This happens all the time among the hindus in India.

To this day I remember getting many a tail-whacking from my father. Never made me into a bad parent. However, with me being a father now to a very active son, my approach is different. I don't need to be a type of Clint Eastwood to discipline my son - yet he respects me and obeys what I say all the time. I guess its the wording and approach that determines the outcome.

Carly, your story is so sad...Not trying to rub salt in any wounds, but an excellent book to pick up is titled, 'A Child Called It' - by David Pelzer. A true story by the author - only it was his mother who started abusing him when he turned 8 years old. It was the father turning a blind eye. A sad story - the abuse he went through nearly literally killed him - worst case of child abuse ever in the state of California. You are a survivor - that's the main issue.

So, the inside of the Ka'ba is empty, huh? I didnt think there would be any statues inside (all the obvious reasons) - well, that's Submitters 1, Jack Chick 0.

I for one think the most obvious choice would be Mecca - since that is where Mohammed started out. But since the Saudis are such nit-pickers in terms of who is/is not Muslim - why not Jerusalem? That city is held in high regards. And if Jerusalem is not financially feasable - why not then a pre-arranged place in the vicinity of where the people live. Maybe rent out a famous hall-for-hire, give it ambience of Mecca or Jerusalem, and call it The Reformed Hajj?

As thrilling it would be for me to visit a country outside USA, especially going to the Hajj - I think it is not feasable to entertain the thought, as long as we are Progressive Muslims (NOT Sunni/Shia, etc). Simply because as I looked at a travel agency that schedules people to make the Hajj, they either have to belong to an Islamic country (and NO - the USA is not an Islamic country), or if the person doesn't have an Islamic name (by birth - I suppose) - they need verification they are muslim through a statement given by a mosque (how many Progress Muslim mosques are there anyway? Point(s) made.

First, I look terrible with a beard - never grows right/itches/and not too cool if going on a job interview. My wife also says it looks horrible on me.

Still confusing. Recently chatted with a fellow muslim (sunni). This conversation was during celebration of Eid. Well, he said fasting starts at time of first prayer (fajr) and ends after maghrib. Now the problem is, Fajr started at 525 am, and Maghrib would occur at 432 pm. Yet sunrise occurred at 705 am and sunset started at 432 pm. Here we have two seemingly different times for the start, yet same times for the ending of the fast. What gives?

I like the translation provided here. However, I do not understand why the downloadable translation was changed to a PDF format, when the MS-Word version was working. Why not have both, so the person can download either, or perhaps both (in event the person wants to be flexable)

Salaam all - hope I can get some much needed advice.

To start, I am married for eleven years to my wife. Known her for a total of 17 years. We have a son who is 10. I love my family immensely. But my wife is no longer happy being married, being a wife and mother. She constantly verbally abuses not only me, but anyone related to her. She wants out of the marriage, go out on her own, and live with another man as she makes pocket-money thinking she will survive. I cannot afford an attorney, yet I don't want my son being in a broken family. Marriage counsellors don't work - it's all in one ear, out the other with her. I admit I am no 'saint' - she said something crude and vulgar to me this past Thanksgiving right in front of our son. I threw a chair and walked out (btw, nobody was hit by the chair). What should I do with her? We didn't even spend intimacy together for nearly a year.

Salaam all - hard to start - but I surrendered myself to God - acknowledged Him alone as God, God does not have any helper in times of trouble, God does not need an associate in His glory. Ok, I was raised Polish National Catholic (NOT Roman Catholic - subject to the pope - more in the vein of Old Catholic (circa pre-vatican 1)). Raised this way - in 1984 became 'born-again christian'. Until circa 2000 when introduced to islam ala sunni I discovered islam. I felt brand new, and was telling every1 about God only. Yet I felt I was still handcuffed by religion - about to quit until I discovered following God based on His word alone (Qur'an) - now Islam is as natural as breathing oxygen.