Quote of the Month
Article: Correcting Our Intentions
Article: Anger Management According to Qur'an and Sunnah
News: Latino Muslims (reprinted and translated from La Prensa
Featured Guest Author: Brother Edward Bolles

"Americans cannot, without a strong sense of hypocrisy, praise the principles of Holocaust remembrance on the one hand, and turn a blind eye to the daily atrocities committed by Israel on the other," said Andy Amid, a founding member of the Islamic Council of Ohio. (CAIR statement)



Article: Correcting Our Intentions
By Imam Ibrahim Negm

On the authority of the commander of the faithful Omar Ibn Al-Khattab who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, verily, actions are by the intentions behind them, and for every person is what he intended. The one whose hijra was to Allah and His Messenger, then his hijra was for Allah and His Messenger. And the one whose hijra was to achieve worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his hijra was for what he made his hijra for.” (Agreed Upon)

This hadith is one of the foundations of religion. It discusses a very important aspect in the life of individuals and society at large. Imam Bukhari started his collection of Sahih with this hadith and gave it the place of an opening remarks, thus indicating that every action that is done not desiring the pleasure of Allah SWT is invalid bearing no faith in this world and in the hereafter. It is related that imam Shafie said about this hadith its comprises a third of all knowledge.

Abu Dawood said, “ I looked into the hadith of the Musnad of Imam Ahmad and it consisted of 40,000 ahadeeth. I looked again and I surveyed all the ahadith and I arrived at the conclusion that the 40,000 ahadith revolved around 4 ahadith. 1.

The hadith of Nu’maan bin Bashir, “The halaal is clear and the haraam is clear.” 2. The hadith of Omar, “Verily actions are by intentions.” 3. The hadith of Abu Hurayrah, “Verily Allah is pure, and does not accept except that which is pure. And indeed Allah ordered the Muslims with that which He ordered the Messengers.”

4. The hadith from the excellence of a person’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him. This hadith of Amirul Muminin Omar mainly talks about intention (Niyyah) and correcting one’s intentions. But what is Niyyah. In Arabic language Niyyah means a purpose (qasd) and desire (iraada). In Islamic books it is explained in two contexts:

1. To distinguish different types of worship, one from the other. Like distinguishing Dhuhr prayer from Asr prayer, or distinguishing the fast of Ramadan from the voluntary fast, or distinguishing actions of worship from actions of habit, like distinguishing the Islamic way of bathing (ghusul) from the bath simply to get clean. That meaning of Niyyah is commonly found in the books of fiqh.

2. The second meaning of Niyyah is to distinguish whether the intended action is it for Allah, for Allah and some other object, or for neither. And this is the meaning of intention you will find in the books of Akhlaq, sululuk and raqaiq and this is the meaning of this hadith that we are going to reflect upon.

This hadith is though a simple one but yet is a decisive rule. Actions are related to intention, which means if the intention is true, the action if true, but if the intention is corrupt, then the action is likewise corrupt.

Human beings perform several actions, but it is the intention alone that makes his action either constructive or destructive. Rasullah said, “Truly, on the Day of Judgment people will be resurrected according to their intentions.”

Man for example, spends out of his wealth. This may be sadaqa affered for the sake of Allah SWT. He never reproaches, never hurts the feelings of others and never shows off. Consequently, his sole becomes purified and elevated and Allah SWT will reward him for his doing.

On the other hand, charity can also be for fame and boasting. In this case, this man injures his own soul and also hurts the whole society by promoting resentment and greed. The first is an offering that purifies the soul and brings honor into life while the second corrupts the souls and lays the foundations of hatred and the distinction between the two offerings is the Intention.

Man struggles in this life. If this struggle is for the sake of Allah SWT desiring only his pleasures and seeking to implement what Allah SWT and His Rasul told and stay away from the prohibitions, not infringing upon the limits (hadd) of Allah SWT, not humiliating others etc. His struggle is a blessed one in either way. If he were killed during his struggle, he would be a martyr and if he were saved, he would lead an honorable life.

But the one who struggles for the hope of gaining popularity and fame, or to gain power and authority over others or spread corruption on earth, his endeavor is futile and wasted. The first is devoted Mujahid who improves life while the second is a hypocrite and the distinction between the tow is the intention.

The Messenger of Allah was questioned about the man who fights out of courage, the man who fights out of chauvinism and the man who fights to be seen. Which would be for the sake of Allah SWT. Rasullah SAW said, “Only the one who fights so that the word of Allah SWT may be dominant is for the sake of Allah.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Man seeks knowledge (Ilm). He dedicates his own self, his time, his energy and his money in this cause. If he does all of that seeking the pleasure of Allah SWT and hoping for the guidance of others, he is one of the successful ones. But if he does it for the fame and reputation or just to pursue worldly interests, he will ultimately be among the losers.

“The first people who will be judged on the Day of Judgment will be a man who has died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. (Allah) will say: And what did you do with them? He will say, I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say, you have lied. You did but fight so that it might be said (of you): he is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

(Next) will be a man who has studied (religious) knowledge and has taught it and was used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His Favors and he will recognize them. (Allah) will say: And what did you do with them? He will say: I studied (religious) knowledge and taught it and recited the Quran for your sake. He will say: You have lied. You did but study (religious) knowledge so that it might be said (of you): He is learned. And you recited the Quran so that it might be said (of you): He is reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

(Then) will come a man who Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him his favors and he will recognize them. (Allah) will say: And what did you do with them? He will say: I have left on way in which You like money to be spent without spending for Your sake. He will say: you have lied. You did but so that it might be said (of you): He is generous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged on his face until he is cast into hell-fire.”(Muslim)

Brothers and sisters, it is important to remember that a sincere intention for the sake of Allah SWT, transforms any act into an act of ibada. Thus a good word is an act of charity, a sincere smile is an act of charity and having marital relations with ones spouse is an act of charity, spending out for the sake of Allah SWT is also an act of charity if the intention is present. It is reported that the Rasullah SAW said, “ A Muslim who plants a seed or a cultivates a field from which a man, a bird or a beast eats, is regarded for him as an act of charity.”

