VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 107, November 28, 2009

St. Louis, Missouri

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

EID REPRESENTS THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH
Where a picture speaks a thousand words
(All pictures: courtesy of REUTERS - Yahoo Photos)


NIGERIA:

A man rides a motorbike with his children after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye

Traditional palace guards of Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero (not pictured), ride on horses after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

Traditional palace guards of Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, fire locally made muskets to mark the end of prayers on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A traditional palace guard of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, holds a spear as he rides a horse after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero (C), surrounded by his traditional palace guards, rides on a horse after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A man drives children in a car after prayers to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Kano November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

SAUDI ARABIA:

Muslim pilgrims gather at Namira Mosque at Mount Arafat, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims pelted pillars symbolising the devil with pebbles to show their defiance on the third day of the hajj as Muslims marked the Eid al-Adha holy day with mass animal sacrifices.

VIDEO: Pilgrims gather in the Arafat plain from Mecca and Mina before dawn for a key ritual around Mount Arafat, the site where Mohammed gave his farewell sermon in this day on the Islamic calendar 1,377 years ago. During the hajj pilgrims spend the day at Arafat in reflection and reading the Koran. 57(AFPTV)

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Muslim pilgrims throw stones at pillars symbolising the devil in Mina outside the holy city of Mecca during the haj pilgrimage November 27, 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Muslim pilgrims reach out to touch the door of the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. Muslim pilgrims reach out to touch the door of the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims move around the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

VIDEO - Pilgrims pelted pillars symbolising the devil with pebbles to show their defiance on the third day of the hajj. 44(AFPTV)

(AFP) A Muslim pilgrim eats a free meal on the side of a road in Mina outside the holy city of Mecca during the haj pilgrimage November 28, 2009. Saudi authorities are trying to prevent Saudi based pilgrims from entering Mecca without a haj permit. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Muslim pilgrims without accommodation camp on a hill in Mina outside the holy city of Mecca during the haj pilgrimage November 28, 2009. Saudi authorities are trying to prevent Saudi based pilgrims from entering Mecca without a haj permit. Picture taken through a glass. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Muslim pilgrims walk outside their tents on a mountain in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca. Stoning the devil and circling the Mecca Grand Mosque's kaaba shrine, two million pilgrims began the final rituals of the hajj on Saturday ahead of a massive exodus from Islam's holiest city. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)

Muslim pilgrims gather to perform the "Jamarat" ritual, the stoning of Satan, in Mina near the holy city of Mecca on November 27. Stoning the devil and circling the Mecca Grand Mosque's kaaba shrine, two million Muslim pilgrims launched into the final rituals of the hajj on Saturday ahead of their massive exodus from Islam's holiest city. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)

An night view of the pilgrim camp in Mina outside the holy city of Mecca during the haj pilgrimage November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, on God's command.REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Muslim pilgrims on their way to throw pebbles at a stone pillar representing the devil, during the Hajj pilgrim in Mina near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. Vast crowds of pilgrims are participating in the third day of the annual hajj on Friday in Saudi Arabia, as Muslims around the world began celebrating Eid al-Adha, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

(AFP/Mahmud Hams)musl im pilgrims takes pictures by their mobile to thousands of tents housing Muslim pilgrims are crowded together in Mina near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. The last stage of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the symbolic stoning of the devil, began on Friday. The first day of stoning also marks the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, when Muslims around the world slaughter sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

GERMANY:

Muslims pray in an exhibition hall used as a temporary mosque, to mark the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Strasbourg, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the Haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

Muslim women watch the installation of the dome of Strasbourg's Grand Mosque set up to mark the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Strasbourg November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Muslims attend the installation of the dome of Strasbourg's Grand Mosque in a ceremony which coincides with the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Strasbourg November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

Muslims attend the installation of the dome of Strasbourg's Grand Mosque to mark the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Strasbourg November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Workers use a crane to lift the dome of Strasbourg's Grand Mosque during a ceremony which coincides with the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Strasbourg November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

INDIA

Muslims pilgrims rest on the stairs of the illuminated Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) on the eve of Eid al-Adha in the old quarters of Delhi November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, on God's command.REUTERS/B Mathur

PALESTINE:

Palestinians pray on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Jerusalem's Old City November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Palestinian girl dressed in costume stands on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount after prayers on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Jerusalem's Old City November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Palestinians pray next to a grave on the first day of the holiday of Eid al-Adha at a Muslim cemetery just outside Jerusalem's Old city November 27, 2009.

