"TO DO list for Ramadaan"

1.Read Quraan

The blessed month of Ramadaan is the month in which the Quraan was revealed. Thus, this blessed month of Ramadaan is even more special in relation to the Quraan, because Allaah distinguished it by revealing the Quraan during it. Aside from recitation of the Quraan, learning the translation of the meaning, pondering over its Verses are also recommended and encouraged acts.[2]

Narrated Ibn Masood (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever reads a single letter from Allaahs book will receive a blessing and each blessing is worth ten times its value.”[3]

And he (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever reads one letter from the Book of Allaah, will receive one Hasanah (reward for a good deed), and one Hasanah comes with ten like it. I do not say that Alif – Lam - Mim is a letter. Indeed Alif is a letter, and Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter."[4]

Although the Quraan has been made easy to read and remember, it is also easy to forget, hence it is recommended to read it everyday. Narrated Aboo Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Keep on reciting the Quraan, for, by Him in Whose Hand my life is, Quran runs away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from their tying ropes."[5]

One should have realistic goals for himself, and read as much as he can, even if just a few lines per day. If a person wants the Prophets intercession on the Day of Judgment, then he needs to read and act according to the Quran.[6] Aboo Umamah said he heard Allaahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) say: “Recite the Quraan, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It…”[7]

As the mentioned above, we should be realistic and not go in extremes. Moderation and consistency is also very important. Try to make a plan for your self. Perhaps you should read a page of the Quraan, followed by its translation, and then followed by its Tafsir. This way, the verses will have a greater impact on you. The Quraan was sent as a guided, and its imperative we read it with understanding.
Reading 4 sides of the Mushaf after every salah will help you complete 1 juz in a day!

If we look at the practice of the Salaf: Umar ibn al – Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), is reported to have said, “Learn the Quraan five verses at a time, for verily, Jibreel used to descend with the Quraan for the Prophet (peace be upon him) five at a time.”[8]

For a good translation of the Quraan, I would recommend the one by Dr. Muhsin Khan. http://www.thenoblequran.com

For a good Tafseer (commentary and explanation), Imam Ibn Katheers is considered one of the best. http://www.darussalam.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_54&products_id=435

2.Dua

One should make as much Dua for himself, family and the Muslim Ummah as much as he can during Ramadaan. Narrated Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."[9]

Umm Darda reported: My husband reported that he heard Allaahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “He who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence), the Angel commissioned (for carrying supplication to his Lord) says: Ameen, and it is for you also.”[10]

3.Family ties

Ramadaan is a time where a person who may have problems or disagreements between his family members should clear them. There is great reward for one who upholds kinship.

Allaah, the Most High, said: “Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allâh has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.”[11]

Narrated Jubair bin Mutim (may Allaah be pleased with him): That he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, "The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise."[12]

Narrated Anas bin Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him): Allaahs Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever loves that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be prolonged then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."[13]

Narrated Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The word Ar-Rahm (womb) derives its name from Ar-Rahman (i.e. Allaah). So whosoever keeps good relations with it (womb i.e. Kith and kin), Allaah will keep good relations with him, and whosoever will sever it (i.e. severs his bonds of Kith and kin) Allaah too will sever His relations with him.”[14]

Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported Allaahs Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: “The earth will vomit long pieces of its liver like columns of gold and silver, and the murderer will come and say: It was for this that I committed murder. The breaker of family ties will come and say: It was for this that I broke the family ties; and the thief will come and say: It is for this that my hands were cut off. They will then leave it and will not take anything out of it.”[15]

4.Praying Qiyaam / Taraweeh/ Tahajjud (the Night Prayer)

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): I heard Allaahs Apostle (peace be upon him) saying regarding Ramadan, "Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allaah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."[16]

Please note: Theres a trend (especially with the youth), of not praying the whole day, except Taraweeh. This is very odd and it would be like someone working over time, but not working during the normal time!! i.e. how can you have any benefit from voluntary actions, if you are not doing the obligatory?

5. Making Dawah

Ramadaan is a perfect time for Muslims to make Dawaah to those that are not practicing, as well as non-Muslims. One can do this by being a kind person and showing the right example of the good Muslim, or even reminding his fellow Muslims what the obligations of Islam are.

