I am in need of some funding, so I have started something on the side. In the past, I designed websites and was into web development. I am now doing web-design free lance work (comparitively very cheap and inexpensive). If you are interested, please contact me at naqvia@gmail.com asap.
This is what secret police do in third world countries, not in “civilized” countries. You do not taser someone that shows no threat, and then ask him to get up, so you can taser him more. Please protest, write something, and make people aware! Youtube video (cell phone video)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3GstYOIc0I
UCPD officers shot a student several times with a Taser inside the Powell Library CLICC computer lab late Tuesday night before taking him into custody.
No university police officers were available to comment further about the incident as of 3 a.m. Wednesday, and no Community Service Officers who were on duty at the time could be reached.
At around 11:30 p.m., CSOs asked a male student using a computer in the back of the room to leave when he was unable to produce a BruinCard during a random check. The student did not exit the building immediately.
The CSOs left, returning minutes later, and police officers arrived to escort the student out. By this time the student had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack when an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, at which point the student told the officer to let him go. A second officer then approached the student as well.
The student began to yell “get off me,” repeating himself several times.
It was at this point that the officers shot the student with a Taser for the first time, causing him to fall to the floor and cry out in pain. The student also told the officers he had a medical condition.
UCPD officers confirmed that the man involved in the incident was a student, but did not give a name or any additional information about his identity.
Video shot from a student’s camera phone captured the student yelling, “Here’s your Patriot Act, here’s your fucking abuse of power,” while he struggled with the officers.
As the student was screaming, UCPD officers repeatedly told him to stand up and said “stop fighting us.” The student did not stand up as the officers requested and they shot him with the Taser at least once more.
“It was the most disgusting and vile act I had ever seen in my life,” said David Remesnitsky, a 2006 UCLA alumnus who witnessed the incident.
As the student and the officers were struggling, bystanders repeatedly asked the police officers to stop, and at one point officers told the gathered crowd to stand back and threatened to use a Taser on anyone who got too close.
Laila Gordy, a fourth-year economics student who was present in the library during the incident, said police officers threatened to shoot her with a Taser when she asked an officer for his name and his badge number.
Gordy was visibly upset by the incident and said other students were also disturbed.
“It’s a shock that something like this can happen at UCLA,” she said. “It was unnecessary what they did.”
Immediately after the incident, several students began to contact local news outlets, informing them of the incident, and Remesnitsky wrote an e-mail to Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams.
Due to popular demand, here are some really cool pictures of the Salk Institute (my work). All these pictures are original and have not been photoshopped. Enjoy 
. Click the photos to enlarge.
—————————————————————————————————-
A really interesting debate/discussion took place where I work. Some of the best scientists gathered and discussed “whether faith in science can ever substitute for belief in God.” A great deal, if not all of them, had Christian roots, so their perception of God and faith came from there. The majority of them did not believe in God, or were not sure of it, but they were very sympathetic to the idea, and did in fact conclude that science can never substitute the belief of God. As a Muslim, our perspective and perception of God is much different than the Christian concept of God, so I wonder what would have resulted if any of them had that concept in their mind. The full article is below.
Atheists Discuss the Benefits of Faith
A gathering of scientists and atheists explores whether faith in
science can ever substitute for belief in God.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Jerry Adler
Newsweek
Updated: 9:51 a.m. AKT Nov 10, 2006Nov. 10, 2006 - The great Danish physicist Niels Bohr, it is said,
had a good-luck horseshoe hanging in his office. “You don’t believe
in that nonsense, do you?” a visitor once asked, to which Bohr
replied, “No, but they say it works whether you believe in it or not.”If one thing emerged from the “Beyond Belief” conference at the Salk
Institute in LaJolla, Calif. it’s that religion doesn’t work the same
way. Some 30 scientists—one of the greatest collections of religious
skeptics ever assembled in one place since Voltaire dined alone—
examined faith from the evolutionary, neurological and philosophical
points of view, and they concluded that some things only work if you
do believe in them. Richard Dawkins, the British evolutionary
biologist and author of the best-selling book “The God Delusion,”
said he couldn’t have a spiritual experience even when he tried.
