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Archive-name: islam-alt-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1994/6/26
Version: 1.3
***** ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS *********
READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST A QUERY.
This message is automatically posted once a month to provide
answers to commonly asked questions on this forum.
If you have any contributions or changes to this document
please send me an email message. If you never wish you see
this document again, please add the above subject in your
KILL file.
Sincerely,
Asim Mughal (mughal@alumni.caltech.edu)
alt.religion.islam FAQ Maintainer
[Standard Disclaimer]
=================================================================
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This FAQ posting is now in USENET digest format. If you are
using "rn" (or it derivatives) to read news ^G (Ctrl- G) will
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reader search for the next line that begins with "Subject:".
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******************************************************************
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Contents:
1) About Alt.Religion.Islam
2) Reason for this discussion newsgroup
3) Current statistics on alt.religion.islam
4) Moderated Islamic Forums on USENET
5) Introduction to Islam
6) Islamic History: 1- The coming of the
7) Islamic History: 2- The rise of Islam
8) Islamic History: 3- Islam in the Modern Age
9) The future of Islam
10) The community of the faithful
11) The five pillars of Islam
12) No Trinity in Quran
13) Sufi & marifat (gnosis) Mailing Lists
14) Books & Videos on Islam
15) Prayer Software on the net.
16) This FAQ: Archive Info, History & Credits
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Subject: 1) About Alt.Religion.Islam
Alt.Religion.Islam: Created Feb '94.
Status: Unmoderated.
PURPOSE:
This forum is for unmoderated discussion of Islam on USENET.
REASON:
A number of USENET readers in general, including regular readers of
moderated forum Soc.Religion.Islam have expressed desire to discuss
Islam as a religion in an unmoderated environment.
RELEVANCE & GUIDELINES:
It is left up to the reader to enforce the following recommended guide-
lines for this forum.
1. Direct & indirectly related to Islam
2. No Personal Attacks/Insults.
In addition, those readers who believe their postings were relevant to
Soc.Religion.Islam and were unduely rejected may find an audience
willing to read their articles.
ARTICLES POSTED: (To Date 6.08.94):
Days in creation: 4 1/2 months (approx)
No. of Postings : 1344
FUTURE:
Alt.* hierarchy is not a 'main stream' hierarchy. Quite a few of the
sites don't carry it.
Due to the popularity of the forum, alt.religion.islam. It is being
suggested to move this forum under 7 main hierarchies in the near
future.
RFD talk.religion.islam
A formal Request for Discussion (RFD) was posted on May 09, 1994.
This initiative of moving alt.religion.islam under 7 main hierarchies
is expected to for vote soon.
-- RFD talk.religion.islam --
This is a call for discussion for the newsgroup talk.religion.islam.
Rationale: Over time, there have been different views held amongst
various members of the Islamic community about the creation of an
unmoderated newsgroup about Islam. Some people hold that it is a
good idea because Muslims don't really have anything that needs
defending - and that the purpose of a moderated newsgroup in this
context is to make a fort that will allow its creators the ability
to defend it. There are others who feel that it is necessary to
create a moderated newsgroup that will cut down the flames that
arise because of the fact that everyone seems to have a very firm
opinion about Islam.
My own predilection leads to the former; I feel that it is necessary
to have an unmoderated forum about Islam. I agree that flames will
inevitably rise, every now and then. However, it does not seem that
there is anything that one can do about these flames anyway. These
already exist on several other newsgroups, so it is impossible to
use moderation as a tool to cut down on all flammage. If one wishes
to have a moderated forum, then soc.religion.islam already exists
and can be used.
A couple of months ago, or so, a newsgroup was created in the alt
hierarchy, alt.religion.islam. Its purpose was to provide an
unmoderated forum for discussions about Islam and serve as a testbed
to prove or disprove the viability of talk.religion.islam. I would
argue that it has been very successful in this regard. The traffic
hierarchy, alt.religion.islam. Its purpose was to provide an
unmoderated forum for discussions about Islam and serve as a testbed
to prove or disprove the viability of talk.religion.islam. I would
argue that it has been very successful in this regard. The traffic
there easily rivals that of soc.religion.islam. There are some
articles that are posted there that are definitely not relevant and
are off the subject; nonetheless, the majority are quite pertinent.
For this reason, I think we should create a newsgroup in the Big
Seven hierarchy.
Proposal: For an unmoderated newsgroup, called talk.religion.islam.
Recommended Charter: For the discussion pertaining to the theological
aspects of Islam as a religion, as opposed to the cultural or
sociological aspects. It should serve as a forum for:
[1] To increase the understanding of the readers about the Quran, the
Hadith and the Sunnah of the Prophet.
