Nabiy Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Waalihi Wa Salam) was born in Makkah in the year 570 AC. His father was Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib, descendent of Ismail (Alaihe Salam);the elder son of Ibrahim (Alaihe Salam). His mother Amina was the daughter of Wahb. The people called him As-Sadiq (the Truthful) and Al-Amin (the Trustworthy) before the message of Islam was revealed to him. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala) described him in the Glorious Qur'an as the Noblest Example for the human race, and He sent him with the universal message of Islam for all of mankind in the entire world. He was a human being of extraordinary merits and endowed with all fine qualities such as patience, courage, wisdom, generosity, intelligence, love and magnanimity to show the Muslims how to mould their own lives. He was a perfect example of purity and goodness, and a symbol of truth and justice. He said: “Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up an unpleasant deed with a good one. The good one will wipe the unpleasant one out, and behave well towards human beings.”
There are few brother/sister Muslims as well as some non-Muslim who are continuing to support this newsletter. We invite our brothers and sisters to meet the expense of the total cost of printing and shipping of the AL-KUFA Newsletter. Also, there are other costs, including telephone bills, access to Internet, and the cost of publishing on the Web whenever possible. Also, we are continuing to grant some of the requests of our brothers/sisters for Dawah, by sending them the Glorious Qur'an and other materials.
Our number of readers are increasing, AlHumdalillah, especially, our brothers/sisters in prisons. We do not have enough newsletters to mail to them. In addition, we request our brothers/sisters to distribute copies and to obtain copies (in English only) through our Web page. One Islamic Library Missionary distributed the AL-KUFA Newsletter in part and as a whole to Europe and Africa. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala) reward them for their effort.
Insha’Allah, and we hope
to print at least 500 copies extra, and for this reason, we need your support
each month or as per your convenience, to continue this newsletter. May
you be of the ones who earn Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala)’s pleasure.
Seek the good opportunities and you will not go unrewarded by the Almighty,
Ameen. The Glorious Qur'an says: “He who giveth away his wealth, to purify
himself.” 92:18
Missing Father
One sister, Mrs. Hala Kamil
Ali Al-Sultani, lost contact with her father, Mr. Kamil Ali Alharmoosh
Al-Sultani since her early age. She is asking for help to find her father
or relay any information that might lead to their reunion. We pray for
those Muslim families whose children were separated from their parents
that may Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala) reunite their families. The
Glorious Qur'an says: “Our Lord! Grant us mercy from unto Thee and prepare
for us a right choice of our affair. And well pleased is Allah with them
and they are well-pleased with Him; that is for him who feareth his Lord.
O' Our Lord! accept thou my prayer.”18:10, 98:8 & 14:40 O’ Lord, direct
us towards Thyself. Do not keep us away from Thee, Ameen.
The ignorant civilization before Islam considered a woman to be only a commodity to be bought and sold. She was deprived of her human values and transposed to a material thing to be used by men for enjoyment or sometimes used as a slave. Islam strongly condemned such unjust treatments and sufferings, and granted women respect, dignity, cleanliness, and purity.
History records for centuries,
even up to today, the mistreatment of women and the usurping of her
rights. Islam removed from her injustices so that she could live as a human
being, having dignity, honor and rank equal to that of man. Islam declares
that the foundation of honor does not depend upon manhood but on righteous
deeds and faith in Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala). [To Be Continued
Insha’Allah]
Islam honors and respects knowledge, learning and wisdom. Brothers Akrum A. AL-Zubaidi, Azeem H. Sherali, Malik H. Shareef, Sam Rasoul, Ayman M. Hassan and sister Sanaa Y. AL-Zubaidi have obtained high school diplomas. Brother Naser M. Alhendal has obtained a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology. Brother Hussain A. Almutalla has obtained a bachelor’s degree in computer information system. Sister Ahlam M. AL-Zubaidi has obtained a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies. Brother Salem A. AL-Shamiyah has obtained a doctor of philosophy degree in science. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala) grace them with the ability to continue their education and to benefit Islam and mankind.
The KCIK members and the AL-KUFA
Newsletter editors give thanks to Allah for His blessings in helping our
beloved Muslim brothers and sisters. They wish them great success
in their endeavors to serve Islam and Humanity. May Allah (Subhanahu
Wa Ta'Ala) guide them to the right path and help them to pursue their duties
toward His worship. O’ LORD, CAUSE MY MOTIVE TO BE THE BEST OF RESOLUTIONS
AND MY CONDUCT, THE BEST OF ACTIONS, AMEEN.
