Islam is the real positive change that you need to change for being a better person or a perfect human being, you can change yourself if you read QURAN, IF YOU DO THAT !! you will change this UMMAH, say I am not A Sunni or Shia, BUT I am just a MUSLIM. Be a walking QURAN among human-being AND GUIDE THEM TO THE RIGHT PATH.
Lebanese security forces are interrogating a Saudi prince on
charges of carrying drugs on his private plane after they allegedly
retrieved 2 tons of narcotics from the aircraft, local media reported.
Abd al-Muhsen bin Walid bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud was detained on Monday in Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.
The prince was about to conduct a flight on his private plane to Saudi Arabia.
Lebanese TV station Al Mayadeen also said that 40 packages of drugs, weighing 2 tons in total, were confiscated.
The prince was arrested and taken in for questioning along with four other people. READ MORE: Saudi prince arrested in LA over sex crime suspicions after ‘bleeding woman’ escapes his compound
According
to Press TV they were charged with attempting to smuggle pills of
captagon, an amphetamine allegedly widely used among fighters in the
Middle East. https://www.rt.com/news/319727-saudi-prince-drug-arrest/
The Somalians can be proud of their country as it has been voted Best Country in the World last night (Monday October, 26) during the annual WCA ceremony. The Somalian people were also voted Nicest people on the planet.
More
than a hundred prizes have been awarded during the 2015 World Countries
Awards, the most prestigious international award ceremony in the world.
A night to remember for the people of Somalia as they swept nearly all
the awards available.
Historic Win For Somalia
The
Somalian team could hardly hide its excitement as the celebrations went
on. “Are we surprised? Not really”, Somalian Team leader told the
journalist, speaking just after receiving the award for Most Humble People In The World.
It
turns out that due to a tiny logistical concern, only votes from the
Somalian judges has been counted. However, Somalian organizers
emphasized that the issue could not have had any impact on the final
outcome.
WCA 2015 Winners List:
Best Country in the World: Somalia
Most Beautiful Capital City In The World: Mogadishu
Best Food in the World: Somalian food
Nicest People on Earth: Somalian people
Smartest people on the Planet: Somalian people
Most Handsome Men in the World: Somalian men
Most Beautiful Women In The World: Somalian women
Most Humble Human Being on the Planet: The Somalians
Once
again this year, the WCA ceremony was a great success, except for a
minor incident when a massive fight broke out between Somalian teammates
as they could not agree on who was to pick up the award for Friendliest, Kindest and Most Civilised people on Earth. http://en.mediamass.net/world/so/best-country.html
The
Saudi Arabian prince accused of sexually assaulting a maid and abusing
up to four others in Los Angeles last month can be named as the son of
the Middle Eastern country's late King Abdullah.
Court
documents seen exclusively by Daily Mail Online name him as Majed bin
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz - one of the late monarch's 35 known children.
His
full identity was disclosed as he escaped felony charges for sex
assault today because Los Angeles District Attorney ruled there was
insufficient evidence against him.
Al-Saud,
29, was arrested late last month after neighbors spotted a crying,
bleeding woman attempting to scale the walls of his rented Beverly Hills
compound.
Taken
into custody by Los Angeles Police, he was charged with a slew of
sexual offenses, including one of 'forced oral copulation' and another
of battery.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
+7
Prince Majed bin Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz (right) is named in documents obtained by Daily Mail Online as
the Saudi Arabian prince accused of sexually assaulting a maid and
abusing up to four others. He is seen with Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of
Dubai, who he was officially welcoming to Saudi Arabia after the death
of King Abdullah.
+7
Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud was arrested
on suspicion of forced oral copulation of an adult as a neighbor claims
he saw a bleeding woman screaming for help from the prince's multi-million dollar Beverly Hills home
The
prince was due in court today to face an initial hearing but sources at
the Los Angeles District Attorney's office say the case has been turned
over to the office of city attorney Mike Feur.