After another panelist, neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran of the
University of California, San Diego, explained that temporal-lobe
seizures of the brain create profound spiritual and out-of-body
experiences, Dawkins disclosed that he had participated in an
experiment that was supposed to mimic such seizures—and even then he
didn’t feel a thing.Dawkins obviously feels this loss is a small price to pay for freedom
from superstition. But even physicist Steven Weinberg, a Nobel
laureate and an outspoken atheist, acknowledged that science is a
poor substitute for the role religion plays in most peoples’ lives.
It’s hard, he said, to live in a world in which one’s highest
emotions can be understood in biochemical and evolutionary terms,
rather than a gift from God. Instead of the big, comforting
certainties promoted by religion, science can offer only “a lot of
little truths” and the austere pleasures of intellectual honesty.
Much as Weinberg would like to see civilization emerge from the
tyranny of religion, when it happens, “I think we will miss it, like
a crazy old aunt who tells lies and causes us all kinds of trouble,
but was beautiful once and was with us a long time.”To which Dawkins retorted, “I won’t miss her at all.” Only in the
most extreme circumstances would he deign to take account of the
consolations offered by religion. He would not, for instance, try to
talk a Christian on his deathbed out of a belief in Heaven. He didn’t
say what he would do if he were the one near death, but it’s unlikely
he would be calling for a priest. The atheist philosopher Daniel
Dennett had been expected to attend, but two weeks earlier had been
rushed to the hospital with a near-fatal aortic rupture. At the
conference, people handed around copies of Dennett’s essay entitled
“Thank Goodness,” posted on the science Web site Edge.org, in which
he described how annoying it was to hear from friends that they had
been praying for his recovery. “I have resisted the temptation,” he
wrote, “to respond, ‘Thanks, I appreciate it, but did you also
sacrifice a goat?’”It’s hard to be a skeptic, that much was clear from the conference.
Hard for the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the
Hayden Planetarium in New York, who described trying to offer up
thanks “to the scientists who made this abundance of food possible”
at a friend’s Thanksgiving dinner, only to be shouted down by demands
for a proper grace. Hard for atheist author Sam Harris (”Letter to a
Christian Nation”) who likes to point out that people today believe
in God based on no more evidence than the ancients had for believing
in Zeus or Poseidon—with the result that in addition to all the mail
he gets from Christians, he’s now getting angry letters from pagans
who claim he’s insulted their beliefs, as well.The moderate position at the conference was represented by physicist
Lawrence Krauss, who took the view that “science doesn’t make it
impossible to believe in God, it just makes it possible to not
believe in God.” The majority view was best articulated by Tyson, who
said that atheism is not just the only intellectually coherent
position, but a positive boon to humanity. He makes much of the
statistic that only 15 percent of the scientific elite in the United
States, defined as members of the National Academy of Sciences,
express belief in a personal God who takes an active role in the
world. That’s approximately the mirror image of the population as a
whole—but to Tyson, the mystery is that the number of believers among
the scientist group isn’t zero.Tyson is a commanding public speaker, which is why his fellow
astronomer Carolyn Porco, the head of the imaging team for the
Cassini space probe to Saturn, nominated him at the conference to be
the first minister of her proposed (although not very seriously)
“Church of Science.” She thinks science is a perfectly adequate
substitute for religion. “Being a scientist and staring immensity and
eternity in the face every day is as grand and inspiring as it gets,”
she says. “No religion offers anything comparable.” To the promise of
immortality, she counters with the proposition that all the atoms of
our bodies will be blown into space in the disintegration of the
solar system, to live on forever as mass or energy. That’s what we
should be teaching our children, not fairy tales about angels and
seeing grandma in Heaven. “If anyone has something to replace God,”
she says, “I think scientists do.” Of course, it’s not clear that
anyone else is looking for one.source: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15653706/site/newsweek/
Visiting my family and significant other in Texas this Thanksgiving break . It feels like forever since the last time we actually saw each other. InshaAllah, I can not wait. Please keep us in your prayers!
The Ayatollah will be speaking in San Diego this thursday. He is currently in the United States due to health conditions. If anyone has any specific questions for him, let me know and inshaAllah, I will try to ask. A brief biography is below.
