss issues of mutual interest.King Abdullah is scheduled to attend a State Banquet at Istana Negara and have bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi besides addressing a business forum organised by the Malaysian-Saudi Business Council.

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia would sign bilateral agreements in Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, Higher Education and agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to income tax.

King Abdullah would have a farewell audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail.

The King's last visit to Malaysia was in October 2003 as crown prince to attend the 10th OIC Summit in Putrajaya.

Wisma Putra said this would be a landmark visit to Malaysia by a Saudi Arabia King as the last state visit took place 36 years ago in June 1970 by the then King Al-Malik Faisal Abdul Aziz
.

Accept Palestinian Election Results, Says Pak Lah

Malaysian Premier, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called the international community should duly accept the outcome of the elections in Palestine and respect the choice of its people.

He said in a statement at Putrajaya.

The Prime Minister said the elections were conducted in the true spirit of democracy and the results reflected the wishes of the Palestinian people. Malaysia welcomed the successful organisation of the recent elections in Palestine in which the people of Palestine had the opportunity to express their will through a peaceful democratic process.

He congratulated President Mahmoud Abbas for his leadership in this regard.

He also congratulated Hamas for its success in the elections and expressed confidence that the organisation would find it possible to accommodate other political parties in the political process and work towards establishing a government of national reconciliation in Palestine.

The future of Palestine, in particular its stability, progress and prosperity, would depend on the unity among all Palestinians and their commitment to finding peaceful solutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he said.

In this matter, the people of Palestine deserved the full support of all peace-loving peoples throughout the world, he said.

Abdullah said, Malaysia called on all parties especially those directly involved in the West Asia peace process to work hand in hand to seek a lasting solution and establish a permanent peace in the region. In this regard, the process of negotiations in the context of the Roadmap for Peace in West Asia should be reinvigorated.

He said Malaysia strongly believed that the objective of achieving an enduring peace in West Asia could only be achieved through the process of dialogue and negotiations which were carried out in good faith.

Malaysia wished the new leaders in Palestine great success in their noble mission.

Saudi: New Strategic Relationships

King Abdullah's visit to China and India, the first by a Saudi monarch in 51 years, offers Saudi Arabia, a chance to foster ties with the Asian emerging powers and perhaps reducing the kingdom's dependence on the West, especially the United States.

The Saudi king is on a four- nation Asian tour that began in China, followed with India then Malaysia and later Pakistan.

In Beijing, China and Saudi Arabia signed a protocol to work together in petroleum, natural gas and minerals, in a fresh move to expand the substantial cooperation between the two countries.

On the eve of Abdullah's departure for the region Sunday Jan 22, 2006, Saudi Arabia's Arab News said in an editorial that India and China were "as much commercial giants as the United States or Europe."

King Abdullah was the guest of honor at today's Republic Day celebrations, a symbolic invitation highlighting the growing political ties between two countries that spent nearly 50 years on opposite sides of the Cold War divide. Republic Day marks the adoption of India's constitution in 1950.

Saudi Arabia supplies one-quarter of India's oil needs, and officials in New Delhi got the face time with Abdullah they were eager for when the king and his delegation met Wednesday Jan 24, 2006 with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and other top officials.

India is also looking for Saudi investment in its oil industry.

Such investment, especially in Indian refineries and pipelines, would fit into Saudi Arabia's goal of building ties with China and India, said Mustafa Alani, a senior consultant at the Gulf Research Council, a think tank in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Apart from the attractive economic might of the two Asian countries, Alani said anti-Saudi political fallout in the United States and Europe after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has spurred the Saudis to develop ties in Asia. Saudi Arabia is the homeland of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 suicide hijackers who carried out the attacks on the United States.

However, a Saudi offer earlier this month to help renovate New Delhi's grand mosque highlighted possible tensions in any India-Saudi relationship. While officials have not announced their decision, the government frowns upon direct foreign donations to Islamic institutions in India, a predominantly Hindu country with a large Muslim minority. Indian officials say such money helps promote Islamic militancy, the charge Islamic leaders deny.

China's Economy Grew 9.9% in 2005

According to Bloomberg China's economy grew 9.9 percent in 2005, overtaking Britain, putting it in fourth place behind the United States, Japan and Germany , powered by record exports and investment in manufacturing.

GDP rose to 18.2 trillion Yuan [$2.26 trillion] after expanding 10.1 percent in 2004, Statistics Bureau Commissioner Li Deshui said in Beijing. While the British economy was worth £1.13 trillion [$2.02 trillion] in 2005, disclosed by the Office for National Statistics in London.

Exports have helped China's economy more than double in size over the past decade, pushing commodities prices to records and increasing trade tensions with the United States and Europe. The government needs consumer spending to drive growth this year because excess manufacturing capacity threatens to cause bankruptcies and bad loans, Li said.

China's economy grew 9.9 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, after expanding a revised 9.8 percent in the previous three months, the statistics bureau said Wednesday. Economists forecast growth of 9.5 percent in the quarter and 9.8 percent for the full year, according to a Bloomberg.

The U.S. economy, which measured $11.7 trillion in 2004, is the world's largest, followed by Japan and Germany. India's central bank Tuesday forecast expansion of as much as 8 percent in the fiscal year ending March 31 for the nation's $665 billion economy.

Average growth of 10 percent is sustainable for "many years," said Li, who is also a member of the central bank's policymaking board. Even so, he added, "overproduction is a threat because it will introduce bad loans among banks, cause bankruptcies and lead to rising unemployment."

The Standard Chartered forecast China's growth for 2006 is in the range of 9.2 or 9.3 percent , while Goldman Sachs projection that the economy would expand 9.6 percent this year and 9.1 percent in 2007.

Appreciating The Rukun Negara.

According to Bernama, there were claims made in the 1980s that the country's three major ethnic groups came from other parts of the world and no community had the right to insist that they are natives to this land may still be fresh in the mind of many Malaysians.

A question then arose. Was the country found to be inhabited by only the wild life in dense tropical forests prior to the arrival of the Chinese, Indians and colonialists?

The father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra during an interview with Bernama on Nov 6 1986: "The Malays are not only the natives but also the lords of this country and nobody can dispute this fact".

Tunku then also recollected his reaction to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew when Singapore was still part of Malaysia: "[For Singapore] to remain in Malaysia, you will have to accept the rights of the Malays and their position as the primary race in this country." "If you refuse to accept this [fact], then we no longer want you to be in Malaysia," said the first

A look at the Constitution, particularly the sections on the Monarchy [Article 32], Islamic Religion [Article 3], Malay Language [Article 152] and Special Rights of the Malays [Article 153], clearly spell out the acknowledgement and recognition that the Malays are the indigenous "pribumi" of this land.

In fact the third principle of Rukun Negara -- Supremacy of the Constitution focused on the need of the people to accept, obey and protect the sanctity of the Malaysian Constitution that was drafted based on the consensus among people in the country.

Hence, it is a social contract that cannot be questioned or disputed by any individuals or groups as the Constitution decides on the political polarity and socio-economic standing of Malaysians.

To prevent such incidents from recurring, there are calls for Malaysians to return to appreciating the Rukun Negara [National Philosophy] in their daily life in efforts to enhance unity and nation-building.

