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Costa Rica lies in the tropics, between 8 and 11 degrees north of the equator.
It's no secret that over the years, Costa Rica has become a hotspot for expats. This might have something to do with the fact that Costa Rica is the most democratically stable country in Central America and boasts 5% of the world's flora and fauna in one tiny postage stamp sized country on this beautiful planet of ours. Then again there is the weather factor.
The weather in Guanacaste is tropical all year long and experiences the least rainfall in the entire country. A little known fact is that Costa Rica is located below the 10th parallel. What does that mean? Well, it means that hurricanes, except is very rare extreme conditions, can not form below the 10th parallel. No hurricane season here folks!
You can expect moderate temperatures but the rugged mountain chains' effect on factors such as wind and rain create many microclimates. Most people are surprised to learn that frost and ice can settle on some of the loftier peaks, such as Chirripó. Temperatures are somewhat higher on the Pacific side than on the Caribbean at the same elevation because clouds are more frequent. At sea level on either side, the annual average is always above 75°F (24°C). Some of the highest peaks average 54°F (12°C), though temperatures there can fall below freezing.
There is no spring or fall in Costa Rica. The seasons are called "verano" (summer) and "invierno" (winter). Summer is also called the dry season and stretches from December to April while the rainy season, or winter, lasts from May to November. However, temperatures vary from night to day more than between seasons. The difference in daily temperatures averages 14°F to 18°F (8°C to 10°C).
From November to January, cool breezes from the north funnel through the mountains of North America causing a small drop in temperature. This is one of the few countries in the world in which polar air gets this close to the equator. The warmest months are March, April, and May, and the wettest months are September and October. Rainfall varies from less than 59 inches (1,500mm) to over 190 inches (4,800mm) during these months.
The country's average rainfall pattern is in the range of 79 to 158 inches (2,000 to 4,000 mm). Precipitation can come in the form of a tropical downpour with impressive lightning and thunder ("aguacero"), steady rain or, the least common, continuous light rain for several days ("temporal").
Even in the rainy season, it does not rain all day, every day. The rain usually begins in the early afternoon in the Central Valley and other highland areas and later in the afternoon it reaches the Pacific lowlands. Each season has its own beauty and unique characteristics. In the rainy season the wealth of flora is plentiful and copiously vibrant. The dry season witnesses the flowering of orchids, bougainvilleas, "reina de la noche" (queen of the night), as well as beautiful colorful trees that only flower at this time


text: idesignsgroup 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2011 the integrated twitter plugin for platform pro shows tweets on your website. how can i do the opposite and autotweet my blog? is there a plugin recommended for platform pro with this purpose in mind? i want to autotweet my blog to my twitter account using blog post as title and blog post url shortened to auto post on twitter. right now i have to go into each post, copy the headline, click the twitter icon under the post (which brings a shortened url into twitter web page), and paste my blog post before the shortened url. this is a very manual method and not fun to do. any suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites

subset: commoncrawl


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microcontroller using Nuvoton and lm35 Answered
Hello, anyone here know how to use Nuvoton NUC 140 VE3CN? I get some trouble on connecting the pin and using what kind of library to activate the pin. We already success in compose the main.c but the data can not show in the LCD. I got text like this:
warning: unknown conversion type character 0x20 in format [-Wformat=]
Thank you in advance


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Good news: I've managed to snap out of the hostel trance and remember I'm in Barcelona. It's so easy stuck in hostel world, especially when you've been here as long as I have. You can self-sustain on food that guests leave behind, and there's constant social interaction so it's easy for the environment to deplete your energy and forget about the outside world (it's been so long since I've been to the Barceloneta area or the beach). BUT, I've managed to wake up (a bit) due to the fact that my days here are numbered now (I'll explain in another post).
When I was working at that other hostel for a month, I met another Workawayer from Melbourne named Elissa. I'm really glad I met this girl -- she came into my life was I was craving consistency and someone to relate to. We spent the month sharing a 2-bed room, tag-teaming our shifts and doing cross-fit in the park. She was more or less in my same boat: too comfortable in the Barcelona bubble, trying to figure out her next move. She managed to escape the trap and head to Nepal, but I definitely miss her. I'm happy I met you, girl. Good luck with your travels, and perhaps I'll see you in Southeast Asia. ;)
Before she left, we decided it was time to go explore somewhere outside of the city, so we took a day trip to Montserrat, which is a town built into mountain containing the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, which is famous for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Monserrat. It's Catalonia's most important religious retreat and people from all over this region make overnight hikes to watch the sunrise. It's also I popular place to go for spiritual and mourning reasons, with people lighting candles for their deceased loved ones.
...It's also a hot-spot for those Instagram travelers (you know, those ones who tag everything #lifeofadventure #wanderlust #neverstopexploring) who simply MUST get a picture at the top of the Steps of Knowledge (look up the hashtag #montserrat and you'll see). Elissa and I embraced our basic traveler personas and couldn't resist climbing to the top.
If you're visiting Barcelona, I definitely recommend taking a trip up there if you've got the time. Just be aware, it's a full day excursion, but totally worth it. To get there, you have to buy a train ticket at the Espanya metro station (look for the R5 train the there's a ticket counter in front). There are several different ticket options -- we chose one of the more expensive options to get the most out of the trip, which was 29.30€. It included a roundtrip ticket to and from the foot of Montserrat, a roundtrip track train ride to the top of the mountain, and two funicular train tickets (a funicular is a track train that goes up steep slopes). I'm glad we picked this option: the funiculars at the top of the mountain are super rad. I made a little video of the ride down one of them:
So yeah, totes recommended. Bring lunch and snacks! They have a cafeteria-style restaurant up there, but the food is trash.
I have no idea how to elegantly wrap up a blog post, so I'll just conclude with:
Thanks for all the good memories, Elissa! I'll see ya again. ;)


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We're all looking for a healthy solution - most of the time it's to loose weight, get fit or shape up! And of course what better time of year than January - New year new you!
"The problem with the word 'Diet' is that is has a beginning and an end. We normally start super strict - we limit ourselves to what we can eat (usually cutting out dairy, wheat, sugar etc) or we look for a super 'quick-fix' diet which means either a cabbage soup liquid diet or simply living off leaves and minimal quantities. This doesn't have to be so. In order to maintain a healthy sustainable weight management lifestyle, it is important to get the correct amount of food into your body," says Arjan Grewal-Thethy. co-founder of NutriEats.
Urban Eatery, has come up with a brand new healthy menu for you, curated by NutriEats which has a number of Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free options. The menu still contains dishes from the normal menu but with a healthy twist - mostly higher protein lower fat options with healthier choices of carbohydrates and sides so you can still enjoy some of your favourite dishes without feeling sluggish, lethargic or the dreaded food-coma effect.
Give your day a healthy start with a delicious, light dish from the Healthy Breakfast section - definitely Nairobi's healthiest breakfast menu around!
Try our healthy sandwiches such as the High-Iron Steak Sandwich, (baguette for ciabatta because its a lighter bread - it has more holes in it). This is a delicious combo of seared lean beef strips with roasted peppers, rocket leaves and mustard instead of mayonnaise. The sandwich selection makes sure you get high protein, low-fat and lower-calorie sandwiches, perfect for when you are hungry, need a balanced bite to fill you and keep energized throughout the day.
If you're craving Asian foods, the Thai Chilli King Prawns, wok-tossed king prawns with coriander, pineapple and tamarind sauce served with steamed rice cooked with minimal oil are the perfect guilt-free dish. Or try the Sushi and Sashimi Combo, a 12-piece combo of various sushi and sashimi including Tuna and Salmon sashimi, as well as Nigiri rolls.
The menu has great Vegan and Vegetarian options including the Stir Fry Asian Greens, - a fresh mix ofseasonal vegetables including shitake mushrooms and bok choy, served with oil-free vegetable rice, the grilled veggie mix as well as a high protein Tofu salad. Other Vegetarian options include all the breakfast options (if you do eat eggs the egg-white omelette on its own or in a sandwich is a great high-protein option!), Cajun Spiced Grilled Cottage Cheese Steaks, and some of our delicious Super Salads such as the Paneer and Mango Salad.
Speaking of salads, our new menu also offers Super Salads, a selection of calorie-conscious, high-protein combinations. We recommend the Mediterranean Beach-Body Salad, with oven-roasted beetroot, raw pear, feta and salad leaves served with a light lemon dressing on the side. As the name suggests, the colourful salad is the best way to achieve that beach body you've been dreaming about.
From our Tandoor (traditional Indian grill), indulge in our lip-smacking 3 Spice Chicken On Skewers, with chargrilled chicken supreme breast marinated in a mix of tikka paste, coriander paste and cumin paste.
Alternatively, try our low-fat grilled protein dishes, all cooked with minimal oil with healthy sides such as the Omega-3 Salmon Fillet Burger. We've also introduced Nairobi's first Lo-Carb Burger - A bun-less burger that uses lettuce to cover your choice of patty – beef, chicken or vegetarian.
"We have a huge corporate clientele and we wanted to provide food options that were healthy, fresh, filling and light to keep them energized and help them stay active throughout the day." Aarti Devani, Co-Founder of Urban Eatery tells us.
So come dine at Urban Eatery and keep your waistline happy as well as your mind, body and soul!


