“HONOR KILLING”: A CRIME AGAINST ISLAM - IN ISLAM, THE RIGHT TO LIFE IS AN ABSOLUTE VALUE

“HONOR KILLING”: A CRIME AGAINST ISLAM - IN ISLAM, THE RIGHT TO LIFE IS AN ABSOLUTE VALUE

by Syarif Hidayat

An honor killing or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. Honor killings are directed mostly against women and girls, but have been extended to men.

The perceived dishonor is normally the result of one of the following behaviors, or the suspicion of such behaviors: dressing in a manner unacceptable to the family or community, wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage or desiring to marry by own choice, especially if to a member of a social group deemed inappropriate, engaging in heterosexual acts outside marriage and engaging in homosexual acts.

There is a consensus over the fact that crimes of honor emanate from cultural and not religious roots and that they can be found worldwide, mainly in patriarchal societies or communities. However it’s also an established fact that they mostly take place within Muslim communities. The paradox is that crimes against women committed in the name of family honor are not sanctioned by Islam and many Islamic leaders have condemned this practice on the grounds that it has no religious basis.

Honor crimes should be contextualized within the larger problem of violence against women in general. Many European women suffer from domestic violence, from crimes that are committed within the conjugal home by the women’s spouse or companion. According to a report presented to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 16, 2004, domestic violence against women is escalating in Europe and the problem extends to all Council of Europe member states. The report states that domestic violence against women “knows no geographical boundaries, has no age limit, is not the preserve of any particular race, and occurs in every kind of family relationship and in every sort of social milieu.”

According to a report titled “So-called honor crimes” presented to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in March 2003, the so-called “honor crimes” occur and affect a whole spectrum of cultures, communities, religions and ethnicities in a wide range of countries around the world including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, the United States of America, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
Also from the same report: Some 5,000 women fall victim to "honor killings" around the world every year.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that perhaps as many as 5,000 women and girls a year are killed by members of their own families. Many women's groups in the Middle East and Southwest Asia suspect the number of victims is about four times greater. As noted earlier it is impossible to accurately determine the number of honor killings. Because of shame and threats within the community, witnesses are not willing to speak up and the deaths are usually explained and registered as accidents or suicide. In many countries women are not even aware that a crime has occurred and they may sometimes think that the punishment is deserved.

In the modern age, the term “Honor Killing” was first used in 1978


In the modern age, the term was first used by a Dutch scholar of Turkish society, Ane Nauta in 1978. Nauta sought a term that could be used to distinguish honor killings from blood feuds.

Human Rights Watch defines "honor killings" as follows:
Honor killings are acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce—even from an abusive husband—or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life.

Some women who bridge social divides, publicly engage other communities, or adopt some of the customs or the religion of an outside group may be attacked. In countries that receive immigration, some otherwise low-status immigrant men and boys have asserted their dominant patriarchal status by inflicting honor killings on women family members who have participated in public life, for example in feminist and integration politics.
Men can also be the victims of honor killings by members of the family of a woman with whom they are perceived to have an inappropriate relationship

Cultural implications can often be seen in public and private views of honor killings. In some cultures, honor killings are considered less serious than pre-meditated murders simply because they arise from long-standing cultural traditions and are thus deemed appropriate or justifiable. Additionally, according to a poll done by the BBC’s Asian network, 1 in 10 of the 500 Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslim surveyed, said they would condone any murder of someone who threatened their family’s honor. The poll demonstrated how the notion of honor killings and views of whether they are acceptable and justifiable crosses religion and is more contingent on the family’s social culture.

Islam is against the killing - In Islam, the right to life is an absolute value.


Tahira Shaid Khan, a professor of women’s issues at Aga Khan University, notes that there is nothing in Al Qur'an that permits or sanctions honor killings. The first and most basic right in the Qur'an that every Muslim is expected to follow is, in fact, the right to life. As written in the Qur'an.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. “Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation (in legal punishment) of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidence, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allâh by committing the major sins) in the land!” - Al Qur’an, Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 32.

Professor Khan instead blames it on attitudes (across different classes, ethnic and religious groups) that view women as property with no rights of their own as the motivation for honor killings. Khan also argues that this view results in violence against women and their being turned “into a commodity which can be exchanged, bought and sold.”

Widney Brown, the advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, said that the practice "goes across cultures and across religions." Human rights advocates have compared "honor killing" to "crimes of passion" in Latin America (which are sometimes treated extremely leniently) and also to the killing of women for lack of dowry in India.

Representatives of Islamist pressure groups including Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Canadian Islamic Congress, various academics (e.g., Ajay Nair, Tom Keil), activists (e.g., Rana Husseini), and religious leaders (e.g., Abdulhai Patel of the Canadian Council of Imams) have insisted that honor killings either do not exist or have nothing to do with Islam; that they are cultural, tribal, pre-Islamic customs, and that, in any event, domestic violence exists everywhere.
Western Feminists who work with the victims of domestic violence in the western countries have seen so much violence against women that they are uncomfortable singling out one group of perpetrators, especially an immigrant or Muslim group. However, Western domestic femicide differs significantly from honor killing.

No Definite Connection with Religion at all

According to Dr. Shahrzad Mojab, a University of Toronto professor of women’s studies, followers of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity have used their religions as a rationale to commit honor killings. However, Mojab stated that honor killings don't have "any definite connection with religion at all." She also pointed out that honor killings have been practiced before any major religion came into existence.

Here are the analysis, observation and comments about “Honor Killings” from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The recent tragic murders of two young British Muslim women have once again focused media and public attention on the subject of honor killings. The MCB office has received a steady stream of media enquiries seeking clarification on the stance of Islam on this subject. We have made it very clear to reporters and would like to take this opportunity to re-state that honor killings are in no way, shape or form condoned by Islam. On the contrary, Islam categorically denounces vigilantism, rather encouraging mercy, justice and the rule of law.
The Merciful (Allah SWT) is kind to those who are merciful. If you show compassion to your fellow creatures in this world, then those in heaven shall be compassionate toward you. - The Prophet MuhammadPBUH, as narrated by Abd'Allah bin Amr.

That said, it would be naive of us to bury our heads in the sand and deny that this pre-Islamic custom continues amongst some Muslims and those of other faith communities (Scotland Yard have gone on record to say that there were an estimated 12 'honor killings' in the UK last year stating that these were not restricted to Muslims, but also occurred in Sikh and Christian families). For our part, we must acknowledge that this is a problem, which is found within a very small section of the British Muslim community. We at the MCB hope to work with specialists in this area to try to address this problem and the underlying issues and, God Willing, in due course to reduce the incidence of honor killing.

Why then do such tragic events occur? Let us consider the example of the Muslim man recently given a life sentence for slitting his daughter’s throat in an “Honor Killing” after she began dating a Christian. This is a tragic story of irreconcilable cultural differences between a father who had a traditional ‘Muslim’ upbringing, values and background and a daughter who had adopted non-Islamic cultural life.

But a devout Muslim who understands their religion correctly would certainly never take another life. In reality, such tragedies have nothing to do with true faith. Her father’s sense of shame at his daughter’s actions led to him taking her life in the erroneous belief that this act would redeem the family name. The concept of respect or izzat is a very strong motivating factor amongst non-Caucasian races, regardless of their religious affiliation. Its origins appear to stem from tribal, clan or village origins. This is in sharp contradistinction to the teachings of our noble religion Islam, in which it is held that all individuals are personally responsible for their own actions. Her father’s un-Islamic action is liable for punishment under Islamic law.

This practice of ‘honor killing’ is a form of murder without trial, which is contrary to Islam. Islam upholds the sanctity of human life, as the Holy Qur’an declares that killing one innocent human being is akin to killing the entire human race (Qur’an 5:32, 6:151, 17:33). Like all other faith traditions, Islam considers all forms of life as sacred. There is certainly no justification for such a practice of “Honor Killing” in Islamic Law (Shariah).  It is pertinent here to consider this issue in more detail.

The Equality of Women and Men before Allah SWT

Islam considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as his partner in this life. Women have been created with a soul of the same nature as man’s. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’an:
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you." (Al-Nisa 4:1)
And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW): "Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by Abu-Dawud (RA)

Islam recognizes and celebrates the inherent dignity bestowed by God (Allah SWT) upon all human beings regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. The Qur’an is explicit in its emphasis on the equality of women and men before God:
“And their Lord has accepted of them and answered them, “Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, whether male or female, you are members, one of another…” (3:195; see also 33:35)

Individual accountability before God is stressed throughout the Qur’an, beginning with the story of Adam and Eve: as a result of their transgression (committed together and simultaneously) they were banished from Paradise and made to toil on Earth. God chose to forgive them both and so their sin is not inherited by subsequent generations. Similarly, as exemplified in the following verse:
“Whoever chooses to follow the right path follows it but for his own good; and whoever goes astray, goes but astray to his own hurt; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden.” (17:15)

It is clear that one individual, no matter how guilty, cannot transfer that guilt to another. So for a woman who does engage in illicit sexual activity (Zina), she and she alone bears the consequences as determined by God.
The problem of “honor killings” is not a problem of morality or of ensuring that women maintain their own personal virtue; rather, it is a problem of domination, power and hatred of women who, in these instances, are viewed as nothing more than servants to the family, both physically and symbolically.

