Ang kinagigiliwang Juan ng katagalugan ay may katumbas sa mga Maranaw - si Pilandok.Si Pilandok ay nahatulang ikulong sa isang kulungang bakal at itapon sa dagat dahil sa isang pagkakasalang kanyang ginawa.
Pagklipas ng ilang araw, ang sultan ay nanggilalas nang makita si Pilandok sa kanyang harap na nakasuot ng magarang kasuotan ng sultan. Nakasukbit sa kanyang baywang ang isang kumikislap na ginituang tabak.
"Hindi ba't itinapon ka na sa dagat?" nagtatakang tanong ng sultan kay Pilandok. "Siya pong tunay, mahal na Sultan," ang magalang na tugon ni Pilandok. "Paanong nangyaring ikaw ay nasa harap ko at nakadamit nang magara? Dapat ay patay ka na ngayon," ang wika ng sultan.
"Hindi po ako namatay, mahal na sultan sapgkat nakita ko po ang aking mga ninuno sa ilalim ng dagat nang ako'y sumapit doon. Sila po ang nagbigay sa akin ng kayamanan. Sino po ang magnanais na mamatay sa isang kahariang masagana sa lahat ng bagay?" ang paliwanag ni Pilandok. "Marahil ay nasisiraan ka ng bait," ang sabi ng ayaw maniwalang sultan. "Nalalaman ng lahat na walang kaharian sa ilalim ng dagat."
"Kasinungalingan po iyan! Bakit po naririto ako ngayon? Ako na ipinatapon ninyo sa gitna ng dagat. Ako na ikinulong pa ninyo sa hawla ay naririto ngayon at kausap ninyo," ang paliwanag ni Pilandok. "May kaharian po sa ilalim ng dagat at ang tanging paraan sa pagtungo roon ay ang pagkulong sa hawla at itapon sa gitna ng dagat. Ako po'y aalis na at marahil ay hinihintay na ako ng aking mga kamag-anak." Umakmang aalis na si Pilandok.
"Hintay," sansala ng sultan kay Pilandok. "Isama mo ako at nais kong makita ang aking mga ninuno, ang sultan ng mga sultan at ang iba ko pang kamag-anak."
Tatawagin na sana ng sultan ang mga kawal ngunit pinigil siya ni Pilandok at pinagsabihangwalang dapat makaalam ng bagay na iyon. Dapat daw ay mag-isang pupunta roon ang ultan sa loob ng isang hawla.
"Kung gayon ay ilagay mo ko sa loob ng hawla at itapon mo ako sa gitna ng dagat," ang sabi ng sultan. "Sino po angmamumuno sa kaharian sa inyong pag-alis?" ang tanong ni Pilandok. "Kapag nalaman po ng iba ang tingkol sa sinabi ko sa inyong kaharian sa ilalim ng dagat ay magnanais silang magtungo rin doon."
Sandaling nag-isip ang sultan at nakangiting nagwika, "Gagawin kitang pansamantalang sultan, Pilandok. Mag-iiwan ako ngayon din ng isang kautusang ikaw ang pansamantalang hahalili sa akin." "Hintay, mahal na Sultan," ang pigil ni Pilandok. "Hindi po ito dapat mlaman ng inyong mga ministro."
"Ano ang nararapat kong gawin?" ang usisa ng sultan. "Ililihim po natin ang bagay na ito. Basta't ipagkaloob ninyo sa akin ang inyong korona, singsing at espada. Pag nakita ang mga ito ng inyong kabig ay susundin nila ako," ang tugon ni Pilandok.
Pumayag naman ang sultan. Ibinigay na lahat kay Pilandok ang hinihingi at isinakay sa isang bangka. Pagdating sa gitna ng dagat ay inihagis ang hawlang kinalululanan ng sultan. Kaagad lumubog ang hawla at namatay ang sultan. Mula noon si Pilandok na ang naging sultan.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea
There was once a kingdom, where a selfish, cruel, and greedy king ruled. His name was Datu Usman. In that kingdom also live a young man named Pilandok, of whose great cleverness thought and made ways of fooling and getting even with the terrible Datu. Because of this, the Datu’s anger grew more and more.
When the Datu spotted Pilandok in the kingdom, he ordered the guards to capture Pilandok, then the Datu placed a punishment upon him. Pilandok was to be tied, placed inside a cage, then thrown into the sea. The palace guards were doing so, but the weather was hot and the sea was far away. The guards then, went to the coconut trees and rested. Until, they fell asleep. At that lucky instant, a merchant was passing by so Pilandok thought quickly of a clever idea. He cried and cried saying he doesn’t want to be married to the Datu’s daughter. The merchant heard him, and he thought Pilandok was being foolish. Who doesn’t want to be married into a wealthy royal family? And the merchant got greedy.
The merchant approached Pilandok and offered to trade places with him. Pilandok agreed urgently. So the merchant freed Pilandok, exchanged clothes with him, and went inside the cage. Pilandok even adviced the merchant to shout, “I agree now to marry the princess!”
The guards only laughed at the merchant and they threw him into the deep blue sea.
After a few days, Pilandok returned to the kingdom, and the Datu was shocked. “Why are you still alive?!” he said angrily. Pilandok explained that when the Datu ordered for him to be thrown into the sea, Pilandok rather landed in a kingdom under the sea! He also found out that the ruler of the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea was his long lost cousin, and who gave him lots and lots of riches. Datu Usman believed Pilandok because Pilandok indeed was very alive and didn’t drown when thrown into the sea. He believed Pilandok even more when Pilandok said that his cousin, who ruled the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea, was inviting the Datu. And the Datu was greedy.
Datu Usman immediately ordered his guards to prepare a cage for him, inside of which he will be thrown into the kingdom at the bottom of the sea. But when they reached the seashore, the Datu was scared. What Pilandok did was he dove into the water, and when he surfaced, he was now carrying a beautiful giant pearl. And the Datu was greedy.
The Datu went inside his cage and ordered his guards to throw him into the sea. He just reminded his guards to pull the cage’s rope when it moved. But they didn’t. Pilandok was stopping them, saying the Datu and his cousin were just having fun that’s why the rope was moving.
When the roped suddenly stopped moving, the guards panicked. They pulled the rope and were shocked upon seeing that the Datu was almost dead. His stomach got so huge from drinking lots of water.
When the Datu awoke, he was mad and searched for Pilandok. But Pilandok was now nowhere in sight.
The clever Pilandok escaped once again, and had tricked once more the greedy Datu.
___________
Source: Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea
by AeDechavez in Folklore, August 9, 2009
When the Datu spotted Pilandok in the kingdom, he ordered the guards to capture Pilandok, then the Datu placed a punishment upon him. Pilandok was to be tied, placed inside a cage, then thrown into the sea. The palace guards were doing so, but the weather was hot and the sea was far away. The guards then, went to the coconut trees and rested. Until, they fell asleep. At that lucky instant, a merchant was passing by so Pilandok thought quickly of a clever idea. He cried and cried saying he doesn’t want to be married to the Datu’s daughter. The merchant heard him, and he thought Pilandok was being foolish. Who doesn’t want to be married into a wealthy royal family? And the merchant got greedy.
The merchant approached Pilandok and offered to trade places with him. Pilandok agreed urgently. So the merchant freed Pilandok, exchanged clothes with him, and went inside the cage. Pilandok even adviced the merchant to shout, “I agree now to marry the princess!”
The guards only laughed at the merchant and they threw him into the deep blue sea.
After a few days, Pilandok returned to the kingdom, and the Datu was shocked. “Why are you still alive?!” he said angrily. Pilandok explained that when the Datu ordered for him to be thrown into the sea, Pilandok rather landed in a kingdom under the sea! He also found out that the ruler of the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea was his long lost cousin, and who gave him lots and lots of riches. Datu Usman believed Pilandok because Pilandok indeed was very alive and didn’t drown when thrown into the sea. He believed Pilandok even more when Pilandok said that his cousin, who ruled the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea, was inviting the Datu. And the Datu was greedy.
Datu Usman immediately ordered his guards to prepare a cage for him, inside of which he will be thrown into the kingdom at the bottom of the sea. But when they reached the seashore, the Datu was scared. What Pilandok did was he dove into the water, and when he surfaced, he was now carrying a beautiful giant pearl. And the Datu was greedy.
The Datu went inside his cage and ordered his guards to throw him into the sea. He just reminded his guards to pull the cage’s rope when it moved. But they didn’t. Pilandok was stopping them, saying the Datu and his cousin were just having fun that’s why the rope was moving.
When the roped suddenly stopped moving, the guards panicked. They pulled the rope and were shocked upon seeing that the Datu was almost dead. His stomach got so huge from drinking lots of water.
When the Datu awoke, he was mad and searched for Pilandok. But Pilandok was now nowhere in sight.
The clever Pilandok escaped once again, and had tricked once more the greedy Datu.
___________
Source: Pilandok in the Kingdom of Maranaw Sea
by AeDechavez in Folklore, August 9, 2009
What is SINGKIL?
THE LEGEND OF MARIA CRISTINA FALLS
Once a upon a time, Lake Lanao in hands of Omaca-An, A giant monster, eating human beings and animals and even fishes in the water. There were thus a few people around the lake because of the monster that ate everything he saw. Many years passed when Rajah Indarapatra came with his beloved brother Rajah Solaiman. Rajah Solaiman was the first to come and he fought the giant but was killed. Rajah Indarapatra followed, looking for his brother Solaiman. Indarapatra encountered the giant Omaca-an and killed the giant man eater. On land, he looked for the ring of his brother by asking the small and b ig animals he met. On water, however, he went swimming everyday and gathered both big and small stones beneath the water. He stayed for several years along the shores of the lake, but still he did not find the ring. He constructed an irrigation system that went very far and covered a big distance which later became a river (now the Agus River). The river had a portion which dropped down a deep ravine now the Maria Cristina Falls.
Many years passed, and there lived in Maria Cristina Falls two loving sisters, namely : Maria the younger and Cristina the elder. These two beautiful ladies loved each other very much. Maria gazed everything she had to Cristina, her beloved sister. Many People knew they were the ones living near the falls. They also loved their neighbor as they loved themselves. Datus and Sultans came to ask for their hands in marriage but the sister refused. There was a man, however, son of a prominent Sultan living somewhere beside the Lake Lanao. For many years he was unhappy because he could not find a suitable partner. He roamed around the lake until he saw the two maidens of the falls. He fell in love with the two sisters but the two sisters did not know whom he really loved. Many days passed and Maria discovered that she loved him very much, which made her very sad and she went to the top of the falls and jumped. When Cristina found out the Maria was dead, she likewise went to the top of the falls and threw herself down the deep ravine. When the handsome young man discovered the situation and found the bodies, he buried them carefully under the falls. After the death of the two sisters, he never married until also died. He also named the falls, Maria Cristina after the two sister he loved.
______
Source: The Legend of of Maria Cristina Falls
by Victoria J Adeva
HOW THE ANGELS BUILT LAKE LANAO
Long ago there was no lake in Lanao. On the place where it is now situated, there flourished a mighty sultanate called Mantapoli. During the reign of Sultan Abdara Radawi, the greater grandfather of Radia Indarapatra (mythological hero of the Lanao Muslims), this realm expanded by military conquests and by dynastic marriages so that in time its fame spread far and wide.
The population of Mantapoli was numerous and fast increasing. At that time the world was divided into two regions: Sebangan (East) and Sedpan (West). The mighty sultanate of Mantapoli belonged to Sebangan. Because this sultanate rapidly increased in power and population as well, the equilibrium between Sebangan and Sedpan was broken.
This dis-equilibrium soon came to the attention of Archangel Diabarail (Gabriel to the Christians). Like a flash of sunlight, Diabarail flew to the Eighth heaven and told Allah, "My Lord, why have you permitted the unbalance of the earth? Because of the power of Mantapoli, Sebangan is now larger than Sedpan."
"Why, Diabarail," replied the Sohara (Voice of Allah), "what is wrong with that?"
"My Lord, Mantapoli has a vast population countless as the particles of dust. If we will allow this sultanate to remain in Sebangan, I fear that the world would turn upside down, since Sebangan is heavier than Sedpan."
"Your words show great wisdom, Diabarail," commented the Sohara.
"What must we do, my Lord, to avert the impending catastrophe?"
To this query, the Sohara replied, "Go right away to the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and to the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky and gather all the angels. I will cause a barahana (solar eclipse) and in the darkness let the angels remove Mantapoli and transfer it to the center of the earth."
Upon receiving the mandate of Allah, Archangel Diabarail, traveling faster than lightning, rallied the millions of angels from the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky. With this formidable army, he presented himself to Allah, saying, "My Lord, we are ready to obey Your command."
The Sohara spoke, "Go to Sebangan, and lift the land of Mantapoli."
Diabarail, leading his army of angels, flew to the east. In the twinkle of an eye, the sun vanished and a terrible darkness as black as the blackest velvet shrouded the universe. The angels sped faster than arrows. They swooped on Mantapoli, lifting it with great care and carried it (including its people, houses, crops and animals) through the air as if it were a carpet. They brought it down at the center of the earth, in accordance with the command of Allah. The very spot vacated by the sultanate of Mantapoli became a huge basin of deep, blue water-the present Lanao Lake.
