Where can I get hold of an Eid primer?

from suhaibwebb.com:

For many of us, the ‘Eid prayer is a simple ritual that we observe twice a year. However, if one recently accepted Islam, or is dealing with the responsibility of his first ‘Eid khutbah, the ‘Eid prayer begins to seem as something truly daunting. With that in mind, I decided to compile a simple primer on the ‘Eid prayer. I hope this facilitates its observance, makes it easy for converts, their families, ones co-workers and first time preachers.

also see: Eid 101 designed by Muhammad Al Shareef

This has to be hands down, the most unusual and enjoyable Eid article by a scholar: Eid Greetings:Hugathon or Kissathon? by Yaser Birjas

Why do Muslims grow beards?

Short, jargon free answer by Yusuf Estes: Beards? Do we have to grow them?

More on Muslims and beards by Dr. Zakir Naik and Bilal Philips (video).

When is one night equal to a thousand months?

"Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the Night of Decree (Lailatul-Qadr).

And what will make you know what theNight of Decree is?

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

Therein descend the angels and the Rûh,[i.e. Jibra'íl (Gabriel ] by Allah's Permission with all Decrees. Peace! until the appearance of dawn." [97:1-5]

The Companion Abu Hurairah reported that Prophet Muhammad said, " .. There is a night (during this month of Ramadhan), which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good is indeed deprived (of something great). [Ahmad, Nisa'i and Bayhaqi]

related: Imam Suhaib Webb reflects on 4 Lessons related to the Night of Power/Decree on his blog.

also related: a message from Ustadh Muhammad al Shareef:

"The last ten nights of Ramadan are upon us. And soon after this the journey for Hajj will begin for Muslims around the world.
If you make the same dua, each day, for the last ten nights ofRamadan, it’s guaranteed that you would have made that dua duringLaylatul-Qadr. (A night worth 1000 months of reward in the sightof Allah).
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So, prepare your dua from now!
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Step 1: Ask yourself, “If Allah said to me, I’ll give youanything you wish, just ask!” What would you ask for? Make alist. (Try to fill 2 pages worth of dua, from the goodness ofthis life and the next.
Step 2: Pick about 6 of those things
Step 3: Make dua for those 6 things consistently every night forthe last ten nights of Ramadan.
Of course, make as much dua as you want, but make sure these 6things are consistent.
With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level!

- Muhammad Alshareef

What made an ex-BNP extremist turn to Islam?

The story of an unusual convert:
From a white extremist to a devout Muslim
Wednesday, 08 August 2007

"Once I was a 100% sure that I wanted to become a Muslim, I immediately felt better,” said British Muslim convert Muhammad Islam. There can’t be more amazing stories of people converting to Islam as that of British citizen Muhammad Islam, formerly known as John Ord.

Now a devout Muslim, Muhammad used to be an active member of the far-right anti-immigration group, the British National Party (BNP)."Growing up, I was never particularly religious. I only went to church for weddings, funerals and baptisms,” he told the Eastern Eye Online. Raised in north-east England, Muhammad joined the BNP when he was 16 because his friends were members. The white extremists’ group quickly deceived him into thinking that all Asians and black people were a threat to his way of life. He said there were “only two policies the BNP had at the time”, which were to “beat them up”, and “kick them out”.

Muhammad described how he used to go “Paki bashing”; harassing Asian people. "We would find them and give them a good kicking and say stereotypical things such as, ‘Why are you in our country and why are you taking our shops and jobs?’" However Muhammad later became frustrated with the BNP policies and left the party in his early 20s. Still a racist, he went to London and befriended like-minded people who falsely considered Islam a threat.

He said that he and his friends were asked by the police to provoke Muslims in order to get them into trouble and help the police arrest them. "We would always get a response to our statements and this gave the police a reason to arrest Muslims. Often the police would use this method to target those Muslims who were wanted by other countries,” he said.

But Muhammad’s life totally changed when he unknowingly bought a copy of the holy Qur’an. He said: "I bought the book because of the picture on the cover – it was the most beautiful picture I had ever seen, with the most gorgeous colours and a beautiful building. I thought I’d buy a cheap frame and ended up with a nice picture. I had no idea I had bought the Qur’an until I got home." Muhammad then decided to read the holy book to find things to use against Muslims. "My mind was telling me that like any book written by humans, it would contain errors and contradictions. I had this view of Islam being this great bad religion." But when he read the Qur’an, Muhammad realised that Islam was totally opposite to what society had led him to believe.

In 1992, Muhammad left London and returned back to the north-east in 1992. There, he met a group of Muslims and discussed with them issues relating to the Qur’an and Allah (SWT). "Not only were they able to intellectually prove that God existed but also that the Qur’an was the word of God,” he said. The group also challenged Muhammad to try to prove that Allah (SWT) did not exist and that the Qur’an was not his word. If he succeeded, they would become Christians, but if he failed then he would have to become Muslim. Muhammad accepted the challenge without hesitation. He said he used to meet the Muslims “with what I thought were convincing arguments but they would always have answers. Eventually I got scared and backed off."