Contacted
by Daily Mail Online, Feur's office said a case against Al Saud is
currently being put together and a new court date will be scheduled for
later this year.
The
involvement of Feur's office means the charges against the prince have
been downgraded from a felony – which could have left him facing up to
four years in jail – to a misdemeanor.
If
convicted, Prince Majed could be sentenced to up to a year in prison,
as well as handed a fine of $3,000 – a larger than normal amount because
the woman involved is thought to have been an employee.
He is, however, part of the Saudi royal family, whose collective personal wealth is estimated at $21 billion.
Meanwhile,
lawyers acting for another three women, who claim to have been abused
by Al Saud, have filed a civil complaint at Los Angeles Superior Court.
The
filing documents, which give the prince's full name of Majed bin
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, accuse the royal of assault and battery,
false imprisonment and sexual assault.
The
name makes clear his lineage - bin is son of, meaning that he is son of
Abdullah, who was son of Abdulaziz Al Saud. Abdulaziz was the first
king of Saudi Arabia, and his son Abdullah was king until his death in
January of this year.
Over
a period of three days, the suit continues, the women were subjected to
'extreme and outrageous conduct' that caused them to suffer
'humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress.'
A
further note describes the defendant's acts as 'intentional,
outrageous, despicable, oppressive and fraudulent, and done with ill
will and intention to injure the plaintiffs and cause them mental
anguish, anxiety and distress.'
During
Al Saud's time in Los Angeles, he is thought to have spent much of his
time enjoying the local nightlife and holding lavish parties at his
rented $37 million mansion.
+7
The prince is the son of the late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (left). He died on January 23
+7
Neighbors claim they saw the alleged
victim repeatedly try to climb the 8-foot-high walls surrounding the
lavish Beverly Hills home
The
prince and his entourage are also believed to have frequented a number
of hot spots, including Déjà Vu Showgirls, a strip club located in
downtown Los Angeles.
Speaking
shortly after Al Saud's arrest, neighbor Eric Stiskin claimed the
prince had fled the country in a bid to escape justice.
'I am sure he has taken off in his private jet by now,' he added.
'I don't think he even needs a passport to get out of here.'
HOW HIS ROYAL LINEAGE EMERGED
The
filing documents, which give the prince's full name of Majed bin
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, accuse the royal of assault and battery,
false imprisonment and sexual assault.
The name makes clear his lineage - bin is son of, meaning that he is son of Abdullah, who was son of Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Abdulaziz was the first king of Saudi Arabia, and his son Abdullah was king until his death in January of this year.
Al
Saud's private jet was later spotted in Vancouver by sources who told a
British newspaper that they had seen the plane on the tarmac – although
the court hearing today heard that he had not left Southern California,
the Los Angeles Times reported.
As
a result, his $300,000 bail bond and the ongoing refusal of the LAPD to
reveal whether Al Saud's passport was demanded as a condition of his
release has drawn anger of women's groups who say it sends a message
that 'impunity can be bought'.
Speaking
to Daily Mail Online, Suad Abu-Dayyeh of Equality Now, a group that
fights for the rights of girls and women around the world, said no one
should be above the law.
'If
alleged perpetrators of sexual violence use their wealth to escape
prosecution, it sends a message that impunity can be bought,' said
Abu-Dayyeh.
'Millions of women and girls around the world need full access to justice and nobody should be above the law.
'Where
situations exist where alleged perpetrators can use their privilege to
evade responsibility for crimes they are accused of, victims are utterly
failed.
'We cannot end sexual violence around the world without effective legal systems that ensure justice for all.
+7
Al-Saud was renting the 22,000-square-foot Beverly Hills property, which is currently valued at $37 million
+7
Dozens pay their respects to the late Saudi King Abdullah who died in January
'With
Saudi Arabia, we are also concerned with its male guardianship system
which helps perpetuate violence and discrimination against women and
girls. It needs to be ended urgently.'
Should
the claims against Al Saud be true, they are likely to prove a major
embarrassment for the country's recently enthroned King Salman, 79.
