With the Brass Crescent Awards coming to a close, and the launch of the new Muslims Bloggers Directory, I feel it’s a good time to take a closer look at the world of Muslim blogging.

I’ve had the honour of working on several online initiatives alongside MuslimMatters these past couple of years. In particular, the website Ijtema.net, which, since its launch back in 2007, has aimed to promote the ‘best of the Muslim blogosphere’.

Our initial approach to achieve this goal was to act as a type of human filter of the Islaminet: our team of editors would link to Muslim-authored content that we found interesting, in the hope that our readers would too. I guess that they did, as we were nominated for a BCA last year under the category “Best Group Blog” – though we were beaten by some unknown entity called “MuslimMatters.org”. Anyone ever heard of them?

However, as the number of Muslim blogs we followed became greater and greater, and the spare time of our editors became less and less, we knew we could not sustain our efforts for much longer. We decided to close the site, albeit temporarily, and focus on a new, hopefully more efficient strategy.

That eventually led to the launch of the Muslim Bloggers Directory – a freely accessible, categorised collection of links to Muslim blogs, vlogs, and other multimedia channels, with a custom search engine allowing visitors to search through the actual content of listed sites.

It took the Ijtema team about a year to complete the task of preparing the directory – mostly due to the same lack of time and energy that lead to our initial demise. Ask any activist: one of the main downsides of initiatives that rely entirely on volunteers, is their abandonment when the “day job” eventually takes over. In our case, various members began PhDs, created new families, returned to old careers, and one even took a step backward and become an MSc student again after completing her PhD (ahem).

So what does all this have to do with the title of my short thesis: “Observed Trends in the Muslim Blogosphere”? Well, compiling the database of >500 links presently listed on the directory, whilst concurrently experiencing life in the Muslim blogosphere, and meeting other prominent Muslim bloggers in person, has lead to some interesting conclusions.

The life of a Muslim blog can be very short indeed

This applies to all blogs, but even more so the ‘successful’ ones. One of the organizers of the BCAs, a co-panellist at the RMW event, ‘Wired Warriors for the Soul of Islam’, mentioned that the average life cycle of a blog nominated for an award is about two years. This observation was verified by the need to weed out dead and/or password-protected blogs (which are effectively dead to all but a selected few) from the directory database. Those same links had been active and open at least the year prior, when they were first added – so what killed them?

Many have blamed outlets like Twitter, and Facebook, that provide the quick mental fix that many bloggers depend on to get through the day: that is, to express themselves, to be heard, and to engage with others – even if the discussion is restricted to 140 characters at a time. In fact, I suspect this has been the cause of my own reduction in blogging activity. But at the end of the day, my blog is still “alive”, if not a little lean… so can Twitterbook really be the prime suspect?

“Non, je ne think not pas” as the owner of the little, grey cells may have put it… or more likely, this man (imagine: 12 years ago I got an A* in GCSE French).

IMO, the most likely cause for premature blog death is the disappearance of factors that lead to the individual blogging to begin with; namely: free time, passion and inspiration. This can be especially true for ‘popular’ blogs, where said individual – who may have had no initial intention of ever becoming popular (though most hope to be influential) – becomes burdened by the pressure of having to please their audience. Even in the age of feed readers (you must know what an RSS feed is by now? No?! Okay, read this beginner’s guide then), many bloggers feel compelled to publish quality posts, at a consistent rate, lest the readers lose interest.

Therefore, the innocence of a fresh, young blogger to the lure of fame may be the only thing that keeps their blog from going under. Further, popular sites may also become a victim of their own success by becoming attractive targets for ‘trolls’ and other nasties, forcing the owner to seek refuge in password-protection and restricted-access.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be as dramatic as all that. As I described earlier with Ijtema.net, circumstances change due to the numerous course corrections we make on the journey that is life. People get busy, or simply lose interest. In fact, I firmly believe the only reason MuslimMatters has not yet succumbed to the same limiting forces is that, first, we only remain here by the benevolence of Allah, in spite of our numerous mistakes and shortcomings – and second, though most of the staff have moved on with their lives (several doing so quite literally, exchanging N.America for more Middle Eastern climes), their passion to share Islam and aid the Muslim community remains as strong as ever, alhamdulillah.

Considering that most blogs do not make their authors enough money to offer any material incentive to keep writing, it really is passion that keeps a blog alive.