[2] As a base for discussions about comparitive religions with
regards to Islam.
[3] As a forum for discussions of various mystical systems pertaining
For more information on talk.religion.islam proposal, contact:
Basalat Ali Raja (gwydion@gnu.ai.mit.edu)
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Subject: 2) Reason for this discussion news group
>Date: 6 Apr 1994 11:52:05 -0500
>From: hanan@utdallas.edu
The reason for this discussion group should be to teach Muslims more
about Islam and to inform sincere non-Muslims about Islam.
>Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 23:07:07 EDT
>From: Mansour A. Matboli <MM1878A@auvm.american.edu>
It is 100% true that this newsgroup should be devouted to better
communication between muslims among each other in one hand, and between
muslims and senceer- non-muslims. I noted that many people did reply to
the chalange of Islam message, which was not right. Those people have
wasted alot of their time. It was alot better for them if they learned a
new ayah or a new hadeath.
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Subject: 3) Current USENET statistics on alt.religion.islam
Estimated Readership: 14,000
Source: April '94 USENET statistics
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Subject: 4) Moderated Islamic Forums on USENET
Asim Mughal(mughal@caltech.edu)
Soc.Religion.Islam: (Formed in 1989)
Moderated Discussion on Islam as a Religion. Guidelines: Relevance to
Islam & No personal attacks/Insults.
Bit.Listserv.Muslims: (Gatewayed to USENET in 1993)
At least once a week digest on News, Information, Articles & Issues of
general on Islam & Muslims. E-mail subscription available from:
Muslims@Asuacad.Bitnet
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Subject: 5) Introduction to Islam
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Date: 3 Apr 1994 09:50:00 -0400
Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions. The followers
of Islam, called Muslims, believe in one God- Allah in Arabic- and that
Muhammad is his Prophet. Today, the worldwide community of Muslims,
which embraces the people of many races and cultures , numbers nearly
one billion. Historically, Saudi Arabia has occupied a special place in
the Islamic world as the very heartland of Islam. Indeed, it is toward
the sacred Ka'abah, meaning "the House of God", in Makkah that Muslims
turn devoutly in prayer five times a day.
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Subject: 6) Islamic History: 1- The coming of the Prophet
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Around the year 570, Muhammad was born into a family of the ruling tribe
of Makkah, the powerful and noble Quraysh. Makkah, a caravan city in the
Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia, grew around the Ka'abah, meaning
"the House of God," a shrine of ancient origins built by Abraham and his
son Ishmael. Pre-Islamic Arabia was polytheistic; some 360 idols
representing the divinities of the Hijaz were housed in the Ka'abah.
Orphaned as a child, Muhammad spent several years of his boyhood among
the Bedouins of the desert, developing a love for the rich Arabic
language that was the Bedouins' proudest art.
He learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of
solitude he came to understand and appreciate. As a young man, Muhammad
traveled widely with the trade caravans through Palestine, Syria, and
Yemen before dedicating his life to meditation.
In 610, God revealed His word to Muahmmad through the Angel Gabriel. In
this way, Muhammad became the chosen bearer of the divine message and
began proclaiming the oneness of God.
The name of this new religion, Islam, means "submission to God." The
followers of Islam are called Muslims, meaning "those who submit." God's
message as transmitted through Muhammad was not unanimously accepted in
Makkah. Pagan worshippers threatened by the new monotheistic religion,
and merchants anxious to preserve the profitable pilgrimage trade
intensified their opposition to the followers of Islam[, through
torture, trade embargo and killing].
To foil an assassination plot against him, Huhammad and a small group of
Muslims emigrated to Madinah. This, the Hijrah or emigration, dates the
beginning of the Islamic era and the history of the Islamic community.
In 629, Muhammad reentered and conquered Makkah without bloodshed,
destroying the idols in Ka'abah, and the inhabitants of Makkah embraced
Islam.
Source: Pamphlet"Saudi Arabia, Islam"2nd Ed.,1989.
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Subject: 7) Islamic History: 2- The Rise of Islam
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Within a century, Islam had swept across the Middle East and North
Africa-from modern Iraq to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. At its
apogee, Islam held sway as far as Spain in the west, and India and China
in the east-virtually the entire known world. By conversion, commerce,
and conquest, Islam introduced a comprehensive faith and a
political-legal system which established order and justice in a period
of world chaos and disintegrating empires.