The waters coming from the deep bowels of the earth rose higher and higher. Archangel Diabarail, seeing the rising tides immediately returned to the Eighth Heaven and reported to Allah, "My Lord, the earth is now balanced. But the place where we removed Mantapoli is becoming an ocean. The waters are rising fast, and unless an outlet for them can be found, I fear that they might inundate Sebangan and drown all Your people."
In response, the Sohara said, "You are right, Diabarail. Go out, then, and summon the Four Winds of the World: Angin Taupan, Angin Besar, Angin Darat, and Angin Sarsar. Tell them to blow and make an outlet for the overflowing waters."
Obeying the Master's command, the faithful messenger summoned the Four Winds. "By the Will of Allah," he told them, "blow your best, and make an outlet for the rising waters of the new lake."
The four winds of the world blew, and a turbulence swept the whole eastern half of the earth. The surging waters rolled swiftly towards the shores of Tilok Bay to the southeastern direction. But the towering ranges impeded their onrush. The Four Winds blew, hurling the waves against the rocky slopes but in vain; no outlet could be cut through the mountain barrier.
Changing direction, this time eastward, the Four Winds blew harder driving the raging waters towards the shores of Sugud Bay (situated east of Dansalan, now Marawi City). Once again, the attempt to create an outlet failed because the bay was too far from the sea.
For the third time, the Four Winds changed direction and blew their hardest. The waves, plunging with ferocity, rolled towards Marawi. Day and night, the Winds blew as the waters lashed against the shoreline of Marawi. This time the attempt succeeded. An outlet now called Agus River was made, and through the outlet, that water of Lake Lanao poured out to the sea, thereby saving Sebangan from a deluge.
It came to past that there was a high cliff at the outlet, and over the cliff the waters cascaded in majestic volume. Thus, arose the beautiful falls which, aeons later, was named Maria Cristina, after a famous queen of Spain.
_____
Philippine Folk Literature Series: Vol.1
Philippine Folk Literature
An Anthology
Compiled by Damiana L. Euginio
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/folktales/Maranao/how_the_angels_built_lake_lanao.htm
The population of Mantapoli was numerous and fast increasing. At that time the world was divided into two regions: Sebangan (East) and Sedpan (West). The mighty sultanate of Mantapoli belonged to Sebangan. Because this sultanate rapidly increased in power and population as well, the equilibrium between Sebangan and Sedpan was broken.
This dis-equilibrium soon came to the attention of Archangel Diabarail (Gabriel to the Christians). Like a flash of sunlight, Diabarail flew to the Eighth heaven and told Allah, "My Lord, why have you permitted the unbalance of the earth? Because of the power of Mantapoli, Sebangan is now larger than Sedpan."
"Why, Diabarail," replied the Sohara (Voice of Allah), "what is wrong with that?"
"My Lord, Mantapoli has a vast population countless as the particles of dust. If we will allow this sultanate to remain in Sebangan, I fear that the world would turn upside down, since Sebangan is heavier than Sedpan."
"Your words show great wisdom, Diabarail," commented the Sohara.
"What must we do, my Lord, to avert the impending catastrophe?"
To this query, the Sohara replied, "Go right away to the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and to the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky and gather all the angels. I will cause a barahana (solar eclipse) and in the darkness let the angels remove Mantapoli and transfer it to the center of the earth."
Upon receiving the mandate of Allah, Archangel Diabarail, traveling faster than lightning, rallied the millions of angels from the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky. With this formidable army, he presented himself to Allah, saying, "My Lord, we are ready to obey Your command."
The Sohara spoke, "Go to Sebangan, and lift the land of Mantapoli."
Diabarail, leading his army of angels, flew to the east. In the twinkle of an eye, the sun vanished and a terrible darkness as black as the blackest velvet shrouded the universe. The angels sped faster than arrows. They swooped on Mantapoli, lifting it with great care and carried it (including its people, houses, crops and animals) through the air as if it were a carpet. They brought it down at the center of the earth, in accordance with the command of Allah. The very spot vacated by the sultanate of Mantapoli became a huge basin of deep, blue water-the present Lanao Lake.
The waters coming from the deep bowels of the earth rose higher and higher. Archangel Diabarail, seeing the rising tides immediately returned to the Eighth Heaven and reported to Allah, "My Lord, the earth is now balanced. But the place where we removed Mantapoli is becoming an ocean. The waters are rising fast, and unless an outlet for them can be found, I fear that they might inundate Sebangan and drown all Your people."
In response, the Sohara said, "You are right, Diabarail. Go out, then, and summon the Four Winds of the World: Angin Taupan, Angin Besar, Angin Darat, and Angin Sarsar. Tell them to blow and make an outlet for the overflowing waters."
Obeying the Master's command, the faithful messenger summoned the Four Winds. "By the Will of Allah," he told them, "blow your best, and make an outlet for the rising waters of the new lake."
The four winds of the world blew, and a turbulence swept the whole eastern half of the earth. The surging waters rolled swiftly towards the shores of Tilok Bay to the southeastern direction. But the towering ranges impeded their onrush. The Four Winds blew, hurling the waves against the rocky slopes but in vain; no outlet could be cut through the mountain barrier.
Changing direction, this time eastward, the Four Winds blew harder driving the raging waters towards the shores of Sugud Bay (situated east of Dansalan, now Marawi City). Once again, the attempt to create an outlet failed because the bay was too far from the sea.
For the third time, the Four Winds changed direction and blew their hardest. The waves, plunging with ferocity, rolled towards Marawi. Day and night, the Winds blew as the waters lashed against the shoreline of Marawi. This time the attempt succeeded. An outlet now called Agus River was made, and through the outlet, that water of Lake Lanao poured out to the sea, thereby saving Sebangan from a deluge.
It came to past that there was a high cliff at the outlet, and over the cliff the waters cascaded in majestic volume. Thus, arose the beautiful falls which, aeons later, was named Maria Cristina, after a famous queen of Spain.
_____
Philippine Folk Literature Series: Vol.1
Philippine Folk Literature
An Anthology
Compiled by Damiana L. Euginio
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/folktales/Maranao/how_the_angels_built_lake_lanao.htm
Saturday, 28 November 2009
MERANAW REPERTOIRE
KOLINTANG/TAGONGKO also known as the "Lima ka Daradiat" of Ranaw (Lanao), composed of five players, one player at the debakan (drum), two players at the agongs (gongs) [Kapananggisa and Kapamales], one player at the Babundir and a lady player on the Kolintang. The players play the kolintang harmoniously. In Darangen era Paramata Bantogen always played debakan, Madali and Mabaning on the agongs while Rangaig on babendir and Paramata Lawanen and Ikada alternately playing Kolintang, they lovely and harmoniously playing kolintang. No one could equal them, ( gosen ko so letingan a mana mombaw ko inged a mabeto beto nian a kataya so Bembaran a daden a rimbang iyan ko ilian pagilidan). Playing kolintang with kapangolilat (waving the hands using the decorated sticks and apir (fans). This serves as an introduction and is done before the kolintang formally start. At the time, kolintang is played by a lady preferably a Princess or a scion from an Empire. But nowadays, it could also be played by a man.
other festive entertainments by Meranaw princess and her maidens. Performed as a female only dance, the Singkil serves as either a conscious or unconscious advertisement to would-be suitors for her future marriage. The ladies graciously step in and out of clashing bamboos poles arranged in either a parallel, rectangular,
or criss-cross fashion while manipulating either apir (fans), mosala (scarves), or even just their bare hands.
Singkil means to entangle the feet with disturbing objects such as vines or anything in your path. It takes its name from the epic tale that the Meranaw people trace the origin of their culture. It goes as follows: In the land of Bembaran lived a brave and handsome hero prince named Paramata Bantogen. He would often leave Bembaran in search of beautiful princesses from far off lands, thus leaving Bembaran vulnerable with its most bravest warrior absent. This would make the diwatas, the guardian spirits of Bembaran, very angry. In an attempt to get Bantogen to stay, the diwatas kidnapped Princess Gandingan, a local princess with bewitching beauty whom Prince Bantogen had not yet seen. The diwatas then placed the princess in an isolated forest where Bantogen would pass on his way to the lands of his favorite ladies. As he passed through this forest, the diwatas caused in earthquake. In her freight, Princess Gandingan began to run for safety. Despite the fierce earthquake causing boulders to fall and all of nature to shake, Princess Gandingan gracefully stepped, hopped, jumped, and hurdled the little rocks and swiftly passed through the trembling trees. The valiant prince saw the frightened princess, chased her, and lead her to safety. Soon after, the earthquake stopped, leaving Prince Bantogen to admire the charming and beautiful princess and forget the beauties of other lands. Thus, Singkil mimics the trials and gracefulness of the legendary Princess Gandingan as she avoided entangling her feet in the cursed forest.
or criss-cross fashion while manipulating either apir (fans), mosala (scarves), or even just their bare hands.
Singkil means to entangle the feet with disturbing objects such as vines or anything in your path. It takes its name from the epic tale that the Meranaw people trace the origin of their culture. It goes as follows: In the land of Bembaran lived a brave and handsome hero prince named Paramata Bantogen. He would often leave Bembaran in search of beautiful princesses from far off lands, thus leaving Bembaran vulnerable with its most bravest warrior absent. This would make the diwatas, the guardian spirits of Bembaran, very angry. In an attempt to get Bantogen to stay, the diwatas kidnapped Princess Gandingan, a local princess with bewitching beauty whom Prince Bantogen had not yet seen. The diwatas then placed the princess in an isolated forest where Bantogen would pass on his way to the lands of his favorite ladies. As he passed through this forest, the diwatas caused in earthquake. In her freight, Princess Gandingan began to run for safety. Despite the fierce earthquake causing boulders to fall and all of nature to shake, Princess Gandingan gracefully stepped, hopped, jumped, and hurdled the little rocks and swiftly passed through the trembling trees. The valiant prince saw the frightened princess, chased her, and lead her to safety. Soon after, the earthquake stopped, leaving Prince Bantogen to admire the charming and beautiful princess and forget the beauties of other lands. Thus, Singkil mimics the trials and gracefulness of the legendary Princess Gandingan as she avoided entangling her feet in the cursed forest.
Magalinday Bembaran, Baratamai Lomna lingered. He was in his armor, with helmet, called sangkad and kampilan tightly held by the right hand and gleaming shield at the left. He was shaking his shield and the tiny bells, called tongkaling, dotting the shield, gave tones of remorse as he was delegated to the Empire of Guindolongan Marogong to propose the marriage of Paramata Bantogen. His age was tender, a lad yet, but made to perform a task of immense proportion. He danced the sagayan to show his prowess in battle against his imaginary enemy. His actions were in curves and doing it elegantly, not like a rough mountain warrior. A lady dances beautifully sadoratan. A gentleman does the
sagayan gracefully.
KAMBARANGAY A KLONG: Mabaning is well known for kambarangay a klong, spiritual dance, this is mostly similar to Sagayan Dance but this time only sword and shield in a expensive attire, it is like martial art practice in preparation for battles, Dimbarangay a Klong or Kambarangay a Klong always done every time
they called their Diwatas (Tonong).
KAPAGAPIR-APIR. Meranaw women walk the kini-kini to display good breeding and social graces as they elegantly manipulate two hand-held fans called apir.
KAZADORATAN depicts a royal manner of walking called kakhinikini among the Meranaw people who live mainly around Lake Lanao. Ladies of the royal court perform this stately dance in preparation for an
important event. The bright colors and flowing handkerchiefs add to
the drama of the dance.
KASIPA SA MANGGIS Long bamboos are used as poles and ropes are tied to the poles and strung to the ropes are kaboka. Each kaboka is a small box-like structure wrapped beautifully with colorful tapestries. If the rattan ball reaches the kaboka and falls, the sipa player gets a prize. KASIPA at least 4 – 8 player, each player will kick the rattan ball if it is full down in his area same with others players, the players should maintain the ball to be kicked continuously, if it was full down to the ground at corresponding area of an player, it is considered Foul, three times fouls of an players should be out from the game until one left and considered
winner, each player wore mosala or (Dalapi) to shacked every time of kicking the rattan ball.
KAPHAYONGPAYONG is another Meranaw dance showing the different styles of using the payong (umbrella) called diakatan in a royal manner. Diakatan is a big umbrella sequenced with Meranaw okir and a Sarimanok on top of it.
KALILANG. The Meranaws of Lake Lanao celebrate. Occasion may be the announcement of a wedding, a betrothal, the crowning of a new datu (ruler), victory in war, or almost anything. A kandori
(thanksgiving) presents entertainment, music and games, jousts, the
dances of war, courtship and manners.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
SO SORIMAN A LANKAP KO BTAD O YAHUDI SII SA DONIYA by Alim, Hassanor bin Maka Alapa
Piagiasa i,
Alim, Hassanor bin Maka Alapa,
al Murshid al Am
Al Insan Islamic Assembly, Philippines
“So kaknala ko btad o ridoay na saopak ko kapakataban”
So Isipan ko Kadakl o Manosiya (Demographics):
• So kadakl o pizakatawan o Israel 14 million
• So kambabagibagi iyan sa doniya: 7 million sa America
5 million sa Asia
2 million sa Europe
100 sa Africa
• So kadakl o Muslim sa Doniya: 1.5 billion
• So kambabagibagi iyan: 1 billion sa Asia
400 million sa Africa
44 million sa Europe
6 million sa America
• Oman i ikalima a manosiya ko taw ko doniya na Muslim,
• Oman i sakataw a Hindu na dowa a Muslim a timbang iyan.
