AMAL Arsenic Removal Filter- North 24 Paraganas, West Bengal

source of the article: https://arsenicnetwork.wordpress.com/2015/07/31/amal-arsenic-removal-filter-north-24-paraganas-west-bengal/

Introduction:

The unit is situated at Jaygachhi colony in Habra-I block (of Habra Municipality) in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. This community-level AMAL Arsenic Removal Unit (ARU) is working effectively for more than 6 years serving safe water to the 453 families residing in the colony. Initially the Arsenic Removal Filter was attached to a hand pump, which later on was converted to a pumped system by the water committee.

Date of Installation: 21st Nov’ 2005

The test result of hand pump water (12.10.2005):

Arsenic concentration: 0.08mg/L and Iron concentration: 4.12mg/

Background: A rural club was formed at Jaygachhi colony about 40 years back.  The name of this club is ‘Milan Tirtha’. The club is has a membership of about 112 which includes both males and females.  The club is engaged in different social activities towards benefit of the local population like coaching centre for football, art, and dance, yoga for children and a library and a medical clinic. The club later on took the initiative towards providing clean and arsenic safe water to its residents. In this connection ‘Jaygachhi Milantirtha Amal Filter Management Committee’ was formed which actively managed the Community-Based Arsenic removal Filter since 2005.

1. Formation of Water Committee: After installation the unit was handed over to the community i.e. owned by the beneficiaries and managed by local water committee (Jaygachhi Amal Jal Samity). The initial installation cost for the Arsenic Removal unit was borne by Water For People. The maintenance costs (replacement of spares, minor plumbing, regeneration/replacement of spent alumina, caretaker’s remuneration, water test charge, etc.) are sourced from the beneficiaries by way of levying a monthly charge per family. The water committee consists of 21 members and 75% of them are women. The management of the committee is very transparent. It maintains consolidated revenue and expenditure account and also a consolidated receipts and payment account. All the planning and decision taking are done through formal meetings held once every month with proper minutes.
2. Regeneration/ replacement of exhausted Activated Alumina: Replacement                  (new media) was done in 2009 with funds from the water committee.
3. Care Taker: One female care taker is selected for maintenance and operation of the ARU like cleaning of the water collection area, regular backwash of the filter, etc. She is paid Rs. 1000 per month as honorarium by the water committee. Sometimes another lady volunteers in collecting tariff from the users, issuance of water card to households, etc.
4. Water vending: There are three Rickshaw-van drivers who supply water to 180 households outside of Jaygachhi, about 2- 5 km away from water treatment plant. They are happy to earnRs.4000/- to Rs.6000/ per month and getting festival bonus like cash amount or dress materials.
5. Benefit derived from the arsenic mitigation programme:
   • Approximate 2500 people are avoiding risk from arsenic poisoning by using safe water which in turn is helping in minimizing healthcare costs
   • School children from an adjacent primary are also getting safe water and their mid-day meal in school is being cooked with arsenic-safe water. The water committee supplies water to the school without any charge
   • Creation of employment (caretakers, water-carriers, water facilitator, plumber, water-container seller, etc.)
   • Women empowerment
   • Awareness about safe water handling to school children who also invariably take the message home
   • Creation of public infrastructure and events
   • People no longer have to go far off places to fetch safe water
   • The facility is maintained merely by the redistribution of the economic surplus on an entire neighborhood
   Perception of the users:
   Technology: Operation and maintenance is simple and friendly for the community and also at a low cost. Care taker and Water Committee work in tandem.
   • The quality of water is clean & arsenic free
   • Palatable and pleasing to drink
   • Reducing the health symptoms like gastric problem, anorexia as well as medical expenditure and lost man days in procuring water from other sources
   Sustainability and ownership: The water treatment unit is owned by the community and increase in the number of users indicate that the project is sustainable

   Future plan: Installation of additional arsenic treatment unit from their reserve fund to cater to the increasing number of users

Women Praying at the Mosque?

majority of us follow hanafi fiqh in india. pls share any info from hanafi fiqh so that i can learn about this. 

The visits of the women to the mosques for regular prayers is Makrooh in the eyes of Hanafi scholars, so in those countries or regions where Hanafis are in majority there are no separate sections for the prayer of women.It is time that the Hanafi scholars reconsider their earlier fatwa. http://islamicvoice.com/2001-05/dialogue.htm

Muslim jurists in the past were quite aware of the constant need to reconcile contradictions between social and legal norms. They continuously adjusted laws to bring them in line with the customs and norms of the people.

Iman Shāfiī, the founder of one of the four schools of thought, he was living in Bagdhad when he put forth his school of thought as Imām Abū Ħanīfa and Imām Mālik before him. Imām Shāfiī came in the 2nd century of hijri and established his school of thought in Baghdad 1250 years ago Hijri. When he moved from Baghdad to Egypt in the last years of his life, he changed his school of thought. He said, “I saw people more corrupted in Egypt then from Baghdad. So what I wrote previously and explained is insufficient to treat these corrupted people because I was more lenient. Now I have to be more strict. So I have to change [my rulings].”

Today the authority for Ijtihād is with the mufti, or Dar al-Ifta, Center of Rulings, which gives general rulings (fatwā, pl. fatāwā) about an incident or legal question. As scholars, they are able to look at the entire package of Islam and issue a ruling on the question at hand.

It is essential to understand that no one can issue a ruling without qualification, and no one can issue a judgment without qualification. Since rulings have a tremendous impact on the life of society and ruling on the individual, it is essential that those issuing them have excellent moral character, and most importantly that they are qualified.

It is a well-known fact that women used to attend prayers including that of Friday at the Prophet's Mosque during his time. As a matter of fact, many of those women from among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did so consistently that they memorized entire surahs of the Qur'an from the Prophet's mouth as he was in the habit of reciting them during sermons and prayer.

The practice of women attending the prayers continues to this day in the Prophet's Mosque;
Masjid nawabi,medina,saudi arabia have separate enclosure for woman,separate entrance,separate waju khana and separate toilet for woman.
the same has been the consistent practice in the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. This can be verified by anyone going for Hajj or `Umrah, for it is a common sight of women praying all over the Haram sanctuary in Makkah just as men do.

 
Source Of The Article: http://www.central-mosque.com/fiqh/wompraymosq.htm

Q:) In the area that I live in, there is a big problem. There are about 20 Mosques within 5 miles but only a handful allows women to come for prayers. I know that it’s better for women to pray at home but I think facilities should be provided. Sisters go shopping with husbands and the men go for salah on the way and the women can only stay in the car. In winter, within a couple of hours Zuhr, Asr and Maghrib is prayed. The sisters then just do Qadha. How can I sort out the situation? I am deobandi but find it very hard to accept this. What do the deobandi scholars say about this?

A.
Therefore, when women are allowed to go to the Bazaars, markets, shopping malls and other such places (and justifiably in many cases), then it does not seem right to completely shun them from coming to the Mosques. The main wisdom behind the position of the classical jurists was the fear of harm and corruption, and in the modern times women (Muslim, non-Muslim, practising and non-practising) are all over the place, hence if evil and wicked people would want to cause any harm to them, they would surely look out for them at other places rather than the Mosques. Also, women generally would be safe in our times from being harmed whilst going to the Mosques. 

Secondly, at times there may be a genuine need for women to go to the Mosques, such as when travelling and the prayer time is about to come to an end. There have been many cases where a sister had to miss her prayer, for there were no facilities for women to pray in the Mosque. At times, women may need to go to the Mosque to learn sacred knowledge, attend a spiritual gathering and other such matters, hence she may need to pray her Salat in the Mosque. 

Keeping the above in mind, and given the times we are living in, I believe that both of the following two extremist approaches should be avoided with regards to women going to Mosques, and we should adopt the middle way, as “the best of ways is the middle way”:

The middle way is that women should be encouraged to offer their regular prayers at home, and not come to the Mosque habitually without having a need to do so. At the same time, every Masjid should have facilities for a woman’s prayer area, so that if a sister is travelling she is able to make Wudu and offer her prayers without having to miss her prayers altogether. In the case of women coming to the Mosque, extreme care and precaution should be taken of observing the rules of Hijab, so that there is no fear of any Fitna. Both brothers and sisters should have separate entrances, and open intermingling of the two genders must be avoided. Sisters should also be wary that going to the Mosque should not lead to the non-fulfilment of their other household duties. 

I believe this is the balanced approach that may be adopted in the west given the times we live in.

And Allah knows best 

Muhammad ibn Adam 
Darul Iftaa 
Leicester , UK

http://www.central-mosque.com/fiqh/wompraymosq.htm


Source: http://islamqa.info/en/49898

In his book Hiraasat al-Fadeelah (p. 86), Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd listed the conditions for women to go out to the mosque. He said: 

Women are allowed to go out to the mosque according to the following rulings: 

1-     That there is no risk of them tempting others or being tempted

2-     That their attendance will not lead to anything that is forbidden according to sharee’ah

3-     That they do not jostle with men in the street or in the mosque

4-     That they should go out not wearing perfume

5-     That they should go out wearing hijab, not making a wanton display of their adornment

6-     A door should be set aside in the mosque just for women to enter and exit, as mentioned in the hadeeth narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood and elsewhere.