A Palestinian boy plays with a balloon after Friday prayers on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Jerusalem's Old City November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

RUSSIA

A man prays on a street during Kurban-Ait, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, as people pass by outside a mosque in central Moscow November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

People pray during Kurban-Ait, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, on a street outside a mosque in central Moscow, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/STRINGER

People pray during Kurban-Ait, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, on a street outside a mosque in central Moscow, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/STRINGER

MALAYSIA:

Muslims prepare meat for distribution to the needy during Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, in Johor Bahru, 350 km (217 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur November 28, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, marking the end of the haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad

CHECHNYA:

People pray during Kurban-Ait, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, in the Central mosque, named after Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov's father Akhmat in Grozny, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/S.Dal

INDONESIA:

People jostle to receive free meat as part of the festival of Eid al-Adha at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta November 28, 2009. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, celebrates Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering goats and cows and distributing the meat to the poor.

A mother carrying her child falls to the ground after jostling with others to pass through a compound gate to receive free meat as part of the festival of Eid al-Adha in Jakarta November 27, 2009. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, celebrates Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the Haj by slaughtering goats and cows and distributing the meat to the poor. REUTERS/Crack Palinggi.

IRAN:

REUTERS/Crack Palinggi: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. Iranian worshippers shout slogans in support of Iran's nuclear program and against Israel during Eid al-Adha prayers at a university in Tehran November 28, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, marking the end of the haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

FRANCE:

Butchers prepare to sacrifice sheep on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Marseille November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier)

BANGLADESH:

A boy sells cigarettes on top of an overcrowded train as it heads to Jamalpur from Dhaka November 27, 2009. Millions of residents in Dhaka are travelling home from the capital city to celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday on Saturday. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

Passengers travel atop a train as it heads for Jamalpur from Dhaka November 27, 2009. Millions of residents in Dhaka are travelling home from the capital city to celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday on Saturday. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

BOSNIA:

Bosnian Muslim boy poses as he stands in front of a mosque after the Eid prayers in the village of Preocica near Vitez on the first day of Eid al-Adha November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Bosnian Muslim pray at a cemetery in the village of Preocica near Vitez on the first day of Eid al-Adha November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

EGYPT:

Butchers cut the meat of cows during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Banha, 48 km (30 miles) north of Cairo, November 27, 2009, Muslims across the world are preparing to celebrate the annual festival of Eid al-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca by hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world by slaughtering goats, sheep and cattle in commemoration of the Prophet Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to Allah.

A girl plays with balloons after Eid al-Adha prayers outside a mosque in Cairo November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Tarek Mostafa

The sun rises over a mosque in Cairo on the first day of Eid al-Adha, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Tarek Mostafa

KOSOVA:

Kosovo Muslims pray in the streets to mark the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, in Kosovo's capital Pristina November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Hazir Reka

UKRAINE:

Men attend prayers during Kurban-Ait, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, at a mosque in the city of Yevpatoriya, some 850 kilometres (528 miles) south from Kiev, November 27, 2009. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid-al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/STRINGER

THE END

Volume 106, November 21, 2009

St. Louis, Missouri

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

EDITORIAL:

Special thanks to Br. Mohammed Asif, Saudi Arabia who forwarded an e-mail as a timely reminder to those who are not going for Hajj. It was adapted from: Perfect days for perfect Ibaadah, by Asma bint Shameem

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

What To Do If You Are NOT Going For Hajj ?

Adapted from: Perfect days for perfect Ibaadah
By Asma bint Shameem

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most beloved to Allah.

The Prophet testified to that. He said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” (Bukhaari)

WHAT ACTIVITIES IN THESE 10 DAYS WILL BRING THE REWARD OF JANNAH?

Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allah.

Some of these are:

1) Fast all nine days and especially fast the Day of Arafah

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Prophet (PBUH) used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah and he said: “Fasting the Day of Arafah (ninth Dhul-hijjah) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year.” (Muslim)

2) Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days”, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah).” (Ahmad -Saheeh)

Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhaari)

Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah. So recite it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah.