• Oman i sakataw a budhist na dowa a Muslim a timbang iyan.
• Oman i sakataw a Yahudi na 107 a timbang iyan a Muslim.
• Ogaid na so 14 million a yahudi na mabagr a di so kalangowan
o 1.5 billion a Muslim.
Ino to?
Katii so sabaad ko manga daawa roo.
So Manga Taw a Giimakakhaokhaog ko Thotol (history):
• Si Albert Einstein na taw a Yahudi
• Si Sigmund Freud na taw a Yahudi
• Karl Marx na taw a Yahudi
• Paul Sammelson na taw a Yahudi
• Milton Friedman taw a Yahudi
So Manga Tanda a Maporo ko Kapamolong:
• Vaccinating Needle: Benjamin Ruben taw a Yahudi
• Polio Vaccine: Jonas Salk taw a Yahudi
• Leukemia Drug: Gertrude Ilion taw a Yahudi
• Hepatitis B: Baruch Blumberg taw a Yahudi
• Syphilis Drug: Paul Ehrlich taw a Yahudi
• Neuro muscular: Elie Metchnikoff taw a Yahudi
• End criminology: Andrew Schally taw a Yahudi
• Cognitive therapy: Aaron Beck taw a Yahudi
• Contraceptive Pill: Gregory Pincus taw a Yahudi
• Understanding of Human Eye: G. Wald taw a Yahudi
• Embryology: Stanly Cohen taw a Yahudi
• Kidney Dialysis: Willem Kloffcame taw a Yahudi
So Manga Yahudi a Kiabgan sa Nobel Prize:
• Sii ko miaipos a miaka 105 ragon, na so 14 million a yahudi na miakataban siran ko Nobel Prize sa 180 a mamponay sa katao, na so 1.5 billion a Muslim na tlotlo (3) kataw a miakakowa on sa Nobel Prize.
So Manga Inventions a miaalin iyan so lalakaw o thotol:
• Micro-Processing Chip: Stanly Mezor taw a Yahudi
• Nuclear Chain Reactor: Leo Ziland taw a Yahudi
• Optical Fiber Cable: Peter Schunltz na taw a Yahudi
• Traffic Lights: Charles Adler taw a Yahudi
• Stainless Steel: Benno Strauss taw a Yahudi
• Sound Movies: Isador Kisee taw a Yahudi
• Telephone Microphone: Emile Berliner taw a Yahudi
• Video Tape Recorder: Charles Ginsburg taw a Yahudi
So Manga Babagr a Padagang sii sa Doniya:
• Polo: Ralph Lauren taw a Yahudi
• Coca Cola pamoronan (company) a Yahudi
• Levis Jeans Levi Strauss Yahudi
• Starbucks: Howard Schultz taw a Yahudi
• Google: Sergey Brin taw a Yahudi
• Dell Computers: Michael Dell taw a Yahudi
• Oracle: Lairry Ellison taw a Yahudi
• DKNY: Donna Karan taw a Yahudi
• Baskin & Robbins: Irv Robbins taw a Yahudi
• Dunkin Donuts: Bill Rosenberg taw a Yahudi
Manga Panggaway (doctor) ko Kandato ago Katao:
• Henry Kissinger, US Sec. of State: taw a Yahudi
• Richard Levin, President Yale University taw a Yahudi
• Alan Greenspan, US Federal Reserve taw a Yahudi
• Joseph Lieberman taw a Yahudi
• Madeleine Albright, US Sec, of State taw a Yahudi
• Casper Weinberger, US Sec, of Defense taw a Yahudi
• Maxim Litvinof, USSR Foreign Minister taw a Yahudi
• David Marshal, Singapore Chief Minister taw a Yahudi
• Isaacs Isaacs, Gov – Gen Australia taw a Yahudi
• Bejamin Disraeli, British Statesman taw a Yahudi
• Yevgeney Primakov, Russian PM taw a Yahudi
• Barry Goldwater, US Politician taw a Yahudi
• Jorge Sampiao, President Portugal taw a Yahudi
• Herb gray, Canadian Dep. - PM taw a Yahudi
• Pierre Mendes, French PM na taw a Yahudi
• Michael Howard, British Home Sec. taw a Yahudi
• Bruno Krisky, Austrian Chancellor taw a Yahudi
• Robert Rubin, US Sec. of treasury taw a Yahudi
Manga Olowan ko Kapamakatokaw (Media);
• Wolf Blitzer, CNN taw a Yahudi
• Barbara Walters ABC News taw a Yahudi
• Eugene Meyer, Washington Post taw a Yahudi
• Henry Grunwald, Time Magazine taw a Yahudi
• Katherine Graham, Washington Post taw a Yahudi
• Joseph Lelyyeld, New York Times taw a Yahudi
• Max Frankel, New York Times taw a Yahudi
So Manga Kawasa sa Doniya a Pphananabang (philanthropists):
• George Soros taw a yahudi
• Walter Annenberg taw a yahudi
So Manga Barasola (player) sa Olympic:
• Mark Spitz 7 Gold Medals taw a Yahudi
• Krayzellburg taw a Yahudi
• Boris Becker taw a Yahudi
• Stars and TV Producers taw a Yahudi
Ino Siran Manga Babagr?
Na so Manga Muslim na Daa Bagr Iran?
Katii so sabagi a sabap, sabap sa miapakada tano so kapakaozora ko katao.
• Sii ko langowan a Ingd a Muslim (57 Muslim Countries) na aya bo
a pompongan a paganadan on (universities) na 500
• Na sii bo sa USA, na 5,758 universities.
• Sii bo sa India na 8,407 universities.
• Da a isa bo a university sii ko kalangowan o ingd a Islam a ba iniraot
ko bilang a ika 500 ko manga pipiya a university sii sa doniya.
• So gaga ko kabatiya ago kasorat (literacy) ko doniya a Christian na 90%.
• So gaga ko kabatiya ago kasorat ko doniya a Islam na 40%.
• So 15 a ingd a Christian, na aya pankat o gaga ko kabatiya ago so
kasorat na 100%.
• So ingd a Islam na daa rk iyan roo.
• 98% ko ingd a Christian na miakatarotop ko pankat a primary.
• 50% bo ko ingd a Muslim a miakatarotop sa primary.
• 40% sii ko manga ingd a Christian na miakapangadi sa universities.
• Sii ko ingd o Muslim na matag 2% a miakasold on sa Universities.
• So manga ala a ingd a Muslim na adn a rk iyan a 230 scientists oman
i isa ka million a Muslim.
• Sii bo sa USA na adn a 5000 a scientists ko oman i isa ka million a taw.
• So ingd a Christian na 1000 technicians ko oman i isa ka million a taw.
• Sii ko langowan a ingd a Arab na 50 a technician ko oman i isa
ka million.
• So ingd a Islam na gii nggasto ko kapphakaozora ko pangilay (research development) sa 0.2% ko kiatimoan ko pkhaporon iyan a kaoyagan sii sa sold (GDP).
• So ingd a Christian na gii nggasto sa 5% ko GDP.
Polimposan:
Pd a okit ko kathokawa ko bagr o katao na so pankat o kapphakalan-kapa (diffusing) ko katao
• Sa Pakistan na 23 a payagan a karatas (daily news paper) oman i 1000 a taw.
• Sa Singgapore na 360 oman i 1000 a taw.
• Sii sa UK na so manga soson a kitab oman i isa ka million a taw na 2000.
• Sii sa Egypt na aya soson a kitab ko oman i isa ka million a taw na dowa dowa polo.
Polimposan:
• So Doniya o Muslim na malobay a tanto ko kapphakalankapa ko katao.
So giikinggolalann ko katao na pd pn a salakaw a tokaw ago tpng.
• So khiplion ko high tech products phoon sa Pakistan na 1% bo.
• Sii sa Saudi Arabia na 0.3% bo.
• Sii sa Kuwait, Morocco, ago Algeria na 0.3% bo.
• Sii sa Singapore na 58%.
Polimposan:
• So ingd a Muslim na tanto tanto a balobay ko giikinggolalann ko katao.
Ino To?
Ska dn i smbag on!
Pasodan: Kinowa ko Sorat i AB Mohamed, a komikibir (director) ko al Barakah Bank, sa South Africa. Ko kitab iyan a: Knowledge Makes the Difference
Source:
www.maranao.com
Alim, Hassanor bin Maka Alapa,
al Murshid al Am
Al Insan Islamic Assembly, Philippines
Alim, Hassanor bin Maka Alapa,
al Murshid al Am
Al Insan Islamic Assembly, Philippines
“So kaknala ko btad o ridoay na saopak ko kapakataban”
So Isipan ko Kadakl o Manosiya (Demographics):
• So kadakl o pizakatawan o Israel 14 million
• So kambabagibagi iyan sa doniya: 7 million sa America
5 million sa Asia
2 million sa Europe
100 sa Africa
• So kadakl o Muslim sa Doniya: 1.5 billion
• So kambabagibagi iyan: 1 billion sa Asia
400 million sa Africa
44 million sa Europe
6 million sa America
• Oman i ikalima a manosiya ko taw ko doniya na Muslim,
• Oman i sakataw a Hindu na dowa a Muslim a timbang iyan.
• Oman i sakataw a budhist na dowa a Muslim a timbang iyan.
• Oman i sakataw a Yahudi na 107 a timbang iyan a Muslim.
• Ogaid na so 14 million a yahudi na mabagr a di so kalangowan
o 1.5 billion a Muslim.
Ino to?
Katii so sabaad ko manga daawa roo.
So Manga Taw a Giimakakhaokhaog ko Thotol (history):
• Si Albert Einstein na taw a Yahudi
• Si Sigmund Freud na taw a Yahudi
• Karl Marx na taw a Yahudi
• Paul Sammelson na taw a Yahudi
• Milton Friedman taw a Yahudi
So Manga Tanda a Maporo ko Kapamolong:
• Vaccinating Needle: Benjamin Ruben taw a Yahudi
• Polio Vaccine: Jonas Salk taw a Yahudi
• Leukemia Drug: Gertrude Ilion taw a Yahudi
• Hepatitis B: Baruch Blumberg taw a Yahudi
• Syphilis Drug: Paul Ehrlich taw a Yahudi
• Neuro muscular: Elie Metchnikoff taw a Yahudi
• End criminology: Andrew Schally taw a Yahudi
• Cognitive therapy: Aaron Beck taw a Yahudi
• Contraceptive Pill: Gregory Pincus taw a Yahudi
• Understanding of Human Eye: G. Wald taw a Yahudi
• Embryology: Stanly Cohen taw a Yahudi
• Kidney Dialysis: Willem Kloffcame taw a Yahudi
So Manga Yahudi a Kiabgan sa Nobel Prize:
• Sii ko miaipos a miaka 105 ragon, na so 14 million a yahudi na miakataban siran ko Nobel Prize sa 180 a mamponay sa katao, na so 1.5 billion a Muslim na tlotlo (3) kataw a miakakowa on sa Nobel Prize.
