‘The Guidance’
Text Box: Editor, ifs20@cam.ac.ukText Box: Welcome to the first ever edition of Al-Hidaayah. One of the aims of this magazine is to create a network of Muslims in Blackburn who endeavour to propagate the teachings of Islam amongst Muslims. In the process we hope to raise important issues that the Muslim community in Britain and in particular the Muslims in Blackburn have been experiencing. For a long period now, many Muslims have found it difficult and unpopular trying to practice their religion. Whether that be simply trying for a prayer room at work, school, college or university, or avoiding alcohol at ‘social’ events at work. The ground breaking work that the Muslim Youth Helpline (www.myh.org.uk) has done suggests that our local community is failing to provide adequate counselling services for Muslims with domestic, school and social problems. Children are finding it increasingly more difficult to relate to their parents and elders. In these situations having a good network of friends can provide guidance. However this is not always the case. We are currently living in an inspiring and challenging age as a Muslim minority in a non Muslim country. There are without doubt many opportunities for us to benefit from but they are not without obstacles and risks. Practicing Muslim children who are knowledgeable and sensible can easily become overwhelmed and led astray by social pressures which they aren’t prepared to fight against. This is much the case for our brothers and sisters at college and university who sometimes live a different life in the two environments, i.e. one at college, and one at home. The consequence is chaos, a confused Muslim identity and the creation of a bipolar world. Some Muslims are living in a world of extremism devoutly intent on creating havoc for anyone that they can get their hands on. Whilst the life of others has spiralled downwards into freefall, without much control or satisfaction other than in drugs and alcohol. I believe that the answer lies in the Middle Way. And although this is a very subjective term, the guidelines are clear in the Quran and the Life of the Prophet (saw). The aim of the Blackburn Muslim Association is to involve and help as many Muslims as possible in creating an atmosphere of learning by organising classes in tajweed, hadeeth, fiqh, seerah throughout the mosques and regular talks by prominent scholars. If anyone is interested in joining and helping in this unique project then please email blackburnmuslims@yahoo.com. I hope that our readers will also give us feedback and write articles with their thoughts so that we can publish them in our summer 2006 edition. Wasalaamu Alaikum. Imran Satia, Editor (ifs20@cam.ac.uk) 07970 181 333

Spring 2006

 Issue 1

Inside this issue:

 AL-HIDAAYAH

Blackburn Muslim Association

Note:                  There are many Quranic Ayat and Ahadeeth translations in the newsletter so please maintain due respect .

Investing in the Future

2

Lamiyat Al Ajam

3

Hijab

4

Dear Beloved Son

5

The Status of the Ansar of Madina

6

Arsenal FC’s New Sponsorship Deal

7

NEW Womens Project in           LittleHarwood

8

Q and A

9

Sponsors

10

Local Events

12