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Michael Avenatti has a caution for Michael Cohen , the embattled individual lawyer to President Donald Trump : There' s more.
" We sanctuary ' t even scratched the surface area with this e-mail today and the info that we launched previously in the week, " Avenatti stated on CNN on Thursday. " Nós ' ve got e-mails, nós' ve got text, nós' ve got other monetary info, and individuals much better be really cautious in the representations that they make."
Avenatti previously today launched a chest of files connecting Cohen' s speaking with company to various payments, consiste em $500,000 from a business connected to a Russian oligarch .
Cohen utilized that very same consulting company to pay $130,000 to Avenatti' s customer Stormy Daniels as part of a nondisclosure contract prior to the 2016 governmental election.
Daniels, a porn starlet whose genuine name is Stephanie Clifford, is taking legal action against to obtain from the offer so she can discuss a supposed 2006 affair with Trump .
" Eu ' m talking to you, Michael Cohen, " Avenatti alerted on Thursday. " You 'd much better be truly cautious in the representations you make in court filings and to the American individuals since we' re going to show you incorrect if the requirement be, duration."
See his complete exchange with CNN' s Wolf Blitzer above.
(h / t Raw Story )


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H is experiencing his first taste of longing to be with someone, and the pain of separation when he can't visit her on demand. He met a Dutch girl when we were in France, at a cafe in the middle of nowhere at 9pm. After being surrounded by French speakers for the better part of a week, he ran over to us breathless and delighted.
"She speaks English!" he gushed. (Sorry, I know I'm grammatically butchering the dialogue here, maybe I should have H come and write this for me.)
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because she told me," he replied. Not realizing that he already knew she spoke English because he could understand her.
They went to a nearby canal and hunted for slugs by flashlight. (Hunted isn't really the right word, tried to avoid crushing them under foot might be a better description.) He returned with stories of leapord slugs (who knew?) and mercy killings of those unlucky enough to have been partially disembowled by the tread of a Nikey.
I must admit his new found friend had a slight influence on our decision to come to Holland, and definitely on our coming to Utrecht. After a painful week of waiting for her to return from France (painful for us too, as we had to continually count the days with him), we met up for a long awaited bike ride yesterday. We all had a lovely time visiting this museum and riding bikes up and down the canals.
Unfortunately for H, she leaves again tomorrow and we will most likely be gone when she gets back. He's already asking if we can come back again next year. Even though this is exactly what I wanted to accomplish with this trip, global connections and a chance for H to meet kids from around the world, I can hardly believe the synchronicity of it. H has realized it as well. He pointed out that if we had done things as planned that evening in France, we would have missed her completely. Now he has a sweet memory and a new friend in a different country. And we have another small reminder that sometimes things turn out better than planned.


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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Give Away!
Win one of my canvases seen here. Simply leave a comment for one chance to win, become a follower for a second chance to win, and add my blog button to your blog for a third. If you post about the giveaway on your own blog, along with the three requirements listed above, you will get an additional three chances! Be certain to write and tell me when you've added the button or posted about the giveaway.
Happy Spring!
2 comments:
- Melissa Miller said...
Thanks for you kind words Sherri! You are so right.
Whoever wins this one is lucky indeed. *Smiles*
Have a wonderful day. ~Melissa :)
- April 13, 2010 at 5:04 PM
- Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...
The colors are so pretty in these, Sherri! I can't pass up a chance to win one of these. I saw Melissa's "M" on her last post and you did a great job on that.
- April 13, 2010 at 6:06 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Short and Fuzzy episode 10 has been released. It went out last week, and I totally forgot to promote it here. 😛 Once again, it's full of fresh, current content recorded from the sofa.
About the show:
Short and Fuzzy is an all talk podcast and I'm fifty percent of it. It's around a half hour of Neil and I gabbing on about whatever is in our heads. It's unscripted and, for the most part, unedited. This means not necessarily safe for work, y'all. 😉
You've been warned and now you're getting the link
(pick one that appeals to you):
- The BTPodshow page: shortandfuzzy.btpodshow.com
- The direct mp3 link: short and fuzzy will open in your browser
- The iTunes link: short and fuzzy will open in iTunes
There's also Windows Media Player, Winamp, Real, and RSS feeds on the BTPS page.
Episode Notes: Giant insects outside the window, recipe for a wine cooler, facial porn wrinkles, chocolate bugs on the pillow, Formula1 starts to grab Jen's attention, and much more…
Thank you for listening!
Technorati Tags: bugs, Neil Dixon, podcasting, porn, regularjen, wine


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Information, Education and Communication Scheme
(10). Publicity through Post Offices located in various parts of the country.
Printing and Distribution of 5 lakh Meghdoot Postcards during 2007- 08 and 6 lakh Meghdoot Postcards during 2008-09 carrying the messages of rooftop rainwater harvesting in English/Hindi and regional languages.
Commemorative Postage Stamp on Water Year-2007 was released in December, 2007.


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Our yearly Summer VBS program begins Sunday, June 12th - Sunday July 10th at our 9 + 11 am Sunday services. Our theme for this year is Submerged- Diving Deeper Into God's Word. This program is for ages 5-12 years old.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: June 19DAD FEST
Later Event: June 26APOSTLE 13 KIDS VBS


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We are a Holistic Beauty and Healing collective offering High quality Eyelash Extensions, Waxing, Sugaring, Nutritional Counselling, Massage Therapy and Reiki in a relaxed setting where you can unwind and feel gooooood!
Tanya Jones started Take Care in 2004, offering Massage and Esthetic services. Since then the business has expanded to incorporate Eyelash Extensions and an array of Healing modalities along side a carefully curated selection of lifestyle products and art.
Tanya is a graduate of the Calistoga School of Massage, The National Holistic Institute, and the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmotology. She trained in Myofascial release with John F Barnes, and in the Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki method of natural healing with Shekhina von Recklinghausen. She received her Eyelash training with Nova Lash and the Lash and Brow Design Academy and is also an accredited Lash Extension Trainer with Lash Inc. In addition she is an Artist, who directed and created large scale public art for the annual Dia de Los Muertos Procession and Altar display ceremony in San Francisco for 8 years. She combines her love of beauty, holistic healing and the metaphysical to offer services that go beyond the surface and take care of you inside and out.
Jenny Angelillo has been a hair removal expert for 10 years specializing in holistic, natural and artisanal hair removal in boutique settings. Trained at San Francisco School of Esthetics and Cosmetology, Jenny went on to work under the guidance of some of San Francisco's premier waxing specialist such as Carrie Maxwell at Habit, and Sarah LaShelle of Pretty Parlor. While at Pretty Parlor Jenny became the Lead Esthetician and herself has mentored, trained and managed other estheticians while running the aesthetics program there. She is a certified Advanced Alexandria Professional sugaring specialist and as well holds a MFA in Fine Art from Otis College of Art and Design and is a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher and teaching Vinyasa and Yin Yoga in Oakland. Her strong artistic eye and attention to detail combined with a mindful approach guarantees her clients a unique experience and beautiful results. Jenny recognizes that hair removal isn't everyone's favorite activity but her mission is to provide the quickest and most comfortable service possible without making the client feel rushed through the appointment. Jenny has a quick hand and careful manner and will go out of her way to make sure her clients are pleased with their results and are may even have a laugh while doing it. Jenny is thrilled to join TCB and support her wonderful community of Oakland because bottom line - she loves to remove hair!
Lyssandra Guerra is a certified holistic nutritionist who strongly believes that when you begin to recognize yourself as whole being with the acknowledgment that what you eat, how you think, and how you live affects your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing — you will become the master of your own body. You will have the trust in your bodies innate wisdom to guide you through making healthy choices by creating a relationship to food, your body, mind, and spirit. Lyssandra focuses on optimizing digestion, balancing hormones, preventing dis-ease and creating a reduced-stressed lifestyle so that people can live the life they truly deserve.
Angel Burdick is a passionate, intuitive and exceptionally skilled Massage Therapist. Licensed since 2005, Angel has been practicing bodywork for over 10 years. Before opening her private practice on Piedmont Avenue, Angel worked at some of the highest end Spas such as Bliss in the W Hotel in San Francisco. With an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a life time of studying alternative healing and energy movement, Angel supports her sessions with skill that can only honed by time and experience-but intuition and love are always her guiding lights.
Cancellation Policy
Unexpected events happen occasionally in everyone's life. Business meetings, project deadlines, flight delays, car problems, and illness are just a few reasons why one might consider canceling an appointment. In the desire to be effective and fair to all of my clients and out of consideration for my time, Take Care has adopted the following policies:
• 24 hour advance notice is required when cancelling an appointment. This allows the opportunity for someone else to schedule an appointment.
• If you are unable to give us 24 hours advance notice you will be charged 50% the amount of your appointment. This amount must be paid prior to your next scheduled appointment.
Anyone who either forgets or consciously chooses to forgo their appointment for whatever reason will be considered a "no-show". They will be charged in full for their "missed" appointment and future service will be denied until payment is made In full.
Arriving late
Appointment times have been arranged specifically for you. If you arrive late your session may be shortened in order to accommodate others whose appointments follow yours. Depending upon how late you arrive, your therapist will then determine if there is enough time remaining to start a treatment. Regardless of the length of the treatment actually given, you will be responsible for the "full" session.
T a k e C a r e B e a u t y .
4707 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94608.


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Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, proudly presented TTT Founding Artistic Director Michelle Hensley with the Visionary Leadership Award at the organization's 28 th TCG National Conference in St. Louis, MO, in June.
TCG also presented awards to:
• Theatre Practitioner Award:Ron Himes, founder and producing director, The Black Rep
• Theatre Practitioner Award:Steven Woolf, artistic director, Repertory Theater of St. Louis
• Alan Schneider Director Award:May Adrales, director
• Local Funder Award:Kranzberg Arts Foundation
"As we celebrate leaders in our theatre field, we are humbled by the breadth of their programmatic accomplishments, as well as their generosity in sharing their wisdom and expertise with others," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "They are visionary artists and leaders, essential funders and civic leaders. In honoring their work, we celebrate the diversity and vitality of our field, and its power to bring communities together."
The Visionary Leadership Award is given to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to advance the theatre field as a whole, nationally and/or internationally. Recipients of this award are individuals who regularly think beyond their day-to-day work in order to implement practices, new models, advocacy efforts, etc. on behalf of the field.
As founding artistic director of Ten Thousand Things, Michelle has directed and produced over 60 tours of award-winning drama to audiences in prisons, shelters and housing projects, as well as the general public, with most productions making local critics' Top Ten Lists. A McKnight Theater Fellow, in 2005 she received the Francesca Primus Prize from the American Theater Critics Association for outstanding contribution to the American theater, and in 2012 was named Best Artistic Director by the Star Tribune. She is a founding member of the Minnesota Theater Alliance, served on the boards of the Theatre Communications Group and Howlround, and in 2015 published the book All The Lights On: Reimagining Theater with Ten Thousand Things. TTT's touring model has been adopted by at least a dozen theaters around the country including The Public Theater in New York City, the California Shakespeare Theater, Baltimore's Center Stage and The Old Globe Theater of San Diego. In 2017 Michelle won the Twin Cities' Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement, and Ten Thousand Things Theater received the Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors Equity for artistic contributions to the universality of the human experience.
Michelle is stepping down as Artistic Director in summer 2018.


