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Assalamu Alaikum Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

The VOW staff, the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the Muslim Congress (MC) would like to present yet another issue of VOW for your reading pleasure and spiritual uplift.

As evidenced by the comments we've received, VOW has definitely, become a part of your life. However, some of you are still holding back, your wonderful thoughts and ideas under one pretext or the other. It is time to put the pen and paper together and contribute to the cause of Islam - please get in touch with the VOW team.

Alhamdulelah, we have a few informative and stimulating articles in this "OPEN" issue. The theme for the next newsletter is also OPEN, i.e. all articles related to Islam, on being a good Muslim are welcome, and this issue is due to be published in July 2008.

Suggested topics: How can Islam bring the community together? How do you explain Islam to your colleagues or non-Muslim friends? How does Islam influence your life and culture in the USA? Are we truthful to the message of Islam? Or are we practicing our own version of Islam. Is the message being preserved and passed on to the next generation? How can we bring the true message of Islam to the majority of the people of this country? Of course, articles that bring/build the community together, preserving the original message of Islam, are always welcome.

The deadline to receive articles for the July issue is June 15, 2008. Please try to submit these articles in Word 6.0 format. Once submitted, these articles become the property of Muslim Congress, and Muslim Congress reserves the right to edit these articles before publication.

We ask Allah (SWT) for His support and blessings for all muslimeen in these very challenging times. As followers of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) and his Ahlul Bait (AS), we are blessed with role models, but the challenge of living up to the expectations is upon all of us. To send ideas and suggestions for the e-newsletters, please e-mail us at newsletter@muslimcongress.org.

To send ideas and suggestions for the e-newsletters, please email us at newsletter@muslimcongress.org.

The Holy Prophet (SAWA) stated:

Imam Khomeini was a symbol in the West of the most obdurate atavistic pride and implacable hatred. And even some Westerners with whom I had talked with who had met Imam Khomeini commented on his charisma, but in the same breath remarked at the total absence of humour or warmth in his demeanour.

Now I had the opportunity to judge myself.

Now I was to see in the flesh the personage whose will had dominated Iran, whose policies (although attributed to God) had caused so much disruption in Iran and had drawn so much negativity from the West.

I secured a seat at the front of the hall; Khomeini's chair, draped with a white sheet, was situated on a stage above us at least fifteen feet from floor level.

We were there for about 45 minutes before there were signs that the Imam was about to make his entrance. The signal was clear; several other turbaned 'ulama emerged from the door and indicated to the mullah who was waiting on stage that the chieftain, priest, holy man commander and Imam was on his way. At the appearance of Khomeini in the doorway everyone jumped to his feet and began shouting, "Khomeini!" "Khomeini!" "Khomeini!", in the most vibrant athletic, rejoicing, militant tribute that I had ever witnessed for another human being. Everyone seemed completely taken over by the spontaneous surge of love and adulation, and yet there was the proclaiming with every cell of their heart the absolute confidence that what and who they were honoring was worthy of such honor in the eyes of Allah. Indeed I would say that the explosion of ecstasy and power that greeted the Imam was itself not so much a simple reflex based upon a fixed idea of the Imam; it was rather the natural and exuberant hymn of praise, of celebration that was demanded by the very majesty and overpowering charisma of this man. For once the door opened for him I experienced a hurricane of energy surge through the door, and in his brown robes, his black-turbaned head, his white beard he stirred every molecule in the building and riveted the attention in a way that made everything else disappear. He was a flowing mass of light that penetrated into the consciousness of each person in the hall. He destroyed all images that one tried to hold before one in sizing him up. He was so dominant in his presence that I found myself organized in my sensations by that which took me far beyond my own concepts, my own way of processing experience.