The best way is to launch a nationwide campaign to regain unqualified Rukun Negara vigor and enthusiasm that had pushed the nation to understand the significance of achieving independence, apart from continuing the intense pursuit of unity and development as well as the prophetic phrase of "cemerlang, gemilang dan terbilang" [excellence, glory and distinction].

Towards this, the Rukun Negara Appreciation campaign will be launched by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Jan 27 at Putrajaya International Convention Centre [PICC].

Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said the objective of this campaign is to create a patriotic and united Malaysian society towards nation- and race-building via the appreciation and practice of the national philosophy.

It is also to boost the awareness and appreciation of the society on Rukun Negara principles as the core and foundation in creating the sense of belonging among Malaysians, particularly the younger generation, who are not aware of the significance of the Rukun Negara. They are the country's future leaders and will become the prime-movers in creating a competitive and developed nation.

After more than four decades of gaining independence, Malaysian needs to refresh itself.

The campaign should gain the all round support of Malaysians in the effort to build a united and harmonious society that respected each other apart from having a sense of belonging, regardless of their ethnic origin. It is in line with Vision 2020 which is the guideline for us to create our own mould towards achieving a developed nation status.

PM: Islamic Court System Is Fair and Just.

According to BERNAMA: Malaysian Premier, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on January 24, 2006, the ruling by the Seremban Syariah High Court that Nyonya Tahir was a non-Muslim showed that the Islamic court system was fair and just.

The fact that the court also allowed the immediate family to attend court proceedings was also consistent with the truth and justice tenets propagated by Islam.

“In the earlier case of Mount Everest climber M. Moorthy alias Mohammad Abdullah, the people had the impression that the doors were shut to non-Muslims, but the opposite took place in Seremban where their statements were presented to court. This goes to prove that there is justice in the Syariah courts and that those involved did not just shut their eyes and disregard the facts of the case,” said Abdullah .

Abdullah was commenting on the court decision of Nyonya Tahir, 89 who died of natural causes that sparked a controversy when her family wanted to inter her as a Buddhist while she had been registered as Malay of the Muslim faith.

Human Rights Are God's Rights

Lily Zakiyah Munir recently wrote and pointed that Khaled Abou El-Fadl, a professor of Islamic Law at UCLA, who refers to the classical fiqh literature of an earlier cleric, stated that human rights must be prioritized over God's rights. Allah is capable of defending His rights in the hereafter, while humans have to defend their own rights. Referring to such an understanding, he continues, He will defend whoever is oppressed, whether Muslim, Christian, Ahmadiyah, Baha'i, etc. Since every kind of oppression is a form of tyranny, no Muslim should be silent when tyranny is seen.

This understanding indeed refutes the idea that human rights are incompatible with Islam. Fifteen centuries ago, far before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated, Islam had laid the foundation for ennobling human dignity and rights. The Qur’an is quite expressive of the nobility of human being in numerous places and contexts.

One of the basic postulates for human creation is God's love for humankind and, therefore, He proclaims humans as His vice regent on earth. The Qur’an states that the created universe and its resources are subjugated to human's benefit and service. It also has designed protective and punitive measures to human dignity including social decorum, just and upright character, safety from physical abuse and protection against poverty and degradation.

Ibn Araby, a cleric from the Hanafi School, through his book Ahkamul Qur'an, inspired an amazing idea on human rights. He asserts that violations of human rights would not be forgiven except by the concerned people, while violation of the rights of God will be taken care of by God himself. The concept of tauhid, the oneness of God, implies that Allah is omnipotent to protect His own rights.

Meanwhile, syariah can be understood in its broader and narrower meanings. The broad meaning is "the way to God". It encompasses teachings on good lives in line with God's injunctions. A comprehensive and holistic guidance, syariah covers both faith and practice, which includes all behavior -- spiritual, mental and physical. Assent to or belief in God is part of syariah, and so are the religious duties of prayer, fasting, etc. Further, all legal and social transactions as well as personal behavior are subsumed under syariah as the total way of life.

The question, then, is "How is syariah to be known?" The answer will bring us to the narrow meaning of syariah, its methodology, known as fiqh. It is a human intellectual product to interpret sharia into praxis that regulates all aspects of human life. Being a human product, the narrow syariah [fiqh], is understandably not free from the jurists' socio-cultural and political backgrounds. Therefore we can observe differences amongst the schools of thoughts.

Many fiqh practiced in Muslim societies are incompatible with the universal human rights, and even with the goal of syariah itself, i.e., public benefits. The easiest example to cite is one on gender. The prevailing fiqh has patriarchal nuances and sanctions a hierarchical gender relation.

Despite their capacity and credibility, men are positioned as leaders and women as their followers. In marriage, a wife may be punished because of nushuz [ill-conduct], which allows her husband to ultimately beat her. On the contrary, the notion of nushuz is not existent for men even if they fail to fulfill their obligations.The biggest challenge for the reform is the misconception as if fiqh were sacred and unchangeable. Fiqh, laden with quotes from the Qur’an and Hadith, equates with the holy verses themselves. Equating human products with God's Divine Will is not only improper but also produces rigid and immutable fiqh, which lacks justice and the spirit of liberating women.

The reformed fiqh will refute the ideas that Islam is incompatible with human rights. Islam's teachings on human dignity, however noble it is, if not supported by appropriate laws at the praxis level, will not carry significant meaning. It is timely that we ponder the need to view fiqh as an open corpus which is responsive to the dynamics of life.

Excerpted with modifications from Lily Zakiyah Munir, Research Fellow at the Islam and Human Rights Program with Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S. [Malaysia Today].

Eight Ministers Withdrew Joint Memo To Pak Lah.

Eight ministers -- four from MCA and one each from MIC, Gerakan, Parti Bersatu Sabah and Sarawak United People's Party – sensibly, albeit after being advised by the Premier, withdrew the controversial joint memorandum which they submitted to the Malaysian Premier Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

They are Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting [MCA], Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy [MCA], Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn [MCA], Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek [MCA], Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu [MIC], Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik [Gerakan], Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili [PBS] and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui [SUPP].

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and UPKO president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was the only minister among the nine yet to decide whether to go along with his Cabinet colleagues.

The unprecedented submission of a memorandum by the ministers to the Premier had caused mixed reactions, with some condemning the move.

One should agree with Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he said the issue created by the nine non-Muslim Cabinet ministers in sending a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be a lesson for everyone in the future.

He also said the incident should not have happened in a Cabinet system of government because the Prime Minister and Cabinet were responsible for all Malaysians regardless of religion or racial origin.The Cabinet was the correct and best channel to deal with all issues including the sensitive issue of religion.

He said this matter should be discussed in the spirit of the Barisan Nasional and not in the manner chosen by the ministers. "This is because it could give the impression that the Malaysian Cabinet is divided between Muslims and non-Muslims," Najib said he was thankful the ministers had accepted the advice of the Premier.” The matter is settled," he added.

The unprecedented submission of a memorandum by the ministers to the Premier was a mistake, insensible and caused a big damage to the Cabinet system. They failed to value it. It had drawn the country into unnecessary chaotic state by their imprudent actions. It seems the matter may have settled, at least for now, but we must learn.

