Page 2 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3 Page 3 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3 Dear Editor: How very happy I am to have discovered your wonderful edition of the Islamic Bulletin! I am a native born American who was first introduced to Islam and the Koran in 1984. It took me until January of 1989 until I finally embraced Islam in complete submission to God’s Will. Since then, I have endeavored to practice the principles of the Koran in theory and in practice. I must admit that at times it seems a very lonely journey as I have no contact with other Moslems on a regular basis and have only the Koran for guidance. But what a gift and a blessing that has been in my life! I can’t imagine my life now without the beauty of the Koran. God has indeed allowed me to see and be blind no longer. This is why it is such a joy for me to find your new bulletin available for even non-Arabic, Native American people. I don’t have any formal training in the practices of Islam and must rely on the word of God as I read it in the blessed Koran. Being a single woman, responsible for my own livelihood, I have found it difficult to incorporate all the strictures into my daily life, but I do the best I can and have hope that God is pleased with my sincerity and efforts. Your articles in the Islamic Bulletin give me the feeling that I am not alone in my search for God’s path and a real help in understanding and learning the Islamic laws and practices. The prayer time schedule is really great as are the various articles. Even the Kid’s Comer is informative for me as I am probably more ignorant than a child born into Islam! So, I guess the reason for this letter is just a great big THANK YOU! Please keep them coming!!!! Sincerely, Pamela J. Barrett, San Francisco Response: Assalamu Aleikum Dear Pamela: Thank you for your letter, it was very moving. You should realize that God is the best companion of all. Once you have foundGod, you have found peace. It is only then do you realize that your hardships and patience in this life will be rewarded. A person can have all themoney in the world and still not find peace and tranquility. As The Almighty says in the Qur’an: “Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God: for without doubt in the remembrance of God do hearts find satisfaction.” (Qur’an 13:28) Today, many Muslims in general lack the qualities of the believers which God has described in the Qur’an. The Muslims who follow the teachings of the Qur’an and the ways of the Prophet are the kind of people one should associate with. The Prophet (s.a.w.) has assured us that these types of people will always exist in every generation until the day of judgment. Letters To The Editor First Jumha Prayers in Albania For the first time in 23 years the sounds of The Muazin (the caller of prayers) reverberated through Tirana, Albania on January 19, when the Muslims of this only majority Muslim state of Europe, offered Jumha prayers in the centrally located Etem Bay mosque. Besides the Muslims attending the Jumha prayers, there were more than 15,000 onlookers gathered to witness this historic event which was led by Imam Ibrahim Bala. Albania had been, until this time, maintaining an iron-fisted stance. God-willing, this is the start of many more Islamic events that will be taking place in Albania. 1000 Year old Mosque’s Ruins Discovered in Kenya Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a 1000 year old mosque on the Kenyan coast, the oldest known trace of Islamic culture in East Africa. Richard Wilding, Head of Coastal Archeology at the National Museum of Kenya, said: ‘The mosque, believed to date from around 950 A.D. was found among the ruins of a small trading community on Pate Island near the Somali border. It was a small rectangular building with stone foundations, discovered beneath a mosque of later construction.’ The mosque was discovered by a team from Oxford University in Britain, led by Dr. Mark Horton. Quranic Computer in Thailand The Islamic Social and Development Foundation of Thailand has developed a new computer system which could display the complete text of the Holy Quran coupled with its interpretation in English and 13 other languages. This system called “Dara” was displayed at the Gulf Computer Exhibition in Dubai (UAE). The computer also has a printer and voice capability. At the press of a button, the entire Holy Quran could he seen and heard on the computer. Need to contact us? Web Address: www.islamicbulletin.org E-Mail: info@islamicbulletin.org Editor, Islamic Bulletin P.O. Box 410186 San Francisco, CA 94141-0186, USA MuslimWorld’s Largest Library The Muslim world’s largest library is in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca. The library, which was built at a cost of 40 million riyals (10.9 million dollars), has more than 40,000 books, 2,000 manuscripts, microfilms, and periodicals. Some of the material dates back to the fifth Islamic century. And Here in the US... Muslim Imam Gives Opening Prayer in Tennesse State Senate On Thursday, March 7, 1991, the prayer service opening the Tennessee State Senate Session was Sura Al-Fatiha. It was recited by Imam Ilyas Muhammed of Nashville, Tennessee. History was made in all of the United States as Tennessee was the first state to have a member of the Islamic faith to open a State Senate Session. However, this was not an easy task to accomplish. Seven years ago Imam Muhammed wrote a letter to the Tennessee