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[embedded content] SHAFAQNA –In order to bring you, our readers, closer to realities and truths, Shafaqna will conduct a series of exclusive podcast interviews with renown political analysts politicians, officials, religious leaders, and academics. As always our aim is simple – knowledge. In a world run, and based on falsehood, Truth has become somewhat of a rare commodity – still, we ought to seek what has been dissimulated as to rise truly free. As Imam Ali said: “Ask in order to understand, and do not ask in order to find fault, for surely the ignorant man who wants to lea resembles a man of knowledge, and surely a man of knowledge who wants to be difficult resembles an ignorant man who ...

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:60)By: Mohammad Sobhanie The Miracle of Water Gushing Forth in the Desert! بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِوَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَۖ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًاۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْۖ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِن رِّزْقِ اللَّـهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٦٠﴾ Translation: And when Moses prayed for water for his people, We said, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Thereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it; every tribe came to know its drinking-place. ‘Eat and drink of Allah’...

SHAFAQNA –“Marriage is not a contract which tus women into men’s slaves. Marriage does not strangle their lives and deny their usual habits and moods. Women are human beings, and their humanity must remain in tact throughout their married lives, just as men are human beings and their humanity must remain in tact throughout their married lives. God the Glorious and Exalted has based the nature of men and women’s lives together on a foundation of love and mercy, so as to increase the feelings of unity which tie the couple together. Therefore, it is not a question of a contractual obligation towards a partner for life, as is understood from the phrase ‘life partner’. The issue must be underst...

SHAFAQNA –Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi said in the meeting with authorities of the Aual Meeting of Hazrat Ali Asghar (A) World Congress, “Arbaeen is exclusive to Imam Hussein (A) so that Ashura would not remain in Karbala and to be lost in history. This movement indicates that Ashura movement is alive forever.” Sayyed Raeisi in the conference held in Quds auditorium of Central Library of Astan Quds on Friday evening, Aug 5, said, “The sacred bloods shed over the earth on Ashura was for reviving Islam and providing for establishment of Islamic sovereignty by Imam Mahdi (AJ).” Referring to a part of Arbaeen pilgrimage prayer that considers Imam Hussain’s (A) blood as a cause of wiping ignor...

SHAFAQNA- Ibn Tawus was bo on 15 Muharram 589 (21 January 1193) in Hilla and was named Tawus (peacock). One of his forefathers was a handsome man with ugly legs so his progeny too inherited the title from him.During his first 14 years of his life he was brought up and taught under many teachers including his father and grandfather.Later on he married Zahra Khatoon the daughter of the Shia Vazir of Nâsir bin Zaidi and settled in Baghdad. Ibn Tawus apparently had good relations with the Caliphs of his time like Muntansir, however he refused to be involved in any political affairs.There is not exact information about his family and number of his children. His children were known by the name of...

SHAFAQNA –When I first heard the verdict to execute my little boy, I felt as if a thunderbolt was hitting my head. It rendered me bereaved and rid of the most cherished and beautiful things I have. His absence has exhausted my heart. My eyes shed tears automatically, yeaing for him. I am overtaken by missing his angelic features. His smile never leaves my mind and memories prompt me to weep each time I see one of his pictures. Everything that was beautiful Before Ali’s arrest, my family led a normal life. He was a nice beautiful child who never ceased to become even more beautiful as he grew up. His beauty was prompted by his kind heart, love of others and beautiful morals. He loved everyth...

SHAFAQNA –Kind residents have been donating food packages to organizations helping needy and homeless people, as well as refugees and asylum seekers living in Peterborough, Britain. A number of donations have been made by organisations across the city to help residents who are struggling to afford food through the summer months. Members of the Hussaini Islamic Centre in Burton Street, Peterborough, donated a large number of parcels of food to the Red Cross, located in Priestgate in the city centre. A spokesman for the centre said these food packs are for local refugees and asylum seekers as a part of the holy month of Ramadhan. The packs contain all the essential ingredients in preparing fo...

SHAFAQNA –With no official mosque, Cuban followers of Islam do their best to observe the holy month and practise their religion. They speak little Arabic and don’t have a real mosque, but Cuba’s small Muslim community practises the faith and will quietly mark the end of Ramadan as best they can. In Havana’s old quarter, one can see a green and white minaret on top an old colonial-style building. It is here where Cuban Muslims have gathered for the past year to pray. Inside, the walls of the prayer hall are decorated with Arabic calligraphy and a Palestinian flag. The copies of the Quran have been translated into Spanish. “Salam aleikum,” says a smiling man named Javier as he welcomes visito...

SHAFAQNA –About 200 Oklahoma Muslims spent a recent afteoon sorting and packing food to help Oklahomans who struggle with hunger every day. The aual Ramadan Day of Service at the Regional Food of Oklahoma, held June 25, was part of the Oklahoma Muslims Care campaign, a program designed to facilitate community service opportunities for Oklahoma Muslims. The campaign highlights the commitment to service toward the betterment of all in the state, and participation helps Oklahoma Muslims honor their beliefs by giving back to those in need. “In the month of Ramadan, when we are abstaining from food and drink, we are encouraged to think of how we can help those in need. It is for that reason that...

SHAFAQNA –The question might sound childish … maybe even ignorant but what is Ramadan? By that I do not mean the mechanics of fasting – I am referring here to the religious symbolic of the holy month of Ramadan. Of all the many duties and obligations set upon us by God, only the month of Ramadan belongs to Him, and Him alone. While prayers, and charity serve us, as they help coect us to Islam by tangibly anchoring us in our faith, Ramadan remains God’s …. But that does this even mean? Many I’m sure will see in Ramadan an exercise in humility, a right of spiritual passage which enables us to experience empathy and mercy for others. A fasting of both the soul and the flesh, Ramadan also allow...

