Islam is the religion that teaches equality, peace and Freedom. Quran the book of Muslims along with the teachings of the prophet Muhammad SAWW is a complete code of life for every human and has every aspect of a life covered in terms of how one should behave, earn, live and everything else. In today’s world, we as Muslims have forgotten who we are. We do read the Quran, but we do not follow its teachings, we do listen to the Sunnah and Hadith of the Prophet, but we do not live our life according to what the Prophet did and asked us to do. We are living in a life of our own where we have forgotten what is the purpose of being a Muslim.

We all should be following the teachings of the Quran rather than just reading Quran as a book. We should be focusing on understanding the Quran by reading the translations and getting the correct information of the teachings of the Quran from the Scholars. There are a lot of basic things that the Quran teaches which we have all forgotten. Where is the respect of parents which we are told and where is the Hijab for women. There are many things which the Quran teaches which is forgotten by most of us today. Quran teaches us how we should give charity to the poor and help our Muslim brothers, but if we look to today’s world, we will see that the rich in most cases do not offer any support to the poor.

The teachings of the Holy Prophet are what complete Islam. Quran is the complete guide and then actions and sayings of the Prophet explain in detail what the Quran is saying. The whole purpose of this is that we can live good lives after the Prophet. In most cases, now we do say that we follow the prophet, but in reality none of us do. Every one of us just picks out the qualities and habits that they like from the life of the prophet, and just by doing those we say that we are following the prophet. What we do not understand that when we say that we want to follow the prophet it means that we should be doing each and every thing. If not all, then at least most of what we can do with true faith. The prophet in the month of Ramadan would not eat food when he knew there was someone near his home who wanted food. He in many cases only ate a few dates for iftar just enough to keep energy for the next day, but today we see how people are doing big luxurious Iftar parties where many people are starving for food.

All of us need to understand that there are many details in Islam that we need to follow. Since Islam is a complete code of life there are many details but the two main points, in order to be better Muslims, is to make sure that we understand what we read in the Quran and understand the teachings of the prophet. If we follow these two things then all the rest of the details would eventually be in place for us.

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Terrorism has become a global threat. No one gives the impression that he feels secure in this world. Terrorism has forced the public figures and world leaders to spend thousands of dollars beefing up their safety. Within tight security, millions of innocent people have lost their lives to the extermination called terrorism. It was confirmed statically that no country around the world is exceptional to rebel attacks. From Algeria and Kenya to various states in the Gulf area and the Middle East; Pakistan, Philippine, India and Indonesia across Asia, New York and Washington in the United States, London and Spain in Europe, many innocent people were sniffed out of survival.

Terrorism in Pakistan has become a major destructive phenomenon since few years. The yearly death rate of innocent people due to terrorist attacks increased from 160 in 2003 to 3350 in 2009, and still no control over it since now. According to Pakistan Government more than 35, 000 people have lost their lives due to rebel attacks till 2012. According to the government of Pakistan, the direct and indirect costs of terrorism from 2010 to 2012 was a total of $70 billion. The political instability, religious intolerance, military intervention, myopic visionary policies, partial economic policies, ethnic, lingual and regional prejudices let the flame of terrorism in Pakistan.

Due to terrorism, economic stability, tranquil and peace of mind have vanished from Pakistan. It is greatly affecting the economy of Pakistan. No country is ready to make investments in Pakistan due to the fear of terrorism. Sports and tourism industry have almost vanished from the country.

The government of Pakistan need to take some effective steps and measures to control terrorism. Various countries like Italy, Germany, Ireland, the United States, and much more have greatly controlled the activities of terrorism by implementing effective measures.

Here is list of some effective steps that can save the Pakistanis from this evil:

• The government should increase the coordination between all intelligence agencies like FIA, ISI, IB and MI so that these agencies act together against any terrorist attack or any danger.
• Negotiation is considered the first and best way to resolve any problem. Taliban and Al Qaida are considered major terrorist groups in Pakistan. The government needs to open dialogues with Taliban and Al Qaida in order to establish peace and tranquility in the country.
• Some scholar and philosophers argue that poverty, lack of education, unemployment, corruption and mainly injustice are major causes of terrorism. The government of Pakistan need to reduce the unemployment rate, end injustice and manage proper system of education.
• Finally, the government needs to revise its foreign policy. Leaders of country need to negotiate with neighbor countries in order to bring peace in the region. Collaboration with the neighboring countries like India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is the best way to eradicate the roots of terrorism from whole region.

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المقال ده مش هينفع يتكتب غير باللهجة المصرية

 ايوووووووووة

مرسي هيتشتم بكل طرق الشتيمه علي الطريقة المصرية

 و هيطلع عليه نكت بعدد شعر راسه و يمكن اكتر

وهيتقلش عليه لما يشبع

و هيترسم فيه كاريكاتير

ساخر و لازع

و هيطلع عليه اشاعات كتييييير

و قصص و روايات

و هيتعارض علي الفاضية و المليانه

 و من كل التيارات و اللاتلافات الثورية و الاحزاب و من رجل الشارع العادي البسيط

الا طبعا تياره و جماعته

 و يمكن كمان يتعارض من شباب تياره

هي الدنيا كده

و هي مصر كده

و احنا المصرييييييين بالذات

عندنا طبيعة جميلة لطيفة بخفة دم

بنتريق علي اي حاجة في اي حاجة

و بنحول الالم لضحكة

وبنصبر نفسنا علي الهم بنكته

و بنقنع نفسنا و بنضحك من قلبنا

و ان ما لقيناش حد نتريق عليه بنتريق علي نفسنا

و كلمة نتريق دي مش موجوده عند حد غيرنا

وماهياش زم ولا حاجة

هاتو لي بني ادم بقا ريس علي المصريين

من بداية الفراعنة لليوم و سلم من التريقه

ونكت

و في العصر الحديث

الرئيس جمال عبد الناصر بالرغم انه كان محبوب من اغلب الشعب الا ان برضوا طلع عليه نكت و اشاعات