If they would ever eat two meals in one day, one of them would surely be only of dates. When he passed away, nothing remained on his shelf except some barley grain. This was the simplicity of his life. His humility and lifestyle were truly exemplary. He was generous to all; he never lost his temper except when Islam was defiled; when pleased, he would lower his gaze in modesty; he was very methodical and organized in everything he did, and he would never raise his voice when he was displeased. At home, he always helped in domestic chores. In gatherings, he kept his eyes lowered, he would walk behind others in a group, he always initiated a greeting, his pose would always be humble, he remained silent and listened more than he spoke, he was clear and simple in his speech, he never interrupted anyone, he would not be aloof from people, he would be attentive to all, turn by turn; he would joke to please others but his jokes too would be but truthful, and he made each of his companions feel as if they were his favorite one.
His companions were also simple. At times they would survive on desert plants so that their excrement would be like that of sheep. There is a notable story related by one of this companions. Out of hunger, he would often sleep on his stomach or tie a stone to his belly. Once, in the evening, he was sitting by the roadside, very hungry. Abu Bakr Ibn Abu Qahafa, the father-in-law of Nabiy Muhammad [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] passed by his companion and he asked Abu Bakr to teach him something of the Qur’an, hoping that Abu Bakr would take him home with him and feed him. But Abu Bakr only talked briefly with him and went on his way. Then Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the father-in-law of Nabiy Muhammad [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] approached the companion and the same event transpired. Then the Nabiy [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] came by and the companion asked him to teach him something of the Qur’an. The Nabiy [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam], ever sensitive, saw the look of hunger on his face and smiled knowingly. He invited him to his home. There, he took a bowl of milk, which was to be his own dinner, and placed it on the table. Even as the companion looked at the bowl and wondered how this would be enough for two hungry people, the Nabiy [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] asked him to invite the poor from the shelter of As-Suffa to join them. The companion was bewildered by this suggestion, but he dared not object. He returned quite apprehensively with about eighty people, and the Nabiy [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] asked him to give the bowl of milk to the other guests. Now, he was sure that he would once again stay hungry that night, but he complied timidly with the request. Miraculously, however, the first person drank to his fill till he could drink no more and yet the bowl had the same amount of milk left in it. Then the next person drank to his full satisfaction. This continued until they had all been graced by this sustenance from Allah (subhanu wa Ta'Ala), and then the companion himself drank till he could consume no more. He finally handed the bowl to the Nabiy [sallallahu Alaihe (Waalihi) wa salam] who praised Allah and pronounced His name on it and simply drank what was left in it, as he would have had he dined alone that night. Subhan-Allah! These were the noblest of people![To Be Continued Insha’Allah]
A believer questions in order
to learn, and reviews in order to understand. It is reported,“He who knows
himself, knows his Lord.” Nabiy Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Waalihi Wa
Salam) said: “Sitting an hour in a learning gathering is better than in
the eye of Allah than a thousand nights in each of which a thousand prayers
are performed, and better battle for the sake of Allah on thousand occasions,
or better than reciting the whole of the Qur’an twelve thousand times,
or better than a whole year of worship during which one fasts on all days
and spends the nights in prayer. If one leaves one’s house with the intention
of gaining knowledge, for every step that he takes, Allah shall bestow
upon him the reward reserved for a nabiy, and the reward accorded to a
thousand martyrs of the Battle of Badr. And for every word that he hears
or writes, a city shall be set aside for him in paradise.” The Glorious
Qur’an says: “And those similitudes We strike them for the people, but
none understands them save those who know.” 29:43 [To Be Continued Insha’Allah]
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A large number of requests, through phone calls, letters and in person, have been received from those who are interested in the AL-KUFA Newsletter, the Prayer Time-Table and also for those who filled the Free Subscription / Cancellation From for the AL-KUFA Newsletter. If you receive more than one copy of this newsletter via a duplicate mailing, you can help us correct this by informing us and we thank you for that.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation are given to all of you. Because of the large numbers of letters that AL-KUFA has received, we will acknowledge and publish only some of these letter each time. Our purpose of publishing these letters is to (a) make a certain plea known to the public in order that they might respond for the pleasure of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala), (b) make us all aware of certain circumstances, or (c) to share a joyous news as well as to make Dua'as and Prayers for those who are ill or have lost a loved one, and also for the one they have lost. NOTE: For those who are interested in announcing the birth of a child, graduation, wedding, death, or matrimonial interests, please contact the Kufa Center of Islamic Knowledge. Those who send letters, please also provide the center with your telephone numbers. In addition, brothers and sisters who are requesting us for various Islamic materials, please provide us with a full name, postal address, telephone number, and e-mail address. If this is to be sent to an institution, please ensure that the institution will accept such material(s), even if it is just the AL-KUFA Newsletter. Please type your request(s) and sign the paper. Insha'Allah, we will continue sending this newsletter to whoever wishes to receive it. Also, we request readers to let us know their new addresses when they relocate.
