Swansea Mosque

Opposition grows to EDL's anti-mosque rally in Dudley

Residents are being urged to stay away from Dudley town centre on Easter Sunday, as far right group the English Defence League is set to descend on the town.

The extremist party claims to be bringing around 3,000 supporters on April 4 to protest against the planned £18million mosque.

Council leader, Cllr Anne Millward, said she was angered that the EDL want to come to the "peaceful town", as West Midlands Police confirm there will be a "robust police presence" on the day in case of trouble. She added: "They say they are coming to protest against the planned mosque, but we've had a mosque in Dudley for over 30 years. So what is the point of them coming? We don't want them and for them to come on Easter Sunday, one of the most important days in the Christian calendar, I think is an absolute travesty. I just urge people to stay away."

Cllr Millward has also condemned plans announced by anti-fascist group Unite Against Fascism (UAF) who have confirmed they will be holding a counter-demonstration on the day, with fears that thousands of outsiders could angrily clash in the town centre. Cllr Millward said: "The plans for the anti-fascist group to outnumber the EDL I think is highly irresponsible. This group just need to be completely ignored."

But UAF officials said they are organising the "largest peace protest to counteract" the EDL, whose protest will just be "thuggery and hatred". Martin Lynch, Black Country spokesman for Unite Against Fascism (UAF), said:

"We don't think people who believe in racism and hatred should be allowed to come to Dudley town centre or anywhere else for that matter. At a recent demonstration in Stoke they ran amok smashing property and hurting people. There is no way this is a legitimate protest of any kind. It will just be thuggery and hatred. If this does go ahead we will seek to call the largest peace protest to counteract theirs."

Meanwhile, Jim Warner, spokesman for Dudley's Trade Union Council (TUC) said members had passed a resolution supporting UAF's counterprotest. Mr Warner said: "We are calling on all our local union branches to encourage members to turn out with their union banners for a peaceful protest. We have also put together a unity statement which has been signed by all our trade union branches, community and faith groups supporting this decision and calling for the protest to be abandoned."

Dudley News, 10 March 2010

The BNP Nazi at the heart of the EDL

The man in this picture is Chris Renton. He was photographed on the racist English Defence League (EDL) march on parliament last Friday.

Renton is a well known member of the British National Party (BNP) – and he is also on the leadership team of the EDL. In fact, Renton was one of the group's founders. He runs the EDL's Facebook pages and set up the EDL website and forums.

The BNP and EDL deny any links with each other. But the fact that this BNP Nazi is central to the EDL proves otherwise.

In a radio interview in July 2009, then EDL spokesperson Paul Ray confirmed that Renton was a BNP activist. And Renton is not the only fascist central to the EDL. Davy Cooling, the administrator of the EDL's Luton Facebook site, is also on the BNP membership list. Many other known BNP members were spotted on the EDL's march in London.

This is more proof that the EDL is a dangerous organisation with fascism at its core.

Socialist Worker, 9 March 2010

Islam has failed Douglas Murray

"It is grotesque to argue that Europe has failed its Muslims. It has been made repeatedly obvious that it is Islam that has failed Europe?."

Writing on his Telegraph blog, Douglas ("conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board", "there's a very rational fear in being scared of Islam today and wanting to act against it") Murray provides an entirely objective assessment of his recent debate with Tariq Ramadan.

'The Camberley mosque should be stopped'

Taj Hargey joins the right-wing campaign against the proposal to build a new mosque in Camberley.

Times, 10 March 2010

Update:  See also ENGAGE, 10 March 2010

Stop the EDL in Bolton on 20 March

The racist hooligans of the English Defence League have rescheduled their plans to descend on Bolton for Saturday 20 March. Unite Against Fascism has called a national counter demonstration for all those who want to defend our multiracial society against the EDL's thuggery and violence.

North West UAF has launched a Bolton Unity Statement condemning the EDL and calling on people to support and attend the demonstration against the racists in Bolton on 20 March. Signatories include MPs, trade unionists and campaigners such as Bolton MP Ruth Kelly and Manchester MPs John Leech, Tony Lloyd and Gerald Kaufman (click here to read statement).

The EDL had threatened to come to Bolton on 6 March this year. An EDL spokesperson interviewed in the Lancashire Telegraph refused to rule out violence and confirmed that the openly Nazi thugs from Combat 18 were regulars on EDL demos. But this demo was cancelled when the EDL realised its thugs would go on the rampage against a Hindu festival in Bolton planned that day.

Unite Against Fascism believes the EDL should not be allowed to terrorise ethnic minorities in Bolton or anywhere else. Join our demonstration to show these racists and fascists that they are not welcome in the town. Meet 11am on Saturday 20 March at Victoria Square in Bolton.

For more information see the Manchester UAF website

?UAF press release, 6 March 2010

Now The Zio-Press Target More Muslim Groups: MSF & IFE

It is no surprise that the politically educated Muslim groups are the ones the Zionists hate the most, as they are at the forefron

MPACUK Put Douglas Murray in his Place

MPACUK put Douglas Murray on the spot in the debate entitled "Europe is failing its Muslims" where Douglas Murray and

Hendon MP Helps War Criminals

Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon, has recently changed his focus from milking the Parliamentary expense system to protecting Zionist war criminals.

When Is Terrorism Not Terrorism?

Those of you with a memory may remember hearing about a "ricin plot" and yet there was no ricin to be found.

MCB – It’s the Media, Stupid!

One of MPACUK’s platform issues in this election will be stopping Islamophobia within the mainstream media.

Mohammed Atif Siddique: 'If I was white Christian, I'd never have been jailed'

MPACUK does not believe that Mohammed Atif S

Why the Oscars Are A Con

Hollywood has long been the propaganda wing of the American military.

Asghar Bukhari Talks About Tahir-ul-Qadri Terrorism Fatwa

Recently the learned scholar, Tahir-Ul-Qadri, issued a fatwa relating to terrorism.

Death Stalks Egyptian Tyrant

How many Kings of the past still walk the face of this earth? All their wealth and pride are gone and they have become nothing but food for worms.

Hamid Gul: What is Really Going on in Afghanistan?

Sadly, the British media have taken a very biased account of what is going on in Afghanistan, almost acting as cheerleaders for the Government's barbaric Neo-Con inspired policy.

Mosque and Student Leaders have Betrayed the Ummah

I say to the Muslims that our Muslim Leaders, from the oldest to the youngest, have betrayed you; they have acted like cowards in the face of those who attack you, never having lifted a finger or a

Is Britain Helping Israel To Murder Palestinian Muslims?

Many of the main (Zionist owned) newspapers treated the cold blooded murder of a Muslim Palestinian in Dubai as some sort of

Confusion Surrounding Interview: Will Anjem Choudhry Take On Asghar Bukhari?

We have just had this comment on our website from the former spokesperson of the recently banned group

Asghar Bukhari Vs Anjem Choudhry This Weekend!

A live debate will be taking place on Ummah Channel on 7th March at 3.30pm, hosted by the well-known news personality Mohammed Shafiq, with prominent guests including a scholar from the Ramadhan fo

Barred From Flying If You Refuse 'Naked' Full-Body Scan

Islamophobe Predicted to Win Elections

Geert Wilders, the famous Islamophobe, who is basically the Dutch version of the BNP's racist Nick Griffin, is predicted to

Britain’s Zionist Prime Minister

In a bizarre sop to his Zionist masters, Gordon Brown has

US Covers Up Birth Defects In Fallujah

The US attacked the Iraqi town of Fallujah in 2004 with weapons containing toxins such as depleted uranium. The lethal rubble was then bulldozed into the local water supply.

Bad News From Jhelum

Sahil Saeed, from Oldham, aged 5, has been ruthlessly taken from his parents, and is now being held hostage.

Thank You Carrickmacross

The wonderful Irish town of Carrickmacross shows that there are still good people in the world.

Action Alert: Sign Petition To Support Baroness Jenny Tonge

Baroness Jenny Tonge, a member of the House of Lords, has been under attack for the past few years due to her support for freedom and justice for Palestinians.

Tory Party Infiltrated by Evangelical Christians

The Financial Times ran an article last month titled "Tory party infiltrated by Evangelical Christians

Operation Muslim Vote II: A Call to Action

MPACUK are holding an event this Saturday at the Pakistani Community Centre in Oldham regarding the importance of voting and becoming politically aware.

Free Ejup Ganic Now!

In what can only be described as a cynically political move, former Bosnian Vice President, Dr Ejup Ganic, was

Radovan Karadzic States We Fought A “Just & Holy War”

Former Chetnik leader Radovan Karadzic has said the Serb cause in the Bosnian war was “just and holy” as he bega

Action Alert! Channel 4 Targets Active Muslims

Muslims are plotting to take over Britain and set up a Taliban regime from Downing Street, all starting in Tower Hamlets!

Wahabi vs Shia on Mossad TV

Memri TV is a well-known Mossad front, and was created to (mis)translate information from Arabic to English and send it to media outlets around the world.

Guest Post: Zionists, Dictators and Imperialists - The Real Axis of Evil

"There is something happening today in the Middle East, and I can say that for the first time in my lifetime I believe that Arabs and Jews see the common danger.

The Biggest Prison On Earth

The murderous blockade prevents access by sea, land and air, effectively closing off a population of 1.5 million Palestinians from the outside world.

So Participation Is Inflitration

When is joining a mainstream political party regarded as 'infiltration'? When Muslims do it.

US apologises over Gaddafi comments

The lure of the oil moolah triumphs over greed-infested western morality yet again. Washington suddenly discovers that "Jihad" is a benign term! The US state department has apologised for comments made about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for jihad against Switzerland. Department spokesman PJ Crowley, who made the dismissive comments, said they did not reflect US policy and were not intended to offend. "I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship," Mr Crowley said. Last week, Libya's National Oil Corporation warned US oil firms of possible "repercussions" over Mr Crowley's reaction. The Libyan ambassador to the US sought to clarify Col Gaddafi's remarks saying the Libyan leader meant an economic boycott not "an armed attack". "I should have focused solely on our concern about the term jihad, which has since been clarified by the Libyan government," Mr Crowley added.

Baroness Manningham-Buller: US concealed torture from MI5

As the land of the "free" turned into a continent blighted by gulags and torture chambers, Washington's Blairite cheer leaders are said to have been left in the dark about the decent of the West into barbarity. Britain's ex M15 boss tries to salvage a semblance of credibility after David Milliband's verbal contortions trying to defend the indefensible. However, Milliband's recent tussle with the Judges, on revealing his department's documented collusion with torture, shows that Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller may still be a voice from the recent past rather than a depiction of current British take on the barbarity rife and thriving again under Obama in Washington.

Iran and U.S. Trade Barbs in Kabul Visit

The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, shot back Wednesday at American allegations that Iran was providing support to Afghan insurgents, accusing the United States of playing its own "double game" in the country and warning that the occupation was doomed to fail. During the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, the United States provided money and weapons to jihadi fighters, support critical to defeating the Soviet military. But in the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal, the country plunged into a civil war that resulted in the Taliban ultimately taking over much of the country, whose leaders in many cases had been the beneficiaries of American support a decade earlier. Ignoring this hostory US Defence Secretary was mud racking in accusing Iran of supporting the Taliban. Asked about the American allegations, President Ahmadinejad responded: "What are you doing in this region? You are 12,000 kilometers away from here, your country is the other side of the world, what are you doing here? This is a serious question."

Biden condemns Israel over homes plan

Israel has put the cards on the table. The West must unconditionally back and be criminally complicit in the brutal ethnic cleansing in Palestine. The Obama administration tried, genuinely or rhetorically, to convince the Muslim world that this unjust barbarity was not a value it shared. These illusions were soon shattered when Obama could not even "persuade" its client to temporarily freeze illegal settlement activity. Now Israel has laid down a further marker demanding continuing criminal complicity in the ethnic cleansing. No wonder vice-President Biden is angry at having been stripped naked in full view of the world. Ironically the rabidly Likudnic neocon Congress is expected to side with barbaric ethnic cleansing rather than any semblance of justice!