And the sad consequences of this domination are that thousands of girls and women across the globe (although mostly centered in the Middle East) are murdered by male family members each year in the name of family honor. Honor killings are executed for instances of rape, infidelity, flirting or any other instance perceived as disgracing the family's honor, and the woman is then killed by a male relative to restore the family's name in the community. Many women are killed based on suspicions of a family member and are not given the chance to defend themselves. The allegation alone is enough to defile a man's or family's honor and is therefore enough to justify the killing of the woman. The men who commit the murder typically go unpunished or receive reduced sentences.

Honor killing is actually a pre-Islamic, tribal custom

Honor killings have been reported in Afghanistan, Albania, Belgium, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom,   Egypt, France, Gaza Strip, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Switzerland, Syria, United States, and the West Bank.
Honor killings tend to be prevalent in countries with a majority Muslim population, but many Islamic leaders and scholars condemn the practice and deny that it is based on religious doctrine. Honor killing is actually a pre-Islamic, tribal custom stemming from the patriarchal and patrilineal society's interest in keeping strict control over familial power structures.
Because these crimes often go unreported, it is difficult to determine the actual number of victims in honor killings. The United Nations Population Fund estimates as many as 5000 females being killed each year.

Islam is clear on its prohibition of sexual relationships outside of marriage. This prohibition does not distinguish between men and women, even though, in some countries, women are uniformly singled out for punishment of sexual crimes while the men, even rapists, may be treated with impunity. In order for a case to even be brought before a Muslim court, several strict criteria must be met. The most important is that any accusation of illicit sexual behavior must have been seen by four witnesses; and they must have been witness to the act of sexual intercourse itself. Other forms of intimacy do not constitute zina and therefore are not subject to any legal consequences even though they are not appropriate and are considered sinful.

On the other hand, a woman falsely accused of zina has in her support the Qur’an, which spells out harsh consequences for those accusers who are unable to support their allegations with four witnesses. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) was known for his clemency, even if the accusations met the criteria, for he recognized the seriousness of the matter. In addition, there is no evidence whatsoever that he condoned any form of retribution that singled out women and he was swift to ensure that those accused of any crime received due process to guarantee justice. It is important to know that all innocent lives are equal in Islam.

There is no difference between the rich and the poor, the man and the woman, the free and the slave. All are equal in the eyes of God:
"...if any one slew a person -unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land -it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people...(The Qur’an 5:32)"
From the above Noble Verses, we see that if you kill one innocent soul (whether it was a Muslim soul or not), then it is like committing a crime against all people. We also see that God Almighty considers the innocent soul as a "sacred" soul.

The  Distortion of Islam

Unfortunately, the legal safeguards to protect women and men from indiscriminate and unlawful enforcement of presumed Islamic injunctions have been forgotten Indeed, the legal system and law enforcement agencies including police officers and prison guards, have been implicated in the perpetuation of the problem by their willful lenience towards men who have carried out an assault in the name of “honor” and by their abuse and denigration of women who stand accused.

Muslims today must unequivocally reject this distortion of Islam that is used to violate the most basic Islamic rights of human decency, integrity and justice. Unwillingness on the part of the Muslim community to address these issues in a forthright and unapologetic manner is borne out of an inherent distrust of perceived “Western” attempts to taint the image of Islam in the interest of global politics. This is no excuse for us to turn a blind eye to injustices committed against Muslims and others, especially when the perpetrators are members of the same faith.

Confronting the problem of “honor killings” and other crimes that disproportionately affect women requires a change in attitude that pervades all levels of society where such attacks occur. Muslim leaders can provide an important example to their followers by taking an unequivocal stand against behavior that is in direct violation of Islam. Attempts must be made to change the socio-cultural beliefs that underpin honor killings. Concomitant attention must be paid to meeting basic socioeconomic needs and solving problems stemming from deprivation, unemployment and poor education that are often at the root of disturbing social trends that seek out the most disenfranchised to serve as scapegoats.

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: For God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that you do.” (Qur’an 4:135)
We must combat the woeful disrespect for human life in a variety of ways. We have to change some cultural and societal perceptions of the place and value of women in our society according to the Islamic value system. We must commit ourselves to a multi-faceted approach to changing the minds, and hearts of those who limit women’s potential or their worth and status in our society. Islamic true values must be upheld at all cost. The practice of honor killing must be condemned and the true teaching of Islam must be upheld. (Source: The Muslim Council of Britain).

Honor Killings in the Bible

Many Christians are often fond of accusing Muslims of committing several honor killings in the name of Islam; they then use this line of argument as a reason to discredit Islam in their eyes. In this article we shall once again turn the table on the Christian showing that honor killings can be found in the Bible, and that the Bible is for honor killings! Hence by their own criteria, Christians will have to abandon their own book.

Let us now see the honor killings in the Bible:

Lev 21:9  And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

So note, if the priest's daughter commits a bad sexual act, she is to be burned because of her fathers reputation, because it is against his honor. What will the Christian say now? This is one example of honor killing in the Bible, in fact the act is ordered by the Bible itself.

"And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. (Exodus 21:17)"

"For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. (Leviticus 20:9)"

So here the children are put to death for insulting their parents, this is another example of honor killings, the children are put to death for dis-honoring their very own parents and the punishment is death.

So we have seen 3 examples of honor killings in the Bible, so since Christians always have a problem with honor killings and say Islam is wrong because of some Muslims who commit this act, then the Bible is also wrong for allowing honor killings which also makes their own God wrong, and if God is wrong then he cant be God because God is always correct. Either way the Christian is in a bad dilemma.

What Must Be Done

'Honor' killing is a global phenomenon. To combat the epidemic of honor killings requires understanding what makes these murders unique. They differ from plain and psychopathic homicides, serial killings, crimes of passion, revenge killings, and domestic violence. Their motivation is different and based on codes of morality and behavior that typify some cultures, often reinforced by fundamentalist religious dictates. In 2000, the United Nations estimated that there are 5,000 honor killings every year. In 2002 and again in 2004, the U.N. brought a resolution to end honor killings and other honor-related crimes.

How can this problem be addressed? Law enforcement agencies and religious authorities must all be included in education, prevention, and prosecution efforts in the matter of honor killings.

In addition, shelters for battered girls and women should be established and multilingual staff appropriately trained in the facts about honor killings. For example, young Muslim girls are frequently lured back home by their mothers. When a shelter resident receives such a phone call, the staff must immediately go on high alert. The equivalent of a federal witness protection program for the intended targets of honor killings should be created; England has already established such a program. Extended safe surrogate family networks must be created to replace existing family networks; the intended victims themselves, with enormous assistance, may become each other's "sisters."

The government in each country should adopt appropriate legislative, legal and financial measures in order to prevent and punish honor killings and to assist the victims. However, much more importantly, what is needed is a change in consciousness and it can only be achieved through education on the one hand and economic development on the other. (HSH)

Bibliotheque:
1. MCB Direct position statement on Honor Killings www.mcb.org.uk
2. Muslim Women’s League, USA Position Paper on Honor Killings

3. http://www.meforum.org/2646/worldwide-trends-in-honor-killings
4. http://www.turkishculture.org/lifestyles/turkish-culture-portal/the-women/honor-killings-426.htm
5. “Honor Killings in the Bible” written by Sami Zaatari
http://muslim-responses.com/Honor_Killings/Honor_Killings_
6. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/12/uk-honor-crimes-up-40-due-to-rising-christian-fundamentalism----no-wait.html
7. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1233918/Honour-crime-40-rising-fundamentalism.html
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing#Europe
9. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Honour-killing-Its-a-global-phenomenon/articleshow/6154172.cms?intenttarget=no
Acknowledgement: I would like to express my gratitude to my friend  Ghinwa M. Al-hamdan  who help me  much in gathering many facts and information about “honor killing” for this article.

