Nouman Ali Khan

Nouman Ali Khan (May 4 1978, Urdu:نعمان علی خان) is a Muslim speaker and founder, CEO and lead instructor at Bayyinah, the Institute for Arabic and Qur'anic Studies.[2]

Nouman founded Bayyinah in 2006, after serving as the professor of Arabic atNassau Community College.[3][4] His current residence is in Dallas, Texas. He also lectures internationally on the matters of Tafsir and learning Arabic to understand the Quran.[5] He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the 

Biography

Nouman Ali Khan is a Muslim speaker and the CEO and founder of Bayyinah Institute, an Arabic studies educational institution in the United States. Nouman Ali Khan teaches about the religion of Islam through his video speeches. He also frequently speaks at Islamic Circle of North America Conventions about Islam, family, and other life topics.[7]

Education

His early education in Arabic started in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and continued in Lahore and Islamabad (Pakistan). His serious Arabic training began in 1999 in the United States. He has been teaching Modern Standard and Classical Arabic at various venues for several years with over 10,000 students nationwide.[7]

Policy on fundraising events

Khan does not participate in any fundraiser event in any capacity. He does not accept requests for video, audio or written endorsements of islamic projects, institutions & programs. Regarding the topic, Khan has said, "Even though I would love to engage, I simply don't have time to look deeply into all the projects, their history & their contributions. I don't feel comfortable endorsing anything without thoroughly knowing each and every aspect of it. Regardless, I appreciate all the different inspiring efforts taking place through out the world and pray for their success."[7]Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.[

Israr Ahmed

Israr Ahmed was a prominent Pakistani Islamic theologian, philosopher, and an Islamic scholar followed particularly in South Asia as well as by the South Asian diaspora in the Middle East, Western Europe, and North America. Wikipedia

Born: April 26, 1932, Hisar

Died: April 14, 2010, Lahore, Pakistan

Influenced: Nouman Ali Khan, Zakir Naik,Sultan Bashir Mahmood

Books: The Tragedy of Karbala, more

Children: Hafiz Akif Saeed

Influenced by: Muhammad Iqbal, Abul A'la Maududi,

Majority of Muslims think alcohol consumption morally wrong

World Bulletin / News Desk

In April 2013, The Pew Research Center, in Washington, published a well-rounded report on religion and public life as part of The Pew Forum. The report, consisted of five chapters pursuant to the world's Muslims within the scope of religion, politics and society. It's trying to answer to the questions of what the Muslim world believes, on everything from alcohol to honor killings, in 8 maps, 5 charts.

The report gives a sum of information connected with the beliefs about Sharia, such as introducing some comparisons between views on current laws and their realtion to Sharia. Within the fraim of religion and politics, some concepts are pointed out such as democracy, religious freedom, religious leader's role in politics and Islamic parties.

The report also exclusively points out beliefs, marriage, the family and beliefs about family honor within the context of morality. In report's fourth chapter, research focuses on some sociological and religious concepts such as women and veiling, wives role, women and divorce, inheritance rights for women (by referring women's views), sharia and women rights women in society.

The report tells about some other issues such as relations among Muslims and interfaith relations. However we have focused on the outcomes of the beliefs concerning honer killings across the world, particularly world's Muslim communities.

The data from this sweeping 226 page report, and some maps and charts studied by Max Fisher from The Washington Post, explore attidudes and opinions from Muslim communities throughout the world. 

But there have to be some caveats for reader, just as Fisher warns, “The findings here do not represent all Muslims; just as they show diversity of opinion between communities, so, too, is there diversity within communities. After all, a poll of all American Christians would not capture the differences between Baptists and Catholics, much less between New Jersey Catholics and Louisiana Catholics. There is, in other words, no such thing as a monolithic Muslim worldview.”

And also remember, the Pew Forum unfortunately did not survey the world's all countries or muslim communities. But it does, as Fisher said, offer a wide, comprehensive view of many of the world's largest Muslim communities and their opinions.”

The report tells about some other issues such as relations among Muslims and interfaith relations.

