Vol. No. 19, Issue Nos. 11December 2018
IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.
MOTTO ISLAM: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND
MR. AMIR AZIZ, IMAM OF THE BERLIN MOSQUE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONCERT FOR PEACE TO COMMEMORATE 100 YEARS OF WORLD WAR I. HE
RECITED THE ADHAN BEFORE THE AUDIENCE OF 7000 PEOPLE
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A MESSAGE OF PRAYER FROM OUR CHRISTIAN FRIEND FOR THE LAHORE JALSA 2018 2Iain Dixon, ManchesterMESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS TO THE WORLD 3Iain Dixon, Manchester
ACTIVITIES AT THE BERLIN MOSQUE REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 2018 4Amir Aziz
PageCONTENTS
A MESSAGE OF PRAYER FROM OUR CHRISTIAN FRIEND FOR THE LAHORE DU’AIYYA 2018
Iain Dixon, Manchester
Assalamu ‘alaikumTrusted friends and Jama‘at of kind hearted ones!
I greet you from the land of England in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a world full of hatred, and tongues are often poisoned with criticism and misunderstanding. But I pray that your experience at Du’aiyya this year will be so different from the world outside. May you experience a glimpse of Allah’s eternal Kingdom here and now. May your Du’aiyya 2018 be sweeter than the taste of honey, and more fragrant than the scent of a beautiful flower. May peace and blessings be multiplied upon you all. And as rain brings life and fruitfulness to a dry and barren land, may our wonderful Creator pour upon you all at this time a portion of His presence and an awareness of his greatness!
Look up! Look in! And look around!In the next few days I invite you to gaze towards heaven, to look UP towards Allah, to trust Him, to fall in love with Him afresh. Ask Him to clothe you with robes of peace, and ask Him to cover you with garments of righteousness. Look UP to Allah as your guardian, as your protector, and as your provider. May the Bounteous character of Allah be woven into your lives, with threads of heavenly gold and purity. May the precious days of Du‘aiyya 2018 also be an opportunity to look IN......to look deep within yourselves, and to remove hard heartedness, luke-warmness towards spiritual things, and to put right the things we know we have neglected concerning our relationship with our Creator.
And finally, learn to look AROUND! Is there a brother or a sister around you who needs encouraging? Ask Allah to lead you to that person who is weary or is struggling. Treat them kindly and whisper to him words that will bring comfort, words that will lift him.
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We live in dangerous times, but we also live in exciting times too! Allah is the Best of planners, and is the Master time-keeper. As each day passes, Allah’s wonderful plans and prophetic timetable unfolds before us, just like the gentle opening up and unfolding of the beautiful petals of a flower. May we have eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts that understand Allah’s plans and purposes towards us.
“ Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants - the prophets.”- (Amos 3:7)“ I am declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.”(Isaiah 46:10)“ And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44).
May Du‘aiyya 2018 be a prophetic sign-post, pointing to Heaven’s direction. A glimpse of the king-dom to come......an oasis of life in a world full of darkness and despair.
Be blessed!Iain Dixon (Follower of Jesus, and a great friend of Muslims!)
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MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS TO THE WORLDHOW A STUDENT OF BIBLE AND THE QUR’AN LOOKS AT IT
“When you receive a Christmas card from a friend, neighbour or work colleague, don’t just put it on the mantelpiece (or put it in the bin if it is against your beliefs), instead, take the name signed on the card, and make du‘a for the person… “
Iain Dixon, Manchester
Love it, or hate it, Christmas is here again! Everyone I am sure, has views for or against Christmas. But perhaps we can cut through all the arguments, misunderstandings, myths and misnomers, and recognise that every day can be Christmas for the believer. The Honoured Qur’an has much to say about the promised birth of Jesus. “Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings [Good News] of a Word from Him: His name will be (Christ) Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of the company of those nearest to Allah.” ( Surah 3:45).
‘Jesus.....a Word from Allah’. A precious promise. I was reading an article the other day about coco-nuts. When a coconut is fully ripe, it automatically falls from the tree to the earth. It made me think, just as a coconut is released only when it is ripe, so in a similar way, all of Allah’s prophets appear on this earth at his perfect timing.......when the time is ripe. Jesus, the greatest man to walk on this earth, came in Allah’s perfect timing. The Bible tells us that Jesus was sent forth “when the fullness of time had come.” (Galatians 4:4). The Bible tells us more about Jesus, the precious promise, and
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describes him as The Word. We are told : “ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14). The one who was promised, in prophecy, became a living and breathing reality. The Quran describes Jesus as “a Sign to men, and a mercy from [Allah].”- (Surah 19:21). Coconuts can end up many miles away from where they originally drop to the earth. …. The humble coconut can travel great distances. Similarly, the message of Jesus has spread far and wide. It was said of Jesus: “He shall be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of [Allah’s] people Israel” (Luke 2:32).
As a pebble dropped in the centre of a pond creates ripples that spread out to the edges of a pond, so Jesus’ teachings have spread to the ends of the earth. What did he teach? Love, compassion, purity, devotion to Allah, and his Kingdom. These are all Christmas gifts we can enjoy for ourselves and share with others.