Imam's ghost stalks Arab summit

The West may "adore" him to bits to gain access to Libya's oil moolah. Libya's despot remains a despised figure everywhere else. This month's Arab League summit hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli has hit a snag. Lebanon is threatening a boycott over the mysterious disappearance of a renowned Lebanese political and religious figure 32 years ago. The inscrutable Gaddafi may have skeletons in his cupboard on this controversy

Sheikh Tantawi, Egypt's top cleric dies aged 81

With President Hosni Mubarak holding the dubious title of Likudnic neocons most acceptable face of Islam, clerics appointed by him also loose credibility. Meanwhile, a disillusioned Egyptian society is turning inwards at a rapid pace.

India's unequal political landscape

Mandating one-third female representation in India's parliament, the women's reservation bill will push political change worldwide. The question remains though: in its many years of life, why was the bill not redrafted to adjust for caste and religion? A redraft on these lines would truly make India a trail blazer in advancing citizens' rights regardless of caste, creed or gender.

Rob rich bankers and give money to the poor

Wall Street and the City did little to deserve their record profits. A Robin Hood tax is the only fair solution. As always, the poorest have borne the brunt of financial misdeeds and watched the brazenness of bank bonuses alongside broken promises of global assistance. Pledging part of the tax to development aid would help to harmonise the aid burden. Several European governments, including Germany and France, have endorsed this view. Oddly, the Obama proposals neglected this, but the oversight is sadly consistent with the US not pulling its fair share of development aid. Earmarking part of a globally harmonised bank tax would help to assure donors everywhere that the US and other laggard donors would live up to international standards of burden-sharing. Since Wall Street caused this crisis, the case for this fair sharing is even stronger.

Nigeria killings spark fears of wider conflict

Soldiers were out in force last night in the troubled Nigerian city of Jos where aid workers were still counting the dead after a sectarian massacre in which hundreds of villagers were hacked to death or burned in their homes. Jos has become an explosive fault line between the country's Muslim dominated north and predominantly Christian south. Sunday's killings left Nigeria's already embattled acting-President Goodluck Jonathan scrambling to avoid a full scale conflict in a state that has been rocked by religious violence in recent years.

OECD is ushering Israel in too easily

Despite all the diplomatic disquiet over Israeli policy towards the Palestinians, actions speak far louder than words when it comes to Israel's international status. Shamefully the OECD is giving a gleeful nudge to brutal ethnic cleansing of Palestine as a shared goal of the developed economies. In May, the country seems set to be ushered into the OECD, following years of campaigning from successive Israeli governments. Such a move would be another step in welcoming Israel in from the cold, and demonstrates certain states' willingness to overlook Israel's questionable behaviour as an occupier in favour of enhanced fiscal and political ties.

Mullen Wary of Israeli Attack on Iran

Washington rhetoric, echoed by the stenographers of the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM) over the past eight years, has brought a veneer of respectability to the international crime of aggressive war, as long as it is launched or sanctioned by the United States. With nodding approval from the FCM, Bush and Cheney sold the notion that such attacks can be justified to "prevent" some future hypothetical threat to the United States or its allies. This provided a thin, fig-leaf rationale for invading Iraq seven years ago this month. The Obama administration has not fully backed away from such thinking. War monger Benjamin Netanyahu is supremely confident of the solidity of his position with the movers and shakers in Congress, Washington opinion makers, and even within the Obama administration. And he gives off signs of being singularly underwhelmed by the President. These factors enhance the possibility Netanyahu will opt for the kind of provocation that would confront Obama with a Hobson's choice regarding whether to join an Israeli attack on Iran.

New seismic trend to generate more quakes: Report

Earth has entered a 'long' period of increased seismic activities that will likely trigger more violent quakes in the coming years, a report says.

Israeli official defends new settlements plan‎

Despite international condemnations, Israel's deputy foreign minister defends a new decision to construct 1,600 new settlements in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).

Two Israeli soldiers charged in Gaza war case

Two Israeli soldiers have been charged with using a Palestinian child as "human shield" during Israel's last winter assault on the Gaza Strip.

Obama lays out initiative to boost economy

US President Barack Obama has set up a new high-level agency as a part of strategy that to double US exports in five years in face of a battered economy.

Several injured as Israeli planes bomb Gaza Strip

Several Palestinians have been injured as Israeli aircraft bomb two sites in southern Gaza Strip early Friday, the army and witnesses said.

Ukraine new premier vows new economic endeavors

Ukraine's newly appointed Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has promised to push through a realistic budget and to meet Kiev's obligations to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

India, Russia in navigation system talks

Russia and India may jointly produce navigation equipment for Global Positioning System (GPS) and its Russian equivalent Glonass, the head of the Russian federal satellite navigation operator says.

UN drafting new Iran sanctions: Kouchner

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner claims that the UN Security Council (UNSC) is drafting new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

In Haiti, kidnapped aid workers released

Two female aid workers with the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in quake-ravaged Haiti, who have been adducted last week, were freed Thursday and are "safe and sound."

Greek police clashes with protesters amid the strikes

Greek police have clashed with protesters on the streets of Athens as strikes against government's austerity measures paralyze the city.

Islam in brief

John Pilger

Noam Chomsky on Haiti

Islam and Suicide

What does Islam say about suicide?

Islam's philosophy of life and the values that it wants to promote are all based on a particular point of view regarding the life of this world. Islam holds the life of this world as a temporary testing time for humans.

For as long as one lives, he/she is being tested. The end of this temporary life is not the extinction of man. A person shall then open his/her eyes in another world. That world shall be place of reward and/or punishment for the deeds done in this life. The second life shall not be temporary in nature. The pleasures and pains of the second life shall last forever. In the life of this world, man is being tested with different kinds of situations - good times as well as bad times. The good times that come our way are not necessarily a reward and the hard times that we have to face are not necessarily a punishment. These are all primarily a part of the test.

The Qur'an says:

Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned. (Al-Anbiaa 21: 35)

".........Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! " (An-Nisa 4:29)

"......if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind ...." (Surah Al Ma'idah 5:32)
For all the blessings that one enjoys in the life of this world, he/she is expected to be grateful to his/her Creator and to rejoice and proclaim His beneficence and providence. While during all the hard times that come his/her way, he/she is expected to be remain steadfast in Allah's obedience, never losing faith in His wisdom and mercy.

The beginning (i.e. the birth) and the end (i.e. the death) of this test for an individual is controlled by the Almighty Himself. He gives life and death to an individual according to His own absolute knowledge and wisdom.

Keeping the above explanation in mind, it should be easy to understand that Islam holds suicide to be haraam (i.e. prohibited). Suicide implies lack of trust in God and a lack of faith in His benevolence, mercy, love, wisdom and knowledge. In effect, suicide implies lack of faith in God Himself. When a person commits suicide, he/she practically declares that he/she does not believe that God knows about his/her sufferings, and if God has knowledge of his/her sufferings, he does not care enough to relieve him/her of these sufferings.

A person practically declares that God has unjustly inflicted pain upon him/her, which he/she is not willing to bear.

A person practically declares that he/she does not have faith, confidence and trust in the mercy and wisdom of God, as he/she does not have confidence that God will end his pain in time, and therefore he/she has to end his/her sufferings himself/herself (by taking his/her own life).

Thus, in effect, suicide - in most of the cases - is a clear sign of negation of the faith of a person in his Merciful, Omniscient and Wise Creator and is therefore prohibited in Islam.

Some sayings of the Prophet Mohammed(Peace be upon him) related to suicide:

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling
himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell-Fire." (Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 446)

Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak: The Prophet said, "Whoever intentionally swears falsely by a religion other than Islam, then he is what he has said, (e.g. if he says, 'If such thing is not true then I am a Jew,' he is really a Jew). And whoever commits suicide with piece of iron will be punished with the same piece of iron in the Hell Fire." Narrated Jundab the Prophet said, "A man was inflicted with wounds and he committed suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him." (Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 445 )

Please take some time to pass this on to Muslims and non-Muslims you know,
so that there is no misconception in people's mind regarding Islam or Muslims
on suicide.

© The Revival 2001

The Prophets private life

The Private Life of The Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam
A Model of Perfection from Islamic Philosophy of Human Life
By Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

The Qur'ân and Ahâdîth in various places state that the Book and the Messenger sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam are the best guidance for humankind. This model of perfection now has to be sought for. We find that the model of perfection is best illustrated through the personal and private life of the Holy Prophet:

Hadrat Khadîjah al-Kubrah radîyallâhu `anhâ was the most affluent lady in the whole of the Arab world. Her merchandise was even sold in the commercial centres of Syria. When she married the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam, she placed all her possessions at his disposal and made up her mind to spend all her wealth on his mission. Therefore, this marriage, in addition to other rewards and benefits, also introduced economic well-being into the life of the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam.

The Qur'ân states in respect to this: "Allâh found you an orphan and made you wealthy. Now if an orphan comes to you, do not be annoyed with him and chide him not who asks (that is, give the one who asks whatever he wants) and keep proclaiming the bounty of your Lord."

The Qur'ân itself has furnished the proof of his affluence. But at the same time he is advised to adopt a mode of conduct and behaviour, which shall transform his private life into a universal model of perfection for the human race. The verse not only makes clear reference to his wealth, but also advises him to distribute the divine blessings among the needy and poor. A detailed study of his life reveals that he implemented this Qur'ânic advice in every aspect of his private life and distributed his wealth among the victims of want and destitution. In his obsession to help the needy and the destitute, he turned his own life into a tale of constant suffering: he would starve himself to feed the starving people he would go without bread to feed those who had no bread. If he found anyone in need of even a morsel of food, he would pass a morsel to him and would live on the pleasure of his Lord. But his sacrifice was not forced and constrained. Rather it was voluntary - a natural call of his soul, a cry of his conscience because he was charged with the fire of human service. And the way he helped humanity has no parallel in the history of human kind.

1. Nu`mân ibn Bashîr radîyallâhu `anhu narrates: "O people, is your food not enough for your needs? Surely, I have myself observed your Prophet. He rarely even had a dry date with which he could fill his stomach."

2. Hadrat `Â'îsha radîyallâhu `anhâ narrates: "The Holy Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam till his death never had his fill even of the barley loaf on two consecutive days."

3. One day Hadrat Abû Hurayrah radîyallâhu `anhu met some people. They had cooked meat with them and invited him to share it. However, he apologetically declined the invitation and said: "How can I eat this meat? The mode of the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam is before my eyes. He departed from this world in a state that he never even had his fill of bread made from barley."

4. Hadrat Abû Talha radîyallâhu `anhu narrates: "We went to Allâh's Messenger sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam and told him that we had gone without food for many days. Each one of us uncovered our bellies and showed him a stone tied to our stomachs. Upon seeing this, the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam lifted the piece of cloth from his stomach and we found that he had two stones tied to it (to liquidate the effects of starvation)."

The Holy Prophet never kept anything for later consumption.

5. Hadrat Anas radîyallâhu `anhu reports: "The Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam never saved anything for the next day."

At this point one may wonder what had happened to the wealth and capital he earned through trade, through the services rendered to Khadîja al-Kubrâ radîyallâhu `anhâ and as spoils of war. The simple answer is that he spent all of his wealth on the economic restoration and rehabilitation of the poor and needy. This act of benevolence and charity was not an occasional occurrence but was a permanent feature of his life. It was so thoroughly and consistently established in his life, that he himself starved in order to feed others. He would roam the narrow streets to settle others into pleasant places. He embraced poverty to rehabilitate the poverty stricken and impoverished people of the world. He went hungry to save those who were at the end of their resources. He kept a bare cupboard to set up the poor and destitute in well established settlements. In fact he preferred to spend the last penny in his pocket and the last crumb of food on his table on people who were in dire need of money and food. The motive behind this sacrifice was the sanctity of the individual. Man's greatest treasure is his self-respect. People who are hard pressed by adverse circumstances are in danger of losing their sense of self-respect. The Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam dedicated his entire life and wealth to the uplift and economic recuperation of the poverty stricken, destitute and broke people. What could be a greater and more glorious example of personal sacrifice than the one illustrated and sanctified by the mode of conduct of the Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam himself. Critics of Islâm who have scant knowledge of its fundamentals and of the life of its propagator, crack up socialism and downgrade Islâm. They should study in depth and without prejudice the life of the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam and discover for themselves the radical justice of Islâm and the inexhaustible spirit and stock of charity and sacrifice which marked the life of the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam.

Dr Maurice Bucaille

Quran and Modern science

Rapper becomes Muslim

Dr Maurice Bucaille

The Quran - the book of signs

A Convert's story

A Nun's Journey to Islam

Quranites make no sense!

