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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Mashindano ya Qur'an Pemba 2012 - Tartil Juzu 10, wanawake - 1

Each year, we have Qur'an competitions in different parts of the country. Its a good way to carry on the long term tradition of  Qur'an memorization by engaging the kids in a healthy competition, this one was done in Pemba. The judges score the reciter, sometimes the kids are told to recite a sura, or a verse is recited, and they are supposed to complete them. The winners emerge out of there with full of knowledge and plenty of presents. Well if you ask me, there are no losers.

Mashallah! It's a blessing.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Hey, its the weekend! So grab your comfort snack and get Egyptucated on The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Story of the Day - Animal Mutilation

Narrated Ibn Umar:
The Prophet (S.A.W) cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal (i e., cut its limbs or some other part of its body while it is still alive).
(Sahih al-Bukhari Book 72, Hadith 42)

Ibn Umar alisema:
Mtume(S.A.W) alimlaani yule mwenye kumkata mnyama kipande chochote cha mwili wake akiwa hai.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Verse of the Day - Surah Ali-Imran (Family of Imran)

Na Shikamaneni kwa kamba ya Mwenyezi Mungu nyote, wala msiachane. Na kumbukeni neema ya Mwenyeyzi Mungu iliyo juu yenu. Mlikuwa maadui; naye akaziunganisha nyoyo zenu; hivyo, kwa neema yake, mkawa ndugu. Na mlikuwa ukingoni mwa shimo la Moto, naye akakuokoeni nalo.  Namna hivi Mwenyezi Mungu anakubainishieni Aya zake ili mpate kuongoka.


And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. (Quran 3:103)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Masjid Al-Haram 2020 Expansion project


So the government of Saudi Arabia has been improving Makka constantly, in order to accommodate the number of people that come for Hajj every year. As means of transportation have improved over the years, so has the number of pilgrims. There has been cases of people dying due to over crowding, so there is a major 2020 expansion project which is currently in progress. Anywho, enough of my talks and lets see the pics.
 Supposed to take care of people praying outside the mosque, once the inside is full.

There will be exterior doors, very large I might say. This worries me though, if these doors will be operated remotely, how do you control the masses when these doors are opening and closing. I fear people will be stuck in them. I would like to see how they thought out such scenarios.


Electric trains from Haram to Mina, Mina to Muzdalifa, Muzdalifa to Arafat.
This will really ease traffic in a town original planned for a population of 2 million current Makka residents, accommodate 3 million+ pilgrims.

And there you have it, your thoughts?









Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Eid Mubarak!

Raw coated plaintains
Eid is here, I thought I would share my Ghanaian plantains recipe. In Tanzania we just fry the plantains as is or cook them with coconut milk(will share this recipe soon), but a recent visit to a Ghanaian friend of mine, opened my eyes to the many things you can do to a plantain. So here is the recipe with a little twist.

-4 Ripe plantains 
-2-3 Tablespoons of crushed ginger
-1 Tablespoon of crushed garlic
-1 Tablespoon of chilli powder
-salt to taste
-Olive oil

Directions:
Cut the plantains into small round circles, coat it with the mixed ingredients above, and here comes my twist, you bake it. The amount of olive oil used is just enough to coat your bananas. If you are going to fry your plantains then you don't need to coat it with olive oil.

Put them out and they will be gone before you know it.Enjoy!




Monday, October 14, 2013

JOURNEY TO MECCA HD - Story of a traveler Ibn Batutta.

Get to know the Moroccan traveler Ibn Batutta centuries later.


Yes he's been to Tanzania, I got the statement below from wiki on his travels to the swahili coast.

Ibn Battuta continued by ship south to the Swahili Coast, a region then known in Arabic as the Bilad al-Zanj ("Land of the Zanj"),[29] with an overnight stop at the island town of Mombasa.[30] Although relatively small at the time, Mombasa would become important in the following century.[31] After a journey along the coast, Ibn Battuta next arrived in the island town of Kilwa in present-day Tanzania,[32] which had become an important transit centre of the gold trade.[33] He described the city as "one of the most beautiful and well-constructed towns in the world".[34]
Ibn Battuta recorded his visit to the Kilwa Sultanate in 1330, and commented favorably on the humility and religion of its ruler, Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman, a descendant of the legendary Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi. He further wrote that the authority of the Sultan extended from Malindi in the north to Inhambane in the south and was particularly impressed by the planning of the city, believing it to be the reason for Kilwa's success along the coast. From this period date the construction of the Palace of Husuni Kubwa and a significant extension to the Great Mosque of Kilwa, which was made of Coral Stones and the largest Mosque of its kind. With a change in the monsoon winds, Ibn Battuta sailed back to Arabia, first to Oman and the Strait of Hormuz then on to Mecca for the hajj of 1330 (or 1332).