Can we not be excited about the birth of Jesus every day? Can his teachings not transform us every day? Can’t every day be Christmas? Jesus is the prophet that changes hearts. All those who connect with him can be changed. Hearts that are black with sin can become white - white with righteous-ness. Those that are without hope can be lifted and encouraged. Every day can be Christmas. So, whether we are hostile to December 25th, or whether we are looking forward to a Turkey dinner, here is something we can all do this Christmas.
When you receive a Christmas card from a friend, neighbour or work colleague, don’t just put it on the mantelpiece (or put it in the bin if it is against your beliefs). Instead, take the name signed on the card, and make du‘a for the person. Ask Allah to bless him and encourage him.....to help him through any struggles he may be facing. Keep the card as a bookmark, and use it as a reminder to make du‘a for that person throughout the year. And Make a quality decision to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, contaminating the world with kindness and good deeds. Jesus was appointed as a mercy to mankind, and as a sign. May that be said of us - also. It can be Christmas every day. Will you give it a try? Lots of love from me … till next Christmas
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ACTIVITIES AT THE BERLIN MOSQUEREPORT FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 2018
By Mr. Amir Aziz, Imam of the Berlin Mosque
Visit of students from HWR University in Berlin1st November.A group of students of HWR University Berlin visited the Berlin Mosque with their teacher. These students will be future police officers and are learning different laws of the country as as well basic teachings of religions. After presentation about the Berlin Mosque and salient features of Islam, they had very interesting question/answer session. A copy of the German translation of the Holy Quran was presented to the teacher.
Participation in an International Peace Concert
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2 November. Mr. Amir Aziz, Imam of the Berlin Mosque was blessed with the opportunity to recite the Adhan in an international Concert for Peace to commemorate 100 years of World War I. The programme was organized in the beautiful Mercedes benz Arena, Berlin which was attended by 7000 people. This programme was broadcast live on various TV channels in UK, Germany etc. More
than 30 thousand people watched this programme.
Visit of students of a Primary school5 November. Students of a primary school visited the Berlin Mosque with their teacher. They were given brief introduction about Islam and the purpose of a mosque in Islam. They sang some songs as well and enjoyed the trip fully.
A Group of Old people at the Berlin Mosque8 November. A group of old people visited the Berlin Mosque. After presentation about the Berlin Mosque, a very interesting question answer/session followed.
Into the fold of Islam10 November. A German lady Ms. Denise Maertin took Shahadah and entered into the fold of Islam. She was given the Islamic name Hala. A copy of the German translation of the Holy Quran and some other booklets were presented to her. We pray that may Allah help her to lead a successful and pious life.
Interfaith Meeting of the Mayor of Wilmersdorf20 November. An interfaith meeting under the chairmanship of Mayor of Wilmersdorf district Mr. Reinhard Naumann was held at the Berlin Mosque. It was 1st of Rabi-ul Awwal, the month the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, was born. The Imam was asked to give a brief talk about salient features of the life of the Holy Prophet and the work of the Berlin Mission. Report about the activities of the Berlin Mosque were appreciated by all. Programme started with the recitation from the Holy Quran by the Imam of Seituna Mosque. Later on president of Seituna
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Mosque spoke briefly about the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. At the end refreshments were served to the people.
Participation in the All-Religions Conference22 November. The annual conference of All-Religions was held in the Town Hall of Berlin. It was organized by the Interfaith Organization in which a minister and a senator also addressed the audi-ence. Mr. Amir Aziz, Imam of the Berlin Mosque represented the Berlin Mosque.
The Holy Prophet’s Birthday celebration at the Berlin Mosque24 November. Eid Milad-un-Nabi programme was organized at the Berlin Mosque. It was a success-ful event in which men, women and children participated. Mr. Amir Aziz, Imam of the Berlin Mosque spoke about the life and morals of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. Later an Arab guest recited an Arabic Qasida followed by his brief speech and prayer by our old friend of the Mosque Bro Ahmed Khurshid, an Engineer by profession. Youngest daughter of Mr. Amir Aziz, Saleena Aziz helped her father in arranging the programme.
A Group from a Church in Berlin29 November. A group of people from Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Church, Berlin visited the Berlin Mosque. After the presentation about the Berlin Mosque question/answer session was held. A copy of the German translation of the Holy Quran was presented to the group leader.
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RENOVATION OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE BERLIN MOSQUE (FINAL STAGE)
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IMAM'S HOUSE: STRENGTHENING OF THE FOUNDATIONS AND DAMP-PROOF TREATMENT
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RENOVATION OF THE EXTERIOR
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VIEWS OF THE BERLIN MOSQUE AND THE IMAM'S HOUSE AFTER RENOVATION
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ACTIVITIES AT THE BERLIN MOSQUE
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ANNUAL QUR'AN HIFZ COMPETITION
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The youngest girl from France won award at the Annual Qur’an Hifz Competition 2018 and later visited the Berlin Mosque.
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blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter. May Allah bless you all.
Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication. I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin. The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: [email protected]
ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND
Photographs : Christian Fessel, Amir Aziz (Berlin).Design & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia
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