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World's First Underwater Mosque Built in Saudi Arabia

HijabGirl — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:40:39 CDT

A group of private Saudi divers said they had built what they described as the first underwater mosque in history and that they performed prayers inside it just after it was completed, according to a newspaper.

The divers used massive plastic pipes filled with sand to construct the symbolic mosque under the water off the northwestern town of Tabuk close to the border with Jordan, Al Madina said.

“One of our colleagues came up with this idea last summer and we decided to carry it out,” diver Hamadan bin Salim Al Masoudi said.

“We have just completed the construction of the mosque…when we put the final touches on it, it was time for afternoon prayers, so we performed group prayers in the first underwater mosque in history.”

Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) is proud Muslim, defends Islam

Saladin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:20:48 CDT

Yes, Mos Def is a muslim, and mentions Allah in the lyrics of many of his songs. He wasn’t raised as a muslim, he was first introduced to the religion at 13 and took his declaration of faith (the shahada) at the age of 19.

His father was a member of the Nation of Islam group in America, a black supremacist group, and an active member of the community of the progressive African American Muslim leader Warith Deen Mohammed (who was the leader of the Nation of Islam before being succeeded by Louis Farrakhan).

Mos Def is just one of many famous rappers to have converted to Islam, the long list includes:

Akon
Busta Rhymes
Ice Cube
Nas
Q-Tip
Rakim
Scarface
Raekwon
Snoop Dogg

In 2o11 the rapper was named as the most influential muslim in the George Washington University list of the 500 most influential muslims. Yasiin Bey has been vocal about his religion on numerous occasion, and his lyrics often contain reference to his religious beliefs.

On his 1999 breakthrough album Black on Both Sides he starts the entire album with the words “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem”, which translates roughly into: In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful.

He also talks regularly about his faith in interviews, in both video and in print, quotes include:

“If Islam’s sole interest is the welfare of mankind, then Islam is the strongest advocate of human rights anywhere on Earth”.
“You’re either devoted to your job, or to your desires. So the best way to spend your life is to try to be devoted to prayer, to Allah”.

“I’m just trying to do the best I can with what it is I have and begging Allah to help me”.

“I’m a private person, but I’m certainly not ashamed of what I believe. To not speak about my faith for fear of reprisal would be terrible. If people are uncomfortable with my Islam, they should check themselves.”

The Scale of Our Beautiful Universe That Allah Has Made

HijabGirl — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:40:07 CDT

This gives us an idea of the scale and massive size of our beautiful universe. All of it made by Allah, subhanallah!

[Click on the link to watch the interactive multimedia!]

NEW ISLAMIC CHILDREN SHOW! CHECK OUT THEIR NASHEED

Misribunch — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 07:08:59 CDT

"The Misri Bunch" are a group of friends who help each other to learn about Allah, Islam and good morals. Series one concentrates on teaching the young viewers about the Creator (Allah All Mighty). The gang go through exciting stories which helps to explain who The Creator (Allah or God as referred by some) is, by going through His different names and attributes. By knowing Allah you will worship Him in the manner He deserves rather than worshiping false deities. This series was brought to you by Qadimoon Kids - Media dedicated to the Ummah. please visit www.misribunch.com for more info

Eid Mubarak

uzzie — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:29:28 CDT

Eid mubarak to all of our users and visitors. May this Eid be a special one.

And, jaza khuallah to all the community members who contribute to the growth of the website.

-Ummah Buzz Team

"Koran (Quran) By Heart" HBO Documentary [Free Video Stream / Download]

HijabGirl — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:07:04 CDT

One of Islam's most revered traditions, Koran recitation reaches its pinnacle at the world's preeminent recitation competition in Cairo, where Muslim children come from across the globe to perform in front of a panel of prominent judges. Contestants as young as seven are ranked against kids more than twice their age for both their comprehensive memorization of the 600-page text as well as their improvised melodies. A diverse spectrum of Muslims competes for top prize: Ten-year-old Senegalese entrant Djamil navigates the competition alone while his community anxiously awaits his results; Rifdha, from a small island in the Maldives, enters as one of the competition's few female participants; and Nabiollah, from rural Tajikistan, mesmerizes judges with his angelic voice in spite of not speaking Arabic.