6. Nawafil / Voluntary Prayers

At-tatawwu, or nawafil or supererogatory prayers, have been legislated to make up for any deficiencies left in the performance of fardh Salah (obligatory prayers). In Salah, there are virtues that are not found in any other form of worship.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The first of his deeds for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is sound then he will have succeeded but if it is not sound then he will be lost and doomed. If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, the Lord will say: Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary (prayers), and the shortfall from his obligatory prayers will be made up from that. Then all his deeds will be dealt with in like manner.”[17]

->FAJR = 2 Rakahs Sunnah + 2 Rakahs Fardh
-> DHUHR = 4 Rakahs Sunnah+ 4 Rakahs Fardh + 4 Rakahs Sunnah
-> ASR = 4 Rakahs Sunnah+ 4 Rakahs Fardh
->MAGHRIB = 2 Rakahs Sunnah + 3 Rakahs Fardh + 2 Rakahs Sunnah
->ISHA = 2 Rakahs Sunnah + 4 Rakahs Fardh + 2 Rakahs Sunnah + 3 OR 1 Rakah Witr

7.Duha Prayer

The Duha Prayer is a voluntary Salah prayer between the time after Fajr (i.e. Dawn) and the time before the Dhuhr prayer (i.e. forenoon). Ishraq, Salat ul Awwabin (prayer of the penitent) and Duha are different names for the same prayer. The minimum Rakahs for Duha prayer are two and the maximum are twelve. The preferable amount among them is four, which is supported and approved by the ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It may also be remembered that this Salah was a tradition of the previous Messengers and they used to perform it during their times. Hence this prayer is Sunnah and Mustahab (desirable).[18]

8. Sitting in the Mosque Until Sunrise

Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: "That I sit with people remembering Almighty Allaah from the morning (Fajr) prayer until sunrise is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from among the Children of Ismail. That I sit with people remembering Allaah from the afternoon (Asr) prayer until the sun sets is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from among the Children of Ismail."[19]

Anas (may Allaah pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that, “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits and remembers Allaah (makes dhikr) until the sun rises, then prays two rakahs, will have a reward like that for Hajj and Umrah, complete, complete, complete.”[20]

9.Make Dhikr Of Allaah

Allaah, the Most High, said in the Quraan, “O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.”[21]

And He, the Most High, also said: “And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful.”[22]

Narrated Aboo Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The example of the one who celebrates the Praises of his Lord (Allaah) in comparison to the one who does not celebrate the Praises of his Lord, is that of a living creature compared to a dead one."[23]

10.Fasting

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allaah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allaah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."[24]

Narrated Aboo Saeed (may Allaah be pleased with him): I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, "Indeed, anyone who fasts for one day for Allaah's Pleasure, Allaah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years."[25]

Narrated Sahl (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, 'Where are those who used to observe fasts?' They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it."[26]

11.Itikaaf

Narrated Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to practice Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice Itikaf after him.[27]

12.Not Missing the Witr Salah

“Witr” literally means odd number. Witr has two different meanings in the Sunnah: The last one or three Rakahs of the night prayer, or it means all of the night prayers (because in essence they are odd – numbered). This discussion refers to the former meaning. We learn from the following hadith that Witr is not obligatory but desirable. But it would not be correct to show any slackness in performing it because every Muslim should do his best to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).[28]

13.Giving Charity

Allah, the Most High, says in His Noble Book: “O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the Wrongdoers.”[29]

Aboo Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported Allaahs Apostle (peace be upon him) as saying: “In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allaahs glorification (SubhanAllaah) is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him (Alhamdulilah) is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness (La ilaha illa Allaah) is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness (Allaahu Akbar) is an act of charity, enjoining Maruf (good) is an act of charity, forbidding what is Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two rakahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.”[30]

14.Providing for one to open the fast

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast, will have a reward equal to his, without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting person.”[31]

The rich reward of helping others break their fast can be achieved to one’s best ability, and is not required for a people to over burden themselves in this regard.[32]

15.Be Consistent and Moderate

Its very easy to have a sudden burst of energy and do a lot in one day and then not do anything during the rest of the month (due to tiredness). It’s Sunnah to be moderate and consistent. Dont over burden yourself, and dont look at what others are doing. You should do what you can to your ability (and properly) and be constant with those deeds.

Narrated Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): Allaahs Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allaah's is the most regular and constant even though it were little."[33]

Narrated Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her): The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allaah?" He said, "The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few." He added, 'Dont take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability."[34]

Narrated Alqama: I asked Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), mother of the believers, "O mother of the believers! How were the deeds of the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Did he use to do extra deeds of worship on special days?" She (may Allaah be pleased with her) said, "No, but his (peace be upon him) deeds were regular and constant, and who among you is able to do what the Prophet was able to do (i.e. in worshipping Allaah)?"[35]



Oh Allaah allow us to make the most of Ramadaan. Oh Allaah, let us meet you with a clean heart, with all our sins erased. Oh Allaah grant us mercy, and make us from those that you have freed from hell fire. Oh Allaah allow us to be from those that you enter in heaven.