The half-brother of the late King Abdullah, Salman is Majed's uncle and the father of an estimated 13 children of his own.
Married
three times, Salman's best known son is 30-year-old Mohammed bin Salman
– Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince, second deputy prime minister and
minister of defense.
The
world's youngest defense minister, his tenure, which began in January,
has so far proved controversial – not least in his handling of Operation
Decisive Storm.
A
military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, it has raised
eyebrows among courtiers who question the need for Saudi Arabia to
involve itself in the affairs of its southern neighbor.
THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY LEGACY
The
House of Saud is one of the world's largest royal dynasties and has
thousands of members - all bearing the title prince or princess.
Like
King Abdullah, the current ruler, King Salman, 79, is descended from
Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the first monarch and founder of Saudi Arabia.
He
declared the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 after a series of wars
with rival tribes, and since then he and his sons have presided over an
absolute monarchy which is now the world's richest state of its type.
Both ruling and cadet branches of the family are the descendants of Muhammad ibn Saud, a 17th century imam, and his brothers.
Abdullah, who died in January aged 90, gained a reputation for being a modernizer during his decade-long tenure
However,
like his predecessors, was instrumental in helping export the
fundamentalist Wahabi interpretation of Islam to other countries in the
region.
He
also refused to make any changes to Saudi Arabia's brutal penal system
and despite IMF president Christine Lagarde calling him 'an advocate for
women's rights' after his death, went on to have 35 children with an
estimated 30 wives, among them Majed.
He
has also been accused by a Lebanese newspaper of causing a stampede
among pilgrims visiting Mecca to take part in the Hajj – a disaster that
claimed the lives of 2,164 people.
According
to Ad-Diyah, Prince Mohammed's convoy of 200 soldiers and 150
attendants forced some of the pilgrims to walk directly into the crowds
heading into Mecca, thus triggering a stampede.
He
is further accused of fleeing the scene with his entourage, with the
Saudi authorities later imposing a media blackout on reporting his
presence at the scene.
Many of Prince Majed's 34 brothers and sisters have also had colorful lives - not least the eldest, Prince Khalid, 64.
Married
to his cousin Noura bint Abdallah bin Muhammad Al Saud Al Kabir, Khalid
spent much of his life as a commander of Saudi Arabia's National Guard
before being dismissed in 1992 following disagreements with his father's
advisors.
Since
then, he has focused on his business commitments and, with his sons,
owns the Saudi Arabian Insurance Company and is honorary president of
Jeddah football club Al-Ahli.
Brother
Prince Turki, 43, served as governor of Riyadh Province until King
Abdullah's death and was, in his younger years, a pilot in the Royal
Saudi Arabian Air Force.
Another
sibling is Adila bint Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the daughter of
Abdullah and a Lebanese woman named Aida Fustuq - and one of the few
Saudi princesses to have a public role.
Unusually,
she has been allowed to speak out in public against domestic violence
and is a known supporter of women's rights, including the right to
drive.
A
younger sister, 22-year-old Princess Sanab, was married off aged 18 to
the now 25-year-old Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a son of Bahrain's King
Hamad.
But
another four of Abdullah's daughters, Sahar, Maha, Hala and Jawaher,
have been less fortunate and have been held under house arrest inside a
Riyadh palace for the last 13 years.
Born
to the late royal's ex-wife Princess Alanoud Al Fayez, the princesses'
plight became the subject of a number of media reports in March 2014
after their mother staged a protest outside the Saudi embassy in London
in a bid to secure their release.
+7
After King Abdullah's death his half-brother, Crown Prince Salman, succeeded him
She
claimed the quartet had been imprisoned for advocating women's rights
and said their continued detention was about 'psychological warfare and
breaking them down'.
A
video made by Sahar, 42, and Jawaher, 38, pleading for help from the
international community failed to elicit a response from Abdullah,
although it was later claimed the furious king denied the pair food and
clean water for 25 days as a punishment.