و الرئيس السادات رغم انه نغنغ الشعب و عمل انفتاح و حرر سيناء الا انه طلع عليه اشاعات و نكت اكتر من اي حد

و حسني مبارك رغم انه كان ماسك البلد من حديد

و الصحفي اللي كتب خبر ان مبارك مريض

مبارك سجنه

الا انه رغم ده برضوا طلع عليه نكت و اشاعات

كله طلع عليه نكت و اتشتم

نرجع ونقول

ان

مرسي انسان بشر

عاااااااااادي

ممكن يصيب

ممكن يغلط

ممكن يكدب

ممكن يصدق

دي سياسة يا جماعة

و شغل حلق حوش

يارب نبطل نعمل الحاكم اله

و ياريت الناس اللي بتدافع عن مرسي في الفاضية و المليانه يبطلوا

لاحد سامعكم

و لا هتعدلوا المايله

و هتضروا اكتر ماهتنفعوا

نحن المصرين نمتلك من العند

اللي ممكن يتوزع علي العالم

و ماحدش يطلع يقول لي

يعني هو ينفع نتكلم عن ريسنا بقلة ادب

هقوله مع كامل احترامي ايوة ينفع

هي كده احنا المصرين كده

و حضرتك شتمت ريسك قبل كده لما كان مبارك

هتقولي مبارك كان كخه

ماشي بس ريسك برضوا

و كان بيتشتم ليل نهار

و مع كل جبروته ما طلعش علينا حد قال

عيييييييييييييب

انا بقا اللي بقول لكم عيب

عيب افتح النت

الاقي الناس عماله تشتم بعض

علشان مرسي

بتتخانقوا علي ايه

بضيعوا مجهودكم و اعصابكم علي ايه

ما تتلفتوا للمصايب اللي احنا فيها دي

اللي بتعملوه ده

كان السبب في اللي بيحصل كل يوم بين اللي مع و اللي ضد

فضلتوا تتخانقوا بالكلام

لحد ما اترجم الي ضرب

بقا المصري بيضرب اخوه المصري

البلد اصبحت تعاني من فتنه

ارحمونا و ارحموا مصر

اي حد ماشي و مصر هي اللي باقيه

و تاريخنا

هو اللي باقي

مش عايزين التاريخ يكتب ويقول

المصرين قتلوا بعض في يوم من الايام

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Banking in Islam provides savings and deposits in investment accounts that are based on mudaraba scheme. In this scheme, depositors to the accounts share profits/losses incurred by the institutions on the basis of an agreed-on formula. “Mudaraba Accounts” depositors are therefore capital suppliers, rabb al-mal, meaning the persons who entrust the financial institution with their funds, also known as speculator (Mudarib) in the Western investment banking style. The whole scheme is subjected to dealings involving only non-instruments which do not bear interests. Mudarib acts as a money-manager or agent, oversees the funds investment and later distributes profits/losses based on pre-defined contracts which meets various conditions including:

• Profits are shared in proportions depending on the percentage of contribution from each party involved in Mudaraba account. Lump-sum guaranteed amounts are not permitted.
• A depositor loss must not exceed the amount deposited.
• Mudarib or manager, does not undertake in sharing of losses whether in save for his time and effort at managing the funds, and in instances where negligence is proven.

Many times, scholars have argued that this third provision opens doors for careless fund management through transactions which may subject the depositor to unprecedented losses. In Islamic countries where transparency is an issue, this aspect has proved extremely challenging leading depositors to suffer from huge losses. It is more applicable in nations where period disclosure of transactions and operations to stakeholders is encouraged and highly practiced.

There are two forms of Islamic trading derivatives which are implicit derivatives and explicit derivatives. Implicit derivatives from an economic point of view, “creditor-in-possession” based on lending system arrangements of Islamic trading replicates income conventional transactions in a manner accepted within Shariah law. On the other hand, when it comes to explicit derivatives, there is an extensive agreement that they are those derivatives which offer an option for unilateral deferment like delay in payment of contracts on assets involved or on the purchasing order with regard to future contracts.

Generally, it is noted that the structures of many Islamic trading are subject to lots of legal hindrances, thanks to weak reliance on financing of capital markets. Risk issuance is generally plagued with lots of uncertainty irrespective of whether it’s about the hedge funds of sukuk. It is noted that whilst “implicit derivatives” are vital in order to replicate interest via profit generation from assets transferred temporarily or even sharing of profits on Islamic finance, explicit ones are rather shrouded with lots of controversy.

Further, investors within the Islamic financing structures are concerned with many aspects let alone Shariah law compliance of derivative. It is therefore important that the Islamic derivatives satisfy two fundamental aspects, which are: applicability to commercial legislation and Shariah law alike. This is the precept which provides investors with security on their investment or not. Moreover, while the prospect of creation of Shariah compliant derivatives is acknowledged, it places the need to come up with unified interpretation mechanisms rather than relying on individual interpretations.

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Okay, so before we dig deeper into the matter let us first analyze what weight-age the Muslim Community of Great Britain carries. As of the United Kingdom Census 2011, there are nearly 2.7 million Muslims in the UK which makes Islam the second largest religion of the United Kingdom after Christianity. Islam has been legally recognized in the UK since more than two centuries ago –the Trinitarian Act 1812 granted the religion a legal status.

According to the conversion rates of 2011, one person converts to Islam from other religions every 100 minutes, so 14 to 15 people convert to Islam daily! This shows that the Muslim community is quite important when it comes to the topic of sadistic Islamophobic trends among some of the non-Muslims.