I had expected - no matter what the apparent stature of the man - to find myself scrutinizing his face, exploring his motivation, wondering about his real nature. Khomeini's power, grace, and absolute domination destroyed all my modes of evaluation and I was left to simply experience the energy and feeling that radiated from his presence on the stage. A hurricane he was, yet immediately one could see there was a point of absolute stillness inside that hurricane; while fierce and commanding, he was yet serene and receptive. Something was immovable inside him, yet that immovability moved the whole country of Iran. This was no ordinary human being; in fact even of all the so-called saints I had met - the Dalai Lama, Buddhist monks, Hindu sages - none possessed quite the electrifying presence of Khomeini. For those who could see (and feel) there could be no question about his integrity, nor about the claim, however muted by people like Yazdi, by his people that he had gone beyond the normal (or abnormal) selfhood of the human being and had taken residence in something absolute. This absoluteness was declared in the air, it was declared in the movement of his body, it was declared in the motion of his hands, it was declared in the fire of his personality, it was declared in the stillness of his consciousness. There was no mystery about why he was so loved by millions of Iranians and Muslims throughout the world and he demonstrated, to this observer at least, the empirical foundation for the notion of higher states of consciousness. Yes, the severity, the humorlessness, the absolutist judgement was apparent; yet given the circumstances within which he was placed, there was the affirmation of appropriateness in his every gesture and aspect. This was the most extraordinary person I had seen.

At first he did not speak; another religious leader addressed the audience, Khomeini sitting in a kind of immaculate silence and perfect equilibrium. He was motionless; he was detached; he was in an ocean of peacefulness; and yet something was in pure motion; something was dynamically involved; something was ready to wage constant war. He dwarfed all those people whom I had met in Iran; he dominated the stage even while the other mullah spoke.

All eyes were on Khomeini, and there was not the slightest trace of egotism, of self-consciousness, even, if I can say it, of inner dialogue or random thinking. His whole being focused relentlessly yet spontaneously on the point of concentration that aesthetically and spiritually fitted into the dramatic scene we were witnessing. Despite the fierce intention, the absolute sense of uncompromising rectitude, there was yet the sense of something perfectly effortless and smooth that dictated the manifest movements of his hands, the sound of his throat clearing, the focus of his attention. Here hundreds of patriots and Muslims had shouted his greatness, had sworn their love, their absolute adulation; yet while receiving all this he remained within himself, he remained unmoved; he remained in the dignity of some imperturbable inner state that was beyond the boundaries of a causation that I was familiar with.

The reader may wince at the extravagance of my description of this man; he must know, however, that despite everything that I had heard, despite the contradictory evidence I had received before (the seeming violence of the rhetoric, the lack of creative playfulness and so on), the actual and immediate impression of what Imam Khomeini was had nothing to do with some sort of idea or concept. The experience was too overpowering for that. Imagine for a moment the pushing of the body of oneself out of one's mother's womb, or the moment when one might awaken to the fact that one was being created inside a fetal body, or the moment when one was conscious of dying, or the moment when one first discovered the power of egos: these experiences have as their basis a primary determinant outside of the frame of reference the individual; what is dominant is the intrinsic nature of the reality which is giving birth to the experience. Such is what happened on the morning of Wednesday, February 9th, 1982 in North Tehran. The subjectivity of the experience seemed to be objectified by something that was at the very basis of my consciousness; I transcended the mode of experience that normally determined what sensations, thoughts, feelings constellated into my awareness of self. Khomeini was that powerful; Khomeini was that strong; Khomeini was that egoless and invincible.

He was not someone with whom one could discuss the meaning of individual choice, or the sensuous beauty of ballet, but he was yet the most formidable human being on the stage of international politics, and he seemed, at least from my vantage point, to be easily a contemporary of Christ himself; not that Khomeini would ever compare himself with Christ - but he radiated that same uncompromising integrity and one-pointed intention.

And yet I must go further; Imam Khomeini broke into my heart and my brain with a current of emotion that I can only describe as extreme positivity, what I would prefer to call 'love'.

