Kindness to the Animals!

from www.othaimeen.com
(this is a rough translation from our brother Ali Ibn Shareef )

in his blog below
http://cid-bc576edaf584a939.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!BC576EDAF584A939!218.entry

Bismillaah Wal Hamdulillaah Was Salaatu Was Salaamu 'Alaa Rasoolillaahi Wa Ba'd:

What compelled me to (roughly) translate these short words was what I saw recently....a young muslim putting some food for a stray dog @a family day...mashaAllah. Then when the dog approached to eat the food, the boy scared the dog away and laughed and the fools around him laughed also. Then the dog came back and he scared him away again, 'I can't resist'. Allaahul Musta'aan!

May Allaah help us not to look at the small things with insignificance.
From Shaykh 'Uthaymeen’s (rahimahullah) Sharh of Riyaadhus Saaliheen:
That the Prophet salalahu 'alaih wa sallam said:
"One day a man was walking on a path (travelling) and was suffering from severe thirst so he found a well, so he descended into and drank. When he came out he saw a dog lolling its tongue, eating the moistened earth (or dirt/sand) out of thirst. So the man said: 'What has afflicted this dog (from severe thirst) is the same as what afflicted me.' So he descended into the well again and filled his shoes(sandals) with water then held it in his mouth until he climbed up and made the dog drink it. So Allaah appreciated this act of his and pardoned him. Then (the Companions around him) said: Allaah's Messenger, is there for us a reward even for (serving) such animals? He said:Yes, there is a reward for service to every living animal."
And in another narration from Saheeh Al Bukhaaree: "Allaah appreciated this act of his, forgave him and entered him into the Jannah."
And in another two narrations (from Saheeh Al Bukharee and Muslim): "...Once a dog was circling around a well on the verge of dying of thirst. When a prostitute from the prostitutes of Bani Israa'il saw it so she put her shoe in the well (filled her shoe with water) and gave it to drink from that and she was forgiven on account of that action."

The explanation:

'The author mentions (rahimahullah ta'ala) in the chapter: 'The many ways of achieving good/blessings' this strange story which was narrated by Abu Hurairah from the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam that once a man was walking on a pathway travelling, he became afflicted by thirst, so he descended into a well and drank from it and his thirst was quenched. However, when he was exiting from the well there was a dog eating the moist dirt on account of its extreme thirst i.e. eating the wet, damp soil,eating it from thirst in order to suck or consume the water that was in it due to extreme thirst. So the man said, by Allaah, what has afflicted this dog is the same as what afflicted me. (or a similar statement which carries the same meaning). So he descended into the well and filled his shoe(khuff) with water and the khuff is what covers the foot made from dried skin and the like. So he filled it with water and carried it in his mouth. And started to climb up with his hands until he climbed out of the well. Then he gave the dog to drink. So when he gave it to drink, Allaah appreciated that action from him, forgave him and entered him into the Jannah on account of it.

And this is the truthfulness and the reality of the statement of the Prophet, salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, "The Jannah (Paradise) is closer to one of you than the strap of his sandal, and the Hell-fire is also like that."
A deed which earned the appreciation of Allaah for the one who did this action, He forgave him and entered him into Jannah.
And when the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam narrated this hadeeth to the Comapanions and they were the most anxious and keen of the people in seeking and acquiring knowledge, not just so they would know, but in order for them to know and to act upon it. They asked the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam: 'O Messenger of Allaah! Is there a reward for us in serving these animals?' And he said: "There is a reward for serving everything that has a wet liver (i.e. every living thing)." Because this dog is from such animals.
So how is there for this man who gave the dog to drink such a great reward? Is there for us in serving these animals a reward? He said: "There is a reward in serving everything that has a wet liver." The wet liver requires water, because if there is no water in it dries up and the animal dies.
Therefore, we take from this a principle, and that is, when the Messenger narrates to us a story from Bani Israa'il then that is so we take a lesson from it and take from it an example to follow. And this is like Allaah Ta'ala said: "Indeed in their narrations are lessons for those of understanding." (Surah Yusuf)
And in another narration, and perhaps it is an another story (entirely) that a prostitute from Bani Israa'il i.e. she was paid for intercourse, and Allaah's refuge is sought, that she saw a dog circling a wall, and it was thirsty but could not reach the water (to drink), because it was a wall of a well, so she threw her shoe into the well (collecting water thereby) and gave the dog to drink from that so Allaah forgave her.
So this indicates that in serving animals there is reward. Every animal you show kindness to by feeding it, giving it to drink, sheltering it from heat or cold, whether it belongs to you or other than you from the people, whether it is a stray animal, then verily in this there is a reward for you with Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, this (reward) and they are only animals! So what then (is the reward) in showing kindness and serving human beings? If you show kindness and goodness to human beings the reward will be greater and more abundant.
And in regard to this, the Prophet salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "Whoever gives a muslim to drink, then Allaah will give him to drink from the sealed nectar." (Translator's Note: Imaam At Tirmidhee graded this hadeeth as ghareeb and Shaykh Al Albaanee graded it as da’eef in his checking of Sunan At Tirmidhee) i.e. If you young son stands at the refrigerator and says to you: "I want water" and you give him to drink while he was thirsty, then you have indeed given a muslim to drink upon his thirst, then Allaah will give you to drink from the sealed nectar. An abundant reward! And for Allaah is the Praise.
Free spoils (i.e. easy opportunities to attain rewards)! But where is the one who takes these free spoils? Where is the one who purifies his intention, and hopes for the reward from Allaah?
So I advise you O my brother and myself, to always strive to grasp and seize the good deeds with a sincere intention until it becomes an asset for you with Allaah on the Day of Qiyaamah. For how many small deeds became great on account of the niyyah accompanying it? And how many large deeds became small (in value) on account of negligence regarding it?

Jack Wanner calls Abdul-Hamid a terrorist

“Resident terrorist ? resident terrorist “ WTF jack Wanner U are calling a PNM minister a terrorist but cause he is a muslim and happens to be in another political parity ? Yea muslims run up and jump up 4 this man and vote Jack Wanner , stupid elections i don't like manning don't get me wrong ( if he let me build the 2 million Dollar flag for 1 million I may have changed my mind .
I do not like the PNM I am really not a supporter of any party . “Like choosing between 2 bowls of crap and the only thing you have to decide by is the smell “ Louse Black , and yes I am quoting a comedian to show what I think of the elections Don’t get me wrong and I have some serious issues with the PNM coming back in power :
• The massive amount of money wasted by Manning and his government
• The manning attacks on the judiciary – the man sent police to try and arrest the chief justice of this country , I have never felt like I was living under a dictator ship as that day , and when the Attorney general was called up to show his evidence in court , he did not show up ? So why were they attacking our justice system ? What is the reason ?
• This man destroyed a whole sugar cane industry , for no other reason that the majority of the people employed in it , skin colour was different from his
• He has had meetings with “community leaders”, a euphemism for a Drug Lord , our Prime minister sits down with drug dealers and kidnappers and has little talks . What kind of country do I live in ???? Can you imagine Barrak Obama sitting down with gang leaders in the white house and having lunch and a talk ? That’s what we have in Trinidad .
• The level of corruption and nepotism in Trinidad , no one lives here other then they know that , government contracts are given to friends of the PNM , you have to give money to the PNM ppl ?? What kind of place it this ?
• It is a shame that Trinidad and Tobago Per capita income is $23,100 (2009 est.) and that of Saudi Arabia is $20,400 (2009 est.) We are richer than Saudi Arabia where is all this money ? Show me , I am waiting .
• UDECOTT lol all that needs to be said
• Manning and his secret church built for his Obeah woman
• Prosperity tax , you must tax normal ppl’s houses , take money from poor ppl to pay for your mega projects . Its just wrong wrong
• This was actually suppose to be a defence of Abdul Hamid , from stupid statements from Jack Wanner , and just a poking fun as muslims who believe all of this is permissible . But listing and this could be a much longer one at that , some of the issues with Mr. Manning and really most trinis have the same problems , I really would not mind seeing the government changing .

The Digital Economy Act 2010

The Digital Economy Act 2010
What is the Digital Economy Act?

The Digital Economy Act is a newly passed piece of British legislation that is meant to protect copyright online and increase regulation and control of the way people use the Internet.
How did it happen?

* The entertainment industry is refusing to adapt to new models, clinging to obsolete 20th Century thinking.
* The Bill was drafted by unelected officials after lobbying from the entertainment industry.
* It was passed in a hurry during the Parliamentary "wash up" process without full scrutiny.

Why should you be worried?

* Websites will be blocked for alleged copyright infringement.
* Families accused of sharing copyrighted files will be disconnected without trial. They will have to pay to appeal.
* Even if you don't live in the UK, it sets a worrying precedent for other countries to follow suit.

Disconnection or "technical measures" like bandwidth throttling will kick in if file sharing does not drop by an incredible 70%. There are no alternative punishments to disconnection, no matter what the damage it will cause, and there is no statutory limit on the length of these disconnections, called, in the weasel words of the Act, "temporary account suspension".

Despite thousands of letters of concern and a petition with over 35,000 signatures of protest, the Bill was rushed through in the final days of parliament during the "wash up process" - it was not given the full scrutiny that it deserved.

This is a piece of legislation that gives potentially unlimited power to unelected officials, and assumes guilt on the part of those accused of copyright infringement. We can expect the industry lobbies to be out in force to roll back our human right to freedom of expression in the name of copyright very, very soon.

What's happening now?

Now that the Bill has been passed and the election is underway, candidates from all the main parties are keen to distance themselves from it. They admit that there are serious concerns and that the Bill did not receive the scrutiny and debate it deserves.

Dan Bull / Songwriter