The majority of Muslim blogs on the directory are “personal”

That means, they don’t have an obvious niche theme, such as cooking, stamp-collecting, or gardening (actually, I don’t think I’ve come across a gardening blog run by a Muslim – someone set one up, eh?). As I say about my own blog: its overarching, central, unifying theme is… me. Not too egotistic, right? But it’s true. I, and most authors of ‘personal blogs’, write about whatever inspires us, which often happens to be the minutiae of our own lives. So if the blogger leads an interesting existence (not me), or writes particularly well (still not me), and they know how to plug their blog at every given opportunity (not m-… oh wait, that’s definitely me), then that makes a good recipe for success, insha’Allah. That could be why no-one reads my blog (which, fyi, lives here).

The next most populated category is politics, followed closely by Islam – though each of these categories has only half the number of links that have been shelved under “personal“. That tells me, though Muslims love to talk politics and religion, what they really love to talk about most, is themselves!

Of course, to be fair, it could also be the fault of certain Ijtema editors who tend to shove blogs under the ‘personal’ category, when they don’t know where else to put them… that calls for a second “ahem”.

Geographical regions are not equally represented

There is a great skew in the stated location of Muslim blogs towards the northerly part of the Western hemisphere, with a massive over-representation of N.Americans in the dataset. In actual fact, we don’t have any blogs listed for S.America! Does this mean that N.American Muslims are more expressive than the rest of the world?

Before we draw any conclusions, let us first assess some underlying parameters: the directory only presently lists blogs written in English. Second, many of the blogs were discovered via blog rolls; as like attracts like, if we started off reading American blogs, we were more likely to come across even more American blogs. Third, not everyone states their location: so it could just be that American Muslims are more proud to state their nationality, and/or they care less for their own personal security, than the rest of the world.

But I suspect that the most significant factor of all, as noted by another RMW panellist, is that much of the world does not have reliable access to a source of electricity, never mind the funds to afford a high-speed internet connection. As many Muslims live in the poorest countries, some of which are ravaged by war, with weak or crumbling infrastructures, it is not hard to understand why these populations are under-represented online, no matter what language they write in. Ironically, their stories may actually be the most interesting and educational of all. Indeed, the web isn’t as ‘world-wide’ as we might imagine it to be.

In Summary

Muslims blog, just like everybody else. Muslim blogs die, just as other blogs do. Muslims prefer to share their own personal experiences, just like people from other communities. Muslims in the West have the privilege of internet access – unlike much of the rest of the world.

I leave you now with a request to submit your links to the Muslim Bloggers Directory; especially those that redress the imbalances that I have described above. We want more niche blogs that seek to educate us about the thrills of activities such as bird watching, and base jumping (are extreme sports even halal?). And we would also love to hear about bloggers based in the East… and North, and South. Basically, anywhere but the West – unless you happen to be an American Muslim, paragliding ornithologist.

Some humorous blogs would be nice too.

a

Combinations with Al-Ghafūr

As we mentioned earlier, the Name Al-Ghafūr occurs paired with Ar-Rahīm 72 times. It occurs with Al-Halīm 6 times, with Al-’Afūww 4 times, with Al-’Azīz twice and with Al-Wadūd once. Each of those pairings has a meaning worth pondering over. Here, we look at the last one. The Arabic language has about 10 verbs to describe love and ‘wadd’ means compassionate, caring and nurturing love (not sensual). Wadūd is the fa’ūl form again, describing one to does this to a perfect level. So when Allah says in Surah Al-Burūj that he is Ghafūr-ul-Wadūd, He is telling us that He covers our sins and protects us from their consequences out of His love for us. There is a tradition that says Allah is more loving to us than a mother who lost her baby in the heat of battle and then found her child crying in the battlefield.

Al-Afūww

The Name Al-Afūww (الْعَفُوّ) comes from the root word ‘afa in Arabic which means to erase or wipe out. It is also in the al-fa’ūl form: Al-Afūww is the One who perfects erasing or One who blots out completely. The word ‘afa is stronger in this meaning than gha-fa-ra. Allah SWT blots out sins completely; by His nature He continually accepts repentance and wipes out our sins.

Occurrences in Qur’an and Sunnah:

This name occurs just 5 times in the Qur’an, 4 times paired with Al-Ghafūr and once with Al-Qadīr.

Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shura concerning this Attribute of His:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons the evil deeds and He knows what you do (42:25)

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ
And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and (yet) He pardons most (of your faults).(42:30)

And finally, we have with us a concise and short dua’ meant specifically for the last ten days of Ramadan and especially for Layl-at-ul-Qadr. ‘Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (saws)  O Messenger of Allah, if I knew which night is Layl-at-al-Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say ¹:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفُوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allahuma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa ‘afu ‘anni
O Allah You are the Most Forgiving; You love to forgive so forgive us.

Through this dua’ we are seeking tawassul through both a Name and an Attribute.

This (probably) forms the conclusion of this series. Ijtema.net will be back after ‘Eid inshaAllah.
We ask Allah to cleanse us and purify us of our sins in this blessed part of the blessed month of Ramadan and we ask Him to admit us into Jannat-ul-Firdaus out of His Mercy. Ameen.

Update: MuslimMatters has another excellent post on this Name and dua’.

(Links to Part 1 and Part 2)

a

Continuing with the (sorry, much delayed) Part 2 of the Ramadan Names of Allah series here on Ijtema (Part 1 here), we take a look at Names pertaining to forgiveness. We focus on Al-Ghafūr and Al-’Afūww, and briefly point out related Names. Jumping right in ..

Al-Ghafūr

This name is derived from the root word gha-fa-ra (غـفـر) which can be roughly translated in the verb form as covering or concealing for protection. It would be a disservice to simply translate this as “forgive.” In this context, Allah SWT is the one who covers our sins and protects us from their consequences.  The Name Al-Ghafūr is of the al-fa’ūl structure; a verb in this form means one who does the act to a perfect level. It describes the quality of the act.

A related name Al-Ghaffar is derived from the same root word but whose morphology refers to quantity: one who continually and infinitely does the verb. Allah, Al-Ghafūr and Al-Ghaffar, continually covers and conceals our evil deeds. At the opposite end, Allah SWT is also Ash-Shakūr: He gives us more than we deserve when we do good deeds.

This word is different from another word in Arabic which means to cover: sa-ta-ra (سـتـر), and which forms the root of another of Allah’s Names: As-Sittīr. Allah loves to cover and hide our faults and sins from those around us, and doesn’t like us to publicize our sins to the world ¹.

Combination of Names

The name Al-Ghafūr occurs a whopping 91 times in the Qur’an, and appears paired with the name Ar-Rahīm 72 times (غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ – Ghafūr-ur-Rahīm). This combination of names is something most of us (including myself until quite recently) unfortunately pay little attention to.

Each Name has a unique meaning of majesty and perfection but the combination of two (or more!) names gives rise to yet another unique meaning. Allah SWT has chosen to place these Names together for a reason, and we should ponder over it. For example, from the combination Ghafūr-ur-Rahīm we learn Allah covers our sins because He is Merciful and Compassionate. And one of the things that makes Him Merciful and Compassionate is that He protects us from the consequences of our sins! (Look over Part 1 for all the other rich meanings this phrase may take)

The classical scholar Imam Ibn-ul-Qayyim wrote on the concept of combining Names (the translation of which is):

“And when two Names or Attributes occur together, yet another characteristic is formed, and this would not be present were the Names separate. Examples of this are الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيد (Al-Ghani-ul-Hamīd) and الْعَفُوًّا قَدِير (Al-Afūww-ul-Qadīr) and الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيم (Al-’Azīz-ul-Hakīm). So His self-sufficiency (ghinā) is an attribute of perfection, as is His ḥamd, and the combination of ghinā and ḥamd is yet another perfection … “

Let’s take a brief look at each of the three examples Imam Ibn-ul-Qayyim gave: Al-Ghani-ul-Hamīd combines self-sufficiency and being one worthy of praise. So Allah SWT is driving home the point that He is self-sufficient even without our praise! Al-Afūww-ul-Qadīr combines Power and Forgiveness: Allah SWT is all-Powerful and can do as He pleases, yet He chooses to forgive us. The last one Al-’Azīz-ul-Hakīm combines Power and Strength with Justness, Wisdom and Power to Legislate. With human beings, power has the ability (and usually does) corrupt. but Allah SWT is beyond that: despite His Power He is Just and Wise.

(Continued in part 3)
(Part 1 here)

a

This Ramaḍan, inshaAllah, we will post a series of articles on the Names of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) loosely themed with the topics of Mercy, Forgiveness and Salvation ¹.

