It is impossible to reach a meaningful definition of God. If we can define God we can have a complete concept of reality and then it is a valid question to ask what is beyond it, i.e. what is beyond God?

Therefore all we can do is form a necessarily incomplete concept by considering how several statements about the attributes of God fit together sensibly. Human beings are not qualified to invent any of these attributes. Instead we must look to what God’s messengers to Mankind have said about God.

Freewill is the most difficult of God's gifts to understand or appreciate. The person who gives up selfish freedom and agrees to be God's servant will always be truly free.

By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

Freedom is one of the most valuable things there is, although many of us have no idea how precious it is until we suffer the loss of it. It is considered to be one of the basic human rights, and to attempt to withhold that right without very just cause is a most serious sin.

We all like to think that we are free, and that we have freewill when making our choices in life - but let us think for a moment about the realities of the situation. Are we really born to be free? And if, in what ways? What does this mean for us?

Here we refer to the well known law of conservation of matter. This law states that 'Matter cannot be created nor destroyed'.

What that means is that all that we are able to do is convert one form of substance to another. We can never create matter from nothing, and similarly we cannot turn matter into nothing. Trees are brought down to make wood and paper, sand is used in the making of glass.........etc., but we can never create wood or glass out of vacuum.

Similarly we cannot completely destroy wood or glass, for even if we burn wood, we are only converting it to ashes and gases that are given off in the process.

Resolution condemns destruction by Taliban

U.S. CONGRESS, 2 April 2001 (InfoTimes): A congressional resolution condemning the "destruction of pre-Islamic statues in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime" was introduced in the U.S. Senate on March 30 and has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

U.S. Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI), John Kerry (D-MA) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) submitted the resolution, which proposes that Congress resolve to "urge the Taliban to stop destroying such statues" and call upon the Taliban to allow international organizations to undertake protective steps for remaining statues.

Following is the text of the resolution:

Occupied Jerusalem: 18 March, 2001 (IAP News) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has embarked on his first visit to the United States in which he is expected to seek to convince the George W. Bush administration to support continued Israeli apartheid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israeli sources said Sharon would also present to American officials "new ideas" about reaching new interim arrangements in the West Bank which would include continued Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank.

Occupied Jerusalem: 14 March, 2001 (IAP News) - The zionist occupation army has tightened its siege of Palestinian population centers in the West Bank despite recent zionist claims to the contrary, Palestinian sources said today.

The sources pointed out that zionist occupation troops were closing down roads and pathways which were opened briefly on Monday, leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians trapped in their towns and villages.

The Governor of Ramallah, Mustafa Isa, described the siege on his city as "a hermetic and complete strangulation."

"Ramallah is now a large open-air prison, I think this is a fair and objective description of the situation," said Isa, who is also known as Abu Firas.

For the full text of the BRITISH TERRORISM ACT click here

On the 19th of February 2001 the British Government issued a new law of terrorism, which is aimed at Muslims and Islamic Movements and their activities.

WHAT IS THE TERRORISM ACT 2000?

by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani

Excerpt from the book Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani al-Ash`ari al-Naqshbandi on the belief and practice of Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama`at.

Hadith: "Man zara qabri wajabat lahu shafa`ati." "Whoever visits my grave, it is incumbent upon me to intercede for him."

Narrated by al-Daraqutni, al-Dulabi, al-Bayhaqi, Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-`Uqayli, Ibn `Adiyy, Tabarani, and Ibn Khuzaymah. All through various chains going back to Musa ibn Hilal al-`Abdiyy from Ubayd Allah Ibn Umar, both from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar.

- Dhahabi declared this chain hasan (fair) as narrated.

- al-Sakhawi has confirmed him in the Maqasid al-hasana.

By Dr.Anwar Hajjaj, President of the American Islamic Information Center

Muslims Should Be Active Wherever We Are. When we as Muslims unite as a community, our chances of being heard regarding the issues that are relevant and important to us are far more significant than when a small number of us are trying to make a difference.

By being politically active, we can seek to better the lives of all Muslims living in the United States.

Are we only allowed to follow the shariah? The main argument is weather or not we are allowed to participate in this voting process?

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

The process of voting in non-Muslim democratic countries is not based on religious ideologies neither are elections won and lost on the basis of religion. As such, a candidate that stands up in an election does not promise to implement the laws of Islam or any other religion for that matter.

Normally a candidate promises the public better services and facilities. These services may also be connected to a particular religion, like promising Muslims financial assistance for the construction of Masjids, and so on.