Hajj and Great Sacrifice

Prof. Dr. Anwar Ul Haque


The world witnesses every year an ocean of people walking into virtual history. Right now over 20 million people are walking on the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family in the ancient city of Makkah (Mecca). The Makkah is rightly called Ummul Qurah or the mother of all cities as there is no parallel city in the world where such a grand activity had been regularly taking place since its inception 5000 years back. Makkah is the center and the heart of the earth. It is the city of Peace. Will you like a ride with us this trip through time Zone of 5000 years back. We can assure that you will find this trip most amazing and uplifting. The phenomenon is that of star war type as it is real rather than fictional and it connects our present with the past. It is not a mere visit; it has the potential to make you higher and mightier than Himalaya. So please fasten your seat belt and come along us. Birth of the City under the heel of an infant!Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) is the hub of three monolithic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For Muslims there is no difference between all three as they consider all of the three Islam, two albeit distorted due to the dust and rust of the time. The God (In Arabic; Allah) had ordered Ibrahim (PBUH) to leave his first son Ismaeel (Ishmael) and 2nd wife Hajira (Hagar) in a desert place with no water and no shade. With no water the death was certain in a few days time for both mother and wife. For Ibrahim (PBUH) it would have been a great pain. But for Ibrahim (PBUH), every thing belonged to Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of every thing so if He asked to do some thing which even apparently meant taking back his beloved wife and the most precious child and the only child at that time, the orders had to be carried out. The faithful wife didn't quarrel with Ibrahim (PBUH). She simply asked is this act of leaving them in a hot desert is on the order of Allah and when Ibrahim replied yes, she didn't ask any further question. She submitted also to the will of Allah gladly and patiently. Ibrahim (PBUH) left them and went back. After a little time, the water which was brought by Hajirah finished and infant Ismaeel started crying due to thirst. His cries made mother restless. In order to save his life, Hajirah desperately ran between the hills of Safa and Marwah to see any trace of water anywhere. She would climb to the hill and look desperately and after not finding any water she would run to the other hill, climb and look for water! She did this 7 times. Some times she walked slowly between the hills praying to the God All Mighty to bring water to her. Sometimes she almost ran in hurry in a hope to find water from the heights of the hills. After 7th trips between the hills she went to see her baby if he is alright. To her utter astonishment and surprise a fountain gushed from under the heels of baby Ismaeel. She thought this water may stop soon so she put stones around it in order to store the water. She immediately gave water to her child and thanked Allah for this great miracle. However the water did not stop and keep flowing in great amount. She made the water fountain her home. Seeing the water from the skies, the birds started arriving and sipping the water. A caravan was passing from some distance to the place. The people saw birds on the sky. The wise among them thought of presence of water here. They came and saw a noble lady sitting with her son. The asked the permission to take some water which she gladly allowed. And thus soon caravans kept coming and the some people startled settling in this area and a city was born. Building of the House of Allah: Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) regularly visited his wife and son. He was very happy to see the water and thanked Allah for His great bounties. When Ismaeel was in his teens, Ibrahim (PBUH) asked the son to give a hand to build a house of Allah for His exclusive worship. Both father and son built the first House of Allah for worshipping none but Allah, the God. Strange Dream & Ultimate Sacrifice: One day Ibrahim saw the strange dream. He saw slaughtering Ismaeel. Initially he though it was just one of the meaningless dreams. However the dream kept repeating and he understood being a Prophet that he had been commanded to sacrifice his only and very beloved and dear son Ismaeel. Ishaq (Isaac) was not born yet. Allah had given Ismaeel to Ibrahim in quite old age. However the utmost sincerity, honesty and fairness were the most fundamental ingredients of personality of Ibrahim (PBUH). If Allah wanted His thing, then Ibrahim was not to ask why and when. He asked his beloved son after telling him the dream. The son was like father. Instead of running away or quarrelling he said do whatever Allah had commanded you to do. So Ibrahim took the son and laid him on the earth and blindfolded himself so that he may not feel mercy