Preparing for death

Sherif Mohammed

Death is a very well-known fact. It has always been indisputable. No one has ever doubted death. although human beings rarely agree on anything, they have never disagree on their mortality.
Death is mentioned in the Quran almost everywhere. The word "Death" and its derivatives "die, dying, dead" is found more than 160 times in the Quran. The Quran has put a lot of emphasis on death. Why is it that the Quran is consistently reminding the believers about their own mortality while they already known this fact for centuries ?? To understand why we have to take a close look on the verses which mention death in the Quran and reflect upon them. Let us explore some of these verses:

"Every soul shall have a taste of death" (al-Imran 3:185)

The verse is clear and emphatic. The massage it conveys to us is: Make no mistake about death, it is foregone conclusion. Every soul shall taste it no matter what. Listen now to full verse:

"Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have succeeded. For the life of this world is but goods of chattels of deception" (al-Imran 3:185)

This verse represents one of the important Tenets of Islam which is the fact that there is another life after death. Thus, for us death is not the end of the world it is just the start of an ever-lasting life. The other fact in this verse also states with no uncertainty is that the true measure of success is not in this life. Success is not having a huge sum of money, or a large family, or a prestigious job, or an impressive title, or a degree from a respected university, or a big house, or a nice car, all these are nothing but goods of decepty. The real success is to be saved from the hell fire and be admitted to paradise. Anything short of this is a mere deception.

In another verse which conveys a similar meaning is:

"Every soul shall taste death. And We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you return." (al-Anbiyaa 21:36)

The message is clear, everyone will die and this life is just a probation on this earth, our faith will be tested by many things. Some are tested by calamities and some are tested by good things of this life and at the end we will return to Allah so that we be appraised according to our test results.

The whole story of each and everyone of us is best summarized in these verses:

"We did create man from a quintessence of clay; Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a place of rest firmly fixed then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; Then of that clot We made a lump; Then We made out of the lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah the best to create after that, you will die. On the day of judgement you will be raised up again." (al-Muuminun 23:12-16)

This is the history of each one of us, CREATION, LIFE, DEATH, and the RESURRECTION. So we have to understand that our life on this earth is just a past, actually a very small past, of the whole picture. also we should not overestimate the value of this tiny fraction compared to our whole existence.

There is no escape from death. Allah (SW) says:

"Wherever you are, death will find you out. Even if you are in towers built up strong and high." (al-Nisaa 4:78)

No matter how long, one lives nothing will save him/her from death. Strong towers won't save him. Progress of science will never overcome death. Advanced health care systems will never overcome death. Family, friends, money, power, prestige, all are no avail.

Listen to the following verse which describes our helplessness when death comes:

"Why don't you intervene when the soul of the dying man reaches the throat and you sit looking on but We are nearer to him than you are but you do not see. Then why don't you, if you are exempt from future account, call back the soul if you are true in your claim of independence? If the dying man be of those nearest to Allah, there is for him rest and satisfaction and a garden of delight. And if he be of the companions of the right hand for him is the salutation `Peace be unto you from the companions of the right hand' And if he be of those who treat truth as falsehood, those who go wrong, for him is entertainment with boiling water, and burning in hell fire. Verily this is the truth and certainty. So celebrate with praises the name of Thy Lord, The Supreme." (al-Waqia 56:83-96)

One also finds in the Quran many verses which adnominish the believers about their obligations in this life before they die. Allah says:

"O you who believe fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in the state of Islam" (al-Imran 3:102)

Allah is commanding us not to die except as Muslims. But we are never sure when death will come to us. Thus, we have to be Muslims all the time. Therefore, the message is a muslim today, tomorrow and forever, be a Muslim in faith and in your behaviour, be a Muslim in private and in public. Be a Muslim with others and with your ownself, be a Muslim when at ease and be a Muslim when in hardship. Always be in a state of Islam, in a state of submission to your Allah, so that when death comes to you will be ready.

In the same meaning is very eloquently put in the following verse:

"O you who believe let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah and whoever do this the loss is their own. And spend in charity out of the substance which we have bestowed on you before death should come to any of you and he would say `O my Lord why don't You give me a respite for a little while? I should then have given largely in charity and I will be one of the doers of good. But to no soul will Allah grant respite when the time appointed for it has come and Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." (al-Munafiqun 63:9-11)

This verse is extremely important to us. It states with no uncertain terms that there is no second chance when death comes it is over. If you want to do good, do it now before you are dead. If you fail to be a good Muslim in this life, you will be the eternal loser because you will not be granted a second chance. You will not be given some extra time and there are no exemptions.

The same meaning is emphasized in another verse:

"When death comes to one of them, he would say `O my Lord send me back to life in order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected.' - `By no means! it is just a word he says.' - Before them is a partition till the day they are raised up"(al-Muuminun 23:99-100)

It is the same warning again, Allah is reminding us watch out, whatever good you might do it now, don't delay it, don't postpone it. If you fail to do good now it is your mistake, you are already been warned and all the loss will be yours.

There are numerous references to death in the Quran. The scenes of death and the scenes of the day of judgement are plenty in the Quran. They are almost every where. If we support that we read the Quran everyday, which is the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), then it is very likely that we will read about death everyday. If we follow the Quranic guidance by reflecting upon everything we read, then we will end up reflecting upon death everyday. The we have to ask ourselves why is that Allah (SW) wants us to reflect upon death everyday ? What is the value of such constant reminder ? The fact is, remembering death has far-reaching implications in the life of the believer. Remembering death daily can and does transform the whole life of a believer to the better. Death awareness helps the believer to set his/her priorities right.
Imagine a believer who reads the Quran everyday, read and reflect upon death and the Day of Reckoning and then act accordingly. This believer will certainly be more altruistic, less greedy, more careful to the needs of the poor and the needy, more helpful to weak and the helpless, more giving in charity, more generous because simply this believer asks himself/herself everyday the same question "Will this money I have saved me from death ?" Will the money deliver me from hell-fire ?" "Will greed or saving the money for myself guarantee me the pleasure of my Lord ?" Actually, it is quite the opposite. The more you spend for the sake of your Lord (Allah), the more you become closer to Him. Death remembrance is the best way to become one of those whom allah has praised in the Quran by saying:

"And those in whose wealth there is a recognized right for the needy and the destitute and those who believe in the truth of the Day of Judgement and those who fear the displeasure of their Lord. For their Lord's displeasure is one against which there is no security."(al-Maarij 70:24-28)

Death awareness does create a caring, helpful, generous believer, in short a truly wonderful person. If death awareness is spread among a whole community of believers, that community will be truly wonderful.

Death remembrance also does give the believer a huge spiritual boost. The believer who is always aware of his/her own mortality will always be in need t seek refuge with the Almighty. This kind of believer will be very careful not to displease his Lord and if it happens that he does something wrong he will be quick to ask for forgiveness. repentance will become his daily practice since he remembers that death might come to him at any time, so he is taking precautions by being always repentant.
This mortality awareness will improve the spiritual quality of the believer's prayers. If in your prayer you remember very well that someday you will be a dead man, then you will truly humble yourself in this prayer. That's why the Prophet (SAW) once advised us that at the start of every prayer we should consider that, this prayer as our last prayer in this life. Repentance, prayer, humbleness, self-restraint, patience, charity, Fear of allah,and hope, all of these are the immediate outcomes of death remembrance.
One of the most important ramifications of continuous death remembrance is that it emboldens the believer to do JIHAD, to struggle for the sake of Allah. For the believer he/she is always aware that he/she will be die sooner or later. Thus he/she will be certainly prefer an honourable death to ordinary death and the most honourable death is to die for the cause of Islam, to be a martyr of faith. listen how allah praises those who sacrifices their lives for His sake:

"Allah has purchased of the believers their souls and their wealth in return for the paradise. They fight in His cause and kill or get killed. A promise binding on him in truth through the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah ? Then rejoice in the deal which you have concluded. That is the supreme achievement." (al-Touba 9:111)

This attitude of continuous death awareness and preferring an honourable death to any other kind of death was the root cause of all the glories of early Islam. Those fearless companions of the Prophet (SAW) spread Islam to the shores of the Atlantic and to the borders of China in less than one century. They led the most impressive military campaigns in history and their incentive was very simple: The search of martyrdom, the most honourable death for a Muslim. Today, it is the fear of death honourable or otherwise that is making us by far the most humiliated nation on earth. Last Friday's massacre of the Palestinians (February 25th, 1994) is the reminder of the humiliation. At the core of all the ills of the Muslim World today lies this simple fact, We, Muslims, fear death. Martyrdom is not as appealing to us as it was to the early Muslims. We are not willing to sacrifice our wealth and our standard of living either. The evidence to this fact is abundant. The Muslim World has betrayed Bosnia. Muslims in the East were not willing to sacrifice their standard of living and threaten an oil and economic embargo against all those who help the Serbs and those who prevent the Bosnia Muslims from defending themselves. Muslims in the West didn't .... better, the amount of help we provided to our Brothers and Sisters in Bosnia was just peanuts compared to the wealth that Muslims in the West enjoy. Muslims are not willing to sacrifice, we consider donating $ 20 "a sacrifice." Why are we not willing to sacrifice ? The same reason, fear of death, we love life so much, we think we will live forever. We have to understand that fear of poverty and fear of honourable death makes cowards out of men. One of the casualties of our fear of honourable death is that we become afraid of saying the truth. We are now in the month of fasting. This is the truth, but when a Muslim ruler of a Muslim country said that fasting is an obstacle to economic development and it should be abolished, very few objected. When a Muslim ruler described the hijab of the women as a "filthy rug" no one objected. When another muslim ruler said that hijab ...., an act of satan because Eve had no clothes at all, no one objected. Actually, the only reaction to this particular comment was a wave of applause from the audience who happened to be members of parliament of another Muslim country ! In Islam, keeping silence when one should protest is a sin, but why no one protested ? because life is so dear to Muslims. Muslims assume they will live for too long. The irony is that Muslims countries, by and large, have the lowest life expectance rates on earth !