Pak Lah: No Need to Amend Article 121 (1a)

BERNAMA reports, Malaysian Premier Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Article 121 (1a) of the Federal Constitution governing the powers of the civil and syariah courts need not be amended.

"Only laws that can create problems and misinterpretations should be studied whether they should be amended to make them clearer,"

The Premier was asked to comment on the matter following a joint memorandum submitted by 10 non-Muslim cabinet ministers to him, urging to review laws related to conversion of religion.

The memorandum, among others, was signed by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

Article 121 (1a) states that the Civil Court has no jurisdiction on matters under the purview of the Syariah Court.

The religion conversion issue surfaced following the death of Mount Everest climber Sgt M. Moorthy or Muhammad Abdullah when his widow S. Kaliammal and the Federal Territories Religious Department [JAWI] were involved in a dispute over his burial.

Moorthy who died on December 20 was finally buried by JAWI on December 28, 2005 following the decision by the Syariah High Court that he was a Muslim while the High Court ruled that it had no power to intervene in the Syariah High Court's decision citing Article 121.

The decision sparked dissatisfaction among certain groups.

One of the issues arising from the Moorthy case was whether non-Muslims had legal redress on matters relating to Islam. Abdullah said they had recourse in the Syariah court. The non-Muslims can attend the Syariah court but they are reluctant to do so.

Abdullah said Article 121 (1a) had drawn all sorts of reaction and views from the public.But the article need not be amended.

Abdullah also clarified his statement several days ago where he was quoted as saying that laws of the country have to be made clear on religious conversions. "When I said the laws had to be clear I was not referring to conversion. I said if there were any laws that brought hardship to the people or if there was room for misinterpretation, then we will look at it if it needs to be amended. I was not referring to any specific Act or law.”

On the memorandum by non-Muslim ministers, Abdullah said he accepted it with an open mind "but actually if there are problems, they should raise them in the cabinet meeting rather than sending their proposals in the form of memorandum to me, I prefer that way, since they have sent it to me, I will bring it up in the cabinet,”

Abdullah said he did not know why the ministers acted in that manner but may be they probably wanted to convey their proposals jointly.

The ministers would be allowed to speak on the issue in the next cabinet meeting, he said, adding that the issue should be discussed objectively, not emotionally and by not raising matters that could arouse people's racial and religious sensitivities.

Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the action by nine non-Muslim Cabinet ministers in submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister calling for a review of laws that affect the rights of non-Muslims was "improper" and "not nice". "It is against the Cabinet system and unprecedented,"

The words of Pak lah and Najib were very strong!! The debate should now be over.It was truncated by the usual burst of emotion, rash language and point-scoring that follows every discussion on race and religion in Malaysia. They should rather come to their senses.

Mencari Damai Abadi.

Aku cari bukan harta bertimbun-timbun,
Untuk hidup kaya,
Aku cari bukan wang berjuta-juta,
Untuk hidup bergaya,
Aku cari bukan kawan-kawan,
Untuk hidup sekadar berpoya-poya,
Aku cari mana dia Al-Ghazali,
Aku cari mana dia Al-Shafie,
Kita bongkar rahsia kitab suci,
Cari pedoman,
Kita bongkar rahsia sunah Nabi,
Cari panduan,
Aku hidup kerana Dia Rabbi,
Dialah teman,
Dialah wali,
Dia mencukupi,
Aku hidup bererti,
Menikmati damai abadi.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Islam Against Backbiting and Slander

Islam is indeed against the practices Suspicion, Spying,Sarcasm, Making Fun of Others and it should be avoided at all times, as they serve no purpose except to encroach on a person’s privacy. At times, such behavior can cause undue harm, albeit very destructive to the innocent.

Allah says:

O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the [latter] are better than the former; Nor let some women laugh at others; it may be that the [latter] are better than the [former]; Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by [offensive] nicknames; ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness [to be used of one] after he has believed: And those who do not desist are [indeed] doing wrong. [Al- Hujurat 49:11]

O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much [as possible]: for suspicion in some cases is a sin; and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs[backbiting]. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it… But fear Allah; for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. [Al- Hujurat 49:12]

We must spread and preach the above message and discarded the practices of suspicion, spying, sarcasm, making fun of others and slander. We must hear and obey -Samia’na Waa’ta’ na- the commands of Allah The Almighty.

The RM32.5 Million Is Our Money, Says Halim Saad

Tan Sri Halim Saad denied that he and Datuk Anuar Othman had siphoned RM32.5 million from a toll operator.

And he also denied they had patronage of former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who was said to have conspired with them to oppress a construction company which was awarded about RM65 million by the Court of Appeal in compensation for loss of advertising rights in a suit against Metramac Corporation Sdn Bhd over the privatization of a number of roads .

"I have kept silent thus far as the matter is pending appeal. But the nature of the judgment and the comments from the media have made it necessary for me to react by making this statement," Halim said in response to media coverage and public comments on the judgment.

He took "this unusual step" of issuing the nine-page press statement, because the judgment had damaged him "probably in an irreparable way,I am deprived of this basic natural justice and human rights which had been recognized since biblical times. I have large business interest locally and overseas," .

Halim's statement also attached a letter from the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Works dated Feb 13, 1992 which said that the government had agreed to reimburse Metro Juara Sdn Bhd or Metramac as it was then known, a company owned by Halim and Anuar, RM32.5 million because the amount was not taken into account by the government in determining the project return under the concession agreement.

"The money was ours personally as we extended this sum earlier from our own pockets. By no stretch of the imagination was this money belonging to Metramac. So where is the misappropriation, criminal or otherwise? This was what counsel for Metramac explained in a gist to the court. Why was the explanation stupefying to the court?" claimed Halim.

Halim also pointed on Feb 13, 1992, Daim was no longer the Finance Minister as he resigned from the post on March 14, 1991."Tun Daim was not involved in the decision of the Ministry of Works to reimburse this amount to us. The judge should take judicial notice of Daim's resignation date, if he was entering into that discussion".

Halim even said his company was ordered by the government to take over Metramac as the toll concession at Jalan Cheras had become so political and tense and toll collection was suspended on Sept 12, 1990 following a demonstration at the toll plaza.He explained that the original concession agreement was virtually frustrated by this event and Metro Juara was asked to buy Metramac shares at market value plus a premium on them for an additional amount of RM32.5 million.

"My personal opinion then was that the RM32.5 million was not payable to the previous shareholders. But the government asked us to pay that amount and we could only manage a silent protest,This was the same RM32.5 million that the Works Ministry decided to reimburse him and his partner as stated in the letter of Feb 13, 1992.",Halim stressed.

"For the information of the public, we were reluctant when we were told by the government to take over a company that was in a serious mess and was no longer bankable. But, as it was of public interest, the government had no option but to move forward". "We took over the projects and the whole revised projects were repackaged to achieve a bankable internal rate of return. We were probably chosen because by then our track record of the North South Highway was proven," Halim said.

Halim furthur said he knew for a fact that the decision for them to take over Metramac was made by the Cabinet itself after due deliberation and after the new revised agreement was entered into between Metramac and Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, the Works Ministry and the Federal Treasury monitored every step of the progress in the negotiation.