The
current scandal involving Prince Majed and the ongoing detention of his
sisters are just the latest in a series of controversies involving
Saudi royals.
One
of the most infamous came in 2009 when Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz was
found guilty of the sexually motivated murder of his Sudanese manservant
Bandar Abdulaziz.
The
prince, 36, subjected Bandar to a prolonged campaign of violence and
sexual abuse before beating him to death in a suite at London's Landmark
Hotel.
Sentenced
to life imprisonment by the Old Bailey court in the British capital, he
was deported to Saudi Arabia in 2013 under the terms of a prisoner
exchange deal and is currently incarcerated in a Saudi jail.
Another
incident, in 2004, saw Prince Nayef bin Fawwaz indicted in the US and
France on drug trafficking charges, after planning to use his Boeing 727
to smuggle cocaine into Europe.
Prince Nayef, who remains in hiding, allegedly later claimed that smuggling drugs is 'my God-given right'
Image copyrightAnushree Fadnavis/Indus imagesImage caption
Mr Shaikh says he has been welcomed by students and has faced no prejudice since returning to his job
Last month an
Indian court convicted 12 men for their role in the 2006 Mumbai train
blasts which killed 189 people, and also acquitted Abdul Wahid Shaikh, a
schoolteacher in south Mumbai. Menaka Rao met Mr Shaikh to find out
more about what life has been like since his acquittal.
Exactly a month after he was released from
the Arthur Road jail, 37-year-old Abdul Wahid Shaikh returned to his
job as a science teacher in the Abdus Sattar Shoaib School on Grant
Road.
"We sought the opinion of our legal officers and took him
back. The state government has to now clear the papers related to his
salary, because they provide the funds," Dr Zahir Qazi, president of
Anjuman-i-Islam trust, which runs the school, told the BBC.
"We do not go by prejudices. We warmly welcomed a person who was wronged and needs to support his family," he said.
'Strict and no-nonsense'
"One
of my colleagues joked, 'You were better off in jail. These children
are devils. We are totally fed up. They will sit on your head and grind
masala [an Urdu phrase which means "to torment someone"]," Mr Shaikh
told the BBC, laughing.
He said he had received overwhelming
support at the school and had not faced the prejudice an ex-inmate would
usually encounter. Image copyrightAnushree Fadnavis/Indus imagesImage caption
Mr Shaikh says his students are "thrilled" that his name was in the papers Image copyrightAnushree Fadnavis/Indus mediaImage caption
The city of Mumbai has changed quite drastically since Mr Shaikh was imprisoned
"My students are thrilled that their teachers' photo
was published in prominent English and Urdu papers. I have not heard of
any negative reaction from the parents either. Not one person called me
a terrorist after I got out."
He now aims to establish himself as a "strict, no-nonsense" teacher among his students.
A changed Mumbai
But
Mr Shaikh did face some challenges on his first day back. Most of the
students in his class were drowsy and three were fast asleep, he told
the BBC.
"When I asked what was wrong, the children told me that
they played games on the computer or mobile until about 12am or 1am.
Some told me they were up until 4am. How can they keep their eyes open
if they are sleeping only for a few hours and turning up at 7am?" he
said.
The ubiquitous touch-screen phone is just one of the things
that is new in Mumbai since Mr Shaikh's arrest in 2006. The city also
boasts more flyovers, a metro line, and a monorail.
Only the train
network he was accused of attacking is still familiar to him. "I still
know how to behave in the crowded trains, the self-imposed rules are
still the same," he said.
Another challenge for him is negotiating the dynamics of family life.
Different expectations
Mr
Shaikh's children, 11-year-old Umar and 10-year-old Umrah, were infants
when he was arrested. When his wife - who also works as a teacher but
didn't want to be identified for this report - would bring them to
court, he would gift them flowers, hand-made cards and chocolates, all
of which have been safely preserved over the years.