To sum up, I would remind myself and my dear brothers and sisters that death is a reality and we have to always be prepared for it. Please, don't assume that we will live for too long. we usually think that we will live for too long especially if we are young and healthy. This is not true. Young people die everyday and for a variety of reasons. I myself have 2 friends who died in their twenties. One was about 24 the other was 27 and this one was very healthy indeed. i graduated in the class of 1986, so far I have been told of 2 the graduates of my 1986 class who already died. No one has immunity against death. No one is too heathy to die, or too young to die or too wealthy to die or too powerful to die or too famous to die.
The question that we should always ask ourselves is not whether we are going to die, it is what preparations are we making to die as good Muslims ? We should always be ready, we should always struggle to improve ourselves until we become the best persons we can be. We should humble ourselves in our progress. Read the Quran more and reflect upon what we read more, we should help others, we should pay more in charity we have to get rid of our greed and selfishness. We have to love to others what we love to ourselves. And also we have to sacrifice for the sake of allah by spending from our wealth, our time, our efforts and if the need arises by our lives. We have to remember to repent everyday and if possible during and after every prayer.

Finally, the best way to remember death is to read the Quran. We have to read Quran everyday. This is major source of spiritual power in Islam.
http://www.islamawareness.net/Death/death_article002.html

BEWARE OF ISLAMOPHOBES FANTASY AND HYSTERIA, ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, PLEASE WAKE UP! WHO ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS IN THIS WORLD?

BEWARE OF ISLAMOPHOBES FANTASY AND HYSTERIA, ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, PLEASE WAKE UP!

WHO ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS IN THIS WORLD?

by Syarif Hidayat

Islamist terrorism is still perceived as being the biggest threat worldwide, despite the fact that in the U.S., it accounts for 6% of terrorist attacks, and in Europe not even half of a percent. Separatist terrorism remains the terrorism area which affects the EU most. This includes Basque separatist terrorism in Spain and France, and Corsican terrorism in France…

Perception is not reality.  Due to the right wing’s influence and propaganda, people mistakenly think that Islamic terrorism is the greatest threat to the Western world.  It is even a commonly held belief that Islamic terrorism poses an existential threat–that the very survival of the Western world is at stake. 

Of course, the reality is that there are other groups that engage in terrorism on a much larger scale, yet these terrorist incidents are minimized.  Acts of terrorism committed by Muslims are purposefully sensationalized and focused upon, culminating in the idea that “(nearly) all terrorists are Muslims.”

Terrorism from Islamic extremists is certainly a cause for concern, but it need not be an issue that creates mass hysteria.  Nor should it be allowed to be such a critical issue that the western people are willing to sacrifice their ideals or civil rights for fear of it. The data and reports from America and Europe (a good portion of the entire Western world) show that the threat from Islamic terrorism is much more minimal than commonly assumed; in the U.S., it accounts for 6% of terrorist attacks, and in Europe not even half of a percent.

It is only through sensationalism and fear mongering that the topic of Islamic terrorism is allowed to be used to demonize a religious community that happens to be a minority in the West.  When confronted by such lunacy, we ought to respond with the facts and the truth.

The right-wing Islamophobes in the USA have been popularizing the claim that “not all Muslims are terrorists, but (nearly) all terrorists are Muslims.”  Despite this idea becoming axiomatic in some circles, it is quite simply not factual.  

The official FBI records show that only 6% of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil from 1980 to 2005 were carried out by Islamic extremists.  The remaining 94% were from other groups (42% from Latinos, 24% from extreme left wing groups, 7% from extremist Jews, 5% from communists, and 16% from all other groups).

But what about across the pond?  The data gathered by Europol strengthens the argument even further. Europol publishes an annual report entitled EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report.  On their official website, you can access the reports from 2007, 2008, and 2009.  (If anyone can find the reports from earlier than that, please let me know so we can include those as well.)

The results are stark, and prove decisively that not all terrorists are Muslims.  In fact, a whopping 99.6% of terrorist attacks in Europe were by non-Muslim groups; a good 84.8% of attacks were from separatist groups completely unrelated to Islam.  Leftist groups accounted for over sixteen times as much terrorism as radical Islamic groups.  Only a measly 0.4% of terrorist attacks from 2006 to 2008 could be attributed to extremist Muslims.

According to this data, there were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than Islamic (7% vs 6%).  These radical Jews committed acts of terrorism in the name of their religion.  These were not terrorists who happened to be Jews; rather, they were extremist Jews who committed acts of terrorism based on their religious passions.

Just reading those percentage is enough to know how absurd it is to claim that “all terrorists are Muslims.” That statement is nowhere near the truth. Those official FBI reports on terrorism and terrorists attacks in the US and Europol reports terrorism and terrorist attacks in Europe do not support claims that "(nearly) all Muslims are terrorists."

Yet, Americans continue to live in mortal fear of radical Islam, a fear propagated and inflamed by right wing Islamophobes.  If one follows the cable news networks, it seems as if all terrorists are Muslims.  It has even become axiomatic in some circles to chant: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslims.”

The Islamophobes live in a fantasy world where everyone is supposedly too “politically correct” to criticize Islam and Muslims.  Yet, the reality is the exact opposite: you can get away with saying anything against the crescent. 

The moral of the story is that Americans ought to calm down when it comes to Islamic terrorism.  Right wingers always live in mortal fear–or rather, they try to make you feel that way. 

Islamophobes have been popularizing the claim that “not all Muslims are terrorists, but (nearly) all terrorists are Muslims.”  Despite this idea becoming axiomatic in some circles, it is quite simply not factual.  

Islam is against terrorism and killing

 In Islam, the right to life is an absolute value. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. “Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation (in legal punishment) of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidence, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allâh by committing the major sins) in the land!” – Al Qur’an, Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 32.

But the tragic events such as the attack on the twin towers in New York, the bombings of Bali, Madrid and London are assumed to be justified by Islam in the minds of some people. This idea has been fueled further by many media channels which defame Islam by portraying these bombers as ‘Islamists’ or ‘Jihadists’, as though they were sanctioned by Islam, or had any legitimate spokemenship on behalf of Muslims.

The unfair treatment of western media towards Islam and Muslims is not new to many people. The biased reporting, stereotype stories and hidden hate towards Muslims of the world are facts of western journalism. These champions of the free world who claim that their reporting standards are very high, they are honest and feel responsible to provide correct information to their audiences are in fact, have dual standards of reporting. They intentionally dramatize a situation in order to market their programs and increase their market share at any cost. They are not honest when a news item or a story involves a practicing Muslim or religion of Islam.

The Muslims of North America, Europe and Australia have been under a constant threat from these media organizations. These media organizations including all TV network, most of the Radio stations and all-major newspapers of North America, Europe and Australia have been controlled / influenced by special interest groups. These special interest groups through the western media are not only misleading the people of North America, Europe and Australia but also trying to build walls between Islam and the people of other faiths such as Christians and Jews.

These media organizations are purposely creating a very wrong image of Islam and Muslims. The main objective of these media organizations is to create, through their own judgments, such a horrible image of Islamic teachings that the people in the west not only consider Islam as a threat towards western cultures but also feel threatened by the Muslims. A common person who is very busy to fulfill his / her economic and social needs and does not have time to investigate the situation, heavily depends upon the media reporting. If TV, Radio and the Newspapers are not honest in their reporting then the listeners or the readers of western media will not be able to get the truth.

Rather, it creates misunderstanding among the various religious and ethnic groups, which creates animosity, hate and intolerance for each other. The Muslim minority of North America, Europe and Australia has been suffering from this unfair and very biased treatment of the media for a long time.  Every time when an incident of terrorism happens anywhere in the world the Muslims living in Western World especially in North America gets terrorized by the horrors of the news media.

