why a Muslim is not ALLOWED to pray 4 a DeaD NON MUSLIM

The Prophet :saw: was not allowed to pray for
Abu Talib after his death due to the following
verse being revealed.
"It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who
believe to ask Allâh’s forgiveness for the
Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, pagans,
disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) even though
they be of kin, after it has become clear to them
that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because
they died in a state of disbelief)." [Al-Qur'an 9:113]
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PROPHET MOHAMMAD's FINAL SERMON

The Final Sermon:
After praising, and thanking
God, the Prophet, may God send
His praises upon him said:
“O People, lend me an
attentive ear, for I know not
whether after this year, I shall
ever be amongst you again.
Therefore, listen to what I am
saying to you very carefully and
take these words to those who
could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard
this month, this day, this city as
Sacred, so regard the life and
property of every Muslim as a
sacred trust. Return the goods
entrusted to you to their rightful
owners. Hurt no one so that no
one may hurt you. Remember
that you will indeed meet your
Lord, and that He will indeed
reckon your deeds. God has
forbidden you to take usury
(interest), therefore all interest
obligation shall henceforth be
waived. Your capital, however, is
yours to keep. You will neither
inflict nor suffer any inequity.
God has Judged that there shall
be no interest, and that all the
interest due to Abbas ibn Abd’al
Muttalib shall henceforth be
waived...
Beware of Satan, for the
safety of your religion. He has
lost all hope that he will ever be
able to lead you astray in big
things, so beware of following
him in small things.
O People, it is true that you
have certain rights with regard to
your women, but they also have
rights over you. Remember that
you have taken them as your
wives only under a trust from
God and with His permission. If
they abide by your right then to
them belongs the right to be fed
and clothed in kindness. Do
treat your women well and be
kind to them for they are your
partners and committed
helpers. And it is your right that
they do not make friends with
any one of whom you do not
approve, as well as never to be
unchaste.
O People, listen to me in
earnest, worship God, perform
your five daily prayers, fast
during the month of Ramadan,
and offer Zakat. Perform Hajj if
you have the means.
All mankind is from Adam
and Eve. An Arab has no
superiority over a non-Arab, nor
does a non-Arab have any
superiority over an Arab; white
has no superiority over black,
nor does a black have any
superiority over white; [none
have superiority over another]
except by piety and good action.
Learn that every Muslim is a
brother to every Muslim and
that the Muslims constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be
legitimate to a Muslim which
belongs to a fellow Muslim
unless it was given freely and
willingly. Do not, therefore, do
injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will
appear before God and answer
for your deeds. So beware, do
not stray from the path of
righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or
apostle will come after me, and
no new faith will be born.
Reason well, therefore, O
people, and understand words
which I convey to you. I leave
behind me two things, the Quran
and my example, the Sunnah,
and if you follow these you will
never go astray.
All those who listen to me
shall pass on my words to others
and those to others again; and it
may be that the last ones
understand my words better
than those who listen to me
directly. Be my witness, O God,
that I have conveyed your
message to your people.”
Thus the beloved Prophet
completed his Final Sermon, and
upon it, near the summit of
Arafat, the revelation came
down:
“…This day have I perfected
your religion for you,
completed My Grace upon
you, and have chosen Islam
for you as your
religion…” (Quran 5:3)
Even today the Last Sermon
of Prophet Muhammad is passed
to every Muslim in every corner
of the word through all possible
means of communication.
Muslims are reminded about it in
mosques and in lectures. Indeed
the meanings found in this
sermon are indeed astounding,
touching upon some of the most
important rights God has over
humanity, and humanity has
over each other. Though the
Prophet’s soul has left this world,
his words are still living in our

THE IMPORTANCE of RAMADAN

The importance of Ramadan and Fasting


The month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a holy month for
muslims all over the world and the coming of this month is greeted with much joy
and anticipation. This joy can be witnessed in a country like
Pakistan , where the sighting of the moon is followed by fireworks, elaborate
displays of lights and decorations covered with flowers. This month is considered
a gift from God in the form of mercy and forgiveness. During this time Muslims feel
they can get in touch with their inner selves, strengthen their faith and in a certain
way, come closer to God. The Lailat-ul.Qadr is considered to be one of the most
important nights in this month and is much awaited. It is considered a gift to Muslims
from the Almighty as they are given a chance to wash their sins and become pure.