Quranites don't read the Quran! Look at this verse in the chapter of the Women [4:65]

"But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against Thy decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction."

The first part says they do not believe unless they accept his judgement, whose judgement? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that's who.

This meant initally the people of Mecca who had to accept his judgement and this for us means following the hadith. How else are you are going to follow his judgements if you are not going to follow what he said?

Ponder the first part they do not believe unless - so this part is important because their faith means nothing unless they accept him.

In fact the definition of disbelief is to reject anything that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came with - with a condition that it is clearly defined by
mass transmitted proofs.

I feel sorry for the Quranites because they do not know they do not believe by the actual text they claim to follow!!

Also note that when Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked what was the Messenger of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) like? She said he character was like the Quran. No one else was described like this!


About obeying the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
http://www.abc.se/~m9783/n/sth_e.html

Someone who hated Islam becomes Muslim

Christmas is not about Jesus

A PRACTICING Muslim Cannot Be a Terrorist

The Truth of the Black stone

Another miracle from the Quran

The Mufti and the Reverend

A Mufti sat next to a Reverend on a flight.
The Rev asked the Mufti: What is your occupation?

Mufti: I'm into big business

Rev: But what business exactly?

Mufti: I deal with God

Rev: Ah, so you're a Muslim religious leader. I have one problem with you Muslims: you oppress your women.

Mufti: How do we oppress women?

Rev: You make your women cover up completely and you keep them in the homes.

Mufti: Ah. I have a problem with you people: you oppress MONEY.

Rev: What? How can one oppress money?

Mufti: You keep your money hidden away, in wallets, banks and safes. You keep it covered up. Why don't you display it in public if it's a beautiful thing?

Rev: It will get stolen, obviously.

Mufti: You keep your money hidden because it is so valuable. We value the true worth of women far, far more. Therefore, these precious jewels are not on display to one and all. They are kept in honour and dignity.

Rev: -silence

Source: A post on Sunniforum.com

Muhammad name mentioned in the old testement

Qur'anic verses appear on 9 month old baby's body - Miracle baby from Dagestan

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet

Where did Christmas come from?

Miracle of the Quran

Quran Miracle

Lost city Iram

Athiests are illogical

Cleanliness and Productivity: Part 1 - Wudhu

How does been squeaky clean keep us Productive?!

That’s a question that came across my mind when I noticed a heightened productivity right after making wudhu, having a shower, or generally being tidy/clean.

In this series, we'll explore the physical cause-effect relationship and spiritual cause-effect relationship between cleanliness and productivity, let's start of with wudhu today inshaAllah:

Allah says in the Quran  “Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (Al Baqarah 2:222) He also says: “In it (mosque) are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure.” (9:108) 

Just those 2 verses alone are enough incentive for us to being constantly clean and in a state of purity and it explains why Islam has taken great care of this topic to the extent that even a dead person is honoured with a bath before he/she is buried! 

Without us diverging into the deep intricacies of Purity and Cleanliness in Islam (which interestingly is ALWAYS the first chapter in any Fiqh book) I want us to focus on Wudhu (ablution) and its effect on Productivity. 

Wudu is one of the most beautiful rituals we Muslims have been blessed with. It keeps us pure and clean, both physically and spiritually and connects us to our Khaliq (Creator). It keeps our mind consciously aware of  Him and prepares us to meet Him, that’s why we’re encouraged to be in a state of Wudu at all times, as Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “… and no one preservers their wudu except a Believer.” [Ibn Maajah, Saheeh]

In my quest to understand the effect of wudu on productivity, I was trying to understand why Wudhu was a prerequisite to Salah; one interesting explanation I came across (and there are many other explanations) is that wudu helps you “focus” on Salah and “puts you in the mood” for Salah. I tried to dig deeper and guess why this is so, and it occurred to me that wudhu is the physical action of an intention, i.e. you physically get up and pour water on yourself to proclaim the intention that you’re going to pray. 

Think what this means in terms of productivity: you plan to do some work you have been intending to do for a long time, so you get up and make wudhu first, this puts you in the mood and “focus” zone for your work because you’ve taken physical action to affirm that intention, makes sense? Also, the beauty of taking wudu before any task is that it ensures that your intention for this task is pure and clean. (It’s hard to find somebody who’ll be taking wudu before a doubtful transaction?!)

Islam teaches us that wudu doesn’t just affect your outward, but it was an inward effect too. This is confirmed with the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), which he said: 

“When a Muslim or a believer washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes, will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins”.  [Sahih Muslim : Book 2, Number 0475].

And isn’t sin the reason for our lack of productivity?

An interesting quote I came across recently said “Ablution protects the believer from four enemies of the soul: the lower self or ego (nafs), worldly desires (hubbul dunya), lust (hawa), and Satan.” (Voices of islam - Vincent, J. Cornell). These four enemies are not only the enemies of the soul, they are the enemies of productivity! The lower-self makes you want to be lazy and sleep all the time, worldly desires are the biggest distraction from your true purpose in life, following hawa (lust) can turn any productive person to super unproductive (and fall into Haram), and Satan needs no introductions! So imagine, with one beautiful purifying action, you can  protect yourself from these unproductive forces!

Do me a favour? Next time you sit to work on your computer, make wudu first and tell me how it feels. Try it. SubhanaAllah, I use this at work when I can’t get myself to focus on my work, it’s amazing how you change and become much more focussed and productive.

I hope this gave you just one insight into how wudu makes you productive. May Allah (SWT) help us live the life of purity and die pure and clean. Ameen.

Elements of Success

Transcribed and Summarized version of Sh. Hamza Yusuf's talk on Elements of Success

In our current state of affairs, we have come to know that failure is the opposite of success. One of the reasons Muslims fail, well one of the major reasons cited in the Glorious Qur'an al Kareem is `disputation amongst one another', which leads to failure. Also, one of the signs of the latter days, isthe amazement in ones own opinion (self opinionated people). 

The essence of failure is summed up in the Qur'an as:

Disobeying Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala,
- Disobeying His Messenger sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, and,
- Disputation amongst each other.

For our current situation to be reversed, there are many methods, and ways to go about things. Obviously holding firmly to the Qur'an and the Sunnah is the first. But, there are elements that we need to implement in our lives that will bring to life the Islam that was lived not so long ago by our predecessors, InshaAllah.

Ten Qualities That Lead to Success:

1. Every successful person has a strong sense of purpose. What greater sense of purpose than to know that your goal is Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala.

2. Seek out role models or mentors. These mentors instill in them a sense of possibility. What better role model than Rasulullah sallallahu 'alaihi wa
sallam?

3. Strength of visualizing the goal. Rasulullah sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam had the strongest visualization of any human. We are people of `success' and this Deen is not a Religion of `failure', but a Religion of SUCCESS!

Michael Hart, the historian who wrote the 100 most influencial personalities in history, placed Muhammad sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam as number 1. The greatest witness is what your own enemies show witness to. Our example is the best example, for verily Rasulullah sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam was
`Uswatun Hasanah', the Best example; he is the model and mentor of success for all of mankind.

4. Positive sensory orientation. That you dwell on your successes, not dwelling on your failures. Remember your past successes when you were weak, and Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala will give you victory, look at Badr.

5. Self assurance. They know that they can succeed. `La tahinuu, wa laa tahzanuu wa antum la'nawla in kuntum mu'mineen' – `Do not be weak, and do not grieve, and you are the uppermost, if you are Believers'.
Our afflictions are expiations for us. Remember at `Uhud, Rasulullah sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: `Your dead are in the Hell fire, our dead are in
Jannah'.

6. They plan and organize. They know how to prioritize. Look at the most important things and take that. We have people now that argue over where you put your hands in the prayer, where your feet should be, etc.
These things are known in the books of Fiqh, we don't need to argue over them. You ask any scholar of any worth and they tell you very clearly. There's different ways to do it, because we're not supposed to get caught up in the trivial matters, because this is the Talmudic (Jewish) mind that asks `what kind of cow, what color cow' etc. All triviality.

Even in the West, they say that the `devil's in the details' (proverb). What's important is to ask `where's your heart?' Where is your heart in the Salaat?
People watching others pray during Salaat, finding mistakes with the Imaam etc. Where is our heart in the Salaat?
We plan to corrupt each other, organizations are successful, because they plan and organize each other. We are good planners when it comes to Walimah's. For instance, how many sheep will we have, how many belly dancers etc. Allahu Akbar, Takbeer, what type of takbeer? Takbeer of Salatul Janaazah, 4 of them!

7. The ability to acquire the necessary skills to succeed. We need to produce male and female scholars. Why don't we want to be from those people? The people of knowledge? Make your children people of Akhirah, not Dunya! 

8. Patience. Be patient and enjoin others to patience. We have two lessons that Muslims have to learn, most of our tribulations are coming from: o Kibr, and, o Lack of patience.

Saying La ilaha Illallah does not make us special, because a Munafiq says La ilaha illallah, and yet they are lower than the Kaafir.
And remember that if you feel safe from Nifaaq, then according to Hasan al Basri rahimahullah, you are a Munafiq! The only one who feels safe from nifaaq is the munafiq.
`Umar ibn Khattaab radi'Allahu anhu went to Huthaifah ibn Yaman and asked him `Do you see in me what you see in them? Tell me by Allah, I want to know if `Umar is a Munafiq?' Huthaifah radi'Allahu anhu replied, `I don't see in you what I see in them'.

The qualities of a Munafiq (some of them include):
- They oscillate
- They remember Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala little,
- They say on their tongues what's not in their hearts,
- They pray lazily, etc and so forth.

9. Perseverance. Be persevering. No one will have except that what he endeavors for'.

10. To love what one is doing. Radi'Allahu `anhum wa Radu `anh' – `They love Allah, and Allah is pleased with them'.

Loving Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala and His Messenger! Spending what we love and giving from it freely. You don't reach righteousness (Birr) until you give out that which you love.
"When perfection is reached then it has to diminish, So once something is called perfect, expect it to perish."

Interview with a Productive Muslim: Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

ProductiveMuslim.com is pleased to present to you an interview with a very ultra-Productive Muslim - Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a researcher and teacher of the Islamic sciences, specializing in Islamic Law. He is the Educational Director of SeekersGuidance, and a partner and legal advisor with StraightWay Ethical Advisory.  He has two published books: Sufism & Good Character and Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) 

Without further ado, ProductiveMuslim.com presents....

5 Steps to Make Effective Decisions

You wake up in the morning, no idea what to do for that day, open your e-mails, check your facebook account, sleep some more, go to work/uni/school, do something to act busy, wait for the time to clock out, go home, watch TV, speak to some people on the phone, then sleep.

The example above is of a person who is not decisive. When they woke up, they didn’t DECIDE what they had to do, they didn’t DECIDE what their plans for the day would be, they didn’t DECIDE how to control the multiple variables that surround them so that they can lead a productive life.

Decisiveness is the characteristic of a productive Muslim - because only by making effective decisions will you be moving forward in your life. The more you linger, and let shaytaan play with your mind, the more you’ll be slowed down and become unproductive. 

Master the art of effective decision making. The moment you lose grip with this art, others and circumstances will make decisions for you. I know that making a decision isn’t the most easy thing to do, especially that you’ll be responsible for the consequences of your decision. I know that it’s too comfortable not to make any decision and is actually very convenient to let others decide for you (after all, you can always blame others if things go wrong!). But is this how a Muslim should be? Is this why Allah (SWT) created your brain, your heart, and created logic, emotions and reason for you?

If you’re still not sure, here’s a 5 simple step method for making effective decisions:

1. Think!
You’ll be surprised how many people don’t think before they decide! And by thinking, I don’t mean spending few minutes staring at the ceiling waiting for a revelation to come! Thinking means brainstorming, analysing, drawing from your experience of how best to go about a certain course of action and really taking the time to measure the implications of your decision.

2. Research/consult
You’d done the thinking part, now you’ve tens of questions.... no problem, do your research! Look around, ask around, and consult others, bounce ideas from family/friends and really exhaust every possible means of understanding the implications of your decision.

3. Istikhara
SubhanaAllah, Allah is so merciful to us, He knew that it would be hard for us to make decisions easily, so he opened a special lines of communication for us to Him when it comes to decisions.. it’s called Istikhara prayer! Just read this hadeeth carefully and understand its meaning..