In a community where one in every 20 persons is a Muslim, we cannot simply say that they are at bay from responsibilities towards addressing critical issues. The significance of UK in the middle of discriminatory events that keep coming time by the time from around the world also advocates the aforementioned. There are more than 1500 mosques in England and Wales as compared to a seven in 1961. This is impressive growth, and where it shows the Muslim community’s importance in the region it also shows the positive side of UK in accepting this. So we come to one understanding; Muslims in that region are an important community and there are greatly positive aspects of the UK –it is not all bad and anti-Islamic. I would rather say it has never been completely anti-Islamic though there have been prejudicial elements and they are growing now. That is our fear.

Most of us must have heard of the English Defense League an organization that was labeled as Islamophobic and was involved in damaging and spray painting mosques with insulting comments, having violent protests in favor of complete extinction of Islam from UK and death threats to journalists who cover them. Such events are getting more frequent, and if the Muslim community doesn’t take it on them to promote the real image of Islam, it’s highly probable that these bigots would generate a greater following.

Muslims in UK already present a respectable and commendable stance; we see that in a report by the University of Essex last year 82 percent of Muslims want to live in diverse and mixed neighborhoods where as 63 percent of non-Muslims want that. While 77 percent of British Muslims identify themselves strongly with UK while only 50 percent of non-Muslims do. So actually Muslims are more open towards coexistence. In my opinion, this is the line that all the Muslims need to follow; we need tell the critics of Islam that we believe in harmony and coexistence –as prescribed by Islam. The image portrayed by the biased media shows otherwise and the Muslims living over there are in a better position to change the mindsets of non-Muslims around them as compared to Muslims living elsewhere. For instance, we can talk over the internet, debate with non-Muslims and try and educate them how Islam is nothing similar to what the extremists do, but these would still be words. The people there can practically show them that we are different. Their everyday chores, their opinions and their receptiveness would be a better indication of peace offering towards non-Muslims.

A majority of the Muslims living there are happy with their lives, the only problem is the occasional but totally unacceptable prejudicial events. The British community of Muslims needs to address these issues with vigilance and react legally to them. We are good followers of Islam, and we need to prove it to them by our actions –by preaching the message of Islam and above all by not forgetting it ourselves.

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According to UNHCR report more than 45.1 million were displaced recently, and the number of people that moved this year is the highest number of people since 1994. Globally people have been moving a lot and there is a higher percentage of people seeking for Asylum. Not only this, there are almost 45.2 million people that were forced to displace from their native country UNHCR reported..

For the last decade or so, there was instability in most parts of the world. That is the main reason people from Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and many other countries, where there are security concerns, are moving away from their homes.

The detailed report published by UNHCR showed that there were almost 937,000 people who applied for asylum, and there were more than 28.8 million people who were displaced internally by the states within the borders.

Around 35.8m persons were of concern to the UNHCR by the end of 2012, the second highest number on record.  Since 1993, when record-keeping began, the highest figure was in 2009 with 36.5m persons of concern.

The figure that came up in 2012 is the second largest in number since 1994 when around 36.5m people were of concern to UNHCR. “Persons of concern” is a term used by UNHCR for people who get displaced by whatever reason.

Most of the people that got displaced are from the countries that is facing wars. Syria is leading in numbers with more than 4.25 m people being displaced by the Syrian government. This displacement trend could be worrying because as per calculation made by UNHCR every 4.1 second an individual is converted into a refugee. Pakistan and Iran are the two countries that have accommodated the largest number of refugees.

War against terrorism in Afghanistan has forced a larger number of Afghan refugees to move either to Pakistan , Iran or Somalia. One out of four refugees is an Afghanistan citizen. In 2012, more than 23,000 people were forced to move from their countries and more importantly the developing countries is accommodating most of the refugees. As compared to 2006, about 21,300 people submitted the applications for Asylum that is the highest ever.

Pakistan share a border with Afghanistan and it’s quite easy for a refugee to move into Pakistan as the Pakistani economy is bearing the extra burden with 552 refugees per 1$ of GDP per capita. More than 48% percent of the refugees were females .However, in total 48% of the refugees that moved to other countries in 2012 were childern under 18 years of age. Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia are the top listed countries with the highest percentage of refugees. As far as the asylum applications are concerned Germany (64,500), South Africa (61,500), and France (55,100)is leading the chart for refugees.

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Babies in Bosnia are in a great danger as those infants who need medical supervision abroad cannot leave the country. As a result, people stated protesting, and the main reason behind the protests was three months old baby who lives in Bosnia but needs a medical emergency in Germany. The baby needs a bone marrow transplant, and this medical supervision is not in Bosnia, but the government is against the need that people can go to another country for any reason and this rule is applicable even for infants.

There is a 13 digit personal identity number which is given to each and every citizen of Bosnia and also Herzegovina. These personal identity number is also known as JMBG, and it shows the details of the citizen like the state of the citizen, vaccination and also the passport details. It also contains the date and place of birth of the citizen, but the government of Bosnia declared on 12th Feb, 2013 that this unique identification number will not be included or approved in some of the municipalities. These are some of the municipality that are dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina. The whole country is divided into certain subsection. These two states are divided among the Republika Srpska, and the other is Croat and Bosniak. The problems between these two political parties have forced the government to impose such harsh rule in the nation.

The Disapproval of the Unique Identification Number:

The Republika is in the favour of entities so when this number is allotted the federal level gets a high power, and thus the central government would benefit, but the Croat and Bosniak are in support of the federal government and not in favour of entities. This shows that a small issue is also thought from a political point of view in Bosnia. The parliament is unable to find a solution to this problem which leads to the deadlock of this unique identification number. This indirectly meant that the babies that are born after February will not be considered as citizens, and they won’t have any personal identification.