Islam fostered the flowering of brilliant civilizations and the
development of great centers of learning. It was a period of dynamism, a
melding of ancient and new thought from east to west, producing great
contributions in medicine, science, mathematics, physics, law,
astronomy, geography, architecture, art, art, language, literature, and
history. Islamic civilization-rich, sophisticated, and varied-has taken
its place among the cultural achievements of human history. The genius
of Arab civilization set the stage for the European Renaissance.
Source: Pamphlet"Saudi Arabia, Islam"2nd Ed.,1989.
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Subject: 8) Islamic History: 3- Islam in the modern age.
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
With the shift of power to Western Europe and the eventual colonization
of parts of the Middle East, Islamic rule and the scope of its political
influence began to diminish. Nonetheless, Islam remained a strong
spiritual and moral force in many countries and societies.
As colonial rule gave way to new, self-governing nations in the 20th
century, Islam reemerged on the world stage as a major political and
economic force. Despite great changes in traditional societies, as well
as the demands of the contemporary age, Islam has grown as a dynamic and
universal religion with a continued impact on world affairs.
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Subject: 9) The future of Islam
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Today, Islam is resurgent and flourishing in virtually every corner of
the world. Islam continues to address human needs as it has for more
than 1,400 years with compassion, creativity, and a deep commitment to
God. Dedicated Muslims are striving to meet the challenge of
modernization while remaining faithful to traditional Islamic values.
Source: Pamphlet"Saudi Arabia, Islam"2nd Ed.,1989.
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Subject: 10) The community of the faithful:
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Islam is at once a religion and a total way of life. It prescribes order
for individuals, societies, and governments, codifying law, family
relationships, matters of business, etiquette, dress food, hygiene, and
much more. The ummah, or community of believers, is unified across
national boundaries by its conscious acceptance of the oneness of God
and its mission on earth. There is no human hierarchy to intervene
between man and God; in the eyes of Islam, all people are equal.
The Qur'an is the cornerstone of Islamic faith. Muslims believe that the
Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, is the word of God as revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad in the Arabic language. It is regarded as the final
revelation, as Muhammad is regarded as the final Prophet-"the seal of
the prophets." For over 1,400 years, the Qur'an has illuminated the
lives of Muslims with its eloquent message, shaping their everyday
lives, anchoring them to a unique system of law, and inspiring them by
its guiding principles.
The sunnah,"way" for devout Muslims to follow, recounts the deeds,
sayings, and silent approval of the Prophet Mohammad regarding details
of community life. It complements and supplements the Qur'an and
embodies the meticulously documented traditions and sayings of the
Prophet as preserved by his companions in a body of writings called the
hadith.
The Qur'an and the sunnah provide the framework for Shariah, the sacred
law of Islam, which governs all aspects of the public and private,
social and economic, religious and political life of every Muslim.
Source: Pamphlet"Saudi Arabia, Islam"2nd Ed.,1989.
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Subject: 11) The five pillars of Islam
<ahmed@CIM.McGill.CA (Ahmed Helmy)>
Despite the great body of tradition and law, the practice of Islam is
essentially personal-between God and the believer. Islam has five
primary obligations or pillars of faith that each Muslim must fulfill in
his or her lifetime.
1- Shahadah.
Profession of faith, is the first pillar of Islam. Muslims bear witness
to the oneness of God by reciting the creed "there is no god but God and
Muhammad is the messenger of God." This simple yet profound statement
expresses a Muslim's complete acceptance of, and total commitment to,
the message of Islam.
2- Salah.
Ritual prayer or devotional worship, is the second pillar. The Islamic
belief is based on the belief that individuals have a direct
relationship with God. There are no earthly intermediaries in Islam.
Rather, the world's Muslims turn individually and collectively to
Makkah, Islam's holiest city, to offer prayers at dawn, noon,
mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. In addition, Friday congregational
service is also required. Although salah can be performed alone, it is
meritorious to perform it with another or with a group. The word mosque
comes from the Arabic masjid, meaning "place of prostration." Although
it is permissible to pray at home, at work, or even outdoors, it is
recommended that Muslims perform salah in a mosque.
3- Zakat.
Almsgiving, is the third pillar and like prayer is considered a form of
worship. Social responsibility is considered part of one's service to
God; the obligatory act of zakat enshrines this duty. Zakat prescribes
payment of fixed proportions of a Muslim's possessions for the welfare
of the entire community and in particular for its neediest members. It
is equal to 2.5 percent of an individual's total net worth. excluding
obligations and family expenses.
4- Sawm.
Fasting, during the holy month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam.