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Home Schooling as a Black Family
Is there a difference when you home educate as a minority? Well for us, there is, but like with most things all of us can take the same task and do it differently.
You may also enjoy: The Truth About Homeschooling
This post isn't about what home education looks like for all families of color, but what it looks like for our family. When we started home schooling, I knew only one other home educator, and she is my cousin. I learned in the early years of teaching my daughters that even people who come from the same family will have different reasons and goals for taking on the task of home schooling.
So, what does home education look like for our Black family?
I have shared our reasons for teaching our daughters at home here and there. At the top of the list was the desire to help them have positive identity in themselves. This continues to remain true. As Black parents, we know the inequality that exists in our culture and we recognize that it really isn't getting much better. As parents of daughters, we also recognize that culture is having damaging effects on women even when they say that they are trying to help the female gender. In order to combat some of the ills of the world, we make it a point to affirm our daughters. We teach them who they are are in the Messiah and who they are in our family. While home education does focus on academics, building the heart is our top priority and when it is aligned and not filled with gunk and doubt, teaching the academics becomes much easier.
As the primary educator for our daughters, I have learned that I am viewed in a variety ways by different people. This is possibly because I tend to get along with most people so it is easy to assume that my views must be the same as theirs, but in quite a few cases it is not. I am not as conservative as some of my friends nor am I so entrenched in certain aspects of Black culture. I am authentically me so this is reflected in our approach to teaching our children.
We have forged our own way with the grace of the Most High when it comes to living life and teaching our daughters. There are several things that I have noticed about our ways which other families may not have to focus on such as:
- Being a minority in general makes things somewhat different than the majority. If you are a minority whether in race, thoughts, or beliefs you can probably relate to feeling somewhat alone and questioning everything. Initially, I allowed the feelings of loneliness to win. If I am honest, it was hard for me to be the only Black person in many if not all of our circles, classes, and outings. This was a new experience for me. I can say that those who I made friends with in our earlier years of home schooling did not make me feel bad when I asked if they had seen any other Black home educators around. Instead they became more aware and observant and recognized during that time we were the only active Black home educating family in our area.
- We do not use certain curriculum particularly those publishers who are heavily Christian and believe that all other peoples are savages and heathens. It is too much to work through their reasoning therefore we steer clear of it. Feel free to read our curriculum reviews about products we've enjoyed.
- We focus on teaching our girls without focusing on others' methods for teaching their children or worrying about what the different school systems are doing. We trust that we were born with everything we need to survive, and anything else that we need He will provide. This does not mean that I don't read books or blogs about homeschooling, but what it does mean is I don't try to add every thing I read to our home school.
- We are a somewhat regular American family. We live on a budget. Our daughters are not a part of everything under the sun, but they each have their one extra curricular activity of choice. We work to not live above our means so that life in generally is enjoyable. We do not overcompensate for them not being in school with other children since socialization happens all the time for free.
Home schooling as a Black family may not be exactly the same as home schooling as another race, but in some instances it may. Culture and societal pressures can find it's way in and cause home education to be a challenge, but I have learned that we don't have to stay here and can find freedom in enjoying the process just as any other family without allowing the outside pressures to take root. We have found home education has provided us with a way to give our daughters' solid footing in life. They have the freedom to grow their faith and gain understanding for themselves. They have the opportunity to develop their gifts and their interests. They are also able to see first hand the way the real world works including the not so great stuff. They have found that our country is not always fair and that discernment is needed when interacting with any person regardless of race. We can talk about the tough stuff because relationships are key in our home.
What does home education look like from your family's perspective?


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ICAN events for 70th anniversary
August 14, 2015
So many inspiring events have been organised by campaigners all over the world to commemorate the first uses of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that it is almost impossible to list them all! Moving demonstrations, seminars, Hibakusha lectures and tours, concerts, fasts, online actions. Dozens of great articles and op-eds have contributed to highlighting the memory of the bombings, the legal gap concerning nuclear weapons, and the urgent need to ban them due to their terrible humanitarian and environmental consequences.
At this occasion, a great deal of media around the world has challenged the myths around the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and quoted the humanitarian pledge and the humanitarian initiative more broadly. This anniversary has also been a good opportunity for personalities like Hans Blix, religious leaders like Pope Francis, and members of governments like the Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan to call for a ban.
Please find below some of these amazing actions.
Sehlac and APP presented an art exhibition showing the nuclear weapons impact and a peace message trough thousand paper cranes and worked done in kindergartens. Margarita Stolbizer, Parliamentarian and President candidate in the next elections visited the exhibition.
The exhibition is going to be during August in an art space of the Parliament at the subway, one million and a half people use that line every day.
At 70 years of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and with the arrival of Global Travel 87 Peace Boat to Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, on June 29, two forums and an exhibition were organized by ECPAT, PEACE BOAT and Fundación Guatemala to commemorate the 70 anniversary of the bombing, with the participation of 7 hibakusha who presented their testimonies. The Councelor of the Japanese Embassy; Representantives of Peace Boat, ECPTA and Fundación Guatemala made presentations as well as the Mayor for Peace.
A Foz do Iguaçú, Brasil, SEHLAC organised an event with schools and several speakers to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the City Council in partnership with the Brazilian Campaign against Landmines.
Demonstration to commemorate the atomic bombings.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings IEP with two Chilean NGO's (Chilean Red Cross and Cehum), drafted an agreement with parliamentarians concerning the abolition of nuclear weapons, which was presented yesterday in the Chilean Senate (N° 1822-12)
Publications and video of the demonstration in Santiago.
There were quite a few events in Canada in cities from coast to coast. Physicians for Global Survival orgasised public events and media work; Mayors write an op-ed with Jonathan from PGS: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-threat-of-nuclear-weapons-has-not-gone-away-1.2021998.
webinar online at: https://www.msci.com/www/webcast/the-controversial-weapons/0190910540
The story of a local resident who survived the bombing in Nagasaki as a Dutch POW. http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/jack-knox-victoria-philanthropist-reveals-he-survived-atomic-bombing-1.2025139.
The Times Colonist published Erin's response to Mr. Hoenson's question of what good telling his story would do: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-to-this-day-nagasaki-survivor-s-story-matters-1.2030280.
Demonstration in New York City outside the Japanese Consulate and visited with the consulate with flowers and apologized for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We also asked them to maintain Japan's peace constitution and not to amend Article 9 and to sign the Humanitarian Pledge and play a more active role in efforts to begin negotiations to prohibit and ban nuclear weapons.
Several public events during the whole week in Vienna
Many events and a huge concert in Oslo
Organized a public ceremony by Geneva lake
In Greece, IPPNW Greece drafted a press release, spoke on a radio show and held a press conference.
and In Crete on August 8th, a TEDx event (http://www.tedxanogeia.com/).
Tony Robinson of Pressenza gave a talk at the TEDx event organised near the village of Anoigea (http://www.tedxanogeia.com/) in Greece: "I was invited as a director of my news agency and because of the date I proposed to give a presentation about nuclear weapons and the ICAN campaign. I had 15 minutes, so I spoke for 10 and showed an ICAN video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-gE25dEbg. The reception was great and I proposed those interested to contact the ICAN campaign in Greece to get invovled"
Article for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings:
Here a few links to activities that were organised in Belgium, namely the commemoration events in the cities Ghent and Leuven, both well supported by the city councils
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20150809_01810965 (Ghent)
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20150809_01810965 (Leuven)
Link with television report of the events in Belgium/Ghent: http://www.avs.be/avsnews/herdenking-hiroshima
Small report from the in commemoration in Ghent 9 August:
- More than 200 spectators in for a classical concert with Kyoko Ishida, program on use of weapons of mass destruction in Nagasaki and during World War I
- More than 600 spectators for the commemoration ceremony with speeches from the City Council, 70 lights on the water
- More than 150 people (including members of city council of all parties and the Mayor) sending a letter to the prime minister urging Belgium to support the 'Humanitarian Initiative'
Long report:
More pictures:
link to the pictures of Leuven events : http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/blhsm_01811989
Commemoration ceremony in Dublin with the Lord Mayor of Dublin quoting the Humanitarian Pledge and calling for the negotiation of a treaty to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons. This call was repeated by other speakers, who also urged the Irish government to take a strong leadership role in working for a new treaty. The commemoration was also attended by the Austrian ambassador, representatives from the other New Agenda Coalition states with embassies in Ireland, and from Norway and Russia, and from the Irish Foreign Ministry: http://irishcnd.org/node/123.
Op-ed by the Irish Foreign Minister, Charlie Flanagan mentions the Humanitarian Pledge and speaks of Ireland working for "urgent discussions on legal pathways to hasten nuclear disarmament" : http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/an-end-of-nuclear-arms-would-be-fitting-memory-to-hiroshima-victims-31435827.html
Irish Times newspaper (http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/government-urged-to-lead-campaign-against-nuclear-weapons-1.2309222) and the UTV television channel (http://player.utv.ie/programme/ireland-live/480013 – the report begins at 15:33).
Online action :
International Fast in several places in France: http://www.alterjt.tv/ajt13-jeune-action-international-contre-larme-nucleaire-partie-1/
Mouvement de la paix: http://japonmvtpaix.top-depart.com/
… and much more! For the full list of activities undertaken by ICAN France, please check out the press review.
Intense media work for the commemorations. Some likns below:
Many events organised at: http://ikvpcnonukes.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/r/E68D41A29D6EE9572540EF23F30FEDED/AB3A98502D5277916E86459A008B4B98
Media and TV coverage: http://binnenland.eenvandaag.nl/tv-items/60999/het_geheim_van_volkel
Media work, supporting the tour of Ms. Sestuko Thurlow
"Finnish media had quite a good coverage on reminiscence of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago. Interviews of several hibakusha was published in the main newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and most other papers published articles on Hiroshima and the issue was also well distributed in television news. Chairperson of Peace Union of Finland was interviewed in one of the main tv-channels and Helsingin Sanomat published also a letter to the editor about ICAN campaign and the need for Finland to signs the humanitarian pledge (I'm not including the links here because they are all in Finnish).
There were remembrance events with floating candles in 10 different places, the largest in Helsinki with several hundred participants and our former Foreign minister as one of the speakers.
Ministry of Foreign affairs of Finland published a press release Hiroshima Day reminds of the necessity of nuclear disarmament? which says e.g. "Now attention to nuclear weapons and their effects are being paid in the framework of the so called Humanitarian Initiative. Finland supports this initiative and promotes the aim of achieving a world without nuclear weapons. Finland stresses the importance of getting nuclear weapons states involved in the dialogue in order to achieve progress in nuclear disarmament."
Finland has not (yet) signed the humanitarian pledge, and the peace organisations have now asked an audience to our new Foreign minister to urge them to do this."
British and French campaigners fasted together from August 6 – 9th by the Ministry of Defence in London and in Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, with "die ins" and painting of "shadows" around bodies outside the MoD, Westminster and Downing St. All over the British Isles there have been local vigils and ceremonies floating peace lanterns, including at the Faslane nuclear weapons base (Trident).
ICAN UK also created a video for the anniversary.
For a full run-down check out this report http://www.sgr.org.uk/pages/uk-nuclear-weapons-catastrophe-making
WCC organised pilgrim of Church leaders to Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Peace Boat organized a global tour with 17 Hibakusha on board from April to July 2015. Here is an interview with Hiroshima survivor Nobuo Miyake, who traveled around the world onboard Peace Boat. The 8 minutes program has his powerful testimony and a strong message for banning nuclear weapons under international law.
Akira Kawasaki talks to RT International on Hiroshima tragedy anniversary
SGI has organised an International Youth Summit for nuclear abolition. See below:
On top of a tour of lectures and actions organised with ICAN Campaign Director Tim Wright, ICAN A-NZ organised many events with the public, the parliament and the government with many partners, the Red Cross, faith communities, and NGOs.
Op-ed from Loreta Castro in one of the largest daily newspaper:
Campaigners also held an exhibit to commemorate the 70th anniversary entitled, "No more Hiroshimas and Nagasakis, Ban Nuclear Weapons Now!" with speakers from Soka Gakkai International's Phillipines section and Pax Christi. Check out the pics here, here and here!
Article on "Hiroshima and Nagasaki, what have we learnt ?" was printed in the New Straits Times and in The Star, the two main English-language papers in Malaysia.
Lecture panel event ponsored by the School of Government Development and International Affairs (SGDIA) & School of Social Sciences.
Survivors Recovery and Rehabilitation Organization (SRaRO) in collaboration with Ethiopia National Disability Action Network organized an event to commemorate the 70th years anniversary in Addis Ababa with 45 participants from different organizations.
PAMAI commemorated the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima with several activities
1. Meeting with the Foreign Minister of Togo
2. Letter of Solidarity with Japan on the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima submitted to the Japanese Embassy in Nigeria and
3. Letter to the South African Ambassador encouraging South Africa to take the bold to host the International Conference that will see the commencement of the legal process towards the ban of nuclear weapons. Article:
Meeting with the MFA and press Conference in the UNREC building in Lomé
Presses en lignes:
Tilman Ruff- IPPNW (Australia)
Rebecca Johnson – Acronym Institute (UK)
Setsuko Thurlow (Japan-Canada)
Op-ed from Professor Tom Sauer (Belgium)
Alice Slater (USA) - Counterpunch
Alice Slater (USA) - IPS News


