AhlulBayt Islamic Society

The GAZA Massacre: One Year On…

On December 27, 2008, Israel began one of the bloodiest attacks on Gaza Since 1948. The three week assault killed some 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. One year later, little to no rebuilding has taken place and the siege in Gaza continues.

What can you do for Gaza?

This event will cover the events that occurred during the Gaza war, the progress over the past year and the humanitarian issues involved.

Speakers:

Mr Raza Kazim
Senior Spokesperson
Islamic Human Rights Commission

Mr Toufic Machnouk
Associate Director
Institute for Policy Research and Development

The event will also include a fundraiser for the charity, Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Islam and the Modern Age

In view of the present state of marvellous rate of progress, can one really believe that Islam can cater to the needs of the modern world? Today, when man, by the means of his power of reason, is conquering the planets and is able to journey far out into the depths of space, is it not time for us to discard such ancient dogmas and concentrate our vision and will on the pursuit of our magnificent victories, pursuing the modern sophisticated way of life?

- By Allamah Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i [QS]

Read the rest article here

Tags: absoc, age, imperial, islam, modern, tabatabai

Sisters Eid Special

HAJJ EXHIBITION 2009

HAJJ EXHIBITION

What an amazing time! Hajj. The largest annual pilgrimage in the world! What is it all about?

Imperial College AhlulBayt Islamic Society with the help of the Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation would like to invite you to:

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THE HAJJ EXHIBITION
“A glimpse into the experience of hajj”

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PHOTO EXHIBITION
MODEL KA’BA
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
EYE-OPENING LECTURE BY SHAIKH AHMED HANEEF
INSPIRATIONAL TALKS BY STUDENTS

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EVENING PLAN:

5-8pm - PHOTO EXHIBITION and MODEL KA’BA (open for viewing all evening)

“The Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation has kindly provided us with high quality photos they have taken of the hajj journey Muslims go to every year. We have a PHOTO EXHIBITION of these on the evening. We also have a huge MODEL KA’BA set up during the exhibition.”

5:30pm - DOCUMENTARY SCREENING - (LT1 - 25 Minutes)

“In this exclusive ABC News Nightline program reporter Michael Wolfe takes viewers on his 1997 second Hajj to Mecca. Of the more than million Muslims in the U.S., Wolfe is a convert born the son of a Christian mother and a Jewish father. Wolfe describes how the Hajj creates unity among participants.”

6:00pm - SOCIO-POLITICAL HAJJ - SHAIKH AHMED HANEEF
6:40pm - THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY - BR ALI JOUDI
7:00pm - STUDENT’S EXPERIENCE OF HAJJ

“Shaikh Ahmed Haneef will be giving an eye-opening talk on the socio-political aspects of the Hajj pilgrimage. Also, come along and hear your fellow colleagues experience of the Hajj journey.”

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Hajj - Rejecting an Empty Philosophy

Life today (not life as it should be carried on) is an idle cyclical action a movement with no goal! A meaningless pendular action starts with the day only to end at night and night starts only to disappear at dawn. In the mean time, man is busy watching the play of these black and white “rats” who chew the strings of our life until we die.Life (as we live it) is like a theater. Man watches these aimless nights and days. Indeed, what foolish play is conducted! When you are in need, you hope and struggle to overcome your needs. Yet once you achieve this, you view your past efforts humorously. What a senseless philosophy to live by!

Living on a day to day basis, the person lacks direction. His aim is only to live. What exists is a dead spirit in a living body. However, the Hajj experience alters this unhealthy condition!

Once you decide to perform Hajj and take the necessary steps, you are on the road to the actualization of Hajj. Before going to Hajj you reside in your home calm and reposed. Upon entering the state of mind for Hajj, you arise and move away from your routine environment.

Hajj is the antithesis of aimlessness. It is the rebellion against a damned fate guided by evil forces. The fulfillment of Hajj will enable you to escape from the complex network of puzzles. This revolutionary act will reveal to you the clear horizon and free way to migration to eternity toward the Almighty Allah.

Depart from your home. and visit “Allah’s house”, or the “house of the people”! You, whoever you are,you are a man, Adam’s son, and a representative of Allah on earth!You are a relative of Allah, Allah’s trustee, His master of nature and a student of God. Allah taught you the names. He made you from His spirit and endowed you with special qualities. You were praised by Him; His angels even prostrated to you. This earth and everything in it was made available to man. God became your “homemate”, with you at all times and watching all of your actions. Are you living up to His expectation?

Prophet (PBUH):

Allah is in the hearts of the believers

Quran XXIX:3

Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.

Quran LVII: 25

And that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messenger, though unseen.

Quran XVII: 7

Lo! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that we may try them: which of them is best in conduct.

Quran LXVII: 2

Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and he is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

With the passage of time and the influence of various forces of the social system which disregard human rights and duties, your character has been changed. The vicissitudes of life have affected you to the degree that you became alienated and neglectful. Originally, with Allah’s spirit in your heart, you were supposed to shoulder the responsibility of being Allah’s trustee on earth. You were granted time as a means for fulfilling this task but you failed because the gift was used carelessly!

Quran CIII: 2-3

By the declining day, Lo! man is in a state of loss,

This is what is called life! But realistically speaking what has been accomplished? What constructive contributions have you made? What have you gained? So many precious years have been lost, yet who are you?

Oh trustee and vicegerent of Allah on earth, you have turned to money, sex, greed, aggression, and dishonesty. You have regressed to the inferior status that you occupied before almighty Allah blew His spirit into you. Where is the spirit of Allah now? Oh man, rise out of this decadent situation! Divorce yourself from this gradual death.

Leave your surroundings and go to the pure land. There you may face Almighty Allah under the inspiring sky of Mashar. The estrangement which you have experienced will be overcome. At last, you will find yourself!

Source: The Pilgrimage by Dr Ali Shariati

Muslim Heritage Conference

There once was a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins.

One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between peoples of hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration. Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear of thinking of such things.

When our nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive and passed it on to others. While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman.
Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much part of our heritage.

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