Four years later, he decided to become a Muslim. He took his shahadah in November 1996. "Because I knew I was about to make a momentous decision that would affect the rest of my life, I felt as if a big rock was crushing me and that I couldn’t breathe… Once I was a 100 per cent sure that I wanted to become a Muslim and took the decision, I felt as if everything just lifted and I immediately felt better,” Muhammad said. Most people close to Muhammad were not shocked by his conversion to Islam. "I had made the decision to convert a year before and had told people that I was going to become a Muslim."

However, his family didn’t support his decision. "My sister stopped talking to me and still does not talk to me. My father did not want to discuss it because Islam was a totally alien concept and an alien way of life to him. My mother seemed more concerned about what the neighbours would think. Initially she said I couldn’t pray in the house and I told her I’d pray in the garden. But my mother is okay about it, now."

Muhammad has lost all of his old friends. "My friends were going out drinking and chasing girls and I had absolutely nothing in common with them anymore,” he said. Now Muhammad has no difficulty in practising Islam because he had made a number of changes to his lifestyle a year before becoming a Muslim, such as not drinking alcohol. "Although becoming a Muslim has been a big step, it has not been a massive step in terms of practical issues,” he said. Since converting, Muhammad has married a Pakistani woman and moved to the Midlands. He said he’d like to get involved in social work and focus on the Muslim community and tackle problems that community leaders are not aware of or are simply ignoring. "I want to try and deal with these social problems that especially affect the youth, with an Islamic perspective."

source:siasat.com

How Mohammad Yousuf found greater focus in knowing that "cricket isn't everything"

Mohammad's mountain of runs
January 26, 2007

By Alex Brown from The Age

After the most prolific year in Test cricket history, Mohammad Yousuf could be forgiven for indulging in a little religious and cricketing triumphalism. Instead, the brilliant Pakistani batsman is more eager to discuss why Ricky Ponting is the world's leading batsman, despite his own 1788-run year, and his regret over his mother's reluctance to accept his shift from Christianity to Islam.

Yousuf is an unusual interview subject on several counts. Unlike many international batsmen, his moods do not seem dictated by runs scored, nor is his mind cluttered with personal statistics and batting theories. In fact, he gives the distinct impression that he derives as much personal pleasure from discussing his own batting as he does from a Brett Lee bumper - even after a stunning sequence of five centuries and a half-century in his final six innings of 2006.

Then there's religion. Whereas many converts and "born-agains" feel compelled to stand in judgement of all those who don't share their beliefs, the 32-year-old - whose decision to change his religion and name in 2005 dominated headlines in Pakistan and led to a split within his family - prefers to focus on the clarity of mind and inner peace he now feels as Mohammad Yousuf, as opposed to rubbishing his former life as Yousuf Youhana.
"I used to have so many things on my mind before, and now my mind is clear and my heart is peaceful," he told the Herald from Port Elizabeth, after Pakistan's defeat of South Africa in the second Test this week. "There is greater focus, but also knowing that [cricket] is not everything."

[...]

The fact remains, however, that, regardless of his attempts to deflect attention from his own efforts, Yousuf has still completed one of the more remarkable 12 months witnessed in cricket. And there is no avoiding the parallels between his embracing of Islam and the spike in his batting form.

A solid international batsman before 2005, Yousuf posted his highest Test score (223 against England) in his first series as a Muslim, then blasted 1788-runs over his next 11 Tests in 2006 to eclipse Richards's record, a mark many thought would never be bettered. In doing so, Yousuf set another record by scoring nine centuries, against India, Sri Lanka, England and the West Indies (the first three teams all ranked inside Test cricket's top five). ..."I never make too much out of getting 100, and never get too sad when I get zero," he said, attempting to explain the events of the past 12 months. "I used to always go to bat with failure on my mind. Now I work hard and give myself to Allah and everything is OK."

Yousuf presumably needed that clarity to deal with the emotive, and occasionally furious, response from country, family and media to his decision to switch from Christianity to Islam in 2005.

Almost from the moment Yousuf Youhana was seen in a mosque praying alongside his captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the rumour and scuttlebutt began. Some suggested he had been pressured by his Muslim teammates. Others wondered whether his conversion was motivated, in part, by a desire to win favour with those in power and improve his captaincy chances. Others, still, criticised the influence Saeed Anwar, the former batsman turned preacher, was exerting on Yousuf and the remainder of the team.

But undoubtedly the most wounding comment of all came from within his own family, when Yousuf's Christian mother told the local Daily Times newspaper: "I don't want to give Yousuf my name after what he has done." Their relationship remains strained, he admits, with a tinge of regret in his voice that is unmistakable.

"My mother is still not happy with me," he said. "I can still talk to my mother and it is very nice. But it is with religion that she is not happy with me."

That aside, Yousuf seems very much a man content. Dismissing any suggestion that he was coerced into accepting Islam, he says that the discipline of his new life - he prays at 5am, lunch, stumps, 8pm and 9.45pm during each Test match - will keep him balanced as he embarks on a new season.
"I went to the mosque twice in Port Elizabeth during the Test," he said. "There is peace there."