text:
Information Security Governance
Cyber Gate Defense consultant worked alongside a government department to help integrate security across the key processes. The risk appetite of this department is quiet high. The security governance practices were not adopted well within the department in the past. However, Cyber Gate Defense consultant introduced a number of security initiative including awareness session, demonstrated their security weaknesses, and helped implemented a new security strategy to preventative and proactive Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover from cyber-attacks.


text:
Islam accords very high priority to maintain the sanctity of places of worship of God, be it the Christian churches, Jewish synagogues or the Muslim mosques, Allah says: "..Had not Allah repelled some people by the might of others, the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah's praise is daily celebrated, would have been utterly demolished. Allah will certainly help those who help His cause; most surely Allah is Mighty, Powerful."(Qur'an;), "Who is more unjust than he who prevents people from the House of worship of God, forbids the mention of His name therein, and strives to ruin them ? It is not proper for such people to enter in them except with His fear. For them there is disgrace in this world and grievous punishment in the Hereafter."(Qur'an;2:114). Therefore the Muslims are under obligation to honour and protect the houses of worship of God to provide freedom of worship. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided protection to the monks of
Mount Sinai. The 2nd Caliph Umar, at the fall of Jerusalem, while visiting the church, decline to offer by Christian clergy to offer prayer in the Church, as he did not want it to used as a precedence by the later Muslims to forcibly covert Churches in to mosques. The churches were protected even during Crusades during Muslim control, while there was wide spread destruction and killings on capture of by the Christian forces. Jerusalem
"Verily, the first house (of worship) appointed for mankind was that in Baca (
), full of blessing, and guidance for all people."(Qur'an;3:96). "Passing through the Mecca , they make it a well-spring; yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings."(Bilbe;Psalm;84:6). "And Remember when We showed Abraham the site of the Holy House (the Ka'bah) at Makka saying: Associate not anything in worship with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow and (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah), and make prostration(in prayer)."(Qur'an;) valley of Baca
This article highlights the importance of most sacred Muslim sites , threats in historic perspective, universal responsibilities of Muslims towards mankind as inheritors of Qur'an and legacy of Abraham, to protect the holy sites at Makka,
and Medina . Jerusalem
The most sacred sites in Islam are, the three (mosques) houses of worship of Allah; Ka'ba, Prophet's Mosque in
and Al-Aqsa Mosque at Medina . This indicates the importance Islam attaches to Tawhid (Islamic Monotheism). Apart from their religious significance, they are also of great historical value. Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place other than the three Mosques: the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, this mosque of mine (at Jerusalem ), and Al-Aqsa Mosque (of Medina )." This is reported by Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud (Fiqh-us-Sunna, Volume 5 Number 132c). Traveling to these three mosques is prescribed because of their special position in Islam. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said; "Prayer in the mosque of Aqsa (i.e. Bayt al-Maqdis) has a reward of fifty thousand prayers; his prayer in my mosque (the Prophet's mosque in Medina) has a reward of fifty thousand prayers; and the prayer in the Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah) at Makkah has a reward of one hundred thousand prayers. Transmitted by Ibn Majah. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith,752, Narrated by Anas ibn Malik). Jerusalem
The First House of Worship of One God-Allah:
Makka is the ancient centre of Islam, because it has the honour to house Ka'ba, the first house of worship of Allah, it is also the City of
. Its historical and religious
significance is central to the origin of
Islam and religious practices, from the days of Prophet Adam, Abraham, through
to Muhammad (peace be upon them all) till eternity. The Peace , generally known as the
symbol of Jewish unity in the form of 'The Temple of Solomon' (Al-Aqsa Mosque)
is important to all followers of Abrahamic faith i.e. Jews, Christians as well
as Muslims. Some time after the shifting
of the responsibility of the leadership of humanity from the Children of Israel
to Children of Isma'il, the symbol of unity of Muslims, the true followers of
Abraham (peace be upon him) also passed from Jerusalem to Makka, thereby the
old and original "City of Peace" was restored and made universal.
Makka is located in Jerusalem Southern Arabia at the old trade route from to Yemen . Ka'ba, the House of God is the first House (of worship) chosen for men. It
was first built by Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) at place, now called Makka
also referred as Bakka in Qur'an. "Verily, the first house (of worship)
appointed for mankind was that in Bakka ( Syria ), full of blessing, and
guidance for all people."(Qur'an;3:96). This word Bakka is also mentioned
in the Bible: "Passing through the Mecca , they make it a
well-spring; yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings."(Psalm;84:6). valley of Baca
Abraham and Ishmael Rebuilt Ka'ba:
Abraham Leaves Ishmael: Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) on divine instructions, had to leave his eldest son Ishmael (then an infant) along with his mother Hajira (Hagar) at Makka (Arabia), an uninhabited desert at that time, the place where the first House of Worship of Allah was built by Adam. She could have died of thirst in the desert around Makka along with her young son; but they were miraculously saved by the water which came out of earth, the spring is called Zamzam, which still exists in the form of a well. The place was inhabited due to water and its location on the trade route, it became to be known as Makka. Years later Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) revisited them, the event of offering his son for sacrifice for the pleasure of God took place here. Allah saved the son (Isma'il) and accepted the supreme gesture of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The rites are part of annual pilgrimage (Hajj) since then.
Universal House of Worship for All Believers of Humanity: The site of Makka was granted to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) (and his son Isma'il) for building a place of worship that was to be pure (without idols, the worship to Allah, the One True God) and universal for the humanity, without being reserved (like Solomon's Temple of later times) to any one People or Race. Once Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) came, there was no sign of original house of Allah, through the guidance of Allah he found the original foundations and made a roofless structure, it is narrated in Qur'an:" And Remember when We showed Abraham the site of the Holy House (the Ka'bah) at Makka saying: Associate not anything in worship with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up for prayer, and those who bow and submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah, and make prostration in prayer."(Qur'an;). "Abraham said: "My Lord make this (Makkah) a city of peace and provide its people with plenty of food from fruits, those of them who believe in Allah and the Last Day." He answered, "As for those who do not, I shall also provide for them in this life, though in the Hereafter I shall drag them to the torture of Hellfire and it is an evil destination indeed! And (remember) when Abraham and (his son) Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah) at Makka,(saying),'Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, all Knower."(Qur'an;2:126-127).
Black Stone: When raised to a certain height, Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him) ordered his son to choose a piece of stone to mark the main corner point. While he was searching for it, the Archangel Gabriel appeared with the stone from Heaven. Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him) fixed at the eastern corner. Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The black stone descended from
Paradise whiter than milk, but the sins of
the descendants of Adam made it black. ":Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted
it, the latter saying that his is a hasan
sahih tradition. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2577,). Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) become the founder of
the new Arab nation and Makka developed
as a centre of Islamic faith and trade.
Abraham Revived Original Islam: Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) thus revived the original Islam (which is as old as mankind) in
Arabia. While building the
sacred mosque, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) dedicated the work to God in humble
supplication, addressing Him as the All-Hearing and the All-Knowing. He then
asked for a blessing on himself and his progeny generally, both the children of
his eldest-born Isma'il (Arabs) and his younger son Isaac (Jews), peace be upon
Abraham Prayed for City of Peace & Unity In Islam: It is narrated in Qur'an: "Remember Abraham said: "O my Lord! make this city one of peace and security: and preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols. O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation by thy Sacred House; in order O our Lord that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them and feed them with Fruits: so that they may give thanks. "O our Lord! truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah whether on earth or in heaven. "Praise be to Allah who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac: for truly my Lord is He the Hearer of Prayer!"(Qur'an;14:35-39). In Abraham's prophetic mind was the secret and open enmity or contempt which the Children of Israel were to have for the Children of Isma'il (Arabs). He prays to Allah that they may be united in Islam, as indeed they were, except a small remnant. According to Bible, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis;21: 5); and as Isma'il was 13 years old when Abraham was 99. (Genesis;27:24-25), Isma'il was also a son of his father's old age, having been born when Abraham was 86 years old. The younger son's progeny developed the Faith of Israel and that of Christ; the elder son's progeny perfected the more universal Faith of Islam, the Faith of Abraham the Truthful. Abraham prayed for both branches of his family, having a wider vision than some of the later Children of Israel. With prophetic vision he foresaw that there will be corruption and backsliding in both branches of his family: Makka will house idols, and
will become a harlot
city (Ezekiel;), a city of abomination.
But the light of Islam will shine, and reclaim the lost people in both branches
and indeed in all the world. Jerusalem
Corruption of Faith of Abraham, Paganism in