So Manga Inventions a miaalin iyan so lalakaw o thotol:
• Micro-Processing Chip: Stanly Mezor taw a Yahudi
• Nuclear Chain Reactor: Leo Ziland taw a Yahudi
• Optical Fiber Cable: Peter Schunltz na taw a Yahudi
• Traffic Lights: Charles Adler taw a Yahudi
• Stainless Steel: Benno Strauss taw a Yahudi
• Sound Movies: Isador Kisee taw a Yahudi
• Telephone Microphone: Emile Berliner taw a Yahudi
• Video Tape Recorder: Charles Ginsburg taw a Yahudi
So Manga Babagr a Padagang sii sa Doniya:
• Polo: Ralph Lauren taw a Yahudi
• Coca Cola pamoronan (company) a Yahudi
• Levis Jeans Levi Strauss Yahudi
• Starbucks: Howard Schultz taw a Yahudi
• Google: Sergey Brin taw a Yahudi
• Dell Computers: Michael Dell taw a Yahudi
• Oracle: Lairry Ellison taw a Yahudi
• DKNY: Donna Karan taw a Yahudi
• Baskin & Robbins: Irv Robbins taw a Yahudi
• Dunkin Donuts: Bill Rosenberg taw a Yahudi
Manga Panggaway (doctor) ko Kandato ago Katao:
• Henry Kissinger, US Sec. of State: taw a Yahudi
• Richard Levin, President Yale University taw a Yahudi
• Alan Greenspan, US Federal Reserve taw a Yahudi
• Joseph Lieberman taw a Yahudi
• Madeleine Albright, US Sec, of State taw a Yahudi
• Casper Weinberger, US Sec, of Defense taw a Yahudi
• Maxim Litvinof, USSR Foreign Minister taw a Yahudi
• David Marshal, Singapore Chief Minister taw a Yahudi
• Isaacs Isaacs, Gov – Gen Australia taw a Yahudi
• Bejamin Disraeli, British Statesman taw a Yahudi
• Yevgeney Primakov, Russian PM taw a Yahudi
• Barry Goldwater, US Politician taw a Yahudi
• Jorge Sampiao, President Portugal taw a Yahudi
• Herb gray, Canadian Dep. - PM taw a Yahudi
• Pierre Mendes, French PM na taw a Yahudi
• Michael Howard, British Home Sec. taw a Yahudi
• Bruno Krisky, Austrian Chancellor taw a Yahudi
• Robert Rubin, US Sec. of treasury taw a Yahudi
Manga Olowan ko Kapamakatokaw (Media);
• Wolf Blitzer, CNN taw a Yahudi
• Barbara Walters ABC News taw a Yahudi
• Eugene Meyer, Washington Post taw a Yahudi
• Henry Grunwald, Time Magazine taw a Yahudi
• Katherine Graham, Washington Post taw a Yahudi
• Joseph Lelyyeld, New York Times taw a Yahudi
• Max Frankel, New York Times taw a Yahudi
So Manga Kawasa sa Doniya a Pphananabang (philanthropists):
• George Soros taw a yahudi
• Walter Annenberg taw a yahudi
So Manga Barasola (player) sa Olympic:
• Mark Spitz 7 Gold Medals taw a Yahudi
• Krayzellburg taw a Yahudi
• Boris Becker taw a Yahudi
• Stars and TV Producers taw a Yahudi
Ino Siran Manga Babagr?
Na so Manga Muslim na Daa Bagr Iran?
Katii so sabagi a sabap, sabap sa miapakada tano so kapakaozora ko katao.
• Sii ko langowan a Ingd a Muslim (57 Muslim Countries) na aya bo
a pompongan a paganadan on (universities) na 500
• Na sii bo sa USA, na 5,758 universities.
• Sii bo sa India na 8,407 universities.
• Da a isa bo a university sii ko kalangowan o ingd a Islam a ba iniraot
ko bilang a ika 500 ko manga pipiya a university sii sa doniya.
• So gaga ko kabatiya ago kasorat (literacy) ko doniya a Christian na 90%.
• So gaga ko kabatiya ago kasorat ko doniya a Islam na 40%.
• So 15 a ingd a Christian, na aya pankat o gaga ko kabatiya ago so
kasorat na 100%.
• So ingd a Islam na daa rk iyan roo.
• 98% ko ingd a Christian na miakatarotop ko pankat a primary.
• 50% bo ko ingd a Muslim a miakatarotop sa primary.
• 40% sii ko manga ingd a Christian na miakapangadi sa universities.
• Sii ko ingd o Muslim na matag 2% a miakasold on sa Universities.
• So manga ala a ingd a Muslim na adn a rk iyan a 230 scientists oman
i isa ka million a Muslim.
• Sii bo sa USA na adn a 5000 a scientists ko oman i isa ka million a taw.
• So ingd a Christian na 1000 technicians ko oman i isa ka million a taw.
• Sii ko langowan a ingd a Arab na 50 a technician ko oman i isa
ka million.
• So ingd a Islam na gii nggasto ko kapphakaozora ko pangilay (research development) sa 0.2% ko kiatimoan ko pkhaporon iyan a kaoyagan sii sa sold (GDP).
• So ingd a Christian na gii nggasto sa 5% ko GDP.
Polimposan:
Pd a okit ko kathokawa ko bagr o katao na so pankat o kapphakalan-kapa (diffusing) ko katao
• Sa Pakistan na 23 a payagan a karatas (daily news paper) oman i 1000 a taw.
• Sa Singgapore na 360 oman i 1000 a taw.
• Sii sa UK na so manga soson a kitab oman i isa ka million a taw na 2000.
• Sii sa Egypt na aya soson a kitab ko oman i isa ka million a taw na dowa dowa polo.
Polimposan:
• So Doniya o Muslim na malobay a tanto ko kapphakalankapa ko katao.
So giikinggolalann ko katao na pd pn a salakaw a tokaw ago tpng.
• So khiplion ko high tech products phoon sa Pakistan na 1% bo.
• Sii sa Saudi Arabia na 0.3% bo.
• Sii sa Kuwait, Morocco, ago Algeria na 0.3% bo.
• Sii sa Singapore na 58%.
Polimposan:
• So ingd a Muslim na tanto tanto a balobay ko giikinggolalann ko katao.
Ino To?
Ska dn i smbag on!
Pasodan: Kinowa ko Sorat i AB Mohamed, a komikibir (director) ko al Barakah Bank, sa South Africa. Ko kitab iyan a: Knowledge Makes the Difference
Source:
www.maranao.com
Alim, Hassanor bin Maka Alapa,
al Murshid al Am
Al Insan Islamic Assembly, Philippines
Monday, 28 September 2009
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
Lucky Number 9
9 o'clock this morning, September 09, 2009.
The date could written in a numerical order of
09:09 09-09-09.
This happened only once a lifetime.
LAILAT-ul-QADR: The Night of Power
QADR means honour and dignity. Lailat-ul-Qadr means the night of honour and dignity. It is this night in which the first Divine Revelation came to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, when he was in prayer in the cave of Hira. Since this night enjoys the honour of having the first revelation brought to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, it has been named Lailatul Qadr.
This night had already opened its gates of treasures when the angel for the first time had come with the Divine Message in the cave of Hira, but its auspiciousness has continued to be with us permanently. Every year in the month of Ramadhan, this night is given to the Ummah. Muslims engage in prayers, recitation of Quran and praying to Allah, as the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam said: "The person who offered prayers to Allah in the night of Dignity with faith and with hope of reward from Allah, all his past sins have been forgiven." (Bukhaari)
Its excellence is great, since in this night the Noble Qur'aan was sent down, which leads one who clings to it, to the path of honour and nobility, and raises him to the summit of distinction and everlasting life. The Muslims who adhere strictly to the Sunnah of Allaah's Messenger (SAW) do not raise flags on this night, nor suspend colourful decorations. Rather they vie in standing during it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) in Prayer out of sincere faith and hoping for reward. Here, O Muslim, are the Qur'anic Aayaat and authentic prophetic ahaadeeth referring to this night:
* ITS EXCELLENCE
As regards its excellence it is more than sufficient to mention that Lailat-ul-Qadr is better than a thousand months, He, the Mighty and Majestic, says:
" Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the Night of Decree (Lailat-ul-Qadr). And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [i.e. Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, Peace! until the appearance of dawn." (Al-Qadr 97: 1-5)
And in it every decreed matter for the year is conveyed, He, the Most High says:
" We sent it (this Qur'aan) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Qur'aan or His Decree of every matter) from Us. Verily, We are ever sending (the Messenger). (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." (Ad-Dukhaan 44: 3-6)
* WHEN IS IT (LAILAT-ul-QADR)?
It is reported from the Prophet SAW that it is within the twenty-first, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh, twenty-ninth or the last night of Ramadhan.
Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, rahimahullaah, said: To me it is as the Prophet (SAW) used to answer according to the question posed, it would be said to him: "Shall I seek it in such and such night?" So he would reply: "Seek it in such and such night." And Allaah knows best. (Reported from him by al-Baghawee in Sharhus-Sunnah)
The most correct saying is that it occurs in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadhan and this is shown by the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah, RA, who said: "Allaah Messenger (SAW) used to practice I'tikaaf in the last ten nights and say: 'Seek out Lailatul-Qadr in the (odd nights) of the last ten days of Ramadhan." (Bukhari, Muslim )
However if the servant is too weak or unable, then he should at least not let the last seven days pass him by, due to what is reported from 'Ibn 'Umar, who said: Allaah's Messenger SAW said: "Seek it in the last ten, and if one of you is too weak or unable then let him not allow that to make him miss the final seven." (Bukhari, Muslim)
This explains his, (SAW) saying: "I see that your dreams are in agreement (that it is in the last seven) so he who wishes to seek it out then let him seek it in the last seven." (Bukhari)
It is also known from the Sunnah, that knowledge of the exact night upon which Lailatul-Qadr falls was taken up because the people argued, 'Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, RA said: The Prophet SAW came out intending to tell us about Lailatul-Qadr, however two men were arguing and he said: "I came out to inform you about Lailatul-Qadr but so and so, and, so and so were arguing, so it was raised up, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it on the (twenty) ninth and (twenty) seventh and the (twenty) fifth." (Bukhari)
Some ahaadeeth indicate that Lailatul-Qadr is in the last ten nights, while others indicate that it is in the odd nights of the last ten, so the first are general and the second more particular, and the particular has to be given priority over the general. Other ahaadeeth state that it is in the last seven - and these are restricted by mention of one who is too weak or unable. So there is no confusion, all the ahaadeeth agree and are not contradictory.
In conclusion: The Muslim should seek out Lailatul-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten: the night of the twenty-first (the night before the twenty-first day), the twenty-third, the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the twenty-ninth. If he is too weak or unable to seek it out in all the odd nights, then let him seek it out in the odd nights of the last seven: the night of the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the twenty-ninth. And Allaah knows best.
By odd nights, the reference is made to the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th night of the month of Ramadhan. No one night has been fixed so that the yearning to find it may increase and people may spend more nights in worshipping Allah. From this aspect, the importance of `Itikaaf (seclusion) during the last ten days of Ramadhan is clear.
* HOW SHOULD A MUSLIM SEEK A LAILAT-ul-QADR?
One who misses this blessed night then he has missed much good for no one misses it except one from whom it is withheld. Therefore it is recommended that the Muslim who is eager to be obedient to Allaah should stand in Prayer during this night out of Eemaan and hoping for the great reward, since if he does this, Allaah will forgive his previous sins.
He SAW said: "Whoever stands in (Prayer) in Lailatul-Qadr out of Eemaan and seeking reward then his previous sins are forgiven." (Bukhari)
It is recommended to supplicate a great deal in it, it is reported from 'Aa'ishah, RA that she said: "O Messenger of Allaah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?" He said: "Say: Allaahumma innaka 'affuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee." (O Allaah you are the one who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me.) (at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Some special prayers and Dhikr for Lait-ul-Qadr
1. Seeking Forgiveness. Hazrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa asked the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam that if she happened to get the night sublime what prayer should she say. The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam replied that she should say the following prayer :
"Allahumma innaka afuwwun kareemun tuhib-bul af-wa fa-afo anni"
(O Allah, You are the One who grants pardon for sins, loves forgiving, so forgive me.)
2. Reciting Astaghfar. The following should be recited as much as possible:
"Astaghfirullah hallazi la-ila-ha illa huwal Hayyul Qayyumo wa atu-bu ilaihe"
(I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, there is no God but He. He is self-Existent, the Eternal and I return to Him)
3. Reciting Surah 'AL-QADR...'
"Inna anzalnahu fee lailatul Qadr, Wa maa adraka maa lailatul Qadr.
Lailatul Qadri khairum min alfi shahr. Tanazzalul malai-katu var-roohu
fee ha bi izni Rabbihim min kulle amr. Salaamun heya hatta matla-il fajr."
4. Do Salatul Tasbih.
5. Do Afzul Zikr i.e. La ilaaha illa-Llah
O brother! You know the importance of this night, so stand in Prayer in the last ten nights, in worship, detaching oneself from the women, ordering your family with this, and increasing in actions of obedience and worship in it.
From 'Aa'ishah, (RA) who said: "The Prophet (SAW) used to tighten his waist-wrapper (izaar) - (meaning detached himself from his wives in order to worship, and exerted himself in seeking Lailatul-Qadr), spend the night in worship, and wake the family in the last ten nights." (Bukhari, Muslim)
From 'Aa'ishah, RA: "Allaah's Messenger SAW used to exert himself in the last ten nights more than he would at other times." (Muslim)
* ITS SIGN
[Many people believe in all sorts of superstitions about Lailatul-Qadr, and false beliefs from them are that the trees prostrate, and buildings sleep! And these things are clearly futile and baseless.] Allaah's Messenger (SAW) described the morning after Lailatul-Qadr, so that the Muslim may know which day it is. From Ubayy, (RA) who said: that he (SAW) said: "On the morning following Lailatul-Qadr the sun rises not having any rays, as if it were a brass dish, until it rises up." (Muslim, Abu Dawood, at-Tarmidhi, Ibn Majah)
From Abu Hurairah (RA) who said: "We were discussing Lailatul-Qadr in the presence of Allaah's Messenger (SAW), so he said: 'Which of you remembers (the night) when the moon arose and was like half a plate?'" (Muslim) [Qaadi 'Iyaad said: "It contains an indication that it was towards the end of the month - since the moon does not appear like that when it arises except towards the end of the month."]
From Ibn 'Abbaas (RA) who said: Allaah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Lailatul-Qadr is calm and pleasant, neither hot nor cold, the sun arises on its morning being feeble and red." (at-Tayaalisee, Ibn Khuzaimah, al-Bazzaar with hasan isnaad)
BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISLAM, Let us seek abundance rewards from our Creator ALLAH SUBHAANAHU WA TA'ALA by performing extra actions in these LAST 10 DAYS of the noble month of RAMADHAN as it could be our last... May Allah accept our prayers and grant us his forgiveness... HAPPY LAILAT-ul-QADR...