"It is critical to bear in mind that this is not compensation to Metramac. It was a scheme of subsidy to complement and to enable the expanded additional works to be financially workable to both the government and Metramac. To suggest that a few hundred millions were simply paid to Metramac without justification is to discredit the government and its officers, including those from the Attorney-General's Chambers who negotiated the agreement. All payments received under the new revised agreement and the account subsidy agreement were retained in Metramac and disbursed in accordance with the agreement".Halim claimed.

Halim stressed that none of the funds received amounting to RM466.7 million was taken by him or Anuar or Metro Juara. The subsidy was not a lump sum payment and it was disbursed commensuration with the proportional progress of the new additional works being completed. He also said that in the subsidy account agreement, a special account was created by the government where government representatives from the Federal Treasury acted as co-signatory to all the bank accounts.

"Does this sound like day-light robbery as is suggested in the judgment," Halim asked.

The case involved Datuk Fawziah Abdul Karim and her mother Maimom Bee, who were directors and shareholders of Syarikat Teratai K.G. Sdn Bhd (STKG), now known as Metramac.Fawziah succeeded in obtaining a tender to design, construct and operate the privatisation of a number of roads, including one at Jalan Cheras here for which toll collection was later suspended.

As a result, compensation of RM764 million was payable by Kuala Lumpur City Hall but the judge said Daim as the then Finance Minister told the shareholders that the government did not have the money to compensate them.

STKG was then bought over by Metro Juara, owned by Halim and Anuar, for RM97.5 million.

The judge said after this transaction, the government suddenly found the funds to compensate Metro Juara.

Sri Ram had said in his judgment: " You may well ask how all this could have happened without the direct involvement of Tun Daim. It is also incomprehensible why the defendant, as it was constituted immediately before the takeover by Metro Juara, was not given this same financial support by the Federal Government".

"I think it is a fair question to ask why tax payers' money was chanelled into the hands of two private individuals --to profit them-- instead of a wider section of the general public".

The judge also said that Halim and Anuar had siphoned from the defendant's account RM32.5 million.

Why a Nuclear Iran ?

Joseph J Kurr, an American said that it is not a matter of if Iran will have the bomb - it is a matter of when. Iran's motive for becoming a nuclear power is not purely political. Its desire to become the next nuclear power stems from a strong sense of nationalism and an equally strong distrust of US intentions. With that in mind, the US needs to reexamine its current albeit hawkish policy towards Iran.

Since Iran's revolution, the US has predicted that secular Iranians would eventually reclaim their country from the mullahs. Well, the latest election actually brought an even more radical leader to Iran's presidency. Even more telling is that secular Iranians are as adamant as radicals about their country having every right to nuclear technology. This same nationalistic pride is also fuelling Iran's ambition to become a regional power.

Now place yourself in Iran's shoes. The US is occupying Iraq to the west, rebuilding Afghanistan to the east, and headquarters its Fifth Naval Fleet to the south.

This is the same US government that harshly criticizes her foreign and domestic policies at every chance, continues to freeze it’s assets since the 1979 Revolution, and is currently leveraging its UN Security Council position to put the kibosh on her nuclear ambitions. In effect, the US is undermining any chance of significant foreign investment coming Iran’s way. Is it any small wonder Iran distrust and dislike the US?

If Iran is sensible, they will play nice and come into lock step with IAEA demands while insisting on rights to develop nuclear technology under strict international monitoring and safeguards. Meanwhile, they will continue to gradually acquire the expertise, technology, and material necessary to produce nuclear weapons albeit on a much longer timetable

Distrust of US

If the US is cleaver, we will anticipate this strategy and address the dangerous half of Iran's nuclear equation: Distrust of the US. Only by assuaging Iran's fear can the US hope to bring stability to that region of the world.

Dealing with a hard line government is nothing new for the US, a prime example of which is China. Each passing day strengthens the trade relationship between our two countries while the chances of armed conflict simultaneously decrease. China's phenomenal growth is traceable to globalization and its increasing connectivity with the world economy. In 1990, one year removed from the Tiananmen Square incident, any prediction of China becoming an economic powerhouse would have been laughable. Today, Beijing is exploring ways to slow its economic growth. Foreign investment and open trade is fuelling this remarkable growth. This foreign investment is noteworthy, especially when one remembers hardliners in China are still running the show and that investors are wary of anything resembling risk.

Can we expect the same bright future for Iran? Not with the current US policy which essentially mirrors Iran's distrust.

Policy shift needed

US policy over the past 26-plus years, including unilateral sanctions, denouncements and other forms of coercion, is proving to be impotent. This same policy is arresting Iran's economic development and affirms its mistrust of the US. The US needs a seismic shift in its Iranian policy and to make it perfectly clear that if Iran stops aggressively pursuing nuclear weapon technologies and threatening its neighbors, the US will meet it halfway.

Meeting Iran halfway includes supporting Iran's ambition to become an advanced technological state and a regional power. This can be accomplished by eliminating sanctions against non-US entities investing in Iran's oil and gas sectors, encouraging technological collaborative endeavors, and giving serious thought about releasing still-frozen Iranian financial assets.

Such a move signals to Iran that the US is an honest broker and will steer Iran down the path leading towards connectivity with the rest of the world. In time, new foreign investment and trade will usher in a re-birth of Iran's economy, compelling it to adopt international rule-sets and mitigating any risk a nuclear Iran may pose. In short, Iran will avoid actions that may lead towards isolation.

It would be possible to prevent Iran from getting the bomb, but we need to think more about how to live with a nuclear Iran. When that day finally arrives, do US want to deal with an angry and fearful Iran with nothing to lose, or with an Iran connected to the world economy?

But, Sharon and Bush administrations' have been poisoning public opinion, building case against Iran; interpreting President Ahmadinejad's statements as a credible threat to Israel.

In fact, Iran has not demonstrated any territorial ambitions nor is it involved in the occupation of any foreign country as is true of both the United States and Israel .

Sekalung Budi

Terima Kasih Pak Engku. Jasa baik itu akan di kenang. Salam Sejahtera.

SE Asia's Key Economies Head For Robust Growth In 2006

According to analysts Southeast Asia's key economies are in for robust growth in 2006, with Vietnam on track to catch up to its wealthier neighbors but Indonesia hobbled by lingering domestic issues. They risks of a bird flu pandemic, higher interest rates and volatile oil prices remain but regional economies are better prepared than before to withstand any adverse impact. Singapore is expected to continue last year's strong growth momentum, while the Malaysian and Thai economies are also forecast to be on firm footing.

Singapore's economy expects to expand by seven percent this year and about five percent over the next two years on the back of sustained regional and global growth. The 2006 forecast is well above the government's growth target of three to five percent for gross domestic product [GDP], the total value of all goods and services produced in the country. The city-state's economy grew by a better-than-expected 5.7 percent in 2005.

The Philippines is expected to remain buoyant. The Philippines to achieve 4.6 to 4.8 percent GDP growth this year, buoyed by foreign worker remittances, The country has about 10 million citizens working overseas which accounted for 11 percent of GDP and 18 percent of current account receipts in the first half of 2005.

Malaysia's economy should grow five to six percent this year from an expected 5.3 percent expansion in 2005 due to a recovery in external demand and sustained domestic demand.

