The Chinese Emperor's Poem about the Prophet Muhammad (s w s) (It is amazing to find out that Islam had reached China way back, Chinese emperor was favorably inclined towards Islam and wrote Eulogy for its prophet. Edior) Hong-Wu (also known by his given name Zhū Yuánzhāng, died 24 June 1398) was the Emperor of China between 1368 - 1398 CE. He was the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, leading an Army that conquered the country and defeated away the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. Despite being a non-Muslim, Hong-Wu ordered the construction of several mosques in Nanjing, Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian. He rebuilt the Jinjue Mosque in Nanjing and large numbers of Hui (Muslim Chinese) people moved to the city during his rule. ... He had around 10 Muslim generals in his army, includi...

ISLAM’S FORGOTTEN ROAD TO INTERFAITH HARMONY Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D. Board Member,MCA, President, Pacific Institute for Islamic Studies, Honolulu, and President, All Believers Network, Honolulu. While Muslims consider Islam a religion of peace, many non-Muslims equate it with terrorism. After all, the Qur’an carries passages such as: 1. Do not trust Jews and Christians (Qur’an 5.51); and 2. Fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them. Seize them, beleaguers them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) (9.5). In response, Muslims point to other Qur’anic messages, such as: 3. Those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians, and the Sabians �...

Aslam Abdullah,Ph.D Vice President of MCA, Editor of Muslim Observer, Author of several books On March 13, in Pakistan, a country created in the name of Islam, some unidentified people killed a female social worker in open day light and in Saudi Arabia, the country that claims to follow the Sharia beheaded seven people found guilty of stealing and armed robbery. The killers in Pakistan did not give any reason for their killing. However, the Saudi Press Agency speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Justice issued a statement that begins with the Quranic verse from Sura Al-Maida: "The punishment of those who wage war against God and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutt...

MAGNIFICENT ERA of Muslims’ Inventions A report by the staff In another related article in the present issue the importance of exhibition on Muslims Civilization was highlighted to improve the image of Muslims in the West and the exhibition that was held at Washington, ,D.C was briefly examined. Evidently the exhibition in USA that was reported in the preceding article has traveled and made stops at in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and other places. The latest stop that has come to our attention was in Malaysia?),A report on this exhibition is used here to give glimpses of a few high achievements of Muslims.,Sultans of Science” – Malaysian way of labeling, is a rediscove...

GOD’S LANGUAGES Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D. President, Pacific Institute of Islamic Studies, Honolulu and author Islam: A Religion of Peace? The Qur’an clarifies that God sent messengers to all parts of the world. Consider, for example, the following verses: To every people was sent a messenger (Qur’an 10:47); We assuredly sent among every people a messenger (with the command): ‘Serve God and eschew evil’ (Qur’an 16:36); To those who believe in God and His messengers and make no distinction between any of the messengers, We shall soon give their (due) reward (Qur’an 4:152); Each one (of the men of faith) believes in God, His ange...

Islamophobia Is Not Pro-Israel Joshu-stanton Huffingtonpost.com blog, Posted: 09/25/2012 Anti-Jihad Posters Appear In NYC Subways (10 stations). (Staff)Provocative advertisements equating Muslim radicals with savages appeared in New York City subways on Monday, drawing condemnation from some Jewish writers. One such interfaith leader raises his voice against Islamophobia .He takes the responsibility for the views expressed below to be exclusively his own and not represent any organization, he is part of). At a moment when I would otherwise be reviewing Yom Kippur teachings and preparing spiritually for the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, I instead feel called as an American Jew to respond to the abominable, Isl...

Ashura and Muharram of Sunni and Shia Aslam Abdullah Ph.D Vice President of MCA,Editor of Muslim Observer At the beginning of each Islamic lunar calendar, in various parts of the Muslim world the first ten days are observed as a commemoration of a most horrific and tragic event. In places like Iran and Iraq, Muslims stage passion plays, in India and Pakistan, the community organizes huge processions full with tazias, (replicas of the tomb of Husain). Shia Muslims relive the story of the first ten days of Muharram that took place in the first century of Islam when the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein challenged the authority of Yezid, the Umayyad ruler and established the principle that sometimes the goals of life become more important than the life itself. Imam Hussei...

Muslims were successful in establishing over 3000 Islamic centers and institutions to help them in preserving their religious identity. But their impact on public life in America has been meager considering their high number, which is estimated to be over six million. The Muslims image especially after 9/11 has been increasingly negative. At present it is at an all-time low. Muslims are perceived as dangerous because of their association with terrorism. Muslims deny any involvement but it has hardly fallen on any credulous ears. Muslims feel dismayed to be placed in a situation where they face the reality of their reduced rights and lack of effective measures to change it. To aid in this monumental task at hand, the Muslim Council of America Foundation was establ...

Election 2012: Personal experiences and inspirational moments

Election 2012: Personal Experiences, Inspirational Moments
M.Akhtar Ph.D, President of MCA
Note: My story, conveying my emotions, is in three parts: before, during, and after the recent election. I present below one episode each for three phases of election that is reviewed below to reflect upon and share experiences with the readers, the third part of this is the climax of inspirational moments when Obama Sheds tears at his victory.
A. Before Election
I like to simply describe here what my wife and I did for voting. Like many others, we lead a very hectic life and were busy in arranging our affairs at this time. To plan our retirement and winter living in Orlando, we were moving out of our...

SHARIAH: AN OVERLOOKED ANGLE
Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D
Board Member,MCA, President of the Honolulu-based Pacific Institute of Islamic Studies

(The following article was published in daily Dawn,Karchi,Pakistan)

 The quintessence of Muslim conduct code, Shariah permeates the ethos – the very soul -- of Muslim life. Thus, the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (1990), sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Countries, affirmed the Shari'ah as the sole information source for guidance on Muslim daily living. This was the “Muslim response” to the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
Brainchild of five highly-respected imams -- Jafar ibn Muhammad (702-765 CE) Abu Hanifah (699-767), Malik ibn Anas (711-796), al-Shafi (767-...