7-     The women’s rows should be behind the men

8-     The best rows for women are those at the back, unlike the case for men

9-     If the imam makes any mistake in his prayer, men should say “Subhan Allaah!” and women should clap

10-The women should leave the mosque before the men, and the men should wait until the women have dispersed to their homes, as mentioned in the hadeeth of Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere.

Source Of Article: http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?36964-Are-women-allowed-to-go-to-the-mosque


In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

At the outset, it is important to point out the place of women in an ISLAMIC society. Allah Ta’ala has created mankind and He alone knows what is best for mankind. In today’s time people have raised the slogans of women’s rights and gender equality. These slogans might seem true to those who see the role of women as same as men. In Islam, our understanding is that Allah has created men and women differently and both have different roles which are complimentary to each other. Allah has kept it in the nature of man to be brave, bold, and take responsibility over the family’s affairs while it is in the nature of women to have modesty, gentleness, and softness. Shari’a has stipulated the roles for each according to their nature. Men are responsible for earning an income, providing shelter, and security for his family. Shari’a understands the temperament of women and caters for it. Therefore, it is not required from her to leave her house and step into this immodest world to earn her own living or provide shelter for herself. 

At the same time, Shari’a does not prevent women from earning her own income, on condition that no laws of Shari’a are violated.

It is clear from this that it is a general rule to remain in the confines of her home based on the feminine nature of women. Shari’a has also considered circumstances based on need and necessity. 

In view of the fitna and immoralities of the time, a woman should not attend the masjid. Shari’a has not made it compulsory upon her to perform salat with congregation. She could perform salat be herself. There is no compelling need for her to attend the masjid. There is no need to bend this rule as in the case of a woman being put in an unwilling situation to earn an income. 

In the time of Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) women had permission to perform their salat, but Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) also expressed that it is better for women to perform salat at home instead of the masjid.

عن عمته أم حميد امرأة أبى حميد الساعدى أنها جاءت إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالت يا رسول الله إنى أحب الصلاة معك قال قد علمت أنك تحبين الصلاة معى وصلاتك فى بيتك خير لك من صلاتك فى حجرتك وصلاتك فى حجرتك خير من صلاتك فى دارك وصلاتك فى دارك خير لك من صلاتك فى مسجد قومك وصلاتك فى مسجد قومك خير لك من صلاتك فى مسجدى قال فأمرت فبنى لها مسجد فى أقصى شىء من بيتها وأظلمه فكانت تصلى فيه حتى لقيت الله عز وجل (مسند احمد)


Umm Humayd, the wife of Abu Humayd, narrates that she went to Nabi (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) and said, “O Rusulullah, I wish to perform salat with you.” Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied, “I know well that you wish to perform salat with me. However, the salat you perform in your room is better than perform it in your flat, and the salat performed in your flat is better than it performed in the building, and the salat perform in the building is better than it performed in the local masjid, and the salat performed in the local masjid is better than it performed in my masjid. The narrator says that she ordered that a prayer area be build for her in the farthest and darkest corner of the house and she performed her salat there until she met her Lord.

There is no doubt that in the era of Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) women were permitted to come to the masjid to perform their salat. This was due to the fact that Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) was alive and would daily teach new injunctions of Shari’a. The situation changed after the demise of Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam). ‘Aisha (Radhiyallahu Anha) states:

عن عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن أنها سمعت عائشة زوج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم تقول لو أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى ما أحدث النساء لمنعهن المسجد كما منعت نساء بنى إسرائيل قال فقلت لعمرة أنساء بنى إسرائيل منعن المسجد قالت نعم (صحيح مسلم)

Amrah bint Abdur Rahman narrates that she heard ‘Aisha (Radhiyallahu Anhu) the wife of Nabi (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) say, “If Rasulullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) were to see the condition of the women (of today), he would have verily prevented them from coming to the masjid how The Israelites women were preventing from coming to their place of worship. The narrators say, “I asked Amrah, were the Israilites women prevented form coming to the masjid?” She replied, “Yes”. (Sahih Muslim)

More than 1400 years have passed by and the fitnas have increased. Immodesty, intermingling of the sexes, crime, etc are prevalent in our societies.

It is not necessary for women to perform her salat in the masjid, but it is wajib to abstain from fitna. In order to abstain from fitna, it will be makrooh for women to go to the masjid, whether it be for the daily the salat, Jumma’, Eid, taleem, or to listen to a lecture.

Al-Durr al-Mukhtar (1:566) H.M. Saeed Company

( ويكره حضورهن الجماعة ) ولو لجمعة وعيد ووعظ ( مطلقا ) ولو عجوزا ليلا ( على المذهب ) المفتى به لفساد الزمان ، - الدر المختار

If a woman has to go the masjid for a genuine reason, e.g. the family is out on the road and need to perform salah, then it will not be makrooh for her to perform salah in the masjid, as this was done out of necessity.

A woman can perform salah at home without any decrease in the rewards. In fact, as stated above, it is more virtuous to perform at home. If it was possible for women to acquire knowledge at home without leaving her house on the same level as the university, then the analogy would have been correct. Nevertheless, if she does not adopt shar’ee purdah and there is a great risk of fitna, then it will not be permissible for her to go to university, shopping centers, and other places as well.

Fatawa Rahimiyya (6/151) Darul Ishaat

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah

Dr.Zakir Naik, Tabligh Jamat and Islam

কোৰান/নবী (ছঃ) ৰ নচিহত :- ৰছুলুল্লাহ (চাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ৱচাল্লাম্)য়ে কৈছে – “মানুহক দ্বীন শিকোৱা আৰু শুভ বাৰ্তা দিয়া, কেতিয়াও শত্ৰুতা সৃষ্টি নকৰিবা; খং উঠিলে মনে মনে থাকিবা” (মুচনদে আহমদ্, ২১৩৭) । 
মানা না মানা প্রত্যেকের নিজের ব্যাপার. আলিমদের অবমাননা থেকে বেঁচে থেকে আসুন.

To know authentic islamic rules, please consult your local DARUL IFTA.

Source Of The Article : http://tablighijamaattruth.blogspot.in/2011/09/tableeghi-jamaat-zakir-naik.html

1. It is necessary for all dawah worker in different field with different methodology   to do the work with Ikhlas (Sincerity) and Istakhlas for sake of Allah and deen e Muhammadi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

2.Mufti Taqi Usmani Damat Barkatuhum in one of his talk on you tube has said that it is common disease of us that whosoever does work of Deen in one field unfortunately try to prove that I/my field is only important and rest all field are of no use

3.So........WHOSOEVER Weather Tablighi Jamaat worker /IRF (Dr.Zakir Naik) / Jmaat e Islami workers /Madarsas /Khanqah /Islamic School/ Muslim Non Governmental Organisation  ...............whosoever has this attitude is wrong and in urgent need of correction.

4. Actually Iblees/Satan is responsible for this.He is keeping away us from Positive Dawah.On each front of Islam so much work is remaining.But Iblees has involved us in criticising each others/Leg pulling/ Pointing mistakes in others.

Critism should be with deep knowledge ,clear heart and intention(WASEE ILM aur PAK QULOOB) for the purpose of correction. 

ON ZAKIR NAIK:

As he repeatedly say in his talks that he is not knowledgeable in all field but he is a student of comparative religion and it is his field. 

We appreciate Dr.zakir naik efforts on defending front of islam and in the field of comparative religion and Pray to Allah to give Barkah in his life and understanding.

OUR OBSERVATION about Dr.zakir Naik 
3.It is our personal observation that Dr Zakir Naik remain best in the field of comparative religion and answering on misconception about Islam.

But when he enters in the field of Islamic Jurisprudence/Ahadith knowledge he makes mistakes.

1.Islamic Jurisprudence and Ahadith knowledge is very vast field itself  and chances of mistakes are too much.So please dont enter into it.

2. Already their are people who are waiting to catch his mistakes and defaming him that is apperant by many videos on you tube.........................Dr. zakir naik Sb should remain alert in his talk and should not give chance to people of vested interest.............To remain alert is a quality of Muslim described in Hadith.