Arabia: Over the centuries the
descendents of Prophet a Ishmael (peace be upon him) corrupted the faith of
their forefathers and started associating partners with Him and worshiping many
gods. The pagans Arabs believed Allah as the Supreme Lord but considered the
idols as smaller gods or His partners,
totally against the strict monotheism preached by Prophet Abraham and
Isma'il (peace be upon them). By the
sixth century C.E, Ka'bah was filled with 360 idols, in the interior of Ka'ba
they placed statue of Prophet Isma'il and Abraham (peace be upon them) with the
ram beside him ready for sacrifice.
Destruction of Abraha's Army of Elephants Attacking Ka'ba: In the known history Ka'ba has remained a safe and peaceful House of worship of Allah, with no threat form any one. However in 571 C.E just before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abraha (The Greek historians write him as Abrames and the Syriac historians as Abraham, Abrahah perhaps is an Abyssinian variant of Abraham, for its Arabic version is Ibrahim) the Christian Abyssinian ruler of Yemen invaded Makka with a large army, which also included some elephants, a strange beast for Arabs. The pagan Arabs abandoned the city, took to hills for safety. Allah sent swarms of birds carrying stones in their beaks and claws, showered on the invading troops, which miraculously destroyed them. Whoever was hit would start disintegrating. According to Muhammad bin Ishaq and Ikrimah, this was smallpox, which was seen in
Arabia for the first time in that year. Ibn Abbas says that
whoever was struck by a pebble, would start scratching his body resulting in
breaking of the skin and falling off of the flesh. In another tradition Ibn Abbas
says that the flesh and blood flowed like water and bones in the body became
visible. The same thing happened with Abrahah too. His flesh fell in pieces and
there arose bores on his body emitting pus and blood. In confusion they
withdrew and fled towards . This is known as The
Year of Elephants (A'am ul Feel) in Yemen Arabia. This is how
miraculously Allah saved His House. The
incidence been referred in Qur'an: "Have you not considered how your Lord dealt
with the Army of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan a flop?
And send against them flocks of birds, which pelted them with stones of baked
clay, thus rendered them like the chewed-up chaff"(Qur'an;105:1-5).
Reconstruction of Ka'ba after Abraham: The structure constructed by Abraham (peace be upon him) also got buried in the sand with the passage of time. Later it was reconstructed by the tribe of Amalqa and later by Jerhem. Once this structure got damaged the Quraish (the tribe of Prophet, peace be upon him) reconstructed it. Ka'bah as appears now is a cubed shaped structure having a black stone (Hajr-e-aswad) fixed in its eastern corner. Literally, Ka'bah (Ka'ba) in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige, four cornered structure, the word may also have some semblance with English 'cube', Latin 'cubus' or Greek 'kubos'. Ka'bah is also called 'Bait-ul-Ateeq' which means, the earliest, ancient, independent and liberating.
Ka'ba –The Direction of Worship, Qibla: The Muslims all over the world face towards Ka'bah during their prayers: Hence Ka'bah is called the Qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims. It is important to note that though Muslims face the Ka'bah during prayers, but they do not worship the Ka'bah. Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah. It is mentioned in Qur'an: "To Allah belong the East and the West; whithersoever ye turn there is the (Wajh-"face") presence of Allah. For Allah is All-Pervading All-Knowing.'(Qur'an;2:115). "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens; now shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; wherever ye are turn your faces in that direction. The people of the book know well that that is the truth from their Lord nor is Allah unmindful of what they do."(Qur'an;2:144). The Jews and Christians looked upon
as a sacred city. But there was no universal Qibla among them. Some Jews turned towards Jerusalem , especially during the
Captivity. At the time of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), Jerusalem was under Christian
Byzantine Empire. But the Christians oriented their churches to the East (hence
the word "orientation") which is a point of the compass, and not the
direction of any sacred place. The fact of the altar being in the East does not
mean that every worshipper has his face to the east; for, according at least to
modern practice, the seats in a church are so placed that different worshippers
may face in different directions. Initially the Muslims were required to face Jerusalem during their prayers.
The Preacher of Unity, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) naturally wanted,
in this as in other matters, a symbol of complete unity, and his heart was
naturally delighted when Ka'bah was made the Qiblah (direction of Salah,
prayer). Its connection with Prophet Abraham(peace be upon him) gave it
great antiquity; its character of being an Arab centre made it appropriate when
the Message (Qur'an) came in Arabic, and was preached through the union of the
Arabs. At that time the little Muslim community was cutoff form Ka'ba, being
exiles in Medina, however Ka'ba became a permanent source of hope, which
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived to see the fulfillment; and it also
became the centre and gathering ground of all Muslims in the universal pilgrimage
(Hajj), which was instituted with it.
Site of Annual Pilgrimage Hajj: Hajj means effort, the obligatory pilgrimage to Makka for every Muslim if he is healthy and can financially afford. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and takes place during the Islamic month of Zhul al-Hijjah. As mentioned above Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), had initiated and established the holy Pilgrimage. The degenerated descendants of Abraham and Isma'il (Peace be upon them), defiled Allah's Holy Ka'bah into a huge pantheon. They injected pagan rites into the purely Islamic Pilgrimage laid down by Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), cleansed the Holy Ka'bah from its heathen idols and again restored the original pilgrimage to its pristine purity.
Reconstruction of Ka'ba-Historic Perspective:
After Adam and Abraham, Ka'ba has been rebuilt many times, when ever the building got damaged due to floods or calamities. Years before the declaration of Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), Ka'ba got damaged due to flash floods. Quraish, the custodian tribes did not have sufficient funds so, the reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Ka'ba as built by Prophet Abraham(peace be upon him). This was the first time that Ka'ba acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike its earlier rectangular shape. The portion of the Ka'ba left out is called Hateem, it is adjacent to the Ka'ba, enclosed by a low semi-circular wall. In the lifetime of the Prophet there was no wall around the Ka'ba and the people used to pray around the Ka'ba till 'Umar became the Caliph and he built the wall around it. 'Ubaidullah further said, "Its wall was low, so Ibn Az-Zubair built it." (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith: 5.171, Narrated by Amr bin Dinar and Ubaidullah bin Abi Yazid). 'Aisha said that the Prophet said to her, "O Aisha! Were your nation not close to the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance, I would have had the Ka'ba demolished and would have included in it the portion which had been left, and would have made it at a level with the ground and would have made two doors for it, one towards the east and the other towards the west, and then by doing this it would have been built on the foundations laid by Abraham." That was what urged Ibn-Az-Zubair to demolish the Ka'ba. Jazz said, "I saw Ibn-Az-Zubair when he demolished and rebuilt the Ka'ba (64-65 Hijrah) and included in it a portion of Al-Hijr (the unroofed portion of Ka'ba which is at present in the form of a compound towards the northwest of the Ka'ba). I saw the original foundations of Abraham which were of stones resembling the humps of camels." So Jarir asked Yazid, "Where was the place of those stones?" Jazz said, "I will just now show it to you." So Jarir accompanied Yazid and entered Al-Hijr, and Jazz pointed to a place and said, "Here it is." Jarir said, "It appeared to me about six cubits from Al-Hijr or so." (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith: 2.656, Narrated by Yazid bin Ruman from Urwa).
In 74 Hijra (693 C.E) Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the known tyrant of that time, with the approval of Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan, demolished what Ibn az-Zubayr had added and restored the old structure of the Quraish. When Abdul Malik bin Marwan came for Umra and heard the Hadith that it was wish of Prophet for the Ka'ba to be constructed the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr had built it, he regretted his actions. Abbasi Caliph Harun al Rasheed wanted to rebuild the Ka'ba the way the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) wanted and the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr built it. Imam Malik advised that frequent demolition and rebuilding of Ka'ba is against its sanctity because it may become a practice by the Caliphs and Kings to demolish and rebuild it. The Caliph refrained, thus the structure remains the same with minor repairs here and there. After damage by the floods in 1040 Hijrah (1596 C.E) the reconstruction took place under the guidance of the Ottoman Caliph Sultan Murad. The latest major reconstruction of Ka'ba took place in 1996. The original stones including black stone are part of the new construction, while other material has been replaced including the ceiling , roof and its wood.
Sacred Rituals:
The ritual of circumambulation of Ka'bah (twaf) is part of Umrah and Hajj. Kissing of the Black Stone (Hajr-e-aswad) or from distance pointing by hand marks the start of each circumambulation of Ka'bah to count seven circumambulations. The Black Stone thus, serves to mark the start of each round. Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud reported, narrated by Abis bin Rabia that, Umar, the second Caliph approached the Black Stone and kissed it. Then he said: "I know that you are a mere stone that can neither harm nor do any good. If I had not seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) kissing you, I would have never kissed you."(Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith,2.667). Kissing of Black Stone is a sign of respect like people kiss their holy scriptures (Bible, Geeta) or children. In 929 C.E, the Qarmatians (the most un-Islamic sect in Islam) sacked Makka and carried away the Black Stone to
, it was restored back to
Ka'bah after 20 years. During
this period all rituals and circumambulation (Twaf) of Ka'bah continued as usual. This stone is revered by
Muslims nothing more. Muslims only worship Allah and pray to Him alone. Bahrain
Historic Background: Prophet's Mosque at
is one
of three most sacred mosques built in 622 C.E. The history of its construction
and background is well explained in the Hadith; Narrated by Anas:
When the Prophet arrived Medina he