The way newscasters on radio and TV broadcast and print media prints the news, it's always very clear that all these newscasters and reporters not only try very hard to find a Muslim name to be associated with the incident. These journalists who portray themselves as the champions of humanity and professionalism become so unprofessional and inhuman that sometime they do not realize the outcome of their hurried and rushed reporting.

The Zionist-controlled Western Media circus‘s biased news reporting on the Muslim world, the Middle East conflict and international terrorism create fear and xenophobia. This situation leads to more xenophobia including Islamophobia in the US and other Western Countries that influence not only the general public but also the government officials in the individual western countries.

ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF LOVE AND PEACE

Peace in Islamic Philosophy

 The Arabic term Islam itself is usually translated as submission, submission of desires to the will of God (Allah SWT) . It comes from the term aslama, which means "to surrender" or "resign oneself. The Arabic word salaam (peace) has the same root as the word Islam. One Islamic interpretation is that individual personal peace is attained by utterly submitting to Allah. The greeting Salaam alaykum, favoured by Muslims, has the literal meaning Peace be with you.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH is reported to have said once, "Mankind are the dependents, or family of God, and the most beloved of them to God are those who are the most excellent to His dependents. Not one of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Great Muslim scholars of prophetic tradition such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Sharafuddin al Nawawi have said that the words 'his brother' mean any person irrespective of faith.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH commanded us to maintain social solidarity and cooperation, to open our hearts to our fellows, and to help one another at all times. He said, "Do not cut relations between each other! Do not turn your backs on each other! Do not grow hatred between each other! O God's servants! Become brothers and sisters!"

Al Qur'an emphasizes peace and reconciliation as basic to all social and even international relations. As mentioned in the Qur'an, Paradise, which is the reward for the pious, is a place of serenity. One of the ninety-nine names of God is Salaam, which means peace.

Concept of Islamic Peace 

Islam is a monotheistic religion and according to Al Qur’an all people are children of Adam. Satan is considered the enemy of humanity, causing enmity among all people. The series of prophets and messengers coming from God through out the ages is to call the people again towards their innate identity of love and friendship.

The good life according to Islam is in submitting to God and in worshiping Him as The Creator and The Master and to recognize the innate nature of man. The individual who will recognize his true nature on which every person is created will be able to live together in society with peace and affection to each other. In his Last Sermon, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH admonished believers: "Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you."

Rules for Peace 

Islamic teaching dictates that prophets were sent by God to every nation. In Islam, only Muhammad was sent finally to convey God's message to the whole world, whereas other prophets were sent to convey their messages to a specific group of people or nation. So the ideal nationhood in Islam is beyond all boundaries and differences. Prophet Muhammad is the final messenger according to Islam and his nation or ummah is called Ummat e Muhammad (nation of Muhammad).

The establishment of ummah (the Islamic community) on earth based on the rules of shariah is the ultimate goal of Islam according to the jurisprudential approach. The ummah is not confined to any particular geography, or limited to any specific race; rather it consists of all believers throughout the world from whatever background, language, creed, history or geography.

Unlike race, language, history and other such involuntary criteria in nationhood, where the individual has no choice and nationalism and patriotism ask for allegiance to a particular nation and state not chosen by him/her, ummah arms the individual by allowing a choice to be made by him/her in joining or rejecting it. It is therefore a conscious and informed choice that establishes ummah and allegiance to it rather than non-voluntary factors as in nationhood.

A United and Mutually Helpful Society

Islam recommends a united and mutually helpful society, and this vision does not only refer to the level of nation, but includes international relations, too. In this sense, from an Islamic perspective, international law should take the establishment of peace as a foundation. 

The root of the word Islam, silm, refers to "making peace, being in a mutually peaceful environment, greetings, rescue, safety, being secure, finding peace, reaching salvation and well being or being far from danger, attaining goodness, comfort and favor, keeping away from troubles and disasters, submitting the self and obeying, respect, being far from wrong."

The "submitting the self and obeying" here means "submitting to justice and righteousness in order to reach peace and safety and being in a peaceful environment by one's free will." In fact, salaam and salaamat, mean "to reach salvation," and their rubai form (with four radical letters) aslama means "submitted, became Muslim, and made peace." "Islam" as either a noun or a verb with these meanings is mentioned in many verses in the Qur'an.

In order to be able portray a fair image of Islam, we have to consider its divinely inspired purposes, which yield, as a result, a just worldly order. By applying preventive measures to ensure security of wealth, life, mind, religion, and reproduction, Islam aims to build a society in peace, serenity, friendship, collaboration, altruism, justice, and virtue.

According to the Qur'an, all Muslims are brothers and sisters to each other and if a disagreement appears among them they make peace and correct it (Qur'an, 49:10).

They help each other to avoid what God forbids and to observe their religious awareness at every stage in their life (Qur'an, 5:2); they carry out important tasks after shura, that is, consultation (Qur'an, 3:159; 42:38); and they always witness truthfully and are just even if it is against their close relatives (Qur'an, 4:135).

Again, as mentioned in the Qur'an, a true Muslim follows the straight path. That means that he or she is faithful, honest, and just, is calm, lives to perfectly observe his or her religion and in guidance of reason. Pursuing the straight path can be understood as being absolutely truthful and honest in all circumstances, as well as embracing a moderate way of life that encourages good relations with everyone.

Peace and Reconciliation

The Qur'an emphasizes peace and reconciliation as basic to all social and even international relations. As mentioned in the Qur'an, Paradise, which is the reward for the pious, is a place of serenity.  One of the ninety-nine names of God is Salaam, which means peace. Throughout history, Muslims have made every effort to establish peace and serenity everywhere in all divergent fields, only taking military measures when their enemies tried to hinder these efforts for humankind.

Over the course of history, the general approach of Muslims has been supportive of maintaining peace, spreading an environment of serenity and trust, and constructing a civilization of love, compassion, and mercy to share with other people in peace.

ZIONIST AND APARTHEID ISRAEL

Facts speak for themselves correctly and objectively that ZIONISM is racist. Being a fundamentalist Zionist political movement, ZIONISM is not categorically different from Nazism. It is even worse than Nazism. Only when we understand ZIONISM in its racist context will we begin to comprehend the depth of its atrocities!!

The Israeli Apartheid policy against the Palestinians and the Zionist Apartheid walls that separate the Palestinians with their lands and cut access roads to their neighbors as well as block many of the Palestinian children paths or ways to their schools is worse than the South Africans situation during Apartheid years!

HERE ARE Some Teachings of the Jewish Talmud - Where a Jew Should Do Evil

Moed Kattan 17a: If a Jew is tempted to do evil he should go to a city where he is not known and do the evil there.

Jews May Rob and Kill Non-Jews

Sanhedrin 57a . When a Jew murders a gentile ("Cuthean"), there will be no death penalty. What a Jew steals from a gentile he may keep.

Baba Kamma 37b. The gentiles are outside the protection of the law and God has "exposed their money to Israel."

Penalty for Disobeying Rabbis

Erubin 21b. Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell.

Hitting a Jew is the same as hitting God

Sanhedrin 58b. If a heathen (gentile) hits a Jew, the gentile must be killed.

O.K. to Cheat Non-Jews

Sanhedrin 57a . A Jew need not pay a gentile ("Cuthean") the wages owed him for work.

Jews Have Superior Legal Status

Baba Kamma 37b. "If an ox of an Israelite gores an ox of a Canaanite there is no liability; but if an ox of a Canaanite gores an ox of an Israelite...the payment is to be in full."

Jews May Steal from Non-Jews

Baba Mezia 24a . If a Jew finds an object lost by a gentile ("heathen") it does not have to be returned. (Affirmed also in Baba Kamma 113b). Sanhedrin 76a. God will not spare a Jew who "marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son or returns a lost article to a Cuthean..."

Jews May Lie to Non-Jews

Baba Kamma 113a. Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a Gentile.

Non-Jewish Children are Sub-Human

Yebamoth 98a. All gentile children are animals.

Abodah Zarah 36b. Gentile girls are in a state of niddah (filth) from birth.

Abodah Zarah 22a-22b . Gentiles prefer sex with cows.

Genocide Advocated by the Talmud

Minor Tractates. Soferim 15, Rule 10. This is the saying of Rabbi Simon ben Yohai: Tob shebe goyyim harog ("Even the best of the gentiles should all be killed").

This passage is from the original Hebrew of the Babylonian Talmud as quoted by the 1907 Jewish Encyclopedia, published by Funk and Wagnalls and compiled by Isidore Singer, under the entry, "Gentile," (p. 617).

This original Talmud passage has been concealed in translation. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that, "...in the various versions the reading has been altered, 'The best among the Egyptians' being generally substituted." In the Soncino version: "the best of the heathens" (Minor Tractates, Soferim 41a-b].