Ordained in the qur'an, the fast is an act of deep personal worship in
which Muslims seek a richer perception of God. Fasting is also an
exercise in self-control whereby one's sensitivity is heightened to the
sufferings of the poor. Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new
moon, after which abstention from eating, drinking, smoking, and other
sensual pleasures is obligatory from dawn to sunset.
Ramadan also is a joyful month. Muslims break their fast at sunset with
a special meal, iftar, "break-fast;" perform additional nocturnal
worship, tarawih, after evening prayer; and throng the streets in moods
that are festive and communal. The end of Ramadan is observed in a
spirit of joyous achievement by four days of celebration called eid
al-fitr, the feast of the Breaking of the Fast. Customarily, it is a
time for family reunion and the favored holiday for children who receive
new clothing and gifts from family members and friends.
5- Hajj.
Meaning "visit to the revered place," the pilgrimage to Makkah, is the
fifth pillar and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and
unity in the world. For those Muslims who are mentally, physically, and
financially able to make the faithful journey to Makkah, the hajj is the
peak of their religious life.
The hajj is a worldwide gathering of over two million Muslims to the
holy city, and a remarkable spiritual happening. In performing hajj, a
pilgrim follows the order of a ritual as Muhammad performed the rites
during his last pilgrimage.
The five pillars of Islam define the basic identity of the Muslims
-their faith, beliefs, and practices-which binds together a worldwide
community of believers into a fellowship of shared values and concerns.
Source: Pamphlet"Saudi Arabia, Islam"2nd Ed.,1989.
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Subject: 12) No Trinity in Quran
<ridha@sonata.cc.purdue.edu (Muhammad Ridha)>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 07:17:49 GMT
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Many non-Muslims who have been starting reading the Qur'an asked
question: "What is the meaning of the word WE in the Qur'an when it is
used in referring to Allah?" Some Christians, who are ignorant of
Arabic, have been arguing that the Qur'an itself approves the concept of
Trinity (God has three 'personalities': Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
For clarification, I try to answer the question above...
In Arabic, there are two forms of plural: 1. Plural of more than one, 2.
Plural of respect.
The following is taken from the book "ELEMENTARY MODERN STANDAR ARABIC
1" edited by: Peter F.Abboud (Professor of Arabic, University of Texas,
Austin), Earnest N.McCarus (Professor of Arabic, University of
Michigan), published by: Cambridge University Press, 1989, on pages:
541-542:
========================================================================
5. The "royal we" and the use of the plural of respect
In Arabic, as in English and other European languages, the "royal we" is
often used instead of "I" by persons in high office. Indeed, it is
probably more common in Arabic; it is illustrated by the following
sentence taken from an imaginary letter sent by the President of one
country to another:
'TalabNAA min waziiri khaarijiyyatiNAA an yanqula ilaiKUM ra'yaNAA fii
dzaalika al-amr'
(in English: I have asked my Minister of Foreign Affairs to convey to
you my view on that matter).
In this sentence, the plural pronoun "ilaiKUM" is used instead of the
singular to convey RESPECT. It is not at all unusual in Arabic to use a
plural form (pronoun, adjective, verb) in this way as a sign of respect
for the person addressed.
========================================================================
In the case of the word "NAHNU" (We) and its derived words (Us, Our), is
used by God in addressing Himself for showing the plural of RESPECT. It
does not imply trinity. The Qur'an very clearly states:
"Verily I am Allah: There is no god but I, so serve thou Me..." (20:14)
"Say: He is Allah, The One and Only." (112:1)
"Verily, in blasphemy indeed are those who say that God is Christ the
son of Mary (Jesus)." (Q. 5:17)
The other clear-cut proof, is the attitude of those pagan Arabs in the
time of the Prophet Muhammad who know well about Arabic, as their mother
tounges. Everytime the Prophet recited to them verses from the Qur'an,
they tried constantly to entangle him. But in the case of the word "We",
they never argued with him.
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Subject: 13) Sufi Mailing Lists/Newsgroup(s).
(Salahuddin Ahmad) ahmads@ecn.purdue.edu:
There are two informal discussion groups that deal more
specifically with Sufism:
sufi@world.std.com & (For Muslims Only)
tariqas@world.std.com (Open to all)
-----
(mughal@alumni.caltech.edu)
Another Mailing List is: gnosis@netcom.com
maintainer: Dean Edwards deane@netcom.com
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Subject: 14) Books & Videos on Islam
<AM7925A@american.edu (Abdulrahman Al-Ali)
June 08, 1994
Asslamu alaikum
I would strongly recommend the following to anyone considering
Islam seriously.
