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crayon
04-11-2009, 05:59 PM
A Black Imam Breaks Ground in Mecca

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

TWO years ago, Sheik Adil Kalbani dreamed that he had become an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Waking up, he dismissed the dream as a temptation to vanity. Although he is known for his fine voice, Sheik Adil is black, and the son of a poor immigrant from the Persian Gulf. Leading prayers at the Grand Mosque is an extraordinary honor, usually reserved for pure-blooded Arabs from the Saudi heartland.

So he was taken aback when the phone rang last September and a voice told him that King Abdullah had chosen him as the first black man to lead prayers in Mecca. Days later Sheik Adil’s unmistakably African features and his deep baritone voice, echoing musically through the Grand Mosque, were broadcast by satellite TV to hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world.

Since then, Sheik Adil has been half-jokingly dubbed the “Saudi Obama.” Prominent imams are celebrities in this deeply religious country, and many have hailed his selection as more evidence of King Abdullah’s cautious efforts to move Saudi Arabia toward greater openness and tolerance in the past few years.

The king is trying to tell everybody that he wants to rule this land as one nation, with no racism and no segregation,” said Sheik Adil, a heavyset and long-bearded man of 49 who has been an imam at a Riyadh mosque for 20 years. “Any qualified individual, no matter what his color, no matter where from, will have a chance to be a leader, for his good and his country’s good.”

Officially, it was his skill at reciting the Koran that won him the position, which he carries out — like the Grand Mosque’s eight other prayer leaders — only during the holy month of Ramadan. But the racial significance of the king’s gesture was unmistakable.

Sheik Adil, like most Saudis, is quick to caution that any racism here is not the fault of Islam, which preaches egalitarianism. The Prophet Muhammad himself, who founded the religion here 1,400 years ago, had black companions.

Our Islamic history has so many famous black people,” said the imam, as he sat leaning his arm on a cushion in the reception room of his home. “It is not like the West.”...........
For the full article, see here.
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Cabdullahi
04-11-2009, 06:33 PM
mashallah we have shekh kalbani and sheikh juhany who is a carbon copy of sudais....to great recitors
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wth1257
04-11-2009, 07:09 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by crayon
For the full article, see here.
Well it makes sense that until now the Saudi's would reserve the spot for a pure blooded arab. I mean as Muhammad said "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly." So obviously they are just following in his example :rollseyes
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Ali.
04-11-2009, 07:10 PM
I thought the thread title meant literally.. :-[

Great news. Really good :thumbs_up!!
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wth1257
04-11-2009, 07:14 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ali.
I thought the thread title meant literally.. :-[

Great news. Really good :thumbs_up!!
l, you mean like you though a really heavy set fellow fell down? :D
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Ali.
04-11-2009, 07:31 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by wth1257
l, you mean like you though a really heavy set fellow fell down? :D
Lol.. no comment on what I specifically imagined it to be.. :D
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aadil77
04-11-2009, 08:00 PM
Wow nice to see an imam of makkah called Adil :D
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Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
04-11-2009, 08:25 PM
:sl:

wow mashallah! :D
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BlissfullyJaded
04-12-2009, 04:24 AM
:sl:

There were imaams of non Arab ancestry who have led in the Haramain before. It was only since the late 80s or early 90s that the "Saudi only" rule was created.

Anyways, awesome article! Jazakillah khair sis!
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M.B
04-12-2009, 10:04 AM
:sl:
has anyone found that sheikh adil al kalbani is imam fully for every salah or is it only for taraweeh salah.


:w:
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Zafran
04-12-2009, 02:46 PM
salaam

this shouldnt have even been an issue - Its a jahiliya practice to create a "saudi only" Imams. Race shouldnt be an issue.

peace
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ayesha309
04-12-2009, 03:06 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by M.B
:sl:
has anyone found that sheikh adil al kalbani is imam fully for every salah or is it only for taraweeh salah.


:w:
Brother, currently, he is the imam of Masjid Muhasiny in Makkah. I belive he leads regular salaats there. I'm not sure if he will return to Masjid al-Haram in Makkah for taraweeh again. Allah knows best
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convert
04-12-2009, 09:19 PM
When do we see the Desi or Indonesian Imams?
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north_malaysian
04-13-2009, 02:36 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Jawharah
:sl:

There were imaams of non Arab ancestry who have led in the Haramain before. It was only since the late 80s or early 90s that the "Saudi only" rule was created.