Ayatollah Sayid Mortadha Al-Qazwini was born in one of the holiest cities in the Islamic world—Karbala, Iraq—in 1931 to a family well known in the Shia world for its knowledge, wisdom, and piety. His father, the grand Ayatollah Sayid Sadiq Al-Qazwini (shown to the right), was one of Iraq’s most popular and educated Mujtahids. As a distinguished and respected scholar, masses of people congregated to follow him in the daily prayers he led at the shrine of Al-Abbas (as). A void was left in the mosques of Iraq and the hearts of thousands of Muslims when Ayatollah Sayid Sadiq was captured by Saddam’s regime at the age of 80 and detained there indefinitely as one of the oldest political prisoners.
…
Upon the toppling of Saddam’s regime in 2003, Ayatollah Sayid Mortadha Al-Qazwini immediately returned to his hometown of Karbala, Iraq, where he was welcomed by thousands of people anxious to be guided under his strong leadership. Due to the request of the citizens of the holy city of Karbala Ayatollah Al-Qazwini became the Imam of the daily prayers at the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala. Along with leading the prayers, he conducts daily sermons and devotes his time to educating and guiding the Iraqi population, filling the void of Islamic knowledge that came about during the dictatorship of the corrupt regime of Saddam.
source: http://alqazwini.org/biography.htm
Great quote, for all of us to ponder upon. Let us all eradicate this disease of deceiving, and lying. Its not healthy and you will pay a price for it. God is Just.
Imam Abi-Muhammad-al-’Askari, the eleventh Imam, [a] said: “Wickedness was put inside a house, and the key (of its door) was rendered to be lies.”
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 263
Questions have always arose. Seems pretty straight forward, right? Well, I have talked and conversed with many friends and people about this issue. I have been born and raised in New York, so all through-out my schooling this has entered my mind from time to time. Some are hell-bent against it, and some are for it, yet the vast majority are simply confused.
So what is the correct approach? In a pure theological approach it is very difficult to attend such gatherings. In fact, it is virtually impossible to justify it, because of the haraam and un-Islamic atmosphere including alcohol, lewd music, indecent male-female interaction, and so forth. Technically, that should be enough for us to avoid such activities. If we have a desire to want to strive towards Him (swt), then we definitely should stay away.
However, I will try to explain my opinions and views on this issue, because it is so wide-spread in this society. Some may agree, some may disagree, but my views arise from my understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah and I will attempt to explain the philosophy behind why it is deemed as discouraging in Islam and to human-nature. And no, I am not lecturing, condemning, criticizing, judging (sunday school style!) anyone, because it goes back to the individual and the only thing that can reap real change from within is our hearts and souls.
Some may ask “What if I don’t take part in the “drinking and dancing,” but still attend. My question for those people- what is the benefit? Do you enjoy drunkenness? There are other avenues to enjoy life and socialize with your friends. Why should we compromise our beliefs? We are Muslim first, and then we are everything else. We should never compromise on our principles. We are people of principles. If we trust Imam Husayn (a) and his sacrifice, then this should be obvious to us. This religion has been revealed and protected for us for a reason. Great people were tortured, imprisoned , maimed, massacred, and murdered, so that we may be able to practice this way of life the way it should be practiced. Why even put ourselves in these types of predicaments? We should have enough faith and strength to say, “No.”
Why would you walk in Tijuana, Mexico at 1:00 am in the morning, when you can drive? It is next to suicide.
And for those that argue, “I just want to see how it is?” No, we do not have to see what it is to understand why its not good or what the “big fuss” is about (refer: http://thenlightenment.whatheblog.com/2006/08/21/recognizing-good/). Should we all commit suicide to see how it feels to be dead? Should we all induce STDs into our bodies, so we understand how they function? We need to strive and resist anything that comes our way. It is our examinations, and obstacles and we must overcome the challenges. It will only benefit us at the end. That is God’s promise.
My advice is that we should never sell our souls despite the temptations, because we will become morally bankrupt. Unfortunately, once that occurs it will be too late. Please, do not sell-out.
Someone from another blog (http://eteraz.wordpress.com), which I occasionally read and usually disagree with, commented on the use of reason and logic. This person is a respectful individual, so I was a bit shocked and suprised. I thought it would be nice to respond to his statements on my blog. I will quote his comment and then my response will follow.
———————————————————————————————————————
Reason does not provide an approach to Allah.
If the Path to understanding Divinty was paved (even half the way) on Reason, the truth of Religion should have been discovered and widely known by now.
Muta’zhilis would rule the world.
As it stands, reason is applied to religion every day: look at the results. Few people are enlightened and religion is a force for terrible things just as much as for good.