Israelis annually take part in a national pilgrimage to the grave of Simon ben Yohai, to honor this rabbi who advocated the extermination of non-Jews. (Jewish Press, June 9, 1989, p. 56B).

On Purim, Feb. 25, 1994, Israeli army officer Baruch Goldstein, an orthodox Jew from Brooklyn, massacred 40 Palestinian civilians, including children, while they knelt in prayer in a mosque. Goldstein was a disciple of the late Brooklyn Rabbi Meir Kahane, who told CBS News that his teaching that Arabs are "dogs" is derived "from the Talmud." (CBS 60 Minutes, "Kahane").

University of Jerusalem Prof. Ehud Sprinzak described Kahane and Goldstein's philosophy: "They believe it's God's will that they commit violence against goyim, a Hebrew term for non-Jews." (NY Daily News, Feb. 26, 1994, p. 5).

Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg declared, "We have to recognize that Jewish blood and the blood of a goy are not the same thing." (NY Times, June 6, 1989, p.5).

Rabbi Yaacov Perrin said, "One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail." (NY Daily News, Feb. 28, 1994, p.6). 

Here are the Infamous Zionist Israeli Quotes:

“You can help us or we ‘will overthrow the world’.” Chaim Weizmann, first president of the State of Israel

 “There is a huge gap between us (Jews) and our enemies not just in ability but in morality, culture, sanctity of life, and conscience. They are our neighbors here, but it seems as if at a distance of a few hundred meters away, there are people who do not belong to our continent, to our world, but actually belong to a different galaxy.”

- Israeli president Moshe Katsav. The Jerusalem Post, May 10, 2001.

 “The Palestinians are like crocodiles, the more you give them meat, they want more”….

- Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel, August 28,2000. Jerusalem Post August 30, 2000

 ” [The Palestinians are] beasts walking on two legs.” - Menahim Begin, speech to the Knesset, quoted in Amnon Kapeliouk, “Begin and the Beasts,” New Statesman, 25 June 1982.

 “The Palestinians” would be crushed like grasshoppers … heads smashedagainst the boulders and walls.” - Yitzhak Shamir, Israeli Prime Minister, in a speech to Jewish settlers New York Times April 1, 1988.

“When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do about it will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle.” - Raphael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, New York Times, 14 April 1983.

“How can we return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to.” - Golda Meir, Israeli Prime Minister, March 8, 1969.

“There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed.” - Golda Meir, Israeli Prime Minister, June 15, 1969

 “The thesis that the danger of genocide was hanging over us in June 1967 and that Israel was fighting for its physical existence is only bluff, which was born and developed after the war.” - Israeli General Matityahu Peled, Ha’aretz, 19 March 1972.

“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?” - David Ben Gurion (the first Israeli Prime Minister), quoted by Nahum Goldmann in “Le Paraddoxe Juif” (“The Jewish Paradox”), pp121.

“We must do everything to insure they (the Palestinians) never do return.” Assuring his fellow Zionists that Palestinians will never come back to their homes. “The old will die and the young will forget.” - David Ben Gurion, 1948

“We have to kill all the Palestinians unless they are resigned to live here as slaves.” - Chairman Heilbrun of the Committee for the Re-election of General Shlomo Lahat, the mayor of Tel Aviv, October 1983.

“Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.”- Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3, 2001, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio. (Certainly the FBI’s cover-up of the Israeli spy ring/phone tap scandal suggests that Mr. Sharon may not have been joking.)

“We declare openly that the Arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Israel… Force is all they do or ever will understand. We shall use the ultimate force until the Palestinians come crawling to us on all fours.” - Rafael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Gad Becker, Yediot Ahronot 13 April 1983; New York Times 14 April 1983.

“We must do everything to ensure they [the Palestinian refugees] never do return”

- David Ben-Gurion, in his diary, 18 July 1948, quoted in Michael Bar Zohar’s “Ben-Gurion: The Armed Prophet,” Prentice-Hall, 1967, p. 157.

” … we should prepare to go over to the offensive with the aim of smashing Lebanon, Trans-jordan and Syria… The weak point in the Arab coalition is Lebanon [for] the Moslem regime is artificial and easy to undermine. A Christian state should be established… When we smash the [Arab] Legions strength and bomb Amman, we will eliminate Transjordan, too, and then Syria will fall. If Egypt still dares to fight on, we shall bomb Port Said, Alexandria, and Cairo.” - David Ben-Gurion, May 1948, to the General Staff. From “Ben-Gurion, A Biography,” by Michael Ben-Zohar, Delacorte, New York 1978.

“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.” - Israel Koenig, “The Koenig Memorandum”

“Jewish villages were built in the place of Arab villages. You do not even know the names of these Arab villages, and I do not blame you because geography books no longer exist. Not only do the books not exist, the Arab villages are not there either. Nahlal arose in the place of Mahlul; Kibbutz Gvat in the place of Jibta; Kibbutz Sarid in the place of Huneifis; and Kefar Yehushua in the place of Tal al-Shuman. There is not a single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab population.” - Moshe Dayan, address to the Technion, Haifa, Haaretz, April 4, 1969.

“We walked outside, Ben-Gurion accompanying us. Allon repeated his question, What is to be done with the Palestinian population?’ Ben-Gurion waved his hand in a gesture which said ‘Drive them out!’” -  Yitzhak Rabin, leaked censored version of Rabin memoirs, New York Times, 23 October 1979.

“We shall reduce the Arab population to a community of woodcutters and waiters” - Rabin’s description of the conquest of Lydda, after the completion of Plan Dalet. Uri Lubrani, PM Ben-Gurion’s special adviser on Arab Affairs, 1960. quoted in “The Arabs in Israel” by Sabri Jiryas.

“There are some who believe that the non-Jewish population, even in a high percentage, within our borders will be more effectively under our surveillance; and there are some who believe the contrary, i.e., that it is easier to carry out surveillance over the activities of a neighbor than over those of a tenant. [I] tend to support the latter view and have an additional argument:… the need to sustain the character of the state which will henceforth be Jewish…with a non-Jewish minority limited to 15 percent. I had already reached this fundamental position as early as 1940 [and] it is entered in my diary.” - Joseph Weitz, head of the Jewish Agency’s Colonization Department. From “Israel: an Apartheid State” by Uri Davis, p.5.

“Everybody has to move, run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements because everything we take now will stay ours… Everything we don’t grab will go to them.” - Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister, addressing a meeting of militants from the extreme right-wing Tsomet Party, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998.

“It is the duty of Israeli leaders to explain to public opinion, clearly and courageously, a certain number of facts that are forgotten with time. The first of these is that there is no Zionism, colonialization or Jewish State without the eviction of the Arabs and the expropriation of their lands.” - Yoram Bar Porath, Yediot Aahronot, 14 July 1972.

“Spirit the penniless population across the frontier by denying it employment… Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.” - Theodore Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization, speaking of the Arabs of Palestine, “Complete Diaries,” June 12, 1895 entry.

“One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail.” - Rabbi Yaacov Perrin, Feb. 27, 1994 New York Times, Feb. 28, 1994, p.1.

By reading this article, I hope that basically you now know what Muslims’ stand on terrorism and killing and what Islamic teachings are for all mankind in this world and as a comparison, I also hope that you now realize who really the Zionists are and what their Talmud teachings are advocating. (HSH)


Bibliotheque:
1. FBI Report: “All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 94% that Aren’t.”

(28 January 2010 by Danios)
2. Europol Report: “All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 99.6% that Aren’t.”
(28 January 2010 by Danios)
3. http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/01/not-all-terrorists-are-muslims/
4. http://www.revisionisthistory.org/talmudtruth.html
5. http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Famous-Zionist-Quotes/Story637.html
6. http://www.zionism-israel.com/zionist_quotes.htm

FRIENDSHIP IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS: ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF COMPANIONSHIP

FRIENDSHIP IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS: CONCEPT OF COMPANIONSHIP IN ISLAM

by Syarif Hidayat

     Friendship is different from all other relationships. Unlike acquaintanceship, it is based on love. Unlike lovers and married couples, it is free of jealousy. Unlike children and parents, it knows neither criticism nor resentment. Friendship has no status in law. Business partnerships are based on a contract. So is marriage. Parents are bound by the law, as are children.

     But friendship is freely entered into, freely given, freely exercised. "Friends never cheat each other, or take advantage, or lie. Friends do not spy on one another, yet they have no secrets. Friends glory in each other's successes and are downcast by the failures.

     Friends minister to each other, nurse each other. Friends give to each other, worry about each other, stand always ready to help. Perfect friendship is rarely achieved, but at its height it is an ecstasy." - Stephen E. Ambrose's book: "Comrades".

    Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linkedin, Friendster and Multiply etc, now we have better facilities to bridge and enhance national as well as international friendships and to form a powerful worldwide "real time" social media. Through which, we could get many "first hand information" from almost any corner of the world and have a better understanding about each other cultures and in the end we would have a mutual understanding among all people in the world. 

FRIENDSHIP by - Eleanor Roosevelt: 

- Friendship with oneself is all-important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone  else in the world.

- Many people will walk in and out of your life, But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

- To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

- He who loses money, loses much;

He who loses a friend, loses much more;

He who loses faith, loses all.

FRIENDSHIP by -Nancy Studnicka:

- A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift,

A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace

And makes the world we live in a better and happier place. 

- Friends are people who do not judge you, that stay by your side through good and carry you through the bad times.

- Friends are people you can call night and day, and they are still happy to hear from you. They are there emotionally, and feel your pain. They shied a tear for your sorrow, and rejoice with your glory.

- Friends will say a prayer for you each night, until the good lord answers it. When you are sick they bring you a bowl of soup, and when you are feeling blue, they bring you some sugar cookies and a smile.

- Friends give you hugs, and words of encouragements. They tell you the truth when you don't want to hear it. And their love for you is Unconditional.

“A great and lasting friend is like the world's ocean within its waves lies constancy, within its rhythms lies vitality,  and within its depths lies truth.” - M. Repeaux “A GREAT FRIEND”

      Perfect friendship is rarely achieved. A faithful friend is indeed hard to find. The German proverb says: “Freunde in der Not, gehen 1000 auf ein Lot.” - Translation: “In time of need, 1000 friends shrink to a lot (16.5 grams).” - Meaning: “In bad times you have very few friends.” - Equivalent1: A friend in need is a friend indeed! - Equivalent2: Remember man and keep in mind: A faithful friend is hard to find!

Concept of Companionship and friendship in Islam

     Human Beings in all phases of life, from the very beginning of childhood and youth, old age till his death, are in need of friendship and association with others. Owing to his social nature, man is compelled to live in society and with other individuals. And most of our lives depend on interaction with others.

     Friendship is such a beautiful gift. A friend in need is a friend in deed after all. A friend is a very important person in one's life. Those who have worthy friends are never lonely and friendless in the world, since in joy and sorrow, their true friends help and support them. Naturally, a human being feels happy at the companionship of friends, and is sad at being lonely and distress and having no worthy companions.

     Islam has placed tremendous importance on the aspect of sociability and friendship. This sense of companionship holds a lot of significance in any relationship. In the Noble Qur'an, Allah (SWT) clearly states that He too chose friends for himself; who were none other than Prophet Ibrahim, Khalil Allah (as), and Prophet Muhammad, Habib Allah (saw).

     Today, we see intense disputes and altercations arising even between parents and children and as well as among siblings. This is chiefly due to the fact that, though their relationship is marked with blood ties, the all-important sentiments of fellowship and friendship are sorely missing. Our experience will tell us that friendship often takes precedence over blood relations. Man tends to heed his friends more than his relatives. He trusts his companions more than his own kin. The youth today, confide in their friends, while being discreet with their parents.

     Islam is in complete harmony with man's nature. Hence, it has dealt with this topic of friendship in detail. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Ahlul Bayt (as) were at pains to explain the etiquette and decorum of true friendship, so that we can acquire benefit out of companionship; a benefit whose effects will be manifested in the world as well as the hereafter. Imam Ali (as) observes, "He indeed is unfortunate who does not have any friends, but worse is the one who has friends, but loses them."

     Imam Ali (as) Says: "Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die they weep over you and if you are alive they crave for your company (friendship)."

Imam Ali (as) also said, "Try to have as many as possible true friends, for they are the supplies in joy and the shelters in misfortunes." In another tradition it is narrated, "Acquire more and more friends, because on the Day of Judgment each believer shall exercise his right of intercession (shafa'at)." Thus a person with maximum believer companions not only happy in this world but also enhances his chances of intercession and consequently, salvation in the Hereafter.

     For us Muslims who are living in a society where we are clearly a minority, the issue of choosing right companions is essential for preserving our religion (Deen). Befriending righteous and virtuous Muslims is an essential means for staying on the Straight Path. Strong individuals are the core of a strong community, something that Muslims should always strive for.

    We all know that Allah (SWT), the Most High has brought us to life in order to test us. Thus we are here for a relatively short period of time and that we shall meet Allah (SWT) one Day, so we need to use our present life for what is best for us in the Hereafter. Once we know our purpose and our goal in life, we should seek ways to achieve them so as to benefit our own selves.

     Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) considers real friends as the treasures of this world and the hereafter, and he says: "Find friends for yourself from among your coreligionist brethren, since they are the treasures of this world and also the next world."

     The point to which the leaders of Islam pay great attention in connection with friendship, is that, it may be considered worthy only if it is fostered for the sake of Allah (SWT), and a reliable friend is the one whose friendship is based on spirituality. Imam Ali Reza (as) elucidates, "One who takes up a friend to please Allah (SWT), has reserved for himself a house in Paradise." To choose someone for friendship purely on the basis of his piety and faith, only to satisfy Allah (SWT) is akin to earmarking a place in Paradise.

     This was one facet of friendship. Now let us look at the flip side. A friendship that is made for the sake of wealth, position, beauty and such things will disappear automatically when those factors come to an end. No material thing can act as the basis of a lasting friendship or produce happiness. Imam Ali (as) narrates, "Any friendship and companionship that is not for Allah's pleasure, is deviation and to rely on such ties (of friendship) is impossible."

     Lot of people establishes their bonds of friendship and enmity based on the gain they are likely to accrue on a personal level. That is, if a person has some utility, he qualifies as a friend, else he is an enemy. However, that should never be the benchmark for Muslims.

     Another point to which Islam attaches much importance is the choice of a friend. From the viewpoint of Islamic leaders, one should not make friends with each and every individual, since there are some persons whose friendship is harmful and dangerous. Without any doubt, every friend affects the material and spiritual affairs of his own companion, and each of them unconsciously influences the ideas, morals and conduct of the other.

Friends are by no means only a means for 'time-pass' or entertainment:

      Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) Says: "Make friends with ones who are higher than you so that you progress." Friends are by no means only a means for 'time-pass' or entertainment. Indeed friendship is more profound than that. Friendship and companionship are inseparable aspects of an individual's life. Experience has shown, too, that many friendships have changed the destiny of individuals and their course of life. Friends influence each other's ways, faith and religion. That is why while Islam has emphasized the importance of friendship, it has also stressed on the qualities that a friend should necessarily possess. It has clearly demarcated who is worthy of friendship and who is not.

     Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said: "Man is influenced by the faith of his friends. Therefore, be careful of whom you associate with." And at another place Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said: "A person is likely to follow the faith (Iman) of his friend, so look whom you befriend."

     Prophet Muhammad (saw) who has the noblest character and dealings with fellow humans gave us a very clear and simple message and advice in regard to friendship.

Friendship with worthy individuals is a great factor of happiness; and friendship and companionship with impure and polluted fellows are a cause of decline and distress.

     Some people are so confident of their own purity and nobility; they imagine that they will not be subject to any harm in their association with wicked persons. They consider their personality as strong enough not to be influenced by vices. However, they forget that cotton wool gets aflame by proximity with fire, and glass breaks when it comes in contact with stones. Unfortunately, corruption and impurity can very quickly affect the human spirit, and easily make it catch fire like gunpowder, and burn the entire world with their flame.

     Supposing you are so dignified and noble that you aren't influenced by the wicked persons you associate with. What will people say about you? Will they not consider you as one of the rabble when you associate with them?

    One of the Hadith says as: "Don't judge anyone's goodness or badness until you see his friend, since a person is recognized by his likes and companions, and is related to his friends."

     It would be impossible not to be affected deeply in our character by association with those around us, since man is by nature, an imitator, and everyone is more or less influenced by the conduct, manners and ideas of friends and companions.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Man imitates his friends. Hence, you must consider them whom you want to befriend."

     Association with biased and selfish people produces great losses since the effect of their character leads to the obscurity and limitation of thought, and to the death of the spirit of manliness and noble qualities. If association with them continues for a long time, the heart becomes heavy and hardened, moral powers are weakened, and willpower, sense of progress and excelling are destroyed in man. On the contrary, friendship and contact with those who are wiser, more experienced than us, are very valuable since their association breathes a new spirit into us, teaches us better way of life, and reforms our views about the attitude towards others. It appears as if they make us share their wisdom, knowledge and experience.

     Thus, for building up morality nothing is more useful and effective than association with learned and active individuals, since such contact enhances our mental powers, adds to our willpower, sublimate to our objective in the world, and prepares us for managing our own affairs and assisting others.

How should we choose our friends according to Islam?