As the population is increasing, there are nearly 1500 new born child who are not legally approved as the citizen of the nation, and this is the main problem that they do not even have a passport. As a solution, the local numbers are been given to parents so that they can offer vaccination to their children, but if they need any other treatment abroad then they would be unable to go because they do not have a passport. Against this rule, the people of Bosnia protested on June 5th, and this made the prime minister of both countries run form the window of the house.

There is no Humanity in the Bosnian Government:

The protestors were very angry, and so the council passed a temporary allocation of numbers, but still it was not made as a permanent law for the nation. The Human rights committee has declared that as the council is not making it a permanent law, they are showing that they are abusing the common human rights of the nation. The mistakes of politicians caused the loss of lives who were unable to get the proper medical supervision on time, but the government is not shamed at all from their inhuman law.

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امس وقع في طريقي

 فيديو لأحد المشايخ من من يطلقون علي نفسه شيوخ

و هم عن هذا اللقب بمعناه الحقيقي الصح

 بعيد جدا

المهم

هذا الرجل ماذا يقول

؟

يقول ان  شم النسيم و الاحتفال به و اكل الفسيخ و الرنجة

من قبل المسلمين

حرااااااااااااااام

؟؟!!

هي دي

موضة كل سنة 

كل مايقرب شم النسيم تلاقي اللي يقولك 

ده حراااااااااااام

هو مش لما الرسول صل الله عليه وسلم 

وجد يهود المدينة صايمين 

بيحتفلوا

في عاشورة

سأل همه صايمين ليه وبيحتفلوا بمن

؟؟

و عندما علم ان هذا هو اليوم الذي نجي فيه

ربنا سبحانه وتعالي

سيدنا موسي و قومه من فرعون

و اغرقه هو و جنوده الظالمين في اليم

 قال نحن اولي بموسي منهم

و قال صوموا و لكن خالفوهم 

يعني نصوم تسعة وعشرة او حتي ياسيدي عشرة و حداشر

جميل حد هيقول لي و مال ده و مال ده

هقوله ماتستعجلش علي رزقك

طيب جميل

مش ربنا لما بعت موسي لفرعون يهديه ويدعوه للأيمان برب العالمين

و يطلب منه ان يسمح له ان يرحل ببني اسرائيل عن مصر

و جعله يري معجزاته عليه السلام

و التي اعتبرها فرعون سحر يرهب به الناس ليؤمنوا به

 و يرحلون معه

!!

و عندها قال له فرعون

انت مجنون و ساحر و لا يوجد لكم رب غيري

و حدد له موعد ليكشف سحره و كذبه علي الناس

و اليوم ده هو يوم الزينة

اوباااااااااا

اربط هنا ياعم الله يخليك

مش يوم الزينة ده 

من ايااااااام اجددنا الفراعنة 

و لا مصيبه ما يكونوش كمان طلعوا اجددنا

ما علينا

مش من ايام الناس دول 

بتوع الحضارة 

و مصر ام الدنيا بتحتفل بشم النسيم ده

اللي اصلا اختراع الفسيخ ده 

اخترااااااااااااع 

يستحق عليه الولد الفرعون الجميل اللي قال

وجدتها و فسخ الفسيخ

جايزة نوبل للطعام الرائع

طيب  المهم

فرعون جمع السحرة علي سيدنا موسي

و سيدنا موسي في الاول خاف 

بس ربنا ثبته و قاله لاتخف انت الاقوي

ما اطولش عليكم

قولوا طوالي

سيدنا موسي كسب طبعا 

السحره امنوا برب العالمين

ليه علشان همه اكتر ناس عارفين السحر من اللي ما سحرش

و كذلك كتير من الناس امنوا

و فرعون و هامان طقوا من الغيظ

وطلعوا همه اللي كدابين

دي نصرة و لا مش نصرة

مش بنصر الله يفرح المؤمنين

طيب ادي عيد من زماااااااااااااان 

و كمان ربنا عمل فيه نصرة لنبيه موسي

مال ده بقا و مال الشرك بالله و اليعاذوا بالله

حرام عليكم زهقتونا 

المصرين بيحتفلوا بكل حاجة من الالف السنين 

 و هيحتفلوا بالمواسم

و الاعياد الدينية و الاجتماعية 

من اول يوم الحب الي يوم الام الي عيد ابو الفصاد

و حلوا عننا الله يرضي عليكم

سيبوا الناس تنبسط و تفرفش

و كمان كل سنة و كل المصرين بخير وسعادة

و ياريت لما تاكلوا الفسيخ كلوه زي ما الفراعنه كانوا بياكلوه و انتوا مش هتتعبوا

اطلاااااااااقا  

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The US President has named James Comey as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) but his nomination is controversial, given his history at the justice department under former President George W Bush.

James Comey has been named as the new director of the federal Bureau of Investigation. James Comey is a well-known personality as he served in FBI during the regime of President George W bush. For the same reason, Obama nomination was criticized as the nomination was said to be controversial. Executive director of the bill of rights defense committee Shahid Buttar said it seemed that Obama was following the footsteps former President George W Bush. However, George W Bush is accused of misusing the constitution.

The Obama regime is under immense pressure about the placement of controversial appointments in different administrative departments in which most of them are related to civil services. One of the reporters from AL-Jazeera war reporting from Washington that Comey never had a good reputation as he was one of those lawyers who were practicing during Bush tenure as a president. Of the astonishing facts is that Comey was the one who signed off the interrogation techniques like sleep deprivation and water boarding, obviously it is not appreciated by the people to have that kind of placement in the FBI. Controversies have been a major hurdle for Obama as the placements that have been made are not up to the mark. A lawyer like Comey is expected to join the office soon with all the torture controversies he was involved in.