Following these talented youngsters from their intense preparation regimes through the rigorous rounds of the tournament, director Greg Barker creates both an inspirational competition film and an engaging survey of the unique experiences of Muslim children throughout the world, using the cultural crossroads of the international competition to examine the issues facing of the next generation of Muslims.

Travel Du'a(s) - A Video by Crescentrating

Crescentrating — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:03:31 CDT

Our latest video is a compilation of du'a(s) relative to travel that is sure to assist Muslims around the world. Find du'a(s) for when leaving the house, boarding a plane, entering a city and so much more. Read by Hafiz Zulkifl Safavi, the video has the Arabic text as well as the English translation.

What Muslim Men Look For In A Wife

HijabGirl — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:30:01 CDT

Beginning with Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ famous marriage criteria, he said:
"A woman is married for four reasons, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her piety. So you should marry the pious woman otherwise you will be losers (your hands will be covered in dust)." Narrated by Abu Huraira, in Sahih Al-Bukhari & Muslim

The 3Ds: Drive, Determination & Disposition
While it's not high on their list, it is clear that men find a woman's drive, determination and energy attractive qualities in a life partner.

1) DRIVE. A woman with a zest for life tends to have a more exciting presence than one who is reserved or afflicted with sloth. Men see women's drive as a measure of their mood. It's action, it's motion, it reminds them of themselves. And not surprisingly, men prefer a woman in a generally positive frame of mind.

2) DETERMINATION. Determination is an admirable quality which shows this woman will not give up no matter what Allah throws at her. She will fall. But she will get up. With natural instincts to problem-solve themselves, men can tolerate complainers ("nagging") but not a person who gives up at every obstacle.

3) DISPOSITION. A pleasing disposition overlaps with sound mental health and an easy-to-get-along-with personality. Is your wife-to-be a worrier or a warrior? Is she unhappy and moody? Does she get along with everyone? As the hadith above suggests, a pretty face and religious background are excellent, but they will not necessarily indicate whether she gets easily abusive or jealous.

What Muslim Men Really Need
It's a large reality bite to swallow but at the crux of the marriage, a man is looking for what his wife can do for him, and 4 particular services she can provide. *Women ma women, put your feminism away, take it as empowerment.

(4) Maintaining a home - Men look for and need a woman who is adept at household chores. Washing, cooking and cleaning. These are basic mothering services. Being able to cook delicious food is what he really expects from his lady love. If he loves your food, he will love you more. As the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is his stomach.

(3) Men look for admiration - They want to be number one, admired by their wife, respected. A man wants love from a nagging-free woman. He will hate being told what to do and what not to do. Respect has to be earned, nonetheless, Muslim men expect their wives to hold a high regard of them.

(2) Being left alone in solitude - Men need alone time to think by themselves, to reflect, to not expose everything.

(1) What is the #1 thing? Read more through the link below!

21 Ramadan Images From Around the World

l0gikal — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:22:16 CDT

A Thai Muslim woman grills food at her market stall in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat.

Human right abuses in Bahrain

MuslimMatters — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 13:29:30 CDT

As the Middle East continues to be enveloped in political turmoil and media outlets bombard us constantly with new information, I for one had become desensitized to the gravity of the situation there. As sad as it sounds, after a while the stories about dreadful combat and war just become headlines you skim over. However, I was reminded of the harsh reality of the human struggle in Bahrain when I heard the heart breaking story of Zainab al-Khawaja.

Tarbiyah or Disturbia?

