5 Safar 1448 AH - July 19 2026 Issue # 28, Newsletter #2146
Scroll down for
Ayatollah Khamenei's Janaza
and
Qur'an Corner
by Dr Kaukab Siddique
Political Activism and Muslims' Failures
by Dr. Firoz Mahboob Kamal
Thoughts on Khamenei
by Imam Ali Siddiqui
Upper East Side Legionnaires Disease Outbreak
and
Canada Sends Smoke to Northeast...Again!
and
Masjid Visit: Masjid Malcolm Shabazz
by Sr Aisha
THE TRAIN OF LIFE
by Sr. Yasmin
It seems the US and Israel thought they could destroy the spirit of the Iranian people by killing their top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenai, along with many of his family. Unfortunately for the imperialists, it backfired and not only the people resisted the American-Israeli attack, but it united them to the extent that they put long standing and legitimate domestic issues on the backburner.
Ayatollah Khamenei's janaza was held in Mashhad in July. Millions of people from across the nation, as well as from other countries, attended.
Israel and the imperialists should have learned by now that the Iranians have many leaders, and by killing some of their leaders, it cannot change the situation.
In contravention of international law, Israel frequently targets Muslim leaders for assassination. Perhaps due to this, Mujtaba Khamenai, Ayatollah Khamenei's son and successor, did not attend. Two of Mujtaba's brothers, who have not played as high profile of a role, were in attendance.
There are a lot of stories being concocted by the American/ Israeli media to give the impression that Iran is about to collapse because its leader has been killed. The opposite turned out to be true. And throngs of people turned out for the funeral of that leader.
By Dr. Kaukab Siddique
Qur'an Corner
By Dr. Kaukab Siddique
"We have sent a messenger to every nation saying worship Allah and stay away from oppressors."
-Qur'an, Sura Nahl, Verse 36
"If a corrupt person brings you news, research it so that you do not harm a group unknowingly and then are sorry for your mistake."
United States
It's important to remember US Vice President JD Vance's statement on Israel issued June 18: "If I was in the Israeli cabinet, I would not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have in the entire world." [Emphasis added]
Gaza
Another Jewish Attack on Civilians
July 10 – An Israeli drone attack and gunfire in Gaza have killed at least five people, including a nine-year-old girl, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Another civilian Tala Abu Matar died when Israeli gunfire targeted an encampment on the eastern side of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, medics said.
Lebanon
July 10 – Israeli troops blew up several homes in southern Lebanon.
Afghanistan
July 10, 2026 – In another wave of deportations, over 10,000 Afghans were deported from Pakistan in one day.
Political Activism and Muslims' Failures
By Dr. Firoz Mahboob Kamal
Political Islam is true Islam
Political activism is known as politics for the people of other faiths.
But for a Muslim, it has a different meaning and implication.
It is an indispensable part of Muslim's life.
It is indeed the inherent expression of his iman in Allah SWT and the concomitant commitment in the practice of Qur'anic code of life that has been prescribed by Him.
Political activism is so crucial in Muslim's life that its absence indicates absence of iman.
Aristotle -the great Greek philosopher defined human as a political animal.
It means, a man without political activism lives only with animal instincts and is disqualified to be a proper human.
Such a man possesses no higher aspiration like state building.
Since Islam has state building objectives -as shown by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early Muslims,
such politically inactive people with animal instinct stand as obstinate obstacles in Islam's revolutionary path.
In every Muslim country, they are the people who stand against the establishment of an Islamic state.
Since Islam has well proclaimed political ambitions, Islam is always political Islam. Hece, if deprived of political activism, it is something else but surely not true Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not only the messenger of Allah SWT, but was the best state builder in the whole human history and was also the head of the state for the last 10 ten years of his life. The state that he built from scratch became the number one global super power only in decades; and defeated the concurrent super powers -the Roman and the Persian Empires. Hence, political activism is the most important legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Those who do not engage in political activism, they indeed do not follow the Prophet (peace be upon him). Whatever they claim, they are the de facto disbelievers.
Political activism is jihad -the highest Ibadah
In Islam, political activism is jihad -the highest Ibadah that integrates a Muslim with Allah SWT's agenda to bring triumph to His prescribed Deen (Islam). It is fought in 4 fronts like intellectual, political, cultural arenas and in the battle fields. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) engaged in all fronts. A Muslim invests his wealth, energy, intellect and even his life to bring success to the revealed agenda of Allah SWT that entails "a'amaru bil marur" (enactment of the right deeds) and "nehi anil munkar" (annulment of the wrongs). But today, most of the Muslims engage in none. They are politically deactivated; in fact, de-Islamised. Such de-politicisation cum de-Islamisation of Muslims is indeed the cause of Muslims' decline in modern days. Only Iran shows some brilliant success because of its people's return to the Prophet's political legacy. It is the spirit of jihad that could help them sustain the combined attacks of the US and Israel.
In Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions, priests perform the rituals on behalf of the followers. But in Islam, every Muslim needs to perform his own rituals. The same is true in war. Fighting the enemies is the obligatory duty of every Muslim. This is why when the Muslims defeated the Roman and the Persian empires, didn't have regular Army or cantonment, the whole Muslim Ummah was mobilised en masse. To encounter the enemy, the war engagement of the Muslim was complete. Every Muslim needed to go to the war fronts. Those that remained disengaged or aloof were labelled as munifiq -as seen in Uhud expedition. Their 5 times prayer, month long fasting and charity could make these disengaged people Muslim.
Every Muslim needs to be a watchdog and a warrior
A Muslim's job is all time, whole time and multifaceted. He needs to work as a whole time watchdogs on the state executives. If anyone does anything unlawful, undesirable and unethical needs to be cautioned and protested. It is every Muslim's duty. Otherwise the whole statecraft became captive in the hands of wrong people -as currently seen in most Muslim countries. In Islam, silence or inaction is also a crime; it is incompatible with a true Muslim's faith. That helps only the wrong and criminal rulers like Yazid. In the golden days of Islam, even khalifas were not spared. Once some clothes were distributed among the people of Medina from the treasury. On a Jummah day, Khalifa Omar (R) stood up to deliver a sermon with a new dress made up with the cloth that was recently distributed among the Medinites. A common man stood up and asked, "O commander of the believers, could you kindly answer before starting the sermon, how could you make such a big size dress that you are wearing? The cloth that we got, is not enough to make such a dress?" Khalifa Omar (R) had to clarify the issue. His son said that he gave his share to his father to make the dress.
De Facto Disbelievers are the Rulers
A believer's iman must show his full commitment to the cause of Islam. If there is no political activism or engagement, then it validates that the man has no iman. Such a man is indeed a nonbeliever in his practical life. Absence of political activism confirms that such a man has no concern on the current decline of Muslims and the absence of Islamic state in the world. It also proves that he doesn't bother to practice sharia and other socio-economic, educational and cultural policies of Islam. The Muslims those who do not run the judiciary and other private and public decisions as per sharia they are de facto non-believers -as announced in sura Al Imran verse 44. His Islam may be confined only within some rituals. In Islam, there is no place for such part time Muslims.
Islam means submission to full Islam. And practice of full Islam is impossible without the establishment of an Islamic state. This is why the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), on the first day of arrival to Medina, started to build an Islamic state, instead building his own house. It shows his sense of priority. He took only a room of the mosque as his residence. Today's Muslims are busy in building palaces and ignoring building an Islamic state. This is the criminal neglect of Islam's prime issue.
A de-Islamised man is known for his distaste for an Islamic state. Such a man loves a secular state; because it suits his secular taste. And because of his secular instinct, he also hates political Islam. If such a man claims to be a Muslim, then he is indeed a munafiq. He only pretends to be Muslim to hide his animosity to Islam. The Muslim World is now inundated with such fake Muslims. Unfortunately, they constitute the ruling class of the Muslim World. Here indeed lies the real pathology of the Ummah. 12/07/2026
Thoughts on Khamenei
By Imam Ali Siddiqui
Ayatollah Khamenei, the prominent Muslim leader and the leader of Iran, was killed by US and Israeli forces. Unfortunately, most Muslim leaders in the West and the Muslim organizations have been quiet. Is it the fear of President Trump? Or is it because Khamenei was a Shia? Fortunately, Muslim governments including even the Saudi government sent delegates to participate in the Funeral ceremonies. Remember, O Muslims! if any Muslim leader is killed, it is a threat to all of us. May Allah grant Muslim Ummah courage and strength to speak up.
Sis Aisha Assitant Editor
Upper East Side Legionnaires Disease Outbreak
In the summer of 2025, Harlem endured its own Legionnaires' outbreak that killed 7 people and infected over 100. Now, the Upper East Side, a wealthy Jewish area in Manhattan, is dealing with its own outbreak.
Over 67 people have been infected, 12 hospitalized, and as of July 17th, one person has died. As of Friday, all 76 of the buildings ordered to clean and disinfect their cooling towers have done so.