One of the most effective ways of increasing imān (or faith) is to study the Names of Attributes of Allah. This knowledge is the spiritual food of our soul and gives life to the heart. Each Name and Attribute nourishes a kind of consciousness and humility in man and their study leads us to constantly better our actions. Allah loves to be praised; this is the best way to praise Him. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah al-A’rāf:

وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا

The most beautiful names belong to Allah: so call on Him by them (7:180)

The commandment to learn in the Qur’an (‘ilamu) is usually followed by Allah’s Names and Attributes. In Surah al-Hashr Allah tells us not to be of those who forget Allah (59:19), and then a few verses later there is a stream of almost 20 Names! (59:22-24)

We see that we can take our dua to a higher level by acquainting ourselves with the Names and Attributes that Allah has chosen to describe Himself with (and those that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described Him with), invoking Him by those Names, and connecting His Name or Attribute to something we are thanking Him for or asking Him for.

Names relating to Mercy

The primary Names of Allah specifically dealing with Mercy are Ar-Raḥmān and Ar-Raḥīm. These two names frequently occur together in the Qur’an. They are both derived from the same root word raḥmah which means mercy and also has elements of sympathy, kindness, gentleness, compassion and love intertwined with it. As with all the Names of Allah, these are Names of majesty and perfection. Allah SWT therefore manifests these qualities to the most perfect level with His Creation. Ar-Raḥmān signifies a flood of mercy that covers us and is endless.

Examples of His Mercy

It has been narrated to us ² that the mercy we see in this world which He put among His Creation is just a hundredth of all His Mercy, including for example the mercy and love a mother has for her child (human and otherwise). The other 99 parts are for the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter, when He provides shade for the believers, makes their accounting easy, and admits them to Jannah.

Allah SWT says in a hadith Qudsi ³ that His Mercy comes before and prevails over His Anger. We take refuge in His Mercy from His Wrath. Further, in the Qur’an in Surah az-Zumar Allah says

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful (39:53)

In another hadith narrated to us ⁴ the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said that no man’s good deeds are alone enough to get him admitted into Paradise. The Companions, understandably surprised, asked him “Not even you O Messenger of Allah?” and he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) replied not even me except if Allah covers and shelters me with His Mercy and Forgiveness. So it is only by the Mercy of Allah that we will enter Paradise. Our deeds are a tool to get close to Allah to a place where we can be hopeful of His Mercy. We ask Allah to grant all of us the highest level of Paradise with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

What’s the difference?

The two Names have a subtle difference in meaning. Some scholars have said that Ar-Raḥmān denotes a general kind of Mercy that Allah SWT has for his entire Creation, for example his Mercy in creating us and blessing us with vision, hands, feet, eyes, tongues etc. He alternates Day and Night, provides for His Creation and gives them guidance. The name Ar-Raḥīm denotes the special Mercy that Allah reserves for the believers (e.g. Surah al-Aḥzāb and Surah at-Tawbah [5]). It is through this kind of Mercy that the believers will have shade under His Throne on a day where there is no other shade available: The Day of Judgment. When we feel this kind of Mercy we come closer to Allah SWT. The greatest manifestation of His Mercy is the pleasure and happiness His Creation gets when we see Him in the Hereafter.
Other scholars, among them Imam Ibnul Qayyim, were of the opinion that Ar-Raḥmān meant the existence of the attribute of Mercy in Allah, and Ar-Raḥīm its application and effects.

Other names and conclusion

Some other Names of Allah that are related to His Mercy (with rough translations) are Al-Karīm (the Generous), Al-Halīm (the Forbearing), Al-Barr (the Generous), Al-Jawwād (the Bestower of Good), Ar-Rauf (the Kind) and Al-Wahhāb (the Bestower).

Let us invoke and do tawassul (draw closer to (Allah)) by the beautiful Names of Allah. The next time we say ‘Bismillah-ir-Rahmān-ir-Raḥīm’ let the rich meanings of these words flood our mind with their diverse applicability.

Next week, inshaAllah, we will take a look at the names Al-Ghafūr and Al-’Afūw.

(Links to Part 2 and Part 3)

Footnotes:

1 This is based on a hadith by the Companion Salman al-Farsi which divides the month of Ramaḍan into thirds, of Mercy, Forgiveness and emancipation from Hellfire. I’m aware this hadith is weak, but we’re not using it to derive a ruling of any sort. It’s just a convenient way of organizing the posts (and nothing more)
Opinions and a study of this hadith can be found here and here .