However, if the intention is bad, it renders any act as valueless and weightless. Rasullah SAW talks about such people who stand up all the night in prayer but gain only from their efforts sleeplessness and who fast but gain nothing out of their fast hunger and thirst. It is a serious matter. We have to be attractive and aware of it. May Allah SWT correct out intentions and make every endevor pure and decoted to seeking his pleasure, Amin.

Article: Anger Management According to Qur'an and Sunnah
By Samantha Sanchez Negm

This is the most important rule of behavior for a Muslim. In Surah Al-Imran 3:134, we learn that, “…those who control their anger and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loves those who do good.”

The Prophet (sallahu alaihi wa salam) is noted by Bukhari in his Sahih as saying: “Don’t be angry.” And he repeated this several times.

There is a harm in anger or being angry. It is a trap from Shaitan. Abu Dawud in his Sunan noted that the Prophet (saws) stated: “Anger comes from the Shaitan. The Shaitan was created from fire and fire is extinguished only with water. So when one of you becomes angry, he should perform wudu.”

We should think first, and not lose control. It is very easy for us to let go of our tempers and blow into a rage. However, we should try to remain as calm as possible. The Prophet (saws) advises us: “When one of you is angry while standing, let him sit down and if his anger goes away that is good; otherwise let him lie down.” (Abu Dawud)

How silly it would be to be lying down whilst screaming at the top of your lungs. It is quite an effective technique. We can also remember the advice of our contemporary advisors in anger management, who tell us, that before speaking when angry, count to ten and you will notice that you are more clear-headed and not speaking off the cuff.

A strong person controls his/her anger. The Prophet (saws) stated: “Who is strong? He who controls himself when angry.” (Muslim)

It is said that he mentioned anger, saying, “Some are swift to anger and swift to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; some are slow to anger and slow to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; the best of you are those that are slow to anger and swift to cool down and the worst of you are those who are swift to anger and slow to cool down.” He continued, “Beware of anger, for it is a live coal on the heart of the descendant of Adam. Do you not notice the swelling of the veins of his neck and the redness of his eyes? So anyone who experiences anything of that nature, he should lie down and cleave to the earth.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

Allah’s messenger (saws) also said: “No one has swallowed back anything more excellent in the sight of Allah, Who is Great and Glorious, than anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah Most High.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

Bukhari in his Sahih relates to us that the Prophet was present when a man became angry to the point that his jugular vein was swelled. He told this man, I know a word the saying of which relaxes he who says it, “Seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan.”

News: Latino Muslims (Reprinted from La Prensa - CA)

Printed in La Prensa. A Publication of the Press-Enterprise Co. February 2001

Latino Muslims
By Jazmin Ortega

RIVERSIDE- From the eyes of strangers, he who is Muslim is Arab. But in the Inland Empire, as it is in other parts of the country, an increasing number of Latinos are breaking the stereotypes, leaving the religion of Christianity to adopt Islam.

Islam, the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, was founded by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century of the Common Era. The revelations that were given to him to found Islam were given over the course of 22 years in the cities of Mecca and Medina in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Abdulhadi Bazurto, leader of Latin American Muslim Unity, states that Latinos are sometimes disillusioned with Christianity and they search for simplicity which Islam offers.

"Ask a child, and he will tell you that God is one. Period. Ask a theologian how many gods there are and he will have you going in circles," said Bazurto, who is originally from El Salvador and a resident of Fresno.

Some people that consider the feeling of religious community and that it is a faith that provides a more direct and intimate connection with God, are making the change from Mass to mosque.

If you calculate that the Muslim population is 4 million in this country, which is 6 times more than it was in 1970. And that is only a fraction of the millions worldwide.
And in the United States, it is difficult to calculate exactly how many Muslims are of Latino origin.

"The problem is that it is difficult to identify the Latinos that convert to Islam because physically speaking they might appear to be Arabs. The American Muslim Council of Washington DC, however, has calculated that there are approximately 25,000 Latino Muslims in the United States.

The largest communities are found in southern California, New York and Chicago, areas in which traditionally there are the largest number of Latinos. In these places, some mosques have been established.

But the majority, Latino women who are married to Muslim men, make up part of the mosque housing Arabs, African Americans, and Caucasians.

"The Latin American is living with a huge identity crisis, he does not know if he is European and he feels embarrassed to be Indian," says Bazurto. "There is this problem, 'Who are we?' We seem neither one nor the other and we are looking for a natural alternative," he stated.

For Fatima Atoura, or Mireya Aceves of Ontario, conversion was not the consequence of a question of identity, but one of belief.
When she knew that after she would convert into her husband, she did not completely believe in Catholicism. But the intense interchange of questions about divine origin little by little led her to Islam.

"A Muslim man can marry anyone that he wants," said Imad Atoura, Fatima's husband. Atoura, originally from Syria, affirmed that his wife was not obligated to adopt his religion. It was not until after she was expecting their second child that she decided to convert.

Others, like Ali Medina of Pomona, encountered Islam at a low pint in their lives.

"Before I had no direction in my life, I was ruining my life, and I had left school in the eleventh grade," said Medina. "I was hanging in the streets taking drugs and drinking alcohol. I had dreams, but they seemed very far off."
In the middle of his confusion, a friend presented him with a copy of the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam and he decided to change his life.

Jose Gomez, Medina's friend, is a 22-year-old Salvadoran who converted to Islam in January of 1999.
"I began studying other religions and I met a Mexican Muslim where I work," said Gomez, who is known at the mosque by the name Yusuf, the Arabic version of José. "I had the same stereotypes that Muslims were Arabs and I began to laugh that there could be a Mexican Muslim and I thought it was a joke."