However we have focused on outcomes of the problems concerning alcohol consumption across the world, particularly world's Muslim communities.

Pew's survey shows that moral attitudes are less uniform when it comes to questions of family planning, divorce and polygamy. Almost all the regions surveyed, attitudes toward, for example, polygamy vary widely from country to country and more specifically from region to region. Again in the case of polygamy, just in Southern and Eastern Europe (68%) and Central Asia (62%) do most say that the practice of taking multiple wives is morally unacceptable.

There has also, according to the results sweeping the Pew Forum, been a wide agreement among the world's community that certain behaviours such as drinking alcohol are morally wrong. The percentage of Muslims who think alcohol consumption is morally wrong in Southern-Eastern Europe (62%), Central Asia (66%), Southeast Asia (93%), South Asia (82%), Middle East&North Africa (84%), Sub-Saharan Africa (82%). 

"HONOR KILLINGS"

Pew also asked survey respondents "whether honor killings are ever justified as punishment for pre- or extra-marital affair." Honor killings means, in the practice, that a person is killed (often by his or her own family) for having a relationship out of wedlock. And the victim of this practice is typically a woman.

From the results of the survey, designed and interpreted by the Pew Research Center, it can be concluded that according majorities of Muslims surveyed rejected the practice of honor killings in 14 out of 23 countries.

Fisher says “survey respondents were generally more likely to support honor killings when the "offense" was committed by a woman rather than a man, although the margin is typically quite small.”

Actually, just Fisher pictured with maps and charts, you could not get any clear information on responds to honor killing practice from report of the Pew Forum. Because percent of Muslims who say honor killings are never justified as said Fisher.

Women jailed for teaching Quran in Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan's capital city of Tashkent, in the district of Yangiyul, a group of Muslim women have been arrested on charges of “radicalism” for teaching the Quran.

According to state television, a group of women who were teaching children Quran at home was arrested. The report said that "the group leader" who named Hanife Mirganieva and a few other women managed to escape from the police. Uzbek officials say its very likely that the women would have sought refuge in Turkey.

According to “Ozodlik” radio, the women’s husbands were previously caught as Hizbut Tahrir members.

S. Africa Muslims celebrate prophet's birthday in style

Around 2,000 flag-waving Muslims marched in the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, late on Sunday to commemorate the birthday of Islam's prophet Muhammad [PBUH].

The Muslim devotees, who wore white clothes and green head gears (turbans), marched peacefully in a procession, chanting in praise of the prophet, especially on the streets of Fordsburg and Mayfair, two predominantly Muslim suburbs of Johannesburg.

"More than 2,000 Muslims attended our procession," Shaheed Garda of Dawat-e- Islami, a global non-political movement for the propagation of the Holy Quran, told The Anadolu Agency.

He said his movement had organized the march to show its love for prophet Muhammad, whose birthday is celebrated around the world from the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal (the third month in the Islamic calendar.

Garda said Muhammad's birthday helps Muslims to reflect on his teachings and life.

Muslims participating in the event came from different parts of the city to join in the procession. There was also a convoy of over 100 vehicles following those participating in the march.

Some vehicle passengers waved their green Islamic flags from the windows and chanted in praise of the prophet.

Children also accompanied their parents in the procession.

"I want my son to acquire information about the prophet's birthday while he is still young," Abdulkader Sayed, a procession participant who brought his son to the event, told AA.

Ordinary South Africans stood on the sidewalks to witness the event. In front of them, march participants passed and chanted in praise of their prophet.

"These people are smart and united, I like their spirit," a non-Muslim passerby said, declining to mention his name. 

Dawat-e- Islami has been organizing the Muhammad birthday processions for 17 years now.

"We only organize the event and whoever wants to join and celebrate is free to do this," Garda said.

He added that similar events were also held on Sunday in different cities across South Africa.

After the procession, Muslims gathered for evening prayers at a mosque in Mayfair, and later went back home.

"I look forward to attending more prophet birthday events," Hossien Bhai, a resident of Brixton, said at the end of the event.

"I love prophet Muhammad," he added.

He said he would spend the evening to reflect on some of the teachings of the prophet.

Hajj pilgrims gather at Arafat for Day of Prayer

Around two million white-clad Muslims on Wednesday poured into the vast Saudi plain where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon, for the peak of the hajj pilgrimage.

Many of the faithful from around the globe camped at the foot of Mount Arafat where they slept, exhausted from their journey, and prayed despite the scorching sun.

Carrying colourful umbrellas, they walked from dawn in massive crowds towards the slippery, rocky hill which is also known as Mount Mercy.

Here they believe Mohammed gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on hajj.

To organise the flow of pilgrims, security forces formed human chains along the roads of the vast Arafat plain.

Along the way, volunteers handed out boxes of food and cold water bottles.

For many pilgrims, hajj is the spiritual highlight of their lives.

"We feel blessed. I got goosebumps, a feeling that cannot be explained, when reaching the top of the mountain," said Ruhaima Emma, a 26-year-old Filipina pilgrim, who said she has been "praying for a good life for everyone".

For Akram Ghannam, 45, from war-torn Syria, being in Arafat is a "feeling that cannot be described. I pray to God for the victory of all those who are oppressed." 

Many reached Arafat by bus while some walked from the holy city of Mecca about 15 kilometres (nine miles) away.

Other pilgrims arrived from nearby Mina using the elevated Mashair Railway linking the holy sites of Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, a tent city where many pilgrims spent Tuesday night.

After sunset on Wednesday they will move to Muzdalifah. There they will gather pebbles for a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual on Thursday, which is also the Eid al-Adha feast of sacrifice marked by the world's more than 1.5 billion Muslims.

Seeking mercy 

This year's gathering is about the same size as last year's, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of the kingdom.

They are undeterred by a construction crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque earlier this month that killed 109 people, including foreign pilgrims.

About 400 people were injured by the crane which was working on an expansion of Islam's holiest site.

Previously marred by stampedes and fires that killed hundreds, the pilgrimage had been largely incident-free for the past nine years after safety improvements.

The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime.

This year's gathering takes place against a backdrop of increased jihadist violence in some Muslim countries, a surge of the potentially deadly MERS virus and the war in Saudi Arabia's neighbour Yemen.

About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds.

Authorities say they are on alert for possible attacks by extremists, after Islamic State group jihadists bombed security forces and Shiite mosques in the kingdom in recent months.

This year's hajj also comes with Saudi Arabia leading an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and supporting local forces in Yemen against Iran-backed rebels.

Most Yemeni pilgrims performing the hajj this year already reside in the kingdom.

Among other challenges facing Saudi authorities is potential transmission of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

The capital saw a jump in infections last month, but health officials say there has never been a case of MERS infection among pilgrims.

The health ministry has mobilised thousands of medical workers to help ensure a virus-free pilgrimage and to care for routine ailments.

Pilgrims began the hajj on Tuesday by entering ihram, a state of purity in which they must not quarrel, wear perfume, or cut their nails or hair.

During ihram, men wear a seamless two-piece shroud-like white garment, while women must wear loose dresses, generally also white, exposing only their faces and hands.

The clothing emphasises their unity, regardless of whether they spend the hajj in Mecca's five-star hotels or in shabby highrise hostels.

"I'm hoping for mercy and that Allah accepts our prayers," said Pakistani pilgrim Abdeghafour Abu Bakr, 38, who came with friends.

Two million Muslims attend night prayer in Mecca

Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram was full with around two million Muslims who performed Taraweeh prayer late on Monday, marking the 27th night of Ramadan.

SPA, the official Saudi news agency, said Muslims gathered from across Saudi Arabia and the world to pray Taraweeh, which is an extra special prayer performed during Ramadan. 

The 27th night of Ramadan is believed to be Laylat al-Qadr, which according to Quran, is better than 1,000 months of worship.

Masjid al-Haram contains the Kaaba and is the most sacred mosque for Muslims.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia had recently launched five projects as a third expansion phase for Masjid al-Haram to increase its capacity.