Reason’s road is a dead end.
There is a quote from the Holy Prophet that goes something like: “Whatever you discern with your mind and perception is your creation. It is an idol and not worth worshipping.”
But we have to know the limitations.
“Reason does not provide an approach to Allah.”
That is an absurd claim. Reason and intellect was endowed to us by Allah (swt), so that we may distinguish good from evil. Hence, leading towards understanding Him and His perfect system.
It is funny how this person uses the Muta’zallah school to justify his thoughts and views. People are at loss because we are not using our logic! The Mu’tazallites are a different issue altogether because they only used logic. There is a big difference between using solely reason and using it as just one source. We must use other sources that go hand in hand with it such as the Quran and Sunnah.
Logic and intellect is an important component in understanding Islam and the shari’a. Logic and rational must be exerted in order for us to succeed!
Reasoning or logic is called muntaq in Islamic terminology. In fact, it is a seperate branch of science in its own right. For example understanding a hadith or tradition of the Prophet (saw) one needs to understand the logic of hadith and how to deal with conflicting ahadith and contextualizing it properly. The hadith this person mentioned obviously was de-contexualize and plus no reference was given anyway.
The last statement this person makes, I do agree with. We need to rationally understand our limitations, because we have been fashioned, shaped, and placed on this earth by our Protector, Creator and Sustainer.
A very interesting read. Support and victory for this man will result in grave consequences for everyone. He has been compared to David Duke (founder of KKK) by the Zionists themselves. May Allah help and protect us from such people!
Lieberman’s views are notoriously racist, and his rhetoric is invariably violent. He called for the execution of Israeli Arab members of the Knesset who met with Hamas or didn’t celebrate Israel’s Independence Day. His party, Yisrael Beytenu (”Israel is our Home”), accuses Israeli Arabs of “dual loyalty” on account of their ethnicity, and advocates the complete separation of the Israeli and Arab populations in Palestine – in effect, forced transfer. Lieberman and his followers vehemently oppose the peace process, support the militant settlement movement, and are proud partisans of ethnic cleansing.
In 2002, Lieberman averred that he wouldn’t flinch at ordering the IDF into the occupied territories on the West Bank for 48 hours, an operation designed to “Destroy the foundation of all the [Palestinian] authority’s military infrastructure … not leave one stone on another. Destroy everything.” Civilian targets included: that same year he also argued the Israeli air force should bomb all Palestinian commercial centers, including banks and even gas stations.
Lieberman’s portfolio as minister in charge of strategic threats allowed the editors of Ha’aretz to quip “Lieberman is a strategic threat!” Here, after all, is a man who has threatened to bomb Tehran, the Aswan Dam, and Beirut. His entry into the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in coalition with Kadima and Labor, marks an ominous shift in the stance of the Jewish state.
read more about Avigdor Lieberman
I have been following this movement for awhile now, and I know I have discussed and debated some of my good friends about their actions, benefits and harmful effects. When I refer to this “movement,” I am referring to those involved with MuslimWakeUp and PMUNA. Without taking about their flawed philosophy, I will touch upon their double-standards and how they have sold-out.
The PMUNA (Progressive Muslim Union of North America) and this “movement” started a few years ago, and was the big “balance” competing against the neo-Salafi influence. A good number of “moderate” Muslims really backed them, including some Sunni and Shi’a (and sufi-oriented) with the hope that the “movement” would overcome this illness (Salafi) that was spreading like wild-file with the Saudi-petro dollar (Saudi funding). Muslim WakeUp at first was a decent site with decent articles, but it took a hypocritical and dangerous turn. They hired the most liberal of liberal editors and writers. They added pointless, derogatory, and provocative stories and columns on their online newsletter, which ultimately exposed their arrogance and agenda. Only so much could be tolerated at once.
Soon afterwards, the PMUNA was established and had a “super-star” line up. Now, lets examine where this line-up is. The founder, Ahmed Nassef loves to enjoin the Zionists and forbid the Palestinian cause. He recently spoke at a pro-zionist conference with no mention of the rights and justice of the Palestinians, while he praised the Zionist state. Ziad Asali, an advisor, believes the Palestinians should “give up” and abandon their legitimate rights.