dismounted at 'Awali-i-Medina amongst a tribe called Banu 'Amr bin 'Auf. He
stayed there for fourteen nights. Then he sent for Bani An-Najjar and they came
armed with their swords. As if I am looking (just now) as the Prophet was
sitting over his Rahila (Mount) with Abu Bakr riding behind him and all
Banu An-Najjar around him till he dismounted at the courtyard of Abu Aiyub's
house. The Prophet loved to pray wherever the time for the prayer was due even
at sheep folds. Later on he ordered that a mosque should be built and sent for
some people of Banu-An-Najjar and said, "O Banu An-Najjar! Suggest to me
the price of this (walled) piece of land of yours." They replied,
"No! By Allah! We do not demand its price except from Allah." Anas
added: There were graves of pagans in it and some of it was unleveled and there
were some date-palm trees in it. The Prophet ordered that the graves of the
pagans be dug out and the unleveled land be leveled and the date-palm trees be
cut down. (So all that was done). They aligned these cut date-palm trees
towards the Qibla of the mosque (as a wall) and they also built two
stone side-walls (of the mosque). His companions brought the stones while
reciting some poetic verses. The Prophet was with them and he kept on saying,
"There is no goodness except that of the Hereafter, O Allah! So please
forgive the Ansars and the emigrants."(Sahih Al Bukhari Hadith, Volume 1,
Hadith Number 420). Medina
Role and Functions: Prophet's Mosque served as a model for all later mosques. A small part of the space was used to house Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his family. The home of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his family was a simple structure, made of raw brick, that opened on an enclosed courtyard where people gathered to hear him, it was a special place for worship and congregation. In 624 C.E when it was decreed (Qur'an;2:144) that prayer be directed toward Mecca instead of Jerusalem; against the wall facing Mecca, the Qiblah wall, was built as a roofed shelter supported by pillars made of palm trunks. Against the opposite wall of the courtyard stood a roofed gallery to shelter the companions of Prophet, the antecedent of the roofed oratories in later mosques. In 628 C.E a minbar, or pulpit, was added so that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was raised above the crowd; besides leading prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) settled the disputes from the minbar according to Islamic Law. Later mosques also combined political, judicial, and religious functions.
Place of Safety (Harem): It is desire of every Muslim to offer prayer at this place.
is a sanctuary; it is
forbidden to cut its trees. Any one who innovates an heresy or commits a sin
therein, will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people. Anas
bin Malik reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever
prays forty prayers consecutively in my mosque without missing any of the
obligatory prayer, he will be removed from Hell, from punishment, and from
hypocrisy." This was reported by Ahmad and At-Tabarani with a sound chain.
Like Ka'ba, non Muslims are not allowed to visit this mosque. Medina
Resting Place of Prophet (peace be upon him) and Companions: The mosque, containing the resting place of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his close companions, Abubakar Siddiq and Umar al Khattab. In 706C.E Caliph Al-Walid I replaced the original brick buildings and created a new building of mosque on the site. The original structure was rebuilt and expanded many times to cater for ever rising numbers of faithfuls. According to the famous narrative, Nureddin, Zangi (1118-1174 C.E), the pious Muslim ruler of
, through a dream got an
indication from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) about mischievous activities
of some Jews, digging a tunnel towards his mausoleum. While the culprits were
traced and punished, he built an underground protective shield of metal (lead
etc) to protect the holy mausoleum from future miscreants. Though not obligatory but most Muslim make it
a point to visit the mosque during
pilgrimage (Hajj or Umrah) period. Syria
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located at
(Hebrew Yerushalayim; Arabic Bayt al-Muqaddas,
or al-Quds), one of the world's oldest and holiest cities. The city plays
a central role in the spiritual and emotional perspective of the three major
monotheistic religions. For Jews throughout the world, Jerusalem is the
focus of age-old yearnings, a living proof of ancient grandeur and independence
and a centre of national renaissance; for Christians, it is the scene of their
Saviour's agony and triumph; for Muslims, it is the goal of the Prophet
Muhammad's (peace be upon him) night journey and the site of one of Islam's
most sacred shrines. For all three faiths it is a centre of pilgrimage; the Jerusalem , the earthly prototype of the heavenly Holy City . Jerusalem
The site of Al-Aqsa Mosque in
is sacred to Muslims,
for three main reasons: Jerusalem
The Second House of Worship of One God: According to the Islamic traditions, the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque is the second place built in the history of mankind for the worship of One God, the first being at Makka. Muslims, as the true inheritors and followers of the faith of Abraham believe in the prophets of Bible to be the prophets of Islam. Hence as true inheritors of the legacy of Abraham, rightly claim the Al-Aqsa Mosque (also known as
). It is called 'farthest', because it was the
place of worship farthest west which was known to the Arabs at that time. Temple of Jerusalem
Venue of Prophet Ascend to Heaven : Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), ascended into heaven from this site, it is mentioned in Qur'an: "Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place of Worship (Al-Aqsa Mosque) the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer."(Qur'an;17:1). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is believed to have lead the prayer which was attended by all the prophets at this blessed place. The building did not exist at that time, Majsid [mosque] is the place of prostration [sajood], worship, Muslims can pray at any clean poece of land.
Initial Direction of Prayer (Qibla) of Muslims: Islam declared the site of Solomon Temple as a sacred house of worship and direction of prayer for Muslims. This remained the direction of prayer for quite some time, however later it was changed to Makka on direction of Allah: "..To Allah belong both East and West;"(Qur'an;2:142). Hence it is one of three most holiest sites of Islam other being Ka'ba and Mosque of the Prophet at
. Medina
First Temple-Housed the Ark of the Covenant:
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located at the place called
or the Mount Moriah . It is the same
place (or near) where Temple of Solomon
was constructed to house the Ark of Covenant and for the worship of One God,
preached and worshiped by Abraham. The Ark of the Covenant,
(Hebrew Aron Ha-Berit) was most sacred to the Israelites. As per the
Biblical traditions it is the ornate, gold-plated wooden chest that in
biblical times housed the two tablets of the Law given to Moses by God (Ten
Commandments engraved on stone, with relics of Moses and Aaron). This was a
sacred possession to Temple Mount . It was lost to the
enemy in the early part of prophet Samuel's ministry. Qur'an mentions about it:
"And their Prophet (Samuel) said unto them (Israelites): Lo! the token of his
kingdom is that there shall come unto you the Israel (Tabut u fihi Sakinatum) wherein is peace of reassurance from your
Lord, and a remnant of that which the house of Moses and the house of Aaron
left behind, the angels bearing it. Lo! herein shall be a token for you if (in
truth) ye are believers..."(Qur'an;2:248). 'Sakina'
is understood to mean; safety, tranquility, peace. Later Jewish writings use
the same word Shekhina, for a symbol
of God's Glory in the Tabernacle or tent or Ark in which the Temple of Solomon was kept. Ark
In the time of prophet
had suffered from much
corruption within and many reverses. The Philistines had made a great attack
and defeated Samuel, Israel with great slaughter. The Israelites, instead of
relying on Faith and their own valour and cohesion, brought out their most
sacred possession, the Ark of the Covenant, to help them in the fight. But the
enemy captured it, carried
it away, and retained it for seven months. The Israelites forgot that
wickedness cannot screen itself behind a sacred relic. Nor can a sacred relic help the enemies of
faith. The enemy found that the Israel brought nothing but
misfortune for themselves, and were glad to abandon it. It apparently remained twenty years in the village (qarya)
of Yaarim (Kirjath-jeafim): (I.Samuel;7: 2.) Meanwhile the people
pressed Samuel to appoint them a king. They thought that a king would cure all
their ills, whereas spirit of unity, discipline and a readiness on their part
to fight in the cause of God was required. However Saul was appointed as king. When the Ark
came back, it remained in a village for twenty years and was apparently taken
to the capital when kingship was instituted. It thus became a symbol of unity
and authority. (The final fate of the Ark is
unknown). Ark
rested in
the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle of the ancient Ark and was seen only by the
high priest of the Israelites on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Levites
(priestly functionaries) carried the Temple of Jerusalem with them during the
Hebrews' wanderings in the wilderness. Following the conquest of Ark Canaan, the Promised Land, the resided
at Ark Shiloh, but from time to time it
was carried into battle by the Israelites. After King David's capture of , however, the Jerusalem was moved to that city,
later placed in Ark . This action joined Temple of Solomon 's major religious object
with the monarchy and the city itself into a central symbol of union of the
Israelite tribes. As the site for a future temple, David chose Israel , or the Mount Moriah , where it was believed (according to Jewish traditions)
Abraham had built the altar on which he was prepared to sacrifice his son
Isaac. (As per Muslim traditions and belief, it was Ishmael and not Isaac and
the place was around Makka, Muslims perform Hajj (annual pilgrimage) to
commemorate the event). The Temple Mount
constructed during the reign of David's son, Solomon, and completed in 957 BC. It was built as an abode for the
First Temple and as a place of assembly for the
entire people, hence the Ark was the centre of worship and
national identity in ancient Temple of Jerusalem . The Israel
five altars: one at the entrance of the Holy of Holies, two others within the
building, a large bronze one before the porch, and a large tiered altar in the
courtyard. A huge bronze bowl, or "sea," in the courtyard was used
for the priests' ablutions. Within the Holy of Holies, two cherubim of olive
wood stood with the First Temple ; this innermost
sanctuary was considered the
dwelling place of the Divine Presence (Shekhina)
and could be entered only by the high priest and only on the Day of Atonement
(Yom Kippur). Ark
Destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia-586 B.C: The Temple suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia, who removed the Temple treasures in 604 BC and 597 BC and totally destroyed the building in 587/586 B.C. This destruction and the deportations of Jews to
Babylonia in
586 B.C and 582 B.C were seen as fulfillments of prophecy and, therefore,
strengthened Judaic religious beliefs and awakened the hope for the
reestablishment of the independent Jewish state.
Rebuilt 515 BC : Cyrus II, of
and conqueror of Persia Babylonia, in 538 BC allowed
exiled Jews to return to and rebuild the Jerusalem . Work was completed in
515 BC. This is known as the Temple , which was constructed as a modest
version of the original building. It did
not include the Ark of the Covenant
which was lost. During the Persian and Hellenistic (4th-3rd century BC)
periods, the Second Temple
was respected, and in part subsidized, by Temple Judea's foreign rulers.
Desecrated - 167 BC: Antiochus IV Epiphanes, however, plundered it in 169 BC and desecrated it in 167 BC by commanding that sacrifices be made to Zeus on an altar built for him. This final act touched off the Hasmonean revolt, during which Judas Maccabaeus cleansed and rededicated the
; the event is celebrated
by Jews in the annual festival of Hanukkah. Temple
Rebuilding of the
Starts- 20 BC :
During the
Roman conquest, Pompey entered (63 BC) the Holy of Holies but left the Second Temple
intact. In
54 BC, however, Crassus plundered the Temple
treasury. Of
major importance was the rebuilding of the Temple begun by Herod the Great, king (37 BC-4 C.E) of
Second Temple Judea. Construction began in
20 BC and lasted for 46 years. The area of the was doubled and
surrounded by a wall with gates. The Temple Mount
was again
the centre of Israelite life. It was not only the focus of religious ritual but
also the repository of the Holy Scriptures and other national literature and
the meeting place of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of Jewish law during the
Roman period. Herodian Temple
Christian Control of Jerusalem: During 7th century, Jerusalem was a sacred place to both Jews and Christians, but the Christians had the upper hand after conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity (306-337 C.E), as it was included in the Byzantine Empire, which maintained a Patriarch at Jerusalem.
Israel's Control : Israel captured Jerusalem in 1967.
declared Israel
as its indivisible capital against UN Resolutions, which is not internationally
recognized. The Jerusalem
have declared it as the capital of their state as and when it is established. The Old Jerusalem city is
dominated by the raised platform of the Palestine Compound, claimed as the
site of the First and Herodian Temple of the Hebrews and Jews;
the compound includes the Islamic holy places of the Dome of the Rock and
Al-Aqsa Mosque. Its Western (Wailing) Wall is the most sacred of Jewish shrines. Though one of the three most sacred places
for Muslims, they are being denied free access ever since Israeli occupation.
With the passage of time the Muslim world appears to be forgetting Al-Aqsa
Mosque, considering that it will get resolved with the establishment of
Palestinian state, a remote possibility in near future. This apathy has
encouraged the enemies of Islam to threaten the other two holiest Muslim sites
as well. Second Temples
and Divine Punishment: Defiance
The Jews were rebellious in implementation of Divine commandments, it is mentioned in Bible: "And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff necked people: (Exodus; 32:9)", "Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the
, until ye came unto this
place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD. Also in Horeb ye provoked the
LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you."
(Deuteronomy; 9:6-8), "Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea,
saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled
against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor
hearkened to his voice. Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day
that I knew you." (Deuteronomy; -24), "Remember thy
servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this
people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin": (Deuteronomy; ). land of Egypt
Allah says: "If they would have observed the Laws of Torah and the Gospel and other Revelations which were sent to them from their God, they would have certainly enjoyed abundance from above and from beneath. Though there are some among them on the moderate course; but most of them do nothing but evil".(Qur'an;5:66). "Over shadowed by ignominy are they wherever they may be, save (when they bind themselves again) in a bond with God and a bond with men; for they have earned the burden of God's condemnation, and are over shadowed by humiliation: for all this (has befallen them)" because they persisted in denying the truth of God's message and in slaying the prophets against all right: transgressing the bounds of what is right"(Qur'an;3:112). Thus they had to suffer the Divine punishment in the form of destruction of their temple, enslavement and dispersion. Allah says: "However, if any one of you, after this, violates this covenant, he will indeed go astray from the
Right Way. Even after that, they
broke their covenant; as a result, We laid on them Our curse and hardened their
hearts. They tempered with words out of their context and neglected much of
what they were enjoined. You will always find most of them deceitful except for
a few of them. Yet forgive them and overlook their misdeeds. Allah loves those
who are kind to others. Likewise We also made a covenant with those who call themselves
Christians, but they too have neglected much of what they were enjoined..
"(Qur'an;5:13-14). Allah may punish any one who disobeys Him. Allah says: "The
Jews and the Christians say: "We are the children of God and His beloved
ones." Ask them, "Why then does He punish you for your sins? Nay! In
fact you are human beings like others which He has created. He forgives whom He
pleases and He punishes whom He pleases.."(Qur'an;).
The divine punishment for rebellion and disobedience is not restricted to the Jews only, Allah has been punishing the rebellious people and replacing them with others, He says: "How many populations that insolently opposed the command of their Lord and of His apostles did We not then call to account to severe account? And We imposed on them an exemplary Punishment. Then did they taste the evil result of their conduct and the End of their conduct was Perdition."(Qur'an;65:8-9), "Your Lord is Self-Sufficient, Lord of Mercy. If He wants, He can destroy you all and replace you with others as He pleases, just as He raised you from the offspring of other people."(Qur'an;6:133). There area lessons for the Muslims in the Divine punishment accorded the Children of Israel for violating Covenant with Allah.
Historic Mosques around Makkah
Makkah and the surrounding holy places are home of historical mosques that have played great roles in the history of Islam as some of them have witnessed historical events. Some of them also still carry the old shapes of construction, others enjoyed rehabilitation during different times of history.
Al-Taneem, located some seven kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah is where the mother of Muslims, Aiyesha bint Abi Bakr, wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), started Umrah (minor Haj) in the year 29 H. and where pilgrims coming to Makkah who missed a Miqat (where to dress (Ihram — Haj white cloth-) could make a new start for Haj or Umrah. With a total area of 84000 sq.m. and a cost of SR100 million, it was rehabilitated in the era of late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.
In the eastern parts of Makkah, Al-Juaranah Mosque, located at 24 kilometers, is the spot for Makkah residents to start Haj, dressing of Ihram. Al-Juranah is also the site of giving away by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) of the gains Muslims have captured from their enemy at Hunain battle.
Al-Baiaa (allegiance pledge) mosque is located in the eastern part of Makkah. It still carries its historical shape, and is believed to be built during the era of Caliph Abu-Jaafar Al-Mansour in the year 144H. In the spot where the mosque is existing, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has concluded an allegiance pledge with 12 leaders of two great Arabian tribes: Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj who came from Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.
Al-Jinn mosque is some 2000 meters north of the holy mosque. It is where a group of Jinn offered allegiance pledge to the prophet . It is also called Al-Haras (guard) mosque, rehabilited in 1421 H.
Heading toward Jeddah from Makkah along the old expressway, you will find Al-Hudaybiyah mosque, now called Al-Shamsi, 24 km from the holy Haram of Makkah. Still the old mosque, built of black stone and mud, is surviving. However, a new one was built in the adjacent.
Al-Kheef mosque in Mina valley on the way pilgrims take to the mount of Arafat, the peak of Haj, is where the prophet performed the dawn prayer while ascending to Arafat. It was rehabilitated at a cost of SR90 million in 1407H.
Al-Mashaer Al-Haram mosque, located in Muzdalifah, where pilgrims stay the night after coming back from Arafat, was expanded and rebuilt during the Saudi era at a cost of five million Saudi Riyal.
Namirah mosque which was first built by Prophet Muhammad when he came to ascend mount Arafat to address Muslims on that day is located in the middle of Arafat valley. The now one of the most equipped among the ancient mosques, Namirah mosque was expanded and rebuilt in the Saudi era on an area of 110,000 sq.m. Since several years ago during the current Saudi era, the worshipping of noon and afternoon joint prayer is transmitted from Namirah mosque live to the world via satellite every year.
Makkah and the surrounding holy places are home of historical mosques that have played great roles in the history of Islam as some of them have witnessed historical events. Some of them also still carry the old shapes of construction, others enjoyed rehabilitation during different times of history.
Al-Taneem, located some seven kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah is where the mother of Muslims, Aiyesha bint Abi Bakr, wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), started Umrah (minor Haj) in the year 29 H. and where pilgrims coming to Makkah who missed a Miqat (where to dress (Ihram — Haj white cloth-) could make a new start for Haj or Umrah. With a total area of 84000 sq.m. and a cost of SR100 million, it was rehabilitated in the era of late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.
In the eastern parts of Makkah, Al-Juaranah Mosque, located at 24 kilometers, is the spot for Makkah residents to start Haj, dressing of Ihram. Al-Juranah is also the site of giving away by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) of the gains Muslims have captured from their enemy at Hunain battle.
Al-Baiaa (allegiance pledge) mosque is located in the eastern part of Makkah. It still carries its historical shape, and is believed to be built during the era of Caliph Abu-Jaafar Al-Mansour in the year 144H. In the spot where the mosque is existing, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has concluded an allegiance pledge with 12 leaders of two great Arabian tribes: Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj who came from Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.
