There are 2026 articles

  • Islamic ruling on raffle-tickets

    This practice of raffle-tickets amounts to gambling. One of the arguments in favor of raffle tickets is that the scheme is widely used for philanthropic causes. It must be borne in mind that in Arabia, gambling in he times when the Quran was being revealed was no exception. In fact, owing to its "philanthropic aspect", gambling was considered.. More

  • 'Leadership' let down Palestinians

    The position of the Palestinian Authority (PA) mission in Geneva regarding the findings of the UN's Goldstone report on crimes during Israel's war on Gaza earlier this year was rather surprising - even by the norms put in place when it was established in Ramallah following the 1993 Oslo Accords. On October 2, the PA supported postponing the vote on.. More

  • Iraqi cancer figures soar

    Doctors in Iraq are recording a sharp rise in the number of cancer victims south of Baghdad. Sufferers in the province of Babil have risen almost tenfold in just three years. Locals blame depleted uranium from US military equipment used in the 2003 invasion. Some 500 cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2004 alone. That figure rose to almost 1,000 two.. More

  • Kenya drought 'has spared no one'

    In Takaba town in north east Kenya, a crowd of people gather around a camel. The so-called ship of the desert has been weakened by drought and can barely move. When this happens, it takes an entire village to put it back on its feet. Despite their best efforts the villagers are unable to lift the camel. After two hours of huffing and puffing, they.. More

  • Afghan Taliban: Our enemy is occupation, not the West

    The Afghan Talibanpose no threat to the West but will continue their fight against occupying foreign forces, they said on Wednesday, the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that removed them from power. U.S.-led forces with the help of Afghan groups overthrew theTalibangovernment during a five week battle which started on October 7, 2001. "We.. More

  • 'False pretext' used in Afghan war

    The leader of an Afghan political group wanted by the US has said that Washington used a false pretext to launch its war on Afghanistan, on the eve of the eighth anniversary of the conflict. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who leads a faction of the Hizb-e Islami group, said that the war launched against the Taliban and al-Qaeda by the US in 2001 was not justified.. More

  • 'Israel has to be held accountable'

    The postponement of the UN Human Rights Council vote on the findings of Richard Goldstone's report into Israel's recent 22-day war on Gaza has raised many questions. Sahar Francis, a Palestinian Israeli and a human rights lawyer who testified before the UN fact finding mission led by Goldstone, spoke to Al Jazeera about the move and its fallout. Al.. More

  • Daughters in Islam - I

    Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.} [Quran 42:49-50] Allah is.. More

  • Daughters in Islam - II

    The fruit of raising daughters righteously is reward in this life before reward in the Hereafter; this is proved by the fact that Allah rewarded the righteous man who raised his two daughters virtuously, the result being Him facilitating the marriage of one of them to the honourable Prophet, Moosa, may Allaah exalt his mention. The Prophet, sallallaahu.. More

  • Lebanon's cluster bomb lessons

    "He was picking grapes when he died," says Khalil Kassem Terkiya, glancing at his wife as he recalls the day their son was killed by a cluster bomb in southern Lebanon. Graying and slight, Terkiya looks older than his 46 years: "A cluster bomb was caught in the vine and it exploded. It was the day after the war finished. He was 19." His.. More

  • Call yourself to account - II

    Being hard-hearted: A widespread disease is that of being hard-hearted, lazy, and lethargic towards performing acts of worship. Many people put off the idea of performing acts of worship and therefore delay them to a later time, and this is from the whispers of Satan, so that we would end up not performing them at all. Contrary to this were the Salaf,.. More

  • Call yourself to account - I

    Calling ourselves to account is what frees the soul from being captive to its desires and lusts; it frees it from the darkness of misguidance and maintains it upon the Straight Path. Allah encourages the Muslims to do this by saying (what means): “O you who have believed! Fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow…&.. More

  • Rabbis involved in organ sales

    At the end of July when 10 people, among them several rabbis, were arrested in New Jersey, USA, it was assumed that this was little more than a case of tax fraud by another charity. Charities often run foul of the law by failing, quite innocently, of fulfilling their legal obligations. But the New Jersey arrests pointed to something much bigger. There.. More

  • UN: Israel terrorized Gazans in war

    Israel "punished and terrorized" civilians in Gaza in a disproportionate attack in its three-week war on the territory earlier this year, a United Nations report has found. Judge Richard Goldstone, who led the inquiry, said he found evidence Israel targeted civilians and used excessive force in the assault, which was launched on December.. More

  • World food aid at 20-year low, 1 billion hungry

    Food aid is at a 20-year low despite the number of critically hungry people soaring this year to its highest level ever, the United Nations relief agency said Wednesday. The number of hungry people will pass 1 billion this year for the first time, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) said, adding that it is facing a serious budget shortfall. To date.. More