Segments of a letter received
from sister Shelia, Alabama:
In the Name of Allah,
The Beneficent, the Merciful. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah
and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. "The Seal of the Apostles."
Peace and mercy be upon him.
Salaam, I am your Muslim sister from America and am writing to your organization to request Islamic materials. Please send them in English language. I would appreciate it very much if you could send me some materials or a list/catalog with such materials.
May Allah reward you and bless you for taking the time to read my letter.
Peace be upon you. Pray for peace and mercy for all our brethren.
Thank you for your letter and prayers, you may call us to find what you need or go to the library in your area to inquire about Islamic bookstores and Institutions through their resources or the Internet. O’ Lord, guard us from our enemies with Thy exceeding great watchfulness.
Our thanks and appreciation to all brothers and sisters, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, who sent letters, faxes, postcards, or phone calls, or came in person to the Kufa Center of Islamic Knowledge (KCIK), and for their support of the AL-KUFA Newsletter, the KUFA School, and the KUFA Public Library, from within the United States and aboard. The kind expressions of the readers, encouraging us to continue this Newsletter are especially appreciated. As for financial help, our thanks and appreciation to all brothers and sisters among our generous readers for their support. Please note: you may specify the purpose of your donations(s), unless you give us permission to use your donations(s) wherever they are needed most and where your donation(s) can most effectively assist, especially for the AL-KUFA Newsletter. All donation(s) and gifts are acknowledged with a tax-deductible receipt (unless otherwise requested) and we thank you for sharing your gifts from Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala) with us. As the fruit of this mission begins to blossom. Insha'Allah, large numbers will receive the AL-KUFA Newsletter. The Glorious Qur’an says: “(Say): We feed you only for the pleasure of Allah; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks. And they spend (benevolently) of what We have provided them with, secretly and openly, and they repel evil with good; for these is the (happy) attainment of the (Eternal) abode.” 76:9 & 13:22
We are very grateful to all sources that sent us publications, their communications about Islam, Muslim community affairs, and educational articles, and to many individuals and institutions in the United States and abroad. Masha’Allah, these publications are all excellent and those who have borrowed them have enjoyed reading them. These publications are inventoried in the KUFA Public Library and some have been mailed to our brothers and sisters in the prisons and other places. A non Muslim lady from New York donated $2 toward the KUFA Public Library. She visited the center and said,”this is from my heart and this is what I have at this time.” She also wrote,”I stopped by to return the books I borrowed the other day. It was really nice meeting you.” Also, another non-Muslim lady visited the center and wrote,”Thank you so much for the books to use at our Community School - the students learned so much!”
In addition, our thanks to all brothers and sisters who took the time to write or call KCIK and inform us about the change of their addresses or their desire to receive the AL-KUFA Newsletter. REMEMBER it costs us to distribute this newsletter to thousands of readers, and only a few continue their support of it. Please be aware of this and send your donations to cover the cost for mailing, etc., to AL-KUFA. Please also inform us of any change in address. When a newsletter is returned to us, it costs us up to $1.60 in some cases. This is a waste of resources. Please, let us avoid this loss.
Our special thanks and appreciation to a Rev. from Virginia and a sister from Maryland for their donations of $25 and $25 respectively. Blessings of Allah upon you all now and always. Jazakum Allahu Khairan for your donations and support. May the Almighty Lord reward all of you in this life and the hereafter. The Glorious Qur’an says: “You will never attain piety unless you spend on others out of what you dearly cherish.” 3:92.
Just remember that any money
you pay to support KCIK, KUFA School, KUFA Public Library and AL-KUFA Newsletter
is paid to strengthen the word of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala) and
for the sake of spreading Islam. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala) bless
you all, give you courage and provide you with resources to continue your
support. The Glorious Qur’an says: “Say (O' Our Apostle Muhammad!)' If
ye do love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.” 3:30 Jazakum
Allah Khair (MAY ALLAH REWARD YOU WITH GOODNESS).