There are two schools of thought within the Shi'a' Muslim community when it comes to the kind of approach that is best suited to the political reality of living in America. One point of view espouses "integration", pluralism and "humanitarianism" along with an avoidance of all controversial subjects such as Rushdie (LA), Palestine, etc. This point of view holds that Muslims should first establish "roots" in the community and partake in the political process to give themselves a certain level of credibility. It is not clear if this point of view has the resolution of issues that affect the Muslims Ummah at large attached to its vision, but in the short run it can safely be said that in this approach the Muslim Ummah takes a back seat to the "American Muslim." Some would argue that this is an unfair characterization of the above-mentioned approach. After all, Muslims who advocate this approach have donated a lot of money to places like Iraq. Money, though, cannot substitute for politically addressing the issue of Iraq. After all, no Muslim in America has given more money to Iraq than the U.S. government!

The second school of thought views the political and social reality of Muslims living in America through the prism of the Muslim Ummah, as expressed by the Holy Prophet (SAWA). The 'Ummah' in Islamic terminology is akin to the human body - if one part is hurt the rest of the body is in pain. From this point of view, there is nothing subversive or dangerous about having strong, public opinions about U.S. foreign policies that have a negative impact (or positive, though that his hardly the case nowadays) on Muslims living abroad. A good analogy of this point of view is that of a good friend; a good friend is one who will tell the truth about a situation, even if the truth is bitter and may cause an initial outburst of anger upon its being told. We owe it to the Muslim Ummah AND the American people (this second school of thought holds) that the truth about America's Zionist-hijacked foreign policy be told. The American people need to know the truth about why the government is hated around the world.

It is easy to distinguish between these two schools of thought. The former almost always prefers niceties and events that emphasize "friendship" and "brotherhood," and almost always avoids events such as Al-Quds day, or protesting Rushdie (LA), or the Danish cartoonist's insult of the Holy Prophet (SAWA).

Dissimulation or taqiyah (the act of hiding ones' faith) is often cited as a valid modus operandi by the first school of thought. What is truly amazing is that in doing so, people who adhere to this point of view have either completely misunderstood or are deliberately distorting the reality of taqiyah. As an a'alim pointed out in a recent speech, taqiyah has absolutely nothing to do with self-preservation (if that were the case, no one had more of a right to perform taqiyah than Imam Hussain (A.S.)).

Taqiyah functions to safeguard Islam. So, taqiyah is practiced as a method of saving Islam from destruction or damage, not as a means of saving one's own skin.

Those who espouse the method of "stealthy politics" also make the mistake of underestimating the ferocity and effectiveness of anti-Islamic propaganda in the U.S., and the very real danger it poses to Muslims living in America. Things have gotten so bad that prominent Christian preachers, such as President Bush's spiritual advisor Franklin Graham, openly call Islam a "terrorist" religion. Anti-Islamic propaganda is rife, feeding the U.S. public with an almost constant supply of fear and loathing of Islam.

The only way, according to the second school of thought to counter this vile, Zionist-inspired and -funded propaganda is to attack it head-on. Sure, there will be casualties along the way. Some may be targeted, even deported, but eventually the repetition of the truth about Zionism and Islam will start to have an effect, and the façade of the merciless Zionist lobby's invincibility will start to crumble, much like the façade of Israeli invincibility after its humiliating defeat at the hands of the brave and intrepid Lebanese nation.

I slam has been largely misunderstood in the West. The reasons can be traced back to the era of the Crusades. Ignorance, fear, suspicion, etc. prevented the followers of other major faiths from an objective and impartial study of the religion. The result was that numerous misconceptions, false stories, and biased accounts about Islam came to be accepted as "true" even by Christian scholars and historians. Eight of the misconceptions are listed below:

Misconception #1: Allah is "God of the Muslims"
Many Christians believe that Allah is different from the God of Jesus. The fact is that "Allah" in Arabic simply means The God, as does "Yahweh" in Hebrew, "Dieu" in French, and "Gott" in German. He is the same one God, the Omnipotent and the Omnipresent Deity, the Creator, Sustainer, and Cherisher of the universe.

Misconception #2: "Muslims worship Mohammad"
It is a common misunderstanding that "Mohammad was divine and that Muslims worship Mohammad," similar to some Christians who worship Jesus. The truth is that Mohammad (SAWA) is no more than a messenger of God. He died like any other mortal. Muslims do not believe that Jesus was divine (God or part of God). Muslims regard Jesus as a blessed and chosen Prophet of God.