Technology of Fluoride Removal From drinking water in India

Fluoride  which is naturally in groundwater in concentrations ranging from 0.1 mg/L to 10 mg/L. The chemical originates in several minerals. As groundwater passes through the earth and comes into contact with these minerals, fluoride is dissolved and enters the water. The deeper the water flows through the earth, the more fluoride-containing minerals it will come in contact with, and the greater the fluoride concentration in the water will be Ordinarily groundwater having concentrations of 10 mg/L, or-more of fluoride are rare and surface waters seldom contain more than 1 mg/L of fluoride. Fluoride in excessive concentration is undesirable in waters used for drinking. According to WHO, and the Manual on Water Supply and Treatment published by the CPHEEO, Gal, the recommended higher limit for fluoride is 1.5 mg/L. High fluoride concentration in groundwater is a natural phenomenon in close to 23 countries such as China, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Spain, Holland, Italy and Mexico.
According to a Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM) report, the bedrock of the Indian peninsula consists of a number of fluoride-bearing minerals: fluorite, topaz, apatite; and rock phosphate, phosphatic nodules and phosphorite (all with high fluoride concentrations). When the bedrock weathers – a natural chemical process in which the rock slowly crumbles to form soils – the fluoride leaches into the water and the soil. High concentrations of fluoride have been found in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu in the country.
Fluoride mainly enters the human body through drinking water; 96-99% of it combines with bones, as fluoride has affinity for calcium phosphate in the bones. Excess intake of fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, or non-skeletal fluorosis. According to WHO, the prevalence of Dental Fluorosis is correlated to drinking water fluoride in the following manner.
 Dental Fluorosis
Fluoride in water has been proven to prevent tooth decay among children and to prevent root tip rot. The chemical acts by strengthening the tooth enamel and by making the enamel more resistant to decay. Although fluoride is safe at the concentrations less than 1.5 mg/L, an excess amount of fluoride in water can result in mottled brown stains on teeth. These stains is called dental fluorosis, which results from fluoride concentrations of 1.5 mg/L in drinking water.Dental Fluorosis is characterized, by discolored, blackened, mottled or chalky-white teeth. Extreme concentrations of fluoride can cause skeletal Fluorosis. Skeletal Fluorosis leads to severe and permanent bone and joint deformations. Fluorosis is an irreversible disease and there is no cure. Fluorosis is a disease that neither allows a person to live nor to die. Non-skeletal Fluorosis leads to gastrointestinal problems and neurological disorders. Fluoride can damage a fetus, and adversely affect the IQ of children.
Fluorosis  can be detected in the neck, spine, knee, pelvis, shoulder and small joint of hands and feet. Gastro-intestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Some neurological manifestations are nervousness, excessive thirst and tendency to urinate frequently. In spite of all these symptoms, it is common Fluorosis to remain un-diagnosed for a long time. In India fluorosis has spread across states, and across a variety of ecological regions.

Fluoridation
Fluoridation is the process of adjusting the concentration of fluoride in public water supplies for the prevention of dental decay. Fluoride has been added to drinking water in the United States since 1945. With a few exceptions, fluoride can be added to water at any point between the raw water intake and the clear well. However, if fluoride is fed before filtration, about 10% of the fluoride sticks to the floc and is lost, so fluoride is usually added after filtration. In addition, if lime is fed, the fluoride should be added as far away from the lime injection point as possible. Three main chemicals used for fluoridation of drinking water are hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride, and sodium fluoride.

Methods of Defluoridation
Removal of fluoride from water is known as defluoridation. Once excess fluoride is detected in water, the obvious step is to defluoridate water. The technology to be adopted depends upon the fluoride levels in water and the volume of water to be defluoridated.
Fluoride removal plants installed in USA use beds of tricalcium phosphate as a base ~xchange material. These beds are regenerated by flushing with 1 to 1.5% sodium hydroxide solution followed by a dilute hydro-chloric acid wash, or by use of CO2 to neutralize the excessive alkalinity resulting from the intial wash.

There are five processes available for the treatment fluoride contaminated water. They are

• Rain water harvesting (Most Preferred in villages)
• Using surface water like ponds and wells ( We prefer this, as this is low cost, low maintenance )
• Activated Alumina Technology 
• Nalgonda technique. and
• Reverse osmosis process 

Activated Alumina Technology
In the Activated Alumina Technology, if local alumina is used it has to be regenerated using acid and alkali whereas imported alumina does not require any regeneration. However the operation of the plant which is depending upon the import of alumina is not possible for long run. The disposal of solid alumina waste may lead to leaching out of aluminium and fluoride which may cause health hazards and pollute the nearby ground water sources.

Reverse osmosis process The Reverse osmosis process can be used for places where the quality of water is affected either by single parameter or multiple parameter such as fluoride, Total dissolved solids, Total hardness, etc. For operating the plant high technical skill is required which may not be available in the rural areas. Further, this process involves prohibitive cost of operation and maintenance.
In India various technologies have been tested. “Ion exchange and chemical treatments are cost intensive, while physical methods suffer limitations, like frequent change in defluoridant beds and the inability to reduce fluoride to non-toxic levels. The clean-up schemes – both large and small have failed because of improper management.

In view of the possibility of aluminum toxicity and resulting ill effects and false sense of security in the resin technology, use of RO technology to treat fluoride and high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in raw water provides a more secure alternative. If the operation and maintenance of RO plant is improper, it reduces the flows and finally stops rather than give contaminated water thereby indicating need to take corrective measures. Thus the risk of ingesting poorer quality water is controlled. The resin based technology does not have similar warning signal when the functioning of the plant is not proper.

The pH of raw water and treated water in these stations vary from 6.6 to 8.6 and 6.5 to 8.2 indicating a fall in pH levels after RO treatment. The dosing pump has been installed in every RO Plant for pH correction which is used in case of pH less than 6.5.

The raw water used in villages is from bore wells protected by well protection protocol with suitable apron to prevent contamination ingress in raw water even during the rainy season, owing to increased height of the apron above ground. The treated water is free from total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli. As a precautionary measure, disinfection is done with chlorine and residual chlorine of 0.2 mg/L is maintained in the treated water reservoir. This reduces the chances of re contamination, if any.

Supply in 20 Liter JAR:
In order to minimize the risk of recontamination through dipping of hands or unhygienic vessels in the water container by its users, treated water will be supplied through a 20 L container with a narrow mouth,

Guideline Values of Fluoride Standards in Drinking Water: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 1.0 mg/L of fluoride concentration in drinking water (WHO, 1984) and the Bureau of Indian Standards IS 10500:2012 recommends requirement (acceptable) limit of 1 mg/L and permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L in drinking water sources.

CASE STUDY:

Safe Water Network India installed many RO plants in India in the states of Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. The performance summary of Safe Water Station RO plants installed in 32 fluoride-affected villages for the villages of Nizampally, Pochampally, Katrapalle, Wadlakonda, Gangirenigudem, Pathipaka, Gorikothapally, Rangapuram, Jookal, Rajavaram, Mannegudem, Mahabubabad, Thodellagudem, Shayampet, Rajole, Mulkalapally, Hasanparthi, Madikonda, Chowlapally, Kuravi, Apprajpally, Chilkodu, Enumamula, Katapuram, Issipet, Peddakodepaka, Gudur, Pocharam, Bhupalpally, Namiligonda, Gundalasingaram and Parkal II in the Warangal district of Telangana, .

 (Source: http://www.safewaternetwork.org/sites/default/files/J0412058073.pdf )

Source of Article : http://www.slideshare.net/ghosh51/fluoride-contamination-in-ground-water

for one who abandons arguments even if he is right

Brother ,There is no gain in winning an argument .See the hadith below
Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I guarantee a house on the outskirts of Paradise for one who abandons arguments even if he is right, and a house in the middle of Paradise for one who abandons lies even when joking, and a house in the highest part of Paradise for one who makes his character excellent.”

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 4800
So we should all try to rectify ourselves first and work towards improving our character and become better Muslims .May Allah guide us all to the straight path,Ameen.

ISLAMIC WEBSITES

Source: http://www.bilalphilips.com/islamic-websites/

1. Sunnah Online www.sunnahonline.com/main.htm

Rating 9.5/10

It has almost everything you could ask for in an Islaamic site viz. articles, e books, audio lectures, Qur’aanic Recitations, and even two online Magazines!! The site has a no-frills, plain, businesslike look. The main categories are easy to navigate to but for the subcategories no links are provided. You have to scroll down the page of the main category to find the sub categories. The site also hosts two online magazines (albeit old issues). It only loses out on the look of the site which the webmaster would do well to change keeping in pace with current trends.

Best Feature: Feature packed site with audios, Qur’aan recitations (even some recitation by Shaikh Albanee!) issues of two online magazines and E books.

What it lacks/ What could be added: It would be better if under each main category a list of sub categories (with links) is provided to facilitate navigation. Also such a good site should have an attractive look and the latest forms of multimedia content so as to catch the attention of casual visitors.

2. Islam QA.com http://www.islam-qa.com

Rating 9.5/10

Need to look up a Fatwa? Go to Islam QA to find answers to various issues.
The site says: The responses are handled by Sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid, using only authentic, scholarly sources based on the Quran and sunnah, and other reliable contemporary scholarly opinions. References are provided where appropriate in the responses.