as he looks at his son. He took the knife and in his way sacrificed the little child suddenly he heard a voice that We have accepted your sacrifice and instead put a lamb in the place of Ismaeel. Ismaeel was unhurt. This is the 3rd time Ibrahim was tested and he passed with flying colors. First time Ibrahim was tested when he did not accept the wrong traditions of his nation, his father, challenged the practice of star worship and king worship. Ibrahim did not apology and challenged the King to bring son from West if he is really god, the King had no answer but to throw him in the blazing fire in front of a crow of people. Ibrahim did not apologize and did not beg for his life. Had he done so he would not be rewarded the great honor and respect he commands among Muslims, Jews and Christians. He is father and grand grand father of many Prophets including Ismaeel, Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Jesus and Muhammad (Peace be upon all of them)Great Rewards!In addition to his honor and string of Prophets in his progeny, Ibrahim is saluted five times a day by hundreds of Millions of Muslims during their regular prayers. Ibrahim and his families' virtues had been preserved in Quran. Muslims face toward Ka'bah in every prayer. They perform great pilgrimage which is going on right now and in their pilgrimage they run like Hajirah 7 trips between the hills of Safa and Marwah. They drink the water of Zam Zam which first began under the heel of Ismaeel. Millions of gallons of water gush from this fountain still today. Ibrahim once prayed for the great messenger to come in this city and the city be provided with good and bountiful resources and food. Both prayers were accepted. The final Prophet of Allah i.e. Muhammad was born in this city and the city is full of all sorts of fruits and sustenance. Not only in Hajj, the City and the Ka'bah is always full of people going in circles around the house first built by Ibrahim. The house which was built for pure worship of Allah alone had been contaminated by the statues of pagans which were finally removed by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). As one great Islamic scholar puts down that the annual pilgrimage is like cardiopulmonary system. Where fresh oxygen in injected in the blood of the faithful. Their sins and shortcomings are removed. Today the event of ultimate sacrifice of Ibrahim for utmost truth and honesty is celebrated all over the world by over a billion of Muslims. Animals are sacrificed and their meat is distributed among poor and it is consumed by friends and relatives. The festival is full of meaning and purpose. It is not just the sacrifice, it is renewal of commitment with the God All Mighty that thanking of His countless bounties and mercies we are ready to sacrifice our most beloved things for the purpose of truth and honesty. And like Ibrahim (PBUH) we reject all false gods and we have full determination and capability to take these up front. The sacrifice produces the determination to ward off evil. To the God, this intention determination reaches and not the blood or the meat of the animals. Humanity versus SAM: In a beautiful Surah titled "The Figs" the Quran refers to five great Prophets i.e. Isa (Jesus) (Figs and Olive, Palestine), Moosa (Moses) (Mount Sinai), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismaeel (Ishmael) and Muhammad (This peaceful city i.e. Makkah) and makes the point that We (Allah) have created the man in the best form and potential so that he can reach to such heights. However the man is then reduced to the lowest of the low. Now when we look today there is a constant war between worshippers of Sub-Animal Materialism (SAM) and those great human beings who hold ethical and moral values as the crown of humanity. For the former groups i.e. the lowest of the low all sorts of lies, deception and terrorism (Global, state and individual) is kosher while for the latter group to uphold the humanity is the most important which invariably also means the challenging and overpowering the real terrorists. When I look at the injured face of innocent Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and her three children of 7, 5 and ½ year it tells me the entire story. Please do not tell me that her six month toddler was a terrorist and Bush had all the right to abduct and torture him. So at this occasion let us have the courage and determination of Ibrahim and Ismaeel o not to accept any falsehood and stand up to the false gods even if you are alone. All praises to the Allah Ta'lah, the Creator and Sustainer of all the worlds who made Ka'bah an eternally adored and visited place and Who created in Ibrahim an example to take no god beside Allah for worship. Prof. (Dr.) Anwar Ul Haque 116. St. 49 F 11/3 Islamabad 44000Phone: 2294099 P.S: There no copyrights as the truth must sunshine and no reward of any kind is accepted as spreading the sunshine of truth is in itself a reward and Allah is the best rewarding. Please feel free to publish.