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:55-56)By: Mohammad Sobhanie Irrational Demand بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّـهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾ ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٥٦﴾Translation: And when you said, ‘O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly.’ Thereupon a thunderbolt seized you as you looked on. Then We raised you up after your death so that you might give thanksCommentary: Prophet Musa (AS), along with the Children of Israel, miraculously crossed the Nile River and arrived at the Sinai Peninsula. Soon after, Allah (S...

SHAFAQNA – Invited to break fast with the city’s Muslim community, residents of Mankato city in Miesota attended the first iftar at Envision Labs on Sunday, June 26, building relations between the religious group and the community at large. “We’re opening our hearts and minds and saying this is our holy month and we want people to come and celebrate,” Fardousa Jama of the Somali Community Barwaaqo Organization said of the event. Sunday marked a first for the city in that non-Muslims were invited to share in a communal breaking of fast at Envision Labs. The event, a brain child of Jama, included providing food for roughly 200 people from in and out of the Muslim community. Bringing in the re...

SHAFAQNA –Every Ramadan, Republican lawmaker Dan Kildee prepares to observe one day of fasting with his staff during the holy month, the tradition which has brought the office closer. “It’s something we kind of look forward to now,” Kildee said. “It’s a good way to understand one another, to at least take a moment to experience the ritual.” The tradition started when the Michigan Democrat was working during his election campaign for Congress in 2012. Working around the clock, he realized that one of his Washington DC staffers, Ghada Alkiek, was keeping up while fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “It’s, like, 18-hour days and, at one point we said we have to try this,” Kildee, 57,...

SHAFAQNA –For millions of Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan is a time for reflection and abstinence. It is a time when those who follow Islam are supposed to clear their minds of distractions and dedicate more of their attention to their faith. It is probably more noticeable for those who are not from traditionally Muslim countries, because Ramadan is adhered to more strictly by so many on such a large scale. But Islam is not the only religion that fasts – indeed many faiths at some point in the calendar require their followers to offer some level of abstinence. Fasting tends to be from food, drink, smoking, and acts that give pleasure such as sexual intercourse and listen...

SHAFAQNA-Members of the Harford County Muslim community in the US State of Maryland will celebrate and reach out to their neighbors of all faiths by hosting a traditional Ramadan iftar, or fast-breaking dier, on Saturday, June 25 at Masjid Al-Falaah. The event, which is open to the public, will get underway at 8 p.m. Masjid Al-Falaah is located at 3014 Philadelphia Road in Abingdon. This year Ramadan started on June 6. “As more than one and a half billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan by fasting and appreciating the blessings given to us, it is equally important for the American Muslim community to reach out to our neighbors as an example of true Islamic ideals,” said Dr. Rehan Khan, t...

SHAFAQNA –Controversy brewed Monday night over a message posted by a Pesylvania church and the response to that message from a school board member. At the board’s meeting Monday, several people asked the member, Matt Jansen, to resign. “And I just want to offer you my absolute, 100 percent deepest apologies,” Jansen told the crowd at the outset of the meeting. Recent controversy stems from his reaction to a church sign at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Dallastown. The message, which has since changed, reads, “Wishing a blessed Ramadan to our Muslim neighbors.” “I came by,” Jansen said, “and I was disturbed by the sign, quite frankly, and I just reacted to it.” He tweeted his disappro...

SHAFAQNA –Braving long summer hours without food and water, a group of British Muslims participated on Sunday, June 19, in the aual Mersey Tuel 10k to raise funds for the homeless. “Alhamdulillah!! volunteers completed the Mersey Tuel 10k whilst fasting,” Muslim Event in UK page on Facebook reported. “It was brilliant to see the support of other fellow ruers and event organizers, who were taken aback by their efforts.” In the 11th ruing of the event, More than 3,000 ruers ran through the Wallasey Tuel on their way from Liverpool to New Brighton. Going underground and underwater, participants passed through the Wallasey tube of the road tuel and eventually made their way to New Brighton. For...

SHAFAQNA-People in Regina, the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, were able to enjoy something not every community in the world is able or willing to accomplish. Under a large tent in downtown’s Victoria Park, dozens of people from all different backgrounds and beliefs shared a meal together. The Ramadan tent Iftar diers are being organized by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute Regina. Iftar is a meal that is eaten at the end of a day’s fast during Ramadan. Organizers said Ramadan represents “a time of fasting charity, prayer, and unity.” Ayhan Ozturk, chair of the Intercultural Dialogue Institute Regina, said he wants to share Ramadan with everyone, regardless of their...

SHAFAQNA –The Islamic Center of Hamburg, Germany, will host a Quran reading session on the 15th of the holy month of Ramadan (June 21). The center aounced that the program will be organized on the occasion of the birthday aiversary of Imam Hassan (AS) in Mid-Ramadan. It has also plaed a Quranic competition titled “Divine Ceremony” in the holy month, the wiers of which will be awarded in the Quranic session. Tarteel recitation of Quran, recitation of Iftitah Supplication, religious speeches, Quran teaching classes, special ceremonies on Ghadr nights and mouing ceremony on Imam Ali’s (AS) martyrdom aiversary are some other programs of the center during Ramadan. The aual fasting month of Ramad...

Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:51-54)By: Mohammad Sobhanie Prophet Musa on Mount Sinai – Part II بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِوَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ ﴿٥١﴾ ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾ وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿٥٣﴾ وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٤﴾Translation: And when We made an app...