Anyways, awesome article! Jazakillah khair sis!
it's true
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north_malaysian
04-13-2009, 02:50 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by convert
When do we see the Desi or Indonesian Imams?
From Southeast Asia:

1) Shaikh Daud bin Abdullah Al Fathani - from Thailand (late 19th Century)

http://epondok.wordpress.com/2009/04...ullah-fathani/ (in Malaysian Language)


2) Shaikh Ahmad Khatib Al Minankabawi - from Sumatra (early 20th Century)

http://shofwankarim.spaces.live.com/...lim%2BScholars (in Malaysian Language)

3) Shaikh Abdul Hamid Muhammad Ali Kudus - ethnic Javanese, born in Mecca (early 20th Century)

http://ulama.blogspot.com/2005/06/sy...mid-kudus.html (in Malaysian Language)
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جوري
04-13-2009, 03:14 AM
there were many Saudi only rules that I believe they are breaking now.. before no one could enter their their universities especially medical or pharmacy schools, but I believe that too now is changing......
it will be a long time though before the entire middle eastern region be rids themselves of this nationalism created under imperial rule, but a few baby steps is better than none I would like to believe..

and Allah swt knows best..
nice article
:w:
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crayon
04-13-2009, 12:24 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Gossamer skye
there were many Saudi only rules that I believe they are breaking now.. before no one could enter their their universities especially medical or pharmacy schools, but I believe that too now is changing......
it will be a long time though before the entire middle eastern region be rids themselves of this nationalism created under imperial rule, but a few baby steps is better than none I would like to believe..

and Allah swt knows best..
nice article
:w:
Actually, non saudis here cannot enter the public universities, be it for medicine or otherwise.. There is the occasional exception (if you have a parent that works in the uni, if you've got connections, etc.), but the general rule is that public unis are for Saudis only.
There are private universities though, but the quality of education in them is not as good as the public ones.
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north_malaysian
04-13-2009, 02:24 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by crayon
Actually, non saudis here cannot enter the public universities, be it for medicine or otherwise..
why there are Malaysians studying in Ummul Qura University and Medina University. My Arabic teacher graduated from Al Malik Faisal University and he's a Malaysian...
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crayon
04-13-2009, 02:33 PM
If you apply from other countries and get a scholarship you can, that's usually done for things like shariah, and other islam related stuff. But for regular people graduating here and applying, they are not accepted.
Although some years back (10 years, 15? not exactly sure), both saudis and non saudis were allowed into the public universities. This is something newly applied.

On the king saud website, in the admission requirements:
"5- For non- Saudis (of Saudi mother only) to bring the mother Identification Card and the original of residence, the origin of the birth certificate and two photocopies for each document."
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جوري
04-13-2009, 04:28 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by crayon
Actually, non saudis here cannot enter the public universities, be it for medicine or otherwise.. There is the occasional exception (if you have a parent that works in the uni, if you've got connections, etc.), but the general rule is that public unis are for Saudis only.
There are private universities though, but the quality of education in them is not as good as the public ones.
sob7an Allah, a few months back my dad told me they were making changes, I guess he was misinformed.. when we lived there naturally you couldn't and everyone had to get top grades to get into medical school back home a .4% could screw you even if you had a 98% average..

it is unfortunate but to be honest I am not sure of the quality of medical school in Saudi Arabia whether public or otherwise..

:w:
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crayon
04-13-2009, 06:11 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Gossamer skye
sob7an Allah, a few months back my dad told me they were making changes, I guess he was misinformed.. when we lived there naturally you couldn't and everyone had to get top grades to get into medical school back home a .4% could screw you even if you had a 98% average..

it is unfortunate but to be honest I am not sure of the quality of medical school in Saudi Arabia whether public or otherwise..

:w:
Who knows, perhaps it's something they're considering?
It's the same here, at some schools like 15 girls get 99.9_ and then compete in the remaining hundredth for a higher rank..

I agree, but as they say in arabic, "hada almawjood"..

edit- I've just heard that it's possible to apply, but that getting accepted is rare, unless it's a major that's not in demand or some other reason... Hmmm.
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north_malaysian
04-14-2009, 01:43 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by crayon
Although some years back (10 years, 15? not exactly sure), both saudis and non saudis were allowed into the public universities. This is something newly applied.
Oh... my Arabic teacher was graduated in the 70s... he's retired now..
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VizierX
04-16-2009, 08:49 AM
Mashallah, that's good to see.
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bint Zakir
04-18-2009, 09:27 PM
The shaikhs recitation can be found here:

http://is.aswatalislam.net/DisplayFi...-_Adil_Kalbani
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