Source : Lostislamichistory.com / 13 Jul 2013

After the end of the Rightly Guided Caliphate, in which Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali led the Muslim world, the caliphate came to the Umayyad family in 661. Mu’awiya, the first Umayyad caliph, led the Muslim world from his capital of Damascus, and passed on rule to his son, Yazid, in 680. This marked the beginning of the caliphate being a family dynasty, as it would continue until its abolition in 1924. During the 1292 years of the caliphate, the title has passed a few times between different families. The first time this happened was during the upheaval of the late 740s, when the Abbasid family overthrew the Umayyads and came to power, establishing one of the most powerful Muslim empires of all time.

Source : LostIslamicHistory.com / 6 May 2013

The old poem that most American school children recognize begins “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” Indeed, in the year 1492, Christopher Columbus (whose real name in Italian was Cristoforo Colombo) sailed across the Atlantic in the name of the Spanish crown and landed in the Caribbean part of North America. For hundreds of years, it has simply been accepted that Columbus was the first explorer to valiantly sail across the sea and “discover” the Americas. However, this theory no longer stands up to modern scholarship.

Source : LostIslamicHistory.com / 3 May 2013

Throughout Islamic history, one of the uniting aspects of the Muslim world was the caliphate. After the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his close companion, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), was elected as the first khalifah, or caliph, of the Muslim community. His job as leader combined political power over the Muslim state as well as spiritual guidance for Muslims. It became a hereditary position, occupied at first by the Umayyad family, and later by the Abbasids. In 1517, the caliphate was transferred to the Ottoman family, who ruled the largest and most powerful empire in the world in the 1500s.

Source : Islamcan.com / 24 Apr 2013

The Makassans

Well before 1788, Makassan fishermen from the east-Indonesian archipelago, fishing for trepang (sea-slugs), began annual voyages to our northern shores. It is thought that the fishermen of Makassar had been visiting the north coast of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland from as early as the 16th century.

By Aisha Stacey / 15 Apr 2013

Esteemed and loved by all Muslims and known as a pious and devout woman, Mary, the mother of Jesus was chosen above all other women. Islam rejects the Christian notion that Jesus is part of a trinity that is God, and denies emphatically that either Jesus or his mother, Mary, are worthy of worship. The Qur’an categorically states that there is no god but God.

 Such is God, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him …(Al-An`am 6:102)

By Muhammad Mus`ad Yaqut / 6 Apr 2013

In the last years, the world has witnessed a remarkable interest in the elderly. Many international conferences and symposiums were held to deal with the issues and problems they encounter. In 1982, the first initiative to care for the elderly was declared as the United Nations declared the ninth decade of the 20th century “the decade of the elderly.” In 1983, the World Health Organization adopted the slogan “Add Life to Years.” In addition, the UN conference held in Madrid in 2002 adopted a plan of action to solve the problems of the elderly in various countries around the world. The outcome of these conferences, however, was just sweet promises and plans without any actual application.

By Hadrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad / 20 Mar 2013

After settling down in Medina on return from Hudaibiya, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instituted another plan for the spread of his Message. When he mentioned this to the Companions, some of them who were acquainted with the customs and forms observed in the courts of kings told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that kings did not entertain letters which did not bear the seals of the senders. Accordingly the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a seal made on which were engraved the words, Muhammad Rasulullah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

By Zeki Saritoprak / 16 Mar 2013

Theologically speaking, the universality of Prophet Muhammad's message (peace and blessings be upon him) comes from the concept of Allah who is the God of all, not only the God of Muslims.

Allah describes Himself in the first chapter of the Qur'an -which is recited by all Muslims around the world in their five daily Prayers- as "Rabb al-`Alamin" i.e. the Allah of all creation. Whether humans are aware of this fact or not, Allah is the God of all mankind - Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc. - regardless of their differences. Allah is the Creator of everything, with no exception. The Qur'an declares that a gigantic star and an atom are shoulder to shoulder, worshipping Allah; flies and elephants are brothers and sisters; all of creation is here to help us understand the meaning and the mystery of the universe.

By Dar-us-Salam / 15 Mar 2013

Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Allah's Messenger! This is Khadijah, coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (Allah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a palace made of Qasab in Paradise, wherein there will be neither any noise nor any toil, (fatigue, trouble, etc.)." [Al-Bukhari]

Source : Arab news / 8 Feb 2013

Islam in Spain has a remarkable presence. Muslims in Europe in general and Spain in particular have always been categorized as immigrants. In recent years, however, there is a notable number of native Spaniards who have converted to Islam in Spain and they are recognized publicly as new Muslims. This may raise many questions on the nature of the Islamic preaching activities in Spain and the official Islamic presence in the country. Islam has come to be an attractive religion to some Spaniards disregarding the fact that its international media image is not generally a positive one.