WRONG CYCLE OF LIFE

I think the most unfair thing about life is the way it ends.
I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time.
What do you get at the end of it? A death. What’s that,
a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You
should die fi rst, get it out of the way. Then you live in an
old age home. You get kicked out when you’re too young,
you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty
years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement.
You go to college, you do drugs, alcohol, you party,
you get ready for high school. You go to school, you
become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities,
you become a little baby, you go back into the womb,
you spend your last nine months fl oating . . .
You fi nish off as a gleam in somebody’s eye!
—Sean Morey

To invest in the share

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

To invest in the share of a particular company or to purchase shares a
company's from the stock market has been a matter of debate between
the contemporary scholars.

Some contemporary scholars (who are very few) are of the opinion that
it is not permissible to invest in shares. There basic argument is
that, shares do not represent an ownership for the share-holder in the
company's assets, rather the share certificate is a document that
signifies lending of some amount of cash to a particular company. The
dividend which one receives will be considered interest (riba), thus
unlawful.

The majority of the scholars, however, do not agree with this opinion.
Scholars such as, Shaykh Ali al-Khafif, Dr. Wahba al-Zuhaili, Shaykh
Taqi Usmani and others have declared investing in the shares of
companies lawful (halal) subject to certain conditions.

They say that the share certificate actually signifies an ownership in
a company for the share-holder. His ownership is in proportion of his
investment in the company. This is the reason why if the company was
to become bankrupt, the share-holder will not regain his investment in
the state of cash, rather he will receive the company's assets
according to his proportionate ownership.

Therefore, it will be permissible to invest in the shares of
companies, and the share certificate will not imply lending cash to
the company.

If one intends to purchase shares from the stock market, it will be
permissible with adherence to the following conditions:

1) The main business of the company must be lawful (halal). Therefore,
to purchase shares of a company whose main business is unlawful, such
as interest bearing banks, insurance companies, companies
manufacturing and selling liquor, etc... would not be permitted.

If the main business of the company is Halal, such as a textile
company or a telecommunication company, then it will be permissible to
subscribe to its shares.

2) Many companies, despite their main business being Halal may be
involved in interest dealings in one way or another. Due to this the
following is necessary:

a) One should object to the interest dealings, preferably in the
annual AGM. By doing so, the responsibility will be deemed fulfilled.

b) When the dividend is distributed, the proportion of the company's
income which was gained by interest dealings must be given in charity
without the intention of receiving reward, as is the case with
unlawful money in general. This amount (interest accumulation) may be
known by means of the income statement.

3) The company whose shares one intends to purchase must have some
illiquid assets in its possession. They must not all be in liquid form
(i.e. cash, cheques, bonds, etc…). If all of the company's assets are
in liquid form, then the share cannot be sold or purchased except at
face value.

The reason for this is that the share in this case represents money
only, and money cannot be traded in except at par.

If the above three/four conditions are complied, then it will be
permissible to trade in shares from the stock market.

As far as working as a stock broker is concerned, the work normally
consists of buying and selling shares on behalf of a client. In the
light of the above, it becomes clear that those shares in which it is
permissible to trade, his work will also be permissible, and vice
versa.