And that’s an accurate synopsis. A lot of effort has been put in by the site maintainers with the questions neatly sorted into categories and sub categories. It also has a site search facility. It contains in excess of 7000 Q&A!! Amazingly the site is available in 7 languages & the English translation is of high quality. What make this site truly worth visiting are the diligently provided references to almost all the Ahadeeth and opinions of the earlier and contemporary scholars. The site accepts questions on line once a month.

It also contains downloadable E-books authored by Shaikh Saalih al Munajjid.

Best feature: The huge compilation of Fataawa with an arrangement and search facility that makes it easy to find what you want.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Voice Fataawa. Also the site owners should add a facility for downloading the fataawa base in an easy format. (See what fatwa-online.com has done as an e.g.) Otherwise as per the apparent aim and name of the site it fulfils the job perfectly.

3. Understand Islaam: http://www.understand-islam.net/

Rating 9/10

This is the website of Dr. Saleh as Saleh. It contains safe, sound, authentic Islaamic info. There are plenty of audio downloads and a medium sized book collection. A Study Program is also available complete with online tests.

Best feature: The study program and a lot of translated works of Shaikh Uthaymeen from one of his own students.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Books and lectures from more Scholars.

4. Islaam.com http://www.islaam.com/

Rating 9/10

This site is a treasure house of information on Islaam. It has an impressively large list of authors, and a good amount of lectures, although the number of speakers is relatively smaller. The site is fast and easy to navigate and gives you the option of navigating by category, topic, speaker or author. The articles put up on the site are surely a result of careful selection from a wide range of sources and includes authors from the past and present.

Best feature: The excellent selection of a wide range of articles

What it lacks/ What could be added: Very few E books available. And the ones available are almost all by the same author. The webmaster would do well to strengthen this section and also add some multimedia content.

5. Fatwa Online.com http://www.fatwa-online.com/

Rating 9/10

Here’s another good Fataawa site. It has an off-the-beaten-track design (though not very attractive), good lectures, fataawa and an innovative form of E books (Compiled HTML help files). Using this they compiled the entire translation of Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan (v 1.36) into 822 Kb which is very convenient to take on a floppy or mail it to someone etc. However they have removed it from their site and replaced it with version 2.2 which includes the Arabic text and footnotes (19.3 Mb). Also they compile their entire fatwa base in the same format at intervals and put it up for download, something I appreciate very much.

Best Feature: The CHtml fataawa base, CHtml books, information boxes which come up on particular terms with mouse rollover (no need to click) and audio biographies of various contemporary Mashaayikh.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Audio fataawa. Also the webmaster should increase the quantity of E books and introduce English audio lectures dealing with specific Islaamic topics other than biographies.

6. Islam Way.com (English) http://english.islamway.com/

Rating 9/10

For sheer variety of content format Islamway.com beats all other sites that we know of hands down. (Islamweb comes a close second) It has articles, E books, lectures & flash animations. It has the translation of the Holy Qur’aan in PDF with audio embedded in it!!! (the download didn’t work for me but maybe that’s because I have a dial up connection) Not enough? It has the recitation of the entire Qur’aan in Arabic along with the English Translation (Saheeh International) ayah by ayah. All the aforementioned are for free download.

In short Islamway.com has good quality and quantity content for Muslims & non Muslims.

Best Feature: the Downloadable audio translation of the Qur’aan and the PDF version with audio.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Advanced level articles and books on Aqeedah etc. for those already in Islaam. For e.g. under the category Fundamental Beliefs, the only articles posted are:

• Allah is Beautiful & Loves Beauty
• Shahada

7. Islam Web.net http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php

Rating 9/10

For an accurate and honest description about this site and its aims I recommend going to their ‘About Us’ page. The site is exactly what it claims to be.

The site developers have done a really good job in giving the site a modern, polished look and layout. It is easy to surf, has good articles, books, audios and dawah material. The variety of content format is beaten only by Islamway.com (among the sites that I know of).

It also shares with Islamway.com the problem of not having any advanced study material.

Best Feature: Sleekly designed site with all forms of content.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Advanced level articles and books on Aqeedah etc. for those already in Islaam.

8. Islam House.com http://www.islamhouse.com

Rating 9/10

This site is worth its name. It is a veritable store house of E books and lectures. It has relatively low article content, but the quantity of books and lectures (in multiple languages) makes up for it. The site itself is not among the easily navigable ones and takes a bit of getting adjusted to. It also features Qur’aan translation in many languages although some of the links were not working at the time of the review. We have notified the webmaster and hopefully the links will be restored.

Best Feature: A solid collection of lectures by many speakers & Qur’aan translation in many languages.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Articles, and a more easier organization of the navigational links would be appreciated.

9. 877-Why-Islam.org http://www.whyislam.org/

Rating 9/10

This is one well planned and laid out Da’wah site. What is striking is that the organizers, ICNA have gone to great lengths to provide all possible opportunities for non Muslims to interact, discuss and ask questions. A flash advertisement right on the home page proclaims, “Call 877, Ask a Question, Visit a Local Mosque, Correspond via E Mail.” So the organization has provided a toll free number, an email, a page on the site for posting questions and a forum for discussion. What more could one ask for? Plus it has some good Da’wah material in the form of articles. There is also a facility for ordering free literature. All in all, a great Da’wah effort.

Best Feature: The multiple facilities given for Non Muslims to interact, discuss and ask questions on Islaam.

What it lacks/ What could be added: There is no audio or video content here. In current times there are many people who would rather listen to an audio lecture or see a video than read an article. Besides there is a wealth of such work available from da’ees around the world.

10. Muslim Heritage.com http://www.muslimheritage.com/

Rating 9/10

Here is a site which has filled a requirement on the net about an aspect of Islaam which has either been left out totally or touched on briefly by other sites. What’s more the webmaster has managed to present the material in a very user-friendly and interesting format.

From the site:

Welcome to the new MuslimHeritage.com website, a community and non-profit initiative aimed at providing an educational forum to present and discuss the contribution of Muslim Heritage to present day Science, Technology and Civilisation.

We are currently working on developing a new version of the website and we value your feedback and constructive suggestions. The new version will contain many more exciting interactive features including 3D time-lines, interactive maps and streaming videos.

Hope they put up the new version soon.

Best Feature: The interactive tour map of Muslim Personalities, Major Cities, Institutions, Discoveries etc.

What it lacks/ What could be added: What is needed here has already been noted and put on the pipeline by the webmaster as noted above.

11. Audio Islam.com http://www.audioislam.com

Rating 9/10

This site is what it name proclaims, a place to get audios on Islaam. It has a lot of beneficial lectures.

Best Feature: A good collection of audio lectures

What it lacks/ What could be added: No other content apart from audio, but that is in keeping with the name of the site

12. Aswat al-Islam.net http://www.aswatalislam.net

Rating 8/10

Although in terms of quantity of audio and video content Aswat al-Islam is to the best of our knowledge unrivalled it loses marks on account of having the authentic and inauthentic bundled up together. Surfer discretion is advised for some of the speakers on the site.
Best Feature: The large collection of audios and videos.
What it lacks/ What could be added: A filtering system to weed out the inauthentic stuff.

13. Call to Islam.com www.calltoislam.com

Rating 8/10

When initially reviewed this site had a rating of 7. But it has grown handsomely to reach a rating of 8.5. With the passage of time and addition of more content this site could very well reach the top. Go here for good articles, audio, e- books and live Pal Talk classes.

Best Feature: A modern, well laid out, easy to navigate site with a good collection of lectures

What it lacks/ What could be added: The e books section could be strengthened and other forms of multimedia content added.

14. Madinah Arabic.com http://www.madinaharabic.com/Index.htm

Rating 8/10

Spruce up your Arabic! As the site says: This site has been designed to teach the Arabic language based on one of the most popular courses being used today – the Madinah Book Series by Dr V Abdur Rahim which is used by Madinah University to teach English speaking students the Arabic language.

The site is easy to navigate, the courses free and well planned and there is an online bookshop for buying books and CDs for learning Arabic. A students’ Forum has also been provided.

Best Feature: You guessed it! But no prizes for that one

What it lacks/ What could be added: Sound files for the Arabic alphabets, a feature which is provided for he sentences later on but not for the alphabets themselves. Plus the site could develop some interactive multimedia for teaching Arabic.

15. As Sahwah.com http://www.as-sahwah.com

Rating 8/10

We remember this site earlier proclaiming that it had over 1000 articles. Now that line has been removed but the fact remains that this is the site the largest collection of articles that we have come across and it has many authors on its roll. It also has a good number of audios. However books are conspicuous by their absence on this site.
Its forum has some interesting learning groups running including one on Study of Sharh al-‘Aqida al-Tahawiyya

Best Feature: The site’s solid base of articles and its study groups

What it lacks/ What could be added: Content other than articles and audios.