The most distinctive feature of this sacred month is the concept of fasting, which
is the third pillar of Islam. Fasting normally begins at the break of dawn and ends
at sunset. During this time, Muslims are supposed to abstain from eating, drinking,
smoking and sex. The entire idea of fasting is definitely not to starve oneself
but to be on a different spiritual plane altogether. When one is not distracted
by physical needs, as during fasting, one finds more time to devote and submit oneself
to Allah. The health benefits of fasting cannot be questioned. It has been proved
that during fasting, the body gets a chance to develop its immune system and rid
itself of the toxins that have accumulated. It has also been related to a longer
life expectancy.


Fasting also allows the Muslims to inculcate in themselves, the spirit of sacrifice
because it is in the name of God, that they willingly abstain from natural desires.
Also, fasting brings to life, the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate.
Not being able to consume food or water for a small period of time makes one realize
the importance of having easy and constant access to meals. In everyday life, one
does not give much thought to what poverty stricken people go through when they
are in doubt about whether or not they will get their next meal. In all its essence,
Ramadan is the best time to give gifts in
the form of Zakat and charity. Zakat is also another essential pillar of Islam and
the concept of Zakat is to basically purify one’s wealth by giving to those who
have not been as blessed.


During the month of Ramadan, religious events called milads often take place. These
are quite popular in Pakistan, and are gatherings where hymns are sung in praise
and remembrance of the prophets. Also, during this sacred month, people visit the
graves of their loved ones, offer prayers for their salvation and then cover the
graves with flowers
as an expression of their love.


The end of Ramadan is celebrated by Eid and it is on this occasion that gifts are
exchanged in spirit of the holy month, especially in Pakistan, where it has become
a part of tradition and society. These gifts might be in the form of flowers, money
or just presents.

MOTIVATIONAL Qoutes

“The pessimist borrows trouble; the optimist lends encouragement.“
— William Arthur Ward

“You become what you think about.“
— Earl Nightingale

“People with goals succeed because they know where they are going… It’s as simple as that.“
— Earl Nightingale

“You, too, can determine what you want. You can decide on your major objectives, targets, aims, and destination. “
— W. Clement Stone

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want. “
— Ben Stein

“Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.“
— Tom Blandi

“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.“
— Henry David Thoreau

“The most important thing about goals is having one.“
— Geoffry F. Abert

“This one step, choosing a goal and sticking to it, changes everything. “
— Scott Reed

“The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we’ve already achieved them. “
— Denis Waitley

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.“
— Friedrich Nietzsche

“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. “
— Napoleon Hill

“Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin. “
— Robert Collier

“Concentrate: put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket. “
— Andrew Carnegie

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.“
— John Quincy Adams

“The first step to becoming is to will it.“
— Mother Teresa

“I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. “
— John D. Rockefeller

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. “
— Richard M. DeVos

“What an immense power over life is the power of possessing distinct aims. “
— Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

“All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible. “
— Orison Swett Marden

“Aim for success not perfection… Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person. “
— Dr. David Burns

“He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires, and fears is more than a king.“
— John Milton

“You grow up the day you have your first real laugh–at yourself. “
— Ethel Barrymore

“The first thing I remember liking that liked me back was food. “
— Rhoda Morgenstern

“The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again. “
— Erma Bombeck

“Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission.“
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.“
— Jim Rohn

“Perseverance is more prevailing than violence and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together yield themselves up when taken little by little.“
— Plutarch

“Forewarned, forearmed, is to be prepared is half the victory.“
— Miguel de Cervantes

“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. “
— Confucius

“Only in growth, reform and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found. “
— Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in making new landscapes but in having new eyes.“
— Marcel Proust

“A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose – a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve. “
— John Maxwell

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. “
— Rabindranath Tagore

“In the power to change yourself is the power to change the world around you. “
— Anwar Sadat

“Always bear in mind, that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing. “
— Abraham Lincoln

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts….take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.“
— Marcus Aurelius

“He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lives a great street-sweeper who did his job well’.“
— Martin Luther King Jr.