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April through June, 1998
Insha'Allah (God Willing),
we will report to you the income (receipts) and expenses (payments and/or
costs) through the coming months.
Previous (Starting) balance,
1998: -$9.61
Total receipts for the three
months are: $760.04
Total expenditures for the
three months are: Printing the AL-KUFA Newsletter: $245; Bulk Mail: $333.4;
Stamps: $350.15; Telephone: $57.79; Copies: $94.7; VirusScan Deluxe 39.99;
Computer disk: $15.99; Label Laser Printer: $18.99; Envelopes: $4.74; Superdisk
Drive:$149.99; Superdisk :$79.99. Total is: $1384.03
Ending balance: - $327.63
The cost s of the VirusScan
Deluxe, Computer disk, Superdisk and Superdisk Drive, to be exclude from
this summary, but will be included in the costs for the whole year. Let
us pray together that the AL-KUFA Newsletter will continue to help those
in need and to serve the Muslims and the entire World. O' LORD, FULFILL
OUR DESIRES FROM THE VASTNESS OF THY GRACE AND DO NOT CUT OFF OUR HOPE
BY REFUSAL, AMEEN.
The Kufa Center Of Islamic Knowledge is entirely dependent on your financial contributions. The AL-KUFA Newsletter especially needs your support to cover its monthly costs. So, please share with us a fair contribution for this newsletter to enable it to continue. n addition, we receive a large number of requests for the AL-KUFA Newsletter. If you don't receive the AL-KUFA Newsletter, it is only because we don't have enough funds to cover the costs, especially for overseas shipping including Canada. [Note to our brothers and sisters in prison: please check with your institutions if you did receive the AL-KUFA Newsletter, and if you received it, then please share it with other brothers and/or sisters. We included the December issue of the AL-KUFA Newsletter with our parcel to prison libraries.]
In addition, it is our responsibility to bring to your attention, our dear readers, that we are in desperate need for a place to teach and in need of resources {Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, and other Islamic books}. Islamic newsletters, Bulletin of Affiliation, magazines and other Islamic materials were received from many Islamic institutions. These donations will aid us in our Dawah program as well as benefit the KUFA Public Library. Insha'Allah, many individuals and publishers will participate in this Dawah program. Jazakum Allahu Khairan.
Also, we are in need for several items in order for you to receive this newsletter in time, such as a copy-machine, a typewriter (particularly, an Arabic typewriter), audiocassette duplicator, and other items. Please donate these or the costs of these items and the cost of the access to the network. Also, we do not have any software to enable us to write in Arabic or computer CDs of the Qur’an, Hadith and an Arabic dictionary. Insha'Allah, you will be one of the (Mohsin) who will donate for the cause of Islam and humanity. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala) reward you for your efforts and enable you to do good deeds in this life and bless you and your family in this world and in the hereafter. Jazakum Allahu Khairan.
Insha'Allah, the AL-KUFA Newsletter will be distributed on the Internet (please see the editorial page for our e-mail and web page information). Jazakum Allahu Khairan. The Glorious Qur’an says: “ That Allah may give them the best recompense for what they have done and increase for them, out of His grace; And Allah provideth sustenance for whomsoever He willeth without measure.” 24:38
For the pleasure of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala), we therefore request you to assist us financially or materially. We particularly request you to bring this plea to the attention of your community, and encourage them to donate their Islamic charities to this cause. Jazakum Allah Khair (MAY ALLAH REWARD YOU WITH GOODNESS).
Never Despair Under The Hardships Of Life
Nabiy Muhammad (Sallallahu
Alayhi Waalihi Wa Salam) said the following:
O' Allah to you alone I complain
of how weak I am, my mind can find no open way, people do not care for
me.
O' most merciful of the merciful,
you are the Lord of the weak and oppressed, you are my Lord.
Allah whom have you left in
control of me?
To a stranger who abuses me
or to an enemy you have given power over me?
Allah as long as you are not
angry with me, I don't care about anything else, but I ask you to ease
things up nevertheless.
Lord, I seek refuge in your
light whose brightness has eliminated universal darkness and has is the
master of the world and the hereafter,
that you never be angry with
me.
I will continue to ask you
for I have no power except with you.
Nabiy Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Waalihi Wa Salam) said: “Muslims will not sit remembering Allah Most High without the angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, peace descending on them, and Allah Most High mentioning them among those who are with Him.”