This was the largest mosque on the East African Coast.
The Great Mosque of Kilwa in Tanzania

Its amazing the strides ancient people took to travel in search for knowledge. Be inspired!


Sunday, October 13, 2013

LABBAIK ALLAHUMA LABBAIK

Here I am at Thy service O Lord, the recital done by the pilgrims during Hajj and Umra.

"Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik. Innal Hamdah, Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka."

"Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners." 

Losing A Loved One ᴴᴰ ┇ Kinetic Typography ┇ The Daily Reminder ┇

A beautiful poem by sister Tasnim Nazir. Enjoy!

Let's not forget to Fast on Arafah, which is the 9th day of Hajj.This is also the day the pilgrims will stand on the plains of Arafah to pray. We should escort our Hajj brothers and sisters, the best way we can. Its looking more like Eid will be on Tuesday, so Arafah will be on Monday.
We are all fasting, Yes?

Saturday, October 12, 2013

TCF-USA FUNDRAISER IN MINNESOTA

If you are in or around the Minnesota Area, please go to show your support for education.

The Daily Show: Extended Interview: Malala Yousafzai

Meet Malala, the 16 year old Nobel peace prize candidate from Pakistan.

We are with you All the way!


Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Hajj Journey

The article below was written by Kamaruddin B Hassan, as he took us through his journey to Hajj. Enjoy!

Our Tabung Haji Travel's Hajj Group KT85 left Kompleks Haji Kelana Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 10 buses on the night of 29 October 2011, with Police escort, heading for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). As our destination was Makkah, all male hajj pilgrims were already dressed in their ihram attire. The plane took off at about 3:15 a.m. and we landed in Jeddah about 7 hours later. We then traveled to Makkah by bus and finally reached our Dar Al-Eiman Royal Hotel located in Al-Safwa Towers just before 5:00 p.m. For Muslims, performing the hajj is the fifth and the last pillar of Islam.

We performed the umrah on that same night, led by mutawif or religious guides. Several compulsory rituals need to be performed. Firstly, we need to utter our intention in our heart to perform the umrah; this we had done earlier in the plane, while it was flying above Qarnul Manazil, Saudi Arabia, about 2 hours before the landing.

The second ritual was to perform the tawaf umrah. We entered the Masjidil Haram, the holy mosque, through King Abdul Aziz Gate or Gate Number 1. Upon seeing the Kaabah, I said to myself: "Thank you Allah for allowing me to be your guest". Before performing the tawaf, the hajj pilgrims must recite the intention just before Hajar al-Aswad or the Black Stone at the wall of Kaabah. We then walked around the Kaabah in anti-clockwise direction seven times, passing by Makam Ibrahim and Hijir Ismail.


Performing the sa'ie umrah at Safar and Marwah was the third ritual. At Safar, with our face facing Kaabah, we recited our intention to perform the sa'ie umrah and started to walk towards Marwah, about 420 metres away, and back. We did this seven times thus we should end at Marwah. At Marwah, we finished our fourth and the last ritual of umrah by cutting our hair (called tahallul); reciting our intention to part from wearing the ihram. Men were required to cut at least three strands of their hair, about 2.5 cm in length, while it will be longer for women. It is very important that all the rituals must be performed in sequence.


For several days that were left before we performed the hajj proper, we dressed in normal manner. We spent the time upgrading our religious activities, much so performing the prayers, five times per day, reading the al-Quran as well as reciting the numerous doa at the Masjidil Haram. It was made known that a prayer done at this mosque is 100,000 times better than anywhere else. We took every opportunity to drink the zam zam water after every prayer.

On 5 November (9 Zulhijjah), clad in ihram attire again, our group left for Arafah. The time was about 12:50 a.m. We uttered our intention to perform the hajj while in the bus and also recited talbiah during the journey. We must be present physically, or called wukuf, at Arafah as this is the first ritual activity for hajj. Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had once said: "Hajj is Arafah". In terms of timing, all the hajj pilgrims must be at Arafah, even for a second, from zohor (afternoon) of 9 Zulhijjah till subuh (dawn) of 10 Zulhijjah. At about 12:05 p.m., we started our wukuf with a sermon, followed by zohor congregation prayer.

At Arafah, my wife Dr Rokiah and myself raised our hands high and prayed to Allah for the well- being and betterment of ourselves and our daughters, Dr. Sarah and Syazana; family members and friends. It was during this time that tears running down from our eyes. At Arafah, our minds were not thinking of anything else but just asking for the forgiveness from Allah. After isyak (night) prayer, we left for Muzdalifah. Here, we collected enough stones for melontar or 'stoning-the-devil' ritual activity at Jamarah in Mina.

