From UK across Europe to Makkah

A group of individuals from the United Kingdom have set out to do the extraordinary- A road trip across Europe to Makkah to perform Hajj.

They have a Twitter account “Road to Mecca 2012” and have been posting updates of their trip. In a tweet they shared the purpose of their journey: "This epic trip came about as a result of a long fervent desire of likeminded brothers who wanted to do something different."

They set out from the United Kingdom on the 5th of October. Their first stop was France which they entered by train through the Eurotunnel. They spent the night and the next morning they set out with a mini-bus travelled a 1000km through Switzerland passing the scenic Swiss Alps to Austria.  On Day 3 they passed through 2 counties .i.e.  Slovenia and Croatia and their final destination was Belgrade the capital of Serbia.  This was quite a daunting segment of the journey having travelled for 18 hours, encountering some extreme weather. After havening a well-deserved rest they departed from Serbia through Bulgaria to Turkey.  In the early hours of the morning of the 8^th of October they reached Istanbul.

The have since been in the Istanbul visiting historic sites, Mosques and enjoying the beautiful city with its amazing setting along the Bosphorus Straits. Tonight they will be flying to Jordan. They are forced to take a flight due to the blockade in Syria. From there they plan to continue by road with a local vehicle.

 For exciting updates visit   www.twitter.com/RTM2012UK

Yusuf Moosagie- 2012:10:10

www.muftimoosagie.com

Cell phone Etiquette- To BC or not to BC

Our lives have been reshaped by the constant presences of our phones. We have this idea that we need to be connected to everyone and everything all the time.

While the cell phone primarily was used for making phone calls, with the advent of the smart phone that has changed. There is a vast array of features that it presents, from surfing the web to receiving emails, from online shopping to BlackBerry messaging, watching videos, posting on social media networks, the list goes on.

All of this has totally captivated us. We have become dependent on our phones to such an extent that we cannot imagine life without it. We now walk, talk and sleep with our phones. A recent survey by the Time’s magazine reveals that 1 in 4 people check their phones every 30 minutes and 1 in 5 every 10 minutes. A third of respondents admitted that being without their mobile for even a short period leaves them feeling anxious. It is a form of sustenance, that constant feed of BlackBerry messages, Twitter Feeds and FaceBook posts.

So you may be wondering what the problem with this is? No doubt, all this has its positives, but the problem is when it becomes an obsession and we misuse it. While communication is natural and instinctive to human beings, as Muslims we have been given directives for its correct utilisation.

There are two angles that record every action of ours and we will have to account for it. All that we have been prohibited from in our normal life is also applicable with the phone. What we do or say with our phones are not exempted from their records.  Hence, we are to abstain from wastage of time, communicating with the opposite gender, lying, back biting, carrying tales, spreading false information, viewing that which is prohibited in the Shariah .etc.

We tend to broadcast every message we receive without verifying it. By broadcasting a message we are spreading it and endorsing it. If this message happens to be false or fabricated then we have assisted in spreading lies and slander! The consequences of which are huge. It can destroy reputations, lives and homes.

The obsession with our phones has caused us to neglect much of our basic social etiquettes. We tend to give preference to our phones over those who are with us in person. Many a time in social gathering we notice that people are more engrossed in their phones then in conversations with those around them.

Living in this modern age, we cannot shun t mobile phone and technology. We need to utilise it in a responsible and mature manner keeping in mind that we will have to answer as to how we utilise it!

Yusuf Moosagie - 2012-10-08

Surah Naas

We recite certain Surah daily in our Salaah. It would tremendously increase the level of our concentration in Salaah if we knew the meaning of the Surahs that we are reciting. Insha Allah, weekly I will be putting a short

Read more: Surah Naas

Qur’an Memorized in One Month

Moulana Qasim Nanotwi Rahimullah set out to perform Hajj with a group of Hujjaj. During the course of their journey by ship, the crescent was sighted, signaling the beginning of the month of Ramadhan. Many of his fellow Hujjaj

Read more: Qur’an Memorized in One Month

Admire the beauty of your wife

In marriage because we are together with our spouse all  the time, we reach a stage where we take each other for granted. We then fail to appreciate each others beauty and stop looking at our spouses with a genuinely loving gaze.

It is narrated in a Hadeeth that Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “When a husband gazes at his wife and she in turn gazes at him, Allah gazes at them with a gaze of mercy. Then when he holds her hand, their sins trickle off from the joints of their fingers.” {Kanzul Ummaal Vol 16 Page, Hadeeth No 44 437

Allamah Abdur Rauf Manawi Rahimullah states : “Admiring the beauty of one’s wife protects one from casting glances at strange women. Thus one attains safety from the darkness of lust and one’s insight in matters of Divine Guidance is greatly strengthened.