"My children
have different expectations from me. If I shout at them [when they are
not obedient], they feel very bad and cry a lot. It is not the same when
their mother talks to them sternly. They expect me to only love them,"
Mr Shaikh said. Image copyrightAnushree Fadnavis/Indus imagesImage caption
Adjusting to family life after eight years in jail has been challenging for Mr Shaikh
His wife began working as a teacher soon after his arrest, despite opposition from him and his family.
"In our community, women don't usually work," he said.
Once he has settled down at the school, Mr Shaikh says they will decide whether she will continue to work.
His wife agrees: "It's double the work for me as I have to complete work at home and then rush to school."
When
asked if he is happy to have his father back home, Umar said, "No. I
would have been happier if my uncle was also released."
'They are all innocent'
Their uncle, Sajid Ansari, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the same case.
Mr Shaikh says he can't stop thinking about his "brothers" - the other 12 people convicted in the case and who remain in jail.
"Whenever
I have something which is not available in jail, like meat or aerated
drinks, I think of them. I am happy I am out of jail, but if all of them
were acquitted, it would have been great. It is not just me who is
innocent, all of them are," he said.
Mr Shaikh is now studying to be a lawyer and says he wants to help the others overturn their convictions. Image copyrightAnushree Fadnavis/Indus imagesImage caption
"He tries to look happy but is definitely more irritable, and often tense"
He often speaks of the torture he suffered in detention.
"When
you are in an anda cell [egg-shaped high-security prison cell] with
just two others, it can get on your nerves. I couldn't bear it once, and
I had to go for psychiatric treatment."
Mr Shaikh's wife says they are careful around him after his return from prison.
"He
tries to look happy, but is definitely more irritable, and often tense.
He talks about something and suddenly his train of thought will switch
over to jail and the others who are convicted now. We have to tread
carefully," she said. Menaka Rao is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34578701
When
an employment agent approached 23-year-old Rosebella Akoth one year ago
with an offer for a job paying Sh30,000 per month, among other
benefits, she couldn’t resist it.
She packed her bags in July 2014
and left for Saudi Arabia with the hopes that her new job would change
the fortunes of her poor family in Ugenya, Siaya.
Instead, she came back on a wheelchair, with two failed kidneys, heart disease and chronic tuberculosis. Rosebella Akoth is wheeled out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport lounge on arrival from Saudi Arabia where she was working as a house girl. (PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/ STANDARD)Her
story is marked by what she defines as a series of mistreatments that
forced her to escape from the house where she was working as a house
girl, onto the streets of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
“When an agent
based in Kisumu recruited me, I was desperate. She told me to ignore the
horror stories that had been highlighted by the media and assured me
that she was taking me to a reliable employer,” says Ms Akoth.
Feigning illness Her frail body is evidence of the difficult times she encountered in a country far away from her home village.
She
said when she fell sick, her employer accused her of feigning illness
and forced her to work despite her deteriorating health.
“I used
to have intense back aches and my feet would swell, but the people I was
working for told me I was lazy and gave me more work to do,” she says.
When
she could no longer work, her employer took her to an agency within
Saudi Arabia for a trade-off that landed her with another family.
With
every new day, her health got worse, and she started fearing that she
might die. One day, when nobody was watching, she let herself out of the
house and went out on the streets.
For many days, she slept on
the streets, with the hope that someday, someone who spoke her language
would find her and rescue her.
“Every place I went, people spoke Arabic. I didn’t even know how to ask for help,” she says.
Her
father Peter Oduor would communicate with her, but the cost of making
international calls became too overwhelming for the father of 10. Help offer
When
she was about to give up, a Kenyan who was walking along the streets
bumped into her and offered to help. She took her to hospital and
introduced her to World Welfare Organisation (WWO), a group in Kenya
that empowers and advocates for the welfare of domestic workers in Gulf
countries.
Akoth was admitted to a Saudi Arabian hospital for
three months where she underwent dialysis every day. Even though her
condition stabilised and she is now back home, she is still frail and
needs medical care.
She says that the many days she roamed the
streets of Saudi seeking help may have aggravated her chest condition
and even caused her to develop the health complications she
she has now.