Thailand’s forecast that country's economy to grow 4.5 percent this year from a projected 4.3percent in 2005. Growth in the March quarter should be boosted by a pick-up in agricultural production, tourism and exports. Investments in some mega-projects should help Thailand's economy in the second half. The prolonged political tensions arising from challenges to Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as well as unrest in southern Thailand are among the domestic risk factors.

Communist Vietnam's rising economic star should also provide a bright spot for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN], a 10-member regional bloc. Vietnam's GDP is expected to have grown at a blistering 8.4 percent in 2005 and will continue to expand above eight percent this year. No any real indicators of a serious problem for the country, which has been scarred by decades of war. Corruption remains a "very significant problem" in Vietnam but progress has been made to fight it.

ASEAN's biggest member,Indonesia should grow 5.0 to 5.7 percent this year, according to the country's central bank. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had initiated reforms, but it is clear that Indonesia is facing a lot of issues. Huge government debt, contradictory laws, and corruption in the judiciary, budgetary pressures and a lumbering bureaucracy are among the key problems.

But Bloomberg said the three of Southeast Asia's four largest economies will probably expand at a slower pace this year due to U.S. dampen exports and local consumers.

Thailand's economy however may quicken on more government spending to 5 percent
from 4.6 percent.

Growth in Indonesia, the region's biggest economy, will slow to 5 percent in 2006 from an estimated 5.5 percent last year.

Malaysia's rate of expansion will ease to 5 percent from 5.3 percent.

Singapore's growth will be 5 percent from 5.6 percent.

Governments in Southeast Asia are trying to spur economic growth by promoting new industries.

The single largest determinant of growth for Southeast Asia is external demand and that hinges on what's happening particularly in the U.S. economy. U.S. growth is expected in the second half of the year, and that will lead to moderating external demand for Southeast Asia. The world's largest economy is expected to ease around 3.5 percent in 2006, from 3.6 percent in 2005 and 4.2 percent in 2004. But U.S. Federal Reserve said that it would remain solid, with output staying near the economy's potential over the next two years.

The Fed's economists said a boost to the U.S. economy from hurricane-related rebuilding would be countered by higher interest rates, the anticipated waning of the positive wealth effect associated with large earlier gains in equity and house prices, and reduced impetus from fiscal policy.

That is definitely going to impact on Southeast Asian exporting economies.

PM: Laws Need To Be Clear On Religious Conversion

Malaysian Premier Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the issue of religious conversion needed to be spelt out clearly in the Constitution and other laws to prevent confusion among Malaysians.

There were indications that such confusion was happening and the Constitution and other laws were not clear on the matter. Many feel it is necessary to clarify the question in the laws and Constitution to avoid further confusion.

However, he said, whatever action that would be taken regarding the matter should be done with care so as not to violate the beliefs of any community and the followers of other religions.

The Premier was asked for his comment on the case of Mount Everest climber M. Moorthy alias Mohammad Abdullah, whose death resulted in a controversial tussle between his widow and the Federal Territory Religious Department for the right to bury his body.

Moorthy, who died on Dec 20, 2005, was eventually buried by the department on Dec 28 after the Syariah High Court ruled he was a Muslim and the civil High Court decided it had no jurisdiction to intervene in the case.

Abdullah also said the right of Malaysians to follow the religion of their choice must be respected and urged them to practice mutual respect and cooperation to maintain harmony in the country.

We must handle whatever problems that arise with care. We don't allow emotions to be whipped up over religion and race.

He further said he was looking into the issue and hoped such a problem would not recur.

What Pak Lah mean is we must ensure that everyone is aware of their rights on the matter of religious conversion, in and out of Islam and its implications. But the law is already clear......?

Khairy, Fernandes In Global Leaders List

"Patah tumbuh, hilang berganti!"

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin has joined the ranks of 200 Young Global Leaders to watch out for.

Other Malaysians on the list are banker CIMB Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Nazir Razak, Air Asia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes and Genting Bhd head of strategic investments Justin Leong.

The leaders, all under 40, were chosen by a committee led by Queen Rania of Jordan, from among 3,500 candidates in 50 countries.

It aims to pinpoint individuals of outstanding leadership from every region and sector in the world. They must also have shown commitment in serving their community.

The selections were endorsed by World Economic Forum [WEF] executive chairman Professor Klaus Schwab. The WEF is the sister organization to the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Kazakh Muslims Celebrated First Official Eid Holiday

Muslims in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan had an official holiday on Tuesday, January 10, to celebrate Eidul Adha for the first time.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev pledged last year to announce the first day of Eid an official holiday for the Kazakh Muslims. The parliament has recently endorsed a decision declaring the first day of Eidul Adha an official holiday.

The decision was welcome by Muslims in the former Soviet republic, who believes it was long overdue.Muslims make up 62% of Kazakhstan's 15 million population, Orthodox 35% and followers of other faiths the remaining percentage.

A Kazakh Muslim celebration of Eidul Adha is quite similar to that in other Muslim countries. Joyfully welcoming feast, they flock to mosques in the early morning to perform Eid prayers. There are some 1,500 mosques across the country. After the prayers, Muslims make their sacrifices, following the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during Eidul Adha.

The ritual reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma`il were willing to make for the sake of Allah.

During Eid, Kazakh Muslims also exchange visits and presents with both fellow Muslims and non-Muslims.
Islam has been gaining a foothold in the country since independence from the Communist Soviet Union on December 16, 1991.

500 Ex-CPM Members to Get Thai Citizenship

BERNAMA reported 500 former members of the outlawed Communist Party of Malaya [CPM] will be given Thai citizenship, almost two decades after ending their guerilla war against Malaysia.

On January 8, 2006, 253 ex-members of CPM received their Thai microchip-embedded smart ID cards from Yala Governor. The rest will get their IC cards after the completion of necessary documentation process. Most of those who got their ID cards were Chinese while the Malays will get them soon. However, there was no news whether former CPM secretary-general Chin Peng was one of those granted citizenship.

There are 498 former members of the CPM were currently living in several villages around Yala.They were granted asylum by the Thai Government following an agreement to end the guerilla war signed between CPM and the Malaysian Government in 1989.

Some of the members have taken Thai names after they settled down in friendship villages of Piyamit in Betong and Bannang Sata districts.

Last year, Chin Peng, 81, who was born in Sitiawan, Malaysia, applied to the High Court in Malaysia seeking to return to the country.

Other prominent members of CPM believed to be residing in the southern town of Betong, bordering Pengkalan Hulu in Perak, are Rashid Maidin, Abdullah C.D. and Suriani Abdullah.

The Bangkok Post English daily January 9, 2006 published an interview with several former CPM members who were granted citizenship yesterday. "I feel I was a Thai the very first day I came to live in the Piyamit village in Betong district of Yala almost 20 years ago because we took refuge on Thai soil.”Although we were Malays [Malaysians], when we came to Thailand, we became Thais," said Herng-u sae Loo, 50, who led a company of the former communist party.

Yungfu Sae Shai, 78, the former secretary-general of the communist party, said that he was keen to help the Thai government handle the southern unrest. The southern situation concerns us. We are ready to help by keeping an eye on border movements and promoting peace in the village.

Tak ada udang ke di balik batu tu ?

