A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| jannah |
| 02/10/04 at 20:04:59 |
| Thought this was very well written. Check out the excerpts and the photos at: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2002/01/01/html/ft_20020101.5.html Has anyone read his book(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/feature/islam/)? It looks interesting... [code] Borne aloft five times a day, from Shanghai to Chicago, Jakarta to Timbuktu, the music of Islam’s call to prayer stirs the soul of devout Muslims everywhere. Whether cast from metal loudspeakers over teeming city streets or lifted as the murmured song of camel drivers kneeling in the sand, it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for nearly 1,400 years, Islam’s melodic paean to the Creator. “Allah . . . u akbar,” the faithful sing out. “Allahhhhh . . . u akbar!—God is great!” Some 1.3 billion human beings—one person in five—heed Islam’s call in the modern world, embracing the religion at a rate that makes it the fastest growing on Earth, with 80 percent of believers now outside the Arab world. For these people Islam is an intimate personal connection to the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians, a source of strength and hope in a troubled world. The term itself, Islam, is an Arabic word meaning “submission to God,” with its etymological roots firmly planted in salam, or peace. That may come as a surprise to many non-Muslims, whose perceptions of the faith have been skewed by terrorists, many from the Middle East, whose unspeakable acts in the name of Islam have been condemned by leaders everywhere. “Peace is the essence of Islam,” says Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, brother of the late King Hussein and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Prince El Hassan helps lead the World Conference on Religion and Peace and spends much of his energy building bridges of understanding between the Muslim world and the West. “Respecting the sanctity of life is the cornerstone of our faith,” he says, “and of all great faiths.” [/code] |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/13/04 at 00:46:49 |
| [slm] sister jannah, did you notice the use of the words "music" and "sing out". I guess it is just out of ignorance on the part of the author, and I would want to point it out to the author, the editor and the readers of that article that these are not the words to use for adhan. |
| 02/21/04 at 01:18:48 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| Laila_Y_A |
| 02/20/04 at 10:37:15 |
| [slm] ;-) timbuktu~ I do not think it was the author's intent to malign the adhan. I feel that it was, instead, an attempt to describe the beauty of the adhan and our response to its words. In the English-speaking world, these words and phrases have meanings that most understand, therefore using them has given the non-Muslim reader a good understanding of the emotions and feelings that are felt by (I hope) the vast majority of Muslims worldwide. I know that when I hear the adhan, it is "music" to my ears, and my soul "sings" out its reply as I answer that call. Sometimes we find fault where there is none, which I feel is the case here. [wlm] :-) Laila |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/20/04 at 21:55:03 |
| [slm] sister Laila, I understand all this, I think. I also agree that the author did not mean any disrespect. I did not imply it. It is just that music and the adhan are actually in competition for one's heart, and I don't think bringing the adhan to the level of music is good. How can it be? The words of the adhan are so meaningful. Music in the eyes of many scholars, is forbidden, except for the simplest one. wAllahu Alam |
| 02/21/04 at 01:36:57 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| jannah |
| 02/21/04 at 01:28:10 |
| yeah i was thinking.. if you were a non-muslim how exactly would you describe athan??? yelling, singing?? music sounds like a nice lyrical word for it..and can mean the music in the metaphorical sense.. ie music of the soul and really... i've never seen a well-balanced article like this about islam written in any major publication.. i think we should be thankful for it instead of writing to them all complaining about the semantics of a word |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/21/04 at 02:18:03 |
| [slm] :) sisters, i don't think we are on cross-purposes here. One can write a letter appreciating the well-balanced article, and saying what Jannah has said that it is indescribable, and perhaps music of the soul is what would come to mind, but also wishing to point out with utmost respect that these words "music" and "singing" somewhat lower the significance of adhan for us muslims. would that sound like complaining? |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| jannah |
| 02/21/04 at 07:10:43 |
| wlm, dear abbu*... remember that time** i got a 99% on my social studies test in 9th grade and i came home and was so happy and you were like "VHATTTT!!! 1% you couldn't get the 100% vhat is this!!? for shame.. vhy did we bring u to zis country" :( *(abbu=father in urdu) ** simulated event in all mozlim homes |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/21/04 at 07:46:07 |
| [quote author=jannah link=board=lighthouse;num=1076461500;start=0#6 date=02/21/04 at 07:10:43]wlm, dear abbu*... remember that time** i got a 99% on my social studies test in 9th grade and i came home and was so happy and you were like "VHATTTT!!! 1% you couldn't get the 100% vhat is this!!? for shame.. vhy did we bring u to zis country" :( *(abbu=father in urdu) ** simulated event in all mozlim homes[/quote] Yes Jannah, I remember very well, we indo-pak (or mozlim) fathers are a bunch of killjoys. :( Have a kilo of chocolate now :) actually now I laugh ;D when i remember a corresponding event in my life: my father had been dead three years, and my elder brothers were our breadwinners and guardians. So we moved to East Pakistan from Karachi after my matriculation (10th grade, Secondary School Leaving) exams. The total number appearing in the Board exams was more than 30,000. I got this telegram one fine morning from my cousins at Karachi: "Congratulations on securing 8th position" It transpired that I had stood 8th among the 30,000 candidates in this most important of exams. what did my brothers say? can you make a guess, Jannah? _________________________________________________ and beitee ("daughter" in Urdu), i learnt something then, and i learnt something from this thread don't hold it against us fathers. will you give us a smile now? :) _________________________________________________ |
| 02/21/04 at 08:27:51 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| Nomi |
| 02/25/04 at 14:03:44 |
| [slm] MashaAllah... how sweet of u uncle Khalid.. Its so obvious that there is alot lot "methaas/appnayat" (sweetness) in your native language. What a kind post uncle, would you let me shake your hand next time i visit ISB ?? ;) .. Seriously? And something tells me that my beard is gonna be bigger than yours ;D [slm] ~me ps: Have you listened to that number "Sugar Daddy"?? |
| 02/25/04 at 14:08:51 |
| Nomi |
| Re: World of Islam Nat'l Geographic Article |
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| Abu_Hamza |
| 02/29/04 at 18:45:26 |
| [slm] From what follows, it seems to me that referring to the adhaan as something "musical" is not entirely inaccurate. Wallahu ta'ala a'lam: ---------------------------------------------- mu·sic n. 1. The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. 2. Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm. 3. a. A musical composition. b. The written or printed score for such a composition. c. Such scores considered as a group: We keep our music in a stack near the piano. 4. A musical accompaniment. 5. A particular category or kind of music. 6. An aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds: [i]the music of the wind in the pines.[/i] Taken from [i]The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. [/i] P.S. The emphasis are mine. Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah |
| 02/29/04 at 18:46:47 |
| Abu_Hamza |
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