16. Darulehsaan.com http://www.darulehsaan.com/

Rating 7/10

Here’s a gem on the net for those interested in seeking serious knowledge. There are audios and notes on topics such as Bulugh Al Muram, a study group on Sunan Tirmidhee conducted by brother Abu Khaliyl. The site gives a full rundown of everything that’s going on for the knowledge seeker on their Pal talk sessions with details on each class.
There are Arabic Texts of all the major Ahadeeth collections in downloadable Word format) plus software combining many Ahadeeth collections. The site boasts of the first Punjabi Audio translation of the Qur’aan Although the site is low in content of the type usually expected, it makes up for it through its classes.

Best feature: Its knowledge disseminating classes and the authenticity of material presented..

What it lacks/ What could be added: Transcripts of past classes and translation of urdu class transcript into English.

17. Islam Basics.com http://www.islambasics.com/

Rating 8/10

This site would be best described as an E Library. It has lots (really lots) of downloadable books and all for free. Most are in multiple formats. What’s more, this site allows you to do an online search throughout all the books listed at the same time.

Best Feature: The largest number of downloadable E books in a single site (among the sites that I know of).

What it lacks/ What could be added: As the site state clearly that their intention in setting up this site is only to put up E books, nothing can be said here for the site. But we would like to advise visitors to the site to support he site by posting their comments on and reviews of the bookd to help newcomers select from this big collection of books

18. – 20. Islam Yesterday, Today & Always.com
18. http://www.islamtomorrow.com/

19. http://www.islamalways.com/

20. http://www.islamyesterday.com/

Rating 8/10

These are three interlinked and interrelated sites. The driving force behind them seems to the famous Da’ee Yusuf Estes and so the main focus of the sites is obviously Da’wah. And to this end these sites have very good content. Besides, the articles here speak in a very down to earth manner without any high philosophizing thus carrying appeal for many people. Refer these sites to Non Muslims thinking about Islaam as there is a lot of material which will give truth seekers food for thought. And also recommend to new Muslims studying at a very basic level or to Da’ees who wish to add more tools to their Da’wah bag.

Best Feature: Excellent Da’wah Sites

What it lacks/ What could be added: Perhaps the home page of islamtomorrow.com needs to be given a less cluttered and more polished appearance in keeping with the times.

21. Islam World.net http://www.islamworld.net/

Rating 8/10

This is not a website in the true sense but rather a links page and an excellent one at that. That the site owner has spent a lot of time in researching the net for good material is evident from the huge no of links put up here. Also the links lead to content which are among the best on the net. Plus all the links are neatly categorized. Some of the links are dead due to the fact the sites to which the page links no longer exist.

Best feature: Excellent collection of links.

What it lacks/ What could be added: As a link page it doesn’t lack anything besides the possibility of frequent updating and removal of dead links.

22. Al Sunnah.com http://www.al-sunnah.com

Rating 8/10

This is quite similar to islamworld.net in that it is basically a collection of links to good content available elsewhere on the net. This site nicely complements islamworld.net because it has some additional features.

Best feature: Excellent collection of links.

What it lacks/ What could be added: As a link page it doesn’t lack anything besides the possibility of frequent updating and removal of dead links.

23. Sultan.org http://www.sultan.org

Rating 8/10

This is yet another links page which is also the result of a lot of patient hard work on the part of the webmaster.

Best feature: Excellent collection of links.

What it lacks/ What could be added: As a link page it doesn’t lack anything besides the possibility of frequent updating and removal of dead links.

24. MSA of USC http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/

Rating 8/10

The site describes itself as a ‘Compendium of Muslim Texts’ and it’s a fitting description.

The site is neatly divided into categories and sections and each section is full of relevant information. It has an online Hadeeth and Qur’aan search that was highly valued at the time it was introduced and several other sites linked to it. With the advent of programs enabling installation of Hadeeth books with search programs on PCs this feature has lost some of its former glory.

Another thing to look out for in this website is the excellent brief introductions that have been written for each category. Just read the introduction on the first page describing Islaam to see what I am talking about.

Best Feature: Good collection of texts for a serious study of Islaam. In fact this site gives content of a depth which few other sites do. Important terms are html linked throughout the site to articles or glossary items wherever relevant so that a beginner starting at any page on the site can easily get more information.

What it lacks/ What could be added: It lacks and needs to add audios & multimedia and also increase its store of E books.

26. Islaam.net http://www.islaam.net/main/

Rating 8/10

This is a very good site having a fine collection of article & lectures. Although recommended basically for Muslims intending to learn more about their deen it does contain some comparative religion material. The layout of the site is clean and easy to navigate.

Best feature: An excellent collection of Qur’aanic recitations by various recitors. Be sure to check out the CD quality (128 Kbps) recitation by Muhammad al Minshawi. It’s worth downloading.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Downloadable E books.

27. Understand Quran http://www.understandquran.com

Rating 8/10

‘Understand the Quran Easy Way’ is the slogan of this website. The site has an easy to use interface and a highly motivating preface is sure to propel you further into the site.

The aim of the site as stated on the home page is:

Welcome to the site dedicated to help us all learn and understand the Holy Quran using easy, efficient, and effective techniques

To achieve this, the maintainers have put in a lot of good effort which is really useful for English, Urdu and Hindi speaking Muslims. The materials available on the site include:

a. A simplified course ‘Understand Qur’aan – the Easy Way ‘
b. Word-for-word translations
c. Audio translation files for a few last Soorahs of Qur’aan
d. Word-for-word translations of daily recitations
e. Dictionaries of Qur’aan in four different languages
f. Simplified 2-page set of Tajweed rules for beginners
g. A useful reference list (80% words of the Qur’aan)

The last is a list of words about which the author says: “The words given in this booklet account for 82.6% (64282) of the total words (approx.77800) of the Holy Qur’an.”

This list and the course are really useful. Do try them out.

Best Feature: The concept and techniques of understanding the Qur’aan in an easy way.

What it lacks/ What could be added: It is my du’aa that some Muslim software developers lend their skills to this project to make a good software program which would bring together all the techniques of this site in an attractive multimedia format.

28. – 31. The Faith Network
28. http://imaan.net/
29. http://www.seerah.net/
30. http://alhidaayah.net
31. http://imaan.net/fiveonfriday/

Rating 8/10

The Faith network group of sites is an excellent offering especially considering the fact that it seems to be a single individual’s effort.
• Imaan.net contains an excellent collection of articles .
• Seerah.net reproduces AlHaramain’s site ProphetMuhammed.Org since the site has gone offline. Seerah.net includes stories of some other prophets and also of the Sahaba and the Salaf.
• alhidaayah.net makes it easy for Muslims across the globe to gain access to some of the best books that have come online but lie scattered over the net. Also a quick scan through the list of book on the site show that the compiler has done a really good job of collecting and presenting books and pamphlets that are among the best that are available on line.
• fiveonfriday is an interesting concept wherein 5 interesting tidbits of Islaam are posted every Friday in the form of a quiz The webmaster has not been able to keep up to this schedule and apparently stopped way back in Nov. 2003. But there are a few archives so it’s worth a visit.

Best Feature: The collection of E books on alhidaayah.net

What it lacks/ What could be added: Site has low audio content and no content of other multimedia. The webmaster has promised to put up some more audios soon and we pray that Allaah makes it easy.

32. Islam 101.com http://islam101.com/

Rating 8/10

Islam 101 aims to be an educational site on Islam, its way of life, civilization and culture and succeeds to a large extent.

It touches on many aspects of Islaam from Islamic Theology to Human Relations to Comparative Religion and even goes on to provide ‘Islamic perspectives on contemporary issues. Disciplines such as Archeology, Health, Human Rights, History, Islamic Art, Islam and Science, Sociology and Islam and Women are included.’

However there are only articles here, whereas supplementing these topics with relevant books and audio/video lectures would have increased the benefit

What bring up the merit of this site are the online courses and multiple choice tests with instant scoring results. The course and tests are good for new Muslims, non Muslims willing to really understand Islaam and as a refresher in basics for Muslims. The only drawback is that the results do not indicate which answers were wrong (yes I tried the course!)

Best Feature: Topics not usually dealt with by other sites and the online course + tests.

What it lacks/ What could be added: E books and multimedia content.

33. Muhammad.net http://muhammad.net/

Rating 8/10

Muhammad.net has just what it suggests i.e. information about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his life and message. The target audience seems basically to be non-Muslims esp. Christians, although deeper in the site there is some material for those already in Islaam like Ahmed von Denfer’s Uloom al Qur’aan. It’s a good place for new comers to start their search for knowledge about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Once their appetite is whetted, those who want in depth knowledge should proceed to other sources like the biography The Sealed nectar written by Shaikh Safi ur Rahman Mubarakpuri available on line on several sites.

The site also has some good general material on Islaam and the Qur’aan and some audio files of Qur’aanic recitation.