Significance of Eidul Adha

The day of Eidul Adha is known the world over as Eidul Kabir, or the Major Feast. It is distinguished from Eidul Fitri, which is the Minor Feast, known also as Eidul Saghir. The Eidul Adha is actually celebrated by Muslims two months and ten days after the Minor Feast.


The word eid’ means a recurring festival. The name of Eidul Adha means the Feast of Sacrifice. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month of Dzulhijjah.


On the ninth day of Dzulhijjah, pilgrims proceed to the plains of the Mount of Arafat, outside Makkah and they spend their time totally in worship. This is infact the core of the worship of Hajj, without which no Hajj is said to have been performed. On that evening, pilgrims proceed from Arafat to Muzdalifah.


Early in the morning of the 10th day of Dzulhijjah, the pilgrims having offered their prayers at Muzdalifah proceed to the three pillars to cast seven stones at the symbols of Satan. This ceremony of casting stones has been performed since the days of Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham].


It is a ceremony, which indicates one should cast away the evil of Satan repeatedly and resolve never to listen to him again, nor to succumb to temptations. In fact, the word for the casting process in Arabic is ‘rajm’, which means throwing of stones or stoning to death.


Then, pilgrims return to Mina, with a pure slate of mind and heart, where they perform the sacrifice of animals. This process commemorates the event when Prophet Ibrahim known as the Companion of Allah [Khalilul Rahman] was about to sacrifice his most beloved treasure, his son.


It was his only son then, whom he begot in old age after sincerely having implored Allah, for a son for a very long time. It was Isma’il, his beloved and righteous son who was destined also to become a prophet. He is known as Dhabih Allah, or the chosen sacrifice of Allah. Hajj is in fact, considered a reaffirmation of the faith of Prophet Ibrahim, whom is considered the Father of all prophets.


For those who did not go to Hajj, like most of us, it is celebrated as a feast. We begin with the prayers of `eid, following which, sacrifices of animals are made and the meat is to be shared with the poor.


It is a pity that over scores of years, the act of sacrifice lost its meaning. It has become a mere ritualistic performance among Muslims who sometimes slaughter goats, sheep and cows annually and mechanically, without understanding the underlying significance.


There is a difference between mere charity and sacrifice. Charity is a regular all-time practice of helping the needy and no particular day is fixed for it. In the case of sacrifice is an annual ritual, which is to be performed on the prescribed days commencing with Eidul Adha.

Ibadah korban akan dilaksanakan bagi memperingati ketaatan Nabi Ibrahim S.A.W kepada Allah S.W.T. untuk menyembelih anaknya, Isma'il selepas bermimpi melakukannya sebagai menerima perintah Allah S.W.T yang juga ditaati oleh Isma'il. Ketaatan itu dibalas oleh Allah dengan menggantikannya dengan seekor kibas.

Di Pakistan, unta antara ternakan utama yang menjadi pilihan untuk dibuat korban selain kambing, lembu dan kerbau.

Eid Mubarak to all.

Amnesty Slams "Immune" Thai Police in Muslim South.

Amnesty International,the global human rights watchdog, in a report released on January 4, 2006, as the unrest enters its third year, urged Thailand to investigate alleged abuses by security forces in the restive Muslim majority southern provinces and end their immunity from prosecution.

Amnesty said that Bangkok needed to remove the immunity granted to security forces under a controversial emergency decree in order to win the trust of conflict-weary villagers. The emergency decree, which was enacted in July 2005, was renewed for three months in October and is set to expire on January 19, 2006.

Since the unrest renewed with a raid on a weapons depot by suspected Muslims on January 4, 2004, the Thai authorities’ response has included "arbitrary detention, torture, and excessive lethal force”. Several international and local rights groups have condemned the heavy handed policy of police in the south. Their harsh and militarized policies have generated spiraling dynamic of violence and revenge in the area, leaving Thai Muslims living in fear and horror.

Bangkok must also investigate "all reports of human rights abuses, whether attacks on civilians by armed groups or violations committed by the security forces."They have also failed to properly investigate attacks against both Buddhist and Muslim civilians. Young Muslim men have been 'blacklisted' and assumed guilty with no reason given while people detained are often denied access to a lawyer or interpreter. Those found responsible must be brought to justice.

Current laws which give complete immunity to security forces must be changed to allow for prosecution.

Residents increasingly felt unprotected from the ongoing violence which has claimed more than 1,000 lives in two years, including 20 people who were beheaded.

The Thai government is facing a great challenge in dealing with the violence, but it has responsibilities towards its citizens and needs to ensure justice is done.

Thailand is a predominantly a Buddhist nation but Muslims make up about five percent of the population and mostly lives in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia. Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are the only Muslim majority provinces in Thailand, where Muslims particularly the Malays have long complained of the gross discrimination, albeit in jobs and education and business opportunities.

The Concept of Slaughter and Sacrifice.

It is indeed assential to clear the misconceptions about the significance and wisdom behind the acts of slaughter and sacrifice in Islam in order to clear such distortions about Islam.

In the pre-Islamic Arabia not only did the pagan Arabs sacrifice to a variety of gods in hopes of attaining protection or some favor or material gain, but so, too, did the Jews of that day seek to appease the One True God by blood sacrifice and burnt offerings. Evan the Christian felt Jesus to be the last sacrifice, the final lamb, so to speak, in an otherwise valid tradition of animal sacrifice [where one's sins are absolved by the blood of another].

Islam, however, broke away from this longstanding tradition of appeasing an "angry God" and instead demanded personal sacrifice and submission as the only way to die before death and reach "fana’" or "extinction in Allah." The notion of "vicarious atonement of sin" -absolving one's sins through the blood of another- is not found in the Qur'an. Neither is the idea of gaining favor by offering the life of another to Allah. In Islam, all that is demanded as a sacrifice is one's personal willingness to submit one's ego and individual will to Allah.

One only has to look at how the Qur'an treats this subject, to see a marked difference regarding sacrifice and whether or not Allah is appeased by blood. The Qur'anic account of the sacrifice of Isma`il ultimately speaks against blood atonement. Allah says: Then when [the son] reached [the age of] work with him, he said: "Oh my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what thy view is!" [The son)]said: "Oh my father! Do as thou art commanded: Thou wilt find me, if Allah so wills one practicing patience and constancy!" So when they had both submitted their wills [to Allah], and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead [for sacrifice], We called out to him, "Oh Ibrahim! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right? For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. [As-Safat 37:102-107]

The Qur'an never says that Allah told Ibrahim to kill [sacrifice] his son. But Ibrahim had a dream in which he saw himself slaughtering his son. Ibrahim believed the dream and thought that the dream was from Allah, which Qur'an never says that the dream was from Allah. However, in Ibrahim and Isma`il's willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice—Ibrahim of his son, Isma`il of his own life—they are able to transcend notions of self and false attachment to the material realm, thus removing a veil between themselves and Allah, enabling Allah's mercy to descend upon them as the Spirit of Truth and illuminate them with divine wisdom, thus preventing a miscarriage of justice and once and for all correcting the false notion of vicarious atonement of sin.