Therefore, it would be better not to work as a stock broker. However,
if one is able to save oneself being involved in unlawful trading then
it will be permissible.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam, UK

Wake up for Fajr Salaah

A man woke up early in order to pray the fajr prayer in the masjid. He got dressed, made his ablution and was on his way to the masjid. On his way to the masjid, the man fell and his clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself off and headed home. At home, he changed his clothes, made his ablution and was again, on his way to the masjid. On his way to the masjid, he fell again and at the same spot! He again, got up, brushed himself off and headed home. At home he, once again changed his clothes, made his ablution and was on his way to the masjid. On his way to the masjid, he met a man holding a lamp. He asked the man of his identity and the man replied I saw you fall twice on your way to the masjid, so I brought a lamp so I can light your way.' The first man thanked him profusively and the two were on their way to the masjid. Once at the masjid, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in and pray Fajr with him. The second man refused. The first man asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was the same. The first man asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray. The man replied, I am Satan. The man was shocked at this reply. Satan went on to explain, 'I saw you on your way to the masjid and it was I who made you fall. When you went home, cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the masjid, Allah forgave all of your sins. I made you fall a second time, and even that did not encourage you to stay home but rather, you went back on your way to the masjid. Because of that, Allah forgave all the sins of the people of your household . I was AFRAID if I made you fall one more time, then Allah will forgive the sins of the people of your village, so I made sure that you reached the masjid safely.'

So DO NOT let Satan benefit from his actions. DO NOT put off a good that you intended to do as you never know how much reward you might receive from the
hardships you encounter while trying to achieve that good.

My knowledge about Commercial Field

What is ICC?

ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the voice of world business championing the global economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity.
Because national economies are now so closely interwoven, government decisions have far stronger international reper-cussions than in the past.
ICC - the world's only truly global business organization responds by being more assertive in expressing business views.
ICC activities cover a broad spectrum, from arbitration and dispute resolution to making the case for open trade and the market economy system, business self-regulation, fighting corruption or combating commercial crime.
ICC has direct access to national governments all over the world through its national committees. The organization's Paris-based international secretariat feeds business views into intergovernmental organizations on issues that directly affect business operations.

Some Meanings:

Ø UCPDC: Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits.
Ø UCP : Uniform Customs and Practice
Ø URR 725: ICC announced 18th July, 2008 that an updated version of its Uniform Rules for Bank-to-Bank Reimbursements under Documentary Credits (URR) will take effect on 1 October 2008 it is also known as URR 725.
Ø BGMEA: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.



Letter of credit :

A letter of credit is a document issued mostly by a financial institution which usually provides an irrevocable payment undertaking (it can also be revocable, confirmed, unconfirmed, transferable or others e.g. back to back: revolving but is most commonly irrevocable/confirmed) to a beneficiary against complying documents as stated in the Letter of Credit. Letter of Credit is abbreviated as an LC or L/C, and often is referred to as a documentary credit, abbreviated as DC or D/C, documentary letter of credit, or simply as credit (as in the UCP 500 and UCP 600).
The parties to a letter of credit are usually a beneficiary who is to receive the money, the issuing bank of whom the applicant is a client, and the advising bank of whom the beneficiary is a client. Almost all letters of credit are irrevocable, i.e., cannot be amended or canceled without prior agreement of the beneficiary, the issuing bank and the confirming bank, if any.




BILL OF LADING:

A bill of lading (sometimes referred to as a BOL or B/L) is a document issued by a carrier, e.g. a ship's master or by a company's shipping department, acknowledging that specified goods have been received on board as cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to the consignee who is usually identified. A through bill of lading involves the use of at least two different modes of transport from road, rail, air, and sea.

MAIN TYPES OF BILL:

Straight bill of lading

This bill states that the goods are consigned to a specified person and it is not negotiable free from existing equities, i.e. any endorsee acquires no better rights than those held by the endorsor. So, for example, if the carrier or another holds a lien over the goods as security for unpaid debts, the endorsee is bound by the lien. Although, if the endorsor wrongfully failed to disclose the charge, the endorsee will have a right to claim damages for failing to transfer an unencumbered title. Also known as a non-negotiable bill of lading

Order bill of lading

This bill uses express words to make the bill negotiable, e.g. it states that delivery is to be made to the further order of the consignee using words such as "delivery to A Ltd. or to order or assigns". Consequently, it can be endorsed by A Ltd. or the right to take delivery can be transferred by physical delivery of the bill accompanied by adequate evidence of A Ltd.'s intention to transfer.
Also known as a negotiable bill of lading.