On the authority of Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullah he said: The Prophet (S) would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a chapter from the Qur’an. He (S) would say ‘if any of you intends to undertake a mater then let him pray two supererogatory units (two rak’ah naafilah) of prayer and after which he should supplicate:

‘O Allaah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allaah, if You know this affair -and here he mentions his need- to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life, and end, then decree and facilitate it for me, and bless me with it, and if You know this affair to be ill for me towards my religion, my life, and end, then remove it from me and remove me from it , and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with such.’

You’re asking Allah...the One who knows everything about what’s best for you... if you’ve true yaqeen (certainty) in your dua, do you think Allah will make you take a “bad” decision? Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, the one does istikhara will not regret! Imagine someone saying to you, I’ll give you a formula, if you follow it, you’ll never ever ever regret any decision you make! Will you take up the offer?!

4. Decide/Action
You’ve thought about it, asked others, and most importantly asked Allah for guidance (SWT) via an Istikhara prayer, now what?.... ummm.. DECIDE! Take action! And jump into your decision full force taking every conceivable first step you can make, so that you can’t reverse your decision! You wanted to open a business, and taken the above steps, NOW open it and invest your money! You wanted to propose to a particular person and you’ve done the above, pick up the phone and call her waly now! Make the decision and act upon it quickly before shaytaan comes to whisper in your mind and puts doubt.

5. Dua/Tawakkal
You’ve made the decision, taken some actions.... it’s not over yet. Make dua and have trust in Allah. You may have made the right decision, but to follow through a decision correctly needs lots of dua, and trust in Allah (SWT) so don’t give up! And don’t regret decisions you’ve made after doing all the above, you only have 2 possible scenarios: either you’ve made good decisions and things are working great, or you’ve made a decision that challenged you which you can either learn from or you’ve learnt to overcome!

Yes, making decisions isn’t easy, but instead of dodging them and suffering the consequences in this life and hereafter, develop your decision making muscle by making decisions daily using the above steps - whether for small decisions or big  decisions - just make a decision!

Finally, I leave you with this quote from Anthony Robbins:

Life is like a river for many people, they just jump in the river of life with out ever deciding where they want to end up, so they quickly get caught up in the current, current events, current challenges, current fears. And then they come to the forks in the rivers, they don't consciously decide which way to go, they just go with the flow of the river (the flow of the majority instead of being directed by their own values and goals) and as a result the feel out of control but continue to drift down stream until one day the sound of the raging water wakes them up and they realize they are 5 feet from the falls and they are in a boat with no ores and then they say "Oh shoot", but its to late. They are going to take a fall, it may be a financial set back or the break up of a relationship or maybe even a health problem, in almost all of the cases the fall could have been prevented by making better decisions up stream. (The Niagara Syndrome - by Anthony Robbins)

Interview with a Productive Muslim: Bilal Randeree

ProductiveMuslim had an honor to speak to Bilal Randeree. Bilal is from Newcastle and is a chartered accountant. He is a social activist and takes a keen interest in finance, economics and just about anything political and/or controversial. After living and working in London, travelling Europe, studying in Syria and completing the Hajj pilgrimage, he returned to sunny SA and completed post graduate studies in economic journalism at Rhodes University. He is currently working as a chartered accountant while waiting for a work visa to Qatar where he is to start work as a Business Journalist with Al Jazeera Network.

 

   1. Welcome to ProductiveMuslim.com, tell us about yourself.

Oh, I hate this question – what do I tell that will be beneficial and inspire others, and what do I say that is just to massage my ego and pride! Well, let me attempt to be honest and sincere in describing myself in a way that others can benefit.

The most important thing about a person is where they are from. I feel that says a lot about the foundation of a person and explains, to some extent, any success a person may have achieved. I am from Newcastle, a small town in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province in South Africa. I grew up there, the 2nd eldest of 9 kids, 7 boys and 2 girls – though my youngest sister was only born when I left home around 10 years ago. I went to University in Durban and graduated with a honours degree in accounting and finance. I then went on to become a Chartered Accountant. In between, before and after I did various other things – some of which I see I will have to touch on later…

 

   2. Most of us have some big ideas. But we don't know where to start. Tell us about your beginning. How did you get started?

I had many beginnings, so don’t know where to start with this questionJ I left school mid-way through high school and memorised the Holy Quran in two years. That was the beginning for me. After that, everything I embarked on fell into place with grace of the Almighty, and even though things got hard at times, sincere prayer and faith doubtlessly made it much easier. While doing my memorisation, I met interesting students of religion who introduced me to the world of finance and the global economy. This was the seed that got me interested in banking and economics – I completed my final 3 years of high school in 1 year and then headed to University.

I always say that if anyone leaves University with only a degree, they probably wasted loads of time. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by really good brothers and sisters on campus, and became heavily involved in the Muslim Students Association. MSA work took up most of my time and studies seemed to go well with it – that is also where I began writing. We first used to produce simple newsletters for the MSA, but after a few years this grew into a national magazine.

 

   3. A Chartered Accountant, Community Manager, Journalist and Comedian. Masha Allah, that's for sure, a jack of all trades. Did you plan to be all these, or they just fell in place?

I don’t think I planned a single one of these (or any others for that matter), but in each label/title/opportunity, I can identify something that I had always wanted to achieve.

Chartered Accountant – I wanted to get into the field of finance and economics so that I could attempt to make changes that could benefit mankind. I feel that Muslims have loads to offer the world, in the form of solutions to the problems out there, but we need to be experts in the field and be innovative, creative and constantly faithful to the essence of Islam in attempting to do so.

Community Manager – besides holding the position of Community Manager for the SalamBC network, I am a co-founder of the Muslim Professionals Network. This grew out of an initiative to inform and educate Muslims to achieve the solutions I touched on above.

Journalist – From my days on campus, I enjoyed using words to encourage people to good thoughts and action. The push to become a journalist came when I was working at one of the world’s financial capitals, London, at the time the recent financial crisis was just beginning. I felt that there was a shortage of reporting on the crisis by people with experience and knowledge in the field. Thereafter I enrolled at journalism school and majored in economic journalism. I have recently secured a job as Business Journalist with Al Jazeera in Qatar and will inshaAllah be heading there for this exciting opportunity.

Comedian – This definitely came about with no planning. I was assisting a relief organisation with the hosting of a fundraising comedy show with local comic genius Dr. Riaad Moosa and the American group Allah Made Me Funny. Somehow during their tour, I found myself on stage making jokes, and as they say, the rest is history! But I feel that Halal Bilal (www.facebook.com/HalalBilal) serves an important purpose – most comedians do Muslim jokes all the time, and these often further the stereotypes that exist about Islam and Muslims. Being a Muslim comedian gives me the opportunity to make people laugh, but at the same time use the comedy to educate them and break the stereotypes and myths.

 

   4. What's your secret to time management? (Please mention tools you use/ methodology/ process/ procedure)

I honestly have little advice to share on this. I struggle to keep up with all my commitments and activities, but find that when my life has structure and discipline, then things fall into place easier. The day I sleep too late, don’t eat healthily, neglect the punctuality of my prayers or anything else – then I notice things fall apart and commitments start piling up. I try to keep a to do list and prioritise the tasks I have – at different times, different things take priority, but the important thing is to be clear on what is important.

 

   5. What keeps you going? Others might get tired and overwhelmed - or just give in after a major success, saying "this is enough for a lifetime". How  do you continue to aim higher everyday?

I don’t really look at anything as solely a personal achievement – what successes I have been blessed with along the way are all just small steps towards a bigger goal. Anything that I do/have done, that does not contribute to the bigger goal of improving the lives of all on earth and establishing the principles of Islam – those things are not successes, but merely illusions.

 

   6. What do you think are the ingredients of a Productive Muslim? (attitude or character traits)
Hmm, sincerity, commitment, perseverance, patience, and all the others one can think off. Fun, humour, excitement and an appetite for adventure are key as well. I think sometimes Muslims forget that we also believe in life BEFORE death!

 

   7. What is your upcoming venture/ Intiative/ business idea?
Hmm, the most current project I’m working on is a social business called Moral-a-T. During my days on the MSA, we used to make cool t-shirts with Islamic/Moral messages that we sold to raise funds for MSA activities. That is now going to be run from this business that we hope to take national and online. Proceeds will be used to support community organisations, and new, funky designs will be sought to make a products that the youth will find cool and that will promote good moral messages.

   8. Final words of advise to our ProductiveMuslim fans? (our main audience is 18-24 youth - mostly across UK, US and Canada)
Be proud and humble, committed and driven, focused and wild – the future is your hands and Allah is on your side, if you are always on the side of the righteous.

Introducing the all *NEW* ProductiveMuslim Book Club!

A few months back we started the ProductiveMuslim book club. MashaAllah, it started off with a bang and it looked very promising with lots of signups and eager members! Somehow unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as expected - and to be honest, we are partly to blame. We didn’t think through it carefully enough, and there were quite a number of obvious glitches and miscommunication... all this coupled with the fact that the book club members were not interacting the way we envisioned them to do and it kind of fell apart :(

All was not lost though...  :D

Realising the stumbling of the book club, we tried different ways to energise the club and make it more interactive, these efforts did encourage some of our members to do a number of book reviews (which will be released over the next few weeks inshaAllah).

So now when the dust has settled, we’ve gone back to the drawing board to see how we can re-introduce a much more dynamic and fruitful book club... The result: a new and stronger ProductiveMuslim Book club – (inshaAllah!)

Introducing the new book club!(We even got a logo this time! lol)

So how will this book club be different from the old one? 

• The book club will be open for ALL members interested in joining it. It won’t be an exclusive book club with exclusive members anymore.

• It’ll run entirely on the interactive facebook page and not as a dull Google Group. This ensures a dynamic platform for people to share their favourite productivity, Islamic and other books, what they like/hate about them, and any favourite quotes. Moreover, the facebook page will be run by our very own Book Club manager and his team!

• No homework! Unlike the first book club where we requested members to submit reviews - we’re taking a laissez faire approach for this one. So you don’t HAVE to send any reviews! - Just join the discussion, discuss your book with your friends, learn about other books, and if you really really really like a particular book which you want to see featured on ProductiveMuslim.com - send us a simple review! 

That’s it. Nice, fun and easy. No complications, just pure interaction and hopefully lots of cool discussions.  Join the new book club by becoming a fan on the ProductiveMuslim Book club facebook page!

(P.S. Oh one more thing...once we hit 1000 members for the new Book club, we’ll have another suprise for you :D stay tuned!)

1000GoodDeeds.com: Masjid Make-over Challenge!

Introducing: The Masjid Makeover Challenge!

The Masjid Makeover project is 1000GoodDeeds.com inaugural challenge. 

The goal of the 1000Gooddeeds.com project is to transform Deeds in to Actions by giving daily doses of good deeds one can do with practical actions.

The state of the masjids are a reflection of the community surround it.  It is the first impression non muslims have about islam. It is a place of dawah,  inviting others to islam. It is a place of congregation five times daily and the heart of the muslim community. 

The aim and intention of the masjid makeover project is to beautify and clean up our masjids. To promote team work. Develop project management and negotiation skills. Encourage going green and earth friendly behavior. The most important of all is to learn to do deeds selflessly for the pleasure of Allah. 

All participants have to submit before and after pictures or video of the masjid makeover  as well as action plans on how it was done and a maintenance plan on how the masjid will stay clean. 

 

For more information visit

http://1000gooddeeds.com/2010/02/08/challenge-feb-2010-masjid-makeover/

Join 1000 Good Deeds - Masjid Makeover Project for your daily task instructions. 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=300873456951

 

ProductiveMuslim's Review to Success Planner

Over the past two weeks, we tried out Success Planner, a Muslim organizer software. And we liked it! Alhamdulillah, it is a fit for Productive Muslims. Here's our detailed review :)

 

Success Planner is an easy to use, easy to navigate, and interactive calandar/ scheduler/ Salah reminder - an "all in one" Islamic diary. It can used for both professional (meetings, reminders, etc) and religious needs (salah reminder, adhan, daily hadith and verse of the Quran, etc).

 

 

Some of the features Success Planner includes are:

• Daily Reminders from Qur'an and Hadith: Everyday as you open the Success Planner, you will see new Verse from Qur'an and Hadith.

• Reminders about Islamic Events in a year: Success Planner not only reminds you of the event, but also gives you some suggestions for doing the good deeds for that day or duration

• Gregorian and Hijri Calendar: Success Planner gives the Dual Calendar.