In the beginning it was difficult for his family to understand his new beliefs. "My mother thought I had joined a cult," said Gomez, "because she didn't know what I was."
But Latino Muslims point out the existence of similarities in values and customs. "Many of our customs were truly Muslim: this respect we have for the mother and the concept of the woman as a mother are not European, they are Muslim," said Bazurto. "Many times Latino women like Muslim men because they don't drink, they cannot be womanizers, and are homebodies and religious."

For those who have never visited a mosque the experience borders on the exotic. The women and men pray in separate areas and remove their shoes before entering. The women cover their heads and dress modestly. The congregation responds to the call to prayer, which is in Arabic, kneeling on a carpeted floor.

Fatima Atoura at first want to leave the place because she felt like the only Latina in the mosque, but she said little by little she has more company as the number has grown in the last few years.

Featured Guest Author: Brother Edward Bolles Una breve historia del Islam
Religion por Conquista

Todos los religiones mayores del mundo se han crecido no por evangelizacion pero por conquista. Los paises pertenecen a un religion por causa de su historia. Hasta donde los Musulmanes han conquistado, hasta alla existe Islam en dominacion. El unico lugar que obviamente se ha convertido por su propio querer es Indonesia.

Dominio de los Religiones en este mundo

Incluido hay una mapa de religiones. Aqui se lee que los religiones dominan en parallelo con los esfuerzas de conquista. Los Catolicos existen en las tierras que han conquistado como Mexico y las Americas. Los Cristianos existen donde ellos conquistaron como Europa y Estados Unidos. Los Musulmanes existen en las lugares donde conquistaron como Africa, Arabia, y Asia.

Una breve Historia de las Conquistas Musulman

Islam crecio con rapidez increible de un pueblo hasta un imperio mundial en solo 30 anos. Este conquista para Islam empezo con Omar. Despues de Mohammed, PBBUH, y Abu Bakr, Omar fue el comandante de los fieles. Su reino dio el transformacion del estado de Islam desde un pueblo hasta un poder mundial. Durante su reino 634-644 DC, conquistaron a Syria, Palestina, Egypto, Mesopotamia, y Iran. Omar construyo la estructura para el imperio Musulman por venir.
Despues tomo control la familia Umayyad. Este familia fue el primero de dos dinastias del gran imperio Musulman en el Mediterraneo. Abu Sufyan pertenecia a este familia Umayyad. En ano 660 este clan tomaron control del imperio Musulman. El base de poder del imperio Umayyad fue en Syria, y su capital fue Damascus. Se pusieron a extender los conquistas a todo norte de Africa hasta Moroco, y a todo Sur de Europa hasta Espana.

Como convirtieron a la gente conquistada

La gente conquistada fue exhortada a convertir a Islam. Los convertidos fueron perdonados el impuesto y otras deberes al Imperio, mientras los Cristianos y los Judios aguantaron lo mas fuerte de la ley. De esta manera habia gran exito en convertir gente a Islam.

Pregunta para hoy

Ahora hemos visto que el poder Catolico ha conquistado la gente indigena de Mexico y todos los paises de las Americas Central y Sur. Como vamos a liberar la gente de este conquista? Sera que la gente pueden liberar a ellos mismos de el poder politica, militar, economica, y religiosa de los Catolicos? O sera que tienen que ser liberados por una ayuda desde afuera? Como es nuestra plan de convertir la gente a Islam? Porque es diferente nuestros metodos a los de la Sahaba?
Como mejor podemos traer la gente indigena a Islam? March's newsletter features:

Quote of the Month
Article: Masjid as Center of Community
Article: Identity of a Muslim Woman and Maintaining It
News: Latinos Perform Hajj
News: Status of Muslims in Dominican Republic Updated!
Featured Guest Author: Ibrahim Gonzalez

"Like many other ethnic people, We Latinos are a broad spectrum of colors and beliefs, from Jews and Muslims to Catholics and Santeros. We live in democracies as well as communist countries. We speak Spanish, English, and many other dialects. But most of all we are a proud people, a people of substance and of strong views. We are a passionate people-We are Latinos." (JL Cruz on Latino.com)

Masjid as a Center for Community, as a Nucleus of the Muslim Society
Samantha Sanchez Negm
© 2001

Beyond establishing prayer, the function of the mosque is to provide for the needs of the community. Islamic cities were built with this purpose in mind, just look throughout North Africa and Europe. The mosque was at the center surrounded by the market and residence areas. Thus making the mosque of central importance in all aspects: socially, academically, politically, militarily, culturally, and so on. The community mosque, despite limited space in some communities, should provide a number of services for the community beyond those which naturally occur - daily prayers and weekly congregational prayers (jumah).

Religious and Secular Classes. The mosque of antiquity’s role was to provide a center of learning for the community. So much so, that in Islamic Spain, Europeans traveled to the mosques of Granada to be trained academically in philosophy, medicine, and many other subjects. Moreover, mosques existed with the purpose of providing religious training in terms of laws (shariah), jurisprudence (fiqh), and other subjects. Although most mosques today provide Sunday and Friday schools for children to be taught Islam, many lack a strong adult education mission. To fulfill this role, mosques today should provide religious and related courses, such as, but not limited to, Arabic, Islam for Beginners, Halaqas, Fiqh, Hadith, Shariah, Tafsir, and Dawah Training. These courses would enable the community to become educated in the scholarly discourses of Islam all the while teaching the proper behavior of a Muslim and allowing for better conduct as a community.

In addition, classes of a secular nature should be taught by members of the community who have skill so that such skills can be shared in an effort to make the Muslim community the most educated in all areas. Such classes can be in computer training, calligraphy, and other types of workshops that would provide beneficial skills for the ummah.