For, certainly, Qur’an teaches us that Allah never advocates evil [see 7:28 and 16:90]and that only Satan advocates evil and vice (24:21). The notion that Allah would want us to do an immoral act runs counter to Allah's justice. The underlying implication of Islam's attitude toward ritual slaughter is not that of blood atonement, or seeking favor with Allah through another's death, but rather, the act of thanking Allah for one's sustenance and the personal sacrifice of sharing one's possessions and valuable food with one's fellow humans.

The ritual itself is NOT the sacrifice. It is merely a method of killing where the individuals kill as quickly as possible and acknowledge that only Allah has the right to take a life and those they do so as a humble member of Allah's creation in need of sustenance just like every other species in Allah's creation.

So let us examine some of the appropriate verses in the Qur'an to see what it has to say about sacrifice and how it related to life in 500 C.E. Arabia. Allah says: In them ye have benefits for a term appointed: In the end their place of sacrifice is near the Ancient House. [Al-Hajj 22:33]

The word ‘In them’ refers to cattle or animals offered for sacrifice. They are useful in many ways to humans, e.g., camels in desert countries are useful for carrying burdens or for giving milk, and so, for horses and oxen; and camels and oxen are also good for meat, and camel's hair can be woven into cloth; goats and sheep also yield milk and meat, and hair or wool. If they are used for sacrifice, they become symbols by which people show that they are willing to give up some of their own benefits for the sake of satisfying the needs of their poorer brethren.

Allah also says: To every people did We appoint rites [of sacrifice] that they might celebrate the name of Allah over the sustenance He gave them from animals (fit for food). But your God is One God: Submit then your wills to Him [In Islam]: and give thou the good news to those who humble themselves. [Al-Hajj 22:34]

The true end of the sacrifice is not in flesh and blood, but as a symbol of thanksgiving to Allah by sharing meat with fellow humans. The solemn pronouncement of Allah's name over the sacrifice is an essential part of the rite.

Allah says further: It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you: And proclaim the Good News to all who do right. [Al-Hajj 22:37]

It is quite clear from the Qur'anic passages above, the issue of animal sacrifice is that we are commanded to thanks and praise Allah for the sustenance He has given them and that they should sacrifice something of value to themselves to demonstrate their appreciation for what they have been given, which in their case was the very animals on which their survival was based.

Why do Muslims Perform HAJJ?

Performing pilgrimage or Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity.

Allah swt says:
And proclaim to mankind the Hajj. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant mountain highway. [Qur’an 22:27]

Undertaking the Hajj at least once in the life time is a duty for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey to Makkah. The emphasis on financial ability is meant to ensure that a Muslim takes care of his family first. The requirement that a Muslim be healthy and physically capable of undertaking the pilgrimage is intended to exempt those who cannot endure the rigors of extended travel.

Allah says:
Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah, those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of his creatures. [Qur’an 3: 97]

The pilgrimage is the religious high point of a Muslim's life and an event that every Muslim dreams of undertaking. Umrah, the small pilgrimage, can be undertaken at any time of the year; Hajj, however, is performed during a five-day period from the ninth through the thirteenth of Dzulhijjah, the twelfth month of the Muslim Hijriah calendar.

Performing the Hajj is the spiritual apex of a Muslim's life, one that provides a clear understanding of his relationship with God and his place on Earth. It imparts in a Muslim not only the assurance that he has performed the fifth pillar of Islam by following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad[pbuh] originated from Ibrahim and Prophet Isma'il[pbut] but also the realization of an ummah [nation] that is more than one billion strong and spreads across the globe.

A Muslim does not earn “Hajj Mabrur” [acceptable pilgrimage] except by leaving all sins behind him or her. While falling into sin is prohibited at all times, Allah swt gives a specific order to the pilgrims to leave sins.

Allah says:
Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during hajj. [Qur’an2:197]

This verse emphasizes the nobility of the time and greatness of the place.

Allah also says:
Whoever intends [a deed] therein [i.e. in the Haram] of deviation [in religion] or wrongdoing – We will make him taste of a painful punishment. [Qur’an 22:25]

Pilgrimage makes people realize their many evil deeds and mistakes, which are the results of weak fear of Allah and ignoring the Shari`ah [God's commands and Sunnah].

So, what are the wisdoms and aims of the Hajj? One of it's goal is the realization of “taqwa” [piety, fearful awareness of Allah, as Allah says:And complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah…And fear Allah [Qur'an 2:196]

Malaysia Airlines to Shift Headquaters.

It was reported that the loss-making national carrier Malaysia Airlines will move out of its landmark headquarters in the capital, heightening speculation that it will sell the building. The shift was aimed at "managing costs" and "streamlining operations".

Idris Jala, the new managing director wants Malaysia Airlines operations to be concentrated in two main areas-Subang, just west of Kuala Lumpur, and at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, south of the capital. The bulk of airline's staff numbering a few hundred in the 35-storey building Kuala Lumpur's prime business area would move to Subang. But the airline would continue to maintain its ticketing and other related services in the building.

Malaysia Airlines staff would be moved in two phases, the first from this month to March and the next in June. Last month, the carrier came under fire from the upper house of parliament after it proposed to sell the building to raise funds and trim losses for the airline.

The national carrier ended 2005 in a troubled state after posting two consecutive quarters of losses and facing calls for costs to be slashed and better contingency plans made for rising fuel prices. Last month Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government was willing to extend loans to Malaysia Airlines to help it return to profitability, but ruled out a bail-out.

What is next for MAS? I ardently hope it is hope that it would be in the good hand.

Ibrahim and Isma'il: A model for Sacrifice

I got tempted by the words of Dr. Munir El-Kassem,an assistant professor at UWO,Canada and used them. Although it was not a new subject it is worthwhile to revisit. He said that Hajj and `Eidul Adha were originated when a 97-year-old man was asked to take the life of a 13–year-old boy. He raised three points: who was that man, who was the boy and who was making the request?. He said if we know the three points in this equation are, we would have a better perspective on life and on what life is all about.

The man who was asked at 97 years of age to take the life of a 13-year-old boy is none other than Prophet Ibrahim [peace be upon him], the father of the prophets and messengers. And the 13-year-old boy whose life Ibrahim was asked to take is none other than his own son. Ibrahim had waited for 83 years to see him walk around him, touch him, and give him the pleasure of being a father. All of us know what that means; all of us know what it really means for our son or daughter to come and show his or her love that he or she possesses for us.

But when the boy reached the age when he was able to run and play around his father, Ibrahim went to him and said, “My loving son, I saw in my dream that I was sacrificing you.” We all know that the dreams of prophets and messengers are forms of revelation from Allah Almighty. So it was the truth.

Now, who was the one who made that request? It was none other than Allah. The One Who created life had asked Ibrahim to take the life of his son away. And we know that His decree was that Isma`il’s life would not be taken away, but it was a lesson for humanity to understand what life is all about.

Allah wanted Ibrahim to teach humanity a lesson. Thus, we have to understand this lesson and reflect upon it. There are two things in life that Allah Almighty made beautiful in this life. These two things are mentioned in the Qur’an more than once:

Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world.[Al-Kahf 18:46]

The wealth and children make life beautiful. Look what happened! Allah Almighty chose one individual to sacrifice one of these two things, and He did not ask any other human being to do the same. One individual was enough to sacrifice one of these two things, and that is his child, and He asked all of us to sacrifice the second one, wealth, so that by seeing how one man was able to do something which we cannot, we are able to sacrifice the second of the ornaments of life. Because Ibrahim succeeded in that test, Allah Almighty called him an ummah, which means one man was equaivalent to a whole nation i.e a whole ummah.