State Senate stating that since Tennessee represents a cross-section of faiths, the Islamic faith had been omitted and not represented in the Senate or House of Representatives. His letter further stated: “As a representative of the Islamic faith, an Imam (minister), I nominate myself to be included and invited as ‘Minister of the Day’, to open the session in prayer. The Muslim prayer that is used is universal to open all meetings, services, etc. It is called ‘Al-Fatiha’ (Arabic meaning ‘The Opening’). It is the first Sura (chapter) in the Holy Book of the Muslim, the Qur’an. “The substance or contents of the prayer offends no group or single person, nor does it defy or single out any of God’s righteous Prophets. It is a most beautiful and comprehensive prayer--short and concise. It is usually recited first in Arabic and followed by the English translation.” After receiving Imam Muhammed’s letter, approval was given. In his opening statement, Imam Muhammed related: “On behalf of the Muslim American Community of Nashville of Tennessee, the Muslim Community of America and the international community of over one billion Muslims, who bear witness to the existence and unity of One God, I express our profound and humble appreciation... for this occasion that could pass by in insignificance as just another procedural prayer opening the session of the Senate. However, this occasion is highly significant beyond what is immediately realized and moreover historical and destined to be a part of the history of Tennessee. This marks a first for Tennessee Government and to my knowledge a first for America, that a representative of the Islamic faith has been granted the opportunity to lead the Senate or House in prayer.” Indeed this was an historic event for Muslims everywhere. To have Islam recognized and included in our government, is the giant step for much more progress to come. See also the S.F. Chronicle, Mar.8, 1991 Page A7. The Frontal Lobes andHigher Mental Functions Keith L. Moore, Abdul-Majeed A. Zindani and Mustafa A. Ahmed For many years, the anterior or frontal parts of the brain, called the frontal lobes, were thought to be silent areas of the brain which had little to do with the control of the functions of the body. The reason for these ideas were prevalent was because when the nerve fibers entering and leaving the frontal lobes were severed or cut, there was no noticeable change in the activities of animals. Similar observations were made in human beings who had their frontal lobes damaged or had the fibers associated with them severed during accidents. The fact that stimulation of the anterior parts of the frontal lobes resulted in no movements of the body, contributed to the idea that the frontal lobes were silent. It has been found that if these areas of the brain are stimulated, no movement occurs, and so they were called the silent areas of the brain. If the motor area of the brain is stimulated, movement of the various parts of the body will result. Thus this area, as well as the sensory and visual areas, could be recognized, but the frontal area was considered to be silent. However, in the last fifty years it has been learned that the frontal lobes are concerned with some of the highest mental functions of animals and human beings. Electroencephalographic and electrophysiological studies have shown that patients and animals with injuries to the frontal lobes often have a reduction in their mental ability, and in human beings there may be a lowering of ethical standards. Patients present with signs of complacency and self satisfaction, and they frequently show signs of boastfulness. Their powers of concentration, their initiative and their endurance are also reduced. Memory of recent events suffers when the fibers passing to and from frontal lobes are cut (e.g. following a lobotomy), and the patient’s capacity for solving problems is greatly reduced, especially those which require considerable intellectual ability. The patient’s power of judging his own situation is impaired, and his awareness is reduced to the present and to himself. In summary, the frontal lobes are now known to be very important parts of the brain, because they are involved in the highest mental functions. We make plans within these lobes and so they affect the action and functions of other parts of the brain, e.g. our thoughts, our feelings and our sensations. The Qur’an has described the relationship between the frontal lobes of the brain, and the ethical behavior of human beings, as in the following verse: “Do you see who forbids a servant of Ours (God) when he (turns) to pray? Do you see if he who prays follows the guidance and enjoins righteousness? Do you see if he who obstructs rejects (Truth) and turns away? Does he not know that God sees? Let him beware! If he desists not, We (God) will punish him upon his forehead - a lying, sinful forehead!” (Quran 96:9-16) The word used in the last two verses above is an-nasiyah, which means “the forehead”. The forehead in this statement obviously refers to the frontal lobes of the brain which lie behind of posterior to the frontal bone in the forehead. The act of lying is initiated by the mental activities in the frontal lobes, and their instructions are then carried out by the speech organs during the act of lying. Similarly, sins are planned in the frontal lobes before they are carried out by the eyes, hands, sexual organs, etc.
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