As a lawyer Comey do have an experience of serving the government. George W bush had been very kind with Comey as he was awarded the second highest ranked official job in the department of Justice. During the time spent in his office, Comey was never seen as that kind of officials who is expected to bring strong legislative measures. Comey left the job in 2005 and then went to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin is one of the largest defense contractors in the US.

After resigning from Lockheed Martin Comey joined HSBC as a board member and also served a lecturer at Columbia University’s Law School. As per instructions of president Obama Comey would be joining FBI soon but questions were raised if it was justified to appoint a person like Comey who has so much controversy behind his name. The FBI has so far failed to handle the Boston bombing issue as suspect Ibragim Todashev was shot dead by the investigating officer. However, there were contradictions in statements given by different FBI officials. The agency is also criticized for using Drones in the US territory. There are lots of questions that are yet to be answered by the government federal agency and so far there are no satisfactory answers given to the media.

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Islamic Finance, unlike western finance systems, is largely influenced by Islamic precepts, which govern its structure and activities. The most important aspect is the replacement of paying or receiving of a fixed or pre-determined interest rate with a profit and loss-sharing plan in which rate of return to financial assets held with banks is unknown. The rate of return is not fixed prior to undertaking a transaction. It differs from traditional banking, and unlike traditional banking; the matter of what prudential standards are applicable to Islamic banks has received little attention.

Islamic finance is governed by Islamic precepts as already mentioned, and more particularly, Shariah law, which, totally bans speculation, rather stipulating that income has to be derived in the form of profits and shared business risk instead of interests or assured returns. The piece further delves into the pivotal legal principles which shape Islamic Finance, with special interest in derivatives. This is in addition to taking a deeper look into the valuation models which assist in illustration of the Shariah-compliant deviation from conventional finance options via an implicit derivative scheme.

In real-life practice, Islamic Finance differs markedly from its paradigm version and its implementation takes place in myriad ways which are centered between the benchmark case and conventional banking practices. The degree to which this difference is pronounced differs from one nation to another. Among the most common financial instruments in the recent times, are the derivatives and despite being important, they remain few and differ from one country to another, with much fewer numbers being recorded in nations where their compatibility to the structure of capital markets required redevelopment around Shariah-compliant schemes.

Derivatives are stated as being financial products developed in response to the need for financial innovation aimed at addressing market needs. They are basically a response to the prevailing need to control risk with increasingly complex business environs. They are primarily a response to the need to manage risks within a rapidly metamorphosing business environment. In Islamic finance, they marginally differ from the derivatives as known is conventional banking practices.

Islamic Finance Derivatives

As suggested earlier, there are lots of Shariah compliant derivatives in the market. All these derivatives are expected to meet the general requirement or criteria in order to be considered acceptable, or rather halal as Islam puts it. At the basic level, all the instruments as well as transactions are expected to be free and do not fall within the following five items.

• Riba (meaning usury),
• Rishwah (implying corruption),
• Maysir (implying gambling),
• Gharar (meaning unnecessary risk), and
• Jahl (to mean ignorance).

It should be emphasized that as much as riba can be in multiple forms, all kinds of it are prohibited and unaccepted within the concept of Islamic finance, even one gets positive returns without taking any risks. In the case of gharar, there is actually no consensus as to what it actually encompasses and was generally used to refer to unnecessary risks, deceit, or uncertainty that is self-induced. With regard to financial transactions, it is considered or treated as looseness of the base contract that either one or each of the involved parties lack certainty of the possible outcome. On the other hand, Masyir when looked at from the point of financial instruments is one where outcome is solely reliant on chance for instance, gambling.  Lastly, it is jahl which refers to the party’s ignorance.  Looking at this from a financial stand-point, it is unacceptable if either of the parties involved in the transaction gains as a result of the ignorance of the other party.

There exists a number of Islamic derivative alternatives, most of which are premised on the Shariah law as already mentioned earlier. The chapter outlines quite a number of these alternatives noting that the most salient aspect of the system is riba prohibition.

Categories of Islamic Finance Contracts

On the basis of the earlier mentioned principles, Islamic banks offer financial contracts falling within five fundamental groups. These include:

• Non-interest bearing demand deposits;
• Mudaraba,
• Murabaha,
• Musharaka, and
• Ijara.

In modern commercial banks, the conventional checking accounts do not bear interests on deposits and given that Islamic Financial Institutions (IFI’s) discourage deals based on interest, many often demand for these accounts. In ideal situations, IFIs are not supposed to charge a fee on checking accounts given that they are free to hire the depositors’ funds, in line with the reserve requirements, if at all any exists, to the assets which are earning. This is however not the case in real situations. Based on deposit sizes, service charges and fees are charged to meet operational costs.

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By Ras H. Siddiqui
 
06/23/2013, SACRAMENTO, California – Muslims in the United States participate in and hold many community fundraisers. The most prominent goals for these gatherings are either charitable causes or activities related to building and operating mosques and schools. There are Mosque “open houses”, community picnics and a host of other intra-religious activities, but what about the world outside and all around us in this country which is our home?

What do our neighbors, friends co-workers really know about the Islamic faith? Can and should we leave it to the headlines and the terror acts of a few misguided individuals or groups to represent our faith which has over a billion followers?

The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has one very interesting project (amongst many) going on in this country for doing very important outreach work. Called WhyIslam, it has a very simple approach to spreading awareness about the beliefs of Muslims by putting information about our faith out there in an easily accessible manner. It relies on billboards along freeways and highways, Dawah booths at local events such as state fairs and tables at malls which project a simple message “Why Islam?” and direct anyone interested to call a toll free number 1-877-Why-ISLAM or to go online to a website which can explain a great deal about the Islamic religion.

ICNA Sacramento has been active in assisting this effort for a few years now and in this regard it held its 4th Annual Fundraiser (nothing happens without resources including money) at an event center in California’s Capital city on May 31st where over 200 people gathered share a fine dinner, pray, listen to a chapter progress report and a keynote speech by Shaykh Omar Suleiman.