We reached Mina at about 4:00 a.m. on 10 Zulhijjah (6 November 2011). Pilgrims were required to be in Mina from 10 to 13 Zulhijjah by virtue of melontar activities. As we planned to go back to Makkah for the night, we performed the molantar on the 10 Zulhijjah at Big Jamarah (Jamrah Aqaba) at about 11:50 p.m., followed by cutting our hairs. Again, by cutting our hairs, we can then part with our ihram attire. We then walked towards Makkah with four other friends and reached our hotel about one hour and ten minutes later.


The next day, my wife and myself went back to Mina as pillion passengers for 100 Saudi Riyal each. We stopped at Jamarah and performed the melontar at Small Jamarah, Middle Jamarah and Big Jamarah. The rituals were repeated on the next two days. We left Mina for Makkah by bus in the afternoon of 13 Zulhijjah. To complete the hajj rituals, we still need to perform the tawaf haji and sa'ie haji. I did this with my wife on 12 November 2011, after Isyak prayer.

After performing tawaf wada', we left for Madinah on 1 December, reaching our hotel at about 10:00 p.m. While in Madinah, we prayed at the Masjid Nabawi which was 1,000 times better than anywhere else. We also prayed at the Raudhah as well as passing by and performing the doa in front of the magnificent tombs of Prophet Muhammad, Saiyidina Abu Bakar and Saiyidina Omar.
I did also convey my friends' greetings to the Prophet. For the next few days, the organizer brought us to visit the surrounding areas such as Masjid Quba, Masjid Kiblatain, Bukit Uhud, Khandak and date farm.


During our free time, usually before afternoon prayer, my wife and I did a little shopping for dates and other items at Taiba Complex and the surrounding areas.
On 10 December 2011, we performed the wada' ritual at Masjid Nabawi before we left for Madinah Airport. The plane took off at about 8:25 a.m. local time and landed at KLIA at about 9:25 p.m. Truly enough, the experience gained once in a life time when performing the hajj was just something which stays in the mind forever. Thank you Allah for making it possible for me and my wife.
Every year, about 2.5 million Muslims from all over world converge to Makkah and surrounding areas, in the month of Zulhijjah, to perform the fifth pillar of Islam, i.e. the Hajj. They conducted the rituals in peace.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kamaruddin_B_Hassan

Friday, October 4, 2013

What is Islam?

A little introduction to Islam by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan.


Ijumaa Karimu wandugu.

Preparation for Eid


Eid Al-Adha is coming up here, expected to be around October 14th-15th, depending on the lunar calendar. This is our biggest religious holiday, commemorating prophet Ibrahim (May Allah be pleased with him), for his complete obedience to Allah when he was being tested. We all know the story of Ibrahim(Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael) and the GREATEST TEST OF All TIME.  You know we would have all failed it miserably.

So here are a few tips to prepare in advance for it:

1. ASK FOR TIME OFF IN ADVANCE.
This applies if you are in a country where you are scheduled to work, don't do the last minute calling in sick deal. Geez, this is a major holiday that you need to spend with your family, I'm sure your boss will understand.

2. HIT THE STORES EARLY
Make sure that you hit those Sales early, so as to get the best clothes(pamba) and pressies for your peeps (kids, neighbors, relatives, friends, orphans, poor, etc). Some stores have already started with the Eid Sales, get on it before they run out of the good stuff.

3. SECURE THAT GOAT EARLY
I don't know about you, but over here, the price of Goat goes up on the day off or a day or two before. You can get more goats to distribute to charity for less.

4. COMPLETE THE 3rd PILLAR OF ISLAM (CHARITY)
Start with your local community to see if there is a need, if not, go further out or better yet, hit the internet and you will find plenty of AID organizations such as, Muslim AID,  Islamic Relief Organization, Red Cresent, etc. Take your pick!

6. SMILE
Don't over think and stress on the day's events and just let it roll. Life is how you make it, surround yourself with positive energy and the rest will just sort itself out. Just Remember Allah is with you all the way.

I leave you with this verse from the Qur'an....

Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.    
(Qur'an chapter 9 verse 60)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Sura ya Leo "Al-'Asr" (The Declining Day)


Naapa kwa Zama!
Hakika binaadamu bila ya shaka yumo katika khasara,
Ila wale walio amini, na wakatenda mema, na wakausiana kwa haki, na wakausiana kusubiri.


By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily Man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, 
and of Patience and Constancy.

Qur'an Chapter 103