(ref: http://pmunadebate.blogspot.com/2005/03/palestinians-worldwide-condemn-ziad.html)
Ziad and his buddy Hussein Ibish are also had a dinner with Condi Rice and Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador (I thought they were “progressive”). And this man, al-Faisal had ties with bin Laden, Taleban, and Al Qaida, yet now he is a “moderate!”
Then, we have Mona Eltahawy, yet another PMUNA advisor, who occasionally writes well, with Irshad Manji at a “moderate Muslim” conference. When did lesbian Muslims, who call on “reforming” Islam with unlimited ijteehad become “moderate” (referring to Isrhad Manji).
(ref: http://pmunadebate.blogspot.com/2006/10/progressive-neo-cons.html)
So, the advisors of this so-called movement have met with the Zionists, the Saudi Wahabis, and the “Reformists.” Are they confused? Of course not, but they are smart. They have become an opportunistic organization under the guise of labeling themselves “progressive.” They are anything but “progressive.” They are extreme, just as extreme as our neo-Salafi friends.
Eid will be arriving soon. For some it would be monday, for others it would be tuesday and for others it would be on wednesday. However, it is a time to rejoice and celebrate the blessings endowed to us by God. It is a time for reflection and introspection. It is a time to forgive those who wronged us and to make peace with our perceived enemies. It is a time, where all people should band together for Allah’s sake.
I hope we all have a joyous, peaceful, and blessed Eid. Eid Mubarak!
Your Excellency Pope Benedict XVI
With greeting,Considering your utterances in Germany rebuking and reproaching Islam and the rule of Islamic warfare, hurting the feelings of all Moslems, I, as one of the Moslems’ religious authorities, having many followers all around the world, and writer of more than 130 books in various Islamic sciences, including more than 40 books about commentary of Holy Quran, invite you to participate in a scientific and logical debate with live broadcast with me to discuss about two issues:
1-Does Islam advocate violence or it invites to peace, amity and kindness?
2-Did Islam spread throughout the world through the force of sword or the extreme logic, reasoning and attraction of Islamic culture?I will be glad to declare that I leave its time and location to you, and do not have any condition for it. I hope you would declare your agreement with this.
Wishing your ever success.
(source: http://www.makarems hirazi.org/ english/modules. php?name= News&file=print&sid=294)
(source: BBC)
Taken off northeast Greenland, the picture of a walrus feeding on clams wins Goran Ehlme of Sweden the prize of Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2006.
Bismillahirrahmanirraheem. Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alameen. Wa salaatu wa salaam ‘ala sayedina wa mowlana habibi quloobina abal qaasimi mohammad. wa ‘ala ahlul bayti tayabeena tahireen.
All praise belongs to Allah, the creator and sustainer of the universe. Allah has fashioned you, and I through his Infinite mercy and blessing. He is the eternal Being that has put life into us and has given us the opportunity and ability to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, and truth from false. No eyes, ears, or hands are able to fathom His greatness because He is the indescribable Being that has blessed us in order for us to serve Him.
DhalikumuAllahu rabbukum la ilaha illa huwa khaaliqu kulli shai faa’budoohu wa huwa kulli shai-in wakeel. (6:102).
That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.
We have been put on this earth, so that we may be able to recognize Him.
My Respected Brothers and Sisters,
Salaamun ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahtu
He has made the absolute perfect system for us and any perceived imperfection in this system is relative to our perceptions. This is the problem with atheists. Imam Ali (a) has said,
“One of the four pillars of an atheist is that he or she is filled with hatred and anger because he or she is dissatisfied with the perfect system.”
Allah has not only just put us on this earth, but has put us on this earth as humans.
Laqad Khalaqnal Insana Fi Ahsani Taqweem. [95:4]
Certainly We created man in the best make.
He has endowed and granted us countless gifts and bounties. He is so merciful that if we’d like, not only can we use these resources provided to us, but we can also enhance them to better our lives. Other creations such as the animals were also created for the same primary purpose of servitude and worship. Allah has placed them in this universe, so we may be able to acknowledge our sophistication. For example, a lion goes and attacks its prey. And then simply wipes off the blood with dirt and dust. However, we have our feasts on a table, with table coverings and candles. We sometimes like to romanticize our eating and we love to decorate and add extra ingredients to our foods. We are given such sophistication, that we can manipulate creation, including ourselves, and at the same time are able to survive and possibly live longer and healthier. We have the capability of finding cures and discovering new scientific methods and materials that would be used to resist certain diseases and illnesses. Using our intellect, we have stopped and cured some of the most dangerous illnesses known to mankind. Allah (swt) has given us the best of instruments in this universe, so that we can reach Him.
