Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught his Companions the best supplication for beseeching Allah’s forgiveness. He taught them to say the following prayer every morning and evening: “O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no God besides You. You created me, and I am your servant, and I honor Your covenant and Your promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil that I do. I come to You by Your grace, and I come to You with my sins. So forgive me, for no one forgives sins but You.” [Sahīh al-Bukhārī (6307)] … Continue reading The Noblest Supplication for Asking Forgiveness from Allah and not a Mullah!

There is more to Islamic Law – the Sharī`ah – than the issuing of religious verdicts (fatwā). Islamic law embraces the Qur’an in all of its subtleties, the life-example found in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the many aspects of the faith that are readily understood by everyone. Moreover, the sphere of what is permissible in Islam is too vast to quantify. The default assumption in Islamic Law is that something is permissible unless there is clear and authentic evidence indicating that it is not permissible. The issuing of fatwā should not be misconstrued as … Continue reading Subjecting All Aspects of Life to Fatwā?

 Everything in existence is subject to Allah’s will and power. For Muslims, this goes without saying. It is an essential tenet of every Muslim’s faith. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah has power over all things.” However, this is no excuse for human beings to evade responsibility for their own decisions. No one can argue that it was their fate to sin. We know this from firsthand experience. We know instinctively that we make our own decisions. We choose to do some things and refrain from doing other things. We carry out intentional actions. We intend, for instance, to travel or … Continue reading Allah’s Decree, Free Will, and Our Sins

Bo Xilai: China’s brash populist By Kent Ewing HONG KONG – Bo Xilai has personality, charm and charisma, unlike most of his plodding, lackluster bureaucratic brethren. The tall, telegenic Bo has won the support not only of the legions of dark-suited, dull apparatchiks who converged on Beijing for the recently concluded session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), but also ordinary citizens. His crusade against corruption in the sprawling southwestern municipality of Chongqing, where he is Communist Party chief, is much admired and he is a force to be reckoned with. The … Continue reading Bo Xilai! Chinas Superman?

Afghanistan spy contract goes sour By Pratap Chatterjee WASHINGTON – Mike Furlong, a top Pentagon official, is alleged to have run a covert network of contractors to supply information for drone strikes and assassinations in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the United States government. The contract built on his decade-long experience in running propaganda programs for the military in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. Officially, Furlong worked in strategic communications for General David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command. In reality, Furlong was in charge of a project titled “Capstone”, under which he hired former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and … Continue reading Afghanistan spy contract

By Gary LaMoshi DENPASAR, Bali – Indonesia remains one of the world’s greatest stories never told. United States President Barack Obama’s visit from March 23 to 25 to the country where he spent four years – as schoolboy Barry Soetoro with an Indonesian stepfather – provides an opportunity to enlighten Americans about this sprawling archipelago that has emerged as the world’s third-largest democracy. Indonesia is at times referred to as the world’s largest Muslim country; by law it’s a secular country with the world’s largest Muslim population. Indonesia’s overwhelmingly Muslim founders who won independence from the Dutch after World War … Continue reading Jakarta return a unique opportunity

By Peter J Brown The three days Barack Obama will spend in Indonesia no doubt constitute a nostalgic high-point of a trip that will also take in Guam and Australia. Yet the return to a boyhood city is also replete with significant geopolitical and economic challenges. The Obama administration has gone to great pains from its start over a year ago to make it clear that it intends to be fully engaged in Southeast Asia. It will be crucial for Obama to acknowledge Indonesia’s key role in the region, “amidst China’s growing assertiveness and influence” during this visit, according to … Continue reading Sensitive issues call for a soft touch

By Syed Fazl-e-Haider KARACHI – Former privatization minister Hafeez Shaikh has been appointed as Pakistan’s new finance advisor, a function previously carried out by finance minister Shaukat Tarin, who stepped down last month to focus on his private business interests. Tarin’s successor faces enormous challenges, including soaring inflation, dwindling foreign investments, a depreciating rupee, stagnant exports and a rising cost of debt servicing. Shaikh, 55, confirmed that he had accepted the government’s offer to succeed Tarin as an advisor (not minister), according to the Business Recorder. Official notification in this respect is likely to be issued today. Shaikh is not … Continue reading Shaikh takes on Pakistan economy

Karzai faces anger in Marjah By Aziz Ahmad Tassal HELMAND PROVINCE – Afghan President Hamid Karzai faced an angry reception from people in the southern town of Marjah following a major military assault against the Taliban. During the unannounced visit on March 7, 10 days after the Afghan flag was raised over this former insurgent stronghold in Helmand province, Karzai said the expulsion of the Taliban meant full-scale reconstruction and development could get underway. “Marjah will not be recaptured by the opposition,” Karzai assured a meeting of tribal elders, officials and ordinary people in the center of Marjah, a ramshackle … Continue reading Karzai faces anger

US-China trade war talk heats up By Eli Clifton WASHINGTON – A new bill introduced in the United States Senate is adding to tensions between Washington and Beijing. It attacks China’s trade practices and proposes legislation that would push the Barack Obama administration to charge China with currency manipulation and could lead to unilateral action against Chinese imports. The bipartisan group of senators emphasized what they considered to be unfair trade practices by China, and also the domestic economic conditions that created incentives for protectionist trade policies by the US “We are sending a message to the Chinese government: if … Continue reading US-China trade war