Following the customary Quran recitation by a young man from the gathering, emcee for the evening Br. Rashid Thomas started the formalities with a note of welcome and a tribute to Br. Hassan Abdul Malik a pillar of our local Muslim community whom we lost at a relatively young age. Br. Malik tried to stay active in the local Dawah effort till almost the very end of his very inspiring life journey, one which touched many locals. A special prayer was said for him before the event moved on.

Br. Shane Yoder next shared his thoughts on the importance of supporting the WHYISLAM Dawah effort and detailed some of the activities that ICNA Sacramento Chapter has been engaged in. The School Backpack Giveaway was especially highlighted as it has helped some disadvantaged kids who may not have the resources or access to needed classroom supplies.

Next, the keynote speech by Shaykh Omar Suleiman was very well received. He praised the work done by the local chapter and explained the direct communication between the Muslim Mind and the Muslim Heart. He said that we have to talk about our own hearts and minds before talking about others. He added that our community has to get out of its survival mode, get more active and take the message out to the public. He said that the Islamophobes out there are not exactly scholars and they validate people’s ignorance. He went back to the time of the Prophet and described two incidents during which he succeeded in educating adversaries and skeptics. Suleiman added that one never knows whose life might be touched with our efforts.

After the viewing of a very interesting ICNA WhyIslam video (urging everyone to be involved and visible), the fundraiser began. It was conducted by Br. Mohammad Hassan who reminded us that well-funded Islamophobes should not define who we are. He said that sacrifice is doing something during hard times, which our community currently faces. Over $50,000 was collected to sustain the local WHYISLAM outreach activity at this event before Maghreb prayers.

To conclude, although the building of Mosques, and operating them along with charitable work is very important for the Muslim community in America, in times like these one should consider spreading true knowledge about Islam of equal importance. We cannot let “so called Muslim” terrorists continually demonize our faith and have their murderous acts become the only source of information about Islam for the mainstream community. Ignoring efforts like WHYISLAM is no longer an option for American Muslims.

Article Courtesy: Pakistan Times

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by Sadeel Allam, 06/26/2013
 
Can you picture 115,296,797 persons? Now, out of that amount, 3,700, according to a 2010 census by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography are Muslim, with a one third concentrated in Mexico City. Over the past 10 years in the conflicted area of Chiapas, reside approximately 300 native people, some which are from the ancient Mayan civilization that don’t speak Spanish, but have reverted to Islam.

This is where the heart of the journey begins for Nahela Morales, a Mexican American Muslim who has taken it upon herself to carry through a project that aids and builds a bridge for people around the world to needed Muslim communities throughout Mexico. An expedition that initiated today with her travel to Mexico along with 11 full bags of donated clothing such as scarves, overgarments, and other items from people around the U.S.

It was during the revert’s panel at the ICNA Convention in May 2013, that I met Nahela Morales. She is part of WHY ISLAM? and was holding a panel of stories by reverted Muslims. After the panel, I followed her to a video recording session about more stories on reverts and it was in the waiting area that I heard her story and what she was preparing to embark on. During 2011 while vacationing in Mexico, Nahela Morales was looking for a mosque to pray the Friday prayer, but had a very hard time finding one. It was on this trip that her initiative to help the much needed Mexican Muslim community in Mexico awakened. After meeting with community organizers and leaders like Isa Rojas, a Mexican national who studied Islamic Law in Saudi Arabia and leads various Mexican Muslim communities and before departing from Mexico, Nahela Morales vowed to return in a year with donated items and $500 dollars. A year later and a month before her take-off to Mexico, she found herself in a bit of frustration due to the lack of support including from recognized Muslim leaders in the U.S. who literally turned her down. It was also during the ICNA time while Nahela Morales was in the elevator making a supplication where things changed around. After putting her son to bed and heading to the hotel lobby to get coffee, she gets off the elevator and sees Muslim leader Nouman Ali Khan. Nervously and courageously, Nahela Morales told him about her initiative. He didn’t just offered monetary aid in a tripled amount to what she had already raised, which surpassed the initial $500 goal, but himself and his wife’s presence as well. Interesting enough, the Islamic leader that turned her down came up and joined them at that same moment, which he then also agreed to help.

Nahela Morales and her strongly belief in this initiative is something very close to heart, because it is not only about helping out the neighbor as Islamic scriptures asks Muslims to do, but aiding people in the most of their basic needs. A need that is not seen, lived nor even smelled for many people who live in America or even heard of. The need of essential clothing, food and housing in addition to support new Muslim communities with knowledge and everyday faith struggles. Nahela Morales tells a story of her while in her 2011 vacation in Mexico on how she stood up the whole night sharing her knowledge about women issues with a group of eager learning Mexican Muslim women. The need is clear at all levels and should not be understated nor should our responsibility to comply. It doesn’t stop there for Nahela Morales. She has another goal in mind when she travels to Chiapas.

Her goal is to rebuild the mosque that has sheets as dividers and exposed wood and brick walls with the money she has received in donations for the Muslim community that reside in Chiapas. Islamic leader Nouman Ali Khan along side his wife will be accompanying Nahela Morales and others on this building project and to Chiapas too. Nahela Morales also counts with the support of WHY ISLAM? This will be also the first time for Nahela Morales to travel to the southern region of Mexico in a state that has been know for continuous warfare between Mexico and Zapatistas since the early 1990′s. All in the exact one year as she vowed by the grace and permission of Allah(God), The All Mighty and All Merciful.