Al-Jinn mosque is some 2000 meters north of the holy mosque. It is where a group of Jinn offered allegiance pledge to the prophet . It is also called Al-Haras (guard) mosque, rehabilited in 1421 H.
Heading toward Jeddah from Makkah along the old expressway, you will find Al-Hudaybiyah mosque, now called Al-Shamsi, 24 km from the holy Haram of Makkah. Still the old mosque, built of black stone and mud, is surviving. However, a new one was built in the adjacent.
Al-Kheef mosque in Mina valley on the way pilgrims take to the mount of Arafat, the peak of Haj, is where the prophet performed the dawn prayer while ascending to Arafat. It was rehabilitated at a cost of SR90 million in 1407H.
Al-Mashaer Al-Haram mosque, located in Muzdalifah, where pilgrims stay the night after coming back from Arafat, was expanded and rebuilt during the Saudi era at a cost of five million Saudi Riyal.
Namirah mosque which was first built by Prophet Muhammad when he came to ascend mount Arafat to address Muslims on that day is located in the middle of Arafat valley. The now one of the most equipped among the ancient mosques, Namirah mosque was expanded and rebuilt in the Saudi era on an area of 110,000 sq.m. Since several years ago during the current Saudi era, the worshipping of noon and afternoon joint prayer is transmitted from Namirah mosque live to the world via satellite every year.
Though Judaism and Christianity claim their roots with Abraham (peace be upon him), it is Islam alone, which can truly declare to be the intact legacy of Abraham (peace be upon him). Allah says: "Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters."(Qur'an;3:67), "Jews and Christians say: "Be Jews or Christians, you shall then be rightly guided." (O Muhammad), say: "By no means! We follow the faith of Abraham, the upright one; and he joined not gods with Allah."(Qur'an;2:135), "(O Muhammad),Say: Lo! As for me, my Lord has guided me unto a straight path, a right religion (din qiyam), the community of Abraham, the upright, who was no idolater."(Qur'an;6:161), "Say: Allah speaks truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters."(Qur'an;3:95). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ), the last messenger of God, said: "..you (Muslims) are an heir to the heritage of Abraham"(Sunan Abu Dawood;770). Allah appointed Muslims to inherit Qur'an, Allah says: "We have given the Book (Qur'an) as an inheritance to those of Our servants (Muslims) whom We have chosen, among them there are some who wrong their own souls, some follow a middle course and some, by Allah's leave, excel in good deeds; which is the supreme virtue."(Qur'an;35:32).
As inheritors of legacy of Abraham and Qur'an, Muslims have a great responsibility, towards mankind. Allah says: "We have made you (Muslims) a moderate (wasat-justly balanced) community so that you may be witness against the mankind and that your own Messenger may be witness against you…"(Qur'an;2:143). The essence of Islam is to avoid all extravagances and extremism on either side. It is a sober, practical balanced (wasat) religion. When two persons dispute, they advance extravagant claims. A just witness comes between them, and brings the light of reason to bear on them, pruning all their selfish extravagances. So the mission of Islam is to curb, for instance, the extreme formalism of the Mosaic law and the extreme "other-worldliness" professed by Christianity. Similarly use of violence is against the spirit of moderation. The witness must be unselfish, equipped with first-hand knowledge, and ready to intervene in the cause of justice. Such is the position claimed by Islam among rival systems. Similarly, within Islam itself, the position of witness to whom disputants can appeal is held by the last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Hence the Muslims bear great responsibility with in themselves and then to the mankind, Allah says: "You (Muslims) are the best of peoples which has ever been raised for the guidance of mankind. You enjoin good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah."(Qur'an;3:110). Qur'an advises patience in enjoining good and forbidding the evil, because the persuasion and preaching requires patience, Luqman's (sage) advised his son: "O my son! Be constant in prayer (Salah), enjoin good and forbid the evil. Endure with patience whatever befalls you, surely this shows your determination in conducting the affairs."(Qur'an;31:17). The Muslims have to understand, practice and preach the message of Qur'an to humanity. The Children of Israel were advised: "Why do not the Rabbis and the doctors of laws forbid them from their (habit of) uttering sinful words and eating things forbidden? Evil indeed are their works."(Qur'an;5:63).
Islam being the Universal Religion (Din- way of life) urges its adherents to realize their global responsibility towards guidance of mankind, for Islam is just submission to the Will of Allah. This implies (1) Faith, (2) doing right, being an example to others to do right, and having the power to see that the right prevails, (3) avoiding wrong, being an example to others to eschew wrong, and having the power to see that wrong and injustice are defeated. Islam therefore lives, not for itself, but for the mankind as a whole.
The Muslims have to put their own house in order, they stop defiance of Commands of Allah and adhere to the teachings of Islam, which provide complete way of life. The misguided militant groups have to be tackled, who are posing threat not only to the world peace but tarnishing the image of Islam, their genuine concerns are to be addressed so that they are brought in to the folds of mainstream Islam. Muslims have to catch up in the race for the development in scientific, other fields and acquiring knowledge, (their lost treasure of the past) so that they can undertake the great responsibilities with dignity and honor to guide the humanity towards peace and stability. The houses of worship of Allah should become symbol of unity. The Jewish and the history of mankind is full of examples where by the rebellious and defiant nations were punished by Allah. This is sufficient to serve as a warning for the Muslims.
In 571 C.E, Allah protected Ka'ba by miraculously destroying the army of Abraha, (the Christian Abyssinian ruler of
while the polytheist Arabs abandoned and took to the hills. Now it the responsibility
of Muslims as heir of legacy of Abraham and Qur'an to counter any threat to
symbols of Muslim unit, the Ka'ba and other holy places of worship of Allah.
Allah may again protect His house of worship, or He may not, (like Jewish Yemen
housing the Temple
of Solomon
of Covenant, destroyed), as a mark of
punishment if Muslims, like Jews continue to disobey Him. Any threat to the
sacred Muslims sites is the test and trial of the true faith of Muslims, they
have to protect them with all the might at their disposal. Allah says: "O believers! What is the matter with you that when you
are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, you cling to the earth? Do you
prefer the life of this world to the life of the hereafter? If it is so, then
you should know that the comforts of this life are little compared to the life
of the hereafter. If you do not go
forth, He will inflict on you a painful punishment and replace you with
other people, and you cannot harm Him at all, for Allah has power over
everything."(Qur'an;9:38-39). Ark
The three most sacred places of Islam are the places of worship of Allah. Ka'ba is the first house of worship built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham the ancestor of Jews, Christians and Muslims. The two fundamentals of Islam, the Hajj and daily worship Salah, are directly linked with Ka'ba. This is the common point of convergence. The Al Aqsa mosque is again related with the second house of worship of God, sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Prophet's Mosque represents the house of worship of God built by the Last messenger of God. There will be no messenger any more, though numerous mosques will continue to be built but the honor granted to this sacred mosque is unique. Al-Aqsa mosque is already under Israeli control, threatened by the excavations carried out by Israeli government with the covert design to rebuild the
by the Jews. Ka'ba, Prophet's Mosque at Temple and Al-Aqsa are the most
sacred and most dear sites to all the Muslims, whether practicing or non practicing, moderate or non moderate, religious or
fanatic, Sunni or Shi'a, black or white, Arab or non Arab alike. Medina
The irresponsible statements by the
Presidential candidates will serve no good purpose but to
further strengthen the extremists and weaken the peace loving moderates on both
sides. Such irrational threats indicate the sick and terrorist mindset of US leadership (Presidential candidate). It is time that the tendency to threaten
the Muslim holy sites is curbed right at the outset. Any lapse or delay will be
considered as a weakness by the enemy's of Islam, which ultimately may result
in to materializing the threat in to reality, a nightmare scenario for the
world. The Muslim world
(governments and people) have to react sharply (not by damaging own properties
in protests) in appropriate manner, representing the aspirations and
sensitivity of Muslims. It should be made clear to the Americans and the world
that, they should keep Islam, Muslims and their holy sites out of politics and
so called War On Terror. US
As inheritors of legacy of Abraham and Qur'an, it is the responsibility of Muslims to use all the means, resources and their lives in the cause of Allah by protecting the holy mosques, the symbol of unity of the faith and reverence. If they fail in this they should draw lessons from the history. Allah punished the Children of Israel for defying His Commandments and not fulfilling responsibilities and betraying Divine trust. Any threat to the Muslim holy sites, will result in unimaginable consequences which no one can predict. During the Gulf War, (1991)
had sent
its troops to Pakistan
for the protection of these holy sites. The sharp reaction to the mere rumor,
of Americans taking over Ka'ba in 1979 in the form of public violence resulting
in the destruction of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
embassy at US
and other capitals should be enough to highlight the sensitivity of matter. Islamabad
Short link to this post:
Most Sacred Sites of Islam: http://goo.gl/na0t3
Most Sacred Sites of Islam: http://goo.gl/na0t3
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Thanks to Zona Rosa for sponsoring The Arts in KC Podcast! In Episode 6, Jim and John talk about the importance that conductors/orchestras play in the enjoyment of your favorite classical works. Making the right or wrong choice can potentially make or break whether you like new music or not. Also - KC picks segment returns!
Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes, Google Play and Sticher!
Learn more about the Northland Symphony at NorthlandSymphony.org
Mozart's Adagio and Fugue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKdrQgp_q0
Ben Folds Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K93obnUcI4
Thanks to https://www.bensound.com/ for our bumper music