And It is Only Allaah Who grants success. May Allaah Exalt the mention of His slave and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), and render him, his household and companion safe from Evil, Aameen!


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[1] ‘Ramadaan: Excellent Merits and Virtues Deeds’, p. 6

[2] ‘Fasting in Ramadaan’, p. 12 – 13

[3] Sunan at – Tirmithee; Classes Saheeh by Sheikh al – Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan at – Tirmithee, Vol. 3, Number 2327

[4] Sunan at – Tirmidhi, 5/175; authenticated by Sheikh al – Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan at – Tirmithee, 3/9; and Saheeh - ul - Jami' As-Saghir 5/340

[5] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 552; Saheeh Muslim, Book 0004, Number 1727

[6] http://ahmadjibril.com/articles/ramadan.html

[7] Saheeh Muslim, Book 004, Number 1757

[8] Collected by al – Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al – Eemaan and quoted by as – Suyooti in al – Itqaan, Vol. 1, p. 124 – 5. As – Suyooti notes, however, that it is authentically reported that some passages were revealed ten passages as a time, and on some occasions only part of a verse would be revealed

[9] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 12; Saheeh Muslim, Book 001, Number 0072

[10] Saheeh Muslim, Book 035, Number 6589

[11] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Muhammad 47:22 – 23

[12] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 13

[13] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 15

[14] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 18

[15] Saheeh Muslim, Book 005, Number 2210

[16] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 226; Saheeh Muslim, Book 4, Number 1662

[17] Narrated in Sunan at-Tirmithee, Number 413; Sunan Aboo Daawood, Number 864; Classed as Saheeh (authentic) by Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh Aboo Daawood

[18] Commentary Bulugh – Al – Maram (Englsih), published by Darussalam, Hadith: 310

[19] Sunan Aboo Daawood, Number 3667; Classed authentic Hasan by Sheikh al – Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Aboo Daawood, 2/698

[20] Sunan at – Tirmidhi; authenticated in Saheeh al-Jaami’, Number 6222

[21] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-Ahzab 33:41

[22] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah Al-A'raf 7:205

[23] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 416; Saheeh Muslim, Book 4, Number 1706

[24] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 125

[25] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 93; Saheeh Muslim, Book 006, Number 2570

[26] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 120; Saheeh Muslim, Book 006, Number 2569

[27] (Agreed Upon); Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 3, Book 33, Number 243; Saheeh Muslim, Book 006, Number 2640

[28] Prayer According to the Sunnah, compiled by Prof. Muhammad Zulfiqar, Darussalam publishers

[29] The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah al-Baqarah 2:254

[30] Saheeh Muslim, Book 004, Number 1557; Sunan Abu Dawud; and Musnad Ahmad

[31] Sunan at – Tirmithee, Number 804; Ahmad, 5/192; Sunan Ibn Maajah, Number 1746; ibn Hibbaan, Number 895; Imam Tirmithee declared it Saheeh and it is as he said; as quoted ‘Fasting in Ramadaan’, p. 62.

[32] ‘Ramadaan: Rules and Related Issues’, p. 15

[33] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 471

[34] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 472

[35] Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 473

How I Came to Love the Veil -Yvonne Ridley

British-born, award-winning journalist Yvonne Ridley is well known in the Muslim world for her outspoken views and defence of Islam. She endeared herself to the Muslim community in Britain when she reverted to Islam 30 months after making international headlines when she was captured by the Taleban on an undercover assignment in Afghanistan. She was a senior reporter of the Sunday Express at the time, having spent nearly 10 years in Fleet Street working for several prestige titles including The Sunday Times, The Observer, Daily Mirror and Independent on Sunday

POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam ... without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I'm sure critics of Islam will quote random Qur'anic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body ... this is another way of the Qur'an saying; "Don't beat your wife, stupid".

Now let's take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.


On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day . . . that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.


During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I'm not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don't know who was happier when I was released - them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that ut clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a "great mother"?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children.

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician. Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.


Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab - the face veil revealing only the eyes - as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman's wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab - both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior.

Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can't stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched - largely by men - is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens' rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women's liberation in Afghanistan.

I've been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. "Don't try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table," one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men - but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said: "FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS".

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE NASHEED!