Thursday, 03 September 2009
Ialmic Khilafah and Its Illustrious Golden Age
The call for the Islamic Khilafah is growing in momentum the world over as each day passes by. From North Africa to Far East, Europe to Central Asia, Muslims are working tirelessly to restore the Khilafah. This has been recognised even by the western colonial powers and their puppet slaves who illegitimately rule the Muslim world today. In a major speech, delivered on 5th September 2006 to US military officers and US diplomats, George W Bush attempted to mislead the world about what the forthcoming Khilafah will look like in the 21st century. Bush sought to bolster support from the western world for the infamous "war on terror" and his speech was thus unsurprisingly littered with venomous propaganda and lies. Following the footsteps of his Crusader ancestors like Pope Urban II, Bush falsely declared that Muslims who want to regain their political destiny by restoring the Khilafah wish to,
"...establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call Khilafah, where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology... This Khilafah would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia".[1]
What Bush described as a "totalitarian empire" was in fact the leading civilisation that led the world in every known field. This article seeks to illustrate some of the great achievements of the Khilafah in the early Abbasid period, commonly referred to as the Golden Age. Due to its limited scope, this article adopts a thematic approach and therefore only examines the following aspects: life in the cities; economy, trade and industry; education, science and intellectual progression; life of non-Muslims and da'wah; and politics and governance.
Life in the cities of the Khilafah
The Abbasid period ushered in an era of city and infrastructure building, including markets, trade centres, roads and water systems, as large numbers of people settled in these thriving city centres. By the 9th and 10th centuries, a traveller who had travelled widely could differentiate the Islamic world from other parts of the world. This distinction was enabled by the magnificent architecture and buildings the Khilafah had constructed. Whether in Islamic Spain or Iraq, the common architectural features appeared unmistakably distinctive to any observer.
Cities such as Alexandria, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Aleppo, in addition to many of the eastern cities like Samarkand were established prior to the rise of Islam. However, the intellectual strength of Islam and its culture meant that the populations in these cities did not resist Islam and soon adopted its values and culture. As Matthew Gordon writes, "The Arab armies avoided these cities at first, but over time, the integration of Arab populations, and the adoption of Islam and Arab culture by long-established populations, transformed the older cities".[2]
The history of Baghdad is absolutely fascinating. Built around 762 (CE) by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur (754 - 75), it housed the Abbasid rulers and was known as Madinat al-Salam (the City of Peace). By the 10th century and beyond it became the "premier commercial and cultural" centre within the Islamic world.[3] Baghdad under the Abbasid Khilafah is comparable to present day cities like London and New York because of its global significance at the time.
The famous Muslim historian Muhammad al-Tabari narrated in his book, Tarikh that when Caliph al-Mansur had decided to build the capital of the Khilafah in Baghdad, he laid the first brick himself saying, "In the name of Allah, and to praise Him. The earth is Allah's; he causes to inherit of it whom He wills among His servants, and the result thereof is to them that fear Him". He then said to the workmen "Build and [may] Allah bless you".[4] Contrast this Caliph's humbleness and gratitude to Allah despite his grandeur and power to the present day rulers' arrogance and ungodliness and one easily appreciates the qualities of these great Islamic personalities.
Major Islamic cities such as Cairo, Baghdad, Cordoba and Fez were well developed at a time when European cities were not even a comparison. During the Abbasid era Baghdad had an estimated population of 840,000, Cairo had 300,000 - 450,000 and other smaller Islamic cities had around 10,000 - 20,000 inhabitants. In contrast, Paris had an estimated population of 210,000, London had 40,000 and Venice had 180,000.[5] Therefore, Baghdad's population was clearly larger than the population of several of the European cities combined together.
In addition to the Khilafah's advancement, the citizens of the Khilafah enjoyed a high living standard. Bloom and Blair illustrate the high living standard of the citizens of the Khilafah, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, "In the Islamic lands, not only Muslims but also Christians and Jews enjoyed a good life. They dressed in fine clothing, had fine houses in splendid cities serviced by paved streets, running water and sewers, and dined on spiced delicacies served on Chinese porcelains".[6]
People's standard of living in Cairo is visualised by the following narrative written by a Persian spy in the 11th century. The spy's narrative describes the spacious houses the people in Cairo enjoyed at the time and the wide number of shops that existed in Cairo alone, that he estimated to be around 20,000.
"In the midst of the houses in New Cairo are gardens and orchards watered by wells. In the sultan's harem are the most beautiful gardens imaginable. Waterwheels have been constructed to irrigate these gardens. There are trees planted and pleasure parks built even on roofs... These houses are so magnificent and fine that you would think that they were made of jewel..."[7]
It is evident that people had comfortable living conditions under the Khilafah in cities that were not just larger than London or Paris but also far exceeded in terms of material progression. When the Crusaders attacked the holy land the lifestyle, which the people in the holy land were enjoying, made the Crusaders rather unsurprisingly envious and resentful. "The rough-and-tumble Crusaders were knocked off their feet by the luxuries they found for sale in the Near Eastern bazaars".[8]
Economy, trade and industry
As Islam's intellectual, political, economic and military strength grew stronger, it triggered an inevitable demise of the nearby Sasanid and Byzantine empires and eventually they collapsed at the hands of the Khilafah. The Khilafah, covering a massive geographical territory, offered its citizens the opportunity of unfettered travel and trade, which resulted in considerable prosperity in all fields of life. During this period the growth in agriculture added to the commercial boom. Rice and sugarcane, mainly found in India, were transported through Iran to the Mediterranean region where they were deemed to be luxury commodities. In addition, various fruits such as oranges, apricots, mulberries and bananas were introduced in the region at the time. Various spices, precious stones, fine and luxurious cloth and porcelain came from India and China.
However, Muslims did not just import goods for consumption but also exported finished goods. Whilst the European industrial revolution may have triggered the practice of mass production, Muslims had produced goods such as military armaments, sugar, paper, fine textiles etc in large scales for export a thousand years earlier.
The textile industry was of huge importance to the Islamic economy. The four main fibres - wool, silk, cotton and linen - were very widely produced by farmers in the region. The textile industry was as important as the automobile industry in the west today. Other successful industries included metalworking, glassblowing, and pottery. Gordon write that this "...growth of regional and trans-regional trade, and of urban manufacturing, produced new level of prosperity across the city landscape".[9]
Due to this vibrant economy, an internationally recognised monetary system based on the gold and silver standard had developed. "The Abbasid gold dinar remained an instrument of exchange for centuries..."[10] This economic system was not merely based upon primitive coinage; Muslims had also developed a credit issuing system comparable to the modern system of cheque, which was used by traders travelling across the globe. These letters of credit would not have been acceptable to traders in parts of the world unless there was an established economic system. This was also made possible partly by the fact that the Khilafah was expanding over vast territories whose populations were also becoming Muslim.
It is narrated that when Caliph Harun al-Rashid died in 808 CE, his treasury department had 900 million gold dinars in surplus cash.[11] Unlike the worthless paper currencies of the 21st century, the Abbasid gold dinar had in intrinsic value. Therefore, this astounding sum of money in any nation at that time would have made it a very wealthy nation indeed. This material wealth of the Abbasid Khilafah was a direct result of the Islamic economic system.
Education, science and intellectual progression
The growth in trade and the general prosperity directly contributed to the rise and proliferation of Islamic culture and learning internally and led to its promotion externally to other peoples. The urban wealthy Muslim traders understood the purpose of life and hence extended their support to scholars and artisans alike. These early Muslims made a concerted effort to strengthen the culture and values of Islam in their societies.
As the Caliphs governed an ever-growing state, they did not shy away from embracing science and technology to aid their governance. The Khilafah needed scientists and mathematicians to assist in matters such as keeping accurate records of revenue collection or survey of lands. The bureaucrats made use of the available knowledge even if they were from Indian, Persian or Greek scientists at the time.
However, Muslims scientists or mathematicians neither dogmatically accepted the available contemporary scientific knowledge, nor did they reject it because they came from the Greeks or the Persians. Instead, Muslim scientists conducted their own empirical research and experiments to assess the strength of scientific theories available at the time and, "thereby initiating a new era of scientific inquiry".[12] They challenged fundamental Greek scientific theories and often offered refutations based on their improved research findings.
Therefore, Muslim scientists introduced a revolutionary new method of progressing knowledge, a method that is valid to this day. They focused on the scientific methods and instruments used for experiments and their reasoning qualities to elicit impressive results.
By the 8th century, there was a flourishing paper industry in Islamic world, which facilitated the growth of scholarship and wide availability of books. In addition to religious knowledge, expertise in various scientific fields was actively promoted. Wealthy families, including from the Abbasid household, funded research in scientific scholarships.
Muslims started the translation movement, which translated into Arabic works in other languages such as Greek, Persian and Indian in order to progress scientific knowledge. This was a well-funded movement, receiving funds from across society. People of all religious background participated in this search for knowledge in fields such as philosophy, medicine and astronomy. Amongst many pioneering scholars was Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. His work on astronomy was the standard work for many centuries whilst his book Kitab al-Jabr was the first work of algebra (the name "algebra" originated from the title of this book).
The Bayt al-Hikma (House of Knowledge) library in Baghdad, founded by Caliph Harun al-Rashid, by the end of 9th century housed Arabic translation of all the major works of Persian and Indian geography and science. Moreover, the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, which was the first of its kind in the world, was founded in 970. Whilst education and learning may not have been universal, it was certainly very common under the Khilafah. The general masses could read and write; but at the very least they could read. Bloom and Blair argue, "the general level of literacy was greater in the medieval Islamic lands than in Byzantium or western Europe. Writing was found everywhere in this culture..."[13]
The Khilafah invested heavily in the nation's education and scientific research and development. Higher education institutions (madrasa) were established by the 11th century in all major cities. The curriculum included Islamic sciences such as studies about the Qur'an and hadith, in addition to natural sciences such as mathematics, medicine, geometry, astronomy, philosophy and literary arts such as Arabic language and grammar. A graduate from such a madrasa was well equipped to enter diverse career paths including teaching, scholarship and legal positions.
As a result of this successful education system, it is "highly probable" that the European higher education and college systems, e.g. in Spain and Italy, were modelled along the madrasa system. This proposition is supported by the fact that the Islamic world had a well-established education system more than a century prior to its European counterpart. As Europe had regular encounters with the Islamic world, both within commercial and intellectual spheres, it is perfectly conceivable that Europe learnt from the Muslims.[14]
The Khilafah produced some of the best personalities in the world at the time because under Islamic rule, there was no dichotomy between the temporal and the spiritual spheres and hence society excelled in all fields. As Armstrong writes, "Muslim scholars made more scientific discoveries during this time than in the whole of previously recorded history".[15]
Scholastic giants such as al-Khwarizmi (mathematician/ scientist), Ibn al-Haytham (the "father" of optics), Ibn al-Nafis (physician), Ibn Sina (physician/ scientist), Ibn Hazm (philosopher), Ibn Khaldun (philosopher/ historian) and al-Ghazzali (theologian) are only a few to name. These are only some of the figures known to western academics, whilst there are countless others who remain unknown in the west. Yet they too made similarly extraordinary contributions to humanity. In acknowledgment this point, Gaston Wiet comments, "People of the west should publicly express their gratitude to the scholars of the Abbasid period, who were known and appreciated in Europe during the Middle Ages".[16]
Life of non-Muslims and da'wah
Islam's tolerance of other faiths is exemplified by the fact that one did not have to be Muslim to be affluent and established in society. In fact, western academics acknowledge that Jews and Christian citizens of the Islamic state flourished in trade. Merchants came from all background within the Islamic state. Even traders from the Byzantine Empire and Italian city states like Venice an Genoa were known to have traded freely within the Khilafah.
However, Muslims did not restrict their business relationships to mere monetary exchange. Armed with a confident and powerful value system, Muslims in the Abbasid era actively promoted and disseminated Islamic culture and its way of life to outsiders. As a result of interactions between Muslim traders and non-Muslims, large number of people became Muslim.
The Jews were at ease with living alongside Muslims in the holy land and elsewhere in the Khilafah. The following example illustrates this point. When the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and mercilessly slaughtered Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Jews sided with Muslims. A Jewish pilgrim to Jerusalem wrote to a relative in 1100, "The Franks arrived and killed everybody in the city whether of Ishmael or Israel... Now all of us had anticipated that our sultan - may God bestow glory upon his victories - would set out against the Franks with his troops and would chase them away..."[17] Unlike the states in the Middle East today, including the apartheid state of Israel, non-Muslims lived happily under Islamic rule and prospered.