“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.“
— Mary Pickford

“Life does not require us to make good; it asks only that we give our best at each level of experience. “
— Harold Ruopp

“Success is never final and failure never fatal. It is courage that counts. “
— George F. Tilton

“There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience had brought it home.“
— John Stuart Mill

“Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round – remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.“
— James Corbett

“A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must…be undaunted when the going gets tough.“
— Ronald Reagan

“Big goals get big results. No goals get no results or somebody else’s results..“
— Mark Victor Hansen

“Do a little more each day than you think you can.“
— Lowell Thomas

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory. “
— Mohandas Gandhi

“I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work. “
— Harry S. Truman

“When you believe you can-you can!“
— Maxwell Maltz

“Once you have a clear picture of your priorities- that is values, goals, and high leverage activities- organize around them. “
— Stephen Covey

“When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word ‘succeed,’ you find that it simply means to follow through.“
— F. W. Nichol

“I am an irresistible magnet, with the power to attract unto myself everything that I divinely desire, according to the thoughts, feelings and mental pictures I constantly entertain and radiate. I am the center of my universe! I have the power to create whatever I wish. I attract whatever I radiate. I attract whatever I mentally choose and accept. I begin choosing and mentally accepting the highest and best in life. I now choose and accept health, success and happiness. I now choose lavish abundance for myself and for all mankind. This is a rich, friendly universe and I dare to accept its riches, its hospitality, and to enjoy them now!“
— Catherine Ponde

“Our very business in life is not to get ahead of others… but to get ahead of ourselves.“
— Thomas L. Monson

“Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. “
— Jacob A. Riis

“If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us … we would all be millionaires. “
— Abigail Van Buren

“The obstacles that others put in our path can be pushed aside in any number of ways. The obstacles that you put in your own way can be removed only by the same hands. “
— Sophia Bedford-Pierce

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles… but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. “
— Buddha

“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.“
— The Dalai Lama

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. “
— Louisa May Alcott

“Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results. “
— Denis Waitley

“The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him… and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too. “
— Samuel Butler

“If you decide to go for it, do it with spirit: Sometimes success is due less to ability than to zeal. “
— Charles Buxton

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling… but in rising every time we fall. “
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Movement without direction will create a hole in the ground. “
— Sophia Bedford-Pierce

“Because you’re not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.“
— Madeline L’Engle

“One’s ships come in over a calm sea. “
— Florence Scovill Shinn

“Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person. “
— Rumer Godden

“We’ve collected the most common service complaints…. and every one of them is rooted in a lack of respect for the customer.“
— Leonard Berry

“Go for the moon. If you don’t get it, you’ll still be heading for a star. Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort. “
— Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Everything’s in the mind. That’s where it all starts. Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it. “
— Mae West

“When employees come to you with suggestions or ideas about how they might approach something differently, do you move immediately to no? Do you kill an idea before it is even off the tongue? (Tell the truth.) We hear that employees feel put down and turned down far more than their managers are aware. And that makes leaving easier. Instead try listening to the entire idea, try playing with it as a “what if.” Ask for more information. Sleep on it, mull it over. Think, “Isn’t that interesting” before you think, “It will never work. “
— Beverly Kay and Sharon Jordan-Evans

“The mere word kindness is grateful to our ears; so much good is implied in it, so much lightening of loads, so much brightening of dark lives. It is compounded of so many warm, noble things: once it is a manifestation of pity, once of sympathy, once of love, once of justice — it can flow from so many springs in our soul. “
— Ruhiyyah Rabbani

“Business is a great teacher: It makes you take risks, go for your dreams, face fears, handle your emotions, deal with difficult people, and learn balance. You don’t have to do any weird workshops or sign up for any therapy sessions. Go into business and you’ll be enrolled in the greatest seminar of all time. And it happens every day, every where, to every one. You can’t avoid it. “
— Joe Vitale

“The best things in life have little to do with money or success. They are based on heart, compassion, and allowing others to express their passions.“
— Declan Dunn

“Learn to pause…. or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.“
— Doug King

“Never accept the proposition that just because a solution satisfies a problem, that it must be the only solution.“
— Raymond E. Feist

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.“
— Bill Cosby

“The future is not in the hands of fate, but in ours.“
— Jules Jusseran

“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children… one is roots, the other wings.“
— Stephen Covey

“The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck. “
— Anthony Robbins

“The problem with most failing businesses is not that their owners don’t know enough about finance, marketing, management, and operations — they don’t, but those things are easy enough to learn — but that they spend their time and energy defending what they think they know. My experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more.“
— Michael Gerber

“For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.“
— Mary Kay Ash

“When nobody around you measures up, it’s time to check your yardstick.“
— Bill Lemly

“It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.“
— Harvey S. Firestone

“The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek.“
— Robert Louis Stevenson

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. “
— Eleanor Roosevelt

“Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. “
— Henry David Thoreau

“Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve! “
— Andrew Carnegie

“All through nature, you will find the same law. First the need, then the means. “
— Robert Collier

“You don’t need an explanation for everything. Recognize that there are such things as miracles, events for which there are no ready explanations. Later knowledge may explain those events quite easily. “
— Harry Browne