• Five Times Azaan Reminder: If you are in a meeting, one can “snooze” the reminder. Success Planner will remind you again about the upcoming Salah. This is my favorite feature! Click "lock" and within a second, you are locked out on your computer. This is excellent like me, who's always tempted to finish that train of thought. And ends up delaying salah. This one click of "Lock" makes me get to my salah right that instance.

• Calendar features: Daily calendar view with a hourly breakdown. You can set appointments, reminders to these appointments and entering Salah points, reviewing the appointments

• Appointments creation & reminders: Success planner will make sure that, the user is aware of Prayer times while setting appointments

• Prayer Points Calculations: Success Planner provides a prayer points calculation function. You enter your points - based on how you prayed– with Jamaat (27 points), without Jamaat (1 point). It's a multiple choice option. I'm not too sure about this feature. How about the sisters - who might not have an oppurtunity to pray in Jam'ah? They always get a "1" point? An area of improvement for sure, insha Allah

• Habits from Qur'an: Successful habits are selected from Surah Mominun (verses 1-10) and Surah Al-Imran (verse 104)

• Success Planner helps you set targets on how to achieve 7 habits – the targets can be set for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Success Planner then provides regular reminders and close follow-ups, helps you adopt these 7 habits.

• Roles in Life: A person to be successful in this life and the next, needs to perform various roles in life. The essential ones are list in Success Planner. One can set targets in each role for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly

• Target's follow-up: categorize them as Not Started, Started, In progress, Completed, Overdue targets or can be grouped on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis

• Other features include, Prayer performance charts (graphical representation based on your "points"), Notes section, Printing options and RSS feeds. RSS feeds help you to have selected news links on desktop and access to news headlines.

To purchase and read more about Success Planner (MindSoft CompuTech) at: http://www.mindsoftct.com/SPHome.html

Our Fajr Double Advantage

Source: By Michael Young, Islam For Today

The key to spiritual and material success for Muslims

"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" - a famous maxim coined by the American scientist, writer and inventor, Benjamin Franklin.  And he was not alone in these beliefs.  The writer Samuel Johnson also warned that "nobody who does not rise early will ever do any good".

This is not just opinion but proven scientific fact.  A study by researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo in the American state of Utah found that:

"students who habitually go to bed late and sleep late the next day have lower grade point averages (GPAs) than students with early-to-bed and early-to-rise sleeping habits.  The later students slept in the morning, the lower their grades tended to be.  Out of all the factors studied, weekday and weekend wakeup times had the strongest association with students' GPAs. Each hour over the average that students slept in on weekdays was associated with a 0.13-point drop on the GPA (0.0-4.0 scale)."
Source: Journal of American College Health 2000; 49: 125-130

 Of course, we Muslims are well used to getting up not just at the crack of dawn but actually half an hour before it to begin the day with the ritual worship of fajr salat (and even earlier in Ramadan before starting the day's fast).

 Spiritual Success

 What are the spiritual blessings of fajr salat?

According to a hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim, prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) stated that the action which is dearest to God is salat at its proper times.  On another occasion prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) also said to his companions:

"The five set prayers may be compared to a stream of fresh water, flowing in front of your house, into which you plunge five times each day. Do you think that would leave any dirt on your body?' When they replied: 'None at all!' Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed the five prayers remove sins, just as water removes dirt."  (Bukhari, Muslim)

And once while standing beside a tree in autumn, he stated:

"When a Muslim observes his salat with due attention and devotion, he sheds his sins just like this tree is shedding its leaves." (Ahmad)

Moreover, in the Quran we are told that prostrating (in salat) brings us closer to God (96:1).

Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) also tells us that fajr salat along with isha is particularly rich in blessings:

"If people only knew what blessings are in the fajr and isha prayers, they would come to them, even if they had to crawl." (Bukhari and Muslim)

And according to Utham, (RA), prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said:

"To perform the dawn prayer, [fajr], in congregation is like keeping vigil throughout the night." (Muslim).

Material Success

In Surah 23, ayats 1-2 of the Quran we learn that:

"Certainly the believers have succeeded, those who offer salat with devotion."

Spiritual success certainly.  But as Muslims we are also called upon not just to earn spiritual blessings for the next world but also to be materially successful in this one.  Despite the obvious call to work hard and make the most of our abilities demonstrated in the parable of the talents, the Christian West has often had an ambiguous attitude towards wealth, sometimes glorifying poverty and misinterpreting Jesus's gospel statement that "love of money is the root of all evil" to mean that money itself is the root of all evil.  As a Muslim, I am more inclined to agree with the playwright George Bernard Shaw who is reported to have said that "lack of money is the root of all evil".

[Shaw was an admirer of prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) and in the 1936 book The Genuine Islam referred to him as "the wonderful man" and "the saviour of humanity".]

Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) himself stated:

"There will dawn a time over people when the destruction of a man will be at the hands of his wife, parents, and children. They will humiliate him because of his poverty and will make such demands which will induce him to engage in such activities (to gain more money) which will finally destroy his religion." - Baihaqi. Narrated by Ibn Mas'ood (RA) and Abu Hurairah (RA)

The other side of the coin, so to speak, is:

"How excellent is the wealth of the Muslim". - Sahih Bukhari hadith 4.95 Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri (RA)

It is wealth which enables us to take care of our families, keep on the straight path and avoid doing wrong in order to make ends meet.  It is wealth which enables us to meet our obligation to pay Zakat.  It is wealth which enables us to help others and contribute to Dawah through additional charity.  It is wealth which enables us to meet our obligation to go on Hajj.

It was wealthy Muslim traders who peacefully spread Islam throughout West Africa and the areas we now know as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.  And if we look at the first generation of Muslims, we find the shining example of Abdur-Rahman Ibn Awl.  The eighth person to embrace Islam, he migrated twice to Abyssinia.  Abdur-Rahman distinguished himself in both the battles of Badr and Uhud, suffering more than twenty wounds at the latter.  Then starting with nothing, he went on to achieve tremendous success as a merchant, becoming the richest of the companions.  From his great wealth, Abdur-Rahman financed the Muslim armies, contributed to the upkeep of the family of Mohammed (Peace be upon him) after the prophet's death and was universally renowned for his fabulous generosity.

So how can we turn getting up for Fajr to our material advantage?  Certainly not by slinking back into bed again and snuggling up for another few hours.  As prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said:

"The most excellent jihad is that for the conquest of self." (Bukhari)

In the context of fajr, what this means is, once up, stay up!  Stay up and do something useful.  Work on your goals.  If you don't have any, set some.  Decide what you want to achieve in life.  Devise a plan to make those goals a reality then take action.  You will be amazed at what you can get done in those few quiet hours when most of the rest of the world is still asleep.  You can organise your day, learn a language, work on your degree course or get fit by going jogging in the coolness of the morning.

You can also turn staying up after fajr to your career advantage by driving into work earlier, beating the traffic then packing so much productive work into the next hour without interruption because no one is there to pop into your office and the phone hasn't started ringing yet.

A further fajr advantage is that along the way you can listen on cassette to the wisdom and inspiration of motivational and business speakers.  We spend hundreds of ours commuting in our cars every year, by some estimates the equivalent to two full terms of university tuition.  Put this time to good use, especially first thing in the morning when you are relaxed and driving on a virtually empty road, when you are bright and fresh and can best take it all in.  Turn your car into a university on wheels.

Each of our lives is different, but you know how to apply these ideas to your own situation.

Take action now!

"Ah, that's too hard", I hear you say.  Well God assures us in the Quran that:

"We do not lay a burden on anyone beyond his capacity." (Quran: 23:62)

It is possible to turn these early hours to great advantage.  It's desirable and it's beneficial.  We are obliged to get up for fajr anyway.  From this we derive a spiritual advantage.  Let's stay up and get to work.  Why have just one type of advantage when we can have two - spiritual and material.  As Muslims we are uniquely placed.  The next fajr is less than 24 hours from now.  First thing tomorrow morning make sure that you take advantage of your fajr double advantage.

[Author's footnote: After working on other tasks, I started this article at 6 am and have just finished it at 8.20.  Now for a day's work!]

The FIKS.Org Jumuah Khutba: How to become a ProductiveMuslim.

Our friends at TheFiks.ORG in NewYork made a beautiful Khutba about how to become a ProductiveMuslim. See video below & visit TheFiks.org for more on their excellent work.

Interview with a SUPER ProductiveMuslim: Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury

Last Thursday, I was honoured to interview Sheikh Tawfique Chowdhury, the founder and director general of MercyMission and Al-Kauthar Institute. SubhanaAllah, a truly inspiring interview, and one that I highly recommend for all to listen and learn from inshaAllah!

 

Share your thoughts with us below!

Time Tracking Experiment Results (Part 2)

We continue today with the results from the participants of the ProductiveMuslim Time Tracking experiment. Today we have sister Faiza, Sister Sana'a and Sister Yumna share their key lessons learnt: 

 

Sister Faiza

I began on Saturday, the 24th of January. Out of the 21 tasks that I had to set for 7 days, to my utter disappointment, I was able to complete only 9.

These tasks were my academic assignments, studying for exams and some work related stuff. I found out that those tasks that I was able to complete were the ones which had reached their deadlines and were due the next day. I was able to concentrate better while doing these tasks and I think I was mostly focused until 45 minutes to over an hour after I'd begun working on them. 

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with my performance on the rest of the tasks. I was easily distracted and I would lose focus in the first 30 minutes itself and keep trying to get back after almost every 10 minutes thereafter. So needless to say, I wasn't able to complete them in the time blocked for them but sometimes, I did overtime which I didn't like very much.

But yeah, I'm gonna use the Taskinator for a long time to come! I may not have completed many of my tasks but by blocking time for them, I at least started work on them!

Sister Sana’a,

At the end of 6 days with the Time Tracking Experiment, here are the lessons I’ve learnt.

Before I mention how my experiment went, here are the approximate Salah timings in my area, so that it’s easier to comprehend the hours I’m discussing inshaAllah.

Fajr: 5:05 am   Dhuhr: 11:55 am   Asr: 3:00 pm   Maghrib: 5:20 pm   Isha: 6:50 pm

1. Work started with a duaa and Bismillah is more productive inshaAllah. And we should seek the pleasure of Allah in whatever it is we are working on.
2. When making a To-Do list, it’s not sufficient to just list the tasks that need to be accomplished. Time slots need to blocked out so that one doesn’t plan to do more than can be handled in 24 hours.
3. Besides the major tasks that need to be done, a little list of alternative tasks should also be kept handy to be turned to in the event of any disruptions -- computers may break down, there may be some minor incident around the home/workplace that doesn’t permit the task at hand to be carried out completely.
4. Certain time slots should be left empty, as standby, so that we’re not in too much of a mess if something unexpected turns up - phone call, guests, family emergency etc. That way socializing and interacting with people who matter doesn’t turn into a pain, it’s sad when people start to feel that family and friends are a hindrance to work. A productive muslim is one who balances his/her personal tasks with the huqooq-ul-ibaad.
5. If we know we’re going to have a tough day out, then it’s better to keep not-so-tough tasks to deal with in the evening at home. BAD idea to try to get something HUGE done as soon as you get back home. We might think we’ll be able to handle it and maybe we will be, but to actually be tired is quite different from imagining it! I missed doing an entire task because I slept off in the afternoon and had expected to be fresh enough to handle it!
6. Certain “interesting” tasks should be kept for being done in the mornings, after Fajr, to avoid the temptation of going back to sleep -- this one is for people on holiday or those who work/study from home.
7. The time after Fajr is great for getting things done, primarily because there are so many hours until the next Salah -- atleast in my part of the world! J -- so things that take up more time might be taken care of during these hours, inshaAllah.
8. These morning hours are better suited to tasks that require mental exertion, once you get the hang of it.
9. Tasks after Dhuhr tend to get interrupted, thanks to lunch, so time should be blocked out accordingly.
10. BAD idea to try to fit in a huge task between two Salah times that follow each other quickly. It’s easy to think that we would get part of it done after say, Maghrib, and the rest after Isha (1.5 hour between the two). But what actually happens is one could get so engrossed in the task that Isha gets delayed!
11. The time after Isha is again great for getting things done but it should be previously decided when bed time is going to be, else waking up for Fajr becomes a major task in itself!
12. Having meals BEFORE a Salah helps to be able to work uninterrupted after Salah.
13. Having lots of time before the deadline was probably one of the causes why I wasn’t able to complete some tasks. So if I put these down to be done a slightly later date I could handle some lighter tasks now, like reading, crafting etc.
14. It seems to be a good idea to block out some slots for hobbies because if we have a heavy work schedule, then these other talents become latent since we don’t ever seem to find any time for them.
15. Doing tasks after Salah might not be a suitable option for those who have too many people around who need attention. Unless of course all these people are aware that the time after Salah is your personal time and you will not be available for them. Such people would be more comfortable working when others are otherwise occupied; kids are asleep, family members are out etc.

