Welcome to Islam
Accept Islam for your salvation
Live according to Islam for your spiritual progress
Islam Emancipated Slaves and Made Them Noble Masters
Please answer a question for me:
I have been studying ISLAM for some time now. I am engaged to be married and would like a positive, spiritual structure for myself and my family. I am learning towards practicing ISLAM, however I am curious as to Islamic involvement in the African, or any other, slave trade. I understand how culture and religion vary, but I do not want to join something that originated as a tool of oppression on any people, particularly my own. I need some guidance in this area. Thank you in advance.
Jason
Hello Jason,
Thank you for your question.
Allah will punish those who enslaved our African brothers and sisters the way they did it. It was the Muslims of West Africa who were enslaved and their flourishing culture destroyed.
I was born in Kenya and so were my parents and grandparents. The Imam of the Jami Masjid in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya was Shaykh Ramadani Gathiyaka. He was a Kikuyu who had accepted Islam. All the Muslims would go and kiss his hand, whether they were Arabs, Swahili, Indian or African. Islam is color blind.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him came to emancipate humanity. This is one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad:
Mu'adh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Prophet Muhammad said to him, Mu'adh, Allah has created nothing on the face of the earth dearer to Him than emancipation and Allah has created nothing on the face of the earth more hateful to Him than divorce. (Daraqutni)
Slavery existed in the time of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he set about emancipating the slaves. Sayyidina Bilal bin Rabah of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) used to be tortured by his master for accepting Islam so Sayyidina Abu Bakr, a foremost companion of Prophet Muhammad, bought his freedom. We learn of this in al-Bukhari Sharif as follows:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah that Sayyidina Umar used to say, Abu Bakr is our chief and he manumitted our chief, meaning Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him. (al-Bukhari)
Sayyidina Bilal became the first muadhdhin of Islam, the first to give the call to prayer. And once, our beloved Prophet asked him to climb on top of the Ka'ba to give the adhan. This of course was too much to bear for the non-believing racist Arabs at that time. Even as of today, everyone who gives the adhan in Vietnam is called Bilal.
Hundreds of slaves were freed by Prophet Muhammad himself or by his companions according to his instructions.
In every society there are prisoners. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said that any prisoner of war who taught ten Muslims how to read and write could gain his freedom. So, he gave prisoners of war the noble profession of teaching, emancipated them and encouraged education.
The Quran teaches us that Allah made people into nations and tribes so that they may recognize each other and the best in the sight of Allah are those who are the most pious. This was also repeated by Prophet Muhammad in his last sermon. The brotherhood of Muslims, irrespective of race or nationality has been given by Allah in the Quran.
Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had some servants. This is what Hadrat Anas, one of his servants said about Prophet Muhammad, I served the Prophet for ten years and he never said to me, Shame! or why did you do such and such, or why did you not do such and such. (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
In conclusion, we see then that Prophet Muhammad came to emancipate humanity, and through his exemplary life-style, he taught people how to live according to Islam to achieve spiritual progress.
With best wishes in your search for truth and may Allah guide you to Islam, Amin.
Siddiq
Thank you for your knowledge. Have a beautiful and blessed day. Peace.
Jason
The Audio of Ratib al-Haddad
Assalamualaikum,
My name is Iskandar Zulkarnain, from Indonesia, and I wanted to know how to obtain the audio of Ratib al-Haddad, of al-Imam 'Abdallah bin 'Alawi al-Haddad. This is due to the fact that I want to learn how to read and learn more in reading the Ratib.
At present, I am pursuing my MBA degree in France and, Insya ALLAH, get a work abroad after my graduation this year.
Thank you.
Wassalamualaikum
Iskandar
Brother Iskandar, the audio of the Ratib has been posted to you.
With salaams,
Editor
Requests for Books of Prayer
Assalamu 'alaykum
I live in Indonesia, and my house is near from maqbarah of Al-Habib Muhammad bin Tahir Al-Haddad in Tegal. Do you know him
I will be proud if you send me:
Adhkaar wa Ad'iya wa Salawaat-u's- Salafiyya
Aqeedatul Haqq (The True Creed)
Waseelatu'sh Shafiy
Qasidatul Hamziyyah
Qasaaid Fee Mad'h Taha ash-Shafi'
As-Salawaat wa'l Madaaih Fee Hubb-ir-Rasul, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam
and some audio like :
Qasida al-Mudariyya, and Qasida al-Burda, of Imam al-Busiri, that followed by Mawlid-u'n-Nabi, Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam,
composed by Imam 'Ali bin Muhammad al-Habshi al-'Alawi
Mawlid-u'n-Nabi, Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam,
composed by Shaykh 'AbdurRahman ad-Dayba' al-Yamani
Dhikr by the 'Alawiyyin in Madina every Friday after 'Asr Salah
(with Salawaat ala'r Rasul, and qasaaid of al-Imam 'Abdalla bin 'Alawi al-Haddad)
I think it is too many. I do not ask you to give me all of them, but I will be more happy if you give me all of them.
Thank you very much.
Wassalamu 'alaykum
Irfan
Brother Irfan, the books and audio that you requested have been posted to you.
With salaams,
Editor
Milad u'n Nabi Celebrations in Toronto
Assalamu 'alaykum,
When I saw the list of masajid and organisations that celebrate Milad-un-Nabi in Kenya in the email last month, I decided to share with the readers the following list of masajid and organisations in Toronto that celebrate Milad un Nabi Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Besides these, of course, Milad un-Nabi is celebrated in very many homes. May Allah Ta'ala increase us in faith and in good deeds, Amin.
Siddiq
Toronto
MILAD UN NABI SALLALLAHU 'ALAYHI WA SALLAM
- 'Alawiyya Tariqa
- The Albanian Muslim Society of Toronto
- Anjuman Hifazat ul Islam
- ASWANA: Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah of North America
- Bazme Chirage Faqir (Chishtiyya)
- The Canadian Society of Muslims
- Chishtiyya Tariqa
- Cutchi Sunni Jamat
- Dar ul Qur'an
- Da'wate Islami
- Ghawthi Masjid
- Haji Ahmad Nathalia (Personal residence)
- Al-Haqq u'l Yaqin al-Qadiriyya
- Imdadul Islam Masjid
- IMO: International Muslim Organisation
- Iqra Promotions
- Islamic Forum
- The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
- Jamat ul Muminun
- Jami Fatih Masjid
- Jamiatul Ansaar
- The Jerrahi Sufi Tariqa
- Khuddame Awliya
- The Lantern of the Hearts
- Madrasatul Hidaya
- Minhaj ul Qur'an
- Mi'raj
- Noor ul Haram Masjid
- Qadiriyya Uwaisiyya Tariqa
- The Rifa'iyya Tariqa
- The Shadhuliyya Tariqa
- Silsila Aliyya Qadiriyya
- Spiritual Foundation
- SUFI: Society for Understanding the Finite and the Infinite
- Suhrawardi Foundation
- Sunnatul Jamat
- Taric Masjid
- The Tijaniyya Tariqa
- Ummah Nabawiyya Masjid
- Women Islamic Mission
- World Islamic Mission