Misconception #3: "Women are given an inferior status in Islam"
Nothing can be further from the truth. The status of women in Islam is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the religion. According to the Qur'an as well as the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), women enjoy an honorable status in Islam. Islam gives women separate legal rights as individuals. Fourteen hundred years ago at the very inception of the Islamic faith, by divine decree, women were given the right to divorce, the right to own property in their own name and separate from the husband, the right of inheritance, the right to make a will, and many other rights. These rights were not available to women in the Western societies until the 20th century.

The Qur'an says: "Men shall have the benefit of what they achieve and acquire, and women shall have the benefit of that which they similarly achieve and acquire." (4:32)
A saying of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) is recorded as follows: "If a daughter is born to a person and he brings her up, giving her good education and training in various arts of life, I shall myself stand between him and hellfire."
According to another saying of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA): "Paradise lies under the feet of the mother."
God says in the Qur'an about women: "They (wives) have rights similar to the obligations upon them in accordance to honourable norms"  (Holy Qur'an 2:228)

Misconception #4: "Polygamy is conducive to loose moral behavior"
Islam permits a man to have more than one wife under certain circumstances, but it does not encourage this practice. In fact, polygamy is discouraged.
The Qur'an says this about polygamy: "And if you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, and four, but if you may not do justice to them, then marry only one." (Holy Qur'an 4:3)

Islam permits polygamy as an alternative to situations, in which a husband may be tempted to commit immoral acts. A husband may be forced to seek a second wife in the following situations:
1. Inability of the wife to bear children and the couple chooses not to seek divorce.
2. Prolonged debilitating illness of the wife, where she is unable to provide sexual satisfaction to her husband, or carry on her responsibilities in relation to the family.
3. Prolonged physical separation due to war, travel, etc.
Polygamy was practiced by all of the prophets and their followers, such as Abraham, David, Solomon, and others. In the early days of Islam, because of successive defensive wars, there was a great shortage of men relative to the number of women. Polygamy was the only honorable way to provide the women, particularly the widows and orphans, with food, shelter, and protection. Thus, many moral and social ills were avoided.

Misconception #5: "Islam was spread with the sword"
In the past, some kings who were Muslims, conquered many lands; but a distinction has to be made between lands conquered by these kings and imposition of Islam on its people. Islam does not believe in force, coercion, or lure of material benefits to spread the faith. Muslims believe that God alone can put faith into the heart of a person.
"No soul can believe, except by the will of God..." (Holy Qur'an 10:100)
"Let there be no compulsion in religion." (Holy Qur'an 2:256)

There are several examples of the tolerance of Muslims towards other religions. Muslims ruled over Spain for many hundreds of years. The Christians and the Jews there were free to practice their own religion in their places of worship. In fact, Christians and Jews are regarded as privileged people and are mentioned with respect in the Qur'an as "People of the Book".

Indonesia ranks as number one in the world for its Muslim population. However, it was never invaded or conquered by any Muslim king or ruler. Other countries like Malaysia have a Muslim majority. There, Islam was spread when the local population came in contact with Muslim traders and merchants from overseas. In India, Islam was introduced and spread by Sufi Muslims who came from Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, etc. India has approximately two hundred million Muslims.

Today, Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and elsewhere and the world despite adverse publicity, deliberate media bias of the west, and negative stereotyping. The rich and the poor, intellectuals and commoners alike, continue to enter into the fold of Islam. The Muslim converts encounter rejection, resistance, alienation, and in some cases hostility from their families, friends, and employers. However, it does not deter them in pursuing their newly acquired faith.

Misconception #6: "Islam is intolerant of other religions"
There are many examples of the tolerance of Muslims towards other religions. Muslims ruled over Spain for many hundreds of years. The Christians and the Jews present there were free to practice their own religion in their places of worship. In fact, Christians and Jews are regarded as privileged people and are mentioned with respect in the Qur'an as "People of the Book".