 

Sister Yumna

I am a stay at home mum. We just recently moved to  Saudi Arabia. I spend most of my time in front of the pc. Things would get done in the house. but I always got side tracked, and ended up in front of the pc. I lacked focus.

My assignment was to schedule tasks for after salaah. I used to rush through salaah so I could do things, which inevitably led me to the pc, to check a message or FB… anything to keep me from doing my tasks. Since I started this experiment, I am more aware of my time, and how I use it. How little of my time I actually dedicated to Allah Ta’ala and my family.

I gave myself time limits to do tasks, and masha-allah I finished way before the time elapsed. I spent less time idling around.

Fajr time: I used to rush through salaah so I could help the kids get ready for school.
Now, I plan my time, and sort most of the kids stuff at night, so mornings are more free, less stressful and also I can read some Quraan.

Duhur: This is my time that I dedicated to Allah Ta’ala.I could read more dhikr, and more quraan

Asr: Kids are home, so this time was dedicated to spending time with them.

Magrib: I have to work more on this time, but I want to eventually free up more time so I can read nafl salaah and also read some quraan

Esha: This time is dedicated to cleaning up after supper. Also spend more time with my kids bedtime.

 

Well, that's all folks. Five great participants with five great results. A lot for us to think over, and a lot for us to learn from. If you were doing the experiment, how would you do it differently? What obstacles would you face? And how would you overcome them? Let us know in the comments section below and let's really learn from each other.

 

Guest Post: The Five Dysfunctions of Islamic Organizations

This post was prepared by Br. Ibn Abee Omar of MuslimMatters.org

This information should benefit anyone involved in Islamic organizations, but it really needs extra attention from those in leadership positions in their communities to start to effect the type of change needed to prevent dysfunction.

The Five Dysfunctions Are

1. Absence of Trust
2. Fear of Conflict
3. Lack of Commitment
4. Avoidance of Accountability
5. Inattention to Results

These are laid out by Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. While the pertinence to a professional or corporate environment is obvious, these are at the core of the problems faced by Masajid and Islamic organizations across the country.

1. Absence of Trust

The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team.

Understanding trust means refining our notions of the term. Trust means knowing the others around you have good intentions, and that you don’t need to shield yourself around them. It is distinct from reliance, which is “trusting” that a peer will perform a given task reliably. Trust is being able to open up, and show vulnerability while knowing that those vulnerabilities won’t be used against you.

What we find with many Islamic organizations is that people’s actions are dictated by what others will think about them. Think about the person elected to be the Masjid treasurer with no accounting or financial experience whatsoever. This person continues to do this job day in and day out, despite not being able to do it well. Instead, this person is focusing on holding this position for strategic reasons vis-a-vis others within the organization. He is constantly trying to protect himself. If trust existed within the organization, he would be able to display that vulnerability and instead be 100% focused on performing the treasurer duties to the best of his ability.

It is commonplace that the higher ranking members in these organizations are usually the “well-educated” ones (e.g. the “doctor uncle”). One thing we often fail to realize is that these people have been trained their entire lives to be competitive with their peers and constantly outperform them. Personal reputations are at stake. If these instincts cannot be ‘turned off’ for the betterment of the organization, then a lot of time is invested into managing the fallout. Examples of this include having constant meetings to manage people’s behaviors, and seeing a decrease in the willingness of organization members to help one another.

Organizationally, another factor that contributes to a loss of trust is not identifying and utilizing people’s skills. How can trust exist in a masjid construction project when a Muslim contractor who has been managing construction projects for a living for over 20 years is sitting around while the organization turns over the masjid construction plans to a pediatrician?

This is the fundamental building block to freeing Islamic organizations of dysfunction, and it is perhaps the hardest because it requires the greatest overhaul in attitude and environment.

Once established however, it can foster constructive conflict.

2. Fear of Conflict

The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive, ideological conflict.

-Important concept to understand: Ideological conflict vs. Personal conflict-

Have you ever met a husband and wife who never had an argument with one another? Have you ever met a parent that never had a disagreement with his or her children? Didn’t think so.

Why do we expect that Islamic organizations should operate under some kind of happy-go-lucky utopia? To preserve this naive notion of how things should be, we avoid engaging in any kind of conflict. What ends up happening then is that direct conflict is avoided within the organization, but it is replaced with back-stabbing, personal conflicts, and politics.

You have seen the organization where there may be a body of 7 people. 3 of them meet separately, and 4 of them meet separately. Then they concoct conspiracy theories about how the opposing camp really feels about an issue, and why they are pushing a particular position over another. Then they get riled up, and go out to the community seeking more support for their own side. Next thing you know, it’s an all out community conflict with name-calling, people not talking to each other, and the conflict finally erupting at a dinner party at some innocent person’s house while the innocent bystanders try to enjoy some chicken biryani.

Muslim organizations simply seem to want to avoid having any healthy conflict (discussion). This is why they all dread meetings that are boring, and where nothing gets done. When organization members trust each other, they can talk freely with one another and debate the merits of different ideas. Sit down and completely hash it out. A certain level of maturity is of course required, so that the debate does not turn personal. The element of trust is what allows people to freely credit or discredit ideas without worrying about hurting someone’s feelings (and then later making personal attacks behind their back).

Meetings should be lively and focus on the concepts and ideas being discussed – even if they become emotional. Let people be passionate about why they feel that a certain project is a waste of money, or that the dome of the masjid should be 25 feet in diameter instead of 30 feet, and so on.

This is important because once the merits of an idea have been thoroughly discussed, everyone has had a chance to air their objections or concerns, and people can respond to them. So let the best ideas win. Once that is done, even the people who initially opposed the idea, can support it from an organizational perspective. Contrast this with a board member who unwillingly votes in favor of a certain project, waiting for it to fail, then running around telling the community, “I told you so!”

3. Lack of Commitment

The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions to which they will commit.

Commitment only comes from the step above – once everyone’s perspectives and opinions have been heard, they can all buy into the concept knowing that all ideas have been considered. And of course, that discussion cannot take place without step 1 – establishing trust.

According to Lencioni, the two biggest factors hindering commitment are:

1. Desire for consensus
2. Need for certainty

It seems many Islamic organizations refuse to move forward even one step without both of those being in place. Finding consensus is a nearly impossible task, and consensus is usually sought out of fear of backlash. It seems leaders are unwilling to make decisions without 100% support in case something goes wrong, they can defend themselves. This is unhealthy for the growth of any organization.

People do not need to agree with a decision in order to support it. As long as their ideas have been properly heard (explained in the step above), then they can rally around the decision – even if they disagree with it.

The need for certainty is closely related to the phenomenon of analysis paralysis. Organizations are unwilling to make a decision until a certain amount of data is available to them – at which point it might be too late. They have an innate need to feel like they have made the correct decision. Often times, a decision will need to be made quickly, and without the benefit of having all of the relevant information available. It is important to decide, and move on. Better to go down swinging then not show up at all. We are blessed with Istikharah and shura. Utilize them. Constantly delaying a decision, or flip-flopping back and forth will not help you make the correct choice, instead it will just kill your credibility.

Symptoms of lack of commitment include: ambiguity about direction and priorities, lack of confidence, fear of failure, and revisiting issues over and over for discussion. Islamic organizations need to clearly define their goals, rally around those common objectives, create an environment of learning from mistakes, and moving forward without regret.

The Prophet (sal-Allahu ‘alayhi was-Sallam) said the believer is not bitten from the same hole twice. We cannot demand perfection, but we demand the best effort.

4. Avoidance of Accountability

The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable.

Lack of clarity and direction (as explained in the step above) makes it impossible to hold anyone accountable. How can someone be accountable if they do not know what is expected in the first place?

Successful organizations must have an environment in place where people are able to call each other out for not living up to their standards. This should be the case whether positions are paid or unpaid. People are uncomfortable letting others know that their performance may not be up to the expected standards because they fear losing a volunteer, or perhaps even a friendship. Letting these feelings fester though, will only cause those relationships to deteriorate. It is time for Islamic organizations to stop settling, and demand the best – even if it requires some personal discomfort along the way. Doing this will actually develop mutual respect amongst the people working within the organization because they know they are equally being held to the same high standards by one another.

If this accountability is not there, then people begin to simply look out for their own self-interests over and above the interests of the organization.

5. Inattention to Results

The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success.

Once an organization has clearly defined its goals and objectives, it must focus on meeting them. When an organization loses sight of those results, their attention shifts elsewhere. Lencioni says ‘elsewhere’ in this case would be team and individual status:

Team Status: For [some], merely being part of the group is enough to keep them satisfied. For them, the achievement of specific results might be desirable, but not necessarily worthy of great sacrifice or inconvenience. As ridiculous and dangerous as this might seem, plenty of teams fall prey to the lure of status. These often include altruistic nonprofit organizations that come to believe that the nobility of their mission is enough to justify their satisfaction … as they often see success in merely being associated with their special organizations.

Individual Status: This refers … [to people focusing] on enhancing their own positions … at the expense of the team.

The collective results must be more important than individual aims and objectives. One important note is the relationship of this dysfunction to the issue of trust (step 1). Individuals getting involved must also cleanse their hearts of any ill intentions such as seeking fame and credit in the community. The eventual breakdown of an entire organization can start from the simplest of individual wants or intentions.

Concluding Thoughts

Lencioni summarized it best:

And so, like a chain with just one link broken, teamwork deteriorates if even a single dysfunction is allowed to flourish.

Another way to understand this model is to take the opposite approach – a positive one – and imagine how members of a truly cohesive team behave:

1. They trust one another.
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
3. They commit to decisions and plans of action.
4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans.
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results

Time Track Experiment Results (Part 1)

Sister Farah:

I must admit, I did find it difficult to track my time every 20 minutes. At the start it was easy because I knew I had to do it but through the week I kept losing track of tme and forgetting. 

 

I began my 'experiment' on Sunday. I used the Taskinater a lot so I used it in my 6 days that I took part in this 'experiment'. This helped me to get 'organised' in my daily life.

As I try to structure my life around Salah I found it difficult to pray my salah due to university commitments (no excuse I know) at which I was troubled and horrified at, so I tried to make more of a conscious effort.

If I didn't do something I had planned to do in one day I would make it my responsibility to get all my tasks done in another day. However, I only managed to get a handful of tasks done, but they were the most important if that is any consolation :P

Doing this 'experiment' allowed me to spend a lot of  time with those who I consider to be Family and friends, which I wouldn't normally do .'

What I appreciated the most was using Taskinater to create block bookings for Salah and just taking a moment to remember Allah (SWT). This also allowed me to be more effective in a lot of daily activities such as helping with chores etc.

Granted it was not easy but Alhamdolillah I have learnt a lot about my self. Basically I am more productive that what I was in the past subhan'Allah.

Br. Ahmad:

This was a pretty interesting experiment, I learned so much this past weeks about time management, I could run my own website! 

 

The experiment was simple:  have a list of 7 productive things you do in the day, each time you start those activities you turn the stopwatch on, and then turn it off when you stop (ie. Get distracted).

 

The stopwatch, has turned from something I leave in bathrooms while doing wudhu, from something I leave in my clothes while they get washing-machined, to becoming my best friend.

 

The experiment was rather depressing!

 

It made me realize 2 things:

1. How much time I and we use on unproductive things.

2. How quick it is for me and us to get easily distracted.

The fact that my stopwatch was closed most of the day, and how when the clock actually started ticking (meaning I was doing something productive), the little time it took for me to stop the clock made me ask myself: why am I so unproductive?

 

I noticed the pattern-- the BIG DISTRACTIONS

• Communication
• email, facebook, texting, face 2 face
• Passion and doing what we enjoy
• Sinning, TV, videos, food, entertainment..
• Feeling good about ourselves
• Always worried about other people's thoughts on you and what they say bout you..