Revive the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.

The Prophet said: “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Tirmidhi- a hasan hadeeth)

Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

3) Stand in Night Prayers: (Tahajud, Qiyam al Layl)

Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadan?
Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights as well?

Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us, His servants:Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Why do we miss this golden opportunity? So, seize the chance NOW and expose yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide you and set things aright. He will surely listen.

4) Make Sincere Repentance.

One of the most important action during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we do not know when we will die and thus become unable to repent, and also because one evil deed leads to another.

But what does repentance mean?

It means that you come back to Allah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes…. that you regret whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allah loves.

“But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [Al-Qasas 28:67]

5) Come back to the Quraan

It is time now to dust off your copy of the Quraan and return to its refuge. Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it. Read it with meaning, reflect on it, understand it, and then implement it in your daily life. Remember that reading one letter of the Quraan earns you ten rewards.

In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah, which doesn’t take more than two minutes, will give you more than one thousand rewards!

This is on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the reward will be far greater, Insha Allah.

6) Increase ALL the types of good deeds.

If we are unable to go to Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves in the worship of Allah; pray extra prayers (Nafilah) recite the Quraan. Make Dhikr of Allah, send Salaams on the Prophet, make dua, give charity, honor our parents, uphold ties of kinship, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and add other good deeds and acts of worship during these days.

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”
[Al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]

7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are:

You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad. However, you can get the reward of it right where you are.The Prophet said: “Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rakas, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah.” [He repeated the word "perfect" thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)

8) Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat.

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal.” (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

9) Attend Eid prayers

But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we should avoid unislamic behavior (especially) in dress and in etiquette during these times.

10) Thank Allah.

One of the best forms of worshipping Allah Subhaanahu wa Taala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously.

Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. Hasten to do good deeds and striving hard in worship .

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death).”
[Al-Hijr 15:99]

THE END

Volume 105, November 14, 2009

St. Louis, Missouri

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

Editorial:

Below is a condensed version of an excellent article ("Service Members Bridge Gap Between Mosque and Military") from Los Angeles Times highlighting the dynamics of Muslims in the US Military.

Service Members Bridge Gap Between Mosque and Military
It's never been easy for Muslims in the military, but as their ranks grow, the armed forces become more accommodating and families more accepting.

Lt. Col. Shareda Hosein says she has encountered "Islam anxiety" from fellow soldiers. (Michael C. Weimar / For The Times / November 10, 2009)

By Teresa Watanabe and Duke Helfand
November 12, 2009 Los Angeles Times

"Lt. Col. Shareda Hosein, who lives dual lives in Army fatigues and an Islamic head covering, sometimes encounters what she calls "Islam anxiety" among her fellow soldiers, saying they pepper her with direct questions about jihad and Islamic law.

Army Sgt. Ayman Kafel, who served as a military police officer in Iraq before retiring two years ago, had to overcome family objections to his service. Marine Sgt. Souhaib Elkoun, who also served in Iraq, was heckled as a traitor by fellow Arab Americans when he showed up in uniform at a community event.

Even before the shooting rampage that killed 13 at Ft. Hood in Texas last week, allegedly carried out by a Muslim Army major, it was never especially easy to be a Muslim in the U.S. military.

But these and other Muslims in the armed forces say they are proud of that service and of their ability to act as bridges between Islam and U.S. troops. Many, including Elkoun and Kafel, speak Arabic and are often able to serve as cultural and linguistic translators in the U.S. and abroad.

The military has increasingly recognized the key roles Muslim service members can play in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The services have stepped up recruitment of Muslims and Arabs through ads in ethnic media and booths at Islamic forums. They have asked people like Elkoun and Kafel to conduct cultural sensitivity workshops for troops in Iraq. And they have invested in educational initiatives, such as a Web portal offering "cultural readiness" lessons and a documentary project on Islam and other Abrahamic faiths.

Of 1.4 million active-duty service members, about 3,500 identify themselves as Muslims, according to military officials. Listing a religious preference is not required.

By and large, the Muslim military men and women interviewed said that they have suffered no serious harassment about their faith and that their commanders have tried to accommodate their needs regarding prayer and other religious observances.