Social Functions. The masjid should be the social center of the community and as such should provide halal activities monthly if not weekly with the sole intention of fostering communitas – a brotherly (or sisterly) feeling amongst its members. Such social gatherings can include lectures on Islamic or appropriate secular issues, Islamic theatrical and/or musical performances such as nasheeds , dinners, fundraisers, etc…

Marriage, Birth and Death Services. Of course many masajid offer the following services but how many teach the fiqh of such services? Masajid must offer marriage, birth and death services (nikah, aqiqa, and janaza), but in addition, classes or lectures should be given on the proper fiqh where attending and performing a janaza, pre-marriage counseling issues, and the rituals upon the birth of the baby, can be learned and discussed. Too many people are not familiar with their responsibilities in this respect, or have some ideas that are culturally influenced and need to learn what Islam says in regard to these ceremonies.

Health of the members. As mentioned before, the learning of medicine was of great importance in the golden years of Islam. Scholars, such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna) would teach others the ways to heal and medical care was never in want. The masjid, if possible, should rally the help of doctors in the community to offer free care and advice to members, once a week or once a month. Also, if anyone has knowledge of homeopathic or herbal medicine or if anyone is interested in learning, classes could be offered in this subject as well. Natural healing was important to the Prophet (saws) and books have been written such as Prophetic Medicine, which outline was Prophet (saws) used to heal different ailments.

Foundation of the Family. The masjid should offer several types of family services including marriage counseling, grief counseling, parenting classes, help for victims of domestic violence, and if possible, lawyers in the community could offer free legal advice to members. Thus, when a Muslim family has a problem they will not turn to secular solutions but rather attempt to solve their problems wit the help of Qur’an and Sunnah and other Muslims as guides.

Community Service and Charity. Last, but not least, the masjid should be a forum for active community service. A food drive or establishing a food pantry is a simple but effective way to begin giving back to the community. Islamic communities of yore were known for their generosity and today’s Muslim communities are not, but should be, at the forefront of all charitable and social justice causes. Each month a theme could be announced, i.e. clothes drive, book drive (for masjid library or donation to a local library), helping the elderly, etc… It would also be good for Muslims to be active publicly with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Red Cross/Red Crescent. Sadaqa funds should be established if they are not already. Finally, services even in our local area such as maintenance of the masjid, cleaning and repairing, are all examples of community service. It starts from within. If we cannot take care of our masajid how can we take care of the community at large?

Conclusion. It is time to return to the halcyon days of the Golden Age of Islam, when the masjid was more than a once a week gathering place, or a place to drop off and pick up children for Sunday School. We must become motivated as an ummah to strive for a community in which the mosque is the nucleus of all things, great and small. It is a tragedy that globally, many mosques, even today, have no women on executive boards, no community service projects ongoing, and no services for the community aside from the performance of nikah and janaza. The masjid is a place for all people, male and female, adult and child, Muslim and non-Muslim to feel free to come and benefit from its plethora of educational and social activities. They are for the common good. What type of daii are we if we do not invite non-Muslims to our activities, and what type of community are we if we do not care about the whole person and not just the spiritual part. Islam is not a religion, it is a way of life. But recent generations have treated it like the former rather than the latter. The excuse so generally made is that there is limited space in our local masajid and we cannot have so many activities. The Prophet (saws) carried out all these activities and more in the first mosque he built in Madina which as we all know was not half as large as some of the mosques we have today. Remember what Allah has said in the Qur’an:

“The mosques of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in God , the Last Day, establish regular prayers and practice regular charity and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance. (9:18)”

Identity of a Muslim Woman and Maintaining it
Samantha Sanchez Negm © 2001

A Muslim is someone who submits his/herself to Allah (God). A person who believes that there is only one God and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Prophet. Who believes in the Day of the Judgment, the Books, the Angels...

But what is a Muslim woman... something far beyond this definition. A Muslim woman is unique in that she wears her Islam on her sleeve or her head and not just in her heart. Why? Well we can debate all day from both standpoints the feminist and the REALIST about whether or not it is an infringement of her rights, or a blame on her sexuality. We might also say we wear it because we are modest and we fear God who states in the scripture that it is required of us. In verses 24:31 and 33:59 of the Qur’an women are instructed to cover and are given several reasons for this. First, to guard their modesty (as a protection for themselves), second not to display their ornaments (not to objectify themselves), and third so they be recognized and not molested.

The truth remains when a woman wears her Islam on her head or her sleeve, I identify her as Muslim, and if she doesn't cover, she becomes as obscure as the men (sort of blends in to the crowd). How many of us are not sure unless we know that she is Muslim, whether or not we should say salaam. It is an honor, a right, a privilege and a liberation to be a Muslim woman and be seen as just that. We all know that people regardless of the phrase, judge a book by its cover. Certainly this has drawbacks. But that all depends on what the person judging believes it symbolizes. Oppression or liberation?

I assure you my Muslim sisters and I are not oppressed. Muslim women are the most "progressive", educated, intelligent, active, happy, spiritually centered people I know. No this doesn't come from covering the head. But covering the head doesn't hinder any of these qualities either.

I always think of the Muslim Woman this way:
Mothers (of the)
Ummah (muslim community)
Sisters
Living
In
Modesty

Working
On
Making
A
Nation

Does this sound to you like an oppressed individual? The ignorant outsider sees Muslim women as a piece of history in the here and now, her backward ways, her cultural preoccupations. But if we look at examples of women even in the beginning of Islam we can be sure that even then they were not oppressed.
Khadijah
Aisha
Sumaiyah
May Allah be pleased with them. These are just some of the women in Islamic history who epitomize what it is to be a Muslim woman. Strong, intelligent, independent women who are willing to believe and have faith, to fight for a cause despite the consequences, and to ensure that Islam lives on.

We are rebels with a cause. The cause is Islam. Why does Turkey fear women’s covering? Will they be too strong?

Being a woman in the world means having to decide whether you should be judged by your looks and charms or by your intelligence. Women often sway at the border between a subject and an object. The Western world talks about feminism and a woman's right to choose what to wear what job to have etc.. But this type of feminism leads women to either strive to be something they are not...i.e. MEN...or it tells them that the only way they can get respect or attention is to become an object. TRUE FEMINISM says yes a woman has the right to choose what to wear. The right choice, however, should be that which frees her to be seen for her mind and not her body as a subject to be respected and not an object to be projected.

