I was pretty much mucking about making a second coffee when someone called to ask if I had seen the news, which I hadn't. It was big. Had some mindblowing act of war taken place? Had a world leader been assassinated? Had terrorists pulled off a horrendous mass murder? It was amazing. An earthquake bigger than any I have heard about had hit Japan, and there were great tsunamis expected, and although the death toll stood at a few dozen it would doubtless rise to thousands or tens of thousands. Apparently I would want to watch this on television because I like news.

That was a strange way to hear about it. Not just a straight out "there's been an awful tragedy in Japan. A huge earthquake." This was a tip-off about an exciting happening. So my first reaction was slight bemusement about this while I absorbed the tragic scale of things.

Atm we have little more news than that. In Japan the death toll may be hundreds, and it may be much greater. The tsunamis are mercifully weakening before they hit other Pacific shorelines. The rest of us have things to do, but we should be grateful not to face anything like the disasters Japan faces today. No doubt as news unfolds the focus will shift to relief. I hope the casualties and fatalities remain few, that the damage is contained and that things quickly return to normal, and that those that have died in chaos rest in peace.

I am thinking whether to go to masjid for fajr or not, i decide to go with only 7 mins left to get there. 

I get outside my house and it is freezing cold and extremely windy and notice i now have 5 mins to get there. I start questioning if i would still make it, maybe i should pray at home. 

I think about the rewards of praying in congregation and that i cant let shaytaan beat me. Now having made firm intention to get to the masjid no matter what, that only Allah can stop me not shaytaan. I walk onwards to the masjid with long and fast strides.

About 10 seconds later i realize that i have left my keys at home 🙁  

Life is really funny sometimes 🙂

Don't worry i made it to the masjid just in time for the second rakat. I rang my doorbell like 5 times and my brother came down like 2 mins later. I quickly got my keys and ran back out to the masjid alhamdulillah. 

For some reason i think Allah was testing me but also to make me laugh at my statement. "i wouldn't let shaytan beat me" but i almost lost due to my own mistake. 

Seems ironic. 

I thought it was funny and that it would be fun to share. 🙂

Salaam people!

I've come across a delightful comedy series with a really good underlying Islamic moral at the end. It's called Fresher Than Your Average on youtube. They have released 3 episodes so far, each getting better. Check them out. I've pasted the link for Episode 3 (the latest episode) below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTwWWOySZGU

Salaam

After the Kings Speech stutter/stammering is an issue that is under discussion...

The Revival is working on an article on this issue, so your thoughts will be helpful

does anybody here stutter?

do you know anyone who stammers?

do ppl feel its from birth?

do you stutter if you have a traumatic upbringing? eg parents shout at you alot/slap you etc

what do people think of speech therapists?

does anybody know anyone who had a bad stammer but now is cured?

Can stammering really be cured?

does stammering affect your confidence? if so how does one overcome it?

wasalaam

A Christian couple opposed to homosexuality have lost a court battle over their right to become foster carers.

Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, of Derby, said the city council did not want them to look after children because of their traditional views.

They claim they were "doomed not to be approved" due to their opinions.

The High Court ruled that laws protecting people from sexual discrimination should take precedence.

BBC News

Iran Seizes Opposition, Held In Secret Jail
[quote="AP"]TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's state prosecutor says all outside contact with the country's two opposition leaders has been cut as part of a campaign to silence dissent.

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi warned "other measures" could be taken if necessary against Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi. His remarks were reported Monday by the official IRNA news agency.

The development is a dramatic escalation following warnings by an international human rights group, which said Sunday the two leaders and their wives were taken from their homes by security forces.

Mousavi and Karroubi were placed under house arrest after urging supporters to attend a Feb. 14 rally. Clashes between protesters and security forces during the rally killed two and wounded dozens.

Ejehi didn't say where the two are being held.
[/quote]

I have read they are in Parchin. The original source for that is consistently coming up Debka whereas other sources are saying they are being held in a safe-house. That seems more consistent with the comms being cut.

This is a story I read that gave me shivers and completely touched me. I think it's beautiful. Oh and try not to delete it if you can resist the temptation please :roll:

A righteous man was once asked to tell the story of the pivotal moment of his life, the moment in which he first began to apply the teachings of Islam, and the following was his answer:

When I was a young man, I would not hesitate to perpetrate any sin that was made available to me. Then, one day, I saw a young woman who was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Much tempted by her, I indicated to her that I wanted her to approach me. She seemed nervous, but I thought that she would probably agree to satisfy my sexual desires for money. She approached me with what seemed to be a great deal of trepidation, and when she actually stood before me, she looked extremely terrified.
Feeling sorry for her, I said, ‘Do not fear, for I will not harm you.’
But my words did not lessen her terrible fright in the least; in fact, her situation worsened. She began to tremble like a palm tree leaf trembles with the wind.
I said, ‘Tell me your story.’
She said, ‘By Allah, o my brother, never before this day have I offered my body in this way. Dire need is what has driven me to this, for I have three daughters who have not eaten a single morsel of food for three days now. It was pity for them that brought me to this low point in my life.’
For the first time in my life, I felt pity; her story moved me, and I no longer entertained the intention of taking advantage of her. After she told me where she lived, I took a great deal of money, clothing and food to her house. When I returned to my house, I told my mother what had happened.
My mother knew that I had a book in which I would record all of my evil deeds, and so she said to me, ‘My son, you are a man who has never performed a good deed except for the good deed that you performed today. I know that you have a book in which you record your evil exploits, go now and write in it your good deed.’
I stood up, went to my book, opened it, and found that all of its pages were blank- except for the first page on which was written a single line.

إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ

Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)

[Hud : 114]
At that very moment, I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘By your Might and Majesty, never again will I disobey You.’ "
The above is taken from Stories of Repentance published by dar-us-salam.com

Almost two-thirds of white Britons think immigration has been bad for the UK, according to a survey which anti-racism campaigners called a "disturbing picture" of society's attitudes.

...

Immigration was held to have been on the whole a bad thing for Britain by 63% of whites, 43% of Asians and 17% of black Britons. It found that 39% of Asians, 34% of whites and 21% of blacks believed immigration should be halted either permanently or at least until the UK's economy was back on track.

Almost half (48%) were open to supporting a new far-right party as long as it eschewed "fascist imagery" and did not condone violence. And 52% agreed that "Muslims create problems in the UK".

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