Bearer bill of lading

This bill states that delivery shall be made to whosoever holds the bill. Such bill may be created explicitly or it is an order bill that fails to nominate the consignee whether in its original form or through an endorsement in blank. A bearer bill can be negotiated by physical delivery.

Surrender bill of lading

Under a term import documentary credit the bank releases the documents on receipt from the negotiating bank but the importer does not pay the bank until the maturity of the draft under the relative credit. This direct liability is called Surrender Bill of Lading (SBL), i.e. when we hand over the bill of lading we surrender title to the goods and our power of sale over the goods.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_Credi

Balance of payments

In economics, the balance of payments, (or BOP) measures the payments that flow between any individual country and all other countries. It is used to summarize all international economic transactions for that country during a specific time period, usually a year. The BOP is determined by the country's exports and imports of goods, services, and financial capital, as well as financial transfers. It reflects all payments and liabilities to foreigners (debits) and all payments and obligations received from foreigners (credits). Balance of payments is one of the major indicators of a country's status in international trade, with net capital outflow.

Free On Board (FOB):

FOB is an abbreviation for Free On Board. The term FOB (often seen as f.o.b.) is commonly used when shipping goods, to indicate who pays loading and transportation costs, and/or the point at which the responsibility of the goods transfers from shipper to buyer. FOB shipping is the term used when the ownership/liability of goods passes from the seller to the buyer at the time the goods cross the shipping point to be delivered. FOB destination designates that the seller is responsible for the goods until the buyer takes possession. This is important in determining who is responsible for lost or damaged goods when in transit from the seller to the buyer. The buyer is responsible when shipped FOB shipping and the seller is responsible if shipped FOB destination. CAP, or customer arranged pickup, is used to denote that the buyer will arrange a carrier of their choice to pick the goods up and the liability for any damage or loss belongs to the buyer

Free Carrier (FCA):

Free Carrier (FCA) is an Inco term. The seller delivers the goods into the custody of the first carrier, and this is where risk passes from seller to buyer. The buyer pays for the transportation from the place named in the Inco term.
The place name can be anywhere from the supplier's shipping dock to the port of export. If there are any problems or costs of clearing customs in the country of export, the seller is responsible for correcting and paying for them.
It can be used for all modes of transportation including multimodal transport, such as in shipping containers where the ship's rail plays no relevant part in determining a shipping point.
FCA is also the term to use in place of FOB for airfreight transactions

Cost and Freight (CFR):

Cost and Freight (CFR) is an Incoterm. It means that the seller pays for transportation to the Port of Loading (POL), Cost and Freight. The buyer pays for the insurance and transportation of the goods from the Port of Discharge (POD) to his factory. The risk of loss shifts from the seller to the buyer, and who pays the costs of freight. The passing of risk occurs when the goods pass the ship's rail at the port of shipment which means that this term cannot be used for airfreight or land transport and also is inappropriate for most containerised sea shipments - the term CPT is the appropriate one for these.

Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF):

Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) is a common term in a sales contract that may be encountered in international trading when ocean transport is used. When a price is quoted CIF, it means that the selling price includes the cost of the goods, the freight or transport costs and also the cost of marine insurance. CIF is an international commerce term (Incoterm).

Why Read Quaran?

Why do we read Quran, even if we can't understand a single Arabic word???? This is a beautiful story. An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, 'Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?' The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, 'Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.' The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You'll have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Grandpa, it's useless!' 'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.' The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. 'Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives.' If you feel this email is worth reading, please forward to your contacts/friends. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh & his family) says: *'The one who guides to good will be rewarded equally'*