Nahela Morales and friends will be traveling throughout Mexico to different communities in different states throughout Mexico during a month to give their collected donations along with their support. The expedition may be followed through Facebook page Unidos Para El Dawah En Mexico(United For The Dawah In Mexico). Nahela Morales advised pictures will be continuously posted as they travel and stop at their travel points. We asked Nahela Morales what is one way for the everyone to help and she responded that by joining her in her initiative.

Article Courtesy: Sweet Modesty

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Alhamdullilah, Allah (SWT) has blessed us to witness and reach another Ramadan. The Prophet (PBUH) has called this month – a blessed month (شهر مبارك) and a great month (عظيمهر).  In this article we will focus on “How can we fully benefit from this season of blessings”.

The Huge Responsibility Requires Big Commitment

Allah says in Surat Al-Baqara [2:143]

 “And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people …” [2:143]

The responsibility of being witnesses over the people is what is at stake here. The higher the goal, the more difficult and rigorous is the training. To become a navy seal, you are required to go through extremely difficult training. To enter into space an astronaut goes through a long and hard physical and mental training before being qualified to take up the responsibility. Similarly, to be a witness over the people, one has to reach a level of piety, maturity and love for Allah and his prophet, which is no small task. You are being prepared to be able to withstand physical, mental and emotional challenges. For this assignment you are required to exhibit amazing levels of selflessness, sacrifice of time and wealth and will be required to endure great hardship. All this only for the pleasure of Allah and attainment of eternal life in Paradise.

It is from the mercy of Allah that opportunities to train for this great task are presented to the believer during their life over and over again. The fact that the believer stands to gain so much from this season, makes the preparation for this ever more important.

What we must understand as we prepare for this season

In the Quran Allah presents some of the most beautiful metaphors and parables which gives us great insight on how to prepare for this blessed season. In Surat Al-Hajj, Allah says:

“… And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells and grows [something] of every beautiful kind” [22:5]

These verses from Surat Al-Hajj and several others use the metaphor of rain, which when falls on the right piece of land produces vegetation of trees, flowers and fruits that benefit everyone. Through this metaphor Allah is inviting the believers to prepare the land (their hearts and soul) for this rain    (guidance) that has been sent to them in this blessed month of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is analogous to the season of spring. In this month, a believer prepares the garden by removing the weeds, seeding the soil and watering the ground in hopes of beautiful flowers and tasty fruits later in the year.

The same goes for the heart of a believer. The more prepared the heart is, the better it is able to receive and retain this divine guidance. A deep understanding of this aspect of purification of the heart goes a long way in attaining our goals during the blessed month of Ramadan.

Now, let us focus on how to achieve this purification and what simple steps can we take to reach our goals. Br. Khurram Murad has presented the following 10 actions in his famous booklet “Ramadan Kaisay Guzareen”. The following 10 tips can be helpful in reaching this goal.

1. Intention & Determination – Intention creates the desire, the consciousness and the determination; which in turn produces the required efforts for a task or goal. At the start of this Ramadan, make the intention of attaining the piety (Taqwa) which is the goal of the month of fasting. Have the intention of reaching this level of piety through your fasting, worship (Ibadat) and all the planned special activities during this month. To achieve, this goal, it may be beneficial to dedicate some private time before the first day or on the first day of Ramadan and make Hamd & Istighfar to Allah . Send salutations on the Prophet and ask Allah to assist you in this endeavor. Making Duaa with focus and concentration can help you attain the proper mindset.
2. Relationship with Quran – Make special arrangements during this month for recitation, listening, understanding and pondering on the verses of Quran. Spend as much time as possible in the company of Quran. Attending Taraweeh regularly is a great opportunity to complete listening to the Quran at least once during Ramadan. If you don’t understand the Arabic language, you should make every effort to understand a set portion with translation and tafseer. If following the translation for an entire Juz is not possible, dedicate time to follow some portion of a Juz. Alternatively, you can plan to complete the reading with translation within one year and before the next Ramadan. In our day and age, the Internet has opened an unlimited number of opportunities for learning and understanding of Quran from the comfort of our homes.
3. Stay Away from Sin – Make a special effort to stay away from any and all types of sins. In this month, believers are given special protection from the devil (Shaytan), which we should take advantage of by promoting and increasing our closeness to Allah. The farther we are from sin, the closer we get to Allah. The Prophet reminded us in his famous Hadith that “Fasting acts as a shield from sins, so use it as a shield. The fasting person should not curse anyone, yell and badmouth anyone. If someone curses him or fights with him, he should move away by saying, “I am fasting. I can’t be part of bad deeds” – related by Bukhari and Muslim. We can gradually and consciously correct our bad habits – for example, we can decide to consciously lower our voice and avoid yelling, screaming or fighting during this Ramadan. Also we should avoid mentioning negative things about people in their absence. Make a special effort to guard your tongue during this month. Make a habit every night to assess your day before going to sleep. Make immediate Istighfar and repent if you have committed a sin during your day.
4. Seek Good Deeds – A believer should always be seeking opportunities to perform and engage in good deeds. During the month of Ramadan the reward for every good deed (Nawafil) rises to the level of the reward of obligatory acts (Faraidh).  We should seek all such opportunities in worship (Ibaadat) and relationships (Muamalat ). When a believer goes beyond the obligatory acts (Faraidh) and hastens to perform the optional (Nawafil) it shows his eagerness to please Allah. These are the believer about whom Allah relates in the Hadith Qudsi related by Abu Hurayrah (RA) that such people become so dear to Allah that Allah becomes the eyes through which they see; He becomes the ears through which they hear; He becomes the feet through which they walk, and the tongue through which they speak. In this Ramadan decide on any three (3) or more good deeds that you will consistently perform to attain this special nearness to Allah.
5. Qiyam al-layl – To stand the night in prayer and recite from the Book of Allah is one of the most effective methods of attaining the consciousness of Allah (Taqwa). Allah praises these believers in Surat Al-Dhariyat [51:18]
   
   “And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness” [51:18] 

   Taraweeh is considered to be part of Qiyam al-layl. Believers are also encouraged to wake up and pray during the second part or the 3^rd part of the night right before dawn. We can be among those who are mentioned in the above verse of Quran by simply waking up 15-20 minutes before Suhoor and performing two rakaat Nafil prayers. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger said: ‘In the last third of every night Allah descends to the lowermost heaven and says; “Who is calling Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?.”‘ [Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi]. This and many of the following verses are a great inspiration for the believers to stand in prayer during the night.
   