Peter
Karanja, the chairman of WWO noted that the surge in the number of
Kenyans who are flocking to Middle East countries, despite warnings from
the Government, is worrying
Jennifer Welsh, the United Nations special
adviser on the responsibility to protect and Adama Dieng, the UN special
adviser on the prevention of genocide. (UN Photo)
Senior
United Nations (UN) human rights officials have condemned as “morally
wrong and prohibited” a recent call by clerics in Saudi Arabia for
backing a "holy war" against Shia Muslims and Christians in Syria.
Dozens
of Saudi clerics, in a statement released on October 5, called
for supporting the war against the government of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad as well as Iran and Russia, which are backing Syria in
its fight against terrorism.
“Give all moral, material, political
and military” support to the war against the Syrian government and its
Iranian and Russian backers,Reuters quoted the Saudi clerics as
saying in the statement.
The clerics also referred to the
terrorists committing crimes against humanity in Syria as the "holy
warriors" who are "defending" the Arab country, and called for trusting
them "because if they are defeated... it will be the turn of one Sunni
country after another."
Adama Dieng, the UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon’s special adviser on the prevention of genocide and Jennifer
Welsh, the UN special adviser on the responsibility to protect,
slammed in a statement on Tuesday the call by the clerics in Saudi
Arabia and expressed their alarm at the rise in violent rhetoric by
influential religious leaders.
“Such rhetoric can aggravate the
already extremely volatile situation in Syria by drawing religiously
motivated fighters to join all parties to the conflict, thus escalating
the risk of violence against religious communities,” said the advisers
in a statement, adding that “advocacy of religious hatred to incite or
justify violence is not only morally wrong, but also prohibited under
international law.”
The UN officials also stressed that “religious
leaders should be the messengers of peace, not of war”, calling on
religious leaders around the world to refrain from any form of advocacy
of religious hatred and incitement to violence.
“In situations in
which tensions are high, as in Syria, religious leaders should call for
and foster restraint and dialog, rather than fanning the flames of
hatred,” they said.
The developments come as Iraq, Iran, Syria and
Russia have formed an intelligence-sharing center in the Iraqi capital
in their fight against Takfiri terrorists wreaking havoc mainly in Syria
and Iraq.
Since September 30, Russia has been conducting
airstrikes against the positions of the terrorists across Syria upon a
request from the Damascus government. A Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter jet
The
Saudi clerics’ letter used sectarian terms against the regional
quadripartite coalition members and blamed the West for not providing
Takfiri militants in Syria with anti-aircraft weapons.
“The
Western-Russian coalition with the Safavids and the Nusairis are making a
real war against the Sunni people and their countries,” the statement
read, using the terms Safavids and the Nusairis in the same way as the
Daesh Takfiri group does in referring to Iranians and Alawis
respectively. Foreign-backed militants patrol a street in the Syrian city of Idlib on March 29, 2015. (AFP photo)
The
senior rights officials also referred to the Russian Orthodox clerics’
description of the Russian campaign in Syria as a “holy battle”.
“The fight with terrorism is a holy battle and today our country is perhaps the most http://presstv.com/Detail/2015/10/14/433326/Syria-Russia-Saudi-Arabia--Iran-UN-Dieng-Welsh
“Do
not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified], for verily the
nations before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and
their disagreeing with their Prophets. So if I order you with something
then do as much of it as you are able, and if I forbid you from
something then keep away from it.”
—Prophet Muhammad (Muslim)
'I Can't Do This Anymore'
“Muslims can't do anything,” the man said. “Everything
is forbidden—art, philosophy, reading non-religious books, writing
fiction or poetry, watching movies or television, listening to music,
singing, dancing, and even looking good, for goodness sake!”
When I speak to those who are struggling most severely in their
faith, often on the verge of leaving Islam, I find that in most cases
the pain comes from the difficulty in making religiousness and
spirituality meet.