The Muslim woman can be or do anything she wants. Despite misconceptions about how they do not have a voice and cannot be leaders, Muslim women have and will lead nations as prime ministers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and last but certainly not least, mothers. She has rights given to her 1400 years ago that other women only gained in the last century.

Now that we know the true identity of the Muslim woman, how can we maintain it? First, regardless of your level of faith at present, you should remember that comporting yourself as a Muslim woman means dressing modestly but it also means not being complacent in speech. This does NOT mean that women should not talk it means they should not flirt. If you have something to say, say it, like you mean business, especially when talking to the opposite sex.

Second, the issues of other Muslim women should tug at your heartstrings. By involving yourself in the cause of other fellow sisters, we empower ourselves and maintain the identity that throughout history Muslim women have always had...as defenders of the faith, loyal to the ummah.

Third, we should become as educated as possible not only in the secular but in the sacred. What good is hijab if you don't know what it stands for. I urge all of you to strive to the top of your given field, become lawyers, doctors, professor, engineers, etc. Look to Khadijah (ra) a successful businesswoman.. But also, become scholars of Islam. Part of being a Muslim woman is being able to impart your knowledge of Islam to others. Look to Aisha and Hafsah (ra) the women who narrated so many ahadith (sayings of the Prophet) and guarded the Qur'an so that our generation could have the unchanged truth.

These women are known as the Mothers of the Believers, respected and held in high regard

Fourth, we have rights and responsibilities and part of maintaining our identity is exercising those rights and fulfilling those responsibilities. We have a duty to our families. One day all of you will be married and have families of your own. Remember my acronym. Muslim woman are the mothers of the future Muslim community and the makers of a nation. There is a saying, “the first university is the mother’s lap.” We should be educated not only for ourselves but as part of our duty to our children. We would not want to place the burden on them of drifting along wandering to find what is Islam is. We should be the best resources for them.

Fifth, maintaining a Muslim woman’s identity in the western world, even in Muslim countries (i.e. Turkey, Kosovo) can be a daunting task. There is a famous quote, "Ignorance is bliss." I suppose it rings true for those who are ignorant. They can be happy with their present situations. It is quite a task here and in so-called Muslim countries to separate fact from fiction. Many authors who claim to be Muslim tell us that what I have defined as the Muslim identity is antiquated and needs to be revised. They believe that they are doing us a favor but it is a disservice. The first step to maintaining a Muslim woman’s identity is to know what it really means and what it does not. It does not mean that in order to be a Muslim woman in the present time I have to alter the meaning of the scripture to suit my needs. Fatima Mernissi and others want us to do that. This is a destruction of the true Muslim woman’s identity. If I comply with their wishes and reinterpret as they call it, the scriptures of God then I am no longer a Muslim. How can I tell God what He means in a verse if I am supposed to be submitting to Him? Certainly there are opinions in Islam. Scholars have debated many things. But when there are interpretations that are agreed upon based on evidence, how can I oppose them. Perhaps if these women studied as much Islam as they did secular works, they would not have this misinterpretation.

In closing, being a Muslim woman is not always easy. But the easy path is not always right one and the right path is sometimes the one with obstacles. People may stare, tell you how backward you are, claim that you are oppressed. Remember, ignorance is bliss, then, enlighten them. Exude the confidence, the grace, and the intelligence, that the true Muslim woman possesses.

Latinos Perform Hajj
from WebIslam (for more accounts by Latino Muslims, visit their link at left.)

Millions of pilgrims from all over the world filled the streets of Mecca for the Hajj this year. They have arrived coming from the four cardinal points, of very diverse latitudes and here they are living the great trip, before death, doing a review of their life, with astonishment to be in the middle of a heterogenous multitude, suspended in a time without time, immovable in their faith. They come from each one of the Islamic countries, but also from Holland and France, the United States and South Africa, Bolivia and Japan. And of Spain. From Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid and Seville, Ciudad Real or Valencia. They stay a minimum of two weeks in this city, Mecca, visiting the sacred enclosure of the Kaaba and the mosque that surrounds it, contemplating the immense desert before whose vastness the prophet of the Islam Muhammad, once lived. Two to three million people have come to this blessed city to fulfill his commitment and give testimony of his word.

Status of our Dominican Brothers and Sisters

Recently, LADO received a message from our brothers and sisters in Dominican Republic telling us of the great news that their mosque is almost finished being built. Brother Thafer Hanini stated, "The masjid that is listed on the web site is not yet completed. It is outside Santo Domingo in a village called Los Llenos. But here in Santo Domingo, with the help of Allah and some generous brothers we have collected enough to buy a masjid. We are now in the process of collecting to have it repaired and at the same time looking for a full time imam. Masjid Islam, the masjid that was closed, was based in a rented premises. The land lady had to sell the place so we moved out. But Alhamdulilah now we have our own Masjid right here in The Capital and we don't have to worry about moving out again." If you would like to support their efforts and help build a mosque of Allah, or if you know anyone who would be suitable as an imam, please visit the link at left for Circulo Islamico or contact LADO.

Inner Rumblings: Glimpses of Nuyoricaness
© Ibrahim González

Writer, musician and poet, Ibrahim González has been a Muslim for 27 years. In the following essay, he takes us back to El Barrio in the 1970s where he began his journey to Islam.

The rumblings of the subway trains would shake the foundations of every building along Lexington Avenue. The number 4, 5 and 6 lines made their way though the tunnel, the steel reinforced frames of the projects acted as resonators for the mechanically induced vibrations. Sometimes the #6 local lumbered past at about 40mph, mini tremor, and at times the 4 or 5 express could be heard with its high pitched wail speeding from a distance, rushing by at about 60mph, the apartment quivers.