   “Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of night prostrating himself or standing [in adoration] and who places his hope in the mercy of His Lord – [like one who does not]? Say: ‘Are those equal – those who know and those who do not know?’ It is those who are endowed with understanding that receive admonition.” [Az-Zumar 39:9]

6. Zikr and Duaa – Remembrance of Allah is important throughout our lives, but is even more important during the month of Ramadan. Making a special effort to keep the remembrance of Allah, especially with your tongue is a source of great reward. This act keeps Allah in your thoughts constantly. A constant Zikr of Allah and his praise (Tahmeed & Tahleel) are one of the best of ways of reaping rewards during this month. As we make Duaa to Allah, we perfect our conviction and belief – that He is the only one who can fulfill our needs, wants and desires. Extending our hands in complete devotion any time of the day or night and at specific times such as the time of breaking of fast (Iftar) would be a source of Allah’s mercy and acceptance. Make a special effort to memorize some of the Azkar and Adiyah and frequently repeat them throughout the day.
7. Night Vigil on the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr) & Itikaf – In this night Quran was revealed. The status of this night was clearly stated in the famous verses of Surat Al-Qadar

   
   “The Night of Decree (a.k.a. The Night of Power) is better than a thousand months” [97:3]

   In this night Allah forgives those who seek forgiveness and stand the night in prayer. This night is the most important and blessed night of the year. According to the Ahadith, this night is one of the odd nights of the last ten (10) days of Ramadan and believers are commanded to seek this night and ask for forgiveness and the expiation from the Hell fire in this night. This night was given to the Ummah of Mohammad as a special gift which allows them to gain mountains of reward in a short amount of time. Make special arrangements for yourself and your family to earn the rewards of this special night to its fullest. Spend all these nights or parts of it in prayer, recitation of Quran and Zikar. The Prophet taught his wife, Aisha (RA) a short and concise Duaa which we should recite during this night.

   
   “O Allah, You are The Forgiver, You love to forgive, so forgive me”

   Similarly, if you have the ability to perform Itikaf, do so during the last 10 days of Ramadan. If you can’t, try doing it for a shorter period. The act of Itikaf gives you an opportunity to remove yourself from the engagements of daily life and dedicate yourself to the remembrance of Allah and acts of worship for a set period of time. This time gives you the ability to reflect deeply on Allah’s creation and His signs and blessings. It is one of the best ways of seeking nearness to Allah. If you are unable to spend ten of few days in the Masjid at least make the intention of Itikat everytime you attend prayers at the Masjid.

8. Spend for the Pleasure of Allah (Charity) – Charity is considered the second most important act of worship after prayers. Spending with the pure intention of pleasing Allah from one’s wealth is one of the most noble acts liked by Allah. Allah promises the recompense of seven hundred times of what a believer spends for His sake. Infaq has been described as a key characteristic of Muttaqeen (those who have Taqwa and consciousness of Allah at all times). In this month, open your heart and your wallet. Give for the sake of Allah without any fear of poverty. Give to your relatives, the orphans and poor to the best of your ability. Give without any desire of recompense or worldly reward as described by Allah in Surat Al-Dahr
   
   “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.” [76:9]
9. Helping & Supporting People – The Prophet called the month of Ramadan as the month of consolation. During this month make a special effort to help someone. Is there a family in your neighborhood that you haven’t seen in a while? A student in a strange new city? A new Muslim who is fasting for the first time? An elderly couple who can’t get to the Masjid? Why not take a few minutes to make a phone call, drop in for a visit, or invite someone for Iftar. Even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Remember your actions are measured on their quality and not their quantity. Breaking someone’s fast even with modest food can make you worthy of great reward and can be an expiation from the fire of Hell. The Prophet said, “If someone helps break the fast of a fasting person in the month of Ramadan, he will receive the same amount of reward as the person fasting without any reduction in the reward of the fasting person”. He also said, “If someone feeds a fasting person, Allah will quench his thirst from the water of Kawther and he will never be thirsty again until he enters Jannah”.
10. Invite Towards The Quran –The struggles of this world will end, but the struggles of those who enter Hell will never end. Therefore, the biggest service to anyone is to save them from the fire of Hell and help them enter Paradise (Jannah). The month of Ramadan was honored by Allah due to the revelation of Quran during this month. So, inviting people to the message of Quran is among the noblest acts we can perform during this month. In this month, we are all focused on reaping rewards and cleansing ourselves, but we should not ignore the highest responsibility of calling people to the Deen of Allah and to the message of Quran. Inviting others to Quran during this month can help our own Tarbiyah and Tazkiyah. In this month, people’s hearts are softer and they are prone to listening with more attention and care. Your invitation might change someone’s life and puts them back on the straight path (Al-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem).

The above 10 actions though are separate, but are linked as a part of the same goal which is the attainment of Taqwah during this month. This Taqwah would enable us to fulfill the responsibility of delivering the message of Quran to the masses. Our individual and collective success in this world and in the Hereafter is tied directly with our treatment for the message of Quran. We pray to Allah to make us of those who are able to benefit from this Ramadan and reap the benefits and rewards of this blessed month (Ameen).
 
By Javaid Siddiqi
ICNA Vice President, Tarbiyah

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