Islam safeguarded the rights of non-Muslims and generally they were not oppressed under the Khilafah. The heads of non-Muslim communities ensured that the terms of the dhimma (contract of protection, which consisted of peace, order, obedience to the state and it laws) between the state and the non-Muslim citizens were honoured. Non-Muslims participated in all aspects of civic life. The Coptic Christians in Egypt worked within the financial services whilst the Jews commonly worked within the medical profession. Hourani mentions, "Relations between Muslims and Jews in Umayyad Spain, and the Muslims and the Nestorian Christians in Abbasid Baghdad, were close and easy".[18]
Islam's ideological and cultural strength can be appreciated when one studies the rate at which many different nations and peoples accepted Islam as their way of life. By the middle of the 8th century less than 10% of the populations in Spain, North Africa and the Middle East (excluding the Arabian peninsula) were Muslim. However, within two centuries there was a completely different picture, as these populations had entered Islam in their masses. Whilst some polemicists may claim that Islam was spread by the sword, those who objectively examine the spread of Islam appreciate that "in general they were not forced to convert" to Islam; rather "the inducement to convert existed"[19] because of the strength of Islam together with the Islamic state's active policies which encouraged populations to embrace Islam.
As Islam spread amongst people of different races and ethnicity, it uniquely shaped their identity. The notion of Ummah was very deeply engraved in the Islamic society as Islam won people's hearts and minds and gelled all Muslims together. Hourani explores the state of the Muslim identity by the 10th century:
"men and women in the Near East and the Maghrib lived in a universe which was defined in terms of Islam... [Muslims] were aware of belonging to something broader: the community of believers (the umma). The ritual acts which they performed in common, the acceptance of a shared view of man's destiny in this world and the next, linked them with each other..."[20]
The notion of modern ethnic nationalism based upon a common language and territorial entity was completely alien to Islam. The nation state model, which exists today, is a foreign concept to Islam and indeed stands diametrically opposed to the history and culture of Muslims.
Politics and governance
The Abbasid Caliphs from the very beginning ruled only by the Shariah. The judiciary had a very distinct role separate from the executive, at the apex of which sat the chief qadi (Judge). The Abbasid Caliphs understood and practically implemented the concept of an independent judiciary. Hourani notes that the judge's "functions were separated from the governors. He had no political or financial duties..."[21] The judges' role was to resolve conflicts and give decisions in accordance with the Shariah. The judges were specially trained in the madrasa.
The Abbasid Khilafah had administration systems divided into various departments, which was certainly complex for its time. To put it into contemporary context, they had departments for military, legal, revenue collection, treasury, security and intelligence. The Caliphs and their governors used to conduct joint public gatherings whereby they heard the people's concerns directly. To prevent the governors from being overly entrenched in their positions and thus becoming neglectful, the Caliphs kept them in regular checks through the various intelligence gathering mechanisms.
The Islamic scholars kept themselves independent of the Caliphs in order to maintain their ability to keep the rulers in checks and acted as the protectors of Islam. Unlike today, Islamic scholars under the Khilafah were multidimensional in their professional skills. They were scholars, teachers and traders etc, as their education was of a high standard.
The Abbasid era was a time of rapid changes in many ways, as the Khilafah experienced demographic and territorial expansion, in addition to scientific and technological and intellectual challenges. The Muslims however faced these challenges within the framework of Islam. They resorted to Ijtihad to deal with new situations, and therefore, the Islamic state prospered.
The Khilafah was not an oppressive police state, as the Shariah safeguards the individual in society against state oppression. Armstrong states, "...no institution, such as the Khilafah or the court, had any power to interfere with the personal decisions and beliefs of the individual".[22] This had particular implication for the non-Muslims because they were left alone to practice their beliefs so long as they obeyed the laws of the state.
Conclusion
The Abbasid Khilafah was a "political and economic success" from its infancy, as Caliphs like Harun al-Rashid maintained peace, security and prosperity for all citizens of the state.[23] The Khilafah was a state that led the world in every field, whether scientific, intellectual or philosophical. Unlike secular liberal capitalist states, the Islamic Khilafah was a balanced nation that maintained the equilibrium between the spiritual and the temporal spheres. It is however absolutely clear that this astonishingly successful civilisation was founded upon Islam. Therefore, far from being a "hateful ideology", Islam guided many races and peoples out of backwardness. Islam again has the unique opportunity to lead this world out of the misery created by the cataclysmic failure of capitalism, which can only be achieved once the Khilafah is restored.
_____________
Source:
www.khilafah.com
Friday, 29 May 2009 19:52 Abu Mujahid
"...establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call Khilafah, where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology... This Khilafah would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia".[1]
What Bush described as a "totalitarian empire" was in fact the leading civilisation that led the world in every known field. This article seeks to illustrate some of the great achievements of the Khilafah in the early Abbasid period, commonly referred to as the Golden Age. Due to its limited scope, this article adopts a thematic approach and therefore only examines the following aspects: life in the cities; economy, trade and industry; education, science and intellectual progression; life of non-Muslims and da'wah; and politics and governance.
Life in the cities of the Khilafah
The Abbasid period ushered in an era of city and infrastructure building, including markets, trade centres, roads and water systems, as large numbers of people settled in these thriving city centres. By the 9th and 10th centuries, a traveller who had travelled widely could differentiate the Islamic world from other parts of the world. This distinction was enabled by the magnificent architecture and buildings the Khilafah had constructed. Whether in Islamic Spain or Iraq, the common architectural features appeared unmistakably distinctive to any observer.
Cities such as Alexandria, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Aleppo, in addition to many of the eastern cities like Samarkand were established prior to the rise of Islam. However, the intellectual strength of Islam and its culture meant that the populations in these cities did not resist Islam and soon adopted its values and culture. As Matthew Gordon writes, "The Arab armies avoided these cities at first, but over time, the integration of Arab populations, and the adoption of Islam and Arab culture by long-established populations, transformed the older cities".[2]
The history of Baghdad is absolutely fascinating. Built around 762 (CE) by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur (754 - 75), it housed the Abbasid rulers and was known as Madinat al-Salam (the City of Peace). By the 10th century and beyond it became the "premier commercial and cultural" centre within the Islamic world.[3] Baghdad under the Abbasid Khilafah is comparable to present day cities like London and New York because of its global significance at the time.
The famous Muslim historian Muhammad al-Tabari narrated in his book, Tarikh that when Caliph al-Mansur had decided to build the capital of the Khilafah in Baghdad, he laid the first brick himself saying, "In the name of Allah, and to praise Him. The earth is Allah's; he causes to inherit of it whom He wills among His servants, and the result thereof is to them that fear Him". He then said to the workmen "Build and [may] Allah bless you".[4] Contrast this Caliph's humbleness and gratitude to Allah despite his grandeur and power to the present day rulers' arrogance and ungodliness and one easily appreciates the qualities of these great Islamic personalities.
Major Islamic cities such as Cairo, Baghdad, Cordoba and Fez were well developed at a time when European cities were not even a comparison. During the Abbasid era Baghdad had an estimated population of 840,000, Cairo had 300,000 - 450,000 and other smaller Islamic cities had around 10,000 - 20,000 inhabitants. In contrast, Paris had an estimated population of 210,000, London had 40,000 and Venice had 180,000.[5] Therefore, Baghdad's population was clearly larger than the population of several of the European cities combined together.
In addition to the Khilafah's advancement, the citizens of the Khilafah enjoyed a high living standard. Bloom and Blair illustrate the high living standard of the citizens of the Khilafah, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, "In the Islamic lands, not only Muslims but also Christians and Jews enjoyed a good life. They dressed in fine clothing, had fine houses in splendid cities serviced by paved streets, running water and sewers, and dined on spiced delicacies served on Chinese porcelains".[6]
People's standard of living in Cairo is visualised by the following narrative written by a Persian spy in the 11th century. The spy's narrative describes the spacious houses the people in Cairo enjoyed at the time and the wide number of shops that existed in Cairo alone, that he estimated to be around 20,000.
"In the midst of the houses in New Cairo are gardens and orchards watered by wells. In the sultan's harem are the most beautiful gardens imaginable. Waterwheels have been constructed to irrigate these gardens. There are trees planted and pleasure parks built even on roofs... These houses are so magnificent and fine that you would think that they were made of jewel..."[7]
It is evident that people had comfortable living conditions under the Khilafah in cities that were not just larger than London or Paris but also far exceeded in terms of material progression. When the Crusaders attacked the holy land the lifestyle, which the people in the holy land were enjoying, made the Crusaders rather unsurprisingly envious and resentful. "The rough-and-tumble Crusaders were knocked off their feet by the luxuries they found for sale in the Near Eastern bazaars".[8]
Economy, trade and industry
As Islam's intellectual, political, economic and military strength grew stronger, it triggered an inevitable demise of the nearby Sasanid and Byzantine empires and eventually they collapsed at the hands of the Khilafah. The Khilafah, covering a massive geographical territory, offered its citizens the opportunity of unfettered travel and trade, which resulted in considerable prosperity in all fields of life. During this period the growth in agriculture added to the commercial boom. Rice and sugarcane, mainly found in India, were transported through Iran to the Mediterranean region where they were deemed to be luxury commodities. In addition, various fruits such as oranges, apricots, mulberries and bananas were introduced in the region at the time. Various spices, precious stones, fine and luxurious cloth and porcelain came from India and China.
However, Muslims did not just import goods for consumption but also exported finished goods. Whilst the European industrial revolution may have triggered the practice of mass production, Muslims had produced goods such as military armaments, sugar, paper, fine textiles etc in large scales for export a thousand years earlier.
The textile industry was of huge importance to the Islamic economy. The four main fibres - wool, silk, cotton and linen - were very widely produced by farmers in the region. The textile industry was as important as the automobile industry in the west today. Other successful industries included metalworking, glassblowing, and pottery. Gordon write that this "...growth of regional and trans-regional trade, and of urban manufacturing, produced new level of prosperity across the city landscape".[9]
Due to this vibrant economy, an internationally recognised monetary system based on the gold and silver standard had developed. "The Abbasid gold dinar remained an instrument of exchange for centuries..."[10] This economic system was not merely based upon primitive coinage; Muslims had also developed a credit issuing system comparable to the modern system of cheque, which was used by traders travelling across the globe. These letters of credit would not have been acceptable to traders in parts of the world unless there was an established economic system. This was also made possible partly by the fact that the Khilafah was expanding over vast territories whose populations were also becoming Muslim.
It is narrated that when Caliph Harun al-Rashid died in 808 CE, his treasury department had 900 million gold dinars in surplus cash.[11] Unlike the worthless paper currencies of the 21st century, the Abbasid gold dinar had in intrinsic value. Therefore, this astounding sum of money in any nation at that time would have made it a very wealthy nation indeed. This material wealth of the Abbasid Khilafah was a direct result of the Islamic economic system.
Education, science and intellectual progression
The growth in trade and the general prosperity directly contributed to the rise and proliferation of Islamic culture and learning internally and led to its promotion externally to other peoples. The urban wealthy Muslim traders understood the purpose of life and hence extended their support to scholars and artisans alike. These early Muslims made a concerted effort to strengthen the culture and values of Islam in their societies.
As the Caliphs governed an ever-growing state, they did not shy away from embracing science and technology to aid their governance. The Khilafah needed scientists and mathematicians to assist in matters such as keeping accurate records of revenue collection or survey of lands. The bureaucrats made use of the available knowledge even if they were from Indian, Persian or Greek scientists at the time.
However, Muslims scientists or mathematicians neither dogmatically accepted the available contemporary scientific knowledge, nor did they reject it because they came from the Greeks or the Persians. Instead, Muslim scientists conducted their own empirical research and experiments to assess the strength of scientific theories available at the time and, "thereby initiating a new era of scientific inquiry".[12] They challenged fundamental Greek scientific theories and often offered refutations based on their improved research findings.
Therefore, Muslim scientists introduced a revolutionary new method of progressing knowledge, a method that is valid to this day. They focused on the scientific methods and instruments used for experiments and their reasoning qualities to elicit impressive results.
By the 8th century, there was a flourishing paper industry in Islamic world, which facilitated the growth of scholarship and wide availability of books. In addition to religious knowledge, expertise in various scientific fields was actively promoted. Wealthy families, including from the Abbasid household, funded research in scientific scholarships.
Muslims started the translation movement, which translated into Arabic works in other languages such as Greek, Persian and Indian in order to progress scientific knowledge. This was a well-funded movement, receiving funds from across society. People of all religious background participated in this search for knowledge in fields such as philosophy, medicine and astronomy. Amongst many pioneering scholars was Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. His work on astronomy was the standard work for many centuries whilst his book Kitab al-Jabr was the first work of algebra (the name "algebra" originated from the title of this book).
The Bayt al-Hikma (House of Knowledge) library in Baghdad, founded by Caliph Harun al-Rashid, by the end of 9th century housed Arabic translation of all the major works of Persian and Indian geography and science. Moreover, the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, which was the first of its kind in the world, was founded in 970. Whilst education and learning may not have been universal, it was certainly very common under the Khilafah. The general masses could read and write; but at the very least they could read. Bloom and Blair argue, "the general level of literacy was greater in the medieval Islamic lands than in Byzantium or western Europe. Writing was found everywhere in this culture..."[13]
The Khilafah invested heavily in the nation's education and scientific research and development. Higher education institutions (madrasa) were established by the 11th century in all major cities. The curriculum included Islamic sciences such as studies about the Qur'an and hadith, in addition to natural sciences such as mathematics, medicine, geometry, astronomy, philosophy and literary arts such as Arabic language and grammar. A graduate from such a madrasa was well equipped to enter diverse career paths including teaching, scholarship and legal positions.