Sometimes two trains pass at the same time, the floor shifts, the noise is compounded. A peripheral sense was developing within me, I was almost able to tell how many trains were running either uptown or downtown, express or local track or at the same time; I could almost predict the next rumbling. The constant flow of rambunctious possibilities were ever present. Then there was an occasional diesel train running at night, perhaps transporting train and rail equipment, and the thick oily fumes would rise right up through the grating on the pavement and would blow into our second floor window; that’s how we could tell, a diesel train was comin' through.

One winter night, however, the trains seemed to have been running slower, a bit behind schedule. There were unusually long intervals of time between train tremors. Mama was cooking dinner, Mom had just gotten home from her errands and was catching up with her on the days events on the home front, my three younger brothers and I were kick boxing all over the house, imitating the week’s TV episode of The Green Hornet--Bruce Lee was the real star of that show.

Mom and Mama suddenly stop conversing and stepped over to the kitchen window and were looking out in astonishment. Dozens of police cars with flashing red and white lights filled the avenue and the nearby cross streets and seemed to be converging on our block from every possible direction. My brothers and I made it to the living room window to catch a glimpse of the spectacular light show brought to our neighborhood, courtesy of the NYPD. At first, we thought there must be some type of big fire in the neighborhood, arson was becoming increasingly common place, but we didn’t see any fire trucks, didn’t smell smoke and there were no flames to be seen. We only heard the faint chant of voices approaching from up the avenue. As the sound of the voices grew louder, we opened the windows to get a better look.

It looked like a parade, except, the picture was not festive. No maracas waving in the air by rumberos in ruffled sleeve shirts, no banana hats or frilly dresses worn by the women either. No conga music. In fact, the expression in the voices and on the faces of the crowd was that of rage. These people were definitely not out in the bitter cold having a party.

There were hundreds of people marching down the street about eight to ten abreast and as the group filed passed our window we could see some carrying signs condemning police brutality, placards bearing the image of a young Puerto Rican male, his name, Julio Roldan, captioned underneath his picture, some bore Puerto Rican Flags; the entire scenario dimly lit by the blue tinted street lamps icily glowing as the movement of warm bodies cut through the sub-freezing air. Many of the marchers wore army field jackets, combat boots and purple berets.

Moved totally by the headlines in the making which we witnessed from our apartment windows, I ran to the closet for my coat and hat and pulled on my winter boots. Quickly reacting to my impulse, Mom stood in front of the door with that, I don’t think so!, look on her face; both of us were on the same wavelength with our gut reactions, she knowing where I was headed, but asking all the same, for reality check purposes, and me, feeling I needed to be present along side the rest of the mass in order to oppose police injustice in our community. Fourteen years old and all of it, my warrior instincts were on overdrive, the urgent message burning in my head, ALL AVAILABLE ABLED BODIED PR’S TAKE TO THE STREETS!

In what seemed to be a short but intense philosophical life and death issue exchange between Mom and I--Mama look AT us as though we were both out of our minds--she was able to communicate her intuitive apprehensions of my mad dash into a potentially dangerous situation, and in a fire brand response of youthful invincibility, I assured her I’d be careful, and I was out!

I joined in at the tail end of the march, the momentum of the people could carry such indignation all the way to the steps of City Hall. What I thought was going to be a long trudge throughout the city, wound up assembling one block away from home on 111th Street. The police cars kept arriving well after the march had stopped, but no matter how many police arrived they were still outnumbered, their overtime pay, cheapened in comparison to the courageousness of the women and men present that night. Puerto Rican and Blacks in the neighborhood, galvanized around the death of a friend who was found hanged in a prison cell.

Julio Roldan was a young man, not yet reached the prime of life, and now, he lay dead at the Gonzalez Funeral Home, his family grieving before all of us present. Tears rolling down their faces, the sobs and moans of friends and relatives filled the night, no frost could be felt anymore, the pain of loss numbed us to the biting wind. As I stood there, a bulge of swelling in my throat brought tears out of my eyes. The cold air harden them, before I could wipe them, and as they streamed into my mouth I could taste the salt of Caribbean waters.

Innocence for many of us was strangled, or choked, clubbed, beaten, and shot down. The illusions of being a full American Citizen disappeared faster than it took to create them, our story, our Puerto Ricaness, was handed down to us through our families, despite our futile attempts to assimilate. From one end of the country to the other, during the Late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, Asians, Latinos, Blacks, radical Whites were all in a struggle to redefine themselves; a new wave of political, social and spiritual consciousness. Our history was learned pretty much the same way our parents for the most part, learned their trades, on the job.

Through a series of political education, rallies, demonstrations, planning meetings, take over and police riots, we learned about our history and made history ourselves. Youth, time and energy were our main resources, money was not an issue, we got things done on sheer will power, adrenaline and raw nerve. We adamantly opposed the induction of our men and women into the military. The Vietnam War was a brutal attack on the people of that country and we perceived our own nation, Puerto Rico, under siege.

The military always wants the first pick of young, strong men to go forth on the battle field. Realizing that our people's struggle needed us, we refused to be drafted, those of our brothers that did go to Nam, usually came back disoriented and needed time to understand that we here were fighting to put an end to the occupation of South East Asia and bring the boys back home alive. Others came back with a keener perspective on how men of color were sustaining a disproportionate casualty rate in battle.

The United States Congress in 1917 passed the infamous Jones Act, which made all Puerto Ricans US citizens. Despite the lack of participation in the decision making process, thousands of Puerto Rican males were immediately inducted into the armed services and shipped to Europe to serve in World War I. The imposed commonwealth status yielded many advantages to US business and government, augmenting the military with young Puerto Ricans being the most obvious.

Organizations dedicated to the struggle for Puerto Rican liberation were numerous: Movimiento Pro Independencia El Comité, Resistencia Puertorriqueña, Puerto Rican Student Union , The Young Lords, plus the groups on the Island, some militant others reformist and one even participating in colonial politics Partido de Independencia Puertorriqueña.