 

For example: one of the tasks I had to do was clean my room. As a guy, clean rooms don't come natural. (as a muslim, they should.. ) So I started, and since there was no facebook or email access involved, I thought it would be quick and focused job. But less than 10 min. into it… BAM! A text message!  All my intentions of productivity were distracted in some da'wah ideas… Next day I cleaned my room again (I never got back to it the first day :P), this time going the extra mile, I closed my phone and my laptop, and this time I was determined to finish cleaning it for sure! But 13 min later, Mama called "AHMADDDD I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING".

 

I closed the stopwatch with my dreams of a clean room shattered..

 

So you see how you can easily get distracted, by these things, the key is to first recognize them, then minimize them to productive things. Like when I reflect to both incidents, if I told my mom or my friend that I was cleaning my room, I'm sure they would be in shock and leave me to my business lol.. But I sort of didn't wanna clean. I did end up fully cleaning it with my brother before Jumu'ah, ALHAMDOLILLAH! All praise to Allah :)

 

Those are some tips, reminders, insights I learned throught the week..

So my experiment showed me we simply, as humans, like to MAXIMIZE their time in doing things we love, and Minimize the time spent in things they don't love..

 

It's natural.

You love food, you hate medicine.

You love hanging out with friends, you hate going to school..

 

The key is to maximize your time in things that will help you long term, to reprioritize, get things done. And in between create break times where you allow yourself to get distracted.. I have more lessons, but this is sufficient for now,, More tips to come soon inshAllah :D

 

Last but not least, this lecture changed my life in time management last week, A must listen, It will change yours too inshAllah! Don’t be lazy, listen! Click here.

Interview with a Productive Muslim: Akmal Saleem (UmmahVouchers)

Recently, ProductiveMuslim met up with Br. Akmal Saleem of UmmahVouchers, and we asked him his secrets to productivity.

1. Assalamu Alaykum, Br. Akmal, Welcome to ProductiveMuslim.com, tell us about yourself.

Walaikum-Asalaam fellow Productive Muslims, Jazak Allah for inviting me to this fantastic community, there’s not a great deal to tell about me really, except that I am 23 years old, I graduated from Aston University in Birmingham, UK, I live in Reading. I work as a SEO Developer (Search Engine Optimisation) and run www.UmmahVouchers.co.uk, UK's 1st Muslim Voucher Website.I wear size 9 shoes and..... I think we will cap that on the personal info ;)

I really love Productive Muslim efforts as a interactive arena for Muslims to engage and learn in a more digital atmosphere, one of the hardest feat's these days is engaging the Muslims on a scale that actually impacts them and I feel Productive Muslim is doing just that, with creativity and halal innovation.

2. So how did you start UmmahVouchers.co.uk? 

This is actually a funny story, around 5 months ago my sister sent me and all my family an e-mail on our work e-mails with a voucher for a pizza place, now my aunties and uncles, my father and cousins started to "reply all" to this email with vouchers and discounts and offers that they often use, this e-mail had become and official bargain hunter thread ! My father travels to London everyday and he replied one day saying, "Promoters at Paddington Station were giving away FREE loafs of bread ! I went and got a couple for the weekend". My cousin who is at university was sending us student discount websites that she uses and my aunty was just sending messages like "lol..loll....lolzz, oh dear this is so funny"

So amongst this thread I thought to myself, why is there no dedicated Muslim Voucher website, where Muslim businesses can showcase their special offers and in one place, and this is where UmmahVouchers.co.uk was born.

3. Running online business sounds challenging, how do you deal with organizing your team?

It is true, online business is hard, but Alhumdulillah hard work and honesty in business are the foundations that our beloved Prophet SAW and the Sahabah build their trade and businesses upon, so I try to emulate these practices for both spiritual reward and financial success. When it comes to organising my team I look at every task and project in 2 perspectives; 1. Islamically (Moral aspects), 2. Commercially (Business Sense) these coupled with motivation, communication and creativity make up the right ingredients for me to manage and organise the team and the project.

4. Sometimes your passion for your vision makes you overwork, and then you get so overwhelmed that you just can't function anymore. That sudden curve of productivity crashes into a straight line on zero. How can one avoid such a fall?

At the end of the day we plan, but Allah plans better and so when I feel like I am falling behind or stressing out, I take a step back and remember my creator, and usually that help me put everything in perspective and normally I get inspired in some shape or form, and when it doesn’t work then I count it as my fault and lacking rather than the fact that Allah is not listening, because we all know that Allah loves his slaves, especially the productive ones. (May Allah make us amongst the productive Muslims of this world, ameen).


5. How about time-management? How do you schedule your time?

Time-management is always a difficult task and usually as much as you try to stay on top of the schedule it never works, however the psychological factor in having a schedule and a checklist is enough to help you manage your efforts. This is an example of the power the mind has, without a schedule you almost feel lost because you have no reference measurability to call upon, however by having some kind of schedule gives an indication and calls upon the desired framework you wish you work upon, this is sufficient in keeping your time managed and productive.

I hope that makes sense, all the people who make random lists will understand exactly what I mean, btw my best friend is a "post-it-note pad".

The best tool to manage your time is actually Salah, but remember, organise your activity around Salah, not the other way around, do NOT organise Salah around your activities.

6. What do you think are the ingredients of a Productive Muslim?

Hmmm, this is very good question, however there is just a whole recipe book to become a Productive Muslim - The Sunnah and Sirah.

The Sunnah gives us the live example of the most Productive Muslim that ever lived, may peace and blessing be upon him for eternity, my opinions have no bearing against this example, all I will say is that the Sunnah was relative 1400 years ago and is even more relevant now, people often say but the etiquettes of the people of the past are not relative in this modern era, quite the opposite. The etiquettes of the past are undoubtedly the best of actions for a Productive Mind, Muslim and Human (You can have that line :P)

7. What is your upcoming venture/ Intiative/ business idea?

Hehe... Well here is an exclusive, the "Voucher Countdown" Campaign. UmmahVouchers.co.uk is giving away FREE Halal Restaurant Voucher Booklets across the UK, we have gone to your favourite halal restaurants in the biggest cities and have persuaded them to give some awesome vouchers.

But there's a catch there's only 5000 per city and no one knows where they are being released, muhahaha. You will have to keep checking UmmahVouchers.co.uk and keeping an eye out in your city for the marketing we are doing.

But you will have to be alert, we anticipate a mad rush to the locations once we publish them, but heres a hint for the first city it will be launched in... Anyone every heard of the balti triangle?


8. May Allah help you succeed in your projects, ameen. Final words of advise to our ProductiveMuslim fans?

Firstly if you liked this interview and you are now excited on saving money and supporting Muslim businesses, then please check our website out www.ummahvouchers.co.uk, register for free and start saving on all your islamic essentials, art, books, modest clothing, al kauthar courses and much more. If you are in the US or Canada, then Insh'Allah you will not have to wait to long, we have started to develop these international websites, however if you would like to help us launch this in your country then please get in touch we me info@ummahvouchers.co.uk

So Productive Muslims, word hard, pray with humility, never give up and remember "in Allah believers put their trust".

I leave you with a piece of advice I was given by a very special person, when I kept failing in every business venture I tried to start didn't work, the person said to me:

"When something doesn't work out its because Allah has something better planned for you"

Jazak Allah to Productive Muslim for featuring UmmahVouchers.co.uk, we make dua that this community prospers and grows and that you get the highest status of Jannah.?

Abdullah Hakim Quick – Islam & Different Spheres of Life

Nouman Ali Khan – The Legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (a)

Muhammad Alshareef – Journey’s End

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Kamal el Mekki – Chain Reaction

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7 Good Reasons for Attending a Sisters’ Halaqah

From forging a sense of community to providing an iman boost, the benefits of attending a weekly halaqah are many. Umm Ismail shares seven good reasons to get you out of your house on the path of knowledge.

Some Advice for Muslim Husbands on Giving Your Wife a Break

I was pretty much "hands-off" dad - diapers repelled me, and I would leave watching the kids to my wife. Since they didn't like leaving her side, it was all the more reason for me to say, "See, if I take them, they'll just cry, so you keep them." I'd let her feed the kids most of the time, and I would pretty much take them when it looked as though my wife were about to have a nervous breakdown.

Female Wet Dreams: Islamic Perspectives & Regulations

Therefore, if a girl/woman sees a wet dream, it does not mean that she is sexually perverted, lewd or immodest in any sense. It is out of her control, especially for younger girls who may be experiencing many hormonal changes in their bodies. In fact, the Shariah itself recognizes wet dreams as a sign of puberty.

Sunday Open Thread – 3/7/10 – Upcoming Media Events

Sunday Open Thread for March 3, 2010

Charity – The Best of Both Worlds

A reflection on the apparent and hidden benefits of helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

Our Condolences at the Passing of Aminah Assilmi

From the International Union of Muslim Women: Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon. Our beloved sister, Aminah Assilmi passed away this morning in an automobile accident. We pray that Allah (SWT) will shower His mercy on this sister and grant her the highest level of Paradise – Jannat Ul-Firdous – and give her family patience in this [...]

Arabic Dictionaries and Resources for Students

For students of Arabic, there are a lot of wonderful dictionaries and resources available online and in-print. However, the wrong dictionary at certain stages of learning could lead to a lot of frustration, unnecessary expenditure of time and even ultimately a loss of motivation to study Arabic. Thus, here is a list of dictionaries and resources in English that students of Qur’an and Arabic can use in their studies.

Six C’s of Good Character, Part 4

Read the final part of the video transcript of Yassir Fazaga's inspiring talk on PeaceTV. He discusses the topic of good character: its importance, what it is, and how to obtain it.

In Witnessing the Signs of Allah, A Call to Repentance

While some have failed to abide by true love to him (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) this lunar month, by celebrating that which he did not command to be celebrated, they have forgotten that this great Prophet was one who, “Whenever he saw clouds or wind, his color would change.”

The Prophet’s Prescribed Antidote for Housework Fatigue: Remembrance of Allah!

This is a very inspiring incident from the lives of our Prophet's [???? ???? ???? ? ????] family members. Aside from the main lesson gleaned from it, especially for homemaking women of all ethnic backgrounds, who spend a significant portion of their day doing housework and chores, there are several points of interest that can be pondered upon.

The Nuclear Double Standard

Israel have nuclear power, but not Iran? asks Charles Pena

Biden in Israel

They b*tch-slapped him good, says Justin Raimondo

Israel’s Lobby Imposes Crippling Sanctions on America — Again

Grant Smith on AIPAC's trade-law infiltrations

War in a Box

The event on the House floor Wednesday afternoon was monumental — the first major congressional debate about U.S. military operations in Afghanistan since lawmakers authorized the invasion of that country in autumn 2001. But, as Rep. Patrick Kennedy noted with disgust on Wednesday, the House press gallery was nearly empty. He concluded: "It’s despicable, the [...]

Taboo Thwarts Candor on Israel/Iran

Israel Lobby keeps it 'neat,' says Ray McGovern

Thursday: 4 Iraqis Killed, 18 Wounded

Updated at 7:12 p.m. EST, Mar. 11, 2010 Some election results were released today amid allegations of fraud by one of the major parties. At least four Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in various attacks. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department blamed the Iraqi government for human rights abuses, including the murder of Iraqi civilians. Also, Prime Minister Maliki underwent minor surgery.

The Rogue Nation

Philip Giraldi on the nation which dispenses

Iran, Israel Spoiling for a Fight?

RAMALLAH — Iran and Israel appear to be spoiling for a fight, going by recent belligerent statements emanating from several regional capitals. Military movement on the ground is also lending credence to the idea that the mutual loathing and major ideological differences between the two countries could lead to a vortex of violence capable of sucking [...]

Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock 

Seven years after Rachel Corrie, a US peace activist, was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, her family was to put the Israeli government in the dock today.  A judge in the northern Israeli city of Haifa was due to be presented with evidence that 23-year-old Corrie was killed unlawfully as she stood in [...]

Premature Withdrawal

Tom Engelhardt on Washington's cult of narcissism

16 March 2010: Remember Rachel Corrie

On 16 March 16 2003, 23-year-old American student Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer as she was trying peacefully to stop it demolishing the home of a Palestinian doctor. Rachel's family have brought a Billy Bragg: The Lonesome Death of Rachel Corrie (http://stopwar.org.uk/content/view/1781/27/)

Last throw of the US dice in Afghanistan

The idea behind the current surge is to cut the Taliban down to size in preparation for the new settlement all sides understand is inevitable. In reality it's a last throw of the US dice, says Seumas Milne, and so far the signs are it isn't working.