ChillYoIslamYo — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:29:27 CDT

So before I jump into my article, Tarbiyah is an Arabic word that linguistically means increase, growth, and loftiness. I guess in practical terms, it would involve the pursuit of knowledge and acting on it for personal spiritual and mental growth. Disturbia on the other hand which is basically disturb, in English means to interrupt rest, peace.

A Man of Mercy

SuhaibWebb — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:36:58 CDT

Today, often times a “religious” person is seen to be someone who is rough and rigid, spouting do’s and don’ts without thinking twice about the emotions of the person being scolded. The Prophet ﷺ, however, was the farthest from any such description. He was a man who was enveloped in mercy, who cared for the weak, encouraged the women, and stood up for anyone in need.

All You Need to Do is Ask

SuhaibWebb — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:35:54 CDT

For whatever problem we have, whatever difficulty we find ourselves in, we have the most powerful weapon to ward off the pain that plagues us. It is the weapon of du`a’. We know with certainty that Allah is Al-Mujeeb (The Responsive). We have read many articles telling us about the importance of du`a’, but in order for our du`a’ to be truly meaningful, we must accompany that du`a’ with a certain brokenness in the heart.

The Prom Problem

MuslimMatters — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:35:45 CDT

Being a Muslim at a public high school comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest problems in high school that we all are faced with is: Prom. Figure out whether you're going to Prom and how to get through Prom season.

Muslim Business Network for startups and investors

mubine — Wed, 18 May 2011 09:57:15 CDT

Mubine.net is:
- a Marketplace which allows start-ups to advertise and fund their businesses, investors to meet enterprises to enhance their investment portfolios and service providers to propose services to attract potential clients.
- a social network where all Mubine users and individuals interested in investment, technologies, news, etc. can stay in touch, meet, exchange on their ideas and create buzz for their businesses.

Young Entrepreneurs Muslim Business Competition

SuhaibWebb — Sun, 08 May 2011 12:40:43 CDT

AML Management is proud to present the first annual muslim business competition. Open to college students and young professionals, we are seeking talented and passionate individuals with creative business ideas and a passion for entrepreneurship. If you’ve got the drive, this is your chance to bring your business plan to life. You can win one [...]

Top Ten Islamic Lectures of All Time (Videos)

MuslimMatters — Sun, 08 May 2011 12:40:35 CDT

I have composed what I believe to be the Ten Best Islamic Video Lectures published across the net up till now. I’ve restricted the list to filmed lectures and those that have been addressed in the English language*. I ask that both Arabic and Urdu speakers forgive me, as I am a well-developed coconut. There are many beneficial speeches that have not been recorded in the presence of a video camera, so in the future I hope to construct an audio-only list, insha’Allah.

The Importance of Good Manners

SuhaibWebb — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:28:52 CDT

A brother approached me recently looking for advice. He said that he had gone through several phases in his development and in each stage he would add more acts of worship to his daily life. He started by getting his five prayers down, then their sunnahs, then adding the forenoon prayer (ḍuḥā), then trying to [...]

Cashing in on Taqwa: Secure Duniya, Secure Akhira

MuslimMatters — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:35:24 CDT

Things happen. They always do. You had planned otherwise but Allah subhanahu wata'ala has planned better things for you. The brother may have all the qualities you were looking for but it just didn't work out. Or that degree you worked so hard for didn't land you a job. It is possible that someone, with whom you planned to stay forever and raise children, left you stranded. Maybe you have difficult parents who just do not understand. Funds might be lacking and there's a household to run. Grades are not what you want them to be in order to get into a certain professional school. Someone dear to you passed away or you just lost the “apple of your eye”, your little angel whom you had to bury with your own hands.

Nothing Is Ever Wasted

SuhaibWebb — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:38:24 CDT

[And it will be said], ‘Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.’” (Qur’an, 76:22)

Failure can take a toll on a person: that feeling of trying and trying, over and over, yet somehow never getting where you want to be. Or sometimes the task just seems too huge to achieve; is there even any use?