      We should choose the friend that believes in and abide by our religion (Islam) and gives great respect to what Allah (SWT) and Prophet Muhammad (saw) had ordered us. And we should stay away from the one who is not well mannered and gives no attention to what Islam is about or what pleases or displeases Allah (SWT), for he will surely affect us negatively. There is no good if the companion drowns us in sins and displeasing Allah (SWT). The bases for the actions of those who follow the evil ways are corrupt; their actions are built upon misguidance and deviation.

     Good friends are those who share with their companions both happiness and sadness. If we share our feelings with the wrongdoers whose actions are worthless and based on corruption, then we are following the same ways and standards as they are doing, and we will end up being as corrupt as they are, and then we are in a big trouble, how can we face Allah's (SWT) dissatisfaction and displeasure? Instead of making friends with the misguided ones we should befriend the righteous, yet treat the rest in a gracious and just manner.

     Staying at sufficient distance is necessary; yet treating everybody in a noble and kind manner is required. The danger of having corrupt friends isn't confined to the worldly life. Such friendships produce repentance on the Day of Resurrection, too!

    Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "And (remember) the day when the unjust one shall bite his hands saying: O! Would that I had taken a way with the Messenger! O woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend! Certainly he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me;" (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:27-29)

     The two main regrets on the day of judgment are:

     - (1) Not following Prophet Muhammad (saw) on the path of guidance and;

     - (2) Befriending a person who diverted one from the truth.

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) has said: "The felicity of this and the next world lie in two things: firstly, keeping secrets; and secondly, friendship with the good. And the miseries of this and the next world are summed up in two things: firstly, divulging secrets; and secondly, friendship with wicked persons."

    So take heed before the inevitable day of judgment comes and we are reckoned for our acts. Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except al-Muttaqun (i.e. those who have Taqwa/Piety)." (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:67)

     It is wise to choose moderation in dealing with friends. Excessive love and confidence in friends are unacceptable since it happens that a friend may change into an enemy and use the secrets that he had shown as weapons. Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression." (Surah Al-Maeda, 5:2)

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "When you cherish someone you should cherish him moderately for he may be your enemy someday, and when you hate someone you should hate him moderately for he may be your friend someday." Also said: "If you intend to cut yourself off from a friend, leave some scope for him from your side by which he may resume friendship if it so occurs to him some day."

    Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "The secrets that you must show before your friends are only those through which your enemies cannot harm you, for a friend may change into an enemy."

Who should not be befriended according to the philosophy of Islam?

      When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to life? Or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us Allah's (SWT) pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the Hell?

      Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) narrates from his father who said, "O my son don't befriend five types of people:

1. Don't befriend a liar (Kadhib). For a liar is like a mirage. He shows the distant as near and the near as distant. He will always deceive you and trouble you.

2. Don't befriend a transgressor (Ghasib). For he will forsake you for a paltry sum and make your sins appear very alluring to you. He will make you a victim of Allah's chastisement through his petty sins and take you farther away from His obedience and satisfaction. He will make Allah's worship appear as His disobedience, and His disobedience as His worship. He will drag you along with himself in the fire of hell.

3. Never befriend a miser (Bakheel/Kanjus). For in your time of need and distress, he will withhold his wealth from you, while he is in a position to assist you. (He values his wealth more than anything else. And to that end he is prepared to forsake even his friends)

4. Do not befriend a fool (Ahmaq). For (in his foolishness) he will harm you while he intends to help you. (That is why it is said, 'A shrewd enemy is better than a foolish friend')

5. Don't befriend the one who breaks relations (with his relatives/Khata Rahmi). For, such a person has been cursed in the Noble Qur'an in three places. He is engrossed in his own affairs with scant regard for others. (Friendship with such a person will eventually lead the individual towards sins and disobedience of Allah)"

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Do not befriend a sinner (Fasiq/Fajir) because he will sell you for a morsel."

Imam Sajjad (as) said: "Do not make anyone your enemy even though you consider him harmless and do not turn down a person's friendship even if you think he will not benefit you."

    The Noble Qur'an says, "The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the hypocrites are the transgressors." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:67)

On the other hand, Noble Qur'an discusses the believers in the following manner, "And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:71)

    The two Qur'anic verses mentioned above only go to show how critical a role friendship can play in our lives. A true friend then, is the one who takes us closer to Allah's (SWT) compassion and grace.

     Having deliberated at length on who should not be befriended, we shall now see what kind of people should be befriended. Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) narrates, "Friendship entails certain trusts and duties. Then the one who observes these obligations is a true friend and the one who breaches this trust is unworthy of friendship.

These obligations are as follows:

1. He should be the same outside as he is inside. In other words, he should not have a dual personality. (In this age however, we often come across people who are exceptionally humble and modest on the outside, with little, if any humility, on the inside)

2. He will consider your virtues as his virtues and your misdeeds as his misdeeds. (In other words your virtues will cheer him and your faults will grieve him. God forbid, he must not feel relieved after observing some vice in you, and take solace from the fact that he himself is above that vice.)

3. If he acquires a position of power and authority, it must not bring about a drastic change in his attitude. In other words, prosperity must not transform the individual adversely. (There are some people who make the best of friends in adversity. But a positive change in their financial condition reveals a dark, hitherto unknown side of their personality. On the other hand we see some people who make good friends in prosperity, but misfortune transforms them, disclosing their fickleness.)

4. He must give his friendship (with you) priority over all his worldly possessions. In other words in times of adversity, he must be willing to give his all to redeem you.

5. He must never leave you alone in times of misfortune and distress."

There are three types of 'friends'...

    Those that are necessary like nourishment and you cannot live without them; those that are like medicine and are beneficial, so you need them sometimes; and finally, those that are like a sickness and you do not need them at all!

    Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said, "The believer is like a mirror to other believers (in truthfulness)." Like a mirror, your friend gives you an honest image. He forgives your mistakes, but does not hide or exaggerate your strengths and weaknesses.

Once Prophet Muhammad (saw) was asked, "What person can be the best friend?" "He who helps you remember Allah (SWT), and reminds you when you forget Him," the Prophet Muhammad (saw), counseled.

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "A friend cannot be considered a friend unless he is tested on three occasions: in time of need, behind your back and after your death."

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) also remarks, "My best friend is the one who gifts me my weaknesses and shortcomings." In other words one who brings to your notice your defects and flaws is indeed your true friend.

     However, there is one very imperative point in the above-mentioned tradition of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as). When one presents an offering to a close friend, he does so with utmost care, not willing to overlook anything. He offers the gift with total respect and regard. For, even the most valuable gift if not presented with correct etiquette, can look very ordinary.

     While presenting the offering, the friend tries to make the most expensive gift seem very ordinary so as to not embarrass the recipient. On the other hand, the recipient of this gift tries to make even the most ordinary gift seem very precious, so as to please his friend.

    Similarly, when we wish to point out certain shortcomings to a friend, we must do so with a degree of respect and sincerity. Our sole intention must be to reform the friend and there should be no hint of any malice and self-righteousness. Likewise, when a friend highlights for us, our defects, we must acknowledge the same with respect and gratitude without any ill will and hostility. Imam Hassan Askari (as) Says: "Those who advise their friend secretly are respecting them, and those who advise them openly are humiliating them."

    Indeed if we establish these as the standards of friendship, the believers shall soon find themselves enveloped with friends who will take them closer to Paradise and farther away from the fire of hell.

   Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: O you who believe! Take care of your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you when you are on the right way; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did. (Surah Al-Maeda, 5:105)

There are certain tips to remember if you wish to keep a stable friendship.

1.Do not dispute with him and do not be hostile to him.

2.Do not ridicule him. Do not quarrel with him. Instead accord friends the respect they deserve.

Imam Hassan (as) Says: "Befriend people in the same manner you would like them to befriend you."

3 Do not hold him in contempt nor consider him to be lower than you. Instead guard the honor of your friends during their absence and after their death.

4. Do not claim precedence and supremacy over him. Instead forgive the short-comings of your friends, because everyone makes mistakes in life.

5. Do not crack indecent jokes with him.

Finally, we ask Allah (SWT) to make us of the righteous ones and give us companions that will take us away from His Wrath and lead us to His Pleasure and Paradise. (HSH)

Bibliotheque:

1. Stephen E. Ambrose's book: "Comrades"

2. “FRIENDSHIP” by - Eleanor Roosevelt

3. “FRIENDSHIP” by - Nancy Studnicka

4. http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/friendship.in.islam.asp

5. http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/friends.in.islam.asp

6. The Holy Al Qur’an‘s Tafsir (The Holy Qur'an ProgramVersion 8.0) by Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Khan

7. INDONESIAN VERSION: PERSAHABATAN SEJATI DIDASARI KEJUJURAN DAN KEIKHLASAN