“Success…My nomination for the single most important ingredient is energy well directed. “
— Louis Lundborg

“In the end, we do battle only with ourselves. Once we understand this and focus our energy on what we can do to control our lives… we begin to gain important insights into how life works. “
— J. Stanley Judd

“I found that I could find the energy… that I could find the determination to keep on going. I learned that your mind can amaze your body, if you just keep telling yourself, I can do it…I can do it…I can do it! “
— Jon Erickson

The PROBLEM With Our Zongo Communities In Ghana! courtesy, Mahmoud JAJAH

As a young and proud Zongorian, and just like many other proud Zongorians both living within and outside our Zongo communities, I sometimes feel ashamed and frustrated with the behaviour and the (mis)conduct of what I call the “embarrassing few” amongst us. Every now and then we hear negative stories coming out from our Zongos. If it is not the Zongos in Accra today, it is the Zongos in Kumasi or Takoradi or elsewhere. We have virtually become the “scar” on the face of the country, just like how the former British Prime Minister describes Africa in the global context. But what really is our fundamental problem in our Zongo communities in Ghana? As far as I’m aware, there isn’t any available empirical studies or research which outlines our problems and challenges. However, like what they say about opinions, everyone has their own opinion on our troubles. Most attribute our troubles to our leaders (by which i mean our chiefs and imams) and parents. Some too our youth. Others too to our politicians who always (mis)use us before, during and after elections! But what is my opinion? First of all, I think the trouble with our Zongo communities is the very nature or structure of the Zongo communities. What exactly do I mean by this? When a group of people live together and try to behave or in fact behave as if they’re different from the rest, in terms of how they live their lives and go about their activities, it sends a wrong or better put a mixed signals to the rest of us. I’m not suggesting that Muslims should live like christians. My point is Muslims in Ghana in particular have not done a good job in integrating into he Ghanaian society…very well. We may have been living peacefully with non-Muslims. However, we shouldn’t see ourselves as the underdogs and the minority that needs to be helped out from our current situations. We’ve got to live as Ghanaians who have the full and equal right just like any other Ghanaian! When there are troubles or violence in non-Zongo communities, the media reports it as an isolated incident from that community, and and not a peculiarity to the community. It is about time, therefore, we stopped seeing ourselves as marginalized and the underdogs. Yes Muslims are in the minority in Ghana. But Ghana is a secular State which technically doesn’t care about what religion one belongs to. We are Ghanaians and we should behave as such! Secondly, and the this is the unfortunate part of the whole debate: there is no direction whatsoever in our Zongo communities. In other words we don’t have the leaders to lead our communities for us…starting from our imams, chiefs, parents, youth leaders, etc. Our leaders have absolutely no clue on how to build our Zongo communities. There is no any grand plan anywhere that all of us should be working on. And one would have thought that, as a Muslim dominated communities, our way of governance and living should be shaped by the Islamic system of governance. We have failed to inculcate the Islamic system in our way of life in Ghana. Muslims in Ghana can have a Muslim state in Ghana. That is different from having an Islamic State, which can only happen in Muslim majority countries. The Muslim state in Ghana can become a strong force only if we can bury our differences and come together to work as a collective force. For instance, the Muslim state (a name I like better than the Zongo) can become an instrument for both community and national development. Where as the government of Ghana collects taxes, the Muslim state can put in place structures for the collection of Zakats and Waqf for the development of our communities. We can build schools of higher learning, hospitals, halal supermarkets, television and radio stations, farms, transports, law firms, accounting firms, Islamic banks, our own private security firms, etc. We can put in place scholarship schemes that will sponsor our students to read medicine, law, engineering, accounting and finance, etc. Until we realize this and work towards building the kind of Muslim state as described in the Islamic economic system, we will continue to be the most-backward group of people in Ghana, unfortunately! The third and the final point is that, even in the absence of a Muslim state in Ghana, all of us must contribute our quota to the development of our communities. You may forgive me on this, but most Muslims in Ghana, especially the privileged few, are very selfish when it comes to their contributions to our total development. We live the mantra “each for himself, God for us all.” When people become well-to-do, the next thing is to move out from the community with their families, and forget about the poor and the vulnerables. We cannot continue to live like that. As individuals we must all work towards addressing our problems and challenges. When each person takes a step every single day thinking about how to address our problems, I am hopeful that in the next 3 to 5 decades we can address these challenges. The troubles with our Zongo communities aren’t impossible to address. We created those problems and only we can solve them. Nobody from anywhere can do this for us. These are my views…what do you think?

ANASS SABIT ANASS