🇸🇪 School's Out

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎,

Sweden banning Islamic schools, Iran sentences a protester to death, 11 year old Muslim boy outscores IQ of Einstein and Hawking, Is Bitcoin Haram?

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Headline Roundup:

• Sweden banning Islamic schools (AA)

• Iran sentences protester to death, drawing call from rights group for world to impose "consequences" (CBS)

• 11-year-old British Muslim boy outscores IQ of Einstein, Hawking (AN)

• Quebec court of appeal to evaluate whether secularism law unfairly targets Muslim women (CBC)

• Coleraine mosque hosts community group to improve understanding (BBC)

• Saudi Arabia to finance restoration of Islamic center in G20 host Indonesia (AN)

• Uyghur Muslims Decry Lack of Support From Muslim-Majority Nations (VOA)

• 'Unique project': Foundation dug for $45-million Green Dome Islamic School and mosque project (CAH)

• A Growing Number of British Muslims Can’t Afford Food (TII)

• Give ‘em more wives - Muslim leader supports marriage to two or more partners (JS)

• Thailand Appoints 1st Muslim Woman Governor (IQN)

• New Dallas group lets Muslim writers hone their craft and make connections (DN)

• Allegations of religious profiling at SA airports fly as Muslim women are ‘targeted’ for searches (ST)

• Shireen Abu Akleh: US to open investigation into killing of veteran reporter (MEY)

• Russia-Iran: Putin speaks with Raisi on deepening ties, says Kremlin (MEY)

• At least 21 people killed, several injured in Gaza fire (MEY)

 Finance News:

Performance of Sharia-Compliant ETFs:

Coffee Talk:

• Is Bitcoin Halal or Haram? Here’s What Islamic Scholars Are Saying (CRN)

• Dubai Islamic Bank and Al Ramz Corporation announce strategic alliance (ZW)

• Goldman Is Hiring in the Middle East to Tap Deals, Fund Flow (BL)

• Global Halal Food Market to Generate $3,907.8 Billion by 2028 (YAH)

• Customer wait list grows for Australia's first Islamic bank granted licence (ABC)

• Saudi Arabia’s PIF ups stakes in Meta and Alphabet in Q3 (AN)

• Saudi Aramco to pump $7bn into biggest Petchem investment in South Korea (AN)

The Art Corner: Mars Mosque

Story of the week:

Story of Barsisa, the worshipper – Imam Ibn al-Jawzi

Source: Abdur Rahman

Wahb ibn Munabbih has related the following lengthy story from the people of the book.” We present it here to show the way of Shytan in his attempt to mislead mankind. The story warns humans about Shytan”s “sincere advice”. One must oppose the thing that Shytan is calling to. Wahb said,

There was a pious worshipper of the tribe of Israel. He was the most pious person of his time. During his time, there were three brothers who had a sister. She was a virgin. And they had no sister other than her. They were all about to leave the town to go to war. They did not know with whom to leave their sister and who they could trust to look after her. They all agreed to leave her with that pious person. They all trusted him. They went to him and asked if they could leave her with him. She would be in the building next to him until they return from the fighting. He refused their request and sought refuge in Allah from them and their sister. They persisted until he finally acquiesced. He said, “Put her in the house next to my place of worship.” So they put her in that house and they left, leaving her there. She remained living next to that pious person for some time. He would put food for her in front of his building of worship. Then he would lock the door and return to his place of worship. He would then tell her to come out of her house and take the food. Then Shytan approached him softly. He encouraged him to treat her kindly. He told him that it was not good to make the woman come out of her house during the day as someone may come upon her. If he took the food directly to her door that would mean a greater reward for him.

He continued for some time to go to her door and place the food at the front of her door without speaking to her. Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to do good and get more reward. He said, “If you took her the food and placed it in the house for her, you would get a greater reward.” He continued to encourage him. So he started to take the food into her house. He continued like that for some time.

Then Iblees came again and again encouraged him to do good. He said, “If you talk to her for a while she will be put to ease by your conversation as she is in a state of fear and she is all alone.” He then started talking to her from atop his place of worship.

Then Iblees came again. He said, “If you were to come down and talk to her while she sits at her door and talks to you, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued to encourage him until he came down and sat at his door and would talk to her. The girl would come out of her building and sit at her door and they would talk for a while.

Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to get great rewards for treating her well. He said, “If you were to go from the door of your place of worship and sit close to her door, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued exhorting him until he did so. He continued that act for a while. Then Iblees came again. This time he said, “If you enter her house and talk to her, and not make her show her face in public it would be even better for you.” He continued exhorting him until he entered her house and spent the whole day talking to her. Then when night fell, he returned to his place of worship.

Then Iblees came to him after that and continued to make her more appealing to him. Until the worshipper got upon her and kissed her. And Iblees continued to make her look nice in his eyes and desire her until he finally had sex with her. She got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Then Iblees came and told the worshipper, “Do you not realize what the brothers of the girl will do to you when they see she has given birth to your son” You will not be safe if your matter becomes clear. You should go to the boy and kill it and bury it, that way you can conceal your affair and they will not do anything to you for what you did to her.” Then he said to him, “Do you think she will conceal from her brothers what you did to her and your killing of her son. Take her, kill her and bury her with her son.” He continued spurring him on until he killed her and threw her in the ditch with her son. Then he put a large rock over them and leveled it.

Then he returned to his place of worship and worshipped therein. He stayed in that state for as long as Allah willed until the brothers came back from the fighting. They came to him and asked him about their sister. He mourned her loss and started to cry. He said, “She was the best of women and that is her grave.” The brothers came to the grave and cried over their sister and asked Allah to have mercy on her. They stayed at her grave for a few days and then went to their families. When the night overtook them and they went to their beds, Shytan came to them in their sleep in the form of a traveler. He started with the eldest and asked him about their sister. The brother told him what the pious man had stated and how they were shown her grave. Shytan told him that the pious man had lied. He said, “He did not tell you the truth about your sister. He got her pregnant and she had his son and then he killed and buried her out of fear of you. Then he threw them in a ditch he dug behind the door of the house she was staying in, to the right of the entrance. Go and enter the house in which she stayed and on the right of the entrance you will find everything I told you about.” Then he went to the middle brother and did the same. Then he went to the youngest brother and did the same. When they woke, they were all surprised at what they had seen. When they met each other, they all said, “Isaw an amazing thing last night,” and they informed each other of what they had seen.

The eldest said, “That dream has nothing to it so just ignore it.” The youngest said, “I will not leave it until I go and look at that place.” They all went until they reached the door of the place where there sister stayed. They opened the door and looked for the place that was described to them in their dreams. They found their sister and her son buried in a ditch, as they were told. They asked the worshipper about it and he confirmed what Iblees had told them. They then took him and were about to crucify him. When they had him on the wooden cross, Shytan said to him, “You know that I am your companion who tempted you by the woman until you got her pregnant and you killed her and her son. If you obey me today and deny Allah, who formed and shaped you, I will rescue you from your predicament.” The worshipper then belied Allah. When he belied Allah, Shytan left from being between him and the others and they were able to crucify him.”

Many scholars related this story in their commentary to the following verse:

“Or the likeness of Shytan when he tells man to disbelieve, then, when he disbelieves, says to him,  “Lo! I am innocent of you. Lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds” ” (Surah al-Hasr 16). 

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