Misconception #7: "Islam condones terrorism"
Islam prohibits terrorism, unlawful acquisition of property of others, and causing harm to innocent human beings. Islam rejects all forms of violence. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001 was condemned by Muslims around the world. In fact, those who perished included many Muslims.

Terrorists have no religion. They kill indiscriminately. Some terrorists use the name of religion to justify their atrocities, and thus bring a bad name. The Holy Qur'an says:
"Any one who has saved one life, (it is as if he) has saved the whole mankind, and any one who has killed a human being, except in case of murderer or mischief on earth, (it is as if he) has killed the whole mankind." (HolY Qur'an 5:32)

Misconception #8: "Islam rewards suicide with Paradise"
This misconception is held, unfortunately, by a very small minority. Fortunately, Muslims reject this view. Taking one's own life is no different than taking someone else's life. It is a major sin, which invokes the extreme displeasure and wrath of God. Islam forbids to commit suicide and condemns it. 

Misconception #9: Hijab (the headscarf and the outer covering) is "degrading to women"
In fact, it is a sign of dignity and respect for women. It signifies that the worth and value of a woman is not in her looks or her physical form. It protects Muslim women from being molested or exploited by men. It safeguards the woman from being reduced to mere "sex objects" or business commodities. Islam prohibits women from all acts of lewdness including public display of their beauty in any form or manner.
Islam similarly requires men to practice modesty in their behavior, to cover their private parts, and not to look at women with lust.

In conclusion, Islam upholds the moral and ethical teachings of Holy Prophet Abraham and all the other prophets of God including all the highest teachings, the teachings of the Holy Qur'an as practiced by the seal of all Prophets,  Mohammad (SAWA). These require a higher code of moral and ethical conduct. If a few Muslims fall short, they are to be blame.

The Prophet's Etiquette Syed Hadi Abedi     Allah (SWT) has praised His Messenger Mohammad (SAWA) in the Chapter  Pen (Surah Qalam): "Verily you (Mohammad) stand on an exalted standard of sublime morality." (68:3) According to Imam Fakhre Razi, Qur'an has mentioned 13 things as great (Azeem) and one of them is the Prophet's etiquette (Khulqe Rasoolullah i.e., akhlaqe Rasoolullah SAWA). However the whole world and whatever is in it has been described as small (qaleel). Muhaddith Abbas Qummi has said that "An attempt to describe the complete Prophet's Etiquette (Khuluqe Rasoolullah (SAWA))  is similar to measuring the amount of water present in the ocean with the help of a measuring pot." The Prophet (SAWA) said "Allah has sent me as an apostle so that I may demonstrate perfection of character, refinement of manners and loftiness of deportment" A selected few of the countless examples of his good etiquette and manners are listed below for reading, reflection and practice. His (SAWA) charming manners won him the affection of his followers and secured their lifelong devotion. He (SAWA) always received people with courtesy and showed respect to them. He would not deny courtesy even to a wicked person. He (SAWA) was the first to greet, and never withdraw his hand from the handshake until the other man withdrew his. If something were being said in his ear, he would never turn away until the speaker had finished. He (SAWA) spoke only when it was necessary and was always to the point, without any padding or fluff. At times, he slowly repeated his words to make the meaning clear. He (SAWA) did not like people to get up for him, he would himself, however, stand up when any dignitary came to him. He (SAWA) stood up to receive his wet nurse and even offered her his own mat to sit comfortably. This treatment was extended also to his foster brother. He (SAWA) always took a seat inconspicuously in a gathering, so much so that new people had problems identifying him and always ended asking for him. He (SAWA) never took offense, even when the uncouth people accosted him in their own gruff and impolite manner. He (SAWA) would visit the poorest of ailing persons. Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then seek their permission to enter the house. If permission were declined, he would return without being annoyed. He (SAWA) would sit with the humblest of persons saying that righteousness alone was the criterion of one's superiority over another. He (SAWA) invariably invited people be they slaves, servants or the poorest believers, to partake with him of his scanty meals. He (SAWA) always joined in housework and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. There was no type of housework that was too low or too undignified for him.