Best Feature: A full site dedicated to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

What it lacks/ What could be added: Detailed works on the biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

34. The Gospel of Barnabas http://barnabas.net/

Rating 8/10

The introduction on the website says it all:

The Gospel of Barnabas was accepted as a Canonical Gospel in the Churches of Alexandria till 325 C.E. In 325 C.E., the Nicene Council was held, where it was ordered that all original Gospels in Hebrew script should be destroyed. An Edict was issued that any one in possession of these Gospels will be put to death. The article, How the Gospel Survived, gives a brief narrative on the text’s survival.

An Islamic perspective and commentary are added to each chapter of the Gospel. The commentary highlights any differences or commonalities which exist between the Gospel and the primary Islamic texts, especially the Holy Quran.

Another feature I liked is that they have provided the entire Gospel in a downloadable Word format. So it can become a handy tool for da’ees to print and give to truth seeking Christians

Best Feature: The Gospel of Barnabas itself and its downloadable Word version.

What it lacks/ What could be added: The content is in keeping with the name of the site especially as the site belongs to a group of sites where each site is dedicated to a specific topic.

35. Crusades.org http://crusades.org/

Rating 8/10

An excellent site on the Crusades from an Islaamic and historical perspective.

Best Feature: The history of the Crusades and Salahuddin’s service to Islaam

What it lacks/ What could be added: The content is in keeping with the name of the site especially as the site belongs to a group of sites where each site is dedicated to a specific topic.

36. Islamic Knowledge.com http://www.islamic-knowledge.com/

Rating 8/10

The site describes itself as a ‘Research tool to facilitate the task of muslims and non-muslims seeking knowledge about Islam, muslims, the Quran and the Sunnah.’ and it fits the bill well.

It has lots of links to useful sites and articles on the net. Also it lays down some good guide lines for screening new sites to determine whether they are worth visiting or not. It has some original content on it like the audio file of the du’aas in Hisn ul Muslim.

Best Feature: It facilitates the task of newbie Muslim surfers and has an audio version of the du’aas in Hisn ul Muslim for download.

What it lacks/ What could be added: As a research tool the site needs to put up more original content along with the praiseworthy work of linking to other sites.

37. About Tajweed.com http://www.abouttajweed.com/

Rating 8/10

For those non Arabs wanting to learn or improve their Tajweed here’s a very good resource. It explains in systematic detail the rules and application of The Tajweed rules for Hafs ‘An ‘Aasim, the recitation which is the most widely used one. There is also a facility for clearing doubts by sending emails and all the past queries are posted on the site so that others can benefit from them.

Best Feature: An entire site dedicated to this very important science

What it lacks/ What could be added: The site presents only text material. Adding audio lessons and interactive content in Flash etc would definitely benefit users.

38. King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an http://www.qurancomplex.com/default.asp?l=eng

Rating 8/10

This has become a useful site, because of good quality translations of the Qur’aan in many languages, good quality recitations in the voice of four recitors, live feed and the option to download in MP3 and Real media format. It also has a small searchable fatwa database. The webmaster has combined all these in an easily navigable website thereby increasing its attraction.

Best Feature: The recitations available for download and the translations.

What it lacks/ What needs to be added: Downloadable versions of the translations in languages other than English as these good translations are currently unavailable for download anywhere in cyberspace. Also some material on the history of compilation, miracles, authenticity of the Qur’aan would be apt.

39. Al Minbar.com http://www.alminbar.com/

Rating 8/10

This site represents the efforts of Shaikh Wajdi Hamzah Al Ghazzawi to make good quality authentic Khutbahs easily accessible to the Khuttab all around the world. For others the Khutbahs available on this site make for good reading material as articles. The research put up into preparing these khutbahs and the easy site navigation makes the site valuable.

Best Feature: A huge database of khutbahs
What it lacks/ What could be added: It would help if the editors would add references and authentication notes to all of the Ahadeeth mentioned in the Khutbahs. At present even references for all Ahadeeth are not provided. Also there is no other content but that is in keeping with the apparent aim of the site

40. International Committee for the Support of the Final Prophet (ICSFP) http://www.icsfp.com/EN/

Rating 8/10

The aim of this is presented as: ‘not merely to defend the Prophet (peace be upon him) but, more importantly, to present to humanity his message, his character, and evidences for the truthfulness of his Prophethood.

… a website dedicated to the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), highlighting many aspects of his biography, for the benefit of the general public.’

This committee is also active in trying to stop acts offensive to Islam and the Prophet. All in all a commendable effort and website.

Best feature: The aim of the site

What it lacks/ What could be added: A more attractive site design would help to attract he attention of non-Muslims also.

41. Islamtoday.com http://islamtoday.com/

Rating 7/10

A site run under the general supervision of Shaykh Salman al Oadah, it has many ebooks by him for download. Plus a Fatwa Section with archives and a facility to submit questions. Also of interest are th Hadeeth Showcase and Qur’aan showcase

Best Feature: The Fatwa section as very few sites are able to accept questions nowadays and the Showcases.

42. Investigating Islam http://www.islamic.org.uk/

Rating 7/10

Here’s a good Da’wah site made with the western Christian in mind. It is a good site to refer to Christians who interested in comparative studies. It’s available in multiple languages & also has a Qur’aan search option and audios of the same

Best Feature: Da’wah site oriented to the Western mind.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Audio/ video Da’wah lectures would be a welcome addition.

43. Sahaba.net http://www.sahaba.net

Rating 7/10

As is evident from its name, this site is dedicated to the Sahaba (radiAllaahu anhum). This site has a very modern look and an innovative design which the site maintainers have created using Flash. They have used their skills with Flash to create a flash e-book on the Sahaba which greatly enhances the cosmetic value of this site and also increases surfer interest. It is heartening to note that Muslims are not only keeping pace with modern media but are also using it for the propagation of Islaam.

The software for the Flash E book is also on sale for those interested in using it for their own sites etc.

Best Feature: A site dedicated to the Sahaba and the excellent use of Flash to create a website and E book with a unique look. Also the site invites user participation by submitting stories and a forum.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Fits its name well but has a possibility of adding some classical and in depth works on the status of Sahaaba and importance of following their methodology etc.

44. Tafsir.com http://www.tafsir.com

Rating 7/10

Need to look up something in Tafseer Ibn Katheer? Go to tafsir.com. The whole book has been put up here. But there is a problem with the site navigation. You can only view it piecemeal and really small pieces at that. At times clicking a link produces nothing more than a title. At others it gives a small paragraph. Admittedly the paragraphs are complete sections on a particular ayah; however it causes a lot of frustration to dial-up users (I am one of them) when they have to open up an entire new page to view small bits of info. Also the site does not lend itself to mirroring by programs like HTTRACK or Offline Downloader which would enable one to download the entire site on the hard disk and use it offline.

Best Feature: The book itself.

What it lacks/ What could be added: User friendliness, Possibility of mirroring and going by the name of the site, it should have material on Usool at Tafseer and also include tafseer by other scholars.

45. Quran And Sunnah Society http://www.qss.org/

Rating 7/10

Surf to this site for safe, sound authentic Islaamic info. The site mentions that some sections are ‘Currently Under Development’ and also hopes to put up new online e-books & publications. Till then the quantity of material is not satisfying but the quality is very satisfying. Some Arabic lectures are also available here.

Best feature: As far as I know this was the first site to put up the entire book on Salaah of Shaikh Albanee on-line and its still there. Other sites too have followed suit.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Quantity. And it is hoped that they do so soon because they seem have a knack for selecting good stuff.

46. Muttaqun.com http://www.muttaqun.com

Rating 7/10

This is a very good site for getting a quick overview of Islaam. Muslims just starting to read up on their deen will find the format attractive as the articles are arranged according to very specific topics i.e. beard, rings, sneezing etc. The site is very easy to navigate but dial up connection users will find the pages comparatively slow in opening due to the applets which make each page transition different.

Best feature: The topic wise arrangement of the articles and the ‘Action Items for the Muttaqun’

What it lacks/ What could be added: No downloadable E books, no lectures. Also it needs more in-depth material on many topics.

47. Shariah Way http://www.shariahway.com/

Rating 7/10

The main agenda of the site is to serve New Muslims but has content relevant to all Muslims. This site is high on article content and maintained regularly with a regular mailing list. Each aspect of Islam has been covered. There are a few downloadable books but nothing that other sites don’t already have. An interesting feature is an Islamic quiz where you can test yourself on some of the basics of Islam. There are links to audio and Holy Quran radio, but nothing uploaded on the site
Best feature: High on article content and authentic literature and an excellent site for new Muslims; not to forget the quiz!

What it lacks/ what could be added: Site is not very user friendly and some of the colours can hurt the eyes. Improving the presentation of the site will attract more visitors and thus benefit more people.