When our heart, mind, and lifestyle pull us in one direction and our
soul demands we go in another, we often grow weak and say to ourselves,
“I can't do this anymore.”
But in many cases, this apparent contradiction between us and our
soul has its roots in how we have come to understand Islam—not from the
demands of the religion itself.
A Reflection from My Journal
A few months ago, as I was reflecting on yet another story of a former Muslim, I penned these thoughts in my journal:
'My sister's friend left Islam, and when she was asked why, she said, “It's too hard.” 'But I couldn't help wondering where she learned her religion, because the Prophet
said, “[The Angel] Gabriel came to me and gave me the good news,
'Verily, whoever dies amongst your Ummah without associating anything
with Allah will enter Paradise.'” The Companion Abu Dharr (may Allah be
pleased with him) asked in shock, “Even if he committed adultery and
theft?” And the Prophet said, “Even if he committed adultery and theft.”
Abu Dharr asked again, “Even if he committed adultery and theft?” And
the Prophet said again, “Even if he committed adultery and theft.” And,
still, Abu Dharr said, “Even if he committed adultery and theft?” And,
again, the Prophet said, “Even if he committed adultery and theft”
(Sahih Muslim). 'So whoever turns away from Islam because they think being Muslim is too hard cannot possibly know the definition of Muslim.'
A Heartbreaking Reality
It's one of the most heartbreaking things to witness: Many men and
women enter Islam or grow up in Muslim homes inspired to give their all
“for the sake of Allah.” Yet, years (or months) later, they walk away
wounded and defeated, barely hanging on to their Islam—or they've let go
of Islam altogether.
Whenever Allah allows me to speak to struggling Muslims or
near-apostates, I find that most often their common denominator is one
of two things (if not both): their definition of Islam is based on a
particular group, ideology, shaykh, or school of thought (and they
simply cannot adhere to the “rules” anymore); or they've been mistreated
repeatedly by Muslims, often in the name of Islam (and they refuse to
subject themselves to it any longer).
You Don't Define Islam, Allah Does
A question that has stumped me for quite some time is why many
Muslims who invite others to Islam or who teach religious classes don't
simply define Islam as it is defined by Allah and His Messenger and stop
there.
Islam first and foremost is based on belief in the Oneness of God and in Prophet Muhammad ,
and adhering to this belief until one's death. Fundamentally, this
belief is divided into two categories: faith and submission.
Our faith (internal belief) entails six matters: belief in Allah, His
angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and Divine Decree; and
our submission (external action) entails five matters: testifying to
believing in Allah, praying the five daily prayers, giving the required
charity, fasting in Ramadan, and going to Hajj at least once in a
lifetime (for those who are able).
Of course, it's not incorrect to teach beyond these basics, but extra
lessons are not appropriate in classes that purport to teach Islam
itself, especially to new Muslims or to students who imagine they are
learning something fundamental.
Though it is undeniable that non-foundational matters can give us a
deeper understanding of Islam, it's important to remember that they
cannot define Islam. To many of us, this might seem like a small
point. But for many struggling Muslims and near-apostates, understanding
this is the difference between remaining Muslim and letting go.
Submit to God or the Shaykh?
I remember years ago when I myself was struggling to understand
certain “Islamic” opinions. I was so stressed that it negatively
affected my īmān (faith). At the time, Islam felt so confusing
and overwhelming that I honestly thought I couldn't go on. And what made
this feeling so terrifying was that I really wanted to hold on, but I just could no longer bear the never-ending list of ḥarām (prohibited matters).
Almost everywhere I looked, no matter what group, shaykh, or school
of thought Muslims claimed to follow, their practice of Islam
essentially boiled down to following “rulings” from a favored imam,
scholar, or shaykh—not clear teachings from the Qur'an and Sunnah
itself.
And this confounded me.
…Until I realized that my shahadah (testimony of faith) had only two parts—and these “rulings” were neither.
'Muslims Can't Do Anything, Why Be Muslim?'