1- Try to read Quran and Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH). They are the
best and most trusted source of information about Islam. After
that try to find a recognized publisher of Islamic material.
In North America there are at least two excellent publishing houses:
a) World Assebmly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). A publisher of many famous
books about Islam. For example, Toward Understanding Islam by
Abul A'la Mawdudi. They also publish all Ahmed Deedat's books.
Their address:
WAMY
P.O. Box 8096
Falls Church, VA 22041. (They also have some free books about Islam)
b) American Trust Publications. One of their best books is, Islam in Focus,
by, Hammudah Abdalati. Their address:
American Trust Publications
10900 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46231
2- At the begining, try to contact with Muslims who have similar cultural
background. It will help you alot.
For your case, I would like to recommend the following lectures on
videotapes. The following are just examples:
a) Americans Becoming Muslims, by br. Jeffrey Lang.
b) ========= ======== =======, by sr. Aminah Assilmi.
c) My Journey from Christianity to Islam, by sr. Nancy Ali.
You can obtain the above videotapes and many others from:
Ghazali Islamic Videotapes
217 Pinecone Drive
Lawrence, Kansas 66046
Tel (931)-841-9768
I'm sure you know that Islam doesn't discriminate people based on
their color, race, or sex. They are all equal in the sight of Allah.
So, please don't think I'm advising you not to socialize with other
Muslims who have different cultural background than you.
3- The best organization to contact is the Islamic Society of North
America (ISNA). They will provide you with many useful information.
They will also help finding the nearst Islamic center in your area.
ICNA is also a good and active Islamic organization.
Please note that I'm not affiliated with any organization mentioned
in this email. I'm solely recommending them because of their performance
and their good reputation.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the wonderful
world of Islam. May Allah be with you.
I pray to Allah to guide us all to his stright path, ameen.
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Subject: 15) Prayer Software
A- <mahmood@rpi.edu (Shahid Mahmood)> <Date: 23 Feb 1994 18:47:54 GMT>
Assalamoalikum.
There is in fact a program available via ftp. It calculates the prayer timing
for any specific year or a month of it. It does incorporate the Hanfi/Shafii
or any other shool of thought by user defined options. You are required to
specify the LAt/Long coordinates of the location of interest.
In order to get it do:
% ftp ftp.mcs.kent.edu
username: Anonymous
Password: <Your Email Address>
cd /pub/islam
bin
get IslamicTimer-2.0.shar.Z
The file is in shell archive (shar). use uncompress and sh command
By the way, the same site has sahih bukhari as well in the directory
cd /pub/islam/Bukhari.Z
To get the geo-coordinates of a sites in USA, do the following:
telnet martini.eecs.umich.edu 3000
then enter your [zip_code], or [city,state].
Whwn you start writing your own program, let me know because I have
some suggestions. Jazakallah.
B- < famhar@geoinfo.tuwien.ac.at (Fahmi Amhar)> <Date: 24 Feb 1994 >
Download from ftp.uni-regensburg.de by anonymous ftp.
The program is in /pub/incoming/mawaq12.zip
Read the manual at first!
The Author of MAWAQIT
C- Ftp: ftp.caltech.edu
Login: anonymous
Dir: /pub/calmsa
File: Islamic.Timer-2.0.sh.Z
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Subject: 16) This FAQ: Archive Info, History & Credits.
ARCHIVE: This FAQ is archived & availble thru anonymous FTP, gopher &
world-wide web.
Anonymous FTP:
1. SITE: rtfm.mit.edu
Directory: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-alt-faq.Z
2. SITE: ftp.uu.net
Directory: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-alt-faq.Z
3. SITE: ftp.caltech.edu
Directory: /pub/calmsa/faq.ari
Gopher:
------
1.SITE: gopher.caltech.edu 70
Path: Computing Information/
CCO anonymous ftp archive/
pub/
calmsa/
faq.ari
2.SITE latif.com 70
Path: Resources relating to Islam/
FAQ alt.religion.islam [Usenet Newsgroup]
Word-Wide Web:
-------------
URL for USENET FAQs:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/top.html
URL for this FAQ:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/islam-alt-faq/faq.html
HISTORY:
V 1.0 April 25, 1994 Total Items # 13
V 1.2 June 08, 1994 Items #3, #13,#14 are new. #15 Edited
V 1.3 June 26, 1994 New Item #15
CREDITS: Ahmed Helmy, Muhammad Ridha, Hussain Helmy, Salahuddin Ahmad,
Abdulrahman Al-Ali
End of A.R.I. FAQ Digest
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