2 Saḥīḥ Muslim 4944.

3 Saḥīḥ Bukhari 6872, 6899, 6999 and Saḥīḥ Muslim 4939, 4941

4 Saḥīḥ Bukhari 5637 and Saḥīḥ Muslim 2861

5 Al-Qur’an 33:43 وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا … Interpretation: … and He is Merciful to the believers.

References:
1. Aqeedah 102: Light upon Light. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, AlMaghrib Institute. Chicago 2008.

2. “Explanation to the Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allah”, Shaykh Abū ‘Abdu-r-Raḥmān Nāsir as-Sa’dī, April 2008, Daar-us-Sunnah, Birmingham

3. “Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim” Lecture by Shaykh Ibrahim Dremali
4. “The Seven Oft-repeated Verses”. Shaykh Salman al-Oadah

a

Now, how we do it in my community, is that after some initial discussion between parents and go-betweens over the phone, the guy and his family comes round to visit the girl and her family. After munching on samosas and tea for anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour, the girl and the guy usually get to spend some time with one another to ask questions. Depending on the family and their customs, they may sit alone in an open part of the house, or sit in the corner while their family pretends not to listen in.

After this �interview� period, the guy goes back to his family, there may be some more samosa munching, but usually the boy�s family goes home soon after.

What follows is usually an agonising wait while the guy�s family makes their decision. It might be a day. It might be a week. They may never respond (yes, it happens! How rude?). True, it is only agonising if the girl is actually interested� else, who cares, right? Anyway, this whole waiting period usually results in unnecessary stress for the girl�s family, which may lead to squabbling and other unpleasantness.

But, there is another way, my friends.

a

Unfortunately, when the time came for me to do my ‘thang’, I did not actually end up spending much time at the Ijtema table, due to urgent and unforeseen circumstances. So anyone who was actually interested in taking up my offer of “free publicity” may have been let down. If you are reading (which would be a miracle), I am sorry!

However, the night was not a complete waste of time. I finally met our Arts Editor, Teakster – though how he chose to introduce himself is a story best left untold (let’s just say that this is his punishment for embarrassing me in public!). He was this >< close to being sacked by yours truly – but after he was named Best Artist at the Emerald Arts Competition, I was reminded how fortunate we are to have him on the Ijtema team, and all was forgiven. Alhamdulillah! Congratulations once again, bro!

Anyway, to make up for my poor networking skills, I’d appreciate it if the existing readers would take the time to inform their friends and family of Ijtema.net – especially to ask them to subscribe to our content, either via RSS, or via e-mail (for those who are still grappling with the whole “feed” thing).

Speaking of which, we will soon be publishing a super guide to RSS feeds – just as soon as we fix a bug in our template, insha’Allah.

That’s all the news I have for now… if you have any photos or stories from the Expo, please get in touch – we’d love to share them!

Wa’salam

iMuslim

a

More specifically, we will have a stand at the Emerald Lounge, which will be open from 6.45 pm onwards, on Sunday evening. The organiser, brother Rooful, informs me that for a small fee of �10 (which covers the catering) you can attend the Emerald Network event without having to book tickets for the entire Expo.

For those of you in the UK, I hope to see you there, insha’Allah!

a

And yet, many are still unaware what RSS means, what it does, and why you should be taking advantage of it. It’s simple, fun, and can save you a lot of time in your daily dallying on the wonderful world of the Internet.

So what is RSS?

The most common definition of RSS is ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Essentially, it is a standardized way of publishing frequently updated information. Many websites with frequently updated content will publish ‘RSS feeds’ in order to alert readers whenever new material is posted.

As a standardized format, other applications can read and interpret RSS feeds, to present the data in any number of ways.

‘Atom’ is another format that serves essentially the same purpose. For the purposes of this article, any use of the term “RSS” should be considered interchangeable with “Atom”.

If you have your own blog running under Blogger, WordPress, Windows Live Spaces, LiveJournal, or any of the other major blogging platforms, your blog most likely will have an RSS feed enabled already.

How do I use an RSS feed?

An RSS feed is an ‘XML Document’. XML is a standardized notation that can be used to define different types of content; RSS and Atom can be considered as applications of the XML specification. As a standardized specification, anyone can write a program to read RSS feeds, and those programs can present the data in any number of ways. A program that reads an RSS feed can be called an “RSS client”, or a “feed aggregator”.