48. Ahya.org http://www.ahya.org

Rating 7/10

This site has some really good articles which alone are worth the visit. Besides it has some good E books and one of them is their own publication
It has also has a sizeable collection of lectures. At the time of reviewing, the site had 31 lectures of Dr. Zakir Naik; mostly audio but video lectures are also available. Unfortunately not all are available for downloading

Best Feature: A solid 31 Lectures of Dr. Zakir Naik and the articles.

What it lacks/ What could be added: It has only 4 E books and lectures of only two speakers.

49. Islamic Virtual School http://islamicschool.net/

Rating 7/10

This site is based on an excellent concept which needs to be taken further. It has Arabic multimedia teaching aids in the form of games which are fun and beneficial at the same time. The learning aids can be used online or downloaded. It also offers some physical products in its store in co-operation with astrolabe which seem promising although of course each product would have to be evaluated on its own merit

Muslim programmers worldwide need to put their skills to meeting this modern need of the community so that children can spend more ‘fun’ time learning Arabic and their deen on computers which occupy a large portion of their time anyway.

This site has taken a big step in this direction but a lot remains to be done.

Best Feature: Multimedia Islaamic learning aids

What it lacks/ What could be added: More such and better learning aids not only from this site but Muslim programmers and creative artists worldwide.

50. The Muslim Woman.com http://www.themuslimwoman.com

Rating 7/10

This site goes a long way in fulfilling a prime need for Internet using Muslims i.e. a good site dedicated primarily to the Muslim Woman. What is more gratifying is that this site does not lose sight of the basic Islaamic teachings while presenting material focusing on the Muslim Woman. Also it has none of the feminist ideas that seem to be gaining ground among many Muslim women nowadays.

There is also a special section for kids, which is also important as one of the main roles of the woman in Islaam is to raise children on sound Islaamic values so that they can be efficient units of this Ummah.

To be sure this site does not fulfill all the requirements of the task it has undertaken (going by its name) but it does go a long way towards filling this gap in cyberspace and if the site maintainers work on it can become even better bi izniLlaah

Best Feature: A good site dedicated for the Muslim Woman.

What it lacks/ What could be added: To fulfill the responsibilities of its name the site needs addition of content on many other issues. Also the kids section needs to be improved quality wise.

51. Islam Guide.com http://www.islam-guide.com/

Rating 7/10

This site consists of just a single book in the form of a website. However, it is worth visiting this site because it is an excellent book for Da’wah purposes or even for Muslims to strengthen their Faith by seeing the scientific proofs of the veracity of the Qur’aan. What adds luster to this site is that they allow you to download the entire book in PDF format for reading, printing and free distribution. A ‘Must Download’ for any Da’ee.
The site is also available in a few other languages.

Best Feature: The book itself

What it lacks/ What could be added: Although the apparent aim of the site maintainers (presenting the book on the net) is admirably accomplished it seems a waste to keep a website with such a good name for just this purpose. They would do well to add more such Dawah and comparative material.

52. Salafi Manhaj.com http://www.salafimanhaj.com

Rating 7/10

Here’s a site which holds the promise of jumping to higher ratings as time passes.
It already has a sizeable quantity of good material in the form of E books, fataawa and audio. But some of the sections are still devoid of content In our initial review we had noted with enthusiasm a project on Tafseer Ibn Kathir. But now it is no longer on the site.

Best feature: Their E books and a well designed modern looking site.

Compared to other site in the top range the quantity & variety is low but projects seem underway to rectify this.

53. Ansar.org http://www.ansar.org/english/index.htm

Rating 7/10

This site is concerned basically with refuting the false teachings and propaganda of the Shia. A commendable effort and one with scope for future expansion

Best Feature: A site dedicated to refutation of Shia distortions.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Addition of early scholars’ refutations of the Shia and also a section dedicated to correct Aqeedah regarding the Sahaabah

54. Salim Morgan’s site http://www.java-man.com/index.html

Rating 7/10

This site has some good material not easily found elsewhere, namely the translation of some classical Arabic books into English. Unlike some other translations of Arabic books into English these are of good quality and make for smooth reading. See also (hear actually) an interesting audio of ‘some truly bizarre carrying-on which some people call “worship”.’

Best Feature: The English translations of some classical Arabic books and lecture notes on some interesting topics

What it lacks/ What needs to be added: This is only a bare bones site so there is a lot of flesh that could be added. Also the site seems to have been neglected for a long time.

55. Luton Muslims.co.uk http://www.lutonmuslims.co.uk

Rating 8/10

Run by Muslims in the Luton area of UK, lutonmuslims.co.uk has a lot of good content, and some good Halaqaat going on.. Its selection of articles encompasses many aspects of a Muslim’s life from the fundamentals to purity of oneself. Some of these articles are not on any other site which is a plus. The site also draws attention to the Muslims being help captive mainly in UK without charge or trial and is active in trying to ease their plight. It also invites other Muslims to participate even if only by writing a letter to the detainees. The events page mainly deals with events in the local area of Luton and London..
Best feature: The Campaign for Justice, well written articles and the notes from lessons conducted in their Halaqaat.
What it lacks/ What could be added: The audios of the Halaqaat would benefit other than Luton residents if uploaded on the site

56. Quraan.com http://www.quraan.com/

Rating 6/10

As the name indicates this site is primarily a site containing resources for the study of the Noble Qur’aan. It includes the complete translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & T. Hilali.
Towards justifying its name it also has a Qur’aan research tool for registered users (free sign up) where in you can create your own bookmarks for ayah groupings under titles you choose, access the Arabic text. It has some additional good books about other topics

Best Feature: MyQuraan Bookmarks for registered users which is a free service

What it lacks/ What could be added: Going by its name it should have some Qur’aan software and audios to download which it doesn’t. The site maintainers would do well to add some material on the history of compilation of the Qur’aan, introduction to Usool at tafseer, proofs of authenticity etc.

57. Ibraheem’s Creed.net http://www.ibraheemscreed.net/

Rating 6.5/10

This is the website hosting the lectures of Shaikh Salem al Amry. It contains an excellent explanation of Kitaab at Tawheed of Imaam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. Besides this it also has other lectures. All lectures are in MP3 format and free to download. Make the best use of your MP3 players by downloading and listening to these lectures. Article content is low and E books are absent from this site.

Best Feature: The series of lectures

What it lacks/ What could be added: Material from other scholars, E books, articles.

58. Al Manhaj.com http://www.al-manhaj.com

Rating 6/10

Note: At the time of revising the reviews this site is no longer available. We hope it makes a comeback though.

This is a good site which can become better with the addition of more material. The quality of the existing content, however, makes this site worth visiting. Do visit this site a it contains some good E books and articles not found elsewhere.

Best Feature: Well selected content

What it lacks/ What could be added: Quantity. Many of the sections have Zero content.

59. Clearpath.com http://www.theclearpath.com

Rating 6/10

This is a site which aims to present a proper perspective of Islaam and the methodology Muslims should follow. For this it has some very good articles but the small number leaves much to be desired. It also contains a few books but has absolutely no audio content. Site navigation is easy and fast.

Best Feature: Nothing outstanding but they have a good start to building a top class site.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Quantity

60. Islamic Web.com http://islamicweb.com/

Rating 6/10

This is one of the many sites on the net with everything in it good but such that it does not rise above the average. It has books, articles and a few audio and video lectures. All in all it is a good initial effort which needs to be improved on.

Best Feature: Nothing outstanding.

What it lacks/ What could be added: More and better quality content would boost the ratings of this site.

61. IRF.net http://www.irf.net/irf/main.htm

Rating 6/10

This is the website of the famous Indian Da’ee Dr.Zakir Naik. Those who haven’t heard about him are missing out a lot on the Dawah scene and should rush to this site immediately. Although the site itself does not host any of his Audio or Video Lectures it links to a site that has them. Download and enjoy seeing Dr. Zakir convincingly prove with innumerable quotations from the Bible, Vedas & other religions that Tawheed is clearly mentioned in the earlier scriptures, that too all from memory!!! (The man must be having a chip installed somewhere in his head). Also his spontaneous and convincing replies to sticky Dawah questions raised by non Muslims during the QA session which invariably follows each of his lectures and debates are a treat to watch.

The site has his books and some transcribed lectures/debates. It also has an online Dawah Training course.

Best Feature: Online Dawah Training course & the Da’wah efforts of Dr. Zakir Naik.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Content wise it does not have much to offer, because the intent of the site seems to be to inform people about the activities of Dr. Zakir and the IRF. Also it could do with some regular updates. The last one seems to have been in 2004.

62. Jaafar Idris.com http://www.jaafaridris.com/

Rating 6/10

This site presents material of Shaikh Jaafar Idris. It’s a worth a visit to learn from the writings and lectures of this man.
There used to be a site earlier named ViewIslam.com which had the writings of Shaikh Jaafar Idris. But that seems to be down now.