With that being said, man is at loss ’till this day. We are at loss because we have failed to admit that God has put forth these numerous gifts and tools for us as a mercy to mankind. In fact, we have forgotten that Allah has created us through His infinite mercy.
Islam, is the best instrument we were given. I remember my co-worker complaining how there such much fictitious stories in the bible. How its filled with fairy tales of how Prophets used to wrestle God, and so forth. Islam dissects each and every of these fairy tales and breaks them apart. Non-muslims have praised our great religion. Harold Bloom has written in his book, Genius, that the Quran is the only book, where God is the sole authoritative author. Michael Hart, a Christian, has written and rated the Prophet (saw) as the number one most influential person in history. After his publication, right wing evangelical groups condemned him and asked him to take Muhammad’s name off the list. However, Hart in his second publication insisted and rated Muhammad as the most influential person known to mankind.
It is not only a religion, but it is a way of life in order for us to be victorious in this world and the hereafter. This great religion of Allah has been revealed to us by the Prophets, whom endured great pain and suffering and has been protected for us by the holy Imams, whom sacrificed everything they had for Islam’s sake. Most of our Imams were so oppressed that they were not even allowed to see sun-light, because they were imprisoned and tortured for so long, yet they resisted and persisted and never loss their faith in God. Imamate is central to our belief system. Imamate completes the circle in our deen or religion. Any school lacking this article of faith is at loss. And this is an obvious observation. With all due respect, our brothers and sisters in Ahlus Sunnah have yet to agree upon where the Prophet (saw) placed his hands during prayer. Prayer was the most conspicuous act that the Prophet performed; yet the majority of Muslims have yet to come to a consensus on where the Prophet placed his hands.
Nowadays, we like to complain about the smallest of matters. We want the world in our hands, by showing no effort. We want to live life without trials and tribulations. However, we need to know that without these trials and tests, we will never be able to really enjoy the pleasures and treasures of life.
Innallahi ma’as saabireen.
Allah is with those that are patient. All of these tests are nothing but a gift for us. At the end, they will give us strength and patience. We must not despair because Allah will never put us in a situation, where we will not be able to handle.
It is similar to the schooling system. You do your homework, go to class, study your material, and take your exams. And after four years or so depending on how much effort you put in you get a degree or a diploma. That degree is the reward we receive from our hard work and effort.
Now that we have al-Islam, we need to use it to our own advantage. We have been given the tools to survive and succeed, and now it is a matter of using them. We have been blessed with the greatest of examples, the Prophet and the pious Ahlul Bayt. We need to follow them and mimic how they lived their lives. We need to study them and their lives, so we can implement their traditions in our lives. There is not a single situation or circumstance where we cannot relate back to the Prophet or the Imams. We must become pro-active in our schools, communities and societies. We cannot limit ourselves based on our gender or age. Alhamdullah, in the plains of Kerbala with Imam Hussain(a), there were both man and woman, and both young, and old, so this excuse holds absolutely no weight. If we are able to use our intellect we are certainly in a position to make change. In fact, we have no choice, but to devote ourselves for the cause, especially being amongst the followers of Ahlul Bayt.
And the best way to effect change is to first change within by reflection and introspection. We need to understand our purpose and why we were put on this earth. And we must understand the instruments and the tools that we have been given. And most importantly, we must understand ourselves.
Imam Ali said,
“In order to know Allah, we must know ourselves.”
We must be sincere in all of our actions. We need to purify our hearts and souls for Allah because He is worthy and deserving. We must dig deep into our hearts and remove any dark spots developing, before it is too late. If we wait too long our heart will be covered with darkness and it will be next to impossible to cleanse. We must continue renewing our intentions and reminding ourselves about why we are doing what we are. It is similar to cancer. If we catch the caner early on, its possible to extract the cancer cells and possible survive. However, if we wait too long the cancer cells will spread into our blood stream and bodily organs. And that will be tantamount to our destruction I will conclude with a saying from Imam Ali (a), which I want everyone here to ponder upon. He stated,
My God, I do not worship You in fear of Your Fire, nor in desire for Your Paradise, but I worship You because I find You worthy of worship.
wa salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahtu.