A joint AFIC, ICQ and Islamic
College Ifthaar was held in the
nearly-completed $3.5M school hall last Sunday.
The new facility, courtesy of the
Rudd government's stimulus package, comfortably
accommodated over 800 people on the night.
The open carpeted space directly
below the main hall has room for several
hundreds of mussaalies.
Mufti Zeyaad Ravat was the
Master of Ceremonies and Muslims Australia
president, Ikebal Patel, Minister for
Trade, Stephen Robertson MP, and
Queensland Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson,
each spoke in turn and helped the minutes to
breaking the fast tick by nicely.
The huge pots of rice and meat
dish served up after prayers were presented in
typical Fijian Indian style and flair.
Why wear
a burqa? One Brisbane woman tells Madonna King her story
Who decides a Muslim woman should
wear a burqa? Is it her own decision or that of
her family?
Amina Ghafoor spoke to Madonna King on
ABC Radio 612 about why she wears a burqa.
Health
Care Providers' Handbook on Muslim Patients
The Health Care Providers' Handbook on Muslim
Patients is a quick-reference tool for health
workers to use when caring for Muslim patients.
The handbook aims to help health
workers understand the religious beliefs and
practices of Muslims that can affect health
care, and provide links to further advice and
resources.
The handbook covers a range of topics including
prayer, holy days, fasting, end of life issues,
sexual and reproductive health, and food
requirements.
It is important to note that because of personal
and cultural variations in the way Islam is
practiced the handbook can only provide general
information and advice.
Health workers should always
consult their patient about their personal level
of religious observance.
The handbook was developed by Queensland Health
in partnership with the Islamic Council of
Queensland and forms part of the Multicultural
Clinical Support Resource folder.
The second edition of the Health
Care Providers’ Handbook on Muslim Patients was
written under the guidance of an advisory
committee comprising:
Imam Ikraam Buksh (Islamic
Society of Darra)
Ms Marina Chand (Queensland Health Multicultural
Services)
Mr Theo Georga (Queensland Health Multicultural
Services)
Ms Nada Ibrahim (Griffith Islamic Research Unit,
Griffith University)
Dr Mohammed Khateeb (Prince Charles Hospital)
Ms Madonna McGahan (Mater Health Services)
Ms Suruj Noor (Princess Alexandra Hospital)
Ms Amanda Parker (Logan Hospital)
Ms Nicole Payne (Royal Brisbane and Women’s
Hospital)
Imam Zeeyad Ravat (Islamic College of Brisbane)
Ms Galila Abdel Salam (Islamic Women’s
Association of Queensland)
Mr Mohammed Yusuf (Islamic Council of
Queensland)
QLD
Donates Half A Million Dollars For Pakistan Flood
Victims
Premier Anna Bligh today pledged
$500,000 to the Australian Red Cross for flood
victims in Pakistan where the lives of 20
million people have been devastated.
“This is a crisis of unimaginable
proportions – millions of lives have been
changed forever,” Ms Bligh said.
“These are the worst floods to
hit Pakistan in four decades and the images we
have seen have been absolutely horrific.
“There is a long road to recovery
and the immediate challenges such as overcoming
disease outbreaks and providing food and shelter
are immense.
“Queenslanders have always been
incredibly supportive and compassionate in times
of need.
“Our hearts go out to the people
of Pakistan at this terrible time and today I’m
pledging $500,000 to the Australian Red Cross on
behalf of the Queensland Government to help with
the relief effort.”
Ms Bligh said the Australian Red
Cross would use these funds to provide medical
treatment, shelter and food and clean water.
The funding is in addition to the
deployment of two Queensland Health senior
medical officers Dr Mark Little from Cairns Base
Hospital and Dr Peter Aitken from
the Emergency Department of The Townsville
Hospital to Pakistan - on standby for deployment
to Pakistan.
Dr Little and Dr Aitken will
primarily work in outpatient services and assist
the Australian Defence Force to provide health
services to people worst affected by the
Pakistan flood catastrophe.
Ms Bligh said the Queensland
Government will provide any additional
assistance that it can, as requested by the
Federal Government.
The CCN
Classifieds
Room to Let
One room to let in private Granny
Flat, $150 including electricity. Must be
female. Fully furnished. Suited for student.
Walking distance to garden city and close to
Griffith Univiersity.
Please contact Maha 0405 662 668.
Volunteering: Opening up opportunities for migrants and
refugees
Migrants and refugees are being
encouraged to consider volunteering to help
learn about their community and make connections
as they settle into their new homes.
Minister for Community Services Karen Struthers
said volunteering could open up a range of
opportunities for those who have recently
arrived in Australia.
“Volunteering can be a great way for migrants
and refugees to make new friends, share their
skills and help people in need,” Ms Struthers
said.
“It can also help recent settlers develop
knowledge of their new communities, gain work
experience and meet local referees.
“Volunteering opportunities are available for
everyone whatever their situation whether they
possess limited English skills or are working
full-time, seeking employment or studying.
“Whether it is volunteering at your local sports
club, doing bushcare activities, helping elderly
people or volunteering online, the opportunities
are endless,” she said.
Ms Struthers said organisations could also
benefit significantly by involving migrants and
refugees as volunteers.
“Migrants and refugees can contribute greatly to
organisations by bringing knowledge of specific
cultures, connecting organisations with cultural
groups in the community, bringing new
perspectives and increasing the cultural
sensitivity of services,” she said.
Ms Struthers said the Queensland Government was
committed to increasing volunteering.
“As part of the Toward Q2 targets, the
Queensland Government is aiming to increase the
proportion of Queenslanders involved in their
communities as volunteers by 50 per cent by the
year 2020,” she said.
“This includes increasing volunteering across
all sections of the community.”
The Department of Communities has produced a
brochure and poster for migrants and refugees
outlining the benefits of volunteering.
Fact sheets have also been produced for
organisations that work with migrants and
refugees, and for volunteer involving
organisations.
It was 1,400 years ago in the
year 610 CE, that a man meditating in a cave
near Mecca had an experience that was to change
the course of history.
As he reported later, the Angel of Revelation
appeared before him, grabbed him and commanded,
"Recite!"
The man was the Prophet Muhammad, and the result
of his terrifying encounter with the angel was
the revelation of the first portion of the
Quran, the holy book of Islam.
To mark the anniversary, Razia Iqbal
explores why the oral tradition of memorising
and reciting the Quran remains so powerful to
this day.
She meets children who would rather learn the
Quran than play with their playstations - and a
calligrapher who draws fresh inspiration from
the ancient text.
She also visits an imam with a passion for the
Quran in cyberspace.
Calligrapher Soraya Syed writes
the Bismilla, which opens the Quran.
Australian Halal Meat Report for Americans
A group of American halal
advocates conducted research on Australian Halal
meat and personally visited the major halal
slaughterhouses in Australia which export to
America.
Mufti Abdullah Nana of California
and Mufti Ikramul Haq of Rhode Island visited
over ten slaughterhouses in Australia from Oct.
25, 2009 until Nov. 11, 2009.
These two scholars traveled over
20,000 miles each by air and 3,000 miles by car
during their halal research trip in Australia.
They visited numerous states and
cities including Sydney, Golburn, Brisbane,
Rockhampton, Kilcoy, Bordertown, Dandedong,
Katanning, Wodonga, Tamworth, and Sunshine.
They have compiled the findings
of their research for the Muslim community in
America.
The University of Queensland (in
partnership with Deakin University, the
Australian Red Cross and Centre for
Multicultural Youth) is currently undertaking a
four year, multi-state research project
exploring migrant youth and their use of social
networks.
Specifically, the "Social
Networks" project is investigating the manner in
which young people of Arab, Pacific Islander and
African backgrounds draw upon both formal (e.g.
government agencies and non-government support
services) and informal (e.g. family, peers and
sub-cultural groups) networks to develop a sense
of social connectedness and belonging in
Australia.
Position description:
The University of Queensland is currently
seeking a part-time, casual research assistant
for their project "Social Networks, Active
Citizenship and Belonging among Migrant Youth in
Australia."
The research assistant will
assist with various tasks relating to developing
community partnerships and recruiting
participants for the study.
In addition to liaising with
various community organizations, the research
assistant will help organize (and, depending on
the skills set, possibly conduct) surveys,
interviews and focus groups with young people.
This position will be limited to approximately
6-10 months. Remuneration will depend on the
skill level and experience of successful
applicant.
Expressions of interests for this position are
currently being sought. Send along a current
resume or brief personal/employment biography.
It will be reviewed on August 30th and contact
potential candidates will be contacted.
Alhamdulillah, we have had a positive community
response towards this hamper drive. If you are
still interested in contributing, we are
collecting until Friday, 3rd September insha
Allah. May Allah reward all those who gave
generously. You can be assured that it is going
to those who are in great need.
• Fixed term vacancy:
IWAQ has a temporary vacancy for Front Desk
Administration. Please visit our website
www.iwaq.org.au for more information and for
a copy of the key selection criteria.
The Art of Spain is a BBC
Four documentary series on
Spanish art presented by
Andrew Graham-Dixon.
In this series Andrew
Graham-Dixon explores art in
Muslim and Christian Spain
from 711 to 1492.
Continuing from last week's
CCN, this is the final part
in the series ........
PART 6
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
Ramadan
and the world game
Over the last
few years, the subject of
Ramadan has become an
increasingly hot topic in
football circles. Opinions
are especially divided in
Europe, where doubts have
been raised as to whether
fasting players can endure
the rigours of intensive
training sessions and an
unrelenting fixture
calendar.
The issue shows no signs of
going away and has come in
for renewed media scrutiny
this year, so can
professional footballers
realistically respect
Ramadan just as their club
sides are returning to
action?
FIFA.com
shines the spotlight on a
number of players who have
managed to taste sporting
success while observing the
fast.
"It’s
always difficult to fast
here in the south of Spain,
where it’s very hot, but I
manage to adapt."
Sevilla
striker Kanoute
"It’s not
easy and of course you feel
the need to take in food,
but it only lasts a month."
Real Madrid's
Diarra
Permission
granted
Team
supervisor Markus Rauert
also indicated that Youssef
Mohamad is often able to
break the fast when the team
are scheduled to play away
from home. “We make a lot of
long trips on Saturdays,
which gives Youssef the
status of a traveller,” he
said. “That permits him to
eat and drink during the
day.”
In addition, the Central
Council of Muslims in
Germany and the bodies
representing Muslim
professional footballers
have authorised players to
eat during Ramadan. That
stance was adopted following
decisions made by the Al-Azhar
Mosque in Cairo and the
European Council for Fatwa
and Research, and it was
greeted with enthusiasm by
Frankfurt President Bernd
Reisig. “This makes it
possible for a professional
player to do his job to the
very highest standard while
fully respecting his
religious beliefs,” he said.
In Serbia, lastly, the Mufti
of Belgrade has allowed Red
Star’s Ghanaian midfielder
Mohammed-Awal Issah to eat
and drink on match days
during Ramadan. Club
spokesman Marko Nikolovski
explained that the Mufti
“permitted Issah to eat if
he felt weak on match days.
Issah felt a bit awkward at
first as he’s a pious lad,
but he’s now comfortable
with the idea.”
FIFA.com
Poll
shows Americans conflicted on Islam
Americans are
conflicted on Islam, a new
poll showed on Tuesday,
revealing a sharp drop in
support for the Muslim faith
since 2005 even though less
people see it as a violent
religion.
A slim majority (51 per
cent) objected to the
building of an Islamic
centre and mosque near the
site of the September 11,
2001 attacks in New York.
But 62 per cent of the 1003
people surveyed last week by
the respected Pew Research
Centre agreed that Muslims
should have the same rights
as other groups to build
houses of worship in local
communities.
Nine MSN
Australian
churches support boycott of Israeli goods
At the seventh triennial forum of the
National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) last
month in Canberra, the organisation approved a boycott
of produce from illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied
Palestinian territories.
General Secretary of the NCCA, Rev Tara Curlewis, said,
“It is hoped that such actions will liberate the people
from an experience of injustice to one where a just and
definitive peace may be reached.”
The ‘Palestine & Israel’ document, moved by the Unity
Church and seconded by the Anglican Church, contains a
total of seven resolutions. Among these are calls for
“an early end to the occupation of Palestine”, an
“immediate end” to the blockade of Gaza and a
condemnation of all acts of terrorism. The NCCA further
expressed their solidarity for Palestinians, through
their pledge to seek “an end to the injustice and
suffering borne by the Palestinian people.”
Ex-President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev
Gregor Henderson, told The Muslim News that his church
was a longstanding advocate of Palestinian rights.
Having worked with the Middle East Council of Churches
in relief programs, the body now participates in the
Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine-Israel
initiated by the World Council of Churches.
The church’s instigation of this boycott
was influenced by the 2009 document ‘A Moment of Truth’,
released by Palestinian Christians. Following the
Methodist Church’s declaration of a similar boycott here
in the UK, Henderson hopes that the positive actions of
world churches would serve “as a way of pressuring the
Israeli Government to become more serious about
negotiating for a just peace.”
Muslim News
Stock
market returns higher during Ramadan
A recent report has suggested that stock
returns during Ramadan are almost nine times higher than
during the rest of the year. The investigation found
that the month, “positively affects investor psychology”
as a rise in optimism and solidarity among Muslims lead
to, “optimistic beliefs that extended to investment
decisions.”
The intriguing “Ramadan Effect” is a study of
behavioural finance by three professors of finance and
management. Focusing predominantly on 14 Muslim
countries over the years 1989-2007, the results indicate
that Ramadan induces a sense of calmness, compassion and
even mild euphoria. The report argues this leads to a
“collective enthusiasm” and a heightened sense of social
identity.
This in turn can influence people’s
decisions, especially when this involves risk and
investment gambles. Moreover, as market prices are
influenced by changes in investor mood, the report
suggests that, on average, the economies of Muslim
countries flourished as positive valuations affected
equity markets.
Muslim News
Sign
language used for Friday prayers in Birmingham
Friday
April 16 saw the first instance of British Sign Language
being used as part of Khutbah (sermon), outside of
London. Birmingham’s Green Lane Masjid and Community
Centre worked with the charity Al-Isahara, to provide
interpreter facilitated communication to deaf
worshippers, during the Friday prayer.
The congregation, joined by a large number of deaf
community members, exceeded three thousand worshipers.
Assistance was offered by the West Midlands Fire Service
Team.
A spokesman from the mosque, recognising the
difficulties deaf worshippers face, thanked Al-Ishara
for their help. “At Green Lane Masjid, we are here to
serve the needs of our communities. For too long the
needs of our deaf communities were not being met.
With help from Al-Ishara, an organisation
dedicated to serving the needs of the deaf Muslim
community, we have been able to achieve this important
milestone. We can humbly say that our Friday sermons
will now be interpreted into sign language to benefit
our deaf communities,” said the spokesman.
The Al-Ishara charity implemented the same
scheme last year in the East London Mosque and London
Muslim Centre, Tower Hamlets. At the launch on April 17
2009, Al-Isharah Director, Sadaqat Ali, expressed his
delight at the progress being made, “We’re making
history today, starting with a seed and watching it
grow… The Muslim community and deaf community can be
united.”
:
The Al-Ghazalli Newsletter
of the Sydney-based Al-Ghazalli Centre can be
viewed
here.
Topics include:
• Invoke Media
• The Ansaar Project @ Exodus
• Crescent Sighting - Shawwal
• Mizaan Living - Horse Ridi
• Night of Remembrance - Brothers Only
• The Ansaar Project @ Elizabeth Bay
• Mizaan Ecology – Cooks River Regeneration Project
• Mizaan Ecology - Newcastle
The
Inbox
Dear CCN Readers,
We are all well aware of the devastation severe
floods have recently caused in Pakistan, affecting
many of the poorest people in the world. I am
privileged to have become involved in a unique
project established to rebuild the homes for many of
those affected, and am pleased to accept zakaat or
other funds for those wishing to donate for this
purpose.
Following a visit to Pakistan three years ago, I
have been working closely with Dr Rubina Gillani who
is heavily involved with several charitable
organisations (including the Fred Hollows
Foundation) providing aid to those in need in
Pakistan. Dr Gillani has been distributing food,
water and medicine to those affected and has
recently been instrumental in setting up a project
to rebuild homes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the worst
affected province, with more than 10 districts
directly affected by the floods.
The project will identify the very poor who were
living in mud houses and whose houses have been
either washed away or badly damaged. They will be
asked to build their own houses (a practice that is
followed in most villages) and supported by daily
wages during this time. It is estimated that the
cost of building a two room house with some
essential housing provisions, will cost
approximately AUD$660 per home. This will provide a
fast and inexpensive way of providing a large number
of homes to Pakistani families before the cold
winter season sets in.
I will be departing for Pakistan on the 22nd
September to assist with this project, please
contact me on 0400 142 786 if you would like to
donate.
Wasalaam
Zuleka Latif (Julu)
Dear Editor
Following my report on
Muslim Unemployment, now the OECD is
interested in seeing how domestic
Australian Muslim graduate facing the
prospects of employment and finding jobs
in their own area of studies.
I certainly appreciate
your assistance in advertising
volunteers of domestic Australian
Muslims to participate in one or two
focus groups: age 18-24 male and female
(university/tafe graduate job seekers or
employed).
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CCN
tweeting on twitter!
CCN
Readers' Book Club:
You are what you read!
This week
CCN
recommends
The Leadership of Muhammad
by
John Adair
The
life, times and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
on him) is so important to Muslims that from the outset
the Muslim scholars developed a separate genre of
literature focusing specifically on his life, times and
teachings for the benefit of posterity. This genre of
literature developed as a result of the early Muslims
desire to preserve and disseminate authentic information
about the life and mission of the Prophet who is not
only considered to be an outstanding role model for
humanity but also as the Seal of Prophecy (khatim al-anbiya).
In other words, to Muslims, the life and teachings of
the Prophet is more than a biography of a successful
leader and reformer; on the contrary, it represents the
meeting of Divinity and humanity in both their material
and spiritual dimensions. That is why Muslims consider
the Prophet to be al-insan al-kamil (the perfect human
being) who, despite being a mortal, became immortal by
exemplifying sublime qualities and attributes in all
spheres of his life including the social, moral,
economic, political and spiritual dimensions of human
endeavour.
In the words of the late Bosnian President and
philosopher, Alija Ali Izetbegovic, “…to properly
understand our position in the world means to submit to
God, to find peace, not to start making a more positive
effort to encompass and to overcome everything, but
rather a negative effort to accept the place and the
time of our birth, the place and the time that are our
destiny and God’s will. Submission to God is the only
human and dignified way out of the unsolvable
senselessness of life, a way out without revolt,
despair, nihilism, or suicide. It is a heroic feeling
not of a hero, but of an ordinary man who has done his
duty and accepted his destiny. Islam does not get its
name from its laws, orders, or prohibitions, nor from
the efforts of the body and soul it claims, but from
something that encompasses and surmounts all that: from
a moment of cognition, from the strength of the soul to
face the times, from the readiness to endure everything
that an existence can offer, from the truth of
submission to God. Submission to God, thy name is
Islam!” (Islam Between East and West, reprinted 1999,
pp291-292)
To Muslims, it is in the life and teachings of the
Prophet of Islam that we have the most powerful
expression of what ‘Submission to God’ means both
practically and spiritually. As the Qur’an states, “If
you love God, follow me, then God will love you.” (Surah
al-Imran: 31) The Prophet, in turn, remarked that, “None
of you has real faith unless I am dearer unto him than
his father and his children and all mankind.” (Sahih al-Bukhari
and Sahih Muslim) That is why it is not possible to
fully understand and appreciate the different branches
of traditional Islamic sciences (ulum al-din) including
Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic
spirituality or the vast corpus of Prophetic traditions
without a direct reference to the sirah (the life and
times of the Prophet).
The early Muslim scholars were acutely aware of this
and, as a result, they worked meticulously to preserve
as much information about the life, times and teachings
of the Prophet as possible for the benefit of future
generations. Thanks to their heroic efforts and
achievements, today we are able to study and analyse the
life of the Prophet from the beginning to the end
without any problems or difficulties. As the late
Muhammad Hamidullah, a renowned biographer of the
Prophet wrote, “To write the biography of Muhammad…one
is handicapped by the excessive number of documents, and
not by their paucity.” (Muhammad Rasulullah, 1974, p1)
This, no doubt, has helped John Adair, the author of the
book under review, to focus specifically on the nature
and role of the Prophet’s leadership in seventh century
Arabian society.
As one of the world’s leading authorities on Leadership
Studies and Development, and currently the Chair of
Strategic Leadership at the United Nations System Staff
College in Turin, the author has published extensively
in his field of specialisation but he does not explain
why he decided to focus on the leadership of Prophet
Muhammad. However, there are two clues, one: very early
on in his career he had served as an adjutant in the
Arab Legion, an army of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
and he remembers his time with the desert Bedouins with
fondness and affection, and the other clue is that he
considers the Prophet of Islam to be an unusually
successful practitioner of the core leadership skills
and qualities which are essential for becoming a good
leader.
In his own words, “This book is a biographical inquiry
into one aspect of the Prophet Muhammad’s life: his
leadership. It is not a full biography of Muhammad…I do
no more than touch lightly upon aspects of Muhammad’s
life that any biographer would regard as central, such
as his roles as Messenger and Prophet…For Muslims, the
first and original leader is God, and all are bound by
their faith to obey God’s law. Thus any leader of any
organization – business, political or religious – is
also first and foremost a follower of God. This fact
imposes limits on Islamic leaders, and defines their
duties to the people they lead. In Islamic thought,
model leaders were simultaneously both exalted and
humble, capable of vision and inspiration, yet at the
same time dedicated to the service of their people. As
you read these pages you will, I hope, be able to judge
for yourself just how close Muhammad comes to this
ideal. My argument in this book is that this ideal –
glimpsed more than once in the life of the Prophet
Muhammad – accords well with what we now know to be the
universal truth about the nature and practice of
leadership.”(pp1-2)
Divided into eight short chapters, in this book, the
author provides a brief overview of the nature and role
of the Prophet’s leadership from his early years to the
successful completion of his mission in 632CE, touching
also on the leadership qualities of other prominent
Muslim leaders like Caliph Umar, Imam Ali, Salah al-Din
(Saladin) and Ibn Khaldun’s theories of society and
leadership, among others.
Although there is no shortage of books on the life and
teachings of the Prophet written by non-Muslims in
English, however, Adair’s approach to the life, teaching
and leadership skills of the Prophet is an unusually
honest and sympathetic one. He understands and
appreciates that to the Muslims the Prophet is much more
than a mere leader and reformer. He was (and still
remains) their most powerful role model in every aspects
of life. So much so that today more than one billion
people across the world claim to be a follower of the
Prophet and they come from all backgrounds, cultures and
racial origin, being spiritually united by their faith
in one God and His Prophet. In the words of the Qur’an,
“In the Messenger of God is an excellent model for those
of you who put your hope in God and the Last Day and
remember Him often.” (Surah al-Ahzab: 21)
Unfortunately, the majority of the non-Muslim writers
and biographers of the Prophet continue to fail to
understand and appreciate how much Muslims respect and
revere the Prophet and his teachings. As a result, the
Prophet of Islam remains one of the most misunderstood
and misinterpreted religious personalities in modern
history especially in the Western world. Both Muslims
and non-Muslims are responsible for the perpetuation of
this inaccurate and distorted image of the Prophet who
is known in the traditional Islamic sources as nabi al-rahma,
(the Prophet of Mercy), because all his deeds and
actions were motivated by no other desire other than to
show, and to be shown, mercy – which is one of the most
important and beloved Attributes of Divinity (sifat
Allah).
In the conclusion, the author states, “The Muslim
tradition of leadership, if I have understood it,
transcends even the three great human traditions of
understanding leadership [Western thought, Eastern
philosophies and Tribal tradition]…At its pinnacle is
the lofty ideal that human leaders – men and women, boys
and girls – should model themselves on God. Through
meditation on the Qur’an, Muslims should seek to reflect
in their way of life – especially in their leadership –
these qualities in the world, as the moon reflects the
sun. If your feet stand in the Muslim tradition, then
that may be the path for you – the way in which you can
grow to be a ‘good leader and a leader for good’. But
within Islamic thought there is a bridge between
theology and philosophy – a bridge that made possible
the flowering of Islamic science, mathematics and
historical scholarship in the Middle Ages. That bridge,
of course, is the concept of Truth. From truth and
truth, whether it is found by contemplating the names of
God or through the study of human and social life, which
is the road that I have travelled. Therefore Islam today
is both an inheritor of the world’s body of knowledge
about leadership and – as I trust that I have shown in
this book – a great contributor to it.” (pp109-110)
This book provides an interesting and very useful study
of the leadership role and qualities of Prophet
Muhammad. The author deserves credit for focusing on
this aspect of the Prophet’s life and thereby he has
clarified many misconceptions about the life and
teachings of the Prophet of Islam. If the book is
reprinted in the future, the publishers should make the
following corrections: throughout the book Abd al-Muttalib
is wrongly spelt as Abd al-Muttahib; on page 91 Malik
al-Nastar need to be changed to Malik al-Ashtar, and on
page 116 the author states, ‘The first written
biographies appeared about a hundred years later.’ This
sentence should be rephrased as ‘The first written
extant biographies appeared about a hundred years
later,’ for Ibn Ishaq’s biography is still extant (an
English translation of this is also available).
Muhammad Khan
M Khan is author of the acclaimed book, The Muslim 100
(reprinted 2010), and The Muslim Heritage of Bengal
(forthcoming); he is a Founding Director of Bengal
Muslim Research Institute UK.
Full of fascinating detail of desert life and Bedouin
beliefs, The Leadership of Muhammad highlights the
leadership skills displayed by Muhammad and allows you
to share in his wisdom. John Adair weaves the story of
Muhammad's life together with aspects of Bedouin
culture, tribal leadership and ancient proverbs, to
provide key points for leaders and aspiring leaders. In
Islamic thought, model leaders were simultaneously both
exalted and humble, capable of vision and inspiration,
yet at the same time dedicated to the service of their
people. In The Leadership of Muhammad the author
discusses this ideal leadership and the essential
attributes of a leader such as courage, integrity,
practical wisdom, and moral authority and humility.
" On a journey the leader of the people is their
servant. " - The Prophet Muhammad
Would you
like to see the cover of your favourite book on our book
shelves below?
