The History of Makkah – 3D Cinematic Version (Video)

 Makkah is considered once of the most Sacred Places on earth for Muslims. Yet sadly many people, both Muslim and Non-Muslim, don’t know the History of this Important City. Therefore, Simply Seerah Studios has presented a short clip which covers the History of Makkah in 3D format. Insha Allah with your help and support our Studio will continue to cover important topics in Islam.

25 AMAZING PHOTOS FROM HAJJ 1953

Source: ilmfeed.com

Catch a glimpse of how it was like to perform Hajj in 1953. Though this was only just over 60 years ago, a lot has changed mainly due to the increase in the number of pilgrims going to perform Hajj.

Many pilgrims would travel to Makkah via a ferry or a ship, in those days commercial air travel was still in its early stages and it was not as widely available as it is today.

For those who could afford it, they would embark on their journey on board small planes from nearby countries.

Like today, coaches and buses would be used to transport pilgrims from place to place.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE UNMOSQUED – ART OF CONNECTION WITH BELAL KHAN (VIDEO)

I read an interesting article recently by Mohamed Abdul-Azeez, the former head of the Salam Center in Sacramento on the “Crisis of Imams in America”

Source: muslimmatters.org

By: Belal Khan

Due to the way Muslim communities have been developed, the challenges they face are different from that of other faith communities.

Among the Christian community you find one of two types of models.

Model 1 – Corporate Franchise Clergy Structure

Model 2 – Local Visionary

The American Muslim community for the most part doesn’t follow any of these two models.

Typically you have a bunch of local folks that want to establish a place to pray. They come together, form a board, write out the policies, buy some real estate and make that a place to pray.

Then they realize they need to get an imam, and they end up hiring one of two types.

Documentary: The Pole of Cold (Video)

 This time James Brown is visiting Russia’s remote region Yakutia. This place is known as probably the coldest in the world – in winter, temperatures go down to minus 50 degrees Celsius. But people here are really warm and full of energy!
More documentaries…

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE KAABA

By: Muhammad Wajid Akhter

Source: http://muslimmatters.org/

There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Mecca. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.

Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.

The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.

The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.

Here are just a few things that most people may not know about the Kaaba:

Turkey: all universities to have mosques

Source: onislam.net

Catering to the needs of hundreds of thousands of students, Turkey’s top religious body has announced plans to construct a mosque in every state university, making it easier for Muslim students to observe their prayers.

“Mosques are under construction in over 80 universities,” Mehmet Gormez, the head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, known as Diyanet in Turkish, was quoted by Agence France Presse (AFP).

“Fifteen of them have been opened for prayers and we will open at least 50 more in 2015.”

HOW AN ILLINOIS MOM CONVERTED TO ISLAM AND FOUND PEACE AND JOY

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Kristin Szremski is a 53-year-old mom from Palo Hills, Illinois. Born into a Missouri-Synod Lutheran family, she first converted to Catholicism before finding her place in Islam. This year, Szremski was one of the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who were drawn to Mecca between October 2 – 7 to complete the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj.

She tells Huffington Post about her experience below. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.

The earth is not our final destination

Once a man visited Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu) and began looking at the contents of his house but found it quite bare. He asked Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu), “Where are your possessions?” Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter) to which we send the best of our possessions.” The man understood what he meant and said, “But you must have some possessions so long as you are in this abode.” “The owner of this abode will not leave us in it” replied Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu).

The earth is not our final destination. We are to use it to make preparations for the next life. Concerning the life of this world Eesa (Jesus) (alaihis salaam) said, “This world is like a bridge, cross it and do not build on it.” This life is a bridge from our previous existence as soul to our next existence in the Hereafter. Houses are built on land. The most appropriate place to build, the focus of our attention, should be the land that we will set foot on once we cross the bridge that is our earthly existence. People like Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu) set the example for us.

Subhana’llah: Al-Aqsa mosque covered in snow (IMAGES)

 For Muslims, it holds a very important place in our heart. It is the 3rd most holy site in Islam. It is the location that the Prophet was transported to during the journey of Israa and Miraaj.