As a result of this successful education system, it is "highly probable" that the European higher education and college systems, e.g. in Spain and Italy, were modelled along the madrasa system. This proposition is supported by the fact that the Islamic world had a well-established education system more than a century prior to its European counterpart. As Europe had regular encounters with the Islamic world, both within commercial and intellectual spheres, it is perfectly conceivable that Europe learnt from the Muslims.[14]
The Khilafah produced some of the best personalities in the world at the time because under Islamic rule, there was no dichotomy between the temporal and the spiritual spheres and hence society excelled in all fields. As Armstrong writes, "Muslim scholars made more scientific discoveries during this time than in the whole of previously recorded history".[15]
Scholastic giants such as al-Khwarizmi (mathematician/ scientist), Ibn al-Haytham (the "father" of optics), Ibn al-Nafis (physician), Ibn Sina (physician/ scientist), Ibn Hazm (philosopher), Ibn Khaldun (philosopher/ historian) and al-Ghazzali (theologian) are only a few to name. These are only some of the figures known to western academics, whilst there are countless others who remain unknown in the west. Yet they too made similarly extraordinary contributions to humanity. In acknowledgment this point, Gaston Wiet comments, "People of the west should publicly express their gratitude to the scholars of the Abbasid period, who were known and appreciated in Europe during the Middle Ages".[16]
Life of non-Muslims and da'wah
Islam's tolerance of other faiths is exemplified by the fact that one did not have to be Muslim to be affluent and established in society. In fact, western academics acknowledge that Jews and Christian citizens of the Islamic state flourished in trade. Merchants came from all background within the Islamic state. Even traders from the Byzantine Empire and Italian city states like Venice an Genoa were known to have traded freely within the Khilafah.
However, Muslims did not restrict their business relationships to mere monetary exchange. Armed with a confident and powerful value system, Muslims in the Abbasid era actively promoted and disseminated Islamic culture and its way of life to outsiders. As a result of interactions between Muslim traders and non-Muslims, large number of people became Muslim.
The Jews were at ease with living alongside Muslims in the holy land and elsewhere in the Khilafah. The following example illustrates this point. When the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and mercilessly slaughtered Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Jews sided with Muslims. A Jewish pilgrim to Jerusalem wrote to a relative in 1100, "The Franks arrived and killed everybody in the city whether of Ishmael or Israel... Now all of us had anticipated that our sultan - may God bestow glory upon his victories - would set out against the Franks with his troops and would chase them away..."[17] Unlike the states in the Middle East today, including the apartheid state of Israel, non-Muslims lived happily under Islamic rule and prospered.
Islam safeguarded the rights of non-Muslims and generally they were not oppressed under the Khilafah. The heads of non-Muslim communities ensured that the terms of the dhimma (contract of protection, which consisted of peace, order, obedience to the state and it laws) between the state and the non-Muslim citizens were honoured. Non-Muslims participated in all aspects of civic life. The Coptic Christians in Egypt worked within the financial services whilst the Jews commonly worked within the medical profession. Hourani mentions, "Relations between Muslims and Jews in Umayyad Spain, and the Muslims and the Nestorian Christians in Abbasid Baghdad, were close and easy".[18]
Islam's ideological and cultural strength can be appreciated when one studies the rate at which many different nations and peoples accepted Islam as their way of life. By the middle of the 8th century less than 10% of the populations in Spain, North Africa and the Middle East (excluding the Arabian peninsula) were Muslim. However, within two centuries there was a completely different picture, as these populations had entered Islam in their masses. Whilst some polemicists may claim that Islam was spread by the sword, those who objectively examine the spread of Islam appreciate that "in general they were not forced to convert" to Islam; rather "the inducement to convert existed"[19] because of the strength of Islam together with the Islamic state's active policies which encouraged populations to embrace Islam.
As Islam spread amongst people of different races and ethnicity, it uniquely shaped their identity. The notion of Ummah was very deeply engraved in the Islamic society as Islam won people's hearts and minds and gelled all Muslims together. Hourani explores the state of the Muslim identity by the 10th century:
"men and women in the Near East and the Maghrib lived in a universe which was defined in terms of Islam... [Muslims] were aware of belonging to something broader: the community of believers (the umma). The ritual acts which they performed in common, the acceptance of a shared view of man's destiny in this world and the next, linked them with each other..."[20]
The notion of modern ethnic nationalism based upon a common language and territorial entity was completely alien to Islam. The nation state model, which exists today, is a foreign concept to Islam and indeed stands diametrically opposed to the history and culture of Muslims.
Politics and governance
The Abbasid Caliphs from the very beginning ruled only by the Shariah. The judiciary had a very distinct role separate from the executive, at the apex of which sat the chief qadi (Judge). The Abbasid Caliphs understood and practically implemented the concept of an independent judiciary. Hourani notes that the judge's "functions were separated from the governors. He had no political or financial duties..."[21] The judges' role was to resolve conflicts and give decisions in accordance with the Shariah. The judges were specially trained in the madrasa.
The Abbasid Khilafah had administration systems divided into various departments, which was certainly complex for its time. To put it into contemporary context, they had departments for military, legal, revenue collection, treasury, security and intelligence. The Caliphs and their governors used to conduct joint public gatherings whereby they heard the people's concerns directly. To prevent the governors from being overly entrenched in their positions and thus becoming neglectful, the Caliphs kept them in regular checks through the various intelligence gathering mechanisms.
The Islamic scholars kept themselves independent of the Caliphs in order to maintain their ability to keep the rulers in checks and acted as the protectors of Islam. Unlike today, Islamic scholars under the Khilafah were multidimensional in their professional skills. They were scholars, teachers and traders etc, as their education was of a high standard.
The Abbasid era was a time of rapid changes in many ways, as the Khilafah experienced demographic and territorial expansion, in addition to scientific and technological and intellectual challenges. The Muslims however faced these challenges within the framework of Islam. They resorted to Ijtihad to deal with new situations, and therefore, the Islamic state prospered.
The Khilafah was not an oppressive police state, as the Shariah safeguards the individual in society against state oppression. Armstrong states, "...no institution, such as the Khilafah or the court, had any power to interfere with the personal decisions and beliefs of the individual".[22] This had particular implication for the non-Muslims because they were left alone to practice their beliefs so long as they obeyed the laws of the state.
Conclusion
The Abbasid Khilafah was a "political and economic success" from its infancy, as Caliphs like Harun al-Rashid maintained peace, security and prosperity for all citizens of the state.[23] The Khilafah was a state that led the world in every field, whether scientific, intellectual or philosophical. Unlike secular liberal capitalist states, the Islamic Khilafah was a balanced nation that maintained the equilibrium between the spiritual and the temporal spheres. It is however absolutely clear that this astonishingly successful civilisation was founded upon Islam. Therefore, far from being a "hateful ideology", Islam guided many races and peoples out of backwardness. Islam again has the unique opportunity to lead this world out of the misery created by the cataclysmic failure of capitalism, which can only be achieved once the Khilafah is restored.
_____________
Source:
www.khilafah.com
Friday, 29 May 2009 19:52 Abu Mujahid
RAMADHAN Timeline
The first revelation. The most significant event that occurred during Ramadan is the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (saw). Prophet Muhammad (saw) was in the cave in Mount Hira when the Angel Jibreel came to him with the first five ayat of Surat Al-Alaq.
Allah (swt) says: "Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear signs for guidance and judgement." [2:185]
"We have indeed revealed it, (Al-Quran) in the night of power." [97:1]
1 A.H. (After Hijra).
In the first year after the Hijrah, the Prophet (saw) sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib with thirty Muslim riders to Saif al Bahr to with a definite task of intercepting a caravan belonging to Quraish. It was a caravan of 300 people including Abu Jahl bin Hisham. The two parties encountered each other and aligned in preparation for fighting. Majdi bin ‘Amr, on good terms with both sides, happened to be there and managed to prevent an imminent clash.
2 A.H.
In the second year of Hijrah the Messenger of Allah set out on the 8th Ramadhan with three hundred and five of his companions mounted on seventy camels. The Prophet (saw) and his companions set out to intercept a caravan of their own goods that had been left in Makkah. It was led by Abu Sufyan, himself, and estimated at 60,000 dinars. They were met by a well equipped army of the nobility of Quraish, intent on putting out the light of Islam. Then the two sides advanced and drew near each other at Badr on Friday morning on the 17th of Ramadhan. Despite being outnumbered three to one and appearing weak and unseasoned, the Muslims defended their faith with a burning desire to protect the Prophet (saw) and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah (SWT) gave them a decisive victory at Badr on this day of Ramadhan, that would never to be forgotten.
6 A.H.
In 6 A.H., Zaid ibn Haritha was sent to Wadi al-Qura at the head of a detachment to confront Fatimah bint Rabiah, the queen of that area. Fatimah had previously attacked a caravan led by Zaid and had succeeded in plundering its wealth. She was known to be the most protected woman in Arabia, as she hung fifty swords of her close relatives in her home. Fatimah was equally renowned for showing open hostility to Islam. She was killed in a battle against these Muslims in the month of Ramadhan.
8 A.H.
By Ramadhan of 8 A H., the treaty of Hudaibiyya had been broken and the Muslim armies had engaged the Byzantines in the North. Muhammad (saw) felt the need to strike a fatal blow to Kufr in the Arabian Peninsula and conquer the city of Mecca. Now the time had come to purify the Kaabah of nakedness and abomination. The Prophet (saw) set out with an army having more armed men than Al-Madinah had ever seen before. People were swelling the army's ranks as it moved toward Makkah. The determination of the believers became so awesome that the city of Makkah was conquered without a battle, on the 20th of Ramadhan. This was one of the most important dates in Islamic history for after it, Islam was firmly entrenched in the Arabian Peninsula. During the same month and year, after smashing the idols of Makkah, detachments were sent to the major centers of polytheism and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa, some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were destroyed.
Such was the month of Ramadhan in the time of the Prophet (saw). It was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding evil, and striving hard with one's life and wealth. After the death of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims under the Khilafah carried on this tradition. Ramadhan continued to be a time of great trials and crucial events.
92 A.H.
Ninety-two years after the Hijrah, Islam had spread across North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Spain was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had forced his six million serfs and persecuted Jews to seek the aid of the Muslims of North Africa. Musa ibn Husair, the Umayyad governor of North Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad at the head of 12,000 troops. In Ramadhan of that year, they were confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led by Roderic, himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory silver, and precious gems, drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariq motivated the Muslims warning them that and Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat and the sea to the rear. They burst with great enthusiasm and Allah (SWT) manifested a clear victory over the forces of disbelief. Not only were Roderic and his forces completely annihilated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating whole of Spain, Sicily and parts of France. This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.
658 A.H.
In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying everything that lay in their path Genghis Khan called himself "the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins". In 617 A.H. Samarkand, Ray, and Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than 700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Baghdad, the leading city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimates say that as many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome carnage. The Christians were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the masjids and no Adhan (call to prayer) was allowed. In the wake of such a disaster threatening the whole Muslim world, Allah (SWT) raised up from the Mamluks of Egypt, Saifuddin Qutz, who united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on Friday, 25 Ramadhan 658 A.H. (6 September 1260 CE). Qutz told his army to wait until they finished the Friday prayers (Jummah Salah), "Do not fight them until it is sunset and the shadows appear and the winds stir, and the preachers and people start to implore Allah for us in their prayers", and thereafter the fighting began. Jullanar, the wife of Qutz, was killed during the battle. He rushed towards her saying, "Oh my beloved one". She told him while uttering her last breath, "Do not say that, and care more for Islam." Her soul left her body after telling her husband that the Jihad for the sake of Allah and Islam is more important than love and personal relations. Qutz stood up saying "Islamah…Islamah". The whole army repeated that word after him until they achieved their victory. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah (SWT), cunning strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror. The Muslims immediately started to chase the Mongolians, and Qutz entered Damascus five days after the Ain Jalout battle. The chase continued to Halab and when the Mongolians felt the approach of the Muslims they left behind the Muslim prisoners. In the period of a month the Muslims were able to restore Belad El-Sham entirely from the hands of the Tartars and the Mongolians.
682 A.H.
In the year 682 A.H. (Ramadan, 4th July 1187 C.E.) that Salahuddin Ayyubi with the Muslim Mujahideen of the Khilafah fought one of the most important battles in the history of Islam. The Muslims on this day, in one single day, virtually routed all local Christian forces capable of defending the Crusaders establishment in the Near East. Facing no resistance, Salahuddin took his time to reach the city of Jerusalem on 9th October, 1187 C.E. (Christain Era), a Friday, and the Holy city was purified.
This was the spirit of Ramadhan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer whilst calling upon Allah (SWT) for His mercy and forgiveness. Today, the Muslim world is faced with disunity, colonisation, widespread corruption and economic deprivation. Surely we are in need of the Khilafah so we as believers can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (saw), the illustrious Sahabah, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Qutuz, Salahuddin and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we should be of the believers who are unafraid of the threats of the Kuffar, yet kind and humble amongst ourselves.