There are literally thousands of RSS clients out there; an RSS client can be anything from a desktop application, a website, or even a handheld device like the Apple iPod or the Amazon Kindle. When you add an RSS feed to one of these clients, you have “subscribed” to that feed.

Using an RSS client lets you read all the content that is interesting to you in one place, where you want and when you want. For example, the team at ijtema.net uses Google Reader, a popular web-based RSS client, to monitor the hundreds of Muslim blogs that we link to.

What kind of content is available as RSS feeds?

Almost everything! Most news sites, social networking sites, blogs, podcasts, and web forums publish their data as RSS feeds. Many blogs even offer RSS feeds for comments on the site, and many support category-specific RSS feeds. There is certainly no shortage of content out there, and RSS makes it easy to find the content most relevant to you.

How do I know when a site has an RSS feed?

As you navigate the web, you will notice the icon throughout your surfing. Also, depending on your web browser of choice, an RSS feed icon may be appear within the browser itself to alert you that the site you are visiting includes an RSS feed.

For Mozilla Firefox users, you will notice the RSS icon right in the address bar. The following screenshot is from Firefox 3 on Windows XP, however the behaviour would be the same whether you are using Vista, Mac OSX, or Linux.

Internet Explorer 7 has an RSS icon on the toolbar which lights up whenever the site you are visiting includes a feed.

Other popular web browsers, such as Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Camino, and Flock, all support RSS as well.

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed?

When a webpage contains an RSS feed, there are various ways to subscribe to the feed depending on your browser and RSS client. For this article, we will walk through the process of subscribing to the ijtema.net RSS feed through Google Reader. As the most popular browser that runs on all three major operating systems, we will focus our attention on Mozilla Firefox.

To access Google Reader, you first need to create a Google Account. If you have an @gmail.com address, you already have one. Simply navigate to the Google Reader website, and log in using your gmail username and password. If you don’t have a Google Account, follow the on-screen instructions to create one.

Once you have your Google Reader account, there are a few ways to subscribe to ijtema.net. We will first describe the process of subscribing to the feed through Google Reader itself.

Subscribing using Google Reader

Once you have logged in, you will see a bar on the left-hand side which includes the “Add Subscription” function. (If you do not see this bar on the left-hand side, try pressing the u key on your keyboard – this toggles the view to allow you to maximize the space available for your content.)

When you click on “Add Subscription”, a text box will appear where you can enter the URL (the web address) of the site you are visiting. You can simply copy and paste the text www.ijtema.net from your address bar into the textbox, and then click the “Add” button.

Once you do this, Google Reader will tell you that you have been successfully subscribed, and show you the most recent posts. If you like, you can add it to a folder to keep your feed reader nice and organized.

And you’re done! Whenever new content is published to ijtema.net, you will see it in your Google Reader shortly after it is published.

Subscribing using Firefox

You can configure the Firefox web browser so that it can automatically add feeds to your Google Reader account as you come across them, simply by clicking on the icon in the address bar.

Note that these instructions are for Firefox 3; the process is similar for Firefox 2, but I would highly recommend upgrading if you are still using that version.

First, navigate to the webpage you want to subscribe to.

Then, click on the RSS icon in the address bar. If the site publishes multiple feeds, you will be given a list of them. For this purpose, we will select the “RSS 2.0″ feed, but any of them would be fine.

After clicking on the “Subscribe to RSS 2.0″ option, Firefox will display a preview of the content of the feed, and provide you with some options for subscribing to the content.

Simply select “Google” from the dropdown menu, and click “Subscribe Now”. You can also click the “Always use Google to subscribe to feeds.” checkbox if you want this to be the default behaviour whenever Firefox encounters a site with an RSS feed.

Google offers two ways to subscribe to a feed – you can subscribe through the aforementioned Google Reader, or add it to your iGoogle homepage. When you click “Subscribe Now”, it gives you an option for both:

Adding it your Google Homepage would give you easy access to the headlines on a page where you can also view your latest e-mail, news, weather, and stock quotes. This illustrates the great flexibility of the RSS specification; it can be used and formatted in an unlimited number of ways, depending on the application and interface.