One individual,Prophet became an ummah, simply he had passed the test as and of a whole ummah. He was asked to sacrifice one of the two things that are ornaments of life, and all of us have been asked to sacrifice the second. So because of that, he indeed, is an ummah in the same way that we are an ummah. He truly deserves that title:

Lo! Abraham was an ummah, obedient to Allah. [An-Nahl 16:120]

This is the spirit of `Eidul-Adha we were called upon by Allah to sacrifice what we really like to keep:

Ye will not attain unto Birr [piety and perfect goodness] until ye spend of that which ye love.[Aal `Imran 3:92]

Dr.Munir said that if you have a lot of money and you take a thousand dollars and give it away, this would not be considered as birr. Birr is to have two dollars and to give one of the dollars away although you need the two dollars and would like to keep them for essentials. This is a sacrifice. Sacrifice is to do something that one find difficult to do. It is not a sacrifice to do an easy thing and then to appear at the surface as if you have done a lot. Allah Almighty knows best what sacrifice is.

So, my fellow Muslims let us now give due consideration what we really need to sacrifice.

End

Air Assault on Iran ?

Al Jazeera.com dated 1st January 2006 reported :Washington has been holding talks with allies in preparation of an air assault on Iran.



At the early stages of Bush's second term, Vice President DICK CHENEY dropped a bombshell, hinting that Iran was "right at the top of the list" of the rogue enemies of the United States, and that Israel would, so to speak, "be doing the bombing for us", without U.S. military having to ask them "to do it".



"One of the concerns people have is that Israel might do it without being asked... Given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might well decide to act first, and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards," (quoted from an MSNBC Interview Jan 2005)



Amid numerous media reports’ predictions that the United States, backed by Israel, will launch a military strike, targeting Iran’s nuclear sites in 2006, Germany's Der Spiegel suggests that speculation about a U.S. attack against the Islamic republic is particularly rife in NATO-member Turkey.



Der Spiegel stated that Washington has been holding talks with allies in preparation of an air assault on Iran, the Deutsche Depeschendienst, Germany's second leading news agency, reported after DPA put out an article by Udo Ulfkotte, a former editor for one of Germany's main dailies Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and an intelligence service, warning of such attack.



Ulfkotte, who named his sources as "Western security circles," without elaborating, says that during a visit to Istanbul, U.S.’s Central Intelligence Agency Director Porter Goss asked Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to support the air strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in 2006 and that by stepping up the exchange of intelligence.



Over the past few weeks, DDP says, Washington contacted the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan seeking the same kind of cooperation.....



How long more people would have to be perished again with this kind of destruction by strong nations against a country, albeit a Muslim nation?

The Annual Hajj Pilgrimage.

Over 1.3 million Muslims have arrived reported in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage but their numbers will be slightly lower than last year due to safety concerns.

Around 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are expected to arrive in the Muslim holy city of Mecca from all over the world by Sunday 8th January when the five-day ritual, which is a duty at least once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim, begins.

Last year 1,534,000 foreign pilgrims performed the hajj.

Saudi official said more than 1.3 million Muslims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual haj pilgrimage but their numbers will be slightly lower than last year due to safety concerns.

Around a million Saudi-based pilgrims were to take part in the haj. Up to 300,000 more are expected to slip into Mecca without permits, taking the number of total pilgrims to over 2.5 million, he added.

Some 250 pilgrims died in a stampede during the stoning of three stone pillars which symbolise the devil at the Jamarat bridge on the third day of hajj in January 2004.

Saudi authorities said they have tightened health controls for this year's pilgrimage, which health experts have warned could create the conditions in which a fatal flu pandemic could emerge.

Many pilgrims come from Asian countries, where the deadly H5N1 form of bird flu has killed more than 70 people since 2003.

We pray that they would be bless and returned home as a Mabrur Hajj, Insyaallah!

Singapore Economy Performing Well

BBC NEWS reported strong growth in the global oil and technology industries has boosted the Singapore economy, which grew an above forecast 7.7% in the last quarter.



The preliminary figure means Singapore is on course to record growth for 2005 as a whole of 5.7%, beating government forecasts of 5% expansion.



Rising oil prices have boosted the island's economy, the largest manufacturer of offshore oil rigs.


Singapore also attracted record tourist numbers during the past year.



More than nine million people visited the island in 2005, swelling Singapore's coffers.


In a New Year message, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the economy had grown by 5.7% in 2005.


Growth on such a scale would see Singapore eclipsing regional economic rivals such as South Korea and Taiwan, analysts say.



Singapore has benefited from a recovery in global trade flows and its investment, in recent years, in developing its pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.



Compared with its regional rivals, it is not so vulnerable to volatile demand in the consumer electronics market.



"Singapore's economy is more leveraged to global growth than others," Sim Moh Siong, an economist with Citigroup, told Associated Press.



"If the global economy is recovering, Singapore will benefit more than others."



Singapore is forecasting growth of between 3-5% in 2006, a figure considered on the cautious side by economists.


How is Malaysia then?

Islam and Water

Islam is the religion of purity. It commands Muslims to pay much attention to the purity and the beautifulness of their appearance as well as their deeds. It urges them to purify their hearts from envy and grudge and their deeds from showing off. The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] teaches us that Allah loves those who are pure and clean, those who keep themselves far remote from dirtiness and sin. Almighty Allah says: Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.[Al-Baqarah 2: 222]

Water is a very valuable resource for life and a great gift from Allah. The Qur’an talks about water sixty-three times. Allah says: We made from water every living thing.[Al-Anbiya’ 21: 30] Almighty Allah also tells us that He has given water for all of his living creation. He says: Tell them that the water is to be shared by all of them.[Al-Qamar 54: 28] Water should be used with great care and should not be polluted or wasted.

There are many Hadiths that forbid the pollution of water. Imam Ibn Majah reports that a person was making ablution and he was using too much water. Upon seeing him, the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said: “What is this waste?” The man said: “Is there a waste in ablution also, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said: “Yes, even if you were near a flowing river.”

Unfortunately, there is a great waste of this valuable resource. The result is that there is a shortage of water all over the world. Countries are fighting each other or trying to control the water resources of others. Everywhere there is discussion going on currently to preserve water. We must use water wisely but we have to save this resource and keep it clean and pure as much as possible.

Recycling is a method of cleaning and preservation. It is being used in many Muslim countries as well. It should be encouraged.

The basic rule of the Shari`ah about water is that by nature it is pure as long as its taste, color and smell have not changed. Nature also recycles itself. Allah has put some laws in nature by which it restores itself. Some recycling methods are very much like natural methods, but in a faster way. If a recycling method restores the taste, color and smell of some unclean water to its original level, then it will become pure. It can be then used for washing clothes, for making ablution and even for drinking purposes, if it is good for health. Sometimes water looks like water, tastes and smells like water, but it could be very unhealthy and even deadly. Such water must not be used, not because it is impure but because it is unhealthy and dangerous.