When I think back to my own struggles before finally understanding
the difference between what Allah requires of me and what many Muslims claim
Allah requires of me, I honestly understand how someone might believe
that Muslims can do nothing. No, it's certainly not true. But it's
understandable how someone could believe that.
So to avoid unnecessary confusion, it's best to define Islam from only two sources—Allah and His Messenger.
After this, if someone wants to join a favored group, follow a
specific shaykh, or adhere to a certain school of thought, they are
certainly free to do so.
But let's call this choice what it is—and it's not “Islam.”
Umm Zakiyyah is the internationally acclaimed author of the If I Should Speak trilogy and the novels Realities of Submission and Hearts We Lost. She is now writing juvenile fiction stories under the name Ruby Moore. To learn more about the author, visit themuslimauthor.com or join her Facebook page.
Police Refuse To Arrest Saudi Prince For Beating and Raping Women in Beverly Hills Mansion for Days
September 29, 2015 11:22 pm·
Los Angeles, CA — Arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment,
sexual assault and battery, a Saudi prince has also recently been
accused of attacking at least three women and holding them captive for
several days. Immediately upon posting bail, the prince reportedly
emptied his $37 million mansion and fled the country on a private jet to
avoid civil litigation and criminal charges.
Police officers arrested Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud at his Beverly Glen
mansion on Wednesday after his neighbors reported seeing a woman covered
in blood screaming for help while attempting to climb over the 8ft wall
surrounding the prince’s property. According to Officer Drake Madison, Al-Saud was booked on suspicion of forcing one of his employees to engage in oral sex. The prince was briefly held on suspicion of false imprisonment, sexual assault and battery before posting $300,000 bail on Thursday afternoon.
Al-Saud’s neighbors reportedly saw numerous cars on Thursday emptying
out of the prince’s mansion. One of his neighbors, Eric Stiskin
speculated, “I am sure he has taken off on his private jet by now. I don’t think he even needs a passport to get out of here.”
On Friday, three women filed a civil lawsuit
accusing Al-Saud of inflicting emotional distress, assault and battery,
sexual discrimination, and retaliation against his domestic employees.
The women claim Al-Saud attacked them inside his home for several days
until his arrest on Wednesday. To avoid paying taxes
and fair wages, many affluent residents of Beverly Hills and its
surrounding communities often employ illegal immigrants because they are
less inclined to report any form of abuse. Although the prince is a
royal member of the House of Saud, the U.S. State Department eventually
confirmed that Al-Saud does not have any diplomatic immunity.
After witnesses recorded videos
of a Ferrari and a Porsche running Stop signs and recklessly speeding
through Beverly Hills earlier this month, police arrived at the house of
Sheik Khalid bin Hamad al Thani
of Qatar’s ruling family. According to police, Al Thani denied that he
was driving either car and invoked diplomatic immunity. By the time
detectives discovered that Al Thani did not have any immunity, the sheik
had already fled the country.
Due to the fact that wealthy royal families spend exorbitant amounts of money in Beverly Hills, police are encouraged to take a hands-off approach instead of the aggressive tone set in lower income communities. While imperial
brats break the laws of other countries with impunity, the despotic
House of Saud executes its own populace, including juveniles and people
with mental disabilities, after subjecting them to unfair trials in a corrupt judicial system.
Accused by the U.S. State Department of committing numerous human rights abuses every year, the Saudi royal family is currently preparing to decapitate and crucify
Ali Mohammed al-Nimr for protesting against the repressive regime when
he was 17 years old. Although the U.S. State Department routinely
chastises the Saudi regime for committing torture, barbaric executions, and other human rights violations,
the blatant hypocrisy of the Department became glaringly apparent when
Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner welcomed the appointment of Saudi Arabia
to a leadership position on a U.N. Human Rights panel.
“We would welcome it,” stated Toner. “We’re close allies.
”(Article by Andrew Emett; from The Free Thought Project http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/09/us-lets-saudi-prince-to-flee-country/#
(Muslim)