So there you go! Now you know the basics of the RSS protocol, and you can now surf the web in style. Many websites even include buttons that further simplify the subscription process, such as the one below, so becoming an RSS pro has never been easier.

a

The Oil Factor

Given it’s shiny human rights record, history of war and occupation- it’s difficult to believe Washington’s commitment to democracy outside it’s own country. Their backing of Kosova has nothing to do with commitment to either democracy, freedom or human rights. You guessed it right- it’s about oil. Again.

Kosovo does not have oil but its location is strategic as the trans-Balkan pipeline – known as AMBO pipeline after its builder and operator the US-registered Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation – will pass through it. (Source)

More recently,

on January 10, Swiss-based Manas Petroleum Corporation broke the news. Gustavson Associates LLC’s Resource Evaluation identified large prospects of oil and gas reserves in Albania, close to Kosovo. They are in areas called blocks A, B, C, D and E, encompassing about 780,000 acres along the northwest to southeast “trending (geological) fold belt of northwestern Albania.” (Source)

So then. It’s also good to reckon that Kosova is the second largest foreign military base of the US. Oil is important. That’s what makes Kosova important. Good thing is, it worked in their favor. It could have been otherwise.

History and Politics

Serbs (and their friends) claim that Kosova is integral part of Serbia, which is not correct. It was conquered and ruled by the Serbs for about 250 years before the Ottomans conquered the whole region in the 13th century AD. In 1912, after about 600 years Serbs conquered it back from Ottomans. In the meantime, the cultural and political linkage between the two regions got severed.

When in late 1990s a revolution broke out, the Serbian forces reacted with gross human rights violations. The UN intervened and set up a “autonomous” government within Serbia. The government of Kosova, ever since it was installed in 1999 has not actually been a autonomous one. EU and NATO (US in particular) has a lot of say in how the country runs. The three previous Prime ministers are known to have been involved with illicit activities. The new government?

It will be run by an appointed High Representative and bodies appointed by the U.S., European Union and NATO. An old-style colonial viceroy and imperialist administrators will have control over foreign and domestic policy. It is similar to the absolute power held by L. Paul Bremer in the first two years of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. U.S. has merely consolidated its direct control of a totally dependent colony in the heart of the Balkans. (Source)

The US wants to secure it’s oil, and more ambitiously- to control the flow of oil. It is ready to pay a lot of money for that- shown by it’s rather costly occupation of Iraq.

There are fears that this will cause further instability in the region. There are opinions that Kosova should have stayed within Serbia. I shall not get into that debate after Kosova is already independent. We should focus on future taking the present into account.

Future

As the Kosovars have affinity towards the US and they share some strategic interests with the US, it will not be wise to try to get US out of Kosova. The presence of US forces give security to this tiny country of 2.2 million.

The US is not going to protect them for ever. In the meantime, as the US is busy building on it’s own interests, the Kosovars should build their nation.

Politically it’s very difficult for a population of 2.2 million to remain unwary of a hostile neighbor- Serbia. It is good (if not essential) to establish strong political and economic ties and treaties with Albania, B&H and Turkey (the biggest power in the neighborhood and a NATO member.) An amicable merger with Albania will not be bad- since Kosova is so little and landlocked. Last but not the least- the Serb minority should not be oppressed- Allah does not love the oppressors.

A honest and hardworking society (which are essential qualities of an Islamic society ) can form the backbone of the nation. A just and swift judiciary and police force ensure the health of a nation. It is a good time for Daw’ah. However, one has to be careful in a society that has seen little Daw’ah for a long time. It may be met with hostility unless Daw’ah is sympathetic.

Trade and industry provide backbone for a state. If too many countries do not recognize Kosova (recognition is another interesting ball game) it will be difficult to engage in direct trade with them. It will be good if Kosova is eventually recognized.

Kosova is rich in minerals- making heavy industries a possibility. Oil is nearby. The technical colleges should incorporate material, mechanical, civil and petroleum engineering heavily into their courses, if they are not doing that already. Automobile and aviation engineering can come later.

Medical training has to be taken seriously, and free healthcare for the poor only brings Barakah to the state. A good healthcare system will bring health tourists from the Arab countries who now head for UK or India.

There should be enough support for students of every useful stream (including deeni ilm) to ensure that a single talent does not go untapped for lack of money.

Building good road and railway network is essential for growth. They help fight unemployment and generate expertise. Are well worth the money and effort due to their long term gains and implications. But no IMF/World Bank loans please. How about attracting some FDI from the Arab states (seeing that they have funded the war)?

It’s a scenic place with not much rain. Perfect for a film industry, I would imagine.