May Allah (SWT) make us those generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to all corners of the globe and may He give us the strength to undertake all hardships in the pursuit of His (swt) pleasure. Ameen.
__________________
Source: www.khilafah.com
Allah (swt) says: "Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear signs for guidance and judgement." [2:185]
"We have indeed revealed it, (Al-Quran) in the night of power." [97:1]
1 A.H. (After Hijra).
In the first year after the Hijrah, the Prophet (saw) sent Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib with thirty Muslim riders to Saif al Bahr to with a definite task of intercepting a caravan belonging to Quraish. It was a caravan of 300 people including Abu Jahl bin Hisham. The two parties encountered each other and aligned in preparation for fighting. Majdi bin ‘Amr, on good terms with both sides, happened to be there and managed to prevent an imminent clash.
2 A.H.
In the second year of Hijrah the Messenger of Allah set out on the 8th Ramadhan with three hundred and five of his companions mounted on seventy camels. The Prophet (saw) and his companions set out to intercept a caravan of their own goods that had been left in Makkah. It was led by Abu Sufyan, himself, and estimated at 60,000 dinars. They were met by a well equipped army of the nobility of Quraish, intent on putting out the light of Islam. Then the two sides advanced and drew near each other at Badr on Friday morning on the 17th of Ramadhan. Despite being outnumbered three to one and appearing weak and unseasoned, the Muslims defended their faith with a burning desire to protect the Prophet (saw) and meet their Lord through martyrdom. Allah (SWT) gave them a decisive victory at Badr on this day of Ramadhan, that would never to be forgotten.
6 A.H.
In 6 A.H., Zaid ibn Haritha was sent to Wadi al-Qura at the head of a detachment to confront Fatimah bint Rabiah, the queen of that area. Fatimah had previously attacked a caravan led by Zaid and had succeeded in plundering its wealth. She was known to be the most protected woman in Arabia, as she hung fifty swords of her close relatives in her home. Fatimah was equally renowned for showing open hostility to Islam. She was killed in a battle against these Muslims in the month of Ramadhan.
8 A.H.
By Ramadhan of 8 A H., the treaty of Hudaibiyya had been broken and the Muslim armies had engaged the Byzantines in the North. Muhammad (saw) felt the need to strike a fatal blow to Kufr in the Arabian Peninsula and conquer the city of Mecca. Now the time had come to purify the Kaabah of nakedness and abomination. The Prophet (saw) set out with an army having more armed men than Al-Madinah had ever seen before. People were swelling the army's ranks as it moved toward Makkah. The determination of the believers became so awesome that the city of Makkah was conquered without a battle, on the 20th of Ramadhan. This was one of the most important dates in Islamic history for after it, Islam was firmly entrenched in the Arabian Peninsula. During the same month and year, after smashing the idols of Makkah, detachments were sent to the major centers of polytheism and al-Lat, Manat and Suwa, some of the greatest idols of Arabia, were destroyed.
Such was the month of Ramadhan in the time of the Prophet (saw). It was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding evil, and striving hard with one's life and wealth. After the death of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims under the Khilafah carried on this tradition. Ramadhan continued to be a time of great trials and crucial events.
92 A.H.
Ninety-two years after the Hijrah, Islam had spread across North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Spain was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic of the Visigoths. Roderic had forced his six million serfs and persecuted Jews to seek the aid of the Muslims of North Africa. Musa ibn Husair, the Umayyad governor of North Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad at the head of 12,000 troops. In Ramadhan of that year, they were confronted with a combined Visigoth army of 90,000 Christians led by Roderic, himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory silver, and precious gems, drawn by white mules. After burning his boats, Tariq motivated the Muslims warning them that and Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat and the sea to the rear. They burst with great enthusiasm and Allah (SWT) manifested a clear victory over the forces of disbelief. Not only were Roderic and his forces completely annihilated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating whole of Spain, Sicily and parts of France. This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.
658 A.H.
In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying everything that lay in their path Genghis Khan called himself "the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins". In 617 A.H. Samarkand, Ray, and Hamdan were put to the sword causing more than 700,000 people to be killed or made captive. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, continued this destruction. Even Baghdad, the leading city of the Muslim world, was sacked. Some estimates say that as many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in this awesome carnage. The Christians were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the masjids and no Adhan (call to prayer) was allowed. In the wake of such a disaster threatening the whole Muslim world, Allah (SWT) raised up from the Mamluks of Egypt, Saifuddin Qutz, who united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on Friday, 25 Ramadhan 658 A.H. (6 September 1260 CE). Qutz told his army to wait until they finished the Friday prayers (Jummah Salah), "Do not fight them until it is sunset and the shadows appear and the winds stir, and the preachers and people start to implore Allah for us in their prayers", and thereafter the fighting began. Jullanar, the wife of Qutz, was killed during the battle. He rushed towards her saying, "Oh my beloved one". She told him while uttering her last breath, "Do not say that, and care more for Islam." Her soul left her body after telling her husband that the Jihad for the sake of Allah and Islam is more important than love and personal relations. Qutz stood up saying "Islamah…Islamah". The whole army repeated that word after him until they achieved their victory. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah (SWT), cunning strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror. The Muslims immediately started to chase the Mongolians, and Qutz entered Damascus five days after the Ain Jalout battle. The chase continued to Halab and when the Mongolians felt the approach of the Muslims they left behind the Muslim prisoners. In the period of a month the Muslims were able to restore Belad El-Sham entirely from the hands of the Tartars and the Mongolians.
682 A.H.
In the year 682 A.H. (Ramadan, 4th July 1187 C.E.) that Salahuddin Ayyubi with the Muslim Mujahideen of the Khilafah fought one of the most important battles in the history of Islam. The Muslims on this day, in one single day, virtually routed all local Christian forces capable of defending the Crusaders establishment in the Near East. Facing no resistance, Salahuddin took his time to reach the city of Jerusalem on 9th October, 1187 C.E. (Christain Era), a Friday, and the Holy city was purified.
This was the spirit of Ramadhan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer whilst calling upon Allah (SWT) for His mercy and forgiveness. Today, the Muslim world is faced with disunity, colonisation, widespread corruption and economic deprivation. Surely we are in need of the Khilafah so we as believers can walk in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (saw), the illustrious Sahabah, Tariq ibn Ziyad, Qutuz, Salahuddin and the countless heroes of Islam. Surely we should be of the believers who are unafraid of the threats of the Kuffar, yet kind and humble amongst ourselves.
May Allah (SWT) make us those generation of Muslims who can carry Islam to all corners of the globe and may He give us the strength to undertake all hardships in the pursuit of His (swt) pleasure. Ameen.
__________________
Source: www.khilafah.com
So Manga Balas o Tarawi
2009 RAMADHAN 1430
MANGA BALAS O TARAWI
MANGA BALAS O TARAWI
- Khapokas ko mu’min (mapaparatiyaya) so dosa niyan sa lagid o gawii a kinimbawataan on o ina iyan.
- Phakatalingoma so manga maalaikat a pezaksian iran sa mataan a miyaka zambayang ka sa tarawi sa diden phaki bilang o Allah (SWT) sekaniyan sa alongan a mawri.
- Phakaoma sa alongan a mawri a so bontal iyan na lagid o olan sa kasindaw ko gawii a Lailat-ul-Qadr.
- Iphamangeni sekaniyan sa kapipiya ginawa o manga malaikat go so maawid ko Aras o Allah (SWT) go so Korsi Iyan, darpa anan o Allah (SWT).
- Izorat o Allah (SWT) a bagian iyan so kapaka lidas ko Naraka ago so kapaka soled iyan ko Sorga.
- Perilaan o Allah (SWT) so mbala a lokes iyan amay ko siran a dowa na mapaparatiyaya.
- Mananawag so isa a Malaikat a di niyan di tharoon a “Hay oripen o Allah (SWT), mataan a so Allah na miya soat reka ago so mbala alokes ka.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) so manga balas a sabggibo a Hajji a tiyarima.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) so balas sa lagid o imbalas ko taw a miyaka zambayang sa Masjid il-Haram, Masjid il-Madinah ago sa Masjid il-Aqsa’.
- Pakipembalay o Allah sa sorga sa Alongan a Mawri.
- Mbalasan o Allah (SWT) sa lagid oba niyan riyaot so Musa (AS) ko kini phantagen iyan ko Fir’awn goso Haman, siran na manga Kafir (miyamangongkir).
- Iphoro o Allah (SWT) a bagian iyan so manga balas a samba ko pat polo ragon.
- Phakatalingoma sa Alongan a Mawri sa seka niyan na lomilintad ko langowan a marata sa Alongan a Mawri.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) sa lagid o miyaka Tawaf sa Baytal Ma’mor go iphamangni sekaniyan sa rila o manga pethad ago so manga bayanek.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) so balas sa lagid oba niyan sinimba so Allah sa kasimba a Nabi.
- Phakamboat ko Alongan a Mawri sa lagid o gawii a kinimbawataan on o ina iyan.
- Bagian iyan so balas sa lagid o inibalas ko kabatiyaa ko Tawrat, Injeel, Zaboor ago so Forqaan.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) so dowa polo ago pat a pangni niyan a tiyarima on o Allah.
- Imbegay rekaniyan o Allah (SWT) so lagi o inibegay niyan ko Ibrahem (AS).
- Iphoro sekaniyan o Allah (SWT) siis ko manga siksa ko kobor, maana a phakalibre.
- Makatalingoma sa Alongan a Mawri sa lomilintad sii ko magna awid a akal nago so manga kamboko.
- Phananawag so isa a Malikat ko kababaan o Arash a isa ko Darpa o Allah (SWT) a di niyan di tharoon a antawaa I miyag-ikhlas ko amal ka irila reka o Allah (SWT) so dosang ka.
- Iphoro o Allah (SWT) a bagian iyan so sanggibo a pangkatan sii ko Sorga.
- Imbegay ron o Allah (SWT) so rizki a manga pipiya sii ko Doniya go sii sa Alongan a Mawri.
- Tharoon o Allah (SWT) a “Hay oripen aken, kangka ko manga onga ko Sorga go phaygo ka ko Lawas a Ig a Salsil go inom ka ko ig a Kawthar. Saken I Thohan ka go seka na oripen aken.
- Imbegay reka niyan o Allah (SWT) so balas a lagid o manga balas o manga Nabi.
- Phakaokit sii ko Sirat al-Mustaqeem sa lagid o kilat a saperek mata.
- Imbegay rekaniyan o Allah (SWT) so balas a lagid o balas o manga Shaheed (miya perang sa lalan ko Allah) goso manga Salih (miyagamal sa manga pipiya.)
- Iphoro o Allah (SWT) so pangkatan iyan sii ko Jannat ul-Firdaws.
Korematen tano so Ramadhan a paratiyaya ko Allah Subhaanaho wa Ta'ala
Datu Mohammad Sa'eed 'Ali Yu bin Hadji 'Abdul Malic
Datu Mohammad Sa'eed 'Ali Yu bin Hadji 'Abdul Malic
1st International Tableegh Assmebly
This year's Ijtima' Tableegh is first ever of its kind to have been participated in by the international delegates hence it was dubbed as the Ijtima it-Tableegh al Awwal ul-'Alami (First International Tableegh Assembly) held in the Philippines specifically at the New Provincial Capitol, Islamic City of Marawi, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao on July 13-16, 2009. This event was graced by some prominent Maulanas coming from other countries. Twenty-five (25) hectares of lot behind the Provincial Capitol served as the Maidan (main venue)where delegates made their make-shift to pray and stay on for the whole duration of this four-day event. As to the exact number of delegates was still unknown as delegates kept on coming in even on the last day that the Istiqbal (security volunteers) have to block the gates to and from the said Maidan. An estimated of more or less a million of people coming from different parts of the world more of which are delegates from the Philippines. This four-day momentous gathering serves as an Islamic spiritual journey, others call it a Hijrah (migration where people transfer from one un-Islamic (HARAM) place to an Islamic (HALAL) place to observe nothing but purely Islamic practices. Tight security measures were taken during the whole duration of the event. Some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other local enforcement units were present to secure the area. The said event was indeed a big success.
I am not who you think I am
I was on my way looking for an apartment to stay here in Baguio City. As I was walking, I noticed the ad says "Room for Rent please inquire inside." There I went inside. I was welcomed by the landlady and showed me the unit. It was comfortable, the room is big enough for someone like me to put in my things. Overlooking the window is a skyline at night. I found it the perfect place to stay. I told the landlady that I will rent it. I was asked to pay a specific amount to reserve the space. I was provided with a form to fill up for the formality of my stay. The landlady asked me where I came from. I said I am from Mindanao and then asked me again what my religion is then I said I AM A MUSLIM. She directly told me that "We do not accept Muslim occupants." I was so speechless then that I was not able to utter a word or two. I just went out of that apartment with my teary eyes asking myself "What wrong did I do?" I am rejected because ISLAM is my religion. I am disliked because I am a MUSLIM. But the very truth is that I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM.
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