Using the book club you can see what books
fellow CCN readers have on their shelves,
what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB SAYS: The delicately
flavoured zucchini is low in calories and in Turkish
cuisine, it is the main ingredient in the popular dish
mücver, or "zucchini pancakes", made from shredded
zucchini, flour and eggs, lightly fried in olive oil and
eaten with yogurt.
In my variation, this savoury will go
down well with any chilli sauce.
Ingredients
1 cup grated
zucchini
½ cup corn kernels
1 tab olive oil
¼ cup polenta (mealie meal)
¾ cup gram (chana) flour
¼ cup semolina
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp crushed cumin (jeeru)
1 tsp crushed coriander (dhana) seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground chillies
1 medium onion grated (squeeze out the
water)
1 egg
1 tab lemon juice
Chopped coriander (dhunia)
Method
Combine all ingredients together and mix
well.
On a tawa or
griddle place I tablespoon of the mixture,
flatten it and allow to cook for a minute
and then turn over and cook on the other
side.
Q: Dear
Kareema, I try not to do too much cardio now during
Ramadan, but I still would like to burn fat & am
concentrating on toning for more definition. Any tips?
A: Resistance training is definitely the way to
go. It is proven to burn more fat than aerobic exercise.
Working out with resistance bands allows you to work
multiple muscle groups at the same time. It is also a
great option now during Ramadan as you can do it
anywhere, anytime, and it does not matter what your
fitness level.
Do at least three 20min sessions a week, with one day
off between sessions to allow your body to recover.
Select five exercises and do three sets of each with
20-30 reps per set. Don't forget to drink lots of water
at night and before Fajr. It will definitely help you
get through the day a little easier.
Try and keep this routine going after Ramadan,
incorporating it with your normal exercise regime and
get set for a more sculpted body!
Taleem
this week will be held on Thursday 2
September
from 11am-12pm at the
residence of:
Sabera Peer
1 Lilly Circuit
Kuraby
Phone: 07 3341 2755
All ladies
welcome
Inspiration
Talk, BBQ and Youth Hour
Topics that
are relevant, Iman-boosting and
mind-capturing. Where: AMYN Islamic Youth Centre,
16/157 North Road, Woodridge When: Every Sunday, 7pm
Info:
www.AMYNweb.com Everyone is invited
Australian Muslim Youth
Network (AMYN)
Find out about the latest
events, outings, fun-days,
soccer tournaments, BBQs
organised by AMYN. Network
with other young Muslims on
the
AMYN Forum
The best
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Disclaimer
Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of
Brisbane Team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors,
particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious,
offensive, slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of
CCN to include from time to time, notices of events that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such
notices are often posted as received. Including such
messages or providing the details of such events does
not necessarily imply endorsement of the contents of
these events by either CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
Friday
April 16 saw the first instance of British Sign Language
being used as part of Khutbah (sermon), outside of
London. Birmingham’s Green Lane Masjid and Community
Centre worked with the charity Al-Isahara, to provide
interpreter facilitated communication to deaf
worshippers, during the Friday prayer. 
The
life, times and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
on him) is so important to Muslims that from the outset
the Muslim scholars developed a separate genre of
literature focusing specifically on his life, times and
teachings for the benefit of posterity. This genre of
literature developed as a result of the early Muslims
desire to preserve and disseminate authentic information
about the life and mission of the Prophet who is not
only considered to be an outstanding role model for
humanity but also as the Seal of Prophecy (khatim al-anbiya).
In other words, to Muslims, the life and teachings of
the Prophet is more than a biography of a successful
leader and reformer; on the contrary, it represents the
meeting of Divinity and humanity in both their material
and spiritual dimensions. That is why Muslims consider
the Prophet to be al-insan al-kamil (the perfect human
being) who, despite being a mortal, became immortal by
exemplifying sublime qualities and attributes in all
spheres of his life including the social, moral,
economic, political and spiritual dimensions of human
endeavour. 