Retired Col. Doug Burpee, a Muslim convert who flew helicopters for the Marines for 27 years and completed a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2004, said he encountered good-natured ribbing about his faith, which he would laugh away. Some in his squadron called him "rag head" or joked that he would be rewarded with 70 virgins in heaven if he died in a helicopter accident, but he didn't take it seriously.

When fellow Marines made comments about Muslims waging a holy war against nonbelievers, however, Burpee used the incidents to teach others about his faith.

"Islam is not about any of those things," he recalled telling them. "It's about believing in God. It's about believing what is said in the Koran."

Dawud Salaam, 52, who served in the Army for 20 years before retiring as a master sergeant in Colorado in 2002, said his biggest challenge was pressing for more religious accommodations, such as time for prayer and access to food that didn't contain pork and other forbidden ingredients. Since then, he said, the military has improved religious conditions for Muslim soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.

Elkoun, a native of Morocco who joined the Marine Corps in 2003 to prove to Americans that "we're not bad people," said his commanders let him work graveyard shifts during the fasting month of Ramadan so he could sleep during the day. In 2005, the service opened a mosque at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, where he was stationed.

And Jameel Sabree, 46, a recently retired sergeant first class, said that even soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, his fellow soldiers at Ft. Irwin never bothered him when he set up a prayer rug in a parking lot. "They didn't even stop," said Sabree, who acts as an informal adviser to Muslim soldiers at Ft. Hood.

More challenging, he and others said, has been the controversy within the Islamic community about their military service.

Many Muslims oppose U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, seeing it as the latest instance in a decades-long history of destructive meddling in Islamic lands. They argue that it is sinful for Muslims to kill one another.

"There is a stigma about Muslims joining the military, and a fear of retaliation by your families and communities," said Kafel, a Lebanon native who joined the Army National Guard in 2002. "But anyone who lives in this country with these freedoms has to fight for them."

The service members say they have come to terms with the dilemma of fighting fellow Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan by viewing themselves as liberators and protectors of the Muslim masses being oppressed by extremists.

"We're not fighting against Muslims. We're fighting against extremists and terrorists," Burpee said.

Both Elkoun and Kafel said they were able to use their fluency in Arabic and Islamic backgrounds to help their units win over villagers in Iraq, and sometimes gain information from them.

Elkoun, for instance, said he frequently invited fellow Marines on humanitarian missions to rebuild hospitals and bring food, clothing, medical care and other aid to villagers. A few times, he helped rescued people kidnapped by insurgents because they had cooperated with U.S. forces.

Imam Moustafa al Qazwini, the Iraq-born leader of the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County, said he counsels Muslim youth considering joining the military that such humanitarian acts are in keeping with Islam's teachings on compassion and peace. But killing innocent civilians or engaging in oppression or injustice violates the creed, he counsels. Intention and actions are key, Al Qazwini said.

"The bottom line is that it isn't a black and white question," said Khaled Abou el Fadl, an Islamic law scholar at UCLA. "If you're there doing good and helping Iraqis in dire straits, then you can't feel guilty. You'll meet your God and feel proud of your actions."

Still, some Muslims oppose military service as a betrayal. Elkoun said he and other Muslim Marines were castigated as "traitors" at an Arab American Institute event a year ago. But he said he told those hecklers to stop griping and try to work for change from within U.S. institutions.

"Certainly there are good and decent Muslims who serve, but the armed forces have to do a better job of weeding out the radicals," he wrote in an e-mail.

For Hosein, a 48-year-old Trinidad immigrant who joined the military straight out of high school, the controversies can be wearying. Her dual lives, she said, seem to cause unease in both worlds.

She said she has no qualms about fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, calling the extremists "bad actors who need to be taken out." By speaking to soldiers about her faith, she also believes she is staunching any possible suspicions about Muslims in the ranks.

Still, she can't help but sense anxiety from fellow soldiers or see the stares when she wears the Islamic head-covering in her civilian life in Boston, where she has worked in real estate and as a chaplain at Tufts University.

"I'd like for it all to go away so I can go back to being an average American soldier defending my country," she said.

Times staff writers Ashley Powers in Ft. Hood, DeeDee Correll in Denver and Raja Abdulrahim in Los Angeles contributed to this report".

THE END