Best Feature: The works of Shaikh Jaafar Idri

What it lacks/ What could be added: Quantity

63. Islamchannel.tv http://www.islamchannel.co.uk or http://www.islamchannel.tv

Rating 6/10

Visit this site to learn more about a praiseworthy effort on the part of Islam channel TV. The site describes the reason behind and the aim of the channel as:
Despite constituting one fifth of the world’s population, Muslims and Islam are currently misrepresented in the global media. This has led to a large demand amongst Muslims for television that reflects their needs and programmes that are founded upon Islamic values.
Islam Channel aspires to be an alternative channel; it will advance unbiased and accurate images of Islam and Muslims and endeavour to bring about cultural understanding and awareness for a peaceful and harmonious co-existence amongst communities.

Although I can’t comment on the quality of the actual programs of Islam Channel (I can’t access the channel and don’t have a broadband connection to view online) what I do feel is that there is a crying need for more such channels in the face of the current deluge of biased, misleading & negative misinformation on the international media scene. This effort needs to be supported by all Muslims, and not limited to only the few channels that are currently available world wide.

Besides the above information the site also tries to provide some good material for internet users. It has provided articles (mostly borrowed from other sites) and links to lectures from aswatalislam.net (see review for that site). As such there is no original content here.

It provides an online Fataawa facility wherein people can post questions on Islaamic issues. However the full list of scholars who will answer the questions is not available and there is no archive of past fataawa.

Best Feature: The effort to maintain an ‘Islamic-focused satellite channel’ and the facility to view the channels programs live on-line.

What it lacks/ What could be added: The website would do well to put up some original content and an archive of past fataawa. Also it would be useful if they could add some downloadable video files of past good programs beamed on the channel.

64. Remember Allaah.net http://www.rememberallah.net/

Rating 6/10

Here’s a nice colorful site with a clean design. It has a good collection of articles and many of them are original and hence refreshing. However the site has a long way to go before it achieves its claim of being ‘The biggest site for Quran, Hadeeth and Atkar’. The site has potential for further growth especially in areas other than articles.

Best Feature: The collection of articles

What it lacks/ What could be added: Mostly this site is need of audio lectures and some serious writing on its main theme i.e. dhikr

65. Make Dua.com http://www.makedua.com/

Rating 6/10

A commendable effort by a group of volunteers. As they say: Fortification of the Muslim (Hisnul Muslim) is perhaps the most popular du’a book currently in print. This site is an electronic rendition of the “little du’a book”.

That’s what he site is. As this book is available as a Word and PDF download elsewhere on the net, this site would not have been of much use. However it has a alphabetical index by which you can search topics and jump straight to the required du’aa.

Best Feature: The book itself

What it lacks/ What could be added: The site could be developed into a resource centre on Du’aa in general with articles on the etiquettes of du’aas, times when they are accepted etc.

66. The Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah Association of Australia http://www.iisca.org/

Rating 6/10

Here’s a community site for Australian Muslims with good articles and audios. Apart from the articles, this site is relevant mostly for Australian Muslims.

Best feature: A site catering to the Australian Muslim Community.

What it lacks/ What could be added: E books, Multimedia content

Sites based on the Da’wah efforts of Shabbir Ally

67. http://islaminfo.com/new/

68. http://www.quranspeaks.com/main/

69. http://www.shabirally.com/

Rating 6/10

These are three partner sites and are centered around the Da’wah efforts of Shabbir Ally..

Best Feature: The Da’wah efforts of Shabbir Ally

What it lacks/ What could be added: Although the sites have a clean layout, the pages are understated which is a drawback on a Da’wah oriented site. Also more content would build on the usefulness of this site.

70. E Muslim.com http://www.emuslim.com/

Rating 6/10

Closely resembling www.understandquran.com is emuslim.com. Here too the main focus is on getting a better understanding the Qur’aan by means of the shortlist of words, dictionaries in various languages etc. It has some other articles too.

Best Feature: 80 % words of the Qur’aan and word to word dictionaries

What it lacks/ What could be added: A good effort here which can be bettered by material on other aspects of the Qur’aan and Islaam.

71. Examine the Truth.com http://www.examinethetruth.com

Rating 6/10

Refutations of Christian missionaries attacking Islaam and debates with Christians are the core of this site. Although the site is more relevant to those who stay in the area of the webmaster, it is nevertheless interesting enough for others to visit too.

Best Feature: Refutations of Christian attacks on Islaam.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Da’wah material of other scholars from around the globe.

72. Al Islam.com http://al-islam.com/eng/

Rating 6/10

Head here for the website of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da‘wah and Guidance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All in all it is a good start but it needs a lot more stuff to push it up the charts as till the time of reviewing it had only articles and some Qur’aanic recitations. It also has a good section devoted to Ahkam of Tajweed.

Best Feature: A good section on Ahkam ut Tajweed.

What it lacks/ What could be added: Content other than articles.

73. Talk Islam.com http://talkislam.com

Rating 5/10

This site is best visited for its Islaamic quotes. If you wish to send Islamic SMS one liners then this is the site for you. It’s full of meaningful verses from the Qur’aan, poignant ahadeeth and quotes from the salaf and classical scholars. It also features a good online list of Muslim baby names with meanings along with names in Persian and Turkish
There is onsite shopping with a vast range of items from Books to toys and Bukhoor (incense)

Best feature: That would have to be the Islamic quote and names sections

What it lacks/ What could be added: Many of the quotes are unknown. Besides there is a lot that could be added Islaamically speaking and going by the name of the site but the site apparently is not aiming for any of those.

74. Islamic garden.com http://www.islamicgarden.com/

Rating 5/10

A simple little website that covers the basics in Islam with a wide range of topics from Hijra to women’s issues. Each topic has a short introduction and the site owner has added a book to buy that will explain that topic in more detail. There are some good reviews of books on learning Arabic.
There is a good section on depression which is prevalent in our societies today. There is also a section that teaches you how to build an Islamic Web-Site and another on Inspirational true stories
Best feature: The section on depression is informative .and the poetry section has some original poems
What it lacks/ What could be added: More content added to each topic would add to the appeal of this small offering to the average Muslim surfer.

75. Islamcall.com http://www.islamcall.com/

Rating 5/10

A site geared towards Da’wah but nothing exceptional

76. International Association for New Muslims.org http://www.4newmuslims.org

Rating 4/10

Yet another good starting place for new Muslims which has a good start and has scope for further improvement

Best Feature: A site and project dedicated for new Muslims.

What it lacks/ What could be added: More resources to make this a really good site for new Muslims.

77. Institute of Islamic Information and Education http://www.iiie.net

Rating 4/10

According to the site:
The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) is dedicated to the cause of Islam in North America through striving to elevate the image of Islam and Muslims by providing the correct information about Islamic beliefs, history and civilization from the authentic sources.

Apart from doing the above it has placed some very interesting brochures which are the reason for this site making it to this list and for Muslims apart from those residing in North America to visit it.

Best Feature: Some interesting brochures

What it lacks/ What could be added: Although basically meant for reflecting the activities of the III&E the webmaster should think of utilizing this valuable resource (the site) to put up more content to benefit all Muslims.

78. Real Islam.com http://www.realislam.com

Rating 4/10

This is one of the many sites which are based on correct sources and the presentation, content etc are about average.

Best feature: Nothing outstanding

What it lacks/ What needs to be added: Needs input all round of better quality material.

79. Muhammadiyah.org.sg http://www.muhammadiyah.org.sg/article.htm

Rating 3/10

Originally this site had some very good articles. Now it is under renovation, so the articles are not easily available directly from the home page but the link above will take you there. Some of the earlier articles seem to be missing. But hopefully the completed website should include all that and more. So keep this site in mind for visiting after a few months

Best Feature: Nothing Outstanding

What it lacks/ What needs to be added: As the site is under renovation it is best to watch and wait.

80. Sabbir.com http://www.sabbir.com/

Rating 3/10

The sole reason for this site to come on the list is the two projects undertaken by brother Sabbir viz.

1. An audio of the English Translation of the Qur’aan (Muhsin Khan and Hilali) along with the Arabic recitation by Shaikh Mishary ayah by ayah. Parts of it are already up on the site for free downloading. As far as we know this is the only site offering the audio version of the Muhsin Khan and Hilali translation.

2. The upcoming audio version of Riyadh us Saaliheen

The audios already up on the site are of professional So visit this site just for getting the audio translation files.

Best Feature: Professional quality audio translation of the Qur’aan (partially completed)

What it lacks/ What could be added: More material should be added to the Aqeedah section which has negligible content right now.

81. The Sabr Foundation. http://www.sabr.com/

The Sabr Foundation has put up the following group of websites.

http://islam101.com/

http://muhammad.net/

http://barnabas.net/

http://crusades.org/

And each one deserves a review in its own right because they all have good and relevant content.

[bra_toggle collapsable=”yes” caption=”Anti Islaamic Websites”]