In October 1971, a well coordinated campaign was launched to the United Nations calling for Puerto Rico be recognized as a colony of the United States. A march from El Barrio, Spanish Harlem, mobilized by numerous community based organizations, a united front was formed and for the first time in our history a massive show of force an estimated twenty-thousand strong, marched peaceably yet animated to the UN. At the crest of the hill on Lexington Avenue and 102nd Street which provides an overlook of East Harlem, one could see the entirety of the avenue completely filled with people for about a mile. The march was endorsed and joined by many other mass movements.

Not too long thereafter, Puerto Rican Nationalist, Carlos Feliciano, defended by activist lawyer Bill Kuntsler, was acquitted of federal charges of bomb possession, in a case which demonstrated police fabrication of evidence and inconsistencies of allegations surrounding the case. It was a major victory, Feliciano represents the old guard of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement , and was a from a young age at the side of one of our nation’s patriarchs, Don Pedro Albizu-Campos, the Nationalist Party leader, who for many years was a political prisoner. It was from Carlos that many of us learned of our political struggle and we also were made aware of the consequences one could face for openly advocating Puerto Rican Independence.

One of the methods the US government employed in obstructing the momentum of political movements was through the judicial system. Many an activist would be under strict surveillance and any opportunity to charge him or her with illegal activity was jumped on. In cases of civil disobedience, judges finding defendants guilty as charged inclined toward meting out maximum sentences. Thousands and in some instances, millions of dollars were spent on both sides in litigation, a war of attrition, in which the government with its unlimited access to tax money could wear down the oppostition.

Pablo Guzman, who served as the Minister of Information for the Young Lords Party, was opposing the draft in the early seventies. He was brought up on federal charges for refusing the draft and endured a long battle in court. Well over a hundred supporters filled the courtroom during trial proceedings and the overflow would stand outside the Federal Court Building on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, advocating the dismissal of charges and iterating the injustice of the Vietnam War as well as expressing adamant opposition to the draft itself.

One of the premises the case was fought on, referred back to the Jones Act of 1917, a unilateral congressional decision which not only monopolized the future of the Island, but also entrapped the colony in a passive complicity with all the United States actions in the Western Hemisphere through the installation of military bases.

The case was decided against Pablo Guzman and he was sentenced to serve in federal prison for two years. One of the effects the sentencing had was the loss of Guzman’s presence within the leadership of the movement, he being an inventive thinker, communicator and charismatic personality. In immediate reaction to the court decision, an emergency demonstration was called in the South Bronx on a Saturday afternoon. Many members of the community were present and marched throughout the neighborhood. The march, started off peaceful, though very militant. As the demonstration rounded one of the main streets, two young men threw Molotov cocktails through the window of a bank which was reputed to fund the Vietnam War.

This act of sabotage unleashed a barrage of police gunfire. A skirmish between the crowd and the police broke out, there was mass confusion on all sides, as the crowd scattered, garbage cans were thrown into the street in order to impede squad cars. Many sought refuge in bodegas and buildings, other groups kept on foot drawing police action away from local residents. Several arrests were made and though lighting up one of the institutions which bankrolled the war was symbolic retribution, in retrospect, the action was severely criticized by many as a grave error which endangered the lives of our people. Such were among the myriad lessons sorely learned despite our fervor.

There was a new found pride in being who we are, Boricua, a people who evolved from three distinct racial backgrounds, Taino, African and Spanish. Some button companies recognized the financial potential in riding the crest of this new found identity and printed Proud to be Puerto Rican buttons by the thousands. There also cropped up a couple of publications which capitalized on the strong sense of culture and printed exploitative articles and images, denigrating the image of our women and men, and reducing the sum total of our nationhood to a party culture hyper-indulging appetites for night club partying and sexual promiscuity.

We knew racism existed in our own culture through the blatant distinctions which some of our people made based on skin color, hair texture and custom, and we set out to expose it for what it is; a way of keeping us divided as a people. Racism is a decadent byproduct of exploitative corporate, government al and industrial complexes. So long as people are divided along racial lines, their collective power is minimized and contained.

As our potential was being realized, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was developing its COINTEL Program, designed to infiltrate and neutralize activists, political movements and organizations within our communities. Millions of tax dollars were diverted into this effort. Counterfeit newsletters were printed, causing confusion, dissension and rivalry among between organizations and within organizations. Informants were paid to gather information, agent provocateurs caused violent infighting and peoples homes were being raided, resulting in ransacked apartments, physical injury and in some cases assassination.

In the Spring of 1973, a People’s Assembly--Asamblea del Pueblo, was organized in the grand hall of the famed Hunts Point Music Palace. The Young Lords Party was in transition, with a vision toward a broader political struggle which needed to be linked to the labor force of the United States, a Puerto Rican Revolutionary Worker’s Organization. The community at large was present.

On the walls of the hall were larger than life portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Tse Tung. One man in the audience remarked on the absence of portraits of Puerto Rican national heroes. Many who attended perceived that the ideology of the leadership was removed from the heartfelt sentiments of the community and that many would not make it through this particular transition designed by ideologues of the organization.

Even though the vision presented was direct, logical and scientific in its dialectic, the audience was lost. Adherence to a Stalinist interpretation of socialism, elitist posturing on the part of the leadership, and the dismantling of the organization’s mass contingencies, alienated many and created a wide gulf of division between the central committee and the community. The gut level connection to the everyday folk was deteriorating quickly.

A young man from the audience, who identified himself as Abdullahi, detecting the upshot of the conference as being one in which people would walk away disillusioned, spoke in a timely manner. He referred to a state of being in the hearts of our people and humanity in general, consciencia. The theme of consciencia reoccurred throughout his commentary, that no matter what the situation might be with those in power over us, or the position our leadership takes on issues, we all have our individual consciencia. That our consciencia will always lead us in the correct direction, despite dogma.

His reflections and comments were apparently very well thought out, and although his outpourings were not warmly received by the meeting’s steering committee--who were growing a bit impatient with the young man’s musings--the words resonated in the breasts of the audience. There was a transcendent spirituality which this Puerto Rican born Muslim reminded his people of.

