Washington Post writes:
As big Western financial institutions have teetered one after the other in the crisis of recent weeks, another financial sector is gaining new confidence: Islamic banking.
Proponents of the ancient practice, which looks to sharia law for guidance and bans interest and trading in debt, have been promoting Islamic finance as a cure for the global financial meltdown.
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Further look into Islamic Economics can be found here
This is part of the Sunday School Teaching and Learning series
Date: 11/02/2008, 05/Dho Al Qe’dah/1429
Class Topic/Title: Who is Allah?
Goal:
– To gain better understanding of some of Allah’s names
Objective:
– Allah is the all hearing
– Allah is the all knowing
– Allah is the all seeing
– Allah is the all ever living, the first and the last
– Memorize Surat Al Ikhlas (and explain meaning)
Methodolody:
– review last week’s lesson (10 minutes)
– Who is Allah?
– Group activity (discuss names of Allah and solve worksheet) (more…)
Amongst this economic crises, a lot of experts are indiretcly highlighting the economic system in Islam. I really would like to discuss this topic more throroughly, unfortunately, I am not an economist and I know very little about it. As I am interested in the topic of ‘Islamic Discussions’, I will focus on a different aspect. In a previous post, I have mentioned that the economic system of Islam is one of the proofs that it is the religion of truth. How can a man 1400 hundred years ago set up the fundamentals for such an economy!
If there is a benefit to this economic crises, it is that it forced people to focus on alternatives and what has succeeded and what has not.
The Sydney Morning Herlad writes:
A thriving financial sector sounds like an oxymoron these days. Even Australia’s banks – among the most profitable in the world – kept a fifth of this week’s interest rate cut to cushion their margins. But there is one sector that has tongues wagging in the hubs of commerce: Islamic finance.
Washington Post writes:
The mortgage industry may be in meltdown, but at least one class of lender appears to be flourishing: Islamic finance companies that offer Muslim home buyers alternative arrangements such as lease-to-own deals so they can avoid making the sort of interest payments that many believe their religion forbids.
Officials at Guidance Residential, a Reston company that has financed more than 5,000 home purchases since it began in 2002, said the company is having its best year yet, with business up 7 percent in the first quarter of 2008 from the first quarter of 2007.
The solution is here
This is part of the Sunday School Teaching and Learning series
Date: 10/19/2008, 20/Shawwal/1429
Goal:
– develop understaning of Allah’s names
– develop understanding of Allah’s names: most merciful (rahman raheem)
– develop understanding of Allah’s names: most near and loving (wadud)
– develop understanding of Allah’s names: most generous (kareem)
– develop understanding of Allah’s names: provider (razzaq)
Methodology:
– show that Allah has identified himself to us
– there is nothing like Allah
– relate these attributes to our lives and to the real world
Expected results:
– know 5 names of Allah and feel them in their lives
– be able to identify with Allah through his attrbites
(more…)
I came across a good resource of audio books in the category of Islamic analysis from Harun Yahya website. You can find the link here
Warning: Audio Books contain Music.
Example: Deep Thinking
This is part of the Sunday School Teaching and Learning series
Date: 09/28/2008, 28/Ramdan/1429
Class Topic/Title: Good Bye Ramadan
Goal: Emphasize that Ramadan is almost over but not over yet. Encourage students to continue the efforts after Ramadan. Very cheerful Eid image.
Methodology:
– Show that Ramadan is almost over
– Ramadan is not over yet (1 or 2 more nights)… could be lailat al qadr
– Life after Ramadan: life is like Ramadan
– Eid is coming (concept of Eid for Muslims) and etiquettes of Eid. Cheerful Eid image.
Expected results:
– Each student knows that Ramadan is not over yet
– Each student misses Ramadan appropriately
– Each student contemplates life after Ramadan
– Each student knows how to behave for Eid. Be very cheerful and happy for eid.
– Ramadan vs. life
Class planning:
Style: Write the number 2 on the board with no comment
2 minutes Introduction and check up on students + attendance
5 minutes: last week’s revision, check on students (how they are doing, thoughts, etc) and homework wrap up (distribute new papers)
5 minutes: Ramadan News:
Our team at the Masjid has carried out a successful Islamic competition for Eid al Adha. The competition was interactive (using TurningPoint technologies). The kids and the parents enjoyed it. It was a new experience for the team as well. We are sharing the Eid competition (quiz) PowerPoint presentation along with some pictures for the benefit of all. The interactive kit was very helpful in keeping track of the answers and to get the attention of the kids.
I am compiling an Islamic CD which consists of short lectures. Random thoughts and speakers. The aim is distribute it for both Muslims and non Muslims.
| 1 | Quran Chapter of Fatiha |
Abdallah Basfar | 00:50 | |
| 2 | Convert OR Die | Ahmed Deedat | 05:15 | |
| 3 | How Islam is different from Other Religions? | Zakir Naik | 09:13 | |
| 4 | Addressing an Atheist | Zakir Naik | 11:45 | |
| 5 | Quran- Chaper of Ikhlas |
Abdallah Basfar | 00:39 | |
| 6 | Women Oppressed in Islam? | Khalid Yasin | 05:44 |
Any feedback or suggested lectures are very welcome.
 | Truthful on 10 Reasons Why Islam is the Re… |
 | Sameeulla on Marriage in Islam… The 2… |
| What is the meaning… on 10 Reasons Why Islam is the Re… |
islam is ......... 