Prayer

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Kind

I hope and pray Kosova takes it’s freedom very seriously, and flourishes both spiritually and otherwise.

Amen.

a

We feel angry and frustrated about the problems that the Ummah faces, and often complain about them. Nobody listens, which leads to yet more frustration.

But to complain alone is a mistake. To solve a problem, we must not stop at pointing it out. Rather, we should offer a solution and work on it. Thus the following is a humble attempt at offering such a solution, based on the advice found within the Qur’an and Sunnah.

The future of the Ummah? [Source: dlemieux]

Help Thyself

“God helps those who help themselves.” – an English proverb.

No other society is going to help us either (besides, what can they avail us, without Allah’s help?). It is a difficult world, and we have to emerge from it triumphant without becoming cruel.

The best way to begin helping others is by helping oneself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“A person who teaches others while neglecting his own soul is like an oil lamp, which illuminates others while burning itself out.”

[Source: Sheikhy Notes]

Let us try and become the best in our field. Allah says in the Qur’an:

So lose not heart,
Nor fall into despair;
For ye must gain mastery
If ye are true in faith

[Meaning of the Holy Qur'an 3:139, Yusuf Ali]

Allah will help us if we try, insha’Allah. He knows what is in our hearts, and takes our intention into account. Even if we fail, our sincere effort will certainly be recognized – a beautiful loan lent to Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

The Ummah is a single body: if one part of a body becomes wounded, and does not heal, it loses blood. The body needs to cure itself; we need to take care of the needy and the sick amongst us. Who knows when we may fall into poverty? What goes around, comes around.

We should live in proximity to others in the Ummah, in order to be aware of the needs of those close by. One cannot achieve a great deal when living far away from those who need help, which is why the order of rights first belongs to our family and relatives, then to our neighbours, and then to the rest of the Ummah.

The Goal is to serve, not to be admired

The intention for any charitable act should be to serve Allah by serving the Ummah; it should not be for one’s ego or any worldly interest.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold of a time when the nations will try to devour the Muslims. The reason, he said, will be that we shall fear death, and we find in the Qur’an about those who fear death:

But they will never seek for death,
on account of the (sins)
Which their hands have sent on
Before them.

[Meaning of the Holy Qur'an 2:95, Yusuf Ali]

This verse was originally revealed in relation to the Jews of Madina, but it has general implications. We are afraid of death when we know in our hearts that we are committing crimes; when we have become too attached to the material world; when the true Goal has become blurred.

Give the Benefit of the Doubt

Trust is essential for unity of the Ummah.

I read a beautiful Hadith the other day:

Someone gave the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) honey; he asked Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) what it was. He said, “Honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” He asked Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) [the same question], he said, “Honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” Then he asked Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who tasted some and then said, “It is honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon be him) said, “The one who tastes, knows.”

In other words, the one who verifies, knows. We forget that. We hear something about somebody, and immediately believe in it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) discouraged dispensing punishment before a crime has been proven beyond doubt. Unless we have clear proof, we do not know. Therefore it is better to make excuses for the brother/sister, or at the least, avoid passing negative judgement.

Let us also start being Muslim. Allah wants us to be Muslim, and not a Sunni, a Shi’a or a Sufi. We may have different opinions, but please, please do not let these differences become “tribal”. We only stand to lose from that.

There is no “Quick Fix”

As Yasir Qadhi said at the Texas Dawah Convention: we must not expect to change everything in a second. We must not hope that people will accept what we say the moment that we say it. We have to be patient: with them, and with ourselves.

Do not be bogged down by pessimism

We have a decent life to lead, and a lot to look forward to; let not the disturbances spoil our day.

In addition, when we witness a misrepresentation of Islam, we must not only stop at saying: “this portrayal of Muslims is wrong.” We should go on to point out how we want to be perceived: as kind, generous and honest people, who have the courage to stand up for justice and equality. And most important of all: we must go on to really behave in that manner, in order to please Allah, and for the benefit of all of mankind.

To close, I shall quote Shaykh ibn Ahmed Darqawi:

�If you want to treat your enemy with what is duly deserving for him, preoccupy yourself with the love of the Beloved, for if you preoccupy yourself with hate and enmity then the enemy gets from you what he wanted and you have the lost opportunity to love the Beloved.�

[From his Epistles, 13th Century]

With Allah’s help, we shall succeed.

a