There was a blame game, where City Council Speaker Julie Menin, whose district contains the impacted areas, accused the Mamdani Administration of not taking appropriate action. However, learning the source of the problem and taking the necessary actions to limit any more Legionnaires' outbreaks is much better than the previous Adams Administration.
Legionnaires' is a form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria, which grows in warm water environments, such as cooling systems, hot tubs, and showerheads. The disease is spread by inhaling small droplets of contaminated water, not from an infected person. people.
(Source: NY1.com)
Canada Sends Smoke to Northeast...Again!
As of Friday (7/17), the gray haze should begin to lift. Over the past week, the skies in Northeastern and Midwestern cities have been blanketed by gray smoke from the Ontario, Canada, wildfires, which are burning unchecked. Canada sent smoke our way in June 2023. The smoke was so intrusive that New Yorkers shut their windows.
I didn't think this time was as bad, except for the odor, but the air quality rating is up to 200 in some areas! Western New York areas closest to Canada have ratings exceeding 175. Detroit has the poorest air quality because it is next door to Canada. The best air quality rating is between 0 and 50.
At the time of this article, the smoky haze blanketed the Washington, D.C. area. The haze has left New York City, but there is still an air quality alert in effect. There was a warning that the smoky haze might move further into the southern states.
A heatwave coincided with the wildfire smoke invasion, so my windows were closed to keep the heat out and that peculiar smoke odor. Medical experts recommend that those with respiratory issues, the elderly, and children should stay indoors as much as possible. They also recommended that people shut their windows and use an air filter, if they have one. If using an air conditioner, use recirculate mode and close the fresh air-intake valve to prevent it from pulling outside smoky air indoors. Long-term exposure can cause respiratory, cardiovascular, and neuromuscular problems.
The World Cup Final will be held on Sunday, July 19th, at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, but it is believed that the smoke will be even less of a threat to the atmosphere. There are no plans to reschedule this match. The air quality alert is set to expire at midnight this Saturday, insha'allah.
President Trump has threatened to impose more tariffs on Canada because of its wildfires and what he calls poor forest maintenance. In response to President Trump, Ontario Premier Doug Ford reminded him that Canada has helped America battle its own wildfires and that it would be better to send Canada help rather than complain. Currently, over 190 wildfires are burning.
(Source: NY1.com)
Masjid Visit: Masjid Malcolm Shabazz
The masjid that provides the best amenities for women is Masjid Malcolm Shabazz in Harlem. This is the historic Mosque No. 7, where El-Hajj Malik Shabazz used to speak when he was with the Nation of Islam. In 1975, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad converted it to a Sunni masjid.
The musallah is on the third floor. As is tradition, the brothers gather in the front, and the sisters sit in the back. According to hadith, the masjid where the Holy Prophet (saw) spoke was organized this way to allow the sisters to leave first. The elevator is reserved specifically for the sisters, the elderly, or the disabled. The sisters also have a lounge area for sisters who cannot pray.
Chivalry comes from Islam. It was the Moorish Muslims who brought chivalry to Europe.
This masjid is very clean. The only drawback is that the musallah is only open for Jummah Prayer. The musallah is beautiful. They provide a smaller prayer area, which I have used, every other day of the week.
Salaam,
Sis. 'Aisha
Jamaat al-Muslimeen New York City
Guidance Wisdom from Sis. Yasmin Hadith consultant
*THE TRAIN OF LIFE* 🤔~WE DON'T KNOW @ WHICH STATION WE WILL STEP DOWN~[AN ANALOGY]
'Assalamualaikum'.
At birth we boarded the train and met our parents,
and we believe they will always travel on our side.
However, at some station
our Parents will step down from the train,
leaving us on this journey alone.
As time goes by,
other people will board the train;
and they will be significant
i.e. our siblings, friends, children,
and even the love of your life.
Many will step down
and leave a permanent vacuum.
others will go so unnoticed
that we don't realize
they vacated their seats.
This train ride will be full of joy,
sorrow, fantasy, expectations,
hellos, goodbyes, and farewells.
Success consists of having a good
relationship with all passengers
requiring that we give the best of ourselves.
The mystery to everyone is:
We do not know at which station
we ourselves will step down.
So, we must live in the best way,
love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are.
It is important to do this
because when the time comes for us to step down
and leave our seats empty---
we should leave behind beautiful memories
for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.
I wish you a joyful journey on the train of life.
Reap success and give lots of love.
Lastly, I thank you
for being one of the passengers on my train.