In some ways, this assembly marked the end of the movement as many of us had known it. But from it, came another challenge, one which launched many of us onto a broader search of purpose and struggle. The force which brought us together to begin with, is the very same force with which the veterans of the movement carry on with. The entrapment of having to earn a wage, and pay: taxes, housing, clothing, food, medical bills, insurance, child daycare tuition, carfare, parking tickets and other hidden expenses, all of this has a way of occupying one’s life as a responsible adult. For the vast majority of us, subtler expressions of activism have been adapted toward social change.

The causes for which we fought, had a profound impact on all of our lives, these were the formative years of a radical collective consciousness which opened up many paths for us as a people to forge ahead in the broader scheme of the human condition. This is part of the story which made us who we now are and have lead us to redefine our purposes in life. Consciencia, the inner sense of correctness uprightness and human decency, remains as a legacy which no oppressive operative of any dimension, could ever dominate. In every way, the struggle continues...

Some months had passed since the People’s Assembly, and for the vast majority of us ex-Young Lords, life was not the same as we had known it during the height of the movement in the late sixties and early seventies. The poetic spontaneity of the day to day organizing no longer brought us all together in the same way. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had launched its COINTEL Program, designed to neutralize politically progressive organizations in the United States. The undertow of deceptive tactics employed by this agency, went a long way in undermining unity among and within once tightly knit activists groups, creating an atmosphere of schisms, paranoia and suspicion.

Some coordinated actions were taken against certain individuals who spoke out on what they were perceiving to be a very dangerous situation developing. Apartments were broken into and people were beaten within their won homes, literature, personal files and phone books stolen and property damaged. These were definite terror tactics and people were afraid for their lives.

At the same time, more drugs were infiltrating our communities. It became much easier to find drugs in the city, than to find a job. Many of the people in the movement may have experimented with various consciousness altering drugs in the beginning as a sort of mind expanding experience, but by 1973, alcohol, heroine and cocaine were claiming more and more lives than the so called soft drugs. A haze had settled upon the once clear vision of cultural awareness and liberation struggle.

Enters the disco age...

Mindless lyrics, words focusing on body parts and the way they shake. Platform shoes that raise the wearer to a dizzying nose bleed height, slacks so tight they looked painted onto the legs and the dorkiest hairstyles sported since the crew cut. the Blow dry generation was hatched, the focus was on exterior appearance and not content. The clubs mushroomed all over, disc jockeys were the new pied pipers, blasting the pumped rhythm to deafening decibels, you could spend and entire evening at a club and not hear a single conversation, disco music ruled the air, nothing else was heard. Drenched to the bone in sweat and saturated by the senses, the disco generation danced its way right through the death of all that was fought for tooth and nail, totally oblivious to what it all meant. Communication was no lounger fashionable.

A profound sense of alienation gripped those of us who weren’t carried off in the tidal wave of vinyl madness. We kept searching, nevertheless. Some of my close friends were attending Five Percenter meetings at the House of Allah in Harlem. They memorized entire verbal formulas based on the English Alphabet and phonetic break down of word into simpler defined components. Reexamining the meaning of words. Divine Mathematics, as it is called, enabled these young brothers to speak in riddles that only they understood, spouting off a philosophies of righteousness, knowledge, wisdom and understanding; an ad hoc mixture of Nation of Islam teachings punctuated with some concepts of Freemasonry.

I on the other hand, was not too thrilled with the mind games as I perceived them to be, and opted to go deeper into my pursuit of music, as the comfort and involvement that my adolescent energy so badly sought. I tried keeping an open mind about most things, though I wasn’t happy about some of my compañeros joining the US military after all we had been through. Seeing former leaders of the movement selling out and joining sides with Wall Street was pretty disgusting. A Hollywood movie was made in which Puerto Rockiness were portrayed as the scum of the Earth, a one time radical played himself in the movie, and the finale of the film shows him making a deal with organized crime for a gun shipment to Puerto Rico’s revolution, he’s killed in the end, and the movement dies with him...ok?

In my own immature, stubborn and judgmental manner, I refused to kill my inner sense of struggle. The Truth had to be somewhere, though it was not being broadcast on the six o’clock news. I went to synagogues, various churches, yoga centers, temples of eastern religions, though I found each place special and interesting, inspiring and engaging, I didn’t feel a part of any of them. I would just go back home, greet and kiss Mom and Mama, play with my little brothers Ricky Alfred and Ray, then sit down at the table and we all have our rice and beans, yuca and bistec en sebolla. After dinner, go to my baby grand in the living room, practice and play till I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore, go to my room, turn the radio on to talk radio and fall out to the drift of opinionated voices arguing into the night----Nixon...Vietnam...Egypt and Israel....Arabs...oil prices...

The winter of 1973 seemed colder than any I could remember.

The same group of friends who had been dabbling in Five Percenter circles had undergone a n even more impressive transformation. Not only had their appearance change, but also their behavior. They covered their heads with kufis, wore loose fitting shirts out over loose fitting trousers. Their manner of speaking more deliberate, avoiding curse words. Johnny was now Yahya, Ramon became Rahim. Mark-- Abdus Salam. I’d run into all three of them in El Barrio, happy to see them I’d lay my hand out to slap five and say “¿Que pasa?!” , “Salamu Alaikum is what’s hapnen!” they would smartly quip.

They shunned intoxicants, greeted each other with an embrace. Confessing to me that their Five Percenter excursion was a phase, that they had now found the Real Thing, I was invited to attend a gathering at a Mosque in Brooklyn. Seeing for myself that atmosphere which they created within their own homes, with books on their new found faith, prayer rugs in their rooms, incense sweetening the intimate setting, my curiosity was keen but a little skeptical. The invitation was not easily refusable or for that matter avoidable. So on one of the frostiest nights of winter ‘73, my best friend, Yahya and I took the A train from Manhattan into Brooklyn to Masjid Ya Sin on Herkimer Place on what has been the longest and most fruitful journeys I have undertaken in my entire life.