The warmongers wag the dog and the media laps it up

It never fails. The warmongers invent a narrative to sell an unpopular war at home and the mainstream media laps it up. So Marjah, a hamlet with one mosque and a few buildings, becomes a city of 80,000 harbouring hundreds of Taliban fighters.

Avatar? Or Hurt Locker? Who gets the anti-war Oscar?

Which director said: "This movie reflects that we are living through war. There are boots on the ground, troops who I personally believe were sent there under false pretenses, so I hope this will be part of opening our eyes."

The fictional town of Marja

The assault on Marja was to be the turning point of the Afghan War, with US-led forces deploying many thousands of troops to drive the Taliban from a city of 80,000. The media dutifully jumped into line with the warmongers' propaganda. Only one problem: Marja does not exist, not as city, not even as a town.

Stealing Muslims human rights

For the British establishment Muslims are contemptible creatures, devalued humans. Do they expect me to turn the other cheek? asks Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

28 UK soldiers killed in 2010

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of [fill in name of soldier killed]," said [fill in name of warmongering politician].

How America destroyed Afghanistan: the story so far

US officials talk about nation-building in Afghanistan. But what they neglect to say is that the US has actually done just the opposite: it has fostered the destruction of much of that nation and now poses a clear and imminent danger to what remains.

Soldier jailed for nine months

Joe Glenton has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment for refusing to return to fight the war in Afghanistan he believes is unjustified and senseless.

How the US got away with slaughtering nine children

Under the Geneva Conventions, it is a war crime to execute a captive. Yet in Kunar province in Afghanistan on December 26, US-led forces or mercenaries cold-bloodedly executed nine handcuffed prisoners aged 11-18.

Paymaster for the Iraq War

Gordon Brown was the paymaster for the Iraq War, to the tune of $8.5bn. He bears the same responsibility as Tony Blair for a war that cost £8.5 billion.

Michael Foot 1913-2010

In February 2003, former Labour Party leader Michael Foot, who has died aged 96, threatened to lead a mass trespass of Hyde Park when Tony Blair's government tried to ban its use for Stop the War's demonstration against the Iraq war. The government capitulated and February 15 saw the biggest political demonstration in British history.

Will Obama bring peace to the Middle East?

"As president, I will provide $30 billion in assistance to Israel over the next decade." On the evidence of these videos, pigs will fly before Obama brings peace to the Middle East.

War as public relations: the media jumps into line

Once again the media is deferring to warmongering American and British politicians, this time hawking the public relations event known as Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan.

Tide of anti-Muslim hatred

Attempts to drive British Muslims out of normal political activity, and the refusal to confront anti-Muslim hatred, can only ratchet up the danger and threaten us all, writes Seumas Milne.

Make a wilderness, call it peace

The surge tactic has forced the enemy into retreat. As in Falluja in 2004, the US is adept at "making a wilderness and calling it peace", says Simon Jenkins.

64% say the war unwinnable

The latest BBC poll shows that 64% in Britain think the Afghan war is unwinnable. And, as this video shows, the troops know the war is senseless.

Here to protect the people

Another missile attack kills dozens of civilians but insists US commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, "We are here to protect the Afghan people.

Dutch courage needed

All Dutch troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of the year, following the collapse of the government. It's time for Gordon Brown to follow suit.

Afghanistan Solution No. 147

Rent-a-Taliban and roll in our "government in a box", says Gen.Stanley McChrystal, US commander in Afghanistan. He thinks a viable Afghan government can be requisitioned like meals-ready-to-eat for his troops.

Operation New Dawn? Or Operation Imperial Sunset?

The Obama administration, like the Bush White House before it, is seeking to beautify its military endeavors through facelifts and marketing appeals. Will it work?

Blind eye to Israel's terrorism

State-sponsored terrorism is fine when it's Israel. Consider the response if Iranian killers had had used forged or stolen passports of citizens of four European states, including Britain, to carry out an assassination.

Israeli soldiers hang their heads in shame over Gaza

Not all Israeli soldiers celebrate the bombing one of the most crowded places on earth, striking civilian targets such as homes, schools and mosques, leaving behind 1,300 dead.

We don't do torture, says David Miliband. Oh yes we do

Human rights lawyers Phil Shiner and Clive Stafford-Smith say torture and abuse by UK soldiers and security services is comparable to what the US has done in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and Bagram Air Base, and government service have colluded at the highest level.

If the enemy vanishes - kill civilians

The civilian deaths in Kandahar and Marjah are a brutal reminder of the heavy price many Afghans will pay in the months and years to come to save the face of those responsible for prosecuting a futile and unjustifiable war.

Do anti-war demonstrations achieve anything?

Two million marched on 15 February 2003 against the Iraq war. The war went ahead and a million people were slaughtered. Did it achieve anything

Obama's secret prisons

Johann Hari: Obama promised to shut down Bush's network of kidnappings and secret prisons. But he is in fact maintaining and expanding them.

Jailed for Gaza protest

Seventy protestors, most of them young Muslims, face imprisonment for protesting against Israel's attack on Gaza in 2008/9. Meanwhile, no one is being held to account for an onslaught which left 1400 Palestinians dead, despite a UN report showing that war crimes were committed.

Repackaging a pointless war

The US/Nato assault on Marjah is little more than a public relations exercise to sell the occupation of Afghanistan to the populations of the invading countries, who remain by large majorities opposed to their governments' collusion in a pointless war.

Five deaths in Afghanistan

Some deaths in Afghanistan are more newsworthy than others. The killing of five Taliban fighters gets blanket coverage; the killing of five innocent civilians gets almost none.

Olympic boycott over Afghanistan?

The US led boycott by dozens of countries of the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 was a protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. And in 2010?

Shock and awe in Marjah

Rapid, furious air attacks are the way to reduce civilian casualties in Marjah, says the US commander leading the largest military action in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.

How's Obama the pro-peace president doing?

Despite the flowery rhetoric and promises of "change", in many ways, President Obama has instituted a more hawkish and more expensive war policy than President Bush.

19 and sent to die in a futile war

Paul Hardcastle's 19, updated for Afghanistan, is sadly apt, with 19-year-old Sean Dawson from Manchester one of 12 UK soldiers killed so far in February.

Fallujah-style attack to be launched in Afghanistan

Military commanders and the media are openly comparing the imminent attack on Marjah in Afghanistan to the November 2004 siege of Fallujah, one of the bloodiest war crimes of the Iraq war.

The target now is Iran

If we are to avoid a replay of the Iraq catastrophe, pressure to prevent war with Iran will have to start now.

America's secret prisons

A new investigation reveals harrowing details about U.S. secret prisons in Afghanistan, under both the Bush and Obama administrations.

Tony Blair's Judgement Day

Selection of videos, pictures and poems by Stop the War supporters recording the spirit and purpose of the protest when Blair gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.

Desertion charge dropped

Did the army drop the charge of desertion against L/Cpl Joe Glenton because it feared the legality of the Afghan war being examined at his court martial?

The murder of Palestine

Israeli bureaucracy is driving Palestinians out of their homes to steal the land for illegal settlements, writes Robert Fisk.

Fiasco, disgrace, utter failure

The boos that accompanied Blair as he left were the most troubling opposition he experienced all day in front of this pitiful committee of establishment fogeys.

What's the point of this inquiry?

"If you are found to be lying and have misled the British public, and we were taken into an illegal war, what I want to know is, will he be tried for this crime? If not, why have this inquiry?" says father of soldier killed in Iraq.

Arrest Tony Blair now

George Monbiot has put a bounty on Tony Blair's head, which will be awarded to the first person to attempt a citizens's arrest for crimes against peace.

Iraq: The People's Dossier

Iraq: The People's Dossier anticipated that the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War would be no less "dodgy" than the notorious dossiers produced by Tony Blair to justify war crimes. How right we were. A must read. Buy now... (http://stopwar.org.uk/content/view/1716/1/)

Questions Blair must answer

If Blair cannot give satisfactory answers to the questions below, there is only one conclusion: he should stand trial for war crimes, guilty of mass-murder.

Why do they hate us?

We proclaim our innate goodness, our pure motives, while decrying "terrorism". To the bulk of Muslims, the greatest terrorism is the destruction of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the drone attacks on Pakistan and US support for Israeli terrorism.

1 in 4 say send Blair for trial

A YouGov poll says 52% of people believe Blair deliberately misled the country over the Iraq war and 23% think he should be tried as a war criminal.

"The Taliban is defeated"

US army commanders say the Taliban is defeated and the occupying forces are "winning" in Afghanistan. Why then did a recent briefing by the top US intelligence officer in Afghanistan conclude the opposite?

Killing and dying for what?

It gets worse every day for ordinary Afghans but the rich live like kings in their monstrous new "poppy palaces". "We've built a lot of buildings, but we've lost a lot of hope."

Shock: Muslims found in mosque

"Channel 4 Dispatches touched rock bottom with the most risible piece of half-baked Islamophobia I can recall," says Craig Murray, former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan.

West Yorkshire Police race row tribunal is postponed

A West Yorkshire Police employee who is claiming unfair dismissal has had his tribunal postponed.

BNP plans to vet would-be members at their homes

The British National party plans to send officials to vet all would-be members in their homes, a court heard today.

BNP member rules discriminate indirectly, court told

The BNP's new membership rules "indirectly" discriminate against black and Asian people, the UK equalities watchdog has told a court hearing.

White supremacist admits producing ricin for terrorism

A white supremacist today admitted producing deadly ricin while preparing for acts of terrorism.

BNP are caught lying through their teeth

A SMILING white family pictured on a BNP election leaflet are actually American models.

THE PEOPLE exposes BNP member sham

The British National Party's boast that it's changed its rules to let non-whites join is today exposed as a sickening sham.

BNP in apartheid bid to keep party racist

BNP chiefs are plotting to keep ethnic minorities out of the party by introducing an apartheid-style membership system.The leadership has revealed plans to give special "founder member" status to whites who joined before the party was forced to drop its racist constitution. Earlier this month the party was threatened with legal sanctions if it refused to admit non-whites.

Luton man guilty of protest march race attack

A 19-year-old man has been found guilty of racially aggravated assault during a violent protest in Bedfordshire.

Football hooligan barred from matches for five years

FOOTBALL hooligan Jeff Marsh has been banned from football grounds for five years after admitting affray.

BNP photo fail

You’d have thought by now the BNP would have got a bit wise when it comes to using pictures of nice happy smiling (decidedly white) families on their leaflets that it’s probably not best when trying to depict ‘British’ people, to use foreigners.

Mark Walker has lost his case for unfair dismissal

A BRITISH National Party activist and former North-East teacher who was sacked for absenteeism has lost his case for unfair dismissal.

BNP leader Nick Griffin to be given TV platform by BBC again

The BNP's Nick Griffin is to be given a new TV platform by the BBC, it was revealed yesterday.

Simon Darby, BNP leader, interviewed by pupils in their classroom

A senior official in the British National Party was invited to address a classroom on whether the hijab should be banned, The Times has learnt.

Dominic Carman to fight Nick Griffin in Barking, East London, at election

The son of George Carman, QC, one of the Britain’s most notable barristers, is to take on Nick Griffin in the fight for Barking at the general election.

Irish punk rocker Feargal Sharkey spoke at the annual Hope, Not Hate rally

A CABINET minister and a punk have visited the region to join forces against racism.

Who's ugly and nasty?

Robert Bailey, leader of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham council, thinks that Times journalists are "ugly and nasty".

Pipe-bomb maker jailed for three years

A BLACKWOOD man, who admitted possessing an improvised firearm and making pipe bomb, was jailed for three years yesterday.

'BNP' graffiti on Mansfield mosque

COMMUNITY leaders have united to condemn the racist vandals who carved a swastika and the letters 'BNP' into the door of a Mansfield mosque.

BNP supporters accused of hurling abuse at home of Liverpool's ex-Lord Mayor

A GROUP of British National Party supporters were accused of hurling abuse over a loudspeaker after gathering outside the home of a former Lord Mayor.

Don't be fooled, the BNP is really nothing like you

The British National Party has announced that, following pressure from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, it will now be admitting black members. Don't all rush at once, folks.